A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of: Chapter Eleven
Title: A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of
Chapter: Eleven out of ?
Pairings: House/Cuddy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't sue me.
Summary: Cuddy recalls her past and the relationship she had with House during the college days.
Start from the beginning
OR
When his first day on the job came about at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Cuddy was worried. He hadn’t yet put together his office, which was very much against her urging. And when he finally showed up, two and a half hours late, limping with a box in his hands and cane resting on top, she was right behind him.
House shrugged her off, of course, like he would do time and time again. Cuddy, of course, would let him. She still felt pangs of guilt seeing him limping and he knew it. She thought he would rub it in her face, but he never did. Not unless they were fighting and his anger brought out accusations. She figured he was just as embarrassed about his limp as she was guilty.
However, he surprised her as he unpacked his box in his office while she watched and attempted to reprimand him through all his snide comments. Her surprise shut her up and he gave her a smile, but they didn’t talk about it. They both knew nothing needed to be said.
It was much too cold and her ears were hurting. There were flurries in the night air and her father would be picking her up in only a few short hours. She was silently cursing Gregory House for choosing such a late time to meet.
As she approached the academic building where the med student lounge was located, she grasped tighter onto the wrapped present. It slid a bit beneath her gloved hands. She was anxious, unsure as to whether or not he was going to throw the gift back in her face. He could, she knew.
She yanked the door to the building open and walked the short distance to the lounge. She was surprised to see him there already, sitting on the couch. She stopped in her tracks before giving him a small smile and entering the room.
His eyes fell to the present in her hands and then he raised them back up to her face. He gave her a look that clearly revealed his annoyance.
She crossed to the couch as she pulled off her gloves. She sat down next to him and offered the gift to him. He eyed her up.
“I said no presents,” he said, staring at her.
“I know, but you’ll go home to a pine tree, eggnog, and songs about reindeer,” she told him. “And when you get presents you detest because you’re mean, hopefully you’ll remember that you got one useful gift.”
He studied her a moment before reaching out and accepting the package. He untied the silver ribbon carefully and then tore open the red wrapping paper, revealing a white box. He popped the lid and pulled out an oversized red and grey tennis ball. He looked up at her.
“In case I need to work on my loop swing?” he asked.
“It’s not an actual tennis ball.” She narrowed her eyes a bit.
“I know that,” he replied, slightly irritated that she didn’t pick up on his sarcasm.
“I watch you when you’re thinking about symptoms, illnesses, and diseases,” she told him. “I watch when you try to make a diagnosis. Your mind and body know what they’re doing, but your hands... they’re clueless.”
He directed his eyes back to the ball and threw it gently back and forth between his hands a few times. He brought his eyes back up to her.
“I didn’t get you anything,” he said honestly.
“That’s okay.” She meant it. “I didn’t want anything. It’s not necessary. Besides, I’d rather give than receive.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
She glared and shook her head. “You’re dirty.”
“You’d know better than anyone.” He smirked. “Especially in bed.”
“I’ll take it back.” She eyed the ball.
“Well, that wouldn’t be in the Christian holiday spirit.” He clutched tighter onto the ball.
“Good thing I’m Jewish,” she replied and leaned back into the couch. She wasn’t going to take it from him. She noticed the look on his face when she threatened to and that was enough to convince her that he did want the gift.
“This is it,” he said. “You’ll go home, I’ll go home. We’ll return for one last semester. Then, it’ll all be done.”
“Done for you.” She stared at him. “I’ve still got three more years.”
“Lest I forget.” He raised his eyebrows, darting his eyes from her.
“What do you mean by that?” She was suspicious of his sudden change in behavior.
“Nothing.” He brought his eyes back to her with a shake of his head.
She smiled. “Are you going to miss me, House?”
“What is with this ‘House’ business?” He ignored her question.
Her brow furrowed. “You call me ‘Cuddy.’”
“If you’re going to call me ‘House,’ I want a ‘Doctor’ in front of it,” he said, a little more forcefully than he had meant to.
“Same goes for me,” she was quick to reply.
He thought it over, his eyes on her. “Fine, no ‘Doctor’ then.”
She smiled. “Okay, House.”
“It’s getting late.” He suddenly stood, the tennis ball in hand.
Cuddy picked up the box and the wrapper. “It was already late when I arrived.”
He smiled. “Is that a problem?”
She stood also. “No.” She paused, debating her words. “Have a Merry Christmas, House.”
“And a Happy Hanukkah for Cuddy.” he replied brightly, leaning in a bit.
“Thanks.” She smiled.
“So...” He tossed the ball up into the air and caught it. He really did appreciate this gift. He also appreciated that fact that Cuddy thought enough of him to even buy him a present.
“Yeah... I better...” She gave a nod toward the door, indicating that she should probably go. However, she really didn’t want to.
She turned to go and he reached out his free hand, stopping her. She turned back to him and he instinctually kissed her. She kissed him back, of course, because she really was all about the giving. When he pulled back, she bit her lower lip to try and keep her smile away.
“It’s not a dreidel, but I thought it’d do,” he said, giving her a smirk.
Her smile broke through and she nodded slightly, “Goodnight, House.”
“See you next year,” he replied.
Click for Twelve
Chapter: Eleven out of ?
Pairings: House/Cuddy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't sue me.
Summary: Cuddy recalls her past and the relationship she had with House during the college days.
Start from the beginning
OR
When his first day on the job came about at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Cuddy was worried. He hadn’t yet put together his office, which was very much against her urging. And when he finally showed up, two and a half hours late, limping with a box in his hands and cane resting on top, she was right behind him.
House shrugged her off, of course, like he would do time and time again. Cuddy, of course, would let him. She still felt pangs of guilt seeing him limping and he knew it. She thought he would rub it in her face, but he never did. Not unless they were fighting and his anger brought out accusations. She figured he was just as embarrassed about his limp as she was guilty.
However, he surprised her as he unpacked his box in his office while she watched and attempted to reprimand him through all his snide comments. Her surprise shut her up and he gave her a smile, but they didn’t talk about it. They both knew nothing needed to be said.
It was much too cold and her ears were hurting. There were flurries in the night air and her father would be picking her up in only a few short hours. She was silently cursing Gregory House for choosing such a late time to meet.
As she approached the academic building where the med student lounge was located, she grasped tighter onto the wrapped present. It slid a bit beneath her gloved hands. She was anxious, unsure as to whether or not he was going to throw the gift back in her face. He could, she knew.
She yanked the door to the building open and walked the short distance to the lounge. She was surprised to see him there already, sitting on the couch. She stopped in her tracks before giving him a small smile and entering the room.
His eyes fell to the present in her hands and then he raised them back up to her face. He gave her a look that clearly revealed his annoyance.
She crossed to the couch as she pulled off her gloves. She sat down next to him and offered the gift to him. He eyed her up.
“I said no presents,” he said, staring at her.
“I know, but you’ll go home to a pine tree, eggnog, and songs about reindeer,” she told him. “And when you get presents you detest because you’re mean, hopefully you’ll remember that you got one useful gift.”
He studied her a moment before reaching out and accepting the package. He untied the silver ribbon carefully and then tore open the red wrapping paper, revealing a white box. He popped the lid and pulled out an oversized red and grey tennis ball. He looked up at her.
“In case I need to work on my loop swing?” he asked.
“It’s not an actual tennis ball.” She narrowed her eyes a bit.
“I know that,” he replied, slightly irritated that she didn’t pick up on his sarcasm.
“I watch you when you’re thinking about symptoms, illnesses, and diseases,” she told him. “I watch when you try to make a diagnosis. Your mind and body know what they’re doing, but your hands... they’re clueless.”
He directed his eyes back to the ball and threw it gently back and forth between his hands a few times. He brought his eyes back up to her.
“I didn’t get you anything,” he said honestly.
“That’s okay.” She meant it. “I didn’t want anything. It’s not necessary. Besides, I’d rather give than receive.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
She glared and shook her head. “You’re dirty.”
“You’d know better than anyone.” He smirked. “Especially in bed.”
“I’ll take it back.” She eyed the ball.
“Well, that wouldn’t be in the Christian holiday spirit.” He clutched tighter onto the ball.
“Good thing I’m Jewish,” she replied and leaned back into the couch. She wasn’t going to take it from him. She noticed the look on his face when she threatened to and that was enough to convince her that he did want the gift.
“This is it,” he said. “You’ll go home, I’ll go home. We’ll return for one last semester. Then, it’ll all be done.”
“Done for you.” She stared at him. “I’ve still got three more years.”
“Lest I forget.” He raised his eyebrows, darting his eyes from her.
“What do you mean by that?” She was suspicious of his sudden change in behavior.
“Nothing.” He brought his eyes back to her with a shake of his head.
She smiled. “Are you going to miss me, House?”
“What is with this ‘House’ business?” He ignored her question.
Her brow furrowed. “You call me ‘Cuddy.’”
“If you’re going to call me ‘House,’ I want a ‘Doctor’ in front of it,” he said, a little more forcefully than he had meant to.
“Same goes for me,” she was quick to reply.
He thought it over, his eyes on her. “Fine, no ‘Doctor’ then.”
She smiled. “Okay, House.”
“It’s getting late.” He suddenly stood, the tennis ball in hand.
Cuddy picked up the box and the wrapper. “It was already late when I arrived.”
He smiled. “Is that a problem?”
She stood also. “No.” She paused, debating her words. “Have a Merry Christmas, House.”
“And a Happy Hanukkah for Cuddy.” he replied brightly, leaning in a bit.
“Thanks.” She smiled.
“So...” He tossed the ball up into the air and caught it. He really did appreciate this gift. He also appreciated that fact that Cuddy thought enough of him to even buy him a present.
“Yeah... I better...” She gave a nod toward the door, indicating that she should probably go. However, she really didn’t want to.
She turned to go and he reached out his free hand, stopping her. She turned back to him and he instinctually kissed her. She kissed him back, of course, because she really was all about the giving. When he pulled back, she bit her lower lip to try and keep her smile away.
“It’s not a dreidel, but I thought it’d do,” he said, giving her a smirk.
Her smile broke through and she nodded slightly, “Goodnight, House.”
“See you next year,” he replied.
Click for Twelve