(1290 words) 

Your POV 

Cuddy called me to her office, something about a new donor for the hospital. Getting into her office, she smiles gently at me. 

"Dr. (l/n), this is Edward Vogler, he's the new chairman of the board." 

Nodding slightly he looks me over before shaking my hand. 

"Good to meet you. Can I ask what this is about?"

Vogler nods before he smiles slightly. "I've heard that you're involved with a certain, Dr. House." 

Crossing my arms as I look at him, my eyebrow cocked. "Before you get defensive, I need you to do something for me. Scratch my back, I scratch yours." 

"I don't make habits of scratching other backs. If this has nothing to do with my work, then I'll be leaving now." 

Walking out of the door, I went to find House. Finding him in his office, he looks up at me, smiling before reading my face. Taking his reading glasses off, he looks at me. "What is it?"

"The hospital has a new chairman of the board, some Edward Vogler, I was called into Cuddy's office and he wanted to talk about our relationship." 

He furrows his brow as he leans back in his chair. "What would that matter?"

I shrug as I lean on his desk. "I worry he might end up trying to close the department, we make as much money as ophthalmology does." 

He puts a hand on mine as he rubs his thumb across my knuckles. Looking at him he moves a bit closer to me. "Whatever he wants, I'll handle it." 

Nodding gently, he pulls me into a kiss before rubbing his thumb on my cheek. Getting off of his desk and getting ready to do a differential diagnosis. Having a 32 year old CEO that can't walk, Chase takes her to an angiogram for her leg, to see if there's a clot. Cuddy comes in and tells House to wear his lab coat, House not wanting to, because it's House, but he doesn't believe in the clinical trial Vogler wants to do. 

"He took 3 seconds to size you up, and surprise he doesn't like you. Wear the damn coat." 

Looking down for a second I watch as House taps his cane on my shoe lightly. Getting my attention. He sits down as he puts his cane behind him. "Close the blinds and come here." 

Doing as I was told, I walked over to him. He pulls me into his lap as he leans his chin against me. He rubs his hand across my hip and my thigh as his other arm holds me close to him. Doing my best to keep my weight off his bad leg, he sighs slightly. 

"What are you going to do?" 

"The simplest option would be to wear the coat, but that's too easy." 

"You're too stubborn i know." 

He pulls me to look at him for a moment as his blue eyes watch mine. "I've been through three regime changes, it's the same story." 

"You're insane." 

"And yet, you take me like a champ." 

Slapping him slightly he smirks before pulling me into a kiss. Rubbing my thumb across his stubble, I give a small sigh. "I'll handle Vogler, try not to worry about it. You aren't as easy when you're stressed." 

Getting up and rolling my eyes, I flip him off only for him to smirk. Shifting in his seat as he adjusts his pants. "But, you said no more in the office." he gives a small pout. 

~ 

It didn't take long for House to figure out why she didn't want the colonoscopy, she was cutting herself. Being a high powered bulimic on top of it, using ipecac syrup. The syrup caused muscle damage, making her need a new heart. He had to talk to the patient to make sure she actually wanted to live before he lied to the comity. Threatening his license, and jail time. Something he did best. 

After lying to the board she got her new heart. Textbook operation, she was going to be fine. Vogler came to talk to house, me sitting in the white lounge chair in the corner of the office. Vogler most likely didn't see me as Baba O'riley by The Who was blasting. He introduced himself to House, and I was ready for the measuring contest. 

"I am sorry about the lab coat thing, my dry cleaners just destroyed it." He gave a slight shrug. 

Vogler was onto him after the emergency transplant meeting, since a nurse found the ipecac syrup after the surgery. 

"Oh my, if only I would have known." 

"Tough being a doctor, having all that power. Power to play god." 

House stares him down. "Yes, I don't envy the transplant comity and their responsibility. They basically would have been forced to kill that poor girl. Not sure I could have done that." 

"This is not a game to me, Dr. House." 

"No, it's actually more like we're dancing right now, so let's get to the point: You don't like me. Pretty sure I'm not going to like you, it's nothing personal, I don't like anyone. Except for the one in that chair. But none of that really matters does it? Because you've got money, and I've got tenure. You need full board approval to fire me, and I've got Wilson, and Cuddy." 

"Right." 

"So as long as we're stuck with each other, we might as well ignore each other." He reaches over to turn on his Ipod again, it not playing the song he wanted. Instead playing some classical one. He quickly turns it off before clicking his tongue. 

"That wasn't nearly as dramatic as I was hoping." 

Vogler stands as he turns towards the door. "I looked into that tenure thing, and you're right. It's actually easier to get rid of a board member like Cuddy or Wilson, than it is to fire a doctor. That's interesting, in it?" 

He leaves the office and House and I look at each other for a moment before packing up to leave. Walking to the elevator in silence, House was going to have to fold or risk Cuddy and Wilson's job. 

~ 

It had been a week of the pissing contest, House was mandated by the government to treat a federal witness. Even getting a red 1964 Corvette for taking the case and finding what was wrong with the witness. The patient suffering from Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency. Which helps him break down the proteins in red meat, toxins build up, he goes into a coma. He had steak before each coma. The estrogen levels being from the patient taking an aphrodisiac, marketed to gay men. The brother not wanting to listen about his brother being gay, refused the diagnosis before finally agreeing to take him off the medication. 

House got called into Cuddy's office, where she said that Vogler wanted to have him fired and his department closed. Though she was able to get him to keep her, knowing where the secrets were kept for the hospital. So in turn, House has to fire two people and each of them have to do 6 more clinic hours a month. 

The three of them looked at me, knowing that I would automatically be staying since I was sleeping with House. House hits the side of the table for their attention, glancing at me for a second before back to them. 

"(y/n), Cuddy wants to see you in her office. As for you three, I'll decide who gets let go at the end of next week." 

Standing I left the office, going to see Cuddy in her office, hopefully Vogler not being there so she can tell me what's going on freely. House only wore the coat the second time the patient was dismissed, I should have told him how good he looks in it, but for him it's a control thing, he doesn't want to be controlled by Vogler, he doesn't want to be controlled by anyone. Only himself.