The Doctor wiped his mouth, setting his handkerchief down next to his recently emptied plate. The Corsair, sitting across from him, wiped their face down with their apron.
"I tell you, my friend, I've never eaten life I've just created. It is an odd sensation. Perhaps I'll name this new feeling after myself." The Corsair stood up, moving on to some new project, The Doctor imagined.
Content with letting The Corsair go off on their own antics, The Doctor simply leaned back into his chair. The war seemed so far away in this little castle of steam and gears, beneath the Citadel. Running about, creating, getting lost in the wonder of the simple things, and enjoying a good meal; it was tempting to run away and give it all up, like he did all those years ago. The Doctor knew he wouldn't. The Doctor knew he couldn't, for he was a soldier now.
"My friend!" The Corsair called, snapping The Doctor out of his trance. "There's something else in dire need of your attention!"
The Doctor sighed, getting up from his seat. Entertaining thoughts of doubt at this point was a useless endeavor. He had taken this face for a reason, and the war had already snared him with its great and terrible claws. As he walked through the lab towards his friend, he began to think of what he was going to say to excuse himself.
The Doctor had already been gone for too long, and he could not afford any more diversions. He steeled himself, knowing full well that nothing would distract him from his renewed sense of purpose.
"Hello? Yes? What is it?" A voice rang out. T
he Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. Whatever The Corsair had needed help with was obviously some sort of ruse. Instead, The Doctor found himself in front of a viewscreen, Romana on the other side.
"Ah." He simply said.
The Doctor turned around, eyes desperately darting about to find The Corsair. His friend was nowhere to be found. Romana regarded him with a warm smile, a contrast to her rather tired face.
"Hello D-" Romana stopped herself. "Hello, you."
"Hello, Romana."
The two of them did not do anything else for a moment, neither of them really knowing what to say. The Doctor found himself trapped, standing in front of the screen with nothing nearby to use to break the tension. Romana took initiative, taking a calculated risk by starting to shuffle some papers on her desk.
"I expected The Corsair." She finally said.
"Yes, well, he… they are rather busy apparently." From out of view, The Corsair tried to catch the attention of The Doctor. They waved their arms wildly, trying to push The Doctor onwards.
"They rarely aren't. What are you doing down there?"
"Dinner, actually. The Corsair is an interesting cook." The Doctor found himself chuckling before he could even finish the sentence, Romana joining in shortly after.
"I can't remember the last time I had anything that wasn't instant." She remarked.
The Doctor scratched the back of his head, feeling rather foolish in this situation. He had faced the Dalek legions in force, even before the Time War. Cybermen, Kyrnoids, demons and devils; he had fought them all. This, whatever his was, should've been easy. Perhaps that was the key to all of this. The Daleks had a face. The Ice Warriors had a quantifiable form. The Doctor didn't know what this was, and neither did Romana. This terrified them.
With encouragement from the Corsair's flailing arms, The Doctor finally seemed to find the words.
"Well, we could always alleviate that. Perhaps… you'd like to join me for dinner? Tonight? For old time's sake?" The silence that followed was palpable. The Corsair ceased with their flailing.
"Yes." Her response rang out through the lab, joining the song of twisting metal and hissing steam. "I'd like that very much."
The Doctor shuffled in place. "Wonderful. Yes. I shall see you tonight, then."
They both nodded, the viewscreen shutting off.
The Corsair wasted no time, jumping out from their hiding spot. They ran over to The Doctor and wrapped an arm around them.
"HAHA! We did it, my friend! Yes! Now, get out." The Corsair immediately started pushing The Doctor towards the exit.
"Wha-?" The Doctor asked.
"Your goal fulfilled, any more time spent here is extraneous. Go! Prepare! Leave me to the enigmatic machinations of my mind!"
Finally reaching the hatch, they shunted The Doctor through without so much as a goodbye. The Doctor sighed. He had not meant for this to happen. He had not meant for another distraction. Yet despite all this, The Doctor took a rather dire risk; The Doctor smiled.