erased || dottore ?

"Wha-"

She felt groggy. Tired even. She didn't know when she fell asleep. Or maybe she was forced to sleep?

Her memories were somewhat foggy.

"Hmm? Oh, awake already?"

She managed to sit up from her spot. Her eyes taking a moment to adjust as she realized that she and Dottore were outside in the forest. Looking at her surroundings, she found that she was in the cart that she used to help Dottore, and that they were in the first place that she met Dottore as well.

"Why are we here?"

She looked over to where he was. Her movements were restricted by a few ropes. Mainly to keep her from running.

In the bushes nearby he took out a bag.

Did he leave that there when I first met him?

"It's nothing really," he answered as he tossed the bag to her. Flinching away from it, the bag didn't hit her, but landed beside her. The contents spilling out.

...Notes?

She couldn't make out what they said, the words were all smudged.

"A shame that they were ruined," Dottore said as he went up to the cart. His arms laying across the ledge as he leaned onto it. His eyes scanning over the papers, and through the holes of his mask, y/n saw a hint of red. Was that the color of his eyes?

Before she could inspect further, he was already leaning off the cart and moving around so that he could hop onto the back of it. A small creaking sound echoed into the forest before he sat down rather close to her. His hands reaching to grab at the papers that fell out of the bag.

"Though, its not really a loss since I have a few copies back at my lab," he said with an amused grin.

Gathering her courage, she turned to him a little, "w-what were those notes anyway? You said that they were nothing but you came back for them anyway."

Dottore studied her for a moment, his grin widened a little, "do you really want to know?"

She thought about it. Might as well...

She nodded slowly.

"Curious one, aren't you. Well, not that that isn't a surprise to me. Anyway, I'll show you the notes once we get to my lab. So in the meantime, let's have a little chat, shall we?"

The bushes ruffled a bit to their right, causing her gaze to fall in that direction. Multiple fatui agents coming out as two went to the front of the cart. Then, they were off. The wheels sending a jolt as both Dottore and Y/n were "guarded" on their journey to wherever Dottore's lab was.

"Focus y/n. They are merely here to transport us. Mainly because I don't exactly feel like pulling this damn thing all the way to our destination."

His words were enough to pull her attention back to him. And even though his eyes were still covered, the smile on his face was enough to tell her that he was studying her.

But,

Now that she thought about it. He always smiled at her like that. Even when she first met when his ankle was completely broken.

That's right .. his ankle. She couldn't stop herself from moving her eyes to his foot. Did that vile really heal such a broken bone in a short amount of time?

"Medicines, experiments, knowledge, and many sorts of things dealing with the sciences. If one actually tried to learn, then anything is possible. Though, I'll admit that the ... vile I used to heal my ankle was only a prototype. In fact, it was more of a .. time delay than anything else."

"What does that mean?"

"The vile, the contents inside of it, was merely an elixir that would temporarily heal my ankle. The effects, however, will wear off soon and I'll be forced to heal my ankle the old fashioned way."

"Then why break it in the first place," she couldn't stop herself from asking, "if that elixir thing wasn't going to heal it permanently then why bother? And in the middle of the woods for that matter."

He smirked, "tell me, y/n. Has anyone ever felt threatened by someone who was gravely wounded and could barely stand?"

She couldn't look at him then. In fact, what he just said was the exact reason why she helped him despite him being with the fatui. He was hurt. And seemed to need help.

She felt so stupid now that she actually thought about it.

"There it is," Dottore said, "I can see that you won't make the same mistake next time- well, if there is even a next time."

"...it wouldn't be a mistake though..."

"Hmm?"

She finally looked at him once more. A determined look on her face.

"I would have still helped you even if I knew that it was more dangerous than it seemed."

He tilted his head to the side and processed her words. Truth be told, he already knew that she would say that. It was just in her personality, her character, to do so. And he just loved it.

"How amusing, y/n. How amusing indeed."

"But for now, it's time for you to sleep again because I have to go do something alone before the elixir on my ankle wears off. So, sweet dreams alright?"

He reached over to her. Her form trying to move away from him, but once his hand covered her eyes, she felt her vision go blank almost immediately and before she fell back, he made sure to catch her and gently lay her back down on the still moving cart.

Then, making sure that she truly was asleep, Dottore looked over at the agent pulling the cart.

"Take me to her village."

"Yes, sir."