049. Wait

Have Faith

"House. Wait."

House came to a reluctant halt but he didn't turn around. He remained standing at the door of Wilson's new apartment, one hand on the handle. He'd come around tonight to ask, obliquely as he always did, for Wilson to come back to his apartment, to come back to him even if he didn't exactly say it in so many words. But Wilson had said no and House knew Wilson well enough to know that he was saying no to more than just the moving back in thing. He knew Wilson had seen what was in his eyes, had heard what he hadn't said out loud. And he'd never coped well with rejection.

"House…" Wilson said softly from behind him.

House cut him off before he could say anything more. "It's fine," he said brusquely.

He was about to turn the handle, open the door, to leave and hope that he could still keep the friendship even if he couldn't have anything more. A warm body plastered itself against his back and he froze, closing his eyes and gripping the door handle so tightly his knuckles went white. He shivered as hands ran down his arms and fingers entwined with his.

"I wasn't saying no to that," Wilson whispered in his ear and he shivered again. "At least not exactly."

"What do you mean?" House said then he cursed silently at the raspy, slightly needy quality to his voice. He was starting to be at a disadvantage here and he hated that.

"I'm not one of your hookers, Greg," Wilson said, low into his ear. "You don't get to kick me out or treat me like one. In fact, if you really want this, no more hookers."

House nodded jerkily; he could do that.

"And you have to have faith in me, trust me, just like I have faith in you, trust you," Wilson continued. "I want this and I know you do to, that's why you came here. I won't cheat on you, Greg. You have to trust me."

"You don't have a great track record," House said, finding a spark of snark within him.

He felt more than heard Wilson's soft sigh, a puff of air against his neck and ear making him shiver again.

"I know," Wilson said softly, almost sadly. "But I'm not going to cheat on you, Greg. I promise."

House stayed still, thoughts flitting through his mind, debates raging until finally he nodded and leaned back just a fraction against Wilson.

"Then…yes," Wilson murmured. "And when I move back into your apartment, I'm not sleeping on the sofa."