019. Denial

Denial Is Not Just A River In Egypt.

Denial.

Wilson leaned back in his chair and stared out the window into the growing dusk as the word echoed around his mind. Julie had thrown the word at him angrily, almost spitefully, just before she walked out the door, bags in hand.

"Why don't you pull yourself out of your little world of denial, James," she'd spat at him. "He stares at you like a starving man when he thinks you're not looking. You know it and you don't try and stop it. If you didn't feel the same you would put him out of his misery. If that's even possible." She gave a bitter trenchant laugh. "It's why you've been married three times. I should have known better."

She'd then stalked out of the house, leaving him standing shocked and silent in the living room.

Denial.

Oh, he knew she was right. He'd been denying what lay between himself and House for years. Since before the infarction. Since before Stacy. If he'd not been so intent on shoving his head so far into the sand it's a wonder he didn't choke, Stacy might never have happened.

He wished he could remember why he'd started this. He was sure he'd had a reason; he didn't do things without a reason. It had probably been a good reason…at the time. But now he couldn't think of any possible reason that didn't sound a bit stupid.

And now he had to decide what to do. The easiest was just to continue down the path he'd been on for the last who knows how many years. To continue to deny.

Denial. De-nial. De-nile. A river in Egypt.

He snorted at that fancy and scrubbed his face with one hand. He'd been taking the easy path for years and what did he have to show for it. Three sets of wedding photos. Three sets of divorce documents. Three ex-wives who'd eventually seen right through him though only Julie had spoken the words.

Maybe it was time to take the more difficult path.

He felt something ease inside him at that thought and a smile curved his lips. Then, as though summoned by the thought, the door to his office opened and Greg House limped in.

"Hey, I have beer, you can buy the Chinese," House said with what approximated cheerfulness in him. "They're showing the monster trucks from Phoenix tonight. You can turn green with envy and I can mock you for missing them when they were here."

Wilson turned his chair so he was looking at House. The older man blinked at the expression on Wilson's face then frowned.

"What's up?" House said with a combination of curiousity and wariness.

Wilson got to his feet and walked over to stand in close to his friend. Too close. Close enough that he could feel the heat flowing from House's body and could see the want, the need, the desire that flared briefly in his eyes.

"Julie left me," Wilson said almost casually, taking a step forward.

House took a step backwards. He opened his mouth to say something but Wilson didn't let him speak.

"She had some pretty harsh things to say," he continued, taking another step forward.

House took another step backwards.

"Harsh but true," Wilson said as he backed House up yet another step. "And I think she was right."

He took another step and this time when House stepped backwards he ended up with his back against the wall. Wilson gave him a predatory smile and stepped forward a final time, plastering his body against House's and drawing a gasp and look of dawning realisation.

"She says I've been living in denial," Wilson said still in that casual tone as he gripped House's hips with his hands, pulling them even closer together and gaining a moan from House this time. "She's right. She told me I should stop. She's right." He paused and cocked his head to one side. "What do you think?"

House growled softly and wrapped his free hand around Wilson's tie. "I think Julie's a genius," he said as he pulled Wilson to him and kissed him fiercely.