A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of: Chapter Sixteen
Title: A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of
Chapter: Sixteen 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.
Author's Note: A little credit: I don't own 'The Way You Look Tonight,' so don't sue me. And I don't know what kind of mood I was in when I thought of this, but apparently it was a Huddy lovin' mood.
Start from the beginning
OR
The piano was his retreat. Cuddy knew that. She also knew that it changed him. When he was there, at the bench, he was in his own world. She was always intrigued by this.
Given the opportunity, she would watch him, his fingers on the keys, and wonder what was going on inside. It was through the piano that House found himself. It was where Cuddy knew, when it came to it, she could always find him as well.
“Will you hurry up?”
She stopped and turned around, staring out into the darkness and waiting for his reply. He caught up to her and gave her a look.
“If I had known we’d be trekking across campus,” he started, “I would have brought my walking stick and canteen.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not that far.”
She took off again and he sighed. Giving her the head start, he began after her once more, following her to whatever destination she had chosen.
“Does this surprise involve you naked?” he called out to her backside.
“No,” she called back to him.
He smirked. “Does it involve me naked?”
“No,” she answered again.
He stopped. “It does involve me, right?”
She looked over her shoulder and shot him a smile. “Yes.”
He picked up his pace as he began toward her. He slowed once he was at her side. “Are you taking me to some remote part of the campus to kill me?”
She gave him a side glance. “And rid the world of the medical genius known as Dr. House? Never.”
She stopped in front of a building he had only ever looked at from a distance before today. She tugged at one of the heavy wooden doors and it opened for her. Flashing him a smile, she disappeared into the darkened building and he followed in after her.
“Where are we?” he asked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“We’re in the theatre,” she answered him, surprised he didn’t know.
He followed her movement as she led him to a staircase. “I’ve never been here.”
She began down the stairs. “Haven’t you seen any plays? Or gone to any of the concerts?”
“Nope.” He gave a shrug, even though she couldn’t see it.
When she stopped on the landing and pulled open another door, he began to grow worried. He never went in theatre so this was all new territory for him. He didn’t like it.
She led him down a dark hallway and to another door. She passed through the doorway and began down another flight of stairs. He was even more apprehensive.
“Where are we going?” He followed her down the stairs.
“Quit whining,” she replied.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” He stepped alongside of her now, looking at her face to see if she indicated any confusion.
“Yes, I know where I’m going.” She brought her eyes to him. “I have a few friends in the theatre department.”
He mulled that over a moment as they continued down flights of stairs. He looked to her again.
“Are we breaking a rule?”
A smile spread over her face. “Maybe.”
He smirked. “Lisa Cuddy is flying solo in an attempt to break a rule without the help of Greg House.”
She stopped quickly at a door on a landing. “Will you ever shut up?”
“Will you ever love me?” he returned.
“No,” she answered him and pushed the door open.
“There’s your answer,” he replied and followed her through.
She led him down another darkened hallway. There were closed doors lined on either side of them. She stopped at the second one on the left.
“Going to pick the lock now?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.
She drew a small key from inside her pocket, a smile on her face again. “I don’t need to.”
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. It smelled of old books and make up. He waited in the doorway until she flicked on the light.
The room was large and the middle of it was clear of clutter, but the edges were stuffed with racks of clothes and boxes full of random objects ranging from horns and bells to stuffed animal heads and bicycle tires. A wooden piano sat sadly against the wall.
She walked out into the middle of the room, the worn floorboards creaking softly beneath her. She took in a deep breath and looked to the doorway where he peeked his head in cautiously. After taking a quick look around, he stepped inside.
“What is this?” he asked her, but his focus was on a broken bright pink coat rack leaning against several boxes.
“It’s the prop room,” she answered him, still taking it in. “But, there’s costumes in this room, too. The other prop room is more organized. Isn’t it great?”
He brought his eyes back to her. “This is my surprise?”
“Your surprise is the piano.” She nodded toward the instrument against the wall.
“What makes you think I play?” he asked, almost defensively, which she picked up on.
“You’ve mentioned it before,” she shrugged, “once or twice. You can’t bring your piano to your apartment like you can your guitar. I wanted to hear you play.”
“So my surprise is to play the piano for you?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Yes,” she answered him.
He walked across the room and seated himself at the piano. The keys weren’t dusty, which surprised him, but he couldn’t be sure as to why.
He raised his fingers and would have drawn out the suspense just to annoy her, but he missed the keys. His guitar was always fun, but the piano was his home. And nothing ever compared to home.
She was examining various props as he began to play. She recognized the song almost instantly, but the tempo was much slower than the Sinatra version she was used to.
“Someday... when I’m awfully low...”
He wasn’t singing, but merely stretching the words out a bit. His voice would have went unnoticed if she hadn’t been listening so hard.
“When the world is cold... I will feel a glow...”
She picked up a black feather boa and placed it around herself. She rummaged through another box and removed a top hat from it. As she crossed the room, she brushed the dust from it. She plopped it on his head and he gave her a glance.
“I think the song is suppose to be faster than that,” she told him.
“If I’m providing the words, it’s not fast,” he replied.
She shrugged. “You don’t have to sing.”
“Fine.” He removed his fingers from the keys.
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean stop playing.”
He stood from he piano bench and she suddenly regretted her words. She was enjoying hearing him play. However, he took her by surprise as he placed one hand to her hip and took her hand with his free one. He began to hum the song from where he stopped playing.
She smiled and placed her free hand up around his shoulder. She drew herself closer to him and he slid his hand around to the small of her back. He smiled to himself and continued on with his humming. She breathed in the scent she missed and lost herself in the sound of his deep voice.
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter: Sixteen 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.
Author's Note: A little credit: I don't own 'The Way You Look Tonight,' so don't sue me. And I don't know what kind of mood I was in when I thought of this, but apparently it was a Huddy lovin' mood.
Start from the beginning
OR
The piano was his retreat. Cuddy knew that. She also knew that it changed him. When he was there, at the bench, he was in his own world. She was always intrigued by this.
Given the opportunity, she would watch him, his fingers on the keys, and wonder what was going on inside. It was through the piano that House found himself. It was where Cuddy knew, when it came to it, she could always find him as well.
“Will you hurry up?”
She stopped and turned around, staring out into the darkness and waiting for his reply. He caught up to her and gave her a look.
“If I had known we’d be trekking across campus,” he started, “I would have brought my walking stick and canteen.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not that far.”
She took off again and he sighed. Giving her the head start, he began after her once more, following her to whatever destination she had chosen.
“Does this surprise involve you naked?” he called out to her backside.
“No,” she called back to him.
He smirked. “Does it involve me naked?”
“No,” she answered again.
He stopped. “It does involve me, right?”
She looked over her shoulder and shot him a smile. “Yes.”
He picked up his pace as he began toward her. He slowed once he was at her side. “Are you taking me to some remote part of the campus to kill me?”
She gave him a side glance. “And rid the world of the medical genius known as Dr. House? Never.”
She stopped in front of a building he had only ever looked at from a distance before today. She tugged at one of the heavy wooden doors and it opened for her. Flashing him a smile, she disappeared into the darkened building and he followed in after her.
“Where are we?” he asked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“We’re in the theatre,” she answered him, surprised he didn’t know.
He followed her movement as she led him to a staircase. “I’ve never been here.”
She began down the stairs. “Haven’t you seen any plays? Or gone to any of the concerts?”
“Nope.” He gave a shrug, even though she couldn’t see it.
When she stopped on the landing and pulled open another door, he began to grow worried. He never went in theatre so this was all new territory for him. He didn’t like it.
She led him down a dark hallway and to another door. She passed through the doorway and began down another flight of stairs. He was even more apprehensive.
“Where are we going?” He followed her down the stairs.
“Quit whining,” she replied.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” He stepped alongside of her now, looking at her face to see if she indicated any confusion.
“Yes, I know where I’m going.” She brought her eyes to him. “I have a few friends in the theatre department.”
He mulled that over a moment as they continued down flights of stairs. He looked to her again.
“Are we breaking a rule?”
A smile spread over her face. “Maybe.”
He smirked. “Lisa Cuddy is flying solo in an attempt to break a rule without the help of Greg House.”
She stopped quickly at a door on a landing. “Will you ever shut up?”
“Will you ever love me?” he returned.
“No,” she answered him and pushed the door open.
“There’s your answer,” he replied and followed her through.
She led him down another darkened hallway. There were closed doors lined on either side of them. She stopped at the second one on the left.
“Going to pick the lock now?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.
She drew a small key from inside her pocket, a smile on her face again. “I don’t need to.”
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. It smelled of old books and make up. He waited in the doorway until she flicked on the light.
The room was large and the middle of it was clear of clutter, but the edges were stuffed with racks of clothes and boxes full of random objects ranging from horns and bells to stuffed animal heads and bicycle tires. A wooden piano sat sadly against the wall.
She walked out into the middle of the room, the worn floorboards creaking softly beneath her. She took in a deep breath and looked to the doorway where he peeked his head in cautiously. After taking a quick look around, he stepped inside.
“What is this?” he asked her, but his focus was on a broken bright pink coat rack leaning against several boxes.
“It’s the prop room,” she answered him, still taking it in. “But, there’s costumes in this room, too. The other prop room is more organized. Isn’t it great?”
He brought his eyes back to her. “This is my surprise?”
“Your surprise is the piano.” She nodded toward the instrument against the wall.
“What makes you think I play?” he asked, almost defensively, which she picked up on.
“You’ve mentioned it before,” she shrugged, “once or twice. You can’t bring your piano to your apartment like you can your guitar. I wanted to hear you play.”
“So my surprise is to play the piano for you?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Yes,” she answered him.
He walked across the room and seated himself at the piano. The keys weren’t dusty, which surprised him, but he couldn’t be sure as to why.
He raised his fingers and would have drawn out the suspense just to annoy her, but he missed the keys. His guitar was always fun, but the piano was his home. And nothing ever compared to home.
She was examining various props as he began to play. She recognized the song almost instantly, but the tempo was much slower than the Sinatra version she was used to.
“Someday... when I’m awfully low...”
He wasn’t singing, but merely stretching the words out a bit. His voice would have went unnoticed if she hadn’t been listening so hard.
“When the world is cold... I will feel a glow...”
She picked up a black feather boa and placed it around herself. She rummaged through another box and removed a top hat from it. As she crossed the room, she brushed the dust from it. She plopped it on his head and he gave her a glance.
“I think the song is suppose to be faster than that,” she told him.
“If I’m providing the words, it’s not fast,” he replied.
She shrugged. “You don’t have to sing.”
“Fine.” He removed his fingers from the keys.
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean stop playing.”
He stood from he piano bench and she suddenly regretted her words. She was enjoying hearing him play. However, he took her by surprise as he placed one hand to her hip and took her hand with his free one. He began to hum the song from where he stopped playing.
She smiled and placed her free hand up around his shoulder. She drew herself closer to him and he slid his hand around to the small of her back. He smiled to himself and continued on with his humming. She breathed in the scent she missed and lost herself in the sound of his deep voice.
Chapter Seventeen