Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own a thing :(
A/N: Hello! Just a head-cannon I've been thinking about and couldn't shake off. Hope this goes down as well as my last one shot. Seriously, thank you so much for the response! I didn't expect anywhere as much as I got, and all the views/favourites/reviews made me so happy. :)
Again, don't forget to review/favourite, I like to know if I'm doing a good job for you all, or if I should just quit while I'm ahead! :)
Slight spoilers for Hide, I suppose? Nothing too major!
Trust
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"So, where do you want to go today, huh Clara?" the Doctor asked with a wide grin, already beginning to flip switches and levers before she'd even answered.
Clara held her warm cup of tea in both palms and let out a little sigh. "Do we have to go somewhere today?"
The Doctor's head immediately snapped up and he gazed at her from where she was standing, across from him and slightly to the right, so he could still see her from around the tall centre of the console. "No, of course not... but are you okay? Are you ill?"
"No, no, I'm fine," she said with a weary smile. "Just a bit tired is all."
"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked sceptically. He walked over to her, cradling her cheek in his hand. "It's just... It's not like you to miss out on an adventure."
"I'm okay, really Doctor." She flashed him a smile that he could not find it in his hearts to believe. "I'm just going to go to the library for a bit."
Clara padded off, disappearing around a corner and down the corridor. The Doctor watched her go. He thought about how small and fragile she really was; how adorable she looked with her hair in a ponytail; how she walked about the place and still looked at it in wonder.
He remembered what Emma had said about her hiding her fear, and he wasn't going to let her potentially suffer on her own.
The Doctor followed her silently, wanting to make sure she was okay. He crept down the corridor until he reached the library. The door was open, and he peered in, seeing Clara sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her body.
There were muffled sobs escaping from the brunette as she tried to cover her face with her hands. The Doctor frowned deeply and walked over to her.
"Hey, hey, don't cry," he said softly, squatting down in front of her. She lifted her head with her hands and tried to force a smile, but he could see her chin wobbling.
"Thought my tone implied I wanted to be alone?" she wept, but there was no tone in her voice, just sadness and despair.
"Oh Clara..." the Doctor said, feeling the tears prick in his own eyes. He sat next to her, pulling her sideways into his lap and tucking her into his chest, his chin on her head.
"Don't take my eye out with that thing," Clara said and the Doctor chuckled weakly.
"So, what's brought this on, eh?
"I just― I just feel so alone Doctor," she cried. There was mascara running down her cheeks, so he wiped it away with his thumbs and cradled her.
"You have me, Clara. I won't let you be alone." He knew how it felt to be alone, and ever since Clara had come along, he hadn't felt even close. He had thought they were like a team. They worked together so smoothly, they kept each other's company, and even had time for good banter.
"I'm sorry," Clara all but wailed. "I sound so inconsiderate. I know I have you, Doctor. Thank you," she sniffed loudly and then continued, "it's just, the universe is so big, and I feel so insignificant. I just hate feeling alone."
"Clara Oswald," the Doctor said. She looked up into his eyes with her own, wide ones. "you are so, so important, and you don't even realise." He shook his head. He hadn't yet told her about her other selves, her mystery, but there was something she'd done that was much more important to him. "You know, why? Because you saved me."
"I did?"
"You did," he told her with a smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Before I met you, I was alone. Really alone, and you brought this new spark, this new lease of life to me. You and your witty and sometimes slightly embarrassing banter," she chuckled. "You and your intelligence which almost matches mine. You and your cute facial expressions and your touchy-feely-ness and everything about you."
Clara looked at him with a new light in her eyes. Such wonder and delight as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, both of them holding the other close because they needed each other.
"I'm always here for you, Clara. Always," the Doctor said as they pulled away, only to lean forward again and place a lingering kiss on her forehead, then reach for the hand which was on his shoulder and gently kiss that too.
Clara giggled slightly at the intimate gesture, and then settled more into the Doctor's lap, both of them just sitting and contentedly listening to the other breathe.
"Emma told me not to trust you, you know," Clara said slowly. "When we went to help them with their ghost."
"She did?" the Doctor said with a troubled look on his face.
"Yeah. Emma, told me not to trust you, but I did, I did. You know why? Because, that first day we met, you knocked on my door like there was no tomorrow, but you wanted me to open it up. Trust you in my own time. The only reason you opened it by force was to save me, to recue me from that spoon-head, so I know I can trust you."
"You can Clara, you can. I promise. I know sometimes I may seem cruel, cold-hearted, but a thousand years of time travel have shaped me in ways I'd rather it hadn't. But you, you remind me of that, that I don't want to be that way. When we saw the disembowelled soldiers, you reminded me that I shouldn't tolerate the cruelty. I shouldn't just pass it off as unfortunate. I should mourn them, feel for them. You help me remember to feel Clara, in more ways than one."
He looked at her unsurely, but she gave a crooked smile so he leaned in, further and further until their lips brushed softly, once, twice, thrice. Clara held the lapels of his coat, pulling him more to her. Their tongues met almost desperately, clinging to each other, wanting more, more, more. Showing their trust and love all in that one moment.
As they both pulled away, they panted heavily. The Doctor slowly stroked Clara's hair as they stayed cheek to cheek against each other.
"Doctor?" Clara whispered into his ear.
"Yes?" he replied, a small shiver running down his spine.
"Trusting you was the best decision I ever made."