A/N: Sorry I took long to update this story... But I've been quite busy working with the other story I'm publishing Run Clever Boy . Hope this chapter's worth the wait! (This chapter is full of whouffaldi fluff and humour :D )
Clara opened her eyes once again. She looked at the other side of the bed. No Doctor.
She sighed.
Seemed like she had to wait for another adventure to see him. Well... He was coming quite frequently so that wouldn't be far.
Her thoughts were soon diverted to her senses. Her ears pricked up at the sound of sizzling and clinking cutlery.
Just then the hint of breakfast came to her sensitive nose. The greasy smell of bacon, the sweet smell of freshly made pancakes. It wasn't in a long time that she had such a sort of awakening. Still slightly tipsy from last night's alcohol, Clara threw the quilt on the floor, sat up slowly, pressing the palm of her hand against her forehead and headed to the kitchen, following the smell of savoury and sweet.
On entering the kitchen, she saw the Doctor, still wearing the same trousers as the night before yet having a slightly crumpled plain white shirt. Overall he was wearing Clara's black apron, having white piping on the chest saying 'Mistress of the Kitchen'. He was plating a few strips of bacon near the egg in one of the two plates. "Good morning Clara." He said as he placed another few strips of bacon in the pan. "Thought it would be best for you to wake up for some breakfast. I knew the smell would be enough to wake you humans up." He chuckled. "Didn't know whether to do a traditional English breakfast or pancakes, so I did both." In fact, there was already a plate on the dining table having a stack of pancakes drowned in maple syrup and having berries. The Doctor turned to look at her, almost half asleep with her hair slightly tangled. "Oh Clara." The Doctor walked towards his companion. "Seems like a little too much alcohol makes a good deal of tiredness for you." The time lord tried his best to fix her hair before pressing a tenter kiss to it. "Go and wash your face Clara, or else you'll soon sleep on your breakfast." Clara rubbed her left eye before she exited the kitchen and did as she was told. The Doctor returned to making breakfast. "Oh Clara Clara Clara..." He muttered as a wide smile formed on his face.
The companion soon returned to the kitchen. A grilled tomato was added to their plates. "Feeling any better Clara?" The Doctor asked as he grilled a few pork sausages. "Yeah." She said. Clara walked to the Doctor, letting her arms wrap and curl around his waist, hugging him from behind whilst burying her face in his back. His gentle aura surrounded her; the smell of books, perfume, and time travel. The Doctor could also sense the weak smell of mint radiating from Clara, the pungent mint he always smelt in toothpaste and mouthwashes. She just felt so happy; her and him together at her home. Somehow, the place where Clara found herself alone and desperate for company had a new atmosphere. The Doctor was still cooking, but couldn't hold a delicate smile on his face.
"Still tired?" Said the Doctor after plating the sausages. She hummed as her fingers laced tighter. "Of course not daft old man." She let go and walked near him before stopping to look at her Doctor with large bright eyes. The time lord continued cooking nonetheless. So she tiptoed, pressed pecked the Doctor's cheek and let her arm curl around his. "Thank you Doctor." The companion said as she rested her cheek on his arm. He replied with a kiss in her hair in return.
"Hungry?" He asked. "Yeah." She giggled. "Help yourself and tell me if I'm a good cook." He smirked. She undid her arm from around his, took out a fork and cut a piece of sausage before eating it. "Mmmm." She nodded satisfactorily. The Doctor's attack eyebrows were arched in response. "So?" He asked. "Seems..." Clara dithered about what to say before she found the right word "plausible." He was slightly taken aback. "Plausible? Seriously?" He returned to flip the sausages with a slight air of anger. Clara couldn't hold a giggle. The Doctor gave her an eye, but he too tried his best to hold a desperate laugh building up in his chest, almost tightening his lungs. "Come on, Doctor. You know I was just pulling your leg." She laughed before taking another piece. "Tastes better now." She laughed, the time lord offering her a sweet smile as he felt his hearts melt in his chest. She cut another piece, dug the fork in it and offered it to the Doctor, still holding on to the fork. "Here... Try it." She said with a giggle. "No no Clara... You eat..." But the companion insisted. "Come onnn!" She pleaded with large eyes. "Fine." Clara fed him. The Doctor hummed. "Come on, they're not all that bad!" He said to Clara with his mouth full. "I never said they were bad, stupid old man." She nudged his ribs playfully as she giggled. "In fact, you're not all that bad for a time lord either. I think you're a brilliant cook." The girl smiled to her Doctor, who returned the gesture, before Clara continued to munch on the sausages whilst observing the time lord's cooking.
After a few moments, he plated the last few sausages and the cook took both plates onto the table in front of each other. The Doctor pulled back Clara's seat, offered her the chair and pushed her slowly towards the table. He soon placed two clear glasses full of orange juice, before sitting in front of her. Clara was looking at the pancakes, noticing the red and black berries which were topping off the stack. "I didn't know I had berries." She said. "Or this much food." "Well," the Doctor hesitated slightly. "I went to buy, of course." She giggled. "I suppose you didn't go buy with that apron on." Clara said as she dug into the bacon. The Doctor looked down at the writing on the apron, before hastily taking it off and throwing it on the bench nearby. "So you're a mistress now?" Said Clara, still giggling whilst cutting a pics of the fried egg. "Time lords are fluid in terms of gender, Clara, unlike the pudding brains who are all full of stereotypes and this and that." Said the Doctor. "Said the time lord who never got to become a woman." The companion replied before eating a piece of sausage. "Well, it's not in my control, Clara." The Doctor said whilst eating his breakfast. Silence suddenly ruled over the two; the companiom was very uncomfortable. So she decided to start another conversation.
"Sorry I slept during the eclipse yesterday. I was the one who asked you for it." The girl said right after taking a sip of her orange juice, and the Doctor chuckled slightly. "You humans are tired people, and very busy people. But I accept your apology." Clara smiled. "I still got to watch the first bit though. I think it was amazing. I mean... After all we know what the Moon really is." The companion wanted to talk about the adventure they had had with Courtney Woods back in the day P.E was still alive, just for the sake of bringing up an argument but Clara didn't really want to reopen healed wounds. It had been painful for her arguing with the Doctor and leaving the TARDIS in such a manner. But she had every right to, or so she felt.
Even the Doctor felt pained but the memory of how he had abandoned her. He couldn't even reply to Clara's remark. The time lord had made a promise to himself that he would never abandon Clara in such a way. He would do whatever to takes to stay with her and protect her. And if parted during an adventure, he would do anything to come back for her. The Doctor would do anything to make sure she is safe and happy.
And he hoped Clara knew that too.
The savory part of the breakfast was done; the Doctor eating slower than usual so that Clara would be able to eat her breakfast at leisure and not finished alone. He couldn't hold back a hurried glance and a weak satisfactory grin as he watched his companion enjoying what he had prepared for her.
"That was delicious." Clara said as she wiped her lips with a napkin. "I don't have much space for pancakes though." She patted her belly, but the Doctor breathed a giggle. "Don't worry, Clara. You can save it for later." "Ever since I started travelling more often with you, daft old man, I've put on a few inches on." She laughed. The Doctor cleared the plates, but Clara held on to hers, thinking of washing the dishes herself. "No, Clara. Leave it to me. You go and change." The Doctor took the plate, but the companion didn't let him go turn, as she asked with a cheezy smile, "Are we going somewhere?" The Doctor smiled. "Only if you want to."
"Anything in mind?" She continued as the girl placed the cups near the washing basin. "Well... I thought we'd go to Crassicopitius. The residents have been celebrating New Year for two centuries, and I thought we could go and celebrate." Clara looked amused. "Sounds perfect. But promise me, no more eating for now. You know I can't say no to alien food." The companion giggled as she headed off out of the kitchen. "As you wish Clara." The Doctor replied just before the companion went to the her bedroom. "Oh, and you might want to wear something with heels. " The Doctor as he started cleaning the plates. "The crassicopitians have long necks and might not be able to see the view. I definitely won't heave you on my shoulders." "I'll make you pay for what you said Doctor." Shouted Clara from her bedroom. "You wait and see, old man." The time lord chuckled as he continued with his work.
AN: hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feedback is greatly appreciated as always!