Title: Losing the Battle (and maybe the war)
Rating: Adult
Beta: Thanks so much to my beta Gabby, who could not be any more fabulous if she tried.
Disclaimer: I do not own House MD
Prompt: This was written for the ficathon at hcsmutathon over at livejournal. (the other fics are fabulous too, go check them out) My ficathon recipient was starhawk2005 and she requested: Strong snarky!Cam, Wilson reminding House that the latter has feelings for Cam, try as he might to hide them, and the flame-cane. I also had to work in the line: There's nothing terribly wrong with feeling lost, as long as that feeling precedes some plan on your part to do something about it.
A/N: So this is very AU, in fact, you can pretty much say that none of season three happened. So I was playing around with the format a bit and here is what I came up with: the parts in the present work backwards, while the alternating parts in the past work forwards. Enjoy.
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Gregory House really needs to stop betting with Allison Cameron. She is just too good at it; he doesn't think his ego can take him losing any more.
He runs a hand down the bare arm wrapped around him. Losing to Allison wasn't all bad. It did lead him here and at this moment he can't think of any other place he would rather be.
"Happy Birthday Allison" She pulls back a bit and gives him a confused look.
"My birthday isn't until next month"
"Well, I hope you're not expecting anything else." Cameron rolls her eyes and settles back down against him. Her hand wanders lower, brushing against him before she replies.
"So, is that a no´ for round two?"
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Wilson finds House in his office; he has all sorts of juicy gossip to share. But, those plans go right out the window as he catches House staring at Cameron. She's dressed for the scorching summer heat and Wilson can't help but stare either.
"Damn, she has a nice-" Wilson is cut off by House's glare. Wilson smirks because knows that look; he's seen it before.
"Stop checking out my fellow," comes as House's angry reply.
"What, you can, but I can't? Just because you chose to not acknowledge the fact that she's gorgeous doesn't stop anyone else from noticing." House makes another angry noise and sends Wilson another nasty glare.
"She still has a thing for you, and I know you have a thing for her"
"I do not," House denies quickly. Too quickly, in Wilson 's opinion and he can't help the knowing smile that spreads across his lips.
"Get out of middle-school and just ask her out already."
"Right," House drawls, while rolling his eyes. "Because that went so well."
"Ok, so last time could be classified as a disaster, and you haven't treated her much better since. We can work around that, really. I still think you've got a shot."
"Would you just let it go?"
"House, you can do this. All you need is a plan of attack. I'll give you some of my better moves and you'll be all set. There's nothing terribly wrong with feeling lost, as long as that feeling precedes some plan on your part to do something about it."
"Someone has been watching too much Dr. Phil or maybe you've been getting into Cameron's self-help books again," House snarls back. He's not in the mood for Wilson 's pearls of matchmaker wisdom. In House's opinion he is doing just fine on his own.
"Besides, after four ex-wives, I'm not sure your moves are going to get me anywhere"
"Three. I've been married three times. And they worked well enough to get me married." Wilson replies, slightly offended. He worked hard to prefect those moves.
"Cuddy. It's only a matter of time before you make her number four. And hookers are cheaper than all that alimony you're paying."
"Stop trying to change the subject. We're not talking about Cuddy, or of my ex-wives. We're trying to strategize for you date with Cameron."
"You mean the date I'm not going on. Let's go back to Cuddy. You're the gossip king and I haven't even heard anything about your opera date yet. She really that bad in bed?"
"I'm not dating Cuddy; we just went out as friends."
"And I'm not dating Cameron, so why are we having this conversation. Don't you have dying bald children to cure?"
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"Is this better?" Cameron asks leaning against the door frame of her bedroom. There is a definite note of seduction in her voice.
He gapes at her for a bit before nodding. This is better than all those fantasies he's been having all afternoon. Bits of black lace on pale skin; she's all he can see. He lets his gaze linger, taking in every inch. He knows the curves of her body so well, but he will never tire of seeing her like this.
She moves closer with a wiggle in her step, drawing every moment out for his pleasure. She straddles him on the bed and gives him a light kiss. She's automatically careful about his bad leg; they've done this enough that it's no longer awkward.
"This is nice," House says in a low voice. Drawing one of the bra straps down, he continues, "Too bad it won't be on you for long." Cameron just smiles and undoes the clasp in the back. She tugs off the bra and drops it by the side of the bed.
Cameron leans down for another kiss, this one deeper. Their tongues tangle in the familiar dance. The feel of his bare chest on hers in enough to make her whimper. He traces his hands up and down her sides, savoring the soft feel of her, while hers run along the hard muscles of his back. She shivers at his touch. His hands are everywhere but where she wants them.
House tugs her closer, bringing their hips into contact, and groans. He can feel her heat through the thin lace. He's rapidly hardening with the subtle rocking of her hips and still he kisses her. He can't get enough of her sweet taste, tinged slightly by the red wine they had with dinner.
His hands finally come to her breasts, caressing them. The peaks already hard before he covered them with his palms. He takes the nipples in his fingers and she leans into him. She breaks their kiss and tilts her head back in pleasure.
House takes advantage of this to pepper kisses along her jaw and collarbone. He works his way down to her breast. He could kiss every inch of her, if she let him. She whimpers again as he takes a nipple in his mouth. Her eyes half-closed; she doesn't know how much more of this she can take.
They'll only just began, but she still craves his touch. She's sure he knows, she's never been able to stop the little sounds of pleasure that always escape her mouth. He's sure she knows how much he loves those sounds.
She runs her nails lightly down his back and he shudders at her touch. She rocks against his hardness again, desperate to relieve the pressure that is building there.
His hand ventures south, finding the lace wet to the touch. He slips a finger beneath her panties and traces her slit. She bucks against his hand as he makes contact with her clit and House smirks into the side of her neck. He loves that he can do this to her.
"These need to come off now," House demands, his voice horse. She pulls away from his so she can wiggle out of her panties and then helps him take off his boxers. Cameron pushes him back on the bed and straddles him once again.
She slowly sinks down on him and the both moan at the delicious contact. He's gripping her hips hard, thrusting in time with her movements, and she is sure there will be bruises there in the morning. The thought only brings her that much closer to losing control.
He pulls himself up to change the angle, and suddenly it's perfect. He's hitting just the right spot. She's moaning his name and he can't help but repeat the favor. Their movements get quicker, more erratic.
House can feel how close she is, almost as close as he. Another hard stroke and she comes with almost a blinding passion. She's pulsing around him and he follows her over the edge with a low groan.
She collapses to the side of him and wraps an arm around his waste in a loose embrace. House can't help thinking a barrage of thoughts that would surely kill his surely image.
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She doesn't look up when he enters the lab, but she knows he's there. Cameron always knows when he's around. She refuses to give him the satisfaction of knowing that though.
House tries to push the gnawing self-doubt aside, but all he can think about is how he messed this up the first time. He shifts his weight and taps his cane, waiting for her to acknowledge him. She doesn't and it seems like a grim predictor of what is going to happen.
He screwed up the first time. Why would she want to give him another chance? It seems like it had been forever since that stupid knee-jerk reaction to her smiling at him. He won't admit it but he misses that smile. He wants it directed at him again. He'll be more prepared for it the next time.
If he gets a next time, there is no way she will say yes.
Just get it over with, he thinks. Then he can go back to Wilson and relate his latest failure in the dating department. At least it would get Wilson off his back.
"What do you think about dinner?" House asks, trying to hide his nerves. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. What did Wilson know about dating anyway?
"It comes after lunch." She still doesn't look up, so she misses his smirk.
"I mean, what do you think about having dinner with me?"
That gets her to look at him. The surprise is clear in her eyes, before she narrows them at him suspiciously.
"Do you have new material to try out, or do you just need someone to pay for it?"
Ok, he thinks, she hasn't said no yet, but she is obviously going to make him work for this one. He steps closer, cane still taping.
"No, I was thinking more along the lines of a date, you know, with all the date parts this time."
She can't help the laugh that bubbles out and he turns away quickly so she doesn't see his hurt expression. This whole thing is just too crazy for words, she thinks. She wants to accept, and that makes her feel even crazier.
"House, wait," She stops him with a hand on his shoulder and he slowly turns around to look at her, his expression unreadable. "Leaving before I agree is a bit counter-productive, isn't it?" She's smiling, and it helps disperse his dread.
"Tell you what" She continues. She can't expect him to make all the moves. This was House, after all. "The test results will be done in a bit. If they prove your diagnosis, then we can go anywhere you want. But, if they don't its up to me."
"It's a good thing I'm never wrong."
"We'll see. You never know, I might surprise you." House gives a non-committal grunt. She surprises him all the time, like now, for instance. But, he will never tell her that.
"Find me when they are done." He leaves the lab in an infinitely better mood than he entered.
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"Alison?" He asks to announce his presence. Even after months of dating, he still feels slightly out of place when he is alone in her apartment. Its still a surprise that he is welcome here.
"In the kitchen," Cameron yells back. He finds her in front of the stove, doing something that looks speciously like cooking. She still in the clothes she wore to work, but her heals are long gone. He cant resist teasing her.
"Hey, I was promised lingerie. Remember: black, lace, lots of skin. Ring any bells?" Cameron turns around and gives him a knowing smile before continuing what she was doing.
"Turns out its not all that practical to cook in."
"You're not cooking; you're heating up take-out. It can hardly be considered the same thing."
"We've been at your place for the last week. But hey, if you want the leftovers, go ahead. The differential diagnosis on what type of food poisoning you'll get might be interesting."
House grunts in amusement and comes up behind her to peer over her shoulder. His hands rest on her hips and she leans back slightly into him, by reflex.
"So, you're really cooking then?" he asks. He never knew she could cook.
"Hope you're in the mood for Italian"
"Well, I guess, since you insist on feeding me first"
"Have to keep your stamina up somehow." Cameron twists in his arms, giving him a quick kiss before retrieving something from the refrigerator.
She continues cooking and he can't help but watch. The fact that he can makes him slightly giddy. He never really thought he could be this happy. Things weren't perfect and sometimes he can't help the feeling that it is all going to end. She is too good for him, after all.
"Awh, you're too good to me," House tries to joke as she hands him a heaping plate of his favorite type of pasta. His tone is more serious than he planned, giving away his line of thought.
"We've already had this argument. And I won, I case you don't remember." Her tone is harder than he expects, but he grins at the memory anyways. He loves the fact that she can read his moods so well; she always knows just the right times to fight and the right times to let go.
"Oh course I remember; we ended up fucking against the refrigerator."
"I'd call that winning," She says with a smile. He's glad she fought him on that one; so glad, in fact, that he didn't even mind losing.
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"I'm serious Allison. I'm not good enough for you. You're better off with someone else."
Cameron just looks at him like he's crazy. She's not exactly sure what brought this fight on, or why they were even having it. She does know she isn't going to let him get away with it; they've come too far for her to let House randomly push her away now.
"Want to bet?" She demands. Cameron pushes him against the refrigerator, her hands on his to trap him there, and fuses her lips to his before he can get out an answer. The kiss is hard and demanding. He kisses her back as if it will be the last time, as if he needs to memorize her taste.
She can feel the finality in his movements and presses against him harder. He is not doing this to them. Not if she can help it.
Her hips grind into his with determination to show him how wrong he is. He hardens at the deliberate movement with a groan. What was it about her that always sent him spiraling towards the edge? He rocks into her, matching her rhythm. He's aching for her touch as if it is the only thing that can save him. He can't seem to get close enough.
They're wearing too many clothes for where this is going, but she still had a death grip on his hands, so he can't remedy the situation.
"Allison, look at me" He says her name in desperate plea. There are so many things he needs to tell her, so many things he wants her to understand, but his words just aren't enough.
She leans her forehead against his and opens her eyes. She can read the turbulent emotions in his eyes: pain, regret, lust, and maybe even love. She's not too sure about that last one.
He recaptures her lips in a sweet kiss. The kiss is more tender than any of the ones they've previously shared, and it says everything he can't.
He needs this. He needs her.
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"It's getting harder and harder to keep this from Wilson ," House grouses at her as the elevator doors close.
"And you're not even the one with new bite marks to explain."
There is far too much distance between them for his taste. They're alone now; there is no longer a need to hide their relationship. House loops his cane around the top of her arm, pulling her close enough to steal a kiss.
"Have I told you how much I like this new cane?" Cameron says smirking. House looks down at his new cane decorated with flames and smirks back.
"I deduced that from last night."
"Come over to my place tonight," She asks suddenly.
"What's in it for me?" He jokes.
"Oh, I can think of something. A very little black lace something" She purrs seductively, her lips hovering right over his. House's hand tightens around the cane. There goes his ability to concentrate.
"I'll be over after work."
"Let yourself in," She's grinning again, and all he wants to do is push the emergency button on the elevator so they can indulge in a few more kisses. As if she can read his mind, she pulls away from his reach.
"Where are you going,?" House says with a slight whine.
"Clinic. You're welcome to join me." She laughs when his face turns up in disgust. He's getting so predictable.
House looks up from his GameBoy at the sound of Cameron's heels. Her purposeful stride gives nothing away and the anticipation of it all gnaws at his stomach. He's been waiting too long for these results all ready.
The truth is the results really don't matter; it's her that he has been waiting for.
"House, the tests came back positive. He's been placed on the antibiotics and should be fine in few days."
Damn, he thinks. He definitely thought he had it in the bag.
She pauses and then gives him a sly smile before adding, "So, I'm thinking Italian."
"I'll pick up at seven." He grumbles. But she can hear lightness in his voice. Its not that he doesn't want to go out with her; he was the one that asked, after all. He just really wanted to win their bet. Cameron smiles at herself as she leaves. It feels like the start of something wonderful.
House is really glad she didn't rub in more. He would have.
He has to admit he really doesn't mind losing to Alison Cameron. He would have picked Italian too.
But he'd better win the next one.
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A/N: If anyone is interested, I have the date scene from this fic partially written. So keep a look out for it.