023. Happy
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
"And a glorious morning to you all on this disgustingly cheery day!" House almost bellowed as he limped into the Diagnostic Medicine conference room.
Chase, Cameron and Foreman all looked up with startled, deer-in-the-headlights expressions on their faces. They looked over at their boss and their eyes widened even further. House was wearing clothes that while no different from what he normally wore were clean, neat and ironed. His face was actually clean-shaven and he was smiling brightly, his blue eyes alive with what looked like good humour.
The three young doctors turned and stared at each other as their jaws dropped then frowns appeared and they started surreptitiously looking around for hidden cameras or other indications that perhaps they'd fallen asleep and were dreaming.
House, for his part, poured himself a cup of coffee and headed for his office. He paused as he got to the door and gave them disapproving looks.
"Well, you're a grouchy bunch today," he observed before shaking his head, grinning some more and limping into his office.
Chase, Cameron and Foreman waited until the door had closed then looked at each other again.
"Alright, who was that?" Chase said bluntly.
"Well, it looked like House," Foreman said, sounding very nonplussed.
"He looks…happy," Cameron added, sounding baffled. "Cheerful."
"Yeah," Chase said, sounding as confused as the others. "And that's just…weird."
"Maybe he's been replaced with a pod person?" Foreman ventured.
"We're not in a movie," Cameron said with a roll of her eyes.
"Maybe Dr Wilson knows what's going on," Chase said dryly.
"Why?" Foreman asked then he saw that Chase was looking into House's office.
Foreman and Cameron turned to see Wilson walking into House's office with an expression on his face that was disturbingly similar to the one they'd seen on House. As they watched Wilson dropped down into the chair in front of the desk and he and House spoke for a moment then laughed uproariously. House leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and said something with a wicked look on his face that got another laugh out of Wilson. Wilson then said something that must have been equally wicked back because House's eyes twinkled as he laughed.
Wilson grinned as he got up and walked around to the other side of the desk. He leaned against it and reached out with one hand to caress House's cheek. House leaned into the caress and three jaws in the conference room dropped open.
"House…and Wilson?" Chase said in a voice that got rather squeaky by the end.
"Apparently," Foreman replied with admirable sangfroid.
"Oh," was all Cameron could manage, her voice weak and wispy.
"Well," Chase began, obviously trying to match Foreman's calm and failing miserably. "Happy is good, isn't it?"
"I have no idea," Foreman replied.
None of them had been able to tear their eyes away from the spectacle in the office and thus they were witness when Wilson leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to House's lips.
"I…think I'm due in the clinic," Cameron said in a strange, strained voice before she got up and hurried out of the room.
"I'm going to see what's going on in the ER," Chase said decisively. "It's gotta be easy to comprehend that that."
"Yeah," Foreman added as the two men got up. "I think Neurology's calling me."
With that they hurried out of the room.