makemeasong | eastbound IC Inbox 💫

[ Clara nearly laughs but instead she looks at the Doctor and holds his eyes. Many things are going through her mind as she stares at him, eyes narrowed. He has no clue what he's doing, that's the first thing. She does trust him, but not to come back in one piece and then tell her the truth about it. ]

Do you?

[ She continues to stare, like it's a quiet challenge, assessing him. ]

[ He opens his mouth to answer immediately, but the way she's narrowing her eyes at him, he's caught off guard and amused, by equal measure. He narrows his own eyes in return, though he looks more like a deer caught in headlights. ]

You doubt me?

[ Clara stares at him a second longer, then backs down, making a soft noise in the back of her throat. ]

Never. I doubt anything here being stable for long, and not being able to get to you if something happens.

[ His best laid plans never go accordingly, but he does always manage to fix things in the end. She might've been kidnapped, held hostage, or covered with some sort of unidentifiable substance by the end of it, but they'd always make it back to the TARDIS. ]

Nothing in Serthica knows or cares that you're you, and nothing plays by any rules we've ever seen before. You have to be careful, Doctor, more than usual.

[ Clara's entire expression changes, softens. ]

That's the only thing I'll make you promise. That you'll try to keep all of that in mind.

It's not your responsibility to get to me, Clara.

[ He reaches out, though, fondly tapping her nose. He knows, though. He knows she believes otherwise, that she's charged herself as his protector - much to his dismay (he doesn't need protecting!) and bewilderment. It's supposed to be the other way around; only the other way around. ]

But I can promise you that I'll be careful.

[ He absolutely does need protecting, and he's going to get said protection from a five-foot-no inches woman from Blackpool. Smiling softly at the tap, she wrinkles her nose affectionately. ]

Thank you.

[ She sighs softly and rubs her face with one hand. ]

I didn't know I could worry about so much at the same time. There's too much demanding attention at once up here. [ Her fingers tap the side of her head. ] Brain hardly knows where to start and focus.

[ That could also be because she's exhausted. ]

Welcome to my life. [ He smiles a little, in spite of everything. ]

Though, a simple and very small human brain generally isn't supposed to comprehend such an enormity of things all at once. It's taxing in a way it isn't for me.

[ Small brain in comparison to his, that is. ]

Can't shut that brain off, though, can you? I can.

[ She's never asked him to do anything like that for her before, soothe her mind, switch off her thoughts. Then again, neither of them has been in a situation like this together, either. It's never been so hard for her to sleep, not even when her mum died. ]

And do you think maybe you could stay, too? Just for a few minutes after I'm asleep.

[ It doesn't really matter one way or another because she'll never know. But she wants to at least think he's there, watching over her for a bit. ]

Where else would I go?

[ A blatant lie, they both know it, but the sentiment is genuine. He'll stay and make sure she's okay, he always will. Not forever, but long enough to be sure she's settled. ]

Put your head on my shoulder. When I do this, it happens instantly.

[ He could have put her to sleep without her consent from the outset, but he wouldn't violate her agency like that. ]

[ Sometimes, there are lies a person needs to hear, and that was one of them for Clara. She needed to hear that and she does as he says, settling with her head on his shoulder and one hand in his. ]

I expect to see you fiddling with something when I open my eyes again.

Not giving me enough credit. I'll be fiddling with many things when you wake up.

[ He smiles, and then just as quickly, he reaches out, tapping his index finger to her temple and sending her to sleep. ]

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