Middles

House was having a very hard time falling asleep. It had been a relatively normal day; he woke up, pissed of Cuddy, cured a patient, then left the hospital to have a couple of beers with Wilson. The only difference was instead of Wilson meeting him at a bar, he had shown up at his apartment after being kicked out of his own home by his now ex-wife and was now sleeping on his couch.

House remembered everything about their "experiment" in college despite their deal to forget it and never speak of it again. And on this night, when a single, drunk, and sleeping Wilson lay on his couch, he found it very hard to keep that memory out of his thoughts. It was a night he remembered often, for the simple pleasure of reliving it.

Here he was drunk again and falling asleep very close to House. The memory of the last time something similar to this had happened came back with full detail in Wilson's mind, as it often did when he needed something to think about. He knew he wanted it to happen again, but there was too much friendship at stake now.

House slowly turned over in his bed, he started thinking if there was anyway to suggest Wilson join him in the bed without making it seem like a repeat of that night he was so sure Wilson had forgotten. Nothing. He came to conclude there were very, very few reasons why two people would sleep in the same bed if they weren't going at it. He would just have to try harder to fall asleep.

There was no way in hell Wilson was getting to sleep this night. It had already been two hours of battling thoughts within his head. They included thoughts of why Julie cheated on him and left him, a couple concerning current patients, but those were just there to provide a distraction from the person who was currently asleep in the next room. Even just to sleep in the same room as House would be better than this. Wilson thought that over and knew it was a lie, for it would only be a worse temptation, but maybe just a quick peek, besides the bathroom was in House's room and he had had so much to drink.

Wilson quickly threw his legs to the side of the couch and jumped to his feet. He walked briskly to House's door and came to a direct stop before it. His hand hovering above the doorknob, he had to decide what he was going to do. He could either go in, walk to the bathroom and catch a glance of House, or go back to fighting with his own thoughts on the couch. His hand clenched the knob and turned.

House had heard Wilson standing at his door and then finally the door knob turn. He decided not to say anything yet, Wilson probably thought he was asleep and was just coming in to use the bathroom.

Wilson stepped in, closing the door again behind him and started to face the bathroom while keeping his eyes on the sleeping figure of House. He saw his form slowly rise and fall in pattern, then only by the consistent nagging of his common sense, were his legs forced to move and carry him to the bathroom.

What the hell? House thought there was enough remaining light for Wilson to be able to find the door, and it's not possible that he forgot where the bathroom was. House knew he didn't sleepwalk from their years at college. He had to just be frustrated and tired. Hell, he had just found out his wife was cheating on him. House decided that was the answer.

Further questioning was cut off by the toilet flushing and Wilson opening the door. House could hear him take in a deep breath and pause before he left the room. It's just stress over Julie, House told himself.

Wilson took a couple of steps forward then paused again watching his friend.

His attempts to convince himself weren't working anymore, House spoke up, "The couch is in the living room, you know that right?"

Wilson's breath caught when House spoke. "I, I, yes, I know that." He paused, "I thought you were asleep."

"And so if I'm sleeping, you have the right to stop and watch me?" House felt some regret at that comment, it was probably too harsh.

"Well no, I'm sorry, I'll just go back out now." Wilson started turning when House spoke up again.

"Why?"

"What?"

House finally turned over and sat up to watch Wilson, "Why were you watching me?" He studied Wilson's expression very carefully from this point.

"I don't know, I just, I just stopped walking for a moment. I…"

"Stopped walking? Wilson that's pathetic, I thought at least you could come up with better." Wilson seemed to stiffen even further as House continued to speak, "You know you just wanted to watch me and my awesome bod." House flexed what little muscle he had then raised one eyebrow almost daringly watching Wilson intently the whole time. He noticed uneasiness that was almost never there.

Wilson quickly gathered his cool and sarcastically said, "Yeah that's all I want."

House was disappointed when he heard the sarcasm, "That's what I thought," he slouched back down under his covers.

Wilson was growing more frustrated the longer he stood here so he made a nod of closure to House then started walking to the door again. Just as he had his hand hovering over the door knob again he barely heard behind him a muted voice say, "College."

All his previous thoughts of the night crashed within his mind. House remembered? Wilson almost thought he had imagined it but when he turned around to the hopeful, curious-eyed House he knew exactly what was meant.

House and Wilson smiled simultaneously, and as Wilson walked over to the bed, House scooted over, allowing more room.

"You sure you wanna sleep with a cripple?"

"Shut up for once about your leg," Wilson leaned in and House gratefully accepted the kiss.