Title: Numb the Pain Stoke the Fire

Author: Goddessof7s

Summary: Deaf!Chase! How could the Mistake happen if Chase can't take phone calls

Rating: NC-17

Notes: AU sequel to Ears and Eyes and Talk is Cheap, Spanish Inquisition, Cursed with Anger, and Stab Me in the Back to My Face

Series: Sense and sensibility 6

Warnings: House/Chase. That's right we're jumping in there both feet forward! Spoilers for The Mistake (not many really) Cross posted to house slash, house-chase and house fanfiction

Chase stood on House's doorstep soaked to the bone and shivering. From the devastated look on Chase's face House knew he'd learned about his father. Either the SOB had worked up the gumption to tell his son, or Rowan had died and Chase had just found out. Either way there was no way House was going to leave Chase standing on his doorstop to get the flu. He hustled Chase inside and pushed him into the bathroom, he wasn't about to put up with a damp moldering couch for a week. He found a pair of sweats and a old worn stretchy shirt that he thought would fit Chase.

When he went into the bathroom he found Chase sitting on the toilet seat, head hanging down, dripping water on his floor. House handed Chase one of his nicer towels with the dry clothes and closed the door to give him some privacy.

When Chase came shuffling out of the bathroom a few minutes later House was already on the sofa with two glasses of wine on the coffee table and two vicodin inside himself. Chase sat next to him, not touching him, but still clearly seeking solace in House's presence. House pressed the glass of wine into Chase's hand. Chase knocked it back in one go and when he reached for the wine bottle House intercepted and made sure to only pour half a glass. He was relieved when Chase merely sipped at it. "I-I got an e-mail, a mate of mine, sending his condolences for my dad's death. I had to do a search to find an Australian newspaper that carried a copy of his obit. His funeral was week ago. I don't know what to think, what to feel," Chase dissolved into tears and incoherent mumblings and House didn't know what to say to make it better. There probably wasn't something you could say at this point to make it better. Instead knowing how very important touch can be to a deaf person he pulled Chase in close and held him.

He remembered very clearly the first time he'd really seen Chase signing. House had been passing through the clinic when he saw a cop talking with Chase. There was a young girl, about eight with the cop, standing there silently. He watched intrigued as Chase made a subtle hand movement and the little girls eyes lit up. There was a flurry of hand signs and Chase's and the little girl's flowing together in conversation. It was so graceful, part of House had never really thought about sign language, how it looked, oh he knew it existed but it wasn't something that he had consciously thought about.

He hobbled over so he could butt in on the conversation, or at least eavesdrop. "What's up?" Chase met his eyes over the head of the little girl.

Chase seemed to come back to himself, he started to sign and talk at the same time. "Christy, this is my good friend Dr. House." Chase was beaming and anyone could see that Christy was responding well to him. "Now can you tell me where your parents are?" It turned out that she was part of a tourist family and she'd gotten lost but the policeman that found her and thought that there might be something wrong with her. Turned out she was just deaf but Chase got her parents number (they themselves weren't) and the cop called them. What he really remembered was that Chase was way more touchy-feely with that little girl than he was with any patient he'd ever seen. When the parents had shown up they hadn't been disturbed by it and House realizing that there was a whole sub-culture of acceptable behavior in the deaf community caused him to do some research. Out of curiosity he'd actually gone to a deaf church service. It was surreal. Sitting there in that silent church watching mouths move and hands flowing but hearing nothing. In a way it helped him to see just a bit further into Chase's world.

Chase seemed to winding down on his crying jag, which pleased House to no end, he didn't deal well with tears of grief. Plus if Chase cried much more he was sure there would be snot and that is so unattractive. Chase finally pulled away wiping ineffectually at his cheeks, his eyes were red and puffy from crying and the smile he gave watery and weak, but he was still damn attractive. Chase brought his hand up to House's cheek and for once House wished that he'd actually taken the time to shave, then suddenly Chase was on him fervently kissing him, as if a man dying of thirst with a bottle of water. House pulls back just a little, despite how much he desperately doesn't want too, and Chase whispers his breath hot on his lips, "please, please I need to feel something, please." That broken whispered plea caused him to come undone. After that everything is a blur of sensations heat, wet and dry friction and the impossible task of making their way to the bedroom without losing contact. Cause he was too old and too cripple to have sex on his couch.

With silent gasps, Chase watched as House babbled insensibly and for the first time in a couple of years Chase really regretted that he couldn't hear what was falling from those lips. He did the only thing one could in a situation like that, silenced those empty gasps with a kiss.

Afterward Chase lay across House his head over his heart and House had to wonder if Chase could feel his heart beating. House didn't want to go to sleep, afraid that he could never capture this moment again. Despite his best efforts House did fall asleep with the hope of a morning that would never come.