[she arrives exactly ten minutes later, without a single cut on her. she peeks into the room before stepping in, to see if he's made it there before her. when she spots him waiting for her, she can't help but smile like a lovesick idiot. It's a problem, really. Very embarrassing.]
Someone's eager.
[It's her. She's eager.
Or maybe it's him. He beat her here, after all.
Or they can both be eager. There's nothing wrong with that, in this case.]
[ The Doctor very nearly jumps to his feet the moment those doors slide open and Clara steps through. It's a relief too, because it could be him (the other him) or River, given that they all share the same quarters, but they're hardly here, and honestly, he's hardly ever here too, and right now that absence is ... well. That makes this place perfect.
So, yes, he's up now, he's on his feet, and he's sort of scratching at his head like he has no idea what to do next — should he make the first move? Or will she?
Really, when you start to think about it, the whole plan just goes awfully wrong. (Which may be why thinking and over-thinking it is a bad idea. Bad, bad idea. ]
I was — bored. [ — comes his excuse for being eager, though it's a bit flimsy, isn't it, all that talk of kissing, and that's why he's here on time and everything. Early, even. ]
[There's a laugh that says it's a completely flimsy excuse and she knows it. But it also says she doesn't particularly care. And as she steps into their room she has her hands clasped behind her back, to help with self-restraint. It seems ridiculous to try and have it when they're both specifically interested in kissing but it's not like she's going to push him against the wall right after stepping into the room.
Is she?
Well, that might be a bit aggressive.
As it is, she moves in close enough that she's standing before him. And she rocks back on her heels, hands still clasped behind her back.]
Well, we can't have you being bored.
[She leans in closer to him then, smirking as her hands move from behind her back so she can grab him by the bowtie to pull him in for a kiss.]
[ He gets antsy and weird and starts to come up with all sorts of ways to un-bore himself. Of course, that clearly isn't the necessary step he needs to take, not when Clara is ever-so-close to him, the space between them shrinking until she's practically in his immediate vicinity, fingers going up to snatch at his bowtie, guiding him in to meet her lips with his.
And he obliges, lips softening against hers, and he doesn't even do the thing he's prone to do: in other words, this time there is no flailing or flapping about. It's anticipated, this kiss, it's one he's prepared for since she brought it up in the first place. And maybe that's all the Doctor needs not to resemble an inflatable noodle man. Forewarning.
Well.
That, and maybe he just needs to get used to the idea that it's okay to kiss someone, and that it's actually really rather nice to be doing so — especially when that someone is his Impossible Girl. ]
[The lack of flailing is definitely noticed right away. Clara's lips curve upward into a smile against his, as her hold on his bowtie lessens. Her hand drops to press against his chest instead, then falls a bit further to touch at his hip. Compared to how things used to be, it doesn't seem like he's apprehensive about this at all.
Not anymore.
That knowledge makes Clara more bold. Her lips part as she deepens the kiss, but she doesn't press for more in a way that's demanding. Her lips are soft and pliant against his, and she lets him control whether or not he's comfortable with tongues being involved just yet. It's taken them this long to get to this point, and she's not looking to frighten him away. They have to take things slow. Even when she's tempted to press him against the wall and snog him senseless.]
You know how I feel about you being useless, Doctor. [She teases him when they finally part. They're still pressed in close together, her fingers pressing firmly against his hip.] Absolutely not allowed.
[ Slow (in this case!) is good. Slow doesn't make him feel fidgety and like he can't catch up, which then makes him panicky. Slow means he can understand how to make this work, how to be less alien about it.
It means he can do things like steadily move his hands to wrap around her waist, to tug her just a little closer while they're kissing — and breathe. The breathing bit's important; he always did warn the Ponds about that breathing. Why is he thinking about the Ponds right now? No, no, stop that.
And then they do part to breathe, which means he can lift a hand to stroke her cheek. ]
Oh, I wouldn't allow it either. There won't be anyone being useless, not you, not me.
[ He huffs a breath that sounds a little bit like a laugh. ]
You kissed me. I kissed you. We were — kissing. [ He sounds almost giddy. ] Again.
[His giddiness makes her laugh and smile, fingertips briefly touching at her lips. They've kissed before, so it really shouldn't be a big deal. But this is the first time that they've kissed and it's felt like proper kissing. Her cheek briefly leans into his touch as she curls her fingers around his wrist. She's reluctant to let go of him, wanting to keep some kind of physical contact with him.]
Again.
[She repeats, feeling her cheeks turn warm. Is she blushing right now? Ridiculous. She breathes out a laugh and averts her eyes almost shyly, which isn't a look on her that he's likely used to seeing.]
Is that...something you'd like to have happen more often then?
[ Because for him, it would only be fun if she wanted it too. Not that he has much of a doubt about that, the way her cheeks have coloured, the way she's looking up at him — and no, no, it isn't the kind of expression he's used to seeing on her. Usually it's something more akin to exasperation or like she's about to laugh, teasing him for something he's said or something he's missed because there are times when he's just too odd, too alien, and it shows.
But then there are moments when she looks at him so deeply, like she could see into every life of his and remember when she'd been there — because she has — and the Doctor thinks about how intrinsically woven into the fabric of his timeline she's become.
She knows him. She knows him. But he'd like to think he knows her too. ]
[She's quick to want to reassure him of the fact that she would like lots of kisses, her eyes looking back upward. They get caught in staring into one another's eyes for a while, and it seems to help ease Clara's momentary shyness. They know one another so well by now, have been through so much together. And yet this side of their relationship is brand new. Everything's a new experience.
She doesn't question the fact that he loves her. Clara knows that he does. But she wonders if he knows that he's made himself essential to her. That she doesn't want to keep living a life that he won't be a part of. Being here on the Ximilia is a risk. There's no guarantee that regrets will be undone. But she's so grateful for the opportunity they've both had to come closer together. She's so in love that it feels like her heart might burst as she looks up at him.
So she rises up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. Again and again she kisses him, showing him exactly how much she wants this. How desperately she wants him. But she's very mindful to let things stay slow, to let him lead the pace for now.]
Does that answer your question?
[Both of her hands reach up to adjust his bowtie back into a straightened position.]
[ There's a little bit of hand-flapping and squirming near the end of that last series of kisses, but nothing uncomfortable or unwanted — more like the tail-end of feeling just a touch overwhelmed and also very much in need of a breather. It's all so much — but in the best way, of course.
He's looking a little stupid and glassy-eyed when she pulls away to coolly readjust his bowtie once she's had her way with him (because that's exactly what it was, phew!), and he straightens and clears his throat when she does. ]
Yes, I think it answers both of our questions. [ He presses his lips together into a thin line, eyes bright, before he changes his mind. ] Although ... [ And here he pauses, expression overdramatically solemn. ] ... there is just one thing I might need a little clearing up on.
[ He dips forward to catch her lips with his again, to make his own response clear to her as well. ]
[Her expression contorts into a look of confusion when he mentions one more thing needing to be cleared up. And right as she opens her mouth to question him, he leans in to kiss her. And he manages to do quite a good job of flustering her in return. Her cheeks are a dark red when he pulls back and speaks again, and all she can do is dumbly nod in response at first.
But slowly and surely an utterly charmed smile makes its way onto her face, and she laughs softly at how well he's able to render her speechless. He's sure to take pride in that.]
I could go for a bit more clearing up on the matter.
[She teases, eyebrows arching as she takes hold of his arms. Clara starts to walk backward then, not stopping until the back of her legs bump against the edge of her bed. She promptly sits, which only serves to further pronounce the height difference between them.
The second she's seated she realizes that it may seem like an invitation for far more than he's ready for rather than just a place they can sit and properly snog. To try and quickly ease any anxiety he may have about that, she quickly adds on an out for him to take if he needs to.]
[ The Doctor is content to follow her movements, walking them both towards the — ah. Wait. This is her bed. Not his with its horrible mess of hats and garments and other miscellaneous items he'd picked up from the supply drop and the parts from the lab. And it's not his other self's bed either, which is full of empty wrappers and half-eaten snack foods, and other miscellaneous items, also picked up from the supply drop.
This is Clara's immaculate, perfectly clean, perfectly made-every-morning-when-she-wakes-up bed, and now. Now she's sitting. Yes, she's absolutely sitting on it. And she's looking expectantly at him too, which — well, you know, is fine, its not a new look for her or anything, but.
There's a bed. And beds with looks like that typically mean bed-things. And he's ... its been some time since he's done the bed thing, and also that's none of anyone's business thank you very much, but it's also Clara and a bed, and —
He pulls back, feet planted backwards. ]
Yes. [ It's said quietly, like his brain is catching up to him in its flurry of thought. He scratches at his chin. ] Yes, there's — I just remembered I left the rotating capacitor running, and if it goes on for too long without a a replacement power cell it may just burn the whole lab down, and that wouldn't be very good, would it? It'll just take a moment, and then I'll be right back.
[Her eyebrows arch, but she doesn't say anything. She lets him head off to tend to his whatever it is. He's said he's coming right back, so she waits. But after an hour of sitting there alone, it's obvious he isn't coming back.
Part of her is amused, because this is so ridiculous. But another part is hurt. So often it feels like every time they make a step forward, she unintentionally sets them ten giant leaps backward.
So she tries not to focus on the worry that she's messed everything up, and goes back to her day to day chores. He may or may not get the silent treatment for the rest of the day. That'll show him to lie to her about coming right back.]
[ It's ......... very late when the Doctor sneaks back into the room, having fully occupied himself with just about every other activity he might think to do in the time between his leaving their shared room, and his coming back.
He's brought a plate of buttered biscuits he'd concocted in the kitchen and a Rubik's Cube he'd found stashed in the supply drop last time, and he's sort of balancing both things between his hands, biscuit caught between his lips.
He expects the room to be either entirely dark with its occupants fast asleep, or mostly empty anyway; his other self crawling about in the vents somewhere, and River doing whatever it is River does when she isn't sleeping.
Instead he finds a small reading lamp still on, and Clara huddled with a book.
Well, shit. (Yes, it's a horrible word that he's picked up from Kovacs, and now he can't quite seem to get rid of it. It's an effective expletive anyway.) The biscuit drops from his lips and he swoops in with his plate to catch it before it falls. ]
[She's determined to ignore him, and only briefly glances his way when she hears the doors open to let him in. Her mouth opens like a codfish, flopping closed when she isn't sure what to say. Which is strange, because she always is able to find something to say about everything.
Then she remembers she's not talking to him anyway. She snuggles into her bed and turns the page of her book. Which she's not actually reading any longer, but he doesn't need to know that.]
So I have a bedtime now, do I?
[She says distractedly, almost dismissively. Clara is very intentionally playing it cool.]
Well, you're — it's very late and everyone else is asleep.
[ The Doctor slowly approaches on soft and softer footsteps, pausing only to put the Rubik's cube down on some flat surface somewhere, before he moves in to approach her. Yes. Close to the bed and everything.
He holds the plate out towards her, full of delicious Doctor-baked butter cookies (with alien ingredients, of course). ]
[She doesn't look over right away. She finishes "reading" the page she's on before earmarking the page and closing the cover. It's incredibly difficult to stay angry with him, particularly when he makes gestures like this. It's sweet, what he's doing. And clearly he knows he's done wrong.
So she slowly turns to grab one of the cookies, and takes her time going about eating it. It's only when she's finished the entire thing that she finally talks.]
I don't sleep like I used to.
[She hasn't since coming back months and months ago. He likely knows that, but couldn't possibly know the reason why. And she's not about to elaborate, so she turns the tables on him.]
Do you know I sat here for an entire hour waiting for you to come back?
[ Well, she takes a biscuit so that's got to count for something, right? Even if what she's said gives him pause. He isn't even sure he's really noticed, not really, not until he thinks about how much more time they seem to have during the nights on missions ... how she didn't seem to be bothered by the exhaustion like she used to.
How did he not notice that before? Stupid Doctor.
He puts the plate down next to her, you know if she wants to get another biscuit for herself, and picks one up for him.
He takes a bite. ]
Well, that's — [ He's daft, he's very, very daft, but even he can see that he's made her cross.
And that's new. ] You didn't have to. You shouldn't have.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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obviously
[ Just being agreeable, as always. The easy-going Doctor. ]
practice? do we need practice? i'll admit it has been some time
but i thought i was really rather good
[ No, Doctor, you idiot ... ]
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you were really rather good
that's exactly why i want more
practice was only a ruse to get you to agree to more, Doctor
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oh!
well why didn't you just say so clara
what if someone were to
you know
walk in
though i suppose there have been worse things that happened on this station
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there's nothing but privacy there
so consider this me, telling you
i want you to kiss me
please
[and he can't say no to that, can he?]
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why wait for later?
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give me ten minutes and i'm all yours
[you can bet she's finishing sloppily and quickly and is making a beeline to their room]
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right
yes
ten minutes
[ And he'll keep checking his re-acquired watch for the time, too. He can do that now. ]
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no getting distracted
[she arrives exactly ten minutes later, without a single cut on her. she peeks into the room before stepping in, to see if he's made it there before her. when she spots him waiting for her, she can't help but smile like a lovesick idiot. It's a problem, really. Very embarrassing.]
Someone's eager.
[It's her. She's eager.
Or maybe it's him. He beat her here, after all.
Or they can both be eager. There's nothing wrong with that, in this case.]
text ➝ action ;
promise
[ The Doctor very nearly jumps to his feet the moment those doors slide open and Clara steps through. It's a relief too, because it could be him (the other him) or River, given that they all share the same quarters, but they're hardly here, and honestly, he's hardly ever here too, and right now that absence is ... well. That makes this place perfect.
So, yes, he's up now, he's on his feet, and he's sort of scratching at his head like he has no idea what to do next — should he make the first move? Or will she?
Really, when you start to think about it, the whole plan just goes awfully wrong. (Which may be why thinking and over-thinking it is a bad idea. Bad, bad idea. ]
I was — bored. [ — comes his excuse for being eager, though it's a bit flimsy, isn't it, all that talk of kissing, and that's why he's here on time and everything. Early, even. ]
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Is she?
Well, that might be a bit aggressive.
As it is, she moves in close enough that she's standing before him. And she rocks back on her heels, hands still clasped behind her back.]
Well, we can't have you being bored.
[She leans in closer to him then, smirking as her hands move from behind her back so she can grab him by the bowtie to pull him in for a kiss.]
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[ He gets antsy and weird and starts to come up with all sorts of ways to un-bore himself. Of course, that clearly isn't the necessary step he needs to take, not when Clara is ever-so-close to him, the space between them shrinking until she's practically in his immediate vicinity, fingers going up to snatch at his bowtie, guiding him in to meet her lips with his.
And he obliges, lips softening against hers, and he doesn't even do the thing he's prone to do: in other words, this time there is no flailing or flapping about. It's anticipated, this kiss, it's one he's prepared for since she brought it up in the first place. And maybe that's all the Doctor needs not to resemble an inflatable noodle man. Forewarning.
Well.
That, and maybe he just needs to get used to the idea that it's okay to kiss someone, and that it's actually really rather nice to be doing so — especially when that someone is his Impossible Girl. ]
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Not anymore.
That knowledge makes Clara more bold. Her lips part as she deepens the kiss, but she doesn't press for more in a way that's demanding. Her lips are soft and pliant against his, and she lets him control whether or not he's comfortable with tongues being involved just yet. It's taken them this long to get to this point, and she's not looking to frighten him away. They have to take things slow. Even when she's tempted to press him against the wall and snog him senseless.]
You know how I feel about you being useless, Doctor. [She teases him when they finally part. They're still pressed in close together, her fingers pressing firmly against his hip.] Absolutely not allowed.
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It means he can do things like steadily move his hands to wrap around her waist, to tug her just a little closer while they're kissing — and breathe. The breathing bit's important; he always did warn the Ponds about that breathing. Why is he thinking about the Ponds right now? No, no, stop that.
And then they do part to breathe, which means he can lift a hand to stroke her cheek. ]
Oh, I wouldn't allow it either. There won't be anyone being useless, not you, not me.
[ He huffs a breath that sounds a little bit like a laugh. ]
You kissed me. I kissed you. We were — kissing. [ He sounds almost giddy. ] Again.
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Again.
[She repeats, feeling her cheeks turn warm. Is she blushing right now? Ridiculous. She breathes out a laugh and averts her eyes almost shyly, which isn't a look on her that he's likely used to seeing.]
Is that...something you'd like to have happen more often then?
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[ Because for him, it would only be fun if she wanted it too. Not that he has much of a doubt about that, the way her cheeks have coloured, the way she's looking up at him — and no, no, it isn't the kind of expression he's used to seeing on her. Usually it's something more akin to exasperation or like she's about to laugh, teasing him for something he's said or something he's missed because there are times when he's just too odd, too alien, and it shows.
But then there are moments when she looks at him so deeply, like she could see into every life of his and remember when she'd been there — because she has — and the Doctor thinks about how intrinsically woven into the fabric of his timeline she's become.
She knows him. She knows him. But he'd like to think he knows her too. ]
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She doesn't question the fact that he loves her. Clara knows that he does. But she wonders if he knows that he's made himself essential to her. That she doesn't want to keep living a life that he won't be a part of. Being here on the Ximilia is a risk. There's no guarantee that regrets will be undone. But she's so grateful for the opportunity they've both had to come closer together. She's so in love that it feels like her heart might burst as she looks up at him.
So she rises up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. Again and again she kisses him, showing him exactly how much she wants this. How desperately she wants him. But she's very mindful to let things stay slow, to let him lead the pace for now.]
Does that answer your question?
[Both of her hands reach up to adjust his bowtie back into a straightened position.]
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He's looking a little stupid and glassy-eyed when she pulls away to coolly readjust his bowtie once she's had her way with him (because that's exactly what it was, phew!), and he straightens and clears his throat when she does. ]
Yes, I think it answers both of our questions. [ He presses his lips together into a thin line, eyes bright, before he changes his mind. ] Although ... [ And here he pauses, expression overdramatically solemn. ] ... there is just one thing I might need a little clearing up on.
[ He dips forward to catch her lips with his again, to make his own response clear to her as well. ]
Right. Yes. All right, I think I've got it now.
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But slowly and surely an utterly charmed smile makes its way onto her face, and she laughs softly at how well he's able to render her speechless. He's sure to take pride in that.]
I could go for a bit more clearing up on the matter.
[She teases, eyebrows arching as she takes hold of his arms. Clara starts to walk backward then, not stopping until the back of her legs bump against the edge of her bed. She promptly sits, which only serves to further pronounce the height difference between them.
The second she's seated she realizes that it may seem like an invitation for far more than he's ready for rather than just a place they can sit and properly snog. To try and quickly ease any anxiety he may have about that, she quickly adds on an out for him to take if he needs to.]
Unless you need to get back to work?
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This is Clara's immaculate, perfectly clean, perfectly made-every-morning-when-she-wakes-up bed, and now. Now she's sitting. Yes, she's absolutely sitting on it. And she's looking expectantly at him too, which — well, you know, is fine, its not a new look for her or anything, but.
There's a bed. And beds with looks like that typically mean bed-things. And he's ... its been some time since he's done the bed thing, and also that's none of anyone's business thank you very much, but it's also Clara and a bed, and —
He pulls back, feet planted backwards. ]
Yes. [ It's said quietly, like his brain is catching up to him in its flurry of thought. He scratches at his chin. ] Yes, there's — I just remembered I left the rotating capacitor running, and if it goes on for too long without a a replacement power cell it may just burn the whole lab down, and that wouldn't be very good, would it? It'll just take a moment, and then I'll be right back.
[ Spoilers: he won't be right back. ]
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Part of her is amused, because this is so ridiculous. But another part is hurt. So often it feels like every time they make a step forward, she unintentionally sets them ten giant leaps backward.
So she tries not to focus on the worry that she's messed everything up, and goes back to her day to day chores. He may or may not get the silent treatment for the rest of the day. That'll show him to lie to her about coming right back.]
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He's brought a plate of buttered biscuits he'd concocted in the kitchen and a Rubik's Cube he'd found stashed in the supply drop last time, and he's sort of balancing both things between his hands, biscuit caught between his lips.
He expects the room to be either entirely dark with its occupants fast asleep, or mostly empty anyway; his other self crawling about in the vents somewhere, and River doing whatever it is River does when she isn't sleeping.
Instead he finds a small reading lamp still on, and Clara huddled with a book.
Well, shit. (Yes, it's a horrible word that he's picked up from Kovacs, and now he can't quite seem to get rid of it. It's an effective expletive anyway.) The biscuit drops from his lips and he swoops in with his plate to catch it before it falls. ]
You should be asleep by now.
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Then she remembers she's not talking to him anyway. She snuggles into her bed and turns the page of her book. Which she's not actually reading any longer, but he doesn't need to know that.]
So I have a bedtime now, do I?
[She says distractedly, almost dismissively. Clara is very intentionally playing it cool.]
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[ The Doctor slowly approaches on soft and softer footsteps, pausing only to put the Rubik's cube down on some flat surface somewhere, before he moves in to approach her. Yes. Close to the bed and everything.
He holds the plate out towards her, full of delicious Doctor-baked butter cookies (with alien ingredients, of course). ]
They're still warm from the oven.
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So she slowly turns to grab one of the cookies, and takes her time going about eating it. It's only when she's finished the entire thing that she finally talks.]
I don't sleep like I used to.
[She hasn't since coming back months and months ago. He likely knows that, but couldn't possibly know the reason why. And she's not about to elaborate, so she turns the tables on him.]
Do you know I sat here for an entire hour waiting for you to come back?
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How did he not notice that before? Stupid Doctor.
He puts the plate down next to her, you know if she wants to get another biscuit for herself, and picks one up for him.
He takes a bite. ]
Well, that's — [ He's daft, he's very, very daft, but even he can see that he's made her cross.
And that's new. ] You didn't have to. You shouldn't have.
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