Morning Acoustics

Balancing life with the Doctor and life in the real world could get exhausting. Clara could handle it, though, like she could handle every facet of her life. Normally, She controlled both sides of herself even better than her classes at Coal Hill. But today was an exception. Because when Timelords turn up at the crack of dawn asking to go on an adventure, tired takes on a whole new meaning.

He stood in front of her this early, early morning, one hand on the TARDIS door. His hair was a bit shorter than it had been last night when he'd dropped her off. In her half-sleeping mind, Clara thought he even looked kind of sweet standing there with a smirk on his face, ready to face the day. That is, until she noticed how dark her room is, and read the clock beside her bed.

"Doctor, it's not even five," she groaned, letting herself fall back into her pillow, eyes closed. She heard him approach, all buzzing with energy.

"I have this great breakfast spot picked out; it's just on the edge of your galaxy. Won't take five minutes to get there."

Clara mumbled in response, drawing the Doctor closer. "What did you say?"

Clara's pillow whacked him upside the head before he saw it coming. Then she threw him a glare, which probably would have been more frightening if she didn't yawn halfway through.

"I said you should've let me sleep for another five minutes."

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then she looked back up at him and found him giving her soft puppy dog eyes and an infinitesimal smile. She shook her head and closed her eyes, leaning against her headboard. "What kind of breakfast place is it?"

The Doctor hurried back toward the TARDIS. "It was actually made by half-humans, so they have food similar to your Earth shops. Donuts, cakes, muffins…" he waited a moment before adding, "And, they have some of the best coffee in the universe this side of Optunium."

As much as Clara wanted to go back to sleep, coffee sounded very nice right about now. She peeked a suspicious eye open. "Best coffee in the universe?"

He shrugged. "If the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe is to be trusted."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"Intergalactic travel brochure, cheesy name. I don't think any of them got the reference, but it made it funny for humans."

Clara quirked her other eyebrow.

"It made it funny for some humans. Anyway, would you like to go or not?"

Clara sighed, then threw off the covers and went to her dresser. "Give me a tic and I'll be ready to go. I am not getting coffee in my nightie."

The Doctor snapped his fingers. "Got it boss. I'll just er," he gestured to the TARDIS. "I'll be in here."

"That's probably a good idea."

.

They entered the alien coffee shop and Clara's jaw dropped. Half of the back wall was covered in stacks of glass containers, all holding different flavored and colored coffee beans and tea leaves. The Doctor pointed around the room at various alien species, but Clara hardly heard him, caught up as she was in the mere ambiance of it all.

Sturdy wooden tables stood around the room, perfectly spaced apart and welcoming her with little plants and rustic chairs. To the right was a stage, where a young half-human, half-fish was playing a jazzy tune on the piano. Clara's head bopped along to the music as she and the Doctor made their way slowly to the front counter.

As she turned to the wide selection of pastries and coffees, the Doctor kept an envious eye on the stage, where two young women were beginning a duet. "Hey Clara, I'll be right back."

Clara watched him disappear back through the queue that had formed, then turned back to the counter and ordered two of the red polka dot coffees and a blue cake. As payment, she used a universal credit card the Doctor had luckily given her the other day.

A few minutes later, Clara picked up the coffees at the other end of the table, and then began to worry about finding the Doctor. She hadn't seen or heard him since he'd mysteriously walked off, and so she was standing in the now-crowded shop all alone, with her hands full and her foot tapping against the floor. She was just about to find a seat by herself when she heard the music coming from the stage shift. A new player was starting their own song, and if she didn't know better, she'd have said it was the same tune the Doctor had been playing all week.

Her eyes landed on the stage, and she nearly dropped one of the coffees in her amusement. There was the Doctor, standing at the edge of the wooden platform, playing an acoustic guitar and staring right at her. Clara slowly made her way towards him, then placed his coffee carefully on the stage in front of his feet. He thanked her in between chords.

She leaned on the stage, looking up at her goofy, impossible Timelord. He really was very talented, and had made the change from electric to acoustic almost seamlessly. In her opinion, this version of his music sounded even better.

Clara took a sip of her coffee and then a bite of her cake, and knew that she had been right in coming here. It was bliss. The coffee shop was quieting down again, the morning rush over. The air smelled of coffee and baked goods. Mornings had never Clara's favorite, but if they could all be like this; instead of chasing students or being chased by zygons...well, she could get used to mornings.