I'd like to say, I will mention sex, and I have no problem with raunchy jokes, but I'll never do outright smut. BTW, I'm updating this fast because I want 42 Mulder to eat! No fair, by the way...

Update - a very helpful reviewer pointed out a spell check error. Thanks, OldSFfan,

House woke up… comfortable. Warm and content. He lay there for a second, not thinking, not trying to puzzle out anything, just reveling in the complete feeling in his stomach that he hadn't felt in years.

Then, of course, his mind woke up, and he opened his eyes to the amber sunlight and the red sheets… and Wilson's body curled up next to his own, his shoulders under House's arm.

The night's memories came rushing back to him. House let the feelings wash over him – the joy, the love… the fear. This was, presumably, the next relationship he was inevitably going to screw up. Then, he'd not only be dumped, but he'd also be friendless. That was the price he had to pay with a wild night with his only friend.

For the moment, though, he was content to shove the pessimistic thoughts out of his mind, and hug Wilson closer to him. He nestled his chin in his lover's hair, smelling the slightly girly shampoo Wilson liked.

He could hear the slight noises of Sunday morning cartoons coming from the living room, so Jacob was probably already up and fending for himself. There was no need to move from this spot, this moment in time. If he could just stay here…

Wilson, of course, chose this moment to wake up. He yawned, then nuzzled closer into House's arms. It was like they'd been sleeping together for years instead of one night.

"Morning," Wilson said groggily, still in that post sex haze. House smirked. He knew what he could do to another person, be it man or woman.

"You just had to wake up, didn't you," House muttered, scratching his scruff on Wilson's neck to irritate him. The man just laughed and squirmed, waking up.

"Quit…" he protested, chuckling, as he wormed his way out of House's grasp and out of the covers. House admired his lover's back in the sunlight.

"Go cook me some breakfast, woman," he commanded grandly, smirking as Wilson found his pants and underwear from the night before.

Wilson just rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. We're still going to finish that furniture," he said, as if the night hadn't been extraordinarily revolutionary, as if it was totally normal that House was admiring his ass. Which, it seemed, it was. That was one of the things House loved about Wilson; he was able to accept his insane ways in a snap. Unlike everyone else, who just couldn't seem to follow him.

Wilson turned back, smirking. "Shower and then come out, and I'll have something ready."

"You didn't mind my manly musk last night," House half joked, but Wilson's cheeks flushed red and he turned around quickly. House smiled to himself as Wilson hurried to the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later, he was eating oatmeal at the table with Wilson and Jacob. Jacob kept sneaking glances at them and grinning, then ducking his eyes back into his bowl when one of them would look up.

House finally sat his spoon down. "What?" he demanded.

Jacob laughed. "Did you two have fun last night?"

Wilson blushed furiously red, his mouth open in shock. House just laughed heartily.

"Come on Wilson, it's not like you were even trying to be quiet."

Wilson was gaping like a fish. "Oh, my gosh… Jacob, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to…"

Jacob just waved his hand good naturedly, laughing along with House. "Oh, please. I'm not some innocent ten year old. You think my dad didn't have his share of girlfriends? I'm not new to it… and besides, it was about time you two stopped dancing around each other. Am I right that this has been going on for a while?"

House was still grinning as Wilson nodded slowly in amazement. This kid was more like House than he'd thought. That same intelligence was in his green eyes, that same spark at having figured something out. It was alarming, to say the least.

Wilson swallowed, looking down at his breakfast. The transition with House, he felt, had been simple. They'd just taken the next step that both of them knew was coming. But for some reason, Jacob knowing was just… embarrassing. Not even because he was with another man. More because Jacob seemed to young to even be thinking about those kinds of things.

"Oh relax, you prude," House said, getting up to dump his bowl in the sink. "If you're upset about that, wait until we have an all nighter at work…"

Wilson was blushing with embarrassment, and also, lust, as House limped to Jacob's room.

Several hours later, the room was finished. Jacob tossed himself down on his newly made bed with a content sigh, closing his eyes. House smirked, and Wilson nodded happily at the finished room. It was much more kid friendly now, with a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a book shelf. Wilson silently planned to fill that shelf as soon as possible.

As if reading his mind, House spoke up. "So when is your birthday anyway, kid?" he asked, leaning on the door frame. Last night might have been fun, but it'd done no favors for his leg.

Jacob replied without opening his eyes. "February. Twenty seventh."

House nodded, and committed it to memory. He was good at memorizing stuff like that, even if he didn't act like it. He'd never forgotten Wilson's birthday, even if he didn't bother to mention it until Wilson dropped some not so subtle hint. His was, in fact, the day before, on the twenty sixth.

"That's right next to Wilson's," House mused aloud, enjoying the startled look that the doctor in question gave him.

"Is it?" Jacob asked, though he sounded distracted. His eyes were big, staring up at his ceiling.

House walked out of the room, sensing that Jacob needed to talk to someone that wasn't a cynical ass. He vacated to the living room.

Wilson had picked up on the same thing, and sat down on the bed next to his new charge. "Anything the matter?" he asked gently, half expecting the same sharp rebuttle he would have gotten from House.

Jacob shrugged, staring at the ceiling. That was another thing he and House seemed to have in common – the answers for them in uncomfortable emotional situations were inevitably on the ceiling.

"I have to go back to school tomorrow," he said glumly, his hands clenching. Though his tone was light, Wilson could see the tension in his body.

"Why is that a bad thing?" he pressed, ever so careful.

"Kid's are going to notice. I look different. And not just the shiner, either," he explained, twisting his mouth. "I've jumped up about three social classes, just by dumping that damn hoodie and getting new shoes. Kids don't like other kids encroaching on their domain."

Wilson was again startled by Jacob's insight. "Oh, Jacob. Things are going to be fine. It may be tough at first, but you'll adjust."

Jacob shrugged, not entirely convinced. "You don't get it. I'm pretty sure you were popular in high school. House was probably the bad ass, cool dude; you probably got all the chicks. I'm nobody. People think I'm just rude because I don't want to socialize – that isn't true. I just… can't. I don't like… getting hurt. And any friends I had I would have constantly had to lie to anyway."

Wilson winced. Jacob was more like House than the kid realized. House, too, didn't try to form relationships, because he was afraid of the pain that he associated with them. It made him wonder if House was already afraid of their new intimacy ending, if he was already dreading what he saw as inevitable.

"You can't live your life like that, Jake," he began. "You have to put yourself out there. I know that you dad hurt you. But not everyone is like that. There will be good times along with the bad, no matter what you do. But if you distance yourself from everyone, you're going to regret it."

Wilson ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm not saying you have to pour out your life story to the first kid you meet. But put yourself out there."

Jacob sighed, closing his eyes, but Wilson could see that some of the tension had left his frame. "Yeah."

Back in the living room, House was playing piano, trying not to think. It was a bit of a futile pursuit, since his head never seemed to stop working.

Wilson. Wilson was going to want to talk through his childhood, piece by terrifying piece. And as much as he hated to admit his fear, it was there. He did not want to talk about it. He didn't even want to think about it. He'd spent the last 45 years trying not to think about it.

And yet.

He knew he would, for Wilson. If that was what it took for him to stay. He didn't want to lose his only friend. He'd gone his dad's funeral for the man, the one place he would have chosen clinic day for fat old people with std's over. If Wilson wanted to try to fix him… he'd do it. He knew when his need went over his fear.

His hands faltered, a sour note fouling up the piece. He stopped playing, rubbing his eyes.

He didn't like this. This… emotion. Emotion, attachment – that meant pain. Pain was something he'd had quite enough of. And it wasn't just Wilson he was attached to. The kid. Jacob. He'd already wormed his way into the group of people House could call friends – a very small club. Jacob didn't have the capability to destroy his world, like Wilson or Cuddy did, but House cared for him. He didn't want anything to happen to him. And if there was anything he'd learned as a doctor, it was that bad things happen to all kinds of people, no matter how much someone cares about you.

He knew that his fear was irrational. He was getting paranoid about what normal people dealt with just fine every day of their lives. But change frightened House.

Suddenly, Wilson was sitting next to him on the piano bench. House was stiff and still, his hands still over his eyes.

"Jacobs worried about getting bullied at school," Wilson revealed without prompting, sighing. "Apparently he isn't the most popular kid."

"Of course he isn't," House said bitterly. "No one wants to be around the emotionally damaged one."

Wilson heard more than what was on the surface in that particular statement. "House…"

"Don't," House pleaded, his shoulders slumping. "Just… don't."

Then, Wilson did something that amazed House. "Okay. We don't have to talk about it. Wanna watch a movie?"

House froze, blinking. He turned to stare at Wilson.

"What?"

"You just let it go. Just like that. Who are you and what have you done with Wilson?"

Wilson grimaced. "I don't want to force you to talk about something you aren't comfortable with. I know I haven't been… great… about that in the past… but I don't want to screw this… us… up. And I'll respect your privacy. Just know that when you are ready, I'm here."

House swallowed, looking away. Wilson thought he saw a flash of emotion in his lover's eyes that he rarely allowed to show. Sure enough, when he spoke again, his voice was slightly unsteady.

"I was ready to cave, you know that? If that's what it took to keep you around."

Wilson felt sick to his stomach. "House. You don't… have to change for me. I love you. Not your problems, not your back-story. All of you. You don't have to… give up, or… feed my need to be needed, to keep me around. I'm not gonna leave you if you don't do exactly what I want, when I want it."

House blinked several times, and Wilson could definitely see moisture in his eyes. "I just don't want to drive you away, Wilson. I'm obviously not so great at keeping them around."

Stacey. Wilson cringed just thinking about what House's last serious relationship had been like. "I'm not Stacey. I can handle your mean side, and I've seen your loving side. There really isn't much you can do to change the fact that I want to be around you for the rest of my life. I mean, I tried to leave before, and look at how that worked out."

House smiled faintly, but there was still a faint worry in his eye.

Wilson leaned into him, hugging him close. He was relieved when House didn't push him away. "Call me out if I'm pushing, House. Don't think you have to do anything you don't want to to make me stay. You don't have to… to work, for this. I promise."

House said nothing. He just turned his face into Wilson's shoulder and sighed.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews last time, even after I waited so long to update. I'll try to update AT LEAST once a week from now on...