Imaginary Worlds

"That I would say you called. 'M not the one who answered the phone. He was calling to ask if you wanted a ride down this Friday to drop me off so you didn't have to drive home alone." Koschei said simply, shrugging a bit.

He didn't see how it mattered. "Don't worry. You had fun. 'M glad you had fun." Koschei assured firmly, smiling a bit as he settled in contently.

Ah, there was another problem. Well, he would short this. He's move his date to Thursday and spend Friday with the Doctor. What? they were just friends with benefits right? Why couldn't he date around?

He wasn't committing to either, just playing around. Tom catting a bit, he supposed. "I'll ring him back shortly."

((Off to bed)))

Surely the Master didn't think that this was a good idea. This wasn't going to be ending well for the other in the least. Even Koschei would be able to tell him that.

However, that wasn't a problem at the moment. "'Kay. You don't have to. I doubt it was important." Koschei murmured softly. He was just such a pleasant lad.

{Night.}

"He wouldn't ring for no reason, I'll get back to him," the Master remarked but not right now, he just lay there in bed with the boy, trying to stay content and not overly worry.

"Right, you need to get ready for tutor," the Master insisted finally as he gave the boy a small nudged and grabbed his phone off the side, dialling up the Doctors number. "Hello?"

"I am ready." Koschei mumbled. Though he took that as a sign that the Master wanted to be alone for this discussion, earning a disapproving look from the lad. Even if he got up and headed out. He could always make himself some cereal.

It wasn't long before the Doctor picked up for the other. Which might have been a bad sign. "Good morning, Harry. A little bird told me you had a date last night. Did you have fun?" he asked pleasantly. And there would be why the babysitter shouldn't have answered.

"Koschei was very insistent that I try dating, his idea. Think I'm lonely cause I have no family," the Master explained perhaps he had made a mistake telling the kid about all of this stuff?

"It went well, she's nice I suppose but you know what happens when I date. Pfft, won't last," the Master remarked with a small laugh before scratched the back of his head. "So Friday, you and me?"

"There's a first time for everything. Don't tempt fate. Unless you want it to work out. I don't really care." the Doctor admitted dully. And he wouldn't. As for that Friday?

"I was just going to offer you a ride down and back. Nothing more. You don't have to worry about a thing." the Doctor assured. Yeah...So he was just a little distant and fake in his pleasantries that morning.

He could sense it and he knew this was just not going to work out as he wanted. Fuck, if only it had been kept secret. "Friday, we should drive up together. If you want to hang out after, its cool."

Yep, he already felt like a jerk and they'd been talking for two minutes. Worst was, he wasn't planning on ending anything, he liked the Doctor. "If you do want to stick around, maybe we could grab lunch?"

The Doctor sighed heavily at that one. He didn't want to talk about this. That simple. He didn't want to deal with the idea that the Master was dating somebody.

"It's not a problem. I just figured you would prefer to not drive back alone. I'll pick you up at eight and should have you back quick enough. I'll see you at work." the Doctor murmured before hangin up.

Definitely a no then. Sighing, the Master got ready for work and headed downstairs, smiling at Koschei as the boy waited patiently for him. "Come on kiddo, lets get out of here."

Snagging the boys hand, they headed out to the car. This was going to be rough. "Doctors in a bad mood so try not to mess around in the labs or talk about my date, promise?"

"Why is he in a bad mood?" Koschei asked slowly. I didn't make any sort of sense to him. And really? It probably should have. But no matter. He'd get over it.

Shrugging, Koschei went along, smiling softly as he got into the car. He couldn't complain too much. He would behave himself well enough.

"Because we recently broke up and he's still in love with me. And I have some ... feelings. But I prefer not to get into that," the Master honestly didn't know what he was doing here.

He was charmed by a women who he didn't think he had much in common with but for whatever reason, he felt this tug towards her. This despite to be closer for whatever reason.

Seriously? Koschei just shook his head at that one. That didn't make any sense for him. It really didn't. "So? You broke up. Be happy." he mumbled pointedly.

Koschei figured that the Doctor could get over himself with that one. The Master was moving on and that's all that mattered to him. "He doesn't matter. Shouldn't be in a bad mood 'cause you had fun."

"Koschei, please, I love you and all but please don't try to tell me how things are," Koschei had no idea how this all worked, he could only see it through the eyes of a sociopathic 7 year old.

"Sometimes emotions are hard to explain, it happens. All I'm asking is that you respect what I ask," he asked for the boy to not say anything and that was it, it wasn't hard.

Koschei just rolled his eyes. "'M not the one to tell him the first time. I just don't get why it's a big deal. You went on a date an' he isn't dating you." he murmured softly.

Why were there still feelings involved here? It didn't make any sort of sense in the least. Particularly not when the Master had enjoyed himself.

As they headed inside, he just heaved a sigh before guiding the boy inside. "Just do as say, please. It's all I ask of you," the Master insisted as he sent the boy off to his tutor.

Heading into his office, he drew the blinds and got to work instantly. He had done a lot of it in his spare time and he was hoping to be able to duck out early to take Koschei home at 3.

The Master was honestly going to be rather out of luck. Around eleven, the Doctor ducked inside of the Man's office, offering a hesitant smile. "Hey. Sorry about this morning." he offered softly.

It was harder to be nice in the mornings. "So. Would it be awkward of me to ask if you had fun on your date at least?" he asked softly.

The Master gestured for the Doctor to join him and set his work aside with a small sigh. "John, I can't explain it, okay? She's not even my type but I find myself... drawn to her, you know?"

He didn't know why he was trying to explain, e knew it would just make it worse but he had too. "We don't have to stop seeing one another do we?" the Master asked with a small wince. "I get it if you want to tell me to shove off but I still don't want to end this."

The Doctor sighed softly and shook his head a bit. "I doubt it. I don't mean any offense, but I do hope you got to enjoy yourself. I don't want you to do this with me if you're going to see somebody." he murmured softly as he took a seat.

He didn't mean anything about it and he wasn't calling it off. Not even close. He was simply expressing his preference for the Master to not do this to him. He didn't want to call it off. But it still went against his morals. He just couldn't call it off personally.

Shit. Dropping his head in his hands, he bit his lower lip. "I don't want to end it with you but I don't want to call off what I'm trying. I just thought it would be okay-- I know, its stupid."

He thought that with the Doctor and him being friends wit benefits that he wouldn't get this trouble but apparently he couldn't of been more wrong. "I don't want to throw you aside."

"Then don't push me aside. I'm not ending things. Nor am I saying you have to. Don't he me wrong. I would rather anything else over this situation and don't you dare call me pathetic, because I already know. Now. Can we try this again? How was your date last night?" he asked softly.

And it did hurt. But the Doctor was tired of being single and he was tired of lowering his standards in partner. He'd never lowered his standards in the actual relationship before. At least it was better than nothing.

The Master dropped his head before turning his eyes up to the Doctor and raising an eyebrow, the man knew him too well and that was sort of worrying. The doctor could be forceful when he wanted to, telling him off like a schoolboy.

"Weird, she was-- I dunno, into stars a lot. We look at them together, she wasn't much of a talker and she isn't as smart as you so we had less to discuss but something about her, it's like a tug," the Master confessed before running his fingers through his head. "Do you ever get that feeling like you know someone without knowing them?"

The Doctor smiled bitterly at that one and shrugged. "More often than you could ever truly know." he murmured softly, shaking his head a bit with a sigh. It was...Trying. No doubt about that one.

But he wasn't willing to get into the details. "I'm glad that you had fun. Really. I didn't mean to come across as short with you this morning." the Doctor muttered in a rather sheepish fashion.

"You didn't, come on, you could of done worse! I mean, I hid it from you and you had every right to be annoyed," the Master confessed before he heaved a sigh and offered a half smile.

"I never stop worrying you know? About everything, I see stuff in my dreams sometimes and part of me ... I dunno, its awkward," he wanted to say how much he felt like he knew the Doctor but he just couldn't

The Doctor sighed softly and shook his head. "Look. We agreed to the occasional date and to fool around a bit. No feelings, no emotions, nothing. You can do whatever you want. You don't want to tell me that you're going out? Fine." he assured.

And it was that simple. The man could do as he pleased. The Doctor wasn't getting into it. "Well, I was mainly stopping in to apologize for this morning. I'll let you get back to it." the Doctor said lightly as he stood, straightening out his suit idly.