All Moving Parts Stand Still (1/2)

John remembers the anticipation and excitement of festivals from when he attended them as a wee lad, and then later during his band's heyday as a young man. Now he's no longer young nor is his band in it's prime, but the anticipation is still there, thrumming under his skin. He thought he'd never feel this again after the band's retirement and yet here he is one last time with his mates and the music. Time and Space reunited for one last hurrah.

It's the second day of the festival, Time and Space having just finished up a gig in Manchester. The band is scheduled to be the closing act tomorrow on the main stage. Having settled their tour bus and passes, the band makes their way towards the VIP area. When they make it out of the bus loading site they find an excited crowd blocking the path. From what he can hear over the ruckus it seems that there is a impromptu performance going on.

"John, go see what's the hold up." a disgruntled voice complained.

He turns to the back of the buggy with a look of disdain aimed at his drummer, Jack, then back to the commotion ahead of them. John pulls himself out of the automobile and fits himself through the crowd. Back in the day he wouldn't have been able to walk through a throng of people without a bodyguard or the sounds of screaming fans calling his name, but alas the times and crowds have changed.

Pushing his way into the inner circle, John can hear the music clearer. The steady strum of a guitar and the melodic notes of an electric keyboard fill his ears, and he's got to admit the sound is amazing.

The voice, her voice is what he hears next, and it's one of the most beautiful he's ever heard. And then he sees her. A young woman with an impossibly wide face and a button nose. She's singing and playing the keyboard, smiling at the adoring crowd around her.

When she catches his eye, John feels his breath hitch. Her eyes are a deep, chocolate brown, and hold a mischievous glint. She's still smiling at him as she sings. Then she finishes the song with flourish of her hands over the keyboard. There is an explosion of applause. John's still looking at her when there is a tug on the back of his jacket collar.

"Doc, what's the hold up?" Jack griped. "They've opened up another path to the tents. Let's go!"

John looks over his shoulder towards his band mate, and then forward again to try to catch a glimpse of the young woman one more time. Much to his disappointment, all he can see are the backs of people's heads. Now that the spontaneous performance has ended, the crowd has swarmed to try to get pics and autographs from the girls. Security quickly has to step in and soon he's no longer inside the circle, but standing on the outside.

"John! Come on!"

He gives himself a mental shake and spins around, his dark jacket with red interior lining billowing out as he stalks back to the buggy. All the guys are staring at him and John starts feeling a bit self-conscious, thinking that maybe they saw him gawking at the girl.

"So, what was happening over there?" Jack asked.

"Oh, a new band or something," John replied with a dismissive wave.

"Must have been some sound to capture your ear… Or was it the view that captured your eye?" Jack snickered.

"Shut up."

"Alright, Doc, I was just messing with you!"

After all the teasing died down, the thoughts of that young woman were still dancing around in his head. John has never been more relieved that they're heading towards the performers tent, because he could really use a drink.

The performers tent is large and there's a bustle of many different people going in and out. Some tables are thrown in the corner on one side, and the rest of the area is filled with plush couches and a bar. Jack leads everyone to a set of couches facing each other while taking drink orders, before heading over to the bar. John collapses onto one the cushions feeling older than he's ever felt, and just tired. He looks up to see the opposite couches are empty and his other two band mates engaged in conversation with a group of people.

Old friends, he thinks, emphasis on the old. John scoffs to himself as he rests his head on the back cushion, closing his eyes.

"All of Time and Space, yeah?"

His eyes snap open and turn to the person now sitting beside him. The girl from earlier who played the keyboard, with the impossibly large eyes and wide face is staring at him. He notices the playful sparkle in her eye as she looks at him expectantly.

"Uh, yes?"

"It's nice to see that even when time and space change there is always a constant."

He looks at her with a perplexed frown, not quite sure what she's trying to say. She may either be mocking him or is intrigued by him for being so old and still coming here, trying to make music.

"Sorry, what?" John said. " I have no idea what you're on about."

A huff of laughter tumbles out of her mouth before she's thrusting her hand out at him. "I'm Clara."

He cautiously takes her hand in his. "John."

"Nice to meet you John- or should I call you the Doctor?" She says, giving his hand a shake before slowly letting go.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course," Clara replied. "Like I said, all of Time and Space."

"Right. And you? You're in a band as well?"

Clara smiles. "Oh come now, John. You know I am. You were standing right in the middle of our little jam session outside."

"I, ah, I was only there because you were blocking the path of our buggy." He says with a flare of indifference that causes Clara to laugh.

"Honestly, I leave my band alone for a few minutes and two of them ditch me, and the other one starts chatting up a girl!" Jack suddenly interrupts as he places beers on the small table in front of them. Then he takes a seat on the opposite couch.

"I'm Jack Harkness, but everyone just calls me Captain. Who are you?"

John stiffens as he hears Jack's classic opening line and feels a pang of annoyance that he might try something on this girl. So he gives Jack one of his classic glares, attack eyebrows on display.

"Clara Oswald. Very nice to meet you, Captain Jack," she greets with a small smile on her face.

"Clara? Clara Oswald? From Control Freak?" Jack says in a rush, with a tiny bit of awe creeping through.

"Yeah, you've heard of us?"

"Honey, everyone is talking about your band, and especially you! The voice of a siren and looks to go with it." He throws her a wink. He glances at John with his signature smirk, but it freezes when he sees the frown aimed his way.

Clara looks back and forth between the two men.

"Well, thank you for the compliment, but I think I best pop off. There's a band I wanted to catch playing at T-Break in a hour. It was, well, interesting meeting you both. Perhaps I'll see you around." Clara gives John a lingering look before making her way out of the tent.

"Doctor, you old dog, you. Didn't know you had in for the younger ones. Though she is gorgeous," Jack gushed.

"Jack, shut up! Nothing happened! I barely said a word before you showed up." John throws his head back against the couch with a sigh.

"Well?"

"Well what, Jack?"

"Aren't you going to meet up with her?" Jack inquires as he leans into the arm of the couch, opening up one of the cooling beers forgotten on the table.

"What do mean meet up with her? She gone off."

Before Jack can reply the other two members of the band, Jamie and Harry, flop themselves down onto the couches, grabbing a beer each and arguing about something.. Jack leans forward with a gleam in his eye, addressing the other two.

"Guess what? John's caught the eye of a nice young bird!" The sound of whoops from the men cause John's ears to feel warm.

"Jack! No I haven't. I don't know what you're on about!" John crosses his arms defensively.

"She told us where she was going and then very pointedly looked at you before saying, 'maybe I'll see you around'. That is a very large hint that she's keen to see you again." Jack sighs. "Man, you really have been out of the game too long. Perhaps you need to play doctor, Doctor. So down that beer like a good Scotsman, and off you pop to T-Break to get the girl!"

Thanks to the goading of Jack and the rest of the band, John is walking towards T-Break. Although he was reluctant at first, after Jack told them the girl in question was Clara Oswald, dubbed the Impossible Girl by Music Magazine, he gave in. John feels foolish; a 50 something, grey haired. semi-retired rock star chasing a young beautiful woman is not how he pictured himself.

John quickly reaches T-Break. Like the rest of the smaller stages, the stage is enclosed within a large tent that gives it a more intimate feel. The stage is empty, but there are hundreds of people waiting, all grouped together in a large cluster of excitement and drunkenness even at four in the afternoon.

All performing artists have access to the other performances, with special viewing areas set up for each stage. John thinks about heading over there even if Clara isn't there to at least have a place to stand, rather than having to feel out of place in the jumping crowd. He makes to move out of the crowd when he feels a tug on his hand.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here! Didn't think you'd like Bad Wolf." Clara's all knowing, smiling face is beaming up at him. John looks at her bright face and then to the tiny hand still clutching his, and he can't help but attempt at smiling back even though he knows he's been rumbled.

"Yes, well, I thought I'd check them out after an impossible someone mentioned them." John replies with a sheepish smile.

"I hope they're not the only thing you're checking out." Her amused look almost masks her embarrassment- if not for the hint of red staining her cheeks.

"Come on! Let's get to the front. The set should be starting soon." She drags him by the hand through the throngs of people gathered by the stage barrier.

Clara ends up pushing her way to the front, with John standing behind her. She's driving force that cuts through the crowd, he thinks to himself. Her short stature brings her well below his chin, and he can see the stage perfectly over her head. John looks down at the top of her head before glancing sideways to the other patrons that are pressed up against them. He can tell that they recognize her by their shifting gazes and whispered tones to their friends. There is a reason there's a backstage view area for performers. Being in the crowd can be a risk and he feels a hint of nervousness settle in his stomach.

He hunches down a bit to talk softly into her ear. "Are you sure being in the pit is the best idea? People are recognizing you, plus you are very small."

As he speaks he feels the shudder that passes through her as his chest brushes against her back.

Clara turns her head to look back at him, "Don't underestimate me, Stick Insect." Her face is so close to his, he can see the flecks in her big brown eyes as they stare at each other.

The rumble of the crowd jostles them as Bad Wolf comes on stage to start their set.

The music is soulful and heavy, with a rock and roll edge. He can't help feeling out of place when the crowd starts getting into the songs, jumping up and down without a care. Clara is laughing and jumping with the crowd in front of him, and he can't help but laugh along with her when she shoots him a look over her shoulder every now and then. Overall, the experience is pleasant and feels himself enjoying the atmosphere.

Bad Wolf's last song is a slow one and the crowd starts to sway left and right, making John join them or be bumped. Clara is singing along and swaying with him when she gropes for his hand. John raises it for her to take and she pulls him in to press closer to her back, resting the her head against his shoulder and wrapping his arms around herself.

"This is one of my favourites of theirs," she says. Having just met her a couple of hours ago, John feels a bit uncomfortable being this close to her. The soft tone of her voice surrounds him as she sings the lyrics.

"Beautiful," John purrs.

Clara tilts her head back to look at him, still muttering the lyrics while staring into his eyes like she's singing the words of love to him. She angles her head to the side, more against his shoulder. Her gaze drops to his mouth before popping back up to meet his steel blue eyes. John leans down slowly, cautious that he might be reading her wrong. The soft, warm breath of her singing ghosts over his lips. And then she's standing on the tips of her toes and pressing their mouths together.

Her soft lips and the slight scrape of her teeth is all he feels, and everything around him is quiet. She's threading her fingers through his silver hair while turning around in his arms to face him. Clara deepens the kiss, opening her mouth and brushing her tongue against his. His hands are on her hips, pulling her body flush against his as he backs her up against the railing. Their kisses turn from passionate to languid as they slowly pull apart to catch their breath, foreheads pressed together as much as their height difference allows.

"Clara-"

"John-"

They start at the same time before catching themselves and laughing.

"John, I have…" The ringing of Clara's mobile cuts her off. He takes a step back from her as she reaches for her phone in her small side purse. The screen, flashing with the name "Danny Pink", catches his attention.

Danny Pink? A friend, a bandmate, a boyfriend? These thoughts run through his head as she takes the call, and he's struck with the feeling of disappointment. He feels foolish to think she would be available. All of this was just a moment, one of those festival moments, he thinks. It never could have lasted.

Clara ends the call and John realizes that because he was too distracted by his own thoughts, he's missed her side of the phone call. He looks down to find that she's taken his hand in hers and laced their fingers together.

"Hey, you alright?" She says as she pulls him out of his thoughts.

"Was that your boyfriend?" John asks bluntly. He's too old to beat around the bush. He needs to know, so if it's true he can go off and sulk by himself.

"Danny? No." Clara shakes her head. "He's nice, but no. He's the manager of my band."

"Oh." The relief in his voice is blatant.

"Yeah." Clara suddenly brightens. "Oh, what I was going to say before he called was that my band's set is in two hours, and I have to meet up with some people to get ready. Will you come with me? Watch the show?"

"That depends. Do I have to be front and center in the mosh pit?"

"Of course not, you can watch from the wings. Just as long as you're there." Clara answers, ducking her head. A shy smile plays on her lips.

"Clara, are you sure? I mean, I'm not…"

"I'm sure." Clara holds his gaze. "If I wasn't sure I wouldn't have asked you." She's looking at him now with a look of apprehension. "I like you, John, but if you're not sure then we can just…" She doesn't finish her sentence because he's pulling her to his chest and tilting her head up to look at him.

"I like you too, Clara, more than a man my age should."

"John, that doesn't matter-" He cuts her off with a press of his lips to hers and gentle hand to the back of her head. The kiss is soft and reassuring to both of them.

As they separate John's hand has moved to the side of her face, caressing the skin of her cheek.

"I'll be there, but you go on ahead. I'm sure you have band rituals that need to be done. I have to check on my mates and make sure they haven't gotten kicked out , but I'll be at your show. King Tut, yeah?"

"Yeah, at 8, I'll see you there." She turns to make her way out of the tent when John takes her hand in his.

"In case I don't see you before your performance…'break a leg', I believe is the saying." John places another kiss upon her lips. "Have a good show," He ends before letting her push her way there the dispersing crowd.

King Tut's Tent is the biggest tented stage, and the third biggest stage of the festival. To John it's always looked like a circus tent masquerading under it's blue coloring and right now, looking around he'd be right. The amount of people trying to jam themselves in has gotten so out of hand that extra security had to be called, and admittance halted. Clara's band is set to play any minute now and the crowd is buzzing with excitement.

John is standing with Jack in the wings off to one side. Jack, of course, has wrangled himself self-invited to the show, hailing it Control Freak's last tented festival gig before getting a spot on the field stages that he couldn't miss.

The lights dim and the crowd roars to life. As Clara walks by she throws him a wink and a smile. She's changed clothes, and is now wearing dark slim trousers and a black leather jacket over her red t-shirt. She looks amazing.

Jack leans over to talk in his ear. "She's gorgeous! I can't believe she's interested in you. I mean I just can't- you're one lucky SOB, Doctor."

"Yeah," he breathes out.

He hasn't taken his eyes off of her as she does a little intro, welcoming the crowd and then jumping into the set. The flow of music comes in waves, melodic but bass heavy, with her voice blending in and standing out at just the right moments. He's amazed, he smitten, he's infatuated, he's enchanted, he's everything above and more.

They're on their last song and there are no encores during these festivals, so they're laying it all out there. The song starts out slow and soft. Clara's voice is haunting, and then the drums kick in and the guitar is shredding and the crowd is jumping. It's a sight to behold.

Jack's bopping along and nodding his head like a bobble doll, so immersed in the show and the music that he hasn't noticed the pretty blonde stagehand sidling up to him.

The song ends and the band's saying their thanks and appreciation to the crowd. Then they're walking off the stage like they're floating, with the high of the performance thrumming through their veins. Once Clara's past the leg curtains, she's rushing toward him with a huge smile on her face. She crushes her body up against his, connecting their mouths in a desperate and bruising kiss. He's taken aback by her ferocity in the kiss at first but he's quick to catch up, wrapping his arms around her.

Multiple cat calls rip through the air, pulling the two apart.

"Wow, I thought you two would never come up for air!" Jack digs. Clara turns to Jack first to catch her breath,

"Jack, thanks for coming," she greets with a smile, her fingers threaded in John's hair.

"No, no, thank you! It was a killer show!"

"Yes, it was. You were amazing!" John purrs close to her ear, drawing her attention back to him as he leans down to kiss her again.

"Ahem," a voice clears itself. "Clara, we have to clear out for the next band." A man says, looking expectantly at John and then back to Clara.

"Yeah, alright," Clara sighs. "Danny this is John Smith and Jack Harkness from Time-"

"-and Space." Danny interrupts. "Yeah, I know, they're headlining. Nice to meet you," he says to them. "Danny Pink. I'm Control Freak's manager."

"Ah, yes, Clara's mentioned you before. Good to meet you." John says as he unwraps his right arm from around Clara's shoulders to shake the man's hand.

"Come, on lets clear off and get something to eat," Clara suggests. "I really want to check out Kaleidoscope Fields!"

After heading back to the VIP tent to grab some food, the group -now consisting of Control Freak members plus one manager, two from Time and Space and one blonde stagehand named Susan- they make their way to the Kaleidoscope Fields, which is made up of numerous fair type rides and games.

The group ambles their way through the crowd, beers in hand after stopping at one of the pop up bars near the entrance. The sun has gone down and the nightlife has started. Most people are too drunk or too busy in their own world to take notice of them.

They stop every once and while to play the odd game. John isn't too good at that them, so Clara makes it her mission to win him a prize. When she presents him with a stuffed bear he laughs and pulls her into the side of his body, muttering a "Thanks" into her hair before Clara tilts her head to give him a chaste kiss and smile.

When they come to the ferris wheel, they all pile into one of the buckets, four to each side. As they look down at all the people and the lights, the faint sounds of the last shows of the night waft through the air. The buzz of the alcohol and fading adrenaline from the gig have made the group more relaxed.

Clara leans her head on John's shoulder and he curls his right arm around her shoulders. Their hands are resting together on top of the plush bear in John's lap. The only sounds in the bucket are Jack's hushed whispers and Susan's tiny huffed giggles. John lifts his eyes from the outside view and catches Danny's gaze. It's unwavering and bit too intense not to have a reason behind it. The ride is serene and sobering when they get back on the ground. The girls rush off to find the toilets and Jack's volunteered to get more drinks, leaving Danny and John alone together.

He can feel Danny looking at him and he knows that he wants to say something about Clara. Something probably along the lines of not hurting her, what are his intentions, or is this just a fling for tonight. He can tell they're all on the tip of his tongue, so he's surprised when Danny resigns himself to saying, "Be good to her."

"Of course," John replies immediately. "Is that all you want to say?"

"I've learned long ago that you can't keep Clara from doing anything once she has her mind made up, and from what I can tell she has mind set on you. Frankly, it would take a braver man than I to question her about you now, but listen. If you're not a hundred percent sure about her right now, do both of yourselves a favour and end it before it begins. I don't want to see her hurt."

Before he can respond Clara bounds up to him and wraps herself around his arm. She waves to the girls and Danny, and announces that she and John are going to explore on their own and that she'll meet up with them tomorrow, before tugging John away from the group.

They pass by Jack on his way back and Jack gives them a mock salute with his free hand. The tug on his arm becomes more of pull until it's a full on yank and John's made to run. Clara's leading them back down the fairgrounds, running until the crowd becomes thick and it becomes difficult if they want to stay together.

"Clara, why are we running?" John shouts.

She looks back at him as they come to the outskirts of the dense crowd. The sparkle in her eyes is clear in the bright florescent lights of carnival games. A hint of her dimples shows on her cheeks.

"Did you know you look like a penguin when you run?" She jests, her tone filled with humour and amusement.

"Ha, ha, very funny. Excuse me for not being a track star."

"No, I like it. It's cute." Clara giggles.

"Clara, I'm fifty-six; I don't do cute." John frowns down at her.

"Oh no. Not the eyebrows, anything but the eyebrows!" She says with a laugh. Then she takes his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

She brings her free hand up to his face, running her fingers softly against his forehead, tracing the aforementioned brow. His eyes flutter closed for a moment, relishing in her touch. Then he gives her a smile.

"There we go. No more furious owl look, just all Doctor now!" She exclaims, returning the smile.

They start through the crowd- although Clara makes him stop to get cotton candy before continuing through the grounds. The stuffed bear is now making itself at home in Clara's purse. The candy floss bag is in John's hand and Clara is fitted into the side of his body with his arm around her. Clara pretends to feed some of the candy floss to him, but before it passes into his mouth she's popped it into her own, causing them both to laugh like teenagers.

They stop at the edge of the main grounds that overlooks the camping sites.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" John asks. "I know since your set is done you probably have to travel to your next show."

"Well, the band's doing a signing tomorrow at the meet and greet booth for an hour or so at 2 o'clock, and originally we planned to head to London right after, but I've convinced them to stay for the closing fireworks."

"The fireworks, huh," John remarks.

"Also there's this small gig happening on the main stage that I may just want to catch," Clara says as she nudges him with her shoulder. Her antics make him smile.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" Clara inquires.

"Yes and no. It's not the performance I'm nervous about, it's what happens after. We do a few more festivals and shows, and then go back into retirement and fade back into the background." John looks down at his shoes.

"John, I don't think that's going to happen. Your music and your memories keep it alive. Besides, you're in the Rock n' Roll hall of fame. I don't think your music will be fade into nothingness anytime soon."

"Yeah, maybe." He sounds unconvinced.

"Why do I get the feeling that you haven't done this in a while?" She asks him.

"Done what?"

"Be this carefree and open with someone- and I have a feeling this is just a preview. You're still holding back, still being cautious."

John shrugs. "Probably because I haven't. Being open makes you vulnerable, and I've not had the best experiences when it comes to that. I've been told that I'm not the best communicator."

"Well, I'm really grateful that you're here with me and willing to try."

John is quiet for a moment. "Clara, this whole thing has been unexpected. I know we've only known each other for less than 12 hours, but I feel this contentment when I'm with you that I haven't felt in a long time."

Clara turns to him and pulls him down by the lapels of his coat to kiss him softly, their tongues brushing. The kiss breaks and Clara rests her head against his chest.

"And people say that you can't communicate," she teases lightly. He can feel her smile against him as he laughs.

"Come with me. I want to take you somewhere for a change." John breaks the embrace and starts toward the camping tents, leaving Clara to scramble after him.

They end up in one of the The Residence's luxury tents. The tent is spacious, with wooden wall frames and floors. There's about 20 people in there, some sitting with pillows on the carpeted flooring. John and Clara slide themselves around to stand in the back to watch. A woman is playing the guitar and singing with an indie vibe. The tent is lit with lanterns that gives the ambience a soft glow.

When the woman's song ends there's clapping, and then the guitar is being passed around until it stops at John. There's a round of soft cheer urging him on. John's trying to pass the guitar off but no one's taking it when offered.

"Please, John, one song? You've seen me play an impromptu performance earlier. It's your turn," Clara says sweetly.

He gives her a look before grumbling, "Fine, one song." Then moves toward the stool.

He doesn't introduce himself- he just sits down and starts strumming. It's a steady strum, not to fast or too slow. The rhythm is intense but delicate. John starts to sing, and his Scottish accent makes the words sound richer than they are. He's chosen to play one of his unreleased songs about difficult choices. For most of the song he's looking downward, but as he comes to the end he glances up at Clara to see her with a soft smile and an adoring gaze. Soft clapping starts so as to not ruin the tone of the room. He gives a small smile before passing the guitar off to someone on his right.

After he moves to the back of the room to rejoin Clara, he places a tender kiss on her lips.

"That was beautiful," she says.

"Thank you. Do you want to stay and listen to a few more?"

Clara nods. "Yeah, let's sit down." There isn't much space left so Clara moves to sit down in the allotted empty space and maneuvers John to sit behind her, her back resting against his chest with their legs drawn up.

"How did you know this would be here?" She asks him.

"It's a tradition tent," John answers. "It's said to have started during the first year of the festival, in 1994. Some people just got together in a tent and played their songs to each other. It's about the camaraderie of music and how it brings people together. Ever since, there's been one tent in the residence that's rented just for this."

After the fourth song, Clara's head starts lolling on his shoulder. He looks down to find face angled upwards to look at him. Her eyes are speaking all sorts of things to him. In response he leans down to kiss her. The kiss is filled with more desire than the other kisses they've shared. It's open mouthed, with tongues sliding, a hint of teeth, and hands combing through each others hair as best as they can reach.

Clara breaks the kiss and whispers, "Want to take this elsewhere?"

"Yes," Is his only reply.

She gets up from the floor and offers him her hand then helps pull him up and they quietly leave the tent.

She pulls him through row after row of tents until she apparently finds the right one.

"This one's mine," Clara states as she pulls out the key and lets them in.

The lights from the festival grounds shines through the doorway to illuminate the room briefly, before it and the world outside are shut out when the door closes.

John traces his fingers over Clara's brow, cheekbone and then her nose, giving it a little bop on the tip before moving to her lips. His touch is feather light but he feels her purse her lips against the tips of his fingers to press a small kiss to them. He leans down to replace his fingers with his lips. The kiss is soft and tentative. It's different, he feels, as this is technically the first time they've been alone together.

"Clara, are you sure?" He whispers.

"Always."

Their lips meet hard this time, desperate and hungry to taste each other. Clara pushes his jacket off his shoulders and down his arms until it drops to the floor, before separating to remove her purse and her jacket. They navigate through the unfamiliar room towards the bed, mouths still connected, clothes being shed from their bodies and shoes being kicked off.

Clara breaks their kisses to push John down onto the bed. She straddles his hips, his hardness trapped between them. She grinds down into him, causing them both to let out a moan. Bending at the waist, she leans down to work his mouth open with her own while her hips make little circles against him. His hands run up and down her back, moving one to cup her left breast in his palm. She lets out a heavy sigh against his lips and he takes this moment to roll them over.

John covers her body with his, sliding his lips to her neck, kissing his way down as he gets to where neck meets shoulder before scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin. This earns him a gasp and Clara's hand comes to rest on the back of his head. He does it again with more force and then soothes the reddened skin with his tongue.

His hands brush over her skin to reach her breasts and he palms them gently, before kneading them with aching slowness. Clara arches against him, pushing harder into his hands. His long fingers move to pinch each nipple to a hardened peak. Then he moves his head down to take one into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it and slightly sucking. He pulls back to blow softly on the wet bud, causing Clara to shiver and let out a gasp. John moves to the other side, giving it the same attention before moving down to settle between her thighs.

He bends her right leg slightly, opening her up to him. He gently runs his fingers from her knee to the apex of thighs. Then he slowly drags a finger through her wet folds. The throaty groan that Clara makes goes right to his groin, making him uncomfortably hard. He leans in to tease her clit with his tongue and slides a finger into her. Clara's hips buck off the bed and one of her hands clambers to the back of his head to take hold of his hair. He lets her keep her hold on his head but uses his other hand to keep her hips pinned to the bed so she's can't grind up against his mouth. He alternates between fast and slow circles to bring her to the edge.

"John, please. Please," Clara coos at him. He sucks the hard nub into his mouth and gives it a light scraping of teeth that helps push her over. Clara writhes in the throes of an orgasm that eventually leaves her panting.

She draws him back up her body, kissing him and tasting herself on his tongue. She pushes on his shoulder to roll him on his back, and straddles his thighs. Then she reaches between them to take him into her hand. She gives him a few strokes, but he's pulling at her wrist to pause her movements.

"Clara, please, I want to be inside you." He pleads, breaking their kiss.

In response she lifts herself off his legs to search her bag on floor by the bed. She takes a foil package and tears one of the edges to remove a condom. She slowly rolls it down over his hardness and takes her position on top of him. Slowly placing the tip at her entrance, she rubs against him, not letting him slip inside just yet.

"Ah, Clara, please!" He begs as he jerks his hips upward to try and get her to take more of him. His fingers make indents in her upper thighs.

Slowly she leans over to kiss him and slowly takes him in inch by inch. When she's finally seated against him they both let out a moan into each others mouths. Moving his hands to her hips, John starts to guide her movements, building up the pressure in their groins. She leans back slightly, changing the angle of him inside her and moans when he brushes against that certain spot. John places his thumb against her clit, rubbing it in small circles to send her over the edge. She shudders against him, her walls clenching around his cock as she calls out his name. John turns them so he's on top, wrapping her legs around him and continuing to thrust into her, prolonging the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Soon he's chasing his own release, his long deep thrusts start to become shallow as he comes inside her with a sharp cry of, "Clara" muffled by her shoulder. Her hands stroke his sweaty back as he catches his breath and his heart rate returns to normal.

He brings their mouths together in a lazy kiss as he pulls out of her. Then gets up on shaky legs to dispose of the condom. When he returns to the bed Clara is curled up under the blankets. He slides under them and lets her nestle into his side, slipping a leg between his and resting her head on his chest.

"John?"

"Yeah?"

She lifts her head to look him in the eye. "Will you be here when I wake up?"

He brings a hand up to cup the side of her face. "Of course, I will. There's no other place I'd rather be than here with you, Clara." Using his hand to draw her face closer to his, he places a soft kiss on her lips before drawing back.

"Now, go to sleep," he says as she settles back down into his side. He can feel her fingertips tracing light patterns on his chest.

"John?"

"Clara."

"There's no other place I'd rather be either," she whispers. His only response is to pull her tighter against him, enjoying the closeness of her body before sleep takes them.