Fumble Unto Me

Disclaimer: I do not own the House characters, nor the SpongeBob character or Nickelodeon -so sad really. This story was inspired from future spoilers I had heard and from the preview for the episode in two weeks. This is what I would like to see House do-apologize to Cuddy for being mean! Anyway, hope you like! Spoilers/references to episode "Distractions" and "Who's your Daddy?" Minor tweaks and changes made.

House sat down on his couch flipping through station after station. There really was nothing good on television anymore. Nickelodeon's little game of switching SpongeBob's show times around to make it more convenient for kids to watch was not what Gregory House considered to be the responsible thing to do.

Damn these producers! Thinking that more viewers would be found at 3pm versus 10pm was just ridiculous! What were they thinking?

Greg finally gave up and shut the TV off. There really was nothing for him to do that could be considered remotely constructive.

It wasn't like he could relieve his itch to go jogging around the block.

Thinking about it now, he realized that that was truly the one thing he missed most since his short stint with rehabilitation. Jogging was something that gave him a pure high.

At the word high, Greg felt another part of his anatomy "rise to the occasion".

Well, there was always other ways to get a good workout.

His hand ran carefully over his already swollen member. Maybe he could call Bambi or Candy or whatever the hell her name was. He was about due for a "distraction." House began to lick his lips hitting his speed dial when a loud knocking could be heard coming from his door.

Damn they're quick, he thought. House stood up slowly. The knocking grew more persistent.

"I'm coming," he called. Right now he wished he was.

He looked through the peephole and sighed. God, didn't this woman have anything better to do than to hound him?

He opened the door to see her standing there looking lost. That look had been more becoming of her lately.

"Can't find anyone else to entertain this evening?" he said smartly.

Cuddy looked at the bulge in House's pants.

"I guess I should have. It looks like you're already entertaining yourself."

House followed her eyes glued to his crotch and suppressed a blush. He quickly hid his body behind the door.

"It's not much of a party without the Vicodin. Got any?"

Cuddy bit her lower lip.

"I am not your supplier."

"Sure you are," he replied. "You just go by the name of "doctor", " his hands gesturing quotation marks.

Cuddy glared at him, but her eyes began to soften a bit when they moved to his face. Greg's eyes were red. He looked like he hadn't slept for days, probably since the suspension. His hand trembled slightly even though he tried to hide it by balancing on the door knob.

While as pathetic as he appeared, Cuddy stood firm.

"I want an apology."

House twitched his nose and sniffed almost as if her comment was meant to humor him.

"Apologize for what? Leaving the toilet seat up in your office? I thought I was doing you a favor." His eyes didn't back down.

"You know damn well what I mean."

He did. Those hateful words he had said. He was in so much pain, but words like that especially about her should never have been thought of, let alone said out loud. God, he could be an asshole sometimes.

It's a good thing you failed becoming a mom because you suck at it.

House took a good look at her. Her eyes were red, probably from all of the crying she had been doing over his stupid comment. She looked pathetic. He decided to back down.

House closed his eyes taking a step back, his head gesturing for her to come in the apartment.

Shifting her eyes from him to the room before her, a piece of her suddenly wondered if she was doing the right thing. It's been nearly a week. She should be over it by now. I'm sure I've heard worse in my life, she thought.

Somehow, for some reason, this one hurt more than the rest.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

Cuddy got herself comfortable on the couch. squishing this way and that before replying.

"Sure, tea is fine."

House groaned.

"I was trying to be polite, see. I really wasn't expecting to have to make anything."

"Then you never should have offered."

House's blue eyes shone through his furrowed brow. He got the impression that there was a deeper meaning to that phrase. Sometimes even he could be dense.

After all, he was a guy.

He limped back into the living room on his own. The cane was left next to Cuddy's side of the couch. House sat down to gauge Cuddy's reaction by sitting next to her. She kept inching further and further away and he kept trying to get closer. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Knock it off!"

House grinned, "Sure, if you want me to."

Cuddy gave up.

"I don't know even know why I came here. Good-bye."

She stood up to leave. Why did she think that for once he'd be anything but an asshole?

"Wait."

One word. Cuddy thought maybe it meant so much more than it did. Then again, she didn't speak House.

"I'm sorry."

Cuddy spun to face him.

"No, you're not. You're just saying that because now that you have company, you realize you don't always like being alone!"

House opened his mouth to speak.

"Hookers don't count, House!"

He closed it quickly.

She was right as always. Still, why did he say a horrible thing to her?

"You're right, about part of it anyway." His voice started in a deep growl rising louder with each word. "The part you're wrong about is that I am truly sorry about what I had said. I wish I could take it back, but I can't! I have spent most of the past few nights thinking of what I should have done and not what I did. Is that what you want to hear?"

Cuddy's eyes had been shedding tears rapidly through his rant, but House didn't notice until he was through.

"Yes, "she whispered.

House closed his blue eyes. Maybe Wilson wasn't such an idiot after all. Maybe talking about feelings can actually be therapeutic. House began to feel tired for the first time in seven days.

The whistle of the teakettle, which had been blasting away for quite some time now took precedent over the current conversation. Cuddy walked past House gently pushing him aside to turn it off. He felt her touch, but tried not to register it.

Maybe he should tell her to go before he said anything else regretful. He was too late. Cuddy had already fixed herself a tea and one for him as well.

"Thanks."

Cuddy smiled in his direction. House limped back to the couch and took a seat.

House looked at Cuddy's profile and he just couldn't resist.

"You know the real reason you felt the need for me to apologize to you was because you believed what I had said about you."

Cuddy remained stoic.

"It's not true" House added quickly. "I was in such pain…I said things that weren't true."

"Are you in pain now?"

House bit his lower lip.

"Pain's still there but the need to inflict it on others, isn't."

Cuddy knew that was his way of an apology. She rested her head comfortably against the back of the couch.

"When a little rugrat does pop out of you….well that kid will have hit the jackpot."

Cuddy whispered, "If a rugrat…"

House shook his head. "When."

Their eyes met. Maybe he could say the right thing sometimes. Neither one moved in their seat, but something felt different. The feeling was familiar, almost like an understanding between the two quite similar to the feeling that House had when Cuddy came up to thank him for the injections.

It was a small fluttering that began in his belly. It was feeling he hadn't had since…. God he didn't want to go down that road again.

A distraction was needed and quickly. House sat up and turned on the TV. OOOh…a football game was on.

"Now there's something good on."

Cuddy watched with feigned enthusiasm.

"Oh, now that was a fumble!" she cried.

House looked mildly surprised.

"I didn't know you knew what a fumble was."

Cuddy looked at House.

"Everyone knows what a fumble is, House."

House nodded looking straight back at her. The two were left watching the game finally agreeing on something.

Hope you all enjoyed this one shot! Please review…please please please! I will get back to writing Resolutions, but I had to write this. I felt so badly for Cuddy the other night. I also believe I may have paraphrased the quote from the episode but you all get the idea. Thanks!