Title: Bear Necessities
Author:
jade_starlightFandom: House/Care Bears
Pairing: House/Wilson
Prompt: media crossover
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: On a lonely Friday night, House has an odd visitor.
Table:
here There were times when House thought that it might be just a little bit sad that often his only company on Friday nights was take-out Chinese, his piano and Steve McQueen. Though he did have to admit that Steve made a great date: willing to eat whatever, never forced conversation and was perfectly content to sit on the piano and listen to him play. Yeah, he was a rat, but he was a really cool rat.
On this particular Friday night, House had decided to go classical. His eyes were closed, Steve was sitting in his favorite spot on the piano and the soft sounds of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata were echoing through the room. There was at all nothing to disturb him, until he heard a faint rumble of thunder and a low patter of rain that seemed to be coming from just in front of him.
He opened his eyes, and found himself face to face with a furry, blue bear about the size of a small toddler. Above the bear's head was a small, dark thunder cloud with rain falling lightly from it that never seemed to actually get anything wet, and an identical cloud graced the bear's stomach. Steve was sitting next to the bear, little rat eyes fixed on him in suspicion.
House just blinked, then turned to glare at his Vicodin bottle. "Someone has apparently been spiking my drugs. Either that, or I've finally gone insane. Wilson will be so smug."
The bear sighed, and pushed himself to his feet. "No one has spiked anything. My name is Grumpy Bear, and I'm here to help you." He gestured towards House's hands, hovering frozen over the piano keys. "You can keep playing, if you want. The music was really nice."
Almost without thinking House's fingers began moving again. "You're a bear, named Grumpy, and you're here to help me? Help me do what, exactly?"
"Help you get in touch with your feelings."
Anything else he might have said was interrupted by House's snort of disbelief. "Have fun with that. I'm as in touch with my feelings as I'm ever gonna get, and no talking bear is going to change that. So how about you go get in touch with some other poor sap's feelings instead, huh?"
Grumpy Bear shook his head and frowned. "Sorry, but I can't do that. We all have our assignments, and you're mine. Besides, if I go back now they'll just send someone else...like Funshine or Cheer Bear."
House shuddered. The absolute last thing he wanted was more bears, especially ones that sounded so...happy, showing up. "Okay, you win. So, just which feelings am I supposed to be getting in touch with, anyway?"
Grumpy shrugged. "I don't really think it matters. Once you start, it just keeps getting easier." He reached over tentatively and scratched Steve's head. "Where would you like to start?"
House snorted. "How should I know? Besides, I'm still not sure that you're not a Vicodin-induced hallucination."
"Well, if I'm a hallucination it won't really matter what you say, will it?" At House's thoughtful look, Grumpy sat back down on the edge of the piano and started swinging his legs. "How about you start with your friend Dr. Wilson? How do you feel about him?"
"How do I feel about Wilson?" House paused, actually considering the question despite his best intentions. After a moment he blinked as the answer figuratively smacked him upside the head. "I love him. Huh. Who'd have thought?" He looked over at Grumpy, one eyebrow arching, daring the bear to say anything.
Grumpy just smiled, the rain cloud over his head fading away into nothingness. "That's what I came here for: to help you make a start, even if it's just a small one." He got to his feet and gave Steve a farewell scratch. "I'll be heading back home now. It was interesting to meet you, Dr. House. If you ever decide you want to talk, just call my name and I'll show up."
The sound of a key in his door distracted House, and when he looked back Steve was alone on the piano with no sign that Grumpy Bear had ever been there. He blinked, turning around on the piano bench just as Wilson walked hesitantly into his living room. The other man seemed to gather his courage as he took a deep breath and moved closer until he was standing over House.
Then Wilson leaned down, giving House plenty of time to move away, and kissed him.
As far as kisses went, it was soft and gentle and completely chaste. It also nearly knocked House for a loop.
He blinked as Wilson pulled back, blue eyes wide. "What was that for?"
Wilson just gave an embarrassed shrug. "It seemed like a good idea at the time? And it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now."
After a moment of tense silence, House flashed a crooked grin. "Well, Jimmy, I suppose sometimes those ideas of yours actually are good."
The atmosphere brightened then, and neither man noticed the two brightly colored bears watching them from outside the window.
* * *
The next morning House woke up when the warm body in bed next to him shifted, one arm tightening around his chest. He blinked, absently wondering if he was still asleep when he noticed the note that was floating above his head. He reached up for it, lips curling up in a smirk as he read it.
'Dr. House,
It really was nice meeting you last night, and I enjoyed the music a lot. I don't normally do this, but I like you. For the entire day, I'm going to let you borrow my rain cloud. You won't actually get wet, but it will look real. Have fun with it.
Grumpy Bear
P.S. Tell Dr. Wilson that Wish Bear says hello.'
As soon as he finished reading, a familiar cloud appeared over his head and intangible rain began falling. House grinned. This was going to be fun.