Chapter One – A magic meeting

It was late in the evening; almost night she could say with a glance on her watch. She had a lot of things to do and she didn't notice the time passing by while she became more tired with every line she read. It wouldn't change anything if she did notice it, because that so-hated paperwork had to be done someday. It was a stressful day with a lot of patients and people who wanted something here and there and it was a day with a usual sinewy House who wanted to make some tests for his patient.

"Why does he always have to put up a fights?" she asks herself, letting out a long breath while she starts to put the done paperwork where it belongs. Cuddy couldn't say that she hates House, but she also couldn't say she likes him, could she?

She thought about that plenty of times after another argument. She had a lot of reasons to fire him, but she never did. He was a great doctor and she knows that. And House knows that too, but his behaviour is completely unacceptable. The way he behaves in front of his patients – and his boss, by the way – is not the way it should be, but still, he's good.

Deep inside her heart, Cuddy hopes he'll change someday, but she never told him so. It would let her look weak and if he wouldn't take her serious, he would make a job of it at least twice a day whenever he gets the chance.

She decides that it was enough for today and locks her office after leaving. It was silent, almost too silent. The only sound she could hear are her own steps.

In some way, she likes it. No emergencies, no troubling patients, just nothing like everything has gone to bed, not bothering each other and come back in the morning.

She stands close to the stairs, with a smile on her lips and looks around the hall. She heard a few steps far away and she knows that House ducklings were doing night shift to find out from which disease his patient suffer.

"And where's House?" she asks herself although she don't wanted to think about him anymore tonight and suddenly she realizes that she forgot something in her office…

House walks through the hospital.

"What a damn night!" he thought. "Too silent, nothings going on!"

Up to now he hasn't found out what's almost killing his patient and that bothers him. It also bothers him that there was nothing else he could do and let his assistants make the damn work "That bad clinic hours…"

He till felt boring when he decided that it would be a great idea to play with his game boy in his office. Maybe he could've a look if Cuddy's still there, but what should he say? Start a new argument? Annoy her a bit just because of boredom? He likes to argue with his boss and sometimes he thinks that she does too.

Once he started, it wasn't easy to stop thinking about Cuddy. She's a beautiful woman and he likes her smile and the way she rolls her eyes whenever he makes her upset. Of course he would never told her this. In some way, he likes her, but then there are moments he just thinks that he hates her.

With thoughts about bothering her he started to walk up the stairs…

Lost in her thoughts that once more ended up with House she couldn't avoid a smile. He has wonderful blue exes and she really likes that, they're just like hers.

She takes another breath and starts walking around the corner up the stairs and she almost reached the end when someone runs into her.

She was shocked, because she hadn't paid attention where she was going and she hadn't expected this. She wanted to tell this stupid person to watch out the next time. She was furious, because it came so unexpected.

She could feel this person really close to her and when she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of icy-blues eyes watching her and it became silent and everything around her seemed to move very slowly. Her mouth became dry and she actually wanted to step away but she

is unable to move.

She ran into House!

She feels his warm breath on her cheek and suddenly wonderful warmth spreads inside her body. Her lips almost touching his ones she thinks about kissing him.

"No, this is House, you can't…" she thinks slowly with a fast beating heart and weak legs. An hour ago she would've sent everyone to the mental clinic who claimed that she would someday think about kissing him.

Again, she looks into his eyes and for a second she thinks to see another Gregory House. So warm and comfortable, so soft. This seemed to be not the doctor she's dealing with every day…

Time passed by before he takes some action and collects himself before he's able to move and goes on.

"Sorry" he says silent, not looking her in the eyes and starts to walk down slowly.
Cuddy takes another step higher and her legs still feel shaky. She swallows and takes a deep breath and her senses seem to come back so she turns around to see House watching up to her one last time before he leaves.

She managed to lean against the corner so that no one could see her from downstairs.

"What the hell happened?" she asks herself. "What was that?"

It shouldn't confuse her as much as it does right now. They didn't see themselves and ran into each other and no one's hurt and everything is fine. She closes her eyes and tries to becalm, one hand on the wall to help standing.

With the moment she closes her eyes she sees his ones watching her so peacefully and she still feels his warm breath on her face that makes her shivering.

No complaints, no comments, not a single word except "sorry" that she'd never heard him saying before, what was going on with him in this moment? And what's going on with her?

She still feels the shiver running down her back, her heart beats faster than usual and her legs still feel shaky. Comforting warmth spreads through her body when she realized that it was him standing so close to her.

"No way" she tells herself. "This is House…" but she can't forget the look on his face. He looked calm and soft and she really believes what he said. This one time, she does.

She never looked at him like she did on the stairs. She never took enough time to do. She had too much business with her job and between the lots of arguments they shared; she never really looked at him. Not like she should have and deep inside her heart she knew that he would change someday.

She also knew that she couldn't deny the signs anymore…

It was silent again and suddenly she heard a noise not far away from where she stands. Someone opens a door and she sees Cameron heading towards her.

"Dr Cuddy? Are you okay?" she asks sounding a bit worried. One hand of hers rests on her arm.
"I heard something out here…"

"It's fine…" Cuddy answers finding her voice back.

"You sure? You look…"

"No thanks, I'm okay…" she interrupts her, bringing herself in a standing position.

"Right, you saw House?"

"No…" she answer automatically, one hand on her forehead. Of course she saw him

"I mean, yes… " She starts sounding confused.

"He…he walked down the stairs, she answers. "Down the stairs…" she repeats whispering more to herself.

"Okay, I'll look for him. Have a good night than. See you tomorrow." She says and starts to walk down.

"And take care!" she feels like she had to add it. She doesn't look very good.

"Thanks", Cuddy tells her with a light smile. The ducklings aren't that bad, they could be really kind.

Finally she walks towards the elevators, stairs made her mixed up enough for today. The thing she wanted to get from her office wasn't important anymore.

"Do I really look that bad that I need to be taken care off?"

Happy that she's just a short way from work to home, she feels tiredness coming back and she's never been so glad to come home and go to bed and sleep…

Meanwhile, House sat in his dark office, while the others did his work. In his hand, he holds his Vicodin but he didn't take it to his own surprise. He got weak, maybe too weak. And House never gets weak although it would be really hard to resist a woman like Lisa.

Standing so close to her, he could smell her perfume and he really liked that. He stood a bit ahead, because he's taller than she's and he could look in her eyes directly. They had something special, he thinks. Something he likes. One of the many things he likes on his boss, but would never tell anyone. He couldn't remember a time when he felt like this. He tried to fight that feelings, but he couldn't or actually don't wanted anymore…