A Slow Burn, Wilson/Chase, NC-17
Title: A Slow Burn
Pairing: Chase/OMC, Wilson/Chase
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Wilson isn’t interested in Chase. Which is good, because Chase certainly isn’t interested in Wilson.
Another day at Princeton-Plainsboro, another death. Chase sighed heavily and sat down at one of the outside chairs in the cafeteria, pulling his lab coat close around him. He would never get used to Jersey weather. And he prayed he never got used to telling parents that their child was dead.
He’d been helping out in the ER when a busload of schoolchildren was brought in after their bus skidded off the road and hit the side of a bridge. Six hours later and three of the fifteen were dead, eight more in serious conditions, the others stable. Chase’s expertise had called him away from the latest Diagnostics case for most of the morning and he had had the unfortunate task of shepherding two med students whilst trying to save the children’s lives and then breaking the news to the parents. They’d dealt with it as best as could be expected; tears certainly, but no histrionics, for which Chase was grateful, he was never sure how much comfort was appropriate to give in these situations.
He heard footsteps behind him but thankfully no tapping of a cane and so he ignored the other person, willing them to leave him alone.
“Chase?”
Chase frowned; he hadn’t expected Wilson out here. “Dr Wilson,” he replied politely, not inviting him to sit, but not turning him away either. Wilson hesitated for a moment and then sat down. He had never really had a conversation with Chase before, not even when it had only been Chase in Diagnostics and the burden of talking to the patients and their families fell on House’s youngest fellow. Those three weeks after two of House’s previous fellows had both stormed out and only Chase remained had seemed like an eternity of interviews and Vicodin-popping. He was glad that this team had managed to last this long, amazed that Chase had made it nearly two years without once threatening to walk out, and impressed that the team were each penetrating their boss’ shields, despite his best efforts.
After a few moments Chase’s eyes slid over to Wilson who was now seated on the opposite side of the table, also facing out to the parking lot. He began to wonder if House had sent him out here to check up on him, but almost as quickly dismissed that as blatantly ridiculous. “Was there anything you wanted?” he asked the oncologist.
Startled from his reverie Wilson moved so that he was directly facing the other man. “I saw how you handled yourself in there…I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m not Cameron,” Chase replied. Wilson lips quivered into a half-smile.
“No breasts for one…” came a familiar drawl as House loomed over the two men. Chase rolled his eyes and Wilson smiled. “This looks very cosy…Are you cheating on me James?”
Wilson glared at him. “Well, Chase does have a very pretty mouth.”
Chase blushed slightly. “I still have five minutes of my break.”
“Maybe you could take the rest of the day off?” Wilson suggested.
“No,” House and Chase both said at the same time.
“I’m fine.”
“See, he’s fine,” House replied, narrowing his eyes at Wilson.
“I’m going to see if the others need a hand,” Chase informed them, standing up quickly and moving around House and his cane. House watched Wilson as he studiously did not watch Chase leave.
“What was that about?” House asked, leaning against his cane as he popped a couple of Vicodin. He knew this was going to one of those conversations.
“What was what about?” Wilson asked, not having to try too hard to feign annoyance. He stood up and began to walk back to his office. House followed and Wilson automatically slowed down so that they were in step.
“You…and the wombat.”
“What are you talking about?” Wilson asked. He and House stepped into the elevator and House pressed the stop button before they’d gone two floors. Wilson sighed and leaned back against the wall.
“I’m talking about you drooling over Chase.”
“I don’t drool.”
“Like you don’t flirt with anything on two legs?”
“Bite me,” Wilson murmured, though there was no force behind his words.
“Ooh, is that what you’re going to ask Chase to do?” House smirked.
“He’s been telling parents their kids have died all morning, I was just checking up on him.”
“He’s my fellow, that’s my job.”
“Since when have you cared about him?”
“I care…” Wilson shot him a look. “I do. He said he was fine.”
“Yeah. He’s fine. So, end of story.”
“Don’t start anything,” House warned him, serious now. Wilson opened his eyes fully and looked House in the eyes, and then had to turn away from what he saw there.
“I’m not…”
“I know you, James, I know that look. He’s damaged enough as it is. He doesn’t need you to break him.”
“Of course not, that’s what you’re there for.”
“Exactly.” House started the elevator again with a flick of his cane and the two men continued up to Diagnostics in silence.
As they reached the right floor just before the doors opened House observed, “Julie will never forgive you if you cheat on her again,” and sauntered out of the elevator. Wilson stayed put for a moment and then had to squeeze between the closing doors. He followed House into his office, glancing over to the other room where he could see Foreman, Cameron and Chase laughing and packing up to leave. The sight took his breath away; he hadn’t seen the three of them that happy in each other’s presence since…well, a long time if he couldn’t even think of an example. House turned around and saw where Wilson was looking. With a mischievous tilt to his head House went over to the connecting door and poked his head round.
“Be in an hour early tomorrow.”
“Why?” asked Foreman.
“It’ll make me happy.”
Foreman snorted, Chase glanced at the others and shrugged and Cameron smiled. So different and yet so in synch, Wilson mused.
House turned back to Wilson and his fellows hurried out, presumably to lunch now that their patient was on the way to recovery. Wilson took a deep breath. He could do one of two things here, pretend to be paged, or talk to House. Tempting as the first idea was he also knew that House would see right through it.
“Julie filed for divorce. Four weeks ago.”
House popped a Vicodin. “Oh? She find out about you and the intern? Or the accountant? Or…”
“You don’t have to make it sound so…”
“…sordid?”
“…pathological.”
“It was a list. List’s by their very nature are neither one thing or the other.”
Wilson frowned. “What does that even mean?”
House shrugged. “Dunno, but it sounded pretty good in my head. You want one?” He took out a couple of glasses and a half empty bottle of whiskey.
“It’s one in the afternoon.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Wilson didn’t correct him as he poured out two generous glasses and he found himself downing it in one. House raised an eyebrow before doing the same.
“Little early for that, isn’t it?” asked Cameron as she entered the room, hair swinging behind her.
“Uh-huh. Busted!” House mock whispered. Wilson grinned. “What do you want?”
“Cuddy has a patient she wants us to look at.” She held up the file she was carrying and House’s glance took in her disapproving glare at the bottle, as well as Foreman and Chase’s entrance. Chase’s eyes flitted towards the bottle but away just as quickly. Foreman outright stared at it.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Wilson replied to break the silence. He got up and left for his office, painfully aware that everyone was staring at his retreating back.
=================
The next day found Chase once more in the cafeteria, though this time he had chosen a warmer seat right next to the radiator. He was idly sipping at his coffee and examining what appeared to be eggs on his plate. Deciding that he could function on coffee alone he was startled when Dr Wilson sat down at the next table.
“Dr Wilson?” Chase asked tentatively once he realised that Wilson was not in fact ignoring him but hadn’t noticed his presence at all.
Wilson looked up at Chase in surprise and then moved to sit next to him. “Sorry, sleep-walking.”
Chase smiled. “Were you on call last night?”
“No.”
Chase waited and when nothing further was said took a sip of lukewarm coffee.
“Late night with House,” Wilson finally offered.
“Oh. Was it worth it?”
“It never is.”
Chase didn’t know how to take that so he remained silent, staring into his coffee.
“Did you…do anything interesting last night?” Wilson asked, wondering why it was suddenly so hard to strike up a conversation. Other than the ridiculous amount of alcohol he’d imbibed in the last day or two, obviously.
“Oh, you know, the usual,” Chase replied noncommittally. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to talk to anyone about that or not.
“Right.”
Oh, to hell with it Chase thought. “Dr Wilson, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“If an ex rang you and said they were coming into town and wanted to see you, would you?”
“Well, I suppose that would depend on how it ended the first time. How invested you were in the relationship…”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Did you break it off?”
Chase glanced up. “Um, yeah, I did.”
“And you’re having second thoughts?”
“Um, yeah. No. I…I’m sorry Dr Wilson, I should never have brought it up. I should get up to the Office…”
Chase started to get up but Wilson stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. Chase froze.
“There’s no need to rush off, you have at least fifteen minutes.”
Chase sat down again and gently shrugged off Wilson’s arm. They sat in silence for another minute, each trying to work out what to say; somehow Chase’s first thought of so, do you come here often? didn’t seem appropriate. They were stopped from the hassle of trying to come up with a conversation by the arrival of Cameron and Foreman, who had both decided on breakfast at work this morning.
“Hey,” Cameron said, sitting down next to Chase while Foreman sat next to Wilson. “You’re in early.”
“Yeah, well, I’m avoiding my answer phone,” Chase admitted. Foreman raised an eyebrow - it wasn’t often that Chase volunteered information.
“Anyone in particular?” Cameron asked.
“Old boyfriend.”
Wilson nearly choked on his coffee. Cameron smiled and Foreman rolled his eyes. “Are you all right, Dr Wilson?” Cameron asked.
“Um, yes. Sorry….I didn’t realise,” Wilson waved his hand in Chase’s direction. Chase shrugged. He’d let slip to Cameron and Foreman the night after they’d dealt with the dominatrix and Foreman had taken to mentioning it whenever the three of them went out after work, though had so far restrained himself from mentioning it in front of House.
“Didn’t realise what? That that tie and shirt don’t go together…but oh, that’s every day isn’t it Dr Chase?”
Chase smiled as House loomed above them, idly considering whether House was lurking around the cafeteria for a reason.
“Nothing,” Wilson replied, whether to save himself the embarrassment or Chase he wasn’t sure. But even as he said it he knew that if House pushed he would spill his guts.
“Uh-huh,” House replied, clearly not believing a word. “Come on people, we have patients to cure, diseases to hunt down…”
All four of them seated at the table looked up at House with the same confused expression on their faces. Either House was drunk, or high, or possibly both.
“What? Come on, I’m not paying you to sit around here all day.”
“Actually, you’re not paying us at all,” Foreman pointed out, even as the ducklings all got up and did as House said.
“And yet you obey my every command. Must be love.” This last remark he shot at Wilson over his shoulder. Wilson resolutely remained seated. “You not coming?”
“I don’t work for you.”
“Huh, who’d have thunk it?”
Wilson watched House parade out with his ducklings draped behind him. As they turned out of the cafeteria he caught Chase turn around and give him a calculating look before heading out. Hmm.
============
Wilson was talking to a young doctor who had just brought in a patient to oncology for a second opinion. They were discussing a new clinical trial being pioneered by one of Wilson’s colleagues when Foreman popped his head round the door.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Foreman told him, not even pretending to sound genuinely sorry, “but House needs a consult.” And without waiting for Wilson to respond he disappeared. Wilson sighed.
“Look, I’m sorry about this Dr. Hawthorne, but I really do need to follow this up.”
“Of course. That was the Dr House he was referring to, wasn’t it?”
Wilson nodded. “The one and only.”
“I don’t suppose I could meet him, could I?”
Wilson looked slightly surprised but nodded all the same. “Of course, his office is next door.”
They got up and walked round to the Diagnostics Office. The whiteboard was already full of House’s scrawl and House was talking animatedly to his three fellows who were seated around the desk.
As they entered the team looked up from their places and Chase stood up. “Michael?”
“Hey, Rob,” the other man replied, taking Chase into a hug which lasted a little too long.
“I’ll take a stab and say you two know each other?” House asked.
“Yeah, we were…at med school together,” Chase replied.
“In the Biblical sense, obviously,” Michael added. Chase frowned and House smirked. Every one else just looked uncomfortable.
“I thought you were in Nepal?”
“Got kind of boring. Besides, I did say I’d be in town soon.”
“I guess.” Chase smiled and seemed genuinely relaxed, noticeably different than when his father had made an unannounced visit.
“Huh, well, this isn’t awkward at all,” House complained.
Chase glanced over at Cameron then Michael and finally at House. “I can be nice to people I’ve slept with. I am that good.”
House actually smirked at that and Wilson wondered when House and Chase had started having private jokes.
“Well, now we’ve got the fun out of the way. Differentials…Dr Wilson, if you would.” House motioned towards the board and Chase handed Wilson the patient’s file, their fingers brushing ever so accidentally.
Several hours later, after one mis-diagnosis and one trip to the OR the patient Wilson had consulted on was getting steadily worse. He had had to postpone his meeting with Michael Hawthorne by an hour, and then indefinitely, but Michael had offered his help, which was why he was sitting in the Diagnostics Office as Foreman and Chase rattled off diseases as if they were reciting the alphabet and Cameron was scribbling them on the board, adding her own as she went. Michael remained silent, clearly impressed, and just as clearly checking Chase out. Wilson coughed to let them know he was there.
“Where’s House?”
“Avoiding Cuddy,” Foreman supplied with the requisite eye-roll. Wilson smiled.
“Of course. Well, I’ve got a free moment if you’d like to continue our earlier conversation, Dr Hawthorne?”
“Oh, sure. See you guys later.”
They all smiled at the other man as he walked out, fingers gently running across Chase’s shoulder as he walked past. Chase blushed what Wilson could only think of as a delicate shade of pink.
Wilson couldn’t explain the feeling that settled in his stomach when he watched Chase return Michael’s inquisitive stares, or when Michael casually mentioned something that he and Chase had done together. He really wished House hadn’t talked to him about Chase, now all he could think about was the other man. He was not interested. At all. Not even a little bit.
And yet when Michael mentioned that he was staying at Chase’s apartment Wilson straightened up in his chair. “That won’t be…awkward?”
“It’s hardly the first time Rob and I have shared a place,” Michael replied.
“No. I suppose not. Well, this has been enlightening. I’ll check in on Mr Wilcox again in the morning, and talk to Patterson about getting him on this new drug combination. Results so far are looking promising.”
“Great. Thank you Dr Wilson. I better go see what Rob’s plans are.”
Wilson nodded absently as the other man left his office. “I’m not interested,” Wilson murmured under his breath, but he was having a hard time believing himself.
=========
That night, while Wilson was nursing a beer in the bare apartment he had rented, and ignoring the flashing of his answer machine, Chase and Michael were sprawled on the sofa in Chase’s apartment, surrounded by boxes of take out.
“I was sorry to hear about your dad,” Michael said. Chase froze. “He was an annoying prick, but still.”
“Thanks,” Chase replied.
“Sorry, I just thought I’d get that out there so we could move on.”
“Is that what we’re doing, moving on?” Chase queried, eyes darting down to his thigh where Michael’s hand was resting.
“Well, I’d rather be moving up,” Michael admitted, his hand doing just that. Chase’s breath hitched slightly.
“Michael,” he growled.
“God I love the sounds you make….”
“Michael…”
But whatever Chase was going to retort was cut short as Michael pushed Chase back and began kissing him as if his survival depended on the taste of Chase’s mouth. Chase hesitated briefly before allowing himself to be kissed and fondled. His eyes slid shut, and he moaned; Michael knew exactly where to touch Chase to have him squirming beneath him. But…
“Michael, I can’t.” Chase pushed Michael gently off him. “I can’t.”
“Why not? You’re single. I’m single. I’m clean…”
“Really?”
“Yes. That’s why we broke up, and now…”
“That’s not the only reason,” Chase frowned. God how he hated these conversations. Life was so much simpler when you didn’t care. Maybe he should take a leaf out of House’s book and start hiring hookers instead.
“Robert, I know…”
“I’m going to go to bed,” Chase replied, cutting him off. “You’re welcome to stay on the couch. I’ll get you some blankets.”
“Is there someone else?”
“It wouldn’t be any of your business if there were.”
“It’s Wilson isn’t it?”
Chase turned around so fast he nearly lost his balance. “Wilson? What on earth? Why would you think that?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Like he wants to eat you up.”
“Well, thanks for that image,” Chase muttered, putting his hand through his hair.
“So it isn’t him?”
“There is no one. Okay. Least of all Wilson.”
Michael nodded, apparently satisfied and Chase headed into the bathroom to get out the blankets. He caught a look at himself in the mirror. “I don’t like Wilson,” he told his reflection, but it didn’t look convinced.
Michael followed him into the room, “I thought I heard you say something?”
“Hmm. Oh, no I was just…talking to myself.”
“Look, I do appreciate you doing all this,” Michael told him, taking the blankets from him. “How about I buy you dinner to say thanks? Tomorrow night good with you?”
Chase opened his mouth to refuse, but instead found himself agreeing. “That would be nice, yeah. Chance for us to catch up.” Because I’m not interested in Wilson.
“Great. Well, good night.”
“Yeah. Good night.” Not interested at all.
===========
The next day, after their patient was successfully diagnosed, the ducklings were packing up their things while House and Wilson were discussing Stacy. Foreman suggested that the three of them went out for dinner, since with one thing and another, they hadn’t had a chance to hang out after work for a while. Cameron agreed straight away but Chase hesitated.
“I’ve actually…got a date, tonight.”
Foreman stared at him. “Oh, really?”
Chase glared. “Yes, really. So thanks but.”
“With Michael?” Cameron asked.
“Yes, with Michael. All right.”
Wilson looked over at them and then away again, avoiding House’s gaze as he pretended to be absorbed by the file in front of him. House walked over to the door to his own office and motioned for Wilson to follow, which he reluctantly did. The three fellows paid the two men no attention as Chase was more intent on trying to deflect Cameron’s questions.
“Can you actually hear yourself?” he snapped.
“I was only taking an interest.”
“Well, go hassle House or something.”
“Think he’s a bit busy,” Cameron remarked, glancing over to where House and Wilson appeared to be having an argument.
“Well, that’s never good,” Foreman observed.
Inside the office Wilson was trying to contain his growing anger. “I don’t see what this has got to do with you.”
“What distracts Chase from doing his job tends to have severe consequences for me. As you may have noticed.”
“I’m not distracting Chase,” Wilson replied.
“Not yet. Just stay away from him.”
“What?”
“This is not going to end well.”
“You never pay any attention to me, why should I listen to you?”
“Ah-hah! So you are going after Chase.”
Wilson rolled his eyes and pushed his hand through his hair in frustration. He pondered, not for the first time, why exactly he remained friends with House.
“If you’re just trying to get laid I can give you some numbers.”
“I’m not trying to get laid.”
House raised an eyebrow and considered Wilson’s expression. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Wilson actually had, shudder, feelings for Chase.
“Come on.” House walked into Diagnostics and put his cane in front of Chase to stop him leaving the room.
“Hey!”
“I’m buying the Department dinner, plus Wilson, obviously. Tonight. Get your coats on.”
“Our coats are on,” Foreman replied.
“Good.”
“I have a date,” Chase reminded him petulantly.
“Not tonight you don’t.”
“I’m not…”
“You’ll do as you’re told.”
Chase started to splutter when Foreman came to his rescue. “I’m bringing a date, so Chase can too.”
“Fine,” House snapped. “But you’re paying for them.”
House limped out of the office, expecting the others to follow. With much grumbling under the breath they did so, Wilson the last of all to leave. “This is going to be a complete disaster,” he told no one in particular.
==========
Seated around the table at the Chinese restaurant near the hospital, House was in his element. Everyone was chatting and eating and apart from the occasional barb thrown at them by House, they were all getting along well. Disturbingly so.
For instance, House had learnt that Foreman hated squid; that the ducklings went out at least once a week, mainly to rant about House; that Chase had told the others about his father at a drinking session last month; that it was possible to make Chase blush as much as Cameron; that everybody lies…oh, but he already knew that.
House glanced up as Chase re-took his seat between Cameron and Wilson, tucking his cell phone back in his pocket as he did so.
“So, where’s lover boy?” House asked, rolling his r’s. Chase’s eyes threatened to get stuck in the back of his head.
“He’s not coming.”
Wilson deliberately ignored House noticing him straighten up. Cameron was the picture of concern as she asked what they were all thinking, “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” Everyone continued to stare at him. “He’s gone to the airport.” More stares. “His ex rang earlier, they’ve patched things up.”
“I didn’t know he’d just split up…” Cameron began.
“Yeah, well, he has. So.” Chase picked up his wineglass and downed it in one go, an obvious sign that he didn’t want to continue this conversation. House, naturally, had other ideas.
“But you did at least get laid, right?”
Chase glared at him from between strands of hair.
“Uh-huh, you didn’t? Aw, feeling a little…frustrated? I know a man who could help with that…”
“Oh, that an offer?” Chase replied, eyes glittering dangerously.
“Puh-lease, you couldn’t afford me,” House responded.
“I’m sure Cameron and Foreman would chip in for a good cause,” Chase replied, deliberately leaving Wilson out of it. House smiled ferally.
“All right - $10,000 and I’m all yours.”
Foreman shook his head in disbelief. “You’re both out of your minds.”
“Jealous?” House asked. Cameron and Foreman shared a bemused look as Wilson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Chase had evidently had enough himself as he poured another glass of wine. “Trying to join Mommy dearest?”
Chase froze and put the glass back down on the table. “Fuck. You.” Cameron gasped as Chase stood up, knocking his chair to the floor and marched out of the restaurant.
“What the hell?” Foreman asked, glaring at House.
“What does his Mom have to do with anything?” Cameron asked.
“Drank herself to death,” House replied absently, watching Chase slam the restaurant door on his way out - that would hurt in the morning.
“This is exactly why I don’t take you anywhere,” Wilson told him, throwing some money onto the table and walking after Chase. Foreman and Cameron did the same, Foreman leaving first with his rather bemused date as Cameron hesitated, standing above House.
“This was supposed to be a nice night out,” she began. “We were enjoying ourselves. But you just can’t help yourself, can you? The minute we start getting along you have to rip one of us apart so we go right back to hating you. Is it so hard to believe that we enjoy your company? Or would you rather be alone and lonely?”
“It’s possible to be alone and not lonely,” House replied.
“Yeah, well tell me when you learn how,” Cameron said, picking up her bag and walking away, leaving House staring down at his half eaten food.
“Hey,” he shouted, “what’s a guy got to do to get a drink around here?”
====
The next day it’s business as usual, the ducklings are seated around the conference table, coffee mugs within easy reach; Cameron’s reading aloud from a patient’s file as they wait for House to wander in. Twenty minutes pass before Cameron starts to write on the whiteboard herself. Another fifteen of differentials before they head their separate ways; Cameron to take a history, Chase and Foreman to set up some tests. Another hour and a half before House wanders in to an empty office, reads Cameron’s girly script and goes off to find Wilson, confident that his ducklings can handle things for the moment - even if he’d never tell them that.
House finds Wilson unsurprisingly, in his office, and talking to a patient. House waits patiently for the count of five before walking in.
“I’m with a patient,” Wilson points out unnecessarily.
“Terribly sorry,” House pronounces in a worse English accent than Wilson’s Australian, “but there’s an emergency I need your assistance with, what?”
Wilson rolls his eyes but for once he was giving his patient good news, so after a few heartfelt thanks on her part she disappears from sight and he can give House his fullest attention.
“What did you want?” Wilson asked, more snippily than he really felt. Sometimes it did House good to remember that there were other doctors in the building.
“I wanted to see how you were after last night. Awful lot of drinking going on.” House perched on Wilson’s desk, forcing Wilson to get up and sit in the chair his patient had just vacated in order to look House in the face.
“Projecting much?” House shrugged. “You were the one that was doing all the drinking, and the insulting, and the…”
“Yes, yes, I just came to see what you got up to last night. After. With Chase.”
“For God’s sake House, I did not have sex with Chase last night.”
“Pretty sure I would have remembered that,” came an unmistakably Australian voice from the door. Wilson’s head whipped round so fast it would ache for the next three days but House merely smirked and looked up at Chase through mischievous eyes. Cameron, who had been standing behind Chase gave him a calculating look before proceeding to explain that they thought their patient had a tumour and wanted Wilson to have a look at it.
“Chase can take Wilson down, and you can help me.” He pointed his cane at Cameron and then pushed past them into the corridor. Chase and Cameron shrugged at each other and began to follow.
“Chase, a word.” House barked before he had got half way and Cameron was forced to change directions so that they could have a semi-private conversation in the hallway. Wilson watched them for a moment from his office before feeling ridiculous and heading down to the patient himself.
Chase put his hands in his pockets and stared resignedly at his boss; this was not going to be good.
“I don’t want you and Wilson getting involved.”
Yeah, definitely not good. “You…I…what?” Oh brilliant, Robert. Make him think you’re even more of an idiot…oh wait, not possible. “There’s nothing going on between me and Dr Wilson and even if there were you’re my boss not…”
“Your father?” smirked House as Chase silently cursed himself for falling into such an obvious trap.
“I have a patient to go treat…” Chase began to move off but House caught hold of his arm in a surprisingly vice-like grip.
“He will eat you up and spit you out,” House told him, staring straight into his eyes. “And leave you begging for more. It’s not worth it.” Chase tried unsuccessfully to pull himself from House’s grip. “Understand?”
“Let go of me. Now,” Chase replied, face flushed.
“What do you think you’re doing, Doctor House?” came the voice of Chase’s saviour, Doctor Cuddy.
“Just having a word with my subordinate,” House replied smoothly, releasing his grip. Chase pulled his arm away and rubbed at the bruise he could already feel forming.
“Really?” Cuddy asked, clearly not convinced, eyes darting between the two men.
“I have a patient,” Chase murmured and headed away before Cuddy could find out what was going.
“What was that about?”
“Are your breasts perkier today or is that just me?” House asked. Cuddy looked down at herself and then up again, annoyed.
“I want a straight answer from you…”
“Sorry, I only give bent answers. I’m flexible that way. Want to see what I can do with my cane?”
“You can’t go around assaulting your fellows,” Cuddy replied, determined not to become distracted. “If Chase wants to make a complaint…”
“Don’t worry, Chase hasn’t got the balls. Now, some of us have patients to treat. You know, those guys who lie around in bed all day getting sponge bathed.”
Cuddy opened her mouth to retort but House was already moving away from her. With a long suffering sigh she headed to her meeting, scribbling in the margins of her file to call Chase into her office as soon as possible.
======
After Wilson had confirmed their diagnosis he and Chase found themselves heading upstairs in the elevator together. Wilson belatedly realised that this was the first time that they had been alone together in several days.
“Do you think there’s much we can do?” Chase broke the silence first.
“About the patient or House?”
Chase smiled grimly. “I was talking about the patient, but now you mention it…He is becoming a little…obsessive.”
“I know and I’m sorry that’s he dragged you into this. He’s never happier than when he’s meddling in people’s lives. Usually of course there’s a reason…but in this case…” He trailed off and continued looking straight ahead.
Chase nodded. “Right…He’s being completely unreasonable. I mean there’s clearly no attraction,” he waved his hand between himself and Wilson, “none at all.”
“Absolutely,” Wilson agreed.
“Right.”
“None.”
“Nope.”
Both men looked at the other through the corner of their eye and then their eyes drifted over to the emergency stop button. Naturally it was only because the thought was planted in their minds that they were becoming so fixated on that particular button they both silently agreed. That was the only reason why their breathing had become shallow and their limbs felt unusually tense and uncoordinated. Another second of silence went by before Wilson snapped; he pressed the emergency button and then pushed Chase up against the wall. Chase had only the briefest of opportunities to grip surprisingly well-defined biceps before he found another mouth being pressed against his own.
Wilson fought back a smile as Chase moved his arm to pull Wilson against his body, his mouth opening willingly. Chase moved his legs slightly and braced himself against the wall as Wilson pushed into him and their erections rubbed together.
“Oh god,” Chased moaned as Wilson licked along his jaw and his neck, “more.” Wilson obliged, hurriedly unfastening Chase’s trousers and grinning as Chase fumbled with his own until finally Chase’s gentle fingers were massaging his growing erection.
“Harder,” he panted as Chase’s mouth felt upon his neck, biting and sucking. He could feel Chase’s smile and decided to change that by squeezing his cock and rubbing his finger over the tip. Chase exclaimed in surprise and bucked into Wilson’s hands.
“Want you,” Chase murmured and Wilson desperately wished that they were anywhere but this elevator.
“I’d fuck you into the wall if I could,” Wilson panted, “but…”
“This…fine…” Chase panted, praying that Wilson didn’t take his hands away.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Wilson grinned, pushing his cock up against Chase’s, the friction sending shivers down his spine. Both men were sweating and panting heavily, Chase’s shoulder’s aching where he kept being thrust against the wall. Neither of them would last much longer at this pace. Wilson latched his mouth onto Chase’s neck and bit down, hard; that was enough to send Chase over the edge, with Wilson following soon after. Both of them sank down on to the elevator floor, panting hard.
“Guess there was some attraction there after all,” Chase murmured into Wilson’s neck, lightly planting kisses along the other man’s jaw.
“Guess so,” Wilson replied, closing his eyes and taking a moment to regain his momentum.
After a few shaky breaths both men became aware that they were half-naked in a jammed elevator, and that someone must have noticed they were missing by now. “We should…” Wilson motioned towards their dishevelled clothing. Chase blushed and nodded his head, his hair falling in his eyes.
Once dressed both men made sure to stand a suitable distance away from the other and Wilson released the emergency stop button. Moments later the elevator doors opened; House was standing in front of them, leaning on his cane and looking extremely bored.
“Dr House,” Chase greeted him, quickly stepping forward and heading to the right.
“House,” Wilson greeted him, nodding before heading to the left.
House stood where he was for a second, then entered the elevator, an evil smirk dancing across his features. “Oh, this is going to be fun,” he murmured under his breath, before forcibly pressing the down button. “For me, anyway.”
Pairing: Chase/OMC, Wilson/Chase
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Wilson isn’t interested in Chase. Which is good, because Chase certainly isn’t interested in Wilson.
Another day at Princeton-Plainsboro, another death. Chase sighed heavily and sat down at one of the outside chairs in the cafeteria, pulling his lab coat close around him. He would never get used to Jersey weather. And he prayed he never got used to telling parents that their child was dead.
He’d been helping out in the ER when a busload of schoolchildren was brought in after their bus skidded off the road and hit the side of a bridge. Six hours later and three of the fifteen were dead, eight more in serious conditions, the others stable. Chase’s expertise had called him away from the latest Diagnostics case for most of the morning and he had had the unfortunate task of shepherding two med students whilst trying to save the children’s lives and then breaking the news to the parents. They’d dealt with it as best as could be expected; tears certainly, but no histrionics, for which Chase was grateful, he was never sure how much comfort was appropriate to give in these situations.
He heard footsteps behind him but thankfully no tapping of a cane and so he ignored the other person, willing them to leave him alone.
“Chase?”
Chase frowned; he hadn’t expected Wilson out here. “Dr Wilson,” he replied politely, not inviting him to sit, but not turning him away either. Wilson hesitated for a moment and then sat down. He had never really had a conversation with Chase before, not even when it had only been Chase in Diagnostics and the burden of talking to the patients and their families fell on House’s youngest fellow. Those three weeks after two of House’s previous fellows had both stormed out and only Chase remained had seemed like an eternity of interviews and Vicodin-popping. He was glad that this team had managed to last this long, amazed that Chase had made it nearly two years without once threatening to walk out, and impressed that the team were each penetrating their boss’ shields, despite his best efforts.
After a few moments Chase’s eyes slid over to Wilson who was now seated on the opposite side of the table, also facing out to the parking lot. He began to wonder if House had sent him out here to check up on him, but almost as quickly dismissed that as blatantly ridiculous. “Was there anything you wanted?” he asked the oncologist.
Startled from his reverie Wilson moved so that he was directly facing the other man. “I saw how you handled yourself in there…I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m not Cameron,” Chase replied. Wilson lips quivered into a half-smile.
“No breasts for one…” came a familiar drawl as House loomed over the two men. Chase rolled his eyes and Wilson smiled. “This looks very cosy…Are you cheating on me James?”
Wilson glared at him. “Well, Chase does have a very pretty mouth.”
Chase blushed slightly. “I still have five minutes of my break.”
“Maybe you could take the rest of the day off?” Wilson suggested.
“No,” House and Chase both said at the same time.
“I’m fine.”
“See, he’s fine,” House replied, narrowing his eyes at Wilson.
“I’m going to see if the others need a hand,” Chase informed them, standing up quickly and moving around House and his cane. House watched Wilson as he studiously did not watch Chase leave.
“What was that about?” House asked, leaning against his cane as he popped a couple of Vicodin. He knew this was going to one of those conversations.
“What was what about?” Wilson asked, not having to try too hard to feign annoyance. He stood up and began to walk back to his office. House followed and Wilson automatically slowed down so that they were in step.
“You…and the wombat.”
“What are you talking about?” Wilson asked. He and House stepped into the elevator and House pressed the stop button before they’d gone two floors. Wilson sighed and leaned back against the wall.
“I’m talking about you drooling over Chase.”
“I don’t drool.”
“Like you don’t flirt with anything on two legs?”
“Bite me,” Wilson murmured, though there was no force behind his words.
“Ooh, is that what you’re going to ask Chase to do?” House smirked.
“He’s been telling parents their kids have died all morning, I was just checking up on him.”
“He’s my fellow, that’s my job.”
“Since when have you cared about him?”
“I care…” Wilson shot him a look. “I do. He said he was fine.”
“Yeah. He’s fine. So, end of story.”
“Don’t start anything,” House warned him, serious now. Wilson opened his eyes fully and looked House in the eyes, and then had to turn away from what he saw there.
“I’m not…”
“I know you, James, I know that look. He’s damaged enough as it is. He doesn’t need you to break him.”
“Of course not, that’s what you’re there for.”
“Exactly.” House started the elevator again with a flick of his cane and the two men continued up to Diagnostics in silence.
As they reached the right floor just before the doors opened House observed, “Julie will never forgive you if you cheat on her again,” and sauntered out of the elevator. Wilson stayed put for a moment and then had to squeeze between the closing doors. He followed House into his office, glancing over to the other room where he could see Foreman, Cameron and Chase laughing and packing up to leave. The sight took his breath away; he hadn’t seen the three of them that happy in each other’s presence since…well, a long time if he couldn’t even think of an example. House turned around and saw where Wilson was looking. With a mischievous tilt to his head House went over to the connecting door and poked his head round.
“Be in an hour early tomorrow.”
“Why?” asked Foreman.
“It’ll make me happy.”
Foreman snorted, Chase glanced at the others and shrugged and Cameron smiled. So different and yet so in synch, Wilson mused.
House turned back to Wilson and his fellows hurried out, presumably to lunch now that their patient was on the way to recovery. Wilson took a deep breath. He could do one of two things here, pretend to be paged, or talk to House. Tempting as the first idea was he also knew that House would see right through it.
“Julie filed for divorce. Four weeks ago.”
House popped a Vicodin. “Oh? She find out about you and the intern? Or the accountant? Or…”
“You don’t have to make it sound so…”
“…sordid?”
“…pathological.”
“It was a list. List’s by their very nature are neither one thing or the other.”
Wilson frowned. “What does that even mean?”
House shrugged. “Dunno, but it sounded pretty good in my head. You want one?” He took out a couple of glasses and a half empty bottle of whiskey.
“It’s one in the afternoon.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Wilson didn’t correct him as he poured out two generous glasses and he found himself downing it in one. House raised an eyebrow before doing the same.
“Little early for that, isn’t it?” asked Cameron as she entered the room, hair swinging behind her.
“Uh-huh. Busted!” House mock whispered. Wilson grinned. “What do you want?”
“Cuddy has a patient she wants us to look at.” She held up the file she was carrying and House’s glance took in her disapproving glare at the bottle, as well as Foreman and Chase’s entrance. Chase’s eyes flitted towards the bottle but away just as quickly. Foreman outright stared at it.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Wilson replied to break the silence. He got up and left for his office, painfully aware that everyone was staring at his retreating back.
=================
The next day found Chase once more in the cafeteria, though this time he had chosen a warmer seat right next to the radiator. He was idly sipping at his coffee and examining what appeared to be eggs on his plate. Deciding that he could function on coffee alone he was startled when Dr Wilson sat down at the next table.
“Dr Wilson?” Chase asked tentatively once he realised that Wilson was not in fact ignoring him but hadn’t noticed his presence at all.
Wilson looked up at Chase in surprise and then moved to sit next to him. “Sorry, sleep-walking.”
Chase smiled. “Were you on call last night?”
“No.”
Chase waited and when nothing further was said took a sip of lukewarm coffee.
“Late night with House,” Wilson finally offered.
“Oh. Was it worth it?”
“It never is.”
Chase didn’t know how to take that so he remained silent, staring into his coffee.
“Did you…do anything interesting last night?” Wilson asked, wondering why it was suddenly so hard to strike up a conversation. Other than the ridiculous amount of alcohol he’d imbibed in the last day or two, obviously.
“Oh, you know, the usual,” Chase replied noncommittally. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to talk to anyone about that or not.
“Right.”
Oh, to hell with it Chase thought. “Dr Wilson, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“If an ex rang you and said they were coming into town and wanted to see you, would you?”
“Well, I suppose that would depend on how it ended the first time. How invested you were in the relationship…”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Did you break it off?”
Chase glanced up. “Um, yeah, I did.”
“And you’re having second thoughts?”
“Um, yeah. No. I…I’m sorry Dr Wilson, I should never have brought it up. I should get up to the Office…”
Chase started to get up but Wilson stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. Chase froze.
“There’s no need to rush off, you have at least fifteen minutes.”
Chase sat down again and gently shrugged off Wilson’s arm. They sat in silence for another minute, each trying to work out what to say; somehow Chase’s first thought of so, do you come here often? didn’t seem appropriate. They were stopped from the hassle of trying to come up with a conversation by the arrival of Cameron and Foreman, who had both decided on breakfast at work this morning.
“Hey,” Cameron said, sitting down next to Chase while Foreman sat next to Wilson. “You’re in early.”
“Yeah, well, I’m avoiding my answer phone,” Chase admitted. Foreman raised an eyebrow - it wasn’t often that Chase volunteered information.
“Anyone in particular?” Cameron asked.
“Old boyfriend.”
Wilson nearly choked on his coffee. Cameron smiled and Foreman rolled his eyes. “Are you all right, Dr Wilson?” Cameron asked.
“Um, yes. Sorry….I didn’t realise,” Wilson waved his hand in Chase’s direction. Chase shrugged. He’d let slip to Cameron and Foreman the night after they’d dealt with the dominatrix and Foreman had taken to mentioning it whenever the three of them went out after work, though had so far restrained himself from mentioning it in front of House.
“Didn’t realise what? That that tie and shirt don’t go together…but oh, that’s every day isn’t it Dr Chase?”
Chase smiled as House loomed above them, idly considering whether House was lurking around the cafeteria for a reason.
“Nothing,” Wilson replied, whether to save himself the embarrassment or Chase he wasn’t sure. But even as he said it he knew that if House pushed he would spill his guts.
“Uh-huh,” House replied, clearly not believing a word. “Come on people, we have patients to cure, diseases to hunt down…”
All four of them seated at the table looked up at House with the same confused expression on their faces. Either House was drunk, or high, or possibly both.
“What? Come on, I’m not paying you to sit around here all day.”
“Actually, you’re not paying us at all,” Foreman pointed out, even as the ducklings all got up and did as House said.
“And yet you obey my every command. Must be love.” This last remark he shot at Wilson over his shoulder. Wilson resolutely remained seated. “You not coming?”
“I don’t work for you.”
“Huh, who’d have thunk it?”
Wilson watched House parade out with his ducklings draped behind him. As they turned out of the cafeteria he caught Chase turn around and give him a calculating look before heading out. Hmm.
============
Wilson was talking to a young doctor who had just brought in a patient to oncology for a second opinion. They were discussing a new clinical trial being pioneered by one of Wilson’s colleagues when Foreman popped his head round the door.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Foreman told him, not even pretending to sound genuinely sorry, “but House needs a consult.” And without waiting for Wilson to respond he disappeared. Wilson sighed.
“Look, I’m sorry about this Dr. Hawthorne, but I really do need to follow this up.”
“Of course. That was the Dr House he was referring to, wasn’t it?”
Wilson nodded. “The one and only.”
“I don’t suppose I could meet him, could I?”
Wilson looked slightly surprised but nodded all the same. “Of course, his office is next door.”
They got up and walked round to the Diagnostics Office. The whiteboard was already full of House’s scrawl and House was talking animatedly to his three fellows who were seated around the desk.
As they entered the team looked up from their places and Chase stood up. “Michael?”
“Hey, Rob,” the other man replied, taking Chase into a hug which lasted a little too long.
“I’ll take a stab and say you two know each other?” House asked.
“Yeah, we were…at med school together,” Chase replied.
“In the Biblical sense, obviously,” Michael added. Chase frowned and House smirked. Every one else just looked uncomfortable.
“I thought you were in Nepal?”
“Got kind of boring. Besides, I did say I’d be in town soon.”
“I guess.” Chase smiled and seemed genuinely relaxed, noticeably different than when his father had made an unannounced visit.
“Huh, well, this isn’t awkward at all,” House complained.
Chase glanced over at Cameron then Michael and finally at House. “I can be nice to people I’ve slept with. I am that good.”
House actually smirked at that and Wilson wondered when House and Chase had started having private jokes.
“Well, now we’ve got the fun out of the way. Differentials…Dr Wilson, if you would.” House motioned towards the board and Chase handed Wilson the patient’s file, their fingers brushing ever so accidentally.
Several hours later, after one mis-diagnosis and one trip to the OR the patient Wilson had consulted on was getting steadily worse. He had had to postpone his meeting with Michael Hawthorne by an hour, and then indefinitely, but Michael had offered his help, which was why he was sitting in the Diagnostics Office as Foreman and Chase rattled off diseases as if they were reciting the alphabet and Cameron was scribbling them on the board, adding her own as she went. Michael remained silent, clearly impressed, and just as clearly checking Chase out. Wilson coughed to let them know he was there.
“Where’s House?”
“Avoiding Cuddy,” Foreman supplied with the requisite eye-roll. Wilson smiled.
“Of course. Well, I’ve got a free moment if you’d like to continue our earlier conversation, Dr Hawthorne?”
“Oh, sure. See you guys later.”
They all smiled at the other man as he walked out, fingers gently running across Chase’s shoulder as he walked past. Chase blushed what Wilson could only think of as a delicate shade of pink.
Wilson couldn’t explain the feeling that settled in his stomach when he watched Chase return Michael’s inquisitive stares, or when Michael casually mentioned something that he and Chase had done together. He really wished House hadn’t talked to him about Chase, now all he could think about was the other man. He was not interested. At all. Not even a little bit.
And yet when Michael mentioned that he was staying at Chase’s apartment Wilson straightened up in his chair. “That won’t be…awkward?”
“It’s hardly the first time Rob and I have shared a place,” Michael replied.
“No. I suppose not. Well, this has been enlightening. I’ll check in on Mr Wilcox again in the morning, and talk to Patterson about getting him on this new drug combination. Results so far are looking promising.”
“Great. Thank you Dr Wilson. I better go see what Rob’s plans are.”
Wilson nodded absently as the other man left his office. “I’m not interested,” Wilson murmured under his breath, but he was having a hard time believing himself.
=========
That night, while Wilson was nursing a beer in the bare apartment he had rented, and ignoring the flashing of his answer machine, Chase and Michael were sprawled on the sofa in Chase’s apartment, surrounded by boxes of take out.
“I was sorry to hear about your dad,” Michael said. Chase froze. “He was an annoying prick, but still.”
“Thanks,” Chase replied.
“Sorry, I just thought I’d get that out there so we could move on.”
“Is that what we’re doing, moving on?” Chase queried, eyes darting down to his thigh where Michael’s hand was resting.
“Well, I’d rather be moving up,” Michael admitted, his hand doing just that. Chase’s breath hitched slightly.
“Michael,” he growled.
“God I love the sounds you make….”
“Michael…”
But whatever Chase was going to retort was cut short as Michael pushed Chase back and began kissing him as if his survival depended on the taste of Chase’s mouth. Chase hesitated briefly before allowing himself to be kissed and fondled. His eyes slid shut, and he moaned; Michael knew exactly where to touch Chase to have him squirming beneath him. But…
“Michael, I can’t.” Chase pushed Michael gently off him. “I can’t.”
“Why not? You’re single. I’m single. I’m clean…”
“Really?”
“Yes. That’s why we broke up, and now…”
“That’s not the only reason,” Chase frowned. God how he hated these conversations. Life was so much simpler when you didn’t care. Maybe he should take a leaf out of House’s book and start hiring hookers instead.
“Robert, I know…”
“I’m going to go to bed,” Chase replied, cutting him off. “You’re welcome to stay on the couch. I’ll get you some blankets.”
“Is there someone else?”
“It wouldn’t be any of your business if there were.”
“It’s Wilson isn’t it?”
Chase turned around so fast he nearly lost his balance. “Wilson? What on earth? Why would you think that?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Like he wants to eat you up.”
“Well, thanks for that image,” Chase muttered, putting his hand through his hair.
“So it isn’t him?”
“There is no one. Okay. Least of all Wilson.”
Michael nodded, apparently satisfied and Chase headed into the bathroom to get out the blankets. He caught a look at himself in the mirror. “I don’t like Wilson,” he told his reflection, but it didn’t look convinced.
Michael followed him into the room, “I thought I heard you say something?”
“Hmm. Oh, no I was just…talking to myself.”
“Look, I do appreciate you doing all this,” Michael told him, taking the blankets from him. “How about I buy you dinner to say thanks? Tomorrow night good with you?”
Chase opened his mouth to refuse, but instead found himself agreeing. “That would be nice, yeah. Chance for us to catch up.” Because I’m not interested in Wilson.
“Great. Well, good night.”
“Yeah. Good night.” Not interested at all.
===========
The next day, after their patient was successfully diagnosed, the ducklings were packing up their things while House and Wilson were discussing Stacy. Foreman suggested that the three of them went out for dinner, since with one thing and another, they hadn’t had a chance to hang out after work for a while. Cameron agreed straight away but Chase hesitated.
“I’ve actually…got a date, tonight.”
Foreman stared at him. “Oh, really?”
Chase glared. “Yes, really. So thanks but.”
“With Michael?” Cameron asked.
“Yes, with Michael. All right.”
Wilson looked over at them and then away again, avoiding House’s gaze as he pretended to be absorbed by the file in front of him. House walked over to the door to his own office and motioned for Wilson to follow, which he reluctantly did. The three fellows paid the two men no attention as Chase was more intent on trying to deflect Cameron’s questions.
“Can you actually hear yourself?” he snapped.
“I was only taking an interest.”
“Well, go hassle House or something.”
“Think he’s a bit busy,” Cameron remarked, glancing over to where House and Wilson appeared to be having an argument.
“Well, that’s never good,” Foreman observed.
Inside the office Wilson was trying to contain his growing anger. “I don’t see what this has got to do with you.”
“What distracts Chase from doing his job tends to have severe consequences for me. As you may have noticed.”
“I’m not distracting Chase,” Wilson replied.
“Not yet. Just stay away from him.”
“What?”
“This is not going to end well.”
“You never pay any attention to me, why should I listen to you?”
“Ah-hah! So you are going after Chase.”
Wilson rolled his eyes and pushed his hand through his hair in frustration. He pondered, not for the first time, why exactly he remained friends with House.
“If you’re just trying to get laid I can give you some numbers.”
“I’m not trying to get laid.”
House raised an eyebrow and considered Wilson’s expression. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Wilson actually had, shudder, feelings for Chase.
“Come on.” House walked into Diagnostics and put his cane in front of Chase to stop him leaving the room.
“Hey!”
“I’m buying the Department dinner, plus Wilson, obviously. Tonight. Get your coats on.”
“Our coats are on,” Foreman replied.
“Good.”
“I have a date,” Chase reminded him petulantly.
“Not tonight you don’t.”
“I’m not…”
“You’ll do as you’re told.”
Chase started to splutter when Foreman came to his rescue. “I’m bringing a date, so Chase can too.”
“Fine,” House snapped. “But you’re paying for them.”
House limped out of the office, expecting the others to follow. With much grumbling under the breath they did so, Wilson the last of all to leave. “This is going to be a complete disaster,” he told no one in particular.
==========
Seated around the table at the Chinese restaurant near the hospital, House was in his element. Everyone was chatting and eating and apart from the occasional barb thrown at them by House, they were all getting along well. Disturbingly so.
For instance, House had learnt that Foreman hated squid; that the ducklings went out at least once a week, mainly to rant about House; that Chase had told the others about his father at a drinking session last month; that it was possible to make Chase blush as much as Cameron; that everybody lies…oh, but he already knew that.
House glanced up as Chase re-took his seat between Cameron and Wilson, tucking his cell phone back in his pocket as he did so.
“So, where’s lover boy?” House asked, rolling his r’s. Chase’s eyes threatened to get stuck in the back of his head.
“He’s not coming.”
Wilson deliberately ignored House noticing him straighten up. Cameron was the picture of concern as she asked what they were all thinking, “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” Everyone continued to stare at him. “He’s gone to the airport.” More stares. “His ex rang earlier, they’ve patched things up.”
“I didn’t know he’d just split up…” Cameron began.
“Yeah, well, he has. So.” Chase picked up his wineglass and downed it in one go, an obvious sign that he didn’t want to continue this conversation. House, naturally, had other ideas.
“But you did at least get laid, right?”
Chase glared at him from between strands of hair.
“Uh-huh, you didn’t? Aw, feeling a little…frustrated? I know a man who could help with that…”
“Oh, that an offer?” Chase replied, eyes glittering dangerously.
“Puh-lease, you couldn’t afford me,” House responded.
“I’m sure Cameron and Foreman would chip in for a good cause,” Chase replied, deliberately leaving Wilson out of it. House smiled ferally.
“All right - $10,000 and I’m all yours.”
Foreman shook his head in disbelief. “You’re both out of your minds.”
“Jealous?” House asked. Cameron and Foreman shared a bemused look as Wilson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Chase had evidently had enough himself as he poured another glass of wine. “Trying to join Mommy dearest?”
Chase froze and put the glass back down on the table. “Fuck. You.” Cameron gasped as Chase stood up, knocking his chair to the floor and marched out of the restaurant.
“What the hell?” Foreman asked, glaring at House.
“What does his Mom have to do with anything?” Cameron asked.
“Drank herself to death,” House replied absently, watching Chase slam the restaurant door on his way out - that would hurt in the morning.
“This is exactly why I don’t take you anywhere,” Wilson told him, throwing some money onto the table and walking after Chase. Foreman and Cameron did the same, Foreman leaving first with his rather bemused date as Cameron hesitated, standing above House.
“This was supposed to be a nice night out,” she began. “We were enjoying ourselves. But you just can’t help yourself, can you? The minute we start getting along you have to rip one of us apart so we go right back to hating you. Is it so hard to believe that we enjoy your company? Or would you rather be alone and lonely?”
“It’s possible to be alone and not lonely,” House replied.
“Yeah, well tell me when you learn how,” Cameron said, picking up her bag and walking away, leaving House staring down at his half eaten food.
“Hey,” he shouted, “what’s a guy got to do to get a drink around here?”
====
The next day it’s business as usual, the ducklings are seated around the conference table, coffee mugs within easy reach; Cameron’s reading aloud from a patient’s file as they wait for House to wander in. Twenty minutes pass before Cameron starts to write on the whiteboard herself. Another fifteen of differentials before they head their separate ways; Cameron to take a history, Chase and Foreman to set up some tests. Another hour and a half before House wanders in to an empty office, reads Cameron’s girly script and goes off to find Wilson, confident that his ducklings can handle things for the moment - even if he’d never tell them that.
House finds Wilson unsurprisingly, in his office, and talking to a patient. House waits patiently for the count of five before walking in.
“I’m with a patient,” Wilson points out unnecessarily.
“Terribly sorry,” House pronounces in a worse English accent than Wilson’s Australian, “but there’s an emergency I need your assistance with, what?”
Wilson rolls his eyes but for once he was giving his patient good news, so after a few heartfelt thanks on her part she disappears from sight and he can give House his fullest attention.
“What did you want?” Wilson asked, more snippily than he really felt. Sometimes it did House good to remember that there were other doctors in the building.
“I wanted to see how you were after last night. Awful lot of drinking going on.” House perched on Wilson’s desk, forcing Wilson to get up and sit in the chair his patient had just vacated in order to look House in the face.
“Projecting much?” House shrugged. “You were the one that was doing all the drinking, and the insulting, and the…”
“Yes, yes, I just came to see what you got up to last night. After. With Chase.”
“For God’s sake House, I did not have sex with Chase last night.”
“Pretty sure I would have remembered that,” came an unmistakably Australian voice from the door. Wilson’s head whipped round so fast it would ache for the next three days but House merely smirked and looked up at Chase through mischievous eyes. Cameron, who had been standing behind Chase gave him a calculating look before proceeding to explain that they thought their patient had a tumour and wanted Wilson to have a look at it.
“Chase can take Wilson down, and you can help me.” He pointed his cane at Cameron and then pushed past them into the corridor. Chase and Cameron shrugged at each other and began to follow.
“Chase, a word.” House barked before he had got half way and Cameron was forced to change directions so that they could have a semi-private conversation in the hallway. Wilson watched them for a moment from his office before feeling ridiculous and heading down to the patient himself.
Chase put his hands in his pockets and stared resignedly at his boss; this was not going to be good.
“I don’t want you and Wilson getting involved.”
Yeah, definitely not good. “You…I…what?” Oh brilliant, Robert. Make him think you’re even more of an idiot…oh wait, not possible. “There’s nothing going on between me and Dr Wilson and even if there were you’re my boss not…”
“Your father?” smirked House as Chase silently cursed himself for falling into such an obvious trap.
“I have a patient to go treat…” Chase began to move off but House caught hold of his arm in a surprisingly vice-like grip.
“He will eat you up and spit you out,” House told him, staring straight into his eyes. “And leave you begging for more. It’s not worth it.” Chase tried unsuccessfully to pull himself from House’s grip. “Understand?”
“Let go of me. Now,” Chase replied, face flushed.
“What do you think you’re doing, Doctor House?” came the voice of Chase’s saviour, Doctor Cuddy.
“Just having a word with my subordinate,” House replied smoothly, releasing his grip. Chase pulled his arm away and rubbed at the bruise he could already feel forming.
“Really?” Cuddy asked, clearly not convinced, eyes darting between the two men.
“I have a patient,” Chase murmured and headed away before Cuddy could find out what was going.
“What was that about?”
“Are your breasts perkier today or is that just me?” House asked. Cuddy looked down at herself and then up again, annoyed.
“I want a straight answer from you…”
“Sorry, I only give bent answers. I’m flexible that way. Want to see what I can do with my cane?”
“You can’t go around assaulting your fellows,” Cuddy replied, determined not to become distracted. “If Chase wants to make a complaint…”
“Don’t worry, Chase hasn’t got the balls. Now, some of us have patients to treat. You know, those guys who lie around in bed all day getting sponge bathed.”
Cuddy opened her mouth to retort but House was already moving away from her. With a long suffering sigh she headed to her meeting, scribbling in the margins of her file to call Chase into her office as soon as possible.
======
After Wilson had confirmed their diagnosis he and Chase found themselves heading upstairs in the elevator together. Wilson belatedly realised that this was the first time that they had been alone together in several days.
“Do you think there’s much we can do?” Chase broke the silence first.
“About the patient or House?”
Chase smiled grimly. “I was talking about the patient, but now you mention it…He is becoming a little…obsessive.”
“I know and I’m sorry that’s he dragged you into this. He’s never happier than when he’s meddling in people’s lives. Usually of course there’s a reason…but in this case…” He trailed off and continued looking straight ahead.
Chase nodded. “Right…He’s being completely unreasonable. I mean there’s clearly no attraction,” he waved his hand between himself and Wilson, “none at all.”
“Absolutely,” Wilson agreed.
“Right.”
“None.”
“Nope.”
Both men looked at the other through the corner of their eye and then their eyes drifted over to the emergency stop button. Naturally it was only because the thought was planted in their minds that they were becoming so fixated on that particular button they both silently agreed. That was the only reason why their breathing had become shallow and their limbs felt unusually tense and uncoordinated. Another second of silence went by before Wilson snapped; he pressed the emergency button and then pushed Chase up against the wall. Chase had only the briefest of opportunities to grip surprisingly well-defined biceps before he found another mouth being pressed against his own.
Wilson fought back a smile as Chase moved his arm to pull Wilson against his body, his mouth opening willingly. Chase moved his legs slightly and braced himself against the wall as Wilson pushed into him and their erections rubbed together.
“Oh god,” Chased moaned as Wilson licked along his jaw and his neck, “more.” Wilson obliged, hurriedly unfastening Chase’s trousers and grinning as Chase fumbled with his own until finally Chase’s gentle fingers were massaging his growing erection.
“Harder,” he panted as Chase’s mouth felt upon his neck, biting and sucking. He could feel Chase’s smile and decided to change that by squeezing his cock and rubbing his finger over the tip. Chase exclaimed in surprise and bucked into Wilson’s hands.
“Want you,” Chase murmured and Wilson desperately wished that they were anywhere but this elevator.
“I’d fuck you into the wall if I could,” Wilson panted, “but…”
“This…fine…” Chase panted, praying that Wilson didn’t take his hands away.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Wilson grinned, pushing his cock up against Chase’s, the friction sending shivers down his spine. Both men were sweating and panting heavily, Chase’s shoulder’s aching where he kept being thrust against the wall. Neither of them would last much longer at this pace. Wilson latched his mouth onto Chase’s neck and bit down, hard; that was enough to send Chase over the edge, with Wilson following soon after. Both of them sank down on to the elevator floor, panting hard.
“Guess there was some attraction there after all,” Chase murmured into Wilson’s neck, lightly planting kisses along the other man’s jaw.
“Guess so,” Wilson replied, closing his eyes and taking a moment to regain his momentum.
After a few shaky breaths both men became aware that they were half-naked in a jammed elevator, and that someone must have noticed they were missing by now. “We should…” Wilson motioned towards their dishevelled clothing. Chase blushed and nodded his head, his hair falling in his eyes.
Once dressed both men made sure to stand a suitable distance away from the other and Wilson released the emergency stop button. Moments later the elevator doors opened; House was standing in front of them, leaning on his cane and looking extremely bored.
“Dr House,” Chase greeted him, quickly stepping forward and heading to the right.
“House,” Wilson greeted him, nodding before heading to the left.
House stood where he was for a second, then entered the elevator, an evil smirk dancing across his features. “Oh, this is going to be fun,” he murmured under his breath, before forcibly pressing the down button. “For me, anyway.”