Title: Casual Indiscretions
Rating: R (adult language and adult content)
Category: Thirteen/Cuddy
Plot: Thirteen, furious that someone is screwing with her, has an unanticipated encounter with the Dean of Medicine in the locker-room with unexpected results. One-shot.
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters of House, M.D., even if I would love to. Just isn't the truth.
Author's Note: I was checking through some old flash drives and I came across two older (written in 2009) one shots I did for House, M.D. and I felt like I should share them to help off-set the wait between updates. This is the first and one of the better few I wrote back then. As always, reviews are love!
Casual Indiscretions
"I'm going to melt the fever, Sugar, rolling back your eyes…" - Shiny Toy Guns, "Le Disko"
The steam emanating from the shower unraveled the tense muscles in Thirteen's neck and lower back with an ease that she found exalting. She could feel the trouble and weight of the world lifting off her shoulders with each new droplet that danced across her skin. She hadn't felt this kind of release in months, with the reception the news that her Huntington's was becoming worse, having allowed herself to become consumed with her diagnostic duties. It was, as Foreman had once told her, the simple things in life that matter the most. It was something that she had taken to heart but felt wasn't something that she could indulge in. Now, standing alone in the shower, feeling the heat of the water rush over her, she realized that even those who are dedicated to a higher calling are allowed to indulge now and again.
Satisfied that she had managed to wash off the emotional and physical filth from her last case, she climbed out of the shower. Glancing back to where she had hung the towel a few minutes before she noticed that it was missing. She knew that she had been alone, save for a couple of errant nurses and none of them would remove a towel without calling out to make sure it wasn't in use, which meant that someone was screwing with her. The first thought that entered her mind was House. It seemed like something the old bastard might do, but she remember that he had been asked to leave the hospital earlier because, as Wilson had so eloquently put it, aggravated the family of a patient enough that the husband decided to narrow his vision a bit - in other words, beat him senseless - which left Taub and Foreman.
Taub, dealing with an estranged wife and financial difficulties, seemed like a stretch. He was also something of a straight arrow and wasn't known to screw around too much. His idea of fun, Thirteen figured, would likely be sneaking over to one of the nurse's stations and leaving some of that sophomoric fake vomit in one of their chairs and waiting just out of sight to see how they would react.
This meant that her final option, Foreman, must have been the one who had managed to sneak in, steal her towel, and create a little havoc. Still, something didn't quite feel right with that either because Foreman was the definition of straight arrow. She knew this well having spent the better half of a year sleeping with the man. He was never one to have fun at another's expense unless it benefited him in some form or another and taking a towel from the shower seemed below his quality of practical joking.
Thirteen could feel herself becoming flustered in trying to decode who might have taken the towel. She wanted nothing more than to relax for awhile, feel like she was a normal twentysomething, and have a chance to let her hair down. "Oh well," she said aloud walking to where the towels were kept, "I have better things to do than concern myself with this shit." she continued. She could let this one mystery hang in the air. If it was House, which she doubted, he would make some cynical remark in the morning about it - something to amuse himself - and it would be solved. No big deal.
Checking to make sure she was alone she entered the area that held the towels and removed one from the wall hooks. She maneuvered the towel around herself, making sure to cover herself enough to be considered decent, and walked back to the locker-room. She stopped as the first row of lockers came into view. She felt like she was being watched. She had no evidence of the accusation, but she could feel the wandering eyes moving up and down her slender body. Shaking it off, she continued to the locker-room where she kept her clothing and car keys. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was lurking on the edge of the shadows cast across the brightly lit room.
It became obvious to her that she wasn't alone as she entered the locker-room. She couldn't tell who was in there with her, but she could hear someone moving things around in one of the lockers. Most of the time this wouldn't have bothered her much, it was a busy hospital, but having had someone remove her towel and the feeling that she was being watched lingering in the back of her mind, she found herself being more cautious than normal. "Hello?" she said aloud, hoping that the mysterious stranger would respond in kind. She didn't have to wait long for a response.
"Hello?" the strange replied allowing her voice to echo through the locker-room. Thirteen could make out that the voice was female, but she couldn't tell who it was. "Is someone there?" the female voice said, echoing through the room. Thirteen felt a wave of comfort wash over her. She didn't mind being alone with another woman in the locker-room half dressed. It wasn't like she hadn't seen the naked female form before and vise versa. "I would like it very much if you would come out." the voice asked aloud.
Thirteen recognized the sound of the voice, but she was unsure who it was. The last thing she wanted to do was be wrong, so she cautiously replied. "It's me," she said feeling foolish, "Dr. Hadley." she offered. She hated using her real name, having become so accustom to being called Thirteen. She knew, however, that she might have confused the mysterious woman had she responded that she was Thirteen, so using her real name made much more sense - at least until she was sure of who was there.
"Oh, it's you!" the woman exclaimed. Thirteen could tell from the sound of her voice that she was relieved that it was her. This caused her interest to pique a bit. "I wasn't sure who was there, but now that I know it's you." the voice continued. There was a moment of silence between Thirteen and the woman which seemed to linger for a bit longer than she would have liked. "What are you doing her so late?" she inquired. Thirteen still couldn't nail down who the voice was, but it was on the tip of her tongue now.
Thirteen moved closer to where she thought the mysterious woman was before she replied, "Oh, I was working late. Became carried away with solving this case. Just about to leave…" she said trailing off. She felt at ease with the other woman, but she still felt a bit on edge. Coming around the corner of the next row of lockers, she saw that the woman wasn't there. Biting her lower lip in frustration, she continued to slide from row to row. "How about yourself?" she asked, her voice echoed off the walls in the room making it sound louder than it was.
"I was working late on something, lost track of time, and well, here I am now. I should have been out of here three and a half hours ago," the woman said making casual conversation, "but what else is new?" she continued. Thirteen knew the sound of the woman's voice and she knew who it was, but she still had trouble. She knew that it wasn't one of the nurses she often spoke to while in the Clinic which meant that it could only be one woman. As she made her way to the last row of lockers, it dawned on her who the woman was.
As she came around the final row, Thirteen felt her heart leap out of her chest. What she saw as she came around the bend wasn't something that she was expecting to see. Standing in front of her was the Dean of Medicine, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, undressing. Thirteen caught herself before it was too late and felt herself become flustered. "Oh, God! I didn't know!" she exclaimed, her eyes bolted to the title floor. She fought the desire to look up and catch another glimpse of the other woman's athletic figure, but knew that the action might send the wrong signal.
"Oh, you're fine. It isn't like I haven't seen breasts before," Cuddy replied with an ease that Thirteen wasn't expecting, "and I'm pretty sure that you've seen a few of them as well." she said. Thirteen watched as a faint smile drew across the Dean's face. Thirteen could feel herself blushing even more now, embarrassed by what she had said. "Honest," she offered, "I don't mind. It's something that comes along with being a female doctor, right?" she said with a hint of humor in her tone. Thirteen was unsure if she was being coy with her or she meant what she was saying and there were no underlying meanings hidden between the lines.
Thirteen swallowed the lump in her throat. She was unsure of how to proceed. If she was taking her in the wrong sense she risked being terminated and if she wasn't off base and she was coming on to her than she would be risking her career with the team and House. Bracing herself for either response, she looked up from the floor and watched as the woman before her tried to wrap her around herself to unlatch her bra. "Do you, um, need help with that?" she asked, feeling exhilarated and foolish at the same time.
"Could you?" she asked enthusiastically, "I don't know about you, but I have a hell of a time with the hooks and having someone else around does make it a lot easier to deal with." she continued. Thirteen almost choked when she heard her boss' riposte. She had half expected to be scolded, but here she was being asked to assist. She felt herself becoming tense as she drew closer. Allowing herself a moment to loosen up, Thirteen watched as the older woman offered her a smirk that she had often noticed she reserved for House. "You can let your hair down here, Remy." she said, using Thirteen's first name. It sounded almost alien to her.
"Just need a moment," she replied as she found herself close enough now to touch the woman in front of her, "I'm not used to being asked to help unhook a bra, to be honest. I'm often using my teeth to," she caught herself mid-sentence, "yeah, you really don't want to hear about my illicit sexual encounters with other women, do you?" she asked still feeling like a fool. There was a moment of silence as Cuddy shifted her weight. Thirteen watched as the straps on her bra shifted with her and wished she was looking at her breasts instead of the eyehook on the back of her bra. "I mean, I don't mind talking about it if you don't mind hearing about it?" she fumbled with each new syllable.
"You can relax," she spoke in a soft tone that lulled Thirteen, "I wouldn't mind hearing about your casual indiscretions. I might even feel compelled to share a few of mine, from when I was younger and in college, of course. It's been awhile since I was as free spirited and experimental." Cuddy continued. Her response was met with the slight stutter that Thirteen had tried so long to erase, but found it coming back when she was presented with difficult situations. "Thirteen?" she asked, making sure she was still there.
Thirteen felt her heart beating so fast it felt like it would explode out of her chest. This was the last thing she had expected this morning when she had climbed out of bed and driven to the hospital. "I would love to talk about it over a nice macchiato," she replied, maneuvering her fingers under the bra and unhooking each eyehook with more care than she often afforded the women that had fallen under her swoon. She watched as the bra became loose, eventually cascading down the older woman's shoulders. Thirteen closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander for a moment, but found that when she had opened them that she didn't need to allow her mind to wander much - she was met with the sight of Cuddy's womanhood laid bare before her. "Oh, my God." she said turning shades of red that even she was unaware that she could become.
"I'm sensing that there's a 'but' waiting around the corner here," she replied, "and I'm wondering how long it will take before you relax." she spoke with an ease that told Thirteen that this wasn't her first time. She found it was difficult to draw her attention from the older woman's bust, amazed at how firm and youthful it appeared to be, but she knew she would have to. "Before you ask, these are still mine." she replied with a taste of amusement in her voice. Thirteen found herself even more flustered with each passing second.
"Those are without a doubt some of the best I have ever seen," she replied with confidence, "and I would love to talk about those other women I've been with, but right now I'm focused on the one I with right this moment." she said. She felt herself becoming a twenty year old inexperienced lesbian once more. "Because she's the only one that matters." she said feeling cockier. She knew that if she was able to recompose herself this might work to her favor. Taking a risk, she moved her hand out to Cuddy, brushing an errant strand of hair from her face and allowing her thumb to caress her cheek. Cuddy smiled softly and brought her hand to Thirteen's and rested it there.
"Well, when you say it like that," she replied drawing close enough for Thirteen to feel the heat from her breath, "how can a girl deny?" she asked. Thirteen closed her eyes as she drew close enough to feel the older woman's skin against her own. She wanted to cave, but she knew that would seem childish and insecure - and who in their right mind would do that with such a beautiful woman breathing down their neck - and she wasn't about to cave. "This is so wrong," she whispered in Thirteen's ear, "but who cares when it's the two of us?" she asked.
Thirteen took a deep breath and braced herself. It had been a few months since she had been with a woman, but she still knew the tactics required. It was something like riding a bike. "I don't mind keeping a secret," Thirteen replied allowing herself to release the tension that had been culminating in her muscles, "I suppose the only real question that has to be asked is how rough do you like it?" she asked, feeling her companion's response before she even had a chance to respond.
"It's been a few years, but I'm sure I can handle almost anything you can throw at me," Cuddy replied, "just remember that unlike some of the younger women you've been with I do have a safe word." she said. Thirteen had to fight back the desire to giggle uncontrollably. The thought of someone her age having a safe word was more than she could handle. "But I doubt I will be needing it, if you're as amazing as you make yourself out to be." she cooed in Thirteen's ear. She wasn't sure if this was an invitation to be as wild and masterful as she wanted or an insult.
"You better check yourself at the door, Sister, and make sure you can handle this." she replied. Thirteen felt herself moving before she could react, pressing her weight against the Dean of Medicine. A moan escaped her lips as her back hit against the lockers behind them. "I don't accept safe," Thirteen said running her hands around Cuddy's waist, teasing her more with each inch she took, "now it's time to shut the fuck up and take it." she insisted. Another moan crept out of Cuddy as Thirteen tilted her head to allow the older woman to breath.
"I've had enough of this," she said thrusting Thirteen against the wall, "I can see that there is still a few things you have to learn." she continued moving with a speed that Thirteen didn't think she had. As she moved her hands under the towel that Thirteen had spent so much time and effort seeking, Thirteen felt herself becoming aroused. The prospect of cruising an older woman, one old enough to be her mother, was an interesting proposition. It was one that she was more than willing to take.
Thirteen was about to take back control when she felt the sensation that someone was watching her shoot back. She was torn between allowing Cuddy to explore her dark chest of wonders and alleviating her fears. "Stop for a second," she said aloud, "I think we're being watched." she continued. There was a sudden shock of sensual bliss that shot through her fragile body as Cuddy returned to her visual range.
The two women shifted their weight and crossed their arms. Thirteen listened for a moment, waiting for a sound that would confirm her theory, watching the entrance to the locker-room. If there was someone there it would be easy for them to hide there. "We know you're over there." Cuddy said aloud, moving her arms higher to conceal her ample breasts. Thirteen realized that she had lost her towel in the heat of the action, and knelt down to retrieve it.
"Don't stop on account of me," a male voice floated through the room, "I wouldn't want to intrude on something as beautiful and romantic as this." he continued. Thirteen didn't have to think too much on who the man was. "I could use some lesbian love making in my life. Wilson's been spending more and more time in his smut cave alone, so…" House said allowing his voice to trail off.
Thirteen felt her blood boil as House revealed himself. She wanted to scream as loud as she could, smack the life out of him, but she knew that it would cost her everything if she had. "You're a real fucking bastard, you know that?" she asked shifting her weight. She watched as his face contorted into an a scowl, something he wore with more authenticity than most could. "How long have you been watching?" she asked, still fuming.
House was about to open his mouth to speak, but before he could manage to say anything there was a loud smacking sound that echoed through the locker-room. It took a moment for Thirteen to realize what had occurred, but once she did she couldn't help but smile. "You had that coming," Cuddy said fixing her hair, "next time you want smut you better call up one of those hookers you've been billing the hospital for." she said with a finality that Thirteen had seldom heard.