The Morning After
Cameron awoke, consciously keeping her eyes closed.
Was it a dream? she thought.
She moved experimentally; exhausted aching muscels answered shouting in protest. Her unclothed skin brushing soft cotton sheets that weren't her own.
If that was anything to go by then it was certainly not a dream. Both of her hands reached out; one finding the edge of the thick mattress, the other a slight dip in the soft bedding tinged with the warmth of its previous occupant.
So it had happened then. She had spent the night with House at his place. And had god only knows how many orgasms while they made love. It was officially one, if not the, most erotic night of her life.
But where was House? Or rather, Greg?
"Greg?" she called glancing around the room.
No answer. Empty.
"Greg?" she said a little louder gazing down the hallway.
No reply.
Not a sight or sound of the house's owner.
Wrapping one of the bed sheets around her small frame she explored the apartment calling his name all the while.
Still no reply. No House.
Padding back to the bedroom she sat dejectedly on the large bed.
He was gone. He had left her. Walked from his own apartment to get away from her.
She noticed her clothes laid out tidily on the end of the bed. Almost thoughtful she thought, but in his absence it felt impartial and cold. She felt shunned, her things collected together away from the objects that made his house a home and close to her so she could get ready quickly and leave just as soon.
She was almost close to tears.
Last night was beautiful, fantastic, perfect even and the thought of it tainted by a cold morning was heartbreaking.
A single tear made its way down her cheek and landed on her clasped hands.
It was then that she heard the sound of the front door bursting open, then being hastily closed.
She stopped instantly as fear ripped through her broken heart. With House's absence the only options were Wilson or a burglar.
By the sounds of the person making their way slowly through the apartment, a burglar was far more likely.
Fear coursed through her, her imagination on override at all the possibilities of an intruder discovering her in her current state.
She shivered as her soul froze over and she moved as quietly as possible to stand behind the door of the room, pulling the door further open so that she was enclosed in a tight dark relatively concealed corner in the hope that the intruder would pass her by.
Loud sounds came from down the hall, before footsteps drew closer. She tried to quieten her breathing and slow her heart beat as she saw a tall figure prowl towards the bedroom in the dimly lit hallway. She noted that he was too tall and broad to be Wilson.
The footsteps came to a stop just inside the room, all there was between she and him was a flimsy wooden door. She held her breath as her heart beat so fast it felt as if it was humming.
"Allison?" a familiar voice enquired.
20 minutes earlier...
Gregory House, for the first time in a long time woke up thoroughly content and exhausted after a hot passionate night with the gorgeous naked woman who was snuggled into his embrace.
Glancing at his alarm clock he saw it was almost six. He reached across and turned is off before it beeped an intrusion on this perfect morning.
He wanted to stay exactly where he was forever and a day but nature called and a familiar tang of aching stiffness shot through his thigh calling for movement.
With a soft kiss on her exposed shoulder he deftly moved his arms from around the sleeping beauty with only the slightest moan from her at the disturbance and lack of warmth.
The cool morning wrapped around his naked form and he stepped into bathroom. He returned to the bedroom five minutes later with a towel in hand scrubbing at his short hair and damp skin, in the other their shirts and jackets collected from the floor of his lounge.
He tossed his shirt in the laundry basket along with last nights boxers and socks.
He put on fresh underwear, the dark jeans that had landed across the mirror on his dresser last night and a crumpled black shirt from his closet.
Padding around his room barefoot he gathered up Cameron's clothes laying them at the foot of the bed. Her small white thongs the only thing missing from the small pile of mixed fabrics. They were hidden carefully in a pair of rolled up socks in their designated drawer. He was quite sure that he'd never hear the end of it from her, but it was worth it in his opinion.
It was a momentous occasion and he wanted a keepsake.
Resting his hands on the edge of the bed, he watched her sleep for the longest time. The sound of her soft breaths and the rise and fall of her chest all intoxicating and hypnotic to him. With a glance at the alarm clock, he turned from the room.
She sighed loudly in relief, slumping against the solid wall at her back. Her eyes closed as tears threatened to fall once again.
House closed the bedroom door setting two cups on the dresser at her side.
"God! What's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. His hands rubbing her upper arms in attempt to bring heat and color to her ashen and cool skin.
"I thought you were a burglar. I thought you'd left me." she whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek.
His thumb absorbed the salty droplet before drawing her shivering body into a crushing embrace.
"Nothing bad will happen to you while I'm here." he promised, kissing her forehead and then looking into her eyes. "I don't plan on going anywhere for a long while yet."
He picked her up gently; her head buried in the crook of his neck and carried her to the bed. He held her to him until her warmth and color returned.
"Are you ok?" he asked still concerned, his hands moving through her hair in what he hope was a claming motion.
"Yeah." she replied, better though still a little shakily, "Where did you go?"
"The coffee shop down the street. I wanted to get coffee for you for a change." he murmured.
She smiled at his thoughtfulness and instantly felt young, naive and silly for jumping to so many conclusions.
"I'm sorry." she said unable to look him in the eye.
"What the have you got to be sorry for?" he said slightly incredulously.
She looked bashful murmuring, "I thought you'd left me."
"Understandable." he said staring at ahead into the middle distance. "I'm not nice. Ah!" he said pointing a finger when she took a breath to interrupt him. Only continuing after she nodded and settled further into his embrace.
"I'm not nice, even my best, and only friend, thinks I'm a bastard so it's easy to think I'd leave. And with me not actually here when you woke up then I'm really not surprised. But you're here now and you've stood by me so many times before; despite my numerous and many faults you are still in my arms. You believe in me, quite often when I've given up all hope myself. I'm glad you're still here." he finished smiling and looking into her eyes.
"Me too." she said giving him a sweet soft kiss.
"Coffee?" he asked nodding in the direction of the rapidly cooling takeaway cups.
"Maybe later." she said seductively, her lips moving to the pulse point on his neck.
"Later?" he said incredulously, "We're supposed to be at work in half an hour."
"Half an hour!" she practically screamed in his ear, jumping from his lap and winding him." In need to get back to my place." she said taking off the sheet and reaching for her clothes.
"Nuh uh." he said wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to sit on his lap, his face burying in her hair until he found the skin at the back of her neck. "Wear what you wore last night. With all the buttons done on that blouse of your's and stay right here for at least ten minutes."
His stubble brushing her soft skin causing her to shiver and grind her hips against his growing erection.
"Ten minutes? What can we do in ten minutes?"
"Oh ye of little faith." he said before capturing her lips.
23 blissful minutes and 2 orgasms later Cameron was getting dressed as House poured cold coffee down the sink.
"Greg?" she called.
"Yeah?"
"Where's my underwear?"