Disclaimer.
Hello all you lovely readers and reviewers!! Hope yall had a nifty weekend! Thanks for the reviews they're awesome just like all of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter. ..Smile..
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House was sitting on his couch. Just like he had been most of the day. Ever since he had Wilson help him get out of bed. Made Wilson a little late for work but, oh well. Like he was going to worry about that. Ha! No, he had much more important things to worry about. Cameron was coming over. He checked his trademark tee shirt and jeans to make sure there were no visible stains, checked his breath for anything that could be harmful or deadly if inhaled, and finally he did a once over of the room. After flipping through all the channels without looking at what was on, House maneuvered himself into his wheelchair and headed for the bathroom to brush his teeth, for the second time in one hour. What is wrong with me? Like I care what she thinks. I wonder if she cares what I think...
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Cameron stood in front of her closet and stared. She moved over to her dresser and stared. She went back to the closet. The same thing she'd been doing since she had woken up. Not that she had gotten much sleep...the butterflies fluttering about in her stomach made sure of that. With a sigh, she held a shirt up to her and looked in the mirror before throwing it onto the growing "No" pile on her bed. Finally, she took a deep breath and sat down on her bed with her head in her hands. What am I doing? Why does it matter how I look? Why do I care so damn much about what he thinks of me... With a determined exhale of breath she stood and rummaged in the back of her closet until she found the perfect pair of dark blue hip huggers. Now for a top... Going through her tee shirt drawer she finally settled on a fitted plain black tee shirt. The shirt didn't quite reach the top of her jeans, revealing a quick flash of her tanned skin and toned body. Brushing her hair and pulling on black tennis shoes and a simple belt she looked in the mirror. Well...it's different from work clothes that's for sure. Is it too much? After thinking for a bit she grabbed a loose plaid button up shirt and threw it on over top, leaving the buttons undone. Ugh...just go! It's no big deal you're just...hanging out with the guy who...you work for and are completely head over heels for. Flopping onto her bed with a sigh she stared at the ceiling until her phone rang. She immediately sat up with a start and grabbed her cell phone. With a disappointed face she read the number. Just the hospital. She flipped open her phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Cameron it's Wilson. Have you left for House's yet?" On the other end of the phone Wilson was trying to keep the giddyness out of his voice.
"No I was just about to, why is something wrong? Did he change his mind about me...about visitors?" Worry settled itself into lines etched on her forehead.
"No no. I was just going to tell you that the door is locked, but I put the key on the top of the doorway so you can get in without having House try to get over to the door. But I'll let you go so you can head over there. I really think a visit will be good for him. It'll keep him distracted enough so he won't mess with any of my stuff. He won't tell you this but I know he's grateful for all the time you've been spending with him since the...accident."
"No problem Wilson. Thanks for the key information. I guess I'll talk to you later."
"Bye Cameron. Have fun!" Wilson grinned, then picked up the phone to call Cuddy and tell her the great news. He was starting to think, maybe House's dad had inadvertently done a good thing for his son, even if it was in a really shitty way.
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Cameron stood outside House's door, tossing the spare key back and forth, feeling the cool metal on her finger tips. Finally closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she stuck the key into the lock and turned it. Making a big deal out of nothing...you're just friends, this is no big thing. Licking her pretty lips, she pushed open the door and laughed. There was her full grown adult boss, asleep on the couch with Rugrats playing on the unwatched television. At the sound of someone else in the room, House started. He had dozed off for a bit and wasn't prepared. Thinking about the dream he had been in, it was lucky she wasn't close enough to see the pain and fear on his face.
"You going to come in or just let all the bugs in?" He snarked playfully, trying not to make it obvious that he was staring at that almost inch of skin between her shirt and her jeans. She smiled and shut the door. Setting down her bag and taking off her coat, she came and sat on the far end of the couch.
"How are you feeling?" The caring doctor in Cameron couldn't help but ask, even though she knew it would annoy House.
"Well how do you think? My leg is itching and I can't get to it."
"Have you tried a straightened coat hanger?" Cameron suggested helpfully. House just looked at her before reaching beside the couch and pulling out a straightened wire coat hanger. Raising her eyebrows and shrugging her shoulders Cameron studied her boss. His face looked blank, but upon further inspection, the muscles around his mouth were tense and his eyes were squinted a fraction of an inch. He was a bit fidgety and started cracking his knuckles and his neck. He was in more pain than he was willing to let on to Cameron, but she had been around him too long. She noticed the little things that made the biggest difference.
"You're hurting. Give me your hand." She reached for him as he looked at her rather strangely. She ignored him as she grasped his arm around the wrist, trying to ignore the funny feeling in her stomach and the tightening in her chest. Damn butterflies. She moved so his arm was around her in order for her to be able to hold his right hand with her left. Placing her thumb in the center of where his wrist met his hand, right at the end of the crease in between his index finger and thumb, she began making slow circles with her own thumb. Cameron tried not to think about the fact that she was holding her bosses hand.
"You know it's my leg that hurts, not my wrist." He tried not to smell her hair, her perfume, her all around intoxicating scent. But it was really hard when she was so close. His arm was pretty much wrapped around her after all.
"Oh hush. It's acupressure. The point I'm massaging is supposed to relieve lower body pain. I don't know for sure if it will help in your particular situation but I figured it was worth a shot. Just relax." House didn't say anything about the fact that the pain in his leg eased up a bit. He also said nothing of the warmth pooling in his stomach or the tightening of his jeans. Good thing I can't stand up anytime soon.
"You can stop. My arms going numb from holding it up like this." Cameron stopped and leaned back. She was sitting very close to House. Trying to play it cool, she toed off her shoes and brought one foot up onto the couch as if if was completely normal for her to be there. House looked at her a moment before leaving his arm stretched out around her shoulders on the back of the couch. He took in the light in her eyes when she giggled at something one of those stupid cartoon babies did, and the way she tilted her head to the right when she was paying close attention. He hadn't ever seen something so adorable. And House was not a man who liked adorable. Until now that is. With a deep breath, House settled in more comfortably. Cameron eyed him out of the corner of her eye. He looked sort of calm. It frustrated her. How could he be so calm when her insides were all over the place, like little bolts of lightning going everywhere. She decided to turn it up a bit. If she was going to be tense the he sure as hell would be too. Cameron took a deep breath and then leaned into him. She leaned the back of her head onto his shoulder and continued staring at the television screen. If she looked at him she would lose her nerve. She felt him tense up a bit before slowly, ever so slowly, relaxing and moving his shoulder in a bit closer around her. The corner of House's mouth turned up in a sort of half smile as Cameron tried to smother her grin. The pair began cracking jokes as they channel surfed.
The comfortable atmosphere changed suddenly when a commercial came on. One speaking out about domestic violence. The air grew very thick and the smiles they had both worn only moments ago vanished. Cameron bit her lip and House stared hard at the television screen. The commercial ended and another began. Even thought the offending commercial was now over, the air was still tense as they sat in silence. Cameron finally decided to speak out.
"Look House...I'm not going to ask you what he...what he did to you when you were young. I'm not even going to ask what went down the night you came to the hospital. But...you know...I'm...around. I'm here if you want to talk. About anything, not just him. But it's up to you..."
"That's a speech I've heard so many times before it's meaningless now. I'm not a big talker. It took me years to bring it up to Wilson...I only gave him vague details the night my Dad knocked me around enough to land me in there. He was an ass. He was a jackass and he didn't care. That's it...that's all."
Cameron nodded in understanding. For awhile they sat quietly watching television. But a few wisecracks from Cameron about someone on a reality show and they were back in business. House called in for a pizza and when it arrived, he again didn't let Cameron pay for her part.
"It's Wilson's money anyways. He gave me some specifically for this reason. Now shut up and eat." And with that, the pair sat together on the couch once more. They were both full by the time the pizza was gone and Cameron stretched and covered a yawn.
"Tired?" House asked, hoping she wasn't leaving yet. Not that he cared.
"Just a little. I'm fine though." She yawned again. House thought for a moment, and then motioned for her to toss him the pillow from her side of the couch. He set it against his casted right leg and stretched his arm across the couch.
"Take a nap then. You can't drive if you're tired. Wilson will be here soon and he can take you home. My beds a mess and I don't feel like moving so we'll share the couch." House stated very matter of factly.
"Are you sure?" Cameron questioned warily. House just nodded so she laid down, her head on the pillow that was almost in his lap.
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Wilson walked into House's apartment as quietly as he could. He saw Cameron's car outside and didn't know what he would walk in on. He grinned and shut the door. Walking around in front of the couch he just looked at the two. Cameron, head on the pillow, her hand resting on House's cast and looking ever the princess. His head was rolled back and he was snoring just a bit from his open mouth. I wonder what they did to get so tired these past couple of days...
