Title: Mr. Nice Guy.
Author: Stephanie
Rating: PG 13
Category: House M.D.
Pairing: House/Cameron
Summary: She thought he couldn't love her, so he lusted for her instead.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.
"I thought you were too screwed up to love anyone. But I was wrong, you just couldn't love me. That's good. I'm happy for you."
Her words echoed through his head for hours, bouncing back and forth through his stubborn head like that wretched tennis ball against the wall. An unknown stinging sensation pierced through his chest at every word. The image of her heartbroken face made his eyes burn extremely. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't let her words, or anybody's for that matter, get to him. But this was different, she was different.
It was Cameron.
An aggravated grunt left his throat when the ball bounced onto his leg.
"Damn it," he yelled, flinging the ball to the side. His voice echoed through the empty room, and for a minute, it actually startled him. He sighed, turning his face back towards his computer screen. He had hoped that his pathetic patient's bizarre condition would distract him enough, but surprisingly it didn't. The only thing he could think about was in fact, Cameron.
"You know, for someone who claims he doesn't give a shit about people, you sure do put in a lot of time for them."
It was in that moment that House wished he hadn't let go of that ball and throw it to Wilson's head instead. "I stay to prove to Cuddy I can fix them," he replied, hoping Wilson would just drop dead at that moment. But he knew Wilson too well, they were in fact, friends.
"No, you stay late at night for 2 reasons. 1, your leg hurts too much for you to get on that stupid motorcycle of yours, or 2, which I prefer actually, you are staying to distract yourself from something in your personal life," Wilson stated, taking a seat on the other side of the desk. House gave him the usual not amused look.
"Are you insinuating that I actually do have a personal life?" House gasped. Wilson chuckled.
"Of course not, that would mean that you actually have a life beyond this hospital," he replied, loving the look on House's face. To his surprise, House didn't have a smart ass comment on the tip of his tongue. Instead House turned to watch the rain pound against the glass pane. A heavy sigh left him, and that act surprised Wilson extremely.
Wilson studied House for a moment, not really understanding his actions. House has never seemed so worried, or quiet one for that matter, and it startled him for a moment.
"Is this about Stacy?" Wilson dared ask. Her name stung House extremely, sending an undesirable sensation down his spine. For a moment he broke out in goosebumps.
"Why would "this", whatever this is supposed to refer to, have anything to do with Stacy?" House asked in his usual sarcastic tone. The hiss that left his throat made it clear to Wilson that he had struck a nerve. That was a good thing, proved that House was in fact human and had some emotion.
"Well your ex girlfriend of 5 years comes back to town, with her husband that you can't seem to stand, and she works at the same hospital as you. She is the only woman that can make you somewhat sympathetic to life in general. Yeah, I think it has to do with Stacy," the saner doctor proclaimed.
House grunted. He wished that was the case, he wanted desperately for it to really be about Stacy. If it was about her, he could have pushed it to the back of his mind. He was good at that, he kept it up for years after she left. Amazing, a woman he loved for so long could be pushed away, but a woman like Cameron, whom he thought he had no desire for could not leave his subconscious.
"She doesn't love me anymore. And if she doesn't love me, then I have no reason for anything in her life to bother me," House said. His tone of voice made it clear that he himself was trying to convince his own mind of the bullshit he just preached.
Wilson scoffed, all the while intently studying House's features. He had never seen such emotion out of House, nor House's desperation to hide such features. He was truly fascinated by this.
"You make it impossible for anyone to love you."
Wilson's words stung, but House knew he was right. However, he wasn't going to give Wilson the satisfaction of knowing he was right. No, House was too stubborn and had too much pride to do so.
"That's not true. Chase loves me, and he isn't Turkish," House stated. He again was trying to hide his true emotions, and he was doing a crappy job at it.
Wilson sighed, realizing that House was trying to avoid the subject. He got up and headed for the door. "No, Chase loves his job, Cameron loves you." With those words, Wilson left the office. Shame though, if he would have just turned around to see the pained look of anguish on House's face.
An unfamiliar wave of feeling washed over House's body. A strange tingling sensation that he hadn't felt for so long. Was it true? Did Cameron really love him? He would have liked nothing more then to believe it was true, but the pessimistic side of him took over. Why would anyone with a sane mind love him? He was an asshole, rude, inconsiderate and ever so sarcastic. He had no compassion or bedside sympathy for dying patients nor did he care that he was breaking the law with his Vicodin obsession.
Yeah, that was something worth loving………………….right.
He sat there for hours, pondering on nothing but her. Just her, just Cameron. After a while, he finally got up and made up his mind. He needed to see her, he needed to know. At least if she blew him off in his face, he could get over it and call it a day.
The bike ride to her house was long and painful. In all his thoughts he actually forgot to pop some pills. But it didn't matter at that point. His mind was only focused on one thing. He didn't even realize that he was banging on her door at 3 a.m. The door creaked open, and a very sleepy, and surprised Cameron opened the door. Before she could ask anything, he spoke.
"You were right, I don't love you," he stated.
His words stung her like a dagger piercing through her chest. But he wasn't finished.
"But I lust for you more then any other woman I have ever met."
And then he kissed her, and the door closed.
TO BE CONTINUED.