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"Really, I think you're just afraid. Under all the anger and eccentricity and expired dresses, I think you're actually just afraid."
"Afraid?" Was all Missy could manage to scoff, "And what would I be so afraid of?"
The Doctor smiled at her, chewing on his rice thoughtfully as he observed her (they'd got Chinese for a change), swallowing his food before answering. "You tell me. You're the one so desperate for control, you can't stand being out of power. Like you always have to have somebody cowering beneath you to feel stable."
"Right, when I said you could eat with me I didn't sign up for therapy. Or is this an interrogation? What's the difference, really," she pulled her tub of chow mein towards herself, glowering at him over it.
"It's a fair observation! Not my fault you're so easy to read," The Doctor raised his hands in surrender, trying to ease the tension between them with another grin.
"Well, you can stop now. I'm not afraid. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're projecting" She stole a chip off his plate as she said this, with a self-satisfied look.
"Of course I am, that's exactly what I'm saying," He laughed, "If anybody knows anything about hiding behind a title and a sprightly face, it's me!"
"Sprightly?" She snorted into her drink.
"You know what I mean, okay maybe this isn't a good example. Bow tie then, you remember that, yeah?"
"Wish I'd forget."
"Well there you go. That's what I mean. We all have masks, we all hide behind big bright smiles and silly ties but in the end we're all afraid of something. You're not exempt from basic survival, Missy."
"I'm. Not. Scared!" She exclaimed, hands raised in exasperation. "Honestly, will you let it go? Can't a woman eat her noodles and curry in peace?"
"Chow mein."
"What?!"
"It's chow mein, not noodles"
"Oh, shut up," She cursed as she sent the tub flying towards him, coating his hair in wet noodles and chicken, as he sat frozen between shock and amusement. "I'm not afraid, you're just lumping me together with your silly humanoids to try and make you feel better about locking me in a box." She gestured towards the vault around them, "I'm not so easy to crack, you know." She seemed genuinely upset, no traces of the usual playfulness, no vengeance in her tone. Just hurt, as though he'd deeply offended her.
The Doctor only sighed as he picked the food out of his hair, attempting to wipe down his hoodie only to make matters worse, a big brown stain forming over his shoulder.