In Her Eyes (A Whouffle Fanfiction)

Chapter 24- The Night Before

The Doctor lifted the cardboard box with the picture of Shepherds Pie on it above his head and squinted at the instructions written on the bottom in the smallest print known to man. It was a microwavable meal-the Doctor had wanted to cook Clara something a little more substantial, but she had refused on the grounds that his cooking was terrible and, until she taught him some basic meals, she would rather just have ready meals from the nearest supermarket. He had protested, but she had shoved him up off the sofa in the general direction of the kitchen with strict instructions not to touch anything but the meal and the microwave, tone brooking no argument, and he had had no choice but to reluctantly agree. 

A decision he was now regretting as he stuck his tongue out slightly at the several sets of instructions in front of him, trying to decide what wattage Clara's microwave had and working out how that equated to the ready meal. 

Really, he thought, it would be a lot easier if she would just let me cook.

Tongue still hanging out in concentration he selected a recipe, tapping it twice with his index finger before setting the box back down on the kitchen counter and slitting it open, wiggling his fingers underneath the flaps to tear it. He slid the contents- sealed in a plastic container- onto a plate and put it in the microwave, carefully puncturing the clear film that covered the container so the pressure would release when it cooked and the whole thing wouldn't explode in his face. He opened the microwave and shoved the pie in, closing the door then frowning at the keypad to the left of the door. 

What in the world do all those buttons do?

He sighed, giving up on the unnecessarily complicated contraptions humans used in their everyday lives and, with a sneaky glance over his shoulder to check that Clara wasn't watching from the other room, Soniced the microwave. After just one revolution of the dish the meal was cooked, and the Doctor removed it from the microwave triumphantly and scooped it out onto the plate. It resembled Shepherds Pie, which was good enough for him. Hopefully it would be good enough for her too. It was certainly better than his usual food. 

Holding the plate balanced on his fingertips- some might argue dangerously aloft in the air- the Doctor carried her dinner across the hallway and into the living room, setting it in front of her on the coffee table with a flourish. Clara smiled up at him, dimple showing in her left cheek. 

"I thought you'd never do it. You were in there an hour," she teased, "I thought you got lost."

"Oi! Microwaves are deceptively difficult to use," he grumbled, placing her cutlery next to her food, then retrieving the plastic table Kim had given them that operated on a hinge, allowing it to be swung in position over her legs. He moved her ready meal onto it then sat on the edge of her coffee table, anxiously waiting for her to taste his efforts. She loaded up her fork, eyes trained on him, and gingerly took a small bite, chewing it over several times more than necessary before swallowing. The Doctor held his breath as she considered.

"That's good," Clara breathed, "Actual, proper food, not the sludge they served us on that New Earth place."She tilted her head. "Did you cheat and use the Sonic?" 

"No," the Doctor replied unconvincingly, then cracked under her piercing stare. "Alright! Yes, I used it. How'd you know?"

"I always know," she said, then relented. "The textures different. Less like Shephard's Pie, more like scrambled egg. Tastes amazing, though." She added, seeing his downcast expression. 

He smiled over at her as she took another bite and, after a moment's hesitation she gave him one back, just enough to show a dimple. It was a far cry from the usual ecstatic beam she used to give him, but the Doctor knew that she was feeling more than a little down after phoning around to various friends and family to tell them what was going on. It had been hard for her, recounting the events that had happened up to this point. Of course, they had had to tweak certain details of their story- not even Clara's father knew about her time travelling-amending their time together so they travelled the world and Clara caught the disease while on tour in Africa, not because she had been kidnapped and injected with it by an Alien that fancied himself to be a god. Imagine explaining that one.