Chapter 4

He felt like he was on the rockiest road trip out there. Her steering was surprisingly good but her braking nearly threw them both over the edge. Whenever it happened he would gasp sharply while she laughed as he was launched into her at an alarming speed. His skin was no longer cool, but clammy, yet Clara didn't seem to mind as he wrapped his arms even tighter round her. He felt the alcohol rising up from his stomach but he physically couldn't be bothered to throw up. He was having too much fun.

When she had told him she couldn't drive the bike, his eyes widened the furthest they could go and his heart beat like the bass of a drum. But his instincts told him to relax, which was probably the influence of all the drink he had consumed. He wouldn't have been so chilled about it had he have been sober. She had taken off, roaring into the night, the moon beating down on him and illuminating her hair.

'Where are we going?' He asked her.

'Wherever you want.'

'Uh,' he said nervously, feeling his stomach crawl like it was infested with insects, 'no offence, but I think I'd like to go home now.'

'No problem.' She said, once again almost hurtling down the road and causing his head to loll back. He retched violently, coughing, his knees pinning her tight.

'Oh, god,' he said, 'please don't get us killed.'

'It's fine, I know what I'm doing.'

'You said you hadn't ridden before!'

'Well I kinda have, you know, Mario Kart.'

'Mario Kart is nothing like driving a real motorbike!'

'Well, I'm not doing bad!'

'I guess not. You've also had a ton of alcohol and a cigarette, so in perspective yeah, you're doing great. For said people who have never ridden a motorbike before much less with a driver with an actual license I think it's fair to say that I won't make it through the night.'

'Keep your spirits up, why don't you,' she replied dryly, 'we haven't had an accident yet.'

'Because it's four in the morning and fortunately for us, there are hardly any vehicles on the road.'

'Aw, come on, enjoy the thrill! You're becoming grumpy now.'

'You enjoy this too much.'

'Aren't you enjoying it?'

He laughed. 'I never said I didn't! Of course I am, but maybe you should go a bit slower.'

'Alright, lightweight.'

She slowed down, which was a relief, but the tingling in his stomach hadn't subsided. Although it was fair to say he had never felt so alive. He told her the address of his apartment and she drove him the way until he recognised his part of town and passed the very pub they had met. The wind whistled and ruffled his hair and he became less worried as he looked up at the sky to stare at the shining dots that were the fires of stars, beholding so much beauty.

'Oh, shit, I just realised. There's a hill coming.'

'Yess!'

'No, that's bad, that's very very-'

But at that moment it hit, and they came hurtling down the road so fast it almost took his breath away.

'Woooooooo!' Clara cried, the motorbike jogging and jerking violently as it continued downhill.

'Aaaagggghhh!' He yelled, much more concerned for the rocking vehicle and their own lives than the excitable thrill. He was terrified they would crash. And at such a speed it was inevitable, however at the last minute Clara controlled the handlebars, leaning back onto him and laughing wildly with joy as he looked on in horror. Yet they sped back to level ground and he could feel his heart hammering against his chest. He had no doubt Clara could feel it too. His breathing became ragged, and Clara smiled at him, her dark eyes lighting up.

'That...that was...absolutely terrifying,' he said, trying to catch his breath back, 'but incredible.'

Clara did another whoop of joy at his comment and miraculously, he found himself laughing.

'See what you've done to me?' He asked her incredulously, 'how influenced I am now because of you? A few hours ago I was a failure sitting down in a lonely old pub and now I've literally took the life of another man, become more adventurous than I ever thought I would, and all because of you.'

'Is that a good thing?'

He deliberated a moment. 'Yeah. Yeah, it is.'

Soon enough she parked (rather unsteadily) in front of his apartment and he shakily staggered off.

'I don't want to be sick in front of you,' he explained, when she told him to exhale a long breath, 'it will probably become my karma for the night and give me one hell of a hangover tomorrow but I just want to say that I've had a lot of fun tonight, and I needed it. Thank you for that.'

She climbed off the motorcycle and walked up to him. Her eye-level came to rest at his collarbones, and for a moment he shifted uncomfortably at the closeness between them, Clara only an inch away from his damp, bare skin. She smiled up at him politely.

'I'm glad you did. And if you ever want to do it again, we'll be here. I consider you a friend now, as it happens. And trust me, becoming my friend is a hard and almost impossible feat so I would be proud if I were you.'

He laughed, looking nervously down at his feet until he raised his eyes to look at her.

'I'll think about it. I'm not sure about any more motorbike rides, but I'm sure I'll be up to another night with you. At some point. I think I might need a while to recover after this one.'

She chuckled at that, flipping her hair in a highly alluring way.

'But I'm not...you know, I'm not going to involve myself so heavily, like...like you do. I'm afraid that is rather beyond me.'

'Yeah, I guess it is.'

'It's been a pleasure, Clara Oswald.' He said, giving her another smile.

'Ugh, don't you dare go 18th century on me. I told you I have certain limits, and that's going far beyond them. A simple 'see you later' is fine.'

He grinned. 'You're too cool for that sort of language.'

She laughed. 'Yeah.'

The next thing he knew, she had leant up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

'I don't usually do that either, but we'll keep that between you and me.'

'Of course.' He replied, smiling smugly.

'I'll see ya, Doctor.' She said, walking back to the bike and climbing over it.

'Drive as safe as you possibly can.'

'I'll try to.'

She revved the engine, and it was only then he had to ask one last thing.

'Clara,' he called, 'where do I rank now?'

She flicked the handlebars, grinning.

'35.'

And then she sped off, and he stood there for a moment, just smiling. He sincerely hoped nothing happened to her on the journey back, and he realised Clara was most definitely an adrenaline junkie. I mean, who would do all of that while drunk and with no license?

'Well, I just did,' he said aloud, 'because of Clara Oswald.'

He walked inside his apartment, opening the bathroom door so he had better access to the toilet which he knew he would need the next morning. But for now, he was happy and content and completely spent out. He hadn't realised just how tired he was, and with zombie-like elegance, he took off his jeans and collapsed into bed, falling asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.