Imaginary Worlds

"You didn't sleep well last night," the Master teased before tucking the boy in and heading out into the hall. He waited for the Doctor while the man put a restless Marnal to bed.

The kid was clearly wide awake and not in the mood for a nap, which was evident by how fidgety he was. There was no doubt that the moment the Doctor left, he'd get up and move around.

The Doctor knew well enough that Marnal wouldn't want to sleep. It didn't stop him from trying. He didn't want the kid to be up and about. Mainly because it was healthier to have him take a nap.

Slipping out of the room, the Doctor sighed softly and shook his head. "Kids. They're a menace, but I love them." he murmured with a fond smile.

The Master nodded as he listened to the bed shift very carefully, Marnal was clearly getting up. Sighing, he grasped the Doctors arm gently and steered him away.

"He's on holiday, just ignore him," the Master insisted as they headed downstairs. "Sooo, place to ourselves? What do you fancy doing?"

The Doctor sighed softly as he allowed himself to be led along, a small frown in place. He wasn't sure how he felt about letting the kid get away with it. It was probably better than risking a habit developing.

"I don't know. Is there something in particular you want to do?" the Doctor asked softly. He knew what the other wanted to do that night. But that didn't necessarily stand for then.

"Koschei is asleep and I highly doubt Marnal will come down so, naturally, we can make use of the hot tub for an hour?" Honestly, the Doctor could try to use his head.

The Master just really wanted to get a move on and do something while they had some free time away from the kids. Koschei would wake up in an hour or two at the most.

Ah. The Doctor smiled softly and shrugged. "Thought you wanted to check out the hot tub tonight." he admitted, een as he moved to grab them towels and head out to the deck.

Push. Their kids were asleep and nobody else was around for miles. Who needed swim trunks? The ado for just stripped down and stepped into the hot water.

The Master followed his lead and clambered into the tub, relaxing beside the Doctor with a small smile as he watched Sigma wonder around the tub, trying to work out if he could get in.

"Well, we're close to alone," the Master joked with a small smile, closing his eyes and he enjoyed the moment. "Thanks for this, it's nice. Even Koschei likes it."

"We don't have o leave until Friday. It's only two hours to drop Koschei off. I told you we would go." the Doctor said lightly, shrugging a bit. He was glad that Koschei was happy though.

It wasn't easy for him to make nice with that kid. There was always some form of underlying tension between the two of them. The Doctor hated it.

"Sorry he's such a jerk to you and your son, he's just like that. I'm afraid Koschei has grown up with me and I didn't instil the best social skills," a lot of the boys youth was spent avoiding people.

The Master did try but he always set a bad example by going out of his way to avoid others himself.

"He's a kid. Kids react differently to their parents dating. Simple as that. I'm not upset and I don't mind." the Doctor assured. He wouldn't be making the same mistake as the last time. He could protect Marnal without asking the Master to cooperate easily should the need arise.

He wasn't going to have the Master leave him because of that again. Shifting over, he wrapped an arm around the Master's shoulders and smiled softly. "You know? Seeing my own kid, there's not much I can say." the Doctor stated.

"Well Marnal doesn't hate me, keeps a nice distance. I've got nothing against the kid," the Master remarked with a small shrug of his shoulder, smiling somewhat.

He wasn't going to say he loved the kid like a son, more liker a close relatives kid. He did feel like Marnal was recognisable but once again, he really didn't know why.

The Doctor smiled softly and nodded. "I didn't say I had anything against your kid. But I'm glad you and Marnal get on well. Not sure what I'd have done otherwise." he admitted.

They definitely wouldn't be dating. He couldn't put his son through that. At all. At least not again.

"We're lucky blokes," he just hoped that Marnal and Koschei didn't fall out like they had last time. "Maybe we should try and get those two to bond a bit? Just get on a bit."

He knew they'd never be best mates but some friendliness would go a long way, surely?

"I'm not going to push for it. I think they'd do better on their own. Let Marnal and Koschei and Marnal come to terms with each other on their own." he murmured softly.

The Doctor wasn't going to expect much else. He jus didn't want to push Koschei or Marnal. He was hoping to avoid a blow up amongst the two.

"Well that's pretty much what I meant. I'm hardly expecting them to be friends but if we keep going out with them around one another, they have to get along somehow. Or at least function together," the Master explained.

He didn't think Koschei would ever like the boy and Marnal would probably never be settled and less friendly so, sadly, they would never be mates but they could at least find some minor common ground if they stuck together a few times.

The Doctor nodded softly and smiled. "Can't complain too much. They'll learn to be alright together." he assured with a small shrug.

He couldn't be blamed. The Master and he were at least on the same page. He couldn't complain. "I'm glad you're here." the Doctor murmured.

"Well I was planning to use the week to muddle through and try to teach the boy something so this is a much better use of my time," the Master confessed with a small shrug.

He was sure that no matter what he did, the kid wouldn't of wanted to or wouldn't of found it interesting.

The Doctor sighed softly and nodded. "Koschei isn't any problem for me. He's actually very easy to teach one on one like that." he admitted softly.

It was one reason that the Doctor took the kid into the kitchen or oversaw the science lessons. He didn't mind doing it.

"He's never a problem, he's just a pain in the arse sometimes," the Master admitted with a small shrug of his shoulder because, really, it happened sometimes. There was no way to deny it.

No one could ever deny that and if they did? They clearly hadn't spent long with him.

The Doctor nodded at that. He could agree. "Not when teachin him though. Koschei is eager to learn. It's how he's taught that tends to be an issue. Well, that and his arm now." he murmured.

He didn't think that the kid was doing to well writing and the like when injured. The Doctor had looked at it personally. "He's a goig student."

"You can handle him till he can write, if you fancy? I'll watch Marnal for you," the Master offered, though he was doing that anyway after school times. It was easier than having them around the lab.

"Huh, funny isn't it, we just sort of work together on these things," he remarked, clearly amused.

"Koschei is easy to take care of. Marnal as well for the most part." he murmured. His son had some moments where he couldn't handle the kid, but what child didn't?

"You say funny. I say it's a good sign for us. We know that the person we happen to be seeing can handle the other's kid." the Doctor said lightly.

"It's always good news, I mean, I don't meet many people that can handle Kosch and you've had bad experience with people and Marnal," the Master pointed out, it did make sense to him.

He could assure the other man that he'd never hit his kid, that was a bad line to cross and only cowards picked on children.

"Koschei is easy to deal with once you learn what he likes and doesn't like. The kid is just a bit odd, that's all. He's not demanding or overly active. A bit psychotic, but who isn't now days?" the Doctor offered softly.

He actually was somewhat fond of Koschei. He didn't think the kid would ever like him, mind, but that was beside the point. The Doctor took whatever he could get.

"Well, your lads nice too. Big odd, very human, but at least he isn't a bit psycho," the Master offered with an amused look because the lad didn't seem to display many signs of that sort of thing.

"I know 'd change the psychopathy in my son... what would you change in your boy?" the Master asked, curious if the man sometimes considered these things too.