Thank you for the sweet reviews. You're expecting a kiss now, right? Hehe, let's see about that. . .

Chapter 13

When he stepped inside Clara's flat, the Doctor instantly realized that it looked exactly like he had imagined it in his head. The place gave off a warm, cosy, homely vibe with just the right amount of organized chaos that he loved to practice as well.

"Why don't you go through to the living room and make yourself comfortable while I put the popcorn in the microwave?" Clara asked while she left her coat on the rack by the door before she made her way into the kitchen.

The Doctor reluctantly stepped into the living room and spotted a comfortable looking sofa along with a telly and, of course, a nice selection of books. Immediately he went to inspect the contents of the shelf and spotted a copy of his favourite novel behind a photograph that showed Clara as a child with a woman who could only be her mother. On a different part of the shelf he also noticed another family picture, but to the Doctor's surprise he saw none of her fiancé.

„Is beer alright?"

The Doctor spun around to see Clara standing in the doorway, holding two bottles and a large bowl of popcorn in her hands and wearing a bright smile on her face.

He smiled back. "Beer sounds good," he replied and walked up to the sofa to take a seat while Clara settled down next to him.

"I have a couple of horror movies here. Do you want to watch one in particular?"

"No, it's fine," he told her simply because he didn't know any horror movies at all – not that he was eager to admit that, "You pick."

Once more Clara rose from her seat and knelt down next to her DVD collection while the Doctor reached into the popcorn bowl, waiting for Clara to choose a film to scare them and before he knew it, she was back next to him and the DVD was playing on the small screen.

The Doctor tried his best to focus on the movie in front of him, he really did, but it was proving to be nearly impossible while Clara was sitting next to him. As the story progressed and the ghost started to appear on screen, Clara was slowly inching closer to him until their elbows and knees brushed. Morally it had probably been a bad idea to agree to come, but his heart told him that it had been the best possible decision he could have made. Maybe he could even go a little further?

Just when he was considering placing his arm around her shoulder, Clara gasped next to him when the ghost started screeching on screen and her hand landed on his thigh, her fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"Shhh!" Clara hushed him and leaned a little closer, the perfect opportunity for him to finally put his arm around her shoulder.

His heart was beating fast when he did and he half expected Clara to pull away, but she didn't. She liked him, despite Danny, he was sure of that now, and the thought about that boosted his ego immensely. The Doctor stopped following the plot, his only thought being the woman in his arms. It might still take a while, but he could have her if he really tried.

Clara sighed in relief when the credits started to roll over the screen and she started to untangle herself from his embrace.

"Okay, that was scarier than the Midnight Horror," she admitted, "Now I need to check under my bed for monsters before I go to sleep."

The Doctor chuckled in reply. "I could check for you if that makes you feel safer?" he suggested.

She paused and looked at him, her eyes suddenly darker in the scarce light of her living room and they were searching his face as if looking for something in particular.

"Actually," she began after a moment, "I think it would make me feel safer if you stayed."

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find a single coherent thought in his mind that would serve as an appropriate answer. Clara was asking him to spend the night at her place. Morally that was very, very, very wrong. But then why did it make him feel so happy?

"I mean on the couch," she added after a moment, sounding more than a little nervous, "Which is very soft and comfortable in case you haven't noticed."

"I, uhm, I'd love to," he replied without thinking. How could he say no? It was impossible.

"Great," she breathed in reply, a smile spreading across her face, but her eyes remained fixed on him.

Clara was so close. It wouldn't take much for him to simply bend down and kiss her. The Doctor was dying to taste those lips, to just close his arms around her and sink back on the sofa, and right now he would have loved to think that that was exactly what was on Clara's mind as well.

Then suddenly she cleared her throat and rose to her feet. "Well, I better get you a duvet and pillow then, huh?" she asked and vanished into the corridor.

If that had really been his chance to kiss her, the Doctor had blown it by hesitating.

When Clara woke up the next morning, her first thought went to the Doctor who was sleeping on her sofa, and she was suddenly wide awake. The Doctor was sleeping in her flat, on her living room couch.

She couldn't possibly stay in bed for a moment longer, her heart and mind racing at the memory of last night and how she had considered kissing him, so Clara reached for her morning robe and sneaked back into the living room. Right before she had gone to sleep she had wanted to kiss him and she knew that the Doctor had known what she had been about to do. Even though Clara should feel guilty, the most prominent thought in her head was that she wished she had done it.

On quiet feet Clara made her way past the still sleeping Doctor and into the kitchen where she immediately switched on the kettle to make tea, and she also popped two slices of bread in the toast before she walked back into the living room. The Doctor had the blanket pulled up to his chin and with a wicked smile Clara tucked at it.

"Mhpf," he muttered in half-sleep.

Clara gave the blanket another soft tuck. "Breakfast is almost ready. And tea."

The Doctor growled. "What?" he mumbled, "I thought your couch came with breakfast in bed service."

"Maybe next time," she chuckled, "Now come on, the water is boiling."

Muttering protest, the Doctor threw the blanket aside and scrambled to his feet, and Clara couldn't help but notice how sweet he looked in the morning. Tired and unshaven, his hair ruffled and dressed in a simple t-shirt. Normally he hid his arms under a warm jumper, but now Clara could see his pale but well toned arms.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him while she handed him a mug filled with tea.

"Like a baby," he replied with a smile, "You didn't lie. Your couch really is comfy."

Again she chuckled. "Could I ever lie to you?"

It was at that moment that the ringing of her phone interrupted her and Clara turned to the kitchen counter to see who was disturbing them this early, only to realize that Danny was calling. Of course. Who else could it be?

"Aren't you going to answer?" the Doctor asked behind her right when Clara had switched the phone to silent.

"No," she replied, turning back around to smile at him, "It's nothing."

Still he raised his eyebrows at her as if in doubt.

"It's my dad," she lied, "He's gonna want to hear all about the new job, which will take more than five minutes."

Even though the Doctor didn't quite look as if he believed her, he gave a light shrug of his shoulders and sank down on the kitchen chair.

"How are the students behaving, by the way? I haven't even asked yesterday."

"Fine," Clara replied as she settled on the other chair, handing him a slice of toast. She was glad that the topic had shifted, even though work wasn't really her favourite subject to talk about, "Their essay is due next week."

The Doctor smiled at her in reply. "Let me know how that goes."

"I will," Clara confirmed, dreading the pile of essays already. Either they were going to be great and she would have a hard time grading them, or they would be terrible and she would probably feel bad about giving her students the assignment when they clearly weren't ready. Yes, she would definitely need the Doctor's advice. When the time came. Right now she just wanted to enjoy his company and forget that the university even existed.