title: We'd never dream of breaking this fixation
author: DiamondDaze
rating: T, but I think there's a swear word in there somewhere.
pairing: House/Cameron
disclaimer: Not mine, people. So don't sue, because lawyers hurt.

House downed the rest of his drink, sliding it pointedly closer to the bar tender to indicate that he wanted a refill. Rubbing his forefinger and thumb over his closed eyelids, he dreamed of his TiVo and his secret, secret stash of Vicodin.

He was hot in his suit, and even loosening his tie hadn't helped his ability to breath in the slightest. Rubbish music filtered through a hidden sound system, and the persistent drone of doctors bragging about this and that was starting to grate on him the longer he waited for a refill of scotch.

While it beat sitting through monotonous, repetitive presentations and refraining (for the most part) from publicly humiliating some of the ignorant morons who gave them, House was still impossibly bored out his mind.

Thankfully, only two had approached him until now, and he could enjoy his drinks in peace.

San Diego seemed to host doctors even more arrogant that those of New Jersey, if that was possible, but he didn't know much about the surrounds, not having left the hotel since he arrived.

Foreman was rumoured to be here - well, according to Cuddy anyway. Chase had moved further into intensivist work and Cameron… he hadn't heard anything about her. He wasn't sure whether she would come to something like this, but it was always possible.

An hour later, and he was ready to leave. He finished off his drink, snatched up his cane and limped away from the bar.

At the elevator bank, he tapped out a rhythm with his cane and let his eyes rove around the hallway and finally onto the elevators when the left one emitted a ding.

Stepping inside, he jabbed at the button for his level and leaned back against the wall. Suddenly, a woman stuck her hand inside the doors to stop them closing and strode inside.

She stopped abruptly in her tracks when she saw him, and he swallowed nervously, his gaze flicking rapidly over her face and eventually to her eyes.

"House," she murmured, finally recovering from her shock and managing a small smile.

He nodded a bit and continued to stare at her a bit longer, before he dropped his eyes to the floor.

She looked fucking amazing, her hair flowing down in soft brown waves, styled a bit differently to what it had been two years ago. Her dress was a rich burgundy and silky-looking, showing her lithe curves to perfection.

And he wanted to pin her to the wall of the elevator and show her just how lovely he thought she looked.

Her soft voice tore through the tense silence, "How have you been?"

"Alright," he replied quickly, fidgeting a little with his cane. That was, before she had appeared and knocked him for a loop.

"Oh, that's, that's good," she muttered awkwardly after a while, as though she'd waited for him to expand further, but then realised he wouldn't.

So, she still didn't know him.

He looked over at her again, and saw that she was looking at her feet. He traced her cheeks, her lips, her neck, her… he shook himself, and glanced up hastily at the display above the elevator doors. What the hell was taking so long?

He flicked his gaze back over to her cautiously, but found her looking his way again, and had no choice but to catch her eye. She stared back at him for a second, before a mischievous grin spread across her face; her blue-green eyes alight with the same mischief.

"Do you like my dress, House? Or is the red one still your favourite?" she breathed, flirtatious and bold.

He blinked, but shot back equally fast, "Well I'd imagine you would look best without a dress on at all, so…" he finished with a smirk.

Instead of inspiring a violent blush in her, she just smiled knowingly at him, and replied saucily, "Oh, you imagine do you?"

Both fortunately and unfortunately, the elevator doors chose that moment to spring open, dinging annoyingly as they did.

Surveying her carefully, he said, "This is my floor."

"Mine too. All the patrons of the conference are on the same level," she said as she followed him out into the hallway.

They walked slowly and silently down the hall, until they came to her room, 1034. He watched her slip her key card into the slot and unlock her door, before turning to face him, her back to the door.

She bit her lip as she considered what to do next, and this was something like the final straw for him. He relinquished all misgivings, doubts, reservations, and held her upper arm, bracing his other hand on the door behind her before pressing his lips against hers.

She wriggled for a second, but then crushed her lips firmly against his in return, curling a hand around his elbow.

He dragged his tongue along her lips and then into her mouth when she parted them slightly, curling and gliding with hers.

She purred and arched against him, as he sucked on his tongue, moving his left hand over across the door to slide into her hair.

He barely noticed what she was doing with her other hand, until the door suddenly opened behind her and they stumbled a little into her hotel room.

For once, he firmly forced all thoughts from his mind that this might be a mistake. He would deal with that in the morning. For now he could only think, why the hell hadn't he done this earlier?