Fic: Hello, Nurse! 1/1 House M.D./Magnificent Seven
Title: Hello, Nurse! Author: Lopaka Tanu Disclaimer: I do not own House M.D. or Magnificent Seven. Characters: Vin, House, Chase. Words: 1328 Prompt: Farad's Cheering Up Fic Fandom: House M.D./Magnificent Seven Pairing: Vin/Chase Rating: Adult Warnings: Language. Summary: Vin's going under cover. First step: the interview! Author's Note: The idea for this came from outer space, I think. ______________________________________
"So, tell me what you don't like about yourself."
"Excuse me?" Raising his gaze from the name placard, Vin half grinned at the question. It wasn't what he had been expecting, but Chris had warned him about this man's sense of humor.
Bored blue eyes half open, House twirled a pen between his fingers. "I find that the normal questions get boring and tell me almost nothing about a person." He tilted his head to the side and yawned. "If you're not going to answer, I have five other candidates who want to bug me after you."
"I'm not smart enough." It was the first thing that came to Vin's mind. He wasn't certain what he would have said until that moment, but it seemed to be the right thing as he now had Dr. House's attention.
"Oh?" House went for disinterested, but he was no longer twirling his pen.
"Well, I know my job, and all. What I don't have is experience, which is what I'm hopin to learn from you." Vin sighed when the pen resumed course for no where. This might be harder than he had been led to believe. Time to be frank. "I feel I'm not good enough to be a doctor, an' people know it."
"Is that why you put your name in my hat?" Sitting up in his chair, House used the handle of his cain on his desk's leg to pull himself closer to it. Once he was within reach, he reached out and closed the folder on top.
"Not really," he tried, but it was apparent his words weren't heard. Sighing, Vin started to stand up. It was apparent this interview was over before it ever really started and that was all Chris and Nathan's fault. So much for this assignment. He was bending down for his briefcase when he felt a breeze from the door opening hit his hair.
Whoever it was wasn't speaking, which meant they were going to wait until Vin left. It wasn't anything he hadn't experienced before. Everyone saw his long hair and automatically assumed he was a pot smoking idiot whose only interest in being a doctor was to the prescription pad. If that was the current attitude here, it was probably better that he didn't get the assignment after all.
Vin didn't bother to even so much as look at House as he turned to leave. There wasn't a point, the man's opinion of him didn't matter any more. After checking himself to make sure everything was in order, he looked up to go, then froze. For several moments, all he could do was stare at the man.
Clearing his throat, the man ducked his head. "Uh...House, Dr. Cuddy is coming this way. You'd better have a new fellow, or find a new hiding place." Glancing up for only a second, the man met Vin's stare and smiled. Then he was looking over his shoulder at House. "This makes us even, now."
House snorted. "Not hardly! But you can tell Booberella I've found Cameron's replacement already."
Hearing House's voice brought Vin back to reality. Flushing, he sucked in a breath and started for the door. The doctor, now obvious by the lab coat, in front of him backed out to give him room.
"Where do you think you're going, nobody said the interview was over?" When House didn't get a response, he threw the pen at Vin's back.
Ignoring the small pain of being hit, Vin continued out the door. A small part of him felt vindicated from having annoyed House. That was definitely not a good sign, best to leave now. Once over the threshold in to the hall, he stopped long enough to offer his hand to the doctor. "Thank you for holding the door. Vin Tanner."
Amused grin in place, the doctor flipped hair from his eyes. He reached up and took Vin's hand in his own. The grip was firm and warm. "Not a problem. Robert Chase." Letting the door close, Chase gave Vin his complete attention. "You've braved the House in his din, I see."
"I've still got my head, don't know how much that counts." Vin let out a breathy chuckle. The tips of his ears burning, he looked down at their still clasped hands. "I, uh, guess I didn't get the job."
"Don't worry about it, you're better off." With a final squeeze, Chase withdrew his hand from Vin's but let his fingers trail along the other's palm. When Vin looked up again, he grinned.
"Is that so?" Vin found his gaze drawn to Chase's lips. Their shape as they formed words seemed to be the most fascinating thing at that moment. "Have you worked with him long?"
"Not any more." At Vin's blush, he chuckled. "Don't worry about it, I'm not sorry, and you're better for it. Trust me."
Vin cleared his throat and silence fell between them. He knew he should go, but felt reluctant to just walk away at this point. Finally, he decided to just go for it. "Look, I gotta go now, but would you like to..."
"I would." Checking his watch, Chase tapped his finger against it in thought. "I've got another three hours here, then I'm free. That's something I'm not used to, an actual work schedule." Snorting, he let his sleeve drop back in to place. "If you're unlucky, I might tell you about the horrors of working for Dr. House."
"I'll meet you here, and I'm looking forward to it." Vin held up his hand again on instinct. He was about to drop it, but Chase took it automatically in his own. After squeezing the other man's hand, he trailed it free.
"See you then." Chase gave Vin another once over, then shook his head. Grin in place, he turned and walked away.
Watching him go, Vin couldn't bring himself to move until Chase was out of sight. He exhaled loudly, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. He actually had a date with that smoking hottie! Turning to head for the elevator, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Standing over the smaller man, House had a malevolent look in his eyes. The smile playing at his lips sent a shiver down Vin's spine.
"I've gotta go." He tried to extricate his shoulder from House's grip, but the man's hand seemed to be made of steel. It didn't hurt, but there was no way of freeing himself without hurting one or both of them. "You don't want to hire me, so I'm not gonna play in to your games."
"Anyone ever tell you you have poor self esteem?" His fingers tightened around Vin's shoulders. "I like that in a slave."
The shiver was back. This time Vin knew he wasn't just imaging that feeling of evil from the older man. "What changed your mind?"
"Rule number one, never question my motives." Letting Vin go, House leaned heavily on his cane. "Now, precede me to the elevator and hold the door. We have a demon to see, papers to sign, breasts to squeeze in the name of medical science."
Nodding, Vin headed back the way he had come for his interview. He knew that House would most likely dawdle near his office for about five minutes. The man just seemed the type to enjoy making others wait for him, or on him hand and foot.
House waited until he was halfway to the elevator before calling out to him. "Oh, and be sure to tell Chase you can't make your date tonight. He's working in Surgery and ICU, that's four on the auto dial of the elevator phone."
Steeling his back against turning around, Vin marched the rest of the way to the elevator. And so it begins. He hoped Chris gave hazard pay, because this was one assignment that definitely required it.