Work Text:
“I'm sorry Doctor, I can't today… I'm busy.”
“Oh come on! What could be more exciting than seeing the birth of the solar system with seven suns? That amount of suns could make a system on their own!”
Yaz bit her lip anxiously, phone pressed to her ear as she made rounds in the small space of her room. Should she be honest? She felt nervous even thinking about saying it out loud, but some part of her wanted to, just to see the reaction of her dear friend. Would she be surprised? Happy? Maybe just a little jealous? No, surely not jealous, why would she? They were just friends after all, both more than content with such depth of their relationship. And as a friend of the Doctor, she shouldn't feel any worry about sharing the truth with her.
And yet, her voice shook just a little when she answered: “I've got a date today, Doctor.”
“A date!” Oh, a surprise then. Was it really that shocking that she was going out with someone? “Really? You never said you're seeing someone.”
With a pang of guilt, Yaz caught herself trying to fish for pain hidden behind those words. “Well, it's sort of a last minute thing. We met yesterday and… It clicked, you know?”
“Yeah.” The Doctor's voice dropped on that single word. Clearly, she was pretty excited for the planned adventure and Yaz hated to disappoint her; but she also wasn't going to cancel on Clara just like that.
“We can go there tomorrow though, if you want? I'll pack my bags in the morning so you can pick me up around noon. Sounds good?”
“Absolutely! And then you can tell me all about your date.”
“Doctor, I don't think–” Yaz paused, silenced by the sheer boldness of that statement. Was it normal for friends to share details of their dates? Surely not. Or at least she hoped it wasn't because the mere thought of telling the Doctor about the details of her date with Clara made her cheeks burn. There was no way she could just talk about how good it felt to hold Clara's hand or – shit, what if they kissed?
Did she want them to kiss?
Yaz closed her eyes, recalling that gorgeous face framed with a brown curtain of hair, dark lipstick that somehow smudged so perfectly, eyes gleaming with sheer curiosity as Yaz was talking about the most mundane things… Yeah. She wanted to kiss those undoubtedly soft lips.
Even if she could taste the Master off them.
The thought made her shiver and open her eyes, harshly bringing herself back to the reality – reality in which the Doctor was currently stuttering through an apology.
“I didn't mean… Of course you don't have to tell me anything! I get it, it's your private life, I wasn't–”
“I'll tell you as much as I'll be comfortable with, okay?” Yaz interrupted softly, trying to shoo away the memory of Clara and the Master kissing by opening her wardrobe. What should she wear? Nothing too fancy, Clara said they wouldn't be going out but spending time together alone. A leather jacket surely wouldn't fit the occasion?
“Right, yeah! Sounds good. So, uh. I won't bother you anymore, I bet you're busy preparing… Nervous, too? I'm sure you are, first dates will do that to you. But you got it! It’ll go great, I just know it, so… Who are they, anyway? They better be good for you, you deserve all the best, you know. And they will be heavily judged if you two ever want to come on board together. Which you can, of course! I know some incredible places for dates, I could drop you two off and–”
Seeing that there would not be an end to the Doctor’s rambling, Yaz interrupted gently. “Thank you Doctor, but can we not plan beyond the first date just yet?”
“Ah. Ah! Yeah, sorry…”
“And speaking of which, I would not want to be late for it. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“You know it! See you, Yaz. Have fun!”
“Thank you, I will. Bye, Doctor.” Finally, Yaz ended the call and sighed with relief that it was over. The Doctor was… A little much today. Probably worried that Yaz was already going on a date with someone she just met. After all, going out with a stranger could be a dangerous thing, and she had no way to know who exactly that stranger was… Yaz would be worried in her place too, surely. She remembered that one time Caroline, a colleague from work, was going out for the first time with someone she met online and asked Yaz to come along and keep an eye on things, just in case. That day, Yaz spent about three hours sipping on coffee after coffee while a few tables away Caroline forgot she even existed, her eyes glued to her date, who fortunately didn’t turn out to be any kind of creep or otherwise unappealing person. What the Doctor was offering, inviting them on board, was probably the equivalent of that; a proposition to be a friend waiting nearby in case things went sour. Which was not really necessary but still very kind of her.
With a shake of her head, Yaz tried to shoo away lingering thoughts about the Doctor. If she didn’t focus on getting ready for the date, she really would end up late.
***
Fortunately, she got there just in time; and before she could even knock on the door to the cozy diner, it opened and a cool, strong hand dragged Yaz inside, ignoring her surprised squeak.
“There you are! Just in time, perfect.” Clara, beaming with excitement, took a step back to have a proper look at her and Yaz became uncomfortably aware of how underdressed she was for the occasion. The red sweater she eventually opted for, the nicest one she owned, faded miserably in comparison to Clara’s dress, longer and more flowy than the one from yesterday but with a cut on the side that, when she walked, exposed a little more skin than Yaz dreamt of seeing today. It was very beautiful skin though, she had to admit. “Can’t believe we matched without meaning to.”
Yaz frowned, looking at their outfits once more, then nodded lightly once she got it; they both picked red for the date, and a similar wine shade too. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to wear since you didn’t say what you planned exactly so… I guess I just picked something comfortable. Didn’t know we were aiming for gorgeous.” That last comment she said quickly, afraid that it would be smothered by shyness if she hesitated for too long. Clara deserved all the compliments she could offer.
“And yet you nailed it.” Of course; no matter how many compliments she could muster, Clara could easily dish out more. She was so natural at it too, Yaz envied it. “I’ve been thinking, for our date… Something cheesy and classic. Me, you, dark theatre room and some romance on a big screen. Maybe romantic comedy, if you prefer. Picture this: sharing a soda, hands reaching for popcorn at the same time, ignoring most of the plot because we’re busy… What do you think?”
“I think you’re very bold.” Yaz choked out once she found her voice back after being silenced for a good while by the mental image of the two of them being busy.
Clara paused to examine her face, searching for any signs of discomfort. “Is it a bad thing though? It scored me a date with you.”
“No, it’s not bad.” She visibly relaxed after hearing those words from Yaz, any worry escaping that adorable face; and Yaz felt her heart melting a little at the realization of how much Clara cared for her comfort in this regard. “I’m just still getting used to it, you know, in a good way. But yes, I would love to do all that with you. Shall we go then? The nearest cinema isn’t too far away, we can get there on foot.”
“Oh, we sure can, Yaz… And I have a feeling we will have the room all to ourselves.”
To be honest, Yaz shouldn’t be surprised when Clara led her deeper into the ship instead of outside of it; of course the TARDIS would have an entire cinema room and of course her date would want to use that one instead of a public one. Less prying eyes, more comfort for Yaz; and Clara had already proven that she really cared for Yaz’s comfort.
The first room they entered from the ship’s corridor was a small hall with popcorn and soda machines as well as a dark leather sofa with a screen in front of it, on which Clara let Yaz pick the movie from millions saved in the database. She tried to pick something good from the romantic genre but the amount of options was overwhelming, and most productions had publication date past her own times, meaning she couldn’t even know them; so eventually she gave up and picked at random, hoping that the plot of Promises Of A Quiet Heart (release date: Valentine’s day 2048) would be less pretentious than the title was. Not that it would matter, if Clara was serious about her plans; and Yaz had a feeling she was very serious about them.
Movie picked and snacks ready, the two women went through the next door into what really looked like a proper cinema room: dark with a giant screen in the front and rows and rows of seats, all empty and waiting for them. Once again, Clara let her choose; so after a moment of considering her options, Yaz chose the middle of the last row. It seemed to fit the destined vibe well, and it was certainly approved by her date, who took her place with a very content grin on her lips.
“Okay, now you’re showing off.” Yaz laughed when Clara snapped her fingers to get the movie started.
“Oh, always. By the way, do you know the best part of this cinema? Absolutely no ads before the movie.” Indeed, the screen was already showing the first scene of the movie, with the main character rushing to get ready for the day as she was already late.
“Oh, fantastic. I will definitely drop by more often then, if you don’t mind, having to live through a good twenty minutes of ads is one of the main reasons I don’t go to the cinema often.” Yaz took a handful of popcorn from the bucket Clara offered. It was still warm and buttery the way she liked it best. How did she guess?
“Trust me, I don’t mind at all. Now shhh, I’m trying to watch.”
Trying to watch was definitely an overstatement; before the main character even met her love interest for the first time, Clara was already leaning on her, a pleasant weight of her head pressing onto Yaz's shoulder. The position couldn’t be very comfortable, with her body stretched above the armrest between them but she didn’t seem to mind at all. On the contrary, she seemed very content in her current place which helped Yaz find the courage to wrap an arm around her, hand resting on her shoulder – a safe spot, but still keeping her close. Yaz didn’t feel comfortable enough to put it on Clara’s waist or, worse, hips, just yet. It was honestly surprising how far she was already comfortable to go because this wasn’t something she’d usually do; no, she preferred to keep things slow, ease into the other person with time, make each date a small step forward. With Clara, however, it wasn’t a slow walk; it wasn’t even a run. No, with her Yaz felt like she was falling from high above and had an absolute trust that Clara would catch her safely before she hit the ground. Which was a little insane considering how they knew each other for no more than a day and a half, but then again, their whole time together was more than a little insane.
Luckily, travels with the Doctor helped Yaz realize that she liked the insane.
“You’re not watching.” Clara’s soft voice made her blink and look down at the woman; she was observing her, a small frown wrinkling her forehead.
“No, sorry. I got lost in thoughts…”
“What were you thinking about?”
Honesty was the best policy, right? And Yaz had a feeling that her date would enjoy hearing those next words. “How comfortable I feel around you. I mean, I know you so shortly and yet it doesn’t feel awkward at all… It’s new. But I like it.”
“I like it too. You’re an intriguing person and I love getting to know you closer.” Clara raised her head so their faces were at the same level now; Yaz felt her perfumes, heavy and rich, and found herself immediately addicted to the scent. What was it exactly? Something musky with a hint of… No, it wasn’t cedrus but something similar, with undertones that made her head spin – and not in a way she disliked. “Hello?”
“Uh.” Focused on trying to figure out the scent, Yaz didn't realize she leaned in close to sense it better. Feeling a blush heat up her cheeks, she withdrew back to her position. “Sorry, I… I was trying to figure out your perfumes. They smell so good…”
“Don't they? I had this scent designed specifically for me by a small producer living three galaxies from here, they're known for making personalized perfumes.” That explained why she couldn't exactly recognize the smell, it wasn't from Earth. “Why did you pull back, Yaz? I liked you close.”
“I, um…” Her cheeks burning now, Yaz glanced at the screen. The couple in the movie was driving somewhere but she couldn’t even begin to guess where because she didn’t even glance at it for the past few scenes. “I didn’t want to push too far too fast. I know it’s a date and I remember the plans you made for it but, uh, I didn’t even realize I got this close so… I guess I panicked.”
“That’s fine. Take your time, Yaz. I’m more than happy moving forward with you but it must go along with your comfort. Do you want to stop here today then? Just snuggling?”
The thought of stopping there made her stomach drop a little; no, she wanted more. That’s what she hoped from the very beginning, the closeness, the physicality; it came so easily with Clara and for Yaz, single for such a long time now (it had to be years already, no? It was so hard to track the passing time when travelling through it back and forth. How old she even was, really? Twenty three, maybe?) it was like finally being offered a glass of water after being thirsty for so long, water so cool and refreshing she felt sheer delight with every single drop. Maybe it was just thirst that made the taste so much better, in the end; or maybe the water was really so good. She’d find out once she had her fill and see if she wanted more.
For now though, she was still parched, so she answered without hesitation: “Gods, no.”
“Alright, I’m glad to hear it.” Clara smiled at her encouragingly, her face hidden in the darkness of the current scene on the screen, with only eyes shining like two glass marbles. “I need you to focus on what you’re doing then. We can’t have you keep losing yourself in thoughts, when you come out is when you panic the most.”
“I get distracted, I know. There’s a lot on my mind and…”
“Stop me if I go too far.” Clara interrupted her gently and Yaz just nodded, glad she didn’t need to find the right words; her date just understood. Or maybe she just wanted to spare her having to stutter through the answer. In any case, she appreciated and silently watched as Clara took her time to look at her from up close, her glance thoughtful and lips slightly parted. Yaz focused on those, curved so beautifully, with a lipstick that – she only now realized – matched her dress almost exactly. Would this one smudge as easily as yesterday’s one? Would she leave the date with her lips stained wine red too? The idea made her shiver with excitement – and then she realized she got distracted again, when Clara giggled and reached to touch her cheek lightly. “Oh, I wish I could see inside that gorgeous mind. What wonders hide inside? What are the depths you're getting so lost in?”
“You, mostly.” It was so easy to say it when Clara was looking at her like she was the most beautiful person on Earth; the words basically spilled out from her lips on their own even as her cheeks burned with deeper blush now. “I was thinking – I like your lipstick. It looks amazing on you.”
“Good.” Clara was smirking smugly but Yaz couldn't find it in herself to feel embarrassed anymore, not when she felt that chill hand cooling down her cheek, fingers brushing against her skin. “Focus on me, Yaz. Focus on how I'm making you feel. You like it when I touch you? Is that good?”
“Yeah.” She let out a relaxed sigh, leaning into the touch.
“Good. I like it too, you have such soft skin. It's a pleasure to touch it…” Now her fingers moved, up to Yaz's temple and further, to caress her head. Suddenly she regretted tying her hair, it would be so much better to feel those fingers slide freely into her strands, so easy to let her thoughts scatter away under Clara’s gentle touch. “It’s a different experience now, you know. Touching people. Your skin is so hot and it feels so much softer than mine, somehow…”
Yaz blinked slowly and reached out to touch Clara’s cheeks too, cupping face in her hands. It fit perfectly, like she was meant to hold her like that forever. At the moment, Yaz wasn’t against the idea at all. “I think it’s just an illusion. For me, you feel soft too, like any other person. And the temperature difference isn’t that noticeable. It’s like if you just came from the outside on a chilly day, except that cool spreads all over your skin, your wrists and neck are just as cold as cheeks or fingers.”
“And the rest?”
“Huh?”
“The rest of my skin, is it just as cool? I think you should check. If you’d like.” Clara’s teeth were shining white in the light of the screen (that they were both fully ignoring by now) as she bared them in a daring grin. Yaz felt her throat go dry as she continued, shifting the fabric of the dress on her lap so that her thigh showed through the slit: “You could check here, for example… Or here.” Now she touched her lips, looking straight into Yaz’s eyes. “That’s a very good spot to check.”
The music in the background changed into something more solemn, indicating an important scene but Yaz couldn't check even if she wanted to, her eyes wide and anchored to Clara's, mind racing at sickening speed. Of course she'd like to kiss Clara, she was thinking about it since before the date. But she wasn't sure if she felt ready for anything beyond something soft, lips pressing against lips in a gentle welcome. If she touched Clara's thigh, wouldn't that indicate she wanted more? And Clara, being herself, would surely not hesitate to reach for it. No, she shouldn't give Clara the wrong impression.
Besides… Putting her hand there felt too intimate, kissing or not. She didn't want that – just yet, at least.
So Yaz simply kept her hands holding Clara's face and leaned in a little closer, until she could feel Clara's breath on her face, her perfumes mixing with the scent of the popcorn and butter – and paused there for a second, searching for confirmation. Even with Clara's eagerness and how she basically initiated the situation, Yaz would rather double check than rush for it; the boldness Clara managed to expose in her still had its limits.
“Come here, you goof.” There was a laughter in Clara’s voice and that was enough for her to close that small distance and kiss her.
It didn’t feel like any other first kiss she had, where both parties felt a bit shy and uncertain; no, Clara knew exactly what she wanted and led Yaz towards it with confidence, parting her lips so she could catch the lower one in between her own and putting a hand on her nape, gentle but keeping her so perfectly close–
And then, about ten seconds into the kiss, Yaz heard the sound of the door opening abruptly. “Clara! I've been looking for you everywhere, what the hell are you doing?”
Panic of getting caught raising in her chest, Yaz immediately tore away from Clara and turned to the door. The Master – of course it had to be him – was standing there, his figure framed by the bright light coming from the other room, head turning slowly as he searched for them – then stopping once he spotted the two women in the last row. “I didn't know you were petsitting, love.”
“What are you doing here?” Clara's voice was threaded with discontent, her hands smoothing the dress to cover thighs again. “You said you were going for a nap. You’re never up from a nap before at least thirty hours–”
“Thirty?” Yaz mouthed, a bit impressed.
“Yeah, and then he won’t go to sleep for three weeks. It’s infuriating. So?” She raised an eyebrow, watching as the Master closed the door behind him and approached their seats. Yaz prayed silently that the room remained dark enough to prevent him from seeing traces of Clara’s lipstick on her lips. There was no need for him to know about that barely-a-kiss; he’d just tease her with it and she didn’t need that.
“Well I woke up to a very cold and empty bed so– you understand. Hello Yaz. You don’t mind, do you?” Not waiting for her answer, the Master sat down right next to her and leaned over to grab a handful of popcorn. She tried to discreetly avoid his closeness by melting her body deeper into the seat – but he noticed immediately; of course he did, and he reacted accordingly, by leaning further, half of his body hanging over hers as he reached out to kiss Clara.
Annoyed – she didn’t sign up for a date with third wheel, and such an annoying one too – Yaz raised her hands without much thinking and pushed him lightly, enough to ruin his balance and almost send him onto the lower row seats, popcorn he was holding scattering into the darkness. “Find a better seat, mate. There’s a whole theatre.”
“Ouch– that eager to put your hands on me, Yaz? At least buy me a drink first.” Unfortunately, he didn’t seem very bothered by her reaction as he scrambled back onto his seat and licked his lips thoughtfully. “Clara love, why do you taste like strawberries?”
At that, Yaz felt herself blushing; she put on a brand new strawberry gloss just for that date. He wasn’t supposed to be the one tasting it at all – but he did, and judging by the way his eyes rested on her lips for a second too long, he knew where the taste came from.
“Hm. Right. What are we watching, anyway?”
“We are watching a movie. You just came to cause mayhem.” Clara spoke calmly but with a firm note. “So I would appreciate it if you went back to bed, or did whatever else you wanted to do – away from us. We’re busy.”
“Yeah, I could feel that. By the way, you must tell me what gloss you used, it feels fantastic. I love the taste, too.” His eyes were on Yaz again, drilling through her skin to reach right to her soul and she had to fight herself not to squirm in her place with discomfort. Of course he wouldn’t stop at a subtle dig when it didn’t give desired results; and the desired results were to get on her nerves.
Before she even opened her mouth to respond, Clara put a hand on her shoulder in a silent message: I've got this; and snapped her fingers to pause the movie, in the middle of a scene where the main characters were having a conversation under the night sky. “Master, you're interrupting. We had plans for a calm evening together and since you have no intentions to keep that calm, you should leave.”
“Oh come on love. Let me stay, I can be a good boy. I can even promise not to make kissy noises while you two make out.” At that, he glanced at Yaz, hoping for a reaction; and she was very proud of herself for not giving any, her face remaining calm. As for the reddened cheeks, hopefully they weren't too visible in the darkness.
“That comment alone tells me that you will not, in fact, be a good boy.”
“You can always punish me then.” His voice dropped, eyes fixated on Clara. “Yaz can watch if she wishes to… I do love having an audience.”
“Okay, that's it. You're leaving now.” Her voice was low too, threaded with anger. “I don’t care what you claim to love, right now my only focus is Yaz’s comfort because it’s her I invited here. And since you have no wish to make her comfortable so I can’t keep you here. Out.”
“What if she doesn’t mind, though?” The Master asked lazily, unbothered.
Clara remained cold. “She does.”
“How about you ask her first?” His glance moved to Yaz once more and he leaned back, as if to have a better look at her. “What do you think, Yaz sweetie? I thought you just began to discover my other side. Something about softer edges, was it?” That mention made her dig fingers into her thighs. So he did have a look into her mind, back then in the lab, she guessed it right. And despite the Doctor's warnings, despite her showing how to try to protect her mind from such an attack, Yaz didn't even notice him slipping in. How often was he doing it? Was he watching her thoughts right now as well?
The Master smirked, watching her and she wasn't sure if he really was reading her right now or were her thoughts just so obvious. No point in dwelling on that, he wouldn't admit the truth anyway, so she tried to focus on his question instead. Did she mind his presence? He was annoying, yes, and he did crash their date – and she didn't think it was salvageable anymore. At least, not to the point where she'd feel comfortable going back to kissing Clara. Perhaps they could simply schedule another date, out of the TARDIS so he couldn't interrupt them and keep this meeting as a just friendly one, with all three of them. Because as much as she hated to admit it, the Master was right, she was seeing a brand new side of him, a side she’d never expected from a person like him. Could she be blamed? All her encounters with the Master were awful at best, from the moment he revealed himself on that plane and tried to kill them, to when he forced the Doctor to join him on Gallifrey and almost got her killed.
But since yesterday, she barely saw that cruel maniac she thought she knew. Of course Yaz had no doubt that he was still simmering under the surface of that calmer persona, and nothing really could stop him from making snarky comments or being incredibly annoying but… She had to admit, he made her curious. And here, in a relatively safe space, Yaz didn’t feel like she had to worry about his outbursts. Why not then?
So she turned to Clara and nodded. “He can stay. As long as he doesn’t disturb us too much. And… Let’s change the movie, please.”
“See? I knew she’d make the right choice. And yes, let’s change it, I can’t stand those bland, boring romances.” Looking very smug, the Master snatched the popcorn bucket and rested his feet on the backrest of the seat in front of him. “Unless you’d like to keep going, of course. I know quite a few of Clara’s weak spots, I could give you some tips love. Try pulling gently on her hair just at the base of the skull as you kiss, she will quite literally melt for you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with him staying?” Clara ignored his comments like she didn’t hear him at all; meanwhile Yaz had to clear her head from the image he presented before she was capable of answering.
“Yeah. I don’t feel like going anywhere anyway and I don’t think he will leave us here that easily. I can deal with annoying.”
“Oh, I’m not even trying to be annoying, trust me.” The Master threw a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “But I’m warning you, if you’re staying for the night, you can either sleep with both of us or in your own dog bed. I’m not giving up my place.”
“Don’t sound too excited or I’ll think you want me to stay the night.” She shot back; but instead of getting irritated, he seemed to take a while to consider it, measuring her up and down.
“Well, I’m not opposed.”
“What?” It was Clara who said that but Yaz wholeheartedly agreed, turning to stare at him in surprise. He had to be messing with them, right? “You literally hate the entire human race with exceptions that I can count on one hand. And you’re saying you wouldn’t be against sharing bed with Yaz?”
“You might need a second hand now, love.” He shrugged.
“Why?” Yaz choked out, eyes wide and focused on him. What she wanted to ask, if she was capable of forming a full sentence, was: why her? Of all of the people he openly hated, why would he pick her to like? She was nothing special, and definitely not a person that someone like him should find interesting. Too moral for a criminal like him. Too good for such an evil person. Too boring for someone who enjoyed watching worlds burn… So why?
“Because that was a truly delicious gloss.” That was no answer at all, obviously; rather, an indicator that he had no desire to explain himself to them. Still, Yaz wasn’t the one to give up that easily so she glanced at Clara, who looked just as confused as she felt, and reached into the pocket of her pants.
“Here.” The strawberry lipgloss landed straight on his lap, missing the popcorn bucket by an inch. “No need to have to bear with an annoying human just for some gloss, huh?”
In the silence that fell after her words, the Master raised his eyebrow, looking at the item on his lap, then up at her. He looked almost impressed and she almost thought she caught him off guard – but then he picked up the gloss and opened it to layer some on his lips. “Hmm. That's nice, I have to admit. But it still felt better on someone else's lips. Wouldn't you agree, Clara?”
“Why are you so fixated on… This?” Yaz waved at the lipgloss, confused.
“I’m curious too.” Clara said, leaning forward to see him better without Yaz blocking the view. “Are you jealous about the kiss? Why? I know you're not the biggest fan of me meeting with others but you never tried to intervene. What has changed now?”
“Nothing. I'm just messing with you, that's all. Congratulations on falling for it.” There was not an ounce of honesty in his words, even Yaz could feel it; he was too fidgety in the way he put away the gloss in the pocket of his pants, tongue darting over his lips in a quick sweep. What was he trying to hide? Why pretend he was interested in her – because she had no doubt that it wasn't real at all? There was no way he'd answer that, he refused honesty on every step of this conversation.
But perhaps she could force some other signs out of him.
“Kiss me.”
Now it was his turn to look at her in surprise, his eyes darting from her eyes down to lips and back. “Excuse me?”
Yaz took a breath in. It was merely a dare; she didn’t want that kiss but his reaction and whether or not he’d actually do it could give her some clarity on what he was really up to. Was he, as Clara said, jealous? If that was the case and he just wanted Clara all for himself, worried that if they became a thing he’d have less time with her for himself – then he’d refuse, she supposed. If all he wanted was to tease her, he’d make fun of her being desperate for him. Either way, she was pretty confident he wouldn’t do it, so the dare was a safe one.
“Isn’t that what you wanted? From the minute you walked in you were so fixated on the fact that we kissed you wouldn’t let it go. If it’s because you want it too then I’m giving you a one time offer to get it. If not, you can simply refuse. Oh and if you try to claim it’s only because I want it, just don’t do it at all, please. I can take a rejection.”
“Can you?” He hummed, observing her with curiosity that was still tainted with surprise. Yaz felt Clara’s hand touching her knee and squeezing lightly, trying to get her attention but she didn’t even glance that way, her focus fully on the Master as she leaned in closer.
“Yup. Fully your choice then, darling.”
“Oh is this the one that hit you the hardest? I’ll remember.”
“Make your choice.” She refused to let him get off the topic at hand.
“Fine.” The Master breathed – and then he leaned forward to press their lips together and her brain short-circuited. That was not the expected outcome at all, she didn’t believe for a second he’d actually do it – and yet there they were, his lips, so soft and strawberry, moving against hers in a surprisingly gentle but confident way. It felt different than kissing Clara; where she gave Yaz space to work at her pace, he enforced his own, his teeth tugging at her lower lip when she didn't open her mouth for him at first.
Embarrassingly, she couldn't even say she disliked it. After the initial shock melted away, it was replaced by a pleasant warmth spreading across her body and making her knees weak; if she wasn't sitting at the moment, they'd give up under her. She couldn't help the feeling, and it wasn't really because she enjoyed kissing him so much, out of all people. No, he was simply too good at it, leaving her breathless with every move of his lips, every lick of his weakeningly skilled tongue. Fuck, it was so easy to forget who was kissing her, the feeling of it too pleasant to bother with such details.
And then, as soon as it started, it ended; when he pulled away and her lips were bare to the air of the theatre again, Yaz had to blink a few times to bring herself back to reality. She felt very observed at the moment, aware of two pairs of dark eyes focused on her every reaction, and she wanted to look at Clara and reassure her that everything was fine – but she couldn't. The Master's gaze was drawing her in, forcing to keep looking at him and examine the expression he was currently wearing. Not an ounce of tease in it, contrary to what she thought she’d find. Instead, his gaze seemed soft, in a way she remembered it was yesterday, back in that lounge when he was so busy covering Clara’s skin with kisses.
What the fuck was going on with him?
“Um… Yeah, you were right. It does taste better off someone else.” She managed to say. It was a sentence embarrassing in its very own way but at the moment she couldn’t think of anything else to say that wouldn’t break the spell he seemed to be under in an ugly way.
“Told you.” He said, still a little absent-mindedly. Then, surprisingly swiftly for a state he seemed to be in, he pushed the popcorn bucket onto her lap and stood up. “Anyway. I’ll be going. You two don’t stay up long and remember about contraception. See you!” And just like that, he left the theatre, the door shutting loudly behind him.
“What?...” Finally, Yaz turned to Clara, who to her surprise was smiling.
“Well he did say he craved someone’s touch, and then he also said you’re one of the humans he can accept, didn’t he? But I have to say, I was surprised by your offer. Not to mention that you guys kissed for like eternity while all I got was a short peck – and whose date is it, really? That’s unfair.”
“I didn’t think he’d accept!
“That’s on you then, don’t dare him to do anything you’re not prepared for. Anyways, I think we need a do over for this date, but the next one should probably be in an ordinary cinema, what would you say?”
It took Yaz's brain a second to follow the way Clara jumped to another topic; and when it did, she couldn't believe how casual her words were. So she didn't mind at all that the Master crashed their date and kissed her – as long as Yaz herself didn't seem to mind it? Damn it, they were certainly an interesting couple.
She smiled back then, reaching out to hold Clara's hand. “Oh no. Next one we go somewhere else, and I’m choosing this time. For the third one, we can go to the cinema again.”
“Third?... Dear Yasmin, you're truly impressive.” Laughing, Clara squeezed her hand. “Do you want to perhaps finish the movie after all?”
She considered it for a moment, mindlessly drawing circles with her thumb on Clara's palm. “Yes, please. But let's stick to cuddles today, I don't want to find out he changed his mind during another embarrassing moment.”
“That's fair, although I don't think he'll be back.” With a content hum, Clara went back to her position with head on Yaz's shoulder. “Let's finish the movie… And then you can tell me all about the dates you've apparently already planned for us.”
She snapped her fingers to unpause the movie and Yaz once more wrapped her arm around the other woman. Her lips still tingled a little where the Master tugged on them and she couldn't help but wonder if Clara acted so casually about the whole thing because she enjoyed watching them, or maybe even hoped they'd get along so she could enjoy the company of both of them at the same time.
Well. Yesterday it would be a hard no from her. Today… Today it was still a soft no, but she felt like all of her boundaries were wiping themselves up at an insane speed so who knew what the answer would be tomorrow.
No point dwelling on that, Yaz decided; she'd observe the situation as it unraveled because she felt like there was no way of predicting it anymore. For now, she decided to try to push away the memory of the Master's lips on hers and focus on the pleasant weight resting on her. At this point, she knew she liked Clara and that was the only thing that should matter in the moment. Whether or not she liked the other one was a debate for another day. The only thing she could already say about that one was that she didn't just dislike him.
Which was highly unfortunate considering she was still travelling with the person who hated him more than anything in the Universe.