This perfectly capture the on-the-cuspness of House/Wilson. Like they're always on moment, one look away from taking that next step, and then when they don't, you just wanna shake them both till their teeth fall out.

He rolls his eyes at Wilson. "You're really going to harp on about this until I do?"

"Yeah." Wilson shrugs, looks down at his hands for a moment. "I just wanted to know..."

"What?" House snaps.

"You meant it?" This time, Wilson's vulnerability isn't faked at all. The thing about friendships is that it cuts both ways. House can tell the fake vulnerability from the real, can tell manipulating guilt trips from lashing out in anger, but Wilson gets him, too.

Wilson isn't asking for a declaration or a sacrifice of liberty. He's asking for atonement and forgiveness, for reassurance and validation.

There's the moment, and all it would take is a look, and a little courage on either end, and--

House takes a moment to line up one more swing, and sends another peanut skittering across the bathroom tiles. "You want me to engrave it in stone? Chisel it into a tablet somewhere, hang it on your walls for everyone to see?"

"Nah," Wilson replies, grin not missing a beat. "It wouldn't go with anything in my office."

"Considering the junk you keep in your office, I'm almost offended by that."

Their friendship is bolstered, maintainted, strengthened, but another opportunity passes them by.
::shakes them::
::watches teeth hit the floor like TicTacs::