Two stories with updates long overdue, and the only thing my brain spits out is oneshot ideas. Such is life.
I couldn't not do this after the season finale. XD Speaking of which, as the finale episode's namesake might say, SPOILERS!
I don't own Doctor Who!
Whisk Me Away
For once she doesn't hear him coming.
One minute she's watching the guards make their final rounds of the night, the next, she turns around and there he his, leaning against that marvelous blue box of his with a smug grin on his face. She smiles, and she's about to deliver her customary greeting, but he speaks first:
"I'm home, honey," he quips. River glances at the clock on the far wall.
"You're late," she says, though her smile never leaves her face. "Only you could manage that with a time machine."
"So sorry, dear," he says as he steps toward her. "Can't I make it up to you?"
"You can certainly do your best." Her smile falters ever so slightly as something occurs to her. "Just when are you, anyway? Where are we in your time stream?" He chuckles fondly, something that admittedly takes her by surprise. He moves closer, leaning against the bars of her cell.
"Look into my eyes," he says, "and you tell me." She gazes up at him a moment before it clicks for her, her memories all falling into place, and elation flashes bright in her eyes.
"Oh," she breathes. He smiles, an expression so warm and welcoming that it makes her hearts melt. "Oh…"
"Hello," he says. She reaches up to cup his face in her hand.
"Hello," she replies. She goes to lean closer, to cover his lips with hers, but he pulls away, and when she looks up at him inquiringly, he says nothing. There is a momentary pause, and then through the silence comes a sharp metallic click. The door of her cell slides open. She grins; he leans in, bringing his face close to hers and placing his hands tenderly on her waist, but he doesn't go that extra inch, doesn't yet close the gap between them.
She can feel his breath on her lips as he speaks: "A friend once asked me to describe you."
"And what did you say?" she has to ask. She feels his smile rather than see it.
"Only one thing I could say, really. You're not an easy woman to describe."
"I certainly hope not."
"Honestly, if someone asks me about you, River Song, only one thing comes to mind."
"Which is?"
"Hell," he hums, "…in high heels." She breaks into a huge grin, bringing a hand to rest in the crook of his neck.
"Me to a T, darling," she fondly whispers, and he finally presses his lips to hers. It's a slow kiss, deep and purposeful, but unhurried; they have all the time in the world.
For a moment they are pure sensation. No prison bars, no painful memories, no lingering guilt. Just his hands on her hips, her fingers twisting through his hair, their lips moving together, hearts thrumming in sync with one another, creating a percussive symphony between their bodies. They separate with a mutual exhale, remaining just a breath away from each other still.
"Doctor…" she sighs, thumb tenderly stroking the skin on the nape of his neck. "Can you…will you…stay?"
"No," he says, and she's taken aback for a moment before he reaches up and takes her hands in his. He looks her in the eye. "This is your wedding night, River. Our wedding night." His voice drops to little more than a low whisper, and he leans in close to her to say, "And I don't intend to spend it in a prison cell."
"Then lead the way," she says, eyelids drooping. He pulls her forward, leading her toward his waiting Tardis.
"Come with me, River Song," he bids her. She steps forward, leaning toward him and pressing her lips to his ear.
"I always do, sweetie," she purrs, and she sees his face redden. Even now, that never fades: that slight tinge of self-consciousness, that tiny, hesitant awkwardness. She smiles, loving him all the more for it, knowing more than ever that she wouldn't trade it for anything else in the universe, would never ask for anything different in a million lifetimes.
Some time later, as they plumet through the endless Vortex, they try and catch their breath together, tangled up in the sheets and in each other. River rests her head in the dip above his collarbone and savors the feeling of his fingers skimming across her skin. He hums thoughtfully, and she feels the sound reverberate through her whole body.
"River Song," he says sleepily, but he's not trying to get her attention; he just likes the sound of her name, likes the way it feels on his lips. He repeats it softly, introspectively: "River Song…River Song…"
She takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly and places a kiss on the side of his neck. For a while longer they just lie there, listening to each other's breathing, and she feels his chest rumble beneath her when she speaks again:
"Is it always like this?" She looks up at him questioningly. "You and me…" He gestures for a moment with one hand, trying to come up with the best phrasing. "...together."
"Spoilers, love," she smirks.
"Not just…physically, I mean," he adds, slightly flustered for a moment. "I mean…this. Is it always so…peaceful?"
"It's not something you're used to, is it?" she asks. He quirks an eyebrow, and she laughs. "Peaceful, I mean."
"No…" he admits quietly. "No, it's not." She presses her body up against his, snuggling up against him.
"Yes," she finally says. He's silent for a moment.
"And…the physical…" he ventures. River grins.
"Yes…" she breathes again before pressing her lips to his. He hums thoughtfully, wrapping his arms around her. In a quick, smooth motion, he pushes her onto her back and hovers over her, a smile gracing her features.
He kisses her jaw and neck, hears her purr quietly at his touch, and pauses at her collarbone. Her fingers curl in his hair as he rests his head on her chest, pressing his ear to her skin. He exhales in sheer amazement as he hears the twin rhythm of her hearts against her ribcage.
"Never thought I'd…" His voice tapers off into silence, and she swears she can hear tears in his voice. Her breath hitches, but she says nothing, letting him enjoy the moment.
"Amazing," he breathes. "Beautiful…fantastic…" With each word, excitement grows in his voice, and when he finally looks up at her again, he's smiling widely. "River, you're a wonder!" he exclaims happily, and she smiles back and accepts him as he kisses her in jubilation.
The energetic movement of his lips against hers slows gradually, and when he pulls away, he rests his forehead against her own, eyes still closed as if opening them would reveal all of this to be a blissful hallucination.
"River…" he breathes. She strokes the back of his neck, runs her hand down across his lean shoulders, feels his muscles move reflexively beneath her touch. "There's something I have to tell you…something you need to know…"
He opens his eyes and meets her expectant gaze, then leans forward and whispers in her ear. She gasps; she can't help it, and she marvels at the beauty of the gift he's given her. He kisses the shell of her ear, as if punctuating the preciousness of the word he's just revealed to her.
"It's beautiful," she breathes. He smiles wanly.
"You're the only other living person who knows it now," he says softly. She merely takes his head in her hands and guides him downward so he's pressing his ear to her chest again. He laughs quietly, blinking back the stinging he feels in his eyes.
She repeats his name lovingly, fingers twisting through his overgrown hair. She says it over and over. But she's not trying to get his attention, not trying to break him out of his trance; she merely likes the way it feels on her lips.