Author Note: Originally written for a prompt on comment_fic at livejournal.
This Time Around
Rory knows that Amy misses the Doctor. He knows her more than well enough to know that. It's in her eyes when she drags him to a planetarium. It's in the fact that they can't have fish fingers for tea without custard as a dessert. It's the framed newspaper clipping of Leadworth's crop circle on their living room wall.
He's used to it. She's been missing the Doctor since the first time she met him.
It's different now though. She doesn't ask him to dress up as the Raggedy Man whilst she babbles about waiting for a marvellous man, a man of marvels. Instead he'll find the roman solider outfit laid out on the bed and she whispers in his ear how much she appreciates that he waited, her Last Centurion, her hero.
It's Rory that she married and Rory that she loves. He has no doubts about that, not anymore, hasn't for a long time.
She doesn't reminisce about the Doctor's 'magic laser thing'. She makes her own sonic screwdriver, which comes in useful that time when Rory accidentally locks the car keys in the car. She doesn't get a dreamy look in her eyes and talk about travelling the Universe, searching out adventure and excitement. She talks about how great it would be to have the Doctor and River over for Christmas dinner.
Rory knows that Amy misses the Doctor. She always has. But this time she's misses a friend, not a dream, a fantasy, a lifestyle, a possible lover, an escape, or any number of other things, just a really good friend. Truth be told, Rory misses him as well.