Doctor Who One-Shots

The Best Birthday

It was an abnormally cold day in November. Most people hurried down the streets, bundled in so many scarves and coats they looked more like pillows than humans. They got back to the safety of a heated building as fast as they could, trying to avoid the outdoors as much as possible.
As usual, Clara Oswald was the exception. She wore only a down jacket and a knit hat to keep herself warm, and she seemed to be in no rush to get inside. She smiled like it was the best day ever, and for her it might have been. It was her birthday. And, more importantly, it was a Wednesday.
Clara's grin stretched wider as she heard a familiar whir come from nearby. A large blue box materialized directly in front of her, and she ran toward it. "Doctor!" She shouted as a man stepped out of the box.
"Clara!" The Doctor replied, hugging her. As soon as he did this, all Clara's happiness drained away. This was nothing more than a friendly hug to him, but to Clara it meant so much more. She loved the Doctor, but she knew he would never love her back. She pushed the thought away. This was her birthday. Birthdays were happy times.
"So!" The Doctor said, breaking out of the hug and spinning around excitedly. "Clara's birthday. Clara's very special twenty-fifth birthday. What should we do to celebrate it?" Clara smiled. "I dunno, just something...spectacular." The Doctor winked. "Spectacular it is. I've created a cake room for you, it's got every type of cake there is, I forgot your favorite type of cake, so go..." the Doctor babbled on and on about all the different types of cakes in the cake room and how he'd come in once they reached their destination and sing "Happy Birthday" to her and Clara sat and listened and daydreamed about the Doctor doing this next year on her birthday and then leaning over and kissing her and saying happy birthday to her, his girlfriend. She went off to the cake room as soon as the Doctor told her where to find it, lost in dreams she was sure would never come true.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
The Doctor sighed as he watched Clara go off to the cake room. "Where should I take her?" he muttered to himself as he stared down at the TARDIS's controls. Summer, the 90-degree planet made entirely of pools and waterslides? No, no, too casual. As much as he wanted to see Clara in a bikini...no. Midnight, the sparkling planet of diamonds full of spas and areas of relaxation? Gah, no, he didn't want another disaster like the time he went with Donna.
Then it hit him. Dreamland! He could take her to Dreamland! On the planet of Dreamland, there was a special gas in the air that made it possible for your greatest fantasies to appear right in front of you. No one knew what caused it or where it came from. Scientists from around the universe said it was impossible for such a substance to even form.
The Doctor smiled. An Impossible Planet for his Impossible Girl.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
      Upon hearing a knock on the cake room's door, Clara whisked the door open to see a very excited-looking Doctor. His green eyes shone with pride, and he was bouncing up and down on his toes.
      "I take it we've arrived." Clara said with a smile. "Oh, yes!" the Doctor said, straightening his bowtie and leading her to the TARDIS door. He grabbed the door handle. "Welcome," he said dramatically, pulling the doors open, "to Dreamland!"
      Clara gasped. She had never seen a more beautiful place. Iridescent grass shimmered in every color beneath her feet. Tiny silver flowers and tall, twisting golden trees dotted the landscape. Shining white butterflies and sleek black birds fluttered beneath the coral sky. Clara stood there, for once with nothing to say.
      "Doctor..." she breathed, "this is...it's just...oh, thank you so much!" She flung her arms around the startled Doctor, who blushed. Once she released him, the Doctor smiled. "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
-~-~-~-~-~-~-
     After many fun-filled hours in Clara's fantasies, (including soaring with the birds using her very own wings and finally creating a perfect soufflé) it was unfortunately time to go home. "Oh, no." the Doctor said once they landed. "What?" Clara asked.
        "The TARDIS accidentally landed about a mile away from your house. I'll just get us closer and-" Clara cut him off. "A mile's not too far. I'll walk." the Doctor nodded. "I'll come with you." he said.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
      By the time they were halfway to Clara's house, snow had begun to fall lightly. Clara shivered. The Doctor looked at her. "You're cold." he stated, worry in his green eyes. "I'm okay." Clara replied. But the Doctor took off the scarf he was wearing and tied it around her neck. "Better?" he asked. Clara nodded. She suddenly felt much warmer, but the scarf had little to do with it.
      Once they reached Clara's doorstep, Clara turned the Doctor to face her. "Doctor, before you go, there's something I should tell you." She took a deep breath. "I like you and I have for quite a long time now and I was scared to tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't let me travel with you anymore and I just wanted to thank you for the amazing birthday and-" she was cut off when the Doctor leaned in and kissed her.
      He was an amazing kisser, Clara thought. He did that thing where the guy cups the girl's face and he was very gentle. He broke away and Clara made an odd sort of wheezing sound. Had the Doctor really just kissed her? "Happy Birthday," he said, "my Impossible Girl."
And off he went, leaving Clara stunned and smiling on the doorstep, with his scarf still tied around her neck.

A/N: SQUEE! I had a fangirl attack while writing that. Hope you enjoyed it! I suck at author's notes. Goodbye and Allons-y!
~SC