A/N: Okay, two things. Number one- sorry for the wait for an update (I was grounded; it sucked you-know-what), and number two- I personally think this chapter sends 'sucky' to the moon. And I mean TERRIBLE. So, please review anyway, and I will update as soon as I can. Your fantastically AMAZING reviews are also blowing me to the moon (possibly Jupiter). Wow. I honestly cannot believe how much you like it. Anyway, enough of my ranting and raving; thank you muchly for the reviews and please keep them coming. They keep me writing.
Huggles, Shay.
House froze with his drink halfway to his mouth.
"What?"
House didn't move a muscle, save for his eyes. They scanned the cafeteria quickly. Bingo. Cuddy and Stacy. The words were definitely from Cuddy. He got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was a bit unnerving, actually. "Wilson." He paused, "am I a cynical, self-absorbed jerk who's too caught up in his own world to give a damn about any one else's?"
Wilson spat out his drink. "What?" Trying to compose himself, he wiped his mouth and the table with a napkin, then repeated himself. "What?"
"You heard me," House snapped, taking a large gulp of his coke
"Is that a rhetorical question?" Wilson asked incredulously.
"No."
"Are you high?"
"No!" Exasperation crept into House's tone.
"Then why the hell are you asking me such a stupid question? Since when do you care what other people think of you? And speaking of that," Wilson continued, fully in his element now, "that's twice in twenty four hours I've said that, for your information." He fell silent, ending his emphatic tirade.
House frowned at him. "Never mind," he shook his head with an odd tone in his voice. "Forget I asked." He stood up and dumped the rest of his food in the trash, then headed for the door. He was halfway down the hall to his office before his friend came after him.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Wilson pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
House nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now leave me alone."
Wilson sighed again. "Fine, I'll bite. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"I don't believe you. You're acting weird."
"Weird? That's an odd word coming from an oncologist," House snickered.
"Oh, shut it. Never mind, then, if you're going to dodge the subject every time I bring it up."
"There you go!" House exclaimed, as if it was completely his idea.
Wilson rolled his eyes. "I give up," he muttered, and turned in the other direction.
It was unbelievably quiet; barely audible, and yet he heard it.
"Cuddy."
He turned. "What?"
"It was Cuddy," the diagnostician repeated, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"What was Cuddy?" Wilson asked, trying to understand his friend.
"What I asked you."
"Oh." Wilson was shocked speechless. "Cuddy?"
"Cuddy." The blue-eyed man confirmed.
Wilson let out a low whistle. "Uh, House, what makes this time different from any other time? She kicks your ass five times a day."
"I don't know."
Something was very wrong.
Wilson stared at his friend. House serious was the rarest thing other than a three dollar coin- wait a second. There was no such thing. Point made, he thought wryly. The man's so out of character it's not even funny. "Alright, here we go." He steered House into his office and the two men sat down. "Spill. Now." It didn't matter that he sounded like a fourteen-year-old teenager. He wanted to know everything going on in House's head.
"I..."
Wilson waited patiently.
"Think..."
"Yes?"
"I..."
"House."
"Jeez."
"Say something, for the love."
"Um..."
Wilson's pager buzzing at his hip interrupted House, and the blue-eyed man cheered. "Saved by the pager! Whee!" He pumped his fist in the air. "Go, shoo. You have patients waiting."
Wilson glared at him. "We're not finished."
"I should hope not," House sneered. His hands came up to clutch at his chest. "Help me, I'm dying," he whined in a high-pitched, pitiful voice.
Wilson sighed and headed for the door. "I'm your ride home, House, don't think I'll let it go."
"Yes Mom." House paused. "Oh, no, wait. That's Cuddy. No, wait. That's Cameron. Cuddy's the wicked witch of the west. Or maybe..." he twirled his cane in circles in the air as he continued muttering to himself.
Wilson shook his head without a word and stepped outside.
"He so likes her."
"DO NOT!"
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