The One Who Pulls The Strings (Doctor Who Regenerated)

Dishes and Dilemmas

(Harmony's POV)

The sponge filled with suds. I was happy to hear nothing but the sound of the running water after the disaster we called dinner. Alastiere started showing Mari and Haven to their rooms as soon as the meal was done. The Doctor had offered to clean up, but I insisted I was ok with doing it. He really was a very kind soul, and I kept hoping the Master would decide to let him stay. The Doctor was right—I would feel safer with him around. Not that I still distrusted the Master, but I didn't quite trust him, either.

I leaned my gloved hands on the edge of the sink, sighing.

"Mind if I join you?" Purred a familiar Irish voice.

I turned and raised an eyebrow at the man. There he stood, wearing just a white t-shirt and slacks, hands in his pockets. Did he really just offer to help? I blinked, surprised.

The Master shrugged his shoulders, looking around the room. "Soooo, are we cleaning the dishes, or having a staring contest? If the latter is the case, you're really quite bad at it. You know you're not supposed to blink, right?"

I cleared my throat. "Uh, I mean, yeah, you can help." I handed him a towel. "Here. I'll wash and you dry."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

I continued washing, handing him clean dishes, and trying to figure him out as I went. Was this some form of an apology? Did he feel bad for the mess of a mission he dragged me into earlier? Who knew. This guy hardly made any sense—friendly one minute, and either cocky or childish the next. But if I was going to be stuck with him for awhile—

"Sooo... where are you guys from, again?" I inquired, making an attempt at conversation.

He didn't break rhythm with drying the dishes as he said, "Ohhh, nowhere you know. A planet very far from here, called Gallifrey."

I glanced at him. "What's it like?"

The Time Lord hummed, his eyes lowering ever so slightly. "Beautiful."

My hands stopped washing, and I turned my head. "What made you guys decide to come here?"

"Oh.. the excitement, I suppose."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did any of you know each other then?"

Now the Master had stopped, too. He tilted his head at me, smirking. "Oh, no you don't. I see what you're doing."

I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"This.. little conversation. Trying to get to know me. 'Oh, maybe I can get him to open up with my kindness'," his voice went to a higher octave when he said the last bit, trying to impersonate me.

Well, clearly this dude had a problem with opening up. "I-I.. I wasn't.. I'm just.. trying to get to know you a little bit. You know? I am stuck with you for a while. It is the least you could do."

"Mmm.. no. That bit's boooring. Why don't we just skip to the part where we make love passionately?"

My face suddenly felt hotter than the sun. "I-what-? No! Screw you!"