You know the routine. I don't own anything here but the O/Cs. I'm just using the others for my own amusement.

# # #

House was in that blissful state somewhere between wakefulness and sleep when he heard Anthony's cell phone alarm go off. The younger man groaned and shifted, pressing a soft kiss to House's temple.

"Hitting the shower." Anthony murmured before leaving the bed.

House slowly pushed himself over so he lay on his back, watching Anthony move around the bedroom through half-open eyes. "Is that an invitation?"

Anthony paused, then shook his head as he chuckled. "Could be. I guess it depends on how fast you feel like moving."

"You've already got a head start." House grumbled. "No fair."

"Best get creative then." Anthony squeezed House's foot on his way out.

"Tease." House huffed and rolled over on his side, the sweet cinnamon scent still lingering from the night before. A smile twitched at his lips at the memory. Normally House wasn't one who was comfortable with being touched, in any context. It was another wall that Anthony had managed to break down, without either of them realizing it. The simple act of Anthony's hands working over him while he talked to House suddenly felt like the most natural thing in the world.

House marveled at how quickly he'd allowed himself to reach that level of intimacy with Anthony. Even with Stacy, he had never quite managed that, as much as he had loved her. He'd always had trouble expressing it.

A thought suddenly popped into House's head, and he pushed himself out of bed as quickly as he could manage. The shower water was still running as he approached the bathroom door, and he took a deep breath before opening it and pushing through.

The crisp scent of Anthony's soap hit House's nose as he entered, and he could hear the other man humming to himself. House quickly undressed and awkwardly slipped in at the opposite end of the shower, taking a moment to admire the sight before him.

Anthony's back was to House, and the way the water washed over his muscular back was just as he had imagined it the other morning. It definitely stirred something in House as he carefully made his way down to wrap himself around the younger man.

He jumped slightly at the touch, relaxing into a chuckle as House pressed his lips to the back of his neck, working his way down to his shoulder. "You made it."

"Mm-hm." House murmured as his hands smoothed over Anthony's body, feeling the combination of skin and hair and muscle under them. "Turn around."

Anthony did so, taking in the cinnamon scent that wafted up from House's body in the steam of the hot shower. House seemed to study him, fixing him with that intense expression, made more so by those piercing blue eyes. Finally he crashed his lips against Anthony's with a fierceness that caught Anthony off guard, breaking away to work his way down his throat, never slowing down until he reached the middle of Anthony's chest.

House left a lingering kiss there as he awkwardly eased himself to his knees in front of him, brushing the sides of Anthony's stomach with his hands while his lips continued their trail downward, stopping just above his center. He pressed a firm kiss there, ending it with a flick of his tongue, evoking a rough gasp from the younger man.

The sight of the older man kneeling in front of him was oddly beautiful to Anthony, and he roughly stroked the back of House's head while House teased him with tongue and lips before finally taking him in his mouth.

Anthony leaned against the tile, closing his eyes and losing himself in the sensation of House's mouth gently working over him while his hands tenderly roamed over his body, wandering wherever he could reach. A low moan escaped him as House took him in further, his tongue flicking the same tender spot that had taken him over the other morning.

"God...dammit...Greg..." Anthony tightened his grip on House's head as he went over, nearly collapsing on the floor of the shower. He let out a long sigh, relaxing his grip and lightly stroking the top of the older man's head. "How the hell do you do that?!"

House let out a low chuckle, wrapping his arms around Anthony's waist and pressing his cheek to the younger man's thigh. "Told you it was coming back to me." He released Anthony and grabbed a hold of his arms. "How about giving the old cripple a hand up?"

Anthony easily grabbed House's forearms and helped pull the older man to his feet, feeling the muscles flex under his hands. He pulled House in for a long, lingering kiss. "You're not old, and you're not a cripple, not by any stretch of the imagination."

"I am, and...I am. No sense denying the truth."

Anthony reached down to tenderly trace the outline of the ragged scar on House's thigh. "Fine, but it's not all you are. I wish you would realize that."

The move caught House by surprise, and he could feel a lump rising in his throat. A rush of feelings took him over as he roughly wrapped himself around Anthony, kissing his temple. "You'd better get out of here. Wouldn't want you to be late."

Anthony tilted his head at the rough tone of House's voice. "What about you?"

House seemed to calm himself long enough to meet Anthony's eyes. "Let's just say...I'm good."

"Alright then." Anthony laughed and lightly stroked House's forehead. "I'll...see you later?"

"Maybe. Depends on how the day goes." House pressed a kiss to Anthony's cheek. "I'll keep you posted."

"That'll work." Anthony slipped away to step out of the shower, leaving House alone with his thoughts. He never did get the chance to tell Anthony what was originally on his mind when he came in here.

"Hey." Anthony turned his head to see House's head sticking out of the shower. He suddenly looked very open and vulnerable, and Anthony stepped back over to face him.

"What's on your mind?"

House almost backed down, suddenly feeling unsure. Finally he lifted his eyes to meet Anthony's. "You know...Stacy once told me she felt lonely with me, like there wasn't room for her."

"Yeah...?" Anthony waited, knowing there would be more forthcoming.

"I don't want that to happen to us." House's face was set in determination as he reached out to stroke Anthony's face. "If I...you know...start..." House seemed to have trouble finding the words. He sighed in frustration. "I push people away. It's what I do, I've done it...God, forever. Promise you won't let me do that to you?"

Anthony wrapped a hand around House's neck, overwhelmed by House's sudden show of vulnerability. "I'll do my best."

House nodded, his eyes taking on an odd shine. "Guess that's all anyone can ask, huh?" He roughly kissed the younger man. "Go on, boy. Get the hell out of here. Can't keep all those tense people waiting."

"Right." Anthony brushed his hand along House's jaw as he pulled away. "Love you."

"You too." House quickly ducked back inside the shower, leaving Anthony to finish getting ready. He recognized the significance of the moment that had just transpired between them, and Anthony wanted to hold it, cherish it, knowing it might not ever happen again.

Anthony left the apartment a short time later, his heart a little lighter than it had been when he had arrived the night before. They seemed to be moving forward, a little at a time. It was developing into a very good thing, and Anthony couldn't help but feel like they were headed in the right direction. He hoped that House was feeling something similar as he made his way to work, feeling himself fall into his regular groove once again.

# # #

House strode through the double doors of PPTH, feeling far less beaten down than he had when he'd left the day before. While it was possible that his shower time with Anthony might have had a little something to do with that, he knew it was more about the conversation between them the night before.

If he had to be honest with himself, House felt like something of an idiot for not just coming out and telling Anthony that he wanted his company. He wasn't used to being around someone who was so open and honest with their feelings. It messed with his carefully crafted world view, and House didn't know what to think of that.

Right now it didn't matter. House shoved thoughts of Anthony aside as he saw Cuddy approaching him, and he dreaded a repeat of yesterday's awkward meeting. He quickly ducked his head, hoping against hope that Cuddy was on her way to somewhere else.

"House!" Dammit. He could hear Cuddy's heels clicking on the tile floor as she caught up to him at the elevator.

"You rang?" House turned to see a case file in Cuddy's hand. "Little present for...us?"

"Yes." She tapped the case file against the palm of her hand. "42-year-old female presents with tremors and seizures. All standard neurological tests negative, no sign of tumors."

House's eyes seemed to light up as he reached for the file. "I'll take it with me. I assume you want me to run it past the boss."

Cuddy's mouth twisted as she glared at House. "You and Foreman work on it together. You're a team. Act like it."

She swiftly spun on her heel and marched back to her office, her hips swishing as she went. House watched her go, admiring the view from behind. He heard a snort next to him that dissolved into a chuckle.

"Still checking out the scenery?" Thirteen was next to him, a smirk on her face.

"Like you don't do the same." House grumbled as he stepped on the elevator, Thirteen following him.

"Sure." She agreed. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it." She peeked over at the file House was carrying. "New case?"

"Yes." House gave Thirteen a sharp look as he flipped open the file.

"Looks interesting." Thirteen caught a whiff of House's scent. "You smell good today."

House rolled his eyes and closed the file. "Soap and water. That's the big secret."

Thirteen's face spread in a wide grin. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain...someone, would it?"

House's eyes went a little wide, and Thirteen knew she had busted him. His mouth twisted in a grimace as he tapped his cane on the floor. "Foreman's got a big mouth." He finally muttered, looking at the floor.

"That he does." The elevator doors opened at the fourth floor, and the pair stepped out, heading toward diagnostics. Thirteen suddenly stopped in front of House, facing him as she folded her arms over her chest. "You're embarrassed. Why?"

"Oh for Christ's sake." House rolled his eyes and thumped his cane on the carpeted floor. "What does it matter?"

"That's kind of my point." Thirteen gave House a sideways glance. "If you're happy...ish, then it doesn't matter. Just enjoy it."

House gave her a steely look as he slapped the case file in her hand. "Take this to your blabbermouth boyfriend. I'll be there in a minute. Kind of got a...thing."

He turned around and started down the hall toward Wilson's office, and Thirteen watched him go, tapping the case file in her hand as he disappeared down the hallway. Finally she turned back toward diagnostics, shaking her head. There was just no explaining House sometimes, plain and simple, and she decided that she would be better off just sticking to her job instead of trying to figure out House.

# # #

House lumbered down the hall, stopping just in front of the door to Wilson's office. He wasn't sure exactly what he planned on saying when he went in there, but somehow he knew he owed Wilson some kind of explanation for his behavior.

He took a deep breath in an attempt to collect his thoughts before he finally opened the door. Wilson was discussing something with a patient and another doctor, and Wilson arched an eyebrow in response to the interruption.

"Something you want, House?"

House shook his head. "Not important. Just..." He twisted his mouth. "I'll be my office. Come down when you get a chance."

Wilson's eyebrows shot up. "Who are you, and what have you done with House?" The other doctor softly chuckled at the comment.

House shot a deadly glare at the other doctor before turning his eyes on Wilson. "Just come find me, okay?"

Something in House's expression made Wilson take notice, and he nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I'm done here."

House simply nodded and closed the door behind him, heading back to diagnostics. This was important to House, and he didn't want to make an ass of himself or of Wilson. It could wait until Wilson was done. He needed a little more time to figure out exactly what he was going to say to him anyway.

He pushed through his office door and set down his backpack, hanging up his jacket on the hook. It was a cool morning, and he was still a little chilly after his ride in. Time for a cup of coffee while they started the differential.

Foreman, Thirteen and Taub were already discussing the case when House limped in, making a beeline for the coffeemaker. House leaned against the counter, sipping at the bitter brew while Foreman scribbled symptoms on the board.

After some discussion, Foreman sent Taub to start testing and Thirteen to interview the patient's husband. The husband, by all accounts, had barely left his wife's side since they had arrived, which immediately raised House's suspicions as well as Foreman's.

Soon Foreman and House were alone in the room, and House eased himself into a chair at the table. Foreman finished writing on the board and poured himself a cup of coffee, joining House at the table.

"I spoke to Cuddy again yesterday after you left." Foreman started.

House narrowed his eyes and set down his cup. "Did you, now?"

"She..." Foreman didn't know what to say.

"She's an idiot." House snapped. "It's okay to say it if it's true."

"That's not quite where I was going." Foreman briefly glared at House. "I...kind of told her off."

"Really..." House was suddenly interested again. He was almost proud of the neurologist. "How so?"

Foreman looked oddly uncomfortable as he twisted the coffee cup on the table. "I told her that you weren't a child and you didn't deserve to be treated like one."

House was impressed. "Your head's still attached, so I guess she didn't bite you too hard."

"No, she kind of...did this." Foreman did a credible impression of Cuddy's typical angry expression. "The she kind of...stalked away."

"Told you her bark's way worse than her bite." House chuckled as he took a drink of his coffee. He looked suddenly thoughtful. "I'm...proud of you."

Foreman looked baffled. "Why?"

"You took on the She-Devil and lived." Secretly, he was proud that Foreman had defended him. House wasn't convinced that he deserved it, but it was a strong gesture on Foreman's part. "About goddamn time you grew a pair."

"You wouldn't believe how hard it was to wrestle them back from Remy." Foreman rolled his eyes.

House had a smartass comment on the tip of his tongue when their pagers started going off. "Well damn, that was quick. Party's starting without us, I guess." He heaved himself from the chair and started for the elevator, Foreman close behind.

As they approached the patient's room, House spotted someone standing just outside the room, his hands pressed against the glass as the staff inside furiously worked to stabilize the patient. Typical distressed family member, thought House as he blew by on his way into the patient's room.

Every time the staff got her stabilized, seconds would pass before she started crashing again. After the fourth time, House was losing what little patience he had. "Everyone out!" He barked, shooing the nurses out of the room. He and Thirteen took one side while Taub and Foreman took the other, working over her until they finally tracked down the source of the crashing vitals.

She was finally stable again, and the team blew a joint sigh of relief. "Fifth time's the charm." House muttered, collapsing in the nearest chair, taking a moment before preparing to go on with the differential. He happened to look up, meeting the husband's eyes. The man looked familiar, but House couldn't quite place him. He set the puzzle aside in favor of the medical one that was on the bed in front of him. One mystery at a time seemed like enough at the moment.

# # #

The team reconvened in the conference room, arguing over symptoms and various diseases. Foreman continued writing on the board, attempting to organize the ideas that Taub and Thirteen threw out, while House paced around the room.

Wilson poked his head into the conference room just as things got rolling, and the room suddenly got quiet. "House."

House stopped pacing and lifted his head upon hearing Wilson's voice. "Yeah."

"Need a consult." Wilson fixed him with a meaningful look.

House nodded, pushing past Foreman. "Go on without me. I won't be a minute." He gestured to Wilson to meet him in his office.

Wilson followed House out to the balcony, closing the door behind him. "So...you wanted to talk to me?"

House leaned on the balcony railing, looking out over the grounds of the hospital. "Yeah." He twisted his mouth thoughtfully, still not sure what he wanted to say. His patient's crisis had prevented him from thinking about it much. "I...was kind of tough on you last night."

Wilson shrugged. "It's okay. Nothing you haven't done before. Except for the pushing-me-away-in-favor-of-the-man-friend part. That's new."

"Tony's not a replacement for you." House continued. "It's just that...after everything you said, I didn't want to deal with you. Nothing personal."

"I don't take back any of it." Wilson joined House at the railing. "I meant every word."

"I know that." House looked down at his clasped hands. "Thing is...it's not just about Amber. It's the whole...thing." He tilted his head in thought. "I've been disappointing people almost since I was born. Damn."

Wilson was incredulous. "How can you be so...matter of fact about it?!"

"Because it's true." House spoke calmly, pushing himself away from the railing to pace around the balcony. "Think about it. Fifty years old...can't make a relationship work, can barely hold on to a friend...good thing I've got this damn job...but even that's in question these days..."

Wilson's heart ached for his friend. It hurt him to think House thought so little of himself. He intercepted House as he paced around, stopping him by placing his hands on his shoulders. "Stop. Just...stop. Think about what you're saying. You're not talking about what's happening now. You're talking about what might happen."

House fixed him with a steely look. He looked like he was about to say something before his pager interrupted him. "Gotta go. Patient's crashing."

Wilson let him go, knowing they were no closer to a resolution than they had been when he first walked in. House lumbered away, catching up with the rest of the team as they hurried to get to their patient. Wilson was more determined than ever to get to House, to try to make him see what he was truly worth to him. He didn't know if he'd ever get there, but it wouldn't stop him from trying.

# # #

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