AUTHOR'S NOTE:
AU House 8x03
Hi all, thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Obviously, this is an AU fic, as it's based on the 8th season, episode 3, but set in 2020, as Cuddy is working from home and Rachel is in virtual school. Big Huddy shipper here, and love filling in some of the more "mundane" moments in their relationship with fics. So here's my first one. Hope you all enjoy.
Don't own House, the characters, nothing. Do enjoy.
House comes home from work around 8pm, and finds Cuddy working away in her home office.
He finds the large couch in her office and plops down on it with an incredibly large thud. Cuddy barely notices him.
He smirks, waiting for her to acknowledge him with her cute/annoyed smile.
She continues to work, ignoring him; his smile widens. She turns her head and playfully asks "what?" She can't help but to smile.
"Oh nothing," he takes a boastful breath, puffing his chest ever so slightly. "Just another life saved, AND I got him to donate a million dollars to fund my department."
"You're pretty pleased with yourself then, huh?" She smugly replies, slowly slipping out of work mode as she turns in her chair to face him.
A comfortable silence falls between them. They smile at each other, and she turns back to her work. House slips away into his thoughts...
"I fired Thirteen today…"
She swivels abruptly to face him.
"What...why?
"She's happy," he says with a knowing sigh.
"So...you fired her?"
"Yeah…" he struggles to find the right words.
She notices him sinking deeper and deeper into his thoughts; struggling with his emotions, his words...trying to find the right way to explain to her why he did it. After years of a flirtatious and (relatively) platonic employer/employee relationship, which then escalated to a romantic relationship, she'd come to understand his nonverbal cues over the years.
She walks over to the couch, lifts his arm and wraps it around herself.
He kisses her and she melts into him. He needed this. He was slowly learning to express himself better, but it wasn't easy for him, and she could always sense when it was more of a challenge. Today was one of those days.
He was always so attached to Thirteen. Their relationship really meant something to him, and she knew that.
"You did the right thing House. You gave her her life back, a chance to really live in the time she has left."
"Hm that doesn't sound like me," he says through a soft smile, as he kisses the top of her head. She returns the smile with a quiet laugh. They both nestle into each other.
"You know, today was one of those days where I really missed having you as my boss. Foreman just isn't as fun as you. Also not as hot." His free hand grabs her breast playfully. She laughs deeply as she places her hand over his.
"As much as I miss being Dean of Medicine, I definitely don't miss going toe-to-toe with you over some insane treatment while your team sneaks off to go do something highly illegal when I'm not looking."
"Liar," he said, smirking.
She turns, leaning closer as she pulls him into a warm kiss, cupping his unshaven jawline.
After some time, they separate; her chin rests on his chest, and he takes her in.
"So, should we..." he wiggles his eyebrows at her suggestively.
She turns her head to rest on his chest, smiling, saying "House, it's only 8:30, I have to finish up my patient notes, and get ready for tomorrow."
"Fine. I'm hungry, anyway. You didn't happen to cook tonight, say, my absolute favorite spaghetti and meatballs-"
"No, I ordered from that Chinese place on the corner you and Rachel like. She was not having a good day with her online school, hence why I am now playing catch up at this hour."
"OK, so wine for you, and leftover Chinese for me."
He gets up and heads to the door while she moves her laptop from the desk to the couch.
He stops in the doorway. "Any chance you'd be willing to quit this whole full-time-endocrinologist-with-a-pratice gig, and come back and be my boss again?"
"No," she says warmly. "Yep, you got it boss. You said wine, right?" He leaves the room before he gets her answer. She smiles to herself, settling back down into her work.
House walks to the kitchen, opens the fridge and goes for all of the cartons of leftover Chinese food. He grabs a glass and a bottle of sauvignon blanc and begins to head back to Cuddy's office, before he notices the faint blue-sh glow coming from underneath Rachel's door.
He puts the food and wine on the counter and goes to investigate.
He pushes open the half closed door, and finds Rachel upright in her bed, playing with House's Nintendo Switch.
"Hey kid."
She looks up suddenly, caught, red-handed.
"What've you got there? Looks a lot like my Switch." He walks over to the big comfy chair in the corner near her bed, and gently brushes aside the stuffed animals and toys currently occupying the seat.
"That's because it is. I found it."
"How did you-"
"I've played it before with you, remember? I just really like the animals on Animal Crossing. They're nice."
"Yeah they are. But it's way past your bedtime kiddo."
"Can I come be with you and Mommy now?"
"Yeah, sure. Mommy's still working and that'll put anyone to sleep."
As they have done many nights, with a well-rehearsed swoop of an arm, Rachel rests against House's shoulder, as he walks her to Cuddy's office.
"Dr. Cuddy," House pokes his head in the door playfully, "are you seeing patients at this hour?"
A sleepy giggle from behind the door gives away her presence, and a huge smile widens across Cuddy's face. House puts Rachel down, and she lumbers over to her Mommy, and he plops back down on the couch to watch the scene unfold.
Rachel finds her usual spot on her Mommy's lap, leaning against her, as Cuddy manages to balance her laptop and a rambunctious four and a half year old.
Not twenty minutes has passed before Rachel is fully asleep, in the same spot we left her, and House has destroyed all of the leftovers. Cuddy finishes her work, closes the laptop, and takes in a peaceful moment in the Cuddy-House dwelling; a growing Rachel clutching her, Cuddy knowing full well these how rare these moments would one day become, and House, at home with her. No work drama, no personal drama, just family time.
After a brief pause, House closes his medical journal, and leans over to her.
"Hi," he says softly.
"Hi," she says as she leans into him, trying not to wake Rachel.
They share a soft kiss.
"Do you think you'll ever see Thirteen again?"
"I don't know...I think so."
His mind begins to drift.
"Let's go to bed," she says, standing up, hand extended, with Rachel on her hip.
He takes her hand, wincing a bit upon standing, and heads to help put Rachel to bed.
He's sitting on the edge of their bed, dressed only in his black boxer-briefs and a worn out t-shirt, lost in thought. Cuddy approaches him and steps between his legs. Instinctively, his hands fall over her hips, as she tenderly caresses his face, and after a moment brings him into an embrace. His face gently presses against her belly, feeling the coolness of her satin pajama top, her arms completely wrapped around his shoulders and head.
After a moment, they break, and he gently pulls her down onto the bed with him. Feeling her weight on top of him, he pulls her in to kiss her. After some time, Cuddy slowly removes her pajama top, revealing her naked torso, and House follows suit. Sitting up, back against the headboard, he helps her remove the rest of her pajamas, and she slowly removes his shirt, taking the time to run her fingers through his chest hair. They take a moment to take each other in. Soft touches, light kisses on shoulders and necks, their breathing growing more and more shallow.
With nothing left between them, and her on top, she adjusts herself to hover over him briefly before he enters her. House kisses her deeply. It's slow and soft, but a release they both need. Cuddy moves slowly; House moves his hands between her hips, her ass, her breasts. They take their time, not hurrying to finish, and enjoying a rare moment of slowness in their life.
After sometime, they finish, and for a few minutes she stays on top of him, kissing his neck, and his jawline. She moves to touch his face, and they lock eyes. He reaches up to push away some of her hair, and they smile, both breathing out a quiet sigh.
House pulls her in for a soft kiss, before she moves to her side of the bed.
He settles in under the covers, extends his arm out under her pillow, as Cuddy moves to lie on his chest, running her hands through his chest hair over and over, enjoying the sensation of the coarse hair on her soft hands.
"Cuddy…"
"Yeah…"
"I love you."
She smirks, and responds "I love you too, House."
After a brief pause, House asks "did you tell Rachel where my Nintendo Switch is?"
She laughs. "Seriously, because if not, that child has some serious klepto tendencies."
With a small laugh and a kiss on his chest, she says "good night, House."
"Good night, Cuddy."