"I can't believe the day has finally come," Rose said as she took a sip from her pint. "Tomorrow I get to marry JD!"
"Finally," Amy said. "It's felt like this day would never come."
"Well it has been a long time in the works." Rose glanced over at the three men playing pool. "But it's been well worth the wait."
JD looked over and winked at his soon to be bride, causing her to giggle and return the gesture.
"Well I'm looking forward to you two finally getting out of this honeymoon phase," Clara added.
"Never," Rose stated. "Perhaps it's time you joined in on the romance department."
"Oh I don't know about that."
"Oh come on, Clara. It's been 8 months since James died. Don't you think it's time you got on with it?"
"Amy, I've been over this with you. I'll get on with it when I think the time is right."
"I seriously don't get you. You wanted to be with the Doctor, before everything happened. I get why you've waited, but don't you think you could both use a little happiness in your life. That you've both grieved long enough."
Clara glanced over at the men and watched as the Doctor was lining up his next shot. She knew Amy was right, but it always seemed to feel wrong to tell the Doctor how she felt, especially after everything they had been through. There was no denying that they had definitely gotten closer and were spending a lot of time together, but it was all very platonic. There was no flirting at all and at times she wondered if the chemistry they once had was gone.
"Perhaps," was all Clara answered.
"Alright ladies," JD said as he approached their booth and squeezed in next to Rose. "It's fast approaching midnight and I need my beauty rest for the big day."
"Too late for that," the Doctor said as he and Rory walked up. "No amount of sleep is going to fix that ugly mug."
"Remind me again why I chose you as my best man."
"Because there was no one else," the Doctor said.
"Oh yeah, that."
"Well JD does have a point. We should get going," Amy said as she slid out of the booth.
"Yeah, your mum has likely given Charlotte nothing but sweets all night and she's probably bouncing off the walls," Rory added.
"I'll meet you two at Clara's tomorrow morning," Amy stated.
"Bring breakfast because I have nothing in my house to eat."
"You do have leftover pizza," the Doctor added as he took Amy's spot next to Clara.
"I'm not feeding Rose cold pizza on her wedding day."
"Okay, well then we'll take it because I have no problem giving it to JD on his."
"Fine, you guys can grab it on the way back."
Initially when it had come to planning the wedding, Clara hadn't been much into it, but when Rose said she and JD would be going home tonight after their rehearsal, she just felt that was wrong. She insisted that Rose come home with her and that JD go home with the Doctor, who wasn't thrilled that he got pulled into this plan, but then Clara told him it was his duty as the best man. She then decided it would be nice if they all went for a pint after their dinner and they ended up back at the place where she first met JD and the Doctor. Subconsciously, she had hoped it might bring back some of those feelings for the Doctor, but so far nothing.
"Alright, I'll bring a breakfast fit for a princess. See you guys tomorrow."
"We should likely get going too. You two can't see each other after midnight." Clara said, as she motioned for the Doctor to get out of the booth.
"You know I never would have pegged you as a traditionalist, Clara." JD said.
"Yeah me neither, but I just want everything to go smoothly for you two. You really deserve it."
"And it will," Rose added as they all walked towards the exit.
The four decided to walk back to Clara's and the Doctor's since it was a nice night and they weren't far. Rose and JD were walking ahead, holding hands and chatting away, no doubt about the excitement that awaited them the next day. The other two trailed behind giving the couple their space.
"They really are disgustingly happy aren't they," the Doctor said.
"Yes, but it's good."
The Doctor noticed Clara's slight happy, sad smile she sometimes made and he found it impossible to interpret. Was she happy in that moment or was she sad, thinking about what could have been between her and James. He had really enjoyed getting close to her over the past months and it was nice to actually build a friendship with her. He did his best to keep his feelings in check, knowing that she was grieving. He wanted to respect her and perhaps when the time felt right, he'd ask her out on a proper date, but that time just didn't feel like it was now.
They made it back to Clara's, where the four went up, so the guys could grab the leftover pizza. She and the Doctor had watched a movie at her place the night before and ordered it for their dinner. Something the two of them did at least once a week.
"Time for you two to say good night," the Doctor said as he came out of Clara's kitchen with a container.
"Okay, give us a second." JD pulled Rose out into the hall and shut the door, giving themselves some privacy.
"Doesn't he realise he's going to have a lifetime to snog her," the Doctor said grumpily.
"Oh give them a moment," Clara said. "You can get home to bed soon enough."
"Who said I was tired?"
"You're cranky and when you get tired, you become Mr. Grumpy. Also when you're hungry."
She wasn't wrong. He smiled at her and how well she had gotten to know him. The Doctor was just about to say something, but the door opened, and Rose walked in.
"Old man! Let's go," JD said. "Night, ladies!"
The Doctor shook his head as he walked over to the door.
"Night," he said and smiled at Clara, who returned the sentiment just before they left.
"Seriously, Clara, when are the two of you just going to get on with the snogging already."
"Don't you start now too. I get enough of it from Amy." Clara locked the door and the women moved down the hall towards the bedroom.
"I can't help it. JD and I are going nuts seeing the two of you together. It's so obvious you're crazy about each other, but neither one of you wants to make a move."
"Well let's just focus on getting you married," Clara said, trying to change the subject.
"Fine, but I'm not dropping this. After the wedding we are going to get this all sorted."
The two went off to the bedroom and Clara couldn't help, but hope that Rose was right and that after the wedding the time would finally be right.
The next morning went by in a flash. The three girls had gotten their hair and makeup done, along with Rose's mum. It was fun having a little girl time before all the craziness would start. Clara and Amy were now just waiting for Rose in Clara's living room, putting the final touches on their outfits.
"I swear to God, that if the Doctor doesn't snog the hell out of you tonight, the man doesn't have a libido."
"Amy!"
"What?! I'm just being honest. You look so stunning, Clara, and he will be a fool if he doesn't."
Clara looked at herself in the mirror in her front hall. She did look pretty good in her deep red strapless A-line dress with a long slit up to her thigh. She was very happy when they chose these dresses because she knew it was very sexy and she couldn't wait to see the Doctor's reaction to her in it. However, she didn't want to put too much pressure on tonight, as today was about Rose and JD and that was her main concern.
"What do you guys think," Rose said as she stepped out of Clara's room.
"Wow!" Both Clara and Amy exclaimed at the same time.
Rose and her mum joined the two girls in the living room, and Clara couldn't help but feel a little emotional at seeing her friend excited about her day. She couldn't help, but flash back to the day that they had bought her dress, when James had seen her in that very dress. She had a moment of sadness hit her, as she still missed him very much, but this was not a day to be sad.
"You think JD is going to like it?" Rose asked.
"If you wore a paper bag, he would like it," Amy said.
"That's true," she giggled. "But look at us! We are some good-looking ladies."
"Alright, you three, the car is here so, let's go get you hitched," Rose's mum said as she got them all together and out of the flat.
They all rode over to the venue, a decommissioned church, that functioned as both a spot for the ceremony and the reception. The ceremony would take place inside the church and then the reception would take place next door in a hall that would be decorated with fairy lights and sheer white curtain backdrops. It was elegantly simple and felt all very romantic. When they arrived there, a man met them at the car and ushered them to where they would wait until the guest were all seated.
"Nervous?" Clara asked Rose.
"Not at all. Excited more than anything," she answered. "I really want to thank you, Clara."
"For what?"
"I really would have made a terrible mistake marrying the Doctor, and if it weren't for you coming into his life, that very likely may have happened."
"Rose, we've agreed to never talk about that time."
"I know, but I really want you to know that him cheating on me with you was the best thing to ever happen to me. I know it sounds weird and that for you it was the worst thing in the world, but I truly feel the two of you are going to find your way back to each other."
"Your wedding is our focus, remember."
"I know, but this bouquet is being thrown in your direction and you better catch it."
The music started, which was Amy's cue to start walking. Once she was gone, it was Clara's turn and as soon as she rounded the corner, she wasn't expecting her breath to be taken away at seeing the Doctor standing at the front of the church in a tux. He looked so sharp, his usually messy curls tamed with some product and wearing the glasses she loved so much. She locked eyes with him and smiled as she walked to join Amy at the front.
The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off of Clara the second he saw her. She was breathtaking, and even though he knew the bride was supposed to be the most beautiful woman here today, he couldn't imagine her looking better than Clara did. Her hair was swept up off her neck in loose curls and all he wanted to do was place light kisses on the soft skin of her shoulders. She smiled at him and he returned the gesture, not taking his eyes off of her, not even when the music changed and Rose started walking down the aisle. All the Doctor could think of was how much he hoped one day this might be him and Clara.
The ceremony was quick and before Clara knew it, JD and Rose were being announced as husband and wife. Everyone cheered in the crowd as the couple kissed and then proceeded to walk back down the aisle to the exit. Clara stepped over and took the Doctor's arm as the two of them followed.
"You look very beautiful," the Doctor whispered to her.
"Thank you and you look very handsome," she whispered back.
"I'm just glad JD didn't make me wear a kilt. These old white legs would have sent everyone running."
Clara chuckled. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You have very nice legs."
She hadn't meant to say that, but it just kind of came out without her thinking about it. He quirked an eyebrow at her, but before either of them could say something, they were being tugged away by the photographer who was trying to get the bridal party away from the church before the guests exited.
They spent the next hour and a bit taking pictures and then went back to the hall to join the cocktail party. Clara didn't get much of a chance to talk to the Doctor as she was busy catching up with people from uni and other old friends she hadn't seen in a long time. There were a couple of times that she had glanced around looking for the Doctor and she saw that he was doing much the same with people he had worked with back in Glasgow. It wasn't until after dinner that she finally had a moment to sit with the Doctor, while Rose and JD shared their first dance.
"It was a really nice ceremony," Clara said.
"It was. Short and not drawn out," he agreed.
A silence slipped between them as they continued watching the bride and groom dance around the room.
"I can't believe Rose convinced JD to take lessons." Clara finally said.
"Oh I can. She kept trying to get me to agree to it and I kept telling her no."
"I suppose that should have been her first sign that you weren't the right man for her," Clara said. "She couldn't convince you of it, but JD would say yes to anything she would ask."
"As you should for the woman you love." He gave her a shy smile.
The song changed to one that had become very familiar to Clara over the past few months. It was a song called Someone You Loved and it was played on the radio all the time, just after James died. Oddly enough when she first heard it, she first thought of him, but the more she listened to it the more it reminded her of the Doctor. She felt herself starting to get a bit emotional, and perhaps everything about the day was starting to catch up to her. She wanted so badly to tell the Doctor how she felt, but she was terrified.
"Excuse me," she said as she got up and headed towards the side entrance that went out to a garden.
The Doctor had no idea what had suddenly gotten into her. Was it what he had said? Did he make her think of James? Was it the song? He started listening to the lyrics.
I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me
This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy
I need somebody to heal
Somebody to know
Somebody to have
Somebody to hold
It's easy to say
But it's never the same
I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain
Crap, it was the song. She was likely thinking of James. He got up and followed her outside and when he caught up with her, she was standing in the middle of the garden staring up in the sky.
"Clara," he said hesitantly as not to startle her.
She slowly turned and he saw that she had been crying.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Why would you be sorry?" She asked.
"Because the song made you think of James. I just feel bad."
The lyrics drifted out to where they were.
Now the day bleeds
Into nightfall
And you're not here
To get me through it all
I let my guard down
And then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved
Clara felt it. This was it. She couldn't hold on to it anymore and he needed to know the truth.
"This song doesn't remind me of James. Well not entirely. It reminds me of you."
Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was about to beat right out of her chest.
"Me?"
"Yes, don't you see?" She stepped closer to him. "James was the somebody to heal, he was the somebody to have and to hold because I couldn't have you."
"What are you saying?" She kept moving closer to him and he didn't dare move.
"I'm saying that it's you. It's always been you."
Was he really hearing what he thought he was hearing?
She moved in closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. At first Clara thought that she had made another mistake, because he didn't return it, then she felt his hands on her hips and his lips began moving with hers. They kissed as if they were never going to kiss again and it felt like an eternity until she pulled back in need of air.
"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't sort this all out until just before James died. And then it just never felt like the right time."
"I've been wanting to say something too, but I've been down that road with you so many times that I was so afraid," he said as he cradled her in his arms.
"That's fair. I'm sorry for being so daft and not figuring it out sooner."
He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and felt so good to be able to do that.
"It's okay. We've sorted it out now."
"I know this might sound crazy, but I was kind of hoping to take things a bit slow with you," she said as she pulled back to look at him.
"You don't think we have been?"
"I think that we started off as something very passionate and we never really dated. I would really like to go on proper dates with you before we jump back into the physical stuff."
"Whatever you want. I'm not going anywhere."
The music changed to an acoustic version of Can't Help Falling in Love.
"Can I at least have this dance?" He asked as he extended his hand to her.
"You can have all the dances you want," she answered as she stepped into his embrace and they slowly started to sway to the music.
Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you