Work Text:
The Master stretched back and sighed. Rassilon (damn him), who could have guessed hanging out with the Doctor would be so boring? Good thing he died before he'd get to experience this! The girl version seemed to have other opinions, staying within Preachy McPreachface's vicinity for the last week, never interacting, but always making sure he knows she's there. Seriously, what did she see in him, what with the floofy gray hair, weirdly eye catching face and sexily hoarse voice, and attack eyebrows, and... And greater inclination to "reform" people by locking them up than ever before, yes, that's it. Now, his Doctor, who was also a failure, at least had pretty freckles and very stupid hair, and was all pleading face and teary chocolate eyes-
No, don't go there, brain. The Master was on this sorry excuse of a spaceship - engineering genius though it was - to make a point and get to his TARDIS and as far away from the Doctor as possible. Yes, that was it. And now it seemed an occasion presented itself, as the Master got kicked out of his doze by a materialisation sound. Did his ship realise the dire need to get away from the Doctor's and come to him unbidden?
The Master got up and started walking towards the sound and, aargh, no, it was a damn police box. The Doctor's TARDIS truly had no dignity, defying a black hole just to come to his rescue.
- Won't do, old girl, your thief is too keen on rescuing some useless humans to go with y- the Master was cut off by his jaw dropping open at the sight of the humanoid figure peeking out from the box.
It- he looked just like the tween magazine cover that looked so pretty sobbing over the Master's body, but... older. Not just in the sense of collagen loss humans associate with physical age, but older in a much more profound way. Older than the current Speecher face. But still looking around in the same stupid excited puppy way. What the hell was that, the ghost of christmas future showing up to tell the Master the error of his ways?
- And what the fuck do you think you're doing, glitch in the matrix? Crossing your own timeline is baaad, or so I was told?
- Master! - the Doctor exclaimed, but instead of shocked puppy eyes his face expressed unbridled joy. Huh. - Knew there'd be a moment when you would be just hanging around right about now.
The Master wanted to tell the knight of future past that he was not in fact just hanging around, but the still excitable regeneration continued to spit out words.
- Come quick, I have to show you something!
- And won't that cause a major paradox that will destroy this universe and a few neighbouring ones? Not that I mind, but I'd prefer to have a good seat to watch rather than be in the middle of it.
- No, it won't, I promise, please, just come quick! - saying this the Doctor grabbed the Master's hand and pulled him to the breaking down trash heap he was calling a TARDIS. What the hell were they, children running through a red grass on a planet that ceased to not exist?
- You haven't been to 2023, have you? Nah, UK's dead PM showing up 15 years later would get at least a few YouTube videos - the Doctor laughed at his own joke, running around the console pulling wrong levers and pushing useless buttons. The Master rolled his eyes and started correcting him, purely out of disgust at unintended machinery abuse.
- I was skyping with Larry, you know, I wouldn't even be worst PM mess at the time - the Master snapped and then furrowed his brow. - Wait, are you saying the only reason it was my nap that you disturbed is because I'm the safest option? - there was a note (quaver at most) of disappointment in the Master's voice. At the lost nap, of course.
- No, it really wasn't - the Doctor had the nerve to smile with genuine sweetness saying this. - You might say the realisation... tipped me over the edge - the cheeky bastard leaned and gave the Master a quick peck on the cheek. The other bristled, but was oddly fascinated by how bold the Doctor got with age.
The TARDIS materialised and the Doctor ran towards the doors, with the excited puppy grin on the older face.
- Ready? - he asked with his eyes - ah these eyes gleaming like well tempered dark chocolate... - shining excitedly. The Master rolled his eyes.
- For how pathetic whatever got you so excited is? Always.
The Doctor only giggled and open the door to... a very comfortable prison cell? The Master looked around in distaste recognizing the echoes of his previous Doctor imposed prison cell. The gym equipment was visibly sleeker (if not significantly more useful) and instead of a gramophone there was laptop attached to a loudspeaker, but it was the same small island on the English Channel, alright. The laptop was open on Spotify and the Doctor was approaching it with a happy glimmer in his eyes.
- Oh, please-
***
- Oh, please, don't tell me you brought another one of those pathetic black vinyl data storages with what humans have the nerve to call music?
- I believe you'll like this one, old chap.
The Master sighed in irritation.
- Really, it was mildly bearable when you were bringing in Mozart and Bach as points to not annihilate this species, but these latest "hits" as they call them are just painful.
- Just a moment - the Doctor said excitedly as he placed the needle on the vinyl disk.
- Do you really think I, who graduated Gallifreyan music class with top notes and listened to the greatest baritone divas of the Kahler would possibly stoop down to- the Master was cut off by captivatingly wistful mellotron.
Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever
The Master was too captivated listening to the song to even notice the pleased smile on the Doctor's young old face as he sat down a safe distance away from him. Four minutes later, as music started facing away, the Master's brow furrowed and he tried summoning whatever spite he had, only for the other Time Lord and to put a finger on his mouth with a mischievous grin. And whatever was left of the Master's dignity was destroyed by seemingly incoherent noises, that all the same conveyed the sense of unrelenting existence in the face of confusion better than words ever could.
- This is- my dear Doctor, this is genius!
- I knew you wouldn't say no to pop music becoming surprisingly ambitious.
- The nostalgia that knows it has to end, the wistfulness, the memories that have to be let go of so one can move on, but stay so one can stay oneself! My dear Doctor, this miserable planet may have something to offer, though obviously would benefit from my leadership!
- Oh, I would love to see you getting between Lennon and McCartney in an ego battle, old chap.
- I would certainly give them better hairstyles! Don't think I haven't seen the insult to all coiffure art you wore the last time!
The Doctor laughed heartily and the Master couldn't help a soft laughter in response. And so they sat in comfortable silence in a prison room in the middle of the English Channel.
***
- -don't tell me it's one of those pathetic streaming services that humans came up with so big corps can decide what music is and isn't listened to?
The Doctor laughed in response, tacitly agreeing with the Master's bitter diagnosis of the music industry while still enjoying its good sides.
- If you potentially caused a paradox just so I can listen to another "discovery of the century", I'll-
The Master was broken off by sombrely resistant piano and guitar.
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you
And now and then
If we must start again
Well, we will know for sure
That I will love you
- Recognize?
- Oh, don't tell me your apes got shallow enough to AI-generate poor John Lennon back into life so they can make a few more bucks?!
The Doctor laughed in response and moved towards the Master in a tango step.
- No, not exactly. It's a composition he wrote some time before death but was too shoddy to use. But now, with good equipment, it was cleaned enough for McCartney and Starr to do this!
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me
Always to return to me
- And what, they filtered Harrison's ashes out of the Ganges so he can play the guitar? - the Master scoffed, hiding the small twitch at the Doctor taking his hands and swaying in front of him.
The Doctor laughed again. Oh, this sound was becoming as annoying as the drums used to be.
- Nope! Remixed an old part he recorded in the 90s! Come on, dance with me.
- Oh, no, not happening!
- You were ready to abduct all four of them and lock them up in a dungeon just so they keep making music together! C'm on, this is your chance!
The Master tilted his head back, laughing despite himself at the memory of the Doctor's third face explaining how the Beatles falling apart was fixed point in history. And, also despite himself, he started swaying to the rhythm too. Stupid bodies, reacting to stupid hormones instead of the conscious mind!
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if you go away
I know you'll never stay
The Doctor (mis! let it be clear, mis!)interpreted the Master's reaction and put a hand around his waist in a waltz hold.
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me
Always to return to me
And so throughout the bridge the Doctor and the Master were in a full dance, the latter forcefully escaping the other's insistently happy eyes.
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you
- Like it?
- Pfft! Always was on the Stones' side, you should know.
- False dichotomy if there ever was one. The musicians themselves never had anything but respect and healthy rivalry for each other.
- Rivalry, exactly! Healthy or not, their antagonism was the driving force!
- But never stopped them from lending a hand to each other.
As the song ended, the Doctor had the nerve - seriously, what was he becoming in his old age! - to bend the Master backwards, his smile growing only wider at the other's indignant scoffing that could just be misunderstood as joyful laughter.
- Speaking of that!... - the Doctor pointed his screwdriver - and were those the pieces of Master's own laser in it?! - at the laptop, as the Master's stupid hands continued holding onto the other's stupid back. - Say hello to Paul McCartney doing a bass solo of a lifetime in the Rolling Stones' song!
The Master couldn't contain a burst of laughter as much livelier music kicked in, and the Doctor pulled him into another dance.
- Talk about the wolf living with the lamb. Or lamb with wolves, Stones were absolutely right calling Beatles' out for being too soft.
- Hush, the solo's coming!
To the Master's unending shock the Doctor had a point, this was a solo of a lifetime.
- I knew you'd like it!
- And I can see why these lyrics would tickle your ego.
Well, why you bite my head off?
Just 'cause you are red hot?
Actin' like a despot
Why you bite my head off now?
Yeah, why you bite my head off?
Why you bite my head off?
Why you rip the bed up?
I got the world to worry about
The Doctor only laughed, and pulled the Master into a short kiss and hug as the song was ending and the next began.
- Is this the part where you oh so responsibly wipe my memories so I don't act out of line? Or try to convince me to partake in whatever excuse of a plan your past has concocted?
- Nah - the Doctor answered, rubbing his cheek against the Master's goatee in a disgusting sign of affection. - I've grown to rely on your ability to be a jerk in the face of most nourishing circumstances. And the resulting rivalry.
The Master chortled and allowed himself to enjoy the moment in the Doctor's new old arms.
When the whole wide world's against you and you're standing in the rain
When all your friends have let you down and treat you with disdain
And you think the party's over, but it's only just begun
Let's raise a glass, get up and dance, 'cause life's just hit and, hit and
Hit and run
Hit and run
Yeah
The party's over