storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-09-10 07:52 am
storypaint) wrote2009-09-10 07:52 am
Bargaining an Empty Hand (House/m!Cameron)
Title: Bargaining an Empty Hand
Fandom: House
Length: 584 words
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
comment_fic: House, House/male!Cameron, moral bankruptcy
Pairing: House/male!Cameron
Other: Genderswitch AU in which all characters are of the opposite gender except House. Hand-waved medical terminology/theories/etc. PG-13 for sexual references.
Excerpt: House meets his eyes for a moment too long and then turns away with a bark of a laugh. "Heh. You should have sent Chase, she's the pretty one."
He's pretty sure this is it, this is the moment he'll look back on later and say, "This is when I crossed the line." He's done terrible things for House already, cheating and breaking in, lying, misdirection, tricks and a hundred different things that he had seen as morally dissonant. But every man had a line, and this... this was his. He has honestly offered House a blowjob in exchange for the opportunity to treat this girl before it's too late. He almost feels disconnected from it, as the words slip from his mouth. He stares up at his boss.
House meets his eyes for a moment too long and then turns away with a bark of a laugh. "Heh. You should have sent Chase, she's the pretty one."
"House--" Cameron pleads; his voice is high and feminine and he hates having to beg with this awful man, his boss, but, "if we don't do this, she'll die. She's only four."
"Wrong," House answers, lurching back around in that jerky way he has of moving when he doesn't want to lean heavily on the cane. "If we do this, she'll die. Because she does not have Karposi's."
"I know it's rare in children, but she has all the classic signs," he protests, but House isn't looking at him; he is looking at a point behind his head and rolling his eyes, clearly just waiting for Cameron to finish speaking so he can continue his harangue.
"Besides," House continues, "what would Wilson think if I accepted sexual favors from someone else? Who would bring lunches for me to steal?"
Cameron steps back, the surprise showing on his face before he can hide it, and House laughs dryly again.
"Honestly, can't a man and a woman be friends without everyone assuming that they're screwing?" he asks, his tone mocking. "Sure, Wilson has great tits, but she's not my type. And neither are you. Get out."
He points toward the door; Cameron opens his mouth, but he has no protests left.
"House--" he tries.
"Out," House answers. He scoops up his ball from his desk and tosses it up and catches it twice. Then he stares at Cameron again, lifting his eyebrows.
"I've almost got it," he says after a moment. "Almost."
"She's going to die," Cameron says, his voice trembling. He keeps seeing the fear in the child's eyes, keeps half-hearing Chase's soothing accent as she explains the procedures, trying to keep the girl from being scared. And she keeps getting sicker and sicker. There isn't much time left. Those blue eyes will haunt him, Cameron thinks. Is that worse than his attempt at bribery?
Yes. Yes, it would be.
"Tsk tsk. What happened to your great bedside manner, hmm?" House answers, tossing and catching the ball again, and after a moment, Cameron trudges heavily away. He shuts the door behind him and sighs, his hand on the wood. He is taken aback when the door slips out of his touch and he reels, almost falling.
"Of course, if you just wanted to donate me your services, out of the office, that could be arranged," House says, leering, leaning on the doorframe, and Cameron is too angry to answer, striding away with his labcoat flapping.
He doesn't think until later that maybe he should have said yes.
(He wouldn't have thought that at all, if the girl hadn't lived.
Damn House. It hadn't been Karposi's after all.)
Fandom: House
Length: 584 words
Prompt:
comment_fic: House, House/male!Cameron, moral bankruptcy Pairing: House/male!Cameron
Other: Genderswitch AU in which all characters are of the opposite gender except House. Hand-waved medical terminology/theories/etc. PG-13 for sexual references.
Excerpt: House meets his eyes for a moment too long and then turns away with a bark of a laugh. "Heh. You should have sent Chase, she's the pretty one."
He's pretty sure this is it, this is the moment he'll look back on later and say, "This is when I crossed the line." He's done terrible things for House already, cheating and breaking in, lying, misdirection, tricks and a hundred different things that he had seen as morally dissonant. But every man had a line, and this... this was his. He has honestly offered House a blowjob in exchange for the opportunity to treat this girl before it's too late. He almost feels disconnected from it, as the words slip from his mouth. He stares up at his boss.
House meets his eyes for a moment too long and then turns away with a bark of a laugh. "Heh. You should have sent Chase, she's the pretty one."
"House--" Cameron pleads; his voice is high and feminine and he hates having to beg with this awful man, his boss, but, "if we don't do this, she'll die. She's only four."
"Wrong," House answers, lurching back around in that jerky way he has of moving when he doesn't want to lean heavily on the cane. "If we do this, she'll die. Because she does not have Karposi's."
"I know it's rare in children, but she has all the classic signs," he protests, but House isn't looking at him; he is looking at a point behind his head and rolling his eyes, clearly just waiting for Cameron to finish speaking so he can continue his harangue.
"Besides," House continues, "what would Wilson think if I accepted sexual favors from someone else? Who would bring lunches for me to steal?"
Cameron steps back, the surprise showing on his face before he can hide it, and House laughs dryly again.
"Honestly, can't a man and a woman be friends without everyone assuming that they're screwing?" he asks, his tone mocking. "Sure, Wilson has great tits, but she's not my type. And neither are you. Get out."
He points toward the door; Cameron opens his mouth, but he has no protests left.
"House--" he tries.
"Out," House answers. He scoops up his ball from his desk and tosses it up and catches it twice. Then he stares at Cameron again, lifting his eyebrows.
"I've almost got it," he says after a moment. "Almost."
"She's going to die," Cameron says, his voice trembling. He keeps seeing the fear in the child's eyes, keeps half-hearing Chase's soothing accent as she explains the procedures, trying to keep the girl from being scared. And she keeps getting sicker and sicker. There isn't much time left. Those blue eyes will haunt him, Cameron thinks. Is that worse than his attempt at bribery?
Yes. Yes, it would be.
"Tsk tsk. What happened to your great bedside manner, hmm?" House answers, tossing and catching the ball again, and after a moment, Cameron trudges heavily away. He shuts the door behind him and sighs, his hand on the wood. He is taken aback when the door slips out of his touch and he reels, almost falling.
"Of course, if you just wanted to donate me your services, out of the office, that could be arranged," House says, leering, leaning on the doorframe, and Cameron is too angry to answer, striding away with his labcoat flapping.
He doesn't think until later that maybe he should have said yes.
(He wouldn't have thought that at all, if the girl hadn't lived.
Damn House. It hadn't been Karposi's after all.)