Request
To Arthur, it looks like a simply English countryside. It’s dark, and there are so many stars above that he’s not sure he could count them all, even if he tried. More stars than there are words in the bible.
He’s not sure what the Master sees.
The Time Lord stands beside him, managing an air of importance even in the most casual of stances. Behind them lies the house, but even that is dark at this time of the night. It’s so quiet that if he concentrates hard enough, Arthur thinks he can hear the ticking of the golden watch in his pocket.
He wants to know why the Master is here. “What do you see?”
“The stars, of course.”
He wants to know when the Master first gained access to his reality like this. “Which ones?”
“There’s no name for them in the human language. Gallifreyan would mean nothing to you.”
It’s not the smugness of the tone that makes him want to flinch. It’s the underlying pity that he can feel ringing in his ears. Instead he reaches for the pocket watch, and the feel of the cool metal against his palm helps relax him.
“You’re doing it again, Arthur.” This time there’s just amusement, pure and simple. “I did tell you about those nervous habits of yours, didn’t I?”
Almost automatically, he let’s go of the watch, pulling his hand out of his pocket. He glances over at the Master, and the moment their eyes meet Arthur’s face flushes with embarrassment, body tensing as he jerks his head forward. One look was enough to make him realize it.
He was like a dog, looking to its master for a treat after a trick well done.
He doesn’t comment on it, because there’s no need to. He knows that they both thought the same. He can practically picture the content grin the Master must have at the moment.
He doesn’t feel like he can relax with just the two of them here. “Isn’t this a lot of trouble, just to view stars?”
“No more trouble than listening to a speech.”
His pulse speeds up slightly, and he wants to know how the Master knows about that. Why it worries him that he knows. “What planet is it?”
“Who says I’ve even stepped off my ship?”
And with that the Master disappears, quickly enough that Arthur almost has to wonder if he was ever there.
The ticks of the watch resonate in his ears, but his hand never slips into his pocket.
Word count: 425
Request: The Master and Arthur alone in the English countryside, at night.
Notes: realityshifted verse. Contains a few references to threads in-game.