Thank you all so much for the reviews. Who's curious about the two idiots on love?

Chapter 14

After having brought Clara home the Doctor entered his own house, feeling tired and exhausted after he had spent practically the entire day with her at the Renaissance fair. It had been fun and Clara had visibly enjoyed herself as well. Completely mesmerized she had walked through the palace while listening more to what he told her than the things the tour guide kept explaining and they had both joked about the way the actors of the re-enactment had made Henry VIII's court look. It hadn't really been educational but they had had one hell of a lovely day in each other's company.

"You've been gone a long time," Joe remarked when the Doctor stepped inside the house.

"Oh, yeah," he replied, "I was at an event at Hampton Court Palace. And now I really just want to go to bed."

"Alone?" his friend inquired with a smirk.

"I met Missy there," the Doctor said, changing the subject, "She wants me to remind you of your appointment on Monday. Care to explain that?"

Joe rolled his eyes. "Susie might have told a few people about the pub. Don't worry. I'll tell Missy it was a study group and that you were there, too. It's nothing."

The Doctor shook his head while he made his way upstairs, knowing that his friend would most definitely get fired sooner or later. It was generally frowned upon for a professor to sleep with his students but whereas some universities took it a little more lightly they had both signed a contract explicitly stating that any intimate relationships with a student would lead to an immediate dismissal. There was one professor who had married a former student and as far as the Doctor knew they were still married to this day but that had been after the student had already graduated.

The Doctor sank down on his bed next to Yoko and opened his laptop. A few e-mails from students, mostly asking about essays, had gathered in his inbox today but he figured they could just as well wait until morning. No student in their right mind was spending Saturday night with their course work. Among other things he also found he had received a couple of friend requests on Facebook from old college friends and former colleagues. The Doctor went to open the page and accepted them all, proud that his list was now holding 37 friends already.

He knew he shouldn't but the Doctor still searched for Clara Oswald again, finding her more quickly now when he realized she had changed her profile picture to the one he had taken of her in the Renaissance dress. The text next to it read "Feeling like a true princess – at Hampton Court Palace" and the Doctor couldn't help but smile. She had looked so beautiful in that dress that he had been completely lost for words.

"Yoko, no!" the Doctor exclaimed when his cat suddenly walked right across the keyboard of his laptop, obviously awake after her nap and in the mood to beg for some attention. Helplessly and much to his horror the Doctor saw the words "Request Sent" pop up on the screen. Yoko had managed to send Clara Oswald a friend request with her evil, little paws and the Doctor had no idea how to undo his cat's latest deed when he suddenly received a notification that his request had been accepted.

The Doctor growled at Yoko. "For that I'm going to buy your least favourite cat food for a month!" But he guessed that that was his punishment for stalking Clara in the first place and Yoko only bumped her head into his own in reply.

"Oh ho ho," the Doctor suddenly heard Joe laugh on the corridor, "John Smith is now friends with Clara Oswald."

He groaned. "Stop stalking me!" the Doctor called out loud enough so his friend could hear it outside of the room.

"I'm going to like this announcement and you can't stop me," his friend giggled right before the Doctor could hear the door to his room close. He decided to ignore it when he suddenly heard a strange sound and looked down at his laptop to see a chat window had opened up.

Clara Oswald:
Is that your cat in the picture? It's sooooo adorable!

The message had appeared before the Doctor had even finished asking himself the question why on earth Clara would even accept a friend quest from him. Maybe she thought she didn't have a choice now that her professor had sent it to her. But then again – she had started a chat as well. Quickly the Doctor typed a reply.

John Smith:
Yes, that is Yoko, my quiet and better behaved flatmate. Well, at least as long is there is food in her bowl.

Clara Oswald:

She is a beauty and you look absolutely cute together ;)

The Doctor's eyes widened at the last message and his heart suddenly started beating a little faster. Clara Oswald had – technically – just called him cute. But he knew it was more than obvious that she hadn't meant it in that way.

Clara Oswald:

Thank you again for today, by the way. I know I said it like 10 times in the car already but I had a really great time today. See, I even made the photo you took my new profile picture.

There was no way he would have missed that picture or the way she had quoted him underneath it and he also noticed that he kept staring at the small icon in the chat window.

John Smith:

I noticed. The dress really suits you. You should have bought it.

Clara Oswald:

I would have but you refused to give me extra credit if I wore it to your class.

John Smith:
I think that would be a little unfair to the other students who don't own pretty Renaissance dresses, don't you?

Clara Oswald:

Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, there is something I would like to give to you – I'm sure you'll love it.

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at the screen. Give him something? He had no idea what it could be but since they had talked a lot about books and music while walking around the palace grounds today he guessed it was one or the other.

John Smith:

Okay, why don't you bring it to class or stop by my office on Tuesday?

Clara Oswald:

That's the problem. It's kinda big and heavy. You'll have to pick it up at my place with your car.

John Smith:

Is it a bookshelf cause you assumed I don't own enough of that?
No, seriously, if it's something big or expensive I can't accept it.

Clara Oswald:
I want you to accept this one because I've had it for 10 years and I haven't used it for 9 years and 10 months. But I'm not saying what it is. You'll have to come by my place and see.

John Smith:

Okay. I have classes until 6 on Monday and I've planned on taking the car to the garage afterwards. Is between 7 and 7.30 okay with you?

Everything he had sworn to himself about staying away from Clara seemed to be forgotten. The more time he actually spend with her the more he wanted to be around her.

Clara Oswald:

Sounds perfect. And I have to sleep now. I've been sitting on my bed in my nightie for 20 minutes and after today I think I'm going to sleep really well.

The Doctor gulped, wondering why Clara had sent him a message like that. Didn't she know what it sounded like? And she surely couldn't be so naïve to just tell a man she was in her nightie. She should know better than to do something like that. A smart woman like her should know better than to give away these kind of details because they would obviously spark a man's imagination.

But Clara knew better, she had seen through Joe's stupid attempts to lure the students into his bedroom. And if Clara knew better it meant she had done it on purpose. Had she figured him out as well? Was she testing him? Should he reply?

Clara Oswald:
Good night!

Not knowing what else to write he typed a simple "Sleep well" and quickly closed the lid of his laptop. He knew he was doomed whatever happened next.