The tension in the hospital room was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. House was looking bashful - albeit euphoric - and Cuddy was just looking plain panicked. Her breathing sped up and her eyes began blinking rapidly, though whether it was to stop the brewing tears or a neurological symptom House wasn't sure, something he made to rectify.

Taking his pen light out of his rubble encrusted pocket, he flicked it over her eyes. "I'm fine," she muttered, not sure how to fix this. House moved back, not wanting to intrude as she ended it between her and Lucas for good. At least, that's what he hoped she was planning to do. Otherwise she had a rather large hole to dig herself out of.

"Lisa..." Lucas said wistfully, taking her hand.

A carnal instinct came over House and he immediately wanted to deck him, just for touching her. Okay, sure, technically he was still the boyfriend, but since she'd just confessed her love for another man House assumed that all the conventional rules were off the table.

But, the thing with Lucas was that he was a child, really. He couldn't handle the world that Cuddy and House lived in... He just wasn't ready. House doubted sometimes whether he should even be out of the womb. Cuddy was a woman, and Lucas was still very much for girls. House, however, was a real man. His innocent - read: childlike - face was so...broken. House just looked at the expression and decided that along with him getting the girl - hallelujah! - he should at least try and have a little compassion for Lucas. So, he let the handholding continue. For now.

"Lisa..." Lucas repeated, seeming lost for words. "Why?"

"Oh..." She pressed her lips together and shook her head, eyes leaking a tear or two. "I just don't know," she whimpered.

House frowned. Backbone, woman! She did know, she just admitted it. She wanted House. And he knew her well enough that he could safely presume she hadn't changed her mind in the three or so minutes since she'd made the declaration. He put his thumb out and nudged her side, just gently. She winced.

House grimaced. "Sorry," he mumbled sincerely. It was supposed to be a 'you can do this' nudge, not a 'I'm trying to aggravate your broken ribs' nudge.

"It's okay," she accepted, then turned her face back to Lucas. She had to do this, now. "Lucas, it's not that you're not great, you are..." She trailed off and looked at House for reassurance. His face remained blank and impassive but he squeezed her fingers gently.

Cuddy felt empowered. That may be a small gesture for anyone else, but this was House. He didn't squeeze fingers. "You're the perfect guy," she continued, with a bit more strength in her voice. "You're everything I should want, and you're everything I need... A great dad, stable...but I can't do it. I need this. I need House," she stopped and swallowed, "and yes, I am aware of how ridiculous that sentence is."

"But..." Lucas stammered. "You...complained about him! Everyday! He made you miserable," he implored, thoroughly confused.

"I know," she smiled weakly. "He does make me miserable, and I'm sure he still will..."

House leaned in, curious where she was going with this. "But..." She took House hand awkwardly for support, "amazingly, he makes he happy. And he challenges me in a way that you can't."

Lucas let out an incredulous laugh and ducked his head. "So this is about IQ?" He asked disbelievingly.

"No," she shook her head, "just about...compatibility."

"And you think that you two are compatible?" He said angrily, getting more and more riled up. The upset and wounded Lucas was gone - for now, House was sure he'd be back in a minute - and in his place was ferocious Lucas - well, as ferocious as Lucas could be.

Of course ferocious House versus ferocious Lucas is like a lion versus a kitten, but House decided to let the scene play out before him anyway. Just let Lucas run himself into the ground, before he swooped in and kick his whining lonely butt into the figurative cold, and then had Cuddy all to himself. He'd waited twenty years for this, and he was damn well going to enjoy it.

"Yes," Cuddy said carefully, "within reason."

"You are nothing like him!" Lucas gestured to House, evidently not caring if House heard or not. "You're not a jerk, not a misanthrope, not an ass... You're a good person!"

House shifted awkwardly, his butt having gone to sleep from perching on the hard plastic of the hospital chair. Yeah yeah, now Lucas was on the 'he's an ass!' part of his pathetic take me back monologue and to be honest it was all a bit predictable. Next, he was gonna talk about how House was just going to screw up and hurt her.

"Lisa," he implored, grabbing her hand too tightly for House's liking, "he's just gonna screw up and hurt you."

Bingo. Word for word, even.

"You don't want to do this to yourself!" He continued fruitlessly. "I'm what's best for you, you're making a mistake! Please, don't do this..."

"Enough!" She silenced. "I'm tired and in pain and I've made my choice. It made be stupid and it may backfire on me in a way that makes me unhappy and miserable, but I don't care! Hear me, I don't care! I'm willing to take a chance... I can't live the rest of my life wondering what could have been."

"And what about me?" He begged. "Aren't you going to wonder what you could have had with me?"

Now, before, when Cuddy had first found out that Lucas had heard the conversation between her and House, she'd felt bad, and scared. She cared for him deeply and having him find out like that was not what she wanted. But her patience was wearing thin, and a persistent begging Lucas was just elevating her pain levels. She was done with this conversation, and wanted him out.

"I've seen what I could have had with you," she replied, perhaps a little more scathingly than was necessary, "and frankly, it bored me."

Lucas looked shocked. Obviously, that wasn't what he was expecting. But soon the shock was replaced with defeat, and a cold expression came over his face. He stood quietly and smoothed his coat lapel. "You two deserve each other," he sneered, then left with as much dignity as he could muster.

There was a moment of silence as Cuddy sniffed and House just processed. He looked over at Cuddy. She was trying to keep it together, but he could see the tough facade breaking. "Hey," he muttered light heartedly, stroking her hair in a surprisingly affectionate gesture. "Don't be...sad."

"I'm not," she replied sadly, wiping her eyes. "Just...it's done."

"Yeah," House agreed. "It is."

He was suddenly aware of how alone they were, and how...just how they were. Where they'd ended up in just a few short hours. Here she was, lying in the hospital bed with her shoulder strapped up in some ridiculous velcro sling, her head bandage and a face that currently looked like a connect the dots pattern made by a five year old, and had just dumped her manchild fiance for him. Oh dear god, what had he got himself into? And there was a child to contend with. A pink smily toddling bundle of joy, who House hadn't spent any time with since the bonding/puking episode - which he was trying to look back on fondly, but failing.

As House debating all these issues internally, Cuddy was trying not to cry. Big day - breathe in - could've died - breathe out - broke up with fiance, ended up with House...

"Kiss me."

House looked up. "What?"

"Kiss. Me."

She sighed at his befuddled expression. "I know you know how," she teased, "so do I have to ask a third time?"

House swallowed, then leaned forward. He wanted this to be different from before, when she lost Joy. That was a kiss made from loss and unhappiness and grief... This should be made from hope - and, as corny as it sounded, love. This should be a love kiss, not a need kiss.

So, as he covered her poor chapped lips with his own matching ones, he just let himself drift into it. No plan, no nothing... He just let himself enjoy. After holding the kiss for a decent amount of time he eased his mouth open and let his tongue slide out to lick her lips, and part them. Their tongues swirled together, in a kiss that definitely lived up to expectations.

He felt her hands twist and slide into his hair and pull him closer, holding her to him, breathing in the rough scent that he was emitting. Plaster and rubble mixed with eau de House was surprisingly calming. She craned her neck up so she could explore his mouth even further, not wanting to miss an inch of him.

It was this, this is what she'd been missing. For the last twenty years, every guy had just been missing something... And here it was. She couldn't put her finger on it, but just something about the way things fit together... She couldn't explain it, but it was good. So good.

To her surprise, House pulled away. He kept his arms clasped around her bruised back, holding her to him. He took a moment just to take her in, her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. A sense of pride swept through him, knowing that he'd put it there. But he looked at the cuts, the bruises, the bags under her eyes.

The poor thing must be exhausted. So, in an abnormally tender gesture, he kissed her forehead. It was slow and lingering, and Cuddy felt tears spring to her eyes. She found herself thinking that maybe, if she was lucky, things could work out for the two of them.

She smiled gratefully as he laid her smoothly back on the bed. "Goodnight," he whispered.

"Stay," she pleaded, grasping his hand.

"Of course," he promised, sinking back into the chair, a satisfied smile playing out across his lips.

And so, with his hand clasped tightly in hers, Cuddy shut her tired eyes and let sleep overwhelm her.