Yowzah Oneshot Collection (3)

170(G)

“You are your mother’s daughter.” He said without thinking. If he had been he would have bit his tongue. This River hadn’t even done Manhattan yet. He disliked reminding her she didn’t know what was to come of her parents. 

River smiled at him weakly. He locked onto her gaze for a long moment before quickly sidestepping her and averting his attention back to the screen. The mood had already grown sullen, but before it grew any tenser he hedged the subject. “Why do you like my other outfit better?”

River welcomed the evasion. Pushing him to the side she hoisted herself up onto the console, knees bent and feet dangling above the floor.

The Doctor pursed his lips conveying mild irritation. “You’re sitting on my keyboard.”

“Oh? Fancy that.” She murmured indifferently, while her facial expression indicated a level of surprise, he knew for certain she was fully aware of it already. “Here I was thinking these were just lights for decoration.”

“You’re also in front of the screen.” He pointed out, arms crossed in annoyance, “How do you suppose we’ll get to Haedroxi now?”

“You asked me a question.” River reminded. “Don’t you want to hear the answer?”

“Go on.” He sighed in defeat.

“Your braces.” She answered, waving a hand in the direction of his chest. “Much more fun when they were in plain sight. Easily accessible. Now you’ve gone and covered them up.”

“Why do you think I started wearing a vest? Grew tired of people using my braces as weapons to bruise me or drag me places I didn’t want to go. Now they are hidden. And no one can use my clothing against me.”

“Oh really?” she took hold of the lapels on his jacket and yanked him closer, a wicked glint in her eye.  He collided with the console with an ungraceful humph. “Is that a challenge?”

“No,” he answered bluntly. He’d have tried backing away but she was still holding onto his jacket and he was sure that as soon as he made motion to move the legs that were currently straddling him would find their way into a vice grip around his waist.

“But then again, now it’s just more fun getting to them.”

“Oh?”

“So there’s a few buttons to undo first, big deal.” She set about slowly undoing said buttons while the Doctor eyed her cautiously. His optimism for visiting Haedroxi anytime soon was slowly fading.

Once his vest was open River slid a hand inside, over his chest and looped a finger underneath his left suspender. The corner of her mouth twisted up devilishly as she pulled the material taut and let it go with a snap.

The Doctor winced. And that was the perfect illustration of his argument for the vest. Bruises.

“Oh I hate you.” He fumbled weakly, rubbing a hand over the area of his chest she had brutalised.

Her grin widened.

“No you don’t. You baby.” She smoothed down the lapels of his jacket lovingly. He shot her a dirty look.

“I have very tender skin River.”

River pouted elaborately with a great show of mock sympathy. “Oh sweetie, do you want me to kiss it better?”

“For you kissing can also have the opposite effect, so no.” he scoffed.

She pointed a finger to her lips – the offending finger, he noted. “No dangerous lipstick on today, I promise.”