Title: He Cared

Rating: K+

Fandom: House M.D.

Pairing: House/Chase

Summary: During the stress of his father's arrival, House sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, but in the end, Chase didn't mind because he understood. House cared.

Warnings: Slash: Male/Male Relationship, Slightly Altered for Cursed. No sexual content or anything that needs warnings. It's more of an experiment I'm doing, trying out new fandoms and whatnot.

oOo

Robert Chase was not having a good day. A good day for him was usually saving a life, and strangely enough listening to all the sarcastic retorts that came from his superior's mouth. While everyone else saw Gregory House as a miserable medical genius, Robert Chase saw something underneath the rough abrasive doctor that had always given him a different opinion.

Some would call Chase's observations a school girl crush, but he didn't see it that way. Okay, maybe he did have a tiny crush on his superior. He was a man and he was brave enough to admit it. There was no one else on earth quite like House and Chase doubted that there ever would be. But he didn't feel bad about it or ashamed, he wasn't the only one who crushed on the cynical man.

Cameron was definitely on the top of the list, several nurses who wouldn't admit it if there was a gun pointed at their heads, and of all people the Chief Administrator of the Hospital, Lisa Cuddy seemed to have a developing fascination with House.

So aside from all of that, Chase's day ended the moment he saw his father of all people standing in the doorway. Instantly, his blood boiled and the confrontation was hardly one to draw attention, unless the person witnessing the silent standoff happened to Greg House.

He had walked away and futilely attempted to keep his distance but it was obviously not to be, especially when a twelve-year-old boy was in need of everyone's attention, including his damn father.

House, being the sardonic and all-knowing man that he was had decided to butt into his life. Now, on most occasions Chase wouldn't mind. But he knew that House didn't care about him, and while Cameron may have, her inquiries only infuriated him more.

House was expected to pry, it was his life's goal to figure everyone out but Cameron had no right. She may be a colleague but that was all she was and he didn't appreciate it one single bit. He threw his attention into his work and did his best to stay on one side of the room with his father on the other and House between them.

It seemed that the world was out to get him on that particular day and kick him in the arse because House wasn't letting anything go, and now here he was sitting in front of House with a desk between them and that well known, 'I'm going to find out, tell me now, otherwise, I promise humiliation,' look that House was so famous and for.

"If I tell you, my dad left and my mum drank herself to death. Are you going to care about me more?" Chase snarked a little darker than he had intended.

He expected a comeback that was equal or greater than the one he comment he had made but when House continued to gaze at him, Chase began to feel a little hot under the collar. He tried not to fidget but it was hard, because House was looking at him differently. It wasn't the same scrutiny he gave everyone else, it wasn't an aloof expression of, 'I don't give a fuck, I just want to know and now.'

But then, House said something that caused Chase to freeze completely.

"If you were Foreman and he was sitting in your place, I'd tell you that Cameron cares and I simply like knowing things."

"'Scuse me?" Chase frowned. Perhaps, he was taking House's words out of context because there was a strange painful jolt right through the center of his heart.

House stood and adjusted his cane, Chase looked away unable to make eye contact with the older man. He didn't want to give House anymore ammo to keep firing with. He could hear the tap of the cane and then a sigh.

"Robert."

Chase started at the dry whisky voice that spoke his given name and his mouth opened slightly. "Wh-?"

House hovered over him minutely and their eyes locked. "You are Robert Chase and therefore I care because I have to care."

"I don't follow," Chase swallowed the invisible lodge in his throat. He was feeling a little light-headed and dazed, what on earth? Had he missed something? He was pretty sure he hadn't, but House was acting different and it was identical the look he had gotten a few seconds prior.

"Of course you don't. I treat you worse than the others because I have too," House leaned forward and they were almost nose to nose. "Otherwise, you'd be transferred and I know that's something you don't want."

Chase's heart thumped faster and louder than before, House's words were had changed context completely. His eyes widened marginally and his head was now spinning a little. Did House just admit that he cared?

There was the briefest moment of hesitation but then a warm brush of knuckles ran across Chase's cheek and everything that they were talking about disappeared, all he could understand was the physical touch that was soft and unexpected. He forgot that there was a see through door behind him because everything inside and outside of his body acted on their own accord.

His lips brushed the across House's and for a while, all seemed right when House kissed back. He could feel the rough prickles on his vague and shadowed facial hair and he drowned in the foreign taste coming from his superior.

Pulling back was hard, especially, when Chase's fingers reached up and curled around House's tie but he knew that they had to get a hold of themselves, lest they be caught in a compromising position by Cuddy or one of their fellow doctors.

House was now looking at him with an honest intensity, another thing he'd never seen directed at him before. "This, is why I care, Robert Chase," House admitted quietly.

He didn't know what to say and so instead, he said nothing.

House watched Chase and smiled a little when he saw an almost shy expression. "I like that look."

Chase rolled his eyes. "Of course you would." Even though his mind was still reeling with what had just happened, he couldn't seem take his eyes away from House. He was seeing and discovering something new, and it was entirely arcane.

There was no way that Chase's boss could feel the same way, it was a complete anomaly.

"I think we need to get back to the seriousness of what we were discussing," House interjected through his thoughts.

"Do we have too?" He asked with a childish sulk.

House grinned at him. "I know you hate your dad-"

Chase huffed loudly and sagged his shoulders in defeat. "I don't hate him," he mumbled. "I loved him until I figured out it hurt a lot less when you don't care."

"Caring is what you do, not caring is what I'm supposed to do. Don't get into a role reversal, Chase. You don't deserve that."

"You just said-"

House groused. "You remember that?"

"It was a minute ago! Of course I remember!"

House chuckled at the flustered look on Chase's face. "What I'm trying to say is, don't be a grumpy ol' man like me. Don't hide the fact that you care under the facade of not caring and anyway, I said 'I'm supposed too,' which is open entirely for interpretation."

Chase shook his head and laughed to himself. "Yeah, I guess I get it."

House decided not to tell Chase the truth about his father, he wanted too and he knew he should, but he felt that saying something would make things worse and so instead, he remained quiet simply because he cared.

Chase knew that House was holding something back but inwardly, he was grateful. "Thank you."

House's knuckles once again brushed down the side of his cheek. "You're welcome."