Thank you guys so, so much for the lovely reviews. Happy to hear you're enjoying their (romantic) trip to Paris - but the trip isn't over yet, is it? ;)

Oh, and of course, HAPPY EASTER :) Have a lovely day!

Chapter 35

Clara hooked her arm in his as they walked along the Seine and she inhaled deeply at the sight on the other side of the river. The night was clear and warm enough and she was enjoying the walk and the look of the illuminated city over the water and above all, she was enjoying the moment she was sharing with the Doctor. Just the two of them, walking arm in arm.

It occurred to her that Amy was right about everything she had said. Clara couldn't find a man because she had a crush on the Doctor and for months or even years, she had been trying to find a person who was like him but who would love her in return. At last, she seemed to have found him in Basil, but again, she had picked a complicated case because he was too shy to even meet with her. And then there was the problem that he wasn't the Doctor. She and Basil really clicked online, but would the same thing happen in real life while she was attracted to the Doctor?

"You're very quiet," the Doctor remarked after a while. "Did you not like the show?"

Clara turned her head and smiled at him. There was something about the way he looked under the light of the street lamps that made him seem utterly beautiful. "I loved it," she replied sincerely. "The show, the Moulin Rouge, Paris in general. It's a shame we'll have to fly home tomorrow."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "Apart from Disneyland, the trip was great."

Clara chuckled at his remark. "You liked Disneyland. I'm still waiting for you to admit that."

The Doctor scoffed softly, but she could hear the amusement in his voice anyway. "You'll be waiting for that until you're grey and old."

She shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not in a hurry," Clara remarked and somehow, it seemed strange to think that far ahead. There wasn't a single doubt in her head that the Doctor would remain a part of her life until the end. Over the years, Clara had seen a lot of friendships come and go, but the Doctor was different. No matter what happened, she would always love him and maybe now was the first time she was actually starting to understand that.

"You're still quiet."

Clara inhaled deeply. "Let's go back to the hotel, okay? My fancy shoes aren't exactly my walking shoes."

The Doctor agreed and led her back towards their hotel and he, too, went quiet as they walked. It wasn't so much that Clara was tired because she wasn't, but she just didn't know what to say to him right now while her thoughts were still running a little haywire in her head and she didn't want to ruin the mood by saying something meaningless. When they came to a halt in front of her hotel room door a half hour later, however, Clara didn't feel ready to say goodnight just yet. In her current state, she would only lie awake and brood.

"Hey," she began and turned towards the Doctor, "I'm not really tired yet. Wanna hang out for a bit?"

He cracked a smile in response. "We have to get up at 5 am and it's past midnight."

"I know," she replied and bit down on her lip, looking at him sheepishly. "But I can't go to sleep just yet. I'm still a bit too edgy after the show and the day in general."

The Doctor shrugged softly. "Well, I suppose we could try to wind down with a glass of the wine we bought yesterday."

"Excellent plan," Clara agreed immediately and turned to unlock her door. Wine always managed to make her sleepy. It would work.

The Doctor followed her into the hotel room and discarded his coat on the small chair by the bed before he sank down on her sheets while Clara went through her already packed luggage to find the bottle of wine she had bought at the shop the day before. After retrieving two glasses from the minibar, she joined the Doctor on the bed.

"So, uhm, Moulin Rouge was a good idea then?" he asked carefully.

While Clara poured the wine into their glasses, she couldn't help but frown at his question and when she looked up at him, she found that he was avoiding her gaze. Was he nervous? He seemed a little nervous.

"Maybe we could watch that movie once we get back. I've seen it on your shelf."

Clara took a sip of her wine and watched the Doctor do the same thing while she was still pondering her answer. It wasn't the Doctor's type of movie, the show at the Moulin Rouge wasn't the Doctor's type of event. He was doing it especially for her. But why? And did it really matter?

"It's kind of sad," she argued softly, still looking at him.

It wasn't the light of the street lamps that had made him look beautiful, Clara realized, because he still was looking extremely good right now. She had known him for so long that she hadn't paid much attention to his looks recently apart from pointing out the occasional odd outfit. His hair had grown longer over the past few years, evolving into an unruly, curly mop on his head and somehow, Clara thought his features looked a lot softer than they had the first time she had seen him.

Clara didn't know why she was doing it, what compelled her to do it this time. She just knew that she really, really wanted it. After placing her wineglass on the floor, Clara leaned forward and pressed another kiss to his cheek like she had done earlier, only this time, she didn't exactly pull away. When the Doctor turned his head, Clara remained exactly where she was, only inches away from his face. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes and the scent of his aftershave was clouding her senses as she leaned in once more and kissed him again. Their lips met in the most gentle, reluctant manner and Clara wasn't sure how far she could go, but her rapid pulse and the butterflies in her belly urged her on. After their first kiss and the awkward aftermath, Clara had expected the Doctor to pull away from her but once again, she was surprised when he parted his lips to let her in.

The taste of red wine clung to his tongue when they touched and he reached out and cupped her cheeks in his hands, pulling her a little closer. It was almost as if he had expected it to happen, as if he had hoped it would happen again and Clara couldn't help but think that she had hoped for the exact same thing. Soon enough, their kiss deepened and Clara let herself fall against his chest, causing him to topple over and sink back onto her bed when she caught him off guard.

When Clara landed on top of him, they eventually pulled apart and she didn't know what came over her, but for some reason, she just had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" the Doctor asked instantly and there was a hint of fear in his voice.

She smirked at him and shrugged as best as she could while their arms were still tangled. "You, me, Paris," she said. "Not how I expected this to go."

"I'm sorry."

Clara grinned at him. "Don't be," she half whispered. "I'm kind of enjoying this."

The Doctor cocked his eyebrow at her in response and she could tell by the look on his face that he was desperately searching for something to say, but Clara didn't want him to speak. Not now. It was as if a tiny shockwave went through her body, causing her hands to tremble when she realized that she wanted him and that right now, the Doctor would probably let it happen. This could be their only chance.

"Okay, not just kind of," she corrected herself. "I'm really enjoying this."

"Do you-" the Doctor broke off, unable to finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

Clara knew what he wanted to ask and she nodded in response before she bent down and kissed him again. She would never have thought that she loved kissing him so much.