Borderline

Chapter One: I'm Fine

Disclaimer: Man I wish Shore would hire me.

It was the moment of truth… Their big secret was about to become an even bigger problem. After months of professional dinners and polite walks home and even more polite walks in, it was finally time to come clean about why they had both been so busy so frequently and so often with each other. She took a deep breath and clenched his hand, looking up at him until his widened eye meet hers.

"It's going to be alright… You know how he is, so we already know what to expect… Don't worry."

"I'm not worried." She sighed, using her free hand to smooth out her skirt. "Its just like you said… I know what to expect, and I know it's not going to be fun."

He audibly sighed at the thought, "Nothing with him is fun."

"Some things are." She smiled, much to his surprise. He turned to give her a curious glance before pulling her towards the door of their friend's house.

She quickly released his hand upon reaching the door, which was met with another curious look before he knocks on the door. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, I just… I'm fine."

The door opened quickly after the resounding thuds of feet and cane came to a stop in front of the other side of the door. The ever-scruffy doctor looked curiously out at his two friends, totally caught off guard by their sudden appearance, together, at his apartment.

"What the hell is this, an intervention? What did I do now?"

"We need to talk, House." He said, casting a comforting glance towards the small woman at his side.

"If you're here to try and talk me out of my 'addiction' again, don't bother. I've been doing a great job keeping my pill popping to a high minimum."

"That's not what we want to talk about." She replied quietly, looking up at him with a hint of nervousness.

"Well then by all means, come on in." He sighed and left the two standing at the door as he made his way back to the couch and continued viewing the movie he had been watching previously. "Wanna beer, Wilson? I'd offer you one Cuddy, but considering your pitiful existence I think you'd try to drink yourself into an oblivion, thusly ridding me of all of my Guinness."

Wilson rolled his eyes and sat across from his friend in the oversized armchair. "House, can you please pause your movie?"

"No, actually. It's on television."

"House…." Cuddy said quietly. "It's important."

He sighed and looked over at her, grabbing the remote and quickly shutting off the TV. "Right… It would have to be if I'm shutting off Pride and Prejudice for you."

"You like Pride and Prejudice?"

"Lisa…" Wilson sighed. Cuddy smiled slightly and wandered over to take a seat beside him in the chair.

"So… you two seem to be pretty tight on whatever issues you want to discuss with me." House rolled his eyes and settled into the couch, glancing over at them. "Go on with it, Kiera Knightly won't wait forever."

"House… We uh… Cud-Lisa and I…"

"We're engaged." Cuddy cut him off quickly, looking over at House nervously, her blue eyes full of anxiety and perhaps even regret. Who's idea had it been to tell House about their relationship anyway?

Wilson too was feeling the pangs of regret when House gave him one of the strangest looks he had ever seen. He couldn't even describe it, a look of… almost, a look of hurt crossed his features.

"Right…" He nodded, quickly turning the TV on again. "Cool."

"Cool?" Cuddy scoffed, almost offended at House's lack of reaction. "Th-that's all you have to say?"

"Um… What do you want me to say?" He glanced her way longingly and momentarily before he let his gaze fall on Wilson. "Congrats? I'm happy for you? Hope the fourth Mrs. Wilson is a keeper?"

"We just wanted you to know because you're our friend, House." Wilson returned House's look with an icy glare. "You don't need to be an asshole."

House shrugged and turned back to the TV. "Well thanks for keeping me up to date, guys. I'm sure that the past few months that you two have surely been fucking like bunnies just slipped on by and that's why you forgot to let me know. Don't worry, I figured it out on my own."

"You… did?" Cuddy breathed, looking down from Wilson to House. "How?"

"Because you're easy to read, Cuddy. And so are you Wilson."

"So… You… Don't have a problem with it?" Wilson also gave Cuddy a look of concern. This wasn't the reaction either of them was expecting. "You aren't going to freak out or feel abandoned or anything?"

"I'm not a child, Wilson." House scoffed. "Plus, it's not any of my business."

"True, but when has that stopped you before?"

"You're right. I obviously just don't care."

"Oh… Ok, um… Do you want us to leave?"

"Stay if you want, Kiera looks way hotter in Pirates of the Caribbean anyway." He sighed and looked over at them again. "Anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"No…" Cuddy sighed, desperately searching for something in his eyes to let her know that he's lying to them, anything that could scream how uncomfortable he is with the idea.

Of course, she wasn't so lucky.

"Alright then." He mumbled quietly and got up to grab himself another drink. "Sure you don't want a beer, Wilson?"

"I'm fine, House, thanks." He also stood and extended his hand to Lisa, "I think we're just going to go."

"Alright, see you guys whenever I roll into work."

"Right…" He nodded, still perplexed by his friend's strange reaction. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye House…" Cuddy sighed quietly as she followed her fiancés lead out of the apartment.

"Night, Cuddy." He looked over his shoulder and gives her a reassuring smirk as she slowly closed the door. After he was certain they were gone, House let himself slide back onto the couch and press his hands to his eyes. "Fuck."

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A/N: So… this probably won't be very long, but I wanted to write it. ...o.0 I have some Hudson issues for sure.