After The Fireworks
Title: After the Fireworks
Author: Aileb42
Pairing: House/Wilson
Word Count: 568
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Takes place after 6.22, for the Fourth of July challenge at sick_wilson . The prompts are television, barbecue, and burns.
Disclaimer: Of course the characters belong to David Shore and company.
After the Fireworks
It had been a sweltering hot day, too hot to really do anything. But he spent the day with Sam at her sister’s barbeque, trying to make small talk, trying to look like he belonged.
Now he sat on the couch, staring at the television, at the fireworks glowing on the screen, while slowly drinking a beer. He was alone, Sam was still at her sister’s house, he had finally gotten away by pretending the phone call he got was from the hospital. But it wasn’t. It was from House.
“I need to talk to you” House said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you later, I’m be over by nine.”
“Fine” Wilson replied, and he left the party, grateful for an excuse to get away, though curious what House needed him for. He told Sam to stay as long as she wanted, he was only was slightly hurt when she agreed, and said that she might even stay there all night.
He finished off his beer and looked at his watch, ten to ten, the fireworks were just done on TV. He sighed, and switched the channels, and settled on an old black and white movie that he had seen so many times before. He rubbed his arm, and then the back of his neck, he was all sunburned, he wasn’t used to being outside all day.
“Wilson, haven’t you ever heard of air conditioning?”
Wilson jumped, House was sitting on the couch beside him.
“I like it like this” he said, though he was just too tired to turn it on.
House stared at him. Wilson looked at his watch, it was almost eleven.
“I thought you said nine?”
House looked at the TV. “I was busy. Where’s Sam?”
Wilson sighed. “At her sister’s, she’s staying there tonight.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
Wilson sighed again. “No House, I told her I was going to the hospital. Everything is fine. Just fine. What did you need to talk to me about anyway?”
House stared at the TV. “Haven’t you watched this movie about five hundred times already?”
“House, what did you need to talk to me about?” Wilson asked once, while rubbing his arm again.
“And weren’t you supposed to spend the whole day with Cuddy?”
House turned to Wilson, then he reached out and touched his arm.
“Wilson, you’re burning... What happened to using sunscreen, Mr. Always Prepared?”
“I forgot” Wilson said quietly.
House slowly moved his hand up and down Wilson’s arm.
“Wilson, what is going on? That’s not like you at all, you would never forget to wear sunscreen.”
“House, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I just forgot. And don’t keep deflecting. What did you need to talk to me about?”
House didn’t answer, he just stared at the TV, his hand still moving on Wilson’s arm.
“House, is everything okay with Cuddy? What did you need to talk to me about?” Wilson asked again.
“I forgot” House replied, then he moved closer to Wilson, as his hand still moved up and down on Wilson’s burning arm, then moving up to rub the back of Wilson’s neck.
“House? Do you want me to turn on the air conditioning?” Wilson asked, his voice shaking, his neck burning under House’s hand.
“No” House said softly. “Everything’s just fine.”
“Yeah, it is” Wilson replied, leaning back into the couch, as House moved even closer, and slowly began to unbutton Wilson’s shirt.