[ If there's anything to pique the Doctor's interest, it's 'something awesome'. ]
Oh, well, yes, I do like awesome. Helping with awesome even more. [ He pauses briefly, trying to discern the huffing and puffing from something else. ] Is that the shuffling I hear? Now, what are you up to?
[ The Doctor pauses whatever useless thing he'd been doing (nothing, really, just hanging about the sunlight room looking at the trees; utterly useless, but nice!) up until then, turning around on the spot like he's not sure which way is left or right, or where he should be going.
[Oh, that's right, she usually bosses him around and tells him exactly what to do. She stops just long enough to think of a diversion that'll keep him out a few minutes longer.]
Find a snack for us, would you? Something salty, not sweet.
[Maybe that'll keep him busy. Either way, by the time he gets back to the room and makes his way inside, Clara will be ready. And by ready, I mean she's hiding inside a fort made entirely out of pizza boxes from Newt's pizza party. It's ridiculous and childish, but she hopes it makes him smile.]
[ Well —! He'd huff about if he could, because that is absolutely not true. He is not bossed around, he simply wouldn't allow it.
(Except that's not true, is it? It hasn't been for a while, not since he'd first met Clara, not since Amy ... anywho.) ]
Yes! A snack. I think I've got just the thing, actually, Clara. Just you wait. It'll 'blow your mind', as the kids say.
[ Aaaand when he does return to their room, silver bowl full of a not-sweet (but kind of sweet-and-salty all at the same time) snack cradled in his arms, it's to find the most magnificent thing he's ever seen taking up nearly all the rest of spare space within the room. It'll be hard to move about, but that's only part of the fun of it.
The Doctor grins, hearts beating a little quicker. ]
[And even with as tiny as Clara is, she very nearly sends her meticulously made fort flying to pieces as she pops out with a flourish of her arms. This causes her to gasp and mutter oh my stars under her breath, as she spins about to try and balance it with both arms.
Once she's sure it won't fall she spins back around, smiling like she hadn't just almost messed everything up.
That smile melts away when she sniffs at the air and tries to rise up on her tiptoes to see what's in the bowl he's carrying. Her nose wrinkles up as she keeps on sniffing.]
That smells messy.
[Mess and her ridiculous fort don't exactly go hand in hand...
But she had asked him to grab a snack. And so this will do.]
No, shut up. Wait, don't say anything.
[She gestures out toward him so he won't speak.]
What I meant to say is, lovely nibble, perfect for our secret hideaway. It's not exactly the TARDIS, but I thought if you imagined it just right we'd be able to pretend it was smaller on the outside and absolutely perfect on the inside.
[And then she's back to smiling again, eagerly going to take the bowl from him so she can set it aside and they can go camp out in the fort.]
[ The Doctor opens his mouth, and then closes it, frowning like he's about to protest.
(Of course, ultimately, he doesn't.
The gesture finalizes that.)
And then, silver bowl still in his arms, he lets Clara continue, expression smoothing back out into one of his usual delight with a smile to reflect hers. When she takes the bowl from him, he lets her, and then he's following her through this genius structure like they're just two children playing the best game of make-believe ever. ]
No, it's not the TARDIS — [ he agrees, and it's a statement said without any judgment; it's simply a statement of fact. ] — but it's incredible. Wonderful.
[ It smells a little like cheese and spices, but honestly? The Doctor likes it. He can almost imagine that it's a TARDIS of sorts — their very own TARDIS. ]
Smaller on the outside. [ He repeats the words with a chuckle and a flicker of a memory, once they've settled within their cozy pizza box fortress. ] Clara, this really is brilliant.
[She doesn't realize she's holding her breath until she gives a slow exhale. He likes it. He doesn't think it's childish or stupid, two things she definitely thought as she struggled to gather and stack pizza boxes.
There's a dimpled smile on her face, though he can't exactly see that with the way she's ushered him to sit down so she can sit at his side. She's already resting her head against his shoulder, just enjoying the moment.
She's still so grateful he hadn't completely become a monster after that last mission.]
I'm not sure how long it'll hold, but 'til it collapses in on us...we can pretend we're back home.
[She doesn't catch the slip up of referring to the Tardis as home. It's his home, sure, but it's not supposed to be hers. For all he knows, she's still clinging hold to the Wednesdays only rule and not letting him break it.]
[ Even if it were childish or foolish, those just happen to be two of the Doctor's favourite things. But of course, anything that Clara could possibly make, and make for him most of all — well, that could never be the sort of childish or stupid that feels awful or wrong. It's the perfect kind of childish and stupid. His favourite.
As they settle under their little cardboard box-y little fortress, the Doctor's legs splayed out in front of him and Clara's head resting against his shoulder, he's marveling at the craftsmanship like this is a discovery worth surveying every detail of. His eyes are bright, his smile is wide, and he is quick to capture one of her hands between his. The thought of home prickles lightly at his hearts, and suddenly he does miss his spaceship and all of the adventures he'd had with her, the freedom to go about as he pleased in a way that can't be done here. He's never answered to anyone but himself before, and the last time anyone had tried to do such a thing, he'd up and left and flew away.
But the things this station can do, the way these people might be able to fix what he'd screwed up ... well, it's worth it to stay and not run off. Honestly, to have even gotten this far, he owes it to Clara, too.
He squeezes her hand gently, tilts his head now to press a quick kiss into her hair. ]
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no subject
[ If there's anything to pique the Doctor's interest, it's 'something awesome'. ]
Oh, well, yes, I do like awesome. Helping with awesome even more. [ He pauses briefly, trying to discern the huffing and puffing from something else. ] Is that the shuffling I hear? Now, what are you up to?
no subject
[It's a coy answer that has a playful lilt to her voice.]
It's nearly done, so give me a mo' before popping by our room.
[There's a louder shuffling and scraping noise as she drags her cardboard fort across the floor.]
no subject
[ The Doctor pauses whatever useless thing he'd been doing (nothing, really, just hanging about the sunlight room looking at the trees; utterly useless, but nice!) up until then, turning around on the spot like he's not sure which way is left or right, or where he should be going.
He pauses on the heel of one of his shoes. ]
Ah. What should I do?
no subject
Find a snack for us, would you? Something salty, not sweet.
[Maybe that'll keep him busy. Either way, by the time he gets back to the room and makes his way inside, Clara will be ready. And by ready, I mean she's hiding inside a fort made entirely out of pizza boxes from Newt's pizza party. It's ridiculous and childish, but she hopes it makes him smile.]
no subject
(Except that's not true, is it? It hasn't been for a while, not since he'd first met Clara, not since Amy ... anywho.) ]
Yes! A snack. I think I've got just the thing, actually, Clara. Just you wait. It'll 'blow your mind', as the kids say.
[ Aaaand when he does return to their room, silver bowl full of a not-sweet (but kind of sweet-and-salty all at the same time) snack cradled in his arms, it's to find the most magnificent thing he's ever seen taking up nearly all the rest of spare space within the room. It'll be hard to move about, but that's only part of the fun of it.
The Doctor grins, hearts beating a little quicker. ]
And what's this?
no subject
Once she's sure it won't fall she spins back around, smiling like she hadn't just almost messed everything up.
That smile melts away when she sniffs at the air and tries to rise up on her tiptoes to see what's in the bowl he's carrying. Her nose wrinkles up as she keeps on sniffing.]
That smells messy.
[Mess and her ridiculous fort don't exactly go hand in hand...
But she had asked him to grab a snack. And so this will do.]
No, shut up. Wait, don't say anything.
[She gestures out toward him so he won't speak.]
What I meant to say is, lovely nibble, perfect for our secret hideaway. It's not exactly the TARDIS, but I thought if you imagined it just right we'd be able to pretend it was smaller on the outside and absolutely perfect on the inside.
[And then she's back to smiling again, eagerly going to take the bowl from him so she can set it aside and they can go camp out in the fort.]
no subject
(Of course, ultimately, he doesn't.
The gesture finalizes that.)
And then, silver bowl still in his arms, he lets Clara continue, expression smoothing back out into one of his usual delight with a smile to reflect hers. When she takes the bowl from him, he lets her, and then he's following her through this genius structure like they're just two children playing the best game of make-believe ever. ]
No, it's not the TARDIS — [ he agrees, and it's a statement said without any judgment; it's simply a statement of fact. ] — but it's incredible. Wonderful.
[ It smells a little like cheese and spices, but honestly? The Doctor likes it. He can almost imagine that it's a TARDIS of sorts — their very own TARDIS. ]
Smaller on the outside. [ He repeats the words with a chuckle and a flicker of a memory, once they've settled within their cozy pizza box fortress. ] Clara, this really is brilliant.
[ What he means to say is thank you. ]
no subject
There's a dimpled smile on her face, though he can't exactly see that with the way she's ushered him to sit down so she can sit at his side. She's already resting her head against his shoulder, just enjoying the moment.
She's still so grateful he hadn't completely become a monster after that last mission.]
I'm not sure how long it'll hold, but 'til it collapses in on us...we can pretend we're back home.
[She doesn't catch the slip up of referring to the Tardis as home. It's his home, sure, but it's not supposed to be hers. For all he knows, she's still clinging hold to the Wednesdays only rule and not letting him break it.]
no subject
As they settle under their little cardboard box-y little fortress, the Doctor's legs splayed out in front of him and Clara's head resting against his shoulder, he's marveling at the craftsmanship like this is a discovery worth surveying every detail of. His eyes are bright, his smile is wide, and he is quick to capture one of her hands between his. The thought of home prickles lightly at his hearts, and suddenly he does miss his spaceship and all of the adventures he'd had with her, the freedom to go about as he pleased in a way that can't be done here. He's never answered to anyone but himself before, and the last time anyone had tried to do such a thing, he'd up and left and flew away.
But the things this station can do, the way these people might be able to fix what he'd screwed up ... well, it's worth it to stay and not run off. Honestly, to have even gotten this far, he owes it to Clara, too.
He squeezes her hand gently, tilts his head now to press a quick kiss into her hair. ]
Yes, I do believe it feels quite like home.