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]

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."

[misanthrope_md]

"Now this? Way better than those fancy French places I shelled out money for back in the stone ages when I dated," House said. "I'd like to think that were we back home you'd be a pizza and beer sort of date."

[dr_robchase]

"You might've had to shill for red wine," Chase admitted. "And trade pizza for something vaguely healthier, and you're right. Don't like fancy things." Reminded him too much of his childhood.

[misanthrope_md]

Actually, Chase's comment reminded him...

"While you're reheating that stuff," he said, "I think I'll go fetch your present."

[dr_robchase]

Chase gave House a curious look because...well, because he'd sort of gone and assumed that the present didn't actually exist. "Okay," he said, a bit befuddled as he started warming things up.

[misanthrope_md]

House was gone only for a few moments, and when he was back, he walked up behind Chase and put an arm around his waist, holding up a bottle of wine, slightly pinkish in color.

Well, he wasn't so lame he was going to wrap it.

It hadn't been hard to get, either... the guy, Az-whatsit, was in a weird mood.

[dr_robchase]

Chase turned to look at the item, and it hit really quickly exactly what it was. He gave House a surprised look, searching his face. "Is it really?" he asked, meaning non-alcoholic.

[misanthrope_md]

House gave him a somewhat serious look and said, "What does it look like? It's wine."

He knew Chase was smart enough to know that the present itself wasn't the wine.

[dr_robchase]

And House was giving it to him. He arched a surprised brow, but slowly, he smiled and took the wine into his hand and with all the sincerity he had in him, he offered a quiet, genuine, "thank you".

He studied the wine a moment more before remembering there was actually food. "So you might as well dig in," he offered. "Before it gets cold."

[misanthrope_md]

"You're welcome," House said, biting back any apprehension he had about the wine.

It was a gift of trust.

And he had a feeling Chase knew just how pissed off he would be if he made him regret that gift.

[dr_robchase]

Chase would say it again and again and again until he was out of breath. He wasn't going to abuse anything like that again. He wasn't miserable like that anymore.

He slid down into a seat and gestured to the plates. "Seriously. Other people's hard work, going to waste."