(no subject)
Title: Treading Water
Author: rolleson
Fandom: House
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: House/Cameron
Spoilers: Season Four up House's Head
Warnings: None.
Summery: House and Cameron have a drink together.
Notes: Sequel and set directly after You Can Never Be Too Careful. 1154 words.
She hadn't expected him to turn up at all, let alone find him sitting at her Nurses Station at a quarter to midnight, reading a copy of Cosmo. Her copy of Cosmo.
"You need a tv in your office," he said, not looking up from the magazine. She had to wonder which article he was reading, but kept her position against the counter.
"I don't have time to watch it."
"But you do have the time for 'The Best Sex Toys Of 2008'," he said turning the magazine around so she could see. Typical, she thought, blushing a little.
"Still buying me a drink?" she asked, glad when he closed the magazine.
"Why else would I be here at midnight?"
"Patient?"
"What a horrible thing to say about your former boss," he said in a mocking voice, pushing himself to his feet and leaning over the counter facing her, "how's you arm?"
"Fine thank you," she said, watching his eyes on her arm, "fifteen minutes and I'll go get changed."
"You look fine," he told her, looking her up and down, "as always," he added quietly.
"Unless you haven't read," she said, handing him her copy of Cosmo back, "pink scrubs aren't in this season." He smiled and took the magazine, opening it back up to the article about sex toys.
Twenty minutes later, she was changed and waiting for him to finish a different article (but still about sex). She stood leaning against her Nurses station watching the midnight rush happen around her, trying to ignore the twitch in her fingers.
"You want to help don't you?"
"While I'm here," she murmured, her eyes on an unconscious child being wheeled past her.
"Let's get a drink," he said, rolling his eyes.
*****
Tuesday, after midnight, and the nearest, cleanest bar to Princeton Plainsboro was almost empty. Which suited him fine, he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing but he wanted to be able to talk to Cameron. Wanted to be able to listen to her. He knew she was surprised when he actually got his wallet out and paid for their drinks, letting her carry them as he led her over to a table in the corner but in the light. He wanted to be able to see her too.
"No date with Chase tonight?" he asked. He couldn't help himself, and he didn't know if she knew what she was doing either.
"Chase will be asleep," she said, taking a sip of her beer. There was little emotion in her voice, no clues to show how she felt about that.
"He's missing out, I never buy the drinks."
"True," she said with a smile, "taken your new team out yet?"
"Not yet."
"You should."
"Maybe." He shrugged.
"How are you getting along with them?"
"They're annoying."
"But that's a good thing," he nodded, "Foreman okay?"
"You don't know?"
"I'm asking you." He smiled at that.
"I think he's okay, hard to tell, he's always pissed off with me."
"Most people are."
"What about you?" It was a loaded question, he knew, and she smiled, showing she knew it too.
"Not right now," she said.
"Only 'cause I bought you alcohol."
"Maybe." He sat back in his chair, relaxing. His cane was propped against the table, her bag on the chair between them. Cameron sat back too, relaxing with him.
"Kutner is the most annoying, but I think he's crazy deep down. He's not as pretty as you or Chase," he said, "can't work Thirteen out, she'll drug me, but won't lie to a patient."
"But you like that, and she does have a name."
"I know."
"What about Taub?"
"He's easy to understand."
"You like working with him?" House shrugged. "You don't have to like him to like working with him."
"You like the ER?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, it's good for me."
"I can see that. I was hoping it was the ER and not Chase."
"Why?"
"I don't like Chase."
"You don't like anyone."
"Why does everyone have to tell me that like I don't already know it?" he said dramatically, making her laugh, "I dislike him more than...Cuddy."
"Ah, okay, what about me? Where do I come on your totem pole of hate?"
"I said dislike, not hate," he corrected.
"Sorry, your totem pole of dislike."
"Near the top, with Wilson," he said, not looking at her. "I almost like you." She beamed then, and he rolled his eyes. He almost regretted telling her that. Almost. "Did I tell you I like the hair?"
"Sort if," she said, picking at the label of her beer bottle. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled, "it's hard to tell sometimes which are insults and which are compliments."
"It was probably an insult," he said. He hadn't touched his scotch yet and knew he should, considering he'd paid for it (with Wilson's money) but he liked the near-clear headed feeling. He was never completely clear, his mind either fuzzy fromVicodin or distracted by the pain in his leg. Or both, which was the case right now, both vying for his attention but both loosing the battle to Cameron in a cream t-shirt and herblonde hair tied back. "Either way," he continued, "I do like it."
"Thanks."
"Does it match downstairs?"
"What?!" He smiled, she shouldn't be so shocked, he thought, at his crudeness, but she was anyway.
"Do the cuffs match the collars?" he asked.
"None of your business."
"No comment usually means yes."
"I didn't say no comment, I said none of your business."
"Just Chase's." She grinned. "Very pretty. Anyway." His voice was low and she didn't reply, and they were quiet for a little bit, Cameron drinking her beer and House finally took a drink of his scotch. He wanted to ask what they were doing, but he had asked her out, and didn't know the answer to that himself. Except he was having a drink, with his former fellow, and trying to get a life. Of sorts.
It didn't really change anything, until she shifted in her chair, crossing her legs and resting her calf against his shin. An innocent gesture that they barely reacted to, except her cheeks were flushing ever so slightly.
They weren't really doing anything, he mused, just sitting and drinking and chatting like normal people, like a normal couple almost. He wasn't normal though, didn't do normal but here he was. Here they were, with Chase asleep across town and he could just lean forward and kiss her.
Could, could, should.
"Want another drink?" he asked, downing his scotch in one, making her jump.
"Um, sure," she was frowning and he knew why, "I'll get them," she added getting up.
He watched her go to the bar, eyes on her ass in tight denim.
They weren't really doing anything, or going anywhere, but that was okay tonight.
Author: rolleson
Fandom: House
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: House/Cameron
Spoilers: Season Four up House's Head
Warnings: None.
Summery: House and Cameron have a drink together.
Notes: Sequel and set directly after You Can Never Be Too Careful. 1154 words.
She hadn't expected him to turn up at all, let alone find him sitting at her Nurses Station at a quarter to midnight, reading a copy of Cosmo. Her copy of Cosmo.
"You need a tv in your office," he said, not looking up from the magazine. She had to wonder which article he was reading, but kept her position against the counter.
"I don't have time to watch it."
"But you do have the time for 'The Best Sex Toys Of 2008'," he said turning the magazine around so she could see. Typical, she thought, blushing a little.
"Still buying me a drink?" she asked, glad when he closed the magazine.
"Why else would I be here at midnight?"
"Patient?"
"What a horrible thing to say about your former boss," he said in a mocking voice, pushing himself to his feet and leaning over the counter facing her, "how's you arm?"
"Fine thank you," she said, watching his eyes on her arm, "fifteen minutes and I'll go get changed."
"You look fine," he told her, looking her up and down, "as always," he added quietly.
"Unless you haven't read," she said, handing him her copy of Cosmo back, "pink scrubs aren't in this season." He smiled and took the magazine, opening it back up to the article about sex toys.
Twenty minutes later, she was changed and waiting for him to finish a different article (but still about sex). She stood leaning against her Nurses station watching the midnight rush happen around her, trying to ignore the twitch in her fingers.
"You want to help don't you?"
"While I'm here," she murmured, her eyes on an unconscious child being wheeled past her.
"Let's get a drink," he said, rolling his eyes.
*****
Tuesday, after midnight, and the nearest, cleanest bar to Princeton Plainsboro was almost empty. Which suited him fine, he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing but he wanted to be able to talk to Cameron. Wanted to be able to listen to her. He knew she was surprised when he actually got his wallet out and paid for their drinks, letting her carry them as he led her over to a table in the corner but in the light. He wanted to be able to see her too.
"No date with Chase tonight?" he asked. He couldn't help himself, and he didn't know if she knew what she was doing either.
"Chase will be asleep," she said, taking a sip of her beer. There was little emotion in her voice, no clues to show how she felt about that.
"He's missing out, I never buy the drinks."
"True," she said with a smile, "taken your new team out yet?"
"Not yet."
"You should."
"Maybe." He shrugged.
"How are you getting along with them?"
"They're annoying."
"But that's a good thing," he nodded, "Foreman okay?"
"You don't know?"
"I'm asking you." He smiled at that.
"I think he's okay, hard to tell, he's always pissed off with me."
"Most people are."
"What about you?" It was a loaded question, he knew, and she smiled, showing she knew it too.
"Not right now," she said.
"Only 'cause I bought you alcohol."
"Maybe." He sat back in his chair, relaxing. His cane was propped against the table, her bag on the chair between them. Cameron sat back too, relaxing with him.
"Kutner is the most annoying, but I think he's crazy deep down. He's not as pretty as you or Chase," he said, "can't work Thirteen out, she'll drug me, but won't lie to a patient."
"But you like that, and she does have a name."
"I know."
"What about Taub?"
"He's easy to understand."
"You like working with him?" House shrugged. "You don't have to like him to like working with him."
"You like the ER?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, it's good for me."
"I can see that. I was hoping it was the ER and not Chase."
"Why?"
"I don't like Chase."
"You don't like anyone."
"Why does everyone have to tell me that like I don't already know it?" he said dramatically, making her laugh, "I dislike him more than...Cuddy."
"Ah, okay, what about me? Where do I come on your totem pole of hate?"
"I said dislike, not hate," he corrected.
"Sorry, your totem pole of dislike."
"Near the top, with Wilson," he said, not looking at her. "I almost like you." She beamed then, and he rolled his eyes. He almost regretted telling her that. Almost. "Did I tell you I like the hair?"
"Sort if," she said, picking at the label of her beer bottle. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled, "it's hard to tell sometimes which are insults and which are compliments."
"It was probably an insult," he said. He hadn't touched his scotch yet and knew he should, considering he'd paid for it (with Wilson's money) but he liked the near-clear headed feeling. He was never completely clear, his mind either fuzzy fromVicodin or distracted by the pain in his leg. Or both, which was the case right now, both vying for his attention but both loosing the battle to Cameron in a cream t-shirt and herblonde hair tied back. "Either way," he continued, "I do like it."
"Thanks."
"Does it match downstairs?"
"What?!" He smiled, she shouldn't be so shocked, he thought, at his crudeness, but she was anyway.
"Do the cuffs match the collars?" he asked.
"None of your business."
"No comment usually means yes."
"I didn't say no comment, I said none of your business."
"Just Chase's." She grinned. "Very pretty. Anyway." His voice was low and she didn't reply, and they were quiet for a little bit, Cameron drinking her beer and House finally took a drink of his scotch. He wanted to ask what they were doing, but he had asked her out, and didn't know the answer to that himself. Except he was having a drink, with his former fellow, and trying to get a life. Of sorts.
It didn't really change anything, until she shifted in her chair, crossing her legs and resting her calf against his shin. An innocent gesture that they barely reacted to, except her cheeks were flushing ever so slightly.
They weren't really doing anything, he mused, just sitting and drinking and chatting like normal people, like a normal couple almost. He wasn't normal though, didn't do normal but here he was. Here they were, with Chase asleep across town and he could just lean forward and kiss her.
Could, could, should.
"Want another drink?" he asked, downing his scotch in one, making her jump.
"Um, sure," she was frowning and he knew why, "I'll get them," she added getting up.
He watched her go to the bar, eyes on her ass in tight denim.
They weren't really doing anything, or going anywhere, but that was okay tonight.