Chapter 45:
"She's pissed, Greg. Apologize to her."
After ending their dance twenty minutes ago, House and Cuddy were outside by the front lobby doors of the hospital in the cool, brisk night air. Cuddy was pacing back and forth with purpose as House merely sat on the black cold metal bench, tapping the rubber sole of his cane that sat in between his legs on a snowless spot on the ground.
"I will," House told her.
Cuddy stopped pacing and looked at him, disbelievingly. "No you won't, she snorted in disgust and shook her head.
House outstretched his hand to her. "If that's what you want, then I'll do it," he said sincerely, as he lifted his eyes to meet hers.
"Come here," he said quietly, after a moment's silence.
Placing her hand in his, Cuddy allowed herself to be pulled to the bench where the diagnostician was sitting.
After Cuddy had sat down, House wrapped his right arm around her, cupping his palm around the shape of her pelvic bone, stroking it in a tender slow fashion. "If you want me to apologize to her, then consider it done," he told her sincerely. "I just don't want you getting any more upset and stressed than you are already, okay?" he continued quietly.
"What didn't you want me to know?" Cuddy asked bluntly, ignoring his statement, as she turned her body partially to face his on the bench.
House gave her a confused look.
"Inside before," she explained in clarification, "…when you were talking to Wilson, you said something like 'Don't tell Lisa…' "
Exhaling softly through his nose, House looked away from her and directed his gaze towards the ground. "It's nothing," he mumbled, "forget it."
She kept her eyes on him, waiting for an explanation. "Greg," she started softly, "…I don't like it when you keep things from me-."
Annoyed but not meaning to take anything out on her, House swung his head in Cuddy's direction. "I'm worried okay?" he blurted out, causing her to stop talking and take a breath of surprise.
"I'm worried for you, and I'm worried for our unborn son," he said, his voice straining as he went on. "All the stress you're under, I just…I just…want everything to be okay," he whispered, his voice cracking as he struggled to finish the last few words.
Greatly taken aback, Cuddy said nothing, as her breath caught in her throat, causing her throat to tighten with the words she had just heard. Reaching her hand out, she rested it on his thigh, squeezing it gently.
Meanwhile, House was looking anywhere but at her, wiping his face with his hand, embarrassed.
"…hey," Cuddy whispered, gently, "look at me."
No response. She tried again, placing her hand on his cheek.
"Greg, it's okay…" she whispered, searching his eyes, "I know you hate people seeing through you, but please Greg, please don't do this with me…ok?" She felt as though she was almost pleading with him.
Immediately caught off guard when House cupped her cheek and caught her lips in a hard possessive kiss, she immediately responded and without breaking the kiss, moving her hands to the back of his neck, caressing the nape of his neck with her fingertips.
After a few minutes, House reluctantly broke apart from her lips for air, but still caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"I'm sorry," he told her, softly.
Letting her eyes travel down his face, taking in his memorizing icy blue eyes, Cuddy was silent for a second before speaking.
"For what?" she asked him, "for showing your girlfriend you have a human side? Which by the way, she already knew because if she didn't, god knows why she wouldn't be madly in love with you enough to carry your kid for nine months," she joked, as she talked about herself in the third person.
Throwing his head back, House let out a laugh. "Is that so?" he asked, as he let his hand rest on Cuddy's stomach.
Letting his other hand caress her cheek, running his thumb and forefinger along her smooth jawline. "I love you," he said, softly.
Simply caught breathless from the way he was looking at her right now, Cuddy felt her heart hammering a million miles a minute in her chest as her eyes found his.
"I love when you say that," she whispered, as she ran her fingertips against the scruff on his face.
"I know you do," he told her quietly. After a few seconds of silence, he broke away from her gaze and consulting his watch, he said, "We should go back in. It's almost the new year, which means," he added with a slight smirk, which then turned unto a wicked grin, "that I have an excuse AND permission to publically grope you in front of your employees and get away with it."
Cuddy snorted. "Uhm, no. You're not."
"I'd like to see you stop me," House retorted, as he stood up from the bench, grabbed his cane and reached for Cuddy's hand to assist her in standing.
When she didn't stand up right away when he grabbed her hand, he looked down at her, silently, questionably waiting.
"Greg." She spoke in a quiet tone of voice, as her dark green-gray eyes found his electrifying blue ones.
"Are you okay?", she asked him, still maintaining the soft spoken, even tone of concern.
House swallowed and met her gaze, locking eyes. "For the moment, yes."
That was it. That was as close as she was going to get to the truth. And she was okay with that response.
Giving his hand a small gentle squeeze, she allowed herself to be pulled up to an upright position and, keeping her hand tightly in his, she and House both retreated back inside the hospital lobby.
"Alright, Princeton Plainsboro," the lead singer of the band shouted into the microphone on the stage, as he addressed the 300 plus employees that were scattered on the dance floor and the areas adjacent.
"It's almost the New Year. When I give the signal, we start counting down from ten, okay? I want it to be so incredibly loud that we can hear the walls rumble, do you hear me?"
"I wonder how much that guy got paid to say that," House murmured in Cuddy's ear. They, along with a majority of people there, were standing on the makeshift wooden dance floor facing the stage. House's cane was hanging on his arm and both arms were wrapped around Cuddy's waist as he held her close.
"Oh shut up, Greg," Cuddy scolded him, but she was laughing all the same, as everyone else around them clapped and whistled enthusiastically.
A few yards away were Cameron and Foreman, along with two other rather attractive looking women who were both trying desperately, maybe a little too so, to get Foreman's attention. Cameron met his eyes nonchalantly and smirked.
The countdown began as the lights were dimmed to an overcast glow provided by a giant disco ball in the center of the room.
When the clock struck midnight, cheers and positively deafening whistles and shouts shook the interior walls of the hospital.
Cuddy's lips immediately met House's as she gripped the back of his neck, pulling him as close to her as space could possibly allow. He immediately responded by deepening the kiss as his hands gripped her back, sliding further down her backside.
"Think they are going to have sex next?" Cameron commented to her co-worker, as she gestured a few yards away from where they were standing, where their boss and the Dean of Medicine were engaged in an undoubtedly extremely strong public display of affection.
"Holy shit," Foreman exclaimed as he watched the ignited passion between his boss and Cuddy erupt, "they are practically swallowing each other!"
"Swallowing is an understatement," Cameron pointed out to him, as she shook her head, but was grinning nonetheless.
When he finally pulled back, gasping for air, House continued to caress Cuddy's cheek with his thumb.
"Happy New Year, Greg," she said to him, as she continued to caress the nape of his neck with her fingers.
"You too, boss," he replied, leaning down and kissing the side of her neck to which she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
Meanwhile, by the bar, Wilson and John were engrossed in a ferocious lip lock, to which only a couple people noticed and were smirking.
Breaking apart for air, John stared into the other man's eyes, as his palm caressed Wilson's cheek.
"Bonne ann Ze Merveilleus por tous, James, mon amor," he whispered.
Wilson chuckled. "Don't really know if that was an insult or not," he told the other man, 'but anything you say in a different language sounds damn sexy and is perfectly fine with me."
"It's French for "Happy New Year, my love," John replied.
"I didn't know you spoke French!" Wilson exclaimed, as he swung his arms around John's neck.
Leaning close so that he was centimeters away from the oncologist's face, John whispered, "You do now", and touched his lips to the other man's, ready to get lost in another intimate moment which whom he called his 'amor.'
"Guess I really do have an excuse to grope you in front of your employees and not get in trouble by my boss," House murmured, as he and Cuddy were still out on the dance floor, this time swaying slowly in time with Lonestar's 'Amazed.', as his hands rested on either side of Cuddy's hips, as he was nibbling on the tip of her earlobe.
Chuckling softly, Cuddy silently agreed, as her eyes traveled swiftly down his face, as she caressed his jaw with her palm. "You're lucky I'm letting you," she said, without a beat.
Laughing softly, House pulled her closer and immediately buried his face in the side of her neck, kissing her skin tenderly. Closing her eyes, Cuddy let out a breath and leaned into him, thoroughly enjoying the way her boyfriend was kissing her right now.
"Open your eyes," he breathed softly into her ear.
She complied and upon opening her eyes, she saw House bring his face up from her neck and rest his forehead against her own. She smiled softly at him and leaning forward slowly, she planted a light kiss on his mouth.
Resting one hand on her belly and the other securing her waist, House growled seductively in a low voice, "What'd ya say we ditch this party and go to your office for some hot smokin' midnight new year sex?"
And before she had any chance to comment, he added, "…and Dr. Cuddy, do not deny that you've wanted to fuck me on top of your desk, because you'd be full of shit."
Cuddy was ready, and she replied without missing a beat, "It has crossed my mind on a few occasions, yes."
House chuckled softly as he brought both of his hands down to rest on either side of her hips, pulling her close to him so that her belly was nestled in between their bodies.
"Dr. Cuddy," he began seductively, "I have this patient who is very very horny right now. And he also has a very, very hard penis and it's not letting up. Immediate issue, I'm afraid. Do you have a minute to go into your office and discuss what his problem may be and offer any remedies?"
"Hmm," Cuddy wondered aloud, "let me check my schedule for any openings, but that's such a waste of time, don't you think, Dr. House?" Eyes twinkling mischievously, she licked her upper lip seductively as she waited eagerly for his response.
Saying nothing, House reached down with his hand and adjusted the front of his suit pants with a grin.
Without wasting any time, Cuddy grabbed his hands, interlocking his fingers with her own and said, "What are you waiting for? I thought you said it was 'immediate.'"
And without an ounce of any more hesitation, Cuddy made her way to the other side of the lobby towards the clinic doors, while House followed, looking like a lost puppy dog, smirking and without letting go of her hand.
Once they reached the clinic doors, House broke free of Cuddy's grasp on his hand, and went in front of the glass double doors, blocking her path from entering to go through to her private office.
Before Cuddy could even question his motives, he had his mouth on hers, and his one hand on the side of her neck, delaying her for just a little while until they got to their 'patient exploration'.
Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away, Foreman raised his eyebrows and smirked as he looked over in the direction of the clinic where Cuddy and House were, their hands and lips glued to each other.
A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you surprised?"
Foreman looked around in the direction of the sound of the voice, and saw Joseph Parker, Cuddy's obstetrician, standing there, grinning with a drink glass almost empty in his hand.
"Come again?" Foreman asked, as Parker stepped forward and the two doctors' shook hands.
"Are you surprised?" Parker repeated himself, as he jutted his chin in the direction of Cuddy's office, where just a mere second ago, the blinds were drawn.
Chuckling, Foreman shook his head. "Nope."
Setting his high ball glass down on the tall bar table next to Foreman, Parker glanced around, searching. "Now if I only find my beautiful wife…"
"Ah," the other doctor told him, "even the most beautiful ones can't be tamed…"
Parker chuckled. "Ain't that the truth?" he said thoughtfully, "Dr. Foreman, do you, ah, have someone?"
The neurologist shook his head. "Nah. Too much pressure."
"Now where were you when I got married?" the older doctor explained, jokingly, "I could have gotten out of it before I was up at the altar, for Christ's sake!"
Chuckling, Foreman took a sip of his drink, before turning to the older doctor. "Too late."
Parker drained the rest of his drink as he smirked. "So what is really like to work on House's team?" he asked the neurologist, "I assume it's not all sunshine and daisies?" he inquired.
Shaking his head, Foreman chuckled. "You'd be surprised. All the sex he's getting is probably mellowing him out a bit…" he joked.
Almost choking on an ice cube, Parker grinned and wiped his lips. "I would normally disagree with you, but that may very well be the reason."
"…no, it's good," Foreman continued. "That man may be arrogant and a son-of-a-bitch sometimes, but he is insanely brilliant. I've learned a lot from him." He looked sideways at Parker. "I assume he's different when you're with him?" he questioned.
"Well, yes, but I'm never alone with him, not usually anyway….she certainly does a good job of keeping him in line," Parker said, referring to Cuddy
Foreman suddenly thought of something that had been plaguing him for quite a while, and the doctor standing next to him was the one person who he could confirm it with.
"Do you think he's changed?" he asked the older doctor.
The older obstetrician eyed Foreman curiously. "Who, House?"
Foreman nodded. "yea…I mean, he has gone through a lot."
Parker agreed. "Honestly?" Parker told him, "Yes, I think he has changed. They both have. I think he's still dealing with what happened, they both are…"
He paused and then said, "The shock of what happened this past year was not easy to deal with for either of them."
Foreman agreed. "So," he pressed the older man, pausing only to take a sip of his drink, "how long before the article did you know everything?"
Parker looked sideways at him. Raising an eyebrow, he said slowly, "Define 'everything'."
Chuckling lightly, Foreman said, "You know, the two of them being involved, the pregnancy…."
"Since about two weeks before the accident," Parker told him, "Greg really stressed to me about keeping my mouth shut. He said to me that I was the only one who knew about them."
"I bet he did," Foreman murmured.
Parker continued. "Yes…Lisa called me. I owed her a favor, you see….and the rest well, you know…" He smiled. "You know they have been together since May, right?"
Almost choking on his drink in surprise, Foreman shook his head. "No!" he exclaimed. "Really? That long?"
That long," confirmed Parker. "House also gave me the death threat on that as well," he joked.
"I'm not surprised," Foreman muttered.
Looking around the room, Parker swallowed the rest of the ice cubes in his drink before saying, "Now if you would excuse me, Dr. Foreman, I have to go find my wife."
And he went off, leaving Foreman at the bar. Foreman stayed where he was, and while taking a sip of his drink, he contemplated going to find Denise, the nurse he had been talking to earlier.
His eyes darted past the clinic, towards the Dean of Medicine's office, where he saw that the blinds were still closed. Finishing the rest of his drink, Foreman smirked and then left to go find Denise, hoping he, like his boss, would get laid that night.
Thoughts? ... And yes, the back story between House/Cuddy and her sister WILL come! Be patient..but I have other stuff to come first...stuff that kind of..leads up to the back story, so stay tuned.