Smile

A.N. This is just a silly little chapter inspired by S3E1 'Meaning' in which Cameron picks up on House smiling like a crazy person when she rejects him. You don't need to read it if you don't want to.

Since I haven't done so for a while, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continuing support of this story, whether in reviews (especially lovefanfic55 and ShipperCrazed), follows, or favourites. I know it's getting pretty long. Maybe I should've divided it up to make it more accessible for new readers. But it's too late now. This is the path we're on for better or worse!


The following evening House wheeled into the living room and observed as Cameron worked at the coffee table. "How's it going?".

"Oh, hi". Cameron looked up and smiled widely at him before taking off her glasses and placing them on the laptop keyboard.

"You always do that", he grunted, moving over to the curtains and pulling them closed.

"I only need my glasses for read-".

"-not what I meant. I was referring to the, er…", he waved a hand in the general direction of her face, "…smiling thing you always got going on". There was an undercurrent of distaste to these words, as if he had just been asked to reflect on his favourite Bible verse.

She tilted her head a little, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I don't think I smile that much".

"You're literally doing it right now".

"I'm not". Cameron composed her features. "Anyway, what's the problem?".

"There's no problem". House remained by the window fiddling with a leaf of the large plant whose provenance he had long forgotten. Since he was in his wheelchair the thing was at eye level and within easy reach. The dark, damp soil indicated that Cameron had watered it recently.

"Great, well, this has been an interesting conversation", she replied, turning back to the screen.

"It's just weird", he continued quickly. "I don't know anyone who does it as much as you".

"Does what? Smile?".

"Yeah".

Cameron resumed facing him and examined his posture keenly. "Are you OK? Did you finish your gaming? I can make you dinner if-".

"-why do you smile so much?", he interrupted. "It's not normal".

"Are we convinced you're the best judge of what's normal?", she mused, tapping an arm of her glasses to her lips.

"Just answer the question".

Cameron sensed that he had been sitting on this issue, which of course was not an issue, for a while. In such situations it was best just to be forthright. "I smile when I'm happy. Like most humans".

House frowned, his eyes steadily meeting hers. As usual, she refused to break contact, and, as usual, she rapidly attempted to discern the subtle blue shading. "Stupid", he grunted eventually, but now looking over her left shoulder. A minor victory, thought Cameron.

"It's not stupid".

"It is stupid. You have nothing to be happy about. Your life is quantifiably worse than it was three weeks ago: you're sleeping on a couch, your career is in postponement, and, well, if I could think of anything else then I'm sure it would be pretty crap".

"Everything you say is true", nodded Cameron, trying hard not to grin again.

"And yet you're still smiling", he snorted.

"And yet I'm still smiling", she agreed, settling the glasses back on the bridge of her nose. "If that's all…? I have a couple more case files to review before I can log off".

"So you're not gonna tell me, then?".

Cameron sighed softly. "I just told you why I was smiling, House".

"Because you're happy. But you didn't explain why you're happy".

"You already know perfectly well why. Now stop fishing and leave me alone". With that, she tabbed across to a second window and began reading carefully, making sporadic scribbles on a neighbouring notepad.

This response seemed to satisfy House and he wheeled over to the couch, waving away her attempt to help. When he was properly seated he plucked the remote control from where it was lying on the cushion but replaced it without pressing any buttons.

"You can watch TV if you want", she murmured, focused on the screen. "I don't mind".

"Can I ask you something?".

Once again Cameron sighed and, once again, she removed her glasses. "Nothing seems to be stopping you so far…".

"What-, what would I have to do to make you stop smiling?".

"The heck kind of question is that?".

"A question I'd like answering". As before, House's eyes bore into her own. Unlike before, he didn't look away. "Also, no one under the age of ninety-six uses 'heck' anymore".

Cameron considered the matter for a few moments before replying slowly and deliberately, intentionally losing herself in familiar seas of blue. "If I answer, will you stop giving me the third degree?".

"Yes".

"Fine". She sat back into the leather couch and brought her legs up to cross them. "I'd need to give it some thought but, I guess, you could make me stop smiling by, umm…".

House waited patiently, noticing how a slight flush had spread across her cheeks. The sight, that she was growing embarrassed, never failed to touch his heart.

"…by, umm-, look", she said suddenly, "if I tell you this, you can't read too much into it. You asked; I'm answering. And apparently we can't lie to each other anymore. OK?".

"OK". He wished he could tell her how beautiful she looked in the subdued lighting of his living room.

"I'd stop smiling…if you, if you, ah, married-someone-else". The final three words emerged in a rush and Cameron turned immediately back to the screen so that she wouldn't have to witness his reaction. But, realising that she actually couldn't read all that easily without her glasses, and not wanting to fumble around putting them on her face, she got to her feet and cleared her throat. "Anyway, it's time for your next dose. I'll get you water".

"Umm, yeah, yeah, alright", croaked House, somewhat on the back foot himself. Before he could say anything else, Cameron had scampered out of sight.

When she returned, a couple of minutes after she might ordinarily have done, he was tapping his cane rapidly on the floor and staring into the middle distance. Cursing inwardly at having damaged the delicate equilibrium they had so far managed with little conscious effort, she handed him the glass without a word.

"Would you grab my pills? They're on the bedside table", he muttered.

Cameron nodded, still avoiding eye contact, and once again swept from the room. She wasted a bit of time by making the bed, organising the pillows, and pushing open a window to increase air flow. A quick, completely unnecessary, browse of the bookshelves followed. Not able to drag things out any longer, she returned to the living room. House sat with his chin resting on the cane handle. "Here", she announced, louder than intended, offering the medicine.

"Thanks". He downed his full allocation in one swallow.

Cameron remained hovering somewhat awkwardly by the couch.

"Listen-", began House.

"-what do you-?".

"-sorry", both said at once.

"No, please", said Cameron, gesturing for him to continue. The less she spoke right now, the better.

"Well, I was just gonna say that maybe we should discuss, er, what you just said".

"Absolutely not", she declared, feeling sweat prick her face. Even though her answer had not entirely been spur of the moment, and even though she had given a truthful response to his question, she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Even were they still together—which they weren't—House was most certainly not the marrying type. The one thing she had asked him on their monster truck 'date' had covered this exact scenario, and his response had been only that he 'had lived with someone for a while'. That mundane phrase alluded to a five-year relationship with Stacy, the love of his life. Meanwhile, she and House had lasted barely five months. And now, like a complete moron, she had blurted out marriage.

"But-".

"-I said no. Drop it. Just forget I said anything".

"Look-", he tried again.

"-House, I will punch you in the balls if you so much as utter a word about it. I don't care how in pain you are". She clenched a fist and looked at him threateningly. "You asked a question and I answered; it's not a conversation, and I don't want to hear what you may or may not think about it. Now isn't the time. OK?".

House inclined his head and made a zipping motion across his mouth. His other hand, though, automatically travelled to rest protectively over his crotch. "OK, OK".

"Good. Excellent". She still stood off to the side, arms folded. "Now, what do you want for dinner?".

"I'm not actually that hungry at the minute".

"Oh".

"Mmm, sorry".

"Well". She had half-walked towards the kitchen in anticipation of his wanting food, but in the face of his deferment stopped mid-stride and now didn't quite know what to do with herself.

"You could finish your files?", he offered with a little smile.

"Huh?". Cameron had been rapidly tallying up her most embarrassing moments, specifically where this instance ranked, and missed his suggestion.

"Your files?". House gestured to the idling laptop.

"I could", she admitted grudgingly. "Yeah, no, that's not a bad idea, I guess".

"Great. Take a seat". He patted the empty leather beside him.

Cameron looked in his direction warily. "As long as we're not discussing…things".

"We're not", he assured her. "I like Little Greg too much to risk attack, don't worry".

"Good". Cameron perched on the edge of the couch, her knees pressed uncomfortably against the coffee table, and pulled the laptop closer. "Where are my-?".

House held out her glasses wordlessly and she took them with a muttered 'thanks'. Then, he picked up the remote and flicked over to a pre-recorded episode of General Hospital. As television noise filled the room, Cameron relaxed enough to sit fully back in the couch and take up her discarded pen. A few clicks and mousewheel scrolls later, and it was as if things were getting back to normal.

They remained this way for a full ten minutes, each seemingly engrossed in their respective activities.

"I like it when you smile", he announced suddenly.

Cameron, still somewhat nervous, jumped slightly at the voice and turned her head, eyes narrowed. But House was facing the television resolutely. Given that this statement didn't really breach her just-formulated conditions, she decided against punching him in the balls. Still, attack was always the best form of defence. "I like it when you shut up and leave me alone", she replied, stubbornly scanning a new set of case notes.

No retort was forthcoming and, against her better judgement, she chanced a glance at her neighbour.

House was smiling moronically at her.

"People think you're clever", she sighed. "Now I'm not so sure".

"In fairness, I am pretty clever".

"Well, I think you're an idiot moron".

"Occasionally I am. Not often, though", House nodded sagely. "By the way, I think it's time we give the adapted shower a go tomorrow morning. Washcloths are no longer cutting it".

"Fine", she replied shortly, pushing the familiar mental image of his naked body to the back, but not out, of her mind. "Now, enough talk. I gotta work". Cameron sensed that he was still grinning at her. "And you can stop that as well".

"I didn't say anything!".

"Only one person smiles under this roof, House, and it isn't you. Now face forwards and watch TV, else I'm moving into the study and sabotaging your porn collection".

The threat hit home. He duly increased the volume and relaxed back into the sofa as Cameron, for the fourth or fifth time this evening, brought up a file and began to read.