Hi guys! Here's a new drabble. It's set before season 7 and it might be a bit out of character, but I hope you'll like it anyway. Please don't hesitate to leave a review and let me know what you think :)

80. I'll pick you up at the airport.

"Heard about that volcanic eruption in Iceland," House said into the phone, between two fistfuls of popcorn. "Were you able to escape in time?"

Cuddy sighed into the phone. "All flights are grounded until further notice," she groaned. She was in Europe for a medical conference and was supposed to fly home that day. "At least I was able to hold onto my hotel room. What the hell are you eating?"

"Popcorn."

"It's nine in the morning where you are."

"So? I'm having breakfast."

"Ugh."

The cat being away, he of course hadn't set foot in the hospital for four days. The new interim dean, not wanting to deal with him anyway, just let him be. Now he should rejoice of those extra couple days of the boss being away, but… he had to admit that he missed her. A little bit. Well, he missed looking at her cleavage, he told himself. And her ass. Definitely her ass.

"How's it going at the hospital?"

He smirked. She just couldn't help herself.

"They didn't tell you? The basement flooded. The MRI machines are fucked."

"What!" she shrieked. He chuckled. "Oh, you're an ass!"

"I actually have no idea what's going on at the hospital."

"Means you haven't been there since I left. Good," she sighed. "You're the biggest danger to this hospital. At least I can sleep on both ears until I can get back."

"Hey! Words can hurt, you know," he said as he pretended to be offended. Silence followed. She sighed.

"I'm heading back to my hotel room. The airline will let me know when I have a flight. No point staying at the airport…"

He heard the boredom in her voice and felt grateful he wasn't stuck there with her. However, much to her surprise and his, they kept calling each other every few hours. It distracted her from the fact that she had nothing to do, and it distracted him from the fact that he missed her. Sometimes he called for no other reason than bantering with her, and she called for no other reason than to pretend to try and get him to at least take a case.

After three days, she called him in the middle of the night – her time – to let him know she was finally boarding a flight. She sounded exhausted and eager to go home, although she would be landing in Newark before dawn. She had been gone for nearly ten days now, and he realised they hadn't been apart from each other that long since she had hired him.

"I'll pick you up at the airport," he assured her, telling himself he was doing her a favour; he could make the most of her tiredness and ask in return a month without clinic duty, perhaps even more.

But they both knew better.

"How much time off clinic duty are you going to ask for that? Just so I can prepare myself for when you actually ask."

He smirked.

Eight hours later, she was walking towards him in the Newark terminal, rolling her suitcase behind her. They didn't hug, but he saw in her eyes how happy she was to see him first after her trip.

"I'd take your luggage," he greeted her. "But you know, cripple and all."

She had a weak smile. "It's fine, House."

They headed to the parking lot without a word. She tucked her suitcase in the trunk of his car, settled in the passenger seat, and fell asleep in minutes.