for house

[more_flexible]

Try as he might to avoid people, sometimes it just wasn't possible. Everyone needed to eat and so the kitchen was never completely empty. When Jack went in to get coffee, it was fairly slow and a couple people wandered out, so he took the opportunity to lean on the counter and flip through the book he'd been carrying. A repair manual for some tech that would never be here. It was pointless, but it kept him entertained.

Jack looked up when he heard footsteps and he saw red. He'd promised Logan he wasn't going to track House down and exact revenge, but the very sight of the man pissed him off beyond reason. that he would imply, while Logan was hurt and vulnerable no less, that Jack abused him made the former time Agent feel like showing House just how abusive he could be. Without a word he crossed the room and before he could think it through, he felt his fist collide with House's face. It was wholly satisfying.

Comments

[misanthrope_md]

House hadn't exactly been paying attention to who was coming in or out of the kitchen; he'd been pouring a cup of coffee. So when Jack punched him, two things happened before he even realized what was going on: (1) he stumbled backward and then went down like a brick just in front of the counter, and (2) the hot coffee he was holding spilled over the side of the cup and onto the back of his hand before the cup tumbled onto the floor beside him.

He yelped and brought his hand close to his body, eyes widening in shock up at Jack as his face throbbed and his hand screamed in pain.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You ass," Jack hissed. He had a bruise beneath his eye as well, something he hadn't even given any thought to since he'd gotten it the other day.

"How could you? To him? To me? Get up, you son of a bitch."

[misanthrope_md]

"Fuck, Jack!" House nearly shouted, and then immediately gritted his teeth. The only reason he got up at all was that he needed to get his hand in some water. It was a somewhat arduous process though, grabbing the counter with his left hand and then hauling himself up, immediately turning on the water and holding his scalded hand under the running water. He hardly heard what Jack said.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"What?" he snapped. "You're the one who said I'm abusive. This is what you meant, right?"

[misanthrope_md]

... oh, right. House had had a feeling that his little chat with Logan would come back to bite him in the ass.

He turned off the water and studied his hand for a moment, making sure that it wasn't starting to blister, and then looked up calmly at Jack.

"I said no such thing," he said.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I don't care what you said. I care about what you implied. How you made Logan think that he wasn't safe coming home with me. Jesus, House, I knew you were a dick, but I never thought you'd take advantage of an injury like that. And for what? Did you have a good laugh about it?"

[misanthrope_md]

House leveled his gaze on Jack. "Him thinking he wasn't safe had nothing to do with me," he said. "All I did was tell him the truth. It's not my fault if it apparently confirmed some suspicions he already had."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Your version of the truth isn't always the truth, House. You're the one who's always said everyone lies. You're not above that," Jack spat, barely restraining the urge to punch him again.

[misanthrope_md]

"Or maybe you're taking it out on me because it bothers you how it looks from the outside," House said coldly.

He gestured up to Jack's face. "More black eyes and less rope burns and bruises that can be hidden under clothes and I'd be the least of your worries."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He reached up and brushed his fingers against the dark area and shrugged.

"You are the least of my worries, House," he replied. "If you hadn't twisted Logan up when he barely knew more than his damned name, I wouldn't be upset. You, of all people, know what I'll do to someone who hurts someone I love."

[misanthrope_md]

"I'm not the one who hurt him," House snapped.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I don't hurt him!" Jack exclaimed. "He hit his head on a rock! And he's the one who pulled to hard. You act like you never tied me up, House. You can't be judgmental when you've done it to. You're a lot of things, but you suck at being a hypocrite."

He paused, then tilted his head.

"Is that what this is about? Jealous that you're not the one who gets to play rough with me?"

[misanthrope_md]

House's mouth set in a tight, straight line. "You don't really think that. You know as well as I do that I never liked hurting you."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"And we both know that I liked it when you did," he smirked. "And now I've got someone who's fine with doing what I like. God, that must really piss you off."

[misanthrope_md]

"It wasn't me hurting you that you liked," House said flatly. "You liked it when I controlled you." He paused, and then added in a rather familiar way, "Mine."

Then he continued evenly, "He has to hurt you to do that. I didn't."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"He doesn't have to do anything at all," Jack countered. "It's just an added bonus. He makes me happy, House. He loves me. I know you don't get it. You never understood why I'd stay with you and now that I've got something this good? I wonder why I stayed at all."

Yeah, it was low, but he was angry and House was being a dick. He'd never fought with House the way he did with Logan. It had never been physical. Just the most hurtful things imaginable dripping from his tongue like poison. Some things...never changed.

[misanthrope_md]

The only sign that House reacted to that was his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

"If you're planning on hitting me again, go ahead. I'd rather black out than listen to your shit. And I need to go wrap up my damned hand before it starts to blister."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't planning to hit you at all. Logan asked me to let it go and I tried. I really did," he said, then waved the man off dismissively. "Go. Just...go," Jack said, disgust in his voice as he turned and walked out the other door.

[misanthrope_md]

House brought his uninjured hand up to his face and winced. Great. A black eye was always such a good look on him.

He picked up his cane and limped through the other door, into the hallway, looking down at his hand and trying to decide if he really did need to wrap it.

... and then ran right into Jack, coming in the other direction.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He'd passed through the rec room just to get away. It hadn't dawned on him that House had to come this direction to get to the clinic. He stopped short and caught House by the arms, holding his biceps firmly. He was nose to nose with the man.

He wants you to pay attention to him. Don't give him what he wants came Logan voice from his memory. Looking into House's eyes, Jack knew he should let go, step around, and keep going. But then he took note of the blooming bruise and he sought House's expression for something more. Anything more. Hatred. Regret. Anything.

"I'm sorry I hit you," he said before he could stop himself. "I...shouldn't have."

[misanthrope_md]

Didn't Jack know that it was easier for House to hate him? House would have preferred to just remember Jack hitting him.

As for his expression... desire flashed first, involuntary from being so close to Jack, sparked by the chemistry that couldn't seem to die between them. And then regret. Or longing. Maybe. It was only a flash, and then replaced by blankness.

"Yeah, well, next time a little warning so I can put down the coffee first."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

The corner of his mouth twitched upward, just the barest hint of a smile. He caught every single flash that crossed House's face and just that much regret was good enough. Just to know that, whether he showed it or not, House knew he'd done something wrong. Jack had no illusions that House might be genuinely sorry, but a touch of regret...yeah, he'd accept that.

"Yeah. Next time," he agreed quietly. He gave the lightest squeeze before he let go of his arms and stepped back and to the side.

"Don't do it again, House. In fact, you're not treating him again unless he's dying. Deal?"

He didn't mention himself.

[misanthrope_md]

Jack read the regret wrong. It wasn't for what he'd done with Logan - he still didn't think he'd done anything wrong. Just... general regret for how things had worked out with Jack. That they just seemed to be getting worse.

"Sounds good," he said, voice a bit clipped.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He nodded, compelled to say something more or do something else. Things had gone so wrong so fast. The break up, John, Jack's brutal, cold words. And then the room in the hallway. That last time. He couldn't figure out why being this close to House made him think of that, of all things. He was angry. He was done.

He didn't look done. He looked...

"I have to go," he announced, then ducked his chin, faltered a moment, then finally began to walk down the hall.

[misanthrope_md]

This was why it was so difficult. Every time. There was always that spark, that hint of something still there. House wasn't delusional; he'd be able to accept that Jack didn't want him if it wasn't for moments like these.

He looked after Jack for a long moment, swore under his breath, and then limped into the clinic to dress his wounds.