Ladies
Enjoy ...
He woke up in the same position he had fallen asleep, spooned behind Cuddy and one arm around her small silhouette. She was breathing softly, secured in her sleep. He has his nose lost into her long hair and was drifting back into sleep when he heard Rachel. Looking up, he saw the little girl behind him, knelt on the bed. The lights coming from the outside were enlightening her face, it was clear she's been crying.
"Hey, what's wrong Shortie?" he whispered quietly.
"Nightmare" she cried silently, hugging her favourite puppet against her tiny chest.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, unwrapping himself from his lady and giving his attention to his younger one. He frowned when he realized how lost Rachel was, almost shivering.
She shook her head "no" and crawled next to him. A large part of the bed was now empty and cold because Cuddy and he have been sleeping on the same side of the bed.
"Can I stay with you Howse?" she pleaded, already finding his place against his chest.
"Sure you don't wanna go back to your bed? There's nothing you have to be afraid of, everything's fine" he continued, wondering when he has stopped being so unsecure about what to do in her presence.
"But I want you to stay" Rachel cracked, holding into him desperately as if he were to disappeared if she happened to let go of his shirt.
Shaken by her despair, House ran one hand behind her small back and made a promise he thought would never cross his lips.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving" he whispered "I promise you, Shortie"
Those simple but meaningful words seemed to calm the girl who slowly fell asleep.
Lying on his back, House stayed awake a while longer and listened to the silence of the bedroom, mingled with their respective breaths. He changed position when his leg started to act up under Rachel's weight, half-smiling in the dark when she, even in her deepest sleep, refused to release his t-shirt. He finally moved Rachel between them.
Just when he started to miss Cuddy's familiar warmth against him at night, she moved in her sleep and unconsciously came closer to them. Not finding her companion's body didn't wake her.
Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, House took the sheets and draped them back under the covers. For a moment, he just stayed there wild awake and watched his Cuddy ladies sleeping, wondering how that felt so utterly natural for him to be just there.
Their breath, the contented peacefulness of their bedroom were what he called the sound of happiness – the most truthful and genuine melody he has ever heard in his life.