I just realized that tomorrow, I will have hit the halfway point of the intended length of this story (twenty-five chapters). This brings us to the question: do you want the story to be extended? Review, PM me, or vote in the poll on my profile and let me know your thoughts. Or, if you want, you could just do all three. :)
I'm scared for my feels right now. In half an hour, the two-part finale of Doctor Who will begin. I will most likely cry and scream and yell at the telly, and I have a feeling my feels will be in shambles by 9:30. So, to steel myself against the horrible things that will probably happen to my heart, I have written a light and happy Whouffle ficlet. Enjoy!
"Cause in a sky, in a sky full of stars, I think I saw you."
It was rare that Clara got to spend a Friday night doing something other than grading papers and planning assignments for her students. Early dismissal that day had left Clara with half her normal work to do, which gave her the evening off to spend however she pleased (within reason, of course).
Clara's day just got better when the Doctor showed up five days earlier than he was supposed to. Normally she would fuss if he showed up too early or too late, but she'd been planning to take a picnic supper to the park and believed he was the perfect person to share it with. To her surprise and delight, he agreed to this arrangement, domestic as it may be.
After a small row over what to pack in the basket and a food fight involving whipped cream and peanut butter, Clara and the Doctor cleaned themselves up and set off for the park. The Doctor toted the basket while Clara carried a blanket for them to sit on.
The sun was nearly below the horizon by the time Clara and the Doctor arrived. They laid out the blanket and sat down, the Doctor obviously itching to open the basket.
"I thought Time Lords didn't get hungry," Clara teased mercilessly.
"No! Yes! That's not the point!" the Doctor exclaimed, flustered and waving his hands about. "We're still living beings and we require sustenance!"
"Mm-hm," Clara clucked as she pulled a package of grapes from the basket. "I think you just want the jammie dodgers."
"No, but - now wait, hold on!" the Doctor shouted, pointing at the grapes. "I thought we agreed not to bring those!"
Clara fought the urge to giggle. "It was these or the tomatoes, remember? And you said, and I quote, 'Tomatoes make me sick'." She pretended to think for a moment. "I suppose we could've brought apples, though."
The Doctor went so pale at that suggestion that Clara burst out laughing.
There was no further argument as Clara unpacked the rest of the meal, which consisted of peanut butter sandwiches, cold chips, and yes, jammie dodgers. The Doctor eagerly reached for the unopened package, but Clara gently slapped his hand away. "Those are for dessert," she scolded playfully.
The sky above the Doctor and Clara grew darker and darker as they ate. Clara was glad she'd brought a jacket, as a slight breeze began to blow.
"Is it absolutely necessary for me to eat the grapes?" the Doctor complained, very much resembling a child at the moment.
"Nope," Clara answered smoothly, popping a grape in her mouth.
The Doctor's face lit up, and he reached for the jammie dodgers, but Clara was too quick for him. She easily snatched the package out of his grip. Her eyes twinkled. "If you want dessert," she smirked, "then you need to eat the grapes."
The Doctor's mouth snapped into a pout, and Clara simply lay back on the blanket, holding the jammie dodgers. "Just eat a handful, Doctor."
"But they taste all bitter and icky!" the Doctor whined, close to sticking out his tongue.
Clara rolled her eyes. The Doctor may have been over one thousand years old, but he was truly a child in an adult's body. "They're not bitter," she said.
"They are to me," the Doctor replied, tossing a grape into the grass when Clara wasn't looking.
Clara sighed. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and eat my dessert," she teased, tearing open the package and pulling out a jammie dodger. She took a small nibble. "Mmm," she hummed.
The Doctor bit his lip, thinking up a plan to get his jammie dodgers without having to eat the grapes. He lunged forward and tackled Clara, knocking the grapes and other uneaten food aside and making Clara squeal with surprise. Despite Clara's valiant attempt to keep the package out of his reach, he plucked it from her hand and removed a jammie dodger, triumphantly popping it in his mouth.
After the two calmed down and settled side by side together on the blanket, Clara spoke. "Let's see how many constellations we can find."
The Doctor looked up at the sky. "That shouldn't be hard, considering how many stars we can see."
"Okay," said Clara. "I see Perseus."
"Ursa Major."
"Ursa Minor."
"Andromeda."
"Cetus."
"Capricornus."
"Cassiopeia."
"Aquarius."
Clara squinted at the sky. "I think I see Draco."
The Doctor peered upwards. "Yes, I see it, too. Skylos."
Clara turned her face to look at the Doctor. "Skylos?"
The Doctor smirked at her. "Rexicoran constellation, but you can see it from Earth during the fall."
"We're supposed to be finding Earth constellations, but show me."
The Doctor pointed. "It's right between Cetus and Draco. See the outline of a dog?"
To Clara's surprise, she could see the dog. "Yeah," she said softly. "I see it."
The Doctor grinned. "Rexicora is a beautiful planet. It's a human colony, and the people there love stargazing. They even have huge parties every three months to celebrate the appearances of the seasonal constellations."
"I'd like to visit sometime," said Clara dreamily. She yawned.
The Doctor sat up. "Getting tired, are we? Come along, Impossible Girl."
The two packed up the leftovers, gathered the blanket, and walked back to Clara's flat. The Doctor even held open the door for Clara when they arrived.
Clara set the basket on her kitchen counter and turned to face the Doctor. "I had a lovely evening. Thank you."
The Doctor smiled softly at Clara and stepped forward. "My pleasure," he said, lightly kissing her forehead. "See you Wednesday?"
Clara nodded happily. "Not if I see you first."
The Doctor grinned back at her before he stepped into the TARDIS.
"A Sky Full of Stars" is a song off Coldplay's newest album "Ghost Stories". I personally like all the piano the song contains. :)
Anyway, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! And don't forget to let me know your thoughts regarding this story's extension! ;)
Now to wait for Doctor Who to begin and my feels to be smashed into itty bitty pieces. *deep breath* GERONIMO!
