Trust Issues

Summary: Chase confronts House about being punished because of Vogler, culminating in House punishing him for his lies
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the first series of House; AU; some talk of sex and BDSM
Pairing: House/Chase - slash

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"How long are you going to keep punishing me for?"

"Doesn't a closed door still require you to knock?" House paused his game and looked at Chase, who was standing just inside the door. "Or did the rules of polite society change while I wasn't looking?"

"I'm a good doctor."

"Why is everyone so obsessed with stating the obvious?" House asked. "Yes. You are a good doctor... even though you're not the best in your area."

"It isn't right to ignore what I can do just because I was reporting on you to Vogler. Okay, so you feel like I betrayed you... betrayed the team. But if it hadn't been me telling Vogler, he would have found out another way."

"You were trying to keep your job. I won't say I wouldn't have done the same if I was in your position. Of course, I'm not in your position, but I'm sure the sentiment still works."

Chase frowned. "Then why are you punishing me?"

"Two reasons."

Chase waited a beat, then, "And those are...?"

House held up two fingers. "Firstly... I'm petty. You know that. Could probably write a whole book about it. You were tattling to Vogler."

Chase nodded. "I couldn't rely on you. You couldn't even give a speech and stop Cameron from walking."

"It's a good point," House conceded. "What can I say? I'm not going to get behind a product I don't believe in. Well, that's not entirely true. I believe in the product. I don't believe in making it more expensive just for adding one extra ingredient that doesn't do anything."

"What was the other reason?"

"You lied to me."

Chase opened his mouth... but whatever he was going to say, he seemed to think better of it. "You always say that people can't be trusted."

"I do say that," House agreed. "You told me that I could trust you and you proved me right.  So I'm going to let you do the bookwork for a while." He smiled. "Anything else? Because I've nearly finished the level on my game and you're cutting into that time..."

Instead of leaving the office, Chase stepped over to the desk. "I respect you. I shouldn't have lied to you," he admitted.

"Good. Don't do it again."

"That's it?"

"What are you expecting? Hugging? Manly slap on the back?"

Chase didn't say anything for a second or two. "I feel like I let you down."

"Did you want me to ground you? Put you in a time-out?" House couldn't quite hide the note of sarcasm in his voice. But he wasn't supposed to be having this conversation. He didn't do emotions at all well... and he coped badly with guilt.

"That wasn't quite what I was thinking." Chase glanced away briefly, but then held eye contact with House. "I spent some time in the scene... BDSM. I wasn't in it for long, but enough to know it is a lifestyle... and it isn't just about sex. It's about discipline as well."

"You're into bondage? Kinky."

"If you want to punish me for lying to you... for betraying you... then do it and get it over with," Chase said. "I know you don't do things by the book. And I'm not going to complain that you're harassing me... though I don't expect you're worried about that."

"You want me to punish you physically." House eyed Chase, looking for any sign that the other man was lying... but he was able to read people enough to know how to manipulate them into taking the path he knew was best. And he could tell that Chase was sincere in this.

"Yes."

Although House had never taken part in the BDSM scene, it wasn't as if he was unfamiliar with the idea of it. He'd even experimented with erotic spanking, before his leg. "You know you won't be getting a safeword."

"I've never been on the other end, but I got that much."

House put the Gameboy on the table and then stood up, using his cane to limp round the other side of the table. He shifted the paperwork (that he needed to conveniently lose later on) to one side, leaving a space. "Come here. You can bend over the desk."

Chase shifted slightly. "Here?"

"Punishment fits the crime... well, place, really. And you can always say you were showing me something of the scene, if anyone does come in."

Chase looked a bit reluctant, but he removed his white coat and draped it over the small table next to the door. He walked over to the desk and then, after one glance at House, he stretched out over the desk, reaching out and grabbing onto the end.

Even now, House hadn't really expected Chase to go through with this. He could admire the other man for taking the responsibility, but he shifted closer to Chase anyway, placing a hand on his back. He rested his side against the desk, letting it take his weight so that he didn't need the cane, and then lifted his hand, bringing it down firmly at the crest of Chase's backside.

Chase jerked, but made no sound.

House landed another sharp swat on the other side and then delivered two more just below the first. He continued down to Chase's thighs, which caused Chase to shift in position, though he still made no sound... and then he paused, shaking his hand, and patted the waistband of Chase's trousers. "These had better come down."

When Chase raised himself from the desk, House could see that his face was flushed. Although he wasn't looking at him, Chase's fingers fumbled a bit with the waistband of his trousers before he pushed them down. He then glanced at House.

"Yeah, better push those down as well," House agreed.

Chase took a deep breath, but shoved down his boxers as well, before leaning back over the desk. "I hope there aren't any emergencies right now," he muttered.

"You could always tell anyone you were trying to come onto me." House braced his hand on Chase's back once more, bringing his hand down in swat that was hard enough to cause a pink handprint to form on his right cheek.

Chase grunted. "I can't see you being the sort anyone would come onto. Ow." He let out a slight gasp at the next swat, just as hard.

"You'd be surprised." House pressed on Chase's back and continued swatting his bare bottom hard, working his way over every available inch. He went down to Chase's thighs and then started over from the top once more, each swat landing with a crisp sound.

Chase let out a soft hiss and began shifting from one foot to the other, his fingers clenching and unclenching on the edge of the table.

"People lie." House began swatting a bit harder. "Not just patients... everyone lies. I didn't expect any different. And it didn't surprise me to realise that you'd lied. You need to be forgiven? It's not going to do any good from me. I'm not the one you let down."

"I can't exactly... spank myself," Chase got out through gritted teeth.

"So you want to use me as a catalyst? I can deal with that." House continued swatting, but he stopped using a rhythm and began landing his hand in areas that were hard to predict. He delivered several to the creases between Chase's buttocks and thighs, causing the other man to jerk and begin shifting. "Here's something to think about," he continued, landing a few to Chase's thighs before targeting the centre of his buttocks. "You didn't ask Vogler to protect the other members of your team. Only yourself."

Chase slumped and House could hear a quiet sob escape him. He landed several more hard smacks and then stopped, retrieving his cane and limping away from the desk. "Take as long as you need to recover... and then you should talk to them."

Chase stood up slowly and House saw him wipe at his eyes. After he pulled up his underwear and trousers, he stumbled over to House... who took a step back, not sure if Chase was going to punch him.

The kiss surprised him a lot more than the punch would have. Chase pressed in close to him and House could taste the salt from the tears he'd shed.

House thought about pulling away from the other man. He really did. But then Chase shifted nearer to him and deepened the kiss... and House suddenly found he wasn't thinking anymore.

The End