27: Glitter- to be brilliantly attractive, lavish, or spectacular

The Doctor was sitting alone in a fancy restaurant. He was dressed up, sporting a traditional black suit and bowtie. He'd forgone the matching top hat this once, though, as it wasn't proper to wear a hat in a restaurant. This he'd learned when an entire world of alien restaurant owners had chased him off their planet. And then banned him from ever returning.

A waiter in fancy dress with a nametag announcing "Jerry" walked up to his romantic table for two next to the window, bringing him back to reality. "Can I take your order now, sir?"

"No, I think I'll wait a little while longer, thank you," was his polite reply.

"…Are you certain there's someone coming, sir?" Upon realizing that he may have offended his customer, the waiter proclaimed, "Not that I think you've been stood up, sir, it's just… Maybe you have the date wrong?"

"Of course, sir. I'll leave you to it, then." With that, the man poured the Doctor more water and left, leaving the unanswered question 'half an hour late?' hanging in midair.

The Doctor sat alone for a few minutes more, sipping aimlessly at his water and staring out the window at the city lights. All of a sudden, there was a crack and a flash of light outside the window, causing him to smile. A moment later and he heard the unmistakable sound of a woman's heels clicking against the floor. Another moment after that and River Song appeared behind him, a smirk and a "hello sweetie" playing at her lips. He stood up, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, walked around the table, and pulled out her chair for her.

"Mrs. Song," he said, gesturing to the chair he was grasping the back of.

"Doctor," she responded, sitting down and allowing her husband to push her chair in for her. A proper gentleman, he was. When he remembered, anyway.

He sat back down and looked at his wife properly, his eyes widening involuntarily. She looked beautiful in a tight red dress that went just below her knee and seemed to fit her perfectly. "Wow- uh, I mean… Hello, dear!" He fought against the butterflies that invaded his stomach like aliens invading Earth. Except the aliens never made him nervous.

She smirked again, hearing full well the first word he'd said. "Hello."

Just then, the waiter returned to their table. "I see your date has arrived."

"Yes," the Doctor answered. He turned his attention to River. "Jerry here didn't think you were coming. Thought you'd stood me up."

River smiled. "Did he now?"

Jerry blushed nervously. "It was nothing against you, ma'am, it was just… Well, this man was waiting for half an hour and I thought maybe he'd gotten the date wrong, is all."

"It's all right, my friend. There's no trouble." The Doctor was trying to be cool. As usual.

Though the Doctor had failed completely to appear cool, he did seem to calm the other young man down. "Can I take your orders now?"

The Doctor gestured to River, implying quite chivalrously that she should go first. "I'll have your chicken parmesan, please."

Then it was the Doctor's turn. "What's the best you guys have, Jerry?" he asked, lacing his fingers casually behind his head, still attempting to be cool. His hand slipped and slammed against the table and an eye roll came from across him.

"Well, sir, our three cheese macaroni is locally famous."

"Three cheese macaroni it is, then!"

The waiter then walked away with promises of a quick return with their food.

River spoke first. "Nice 'cool guy' act, there, slick."

"Hey, it was not an act!" He stuck his nose in the air. "I'll have you know I am very cool."

"Oh?"

"Extremely. Cool enough to make us reservations at the fanciest restaurant in the universe."

"I have to admit, that is pretty cool." He looked so pleased with himself that River couldn't help but burst his bubble. "But that's about the only cool thing about you."

"Whatever you say, dear," he stated, his chin still higher than it should be.

She laughed, making the butterflies in his stomach return. She was so beautiful tonight. Of course, she was beautiful all the time, but tonight he noticed it more than usual. It warmed his hearts.

This must have been obvious on his face, because she looked across at him. "What?"

"Nothing," he said.

"Oh, no, don't you 'nothing' me. Don't think I didn't see it in your eyes."

"See what?"

"You tell me."

He grinned. She saw right through him every time. "Nothing, it's just… It's like you glitter."

She knitted her eyebrows together. "Like I what?"

"Like you glitter," he repeated. "You just radiate with this beauty that is River. You're gorgeous."

She gave a soft smile, one of appreciation and love, which only served to increase the fluttering sensation taking him over. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "No need to thank me. It's the truth. You're beautiful. Now and always."

The feeling had taken him over. Without any sense of what he was doing, he leaned across the small table and gave her a kiss. She gave him another. And, maybe one more after that.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! : )