Small Talk
She meets him on a Monday night. It's through friends - she doesn't have many, and neither does he, she concludes once she realises he was not initially invited, but brought along by his flatmate John - and they talk, only because everyone else is socializing and they're just not people who socialize because she travels through time and space on Wednesdays and he solves crimes, so they're at least on some similar grounds.
"What do you do for a living, Ms. Oswald?"
She laughs, "No need to try and be civil with me, Sherlock.", she says and she can swear he let out a relieved sigh. "You're a detective. Deduce.", she adds, shrugging.
Sherlock nods. "How're the children doing?", he simply asks and she smiles.
"They're okay. Although I don't believe you'd be interested in tha-"
"Took them any interesting places lately?", he adds and she pauses.
Clara straightens up in her chair and leans in a bit and whispers. "You'll think I'm crazy."
"Never crazy.", he says quickly. "Only less boring. Maybe.", Sherlock adds.
"I could lie.", she says and he shrugs.
"But you won't."
She narrows her eyes. "What makes you so sure of that?"
He returns the same look. "I'm never wrong."
She smiles and nods. "Okay, then.", she says. "We went to this amusement park."
She can see the excited spark in his eyes go out. "Amusement park?", he asks, a boring tone in his voice.
She smiles. Oh, is Sherlock Holmes up for a wake up call. "Yup. Huge.", she emphasises. "Took over the entire planet.", the spark in his eyes is back.
"Planet?"
"Told you you'd think I'm crazy.", she says. Oddly, she didn't hesitate to tell him about all this, or even to trust him. She didn't spend one moment thinking if he'd actually believe her, but a part of her hoped he would. "But, anyway, there we are - years and years into the future - at this planet made entirely for fun, like it was Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and we were the kids who found the golden tickets in our chocolate bars-"
"Willy who?", he cuts in. Clara ignores him.
"-only to find out the park closed down and was slowly being invaded by Cybermen."
"How did you get there?", he asks and Clara furrows her brows in slight confusion. There was no way he could believe her. The genius Sherlock Holmes believing a story about wandering through time and space? Simply impossible. Although the story was true, she still had a hard time adjusting to the fact he thought of it as true as well.
"Where?", she asks. "In the middle of the universe years into the future?", he nods, "Well, with a time machine, of course. I have a friend.", she shrugs like it's the most normal thing in the world.
"You have some weird friends.", he says.
She smiles. "'Course I do. Just look at Carl."
Sherlock nods. "Good point.", he says. "What did you do then?"
Clara pauses for a second. Sherlock's calmness surprised her, but she answers. "We fought and we won.", she says. "I also got proposed to by the Emperor of the Universe."
"Emperor of the Universe?", he asks and Clara nods.
"Yup.", she laughs. "Apparently, I'm Empress material."
"Not so sure about that, Ms. Oswald, but you're definitely not boring."
She takes it as a compliment. "Good to hear that.", she smiles. "I'm glad your night was not a complete waste."
"Don't get me wrong; I'm still hoping Lestrade calls with a case, but I am of no such luck."
Clara laughs and takes a sip of her drink. "How's the business going? You're a detective, yeah? Scotland Yard?"
Sherlock shakes his head. "Not the Yard. I'm a consulting detective - the only one in the world."
Clara laughs again. She laughed a lot, he notices.
"What, you invented the job?", she jokes but he replies seriously.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."
She laughs out loud again. "Impressive."
"So I've been told."
She rolls her much. "Egoistic much?"
"A bit."
She shakes her head. "You really don't filter your words, do you, Mr. Holmes?"
"Does that bother you?"
"Not in the slightest.", she replies. "What did they say to drag you here?", she asks him.
"John said he'd tell Molly to ban me from the morgue.", he says, his voice showing annoyance like of a little boy that was threatened with his toys. "And that he'd take away my cigarettes."
She points a finger. "Those are bad for you, you know.", she says.
"What did they say to you?"
"You're just switching the subject.", she says. "But I'll allow it.", she takes a sip of her drink. She was on her first glass of champagne and already felt like she had enough for the night. They were at a somewhat fancy place - not too expensive, but nice enough for a celebration. Krista and Carl announced their engagement to nobody's surprise a few days before, and they wanted to take their friends someplace fancy.
Clara knew Carl ever since highschool, and Krista was apparently very good friends with John's sister, Harry. They talked about her a while ago and all Clara could gather was that Harry had a bit of a drinking problem and that Clara and Harry's ex-wife shared the same name.
Everyone was a bit surprised at the sight of Sherlock, but said nothing. John brough him along so he wouldn't have to worry leaving him home alone. To quote, "Any second more and he'd be shooting the wall."
(Apparently, Sherlock had painted a smiley face in bright yellow paint and shot at it when bored. Well, it did seem like fun, to be honest.)
"Carl's a good friend, haven't seen him in years. Plus, I had a night off, so-"
"Aren't you scared your friend will show up to sweep you away into an adventure?", he asks, folding his palms under his chin.
"Scared he'd come take me away from you, Sherlock?", she asks jokingly but he stays silent. "He only comes on Wednesdays.", she replies. "It's our deal."
Sherlock nods. "And what will you be doing until Wednesday?"
"You mean tomorrow?"
Sherlock only half-nods.
"Mr. Holmes, are you asking me out?", she asks cheekily.
Sherlock's eyes widen.
Clara laughs. "I'm just joking, Sherlock.", she says. "Nothing much. Why?"
Sherlock shrugs. "Just making small talk, Ms. Oswald. Isn't that what we're supposed to do at meetings like this?"
Clara nods. "Well, I'm enjoying this small talk, Mr. Holmes, and I'd love to repeat it."
"Ms. Oswald, are you asking me out?", he says, mimicking her previous actions and she laughs again.
He realises he likes her laugh.
"Maybe.", she says. "You're the detective. Deduce."
His eyes wander around her face for a moment as he studies her. Clara Oswald was an open book to him just as any other person, but a part of her was an enigma he wanted to solve. He found himself mentally thanking John for dragging him out to this unnecessary celebration, and he smiles lightly as his eyes pause at Clara's.
"Yes."
"Then I guess I am.", she replies.
Their conversation is cut short as Carl lifts his glass up to make an ending speech inviting them all to the wedding; although Sherlock has a feeling the invitation is not extended to him, even if he was on his best behavior - except for when he made some simple deductions until John told him to stop (Clara just laughed, he remembers) - and as all of them prepare to leave, he slips a card in Clara's hand and whispers in her ear as everyone hugs goodbye.
"Call me after your next adventure, Ms. Oswald."
"Wouldn't dare not to, Mr. Holmes."
She laughs once again and leaves.