The Doctor unlocked the front door and stepped aside to let his guests in first.
The living room was dimly lit as the only light that was on was the tall lamp in one corner of the room. A sofa was situated in the middle, behind a glass coffee table which was piled with unmarked scripts.
Mr Darcy caught sight of Idris sleeping on her bed in the kitchen and he immediately ran to her. The orange tabby sniffed her cautiously as the now awake black feline did the same. After a few moments, she climbed onto the soft mattress and Mr Darcy joined her, settling on the empty spot on the bed.
"There's the sofa there," John said awkwardly before Clara dropped her backpack next to the armchair. "Make yourself at home and the bathroom is down the hallway to your left," he explained, despite knowing that their houses practically have the same design.
"Thanks," she replied and looked around.
The Doctor cleared his throat. "I'll be upstairs," he announced, turning around. "There's an extra duvet behind the door next to the bathroom."
"Wait," Clara said, and John stopped in his tracks. She locked eyes with him. "I… thank you… for letting me sleep on your sofa for the night and for helping… I… I don't know what would have happened if I had to take them on by myself."
The stern expression on the Doctor's face softened, realising just how vulnerable she was if he hadn't shown up. "You're welcome, I'm glad I was of help."
She stepped closer towards him. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
She didn't feel any sort of spark with Danny when he kissed her and she wanted to know badly if what she felt when she kissed the Doctor was real, that she wasn't imagining the whole thing.
Without warning. Clara got on her toes and rested her hands on the Doctor's shoulders before crashing her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck in order to get him closer to her.
He froze, surprised by the physical contact as he had thought she was about to hug him. Before he even got the chance to kiss her back, she pulled away, face scarlet red.
"I… I'm sorry," she stammered, keeping some distance between them. "I have no idea what came over me – sorry."
The Doctor had absolutely no idea what to say as he was sure that his brain had short-circuited. He nodded silently before turning around and walking upstairs.
Clara wanted to do nothing more than to get swallowed by the ground. What on earth possessed her to kiss her colleague?
She collapsed on the sofa, skin still tingling, lips burning and stomach feeling strange. At least she finally got her answer. She felt the spark.
The mathematician hid her face in her hands in embarrassment. The kiss felt nice, yet extremely awkward and she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad sign that the Doctor didn't say anything. He just left.
"What have I done," she muttered to herself.
Eventually, Clara lifted her head up and sighed. No point just loitering around. "Might as well work on that paper."
She spent the next two hours writing her research paper, though her mind kept being interrupted with the memory of kissing the Doctor. She was well on the road to falling for him, or perhaps, she already has.
John wasn't able to get any sleep that night. His mind and heart were racing and spent hours tossing and turning in bed, trying to get some rest, but his body didn't comply.
Why did Clara kiss him? Why would she just do that?
Jack could possibly be right with his observations. Maybe she does feel something for him other than spite. She did save him from getting stabbed, after all.
The Doctor rolled over in bed once more, this time, he was on his stomach, face buried into the soft pillow. It did nothing to stop him from thinking about the kiss. This was worse than the lift incident.
How is he supposed to get any rest when there were so many questions floating around in his mind?
He lifted his head as an idea came to him.
He could ask her why she decided to snog him out of the blue. Surely it couldn't because he offered her a place to sleep.
Yes, first thing tomorrow morning, he would confront Clara Oswald about the kiss.
With a satisfactory plan in mind, the Doctor's eyelids became heavy and he was greeted by slumber shortly after.
Unfortunately for the poor lecturer, he could only manage to get two hours of sleep as the alarm on the beside table rose him from a good rest.
It was 7 AM sharp.
The Doctor lied down on his back and stared at the white ceiling, wondering if his guest was already awake.
Should he go downstairs now and make breakfast? Would she stay? How is he going to bring up the topic?
Despite feeling exhausted, John climbed out of bed and put on a robe. He had to do something to prevent himself from overthinking.
As quietly as possible, he trod downstairs, expecting to see Clara sleeping on the sofa, but to his disappointment, she was nowhere to be found. A neatly folded duvet was sitting there with a note on top.
He glanced into the kitchen on the way to the living room and saw Idris lying in her bed.
John grabbed the note.
Thank you for your hospitality
-Clara
He sighed, lowering the note. It seems that he wouldn't be getting his answer today, as much as he wanted to.
The Doctor's Monday morning started off like normal. Wake up, shower, feed Idris, have breakfast and leave for work. Just before leaving, he glanced at the house next to his and pondered of what to do when he sees her. Would it be awkward? No doubt.
Thirty minutes later, he finally reached the gate, about to drive in when a motorbike from his right side nearly collided with his vehicle.
Under any normal circumstance, the Doctor and Clara would have yelled at each other as they usually would, but due to recent events, they merely stared at one another before John nodded to the gate and Clara got in first.
He parked his car and headed for the lift, expecting his colleague to enter the building in a few seconds after he did and sure enough, she popped in.
They glanced at each other for a brief moment before looking in opposite directions.
"How was your weekend?" John asked awkwardly. "I mean, after the break-in," he quickly added.
"Yeah, the usual, marking, reading, writing, all the boring stuff… you?"
"Same old, same old."
The lift doors opened, and the two mathematicians stepped in.
Perhaps it was a bad idea for them to even consider using the machinery as memories from the weekend immediately flooded their minds.
The Doctor thought it would be a good opportunity to bring up the kiss, but he never had the courage to do it. Besides, he feared that someone might accidentally listen in on them.
Once they reached the department, Clara stepped out first, heading to her office. John decided to wait and check if the coast was clear for him. No signs of Jack just yet.
He walked down the hall and produced the keys to his office.
Suddenly, a familiar tune, from a violin, started playing just after he unlocked the door.
"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance," Jack sang while Dan played the violin in the break room.
Bloody hell. He thought too soon.
"Since when did you have the time to assemble an opera?" the Doctor muttered as he stepped into his office.
"Thanks for your help, Dan," Jack said as his student gave John two thumbs up before walking away. "For your information, he has band practice today and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and everyone and I mean, everyone is talking about you know what."
John rolled his eyes and sat down on the swivelling chair. Word travels fast.
"Anyway, why else would I sing that specific line if I knew that you didn't do what I told you to?"
The Doctor tried to look as calm as possible. Jack couldn't know what happened during the weekend. Not one bit. "Didn't see her much."
"Which is why-"
"SHE'S COMING!"
Jack stuck his head out the corridor as Oishin ran past. "To be continued," he announced before running to his own office, feeling a bit gutted he wasn't able to give sound advice to his best friend.
The Doctor exhaled loudly before swivelling around in his chair, wondering what his sister wants with him this time. If it was about the lift incident, then he certainly doesn't have a choice but to come clean with her.
Much to his surprise, Missy wasn't there to see him.
Instead, she stopped directly in front of Clara's door.
"Dr Oswald," she said coolly and knocked once.
Clara immediately rose to her feet. "Yes, Professor?" she replied, thinking she was in some sort of trouble.
"I got your message last weekend and just wanted to check up on you," she stated.
She furrowed her brows in confusion.
"A couple of thieves broke into the house, right?"
Her eyes widened. Missy is her landlady. "Yes."
It all made sense now. Clara had texted her landlady after the incident, informing her of the broken lock. She had no clue it was Missy Smith. John's sister.
"Are you alright?" Missy asked with a neutral expression.
She nodded. "Yeah, just slightly shaken."
She leaned forward and whispered. "I heard my brother saved you."
Clara took a step back. "He did."
Missy stared at her face for a few moments and smiled. "Is that all?" she asked and then yelled for her brother. "John, get in here!"
A second later, John Smith entered the rather cramped office and stood beside Clara. "What?" he barked.
"The lock was broken so where did you stay for the night?" Missy questioned Clara.
Clara paused, unsure of how to answer her question. She felt as if she was being interrogated.
"At a hotel, obviously," the Doctor answered in annoyance, unaware he was once again pouting. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing," Missy said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Just thought I'd ask so I could compensate her if she had to lodge at one, even better if she stayed at yours."
"That's not necessary," Clara commented, laughing nervously. "I mean, it was just Travelodge… the only complaint I had was that the duvet was a bit thin."
The Doctor glanced at her for a second, feeling slightly offended and crossed his arms. "Anything else?" he asked his sister.
Missy smirked. The universe is clearly siding with her. First the lift and then the thieves. "I saw the lift footage – you two would make a cute couple," she stated before leaving, shutting the door.
Clara cleared her throat to break the awkward silence before finally looking at her colleague. "Why did you lie?"
"She can't know too much," the Doctor answered.
"I'm sure she knows everything."
They stared at each other before smiling.
He scratched the back of his head. "Um… that night…," he began quietly.
Clara listened intently before her eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall just behind him. "I'm late for my lecture!" she exclaimed.
"What?" John turned around and saw that it was 9 AM sharp. He's also tardy for his first lecture of the day and rushed outside where several people, including Jack and Ian, had gathered in an attempt to eavesdrop.
"And this is the equation which you should get after… applying integration by parts," Jack pretended to explain as he pointed at a random poster.
Clara and John couldn't be bothered to address their sudden audience as they went off in a hurry to their respective lectures.
The Doctor couldn't believe he had missed the chance to ask her again. He desperately wanted answers and he was going to get them today.
While the small crowd dispersed, Ian and Jack remained in the hallway.
"So, what do you think will happen now?" Ian asked. "It sounds like they've stopped fighting."
Jack merely grinned. "They're at the denial stage."