Past the Ordinary - River/Simon
Title: Past the Ordinary
Pairing: River/Simon
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Incest! Mostly implied but it's there.
Notes: River tears them apart, but it'll only be for a little while, right? 588 words.
River remembered the moment she knew her love for her brother extended past that intended for siblings.
It had been an early morning; the sun was rising and Simon was sat on the window seat of River's room. It had the best view of the house, being the highest room on the only side without buildings shadowing it. He was often there when she awoke, but today it was different. Today he looked sullen, confused; his dark brow was creased deeply in the middle.
She sat up in her bed, dropping the blanket around her waist and gazing over at him. The pale light of the sun glinted strongly in his eyes and she realised with a sinking feeling in her stomach that he was crying.
He only looked around when she stood at his side. She smoothed a hand over his blue-clad shoulder and sat beside him. It was cold despite her thick night clothes. "Simon?"
"River," he said. His voice was quiet as he quickly swiped his fist across his eyes to dash away the tears, hiding from her as usual. As though he could ever do that. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"You didn't," she lied. She rested her hand at the crease between the collar and his neck. "What's wrong?"
"There isn't anything wrong," he said. "The sun was in my eyes."
She laughed, but it wasn't unkind. "Simon, the sun isn't high enough to be in your eyes yet. Tell me what's wrong."
There was a long pause. River knew her brother; she knew not to interrupt him, and she knew that he'd answer in his own time. For most people he wouldn't answer at all but he couldn't do that to River. Literally. She'd hit him.
When he finally talked, his voice was hesitant and he stumbled over a word or two. "You leave tomorrow."
"I won't be gone forever," she said. They knew, both of them, that her excitement would outweigh the urge to change her mind and stay with him. "I'll be back. With my brain full of things I can share with you. Or keep from you and laugh that you don't know it."
"Brat," he said, and it surprised a laugh out of him. "I know you'll be back. But you'll be gone so long."
"I know you won't forget me," she whispered, lifting her hand to dance slender fingers across the worried creases on his forehead. "I'll come back for you. You'll be the dashing young Doctor and I'll be the genius of the family."
For once, Simon didn't rise to the bait. He just smiled, the happiness twitching at the corners of his lips. "You will," he said. He took a deep breath. "But… I am going to miss you."
She kissed him, then. She had meant it as a platonic, sisterly kiss goodbye; her parents would never allow it before them. At the last minute she found her lips lingering and her hand pressing cold against his cheek but he didn't pull away. She could feel him closing his pretty eyes and their hearts beat together, just like in all the stories River secretly read. It was perfection.
But it wouldn't last. Simon was tensing and she pulled away before he could. She had to be the one leaving; if Simon left her, she wouldn't survive. And she knew her brother would struggle.
"I love you," she whispered, and there was such depth to it that Simon couldn't answer. It didn't matter.
River knew.
Pairing: River/Simon
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Incest! Mostly implied but it's there.
Notes: River tears them apart, but it'll only be for a little while, right? 588 words.
River remembered the moment she knew her love for her brother extended past that intended for siblings.
It had been an early morning; the sun was rising and Simon was sat on the window seat of River's room. It had the best view of the house, being the highest room on the only side without buildings shadowing it. He was often there when she awoke, but today it was different. Today he looked sullen, confused; his dark brow was creased deeply in the middle.
She sat up in her bed, dropping the blanket around her waist and gazing over at him. The pale light of the sun glinted strongly in his eyes and she realised with a sinking feeling in her stomach that he was crying.
He only looked around when she stood at his side. She smoothed a hand over his blue-clad shoulder and sat beside him. It was cold despite her thick night clothes. "Simon?"
"River," he said. His voice was quiet as he quickly swiped his fist across his eyes to dash away the tears, hiding from her as usual. As though he could ever do that. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"You didn't," she lied. She rested her hand at the crease between the collar and his neck. "What's wrong?"
"There isn't anything wrong," he said. "The sun was in my eyes."
She laughed, but it wasn't unkind. "Simon, the sun isn't high enough to be in your eyes yet. Tell me what's wrong."
There was a long pause. River knew her brother; she knew not to interrupt him, and she knew that he'd answer in his own time. For most people he wouldn't answer at all but he couldn't do that to River. Literally. She'd hit him.
When he finally talked, his voice was hesitant and he stumbled over a word or two. "You leave tomorrow."
"I won't be gone forever," she said. They knew, both of them, that her excitement would outweigh the urge to change her mind and stay with him. "I'll be back. With my brain full of things I can share with you. Or keep from you and laugh that you don't know it."
"Brat," he said, and it surprised a laugh out of him. "I know you'll be back. But you'll be gone so long."
"I know you won't forget me," she whispered, lifting her hand to dance slender fingers across the worried creases on his forehead. "I'll come back for you. You'll be the dashing young Doctor and I'll be the genius of the family."
For once, Simon didn't rise to the bait. He just smiled, the happiness twitching at the corners of his lips. "You will," he said. He took a deep breath. "But… I am going to miss you."
She kissed him, then. She had meant it as a platonic, sisterly kiss goodbye; her parents would never allow it before them. At the last minute she found her lips lingering and her hand pressing cold against his cheek but he didn't pull away. She could feel him closing his pretty eyes and their hearts beat together, just like in all the stories River secretly read. It was perfection.
But it wouldn't last. Simon was tensing and she pulled away before he could. She had to be the one leaving; if Simon left her, she wouldn't survive. And she knew her brother would struggle.
"I love you," she whispered, and there was such depth to it that Simon couldn't answer. It didn't matter.
River knew.