Disclaimer: Don't own House. I really like that new cane, though….
He had gotten the call at two in the morning on a Saturday. The air was warm all around him, the sky was pitch black, and a ringing sound was jarring him out of sleep. He raised his head up off of the pillow and stared, irritated, at the phone. "Shut up," he commanded, and when it refused to take orders, he groaned. Picking up the phone, he sighed into it, "What."
"House!"
He winced, pulling the phone away from his ear as he sat up. Cameron's high pitched voice was too much for him to take at this time, and…how did she get his number, anyway?
"Cameron?" he asked slowly, after he had brought the receiver back to his ear. "Is this you."
"Yes, it's me!" she laughed, and he could hear the pulsating beat of music behind her as she talked. "I'm in the bathroom at this club."
"Congratulations," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"I know," she said cheerily. "I had this really cool soda. It was Coca-Cola, but tasted way better than anything I've ever had before. This guy, Joshua he said his name was, came up to me and gave it to me. He told me that I looked sad and I could use a bev…a berv…a drink, and he got me one and now I'm in the bathroom!"
"Oh, great," House said, shifting himself out of bed. "Are you sick?"
She snorted on the other line. "No. I'm fixing my make-up. Joshie said that he was going to take me somewhere fun."
House froze, his left shoe only half on. "What? Where are you, Cameron? And why did you call me?"
"'Cause…" she said, drawing the word out. "Dan had always told me that I needed to confront my problems. Take charge and don't be afraid!" She sighed. "But he's not here. He's gone."
"Right," House said, sandwiching the phone between his ear and his shoulder. "You know what, we're going to play a fun game of hide-and-seek. See, you tell me where you're hiding and I'll seek you."
She seemed to consider it for a moment, and then said, "Okay!"
000
Thirty minutes later, seven red lights, and a very intense encounter with an egomaniacal frat boy, House had Cameron's arm looped through his as she staggered into his home. She flopped down on his couch, spreading her arms and legs apart. "Mmm," she groaned, stretching. "Your couch is so comfy." She snuggled down into it, and cracked an eye open at him. "What?"
"You," he said, limping over to his recliner. "Are the drunkest I've ever seen anyone, except maybe Wilson."
She snorted. "I," she laughed. "Am not ineb..enne…drunk."
"And the ten minute monologue about how Oompa-Loompas are going to take over the world along with McDonalds and Starbucks was….what?"
"A lapse in sanity," she declared, rolling the wrong way off the couch. She landed with a thud onto the carpet, her face pressing into the material. She raised herself up on her arms, shaking with laughter. "That…" she gasped. "Was awesome." She climbed back onto the couch, rolling her head to look at him. "You're laughing," she accused, pointing a finger at him. "I got you to laugh."
House bit back the chuckle that was tickling its way up his throat. "Well, we all have rare moments like that. Besides, you'll be too hung over in the morning to remember."
She mumbled in response, her eyes having slipped close. "I'm tired," she whispered, tucking her arm underneath her head. She was asleep within minutes, and a stray curl was falling across her face, floating up with every breath that she took. He stood, hobbling over to her, and reached out a large hand to brush her hair back behind her ear. Reaching down, he uncurled her limbs and straightened her out on the long couch, and she buried her face into a pillow. Trying hard not to smile down at her, he walked into his bedroom, pulled a comforter out of his closet, and when he went back into his living room he laid it back over her.
She smiled in her sleep, her lips moving softly. He leaned closer, trying to figure out what she was saying. When he realized what it was, the rebellious smile was on his face as he looked down at her. Shaking his head, he made his way into his bedroom to continue his night's sleep.
000
She woke up the next morning with a headache. Groaning, she pressed her palm against her forehead, desperate to stop the throbbing. "Oh, god," she said, sitting up. "What did I drink last night?"
"Coke and Vodka," came a startlingly familiar voice. "Given to you by a complete stranger. You called me at two in the morning, telling me you were going to go home with him." A mug of coffee appeared in front of her face. She looked up to see House standing in front of her, wearing black jeans, an AC-DC t-shirt, and a smug expression. "Apparently, I'm your knight in shining armor."
She took the coffee from his hands, sending a grateful look his way. At the first sip she felt better, and she sighed. Rubbing her eye, she looked up at him. "So…I feel like an idiot."
"Congratulations," House drawled. "You've now joined Chase.
She smiled into her mug, taking a sip and then shaking the hair out of her eyes. "So, um," she said, placing the mug on a coaster. "I don't…I want to thank you, but I don't know how, and I feel really, really stupid right now because all you're doing is staring at me, and-"
She was cut off when he leaned forwards and placed his lips on hers, pressing into them hard and insistent. She inhaled sharply through her nose, her eyes going wide before snapping shut. Her hands wound their way around his neck, pulling him down harder. He lay atop her, kissing her as much as he could, only breaking apart to come up for air. She gasped against his mouth, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She responded, and he dug his hand under her shirt and towards her shoulder blades, cupping one in a single hand.
He pulled apart eventually, pressing his face into her neck. She gripped him to her, pressing her lips against his shoulder.
"Well," he said, when he had finally regained his composure. "In response to you lovely little mumble last night…You're welcome."
"God, House," she said against his shirt. "If that's the sort of 'You're welcome' I get, I should have thanked you a long time ago."
His chuckle was muffled against her neck. "I wish you would have." He brought his head back up and pressed his lips against hers again, muttering, "I wish you had…"
000
THE END