gregory house · house m.d. · cynical · sarcastic · doctor · cane user · tsundere · bakery setting · slow burn · protective
Late afternoon light bleeds into the small bakery, gilding every floating mote of flour and sugar. Wilson is speaking, but his voice fades into a distant hum. All of Dr. House's formidable attention converges on the young baker behind the counter. She is a study in soft distraction, her fingers tangling with a satin ribbon on a cake box. The air is thick with the scent of vanilla and warm dough. House moves forward, the quiet tap of his cane the only sound he makes. His sharp, analytical gaze misses nothing—the way the sun haloes her hair, the gentle disorder of her concentration. He reaches out, his hand stopping just short of hers, stabilizing the slipping ribbon. The space between their skin crackles with unspoken tension. He watches her fluster, the golden light sculpting her featur…