Oops, I missed my due date for this, sorry guys. Have a NSFW chapter in apology. Yep. You read that right. Enjoy.
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The 'tea party' in the backyard turned out to be a great success. The Master put together a tray of sandwiches - predominantly cucumber and cream cheese, the Doctor's favorite - and set out a blanket on the grass. There was tea, of course, and fruit, and also a few cans of tuna fish for the cats, both of which joined them outside. The Doctor was just tucking into his third sandwich when a wave of sheer wrongness slammed into him so hard that it took his breath away.
The Master frowned in concern when the Doctor swayed, reaching out to take him by the shoulder. "Doctor...?"
The half-eaten sandwich fell from the Doctor's hand and he nodded shakily at the Master, doing his best to shake off the nausea and dizziness. "I'm alright," he said a bit breathlessly. "Did you feel that?"
Even the cats were paying attention now, Clanker abandoning his post at the Master's side to join Tubbie next to the Doctor. The other Time Lord wrapped an arm around the Doctor, keeping him steady and pulling him close at the same time. "No," he replied, sounding a little unnerved. "Feel what?"
"Something is very wrong here," the Doctor insisted. "I can't place it, but I'm missing something. Something big."
"Just listen to yourself for a moment, Doctor. You're not making sense." The Master scoffed, though there was legitimate worry hidden in his tone. "We're living exactly the same as we were before you tripped on Clanker. Genius move, by the way. The only thing wrong is that you aren't quite yourself, that's all."
He leaned in against the Master and sighed, breathing in his familiar smell. His fiance was probably right, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness that seemed to permeate his very being. He nuzzled into his shoulder and just stayed there for a few minutes, ignoring the constant headache.
"Yes, of course," he murmured finally. "You're right."
"Course I am." The Master pressed a kiss to the top of the Doctor's head. "You should listen to me more. You might learn something."
He chuckled quietly, content for the moment. "I love you," he said softly.
He was a little surprised to hear the Master's hearts race at that simple phrase, his arms tightening around the Doctor as he kissed his head again. He seemed a little out of breath when he finally spoke. "I know," came the quiet reply. "Always known you must have, stubborn bastard."
"Watch who you're calling stubborn. You're not exactly pliable either," he pointed out, chuckling.
The Master rolled his eyes. "I'm nowhere near as bad as you."
"Doctor!"
A familiar voice had them both looking down the street to see the excitable blonde, today dressed in turquoise go-go boots and a matching cardigan. Odd...the Doctor seemed to recall being in the backyard, yet now they were quite clearly in the front yard...
"Hello, Jo!" he called cheerfully as she approached.
She smiled and knelt down beside him, examining the bandage around his head before giving his shoulder a light squeeze. "I sure am glad to see you up and about again," she told him brightly. "We all heard the news, of course, but the Master didn't want too many visitors until you were feeling better."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the Master, who just shrugged and picked up another sandwich. "Weeeeell. I'm a bit better now. Conscious and out of bed."
Jo laughed lightly, giving him a fond smile. "Definitely an improvement." She helped herself to a sandwich.
The Master couldn't help but grin a bit. "My dear Jo, won't you stay for a while and have a sandwich or two?"
She grinned right back. "How very kind of you, Master. I think I will." She finished off her sandwich and sucked off her fingers. "Mmm, cucumber and cream cheese. Nothing better than the Master's famous sandwiches."
"They are not famous," the Master scoffed.
"They ought to be," Jo shot back with a smile. "Anyway! I'd better be off. You two take care of yourselves." She leaned in to give each Time Lord a kiss on the cheek and pet both cats before getting back to her feet. The Doctor had to admire her ability to balance in those shoes.
"Oh, Jo, why don't you come around for dinner next week?" the Doctor suggested. "I'm sure Master's going to make something very clever."
She didn't hesitate before answering. "Ooh, yes, alright! Just let me know when." She gave them a cheery wave before heading on her way down the street. The Time Lords watched her go with fond smiles.
"It's always pleasing to know that one of your pets turned out alright," the Master chuckled, grinning at the Doctor. He just scowled and shoved him lightly.
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Most of that week was dedicated solely to getting the Doctor back on his feet and just as strong as he had been prior to the accident. Time Lords were an incredibly resilient race, and it wasn't long before the gash had healed enough to take the bandage off and take out the stitches. They celebrated that night with Thai style duck curry and white wine. The Master had always been fond of making an impression, and his incredible aptitude at fine dining always left the Doctor in awe and completely stuffed.
"I feel like Tubbie," the Doctor laughed, sprawled across the couch with the Master's head resting lightly in his lap. His bare feet rested lightly on the ottoman beside two half-full glasses of champagne and he sighed contentedly, fingers carding through the Master's hair.
That made the Master chuckle, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the feel of the Doctor's hand in his hair. "My dear Doctor, you could never be fat, no matter how much you eat. You will always be a bean pole, I'm afraid."
"You make it sound like a very serious condition." He reached over for his glass, taking a sip before setting it back down. "Promise you won't let me die of bean pole."
The Master laughed again, a hand brushing gently across the Doctor's thigh. "I won't let you die of bean pole," he promised mock seriously.
"Oh good. I feel much better now." He pressed a kiss to the other man's forehead, still stroking over his hair absently. "I wonder sometimes what life would be like without you," he murmured thoughtfully. "All those years of fighting, yet somehow we wound up exactly where we started." His fiance had gone very quiet now, but that was nothing new. The Master had trouble expressing emotions, and after all the lives of pain and sorrow that he'd been through, the Doctor could hardly blame him.
He felt the name on his tongue and had to speak it, his fingers slipping down to the other Time Lord's back as he leaned in, his lips brushing the Master's ear gently. "Koschei," he whispered, the name feeling strange and heavy on his lips. He felt the Master shudder and heard his breath catch.
"You...you shouldn't...call me that anymore..." the Master sounded a little shaken, his voice surprisingly breathless.
"Why not...Koschei?" He repeated the name, feeling daring and bold today. It had been years since he'd heard that name, let alone said it. Centuries of disuse made it seem old and forbidden, but that didn't stop the Master from shivering again, and the Doctor knew it wasn't from cold.
"D-Doctor..." He sounded terribly unlike himself now, but not in a bad way. Long fingers crept to his waist, tugging his shirt out from where it was tucked neatly into his trousers.
"Say it," the Doctor heard himself breathe out, a hand slowly sliding down beneath the Master's waistband. There was another soft gasp, a hand clutching tightly at the Doctor's thigh and sending a jolt of sensation through him.
"I...I can't...Doctor stop..."
But he didn't stop. His bold fingers slipped beneath the Master's boxers, brushing lightly over hardening flesh. "Say it," he repeated. "Say it, Koschei..."
He heard the Time Lord whimper at that, his hips pressing into his hand instinctively. "Nnn...Th...Theta..."
The Doctor smiled, giving the Master a gentle stroke before withdrawing his hand and laying him out on the couch. He tugged his trousers down and tossed them aside before covering the Time Lord's body with his own.
"My Koschei," he murmured, and made love to him, passionate and slow, for the first time since his accident.
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