Title: Real Men Wear Pink
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Jethro Cane
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: VRD challenge - Pink, 5_prompts
Prompt: Hot pink
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.

***

"You aren't seriously going to wear a hot pink t-shirt out to a bar, are you?" Jethro asked the Doctor, looking surprised when the Time Lord bounded down from the dressing room on the second level of the Tardis. "Isn't that a little .... well, eye-catching?"

The Doctor looked down at himself, frowning slightly. "What's wrong with hot pink?" he asked, sounding a little defensive. "I like pink. I know that it's supposed to be a girlish colour, but you know what they say about real men wearing pink."

"You're definitely a man," Jethro laughed, shaking his head. "But that shade of pink is a little girly, Doctor. Don't you think something else would look a little less --" The young man searched for a word, waving a hand in the air. "-- Garish?"

"You think this is garish?" The Doctor placed his hands on his hips, scowling. "This happens to be one of my favourite shirts. You just haven't seen me wearing it yet because it somehow ended up in the back of the closet. I just found it and pulled it out."

"It's not that I don't like the shirt," Jethro hastened to say, wishing that he hadn't said anything. The Doctor could be obstinate about things like this, and Jethro didn't want to spend time arguing when they could be out having a good time.

Of course, they weren't here at this intergalactic bar just to enjoy themselves. The Doctor had been very suspicious about what had caused the catastrophes on the last two planets they'd seen. He was sure that the devastation they'd viewed had been caused by the Master.

And he was equally sure that if the renegade Time Lord had caused that kind of mass destruction, he would be able to hear something about it in a place like this. Funny how much the galaxy could be like Earth in that respect, Jethro through with an inward smile.

He sighed, turning his mind to the problem at hand. He didn't want to annoy the Doctor, but going into a bar in that kind of clothing would only draw attention. And he was under the impression that they wanted to ask their questions quietly and unobtrusively.

"Doctor, you do realise that the way you're dressed is going to draw attention to you?" he said, trying to keep his tone soft. "I thought you wanted to go in and ask some questions, and if you do, people are going to remember you."

The Time Lord sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, I intend to ask questions. But that's one reason I'm trying to look a bit loud and vibrant. I want people to remember me, Jethro. I want the Master to know that we're on his trail, and that he has to watch his back."

"I thought you didn't want him to know. The element of surprise would be on our side then," Jethro pointed out, wondering just why the Doctor wanted to alert his greatest enemy to the fact that he knew what was going on. "Take that away, and he could come after us."

"I want him to come after us." The Doctor sighed again, taking Jethro's hand. "I know it's frightening to have to deal with him, love, but it's easier to confront him head-on than it is to careen around the universe after him. And I need him to stay in one place."

Jethro nodded slowly, the Doctor's words making sense to him. There wasn't much that they could do as far as finding out what the Master's plans were if they had to trail him around from place to place -- but there was no guarantee that they could catch him.

"I know what you're thinking," the Doctor said with a sigh. "He's not going to let us catch up with him, or let us know what he's doing. You're wrong about that, Jethro. He will want me to know. Because he'll be positive that I won't be able to stop his plans."

"So .... you're hoping that whoever you ask questions of will remember you, and their description of you will get back to the Master," Jethro said thoughtfully, his brow furrowing. "It's a good plan, Doctor. But it's a little risky, isn't it?"

"In what way?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's not as though we're going after him right now. We don't even know where he is. Just think of this as a little .... reconnaissance mission. We're gathering information to use at a later date."

"I know that the way you're dressed is supposed to make certain that you're noticed -- but are you sure that the people you question are going to take you seriously if you're wearing a hot pink t-shirt?" Jethro asked dubiously. "It seems a little overdone."

"Maybe you're right," the Doctor sighed, looking down at himself. "But it's not like I can go into the place and announce who I am. My name is known throughout the galaxy, Jethro. I want him to know that I'm onto him -- but I don't want the people here to know who I am."

"You want them to be able to describe you to the Master -- so that only he will know who it was asking questions about him." Jethro nodded, understanding the Doctor's reasoning. "I get it. You don't want any of the people you talk with to back off."

"Exactly!" The Doctor beamed at him, nodding. "They may not take me seriously because they won't know who I am. And they'll be much more willing to talk to me if they think I've just somehow stumbled into something that I have no clue about."

"Well, they'll certainly notice you," Jethro sighed, laughing and shaking his head. "That shirt is so loud that it's practically screaming. If it's true that real men wear pink, then they'll think you're a man and a half for wearing something that bright."

"Then let's go show these people what a man I am," the Doctor told him, slipping his hand into Jethro's and leading his young lover to the door of the ship. Jethro took a deep breath as they left the Tardis, not sure of just what to expect, but feeling that the two of them were in for an adventure.

***