Disclaimer: I don't own House.
A/N: Ello, ello people! Glad you find my story amusing. There's plenty more to come so sit tight. Anyway, enough talking and on with the story. This chapter was edited by our lovely HouseAddiction.
(p.s In chap 6, I had made it so the zoo opened at 10 am. So, in the previous chap I made it so they left right at ten and took an hour to drive there, so they arrived at eleven. The whole finding Thomas thing took an hour, and then another two hours before the three of them got hungry and the whole café scene happened. Plus an hour to get home. So, if anyone was wondering how hell I came up with the time for when they get home, there it is)
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The rest of the day had seemed to drag on for Lisa Cuddy. By the time the three of them stepped inside her house, it was around four in the afternoon and she was exhausted.
Thomas, being the bundle of energy he was, bounced up and down with his toy lion in hand. "Cartoons!" he yelled and ran straight for the couch. "Batman!" Apparently he found out he absolutely adored Batman. Lisa and Greg made their way to him and plopped down beside him. "Can Greg sleep over again?" asked Thomas who managed to form a sentence while being entranced with Batman kicking Penguin's ass.
Lisa opened her mouth to respond but Greg beat her to it. "You know, I think Lisa has had enough of me for a while. After all, we see each other every day at work."
"Please Lisa…" he turned to her and gave her his innocent puppy dog look.
Lisa rolled her eyes. "All right fine, he can stay." Thomas smiled at her and grinned at Greg.
"What's for dinner?" asked Thomas, already thinking of his stomach. Lisa rolled her eyes. Typical male thing.
Greg took this as an opportunity for his payback. There was nothing like making Lisa Cuddy feel guilty about what she said or did. Eventually it would make him feel guilty for making her feel it but he'd deal with that later.
"We're going out for dinner. My treat."
Lisa's head whipped to Greg's gaze. What was he scheming?
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. If I wasn't sure I wouldn't have suggested it."
"True…"
"So, who's hungry?"
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Two hours later, Lisa, Greg and Thomas entered La Pointe. The walls were a deep blue and the lights were dimmed with candles perched on every table to make the scenery all the more romantic. Portraits of the founders and all time chiefs of the restaurant hung on almost every wall. Lisa glanced at House who glanced right back.
"I didn't think they'd pick the romantic theme tonight." Lisa only gave him a skeptical look and smiled at the hostess. Once they were seated, they started ordering drinks.
"I'll have the House special." which consisted of a Cherry Martini shaken, not stirred.
"You only got that 'cause it has your name in it." stated Thomas and the waitress laughed at the boy's cuteness.
Lisa smiled and Greg grinned. "Actually yes. Smart kid you'll turn out to be." Lisa shook her head, catching Greg's attention. "What? I wasn't being sarcastic!" he defended himself.
"Uh-huh."
"I can't say anything without it meaning something else now?"
"I didn't say that."
"It was implied with the 'uh-huh'."
"You're delusional."
"If so then it's also my delusion that thinks you're the most beautiful woman I've seen since Angelina Jolie."
Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Yes."
Cuddy couldn't help the small flutter of butterflies in her stomach or the tint of pink from her cheeks. She quickly averted her gaze from his serious one. "I'll have a red wine."
"Dry?"
"Yes please."
"And you little man?" asked the waitress smiling sweetly to Thomas, ignoring the fact the two adults had just had a minor quarrel.
"Chocolate milk!"
"Okay. I'll be back shortly." She set down a paper place mat for Thomas and a selection of three colors he could color with. She then gave Lisa and Greg their menus and left to get them their drinks.
"I'm thinking…the steak with sweet potatoes." murmured Greg aloud and nodded to himself as if confirming that it was an excellent choice. He looked up at Lisa, who had her menu in front of her face, hiding not only her features, but House's two favorite twins. "Have you decided or are you just doing that to keep me from viewing Lisa and Cuddy all night?"
Lisa slowly pulled down the menu from her face and glared at the grinning man in front of her. "As a matter of fact maybe I am."
"Ouch." Greg's wolfish grin widened.
Ignoring him, Lisa turned to Thomas and suggested the chicken nugget meal, which he happily agreed to and then resumed coloring.
The waitress came back a few minutes later with their drinks and took out a note pad when she was done handing them out. "So, have you three decided what you want?"
"I'll have the steak with sweet potatoes."
"Would you like it well done?"
"Yes."
"All right." She turned her attention to Lisa who promptly ordered a veggie burger with fries.
"And you little man?"
Thomas smiled with glee at being called 'little man' and stated his order.
"All right," said the waitress with a smile. "I'll be back with your orders."
House, not being able to contain himself, took off his left shoe and slid his sock-covered foot over Lisa's smooth bare leg. She tensed in surprise and cleared her throat.
Greg gave her a wolfish grin and stared intently into her eyes as he stroked up and down her leg. She mouthed for him to stop but upon having her leg tugged closer to his, she looked down at the table and closed her eyes.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" asked Thomas when he looked up from his drawing to ask her something.
Cuddy's eyes shot open and she glanced at Greg before looking at Thomas. "Nothing hun. I just…"
"She has a headache." House finished for her.
"Right. I have a headache."
Thomas frowned and stood on his knees and brought his hands to her face. "Are you burning up?" he asked feeling around her face.
Lisa laughed and felt a bit guilty for lying to him. "No sweetie, I'm fine." With one last glare to Greg, she pulled her leg away from his and kissed Thomas' cheek.
Satisfied that Lisa was okay, Thomas sat back down and continued coloring.
When their food came, they ate in silence.
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Once the three of them stepped back into Lisa's home, Thomas drifted toward the bedroom.
"Are you tired?" asked Lisa.
"Yeah. I want to go to bed."
"All right." She went with him to help him get changed and soon came out of the room. Greg was already on her couch with cartoons on.
"Nice, Greg."
"What?"
"Cartoons?"
"They can be educational!" he defended himself.
Lisa rolled her eyes but watched the cartoon anyway. She turned to him soon after, however, and broke the silence. "Thank you. For dinner." It was totally clear she felt guilty.
House nodded. "No problem."
"You're still not getting laid."
Frowning, he looked over at her. "Aw come on! I even risked getting caught in the restaurant just to turn you on!"
"I know! That's exactly why you're not getting in my pants tonight." He raised his eyebrows.
Hello new blackmail opportunity.
"So I can try any other night, just not tonight."
Realizing it was too late to retract her sentence, she just went along with it.
"Exactly."
"Oh, so the Queen of Rejection really does want me in her hot, tight, wet-"
"Stuff it, House." she tried not to give him any indication that he was riling her up in every way possible and wasn't doing too bad of a job until he looked at her in that way of his. It was the look that said, 'you-can't-fool-me' with his trade mark, 'you-so-want-me' smirk. When he gave her that particular look, however, she caved and looked away first.
"Lisa, now you know you just set yourself up, yet again, right?" Cuddy rolled her eyes and moved to get up but he caught her arm and kept her seated.
"I need to get up."
"No, you need to get laid."
"And you need a whore."
"You mean I'm not looking at one right now?"
Ouch, that one hurt. However, the Dean of Medicine didn't show her hurt and threw an insult right back at him.
"You're a first class bastard."
"First class bastard with style."
"You wish you had style."
Lisa wasn't sure when it had happened but their faces somehow came closer together, leaving a few short inches between them. Her heart raced faster and heat rose to her cheeks as the realization of how compromising their positions would be if Thomas were to walk in on them.
All right so they weren't in a position all that intimate but it was enough to make Thomas question what they were doing. She tried pulling back but House had somehow managed to grip her hip without her knowledge and held her in place while his other hand brought her chin back up so she was staring into his bright blue gaze.
"Greg…no…" she tried to form a sentence but holding his smoldering gaze and trying to form a coherent sentence was so much harder than those romance movies let on.
His eyes narrowed and his jaw locked for a moment. "I may be a jerk, an ass and many other select words you like to choose and I know you think I lack morals but I do have some. I wouldn't force you to have sex with me." Every word was clipped and edged with hints of anger and frustration.
"I know…" She wanted to look away but his hand kept her eye level with him.
"Good." He let go of her and stood.
"Where are you going?" asked Lisa, suddenly afraid he'd leave and not want to return.
Catching onto her slight panic, he narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm going to bed…" He tilted his head at her and watched as she composed herself. "You're welcome to come if you like. The nights alone in the dark, damp spare room are becoming too unbearable for me." When Cuddy gave him the 'rejection' look he shrugged and limped to the room, not bothering to bring his cane but snatched his Vicodin bottle from the coffee table. "Night!" he called before he went into his room.
Lisa sighed and let out a grin. His dramatic offer certainly lightened up the situation and had her not feeling too guilty about her rejection.
The truth was…she wanted him. She wanted him so badly she was afraid of wanting him. She had spent many nights thinking about it ever since he had started helping her with Thomas and his situation. She had always wanted him, lust-wise. No strings attached. But her pride never let her confront him about it. But now… now was even harder because he was doing all these things for not only Thomas, but her as well and it was capturing her heart.
If she were to get into anything physical with him, she was sure she would be so much more attached to him. The problem was that she was afraid of heart break. Typical thing for anyone to fear but Cuddy was convinced she didn't exactly have all the time in the world anymore to find someone new and exciting if House were to crush her heart between his fingers.
For now, she had to play her cards safe. So far, he was playing all the right cards and if he played anymore good ones, she was sure to fall for him a lot harder than she already had.
Lisa got up from her couch and went into her room. She plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to change into anything more comfortable.
A/N: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
