oncoming_storms; 1.7 - My Fashion Statement
The Clothes Make the Man
Ace shoved her hands in her pocket and looked around the large room with something akin to awe. “I've never seen this room before, Professor.”
“Of course you haven't. You brought all your own clothes, Ace.” The Doctor swept his brolly around the room. “This is the wardrobe.”
“McShane,” she corrected him. Not that it mattered. He'd always be the Professor to her and she'd always be Ace to him. “It's where you get all your clothes, from?” She started wandering around the room, picking at the clothes on racks. “There's stuff for girls here, too. Why didn't you say before?”
The Doctor shrugged. “I rather like your sense of style, I never saw a reason to suggest anything different.”
She rolled her eyes at him and kept browsing the Doctor's collection. “Ooh, Professor!” Ace pulled out a slightly worn, black leather jacket. “This is wicked! Why don't you wear this?”
“Because it's three sizes too big, and not at all the statement I'd like to make with my clothing, thank you very much.” He took two quick steps forward and snatched the jacket from her, replacing it on the rack.
“Right, well. Your jumper's certainly making a statement, Professor.” Ace smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm a short bloke with odd taste!”
The Doctor looked down at his question mark sweater, then back up at Ace, a slightly bemused look on his face. “My jumper says I'm short?”
Ace laughed and put her hand on the Doctor's chest. That caused him to harrumph softly. Lately Ace had been much more touchy with him. Not that he minded. She was, after all, his companion and his best friend. It was just that, well, he'd seen her grow up right before his very eyes. She wasn't a little girl anymore. Hadn't she said that to him when they fought Fenric? And that had been so many years ago, now. “No, but it does say you were under the influence of an evil mastermind when you picked it out.”
That caused another harrumph. “Well, that's why I brought you here.” He reached up and took her hand from his chest, pulling it back towards the clothes. “I told you I rather like your sense of style, and I meant it. It's time for a change, McShane. I thought you might like to help me make it.”
She didn't question him, didn't ask if he was sure. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she nodded and leaned in to kiss him softly on the cheek. The Doctor smiled fondly, and then nudged her with the handle of his umbrella. “Go on, Ace. We haven't got all day.”
“Yes we have.” But Ace went anyway, once again picking through the rows upon rows of clothing, this time paying a little more attention to what she was looking at.
It took awhile. Long enough that the Doctor busied himself organizing the clothes. First by color and then, having decided that that wouldn't do at all, by length of the sleeve. He was halfway through re-organizing things again, this time by planet of origin, when Ace tapped him on the shoulder.
She had a pair of dark trousers slung over one arm, next to a tie very similar to the one he was wearing, but slightly less ostentatious. On the other arm was a dark red brocade vest, with some very elegant jacquard on it. All in all, the Doctor thought that Ace had done quite a nice job, and said so. “Lovely, Ace. I believe you even chose things in my proper size.”
Ace smirked. “Well, I've spent enough time look at...” But she cut off whatever she was going to say, and her cheeks colored slightly. “Go on then, Professor. Try them on.”
The Doctor did just that, popping behind a rather full rack of coats to change his clothes. He wandered back out, and did a little turn for Ace's benefit. “Well?”
“Very sharp, Professor.” She walked up to him and brushed some invisible motes of dust off of his shoulders. “And it'll go fine with that old coat you have, so you needn't choose something new. Unless you're in the mood for a black leather coat?”
“Certainly not!” The Doctor shook his head and retrieved his umbrella from where he'd hung it.
“Alright. Just a suggestion.” Ace laughed. “Are you sure you don't mind walking around in clothes you didn't even pick out?”
“Hm? Of course I don't. Besides,” the Doctor walked up to Ace and tweaked her nose, causing her to roll her eyes. “I picked you out, Ace. So, indirectly, I'm responsible for the clothes as well.”
“Of course, Professor. If you say so.”
“I do. Now. Where's my hat?”
Word Count: 796