A/N: hello, all! OMGsh, you lot have no idea how long it's been since I've actually posted something! Well... wait, yes, I suppose you do. Okay, scratch that, then. In any case, it felt really good to write this. I hadn't been writing in so long (well, school doesn't count), and it was so nice to get this out. I hope you like it; it's my first House, MD... er... fic? I don't know if you would call one-shots fics or not. At any rate, I foresee several of them in the near future, so that's a good thing, right? ^.^

I hope you like this! It's meant to be sweet and humorous. And, yes, there's a little serious bit stuck in there, as well. But it turns into humour pretty quickly. Only warning is that there is probably some OOC-ness in here, as I wanted the story to be fluffy, and I was determined to make it so.

Standard disclaimers apply, of course, as can be read on my profile page (which you should check for updates every so often). ^.~ Please review if you so desire! It doesn't take all that much time.

Winter had found its way to Princeton, and temperatures were sinking to freezing. Evening settled upon the university town as sounds of gridlock could be heard outside—an orchestra of car horns blaring and a few shouted curses from angry drivers who would rather be in their warm homes. A slight frost touched window panes, and a chilling breeze wound amongst the trees, causing leaves to quake.

Not all the town's inhabitants were stuck in traffic, though. Two lucky doctors, Greg House and Robert Chase, were in their warm apartment. Not only that, but they were in their warm bed, as well. The television's volume in their bedroom was low, just enough to cause a murmur in the background. It was on SOAPnet, and the day's episode of One Life to Live was on its night-time rerun. House and Chase were not paying much attention to what Viki Lord and her dissociative disorder were up to this time; usually, after the nightly General Hospital rerun ends, the television just serves as a nice form of background noise. Though, that's not to say they completely forsake Viki and her multiple personalities; they just don't give the particular show their undivided attention.

And they especially didn't do so on this night because this particular winter night—well, the whole day, really—was truly special. It was their one-year anniversary. They had better things to do than pay attention to Viki Lord dissociate into her many selves, and they most certainly had better things to do than watch Antonio have a one-night-stand with some alleged "mystery woman" who was actually his fiancée. (This episode was a rerun, and House had yet to understand the logic behind it. He figured that even he, with his genius, probably never would figure it out. At first he thought Antonio had amnesia, but then he just figured the guy was a damned idiot. This train of thought led him to think that the entire crew behind One Life to Live consisted of idiots for thinking of this plot in the first place.)

"Greg?" Chase murmured as he traced random, nondescript patterns on House's chest. He was currently cuddled up next to House with his head resting on the older man's chest.

"Hmm?" House trailed a hand up and down Chase's spine, causing a blossom of very light pin pricks to erupt all over Chase's skin. After a shiver of pleasure travelled up his spine, Chase snuggled closer to his lover.

"I do firmly believe," Chase began with a smile, "that Antonio's a bloody idiot."

"I agree," House replied. "Reminds me of Wilson."

Chase stifled laughter by burying his face in House's chest. "That's absolutely horrible."

"Oh, isn't it? Think about it, though. Wilson's exactly the kind of person who would screw someone and not know it's his fiancée. I mean, the guy can't help himself. You have to feel sorry for him in a way."

"You... are evil," Chase said whilst laughing.

"Thank you." House continued stroking Chase's back as a period of comfortable silence fell over them. One of Viki Lord's alternate personalities, Nikki, could be faintly heard giving a monologue in the background. Both House and Chase were thinking of the same thing, and both were wondering who was going to be the first to bring it up. Chase began tracing nondescript patterns on House's chest once more, and House held Chase tighter.

"Greg?" Chase murmured again.

"Hmm?" House changed from stroking Chase's back to threading his fingers through his young lover's hair, causing Chase to purr appreciatively.

"We've been together for one year."

House refrained from making the sarcastic comment he so desired to make because he knew that Chase was trying to be sappy and romantic. "That we have." He stated the obvious instead. And why not? Chase had.

Chase rolled his eyes, and House could see this because of the light being reflected off of the T.V. "Go ahead. I know you want to."

House was not going to fall for this. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, come off it. I said we've been together for one year, and I just know you're dying to make some sarcastic comment along the lines of, 'Oh, really? I thought it'd been one month.' Or some such rubbish." Chase did a rather horrifyingly good job of mocking House (not to mention he had gotten House's comment spot-on).

"You're wrong," House stated. "I'm trying to be just as sappy and romantic as you are."

"You deadset?"

"Yes and no. I refrained from sarcasm, but that doesn't mean that I still can't be sappy and romantic," House explained, thankful that "deadset" was in his mental dictionary.

"I have something to tell you," Chase said, smiling bashfully. He manoeuvred himself so that he was now successfully lying on top of House. Chase leant down so that their foreheads were touching. This was a total non-sequitur, but House figured he would go with it. He decided it probably meant he was forgiven for the "being sarcastic on our anniversary" thing.

House raised an eyebrow. "Well, you don't feel pregnant... Can't be too certain, though. You might be in the early stages." Okay, so he was still being sarcastic, and it was still their anniversary. He couldn't help it.

"You bastard!" Chase exclaimed, punching House in the arm lightly.

"You have to admit you were asking for it. I mean, the whole 'I have something to tell you' line is a classic." House tangled both his hands in Chase's hair and was immediately forgiven of any and all past mistakes.

"Yeah, I s'pose I was," Chase conceded. "But honestly—I have something to tell you. And... It's kind of stupid. And daft. And—"

"—pointless. And lame. And stupid, which you all ready said. And dumb—which is really just another word for 'stupid.' I get it," House interrupted. "Just tell me."

"'Kay. Well, do you remember—way back—when you first hired me?"

House laughed darkly. "Do I ever. Worst day of my life. Sorry, I meant best. Did I say worst? I meant best." House smiled adoringly at Chase to show him he was just teasing.

"Ha ha," Chase replied, rolling his eyes. He did, however, smile back. Chase decided that although having his forehead pressed to his lover's was nice, his neck was getting slightly tired. He thus manoeuvred himself so that he was lying on House's chest. "It'd better have been the best," Chase said, a playful threat in his voice. He pulled the blankets up around them more in order to keep away the cold.

"Actually, the best day of my life was when I fired you," House murmured, wrapping his arms around Chase. He was slightly embarrassed at the admission of this, but he decided that Chase was probably embarrassed at what he was admitting, as well, so they were even. He figured that admitting embarrassing things about your first feelings for each other was part of what you just did on anniversaries. They'd probably be doing this again next year.

"Really?" Chase asked, sounding surprised. There was a minor pause before, "That was the best day of my life, as well. But you got me off-topic. When you hired me, remember how I was?"

"Perfectly. You were shy as hell, blushing all over the damn place, and you had no spine. Actually, it's not very different than you are today, except you're not nearly as shy. But that's okay; I like you being very... blush-y... and minus a spine. It's perfectly all right."

"I didn't mean for you to give me a detailed account."

"See, that's the good thing about me—you'll get one, anyway. Think of it as a bonus."

Chase, for the umpteenth time that night, rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, I... after my interview, I had this... feeling." Chase's voice had gone serious, and he grasped a corner of the white cotton sheet. "It's so stupid that I remember this stuff now. I just... God. It's almost embarrassing."

"Nothing is 'almost' embarrassing, Robert; it either is, or it isn't. You don't have to continue."

"No, I do. I got this feeling like... like I had to impress you. For some reason. And I had failed all ready, in that interview. And before you go and say it, it wasn't one of those 'people-pleasing' things. Because if it was one of those, then I would've felt as though I needed to impress Cameron and Foreman, as well. I felt like I had to please you in order to be worthy. And I could never live up to your expectations. It seemed like you expected more out of me than... than Cameron and F-Foreman, and... I tried, though, damnit... I... I tried..." Chase was biting the corner of the cotton sheet now, and he could feel tears building up in his eyes.

House felt drops of moisture sink through his shirt. "Robbie," he soothed, gently rubbing Chase's back, "you are above any reasonable person's expectations. The only reason I expected more out of you than them was because I knew you were capable of more. You were nothing less than brilliant, Robbie. You are nothing less than brilliant." There was a slight pause in which Chase sniffled. "And don't ever feel like you need to prove yourself to me. You all ready did that years ago. And, I'm going to add, if anybody else asks you to prove yourself to them, let me know who they are. I'll kick their ass for you. Hell, for that matter, I'll kick their ass just for the hell of it."

Chase hugged his lover tightly and laughed. "Thanks for that. Really."

"What I'm here for." House kissed the top of Chase's head and let his lips linger there for a few seconds as he tightened his arms around his young lover.

"All I ever wanted was your approval," Chase murmured softly.

"Oh, yeah, right. You were after my undying love, too."

Chase smiled. "Maybe."

"Well, just between you and me, you are in possession of both."

"So are you," Chase said, grinning. He quickly amended, "That is, you're in possession of my approval and my undying love."

"Good to know we approve of and love each other," House remarked. "It's always nice for these sorts of relationships to be symbiotic."

"Greg?"

"Hmm?"

"You said that the day you fired me was the best day of your life. Why is that?"

"I knew you would come back to that eventually," House muttered under his breath. "Well, to be honest, I liked you when we were working together. I really did. But it wouldn't have worked out because someone was bound to have figured out. Most likely it would've been Cameron, the way she was always meddling in other peoples' affairs. Not that I'd normally give a damn about breaking one or two rules—office politics pisses me off, anyway—but if word spread to Cuddy, then I would have been in serious trouble. I really do not need to be accused of sexual harassment. So, when I fired you, I realised that I was finally able to ask you out because we were no longer working together."

"That's the same reason it's the best day of my life," Chase said, grinning.

"I thought that might've been the reason."

They then both looked to the television to see how One Life to Live was getting on, but the show had apparently ended; All My Children was on now. House, unwrapping an arm from Chase, reached to the bedside table and grabbed the remote before turning off the T.V.

"Let's skive off work tomorrow," Chase suggested suddenly, looking up at House, his chin on his older lover's chest.

House arched a brow. "Since when do you become the one with devious ideas?"

"Since we didn't get our actual anniversary off."

"You do make a compelling point," House considered. "I could just tell Foreman to take care of Kutner and the other children."

"And I could call one of my interns and tell them to scrub in for me," Chase said with a smile. "ABC's having marathons tomorrow of General Hospital and One Life to Live. One's in the morning, and one's in the afternoon. I think that one of Viki's personalities is supposed to turn into a serial killer or something."

"We are definitely taking off work tomorrow."

Chase grinned. "We have to get up early. The marathon starts at seven or something."

"We usually get up at four, anyway."

"True. What'll you tell Cuddy?"

"That we're sick, duh. She obviously won't believe us, but who cares?"

Chase grinned, yet again. "I love you, Greg."

"Love you, too."