Oct. 29th, 2005 10:09 pm
Title: The Choice
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Title: The Choice
Fandom: House M.D.
Pairing: House/Chase
Prompt: Choices
Word Count: 1242
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: I hope to god the fonts work on this. A little Sliding Doors inspired piece.
On a lazy Sunday fall afternoon, when the leaves change to golden yellow, burning orange and a reddish brown burnished by the sun, House kisses Chase.
It's the choice he makes.
But it's still a choice.
There are two ways it plays out. One starts with a kiss. The other begins like every other day.
*
House reaches for Chase, his arm wrapped around his neck and his fingers buried in endless locks of blonde hair -- Goldilocks has never looked this good. His other hand goes for Chase's tie and gently tugs him, stumbling into a deeper kiss, Chase's oral fixation doing its job to convince House that Chase could certainly make a living peddling kisses and other oral faire on any street of his choice.
Almost like proof for Chase to hold on to. Yes, he’s hired a gorgeous young ingénue, but Chase won’t be left in the cold. Nimble fingers manage to work that ugly polka-dotted orange and yellow tie loose and then finally, it comes off, tossed to the side like worthless debris.
When it’s over, two more buttons are loosened and all thoughts of gorgeous female doctors are banished for the moment.
“You…”
“Yeah. So, am I going to contract some sort of encephalitis common to Australians or have you had all your shots?”
A grin from Chase. “You…”
House leans over to pick up the tie. “Get decent. Dr. Cameron should be here any moment.”
*
“Dr. Allison Cameron.”
Chase doesn’t bother looking up from his paperwork. House had piled it on him, probably a punishment for a crime he never realized he’d committed. One minute, they were in the office and they were laughing, joking about terminal diseases – it’s House -- and then House was looking at him like the stars in the sky had migrated to his eyes. An uncomfortable thirty seconds later and it was back to normal, like nothing had ever happened.
“This is Dr. Chase, don’t mind him, he’s got a stick up his ass when it comes to new people.” He feels his hair being mussed and he affords a scowl towards House. In glancing up, he gets his first good look at her.
Gorgeous – but he’s pretty too.
Glasses – he’s just as smart.
Vulnerable – she’ll get eaten alive.
“Nice to meet you,” he mumbles.
She beams. “It’s really great to meet you. You can call me Allison.” He clears his throat and barely smiles as he turns his attention back to his paperwork, pen working over the blanks. He can feel House’s gaze on him.
“Nice to meet you, Cameron.”
*
“So, she was pretty,” Chase remarks. He’s too casual to be anything but nosy and insecure. She had been pretty and the gossip around the halls was that the only reason Allison Cameron had been hired was for her looks. Ridiculous.
That’s only half-true.
Then again, a quarter of the reason Chase had been hired was his looks, so the prettiest Australian shouldn’t be complaining.
“Jealous?”
Chase glares at him. “You just hired a beautiful woman!” He goes quiet, but after a moment, the next sound that comes from him is a quiet, “yes.”
Good, House thinks, but would never say. If Chase is jealous and insecure, then he’s more likely to fight for what he wants, prove how much he wants it. “Dr. Chase, are you worried that this will affect our working relationship?”
Chase asks the right question: “Will this keep working?” He’s a smart kid. Two years under House’s wind and he’ll be the genius he’s rumored to be.
“I guess that depends how much effort you put into it.” House leans forward for a Vicodin, breaking it in half and swallowing it down with a glass of water. He eyes Chase curiously for some kind of reaction and the only thing he sees is a sort of steely determination. Good. It’s good to know that Chase is willing to put up a fight.
Chase nods. “We done here, then?”
“Yeah. Come back with the lab results later.”
*
“So, what’s he like?” Cameron asks curiously, watching House through the glass of the wall. Chase is busy researching symptoms, wondering exactly what kind of signals those had been earlier. “I mean, there are rumours…”
“They’re mostly true,” Chase interrupts, barely more than a mumble. He’s talking around the pen in his mouth and he wonders why it doesn’t sate the fixation these days. Suddenly, he’s left wondering if maybe he’d like something else to nibble and suck on. Out of habit, he glances to House, just to make sure he isn’t in trouble, at least, not yet. Cameron seems to be looking everywhere at once, like a fawn in a new environment. “Just stay harmless and he might not harm you.”
“What” Cameron asks, amused. “He’s more afraid of you than you are of him?”
“Pretty sure that’s just bears,” Chase responds wryly.
“And I’m a bear of a guy.” Chase glances up and finds House standing in the doorway.
Now, he’s in trouble.
*
Chase returns with the lab results in his hands and a lollipop from the clinic in his mouth. It’s red because Chase is a little bit of blush and some eyeshadow away from looking like a drag queen. “Good news.”
“He’s badly sick?”
Chase snorts. “Actually, yeah. Just not Alzheimer’s.” He hands over the test results and House studies them for a little until he realizes that Chase hasn’t moved, in fact, he seems to be waiting expectantly.
“What?”
“It’s Friday.”
Ah, yes. Fridays. Before he’d begun the hiring process, Friday’s were a designated boys’ night out. House, Wilson, and Chase went to the local sports bar and got drunk – or something similar. House notices that Chase seems slightly nervous.
“Chase.” He freezes – goes absolutely still. “Don’t worry. It’s boys’ night out. I doubt Dr. Cameron will chance the cooties.” Chase doesn’t move, so maybe that isn’t what he wants. “Chase,” he prods. “What flavor is that lollipop?”
That earns him a brilliant grin. Bingo.
“Find out.”
Such a thing shouldn’t be an idle suggestion. House leans forward, gripping his cane hard and easing his other hand to yank Chase forward and into a demanding, rough kiss.
Strawberry.
Nice.
*
“He’s all bark and no bite, isn’t he?” Cameron asks. She’s implicated herself on House’s mail, not like House is going to complain. He hates answering his emails. “I mean, he really isn’t so bad. I mean, it’s all talk.” Chase can’t take much more of it, this wondering about House, this second-guessing himself. He sighs and shrugs.
He files the paperwork, pulls out his crossword puzzle.
Maybe he should’ve kissed House that day. Maybe that would have made this all different.
*
Piling Chase into a taxi after too many drinks and they’re both laughing and it’s ridiculously light and funny, but it can’t continue this way, not with another doctor in the office who will ask questions and who will make things difficult. House gently presses a soft kiss to Chase’s lips when the cabbie’s not looking and very quietly, he says:
“I should never have kissed you.”
Mistakes are made, but mistakes can be fixed.
Maybe he should’ve never reached over and kissed him. Maybe it would have been better that way.
End
Fandom: House M.D.
Pairing: House/Chase
Prompt: Choices
Word Count: 1242
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: I hope to god the fonts work on this. A little Sliding Doors inspired piece.
On a lazy Sunday fall afternoon, when the leaves change to golden yellow, burning orange and a reddish brown burnished by the sun, House kisses Chase.
It's the choice he makes.
But it's still a choice.
There are two ways it plays out. One starts with a kiss. The other begins like every other day.
*
House reaches for Chase, his arm wrapped around his neck and his fingers buried in endless locks of blonde hair -- Goldilocks has never looked this good. His other hand goes for Chase's tie and gently tugs him, stumbling into a deeper kiss, Chase's oral fixation doing its job to convince House that Chase could certainly make a living peddling kisses and other oral faire on any street of his choice.
Almost like proof for Chase to hold on to. Yes, he’s hired a gorgeous young ingénue, but Chase won’t be left in the cold. Nimble fingers manage to work that ugly polka-dotted orange and yellow tie loose and then finally, it comes off, tossed to the side like worthless debris.
When it’s over, two more buttons are loosened and all thoughts of gorgeous female doctors are banished for the moment.
“You…”
“Yeah. So, am I going to contract some sort of encephalitis common to Australians or have you had all your shots?”
A grin from Chase. “You…”
House leans over to pick up the tie. “Get decent. Dr. Cameron should be here any moment.”
*
“Dr. Allison Cameron.”
Chase doesn’t bother looking up from his paperwork. House had piled it on him, probably a punishment for a crime he never realized he’d committed. One minute, they were in the office and they were laughing, joking about terminal diseases – it’s House -- and then House was looking at him like the stars in the sky had migrated to his eyes. An uncomfortable thirty seconds later and it was back to normal, like nothing had ever happened.
“This is Dr. Chase, don’t mind him, he’s got a stick up his ass when it comes to new people.” He feels his hair being mussed and he affords a scowl towards House. In glancing up, he gets his first good look at her.
Gorgeous – but he’s pretty too.
Glasses – he’s just as smart.
Vulnerable – she’ll get eaten alive.
“Nice to meet you,” he mumbles.
She beams. “It’s really great to meet you. You can call me Allison.” He clears his throat and barely smiles as he turns his attention back to his paperwork, pen working over the blanks. He can feel House’s gaze on him.
“Nice to meet you, Cameron.”
*
“So, she was pretty,” Chase remarks. He’s too casual to be anything but nosy and insecure. She had been pretty and the gossip around the halls was that the only reason Allison Cameron had been hired was for her looks. Ridiculous.
That’s only half-true.
Then again, a quarter of the reason Chase had been hired was his looks, so the prettiest Australian shouldn’t be complaining.
“Jealous?”
Chase glares at him. “You just hired a beautiful woman!” He goes quiet, but after a moment, the next sound that comes from him is a quiet, “yes.”
Good, House thinks, but would never say. If Chase is jealous and insecure, then he’s more likely to fight for what he wants, prove how much he wants it. “Dr. Chase, are you worried that this will affect our working relationship?”
Chase asks the right question: “Will this keep working?” He’s a smart kid. Two years under House’s wind and he’ll be the genius he’s rumored to be.
“I guess that depends how much effort you put into it.” House leans forward for a Vicodin, breaking it in half and swallowing it down with a glass of water. He eyes Chase curiously for some kind of reaction and the only thing he sees is a sort of steely determination. Good. It’s good to know that Chase is willing to put up a fight.
Chase nods. “We done here, then?”
“Yeah. Come back with the lab results later.”
*
“So, what’s he like?” Cameron asks curiously, watching House through the glass of the wall. Chase is busy researching symptoms, wondering exactly what kind of signals those had been earlier. “I mean, there are rumours…”
“They’re mostly true,” Chase interrupts, barely more than a mumble. He’s talking around the pen in his mouth and he wonders why it doesn’t sate the fixation these days. Suddenly, he’s left wondering if maybe he’d like something else to nibble and suck on. Out of habit, he glances to House, just to make sure he isn’t in trouble, at least, not yet. Cameron seems to be looking everywhere at once, like a fawn in a new environment. “Just stay harmless and he might not harm you.”
“What” Cameron asks, amused. “He’s more afraid of you than you are of him?”
“Pretty sure that’s just bears,” Chase responds wryly.
“And I’m a bear of a guy.” Chase glances up and finds House standing in the doorway.
Now, he’s in trouble.
*
Chase returns with the lab results in his hands and a lollipop from the clinic in his mouth. It’s red because Chase is a little bit of blush and some eyeshadow away from looking like a drag queen. “Good news.”
“He’s badly sick?”
Chase snorts. “Actually, yeah. Just not Alzheimer’s.” He hands over the test results and House studies them for a little until he realizes that Chase hasn’t moved, in fact, he seems to be waiting expectantly.
“What?”
“It’s Friday.”
Ah, yes. Fridays. Before he’d begun the hiring process, Friday’s were a designated boys’ night out. House, Wilson, and Chase went to the local sports bar and got drunk – or something similar. House notices that Chase seems slightly nervous.
“Chase.” He freezes – goes absolutely still. “Don’t worry. It’s boys’ night out. I doubt Dr. Cameron will chance the cooties.” Chase doesn’t move, so maybe that isn’t what he wants. “Chase,” he prods. “What flavor is that lollipop?”
That earns him a brilliant grin. Bingo.
“Find out.”
Such a thing shouldn’t be an idle suggestion. House leans forward, gripping his cane hard and easing his other hand to yank Chase forward and into a demanding, rough kiss.
Strawberry.
Nice.
*
“He’s all bark and no bite, isn’t he?” Cameron asks. She’s implicated herself on House’s mail, not like House is going to complain. He hates answering his emails. “I mean, he really isn’t so bad. I mean, it’s all talk.” Chase can’t take much more of it, this wondering about House, this second-guessing himself. He sighs and shrugs.
He files the paperwork, pulls out his crossword puzzle.
Maybe he should’ve kissed House that day. Maybe that would have made this all different.
*
Piling Chase into a taxi after too many drinks and they’re both laughing and it’s ridiculously light and funny, but it can’t continue this way, not with another doctor in the office who will ask questions and who will make things difficult. House gently presses a soft kiss to Chase’s lips when the cabbie’s not looking and very quietly, he says:
“I should never have kissed you.”
Mistakes are made, but mistakes can be fixed.
Maybe he should’ve never reached over and kissed him. Maybe it would have been better that way.
End
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This feels really different from your other stuff, but it still works oh so wonderfully well. I like the pace and there's no need to go into how you write House and Chase (because you've done it spot on everytime)!
Uhm... nope, got nothing worthwhile to really say, 'cept that this is another great fic. :)
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“Don’t worry. It’s boys’ night out. I doubt Dr. Cameron will chance the cooties.” - that really just needs to be in a House script someday...
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Thank you for reading!