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hihoplasticFanFiction: FanFic100: WilsonCuddy (3/6)
Title: Well It Goes Like This (3/6)
Fandom: House, MD
Character/Pairing: WilsonCuddy
Prompt: 037: Sound
Word Count: 740
Rating: PG-13
Author’s Notes: No spoilers. Titles from the various versions of Halellujah. Part one, two, three, four, five, six.
How To Shoot Straight
Julie hears the car door close at eight in the morning Saturday, hears the ringing of the dog’s collar as the metal bounces against itself, hears the soft whispering of her husband as he strokes the dog’s head and closes the door behind him, hears his surprised gasp when he finds her sitting at the table in her pajamas, waiting.
He clears his throat but says nothing.
Julie looks at the floor, then up at him. Her eyes are red from crying too much; she knows it isn’t all his fault.
‘I’ve seen every episode of Jeopardy,’ she says, and Wilson drops his head. ‘You come home when I go out… I go out whenever you’re home.’ She pauses and her silence forces him to level his gaze.
‘I’m sorry,’ is all he can think to offer.
She nods once. ‘You smell like lavender.’
‘The nurses—’ He stops when her soft gaze goes hard. His shoulders sag. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Me too,’ she murmurs, and pats the empty chair across from her. Wilson sighs and drops into it, trying to smile but unable. Julie reaches forward and straightens his tie. ‘You’re very bad at hiding it.’
‘I guess I wasn’t really trying to.’ The words could have been harsh, could have been angry, but they’re both too tired and too much at fault to accuse.
‘I’m sorry for that too.’
‘Julie—’
‘No, James. You don’t get to take all the blame yourself.’
‘I could have tried a little harder.’
‘Yes, you could have. And I could have been a little more lenient to your schedule. You could have come home sooner and I could have been a little more welcoming.’ She sighs and leans back in her chair. ‘I guess I’m not cut out to be a doctor’s wife.’
She cracks a smile and a silence grows, interrupted only by the beeping of the coffee maker. Julie starts to rise but Wilson stops her. ‘I’ll get it.’
He pours a cup and sets it in front of her. ‘You don’t want any?’
His mouth twitches. ‘You make terrible coffee.’
Julie’s eyes widen and she stares into the cup. ‘I do not make terrible,’ she starts indignantly, then makes a face after a sip. ‘Oh, God. That’s awful.’ She pushes the mug away from her and Wilson allows himself to smile.
‘Don’t look so smug. You can’t even reheat macaroni and cheese without burning the top layer.’
‘Touché.’
There’s a silence, and Julie reaches for the mug again but doesn’t drink.
‘You can have the house if you want,’ he murmurs, and looks away as he says it. Julie’s gaze flickers around the room as she shakes her head.
‘No. Too many memories. I’d like to keep the dog though.’
‘Jackson?’
The retriever trots up at the sound of his name and nuzzles Julie’s knee.
‘He always liked you better anyway.’
‘Dogs have good common sense.’ Julie shoots him a teasing look and his heart skips a beat, remembering that glance in times when it wasn’t so sad.
Julie runs her fingers through Jackson’s fur, her smile slowly fading.
‘Who was it?’
Wilson swallows. ‘Someone from the hospital.’
‘Is she pretty?’
‘Julie—’
‘I’m just asking, James,’ she says quietly.
He sighs. ‘Yeah. She’s pretty.’
She hesitates. ‘Do you love her?’
‘No,’ he says, the word thick on his throat.
‘But you could.’ She brushes the tears off her face. ‘Good for you.’
‘Don’t,’ he says, angry enough to make her lift her eyes. ‘Don’t be so understanding.’
She raises her head. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you were always too understanding. You always understood why I came late so often, and how much my job means to me and how many dinners I had to skip to spend the night at Greg’s to make sure he didn’t mix booze and pills. You always understood.’ He sighs. ‘You’re the perfect doctor’s wife.’
‘I’m just not perfect for you.’
‘I don’t think anyone’s perfect for me. I’ve been married three times, Julie. It can’t always be my wives that screw up.’
She doesn’t contradict him, just touches his knee and stands.
‘James,’ she says from the doorway. ‘I’m going to find out who it is.’
His eyes widen slightly. ‘Julie—’
‘I’m sorry.’ She shakes her head and disappears into the hallway; Jackson follows after her, and Wilson remains at the dining room table, and stares soundlessly into the half-drunk cup of coffee.
Title: Well It Goes Like This (3/6)
Fandom: House, MD
Character/Pairing: WilsonCuddy
Prompt: 037: Sound
Word Count: 740
Rating: PG-13
Author’s Notes: No spoilers. Titles from the various versions of Halellujah. Part one, two, three, four, five, six.
How To Shoot Straight
Julie hears the car door close at eight in the morning Saturday, hears the ringing of the dog’s collar as the metal bounces against itself, hears the soft whispering of her husband as he strokes the dog’s head and closes the door behind him, hears his surprised gasp when he finds her sitting at the table in her pajamas, waiting.
He clears his throat but says nothing.
Julie looks at the floor, then up at him. Her eyes are red from crying too much; she knows it isn’t all his fault.
‘I’ve seen every episode of Jeopardy,’ she says, and Wilson drops his head. ‘You come home when I go out… I go out whenever you’re home.’ She pauses and her silence forces him to level his gaze.
‘I’m sorry,’ is all he can think to offer.
She nods once. ‘You smell like lavender.’
‘The nurses—’ He stops when her soft gaze goes hard. His shoulders sag. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Me too,’ she murmurs, and pats the empty chair across from her. Wilson sighs and drops into it, trying to smile but unable. Julie reaches forward and straightens his tie. ‘You’re very bad at hiding it.’
‘I guess I wasn’t really trying to.’ The words could have been harsh, could have been angry, but they’re both too tired and too much at fault to accuse.
‘I’m sorry for that too.’
‘Julie—’
‘No, James. You don’t get to take all the blame yourself.’
‘I could have tried a little harder.’
‘Yes, you could have. And I could have been a little more lenient to your schedule. You could have come home sooner and I could have been a little more welcoming.’ She sighs and leans back in her chair. ‘I guess I’m not cut out to be a doctor’s wife.’
She cracks a smile and a silence grows, interrupted only by the beeping of the coffee maker. Julie starts to rise but Wilson stops her. ‘I’ll get it.’
He pours a cup and sets it in front of her. ‘You don’t want any?’
His mouth twitches. ‘You make terrible coffee.’
Julie’s eyes widen and she stares into the cup. ‘I do not make terrible,’ she starts indignantly, then makes a face after a sip. ‘Oh, God. That’s awful.’ She pushes the mug away from her and Wilson allows himself to smile.
‘Don’t look so smug. You can’t even reheat macaroni and cheese without burning the top layer.’
‘Touché.’
There’s a silence, and Julie reaches for the mug again but doesn’t drink.
‘You can have the house if you want,’ he murmurs, and looks away as he says it. Julie’s gaze flickers around the room as she shakes her head.
‘No. Too many memories. I’d like to keep the dog though.’
‘Jackson?’
The retriever trots up at the sound of his name and nuzzles Julie’s knee.
‘He always liked you better anyway.’
‘Dogs have good common sense.’ Julie shoots him a teasing look and his heart skips a beat, remembering that glance in times when it wasn’t so sad.
Julie runs her fingers through Jackson’s fur, her smile slowly fading.
‘Who was it?’
Wilson swallows. ‘Someone from the hospital.’
‘Is she pretty?’
‘Julie—’
‘I’m just asking, James,’ she says quietly.
He sighs. ‘Yeah. She’s pretty.’
She hesitates. ‘Do you love her?’
‘No,’ he says, the word thick on his throat.
‘But you could.’ She brushes the tears off her face. ‘Good for you.’
‘Don’t,’ he says, angry enough to make her lift her eyes. ‘Don’t be so understanding.’
She raises her head. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you were always too understanding. You always understood why I came late so often, and how much my job means to me and how many dinners I had to skip to spend the night at Greg’s to make sure he didn’t mix booze and pills. You always understood.’ He sighs. ‘You’re the perfect doctor’s wife.’
‘I’m just not perfect for you.’
‘I don’t think anyone’s perfect for me. I’ve been married three times, Julie. It can’t always be my wives that screw up.’
She doesn’t contradict him, just touches his knee and stands.
‘James,’ she says from the doorway. ‘I’m going to find out who it is.’
His eyes widen slightly. ‘Julie—’
‘I’m sorry.’ She shakes her head and disappears into the hallway; Jackson follows after her, and Wilson remains at the dining room table, and stares soundlessly into the half-drunk cup of coffee.
