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It was the familiar grating of the TARDIS materializing that pulled River away from books, as nothing else ever could. She turned slowly in her chair and waited for the ship’s occupant to make his entrance. She would not go to him, no she would not, and he had better have a good apology waiting, she thought, or she would send him away for another month.
How their last dinner and discussion over Alkronian spring festivals had turned into a falling out, she couldn’t quite recall. This regeneration was much easier to fight with in a way that was almost fun. Anger and stubbornness were good looks on his worn face and sharp eyes.
After a few moments, the Doctor made his sheepish, if this regeneration could ever fit such an adjective, appearance.
“Now what sort of time do you call this?” River asked, a smirk on her mouth and a sway to her hips as she stood.
“I’m not late for dinner am I?” The Doctor glanced at a nonexistent watch, realized he wasn’t wearing one, and moved to fiddle with his shirt collar before awkwardly clasping his hands in front of him. It was all very endearing but she wouldn’t fall for it, not this time.
“Doctor…” River crossed her arms and stood her ground, her voice a clear warning.
“Alright….Alright!” He gave in with a huff. “You were right. Far be it from me to challenge your, apparently, encyclopedic knowledge of Alkronian spring festivals!” River smiled as she opened her arms in welcome to him, an offer which he gratefully took. She stopped his incoming kiss however with a finger to his lips.
“Say it again.” The Doctor rolled his eyes.
“You were right.”
“And don’t you ever forget it. Now come here.” River gladly kissed him, careful not to overwhelm him. She was well aware of his new aversion to touch, even if more intimate matters seemed not to bother him. After a moment she stepped back from his embrace to fully take in his appearance. He was all ruffled silver hair and sharp eyes, a dark suit on his new, more wiry frame. She loved his new look, especially the hair. It was all, as she had put it the first time she saw him in a voice that had made color rush to his cheeks, very mature.
“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?” The Doctor blurted out as his eyes finally took in the clock behind her. It really was a strange hour. “Because I was just, well, I was talking to the otters that I had met after our disagreement and remembered you had said you were planning a trip to The Library…” his voice faltered at this, quickly, before picking back up. “That should be quite the adventure, figured we should do something special before you go.” He finished in a whisper.
“Oh sweetie,” River laughed, “my trip isn’t for a few more weeks!”
“Yes, I didn’t want to land too close to it. Didn’t want to miss it.” The Doctor, River thought, looked shaken in a way she had never seen before. He didn’t give her the chance to ask about it however as words continued to spill from his mouth. “Now, dinner, yes? You’ll need to change. You can do that in the TARDIS of course. Off you go, we have a reservation to keep!”
The Doctor pushed a giggling River towards his blue box insistently. She had never seen him, this him, like this before, all thoughts of his earlier mood lost to the sight of this new, more spontaneous version of this Doctor. She gladly grabbed his hand and pulled him to the wardrobe.
“You’ll have to help me pick what to wear.”
--
The Singing Towers of Darillium were beyond stunning. The night was made all the more perfect by the Doctor’s presence. He was on his best behavior tonight, more charming than ever. River couldn’t remember when was the last time they had an outing where they didn’t have to stop to save the planet. The couple sat together now on a balcony below the Singing Towers, with River’s back to the Doctor’s chest and her hands resting lightly on his arms about her waist.
The Doctor rested his chin upon her should and gently pressed his temple to hers. He had been uncharacteristically touchy feely tonight, not that she didn’t enjoy it. It reminded her of his last self, though she loved them both the same.
She felt rather than saw his tears as they landed upon her cheek and neck.
“Doctor?”
“No, don’t…” he stopped her from turning in his arms. “Just don’t…”
“Is something the matter?” His arms around her tightened.
“No, everything is just fine. Everything will be fine.” They settled and he pressed his temple to hers again. Now she felt it, from the psychic link there, all of his love and affection coursing through her. Her hands tightened on his.
“Oh sweetie…” she sighed happily as she was finally allowed to turn in his embrace and press her lips against his.
--
River watched him dress the next morning, his movements more agitated and full of nervous energy than usual. The Doctor had slept close to her that night, strangely again, though she adored the attention. This regeneration usually kept his distance and she appreciated not feeling like she had an unconscious octopus stuck to her all night like she had with the previous one. Finally he approached her, holding his sonic screwdriver.
“Here, take it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Just take it alright, you might need it. You should, I don’t know, take to The Library with you, yeah? Just in case.” His eyes were frantic, imploring. Slowly River reached out and took the sonic from him, to his apparent relief.
“Now, don’t you worry about me, sweetie. You can come back for it after the expedition then.” River set the screwdriver aside and stood from her bed. The Doctor was very clearly anxious to leave, almost as if he wouldn’t be able to go if he did not leave right this second.
“Actually, I expect you’ll need to give it to me before that. You may be seeing me sooner rather than later…” He stopped in front of the TARDIS door.
“Oh will I? And when, exactly, will that be?” Her arms came to drape lazily around his neck. The Doctor smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“Spoilers.”
River laughed and pulled him down for a longer embrace.
“I don’t think this you has ever made that joke before. Always a first time for everything though, isn’t there?” She kissed him one last time, quickly and chastely before he reluctantly pulled away and into the TARDIS.
He closed the doors with a sigh.
“And always a last time.”
--
“Doctor, where is your sonic?” Clara yelled over her shoulder, searching through the clutter on the console. The Doctor responded from below where he was fiddling with wires and gears.
“I don’t know. I must have lost it.”
“How do you lose a sonic screwdriver?”
“Never mind that. There’s a first time for everything, yeah?” He emerged from beneath the console, wiping grease and other sorts of electronic space goo from his hands. “The TARDIS will cook me up a new one.” Just as he finished speaking, the console dinged and up popped a tray with an identical screwdriver.
“See, everything is fine. It will always be fine.” He took the new sonic from the tray, his knuckles going white as he clutched it.
“Doctor…?”
“Right, so, where were we?” He snapped away from Clara’s questioning gaze and to the other side of the console. “Alkronia right? I’ve heard, from someone who ought to know, that they have some very interesting spring festivals…”