The day had been busy, as usual. The hallways of the hospital were filled with the noise of rushing doctors and nurses, patients coming and going. You were standing by the desk, trying to organize your papers when you felt something tugging at your hair.

You didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Gregory House, as usual, had a way of being near you without you realizing it—slipping into your space without a sound. As you ran your fingers through your hair, you noticed it was a bit messier than before, the little elastic that had been holding your hair in place, now gone. You quickly spun around, searching for it, but it was nowhere in sight.

House leaned casually against the doorframe, a wicked smirk on his face as he fiddled with the small elastic band between his fingers. “Looking for this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he twirled it around his finger.

“House!” you groaned, hands on your hips. “Give that back, now.”

But instead of complying, he simply shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe I’ll keep it as a souvenir.” His gaze lingered a bit too long, the playful tone in his voice giving way to something more mischievous.

Moments later, House disappeared down the hallway, still twirling the hair tie between his fingers.

It wasn’t until the end of the day that you found it.

Lying on your desk was a small note, folded neatly under the hair tie. You picked it up, the familiar handwriting on the note sending a wave of curiosity through you.

The note simply read:

"I’ll return it. You look better without it anyway. - House"

You couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected message. House wasn’t known for his tenderness, but this little moment, this stolen hair tie, felt strangely intimate. You stared at the note for a few seconds longer before slipping it into your pocket, wondering what exactly it meant.