DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything related to Fox or the TV show House. I'm only borrowing some characters. The characters belong to David Shore and company.
.
A/N: BW 13: THE Date… Excited?
Thanks for the fabulous reviews!
Enjoy this pre-date chappie!
BREAKING WALLS CHAPTER 12: PLACE YOUR BETS!
.
March 19, PPTH
House walked in late as always and made his way to the elevators. Instead of going straight to his office, he decided to give Wilson a heads up on what he did last night at Cuddy's.
"Good morning." Wilson greeted House, not looking up from the papers he was reading.
"I asked Cuddy out last night." House told Wilson without looking at him.
Wilson's head immediately shot up and stared at House. But he wasn't smiling. His brows were furrowed. House looked at him, surprised that his best friend wasn't gloating yet.
"What?" House asked him. "I know I'm hot, but jeez, I don't want to ruin our friendship." he sarcastically told Wilson.
Wilson ignored him and cautiously uttered his next words either in subtle warning or in question, House didn't know.
"You asked Cuddy out just to stand her up again?" Wilson asked.
"Yes." House decided to try and play Wilson's game.
"House!" Wilson scolded, his eyes widening, "Seriously…"
"Yes." House answered again.
"Yes what? Yes, you asked her out to hurt her—again-- or yes, you asked her out to really make it up to her?" Wilson asked him again, wishing that house would tell him the truth.
"The second one." House admitted in a low voice.
"So, how are you going to screw this one up?" Wilson asked him.
"Nice." House smirked. He suddenly grinned at Wilson. "Reverse psychology won't work on me."
"This time, I'll make sure I'm there to make you pretty." Wilson teased. But he was dead serious on being there for House to help him get ready.
"Speaking of being there for me, why weren't you there again the first time?" House asked him with a smirk that Wilson knew House wore to try and mask that House did need him on the first night.
"Unbelievable as it may sound but I… I trusted that you won't mess it up. But the first time that I actually trusted you, you decided to disappoint me and Cuddy. I thought that you never screw things up when they essentially matter—"
"It was the first time." House defended quietly.
"The first and the worst," Wilson reprimanded him. "But don't dwell on that. It won't do your or Cuddy any good. Just make sure—well, in this case, I'll make sure—that you really show up." Wilson said firmly.
House gave him a soft grin, "Yes mother." As annoying as Wilson could be, House liked the fact that Wilson doesn't mind being iron-fisted when it comes to dealing with him in some aspects.
"When's the date?" Wilson asked him.
"Why? You're going to spy on us? Make sure we going to do the nasty?" House asked him sarcastically with a smirk.
"I was supposed to answer 'so that I'll know what time to come to your place' but thanks for the idea." Wilson replied in deadpan.
"It's tomorrow." House answered. He was also surprised that he asked her out on short notice. But hey, she might have given him triple time in the clinic if he didn't ask her out after the show he put on with that 'Koi' stewardess. He didn't quite remember her name. He shrugged, doesn't matter.
"Tomorrow?!" Wilson screeched. "Why the hell did you ask her out on such short notice? You do know that you'll be the one at a disadvantage since we still have to trim that scruff, and find you a decent outfit!"
House looked at him incredulously then smirked. "I didn't realize I was attending the prom."
"No…" Wilson said, dragging the word slowly as if talking to a child, "You're just going out on a date. Your first date, actually, in what? A million years?"
"Hey!" House sneered. "I think you're forgetting I went out with Cameron." He defended himself, feeling a bit bothered that he had to remember that awkward date with Cameron.
Wilson narrowed his eyes at House. "I seriously couldn't believe you really admitted that. Think of it, you went out with Cameron but you stood Cuddy up. What does that say?"
"You tell me," House answered with a full-blown smirk, "Since you're so good at relationships." He didn't even consider the date with Cameron an actual date. He was just forced to go on that date with her to get her back on the team.
Wilson ignored his mocking. "You really do have deep, deep feelings for Cuddy. You NOT only like her, you really like her, like her. Possibly even love?" Wilson asked him teasingly.
"I've been saved by the pager!" House practically sang when his pager beeped loudly. "I'll talk to you later Wilson. I have a patient that needs my healing hands." House said as he stood up and made his way to the door.
"House…" Wilson called. House turned his head to Wilson halfway through the door.
"Don't screw this up, okay?" he practically pleaded.
House just nodded in understanding. He himself knew that he should take this second chance really seriously if he ever wanted to breakaway from his self-created demons and finally break his walls. But did he really want to do so? He scratched that off his mind at the moment. The last thing he needed was think pessimistically again before his date. He remembered what happened the last time he did and he shuddered.
Little did they know that Chase heard everything they've said when he decided to look for House in Wilson's office after finding a rather interesting case from the ER.
Cuddy's office…
About fifteen minutes after House left his office Wilson decided to talk to Cuddy.
He knocked on Cuddy's door and waited for her to wave him in.
"Good morning! House told me he asked you out—again." Wilson informed her a bit cheerfully.
Cuddy smiled at him. "Good morning."
"Okay. I'll get straight to the point. Do you think he'll really show up?" Wilson asked her.
"Why? What did he tell you?" Cuddy's smile immediately fell from her face. Oh God, I swear if he told Wilson something I don't like I'll rip him to shreds! She thought.
Wilson quickly shook his head. "He didn't tell me anything. He only told me that he asked you out again and that he's really going to show up."
Cuddy smirked at him but internally, she was more than relieved that it wasn't something serious. "Then why in the world did you ask me if I think he'll show up?"
Wilson shrugged, "Just wanted your opinion before I divulged what he said?" he suggested.
Cuddy looked at him with a shit-eating grin. "Riight… So you're here to play matchmaker as always?"
Wilson offered her a guilty smile. He looked at her for a while before speaking again. "I'll make sure he'll come this time." He told Cuddy with a determined look.
Cuddy smiled appreciatively but shook her head, "I want it to be all him, Wilson. I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want to do--- except his job and clinic duty--- just because I want him to."
She appreciated Wilson's determination to help her and House get together, but she wanted House to act on his own. She wanted him to get help only if he asked for it.
Wilson always helped him against his will. Sometimes Wilson really helps a lot, but at other instances House just gets annoyed and irritated so he does exactly the opposite of what Wilson wants or expects him to do.
"Could I at least dress him up?" Wilson asked hopefully. He wanted to pitch in some date suggestions, date do's and don'ts so that House would know when to keep his mouth shut.
Cuddy chuckled and playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "You sure you're not gay, Wilson? You sound like a little girl who likes to dress up her Barbie dolls-- in House's case, Ken."
"I think three ex wives prove that I'm man enough to not be thought of one." Wilson said in deadpan.
"I'm sorry," Cuddy coyly smiled at him, "I just find it really sweet that you're helping him and all like this. You always do act like his keeper."
Wilson shrugged. "He's my best friend."
Cuddy smiled genuinely this time. "I know. Just don't smother him too much. You know how easily he gets annoyed."
Wilson rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."
Cuddy's face turned serious when Wilson looked back at her. "Wilson, just, please, let him do this one on his own. Just help him when he actually asks for it."
Wilson nodded in understanding. Cuddy did have a point. He decided to sit this one out again, hoping that House would act on his own.
"Well, good luck tomorrow!" Wilson said cheerfully as he stood up and made his way to the door walking backwards.
Cuddy smiled. "Thank you, Wilson. I'll call you just in case he pulls a Houdini on me again."
Wilson chuckled and nodded as he exited the room.
Locker Room
"Did you know House and Cuddy are dating?" Chase asked Foreman who was organizing his locker. He didn't know that there was somebody else inside the room who was hearing everything.
Chase also didn't clearly hear from House and Wilson's conversation that House and Cuddy will be dating—not are dating.
"Where'd you get that?" Foreman asked, not too amused by the rumor. It intrigued him though.
"Seriously, I heard Wilson and House talking about it when I went looking for House," Chase answered, trying to encourage Foreman to believe him.
Foreman smirked. "First of all, imagine House and Cuddy dating." He paused, letting Chase think of his answer.
"You're right; it sounds impossible but come to think of it, they practically act like an old married couple at work. And I swear, they're too nasty to each other not to have been nasty." Chase replied in his accent. He was rather amused by House and Cuddy's friendship ever since he started working for House.
"What's the point in telling me this again?" Foreman asked him, not really interested in House's love life, but a bit amused by House and Cuddy's love life.
"Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets!" Chase cheerfully announced with his hands spread wide in welcome.
Foreman chuckled a bit. "What's the pool?"
"You'll see—or hear. News travels fast in this hospital, I'm sure you know. Now, I need to find some of my high betters before we start doing tests again." Chase said then exited the locker room.
House's office, after lunch
"Okay, what did you tell them?" Cuddy asked House when she entered his office.
House looked at her genuinely innocent. "What did I do?" he asked her. He usually said that with a knowing grin but this time he really didn't know what he did.
Cuddy furrowed her brows. "Wait, you didn't start the rumors? Then who did?" She asked him, secretly thankful that House didn't want the entire hospital staff to know that they'll be dating.
House cocked an eyebrow at her then grinned mischievously. "Dr. Cuddy, would you mind relating these "rumors" to me please?" He asked her, clearly interested in the rumors that were going around in the grapevine.
Cuddy sat on the Ottoman while House looked at her, checking her out from head to toes. Damn, she's hot! House's male side thought. His affectionate side thought Cuddy was beautiful—though he might not ever tell her that.
"Heads up!" Cuddy snapped at him, noticing the way he was looking at her. Deep inside she liked the way he looked at her but she would never admit that to anyone, much less him.
House smirked after being snapped out of his trance. "Sorry, it's hard to focus when your legs are being displayed on my chair."
Cuddy smirked back at him. "I've never heard you complain before."
House grinned slightly at her. "I'm not complaining!"
Cuddy rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, I overheard a nurse saying that there are pools for us. There's one saying that we've been dating for quite some time now, another saying that we'll be dating—which is correct, and another one saying that we'd kill each other before we even reach the car."
House immediately grinned like the Grinch when he heard the second pool.
Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him. "You're thinking of betting, aren't you?" She asked him then waved a hand in the air when he didn't answer but kept that look on his face. Cuddy could only smile and shake her head, "Why am I even surprised?"
House bobbed his eyebrows up and down. "I know a guy who knows a guy who can place a bet for us." House said mischievously, proposing that they bet since they know exactly which of the pools was not a rumor but the plain truth.
Cuddy took a moment to think of the pros and cons of betting. She knew that House always joined the pools but was never discovered to be a large better. House would never tell the guy he's having place bets for him that she was joining the bets, would he?
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay, on one condition."
House shrugged. "Spill."
Cuddy pointed her index finger at him in warning as she stared him dead in the eyes the way she did when she was serious about something.
"Don't tell the person you're having place our bets that I'm joining the bets. As I'm sure you know, I'm the Dean of Medicine and the Board will have a field day if they hear that I'm tolerating these kinds of actions in the hospital." She told him seriously, her eyes pleading for him to keep their secret.
House rolled his eyes at her. "Of course!" House answered in a 'duh' tone. He'd be more than stupid if he did that. If Cuddy would be fired, he'll be out of a job as soon as she took one step out of the hospital.
Cuddy gave him a soft smile as she stood up. "Thank you."
"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" House asked her but not looking at her this time.
Cuddy smiled at his shyness. "Yes, of course." She answered quickly and then exited his office, leaving a grinning House.
A few minutes later, House stood up and tried to find the guy who always placed his bets for him—the night janitor who wore his pants backwards. He asked the janitor to bet a thousand bucks on the second pool, telling him to do the same. The janitor quickly complied and smiled as he found out that he'll be getting a lot of cash this week thanks to Dr. House.
. A/N:
Okay, next chap's all about the date... What do you think will happen?
Lemme know what you think.
.
…Please Review…
-------------------
I'd like to remind everyone that ideas and suggestions are always welcome. I'll try to fit them in if I can... Thank you!
-------------------
ASH update most prolly tomorrow…
