Lies Sting, ch. 2

Thank you for the terrific feedback! I will definitely continue the story and see if I can't address some of the concerns some had about whether Cuddy was taking things too personally or not. It feels good to be back writing on my favorite subject now that a busy summer and fall are over. Thanks again for the wonderful comments and to those who've added this to their favorite stories list! How kind you are.

"So you actually apologized?" Wilson sounded incredulous as he shifted from foot to foot next to House's desk.

"Repeatedly," House answered. "What I don't get is why she expected?"

"Seriously? What are you, ten?" Wilson seemed annoyed. House glanced over at his second best friend across his desk.

"Like you never said something just to get back in a woman's pants!"

"That better not be why you did it." Wilson warned.

"It's not."

"Good." Wilson seemed relieved. "So why did you apologize...really?"

House hesitated. "It was important to her. She needed to hear it."

"Of course she did. You hurt her. AND you owed it to her. But judging by your attitude, you still don't think what you did was wrong, do you?" Wilson rolled his eyes. "God, what the hell's the matter with you, House? How can you not see you owed her an apology after lying to her face?"

"I didn't lie to her. Well, actually I did but I mean I lied to her in a workplace capacity, not a relationship capacity. There IS a difference!"

Wilson stood up abruptly. "Once you start sleeping with a woman, it changes everything. There is no work dynamic versus relationship dynamic. They are one and the same."

"Seriously?" House looked confused. "Why?"

"Whaddya mean 'why'?" Wilson sputtered. "Its just the way it is."

"Well that doesn't make sense."

"Oh my god!" Wilson ithrew his hands up in the air. "Imagine for a moment Cuddy had done this to you...lied to your face over something involving work and then let you think she wasn't lying because of your relationship."

"With you so far," House reasoned.

"Are you that obtuse?"

"Apparently," House frowned. "What am I missing?"

"That you fucked up, House. No matter how you try to justify it, you hurt her by betraying her trust in you!" Wilson was turning red in the face. "Did you or did you not let her think you were honest with her?"

"Well, yeah."

"And did she or did she not believe you were now actually being honest with her because you two are together?" Wilson demanded. The dawn was beginning to shine on House's brain.

"So...ohhhhh."

"Like I said before, when you sleep with a woman, it changes everything. You let her believe that being together was why you weren't lying to her." Wilson looked satisfied.

House was silent. He began rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Wilson asked worriedly.

"Anyone ever tell you you sound like a girlfriend?"

"Shut up. Answer me." Wilson was serious.

"I was thinking this relationship stuff is pretty complicated."

"Not really," Wilson said seriously. "Just be truthful. Don't treat it like a game or keep score. Just admit it when you're wrong which you'll find out is, like, at minimum, half the time. We're guys. We screw up. A lot. It's what we do."

"Maybe you do." House said cockily.

"If you hadn't screwed up, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Touche." House acknowledge. "So now what?"

"That's up to you. Just make it up to her and then don't do it again. Ever."

"Lie?"

"He can be taught!" Wilson muttered as he headed for the door. "I'd recommend flowers. You know those things you get from an actual florist. That you actually pay for. Something lush - not like the crap delivered to a hospital patient. Don't insult her again. She'll know if you just swiped flowers off a patient."

"Flower? That's your best idea?" House looked disappointed.

"It's what guys do when they're in the dog house," Wilson retorted. "Besides it gives her an excuse to talk to you, to thank you. You know."

"True," House answered as he picked up the phone receiver. "What color screams apology the best?"

"Think bigger, House. Lots of colors. Bright. Fragrant. Something she can't miss."

"Sounds expensive." House groused. "Fine. Colorful. I get it. What's the number of your florist?"

Without missing a beat, Wilson spit out a number without hesitation.

House grinned. "I just knew you'd have one memorized. Sounds like you've done this a lot."

"You have no idea." Wilson admitted. "And don't think you're going to get off that easily. It doesn't end there, you know."

"Oh for god's sake. What else do I have to do?"

"If you care about her, you'll talk to her. Set better ground rules and don't even think about lying to her again. She may be your boss but your boss is also your girlfriend. You lie to one, you've lied to both."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. That works both ways, right?"

"How so?" Wilson cocked his head in confusion.

"Cuddy lies to me, she lies to her boyfriend, not just her employee." House said smugly.

"Lying isn't Cuddy's style," Wilson interjected.

"Everybody lies."

"Some more than others, House. Remember that. I'm late. Gotta go." Wilson left House sitting at his desk listening to the busy signal of the florist shop.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Coffee, skim milk, no sugar," Wilson announced as he entered Cuddy's office. "Just the way you like it."

"How thoughtful," Cuddy said with a smile on her face. "Thank you, Wilson, but it isn't going to affect your budget."

"Budgets are boring. I know they put me to sleep," Wilson said after setting the coffee cups on her desk and settling into a chair in front of her desk. "How are you doing?"

Cuddy looked up to meet Wilson's eyes. "Fine. Why? What have you heard?"

Wilson blushed.

"Well, that didn't take long. What did he tell you?" Cuddy's smile vanished. Wilson smiled reassuringly.

"That he's an idiot."

"Nothing new there." Cuddy mumbled. Wilson nodded. "You think I'm being too sensitive about this?"

"Not at all. I'd be livid if Sam pulled that crap on me."

"Thanks, James." Cuddy relaxed a little in her chair and took a sip of the coffee. It smelled wonderful. Half the attraction to coffee was the aroma. The other half was the effect. The taste, not so much.

"He hates to admit it when he's wrong." Wilson added. "House thinks everything has to be logical and he'll go to the end of the earth to split hairs over semantics ..."

"I know," Cuddy interjected. "why did he let me believe he wasn't lying?"

"He was counting on you not finding out. I told him if he lied to you he'd have to face the repercussions personally. If he didn't lie to you, he'd have to face the facts professionally."

"When you put it like that, no wonder he lied to me," Cuddy frowned.

"Cuddy, you and I both know House lied because he thought he had to to save his patient."

"You're on his side?"

"God, no. I'm just explaining House's behavior. That and the fact, I think he's afraid to disappoint you."

"Are you saying he's afraid of me?" Cuddy didn't like where this was going.

"Not of you, of losing you." Wilson said softly.

"Oh." Cuddy paused. "So, I'm supposed to just get over it?"

"Not at all. House needs to learn, to ...grow up. He likes to think he knows everything but we're not talking about medicine. We're talking about matters of the heart. Where that's concerned, he's an idiot." Wilson explained.

"Lies sting." Cuddy stated.

"Of course they do, more so when its from someone you love."

Cuddy's eyes glanced away. She knew it was obvious to Wilson but just hearing it spoken made the hurt worsen. "He apologized."

"And..."

"And that's it. He apologized." Cuddy said flatly.

"So what's wrong?" Wilson seemed to sense Cuddy wasn't completely sold.

"I think he caved."

"That's good, right?" Wilson pursued.

"No. Not if he didn't mean it."

"He meant it, Cuddy." Wilson lied.

"How do you know?"

"We talked."

"And?"

"And, he feels like crap for hurting you. For lying to you. He knows its wrong. And I don't think he's going to lie again anytime soon."

"That's the sex talking," Cuddy said crossly.

"I thought you forgave him?" Wilson was definitely confused. Seemed just like old times when he ran interference for the couple before they were a couple.

"I did, but it still hurts." Cuddy admitted.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Cuddy said mostly to herself. "So, about your budget."

"Call me when they arrive and I'll meet you in the lobby," House instructed. "And make sure they look amazing."

"Somebody in the doghouse?" The florist asked.

"Shut up." House hung up. He sat back and stared at the ceiling. He didn't get it. He knew he should understand this better but something was blocking him mentally. He knew what he had to do next and reached for the phone.

"I need to see you," House blurted out at the sound of Dr. Nolan's voice.

"Dr. House, how nice to hear from you. Something wrong?" Dr. Nolan's deep voice asked warmly.

"Yeah, any openings this week...like today?" House asked hopefully.

"What's wrong?"

"It's stupid, never mind," House was about to hang up.

"Wait, it must be important if you called me so hold on a minute. Let me check my schedule."

House waited nervously.

"I'm sorry but this week's full. What about tonight?"

"Where?" House said gratefully. Nolan and House worked out the logistics and agreed to meet at a steak restaurant off the highway halfway between Princeton and Mayfield.

House hung up the phone feeling immensely better. At least he had a plan and he knew if Dr. Nolan couldn't get him to understand his own behavior, no one could. Now to meet the florist downstairs.

"Ahhhh, my two favorite girls!" House announced as he burst into Cuddy's office. Wilson frowned at the dig.

"House, we're in a meeting. Now's not a good time," Cuddy warned.

"But I come bearing posies for my lady love," House said adorably nodding to the large floral arrangement he held out to her. "Proof of my undying affections and big fat apology."

Cuddy looked up and took in the sight. House stood there with an unsure expression, hope in his eyes and clearly seeking her approval. The flowers were fantastic. Peonies, her favorite, were nestled in between lillies, irises and a host of other small blooms. The arrangement was larger than a table lamp!

"Sweetums, this is heavy." House prompted.

Cuddy realized her mouth had dropped open. She stood up and came over to him and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "You didn't have to do this," Cuddy whispered.

"Yes, I did," House whispered back loudly enough that Wilson heard it. Wilson quickly threw him a look and House stuck out his tongue at Wilson. "I'm sorry and I want you to remember that every time you look at these." Cuddy smiled at him.

"That means a lot to me," Cuddy said.

"That's it, just a peck on the lips?" House pouted.

"I'm still here," Wilson said sarcastically.

"Good, hold these," House said as he held out the flower vase to Wilson to take. Wilson jumped up without thinking and took the vase only to have House hang his cane on Wilson's wrist before grabbing Cuddy and pulling her to him for a hot embrace and deep kiss. Wilson rolled his eyes and walked away to give them some privacy and placed the flowers on Cuddy's credenza. He peeked at the couple.

"House, let go!" Cuddy protested weakly. She was caught of guard by House's actions but secretly appreciated it. "Not in the office, remember?" Cuddy straightened her jacket and tucked her blouse in at the back of her waist.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not what you said last time!" House teased and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Cuddy smirked and reached up to wipe her lipstick off of House's lips.

Wilson faked a cough.

Cuddy glanced at Wilson and quickly dispatched House. "I call you."

"Awwww, can't I just wait here til your little meeting is over? I'll just lay on the couch, you'll never even know I'm here. Just me and my pup tent." Cuddy quickly glanced at House's zipper.

"Made you look!" House teased. Cuddy blushed at the decent bulge in his pants.

"How about the clinic?" Cuddy suggested.

"How about it?" House replied. Cuddy stared at him with her eyebrows raised. "Fine. The clinic it is. Just call me when this boring meeting is over and me and the 'pup'" House gestured to his crotch, "... will be here pronto!" Cuddy shook her head disapprovingly.

"Cane!" House demanded without tearing his eyes off Cuddy's lovely face. He held his hand out expectantly.

Wilson walked it over and handed it to House. "Here you go, it'll hide the 'pup.'"

"The nurses are use to me having a boner when I leave Cuddy's office," House quipped.

Cuddy's mouth dropped open. "Good bye, House!"

"I'm going, I'm going." House said with a sparkle in his eye as he headed to the door.

"And thank you again for the flowers," Cuddy added.

House turned and smiled. "You're welcome, hot stuff." Cuddy couldn't help herself from smiling at him.

Wilson fake coughed again. Cuddy quickly reacted. "Right, budgets. Okay!" She returned to her seat and Wilson sat down.

"That was sweet," Wilson murmured.

"It was, wasn't it," Cuddy replied without looking at him. "Did you pick out the flowers for him, too?"

Wilson's mouth dropped open. "What? No!" He looked at her sheepishly. "That, he did all by himself."

Cuddy nodded knowingly. "He did good."

"Peonies, I wouldn't have thought of that."

"They're my favorites."

"Lucky guess or did he know?" Wilson asked.

"He knows." Cuddy smiled as she began studying the budget spreadsheets on her desk.

I hope House doesn't mess things up on the show between himself and Cuddy. Dr. Nolan would be a good go-to guy for House on matters of the heart and maturity and avoiding self-sabotage. Wonder if the writers will bring Andre Brauer back now and then. I miss him and the great conversations between Nolan and House. Let me know if you like or dislike the direction of this story. Your feedback absolutely makes my day!