Another in a series of sucky drabbleness...I think my word of the day is "Musing"
Wilson was doing the glaring disapproval thing again. House could feel it, even without looking up and looking at the oncologist across the room. That was okay. Wilson's disapproval was never much of a problem. Mostly because it was a very transient state and Wilson was ill equipped to sustain it. So House didn't bother feeling bad about it. It would pass because Jimmy couldn't help himself.
House knew why, of course. Wilson had been trained well by the brilliant misanthrope. He knew the buttons to push to keep the other doctor in line and he knows just what needs to happen to keep him close.
Objectively he knew it was not very healthy. He knew that he was manipulating the only person in the world that he really needed, but that need is exactly why he always did it it. That need is why House liked to leave little smidgeons of his shredded humanity out in the open where any defenseless and masochistic oncologist might trip on it. He knew it was naughty but the mental picture just made him giggle. At least that was his excuse for letting Wilson see his soft and squishy parts. No, not those soft and squishy parts! Wilson would go blind!
If he can dangle just enough vulnerability in front of Wilson's nose at just the right times then House knew that he could possibly keep him forever. It was selfish and he knew that Jimmy would be better off without his sorry ass, but House was selfish so it worked.
He had a system too. He called it the Wilson Retrieval System, used only in those times in which the Oncologist tried to drift off and live his own life instead of House's. He lifted his head and caught Wilson's eye, making sure his face was carefully arranged not to show one shred of remorse for whatever inane thing Wilson was disapproving of. When he was certain his audience was watching, he tilted his face back and let just a little of his leg's pain into his eyes. It wasn't real emotional torment, but Jimmy saw pain either way.
And with that Wilson relaxed and smiled his forgiveness. House turned and limped away feeling a little itty part of him ache with guilt. He named it Mr. Indigestion and knocked back a vicodin.