hh_mirror | [RP for Ten and the Master]

The Doctor's eyes widened. The Master had let him inside of his head?

"But it didn't help? I couldn't find the root?" He doesn't bother pointing out to the master that he'd turned him down twice this incarnation. He'd died to avoid being trapped with him as if it was the worst thing he could imagine. It didn't matter now. The were still fighting.

"Oh, it's gone. I even stopped my hearts for long enough to be sure they weren't masking anything. But taking off the copper wire won't make a bonsai grow straight. There are echoes, and the silence, nothing could be louder than the silence..." He was shivering now, and if he Doctor wasn't being so damned difficult he'd have clung to him for comfort. "Not to mention sorting through all my memories, trying to figure out how influenced I might have been."

"Influenced? "The Doctor looked alarmed and stepped towards him. "I didn't... I wouldn't have..." Well he might. But certainly not without permission.

"The emptiness must be maddening."

"It's like walking out of a loud concert." He ignored his sour anger, and reached out to rest his hand on the Doctor's waist, silently urging him closer. "I'm not sure if there's a way to fix that. But I have all this patching up... have you ever seen a tree grown around a chain-link fence? It's messy when you tear the fence away."

He nodded at that. The analogy made sense. Raw and painful, but effective.

"Not impossible though." He tried another smile and didn't remove the Master's hand, taking a large bite of his croissant. "If you wait long enough bark will grow over the scars."

"It's rather a frustrating thing to wait out. I've been working on it, clearing away the debris, but I can only make real progress on conscious levels." He looked tired, too aggravated to bother with false cheer. "I'm a bit less than keen to have anyone mucking about that deep in my head."

"Then I won't" the Doctor assured. "Whatever you want, just so long as your ready."

"That's the problem." He smiled crookedly. "Where do you think the dust settles? To continue the metaphor."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, frowning. He didn't know what was left for him to say.

"The problem is," the Master said, moving closer, "I really don't like the idea of having my mind toyed with. It's triggery, to use the current Earth buzzword. It would take rather a lot of trust for me to allow it now that it's not a matter of pressing urgency."

He brushed a hand against the Doctor's cheek, letting it fall to rest on his shoulder. "We'd have to work at building trust."

The Doctor looked dubious at first, clenching visibly at the idea of letting someone inside his head. He'd even felt invaded when Reinette, who ha no experience or intention of seeing inside his thoughts had caught a glimpse past what he allowed others to know. To allow the master that level of control, especially with his experience.... But it was a compromise. And if he wanted the Master to trust him....

"Always did love trust building exercises."

"I'd have to get used to your physical presence first." He smiled slowly, debated a wink and decided against it. "We'd have to spend time together. A good deal of it. I'm glad my bed's got room for two."

At the rate the Master was going a wink would not have surprised him.

"You're joking. Aren't you? ...You're not."

"Do you have a better suggestion? Is it such a dreadful thought?" He flashed a confident smile, covering up his frustration and anxiety. "Was it better when you thought I was running?"

The flush of red crawling up the Doctor's neck to his ears was sign enough that there's something appealing in that offer whether he admitted to it or not.

He was skilled in spotting little tells like that, the ways people gave themselves away. Some races were harder than others, but this was his own kind, this was the Doctor. He wasn't going to let this opportunity fizzle because he'd misread a quirk of expression.

"I see you're thinking ahead of me, but that would certainly speed things along."

He cleared his throat and glanced around the hall before leaning in. "Is now relly the best time to be thinking about something like that? I mean... Not that I don't.....That you're not.." Another cough. "..the wisest course of action..."

You know there's a hook, but the bait just tastes so good, doesn't it?

"You are thinking it, though, aren't you?" He leaned closer, lowering his voice. This was for the Doctor's ears only. "Are you thinking about how I could bend you over this table and have you right now?" If he hadn't been before, he doubtless was now. "Crumbs in your hair, but I wouldn't mind. They're just about the right height, wouldn't you say?" Laughing, he leaned back enough to be face-to-face again. "Although I'd consider that more recreational than trust-building."

The Doctor could feel the blush creeping up and burning his ears and brushed the imaginary crumbs from his hair.

"Stop it" he mumbled. He ran a hand down the back of his neck, smoothing the hairs that had begun to stand on end when the Master's voice had ghosted over his ear.

"Yeah, sorry. I just donn't see how that particular activity would build trust. especially when it's bound to have an audience."

He brushed the Doctor's cheek with curled fingers, as if wiping away a smudge. "No, not like that it wouldn't. But a slow and quiet night, secluded, no speaking... we'd both have to practice reading every little sigh and gasp. The lightest of mental links, just enough to feel each other's pleasure. That would be a useful bonding exercise, don't you think?"

"I think yo have a very one sided idea of bonding." The Doctor smirks and finishes off the rest f his breakfast pastry.

"I think we'd best avail ourselves of every means at our disposal. Of course there are less physical activities to connect over. It's been a long time since we've studied together, for one. And exploring the grounds might be pleasant, and simple conversation." He ruffled the Doctor's hair casually. "You'll promise me the stars when you're bound and helpless, but the reality is a bit daunting, isn't it?"

"Weeell, I don't really have access to the stars at the moment do I?" If he had his TARDIS it might be a different story. A very different one considering he ought to have regenerated. But this wasn't about him now.

"Right, so how about this- Show of good faith, I'll let you decide how we start this."

"We can worry about the stars later," he said lightly, tracing the curve of one of the Doctor's ears with a fingertip. "But think of it. Learning together. Sharing a bed. A bit of comparative quiet. An attempt to reconnect. I can't force those." A shame, it would be easier.

He hesitated, thinking it over. It certainly had its benefits....

"All right. We'll give it a trial run. one week. If we don't like It I'll return to our house dormitory."

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