Imaginary Worlds

"It does...You really want a little venture, let me know when Koschei's birthday is. I'll let you use my cabin to take him up." the Doctor said softly, sitting and looking over the lake with a small smile. He was just a little giving.

It was also obvious just how much his Tardis had favored him. "You guys could have a lot of fun. It's up in the mountains...Has a nice hot tub and everything. I don't go there often. Mainly just take Marnal up for holidays.'' he admitted.

He had a cabin as well? Yep, very obvious. Her owner and his son got money, wealth, property and good luck. He and his psycho son got no money, a rubbish house and bad luck. Thank God he wasn't aware of it.

"It would be nice, when Koschei next gets a holiday I'll take him up. He's having a sulk lately, doesn't like us spending time together," he dreaded to think how tonight would end. "Bet Marnal makes less fuss than Koschei."

"My turn to play psychologist. I don't know what age he was when you got him, but you said that it took a couple of months for the two of you to really lick, which means he was at least three or so. Old enough to have his own opinions and the like, anyway." the Doctor said slowly, looking to the other.

"He was abandoned to you and then it was just the two of you. Now somebody he doesn't like is taking your attention from him. For all he knows, this will just leave him abandoned again or cast aside. He doesn't know how to deal with this." the Doctor stated.

"Well I didn't want him. I know I shouldn't say that but I didn't, I couldn't handle myself let alone a kid," the Master confessed and even now, he had his doubts he was handling it well. "It took me a a month and 20 days... I remember it perfectly."

He saw himself in the boy, he didn't know how it had happened, he just did. "We went to look at the fish, there was this open tank... idiot tumbled in. I thought my heart had stopped. I promised him after that that I loved him and I'd never leave him. I tell him it so often and yet he can't accept me dating," the Master confessed, it was all a little stressful and Koschei was not an easy child to deal with.

"I understand. I don't blame your son...That must have been horrifying for you. Whether you wanted him or not. I remember when I had Marnal...It took me almost a year to truly like the poor lad. I kept wanting his mother back and I blamed him...Only way I could deal with grief." the Doctor admitted softly.

"One day I woke up and was just...Watching him be himself. Something innocent...And I stopped seeing his mother. Wrong, yes, but you're not the only one." the Doctor informed softly.

"I don't care what people say, being a single dad is hard as hell. I think if Kosch had his mom, he might be better. I raised him poorly and I regret it. I was a recluse with a issues and flippant moods and he picked it up," his son was a screwed up and he was sure it must of had something to do with how he treated the poor lad.

"Its good you managed to move on thought, see your kid for who he is. I'm glad I never had that problem," the Master offered with a small smile, taking the Doctors hand in his own. "I know they have issues but ... we have good kids, really."

"Yes, we do. We have two wonderful kids and Koschei will warm up eventually. And if he doesn't, we can go from there." he murmured, laying back in the grass and tugging the Master down alongside of him. "So...Is this where we decide if we're just two friends going on a couple of dates and testing the water or something more?" he asked softly.

It was a valid question. They'd technically been to dinner twice and had that little impromptu moving date. It was a valid question for him. He just wanted to know that they were on the same page as one another.

"Well, I dunno, we could have that discussion. As far as I know, we're two people who have had dates, enjoyed themselves, plenty to bond over and so on," After all, it was all true, wasn't it?

"So I assume we're ... well, I dunno, boyfriends sounds childish. Tentatively dating one another?" the Master asked, he liked that but he didn't know if the doctor would. "I should warn you, I don't date much, this isn't my strong suit."

"I can agree to that and it's easy. Just relax and do what feels natural. Like this." the Doctor teased, jokingly kissing the Master's cheek. He was just teasing. To an extent. It wasn't all that bad, really. He was honestly a bit relaxed.

"You'll be fine. Like I said. It's going to take a lot if you try and cause problems. I'll even be fun. You get to properly date and all that fun stuff." the Doctor stated lightly, grinning brightly.

"Then we're dating," the Master offered before kissing the Doctor in return and settling on his back. The sky was lovely and he knew that he was going to have to go soon but he didn't want too.

"Do we really have to go back?" the Master asked, more than happy to stay here and be lazy. He could of slept here but he knew that just wouldn't work. "... Tell me, when do we go to this hotel?"

"Next week. Come on and I'll take you home. And we can just...Relax. You still have the rest of the week off of work. We'll be able to relax and whatnot. I don't see any problem with it." the Doctor said softly, smiling as he gave a small shrug.

He stood and brushed his jeans off as he got onto the motorcycle again, motioning the Master to join him. He couldn't help himself on this one. He really couldn't. "Figure out the reason for the bike yet?"

"I assumed it was to force personal contact? Clever," the Master chipped in, yes, he had known. He wasn't stupid but he hadn't know the Doctor would be so open about it actually.

Hopping on the back, he smiled in amusement and wrapped his arms around the Doctor. "You perv, could of just asked," he whispered playfully into the Doctors ear before making sure he had a good grip.

"Where's the fun in that?" the Doctor teased before taking off, and if he went just a little too fast to prompt the other into holding on tighter, well. How could he be blamed over that one? He managed the thirty minute trip in twenty, sighing softly as they came to a stop.

Right. And now they parted ways where the Master dealt with Koschei and he headed home where Marnal would be sound asleep. But it was worth it. "Suppose this is goodnight, then." he mused softly.

The Master hopped off the bike and looked behind him at his house before sighing. Tonight and tomorrow would no doubt be fun. Loking at the Doctor, he offered him a smile. "See you soon then?"

And as the Doctor said, he just acted naturally and gave the Doctor a kiss. Pulling back, he nodded his head as coolly as he could before starting up the path to see his son.

The Doctor returned the kiss and smiled softly. Well. He wasn't about to complain. "Goodnight, Harry." he bid before taking off. It was a pleasant night while it lasted.

Bcause the second the Master entered, things were noticeably off. "I'm done! Twenty isn't nearly enough to deal with that--That__Thing!" the sitter snapped, storming through the door. She wouldn't be coming back.

The Master had seen this coming so he soon produced an extra £10. "Won't blame you if you stop babysitting for me but give me a heads up first, okay? Sorry about the brat."

The Master sighed and rubbed the back of his head before tugging out another £5. He may as well pay for her taxi home. Passing it along, he sighed. "What exactly did he do then?"

"What hasn't he done?" she demanded, tugging her now shorter hair as he example. And then, as if to help her point, Sigma came running to greet the Master, curt covered in botches of color from the dyes in Koschei's stain glass kit.

"I recommend finding another sitter, but I need to go before that demonic creature pulls something else." she informed firmly as she left. Was the Master's problem now.

The Master nodded and showed her out before crouched down beside Sigma. "Oh you silly dog, what did he do to you? We'll have a bath, yeah?" the Master lead Sigma upstairs and got him to sit in the bathroom before he went into Koschei's.

"I'm back, by the way. And you're grounded," the Master said in a cheery tone before taking off back to the bathroom so he could wash the dog. What? He wasn't giving the boy the satisfaction of ruining his night.

Koschei just smirked, curious to see how long it would take he Master to notice all of the shampoos were replaced with bleach. Yeah. It was worth it. Getting up, he headed to the both room and shrugged.

"We don't have food. Thought you should know." Koschei stated. The sitter had used the last of what they'd had and burned it. He didn't care. It was the Master's problem.

The Master rolled his eyes and showered the dog down, ruffling the dogs wet hair and watching the puppy leap. He was lucky that he tested it on his hands first but the moment he realised it was bleach, he dropped it and got to his feet to wash his hands.

Fantastic. "You're grounded for a month and I'm taking your puzzles, your paints and removing the rat from you till further notice," the Master informed the boy as he tossed all of the shampoo into a nearby bin by the empty one from last week. He filled it with water, swished it around and emptying it on Sigma. Ah-ha! He could still make a lather. Smiling, he gave the dog a playful kiss on the head.

The Master wasn't going to be getting over it anytime soon. He'd added peroxide to his father's shampoo. He wasn't nice about it. "'Kay. Rat is missing, by the way." he said softly.

Alright. That one wasn't his fault and it would explain away the mess in the Master's bedroom. His pet had gotten loose and he wasn't quite able to locate it. The Master would need too locate the rat in order to confiscate it.

The Master finished washing and drying Sigma before carrying the pup to his bedroom and crouched down. "Okay, Siggy. No killing, find the rat," Turning off the light, he and Sigma looked around till the dog barked and the Master saw it fly across the from. It took two minutes to catch it and return it to its cage.

Putting the rat downstairs, he headed into Koschei's room and grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, hauling him easily into his room. "Tidy it up. Oh and hope you know I'm going to make you pay me back all the money for the broke things," Smiling, the Master ruffled his hair before heading back into the bathroom to bin everything. A few hours work at the lab ought to do it.

Koschei glowered before smirking. Clean up? Fine. He threw out most of the stuff and called it good, shrugging as he headed back to his bedroom. "'M going to bed!" he called pointedly. He wasn't going to play nice.

It was his next step that would be difficult. He just needed to wait until the Master was sleeping to get into the man's computer. A harsh email to the Doctor ought to solve all of his problems easily.

{I'll be vanishing for a few hours, by the way. I'm going out to eat with some friends.}

(No problem! Sherlocks on soon.))

"Koschei, you're not going to bed, you didn't tidy my room," the Master said, turning the light on in Koschei's room and grabbing the boy again. It wasn't rough or painful, he was merely moving the boy back to his room. Everything he'd thrown out was back on the floor.

"You know where it goes," the Master said, sitting on the bed to supervise him. "You know, you're acting very childish. Beyond childish... I would be embarrassed if I was such a bright young lad and I spent my night acting like a brat."

"I'd be embarrassed if I were in a relationship with my boss. People might talk." Koschei mumbled as he started to work. Oh, and heaven forbid should they ever break up! The Master might have to go back to his old job.

He made quick work before shooting the Master a glare. "Good. Night." he asserted, turning on heel to retreat. Didn't matter that he'd just insinuated to the child's equivalent to his father sleeping his way up to the top.