Title:Ringing in the New Year
Chapter:1/1
Authors:jellybean30
Rating:PG-13
Warnings:Silly stuff.
Pairings:None –Kutner/13 buddies & House/Wilson friendship
Prompts:The 'ball dropping' in Times Square
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Also written for the 1/5/08 Saturday Night Writing Challenge at the Fox Forum
Ringing in the New Year
"You're serious," 13 said, looking at the unrestrained excitement on Kutner's face and wondering how, exactly, he ever managed to stay serious long enough to get through college, never mind med school. She leaned back in her chair and laid her hands on her midsection.
"Come on," Kutner says in disbelief. In contrast to 13, he sits forward in his chair and leans over the glass table in the Diagnostic Department conference room. "You just said you've never been!"
"I've also never licked a frozen metal pole; do you think we should do that too?" 13 asked. House smirked from his seat at the desk in the corner, an unfinished Sudoku puzzle on the computer in front of him. Suddenly these two were far more interesting.
"Cole's babysitter fell through at the last minute. I'm going anyway, come with me. I'll buy you a drink when we get there," Kutner said, and House could tell 13 was wavering.
"I don't know," she said. "It's freezing out, and we'll be standing around for hours."
"There are too many people in Time Square to be freezing," Kutner argued. "It's like wall to wall human radiators everywhere you turn!"
"Not exactly a point in favor of going," 13 said.
"What if you never get such a perfect opportunity again?" Kutner asked. Really, he didn't mind going by himself, but 13 was hot and people kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve. "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow and this would be one thing you'd never done."
House remained impassive, but little did Kutner know he had just convinced 13 with that last line. She agreed, and Kutner's zealous 'yes' almost drew a smile from House. He remembered that kind of youthful exuberance, when the idea of piling in the car and driving into New York City to see the ball drop on a whim was the epitome of a good time.
"Dr. House, do you want to join us?" Kutner asked.
House just gave him a dark look and turned back to his puzzle.
& & &
"How can you even move?" 13 shouted at the back of Kutner's head as they pushed their way through the throbbing mass of bodies crammed into Times Square.
"You just have to push harder than the guy in front of you pushes back," Kutner shouted back at her. She rolled her eyes and then frowned when she was jostled by a couple of barely college aged guys on her left. Kutner laughed, but quickly sobered up when 13 shot him a dark look. "Come on," he said. He reached behind him and felt her hands take his. He placed them on his waist and turned back to her again. "Hold on tight."
They pushed and shoved their way to the very front of the crowd, just feet from the podium where one of the many New Year's Eve specials was being filmed for TV. Kutner forced his way to the wooden barriers that had been placed around the perimeter of the podium to keep back the throng of revelers.
"What time is it?" Kutner asked, out of breath from pushing his way through the crowd and dragging 13 along for the ride.
"11:58," 13 said, craning her neck to get a good look at the ball. It was pretty cool, being right here. They'd have a great view and thanks to Kutner's apparent experience at forcing his way through a mob, they might even get to be on TV!
"Awesome," Kutner said, grinning widely. 13 couldn't help but grin back. He'd been right; the atmosphere was absolutely infectious. You couldn't possibly be in Times Square on New Year's Eve and not be excited.
"Oh my God, that's Dick Clark!" 13 shouted and Kutner gawked as Clark and co-host Ryan Seacrest appeared on the podium. The crowd began to shout and cheer, and 13 and Kutner joined in enthusiastically.
The clock turned 11:59:00 and the cheering grew in volume. By the time the clock read 11:59:40 the noise was so thunderous 13 couldn't even hear herself shouting, never mind Kutner.
At 11:50:47, the crowd began chanting the countdown. Kutner turned to face 13, both grinning like kids on Christmas morning, as they counted down to the New Year together.
7…6...5…4…3…2…1
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The crowd exploded in a cacophony of shouts as the ball finished its time honored descent and 2008 began. Kutner, swept up in the excitement of it all, grabbed 13 around the waist and planted a huge kiss on her. He didn't overdo it, and she only punched him half-heartedly when he let her go. He laughed, and so did she, and they began whooping it up with the rest of New York City.
& & &
Miles away, House and Wilson laughed riotously watching Kutner and 13 while they rang in the New Year with several cartons of Chinese food and a bottle of cheap champagne, as House's TiVo captured the moment for posterity. And blackmail, of course.