Chapter is kinda short...please review
"So what are you gonna do about the whole Tritter thing?" Chase asked. House looked over at the young man, his cigarette hanging loosely between his lips as he stared out into the grove of trees behind the apartment building.
"Charm him with my wily ways until he figures out that he doesn't need to try and crucify a nice guy like me," House said as he reached over and snagged Chase's energy drink.
House peered into the can and saw that there was little less than half left. "Go ahead, drink it, it tastes like liquid candy," Chase said as he took the cigarette and flicked away the ashes.
The older man looked at Chase for a moment, the young man's green eyes daring him to take a sip. House shook his head "Liquid candy, you're such a child," House said before taking a swig from the long thin can.
"Pot calling the kettle black huh?" Chase said with a grin.
House pursed his lips and cringed "Gross, how the hell can you stand to drink this shit?"
Chase reached over and snatched the can away and chugged some of it down making over exaggerated appreciative noises as he drank. House rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile crossing his face. He didn't know what was happening with Chase. Hours ago Chase was the ass kisser; the slightly annoying kid that agreed with whatever he said and had great hair. But House was starting to see the beginnings of a puzzle laid out before him.
He had three pieces so far, a guitar, cigarettes, and liquid candy. But there was more to it than that, he could feel it. He was happy, he had a new puzzle to play with, something to help distract him from the horrid situation that was unfolding all around him.
"You got your hands on Vicodin didn't you?" Chase asked as he set the can back on the cool cement.
"Yea," House said "Wilson gave it to me on the stipulation I come and talk you out of filing a complaint."
Chase shook his head "I don't care that you hit me," the young man said before taking a pull off his cigarette.
"What do you mean you don't care, you really are a masochist aren't you," House said irritated. He couldn't understand why Chase hadn't been making a huge fuss over what he'd done. If it had been Foreman or Cameron he would probably be locked in jail for assault but all Chase had done was lie on the floor and continue to tell House his theory. No real emotion, it didn't seem to phase him at all.
Chase rolled his eyes and scrapped the end of his cigarette across the concrete before throwing the butt over the railing. He got up from the chair and made his way past House and into the apartment. House followed as quickly as he could and was surprised to see a white and black stripped cat sitting on the kitchen counter.
"Cat," House said dumbly.
"His name is Roe," Chase said as he snapped his fingers and the cat obediently jumped off the counter.
House was not a cat person, he hated cats and cats hated him. That's how it had been since he was four years old and his aunt's cat Tinker had scratched the hell out of his arms when all he had tried to do was pet the stupid animal. The older man didn't quite know what to do when Roe walked over to him and rubbed against his left leg affectionately.
"Huh, that's weird," Chase said as he looked down at the cat currently nuzzling House's calf.
"What?" House asked irritated, Chase may not have cared about getting punched by him but he was pretty sure the young man would get upset if he beat his cat with the end of his cane.
"Roe doesn't usually warm up to people this fast, he's shy and won't come near people unless he's seen them around a few times," Chase said as he stared thoughtfully at the small animal before shrugging his shoulders and walking out of the kitchen.
House carefully nudged the cat away from his leg and followed Chase once more into the living room where Chase was sitting Indian style on his couch, Carrie was in his lap and he was tuning her.
"So you're not going to file a complaint," House said as he stood in front of Chase.
"I told you I wasn't," Chase said before he held up two fingers and grinned "Scouts honor."
House rolled his eyes "Pfft. Like you're a scout."
Chase batted his eyes innocently "I guess you'll just have to take my word then," he said.
"Don't know if I trust your word," House said.
Chase looked away from him and stared out the living room window. "I'm not going to betray you again."
House stared down at Chase, he knew he said he couldn't trust Chase's word but deep down he knew that the young man wouldn't hurt him again. Wilson was wrong, if Chase was going to file a complaint against him then Tritter would have arrested him hours ago. There was no reason for Chase to wait unless it was for black mail material but his young duckling had asked nothing of him so far.
"I'll see you at work tomorrow…and put some ice on that ok," House said as he made his way to the front door. He looked back for a moment as Chase started strumming lightly on the guitar.
It wasn't a song he recognized but his playing was seamless and the sight of Chase hunched slightly over a guitar, his hair falling into his face and his eyes closed was more beautiful to him than Cuddy's cleavage.
