You are mine, and I am yours (Gregory House)

Chapter 41

2015
All the renovations to the apartment were finished. House and Reilly took a week off work to get moved in and settled. Reilly hired some of the residents from the hospital to help her move the furniture and hang pictures. House hung his guitars himself. He would not allow anyone else to touch them. They sold all Reilly's furniture and most of his. The walls were painted a soft blue and new hardwood floors gleamed a soft honey gold. A black microfiber couch faced the fireplace. Two cream colored club chairs flanked the couch. Mahogany end tables and coffee table completed the cozy sitting area. On the end tables were two cream and black lamps with stone bases. A fifty inch plasma television hung over the fireplace and a DVD player and a TiVo box sat on the mantle with a grouping of candles. The bookshelves next to the fireplace were painted a soft cream color. Against the wall behind the couch was a mahogany desk with a Mac Airbook, another smaller version of the other lamps and a small laser printer. Next to the desk was another bookshelf painted the same soft cream color as the other. It held a CD player, charging stations, a turntable, pictures, CDs and vinyl albums.

A small rectangular table with four chairs sat between the living room and kitchen. The kitchen and bathroom were both bigger and covered in white subway tiles. Stainless steel appliances replaced House's old ones. The shelves and cabinets were painted white. Everything in the kitchen looked new and clean. 

The bathroom was relocated behind the master bedroom and now had a steam shower along with a tub with jets. Small blue glass tiles ran in a line around the bathroom. A new pale blue vanity had two sinks, two mirrors and two new stainless steel light fixtures. A small room now held the toilet which House liked. A linen closet held all the towels and bathroom essentials. Like the kitchen, it looked new and clean. 

Their bedroom was painted the same pale blue as the living room. A king size bed sat between the two windows which were covered in pale grey room darkening curtains. A light blue, grey and black abstract comforter covered the bed along with matching pillow shams. Reilly wanted to add more accent pillows but House balked at that idea. Two stainless steel and glass tables flanked the bed. Two stainless steel reading lamps arched over the bedside tables. One table held a stack of books and medical journals. The other held a vase of flowers, a book and a picture of Sarah and Jenny. The armoire was replaced by a huge walk-in closet. The door to the bathroom was next to the closet. Two sleek black dressers sat against opposite walls. A navy blue Eames chair and ottoman sat in one corner. A larger stainless steel lamp curved over it. Beside it, House's banjo sat in its stand. 

Reilly convinced House to purchase the empty apartment behind theirs and add a guest bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room. So, now they had a place for guests and Reilly no longer had to take their laundry to the local laundromat though House still dropped off and picked up all the dry cleaning. She also had a place to iron which House first scoffed at but soon grew to like having neatly ironed clothes.

XxXxXxXx

"Greg?" Reilly called out as she entered the apartment. She juggled her briefcase, purse and two large shopping bags as she shut and locked the door. House sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes. His head fell back and he rolled his eyes when he saw the shopping bags.

"We don't need more stuff," he whined and flopped back down on the couch. Reilly put her purse and briefcase on the desk and put the bags on the floor. She pulled out two large throw pillows. They were striped. She dropped one on House's head and the other on his feet. He lifted the pillow and looked at it. "It has orange in it," he said as he stuffed it behind his head.

"It's called burnt sienna and it adds a nice pop of color."

"You are now officially banned from watching HGTV," he told her. "I stirred the chili."