Disclaimer: I do not own House MD or any of the characters, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind owning Hugh Laurie!
A/N: I'm back! Between the studying for 7 subjects and the sleeping, I really haven't had much time to write this, but, tonight, I, for some odd reason, felt particularly inspired and so, here you go, new chapter :D (yay!) On top of that, I can also tell you that I have a new House fic in the making, but it probably won't be up until this one's finished, or at least until I have more of it written and this one's closer to the end :P
Also, and again, thank you so much for your lovely reviews, I really appreciate and love them and, if I could give each a chocolate chip cookie, I would, but they haven't invented teleporters yet … *sigh*
Anyways, Enjoy!
"Got your screw driver" said House walking in like nothing was wrong while Cuddy tried, and failed, to hide her laughter.
"Thanks" said Wilson taking the tool from House and looking at him, waiting for him to state the obvious or make some sort of comment. When he didn't, Wilson merely looked at Cuddy.
"So" started Cuddy "how are you feeling?" again she was on the verge of laughing
"Great. Why'd you ask?"
"House …" she sighed "… you're going to catch a cold if you stay in those clothes.
"What?" House looked down at his dripping clothes like he had no idea what Cuddy was talking about.
"House" she smiled at Wilson "go take a shower"
"That seems like a wonderful plan" his sarcasm retorted "but see, I have nothing to change back into"
"I, uh, I have some old t-shirts you could borrow" replied Cuddy not meeting his eye, not wanting to explain to him who those t-shirts belonged to.
"Great" he replied "what about trousers?"
"I have some gym shorts in my car?" offered Wilson who had, during the exchange, managed to secure the bottom of the crib in place and was finally getting up.
"You sure that thing is stable?" asked House, earning a curious look from Cuddy who was more than surprised at the concern in his voice. When Wilson merely looked at him in a manner that said 'I will not dignify that with an answer', Cuddy insisted House take a shower again.
"I really don't …" just as he was about to finish his thought, a shiver travelled up and down his whole body as the hairs on his arm stood on end.
"You were saying?" asked Cuddy, a certain maternal streak coming out in her "come on, just take a shower, put on some dried clothes and I can put yours in the drier so they're ready when you go"
At the end of that sentence, there was a slight awkwardness. She didn't want him to go, though she knew he'd have to, eventually. And he didn't want to go either though, again, the need for some clean clothes, a tooth brush and a trim of his scruff/beard was starting to make leaving inevitable.
As another shiver coursed through his body, House gave in "fine, where's this bathroom of yours?"
"Come with me" she said heading out of the room, a hand on her stomach, leading the soaked diagnostician towards the stairs. "I'm not going up" she said, motioning her stomach as the reason for not risking the steep stairs to her bedroom "but you should find everything you need up there. Bathroom's pretty self-explanatory, the t-shirts are in the bottom drawer of the dresser, and towels are under the sink"
Nodding, House headed up the stairs, leaving a trail of water droplets behind him as he went.
Returning to the baby's room, Cuddy found Wilson placing the fully-built crib in one corner and watched as he placed the mattress inside it.
"This is really happening, isn't it?" she asked with a smile as she felt her baby kick.
"Yea, it is" Wilson smiled back as he opened the package with the sheets and began to make the bed.
"You're lucky House isn't watching this" she said taking a seat again "he would mock you mercilessly for making the bed" she smiled
"Let him mock me" replied Wilson "my niece or nephew in there deserves a nice bed, right?" he asked smiling at Cuddy
"Yes, Uncle James" laughed Cuddy as she continued to watch Wilson make the bed.
In Cuddy's bathroom, as the warm water flowed down his freezing body, House tried his best not to think of the times Cuddy had been in there, by herself, taking a bubble bath …
He shook his head. This was not the kind of mental image he needed. So, grabbing Cuddy's flower-scented shampoo, he sighed and quickly washed his hair.
The fact that her smell would now follow him everywhere didn't help much either.
When, still in the baby's room, Wilson heard the water upstairs keep running but the heat be turned off, he smiled. 'Oh yea, House, she has no effect on you whatsoever'.
Re-warmed and recomposed, House quickly towel-dried his hair and, a towel tied around his waist, headed into Cuddy's bedroom.
"Hey, WILSON!" he shouted down the stairs "Need some shorts up here!" when he heard the front door open and a car alarm being turned off, House turned to the top drawer to find what kind of t-shirts Cuddy had been referring to.
'Oh, this is just great' he thought as, in between a few of her own t-shirts and tops, he located some, quite obvious, male t-shirts. T-shirts that, he knew, she would never have bought for herself. Some T-shirts which read things that Cuddy would usually yell at him for even thinking. They were, undoubtedly old, er, boyfriends', and, surprisingly, that bothered House more than he dared to admit.
"Here you go" said Wilson handing him the shorts from the doorway.
"Thanks, just drop them on the chair" said House still rummaging in the drawer.
"You gonna take long?" asked Wilson from the door
House would have told him that no, he was going to be done as soon as possible, but something in the drawer before him caught his eye so all he got out was "uhuh" which could really be interpreted either way.
As Wilson's footsteps descended the steps back to the bottom floor, House stared at the shirt he'd just found. There, at the very back of the drawer, folded and pressed like it had never been when he'd owned it, was a particularly familiar t-shirt he hadn't seen in, oh, 20 years or so. His t-shirt. The one he'd lent her when …
As the memories of those days flooded back and his, already heightened emotions towards the woman began to poke their heads out, House shoved a bunch of Cuddy's tops back on top of the offending garment and grabbed a plane black T-shirt with some company's logo on the back.
Quickly getting dressed and trying to ignore the disturbing feel of some other man's shirt on him, the thoughts of where Wilson's gym shorts had been and the insanely appealing smell of Cuddy's shampoo emanating from his hair, House grabbed his cane and exited the room, his mind still more or less focused on what he was leaving behind. Again.
TBC
Episode 20 was so sad! :'( …
But, from the promo for episode 21, I'm starting to feel better again … I mean, "are you in love with House?" … HA! Anyone else smell a cat fight? :P
Thank you for reading!
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CJS-DEPPendent