December 18th

This day wasn't quite as boring as he'd been expecting. Sure, it could have been a lot nicer, sure, he could have had a bit more entertainment. But constantly fretting over someone did seem to pass the time a bit.

Clara was no better than she had been the past two days. She insisted her condition was improving, and while the Doctor willed it to be true, it certainly didn't look it from the outside. One hell of a cold she caught. It bothered him more that he thought it would seeing her in such a miserable state.

He found himself pacing outside her bedroom door, gnawing relentlessly on his thumbnail as he contemplated on what to do with himself. Clara was fine, of course. It was just a cold. What he was more worried about was himself. Not his boredom, not his inability to remain in one spot for more than five minutes, but what the hell he was gonna do with himself once he got up the courage to go in there.

He'd gone in once or twice earlier that morning when she'd called for him, requesting water on one occasion and the other turning out to be just unconscious murmurs that his sensitive ears had picked up. But that was hours ago. She hadn't been out of her room all day, and the Doctor was slightly concerned. From his place so close to the door he could hear her. Hear the bedsheets shuffling as she tossed and turned, hear feeble cries and quickened breaths. He should go in there. He really should. He should check on her.

But then what? Would it just be a, Hi, just dropped in to say I can't stay situation? He didn't want to get stuck waiting on her hand and foot... nor did he want to leave her without any sort of comfort.

Next thing the Doctor knew, he was opening the door. His subconscious had once again won over and was leading him inside.

It was a good thing, too.

Clara was asleep, but not in any way soundly. Her eyes moved rapidly beneath her lids and her fingers were twined tightly with the bedsheets. Barely audible sounds of distress escaped her lips and a single hot tear rolled down her cheek.

"Alright." The Doctor whispered, not even hesitating before seating himself on her bedside and taking her hand. "Alright, Clara. Come on. Wake up." He gave her cheek a few light taps with his palm in attempts of rousing her, but she refused to cooperate. Frowning, he took her shoulders and rocked her lightly back and forth. "You stubborn Londoners. Wake up!"

At the sound of his booming voice, Clara's chest heaved as she gasped upon awakening, eyes flying open and scanning the room worriedly. She sat straight up, breathing heavily, wiping a hand across her sweat soaked face before finally managing to slightly relax.

"You okay?"

"Mhmm." She murmured, blinking some of her dizziness away. "Fine."

"Nightmare?" He asked, keeping his voice uncharacteristically low. He went on without waiting for an obvious answer. "What about?"

"Don't remember." She rested her chin in one hand and closed her eyes, trying to subside a fit of coughs that caused her to double over and lean forward.

"Lie down." The Doctor commanded, one hand at the nape of her neck and the other on her shoulder as he allowed her to lean back, and gently lowered her head back to her pillow. He whipped out his sonic and scanned her whole body, squinting and twisting the device around a couple times to properly decipher the readings. "You're at the top of the roller coaster." He said with a grin. "You'll be way better tomorrow."

"Thanks." Was all she said, turning over onto her side to face away from him and tuck the covers up around her shoulders. "You can go. I'm fine."

"Alright, then. I'll go." He muttered.

"Okay."

"Do you want me to go?"

There was a long pause. "No."

With a half smile, he seated himself back on the edge of the bed and rolled her back towards him, laughing at the sight of her disheveled hair and lethargic expression he could just now make out in the low light. "Then how about I stick around? Not like I have much to do, anyway."

"Sure its not too domestic for you?" Clara teased, last couple of words faltering and trailing off as she yawned, eyes fluttering closed.

"I'm sure. Rest up. Need my friends in top shape. Never know when we might get attacked by a flying monkey or something."

"A flying monkey?"

"You never know!"

She just smiled, hand drifting across the bedsheets until it found his. "Thanks."

The Doctor didn't flinch, didn't tense, but managed to find himself at ease as he coaxed her back into a deep sleep. He moved her damp bangs out of her eyes and smoothed her hair flat against her head, savoring that closeness that he finally didn't have much problem breaching. He inwardly when he heard her sigh contently, and saw her features relax as she finally succumbed into full unconsciousness.

Even after that, the Doctor stayed in place. He reclined against the headboard, lifting his feet up onto the bed with him and shifting a bit closer to Clara's sleeping form. He made use of the closed distance by lightly stroking her forehead with his fingertips, increasing the action when she shifted closer, a subconscious indication that she was enjoying it.

"Do you realize how bloody bored I've been?" He asked teasingly, tone low enough to prevent her from wakening. "With you wasting your time in here, and all. Haven't had much to do. You puny little humans, getting yourself ill just by being out in the cold. How are you still even alive? Idiot pudding brains."

She muttered something in her sleep, moving even closer until she was curled up at his side, head in his lap. The Doctor laughed and began running his fingers through her hair again. "The human race. So funny. So little, yet so big at the same time." He gazed down at Clara, brushing his fingers over her cheek. "So oblivious, yet so intelligent. So strange and at odds, yet so pretty." He shook his head, eyes wide. "Interesting!" He corrected himself. "So interesting."

He was tensed up again, hand ceasing its movements. What was he doing? What was he thinking?

He once again began plotting to escape from beneath her. But Clara wasn't in as deep of a sleep as he thought. Just as he began to move she caught his hand, pulling it close and laying her head against his palm.

"Don't you dare." She muttered tiredly.

"Clara-"

"Please. Give me this." She begged, keeping her eyes closed and curling up closer to him. "I've missed this. Don't leave. Not yet."

"Clara..." It was the only word he could get out, but I've missed it too was trying to break free from behind his lips.