3/17/2008

Disclaimer: I don't own the song "You Scare Me". It's sung by Kenny Chesney and from his "Just Who Am I, Poets & Pirates" CD. I don't own House or Cuddy, David Shore owns them. If I did own them, well let's just say us Huddy shippers would be throwing lots of parties!

Rated T Please R&R!

A/N: New Romance

Greg House sat in his office, it was almost midnight and here he was sitting in his big comfortable chair with his feet propped up on his ottoman. He had no reason to be here other than the fact that he was thinking. It was a cold Monday night outside.

The doctor picked up his nearby whiskey bottle and took a pull from it and set it back down on its original place. House got up, and limped painfully with the help of his cane, to the window where he could see his best friend and co-worker James Wilson talking, walking and laughing, holding the hand of his current girlfriend Amber or as House called her Cut-Throat Bitch or CTB for short. He wondered why they were here so late, not that he cared. The man scoffed as he looked at the two lovers. House couldn't believe that Wilson was with yet another woman, he wondered how long it would be until Wilson married her. He gave them 3 months tops.

On impulse, House grabbed his I-pod, coat, blue backpack which was where his bike helmet was, and cane and headed out the door of his office. He intended to go right home and get drunk, just like he had always done. But something drew him not to head that way, instead he headed out the doors of PPTH, into the parking lot and past his bike. He intended to listen to his I-pod and to take a walk. The first song that came on stopped him in his tracks, literally.

I'm not afraid of lonely
I've gotten good at being that
Ain't seen nothin' that could hold me
Say good-bye and don't look back


Running, always ready

Feel as strong and steady
But you scare me

House had always been a kind of loner; all through out school and med school and especially now that he had to deal with patients and people. He hated that. He'd much rather be on his own, working on a human puzzle. In other words, a difficult case. House wasn't the kind of guy to ever stay in one place for long, even as a kid, with his dad in the Marines, he would often move around for country to country, military base to military base. It was something he got used to quick, not making any or many friends because he knew he'd have to say goodbye at some point.

This idea of moving around translated into his adult life. He had had one steady relationship with his then-girlfriend of 8 years Stacey. Stacey had wanted to move to California because she had gotten a new job. House refused, they often fought about it. The infarction made things even worse, House refused to move again just to be closer to the rehab place that he went to. They would argue and fight about that too. It was soon after the infarction that Stacey left.

House was better off without her; he would always tell Wilson that. Wilson knew that that was a lie. Years passed and House stayed the same misanthropic, sarcastic bastard who hated people, now he just had a limp and a cane to match his sunny personality! He had always been the kind of guy to run away when problems in life got too much, his idea of running away was drinking and Vicodin and women named Paula who serviced him.

House was also a strong kind of guy, never one to show his emotions at least on his face. He was never one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He would often tell people what he felt, whether it be good or bad. He didn't care. House was strong in that sense. He was also strong, in the medical world too. Hr was a world-renowned doctor who, while he saved people's lives, broke the rules of ethics, not that he gave a damn. He knew he was smart and there was no one to tell him different.

Except her…Cuddy. Lisa Cuddy.

Took a long walk after midnight
Trying to make sense of it all
Tried to catch a glimpse of my old life
But your face was all I saw

Blue eyes staring through me
Baby, what are you doing to me
You (never felt this before, it's all brand new to me, never known anyone) scare me
You (I'm doing what I said I would never do, too late to stop it now) scare me

It was well after midnight and House continued to limp/walk down the street. Lucky for him, not many cars were on the road. He couldn't help but think back to his life before he met Cuddy. He had been a whiskey drinking, guy who got kicked out of more medical schools and fired from more hospitals than he'd care to admit. He had broken more medical rules and almost killed two patients during his time. He didn't care though, he did whatever it took to get the job done, even if that meant doing dangerous procedures and bending the rules to fit his needs. When had he ever let authority stop him.

It stopped him alright, when Cuddy had come along. House could remember Cuddy's bright blue eyes staring at him more than once as he stood in her office, while she yelled at him and told him that he couldn't do expensive and unnecessary procedures to just see if the patient lived or died. It was Lisa Cuddy who changed his life and made him scared. He was scared of what might happen if he let her into his life. Cuddy had no idea that as much as House made sexual comments about her breasts and ass, that in some weird way that was his way of complimenting her and telling her he loved her. Yes, House had never been tactful in telling a woman how he felt about her and he did it in his own way.

Knowing there's no turning back
Knowing I don't want to


Baby you (never felt this before, it's all brand new to me, never known anyone) scare me
You (I'm doing what I said I would never do, too late to stop it now) scare me
Scare me
Scare me
Baby you scare me
Scare me

House was scared of what his life might be like if Cuddy came into his life, what changes she would make. But as scared as he was, he knew he loved her and he couldn't go back to how he lived his life before.

House didn't notice a car coming up beside him. He didn't hear the honking car horn, or his name being called. He did however, feel the tap on his shoulder and he swung around almost violently, almost causing himself to fall. The person who tapped his shoulder, Cuddy, caught him so he wouldn't fall. House looked at Cuddy not realizing she was speaking, still lost in the music and the song.

"House, what are you doing out here so late at night? House…House!" Cuddy yelled.

House still didn't hear her, she pulled his ear phones out and he winced. Music blared from his I-pod. She grabbed it and shut it off.

Cuddy then repeated her question and House responded by saying, "Cuddy, what does it look like I'm doing? Singing in the rain? I'm taking a dang walk!" Cuddy wasn't put off by House's sarcasm.

Cuddy spoke again. "House I've never seen you take a walk, why here, why now?" she asked. House sighed and limped over to her. Cuddy took a step back. They continued this dance of sorts until they had reached Cuddy's car. Cuddy was now pressed up against her car and House was only inches away from her.

"I've been thinking…about…" He trailed off. "About what House?" she asked. "About us" he said.

"Us? There is no "us" House! There's you and me and that's it! I'm your boss, you're my employee! Where the hell did you ever get the concept of an "us"?" she questioned her blue eyes blazing with anger.

From this, he put the song on repeat, the ear phones in her ears. The song played and at the end of it, Cuddy opened her mouth to speak. House saw his opportunity and he took it. He kissed her fiercely but passionately. Cuddy tried to push him away at first but soon she gave in and kissed his back. Many minutes later, they broke apart, both breathing hard from such a powerful kiss.

"I wanted to tell you Cuddy, that I love you. In spite of all those comments about your fun bags and ass, I do love you. I know it's a screwed up way to show that, but it's true. I do love you. I'm scared as hell as to what will happen now that I've just admitted that, but it's true." House said.

Cuddy was shocked to say the least; House wasn't the kind of guy to ever admit his feelings. It took Cuddy a few moments to recover and House finally said "Hell, Cuddy, are you going to say anything, or just stand there looking like a fish out of water" He spoke this as he looked at her with her mouth open.

Cuddy finally spoke. "House, I'm shocked to say the least. Never pinned you for a guy to speak his feelings! I should tell Wilson and Brenda, the head nurse" House gave her a death glare. She continued on. "House, I'd be an idiot to lie and say that I didn't love you. Yes you're a complete jerk at times to me, Wilson, and patients but in spite of all of this and your ever sunny and cheerful demeanor." House smiled slightly at this. "I'll admit that I do love you."

Now it was House's turn to be in shock. He had heard the words he had been waiting to hear for years. He kissed Cuddy again just as passionately as before and she kissed him back. His cane ended up falling to the ground and clattering on the asphalt, but neither of them cared, they were too caught up in each other. They ended up somehow, moving their bodies to the back seat of Cuddy's car where they ended up making love. It was nearly 1 am or so when they lay in each others arms, sweaty, hot and tired. If it wasn't for the fact that tomorrow was Tuesday, they would have laid in each others arms all night long. But House reluctantly got up from his lovers embrace and after gathering his cane, she drove him to his car back in the parking lot of PPTH.

The next morning, House came into work, more tired than usual, late as usual but with a somewhat brighter demeanor. Only Cuddy knew the reason and even so as House stood in her office trying to argue for a patient and Cuddy argued back, he was smiling as it happened.

Every once in a while, it was good to be scared especially by someone you love.