Imaginary Worlds

"Pest is a bigger cat," the Master said before he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not saying no, I just want to think on it and make sure that I can still have a life outside pets."

He ruffled his sons hair to show he was sorry, he was happy to call a truce. "I'll make it up to you today, we have a train to catch anyway"

The kid frowned softly and nodded. Right. They had a train to catch and a conversation to rather quickly drop.

"Thank you." he mumbled softly. Koschei just wanted to continue on.

As they headed to the train station, the Master brought some sweets from the shop just beside it and got himself a coffee. He passed the sweets to the boy as they prepared to board.

"I thought as the weathers still pretty good that we could head to the beach?" the Master suggested with a small shrug, he owed the boy some sort of holiday.

Koschei nodded softly as he took the sweets, sighing a bit. He didn't mind the beach. He honestly preferred it on a cooler day. Less people about.

"Thank you. " Koschei murmured softly. He wasn't about to complain in the least.

Well he intended on finding the least crowded place, he went on a weekday on purpose, it cut back on the people. And besides, whenever they went, he usually took the boy on rainy days.

Less people and more fun. But he wanted him to enjoy the warm weather before it went. They took their seats and the Master let him have the window seat as always.

Koschei settled in by the window with a grin, actually. He couldn't quite keep himself from bouncing a bit and smiling. It was fun.

He really did enjoy the train. And when they started moving, he was positively ecstatic.

The Master laughed, the boy always cheered him up, he couldn't help but smile as he watched him bounce. It just meant he was doing something right for once.

He just let the boy get excited and happy while he watched alongside the boys window.

Koschei couldn't help it. How could he? They were on a train and they were going to the beach. It was quite the day.

And he even got sweets! There was no reason not to be happy!

The Master let him bounce around excitedly as they travelled along, he saw no reason to stop the boy, he loved making him this happy. And the journey wasn't too bad.

Only one stop and then it took half an hour to get to the beach. The Master got up when they arrived and offered a smile.

Standing, Koschei grasped his father's hand and went along. It was pleasant enough. Even if he wasn't accustomed to the beach when it was sunny out.

He wasn't sure what to think about that. There was definitely more people than he was accustomed to seeing.

The Master gripped his boys hand reassuringly, he'd never be a big social butterfly like someone like Marnal probably would be but that was okay, he'd never push him.

They headed along the beach and the Master kept walking as they kept their eye out for a spare patch with no one about.

At least the Master wasn't expecting him to play nice and socialize. Koschei had never been particularly good with it for some reason. It wasn't like he'd spent the first chunk of his life isolated, right?

Though that might explain so much for him. Such as why he was so attached to his father.

It wasn't that the Master didn't see children around the boy could play with, it was just that he wanted the boy to have a good time. They made their way down to the sea where no one was near.

Well, there were people but they were mostly lying around and playing in the sand. "If you want to play in the water, you can. We can buy new clothes before we go."

Right. Because Koschei generally went into the water. If anything, he would avoid that stuff like the plague.

And really? That was just to be expected of him. The lad simply settled down upon the sand, content to soak up the warmth of the sun and watch the waves move in and out.

The Master smiled and sat down beside the boy, watching the waves come in and out. He did love moments like this, he knew he'd remember them when his boy grew up.

"How's the puzzle going?" he asked though he had a feeling how that would be answered.

"I don't like it, so I made it something else." Koschei informed softly, shrugging a bit. What? He did that sort of thing.

"Thank you for bringing me." Koschei murmured with a small glance toward his father. Things had been so tense between them lately...It was nice.

"No problem, I wanted us to do something fun together and I thought that this could help," the Master suggested with a playful smile as he ruffled his sons hair playfully.

"We haven't gotten out much lately," the Master confessed, the Doctor sort of got in the way a bit, not in a bad way mind.

And who was it at fault for such a thing? Koschei didn't care for the Doctor and that was only one reason of many. Some he couldn't even name.

"I know. That doesn't mean anything." he mumbled. Why would it matter to him?

"Well it might not matter to you, and that's okay, but it matters to me. Cause I love spending time with you," the Master said, taking the first step in affection as ever.

"I know you don't like him and I'm sorry but I don't want us to do less together. We have plenty ahead of us to see yet," the Master insisted and they were due to do more trips.

He would believe it when he saw it. But until then? Well. Koschei didn't particularly intend to put much faith into the other's word.

"It's fine. I know that you like him." Koschei muttered in a form of dismissal.

"I like you more. And you know that, you may not think it right now but you definitely know it. You love me like I love you," the Master reminded him and that was very much true.

And he had no problem telling the boy he loved him. "I'm sorry still that you're not that happy."

The kid didn't quite agree with all of that. "You care for him. You said you love him. I don't like him, but you do." he murmured.

Which meant that he would give in and let it go. What other choice did Koschei have? At least he'd stopped trying to break them up so bad.

"I would like to be with him, weirdly enough, I don't understand it myself," the Master confessed, he was just as confused and as worried as the next person over all of this.

"But if he ever hurt you or scared you,, he'd be gone," the Master remarked with a shrug. And he knew Koschei wouldn't use that on him, he already agreed to accept this.

"I don't understand why you like him." Koschei pointed out softly. He wasn't fussing or criticizing.

Koschei was honestly just curious. It wasn't something that Koschei could understand.

"We have a lot in common, we get along, we have fun together," the Master told the boy with a small smile, that was all it really came down to in the end. He had fun.

"I don't make friends easy and I don't date easily either... this is kind of nice," he offered with a small shrug.