#river x 12

[my-ny]

River + The Doctor + text posts (Twelve Special) pt. 14/?

[terapsina]

I've been thinking about The Husbands of River Song and River's big speech about how the Doctor didn't and had never loved her and my explanation for it.

Because obviously the Doctor loved River and I don't for a second think that River spent all those years not knowing it. She did know, the Doctor might have been bad at saying it but it was pretty clear that he did.

The problem is that that episode was during a very painful time for River, she was just after Manhattan, had just lost her parents. And on top of that, she'd noticed how her time was running out by way of the shrinking page space in her diary, and also... she was meeting younger and younger versions of her husband.

Versions that were only beginning to fall in love with her, and fighting it for every step of the way (because the Doctor had already watched her die and so falling hurt).

But from her perspective, even if logically she would understand what the reasons were, to her it must have felt like her husband was falling a little out of love with her the entire time.

And that... that would mess with anyone's certainty of whether or not someone actually loved them. Or had ever loved them.

So it makes perfect sense for her to say that the Doctor doesn't love her and for that to read as the truth she actually believed.

[helpwhatami]

I just rewatched husbands of river song (S9E13 of doctor who)

and the last scene where the 12 is trying to avoid how sad he is that he knows this is the last night theyll spend together before she dies reminded me of Crowley trying to tell Aziraphale that she wants them to be together

and I was just thinking, if they didn't run off together to Alpha Centauri or whatever, but instead they ran off to Darrillium, and spent 24 years together under the setting sun watching and listening to the wind pass through the singing towers

it made me think of them

just them, being together, at last, before the world ends

[riversofmars]

Oh stars a prompt! 13 saying "Please stay?" to River

Ohhh thank you! I think this is probably not what you expected but hope you like it <3

Word count: 1500

Rating: G

Read on AO3 or below

Please Stay

“Please stay.“ The Doctor called to River when she spotted her. She had been waiting for her at the bar. She hadn’t known the exact time she would turn up, her memory was rather blurring on the matter, but she knew that this was the night River would be leaving Darillium for good. River looked up from her vortex manipulator startled. She hadn’t expected anyone to be around. Even though Darillium was a world on which day and night each lasted twenty-four years, they still counted days, day and night time. The body still needed to rest after all and right now was when most people were asleep. She hadn’t considered someone might actually be using the bar at the time when only androids were on hand to serve.

“And who might you be?“ River raised her eyebrows at her. “You’re not staff, I haven’t met you before. A new guest? But this is not how you greet someone you haven’t met yet. Which begs the question, do we know each other?“ She took a step closer into the hotel bar, slightly intrigued.

“Just a friend.“ The Doctor managed a weak smile as she looked back at her. She tried her very best to keep her emotions at bay. The adorations, the longing, the incredible sense of bittersweet sadness, the grief… It threatened to overtake her when her wife stepped closer but she swallowed it all down.

“Of the Doctor’s? Is he that scared about me running off?“ River smirked, jumping to conclusions as she figured she couldn’t be a friend of hers, she would have remembered a face as pretty as that.

“He seems to have a reason to be.“ The Doctor pointed to the vortex manipulator on her wrist.

“Oh, don’t worry, he’ll never know I’ve gone, be back before he wakes up, beauty of being a time traveller.“ River chuckled in amusement. The girl seemed to know a lot about her, so she had to be a friend of the Doctor’s, River decided.

“And where are you going?“ The Doctor pressed on, hoping she had got here at the right time.

“Aren’t you the nosy one!“ River exclaimed in amusement but felt inclined to answer: “Just a little expedition, very lucrative. Let me tell you, renting the honeymoon suite for twenty-four years isn’t cheap.“

“Isn’t the Doctor paying for it?“ The Doctor frowned.

“The Doctor? Oh heavens no. His credit ran out within the first fortnight. There is only one person in this marriage bringing home money. But let’s keep him believing that, shall we? Our girl secret. Mustn’t hurt his ego.“ River winked and the Doctor tried her best not to be offended. It certainly explained why she still hadn’t received a bill for their time here.

“Please stay. Like you say, the beauty of time travel, you can go to the Library whenever you want, have a day here too, what’s another twenty-four years to a time traveller?“ The Doctor suggested as she had planned to.

“How do you know I’m going to the Library?“ River was quick to jump on her mistake and the Doctor went very pale.

“Uh…“

“You’re in my future, aren’t you… Have you been sent here to keep me from going?“ River tilted her head. She could spot a time traveller from a mile away and she could positively feel the artron energy fizzing off of her, like it did of herself or the Doctor. This conversation was getting more intriguing by the second. “Why?“

“No, no, I just mean, why don’t you delay?“ The Doctor looked to the staircase at the top of which she knew their suite to be. “For his benefit, like I said, I’m a friend.“

“And now you’re blushing. You’re hiding something. Two of my favourite qualities in a girl. Secretive and easily flustered.“ River hummed, her voice sultry and the Doctor felt herself blushing again. She had almost forgotten how much River enjoyed flirting. “Why shouldn’t I go to the Library?“

“You have to go, you absolutely have to, but not now, just delay a little while.“ The Doctor replied. She still needed her to go, eventually, of course she did, to keep the timeline intact but why not delay a little while? It’s what she had come here to convince her about. Twenty-four years… it just hadn’t been enough. She needed more time with her. And if she couldn't meet her again, maybe she could have more memories, more time with her that way.

“To be honest, I’ve been getting bored, I’ve been sneaking away for adventures for ages. He does too, I know he does.“ River laughed. “People like us, we’re not meant to stay in the same spot for too long, we need our adventures but we always come back, we both do. This is our home now.“ She explained.

“Is that how you see it?“ The Doctor replied softly, her words weren’t lost on her, they shook her to the core.

“Home is where the heart is and my heart is with him. Always. I will always come home to him.“ River gave her a kind smile and turned her attention to the vortex manipulator.

“So when you’re done in the Library, you will come back here?“ The Doctor asked, her heart incredibly heavy. This whole time, River had always planned on coming back.

“With a decent pay check from Lux Industries that will pay for the next twenty-four years, absolutely.“ River grinned. “Maybe it’ll even pay for a new lick of paint in our suite. Now, I must be going before he wakes. Don’t worry, I’m good at this, I’ll be sure to be back in, let’s say, five seconds? Then you can fill me in on how exactly you know my husband.“ She engaged the vortex manipulator and disappeared into thin air before the Doctor even had a chance to say goodbye, breaking her hearts all over again. The Doctor was glad to be alone in the bar. There was no-one to witness her tears as she waited, hoping against hope. Five seconds turned to ten, to five minutes but River didn’t return. Of course she didn’t.

“This is it then.“ A voice sounded from the top of the stairs making the Doctor jump. She didn’t know how much time had past since River had disappeared but it must have been a while.

“Sun is coming up.“ The Doctor mused as she looked out onto the balcony.

“The night is over.“ Her younger self descended the stairs, his white hair uncombed, his waistcoat undone… he had gotten comfortable on Darillium. The Doctor gave him a half-hearted smile. The best years of their life had just come to an end. She didn’t have to tell him, he already knew.

“I tried to stop her, suggested she go to the Library later…“ The Doctor said softly as he came to sit next to her.

“That was dangerous.“ He observed but he wasn’t scolding her, he was merely stating a fact.

“I thought maybe if she just delayed… just a little more time… another night… new memories.“ She waved her hand around, struggling to articulate her reasoning but she knew she didn’t need to. He already understood, they were the same person after all.

“Foolish.“ He mumbled and waved to an android for coffee.

“I know.“ She sighed. “But I had to try.“

“You must miss her terribly.“ The grey-haired Doctor mused and looked to her with nothing but kindness and compassion in his eyes. She chuckled and smiled, this was what she had liked best about being him, his incredibly capacity for compassion behind his tough facade.

“You will.“ She sighed.

“I’m sorry, Doctor.“ He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“So am I.“ She blinked away her tears. “Twenty-four years…“

“More than a lot of people get.“ He felt the need to remind her, as much as himself, as the reality of River’s departure was starting to sink in. He looked to his future self with a heavy heart, realising it wouldn’t get any easier.

“What’s twenty-four years when you want an eternity.“ The blonde Doctor whispered wiping away her tears as she tried to compose herself. This was not the end. It couldn’t be. She refused to accept it. “You should go to Missy’s execution now. You’ve been putting that off for far too long.“ She said looking to her past self who sighed:

“Luxury of being a time traveller.“

“That’s what River said as well…“ She chuckled. “But some things you can’t put off forever.“ He nodded, how could he argue with himself?

“And where are you off to now? I won’t remember this so you can tell me.“ He said and picked up the coffee an android placed in front of him.

“Who knows.“ The Doctor smiled getting to her feet. “Perhaps to a very big Library… I might have more luck there than here.“

“Good luck, Doctor.“ He smiled feeling a sense of hopefulness at the thought.

“You too, Doctor.“ She mirrored his smile.

“Still not ginger then?“ He called after her as she turned to leave.

“Still not ginger.“ She confirmed with a laugh.

“Bet she liked the look for you though.“ He winked and she chuckled:

“I think she did, yeah.“

[ilargeicontradictmiself]

River telling him he was "busy that day" knowing he was crawling dying on the floor from her poison is a whole new sass level

[alexologyart]

River and her Doctor

Her necklace says ‘Loved’ in Gallifreyan ❤️ ❤️

⭐⭐⭐

Commissions open!

Details: alexology.carrd.co

Contact: [email protected], or DM me.

[ashildrs-archive]

Doctor who duo's -> 12 & Riversong

— "Happy ever after doesn't mean forever. It just means time. A little time..."

[professoriversong]

“Contact.” • I like to imagine that on Darillium, after River has had her adventures with some of the classic doctors, that she unlocks those memories and gives them back to the Doctor.