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“What do you think that one is?” Clara asked, pointing up at a tiny, shining star up in the night sky.
It had been three months her time since she'd rejoined the Doctor at Christmas, and he’d been treating her to some of the most beautiful sights in all of time and space, including an ill-fated trip to Los Vegas in space. Currently, they were lying on a hill on a planet Clara couldn't dream to pronounce the name of - the Doctor had trouble pronouncing it, and had finally given up and just called it “Fred” - picking out stars and imagining what they were.
“Do you really want to know,” the Doctor asked with a quirk of his eyebrow, “or do you want to continue this game?”
“Why? Is it one I know of?”
“Not even a little. I was just curious if you actually wanted to know. Or -” he glanced down at the apple he was munching on, almost sheepishly, “if you wanted to see it?”
Clara glanced at him, then sat up. This wasn't the first off handed sentence that held a double meaning he’d said tonight, and she was getting tired of constantly wondering.
“You're acting weird. What's going on?” Clara asked, only to be met with dead silence, so she pressed further. “I thought we promised no more secrets?”
Still nothing. Sighing, Clara turned back away from him, folding her arms as she continued to stare at the sky. If he didn't want to explain, then fine. She wasn't going to spend the rest of the evening trying to puzzle together his behavior.
“Are you serious about staying with me,” the Doctor asked quietly.
Clara stilled, turning toward him in surprise. His expression was unguarded, his eyes shining. There weren't many times when he looked small to her, but he did now. Small, and uncertain.
“Because,” he continued, now pointedly not looking at her, “there has been some confusion about that in the past.”
“Confusion? I thought of leaving because you acted like an arse -”
The Doctor opened his mouth, either to argue or not, but Clara never gave him the chance.
“And I left because I thought you'd found Gallifrey and your people. You didn't need me, anymore.”
“I always need you.”
The words seemed to escape his mouth by accident, because his eyes widened in alarm, his mouth clamping shut as his ears turned pink.
Clara stared at him, his words swirling in her head, as she watched him with a slack jaw. She didn't dare ask for confirmation - she knew what she heard, and knew he’d never repeat it. Finally, she replied, “I am staying. You couldn't kick me out of that TARDIS even if you tried.”
The Doctor watched her skeptically for a moment, as if trying to decide if he believed her. Finally, a cautious smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Good, because you've not seen some of the best corners of the galaxy yet.”
“Oh really?” Clara asked with a grin.
“Really,” the Doctor replied nonchalantly, sitting up. “You've not been to Peladon, we haven't gone to Space Florida. There's this fantastic opera house on New Earth -”
“Then what're we waiting for?” Clara asked, excitement building. Forget looking at the stars, she wanted to touch them. Wanted the thrill of adventure, the danger - she longed to be out there, to run.
“We are waiting,” the Doctor said pointedly, glancing at his watch. “For this.”
The world above them erupted into light, as fireworks burst through the night sky, a dazzling array of blues and golds. Clara gasped in surprise, unable to stop herself.
“They're celebrating the day their goddess came to life,” the Doctor explained, motioning toward a village down the hill they were lying on. “Eris. The blue is supposed to represent the ocean she blessed them with, and the gold for the sun.”
“It's beautiful,” Clara whispered.
“Yes,” the Doctor agreed, not at all looking at the sky, but instead at the tiny English teacher beside him, “It is.”
She caught him staring at her in her peripheral vision, and ducked her head.
Something had most certainly changed since they'd run away in his TARDIS Christmas night, and Clara wasn't sure what to make of it. She only knew that she couldn't wait to find out what the future held for them.
But for now, she was content to reach over and take his hand, and watch the fireworks with him, as he rambled on about all the places they could go next