Birthday Boy [For House]

[dr_robchase]

Chase knew what day it was before he'd even woken up and he just clasped his pillow and used it to cover his head, burrowing into the bed a little deeper. He sighed, staring at the darkened linens of the bed. A year in this place. Two separate birthdays on this island, the first of which he didn't even tell anyone about.

He slowly turned and tossed again -- just in his ratty t-shirt and boxers -- and got comfortable on his side, trying to sneak in another few hours of sleep, at least before he had to wake up and face reality.

Maybe everyone would forget. It was a nice thought and a good possibility, but somehow, he doubted he was going to get off the hook, just like that.

He turned, lying facing the wall and tugging the sheets up a little higher. No birthday calls today to miss. Just an island to deal with.

Comments

[dr_robchase]

That, now that actually surprised Chase more than a bit and he was left gaping for a second, trying to recover without looking too much like an idiot. He just...wasn't used to people actually celebrating his birthday and he froze, more affected than he thought he'd be. "Yeah," he admitted, with a quiet laugh and a smile. "Lots of big points. Loads."

[misanthrope_md]

"Well I thought I should be generous, considering how fun my last birthday was." Pause. "Not the party. That was awkward and terrible. The bit after."

And though it gave him a slight pang to think of Phedre, Chase had been there for part of it too and House was unlikely to forget the one threesome he'd had in his life.

[dr_robchase]

Chase's face slowly lit up in recollection of exactly what House was talking about. "That was something," he admitted, shifting and settling with his back propped up against the head of the bed and the wall.

[misanthrope_md]

"Yeah... something. I'm amazed I didn't celebrate getting older by having a heart attack when it was over."

[dr_robchase]

Chase looked over at House, just bemused and comfortable to be lying there with him. "So, any prospects if we're repeating history?"

[misanthrope_md]

House snorted. "Oh, so is that what you want for your birthday?"

[dr_robchase]

Chase shook his head. "God, no," he snorted. "Like things aren't complicated enough?" He moved his fingers to House's thigh, tiptoeing up higher in a spider-crawl. "Just don't know what you have planned."

[misanthrope_md]

"Thank god," House muttered. The last thing he wanted was to see Chase with someone else, he didn't care if he was there or not.

It was amazing he hadn't gone completely insane in this arrangement so far, but it was no wonder he was so tense all the time lately. Greg House did not share well with others.

"Don't worry, I'm not that brave."

[dr_robchase]

Chase leaned over for another lengthy kiss, eager to just capture House's lips with his own and take his time exploring yet another in a long line of kisses with him.

[misanthrope_md]

"Rob..." House murmured into his mouth, "I really don't think this counts as a date."

[dr_robchase]

Chase eased back, giving House an expectant look. "If you make me shower, I'm expecting a big date," he warned.

[misanthrope_md]

House shrugged. "I know it's your birthday but you were the one who was doing the planning."

[dr_robchase]

Chase offered House a slightly surprised look. "Oh," he said. "Uh..." He pushed out of the bed, not really having any kind of coherent plan. "I guess just wait here and I'll shower and scrounge for food?"

[misanthrope_md]

House laughed. "It was your idea, it's up to you. Hell, I'll even go clean myself up and come pick you up later like a proper gentleman if you want, but you're not getting a corsage."

[dr_robchase]

Chase afforded that a slight pout. "I just might not put out, then," he warned, leaning over and kissing House in the bed again, easing back and cracking his neck slightly, grasping proper clothes. "Need to shower," he mumbled, before letting his thoughts gravitate to the unspoken.

[misanthrope_md]

House snorted. "It wouldn't be a real date if I actually got laid at the end of it."

[dr_robchase]

Chase gave House a bemused look from the doorway and headed off for his proper shower, not really taking extra time, but just getting through it as quick as possible. He towel-dried his hair roughly, letting it fall over his eyes -- needed a cut again -- before heading back to his room, wondering if House would still be there or if he'd have left.

[misanthrope_md]

What Chase found instead was a note scrawled on a torn off sheet of paper on his bed.

"Pick me up at eight in half an hour. My place."

And House had headed back to take a shower of his own. He did his own version of almost-shaving that kept him from getting a beard but kept the stubble, shook his hair dry (he still could not believe that some men used hair dryers), and limped back into the back room of the clinic to change. The last time he'd done laundry there had been this shirt sticking out of the clothes box that looked exactly like the blue button down one he'd had at home, the one Cuddy said complimented his eyes and made him "almost look nice." The fact that it had been freshly ironed made him figure he should save it for a special occasion.

So he put on a clean pair of jeans and that shirt, rolling up the sleeves to just at his elbows, and walked back out into the clinic.

[dr_robchase]

Chase had picked up the note, grinning fondly at the writing and pocketing it as he changed into a good long-sleeved button-down and a pair of jeans, heading off to find House at 'his place', which really? Was just the clinic.

He shook both hands through his hair one more time and walked the whole of the necessary steps to get the clinic, grinning a little as he arrived. "Hey," he greeted. "Am I on time?"

[misanthrope_md]

"Well," House said, leaning back against a counter, "I was just about to shave my legs..."

[dr_robchase]

Chase stopped in his tracks, giving House a onceover, surprised and pleased all at once. "You look...wow," he summed up, staring.

[misanthrope_md]

House just looked at him like he was crazy. "Oh, come on. I get wow for a clean shirt? I must be murdering your standards."

[dr_robchase]

"Oh, shut up," Chase teased, good-naturedly, heading inside and nodding to the door. "Come on, you can wait in the kitchen and I'm going to go bribe girls who don't know any better to give me food."

[misanthrope_md]

House just shrugged a little, grabbed his cane, and followed, not bothering to be discrete about checking out Chase's ass.

[dr_robchase]

Chase knew he was getting stared at, but said nothing, heading into the kitchen and popping a check to see if the food was any good and thank god...leftovers.

He grinned, digging out a variety of foods, enough for two people. "Okay, I've found soups, french toast things, and assorted fruits."