A/N: Hey guys! This one takes place before TATM for both the Doctor and River. It's written for Victoria Knightmare, who requested something a little more childish. I hope you guys enjoy it! : )

35: Necessity- the condition of being needed or required; something essential

River stared at her husband as she walked into the TARDIS kitchen. He was sitting in front of a bowl of custard with a fish finger held midway to his mouth.

"What?" he asked with his chin up. "If you have something wrong with my choice of food, River, you need only tell me."

"I don't understand how you could possibly enjoy that stuff," she said, pulling a face.

"I don't just enjoy it; I need it to survive," he exaggerated.

"You do not."

"I do to. I might die without fish fingers and custard."

She sighed with mock exasperation. "Technically the only needs, dear, are food, water, and shelter. Everything else is a want. And even then, as a Time Lord, you need less of each than a human would. Therefore, you do not need fish fingers and custard; you want fish fingers and custard."

"Well-" He was flustered, trying to find evidence for his side of the argument. "For all you know, Time Lords could need fish fingers and custard to survive."

"Sweetie, I'm part Time Lord. I think I would know if that were the case."

"Well…" By that point even the Doctor had realized how weak his argument was. He crossed his arms over his chest, defeated. "I just need it okay? Not for any reason. Just because."

"It's kind of childish, don't you think?"

He spluttered, gaping at her. "Of course not! Fish fingers and custard is one of the most adult meals I've had!"

"I said it was childish. I didn't say it was childish compared to the other foods you eat." She was quite enjoying this.

"Okay, okay. I see," he said. "You're just jealous because you don't have any for yourself. You could have just said that, I'm more than willing to share." He held out a fish finger across the table for her.

"Um, no thank you. I'll pass."

"You have to try it now, River. In apology."

"Apology?" She smirked.

"Yes. To the fish fingers and custard. They deserve an apology, don't you think? Eating them is the best way to show it you didn't mean what you said."

River paused. She'd always known the Doctor was a bit odd, but really? "I'm not going to talk to food."

He sighed. "Fine." He sat slumped in his chair dejectedly as he raised a fish finger to his mouth. In the blink of an eye and at the last moment, however, he lunged across the table and gently held a piece of his meal in front of her mouth for her to take. For a moment he thought she might reject his offer, but instead she sighed and took a small bite. He watched her, smiling in expectation as she slowly chewed. She swallowed and he giggled in ecstatic excitement. They merely stared at each other for a moment. Then she spoke.

"I really don't want to admit this, because I know you'll never let me live it down, but-"

"You love it, right?" He was practically beaming.

"It's alright."

"Just alright?"

"Hey, you're lucky you even got that! At least I didn't say anything bad about it."

"So… you think it's alright?"

"That's what I said. It's not bad, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a meal."

She expected him to argue, saying how fish fingers and custard is the best meal in the entire universe, but instead his face broke into a steady grin, almost a smirk. "You said it's not bad."

"Yes, I did."

"You said it's not bad!"

"Yeah… I just said that."

His smile grew wider as he jumped up from the table, leaving the rest of his snack on the table for later. "I've gotta go tell Amy and Rory!" He ran out to the console room to set the TARDIS coordinates for Leadworth. "Maybe they'll try some this time!" He yelled back to the kitchen.

River followed him, shaking her head in amusement. "I wouldn't bet on it!"

This would be an interesting visit.