Chapter 6: One Condition

Cuddy feet were frozen to the floor. She was in shock at the feelings that House had just shared with her. It took her a few moments to realize that House was about to walk out. She couldn't let that happen.

She got up from her chair and made her way towards the limping figure moving towards her front door. She cut him off by blocking his path with her body. House stopped moving and the two of them just stared at each other in her foyer. They were standing in the very same spot that they had shared a kiss last year. Cuddy was at a loss for words so instead she decided to answer him with actions.

House was almost a full foot taller than she was, especial when she was without her four-inch heels. She needed to bring him closer to her. She grabbed the open collar of his button down shirt and she pulled him down to her face. House stopped his momentum about an inch or two away from her lips. He wasn't going to initiate the kiss, he still wanted to hear from her lips that she was choosing him.

Now that his face was closed enough, Cuddy moved her hand to his neck and then let it drift into his hair as she touched her lips to his. She tasted his lower lip, then his upper, and then found the inside of his mouth with her tongue. It was then she noticed that House was holding back. He was accepting her kisses but he wasn't giving in to them. Cuddy broke away and looked at him with a very confused expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I am still waiting for your answer" House replied in a very quiet broken voice. He still didn't' believe that she had taken him seriously. He wasn't about to play second fiddle to this Rich guy. House saw the world as very black and white. She either was with him, or she wasn't. He doesn't date, it's all or nothing and he needed her to understand that.

"I thought you understood sign language?" Cuddy asked in a teasing yet seductive voice. House, however, was not in the mood for teasing. He looked at her with a fierce stare that couldn't shield the fear behind them.

"I need an answer Cuddy" he stated firmly

Cuddy rocked back from her toes to her flat feet and moved her hand from his hair, down his arm, and grabbed his hand.

She took a moment to think about exactly what she wanted to say. The few seconds of silence were agony to House. Finally, she spoke. "House, I want you to make love to me today, tomorrow, and the day after that" Cuddy responded, mimicking the words House had used on her in the kitchen.

House still wasn't convinced. He wasn't ready to believe. "What about Rich?" he asked

Cuddy was still holding House's hand so she slowly led him out of the foyer and into the living room. She sat on the couch and indicated for House to do the same. He didn't want to sit, he wanted to run and get the hell out of there.

What is she up to? Is she going to try and convince me to date her while she is dating Rich. I need to get out of here, I never should have come.

Cuddy looked up at House who was still standing there next to the couch staring at Cuddy with a lost look on his face. "House, please sit" Cuddy asked.

House finally sat down but while she was facing him on the couch, he was facing forward. Cuddy figured this was the best she was going to get out of him at the moment so she began.

"House, you have been a part of my life for a very long time. There is some unexplainable force that has always drawn me to you. Last year, after I lost Joy, I realized what the force was. I tried to act on it, but you just pushed me away."

House turned his head to her now and started to open his mouth to defend himself. He was about to ask about the desk and how Cuddy said nothing after that but Cuddy silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. The act alone would have been enough to silence him, her fingers placed on his lips made him lose his train of thought anyway.

"Please, let me finish" she continued. "After I got Rachel things were hard for me. I pushed the thought of you and anyone else in my life out of my head. I was hurt and I tried to bury myself in taking care of Rachel. Then there was Kutner and all the ramifications from that. I didn't see what you were going through until it was too late. After you left, I couldn't think about us anymore and instead had to focus on what I needed to do for you to help you get better."

"House, I need you in my life. I thought about you so much when you were gone. I have been trying to give you space and time to get better. I was prepared to suppress my feelings for you forever if it meant that I could at least keep you as my friend. I thought I would have to settle for friendship. I had convinced myself of that. Then I met Rich"

Here it comes!

House took his eyes off Cuddy and was looking straight ahead again.

Cuddy waited a few seconds, she needed House to focus, she needed him to understand. "Rich is a really nice guy, I thought he would help me move on from you but there has been one major problem. House, no one in the world makes me feel like I feel when I am with you."

House finally turned to look at her again but Cuddy continued, she had a few more things to say and she needed to say them now, "I don't know what will happen with us but I do know I would rather try with you than succeed with anyone else. I can't talk to Rich until Monday but I really hope you will stay anyway"

House was silent for a few moments and Cuddy was starting to freak out. What was he thinking, was he going to change his mind now that she finally admitted her feelings for him. Those few moments felt like an eternity.

House then shifted in his seat to face her and asked in an overly dramatic high pitched voice "Lisa Cuddy, will you be my girlfriend?"

A big smile spread across Cuddy's face and she laughed at his ability to break the serious mood of the room. "On one condition" Cuddy responded "get over her and kiss me!"

A/N: This will be the last rated T chapter and then I am going to have to bump this to M. For those of you who aren't into that stuff you will be able to skip over the next chapter without missing important plot points. For those of you who are into it….your gonna love it! Before we get to that, I would love comments on this chapter. Thanks!