Yay! Ninth chapter! Only one more to go, though. I'm kind of trying to tie everything together here at the end. And for those of you that were reading back when I skipped it, chapter seven is up!


9. Sail Away by The Rasmus

They never stood on the roof anymore, not the way they'd used to do. Now they stood in different places, today on a balcony that looked out over the sea. They both were reminded of another time they had stood together, looking out together and sharing their thoughts. There was silence now, but it was a good silence. A silence that meant they understood.

"It's a nice place," House said, looking over at his friend.

"A patient willed it to me." Wilson glanced at House and then back over the water. "It's just too big to come here alone."

"We are alone." House remarked, something hidden in his voice sending chills up Wilson's spine. The cast on House's arm matched the garish swim trunks he wore, and Wilson remembered the passionate kiss that they had shared in the glass-walled room in the hospital. And then nothing. They had said nothing, done nothing more, pushed each other no farther. They each knew more about the other than they would admit about themselves, and yet to get them even to hint at attraction they had to go to effing Mexico. Mexico.

"House, I'm sick of this." The words were out of his mouth before he had even a chance to think. House turned towards him, not understanding. "I'm sick of dancing around each other, of this on-again, off-again, he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not crap. Okay? I will never hurt you. I promise. House? I promise." The intensity in his voice and in his eyes were something he'd rarely felt before, something so real and raw and solid that both men were swept up in it. Wilson closed the gap between them quickly, taking House's arms in his own and holding him close- but not too close. "I will never do anything to hurt you, you know that, House. So why can't you love me? Why can't you just love me, just once?"

House's eyes were filled suddenly with tears, wicked tears that betrayed him gladly to his friend. "I love you," he said, and the words rang of bitter truth. Something he had never wanted to admit. "I love you," he repeated, and suddenly hugged Wilson as if the man was his only lifeline.

Wilson laughed from sheer joy, from relief, from satisfaction. "I love you, too," he said. "I love you. I love you and I'll always protect you."

They stood like that for a very long time, not needing anything but each other. When they slowly broke apart, it was with a feeling of still being in each other's arms. They turned together to look out over the great expanse of the ocean, their arms touching lightly.

"Have you ever wanted to sail away?" Wilson asked quietly, looking off into the distance. "Into the sky, into the sea, it doesn't matter. Just get away from it all and know that it can't get to you?"

Then silence as House formed an answer. They both smiled. "Yes. But not any more. I'm fine right here, for once."

"For once?"

"For always."