Disclaimer: I don't own the House M.D. characters.
This is a post "Sport's Medicine" story.
It's been a week since their night of bonding with over-grown painted trucks.
When she'd found out about monster trucks earlier on Friday from one of her clinic patients she didn't think there was a chance in hell she'd enjoy the evening. She had agreed to go based on her growing crush on her boss. Dr. Gregory House. He was the head of diagnostic medicine, and was a prickly recluse who given the chance wouldn't meet 99% of his patients. But there was something about him, a fellow tortured soul. She wanted to reach out to him it wasn't pity she felt for him over his pain and cane situation. It seemed to just add character in her view. He was a mean grump and god damn it she wanted to be the person who wouldn't let him get away with it.
The problem was he was her boss. But fuck it she thought where else did you meet men if not at work and at work dating a co-worker had to be as volatile as dating the boss.
She'd been surprised when he'd invited her along to the monster truck show. But she'd gone because any other time she'd tried to establish a fun or even borderline personal relationship with him like at Christmas or his birthday he'd always just blown it off.
She'd gone with him to the Monster Truck show and had worn a top exposing her cleavage and low-rise jeans for his pleasure. She'd had a blast. He'd even bought her cotton candy and shared hers in a flirty manner she thought they were getting somewhere. The evening had ended with him dropping her off with a playful grin.
But the next day it wasn't mentioned it was a busy day they got a new case but still not one word. So she'd accepted that and moved on past thinking something could happen between them.
Which is why Cameron was so surprise when Dr. Wilson approached her at lunch.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" He inquired.
"Is there a problem with Hannah?" She asked referring to the girl who'd come in that morning with confusing symptoms that she'd sent to Oncology.
"No actually I heard you're the one House ended up taking to the truck rally." He started.
"Yeah." She said skeptically wondering where this was going since Wilson seemed to be the only one House was really close with.
"I was just curious if he seemed alright to you Friday night?" He asked her.
"Yeah he was behaving normally, since then though he seems in a bit of a mood but I don't think I had anything to do with that we actually had a good time at the rally." She admitted.
"So nothing happened?" He finally asked.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
"You like him he has a grumpy charm that some girls seem to go for." He said.
"Nothing happened, we just went to the rally had a good time and that was it." She told him.
"Alright I was just wondering he's been in a mood." He told her.
Later that evening she decided that the conversation with Wilson gave her the excuse she needed to go talk to House.
When she entered his office he looked up. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I thought I'd stop by watch the OC with you before I headed home." She snapped back, he gave her a questioning look.
"You're a day late and you're lying." He said.
"Wilson asked me about Friday." She told him trying honestly.
"The weather?" He asked.
"About the Monster Truck Show, about us." She told him getting a bit pissed off.
"It was an enjoyable evening." He said simply, "The show was great."
"I told him it was fun and I didn't go home with you." She said.
"You probably would have been better off making up a story about a torrid affair then he wouldn't think you were so prude." He told her.
"You've been an ass all week, and even colder to me. I had a good time Friday night, so I don't think it's because of that. What is it?" She asked.
He just stared at her for a minute. "Leg pain." He suggested lifting his cane up to her. She grabbed it.
"Ok how about you try a real answer." She repeated calmly.
He didn't know what to say he couldn't figure out why she was still here and why she hadn't left mad as he'd tried to provoke her since she entered his office.
And now she was holding his cane, her fingers were gripping it tightly.
"Nothings been bothering me I've been my own charming self." He said. "Were you expecting me to pass you notes before study hall and hold your hand in the hallway." He noticed her hands clench on the stick and bit his tongue and grabbed for his bottle of painkillers but she grabbed it before he could. He just stared at her again.
She was now standing on the other side of his desk with his pills in one hand and his cane in the other.
"Care to sit down." He invited not knowing how to deal with her.
She sat. Her expression was calm and serious but her eyes betrayed her with a hurt look.
'I was gonna grab some food at the pub on North Street on my way home. You want to bring along my belongings?" He asked.
She just looked at him for a minute baffled.
"Leaving now?" She asked.
"As soon as I get back my cane." He told her. And she stood up pocketed his bottle of pills and handed him back his cane his hand brushing hers and she kept her gaze averted.
She doesn't know how she ended up across from him in the booth the last thing she remembered was arguing in his office and him mentioning food.
"I'm an asshole." He told her.
"I know." She said looking at him. He was older then her by about 15 years, but she didn't care he had deep blue eyes and they were kind with some sadness. His face was scruffy but it was handsome too his body she knew would be fit from his muscle therapy for his leg. And his hair well her hands wanted to trail through it then down his chest.
"I just wanted to make sure." He said.
"You're mean and harsh. You like to hurt people almost as much as you need to save them." She said.
"Don't romanticize it. I'm not nice." He said.
"No you're not. Not everyone needs nice." She told him as he grabbed one of her fries.
"Your husband, he was nice." He started.
"Yes." She answered.
"How long ago did it happen?" He asked and she knew he meant her husband's death.
"Six years." She said. "We had two." She told him.
"And now you want what with me?" He asked.
She didn't know how to respond she never thought in a million years he would ask a question like that.
"I don't know." She answered honestly.
"I wouldn't make it easy." He said.
And then it popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. "I don't want something easy, I want something real and hard. I wanna feel something." She told him knowing he'd understand the feeling of numbness that smothered you.
He didn't know how to respond to her honesty.
The rest of the evening they just talked about work and the monster trucks.
He gave her a ride home and she just got out of the car and went inside, not ready to try to get anything more from him not willing to suffer from more of his rejection.
The next day he was just as gruff as usual. But on her way out she heard him come up behind her, she stopped when she heard the tapping of his cane getting closer.
"Leaving?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered.
"I'll give you a ride." He said.
"Alright." She agreed.
When they got to her house he got out of the car with her and walked her to the door.
When she turned to look at him he just said, ….