Hi everyone,
For those of you who follow my "First Times" series, this story is undeniably going to sound familiar, somehow.
Why didn't I post it as a new one-shot IN the First Times series, then? Well, there're several reasons for that.
First of all, this story – which was meant right from the start to be THE Mother of all First Times (if you know what I mean…) should therefore, and logically, be the last one (at least in my mind) Which means, I'd have to mark First Times as "Complete" if I posted this story there. But then, what if I thought of writing other First Times after that? (something that is highly probable because, duh, the show left us with many, many possibilities to explore…) So I decided to post that one separately.
Second of all, anyway, I realized that it would be best to post it as a short story rather than a one-shot, which is the format for First Times. Not that I never post ass-long 10,000+-word one-shots, lol, but I thought this would work best if I cut this one into separate chapters…
So there you go.
THE FIRST TIME.
Do I need to explain what it means? Well, obviously, this story takes place during med-school. The purpose here is to tackle the circumstances that led to that mysterious "one-night stand" that we only heard of in veiled terms during the show, as much as the one-night stand itself (after all this IS a First Time, so it IS about House and Cuddy having sex, right? ;P)
For lack of details provided by the writers, I have tried, as much as possible, to respect canon as we know it. For that, I based that story on several references of the event itself, or at least that period, made in episodes throughout the show (S02E03, Humpty Dumpty – S02E12, Distractions – S03E16 Top Secret – S05E11 Joy To The World – S05E23 Under My Skin, S07E08 Small Sacrifices, and (of course!) S06E07 Known Unknowns)
I also tried to respect a certain logic in the timing, given House and Cuddy's ages, knowing that House is supposed to be born in 1959, and Cuddy in 1968,, which means House is 9 years older than her, and about to repeat his fourth year of med school, and, since Cuddy became a doctor at the age of 26, I chose to make her a second year undergraduate.
I also chose the year 1987 for several reasons, one being specifically mentioned in Small Sacrifices, and another one inspired by something in the episode Wilson… But you'll see what I mean along the way!
Anyway, on to the story! I hope you'll enjoy reading it.
Oh, one last thing… A while ago, a lovely friend of mine asked me if I was going to write a new story, and wanted to know what it was going to be about. I told her that it would most likely be another First Times, and most specifically THE First Time because that was the only substantial idea I had in mind… So Amanda, this one's for you! :)
** THE FIRST TIME **
- Chapter 1 -
She arrives on Campus the first week of August.
The fall semester at UMich doesn't start until early September, but Lisa Cuddy has insisted on being there as early as possible. Her need for independence, and her self-confidence have considerably grown since last year, and even though she was content to postpone her leaving home to the last minute the first year, this time around, for her second year as an undergraduate, she's impatient to return to the university's familiar environment. It's evidently upset her mother, who keeps telling her that she's going to miss spending the summer with her family, which consequently reinforces Cuddy's urgent desire to leave New Jersey as fast as she can.
She's going to miss her father, there's no doubt about that, but her mother? not so much. Arlene is the caricature of the Jewish mother, and considering she's not even really Jewish, but only converted to Judaism for the love of her husband – a very mildly observant Jew himself – Lisa Cuddy tends to find her mother's religious antics a little bit suffocating.
She's just turned nineteen and, really, she aspires to greater personal achievements than simply being the perfect little housewife Arlene would want her to be.
Her room is located on Central Campus, immediately adjacent to the medical campus, in the Betsy Barbour Residence. The place is great. Well, maybe it'd need to be renovated, but it feels like a palace to her. Her place, anyway. She arrives there late in the afternoon, after having made the trip alone, in her car, an old – but decent – late 70s Ford convertible.
Last year, on her first day there, she was accompanied by her mother who, of course, had wanted to supervise every detail of her settling down. Arlene had moved heaven and earth to have her mahogany desk shipped to the university – so that she'd have a piece of furniture with her that will remind her of home – and Cuddy, opposed to the idea at first, had finally yielded because, sometimes, surrender was the best strategy to get her mother to cut her some slack.
Cuddy had to take it on the chin the whole time, refraining from rolling her eyes in annoyance every now and then, as she'd watched Arlene ordering the movers around, indicating where to put down the desk, and most of her daughter's belongings, but that was only because she knew she would redecorate the 15 square meters room her way – even if that meant turning it upside down once again – the moment her mother would have left and the place would have finally been all hers.
And indeed, when she was alone, she had started rearranging the room to her liking. The bustling noise had drawn the attention to the girl next door, Rebecca, a first-year medical student at the time who, as Cuddy hadn't been long to discover, happened to be quite a nice and cool girl too.
Even though Rebecca is four years older than Lisa, their friendship has been almost instantaneous. Cuddy has always felt greater connection with people older than her. She finds the boys and girls her age – mostly boys – immature, and annoying; whereas she tends to feel more at ease with people in their late twenties, sometimes even older ones. Like her father's best friend, Daniel, whom she likes to talk to. He seems to like to talk to her, too, but that's another story. She's seen the way he looks at her, and it strangely doesn't upset her. She'd be lying if she said she didn't used to laugh a little louder, or sashay just a tad bit more than necessary in his presence just because...
Becca and Lisa have lots of fun together: During Lisa's first year as an undergraduate, they've become close friends, spending long hours talking in one or the other's room, or partying whenever an occasion presented itself. They also happen to share the same life philosophy: They both like to have fun. Occasionally, they do like to flirt with hot guys, too, but they're both ambitious and are first and foremost here to study and become doctors. And not just any doctors; the best ones.
Consequently, and thanks to Becca who's introduced her to her friends, Lisa Cuddy has been quick to know her way around campus, and… to one or two guys' rooms.
Heh. She isn't shy and if she doesn't have fun during her university years, then she probably never will. Right?
She's not an easy lay, though. Even less a slut. She likes to have things her way, is all. She always has, anyway. The fact that her father basically indulged every one of her child's whims didn't really help her get used to being told 'no' but there's more to it than just that. Even if she's still at a young adult age, Cuddy likes to have power. She's recognized that need in her a long time ago. She needs to be in control. She's convinced of it: she'll be a boss someday. And she'll excel at it.
So yes, during her first year on campus, she's slept with a few guys, and has flirted with several others. It doesn't mean anything. She's not old enough to think that she's going to meet the one amongst the guys she dances with at parties, anyway. She's just having fun. And she sets the terms of the deal. If it goes further, it's only because she wants to. And if it stops right there, it's also because she decides that it won't be anything more than what it is: a fling, a carefree moment spent fondling and kissing in a car, a one-night stand.
She may be young, but she impresses men. She's aware of that. And quite pleased with the power it gives her, too, to set the rules and be the one to have the last word. She likes to have the last word, indeed. Something that she feels will only grow stronger now that she's taken her independence and has started her adult life far away from her mother's influence, who very much likes to have the last word, too.
…
The first semester starts September, 7. Cuddy has chosen her schedule so that she won't have to attend classes too early in the morning. She's used to hanging out at parties now, and she'd rather not sacrifice the luxury of being able to sleep in whenever she can. She made no concessions in selecting her majors, though, going for molecular biology and biochemistry because taking a lot of sciences has to help when you're an undergraduate in med-school, right?
When she applied for biochemistry, every other student there registered to Professor Siegal's lectures, but she's confidently chosen to attend Pr. Lamb's class, instead, known on campus to be the most demanding of the two.
On Wednesday, her third day of school, she heads to the bookstore after class, her syllabus in hand, with the firm intention to get everything she needs quickly, as there's a concert on South Campus later, and Dave – Becca's boyfriend – plays in one of the bands that's going to perform there.
…
The doorbell chimes when she pushes the door to enter the bookstore, but Cuddy quickly realizes that the tinkling sound isn't going to make her more noticeable as the place is predictably crammed with students, and nobody seems to pay attention to her. Instantly feeling annoyed to have to wait, she however takes her place in line and starts queuing towards the counter. There're two students in front of her, and only one girl to take care of their requests. She's efficient though, and soon enough, she's dealt with one of them. It doesn't stop Cuddy from tapping her fingers impatiently on the side of her leg, which the girl behind the counter must notice because she suddenly turns to the left and shouts in the direction of a hidden corner behind her.
"Greg! I could use some extra help in here."
Cuddy distinctly hears someone grumble and then, as if he'd popped out of nowhere, a guy is standing behind the counter in front of her, sighing loudly.
He's tall, and undeniably athletic. Cuddy's eyes are leveled with his pectoral muscles, visibly firm under his tee-shirt. She tilts her head up and for what must last no longer than a second, she meets his eyes. Blue.
Very, very much blue. Of the piercing kind.
She's not really aware of her mouth falling agape, and it's probably best because she'd most certainly hate herself for it. Thankfully anyway, it doesn't last long because the pair of ice-blue eyes leaves her gaze and quickly ogles her (of that she's sure) and then, a faint ironic smile draws on the corner of his lips (so imperceptible she thinks she must have imagined it) and his face returns to its imperturbable mask, as he arches his eyebrows expectantly.
"Need anything?" he says, sounding slightly amused.
Cuddy wisely opts to stay silent. For an inexplicable reason, as much as it surely is an irrational one, she feels she'd probably snap at him if she opens her mouth. So she just hands her syllabus to him and shoots him a pointed look.
He smiles again, or more precisely his eyes do, as there's that little sparkle of… mischief that lights up his gaze when he takes the sheet from her hand. He skims it quickly and then looks at her once more, narrowing his eyes at her as if he were… intrigued?
"Hmm," he says, "overly ambitious student."
Cuddy instantly feels judged and, as a result, somehow piqued in her pride, too.
"With a chip on her shoulder," he adds, before she can think of an appropriate answer. "Though, you definitely do know how to party…"
He plants his eyes in hers then, and she becomes slightly breathless.
"You're making that up," she answers, squirming with unease, but unable to repress a coy smile at the same time.
"Nope! Your class schedule is overloaded, but none of your classes are before 11:00."
He quickly glances at the sheet again.
"And no one takes Professor Lamb's course unless they have something to prove."
Her eyes widen in surprise, and she puffs, not really knowing what else to say in that instant. Truth is, she's speechless. She, Lisa Cuddy, is speechless. She feels an unfamiliar twinge in her belly, and it takes her off guard. After a second, she decides to label it as the need to find a comeback. No, not the need; the urge to find a comeback and shut his mouth. She usually has the last word. She's not used to not knowing what to say. The unfamiliar sensation is there, warm and tingling, in her belly: It's like little jolts of electricity that tickle her nerves. Damn it, she needs to say something! Instead, she just opens her mouth to speak but no sound comes out of it.
"Don't you know that Professor Siegal covers the same ground but is the easier grader?" blue-eyed guy says.
She tries to pull herself together and shoots him her best unmoved look.
"Of course, I know!" she says. "You just didn't consider the other option. Maybe I chose Professor Lamb's course because I'm not afraid of taking up the challenge."
She juts her chin up, proudly, waiting for him to be impressed. Instead, he just looks at her, completely unfazed, and shrugs. She sucks in a sharp breath to repress the need to groan in frustration. For God's sake, that guy is impossibly annoying, she thinks.
"So? Are you going to get my books?" she finally asks, hoping to sound as nonchalant as he is.
"Sure!"
He disappears for several minutes, her syllabus in hand, and comes back, carrying a stack of books. She pays without a word, and stoically gathers them in her arms, half-disappearing behind the pile.
"Want some help?" he offers, though with obvious reluctance.
"No, thanks," she snaps.
He watches her struggle to find her balance, her books in her arms and her purse on her shoulder, and when she feels steady enough on her feet, she turns on her heel and starts heading towards the exit without saying a word.
She takes several steps, all the way feeling the back of her neck burn as she pictures him staring intensely at her, surely enjoying watching her walk unsteadily away from him, and it feels as if he's drilling a hole in her skin with the intensity of his gaze on her. She doesn't dare to look above her shoulder to check if he does, though. She's also practically sure he must be grinning, which unnerves her in an oddly not so unnerving way…
"Bye, party girl," he calls after her just as she reaches the door.
She doesn't answer anything. Nor does she turn around to look at him. Instead, as an empathic student opens the door for her, she rolls her eyes and exits the bookstore.
A/N
This story is going to be 6 chapters long (or maybe 7, depending on whether or not I decide to post the epilogue separately)
I will update every three or four days. Five at the very max. I promise.
Have a nice day ~ maya.