Chapter 4: Time Goes By
House and Cuddy lasted another week in submission, ignoring each other no more than usual, only avoiding each other a little bit more than usual, but going about their jobs calmly and casually. When they absolutely had to speak, they did so with the usual amount of sarcasm and insults and with only a few awkward moments when the memories of what they'd done came flooding back.
House burst through Cuddy's office door with his cane. He took her totally by surprise, strolling up to her desk.
"I need to do an MRI on Mr. Sin." He waited patiently for an answer.
"Sure," Cuddy replied. "Why ask? That's not like you at all."
"People change," House shrugged.
"You don't," Cuddy pointed out.
"Hmmm," House agreed nonchalantly and turned away. Cuddy felt slightly disappointed as he left. It was almost as if she wanted him to argue with her, or do something else. Stop it! she chided herself.
House was sitting in his office, alone, thinking deeply. He enjoyed thinking deeply. He did it most of the time. His thoughts strayed across Cuddy several times, but were quickly diverted.
Another night, House went back to the bar and drank himself into a stupor again. It was such a different thing to be with company than to be alone. It was not unusual for him to do this monthly, but twice in less than one week was abnormal.
Cuddy sat at her desk. She spent a lot of time at her desk. She had always spent a lot of time at her desk. Doing paperwork by herself was her thing. For some reason, it wasn't as satisfying to be alone anymore. She'd never enjoyed living alone immensely. Nobody enjoyed being alone all the time, but some people were just meant to be by themselves. Maybe House liked being alone. But it wasn't as if he'd never been in a serious relationship before. It wasn't as if he was inexperienced in any way. Wait. Why was she thinking about this? She should be thinking about the paperwork. Just the paperwork. Putting her head down, she continued.
House lounged around on his sofa, both his legs up and a celeb magazine taking up all of his attention. He concentrated on his reading and pushed certain other things out of his mind. He was taken by surprise when there was a tentative knock at the door. He wondered who it could be, but assumed it must be Wilson because he was the only person who ever called at House's place. Not bothering to look through the view hole in the door, he opened it wide and found himself face to face with Cuddy.
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