A/N: Hey guys! This one took me a few hours, but I wanted to update sooner because you had to wait longer last time. River is a little bit ahead of the Doctor in this chapter, but they're pretty much the same. I had originally wanted them to have a conversation about Madame Kovarian, but I just wasn't feeling it. So this came about! Also, when I mention football, I mean British football, so American soccer. I'm not too sure about this one, so I hope it isn't too... domestic for the Doctor. Let me know what you think! Also, I'm still accepting words for the hat if anyone wants to add any! Enjoy! : )

12: Hate- To dislike something or somebody intensely, often in a way that evokes feelings of anger, hostility, or animosity; a feeling of intense hostility towards something or somebody

"I didn't mean to!" the Doctor said as calmly as he could.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" River yelled back.

They were stood in the TARDIS control room, arguing quite loudly. It had all started about half an hour before when the Doctor had said something he probably shouldn't have about the man in the grocery store, and River was more than a little upset.

"I can't believe you would even think I'd sink to that level! I'm married!"

"I've had a long week, I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, well I've had a long week, too, and sometimes sorry doesn't cut it!" she said. "You can't just go around saying things you have no proof about and then expect everything to be perfectly fine when you apologize. There comes a point when you don't mean it anymore."

"I didn't mean to, it just slipped out."

"Well MAYBE you should work on that!"

"I'm trying!" he screamed, almost maniacally. "Don't you think I know I need to work on things? I know what I need to do with myself, thanks! I'm sorry if I said something about some random stranger that you didn't like, but he shouldn't have been doing that and I don't regret what I said!"

"Exactly! Don't apologize to me if you don't mean it! It doesn't matter what he did, that doesn't give you any excuse to say what you said!"

"He was hitting on my wife! Did you not see the guy? He looked very comfortable with it too, especially with me standing right behind you!"

"That doesn't mean I've met him! Do you really think I would I would do that? You know me better than this!"

"It sure doesn't look like it!"

"Oh, I can't believe you! Would you prefer it if I just leave and meet up with that guy?"

"Go ahead! What do I care?!"

"I don't cheat!"

"I KNOW THAT!" He was yelling louder than he can remember yelling in a long time, and there was a threatening look in his eyes.

"Obviously not!"

"Don't go telling me what I know and don't know! You know nothing about me."

"Oh, I see! I see how it is! Maybe I'll just leave! See how you like that!" she said as she turned and began storming up the stairs and deeper into the TARDIS.

"River!"

"Oh, I hate you!" She walked away without turning to look at him, her footsteps heavy. After a few moments, he heard a door slam.

"River!" the Doctor yelled in frustration, more to himself than to her. He stomped his foot, turned around, and walked out of the TARDIS with his jaw set.

A few hours later the Time Lord returned, leaning up against the door of his ship and sighing. He knew he shouldn't have said what he'd said, not just in the grocery store but throughout the entire argument. It was an accident, he hadn't wanted to argue at all, and he was surprised by how quickly things had escalated. He couldn't remember yelling like that in a long while, especially to someone he cared so much about. It scared him a bit, the reality of the situation. He had let himself get so angry that he lost control of his emotions, screaming at River when he should have been able to calm himself down and deal with it maturely, like a proper 1000+ year old should.

He was lucky she hadn't left. She very well could have, they were only ten feet from the door. Instead, she had gone the opposite direction entirely, probably to their bedroom or the library. He had gone out, not sure what else to do. He needed to do something to calm down, and if she was back in the TARDIS, he had figured he might as well just leave for a few hours. For lack of anywhere better to disappear to, he had gone to an old football field and kicked the round ball around for a while, seeing how many times he could get it in the goal. When the sun had started going down, he finally returned home.

One line from their argument had stuck with him all day. Oh, I hate you! He was used to hearing it, of course; she said it all the time. But it was different then. It was always teasingly or out of frustration. This time it was out of anger, and that scared him. Did she really hate him? He knew she couldn't really, but somewhere deep down, did she at least hate him a little? It was his fault her childhood had gotten messed up. He wouldn't blame her if she hated him a little bit.

Sighing again, he walked slowly back to their bedroom, wanting to do nothing but take off his shoes and sit for a while. When he got there, he found River sitting in bed with a book, reading silently. She'd looked up when he entered the room and gave him a small smile. "Hello."

The Doctor just looked at her for a few moments, not entirely sure how to react. "Hello."

"How was your outing?"

"My… Oh, that. Yeah. It was, uh… nice. Very outing-ish."

She tried her hardest not to smile. "Where did you go?"

"To play some football. You know, always nice to practice," he said as he untied his shoes. "And how's your book?"

"Very good, actually."

He sat down next to her on the bed, confused at the small talk. "River… Do you hate me?"

She sighed and bit her lip. "Of course not. How could I hate you?"

"It's just that… Well I argued with you."

With that she actually did smile. "Every couple argues, sweetie. It's going to happen sometimes, it's a part of marriage, a part of life."

"But we've never argued like that before." He looked like a small child that knew he had done something wrong and felt very guilty about it.

"We will again, trust me," she said with her oh so familiar 'spoilers' look.

"I don't like it very much."

"Neither do I, but no one ever does.

There was a pause as they both thought. "I'm sorry, River. I shouldn't have said what I said and I shouldn't have argued with you."

"There you go. See, it wasn't that hard!" She teased, laughing when he looked at her weird. "I'm sorry too. And I could never, ever hate you."

He smiled and hugged her tightly, thankful that she was no longer angry with him.

"Except sometimes, when you tease me." They both laughed.