alanwolfmoon

Title: Seeing the Light
Pairing: House/+Wilson friendship/preslash, Cuddy/Lucas
Author: alanwolfmoon
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Sick!iWilson, spoilers for Teamwork. Removing Huddy from a cannon plotline.
Summary: When Wilson has a seizure because of the strobe lights at the party, things take a different turn. A much less angsty and definitely less Huddy turn.
Disclaimer: MINE! ALL MINE!....uh, no. Not mine.
Feedback: Reviews and flames are welcome. (They make it look like I'm writing fast)
Notes: I had an idea for this fic based on the promos, but it didn't get written until now, so it ended up being kind of a less Huddy rewrite of the dance and what happens after. Also, I think my style changed again.






House gritted his teeth, dancing awkwardly back and forth with Lisa Cuddy. It would have helped if his bad leg wasn’t acting up, but it was, and he couldn’t support himself on anything while his hands were occupied with her.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, letting him support himself partially against her, giving him a gentle, but not overly concerned look. He stared over the top of her head, at Wilson, who was standing by the drinks, watching with a smile on his face.

House looked back down at Cuddy, as another song started and strobe and disco lights started to flash. All of a sudden, there was a loud crash behind Cuddy, and House let go, hurrying, wig falling somewhat askew on his head, to the jerking figure by the drinks table. Wilson, seizing, eyes rolled up.


Wilson opened his eyes. He was curled on his side in a hospital bed, something weird wrapped around his head, a hand rubbing back and forth over his back. His tongue hurt. It felt like he had bitten it. He turned over, and saw House looking down at him, still dressed in his ridiculous costume.

House gently touched Wilson’s face with his callused right hand, “hey. How’re you feelin’?” his voice was quiet, and frighteningly gentle. House didn’t do gentle.

Wilson sat up, “um... I’ve got a headache, and I think I bit my tongue sometime... why... did I pass out?”

House shook his head, resting his hand on the heavily padded rail that was attached to the side of Wilson’s hospital bed, “the strobe lights triggered a seizure. You’re okay, you just were out of it for a couple’a hours.”

Wilson nodded, rubbing his elbow, which kind of hurt, “um, House...” he looked at his friend, worriedly.

House sighed, “we don’t know yet, Jimmy. You’ve got an MRI scheduled in a few hours. It could very easily just be adult onset epilepsy, or even photosensitive epilepsy that just never got triggered before. You were drinking, your blood alcohol was .12, so your seizure threshold would have been lowered.”

Wilson nodded again. He seemed both worried and relieved, at the same time. House pressed his lips together, and reached, gently tugging Wilson to lie on his front. Wilson complied, expression confused, but open. House rested his hand on Wilson’s back, and started moving it in gentle circles, once again.

“House?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why are you scared?”

“I’m not scared.”

“The last time you gave me a backrub, it was when I got alcohol poisoning after Bonnie filed for divorce. The time before that was that time I got in a car crash and couldn’t talk for two days. Both of those times, you were scared I wasn’t going to be okay.”

“I... well, yeah, Wilson. It’s scary. You had a seizure, you were unconscious for three hours. I don’t know what caused it yet,” said House, removing his hand.

Wilson turned his head, looking at his friend, “House.”

“What?”

“...please keep rubbing.”

House sighed, at the quiet, scared tone in his friend’s voice. He rested his hand back down, and started rubbing once more, feeling the expansion and contraction of Wilson’s ribcage, and the warmth of his friend’s body through the thin hospital robe.

House stopped, but only to shrug off the long costume coat, and dump it on the chair behind himself. He sat on the edge of the bed, and continued to run his hand over his friend’s back, up and down, back and forth, in gentle circles, then in firm. Wilson had been tense, upset, when he started. Now he was relaxed, eyes half closed, face buried in the pillows. But he still had a little trail of dried blood on his chin, from when he had bitten his tongue during the seizure.

Wilson eventually fell asleep, but House kept rubbing. He was doing it as much for his own comfort as for Wilson’s. He needed to have the constant reminder that was Wilson breathing beneath his hand. Wilson’s warm body, Wilson’s breathing, moving body, beneath his hand.

But... it really was late, it was two AM, and House was exhausted. He ended up laying on the bed, on his side, his hand resting on Wilson’s back. Wilson stirred, and opened his ridiculously big brown eyes... then reached, and curled his hand in House’s poofy shirt, resting his forehead against House’s chest.

It was about the closest they’d come to hugging, ever, but it was strangely comfortable.


House opened his eyes, as someone came in. Cuddy, changed into her more normal attire. She was holding a pair of his jeans and one of his shirts, “I got the hotel to let me into your room.”

House nodded, “thanks.”

She laid the clothes over the foot of the bed, “how is he?”

House shrugged, tiredly, looking at his friend, “he woke up, and he seemed fine. He said his tongue hurt, but he bit it during the seizure, so that’s not really surprising.”

Cuddy nodded, folding his coat over the back of the chair, and sitting down, “do they know what caused the seizure yet?”

House shook his head, shifting slightly. Wilson had rolled pretty much on top of him while they slept, and his right arm was numb from lack of circulation, “not yet. He’s got an MRI scheduled in the morning to check for any structural problems in the brain, but he hasn’t got any other symptoms, and the strobe lights and alcohol...”

She nodded, “it could easily have been just a one-time thing.”

House nodded, trying to free his arm from under Wilson’s body. Wilson grunted at the movement, and buried his face in the red brocade fabric covering House’s shoulder. Cuddy smiled a little, “I should go.”

House shook his head, “no... I mean, I guess... wait, it’s like five AM, where did you get a babysitter at a conference at that hour?”

Cuddy sighed, leaning forward, “I’ve... been meaning to tell you that. It just never seemed like the right time, and I didn’t want to spring it on you.”

House tilted his head, “tell me what? You seeing someone?”

Cuddy nodded, “yes.”

House shrugged with his free shoulder, “okay. Good for you.”

Cuddy smiled, “I’m glad to hear you say that. And it isn’t that I didn’t want you to know, it’s... it’s just that the guy I’m seeing? It’s Lucas. He’s here. Well, not here, he’s back at the hotel, but...”

House was silent for a moment. Then he slowly grinned a little, “well... yeah, I can see how that might’ve been awkward. But, no. I don’t really... I mean...” he sighed, shaking his head, “it would have been really awkward if you’d told me tomorrow. Wilson was... he’s basically been trying to get me to...”

Cuddy was smiling at him, gently.

He stopped talking, and frowned at her, “you’re smiling.”

She nodded, “I am. It’s sweet that you were going to try. But we both know there’s no way it would work.”

He nodded, tiredly, “yeah, I guess.”

She sighed, “I’m sorry if you felt like I led you on.”

He shook his head, “you didn’t.”

She nodded, “I’m glad.”

He looked her over, and then sighed, “you want to call him, don’t you?”

She bit her lip, “Rachel wouldn’t stop crying when I left...”

“Call him.”

Cuddy nodded, getting to her feet and walking out into the hall, pulling her cellphone out of her purse as she moved. House looked back down at Wilson. The oncologist was sleeping, peaceful. House hesitantly titled his head, so the side of it was resting against Wilson’s forehead. Wilson’s hand tightened very slightly in the ruffles on the front of House’s shirt.

Cuddy came back in after a minute or two, and sat back down in the chair, “he’s coming here, bringing Rachel.”

House nodded, “good.”

Cuddy tilted her head a little, “good?”

House shrugged with his left shoulder, “haven’t seen him in a while.”

“You’re really not bothered?”

“Do you want me to be?”

She shook her head, “no, I... was just worried you would be. And you’re being remarkably mature, and it’s making me nervous.”

House shook his head, “he’s liked you since he met you, and he’s ten times more reliable than me. I... think I probably would be bothered if you didn’t have a kid. But you do. And I’m not saying that that makes you... whatever. Just...whatever.”

The look she gave him then was so warm that it could have melted glaciers. He rolled his eyes, and started renewing his efforts to free himself from Wilson’s unconscious embrace.


“So...what does it say?” asked Lucas, standing behind House and Cuddy, as they looked at the lightbox with the scans of Wilson’s brain on it. Rachel was on his hip, half asleep, her thumb in her mouth.

Cuddy turned around, “it’s clear of all tumors or infections. There’s some scarring, though.”

House shook his head, “that’s from a car accident fifteen years ago.”

Cuddy nodded, “then the scan’s clear, Wilson.”

Wilson nodded, sitting on the bed. House limped over to pick up the clothes Cuddy had brought him. He really needed to change–the costume was starting to itch.

Lucas grinned, “that’s good, right?”

Cuddy smiled, “it is good. We still don’t know what caused the seizure, but we just ruled out some of the most serious possibilities. It was really probably just a one-time thing.”

House limped to the door, and started flicking the light on and off, “Cuddy.”

She stopped, ant turned to look at Wilson. He was blinking, rapidly. Cuddy walked over to him, shaking his shoulder, “Wilson?”

Wilson didn’t respond. Cuddy looked at House, worriedly. House pulled a penlight out of a pocket somewhere, and clicked it on. Wilson’s pupils reacted fine, and as House let go of his head, he stopped, blinking, and frowned, looking at House, “what happened?”

“You just had another seizure, Jimmy,” said House, quietly, before looking at Cuddy, “it’s not over yet.”

“Goo!” interjected Rachel. Lucas sighed, bouncing her on his hip, as he carried her out into the hall.


House sighed, limping back over to the hospital, his costume over his left arm. Wilson’s doctor was talking to him inside the room, Cuddy and Lucas were outside with Rachel. Cuddy reached out, touching his arm, “he wants you in there.”

House nodded, and limped through the door. Wilson’s doctor was just finishing up, though, and looked at him as she closed the file, “Dr. House.”

House nodded, awkwardly.

She smiled, “Dr. Wilson was telling me that I should probably get your opinion. I’m going with a tentative diagnosis of adult onset photosensitive epilepsy, but I’m going to recommend further testing once he goes home.”

House nodded, “doesn’t sound wrong.”

She nodded, and left. House moved to the side of the bed, dumping his costume on the chair, “well?”

Wilson looked t him, and shrugged, “well what? It sucks. But the tests for everything really crappy were negative.”

House seemed to accept that, “she gonna release you soon?

“In a few hours, she just want me to stay until the alcohol was all the way out of my system.”

House nodded, “good.”

Wilson bit his lip, for a moment, then spoke again, “are you upset about Cuddy and Lucas?”

House hesitated, then shook his head, “no, I don’t think I am. I think I should be, but I’m not.”

Wilson smiled, “you’re happy for her. That’s sweet.”

House rolled his eyes, “I am not sweet.”

Wilson chuckled, “deny it all you want.”

House shook his head, “no. Wilson... just, no.”

Wilson frowned, confused, “what’s wrong?”

House stood, “why do you keep pushing for me to be with her?”

Wilson looked at him, and sighed, “because... you’re my friend. I care about you. I want you to be happy. And it seems... seemed... like you could maybe be happy with her.”

House didn’t say anything for a while. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, but not all that soft, “I’m getting there. Okay? You don’t have to change anything. I don’t need to go on a trist with my boss to work towards that.”

Wilson looked surprised, but didn’t protest, just frowned a little. Just then, the door slid open, and Cuddy and Wilson came in. Cuddy walked to stand nervously by the side of the bed, “what did she say?”

Wilson shook his head, “she ruled out everything really serious. It’s probably adult-onset epilepsy.”

Cuddy nodded, looking quite a bit relieved, “I’m glad that you’ll probably be okay, James.”

Wilson smiled, a little.

Lucas shifted Rachel a bit, “uh, Lisa...”

She looked at him, “yes?”

“There aren’t changing tables in the men’s room.”

House snorted, amused, “that’s because in most relationships, the woman is actually the woman.”

Lucas rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at House. Wilson and Cuddy looked at each other, chuckling a bit.


Eventually, Cuddy and Lucas left, mostly on account of the lack of spare diapers. That left Wilson sitting on the bed, and House sitting in the chair, playing with the wig. Wilson shook his head, “seriously, how much did that thing cost you to rent?”

House smirked, “I actually already owned it.”

Wilson raised an eyebrow, “why?”

House shrugged, “Stacy had a thing for role-playing.”

Wilson spluttered, “what?!”

House laughed, “wow, you’re gullible.”

Wilson glared, “oh, shut up.”

House smirked. Wilson tilted his head a little, watching his friend. Finally, he asked, “are you happy?”

House looked up at him, “in what way?”

“You said you were working towards being happy, and didn’t need a relationship with Cuddy to do so. But... are you happy right now?”

House seemed to think for a moment, flipping the little pony-tail thing in the back of the wig with his thumb, then shrugged, “I’m happier in general than I’ve been in a long time. I’m not so happy right now, but that’s ‘cause you’re in the hospital. But... yeah. I guess you could say that.”

Wilson smiled, “House?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m glad.”

“Mmm.”

“House?”

“What?”

“I think I’m happy too. And... I wasn’t before you started staying with me.”

“What are you saying?”

Wilson smiled, “I’m saying, I’m kind of glad Cuddy’s involved... and I’m glad you’re okay with that.”

“I wasn’t going to move out, even if I had started seeing her.”

Wilson raised an eyebrow. House shrugged, “what? I like living in the same apartment with you. You should seriously know that by now.”

“I knew you liked screwing with me. I didn’t know you actually liked living with me.”

“Well... I do.”

Wilson smiled, “good.”

House raised an eyebrow, “your tone there was suspiciously cheerful.”

Wilson shrugged, “I’m not allowed to be happy my friend likes living with me?”

“It’s kinda weird to be that happy about it, yeah...”

“Well too bad. Pretty much everything about our friendship is weird.”

House snorted. Wilson smiled. House shook his head, “you’re an idiot.”

But Wilson only smiled a little bit more broadly.