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Ever since they had gotten together two months ago, Matt and Alex had laid low. Of course, doing this was relatively easy - Matt was currently promoting Series 7 in the UK and Alex was back in good ole LA - but they were both determined not to let work or distance affect their new relationship. They both made an equal effort to speak to each other, even if they only had five minutes to spare - and Matt was so relieved that Alex had seemed as eager to hear his voice as he was to hear hers. But soon, Alex would be back from LA to shoot a new miniseries, and Matt couldn’t wait to feel her in his arms again. It just wasn’t the same - wanking to her voice whispering naughty promises in his ear and actually, physically having her, in his bed (or anywhere really - he wasn’t that picky), it just couldn’t compare. Oh, Matt could feel himself falling - hard and fast. Damn if she didn’t make it so easy for him to. She was just - all Alex and irresistible and he found himself so, so invested that it scared him a little. They were barely two months into their relationship and he was already feeling this way. He was trying to hold himself back, though. He didn’t want to scare Alex with any poorly-timed declarations, or worse - make her feel like he was pushing her to commit. But oh, how he wanted her to. He wanted her to be his, all his because he could feel himself slowly giving each and every piece of him to her. Which was why he found himself booking a small restaurant, just outside of the main town, a week before Alex was due to arrive in Cardiff. They were mostly done with the first half of Series 7 - only a few more shoots left until they wrapped up - and he’d been given two full weeks of rest before they started their American promotions. He intended to spend those two weeks convincing Alex that he was serious about them, starting with a date. He knew that Alex was apprehensive about being seen in public, so he made sure to reserve the entire restaurant, and paid extra to have only one waiter serve them throughout the night (which didn’t make sense to him either). He made special arrangements with the chef and by the time the entire thing was sorted out, he was feeling pretty good about himself. He was busy filming the day that Alex landed, and he felt very acutely the ache of being so close to her and yet so far. She texted the moment she landed, letting him know that she was settling in his flat (she’d wanted to book a hotel but he insisted that there was enough space to stay with him) and that she’d be sleeping off the jet lag. It was almost ten at night when he slipped silently into his flat, trying his best not to make too much noise so as to not wake Alex up. His entire flat was dark and quiet, so he assumed that Alex was fast asleep in the bedroom. He turned to kick off his shoes, and when turned back again his gasp died in his throat. Alex was wide awake. She was leaning provocatively against the doorway of his bedroom and she was wearing lacy black underwear that did wonderful things to her body, coupled with a pair of matching stilettos, a sultry smile and nothing else. His mouth dried and his jaw dropped and his eyes popped out of his head as he took in her form. He could feel all the blood rushing south as she bit her lip, clearly pleased with his reaction. He swallowed and licked his lips slowly as she pushed herself off the doorway and started stalking towards him, her heels clicking on the floor. “Hello, darling.” She said. Matt was reminded of why it was so easy to get off while on the phone with her. She reached for him immediately, her hand sliding up his chest and around his neck, her skin hot against his as she pressed her semi-nude form against him. “I missed you.” His hands automatically went to her hips, stroking her bare skin as he leant in to kiss her sweetly. She pulled him down harder, a contrast to how softly her lips moved against his and he couldn’t help but smile as he kissed her hello. “I missed you.” He said, pulling back to meet her eyes. He saw how she looked over him, how her eyes traced his face as if she couldn’t tell whether he was lying or not. He smiled sincerely down at her, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “So much, Kingston.” She beamed up at him before she reached for his hand slowly, moving it up to cup her breast through her bra. His eyes darkened as he squeezed her weight in his hand and she leant in to press her lips on his neck, her tongue darting out to taste his skin. “Show me how much, darling.” She whispered, low in his ear before sucking his earlobe into her mouth. He fought a groan as his grip on her tightened and she moved her attention back to his throat. “Alex,” he groaned, lips seeking hers. “Please, sweetheart, let me -” His hands roamed her body hungrily as she pressed her lips to his, much more desperate than before. He stroked her skin and sucked on her lip and she found herself getting drunk on his heated touch and the way he kissed her. He managed to undo her bra and threw it carelessly over his shoulder, pushing her backwards. “Bedroom,” he managed as she pressed her lips against his jaw, her hands unbuttoning his shirt quickly. She pushed it off his shoulders as they entered the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him as he pressed her against it. He showed her just how much he missed her for the next four hours. * Matt woke up next to Alex for the first time in two months. He couldn’t help the wide grin that spread on his face as he felt the warmth of her body in his arms. She was finally with him and he couldn’t wait to start their relationship. It was bound to be a tough road, because even though she was in his bed, he could tell that she was cautious and careful with him. He wasn’t sure what her doubts were exactly but he wanted to make them disappear, one by one. His arms tightened around her torso as he buried his face in her hair. She had two days before she started filming for her new miniseries. Two full days that he hoped to take advantage of, starting with breakfast. He pressed a small kiss to her head before slipping quietly out of bed. He got dressed quickly, pulling a clean t-shirt over his head and putting on boxers. He tiptoed out the bedroom and headed straight for the kitchen, intending to throw together a simple breakfast before Alex woke up. * Alex woke alone in bed to the smell of eggs, toast and tea. She blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the sunlight filling the room as she rolled over between the sheets and stretched lazily, a content smile spreading on her face. She was going to spend two days with Matt. Last night had been a dream. Every touch, every caress, kiss from him made her feel so treasured and so loved that she could hardly believe it. Matt had treated her like a goddess to be worshipped, like a gift from the heavens and with every sigh and every moan that fell from her lips she could feel herself getting lost in him. She held herself back though, at the edge of a cliff where falling for him was a real possibility. She’d been on that last step for the past two months, hovering and unsure that falling was worth the risk. Unsure that he’d catch her. She wasn’t even sure why she doubted him. Maybe it was the age difference, his career or the fact that he’d never have children if he chose her. Maybe she was afraid that this was just a phase - that once he got his fill of her he’d leave, just like everyone else before him. She couldn’t figure out why, but all these reasons presented themselves like a full meal on a silver platter and she halted at the edge, waiting for him to give her a reason to fall. It wasn’t that he wasn’t making the effort. His relentless texts and phone calls while she was in LA had made her realise how serious he was about her. But still, that small, naggy voice in the back of her mind persisted. The voice that kept telling her to enjoy him while it lasted, because it wasn’t going to. “Kingston! You’re up!” Matt’s voice interrupted her thoughts quite suddenly and she jumped, momentarily forgetting where she was. He entered the room and pulled the covers from her, leaving her naked on the bed as his eyes drifted down her form appreciatively. She cleared her throat and he met her eyes, smirking slightly even as a faint blush tainted his cheeks and said, “Breakfast’s ready for you out on the table, if you’re hungry.” “Thank you, darling.” She smiled at him, kissing him soundly as she got up from the bed. He admired the view unashamedly as she bent down to rummage through his drawers, pulling out one of his shirts and shrugging it on. She buttoned it up haphazardly as he watched, already planning numerous ways to get her out of the garment. As they settled down for breakfast, Alex could feel nervousness radiating off of Matt. He seemed anxious and jittery and Alex felt her heart sink to her stomach. She’d known this day was coming - hadn’t her brain told her, countless times, to get ready for it? But still, she never thought she’d get so little time with him before he wanted out. Swallowing slowly and trying to blink back her tears, she played with the eggs and toast on her plate, her eyes avoiding his as she tried to eat. “Alex, I...” he drifted off and Alex breathed in deeply, bracing herself. “I need to tell you something.” He reached over to grasp her free hand, stroking her skin softly. It was all she could do to take control of herself and not hold onto his fingers tightly - not hold onto him tightly. She peered at him uncertainly, trying to read his expression. He was still jumpy and nervous and his eyes seemed to take comfort in the fact that his hand was still holding hers. “I know we haven’t talked much about... us,” he paused and seemed to find the courage to look into her eyes. Hope shone in his pupils as he licked his lips slowly, but there was an underlying nervousness that made Alex feel just as anxious. He opened his mouth to continue but before she could stop herself, Alex blurted, “Darling, it’s okay, I understand.” She managed a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and let go of his hand, placing her fork down and dropping both hands onto her lap. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You do?” “I don’t expect anything from you.” She swallowed, gazing down at her plate. It was true, she didn’t expect anything from him - but god, she wanted everything. She wanted his touch and his kisses and his sweet, sweet words in her ear every night. She wanted his arms around her, his hands in her hair as they moved together between the sheets. She wanted his smile and his laugh and she wanted to be there for every single tear he would ever shed, so she could wipe it all away. She wanted his heart, because he already had hers. “It’s been amazing, these past months.” She continued, more to her plate than to him. “But you don’t... Matt, you don’t owe me anything.” “Alex, you’ve got it all wrong, love.” The endearment fell from his lips as naturally as breathing and her eyes widened. “I want you.” It was the way he said it, with determination and sincerity and hope, that reminded her of how everything had started between them. He was echoing those words from that night, but before she got a chance to even open her mouth, he added, a little hurriedly, “And not just for sex, though I quite like that bit,” he blushed a little before his eyes caught hers and she could see the exact moment all his nervousness evaporated, replaced by calm, genuine desire. “I want to... take you out. On a date, tonight. There’ll be dinner, and dancing, and... dessert later, if you want.” He leant forward, elbows on the table and reached for her face, his thumb rubbing the apple of her cheek tenderly. She let out an involuntary sigh, a hand coming up to rest over his as she pressed her face into his hand, turning her head slightly to place a small kiss on his palm. “I want you to know that if you say yes, Alex, you’ll get everything.” He whispered, still cradling her cheek. His eyes darted around her face, examining her features before he settled on looking into her eyes. “I won’t hold back.” Alex stared at him, hardly believing what he was offering. Everything. It was all she wanted but was too afraid to ask for, offered to her on a silver platter - just like all the reasons why this couldn’t work. She ignored that thought, focusing on Matt instead. “You’re sure that this - that I’m what you want?” She asked, her eyes wide. “Because I can’t - I can’t fall another time only for you to get bored after a while, Matthew, I’m not strong enough for that.” His heart clenched in his chest as he stared into her eyes, open and vulnerable, and he moved his chair closer to hers, grasping her hands in his. He pressed two kisses to the back of both her hands and tugged her closer until their knees touched. “I want you,” he repeated against the back of her hand, lips pressed against her skin. “I want to be yours,” his hands shook as he pulled her even closer, their foreheads touching. “But, more than anything,” his hand slip up her arm to push a curl out of her face. “I want you to be mine.” For a moment she just looked at him, her eyes sweeping across his features hesitantly. She wanted so badly to give in to him, because she knew it wouldn’t be difficult. She was more than halfway gone for him long before that first night they spent together. But still she didn’t move, examining him carefully. He was beginning to think that he’d pushed too far, declared too much, that it was all going too fast for her. He pulled away, his other hand still grasping hers tightly. But as soon as he moved away, she panicked, her eyes widening almost comically the further he moved. Without saying a thing, she threw a hand around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his. He let out a surprised gasp that quickly turned into a moan as she licked his lips carefully, sucking gently at his bottom lip. His mouth opened and she sighed into him as his tongue stroked hers, his hands moving up to bury themselves in her hair. When they broke apart, they didn’t move far, still holding each other in place as they panted slightly. “Is that a yes?” He asked. She laughed as she closed the gap between their lips again. * The next morning Matt woke up with the same wide grin etched on his face. Last night had been completely amazing. Alex was extraordinary - she was kind, funny and so, so breathtaking. Of course, he’d known that before their date, but it was something else entirely to sit opposite her in a dimly lit restaurant, trying desperately not to sweat buckets because he was on a date with Alex Kingston and still experience her in all her glory. And oh, how he missed her. Not just the sex, obviously, but her mere presence in his life. Her laugh, her voice, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled and the way her curls bounced as she shook her head at his desperate attempts to woo her. Having her back, exactly the way he’d always wanted her for so long, made it hard not to smile. It had been hard at first, because he could tell that Alex was cautious and wary about spending an evening out in the open. Even though she’d agreed to the date, she was still insistent on keeping them a secret - something he completely understood, because she had Salome to think about - but he couldn’t help but think there was another, completely different reason why she was reluctant to go public. It didn’t matter to him what anybody else thought about them, but clearly it would take some time before Alex could do that. He decided then that he’d start trying to get her to see it his way, one step at a time. But as the night progressed, the tension slowly seeped out of Alex’s frame. He had worked hard all night to make her forget where she was. He flirted and teased just as mercilessly as her and by the end of the night, the air around them was charged with a totally different kind of tension. While he paid for their meal at the counter, her hand had slipped from his to rest on his chest, above his heart. He knew that she could feel his pulse quicken, because her eyes sparkled mischievously and she pressed her lips to his throat. When she pulled back, his eyes had darkened, gazing at her with hunger and desire and she knew - she wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night. She didn’t mind. By the time they reached his flat, he couldn’t wait any longer. He pushed her up against the door as soon as it closed, attacking her mouth as his hands roamed her body quickly. Their kiss was charged, full of breathy moans and tangled tongues as he let pure desire take control of him. Her hands snaked under his shirt, stroking his muscles softly and he let out a groan, the heat of her touch tingling deliciously. Sure enough, they’d been occupied for pretty much the entire night. And now he couldn’t wait to start again with her. He couldn’t wait to have her every day, even if it was only for two weeks. He couldn’t wait to touch her every night and laugh with her all day - and to prove to her that saying yes to him was a hundred percent worth it. He couldn’t wait to be totally, utterly hers. He was just leaning in to wake Alex up with a kiss when his phone rang, breaking the calm silence. Groaning quietly into Alex’s curls, he forced himself up with as little movement and noise as possible, grabbing his phone from the bedside table and leaving the room so he wouldn’t be disturbing Alex. Glancing down at his phone, he smiled as he saw Karen’s face staring back at him from his screen. He missed the redhead, who was currently filming in the states. They hadn’t had the chance to talk properly since she and Arthur had stopped filming for Who, and the fact that she was still making an effort to talk to him made him smile. “Kaz! How’s the sunshine and breeze on the other side of the world? Missing the cold and the rain back home, eh?” Karen snorted. “Only as much as I miss you, stupidface.” “With all your cold, dead heart then.” He deadpanned. “Oh please, Smith, I just had my lunch. Don’t make me gag.” He could hear the redhead rolling her eyes at him. She cleared her throat before continuing. “Do you have anything to tell me?” He raised his eyebrows. “Not particularly, no. Why?” “Well, I was on the net, browsing casually when I thought - how’s the idiots on the other side of the pond doing? So I typed in your name and guess what came up?” A little wary, Matt narrowed his eyes. “What?” “I’m emailing you the link. Read it, and rethink your answer to my first question.” Still frowning, he got on his laptop in the living room and logged into his email account, clicking the link that Karen had sent. It was an article, he realised, and he scanned the quickly, eager to read what was so clearly bothering Karen about him. ‘Doctor Who Co-Stars Matt Smith & Alex Kingston Caught On A Date?’ Oh shit. Oh shit. Ohshitohshitohshit. There was even a photograph of them - last night, leaving the restaurant hand in hand. Alex looked beautiful and radiant and she laughed along to some joke he was saying, and he was looking at her with entirely too much fondness for it to be considered casual. He thought that it would’ve made quite a cute picture if it didn’t go with a goddamn article on a gossip site. Matt swallowed nervously and scrolled down, almost sighing in relief when he saw that the article was quite short. Still, he mentally prepared himself - whatever gossip sites had to say about his relationship was sure to be brutal.
Doctor Who co-stars Matt Smith and Alex Kingston were caught leaving a small restaurant just outside Cardiff, where filming for Series 7 of the sci-fi show is currently taking place. The pair is pictured above, looking extremely cosy with each other.
Speculation on the nature of Smith’s and Kingston’s relationship has been blooming among fans - especially since neither of them have really been subtle while flirting with one another. Many fans have been questioning whether their interactions have been a little less harmless and a little more hint dropping - some are even going so far as to say that they are indeed a couple, kept a secret from the prying eyes of the media.
But has fiction really seeped into reality? While our inside sources have not yet been able to confirm or deny anything, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that this is nothing more than a comfortable dinner between friends. This particular Team Tardis (including Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan) has never been shy in showing affection towards one another, constantly appearing together after filming.
However, if this is indeed a date as the photo suggests, some fans have shown incredulity at the mismatched stars. While the Doctor has certainly met his match in River Song, can the same truly be said for Matt Smith and Alex Kingston? Kingston is almost twenty years Smith’s senior and is a mother of one - a child gained from her most recent divorce. Twice-divorced with a track record, Kingston does not exactly fit the ideal stereotype of a man such as Smith, who has been known to date models such as Daisy Lowe. Those of us who are familiar with Kingston’s long, long past wonder whether this supposed romance is with pure intention, or is there something to be gained by the ageing leading lady of the nineties?
We cannot say for certain that they are, indeed, in a relationship - but if this is true, us fans can only hope that our Doctor’s heart is safely protected in the promiscuous and fashion-challenged hands of the actress who plays River Song.
His eyes lingered on the last word of the article, overcome by the sudden need to punch something. His hands were white-knuckled, clenched into fists on the table and his jaw was locked tight. Rage and indignation bubbled up inside him, warring with the crushing need to protect Alex from all this bloody rubbish. This. This was why Alex didn’t want to go public - they would tear her apart. Her past marriages had never been a secret - surely she’d been through all of this before, and she didn’t want to go through all that again. Of course. He’d been so utterly stupid and self-centred to think that it had anything to do with him. “Matt? Matt!” Karen’s voice screeched from his phone - which really was impressive, because he hadn’t even turned on the speaker. “Matthew Smith, will you answer the goddamn phone?” His heart pounded in his chest as he looked from Karen’s picture on his phone screen to the article on his laptop. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn’t very well tell her that the article was true - minus all the jabs taken at Alex. He’d sworn to Alex that she could trust him, and he did not intend to break her trust. He did not want to be like everyone else before him. There was only one way to it. Lie to Kaz. He started laughing, but the air in his throat accumulated and his jaw had been clenched too tightly together - and he ended up coughing hysterically as he choked out, “Bloody hell, Kaz! Are you joking? Don’t tell me you actually believe this rubbish!” “What? Like I haven’t noticed how you’ve been making googly eyes at her ever since you broke it off with Daisy? Come off it,” she said, highly amused. “Now, spill. Did you finally stop moping around and make her swoon with that absurdly charming smile?” “You think I’m charming?” “Matt.” She snapped. “Tell me the truth!” “For god’s sake, Karen,” he said, exasperated. “Even if I somehow gained the guts to ask her, do you really think she’d say yes? To me?” On the other end of the line, Karen sighed. “You’ve got a point there.” She teased, but her tone turned serious as she said, “But all the same, Matt, try anyway. You never know, she might say yes.” She already did, he thought with a smile. “That ship has sailed, Kaz. She isn’t interested in me that way.” Yes she is. “And I’m more than happy having her as just a friend.” No I’m not. “If you say so, Smithdawg.” She said, and he could sense clearly that she didn’t believe him. “Anyway, I gotta run. I’ll talk to you soon, Smith.” “Kaz, wait! Before that,” he hesitated, but there really was no other way to make sure of it. It would seem suspicious, but if he played it off carefully then it wouldn’t be any reason for Karen to think that he would be losing anything other than a really good friendship. “Could you... keep this article between us?” “Why?” She sounded genuinely perplexed by this request and he relaxed a little. He’d been expecting a more suspicious tone of voice from her. “You just said it wasn’t true.” “It isn’t,” he insisted. “But you read it, Kaz, you know what it says about Alex and...” “Oh, aren’t you sweet?” Karen cooed into the phone and he tried very hard not to sigh impatiently and roll his eyes. “Trying to protect Alex from the mean, bad press.” She laughed at her own joke and Matt really did roll his eyes at that. “Fine, fine.” She said, once her laughter died. “I won’t tell anyone about the article, Matt.” “Especially Alex.” He stressed. “What? Worried she won’t go out for dinners with you anymore?” She teased again but he tensed - that was exactly what he was afraid of. That once she saw how being with him would affect her, she’d stop saying yes and start saying no. “Calm down, Matt, I was just joking. And of course I won’t show her the bloody article, what kind of friend do you think I am?” He muttered under his breath exactly what he thought of her. “I heard that, Smithers.” She said. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, nodding absently. “Talk to you later, moonface.” “Oi!” He tossed the phone aside, his eyes sweeping over the article again. God, if this was what it was going to be like for her when they went public, he didn’t think he’d ever want to. Alex didn’t deserve any of this - and this article was pure speculation. He could only imagine the extent to which these gossip rags would go to slander her once they confirmed their involvement. But what if she found this article? What if she saw this, read what they had to say and decided that being with him wasn’t worth the price of her pride? His heart pounded at the thought of them ending before they could even start. He couldn’t risk Alex. He couldn’t lose her to the press, of all things. He couldn’t lose her to anything. He needed a game plan.