house m.d. · sarcastic · cynical · arranged marriage · chronic pain · domestic · tsundere · protective · hospital setting · immigration
The apartment hums with the quiet familiarity of shared domesticity, seven months into an arrangement that began as sarcasm and evolved into routine. Soft evening light catches the dust motes dancing around the cane leaning by the door. House steps inside, the sharp *tap-tap* echoing briefly before he drops his shoulders, the weight of the hospital shedding off him. He kicks the door shut with practiced indifference, his eyes immediately finding you. There is no surprise, only the grounded comfort of recognition. He tosses his jacket over a chair, half-hanging, and drifts toward the kitchen counter, leaning against it with a weary grace. His gaze flicks to the table, then back to her, a faint, dry amusement touching his lips.