Chapter One

The day was proceeding to be a very boring day. No cases, clinic hours done and over with, and the last level of his space monkeys game was completed for the third time in a row. He was debating on whether or not to page Wilson. Paging Wilson was always a delightful afternoon hobby of his. It could be done on so many ways! There was his beeper, over the PA system; he could even shout down the hall until the oncologist came in sight, blush creeping on his face as he tried to ignore the stares. Plus, Wilson usually had food or some sort of juicy gossip to share with him. He knew there was a reason why he kept the doctor around, and is wasn't because of the rumors floating around.

House had decided, he would page Wilson, even though he knew the oncologist was in a very important board meeting. Hmm, what should I say? House thought. Bored? Hungry? Hooker arrived? He hadn't even got the chance to come up with something really good when the door to his fishbowl office opened and in walked a not so unfamiliar face.

"Hey." A young girl took a seat in the chair across from House and plopped her feet up on the desk. "Whatcha up to?" She grabbed House's game boy and turned it on. Once loaded, she started playing the game, breezing through level one like it was nothing.

"Sure, come on in. Sit in Wilson's chair, put your feet on my desk, and play with my stuff! I have no problem with that!" Exclamations used, but it was sarcasm nonetheless.

The young girl pressed pause and looked up at House, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, shut up, House." She pressed the start button again and engrossed herself in the game.

House just rolled his eyes. "You know, you are can be really annoying sometimes."

"Sometimes?" She turned the game off, without saving it, now totally bored with it. "So, is that BEFORE the quickies in the shower or AFTER the takeout I bring home that you gobble up within minutes?"

"Hmmm…that's a tough one."

"Greg!" She threw a magazine at the doctor and scowled as he laughed at her. She debated on throwing something else at him, like the paperweight he had on his desk, when the door opened from the other room and in walked Dr. Cameron.

Mali Ramone connected her eyes with Cameron for a brief second before becoming annoyed herself. Mali never really like Cameron, let alone got a long with her. They just never clicked from start, especially since House introduced the young doctor as "the girl who formally tried to get into his pants." Mali wasn't sure if Cameron still felt that way or not, but it was definite that the young doctor wanted to be in Mali shoes.

"I'm going to go. Jimmy should be getting out of his meeting soon. Maybe I'll pester him till lunch." Mali stood from her chair and walked around House's desk. She placed herself between his knees, and bending forward she placed her lips against his in a passionate, deep kiss. Her hands for themselves to his neck and his right hand found its way to her back, palm flat down. Soon breaking apart, she left the doctor breathless. "Later, babe." She left the office and made her way down the hallway.

House never took his eyes off of her until she was completely out of sight. Turning back to Cameron, he saw her small blush and eyes anywhere but on him, trying to stay out of the scene.

"She's just so frisky. I can never keep her off of me."

Cameron gave him a small smile and placed an open file on his desk. "I need you to sign this please."

House scribbled his name on the appropriate line and pushed the file back towards her.

"Thanks."

"Right." He watched as Cameron gathered the file and started walking out of the office. "You still don't have feelings for me, huh? I mean, it would really suck to have Mali around if you do."

Cameron stopped in her tracks and took a deep. She slowly turned and looked at House, now frustrated. "You can be a real jerk, you know." She quickly left his office and didn't look back, fear of tears running down her cheeks. The file she had in her hands was now tossed on the table, the couple loose pieces of paper slipping out slightly. Chase noticed the sudden action and was drawn from his crossword puzzle. He looked up at Cameron.

"Hey." He noticed her watery eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cameron rushed to the door and pushed it open, hard. She almost knocked over Dr. Wilson in the process. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Wilson took a step back and put himself back together, becoming aware that his perfect features could have just been ruined by a glass door slamming into him. When he finally looked to see who it was, Cameron was looking at him with such an apologetic look on her face.

"It's okay, Allison." He gave her a small smile, then noticed what Chase had as well. "Everything okay? You look upset."

"Um, yes, Dr. Wilson I'm just fine. Allergies a little worked up today." She strained her voice to make him believe her and then she rushed passed him, quickly walking down the hallway towards the elevators. She needed to do something in order to get her mind of House.

Wilson watched her go and then dismissed the accident. He continued to his destination and was soon in his rightful seat in House's office.

"So," he began, interrupting House from his computer game. "What did you say to Cameron to get her all upset?"

"Oh, is she really crying?"

"Yes, House. What did you do this time?"

"Why do I always have to be bad guy?" House glanced at Wilson for a moment, raising his eyebrows, and went back to the game.

"Because it's your nature to be one."

"Alright, alright." House let himself die and turned off the game. He swiveled in his chair till he was face to face with his best friend. "Mali kissed me in front of her."

"And…?"

"What do you mean 'and'?"

"Mali always kisses you in front of people. Why is this time different? And don't say because it's Cameron and she's still in love with you."

House paused and considered what it could be. "But it IS because it's Cameron and she's still in love with me."

Wilson rolled his eyes.

"I also may have said something after Mail left…I dunno, don't really remember. Cameron walked out of her pretty loudly and totally caught me off track. What day is it again?"

"House, you can't play with Cameron's feelings! She's going to have breakdown because of you."

"Well, SORRY! But I didn't sign up for this, okay? I didn't ask for her to fall in love with me. I didn't ask for Mail to come around and steal my heart away. It just happened!"

Wilson's face fell and he sat back in his seat, stunned. "So, you DO love Mail!"

"Maybe." House wished he could go back to his computer game but remembered he exited and suddenly hated himself for it.

"Wow. Who would have thought? I mean, Stacy, you were obviously in love with her, but after what she did and you never forgave her…I mean, did you really let down the walls again?"

House rolled his eyes and tried to change the topic. "If you keep talking like that people are going to assume you're gay."

"Oh, please. Practically all the nurses believe we are already doing each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The rumor mill has been flying ever since I got divorced as well. They still think Mali some hired hooker to cover us up."

"Interesting."

"I know, tell me about it."

"And I don't blame 'em. I mean, by the way we are always hanging with each other and with you keep calling your girlfriend Jay, who could not think you're gay!"

Wilson jaw dropped. "House!"

"It's the truth."

"I'm not gay!"

"How do you know?"

"I've never slept with a man, that's how I know."

"Never know you don't like something till you try it."

"Are YOU gay?"

"Nope."

Wilson raised an eyebrow.

"Not telling. Plus, we are trying to prove that you're gay, not me, anyway."

"House, I know I love Jayden, okay? But you loving Mali is – "

"Is what? Unnatural? Hello! Jayden's the same age as Mali, so don't get all ageist on me!" House grabbed his red and gray tennis ball and started tossing it in the air. Having it in his hand already killed two seconds off of throwing it at Wilson. Those two seconds that were Wilson's reaction time.

"No, I wasn't going to say that. What I was going to say is that, you loving Mali is different and probably very hard. I'm happy for you, because you're happy, finally, and maybe this could be it."

House stopped tossing the ball in the air and just kept it stead in his right hand. "Could be it?" He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He started tossing the ball again. "And don't tell me you finally found the one. You said that the night before your second wedding, and maybe your third as well but I was too drunk to remember now."

"Jayden's different."

"That's because she's fifteen years younger than you."

"No, because I can actually see myself having a future with her."

"Or what's left of yours anyway."

"Now who's being ageist?" Wilson raised both eyebrows. House was being especially difficult today.

"Listen, Jimmy. I don't want to talk about this, okay? I'm not planning my future right now. I'm looking at today and tomorrow, and maybe next week, but next year? God, I could be dead! So, just let me enjoy having a hot, young girlfriend to serve my every need, and just let me know in advance when you're going to make Jayden wife number four so I can get you a good wedding present."

Wilson shook his head and sighed.

"You know that Mali's looking for you?"

"Uh, yeah, I ran into her in the hallway. She's going to go bother Chase in Lab for a little bit and then meet in the caferteria. Are you hungry?"

House sat back in his seat, shookhis head no,and stared at Wilson. He was annoyed, still, and wanted to be left alone. His iPod was feeling lonely and the two needed to spend some time together.

"Don't you have patients to see? You know, people to tell they are dying?"

Wilson rolled his eyes and stood from his chair. "Can't you just ever tell me to get out of your office?"

"I thought I was being polite." House tried to look hurt. It didn't work much.

"I thought you didn't do politeness."

House was scowling now. "Damn that chick for turning me soft."

"And here I thought it was about being the other way around. Huh."

Wilson was just lucky enough that the door had closed in time after him for when House decided that after that comment it was time to throw the ball at him. The oncologist just chuckled and headed back to his office, leaving House to sulk and listen to his music.