Fic: she comes in colours everywhere (Amber/Thirteen, PG)

[swatkat]

Title: she comes in colours everywhere
Fandom: House, M.D
Pairing: Amber/Thirteen
Rating: PG
Summary: Thirteen is really pretty.
A/N: Characters are not mine. Title from 'She's a Rainbow', The Rolling Stones. For the Amber Volakis ficlet fest; prompt was 'spell'; 570 words; originally posted here. Set during 4.03-4.04. This is not beta'd - your comments are welcome.


+


A day after she makes it past Round One of So You Think You Can Be House's Fellow, Amber draws up a list of her competitors. She charts out their pros and cons; crosses out the lightweights and circles the long-distance runners with a red Sharpie. Googles their names and hunts down every bit of information available about everyone on the internet.

Well, everyone except 'Thirteen'.

Amber decides that she kinda hates Thirteen.

+

House on the other hand is enamoured by Thirteen.

Amber notes how he watches Thirteen; notes how his eyes light up when she fires a snappy comeback, too hard to discern unless you're really looking.

She crosses Thirteen off the list the night she kills a patient (and his dog too) and celebrates with an extra glass of wine, but the very next day, there she is, walking around the hospital like she belongs there.

A smart move, Amber thinks, being the Mysterious One. Smart; just enough to intrigue the famous Gregory 'Can't-Resist-Puzzles' House.

Amber decides that she really hates Thirteen.

Not that she's bitter that she didn't come up with the idea herself or anything.

Besides, her list is all messed up now.

+

Fact: Gregory House likes to keep pretty girls around, so that he can ogle and insult and verbally harass them at will.

Also a fact: there's no way he's hiring more than one woman, and there's just the two of them left.

Amber discretely observes Thirteen after that, pretty and nymph-like and oh-so-perfect.

Smart, check; pretty, check; compassionate, check; intriguing, check.

Just looking at her make her teeth hurt.

+

The new patient starts seeing ghosts.

'How cool is that?' Kutner says on their way to the pathology lab. Amber ignores him. The odds may be piled against her, but Amber has a Plan.

+

Thirteen is pretty even when she's wide-eyed and pale and a little (no, more than a little) shocked. Prettier, even.

Amber wants to claw her eyes out.

+

She is pleased with herself at the end of the day as she makes for the locker room, carnation in hand. She pretends not to have seen Thirteen in the room, also with a flower, sign that she's down but not yet out.

Saving the day, Amber decides, is excellent for ones ego.

Thirteen is smiling at her, that mysterious half-smile she no doubt practised in front of the mirror before getting it right. Amber finds herself bristling, despite her best efforts otherwise, 'What?'

'I was just thinking,' Thirteen says. 'Ghosts. Dog-collars. You must be really desperate.'

'I like to win.'

'Mm-hmm,' Thirteen nods, amused, as though it's somehow very uncool and pathetic to want something.

'What, you're above such petty ambition, is that it?' Amber says, and immediately wants to bite her tongue for rising to the bait.

It's not fair, the way she can reduce her to twelve and nervous all over again with an arch of her eyebrow.

Thirteen draws closer, a fuller smile now, and it's not fair, the way the smile transforms her, lights her up from inside.

'I didn't say that,' Thirteen says, fingers brushing against her wrist. Her eyes are very green. It's not fair at all.

+

Amber crosses Henry off the list that night. She pours some nail polish remover on a cotton swab and tries to set her list in order, but the red marker just won't come off.

++

Comments

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Not only do I love your Amber, I love the way your Amber sees Thirteen. Amazing, do want moar.

[obsessed-psyco.livejournal.com]

I love this! You have to write more! *puppy dog eyes*

[favouriteyear.livejournal.com]

I love your Amber.

I love the the sinisterness of this whole piece

Great stuff.

[vands88.livejournal.com]

AMAZING! I love this and how Amber crosses that line from simple competitiveness to something more complicated. Brilliant story, thank you for sharing! :-)

[4-and-20.livejournal.com]

That was awesome. ^_^

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I LOVE this; I love the two of them together, I love Amber's list and protective she is of it, how much Thirteen PISSES HER OFF by just BEING - and god, I love that song, too.

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

how much Thirteen PISSES HER OFF by just BEING

Yes, exactly. This is the part I absolutely LOVE about Amber and Thirteen, that Thirteen doesn't really have to *do* much except be herself, and that's enough to piss Amber off. Seriously, as far as I'm concerned, Amber and Thirteen's dynamic is one of the best things to come out of the Survivor arc.

Which is my long-winded way of saying thank you for reading. *g*

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

Awesome, as usual. I love the dynamic between the two of them, and how you portrayed it perfectly. I love how bitter Amber is, and how cool and calm Thirteen is and how that makes Amber even more bitter. 'Tis greatness. (Amber could totally take her ^^)

Much love for this ficlet ♥

ps: i has amberness (http://community.livejournal.com/sail_your_sea/7002.html) for you :)

[inflightdata.livejournal.com]

I love this so goddamn much it hurts a little.

[bell]

Ohhhhh.

I like how Amber's resentment is so blatant and, at the same time, hides yearning-- either for the job, or to be like Thirteen, or for Thirteen herself.

Loved the "she can reduce her to twelve." Hee!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

*This* is my current favourite. *points to icon* I'll just pretend this is Amber. ♥

I love how bitter Amber is, and how cool and calm Thirteen is and how that makes Amber even more bitter.

I'll never get tired of this, seriously. Thirteen is this unflappable, inscrutable person (on surface), and that *pisses* Amber *off*. Thank you for reading!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

I like how Amber's resentment is so blatant and, at the same time, hides yearning

One of the most endearing things about CTB!Amber is that she's so *blatant* about everything. Her evil machinations are neither cool nor smooth, and that's kind of pathetic and adorable.

Thank you for reading. *g*

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

Amber and Cuddy find a way to "unwind" after a stressful day....

Just sayin'. It could be written. *pokes*

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Smoking on rooftops, hmm?

[hihoplastic.livejournal.com]

Or in offices. You know. Whichever's more comfortable. ;)

[speshtian.livejournal.com]

Great fic. I like your characterisation of Amber and how she's just so open about hating Thirteen (and everyone else, of course). Good old Thirteen :D

[were-lemur.livejournal.com]

Not that she's bitter that she didn't come up with the idea herself or anything.

Love it!

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading! Amber's hatred of Thirteen is just adorable. *g*

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[enots.livejournal.com]

This is a fantastic character study of Amber. I completely adore it and wish there were more like it.

*mems*

[swatkat24.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I definitely agree, there needs to be more stories exploring Amber out there.