The day continued with a great deal of normality despite the new relationship between Cameron and House.

Cameron arrived early, as usual. She performed her clerical duties, as usual, and put on the coffee in time for her colleagues to arrive.

House arrived late, as usual. He dodged Cuddy and work all morning, as usual, and stole Wilson away from his office to pay for his lunch.

As well… as usual really.

"So why aren't you dining with your girlfriend?" Wilson asked between bites of something too green and brown and wholesome and utterly disgusting looking for House's tastes.

"She wants to take it slow. S'fine by me." House answered between his mouthfuls of a cheese burger as grease and fat rolled down over his fingers.

"And by taking it slow you mean…"

House glared at him, no doubt his growing frustrations and desires all too evident.

Wilson grinned and chuckled lightly, leaning back in his seat in a commanding and dominant sort of way.

"Haven't managed to get her to put out yet?" he said teasingly.

House growled and glared in response, his shoulders squaring like a bull padding the ground ready for a challenge. "We're taking it slow."

"So she doesn't want to sleep with you?"

"The problem is that she so desperately wants to sleep with me apparently."

"Ah." He said as if he'd discovered the answer to life itself. "So she reckons you'll be that bad in bed she's scared it might affect the relationship?"

"She's scared that I'm that good at fucking that our relationship will be all sex and none of womanly cuddly stuff that's apparently important." He snapped curtly.

"And you're quite happy to go slow too. Do you reckon she's crap in the sack? I've seen her dance. My cheeks were blushing for her." Wilson continued his teasing glad to have the upper hand for a change.

"She's got rhythm." House said with a lustful greed in his eye. "I've felt it. And it was sweet."

Wilson gulped involuntarily and hated how it was so easy for House to gain the upper hand once more, as if he'd never had control of the conversation which was most probably true.

Seeing that Wilson was back in his place House returned his attentions to his burger, his shoulders unfurling bringing the same kind of relief to the table as un-cocking a gun in an old western saloon.

"So why are you not going at it like it's your honeymoon?" Wilson asked softly.

"You mean why are we not doing it like it's your honeymoon?" He cut back at him. Then he sighed softly and looked down at his plate almost ashamed. "She knows how fast things went with Stacy; she doesn't want that to happen. She wants to take it slow, she wants us to last longer."

"And you agree with her." Wilson stated rather than asked.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. I want her and not just for just now." He admitted softly.

"You want a happily ever after?"

"Happily ever afters are just stories that haven't finished yet." House answered though after a pause he conceded. "But yeah, I'd like that."

Wilson smiled softly and decided not to comment for fear of House's harsh tongue.

House returned back to his office after lunch to find Cuddy sitting at his desk with her feet crossed on the corner and looking all powerful and downright creepy.

"You're in my seat. In my office."

"In my hospital." She answered smartly staring him down.

"Shouldn't you be running said hospital than shirking your duties by hiding out here?"

"I am. You clinic now." She said as she stood and smoothed the creases from her tight skirt.

House frowned and sighed a little. He'd barely seen Cameron since that morning and he'd planned on pretending to watch TV all afternoon while actually watching her. Glancing around he hoped to catch a glimpse of her but she was gone.

"She's not here." She said softly able to read him well.

House regarded her curiously with his eyebrows knitted in thought.

"Well it is my hospital in case you haven't noticed. And Stacy bawling her eyes out in my office was a big hint."

He held back a shiver at the sound of that name.

"The Oncology Ball is coming up soon."

"You haven't got a hope in hell of getting me to go to that." He snipped back, glad to be back on familiar territory.

"Oh I think you'll go. I've asked Cameron to go shopping for a dress this afternoon in the hopes of enticing you to go. I know you. And I know you'd hate the idea of guys eyeing up your girl without you to glare at them. You'll be there."

House glared and her, reluctantly conceding the fact that she was right. Though he was secretly looking forward to the idea of Cameron dressing sexily just for him.

"Clinic. Now." She snapped drawing closer and pressing a well manicured finger into his chest slightly threateningly.

"My girl is so gonna kick your ass for touching her property. Possession is nine tenths of the law and you know what a stickler she is for morals and junk like that." He grumbled shuffling into the hall.

She grinned, her heels clicking as she followed him. "You're so hooked."

"Hook, line and sinker." He admitted to himself, feeling an ache inside him as his eyes longed to see her, his hands to touch her and his lips to kiss her. And as he drudged his way to the clinic he smiled at the sweet sight that she might be in the future.

Guess he was going to that ball after all.