deelaundry: person holding a cane and blue folder in the same hand (folder)
[personal profile] deelaundry
Posted to [livejournal.com profile] foreman_house and [livejournal.com profile] housefic

Title: Look Before
Author: Dee Laundry
Pairing: House/Foreman, Wilson/Amber mentioned
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1076
Summary: If Foreman's not careful, he might stumble into something.
Notes: Written for [livejournal.com profile] queenzulu. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] daisylily.

Sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed, woken from a sound sleep by House being the loudest, most annoying sleeper ever, Foreman picked his way blindly across the bedroom toward the bathroom. Halfway there, his foot hit something on the floor and he stumbled momentarily before regaining his footing.

The piss was wonderful and the stagger back to the bed was uneventful.

***

Distracted, preoccupied with the revisions the JAMA peer-review panel was insisting on for his latest article, Foreman walked into the apartment without looking around. He dropped his keys and wallet in his valet on the table by the door and shifted his briefcase to the other shoulder. Something quick for dinner, and a glass of wine, and then he could make the -- The arch of his foot hit squarely on something unexpected, something hard that rolled and threw his balance off completely. He had to throw an arm up in the air, and even then he stumbled inelegantly and landed against the back of the couch. "House!" he bellowed.

From where he was seated on the sofa, two cushions away, House looked up at him slowly. "Yeah?"

"What the hell is this?" Foreman demanded, gesturing toward the floor.

House stretched to look over the back of the couch, turning his head the minimum possible. "It's a broom," he replied, and returned his gaze to the TV.

Fucker. "I know it's a broom," Foreman retorted, as he straightened himself up. "What I don't know is what it's doing there on the floor."

"Are you asking me? Seriously? Do I look like Sir Sweeps-A-Lot?"

Shaking his head, Foreman slapped his briefcase onto the couch and moved determinedly toward the kitchen.

“You’re lucky that I do like big butts, though!” House called after him.

“Lucky I have tolerance for gigantic asses,” Foreman muttered, and pulled the leftover lasagna from the refrigerator.

***

Flushed, aroused, driven mad by House in more ways than one, Foreman walked backward down the book-lined hall, dragging House after him. He had one arm wrapped around House’s back, and the other hand clamped onto House’s skull, firmly keeping that infuriating, entirely too clever mouth within easy reach of Foreman’s lips. House snarled, and Foreman scraped the upraised lip with his teeth.

“Yeah,” Foreman breathed, “that’s it, you bastard,” as he steered them toward the bedroom. Almost there, Foreman pulled his arm out from under House’s shirt to reach back for the door, when his foot came down hard on something thin and solid. Pain shot through his foot and calf; his other foot slipped; and as House’s hands dropped off him, he realized he was falling backwards to the floor.

Landing on his ass two steps from the bedroom was not the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to Foreman, but he really didn’t want to think about the things that had been worse.

House had leaned to the right to brace himself against the wall and was regarding Foreman with an excessively smug, aggravating grin.

“Fuck, House!” Foreman shouted from his seat on the floor. “The broom again?” He kicked at the offending object, sending it in House’s direction. “What the hell are you trying to do, kill me?”

Still smug, House tilted his head and regarded Foreman calmly. “You really are stupid.”

Asshole. “Delving into the labyrinth of your ridiculous mind games is not something –”

“And clumsy, too,” House continued. He nodded toward the broom at his feet. “You haven’t jumped over the damn thing once.”

Foreman stared at House. “You’re saying this is your twisted way of trying to propose to me?”

Evasively House looked back down the hallway and shrugged.

Shaking his head, Foreman hauled himself to his feet. “So I’ve almost broken my neck three times because you can’t buy a ring like a normal person?”

House was now looking at his hands. “Do I do anything like a normal person?”

“Not a damn thing,” Foreman replied and kissed him soundly.

EPILOGUE

House burst through Wilson's door as Wilson was finishing up his charting.

"Foreman and I are engaged; buy me presents."

Wilson looked up for a moment, then turned his attention back to Mrs. Krasinsky's file. "Amber's pregnant with septuplets."

"What?" House had planted himself on Wilson's couch.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were playing 'Who Can Make Up the Biggest Whopper About the Person He Lives With' again."

"Nothing's going to beat, 'No, seriously, there are no fangs in her vagina,' so that game's permanently on the shelf. Buy me presents. I'm thinking some of those fancy copper-bottomed things you like." House pointed in Wilson's direction. "Not the sex costumes, the cookware."

Sighing, Wilson signed Mrs. Krasinsky's latest orders, closed the folder, and pulled Mr. Dobbin's file off the tall pile of charts. "The upkeep for septuplets isn't cheap, you know. I probably won't have the money for a whole set of pots and pans for your wedding present."

House was bouncing something small and hard off the ceiling and catching it. "No, kitchen crap is the engagement present. I'm expecting you to shell out even more for the wedding present. Either new living-room furniture or a big-screen HDTV."

"You going to tutor my seven kids so I don't have to pay for college?"

"No, but I know a neurologist who can dumb-ify them so they won't get in."

Amusing as this wasn't, Wilson had a lot of work to get done before he could meet Amber for a late lunch. "House --" he began, but was interrupted by Foreman's arrival.

"Is House -- Oh, there you are." Foreman stopped in the doorway and stared House down. "Let's get a move on; we've got to meet the vendor in five minutes."

"Vendor?" Wilson asked, looking back and forth between House and Foreman. "Did Cuddy give Diagnostics its own equipment budget?"

"Nope," House replied as he pushed up from the couch. "Caterer. Apparently May's a busy month for weddings in Princeton, so we've got to start interviewing now."

Wilson laughed and turned the page in Mr. Dobbin's file. "Have fun."

House gave him a grin and followed Foreman out the door. Wilson turned back to his charting, still smiling at the crazy things House could come up with. Engaged. Funny.

He was only two words in when Foreman's voice floated in from the hallway and stopped him cold. "For the third time, House, we are not having fried chicken at the reception."

"But I like fried chicken," was House's over-exaggerated whine of a reply, and all Wilson could do was stare into space in his shock.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 02:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zulu.livejournal.com
I absolutely love the dialogue, and the second half is a wonderful complement to the first! The snickering, she was plentiful during my reading.

*mem'd like whoa*

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 12:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
So pleased you liked it. I am grinning with pride.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 02:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] codysgirlkyla.livejournal.com
"Nothing's going to beat, 'No, seriously, there are no fangs in her vagina,' so that game's permanently on the shelf. Buy me presents. I'm thinking some of those fancy copper-bottomed things you like." House pointed in Wilson's direction. "Not the sex costumes, the cookware."
Just loved this!
And I get the broom thing. Nice touch with that. Beltane. Pagan Rituals. House and Foreman. :D

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
I'd never heard of Beltane -- that's interesting. I was just thinking of jumping the broom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_broom), a custom for some African-Americans.

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 12:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] codysgirlkyla.livejournal.com
And where do you think the African Americans got it from? xD

That didn't sound geeky...xD

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 03:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dropthetowel.livejournal.com
I am going to set aside my distaste for H/Minion stories and say Yay! Finally Foreman gets a story. He's the only duckling I could ever imagine House with and not have incest alarms blaring. Only a little ping, which I'm ignoring it.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 05:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dropthetowel.livejournal.com
Sorry. My friend Phyllis told me a few years ago that her daughter had "jumping the broom" put in her wedding ceremony. A shout out to the Great-Great's. It's Detroit.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
I know what you mean about H/Minion, although by this season I hardly even think of Foreman as a minion any more. : ) Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 03:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vitawash24.livejournal.com
Eeeeeeeeee. This is so fantastic. Every detail is so perfect. And I quite like domestic Foreman, too, as well as the "Most Outrageous Thing I can Say About the Person I Live With" game. Heeee.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thanks! I don't often think about domestic Foreman, but when Zulu put out the call, this came to me in a flash. Hee.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 04:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] poeia.livejournal.com
House/Foreman? Never. (Okay, maybe before House/Cameron, but still...)

Nevertheless, I loved
“You’re lucky that I do like big butts, though!” House called after him.
“Lucky I have tolerance for gigantic asses,” Foreman muttered
and
"Foreman and I are engaged; buy me presents."

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Hee, hee. [livejournal.com profile] queenzulu had specifically requested House/Foreman, which I don't normally write. However, she also wanted a proposal, and I thought, "Now, that I have experience with!" Thanks.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 10:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alemyrddin.livejournal.com
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were playing 'Who Can Make Up the Biggest Whopper About the Person He Lives With' again."
"Nothing's going to beat, 'No, seriously, there are no fangs in her vagina,' so that game's permanently on the shelf.

LOLLLLL.

this was hilarious - even if I didn't know about "jumping the broom", so I was a bit puzzled at first. ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thanks! House's venom for Amber (real or pretended) is so fun to write. : )

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 12:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hibernia1.livejournal.com
I almost didn't read this, as I just can't see House/Foreman, but I'm glad I did read it, it's a great, anf very funny, story, and I loved Wilson being as shocked as he was!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thanks! [livejournal.com profile] queenzulu wanted a proposal for House and Foreman, and I couldn't resist letting House tell Wilson about it. : )

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 01:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bukabe16.livejournal.com
hehe^^ but no, I'm a firm-standing House/wilson-shipper, but your fic is amusing :)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thanks! I'm a H/W gal, too, but I love to explore sometimes.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 01:54 pm (UTC)
ext_25649: House sucking a lollipop while staring at Wilson (_houselolly)
From: [identity profile] daisylily.livejournal.com
Have a lolly XD

My favourite line here is House's "Buy me presents" - so very him.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thanks! He's a gleefully greedy guy.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 08:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lz1982.livejournal.com
I figured out partway through what House was up to. I can't ever see myself shipping House/Foreman, but that was cute. Loved the House/Wilson convo. And fried chicken at the wedding--very Housian suggestion.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-09 11:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Hee! It was a special request by [livejournal.com profile] queenzulu that I had much fun with. : ) Thanks.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 01:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lz1982.livejournal.com
I know, I tracked that down. :)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 01:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alanwolfmoon.livejournal.com
O.M.G.

that was wonderful!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 01:56 am (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 02:47 am (UTC)
ext_63693: sheppard loves ronon (houseglasses)
From: [identity profile] xaipw.livejournal.com
“You haven’t jumped over the damn thing once.”

HAR! HAR! HAR! I nearly died when I read that!
Oh I love this fic. I want to have its babies.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-10 12:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
John Sheppard, is that you? : ) Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-31 06:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spatula.livejournal.com
I enjoyed this a lot, it's in character and very funny. Love unobservant Foreman and smug House.

thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-05-31 05:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thank you! I'm not that good at writing Foreman, so this was a fun challenge.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-06-06 11:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com
See, this is why it's a great thing to monthly round-ups. I missed this wonderful, hilarious story the first time around. The epilogue should seriously come with a warning to put down the drinks first because I spit ice water all over the laptop at "Not the sex costumes, the cookware."

(no subject)

Date: 2008-06-07 12:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Hee. The passage about the cookware actually started out as a simple declarative; it wasn't until I typed the "d" in "bottomed" that the the play on "copper-bottomed" occurred to me. Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-08-15 01:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lovejsc07.livejournal.com
Freaking fantastic. I loved this. You should totally write more. Brilliant. Poor Foreman and Wilson. House sure knows how to have fun.

<3 <3 <3

Jessica

(no subject)

Date: 2009-08-15 02:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deelaundry.livejournal.com
Thank you! House really does know how to amuse himself. :D

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