kinkfest | Going Back to the Roots (Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor/Simm!Master, G) (Reply)

Title: Going Back to the Roots
Author:

laurus_nobilis
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word count: 890
Prompt: Doctor Who, Doctor/Master: Beloved enemies - "Wonder what I'd be without you."
Summary: When you're saving the world, there's no time for small talk. But you can always make room for some good old-fashioned bickering.

Funny how these things worked. Every time they met again, there were more and more questions about how it was even possible, and less time to answer them. You didn't really get a chance to make small talk while you were rushing to save the world (again), no matter how odd it was that your greatest enemy had somehow managed to show up and, oh, not be dead (again). That whole thing about making sure the Earth didn't blow up still had priority.

"The red cable doesn't go there."

"You're not in a position to tell me what to do, Doctor."

"Well, I'm not exactly in a position to go and do it myself, either," he said, moving his cuffed hands in all directions as if looking at them from different angles would give him an idea. In any case, it'd be a bit complicated to deactivate the bomb if he couldn't get away from the bars on the window.

"I built this myself," the Master pointed out, somewhere between smug and annoyed. "I know how to turn it off."

"Except I tweaked it while you were busy gloating. Seriously, trust me about the red cable."

"… oh, you didn't."

"Of course I did! I always do, you should expect it by now. So, are you going to listen to me?"

"What for?" said the Master, with a shrug, and turned to fidget with the machine again. "Let me guess, you reversed the polarity."

"… no," he replied. "Maybe. Yes. I was in a hurry!"

"See? You can't fool me, Doctor. I know you better than anyone."

"Fooled you enough to reverse the-"

"Oh, shut up. I was distracted!"

"Yes, yes, with your gloating…"

"With your clothes," the Master corrected. The Doctor began to grin in spite of himself, but the next words wiped his expression as quickly as it had appeared. "When did you decide to start dressing like a stuffy old professor again?"

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with bowties!" he exclaimed. "Or with going back to the roots, for that matter."

The Master gave him a thoughtful look, then screwed up his face in a grimace.

"I'm not going to start wearing a cape again. Gets in the way."

"Pity. I liked the cape," said the Doctor. So much for not making small talk. "Wait. Wait. Focus. The bomb."

"It would be much easier to work on that if you would just shut up."

"I can't shut up! I have to tell you what to do! The Earth is going to--"

"Explode. I know. It was part of the plan, remember?"

"Something tells me that your original plan didn't involve you still being here when that happened."

"… no, I mean it. Shut up."

"Later. Ah, that's where the red cable goes, see?" the Doctor pointed out, reaching out from behind his rival to pick it up and plug it in the right spot.

The Master looked up, trying very hard not to look confused. He didn't quite manage. It was almost cute, really.

"When did you get here?" he asked. "And how did you take the cuffs off?"

"Lateral thinking and a hairpin."

"A hair--"

"No time to explain. I'm busy."

Besides, he thought, if the Master wasn't going to tell him how he was even alive, which wasn't exactly a minor detail, then he had no reason to waste time explaining a silly escapism trick. After only a few more seconds of tinkering, he took a step back and allowed himself a smug smile.

"There! All done. No more bomb to worry about."

"Well… sort of," the Master said. "I had a backup plan."

"… you what?"

"The building is going to collapse," he went on, with a grin that matched his rival's. "And you've just activated the countdown."

The Doctor frowned, opened his mouth to say something, waved his index finger at the Master's face - and then just turned around and started running.

"That was completely uncalled for!" he shouted, even as he hurried down the stairs. "I've evacuated everyone, you know that! What did a poor empty building ever do to you?"

"It's not about the building! You were supposed to be cuffed to the window bars!"

"Oh. Well. I suppose that makes more sense--"

He was very rudely interrupted by an explosion not too far behind them, and barely managed to cross the front doors in time to avoid getting hit by the rubble. Out of reflex (he was used to rescuing people, after all), he grabbed the Master's arm and pulled him out, too.

"Why," he panted, "do I always end up having to save you from your plans to kill me?"

"You don't," the Master said, offended. "Well, not always."

"Feels like always," he insisted. "Maybe we should start counting."

"Of course not. That's ridiculous."

"I think someone is afraid of being proven wrong…"

"Ah, good old Doctor, always knows better. Wonder what I'd be without you," said the Master, his tone flat, and it was hard to tell how much of that was sarcasm and how much he actually meant.

"Very, very bored," the Doctor replied.

The Master didn't voice any agreement to that, of course. But he did tilt his head a bit, as if considering it, and all in all that said enough.