Clara sighed as she rinsed her dishes under the warm water of her kitchen sink. She hadn't seen the Doctor in ages, and she was beginning to think he'd forgotten about her. After all, Clara had only known him for a few days exploring the Rings of Akhaten.
She shook her head furiously and decided that was utter nonsense. The Doctor wouldn't forget about her. He was just tied up with… you know, saving the world and stuff. Clara let the plate clatter into the sink. This was hopeless.
Just when she thought he'd neglected her, Clara heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing outside. Clara rushed down the steps through her flat and out of the building to find a brilliant blue telephone box sitting on the lawn.
She raced across the landscaping and opened the door, rushing inside to be swept into one of The Doctor's warm hugs. Clara was lifted off the ground and spun around a few times. When he set her back down she felt a bit dizzy, so Clara reached out her arm on the TARDIS console to steady herself.
"Clara!" The Doctor shouted with an enthusiastic laugh. "So great to see you! I've missed seeing that smile of yours."
"Likewise," she said with a grin.
"Where would you like to go tonight, Clara?" The Doctor asked excitedly. "What would you like to see? One condition: it has to be awesome."
"Actually, I'd rather stay in tonight," Clara answered. "Hope you don't mind. I've rented a movie—well, it's a sort of animated movie—but all my students are begging me to watch it."
"That's quite alright," The Doctor replied flipping a few switches and pulling a lever on the TARDIS control panel. "I suppose flying through space can wait until tomorrow. We've got all the time in the world. So what is this movie? Have I seen it?"
"The Good Dinosaur," Clara said. "And you haven't seen it—at least I don't think you have. No telling with all the time travel."
"No, haven't watched it," The Doctor responded. "Never had much time for television, so I've seen the greats! It's A Wonderful Life, Titanic, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship."
"What's Dinosaurs on a Spaceship?" Clara asked.
"Oh, nothing," The Doctor shrugged. "I'm sure we'll have an adventure in your flat. Just let me put the invisibility shields up." He messed with the TARDIS console a few seconds. Clara took his hand, and together they sprinted out of the TARDIS and up the stairs back up to her flat.
Clara veered off to the kitchen and left the Doctor to explore her home. It wasn't long before he started asking questions. "Clara, what is Elvis Presley doing in your flat?" The Doctor asked inquisitively.
"What's that?" Clara called from the kitchen. She turned to see what The Doctor was talking about and found a cardboard stand of Elvis Presley. "Oh, my gran loves him. Doesn't even believe he's dead! I keep telling her it's nonsense, but I really do enjoy his music."
The Doctor smiled. "What do you say we take a trip to see Elvis tomorrow?"
"Are you serious?" Clara asked in surprise. "Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll?"
"Yeah," The Doctor replied. "Why not?"
"Okay," Clara agreed, turning to retreat back into the kitchen. "Before I turn the telly on, can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.
"Tea, please," The Doctor replied as he took off his overcoat and sank into the cushions of the loveseat. "I do love tea."
Clara put the kettle on and grabbed two teacups from her cabinet. "Sugar?"
"Just eight," The Doctor replied.
She raised her eyebrows and remarked, "I'd hate to see you on a sugar high. We'll stick with two then." Dropping two sugar cubes into each cup, she waited for the tea to finish steeping. Making her way back to the sofa, Clara realized he'd made himself completely at home in her flat, taking off his jacket and shoes. She figured the next thing to go would be the bowtie.
The Doctor inspected his watch. "You might want to keep an eye on that tea," he said.
Clara rose from the sofa and continued to watch the tea until it was ready to pour into the cups. After stirring both of them, she brought the teacups out to the Doctor. He took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of the tea, and gladly took a sip.
"Ah, the cure for the studious mind," the Doctor commented. "It's wonderful. Thank you, Clara. Now, let's see what all the fuss is about this movie, shall we?"
"Straightaway," Clara agreed.
As soon as the film was squared away, she sank into the pillows next to the Doctor. She could feel the warmth of him and curled closer. He instinctively wrapped his arm around Clara's shoulder as though trying to warm her up. She gave a small sigh and rested her feet on the table in front of them, careful not to tip their drinks over.
A short while later, the Doctor put his feet on the table as well, crossing the over Clara's.
Clara untangled her legs and asked. "Oi, was that necessary?"
"Absolutely," he replied with a childish grin. "You know, dinosaurs and humans never actually lived at the same time. And," he continued, "for a movie about dinosaurs, there aren't actually many dinosaurs."
"It's an animated movie," Clara explained. "It's not supposed to have much logic behind it. Unless we're talking about Up because that is the best Pixar film ever made."
"Raincheck on another movie tonight, but I'm sure it's delightful," The Doctor responded.
After spending the first half of the movie pointing out historical inaccuracies about dinosaurs, the Doctor glanced over at Clara. "This is better than an evening of time travel," he said softly. "Can't see myself sitting on a couch for too long. Things to do, people to see. But I really like it here, Oswin. I truly do."
Clara reached to straighten his bowtie. "I'm glad you do, Doctor," she replied.
There was a slight interrupting knock on the door. Jumping at the chance to move around, the Doctor said, "I'll get it."
"That'll be the pizza," Clara informed him. "Just get my purse from the table there."
The Doctor returned with a box in his hands and a thumbs up. How could she ever think he would forget about her? They were made for each other. After all, she enjoyed his company more than she cared about the movie. If she could only get up the bloody courage to tell him how she felt.
A/N: Thank you very much for reading! I hope you'll take the time to review.