Title: Contagious

Disclaimer: omitted

A/N: Okay, sweetgreuy, the story behind the whale penis. In whaling, a "dork" is a whale's penis. Though in today's standing we just refer to a dork as a nerd or geek. However, going back far enough its actual term is just a crude expression for penis. Also, someone said they couldn't imagine being in that good of a mood that close to closing time. Hehe, (Raises Hand) that would be me :D. I work at a grocery store, (And have since my sophmore year of high school), pays the monthly tuition payments as I work on my associates degree in applied sciences. Anyway. I actually AM in that good of a mood! The secret? Lots and LOTS of caffeine :D. That and wonderful acting lessons from years of drama club!

Chapter Thirteen: Star Light, Star Bright

"Okay... So you make dinner and put it in little plastic containers where I can't get to it?" House asked grumpily as she ladled the soup she'd just made into a plastic bowl and capped it.

"No." She laughed putting the grilled cheese, which she'd made with jalapenos and cheddar, into little baggies and setting them inside a book bag. "We're going to the roof."

"Why?" He watched her put a couple of spoons in the bag as well. He grabbed a bottle of scotch and two tumblers.

"Because it's a blue moon tonight." She put on her coat and grabbed a couple of blankets. He covered himself with his own coat as they walked out the door and to the elevator.

"So?" House hit the button for the elevator with his cane.

Allison looked at him, "I want to look at it."

"We could have looked from the window." He pointed out as they got in the elevator.

She pouted, "It's not the same."

House sighed, "So we're going to the roof to look at one celestial body and that's it?"

"Well, if there was less light pollution then maybe we could've looked at more." She replied looking at the illuminated numbers that revealed what floor they were passing. When they reached the top they had to walk up a flight of stares to get to the roof, but when they'd walked into the crisp October air she practically skipped to the center of the roof.

Watching her lay out the blanket, House sat down and kicked off his shoes before covering the two of them with the other. Their rooftop picnic began with a shared bowl of soup as Allison stared up at the moon.

"You shouldn't have made me dinner." House sighed, scooping up another spoonful of the soup.

"Is it bad?" She asked, tasting it again and trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

"No. But now I don't think I'll ever be able to eat take-out again. You've ruined me." He explained as they finished the soup and broke out the grilled cheese. At the first bite, House nodded, "Yes, ruined me for good. I've never had a jalapeno grilled cheese before."

"Isn't it amazing!?" She said in awe.

"Amazing is a bit extreme, it is just a sandwich." House's brow knit.

"Not the grilled cheese." She laughed and pointed up. "The moon!"

House looked up and shrugged.

"Pshh." She swatted his chest and continued eating as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "You have no aspect of what it's like to feel so small and insignificant." She rolled her eyes and poured her own glass.

House looked at her a moment.

She saw him looking at her. "What?" He shook his head and Allison quirked an eyebrow. "What?" She asked again. Allison knew they were no longer talking about cosmic balance. There was a deep seeded ache in his voice, something he had never expressed in words, and she knew it wouldn't be expressed this evening either. Nothing to do with astronomy had caused him such a childhood conflict, it was something much closer to home.

"You don't have to explain to me now." She said softly, even though she knew he wouldn't have. It was just an assurance that she wasn't going to push for an explanation; that she was accepting of his need to take his time as he unraveled his long history. "But you know," she began softly, feeling his weight on her and being comforted by it, "the stars and the moon and the planets revolving around us aren't meant to make us feel inferior. They want to show us that there's so much more to be known, and that even though we deal with shit right here and now, there's something beautiful happening right over our heads, and we're a part of it despite everything that's horrible and near us."

Her words were soft but strong. He could hear the hernest motives behind them as she expressed how she felt intact with the cosmos. Maybe that was why she could be an atheist and not worry about the consequences of heaven and hell. She already felt like a part of the bigger picture, and she didn't need an afterlife to prove her connection with it. Her ties with outer space were like his ties with music. Something bigger and more complex, a way of expression without words, but just feelings.

Food forgotten, House covered the rest of her body with his and kissed her. Allison felt free out here, and he wanted to show her he did too. He felt her arms wrap around him as he let her tongue roll against his, a steady rhythm building in their hips as they rocked together through their clothing. He grabbed the tail of her shirt and pulled it up, dropping it beside them on the rooftop. She mimicked his actions with his shirt before letting him unclasp the hooks of her bra and add it to the pile of clothing.

She sighed his name as their chests pressed together, their nipples hard fromt he cold air, their foggy breaths mingling together in white clouds. He was pulling down her pants and trying not to brush the blanket aside in his movement as he worked as quickly as he could at removing her clothes beneath their protective cover. Soon he was pressed flush against her once more, his hands gliding a trail up her hips as he pressed against her needfully.

"I can make you see the stars." He said breathlessly as he pressed into her. Allison gasped, clenching her arms around his shoulders as he filled her slowly. The crescendo was lifelong, a moment followed only by another uprising, never slowing, only growing louder and accelerated. A song in itself that House wondered if he could ever mimic on the keys of his piano.

She could feel him moving faster than she ever remembered him going before. Wonder filled her as she arched her back, not hearing the sounds of traffic below them or the sounds of their bodies moving together. Only silence that let her look into the second full moon of the month and cry out in ecstasy as she throbbed and pulsed around him. And for a moment, she did see stars twinkle around the glow of the moon.

But it wasn't over. He was still thrusting against her, the power of his hips pounding against the insides of her thighs, rocking her against the blanket covered rooftop. She was still shaking as he took her knees in the crooks of his elbows and dove deeper into her. Rolling her hips, Allison quickly fell into a second orgasm, crying again at the increased intensity.

Finally House gave in, thrusting into finality, as he came inside her and collapsed to her side.

Shaking from sudden cold and the aftershocks of her climaxes, Allison embraced her lover, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Greg," she said softly in his ears, "I think I saw a whole new set of constellations."

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House awoke in the middle of the night, the silver glow of moonlight casting a shadow over the foot of his bed that was strangely Allison shaped. Focusing his vision on the silhouette, he realized it indeed was Allison and Kane sitting in a chair by the window, Kane's head resting on her master's knee. There was something cold and sorrowful about her expression.

"Ally?" House said quietly so as not to startle her too much, but she didn't even jump, merely turned her head and looked at him.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" She asked softly, but not quietly enough to hide the nasally dampening of her voice.

"Why are you crying?" He got out of bed, limping to her completely nude.

She tried to discretely wipe her eyes from the stray tears. "My apartment is gone." It seemed odd that it was finally hitting her, nearly a week after the fire and she was finally realizing that all of her possessions were now gone. She thought solemnly of her lost wedding album and pictures of her family. Her late husband's life momentos now gone forever, the only trace of him remaining in the world was her memory of him.

House curled into the overstuffed chair with her, pulling his distraught lover into his lap. She burrowed against him, her cheek resting on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and planted light kisses against her hair as his fingers trailed down her spine. "You're tired. You need to sleep." He said softly in her ear.

"Why did it take so long for me to care?" She asked as another onslaught of tears wove wet paths down from her pooling eyes.

He held her tighter. "Because, you've been busy. Moving in with me is pretty difficult to do. It exerts a lot of energy adjusting to my home." He explained and smiled at her laugh that became choked on a sudden sob. "Okay, so it took about a week for reality to strike, but still, at least it did hit you. It's not like it's been a couple of months and you went 'Oh wait, where's that thing I bought back in May... Oh yeah, that's right! It burned up in that fire!'." She laughed a little again. "There was just too much going on at once and you didn't have time to fall apart." He assured her and began getting out of the chair. "Now, let's get back to bed. Kane looks ready to bite you if you don't snap out of this." He stood up and offered her a hand.

Awoken again hours later, House saw Allison's head resting on his chest as she hummed, "You know," he whispered quietly, "you're turning into an insomniac." He heard her laugh. "What are you doing?" He finally asked.

"Listening to your heart."

"Lubb Dubb." He muttered, petting her hair and making her laugh again.

"It's a good rhythm, like something out of a song." She sighed, nuzzling her face against his chest.

"Depeche Mode." He yawned wide, curling an arm around her shoulder.

"Somebody." She nodded, yawning herself.

House began humming the song and she soon drifted into sleep, still listening to his heart beat. As her breathing became rhythmic, House closed his eyes and fell back asleep, wondering if he'd be awoken again that night.

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With a large stretch, Allison woke up to find herself alone in bed. She could hear the shower running in the bathroom, and Kane was lying at her feet looking a little annoyed. "What?" She glared at her dog. Kane raised her head and continued staring at her. "I didn't mean to get all angsty last night." Allison said defensively, but Kane continued her cold gaze nonetheless. "Okay, so I went a little bipolar last night, sue me." Allison got out of bed and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

House peeked around the shower curtain to look at her. "Want to join me?" He asked as she brushed her teeth, breasts swaying as she scrubbed ruthlessly at plaque.

Spitting out the foam, Allison rinsed her tooth brush and stepped into the shower, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a morning kiss. "Sorry about last night." She said softly, barely audible over the water's spray.

House shrugged. "No big deal." His hands slid down her damp sides. She squirmed a little, the tickling sensation making her giggle a little. She grabbed the shampoo and began lathering his hair as he planted kisses down her neck. He continued running his hands over her sides as she massaged his scalp, only stopping when he went to rinse the soap out and then he began lathering up her hair. "Kane was pissed this morning when I walked her."

"You already walked her?" She asked, wanting to look at him, but keeping her eyes squeezed shut too keep soap out of them.

He worked his fingers against her scalp. "Yeah." He said nothing else as she went to rinse her hair out.

Bathing each other had become second nature to them as they began running liquid body wash over the other's skin. However, there was nothing mundane about the ritual as hands lingered over the more sensitive areas of their partner's body, or the stolen kisses under the hot spray of the shower head. There was something loving between the gentle caresses and the careful cleaning they administered upon the other.

When their shower was over, House went to the sink to shave his face as Allison sat on the side of the tub to shave her legs. Another routine in their mornings.

House was becoming more and more aware of the increase in domestic activity, and thought that maybe, just maybe, they'd been living together before he'd finally asked. After all, they'd had this early morning dance the last week. It had manifested itself the morning after the fire. A shared shower, a partnership in hygiene, and then going their separate ways to shave.

A pattern was developing, and neither one felt threatened by it.

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"Greg!" A knock was sounding from the door, and House didn't want to get off of the couch to answer it. It was Wilson, he could tell by the voice alone, no need identifying the whiney pitches in the call of his name to know it was his oncologist friend.

"Don't you ever answer your door?" Allison grunted, getting off of the couch and heading to the door. "Hey, Wilson." She smiled upon opening the door.

"Hey, is Greg here?" She opened the door wider to admit him. "Thanks." He said as he stepped inside. "I brought your prescription over." He shook a bottle of Vicodin. "You forgot to pick it up on Friday." He said, sitting down in a chair cornered from the couch.

"I didn't forget it." House replied wrapping an arm around Allison as she sat back down, not taking his eyes off of the television.

"Oh?" Wilson saw a prescription bottle lying on its side on the coffee table. Without thinking he picked it up and shook it, then when he heard the immense clatter, opened it curiously. "Greg..."

"What?" House grunted, still not taking his eyes from the Tv.

"Greg, this bottle's still half full."

"So?"

"You filled it on Monday."

"So?"

"So, you go through two bottles a week, sometimes three." Wilson pointed out.

House didn't bother with a vocal reply, merely shrugging.

"Greg?" Allison looked at him.

"What? My leg hasn't been hurting lately." He replied with another shrug.

"Ally, when was the last time he popped one." Wilson asked, almost sounding concerned.

"Last night while we were grocery shopping."

Wilson stared. "House went into a grocery store?" He gawked disbelievingly at his friend.

House grabbed the Vicodin from Wilson and popped one as he got off of the couch and went to the bedroom without another word. Allison watched him leave, feeling a pang. They'd hurt his feelings.

"Way to go." Allison glared at Wilson before she too stood up and went to the bedroom. "Greg."

"What?" House was lying on the bed, throwing a baseball up and catching it. Kane was lying on the foot of the bed, watching the ball rush up in the air and smack into House's hand. When Allison entered, Kane made a grunt deep in her chest that simply said, -You're mean, mommy.-

"I'm sorry." Allison curled onto the bed, stilling his arm once he'd caught the ball again.

"Ally, I know I'm an addict." House looked at her with a sarcastic expression on his face.

"Don't do that." Allison sat up and glared at him. "Don't look at me with that look."

"How do you want me to look at you, Ally?" House sat up as well and his expression went blank. "Do you want me to smile at you and say, 'It's okay, baby, I know I'm a pill popping bastard, and that you accept me for it. Don't worry, I'll start drugging myself again.' Is that what you want me to say?"

Allison shook her head. "No." Her eyes were building with tears. "I'm sorry." She tried to embrace him, but he shrugged her arms off of him and stood up, limping to the other end of the room but not leaving. "I wasn't surprised. I've noticed you haven't been using the Vicodin as much lately. You think I didn't notice that the man I've been sleeping with hasn't been opening a bottle of drugs every ten minutes like clockwork the last couple weeks? Do you think I'm oblivious?" She put her feet on the floor, sitting up completely straight. "Wilson was the one who was surprised, not me." She stood up finally and walked to him. "I was proud of you, but I also knew that you'd scoff and pop a Vicodin right in front of my face like you just did in the living room. I know a few things about you, Greg. And one of the things I know, is that you don't want someone praising you or making note of your progress. You work through things yourself, and say fuck it the moment someone tries to encourage you. You do whatever you want because you want to, not for someone's approval."

House hung his head as Allison walked towards the door. He wanted to say something. He wanted to apologise. It wasn't her he was angry at. Hell, he wasn't even really angry, not even at Wilson. But she had been the brave one. She'd come to him while he was vulnerable and he'd lashed out because of it. Thinking about it, wasn't that what a relationship was about? Being able to be vulnerable around someone? She'd come to him when her apartment had burned down, when she'd been the most vulnerable. She'd let him hold her and consol her when she'd been crying last night, and she'd shared something beautiful and intimate when she'd made love to him under the blue moon. Now had been his chance to show her he could be that open, and he'd lashed out at her.

When he raised his head to say something, he choked on his words. Tears were already dripping from her eyes, and she'd already opened the door to leave. By the time he'd worked his voice around the dry knot in his throat she was already out of the bedroom door and he was left with only Kane.

The dog growled at him from her spot on the bed as if to say, -You bastard, I should rip open your trachea for that!-

"You turncoat." House grumbled.

TBC

A/N- yes, a little more angsty than this has ever been, or even more so than I've really ever written, but aside from being a mostly humor/romance writer, I'm also a realist. So bare with me. I guarantee a roller coaster, (mostly because I myself only have a slight idea of where this is leading), but believe one thing: The bad only makes the good that much sweeter. -Andi