May. 24th, 2006 10:42 pm
Title: The Psychiatrist and the Pauper
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lovely_ambitionTitle: The Psychiatrist and the Pauper
Fandom: House MD/Fantastic Four
Characters: Robert Chase, Johnny Storm
Prompt: 034. Not Enough
Word Count: 1,003
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Part of a universe in which Chase/Johnny Storm will happen. This takes part before House MD begins. Many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
metaphoracle for the idea.
Johnny couldn't get that stupid lawyer's words out of his head. There was just no damn way that the Fantastic Four were broke. He walked home after a long flight to get the pissed-off feelings to die down. They could not just be broke. He was still disgruntled when he stormed up to the top-floor apartment he and Rob kept and nearly slammed the door open.
Rob was sitting on the couch with a heavy textbook in his lap, reading glasses on his face and earbuds to Johnny's iPod in his ears, bopping along to some music.
And okay, so Johnny wasn't made of stone, because a little bit of the rage died away and hey, his boyfriend in reading glasses and the hair slightly mussed was one of the sexiest things on the planet. He took a deep breath and wandered closer, picking up the 800-page textbook and dropping it unceremoniously on the floor, replacing it with Johnny's head in Rob's lap.
Rob let out a small noise of protest, but took out the earbuds and immediately took to rubbing Johnny's back. "Did the mean kids point and laugh at you again?" he teased gently.
Johnny just grunted in reply.
Rob seemed to get it. "So it's a real problem. Okay. Uh…no acting gigs? No more endorsement deals. Sue made fun of your hair? Am I getting close?"
Another grunt.
Rob leaned down and kissed Johnny's temple. "This'll go faster if you just tell me," he confided. Johnny sat up and leaned back against the couch, posture slouched forward as Rob sat beside him, giving him his space. "Johnny?"
"We're broke."
Any smirk or hint of teasing melted off Rob's face and he softened. He pried off the glasses and set them forward on the table under the heavy psychology textbook - which just reminded Johnny of the days when they'd first been sleeping around, with all that studying.
Johnny really hated even just thinking about what no money meant. It meant a job and no more nice dinners and he and Rob were going to have to argue about money and charity and Johnny so hated that. He settled in, just letting Rob run his fingers through his hair. He turned and smiled up at him, happy to see him so relaxed. It had been nearly a year since that near-death thing and Sue and Reed had had a kid in the meantime - apparently, Sue had already been five months pregnant when Johnny was still in the dark about it.
"We're broke," Johnny confessed. "All the money's gone. Accountant ripped us off."
Rob, after four years with Johnny, had become very good about reading Johnny's moods and he didn't say a word, just listened.
"I need a job and money and you are not covering for me," Johnny warned. Rob didn't protest, though he did make a face. "Guess I could go back into acting." And then Rob made yet another face at that. "Okay, doctor big shot, what am I supposed to do?" Rob just laughed warmly and kissed Johnny on the temple.
"Go see the others," he said patiently. "Get your game plan, then find a job." He gently lifted Johnny from his lap in order to stand. "I've got classes and midterms…"
"Which you'll ace, genius," Johnny muttered.
"…so I won't really be around." Chase held out a pan of what looked like a casserole to Johnny. "Don't forget to eat. And I'm going to bed." That was Johnny's cue to push himself up and accompany Rob, arms draped around his hips. Rob leaned right back into the touch. "You'll be fine for money. I've got enough in savings to keep us afloat." Johnny nipped at Rob's neck.
"No, I'll find a job."
"Not acting," Chase clarified, even as Johnny gently eased him into bed.
Johnny grumbled. "Fine. Not acting."
Rob fell asleep before him that night because with a myriad of persistent thoughts, Johnny never did fall asleep.
*
Johnny had, in fact, wound up going to a few auditions when he was sure that Rob was off writing his midterms. He just hadn't expected the unprecedented reaction.
"No."
"No."
"Sorry, kid."
"Hey, will you go to prom with my daughter? Oh, and sorry, we decided to go older."
Johnny sat on the stoop of the apartment building, dejected, when he came b y it, the notice on the telephone pole. He yanked the number off and instantly knew it was perfect. The New York Fire Department. Johnny grinned and allowed a small flame to appear in his palm. "Flame on. Awesome."
He bounded up the stairs instead of using the elevator - he needed to get in shape - and pushed into the penthouse to find Rob cooking - apparently, not everyone had an older sister to do it for them. Johnny sat to find a cucumber salad and some shrimp pasta already on the table. When Rob got close enough, Johnny yanked him into his lap and kissed him fervently.
Rob eased away, nose wrinkled. "You're covered in sweat," he protested.
"I'm going to be a firefighter!" Johnny announced gleefully.
Rob eased away and studied Johnny for a good, long moment. "Really?"
"Really," Johnny promised. He let Rob up and let himself be studied, then kissed, then kissed again. "I'll start training and take the test and I'll save lives." He dug into the food on the table, grateful for a pre-made, awesome meal. "Plus, fire? Total breeze. They'll love having me."
"Anyone would," Rob agreed with a large smile. "But mostly, I love having you." Johnny arched an eyebrow at the 'mostly'. "When you're not using up all the hot water," Rob finished. He leaned over to serve them both. "Just promise to let me watch you soap down the truck. And I want copies if you ever do any calendars."
Johnny just grinned, settling in and enjoying a good dinner with Rob. Money totally wasn't everything after all. Too bad their asshole accountant was never going to learn that. Well, maybe one day he would, in a nice jail cell with a new best friend named Tiny.
Until then, Johnny could so live like this.
THE END
Fandom: House MD/Fantastic Four
Characters: Robert Chase, Johnny Storm
Prompt: 034. Not Enough
Word Count: 1,003
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Part of a universe in which Chase/Johnny Storm will happen. This takes part before House MD begins. Many thanks to
metaphoracle for the idea.Johnny couldn't get that stupid lawyer's words out of his head. There was just no damn way that the Fantastic Four were broke. He walked home after a long flight to get the pissed-off feelings to die down. They could not just be broke. He was still disgruntled when he stormed up to the top-floor apartment he and Rob kept and nearly slammed the door open.
Rob was sitting on the couch with a heavy textbook in his lap, reading glasses on his face and earbuds to Johnny's iPod in his ears, bopping along to some music.
And okay, so Johnny wasn't made of stone, because a little bit of the rage died away and hey, his boyfriend in reading glasses and the hair slightly mussed was one of the sexiest things on the planet. He took a deep breath and wandered closer, picking up the 800-page textbook and dropping it unceremoniously on the floor, replacing it with Johnny's head in Rob's lap.
Rob let out a small noise of protest, but took out the earbuds and immediately took to rubbing Johnny's back. "Did the mean kids point and laugh at you again?" he teased gently.
Johnny just grunted in reply.
Rob seemed to get it. "So it's a real problem. Okay. Uh…no acting gigs? No more endorsement deals. Sue made fun of your hair? Am I getting close?"
Another grunt.
Rob leaned down and kissed Johnny's temple. "This'll go faster if you just tell me," he confided. Johnny sat up and leaned back against the couch, posture slouched forward as Rob sat beside him, giving him his space. "Johnny?"
"We're broke."
Any smirk or hint of teasing melted off Rob's face and he softened. He pried off the glasses and set them forward on the table under the heavy psychology textbook - which just reminded Johnny of the days when they'd first been sleeping around, with all that studying.
Johnny really hated even just thinking about what no money meant. It meant a job and no more nice dinners and he and Rob were going to have to argue about money and charity and Johnny so hated that. He settled in, just letting Rob run his fingers through his hair. He turned and smiled up at him, happy to see him so relaxed. It had been nearly a year since that near-death thing and Sue and Reed had had a kid in the meantime - apparently, Sue had already been five months pregnant when Johnny was still in the dark about it.
"We're broke," Johnny confessed. "All the money's gone. Accountant ripped us off."
Rob, after four years with Johnny, had become very good about reading Johnny's moods and he didn't say a word, just listened.
"I need a job and money and you are not covering for me," Johnny warned. Rob didn't protest, though he did make a face. "Guess I could go back into acting." And then Rob made yet another face at that. "Okay, doctor big shot, what am I supposed to do?" Rob just laughed warmly and kissed Johnny on the temple.
"Go see the others," he said patiently. "Get your game plan, then find a job." He gently lifted Johnny from his lap in order to stand. "I've got classes and midterms…"
"Which you'll ace, genius," Johnny muttered.
"…so I won't really be around." Chase held out a pan of what looked like a casserole to Johnny. "Don't forget to eat. And I'm going to bed." That was Johnny's cue to push himself up and accompany Rob, arms draped around his hips. Rob leaned right back into the touch. "You'll be fine for money. I've got enough in savings to keep us afloat." Johnny nipped at Rob's neck.
"No, I'll find a job."
"Not acting," Chase clarified, even as Johnny gently eased him into bed.
Johnny grumbled. "Fine. Not acting."
Rob fell asleep before him that night because with a myriad of persistent thoughts, Johnny never did fall asleep.
*
Johnny had, in fact, wound up going to a few auditions when he was sure that Rob was off writing his midterms. He just hadn't expected the unprecedented reaction.
"No."
"No."
"Sorry, kid."
"Hey, will you go to prom with my daughter? Oh, and sorry, we decided to go older."
Johnny sat on the stoop of the apartment building, dejected, when he came b y it, the notice on the telephone pole. He yanked the number off and instantly knew it was perfect. The New York Fire Department. Johnny grinned and allowed a small flame to appear in his palm. "Flame on. Awesome."
He bounded up the stairs instead of using the elevator - he needed to get in shape - and pushed into the penthouse to find Rob cooking - apparently, not everyone had an older sister to do it for them. Johnny sat to find a cucumber salad and some shrimp pasta already on the table. When Rob got close enough, Johnny yanked him into his lap and kissed him fervently.
Rob eased away, nose wrinkled. "You're covered in sweat," he protested.
"I'm going to be a firefighter!" Johnny announced gleefully.
Rob eased away and studied Johnny for a good, long moment. "Really?"
"Really," Johnny promised. He let Rob up and let himself be studied, then kissed, then kissed again. "I'll start training and take the test and I'll save lives." He dug into the food on the table, grateful for a pre-made, awesome meal. "Plus, fire? Total breeze. They'll love having me."
"Anyone would," Rob agreed with a large smile. "But mostly, I love having you." Johnny arched an eyebrow at the 'mostly'. "When you're not using up all the hot water," Rob finished. He leaned over to serve them both. "Just promise to let me watch you soap down the truck. And I want copies if you ever do any calendars."
Johnny just grinned, settling in and enjoying a good dinner with Rob. Money totally wasn't everything after all. Too bad their asshole accountant was never going to learn that. Well, maybe one day he would, in a nice jail cell with a new best friend named Tiny.
Until then, Johnny could so live like this.
THE END
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