AN: Sorry for such a long time in between updates, I'm a piece of shit xD Enjoy!

The Doctor had messed about majorly, especially where it concerned Clara Oswald. He let her fool around with her concept of him in her head, and it didn't come to fruition until they were up against Robin Hood.

She thought him a hero. What a change from what she told him just a short week ago. What had changed?

To be fair, the Doctor didn't know Robin Hood existed outside the realm of fantasies and fairytales. That's where he was supposed to exist, so how the hell did he come to be in medieval England?

Regardless, his jealous streak that he was trying to squash each passing day had flared its ugly head in the presence of this laughing buffoon. This couldn't really be Clara's hero, could it? Not that he wanted it to be him, either. He made a bad god. He did think, however, she could choose more wisely.

"When did you start believing in impossible heroes?"

"You are her hero, I think."

"Clara," the Doctor said suddenly, before he could stop himself as he piloted them away.

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face him.

"You know I'm not, right?" he asked.

"Not what?" Clara asked confusedly, eyebrow raised and eyes wide.

He hated that look. It was the look that made him feel like he could do anything for her. "A hero," he said simply, yanking the coordinates in place for her flat.

"Stop," she said gently, moving her hand on top of his. "I don't have to go home right now. Might even stay a night."

The Doctor's eyes widened at that statement and he gulped audibly. "A whole night?"

"That's generally what somone means when they say a night, yes."

"Don't you have-" he paused at this, waving his hands wildly at her. It was a tic he could never seem to kick, it seemed.

"Have what?" she questioned, challenging him with her hands placed on her hips now.

"Work, things, whatever it is you silly little humans do," the Doctor filled in for her.

"Not anything important, no. Besides, I know there's something bothering you," she acknowledged. "So, what is it? That you're my hero? I thought you might be flattered after what I said to you last week."

"It's just-" he started and then shook his head violently. "Doesn't matter. If you want to stay the night here, fine. I won't stop you. However, I will be in the library, reading."

"What a coincidence," she teased. "I was heading there myself."

"My room, then," the Doctor amended quickly. "Can't disturb me there."

"Why do you never say?" Clara accused, fixing the full intensity of her gaze upon him. "Why would you rather be on your own and bottle it up inside instead of talking to me. I thought we were friends?"

"We are," he assured her. "I just...can't, Clara."

"Fine," she snapped. "I'm going to my room, then. If you need anything, you know where I'll be."

"Clara, wait!" the Doctor called out when she spun on her heel. "I can't be anyone's hero. Please don't ask that of me, because that's not what I am. I have done that hero complex thing before, and it ended badly, and I can't do that again, Clara. I can't lose you- I can't-"

She made it to his side in two quick strides and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "You're afraid to lose me, you silly alien?"

He closed his eyes at the painful reminder that term of endearment brought. "Of course I am, Clara. It's not like I haven't lost companions before, some in more terrible ways than the last."

"Is this about Rose?" she asked quietly.

"How did you-?" he choked out unexpectedly, then cleared his throat.

"Do you so easily forget that I used to be splinters of myself? I saw all your regenerations, and there was this one face, the most heartbroken and lost of all, but there was a woman with you, and the way you spoke her name...I knew there was something there. If that's what you're worried about, Doctor, that's not what I want."

His left heart skipped a beat, and he felt almost disappointed. "Right, well. I wasn't saying that is what you wanted, I was just saying I can't be held that responsible again, Clara."

"Don't worry," she said softly, "I won't. That doesn't mean you should stop believing in yourself. You've still got worlds to save, and if you let yourself forget that you're supposed to be a hero, then what do you become?"

He knew exactly what he became, but he wasn't about to tell her that. Time Lord Victorious, a being that thought he could control the rules of time and space like they were nothing. That time would rewrite itself and bend itself to his will, because he was the last and the cleverest, and if it could do that, then he could have-well, it doesn't matter, because that was never him.

However, it was a terrible reminder of what he was capable of, and it's what scared him back into the now. Not that now was much better, but he needed Clara's calming presence, and he didn't need her complete confidence in him. That would only end up hurting both of them in the end, if this ended badly.

Knowing the universe, this would end badly.

Clara stretched on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, and she squeezed against his body tightly for a few seconds. As always, the Doctor's arms flopped around wildly trying to decide where to bloody position them in this weird human comfort of a hug. What was so special anyways?

"You're still my hero, no matter what you say," she told him, voice muffled by his coat. "Don't think you can get out of that one, you know how stubborn I am."

"Yes, boss," he finally said, resignedly. "Are you actually going to bed?"

"Was thinking about a cuppa actually. Did you want one?" Clara asked him, pulling back and looking him in the eye.

"Cuppa is fine," he sighed, turning away from her. "I'll stay here while you make it, if you don't mind. I'm going to work on the console a bit. You might want to brush your teeth as well."

"Why?" she asked, self consciously covering her mouth.

"Your breath," he said matter of factly, "I could smell it when you hugged me."

She huffed. "I highly doubt it smells that bad."

But when he didn't deny her statement and he just shrugged.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, running from the room.

He breathed a sigh of relief at the distance between them and tried to clear his thoughts. Her breath didn't really smell, he would just rather their physical contact be limited so he could bloody concentrate on something besides her.