Imaginary Worlds

"And what happens if he makes it worse? I might try to be a good dad, but I know I'd only say I told you so. I can't condone it. Even if it's in self defense. I'm sorry, but I can't." the Doctor said softly.

And he did face that and he was bothered by it day in and out. What parent wouldn't be? But six years of being taught that when you fought back is when you ended up seriously harming people ingrained in his head was a bit of a stopper.

"Tell me you don't mean that? Fathers can condone self defence violence, okay? If your son was going to be drown in a lake by a bully, then I know you'd want him to smack that kid in the face with a rock too," the Master asserted because who wanted their son to die?

"If you can't say that your son did a good job by fight back to save himself... the you're a rubbish father," the Master informed him, unable to believe he could hear such a thing. The man was fine with abuse happening but fight back? Not cool. That was very unsettling.

"I'd rather it be a last resort sort of thing. Look. Remember how you made that comment about how I need a bit of help because I'm a bit mental? This is one of those things I have issue with. I was raised up a certain way and that way was to not fight back." the Doctor said slowly.

Don't get him wrong. If Marnal were being drowned or something, he wouldn't care that the kid struck back. Being teased and pushed about a bit? He had a harder time teaching that one.

"You seriously need mental help, if you can't back your son fight back against little bastards then you need help. Same applies to us, if I'm being a total dick and you don't fight back... gonna lose respect for you," the Master explained, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

He found it hard that anyone could do that, the Master had struggled for all of his life and fought everyone he could, the idea of being with someone who didn't fight back as much as him... well, if was baffling.

The Doctor sighed softly and stole a soft kiss. "I'll work on it. That's all I can honestly promise. And if you catch me rolling over and taking it, then smack upside the head and tell me off it's all I can really manage." he assured softly.

The Doctor was trying. He had that much going for him. He was working on fixing it and making things better. It just took a bit of time.

"Good. Cause fighting is horrible and no one wants to do it but you have to get that it's needed sometimes. When I was 8 I had a bully and he didn't back off till I socked him in the face," others didn't respond as well but it was clear some did.

Who knew, Marnal might be able to solve this alone. "Thanks for the pizza, though. And sorry for belittling your parenting... it's just such a culture shock for me. My dad never stopped telling me to fight and I always did."

"Eh. My father use to say that if I was going to act human then I deserved what I had coming to me. it was mostly my cousins that bullied me the most. Locked me out in the snow for three days before my father realized I was missing." the Doctor mused.

Not that he'd cared much. He'd managed to make it work for himself. "And no problem. Look. Would you like to stay over tonight? I just don't know if you want to be alone all night." the Doctor offered softly.

"Well at least you got a reason. My brother would torment me and their only reason was 'just cause'," the Master remarked, he had been fairly unhappy through most of his youth but his father had been there when he needed him.

"I'll stop over," the Master remarked with a shrug before looking out into the living room. It seemed post-dinner, Marnal had just fallen asleep on the sofa. "You boy is napping out there, I hope he won't mind me sticking around."

"He likes you. Trust me on that. He seems to have taken to you better than my past relationships." the Doctor assured softly. The kid had never really been taken with somebody before.

"Marnal won't mind. Promise." the Doctor assured softly. The kid would probably be more than pleased to have somebody about that gave him more attention.

The Master ran his fingers through his hair before smiling. "I find I get on better with kids than anyone else. Kids, before the world taints them, are honest, blunt and give you no fake signals."

Then they grew up and became little gits. Hell, his son already was a bit of a little bastard. But he loved his son and Marnal was a nice kid.

The Doctor smiled softly and nodded a bit. "I can't find need to complain much. I like having you around too." he said softly, shrugging as he smiled softly.

"I should probably move him to his bed." the Doctor mused sofly. The poor kid would be so sore otherwise.

The Master smiled and nodded his head in amusement, the kid was lying at an awkward angle while Pest awkwardly tip toed around the sleeping boy to pinch the left over crust and retreat.

"I thought Sigma was an odd pet but you have me beaten here," the Master remarked as he watched Pest scamper off/

"I use to have the poor thing medicated. Pest has always been an odd one." the Doctor admitted softly, heading off to move Marnal upstairs. The poor lad must have been exhausted.

Heading back down, he offered the Master a soft smile. "Come sit down. Stay for a little while." the Doctor teased, taking up a seat upon the couch himself.

The Master dropped down beside the Doctor and offered him a quick kiss before he moved in closer and put his arms around the Doctor. What? He was making us of their time.

"So, dating again huh? Hopefully our kids won't get sick again," the Master teased playfully as he shuffled closer.

"One can only help." the Doctor said softly, winding an arm around the other's waist with a soft sigh. He was at least content at the moment. There was no denying that.

"I do have to admit, this is pleasant enough." the Doctor offered with a slight grin. He did enjoy being able to spend time with the other.

The Master rolled about and adjusted the two of them till they could both lie down on the sofa together and he settled against him. If he was taller, he'd of have the Doctor lay on him but for practical reasons, he had to do it the other way.

"Tell me then, what was Marnals mother like?" the Master asked curiously. The Doctor knew what Lucy was like but the Master was curious to see what women worked so perfectly with the Doctor.

The Doctor paused for a moment and gave an awkward sort of shrug. "She was nice. Sweet and caring. She had a lovely sense of humor and she didn't care what people thought. She even taught me how to dance." he murmured softly.

She'd been perfect to him. "She'd been the first person I really managed to befriend and friendship turned into love. I do miss her, but we both knew what having Marnal would cause." the Doctor admitted softly.

"Sounds nice. I never had a connection like that with anyone, you know? Lucy and I just argued all the time, barely knew one another. I dated a girl in and out briefly and ... I don't know, they never did it for me. They were dull," the Master confessed, the Doctor had something special the Master never would.

"Most of been hard, with Marnal, I mean at first. Losing your wife for your son... that's a kicker," And having a raise a baby was twice as stressful. The Master was glad he skipped that step.

"Yeah. She always wanted a kid. Three months in and we were told she wouldn't live through it. Raising Marnal was hard, but it got easier with time. I've always just wanted what I use to have again." the Doctor admitted softly.

He wanted another who could make him laugh and that held his attention. It seemed to be asking for a lot given his dating history. "Sorry. It's not a very pleasant topic."

"I don't mind, you can talk to me," the Master offered with a small shrug. "If I didn't run to the hill after your river story, why would I for something as simple as grief?"

The Master knew nothing of that sort of loss, his first proper connect had been Koschei, he had never had friends, he had never had a proper connection. Koschei was who he felt strongest for... but the Doctor was someone he found himself caring for.

"Suppose that's true. I'm still surprised that you didn't. You wouldn't have been the first to decide no to deal with me after that." the Doctor admitted softly. It was expected.

Smiling a bit, he kissed the Master rather contently before settling in a bit more. "Im glad that you didn't though." he added as an afterthought.

"I would of done what you did if I could... hell I would of done it without the life or death," the Master had no tolerance without bullies and who knew how much more miserable his life as without Theta.

"I used to hate them more than anything. I think if I could, I still would get them back," if he saw them on the street, he doubted he could resist running them over. But alas, he never saw them again.

"Would you really want to hurt somebody for something that happened years ago? It's easier to just live and let live." he murmured softly, shrugging a bit.

Sighing a bit, he absentły toyed with the other's hair, closing his eyes softly. "I think that you're bigger than that. Oh. And you are now officially running for Lord President. You need a campaign."

"No, I'd kill them. I wouldn't even wait, I'd kill them," the Master asserted stubbornly, he didn't care if it had been years and the better thing to do was move on. They had humiliated him!

"They locked me in a cupboard and I missed 2 days of winter break ... if the janitor hadn't come, it would of been longer. They made me miserable, I'd like to do the same," the Master reasons before closing his eyes and exhaling. "Oh yeah, dunno how to start."

"You don't want to know how much that bothers me. No matter. Campaign. Maybe focus on the kids? Making a better environment to grow up in? We've obviously both had issues with that sort of thing and our kids aren't doing much better." the Doctor murmured.

It was something that he probably should have worried about more. The Doctor had promised to help out wherever he could. A campaign sort of fell under that.