John was very excited to be back in London. It had been a long few weeks of shooting and he was looking forward to having a week off and time away from River. She had stayed true to her word and kept things professional between them, but she would try and engage him in light conversation during down time. He would do his best to avoid her, but there were times when he just couldn't because they were stuck on set together. During these times he could catch the odd glimpse of the woman he married, but it was by no means enough to make him like her. In fact, he still very much disliked her and couldn't trust her at all.
He had arrived home and wasted no time in getting over to Clara's flat. He had found out last minute that he could come home on Friday instead of Saturday and decided not to tell Clara about the change in plans. He wanted to surprise her by making a romantic dinner for her when she got home from work and spent most of the afternoon preparing for the evening. He had just put a lasagna in the oven and looked at his watch to see that Clara should be home in about half an hour, just enough time to set up some romantic lighting. He found some candles in a drawer and started placing them around her living room. He stopped and smiled when he saw that she had added new pictures of the two of them to her bookshelf. There was a selfie that she had taken when they had gone for a walk along the Thames, and of course the first photo they had taken together at the comic con. It warmed his heart to see that he was now included with the people she treasured most in her life. He moved on from the living room and went to add some romance to her bedroom.
Clara had never been so happy to leave work. The weekend had finally arrived and John was going to be home the next day. They talked every day, but it wasn't the same as being able to wrap her arms around him and cuddle on the couch talking about their day. As she walked down the hall towards her flat she could smell something delicious and wondered which one of her neighbours was cooking. As she got closer to her door she could have sworn that the savoury aroma was coming from her place. She put her key in the door and opened it to not see a dark room, but the soft glow of candles. She walked in and saw John standing there with the most gorgeous smile, one that she knew was only for her.
"Welcome home." He said.
Clara threw her keys on the side table and dropped her bag, wasting no time in getting to him and pulling him into a passionate kiss. They slowly reacquainted their lips as hands found spots they knew the other liked to be touched.
"I missed you." Clara said as she pulled away needing a moment to catch her breath.
"Ditto." He said as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"You're also a day early and ruined my surprise." She said as she pretended to pout.
"Well I can always leave and come back tomorrow." He said as he pulled away with a smile and took a step towards the door as if he were actually going to leave. Clara grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Oh no. You're not leaving my sight for the next week." She said as she wrapped her arms around him and he gladly returned the hug.
"So what was the surprise you were going to give me?" He asked as he pulled away to go check on dinner. Clara followed him into the kitchen.
"Well you're just going to have to wait now." She replied. John gave her a questioning look before he looked at the lasagna.
"Fine. Looks like its going to be another hour before it's ready." He said.
"That's fine." Clara said as she grabbed some wine glasses and then a bottle of wine. "We can chat about work."
They went back into the living room and sat together on the couch drinking their wine while Clara told John about work and how she had gotten together with Jackie for dinner one night.
"She's really great fun and the boys are so nice too." She said.
"That's great. I'm glad that you two are getting along because I've always liked Michael and Jackie. They're really down to earth and that's hard to come by in this industry." John replied.
"So speaking of your industry, have you decided about your contract yet?" She asked.
"No." He replied. "I'm really torn."
"Have you weighed all the factors and the reasons why you're torn?"
"No. To be honest I haven't thought about it much." He answered.
"Don't you need to give Donna an answer soon?" She asked.
"Yes. By the end of this week."
"Well let's do it now, while we wait for dinner." She suggested.
John shifted on the couch to turn his body more towards Clara's and ran his hand up her thigh.
"I'd rather do something else while we wait for dinner." He replied as he leaned down and placed soft kisses on her neck. Clara couldn't help but sigh at the sensation and tilted her head to give him better access.
"You're avoiding the issue." She said while she moved her hand to the back of his head to start playing with his soft curls.
"Yes, but isn't this a better way to spend our time." He said between kisses.
"I can't argue with that." She said.
He looked at her and smiled before he captured her lips with his. The two continued snogging on the couch until the timer went off in the kitchen. John reluctantly pulled away from Clara, who was currently laying underneath him, and looked down at her.
"To be continued." He said as he got up and adjusted his clothing. Clara did the same and followed him into the kitchen to help him finish dinner.
After they ate, they moved to the couch to finish their wine and pick up where they left off before the timer interrupted them. It wasn't long before things started getting more heated, so they moved into the bedroom and made love until they were both feeling satiated and blissful. Clara had easily fallen asleep wrapped in John's arms, but he was currently having a difficult time doing the same. The decision he had to make was starting to weigh on him and he knew that Clara was right, he needed to put more thought into it. He looked down at the woman he loves and decided to take her advice. He gently eased her out of his arms and slid out of bed, pulling on his boxers that had been left on the floor.
He walked into the living room and turned on the desk lamp while he sat down. He opened the top drawer to find a pad of paper and pen and wrote the words pros and cons at the top. Then he just stared at it thinking about what to write.
Clara woke up and was surprised to see she was alone. For a brief moment she thought that she had just dreamt John being there, but then she realized she was naked and she never slept starkers without him. She got up and grabbed his t-shirt, pulling it on over her to go look for him. Her flat wasn't big so she didn't have to go far to see him sitting at her desk. She approached him and laid her hands on his shoulders while she kissed the top of his head.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked as he reached for one of her hands and brought it around to place a kiss on it and then placed it over his heart.
"I was going to ask you the same." She replied.
"I couldn't sleep. Thought I might take your advice and think about the reasons I'm having a hard time deciding what to do."
Clara looked down at his list and saw that he had nothing written under his two headings.
"And I can see that's going really well. Come on." She said as she took his hand and led him to the couch. She sat at one end and John laid down using her lap as a pillow. She immediately started to run her hand from his temple into his curls.
"What's the main reason you're torn?" She asked.
"You." He replied simply.
"Me? Why would I be a factor?"
"Because I miss you while I'm gone. I miss this."
"Well I do too, but I don't want to be the reason you don't continue. Yes the distance is hard, but we can make it work." She said.
"It's easy to say now when we've only been doing this for a short time, but what's it going to feel like eight months from now."
"Probably just as hard and I'll be ready for you to come home, but you still shouldn't let a new relationship dictate your professional future." She explained as she continued stroking his hair. "I love you John and I'm not going anywhere, so if I'm the only reason you don't want to continue then I think your decision has been made."
"You really aren't going to let me make you a factor." He said.
"Nope. I love you in this role and I don't want to be the reason you leave it, so what else is there?" She asked.
"River." He answered.
"Okay. Now that I will allow." She said. "But I thought she has been professional since you talked."
"She has, but I still hate working with her, mostly because I don't trust her."
"That makes two of us, but you can't let her push you out of a job you love doing. Do you still love what you're doing?"
"Yes." He replied.
"Well then I think you have your answer. Talk to Donna tomorrow, but I think you should start negotiations." She told him.
"Okay. If you insist that I leave you for long stretches, I'll continue with the role." He said as he sat up and smiled at her.
"Well I don't insist, but the sex we have is amazing when we see each other again." She stood up and grabbed his hand again.
"Are you saying it's not the other times?" He questioned as he let her lead him back to her bedroom.
"No because it's always good. In fact, you're the best shag I've ever had."
"I find that hard to believe." He said as he got back into bed.
"Believe it." She answered as she joined him and cuddled next to him as he wrapped his arm around her. "I haven't been with many men, but the ones I was with were boring. You know, only having sex in a bed, being gentle and loving, which was nice, but I always wanted a little more. With you, there's a nice mix of tenderness and passion."
"Well I'm glad that we share that because sex should be fun and exciting." He said as he kissed her forehead. "Thank you for helping me work this all out."
"You're welcome." She said as she yawned. "Now go to sleep."
"Yes boss. I love you." He said.
"Love you too." She responded as she drifted off to sleep.
The next day, John called Donna and told her that he wanted to start negotiating, but that he only wanted to agree to one more season. He wasn't sure how things would be in his life at that point so he didn't want to get locked into something for too long. Donna was happy that he had finally made a decision and said she would call the BBC first thing Monday morning. They also made a plan for him and Clara to have dinner with her and Lee while he was home.
He ended his call and went into the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee and saw that Clara was on the phone.
"I'm not sure, I'll have to check." She said as he walked in. "Hold on, he just walked in."
She moved the phone away from her mouth and covered the speaker. "Amy wants to know if we want to have dinner at their place tonight."
"Sure." He said as he grabbed the coffee pot.
"Okay Amy, we'll be there. What time?"
John leaned back on the kitchen counter and took a sip from his coffee. He felt so happy and peaceful, sharing this domesticity with Clara. She finally ended her call and refilled her coffee cup as well.
"So she said to be there by six."
"Okay. It's 11 now, so whatever could we do to kill time until then." He said as he grinned and wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Down tiger. I need to do some shopping." She said as she giggled and shook her head in disbelief at his libido. "Are we camping out here for the week, or your place?"
"Whatever's easier for you. You're the one who has to work."
"Here it is then. So I need to pick up some food. Do you want to stay here or come with me?" She asked.
"You'll need help with the bags since you're feeding two, so I'll come."
"Alright. But first, shower." She said as she finished her coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher. She walked out of the kitchen and noticed that John wasn't following her.
"You coming?" She asked.
"I thought you said no sex." He answered as he set his cup on the counter.
"I implied no all day sex. I have no objection to shower sex." She replied as she started walking in the direction of the bedroom, with John quickly following.
"That was a delicious meal Amy." John said as he put his napkin on the table.
"Yes, thank you so much for inviting us over." Clara echoed John's appreciation.
"Oh any time. I'm sorry I forgot that you were coming back this weekend John. I know Clara probably wanted you to herself and was too polite to decline my offer."
"That's okay. She had me to herself last night and again this morning." He answered as he winked at his girlfriend.
"John!" Clara said as she playfully slapped his arm. "Amy and Rory don't need to hear about that."
Amy and Rory both laughed and looked at each other. "It's okay Clara. Once upon a time we were like that too. Enjoy it now because when you get married, it definitely slows down." Amy said causing Clara choke on her wine as she was taking a drink.
"Amy!" Rory exclaimed. "She didn't mean when you two get married, just married in general."
"Yeah, okay that's what I meant." Amy said as she looked at John who was only trying to hide his smile from behind his wine glass.
"It's okay." Clara said. "It's going to be a long time before we think about that."
"Yeah, especially if it means the sex stops." John added.
"Well at least until you start trying to have a baby." Rory said.
"Wait, are you guys trying?" Clara asked. Amy had told her that she and Rory were thinking about trying, but not that they had actually started.
"Correction, were trying." Amy said as she smiled at Rory.
"Oh my god Amy!" Clara squealed as she jumped up from her seat to hug her best friend. "When? How long?"
"I'm not that far along. We've only told our parents so far, so you have to keep it to yourself." Amy said.
"Absolutely! Oh I'm so happy for the two of you." She said as she hugged Rory before she sat back down.
"Yes. You two will make great parents." John added.
The foursome continued to talk about the news and how easy it was to get pregnant once they decide to start trying. Rory admitted that he was a little disappointed it happened so fast because he was looking forward to having to try longer, but in the end he was thrilled to become a dad.
When the night was over, John and Clara were in a cab on their way back to Clara's. She couldn't help but notice that John seemed a little quiet.
"What's going on inside that mind of yours?" She asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Oh nothing really." He said as he turned and looked at her. "Just thinking about how excited Amy and Rory are."
"They really are. I haven't seen Amy that excited since her wedding day." Clara said as she reached for John's hand. She knew this night had brought back thoughts of their pregnancy scare and that he was likely thinking about that, but she wasn't ready to have that conversation again, so she decided to change the subject.
"So I've been researching beach holidays and I'm having a hard time deciding on where we should go." She said.
"Yeah, what places have you thought about?" He asked.
"Spain, Greece, or the Caribbean." She answered. "I can show you tomorrow what I've come up with, if you want."
"That sounds good. Then maybe you can model some swimsuits for me." He said as he smiled at her.
She was glad that the change in subject seemed to bring him out of his thoughts and they continued to chat about their holiday until they got home, all thoughts of babies out of their minds.
The next morning they sat on the couch together looking at different websites trying to decide on where to go. After about an hour they had finally chosen a resort on St. Lucia that offered suites with private patios with waterfall pools. Clara would never have chosen such a luxurious place to stay, but John insisted that if they were going to a beach he wanted it to be as romantic and secluded as possible. He called his travel agent to see what she could do in booking the trip and an hour later it was all set.
"Our first trip together!" Clara said excitedly.
"It is." John said returning her enthusiasm. "I can't wait to get you all to myself for one whole week."
The two curled up together on the couch watching TV, but John wasn't really paying attention. His mind had drifted to the woman that was in his arms and how happy he was when he was with her. He had no doubt in his mind that Clara was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and maybe this holiday was the perfect place to ask her.