Picture Puzzles Part 2/?
Title: Picture Puzzles Part 2/?
Rating: PG13 this part (NC-17 later parts)
Paring: House/Wilson/Chase
Disclaimer: Don't own them, as we all know.
Summary: House worried can be both good and bad.
Warnings: Mention of abuse in the past to more than one character.
A/N: Keep in mind this is my first fanfiction of any kind. Thanks for reading commenting.)
Now beta'd by:
recrudescence
(Part 1)
*****
House limped out of his kitchen to see Chase had relaxed enough to lean back into the couch’s embrace. He handed a beer to Chase as he sat down as well. Their food was spread out across the coffee table. Chase had made a concentrated effort on his and almost half the plate was gone.
"You don’t like Chinese?"
Chase pushed at his fork with a fingertip. "Nah, it’s okay." Chase turned to face House. "I’ve not forgotten what I said, but can it wait a while?"
House nodded and turned the television on. They sat in silence for a while until House got up to get another beer. He held his hand out for Chase’s empty bottle and came back from the kitchen with more.
House waited until the third beer to spike Chase’s drink. The fourth beer was normal because House wanted him relaxed, not passed out completely before he talked. Getting up to get the fifth beer House silently reminded himself to be patient because no one could push Chase into talking, not even him. Halfway through the fifth beer, the second spiked one, Chase suddenly started talking.
"On my sixth birthday, I had half a piece of cake. It was white with blue frosting. Mum shoved her finger down my throat and made me throw it up after everyone had gone home. As long as she didn’t see me eat, she didn’t make me throw up."
House carefully sat down his beer bottle so he wouldn’t break it by dropping or crushing it.
"I didn’t know it wasn’t normal until I got into seminary."
House nodded as Chase looked over to see his reaction. The urge to figure out how to bring back Chase’s parents so he could kill them was strong.
"They were always worried because I couldn’t eat much with the others. I just can’t eat in front of people. I do eat, though. I know I have to eat, so I do."
The matter of fact tone of voice and the expressionless face that went with the voice made the hairs on the back of House’s neck stand on end. He watched as Chase slammed the unfinished part of his beer.
"Quit trying to feed me at work, okay?"
"Yeah. Okay." House reached out and hovered his hand over Chase’s shoulder without touching. "I don’t want to have to hire someone new is all."
Chase slumped towards House as the older man hastily pulled his hand back. His head landed on House’s left thigh. House stared down at the blonde head in horror as Chase mumbled, "I love you too."
After several minutes of stillness, House decided that his duckling had indeed passed out and carefully laid his hand on Chase’s head. He settled his right leg as best he could and waited.
*****
Wilson hadn’t been sure what to expect when he got a text message from House asking him to come over in an hour, no earlier. Finding House asleep sitting up with Chase’s head in his lap wasn’t something he’d thought of. Looking them over, Wilson quickly decided that he couldn’t wake House like he usually did because House might flail and dump Chase into the floor.
Wilson dug through House’s hall closet for the unused cane. He grinned as he poked House in the ribs with the cane. House jerked awake and peered at him with bleary eyes.
"Hey."
"Hmmff." House yawned. He held his hand out for his cane. "Help me with the wombat."
"Help you do what with him?" asked Wilson as he handed over the cane. He eyed the sleeping young man. "You spiked his beer, didn’t you?"
House eased his way out from under Chase and stood up. He moved down to stand near Chase’s feet and pushed Wilson in the side with his cane to get him to move next to Chase’s shoulders.
"You get his shoulders."
Wilson knew if he didn’t grab Chase’s shoulders that House would just try to drag the poor young man around by his ankles. House dropped the cane on the coffee table and grabbed hold of both ankles. Lifting most of Chase’s weight, Wilson followed House as he led them to his bed.
"You’re letting him sleep in your bed?"
House ignored him, as usual, and headed back out to the couch where he’d left his cane. Wilson took one last look at Chase before following. Wilson dropped onto the couch next to House.
"You’re right."
Wilson tried to think of what he could possibly be right about. "Okaaay. What am I right about?"
House propped his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. "How do I choose when I don’t want to?"
Wilson blinked. I hate when he does this. Why can’t he just answer a question? "I don’t know. Choose what, exactly?"
House sighed. "Doesn’t matter. Thanks for helping move him. You can have the couch. I’ll be in the spare bedroom if you need something. Don’t need anything until morning."
Wilson wasn’t sure what to make of House’s use of his cane as he limped down the hallway. He wasn’t sure what to make of any of it, actually. He made up the couch and lay down. He was almost asleep when he realized that House had said ‘thank you.’ Pod person, thought Wilson fondly.
*****
Chase rubbed his eyes as he tried to wake up. He could smell good coffee and what he thought might be waffles. He bolted upright in his bed. Not my bed, House’s bed. Bugger. Chase rubbed his head as he tried to remember what all he’d said to House the night before. It was very fuzzy and the last thing he could remember was asking House to quit trying to feed him.
He found and used the bathroom before wandering out into the living room. House was on the couch, flipping channels, which meant someone else was making breakfast. Just as Chase started to worry, House turned his head and caught sight of him.
"Hey. Coffee’s ready. Don’t try to help Wilson cook. He’ll hit you with a wooden spoon."
Wilson stuck his head out of the kitchen. "I only hit you the one time and that was because you were going to put chili powder into a batch of cookies."
"You said they were going to Julie’s party thing, not that you’d be eating any."
Wilson threw up his hands and went back into the kitchen. Chase smiled at them as he eased his way around the end of the couch. Suddenly House yanked on his arm, pulling him down to sit right next to the older man.
"Sit. We aren’t going to hurt you."
Chase squirmed briefly until he realized he was against House’s right side.
"If you eat in the kitchen is that out of sight enough for you?" asked House as he kept right on flipping channels, his eyes on the television.
"Hmm. Yeah, that’d work, I guess."
House nodded. "I need to explain it to Wilson so he doesn’t hit me for banishing you from the room."
"Okay." Chase picked at the knee of his pants.
"I won’t tell him if you don’t want me to."
Bloody hell, you wouldn’t. Chase brought his head up and looked at House. Huh. He’s being serious. "It’s all right. You can tell him."
Wilson came back into the room holding two plates. "Give me a second and I’ll get the other plate."
"Wilson sit. Chase will get his."
"I’m already up, House. I’ll get it."
"Wilson, he needs to eat by himself. I’ll explain it while we eat, okay?"
Wilson looked at Chase. "Really?"
Chase’s throat closed up so he just nodded.
"Breathe, Chase. It’s okay. Wilson isn’t going to be mad that you can’t eat in front of people. Right, Wilson?"
"Whaaa? Mad?" Wilson frowned. "No, of course not."
Chase took a calming breath and headed to the kitchen to try to eat.
*****
Wilson waited impatiently for House to show up for lunch. Damn he’s limping. And if I say anything he’ll deny it.
"Hey."
"Hey, House."
Once settled into a corner of the cafeteria Wilson pushed chips to the edge of his plate so House could steal them easier.
"What was that this morning?" Wilson didn’t even try to fend off the other man as he stole a few chips.
"He says he can’t eat in front of people. Can I kill his mother?"
"She’s already dead, House." Wilson stole one of his chips back. So the eating problem is his mother’s fault. Lovely. "He does eat though, right?"
House stole another chip. "Says he knows he has to so he does."
"Okay. Not good, but okay. See if you can get him to come talk to me for a few minutes." Wilson stole one of House’s fries. Change the subject before he gets pissed that he can’t do anything to fix it. "He looked cute before we moved him."
House choked on his coffee. "He ambushed me." House looked down as he remembered and gave a slight smile.
Wilson's chest ached. You want him happy, James. If that means Chase, then that’s who he’ll get. "You ambushed him this morning."
House snapped his head up. Abruptly the smile dropped into a scowl. "I won’t choose. I don’t want to."
Before Wilson could ask what House might mean, the other man was already halfway across the cafeteria. Wilson knew better than to try to catch him. Quickly packing his remaining food, Wilson headed back to his office.
Standing by his office door was Chase. "You okay?"
"House banished me form Diagnostics until I spoke to you."
Wilson let Chase into his office and indicated for him to sit. Sitting down at his desk Wilson looked over at Chase, who was looking at his hands folded in his lap.
"Does it get harder to eat the more people there are to see you?"
Chase glanced up at him before going back to staring at his hands. "Yes. I can only handle a few bites at the fundraiser parties. If it’s only a couple of people, I can get through about a third of the plate."
"Do you eat a full meal when you are by yourself?"
Chase shrugged. "Sometimes. I ate really well this morning." Chase looked up hopefully.
"Yes, you did." He doesn’t want me mad. House had to threaten him into talking with me. Hmm. "House is just worried. Whatever he threatened you with to get you to come talk to me I’ll talk him out of."
Chase blinked. "It’s okay. I don’t mind talking to you." Chase dropped his eyes back to his hands. "He sent me to talk to you because he trusts you."
"Yeah, I know." Of course he trusts me. He lets me touch him. Wilson could feel his office fade away as memories of House flooded through his mind. House flinching from Stacy just before she left him. House avoiding everyone’s touch even before the infarction. House not letting anyone touch unless they had to or he was unconscious after the infarction. House letting him settle against him on the couch. House pulling Chase down to sit beside him. The only people he invites to touch him are the people he loves. He doesn’t want to choose because he loves us both. Wilson blinked. Well, crap.
Wilson surfaced from his memories to find Chase staring at him anxiously. "Sorry. Just realized something."
"It’s okay." Chase relaxed back into his chair again.
"Does being around House make you happy, Chase?"
Chase’s eyes grew wide. "Uhmm, yes. Why do you ask, Dr. Wilson?"
Wilson sighed. "Don’t panic on me. I’m just asking because you made him happy last night and this morning. That’s very rare."
Chase shook his head hard enough to make his hair fly. "You make him happy, not me."
"Hmm. I think it’s both of us actually." Wilson came around his desk and sat across from Chase in the other chair. "Talking to him about feelings will just make him mad. That’s my thing. Figuring out who he loves or even likes is harder than making him happy."
Chase scrunched up his nose. "I love him and he loves you, what more is there to figure out?"
Wilson smiled. "He loves you too. He let you sleep in his bed. He’s only done that for me when I was sick once."
Chase cocked his head. "Both of us?"
"Yeah, that’s what I think. I’ve kind of been nudging him towards you. Well, as much as anyone can nudge House anywhere. He keeps telling me he won’t choose, that he doesn’t want to. I finally realized he means us. Both of us."
"Oh." Chase frowned at his feet for a few long moments. "I don’t know if I should say, but, I think he’s been sexually abused."
"Yeah. He’s never said so, but I think so too. I won’t ever bring it up unless he does though."
Chase nodded. "You’re talking about the three of us being together at the same time then?"
Wilson reached out and lifted Chase by his chin until their eyes met. "I love him. I’m very attracted to you. Yes, I’m talking about the three of us together."
"I really like you both." Chase closed his eyes. "It’s up to House."
Wilson smiled. "Come over to House’s for dinner. Bring whatever you’ll need to stay overnight. Okay?"
Chase nodded and left the office.
*****
It never ceased to amaze House just how much Wilson could tell about him without being told. Chase was a surprise. He didn’t think that the young man would have ever thought that. House eased back over the short wall that separated his balcony from Wilson’s and went back into his office.
He trusted Wilson. And he was learning to trust Chase. If I keep that in mind, we’ll be okay. I really do want them both. He watched as Chase started past his office.
"Chase!"
Chase sighed, but he came in the office anyway.
"Yes?"
"I want you to come to dinner. Bring a movie and whatever stuff you need. You won’t be going home tonight."
"Yeah. Okay." Chase started to leave, then stopped. "I talked to Wilson. Can I go back into the office now?"
"Sure."
House watched Chase wander back into the Diagnostics lounge. Checking the time House decided that he’d skip clinic hours today and be on time tomorrow. Mustn’t give Cuddy too many shocks at once, she’ll have a heart attack. I don’t want to train a new boss now that I've got Cuddy just like I like her.
*****
House watched Wilson let Chase in from the couch. Pizza had arrived just before the Aussie. And House had already snagged a slice.
Chase dropped his bag just inside the door and let Wilson take his coat without comment.
"Here. Try to eat with us, but before it gets to you move to the kitchen, okay?" House handed his slice to Chase as the younger man sat down.
"Yeah. Okay." Chase set a DVD case on the coffee table before taking a bite of House’s slice.
House flipped channels while watching Chase from the corner of his eye. Just as it looked like he was about to flee to the kitchen, House reach out and stole a pepperoni off the slice.
"Hey!"
Wilson looked up from his book. "He stealing toppings?"
"Yes." Chase took a bite while he glared at House who smirked back at him while chewing his stolen topping.
"If you put the movie in he’ll be enthralled for all of five minutes." Wilson kept his eyes on his book.
"It’s not my fault the previews are usually better than the movie." House reached for another topping off of Chase’s pizza. Chase quickly popped the bite into his mouth before House could rip the topping off of it.
The movie went in and House snagged another topping just as the menu came up. Chase retaliated by stealing the crust House was holding and eating part of it.
House was proud of himself and of Chase for lasting until partway into his third piece before fleeing to the kitchen. When Chase headed to the bathroom a few minutes later, House decided he needed a pillow from his bed and headed that way just as the bathroom door closed.
Satisfied with the sounds coming from the bathroom House went on into his bedroom for the excuse pillow. When he returned, he stopped in the hallway and stared.
Wilson sat on one end of the couch and Chase the other, leaving the middle empty. Leaving it for me. House stood still. He couldn’t sit between them. Not yet. House couldn’t ask one of them to move and he didn’t want to order one to do so.
Chase glanced over his shoulder and noticed House. The young man stood and headed for the kitchen. House sighed and quickly claimed Chase’s spot. When Chase came back he handed the beer he was holding to House and stepped over him to sit in the middle.
House paid attention to the movie until Chase suddenly sighed.
"What?"
Chase stood up. "I want to try something, if that’s okay?"
House just nodded and waited to see what would happen. Chase tugged and pushed on Wilson until he was lying on his side with his head on House’s left thigh and his back tight against the back of the couch. Then Chase laid down in front of Wilson on his side with his feet dangling off the end of the couch.
After a few minutes of settling Wilson threaded a hand through Chase’s hair. House ignored the movie in favor of watching Wilson and Chase. When neither demanded him to do anything House relaxed and wormed his left hand under Wilson’s arm to lay on both of their sides.
As the movie ended House decided he wouldn’t get used to them touching him if they didn’t work on it. He pulled his arm free and tapped Wilson on the head.
"Bedtime."
Wilson helped Chase sit up and then sat up himself. "Okay. I’ll get the linens for the couch and one of us can sleep in the spare room. I’m guessing there’s a bed or something in there."
"No. You’re both sleeping in my bed." House watched them exchange glances. "Whichever of you moves the least gets the middle. I get the far side. Wear something, it can get really cold before morning. I get the bathroom first."
House took his time brushing his teeth with the water running. Like it’s going to be cold with all three of us in the bed. Calm down, Greg. They know. Maybe not details, but they don’t need details. They are both smart, which is why you put up with them in the first place. Having given them four extra minutes than he normally took to let them have time to work out what they were going to do, House headed into his bedroom. Behind him, he heard someone go into the bathroom. He sat on his bed and watched Chase come hover in the doorway. Wilson was in the bathroom, then.
"Are you sure about this, House?"
House motioned Chase over. Once Chase stood close enough House pulled him down to sit next to him. "It’ll be fine."
"It’s not going to get that cold." Chase frowned. "You could just ask us to wear something until you’re more comfortable."
"You can’t eat in front of people, I can’t ask for anything directly."
Chase frowned. "If it gets to be too much, I’ll move out to the couch."
"It won’t, but okay."
Chase smiled and headed for the bathroom that Wilson had just vacated.
Wilson had stripped down to a t-shirt and sleep pants. He worked his way into the middle of the bed. "This may not work, you know."
House got under the covers with Wilson and tucked himself up against the other man. "It’ll work."
"Hmm."
House waited until Chase had climbed in on the other side of Wilson before turning off the light. For a long time House listened to the other two sleep. Neither moved much. House figured they’d move more once they became used to it, and he slept.
*****
(Part 3)