Disclaimer -I do not own House. Unfortunately, I don't own Chase either. The song used is Saturday Night by Natalia Kills. I was listening to this song and couldn't help but write my first House fanfiction.
Hope you like it. Oh, and I'd like you to read the lyrics and listen to the song too. It's better that way.
"You okay?"
The sunlight gives a golden glint to his blonde hair and tanned skin as he looks up, blue-green eyes betraying the smile his lips curve into.
"Yeah." Chase nods.
Aaron returns the smile, and sits down next to the fifteen-year old teenager. He stretches his arms upwards, and grins lazily, "Heard Tom's got a crush on you."
Chase rolls his eyes, and makes a face, "As if I'll fall for your jokes."
The brunette laughs, his big, manly laugh, and wraps his arm around Chase, "Robbie, you know, sometimes I wonder how long it's gonna take you to admit that you can love no one else but me."
Chase pulls himself away, his eyes wide in mild amusement and disbelief, and a grin adorns his face as he says, "I? Love? You?"
Aaron rests his hands down, and looks at the water of the lake, shining in the evening sunlight, and asks, "Don't you?"
Chase playfully pushes him, "Of course not!"
Aaron looks at him, and for a brief moment, Chase doesn't know whether it's the warm chocolate in his eyes, or the innocence and affection with which his best friend curls his lips upward, but in that brief moment, Chase just smiles.
Because he knows that even if the planet drowns, his best friend won't abandon him.
...
Momma you're beautiful tonight
Movie star hair and that black eye
I can't even notice it when you smile so hard through a heart felt lie
...
"He's abusive, Mom!"
His mother turns around, and glares at him sharply, "I don't care, Robert."
The teenager folds his arms across his chest, "Because Dad was your life and now that he's gone, you won't care about-
"Shut up, Robert." The cold gaze is enough to kill the words in his throat and boil anger in his blood. He averts his eyes as heavy footsteps echo in his ears. As the man enters, in his perfect tuxedo, his mother glares at him and he forces a smile and stands up to hug the man after his mother kisses him.
Chase hates every moment of the dinner. But, he pretends, and smiles, and acts like it's the best fucking night of his entire life, where he sits with his mother and her new rich boyfriend.
...
Go kiss the liquor off his laugh,
Another suitcase full of cash,
Shiny apologies in a velvet box,
What a real good man.
...
He stares up at his bedroom ceiling as their voices thrum in his ears like torturous drum beats. He imagines what Jared is doing at the moment.
Mirthlessly chuckling to himself, the blonde mutters, imagining Jared's next lines, "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry." And then he laughs out loud, but it's sadder than his eyes, because it's nothing new.
Every other night, his mother returns with a new bruise, and every other day, Jared makes it up by a new ring or new necklace or anything shiny and artificial which he believes is worth his mother's companionship. It's like she has a price tag.
"Fucker." He whispers angrily, and turns around, staring out at the window, and waits for the tears and the sleep to come.
Neither do.
...
We drive brand new cars and we light fine cigars,
We shine like small town stars through the best days of our lives,
We will walk right down the pavement,
I know we're gonna be just fine,
And I'll put on my dancing shoes real tight,
'Cause it's just another Saturday night
...
"Robert, did you hear that? That's so funny!" His mother looks at her boyfriend, repeating her thoughts, "You're so funny, darling!"
Chase laughs aloud, just like the other two. Only, he can't wait to get the hell out of here because the shiny cars they drive in and the fancy restaurants he's expected to visit every Saturday night with them makes him lose hope in his life by each passing day.
He forces another smile as he realizes that Jared asked him something, and leans forward as if he's genuinely interested in the conversation.
Inside, he assures himself that once this Saturday is gone, he won't need to meet the bastard until the next week.
And as other people in the restaurant envy them for being the perfect family, Chase inwardly begs to be freed from the hell hole his life's turned into.
...
Another fist, another wall,
We lose ourselves we lose it all,
I wrote him a hundred times,
Can you hear my heart through the prison bars?
...
"Jared?" Chase starts. The voice on the other line sounds shocked, "Robert?"
"Um, yeah. I hope I'm not disturbing you, Jared. You're free, right?"
"Yes, Robert, what's wrong?"
Chase's knuckles turn white as he grips the phone tighter, rolling his eyes at the clear falseness of his concern, and continues, "I just wanted to know if Mom will be coming tonight. It's really late and..."
"She'll be with me, Robert. I hope that's not any problem?"
He gulps as tears threaten to dance down his cheeks and his heart almost shatters but he grips it all together a moment before saying, "Um, y-yeah, no problem. Just... take care, Jared. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Robert." And the call ends.
Chase sits down on the couch, and stares at his hands like he's never seen them before.
She forgot.
He looks at the opposite wall, and then the next. He even stares at the ceiling for ten minutes. But everywhere his eyes go, there's a reminder of his loneliness.
He fishes out his cell, and punches the familiar digits, and waits for the person to pick it up.
"Robert?"
"Hey, Dad. Were you sleeping?"
"Um, yeah... but what's wrong? Everything's fine, right? Do you need some money?"
Chase shakes his head, and his throat feels blocked, but he clears it before saying, "Um, no, Dad. I just... I just wanted to talk. Can you?"
There's a sigh on the other end. "Can I call you tomorrow, Robert? I'm very tired today and-
"Y-yeah, that's... that's okay, Dad. Thanks." He ends the call. He doesn't know if he has the strength to hear the rest.
No surprise he doesn't remember either.
It's almost 11:30 when the doorbell rings. He doesn't even hope to see his parents. They're gonna be crushed, anyway.
Sighing, the blonde stands up and goes to open them. Aaron stands in front of him, his usual grin brightening his face. His hands hold boxes of cake and pizza.
Three weeks. God, it's been that long since he last talked to his best friend. All because of a stupid fight.
And now, on his sixteenth birthday, it's him who's on his doorsteps with a smile. He moves aside, saying nothing.
The brunette enters the house, and keeps the boxes on the table, clapping his hands, "So, dear Robbie's sweet sixteenth is all for me! C'mon, now you gotta admit that you love me." The way he says that, with his hands on his waist, and his lips curled in a smirk, and his voice tinted with humor, reminds Chase of all those moments he has spent his best friend.
He's always been there.
And Chase tries to hold them back in, but the tears finally break free and run down his face like never before. He vaguely remembers Aaron's arms wounding around his body soothingly, and his own wrapping around Aaron's neck, and his tear-stricken face burying in Aaron's chest and the way his best friend's hand rubs soothing circles on his back, giving him a slight assurance that everything will be fine.
Chase knows it never will be.
But because it's Aaron, he almost believes it.
...
The boys I kiss don't know my name,
The tears I cry all taste of blame,
Bad luck and dirty cops,
I'm a fucking teenage tragedy.
...
The boy is older than him, probably a year ahead, and stronger, but the alcohol in his system allows him to not give a damn. He just grinds against the guy, concentrating on the beats of the blaring music and the sweaty bodies and the fact that this feels so damn good.
He doesn't notice the way Aaron's eyes narrow at his carefree and drunken laugh.
The boy -what was his name again?- leans down and licks his chin, and Chase laughs. It's funny how it's been only ten minutes since they started dancing and the boy is already whispering in his ear what he'll do with his body once he gets him in bed.
And then suddenly a strong grip pulls him away, and after a few moments his hazy mind registers that it's Aaron dragging him toward his car.
"Leave me!" Chase frees his hand from the grip, but they're already out of the house, and Aaron is glaring at him.
The blonde rubs his wrist, and turns around to return to the party when his best friend -oh, sorry, ex-best friend's hand grips his shoulder.
"Robert, it's-
"Oh, so it's Robert now?" Chase angrily interrupts. Aaron takes in a deep breath to calm himself, and runs his hand through his chocolate brown hair but before he can say anything, Chase laughs, "Wasn't it Chase in the school? Ah, what about fag?"
"Listen, I-
"I've listened enough!" Chase says. "Why do you even care?"
Aaron doesn't reply. He just stares at Chase with vulnerability evident in his eyes, but the blonde is too drunk and too angry to notice it. So he just laughs, "Right, you gonna give your other football friends a new story? Tell them how you beat up the fag? Oh, wait!" He widens his eyes, and giggles, "You'll get dirty if you lay a finger on me! Me -Robert Chase, the fag, the druggie, the fatherless child. The taint of your high society!"
"It's because-
"Oh, fuck you." Chase parts with these seething words.
Aaron stares at Chase as he grabs another stranger and kisses him with full force. He glares at the asshole whose hands are cupping the blonde's ass, and then silently turns around and leaves.
...
I walk lonely streets and I talk big time dreams,
So hold on before you see that you're better off without me,
Cause when I look up from the pavement,
I know I'm gonna be just fine,
And I'll put on my dancing shoes real tight,
'Cause it's just another Saturday night
...
His name is Bob. He's probably around thirty. Chase is just seventeen. The blonde walks, his feet not making a sound in the silent night. Finally, he stands where he used to in his childhood.
Silently, his shoulders shake as the midnight moon smiles pityingly at him in the water. Sobs wreck his body as he falls on his knees, and rubs his face with his palms.
It's wrong. It's all wrong. Nothing was supposed to go this way.
Chase wishes for it all to go away, for his Dad to come back, for his Mom to stop drowning herself in alcohol and burdening him with taking care of her when it's she who should be supporting him.
Because he's the broken one. He's the one who doesn't feel worth living.
The blonde sees Aaron's reflection in the water, and doesn't even turn around while saying, "Are you here to mock me?"
A sharp intake of breath. "No."
Chase doesn't say anything. Aaron awkwardly continues, "I wanted you to know that I'll always-
"Don't." The word is said with enough menace and coldness that Aaron shuts up instantly. He stands there silently for a minute, staring at the blonde, dying to hold him in his arms, to have it all back the way it used to be.
But then he just turns around and leaves, because he doesn't deserve Robbie after what he's done with him.
...
There's a rainbow on the bathroom door again,
Where the lipstick slides and the pearls all fly oh.
I'm gone and I ain't coming back this time,
I'm gonna find my home underneath the city lights oh.
...
He stares up at the sky, silent. His hair has grown too long, and he's getting skinnier, and a bit pale. His eyes are bloodshot.
The stars twinkle, and he hears from distance someone singing some vaguely familiar tune.
And then he laughs. He doesn't have a reason, but he wants to laugh so badly. At this shitty, fucked-up life. At his dysfunctional family. He laughs at how the rest of the rich bitches bitch about his Mom, and he laughs at how his former friends have all abandoned him.
He laughs at how Aaron thinks Chase doesn't know. Oh, he does. He knows very well that his ex-best fucking friend has fallen for him. He laughs because he will never let Aaron be happy after he abandoned him despite promising to never do so.
He laughs, because the best way to hurt Aaron is to hurt himself.
He stares at the sky and yells, "Fuck you! Fuck you all! Fuck you for not giving me a chance! Fuck you for hating me!"
He lies down, panting, and closes his eyes as another laughter bubbles up his throat.
That night, he doesn't cry. He laughs.
Chase doesn't know why that feels sadder.
...
Pills fall like diamonds from my purse,
Right out the hole in my fur coat,
Straight down the gutter goes my antidote to a broken girl,
I promise I'll be the one you want,
Don't tell me I'm unfixable,
You don't know what it's like to be seventeen with no place to go.
...
"Hey baby." Seth pulls him close and plants his mouth against Chase's, and lets the pill slip. Chase moans at the the high and the way Seth fondles his ass.
Their entire group has gone ahead, but Chase and Seth -his first boyfriend who's around his age -stay back, because Seth needs a blowjob desperately.
Seth pushes him against the wall, and kisses him roughly, his other hand sliding under Chase's shirt. And then he grabs his hair, and pushes him down on his knees, and waits for Chase to do the rest.
Before the blonde can unzip the pants, he hears a few whistles. They both look around to see three buff guys standing there, sneering.
"Fags having some fun, eh?"
Chase doesn't even notice when Seth disappears, but when he does, he can't believe that the bastard left him alone.
One of the guys laughs, "The pretty boy's alone?"
The third one swings his arm, but before the fist can connect with Chase's face, tanned fingers wrap around his wrist, and the guy staggers back as Aaron kicks him in the gut.
Chase slumps back against the wall, and curls up in a ball as he sees the scene unfold before him. The other two guys leave before Aaron can even hit them.
They don't want to mess with their high school's god.
After few long minutes, Aaron turns around, and kneels in front of the boy, "You okay?"
The blonde doesn't reply. Aaron's eyes narrow, "Are you high?" At the shrug, the brunette laughs in disbelief and runs a hand through his hair, "Goddammit, Robbie, have you gone insane?"
Chase's words are slurred. The brunette rolls his eyes and picks him up, and carries him to his car.
While they drive, Aaron tries hard to ignore the suspicious conversion of laughter into sobs. Because, God, he can't believe that the person he loves so much is damaged to this extent -and grudgingly, he admits that it's partly his fault.
He sighs.
...
But give me just one night and I'll be almost fine,
Remind me one more time it's the best days of my life
...
When Chase realizes that he's in Aaron's bed, and naked, he groans.
"Fuck!" He mutters, and stands up, quickly picking up his discarded clothes on the floor and wears them hastily, and moves toward the door, when Aaron's hand shoots out and stops him.
They stare at each other for some time, and then brokenly, the brunette asks, "Why?"
Why? Chase glares. Because you left me. Because you weren't there when I needed you. Because no matter how hard I try, I'm broken and I can't be fixed and I don't want you to suffer. Because I have no future and I'll leave for England in a few weeks. Because... I love you, and you deserve better.
For the first time, he experiences the bitter taste of the lie on his tongue, as he fakes a glare and leaves, "'Cause it was just another Saturday night."
And the door slams shut.
...
Cause when I look up from the pavement,
I know I'm gonna be just fine,
And I'll put on my dancing shoes real tight,
'Cause it's just another Saturday night
...
Outside, when Chase looks at the water for the last time, he can't help but smile, because for the first time, he can see a future.
"Even if you have to leave Australia?"
The blonde turns around, and smiles at the brunette, "Even if I have to leave Australia."
"I'm sorry."
Chase nods. That night, they both stand there, feet apart, under the moonlight, together for the last time. But for the first time, Chase is happy and even if he'll think of him every moment of his life, Aaron lets go of him.
His best friend deserves at least that much.
A/N: I hope you liked it. Reviews will very much appreciated, trust me. And sorry if I got something wrong. I've only watched half the first season, so there are chances I screwed up even if the timeline is different.
Once again, please let me know through reviews.