House quietly snuck out of Cuddy's house at 4am. She was sleeping so peacefully, her dark hair spread over her white sheets. She was snuggled up to him, one arm possessively around his chest, when he snuck away. House had been up the entire night, conniving. Their night together brought out emotions in him that he did not know he was capable of. And that scared the hell out of him. Gregory House did not need anybody. He did not fall in love. And he would not be subjected to any pathetic attraction to Lisa Cuddy.
House shuffled into work the next morning, late, as usual. Cuddy, waiting at the nurses' station, felt a lump form in her chest just at the sight of him. He spotted her and a felt a tug at his heart. Annoyed, House maneuvered to avoid her, veering for the elevators. But Cuddy had come to work even earlier than usual, anticipating their meeting. She was hurt when she had woken up alone, but she knew House had to approach his emotions in baby steps. Surely after the way he treated her last night he felt more for her than he had let on. The way he had held and comforted her meant something.
Cuddy stuck her hand through the elevator door right before it closed, leaving the two of them alone on the elevator.
"House I-" Cuddy started to speak but was rudely interrupted.
"Did a satellite drop out of orbit? Or is that just your ass?" House asked, leaning back to look at the skirt.
Cuddy bit her lip. So he was going to play that card. House was going to pretend that nothing happened. She chided herself for being so stupid; for expecting anything more from him.
"You have a case, House," Cuddy said coldly and handed him a blue folder as the elevator doors opened and he stepped off. Cuddy remained on the elevator and rode back down to her office. Disappointment did not begin to describe how awful she felt.
The two of them had shared something the night before. It was not just sex. She knew House was stunted emotionally. But to deny everything that had happened, after it had taken twenty years to come that far? Cuddy's eyes watered but she composed herself when the elevator doors opened. She held her head high and stepped out in her stilettos. She was Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine, and no man was going to bring her down.