neverwouldiever | IC Inbox

The Doctor's eyes were barely able to focus on the Master, but he managed to look at him anyway, smiling a little. He was close to tears, sure, but dying could do that to someone. At least when life felt as if it had been coming to an end in so many ways. Here he was, saving the Master as his last act.

What an idiot.

Using what little effort he had left, he forced himself onto his hands and knees, staggering awkwardly across the TARDIS so he could reach the Doctor. He really was dying, huh? That really wasn't fair. All his work to make sure that didn't happen and it happened anyway. "Why are you crying? It's just a regeneration."

They weren't so bad, were they? Was he being serious before, was he actually afraid to change his face? Dropping down beside him, his failing body struggling to give him much energy, he reached down to grip the Doctor's hand. He didn't say anything about it, he just did it.

The Doctor gripped the Master's hand, feeling the regeneration energy starting. It wasn't about the face, at least not really. It was about so many other things. About who he was, who he'd learned to be. How much he'd been through and it all had happened so fast. What a lost life. He didn't want it all to end.

Oddly it did help that the Master was there. It made it feel a little less pointless. One bit of success.

"You'll be the first face I see." How about that.

"I'm sure you're thrilled about that," the Master responded dryly as he watched him, an odd feeling in him. As he watched the golden light starting to cover the Doctor's form, he suddenly felt something unpleasant churn in his gut. And, perhaps too late, he realised that he didn't want this Doctor to go yet. His Doctor. The one that just wanted to help. Pathetic, yes, but he almost had his old friend back for such a brief glinting moment.

Perhaps that's why he did something stupid, some very impulsive, because he didn't want to lose him.

Leaning forward, the Master pulled the Doctor into a kiss. Well, not just a kiss, it was just a great way to steal all that glorious artron energy his body was leaking. His rotting, dying and worthless body. Like he needed it anyway.

By the time he pulled back, he smiled at the Doctor, not totally sure if that had worked. But his eyes were glowing a furious gold and his body trembling, the familiar feeling of regeneration hit him. And the Doctor? Well, he looked pretty normal. With a nervous laugh, the Master fell back down, preparing for the worst. "Wellllll. I may as well save you properly while I'm here. Don't ruin it, this time."

"What?" He wasn't really asking, he knew what was happening. But he refused to accept it. "No! No, Master, no! That's not why I came for you!" He pulled the Master into his arms, holding him against his chest and catching his eyes. "Please! You can't do this. Stop it!"

It was as sensible as the Master asking him to not die before. They were both idiots.

"Too late." Was now a bad time to point out that he wasn't even sure this would work. His body was tainted and ruined, it was likely he'd just die. But that was okay, he was ready if he had too. Seriously. He was tired, his head hurt and he finally had the Doctor in his own way. It was going to be okay.

With an amused grin, he licked his lips and looked up at the Doctor. "Bet you didn't expect this when you texted gramps this morning? Eh, what can I say? I like to surprise you."

Gold burst through him and the Master lurched and jerks in the Doctor's arms, crying out in pain as his body began to morph and change.

The Doctor exhaled, shakily, ending in a sob. He knew how likely it was that this would be it and that wasn't fair. None of this was. He hugged the Master tightly, looking into his eyes.

"I don't want to know life without you." Dramatic, overly dramatic maybe even, but it was definitely a moment to say something like this. Because a moment later and he felt the Master's presence shifting, perhaps fading. He was in his arms, regenerating, if he still could.

When the light finally faded, the Master blinked slowly, raising his hand to rub at his eyes, looking up at the Doctor with a small frown. Huh. It worked. It actually worked, he could regenerate after all! Grinning, he raised his hand and ruffled his hair a little. "Well, that was certainly a thrill."

Wait. What? That voice? That wasn't the voice he expected to hear. It was very -- feminine? Looking down, he inspected his slim wrists and vague figure, hidden under these hobo clothes of his. "Shit. I'm a girl, aren't I?" He frowned, tilting his head back to look at the Doctor and confirm this. "Tell me I'm at least pretty?"

The Doctor's eyes were wide. Mostly just because the Master had regenerated. But then also because it wasn't a form he'd have expected the Master to take. While he was holding her so tightly. Perhaps a bit too tightly, now that he came to be aware of parts of her body being pressed up against him. But the question... Well, it broke the spell.

He smiled before he could stop it and then he decided to just nod. "Yeah. Yeah, you are, but we definitely need to update your wardrobe."

Just to double check because the Doctor did have questionable judgement, the Master reached down to check that he, or rather she, did indeed have breasts. Nice handful, pretty perky, she was pleased. She didn't move from the Doctor's arm like she usually would. Instead, with a playful smile, she simply toyed with his hair and stroked his face, as if she was studying him.

"You're not crying any more," She liked that. She only wanted him to cry when she made him intentionally. That was how things went. After a little while longer, she moved into a sitting position, rubbing her neck. "Good. Last thing I need is a weepy reception."

The Doctor was still in a state of shocked wonder. Not about the Master being a woman, he'd taken and accepted that in stride, just because it hadn't happened so far didn't mean it wouldn't ever happen, he probably had one due soon, too. Maybe with ginger hair, here was hoping. But he'd gone from dying after losing everything and everyone to saving the Master, not so much dying any longer and then the Master had regenerated.

In the end he smiled, reaching up to run his fingers through the Master's hair. Why did she always have to look good? He wasn't exactly complaining, but how was this fair?

"You'll really need a different wardrobe."

That hoodie smelled.

"Do you have a problem with what I'm wearing? Need I remind you I was just in a time lock."

Though, to be fair, it was revolting. And there were food stains. And it seriously didn't fit at all, it practically drowned her and it wasn't the best look. She'd really wanted better. Way better too. What did girls wear? Like maybe he could copy Lucy? Though he didn't quite know how her face looked yet, she could only see her hands and legs. Frowning, she hailed herself up and grabbed one of the console extensions, checking out her face with a frown. Oh, well!

"I'm sexy." Pulling her hoodie forward, she took a peek inside at the goods. "And my breasts are amazing."

"I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying. It reeks."

Plus, it was most definitely not her fit, although the prior body had at least been fairly slender. Could be worse. He let her pull away from him, slowly getting up himself. There was a nod at her assessment, although he chose not to actually agree out loud. The Master's ego hardly needed feeding.

"I do have some things for women around, but you might be best served if we went shopping somewhere." Where they doing this? Hanging out together? Strange.

"I don't want to wear the remaining clothes of your dim little flings, thanks. I'm sure I have better taste and a better figure," Classy as ever, obviously, but when had the Master ever not been a jealous, bitchy asshole. Though now it was done with less spite and more humour, clearly saying it with more of a lack of tact than an intention to hurt. "Now, somewhere classy, don't take me to a supermarket. I'm not wearing Asda jeans."

If she was dressing properly, she was dressing right. She tugged the hoodie off, leaving only the ill-fitted red t-shirt. It wasn't exactly massive on her, it just didn't really compliment any of her features.

It was a good thing her last regeneration was slim. And had small feet. "You better have money."

As it stood right now, the Doctor couldn't even muster being annoyed. There was a deep-seated joy that he felt, replacing some of the constant dread and misery he'd been carrying around for so long. He watched the Master with a grin, finally starting to change the TARDIS's course.

"What time and place do you fancy?" Sure, he tended to be inspired by Earth fashion, but he didn't want to be presumptuous. And time-wise, well, if she wanted to dress in just a handful of furs, who was he to stop her? He definitely wouldn't be one to complain.

"Let's go to the early twentieth century, January sales. I feel like getting a good set for less money," Plus everyone knew they held back the good stuff for January. Or so Lucy said again and again when he was forced to take her shopping and stand in a busy area, being knocked and attacked by people trying to get cheap dresses and bras. Fascinating yet terrifying.

"I want a hat too," She didn't know why, she just felt a hat would be fun. She'd never been a hat person but now it seemed like a great plan. "I wonder what my shade is too."

"Your shade of what?" The Doctor asked, as he thought understandably puzzled while he finished setting their course. It wasn't as if he had anything else on the agenda, dying had been about it. Shopping with the Master at the very least sounded like it would be more interesting.

"But I bet a hat would look great on you." He enjoyed hats, on and off. This regeneration had great hair, no need to hide that under a hat. He looked at the Master with a smile that just wouldn't fade.

"Thank you."

"What colour suits me, what lipstick works, which will best highlight me," She wanted to look good. She just spend a long while living in a dump and wearing these gross clothes, she was more than ready to dress up and reclaim a little style. "Didn't anyone ever talk to you about this kind of thing? Guys are easy, they just throw anything on. Us girls have to look nice."

Hey, no one the Master was a role model for women's rights. Women or not, She was still a sexist idiot.

"Don't," She warned, glaring at him. "Don't even say that again."

"I think you look very nice already." There, he said it. And her glare didn't deter him much, because now the shock finally wore off and instead he was happy, enough to feel a little giddy from it. So perhaps it was no wonder that he ended up with his arms around her again and then, just a moment later, he was kissing her, because they were both alive and not trying to kill each other and that was more than he'd hoped for.

The smug grin on her face was almost unstoppable, blinding and obnoxious. Oh yes, that was a nice thing to hear. And why did it take so damn long? Seriously? Was it the stubble and the dyed blond thing or was he just not that into the manly form? Either way, this was a long time coming. And the kiss too. Though she could have used it way more when in the middle of a mental breakdown not long ago. Once the kiss ended, she slapped him around the side of the head. Just to make a point.

"A gentlemen asks first," She reminded him playfully. "And you took your sweet time doing that."

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