Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own the two sexy men you're about to read about. But if I do ever get a chance to purchase them, I will definitely NOT be sharing! LOL

Author's Notes: I have decided to embark on a little adventure. I have recently been popping in my old DVDs of season one of House and I was thinking of what I thought of the House/Wilson relationship at that exact point. So, I will be writing several oneshot fics each taking place directly after the episode they are named for. There will be spoilers for the episode mentioned, not that will matter since I'm sure each of us have already seen these eps, but I thought I'd better mention it or get scolded! Please keep in mind that I tried to push all information out of my mind except exactly what was given to us in the episode titled and previous episodes. Also, this will not be a series, saying that you will NOT have to read this one to read the next. Nothing that happened in this one will be mentioned or will have happened in the next. The only connection is that they will all be House/Wilson mostly SLASH fics. Hope you enjoy!

Control

From his comfort zone in House's kitchen, Wilson was busy chopping peppers and onions to add to their steaks when House walked in freshly showered. He was grabbing a beer from the fridge when Wilson said, "I heard about Cameron."

House groaned inwardly, knowing that his best friend must be talking about his earlier rejection of his fragile fellow. Out loud, House chose his usual sarcasm, "I tried to let her down gently. You know I'm saving myself for you, Jimmy."

"What'd you think the steak is for?"

After popping the top off his beer, "Awe, you're trying to woo me."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's my goal."

Veering away from their banter, "How'd you find out?"

"Grapevine. He said, she said. Everyone thinks you're nuts."

"Right, 'cause it would be so smart for me to get involved with one of my direct reports, especially a sappy emotional one who's half my age."

"Did you lie?"

After a long pull of his beer, "I told you; I never lie."

Wilson turned from the stove toward House with a raised eyebrow look. "You really don't like her? I thought you had fun at that monster truck thing with her?"

Stealing a pepper as he walked by, "A, I don't like her and B, I'd rather not talk about that night."

Wilson rolled his eyes, wondering whether House was ever going to forgive him for betraying him. Knowing House like he did, he knew the time probably wouldn't come soon. After crunching on a pepper himself, he tossed the rest in the pan and then moved to lean in the doorway, wiping his hands with the towel from his shoulder. "I also heard that you met Vogler." House suppressed the roll of his eyes, not only because Wilson was about to give him hell for standing up to the new Chairman of the Board, but also because he had yet to tell Wilson of Vogler's final revelation. "I told you to keep your head down."

With raised eyebrows, "Wanna throw me over your knee and spank me?"

Tossing the towel back over his shoulder, "I don't think you're supposed to enjoy punishment."

"Oh. Well then toss that idea." Wilson chuckled as he turned back into the kitchen, listening to House from the other room. "Besides, you ruined the whole meeting!"

"Me? How did I ruin it?"

"At a very pivotal moment, I turned on my MP3 player and your damn 'Hava Nagila' came on! Totally ruined my moment!"

Wilson poked his head back in the living room, "Wanna throw me over your knee and spank me?"

Wagging his finger, "Oh, you with the wooing!" Wilson disappeared into the kitchen again as House flipped on the television. "When did you add that anyway?"

"Last week while you were sleeping."

House huffed as he flipped through the channels, reveling in the scents drifting from the kitchen.

Wilson finished up with dinner, comfortable with the roles they'd fallen into, lost somewhere between best friends and spouses. He chuckled, wondering what House would say about his evaluation of their relationship. Even at work they pushed the boundaries of being best friends, their bodies drifting close enough to touch as the walked side-by-side down the hallway, sharing a sprinkling of suggestive comments and enjoying a plethora of shared food.

Truly, the line drawn between friends and lovers had diminished from black to a very faint, fuzzy gray over the past few years. Although they'd never talked about it, or barely even addressed the fact that it had happened, they had somehow become accustomed to the relationship they'd created and the roles each one of them played. As time passed, conversations became more intimate, space less personal and the bond more cherished.

Their relationship worked in its own way, leaving both men leery of any change that might affect it. The most recent infection threatening to ruin them was Vogler. The thought of the new Chairman of the Board left a sick feeling in the pit of Wilson's stomach. It didn't take much for House to buck against new authority and even less for such authority to rear its ugly head against House.

Wilson's plan for the night was to convince House to listen to him. With full plates in hand, Wilson headed into the living room with shaky determination. After setting a plate on House's lap, Wilson set his plate down and returned for another set of beers. He was a few bites into his meal before he realized House hadn't touched his food. "You love my steak."

With a grin, "You aren't gonna cut it for me?"

"Want me to feed it to you too?" He paused only slightly. "Eat your dinner!" They ate in silence as the monster trucks crushed random things on the television until Wilson finally asked, "What happened with Vogler?"

House popped a bite of his steak into his mouth before answering sarcastically, "We had a nice chat. We're pals now."

"Yeah, now how about the truth?"

"We have…an understanding."

"So you understand that he's not gonna leave you alone until he gets rid of you and he understands that you'll never change and he'll have to go to extreme measures to get rid of you?"

House screwed his face up saying, "Something like that." After another bite, "Stop worrying about me. I'm not going anywhere." House swallowed his half-truth with his food, telling himself that he would tell Wilson the truth soon enough.

"House, I'm serious."

"I know that your overprotective brain is serious about making sure I still have my precious job. The question is, just why is it so damn important to you?"

Wilson dropped his fork, metal clattering against the glass plate and falling onto the wooden coffee table. "Because, like I told you earlier, our friendship is important to me."

With a mouthful of food, "Actually you said it was your moral responsibility."

"Should I be flattered that you actually listen to me?"

They shared a passing glance before House asked, "Do you know of anybody else that I actually listen to?"

Wilson pondered for a few moments, not because he had to think about the actual answer, but because of the statement inside the posed question. Not only was House admitting that he actually did listen to him, but also that he was the only one House actually listened to. With that thought, Wilson used the admission for his own means. "Then listen to this." Crossing the line again, Wilson placed a hand on House's knee. "Please be careful. Steer clear of Vogler. And wear your damn lab coat!"

House developed a smirk. "What's the matter, Jimmy? My ass that much of a distraction that you have to find an excuse to cover it?"

Turning his attention back to his meal, "If I was worried about a distraction, I would have told you to wear sunglasses."

Both of their plates were clear before House spoke again. "You know, maybe both of us should be watching our back." He held his breath while he waited for Wilson to respond.

Wilson turned to House with accusation in his eyes and voice. "And why would you say that?"

House scratched at his head, procrastinating as much as possible. "Just something Vogler said." Wilson waved his hand, signaling for House to continue. "When I mentioned my tenure and my having your vote to keep me, then he mentioned that he figured out that it would be easier to get rid of a Board member than to get rid of me."

The tension that had been building in Wilson's chest created a knot in his throat. His eyes met House's blue, pausing to ensure he had his best friend's full attention. "I don't give a damn about my position on the Board other than using its ability to protect you."

In a gesture that pushed beyond any that had come before it, House raised a hand to run fingers along Wilson's jaw. "Have you ever put yourself first in anything?"

Wilson didn't answer, but instead stood and gathered the plates to take to the kitchen. Once he returned to the living room, he took a seat beside House much closer than necessary, propped his feet on the coffee table and ever so slightly leaned toward the other man as he settled in to watch the program flashing across the television screen. They watched the show in silence, Wilson barely registering his eyes closing or sleep overcoming him and not even noticing the arm that snaked around his shoulders.

Waking up what must have been hours later to the gentle sound of House's snoring, Wilson found himself snuggled intimately close to his friend. The struggle between the need to go to the bathroom and his desire to remain in his current position played in his mind before his bladder won out. He carefully extricated himself from House's half embrace and couldn't stop himself from staring at his friend as he slept. He watched the easy rise and fall of his chest and the look of peace on his best friend's face, wanting to somehow capture the moment. Before he could even think about his actions, he bent down and whispered his lips over House's temple then quickly walked to the bathroom.

When he returned to the living room, he found House's sleeping form stretched out on the couch. He contemplated momentarily with whether or not he should wake House up to tell him to go to bed. His desire to sleep in a comfortable bed combined with the knowledge that his friend hated being woken up made his decision for him. Unbuttoning his slacks as he went, Wilson headed for the bedroom, shuffling his feet with tired steps. After pulling on a pair of House's sweats and stripping down to his undershirt, he flopped into his best friend's bed. His eyes drifted closed as he buried his face in the pillow, inhaling the musky scent that was distinctively House.

Just before entering the peaceful world of sleep, House's voice roused him. "Woos."

He cracked open one eye and sleep filled his voice. "What?"

Completely ignoring the question, House took a few steps, stripped to his boxer briefs and t-shirt and said, "Move."

Wilson whined, unmoving, having no desire to go back to the sofa. "I'm tired."

House shrugged as he climbed into bed, his body slipping into place beside Wilson's. The younger man made a motion to move, but the arm House wrapped quickly around the other man's waist held firm. After a questioning glance from Wilson, House repeated, "Woos."

Wilson stretched his word, "Okay."

"You think you can just kiss me and then walk away like it never happened?"

The shock overcame him as he stuttered. "I…I didn't…even realize that…that you were awake."

Ignoring the insecurity Wilson was emitting, "You think I want to remember that as our first kiss?"

Wilson began to defend himself, "Listen, I didn't mean for…wait…first? As in second?"

An evil grin spread across House's face. "Mmm. Glad you asked."

Before he knew it, House had closed the distance between their lips. He was frozen with shock, his brain not even triggering his body to respond. It wasn't until House spoke again that he shook himself back to reality. "Okay, maybe third time's a charm."

Thoughts raced thru Wilson's mind like shooting stars across the sky. The spontaneous part of him wanted to give in to the moment, return House's kiss with all the passion he felt deep in the pit of his stomach. His desire to release all of the emotions that he seemed to have been holding in check for years fought with vigorous determination. But his rational side demanded for an explanation of what was to come. After a few moments, he found the right question. "Is this one of your jokes?" Any other person might have been offended, but Wilson knew that the words were ones House could appreciate.

"This is me doing what you should've done out in the living room." Wilson swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "It would be nice if you'd actually kiss back this time." When their lips met, they melded together like they were made to be a pair. The kiss was brief and somewhat chaste, but still left Wilson mildly bewildered.

When their lips parted, Wilson asks dumbly, "Did we just kiss?"

House rolled his eyes. "Barely."

Wilson pushed against House's chest and this time his friend let him go. He sat up, slumped over and ran fingers thru his hair. "I can't do this."

House thru back the blanket that he'd crawled under only moments ago and stood. "Right. I forgot about that backbone you don't have."

Just a tad bit hurt, "Screw you, House."

"No thanks. I think I'll hold to being rejected once per night."

Wilson let out a frustrated growl. "I'm not rejecting you."

House began to pace, cane in hand. "Really? What do you call it?"

His voice rose to a near yell. "I call it needing five minutes to take in the fact that I'm considering cheating on my wife with my male best friend, not to mention risking the only stable relationship I'm in for some role on the hay."

House seemed taken back, almost as if he'd been slapped across the face. "You think I'd risk our friendship for one night of sex?"

Wilson opened his mouth to speak, but the shut it in thought. He held up a questioning finger asking, "Did you say 'sex'? You expect me to put out on the same night as our first kiss?"

With his arms flung out, "Well not any more!" He took a few steps closer to the bed and pointed a finger at Wilson's chest. "You think that you value our friendship more than I do because you wear all your feelings on your damn sleeve. You think I don't have the same feelings as you because I don't express them. But the reality is that I don't share my feelings because of moments like this."

"So you think you have the same feelings for me that I do for you, huh? Do you sometimes wonder if 'best friends' is the right term to describe our relationship? Are there moments when we walk beside each other where you fight not to take my hand?" His voice was rising with every word, his frustration overcoming him. "When you decide what you're going to eat, do you always choose something you know I'll eat too? Does it terrify you to think that something could happen and you'll never be able to tell me how you really feel?"

House yelled a single syllable that brought Wilson spiraling down. "Yes!" Both men stared at each other, their beating hearts echoing thru the silence. House's next words were only just above a whisper. "You know…except for the food thing."

Wilson studied his friend for a few silent moments before pushing with a firm, but gentle order, "Then tell me now."

A nervous shake entered the older man's voice. "Tell you…what?"

"Tell me how you feel about me."

Panic formed in House's eyes. "I…I…"

Wilson crawled across the bed like a child and knelt in front of the other man. Looking directly into his eyes, "Do you love me?"

House swallowed hard. There was a long silence before he finally said, "I'm still not wearing my lab coat for you."

Although he hadn't said the actual words, Wilson heard the 'I love you' in his voice. "Well, I wouldn't want you to cover up that ass of yours anyway." House finally cracked a smile. "But please be careful. I…I can't lose you…especially not now."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere?"

Wilson reverted to his pleading voice and threw a hint of puppy dog in his eyes. "House…please!"

Giving in, House rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Head down. Got it. But you watch your back."

"I think you'll be watching my back enough for the both of us; especially below the waist area."

"Shut up and kiss me, Jimmy."

Their lips met again, this time without hesitation. Tongues danced together, exploring each other's mouths, emitting moans from both men. Hands grabbed at fistfuls of clothing, House's cane clattered to the floor, the sound causing both men to pull back breathlessly.

House pushed Wilson back onto the bed before regaining his place under the covers. "Two things. One, I don't cuddle. Two, watch my leg. If my tossing and turning keeps you up, you go to the couch. No complaining."

Wilson scrunched his face saying, "I think that was technically three things, but I got it." Both men were lying silently beside each other before Wilson asked, "So what do we do now?"

"Assuming you mean metaphorically now and not technically right now, nothing. We go on the same as we always have. Just, now we get to have fantastic sex on top of everything else."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy. If you make it difficult, it won't work. The only relationship either one of us is any good at is our friendship. If we try any other relationship, we'll just screw it up."

Wilson thought for a moment before realizing the truth in House's statement. "'Night, House."

"'Night, Wilson."

"Hey, House?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you too."