A/N: OK, I've decided this story is going to end soon. No more than 10 chapters I think.

Chapter 7: No Future

Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was as normal as ever. Doctors and nurses turned up for work and went home. Patients were admitted, patients were discharged; some patients got better, some didn't.

Cuddy worked as hard as usual, strutting from one end of the hospital to the other with the sound of her high heeled shoes echoing, letting everybody know that the boss was coming their way.

House continued work normally too; which, for House, included watching General Hospital between the hated clinic hours, examining idiotic patients and cracking the most puzzling of medical cases with his genius.

House and Cuddy hadn't seen each other properly again since. They were working around the clock and they saw one another at the hospital between nine and five. Neither of them mentioned the thing that had happened between them to each other or anyone else.

After another working week, House found Cuddy alone in her office. She looked up as he came in and stood in front of her desk.

"House, what is it?" House sat down on one of the couches in her office. He stretched his bad leg out to the side for a more comfortable position and gazed up at Cuddy.

"We need to talk," he said simply.

"I don't see what we could possibly need to talk about," she said.

"You're bluffing," he said. A smile flickered across her face. "We need to talk about us." He paused for Cuddy to say something.

"House. There is no 'us'. It was a one night stand, that's all." She was busily shifting papers and files, not looking at him.

"When I say 'us', I mean our relationship," he explained. "Whether it be a working relationship, a friendship, or, something more."

"It's nothing more," she said. "Friends is pushing it, but we'll leave it there."

"Now I'm hurt," he sniffed dramatically. "You're my oldest friend, Lisa Cuddy. Certainly not my best friend. But my oldest. And I think we're more than friends."

"Well, we're not."

"You see, I disagree."

"I never would have guessed," she muttered under her breath.

"I would dismiss it as a one night stand, if, it had only happened once."

"We were drunk the first time."

"I totally agree. That would be a one night stand. But the next time? Or are we just gonna call it a two night stand? Unless, you wanted to redo it because the first time you were too pissed to remember. Like a replay 'cause we didn't catch it the first time. But I'm also willing to bet you did remember and you enjoyed it so much that you wanted more. God I'm good." He smirked.

"House," she said sharply, looking up. "Why are you here?" He hoisted himself up and walked around her desk.

"Stand up," he commanded. She didn't move. "C'mon, c'mon!" He gestured urgently. She stood up. He took a step closer towards her. "Now. I want you to tell me if this changes anything. Don't move," he warned quickly as she began to protest. "Just let me do this."

He leant his cane against her desk and took a step so that he was right up against her. The he placed his hands on her waist, leaned in and kissed her. He kissed her gently at first and then more deeply. She had been ordered not to move, but she closed her eyes and tangled her tongue and lips with his, kissing him back. Then he opened his eyes and looked expectantly at her.

"Well?" he asked.

"House," she shook her head, placing her hands on her hips and turning away from him. "It doesn't change anything, no."

"But you kissed me back!" he protested.

"Just because I am sexually attracted to you and every time I see you I get turned on doesn't make the basis for a relationship."

"I've always liked you, Lisa," he said suddenly. She looked at him, surprised. "Ever since college. But, right now, in this room, I like you more than ever. Right now, I don't want to have sex with you, I just want you to like me." Cuddy stared at him in disbelief.

"I like you too, House. But," she put her head in her hand. "Greg. What are we supposed to do? Where do you think this will end? You're talking about a relationship. There's never going to be that for us. Marriage and kids; that's never going to happen. Living together; we'd kill each other. We won't be able to be together and work together. There's no future!" House took Cuddy's face in his hands and kissed her forehead and her cheeks and her nose which relaxed her into his touch. Then he held her face, eyes connected.

"Then we'll make it up as we go along." Cuddy couldn't help herself from laughing. She smoothed her hair and smiled. Then she fell into him and gave him a big hug. He squeezed her tightly.

Cuddy noticed something over his shoulder. There was somebody outside, peering through the glass door. Actually, there were two people there. Foreman and Chase jumped back from the glass and hurried away. How long they had been watching, who knew?