She'd gotten it as a joke, a purchase made with a grin on her face and a confused look from Angie and Clara couldn't wait for him to show up so she could prance into the Tardis and pluck on her own black tie. A purple woman's suit, a bit brighter than his coat, but just as boisterous and when she'd finally gotten her moment, when she'd finally been able to snap her fingers and walk through the door, he'd turned and simply smiled.

"What," he said slowly, dropping his chin slightly as she strode in proudly and stood, arms crossed, just in front of him with a smug grin as he looked her over.

Clara raised her head and then tilted it, repeating, "What?"

He gestured to her outfit with a wave of his finger and then laughed, "You're wearing pants."

She frowned, arms dropping away, "I wear pants."

The Doctor gave a firm shake of his head before telling her, "No, you wear skirts. Flirty skirts that bounce about – it's quite distracting," and he turned back to the Tardis before asking, "So, where are we off to? Meeting? School function? Have I missed a memo?"

Moving to stand at his side, Clara glanced at him and shook her head, "No, just our standard Wednesday outing… why would I have a meeting?"

"Well," he began, looking back over her and, she noticed, slowing his eyes at her rear end, "Well, you look ready for business."

With a nod, she replied, "I am ready for business – our business. Travelling, saving people, catching bad guys."

He snorted.

"What?"

His finger waved in her direction again as he allowed, "So this getup, this is… this is for us, for our outing?"

"Yes, Doctor," she affirmed, "It is."

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "But still, have I missed a memo?"

Clara turned and leaned into the console and blurted, "It's like yours."

"Oh," he laughed, "I can see that."

She pushed off and sighed, heading towards the doors, "I'll be right back."

When she returned, dark grey blouse hanging loosely over a navy blue skirt, he'd frowned, but he hadn't said another word, certain in the knowledge he'd upset her. They went to a planet where the sun never set, because it revolved at the center of three suns, and Clara's skirt had been torn almost in two by the claws of a monster. She returned to her apartment only an hour after she'd left, tossing the skirt atop the pant suit and simply stared at it, shaking her head and then hanging it in the back of her closet.

It was a year before she put it on again, absently thinking about the lecture she'd have to give a group of children who hated when she lectured, on a day she had nothing else to wear to work and she knew the odd looks she's gotten were because of it. It was a suit, with pants, and it was bright purple – not her style or her color or her anything really. Clara hadn't even thought about it until she'd rushed into the blue box and been greeted with a sigh and a smile and she immediately looked herself over and frowned.

"I never got to tell you how good it looked on you." The Doctor's words were spoken gently, and she could see his eyes redden slightly with a sort of nostalgic sadness before he turned away, giving the console his full attention and leaving Clara to close the door behind her.

She chuckled to herself as she approached him, arms swinging, fists grasped tightly over the edges of the fabric that hung just a bit too long, and she admitted, "I wanted to tease you with it – your suit was a bit ridiculous."

"Am I still?" He raised a thick eyebrow and smiled down at her as she came to a stop at his side, looking up at him with a knowing glance – he was often jealous of his predecessor and the relationship she'd had with him; one that hadn't exactly been easy to re-establish… though they were getting closer.

Clara took a moment to glance over his outfit. She'd done it more often than she'd want to admit, and she never wanted to tell him that she was constantly finding the differences, like comparing a first love to a second and noticing the ways each made her heart sink, or swell. This Doctor was fierce in a way her Doctor rarely was around her, but he was just as kind, just as gentle, when they were alone, and she smiled, thinking about it as she met his eyes again and nodded.

"You're quite the dapper gentleman, actually."

He smiled shyly, an awkward drop in the edges of his bottom lip as they spread and then, just as she giggled, his mouth rose into a full smile – one she seldom saw – and she nudged him. He didn't hug her like her Doctor did and she missed it sometimes, in moments like these.

"You should wear it more often," he sighed.

Clara nodded and then looked him over again: the dark navy blazer with its insanely red inner lining and the matching pants; the black shirt buttoned up just underneath, tucked neatly at the belt, and his boots. She'd instantly loved his new look, but she'd never truly considered why and it suddenly dawned on her – they were her colors, just as much as the purple had been his prior's. And now they both wore the suits, like hearts on sleeves, and exchanged a knowing glance before Clara nodded and asked him quietly, "Where to, Doctor?"

Taking hold of a lever, he offered a devious smile before replying, "Somewhere awesome."