Author's note: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! Enjoy this new installment.

"Excuse me?" Taken aback, Wilson's response was automatic.

"Tonight. Dinner. How about it?"

His companion opened his mouth to reply, before closing it again when he realised that his brain hadn't quite devised the right words to respond with. He finally settled on a rather shaky reply. "You're asking me on a date?"

House sighed in an imitation of frustration. Producing a small rubber ball from his pocket, he bounced it against the wall before readdressing the doctor before him.

"No, I'm asking the goldfish in the room who also happens to be called Wilson. He's quite a good looking specimen, if you're into that gaping wide-mouthed look."

Wilson was too fazed even to counter the jibe. It took a few blinks before he was able to formulate a slightly coherent argument.

"You can't use me to fulfill your side of the bet."

"And why ever not?" The demand was thrown back at him with twice the force.

"Because I'm a guy."

It was only after the words were out of Wilson's mouth that he realised how juvenile they sounded. He looked away, embarrassed, although it was difficult to ascertain whether this was caused by the ridiculous manner in which the sentence was blurted out, or the actual meaning behind the words themselves.

"Really?" House's eyes were wide with mocking surprise as he ignored Wilson's obvious discomfiture. "And for all these years, I was going around thinking you were a woman. Thought I could persuade to sleep with me. Well, guess I've got no more use for you now. Time to say goodbye to our friendship."

"Don't be ridiculous, House. I said that you-"

"-had to ask someone who liked me, so that there was a chance of them accepting my request."

"Yes, but-"

"You never specified that said someone had to be of a particular gender."

Wilson leaned against the bench, staring vacantly out the window as he set his memory on rewind. He mentally reviewed what had happened, trying to remember what he had and hadn't said.

"I must have mentioned something..." The muttered statement didn't sound convincing to either party.

Kneading the rubber ball in his hand, House was unable to keep a gleeful grin from spreading across his face. "Not a letter. Didn't even use the word 'she' or anything. Some would say that was foolish."

Wilson shook his head. "But you said yourself, the point was that there'd be a chance of them saying yes. You know that there's no chance of any man you know accepting you. So the implication was that you had to ask a woman."

"And when have you ever known me to pay attention to what you've implied as opposed to what you've said?"

Wilson grimaced. Pressing his advantage, House continued. "Besides, if hospital gossip is to be believed, you've been harbouring deep feelings for me since that Christmas party where you shoved an empty beer bottle in my hand and proclaimed that it was a symbol of your undying love."

His friend blinked, momentarily sidetracked. "I did what? Which Christmas was that?"

"That would be... three years ago this December."

"The one where I was out by midnight?"

"I'm surprised you even remember that much, I mean-"

"Stop changing the subject!" Wilson crossed his arms, glaring at House. "The point is, you can't use hospital gossip to justify your assumption that I'd go on a date with you. Everyone knows how false it all is."

"Until it becomes true."

"What's that supposed to mean? Everybody lies, but the rumours they spread are true?"

A sideways glance and a slight twitch of the lips betrayed House's amusement. He was always entertained by the attempts of his associates in coming up with variations to his infamous two word maxim.

"If anyone heard that you asked me out-"

"-which they wouldn't-"

"-they'd talk. They already are."

"About what?"

An audible sigh escaped Wilson's lips.

"Didn't you just say it? Us."

"Is this your way of convincing me that I have to ask someone else to win the bet? Let me just point out that firstly, you're the one who cares about what everyone says, not me, and secondly, I've already asked you so your comments are made redundant by their late timing. Besides, you're just being paranoid. Or homophobic. One of the two."

Wilson shifted uneasily.

"Face it. This one's mine. Don't you think it's time you gave up?"

The man House was addressing looked at his feet as he kept a determined silence. He was clearly continuing in his quest to find a loophole, and just as obvious was the fact that he was failing miserably in this pursuit.

"I did exactly as you termed. Want me to spell it out for you? I asked someone on a date. Need more? That person likes me - or at least, they did at the time of asking; perhaps their feelings towards me have become slightly more antagonistic since then. Losing tends to do that to people."

Seeing no way out, Wilson sighed in resignation and raised his eyes to meet those of his friend. "Fine, fine, you win. This time."

"Knew you'd see it my way eventually."

Argument won, House stood up, tossing his ball to Wilson as he made his way to the door.

"Oh, and House."

He turned to face his friend once more.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

House paused momentarily.

"I was going to wait for a few hours before collecting my winnings, but if you're so eager to give me the money now, I suppose I'll just have to take it."

Wilson laughed. "Actually, I was going to say... what time are you coming to pick me up?"

"What?"

"The only reason you asked me is that you think you can count on me not saying yes. That way you wouldn't have to actually take anyone out, right? Well, don't think I'm going to make it that easy for you."

The metaphorical cogs turned as House processed this information.

"So... you actually do want to go out with me?" For the first time in their conversation, his expression registered a slight surprise.

Wilson shrugged. "Well, yeah. Sure."

"That's a rather large change of tune. What happened to the Mr I-may-be-your-friend-but-I'd-never-date-you-because-I'm-a-guy-and-people-would-talk of a few minutes ago?"

"He disappeared and was replaced by a Mr I'd-never-pass-up-the-opportunity-to-go-out-for-dinner-when-you're-paying-plus-it-can't-hurt-since-you've-
already-asked."

House narrowed his eyes. "Fine. I'll drop by at six thirty."

Somewhat satisfied, Wilson breezed through the door. House looked up just in time to see his small rubber ball flying through the air towards him. He reached out and caught it with one hand, turning it in his hands thoughtfully.

"You were wrong, by the way." His voice was loud enough to carry the words into the hallway. "That wasn't even a little nerve-wracking."