No time for your tricks

She rolled her eyes gently – leave it to Liam to find fault in normalcy – the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Maybe he was right. Maybe she really was just imagining things. Maybe, against all odds, things really were as he said – normal. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Of course, they weren’t, were they? Certainly not with Liam, who seemed… edgier than usual. Like maybe there was a chip on his shoulder? Or a bee in his bonnet?

Was he… glaring at the man across the way?

Slowly, she turned her head just so, following Liam’s gaze before returning her own to him once more. Yeah, something was definitely off. 

“I’m sure you’re right,” she agreed, even if she didn’t strictly believe it, “Are you enjoying it – this rare bout of normality?”

Liam turned to give Evie a close lipped smile as he shrugged his shoulders. Honestly, the lack of strange things happening lately was nice -- but he found he sort of missed it. It kept things interesting, even if he did grumble about it.  

“I am, yeah. It’s been quiet at the school. Actually able to get some real teaching done,” he joked, taking a sip from his tea as his gaze slid over to the guy on the other side of the emporium, who was still staring-- or was he just imagining that? 

“What about you? Things been quiet at the hospital?” 

Clara smiled, batting her big eyes purposely as she leant her chin into the palm of her hand. “Because you’re pretty,” she shrugged, not even attempting to hide her smirk, “and I like looking at you.” And it was true. He was handsome, in that socially awkward sci-fi nerd next door kind of way. And she really did enjoy looking at him. 

Especially when his cheeks started to flush. Which was what she’d been hoping for then. She even leant in closer, hoping to get a look at the start of a blush. 

Was that terribly cruel of her?

Nah. 

“Oh, you’re not cross with me, are you?”

“What --” He coughed to clear his throat, and immediately picked up his tea to take another sip, disappointed that it was nearly gone at this point. He could feel his cheeks burning, and hoped he’d be able to pass it off as being from the heat of his tea, or the heat of the room. Was it warm in the emporium, or was it just him?  

It was probably just warm in there.  

“No --” His voice came out higher than he expected, and he had to clear his throat, again. “No, not cross. Confused. Really confused. Not cross.”  

If he was being honest, even this was better than the morning he was having prior to Clara’s sudden sitting at his table. He was actually feeling less cross now than he was earlier that morning. But he wasn’t going to tell her that -- at least not yet. 

“Is it just me, or have you noticed people seem to be a little…” she drummed her glove clad fingertips against the table as she searched for a delicate way to put it, before settling for, “on edge, lately?” She knew exactly what answer she was hoping for – no, Evie, it’s all in your head. And wouldn’t that be splendid? A fat lot better than getting herself involved in something that bordered on… sci-fi-y. 

Still, even as she looked around the Tea Emporium she got the sense that something was off…

Brilliant.

Liam took a sip from his tea, and glanced around the emporium, trying to decide for himself if people seemed off like she said. He could have sworn he seen a couple people staring at Evie, and felt a swell of jealousy that he knew almost immediately was irrational. Evie was a friend, and the mother of one of his students. What on Earth made sense about him getting jealous that people were looking at her like they wanted to ask for her hand in marriage that very second. 

“Everything seems normal to me. It’s just another day. Actually, things seem to be a bit more normal than usual - so in that sense, I suppose you’re right. Things do seem to be a bit off.” He shrugged, setting his glass back on the table. Was he overcompensating to how off he felt himself? He definitely was overcompensating. Hopefully she hadn’t caught the way he glared at the guy across the cafe a moment ago. 

Jack narrowed his gaze at the man, not recognising him immediately and wondering what he’d been doing that had made him so distracted that he couldn’t realise he was about to run into one of the tallest guys in the café.

Sighing, Jack moved around the man and grabbed a fistful of napkins and began to wipe off as much of the coffee off of his coat as he could. “It’s fine,” Jack started, clearly still irritated but calm enough to know that the other man was truly apologetic.

“It was, but I’m more worried about the coat-don’t worry about it though, and,” Jack smiled at him. “You don’t have to get me a latte, I’ll get another.” Wiping his hands off, Jack stuck out his right hand to him. “Captain Jack Harkness, you work at Coal Hill, right? I think I’ve seen you, but I don’t think we’ve officially met.”

Liam winced as he glanced at the coffee stains on the coat. It did look rather expensive. Probably not something that Liam would be able to easily replace on the drop of a hat with his salary, and hoped that he wasn’t asked to do that. 

“I really don’t mind, it was my mistake,” he insisted, getting ready to turn back to the counter to ask the barista to make him another one when he noticed the hand being stuck out to him. He paused, surprised by the change of subject before he reached out to shake Harkness’s hand.  

“I’m Liam Campbell. Just Mr. Liam Campbell, but working on going back for my Doctorate --” He didn’t know why he felt the need to add that part, and immediately moved on “-- I don’t think we’ve officially met either. What is it you teach again? And what were you a Captain of, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

The corner of her lips curled, setting her smirk more firmly on her lips. Mr. Campell had quickly become one of her favourite people to tease. Mainly because it was so very easy to get him. And he always had the best reactions, as well. Much like then – completely caught out, whilst trying very hard to remain nonchalant. 

Someone crueller might have chuckled. 

Clara, being the sympathetic, kind human she was, opted instead to say nothing – quietly gathering her things and setting her drink on his table and taking the seat opposite him. He, of course, hadn’t actually invited her to join him, but she really didn’t think he’d mind. (And even if he did, it was doubtful he say as much, which was good enough for her.)

“Oh, but I’m not,” she answered, shaking her head just so, “having a go, that is. Seven minutes, though, that’s not bad, this one time –” she stopped herself, taking a moment run through the story in her head to see if it contained any mention of aliens – oh bugger, the good ones always did – “the uh, the same thing happened to me.” The creature in question couldn’t actually be seen with the human eye, but still, she could relate, so she shrugged. 

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” she continued, her tone turning teasing, “if fact, you were actually bit boring to watch if I’m being totally honest.”

He wasn’t, but it was more fun if he thought he was. 

Liam gaped openly when Clara decided to move over to the seat right across from him, effectively joining him without so much of a warning. He thought maybe he should be put off by it -- especially since he still wasn’t entirely convinced that she wasn’t having a go at him. What else could her motive have been? 

Her explanation that she’d once done the exact same thing didn’t sound all that convincing either, and all he managed to say in return was a skeptical “Right...” before taking another sip of his tea.  

“Boring!?” He spluttered, not entirely sure why he was so offended by that comment either. “If I was so boring, what was the point in continuin’ to stare at me for seven whole minutes?” He countered, raising both his eyebrows at her expectantly. 

“Excuse me?!” Jack gave the person before him a perplexed expression.

Whether they had actually meant to bump into him or not; Jack was to decide on that later. But as of right now, the Captain was currently wearing his hot latte on the front of his coat and the person at fault hadn’t seemed to notice.

“You know, where I’m from, an apology is usually given.” He stated in an even tone, giving them a frown and trying his best not to think about how much the cost of dry cleaning was going to be for his coat.

Liam frowned, walking backwards as he tried to get a better glimpse of Dr. Smith rounding the corner, who could have sworn he’d just seen in his classroom, so wrapped up in his own head that he hadn’t even realized that he’d bumped into someone until he heard a very harsh ‘excuse me’ from behind him. 

“Oh.” He mumbled, slowly turning around to see the damage. He winced as soon as he saw the coffee all over ... the newer history teacher’s front.  

“Oh,” He repeated, looking up at him with another apologetic wince. “I’m so sorry. Oh my god. I can buy you a new latte -- doesn’t make up for the pain -- was it fresh?”  

A visit with Jenny, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. Well, not The Doctor – in fact, maybe best to shelve that metaphor, there’s no way she was having The Doctor think she’d ever take orders from him. Even if it was just a tthing that people said. And in her own mind. 

Whatever. 

But she really was keen to catch up with her friend. It felt like it had been ages. Even if time travel had done a number on her ability to gage actual time. Certainly long enough to warrant a tea and a chat, yeah? 

Unfortunately, Jenny hadn’t been in, instead forcing her to sit by herself at one of the smaller tables – bored and alone. Or not bored, actually, because Clara was playing a game. A game called: ‘how long will it take the adorable Mr. Campbell to notice I’m staring at him’ game. She was still a bit foggy on the rules, but all in all it had proved to be much more entertaining than she’d originally thought. Especially when she’d been caught. 

Chuckling to herself, Clara thumbed the screen of her mobile, noting the time. “Seven minutes,” she answered, entirely too smug for someone who’d basically just been caught creeping on a colleague, “Not bad.” Sipping her tea, she paused reflectively. “Well – not good either.” She bit her lip, well mannered enough to appear apologetic. “Sorry, was waiting to see how long it’d take you to notice me.”

“Seven minutes.” He repeated slowly, blinking in confusion as he turned his had to look back at the clock, feeling like he missed something. He took another sip from his tea, debating whether or not he should just go back being in his own little world, and pretend that he wasn’t a little bit flustered about being stared at by the pretty (and admittedly one of the more respectable) colleage, Ms. Oswald. 

His curiosity got the better of him though, especially when she pointed out that she’d just been waiting to see how long it would take him to notice her. “You’ve been there for seven minutes!?” He turned his head to look back at the clock again, realizing that ten minutes had passed since he’d sat down. Was he really that unobservant? 

“You couldn’t have been, I’d definitely would have noticed. Are you having me on?” 

A few minutes later, he was sitting at a random table with his order, pleased that he might be able to enjoy a moment of peace before he headed back to the school. He barely managed to get through half his tea before he felt a pair of eyes on him, and he slowly turned to look at the person sitting at the table next to him. 

“Can I help you?”