Back with my usual disclaimers and what not. I don't own House, just the other folks.
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It was another Saturday night, and Alex found himself back in his studio, taking out the night's frustrations on an innocent piece of clay. He'd gone out that night on a date set up by his friend Karen. The girl was lovely, smart, and a great conversationalist...until her third glass of wine. Things had gone downhill from there, and Alex was looking for any excuse to escape the situation, plotting revenge against his dear friend the entire time.
After pouring the young woman into a cab and sending her on her way, Alex escaped to his studio, changing into the jeans and old t-shirt he kept stashed there before turning on some music and getting down to work. The Barenaked Ladies CD was a particular favorite of his, and he soon found himself humming along, relaxing as he played around with the clay.
A knock at his door jolted him out of his thoughts, and he slid off the stool to answer. He scowled when he saw Karen there. "You." He wagged a finger at his friend. "You are no longer allowed to set me up on anything."
"That bad?" Karen looked genuinely surprised.
"It was all good until she started drinking." Alex explained. "By that third glass of wine, she was telling me way more than I wanted to know."
"I'm sorry." Karen took a seat on the other stool near the work table. "She seems like a real sweetie at work. I thought for sure you two would click."
"No big deal, I guess." Alex shrugged. "What brings you out this way?"
"I had a disaster date of my own." Karen laughed. "We ended up out this way, so I thought I'd stop by." She gestured to the easel that was set up in the corner. "Mind if I do a little of my own work?"
"Be my guest." Since Karen didn't have a work space of her own, Alex had offered to share this space whenever she needed it. It worked out well for them, and they soon fell into their routine of casual chat about their lives and their art.
Karen noticed a clay bust and a sculpture of a pair of hands on one of the tables as she started to set up. "These are new." She noted. "Who was your model?"
"Some guy I met at Princeton-Plainsboro a few weeks ago." Alex answered. "You remember when I did that big sculpture for their pediatrics lobby?"
"Sure." Karen replied. "It was all you talked about for months."
"Right." Alex grinned before continuing. "So anyway...I met one of the doctors, and we got to talking. Gave him my card and told him he should come model for me."
Karen sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe you still try to use that line."
"It was no line. Not this time." Alex asserted. "The guy's unbelievable. Way more than a pretty face."
"I see that." Karen gestured toward the hands.
"Yeah." Alex smiled softly at the hands piece. "He has beautiful hands. Not to mention a few other beautiful body parts."
"If you're so interested in him, why did you agree to go out with Carrie?"
Alex sighed softly. "He's straight, I think."
"You think?" Karen arched an eyebrow. "Are your instincts failing you?"
"He's a tough one to read." Alex told her. "I think that...he thinks he's straight." He shook his head and continued molding his clay, creating nothing in particular. "But you know my philosophy on that."
Karen started to answer, but was interrupted by a nearly earth-shattering pounding on the door. "Are you expecting company?"
"No." Alex frowned as he slid off his stool to answer. The pounding continued unabated, and Alex thought his visitor might end up breaking down the thing. "Hold on! Jesus Christ."
"Close." His visitor slurred when Alex threw open the door.
"Doctor House." Alex's eyes went wide at House's condition. Not only was the man clearly inebriated, but he looked like he'd been knocked around pretty hard, too. His lip and a spot above his eye were cut open, and he had the beginnings of a black eye. "What the hell happened?"
"Had a little disagreement with someone down at the bar." House swayed as he leaned on his cane. "Can I come in?"
"I suppose." Alex stepped aside to let him in, then guided him toward the love seat in his office. "Have a seat. I'll be right back."
He returned to his studio and found his first aid kit. Karen turned when she heard him digging around. "Everything okay?"
"I think so." Alex answered. "My doctor model just showed up. Looks like he got the crap knocked out of him."
"The crap's still intact." House's booming baritone filled the room as he limped in. He pointed at Karen with his cane. "Who's the chick?"
"That would be my friend Karen." Alex explained. "Karen, this is Doctor House. Sorry you're not meeting under better circumstances."
House nodded in greeting, fixing Karen with a curious look. "You know your friend here is into guys, right? Not saying you don't have a chance, but..."
"Sit." Alex glared at House as he guided him to the stool near his work table. He turned to Karen, who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh at House. "Sorry about that."
"No problem." Karen started cleaning up her paints. "I was just about to take off anyway. Take good care of your model, there."
"Yeah, yeah." Alex waved her away. "See you around."
The door closed behind her, and Alex started fishing around in his first aid kit. House regarded it with a critical eye. "I can take care of this myself. I am a doctor, you know."
"A drunk and injured one." Alex pointed out as he started cleaning up House's cuts. "You're liable to poke your own eye out trying to fix yourself up. Now hold still."
House's scrunched up face reminded Alex of a little kid getting his face washed against his will. It would have been cute if it weren't for the overwhelming odor of alcohol that emanated from him. He shoved the thought aside and started dabbing antibiotic ointment on House's cuts.
Once that process started, House's face smoothed out and he looked significantly calmer. "Are you okay?" Alex asked gently.
"Mm-hm." House closed his eyes and let Alex finish. His touch was oddly calming, and House was suddenly feeling a lot less awkward about stumbling onto the young man's doorstep. Or studio step. Whatever.
He heard something land on the floor with a loud crack, and he opened his eyes to see Alex picking up an ice pack. Alex handed it to him with a serious expression. "Here you go. You've got the start of a nice shiner going there. No sense in making it worse."
House accepted the ice pack with a slight nod and placed it over his eye, feeling a little dizzy now that the alcohol and the adrenaline were starting to wear off a little. Alex tilted his head in concern. "You want something to drink?"
House snorted. "Think I've had enough."
"Nothing alcoholic." Alex laughed slightly. Even in his current condition, House managed to retain some semblance of wit. "Here."
House took the Coke that Alex offered, cracking it open with a slight wince. He didn't remember throwing a punch, but his hand hurt all the same.
Alex opened his own Coke and started to halfheartedly work the clay as he hummed along with the CD. He didn't get very far before deciding to give it up for the night. He wasn't getting far with it anyway, and House seemed to need more than just a patch-up job tonight.
He rose from his stool and tossed the clay back into the storage bin before returning to House, who was staring at the floor, the ice pack still pressed to his eye. Alex gently took the ice pack from House's hand and lifted his chin to look him over.
"I think you're going to live." Alex decided, lightly stroking along House's jaw with his thumb. House tensed slightly, but didn't pull away. If anything, he seemed to lean into Alex's touch, as if he wanted more, but didn't want to say that he wanted more. "Hey, look at me."
House slowly lifted his eyes as Alex moved in closer, leaning over him, studying him with an almost sympathetic expression. "You want contact. You just have a hell of a time asking for it."
House scowled and narrowed his eyes. "I"m not into guys."
"Didn't say you were." Alex calmly countered. "Contact, touch...they're not just sexual. They're basic human needs. And you, Doc...I don't think you've gotten nearly enough of that in your life."
House snorted and shook his head. "And I suppose you're going to be the one to give it to me."
"If you want." Alex was moving in closer, and House didn't have the presence of mind to stop him. He wasn't even sure he wanted to stop him. The young man gently placed his arms around House and lightly rubbed him between the shoulder blades.
House let out a ragged sigh, all the events of the day and night crashing down on him. He set his forehead on the young man's shoulder, letting his warmth and scent envelop him, feeling oddly comforted, and trying not to think too hard about what it all meant.
He barely flinched when Alex placed a soft kiss on top of his head and pulled him in a little closer. It was more comforting than sexual, and he wondered if perhaps this was what he had been missing for so long. Even so, House couldn't resist a snarky comment. "This doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you."
"That's fine." Alex laughed, relieved to see a little of House's humor returning. "I wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation. Just figured you needed something...more." He patted House's back before stepping back a little. "It's getting late. Can I give you a ride home?"
"Probably a good idea." House nodded, slowly rising from the stool. He was sore and hurting from his altercation, but he had means of handling that. Everything else would heal before too long, and things would return to normal.
Alex popped the CD out of the player and pocketed it for the drive to House's. "Ready?"
"Sure." House followed Alex out of the office as the young man shut off lights and locked the door behind them before letting them into his car.
House took a glance around the interior. "Nice ride, kid."
"It's my mom's." Alex explained as he popped in the CD. "My poor old beater's in the shop for a few days. I'm thinking it's about time to give it up and get a different car."
"If it still runs, why bother?" House was puzzled. "I've been driving the same car for fifteen years."
"No shit, really?" Alex was amazed. "Don't you get the urge for something different?"
"Sometimes." House answered. "That's when I got the motorcycle."
Alex laughed, enjoying the casual chat between them. Even a slightly inebriated House was better company than his date had been tonight.
They soon arrived at House's building, and Alex put the car in park to turn toward House. "Are you okay from here?"
House debated with himself. He was good and ready to crash, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to be alone. If Alex was willing to hang out with him for what remained of the night...the idea that he was even thinking about it surprised him. It wasn't as if were attracted to Alex, exactly. He just liked being around him, and even enjoyed the brief bit of contact they had shared.
Alex could see the wheels turning in House's mind. The older man was analyzing the hell out of this, even though there wasn't really much to analyze. "If you want me here..."
"I don't want to be alone." House suddenly blurted out. He had no clue where that had come from, and he hastily followed it with, "Right now. I don't want to be alone right now. Don't ask me why, because I don't know."
Alex reached out and placed a hand on House's shoulder. "You don't have to be alone."
House glanced at Alex's hand as if it had teeth and was getting ready to bite him. "I'm not looking for anything..."
"I know."
"Just so we're clear, you know." House was getting edgy.
Alex threw him a warm smile. "Yes, Doc. We're clear."
House nodded, opening the door and climbing out, stumbling slightly to the door. Alex wasn't far behind as he followed House into the apartment.
He noticed the baby grand that took up a good deal of the living room and the guitars that hung on the wall. It was an impressive display, and Alex made a note to ask House about them later.
House disappeared briefly, soon returning with a pair of sleep pants and tossing them to Alex. "They won't be a perfect fit, but probably close enough."
"Thanks." Alex was a bit surprised by House's generosity.
"No reason why you shouldn't be comfortable." House shrugged as he found the pillow and blanket in the closet and brought them back to the couch. "I think that's everything. See you in..." House frowned as he looked at his watch. "...later in the morning."
Alex tossed the pillow on the couch and pulled the blanket over himself, allowing the memory of their brief contact to run through his mind. House had felt so solid and warm in his arms, and Alex had wanted nothing more than to keep holding him. Based on House's reaction, he'd been deprived of that contact for a long damned time. Too long, in Alex's mind.
He sighed to himself and turned over on his side, listening as House stumbled toward his own room. While House didn't seem like a touchy-feely sort of guy, Alex sure as hell wouldn't turn down another opportunity to hold him again. He just wished he knew if House somehow felt the same. Somehow Alex suspected he didn't.
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