Title: The Plot
Fandom: House MD
Characters: House/Chase
Prompt: #43 Conspire written for fanfic50 on livejournal.
Word Count: 1,193
Rating: R
Summary: Chase tries to make his way on his looks and looks alone in a battle against Cameron.
Disclaimer: I do not own Robert Chase or Gregory House, they are the property of Fox and the House creators.
Notes: Dedicated to my lovely friend enigmaticraven aka Amanda
Robert Chase had never really tried to make his way into anything using his looks, but sometimes he just couldn't stop it from happening on its own. It was beyond his control really, but nonetheless it was a thought he enjoyed at times when he was feeling truly low and shitty about everything else in his life. He liked that people liked his looks because then it meant they weren't looking too closely. They couldn't see the cracks that multiplied more each day in the façade he put on. Well most people saw only the surface, but not House.
House saw through everything he tried to hide behind and right into the very thing that made up his personality, his insecurity and his need to prove himself as being something other than just his father's son. He needed to stand on his own but it was his father who had been his inspiration for getting into medicine, and his need to conspire with himself to become something better than his father had been.
Chase would've settled for being a better father but that was impossible, as he was gay and he didn't want children. In fact they kind of freaked him out, as he didn't know what they wanted or needed. Fundamentally as a doctor he knew what they neededbut not true desires, or fears of children other than what his had been. He had serious doubts that every child had hopes that one day his or her mother would wake up and decide not to take another drink, knowing that the next drink might be the end of everything.
Nevertheless, despite his flaws, House seemed to like him, or at least he thought House liked him. Wilson had told him House liked him.He trusted Wilson, seeing, as Wilson was the only person House seemed to trust. Therefore, when the oncologist mentioned in passing how amusing House found Chase, well Chase found himself practically beaming in joy at the thought that maybe something could come of the warmth that grew in his stomach every single time House turned his way.
He discovered on day that the warmth in his stomach had the ability to turn into something else, a ball of lead. Especially when he heard Wilson teasing House about undressing Cameron with his eyes, she was too skinny for House but he saw the way she looked at the older man, as if he was some kind of god.
That bitch was so going down.
She would soon learn that Robert Chase would not go down without a fight, and he could kick and scream with the rest of them.
It started out simple of course, a basic seduction. Chase made sure his hair looked perfect before he left every morning before work, messy but sexy. He tried out a new cologne which Cameron claimed was completely disgusting, or rather she found it disgusting when House leaned in to get a closer sniff. He couldn't deny the look the older man gave him after doing so shot a thrill right to his groin, if House liked the new cologne he wasn't going to change it any time soon.
The next day it was a new shirt and sneering at Cameron's ideas. The day after that it was being as respectful as he could to House until the older man snapped at him to grow a fucking spine. The day after that it became trying to be the best and quickest at his job, he managed to go through two of House's former cases and diagnose them, prompting an almost smile from the other man which sent warmth shooting through his insides once again.
It was the end of the week before House finally spoke to him about the changes. "So you have driven poor Cameron pretty much to the brink," He commented.
Chase couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face as he tilted his chair back and propped his feet up on the table, "I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," It was hard to keep the triumph out of his voice, he'd won. He could see it in her eyes, the agony of defeat and helplessness at the fact that she would never have House's attention of respect in the way he did.
House let out a noise that could've passed for a laugh if the older man did it more often, "You don't know what I'm talking about?" He asked caustically as though Chase was dumb. It was a tone of voice that made the Australian wince, he hadn't heard that tone in a week but he supposed it was his own fault. He had after all lied, and tried to play a game that House was much much better at. "I'm talking about your little flirtation; you little joke to see who could better get to your crippled boss."
Snapping his head up Chase winced once again at the sound of the metal chair legs screeching across the floor, "No it wasn't like that House we weren't…we weren't…"
"Conspiring against me? Trying to see who could get in my pants first?" House mocked harshly, moving around the table and getting into Chase's face, "Is that so? Then what exactly did you think you were doing by coming here smelling like that, and making your hair look like this," His fingers wrapped in Chase's hair and pulled until the younger man was looking straight into his eyes.
Inhaling sharply Chase felt himself harden at the pain in his scalp, he'd only dreamt of House touching him like that. He wasn't one for much tenderness and that was what drew him to House, because he wasn't much for coddling or sensitivity either. "I wanted you." He murmured his voice hoarse even to his own ears. He could only imagine what House would think of that.
"Wanted? Past tense? What did you realize you weren't going to get the fairy tale ending you always wanted?" House's voice was derisive as it always was until his eyes widened in recognition as he studied Chase's form, his eyes drifting up and down the other doctor's form.
"You like this," It was an observation, not a question and House sounded amused. "This is why you've been playing this game all week, not necessarily to drive her mad but to see if you could drive me mad." He released Chase's hair from his hand, sitting on the edge of the table.
Chase let out a disappointed moan when House let him go, "That was definitely a bonus. She annoys me," He smiled briefly.
"Go home," House said abruptly, standing he swung himself around and limped toward his desk.
"Wha-Wait…am I being fired?" Chase asked, his eyes widening.
House shook his head, "I'll meet you there in an hour." He nodded to the door. "And maybe we can conspire to drive Cameron even more insane than you've driven her all week."
Chase couldn't get out of the room fast enough. He really had won. Not even just a single battle, he'd won the war. Maybe House did find him pretty.