Merlin paused outside the TARDIS, feeling anxious. He had not told Gaius about time travel-how could he? He couldn't begin to understand it himself. He wanted more than anything to run into the box, to pull Clara in his arms and travel the universe. He was about to push the door open, when someone else opened it from the inside.

Clara was leaning against the door frame, looking as beautiful as ever. Her face had a small smile and her eyes glittered.

'Are you coming in or just going to stand and stare at the box all day?' she joked. Merlin laughed. Rolling her eyes, Clara grabbed his arm and dragged him into the box. Merlin tried not to marvel at the box's size on the inside, but it was impossible not to. Clara's eyes caught his.

'You get used to it,' she said. She came closer, looking up at his eyes 'so what excuse did you use?'

'I didn't tell anyone,' Merlin confessed 'I-I just didn't know how.'

'Well, no one knows I'm here either,' she replied. Merlin smiled at her. She leaned closer, and he brushed his lips softly against hers. It was a soft, tiny kiss, but made his heart race and all he wanted to do was pull her in.

'Oh, get a room!' the Doctor called from behind them. Blushing, the two pulled away from each other, both unable to meet the Doctor's gaze. 'So it is,' he began 'that sort of, relationship.'

Clara nodded. The Doctor's face lit up, like a child's 'Well okey-doke then! Now, Merlin, um, if you hurt her I'll kill you, I know everything that goes on in this ship, et cetra. Clear?'

'Crystal clear,' the young warlock smiled at him. The Doctor smiled warmly at them. His grin seemed to light up the interior of the ship.

'Well as long as all that is in order,' he said 'I'm off to check on the um,' the man chuckled 'well, you know, I um.' The sentence trailed off, and the mad, impossible man dashed off. Merlin's gaze went to Clara, who was smiling at her friend.

'Does he ever make sense?' Merlin asked her.

'Not really,' Clara chuckled, taking his hands and leading him around the desk in the middle of the ship.

'Clara,' he summoned the courage to ask what he had been thinking 'did you ask him about, the dreams?' Clara stopped and looked down at her hands.

'No. I didn't, I just…..' her voice trailed off. But Merlin understood. This all seemed so impossible to him, the dreams, the Doctor, Clara, all of it. It must have felt like that for her. He pushed her hair past her face, feeling his heart pick up. She looked up at him with her huge eyes. She moved her head closer to his, her lips parted. He prepared himself for the feeling of her lips, of the excitement and wonder and amazement, but she gave a slight peck on the cheek, giggling slightly.

'You little brat,' he laughed.

'You have to earn it, sonny boy,' she teased.

'Oh,' he said 'so what if I did this?' Merlin lifted her by the waist. Clara chuckled.

'That could work,' she bent to kiss him, but Merlin dropped her, slightly but suddenly. When caught her breath she was trying not to laugh. Merlin wasn't trying to stop.

'You bastard!' she said, still laughing 'It's not funny!'

'OK,' the Doctor jumped into the control room, pressing buttons on the TARDIS console. Merlin stood next to Clara, feeling the warmth of her body next to him. She had her head close to his shoulder and her hand strayed next to his. Merlin plucked up the courage and took hold of her hand. Clara turned and smiled at him, and laid her head on his shoulder.

'Now,' the Doctor began 'you are going to love this. Strandus, one of the 57 planets of Shelar, one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy.' Merlin's heart thumped, and it wasn't just Clara. It was the thought of seeing an alien world, a new sky. It was unbelievable. He felt the shake of the spaceship, remembering it from their last adventure. The young warlock made eye contact with the Doctor, who smiled, and said with his eyes this will be like nothing you have seen.

The Doctor ran to the doors, Clara followed, her hand still tightly wrapped in Merlin's. The doors of the spacecraft opened, and Merlin prepared himself to step into the world beyond….

The sky was streaked with alternating shades of pink, which faded into purple, red, blue and cycled back to pink. The air felt lighter than it was on Earth. The trio stood on flat ground, which was a light silver path that widened out into a silver white field, covered in tree-like things, but the trunks stood straight up and the leaves were different colours on each tree. The Doctor was right. It was a beautiful planet.

Clara still had not let go of Merlin's hand. She looked up at him, recognising all the emotions, the amazement, the disbelief, the wonder, the small feeling that it was all a dream. Clara squeezed his hand warmly, and he smiled his angelic smile at her. She wanted to stay perfectly in this moment, hand in hand with Merlin.

'Come on then!' the Doctor called, who was already half way down the path. Merlin laughed and looked at Clara.

'Race you?' he asked, reminding Clara how much of a child he was at heart, and how she loved him for it. She let go of his hand.

'On three. One…' she began 'two….' But Merlin took off running before she could finish.

'Merlin!' Clara yelled after him, and she took off running. She was fast for someone as small as her, and caught up with him. She put a hand on his jacket and pulled him back behind her.

'Clara Oswald!'

'Serves you right for cheating!' Clara called behind her shoulder. She skidded to a halt when she came to the field, Merlin soon appearing at her side. He was out of breath and panting, but his eyes glimmered.

'You little brat,' he managed to say.

'You started it!'

'OK so we are both little brats.' He smiled, and Clara smiled back at him. She took his hand now, her fingers twined with his.

'Come on.'

Clara had her head in Merlin's lap as they sat under a tree. Leaves fell like snowflakes, their colours slowly changing until they hit the ground. Merlin caught one in his hand; the leaf had changed from dark blue to green to yellow and had now made a fiery red. He held the leaf in one hand and twirled strands of Clara's hair with the other. He felt her smile as he did, and she wriggled up and looked up at him through her long eyelashes. He smiled at her and set the leaf gently into her hand, closing it over with his.

'What colour?'

'Started off blue, changed to red.' Clara's fingers stroked the back of his hand softly and she smiled softly. Pushing herself up with her free hand, she sat up beside him, her back to the sun. The soft light of the three dark orange suns made her hair shine and showed off every feature, the light hitting her from behind and either side. She giggled lightly and sat closer.

'Kiss me.' She meant it to come out like a demand, but there was a soft tone in her voice that made it sound like a question. Merlin smiled and pulled her into his arms. The world melted away as he kissed her. It wasn't passionate or fiery, it was light and pleasant and playful. Clara touched her forehead to his and smiled. Merlin grinned and twirled a strand of her soft hair around his finger. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

'I love you,' he murmured against her mouth. He wasn't embarrassed or going to change the subject, because it was the truth. He loved her. He loved Clara.

Clara didn't look away awkwardly or blush. She ruffled his hair softly and touched her forehead to his again.

'I love you too,' she whispered. Merlin smiled and pulled her next to him, sitting her beside him, both backs to the tree trunk.

'Clara?'

'Yes?'

'You just shoved leaves down my back didn't you?'

'Yes.'