The cab sped away through the dark and dimly lit street, as Cuddy made her clumsy way up the steps and to the door. She reached into her purse and fumbled with her keys, trying with no avail to open the door. As she tried key after key to fit into the lock, the door finally gave way and opened from the inside.
"What are you doing here?" House asked.
"Hi." She said half lazily, half seductively, and one-hundred percent drunkenly. She proceeded to give him a lopsided smile as she shifted her weight so her body rested against the open door frame.
"You're drunk." he stated.
"That's what you do at a bachelorette party."
"But you don't drink." he looked at her and smiled, half proud, half something unidentifiable.
"Julia is very persuasive." she paused, "Are you going to let me in?"
"You should go home."
"I heard you solved another case, that no one. else. could. solve." she broke up her sentence as her left hand poked his chest emphasizing each word.
"It's my job."
"So are you going to let me in?"
He stepped aside and watched her walk into his apartment.
"Do you miss the apartment that I wanted to buy?" She asked with lack of any real venom.
"Wilson bought it, not me." he said as he made his way into his living room where Cuddy waited on his couch.
"I know."
"You can sleep there." he said and started to make his way towards his bedroom.
She stood up from the couch and cut off his path, "Why? Don't you want to share a bed?" she put one hand on his chest and started drawing patterns.
"You're getting married in two days."
"You don't even want to see what's underneath my coat?" she said with a slight pout.
"Are we just pretending you're not getting married, or pretending you didn't hear what I just said?"
"It's from La Perla." She looked up at him, giving him her most seductive smile.
"I've tried to change and this isn't you. I'm trying to do the right thing. Either go home or sleep on the couch." he said getting angry, bitterness ripe within him.
"Don't you want me?"
"Not like this."
"Then how?" she started to undo the buttons on her long coat, slowly, either because she was trying to be seductive or she was just to inebriated too go any faster, either way it was having the right effect on him. She undid the last button and shrugged her coat off of her shoulders, revealing her lingerie clad body to him.
"Is this better?" she asked, returning the one hand to his chest and moved the other one behind his neck, playing with the fine hairs at the base of his neck.
"Cuddy..." he breathed.
She kissed him, lightly at first, pulling him in.
He pulled away, enough to stop kissing, but not enough to get loose from her grasp. "Stop." he pleaded with her.
"I think I love you." she blurted out drunkenly, soberly, sadly, wearily, tiredly, but honestly.
He was tempted to ask why she was marrying another man then. But he didn't need to, he knew the reasons. He would never be the guy that the women he loved chose. He would be the guy that watched them be happy with other men -better men. Men who would and could be there for them, for their children, uncomplicated men who would live long enough to grow old with them. Who would placate them, and lie to them and tell them lies to make things okay, to comfort them -something he was incapable of.
So her words of admission would have to be enough for him.
"Mea culpa" was his only response, and he kissed her. Slowly, the slowest kiss he'd ever partake in. He needed this night with her, to delude himself, that he could be what she wanted, no, he was what she wanted, he needed this night to delude himself that he could be what she needed. He led them back to his bedroom, laid her down on the bed, and made love to her. Slow, passionate love. And he let her fall asleep in his arms, and he watched the rise and fall of her beautiful chest as she slept, knowing this is the closest he'd ever get to making her his.
When he woke in the morning she was gone, as he knew she'd be.
When she tried to talk to him that day, and her guilt consumed her, he told her he wouldn't bother her, that she should get married.
And when she asked him what she was supposed to do, what she was supposed to tell Lucas, he told her "do what everyone else does, lie."