Snowflakes were falling slowly to the ground. They were rotating like ballet dancers, doing complicated pirouettes. They were clothed in perfect white dresses and dancing last dance before death.

'House!', Wilson's loud scream took him down a peg. He reverted to the place, where he was standing now. It was not time to think about the problems, Great-Psychologist-Who-Knows-True-Colours-About-You came.

'Why don't you spend ball with us, House?', he asked and stood next to his friend.

'With whom? Reindeers?'

Gregory was looking at oncologist, who had antlers on his head. He did not like Christmas. He did not like people, who looked at him with this disingenuous smiles on their faces. Silliness, he thought. Everybody were too nice for each other. They pretended that they forgot about painful reality. Silliness.

'Why don't you like X-mass so much?'

It will begin now. What did he invent this time?

'I have no idea, but I'm sure that you can tell me out of hand. Don't you, Jimmy?'

Oncologist was staring at his friend for a while. He could not understand House. How can he hate this great holiday so much?

'You think that if you were nice for somebody once a year, your reputation would change. House, I know why you hate this holiday! 'Cause you fail to understand magic, this aura, which X-mass generates. In your mind, if you fail to understand something , it haven't a sense. It's stupid and meaningless. You try to shy away from everything, what can show that you're a good human, House. Why do you try to hide it? Are you afraid that somebody find out your weaknesses? Are you afraid that somebody make use of that?'

Gregory yawned.

'Yeah, yeah, Jimmy. You're right. I'm a chicken. I'm afraid of Christmas. I heard that mad reindeers prowled on the town and mental killer, who is wearing red outfit, accompanied them. Purportedly, he looks like nice oldie, but this is a falsehood in packing. They told in news that he and his army of animated toys attacked supermarket.'

Wilson looked at his friend and smiled. He will never change. Never.

'Come with me, we'll drink tumbler of Scotch.', he said. He lied down on analyze his friend's behaviour.

'Good Scotch isn't bad', House replied and walked following James. You sometimes have to change environs, haven't you?

***

He was observing them. They stood together, laughed loudly and talked joyfully. Old team became friends with new team. Even Thirteen and Cameron discussed about something. He was looking at them. He was trying to understand how it is possible that they budded up to each other.

'Go to them', he heard quite whisper in his right ear.

House turned back and saw Lisa Cuddy, who smiled brightly to him. She looked… ravishing. He had to really step up to hide delight. Plunging neckline emphasized her shapely breasts. Gregory could not look away.

'Why? It suffices that I see them every day. I won't make X-mass warm for myself.'

'Go', she said and retreated.

He turned back, but she has gone already.

He did not know what to do. He was confused. Why did she tell him that he had to go to them? He did not want at all to do this. He did not intend to make things warm to himself. He was sick to the back teeth. Nevertheless, he felt pang of regret, when he was looking at their grinning faces.

'You're an idiot', he said quietly.

He taped into glass of Scotch, wanted to run away for his thoughts.

***

Their views got together. He was looking at her without mocking smile and ironic expression. He was just looking.

'All I want for Christmas is you', Mariah Carey sang.

He smiled. She returned.

Cuddy was approaching to him. She was walking, no matter what others would do. She was walking, because she resolved that she finished this story this evening. She was walking, because she found a power.

'All I want for Christmas is you', she whispered to his ear. She didn't care what Wilson, with this funny antlers on his head, would thought. Were nothing else matter?

'Yeah, I agree with you. All I want for Christmas is me, too.', he replied with note of sarcasm in his voice.

She smiled. Who wouldn't do that?

Their views got together again. He did not know what to do. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted it freakishly. He tried to did not look at her beautiful lips. No, he must not kiss her here.

'My reputation is more important than some irrational desire.', he said to himself.

'Fuck the reputation!'

House kissed her. He was afraid that he did not understand her intention.

Doubts disappeared, when she took back kiss. She took back.

'House?! Cuddy?!', they heard Wilson's scream.

'Wilson?! Oh my God! I didn't see you for quite a while! Wait… Are five minutes a quite a while?'

'Were you…?'

Oncologist was confused, he did not pay attention for friend's chop.

'Yup. We were having dirty sex on the floor.', House answered.

Wilson was looking at them for a while. He opened his mouth and did not close its.

Cuddy did not say anything. She knew that this is unnecessary. She tried to analyze what it meant. House kissed her. She took back kiss. They were kissing. They were kissing with passion. House. She. She. House. House and she?

'…Am I right, Cuddy?', she heard just end of the question.

Friends were staring at her with anticipation. Damn, what was he asking about? Damn it!

'Yeah, you're right', she risked. When she saw James's reaction, she knew that she made a mistake. He was blushing and walked away quickly.

'Damn it.', she said to herself.

'Do you really want me so much?', House asked and smiled. His smile always adumbrated troubles. What did she agreed with?