anunluckypenny | IC Contact

[The hand that settles on her shoulder is, as he warned her, warm.]

I'm sorry, Penny. Wilson's picture's in the hall.

[Geez, Chase. Don't burn yourself delivering pizza.

This isn't entirely unexpected, but confirmation of a fear is worse than a suspicion that can still be denied.]

You checked today?

Yesterday. I didn't want to let you know in a call.

Thank you.

[She gets out some napkins and a pair of paper plates, but makes no move to eat.]

Sorry. I mean, you two're friends... coworkers. Whatever.

Better friends than he really knows about. Margherita wasn't a bad choice, was it?

No, it's good, but what do you mean?

Well, that's the pizza I bought.

[The innocent act is a tease, but he smiles again.]

I mean, everyone here from my world comes from three years in the past, to me.

[Smartass.]

Oh. Does that ever get confusing? Like, do you ever forget and bring up something that hasn't happened yet for them?

I try not to. So far House knows I'm not working for him anymore, and Wilson knows - [Knew] - a couple of things. It's hard to keep everything to yourself when you've got curses acting as a public broadcasting system.

That's... yeah, the curses wouldn't help that. I'm glad I don't have anything to hide from anyone here.

[Except for the stuff she's hiding, that is.]

[Of course. Though the phrasing makes Chase a little uncomfortable, a wince he distracts from by opening the Pizza box and offering her a slice.]

It's not hiding exactly. Think about trying to explain the decisions people are going to make in their future when they haven't lived through the experiences that motivated them, and you'll see why it's difficult.

[She bypasses the pizza entirely and grabs his other hand.]

No, I--I'm sorry, Chase. That you have to deal with that.

[Well it leaves him looking a little silly with his slice, but he catches his fingers in hers.]

Hey. I'm fine. I came over to make you feel better. Who knows, maybe Wilson will come back with some idea of what I'm talking about.

[It's a vain hope - and an unfair one, considering what that would mean for the other doctor.]

Maybe trying to make you feel better makes me feel better.

[She gives his hand a brief squeeze before relieving him of that slice of pizza.]

Maybe he will. People come back all the time.

[This smile? Very forced and wholly for Chase's benefit.]

And he's had a long run of it. Someone told me that if you last out the first six months, your chances of making it out for good get less and less.

[And somehow he doesn't seem like that concerns him. But he has taken his own slice, carefully (theatrically) examining it.]

Hang on...

[That's comforting, but Chase is up to something.]

What?

[It's all right Penny, this is still just an attempt to cheer you up. He frowns at the pizza.]

Just trying to figure out if I can eat my pizza meat-free while still claiming to be a) Australian and b) a man.

[It's working. Penny laughs and tries her pizza.]

I'm sure your manliness'll stay intact. Not so sure about the Australian part.

You'll have to let me know if the accent slips.

[That laugh has to count as a point to him. And the etiquette which dictates one shouldn't speak with ones mouth full means that he can watch her as he chews.]

I will.

[She picks at her pizza a bit, occasionally glancing at Chase.]

Maybe it's too early to tell, but I don't think eating something without meat is making you less manly. I mean, I don't want to jump to conclusions.

[He's finished a slice in the time it takes her to pick - definitely still eating like a bloke.]

Maybe the pizza's a stabilising factor. I could have been in trouble if it was quiche. [He exhales a laugh, leaning back against the table beside her.] I don't think we need to take it to clinical trials. Checking my voice is still broken every couple of hours would be no way to spend your night.

You're right, and I'm pretty confident in your masculinity.

[She shoots him a look that could be interpreted as... coy? Is that even possible?] I wouldn't say no if you wanted to stick around for a while.

[Whatever that look is, it's one he hasn't seen before.]

I'm here as long as you want me. [Because of mission missing Wilson. Of course.] To be honest I was hoping you wouldn't just grab the box and kick me out.

Because that's totally something I would do. ...No, I really appreciate the company.

Me, too.

[Company is a quiet preoccupation now. He seeks it out, to keep himself away from the bottle (or keep the glasses to a respectable social norm) and because company - the company he keeps lately - can provide a similar few minutes of forgetting himself. Problem is, beyond the people he doesn't see in the morning, most of the company he's closest to is becoming a problem in itself.

Penny's different, and he doesn't come to her for the same reasons, although they're not absent, when he's with her. But that me, too is heartfelt.]

I'm surprised you don't have more. [Which is a tactless thing to say, isn't it.] I mean - I really am sorry about Wilson.

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

Re: knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times

knock three times