Title: Puppy Love
Summary: Dogs like Wilson, even big dogs like House. Flirting - House and Wilson style.
Characters: House & Wilson
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Fluff
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be.
A/N: For the doteonwilson prompt #5 Dog, and in celebration of the S4 DVD set coming out today. XD
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It was one of those perfect spring days when the air was perfumed with spicy new blooms and freshly mown grass. The sun's warmth nuzzled the skin, easing stress from shoulders, and hearts danced with the promise of new beginnings.
A soft breeze played through the leaves of a sycamore, setting the green vellum to chatter and gossip. The congregation created a stained glass canopy for the two men who sat on the park bench below, busy sharing each other's lunch.
At least one man was sharing, the other was taking.
A young lab loped over the grass and politely took up residence a few feet away from the man with the quickly diminishing food supply. A full set of benign choppers sparkled white in the noonday sun as the dog smiled, and nearly invisible eyebrows quirked as food went to the man's lips.
"Dogs like me."
"The dog is better behaved than you, Wilson. If it was the other way around, you'd be humping his leg by now. You even have the same puppy dog eyes."
"Wha-? Puppy dog eyes? I didn't say 'the dog is like me,' House. I said that 'dogs like me.' Even Hector who was difficult, always behaved around me.
"Ever since I was a little kid, dogs followed me home from school. They really, really liked me." A self-deprecating smile played on the lips, "I used it later to my advantage when I was in junior high and high school. Met a lot of girls that way."
A slice of turkey went flying into the lab's eager mouth.
"Why you don't say, Sally Fields? Sniffing up skirts when you were a pup. I rest my case.
"Which means you were sharing your lunch as far back as grade school. Just proves dogs know a soft touch when they see or smell one with a bagful of chicken salad sandwiches."
"Actually, chopped liver sandwiches, and the dogs were doing me a favor. By the way, do you want to finish the rest of my chips?"
A hand shot out and grabbed the bag. The chips moved from the right side of the bench to the left faster than bird shit could drop from the tree. A smug voice offered thanks, "Thought you'd never ask." But, then suspicion colored the man's next words, "Are you in some kind of hurry?"
"See that pretty brunette with the leash in her hands walking over to us? I don't want to eat too much. Think I'm gonna have dinner plans tonight."
The man with the cane folded his arms across his chest looking none to happy. All interest in his splendid lunch was forgotten. His eyes narrowed as he watched the cute-meet play out before him.
The lab whined and bent his head while his tail thumped the ground in embarrassed welcome as the woman approached. She softly admonished him for running away as she snapped the leash onto the collar. An apology about her errant beast started an easy flow of conversation between her and the good-looking man in the dress shirt and loosely knotted tie. She made sure to bend down and let her cleavage show as she rubbed the dog's furry chest. Her green eyes flashed with interest, but the brown ones became dull. She soon shrugged her shoulders and jogged away with her pet by her side.
The unkempt man's forehead wrinkled in surprise, "What happened Jimmy? Are you losing your touch?"
"Didn't you see the wedding ring on her finger? Uh-uh, been there, done that. Got the scraped knees from jumping through married women's windows to prove it."
"You're raising your standards?"
"Getting older and wiser, but I haven't the time to explain that unknown concept to you. I've got to get back to the hospital for my next appointment."
The oncologist's mouth dropped open in amazement as the diagnostician sprinted into action, scooping up all his unfinished food, tossing it into the nearby receptacle, then returning to his place on the bench. "I must have been out in the sun too long. Did I just see you throw away perfectly good food? We're not that late."
"Don't want to ruin my appetite for tonight. Since neither of us have dinner plans…why not join me? My treat."
"Uh—uh—uhm, treating? You? Now I know I've been out in the sun too long, or need my ears checked. You did just say dinner is on…you?"
"You heard me correctly. You can stake Steve McQueen's life on it."
"Well, small comfort there. Didn't we bury Steve over a year ago…under this very bench? Quite a touching ceremony if I recall. You played the theme song from "The Great Escape" on your guitar while I dug a big hole for a very dead rat."
"That's why this bench is special, Wilson.
"Don't you understand?" He chose that moment to lean over and fasten the top button and tighten the knot back underneath the collar of the stunned man. "Do you need a choke chain with a leash attached?" Mumbling under his breath, "Well, on second thought, that's not a bad idea."
Continuing at regular volume, "I'm asking you out on a date. You can leave your wallet at home. I want you're chocolate brown's trained on me tonight like that lab focused on you. Think you are up for a little begging and tail wagging if I rub your chest?"
The look of surprise turned into a beaming grin. A dimple appeared, and the eyes glittered mischievously as similar words spoken earlier were slyly repeated, "I've waited a long time to be 'House' broken. Thought you'd never ask."
fin
Thank you for reading. Comments welcome.