AN: So, I was looking back over my notes for this story and realized I completely skipped over this chapter I was planning to include, so we'll just write it in here, and say this chapter appears between 8.3 and 8.4, but after Chapter 3. Enjoy!
The more the Doctor thought about it, he wasn't really upset at Robin Hood. Robin Hood was a decent man; he actually had more redeeming qualities about him than most apes on Earth. No, the thing, he reasoned that made him hate Hood instantly was the fact that the Dalek encounter, and Clara's snub of his new regeneration, made him doubtful of Clara's loyalty.
Before he had turned into this new man, the Doctor had been certain he was Clara's hero, and he was her best friend. After, however, he couldn't be quite sure.
So, when the Doctor was presented with a new competitor for Clara's affections, he didn't think, he just hated.
Clara's hand gripped his arm, bringing him out of his ridiculous thoughts. "You said you wanted to take a walk?" she asked, looking over the Doctor worriedly.
"Yes," he said, stepping out of her grip and turning towards her front door. "You said there's a park around here, correct?"
"Yeah," she agreed. "Mind telling me why we're taking this stroll in the moonlight?"
"Just wanted to clear my head," he said honestly, placing his hands in his pockets to reveal the red silk lining of his coat. "Wanted to talk."
"And we couldn't do that here?" Clara asked, looking at him strangely.
"No," he said, turning the knob for the door and stepping outside into the brisk, night air.
Clara followed close behind him, her arm reaching out to hold him by the crook of his arm, and he gladly accepted.
"Out with it, then," she said, going straight to the point.
"Clara," he began. "What you said...about Robin Hood-"
She cut him off with an exasperated sigh. "Are you still on this? I'm sorry I even said you were my hero, okay? If it makes you feel any better, we can just forget I ever said it."
The Doctor frowned at that. "That's not it. I suppose what I'm trying to say is...I was jealous of Robin Hood."
She looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you be jealous of him? Because he was my childhood hero?"
"Sort of," he said, flustering for the right response. "It's because he's young, and handsome, and-"
"He reminds you of what you used to be?" she asked, surprising him once more with her ability to know what he's thinking.
"Yes," he said, looking down at the ground.
"Doctor," Clara said gently, pausing in their walk to force him to look at her, "There's nothing to be jealous of. I don't care that you're any of those things, you're my friend."
"Really?" he ased hopefully. "You mean that?"
She scoffed. "Why else would I say it?"
"Manipulation?" he offered up. "Maybe you still want to see time and space, but you can't find anyone besides this old cad to take you."
"Now you're just being ridiculous," she chastised, reaching up to hug him tightly and planting a quick kiss to his cheek. "There, that better?"
What would be much better, the Doctor thought, would be a kiss on the lips. Did he really just think that?
His eyebrows furrowed, and Clara laughed.
"Too much?" she asked, backing away quickly.
No. "Yes," he said firmly, trudging quickly through the snow once more.
Clara caught up to him, and her teeth started chattering.
"Are you cold?" the Doctor asked disdainfully.
"Yes," she said defensively, "someone made me leave the house too quickly for me to grab a jacket."
He sighed. "Here," he said, shrugging out of his coat and dropping it onto Clara's shoulders without another thought.
"Why are you being nice?" she asked.
"I can be nice!" he exclaimed, offended.
"No, you really can't," she said. "You've always been really rude."
He harrumphed. "I'll take the coat back, then."
Clara pulled the two sides together tightly. "No, you won't either. It's all soft, warm, and lovely, and if you take it away, you'll have to hear my teeth chatter all the way home."
"I suppose that's true," he replied.
Clara opened her mouth to say something, but then froze when she spotted a man jogging towards them.
"What is it, Clara?" he asked, hairs on the back of his neck sticking up, and going into a defensive stance immediately.
"That's a teacher I work with at school. He-" she started, but whatever she was about to say about him was interrupted by the man stopping in front of them.
"Miss Oswald!" he greeted happily. "Out for a stroll, eh?"
The Doctor didn't like him. The way he carried himself was a man with a lot of discipline, like a soldier.
"Yeah," she said, her face flushing red. "With my-" she turned to look at the Doctor, and he raised an eyebrow. "Friend."
The teacher looked at him curiously, but turned all of his attention back on Clara. "Right, well. I was just out for a jog...I didn't know you lived around here," he said.
"I do!" Clara answered. "Are you going to that...thing?"
"What thing?" the teacher asked confusedly.
"The staff thing," she supplied. "Dance or party or something."
"Oh, yeah. I dunno. Why?" he asked.
"Just, uh, wondering," she said, shuffling her feet.
"Okay," the teacher said. "Well, I'll be off then, Clara. Just...see you in school?"
"Yes!" she agreed. "See you later, Mr. Pink." She smiled at him, and Mr. Pink smiled back.
He waved and then was off once more.
"What was that?" the Doctor accused.
"It was a conversation," Clara said.
"A very friendly looking conversation," he grumbled.
"I have to have more friends than just you," she pointed out. "Could we go back inside, now? We could even go for another adventure if you want."
"Anywhere you want to go, boss," he promised, leading the way back to Clara's flat.