So, here's chapter 11 :) I don't really have much to say about it, just that it's rated M... for a reason. About this, I need to apologize in advance, in case something sounded weird (English is still not my first language, and writing this kind of stuff is particularly hard). Like at some point I'd written "breasts jingling" instead of "breasts jiggling"... thank God I corrected that one. But yeah, I apologize in case there's something else like that that I haven't noticed.
The title comes from the amazing song by Elton John, but I also got inspired from "Kiss Me" by Ed Sheeran. If you already haven't, you should listen to them both because they are really beautiful songs.
Next chapter, the last one before the epilogue, will come on Wednesday.
Thanks a lot to all of you for your support!
Enjoy :)
XI. Can You Feel the Love (Tonight)
The morning after didn't go quite as planned.
House was supposed to prepare Rachel's breakfast and then drive her to school. Instead, when he got up, both Rachel and Cuddy were already eating downstairs, and there was an extra bowl on the table.
He smiled.
"I made your breakfast!" the little girl announced, as he sat at the table. He looked down, and saw that his bowl was filled with milk and chocolate cereals, with whipped cream on top.
To be honest, it didn't really look that appealing, also because he hadn't had breakfast with cereals in literally ages. Plus, whipped cream?
"It's good, taste it!" Rachel prompted.
He glanced at Cuddy. She was eating a toast, and shrugged. "She insisted" she mouthed.
He tasted it. It wasn't the most disgusting thing he ever had in his mouth, but that didn't mean he liked it.
"So, how is it?" Rachel asked once again, with a wide grin on her face.
"It's… not bad, kid. Thanks" he replied, trying to sound convincing in order not to disappoint her.
For the sake of coherence, he had to eat all of it, and it took much more effort than he originally believed.
That morning, he was also supposed to drive Rachel to school, but since he had come with his bike the night before, Cuddy thought it was a better idea if she did the driving herself.
They dropped Rachel to school together, then they drove to the hospital. House felt happy, as he hadn't felt in years. He was again in a relationship with the woman he loved and who loved him back, and he still couldn't believe it. But it wasn't just that. That morning, he got a glimpse of what being part of a family looked like, and it looked great.
When they dated the first time, they were never a family. There were Cuddy and Rachel, and they were the family. He was the guest, the babysitter, the guy who happened to spend the night at their house from time to time.
That morning it had been the same, he was still the guest, but it felt different. He felt loved, he felt he belonged somewhere. Even the awful breakfast he had to forcefully ingest, it came from a gesture of love. It made him feel like he was wanted there.
And he wanted to be there too.
No way he would have screwed up this time. He just wouldn't allow himself to.
"Are you having dinner at my place tonight?" Cuddy asked, as they walked together into the hospital.
"I don't think I will be able to eat ever again after that breakfast" he replied.
She chuckled.
"I have to confess, it was fun to watch. It's like karma punished you for lying to me" she said.
He smirked.
"So, yes or no for tonight?" she asked again.
"Count me in!"
As he pronounced those words, he leaned towards her to kiss her, but she pulled back. He looked confused. Had she already changed her mind about them?
"You know there's something we have to do first" she said.
It took him a few seconds to acknowledge what she was referring to.
"Seriously?" he uttered as soon as he understood "Human Resources again?!"
She nodded, and started to walk towards her office.
"2 pm. Be there" she said before disappearing behind the glass doors of the clinic.
Later, that evening, House went home just long enough to have a shower and change clothes, then he drove back to Cuddy's house.
The three of them had dinner together, this time thankfully not cooked by Rachel. It was a pleasant evening, they talked about random things and joked a lot. One of the topic that came up was a medical conference in Paris, that would take place in late Fall, and to which House was invited to talk about the Lassa fever case, and how to prevent hemorrhagic fevers. When Cuddy mentioned it, he had rolled his eyes and said he would think about it.
However, both of them were over the moon. She felt again the old hope that maybe, one day, she could have the family she had always wanted. She came close to fulfilling this dream back when she dated House, but it never really worked out. Right now, however, it was so nice to see them get along so well.
He just thought he wanted to have dinner like this every single evening.
Suddenly, about when they were starting to clear the table, the doorbell rang.
House was both surprised and confused when Cuddy opened, and it was Wilson.
"Hi there!"
"Rach!" she shouted "it's uncle Jim! Is your stuff ready?"
Rachel ran down the stairs with her backpack on her shoulders, and hugged Wilson.
House couldn't quite understand what was going on at first, but then it became clear.
He waved goodbye to his friend and Rachel, as they disappeared behind the door a few minutes later, after they had both heard Cuddy's recommendations on how to behave during that unplanned "sleepover party at uncle Jim's".
"He's watching her for the night and then he's driving her to school tomorrow" Cuddy explained, as she approached House, who was still standing near the dining table.
"Yeah, I got that" he replied. He also got what this meant: she had special plans for the night. He waited for her to make the next move, but she just smiled.
"Let's do the dishes" she whispered, patting on his chest with a hand before walking towards the kitchen.
After they finished cleaning up everything, they cozied up on her couch with a glass of wine, just enjoying each other's company knowing there would be no interruption.
It was Cuddy who made the first move, some time later. She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him towards her in a deep kiss. He inhaled sharply at the contact, instinctively wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.
Without breaking the kiss, she sat on him, straddling his hips with her legs, while his hands wandered across her back.
Although everything seemed perfect, she knew what he was thinking. She knew he wanted her, as much as she wanted him, if not more, but she also knew he was afraid.
She interrupted the kiss to look at him in the eyes, her fingers dancing through his hair.
"I want to make love to you" she whispered sweetly. She was so close that he could feel her breath against his chin.
His eyes met hers. He loved her so much that he was scared of this. What if he didn't work again? And even if he worked, how was he going to please her without a leg?
He tried to push these thoughts aside as he felt her nuzzling his neck, leaving a few light kisses there. He closed his eyes.
"I missed it, you know…" she whispered in his ear, while gently rocking her hips against his groin "I missed the feeling of having you inside me…"
She smirked against his skin as she started to feel his physical reaction at her words and actions.
As soon as she faced him again, he captured her lips once more, suddenly desperate for her touch. He wanted this, he wanted her, and this time, every part of him wanted her.
"Bedroom?" he managed to ask, despite the shortness of breath. She nodded.
She took his hand, and they walked together up the stairs, until they reached her room. For a few seconds, they just stood there, at the foot of the bed, the room only lit by the bare light of the moon.
She held him in her arms, her fingertips brushing softly against his upper arm left uncovered by his t-shirt. He put his hands on her hips, while he grazed her forehead with his lips, his stubble scratching lightly against her skin.
They were barely touching, and it already felt incredibly intense.
He wanted this to be perfect. They'd had sex uncountable times in the past, but this felt like the first time.
It felt like his very first time.
He nuzzled gently against her cheek, slowly reaching her mouth. They both shuddered at the feeling as their lips touched again. It was just a light brush at first, so light they could barely feel it. She was the first one who deepened it, her hand reaching his nape and pulling him towards her.
In that precise moment, when their tongues first met, the rest of the world stopped existing.
One of his hands stroked her soft curls, as she moaned in approval against his mouth. He wanted more, but at the same time he wanted to take his time. She deserved this.
They broke the kiss for a few seconds when she removed his t-shirt, her hands now free to roam across his bare back. He shivered at the contact, suddenly wanting nothing else other than her skin against his.
He freed her from her sweater, and he pulled her against him. They both gasped at the contact, her bra the only thing separating them. He leaned his forehead against hers, the tip of their noses touching slightly.
"I love you" she whispered.
"I love you too"
He captured her lips again, then moved slowly down her neck, one hand cupping her cheek, the other one on the small of her back. She sighed, leaning her head on his hand, as her knees started to buckle. She let herself enjoy his attentions for a few seconds. He kept trailing kisses down her neck, sometimes suckling, sometimes nipping, sometimes just brushing against her skin, her scent inebriating his senses.
He stopped when he felt her small hand cupping his own, holding it in hers, while she left a few tender kisses on his palm and fingers. She wanted to kiss every single inch of his body that night.
His eyes teared up at the love and sweetness he felt in her gesture. With that same hand, he grazed her lips with a feather light touch, feeling them moist, as their gazes locked together once again.
She was so beautiful she took his breath away.
He kissed her again, her tongue exploring his mouth, his fingertips caressing every inch of her silky skin. She gasped when his lips brushed against his neck again, and his hands grabbed her bra straps, pulling them down her shoulders, his mouth following the path, then coming up again to linger in that soft spot between her neck and her shoulder. Judging by the sounds coming from her mouth, that was still a good spot.
His hands unclasped her bra, and he immediately removed it completely. Then, resuming the kiss, he picked her up and gently lay her on the bed.
His pupils dilated at the sight of her naked upper body. She was as stunning as he remembered. He bent down to kiss her again, first on her mouth, then down her throat, tasting her skin.
She moaned as he reached her left breast, his tongue lapping at her hardening nipple, while his cupped the other breast and massaged it gently. He kissed and licked his way from one nipple to the other, alternatively, giving equal attentions to both but lingering on the left one a little more. For some reason, it was more sensitive than the other. He remembered. He kept doing that for a while, just enjoying the sweet sounds that came from her mouth and that went straight to his dick, now hard against his jeans.
Soon she started writhing under him in pleasure, pressing her tights together, as the tension between them became harder to bear.
"Please" she whispered.
He smirked against her breast, knowing it was time to move south. He wanted to get her off, so many times that she wouldn't be able to get up aftterwards.
He kissed down her stomach and belly, following an imaginary path. His hands in the meantime where fumbling with her pants, and as soon as they were open, he pulled them away from her body together with her panties.
His breath caught in his throat, as he glanced up at her, now fully naked in front of him. He would never stop thinking how beautiful she was. Her corvine hair messily spread out on the pillow, her piercing grey eyes, her flushed cheeks, her soft lips, her chest rising rhythmically with her heavy breaths, her round breasts, her hard pink nipples still wet with his saliva, her flat stomach, her open vulva, her lean legs.
She was perfect. He drank in the sight of her for more time than he would have wished, when she suddenly closed her knees and looked away from him.
"I'm sorry, I… I didn't have time to shave…" she murmured, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. He had seen her naked thousands of times, but she'd always been always flawless for him. This time, it just slipped from her mind. She was hoping he wouldn't notice.
And he hadn't. Or he had, but he just couldn't care less. She could grow hair on every single part of her body, she could even grow scales or any other thing, and he still wouldn't care. As long as she was still Lisa Cuddy, and as long as she wanted him, he would desire her and make love to her every single night for the rest of his life, because he just loved her that much.
"I'll forgive you this time" he said instead, placing a light peck on her knee. She spread her legs for him again. She had heard his thoughts better than his words.
He immediately inhaled her scent. It was the most powerful aphrodisiac. His lips brushed softly against her inner thighs, closer and closer to where she needed them the most. When he finally made contact with her groin, she thrust her hips towards him. He pulled back. Not yet.
She groaned in lust and frustration when he ran the tip of his finger along her slit, before pushing it slowly inside her heated core. Her walls clenched around him, as she sighed in a mix of pleasure and discomfort. She was so tight, and not as wet as she used to be at this point, although she was clearly aroused. He didn't move his finger any further. He didn't want this to hurt, not even a little bit. Instead, he let his thumb run along her clit, while he used his other hand to fondle her left breast, and pinched her nipple.
"Yes" she uttered, arching her back off the bed.
This, she liked. He could feel her muscles relaxing and lubricating slowly around his finger.
He pumped very delicately at first, louder sobs escaping her mouth, then when he thought she was ready, he added another finger, his other hand still tweaking her nipple.
She cried his name.
As he pumped leisurely in and out of her, he let go of her breast to part her intimate folds and started lapping and sucking her clit, alternating long strokes to quick loops, making her moan and cry and buck her hips ruthlessly.
He loved her when she was so wild, he thought to himself, as both his mouth and fingers picked up a steadier pace. He kept going for a while, tasting her now abundant juices, bringing her a little further with every movement.
She was seeing stars, as the pleasure from her clit spread in waves through her whole body. He was fucking good at this. He knew exactly what she needed, what she wanted.
"I'm… I'm close…" she whispered.
He grinned against her. He already knew that. He had learned how her body worked, during the years, and he knew when she was close to orgasm. She would tug at the sheets, spread her legs wider and raise her hips and back as high as she could, she would hold her breath.
When she started doing just that, he sucked harder on her clit and added a third finger inside her.
With that further intrusion, her inner walls clenched hard and she came loudly, her whole body shaking. He stilled his movements, letting her ride her orgasm, enjoying the contractions of her body and the pride he felt in the fact that he was still able to please her after all. As she calmed down, he crawled back to her side, capturing her lips again. She smirked against his mouth as she felt his hard erection pressing against her hip.
They kissed a little longer, her tongue lazily exploring his mouth, while his hands squeezed her ass. He just couldn't get enough of her. He was going to cup her sex again, but she stopped him. She had other plans.
She rolled him on his back and started unbuttoning his jeans.
"Don't" he said. She removed her hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked. She didn't have to wait for an answer though, she knew perfectly well what he was thinking. She started placing light kisses on his shoulders, down the line of his clavicle then up his throat.
"Trust me… I love you" she whispered between kisses, as they reached his jaw.
He closed his eyes. Disappointing her was the last thing he wanted.
"Just let me do it, okay?" he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Can you… not watch?"
She nodded, not because she agreed with him, but because it was the only way. If he wasn't ready to do this, then she wouldn't pressure him. She shoved herself under the blanket, turned on the opposite side of where she could hear him fumbling with his clothes, and waited.
A couple of minutes later, he got under the blanket as well, now fully naked, his prosthetic leg leaning against the nightstand.
"I'm ready" he said "Let's get on with it"
His words expressed one thing, but they meant something else. Turning around, she noticed how tense he was. He was still looking at her, but without the fire and the lust she had seen there before.
"So? Are you going to jump my bones or not?" he asked, kind of annoyed.
It hurt a little to hear him talk like that. She didn't want this to be just a fuck, a soulless physical act. She wanted to make love to him. She wanted him to feel how much she loved him.
"I love you" she whispered.
Then she kissed him, tenderly, one hand cupping his cheek.
"I love you" she repeated. Her hand left his cheek and started its journey across his chest, casually brushing his nipples, tickling his soft hair. She could feel his nervousness fade slightly under her touch, and he started kissing her back, gently biting her lower lip.
His muscles contracted once again as she reached south of his navel. He flinched at the idea that she might touch his stump, that she was even thinking about it.
"Stay with me…" she murmured against his lips "let me love you"
With those words, she wrapped her fingers around his penis. It wasn't fully hard anymore, but she was glad that it wasn't fully soft either. She started stroking it slowly, careful not to hurt him, while her mouth left his and moved to his neck, taking his earlobe between her lips.
His breath became heavier. It looked like she too remembered his erogenous zones. With her teeth and tongue torturing his ear, and her hand pumping his growing erection, it became hard to think rationally. Not that there was anything to think about.
"I want to make you feel good" she whispered into his ear. After one last bite at his earlobe, she started moving away, agonizingly slowly, disappearing under the blanket, kissing all the way down through his throat and chest. He held his breath in anticipation as she nuzzled against the line of fine hair that connected his navel to his pube, and he pulled away the blanket. He didn't care about his leg anymore. The only thing he cared about was her mouth on his penis. As if she could read his thoughts, and maybe in this context she could, she did just that. She placed a few wet kisses along his length, to facilitate the movement of her hand, and then, when he less expected it, she flicked her tongue against his swollen head, once, and then again. He groaned. She hadn't touched it yet.
He instinctively tried to thrust his hips towards her face, but he couldn't. It turned out he didn't really have much mobility with just one leg.
However, before he could rationally acknowledge this, she took him in her mouth, inch by inch, her tongue stimulating the underside of his glans, where he liked it the most. He rolled his eyes in pleasure, as his moans became louder. Her mouth felt just so warm around him that he didn't know how long he could resist. He brought one hand on her head, to encourage her.
She bobbed her head up and down, sucking and licking, one of her hands following the movement, the other cupping his balls, applying a gentle pressure. When her jaw started to ache a little, she let his dick slid out of her mouth, while keeping the hand going, and she heard him groan in frustration at the sudden feeling of cold. She smirked. With the tip of her tongue, she traced the main vein from the base up, then she engulfed his head again, tasting the smallest trace of pre-come.
Once again, he tried to move his hips, but he failed. It was a good thing, though. He really couldn't take much more than this.
"Cuddy…" he said, a sob escaping his mouth as she hit again that spot with her tongue.
She knew him, and she knew what he wanted and needed now. It was the same for her. She removed her hands and mouth from him, and sat on his hips, moaning at the contact between her clit and the base of his penis.
Their eyes met for a moment. He pulled her down, aching to touch her. Their lips met in a deep kiss, while she guided his erection to her entrance and slowly sunk down on him.
They gasped, suddenly breathless. None of them moved for a few seconds. He cupped her cheek, wondering how he had managed to live for years without this, without her.
She kissed him again, as she began moving on him in a slow dance, her lips never really leaving his. She didn't really have much mobility in that position, but they were fine with that. They wanted it to last as long as possible.
When they felt they needed more, she pulled up, her hips now swinging freely. His mouth dried up at the sight of her body bouncing up and down on him, her breasts jiggling, her nipples impossibly hard. He let his hands slide up her body to touch them, tug them. She instantly threw her head back, a cry erupting from her mouth. He groaned as well. Her pleasure was such a turn on for him.
She started moving more quickly, less rhythmically, and her back arched all the way back in a sensual curve, in a desperate attempt to stimulate one very sweet spot inside of her. As she found it, she leaned on her arms back against his knees, her hips swirling furiously. She didn't even notice that one of her hands actually fell on his knee, while the other directly touched the mattress.
He didn't notice it either, because just a few seconds later, he felt her internal muscles squeeze him hard, a loud scream echoing in the room. Her second orgasm had hit her hard, and without the additional stimulation to her clit. He clenched his teeth and his hands in fists, trying to collect all the strength he had inside him to hold off his own pleasure. He could feel his own orgasm right there, ready to explode, but he didn't want this to finish yet. After a few seconds where he thought he was going to lose it, her pussy still contracting around him, he finally managed to get the situation under control.
She lay down on him, panting, and he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck hungrily, as she recovered from the orgasm, then he rolled her over. Or at least, he tried to. It took a couple of failed attempts before he could actually manage to do so, and he only succeeded because she helped him.
He ended up on top of her, all his weight leaning on his forearms, his penis still throbbing inside her. He started moving again. He pounded in her as vigorously as he could, but because of the missing support given by his leg, his thrusts were actually pretty weak and with a weird angulation. It was enough for him, who was behind of two orgasms and was already groaning in pleasure with his eyes shut, but it didn't do much for her. She tried shifting her hips, but she was literally trapped under his body, so there wasn't enough space to move around. So she focused on him. She kissed his neck, brushing his soft skin, feeling his pulsating artery under her lips, and caressed his chest, circling his nipples with her thumbs. They could become very sensitive when he was close to orgasm.
And right now, he was. She could feel it. She met his thrust with her hips, as well as she could. It was actually getting nice. Maybe, if they kept going like that for a long time, she would get something out of it eventually. But she could see he was right on the edge, so she started squeezing her inner muscles rhythmically around him, increasing his sensation of pleasure.
"Wait… d-don't…" he stammered, but she wouldn't stop.
He tried a couple of times to slide a hand between their bodies to touch her clit, in a last attempt to satisfy her, but he soon realized his arms were his only support at the moment, so he needed both of them where they were.
"Let it go" she whispered "come for me… I want to feel you coming inside me…"
Hearing those words, he just couldn't hold off any longer. He came with a loud groan, spilling his semen inside her, as he literally collapsed on her.
She welcomed him in her arms, one hand on his broad shoulders, the other massaging his scalp. Now that her rational mind was working again, she could also feel his stump against her right leg.
She found his mouth and kissed him. He was one incredible man.
After a couple of minutes, when she was starting to have troubles breathing, he rolled over on her side (once again, she helped him).
"You didn't come" was the first thing he said, his own breathing still labored.
"I did. Twice" she pointed out.
"There could have been a third time"
He was staring at the ceiling. He couldn't even get his woman off. He really was just a cripple. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he reached for the blanket that was creased under their feet and pulled it up to cover himself.
She stopped him, grabbing his hand.
"Look, I love you" she said "And I plan to have sex with you many more times… we'll think of something"
He couldn't help smirking. She really loved him, then. She didn't care about his leg. She loved him.
"Plus… if it really bothers you that I haven't come one last time… may I remind you that you still have two functional hands?" she added.
With those words, she spread her legs, and brought his hand to her sex, gasping at the contact.
He grinned. He started stimulating her swollen clit in circles with his thumb, shoving two fingers inside her pussy, while he placed wet kisses on her neck and jaw. She came quickly crying his name. He looked at her as she rode her third orgasm, licking his lips and cursing his age that made his refractory period so long.
"See?" she said as soon as she had enough air in her lungs "We'll think of something"
His heart swelled at those words. She loved him. And he loved her, so much. He pressed a kiss on her lips, then he enveloped her in his arms, hugging her as tight as he could. She was the best thing that could ever happen to him, she made every single aspect of his life better just with her mere existence. He would never let her go again.
"You're the most incredible woman I've ever known" he whispered in her ear.
She giggled.
"Hey, that's my line!" she said with fake annoyance. He squeezed her even tighter.
They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other's closeness.
"Do you still jog?" he asked at some point.
"Sometimes… why?"
"Let's go jogging together in the morning"
She distanced herself from him enough to look at him in the eyes.
"Are you… serious?" she asked carefully. If he was serious about this, it would mean a lot. It would mean that he was willing to let her in completely, even see his struggles in broad daylight. It would mean he wanted her help. It would mean he trusted her, fully and deeply.
"Yes" he nodded. It was a very weird feeling, that he'd never felt before with anyone, not even with Wilson, or with Stacy, or with Cuddy before now. He felt he could be himself with her. He felt he didn't need to hide things from her. He felt safe with her. For some people, it was a normal step. For him, it was a huge one.
They both knew it. She kissed him again, with all the love she had for him.
They covered themselves with the blanket, and stayed there, alternating cuddles and make-out sessions, occasionally thinking of the good old days where they could have sex even twice or more in one night. They fell asleep soon, both naked, both thinking their embrace was the best place to be.
The morning after, House woke up very early and drove home to get a few workout clothes, and also a few normal but clean ones, just in case they ended up doing more physical activity after the jog. Afterwards, he drove back to her place, and found her there waiting for him and ready to go.
"So, let's go?" she said with a wide grin. He nodded. He felt unusually positive about this.
It was a chilly morning outside, it had rained the whole night and the sky was still grey with clouds. She took him to a nice park behind her house, where there were less people, although it was pretty early so there weren't many anyway.
They just walked at first, then they gradually increased their speed, and suddenly, he was running. It felt amazing. He had missed it so much, and he was actually surprised that he still hadn't fallen over.
A part of him wanted to go faster, wanted to feel the breeze, wanted to hear his heartbeat in his ears. He knew he could, he was just afraid. So he settled for his current speed, focusing on breathing regularly and deeply to increase his resistance.
After a few minutes, Cuddy, who had been exactly at his side the whole time, started running just a little faster, and ended up a few inches ahead of him. He smirked, and caught up with her. He could be short of one leg, but he wasn't going to lose against a woman, even though she was honestly faster and more trained than him. Then she did it again, and once again he caught up. The third time, she run well ahead of him. His breath was still under control, so he could have caught up, but something was stopping him. Last time he pushed his limits, it didn't end very well.
Suddenly, she turned around, facing him but without interrupting her pace.
"Come on!" she shouted "you can do better than that!"
You can do better.
He finally understood what she was doing. She wasn't challenging him. She was helping him challenging himself.
He speeded up, just a little bit, and then a little bit more. He felt damn proud of himself when he finally reached her, although he recognized she had slowed down slightly to meet him.
They ran side by side for a while. Everything seemed just perfect, until he stepped on some mud with his prosthetic leg and before he could realize it he was face down on the path.
He could hear her stop, but she didn't speak.
There it was, the moment he had dreaded the whole time, the moment in which his failure would be more than evident. It took him a few seconds before he found the courage to look up.
He was expecting to see a worried expression on her face, maybe a pitying one because the poor cripple couldn't even handle a jog in the park.
Instead, she had one hand over her mouth, trying to cover up a giggle.
"It's not funny" he stated.
"You slipped on dog poop" she said, chuckling "Like Goofy on a banana peel"
"It was mud"
"It was dog poop… wet dog poop" she repeated, this time laughing.
He couldn't help laughing too. He really thought it was just mud.
"It's not my fault if some morons didn't pick it up" he said, slowly standing up.
Her eyes opened wide as she saw him. The front of his sweatshirt and pants was totally completely covered in mud, real mud this time. Maybe going for a run in the park after a rainy night hadn't been such a good idea.
She laughed harder. This really felt like a comic scene from a cartoon.
Feeling a little mocked, he got closer to her.
"I could really use some affection right now" he said, opening his arms to ask for an hug.
She jumped away, still laughing.
"You're not going to touch me while you're covered in mud!" she said.
He got even closer, making a pouty face, his arms still spread wide.
She ran away playfully, and he chased her.
Suddenly, he didn't care about falling anymore. He could fall down a thousand times more, but as long as he could run, and as long as she was there with him, he would get up and start over again.
At some point while they were jogging, they decided to take the morning off ("like last time", he had said). Cuddy wasn't very happy at first, but then she agreed. Afterwards, she also brought up the conference in Paris again, reminding him that he needed to take a decision soon, because she had to RSVP. He said he was thinking about it.
"What would you say to hot bath?" she asked, once they arrived home at her place.
"If it involves you being naked, I'm in…" he replied, kissing her tenderly.
However, as they stepped into her bathroom, he noticed one little detail: there were no grab bars around. Obviously. But how was he supposed to sit in the bathtub without them?
She had already opened the water when she realized he was having some concerns.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Yes… I just don't think this is a good idea"
"What? Why not?"
"This new leg… it's not really waterproof. I mean, showers are fine, but I don't think it can… you know, handle a whole bath"
House had chosen to give her this answer instead of the real one. Not that this one was a lie, but it was evident it wasn't all of it. He was supposed to remove the prosthesis, as he did all the times he took a bath, but he wasn't sure he could get in the bathtub without hurting himself. He couldn't be short of both one leg and grab bars. He needed to have at least one of them.
"I can help you" she said "or at least I can try"
She had understood the problem, even though he hadn't actually voiced it, and that left him surprised. She really knew him too well.
Contrary to what she expected, he agreed to accept her help. He just wasn't going to miss the opportunity of taking a hot bath with her.
She smiled at the idea that he was letting her in.
They removed their clothes, throwing them on the corner of the room. She couldn't help staring at him as he stood completely naked in front of her. She had seen him naked the night before, but it had been different, it had been sexual. Right now, it wasn't, not really, not yet. She glanced at his prosthetic leg, the miracle of technology that earlier had allowed him to run again. Honestly, it looked way less weird than she had imagined. He looked as handsome as usual, to her. But maybe it had nothing to do with the presence or absence of his leg. She just loved him.
"You're… beautiful" she whispered, before wrapping her arms around him and pressing a light kiss on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, and feel the slightest hint of an erection against her lower abdomen.
Right now, under the artificial light of her bathroom, he too could see all her little flaws. Her black hair, on the top of her head, was not really black anymore, sign that she'd been dyeing it. Her breasts, affected by gravity, were sagging slightly against her chest. She had a hint of cellulite on the back of her thighs, and some varicose veins on her calves. Her skin in general had become kind of wrinkly, especially on her face and neck. None of this could possibly make her less beautiful in his eyes, though.
He hugged her back. She just looked so tiny to him when she wasn't wearing heels.
Soon they started getting goosebumps because of the cold, so they parted, ready to get on with the bath.
He sat on the edge of the bathtub and started to remove his prosthesis, when she kneeled in front of him and put her hands above his.
He flinched for a moment, but then finished his task. It wasn't really the most comfortable situation. He was sitting there, fully naked, sweaty and stinky from the run, his nipples hard from the cold, his penis almost completely flaccid. He rarely felt so exposed before. But, he had to admit, he was fine with whatever she was going to do. She loved him. He was safe with her.
She put a hand on the bare skin of his stump, first on his thigh, or what was left of it. It was slightly bigger than the other thigh, probably because of all the physical therapy he had to do. She remembered the scar that used to be there. Then she moved her hand down, until she reached the point where the cut was made. She could feel his muscles contracting under her touch, so she removed her hand. Like it often happened with scar tissue, the end of his stump was probably oversensitive.
To balance her actions, she reached the back of his left knee and brushed it lightly with her fingertips. She knew that was a good spot. Then, she let both her hands travel up his body, until they reached his shoulders, and she stood up.
"So, are we getting in or not?" she asked softly, bending over to kiss his lips.
He kissed her back, and nodded.
He stepped inside the bathtub with his leg, holding on to her, and he went to sit down slowly, carefully. Her arms were wrapped around his torso, his around her neck. This wasn't an easy task. He was physically much bigger and heavier than her, but she used all the strength she had to avoid him falling. She was like his rock.
When his ass finally touched the bottom of the bathtub, creating a few small waves in the water, he lose her grip around her and she sighed in relief.
"That was tough" she commented panting, as she stepped into the bathtub and sat between his legs, leaning on his chest.
The feeling of the warm water against her cold skin was so nice, but not as nice as his arms wrapping around her or his mouth placing small kisses along her jawline.
"Thanks" he whispered in her ear. He had expected this to feel pathetic and emasculating, but it actually hadn't. It was hard to describe. He just felt like they were two members of the same team. "But maybe try to hold a little tighter next time, I didn't really feel safe"
She scoffed.
"Excuse me? You're twice my size!"
He smirked. He still enjoyed upsetting her sometimes.
"I'll definitely get grab bars" she added, as he kept nuzzling against her neck.
They stayed there a while, relishing each other and the hot water. Soon his touch on her body started getting less tender and more sensual.
"You're too hot" he said, taking her earlobe between his lips.
She couldn't help grinning. "Hot damn!"
He grinned too against her skin. "I'll call the police and the firemen"
They giggled. It was one of Rachel's favorite songs.
His hands started to roam her body, and cupped her breasts. She wrapped her arms around his neck to give him a better access, and felt his growing erection against the small of her back. He played with her now hard nipples, as she threw her head back against his shoulder and involuntarily spread her legs as much as possible.
He accepted the invitation.
They made love again, kissing each other, touching each other, never having enough of it. They came together, their moans muffled by their kisses.
He held her in his arms as they both recovered from their orgasm, her chin resting on his shoulder, his fingers dancing along her spine. After a while, she broke the silence.
"So… what about the conference in Paris?"