While I was Away (New short chapter fic)
A/N: Yes I know, it’s been ALONG time since I posted anything and yes I know I STILL have “Painful Adjustments” to finish. I really am trying to get back into the writing groove and I’m trying desperately to find my “PA” muse again. In the meantime this idea came to me and I had to run with it. It takes place at the begining of Season 8. Just so you know, I only watched maybe the first 6 eps and last 2 eps of Season 7 so if things happened in the other eps regarding the past of House/Wilson House/Cuddy and I get it wrong, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t handle watching the destruction of House’s character in the name of Huddy. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in Season 8, I hope it has to do with our boys! This will have probably between 3-5 chapters and I plan on having it finished w/in a week or two (I don’t want it lingering). 1st chapter is a bit of history, chapter 2 will pick up with a lot more dialogue and action. Please enjoy and comment as I know I’m a bit rusty and will need encouragement.
Rating: Chapter one T (pg-13) for sexuality and language. Will eventually be M (NC-17)
Pairings: Wilson/OMC, House/Wilson, mentions of House/Cuddy
Warnings: Pre-slash and slash, spoilers for Season 7 and takes place beginning of Season 8
Word count: this chapter 2350
Disclaimer: David Shore owns them not me!! (except for Andrew)
While I was Away
It’s been a year. A year since his latest breakdown…a year since he destroyed his last chance at a normal relationship with the woman he thought he was in love with. A year since he walked past his injured best friend: an injury that he had caused. Just another in a long list of pain and anguish he had inflicted on the younger man over the years; maybe not physical pain so much but more than enough of the emotional kind.
House has spent the last year in prison for his crime of passion against his former boss and lover Doctor Lisa Cuddy. For a man that knew almost everything, he hadn’t figured out how to control the rage brewing within him at the woman since she broke off their relationship a few months before the ‘incident’. Their relationship had been tumultuous to say the least right from the start. Cuddy confessed her love for House while he was at his lowest point; ready to throw away of a year of sobriety because he felt alone…abandoned by the people around him. He had clung on to her like a new born to his mother…needing the comfort and the companionship. He needed to be saved and she was the one that showed up to be his savior. He’d always been physically attracted to her; after all she’s a beautiful, powerful, and sexy woman. What’s not to like? He even convinced himself that he was truly in love with her; so much so that when she failed in her effort to change him to whom she wanted him to be and ended the relationship, he felt as if his world would crumble again.
House tried to move on but Cuddy made herself available to him in effort to find ‘closure’ but he just needed her to stop. She ended it, no more closure necessary in his mind. Because he wanted to have civility in their working relationship, he agreed to have lunch with her to find said closure. Old wounds were torn open and his rage started to boil again. He did, however believe her when she said she wasn’t seeing anyone…which takes us to the fateful day that booked him in his luxurious jail cell for the past year. House realized…never drive your car through you ex’s house when returning a hair brush. Doesn’t turn out that well for anyone involved.
Surprisingly, though he knows better from common sense and the last year of having all the time in the world to think; he doesn’t feel a great deal of guilt for his actions. He realized that he could have physically hurt someone but also knew that wasn’t his intentions. He was upset by seeing her with another man and reacted on sheer emotion, which is something House rarely did and after spending a year locked up, he’s likely to not do again. His biggest regret was hurting his best friend…again. That was definitely not his intentions.
It had taken House the entire year to sort through the emotions from that day and from his relationship with Cuddy in general. Yes he had loved her but what he realized was that she loved who she wanted House to be, not who he was already. He also realized that his love for her was misguided as well. He wanted to make it work with her because she pulled him out of his deepest recesses and because he didn’t want to be alone anymore. When House’s epiphany hit, it was like he should’ve known these things all along…he had clung to her more than he normally would have because the happiness that he had felt while living with his best friend was destroyed by the arrival of Wilson’s ex Sam Carr. He’d known for years that he loved Wilson but never truly entertained the thought until his incarceration due to his fear of pushing the younger man away. He realized he wanted Cuddy so badly because Wilson was happy with Sam and even after Sam there would always be another woman in Wilson’s life. House needed the companionship…he needed love…he needed Wilson but he settled for Cuddy!
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House arrived at his best friend’s loft; the loft they used to share before the older man’s world started to spin out of control again. He hadn’t seen Wilson since the sentencing and hadn’t spoken with him since the day he saw his best friend cradling his arm on Cuddy’s sidewalk. House wasn’t sure what to say…obviously the man was mad or he would’ve had some form of contact with House while in prison. House swallowed the lump forming in his throat knowing that he needed to do this…he needed to see the man that has meant so much to him over the years. He had to say he was sorry and find away to make Wilson understand so he didn’t lose him again…he loved him, he couldn’t let him go…not like this.
After House knocked, he heard footfalls come closer to the door. The older man could feel his heart rate increase and sweat began to bead on his brow. The door opened to the object of this visit…and did he look good!
Wilson couldn’t hide the surprise and the…was that happiness? That lit his face for just a fleeting moment before his jaw set and anger filled his eyes.
“What are you doing here House?” House knew the man must have been upset but thought he would at least be happy to see him now that he was a free man.
“Just thought I’d stop by to see my bestest friend now that I’m out of the slammer.” Dropping the sarcasm he followed with a sincere…”how are you?”
Wilson wanted to show his former friend some form of warmth; he felt it but couldn’t go back there again…couldn’t let himself be in the line of House’s insanity anymore. He missed his crazy, wild, and impulsive friend but he’d moved on in the past year; made changes that have affected who he is, he couldn’t go back no matter how much he wanted to.
“This is not a good time House, I have company and besides there really isn’t anything for us to talk about…I’ve moved on, now you need to…” Before Wilson could finish his sentence a man approached behind him and slipped an arm around the younger man’s waist.
“You going to introduce me to your friend James?” House's eyes went wide but only for a split second before the mask snapped back into place. House spoke with a mocking tone… “Yes James, please introduce us.” Wilson had just in the past few months come to terms with his hidden side…a side House saw a bit off only once twenty years prior in New Orleans. He and House were drunk the night the older man bailed Wilson out of jail…the night they’d first met. Wilson was upset and confused over what his wife had done to him in divorcing him. To this day Wilson claims (to himself) that he was too drunk; too distraught to take blame for kissing and manhandling the new, exuberant, intelligent, and sexy man in his life. House had stopped it from going any further due to Wilson’s intoxication and they never spoke of it out of fear for their fragile friendship. Now however, with coming to terms that he is in fact attracted to men and actively dating one, that night held a different meaning to Wilson and now most certainly to House.
“Andrew, this is Doctor Greg House, he is an old…colleague of mine.” House didn’t miss the colleague instead of friend part and that really cut him to the core to think his friend (former friend?) no longer considered him anymore than just a colleague. Andrew extended his had to House which House looked at reluctantly but shook anyway. House was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Wilson…his Wilson was in, what seemed to be an open relationship with another man. When did all of this happen? Keeping his tone light, trying desperately to hide the pain…
“So how long have you two love birds been together?” Wilson gave House a warning look, knowing his friend to well and recognizing the tone in which he spoke. “House…” Andrew cut Wilson off; sensing the tension between the two men but not sure where it stemmed from. He spoke “James and I have been dating for about a month, we met at a hospital fundraiser that my company was catering. I don’t remember seeing you there; do you work at Princeton Plainsboro Doctor House?”
So this was how it was going to be, House thought. Trying to make nice when it’s quite clear in Mister lover boy’s eyes that he was claiming Wilson as his own. Not happening!
“I did, I’ve been away for awhile…” he pointedly looked at Wilson before continuing. “But I’m back now and I intend to claim my previous positions.” Wilson heard the word positions not position, meaning House intended to get back his place in Wilson’s life regardless of where the younger man’s life was at present.
“House, we were on our way out…” House cut off his thought. “Well you still know how to surprise me Jimmy boy.” Wilson was truly getting angry over the pissing match that was subtly taking place and he just wanted House to leave before his head exploded.
“Well House, I guess you don’t know everything…do you?” That said with an ‘I finally surprised you’ smirk. House, of course had to have the last word. “Oh, I’ve always known. The thing that surprises me, is that you actually had the balls to finally admit it.” House turned on his heels to exit the loft leaving a stunned Wilson behind. “Damn, how long has he known or is he just bull shitting me?”
“What do you mean James?” Shit, he’d forgotten about Andrew standing there. He hadn’t expected to see House yet and certainly hadn’t expected House to find out about his new lifestyle in the way he had. He was confused more than he’d been before he realized he was in love with his former best friend after Sam had left him. He denied it for twenty years and after yet another failed relationship he took some stock of his life and realized why. He didn’t know how House would feel about his new self revelation and didn’t want to risk losing his friend with admitting his feelings. Wilson also didn’t want to add any fuel to House’s very combustible relationship with the Dean of Medicine. When Cuddy broke things off with his best friend, Wilson made himself available to him…to help pick up the pieces. Due to House’s obvious pain however, he could not admit his true feelings and just pushed them down as far as he could.
The night of House’s latest breakdown ended with House driving his car through Cuddy’s dining room and an injured Wilson vowing to remove the insanity known as Gregory House from his life then move on as best he could. A hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. “James, would you like to talk?” That’s one thing he never would’ve heard from his former friend. It made him smile warmly at the man before him. Andrew was beautiful, with light brown hair with just enough curl to find endearing and bright green eyes that lit with passion and compassion every time he spoke. He was House’s opposite and just what Wilson needed. He needed stability, normalcy; love to see him through his turmoil. He didn’t love Andrew, not yet anyway; he didn’t know if he could love again like he loved (loves) House but he needed to try for his own sanity and for any chance of having a somewhat normal relationship. At that thought he could hear House’s voice: Normal’s boring Jimmy and you’re not boring! Was it so wrong to want to be normal? He looked at his new love…”No, I’m just a little tired. Do you mind if we stay in tonight?” Andrew waggled his eyebrows as he drew Wilson in for a soft, warm kiss that said ‘yes, let’s stay in.’ With that Wilson led the new man in his life to his bedroom with the intention of fucking said man until he couldn’t think of his former friend and those beautiful blue eyes haunting him anymore. He needed this; he wanted this…he had to forget!
TBC
A/N: I’m sure it was a bit rusty but hopefully it will improve as the story continues. I hope you’re interested and return for the next chapter. Thanks!!