A long awaited new chapter. Sorry it's been a while and the next posts may be too. I apologise for that, but I'm really not well right now. I'm just trying to rest but when I'm up to it I write, but thanks for being patient. That means a lot.

Chapter twenty one- Not the type

At six thirty Cameron was watching TV. Well, she was trying to watch TV but couldn't really concentrate on any of the shows. She was snuggling under a white blanket which she used as a throw on her sofa, mug of hot tea in hand. That day she had not left the apartment. She convinced herself this was because the weather looked pretty daunting, but really it was to ensure she wouldn't miss any phone calls. She was wearing her other gray sweater, the one she didn't wear to work because it had a cowl neck and had a long body, which she had (as always) belted around. She was also wearing her tight black straight leg cord trousers. This usual attire would be worn by Cameron when going out, but today she was wearing it 'just in case'.

The phone jolted her out of a 'The Osbournes' rerun. She answered the phone abnormally fast, as it had been lying next to her the whole day.

"Hello?" She said chirpily.

"Dr Cameron. I got an emergency." It was House on the line, and she got butterflies hearing his voice.

"Oh, right. Do you want me to come in?"

"Cameron. I didn't mean hospital emergency."

"Oh, ok"

"I meant, I'm bored"

"Right, so you called me because you were bored? Way to make a girl feel special." She joked.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm- in the kitchen" she said as she was wandering in.

"Doing?"

"Talking on the phone, you?"

"The same. Well, isn't that just a spooky coincidence" He sarcastically answered

"Spooky" She happily bantered, and considered that it was pretty bizarre, she was talking to House, on the phone, because technically they were dating, or were they?

"House?" She asked, after a moment's silence

"Yeah?" He asked back, slight suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Are we dating?"

There was silence. Cameron started to panic, had she said the wrong thing?

"I'm guessing so, yeah"

"Ok, good"

"You eating?"

"No, why, does it sound like I am?"

"Nope"

It was then, as she chuckled to herself about House's oddness that a knock on the door sounded.

"Gimme a sec, House, someone's at the door" she said, walking over to said door and holding the receiver to her shoulder.

"Wonder who that could be?" he said quietly to himself.

The door swung open revealing no other than House in person.

"House!" She sounded half shocked, half excited.

"This is clichéd right?" He stepped towards her, very close

"If it is, I like clichéd" she smiled as they kissed. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hung up on him, and he hung up on her. How very movie like that moment was.

As he stepped over the threshold she noticed why he had asked if she was eating. He was carrying a bag of Chinese food.

"You brought food?"

"Looks like it" He pretended to be surprised himself.

Opening each little box to see what was inside; Cameron didn't mention his unannounced appearance. She knew he was making an effort, and she was absolutely thrilled to see him as a surprise, but she knew that should she mention these things he would either feel uncomfortable or patronised. He was watching her, bouncing his cane on the floor. So she decided to make a joke:

"Couldn't stay away from me, eh House?"

"Well, one taste of paradise, and I can't stay away" There was sarcasm in his tone but a glint in his eyes told her that he really couldn't stay away, but couldn't express it without feeling embarrassed.

"Paradise? I know I'm good, but…" She joked

"You hungry Cameron?"

"Kind of, are you?"

"No."

"Ok, well, we don't have to eat right away. I could reheat, or whatever. How long do you want to wait?"

"I'd say twenty minutes will do the trick"

He was standing behind her and had wrapped his arms around her waist. NOW she knew what he wanted, and why he would risk looking like a romantic for it. She giggled as he attacked her neck. He was clearly asking for some more of last night's performance. So she, quite happily, complied.

Twenty two minutes later, and the slightly more dishevelled pair made their way back to the food. (They were both hungry for FOOD now that some of House's 'tension' had been relieved.)

"Wilson, has Wilson guessed?" She asked

"He has no idea. He's a moron."

They were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, legs underneath it, backs resting on the sofa (Cameron didn't trust House with a white sofa and Chinese food). Another episode of 'The Osbournes' was in full flow, but the pair were at present discussing who would guess what was going on between them first.

"I give it less than a week until he susses you out" She said, digging into sweet and sour chicken.

"Unless you fawn all over me, he has no reason to suspect a thing."

"Right, the fact you have practically disappeared from the Wilson radar this Christmas wont mean a thing" She said sarcastically

"We don't do much during the holidays. Sometimes get take out. This year, his brother is doing the 'family' thing"

"Oh."

"So he just thinks I'm spending time with Steve."

"Steve?"

"My rat"

"Figures that would be your choice of pet" she joked

"But, I'm not going to hide it"

"Hide what?"

He cringed:

"Us"

"Ok" She was pleased and carried on eating. She looked across, and noticed he looked nervous now. She placed a hand on his arm and said quietly:

"You know, I'm not going to boast about it. I'm not going to tell anyone anything. And I don't expect you to treat me any different at work. Believe it or not, I would rather keep work at a distance from home. So, I will be behaving as normal, ok?"

"Not what I was worried about"

"Oh?"

"I won't be behaving as normal."

"House, you can still be bitter, abrasive and irritating, can't you?"

"Yeah-"

"-then you'll be behaving as normal"

He was pretty insecure sometimes. But this made him smile and kiss her briefly on the lips. By the time they had finished their food, it was decided that they weren't going to deny their relationship. They would be honest if asked, but they had no intention of changing the way they behaved at work.

The conversation moved on as Cameron stood in the kitchen clearing up. She asked House which days he was working now that it was technically the holidays. It turned out Cuddy had paired them up and they were working the exact same shifts, but House had one more than her and had to spend an hour in the afternoon in the clinic on Christmas day. He whined about it for some considerable time, and she just smiled at him.

"Wine?" she asked, holding up a bottle in front of him, only to get raised eyebrows in return, and House saying:

"Beer?"

"Sure." She frowned a little as she looked at the bottle's label "It's whatever Chase drinks"

"There is something very wrong with you having Chase's favourite beer in your kitchen. There is something very, very wrong with me drinking it."

She laughed: "He's my friend! Want me to chill you some Vicodin, make you feel at home?"

"Ha ha" He looked at her with an expression which said 'you're not funny.'

"What's your favourite beer?"

"Any that's real. You know, contains alcohol. Doesn't taste like swill"

"That contains alcohol! It's not THAT bad, House, look it's pretty dilute but it's ok"

"For frat boys maybe." He paused "Wait, you weren't in a sorority were you?"

"No, sorry to disappoint"

"It just may have explained why you like Chase so much."

"Stop!" She was making herself a gin and tonic "I don't like him 'so' much, he's just my friend"

"Who you slept with"

"ONCE"

"Debatable"

She was still laughing, but really with the grilling he was giving her she could quite easily have been crying.

"And" she ignored the 'once' comment "I was high"

"So why not call Foreman? Or Wilson?"

"Because" She stammered "We were already going out!"

"You DATED Chase?" Suddenly, the calm inquisitive façade broke, and he looked hurt, or angry, she couldn't tell

"No!" She smiled at him and walked over. He looked like he needed some reassurance all of a sudden. "We were going out for drinks. As colleagues. I took the meth, I called him, and by the time he got here I was gone… I didn't feel drunk, it was just like, nothing had any repercussions, I couldn't see past the moment and I just wanted someone, anyone. The fact it was Chase meant nothing. Nor would it have meant anything if it were you. I was not myself." She realised that she had put a hand on his shoulder and was looking deeply into his eyes.

He didn't speak.

"OK?" She asked

"Yeah"

She knew it would annoy him, but she could deal with it, so she gave him a hug as if to reassure him more, or to comfort him. He just gave her a 'look', and wincing, took a sip of the beer.

---

Friday came and went, with just a phone call from House. Saturday arrived, Christmas Eve, and with it came a near blizzard of a storm. Wind lashed around the hospital as Cameron busied herself with charts and patients. House was in her mind all morning. She wondered where he was. She knew he would be avoiding clinic like the plague.

It was at 11 o'clock that Cuddy descended on Cameron

"Have you seen him?" She was flustered

"I take it you mean House? No, sorry. I could go find him for you?"

"Would you? Thanks, got to dash, see you later. Page me when you got him" and Cuddy was gone after a confirmatory nod from the young immunologist.

Cameron's heels clicked along the quiet corridor. It surprised her just how quiet Christmas at the hospital seemed to be. Perhaps the near constant darkness outside had the same effect on patients and staff as the fall of night. It felt like night somehow.

"Dr House?" She poked her head into his office to see him in his plush chair, i-pod in ears. He hadn't heard her. She walked around so she was facing him, and bent down so she was at eyelevel. If his eyes hadn't have been closed, he would have noticed her at this point.

"Hou-se" she said in a sing song voice, giggling at how he still didn't notice her presence. In one swift movement she tugged out his headphones:

"HOUSE!"

He didn't jump up and look shocked, he just slowly opened his eyes to see her looking back, a smile on her face.

"Cameron. The walls in this place are made of glass. You wanna do that here, you close the blinds."

She stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips:

"I came here to tell you Cuddy wants you downstairs" she said seriously

"Tell her you couldn't find me"

"But I could"

"Lie"

"House, you should know that lying to Lisa Cuddy is a hanging offence. Are you going to make it worth my while?"

"Close the blinds, then"

"I didn't mean that!" She laughed "I meant could we spend some time together… not all day, maybe we could go out for drinks tomorrow night?"

He stood up, towering above her even in her heels

"Sure. I'm guessing little Allison is spending the day with the folks"

That was when her smile faded a little and she looked away

"What makes you say that?" She sounded almost irritated

"You just seem the type-"

"Well I'm not" she interrupted him.

He nodded and said clearly:

"Me either"

She looked up at him and nodded, before he continued:

"Wanna come round tonight. Stay maybe?"

"I'd love to"

They went quiet for a second before she managed to drag him to the clinic.