020. Colourless

One Tequila, Two Tequila

House swirled the colourless liquid around in the glass and stared at it as though it held all the answers in the universe. In way he was hoping it did because he sure as hell needed some right now. Actually he really only needed one answer – why had he ruined his friendship with the only person who could stand being in a room with him for more than ten minutes?

It was his own fault, of course. It usually was when something got this monumentally screwed up. Kissing your best friend, your only friend, your straight, three times married friend, was not the wisest of moves. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it. Or rather he wasn't sure why he'd done it now when he'd wanted to do it for years and had successfully managed to contain himself all that time.

In retrospect he was fairly sure it was the look on Wilson's face. Julie had filed for divorce, had sent the papers to her soon-to-be ex-husband's office.

Wilson had looked so defeated and beaten when he'd looked up at House and said, "I didn't even cheat on her. I was tempted, I looked but I didn't do anything. Why is the one time I don't screw around I still manage to screw it up?"

House hadn't really known how to answer that and before he'd even had a chance to come up with something moderately scathing Wilson had sighed and scrubbed his face with one hand. He'd given a self-mocking laugh and looked up at House.

"And the funny thing is this was the one time I actually wanted to have an affair," he said morosely. "I didn't do anything about it because…well, because I couldn't."

House raised an eyebrow at that revelation. "Couldn't do anything about it? Why? How did this mystery woman manage to evade the charms of the Boy Wonder?"

Wilson had flushed at that and looked startled. He'd given House a deer in the headlights look as he mentally reviewed what he'd just said then he'd blushed a deep crimson and looked hurriedly down at the desk.

That reaction had piqued House's curiosity and started his mind running overtime. While he worked out possible reason for Wilson's reaction, he'd decided to tease a little.

"Hey, I haven't seen you blush like that since…" He paused and thought for a moment. "Hang on, I've never seen you blush like that. What's wrong, Jimmy? Your mystery woman actually a mystery man?"

The startled look and even deeper blush that he gained from that shot caused every jigsaw piece to fall into place. He wasn't entirely sure that the picture was the right one but the pieces sure as hell fit.

"Me?" he'd blurted out.

He got his proof that the picture was the right one when Wilson leapt to his feet and retreated to the opposite side of the room, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and staring at the floor. House had stared at his incredibly flustered friend for a moment then limped over to stand in front of him. Wilson very determinedly stared at his shoes until House grabbed his tie and tugged lightly. Then when Wilson looked up, House leaned forward and kissed him.

As first kisses go it had been fairly mundane until Wilson had overcome his surprise and tentatively kissed back. House had taken that as all the permission he needed and proceeded to claim Wilson as his own, feeling glee build up inside at the other man's moans. But when Wilson placed a solid hand on his chest and pushed them apart with a gasped "No" House thought that for once he'd misread the situation. He staggered away from Wilson and limped for the door as fast as he could manage.

He'd paused in the doorway, not looking back and whispering, "I'm sorry."

He'd gone back to his office and grabbed his bag before escaping from the hospital, ignoring his team when they tried to speak to him and Cuddy when she tried to stop him. He'd driven around for about half an hour before seeing the bar and deciding that getting plastered and hoping the Wilson would forgive him might be his best plan for the night.

"Are you drinking tequila?"

The oh-so-familiar voice broke into his thought and made him look up. Wilson was standing next to the table, looking slightly quizzical and smiling that warm smile that House liked so much.

"When in Rome," House said with a shrug. "Or in this case, when in a Mexican-themed bar."

"I didn't think you liked tequila," Wilson observed as he slid into the booth seat beside House.

House drew in a sharp breath at the sudden proximity.

"Yeah, well, I was planning on getting kind of drunk and you get more bang for your buck with this crap," he said as nonchalantly as he could manage with Wilson sitting so close.

Wilson tapped his fingers against the table then took the shot glass away from House, draining what was left in it and placing it on the table.

"Why were planning on getting drunk?" he asked calmly.

"Because I managed to screw up the only friendship I've got left and I was looking to drown my sorrows," House growled.

"What makes you think you did that?"

"I kissed you, you didn't want me to," House snapped, looking around to try and find the barman.

Wilson looked contemplative. "You guessed right and I kissed back. I know your brain works in mysterious ways sometimes but how exactly did you extrapolate that I didn't want you to kiss me?"

"You stopped me and said no," House said, now starting to feel a little confused and not sure whether to blame the tequila or the man sitting next to him.

"I stopped you because I didn't think making out in the middle of my office at work was a very good idea," Wilson said patiently. "I was going to suggest that we wait until after work when we could go back to your place and take advantage of your really comfortable couch and if things went well enough your really comfortable bed."

House stopped trying to find the barman in favour of staring at Wilson who simply stared back with amusement and an unmissable invitation in his eyes.

"You were?" he said blankly then he began to grin a little. "I like that suggestion."

Wilson made a show of checking his watch. "And it is officially after work." He slid out of the booth and raised an eyebrow at House. "Coming?"

"So many ways to take that," House said with a leer. "And I think I agree with them all."