#wamber

it's true that amber is a lot more than just a female version of house, but they are also very similar in a lot of ways.

i think one of the reasons he kind of drops the idea that amber doesn't really love wilson after their talk in 4x12 is because he fucking Gets It.

"All my life I thought I had to choose between love and respect. And I chose respect. And with Wilson, I know what it's like to have both. And that beats a fellowship."

this is SO similar to house's core underlying motivations. he and amber are different. they don't fit in. people don't like them. they can never hope for love, so they settle for respect. and so they have to be the best, they have to be smart, they have to be Right.

until they met wilson.

obviously, wilson is complicated. ofc he's not as nice as he seems— NO ONE is as nice as he seems. he can be selfish, and manipulative, and cruel. but he really is just... So Full of unconditional love. even for people like amber and house, who virtually no one else can even tolerate.

anyway. one of the major ways amber and house differ is that amber shows herself to be capable of changing for the better. she loves wilson, and she's willing to change for him. she feels secure with him, and so she allows herself to be openly caring, and encourages him to change as well and meet his own needs. she chooses wilson over the fellowship. she comes to pick up house at some bar in the middle of the night. she always did care, but it's much more obvious in the later part of s4.

and house... most likely realizes this on some level. and most likely, it's a large contributor to his jealousy/resentment towards her. because now he has to reckon with the reality that it's not his personality that's keeping him from being closer with wilson (romantically or in a qpp/life partner sort of way, whatever you choose). and his personality isn't an excuse for his lack of growth, either.