I figured I'd publish this before Moffat ruins all my theories. An 11/River ficlet of bittersweetness!

"I love you." She giggled and clapped a hand over her mouth. The Doctor smiled softly, and shook his head a bit. "That's the first time I've said it properly to you—to anybody. Even mum and dad it's always been 'love you'." She grinned, "I. Love. You. More than anyone else. More than the entire planet. No. More than the entire universe. More than life. Course, you've heard me say it before, haven't you?"

"River, have I ever told you how much you're like your mother?" He asked, kissing her forehead softly.

She rolled her eyes, but kept smiling, "What a time to bring that up. What do you mean this time?"

"How often does she say I love you?"

"Only when she thinks we're about to die. Mostly to dad. It's like she thinks he doesn't know, sometimes." She paused, "What do you mean?"

"That's the first time you've ever said that to me. But I know. I always knew. Because you're so like your mother. You don't say it. You show it, in everything you do, in everything you say."

She frowned, "I've never said that I love you before."

"Not in so many words."

"A first and a last all in one."

"Yes." He paused, "Hmm. Have I ever told you?"

She sighed, prepared for some off topic fact about the planet Krysilian and the inhabitants. "Told me what?"

"How much you mean to me. How much I adore you. How much…yes. Have I ever told you, River Song, that I love you? How much I love you?"

"You don't have to." She responded, immediately. "Ever. Don't you ever, ever think I don't know."

"Yes, I suppose we've both been around your mother far too much."

"I doubt mum had much control over how much you express yourself." She rolled her eyes, "If she did, you'd have kissed me by now" He looked confused, "You've seen mum and dad. He says something sweet and because she can't think of what she wants to say or how to respond, she snogs him."

"Well, if you want me to kiss you," he offered with a grin.

"I always want you to kiss me, sweetie. That's not the point." She patted his cheek, "The point, dear, is that neither of us say 'I love you' because we know that it doesn't need to be said. But it was nice to hear it, even just this once."

"I might say it again. You don't know."

"Yes, I do." She smiled, just barely, "Because the next time I hear it, it'll be the last time I see you, won't it?"

He paused, and then responded. "No. But I promise you River Song, I love you. I don't know if I loved you at first sight, but those were younger eyes."

"Getting older all the time." She commented lightly. "You're amazing, Doctor, do you know that?"

"I'm really not."

"Never tell a girl she's wrong," River playfully scolded. "In a relationship the girl is always right. And I am. Doctor, before you fell out of the sky into my life, everything I was wasn't what I wanted to be. And now…you've change me for the better."

"Do you know what I always thought would be amazing?" He grinned as she rolled her eyes, "You know that show you really liked? Glee? I always feel like we could break out in song and it'd look awesome."

"I'm not letting you sing. I think it's an offense on this planet."

"This is Earth!"

"Yes." She replied, "So, what do we do now?"

"Could get back to saving the world."

She grinned brightly, "So much fun. I'll shoot, you talk?"

"Always. Although, if I keep the talking to a minimum, could you do that with the shooting?"

"Do I ever?" She winked, and reached to open the elevator. He caught her hand and turned her back to face him, then kissed her.

After they ended the kiss, he kept his forehead pressed against hers. "You and me. No matter what. Promise."

She wasn't sure if that was a statement or a demand. "Always."

"Good. Now, you take the Cyberman on the left, I'll get the ones on the right."

"There are more on the right. Maybe I should take that side."

"Is that a challenge? I can take all of them."

"I'd like to see you try." She kissed his cheek before she launched herself into the crowd, guns ablaze.

Before he followed her, he stood in the doorway, watching her with a grin, knowing that he really shouldn't love the way she moved as she shot the Cybermen.

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