A/N: This idea has been on my mind for ages! Hope you enjoy it!

The TARDIS door opened with the old familiar creak. Clara was flipping some switches on the console, programming the time machine to an orbit around Earth. The Doctor entered the machine slowly before closing the door, around to the console quietly. In fact... It was odd for him to be /this/ quiet. Clara thought of starting a conversation with the Doctor. The curiosity overtook her. "So, you must have thought I was dead for a while?" She said as she continued flipping switches casually. The time lord was just near her, pressing some more controls. "Yeah." The Doctor cut short. "How was that?" She asked out of simple curiosity. "Longest month of my life." He replied halfheartedly. Clara almost chuckled as she said, "It could only have been five minutes." An odd silence aroused in the console. "I'll be the judge of time." He said with his low purring voice. Her slight smile just melted down as fast as it had appeared and she stopped pressing any more controls as soon as she noticed he wasn't joking; it almost made the companion's heart skip a beat.

He was dead serious.

That the Doctor was very afraid of losing her.

The time lord walked to the other side of companion. The latter looked up to him and noticed his sadness, before the Gallifreyan pulled the lever, making the TARDIS dematerialize. The Doctor forced a very weak sad smile, trying his best to fool himself... That he hadn't put his Clara at risk.

The time lord walked to the stairs, giving way to the upper floor she liked to call; the pit stop library. She bit her lip, hesitating to ask him yet another question. But Clara soon called him. "Doctor?"

He turned, his long bony fingers curled around the cold metal handrail just as he placed his foot on the first step. "Can I... stay on the TARDIS? For another while? I kind of feel tired and I think it's best to get some rest before returning to Earth."

The Doctor showed a sad smile again. "Yeah. It's your home too after all Clara." The time lord turned and continued climbing up, walking around and taking random books and flipping them.

Clara stared at the control column. It pulsed in empathy. She knew what the companion had just gone through and the machine felt that Clara was still feeling somewhat disorientated after what had happened, not to mention she could also feel her thief's distress. The companion sighed before walking to the nearest corridor, her high heeled boots echoing through the TARDIS.

Clara entered the kitchen. The Doctor was already there, still wearing his outfit. He turned to look at her as soon as he had heard the sound of her virtually silent footsteps. The Doctor's lips curled ever so slightly before melting away and returning back to making his sandwich having some sort of alien spread, bacon, lettuce, cheese and some caviar. Clara was already in her pajamas (just a sleeveless baby blue top having 2 white bunnies printed on it and 3/4 trousers having the same colour), had taken her make-up off and collected her hair in a small pony tail. She had to admit, sometimes that short hair used to get her on her nerves when it was down.

She walked towards the electric kettle (which was just 2 steps away from the Doctor) and switched it on, taking out a mug and a spoon from the cupboard and adding a green tea teabag. The water soon boiled and Clara added the water slowly. She left the teabag in the mug before turning to the Doctor, who was just staring at his partially dismantled sandwich; caviar and spread were on the bread, but the lettuce and ham were still on the plate. She let her arm wrap around the Doctor's letting her cheek lean against his arm. The time lord sighed. "You don't have to be sad, daft old man. You saved the world." Clara breathed, but her friend shook his head.

"You don't understand, Clara. I almost got you killed. I put you in d-" The Doctor stopped abruptly as he felt the girl's soft, warm palm cradling his cheek. He turned, noticing she was looking at him, with her painfully beautiful eyes showing such mercy to a man who deserved none.

"I'm still here Doctor. You saved me too." She could notice his eyes were starting to fill with tears he was desperately trying to hold back.

"But what about when the Daleks almost killed you on Skaro... and... and the Fisher King, aye?" He sniffed. A small tear made its way down his cheek. "What about when I almost killed you?" He continued.

Clara forced a smile. "But I'm still alive, aren't I?" She swept the tear from his cheek with her thumb. It was so smooth against his rough, wrinkled skin. "And it's all thanks to you. You never gave up on me..." she chuckled slightly "or on the human race, for that matter." The Doctor also tried his best to smile... but he couldn't help but still feel the guilt continue eating him from the inside.

"Doctor, I am completely aware of the dangers. But I love travelling with you so much, it's the only reason I live for." The time lord felt a hard lump in his throat. He wanted to say it. He needed to say it. To her.

That he loved her too much not to care.

That she was the only reason he lived for. If it hadn't been for her, he would have gone insane. But she was always there to calm him whenever he felt like he was going mad.

"But I have a duty of care, Clara." He could simply breathe.

"And don't you think I don't have a duty of care for you too, daft old man." She said with a laugh.

"Oh Clara Clara Clara." He breathed with broken eyes as he took Clara's hand delicately from his cheek, closed it slowly, as if her hand was the most fragile thing in the Universe, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. How he hoped she knew what kind of duty of care he was talking about... To what extremes he was ready to go in order to see that his Clara was safe, alive. And happy.

Even if it took lying to her... Even if he was used to lying... He couldn't lie to her anymore. Both because she knew him all too well, and also because he would feel weak in the knees every time he tries. And the more time spent together, the harder it felt to lie... Or even control his feelings towards her.

(And sometimes, she couldn't either...)

But he would lie, for her sake, if ever the need comes, just like in Danny's case.

Only Clara had used the same strategy to let him go to the still unfound Gallifrey. None of them knew they were /both/ in pain for losing each other.

They stayed so for a while, before the companion moved towards the Doctor, tiptoeing before leaving a sweet, prolonged kiss on his cheek. "I'll be alright, my daft old man." The Gallifreyan smiled before returning the kiss, pressing his chapped lips to her hair, breathing in her scent, radiating sweetness and love. He could almost /feel/ the latter.

"I think it's best if I go sleep for a bit. It's been quite a day." She said.

"Oh yes sure." said the Doctor, as he let go of her hand. Clara turned back to the green tea, which was, surprisingly, still warm. She took it, wrapping her fingers around it.

"See you later, Doctor" The companion said with a wide smile.

"Good night, Clara Oswald."

The Doctor walked towards his companion's room. He had just finished eating his sandwich and decided to make some maintenance work on the TARDIS' controls.

Anything to keep himself busy; warding off any toxic thoughts in his mind which would make him go insane.

He knocked slowly on the door in the lightest way possible so not to wake her up if she was asleep.

As she in fact was.

The room was relatively dark, he could only make Clara's form by the stars from a far away galaxy which reflected light onto her. He smiled at the thought of seeing his companion so peaceful, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. He walked to the other side of the room, near her bedside table. She was sleeping on her side, holding a book, using her thumb as a bookmark, and her hair obscured her beautiful, angelic face. He tucked her hair gently behind her ear, revealing Clara's face. The Doctor then slowly took the book off her hands, before looking at the cover.

The Professor by Charlotte Bronte

Oh Clara Clara Clara... He thought, before placing the bookmark which his human had placed on the table and placed the book instead of it.

He tucked the soft blankets under her chin before pressing a soft kiss on her temple. Clara groaned and pulled the sheets over her head before starting to snore softly. The Doctor chuckled silently. Clara loved showing him videos of sleeping cats being disturbed by their owners; either with a feather, or with a poke... before covering their face with their "soft toe beaned fluffy mittens"... as Clara used to call them. The Doctor would show some disgust, to his companion's disapproval. But quite naturally for the Doctor, he would feel his hearts melt at the sight of his companion looking at her ummmm... what's it called... Inbook?... Instant? feed with large eyes and awwwing at the sight of such earthly cuddliness. She was his little kitten; reckless, painfully beautiful and (he dared say) cute, always ready to learn from her superiors.

Only the Doctor didn't feel like her superior. Yes... The Doctor was the Doctor... And he needed to ward her off any dangers only /he/ could handle, no matter how large her eyes would inflate to weaken him. She had taught him much... And yes, she /was/ his weakness. But he didn't care. He had his fragile human. She was happy and... Safe. His smile vanished. Safe... He can't keep her safe, not if they always fall into traps, and dangerous adventures, as she walkways demands. What if they separate them and torture her. God knows what would become of her if he would arrive too late. Because he knew; she wouldn't lose any chance to show how strong and unbreakable she is, and wouldn't hold back from replying to her torture's nasty comments. She lives for the adrenaline rush, and feeling special. All those times she as tortured, she became more physically strong (he would even dare say that she had also become psychologically stronger. Not as much though).

The time lord sighed silently as he caressed Clara's scruffed hair softly, still snoring under the sheets. For now she was safe, and happy, and warm. That's all that mattered.

The Doctor walked towards the door, looking back at his snoring bundle of joy before walking out the door and closing it virtually silently.

A/N: updating ASAP! Feedback appreciated as always!