Title: Safe
Rating: PG-13/T
Pairing: 10/Simm!Master, Theta/Koschei
A/N: Setjust after the events of SOD. It's that evening on the Valiant. Rather OOC I think but ya know it was fun to write.
Everything had gone so much smoother than he had anticipated. The Toclafane had invaded easily and Earth had fallen to its knees with barely a fight. Earth was his. And it felt wonderful. He'd swiftly taken control of the Valiant, sorting the staff out that would be working for him for the next year until the rockets launched, because then he would have no need for humans and could get the best aliens to do his handiwork.
Most of the 'ugly' people on board the Valiant had been thrown off, plummeting to the Earth below them. However, he'd saved a few particularly gorgeous ones. Like Tanya or some of the other women. The Jones family, along with Tanya and the other women had been sent to their quarters; a rusty small cage with two benches, where they would spend the rest of their nights on the Valiant. That was, of course, if the Master thought they deserved rest.
Jack had been chained up in the depths of the ship as the Master's prisoner. He would enjoy visiting him and torturing the immortal one. He wanted to see how long Jack could stay alive for with no food or water. And how long it was before he died as soon as he came back to life. Yes, Jack would definitely be fun.
Lucy had been sent to the bedroom she now shared with the Master on board the Valiant. He'd told her he would come soon. Of course, he had no intention of sharing a bed with her tonight. The UNIT guards who were now working for him were guarding Jack and the Joneses, as the Master had instructed. Now, at 7:30, almost 12 hours after the Toclafane invaded, it was just him and the Doctor left in the bridge/boardroom.
The Doctor was now back in his young form as the Master had decided that a conversation would be much easier if he was like this. Not to mention how hot this regeneration was, nor how much he reminded him of his dear Theta.
The Doctor was half leaning, half sitting on the glass conference table, looking all the world like a child waiting outside the head teacher's office for doing something wrong. The Master slowly paced up and down in front of him, looking down. Never speaking. Contemplating what he should do with the Doctor, he assumed.
"Kos." The Doctor was the first of the pair to speak, taking a chance by using the name the Master previously went by. The Master froze and shot his an icy glare.
"That's not my name," He spat in disgust, "You have no right to call me that. You lost that right when you left me."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I believe you left me. If I remember correctly."
The Master paused before turning to the Doctor. "Yes, perhaps. But I had no intention of ending our relationship. You did that yourself."
"What?" The Doctor blinked, clueless. He didn't understand. Koschei had left him on Gallifrey saying he didn't love him and that he'd changed. Now the Master was saying all this was his fault.
"I left you on Gallifrey as a mere gesture. I did it with the intent of you following me. But you never came." The Master countered, his last sentence riddled with so much hatred yet pain and heartache.
"I tried, Kos. I did. I really did. I looked everywhere for you," The Doctor shook his head, his pain obvious.
"Yeah, course," The Master nodded, obviously sarcastic. His next speech is so serious and painful. "When I left you, I was so broken. I was half Koschei, half the Master. When the Master suggested I leave you… Koschei agreed because I was positive you would come and find me. Then, the Master would be obliterated and you would banish the drums and make me feel safe… WHY DIDN'T YOU COME?"
The Doctor visibly flinched when the Master raised his voice, but replied calmly, nonetheless. "I looked everywhere. Every inch of the universe but I could never find you," He shook his head. Then he scoffed. "You didn't want nor need me anyway. You'd made that perfectly clear."
The Master laughed bitterly, tears glistening his brown eyes. He walked over and placed a hand softly on the Doctor's cheek, trying to convey his pain.
"Oh, Doctor, I wanted you more than I had the night of the storm… you know, the first time we… I wanted you more than I had throughout our childhood. I needed you more than ever. I needed you to save me. To make me feel safe again. I was screaming out for your help and you were so damn selfish you failed to notice. Every word that fell from my lips was accompanied by a silent yet screaming 'Help me. And you never even noticed."
"I'm sorry," The Doctor muttered, thinking and hoping it would somehow make everything go away. That somehow, it would stop the Master's pain. That it would stop his own pain if the Master forgave him. That it would bring Koschei back. The Master looked up at him and scoffed.
"You know what the worst part is?" The Master laughed at his own stupidity, despite the tears brimming in his eyes. "I actually believed you'd come. I actually waited for you. For months, months, I would wake up and stroll out of the TARDIS expecting to see another parked beside it. I would sit, alone, in the Console Room… waiting for a knock on the door and for your voice to cut through the horrendous drums. And then, one day, I just stopped believing in you. And Koschei died, along with all the love, passion and hope that had kept me sane and the Master took over completely. If you'd come… none of this would happen. We'd be happy!" He yelled, and closing his eyes, trying to compose himself. When he closed them, the tears that had been misting up his chocolate-brown eyes brimmed over the edge and slid down his face before being wiped away by the sleeve of the Master's jacket. His next sentence is full of pain and disgust. "If you'd loved me… you would've come."
"I did love you!" The Doctor interrupted, willing the Master to believe him, "I still do. But Koschei's gone so it doesn't matter."
"Not quite," The Master told him. "See, he re-awoke when I saw you again."
The Doctor took a deep breath. His Koschei was still there. Still alive. Blocked out by the drums, driven insane by the Master but completely, completely alive. Of course, Koschei probably hated him for letting this happen but that didn't matter. Because Koschei was there. He whispered softly, trying to speak directly to the Master's subconscious. Where Koschei was.
"Koschei."
"Theta." The Master replied, his face blank but his eyes so full of emotion.
That one word. That one tiny word meant everything to the Doctor. Because it meant, not only was Koschei alive, but he still had some control over the Time Lord in front of him. He'd not fully changed. There was a chance he could get his Koschei back. He just had to make Koschei forgive him. And he had to forgive Koschei in return. It would take a while to heal the scars but he knew, one day, he could forgive Koschei. Of course, the Master would never want that to happen because the Master would end up giving himself up to the Doctor. Because of Koschei.
"K-Kos, I'm sorry," The Doctor admitted, "I guess, I never came for you because I couldn't bare being rejected again. When you left, my hearts shattered into a thousand and I couldn't let them crumble into a million because they'd just be dust and ashes. Ashes of our burnt future. Ashes of Theta and Koschei."
The Master smiled tearfully, looking deep into the Doctor's eyes. "I just need to feel safe and protected again."
"Tell me how I can help. Let me help. Just this once, please," The Doctor pleaded.
"Just… hold me, Theta," The Master spoke softly, hugging the Doctor and burying his face in the Doctor's shoulder. "Please, hold me."
With that, the Doctor wrapped his arms round the Master's waist and cradled his Koschei. He held him so tightly, in fear that he'd lose him again yet he held him so softly, as if the Master was as fragile as his hearts and he would break.
"I love you, Kos."
The sentence was so quiet it could've been mistaken for him exhaling had the Master not been desperately waiting to hear those words at that moment. The Master looked up at him with tearful, yet loving eyes and caught the other Time Lord in a passionate, deep kiss.
That night, everything was forgotten. Their horrible past, their life long battle, the Time War, the drums, Earth, the Toclafane, the Valiant and Lucy Saxon. It was all forgotten because it didn't matter anymore. That night, they were just Theta and Koschei, making love and dreaming of the stars.