All the Screaming in Your Skull | 750 word rosesimm ficlet
"Oh my god," Rose whispered shakily. Her skin turned pale, a sickly green hue, and he eyed her warily — though not without a bit of pride at how horrified he'd made her.
She lurched forward, legs threatening to give out beneath her as she reached out toward the TARDIS. The Master hastily wrapped his arms under her pits, dragging her back into his chest before she collapsed onto the steps of the time machine. A choked off scream caught in her throat.
Writhing, she bucked wildly, hands clawing at his arms. He cursed in surprise, stumbling as she sent them off-balance. She whirled around once his hold on her had loosened, a hand shoving carelessly at his face while another went for his chest. She felt her nails drag across his cheek, a nasty scratching sound accompanied by a sharp gasp that she would've loathed being the reason for on any other person, before both her wrists were restrained and she was shoved away.
The Time Lord held a hand to his face, gingerly cradling his stinging cheek. His palm came back red when he pulled it back to examine. Dark brown eyes blazed as they locked onto her.
"You stupid, insignificant, little bi—"
"What the hell have you done to her?" Rose interrupted, barely spitting the words out in her fury. He clenched his jaw tight, practically grinding his teeth to keep silent, letting her finish her childish tirade. His hand still floated idle next to him, dripping a swirling crimson onto metal grating below. "Oh my god, what have you done?"
"Rassilon," he sneered, "don't get your knickers in such a twist, she's fine."
"Fine?" Rose repeated. "Fine? Can't you hear her? Can't you hear her?"
"She doesn't feel pain like we do," he said, gesturing to his face, half-reassuring so she wouldn't take another slice out of him, and half-condescending. "She's a bloody machine. For all you like to play Doctor, you don't actually seem to know all that much."
Normally, Rose would've at least flinched at a comment like that, but all she could focus on was the TARDIS' wailing bouncing off the walls of her mind, overpowering everything else.
The Master frowned, taking in her glazed over, far away look, not one to ever be ignored. Struck with an idea, he watched her a moment longer before slowly — cautiously — sliding his hands up her face, noting the way he left a dark, sticky trail across the same cheek she got him on. Gently, he tucked her box blonde hair behind her ears, and applied his fingertips to her temples, shutting his eyes as he concentrated.
He lightly poked at the very edges of her mind. On instinct, she rippled warningly, confused, before prodding back. For a moment, the TARDIS was quiet in her head as she became aware of him.
Then, without warning, he smashed their foreheads together, fingers spread securely on her temples to prevent her from escaping. Her eyes flew open in a strangled cry.
"Shut up," he grit out as she whimpered, the feeling of him ramming his way into her head a sort of pain she'd never experienced before. "Listen to me, listen to this. You want to hear something? You want to hear agony? Listen to my head — hear the drums."
One-two-three-four; One-two-three-four; One-two-three-four; over, and over, and over again. Deafeningly loud.
"Please," she rasped, face scrunched up, tears rolling down her cheeks and landing on his. He was gone just as suddenly as he had intruded, leaving her reeling at the strange feeling of an intense emptiness. When she had collected herself enough to take a peek at the world around her, she saw brown eyes examining her with the sort of careful attentiveness she'd only ever gotten from the Doctor, and maybe her mum.
"Blimey," she started breathlessly instead, and she watched as his face shuttered and closed off into the person she was more familiar with. "I can see why you're completely barmy."
"She doesn't feel pain like we do, she's a machine," the Time Lord said instead, parroting his words from before, ignoring her completely. "She's fine."
He turned on his heel and began to stagger away from her and the time machine, not even forcing her to grab his hand to make sure she didn't leave his side.
"Right," Rose conceded quietly. Knowing it was futile to even try, she took one last, longing, apologetic look at the groaning TARDIS, and followed him away.
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Fandom: Doctor Who
Ship: RoseSimm
Additional Tags: Minor The Doctor/Rose Tyler, Minor The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Jealousy, Kissing, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler
Wordcount: 495
Summary:
Rose and the Master have to coexist. That doesn't mean they've learned how to share yet.
“You know why he keeps you around?” The Master says, and Rose feels herself tense. She didn’t hear him walk into the console room. She flicks her gaze between halls leading deeper into the TARDIS, but the Doctor doesn’t swoop in. She grits her teeth, turns, and tips her head when she’s facing the Master.
“Why’s that, then?” She’s aiming for carefree, unaffected, but she misses it by a mile from the way his eyes narrow at her. She’d seen the Doctor angry before, but it was only after having to share close quarters with the Master that she began to understand — she had never seen him as he could be: the Doctor was a predator who didn’t like to use his teeth, and the Master didn’t care if she caught a glimpse of them before he struck.
She’d be afraid if she didn’t believe completely that he couldn’t hurt her here. Maybe if they were on some planet, separated from the Doctor, and he had a chance to strike. Maybe. But not here. Here, the TARDIS would lurch if he dared lunge and send him stumbling halfway across the room, and by the time he’d caught his footing again, the Doctor would be in the room.
He lashes out with words instead. Less deadly and just as painful.
“It’s pity,” he tells her. “Pity because you don’t have a home to go back to, and that’s his fault.” She glares at him. As if it wasn’t her choice. As if her heart didn’t ache every day reminding her the chance she’d ever talk to her mom again was near zero, and as if she hadn’t known that when she’d stayed with him anyway. “He can’t get rid of you, but you only last a hundred years or less anyway. It’s like having a pet.”
There’s something in his voice when he says that. The smallest of wavers. Like he isn’t sure.
Rose isn’t either. She promised the Doctor forever.
Sometimes, her heart beats to the rhythm of the TARDIS’s engine. She’s not sure she knows how to die anymore.
“I belong here,” she says, “with him.” The Master scowls. He hates being left behind.
“He can’t even tell you he loves you.” He goes for the jugular, swift and cruel, but he gets too close to do it. Rose sets her tongue between her teeth to hold back a smile. She takes a step forward and another. “If it isn’t love, it’s pity, and it’s all you’ll ever have-”
Rose reaches up and cups his face. The Master freezes. In that instant, he is all atoms under her palm, easily scattered.
He only lets Rose kiss him for a moment before he recoils. He covers his mouth like she’s dangerous to touch.
“That’s the closest you’re ever going to get to kissing him,” Rose retorts. The Master’s eyes flash with jealousy and anger.
She could almost feel bad about how much he needs it.
(Enjoyed it? Any interaction is welcomed. You can even support me on Ko-Fi <3)
And The Snare Grows Tighter | 770 word rosesimm ficlet
Her body slammed into the wall as she stumbled backwards. Barely catching herself, one sweaty palm held her up while the rest of her sagged, panting. She could already feel the way her shirt had been permanently stretched out, fuchsia fabric scrunching up awkwardly around the sides of her leather jacket. Her sides ached, and she could already tell her arms would later have a nasty mix of bruises from both the surfaces she had been tossed around onto and his fingerprints. All in all, she felt victorious.
He was lying on the floor a couple meters away from her, short brown hair sticking slick to his forehead and dress shirt crumpled, breathing just about as heavy as she was. His black suit jacket was nowhere to be found, lost in tousle somewhere along the way.
"Thought you Time Lords had better lungs. Resp... Respra... Respiratory bypass, right? Dunno know why you're heavin' like a human would," Rose taunted, every other word coming out in a rush of air as she tried to catch her breath. The Master's head lolled on the floor as he turned to her, face already set in a glower. Then, he mimicked her expression, the look turning impish on him. Her grin faltered.
"Can't help it, I suppose. After all, I was just rolling around with this hot blonde. Really gets the heart racing, y'know?" he leered. Winking, he ran his tongue along his teeth for good measure, and she recoiled.
"God," she muttered.
"Nope! Just me, love," he said, letting out an exhausted chuckle when she growled.
Both of their lighter demeanors dropped when she slid her hand along a discreet silver chain, pulling out a big, bright yellow button from beneath her shirt. He propped himself up on his forearms, any and all previous mirth vanished. She watched for his reaction, lightly caressing her fingers around the edge of the button.
"You'll end up right back here," the Master spoke after a long silence between them. She jolted at the words.
"What?" Rose steadied herself off the wall when he didn't elaborate, shoulders set in a tense line and hands protectively covering her necklace. "What do you mean?"
"The dimension-canon." He nodded his head toward her useless cradling. "Have you really never wondered why we keep running into each other?"
Mutely, she shook her head, gaze still trained onto him. She was lying, of course, but she didn't see how it mattered, nor did she want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she thought about him. He gave her a lazy grin. She didn't need to, it seemed.
"You know how it works. C'mon, use that stupid little monkey brain of yours. I know you can do it," he crooned.
Brown bore into her, hungrily awaiting. She shifted, adjusting her dark blue jacket as she avoided his piercing gaze. Hazel darted back and forth as she thought, teeth teasing her bottom lip. When her eyes widened and jaw slackened, he crowed.
"No..." Rose breathed.
"Oh, but on the contraire, yes!" he countered gleefully, scrambling up into a wobbly stance, excitement making him clumsy.
"What—" Rose stuttered, horror melting into a bewildered sort of indignation as she waved the cannon around in front of him. "What the hell was the point of all of this, then? You almost strangled me for this! What was the point if it was bloody useless!"
A smirk sat comfortably on his face as he shrugged unapologetically. "For fun," he responded, and then paused, thinking. "Plus, it's not like I need you alive. Especially since you're looking for him." His lip curled at the reminder. "But I think you, Rose Tyler, are far more fun alive than dead."
"Now then," the brunet began. He thrust a hand toward her, and she flinched. Rolling his eyes, he wiggled his fingers, as if to entice her.
"Oh, come on," he whined, and she glanced up to him before turning her attention back down to his hand. "It works when the Doctor does it, what's wrong with me?"
When all she did was scowl, he tried again with a different tactic.
"Aren't you curious?" the Master needled. His open palm still faced her, waiting with an eager impatience that would've charmed her if it were anyone else. "Don't you want to see her?"
Stiffly, Rose held out her hand, settling it into his, unable to resist the offer. He twined their fingers together like a bear trap, finally snapping shut its prey, and grinned, spinning them around and tugging her behind him as he led the way deeper into his ship.
I keep writing these very short rosesimm ficlets cause I can't stop thinking about them, which makes me want to check the tag on ao3 cause, y'know, I'M writing so SURELY if I KEEP CLICKING then it'll update, but alas. the tag doesn't change and I'm just stuck with my own shitty writing to keep me fed </3
