rp for l_cuddy_md; and, eventually, harvard_law
House stood in front of the bathroom mirror, frowning at his reflection as he attempted to knot his necktie into some kind of neat looking knot. This was his fourth attempt and he was getting annoyed on top of already feeling agitated from nerves. Stupid that he was feeling nervous about having dinner with Cuddy because it was Cuddy he was having dinner with. Not some person he didn't know. The fact that this was a date, however, was the cause for his nervousness; he told himself again and again that there was no need to make an impression... yet here he was, knotting a necktie - something he rarely ever wore - to go with the crisply ironed pale blue dinner shirt he was wearing.
It wasn't just that, though. The fact that he and Cuddy were going on a date blatantly acknowledged that they were in a relationship. He still wasn't sure what to think about that, especially given everything that had happened. He'd sort of successfully managed to distract himself enough throughout the day to not think too deeply about all the crap with Dean and Alice. Wilson's apparent new friend, the Pommy mop head weirdo, had caught House's attention enough that he was even distracted from thinking about this date for a while. He really, really didn't like Wilson's new friend. Just thinking about the possibility of being even remotely replaced burned a big hole of jealousy and anxiety in House. They'd seemed pretty damn chummy, too, and House really didn't like that, either. For the first time in, well, ever he felt like an outsider to Wilson. Secondary. Like he wasn't important.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he tutted in annoyance when the knot came undone and he yanked the tie from around his neck sharply. When he'd returned to his room in the afternoon to start getting ready for this date, he'd walked in to find a suit hanging on the knob of his wardrobe. The suit certainly hadn't been there the last time he was in his room; he didn't even own a suit in this hotel. Seemed the hotel had provided. He'd ignored the suit at first, adamant that he as going to wear something of his own. He'd had a shower, put on some aftershave (even though he didn't actually shave) and went on a hunt for something to wear. But after rummaging around in his drawers, all he came up with was a pair of jeans and a few shirts that were badly wrinkled from being balled up and shoved at the back of the drawer. He'd eyed the suit with utmost distaste for a while before he reluctantly relented and got dressed into the neatly pressed dark grey-almost black slacks and shirt. The stupid hotel had even provided him with shoes to go with the stupid suit.
He sighed and looped the necktie around his neck one more time to attempt another go at knotting it. He wore ties so little he could never get the knot to look right. In the past, Wilson had usually helped him with his tie. Like that time he went on that date with Cameron, or that time he had to go to court. He hated wearing ties, and--
In fact, why did he need to wear a tie? He yanked the tie from around his neck again, deciding the tie could get fucked. He wasn't going to wear something that made him feel like he was sporting a noose. Grabbing his cane up from where it was perched against the wall, he headed out of the room to go and put his shoes on. He tugged on his dark grey dinner jacket that matched his trousers once that was done and went to the body-length mirror on the inside of his wardrobe to inspect himself - and saw that the suit looked stupid without the tie. Hell, he looked stupid in the damn suit; like the tie was going to make any difference.
He stood in front of the mirror, scowling at himself as he debated between tie or not tie. This was ridiculous. He was getting uptight about this whole date thing for no reason. He shut the wardrobe door firmly and grabbed up his cane again to head for the door... then stopped when he wondered yet again if he should forego the tie or not. He let out an exasperated sigh and peered up at the ceiling as though appealing for a higher source to help him out here. God, agonising over a damn tie... He went back to the bed where he'd discarded the tie, and snatched it up again. Opening the wardrobe door once more, he shrugged out of his jacket so he could loop the tie around his collar.
After some tugging and fiddling, he finally managed to make the tie look reasonable. He studied his reflection and it suddenly dawned on him: maybe he was trying way too hard here. What if Cuddy answered the door and she was dressed in something way more casual? God, he was going to feel like an idiot if that happened. Thing was, he had nothing else half decent to wear except this suit. He have himself a longsuffering look before slamming the wardrobe door shut and grabbing his jacket back up to tug it on. Well, there was only way to find out if he was trying way too hard here, and that was to go across to Cuddy's room and hope for the best.
He locked his door behind him when he stepped out into the hall and eyed Cuddy's door from across the hall for a long moment. With a deep breath, he reluctantly made his way across to her door and stood at it for another long moment before knocking on it.
He stood back and waited, hoping to god he didn't look anywhere near as awkward as he felt. He already had an urge to reach up to his tie to loosen it; it felt like it was strangling him.
It wasn't just that, though. The fact that he and Cuddy were going on a date blatantly acknowledged that they were in a relationship. He still wasn't sure what to think about that, especially given everything that had happened. He'd sort of successfully managed to distract himself enough throughout the day to not think too deeply about all the crap with Dean and Alice. Wilson's apparent new friend, the Pommy mop head weirdo, had caught House's attention enough that he was even distracted from thinking about this date for a while. He really, really didn't like Wilson's new friend. Just thinking about the possibility of being even remotely replaced burned a big hole of jealousy and anxiety in House. They'd seemed pretty damn chummy, too, and House really didn't like that, either. For the first time in, well, ever he felt like an outsider to Wilson. Secondary. Like he wasn't important.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he tutted in annoyance when the knot came undone and he yanked the tie from around his neck sharply. When he'd returned to his room in the afternoon to start getting ready for this date, he'd walked in to find a suit hanging on the knob of his wardrobe. The suit certainly hadn't been there the last time he was in his room; he didn't even own a suit in this hotel. Seemed the hotel had provided. He'd ignored the suit at first, adamant that he as going to wear something of his own. He'd had a shower, put on some aftershave (even though he didn't actually shave) and went on a hunt for something to wear. But after rummaging around in his drawers, all he came up with was a pair of jeans and a few shirts that were badly wrinkled from being balled up and shoved at the back of the drawer. He'd eyed the suit with utmost distaste for a while before he reluctantly relented and got dressed into the neatly pressed dark grey-almost black slacks and shirt. The stupid hotel had even provided him with shoes to go with the stupid suit.
He sighed and looped the necktie around his neck one more time to attempt another go at knotting it. He wore ties so little he could never get the knot to look right. In the past, Wilson had usually helped him with his tie. Like that time he went on that date with Cameron, or that time he had to go to court. He hated wearing ties, and--
In fact, why did he need to wear a tie? He yanked the tie from around his neck again, deciding the tie could get fucked. He wasn't going to wear something that made him feel like he was sporting a noose. Grabbing his cane up from where it was perched against the wall, he headed out of the room to go and put his shoes on. He tugged on his dark grey dinner jacket that matched his trousers once that was done and went to the body-length mirror on the inside of his wardrobe to inspect himself - and saw that the suit looked stupid without the tie. Hell, he looked stupid in the damn suit; like the tie was going to make any difference.
He stood in front of the mirror, scowling at himself as he debated between tie or not tie. This was ridiculous. He was getting uptight about this whole date thing for no reason. He shut the wardrobe door firmly and grabbed up his cane again to head for the door... then stopped when he wondered yet again if he should forego the tie or not. He let out an exasperated sigh and peered up at the ceiling as though appealing for a higher source to help him out here. God, agonising over a damn tie... He went back to the bed where he'd discarded the tie, and snatched it up again. Opening the wardrobe door once more, he shrugged out of his jacket so he could loop the tie around his collar.
After some tugging and fiddling, he finally managed to make the tie look reasonable. He studied his reflection and it suddenly dawned on him: maybe he was trying way too hard here. What if Cuddy answered the door and she was dressed in something way more casual? God, he was going to feel like an idiot if that happened. Thing was, he had nothing else half decent to wear except this suit. He have himself a longsuffering look before slamming the wardrobe door shut and grabbing his jacket back up to tug it on. Well, there was only way to find out if he was trying way too hard here, and that was to go across to Cuddy's room and hope for the best.
He locked his door behind him when he stepped out into the hall and eyed Cuddy's door from across the hall for a long moment. With a deep breath, he reluctantly made his way across to her door and stood at it for another long moment before knocking on it.
He stood back and waited, hoping to god he didn't look anywhere near as awkward as he felt. He already had an urge to reach up to his tie to loosen it; it felt like it was strangling him.