Valentine's Day

Clara threw her bag down angrily on the couch of her flat and began to mutter obscenities about her boy… ex-boyfriend and his audacity to break up with her on Valentine's day. What the bloody hell did he mean she was just too controlling and didn't know how to let loose and have fun? Clara Oswald was the very definition of carefree thank you very little. As she grumbled about how she was too good for him anyway, her feet stomped in the direction of her room. She pushed open her door with more force than was required and was surprised when a second later it banged into something and came swinging right back at her, slamming into her nose. She groaned in pain and brought her hand up to her nose, pulling it back just a second later to see blood covering it.

"Clara!" The Doctor said in alarm, his head popping out from behind her bedroom door. He rushed to her side, his thin body squeezing through the tight space that her door would allow to open and uncovered her nose. "Oh, that doesn't look good."

"Ya think?!" She cried out, glaring at him.

"Well this isn't my fault, who throws their door open like that?" He defended ushering her into her own bedroom so he could take care of the bleeding.

"You parked the bloody Tardis right there?!" She cried out, angry with him and absolutely blaming him for her bloody nose.

"I didn't. She did." He corrected pushing open the doors and dragging her along behind him. "Quickly now. We need to stop that bleeding before it drips onto your dress, you're already getting it all over the floor."

"Since when do you care about if my clothes get dirty?" She asked as the blood pooled in her hand and dripped through her fingers.

"Since I know you spent weeks looking for that dress. I didn't expect you back till later though." The Doctor explained as they walked into the med bay. He grabbed a towel and handed it to her so that the blood would have something to absorb into and not just pool and drip from her hand like it had been doing.

"How do you know how I long I spent looking for this?" She asked, her voice muffled by the towel.

"I'm not an idiot Clara. I saw all the magazines and print outs of which shops had it."

"You just normally don't care about my clothes so why the interest in my dress?"

"I just was curious as to why you humans seem to get all dressed up on Valentines Day so I did my homework. Traveled around a bunch of places and times and asked people what the big deal was. Now, just keep holding onto the towel and tilt your head forward, I'm going to pinch your nose and hopefully in a few minutes the bleeding will be gone."

"Wait, don't you have some kind of instantaneous medicine or whatever to stop a nose bleed?"

"I'm a Time Lord, not a magician Clara." He admonished with a shake of his head.

"Coulda fooled me with the way you dress yourself." She quipped. He could tell from the look in her eyes that behind the towel her lips were pulled up in a smirk. He simply rolled his eyes and took a seat in front of her pinching her nose.

"How did your date go?"

"Bad." He could barely understand her from the combined efforts of the towel in front of her mouth as well as his fingers cutting off her nose's ability to breathe.

"I'm sorry. I know how big of a holiday this is to you. What went wrong?"

"E oke up ih e." She replied. If it hadn't been for the fact that he already knew what had happened (time travel) he would not have been able to understand what Clara had tried to say.

"He broke up with you?! Well good riddance I say, clearly he doesn't know just how fantastic you are. I mean, really, the audacity! To break up with you on Valentine's Day, just soulless." The Doctor huffed trying to seem outraged. Clara gazed at him and just from the look in her eyes he could tell she'd caught onto the trail he'd tried to obscure.

"You knew already, didn't you?" She asked taking the towel away from her mouth.

"That obvious?" He asked with a frown, not even trying to deny it. He should have known better than to even try. His Clara was perceptive and she knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. Clara shook her head and chuckled.

"How did you know he was going to break up with me and why wouldn't you have warned me so I could do it first?"

"I maybe sort of jumped ahead in your timeline a couple times and future you told me not to mess with the timeline and warn you." He said taking his fingers off her nose to see if the bleeding had stopped. "Looks like it's all good. Now we just have to clean up your face."

"You couldn't have at least stopped the bloody nose from happening?" She asked with an exasperated sigh.

"That was an honest mistake. I was busy trying to hide something from you on the Tardis, that you'll know about shortly so don't ask me, and then I forgot to look at the time and then I heard the bang from the door and knew you were back and now here we are." He explained gingerly wiping the dried blood from her face.

"Doctor, I can do this part myself." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"Ah, but don't you want to prove him wrong? He did call you controlling." He teased, his eyes betraying his delight at cleaning her up.

"Shut up. We both know I am." She huffed with a roll of her eyes. He grinned but said nothing more, choosing instead to finish wiping off her face. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I am nice." He said clearly offended.

"Doctor…since when do you make break up calls?"

"Since… I have a duty of care." He replied swallowing thickly and meeting her eyes for a moment.

Clara's eyes softened and she took his hand in hers. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, and also you should thank yourself because your future self is who told me how to handle you." Clara chuckled at that and looked down at their hands. She noticed that she was still holding his hand but somehow their fingers had become laced together. He picked up their laced hands and began to clean off the caked dried blood from her delicate digits. He untangled their hands and gently wiped the palm of her hand. He could feel the heat of Clara's gaze on him and he couldn't help but smile. When it was finally clean from all the blood he brought her hand up to his lips and meeting her eyes he kissed her palm and the back of her hand. He watched the change in her eyes and listened to the hitch in her breathing with delight. "Clara Oswald, will you be my Valentine?"

He watched how the corners of her lips slowly pulled up in a smile until it consumed her face. Her eyes were dancing with delight as she answered, "I'd be honored Doctor."

He smiled and pulled her up. "We're staying in tonight so go get dressed comfortably and I'll meet you back in here at the console. The Tardis and I have the rest of your night planned out."

Clara smiled and in just a moment's notice her lips were on his cheek and he felt the skin where her lips had met simultaneously burn and cool from her absence. The shock he felt must have translated to his face because he heard Clara laugh before she left the room. His hearts were beating rapidly from the sudden contact and he closed his eyes feeling the sensation of her lips pressed to his cheek all over again. It made him smile and he wondered if she had felt the same way when he kissed her hand. Future Clara had told him to make his move tonight and not be afraid but how could he not be? Valentine's Day was important and he had to make it the best one she'd ever had. That alone made him afraid because it was him and he wasn't very good at social things or matters of the heart and this one holiday was about both. He thanked future Clara for the tips and for reassuring him that she would not reject. That alone had been one interesting conversation but she refused to tell him anything more beyond the statement that she wouldn't reject him and it had his head spinning in circles. What did that mean? Did it mean what he hoped? Did she actually feel the same way about him? Of course he'd tried asking her those questions but whether it was Clara in the present, past, or future she'd answered in a way that only Clara would and then she shooed him off into his box telling him what things to buy and then to go fix her Valentine's day. He made his way into the theater room he'd had the Tardis make up and began to quickly set things up knowing Clara would be waiting for him soon enough. He had the flutes of wine already in the cup holders of the love seat recliner with chocolates and flowers beside him ready to give to her as well as a small gift he'd picked up from his research trip to the planet Aphrodite. He was holding the chocolates and flowers in his hands just preforming a last minute check to make sure they were presentable when he heard her voice from behind.

"So this is where you're hiding." He yelped in surprise and turned around quickly not having the foresight to try and hide what was in his hands. He noticed the change in her demeanor instantly. "Are…are those for…me?" She asked, choking on her words.

He looked down at his hands and then back up at her. Remembering he was supposed to bestow them upon her he unceremoniously thrust them at her resulting in a laugh.

"Doctor, it's okay. Relax, it's only me."

"That's very much the problem Clara." He said trying not to stutter, noting that she had changed into sweat pants and a tank top. He swallowed thickly waiting for her to take the gifts from his outstretched arms. She seemed to sense his rising level of nervousness and stepped forward first taking the flowers and holding them up to her nose. They weren't the traditional roses. Instead he had picked up a bouquet of foreign roses that would last two weeks in a vase of water, giving off the sweet scent of strawberry mixed with a mild aphrodisiac.

"They're beautiful, thank you Doctor. What are they called?" She inquired taking another whiff of the roses.

"Eroses." He answered.

"As in the greek word eros and English word rose put together?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes. Exactly. The planet I got them from is big on Aphrodite and all things Greek and romantic and they cultivated these roses."

"They smell like strawberries." She said delighted by the smell, sticking her nose in them again.

"Do you like them?" He asked nervously.

"I love them. They're beautiful, thank you." She repeated, stepping closer and kissing his cheek again. His cheeks flushed and he could feel the redness but it didn't compare to the swell of his heart. She set the flowers down on a table and reached for the box of chocolates he still held.

"I got those straight from Belgium."

"There's a planet named Belgium?!" She asked incredulously opening the box.

"Ah, no actually. I meant as in Belgium, Germany, your European neighbor." He said feeling his cheeks burn a little brighter.

"Oh, oh." She replied a bit embarrassed herself.

"They're fresh. The chocolatier told me that you would like the truffles so she gave me a whole box of them. Some are filled with caramel, others with fudge, and some with white chocolate." He explained as she bit into one of them, a string of caramel flowing out.

"Mmm. That is delicious. Have you tried one?" She asked pushing the box to him. He shook his head and pushed the box back to her.

"I got those for you."

"Yeah and that's why I'm going to share them with you."

"Oh, I have a few more things for you." He said excitedly pulling her to the couch.

"Doctor…please, this is more than enough." She protested letting him drag her with the box full of chocolaty pleasure in her other hand.

"Sit." He commanded. She bit her lip trying to argue whether or not she should. "Please?" He asked looking at her imploringly. She couldn't argue with those old puppy dog eyes he was giving her, so she sat down placing the chocolate beside her on the small table. When she turned back to the Doctor he was holding a small bag for her.

"This is your gift." He explained holding it out for her to take. She bit her lip again but took it, her curiosity winning.

She pulled a small square box from the bag and when she opened it, she couldn't help but tear up. Here was this amazing man lavishing her with everything she could only dream of and her heart was becoming a pool of overwhelming feelings of love and affection.

"Oh Doctor…" She whispered unable to speak any louder.

"Do you like it?" He asked nervously. "Is it too much? I…I can take it back."

"I love it." She said a little louder meeting his eyes before looking back down at the stunning necklace. The chain was crafted in gold with small links holding it together and at the center was a small colored replica of his screwdriver made entirely from metal.

"Then why are you crying?" He asked still afraid he had done something wrong.

"Because I'm happy you idiot. You've overwhelmed me with gifts and they're all wonderful and I can't believe that you're doing all this for me."

"You deserve it Clara." He spoke softly, unable to meet her eyes for longer than a moment.

"Would you put it on me please?" She asked holding the necklace out to him. Finally, the look of worry was replaced with a smile and he took the necklace from her hands as she stood. She turned her back to him with hair held off of her neck, and waited with bated breath for his fingers to make contact with her skin. The necklace was cool at first touch but as soon as his fingers brushed her skin all she could feel was the heat of his gentle touch as he long fingers fastened the chain around her. She couldn't stop the smile as his fingers lingered just a few moments longer, and she couldn't help but think that her boyfriend breaking up with her was probably the best thing to happen to her. She would have never even dated him if she'd known the Doctor had been interested in her all this time. Maybe a little heart break was all they'd needed to come together finally. She turned around and looked up into his eyes. They told her all she needed to know and she smiled a little more at that.

"Clara Oswald, if I was to try and kiss you…would you reject me?"

"Never, daft old man." She answered, beating him to the punch and grabbing his head until his lips crashed against her own. It was such a sweet and tender kiss that it nearly snatched all the oxygen from her lungs. Her heart was beating rapidly and she was in such a state of euphoria that she couldn't contain the smile as he kissed her back.

He pulled back first and she was about to ask him why when he answered, "I could sense your lungs were about out of oxygen." He explained looking breathless himself.

"How did you know what I was going to ask?"

"Telepathic, remember? When we kissed I felt your mind."

"How come I couldn't feel yours?" She asked a bit disappointed.

"I blocked you. I didn't want to accidently overwhelm you with my emotions." He said sheepishly.

"Kiss me again, but this time don't block me. I want to know what it's like." She said worrying her bottom lip, anticipating the feel of his lips moving against hers again.

"It's overwhelming and it'll feel like you've just been hit by a truck, I don't want you to feel that." He said trying to dissuade her.

"Please Doctor, I can handle it." She assured with a small smile, her hand caressing his cheek.

"You just want an excuse to kiss me again, don't you?"

"You tell me, mind reader." She teased as her lips closed the space between them again. He smiled as their lips touched again and this time he didn't hold back from letting her feel the connection of their minds. Yup, she had wanted another excuse to kiss him but he didn't mind. He rather liked kissing her, it made him feel happy and made his hearts swell. He felt her knees go weak from the continued exposure to his mind and he wrapped her up in his arms supporting her, not willing to stop kissing her just yet. He was selfish in wanting to memorize what she tasted like and what being with her in mind was like as well. Her presence was new but welcoming and he loved seeing how his presence tonight had given her all this joy she was projecting onto his brain. Finally, he pulled away again knowing she was too stubborn to take care of herself. "Whoa." She said breathlessly, staring up at him with a whole new outlook.

"Take it easy next time. I felt you trying to take it all in at once. Humans weren't meant to withstand that type of deep connection. It's going to take time to train your brain, it's a new muscle and you don't want to pull it from trying to do too much at once." He cautioned, not letting her out of his embrace.

"That was amazing." She said looking at him wondrously. He smiled softly and kissed her forehead.

"I still have a couple more surprises for you."

"I don't think I can handle more." She said still looking at him in a way he was unaccustomed to. Her hand came up and absently began to stroke his face and trace his features in awe.

"I promised you I would give you the best Valentine's Day ever and I've barely started."

"You mean future me?"

"Her too." He replied with a smile. "Now, sit down, have some wine. I'll be right back with dinner."

"We're going to eat dinner on a couch?"

"Well how else would you like to watch Pride & Prejudice as we eat pizza?" He asked with a smile.

"Careful Doctor, you're setting yourself up for failure next year with the way you're spoiling me now." She cautioned, a smile on her lips as she sipped the wine.

"I'm sure I'll think of something. I'm clever." He replied with a wink before walking out the door and heading to the projection room so he could start the movie and grab the pizza.

Clara chuckled and toyed with the screwdriver resting on her chest, looking at it with warmth and utter adoration. She had never been the flowers and chocolate type but with The Doctor everything was different and the most cliché things suddenly became the most cherished gifts. He'd put a lot of effort and energy into all this and she couldn't help but smile and giggle. This was turning out to be the best night of her life. He'd kissed her with such tenderness and affection that made her feel as though her heart was bursting; then there was the mental connection and being able to feel what he felt added a whole new level of pleasure that came with the experience of kissing him. They had both been feeding off of the emotions from the other and it had only increased the feelings shared. Her two-thousand-year old Time Lord was making her feel things that she only thought existed in fairy tales.

"Pepperoni and extra cheese, just how you like from New York." He said with a smile walking back into the room at the exact moment the screen in front of her jumped to life.

"Are you serious?" She asked with a look of astonishment on her face.

"Yup. I told Tony it was a Valentine's Day dinner gift for you and he made it free of charge and said to me that it was about time I made a move." The Doctor said as he sat down beside her balancing the box on their thighs.

"Oh my God. You are seriously the best. I absolutely love you." She said as she picked a slice from the box excitedly. She froze when she heard the small chuckle from him and realized what she'd said to him. "Oh no, did I really just say that?" She asked, her face turning beet red, unable to look at him.

"It's okay Clara." He said his own face turning a little red. "I-"

"Don't say it, not today. Not on Valentine's Day." She interrupted putting a hand over his mouth, the other still holding the pizza.

'Why not?' She heard him ask in her mind.

"Because…because I don't want it to be something that you just say because I accidently blabbed it, and especially not today. That's one cliché that I have not changed my mind on just because it's you."

'But I do.' He spoke again in her mind, looking at her confused as to why he couldn't say the words now while he still had the courage.

"Not today Doctor. Don't say those words today."

'Can you take your hand off my mouth now? I'm hungry.'

"Oh, right. Sorry." She said removing her hand from his mouth, blushing a little before taking a bite of the pizza. "Mmm, this is so good. Tony is a genius."

The Doctor shook his head with a smile, but he couldn't disagree. They opened up the recliner and focused their attention on Clara's favorite movie. Once they were done with the pizza Clara grabbed the box of chocolate and curled up against the Doctor, setting the box on his lap so she had easier access to the chocolates as she watched the movie with her head on his chest. His arm wrapped around her and she couldn't stop the smile from overtaking her face. She grabbed a truffle and pushed it up to his lips; despite his earlier protest that he'd gotten them for her, he bit off half of it allowing her to finish it. The night passed peacefully and before the movie finished Clara had fallen asleep with her head in his lap. He smiled down at her and ran his hands through her hair before touching her forehead curiously, wondering what she was dreaming about. He smiled when he saw that she was dreaming about him, and having a picnic together in a park.

"I think I can do that." He murmured aloud, a smile on his face. Carefully he lifted her head off of him so he could get off the couch in order to pick her up and carry her to bed.

As he cradled her preciously against his chest he hummed an old Gallifreyan song he'd had sung to him as a child and projected the song into her dream. He watched her lips turn up in a smile and subconsciously she rubbed her head against his chest trying to bury her face there.

"My beautiful Clara." He spoke softly with a smile. When he reached her bed he set her down carefully and pulled the covers over her. He was about to turn to leave when her hand caught his shirt and pulled him back.

"Stay." She murmured.

"Okay. I'll stay." He agreed knowing she was still asleep and wouldn't remember telling him to stay when she woke in the morning. "Just give me a second. I promise I'll be with you in a moment." He assured unfisting her hand from his shirt.

"You better." She mumbled.

He shook his head and walked back into the Tardis going into his room to put on something that would be more comfortable to wear to bed. He put on some plaid sweatpants of his own and began to look for a shirt. He searched all his drawers and frowned when he couldn't find one.

"What are you doing?" He asked his ship. The Tardis remained quiet. "I know this is your doing dear." He continued to look for a shirt but after minutes of a futile search he gave up. "Fine, I'll go shirtless. Happy?" He asked frustrated. She made a hum and he shook his head. "This isn't over." The Doctor muttered walking out the doors of his matchmaking ship. He climbed into bed with Clara but stayed on top of the sheets. As soon as he was comfortable he felt her roll over and wrap her arm around him, her head resting on his chest. He smiled for a moment and rubbed her back. He looked at the clock on her bedside table and smiled. It was past midnight. It was tomorrow. He brushed the hair back from her ear and whispered in her ear, "I love you Clara Oswald."

He felt her lips stretch into a smile on his chest and she placed a kiss just above his left heart. "Love you too Doctor." She murmured sleepily. "Best Valentine's Day ever."

He grinned and kissed her hair. "Good. Sleep well my Clara." She nuzzled into his chest and sighed contently before drifting back off to sleep. He laid awake just holding onto her and tracing patterns on her back but there was nothing else he'd rather be doing. Even though he'd never celebrated Valentine's Day before he understood now after having spent it with Clara why so many people liked it. He had the opportunity to lavish her with gifts the way he desired and it was acceptable. It'd brought them together and while it may have started off a bit roughly it had ended perfectly. He couldn't wait to see what tomorrow held.

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