allthingsslash

Strangers

2006-11-24T18:07:57Z

Title:Strangers
Fandom:The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Pairing:Dorian/Sawyer
Rating:PG
Challenge:fanfic_100
Prompt:#25 Strangers
Summary: It's better if you don't know each other...
Disclaimer:Not mine, if they were, Dorian would have spent the entire film topless...

You don’t really know anything about him. And that’s what appeals to you more than his accent, his hair, his body. It’s the mystery that intrigues you. He’s young; probably hasn’t even seen a quarter of what you have; no wars, no buildings erected brand new and then torn down, decrepit. He definitely hasn’t seen the inside of as many bedrooms – there’s still an innocence about him, and as annoying as that might be, his naiveté and trust makes him an effortless target and an even more effortless fool.

He’s beautiful too; blonde mop and deep blue eyes a complimenting contradiction to your own brown hair and glinting brown eyes. His looks tempt your vanity and your ego, not to mention the swirling feeling in your stomach every time he glances your way. His character’s not too bad either, you suppose, a little cocky for one so young, but that is easily changed with a few near-death experiences, some horror stories and burning touches.

The attraction is entirely superficial and it’s not like you don’t have the time to get to know him, you just lack the motivation. You don’t see him as a son, as the others do, you see a foolish boy that can be manipulated. And you would almost feel guilty for robbing him of his simplicity except it’s better this way then letting him live his entire life as a fairytale fantasy and even though there may be vampires and monsters, there’s definitely no such thing as a happily ever after. Or maybe you just want to mark him first, you haven’t quite decided yet.

He doesn’t know anything about you either, and ironically, the anonymity makes this more comforting. The fact that he doesn’t know you; the things you’ve done and the things you haven’t, reassures you that he’s not going to run away (it’s only afterwards they do that) but as long as Mina doesn’t say anything, you might be able to have this one for a bit longer.

You take him to your room and you pour whiskey after whiskey down him because he’s a stiff Yankee with bulletproof inhibitions. As it turns out, he’s a more than willing participant as he rips off your shirt and you don’t complain that he’s torn your silk jacket. The drink makes him brave and clumsy but he’s a fast learner (or maybe you’re just a good teacher) as you show him how to use his tongue and smoke a cigar. His eagerness to please is almost endearing, or would be if you used such words, but upon reflection, it’s mostly pathetic as you discover that blonde hair and strong hands aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

In hindsight, it’s a good thing neither of you really know each other. The reproachful glances he greets you with every time you walk into the room are enough to drive you insane and you whished you’d spiked his whiskey so he couldn’t remember what had happened. And as unethical and immoral as that would have been, at least it would have ended there and you could have moved onto a new target (or an old one), remaining the only person who knew the scars you were hiding under your perfect porcelain skin. At least it’s only looks this time; no words, accusations or begging. Just simple, woeful looks.

And you could pretend to feel guilty, pretend it was something genuine, and part of you wants to, if only to stop those eyes boring into you and why oh why didn’t Mina warn him of what you are like? But your distance is your security and to be honest, solitude is better than a lie and you laugh at your dismal attempt at walking the moral highground as you realise you’re probably walking along the fourth circle of hell.

Tonight he’s at your door and neither of you say anything but the gaping silence accompanied by a low groan of Nemo’s engines says more than enough. You look at him and pity the boy for falling so hard and so easily, for being so young and trusting but more than anything for getting involved without a lifeline to pull him out of this ocean deeper and darker than the one in which you’re sailing. And you stare at him whilst you swig your whiskey and try to work out if it’s lust or desire you see in his eyes and if there’s actually a difference anyway. You close the door on him, turn and lean against it, swallowing far too much alcohol and wincing at the burning sensation in your throat, deciding that perhaps he knew you better than you thought, after all.

Little Hide

2006-11-22T22:00:30Z

Title:Little Hide
Fandom:House M.D.
Paring:None really..House/Chase if you squint
Summary:Chase wonders if House knows how he feels
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I can't even afford A house, let alone the House so no...he's not mine *sob*

You wonder if he knows this feeling. This empty space in your chest that nothing seems to fill. And you’ve tried it all: drugs, drink, sex, religion (though not in that order and maybe that’s what messed it up) to block this strange nothingness from completely taking over you.

If he knows what it’s like to wake up each morning and see a lie looking back at him in his mirror, to try and force some sort of warmth into otherwise soulless eyes. Lucky for you you can distract people with a flick of your blonde hair – the only worthwhile thing your mother ever gave you (besides a loathing of your father and a fear of God, but whether that’s worthwhile or an illusion you’ve still got to work out) and you suddenly realise how much like her you actually sound and so you squeeze your eyes shut as if you can push all the remnants of her out through invisible tears.

If he knows what it’s like to live every day with a feeling of resentment; hating everything you’ve become – a traitor, a liar, a whore and not being able to change no matter how many Hail Mary’s you say. To want to claw off your own skin in the hope that there may be something…good beneath. Something with a vague sense of humanity or caring but knowing that you’ll find something gnarled and twisted instead. To feel like some kind of Dorian Gray; each bloody act remaining permanently etched inside of you, invisible to the casual onlooker or even the overly friendly nurse yet feeling your deeds clinging to your bones, weighing you down.

And you watch him when he thinks no one’s looking. And you see the pain, the frustration, the lie that he forces down with each swallow of a pill. You look at him and see yourself and think, yes, he probably does.

25 Foods

2006-07-21T13:00:59Z

Title:Cinnamon
Author/Artist:allthingsslash
Character/Pairing:Dorian Gray/Tom Sawyer
Disclaimer: Absolutely not mine, if they were, Dorian would spend a lot more time with a lot less clothes...
Prompt Table: 1
Prompt: 007 - Cinnamon
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:None
Word Count: 477
Author’s Notes: Thanks to drag_queen90 for betaing.

The smell is intoxicating. Before you can even hear him coming up behind you, you can smell that sweet spice. The smell that lets you know he’s ready for you. That he wants you. Now. You can’t understand how no one else seems to notice it.

That smell infiltrates you, takes you over and leaves you wanting more. And that’s before he’s even touched you. And when he does touch you, god it burns, but it’s a good kind of pain. A pain you enjoy, a pain you want, a pain you hate. His hands trace your skin leaving cinnamon swirls and bruises across your body and you wonder if he’s thinking of Mina as he bites your neck.

His dominance, his confidence, his lust; they’re all almost as empowering as his smell. But not quite. When he pins your arms above your head and forbids you to look away whilst his hand does something insanely wrong, his hair falls from behind his ear, brushing your cheek and the smell is so suffocating you think it’s about to smother you, you think this feels insanely right.

You look at him, holding his gaze for as long as possible, to prove you’re not a silly little boy way out of your depth in a game made only for immortals and vampires, but the sight of him licking his lips like that forces your orgasm and your eyes clench shut with the sheer might of it and you never knew it was possible to feel such pleasure and yet such shame at the same time.

You’re left lying there panting whilst he abruptly stands up and straightens the jacket that he refused to take off and smoothes down his trousers that you wrinkled with your squirming. He leaves you naked and dazed with a sneer that sends shivers down your spine, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

And when you catch up with the rest of the League, Skinner comments on your uncombed hair and flushed cheeks whilst Dorian just stands there talking to Mina, looking over her shoulder straight at you with a smugness that makes your flushed cheeks deepen in colour as you despise yourself for letting him use you like this and for loving it all the while. Later as Mina brushes past, you can smell the same captivating scent radiating from her and you hate the effect it has on you, hate the control he manages to command from you and hate yourself that little bit more.

100songs Prompt Table

2006-06-29T13:29:39Z

Dorian/Sawyer

001.	Waiting (Save Your Life)	002.	I Hope You Dance	003.	Whatever Happened to the Heroes	004.	Always Come Back to You	005.	Shed My Skin
006.	Everybody’s Fool	007.	Walk Away	008.	The Ghost of You	009.	Fallen	010.	Best of You
011.	On Fire	012.	Knowing Me, Knowing You	013.	Together	014.	I’m No Superman	015.	Overkill
016.	When You Say You Love Me	017.	A Moment Like This	018.	Waiting for My Real Life to Begin	019.	Let Go	020.	Someday We’ll Know
021.	Learning to Breathe	022.	Synesthesia	023.	The Days of the Phoenix	024.	This Love	025.	Harder to Breathe
026.	She Will Be Loved	027.	Take Me Away	028.	Miss Independent	029.	Someday	030.	Wherever You Will Go
031.	Let it Go	032.	I Miss You	033.	In the End	034.	I Hate Everything About You	035.	I Love Myself Today
036.	Boulevard of Broken Dreams	037.	White Flag	038.	Surrender	039.	Tears in Heaven	040.	Bridge Over Troubled Water
041.	Colorblind	042.	Adam’s Song	043.	Crash and Burn	044.	Truly, Madly, Deeply	045.	You’re Beautiful
046.	Never Ever	047.	Play Dead	048.	Holy Tears	049.	Insatiable	050.	The Leaving Song
051.	Come Clean	052.	Anywhere but Here	053.	Don’t Turn Around	054.	The Sign	055.	I'm Your Man
056.	Pretending	057.	And Love Said No	058.	In Joy and Sorrow	059.	Heartache Every Moment	060.	Monday Morning
061.	Introduction to a Broken Heart	062.	Be As	063.	Angels	064.	On My Own	065.	Poetic Tragedy
066.	Go the Distance	067.	Going Under	068.	You and Me	069.	Beautiful	070.	Thank You
071.	Perfect	072.	Accidentally in Love	073.	Cry Me a River	074.	Bless the Broken Road	075.	I Will Remember You
076.	Wrong Impression	077.	Unpretty	078.	Somewhere Over the Rainbow	079.	Never had a Dream Come True	080.	Nothing to Lose
081.	Lies	082.	Homeward Bound	083.	Crawling	084.	Breaking the Habit	085.	Landslide
086.	Pieces of Me	087.	El Condor Pasa	088.	The Sound of Silence	089.	Rainy Day Man	090.	Fighter
091.	Live Like You Were Dyin’	092.	The Color of Blue	093.	Turn Back Time	094.	Good Guys	095.	Good Morning Sunshine
096.	The Noose	097.	Writer‘s Choice.	098.	Writer‘s Choice.	099.	Writer‘s Choice.	100.	Writer‘s Choice.

Nick/Greg

001.	Learn to be Lonely	002.	Beautiful	003.	It’s About Time	004.	Allstar	005.	Underneath Your Clothes
006.	Incomplete	007.	I Survived You	008.	Pitiful	009.	All I Ask of You	010.	Defying Gravity
011.	Holding Out for a Hero	012.	Believe	013.	Love is a Battlefield	014.	I’m a Believer	015.	Two in a Million
016.	Viva Forever	017.	Goodbye My Friend	018.	Calling Dr. Love	019.	Invisible	020.	Heartbreak Lullaby
021.	Drowning	022.	Perfect Day	023.	Echo	024.	Boom	025.	Seein’ Red
026.	Selfish	027.	On the Line	028.	Angel	029.	A Thousand Miles	030.	Gravity Rides Everything
031.	Gravity	032.	Picture	033.	Bad Day	034.	The First Cut is the Deepest	035.	As Long As You’re Mine
036.	The Prayer	037.	Where is the Love	038.	Quit Playing Games with My Heart	039.	Don’t Phunk with My Heart	040.	Love is Only a Feeling
041.	The Future	042.	I Believe in a Thing Called Love	043.	Growing on Me	044.	The Last to Know	045.	Stronger
046.	Remember When it Rained	047.	For Good	048.	No Good Deed	049.	My Heart Will Go On	050.	What is this Feeling
051.	Savin’ Me	052.	How You Remind Me	053.	California	054.	Love Spell	055.	Here Without You
056.	Life Will Go On	057.	Desert Rose	058.	Fields of Innocence	059.	Here is Gone	060.	That Don’t Impress Me Much
061.	One Thing	062.	Unbreak My Heart	063.	Faith	064.	Dancing With Myself	065.	Arms Wide Open
066.	Disease	067.	Gonna Change the World	068.	Here Comes the Sun	069.	Stand by Me	070.	Tainted Love
071.	Love Me Do	072.	Closure	073.	Fever	074.	Fall Back Down	075.	River Below
076.	Welcome to My Life	077.	She’s All I Ever Had	078.	Private Emotion	079.	Reflection	080.	Going Under
081.	Bring Me to Life	082.	Haunted	083.	Imaginary	084.	Taking Over Me	085.	Touch
086.	I Don’t Want to Wait	087.	Do You Only Wanna Dance	088.	Baby, I’m a Train Wreck	089.	Missing You	090.	Karma Chameleon
091.	Time of My Life	092.	Kryptonite	093.	More to Life	094.	Eye of the Tiger	095.	Blessed
096.	Out Here on My Own	097.	Writer’s Choice	098.	Writer‘s Choice.	099.	Writer‘s Choice.	100.	Writer‘s Choice.

50_darkfics Prompt Tables

2006-06-27T12:48:03Z

House/Chase

001.	Ravished.	002.	Dark Path.	003.	Rule/Ruler.	004.	Blood.	005.	Lost Haven.
006.	Claws.	007.	Awakening.	008.	Animal.	009.	Branded.	010.	Torture.
011.	Weapon.	012.	Bound.	013.	Nails.	014.	Coffin/ Buried.	015.	Angry.
016.	Evil.	017.	Fear.	018.	Conquer.	019.	Slave.	020.	Master.
021.	Brutal .	022.	Leash.	023.	Unholy.	024.	Power.	025.	Destiny.
026.	Ancient.	027.	Narcissus .	028.	Innocence.	029.	Guilt.	030.	Chains.
031.	Flame.	032.	Past.	033.	Present.	034.	Broken.	035.	Oath.
036.	Never.	037.	Forever.	038.	Outcast.	039.	Eternal.	040.	Dance.
041.	Fixation.	042.	Dirty.	043.	Candle.	044.	Hunger.	045.	Lust.
046.	Wicked.	047.	Stake.	048.	Leather.	049.	Razor.	050.	Eruption .
051.	Yes.	052.	Forced.	053.	Light.	054.	Gleam.	055.	No.
056.	Madness.	057.	Please.	058.	Mask.	059.	Destruction.	060.	Poisonous.
061.	Feral.	062.	Shadow.	063.	Masterpiece.	064.	Ghost.	065.	Match.
066.	Midnight.	067.	Mighty.	068.	Coven.	069.	Forsaken.	070.	Unbound.
071.	Pain.	072.	Sorrow.	073.	Cry/Tears.	074.	Darkness.	075.	Non-con.
076.	Anonymous.	077.	Unforgiving.	078.	Different.	079.	Rain.	080.	Restraints.
081.	Clamps.	082.	Metal.	083.	Love.	084.	Hate.	085.	Indifference.
086.	Bite.	087.	Phoenix.	088.	Rope.	089.	Ball.	090.	Tight.
091.	Hot.	092.	Wax.	093.	Voice.	094.	Lick.	095.	Need.
096.	Writer's Choice.	097.	Writer's Choice.	098.	Writer's Choice.	099.	Writer's Choice.	100.	Writer's Choice.

Dorian/Sawyer

001.	Ravished.	002.	Dark Path.	003.	Rule/Ruler.	004.	Blood.	005.	Lost Haven.
006.	Claws.	007.	Awakening.	008.	Animal.	009.	Branded.	010.	Torture.
011.	Weapon.	012.	Bound.	013.	Nails.	014.	Coffin/ Buried.	015.	Angry.
016.	Evil.	017.	Fear.	018.	Conquer.	019.	Slave.	020.	Master.
021.	Brutal .	022.	Leash.	023.	Unholy.	024.	Power.	025.	Destiny.
026.	Ancient.	027.	Narcissus .	028.	Innocence.	029.	Guilt.	030.	Chains.
031.	Flame.	032.	Past.	033.	Present.	034.	Broken.	035.	Oath.
036.	Never.	037.	Forever.	038.	Outcast.	039.	Eternal.	040.	Dance.
041.	Fixation.	042.	Dirty.	043.	Candle.	044.	Hunger.	045.	Lust.
046.	Wicked.	047.	Stake.	048.	Leather.	049.	Razor.	050.	Eruption .
051.	Yes.	052.	Forced.	053.	Light.	054.	Gleam.	055.	No.
056.	Madness.	057.	Please.	058.	Mask.	059.	Destruction.	060.	Poisonous.
061.	Feral.	062.	Shadow.	063.	Masterpiece.	064.	Ghost.	065.	Match.
066.	Midnight.	067.	Mighty.	068.	Coven.	069.	Forsaken.	070.	Unbound.
071.	Pain.	072.	Sorrow.	073.	Cry/Tears.	074.	Darkness.	075.	Non-con.
076.	Anonymous.	077.	Unforgiving.	078.	Different.	079.	Rain.	080.	Restraints.
081.	Clamps.	082.	Metal.	083.	Love.	084.	Hate.	085.	Indifference.
086.	Bite.	087.	Phoenix.	088.	Rope.	089.	Ball.	090.	Tight.
091.	Hot.	092.	Wax.	093.	Voice.	094.	Lick.	095.	Need.
096.	Writer's Choice.	097.	Writer's Choice.	098.	Writer's Choice.	099.	Writer's Choice.	100.	Writer's Choice.

30psych Prompt Table

2006-06-25T10:19:51Z

1.	Transference	2.	Daddy Issues	3.	Addiction	4.	Ego/Id	5.	Multiple Personality
6.	Inferiority Complex	7.	Nature vs. Nurture	8.	Phobia	9.	Sociopath	10.	Approach-Avoidance
11.	Castration Anxiety	12.	Collective Unconscious	13.	Delusion	14.	Fixation	15.	Halo Effect
16.	Fetish	17.	Group Think	18.	Instinct	19.	Separation Anxiety	20.	Learned Helplessness
21.	Rationalizaton	22.	Libido	23.	Vicarious	24.	Skinner Box	25.	Placebo Effect
26.	Obsession	27.	Catharsis	28.	Free Association	29.	Repression	30.	Denial

25foods Prompt Table

2006-06-25T10:14:03Z

Nick/Greg

001.	Strawberry(ies)	002.	Chocolate Syrup	003.	Cake Batter *	004.	Coffee	005.	Grape(s)
006.	Orange Juice	007.	Cinnamon	008.	Butter	009.	Ice Cream *	010.	Salad Dressing *
011.	Watermelon	012.	Gummy Bear(s) *	013.	Honey	014.	Cucumber(s)	015.	Wine *
016.	Cookie Dough *	017.	Peanut Butter (Crunchy or Smooth)	018.	Banana(s)	019.	Lime(s)	020.	Mustard *
021.	Writer’s Choice	022.	Writer’s Choice	023.	Writer’s Choice	024.	Writer’s Choice	025.	Writer’s Choice

Dorian/Sawyer

001.	Soda (Pop) *	002.	Carrot(s)	003.	Blueberry(ies)	004.	Marshmallow(s)	005.	Tomato(s)
006.	Soup(s)	007.	Sushi *	008.	Apple(s)	009.	Pepperoni	010.	Jelly Bean(s) *
011.	Rice (Cooked or Uncooked) *	012.	M & M’s *	013.	Kiwi(s)	014.	Cake Frosting *	015.	Meat(s) (Cooked or Uncooked)
016.	Potato Chip(s) *	017.	Sweet Potato(s)	018.	Burrito(s) *	019.	Cooking Oil *	020.	Sunflower Seed(s)
021.	Writer’s Choice	022.	Writer’s Choice	023.	Writer’s Choice	024.	Writer’s Choice	025.	Writer’s Choice

100moods Prompt Table

2006-06-25T10:04:21Z

001.	Accomplished	002.	Amused	003.	Angry	004.	Annoyed	005.	Anxious
006.	Apathetic	007.	Aroused	008.	Awake	009.	Blank	010.	Bored
011.	Bouncy	012.	Broken	013.	Calm	014.	Cheerful	015.	Chipper
016.	Cold	017.	Confused	018.	Content	019.	Cranky	020.	Crazy
021.	Creative	022.	Crushed	023.	Curious	024.	Cynical	025.	Depressed
026.	Determined	027.	Devious	028.	Disappointed	029.	Ditzy	030.	Drained
031.	Ecstatic	032.	Embarrassed	033.	Enamored	034.	Energetic	035.	Enraged
036.	Enthralled	037.	Envious	038.	Excited	039.	Exhausted	040.	Flirty
041.	Frustrated	042.	Giddy	043.	Giggly	044.	Gloomy	045.	Good
046.	Grateful	047.	Grumpy	048.	Guilty	049.	Happy	050.	Hopeful
051.	Impressed	052.	Indescribable	053.	Indifferent	054.	Intimidated	055.	Jealous
056.	Kinky	057.	Lazy	058.	Lethargic	059.	Listless	060.	Lonely
061.	Loved	062.	Melancholy	063.	Mischievous	064.	Moody	065.	Morose
066.	Naughty	067.	Nervous	068.	Nostalgic	069.	Numb	070.	Optimistic
071.	Peaceful	072.	Pensive	073.	Pessimistic	074.	Playful	075.	Pleased
076.	Predatory	077.	Productive	078.	Refreshed	079.	Rejected	080.	Relaxed
081.	Relieved	082.	Romantic	083.	Restless	084.	Sad	085.	Satisfied
086.	Sinful	087.	Scared	088.	Shocked	089.	Sick	090.	Silly
091.	Stressed	092.	Surprised	093.	Sympathetic	094.	Thankful	095.	Thoughtful
096.	Touched	097.	Uncomfortable	098.	Vulnerable	099.	Weird	100.	Worried

Games

2006-05-07T17:27:30Z

Title: Games
Fandom: House M.D.
Pairing: House/Chase
Rating: G
Summary: Gregory House is very good at playing games... A.N. Lyrics are from the song 'Games' by 3 Doors Down.

What will we do, what will we say?
When is the end of this game that we play?
Will we crumble into the dust my friend,
Or will we start this game over again?

James Wilson is very good at some games. Other games, like Monopoly or Snap he’s not so good at. But at games like Poker, he is brilliant. Games in which he has to cheat and bluff are his forté. He’s had so much practice at it during his marriages that he considers himself a master at deceit. After all, it’s pretty simple, keep a neutral face, stay calm and say the right things and you can have anyone eating out of the palm of your hand. House, however, is a different matter.

Wilson often wonders if House wears invisible lie-detecting glasses. Or maybe it’s just the fact that House makes him feel so vulnerable that Wilson is unable to lie to him. House has a way of tricking Wilson into telling him the truth. It’s only whilst bluffing to House does Wilson ever stumble. Games with his wives and mistresses, people he doesn’t really care about, these are the people he can lie to with ease. Not House. Wilson is making love to his third wife, trying to lose himself in the moment and eradicate House from his mind. He hates House for being able to beat him at his own game, but as House’s best friend he knows undeniably that Gregory House is very good at playing games.

What will we do, what will we say?
When is the end of this game that we play?
Will we crumble into the dust my friend,
Or will we start this game over again?

Allison Cameron thought she was quite good at games. More often than not, she won. Her father always told her she was just like her mother; beautiful and intelligent. Cameron always thought that it was her intelligence that gave her the ability to win. Obviously she couldn’t win all the time, there was always going to be someone smarter than her. That was what she thought, at least until she met House. So far, House hasn’t been beaten and she doesn’t understand why.

But maybe she does. His comment about how her looks could have got her anything she wanted is eating away at her. She worked hard, really hard to get where she was. It wasn’t her looks that got her a job with the famous Dr. House, he’d admitted that himself. But he’d also said it wasn’t her qualifications, either. Maybe the only reason she’d got far enough to have an interview with House was because of her beauty. It’s not like she hadn’t been told she was beautiful, her father had even tried to get her into modelling, but she’d refused, surely that proved something? But now she can’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t been given her looks, would she be where she was now? Cameron is staring at her reflection in the mirror in her bedroom, trying to eradicate House from her mind. Maybe she’d really lost all those games. In any case, one thing she knew for sure: Gregory House is very good at playing games.

What will we do, what will we say?
When is the end of this game that we play?
Will we crumble into the dust my friend,
Or will we start this game over again?

Eric Foreman doesn’t like games that much. He prefers gambling, taking a risk rather than following a set of instructions. That’s how he’s spent most of his life and that’s was how he always will. Naturally, with gambling there is always the possibility that you’d lose. You could lose a lot if you bet on the wrong thing, but fortunately for Foreman, he was a wise better. He’d bet his friend that they would get caught when they stole that car and they did. He also bet himself that because of his reputation House would be a jerk and he was. But one thing he hadn’t bet on was quite how much of a jerk House could be.

Foreman knew that accepting a job with House would be a big gamble, he could tell just from the interview that House wouldn’t be an easy person to get along with and in all honesty, Foreman reckoned that the only reason House was hiring him was because he needed a black guy on the team. Turned out he was wrong, House only hired him because he was a crook. That’s what Foreman hadn’t taken into account when he decided to work for House; the distance the maverick would go to get his own way. The way to win a game is to predict what is going to happen next; what the next roll of the dice will be or what your opponent’s next hand is. But you can’t do that with House, you can’t predict and you can never get realistic odds on the next time he’ll almost kill a patient. Foreman hadn’t anticipated House would dredge up something he’d done years ago, when he was young and foolish. He didn’t mind that House had told Cameron and Chase about stealing the car but he was grateful that he left out the part where he and his friend and knocked over and almost killed that girl. That was exactly why Foreman felt it was so difficult to place a bet on House, because you’d never know how he’d react. And just when you thought there might be something of a human being inside him, he’d call you a spade and you’d remember that this was House you were dealing with, after all. Foreman is sitting at his desk, staring at copy of his rap sheet and trying to eradicate House from his mind, but he can’t help thinking how Gregory House is very good at playing games.

What will we do, what will we say?
When is the end of this game that we play?
Will we crumble into the dust my friend,
Or will we start this game over again?

Lisa Cuddy isn’t very good at games. You could tell she was an only child as she was one of the people who always got unreasonably upset whenever she lost. The only game she ever played and made work for her was her job. She had made the right moves at the right time and managed to become the head of a leading, well-renowned hospital before the age of thirty five. But she has now got to the point where she has to start playing games within games to keep herself at the top. One of these games was hiring Dr. House.

House is, undisputedly, a fantastic doctor. Sometimes he is unethical and immoral but it is his reputation that keeps her hospital well funded. Whenever she feels as if it’s almost too much and that she can’t take anymore of his immature antics, she remembers the phrase ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’. House is by no means an enemy, though it does sometimes seem like they’re on two opposing sides and the hospital is battle field, but it reminds her why House is so integral to her game. Cuddy likes to believe that House is a pawn in her chess match of a world. Well, maybe more of a bishop then a pawn, but either way, Cuddy believes that she is the one in charge, because, in the end, her word is final. However, deep down, she knows, as much as she may deny it, that she is really the pawn in House’s screwed up game. But whereas Cuddy’s game is one of work and ends when she leaves the hospital, House’s game is one of life and is goes on forever. Cuddy is sitting on her couch at home, eating a TV dinner, watching ER and trying to eradicate House from her mind. But then one of the doctors says something far too familiar, which brings her sighing back to how Gregory House is very good at playing games.

What will we do, what will we say?
When is the end of this game that we play?
Will we crumble into the dust my friend,
Or will we start this game over again?

Robert Chase was never any good at playing games. Some way or another, he always lost, regardless of how promising things looked at the start. There was always some snake that caught him out or some ditch that made him miss at turn. Chase is now playing doctors and the thing catching him out his House. Chase used to think that if you stuck to the rules, you would eventually win. Which is why he turned down all those nurses: no inter-hospital relationships and why he didn’t drink: no turning into your mother. But he’s now beginning to realise it doesn’t work that way. Not with House.

With House, rules are like manners; a pointless waste of time. What surprised Chase most about House was that his disregard for the rules that ought to get him banned from the game, was how he managed to win. So when Chase found himself bent backwards on House’s desk, with his boss on top of him, he thought that maybe if he broke the rules, he’d get a shot at winning. And when they were in House’s apartment and Chase saw House pouring two glasses of whiskey, he didn’t complain, he broke the rules and drank. But now he’s beginning to realise it doesn’t work that way. Not with him. Chase is sitting on his kitchen floor staring at a half empty bottle of absinth trying to eradicate House from his mind. He’s lost again, but he’s learnt a valuable lesson: Gregory House is very good at playing games.

The Price of Happiness

2006-05-07T17:24:28Z

Title: The Price of Happiness
Fandom: House M.D.
Pairings: House/Wilson, House/Chase, House/Chase/Wilson
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The price of keeping Greg House happy. Dedicated to my darling friend kohl_rimmed_eye, I'm sorry, but this is the closest I fear I will ever get to Chase/Wilson

IHouse Wilson Chase. Chase Wilson House. Wilson Chase House. House Chase Wilson. Greg James Robert. Whichever way you put it, you don’t think it sounds right. There’s something slightly off-key about the whole thing.

You’ve always been the jealous type, ever since your mother substituted you for her bottles. You only agreed to this to keep House happy. It was meant to be a one-time thing, wasn’t it? The threesome was just going to be a bit of fun, not a permanent arrangement. It’s not that you don’t like Wilson, who wouldn’t with those perfect chiselled cheekbones and those kind brown eyes? Under any other circumstances you would have been more than happy to add James Wilson’s notch to your bedpost.

The thing is, you had House first. He’s yours and you want to keep it that way. (And you ignore the fact that you’re actually House’s, rather than him being yours, because in this relationship, you are not going to be used again, even thought you’ve already fallen into that trap and you’re subconsciously kicking yourself for being so stupid – this is House for fuck’s sake!) You don’t like the fact that someone else has come into the equation and usurped your role. Even though the sex was amazing, you hate Wilson for taking away the one thing that you thought you could give House. (That is, until you realised, again, that this is House and you could never really give him anything in the first place.)

You always thought there was something going on between them, you even thought you heard House admit it to Stacy once, but you weren’t entirely sure. But when House came onto you, you forgot all about it. Don’t lie to yourself; you were infatuated with him. You loved the way he made you feel, how a harsh comment bout your parents was immediately forgotten the minute you tasted his bittersweet kiss and felt his rough touch demand possession of your body. You loved the way he played with you, in all senses of the word. You still do. And you thought House loved toying with you, too. Obviously not. Obviously he needs Wilson. Why, you’re not sure, but he does.

So tonight, instead of going over to Greg’s house like you promised you would, you drive out to the sleaziest bar you can find and sit there quietly downing shot after shot of tequila, but it’s not enough. You can still see their faces. Together. Your hip starts to vibrate and you do a strange kind of jiggle causing you to lose your balance on the stool which sends you crashing spectacularly to the floor. You remain down there because, quite frankly, you can’t work out how to stand up. So you sit on the floor, fiddle around with your phone trying to find the damn answer button. You press it and grunt into the microphone.

“Robert? Where are you?” Wilson’s voice is full of concern. Fuck him, you think and then, No, don’t. You hear Greg in the background calling out, “Robert, where, where the hell are the handcuffs?”
“Can you not keep your mouth shut for just one minute?” Wilson asks, “Listen, Robert, where are you? I’ll come and pick you up if you-” Wilson gasps mid-sentence and you hear him say through gritted teeth, “Gre-eg? What are you doing?”
“I’m showing you why it’s better that I don’t keep my mouth shut.” Wilson starts to breathe slightly heavier and for some reason you’re not hanging up. You hear Wilson begin to moan, “Oh, oh Greg,” and his cries bring you to your senses as you realise you really don’t want to be hearing this, so you mumble something about a patient and hang up. Wilson doesn’t call back and you hate him for it. But from that single phone call, even though you’re pissed and silently hysterical, you now understand why Greg needs Wilson. Wilson is caring, he has feelings. He’s far better than you who just jumps through all Greg’s hoops and complies to his every whim. Wilson is the contrast House needs.

You suddenly find yourself on your feet staring into a pair of green eyes. You plant a drunken kiss on the stranger’s lips and whisper seductively into his ear, “I’m Gregory House.”

Greg Noticed

2006-05-07T16:03:04Z

Title: Greg Noticed
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Greg starts noticing things...

Greg noticed. He noticed the way Nick wasn’t as tender and affectionate as usual. How instead of an evening kiss before shift, Nick just yelled, “I’m going to work!” slamming the door behind him. How instead of lounging on the couch, enjoying each other’s company, Nick preferred sitting in the armchair to lying in Greg’s arms. How the flirtatious glances and secret smiles shared at work slowly diminished to a formal nod of recognition.

Greg noticed how Nick never came to see him during shift and how he vacated the break room five minutes before Greg’s break was due. He noticed Nick taking the long way round to ballistics in order to avoid passing Greg in the lab. How Nick threw himself into work harder then before and walked around wearing a look that meant no-one would dare bother him.

Greg noticed how the sex wasn’t the same either. He noticed how Nick saw it as a chore, as a duty, rather than something he wanted to do. He noticed the lack of lust and love in Nick’s eyes and he noticed how Nick refused to look at him when he came. He noticed how Nick took him only once, avoiding as much physical contact as possible. Greg noticed the tears gently rolling down his face as Nick let another man’s name escape from his lips.

He noticed Nick coming home later and drunker and smelling of someone else’s aftershave. But Nick didn’t notice. He didn’t notice Greg turn his back on him as he clambered clumsily into bed beside him. He didn’t notice Greg’s body rack with silent sobs or the tears streaming down Greg’s face as he imagined Nick with another man.

Greg also noticed how he let Nick do this to him. He noticed how he never complained or questioned. He noticed how he was still totally in love with Nick regardless of what he did or would do. He noticed how he ignored the nail scratches on Nick’s back and the love bites on Nick’s chest. Greg noticed how Nick never made any confessions or offered any explanations. Greg noticed that when he finally had the balls to ask where those marks came from, he accepted Nick’s excuses of “I crashed into a table at the lab”, With your chest? Greg would think, but never say. Greg noticed how he clung to Nick’s lies as if he held hard enough that they would come true. He noticed how he swallowed them up, not thinking about the absurdity of them.

And Nick still didn’t notice. Nick didn’t notice that Greg stopped asking and started accepting. He didn’t notice the torn up letters in the trash telling of plans to run away or the ones proclaiming never-ending love. He didn’t notice Greg slowly changing, buying new aftershave, new clothes, styling his hair differently. All Nick noticed was that Greg would always be there to come back to, a safety net, should his ‘secrets’ at night fall through.

I’ll believe all your lies,
Just pretend you love me,
Make believe,
Close your eyes,
I’ll be anything for you.

A.N. Song is 'Anything for You' by Evanescence

Coins

2006-05-07T16:02:00Z

Title: Coins
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investiagtion
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: G
Summary: Look, but don't touch. The first thing Greg was ever taught still holds true...

Look, but don’t touch. That was one of the first things Greg Sanders had been taught as a child. “Look, but don’t touch,” Papa Olaf would say whenever he got a new coin to add to his collection. “Look, but don’t touch.” And Greg knew, if ever he did touch a coin, Papa Olaf would be able to tell and then there would be trouble.

It was the same with Nick Stokes. Look, but don’t touch. Greg was definitely allowed to look, drool if he wanted, as long as he came up with a reasonable excuse should he be caught with his mouth hanging open. Looking was fine, but touching, no. A friendly tap was acceptable, as if he was dusting the face of one of the coins resting in the gold trimmed case, but actually picking up and holding the coin, holding Nick, was forbidden.

As Greg grew older and more mature, Papa Olaf allowed Greg to do more than just look. He could lift a coin up, examine it under the magnifying glass, and learn about its markings, its history, why it was so special. Greg would be allowed to look after the collection for a weekend, then a week, then a fortnight.

The process was long and slow and Greg almost liked it better when the coins were forbidden. He enjoyed seeing how many times he could hold one; trace its patterns with his fingers before Papa Olaf caught him. He enjoyed sitting mesmerised just looking at the gleaming faces. But nothing beat the feeling of fascination he got when he actually got to hold one of the precious coins in his hand.

So Greg knew that he had to wait. He knew he had to wait a long time. But he also knew the reward would be worth it. So for the moment, Greg was prepared to look but not touch.