Happy belated Valentine's Day to all of you! I know I'm a little late, but better late than never, right? You've given me some great suggestions, which I'll definitely get to, but I just had to write this one for the holiday. It's basically all fluff.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or songs. It's sad, but I cope.

Song: Ocean Avenue (Yellowcard)

February 14: Valentine's Day.

So where was he?

Sure, the Doctor wasn't the best at showing up for holidays, but this was one that he generally didn't miss. Not after what happened the first time, that is.

River shrugged it off for as long as she could. After all, she knew that it was very possible that he would show up late with a huge bouquet of flowers and a stammered apology. While waiting, she passed the hours by looking back in her diary at all the other Valentine's Days they'd spent together. For this one day each year, they had been able to go somewhere different, somewhere they wouldn't be chased or targeted; no running, no fighting, just the two of them. She was so lost in her diary, in fact, that the next thing she knew, the small clock in her cell told her that the day was over and that the fifteenth had just begun.

With a sigh, she got up and strapped on her vortex manipulator. If that man wasn't going to take her somewhere romantic, she would have to make do without him. With a flash of light and a puff of smoke, she found herself on the beach of some tropical island resort or another. Here, the day was not quite over yet. The darkness still enveloped this place, just as it had at Stormcage, but the interface on her scanner told her that the clocks here still read 11:01 PM.

Now she kicked off her shoes and socks and walked down to the water's edge. The moon was reflecting brilliantly over the waves, sending the light in all directions. The sand was cold and smooth under her bare feet as she listened to the sound of the tide. Her senses were so immersed that she only returned to reality when she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She turned to see the Doctor standing there.

River wasn't quite sure how to react. Her first instinct was to scold him for being late. But on the other hand, he wasn't technically late in this place. So the first thing she said to him was, of course, sarcastic. "No bouquet this time?"

"It's in the TARDIS," he smiled hesitantly. He tried to read her features for any indication of how she would react to his late arrival, but she was completely unreadable at the moment.

Finally, River decided that if she did want to scold him, she could do it later. Now was not the time for that. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck. "How did you find me?" she murmured into his neck.

"She took me exactly where I needed to go," he answered, indicating the TARDIS.

"Well," River said, breaking away now, "there's no sense in lingering on trivial matters then. You're here, and that's what matters."

The Doctor, noticing her bare feet, kicked off his shoes and socks as well, and they began to walk down the shore together, hand in hand. They were quiet as they walked, and every so often they would pass another couple doing the same thing. After a while, the Doctor said, "Is it alright if we sit for a little while?" River nodded, and he led her to a cushioned loveseat a little farther inland.

Once they sat down, the Doctor wrapped his arms around her, and she sat sideways across his lap, leaning into him. Not far from where they sat, a wedding party was having a reception. Lights were strung on posts around the four corners of their space, and soft music lingered in the air. River watched them as the Doctor absently stroked her arm and placed gentle kisses on her neck.

The wedding-goers now decided to take pictures, and a group of bridesmaids all dressed in a light blue stepped out of the crowded reception to smile for the photographer. Every so often, the group in front of the camera would leave to be replaced by another: bridesmaids, groomsmen, relatives. Finally, the bride and groom came out, arms linked. As River watched them closely, the bride locked eyes with her and smiled. It wasn't a smile of greeting or humor, but rather, of empathy, and River could tell that this woman understood well how it must feel to be as madly in love with someone as she was with the Doctor.

Of course, when their eyes met, River broke the gaze immediately, not wanting to be intrusive. But she kept watching out of the corner of her eye. She saw the bride nudge the groom, and he too looked at the two time travelers and smiled in understanding. However, in a few moments, they too had posed for pictures and retreated back into the happy throng of people. This encounter somehow seemed to her as a sort of approval, letting her know that this mixed-up relationship she had with the Doctor wasn't just temporary.

Once they had gone, River closed her eyes and concentrated on her senses once more. Now, they were completely occupied with the Doctor: his fingers and lips caressing her body, the almost inaudible sound of his voice as he breathed ancient love poems to her neck in Gallifreyan, the sweet scent that always lingered on him. All these things combined make her realize just how unbelievably happy she was in that moment.

She opened her eyes. "Doctor?" Immediately after his name had left her lips, she realized that there was no good way to put what she felt into words, so when he uttered a sound of inquiry, she simply said, "I… well, I mean… I just wanted to tell you that… this is perfect."

He laughed lightly, and she felt the short burst of breath against the back of her neck as he did. Now, the hand that had been stroking her arm trailed up slowly, first to her shoulder, then to her neck, and finally to her cheek, where it stopped. The Doctor now moved his head to look at her directly. "I was thinking the same thing." There was a pause as he studied her eyes. "And I know I don't tell you this nearly as often as I should, but I… I love you."

He placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose, and proceeded to kiss what must have been every square inch of her face besides her lips. Once he was done, though, he placed the same light kiss there, pulling back just as quickly as he had every other time. However, River pushed forward, crushing her lips to his. Even though he was expecting something like this, the Doctor laughed, and his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"TARDIS?" he whispered breathlessly into her ear when they finally broke apart.

"TARDIS," she affirmed, standing up.

They linked hands and ran across the cool sand, back to the blue box. "Happy Valentine's Day, dear!" the Doctor laughed.

Reviews and/or song suggestions would be lovely!