Night
It was her favorite time of night: midnight. The Michigan sky was a navy blue, silver stars peppering the vast space. Dark clouds, almost blending with the beautiful blue, were heavy with soft rain. A small breeze caressed her shoulders, giving her goose bumps. The tress swayed behind her, a calming, unmoving protector of a noise in a busy city.
The water crashed into itself as it rushed through the tiny cement dam she could no longer see. As one of her favorite sounds since her childhood, the rushing deemed relaxing, leaving her textbooks and tests in the grass next to her, finally out of her mind.
Flowers, blue and golden, swayed in the breeze. Though she couldn't see them this late, the wind carried the beautiful scent to her nose. Grass ticked her bare feet as Cuddy tugged her knees closer to her body.
Yards away, the dim streetlights of the bridge flickered and she opened her eyes to view the disturbance.
When all she saw was the blue railing the over the water, she allowed her eyelids to drop again. The nagging feeling that someone was nearby was pushed from her thoughts to rest with her schoolwork.
Only moments later, the feeling returned as she heard the grass crunching under light feet behind her. Feeling around the dark for her sandals, she threw them on, ready to leave her Anatomy and Chemistry books behind if she had to make a run for it.
She heard the squeaking of a squirrel as the pale brown tail crossed the yellow light. Laughing to herself, she kicked her shoes back off.
Only seconds later, she felt a gruff hand on her shoulder, then another over her mouth to stifle the scream that was about to pass her lips. Her heart was racing. "Relax," he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "It's me." Her heart beat even faster.
"House?" she asked when he removed his hand from her face. In the dark, his nod went unnoticed. "I thought you were going to your parents place in Ohio for the weekend."
"I didn't feel like it," he stated simply, taking a seat next to her. The grass was damp beneath him. "I decided I'd rather sit on campus and watch the stars shine." A faint grin crossed his lips.
"House," she replied, her 'I don't think so' brows furrowed, lips pouty.
"My dad called and told me he had to run to my cousin's place," he paused, "I really didn't want to go anyway." His hand found her back.
Cuddy groaned inwardly, knowing what was next. With burning red cheeks and a flipping stomach, she replied, "House," in a warning tone.
"Too bad it's too dark to see what's underneath these straps," he said, grasping a strap off her shoulder, letting it lay limply on her arm. House snuck a kiss to her neck, feeling her nervous excitement pound through her back. Well, technically it was her heart beat, but he always liked the term 'nervous excitement' better. A few kisses later, he had found himself nearly on top of her.
"House," she warned halfheartedly. His smooth face against hers ran shivers down her spine. She felt his heavy, wet lips against hers and immediately realized that she couldn't resist it. House's hand met her curly hair at the base of her neck as she smiled into his lips.
"You know, Lisa," he warned between kisses, "it's not safe to stay out here this late." Delicate fingers played with the hem of her shirt. "Someone might see you," his words were light and mischievous, "and want you."
"They'll have to fight you for me then."
"Can I meet them?" Cuddy asked suddenly. His blue jacked was draped over her cold torso, a lazy arm of his around her waist.
"No." Did she really expect him to say yes?
"Good," she replied, pulling a leg over his, "I don't want to meet them."
Crickets chirped behind them, the occasional lightning bug beaming brightly against the black sky before them. Slowly, it began to sprinkle. A fat drop hit her nose as she grinned into his chest.
"They'll be here Thursday."