OK, so I'm still writing Inevitable, but I got a writers block and this little oneshot just kind of came to me. I'm pretty sick (again) so forgive me if it's bad and I'm under some kind of delusion over it's quality! Hope you enjoy it!

She was working in the pathology lab when it happened. The boys had left a good half hour ago. She didn't know why House had stayed. They wouldn't have the results until the morning. There was no reason for him to stay. She didn't look up from where she was testing the sample.

He was bored. She could tell from his stance as he stood next to her, keeping his distance just a little.

He spoke:

"Do you believe in soul mates?" The pseudo-serious way he said it made the question just one of those things House said when he had nothing better to do, no one better to annoy. It didn't surprise her. She didn't even look up.

"Maybe… Yeah" She said it casually, disinterested. She was concentrating on other things. Important things, her work. His attempt to have ammunition with which to mock her didn't worry the immunologist. He had plenty already. Further proof of her naivety was of little concern to her.

"Figures" She rolled her eyes down the microscope at his comment. His face contorted a little, he was pretending to contemplate the situation. He looked down at his cane, returning his expression to normal, and continued:

"Do you believe I'm yours?" He was serious now. She hated that. What had she done to deserve this interrogation? Had she seemed longing today? Had she, unwittingly, given away yet another hint to her feelings for him? She hated confrontation.

She still didn't look at him.

"I believe" she sighed "you could have been" she had given up on hiding the truth. It had got her nowhere before.

"Could have." He stated, leaning his back on the workbench "Past tense?"

"I tend to use the past tense when I'm referring to things- opportunities- which have gone" There was venom lacing her tone.

"And my chance- with you- has gone?" Why did he sound so concerned. Why did he care, all of a sudden.

She let her head snap up and her eyes met his, she stated calmly:

"Just like you wanted"

He looked slightly surprised, and remorseful. He was silent- a rare treat- for a moment.

"I didn't want that." He said it so quietly she was unsure as to whether she heard him right.

"Oh, no. You just wanted me to wait. Indefinitely. Never move on? Until YOU were ready" She tilted her head to the side as she turned to him, hands on hips.

"I'm guessing" his eyes flicked away from hers, and his uncomfortable feelings showed on his features "That means Miss Lovesick has moved on. Who is he?"

"You expect me to gratify that with an answer?" She had a blank expression on her face now, and he couldn't read her. It scared him.

"Impatience is an ugly quality" He restrained his urge to smash the glass walls of the Pathology Lab. He was suddenly hugely angry inside, he didn't know why. He tried to keep the tremor out of his voice as he finished "Especially because… I'm ready now."

He began the suddenly long walk from the lab, her eyes burning into his back. Just as he felt the cool glass of the door under his fingertips, she spoke. Clearly, calmly, with a smile in her voice:

"Good thing, then, that I'm great at waiting."