Nobody Imagines

Nobody imagines that she was the carefree, rebel student and that he was the hard-working, unobtrusive guy at the back of the room. They figure that because he is childish and ridiculous and she is a responsible adult, not to mention his boss, that that's the way its always been.

Everyone has difficulty grasping the concept that she left him.

They all dream up romantic scenarios that usually involve him hopping on his motorcycle and driving out of her life for the next 15 years. But as Gregory House limped from the cab to the air terminal, he remembered how it had really happened:

They had been together for almost two solid years. She had been happy enough at first, but he knew it couldn't last. He had counted the days they were together and was surprised, along with the rest of the campus, when he had to start counting in weeks. Once it got past that, he figured he'd just enjoy it. It was approaching their two year anniversary and he had picked out the perfect ring. Now, he wasn't the most romantic guy in the world, but he knew if he waited any longer to ask, it'd be too late. He showed up at her dorm building early, thinking he would break in and set the mood – candles, the takeout he'd left in the fridge the night before on real dishes and a little Schumann in the background. But when he pulled up in front of the impressive brick building, she was standing there with her suitcase by her side waiting for a taxi. He slowly pulled himself from the car and walked over to her.

"Lisa." It was all he said before his throat contstricted and words became impossible.

She bit her lip. "I'm so-"
He held up a hand to cut her off. Shaking his head he put one hand on either arm and turned her to face him. He pulled her towards him and found her lips with his. The kiss was filled with regret – her for leaving and him for waiting too long. As a yellow taxi swung up to the curb, it started to rain. Not a drizzle, not a mist, but an honest-to-goodness rain. It was as if thousands of buckets had suddenly been tipped over in the sky. If he believed in God, he would have said it had been sent to hide the tears on his cheeks. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched her climb in the cab and his fingers closed over the small, black box. The cab rolled away and for a moment he considered running after it. Something deep inside him told him it wasn't worth it – running after her would only seal their fate. She wasn't the kind of woman you chased down and made love you. She had to come to you. Two years had taught him that. When he got home, he hung that coat up in the closet without ever taking the box out. It would be more than a decade before he would wear it again.

Once inside the warm terminal he scanned the tops of the crowd. Not seeing her, he made his way to the flight schedule and grit his teeth in a mixture of annoyance and dismay. He'd never make it to the other side of the building in five minutes – not with a cane and a decided limp. He turned to the window and watched as the Southwest Airlines for San Francisco poked its nose toward the sky. He pushed his way out the glass door and smirked at the irony as the skies opened up with torrential rain. Twisting his neck upwards, he watched the plane disappear into the clouds. He shoved his free hand in his pocket and jumped as his fingers brushed velvet. Slowly, he pulled a small, black box from the folds of the jacket and flipped it open. Diamonds sparkled like moonbeams as the rain soaked the once perfect velvet.

"I didn't think you were the marrying kind, House." A feminine voice spoke from behind him. He spun around as quickly as the cane would allow and there she stood. Rain stuck her clothing to her and her hair hung wet around her face.

"Who said anything about marriage?" he replied, seemingly unphased at seeing her standing there when her plane was several thousand feet above them.

Gesturing to the box in his hand, she said, "I think that said it for you."

He stared silently at her for a moment before he asked simply, "What are you doing here?"

She met his eyes and smiled. "I realized I didn't want to leave. And then I realized why."
"Why?"

She stepped forward, leaving her suitcase in the open doorway. Placing a hand on either shoulder she pulled herself up. She pressed her lips to his and he instantly slipped an arm around her waist. A moment later, he smiled against her mouth. Moaning at the sudden loss of contact, she pulled away to look up at him. He took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger.

"What's so funny?" she asked as he dropped the box to the ground.

"You stayed. Chase won the bet." Slipping his now free hand into her hair, he pulled her in for another kiss. This time it was filled with honesty – apology, forgiveness and a love lost and found.

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