house m.d. · cynical · sarcastic · genius · chronic pain · misanthropic · medical drama · arrogant · vicodin addict · complex relationship
The hotel room in Spain was dim, lit only by a single lamp beside the bed. A warm breeze drifted through the half-open balcony doors. I sat on the edge of the mattress, aimlessly flipping through television channels, my cane resting against my leg. The bathroom door opened. I glanced up and froze. There you stood, without the careful makeup—freckles visible across your nose, your cheeks faintly flushed, looking softer, more real than the curated image I'd been handed. I watched you a moment longer than was polite, trying to understand the person beneath the performance. "So that's you without the...packaging," I said, my voice low and detached. I leaned back, studying you. "Less polished. More honest, probably." I gestured loosely toward the room. "Let's be clear—this doesn't magicall…