A Little Flirt And Nothing More
A little flirt and not a lot more. Yet.
Thirteen gave a little laugh when she saw how her sudden arrival had made Cuddy jump. Her mouth, thin and shaped, twisted into a small smile as quickly as it went back into a professional, neutral default.
"Sorry – I didn't mean to startle you. I just need you to sign off on this..." she trailed off, waving the paper in her hand.
"Fine, Thir-" House's nickname, his label, almost slipped out, and Thirteen could tell that Cuddy was calculating whether or not to correct herself. "... Dr Hadley."
"Thirteen's fine, really. Sorry to interrupt you so late."
Cuddy would only realise afterwards that Thirteen had closed the door at this point, moved a step forward, confident, controlled. Cuddy waved around the room – deflecting. "I was just... Actually I just remembered that I dreamt about you last night."
That was a surprise – for both of them. It was so far from anything Cuddy would normally divulge, and so far from anything Thirteen would have ever imagined happening. Or, at least, that she would confess to.
"Oh?" Thirteen's flirt was automatic. She obviously flirted a lot, observed Cuddy; it was a reaction, a reflex. Her eyes instantly took it back. "What was it about?"
"Work." Cuddy answered, too quickly. She looked back up. "We were just talking. About work. A patient. What did you need me to sign?"
"This."
Thirteen handed it over, Cuddy signed it. Thirteen left. Nothing more was said.