Steps in the Sand
Title: Steps in the Sand
Author: ladygray99
Rating: NC17
Characters/Pairings: House/Wilson
Word count: 3,741
Warnings/Spoilers: Major Spoilers for Moving On.
Summary: Wilson goes looking for House
Notes: Written for ahreada for the help_nz auction. She wanted House/Wilson first time and Cuddy destroyed. I did my best.
Beta: riverotter1951
Steps in the Sand
Wilson let his toes dig into the sand. In the end House hadn’t been that hard to find. It took Wilson less than a month. In his heart he knew the cops wouldn’t find House in some bar. He’d seen the look on House’s face and even through the shock he’d known what it was; release. A final act of destruction, not of himself, but of his world. He had to have known that crashing that car would mean never setting foot in Princeton-Plainsboro again. Hell, he had to have known he’d have trouble just staying in New Jersey.
Wilson just had to ask House’s ‘wife’ where she’d sent the money when she cleared out the bank accounts. The cops didn’t think to do that. Then Wilson hopped on a plane. He didn’t tell Cuddy where he was going. He didn’t even tell Cuddy he was going. He just sent a text from the airport as they called for boarding.
He knew he had other reasons for leaving than just looking for House. He tried not to think of those as the setting sun warmed his skin and the waves rolled up around his toes. In the distance he could see a man in board shorts walking along with a cane. It took him another ten minutes to catch up but Wilson didn’t care, he didn’t care about much of anything anymore. Or at least he was trying not to.
House was waiting, up to his ankles in clear blue water, as Wilson approached.
“House.”
“Wilson.”
“So…” Now that he was here the million things Wilson wanted to say vanished. “How have you been?”
House smiled. It was an honest smile that Wilson had seen so rarely. “I’ve been good. How are you?”
The inside of Wilson’s head screamed. “I’ve been okay.”
“Liar.”
“You know there’s a warrant out for your arrest in New Jersey?”
“Good thing I’m not in New Jersey.”
“No. You’re on a tropical beach, in a tropical paradise.”
“Jealous?”
“Insanely.”
House laughed. It was a real laugh. “Why don’t I show you my swinging new pad?”
They didn’t talk as they walked along the beach and up through the dune grass. Past a row of storm mangled palm trees was a line of beach huts. House pushed open the door to one. It wasn’t even locked. It was one room with a bed, a tub, a gas stove and a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling.
“Swank.”
“I know, but I get it for free.”
House sat on his bed and Wilson took the single chair. “How did you swing that?”
“Only doctor on the island. Every other day I spend two hours treating ringworm and syphilis and in return I get this lovely place and a girl that sweeps it out three days a week.”
Wilson shook his head. He’d never thought there’d be any situation where House would willingly subject himself to clinic hours. “And have you found any interesting cases and mysterious illnesses yet?”
“Sure. Lots of them. I write a note and put the patient on a boat to the next island over where they have things like labs and x-ray machines.”
“And you don’t go with them?”
“Nope. I like it here. Don’t see much reason to leave.” House got up and went to a cupboard. He returned with two mugs and a glass bottle. “Rum? It’s the local home brew.”
A small practical voice in Wilson’s head pointed out that he’d been drinking a lot lately and he really should be cutting back. “Sure.”
House filled both mugs. “This is sipping rum.”
Wilson took a sip. It managed to burn and be sugary at the same time. “Wow.”
“I know. The locals put an extra cup of raw sugar in just before they bottle it. Gives it a unique flavor.
Wilson took another sip and then a couple more.
“So I’m thinking you didn’t hunt me down then come all the way out here just to tell me I have a warrant.”
“My patients are dying,” Wilson mumbled into his cup.
“Your patients are always dying.”
“I know but… Just this last couple of weeks I’ve been losing one, sometimes two a day. And I used to have patients who’d go into remission, start getting better but not lately. It’s been nothing but bad news. It’s like I’m not even a doctor anymore, I’m just the guy who signs off on my own failures that other people are paying for.”
“You’re really talking to the wrong guy if you want to bitch about other people paying for your screw-ups.”
Wilson just took another sip of his rum. “Cuddy’s going to lose Rachael,” Wilson said trying to change the subject and at the same time knowing that bringing Cuddy up wouldn’t be a good move. House didn’t say anything. “Her grandparents are suing. Claiming that they weren’t in any mental state to make a decision about Rachael at the time. And they’re claiming that since Cuddy works full time, doesn’t have a partner and keeps leaving Rachael with a nanny that she shouldn’t be raising her to begin with. They’ve got a good lawyer. They’re going to win.”
House poured some more rum into Wilson’s cup. “Too bad. I liked the kid. Dumb, but at that age there’s a bit of honesty in stupidity.”
“Cuddy’s devastated. She’s so stressed her hair is falling out. We keep finding it in little clumps around the hospital.”
“Am I supposed to do something about that?”
“No. I just… I don’t know. Thought you might like to know.”
“Nope, not really. As you pointed out I have an arrest warrant in New Jersey so best thing I can do is sever all ties to that place including a very ex-girlfriend and her adorable if rather less than gifted child.”
Wilson chuckled. He wasn’t even sure why he found any of it funny so he blamed it on the rum.
“What are you really doing down here?” House asked.
“I’m…” Wilson put back another few mouthfuls of rum. “I’m tired. I’m tired of my patents dying. I’m tired of the other doctors. I’m tired of your fellows dumping their little dramas on me. I’m tired of Cuddy calling me up at three in the morning to cry because she doesn’t have you to cry at never mind the fact that she’s the one pressing charges. I’m…” Wilson pressed his forehead to the rough wood of the table top. “I actually took a Vicodin the other day just to see if I could get numb.”
“It takes a lot more than one.”
“I figured, but it was also the only decent night’s sleep I’ve had since you split.”
Wilson felt the mug lifted from his hand. He looked up into House’s face. The judgment he expected wasn’t there. Instead it looked just a little bit sad. “You’re probably jetlagged all to hell. Why didn’t you grab some sleep?”
Wilson stood. “Yeah, I should. I’ll head back to the hotel…”
“Don’t bother. You’re tired and I’ve got a perfectly good bed right here.”
“House…”
“I’m serious. You’re barely standing as is, plus you’re a little sunburnt so that’s got to be draining you. Get a few hours here then we can head back to your hotel and I’ll show you the island nightlife.”
Wilson looked over at House’s bed. It was a little narrow and the mattress didn’t look terribly thick and at the same time it looked more inviting than anything Wilson had seen in a long time.
“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Wilson got up and headed to the bed, his legs feeling just a little wobbly from the rum. He dropped his phone and keys on the small bedside table that didn’t even have a clock.
House sat down next to him. “Lay down and shove over. I could use a nap myself. I was up early trying to learn how to body surf.”
Wilson tried to picture it. “You can body surf?”
“Nope, but that didn’t keep a cute little thing called Miko from trying to teach me how.”
Wilson couldn’t even think up an adequate reply. The flight and the last few weeks were suddenly catching up. He crawled under the bed’s single sheet, all that was needed in the tropical heat. House crawled in next to him. Wilson knew it should feel weird but it didn’t. They’d collapsed next to each other in drunken heaps more than once or simply fallen asleep on the couch watching a bad movie. There was a brief tug of war over the fluffier of the two pillows but in the end House let Wilson win. Wilson rolled onto his side and for the first time in weeks gently fell asleep.
Wilson woke looking into the dark. He blinked a few times at the pitch black then raised a hand to his eyes to make sure they were open. In the distance he could hear the ocean and much closer someone breathing. A heavy arm was draped over his chest and a longed limbed body was spooned behind him. Wilson realized that this dark was the ancient dark. It was the dark before city lights caused soft glows on distant horizons. New Jersey was never truly dark but this island with its one resort hotel still knew what true dark was.
Wilson felt House shift behind him a little. It should have been odd but instead it was comfortable, almost familiar. Wilson closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
When Wilson opened his eyes again he felt hot. The night was warm and House was throwing off extra heat. Wilson also felt something poking at him. It didn’t take more than a second to realize what it was and it wasn’t House’s cane. Wilson tried not to move. He was a doctor. They were both doctors. He was perfectly aware that men often had erections in their sleep. It was a healthy normal biological function. Wilson was actually a little impressed. Considering the amount of Vicodin House took it was a bit of a surprise he hadn’t been rendered impotent. But then Wilson hadn’t seen any Vicodin, not when they were walking down the beach or sipping rum. He didn’t recall seeing any bottles lying around.
House shifted a little, ever so slightly rolling his hips. Wilson tried to keep still except he realized his own body was having a bit of a sympathetic response. He chuckled a little to himself. Of all the times to sprout a little late night wood.
“What’s so funny?” House mumbled.
Wilson really did freeze up. House was awake. Awake with a solid erection. “Nothing,” Wilson finally replied.
“Liar,” House whispered then actually pulled Wilson tighter against himself.
“House!,” Wilson squeaked. “What are you doing?”
“Absolutely nothing,” House replied, his breath warm against the back of Wilson’s neck. Wilson shivered despite the heat and his erection didn’t seem to want to go away. If anything it got harder, his loose khakis starting to become a little tight.
House didn’t do anything. He just laid there and breathed against Wilson’s neck. Wilson squeezed his eyes shut despite the all-encompassing dark because those simple breaths across his neck felt better than anything else had for a long time. It was almost like those breaths were water slowly washing away the death and utter lunacy his life seemed to have become.
Finally he shifted a little. He had to. However shifting meant rubbing against House who gave a contented sounding little hum. If Wilson had something handy to bang his head against he would. Years of friendship, years of drunken nights, secret confessions, stupid dares and seeing each other at absolute bests and worsts now of all times he was getting worked up over House and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Maybe it was because now they truly had no one else but each other. Wilson shook off House and rolled over so they were nose to nose. Even at that distance House was little more than a faint shadow. A shade of black against black.
“Are you happy?” Wilson whispered so very aware of his breath between them.
There was a long stretch of silence where all Wilson could here was their breaths slowly falling into sync, then… “Yes.”
For a second Wilson wanted to cry. Instead he leaned in, guessing a little in the dark, and pressed his lips to House’s.
House didn’t move for long seconds before parting his lips and kissing back. The part of Wilson that had been expecting some cutting sarcastic remark let out a sigh of relief. The part of Wilson that usually chased anything with breasts panicked. House pressed his body against Wilson’s and Wilson told that part of his brain to shut the hell up.
’Happy.’
For all that Wilson had criticized and badgered House about wallowing in misery Wilson knew he wasn’t much better. Too many ex-wives, too many ex-girlfriends, too many dead and dying on his watch. House’s misery was, in an odd way, one of the few liveable constants in his life.
House moved his hips a little sending a small gasp then a sigh into their kiss.
Then House’s fingers started ghosting between them just running across Wilson’s chest ever so lightly. Wilson broke from the kiss and pulled his shirt over his head. He tossed it into the dark. House chuckled.
“Have you done this before? “ House whispered. “Been naughty with another boy?”
Wilson shook his head before whispering no. He wasn’t even sure why they were whispering but it felt like a loud noise might shatter whatever was about to happen. “Have you?”
Wilson just knew House was smiling in the dark. “My father was a military man and I was a rebellious son.”
“Somehow, not surprised.”
“Shut up.” House started the kiss this time pressing their bodies together.
Wilson sort of hated how much he felt like a horny fumbling teenager at that moment but he also couldn’t deny that he felt good, like House’s happiness was rubbing off on him. Wilson let his own hands start to explore. He may have never been with a man before but he was fairly familiar with the general act. He ran his fingers through House’s hair then down his back then slipped his hand up under House’s shirt so he was caressing skin. Even at the small of his back it felt thicker and rougher than any woman’s and yet it was hot and perfect in so many ways.
House’s hands that could move so smoothly across guitar strings or piano key ghosted along Wilson’s neck, pausing for a moment over the artery as if taking a pulse. Wilson was aware that his was growing rapid and his blood pressure was probably shooting up as well. House’s fingers continued to slide upwards until they were cupping Wilson’s face. Wilson pressed his cheek into House’s hand. No one had ever touched him quite like that before. He’d gently cupped the faces of many a woman because that’s how the movies and romance novels said it should be done but no one had ever returned the gesture, at least not with such delicacy. That little detached part of Wilson’s mind wondered if this made him the girl.
House pulled away from the kiss and carefully stood. Wilson could just make out House shuffling across the room, then there was the scrape of a match and a light so shocking against the dark Wilson had to shield his eyes. House lit the hurricane lamp that had been sitting on the table. Wilson had thought it was just for decoration. He turned down the wick so it only put out a tiny amber glow.
House peeled off his shirt then limped back to the bed. Wilson could see House’s erection making lewd shapes of his board shorts.
“You might want to take off your pants,” House pointed out.
Wilson froze for a moment. It the pitch black it had been easy to tell himself it was some odd dream but now House was in front of him and there was light.
Wilson tried to read the look in his friend’s eyes but they were in deep shadows.
Wilson decided to just bite the bullet. “Only if you join me.”
Wilson could make out the twitch of House’s lips as he pushed off his shorts. Wilson looked at House’s thigh. He was a doctor, he knew he couldn’t stop himself and House wouldn’t expect him to. Mixed in with the old scars were fresh twists of red and pink where the flesh was still healing. “Does it hurt?”
“Yes,” House answered. “You’re still wearing pants.”
Wilson stood and shimmied out of them refusing to let embarrassment or cold feet get to him now. He let his pants drop to the floor not caring about wrinkles or dirt.
“Better?”
“Yeah.”
House stepped in close again until their chests were just touching and he could feel his cock brush against House’s thigh. They seldom stood this close and only like this did Wilson realize he was a bit short, or really House was quite tall. He leaned forward and put his lips to House’s neck right below his ear.
Suddenly House’s hands were on his shoulders pressing him backwards onto the bed. House climbed on top kissing Wilson hard until he felt his head begin to spin with lust and lack of oxygen. The just as suddenly House hissed and half collapsed rolling over onto his back.
“Are you okay?” Wilson asked quickly.
“Just a cramp,” House explained tough clenched teeth.
Wilson looked down and could see what was left of the thigh muscle twitch. Wilson put his hands to it and began to rub. House hissed again but his leg began to loosen and his breathing became less labored. Wilson was careful around the fresh scaring but also realized he’d never properly touched it before. He’d seen the knot of warped tissue but House had never let him lay a hand on it.
House reach out and stilled his hands. “It feels better now but I think you’re going to have to be on top tonight. Go easy on me though, it’s your first time.”
Wilson smiled and threw a leg across House’s body then kissed him again, slowly this time. He still tasted a little of rum but there was no bitter taste of pills. House’s fingers laced into his hair. Wilson began to move, sliding their bodies along each other, shivering at the small shocks that arced up his spine. He didn’t think he could do more, not for the first time. He was pretty sure he was going to have a complete freak out when it was all over anyway.
House began to harden again after the cramp sent him limp. Somehow that heat seamed to sensitize his own cock and he began to pick up speed, slick with tropical sweat.
House slid a hand between them and easily wrapped his long fingers around them both. Wilson gasped, his spine bowing into the touch.
“That’s your cue to start really moving.”
Wilson nodded and began to move, sliding against House’s cock and his fingers; both hands now, creating a hot, tight, little tube. Wilson felt his balls start to tighten. He knew he should be going for longer. He also knew it had been far too long since he’d had any affection or real release.
His back bowed again and he thrust hard into not much. He heard the splash of his cum blend with the distant hiss of the sea.
He caught his breath slowly and looked down. House was still hard and working his cock using cum for lube. Wilson brushed his hand away and took over. House closed his eyes and bent one knee bracing himself.
It was still odd for Wilson, sliding his hand over a cock that belonged to another man; that belonged to his best friend.
House arched his hips up as much as he could and gave a long rolling moan before trickling out across Wilson’s hand.
Wilson looked down, House looked up.
“Freaking out?”
Wilson thought about it. “No, not yet at least.”
“Good.” Wilson looked at the mess between the two of them. “There are a couple of dish towels by the stove. You can use those. I’m not going to be able to move for a couple of minutes.”
Wilson looked around; sure he’d see a little brown bottle.
“Spent my first week here detoxing. Go get the towels.”
Wilson tried to not look shocked. The realization that he’d just had sex with his male best friend was not proving to be half the shock of House without Vicodin.
He washed his hands then got a towel damp in the sink before returning to clean them up. Wilson’s phone began to vibrate on the bedside table. His first thought was it he amazed he was getting coverage. His second thought was that he should turn it off because the roaming charges were going to be astronomical.
“Are you going to answer that?”
“No.” Wilson cleaned them both slowly and carefully while the phone went to voice mail. Only once that was done did he pick up the phone and press the button for messages. He had one new message. He listened with a sense of peaceful detachment then turned off his phone.
“What did Cuddy want?” House asked. Her voice had been loud towards then end.
“Ruling came down. She’s lost Rachael. She’s going to appeal or try to get joint custody or something but she sounds pretty wrecked. I’m also about to be fired for abandoning my post. And I better not be with you if I know where you are.”
“Are you going to go back?”
Wilson thought about it. He thought about his obsessively clean condo, and tidy office and his patients that kept on dying and the fact that people kept on wanting more from him and were willing to give less and less. Then he thought about the little shack he was sitting in and the fact that he could hear the ocean and the breathing of two people and little else.
“Do you think the resort could use an in house doctor?”
House smiled. “I don’t know. Wouldn’t hurt to ask.”