030. Coffee Mug

Distraction

House returned from his morning scolding from Cuddy to find Wilson sitting at the table in the conference room. This was not an entirely unusual situation; in fact Wilson could often be found lurking in the Diagnostic Medicine offices. What did add a touch of difference to this particular day was that Wilson was drinking his coffee from House's red coffee mug.

House limped in and raised an eyebrow at the oncologist, shooting a significant look at the mug in his hand. Wilson returned the raised eyebrow and the amused and slightly mischievous look in his eyes almost dared House to make an issue of it.

The three young doctors caught this byplay and exchanged quick glances. They too had noticed Wilson's appropriation of House's coffee mug but figured that since Wilson was able to take liberties with House that no one else could that maybe this fell into that category. And if this was a liberty too far then at least the fallout wouldn't land on them. But much to their surprise, House said nothing. They were fairly sure they saw a gleam of amusement in his eyes but it was gone so quickly that they couldn't be entirely sure.

"What are you lot doing in here?" House snapped as he pulled another coffee mug out of the cupboard and filled it up from the pot. "Last time I looked we had a patient."

"He's stable and we're waiting for the test results," Foreman said. "Where else are we supposed to be?"

"He's got a point there, House," Wilson said with a tiny smile.

"So says the oncologist," House said. "Run out of chairs in your own department."

"No but your coffee's better," Wilson replied blandly.

House smirked and Chase, Cameron and Foreman waited for the biting comment about Wilson's use of House's mug. Once again they were disappointed.

"Of course it is," House said. "Cameron buys it because she thinks if I have good coffee I might just be more pleasant to the patients and people in general."

Cameron blushed as Wilson merely raised and eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. "I see. Interesting theory."

"Stupid theory," House said, warming to his subject. "I'm never pleasant. Coffee isn't going to change that."

A look of sheer and utter mischief swept across Wilson's face then it disappeared and was replaced by a look of mild amusement.

"Well, if the coffee was strong enough you might at least be perky," he said, his lips twitching.

House gave him an incredulous look. "Perky? Have I ever, in all the time you've known me, been perky?"

Wilson cocked his head to one side and he pretended to think. "Well, there was that one time…oh, no, wait, hang on, that was petulant, not perky."

Chase quickly smothered a snicker while Foreman looked away to hide his smile.

House looked both amused and mollified. "That's more like it. Besides the only thing stronger coffee would do is keep me awake at night and you wouldn't like what arrived the next morning."

Cameron seemed to think this was her cue to retreat and she stood, picking up the papers that had been sitting on the table in front of her.

"I…I think I'll go and check on our patient," she said hastily before beating her retreat out the door.

House watched her go with a smirk then turned to Foreman and Chase. "Hmm, wonder how hard it'll be to get rid of you two?"

The two young doctors exchanged rather world-weary looks and gathered up their things.

"We'll…go and help Cameron," Foreman said dryly.

Once they had left House turned to Wilson and gave him an arch look.

"Getting a little familiar, aren't we?" he said, gesturing towards the red coffee mug with the one in his hand.

"Well, we share an apartment and a bed, why not a coffee mug?" Wilson said blandly, though his eyes were alight with amusement. "It's not like I haven't had ample exposure to your germs."

House gave a short laugh and limped over to stand beside him. "Want some more exposure?" he asked with a rather heated leer.

Wilson licked his lips and looked rather tempted. He then glanced out of the glass walls and doors and smiled ruefully.

"We agreed to keep this discreet until my divorce went through," he said reluctantly, nodding towards the glass. "We can't do that in here."

House looked over at the glass as well and shrugged. "Well then, we'll have to do this the roundabout way."

He put his mug down on the table and in a swift move snatched the red mug out of Wilson's hand. He ran his tongue briefly around the rim where Wilson had been drinking then took a swallow of the coffee. He turned and limped towards his office, smirking at the oddly contemplative and slightly aroused look that he'd left on Wilson's face.