This one shot is dedicated to Iane Casey :)
Happy belated birthday, Iane! Thanks for all your wonderful fanfiction! You are such an incredibly talented writer!
Here is a little one shot for you. Hope you like it. Since English is not my active tongue I'm not perfect in writing yet but I am trying my best :)
This fanfic is set in season 6 and entitled and beta read by the great Inês (Sheis1963) :D
Enjoy reading :)
Unwantedly Wanted
Exhausted she dropped down on the chair in her office.
The morning had been busy as hell.
Everything was frantic in the hospital. Thanks to the incessant wave of influenza the clinic was overfilled and half of her employees were – for the very same reason – sick and therefore not able to work.
But as always Cuddy had managed everything perfectly fine even though it had been quite a challenge at first. She hoped to have a peaceful afternoon now so that she could finally work on the papers that were piled on her table.
With a routine move of her thumb and point finger she opened the very first drawer of her table and fumbled – without looking – for the bar of chocolate she always had in there. Actually she shouldn't eat sweets at all but hell… What kind of day is a day without some chocolate?
She kept rummaging through the drawer but couldn't find the chocolate, instead her fingers found something else. Something that was harder and bigger.
She finally decided to look down and recognized a quadratic something that was wrapped in gift paper.
She looked at it suspiciously and then took it out to observe it more precisely. She turned it around, shook it and then she came to the conclusion that the only way to find out its content was to unwrap it.
And that's what she did. Carefully she extricated the "thing" from the paper and recognized a box … Well actually it was more of a jewel case than a usual box.
Suddenly her heartbeat got faster… She didn't expect Lucas to give her jewelry for Valentine's Day. She knew he was kinda short on cash at the moment so she didn't really expect anything else but the breakfast in bed she got that morning and some flowers.
Cuddy took a deep breath and cautiously opened the case.
When she looked at the content she stopped breathing and froze for a moment.
A necklace.
A golden necklace.
A necklace that looked exactly like the necklace she would describe as perfect.
She had no idea that Lucas was capable of choosing such perfect jewelry.
She wasn't that kind of woman that would be corrupted into a relationship and she also wasn't the kind of woman that liked usual presents, but this was different.
This was no usual present. There was nothing usual about this necklace. Nothing.
It wasn't even the jewelry that had surprised her the most, it was the fact that Lucas knew what she liked. He knew her taste. He'd known she would love this necklace when he bought it.
And she did. She loved the necklace.
In that moment she felt something. Something that wasn't there before. She felt a bond between her and Lucas.
She started smiling.
Maybe Lucas really was the right one. She often doubted it in the last few weeks but this gesture overwhelmed her. Maybe they could really be quite a nice couple. Maybe he really did understand her even without her saying something.
She had the feeling that he knew who she was.
Cuddy was standing at the reception counter looking through a few files while her fingers were playing with her new necklace.
She was so focused in her work that she didn't even notice who was approaching her.
She didn't look up before she heard someone say her name and caught sight of Wilson.
"Hey… What's up?"
"It's about my patient. Mr. Davis…" Wilson handed the patient file to Cuddy. "I found a Glioblastom and now I wanna do a …" Wilson suddenly stopped talking.
Cuddy looked at him questionably and saw that his eyes weren't on her face anymore… they were somewhere else that was a little bit more south from the face.
First she thought the he was checking out her breasts but to her great relief it turned out that he just was looking at her necklace.
"So House did give it to you." Wilson had a big fat smile on his face.
Cuddy, once again had no clue what he was talking about. "Huh?"
But before Wilson could say anything she realized it herself.
The necklace wasn't a gift from Lucas… it was a gift from House.
Oh god… That had to be a joke…
"Ohh…" Wilson now got what was going on. "You thought that Lucas…" He broke up and just pointed at the necklace instead.
"I… eh…" Cuddy swallowed. "I have a conference call in a minute… Excuse me." Without deigning to look at him again she turned around and disappeared to her office.
She was confused, completely rattled, totally dumbfounded.
What did all of that mean? Why did House buy her a necklace? That didn't sound like him at all.
So why the hell did he do it?
For her the necklace had been a sign. A sign that showed her that she and Lucas had a future. A sign that he understood and loved her... but now... now her relationship with him seemed an even bigger mistake than before.
She sighed.
She wanted to know what was going on... She wanted to know why House gave her the necklace. She wanted some answers... but she knew that in order to get answers you have to ask questions...
She needed to talk to House. As soon as possible! They had to clarify things... She was sick of all the back and forth! She needed clarification!
Bounded and determined, she got up from her chair and left her office, making her way to his.
It'd be a lie to say she was surprised that he was neither in his office nor in the clinic.
He had no case and took that as a free ticket to do absolutely nothing.
It didn't take her long until she found him in coma guy's room. He was lying in the free bed next to him playing with his PSP.
He didn't look up when she entered the room. His eyes stayed fixed on the console in his hands.
Cuddy crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him. She didn't say anything. So House decided to put an end to the silence. "Why does a guy in a coma gets a single room with two beds and a TV with cable?"
"Because his son is rich and donates a huge amount of money to the hospital each year."
He still wasn't looking at her… He was too busy kicking the trolls' butts in the video game.
But before he knew what was happening Cuddy ripped the PSP from his hands and dropped down on the side of the bed.
"Hey! What the hell is wrong with you! I was at level 17!"
She didn't comment on that. She just took the necklace from her pocket and extended it to House. "I can't accept this present, House… I'm with Lucas." Her voice was calm, too calm for his liking.
House showed no intention of taking the necklace back. "Do whatever you want with it. I don't want it."
She looked down and took in the sight of the beautiful necklace again. She would so love to keep it but she couldn't… It wouldn't be right. "It's really beautiful, House… more than just beautiful actually… but I can't accept it."
"Keep it, sell it or dump it… I don't care… " House got up from the bed. His leg was clearly hurting.
He gripped his cane and before he disappeared from the room he said: "It's your necklace, so it's your choice."
He had known it was a mistake to give her the necklace. It had been a mistake to buy it in first place. It had been a knee jerk reaction. Imprudent and unlimitedly stupid.
House was in his car on his way home where Jack Daniels was already waiting for him impatiently.
Far too fast he sped through the streets and hoped that after emptying that bottle of whiskey he would not only forget his leg pain, but also, and especially, Lisa Cuddy.
He pressed down on the gas pedal harder, applied the gearshift and fizzed off with high speed.
Far later than she actually wished to, Cuddy decided to go home.
It was already dark outside and freezing cold so she was really glad that she'd parked her car directly in front of the hospital.
On her way home she thought of what had happened that day and of how much House's gesture confused her. It kind of opened her eyes. It made her realize that there was no future with Lucas.
He was a sweet, kind guy and he was good with Rachel but was that really enough for a relationship?
Shouldn't there be those famous butterflies flying around in her stomach? Shouldn't she be looking forward to spent time with him? Shouldn't she think about him all day long? Shouldn't she be thinking of him instead of House when she was standing in the shower touching herself?
Cuddy sighed.
House.
Almost every relationship she ever had failed because of him.
And this time the same was about to happen again.
She thought that when she was with Lucas long enough she would start loving him. And she'd though that then her feelings for House would just disappear, but now she realized how incredibly naive it was to think that.
She had feelings for House for over 20 years. Why should they suddenly just stop existing? There was no possibility that that would happen anytime soon.
Cuddy slapped her forehead with her hand.
Lucas and her were absolutely different. They were like two different puzzle pieces from two different puzzles that just didn't fit together even if you try to make them fit.
She sighed once more. She had no clue what she was supposed to do.
"Hi." Lucas pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"Hi." Cuddy forced herself to smile.
"You're late. Dinner is cold already"
"Sorry… It was a lot to do." It wasn't really a lie but it wasn't the truth either. "Where's Rachel?"
"Sleeping."
"Already?" Cuddy seemed disappointed. She would have loved to tuck her in, to read her a story and to snuggle with her.
"She was really sleepy so I put her in bed."
Cuddy nodded and was about to make her way to Rachel's room to kiss her goodnight when Lucas suddenly prevented her from doing so by gripping her hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes." She answered immediately.
"You sure?"
Cuddy looked at him, and suddenly, she knew what she wanted to do.
Without thinking about it any further she shook her head. "No."
House was sitting on the couch. In his left hand a glass of whiskey, in his right hand the remote control.
He was zapping through the programs and hoped to find something that was at least half decent to watch. But there obviously wasn't anything worth his attention.
He put down the remote control on the coffee table and took a sip from his drink.
The cold liquid trickled down his throat and left a bitter aftertaste on his tongue. But that wouldn't prevent him from drinking another shot and in the end the entire bottle.
He wanted to get wasted. He wanted to forget everything and everyone. He wanted to stop thinking.
But just when he was about to refill his glass with whisky the doorbell threw a monkey wrench into his plans.
At first he wanted to ignore it but he soon got annoyed from the annoying sound of the bell. He got up from the couch, made his way over to the front door and opened it.
He was surprised.
He had actually reckoned with Wilson and not with the woman he wanted to forget about.
"Shouldn't the pants-pooper be in bed?" He asked and pointed at Rachel who had her head on Cuddy's shoulder.
"We couldn't sleep." Cuddy said.
"Then why don't you ask super-daddy Lucas to read you a bedtime story?" It wasn't possible to miss his sarcasm.
She ignored his comment. "Can we come in?"
"I'm not so sure if your lover boy will like it, if he finds out that you visit other men in the middle of the night when you should actually be lying next to him naked and exhausted..."
She rolled her eyes. "Shut up!"
He made room for her and Rachel to get in.
Cuddy passed by him and went directly into the living room, putting Rachel on the couch where she passed out within seconds.
"Whatever you have to say: Make it short. I have a bottle of Jack Daniels that wants to be emptied tonight."
Cuddy turned away from the couch so she was facing him. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath. "I ended things with Lucas."
… … And WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM! … Those were the words – 5 so simple words – he had been waiting for her to say for the last few months.
She had dumped him! Finally!
"He's about to pack his things."
A little mischievous smile formed on his lips. "Mr. Perfect turned out not to be so perfect?"
"I realized that perfect is boring." She made a step closer towards him. "I know I've always said I wanted a perfect family with the perfect guy but, I came to the conclusion that the perfect guy bores me to tears… I just wanna be happy and with Lucas I wasn't."
"Took you quite a long time to find that out… I knew it from the first second on."
She smiled. "Of course you did."
"You always seemed more annoyed by him than turned on."
He was actually right with that but she certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction and tell him that. "Isn't that more what you wished I was?"
"Oh come on... I know I didn't just imagine getting undressed by your eyes every time our paths crossed in the hospital and I didn't imagine the annoyed looks you gave him."
"I think you are confusing something here…" She took another step closer to him.
"I don't think I am."
"Then I just imagined you checking out my ass and my breasts?"
"You sure did… I'd never do a thing like that." He said in a playfully indignant voice. "I am a gentleman."
"Ah… so that's why you bought me this wonderful necklace." Cuddy carefully pulled out the necklace from her jeans' pocket.
"Maybe." He suddenly seemed a lot more insecure than just a few seconds before.
"I first thought it was from Lucas, you know?" Cuddy observed the beautiful necklace that was lying on her hand. "Why did you give it to me?"
House wasn't sure what he should tell her but after thinking about it for a few seconds he settled for the truth. "I… bought it a while ago. I wanted to give it to you when we were at that conference but then I found out about you and Lucas…" He swallowed. He would love to make a sarcastic comment but he knew that it was better he didn't. That was his chance to win her over. He should take it.
"Oh… House." She looked at him apologetically and full of bad conscience.
"I had wanted to take it back to the store but I never actually did … Today I got sick of this box lying around in my apartment and I just decided to give it to you."
He was kinda surprised to see a tear rolling down her cheek. She smiled and wiped it away before she took his hand and put the necklace into it.
For a second he panicked but when she turned around and indicated him to put the necklace around her neck, he sighed relieved.
He took a step forward and gently put her dark, long locks to the side so her neck was free. He then put the necklace around her and closed the breech. While he was doing that his fingers touched her shoulders and left a soft, comfortable prickling on Cuddy's skin.
Before House could move away from her again Cuddy leaned back against his body.
When he didn't do anything to prevent her from doing what she was doing she let out a sigh. It felt so good to be close to him.
She, once again, had to think about the comparison with the puzzle pieces. House and her were two totally different puzzle pieces but they were from the same puzzle and in contrast to her and Lucas, she and House fit together perfectly.
She felt his hands wandering down her arms until they were on her hips.
Cuddy put her hands on his. Their fingers interlaced.
For a while they just stood there. Neither of them saying anything. Neither of them moving.
Moments later, House removed his hand from her grip and moved it to her face. He gently turned it to the right side so that their lips weren't parted more than half an inch.
Cuddy smiled. softly putting her hand on House's cheek.
Their eyes met. For a few seconds they just looked at each other.
Then House bent down and Cuddy got up on her tip toes… and their lips met.
"I love the necklace." She whispered against his lips.
"I knew you would." He said before he captured her lips with his once more.
He felt Cuddy's mouth forming to a smile and he couldn't help but smile as well.
She was finally his… and his alone.
- end -
I think it is no secret that I kinda love feedback, right? :)