"I've only got two things that work for me. This job and this stupid screwed up friendship."
Chase shouldn't have heard that. He shouldn't have been snooping so that he had seen the hard truth in the oncologists face. Something in those words stung. Perhaps it was the mention of House and Wilson's friendship (something that he was never really fond of but never said anything about) that had him reeling. No, that wasn't it. Why wasn't he on that list? Didn't they work?
When they both had finally gotten home and were curled together in bed, Chase's head rested on Wilson's chest, they sat in silence. Somehow, Chase could tell something wasn't right; something was – off. Soon enough, Wilson placed a feather light kiss into the Australian's hair and pulled away from those arms.
"Robert, I…"
Chase knew it.
"This won't work, right?" The words were quiet and even. Chase hoped to everything that he was wrong, that Wilson had something else to say, that he would be terribly, terribly off the target.
"Yeah, this won't work."
"Only two…" Chase shook his head, letting his words fall into the silence as Wilson stood up away from the bed.
"I'm sorry…"
"I saw it coming." Chase muttered, sitting up and turning his back towards Wilson, staring at the wall.
This was not how Wilson had expected it to go. Everyone else had ended violently, crying, screaming for him back or, perhaps, the other way around. Why had Chase seen it coming? Something in him almost wanted Chase to yell for him back, so that he might change his mind. Wilson knew what he had with Chase was special, that it was something he might never find again but he had to end it before he found out he might be wrong, before things died and became corrupt on their own.
After clothes had been slipped on and things had been gathered, Chase was seeing Wilson to the door. He was aching, but he said nothing of it. And if there was anything about it all that bothered Wilson, it was the fact that Chase was smiling like he always did, those blue eyes just as bright as they always are. Maybe Chase had no regrets about this?
"I'm sorr—" Wilson was cut off by a gentle kiss. It was here that he could feel the hurt Chase felt, he could feel the desperation to keep hold of it all, but not once had it shown on his face.
Once the kiss was broken, they stared at each other for a long time, both minds reeling and flipping and for a moment, Chase thought that Wilson might actually stay, that he had gained a spot near those two items on the other's list.
"Goodbye. I'll… see you at work."
And the brunette was gone, just like that. Chase stood in the doorway for the longest time, hoping to see the other return but when he did not, he moved and curled up in his bed, cursing the scent of the other man that had made it's home there long ago.
He wasn't one of the special two. He was neither Wilson's work nor his best friend and perhaps that was why he was shoved out of that life. He just wasn't worth enough.
Drifting into sleep, he swore he could feel the other's arms around him again and the warmth Wilson often carried as dreams took over him. But he knew when he would wake, that feeling would be gone and the silence would consume him.