A/N: Wow… I was NOT expecting so many reviews for the first chapter! I've decided to make this a two-shot at least because we have to find out what happens when they wake up in the morning. Fair warning if this goes any farther than a two-shot: I suck at updating multi-chapter stories, like actually suck at it. Also I'm having formatting issues so I hope everything isn't too hard to read and as for typos… I'm one of those people that should spell and grammar check but never do because I'm too excited to upload my story! Okay House fans read on! Oh yeah I don't own it but did I really have to tell you that?


As the dawn broke and the sun started to shine through the curtains Cuddy awoke before her alarm. Her internal clock always woke her at 6:15 AM but her alarm didn't go off until 6:30. That gave Cuddy 15 minutes to lay in bed, relax and contemplate anything on her mind. Right now the only thing Cuddy was trying to contemplate is why her head was buried in someone's chest and why she couldn't move. She deduced from the position that she was in that she couldn't move because someone's arms were wrapped around her (and her left arm was slung around someone as well). Instead of opening her eyes Cuddy tried to figure out who was lying next to her while still in a sleep induced haze. Whoever it was smelled like laundry detergent and… leather. Cuddy knew immediately when she smelled the leather that it was House. A sick feeling was forming in the pit of her stomach as Cuddy reached around with her right hand and felt the sweatpants that were still firmly on her legs and the tank top on her upper half. Breathing a small sigh of relief remembering that they didn't have sex, Cuddy opened her eyes and craned her neck upward slightly to take a look at sleeping House.

He looked different asleep in her bed than he did when he was sleeping in his office. He almost looked relaxed. He was snoring a bit and the stubble on his chin had grown more prominent over the night. His chin was almost resting on the top of her head and his arms were holding her tightly. Cuddy couldn't help but feel a little happy and excited about waking up like this. Against everything she knew was right, she wanted to wake up like this every morning. Not just with some guy or any guy, she wanted to wake up like this with House. The events from yesterday were slowly falling into place in Cuddy's mind and she remember what he said about her being an unfit mother. Cuddy almost regretted ever wishing for something like this, almost. Before she had time to do anything else her alarm started blaring causing House to wake up, startled by the sound. Cuddy quickly turned in his arms and slammed the off button on the alarm before slowly and cautiously turning back to House. She looked up at him again, afraid of what she might see in his eyes after waking up this way.

He didn't react like she thought he would at all. Instead of having a royal fit because she woke him up so early or freaking out because he woke up in her bed he just pulled her closer and said "I'm still tired, five more minutes". As amazing as it was that he didn't seem to care where or how he was waking up, this pissed Cuddy off a little. He didn't even have a reaction.

"House, do you know where you are?"

"Yes, I'm in your bed Cuddy and I'm still tried. Five more minutes. Your precious hospital can spare you a little longer. Hell I never show up before nine or ten. They won't even miss you. Five more minutes."

"House, you're not even the least bit curious about why you're waking up here?"

"You gave me a leg massage because I shouldn't drive with a cramped muscle. I feel asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and you were laying on my arm, I tried to leave and it was impossible so I went back to sleep. Your annoyingly loud alarm went off I woke up again with you in my arms and I'm still tired and want five more minutes sleep."

"You realize after that explanation you're probably much too awake to fall back asleep now, right?"

"Yes but if we get out of this bed you go back to being Dean of Medicine and I go back to being your biggest pain in the ass doctor and we'll fight and I'll say some stupid things and I'll hurt you again. If you just lay here with me for five more minutes we can pretend that's not going to happen."

Cuddy didn't even know how to respond to that. House doesn't want to fight with her? He doesn't want to say things to her that will hurt her? Who is this guy and what has he done with Dr. House world renowned diagnostician? As usual House got what he wanted because Cuddy was too stunned and deep in thought to even try to get out of bed for another five minutes. Cuddy had never seen this side of House, the side that showed he was nothing less than human. Cuddy knew House wasn't an overly affectionate person, why on earth would he want to lay here and continue cuddling? Why would he give her that explanation?

"House, we can't just play pretend all morning, we have to go to work. You hate being affectionate, you hate cuddling, you hate everything you're asking for right now. Did you pop some Vicodin last night when you woke up? I know you carry it on you but I didn't think you had any."

"No, I didn't pop and pills last night except the ibuprofen that you gave me before I fell asleep. I thought you'd be happy about this since you've had a massive crush on me for fifteen years." House said to Cuddy before sitting up effectively breaking the mood. Anything that they were going to have was over and Cuddy was right, they couldn't play pretend forever.

"I'm pretty sure that statement should be directed at you." Cuddy said before sitting up as well.

The magic was gone. Anything they had a few minutes ago had shattered as soon as they broke the embrace. It left the atmosphere in the room feeling awkward. Cuddy slowly inched herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She called out to House over her shoulder before she shut the door: "You're welcome to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I have coffee if you want to make some and there might be some cereal in the cupboard. I'm going to take a shower and if you even think about coming in here you're fired." Cuddy disappeared behind the bathroom door and House heard the click of the lock and the water start running. He limped his way back out into the living room while holding onto the walls for support until he found his cane lying next to the couch. He went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. He found no cereal but he did find some bread and decided to make toast. About a half hour later Cuddy appeared in the kitchen in one of her usual outfits of a button-up shirt and a skirt and sensible heels. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sunk down in the chair across from House. Cuddy plucked a banana from the bowl on the table and started to peel it and eat it. She looked up to find House staring at her.

"Seriously you're trying to kill me with hardback books and bananas."

Cuddy just glared at him before speaking. "I'm sorry that my breakfast is turning you on House but as you noticed yourself there isn't much to eat here. Deal with it." Cuddy went back to eating her banana and House limped out to Cuddy's front door to retrieve the paper. If he wasn't allowed to watch her eat he could at least read the newspaper. House came back into the kitchen to find Cuddy finished with her breakfast and washing out the coffee pot. She turned when she saw House come into the kitchen and place the paper on the counter.

"Do you need a ride to work? I know you have your motorcycle here, or are you going home to shower and change first?" Cuddy asked him leaning against the counter. House couldn't take this terribly domestic scene. He needed an out and he needed it fast. "No I'm going home first. Don't want everyone thinking we've had sex do we? If I come in with the same clothes from yesterday on people will start to talk." House replied winking at her and walking towards the front door. "You better be in by nine o'clock. Just because you spent the night here doesn't give you a free pass to show up whenever you want." House barely heard the last word as he slammed the front door shut.

House rode home on his motorcycle, parking on the sidewalk as usual and letting himself into his apartment. He threw his keys on the table and collapsed onto the couch, hoisting his leg up on the table for support. House couldn't take what happened this morning. He couldn't believe he asked Cuddy to cuddle with him a little bit longer, he can't believe he didn't try to break into her bathroom and see her in the shower and he can't believe how completely domestic the whole thing felt. He also couldn't believe how right it felt. Honestly House found himself picturing what it would be like to hear her alarm go off every morning at six thirty and hold her for five more minutes. Then he would get up and make coffee while she was in the shower and head back to sleep when she was eating breakfast. She'd come in and kiss him goodbye before she left for work and he would get up, eat something and clean the coffee pot then shower and change and leave for work. House could actually picture that in his mind and it scared the hell out of him.

House didn't show up to work until 11. Cuddy really wasn't surprised, he usually didn't show up until 11 and no one was suspicious to what had happened between them last night, although Cuddy noticed as she watched him from behind the main desk in the clinic, that he never changed his clothes, and probably didn't shower either which defeated the whole purpose of him going home.

House did a lousy job with the clinic patients as usual but today Cuddy didn't talk to him about it and she didn't make a scene. What happened last night and this morning was just too "couple"-y for them. As much as Cuddy wanted it, she knew it was something House would never go for and was an issue she'd never push. Unfortunately she couldn't help her mind from straying back to thoughts of what "could be" all morning. After pulling some clinic hours Cuddy retreated back to her office and shut the door. Instead of sitting behind her desk and working on the budget or filling out paperwork or checking on House's lawsuits she laid down on her couch. She finally let her mind wander to where it wanted to go all morning, back to the relationship that never will be.

Cuddy started out picturing waking up in House's arms every morning. She'd get a full fifteen minutes to just lie there with him, no interruptions, no sick patients, nothing, just the two of them being together. He'd probably even try to get her to stay in bed for a few extra minutes and she'd probably give in. She'd get up and shower and when she came out he'd be in the kitchen with the coffee brewing and reading the paper. They'd have breakfast together and then she'd go to work. He'd probably try to catch some more sleep before finally giving in and getting ready for the day and then heading into work himself. Cuddy caught the smile that had formed on her face and tried to make it go away, but she couldn't. The fantasy in her head kept growing. She imagined herself getting pregnant, they'd go to her OB-GYN appointments together and he'd criticize everyone there and nitpick at every little detail because he'd only want what's best for her and the baby (even if he'd never admit that out loud). When they were alone he'd put his hand on her stomach and sing to it and threaten that if she ever told anyone about it there would be serious consequences on her part. He'd be in the delivery room with her when their child was born, maybe they'd even have twins, one of each. He wouldn't help much when they were babies but he would sing them to sleep at night. Then their morning routine would change into something with taking care of the children.

Cuddy couldn't let herself get caught up in this much longer, it wasn't healthy. A relationship between them would never work. He would never want it, she wouldn't be able to stand him not wanting it. One or both of them would ultimately get hurt and that wasn't something she could bear. If she couldn't have him as a boyfriend or husband she still wanted him in her life as someone to make her laugh, drive her crazy and be her verbal sparring partner. Cuddy got up off the couch and went to her desk, pulling the first file off the top and reading it. It was a referral case for Wilson, some terminal patient who feels they'd have a better last few months if he was overseeing their case. Cuddy tucked the file under her arm and walked to the elevator and rode it up to Wilson's floor. She walked to his office and opened the door without knocking to find Wilson and House both inside. House was sprawled out on the couch and Wilson was sitting at his computer. It didn't look like they had been talking about her or last night, which was a good sign.

"Dr. Wilson I have a referral case for you. All the information you need is in the file." Cuddy told him before walking out. She didn't even acknowledge House which made something inside him twinge but he couldn't exactly figure out why. Not that he said anything to her either, but usually when she found him sprawled out on Wilson's couch she told him to go do clinic duty or work on a case or something. This time she said nothing, simply turned her back and left. This small gesture did not go unnoticed by Wilson.

"So are you going to tell me why she seems to be completely avoiding you or do I have to ask?" Wilson prompted. House just looked at him with an unhappy glare. "Does it have anything to do with why you're wearing the same clothes from yesterday?" Wilson asked again hoping to get a response from him. "You're such a girl Wilson, why do you even know what I was wearing yesterday?" House looked at Wilson, trying to make him upset or something so they wouldn't have to have this conversation. When Wilson wasn't letting up from his constant stare and 'I need to know what's going on now' face House finally cracked. "Alright, I kinda hit that last night, now she doesn't know how to handle it." Wilson jaw went slack and all of his facial features dropped. "You….. Hit that? Like in sex? You had sex with Cuddy? She's your boss, she'll fire you. No scratch that, she'll kill you before she fires you. Did you get her drunk? I thought she was upset with you after what you said to her yesterday?" House rolled his eyes at Wilson. "Are you done yet? God you're like a fifteen-year-old high school girl. It's good to know this kind of gossip excites you. Anyway we didn't have sex. We almost did but we didn't. We made out for awhile and then we watched a movie and I ended up staying the night."

Wilson couldn't even believe the things that were coming out of House's mouth right now. He made out with Cuddy, they didn't have sex and he still spent the night at her place? This was not the Gregory House method of getting women. That method usually consisted of calling a number, buying some beer and having a wad of cash handy. They didn't even have sex and he spent the night. Wilson knew this could only mean one thing and he got a gigantic grin on his face which House immediately scowled back at. "What's got you so happy Jimmy boy. It's my dirty little secret not yours." Wilson just smiled wider. "House you like her, dare I say you love her". Wilson could not contain the ever growing smile on his face, it was House's turn to go slack jawed. "I don't like her, I don't love her. I just went over there to apologize for yesterday." If possible Wilson's smile got even bigger. "House you NEVER apologize for being an ass, you have never said sorry to me for anything in all the years of our friendship. You really do love her don't you?" House stood up and headed for the door. "We are not having this conversation Wilson." House slammed the door and headed to Coma guy's room. He needed to watch his soap or play video games or something, all this mushy talk was way too much for him.

Wilson didn't waste time running to Cuddy's office. House obviously wasn't going to give him any sort of details and Wilson needed them. He burst through the doors to Cuddy's office to see her sitting behind her desk doing paperwork. "Can I help you Wilson?" she asked casting a suspicious look in his direction. "You guys didn't have sex and he still spent the night?" Cuddy rolled her eyes and knew where this was going, House must have said something to Wilson without giving him all the details. "Wilson how is my personal life any of your business?" Wilson just looked at her before collapsing on her couch. "No don't do this to me. He may have just done something human and didn't give me all the details. So did he actually spend the night with no sex?" Cuddy sighed in defeat knowing there was no way around giving Wilson what he wanted.

Cuddy sat down on the table across from Wilson and tentatively started telling him what happened. I went home last night and was a little upset about what House had said to me yesterday. There was a knock on my door and I thought it was you coming to check on me so I opened the door and he was standing there. He told me he was an ass and then he kissed me. One thing led to another but I ended up getting back in the right frame of mind and nothing became of it. I offered him a beer and we sat down to watch a movie on the couch. I fell asleep and he tried to take me to bed but his leg gave out. I woke up and gave him some ibuprofen and a heating pad, I wasn't going to let him drive with a cramped up leg. I also gave him a leg massage and he feel asleep during the leg massage. I went to bed after that and then when I woke up this morning he was still at my place. He made coffee, I got ready for work we had breakfast together and he left, he said he was going home to shower and change which obviously didn't happen. That's all that happened."

Wilson wasn't sure that she was telling him the whole truth but it was enough for now. "Cuddy that was so, not House. You know that right? He doesn't just spend the night at women's places without sex. How did you get him to do that?" Cuddy stood up and started pacing, this conversation was getting uncomfortable. "I didn't 'get' him to do anything. He fell asleep when I was trying to massage the pain out of his leg and I guess he didn't wake up until morning. It's not some great mystery of the universe. He was detoxing and was probably very tired." Wilson again wasn't buying that this was the full story, House wakes up at least once every night from the pain. He knew better than to push the issue though and just nodded. "Whatever you say Cuddy, but I think you of all people know that was way out of his comfort zone. Please be gentle with him, whether he admits it or not when it comes to matters of the heart he's fragile." Cuddy nodded her head as if she understood all Wilson was saying and sunk back down in her office chair after he had left. This was proving to be a very delicate subject and a rather big task and they hadn't even slept together. What would have happened if they did? Cuddy needed to get away from all this. She wasn't feeling all that great and she had a massive stress headache. She packed up her things and headed home for the day.

When she got home she looked around her apartment. His beer bottle was still on the coffee table and the paper was sitting on the kitchen counter. The DVD was still in the player and the bed was rumpled and unmade. Cuddy quickly changed into comfortable clothes and collapsed face down on her side of the bed. Everything in the house right now seemed to be little reminders of him, what could be if they had a life together. Everything reminded her of him because he was everywhere she was. In one evening's time he infiltrated her comfort zone and left small reminders of him everywhere. Deep down Cuddy loved it. She loved walking into her place and seeing the beer bottle there and being able to smell him faintly in the sheets. She liked that he wormed his way into what was hers and hers alone. Rolling over, Cuddy grabbed the pillow he had used last night. It still smelled of him, stronger than the sheets did. She hugged it close to her and tried to drift off to sleep, memories of them playing in her mind.

She woke up about an hour later and she felt like crap. She felt like she was coming down with a cold or the flu or something and she still had a stress headache. She was supposed to have dinner with her sister but called and canceled. She grabbed an old quilt from the top shelf in her closet and took it out to the couch. She made herself some tea and headed back to the couch. She found re-runs of Friends on television hoping to distract her mind and rid herself of whatever bug was trying to get to her. After about two hours and three mugs of tea later Cuddy realized she wasn't getting any better, she was, in fact, getting worse. She had a meeting tomorrow at eight thirty in the morning with all the heads of the departments in the hospital to talk about the budget. She sent them all a quick message asking to reschedule because she was coming down with something. Wilson had emailed her back to make sure she didn't need anything and she told him she was fine, it was just a flu bug.

About an hour later there was a knock on Cuddy's front door. She didn't feel like getting up to see who it was or what they wanted so she just continued to watch Joey's ridiculous attempt at finding his identical hand twin and tried to drown out the persistent knocking. The knocking finally stopped but was replaced soon after with a scratching sound and before Cuddy knew it her front door was swinging wide open and a shadowy figure was entering her house. Scared, Cuddy gabbed the first thing she could reach (which was the remote) and sat up, ready to swing at the intruder. She dropped her weapon when she looked up to see House standing in her entryway with a brown paper bag and a plastic bag that looked like it came from the grocery store.

"You should probably get that front door checked, one little push and it opened right up. Leaving your key under the mat might have something to do with that too." House said walking closer to her and placing the bags on the coffee table. "Why are you here, committing felonies and carrying bags with you?" Cuddy asked him, a little too tired for their usual banter. "Well you said you weren't feeling well in your email. Thought I'd come check on you. Plus I left my jacket here last night, it's probably laying on the chair in your bedroom." House said nonchalantly as he sat down on the other end of the couch and started opening up the two bags he had. Cuddy shook her head in disbelief then realized that probably wasn't the best idea when the pain increased and her head started to throb. She immediately started to massage her temples which didn't go unnoticed by House. "Got a headache, here take two of these." House tossed a bottle of water and a bottle of ibuprofen Cuddy's way which she caught and complied with his instructions. After swallowing her pills Cuddy had to ask House what he was doing there.

"So you're telling me you actually read my email about moving the meeting, you saw I was sick, came over to get your jacket and also apparently brought me medicine?" House chuckled a little. "I did read your e-mail after Wilson forwarded it to me about five or six times. And I brought more than just that medicine, I brought cough syrup, vapor rub, decongestant, kleenex, bottles of water, more tea and some soup. And beer but the beer is for me. Is there anything on besides Friends? It's such a girly show. Of course that Chandler does crack me up and Jennifer Aniston has quite the ass." House said popping the top on a beer and leaning back into the couch like he had been doing it all his life. "House, you're here to… take care of me?" Cuddy was sure she was hallucinating, how high of a fever did she have? House didn't care about anyone but himself. "Well it was Wilson's idea. He said something about being worried about you because you never get sick. I told him to come check on you and he told me I should do it. I told him you'd be fine but then he drove to my House told me to get in the car took me to the grocery store, told me to buy you medicine and dropped me off here." Cuddy should have known he was incapable of doing this on his own, but she'd take what she could get. Right now it was nice to just have him here spending time with her, infiltrating her personal space and for now that was enough.


A/N: Pretty much decided I'm going to continue, I think I have some potential with this fic and can make it go a few different directions. I love reviews a lot. Let me know if you like the little detour I've taken because it wasn't originally where I was planning on going. And to everyone who reviewed chapter one, you're awesome xoxo