I never know why. I only know who. (AU)

Chapter 19

A small beep started sounding from the alarm clock by her bed, and Clara smiled for small second before looking out the sky.

It was three minutes past one, the exact time which she had measured carefully. "Happy Birthday John." She whispered softly, smiling as she leaned down to her side to pick up her phone and send the message that had been pre-typed.

She hoped he would get it soon, knowing that he'd probably be awake waiting for it.

She had begged Diana to let him stay the night at hers, but since they had school the next day, all parents involved in the discussion firmly declined.

John sat up in bed slowly, looking over to his phone that had just gone off. He didn't even have to look at the screen to know who it was from. Who else would send him a text at the exact right time?

Happy Birthday John. Have the most amazing day and a year filled with lots of love and happiness and all things good. I love you lots, Clara xxx

John's face lit up with a broad smile as he read through the message several times, extremely honoured that she'd chosen to stay up.

He quickly clicked on Clara's contact and lightly chuckled at the contact picture she'd set for herself. He hadn't even been paying attention when she did it. She had been pulling a rather terrifying face, and it had really scared John the first time she called and it popped up, but now he simply found it adorable. It made him laugh when people asked if she was his girlfriend, and he proudly showed them the funny picture.

It was a nice side to Clara that John only ever saw every-so-often nowadays. Everything was just a little too tense in their households to actually have fun, and that wasn't even mentioning the tension between the two of them as it was.

John pressed the dial button, and patiently waited for Clara to pick up on the third ring.

"Happy Birthday?" Clara whispered, a smile evident on her face, even down the line.

"Thank you." John replied happily, whispering in return so that Dinah wouldn't come in and shriek at them for calling at such a ridiculous hour.

"How are you feeling? Seventeen?" Clara teased. He knew that she would be biting her lip in that moment and probably playing with her spare fingers as she lay on her bed, in true Clara fashion. He loved that he knew her well enough by know that he could visualise her actions in his head.

"No way." He chuckled in reply. "I still feel thirteen sometimes, and then at others, I feel twenty-five. Doesn't feel like I've miraculously changed overnight or something creepy like that."

Clara giggled and paused for a moment, allowing them both to smile before speaking again. "You're a whole year older than me." She laughed.

"Not technically..." John began, preparing to explain all the reasons why, but Clara simply giggled once more.

"You are, idiot. Just don't say anything. Kills my clever lines." She laughed.

"But I like killing clever lines, because I'm even smarter!" John teased, looking over his shoulder to his doorway to check Diana hadn't woken.

"No you're not dipshit." Clara teased, smiling as she said each word.

"You're not meant to offend the birthday boy!" He gasped back, hearing the small giggles down the line that Clara couldn't hold in.

"Yes I can. It's my job to." She mused, pursing her lips to make John smile even more.

"True." John agreed lightly, thinking about just how much that statement was true, and boy, if he didn't love her all the more for it. "Thanks for staying up for me." He mumbled lovingly, smiling through his words.

"No problem." She replied sweetly, the silence an actual comfort to the both of them.

They sat through the quiet for a while, both liking the idea that they were simply next to one another in some form.

"I better go." Clara suddenly whispered, making john's heart drop slightly, even though his good mood was not tainted too much. "Don't want to wake my Dad."

John hummed in agreement. "Yeah, me too."

They had another small silence, where neither of them said nothing. They weren't too willing to hang up though.

"I love you so much." John suddenly mumbled. "I love you more than anything. You and the..."

They hadn't actually said the word properly yet. Not in those terms at least. They'd not straight out said that they loved the baby. Clara had even called it a thing once or twice now, which had made John worried, but neither had been too eager to confirm it's presence in their lives. Not yet anyway.

"I know, I do." Clara replied back, cutting him off early so he wouldn't need to stumble awkwardly for words. This as probably the most they'd even properly breached the subject in a few weeks. Even though it was staring them in the face, it was like taboo to be mentioned.

"I love you too." Clara replied. "And more than ever today birthday boy...especially if you give me cake."

John laughed slightly out loud, his hand clasping over his mouth as he hoped Dinah hadn't woken. "That's right, steal all my cake." He laughed.

"That's the only reason we're going out...duh." Clara teased, giggling again. Down the phone it was slightly muffled, but John still believed that it was one of the most glorious sounds to have ever been heard by mankind.

"You do know I love you, right?" John laughed, making Clara tut in annoyance.

"Of course I do. Now get your arse off this line before Diana kills you." She smiled.

"Yes Ma'am." John mumbled.

They both waited a few moments before Clara took a deep breath. "Are you going to hang up or what?" She said tiredly, knowing what hr answer would be.

"Not before you." He smiled, making her grin too.

"Well, I won't first." She replied stubbornly.

"Me neither." He mumbled back.

They both waited once more, the silence beginning to make them giggle.

"Hang up!" Clara insisted, trying to make him give in.

"You!" He replied back, refusing to stand down from his point.

"Are we really going to do this? Act like lovesick teenagers?" Clara groaned.

"We are lovesick teenagers." John reminded her, making her humph in annoyance. "Or at least you are." He added on, knowing that her mouth would be open in shock offense if he was next to her.

"That's it, I can't be bothered with you loser. I'm hanging up." She declared, half laughing to herself.

"Okay." John accepted knowing that she was hoping for a bigger response from him. When she realised she wouldn't get in, she finally gave in.

"Have a great birthday loser. See you at school. Now piss off to sleep." She laughed, putting the phone down and sighing from happiness as her heart beat slowed down slightly.

John laughed as he put down his phone, lying back down into bed. He managed to pretended to be fast asleep when Diana came in to see if he was awake. Maybe he hadn't been as quiet as he'd thought after all.