Picture Puzzles Part 4
Title: Picture Puzzles Part 4/?
Rating: R 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.
Has now been beta'd by
recrudescence Any remaining mistakes are mine.
(Part 3)
*****
Chase wasn’t sure if he had a death wish or not. The kiss to House’s neck had been an absentminded show of affection. I need to watch myself. He’s leading. I’ve got to let him move first. Chase shook his head as he pulled a beer from the fridge. You know if you make him mad he’ll kick you out, Robbie. No second chance, you’ve used that one up already. House could have easily been pissed at the liberty taken instead of seemingly happy with it. And the impulse for the second kiss hadn’t asked his brain for an opinion at all.
Chase looked down at himself as he walked back into the living room. I’ve got to go get more clothes. House probably has something planned for tomorrow and I’m sure a stop by my place didn’t make the cut. Chase handed the beer to House as he passed behind the couch.
House turned his head to watch Chase as he shrugged into his jacket. "Where are you going?"
Chase glanced up as he fished through his pockets for his keys. "I’ve got to get some stuff. I’ll be back."
"Food, Chase. You need to eat."
Chase froze. "I will eat when I come back, House. I need to go and get some of my stuff now."
House slowly placed his plate on the coffee table and carefully stood up. He hobbled past Wilson who pulled his feet up and out of the way of House and his cane. House pulled open the closet door and started pulling out his jacket.
Wilson sat his plate down as well. "What are you doing, House?"
"Going with the wombat. We’ll eat when we get back."
Chase shook his head. "No. I don’t need a babysitter or directions. I can find my way back."
House pulled on his jacket. "Your death trap is capable of hauling around passengers. I have an urge to roam around in a hunk of junk tonight."
Wilson snorted. "House, just tell Chase you want to visit his place and shut up."
House turned a hurt expression on Wilson. "I can’t talk and shut up at the same time."
Chase muttered under his breath. House swung around to face him. "What was that?"
Chase raised his chin. "I said, ‘You can’t shut up.’ And you can’t."
House grinned. "Just for that, no talking on the way." House pulled open his door and started out.
Chase sighed and started to follow until Wilson’s amused voice stopped him.
"Don’t be surprised when he adjusts your mirrors, seats, and radio to his liking. Oh, and have fun."
Chase resisted the urge to stick out his tongue at Wilson. He grunted and went to let House in his car before the man broke the handle or window or something.
*****
House stood beside Chase’s car tapping his cane on the pavement. What the hell am I doing? I left perfectly hot food and cold beer for what looks to be crappy heating and somewhat scary driving. House hung his head. Just because I’ve a sudden insane impulse to keep Chase in view at all times doesn’t mean I’m turning into motherhen-Wilson. It doesn’t. House thumped the passenger door with the tip of his cane. It had better not.
They got in and started for Chase’s in silence. They passed into a construction zone doing road improvements and back out without seeing any construction at all. House started messing with the radio settings. He could see Chase biting the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything. Suddenly House had the urge to look up from the dash. In doing so he took in a great number of things in an instant.
The traffic light had come partway loose from its housing and was lying on its side on the crossbar. The light was red for them. The speed limit really shouldn’t be that high. And, damn, that semi-truck was a loaded double bottom.
"Red! The light’s red!"
"Bugger." Chase slammed on the brakes and the car started to slide. House mentally calculated the respective distances and speeds and figured they were still screwed. The semi braked as well. The second trailer started to jackknife.
Chase pulled hard on the steering wheel. House braced himself as their car turned right, slipped past the end of the jackknifing trailer, and over the curb onto the sidewalk. The semi overcorrected, then corrected a second time, and continued on.
Both House and Chase sat listening to the jazz station House had hit just before the intersection as they tried to calm their breathing. Chase slowly put the car into park.
"The light was green."
"No, Chase, it was red. Very, very red."
Chase closed his eyes and nodded even as he said, "It was level with the crossbar, it was green."
House looked through their rearview window. "It’s lying on its side. And now it’s green."
Chase turned to look. "Oh." Chase turned back to look at House. "I thought there was no talking."
"When have I ever not broken a rule?"
Chase smiled. "Yeah, I suppose there’s that."
Chase put the car back into gear and they drove on. And neither commented on Chase’s shaking or House’s announcing traffic light colors.
*****
Standing in Chase’s living room, if you could call it that, House was stuck by just how small the young man’s place was. He watched as Chase loaded a bag with clothing with hands that still shook slightly.
House frowned. He needs a distraction until we get to Wilson. At least Wilson would know what to do to fix him. "You know why I hired you?"
Chase jerked his head up. "Well, yeah. My father called."
House snorted. "Yes, and he ordered me not to hire you."
Chase blinked. "What?"
"He said I was a bad influence and you’d be much better off in intensive care. Of course, I’d already decided you’d do if you didn’t piss me off in the first ten minutes, but once Daddy called you could have waltzed into the office called me an asshole and I still would have hired you."
"I called you an asshole three hours after I meet you."
House grinned. "Yeah, but I’d just hit you with my cane. I was expecting you to cuss then."
Chase rolled his eyes and continued packing. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"
House dropped his chin to his chest for a few moments. "How would I know?"
Chase cocked his head. "You’ve not decided?"
House cocked his head the opposite direction of Chase. "Why should I decide?"
Chase shoved the contents of the bag down in hard. "Fine, don’t tell me."
House turned and sat down on the couch. "Chase, I don’t have to decide on everything. I figured the three of us would discuss things over food, but then you needed to come here."
"You don’t care what Wilson or I think about what we do."
House snorted. "That’s why I asked you to bring a movie, or for you and Wilson to get the food."
"You don’t ask, you order."
"No, when your mother asked she was ordering. When I order and I’m not mean I’m asking." House stood up and moved towards Chase. "You can say no. You can tell me to go to hell, if you want. You don’t have to do what I say."
"Yes, I do. I don’t want to upset you." Chase backed away until his back hit the wall beside his bed.
House crowded closer. "I’m not going to reject you, Robbie. Upsetting me will just cause a fuss, not a breakup. You’re mine and Wilson’s."
"Don’t lie." Chase closed his eyes and held very still.
"Freezing won’t hide you, Robbie. And I’m not lying. Want proof?"
Chase held still for a moment before nodding slightly.
House shifted his cane to his left hand and grasped Chase’s hair in his right. He gently pulled Chase’s head to the side to expose his neck. Moving his mouth close to Chase’s ear House whispered, "Right side’s mine. Wilson can have the left."
Chase sucked in a breath as House bit him just under the ear. Smiling against the skin House continued to bite and suck a line down to the base of Chase’s neck. After one last bite House pulled back to study his marks.
Chase stood, panting lightly. The line of marks House had left was fading from red to purple in places. House pulled his hand from Chase’s hair and rubbed his thumb firmly across one of the smaller marks.
"Won’t do this to you often. This will scare Cameron when you go back to work." House moved his thumb up to brush lightly across the largest bite mark. "Proof enough?"
Chase leaned into the caress. "For now. I know what I want to do tomorrow."
House dropped his hand and transferred the cane back to its proper place. "What do you want, Chase?" I don’t care what he says, we’re doing it. Well, if it’s something I can live through that is.
"I want to buy a good pennywhistle."
Not what I was expecting, but okay. "Sure. Why?"
Chase pushed House back enough to slip past him. "It’s the only instrument I’ll still play." Chase picked up his bag. "Let’s go. Wilson’s probably waiting to eat."
So there're other instruments besides the piano. Shit. I'll have to find a way to get Wilson to admit to playing the guitar. Hmm. Pennywhistle can usually improvise off of the paino's treble clef. House checked Chase as they approached the car. The trembling seemed gone. I'm still calling the traffic lights on the way home.
*****
Wilson put away the dishes that someone, probably Chase, had washed. I’m fidgeting. I’ve put away the food, and cleaned practically everything. I don’t know why I’m so on edge. Chase wouldn’t kill House and House wouldn’t kill Chase without telling me first. With the last fork dropped into its place, Wilson changed into clothing to sleep in and sat down on the couch.
When the door finally opened Wilson wasn’t surprised to see Chase scowling, but the livid color up the right side of his neck was definitely new. House came in behind him with his best cat-got-the-bird grin on his face.
"Why’d you maul Chase?" Wilson took Chase’s bag from him and sat it down at the end of the couch.
"I did not maul him, Wilson. I marked him. There’s a world of difference."
Wilson nodded and turned to Chase. "Why’d he mark you?"
Chase dropped his eyes to his feet. "He was proving something."
House sighed as he removed his jacket. "What he’s not saying is he worried he’ll upset us and we’ll kick him to the curb." House started digging in the bottom of the closet and raised his voice to be heard from the depths. "I told him he’s ours and gave him tangible proof."
"House, he’s going to have all sorts of people worried about him when he goes back to work."
House grin was triumphant when he emerged from the closet with a book in hand. "Already told him Cameron would freak. Chase, eyes up. I know you aren’t used to the idea, but you’ve a say in this. It’s a big say, about a third of the whole."
Chase brought his eyes up to meet Wilson’s. House moved to stand beside them. He placed the book he held in Chase’s hand.
"Tomorrow afternoon we’re going to find a good pennywhistle for Chase. The morning’s going to be spent lazing about in bed recuperating." House limped past them into the hallway. "I’m going to shower."
Wilson turned to Chase who was fingering a bite mark. "Why are we recuperating?"
From the bedroom House yelled, "Because we almost died on the way to Chase’s place. Oh, and did you know Chase is colorblind?"
"House, shut up!" Wilson turned back to Chase. "You okay? What’d he give you anyway?"
Chase nodded as he held out his book. "It’s a book of crosswords."
****
Telling Wilson what had happened wasn’t nearly as bad as Chase had thought it was going to be.
"And he called me Robbie. He hardly ever does that."
Wilson pursed his lips. "Sounds like you scared the crap out of him. You know the day your father called I could hear House yelling through the wall. He’d already told me he’d decided on you. Your father’s call just pissed him off."
"Hmm." Chase stared at the blank television. They both heard the shower shut off. "Can I ask you something?"
He's going to ask about his father. "Sure."
"Would you match House’s marks, please?"
Wilson gaped at the younger man’s profile. "Chase…"
"It’s cold enough for a turtleneck if you’re worried what people will say."
"No, no, it’s not that. I just, hmm, well…"
"What he’s not saying is he’s never done all that much with a guy. Have you, James?"
Wilson sighed. "Not really. It’s just that… Well…"
House jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Robbie, go take a good hot shower. I need to talk to Wilson for a minute."
Chase quietly went. House stood where he was until the water started back up.
"Are you insane? He asked you to mark him didn’t he? You’re going to take the first real request he’s made without prompting and tell him no?"
Wilson brushed a hand through his hair. "I don’t like giving hickeys, House."
House slammed his hand down on the back of the couch. "I don’t care, Wilson. I didn’t know if it’d work for him when I did that, but obviously it makes him feel loved. And until he gets the idea that we aren’t going to hurt or ignore him every time he opens his mouth through his head I’ll do whatever it takes to make him feel loved. And I expect you to do the same."
"Hurting him to give him bite marks is making him feel loved?"
House brought his head up. "What happened?"
Wilson cocked any eyebrow. "What?"
House came around the couch and sat down. He motioned Wilson over. "What happened that made marking someone so bad?"
Wilson moved to sit beside House. "The first time I started to mark my first wife she freaked. Screamed that it hurt and locked herself in the bathroom for over an hour."
House closed his eyes and shook his head. "Just because she’d been sexually assaulted or raped by someone who bit her doesn’t mean that you’re going to hurt Chase." House tapped the back of Wilson’s hand with a finger. "He asked, Wilson. It makes him feel closer to us. He’s about to come out of a hot shower. You won’t even have to bite him that hard."
"House…"
"I told him the left side was yours." House grinned. "If we put him in the middle in bed, we can each attack our own side."
Wilson pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and sighed. He opened his eyes and let his hand drop as he heard the water shut off. "Only if he asks directly."
"Cool." House stood up and pulled Wilson upright as well. "Come on, if you catch him naked I’ll get a really good show."
****
Chase had just pulled on his sweat bottoms when the bathroom door banged open. "Bollocks. What’d you want?"
House stepped aside to let Wilson passed him. "Wilson wants to give you something."
Chase stood still as Wilson stepped up to him. Wilson glanced over his shoulder at House and then turned back to Chase. "Match House’s marks?"
Chase tilted his head. "Please."
Wilson nodded and leaned in. A finger's width from his skin Chase felt more than heard Wilson say, "Only when you ask."
He felt his body relax on its own as Wilson’s teeth grazed his neck. He leaned back against the counter as Wilson pressed closer. And then suddenly the pressure from Wilson increased. Chase cracked his eyes open to see House pressed against Wilson’s back just watching them. His eyes slid back closed as Wilson sucked hard for a few moments.
Chase floated on the sensations Wilson was creating until suddenly House’s voice wound its way through his foggy brain.
"Wilson, that’s enough for now. Back off, Jimmy."
Chase opened his eyes as Wilson pulled away and turned to House.
"Sorry."
House patted Wilson on the shoulder. "You did fine. Look at him, Jimmy. See how relaxed he is. How do you feel, Robbie?"
Chase could still feel the throb from the places that had been sucked on. "Hmm. Good."
.House laughed. "Go to bed now."
"Okay." Chase’s haze started to fade as he pulled the covers back. He turned to see House and Wilson side by side just inside the doorway. "Thank you, Wilson."
Wilson nodded. "You can call me James part of the time, you know."
Chase knew the grin was a bit goofy and didn’t care. "Okay. Night, James. Night, House."
*****
House pulled Wilson’s hand into his stomach as they stood and watched Chase snuggle down in the bed. "I already told him I wouldn’t do it often."
Wilson turned his head slightly. "He didn’t want to mark you or me for that matter?"
"He doesn’t think that’s an option, so he doesn’t consider it." House frowned at the bed’s occupant. "I’m not sure I could hold still for him yet."
"I thought you were doing remarkably well, actually." A small miracle you haven’t flinched on us yet.
House turned the very corners of his mouth up. "You haven’t noticed? I’ve been freaking out for days."
Wilson smiled sadly. "I kind of thought so when you didn’t make fun of Cuddy’s breasts today."
House let Wilson’s hand drop. "Come on. Bed."
They both climbed in beside the already sleeping young man. Wilson lay down against Chase’s side. He was almost asleep when he felt a callused hand brush down his arm and come to rest on his side. Wilson smiled in the dark. Love you too, Greg.
*****
(Part 5)
A/N: For those that are instrested. My post on where I'm basising my colorblindness for Chase from: http://whiteraven1606.livejournal.com/2055.html