Do I Need a Reason

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"Why do you love me?"

Cuddy slowly picked her head up from the budget report she was preoccupied with reading when the question registered.

"What?" She asked House who was standing a few feet from her desk, his shoulders slouched in defeat.

Glancing at her to meet her eyes, he asked again, "Why do you love me?"

Noting the vulnerability and sadness in his voice, Cuddy set aside her work, stood from her desk, and approached him.

Her hand tentatively slid up his abdomen to settle atop his heart. House closed his eyes to hide what seemed to be embarrassment.

"What's wrong?" Cuddy softly inquired, feeling his heart hammering against her hand. When her eyes met his she wanted to enfold him in her arms, but she had to find out where this was coming from.

House shook his head. "Nothing. I just need to know."

Her tone still soft, she clarified, "Know what? Why I love you?"

House nodded once before severing their gaze to look down at the carpet beneath his feet. "Why me?"

"Do I need a reason?" Cuddy asked with a soft smile even though he couldn't see. She knew he was feeling undeserving again. They've been through this a couple of times to know what was going through his mind at that moment.

"Cuddy..."

"I love you," she said so firmly yet sweetly and sincerely at the same time that House's chest constricted when he finally met her eyes.

"Why?" House asked desperately, his voice quiet and pleading.

"Why do you love me?" Cuddy threw back in question, waiting for him to speak. When he didn't answer, she patted his chest tenderly. "Not here, not at work. We said we'd try our best to keep it separate."

House nodded curtly.

"We'll talk at home," Cuddy said before reaching up to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I do love you. Don't ever question that. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

House closed his eyes and sighed, nodding once more.

"I love you, too," he whispered into her ear, hugging her quickly before turning on his heel to leave her office.

"And House?" She called to him, grinning slightly as she waited for him to turn his head.

When he did, she added, "If you're lucky, I might even show you just how much."

That seemed to do the trick as she saw his eyes light up in anticipation. He smiled that small smile of his before leaving.

Cuddy sighed. Sometimes she wished he wasn't so... She couldn't even think of a word. So like that. But when she thought about it that was one of the many things she loved about him.

Whereas other people took advantage of their significant other's love, confident that it would always be there, House was the opposite. He did everything in his power (although sometimes, admittedly, he overdoes things) to make sure that that the love was still there. He fed their flame, kept it burning. Another thing she loved.

She was able to get off work early that day, so she went grocery shopping before heading home. She knew House would be home late, having heard that his patient wasn't doing too well.

She relieved Marina and let Rachel play while she made dinner for them. It was a rare occasion for her, making dinner and being home early, but lately, she has been trying hard to be able to do both. She didn't want her daughter to grow up thinking that her mother's job was more important than her. It was a hard feat though, but she knew she did have a choice (House made her realize that).

Dinner prepared and table set up; all she needed was for her man to arrive.

Deciding that the work in the briefcase she brought home could wait, Cuddy headed to Rachel's room to spend some time alone with her daughter.

When House got home that night (exactly two and a half hours after she did) they had a quiet dinner and put Rachel to bed after watching TV for an hour or so.

"You going to answer my question now, or you still avoiding it?" House suddenly asked as they sat in the dining room, next to each other. He was toying with her fingers, running his thumb along the ridges of her hand.

Cuddy licked her lips before defending, "I wasn't avoiding, you idiot."

"Then answer me now," House responded, almost whining, in a low voice.

"House..." Cuddy sighed, stroking his hand with her thumb. "You're the greatest pain in my ass."

House stared at her before blinking. She obviously confused him with that statement.

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand with hers before continuing. "You're an incredible man, flawed as you may be. You are, and will always be, the most incredible man I've ever known."

Their eyes never strayed as Cuddy spoke. "I love your mind. I love how things between us never get boring."

"I love you, because you're great at what you do, and you don't let anyone get in the way of you saving someone's life no matter how high the odds are stacked against it."

"When someone is being bullied into submission, whether out of work or in it, I like how you fight for them. Even if it meant you getting tripped or receiving a black eye. I love how you fight for what you believe in and what you think is right."

"I love how you love me," Cuddy's eyes sparkled as she said this. "I love how you're learning to love Rachel."

"I love how you're nobody else but yourself," Cuddy finished with a soft smile, saving the other things she loved about him for later.

She waited for him to speak, her fingers continuously caressing his.

After a moment, the corners of House's mouth tugged up into a thankful smile that reached his eyes.

"I love you, too," he whispered. Cuddy grinned.

Standing up, he confidently and playfully demanded, "Now, show me how much, and I'll do the same," as he pulled her towards the bedroom.