House looks out into the night as he leans on the balcony wall, his eyes wondering every so often to the folded piece of paper clutched in his hand. Just after midnight the city is silent, a perfect atmosphere to reflect on recent events, to take a step back and analyze things.
The silence and his contemplating are disturbed as House hears the opening of a door displacing the aura of calmness that had surrounded him. Since the sound is fainter than what it would have been if the door behind him opened confirms that the intruder is most likely Wilson, or the night janitor coming out for a smoke.
"So you going to tell me what is really going on?" Wilson asks calmly as he assumes the same position on his wall as House has on his. House takes the folded piece paper and hides it in the pocket inside the lining of his coat, hoping Wilson doesn't notice but he does.
"Not that lucky," House thinks and knows he has two options, lie or deflect.
"You going to tell me why you're sleeping in your office tonight?" House asks back.
"Deflecting is way more fun and less painful," House decides.
"I am not sleeping in my office," Wilson states.
"You're lying," House says without as much as enthusiasm as usual, "The only reason for you to be here past midnight after being here since eight this morning is to figure out if I am hiding something from you, but if that is your purpose you would have went to my office looking for me and come through my door to out here. You came up here to sleep in your office and saw me out here and decided it would take your mind off your problems by trying to talk about mine."
"It couldn't be that one of my patients is dying and I need to be here," Wilson states sardonically.
"All your patients are dying," House deadpanned.
"Your lack of compassion astounds me House," Wilson said giving up on lying to his friend.
"Maybe that should be your and Cuddy's next personality makeover for me," House continued thinking he had successfully derailed Wilson's digging.
Wilson shifted his eyes to look at House for a second before looking straight ahead. He can hear the confusion in his friend's voice from the lack of bite in his sarcasm, "Didn't work out too well the last time and judging by that shirt and coat maybe your starting to pull your head out of your ass on your own."
"Just to let you know you have less to offer as a friend now that I no longer need Vicodin," House offered wishing Wilson would drop it but knew no such thing would happen.
"And you pretty much have never offer anything in this friendship," Wilson fired back without missing a beat, "You and I both know you weren't with a hooker tonight."
"Besides my kick-ass threads how do you figure?"
"You'd already be back at your apartment to call her back over and you wouldn't have been that upset in Cuddy's office earlier if it was only a hooker," Wilson reasoned House's behavior.
Knowing he was at the end of line House answered with the best cover he could come up with, "Barhopping."
"Care to elaborate?" Wilson asked in a higher voice than usual as he stood up and looked at House excited at the prospect. Was this House growing?
"Wanted to see if women still saw me as God like they did in college," House said in a completely convincing tone. However he knew there was a chance Wilson would see through it.
"And how did it go?" Wilson looked over completely hooked.
"Bingo," House mentally applauded himself and held a smile from giving himself away. He knew Wilson would like the idea too much and readily accept it.
"Completely I had this totally hot young brunette ready to let me take her on the hood of her car. No matter how old I get college girls worship me," House lied but not about everything.
"Fine don't tell me," Wilson said getting slightly aggravated probably due to sleep depravation, "Why didn't you tell me or bring me along though."
"This may be a shock to you but pep talks beforehand or having you whisper tips in my ear all night isn't the greatest way to pick up women, sends mixed signals. Also where as I had no moral dilemmas at dumping a woman at the end of the night your wife would have gotten another grievance when it comes to the settlement," House said again half telling the truth and adding his snark. It was true he wanted to handle his personal life solo for as long as he could.
"You didn't have to make this a mystery, you could have told me and I would have left it," Wilson offered.
"You and I both know that's a lie," House said mockingly.
Wilson turned to head inside but turned around to ask one last question, "Any chance you're going to tell me what that piece of paper was you have hiding in your pocket?"
For the first time House turned his face to make eye contact with Wilson to give his best 'yeah right' looks.
Wilson threw his hands up in defeat, "You know where to find me when you need to talk. Goodnight House."
As Wilson was about to open the door House spoke loudly, "Jimmy go home and sleep with your wife. My couch only has love for me."
Wilson shook his head in amusement as he opened the door and walked inside, gathering his briefcase to go home.
Deciding he had enough brooding for one night House got up to go home.
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The alarm clock sounded at 6:00 AM. Monday morning but House had been awake and lying in bed for the past ten minutes. He hit the button to the alarm clock the moment it sounded and was out of his bed a moment later. House went over to his dresser and got dressed in a pair of running shorts, long enough to cover his scar completely, and one of his older Rolling Stones tees.
House went into the kitchen filled a glass of water and gulped it down before putting on his sneakers and socks. He picked up his wallet, keys, and cell that were on the table by the door and exited his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Moments later he was starting his day in the way that had become his routine the last two months. Every morning he would get up and run, the distance gradually increasing. Today he had work so he knew that his run would only be the eleven miles from his apartment to the hospital.
He had left enough clothes in his locker so he could shower and change there for at least a week. Most of the time he got up early for his run but today he was getting up earlier than that. According to his rough calculations he would get to the hospital between 7:40 and 8:00 am. As he ran House's mind ran over how he was supposed to proceed with Cameron, a question he had been thinking about all weekend.
Arriving at the hospital House stopped and pulled out his phone to check the time.
"7:32 not bad for forty-four year old man," House thought and couldn't help but feel a bit blissful at his accomplishment.
Stopping to catch his breath as he stood in the parking lot House looked across the street and got an idea. It was a small gesture and not too mushy or overly romantic, with his mind made up House walked across the street.
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Cameron made her way into the hospital a little after eight. She was running a little late, not too much but enough to where she forgot to grab breakfast before she left. Cameron never understood why she felt like she needed to get in so early; Chase and Foremen came in at nine, and House anytime between ten and noon.
"House," Cameron thought as she walked across the lobby and into the elevators to the fourth floor. He was a big part of the reason she had overslept that morning. Even since their date Friday she wondered what was next for the both of them and whether he'd call during the weekend. Which of course he didn't but she wasn't surprised, it was House and she knew he was probably as lost as she was about all it. Her thoughts had been continually about him and how he felt about their date… and their kiss.
Honestly it was the most passionate kiss of her life, maybe even the most passionate moment. It was only supposed be the usual post first date gentle goodbye kiss but from the moment their lips touched, or even as House took hold of her hips, she knew whatever she would experience with him would be amazingly intense. She new it was cliché and cheesy but she wished that kiss had never ended but like in an overly dramatic television show his phone rang, breaking their moment.
She knew it was not good to put out on the first date but between it being House, the electrifying kiss, and the fact that 'it' had been longer than she wanted to admit she wouldn't have protested if he had asked if she wanted to go inside. The rest of weekend she hoped House would call and they'd do something else together, and if things led to sex they led to sex.
But the phone call never came and now she wondered how things would go between them at work. They had talked everything out but she really wanted to know how House was feeling about the whole thing and what they should do next. Cameron knew though broaching the subject of feelings with House was risky and it would be better to do so sparingly. No, it would be better to wait for House to make a move and address things about them; Cameron only hoped he wouldn't wait too long or ignore the issue all together.
Walking into the conference room Cameron was suspicious when she saw two things on her desk covered by an unfolded napkins. Cameron turned to place her messenger bag by the conference table and saw a bakery bag on it, not quite knowing but giving her a hint as to what were the veiled items on her desk. With her bag on the ground Cameron walked to the front of her desk and noticed a note on the desk in front of the items.
Cameron unpeeled the note and brought it up to her face to read, and recognized the distinctive handwriting. A deliriously happy smile tugged at her lips as she read, "If you're reading this you get in way too early."
Cameron put the note in the pocket of her khaki color Capri pants and decided to take the napkin off the taller object to the right, which she already had a good idea was. Cameron extracted the napkin with two fingers to find a large to go coffee cup with another note posted on the front.
Taking the note from the cup Cameron read,
" Two creams, and an extra shot of caffeine in case you're anything like me and that my mind wouldn't shut up after Friday
P.S. This does not excuse you from your coffee duties!"
Cameron smiled again as she gave the first note a companion. Cameron also found herself wondering how House knew she took two creams in her coffee.
Deciding that mystery could be discovered later, Cameron uncovered the other item to find huge chocolate chip muffin and another note in front of it. Once again Cameron wondered how House figured out she loved chocolate chip muffins.
As Cameron read the card she laughed, "In answer to your first question my observation skills are useful in other areas as well. As the for the muffin chocolate is like crack to women… at least according to what I overheard homie telling the wombat once."
Placing the last note in her pocket Cameron went over and started the coffee for the morning before sitting at her desk. Biting into her muffin Cameron let out a pur of contentment, the muffin was stil warm and the chocolate melted in her mouth.
Realizing this Cameron looked around for House but couldn't locate him through the glass walls to his office or the hallway. As she continued to eat her muffin and sip her coffee Cameron felt better then she had in a long time.
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About twenty minutes later Cameron looked up and saw House walk into his office to sit at his desk. Cameron found the occurrence odd, usually first thing House did in the morning would be either pouring himself a mug of coffee or she would hand him one. Cameron was positive House had seen her thus he would know there was coffee ready.
"He could be insecure about doing that for me," Cameron decided.
An idea occurred to Cameron, getting out of her seat she went over to the counter to make House's coffee just the way he took it. On her way back with his mug, with her other hand she grabbed her cup off the desk and walked into House's office.
As Cameron walked over to his desk and he saw his mug in her hand he held out his hand to take it, only to be confused when Cameron placed her cup on his desk while keeping his mug in her hand. House watched as Cameron turned around and walked back to the door between the office and the conference room, which had closed behind Cameron, and looked out into the hall a moment to make sure it was clear before pulling the blinds shut.
House quirked an eyebrow at her actions and wondered what exactly she was up to. He had expected a gushing 'thank you' for his act but this intrigued him. House watched as she turned back to him and walked over with a look that was no different from any other morning but as she placed his mug in his hand she leaned forward and met his lips with hers.
His eyes widened at the move and instantly felt the exact same thing he felt during their last kiss, but before he could react or do anything Cameron had pulled away and stood back up.
House's watched in shock as Cameron turned around, picked her coffee back up, and took a seat at the other side of his desk. House just stared at her thinking about what just happened, also becoming very aware of Cameron's purple fitted short-sleeve button-up blouse and how it made a breathtaking contrast with her hair, which he was glad to report that she decided not to encumber in a band or clip.
"Morning," Cameron said seated as she took a sip from her cup like what just happened was an everyday occurrence.
Quickly House collected himself as he saw Cameron trying to hide her smug look of the knowledge that she had that affect on him, "Usually you go with a simple 'thank you' but this much more effective."
"You hate platitudes," Cameron offered simply as she continued to sip from her coffee.
House immediately recalled his mission to get her to act freely around him. Although now after her little display he wanted to get a combination of the two. Plus what she did was acting pretty freely.
"People might get suspicious if my blinds are closed as they walk by," House said wondering how far she thought this through.
Cameron saw exactly what he was doing, "It's sunny out and you closed your blinds to go back to sleep. Your run took more out of you then you thought."
"And how do you know I ran here," House asked without thinking too much.
"Your hair is still damp and has that sexy disheveled just toweled but not combed look," Cameron said with a seductive tone. Cameron also looked appreciatively at his dark blue blazer, white button-up, and khaki slacks. Cameron was surprised at how well House pulled off the more polished look, than again as much as she liked him in his new clothes she kind of missed his rebellious style.
"And how do you explain why you're here," House asked at first choking from hearing Cameron's voice. House held himself back from going over and kissing Cameron as he heard her tone and excuse.
"I'm always here at this time, and since you're here I came in to talk to you into actually reading an article I'm writing," Cameron answered naturally. She was a little surprised at how easily she was thinking on the spot. Then again they had to think on the spot for differentials.
Cameron watched House take a swig of his coffee and assumed he was done with his game.
"So what is with the bag of bagels on the conference table?" Cameron asked.
"If on the off chance you differ from your gender I bought bagels. Figured whatever you didn't take ebony and ivory could fight for scraps."
Cameron shook her head amused and asked teasingly, "Aren't you afraid of looking like you're doing something kind?"
House looked straight at Cameron, "I'm the kinder, happy to run again House. Besides mellows a guy out snagging a woman half his age."
He actually had a reason for trying to ingratiate himself to his other ducklings but Cameron didn't need to know of his plan. Besides it wasn't a lie, he admitted that having a woman younger than him had its' advantages.
Finishing her coffee, Cameron threw her cup in wastebasket and got out of her seat and walked over to House. Cameron leaned down and softly kissed him and moved slightly back.
"I am only fourteen years younger than you," Cameron stated looking House straight in the eyes before letting her eyes roam over his body like a piece of meet to emphasize her attraction to him. Then she softly bit his bottom lip making him close his eyes at the sensation.
"I also don't know of any other guy who can run eleven miles to work," Cameron said and kissed him again, moving a hand to his right cheek to glide up and down his stubble.
"Or even if he doesn't think so, thoughtful enough to bring me in breakfast," Cameron said and took the hand from his cheek to behind his head and pressed his face to hers, in a deep passionate kiss.
House opened his eyes as Cameron moved away and back into the conference room.
"I need to steal Wilson's credit card, gourmet coffee is expensive," House thought still reeling from the kiss and deciding he would get her coffee everyday if he could expect a performance like that. He was also seeing an advantage to coming to work early for the first time in his life.
Once again House knew he had some thinking of what to do next, but after their encounter reaffirmed that the effort had its' benefits.
A/N: So this is a bridge chapter leading to the next date, there may be one more. So House is not the type of a person to be overly thoughtful but I thought since there was a bakery right next to the hospital House could do it because it was convenient.
Also one thing I would like to address something in season two after Foremen comes back from his head surgery. When House calls Cameron's coffee crap and has Foremen do it, I am interpreting it as House just wanting to test Foremen and lying about how Cameron's coffee tastes. In my fics Cameron doubles as barista supreme.
Also my first minor change to House's office, all of the blinds close when you pull the string. I am pretty sure there you have to close them in two places in canon.
Again thanks to readers and reviewers. Also want to say how thrilled I am that 47 of you have put this on story alert, it's a confirmation that I might be doing something right.