Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D. nor the characters.
Author's Note: This was written for the House/Cuddy Drabble-A-Thon over on LJ. It's a oneshot. Enjoy, kids.
"You hate me."
"I don't hate you."
"You hate me."
"I don't hate you."
He paused as he eyed her up for truth. Her hands were planted on her hips as she stared back at him from behind her desk, waiting for him to leave.
"You love me?" He tried the opposite phrase.
"No." She dropped her arms to her sides.
"Well, which is it, Cuddy?"
"It's somewhere in between on that broad spectrum." She maneuvered around her desk.
His eyes followed her. "You have to pick one."
She headed for the door. "You're grey."
He followed after her. "Well, I know I'm getting up there age wise, but-"
"To me," she cut him off, glancing back. "You are grey. I can't love you without hating you. Hate you without loving you. Somewhere between the two extremes I inevitably find myself in," they squeezed through the doorway together, "small confinements with you." She stopped and turned. "Grey."
"Well, you're purple," he replied.
"Purple?" she repeated.
"Red and blue," he told her.
She raised her eyebrows at him.
"Red for the anger," he said. "Obviously."
"And blue?" she asked softly.
His eyes were locked with hers. "For the look in your eyes right now."
She shook her head, a slight tugging occurring at the corners of her mouth. She turned from him and he took hold of her arm. He drew her back to him.
"What do you get when you mix grey and purple together?" he put on a serious act.
"A mess." She locked eyes with him.
"Are you sure?" He leaned closer to her.
"As sure as you're wearing black and I'm wearing pink." She gave him a pat on the chest and then took a step back.
His eyes fell on her chest and then he looked himself over. He brought his eyes back to her. "I prefer the term 'dark charcoal.'"
"I have a board meeting to get to."
She took off, not being able to spend anymore time with the distraction without making herself late for the meeting.
"Wipe that blue off your face!" he called after her. "Or they'll think you're depressed!"
He watched her go and frowned. Sometimes he wished he was color blind.