Hi all! Well... here it is. My attempt to write a one-shot. *gigglesnort* Yeah. THAT was gonna happen. I think it'll stay to a 3 (max 4) shot at least, which is short for me. Because as I have said before, my muse likes LONG-ASS SHIT. So this story takes place in between 7x2 and 7x3 and attempts to explain House's motivation in giving Cuddy perfume. I always thought that was a bit odd, because it's a very "normal boyfriend" thing to give. And as we all know, our boy is not "normal boyfriend" material. This got me thinking that there must have been a specific reason behind his gift... and so here we are.

This is not my first smut, but this is actually my first Huddy smut. So be nice, ok? (I know this chaps not that smutty... but fear not. The next one is pretty smut-tastic :-P)

And please leave lots of reviews! I love them! And if you're on tumblr, I'm jj-lockd over there :-D

(Lots of love for all my tumblr peeps, btw... you guys make my life!)

Chapter 1- Scent of a Cuddy

They had made it a whole week.

House could hardly believe how much had changed between him and Cuddy so quickly, and his long dormant optimistic side was now locked in a constant state of wagering with his more dominant fatalistic side over how long the new high of the best sex he had ever had coupled with an actual sense of emotional fulfillment could last. It had been a busy week at work for both of them, but no more than usual. So they were fortunate enough for the hospital to demand little of either of their attentions outside of traditional working hours in the first days of their relationship, and more evenings than not had found the two newly christened lovers making up for decades of lost time in every room of House's apartment.

Friday night came, and after five days of smoldering glances and subtle touches at the hospital and as many after-hours tryst as they could squeeze into their hectic schedules, House's girlfriend was actually spending the night. Cuddy had arranged for her daughter to have a sleepover at Marina's house with her two little girls, who had become like surrogate big sisters in the years that Rachel had been in her care. Marina usually volunteered the overnight herself as an extra little break for Cuddy about once a month anyway, so Cuddy didn't feel particularly guilty about being the one to initiate the idea this time.

She had gone home after work to make sure Rachel had everything she needed for her adventure with her "big sissies" as she called them and gave her precious baby a big hug and a kiss before sending her off with a shy grin and nod to Marina's irritatingly perceptive smirk. Long before he ever set foot in Cuddy's home as her boyfriend, the nanny had heard enough to know House by reputation. Marina couldn't help but mark the staggering difference in her employer's demeanor in the transition from her relationship with the compliant Lucas to the one she now shared with the brooding, but genius doctor. Cuddy's smiles now reached all the way to her eyes even when Rachel wasn't the subject of the conversation, and her entire being seemed lighter and more relaxed.

"Have fun tonight, Dr. Cuddy," Marina offered knowingly as she carried Rachel out to her car.

The dean rolled her eyes with a reluctant, but sincere smile, not much used to anyone besides House or Wilson having significant knowledge of her personal life. "Thanks, Marina. I think I will. And I really do appreciate this a lot."

"I know you do. And we love having her… ever since Rachel's been spending time with them, Gabriella and Lucy have finally backed off on wanting me to have another baby. With the two older boys, like I need any more at my house!"

"Well, I guess that's good then!" Cuddy laughed. "So I'll be there at 10:30 in the morning to pick her up?"

"Yeah, no later than that. Gabriella has ballet at 11:00."

"Alright, I'll see you then!" she waved at them before closing her front door. At as close to a jog as she could get in her heels, Cuddy rushed to her room to grab the overnight bag that she had packed for herself that morning. Not bothering to change out of her work clothes, she was in her car minutes later on her way to 221 B Baker Street and eagerly anticipating a very grown-up sleepover with her extremely attentive and creative boyfriend.

H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C- H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C-H-C

A little over an hour later, House's coffee table was littered with half-eaten containers of Chinese take-out food. The DVD of "North by Northwest" that House had put on when he and Cuddy had started eating now went unwatched, however, as the couple was far too focused on each other to care what Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint had gotten themselves into with James Mason. House remained upright on the couch, though sunk back comfortably into the cushions as Cuddy straddled him carefully to avoid putting too much pressure on his bad leg. Her gray pencil skirt was bunched up around her waist to accommodate the position, and House's skilled hands had found their way to her bare ass, courtesy of her red lace thong and thigh-highs. He massaged it slowly while they kissed with unapologetic noise and a sense of leisure in their lovemaking that spoke to the luxury of time that Cuddy's overnight presence afforded them. With gentle insistence, she ran her fingers through the scruff of his half-beard, and the slightly downward angle of her head caused her brown hair to hang loosely around both of their faces.

Even after days of closeness like they had never experienced with another person, neither House nor Cuddy could really believe that they were with who they were with, doing what they were doing. House subconsciously counterbalanced his fear that she would disappear any second like the phantom she had been a year before by putting forth his best efforts to both pleasure her physically and be considerate of her emotionally. The latter took less effort than he would have initially expected, because he was finding that making her smile… a beautiful smile, which he realized she displayed far too infrequently for his taste, was in turn making him smile. And the former… well. Since his deepest fantasies for years had involved Cuddy moaning and writhing under his skilled touch, House needed no extra encouragement in that department. In such a short time, years of merely wanting her were morphing into a present tense of need that House had not had to fight since he kicked Vicodin. And that was terrifying.

For her part, House awoke sensations in Cuddy that had long been suppressed, and truthfully her relationship with Lucas had caused her to question whether so many years of a career-driven life and the stresses of single motherhood had actually cost her the ability to feel passion of such magnitude. As she was now learning, the partner made all the difference in the dance, and House tangoed adeptly where Lucas had looked at his feet and fumbled through a simple foxtrot. In her years since becoming dean, Cuddy had hardly been celibate. But she couldn't even remember the last time she'd lost herself so entirely in another person the way she did with House. The type of lover that wouldn't rest until he sated his partner in every sense of the word, House kissed Cuddy and caressed her and fucked her and loved her like she was the first and last woman in the universe. No single person had made her feel so cherished or special in such a meaningful way in her life. The only downside of such intense focus was that they would no sooner quench their mutual states of heightened desire then the aftershocks would fuel multiple rounds. Silently, they both acknowledged the beauty of the conundrum.

Although on this particular evening the pair was approaching their personal record for longest stretch of foreplay before releasing the taut string of their lust, the strength of self-control that bolstered Cuddy in every other aspect of her life began to fail her miserably. Only the thin strip of her thong and House's favorite threadbare white and blue striped pajama bottoms separated their sexes at this point, and as the minutes passed she couldn't contain the building involuntary swirl of her hips against his erection.

House finally disentangled his mouth from hers long enough to suggestively remind her, "If you keep that up, I'm not gonna last much longer. Just so you're aware."

Cuddy smirked. "Who's asking you to last? I can hardly believe you haven't ripped my clothes off yet. I want you to," she declared, and insistently added, "Now. I want you in me," she intoned breathlessly against his lips before she took his bottom one in her mouth and sucked at it intently. House engaged her briefly, unable to easily back away from her attentions. He gathered his willpower, though, and put just enough space between them to offset their momentum so that he would actually have a shot at getting her attention through verbal means.

"All your years of administratoring seem to have narrowed your scope of completing tasks to the importance of outcomes," he began to explain with mock seriousness, but when House saw the unmistakable shine of deep arousal in his long-sought lover's eyes and her swollen lips, he simply couldn't keep his mouth or his hands off of her for another second. Pulling her completely against his body, the diagnostician sat up a little straighter to gain access to the sweet spot where his boss's perfect ear lobe met her neck.

Between the tricks of his lips and tongue and Cuddy's approving hums, he continued, "Outcomes are inevitable. And unfortunately, so far this week, lack of sufficient time has severely limited our opportunities to explore the virtues of process over product," he attempted to clarify while he easily undid the buttons of her sleeveless blue blouse, revealing the swell of her breasts spilling out of her matched red bra. "Because the process… is equally, if not more important than the mere act of getting there."

Intent on his actions fulfilling the promise of his words, House proved his theory by lavishing hungry attention on Cuddy's newly exposed skin, and she swore under her breath at the delicious contrast of his rough face mixing with the hot, soothing passes of his mouth. He felt overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through his body and mind as they responded to her, the hunger only fueled by years of deep-seeded, unrequited longing that permitted him no room to take her presence for granted even for a second. As House made his way up Cuddy's neck to reacquaint himself with her lips, the pheromones that currently assured he was attuned to her at almost a superhuman degree noted she was lacking in the swath of perfume that usually mixed with the sweetly unique essence that made her Cuddy.

Not one capable of ignoring stark anomalies in any situation, he paused his efforts long enough to look up and stated, "You're not wearing perfume again."

"So?" she sighed absently when she noticed that one of his hands had returned to her backside and felt one of his long pianist's fingers teasing mercilessly at the edge of her panties.

"You have always worn perfume, as long as I've known you. Maybe not around the house or just to run errands, but at work… and definitely anytime outside of work that you thought you might conceivably run into me."

"I was… so busy packing this morning, and getting Rachel breakfast, and trying to get out the door on time to make that emergency board meeting at 8:00… I guess I must have forgotten."

"You haven't worn any in days, though," House protested, but she interrupted.

"Are you really going to sit here arguing about perfume? I don't usually have to try so hard to get you to fuck me," she chided playfully, effectively ending any remaining pretense at foreplay when she expertly pulled off her blouse and undid her bra with one hand carefully placed behind her back.

Surprised, but certainly not disheartened by his girlfriend's degree of sexual fervor, House took one look at Cuddy's newly exposed breasts, feigned a thoughtful expression and said, "Hmm… perfume… fucking you… difficult choice. But I think I'll have to go with… fucking you."

Smiling wickedly at him, which he returned in kind, she simply said, "Good," and picked up their insistently sloppy kisses right where they had left off while she carelessly yanked his t-shirt over his head. Inwardly, he marveled at how the same Cuddy that often scoffed at his crudeness in the workplace could match and even surpass him after hours. God, he loved her.

"As much as I appreciate what the couch has to offer, I don't really feel like I can do the whole 'taking our time' thing any justice out here."

"I'm listening," she murmured in response, taking her own turn to kiss down his chin and into the enticing scent of his neck since he was talking.

"Let's go," said House, cocking his head in the direction of his bedroom.

"Okay," Cuddy answered flirtatiously.

A/N: Sorry for being a little cliffy... I wanted to wait to post until this entire section was finished, but I wanted it up so badly that I couldn't wait. The next part's almost done, actually. So it shouldn't be too long :-)