Work Text:
⊱ ───Forgotten lunch─── ⊰
It had been just over a decade of pure bliss, breakfasts in bed, matching ties, dinners together watching prescription passion, swapping patient stories while getting ready for bed; All of it House loved and all of it he kept a secret. Except for cuddy, one of the only people to come to their wedding.
House had been at work for exactly 53 minutes, that's 53 minutes away from Wilson which is way too long in his opinion, when his phone buzzed. From: James Wilson 'You forgot your lunch!' The phone buzzed again 'I'll bring it to you on my lunch break' The corners of Houses mouth turned up as he sent a message back. ';)'
Wilson hurried down the steps of the hospital where he worked and into his car, he only had so long on his break and Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital wasn't exactly close.
Wilson arrived and leapt out his car, food in hands. He didn't really know the layout of Princeton Hospital but he knew Houses office is on the fourth floor. Wilson entered the lift and went up, he walked down the hallway looking at the signs on the doors. That's when he saw there was an oncology department, maybe he could change jobs here!
House was watching the clock waiting for Wilson. His ducklings looking through files of patients, all of them boring. Then through the glass he sees a confused Wilson looking around like a lost puppy. They make eye contact and Wilson smiles, House tries his best to fight of his smile but is unsuccessful. House cuts off what Chase was saying by standing up and limping out the door towards Wilson. The ducklings gazes follow House until they see Wilson, eyes snapping to him out of interest.
"I'm hoping you forgot this on purpose." Wilson says when the door behind House shuts.
"You know me, always the romantic." House sees his ducklings watching him out the corner of his eye, they weren't even trying to hide their looks.
Wilson chuckles and hands House the lunch. "I can't stay today, enjoy your lunch."
"See ya," House shuffles back into the room and sits around the table with his lunch.
"Who's that?" Asks Chase, so nosy.
"Friend," House doesn't like sharing his private life, it's private for a reason. House opens the Tupperware container and starts stuffing his face.
"You have a friend?" Questions Foreman.
"Jealous?" House says with a mouth full of food.
⊱ ───Lunch date─── ⊰
A week later Wilson had a longer lunch break and wanted to spend it with House, so he did. The pair of them sat at a table in the corner of the room, with the lunches Wilson had made.
"You pick up a case yet?"
"Yes, and only because I got threatened with clinic hours instead, not because any of them were interesting."
"Poor you," Wilson teases. It made Houses heart skip a beat.
Only a couple of tables down another conversation was being had.
"I mean I just don't get it, who in their right mind would willingly spend time with House?" Foreman whisper yells.
"Maybe there's something wrong with him too." Chase says while opening his drink.
"There's nothing wrong with either of them." Cameron looks at both of them, "And stop staring!" She slaps Foreman's arm.
Chase gets up and grabs the file in his bag.
"Where are you going?" Asks Cameron.
"Ask House about a case." Chase answers.
"Lair! You just want to ask about his friend."
"If he is I'm going with him." Foreman responds.
"It's just about the case." Chase reassures, but Cameron still thinks he's lying.
Chase speed walks over to the table House and Wilson are sitting at, with Foreman not far behind.
"Gotta ask you about a case." Chase says to House but stares at Wilson.
"I'm on break." House takes the final bite of his sandwich.
"Your break finished five minutes ago." Foreman counters. Cameron cautiously walks up to the table.
Wilson clears his throat. "I'm Dr Wilson." He puts his hand out to shake, only Cameron shakes it.
"Nice to meet you! House said your his friend?" Cameron doesn't wish to pry but if everybody else it doing it…
"Did he now?" Wilson looks over to House in a 'I'm going to murder you' way.
"Are you wearing matching ties?" Foreman interrupts. House feels relieved not to be talking about this anymore.
"Two for one." House lies, House used to hate wearing ties but ever since Wilson and him decided to start matching he loved them.
"What about the case?" House tries to go back to the topic.
The ducklings don't necessarily jump but they seemed startled by the question.
"Uh," Chase flicks through the file. "It can wait."
They hover for a while in silence before House has had enough."Are you going to stand there all day? Leave." Slowly they return to their table.
"Friend!" Wilson looks pissed.
House sighs before talking. "People don't need to know what goes on in my personal life."
"Well all my colleges know I'm married."
"I have a mysterious reputation to uphold, how do you think people would react if Greg House the cold-hearted panty-peeler was tied down?"
"You begged me to marry you."
⊱ ───Surprise─── ⊰
House limps into his conference room his ducklings not far behind. He writes a symptom on the whiteboard and turns to them expecting them to be paying full attention to him but they're not, they're staring at his desk in the other room.
"One, two, three all eyes on me." House half jokes, he does want them to pay attention. It works a charm they all look over at House.
"There's something on your desk." Chase announces.
House grabs his cane and peers over into the room, it better be a bomb with all this ruckus. He can't tell what it is from this angle. Frustrated he stumbles into his office.
He stands next to his desk, ducklings by the doorway watching what he's doing, god he needs to teach them how to be sneaky. There's a bouquet of roses and a note. He picks up the note and flicks it open.
To Greg,
You can lie to everyone else and pretend it's not your birthday but you can't lie to me!
Happy birthday!
P.S Don't come home late, I have another surprise ;)
From your husband.
House could tell the note was from Wilson just from the fancy handwriting alone, and who else would send him flowers?
House smirks and throws the note back on the table.
"Don't you have work to be doing?"
"Who are they from?" Chase and Foreman's nosiness was starting to rub off on Cameron.
"Foreman, he's just a sweetie-pie isn't he?" House says dismissively.
The three ducklings walk back into the conference room.
House feels his heart beat speed up, he hates the attention he gets when it's his birthday but he doesn't mind when it's from Wilson.
⊱ ───Carpool─── ⊰
House was about to arrive early, not just on time but early. He can't have that, people might start getting used to it or expect it from him!
"Drive slower." House says while looking glumly out the window.
"I'm under the speed limit!" It was cold outside and it had been raining so there was ice everywhere. Wilson had insisted on House not riding his bike, too slippery he said.
"I have to work until '5 even if I go in early."
"Early bird gets the worm." Wilson pulls into the hospital parking lot.
"I'm not a bird, the patients are worms though." House unbuckles his seatbelt.
"See you later," Wilson leans over and kisses him goodbye on the cheek.
House walks over towards the entrance of the hospital and much to his dismay his ducklings were waiting for him on the steps.
"Where's your bike?" Questions Chase.
"It's slippery out, wouldn't want me to fall and crack my pretty little head open." House enters the hospital, his ducklings follow.
"I don't know how that guy can stand being near you for so long." Foreman remarks.
"That's not just some guy that's the Dr Wilson!" House says sarcastically; Although he did mean it, Wilson is definitely not 'some guy'.
⊱ ───Holiday party─── ⊰
"Triple hours on clinic duty." House was in Cuddy's office.
"No,"
"Quadruple hours on clinic duty."
"Still no,"
"Fivetuple hours on clinic duty."
"It's quintuple, and no."
"Sixtuple,"
Cuddy sighs and puts down the folder she was looking at. "Bring Wilson, he'd love something like this."
"Now it's my turn, no."
"Fine, don't invite him, but your coming to this party."
House shuffles out of Cuddy's office, an office holiday party sounds like the worse thing imaginable! House reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone.
'Office holiday party' 'u in?'
'Can I wear my reindeer hat?'
'nope'
':('
House and Wilson pull up to the hospital, the entrance had been decorated with a few holiday decorations.
"How festive!" Wilson and House walk side by side through the parking lot.
"Would you take off that hat?"
"It's Christmas. It's a reindeer"
"It's a moose on a Jew." Wilson opens the front door and lets House in first.
"It matches my tie." They walk towards the hall.
"Stupid tie."
"Your wearing the same one!" House is taken aback by this and looks down at his own tie.
"Oh…Forgot." Wilson laughs at him and they enter the hall, both dressed in suits. It's supposed to be a fancy holiday party, according to Cuddy at least.
Like moths to a flame the ducklings come over to House and Wilson.
"We didn't get a chance to properly introduce ourselves." Cameron starts. "I'm Dr Cameron but you can just call me Allison."
House senses where this is going. "I need a drink." House looks over to Wilson as if asking what he wants.
"I'm good," House hesitates before hobbling towards the bar.
Wilson turns back to Houses ducklings. "Nice to meet you." He tries to turn to leave hoping to join his husband at the bar.
"Why do you hang out with him?" Foreman asks.
Taken of guard Wilson stutters before speaking. "We--Uh," Wilson clears his throat. "He's nice once you get to know him." It was clear House didn't want his fellows to know he has a husband, and as sad as that made Wilson, he could respect it.
"How long have you known him for?" The kinder of the three ask (Cameron).
"About a decade." Wilson was keeping it short, they were obviously curious why he and House were friends but House doesn't like huge groups of people and neither does Wilson.
"How do you deal with him?" Foreman interrogates.
"He keeps life interesting." The real answer was that behind all the sarcasm House was a genuine person who Wilson was madly in love with.
Chase goes to speak but Wilson cuts him off. "I better go keep him out of trouble." Gesturing over to House. Wilson basically runs over to House.
"I got you a scotch." Wilson sits next to House.
"Thanks," Wilson pauses for a moment. "They're going to notice we're married sooner or later." Wilson takes a swig of his drink.
"Better later than sooner." House looks back to his ducklings, all three of them staring right back at him and whispering.
"I can't believe they didn't know immediately, your so madly in love with me." House chuckles.
"Your the one that forces me to wear matching ties."
Wilson nearly chokes on his drink. "Forces you?"
⊱ ───The knock at the door─── ⊰
House was three whole hours late to work, and the ducklings were starting to get nervous. He's always late (Apart from that one time) but never this late. After much discussion and clearance from Cuddy the ducklings started their journey to Houses house.
House had told Wilson he had the day off, he was lying of course but Wilson didn't need to know that. House was laying stretched out on the sofa and Wilson was warming up last nights soup on the stove when they heard a knock at the door. Wilson turns off the stove and opens the door.
Behind the door was Houses fellows, they looked a little surprised Wilson was behind the door.
"Is House there?" Asks Chase.
Before Wilson can reply House pipes up. "Tell them no." He doesn't take his eyes off the TV screen.
"Yes, he's here." Wilson opens the door wider and lets them all in. House rolls his eyes upon seeing them.
"We have a case?" Foreman says while the others look around, just with their eyes.
"You have a case I have soup on the stove." House still doesn't look at them, eyes glued to the TV screen.
"I thought you had the day off?"
"I lied," Wilson groans and goes back to the soup.
"We need your help on this." Cameron stated.
"My leg hurts." This was also a lie or more a half-truth, his leg did hurt but no more than usual.
Cameron sighs, grabs the file from Foreman and puts it on the coffee table in front of House. She sits down on the floor and the other ducklings follow her lead. They start talking about the case so House is forced to press pause on his show and listen.
Wilson separates the soup into two bowls, one for him and one for House. He brings it over on a tray for House.
"Here, don't spill it on the rug." He hands it carefully to House. "God forbid we have to buy it again for the third time." Foreman raises and eyebrow at this and Wilson sits next to House on the sofa.
After House and his ducklings talk about the case, House seems intrigued in it again and is finally going to go into work about four and a half hours late. House is putting on his coat by the door and his ducklings waiting just outside of it.
"This won't take long." House says to Wilson
"Goodbye," Wilson kisses House on the cheek, pure instinct. Wilson hadn't even noticed he had done it but the ducklings did. House could practically see the gears turning in their head. Before they could say anything House steps out and closes the door.
"Shut it," House pushes past them and starts walking.
"I have a million questions." Chase says.
House whips around to face them. "You get one."
Cameron goes first. "How long have you been together?" Clearly cringing at the fact she forced a taken man on a date.
"Ten years, next." House points his cane to Chase.
"Who takes it up the ass?" House jabs him in the forehead with his cane which makes Chase stumble a bit.
"Next,"
"Is there something wrong with him?" Foreman still stuck on the fact anyone would willingly hang out with House.
"Nothing he's perfect, now lets go save a patient." House walks a bit further down the road before whipping around again.
"Don't tell anyone about this." The ducklings all nod their heads in agreement.
⊱ ───End─── ⊰