Synchronicity - 7
Title: Synchronicity
Author: snark-b8it
Pairing: House/Cameron
Spoilers:nope
Summary: Fate is a funny thing to shake off.
Rating: nc 17
FOX owns everything
Part seven
‘In all the places we were hiding love
What was it we were thinking of?’
- ‘Secret world’ Peter Gabriel
Cameron
She’s lying on the beach beside House; they’re star-gazing and the sand is white, creamy silt underneath them. He’s got one hand resting behind his head and the other is on his stomach. In this moment she has to be honest with herself: she’s glad he came. His presence coupled with the long over-due return of her happiness can’t just be a coincidence.
On his better days he’s been fun rather than irritating and on his not so good days he’s been quiet rather than miserable. And she realizes they get along remarkably well sometimes.
“Why are you scared of water?” she asks, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
“I’m not,” he denies. She smiles. Their conversation is like the gentle tide, forward then back, a constant to and fro that never gets them anywhere.
“Liar,” she sighs.
“You’d be scared of water too if you’d learned to swim the way I did.”
She props herself up on one elbow and regards him. She gives him a look that says - you’re not getting out of the conversation now.
House
“I was on vacation with my parents when my dad decided to teach me how to swim.”
“How old were you?” Cameron asks; he thinks for a moment.
“About seven. We were in Europe, I can’t remember where. There was a big lake where we staying; the water was like a black mirror and it was always freezing cold. I hated it.”
“But he made you go in anyway?” Cameron asks. He nods.
“Every day; it was more like barely defied drowning than swimming, really. A couple of days before we went home he pushed me off the quay into a deep spot. I wasn’t expecting it and I still didn’t have the swimming down. All that was going through my mind was the vision of these pike coming to get me, like the ones I’d seen the locals pulling out of it. Have you ever seen a pike?” he asks and she shakes her head.
“Well, they’re big ugly things, with lots of teeth. I panicked and swallowed a lung full of water and he had to fish me out.”
The conversation stills for a moment and then House grabs a fistful of sand. Cameron doesn’t say anything for a moment or two.
“I’m so sorry,’ she offers eventually. “I shouldn’t have fooled around the other day.”
“I’ll get over it,” he says dismissively.
“What an asshole,” she whispers then.
“I hope that’s not my dead father you’re referring too,” he replies seriously, faking offence for a moment before he smiles. “Not that it isn’t true; he was an asshole.”
They’re side by side and barely touching; she turns her head at the same time he does and they’re nose to nose, then his hand is on her cheek and they’re swapping lazy kisses under the moonlight.
Cameron
She tried so hard not to let this happen again but finds it almost impossible to say no to him - verbally or physically. Sex with House is always awkward but even more so on a beach. It’s not that she doesn’t enjoy it, she just doesn’t climax from the penetration. It’s what happens afterwards that makes her come. What House lacks in balance and stamina he makes up for with strong fingers, wet lips and a warm tongue.
It couldn’t be more opposite to the way it was with Ryan. He could screw the breath out of her but when it came to foreplay it was like he was fumbling for a light switch in the dark. He never could get the light on. House just seems to know what feels right.
He’s French kissing her down below and her hips grind and squirm until she’s made an explicit sand angel. She misses that rough burn now his stubble is gone but it’s a minor thing. One of his hands is on her tummy and the other is resting on her thigh in case his tongue gets weary.
She grabs at the beach and squeezes the sand until it spills through her fingers like the orgasm through her body.
House
He wakes early on their last morning. It’s about five thirty he thinks, or maybe earlier. They’ve only been in bed for a few hours but he‘s not seen a sunrise since he came here and wants to catch at least one before he goes. He leaves Cameron asleep, takes one of her big beach towels and sits by the shore.
She must have heard him, he thinks, because a few moments later she’s sitting beside him with her arm hooked through his and yawning as she leans against him.
“Did I ruin your vacation?” he asks her softly.
“Yeah, but you more than made up for it last night,” she replies tiredly. He smiles and the sun yawns into life in the distance; gold fingers of light creep along the ocean toward them.
“Come back to Princeton,” he says suddenly. It surprises them both. She doesn’t move to look at him and he’s sort of glad.
“No,” she replies. It’s blunt and quick and it hurts for the briefest of seconds.
“Why not?” he asks.
“I like New York,” she admits quickly.
“And I like you,” he confesses, forcing large square words through a small round hole. If this isn’t the best time to admit it, there never will be a time. He wishes he could swap the I and K for an O and a V but there’s no way he’s putting that out there for her to throw back at him.
“I’m not willing to leave everything behind so you can spend a week pretending to be someone you’re not, before you revert back to the bastard version of yourself when you’re feeling better again,” she says candidly
“Ouch,” he says and he’s not joking. It stings. He wonders where that doe-eyed, wilting flower that had a crush on him for three years went. Rest in Peace, he thinks then, because she doesn’t exist anymore.
“How many interesting cases have you had in the last six months?” he asks challengingly. He needs to switch hit and go for the medicine.
“I don’t know,” she replies, “I’ve had a lot of interesting patients though.”
He shrugs her off him, saying, “Oh don’t,” distastefully as he does. “Foreman gave me the same crap; it sounded like bullshit from him too.”
“You’re a great doctor House, but I don’t like feeling guilty for caring about my patients. When I work with you, I’m probably at my best but I lose a little of myself, and it’s a part I really like.”
“It wouldn’t be like that,” he argues.
“It would,” she says sadly. He’s watching her now and the sun hits her face; her smile is poignant and the resolution in her eyes unmistakable, it says she won’t be swayed. He looks at the water again.
“Let’s not ruin this,” she says softly, taking his arm again.
He says nothing more and they watch the water until the sun is up.
Cameron
She kisses him goodbye at JFK and thinks she hears scenes of dialogue in her mind - Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow…
He’s going to visit his mom in New York before he goes back to Princeton. On the flight home he mentioned his parents moved there a few years ago to be closer to him. She picks up a hint of guilt as he explains and guesses they probably didn’t see that much more of him.
“You can see me whenever you want; you know where I’ll be. You should come visit.” She knows he probably won’t but she says it anyway.
“You can play hard to get but it won’t work,” House assures her.
“Take care House,” she says, then she plants a kiss on his cheek; it’s starting to stubble again and he keeps scratching his face like an enthusiastic gardener waters his grass to make it grow. She leaves first so he has to watch her go.
“Hey Cameron?” he coos. “Your skirt is tucked into your underwear,” he shouts loudly across the packed arrival lounge. Lots of people turn and look at her, she blushes and then checks her rear as discreetly as possible. He’s lying. She glances at him and he’s grinning and waving at her.
~
She doesn’t think she’ll see him again for another two years, probably, but two weeks later, on a beautiful Friday evening there’s a familiar rap at her door. A huge smile cracks her face but she tames it before the door is open.
“Your apartment is a bitch to find,” House moans to her. “There had better be beer in here,” he says then as he steps in without being invited.
For two months she sees him every other weekend, unless he has a case, then she goes to his place.
She calls him on Wednesday evenings; he’s not one for chatting unless it’s scandalous gossip and because they don’t know the same people it’s mostly her doing the talking and him grunting one word answers while he surfs channels on his TV.
Sometimes she can hear Wilson is in the background, usually asking House to ask her stuff. House usually tells him to shut up or hands Wilson the phone as he moans that he’s ‘Not a gossip conduit’.
The rest of the time he’s in the bath when she calls; for a man who doesn’t like water, he’s in the tub a lot. She thinks it’s probably the heat on his leg he likes. On one of those occasions he goes very quiet and she threatens to hang up if he’s ‘abusing’ himself.
“But phone sex is hot,” he defends himself breathlessly.
“Only when you know you’re taking part in it,” she admonishes him before she hangs up.
The more time Cameron spends with House on the weekends the more she misses him in the week. She sends him medical magazines with the New York vacancies circled in red. He sends her similar ones back with the applications for Princeton and Jersey circled; one time he also sends what appears to be a photocopy of his ass, stapled to the back page. She figures he must really dislike the hospital she’d circled that week.
And so life goes on that way, until she thinks, at some point something has to give…
~
House
He loathes the idea of another day of interviewing. He makes Wilson join him, then spends most of the day playing Sonic the Hedgehog on his PSP2 while Wilson does the talking.
“You’re boring me, it’s not happening,” he cuts in rudely at one point, it’s during the fourth or fifth interview. “The fact that you’re a vegetarian makes me think you’d have a hard time fitting in here; my initiation thing involves beef.”
Sarah, the applicant, gives Wilson a slightly confused look and House continues fighting Dr Robotnik on his game. “Next,” he then calls out loudly.
“I’m sorry,” Wilson begins but she doesn’t stick around; she gathers her things and leaves swiftly.
House reaches forward and grabs the next file and is about to hand it to Wilson but notices the name stuck to the resume file - Cameron, Allison. He stands up and peers into the main room. Sure enough, the next interviewee does look remarkably like a Cameron, Allison.
“Next,” he says again; this time he’s smiling slightly.
She sits opposite him with her hands clasped on top of her crossed knees and looking like she could head the word ‘demure’ in the dictionary. Wilson is about to say something but House gives him a look.
“I think I can handle this one.” Wilson blows air into his cheeks and keeps silent. But a look passes between him and Cameron like Wilson was in on it.
House plays along of course.
“Have you any experience in diagnostic medicine, Dr Cameron?” he asks civilly, pretending to look at her file.
”Yes, actually, I worked for a brilliant doctor a few years ago; he was a total asshole though,” she jokes, looking at Wilson.
House raises an eyebrow then gets out of his seat; he glances into the main room. There are two other female applicants and one guy who must be gay - he and Wilson have a fifty dollar wager on it.
“You know, seeing as you’re incredibly good looking, the job’s yours if you make out with me right now,” he says, loud enough so the others hear. The two other girls shoot worried looks at each other.
Cameron considers his offer for a moment, then stands and then moves forward until she has him backed against his desk and plants one on him with serious tongue. When it’s done, when he’s caught his breath, he says, “Could you hold on one moment?” wipes her lipstick from his face, then pops his head around the door so he’s looking into the main room.
“Anyone else willing to make out with me to get the job?” he asks them all.
The gay guy thinks about it, hesitantly starts to raise his hand before dropping it to his lap again but the girls look positively outraged. House smiles and turns back to Cameron.
“Looks like the job is yours then,” he says happily. “And Wilson, you owe me fifty bucks.” He holds his hand out and Cameron shakes it. “Welcome to the team.”
“That is outrageous,” one girl bitches as she gets up and leaves the office. “I’m calling my lawyer.”
House looks at Wilson, “Could you…”
“I’m on it,” Wilson says and he stands up, aiming to beat the girl down to Cuddy and explain before lawsuits are filed against House - again.
~
“What about that little piece of yourself you like so much; aren’t you worried you’ll lose it again?” House asks. They’re standing on the balcony of his office drinking champagne out of urine sample cups.
“I’ll just have to fight harder to keep hold of it this time,” she tells him.
He smiles and then kisses her once, quickly, on the lips.
“I think this is going to be fun.”