„House, MD" doesn't belong to me, and neither do the characters. I am simply borrowing them to have a little fun here. A violation of copy rights is not intended.

This is my first (english) House fanfiction. English is not my first language, and this story wasn't corrected by a beta-reader. Have mercy please.

"Hurry up House! I even got breakfast!" James Wilson intentionally made the last sentence sound like he was talking to a 3-year-old. He had to lean into the front door to push it open, balancing two coffees, a bag of bagles and his car keys.

"House, come on, we are late already. And I don't need Cuddy to rip my head of today! You know exactly how important this stupid conference is to her!"

No answer.

"House? You there?"

Wilson skimmed the apartment, but all he saw was the usual mess. Books and magazines piled everywhere, dishes from last night's dinner (and from the 3 night's before) still in the sink, empty beer bottles on the piano.

Wilson sidled up to the piano and placed their breakfast on it. "House? Where are you? I know you are here!" Both the car and the motorbike stood in the driveway, and the door had been unlocked.

Still no answer.

This was getting weird. This reminded him of the times when he had found his friend lying on the floor, passed out from drugs or alcohol. Or a combination of both. Mentally Wilson ran through the last incidences in House's life. All his patients lived, Stacy wasn't around and the Vicodin flow was steady. No crucial factors to cause one of his borderline-suicide stunts he pulled every once in a while.

"House?" Wilson checked the kitchen, but found it empty. (Except for the dirty dishes, of course.)

Making his way to the bedroom, Wilson's heart started to beat considerably faster. Pushing the door open, he found an unmade bed, more books on the bedside table (when the hell did he even find time to read all these?) and an empty bottle of Vicodin.

'Oh God, please no!'

An almost inaudible sound coming from the bathroom made him turn his head. Of corse! The bathroom! Why he hadn't he thought of it earlier?

"House, you in there?" James called, but again, got no answer.

Wilson had been prepared for a lot when he pushed the door open, but the sight in front of him literally knocked the air out of his lungs.

The girl had dark eyes and black hair, her damp tresses trailing down her back, covering her like a dark, silken veil. Her body was wet and glistering, she had obviously just had a shower. The towel she was wrapped in made her slender frame look even more delicate.

Tiny drops of water fell out of her long hair onto the tiled floor of the bathroom. She seemed surprised, but by far wasn't as shocked as Wilson.

"Good morning." she finally said, smiling a little. The accent in her voice was easily detectable, but Wilson couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Her features were a bit exotic, too. High cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, but way to big to be of asian descent.

"Good morning!" she repeated, a bit louder. She was laughing now, and Wilson realized that he hadn't returned her greeting the first time. And he was staring at her.

"G-good morning!" he stammered. "I…I am so s-sorry. I didn't mean to…I" Wilson felt the familiar feeling in his loins wander a bit higher and turn into something else. Embarrassment. He felt his cheeks and ears turn bright red.

Just as he was trying to figure out whether to first cover his eyes and then leave or just disappear, he was pushed aside by someone.

"Morning Jimmy!" House greeted. "I hope you brought breakfast." He put a white shirt over his t-shirt and buttoned it up. He left the top three undone.

Wilson still didn't know if he should leave or if it was ok for him to stay.

In the meantime the girl had picked up a hairbrush and ran it through her hair that had started to curl a little bit at the ends. House stood next time her, checking his appearance in the mirror and running a hand trough his messy hair.

"Ok, let's go. I know you get your knickers in a knot every time we are late. Or when Cuddy gets that weird little twitch around her eye."

House pulled Wilson out of the bathroom, but then stopped to turn back to the girl. "Lock the door when you leave."

She nodded, holding the towel to her chest with one hand, the hairbrush in the other.

"It was nice meeting you, Jimmy." she said and smiled at Wilson.

"Ok, who is she?" Wilson had managed go wait until they were in the car and driving, but he just had to know.

"Who?"

"Who? The half-naked woman in your bathroom of course!" James rolled his eyes.

"She is a friend. And do you shower in your clothes?"

"A friend. Uhu. A few more details would be nice! What's her name?"

"Julia. She is in town for the week."

"Iulia." Wilson repeated, struggling a bit with the pronunciation. "Interesting. And how do you know her? Why is she hanging out at your place?"

"For my taste, you are a bit too nosy today."

"House, is she a hooker?" Wilson's expression was a worried one.

"Does she look like one?"

"I…"

"You certainly took your sweet time looking at her."

Wilson was quiet. He and House talked a lot about women, but this was weird.

"Do you like her?"

House turned his head for the first time to look at James.

"Jimmy, I said she was a friend. And now shut it."

The oncologist smiled a little to himself, and pondered if he could ask one more question, but then decided against it.

"You know, leaving her your coffee and a bagle on the piano was nice, tho."

House didn't react, but Wilson could see his slight smile reflecting in the glass of the car window.