You know, I keep meaning to write more for 'Awkward', but I keep getting all these other ideas and writing different things instead. I now have about twenty different River/Doctor stories started in my documents lol.
So this one is a two-parter, the other half is also finished so I will post that up either tommorow if I get time or the day after. It's set in River's professor days, obviously, so quite a late River here and a late-ish Doctor too. I hope you enjoy it because I had lots of fun with this and please please leave me a little review at the end!
By the way is anyone else's alerts from this site not coming through to their email any more?
She knew he was here. She could…sense him. Maybe that was silly but that's what it felt like. Or perhaps it was the Tardis she could sense, after all, she was a part of her. She'd felt her when she materialised ten minutes or so ago as sure as she would feel a strong gust of wind hit her on a stormy day.
So it comes as no surprise to River Song, when, in the middle of a lecture she's giving a group of first-year students on the crash of one of the most famous starships to date, the door at the back of the lecture hall opens and in walks the Doctor.
Ready for him as she'd been, she is able to keep her composure in front of her class. "Can I help you sir?" She asks him shortly and formally.
"Oh, yes - hello!" The Doctor grins at her as her class turns to see who had interrupted. "I'm looking for Professor Song's class, I was told it was in this room…" He says, playing along.
"You were told right - what can I help you with?" She asks him with a perfect poker face.
The Doctor shrugs. "Thinking of switching to archaeology, they suggested I sit in on your lecture."
"I see. Switching from what?"
"Quantum Physics."
"Quite a leap."
Another shrug and a grin. "I like a challenge."
She resists the urge to roll her eyes and instead continues. "Well take a seat then sir, and please be quiet about it." Although still keeping up her charade in front of her class, her words hold a warning to him, as does the look she fixes him with before turning her attention back to her class.
"So, as I was saying. The ship had three-hundred and thirty floors, each of which had been specially designed to provide the…" She falters as she watches the Doctor making his way to a seat; he is sidling through the middle row of students, making them all shift about and mutter, some having to move bags and stand up to allow him to squeeze past. Finally he settles himself in an empty seat right in the middle, apologising to the people beside him. River loudly clears her throat and he looks over at her.
"Sorry - carry on!"
She gives him another glare before continuing.
Unluckily, the subject matter River is lecturing on today is something she is not particularly enthusiastic about but a necessary part of the course, it is therefore, somewhat difficult for her to concentrate on what she's talking about rather than being distracted by the presence of the Doctor.
Damn that man, she thinks furiously, when another involuntary glance at him causes her to forget what she's saying mid-sentence and stutter for a few seconds before continuing. It isn't even like he's doing anything, but he's sitting there, right in the middle of her lecture hall, in amongst all her students and watching her with that damned smirk on his face that tells her that this is definitely her Doctor. And now she's thinking of him instead of what she's teaching and how much she wants this lecture to be over so she can see him properly and it's all going down hill.
"So," She forces her eyes away from his again as she finishes on one particular topic. "Before we move on, are there any questions?"
River just knew the Doctor's hand would raise and she closes her eyes for a second, knowing she can't ignore him when he's sat himself right in the middle of her students so she asks with a sigh, "Yes?"
"Well it's not so much as a question, just that I'd like to tell you that you're wrong." He says with a smirk she wants to slap off his face. There is a soft hum of voices as the students turn in their seats to get a look at who it was who dared to be so outspoken.
"Is that so?" She asks irritably.
"Yep."
"About what?"
"Everything you just said," he tells her brightly. "But go on, you wanted to move on to Latissimon."
"Right," she snaps, trying shoot him her best you-better-be-quiet-now-and-you're-in-big-trouble-later look before turning her attention back to her class. "So -"
"Erm, professor?" She is cut off by a student's voice as he raises his hand.
"Yes, Mr Jeffries?"
"Don't you want to know why he thinks you're wrong?"
She hears the hum of a few other students agreeing. She snaps her attention back to the Doctor.
"Do you have a degree in archaeology sir?" She asks him shortly.
He smirks. "Hell no."
She turns back to Mr Jeffries. "Then no, Matthew, I do not. So, moving on -"
"Professor?"
She gives a heavy sigh. "Yes, Miss Long?"
"Do you mind if I ask him why he thinks you're wrong? I mean - this class is supposed to be about debate right? Isn't a lot of archaeological work about controversy?"
River grinds her teeth. "Fine, ask away." She huffs, shooting the Doctor another glare, this one clearly an I-hate-you glare.
The girl, along with all the other students turn to the Doctor expectantly.
He looks triumphant. "Well," he begins grandly. "I won't go in to too much detail that would take all day, but the lovely professor here is basing most of what she just said on her opinion that the Ploton Five was brought down by accident -"
"Fact." River argues.
"What?"
"Not my opinion, it's a proven fact. As I explained, if you'd been listening, sir, parts of the engine were found in which severe technical faults were discovered. They clearly malfunctioned mid-flight which brought the whole star-ship down."
"Ah yes, that might be how it seemed," the Doctor continued, "but actually those faults weren't built in. They were created mid-flight. There was a mutiny on board."
"There has been no evidence of anything of the like," she snaps back, getting extremely irritated with the way he was attempting to undermine her in front of her own class. "There were no survivors, and no journals, note-pods, nothing, so I don't know where you could have got that idea from other than your ridiculous imagination."
River didn't think she'd ever known her students so quiet, all their attention completely transfixed by this man who had the balls to argue with their professor. They watched the conversation flick back and forth between the two with ardour.
The Doctor continues, "There were no journals or anything, no -"
"Then what are you basing your opinion on?" River demands hotly.
"Not opinion. Fact. And as I would have said if you hadn't interrupted me, actually there was one survivor." He points to himself with a grin.
This statement is followed by a little laughter, and a few whispers shooting round the room.
"You were a survivor of Ploton Five?" River demands with a raised eyebrow that makes it seem as if she thinks the man is clearly insane - when in actual fact she knows he's most probably telling the truth and could kill him for doing so.
"Yep."
"It happened over two thousand years ago." She tells him, as if speaking to a stupid child. A few laughs twitter round the hall.
"I know. I was there." He quips.
She doesn't miss a beat. "Time travel is illegal sir." She holds his gaze daring him to accuse her in front of her class.
He stares at her for a few moments, a smirk on his lips before he gives a small laugh. "Who said I used time travel? Maybe I'm just really old."
"Over two thousand?"
"Wouldn't you like to know."
Their eyes lock for a suspended moment, and she silently warns him that she's going to kill him later for coming in here, and arguing and flirting with her in front of her class.
"Well!" She breaks the silence, addressing the class again. "If the idiot in the third row has quite finished wasting my time and disrupting my lesson, shall we move on?"
"Um -" The Doctor raises his hand again, "I haven't quite finished actually."
Students nudge each other and whisper some more. Who was this man?
She shoots him her deadliest glare yet. "You have if you know what's good for you."
He glares back for a few seconds before grinning. "Okay." He says brightly with a shrug. "Maybe I should see you after class to finish this debate then?"
She raises an eyebrow at him. "I think you should definitely do that, sir."
Her words hold a warning and a few murmurs of "he's in for it!" and the like can be heard flittering around the lecture hall.
Another grin and he stretches his hands out in front of him before putting them behind his head. "I look forward to it."
She holds his gaze another moment. "I wouldn't if I were you. So, class. Shall we continue? Who knows anything about the city of Latissimon?"
Students raise their hands and the class continues, the Doctor, much to River's relief, remaining silent through the rest of it, watching her quietly with a small smile on his lips as he admires the way she conducts herself in front of her students.
She clearly knows what she's talking about and does so in a way that even he manages to find what she's saying vaguely interesting - although he'll deny forever that he was ever even mildly interested in an archaeology class. When hands go up, she always pauses to take the time to hear what the particular student has to say, listening to the silly questions the in the same way she listens to the more intelligent ones. And he loves that she knows every answer.
A few glances around make it clear to him that almost if not all sat in the lecture hall are hanging on to River's every word - himself included - and he has to admit that he finds the whole situation; River Song in front of the class, being a professor…more than a slight turn on.
When the lecture comes to an end, River dismisses the class and they all file out, chatting amongst themselves until only one student remains, hovering by her desk.
"Professor?" It's Matthew Jeffries.
"Yes Mr Jeffries?"
He glances at the Doctor, still seated in the third row and then looks back at River. "Do you mind if I listen in on this? I'm interested to hear his theories on Ploton Five."
She sighs heavily. "His theories are a load of rubbish, Matthew, it would be nothing but a waste of your time to hear what he has to say, and I suggest you spend that time more usefully - like working on your paper. From what I saw of it yesterday you need to get a move on if you're planning to get it finished on time."
Matthew ducks his head. "Yes professor," he mutters, and makes his way towards the door.
"Don't take any prisoners do you?" The Doctor comments cheekily from his seat.
"You be quiet, you're in enough trouble as it is." River snaps at him.
The Doctor smirks and mock-salutes her. "Yes professor."
Matthew has paused at the door, looking at the both of them with slightly narrowed eyes. "Do you two know each other?" He asks suspiciously.
"No," River answers, a little too quickly, and keeping a straight face, tells Matthew, "Never met him before in my life."
The young student looks from River, who is keeping a poker face, to the Doctor who shrugs, before he shrugs himself. "See you tomorrow professor," he goes to leave the room.
"Today, Mr Jeffries!" River calls before he can close the door behind him.
He pops his head back in. "Huh?"
"You have Ancient Artefacts with me after lunch," she tells him in exasperation.
"Oh." He screws his forehead up in thought. "Man is it Thursday? I thought it was Friday."
"Wishful thinking I'm sure," River rolls her eyes. "Now go on, off you go."
Another shrug and he grins at her. "Ah well, could be worse, at least I actually enjoy your classes. See you later!" He calls out as he leaves.
"He fancies you." The Doctor comments the second the door shuts.
She rolls her eyes, turning away from him to gather the papers on her desk into a pile. "My entire class fancies me."
He raises his eyebrows, laughing a little. "Aren't you the modest one?"
She shrugs. "Why deny it?" Turning to face him, she continues, "and who can blame them, I fancied myself when I first regenerated."
He laughs again. "Oh River Song. There is no-one like you."
She is not in the mood for jesting. "What do you want, Doctor, why did you come here?"
"To see you."
"To screw up my lecture more like." Her words are hot and he can tell she's still cross.
Attempting to break the ice he grins as he walks down the steps towards her. "Just keeping you on your toes."
Her eyebrows shoot up. "Keeping me -! I could just…kill you sometimes you know that Doctor?"
He grins at her again although he can tell she is genuinely fuming so tries a pout instead as he comes to a stop before her.
"You're teaching all these young students facts that aren't true - I was only trying to help with their education."
"I'm teaching them facts that are known as archaeological facts - you can't just come waltzing in here and contradict that!" She tells him crossly.
"But you know I'm right."
"I don't care! You can't always be right Doctor!"
"But I can't help it!" He claims.
"You can keep your bloody mouth shut when you're sitting in on one of my lectures!"
"But River," his voice has taken on that whiny tone she just hates now. "My mouth doesn't like staying shut!"
"For God's sake Doctor," she mutters crossly. "Why do you have to be so…you all the time!" She sighs and sits down on her desk.
The Doctor is silent for a few moments before, "River?"
"What?"
He steps forward and places his hands on her knees, dropping his voice with a smirk. "You're sexy when you're being all…professorish."
She normally would have smiled, or quipped back with something just as flirty but she is genuinely cross with him right now and turns her head away. "Don't try it Doctor, I'm not in the mood."
"Thought you were always in the mood?" He teases cheekily, his hands gripping her knees and trying to push them apart so he can step between them, but she refuses to move her legs and instead pushes him away from her.
"Get off, you've pissed me off and I'm stopping myself from slapping you right now so don't push it!"
The Doctor steps away, a surprised and slightly hurt expression on his face when he realises how genuinely angry she seems to be.
"I was only having a bit of fun. I thought you liked our banter?"
"Not when it's in front of my students I don't!"
"River. They're not going to believe what I say, you're their professor, who it's obvious they admire and look up to, I'm just some mad-man in the third row."
"That's not the point!" She snaps.
He holds his hands up in surrender. "Okay - okay!" He sighs heavily. "I'm sorry I upset you."
She looks at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised. "And?"
"And…I'm sorry I contradicted you in front of your class."
"And?"
"And…I promise never to do it again?"
She huffs. "That'll do for now."
He stares at her until she flicks her eyes up to meet his. He is looking at her intently, a small smile on his lips. "Want me to make it up to you?"
She raises an eyebrow. "How?"
He grins and steps forward to kiss her on the mouth, moving his lips tenderly against hers. He feels her sigh and relax against him as he winds his hands in her hair and when he pulls back to rest his forehead against hers they are both breathing deeply.
"How long before your next lecture?" He whispers.
"An hour."
"Well." He drops another kiss to her lips. "That gives me just enough time then."
"To what?"
"To make it up to you."
She can't prevent herself from smiling and she presses her body a little closer to his. "Does it now?"
"Mmm hmm. I'll even let you get the handcuffs out."
She laughs at that, and all the anger she'd felt towards him is gone. She can never stay mad at the insufferable man for long.
He kisses her again and she opens her mouth beneath his to let her tongue slide against his, drawing a soft moan from him. After a few moments of the deep kiss she lets him lie her back on the desk, their tongues dancing as he leans over her, standing between her legs. She lifts a high-heeled foot, and wraps her leg around his waist, grinding her lower body against his. They both moan deep in their throats, and are panting when they part for air.
"River," he mutters hoarsely as he moves down to press open-mouthed kisses to her neck.
"No handcuffs sweetie," she pants, running her hands underneath his tweed jacket. "Just you." She lets out a sigh as she tilts her head back to allow him to suck gently at her pulse point. "I missed you," she breathes.
"Missed you too," he just about manages to mumble against her neck.
"Where's the Tardis?" She asks breathlessly, her hearts hammering and heat pooling fast between her legs.
"Down the hallway by the cafeteria," he answers shortly between kisses as he undoes a shirt button.
"Oh…" she mentally swears, that's three buildings away and at least a ten minute walk. "Fuck it," she proclaims, and shoves his jacket off, yanking his bowtie undone and starting on the buttons of his shirt.
The Doctor quickly follows her lead, popping her shirt buttons open one by one, tugging it open once it's undone, his hand finding its way quickly inside the lacy material of her bra to squeeze and fondle a breast. She moans and wriggles against him, pulling his stupid braces off and going straight for the button on his trousers. It's his turn to moan when she gets her hand inside and her lips curl up into a smirk as she teases him.
River briefly slides her legs from his waist to wriggle out of her underwear and the Doctor manages to gather his thoughts enough to have the sense to pull away from her mouth.
"River," he mutters against her neck, "are you sure about this? Couldn't someone come in…?"
"Yes," she pants out, "and if I get fired for having sex in my lecture hall it's your fault."
"Me?" He protests, offended. "How is it my fault?"
"Because you started it," she tells him as she grinds her hips against his, making them both gasp. "And you parked the Tardis too far away."
"Actually," he argues as he runs eager hands up her sides inside her shirt, "you started it, being all sexy and in-charge and clever…I'm actually quite proud of the fact I didn't jump on you in the middle of your lecture."
She laughs throatily. "Well I'm certainly glad you managed to restrain yourself. Not sure that would have gone…down…" she gasps as he bites lightly at her pulse point, "too well…"
"Or," he mumbles, "it would have done, which would have been equally not as good…"
"Oh God can you stop talking," she groans, panting heavily, "and start doing!"
He grins against her lips. "You don't have to ask me twice…"
x
Like I said, other half of this fic is already written so I'll post it up soon if you let me know if you liked this! :D Although I think it's probably obvious what's going to happen anyway lol :P x
*Edit* To the idiot who left me the rather rude anonymous review...River Song does become a professor, do you even watch Doctor who? She introduced herself as professor in 'Silence in the Library', there's also a reference to it in 'The Time of Angels' Please get your facts straight if you're going to complain about things!