Short, but sweet if I do say so myself. Hope you guys enjoy! However, the flow of the story still kind of bothers me...
"River, this is not funny!" The Doctor shouted furiously.
"Oh, but my love, it is." River said, trying to hold back her laughter.
The Doctor was stuck up to his knees in mud, not to mention the splatters of swampy water the covered his tweed jacket and shirt thanks to his struggles. River was standing on the edges of the mud hole the Doctor had fallen into, a grin on her face. Admittedly, it wasn't often that her husband ended up in a situation quite like this.
"Can you please help me out?" He pleaded, his arms outstretched as he wobbled unsteadily.
"Alright, alright. I've let you suffer enough." River sighed, walking forward until she was at the very edge of the mud pit.
She leaned out, her hand outstretched for the Doctor to grab on. He did, his skin warm against hers.
"Alright, on three, I'm going to pull." River instructed. "It'll be tough for you because you'll have to keep your balance, but hopefully the momentum will have you land on solid earth instead of more mud."
Her mouth twitched upwards in a smile, making the Doctor huff in annoyance because he knew how much she was enjoying this.
"One… Two… Three!" River pulled with all her might.
There was a squelching sound as the mud the Doctor was trapped in refused to give, and then he felt like he was falling. There was a loud 'oof' as the Doctor finally made contact with the ground. But the ground wasn't usually this warm and comfy… The Doctor flushed hard, and immediately rolled of River, who he had landed on.
"I-I'm sorry!" He said, his voice unusually high-pitched.
River smirked teasingly. "Oh, I don't mind."
The Doctor turned even redder and stood up. River followed suit, brushing the dirt off her pants and tossed her curly hair over her shoulder.
"We should get back to the TARDIS to get you cleaned up." She remarked, a grin still on her face.
The Doctor glanced down at himself. She was right, he was absolutely drenched with mud.
"Let's go then…" He sighed. "But we are never coming back here again!" The last part was an exclamation.
River laughed aloud. "May I remind you that it was your idea to bring us to Alzarius for the mist fall."
"Yes, but you know that I was around two years off…" He said, embarrassed.
"So I suggested that we go back to the TARDIS and find somewhere else." River finished. "And you didn't listen, sweetie. See? Karma."
She walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his jaw.
Despite himself, the Doctor smiled and tapped her on the nose. "Alright, then. Let's go home."
"Home…" River mused, her hand grasping his.
The Doctor flinched inwardly, because he could hear the twinge of sadness in her voice.
"Is it soon?" He asked, his voice wavering slightly.
They both knew what he was talking about. It hung between, the second half unspoken.
Is it soon until you leave me?
"No." River murmured. "No, my love, not for a while."
The Doctor sighed, the relief audible in his voice as the tension in his body left. River caressed his face with her free hand and kissed him gently. He returned the favor, his hand reaching up to tangle in her curly hair. There was nothing passionate about their kiss. It was merely sweet, and full of love with an underlying sadness that the both of them could not bear to face for the moment.
"We should get back to the TARDIS." The Doctor whispered once he pulled away.
River only nodded, her hand gripping his as they turned and walked towards the blue box half-hidden by the trees.
They were silent once they entered. The Doctor sent them into the time vortex, knowing that broaching the subject of their next planet would need to wait a while.
"You should get some rest." He told River, his voice gentle.
"You need it too." River pointed out, noticing how haggard he looked.
"I'm fine." He protested.
"No, you're not. The TARDIS'll be fine without you for a couple of hours. Come with me." She grabbed his hand again and gently pulled him up the stairs and through the hallways of the TARDIS.
The Doctor didn't protest, and followed her closely. She led him to her room and sat on the bed, her fingers weaving through his. He sat next to her, thumb caressing her knuckles gently as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
They were silent, unmoving for a while, just sitting there. Several times River's eyes flickered shut, and she finally moved away with the Doctor with a sigh before lying down on the bed. The Doctor did the same, unprotesting when River wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. He smiled and kissed the top of her head gently.
"Sleep." He told her softly. "I'm right here."
"I know, my love." River sighed, her voice slurring. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
She fell asleep quickly in the Doctor's arms, leaving him to muse sadly. How many more times would they have moments like this? How soon until she left?
What if something happened to her?
His arms tightened around her reflexively, protectively. The Doctor wasn't sure whether River would be safer with or without him… But his selfish hearts kept telling him that it was beside him that she belonged, where she would be protected.
It was at times like this that it felt like mist had descended upon him, keeping him from seeing the path ahead, even though he knew where it led.
"Don't leave me." He whispered brokenly, barely realizing that he had said it aloud.
Another question lingered at the back of his mind, not unnoticed but ignored. He knew if he asked it to himself, he wouldn't be able to answer it.
How would he be able to let her go?
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