Emily dragged Clara out of her room in the TARDIS an hour later. She took her by the hand and lead her towards the console room, grinning. She was wearing one of Clara's printed white tshirts with her jeans, carrying her own coat.
"No, no..." said Clara, blushing heavily, planting her feet on the floor, resisting any forward movement "please don't make me do this." She had spent the last twenty minutes finding something to wear that would cover as much of her neck as possible and putting a large amount of concealer on with Emily's help.
Emily laughed loudly. "It wasn't that bad." She let go of Clara's hand and continued walking, stepping around the wires.
"For you maybe," Clara sighed, "you were asleep for the worst bit." She gave up fighting as she didn't have the energy. "You don't have to live with him and you don't have an exorbitant amount of love bites around your-"
"Hi Doctor," Emily said brightly as she emerged into the main console room in front of Clara.
"What time do you call-" the Doctor shouted loudly from the balcony as he turned around, stopping short when he noticed it was Emily and not Clara, "this," he said quietly, "oh hello... sorry, I noticed the clothes before the face."
"Hello," Emily smiled, waving. Clara had not yet shown herself around the corner. "How are you?"
The Doctor walked carefully down the set of stairs to Emily's right. "Annoyed, bored, feeling impatient..." he said blankly, narrowing his eyes at her, "and about to be manipulated into buying breakfast for and by my travelling companion and her..." he paused, "overnight guest. But as is customary around these parts the answer is... I'm fine, thank you," he said sarcastically.
"Travelling companion?" said Emily, raising an eyebrow, folding her arms to look at him. "Is that how you're defining your relationship now? Very different from last night where she was the love of your life."
"I'm still deciding whether I like you," said the Doctor, standing in front of her at least a foot and a half taller, creasing his eyebrows, "so please do continue." He folded his arms watching her closely.
"Err, why are you two staring each other out?" Clara said, eventually building up the courage to see the Doctor. They were stood facing each other not speaking.
The Doctor turned to face Clara. "What time do you call this?" he said to her loudly. Emily turned around a few seconds after, smirking.
Clara eyed them both suspisciously before suddenly being unable look him in the eye, blushing a dark shade of red, highly embarassed. "I think the words you were looking for were hello Clara," she said looking at her hands.
"Were they?" the Doctor pondered. "OK then, hello Clara."
"Hello," she said quietly, feeling nauseous.
"Glad to see you've sorted yourself out," the Doctor said. "I see you did bring that cream with you, how very foresightful."
"What cream?" asked Emily before the colour drained from her face whispering, "oh god, you've not got an STD or something have you? Please tell me-"
"No, of course I don't have an STD," Clara snapped loudly. This breakfast was going to be a nightmare.
"What's an STD?" the Doctor asked.
"Thank fuck, you had me worried," Emily said relieved, adding helpfully, "Sexually Transmitted Disease, Doctor."
He snapped his eyes to Clara. "Why would you have one of... oh," he said, realising, blushing, "is that what's making your face all red?"
"No, that's shame, embarrassment, annoyance and a very high level of discomfort," said Clara, cringing, shaking her head, covering her face. There was a loud noise from up above in the ceiling causing them all to look up.
"Oh god, it's not thrush is it?" Emily asked, quietly, "can you catch-"
"I haven't seen any passerine birds in here," the Doctor interrupted, gazing up to the ceiling. "Probably just a bit of scaffolding up there." He put his hands on his hips, walking towards the screen in the central console.
"No," Clara said impatiently through gritted teeth, "I do not have thrush." This was already unbearable.
"Well, I'd hope not, they don't make very good pets," the Doctor said. "Cats are much better."
"So, what's it for? The cream," Emily asked, concerned. "Do I needed to get tested?"
"No, no... what do you take me for?" she walked towards Emily, sighing, "it's for my neck, he got me a cream to remove bruises after I met you as covering up love bites seems to have become a daily occurrence."
"And I didn't want her to embarrass me," the Doctor added.
"What?" laughed Emily, incredulous, "you actually have that?"
"Yes I do," Clara nodded.
"So why did I spend all that time putting on concealer?" Emily raised her eyebrow.
"I left it at home," said Clara, quietly.
"That was... unfortunate," reflected Emily, sniggering.
"Really?" said the Doctor, coming over to look at Clara."You can hardly see it at all... Very impressive work."
"Thank you," Emily acknowledged, "took me fucking ages." She moved to Clara and pointed at her jumper, "this was the highest neck top that she owns unfortunately."
"Oh yes," the Doctor looked at her, indicating his neck, "I like that one. Very... Shakespearian. Perfect for the morning after you've been doing some extended hugging," he paused.
"I am not having this conversation," Clara groaned loudly as Emily laughed in the background.
He began walking to the main door. "Well, now we've got all the pleasantries out of the way, we need to get you breakfast," he pointed at Clara.
"What an excellent idea," said Emily, following him. "Yes please." She pulled on her coat.
This was already making Clara feel nauseous. She wanted to turn around and go back to her room, but at the same time she was also very hungry. She begrudgingly went towards the two of them, watching the floor.
"It's the last thing to fix your hangover," the Doctor said loudly, opening the door to the outside. "Then we can explore upstairs."
"I haven't eaten anything for the last two days," Emily replied innocently, looking sideways at Clara, smirking out of the Doctor's view. "I am starving."
"Shut up," Clara whispered, unable to contain the smallest of smiles, pushing her in the chest as the three of them emerged outside. She closed the door behind them.
"Based on your trajectory yesterday," the Doctor said, "breakfast is," he pointed along the road, "that way."
"Yes," said Emily brightly as the Doctor strolled off in front. She put her hands in the pockets of her coat and laughed to herself as they followed slower.
"I don't know whether it's possible for every part of a body to cringe," Clara said, quietly, "but it certainly feels like it right now."
"Oh, relax," said Emily, clearly enjoying how uncomfortable Clara was, "it's just breakfast. More importantly, free breakfast, don't forget that," she laughed.
Clara unconsciously put her left hand onto Emily's right forearm. "This is going to be a nightmare," she sighed.
Emily looked down at Clara linking arms with her, a little taken aback, not used to walking like this for a very long time.
"I actually cannot look him in the eye after last night," Clara groaned.
"Was it worth it?" Emily said, still watching Clara's hand on her.
"Oh yeah," smirked Clara, lightening up a bit as she remembered what they had been doing, "completely totally one hundred percent worth it. I just really hope he doesn't ask why we were in the shower so long earlier..." Emily laughed lightly.
The Doctor paced back towards them. "Come on," he hurried them along, "I've seen glaciers move quicker than you two." He walked behind, pushing them both forwards by their shoulders.
Emily smiled back at Clara, half laughing. "I bet he would love to know what we were doing," she said wryly, loudly enough for the Doctor to hear.
"What the hell?" Clara breathed, digging her in the ribs with her left elbow. They had just passed where they had managed to get to yesterday before they started arguing. "Will you please shut up," she whispered loudly, feeling herself blushing.
"Love to know what?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh nothing," Emily said smiling. "We were just talking about-"
"Stop," Clara snapped, unwilling to find out what Emily was going to say. "God this is embarrassing."
"Why are you embarassed?" the Doctor asked, looking around. "Did I offend someone by accident again? Do you need to give me one of your cards?"
Clara sighed loudly as they began to approach a row of shops past the edge of the university grounds. "No, because of what happened this morning," she clarified.
"What happened this morning?" the Doctor asked, "oh you mean the no clothes thing? Or the bruises? Or the painfully hot shower you were taking? You'll have to be more specific, Clara..."
Emily burst out laughing. "This is hilarious," she said unable to keep a straight face.
"All of the above," Clara said under her breath. "Can you just leave it," she pleaded with him.
"Oh, it's OK," the Doctor dismissed, "nothing I haven't seen before."
"What?!" said Emily, looking at Clara.
"I'm sorry?!" Clara reacted, stopping still. "Please tell me you haven't... oh great... as if this day could not get any worse... What do you mean, it's nothing you haven't seen before? Explain," she said to the Doctor, glaring at him.
"I thought you said nothing had happened between you," said Emily, to Clara.
"It hasn't," Clara answered quickly.
"Oh," the Doctor said flippantly, moving around in front of her, "I didn't mean you per ce, Clara-"
"Thank god for that," Clara said, relieved.
"- I mean, there's River-" he started.
"Who's River?" Emily asked Clara.
"His wife," said Clara, "you'll know her if you meet her, very big hair and usually pointing a gun at someone-"
"Right," Emily nodded, looking perplexed.
"- and the night I was with Madame Du Pompador, and we all saw that scene in Titanic when she, you know," he paused, searching for the word, indicating his body, "divests."
"I'm glad you have cleared that up," Clara said, sarcastically. "Thanks." Every atom in her body felt uncomfortable.
Emily smirked widely, trying to contain laughter. They walked along in silence for a few minutes.
"Where is breakfast?" asked the Doctor as they approached a road junction.
"Go left," said Emily.
The Doctor paced away out of earshot.
"If I didn't feel sick earlier, I really do now," Clara said quietly.
"It's ok," Emily smiled. "I think it's funny."
"Well, I'm glad my discomfort is providing you with such entertainment," Clara sneered.
"Oh give it a rest," Emily replied, "so he caught you in bed after we were shagging each other all night, so what? It could have been a lot worse... I once walked in on my own fucking twin sister having actual sex," Emily paused, "that was embarrassing."
"Really?" Clara said, surprised, letting out a small laugh.
"Really," Emily nodded.
"I bet that was... awkward," Clara observed.
"Not at all," Emily said sarcastically.
"Ahhh, Joe's Diner!" announced the Doctor, interrupting them. "Is this it?" He surveyed the interior through the window. It was half full of people, there looked to be a large number of students inside.
"Yes," nodded Emily, pushing the door open to enter.
"Look Clara," he said brightly, following Emily, "an American diner, how exciting!" He held the door open for her as Emily spoke to the waitress.
"Yeah, I suppose," Clara said quietly, still unable to look at his face without blushing. She sighed to herself, lowering her head as she stepped inside, knowing this was going to be uncomfortable and just wanting it to be over as quickly as possible.