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There was such a long silence, the two of them on either side of the room. As though they wanted to create as much space as they could between them. The air felt stiff as the Doctor listened to the Master write. He finally spoke, leaning against his chair so the front legs tilted back.
“Oh come on. ” He whined out, prominently pouting at the other across the room, who only spared him a second of a glance.
The Doctor could feel the eye roll, even as the boy's head turned back to his work. “I don't want to. I've told you this.”
“Oh but you do! You want this so badly, you just won't do it!” The Doctor sprung up, chair loudly hitting the floor again as it got back on all four of its legs. The blond went over to the window and opened it widely, watching the Master as his shoulders caved inward.
“I won't do anything bad, we won't get in trouble. We've done this a million times.” The Doctor promised, flapping a hand outward.
This is how it always would go. They would both do this dance like clockwork, old friends who would always give in to one another. The Doctor, begging and poking and prodding at the bear that was the Master. Do this. Do that! Be with me! All while the Master refused and refused until he'd give in, always making a false promise that this would be his last moment doing anything with the other.
“And this will be the last,” The Master retorted as he stood up and crossed the space of their dorm room, going to the window. He looked down at his partner and let out a gentle sigh, a sly smile forming across his lips.
“Oh you dog. ” The Doctor grinned and went forward, torso dipping over the window frame. His legs rose up and the man ungracefully dropped from their second floor dorm into a pile of bushes. He made a soft sound of pain before rolling out and onto his feet, looking up at the Master who had a mix of worry and amusement on his face.
“Come along, dear Kos! I've found more to show you.” the Doctor grinned, standing with his hands on his hips.
“You know,” started the Master as he grabbed ahold of the window sill and left going backwards, walking down the wall until his arms had no more room, slowly dropping into the bush. “It isn't good to be skipping so much.”
“Oh, but I'm so smart. ” The Doctor took the other's hand, pulling him excitedly out of the bushes and outwards into the lush grass. “And I never need the classes. All I do is read the textbook at night in my free time and I remember it all. I never need anything else. It's a waste of my time.” He explained.
“And yet you never pass flying,” the Master replied, squeezing the other's hand tightly.
“Who needs to ‘ace’ flying when I know how to drive the TARDIS?” The Doctor asked, laughing as the other sighed in response.
The two made it to the treeline and the Doctor lead him in, looking back with a warm smile. The Master stared for a moment before he looked away quickly, following as if this was his first day walking.
“Why you explore the woods? I have no idea.” The Master told him, looking around before he focused on his footwork, not wanting to completely trip infront of his partner.
“To find us places like this?” The other shrugged. “It's quiet. It gives me something to do until we can go on trips. I want to do more than just study. It's been decades. Do you know how many other planets do only two decades of schooling before letting their children off? I'd like that. I would have loved that.” The Doctor sighed dreamily, looking at the light filtering in through the trees. He watched the way the silver leaves glistened and reflected the light in a way that made the entire forest shine. It made him feel alive.
“But this is our duty as Time Lords. To learn every event in all of history, to do what needs to be done.” The Master replied with a slight frown in his tone.
The Doctor clicked his tongue, looking around for a second more before he continued deeper into the trees with his companion at his side. “I suppose so. I don't complain much.”
“You complain enough.”
“Oh hush. All you do is complain about me. I don't want to hear it.”
The two laughed, their joy echoing and harmonizing with one another. The two had spent their own eternity up to this point with one another. The way their laughs sync up, their sighs. The two even shared the same eyeroll and shrugs. Harmonizing was what they were used to, their own language after all these years.
“Quiet down, now, we're almost to the surprise.” The Doctor perked up, and the Master smiled warmly at the back of his head.
“Good. Because even after you lead me in here every single time, I never know where we are.” Chuckled the other. There was never any doubt about safety for the Master, when he traveled with the Doctor. He always knew the man made his way back home, he always felt safe with the other. Their hands always intertwined.
“Exactly. Because every time, I always want to take you someplace new.” The Doctor smiled, glancing back at the other before they stopped at a small slope.
The Master looked down, wincing prematurely. He was about to ask if they were really going to soil their robes by tumbling down this slope, but it seemed too late.
Suddenly, the Doctor was going down, pulling the other's hand down along with him. The two began to scream with laughter as they ran down the hill, trying not to trip over the speed of their own feet. Their hearts sped up at the thrill of exploring, the thrill of running. The spring-like air filled their lungs, a chorus of giggles drowning out the sounds of nature they found themselves surrounded in.
The Master grinned as they slowed to a stop, panting at one another. The man shook his head, thumbing over the Doctor's knuckles. “You're insane.”
“Am I? Says the man who's been enjoying himself for the past hour.” The other bantered back, looking down at his robes.
“The elders are going to burn us,” the Master said after a moment.
The other rolled his eyes, “they already yell and discipline us. I will take the blame and you can say I… pushed you! Deal?”
The Master hummed and slowly nodded, already thinking about how nice it would be to not get into as much trouble. And if the Doctor wanted to go through that torture? He couldn't pass that up. “Why not.”
The Doctor smiled, glancing away before he continued off, “good. I'm glad that you're not self sacrificing. Then we'd be at an impasse.”
The other chuckled, shaking his head as he walked along with him, trailing behind as if the other were pulling him along. To the Master, this was his favourite thing. To be led, to be spoken to, to be shown new things about their own world that he's never seen before. It scratched an itch deep within him. The privilege of knowing the Doctor. Of being best friends with him. Though that term tugged at his heartsstrings, he brushed it off and tried not to dwell on their relationship too much.
The Doctor finally perked up, brushing his mop of blonde from his face as he grinned from ear-to-ear. “This is it, Kos! This is the place!” He moved back to stand at his friend's side, showing him the rocks that adorned a small body of water. There was a waterfall right behind the rocks that shone from the light of their sun. It made the water glitter as it flowed down, making the pond of water essentially glow golden. The spot looked ethereal, vines hanging down from the trees and moss crawling its way up to the rocks.
“This is stunning …” the Master breathed, watching the water shimmer as the Doctor took his robe off, tossing it onto a nearby branch. He stretched in his under attire, a nice clean black shirt and black pants. “I was thinking we could sit here for some time.”
“I would sit here forever if I could,” the Master looked over at the other, big eyed, as he watched. The Doctor's hair glowed like the water. Hell, his energy alone glistened like sunbeams on the leaves. It warmed the Master, as if being around the other was the best place he could be.
“Then we can,” the other decided, taking off his shoes.
The Master decided to not take off his robe, nor his shoes, and opted instead to sit on a large rock and pick up a stick, playing with it in his hands. Meanwhile, the other sat beside him and plunged his legs into the pond, laughing like a child as he leaned up against the other.
The Master leaned into him, shutting his eyes to listen to the water. It all overwhelmed him in the best way, the stick he was twirling in between his fingers grounding him. “This is one of your best ones yet.” He whispered, looking down at the other.
The Doctor looked up at him with his large eyes, immediately grinning. No matter what, he always had a smile for the other man. Always trying to make him share it. “I take great pride in that. One day? This will be the view on any planet of your choosing. We'll explore together.” He promised, finding the other's knee and squeezing it reassuringly.
The Master didn't reply, not too sure what to say in response. Instead, he took his eyes off of the blond and looked at the pool of water, watching the ripples the fall was making. He took it all in with a faint smile on his face, the feeling of the Doctor leant against him making the moment much more enjoyable.
“Koschei?”
“Theta.”
“Do you think we'll be friends forever?”
“I believe so.” The Master felt like he was lying, but he refused to say anything about the ache in his chest.
“Good,” replied the Doctor, as if he did not believe him.
The two sat together in the rest of the sunlight the day provided, listening to the water and enjoying the company of their partner.
The Doctor refused to think of how his elders would react to him being covered in dirt, his pant legs soaked, his hair a mess.
And the Master, though quiet, wasn't able to stop himself from over-thinking. Everything at the academy plagued his mind, and he felt like he was drowning in his own mind.
“Koschei?” The Doctor questioned, splashing a foot in the water.
The other perked up and looked downward, taking in a deep breath. “Theta.”
“Thank you for coming with me every time.”
“It's a thankless act.”
“Well, thank you anyways.”
“It's always my pleasure.”
The pair had to head back as the sun was fully setting, the Doctor putting his shoes on despite wet feet. The two interlocked their hands and headed back to the Academy, the air becoming heavier as they got closer.
There was no use in trying to get up into their window again, the two heading in through the front doors. Whatever awaited them, they would handle it together.