Imaginary Worlds

"I never said it wasn't fair, sorry if you thought that. Just stating the obvious," the Master remarked casually, someone had issues and it wasn't him. "I get lonely without Koschei, that's all I said. And you're busy."

Which the Doctor had every right to be, no strings attached meant he could do as he pleased. Seemed fair enough to him.

"I know. I just...I guess I prefer an exclusive relationship over whatever this is. That and the idea of meeting anybody Iros suggests has me on edge." the Doctor admitted softly.

He wasn't sure he even wanted to follow through. And who would blame him for not wanting to? It was a miracle the Doctor had called back and agreed.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could help. I mean-- I do like you, I really do, I suppose this isn't ideal, huh?" he didn't like hurting the Doctor but he couldn't just stop doing what he was doing. He had to know who she was.

"I'm... I'm more curious than anything. I know her, I just don't know how. When I think of her, my heart aches... but not in a romantic way," the Master explained in an awkward manner. "I know I'm not meant to be away from you either."

"ignoring for the moment just how stalkerish that really sounds, I do get it. Believe me or not, but I do, and that's what makes this hurt. I don't want you to be with her if we're together in any manner, but I can't just try and control you either." the Doctor said softly.

And that was a step forward on his part, even if he didn't know it yet. "It's fine. If you're going to date her, then date her. I'll stop asking you about it." the Doctor assured softly.

"I can't lose you," the Master asserted rather forcefully in a rather unsettling manner, he knew how odd that sounded but the man was in his dreams, he was always around and he knew what the blue box was.

There was something there he had to find. "Call me crazy, hell most do, but my dreams have to mean something. I like her, I do... I want you around me but--" But sometimes he feared the Doctor, others he hated him and others he loved him. It was confusing.

"It's highly obsessive, actually. On a hypothetical note, what of I were to call things off? What then? Again, I'm not, but it is a bit...Strong for you to be so sure about this one." the Doctor pointed out slowly.

It was a bit unnerving. Worse because he didn't honestly mind and that wasn't right either. He should be more bothered by this than he was.

"I don't know, you have your free will and I have mine," the Master informed him plainly before shrugging his shoulders. "I'd hardly try to kill you or something, I'm not a stalker."

Not even slightly, not that he wasn't a killer mind, he just didn't know. He had been close though, more than a few times, he didn't take being wronged well. "If you left me... I'd miss you."

"Not what I meant. I meant would you fight and insist differently? Would you try and sway me. That's all. Because, if you would, then I might be able to do this for a little while longer." the Doctor murmured softly.

At least then he would be positive that it wasn't only for sex while the Master was seeking out a new relationship. He could handle it a little better then. Or so he hoped.

"I don't know until I'm in that position. What would you deem fighting for you?" the Master was a prideful man, he struggled to ask for anything, it seemed impossible to do. Swaying? Well maybe.

"I'd try and convince you otherwise, I'd fight for you," the Master insisted but he was lying, he was a good liar and he had warned the Doctor more than once of this. But he just couldn't do it, it was who he was.

The look in the Doctor's eyes gave away just how doubtful he was of the truth behind that statement. But he would keep quiet about it and let it go. What else could he do?

"Alright. Fine. I'll deal with this just a bit longer then. Go on your date with her if that's what you want." he murmured softly. it was all that the Doctor had to offer.

The Master nodded his head before crossing his arms and eyeing up the Doctor. Why was he even scared of this man? Sometimes he had weird dreams and worries but he was a push over.

If someone had told him such a thing as they were dating and he truly loved them then he would of done something. "Are you going to fight for me?" the Master asked, amusement in his eyes.

''I would.'' he answered sincerely. And he would. As hard as that was to get over, he would. "Well...I would so long as I didn't feel as though you honestly wanted me to back off. Then I would." he assured softly.

And the Doctor would let the other leave him. Even if he didn't like it. "I should probably get back to work." he murmured softly, not really making any move to do so. He didn't want to. Not really.

"If you have too. But hey, if you're not busy saturday too, maybe we could go to the park then?" the Master suggested, not sure if he'd be rejected again for trying to drag him off.

He wouldn't act surprised because it made sense, all of it did. He was the jerk here, not the other way around. "I would still like to do something, if you fancy. And if your boy doesn't mind."

((Off to bed))

{Night~!}

He didn't. He really didn't want to. But the Doctor wouldn't fuss too much more over that one. "Okay. We can do something Saturday." he assured firmly.

That was simple enough. Why would he make any sort of fuss? Standing, he offered a small smile, shrugging a bit. "I need to go. Marnal needs to be picked up." he murmured softly.

"Sure," the Master said, sure he was the one that had triggered this swift exit by asking to go out somewhere. He felt bad, he'd admit, but he had to try and keep them going.

"Tell Marnal I said hi," the Master offered before picking up his work and getting back to it.

It wasn't much longer before Koschei wandered in, offering a small smile. "I saw Me. Smith today. Look what he gave me." he chirped lightly, clutching a portable DVD player to his chest.

"This was I can watch scary movies in the car an' at my mother's house without getting in trouble." Koschei said brightly as he sat it upon his father's desk. And that was exactly what he'd evidence told it was for.

"Oh thats great," Seriously? The Doctor did that? Oh great, that meant if his ex ever got a hold of it, she'd see and it could be used against him in court. That was the whole point of this.

"Well, you'll have to make sure she doesn't see what your watching or the DVD cases, okay?" he was going to have to buy a load of kids films and switch the discs.

"It's okay. I have a password." Koschei assured. Well, sort of. It was a touch screen that locked and took a latter to unlock. Which meant that she wasn't a problem for them at the moment.

"Why? Do you want me to keep it at home? 'Cause I can. It's mostly so I can watch things in the car. Mr. Smith said that four hours was a long time with nothing to do." Koschei murmured softly. And it really was.

"Course you can use it, I'm just saying we have to be careful. But in the car you can use it any time at all," the Master promised, Koschei could sulk all he liked over the Master being protective but he had too.

Those films were wildly inappropriate and high rated 18 films not meant to be watched by 7 year olds. With the court and the social watching him, he had to come across as the perfect dad, not a psycho who let his son watch gore. "Want to go home then?"

At least Koschei wasn't sulking at the moment. How could he? He was simple conceding to the point his father made. If the Master thought it to be unsafe, then who was he to argue?

"We can. Are you done with work?" Koschei asked softly. What? He didn't care if he was stuck waiting around a bit. The Master had a job and he understood that.

"I have none, I haven't had any for a while - see," he held up his 'work' which was just a shopping list he'd been working on. the basic food stuff, the basic toiletries, a few films they could see and a little note to get Koschei an autumn coat.

Summer was going to come to an end soon and he didn't want a repeat of last year when neither of them had a coat and he had to send Koschei to school with two jumpers on.

Koschei smiled and nodded softly, regarding the Master a bit. Right. And about Summer..."My birthday was yesterday." he reminded idly. Oops. They'd just sort of...Skipped it.

Not that he minded! He had still had fun and the like. He wasn't one to complain much about all of that. Not really. Koschei never made much of a fuss on his birthday.

"What? No! No way, its tomorrow, isn't it? I was going to ..." Oh damn it! there went his surprise gift, he was going to make him up early, give him all his gifts and pack him off to his ex's.

"Are you 100% sure? You weren't born on the 13th?" the Master got this wrong every year, it was not a lack of love or anything, he was just embarrassingly bad and usually Verica reminded him or Epsilon or something! Dropping his head on the desk, he groaned. "You're meant to remind me before it, kiddo."

"Sorry. I didn't know you would forget." Koschei pointed out softly. And he hadn't known. How could he? Sighing softly, he shook his head a bit and shrugged, pointing to his new gadget.

"Why do you think Mr. Smith gave that to me?" Koschei deadpanned. It had been a birthday gift and he honestly appreciated it.

"Because he's rich and likes to buy us stuff?" Sighing, he got to his feet and headed out the office with the boy, his mind desperately scrambling for something they could do together.

"Okay, so as I'm making it up to you, we can do anything at all you want. Name anything, absolutely anything, and we'll go for it," the Master promised with a small smile, knowing that yesterday he should of gotten a cake or something. "I'll get your gifts to you whenever we get home, promise."