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A few days after the fight with the Toymaker, Donna had insisted that they go clothes shopping.
"You need more than one half remaining set of clothes that you like," she had said. "And you can't keep borrowing from Shaun and Gramps. You need something that actually fits you."
So there they were in some little thrift shop on a corner street. It was the second of five that Donna insisted they visit. Apparently they'd been helpful to Rose offering an array of styles in a variety of sizes.
The Doctor half-heartedly flicked through racks of clothing when his eyes landed on something across the aisle. It was a high waisted skirt with a near identical pattern to his new regeneration made vest. It would match perfectly and it was loose enough to still run in. All he would need was a blue or white under layer for it to be perfect.
Before he'd even realized it he had pulled it off the rack. The fabric was thick and warm. It was just the sort this body always craved. For some reason this face and this body had always run too cold. The layering kept him comfortable. He wondered if a few decorative skirt layers would help or make it worse. Maybe he should get legging too.
"Oi, Spaceman! You find anything?" Donna called from several racks over.
Oh, Donna. He wanted to tell her, but at the same time he really didn't. In the past he might have put on a veneer of calm confidence and pretended to not understand that an article of clothing could be gendered. Now though, he'd promised to try being vulnerable and open. He was quickly finding that he hated it.
"Didn't you hear me?" Donna asked, now standing at his shoulder. "I reckon I was plenty loud."
He jerked back in surprise and pulled the skirt closer to his chest drawing her eyes to it. She reached out and took the skirt. Tentatively, he let her.
"Oh, this is lovely. It looks like it would fit you too. No surprise there with you being so skinny," she said as she held it out in front of her. She smiled up at him. "So we're fully into checkered now. No more pinstripes?"
He smiled nervously. "No more pinstripes."
"Hey, you. What's with the face?" Donna pushed him playfully. "You look like I just spit on the TARDIS or something."
"Is this okay? I didn't know how to..." He waved a hand though the air uselessly and sighed. "Is it?"
Donna let out a sound that was half laugh half sigh. "What, the skirt? Yeah, love. That's alright."
He could feel the tension rush away. He laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I suppose I should have known that. Bit like if I'd asked you if the checkered look was alright."
Donna hooked an arm in his. "Yeah, a bit. Besides, I raised Rose alright didn't I? Bit of a shock at first but I never tried to put her off of it, and I already knew you'd been a woman before."
He stopped. She look up at him questioningly. He swallowed and said, "Donna, I'm not a woman this time."
"Never said you were, Brainbox."
"I don't want to be," he added. "Not this regeneration anyway."
"That's alright too," Donna told him. "Doctor, you can be who ever or whatever you want in whatever clothing you want. I might tease you for it. That's just who we are, but I'll always love you. I'll never judge you for it. Not really."
He sighed. "I know. I knew that. I just. I love you. You're my family. This security of just having people and letting them have me back... it's new. I'm finding that without giving myself the option to just leave, it's scary. I'm more scared of you not wanting me like I am than I've ever been."
He covered his face to ward against the stinging sensation of tears waiting to fall. "Even silly little things like this get me all-"
He was cut off by Donna tackling him in a hug. She held him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and together they let the seconds tick by measured only by the beat of three hearts.
Eventually he pulled away and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say all that. This regeneration is more-" he gestured vaguely, "-than I'm used to."
"It's alright, Doctor." Donna rubbed his arm. "It really is. Now, let's get this and head home, yeah? You've had quite the day. We can go to the other shops when you're feeling more up to it."
He nodded. "That sounds nice. And, Donna? Thank you. Really. Thank you."
She laughed. "Anytime, Spaceman."