A/N: Azkabanrunaway, To Hell With Valentine's and ScarletOfTheBlue, I hope you all got my answers on your wonderful reviews. I've never gotten any feedback at all, so up until now I have absolutely no idea whether this "reply" button on the review page works or not. In case you haven't gotten an answer, I suppose it went straight into your spam mail folder. Just tell me in your next review and I'll e-mail you directly. :)

Okay, so... This will be the last chapter for a while, because I'll be without computer for about two weeks, but I promise I do my best to update this as soon as possible when I'm back from my vacation.


Chris closed the door and walked through the hallway towards the staircase, but the sound of his mother's voice to the right of him stopped him mid-stride.

"Where have you been?"

She was sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Out."

"Alone?"

Chris rolled his eyes.

"With friends. Mom, it's six p.m. Isn't it a little too early for the Spanish Inquisition?"

She ignored his sarcasm as usual, giving him a quick once-over.

"How are you?"

It was a week ago that Chet had used him as a punching-ball, and the black eye had already started to fade, but his ribs and stomach were still hurting.

"Fine."

"I wish your father was here. That damn conference."

"And what difference would that make? Dad's not the only doctor, you know? That aside, he's never at home anyway, even if he's in town."

He turned away and continued his way up to his room. He really needed to get out of here. Living with your parents at the age of twenty was pretty much like Hell. Felt a little like twenty-four-hours-observation. But really, he had other problems at the moment. And his biggest problem was to get Dr. Robert Chase out of his head.

It had been ridiculous right from the start and it had become even more ridiculous since then. No matter what he did, he always seemed to hear that smooth accent whispering sweet nothings into his ear, feel gentle hands touching his belly...

Chris had tried to fight it by sleeping with pretty much every girl around and willing, but the picture he saw in front of his mind's eye, the name he whispered as inaudibly as possible when he came, was always "Robert".

And that was slowly driving him in-fucking-sane.

xxx

Chase was bored. With a capital B. At least his colleagues weren't avoiding him like the plague, so he had the chance to have just a little conversation at lunch break.

Cameron, Foreman and Chase were on their way back from the cafeteria when Cameron said, "I'm sure House will get over it soon. I mean, if he wanted to fire you, he would have done it by now, right? Right?"

But Chase had only heard the first five words she'd said. He'd just seen Chris Halliwell being dragged through the front entrance by a tall man with dark-blond hair, and it had distracted him. Cameron blinked when she noticed she'd lost her partner in this conversation.

"Chase?"

The Australian doctor ignored her and headed towards the young man, still loudly announcing his displeasure.

"Stop shaking me, you Neanderthal! That hurts!"

"For somebody who's constantly telling me he's fine, you're whining a lot, don't you think?" the taller man growled.

Wyatt's grasp on his younger brother's neck ensured that Chris could do nothing but flinch.

"Hello," said Dr. Chase in the soft British-sounding accent that had followed Chris into his dreams. "Can I help you?"

The taller man's gaze scanned him from head to toe, then focussed on his eyes.

"I'm Wyatt Halliwell. Did you examine my brother a week ago, Dr...?"

"Chase, and yes," he confirmed. "But he showed no sign of a concussion or internal bleeding. I prescribed him an ointment and painkillers and told him to come back if it's not gotten any better within about five days."

Wyatt looked at Chris and furrowed his brows.

"A small detail he obviously forgot to mention." He tilted his head. "British?"

"Australian."

"Sorry."

"No need."

Chris growled impatiently.

"And now that the niceties are over: can we please leave?"

Wyatt looked at the young man still more or less at his mercy.

"Mom said you have to go to the hospital to let a doctor check on you, and now we are at the hospital. We're not going anywhere until this nice young man has re-examined you."

"Mommy's boy."

"Actually that would be you, bro. I'm more like dad."

"Problems?"

Foreman and Cameron had decided that the situation looked a little awkward – if not dangerous – and had finally followed Chase over to the reception desk. The young Australian turned a little and explained,

"My two colleagues. Dr. Foreman and Dr. Cameron." He gestured at Chris and his brother. "Wyatt and Chris Halliwell. And no. No problems at all."

"You know, you could really let me go now," Chris muttered.

Wyatt did as he was told.

"Don't even think about running. I'm faster than you," he remarked.

"Only when I'm in my current state," Chris replied and his brother snorted good-naturedly.

"Maybe we should take this some place else," Chase suggested. He turned and walked towards the examination rooms.

xxx

"So?" the Australian asked after he'd closed the door. "How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all," Chris replied impatiently. "I'm fine."

"Maybe he is," Wyatt said, leaning against the wall. "Our mother was worried and thought it wouldn't hurt to get him looked after again. No pun intended. I'd have waited for dad to come home, but...well."

"Your father's a doctor?" Chase was surprised.

"Yes. But at the moment he's in Virginia at some kind of conference," Chris answered. "And seriously, Chet is, like, twice my size and weight. Not to mention meaner. The pain hasn't gotten worse, I swear. I think it'll just take time to heal."

Chase nodded.

"Okay. Then just let me check on you to soothe your mother and you'll be out of here again in less than no time, okay?"

Chris sighed.

"Okay."

He took his shirt off and Wyatt came a little closer.

"Hm... That looks bad."

His younger brother rolled his eyes.

"No shit."

Chase ignored the brotherly banter resulting from this reaction and started his examination carefully. The bruises on the younger man's chest and stomach had turned from the dark red Chase had seen last week into all kinds of colours; blue, green, yellow, purple, black... The Australian stroked the injured skin so softly that it was almost a caress, and he felt strong muscles flexing under his fingertips.

"You'd made a good rainbow now," he murmured, and Chris grimaced.

"Gee, thanks. I'm sure that'll help a great deal, since I've always wanted to turn into a Hippie. Now I'll only need proper flower-power clothes and you can call me Moonchild."

Chase smiled crookedly, but didn't reply.

Chris had been almost afraid to face the young doctor since they'd left home, and had hoped that it wouldn't be Dr. Chase who'd be examining him again. But now that it was Dr. Chase, it didn't seem to be such a bad thing. Chris had actually been relieved that Dr. Chase hadn't asked one of his colleagues to take a look at him, and that was what was really confusing. Or... not. Actually it was more...disturbing. But in a good way. At least it felt good. Chris closed his eyes. He was so doomed.

Warm hands slid over his belly, stroking his abdomen ever-so-lightly. Chris could smell the scent of the Australian's aftershave, a little of the hospital Dr. Chase was working in and...

"Wyatt, could you wait outside?"

"What? Why?"

Chris opened his eyes and shot him an irritated look.

"Because I'm legally of age and I want you to."

Wyatt returned the look and frowned. The moment dragged on and for a split-second Chris felt the urge to scream at his older brother to get the fuck out of here, but fortunately he didn't have the chance.

"O-kay," Wyatt said slowly, staring at Chris almost thoughtfully as he left.

Chris exhaled audibly, only now realizing that he'd been holding his breath. It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother, or that he didn't want him around. But Chris couldn't deny that his body had developed a will of its own since last week, whenever he was thinking about a certain blond doctor. And he really didn't need Wyatt to witness it, should it happen now, too. Though he dearly hoped it wouldn't, because having Dr. Chase realise that he had a hard-on might be even more embarrassing than having Wyatt notice it. But Chris couldn't send Dr. Chase out of the room, could he?

He turned his head to look at the Australian, and wanted to explain his strange behaviour, but he just couldn't. Since Dr. Chase hadn't stopped examining him during the small exchange with Wyatt, he was still standing pretty near to Chris. Now that the young man had turned his head, the doctor's face was merely inches away from his, and the almost needy expression in those blue-green eyes took Chris's breath away.

Chase froze and the moment stretched, while they were so close that their breaths mingled and Chase had to tilt his head so their noses wouldn't touch. The young doctor asked himself what it would be like to just close the small gap and actually taste the soft lips in front of him, instead of just staring at them.

Chris shuddered in anticipation of a kiss he desperately hoped wouldn't come, because it would change him forever, and he just didn't know whether he really wanted that. He liked to think he didn't, but he didn't trust his feelings with Dr. Chase standing right in front of him, his hands still on Chris's body, not examining anymore, just touching now.

A knock on the door startled them and Chase took a small step back, eyes cast down, grabbing the patient's file to at least look as if he was doing something useful.

Chris let his gaze wander around, looking everywhere but at Dr. Chase. He wanted to say something, to tell the Australian that it wasn't that easy for him to realise that he was attracted – not to mention turned on like never before – by a man after having been straight for the past twenty years. That he didn't want to hurt him, but really needed time to... to figure things out. But Chris didn't get the chance.

Without another knock the door opened and a man in his late forties, unshaven and with a cane, took a small step inside.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he barked at Chase, ignoring Chris completely.

Chase, on the other hand, ignored the man, busying himself with writing something in Chris's file. Obviously the older man wasn't impressed. He eyed Chase for a moment, then said,

"Drop it! I need you upstairs."

"I'll be there in a minute, Dr. House."

"You can continue molesting poor kids later. I'm sure there are many to your liking waiting outside. Wilson can take it from here.It's his shift now anyway. You should really start learning how to read a watch."

As if by magic another man appeared right behind the man Chase had called "Dr. House". He was younger than House, but older than Chase as far as Chris could see. Chase sighed softly, cast his eyes down and nodded. House left and this Dr. Wilson entered the room. Chase handed him the file and turned to Chris.

Oddly enough the young man didn't seem to feel awkward about what had happened between them just moments ago. Well, almost anyway. Maybe he just hadn't noticed. Or maybe he was just dispelling it for now. Chase decided to tag along. He was good at tagging along. He'd always been. Maybe one of his bigger problems.

"This is Dr. Wilson, in case you have any questions. But the pain should go away or at least get better within the next week."

"Yeah. That was what you told me the last time, too. Who was that?"

Chris nodded in direction of the still open door, catching a glimpse of Wyatt waiting patiently a few feet away.

"Dr. House."

"He doesn't like you, does he?"

Chase looked briefly at Wilson, who didn't let on what he was thinking, features calm and carefully composed as always.

"He doesn't like anybody," Chase replied. "That aside, he's always like this when there's a case he just can't solve."

Not that Chase had anything to do with said case. Nothing more than some obscure internet research anyway.

"Why didn't you tell him he could take his cane and shove it up his ass?" Chris asked.

Chase tried hard to not burst into laughter, but couldn't suppress a grin.

"He's my boss."

"If Gideon ever talks to me like that, he'll be in for quite a surprise."

"Gideon?"

Actually Chase didn't have anything to do in the examination room anymore, but he just didn't want to leave. He'd rather spend time with Chris than in front of a computer screen with House. Or better all alone, because no-one would be there to keep him company, while he was searching his way through the depths of the internet in order to find something about whatever House had told him to. And there was no other reason for the head of diagnostics to ask for him, Chase had no illusions about it. Or maybe House just wanted him to wash his car.

"My boss," the young man answered. "Or kind of. It's complicated, but my mother thought it'd build my character when I'm working for him for a few weeks. She read way too much 'Calvin & Hobbes', if you ask me."

"Maybe, but obviously she's a woman with a good taste. I love 'Calvin & Hobbes'."

Dr. Wilson cleared his throat discreetly and Chase nodded as if to himself.

"Look, I have to go. Take care, okay? And stay out of Chet's way for a while."

"Will do. Thank you, Dr. Chase."

Chase left, trying to push the young student out of his mind. It would be the last time he'd seen him anyway. Chris had no reason to return to - 'him' - the hospital again.

xxx

As soon as Dr. Chase had left, Chris played oyster and let the other doctor "re-examine" him. Even though he didn't see why this should be necessary. Either Dr. Chase was still only a student, or not as good as a doctor as he seemed to be, or there was something very wrong with this hospital. At least with Dr. Chase. And Chris was sure, this Dr. House had something to do with it.

Possibility number one was utter crap, because if Dr. Chase was still a student who needed to be controlled constantly, they wouldn't have let him treat patients without supervision last week. Number two... No. Chris didn't want to believe that. From what little he'd seen of Dr. Chase he was thorough and smart. No sign of bungling whatsoever. Which left number three...

Chris tilted his head.

"He doesn't just dislike Dr. Chase, but he doesn't trust him either, right?"

Dark brown eyes met Chris's inquiring stare.

"It's a little more complicated than you think," Dr. Wilson replied, his voice gentle. "Are you a friend of Dr. Chase?"

"No," Chris answered, and hopped off the examination chair.

Without a good-bye or even waiting for the doctor to say something, he left the room, making a bee-line for his brother.

"Let's go."

Again he didn't wait for an answer, just kept walking, forcing Wyatt to walk along.

"I saw Dr. Chase leaving," Wyatt said. "Something wrong?"

"So it would seem. But I don't think it's about Dr. Chase – more like the other guy, the one with the cane."

"Mhm."

"What?"

"Nothing. Very handsome, don't you think?"

"The doctor with the cane? No."

"Dr. Chase."

"Guess so."

"Do you think he's married?"

"No ring."

"Or that he has a girlfriend? Maybe...a boyfriend?

Chris stopped, looking at his brother, slightly annoyed.

"Is there anything you'd want to tell me?"

"No. Just saying."

Chris knew his brother well enough to know that Wyatt never "just said" something. He'd wanted to see Chris's reaction to his questions. The young man sighed.

"Wyatt..."

Chris didn't continue.

"Yes?" Wyatt asked.

"Nevermind."

Chris couldn't tell him. He hadn't even known what exactly to tell him. If there was anything to tell at all. Chris hadn't even begun to figure out what all of that meant. And if he'd wanted it to mean, what he thought it was meaning. It was confusing enough, even without his older brother getting his hands in.

TBC (sooner or later)


A/N: So? What do you think, guys? I live and die for feedback, so please let me know. :)

The small "House part" almost killed me. I swear, I lost my sleep over it. Please forgive me, if it's not exactly House-like, but it was the best I could think of. Like I said to a few people already; if I was able to write House properly, I'd have chosen House/Wilson as a pairing for my story. :)