A/N: This week' episode was perfectly devoid of Stacy and finally had the House/Cam bike scene we all knew was coming! Oh don't deny it, you all knew the minute he bought the damn thing they'd both be on it eventually. Thank god for that, and thank god for House in a leather jacket, on a motorcycle, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jeez...I practically needed a cold shower after that one, I don't know how Jennifer got through it.
Week 1:
Like any other week, Monday through Thursday were absolute drudgery. Nothing new to bait Stacy with, Cuddy hadn't worn anything particularly slutty, Wilson hadn't even philandered more than usual.
The only thing there was to do for any fun was watch Cameron.
They hadn't really spoken since Monday morning when she cornered him and he folded like a trapped animal. They hadn't laid any groundwork or set any rules or even decided where to go from there. House resorted to his usual coward self and waited for her to make the first move. Again.
The only thing different on his end was that he found it harder to be snide and rude to her. She wasn't even giving him the benefit of exasperation and annoyance. Now, his remarks were met with a playful eye roll or smiling sigh.
On Friday morning, she was the first one in as usual. As he sat in his office, mindlessly returning emails from potential patients, declining most, reading over a few, he glanced over at her a few times through the glass. He watched her drop her stuff by her desk and pull out her laptop, plugging it in and pulling off her scarf. He caught bits and pieces of her flurry of activity while trying to maintain an appearance of disinterest.
The problem lay in the fact that he wasn't sure what the next eighteen weeks were for. Had she meant that they had to hold off on anything until after she wasn't technically an employee? That they only had eighteen weeks before she moved on with her life? Or that they had eighteen weeks of being discreet?
Stupid ambiguous relationship talks.
So he was playing chicken, until he knew otherwise.
His thoughts were broken by the swish of his office door opening as she backed in, a cup of coffee in each hand. She sat them both down on his desk, with a cheery "Good Morning."
He took his cup from her outstretched arm. "Thank you, Allison," he threw a little sarcastically.
"Your welcome, Gregory," she snapped right back. She took a sip and grabbed the stack of mail off his desk. She sat back and crossed her legs, relaxing into the plush chair. "Any idea when you're gonna wake up and ask me out?"
He was sure she had planned to ask him this just as he took a sip of coffee. He swallowed. Hard.
"Well, I assumed eighteen weeks from now. Or I guess seventeen and a half."
She rolled her eyes. "I meant eighteen weeks as in eighteen weeks of keeping it quiet."
Oh. Well, that might have been good to know.
"In that case, we'll start having sex right now. Meet me in the janitor's closet in five."
"Or tonight." She rolled his eyes at his expression. "A date. Or whatever. We won't have dinner, because you clearly suck at keeping conversation light. We'll see a movie. Something stupid, so we can talk through it and be annoying. We'll eat popcorn and tons of junk food and we'll have...what's that called again? Fun?"
"Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"
"You can't start dating someone and not have a movie date. It's like, a rule. And I know you and rules, but unless you have a better idea, I say we catch the 7:30."
"Can I propose a night of body shots and beer pong?"
She smiled. "Maybe next time. What do you say?"
He couldn't think of anything snarky to say, so he agreed, and the rest of the day was hell. He could deal with a flirtatious and forward Cameron, but when the others were around, she acted like nothing was going on. The only time he saw a hint of the vixen in her was during a brainstorm session, when he caught her staring at him and chewing on the end of her pencil. She winked at him conspiratorially and went back to jotting something down on the patient's chart.
She wasn't cutting him any slack.
At the end of the day she stopped by his office to drop off lab results.
"Movie's at 7:30, pick me up at 7:00?"
He nodded, distractedly. "Don't wear a skirt. We're taking my bike."
She bit back a smile at the prospect of riding on the back of a motorcycle, straddling him for the fifteen minute drive.
"Sounds good to me. See you then."
House decided that it would really be a date. He wasn't going to talk to Wilson about it, wasn't going to over think it or analyze it. He would go home, get ready, and go. As simple as that. No stuffy dinners, no worrying, no craziness.
He didn't wear a tie, he wore a concert t-shirt from years ago, and a blue blazer over jeans. He popped a Vicodin before he left and made sure his bed was made and no dirty laundry was floating around. Just in case...well, just in case. He resisted the urge to have a whiskey to calm his nerves, knowing if he crashed, it would probably ruin the mood.
He pulled up in front of her apartment at 6:58. Cameron was on the porch of her apartment complex, talking to an elderly woman. When he pulled up, he gunned the engine just for effect. He watched as she came down the steps, while the woman eyed him and the bike suspiciously.
She swung a jean-clad leg over the bike and slid on, pulled his spare helmet over her head. She tentatively put her hands at his waist.
"Well you can be polite and fall off, but in the end, it might be smarter to just hold on tight."
She laughed and did just that, snaking her arms around him and holding him fast. He gave it gas and they were gone.
It was exhilarating, and not just because of the speed. Being this close to him, she just hoped she wasn't going to lose her cool and get all flustered around him. It was thankfully and regretfully a short trip. At the theater, he scoffed when she pulled out her wallet, muttering something about woman's liberation.
"I can't believe we're seeing a movie about penguins."
"I told you, if we see a serious movie, we'll actually watch the movie. This way, we can just talk through it. Otherwise, what's the point of going to the movies as a date? Sitting in a dark room not speaking to each other?"
He had to agree that she had a point. They bought popcorn and candy and found seats in the back. While waiting for the previews, Cameron was unsettled to know that House knew the answers to more celebrity trivia questions than she did.
Some woman kept talking on her cell phone after the previews started.
Cameron smirked and stage whispered, "I'll bet you I can hit her square in the head with a Starburst."
He chuckled, surprised at her. "What are the terms?"
She thought a moment. "If I can hit her, you have to play for me one day."
She'd been to his apartment, seen his piano, no use denying he could play. Meanwhile, the woman was still chatting away, laughing shrilly. He winced. "Hit her on your first try and I'll sing for you, too."
She smiled, pleased at the deal. Looking around for witnesses, she pulled an orange Starburst out of the bag and wound up. The only verb House could think to describe the throw was chucking. Cameron chucked it at the woman, hitting her in the back of her head with a thud. Two teenagers behind them started laughing as Cameron sat nonchalantly back in her seat and grabbed some popcorn for cover. The woman stood up angrily, scanning the crowd for a suspect, skipping right over the respectable looking brunette. She glared at the giggling teenagers and sat back down to say goodbye to whoever was on the phone. House watched it all with an amused smile.
"Touchdown."
"Nice shot."
The movie started, Morgan Freeman's smooth voice filtering through the theater's sound system. The film actually sucked them in. At one point, the sight of a dead infant penguin made Cameron tear up. She brushed away a tear, hoping he wouldn't catch the motion, but he did.
"Please tell me you did not just do what I think you just did."
"Shut up," she whispered back, grinning at herself.
At a few boring parts they resorted to throwing popcorn in the air and catching it in their mouths. House started keeping score. He won. When he declared himself winner she threw a piece at him, that hit him right in his eye.
"You've blinded me!" She was giggling uncontrollably. "I can't see!" He whispered loudly.
Luckily, the only people close enough to be bothered by their antics were the teenagers behind them, who had given up on the movie and started making out before the opening credits were over.
At some point, her head ended up on his shoulder. She wasn't even sure when it happened. She distinctly remembered wondering if House would be as devoted a husband and father as the father penguins.
She whispered in his ear, "I'm gonna go get some more popcorn, you want something?"
"See if they sell condoms, I think this date is going really well."
She sighed, "So, nothing?"
"Ouch. Get more snowcaps."
She stood in line, and suddenly heard a familiar voice. Wilson and a woman stepped up in line behind her. He was telling the woman about a patient from that week.
"Dr. Cameron?"
She spun around, feigning surprise. "Dr. Wilson, good to see you!"
"What are you doing here?"
She paused. He didn't know? House tells him everything. "I'm...here with someone."
"Oh. Oh, sorry, this is my wife Julie."
She politely shook her hand, "It's a pleasure."
"Same." Forced cordiality. This woman knew to watch out gorgeous woman around her husband.
"Well, this is me." She picked up her popcorn and snowcaps, and looked for an escape route. "It was lovely seeing you both. Have a good night."
After she left, Wilson chuckled after giving his order to the clerk.
"What?" His wife asked.
Wilson had been House's friend long enough to know his favorite candy. "She's here with House."
Back in the theater, Cameron sat back in her seat, and handing House the box said, "I just met Julie Wilson."
"They're here? Oh Christ..."
"It's ok, I didn't tell him anything. Code of silence, remember?"
"Right, discretion."
After the movie, they left the theater spy-style, looking casually around, making sure Wilson was nowhere to be seen. They hopped on his bike and sped off, heady with conspiracy.
Cameron was always sleepy after going to the movies. She laid her head on House's back and closed her eyes, wondering if the evening really had to end so soon.
When they pulled up to her apartment complex, she was reluctant to go. She pulled off her helmet and handed it to him. "Thanks."
"No problem." He looked at a loss for words. "Tonight was...fun."
She smiled. "Third time's a charm."
"It would appear so."
She decided to just end the evening with a bang. She grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him into a goodnight kiss to end all goodnight kisses. It wasn't long and lingering, but it made it's point. A moment later she pulled back, leaving both of them breathless. She smiled at him, "I'd ask you up if I thought you'd say yes."
He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "That's probably not the best idea."
"I know." Her hand was still at his collar. She let go and let her thumb graze his lips as she brushed his check with her hand. "Another time, maybe. Thanks for a great night, Greg. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
She heard him rev and go only after she was safely inside her building. She leaned against the door and sighed. Sometimes she just wanted to jump him. The dating game was fun, but this was getting ridiculous.
Was it slutty to sleepover on a second date?
