Title: Shade In, Fade Out
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Cal Lightman
Fandom: Doctor Who/Lie to Me
Rating: PG-13
Table: doctorwho_100
Prompt: 76, Who?
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Cal Lightman, unfortunately. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor looked around him as he raised a glass to his lips, his gaze resting on each person in the bar in turn. None of them were taking any particular interest in him, which he supposed was a good sign. At least he didn't stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

And if no one took much notice of him, it meant that he was able to study them without being observed as doing so. It was always interesting to watch humans; he found them endlessly fascinating, and never tired of spending time around them.

If Jack was here, he would probably be flirting with anyone who took his fancy. The Doctor couldn't keep back a frown at that thought; Jack's flirting was one of the reasons he'd always tried to avoid going to bars. It was one facet of his former lover that he'd hated.

But if Jack hadn't been such a flirt, then he wouldn't have been Jack, the Doctor thought with a sigh. He probably wouldn't want to change that particular character trait, even if he could. He'd loved Jack just as he was, faults and all.

That was over and done with, he reminded himself, turning back to the bar and the drink he'd bought. It was rare that he had a chance to do this on Earth, but he still had a bit of the human money that Jack had given him, and this was a good way to spend it.

Lifting the glass again, his gaze alighted on a man at the end of the bar who seemed to be studying him; he couldn't tell for sure if he was being watched, but it certainly seemed that way. He could feel those eyes on him, seemingly following his every move.

Why was this man watching him? The Doctor could feel the short hairs on the back of his neck stand on end; either this man was someone to be wary of, or he was someone who might be interested in an evening of pleasure and nothing more.

The second option sounded appealing, but at the same time, it wasn't something he wanted to indulge in at the moment. The Doctor sighed, tossing back the last of his drink. He wasn't like Jack; he didn't take meaningless lovers to his bed for one night.

Oh, he'd done that often enough in the past. But that was the past; he wasn't that man any more, at least not in this body. He had no interest in one-night stands. He wanted a relationship, not simply an evening of fun and games.

He stole another glance at the man, taking in what was definitely an interesting face. Dark eyes, blond hair, a mouth that seemed as though it could smile quite easily. Elegant hands with long, tapering fingers -- hands that would more than likely feel good on his body.

No. He wasn't going to think that way. There was no way of telling if this man was interested in him in that way, and he wasn't going to jump to any quick conclusions. That would probably be a good way to get himself into trouble, and he didn't want that.

Still, it would be nice to at least have someone to talk with, even if having a conversation led to nothing more than an evening spent talking in a bar. It felt as though years had passed since he'd met anyone in this way -- at least, anyone who had held his attention.

"Hello. Can I buy you a drink?"

The Doctor had to hold back a gasp of surprise as he half-turned on the barstool to see the man who had been the object of his thoughts standing beside him. That mouth could indeed curve into a smile -- one that it was hard to look away from.

He licked suddenly dry lips, nodding as he formulated an answer to the innocuous question. "Of course you can." It wasn't hard to smile at this man; somehow, he had the kind of open face that felt as though it invited confidences.

Slipping onto the barstool next to the Doctor, the other man held out a hand to the Time Lord, tilting his head to the side. "I'm Cal Lightman. And you are ....?" The words drifted off, the unasked question hanging in the air as he waited for the Doctor to introduce himself.

"I'm the Doctor," the Time Lord told him, taking Cal's hand in his own. Oh, that was a mistake, he thought immediately; it would have been better to use his John Smith alias. Calling himself the Doctor always made for a bit of awkwardness.

"Doctor Who?" Cal asked, the inevitable question coming naturally from his lips. The Gallifreyan winced at the words; that was what he heard from everyone when he introduced himself in that way. He'd have to remember to use his alias on a more regular basis.

"Just the Doctor," he mumbled, hoping that Cal would drop the questions and accept that name without pushing him. "It's what I prefer to be called." That was all the explanation he was willing to give; anything else would be far too awkward.

Cal raised a quizzical eyebrow, nodding at the bartender when he approached. "Two more, please." He turned to the Doctor with a bemused expression, his eyes lingering on the Time Lord's face. "I'd normally think you're lying about being a Doctor -- but you're not."

"Oh? And why would you think I was lying?" The Doctor knew that he was treading on treacherous ground, but he couldn't keep himself from asking the question. "I don't usually lie to people I've just met, especially about something like my name."

"But it's not a name. It's a title," Cal told him, smiling as he took his glass from the bartender. "You're not telling me your name, only what you like to be called. And you told me that title with such assurance that I don't think you're lying about being a doctor."

"Not a Doctor. The Doctor." The Time Lord couldn't help correcting Cal, though he knew that it could lead to trouble for him to do so. The other man's smile grew wider as he raised his glass to the Doctor in a toast and let out a soft laugh.

"Well, at least you don't have any ego problems," he murmured, tossing back half of his drink in one swallow. "So, what brings you here, Doctor? Unless I miss my guess, you don't seem like the kind of man to frequent bars."

"I'm not," the Doctor told him, wondering what he would say if Cal asked him what he was doing here. "Watching humans" wasn't something that the other man would likely believe -- and yet, he didn't want to lie to Cal.

"People watching, I take it?" Cal asked, almost as if he'd read the Doctor's mind. The Time Lord had to fight an urge to gape at him; it wasn't often that someone could startle him by seeming to know more about him and his motivations than they should.

"How did you guess?" He kept his voice steady; his tone even had a hint of laughter in it. Good. That was the effect he wanted to give -- that he was someone non-threatening, someone who could fade into the woodwork and not be remembered.

That was a pity, really, he thought, glancing at the other man again. Cal was very attractive; it would be nice to spend time with him, get to know him in more than just a superficial sort of way. It would be nice to have someone like this as a companion.

"It's my job to read people," Cal told him, finishing his drink and setting the glass down on the bar. "I'm an expert in lie detection, you see. It's quite easy for me to 'read' people. Though I have to say, Doctor -- you're harder to read than most people are."

"Really?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows, feeling a bit alarmed. If Cal was an expert at detecting lies, then how long would it take him to see through anything he could come up with to explain who he was and what he did? This could easily become an awkward situation.

But it wasn't awkward at the moment, he told himself firmly. And there was no reason why it had to be. He could surely talk to Cal for a while without giving away what he was; he didn't have to tell this man he was an alien, and surely Cal wouldn't believe him even if he did tell.

That was a pity, too. Somehow, he wanted this man to know who he really was.

What was the harm in it? the Doctor asked himself, his hearts seeming to skip a few beats. He'd told other humans what he was, and though they'd been startled at first, they'd opened their minds and come to believe in him very quickly.

Who was to say that Cal wouldn't be the same way? This man apparently had a rather open mind; at least, that was the impression he'd already gotten. Why shouldn't he take the chance that there could be more to his meeting with Cal than a single conversation in a bar?

"Do you have any plans for the rest of the evening?" The question came out of his mouth before he'd really had a chance to think about it; the Doctor could have cursed himself for not leading up to what he wanted to say more gracefully, but the words were out now.

"Not a thing." Cal was smiling at him again, that easy, relaxed smile that the Time Lord found utterly captivating. Was it his imagination, or was there some interest radiating from the other man? It certainly seemed that there was.

"Would you care to spend some time together? I think I can show you some things you might find very interesting." That was a definite understatement, the Doctor thought to himself, almost wincing at what sounded like a terrible pick-up line.

"I'd like that very much." Cal slid off the barstool, looking at his watch and reaching for his wallet. "Don't worry about that -- I'll pick up the tab," he murmured as the Doctor reached into the pocket of his coat. "It's the least I can do for such a .... fascinating man."

The Doctor stood up, his hearts pounding furiously in his chest. He was going to take Cal to the Tardis, and tell this man exactly who and what he was. And if Cal didn't believe him -- well, then he would have made a mistake. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Lead the way, Doctor," Cal said as he turned back to the Time Lord, tucking his wallet into his pocket and smiling at the Doctor again. "I think it's going to be very interesting to find out just who you are and what makes you tick."

The Doctor had to resist the urge to take Cal's hand as they made their way out of the bar. Was this going to lead to something permanent? Had he found his next companion? The Doctor wasn't sure if that would happen, but things were certainly looking up.

He'd come here simply to fade into the background, though he obviously hadn't succeeded in doing that. But from the way the night was progressing, the Doctor was already glad that shading in and fading out wasn't something he was particularly good at doing.

***