Hally inspected her reflection in the mirror. She'd opted for a black satin dress, it hugged her body loosely, grazing just below her knees. The top half was held up by thin spaghetti straps, draping into a dramatic 'V' between her breasts. She'd left her hair down, cascading over her shoulders. She was currently considering whether to bother putting any makeup on at all. There would be no way she could cover the bruise on her cheek, it would almost make her feel more conscious of it if she did try. It might look like she was trying to hide it. Plus, no colour was going to go with the blood red of her eye. So instead, she gently rubbed a little moisturiser into her skin and figured that the reflection staring back at her would have to do.
Armitage knocked as he usually did on her door, heavily and without apology. She met him and followed him through to the courtyard gates. He opened the gate for her, stepping out of her way.
"He's in the library." He offered simply. Hally flashed him an appreciative smile, walking across the courtyard alone to the library door. She pushed the light oak open, a small smile curving her mouth.
The lights in the room had been dimmed, just tiny dots of light floating amount the bookcases. In the centre of the room had been placed a small table, set just for two. Candlelight flickered in the centre, illuminating The Master. Already sat waiting for her. She couldn't help the soft hum of amusement from leaving her throat. He rose to his feet upon seeing her, eyes finding hers. Hally moved towards the table, shooting him a coy smile. "Now, who did you make do all this?"
He shot her a winning smile. "I did this, my darling." He stepped in, his hand coming to her cheek. A frown of light concern flickered onto his face as he examined her bruise, he scanned the side of her face.
That was when Hally realised, that despite the low light, The Master didn't have a single mark on his face. There was perhaps a minimal dark shadow underneath both of his eyes, but otherwise, nothing. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened with accusation.
He noticed her expression and a cocky smirk pulled his lips. "Time Lord." He offered her a superior shrug.
"So am I, you cheat!" A laugh of disbelief tumbled from her mouth as she hit the centre of his chest playfully.
The smirk widened into a grin. "Yes, but your physiology is closer to human at the moment." The Master winked at her as if to say 'You're welcome'. The hand at her cheek moved to cup her chin, allowing himself a closer look at the damage. "Does it hurt?" His face morphed back to one of concern.
Hally shook her head. "Not really. Alina gave me something earlier."
He nodded. "Good." Something flashed behind his eyes. He moved away from her and around to her chair. He pulled it out from the table, motioning for her to take a seat. Once she had, he returned to his own and poured them both a glass of wine. A warmth blossomed inside her chest at the gesture. Practically domestic.
He was so charming when he wanted to be.
Hally sucked on her bottom lip.
Don't get distracted.
She took her glass, taking a sip as she gathered herself. "So…" She started. They would need to start somewhere and it would be better if they started sooner rather than later.
His eyes met hers, twinkling. He leant back into his chair, bringing his glass to his mouth in consideration. "So. Tell me what you want." His words dripped heavy intent. However, his face remained open. Genuine. It was slightly unnerving. He looked almost vulnerable.
Warmth coiled in her abdomen. Why was he so good at being distracting? She swallowed.
"What would it take for you to be by my side?" His eyes flashed with possessive need.
"Well…" Her mouth was rather dry all of a sudden, she took another large sip of wine. "I would need you to stop torturing my friends. The Doctor. Just, leave them alone. You can't let them go… that's fine. Jack, Martha's family. Just keep them. Somewhere comfortable. Well fed. Like Lucy." She offered. Internally berating herself at how tentative she sounded. Hally had no expectations that he was going to actually consider her requests, but either way, she would not let it be easy for him to deny her. She cleared her throat and continued, more firm. "Stop chasing Martha Jones. Leave her alone. No more slaves up here. Anyone who works for you, you need to pay them." She frowned, thinking quickly. "You already have a way to keep order on the planet. You don't need to destroy countries… murder millions. It's unnecessary."
Hally finished. The Master was watching her, listening intently.
The door to the library opened quietly and Armitage entered, carrying a tray. The pair sat silently as he placed two plates in front of them.
Hally watched, amused. "Really… I hardly think Armitage appreciates being forced to play waiter."
The Master chuckled softly, shooting a knowing look at her guard. "No. But I didn't want anyone else coming in here. I did apologise profusely."
Hally cocked an eyebrow. "Now that, I can't imagine."
The side of Armitage's mouth curved upwards into a smirk and he left without a word. Hally watched his back retreat from the room, turning back to The Master. "Let me help." Her eyes connected with his, sincerity swimming within. "If this is truly what you want. Let me make it better. One planet at a time."
The Master didn't respond, he picked up his knife and fork and began to eat. Mulling over her words lightly, as if she hadn't just asked him to rethink his entire universal domination plan, but rather had proposed a small investment opportunity.
Hally let him ponder, starting on her own meal. Perhaps she could come to some level of compromise with him. He might not agree to all of it, but she needed to think of the things that were her hard boundaries. She really didn't want to have to argue with him, but as the silence stretched on, Hally found herself bracing for impact.
"Alright."
Her head lifted, meeting his gaze. Had she imagined that he'd spoken?
"Alright?" She repeated slowly, checking his face for any sign of mischief.
She found none. He shrugged, taking a laid-back sip from his glass. "Yes. I said alright. To all of the above."
Hally stared at him. She had not planned for it to be this easy.
"If, you'll be with me." It was a soft demand, but a demand nonetheless.
Hally nodded slowly. "It will take time." She reminded him. The transition wouldn't be instantaneous. They would need to rebuild their trust in one another. She couldn't fully stand at his side until they'd mended that trust.
"Yes." He agreed, understanding.
They were building a bridge back towards one another. One uncertain brick at a time.
He took in a sharp breath, eyes flicking down at the contents of his glass as he mused. "There are going to be times where one of us fails…" The warm earthy brown looked back up at her, a slight hesitance in his voice. "It's not going to be a straight road. Trust. But… as long as we're both on the same page." He was right, they would fuck up along the way. There was no doubt about that. But by voicing it, they were agreeing to acknowledge the fuck ups and to try and move past them.
She nodded, letting him know that she was following. "I want this. Forever."
His face split into a smile, something like relief flashing behind the expression. "Good."
Hally went back to eating, she realised that her hearts were beating frantically in her chest.
He had agreed.
They could do this together.
That was good.
It was also terrifying.
She felt his leg press against the side of hers under the table. It was a gesture of comfort.
To ground her.
Perhaps he was grounding them both.
This felt, intense.
Scale-wise, it felt gigantic.
The weight of it suffocating.
She pressed back against him. They were ok.
If they were going to do this, properly, then they wouldn't be able to hide any more. Which meant…
"I think we should tell The Doctor." Her voice carried through the room. The candle between them flickered.
Her husband stopped, his temple pulsed as his jaw clenched. Calmly, he met her gaze. "Not yet."
Hally narrowed her eyes. "Why?" After all this time, his original threats to tell The Doctor about them, and now it was him who wanted to continue keeping the secret.
"Because…" His hands tensed around his cutlery, he cleared his throat. He evidently didn't want to have to explain himself. "Nothing is certain until the countdown." Hally raised an eyebrow at him, a silent order to explain further. He exhaled heavily. "Right now… I'm not in the position to offer him my greatest weakness on a plate." His eyes darkened and he shot her an accusatory look.
"I'm not a weakness, Koschei."
He shook his head, backtracking. "That's not what I meant. We can't tell him, until this comes off." His hand reached across the table, his thumb resting over the top of the gold band, stroking across her skin.
Hally frowned, The Master was hinting that The Doctor would use her to get to him. That he didn't trust The Doctor around her while she was without her power.
"What if you took it off?" Hally offered the obvious solution.
The Master softened. "I will... Just… It will take time." He repeated her own words back to her, hoping that would be enough of an explanation.
Trust.
Trust would take time.
"Ok." She caught his hand, still playing at her neck, and gave it a squeeze.
Armitage returned once more, removing their empty plates and replacing them with their main course.
"Thank you, Armitage." Hally purred sweetly, shooting him an impish look.
Her guard hummed in unamused acknowledgement, leaving them.
The Master snorted a laugh. "You're terrible."
Her eyes flashed with laughter. "What? I haven't been able to eat, sleep or shower without that man watching me for the last year. I'm allowed to be a little bit of a brat."
The Master cocked an eyebrow, musing "He did save your life."
Hally rolled her eyes dramatically. "Only because he almost let me die to begin with."
The Master poured her another glass of wine. "I like Alina." He muttered thoughtfully as if he hadn't meant to voice his opinion out loud.
Hally's face split into a grin. "I like her too." She quipped back, followed by a soft breath of laughter. "I did worry you were going to kill her yesterday."
The Master shot her a devilish smirk. "Believe me, the thought crossed my mind."
Hally cocked her head to one side. "But you didn't."
"I didn't." He confirmed, clearing his throat before returning his attention to the plate in front of him.
They ate in comfortable silence for a minute or two. Her husband was strangely agreeable today. It was… nice. Talking with him like this. For the first time in a very long time, they felt like a normal married couple. Perhaps 'normal' was a stretch. But it felt domestic. Romantic even.
"How long has it been for you, since Gallifrey?" Hally asked, eyeing him for his reaction.
He continued to eat slowly, doing the math swiftly in his head. "I regressed into a child, to hide, turned myself human. Lived for perhaps 50, 60 years before you lot showed up."
You lot.
She smirked at that. "Getting pretty old." She commented, a spark of amusement flashing behind her eyes.
He chuckled lowly. "Quite." Then his eyes met hers, a playful smile spreading over his face. "Although… I have to say, you've aged sweetheart."
Hally shot him a glare, as if offended. He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Not much." His eyes grazed over her face appreciatively.
"Well, it has been a few years." She huffed back at him, widening her eyes to emphasize the point.
"Mmm." He leant across, catching her chin in his hand. He turned her head to the left, inspecting the uninjured side of her face. "You know, you're almost 395?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? How the hell did you work that out?"
Hally could hear the smirk in his voice. "I have my ways."
She turned her head back to look at him, cocking an eyebrow. "You're kind of creepy sometimes, you know that right?"
"One of the reasons you love me." His eyes flashed possessively.
"Hmmm." The sound wasn't one of disagreement.
"You age more like a Time Lord." He was still analysing her face, his own concentrated with interest.
"I'm not loving the idea that I'm ageing at all." Hally sent him a childish pout. "How old do I look?"
His eyes trailed over her face in admiration. "Twenty-two? Twenty-three perhaps?"
Hally's mouth dropped open in protest. "23?!" The squeal that left her mouth was not dignified. "But that's older than Rose!"
The Master tipped back his head, laughing ecstatically at her despair. Hally groaned, slumping back into her chair and taking a large gulp of wine. His laughter bounced off the walls, he hummed softly, eyes glinting happily.
He was so beautiful.
Hally shook herself back into focus. There were still things they needed to discuss.
"What are you going to do about Japan?"
His face settled into a smug smile. He rested his elbows on the table, pressing his fingers together. "What do you think we should do?"
Hally felt nervous uncertainty crawl its way up her spine. She swallowed. This was, after all, what she'd wanted wasn't it? For them to discuss, and come to these decisions together. But actually doing it, having the power to alter events, it wasn't something she relished. All of a sudden, it felt very real. It wasn't just the two of them in this room together. It was the entire planet.
Hally thought about it, voicing her idea. "You can remove the rebels. Imprison them. Increase Toclafane presence throughout the rest of the country as a deterrent."
The Master pushed out his lips in a thoughtful pout. She could see from his expression that he didn't think that would eradicate the issue. "We can try it… and if it doesn't work…"
"Then we can revisit it." Hally offered.
He nodded. "Fine." He purred, lowly. Running his tongue across his top teeth. His eyes settled on her, he was waiting for her to ask another question. When she didn't, he rose to his feet, holding out his hand towards her. "Come." Hally took the offered hand, letting him lead her away from their table and out of the library. They ascended the spiral staircase and he entered the code into the panel of the locked door. Hally felt the familiar warmth of anticipation coil in her abdomen. He pushed open the door and pulled her inside with him. She had been right. It was a bedroom.
A pleased smile graced her mouth, cheeks flushing as she took in the space. It was larger than her old room, though not by much. The room didn't contain much, doors on the left and right walls which lead into the bathroom and dressing room that she'd already explored. A small cosy nook made up of an armchair and a small desk, a few books neatly piled up on one side. Most of the room was taken up by the bed, oak pillars twisting up to the ceiling, spreading out into multiple skylights. Two large windows sat on either side of the bed. Not as dramatic as the ceiling-to-floor glass in her previous bedroom, or in the library, but still large enough that she could see the sky. It was cosy.
A smile danced at her lips, she took in The Master. He had created all of this for them. It moved her, that he could still surprise her. Her husband was so many things. He could be harsh and wild and heartless. But then, there was this. The other side of him. The side that planned ahead for things like this. He'd created a home. Just for them on this ship. She cocked her head, nestling herself into his arms.
He smiled down at her, wrapping his arms protectively around her back. "We can move you fully in here. If that's something you'd want."
She nodded. "I can get on board with that." A stupidly content smile took over her face.
He hummed a chuckle. "Good. I'm going to need your old room now that I've got to house all my prisoners." His eyes flashed playfully and his arms tightened around her.
"Quite right."
His expression shifted, and a shiver fell down her spine. Ravenous eyes stilled her, capturing her breath in her throat.
"You know… it seems rather unfair don't you think?" He moved her in his arms, hands coming to trap her waist. "I've agreed to all these changes. I'm giving so much." His head dipped, lips brushing across hers. "What does your Master get in return?" Hally's exhale was warm in between them. She tried to think quickly, if there was anything else she needed to say before he… distracted her. Either there wasn't, or her brain had short-circuited because nothing was coming to her.
Well, then.
"What does my Master want?" Hally whispered breathlessly. His mouth curved into an indecent smirk.
His hands left her and he rocked back. "Take off the dress."
Her breath caught in her throat, his words sending desire straight between her legs. There was barely a moment before she obeyed him, reaching down to the hem of the dress and pulling it up and off her body.
Dark eyes grazed unapologetically from her face and down her body. A glint of appreciation for her lack of bra. "Get on the bed."
His eyes met hers once more, watching her steadily as she moved from him, towards the bed. She sat on the edge, pushing herself back into the middle of the mattress as he pulled his tie loose and off over his head. He never once took his gaze from her, bending down to push off his shoes swiftly as he advanced towards the bed. He pounced, and her back hit the mattress as he pulled himself on top of her. Settling between her legs.
His mouth met hers and she moaned into the kiss, arms wrapping around his neck. The Master groaned, his hands palming greedily at her chest. Her back arched into his touch as her fingers wound into his hair. He pulled back, stealing both her wrists and pushing them out and into the mattress.
"Arms out." He panted, pressing against her wrists in warning. A command to remain still. Then his hands were back on her body, his mouth not far behind. He baptised her skin with his mouth, trailing a course between her breasts and down over her stomach. His fingers wound themselves into the fabric of her underwear, pulling it down and off. Hally bunched the sheets into her hands, fighting the urge to move her arms. Her mind had quietened. There was just him and whatever he wanted. She surrendered.
Hands pressed her thighs apart and then, the warmth of his mouth was covering her. Hally let out a cry, her back arching. He hummed against her, his tongue lapping insatiably. Her hips bucked and his hands squeezed her hips, pressing her down. The Master was chasing her pleasure with swift abandon. Desperately. She wondered again, briefly, how it was always that she ended up naked while he managed to remove almost no clothing. It wasn't fair. Her husband groaned into her, Hally's hands pulled at the sheets, heat rolling through her core. There was no teasing. No dancing over the edge. The Master pushed her powerfully into her orgasm. She cried out, the suddenness of it ricocheting through her body.
It took her a moment to realise that his mouth was back on hers, his body pressed against her shaking one. A heavy exhale fell from her. She felt his chest vibrate with a dark chuckle. "Oh sweetheart, one isn't nearly enough."
She whined when his hand stroked impatiently through the slick of her arousal. Her eyes opened, widening as he pressed his fingers inside her. He watched her. Eyes locked on her face. Hot breath mingled between them as he stroked inside her, catching every single expression of pleasure that crossed her face. He was inescapable. Hally whimpered, splaying her hands out, tightening her grip on the bed beneath her. Holding on.
His gaze had captured her. She couldn't look away. His eyes burned into her. Fascination, obsession, possession blazed back at her. She felt her hips rock against his hand as he curled his fingers, pressing deep inside her. This time, she felt it coming, but it shook her nonetheless. Hally could feel his eyes on her as she rode out the waves of pleasure, hips writhing, threatening to move off the bed.
The Master didn't stop the movement of his hand, even as she began to come back down. His lips captured hers and she gasped into his mouth.
"How many, do you think?" He purred against her skin. She squirmed underneath him, head flopping from side to side as he rocked his hand. Her muscles spasmed around his fingers, the familiar tightness was already beginning to re-coil. He left her mouth, devouring her neck. Grazing his teeth over the sensitive skin. He continued his route downwards, placing warm, hungry kisses along her collarbone before moving to her breasts. Hally's eyes fell shut, back arching upwards into him as his mouth encased a nipple. His tongue rolled over the peak, trapping it between his teeth. A strangled noise escaped her, eyes squeezing shut. The Master was unrelenting in his mission to taste every inch of her chest, his mouth leaving a burning trail of lightly pink skin from where he nipped and sucked with abandon. When he did something that elicited a moan, he would do it again. And again. Her body writhing, hands pulling at the sheets as she lost herself to him. It was addictive. The control he had over her body. The hand between her legs insistent in its pursuit of pleasure. It was so wonderfully freeing. Hally was floating. She didn't have to think. He was there. To catch her.
"Come." His voice was rough, needy. Her body obeyed the demand immediately, she felt herself falling into the waves rolling through her. His weight shifted and his mouth joined his hand, his tongue gave a commanding flick and it threw her higher. She was shaking. She could feel her legs shaking. The muscles in her abdomen protested with exhaustion. Her knees came together in a weak attempt to cut him off. His free hand batted her thighs apart, a growl rumbling in his throat. This time The Master let her come down gently, his hand moving in slow encouragement as his tongue pressed warmly over the sensitive bundle of nerves.
Hally whimpered, the sound provoked a soft chuckle from him, vibrating against her overstimulated flesh. She whined and jerked her hips. He hummed happily against her, his mouth trailing gentle kisses across her inner thigh. "Once more for me…"
She mewled softly. "Master…" Her body was so tired and yet somehow, she could feel him coaxing gentle ripples of pleasure from her.
"Just one more." He promised softly, rolling his tongue tenderly in tandem with the slow rocking on his hand. She sighed a soft moan, the embers of the fire in her core reigniting. He slowly enticed her towards the edge once more. Then, he shifted his weight and his free hand spanned across her neck. Her groan vibrated in her throat against his palm. He squeezed gently, testing. He must have felt her clamp down on his hand, because the pressure at her neck returned, steady, slowing the blood flow.
Hally cried out, eyes rolling back as her body shook with the intensity of her climax. She could feel his warmth, he was everywhere. Holding her as she shook. When she finally opened her eyes, The Master was above her, gazing at her in adoration. He bent down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. His mouth was sinfully wet, but she didn't have the energy to allow any embarrassment to creep into the moment. He brushed his hand across her temple, a satisfied smile looking down at her. "Good girl."
She hummed softly. Her arms ached with protest as she brought them up to wrap around him.
He rolled off her, pulling her with him into his arms. She entangled herself in him, his arms wrapped protectively around her. His fingers trailed gentle lines across her back as her body came back to her. He pressed his forehead against hers. She could see every detail of his iris like this. The deep brown lightened towards the middle, small flecks of forest green. He was so beautiful. They used to lie like this, before, foreheads pressed together, their utter devotion and adoration mingling within their minds, caressing and entwining. She couldn't feel him now, of course. But she knew. She knew he felt it too.
Hally crossed her legs underneath her, settling into the familiar sofa. Alina took a seat opposite her, shooting her a friendly smile. Her eyes lingered on the side of her face, no doubt inspecting the still visible damage. The skin under her eye and across her cheekbone had turned an ugly greeny, yellow. Her eye was taking its time to return to normal, red still blanketing just over half. But it had definitely improved.
The day after their conversation, The Master had actioned his promise. It had taken nearly all of two days, but he'd moved all the prisoners to more suitable accommodation and had offered each individual who had been working for him 'non-voluntarily', the choice to be paid for their employment or to remain prisoners within their rooms. The Doctor, Jack and Martha's family were to be confined to their new rooms. They were still prisoners, but at least this way she could ensure they were comfortable and The Master couldn't taunt them so openly. Everything she needed had been moved from her old bedroom into their new, shared bedroom. It was their new base, their home on this ship. It felt like progress.
"How have you been since I saw you last?" Alina asked, a very polite way of basically asking 'How have you been since you broke your husband's nose?'
Hally sent her a small smirk, an acknowledgement of what she'd left unsaid. "Well, I think the concussion is gone, so there's that." She shrugged as if her relationship and the entire dynamic on the ship hadn't undergone a complete overhaul in the last 48 hours.
Alina breathed out a soft laugh. "Yes, a mild concussion can clear up after a few days. How's your eye? Are you still experiencing blurred vision?"
"Umm, only a little bit, in the left eye. It doesn't hurt anymore. It just looks…" Hally motioned to her face. "Well, it looks like this." Alina smiled knowingly, nodding. It looked worse than it was.
The door opened quickly, the handle hitting unnecessarily loudly against the wall. Both women turned to witness the intrusion. The Master, his face irritable and dark, entered the space without a word. He plonked himself down next to Hally, huffing. If she didn't know better, Hally would say that he was having a sulk. She moved her gaze from her husband, towards Alina.
"Ummm…?" The question was obvious.
Alina looked between the two of them, a small victorious smile playing at her lips. "I requested his presence."
Hally's mouth dropped open in shock. She looked back at him. "And you came?"
He shot her a scowl, one that clearly indicated his preference for not coming. "Evidently."
She turned back to Alina, eyes wide in bewildered amusement. Alina hid her smile, taking in a deep breath. She took out a tablet, clicking at the screen before turning it and placing it on the table in front of them, for them both to see. "Well, now that you're both here. There's something I'd like you to watch." She observed them both as she pressed play.
They both knew what they were looking at instantly. It was the upper bridge. The Master exhaled heavily, shifting uncomfortably. Hally heard her own voice from the device.
"He's never going to listen to you."
It surprised her, the venom behind her words. They watched as she tried to walk away.
"If you choose to go down this path. I'm sure as hell not going to watch you do it."
Armitage caught her. She hadn't been able to see The Master at the time, but she could see him now. His fists clenching and unclenching.
"Who do you think you are?"
Hally swallowed, watching as The Master approached her. They knew what happened next.
"…And there is nothing you can ever do to stop me."
She winced as she watched herself swing at him, her face set in one of anger and desperation. He had staggered back, he hadn't been expecting that. It was almost reflex, the way his upper body turned, his hand connecting with her face. It was loud. The sound of the impact. If Armitage hadn't been right behind her she would have ended up on the floor. She grimaced. The clip ended with The Master shouting for Armitage to remove her. Alina recollected the tablet, eyes scanning over both of them.
The Master looked away towards the wall, clearing his throat.
"I'm going to make an educated guess that neither of you liked watching that." Alina commented bluntly.
The Master didn't speak, so Hally spoke for them. "No."
"And neither of you want it to happen again." The blonde's eyes looked between them.
"No." Hally repeated, her answer firm. "It can't happen again."
Alina turned to The Master for confirmation. He tensed under her gaze, looking away from the wall to give her a short nod. He took in a sharp breath. "I…" He rolled his jaw, angling his face towards Hally, without looking at her. "I didn't realise I'd… hit you that hard." She could hear the strain in his voice. Like it was almost physically painful for him to say out loud.
Hally reached out, resting her hand on top of his. It was meant as a comforting gesture, but she felt him flinch at the contact. However, he didn't pull away.
Interested eyes watched them. "How was your conversation the other night?"
Hally and The Master exchanged a look.
Again, it didn't look like her husband was going to take the reins, so Hally replied. "It was… good, I think."
"Do you want to take me through the kind of things you touched on?"
Hally swallowed, explaining to Alina the compromise they'd come to. The discussion regarding the rehousing of the prisoners, and the proper employment of those left on the Valiant. How, they'd agreed to try and make decisions together, as a team, but that they both understood that these changes would take time. They were rebuilding trust and it couldn't happen overnight.
Alina nodded slowly. "Indeed. There will be bumps in the road. Both of you are going to disagree, possibly even lash out. When this happens, I don't want either of you to see it as a failure. You might take some steps back, but as long as you both want to move forward…"
Hally nodded, The Master gave a delayed hum of agreement when Alina looked back at him.
"Did you manage to talk about everything that's bothering you both?"
The pair sat in silence. Hally rolled her lower lip between her teeth. "Probably not… no… not everything. But it was a start."
The corner of Alina's mouth quirked up and she shot Hally a knowing look which had Hally trying to sink into the sofa. "Mmhmm. What other topics do you think you'll want to talk about, for the future or for now?"
Hally gave a glance to The Master, she couldn't speak for him but she knew the things that were still niggling at the back of her own mind. "Well… I mean, I guess for me… We… there's still some stuff about Lucy that's bothering me." The words came tumbling, ineloquently out of her mouth. In the corner of her eye, she saw The Master turn slightly to her, raising an eyebrow. She continued. "I don't, fully understand why he wants to create this… army, I guess. We could just run away… but there's something keeping him here. And I don't understand it. Then, there's The Doctor. We haven't… well we touched on it. A bit… and in the med bay." She coughed awkwardly. "There are a few things, I mean I think we've tackled the biggest… thing… but I know there are some… I don't know, shall we call them bumps… that we're both keeping hold of."
She could feel him listening intently. With deep interest. He'd placed his elbow on the edge of the sofa, his hand pressing into his temple. It was evident that this whole scenario was very far out of his comfort zone. He was stressed. And uncomfortable. She shot him a look, she didn't want to voice it but there was no way he would voice it himself. "There's something still disturbing him about Jack…"
He met her gaze, eyes flashing. However, he didn't deny it.
Alina turned to him, inviting him to talk. To respond to her ramblings. His forehead creased. "What's still bothering you about Lucy? I… we removed her from the equation. You already know she doesn't mean anything to me." He stated.
Hally let out a breath, clasping her hands together. "Well… no I know. At least I think I know. But it still bothers me. You married a human… not even that, just, you married someone else."
He looked back at her, unimpressed. "I married someone else to piss you off. It worked. End of."
"But is it?" She pressed. She wasn't sure why it was still bothering her. He was right. She could see that he'd done it as a move to hurt her. That was all. As harsh and unkind as that sounded, it was quite simple. However, something was still gnawing at her.
"Harold Saxon married Lucy. Harold Saxon doesn't exist." He stated bluntly, as if that was the end of it.
"Did you have sex with her?"
Alina wrote something down quickly, cutting in. "Is that what's bothering you? The thought of him being intimate with someone else?"
Hally paused, staring at him. She couldn't really deny it. Alina would see straight through her. "Yes."
The Master frowned. "I didn't fuck her, if that's what you're worried about."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, not just that. I just… I know you."
He raised an eyebrow, not catching on to her train of thought. "I know what you're like…" She sucked on the back of her teeth, flashing her eyes at him.
He barked out a laugh of realisation. "I didn't touch her. You 'know what I'm like'." He shook his head incredulously. "I'm only like that with you. I didn't touch her because at no point did I want to. Yes, I married her to piss you off. But most of the time I barely noticed her existence." He explained quickly. Then, he shook his head, a deep irritated frown joining his scowl. "I woke you up." He spat, as if that somehow explained everything. "I had months of planning left to do… I was teetering on the edge of taking over the entire planet… but instead, I woke you up and orchestrated most of my daily life around watching you." He shook his head, rubbing a hand across his face as if frustrated with his own foolish actions. "Lucy was, and is nothing."
She listened to him. She didn't love the fact that he evidently cared so little for the human that he'd unwillingly dressed into their mess. However, she couldn't deny that the brash coldness with which he spoke about her provided her with the proof, the assurance that she'd been needing. He hadn't touched her. She practically deflated with relief.
Alina made a note in her notebook, watching them both. "I would encourage you both to bring up these things, bumps, that are bothering you, either here or when you're in private. However, there's something I want to discuss first…" Alina looked between them, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. She was uncertain. "Your sexual relationship."
Hally practically whined, sinking into the sofa. The Master let out a soft chuckle to her right.
Why, Alina, why?
Neither of them spoke, so Alina continued. "From what we've discussed previously, and based on the current…" She considered her words. "…dynamic, within your relationship, I wanted to ask you both if you've ever put any boundaries in place. I'm not sure about your culture, but humans might refer to something like a safe word."
Hally could hear the confident smirk in her husband's voice. "Time Lords weren't really ones for talking about sex. But I understand what you're getting at." He cocked his head to one side. "No. We've never needed a 'safe word'." His words dripped with disdain.
Alina smiled politely. "What do you mean by, never needed?"
The Master shrugged, as if it was obvious. "If you're inside someone's mind, you know what they want."
"But not anymore." Alina clipped back.
The Master huffed, shifting his weight. "No. Not at the moment."
"So how would you know if she needed you to stop? Or slow down? Would you recognise what that would look like?" Alina pressed. Hally looked between the two. It was fascinating, how this human could somehow talk The Master around in a circle, to her way of thinking. Hally considered that maybe she should start taking notes.
The Master considered her words carefully. She could practically hear him thinking. Finally, he grumbled. "Yes. I think I would."
Alina smiled, nodding at him. "I believe you. But if you give each other a safe word, it means both of you can be sure. Because, is that really a risk you want to take?"
The silence was heavy between them both. "No." He uttered.
Alina's eyes glinted with what Hally could have sworn was triumph. She coughed, earning her both of their attention. "But what would it be for…?" She felt her cheeks redden when she heard how the question sounded. "You're saying we have a word, that either of us can use when we need things to slow down… it's meant for sex right?" She rushed out.
Alina nodded slowly, eyes twinkling.
"But, well…" The unrelenting blush spread across her face. "Our problems aren't really sex-related are they?" She motioned to the human. "You said last time… that actually we're sort of functional in that 'department'."
"For the moment, yes." Alina nodded. "But I think it's important to give you back some power. He exercises control within most aspects of your relationship, but especially the sexual aspects, yes?"
"Mmhmm." She squeaked, her husband's eyes were burning into the side of her head. No doubt a self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face.
"So, a safe word is just giving you back some of that control. You don't have to use it. But it's there if you ever need it. It's a way to draw a line."
Hally nodded, that wasn't really what she wanted to know. "But… what if it's not sexual… and you want to draw the line?"
Alina considered her words, tilting her head to one side in thought. "I suppose it could still have the same effect? It's a word that tells you both, simply, 'I need this to stop.'"
The theory was sound, it was certainly something they could use. But in practice, it might be more complicated. Perhaps, that was what they needed though? A hard limit. A simple word that they both understood to mean that one of them had reached the edge of the boundary. It might make complicated situations less complicated. But would he agree to that? A metaphorical 'stop' button. Would she be able to trust that he could honour it?
The Master watched her silently. "Petrichor." He presented. Hally met his gaze, he looked back at her meaningfully.
The smell after rain.
She nodded slowly as Alina wrote something down.
"Good." Her face broke into a genuinely pleased smile, before she turned the page, leaving them in silence as she jotted down some thoughts.
Hally suddenly felt too far away from him, despite the fact that her hand was still resting over his. She shifted closer, the sofa dipped and leant them closer together. He moved his arm to rest behind her on the sofa, angling his body towards hers. Not quite touching. But close enough.