A/N: Technically, this story is considered an AU. I've used canon as the foundation and basis for the story, but I've pushed House and Cuddy's relationship a bit further than canon suggests. In this version, Cuddy is a junior in college when she first meets House (I believe canon implies that she's a freshman when they first meet) and House is a grad student. He's 26 at this time.
This story has been a lot of fun to write-challenging, but fun. The inspiration from this actually comes from Lisa Edelstein saying she hates Bruce Springsteen, which is possibly the most blasphemous statement I've ever heard :) Also, shout out to Flynn and Justyne, who put up with all my bullshit questions about plot and characterization. And to Marlene, who is possibly a bigger Bruce fan than I am!
Note:The chapters aren't based on individual songs, I'm just using them as fun chapter titles :)
Enjoy!
The last two weeks of August were her favorite. It was the beginning of a new year, even though summer was coming to an end. She was surrounded by the smell of iced coffee and library books, freshly mowed grass and clean sheets. It meant trading in her unsweetened iced tea and running shorts for vodka sodas and leather mini-skirts.
It was that familiar feeling of new, and that's why she loved it.
The air was crisp, but a hint of humidity was threatening to make an unwelcome appearance. Anticipating the effect it would have on her hair, Lisa Cuddy swept her curly brown locks into a loose bun, not caring that a few strands had escaped as she made her way to the University bookstore.
She'd moved in to her on campus apartment three days ago and was about to begin her third year. She'd spent the last two days getting reacquainted with her best friends and roommates, Olivia and Madeline. Olivia was an English major who never went anywhere without a notebook, and Madeline was a Fashion Design student with a pair of blue eyes that rivaled Lisa's. But she'd always liked the speckles of grey that danced inside her own blue orbs; they were mysteriously enticing.
She smiled as she walked into the bookstore, sighing contently as masses of blue and yellow flooded her eyes. Skipping past the section of school supplies—her desk was already overflowing with pens—she headed towards the rows upon rows of books, her class schedule in hand.
She lifted a hand to the top shelf, cursing inwardly as she realized the chipped nail polish on her index finger while she reached for a book she mistakenly assumed she would need.
"That's not the one you're looking for," said a gruff voice from behind. "Although you've presented me with a nice view, so feel free to continue on with your mistake."
She turned around, coming face to face with the boy behind the voice. The first thing she noticed about him was his eyes. They were an immensely deep blue color, somewhere between the color of the sky and her favorite coffee mug back home. He looked at her, his eyes moving up and down her body, but not in the way most boys looked at her; it was as if he was questioning her, drinking her in with a single look.
She rolled her eyes as she spotted the smirk that was plastered across his face; he clearly assumed he had all the answers.
She cocked her head to the side.
"Do I know you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. She caught sight of the gold name tag that was haphazardly pinned to a Rolling Stones t-shirt. "Greg, is it?" she said, taking a step towards him as she read his name aloud. "I take it you work here?"
"Excellent deductive skills," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "Class dismissed, you get an A."
She shrugged her shoulders and thrust the book towards him, lifting an elegant eyebrow as he gently took it from her; their fingers grazed for a moment, her pinkie brushing up against his thumb. She couldn't ignore the quickening of her heartbeat.
He smirked and put the book back in it's rightful place; she'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed by the fact that he didn't have to reach.
"Give me your schedule…"
"Lisa," she asserted, smiling as she handed him the piece of paper. He nodded, his eyes moving towards her again; this time he was looking at her in the same way other boys did—but she didn't really mind.
"Cuddy," he said, reading over her schedule. "Jewish, I presume. I could tell that from your curls, though," he said, looking her over once more. She let out a slight laugh and tucked a curl behind her ear, slightly embarrassed. "Junior, but on track to graduate in two semesters if you don't plan on having a social life."
"I can multi-task," she corrected primly.
He smirked.
"You've got a chip on your shoulder," he pointed out.
Cuddy narrowed her eyes, lips parting as she silently questioned him.
"You're making that up," she accused, straightening her back as she folded her arms over her chest; she wasn't interested in hearing about his rash assumptions.
"I can see it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. She scoffed. "It's wedged between your class schedule and the thoughts in your head that tell you you're going to change the world."
She scoffed again, bringing a hand to her face as she mockingly waved in front of her cheeks. "Am I blushing?"
"You're overly ambitious," he said, ignoring her as he continued his spiel. He paused, smirking to himself as he met her eyes once more. "But you know how to party. Your class schedule is overloaded, but none of your classes are before eleven, and no one takes Professor Lamb's course unless they have something to prove. Professor Siegal covers the same ground but is the easier grader. How am I doing so far?"
He grinned at her, noticing the slightly bashful look on her face as she bit down on her lower lip; he must have struck a nerve.
Her eyes danced towards his, a playful smirk on his face as she said:
"Maybe I will change the world," she said, neither confirming nor denying his claims.
He paused, letting out a slight laugh as he said:
"Maybe. But you probably won't."
And he couldn't possibly know it at the time, but she just might change his.
"Hey Pop-Tart," greeted Lisa's roommate, Olivia Wescott. Olivia was a blonde-haired, green-eyed girl from the South who never went anywhere without a notebook and had a quirky term of endearment for just about everyone.
Cuddy smiled at her.
"Hey," she said, walking over to their living room and flopping down on the couch next to her. She tucked her leg underneath her, grinning widely at Olivia.
"You're weirdly smiley," Olivia pointed, grinning skeptically at her. "You must have gossip. Spill."
Lisa shook her head.
"It's not really gossip," she corrected, shrugging nonchalantly. Her lips curved into a devilish grin. "Just…interesting," she said.
Olivia smirked. "Interesting is code for cute boy," she said, raising her eyebrows. "We need Madeline," whispered Olivia.
Lisa sighed; out of the three of them, Madeline was the most experienced when it came to boys. She always seemed to be dating someone.
"Madeline!" Olivia called, turning her head towards the room down the hall. "Your presence is required in the living room. Put down your sketchbook and get in here!"
As a Fashion Design major, Madeline was constantly sketching away in her notebook. There were pencil shavings all over their apartment, but Lisa figured it was a small price to pay for having unlimited access to Madeline's wardrobe.
"You bellowed?" Madeline asked, peeking her head around the corner. She tucked a pencil behind her long, wavy red hair, her bright blue eyes widening in anticipation.
"Lisa has boy gossip," said Olivia, smiling excitedly.
Madeline's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together as she made her way over to the couch. She gently shoved Lisa over, causing the three girls to readjust on the couch. Olivia draped her arm over the edge, turning so she faced the other two.
Lisa rolled her eyes.
"It's not gossip," she said, shaking her head. "It's stupid, we don't have to talk about it."
"Too late," Madeline interjected. "My pencil is behind my ear and my ass is on this couch, so you're going to talk. You know you want to," she goaded, smiling sweetly at Lisa as she gently nudged her knee.
"This is not nearly as exciting as the two of you think it is."
Olivia scoffed.
"We'll be the judge of that," she said, gesturing at Madeline, who was nodding along.
"Start with the location," Madeline suggested. "And don't leave out any details."
Lisa sighed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger as her lips curved into a smile; she was almost weary about sharing the story with her friends. She wasn't quite sure why, but she felt like it was one of those memories she wanted to keep all to herself. But her friends were looking at her with big, pleading eyes, and there was little chance of her ever seeing Greg again, so she indulged them.
She took a deep breath, smiling even wider as she said:
"It started in the bookstore…"
Greg walked into his apartment, lazily swinging his backpack on to the couch as he collapsed into the chair.
"Dude, where have you been?" asked his roommate, Jake. "Some of the guys are heading to the field in an hour to practice. You down?"
Greg nodded noncommittally. Jake played with him on the Club Lacrosse team, and he liked him enough to share a living space, but he wasn't so interested in some of the other guys on the team. They were the typical frat boys, most of who had peeked in high school, and Greg didn't exactly care for them.
Then again, he didn't care for most people.
"Sure," he grumbled, shrugging his shoulders. He ran a hand across his face, sighing at its smoothness. He'd been trying to achieve that look of rugged stubble for months, but it wasn't working out. "But if that punk Nick shows up, I'm out."
Jake shook his head, laughing good-naturedly.
"Nick is the captain of the team," he said. "Look, I know you don't like some of the guys on the team, but you're a solid player and they realize that. You just got to give them a chance. You'll like them once you get to know them."
Greg scoffed.
"I do know them," he countered. "Which is precisely the reason I don't like them. But I'll go. I wouldn't want the team to suffer," he boasted.
"Your self-sacrifice is much appreciated," said Jake, rolling his eyes in slight amusement. "They're throwing a party later tonight, you want to go?"
House smirked.
"When have I ever been one to say no to free beer?"
"Good point," Jake mumbled. "I invited Madeline and she mentioned something about bringing her roommates. They're supposed to be pretty cool."
Greg shrugged.
"Kind of hoping for the opposite of cool," he said, narrowing his eyes at his friend.
Jake rolled his eyes.
"I'm sure they're hot," he said. "Hot girls always travel in packs. Grab your stick, dude. I want you to teach me that reverse toss you did last week."
"Fine," he grumbled. "But you owe me ten bucks for teaching you. Twenty if you can't get it."
Jake laughed good-naturedly, rolling his eyes as he said:
"It will be a miracle if you ever find a girl willing to put up with you for more than twenty minutes."
She ran with determination. Her bright colored sneakers hit the pavement in a rhythmic motion, a smile creeping across her lips as she felt the wind breeze past her. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, and she was taking her usual run through campus.
She stopped at the fence surrounding the recreational fields, pressing her calf into the chain-link fence and leaning back, stretching before she began her run back to her apartment.
"You know, you've made quite a habit of letting me stare at your ass."
Lisa turned her head, eyebrows furrowed and hair sticking to her forehead as she watched the blue-eyed boy from the bookstore walked towards her. She smirked, straightening up and perching a hand on her hip.
"Not that I'm complaining," he continued, picking up his step as he quickly jogged over to where she stood.
He was wearing a Michigan t-shirt, with sweat dripping lightly from his brow and a lacrosse stick in his hand. She suddenly felt herself start to blush.
"Maybe you're the one stalking me," she challenged, cocking her hip out to the side and lifting her eyebrows at him.
He shrugged.
"Now wouldn't that be a turn of events."
She smirked, rolling her eyes.
"You're cocky," she accused.
"See for yourself," he fired back, shrugging his shoulders and giving her a self-satisfied grin.
She let out a light chuckle.
"You play lacrosse?" she asked, nodding her head towards the stick in his hand. "Or do you just use it as a prop to get girls to talk to you?" she asked primly.
She blinked; judging by the way the sweat seemed to drip of his face and onto his perfectly sculpted chest, she couldn't imagine he had much trouble attracting the attention of the opposite sex.
He smirked.
"You're talking to me, aren't you?" he asked, his arm gravitating towards the fence. His hands clasped around it, trapping her in front of him.
She gave him a sly smile.
"For now," she answered. "I've got twenty two more minutes left in my run. You up for it?"
He smiled, propping his lacrosse stick up against the fence and thinking back to what Jake had said a few hours ago. He cocked a grin at her.
"Lead the way."
"Madeline," called Olivia, leaning towards the mirror as she started to curl her eyelashes. "I demand to know the specifics of your relationship with Jake."
Madeline shrugged.
"You know I don't do specifics," she joked, shooting the two girls a grin.
Lisa ran her hand through her mass of curls before readjusting her black leather skirt. She'd refrained from telling her friends about her last-minute running partner; she wasn't hiding it, she was just…keeping it to herself for the time being.
"His roommate is supposed to be pretty hot though," continued Madeline, her eyes flickering towards Lisa.
Lisa rolled her eyes, knowing where Madeline was going with this; setting her up was a trademark of hers.
"When are you going to stop offering me up to strangers like I'm some piece of meat?" she asked, slightly amused.
Madeline grinned.
"Maybe when you stop looking so hot all the damn time," she answered, looking her friend up and down. "I'm going to have to stop letting you borrow all of my clothes."
"Bite your tongue," Lisa ordered, giving her friend a sly smile. "Who else is going to be at this party?"
Madeline shrugged.
"I haven't the faintest idea. It's at the lacrosse house, so I'm sure all of those guys will be there. And the Kappa Delta girls follow them around like lovesick puppies, so we'll probably have to fight some of them off."
Olivia straightened immediately as Lisa tried to hide the pleased look that was undoubtedly plastered across her face. He played lacrosse.
"If Mackenzie Taylor is there we have to leave immediately," said Olivia, her eyes widening in fear. "I swear to all that is holy, that girl wouldn't think twice about throwing me off the nearest cliff."
"She can't possibly hate you as much as you think she does," said Lisa gently.
"I stole her boyfriend and her place on the school newspaper. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't put a hit out on me yet."
Madeline shook her head.
"Okay, first of all, you did not steal her boyfriend. She and Alex were broken up—because she cheated on him. Furthermore, you and Alex are still together, and I fully expect Lisa and I will be walking down an aisle in no less than four years. And third of all, you're a better writer than she is, and the only reason she was even on the school paper was because one of her sorority sisters was the Editor in Chief. In short: don't let Mackenzie Taylor dictate your life, Olivia. I won't stand for it and neither should you."
Lisa scoffed.
"I feel like we should be clapping or something," she said mockingly, her lips curving into a slight smile.
"I had no idea you were so passionate about Mackenzie Taylor's undying abhorrence for me," said Olivia, touched by Madeline's quick defense.
She shrugged.
"Half of Kappa Delta is in my marketing class," she said, slightly irritated. "You know Mackenzie has most of those girls wrapped around her perfectly manicured little finger. I've never heard such in depth conversation before. I've been forced to seek refuge with the Zetas. They're much calmer. And they braid my hair, so that's a plus."
Lisa stared at Madeline, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"How do you know so much about sorority life?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
The three girls had lived on the same floor their freshman year and bonded over the fact that none of them had made the decision to rush; they'd stuck together ever since.
"I'm a Fashion Design major and I have hair that looks like it belongs on a mermaid," she said matter-of-factly. "I attract these people."
"What a tragedy it must be to be you," Olivia fired back sweetly.
"Don't be so self-deprecating, Olivia. You can recite sonnets on command and are dating a boy who is basically the Mr. Darcy of our generation."
"What am I, chopped liver?" chuckled Lisa, backing away from the mirror for the first time.
She smiled into the mirror, satisfied with the way she looked. Her hair was naturally curled, but was styled in a way that showed off the sharp features of her face; her black leather skirt hung tightly to her hips, and her loose fitting, cream-colored crop top showed just enough of skin.
Madeline looked her up and down, smiling as she twirled a lock of red hair around her finger.
"You, Lisa Cuddy, are the girl everyone secretly hates. Because all the girls want to be you, and all the boys want to fuck you. You're the wild card. And you have no idea how hot you look in that mini-skirt."
"Everyone remember the rules?" Olivia asked, glancing back and forth at the two girls as they stood on the sidewalk, huddled together in front of the house. "If one person says they need to leave, we all go. Never leave your drink unattended. If someone asks about a line, they're not referencing the bathroom, and stay as far away from Mackenzie Taylor as possible."
"Thanks Mom, but we've heard the speech before," said Madeline, grabbing the two girls hands excitedly. "I know repetition is your favorite literary device, but can we get a move on please? There are boys to be flirted with and alcohol to consume."
Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Repetition is so not my favorite literary device. That would be alliteration," she countered. And I'm just trying to keep us from repeating what happened the last time you dragged us to a frat party."
"I have no recollection of what happened that night," she said innocently.
"That's because I spent most of the night holding your hair while you puked up the ten tequila shots you managed to get into your system while nobody was looking," reminded Lisa, her eyebrows raised and her head cocked to the side.
"Right," mumbled Madeline, her eyes shifting towards the ground. She gripped the two girls hands even tighter, dragging them towards the steps. "But just for the record, if you had seen the boy I was doing shots with, you'd have done them too."
The two girls rolled their eyes as the followed Madeline up the stairs. Olivia pulled Lisa closer to her, whispering:
"Madeline is probably going to be with Jake the whole night, and Alex is supposed to be meeting us here, but if you want to go just say the word, okay?"
Lisa let out a slight laugh.
"Stop worrying, Olivia. I'll be fine, I promise," she said, nudging her inside the door. "I'm single, not a leper."
"We're just protective of our little baby, that's all," Madeline called, turning her head over her shoulder as she led the two girls into the house.
"I'm only three months younger than the two of you," Lisa countered smugly. "And unless something has changed in the past week, I've had more sex than either one of you," she said proudly.
Her cheeks reddened as she heard him clear his throat.
"You make quite an entrance," said Greg, walking over to where the three girls stood. Olivia and Madeline exchanged knowing glances, smirking as they dug their nails into Lisa's skin.
Lisa smiled, quickly recovering.
"You're here," she said, smiling at him as she tried to hide the excitement in her voice. He smirked.
"Sounds like you were expecting me," he pointed out, grinning at her.
She shrugged.
"You play lacrosse. I'm at a lacrosse party. I can put two and two together," she fired back, her voice never faltering.
Olivia and Madeline simultaneously cleared their throats, each nudging Lisa in the side.
"Sorry," she said through gritted teeth, glaring at her two roommates. "These are my roommates, Madeline and Olivia."
He nodded at them, a look of relief washing over his face.
"You're Madeline?" he asked. She nodded, and Lisa gave them both a quizzical look. "Jake has been looking for you for the past half an hour," he said, slightly irritated. "Maybe now he'll stop whining," he mumbled.
Smiling deviously, Madeline took Olivia by the hand and said:
"Let's go find Jake and Alex. See you two later."
Lisa stared at him, wide-eyed. He was wearing a fitted grey tee, much like the one he'd been wearing four hours ago when he hijacked her run. She closed her eyes, remembering the way the t-shirt clung to his arms, his well-defined biceps practically ripping through the seams. She shook her head slightly, forcing the image out of her mind as she met his eyes once more.
He blinked.
Panicking, she blurted out:
"Just so you know, I'm not a slut," she said hurriedly.
He eyed her quizzically.
"Okay," he said flatly.
"I mean Madeline dates a lot of guys, but I don't think she sleeps with them, and Alex lost a bet to Olivia so she's not sleeping with him, and I had a boyfriend for a while but then I found out he was sleeping with—"
He smiled at her.
"You want a drink?"
Blushing a little, she nodded, her face softening and her lips curling into a smile. He extended his hand and she took it, her fingers interlocking with his as she said:
"Lead the way."
She coughed.
"What did you put in this, lighter fluid?" She brought a hand to her mouth, forcing it closed as the alcohol trickled down her throat.
He shrugged, smirking at her.
"Vodka, a dash of sprite, an ice cube or two," he said, giving her a smile. "Figured you could handle it."
"I can," she said confidently, taking another sip of the drink. "What I don't understand is why you're allowed to drink beer and I get the cheap liquor that's masked by soda, and maybe a lemon, if I'm lucky."
She lifted her eyes towards his, gesturing towards the beer that he was bringing to his lips. She tried not to stare as the liquid ran down his throat, but she simply couldn't take her eyes away from his Adam's apple.
She blinked.
"Do you want a beer?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at hers.
"No," she said primly. "I'd just like the option."
He nodded.
"I'll try to remember that for next time," he said casually. She blushed again. "So, Lisa Cuddy, tell me about yourself."
She scoffed.
"Tell me about yourself? Really? You finally get me alone in a normal social setting and that's the first thing you ask?"
He shrugged innocently.
"You have no idea how much I already know about you," he bragged, taking another sip of his beer. She rolled her eyes and held out her hand, gesturing for him to continue.
He nodded.
"You like to answer questions by asking a question, you run because it's the only time you ever truly feel alone, even though for some reason you let me join you today—which bodes well for me, I might add. You love your family but you don't feel connected to them like you do with Red and Blondie over there."
"Madeline and Olivia," she corrected, taking a sip of her drink before setting it to the side. "And you got all of that from a twenty minute run?" she asked, disbelieved.
"Twenty two," he corrected, smiling at her. He shrugged. "You spent the first ten minutes sneaking glances at me. Which means you must find me somewhat attractive—"
"I'd have thought I'd made that part pretty clear," she said, casually interrupting.
He smirked.
"You did," he said confidently. "You spent the next ten minutes talking about Madeline and Olivia, and the only reason you mentioned you had a sister was because I asked you. And you're competitive, but you try to hide it. You failed, by the way. I saw you sneaking glances over at me while we ran up that last hill," he pointed out.
She smiled devilishly.
"I run a lot," she mused.
He glared at her.
"Fine, you want to know more?" she asked, gaining more confidence with each sip of her drink. He nodded. "I can't stand the taste of coffee, I hate Bruce Springsteen with a burning passion, I lost my virginity to my AP Chemistry student teacher the summer after I graduated high school, and I was a dinosaur for Halloween from the time I was four to the time I was seven," she paused, taking another sip of her drink while she caught her breath.
He lifted his eyebrows at her, intrigued.
"My mother says she loves me but I'm ninety-eight percent sure she loves my sister more," she tilted her head to the side, biting down on her lower lip as she desperately racked her brain for more semi-interesting factoids. "I eat at least one piece of dark chocolate a day, and my favorite Jane Austen novel is Pride and Prejudice even though I hate admitting it because it's so goddamn cliché."
She picked up her vodka soda, downed the rest of it in one gulp, and looked back up at him, eyes dancing. She smiled.
He eyed her suspiciously.
"Why the black?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of her nails.
She shrugged. She picked up his beer and took a sip.
"Because my mother would have hated it," she answered, handing the bottle back to him.
He smirked.
"I like you already."
As always, feedback is much appreciated. Much love and happy New Year!
-Alison
