4. Her Stubbornness
Bloody obstinate woman. They never listen. She never listens. The whole bloody universe could be deteriorating around them and she would still do everything in her power to finish what she started. But it's not like this is a new thing. Does she ever listen when he tells her to be careful? No. Does she ever listen when he tries to explain to her who he is-what he is? No. Does she ever listen when he elaborates on his perfectly sound [and obviously right] points of view? No, of course not. Because that would be far too simple, wouldn't it?
He supposes this should bother him. Having yet another insanely stubborn woman in his life to contend with. It's all the more maddening that she knows him well enough that her stubbornness regarding him is justified.
But, like so many other things about her, it only serves to make her more alluring.
He can't really explain why, but…actually, yes, he can. He just doesn't want to.
…But if he were to attempt to explain it, he'd say that it means she's not afraid to fight for what she wants. It means that she won't give up, even against impossible odds-a frame of mind he has to fight to keep almost constantly. He'd say that determined and perseverant women have always had a special claim on both of his hearts. That one of the reasons that humans were such beautiful creatures was because they refused to stop fighting. And he'd say that, in the rare moments when she can afford to be fully and completely honest (or, God forbid actually agrees with him), it's all the more meaningful because he knows she means it with every fiber of her being.
This woman, this River Song with whom so much of his life had become tangled up would never let anyone tell her what to do. Regardless of who was telling her otherwise-humans or immortals, gods or demons-she would never back down. She would hold fast to her opinions and never stop trying. She would never stop being herself. She was brave even in the face of even the most seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
And that, the Doctor realized, made her truly beautiful.
So he makes a decision while standing on top of a pyramid in a rapidly disintegrating world. He takes off his bowtie to wrap around her wrist, preparing to do the one thing he vowed all those years ago he could never do. And he's never been more sure, or more uncertain, of anything else in the past 1,100 years.
