AN: A continuation of Engage. Thank you to all the people that read and reviewed that story. Hope you like this one as well. :) Please let me know if you find any mistakes; to proofread this, I had my computer 'read' it to me. It was very amusing.
-Ment
It'd been about two weeks since he proposed, if you could call it that, and the hospital was still buzzing. It'd taken all of ten seconds for someone to find out; a nurse at the front desk had noticed the ring when Cuddy absent-mindedly handed her some files with her left hand. Cuddy vividly remembered the nurse's reaction, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, and she'd almost knocked over her coffee as she fumbled with the files. The Dean of Medicine was already gone when House left her office, and the middle-aged nurse almost fainted at the sight of him leaving. The bickering pair had kept their relationship a secret.
Once the nurse recovered, she frantically searched for someone to tell. At first, the news was spread correctly, but no one really believed that Cuddy would be engaged to House. As the result, what had started out as an incredulous story had turned into an even more unbelievable rumor.
"Did you hear about Dr. Cuddy?"
"No, what about her?" the younger nurse asked, putting a salad on her tray.
"Well, Rebecca told me that she got engaged yesterday in her office!"
"Oh my God, to who?"
"No one knows who he is, but Rebecca said that when he proposed, House was in her office with them!" she continued upon seeing her friend's shocked stare. "Apparently after the proposal, he and House started fighting. Rebecca said that Angela saw Cuddy leave, and then House, but she never saw the other guy. She thinks he climbed out the window."
"I can't believe that," she replied as she placed a piece of chocolate cake on her tray. "What do think they were fighting about?"
"Everybody says House has a thing for Cuddy."
"Huh, who do you think the other man is?"
"He probably works here; hospital is practically her home."
That rumor circulated for a few days, but Wilson eventually figured out the truth. Of course, House's current team found out, and then his old team. Soon after that, the hallways of Princeton Plainsboro were filled with talk of their relationship and engagement.
Cuddy had received several amazed congratulations and questions about the wedding, to which she had no answer. It was because of that that she was currently sitting in her office, and ignoring her work. She slid the ring off her finger, and stared at it, thinking about her relationship.
An engagement was supposed to be full of excitement, love, celebration, and nervousness, but so far, the only people feeling most of those emotions was the hospital's staff. It was supposed to be a major step in a relationship, a life-altering change. Yet, nothing had changed between them. They still lived in separate places. Their dates still consisted of lunch in Coma Guy's room or late night takeout in her office when she had to work late. And there had been no talk of a wedding.
She spent most of the day pretending to work while she thought about House or diligently working to avoid thinking about him. Despite being as smart as she is, it took Cuddy some time to realize that although their relationship was not in the slightest bit conventional, she wouldn't have it any other way.
The next day, House found a ring on his desk with a small piece of paper tied to it. He smirked knowingly as he read the only word that was written on the paper before sliding the ring on his finger.
The following couple of weeks consisted of rumors of Cuddy and House eloping.
Thoughts? OK, this was an incredibly corny ending, but I hope it's not too corny?