So this was meant to be a funny, slapstick comedy style fic similar to Florence and the Machine song it shares its title with but apparently my muse says no…

I own nothing.

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She hits him.

Hard.

He stumbles backwards, managing to keep himself upright as he watches her warily, shock, confusion and no small amount of pain etched into his face.

"You complete and utter pillock!" She screams as she hits him again. His eyebrows knit together as he endures. Then- as if she had managed to knock some sense into him- he speaks, the words practically spilling from his lips.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." And he is. The Doctor can feel her fear and anger trembling in the air between them before she swings at him again. He takes it with eyes squeezed shut.

"I hate you!" Her voice is acid, "I hate you more than anyone I've ever hated and, oh, you know how much I can hate!" She spits arrows at him and he breathes out raggedly.

The Mistress stands tall, glaring through her tears as she hits him again.

"And you don't- you won't even move!" Her own breathing is laboured, "because you know I'm right!" The last word is almost a sob as she drops to the floor, landing heavily on the tiled floor.

"Missy." He steps forwards, no concern for anything but his best friend.

She doesn't hear him, staring at her hands as she holds them in front of her face.

"And you know I'm right… Despite all those people I've killed and all those planets I've destroyed… I'm right." There is no victory in her voice, throaty and hoarse from her screeching. Her gaze snaps to him, almost unseeing. With red rimmed eyes she stares, emptiness in their depths. He tries again, stepping forwards.

"Missy." Their eyes meet. She still doesn't answer, lips slightly ajar.

"Tell me-" Her gaze remains unfocused, hollow, as she whispers, "Tell me that I'm wrong." She pleads him again and again until she is weeping, shivering as her white-knuckled fists push at the ground.

"Tell me- Tell me- why can't you tell me!" With a plaintive cry she finally collapses, shuddering.

"Tell me. I want you to tell me. Tell me that I'm wrong. I need to know that- that I'm wrong." She mumbles, voice low. Her gaze snaps to him, finally seeing him properly.

"I need you. Please Doc-tor." And he hadn't realised until that moment but he was crying too. Crying for the distressed woman. Crying for his broken best friend. Crying for his distraught lover? They never made things like that clear.

"Mistress."

He wraps her in his arms, holding her close.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You know I can't tell you that." They sob into each other.

"I know. I know." But it doesn't stop her from hurting or from hurting him.

The two Time Lords clutch each other in repentance.

He presses a tender kiss to her lips and she leans into him desperately.

"I'm sorry… Doctor." Her hand trails across the bruises blooming across his face and, softly, she presses her own lips to each of them.

"I'm so sorry… I don't hate you…"