A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of: Last Chapter
Title: A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of
Chapter: 21/21
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: Thank you guys so much for your enthusiasm and support behind this fic. I'm glad you liked it so much. It's been a fun ride. Thank you for reading. :o)
Start from the beginning
OR
Cuddy didn’t know what it was going to be like to work with House after having the past they had. She was nervous and slightly excited, but ultimately left it up to him. After all, he was the one working in a new environment.
It was not long before Cuddy realized that working with House, after taking away all his disobedience and blunt lack of respect, was like wrapping oneself in an old, loved blanket. It was familiar and comfortable, completely worn out, but ultimately it provided a strange sense of security.
The thirteen days went by quickly and she saw him less than a third of them. They weren’t avoiding each other, but rather, were both very busy. Now, it was late and she figured he wasn’t coming. After all, he had just graduated and was more than likely out celebrating and not worrying about his strange relationship with a soon to be sophomore.
She was there to see him graduate. Of course, it was so packed that she knew she wouldn’t be able to speak to him after. That left her wondering when the last time they saw each other was. It had to have been a few days ago because she was studying for a final while he bothered her.
She wondered if that was the last time she was ever going to see him. It was a good possibility, she figured, considering she doubted Gregory House was all about the goodbyes. She jumped when she saw his familiar frame in the doorway.
“Boo.” He stepped into the room.
She faced him, hands folded across her chest. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to show.”
“Almost didn’t,” he replied. “My friends are going out. I have to meet them in a few minutes.”
“Of course.” She nodded, understanding. “It’s your day to celebrate.”
“Something like that.” He shrugged.
She didn’t like the silence that came between them. “So, your parents were here?”
“Yeah,” he answered. “I wasn’t a disappointment today.”
“You’re not a disappointment.” She gave him an eye roll, indicating how ridiculous his statement was.
“You haven’t met my father,” he replied, leaning in close to her.
“He thinks you’re a disappointment?” She was surprised that this had never been brought to light before. It almost made her sad.
“This is suppose to be a happy occasion,” he told her. “So, yes, let’s keep talking about all the negative aspects of my life.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly with a shake of her head.
“I was kidding,” he raised his eyebrows and smirked.
“Right,” she agreed. “I’m going to miss that painful humor and heartless sarcasm.”
“No, you’re not.” He moved over to the couch and flopped down on it.
“Do you have interviews lined up?” She followed after him. “Any job offers?”
“I’m not you, Dr. Cuddy.” He stretched out and placed his hands behind his head. “I like to live on the edge without a sense of security.”
“I think you’ll get a lot of offers.” She moved to the armchair and sat down. “You may be one mean son of a bitch, but you know what you’re doing.”
“You don’t need to flatter me to get into my pants, Dr. Cuddy.” He gave her a goofy smile. “I thought you knew that.”
“Stop calling me Dr. Cuddy like that.” She frowned at him.
“You don’t want me to call you Dr. Cuddy?” He asked. “What a change this year has brought.”
“Well, aren’t you the cocky one?” She straightened in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.
He sat up and looked to her. “What?”
“Just because you have a diploma, it doesn’t give you the stamp of approval to spout arrogance everywhere,” she told him.
“I know that.” He rolled his eyes. “I always spout my arrogance to anyone who’ll listen. Unfortunately for you, you’re the only other person in this room.”
She had only been half listening. “Do you want to keep in touch?”
“Out of the blue much?” he asked.
“It’s not out of the blue,” she replied. “This is the last time we’ll be seeing each other. We should keep in touch. You know, in case, down the line, we ever need help or a consult or just to talk.” She paused a moment. “I mean, as frustrating as it was to talk with you, I did enjoy it.”
“You don’t want to associate with me out of here,” he said, frowning at her.
Her eyebrows drew together. “Why not?”
“You didn’t even want to associate with me in here,” he told her.
She uncrossed her arms. “That was you who-”
“No, it wasn’t,” he cut her off.
“I wouldn’t have minded talking with you outside of our late nights,” she spoke honestly with him.
“Ah, but we were made for late nights.” He leaned back into the couch cushions.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re disgust-”
“Not what I meant,” he broke in quickly.
“Oh?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Do you think we would have ever had something like this if we were exposed to them out there?” He gave a nod to the doorway.
“What do you mean?” She eyed him up.
“If we walked and talked out there with those assholes,” he gave her clarification, “do you think it could have escalated to this moment right here?”
She shook her head, confusion still etched across her face. “I don’t-”
“Your friends would have tried to dissuade you from having any sort of association with me, professors would get the wrong impression, you’d be shunned,” he offered to her. “As for me, my friends would have turned up their noses, I’d be scolded for forcing my ideas on impressionable freshman, and I’d be corrupting the good girl. Not that I particularly would have minded that last accusation.”
He gave a wink. She frowned, still caught up in his words. He was right, she knew, but she wasn’t entirely convinced.
“And you think out in the real world, it would be the same?” she asked him.
“Of course,” he answered. “People are people, Cuddy. They don’t change just because their age does.”
“So, I won’t be seeing you again,” she concluded.
“Unless fate brings us together once more,” he replied.
“Like you believe in fate.” She rolled her eyes.
“You know me too well, Dr. Cuddy.” He smirked and she felt her heart sink a little.
“Your friends are probably ready to leave without you,” she told him.
“They would.” He nodded.
“You should go.” She stood from the armchair.
He rose as well. “Yeah.”
“Goodbye, House.” She stood in front of him. “Good luck. With everything.”
“Goodbye, Cuddy,” he replied. “Be my warrior princess and the bitch I know that’s in there.”
She nodded in response. She wasn’t going to cry. She told herself she wouldn’t. Not in front of him, anyway. He drew her into him, embracing her. She lifted herself up to place her arms around his neck and return the hug.
“Have I made you love me yet?” he whispered into her hair.
She drew back and gave him one last parting smile. “Never.”
Chapter: 21/21
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: Thank you guys so much for your enthusiasm and support behind this fic. I'm glad you liked it so much. It's been a fun ride. Thank you for reading. :o)
Start from the beginning
OR
Cuddy didn’t know what it was going to be like to work with House after having the past they had. She was nervous and slightly excited, but ultimately left it up to him. After all, he was the one working in a new environment.
It was not long before Cuddy realized that working with House, after taking away all his disobedience and blunt lack of respect, was like wrapping oneself in an old, loved blanket. It was familiar and comfortable, completely worn out, but ultimately it provided a strange sense of security.
The thirteen days went by quickly and she saw him less than a third of them. They weren’t avoiding each other, but rather, were both very busy. Now, it was late and she figured he wasn’t coming. After all, he had just graduated and was more than likely out celebrating and not worrying about his strange relationship with a soon to be sophomore.
She was there to see him graduate. Of course, it was so packed that she knew she wouldn’t be able to speak to him after. That left her wondering when the last time they saw each other was. It had to have been a few days ago because she was studying for a final while he bothered her.
She wondered if that was the last time she was ever going to see him. It was a good possibility, she figured, considering she doubted Gregory House was all about the goodbyes. She jumped when she saw his familiar frame in the doorway.
“Boo.” He stepped into the room.
She faced him, hands folded across her chest. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to show.”
“Almost didn’t,” he replied. “My friends are going out. I have to meet them in a few minutes.”
“Of course.” She nodded, understanding. “It’s your day to celebrate.”
“Something like that.” He shrugged.
She didn’t like the silence that came between them. “So, your parents were here?”
“Yeah,” he answered. “I wasn’t a disappointment today.”
“You’re not a disappointment.” She gave him an eye roll, indicating how ridiculous his statement was.
“You haven’t met my father,” he replied, leaning in close to her.
“He thinks you’re a disappointment?” She was surprised that this had never been brought to light before. It almost made her sad.
“This is suppose to be a happy occasion,” he told her. “So, yes, let’s keep talking about all the negative aspects of my life.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly with a shake of her head.
“I was kidding,” he raised his eyebrows and smirked.
“Right,” she agreed. “I’m going to miss that painful humor and heartless sarcasm.”
“No, you’re not.” He moved over to the couch and flopped down on it.
“Do you have interviews lined up?” She followed after him. “Any job offers?”
“I’m not you, Dr. Cuddy.” He stretched out and placed his hands behind his head. “I like to live on the edge without a sense of security.”
“I think you’ll get a lot of offers.” She moved to the armchair and sat down. “You may be one mean son of a bitch, but you know what you’re doing.”
“You don’t need to flatter me to get into my pants, Dr. Cuddy.” He gave her a goofy smile. “I thought you knew that.”
“Stop calling me Dr. Cuddy like that.” She frowned at him.
“You don’t want me to call you Dr. Cuddy?” He asked. “What a change this year has brought.”
“Well, aren’t you the cocky one?” She straightened in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.
He sat up and looked to her. “What?”
“Just because you have a diploma, it doesn’t give you the stamp of approval to spout arrogance everywhere,” she told him.
“I know that.” He rolled his eyes. “I always spout my arrogance to anyone who’ll listen. Unfortunately for you, you’re the only other person in this room.”
She had only been half listening. “Do you want to keep in touch?”
“Out of the blue much?” he asked.
“It’s not out of the blue,” she replied. “This is the last time we’ll be seeing each other. We should keep in touch. You know, in case, down the line, we ever need help or a consult or just to talk.” She paused a moment. “I mean, as frustrating as it was to talk with you, I did enjoy it.”
“You don’t want to associate with me out of here,” he said, frowning at her.
Her eyebrows drew together. “Why not?”
“You didn’t even want to associate with me in here,” he told her.
She uncrossed her arms. “That was you who-”
“No, it wasn’t,” he cut her off.
“I wouldn’t have minded talking with you outside of our late nights,” she spoke honestly with him.
“Ah, but we were made for late nights.” He leaned back into the couch cushions.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re disgust-”
“Not what I meant,” he broke in quickly.
“Oh?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Do you think we would have ever had something like this if we were exposed to them out there?” He gave a nod to the doorway.
“What do you mean?” She eyed him up.
“If we walked and talked out there with those assholes,” he gave her clarification, “do you think it could have escalated to this moment right here?”
She shook her head, confusion still etched across her face. “I don’t-”
“Your friends would have tried to dissuade you from having any sort of association with me, professors would get the wrong impression, you’d be shunned,” he offered to her. “As for me, my friends would have turned up their noses, I’d be scolded for forcing my ideas on impressionable freshman, and I’d be corrupting the good girl. Not that I particularly would have minded that last accusation.”
He gave a wink. She frowned, still caught up in his words. He was right, she knew, but she wasn’t entirely convinced.
“And you think out in the real world, it would be the same?” she asked him.
“Of course,” he answered. “People are people, Cuddy. They don’t change just because their age does.”
“So, I won’t be seeing you again,” she concluded.
“Unless fate brings us together once more,” he replied.
“Like you believe in fate.” She rolled her eyes.
“You know me too well, Dr. Cuddy.” He smirked and she felt her heart sink a little.
“Your friends are probably ready to leave without you,” she told him.
“They would.” He nodded.
“You should go.” She stood from the armchair.
He rose as well. “Yeah.”
“Goodbye, House.” She stood in front of him. “Good luck. With everything.”
“Goodbye, Cuddy,” he replied. “Be my warrior princess and the bitch I know that’s in there.”
She nodded in response. She wasn’t going to cry. She told herself she wouldn’t. Not in front of him, anyway. He drew her into him, embracing her. She lifted herself up to place her arms around his neck and return the hug.
“Have I made you love me yet?” he whispered into her hair.
She drew back and gave him one last parting smile. “Never.”