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“Why do I need to be here?” House complained to Wilson, tugging at his tie,
too tight for comfort. It was Wilson’s fault he was out here, at the home of
someone he didn’t know—though knowing the person wouldn’t make it any
better anyways. “You couldn’t have found anyone else for this?”
“My parents need to see that I have friendships in my life,” Wilson argued.
“And you’re the only person with nothing going on during the holidays...” He
added, quieter. Not leaving any room for disagreement, Wilson headed through
the snow to the door of the house.
A few seconds after Wilson rang the doorbell, it was opened by an older
woman, with greying hair and a smile on her face. They could both hear the
party going on inside. It was only Wilson’s family, but they were clearly lively
nonetheless.
“Come in!” She exclaimed, moving aside to let them both into the warm,
bright house. When they were all in the house, she stopped Wilson, dragging
behind House so he wouldn’t hear them.
“So this is who you chose to bring?” Wilson’s mother queried, trying to be
supportive. “I know we said to bring someone, but I thought you’d bring...you
know, a girl?” She glanced at House, popping a Vicodin in the hallway.
It dawned on Wilson that his mother expected him to have a partner in his
life by the time he was middle aged. “He’s...my boyfriend?” Wilson stammered,
wishing he was as good at lying as House.
“Ohh...” Wilson’s mother acknowledged, more worried about Wilson’s choice
in men than his homosexuality. “Well, why don’t you talk to your relatives? It’s
been a while since you’ve spoken to them.” She said, guiding them to the living
room.
“Yeah, I’ll, uh, do that,” Wilson replied. After his mom had left, he pulled
House aside. “I need you to pretend to be my...partner, tonight. My mom... she
thinks, we’re together? Not because of anything I said. Obviously.” He added
hastily.
Wilson didn’t know why he lied to her. She was supportive; she could
handle him being on his own. Maybe Wilson couldn’t handle being just friends
with House.
House looked at Wilson, processing his words. “You know, if you could find
a single woman who stayed with you, I wouldn’t have to do this...” House
quipped, but not objecting to Wilson pulling him to the living room.
As soon as they joined the party, a man approached Wilson, clapping him on
the back with a drink in his hand. “Heyy, Wilson!” He said, speech slurred from
too many drinks.
“Oh, hey...man!” Wilson said.
“Who’s this guy?” The man asked Wilson, clapping House on the shoulder in
greeting.
“Well, he’s my, uh, partner??” Wilson lied, praying to God this man wasn’t
judgmental of people like hi—the person he was pretending to be. He
awkwardly put a hand around House’s waist. The man looked between the two.
He grunted and walked off to get another drink. Wilson let his arm relax a little,
but didn’t let go of House.
Wilson led House to the kitchen, grabbing the drink he desperately needed.
He put his hand over House’s, to keep up the act as his boyfriend, obviously.
Wilson glanced around the room, brushing his thumb over House’s knuckles.
He saw his parents across the room, very affectionate and clearly in love. Did
him and House look like a real couple? He thought to himself. His parents
noticed him and walked over to them.
“Hey James,” Wilson’s father said. “I was talking with your mother, and we
were wondering if you’d like to stay over for the night? It’s been too long since
we’ve seen each other!”
Wilson glanced at House, who was trying to silently tell him a hard “no,” but
his morals told him to stay with his parents, even if House would be a little
mad. “Yeah, that’d be fine, I think,” He decided.
“Great! You know the spare room.” House’s mother sipped her drink. “I’d
best be going, see you soon.” They headed off, leaving House and Wilson.
House turned to Wilson, expecting a reason why they had to do this.
“It’ll be fine,” Wilson said. “You’ll be asleep most of the time anyway. In the
meantime, at least try to act more convincing. My parents probably don’t think
we even know each other.”
The two of them stood near a group of people but didn’t interact with
anyone, until a woman noticed them and headed over to them.
“You guys are standing under mistletoe,” she said, realizing they were a
couple and not just two very uncomfortable men standing a little too close.
Wilson blushed, but House didn’t seem to care, and grabbed Wilson by his
waist with one hand, putting his lips to Wilson’s. It only lasted a moment, but
Wilson had to take a large breath to deal with what had happened. The woman
smiled, relieved that she hadn’t told two family members to make out, and got
back to talking with her cousins.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Wilson requested, grabbing House’s wrist.
They walked to a bathroom on the far side of the House, and Wilson made sure
the door was locked before he turned to House.
“You didn’t need to—to do that,” Wilson said. House didn’t seem to have
been affected, at least visibly, leaning on the bathroom counter.
“I thought you wanted to be convincing,” House said, trying to excuse his
behavior. “All I did is what you asked.” He said snidely.
Wilson sighed, rubbing his temples. “You noticed that mistletoe—you
could’ve said something. Why didn’t you...” Wilson trailed off. He stepped
forwards toward House. “Why did you kiss me?” He asked, hoping House hadn’t
noticed the mistletoe, that they would stay friends after this.
House didn’t seem to notice his thoughts on that—or was ignoring them—
and stepped closer to Wilson, closing the distance between them.
Before House could get a word in, Wilson postponed hearing his response. “I
should go,” he decided as House opened his mouth to speak, and left the room.
He avoided House for the rest of the nig
*
After the rest of his family had left, and it was just his parents, him, and
House. His mother suggested he show House to their room for the night.
Wilson knew the house like the back of his hand but took a little longer than it
should have, knowing that his old room only had one bed.
“This is my room,” Wilson stated, opening the door. The room was on the
bigger side, but nothing special. Trophies from a younger Wilson sat on dusty
shelves. “I haven’t been here in so long,” Wilson said to himself, sitting on the
bed. He ran his hand over the blanket.
“Hmm,” House acknowledged even if he wasn’t listening, sitting on the
opposite side of the bed. He took off his shoes, tossing them on the floor.
Leaning his cane against the bed, he hesitated, wondering if he should take off
his shirt. It had never been a problem before, but considering how this night
had gone, it was best to leave it on.
Wilson had no problem taking off his shirt, feeling comfortable in the home
he grew up in. House’s eyes were drawn to Wilson’s bare back for a moment,
but he averted his gaze. Feelings would make this harder. Wilson got under the
covers, and after a moment, House pulled the blanket over him, his back to
Wilson.
Wilson heard his parents' footsteps from outside the bedroom. He put his
arms around House, pretending he had been doing that before as his parents
passed by the open door. “Good night!” He called out. His father nodded in
response, turning off the lights before following his wife to their room.
Wilson let House go and laid on his back. House grumbled at the movement,
and put his arms around Wilson, nestling his head into his neck like a child.
Wilson froze up a little, but tried to show little reaction.
“House, they’re not—there's no one to convince we’re together anymore,”
Wilson said quietly. Despite this, he put an arm around House’s waist, pulling
him closer.
House rested his chin on Wilson’s chest. Through the dark, he could see
Wilson’s face, eyes looking anywhere but House’s face. He could feel Wilson’s
heart beating at a fast pace. He made a choice in that moment—a choice to do
what he always yearned for, to live the life that he wanted. He brought himself
over Wilson, his breath hitching at seeing him beneath him. He lowered himself,
pausing before kissing Wilson, slower this time—not like earlier. Wilson moved
his hands up, putting them behind House’s neck, pulling him closer.
After a few minutes, they separated, catching their breath. House rolled off
him, the cold being an unpleasant sensation to Wilson. Both feeling lonelier,
they went back to embracing each other, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
When they woke up, they took their time getting ready to go. They would
arrive late to work, having to go back to their respective homes before the
hospital, but it would have been worth it.
*
When Wilson got to his office, he found an invitation to Cuddy’s party for
New Years Eve on his desk. He didn’t really want to go, but if House would go,
then he’d at least have a friend with him—or whatever they were at that point.
Wilson made a small effort to stay away from House, but they continued to
hang out as friends, ignoring what had happened at the Christmas party—
except for the night before New Years Eve. Wilson and House were leaning on
the balcony after work, their hands touching.
“Are we still friends?” Wilson asked, not knowing what he wanted the answer
to be. He didn’t look at House as he talked, prefering to gaze at the city in front
of them, only glancing at House a moment for his response.
House pressed his lips into a line, looking away. He didn’t know the answer
any more than Wilson did. “I don't know.” He forced himself to meet Wilson’s
eyes, and let out a breath.
“We could...try it—being together—just for a little while.” Wilson decided,
looking at House in hopes he’d agree. This was what normal friends did,
anyways. Probably. Maybe.
House nodded in agreement, hoping this wouldn’t hurt their relationship.
Friendship. Whatever. Wilson relaxed at that, feeling better about expressing at
least a little bit of how he felt.
“Are you going to Cuddy’s party tomorrow? The one at her place?” Wilson
questioned, hoping he’d say yes.
House thought about it before answering. Wilson wouldn’t be asking if he
himself wasn’t going. “Yeah,” He decided. He judged by Wilson’s expression
that he had made the right choice. He smiled for a second.
“Good,” Wilson said. They stood there for a while, basking in the moment.
*
The day off Cuddy’s party, Wilson spent most of the afternoon making sure
he was ready—to stay up, and to be in public with House as a couple. He put on
his best suit, and headed out of his motel to his car. The drive to Cuddy’s
house was relatively short, and Wilson headed up the driveway to her house.
House was, surprisingly, there before him, already drinking. He was
watching the door, so when Wilson entered, he limped towards him. He pulled
Wilson in for a quick kiss before heading to the long couch in the living room
with Wilson. They sat down, House chattering about his most recent patient.
Wilson wasn’t really listening, too suprised by House so casually kissing him,
like they had been a couple all this time.
Throughout the night, House and Wilson didn’t explicitly show that they
were in a relationship, acting like they usually did. As midnight got closer, and
the drinks got heftier, House got bolder, which Wilson didn’t mind.
When the clock struck midnight, and the ball dropped on the television,
House turned to Wilson, kissing him. There wasn’t really any going back to
what their friendship had been before after those weeks.
When Wilson got ready to leave, pulling on his coat, Cuddy stopped him by
the door.
“Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked Wilson. House glanced at them, but
walked out. Wilson walked with Cuddy to the living room they were in before.
“Are you and House together?” She questioned. Wilson was a little taken
aback, and hesitantly answered.
“Uh, yes...we are. House is... my boyfriend,” Wilson said. He wasn’t used to
calling anyone his boyfriend, especially House. “Why do you need to know?” He
asked her. He didn’t need another friendship possibly ruined because of his
relationship with House.
Cuddy shrugged. “Well...you seemed closer today. Even more than what you
usually do.” Wilson restrained himself from asking what they were like when
they weren’t together, how obvious it was that he liked House.
“Nice party,” Wilson said, ending the conversation. “See you tomorrow.” He
walked out of the house, shivering in the cold. He regretted not bringing a
heavier coat.
“What’d she want?” House asked, leaning against the wall.
“Jesus, House!” Wilson said, not having known he was still out thhere. “Why
are you still here? Isn’t it cold?” Wilson walked to his car, leaning against the
front.
House shrugged. “What’d she want?” He repeated.
“She wanted to know if we were together. You and me.” Wilson said. “I told
her we were,” Wilson clarified, knowing House would have questioned him
anyways.
House nodded. “I’ll see you, then?”
“Yeah, uh, see you at work,” Wilson responded. He started to open his car
door, but decided to do one more thing that night. It was a new year, after all.
He hugged House, kissing his cheek. “I love you, House,” he murmured. Maybe
it was too soon, but they had been friends for years. He could truthfully say
that. He had, many times in the past, but this time it had a different meaning.
House was surprised, but held him, and with the new year, they knew their
relationship would come, and they were looking forward to it