Title: River of Love
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Giacomo Casanova
Fandom: Doctor Who/Casanova (Masterpiece Theater)
Rating: NC-17
Table: Love Your Fandom, in 5_prompts
Prompt: 1, "Love, like a river, will cut a new path whenever it meets an obstacle." -- Crystal Middlemas.
Author's Note: The character of Giacomo Casanova is based on the BBC version of Casanova starring David Tennant.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Giacomo Casanova. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor sighed softly, resting his head on Giac's chest and closing his eyes. It had been longer than usual since the last time he'd come to this particular time period to see the man he loved, and he wanted to immerse himself in Giac as much as possible.

He'd missed his lover more than he'd thought he would; whenever he left Giac behind, he always told himself that it was their destiny to only have stolen moments in time for themselves, and that he had to learn to bear it.

But that was hard to believe when his desire to see Giac overwhelmed him to the point where it was almost a physical pain to be away from the other man. And no matter how much he told himself that he should stay away, he always went back.

Whenever he did, Giac welcomed him with open arms and the generous, giving nature that was only one of the myraid traits that had captured his hearts. There was no reproach for him being away, no words of hurt or anger that he wasn't always around.

There was only the wild sweet passion that they shared, the mutual hunger that brought them together in a whirlwind that neither of them could control. This time, they'd barely made it into the Tardis before they were stripping each other's clothes off.

And in the aftermath of their passion, there was no regret, no feeling that he might have done the wrong thing by being here. There was only a deep satisfaction, the knowledge that he was loved, and that he returned that love just as completely.

Giac sighed softly, running a hand through the Doctor's hair as the Time Lord looked up at him. "I've missed you, my sweet," the Italian said softly, his dark eyes meeting the Doctor's. "I live for these moments when I can be with you."

"I've missed you, too," the Doctor murmured, wondering if he should apologize for staying away so long this time. "I would have come back sooner, but there are so many obstacles in the way sometimes that it's hard for me to know when I can see you again."

"There are always obstacles in the way of lovers," Giac said softly, a small smile on his lips. "But love can find a way to conquer them. Love can be like a river -- it flows around obstacles, and simply makes another path when one is blocked."

The Doctor returned his lover's smile; he'd never thought of their relationship as being like a river, but the more he thought of it, the more he liked the idea. And Giac was right; no matter what obstacles were thrown at them, they would find a way to subvert them.

"You know, there's more truth to that than I might have thought," he said, shifting his position so that he could rest his chin on his lover's chest and gaze up at that beloved face. "It seems that no matter what's trying to keep me away, I always find my way back to you."

"I have no doubt that you always will," Giac told him, stretching his lean body out as he reached for the Doctor. "And since you are here now ...." His words trailed off as he rolled the Time Lord over onto his back, straddling him and gazing into his face, the smile still curving his mouth.

The Doctor's dark eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't expected Giac to want to make love again so soon, but with this man, anything was possible. And he himself certainly wasn't averse to another bout of passion between them.

He twined his long legs around his lover's waist, gasping when Giac entered him. He was still somewhat opened from their earlier lovemaking; all Giac had to do was press his hips forward to unite them, enveloping them both in a pleasure that took their breath away.

This was the only place in the world that he truly wanted to be, the Doctor thought as Giac thrust into him; here in this man's arms, their bodies joined in the most primal of rhythms, their hearts and souls just as entwined as their bodies were.

If only .... but there was no use thinking of that. The Time Lord pushed that thought away from him, slamming a door on it and giving himself up to the pleasure of the moment. He didn't need to spend his time with Giac wishing for what could never be.

He had to concentrate on what he had, not what was beyond his reach. He could feel Giac's arms around him, those soft lips on his, those hard, deep thrusts that sent him spiralling up to the heights of passion and beyond.

Such ecstasy couldn't last long; the Doctor cried out Giac's name as his climax swept over him all too soon, the upward spiral coming to an end in a burst of brilliant sensation that flowed through his body as he began the long spiral back down from the heavens.

Dimly, he felt Giac pull out of him, rolling to one side and gathering him into a warm embrace. The Time Lord sighed softly, nuzzling his cheek against his lover's chest. Suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that he'd been gone far too long.

The river of love that flowed between himself and Giac would always connect them; it would flow around any obstacles in their path that kept them apart, and find a new way for them to be together. So far, he'd managed to do that, and he would continue to do so.

"We may have to be apart physically, my love," Giac whispered, one hand raising to thread his fingers through the soft silk of the Doctor's hair. "But the love I have for you, and yours for me, will always connect us. Love does conquer all."

"Whenever there's any kind of obstacle in our way, love will find a path around it," the Doctor answered, his thin arms sliding around Giac's waist and pulling him close. "I know that in my hearts. Nothing could possibly keep me away from you for long."

"Never doubt that love will always lead you back to me, my love." Giac's voice was as soft as a caress, but his tone was firm and strong. "No matter how much distance separates us, I never have a doubt in my mind or my heart that I will see you again."

"I won't doubt, either," the Doctor told him, feeling his throat begin to close. He had to swallow hard around the lump that had formed in his throat; time was passing all too soon, and he would have to leave his lover long before he was ready to go.

Why did it always come down to this? He was never ready to leave Giac; no matter that he knew the other man had a future and a place in history that didn't include him. It always hurt to have to fade into the background, and he knew that it always would.

But that river of love and desire that flowed between them would always connect them, just as Giac had said, he told himself, closing his eyes and letting himself relax in the other man's arms. And for now, he was here with the man he loved, exactly where he wanted to be.

***