Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. There is also oblique references to child abuse and health issues. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: I kept meaning to write but uh, I've got bombarded with guest reviews using slurs. That's sort of distracting.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Post Term 16); MC4A (Year 5)
Individual Challenges: Red Lights; Red Bull; Apple Toss; Bi Rainbow; Rainbow Rainbow; Medic MC; Medic MC; Medic MC; Medic MC; Medic MC; Neurodivergent; Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; Rian-Russo Inversion; Rian-Russo Inversion; Ethnic & Present; Ethnic & Present; Disabled; Zukes of Hazard; Bi Bi Bi; Lovely Triangle; Ship Sails; Ship Sails; Zed Era; New Fandom Smell; Old Shoes (Y); In a Flash; The Real MC (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon
House: Slytherin
Other Hogwarts Challenges: 365 [254](Conspiracy); 1000 Prompts Challenge [847](Amibitious); Days of the Year [Jun 30/National Handshake Day](Characters coming to an agreement about something); National Picnic Month [15](Bright); Shard Awareness Day [10](Level-minded); International Cat Day [12](Blue-gray); National Dog Day [20](Stubborn); National Indoor Plants Week [06](Moderate); Teddy Bear Day [06](Easygoing); Tarot Reading [10](Hesitation)
Other MC4A Challenges: SuB [1D](Mountain); AU [4C](Older MC); Ship (n/a)[SuMic1 (Fusion/Crossover)]; Chim [Kyrie] ("Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas);Fire [x3](Apples); Garden [Chores (Arguing/Debating); Badges (QPR); Bait (Fusion/Crossover); Gee Favs (Fusion/Crossover)]; Item (Cane); Relationships (QPR)];
Representation(s): Amber Volakis/James Wilson & Gregory House; Chim Song Prompt; Nurse Strike; Teaching Hospital
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Lovely Coconuts; Second Verse (Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Persistence Still; Found Family; Nontraditional; Zucchini Bread; Nightingale; Unwanted Advice; Three's Company); Chorus (Pocky Pockets; Wabi Sabi; Bee Haven; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Tomorrow's Shade; Larger than Life; Unicorn); Demo 1 (Muck & Slime; Corvid Brain; Queen Bee; Under the Bridge); Demo 2 (In the Trench; Hot Stuff)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: Once (Santa Fe); War (Obstruction; Sanctuary); TY (x); T3 (Terse; Thimble); SN (Rail; Ameliorate); LiCK (Poppy; Tansy; Yarrow); FR (Satisfaction; Liberation); O3 (Oath)
Word Count: 432 words

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House & Homes
Rides
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"Explain," Amber demanded as she followed House into the elevator. Kutner made a gesture with both his thumbs to indicate that he was going to take the stairs to get the supplies House had ordered. Chase tucked himself awkwardly into one corner. James ended up beside him. No matter how much he wanted to mediate whatever power struggle was going on between his girlfriend and his best friend, there was also no way he was going to get physically between them right then.

They were like two dogs circling each other. James would get torn to pieces or hit with a flailing cane.

"Patient doesn't respond well to blondes," House bit out. While the degree of honesty was troubling, it was actually the lack of inflection that worried James. House only went flat like that when he was close to losing it. Whatever had happened to provide that fact couldn't have been pleasant. "Particularly if they're aggressive in any way. Since telling you to not be a cutthroat bitch would be telling a poison dart frog to suddenly become edible, you will stay out of the room."

The more James learned about this case, the less he wanted to know. Getting House to conform to even moderate social expectations was often like trying to climb a mountain without gear, but there were a few things that cut through the man's stubbornness. James almost pitied whoever was responsible for the kid's injuries. House would protect what he viewed as his without any hesitation.

No matter how much James might protest the idea out loud, ever since House had pointed it out, he couldn't help seeing just how much Amber and House were alike. They were both stubborn and smart. They both loved medicine from the angle of puzzle solving. That was the driving force behind their ambition to learn practically everything. They were also territorial and conniving and sometimes frighteningly detached from even the vaguest idea of things like politeness and compassion.

And judging by the bright fire in Amber's blue-gray eyes as she processed House's words (alongside all the things he was not saying and not even implying), James knew that the kid was being categorized in his girlfriend's mind in the same way that House had already done so.

James felt his temples starting to pound from the growing dread of handling the fallout of this situation when Cuddy found out about this growing conspiracy.

Was it really only a hour ago that he thought House trying to cure kindness was the most ridiculous thing he would have to deal with?

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To be continued
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