Short one. Enjoy!
Cuddy groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead. The headache throbbed, the dull pulsing more of an annoyance than a serious pain. She buried her face into the pillow, inhaled, and her eyes shot open. These were not the Egyptian cotton of her own bedding. As she tried to muddle through the fog of her minor hangover, her breath caught in her throat. She could hear water running in the bathroom. Slowly, she pushed herself up and it was only then that she noticed she was, thankfully, still dressed in last night's outfit. With the addition of a black and red leather motorcycle jacket. Swinging her legs from under the covers, she rubbed both hands over her face. Like this wasn't going to complicate things.
House bit back a groan as he slid down into the tub, hot water surrounding his leg and somewhat easing the sharp pain. He had popped two vicodin moments earlier, and he waited for the heat and the painkillers to deliver the wonderful pain-free cocktail to his nerves. The hotel tub was significantly bigger than the one he had at home, and his clothes littered the spacious tiled floor. He leaned his head back and thought back to the night before. His original plan had been to burst into the brownstone, cause a scene and thoroughly embarrass Cuddy. Plan A took a backseat to the pain in his leg. When he had arrived, the hour plus ride in the cold had caused his leg to stiffen and he was slowly rubbing the pain away when Cuddy and Harrison had stumbled out. She looked stunning and he couldn't help himself when the clock struck midnight. Afterwards, he had suggested they grab some drinks and she had all too eagerly agreed.
She hadn't been kidding when she told him it'd been a while since she had taken shots. Cuddy slowly stood and her eyes surveying the room, pausing at her discarded shoes. Her discarded expensive shoes, one of the pair missing a heel. She took a deep breath, employing the anger management methods she had learned over years of babysitting House. Her mind flashed to memories of last night. They had ridden his motorcycle to a dive bar he knew, probably the only place in the city that wasn't packed or charging an obnoxious cover. She remembered wrapping her arms around him, legs straddling the bike and her body pressed against his. It was intimate and personal, this simple task. And an incredible turn-on. House between her legs, feeling his hips shift everytime the bike turned, the vibrating of the engine beneath them, his muscles tensing everytime she clutched him closer (which was a lot considering how reckless of a driver he was). She smiled and listened for the water to cut off, making her way to the bathroom door.
Her drinks had progressed from gin and tonics to shots, while he just downed glass after glass of scotch. What had begun as an effort to loosen up quickly dissolved into who could imbibe more liquid courage. The New Years kiss was completely different than what had taken place at her house. There was no pain, no vulnerability, no mutual weakness that found comfort in an equally lonely and hurt partner. Last night had found the two of them on the brink of something new and exciting, teetering on the edge, neither of them willing to be the first to fall. The night had the promise of a new direction in this relationship, but there was an unspoken hesitation in who would lead and who would follow. Which, in turn, led to the stint at the bar.
Surprisingly, House had been the one to cut them off. The two of them left the bar, and when House noticed the small shivers that ran through Cuddy's body, he had shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her. The black and red leather engulfed her, swallowing her petite frame. She murmured her thanks and slid her arm around his as they walked, her fingers rubbing his bicep, drunkenly fascinated by the taut muscle beneath his shirt.
They had made it only a few blocks before they gave in and hailed a cab. She had waited while he slid into the backseat, and he never once felt rushed or embarrassed by the extra time he needed to get his leg comfortable. The ride was quiet and uneventful. Cuddy tucked her bare legs underneath her and wrapped her arm around House's again. She felt him tense and when he didn't move, she almost pulled away, regretful of making herself seem so available, so desperate. Instead, he shifted and gently placed his hand on her thigh, slowly rubbing his thumb in circles. The thin material of her dress did nothing to stop the heat from his touch. It was subtle and soft, but she was attuned to his touch and her attraction to him peaked at a new intensity. She shifted, inching closer to him and digging her fingers into his arm, encouraging him. Her lips parted, a soft breath escaping her mouth and her eyes fluttered closed.
House was entirely focused on the warmth of her body beneath his hand. Her thigh was firm as his thumb stroked circles and he felt a tightening in his groin as she slowly eased her legs apart. The cab ride ended all too quickly, and the pair eased themselves from the backseat, reluctantly. Thankfully, there was a room available and House convinced Cuddy that if she paid, she'd be more likely to get a reimbursement from the hospital for this "business" expense than she would. After all, she did attend the fundraiser and a couple hundred dollars was a drop in the bucket compared to what her little black dress had probably brought in tonight.
Exhaustion had crept up on them in the elevator, and they were in the room for moments before collapsing on the bed. Cuddy slid under the covers, curled on her side. House lay sprawled above the sheets, on his back. They each lay on their side of the bed, keenly aware of the small distance between their bodies, the small distance that seemed to stretch on for miles after the many moments of intimacy that had studded the night. As the darkness of dreams consumed them, they both silently willed the other to reach across the space and initiate contact. Since the liquid courage they'd drained earlier had begun to wear off, neither had the bravado needed to bridge that gap, both physically and emotionally.
The hot water was steaming the bathroom and House was drifting off into a drug-induced glorious haze when the door swung open. Cuddy wrinkled her nose at the sight of his clothes strewn everywhere. The heat was overwhelming, and she stood in the doorway, shrugging off his thick leather jacket and her thinner one. As she turned to hang them up in the closet, House, for the first time, saw the back of her dress. All of a sudden, he was self-conscious of just how exposed he was in the tub and how, if Cuddy came any closer, more awkward the situation could become.
She brushed her hair from her face and stepped into the tiled room, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Cuddy, where's the rest of that dress?"
"I don't think it's your size."
"Anything is my size after your big ass stretches it out."
Cuddy shook her head and made her way to the toilet, setting the lid down before sitting and demurely crossing her legs. House watched with great interest.
"That's sweet. If you keep talking about my ass like that, I'm going to start to thinking you secretly like me."
"Hate to burst your delusional bubble, but I don't think it's that big of a secret."
Cuddy, faced with the honesty of his answer, lost her train of thought. A smile crept onto her face and she bought herself time by standing and smoothing down her dress. Still distracted, she avoided eye contact until she could find her tongue again. "Well hurry up, I need to shower. I smell like tequila."
"Your true scent emerges. You can always join me. We'll be doing our part to save the environment by conserving water. After all, isn't the hospital trying to go 'green'?"
"Nice try, House." Cuddy smirked and walked to the door, swaying her hips a little more because she could feel his eyes on her. She opened the door and glanced back over her shoulder, throwing it out there, "I'll consider it for next time. Now hurry up and finish." She made sure to emphasize the last part, arching a brow and dropping her gaze. She made it very clear that she wasn't completely oblivious to the effect she had on him. Before House could make an inappropriate and overtly sexual retort, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
Bear with me, some of you might like the next few chapters and some of you might not. Let's just say there's a lot, a lot, a lot of unresolved sexual tension coming.