A/N: Hello all! I've decided to take a wee break from In the Hands of the Enemy to serve some well needed fluff for the Christmas holidays.
Thus, I decided to join the rest of the wonderful members of Clara's Diner to the event Snowflakes & Souffles 2021!
Thanks to Nehszriah for helping me come up with this first chapter! I was able to write this first chapter in a few days.
English is not my native language so apologies for my horrible grammar and... Stuff
This 1st chapter is based on the prompt: Baking
Anyway hope you enjoy!
The Doctor landed the TARDIS in her bedroom. Ever since that day when he materialised in front of her parents in the living room and having to wipe their memory for the last 2 minutes of their life, him and his companion had decided that it was best to either materialise in the bedroom or outside. But outside was cold so this evening he opted for the former.
It was the first week of December after all and it was snowing heavily.
He crept out of the TARDIS and into the corridor, immediately stopping at the doorway. His heightened sense smelt a tinge of burning.
He walked to the living room, inspecting the mess in the kitchen in front of him. White and brown powder everywhere, eggshells, lots of used bowls on top of each other... He soniced the kitchen. No sign of fire.
He sighed.
The sound of the TV distracted him.
"Fingerssss on buzzers!" He walked to the living room. "Who's going to be quickest, who's going to be luckiest!" The TV continued, among the cheers of the audience.
And there he saw, only by the flashing light of the TV, his companion cuddled in a blanket, eating what looked like ice cream. Her hair was ruffled, having patches of light colours. She sniffled before taking the next mouthful.
"Clara?" He asked.
She turned to look at him with those huge glazing eyes of hers, before turning back to watch the TV as she munched on the cold ice cream.
"Clara, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
The girl shrugged reluctantly.
The time lord sighed in annoyance, before activating his sonic. The TV switched off as soon as the buzz emitted and pointing it to the lights, turning them on. He could see his companion more clearly, still staring at the switched off TV and eating ice cream.
The Doctor tucked the sonic in the iside pocket of his jacket before he took the tub she was holding and placed it on the table. And yet, she did not protest, like what he was expecting.
It was then he knew... Something must have gone terribly wrong.
"Clara." He purred sweetly. The time lord knew she could understand what he asked of her.
"It's nothing." She breathed.
"I'm sure it's something. Or else you wouldn't be feeling like this." Clara hesitated. So the time lord sat next to her. "I may not be good at deciphering pudding brain emotions, but I do know that something's up with my friend. And I'd like to think of myself as a decent listener and an even better problem-solver."
Clara breathed a laugh. Of course... Typical time lord pomposity. But that smile melted away as quickly as it had come.
A few more moments of silence ensued before she confessed. "I've tried every damned recipe on the Internet but nothing's working. Either it doesn't cook through, either it burns..." She sighed. "And none are as good as my mother's." The companion fell silent, to which the Doctor wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. His nose buried deep into her hair, inhaling her scent, as well as the flour and cocoa powder. "I just wanted to do something special for myself this Christmas. Remove something off my bucket list." She said, muffled, before pulling back from the Doctor's chest. Nonetheless, their arms still stayed around each other, treasuring each other's warmth.
Of course. He remembers it. The Doctor had done everything in his power to fulfil all of her wishes; going to what Clara called "a space ball" to meeting Jane Austen. "I believe the only one left is making a souffle." He said.
She nodded. "Without the TARDIS' help."
"Tried every recipe, yeah?" He said as his fingers passed through her hair. Clara sighed. That was an answer by itself.
"I miss her." She breathed. "I just want to be there again, with her, just once more."
"You know I can't take you to meet her again." He patiently explained.
"Yeah, I know I know. And I'm not asking you to do it. It's just... Every Christmas I feel that there is something missing." She breathed a laugh. "She used to make us souffles in the first week of December and they'd be the best dessert I would have ever tasted."
"I'm certain." He smiled sadly. Even after 12 years, Clara felt the loss of her mother's death more than ever.
After a few moments of silence, Clara wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hands. "Anyway no use dwelling on the past." She laughed.
"It's ok to feel like this, Clara. It's healthy."
"But now I can move on until the next crash. Can't stay eating tubs of cookie-dough ice cream all day, yeah?" Her lips curled into a smile. Genuine, the Doctor deduced. "Though it would have been hard to stop hadn't you come. Thank you." She continued.
"Clara... If you ever need to..."
"I know. Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his arm, his cheek resting against his shoulder. "You too, daft old man."
.
The Doctor got an idea. "Wait a second, I'll be back." He pressed a kiss and left her arms, before dashing to the corridor.
"Where are you going?" She said. Clara threw the blanket, which revealed the penguin onesie running under the apron, and took off after the swift time lord.
"To find an infallible souffle recipe, which, might I add, is not on the World Wide Web. I'm sure I have it somewhere in the TARDIS though..." She ran after him, but the Doctor stopped before entering the TARDIS. "You're staying here."
She looked at him quizzically"Why?"
"Because it will probably only take a long time to find, so I'll have to pop off into space and come back."
"I'm not staying by myself tonight, daft old man."
"You're not. It will only take a few seconds from your time. Promise."
"Fine." She said, her lips curled in a sad smile. "See you soon."
He smiled, pressing yet another hasty kiss on her forehead. "See you soon."
The time lord closed the door before the time machine dematerialised with the sound Clara knew all too well.
She sighed. All alone, hearing some car horns from outside. Sadness settled down in the pit of her stomach. Only God knew when the TARDIS will bring him back. She was spiteful sometimes.
The companion shuffled back to the corridor before she heard that familiar wheezing and groaning behind her yet again. She turned around with a wide smile on her face as she waited for the machine to fully materialise and her daft old man to emerge.
The door creaked open. "Recipe acquired." He said as the time lord stepped out, wearing a father Christmas hat. He held a sheet of paper in his hand, looking at the clock on her vanity. "8 seconds. Not bad."
He smiled at his companion, who was patiently waiting with a wide smile. "I've missed you." He purred, curling his arm around her and pressing a kiss in her hair.
"Missed you more." She laughed. "Was it long for you?"
"Nah. One hour maybe? Got distracted by a few stuff in the storage room that needed fixing." He rubbed his cheek to her soft hair. "I'm just glad to be back with you." The Doctor said before leaving yet another kiss to her hair. "So, off to make souffles?"
"It's quarter to 9... I think it's a little late to make so-"
"Nonsense! Any time is perfect to bake, let alone baking souffles." He looked at her, noticing the slight dark circles under her eyes. He quieted down. "Unless you're tired, that is."
"A bit. But I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that you have an infallible souffle recipe." She said with typical Doctor-ish pomposity. A laugh soon ensued, through which the Doctor smiled. He used to get angry whenever she teases him, but he has to admit... How could he be angry at her?
"Very well." He purred. "Lead on."
Clara's hand slipped into his, before she ran to the kitchen, pulling a joyous time lord behind her.
A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. Feedback is a great motivator of mine (as always) :)
(Also, apologies for the slight angst)
I'll be posting the 2nd chapter soon!