Title: That Don't Impress Me Much
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Jethro Cane
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: VRD challenge - Purple, 5_prompts
Prompt: Purple prose
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 Jethro Cane. Please do not sue.

***

"Why so quiet, love?" the Doctor asked Jethro as they strolled along the pathway through the forest they'd landed the Tardis near. The trees almost seemed to close in on them, as though they, too, wanted to hear the young man's answer.

Jethro wasn't sure of just what to say. He always felt a bit inferior when he was conversing with the Doctor; there were times when the Gallifreyan brought up subjects that he knew nothing about, and he hated to confess his ignorance.

And it wasn't just that, he told himself with an inward sigh. He wasn't a writer or a poet; he didn't know how to use fancy words and phrases to seduce the man he loved. He'd always been woefully inadequate in that department.

"I-I guess I just don't have much to say," he murmured, despising himself for such a stupid answer. He should have been able to let words roll smoothly off his tongue, to say something charming and witty that would make the Time Lord laugh.

"I find that hard to believe," his lover said, his voice soft and gentle. "You always have plenty to say when we're in some sort of bad situation that you have to help me get out of. And I've never known you to be at a loss for words until the last few days."

"Sometimes I feel like I don't know what to say to you, " Jethro burst out, almost hating himself for the words that were now pouring from him. He wanted to close his mouth, to stop talking and wish the words unsaid, but it was far too late for that.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" The Doctor looked confused, a frown creasing his brow. "You know that you can always say anything you want to me. I know you, Jethro. I understand you. I'm not going to take anything you want to tell me in the wrong way."

"I don't know about that," Jethro muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and not looking over at the Time Lord. "I always end up tripping over my tongue when I try to say what I really feel. I don't have a lot of fancy words out of a poetry book."

"Is that what you're worried about? That you don't have some sort of purple prose to impress me with?" The Doctor stopped in his tracks, his tone surprised. "Jethro, you can't honestly think that something like fancy poetry is going to impress me."

"It wouldn't?" Jethro finally turned to look at the Doctor, his expression incredulous. "But .... you know so much about things like that. I want to be able to seduce you with words, to pour out how I feel with all these beautiful phrases. But I'm not like that."

"And I'm rather glad you're not," the Doctor told him, his voice firm. "I've been with people like that before, and usually, they don't really mean all of those pretty words. That sort of thing doesn't impress me much, Jethro. I don't need purple prose coming from you."

Jethro let out his breath in a relieved sigh, closing his eyes. "I guess I've just been feeling .... well, kind of inadequate. Because you're one of the smartest people I've ever met, and sometimes I feel like I'm always trailing along behind you."

"I wouldn't change anything about you, sweetheart," the Doctor said softly, reaching for his young lover's hand and twining their fingers together. "I love you exactly the way you are. And you have the kind of intelligence that only grows with time."

"I guess I'm a quick learner -- especially about things that involve emotions," Jethro considered, tilting his head to the side as he mused. "But that's mainly because I'm empathic. If I didn't have that kind of ability, I wouldn't have much to recommend me."

"Now, that's not true!" the Doctor admonished, waggling a finger at him. "You're selling yourself short, love. You have so many good qualities. You're loyal, you're compassionate, you're faithful .... and ...." He stopped, a smile spreading over his features.

"And I'm what?" Jethro asked, raising his brows in question, wondering just what the Time Lord would say about him. "Come on, Doctor, say it. I'm all ears. Even though you know it'll probably give me a swelled head if you keep on complimenting me."

"I was going to say that you're marvelous in bed," the Doctor told him, a teasing note in his voice. "And of all the wonderful qualities you have, that's one that definitely impresses me quite a bit. Though all of the others are quite impressive, too."

Jethro couldn't help laughing, moving forward to slide his arms around the Doctor's waist and pull the other man close against him. "So I really don't need purple prose to seduce you, hmmm? It seems like my bedroom abilities have already done that."

"Everything about you impresses me," the Doctor whispered into his ear, his breath warm against the young man's skin. "And yes, you managed to seduce me right from the first. It didn't take purple prose or anything of the sort. You did it all on your own."

"You impress me, too," Jethro told him, his voice husky with desire. "In every possible way. That's why I went back to Midnight to look for you. I knew that my life wasn't going to be complete or happy without having you in it."

"And you say that you don't know purple prose!" the Doctor laughed. "You always know how to say the right thing. Don't ever change, Jethro. Don't become someone who quotes poetry and has too high an opinion of their intelligence. You don't need that."

"I promise I won't change," Jethro said with a smile, turning around to head back to the Tardis. When they got back to the ship, he intended to show the Doctor just how much he was impressed by the Time Lord -- and just how much he would do to impress his lover in every way he could.

***