fic - Firsts
Title: Firsts
Pairing: Ten/River Song
Spoilers: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
Rating: Teen for very mild rudeness.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, in case you were unsure.
Description: It's always the first time for one of them.
~~~
The first time they kissed, it wasn't the first time for her. The Doctor could tell by the way her hand instinctively curled into his lower back, and traced a gentle circle on one of his most sensitive spots.
He felt his head swimming with the sensation of it, like she'd completed a circuit with the soft pressure she applied there. She was all ease with him; this wasn't an urgent kiss, more a slow, practised pleasure. He felt like he was being savoured, fine chocolate melting in her mouth.
He was vulnerable - could have collapsed in her arms like a rag doll at any moment, but she pulled away with a slight frown.
"Doctor? What is it?"
He stood, swaying a little, refocusing himself on her, staring at her lips.
"I..er..it's fine. You just took me by surprise."
~~~
The first time she hit him wasn't the first time for him. He knew the minute it happened that, on the Library, she'd been quite deliberate about how to disable him. He reeled backwards from the blow to his stomach.
"Get out of him! Right now!" She yelled, her face thunderous.
"River! It's me! It's not got me!" He insisted, straightening up and walking towards her.
"Oh, really? Then why has it let him go?" She was still braced, fist clenched, gesturing to the prone figure beside them without taking her eyes off the Doctor for a second.
"I don't know," He said, his hands in an open, conciliatory gesture, "But please, don't whack me again, it hurts!"
"It was meant to! If you've got him, that was your warning! Next time, it's the jaw and I'll knock you cold." River stubbornly stood her ground.
~~~
The first time they made love it wasn't the first time for her. She was playful that day, the adventure had been exhilarating rather than terrifying and her kisses were contagious. The Doctor matched each touch of her lips, her hands. It felt like a game of mirrors, each trying to get the upper hand and not quite succeeding.
One minute she arched beneath him, the next he was spun on his back and gasping for breath. It wasn't like he imagined, and by now, he had been imagining it quite a bit. He was anticipating intensity and a deep emotional connection, something he'd built up into almost melodramatic proportions.
Instead it was simple, entirely trusting and, he dared to admit, fun. She laughed a lot, and the pleasure of that sound did things to him he couldn't explain - knit her into the fabric of his heart more securely than any deeply dramatic eye-contact cliche could.
They fitted.
~~~
The first time they parted wasn't the first time for him. River looked at him with a new affection she wasn't very good at hiding. This had been their first meeting in her timeline, and she had been everything that marked out a companion.
She reminded him of Martha, of all people - tenacious and brave. He'd only seen Martha's affection in hindsight, and it had come at just exactly the wrong time to go anywhere. Perhaps, had fate twisted differently, it could have been a young medical student, instead of a young archaeology student, looking at him with innocent eyes he'd already unfocused with passion dozens of times in his own timeline.
He felt a little guilty for thinking of it, both for Martha and River.
But here it was - the first goodbye for her, and a test for him. He wanted to take her with him, and cradle her away from her destiny, but this really was the first temptation to mess up the timeline, and he knew he had no choice. He had to practice the final goodbye now, or he'd never be able to do it he had to.
~~~
The first time she said his name wasn't the first time he had heard it from her. He'd come to her in response to the psychic paper, and what he'd found was everything he'd feared and hoped for.
"Your son, Time Lord." She smiled in utter exhaustion. He had taken the child, minutes old, and whispered the name into the tiny ear, watching as those sleepy eyes opened to register the passing on of powerful secrets.
River whispered the name too, a tremor in her voice, and the Doctor's head shot up, comprehension hitting him.
"Don't ever say it, River," He told her, "I can't tell you why, but you must never tell anyone else. Promise me." He pleaded, knowing, even as he was saying it, that he was still holding on to the hope that she might never have to say it again.
He dragged out of her the promise he knew she would have to break, and settled down beside her, their son between them, nursing contentedly, and the Doctor allowed himself to pretend this was a happy ending.
Pairing: Ten/River Song
Spoilers: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
Rating: Teen for very mild rudeness.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, in case you were unsure.
Description: It's always the first time for one of them.
~~~
The first time they kissed, it wasn't the first time for her. The Doctor could tell by the way her hand instinctively curled into his lower back, and traced a gentle circle on one of his most sensitive spots.
He felt his head swimming with the sensation of it, like she'd completed a circuit with the soft pressure she applied there. She was all ease with him; this wasn't an urgent kiss, more a slow, practised pleasure. He felt like he was being savoured, fine chocolate melting in her mouth.
He was vulnerable - could have collapsed in her arms like a rag doll at any moment, but she pulled away with a slight frown.
"Doctor? What is it?"
He stood, swaying a little, refocusing himself on her, staring at her lips.
"I..er..it's fine. You just took me by surprise."
~~~
The first time she hit him wasn't the first time for him. He knew the minute it happened that, on the Library, she'd been quite deliberate about how to disable him. He reeled backwards from the blow to his stomach.
"Get out of him! Right now!" She yelled, her face thunderous.
"River! It's me! It's not got me!" He insisted, straightening up and walking towards her.
"Oh, really? Then why has it let him go?" She was still braced, fist clenched, gesturing to the prone figure beside them without taking her eyes off the Doctor for a second.
"I don't know," He said, his hands in an open, conciliatory gesture, "But please, don't whack me again, it hurts!"
"It was meant to! If you've got him, that was your warning! Next time, it's the jaw and I'll knock you cold." River stubbornly stood her ground.
~~~
The first time they made love it wasn't the first time for her. She was playful that day, the adventure had been exhilarating rather than terrifying and her kisses were contagious. The Doctor matched each touch of her lips, her hands. It felt like a game of mirrors, each trying to get the upper hand and not quite succeeding.
One minute she arched beneath him, the next he was spun on his back and gasping for breath. It wasn't like he imagined, and by now, he had been imagining it quite a bit. He was anticipating intensity and a deep emotional connection, something he'd built up into almost melodramatic proportions.
Instead it was simple, entirely trusting and, he dared to admit, fun. She laughed a lot, and the pleasure of that sound did things to him he couldn't explain - knit her into the fabric of his heart more securely than any deeply dramatic eye-contact cliche could.
They fitted.
~~~
The first time they parted wasn't the first time for him. River looked at him with a new affection she wasn't very good at hiding. This had been their first meeting in her timeline, and she had been everything that marked out a companion.
She reminded him of Martha, of all people - tenacious and brave. He'd only seen Martha's affection in hindsight, and it had come at just exactly the wrong time to go anywhere. Perhaps, had fate twisted differently, it could have been a young medical student, instead of a young archaeology student, looking at him with innocent eyes he'd already unfocused with passion dozens of times in his own timeline.
He felt a little guilty for thinking of it, both for Martha and River.
But here it was - the first goodbye for her, and a test for him. He wanted to take her with him, and cradle her away from her destiny, but this really was the first temptation to mess up the timeline, and he knew he had no choice. He had to practice the final goodbye now, or he'd never be able to do it he had to.
~~~
The first time she said his name wasn't the first time he had heard it from her. He'd come to her in response to the psychic paper, and what he'd found was everything he'd feared and hoped for.
"Your son, Time Lord." She smiled in utter exhaustion. He had taken the child, minutes old, and whispered the name into the tiny ear, watching as those sleepy eyes opened to register the passing on of powerful secrets.
River whispered the name too, a tremor in her voice, and the Doctor's head shot up, comprehension hitting him.
"Don't ever say it, River," He told her, "I can't tell you why, but you must never tell anyone else. Promise me." He pleaded, knowing, even as he was saying it, that he was still holding on to the hope that she might never have to say it again.
He dragged out of her the promise he knew she would have to break, and settled down beside her, their son between them, nursing contentedly, and the Doctor allowed himself to pretend this was a happy ending.