A few months passed.
Clara and John were still simply friends, although a bit closer than before.
The awkwardness had dissipated as they neared graduation.
She was sat under an oak tree, reading a book when she felt someone tap her shoulder, 'Hey, you…'
Psi sat down beside her, leaning across to kiss her cheek, 'Hello, darling,' he mused, scratching at his beard as he nudged her gently.
'What's that you've got there? Jane Austen? Do you ever put her down? And I don't mean that in a gay way, so don't get any ideas,'
Clara giggled and simply nudged him, 'Shouldn't you be in America?' she said, fixing his hair. He eyes soft as she took him in.
Had he always been this cute, or was she too interested in John to notice?
Psi wriggled his nose at her, 'I should be, but I'm still here on my holidays,' he smiled at her and bopped Clara on her nose.
'Clara, I wanted to ask… Are you seeing anybody? Or are you not ready to date yet? I heard, about your baby, and I truly am sorry…' he whispered, his voice barely there as he lent across to squeeze her hand for comfort.
Clara closed her book and rolled her eyes as he bopped her nose, 'I guess I'm not, I don't think I am,' she said, blushing.
She guessed she could try to move on, have a go with Psi.
'I'm ready, but I'm not sure if anyone's asking.'
Psi nodded slowly, his brown eyes dropping to her hand as he kissed it softly, 'Well, just to let you know, if it's not already obvious, I'm still interested…'
Clara smirked, feeling a certain knot in her stomach, 'Of course…' she murmured, cupping his face as her eyes faltered between his eyes and his lips.
Psi nodded, a smile on his face. He took a deep breath and lent forward, kissing her lips as softly as he could. They spent a few minutes just kissing, before they pulled away, their eyes locked on each other's, 'I need to know… Are you over John, Clara?'
Clara shook her head, 'No, I don't think I'll ever be fully over him, but I'm willing to try,' she whispered, honestly and truthfully.
She pressed her lips against his once more, loving the feel of his lips on hers, and yet there was a nagging voice at the back of her mind, telling her it was a mistake, that she belonged with John.
Psi nodded his head and shrugged, 'That's good enough for me,' he murmured, taking her hand as he helped Clara up.
They walked back to her dorm and once they were inside, he kissed her again, his hands cupping her cheeks as he kicked the door shut.
Clara felt a rush of excitement, and yet she couldn't quite down the voice in the back of her head. The one that told her to stop, she let him lay her down and half undressed her before she stopped him.
She shook her head, sighing, 'I can't, Psi…'
Psi stopped, opening his eyes as his lips brushed hers, 'Oh…' he murmured, leaning back as he sat up and pulled his shirt back on, 'Okay, I'm sorry – I didn't mean to rush you into anything,'
Clara nodded, sitting there for awhile. She was so confused on who to be with. She liked Psi, but she still felt that pull towards John. Clara cleared her throat and sat up, pulling her shirt back on at the sudden knock at her door.
John opened the door once she told him he could come in and closed it behind himself. He stepped closer to her, a faint smile on his face, 'Clara, nothing to panic about, but there's something you have to see,' he smirked, holding his hand out as he tilted it to the side.
Clara cocked her eyebrow as she took John's hand, her heart racing with anticipation of what was about to happen, 'Shall I close my eyes as well?'
John laughed and shook his head, 'No, silly,' he mused and once they were outside in the court yard with a bunch of other people, John placed his hands on Clara's shoulders and pointed.
There, in the middle of the court yard, was Vastra down on one knee, proposing to Jenny.
Clara's heart warmed.
It seemed as though all of their friends were getting engaged or moving in together, except her. Clara couldn't help but smile and rejoice at their happiness, 'Jack and Ianto, Vastra and Jenny, who will be next? Amy and Rory?'
John snorted, 'Hardly, Amy doesn't want to be tied down yet. She still flirts with every man she sees,' he laughed and chewed his bottom lip, watching as Jenny said yes and kissed Vastra.
'Seems all our friends are moving on without us…'
Clara sighed and nodded, 'It would seem so, are you taking the offer from Scotland?' she asked, knowing graduation was less than a week away.
She planned on starting to work after University, but thought a trip through Europe would be the best bet for her.
John cleared his throat, his Scottish accent thick, 'It would be nice to go back home,' he murmured, looking her in the eye, 'But, I have people here I wouldn't want to leave behind. People I've become attached to… Over time that happens, I believe.'
Clara blushed, picking up on his words, 'I believe it does… But I would never forgive myself if you let your chance at a music career go by,' she sighed, cupping his face.
She knew what she had to do.
John looked at her, swallowing hard. Did he want to leave her and go to Scotland? Did she want to leave him? Their relationship was in the air, the two of them both waiting to say something to the other.
'Clara…' he trailed off, but judging by the look in her eyes, she knew what he was going to say.
Clara's eyes welled up with tears, her hand in both of his as she stared into his blue eyes. She could see it all, the emotion, all the unspoken words they had missed out on.
'Don't, everything you're about to say, I already know…'
He nodded, sniffing a little as he took her hand and kissed the top of it. Once the crowd's cheers died down, John let go of Clara's hand, watching as she walked away from him. Would they ever be together, or would they just keep circling each other like they used to?
A year quickly passed, Clara had taken a year off, backpacking through Europe.
She hadn't heard much from her old friends, except for Amy, she'd managed to keep in touch with her even after all they'd been through.
Clara was just starting her teaching career when she came upon a little Scottish boy in her class, his thick accent instantly reminded her of John. She missed him, but figured he'd moved on by now. John was visiting in London for a few weeks, for Jack's stag do and then he had agreed to be his best man. The invitations were sent out and soon he was standing at the alter right beside Jack, the guests pilling into the room. John turned to hug Eleven and River, who still weren't engaged because River was now flying to all sorts of different countries on digs and Eleven had been busy working at his new lab.
He turned to find Amy and Rory smiling at him and immediately moved to hug them, listening as Amy told him she'd become a full time model and Rory, a full time nurse and apparently they had moved in together. Jenny and Vastra were next, still unmarried but they had moved into a huge Victorian house and lastly, Rose and David, who had married quicker than Jack and Ianto.
John had grown a full beard, his hair grown out and wild, his blue eyes looked a lot more tired than they used to, his new job had taken it out of him.
Clara walked in to the ceremony a little bit late, a baby boy in her arms. He was a friend of hers, but she'd promised to baby sit, after forgetting about Jack's wedding. She looked lovely in her dress as she walked up to Jack, having not noticed John. She rolled her eyes when Jack asked if the boy was her son, she playfully told him yes and bounced the baby on her hip.
John turned at the sound of her voice, expecting to walk right over and hug her like everything was normal, until he realised what she had told Jack and then looked to the little boy in her arms.
Oh.
She had a boyfriend, she'd moved on and had a child with him instead.
John nodded and once the wedding began and Ianto made his way down the aisle in his sharp suit, John fished in his pocket for the rings, matching wedding bands that had their names engraved onto them.
Clara swallowed, her eyes widening at the sight of him. How was it possible that he'd only gotten more handsome within a year? Clara thought he'd come up to her like nothing happened, but it seemed he thought otherwise as he never even acknowledged her. Clara sighed and sat in silence as the ceremony went on. Once Jack and Ianto were married, they all set off to the reception and upon arriving, Jack immediately asked Clara to dance with him.
Clara sent a warm smile to Rory and handed him the boy in her arms, 'Don't break him, he's only a rental, his name is Christopher,' she teased, taking Jack's hand.
'Just like the good old days, everyone back together again,' she smirked, starting to throw jabs at Jack for his ugly kilt.
Jack rolled his eyes, 'Ianto insisted I go back to my Scottish roots for the wedding,' he laughed, winking at Clara as he spun her around.
'Probably shouldn't have made out that little boy is yours, John thinks you're with somebody,' he sighed, a little irritated by their slow moving relationship.
'Why can't you two just be together, before I slam your heads together?'
Clara rolled her eyes, Jack was always trying to make them happen, 'He left me, I was willing to move to Scotland with him, but he chose to go without me,' she murmured, stealing a glance at John.
Her heart raced as she watched him dancing around the room with River.
'He hasn't tried to reach out anyway, has he?'
Jack rolled his eyes, 'You guys are two peas in a pod,' he muttered, spinning her around once more as they made their way around the room.
Within seconds, Jack had spun Clara again on purpose and she just happened to bump right into the back of John and all of a sudden River disappeared from John's view and joined Eleven back at their table.
Clara gasped, almost falling before somebody grabbed her and held her in his arms. For a moment, she couldn't speak. For a moment, her legs threatened to give way underneath her as John held her close, pulling her tight up against his body.
'I – um, hey…' she sighed, nervous as the first time they had met.
John held her around her waist, holding back the smile when he realised she wasn't wearing any sort of ring, not engaged nor married and apparently that baby wasn't hers.
He smiled a little awkwardly and cleared her throat, 'Hey… I – um, I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you at the ceremony, I thought it would be too painful considering you walked in with a child and I thought you might have had a boyfriend, adopted a baby, had a surrogate, anything…'
Clara simply stared at him.
He seemed so mature, and yet she could still see the glint of a child behind his eyes. She'd missed him, missed being in his arms, and for an instant she'd forgotten why they weren't together. She was too lost in her memories that she didn't noticed when he began moving them around the dance floor.
She smirked as she listened to the song playing, their song. Clara cleared her throat, 'Um, no there hasn't been anyone in my life since you…'
John nodded, his chin resting on the top of her head until he spun her around the room, 'Not even Psi?' he whispered into her ear once she was back in his arms, his Scottish accent thick with love.
'Clara, I don't think I could stand you being with somebody who wasn't me,'
Clara held onto him tighter, her eyes closed as she just listened to his voice, listened to his words, 'There's only ever been one man I've loved…' she whispered, pulling back to look at him.
'I think I've been waiting for you,' she murmured softly, her hand squeezing his.
John smiled, his blue eyes suddenly lit up with a certain type of happiness and in front of everyone at Jack's wedding, he bent and kissed her, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other tangled in the strands of her hair.
Clara hummed with delight as she cupped his face, whilst her other hand wound around his waist. The kiss was perfect, so passionate, and so full of desire.
'John…' she almost moaned, pulling away from him.
Her chest rose, trying to regain rational thought as her breathing slowed down. She took his hand, 'Your place or mine?' she growled, leaning up to nip at his ear lobe.
John almost melted at her touch, and he knew exactly what he wanted. He smirked and took a deep breath, bending to whisper into her as he slipped a hotel room key into her hand, 'Master bedroom, borrowed it from Amy and Rory,'
Clara nodded, 'I just need to have Rory return Chris,' she murmured, referring to the baby boy she had brought with her.
Once Clara told Rory the address, she quickly disappeared into the corridors in search of the hotel number. Her heart racing as she came to it.
Finally, after so much time, they were going to be together.
John stood behind her, raising his hand to rest on the door handle. His hand covered hers, taking a moment to breathe before they both pressed down on the door handle and the door swung open for them.