Hey I'm back. Allrighty, um, I'm pretty sure I haven't given any hints at ending this story. Just to reassure some of my slightly panicked reviewers, i have no intentions of ending it anytime soon.
Disclaimer: Don't own House, MD or Axiom
Warnings: fluffyHousey, angstyChasey, OOC (i think) and a little light M/M action
To the Socceroos: Well done! 3-1 over Japan! Now for Brazil...
Seven: The Music Key
Chase was running as hard as he could. Shadows were chasing him, but he couldn't remember what the shadows were, or even why they were chasing him. He couldn't remember. He tried to remember his mother. Nothing. He tried to remember his childhood. All he got was heat, a blur of people in white and green grass. That was better than nothing. The shadows were closing in again. But now, a glowing figure he knew. House! It was House, he was beating the shadows with his cane. But then House left and the world was full of shadows again. Chase couldn't remember anything now. 'House!' he cried. 'House, come back!' One of the shadows grabbed at him and he screamed. 'House! House, help! Help!'
House shook Chase's shoulder, hard. Chase sat bolt upright, eyes wide and still screaming. House slapped him to bring him back to reality.
'Calm down,' he said gruffly, 'you had a nightmare.'
Then Chase wrapped his arms around House's waist; he buried his handsome face in House's stomach. His voice was muffled when he spoke again.
'I'm scared, House.'
'Don't be. I'm here.' House's voice was softer than he intended.
'But I can't remember anything. Not even in my dreams!'
House's hand began stroking Chase's hair.
'That's why you're here with me, Chase. You're here so you don't forget. You're here to help you remember.'
Chase was quiet for quite some time, and House wondered if he'd fallen asleep. He had to admit that having Chase's face in his midriff was a very nice feeling. After a while, Chase looked up at House through his sad blue-green eyes.
'Thankyou, House,' he whispered, before curling up on the couch again.
House sat down across the room, deciding to wait for Chase to go back to sleep before going back to bed.
But after forty minutes or so, it became apparent that Chase either wouldn't, or couldn't, go back to sleep. House could see his eyes glowing in the moonlight.
'Wombat,' he said irritably, 'go back to sleep.'
'Can't,' came the whisper. 'I'll forget again when you leave me, and my dreams will be empty.'
House limped to the piano and began to play, a gentle, soothing piece designed to put Chase to sleep; it was a song that he had sometimes played for Stacey when she had had trouble sleeping. His eyes closed as he remembered her; then his leg twinged and he was reminded rather harshly of why he was usually alone.
A soft hand settled on his shoulder. Chase's distinctive voice said quietly, 'That was beautiful, House.'
House gave Chase a withering look. 'It was supposed to put you to sleep.'
Chase smiled. 'It was too lovely. I was concentrating on the music too much.' He sat down, elegantly, and leaned against House's piano stool. 'Could you play me another piece?'
House sighed and began to play again, this time a light, skittish piece that made one want to jump about gaily. When he saw Chase still sitting there, he began playing 'A Little Ray Of Sunshine', and was more than a little startled when Chase began singing along.
'A little ray of sunshine,
Has come into the world.
A little ray of sunshine,
In the shape of a girl…'
House paused. 'Didn't know you could sing.'
'I didn't think you even knew who Axiom were.'
House shrugged. 'My piano teacher just gave me the sheet music for it. I never knew the words.'
'It's a classic back home.'
House shrugged again, then stood up. 'Try and get to sleep.'
'Okay,' Chase replied, 'g'night, House.'
Chase was lying awake, thinking. He was a little afraid of going back to sleep, so he just lay there, still hearing House playing the piano in his head. Hearing House play that Axiom song reminded him of his mother; he remembered, as a five-year-old, sitting on his mother's lap as she played that song, singing, altering the words to fit her son…
Suddenly Chase sat bolt upright. He looked quickly around; House wasn't in the room. That meant he'd remembered his mother all on his own. Screwing his eyes up tight, he tried to remember something else, but got nothing. Still, if he could remember his mother…
House was woken by Chase falling heavily against his bed as he tripped over House's cane in excitement.
'House! House, I remembered, I remembered!'
'Wha…?' House asked groggily, 'Whad'you remember?'
'I remembered my mother, House! I remembered her! Sitting on her lap as she played the piano!'
House focused his sleepy eyes on his excited intensivist, seeing that Chase looked like a little kid again. He yawned widely.
'What else can you remember?'
'That's all,' Chase replied, his excitement dimming, 'but I did get a shadow of green grass, heat, and men in white.'
'So why're you so excited?'
'Because I think that your piano-music unlocked the memory!'
House sat up, staring at Chase. 'Are you saying that we might have found some sort of cure for your amnesia?'
'Maybe. It might only have been that one piece. But we can try!'
'All right,' House yawned again, 'tomorrow we'll start looking for all the sheet music that we can find. I might even teach you how to play the piano if you're a good wombat.'
Chase grinned. 'Really? We could make a duet,' he laughed.
'No,' House replied sleepily, 'I like keeping glory to myself.'
Chase laughed again. 'So tomorrow we begin the quest to get my memory back!'
'Not if you don't shut up and go back to sleep,' grumbled House. 'If you're not out of here in ten seconds I'll whack you with my cane.'
Chase smiled again. 'Good night, House,' he whispered, 'and thankyou.' Then he shyly placed a soft kiss on House's cheek.
As he turned to leave, blushing a little, House grabbed him. 'If you're going to kiss me goodnight,' he said gruffly, 'at least do it properly.' Then he pulled Chase close and roughly kissed his lips.
Chase relaxed into the kiss for a moment, until House's stubble touched his cheek. He pulled back quickly as the kiss broke, blushing furiously.
'Good night, House,' he repeated, then he hastily left the room.
'Good night, Robert,' House replied, seeing Chase stumble and almost-turn-back as he heard the words.
Now it was House's turn to lie awake, thinking.
Okay. We like? We review? Please?
sorry if it'sa little OOc
Next Chapter: House's feelings aren't reciprocated...or are they?
Chaseypoints on offer for anyone who can tell me what Chase's other memory was. Men in white, heat, green grass...
HINT: It's a sport. Chase is Australian.
Also, I'm now getting into exam territory. stoopid exams! So I might not update for ages. sorry! don't ptichfork me:hides:
Luv Lady Siruae XXX