Cuddy walked into his office with a look of aprehension. House looked up from what he was previously studying; the paternity results of Crandall and Leona. His mind was quickly shifted away from his thoughts by Cuddy's sudden appearance in his office. He looked at her questioningly, silently asking her why she was hesitating to speak to him. She stood there awkwardly and then managed to say, "Thank you for the injections."
It came out lamely. House's face was etched with confusion. Before he could think of anything else, he responded. "You're welcome."
And not a second later, "You came all the way up here just to tell me that?"
House found the hesitant smile showing on Cuddy's face to be odd. She firmly answered him this time. "No."
And before House could blink, she was exiting his office and going down the hall. House thought, but not for long, and he stood up from his chair, grabbed his cane and limped after her. He wasn't letting her get away from him that easily. Not after she had trusted him with her decision to do IVF.
Unfortunately, as he finally reached the elevators, he caught her looking disdainfully down at the floor as the elevator doors shut. He pushed the button for the next elevator impatiently. It was a few minutes before the other elevator finally opened before him. He entered it and pressed the button for the lobby. The whole ride down, he fidgeted around with his cane, contemplating exactly what it was he planned on doing. He suddenly got the notion that he hadn't thought this out all the way. But that didn't stop him from limping straight to Lisa Cuddy's office and busting through her door. She turned around in shock, not expecting anyone since her blinds had been closed and she had asked Nurse Brenda to make sure no one interrupted her. She was sorely regretting not telling House what she truly wanted to tell him and now here he was, right in front of her.
"Lisa..", he let her first name slip past his lips. Before Cuddy could react, House let go of his cane, letting it clatter to the ground, and firmly grasped her waist, pulling her into his body. Her eyes grew wide as he stooped down and planted his lips square onto her soft, pink ones. He held back from letting the kiss go too far, but did not pull away too soon. When they broke apart, he was confused as to why he felt something wet on his own face and that's when he realized she had been crying before he came into her office. She was reeling from the kiss and House took this as the opportunity to wipe away her tears, Cuddy still in his firm grip.
He let the silence reign a while longer before speaking, "Yes." He stated in the simplest form that he could.
Cuddy's face was still blank. She didn't know whether to smile because that was the sweetest kiss she had ever received, and from House no less, or to frown in confusion because she didn't know what this would all lead to. "How did you..?"
He looked down at her and spoke again, "Cuddy, if you hadn't already figured it out, I can read you like a book."
She decided to smile and thought that was the right decision. She wrapped her arms around his tall frame and hugged him tightly, uttering a small, "Thank you."
It was the second time she had said that today. But this time, House found a different way of saying, or rather, showing 'you're welcome'. He bent down a captured her lips in a more passionate kiss than before and Cuddy responded fully, with all of her heart and soul.
