A = Activities – (What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)
Wilson- Enjoys going out to bars, concerts, dinner, or other relatively calm night-out activities with House
House- Prefers staying in: a movie, reading separate books/medical journals on the couch, just existing together in the same space doing separate things
B = Beauty – (What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?)
Wilson- Favorite physical parts of House are his jaw/neck, eyes, and biceps. He loves House’s mind, and how truly, incredibly intelligent he is.
House- Favorite physical parts of Wilson are his face, stomach, and forearms. He loves when Wilson gets mean (especially to House) and snippily sarcastic.
C = Comfort – (How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?)
Wilson- He knows to give House space when things get a little rocky. He always makes sure House knows he’s there, but a lot of times House would prefer him be “there” 50 feet away.
House- Wilson’s love language is touch, so he puts a hand on Wilson’s leg, runs a hand through his hair, or sidles up beside him on a bad day.
D = Dreams – (How do they picture their future with their s/o?)
Wilson- He imagines living together quietly as they do now until retirement. He could see them moving to somewhere more exciting once they get old and fully gray, but he’s happy to just keep on keeping on.
House- He wants things to never change. Being with Wilson has made him the happiest he’s ever been since he gained awareness at two-years-old, so he fears changing any facet of their lives could disrupt that.
E = Equal – (Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?)
Wilson- Absolutely the dominant one. Hello, remember the mirror syndrome guy?? (AND THE UNIVERSAL DONOR CONVO!)
House- No one could ever call House passive, but he doesn’t run things in their relationship like he might try to convince people he does.
F = Fight – (Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?)
Wilson- Wilson shuts down after a fight. If he’s mad, he gives someone the cold shoulder, which is really difficult for House because the worst possible outcome for him would be losing Wilson. He is definitely not quick to forgive, but he doesn’t make House beg him for forgiveness.
House- He’s a nasty fighter; cruel and quick-witted as ever. He sort of enjoys fighting in a way, because he usually manages to get the upper hand. But, when it’s over, he always regrets it, because he usually causes the fights they have. He forgives (but not forgets) relatively quickly; he likes to bring up past arguments that have been “forgiven.”
G = Gratitude – (How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)
Wilson- He is sort of a self-oriented person in the sense that he thinks about what he can do for others, not what others are doing for him. However, he is grateful to House for being able to make him laugh, be his rock, and stick by him through his bouts of depression.
House- He’s a greedy person and always wants more, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t see what Wilson does for him. He puts House first in his life consistently, and is the person who best understand his pain, his mind, and his brusque personality.
H = Honesty – (Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?)
Wilson- He absolutely has secrets from House, and is able to rationalize them so he doesn’t feel guilty most of the time. One secret is that he thinks he might have been taken advantage of by a stranger while “dating” House when he got absolutely wasted at a bar after a fight. He woke up in a strange hotel room and… not everything was adding up.
House- He doesn’t even really view them as secrets he’s keeping from Wilson if he’s never told anyone but himself. He just views that as information for his own head. One secret is that he never, ever has gotten rid of all his Vicodin supply during a detox and he never, ever will. He needs a failsafe.
I = Inspiration – (Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?)
Wilson- Being with House has helped him to stop letting people walk all over him, and has forced him to balance what he wants versus what will make people happy in a healthier way.
House- Being with Wilson has helped his post-infarction self-esteem in some ways, and has opened him up to look at the world from another (less hardened and angry) view.
J = Jealousy – (Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)
Wilson- He doesn’t get jealous easily because he knows House tries to rile him up just for fun. He isn’t threatened by the people House pretends to flirt with, but he does feel jealous when House mentions his time with the hookers of his past. Wilson isn’t quite sure why those women get to him so bad.
House- House is entertained by Wilson’s apparent magnetic boyish charm that draws in the population of New Jersey, but he does occasionally get jealous because he knows Wilson’s past infidelity all too well.
K = Kiss – (Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?)
Wilson- He has a sort of old-Hollywood masculinity about him, and kisses that way. His first kiss with House was in a small alcove of Mayfield (Nice Try, You Tucked Your Love In The Envelope by: givethemahappyending reference) that he initiated.
House- He kisses confidently, and for good reason. He enjoys slipping Wilson tongue when in public spaces, which gets him a shove to the shoulder and a token James Wilson glare.
L = Love Confession – (How would they confess to their s/o?)
Wilson- He confessed in a letter while House was in Mayfield. (Another NTYTYLITE reference).
House- He admitted he felt the same in a letter back to Wilson, after having a LONG, internalized-homophobia-filled chat with Nolan.
M = Marriage – (Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?)
Wilson- NO! Wilson does not want to get married again. His track record with marriage is quite abysmal, and he doesn’t want another.
House- He doesn’t believe in marriage, or think it’s a good idea with Wilson’s past. However, he does continually hope for its legalization because he’d like to know they could.
N = Nicknames – (What do they call their s/o?)
Wilson- Usually calls him “House” with varying degrees of exasperation, but also occasionally “baby”, and sometimes “Greg” when things get serious.
House- Pet names include “Jimmy”, “baby” (which he started using sarcastically but it transitioned into a real term), and rarely he’ll whip out “Jim” to piss Wilson off.
O = On Cloud Nine – (What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)
Wilson- Wilson unfortunately has spent most of his adult life in some form of love; be that honeymoon period, dwindling love, loving someone enough to let go, etc - so it’s kind of his natural state. It’s been obvious to anyone who knows him and House (and isn’t afraid of a little homosexuality) that he’s been in love with House for years.
House- House softens a little around the edges when he’s in love. It’s not obvious at all, unless you know to look for it. He shows his feelings in public by grabbing Wilson’s butt when his fellows are around and winking lecherously until Wilson tells him to knock it off.
P = PDA – (Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?)
Wilson- When they first got together, he didn’t hide it, but he also didn’t hit up the New Jersey pride parade or start a hospital-wide groupchat sharing their relationship development. Now that everyone close to them knows, he doesn’t hesitate to hug or kiss House in front of others.
House- He has no qualms about showing “sexual” affection in public, but he rarely displays real expressions of intimacy when anyone else is around. He brags an awful lot about things he may or may not actually do with Wilson.
Q = Quirk – (Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.)
Wilson- He understands when to push and when to let it be. He’s House’s conscience, but when it comes to the things House needs to rationalize on his own, he’s good at letting it go. He likes taking photos of House and himself so they both have physical reminders of their life together.
House- He likes cooking meals Wilson remembers from childhood, and cultural Jewish dishes Wilson insists he’s only had maybe twice in his life. House also shows that he cares through the music he plays; sometimes it’s a lot easier for him to play a song that has the words he’d like to say.
R = Romance – (How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?)
Wilson- He hates being showy: he always felt showy for his wives when he brought them flowers, or made a special dinner for them, etc. But he does little things just for House, not for the world. He makes sure not to be performative.
House- Frankly, he is not romantic. He enjoys when Wilson surprises him because he finds it funny that Wilson likes to, and he likes that Wilson is spending time (and $$$!) on him. But, House doesn’t care much for being romanced, or romancing unless he has an ulterior motive.
S = Support – (Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?)
Wilson- Wilson stops House from achieving his goals, because most of House’s “goals” are unethical, illegal, or un-beneficial to everyone around. He believes House can do anything he sets his mind to - that’s what he’s afraid of.
House- He talks crap about any elaborate banquet or stuffy conference Wilson gets invited to, but he’s proud of him. He doesn’t tell Wilson that, though.
T = Thrill – (Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?)
Wilson- For him, being with a man is enough spice as it is. He was oozing at the seams with repression, so just navigating a homosexual relationship is plenty switching things up.
House- House needs routine to be able to comfortably function, so as soon as he and Wilson built the frame of a life together, House is happy with no thrill relationship-wise ever.
U = Understanding – (How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)
Wilson- Wilson knows House FAR better than anyone else on planet Earth (maybe aside from his mother). He’s also probably the most empathetic guy to walk the streets of Princeton, as House constantly nags him about. His empathy certainly doesn’t stop when he gets home, but he can be mean to House when it serves him.
House- House knows what makes Wilson tick to a certain point, but he can’t anticipate Wilson. It’s what he likes about his partner - he needs to be able to be taken aback by him, and he is. House is not empathetic, but he tries. When he knows Wilson needs him.
V = Value – (How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?)
Wilson- He can’t escape House. There have been a million events and reasons during the length of their friendship and relationship that should’ve made Wilson run, but he just can’t stay away. This relationship has been the foundation for a lot of his adult life: married, single, or otherwise.
House- He’d never try to express just how much he needs Wilson, because he can’t, but he does need him deeply. Wilson is worth the most out of the things in his life. He’d give up medicine, he’d give up puzzles, and he’d give up music for the man who has always been by his side.
W = Wild Card - (A random Fluff Headcanon).
Wilson- He knows House likes to be close at night, whether he’d ever admit it or not. He has to work around the leg sometimes, but he is always willing to tangle their limbs. He often throws an arm around House’s middle, or strokes the crease of his thigh in bed, and he can always feel House untense a little.
House- If Wilson asks very nicely, he’ll massage his neck/shoulders for him at the end of the day. House has always been good with his hands, and he knows Wilson is laced up tight all-day everyday.
X = XOXO – (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)
Wilson- His love language is words of affirmation - he needs to hear true, unfiltered thoughts. Sometimes this can be hard for House, who likes to show feeling through touch, so they often meet in the middle because House can let down his verbal walls in intimate moments.
House- He loves physical touch, especially when he’s getting in his own head, or is in a lot of pain (24/7). When in the comfort of their own condo, he feels free to show physical affection in any way he wants.
Y = Yearning – (How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?)
Wilson- From working in the same hospital, having the same (lack of) friends, and living together, Wilson doesn’t really have a lot of chances to miss House. The only times he does miss him is when House is at the hospital until the wee hours of the morning working on a case, and Wilson has the bed to himself. He does make use of all the space though - sure to sprawl out.
House- He gets his fill of Wilson, and only has a chance to miss Wilson when he goes on one of his random Cuddy-sanctioned conferences or speech-giving-events. He copes by texting him ambiguous, worrisome messages.
Z = Zeal – (Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?)
Wilson- Sometimes he doesn’t have a lot left after coming home from work, but he pours everything left into House because he cares. He’ll stand up for House on the rare occasion it’s needed, and would go any length House needed.
House- He would legitimately give up anything for Wilson. People who call House selfish have never seen the bare, open moments he shows all he’d do for the man he’s always loved.
