A/N: So I realize that its been awhile, but I still love you and this story. Please leave a review, comments, criticism. (Talk to me).

Please.

~PT

Accidentally

The next week and a half continued in the same fashion. Chase would show up to work, even though he loathed it every time he walked into House's office and watched him look everywhere but at him. House would entirely ignore him and Chase would go work in the ICU, getting more and more depressed by the day. He couldn't keep working like this, and if he did and Wilson was right, House could turn around any moment and start to pay too much attention to him. Tormenting him in such a different way than before that Chase knew that he would break.

Doctor Rinald was starting to expect his help, saying, "Won't be too long before we get you a job down here. I'll have a word with Dr. Cuddy." The old man winked at him and handed him some files.

Chase was starting to think that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to stop working for House, he was thinking about it more and more.

It wasn't until the day was almost over that House finally acknowledged Chase's existence again.

Chase was headed back upstairs to grab his belongings before heading home and he saw House and Wilson heading out through the lobby. He tried to make it easy and skirted the edge trying to get to the stairs.

"Chase!"

He stopped, and looked back, his muscles tensing and his eyes widening. This was what he had been dreading and hoping for at the same time.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your absence from your actual work. You don't get paid for working in the ER for that old guy. Half pay for this week and last. Also, you'll be taking my clinic hours this weekend. 16 hours! See ya!"

It didn't matter what had come out of House's mouth, it was that cold look as he finally met Chase's eyes for the first time since they kissed that hurt him.

House looked at him with such an expression of loathing that Chase almost shuddered.

Chase just turned away and went upstairs. At least he had made it to phase two.

House had tried his best to both ignore his problem as well as trying to act normally which was difficult and he didn't think he managed very well, or at all. It was just that whenever he did look at Chase - whenever the man wasn't paying attention - he saw dejection and this tired understanding. It was crazy... Unless...

"You bastard."

Wilson looked up at the exclamation and his door swinging wide enough to cause damage to the opposing wall.

"Well actually my father was a pharmacologist."

Undeterred by Wilson's detour, House just closed the door and sank sullenly into the chair opposite him.

"Why did you talk to him?"

Instead of furthering his pretended ignorance, Wilson studied his friend.

House looked jittery and on edge.

"He deserved to know what was ahead of him."

"This isn't one of my 'normal' courtships. I'm not going after him. He isn't going after me."

"I just gave him some advice on how to handle you. I think it's saved him some heartache. If only a little." Wilson had definitely noticed Chase's downcast attitude.

"Chase doesn't have any heartache. I don't have any heartache."

"All I'm hearing is a lot of denial," Wilson said quietly and turned towards his paperwork once more.

"What are you 'advising' that I do then?"

"Oh I don't know, stop ignoring him? Talk to him?" When he looked back up, House was twisting the doorknob and hastily lurching down the hall. It always surprised how fast he could move.

When it was time to leave, House angrily gathered his things and went to leave. Wilson followed close behind. When he saw Chase making his way through the lobby, he turned towards Wilson spitting, "you want me to stop ignoring him? You want me to talk to him? Fine."

If he had waited for Wilson's reaction he would have seen him roll his eyes with a knowing expression as he waiting for House to do his worst.

House was pretty mean, even by his standards.

As they walked out, he couldn't stop thinking about Chase's reaction. He was obviously surprised and apprehensive to hear House speak to him, but as House keep attacking him his face just fell more as if a threatening storm had finally come and he could stop worrying about when it would arrive.

He tried not to wince at that.

"Shut up," he muttered to Wilson, preemptively. He only heard a sad chuckle from his friend as they parted ways in the parking lot.

Refusing to think about his blond employee at all, he threw himself entirely into making a meager dinner of ramen noodles for himself and then to playing to piano for hours. The melodies usually helped soothe his mind but he still felt nervy and angry by the time in was eleven. He tottered to bed, popping Vicodin as he tried one last time to forget the feeling of having Chase moaning into his mouth.

In the darkness of his room, he let himself remember that moment, and because he was a glutton for punishment his mind wandered to the 'what ifs' of if he hadn't stopped the kiss. If he hadn't pulled away from those soft, full lips. What if he had slid his hands down Chase's back? What if Chase had pulled him closer and locked his legs around his waist?

House full out growled at the empty room, stubbornly moving his mind to meaningless things such as how to ruin Taub's marriage and counting and recounting his pills, trying to get his hard on to vanish. The rest of the night he tossed and turned as he had to mentally wrest his mind from thoughts of the Aussie.

Chase was feeling slightly better this morning. He had woken up early to an unexpected call from one of his residency friends who announced that he was getting married and would like him to be his best man. He was excited to see his friend again as well as go back home for the first time in many years. The wedding was soon and he would need to get there early to help out with the plans. Thinking about asking the time off from House brought his mood down a little but he still walked into Plainsboro with his head high unlike the previous weeks.

Before he even got three feet in the door, he tripped and fell flat on his face, barely catching himself on his palms. House whistled jauntily as he untangled his cane from Chase's feet and continued on to where Wilson waited by the elevators.

His good mood evaporated, Chase scowled and stormed to the diagnostic floor. He had endured another week of House's taunts but he felt ready to blow.

It was hard to believe that it was just eight days ago that House had looked at him with that dead look. Just eight days ago that Chase truly descended into this personal hell.

House had raked him over the coals every day and Cameron and Foreman stopped even looking at him, afraid to catch whatever had made the famous diagnostician snap at his favorite employee.

Chase spent most of his time doing the most pointless things that reminded him of his worst days of medical school. He blew out a frustrated breath while he did his 50th enema for the day and tried to send his thoughts towards Australia. He would enjoy Sydney, maybe even see an opera. He could take two weeks off. It's not like he used his vacation or sick time often. The only thing standing in his way was House.

It wasn't until two days later that he actually got up the nerve to single House out and ask him for the time off. His friend was having what Americans call a 'shotgun wedding' and he would be getting married in three weeks. He wanted to be there the week before to hang out with his friend and plan the bachelor party and then the next week he could enjoy his home country alone.

House was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up on his desk, stuffing his face with Chinese take-out and laughing at something on his small television.

Chase took a step up and was surprised when the famous diagnostician looked up and focused on him immediately. He hadn't said anything yet.

House's eyes were wary, as if he were afraid of what Chase had to say. Chase wanted to laugh, or cry, at that. Chase was the one afraid of what House might say.

"I-"

"I don't care."

Chase shut his mouth with a snap. Of course this wasn't going to be easy.

"I'm asking for two weeks off. I would have to leave by the end of the month. My best mate is-"

"No," House said, looking down at his food, but not taking a bite.

"I don't have to ask you. I was just being polite. I'll get approval through Cuddy."

"No." This time it seemed as if the diagnostician wasn't even hearing him.

"Why the hell are you doing this? This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't kissed me!"

House was up and out of his chair, and around the desk much faster than a cripple should be able too. Chase barely refrained from taking a step back as the enraged man got into his face.

"If I hadn't kissed you? You kissed me back! You mean if you hadn't been asking for it! With your puppy dog eyes and your color combinations. Jesus, do you even know-" He stopped and ran a hand over his mouth before saying, "I didn't ask for this," House gestured franticly at the Australian, "and I want it to stop!"

Chase was dumbfounded but still managed to say, "I'm not in charge of the attraction you feel for me."

House stared coldly at him, even more coldly then that day he stopped ignoring him and said, "Get out."

Chase simply turned and went.

His mind was racing. Was this part of the plan that Wilson had? Or was this a wild card? Did House seriously just admit to being attracted to him? What was he supposed to do now?

He ended up leaving for the day, unable to think of anything else, and unsure of what to do next.

A/N: Sorry if there are any mistakes, I wrote this fairly quickly. Read and Review!

~PT