Chapter 7 – Back to PPTH
Monday morning arrived with the first light of dawn seeping through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the living room. Cuddy woke up feeling a pleasant ache in her muscles, a reminder of the unusual night. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she took in her surroundings. She was nestled on the couch, lying atop House's chest, both of them wrapped in a cozy blanket.
House's chest rose and fell steadily beneath her, his breathing slow and even. His arm was draped around her in a protective embrace. She marveled at the scene—how natural it felt despite being so new. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, something that felt right and yet so extraordinary.
Carefully, Cuddy shifted, trying to sit up without waking him. But the slight movement was enough. House stirred, his eyes fluttering open, their familiar blue now softened by sleep.
"Morning..." he murmured, his voice thick with drowsiness.
Cuddy smiled at him, her heart swelling at the sight of his sleepy grin. She couldn't help but replay the events of the night before in her mind. They had kissed – a lot, talked about everything, and drifted into a deep sleep without realizing, entwined. She was dating House. The realization made her heart skip a beat, a mix of excitement and disbelief.
"Morning," she replied, her voice soft and affectionate.
As she tried to gently disentangle herself, House's arm tightened around her.
"Just a little longer..." he muttered, his tone almost pleading as he pulled her back down.
"We have to go to work," she said, though her voice lacked conviction. The idea of staying here with him was dangerously tempting. "You can stay here and sleep if you want, but I have to go."
House sighed dramatically but loosened his grip. He looked up at her, his expression a mix of annoyance and affection.
"Who needs work when we could stay here?" he teased, a playful glint in his eye. "I mean, we just started this whole boyfriend/ girlfriend kind of thing. Don't we get a grace period?"
"Tempting," she admitted, leaning in to give him a lingering kiss. "But someone has to keep the hospital running. And if I'm late, people will talk."
She finally managed to sit up, stretching her arms and feeling the comforting pull of her muscles. House watched her, clearly reluctant to let her go.
"You sure you're up for this?" he asked, his tone shifting to something more serious. "Us, I mean."
Cuddy paused, looking down at him with a smile that was both reassuring and heartfelt.
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "I'm sure."
House gave her a lopsided grin, the familiar mischievous spark returning to his eyes.
"Good," he replied, his voice softer now. "Because I've gotten used to waking up with you here. Not sure I want to go back to how things were."
"Me neither," she admitted, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "But we still have to figure out how this is going to work. The hospital, the staff..."
"One step at a time," he said, sitting up and running a hand through his tousled hair. "We'll deal with it. Just promise you won't run off and leave me to face the angry board alone."
Cuddy laughed, shaking her head as she stood up, straightening her clothes.
"Deal. But I need to get ready. We'll talk more about this later."
House watched her go, a smile lingering on his lips. As she disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed, he leaned back on the couch, savoring the feeling of contentment that had settled over him. This was new, and it was going to be complicated, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
-/-
The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as Cuddy's car pulled into the parking garage of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. It was seven o'clock in the morning, three
hours earlier than House's usual arrival time. He sat in the passenger seat, tapping a rhythm on the dashboard while Cuddy navigated through the half-empty garage.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, glancing at him with a mix of concern and amusement.
House smirked. "Walking into the lion's den with you? Sounds like fun."
As they parked and got out of the car, House stretched, grumbling about the ungodly hour. Cuddy rolled her eyes but smiled at his theatrics.
Just as they started towards the elevator, they spotted Cameron and Chase. The younger doctors were walking from their cars, presumably arriving early for a busy day.
Cameron and Chase stopped in their tracks, staring as if they had just seen a ghost. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and curiosity—Chase's face lit up with a kind of happy curiosity, while Cameron looked incredulous, her eyes flicking between House and Cuddy with a hint of jealousy.
House noticed Cameron's reaction and couldn't resist leaning a bit closer to Cuddy, slipping his hand into hers. Cuddy, though a bit flustered, didn't pull away. Instead, she squeezed his hand slightly and continued walking towards the elevator.
Cameron finally found her voice. "Dr. House... Dr. Cuddy... Good morning" She stammered, unable to hide her astonishment. "Feeling better House?"
Chase, on the other hand, grinned. "Good morning, boss. Dr. Cuddy." He nodded towards them, a spark of genuine interest in his eyes. "Early start?"
"I'm fine, good as new" House raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching into a half-smile. "Guess the early bird catches... whatever the hell it is birds catch."
Cuddy smiled politely but chose not to engage too deeply. "We're just making the most of the day. There's a lot to get done."
The four of them stepped into the elevator, the air thick with unspoken questions. Cameron's eyes darted to their linked hands before she quickly looked away, biting her lip. Chase, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood.
"Nice weather we're having, huh?" he said, attempting a conversational tone.
But the awkwardness in the elevator was palpable, and the attempt at small talk quickly fizzled out under the weight of their collective curiosity and speculation.
The elevator doors finally opened onto the main floor. House and Cuddy stepped out first, their hands still intertwined, leaving a stunned Cameron and a bemused Chase to follow behind.
As they walked towards their respective destinations, House leaned in and whispered to Cuddy, "Well, that wasn't awkward at all."
Cuddy chuckled softly. "Better get used to it. It's only going to get more interesting from here."
House squeezed her hand, his expression a mix of anticipation and resignation. "Bring it on."
-/-
House walked into Wilson's office with an air of casual nonchalance that was anything but ordinary. The door swung open with a light push, and House strolled in, hands in his pockets, a noticeable absence of his usual cane. Wilson looked up from his desk, his sandwich halfway to his mouth, and froze in shock.
Without a word, House sauntered over to the visitor's chair, plopped down, and promptly reached across the desk to snag half of Wilson's sandwich. He took a big bite, chewing contentedly while Wilson stared at him, his expression a mix of disbelief and mounting irritation.
"Morning, sunshine," House said around a mouthful of turkey and Swiss, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Wilson blinked, still trying to process what he was seeing. "House, what the hell is going on? Where's your cane? Why aren't you in pain?" His voice was a mix of incredulity and concern, tinged with a hint of anger.
House swallowed his bite and shrugged nonchalantly. "Cane? Pain? I think you've got me confused with someone else. Maybe you should get your eyes checked, Dr. Wilson."
Wilson carefully set his sandwich down, his gaze never leaving House. "This isn't funny, House. How are you...?" He gestured towards House's leg, his voice trailing off as he struggled to find the right words.
House leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on Wilson's desk with a smug smile. "Well, you know, I just woke up and decided that limping was getting a bit old. Figured I'd try the whole walking upright thing for a change. Turns out, it's not so bad."
Wilson's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists on the desk. "Cut the crap, House. You don't just wake up one day and decide you're not in pain anymore. What happened?"
House sighed dramatically, taking another bite of the sandwich before responding. "Fine, fine. If you must know, I've discovered the ultimate cure for chronic pain. It's called 'Cuddy.'"
Wilson's jaw dropped, and he leaned forward, his voice lowering as if discussing a secret. "Cuddy? Are you serious? What does Cuddy have to do with this?"
House grinned, savoring Wilson's confusion. "Everything, apparently. Turns out, having a hot doctor in your corner does wonders for your pain management. Who knew?"
Wilson rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "You're telling me Cuddy cured you? How exactly did she manage that?"
House's grin widened, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Let's just say we've been... exploring alternative treatments. Lots of hands-on therapy."
Wilson's eyes widened in horror. "House, if this is some kind of joke—"
"Relax, Wilson," House interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Cuddy's not running some secret clinic for the chronically snarky. We're... dating." He said the last word with an air of finality, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wilson's mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally found his voice. "Dating? You and Cuddy? How long has this been going on?"
"Since Saturday," House replied with a casual shrug, as if discussing the weather. "Two whole days of domestic bliss. Haven't you noticed the birds singing louder? The sun shining brighter?"
Wilson leaned back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't understand. You've been in pain for years, House. You've tried everything. How could dating Cuddy make it just... disappear?" Wilson's eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hands down on his desk. "Don't give me that crap, House! Something happened. I saw you in agony last week, barely able to stand. And now you stroll in here like nothing's wrong? What did you do?"
House sighed, rolling his eyes as he chewed thoughtfully. "Calm down, Wilson. It's not like I sold my soul to the devil. Well, not recently, anyway."
Wilson leaned forward, his face inches from House's, his expression a mix of worry and frustration. "You're hiding something. Did you try some new experimental drug? Or—" He paused, his eyes widening with realization. "Did you do something ilegal? What kind of treatment did you get?"
House paused, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered with something—guilt, maybe, or the hint of a secret. Then he shrugged, the mask of nonchalance slipping back into place. "You could say I had a bit of a breakthrough. Let's just say the good doctor has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Wilson's voice rose, incredulous. "Tricks? House, this isn't a magic show! What did he do to you? Did you agree to something risky? Because I swear, if you put yourself in danger again—"
House cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Relax, Wilson. I'm fine. Better than fine, actually. And yes, Dr. Nifo had a few... unconventional methods. But nothing I couldn't handle."
Wilson's anger simmered just below the surface, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of it all. "Unconventional? House, you've tried everything under the sun, and nothing worked. What makes this different? What aren't you telling me?"
House leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let's just say, for once, I decided to take a leap of faith. And it seems to be paying off. So why don't you just enjoy the new and improved me?"
Wilson threw up his hands in frustration. "Dammit, House! You can't just leave me in the dark. We're friends. I need to know what's going on with you."
House's expression softened, and he let out a long sigh. "Look, Wilson, I can't give you all the details. It's... complicated. But trust me when I say I'm okay. Better than I've been in a long time. Just... let it be for now."
Wilson stared at him, searching for any hint of deception. Finally, he slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But this isn't over. You owe me an explanation."
House gave him a lopsided grin. "Fair enough. Now, can we get back to more important things? Like how much better your lunch tastes when it's stolen."
Wilson shook his head, exasperated, but couldn't help a small smile. "You're impossible, you know that?"
House leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "And yet, you still can't quit me."
Wilson, still trying to digest the sight of his friend in front of him, free of pain and walking unaided, blinked a few times. "And... are you really dating Cuddy?" His tone was incredulous, as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea.
House's smirk widened. "We're... dating," he repeated, his voice laced with a mixture of pride and amusement. He said it with such casual finality, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wilson's jaw dropped slightly before he finally managed to speak. "Dating? You and Cuddy? How long has this been going on?"
"Since Saturday," House replied with a nonchalant shrug, as if he were discussing a minor weekend event. "Two whole days of domestic bliss. Haven't you noticed the birds singing louder? The sun shining brighter?"
Wilson's eyes widened even more. "For real?"
"Yes," House confirmed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, clearly enjoying the moment.
Wilson shook his head, half in disbelief, half in amazement. "You're a lucky bastard," he said, finally breaking into a smile. "I really think you just hit the jackpot."
House tilted his head, considering the words. "It does feel like winning the world. Maybe the universe is throwing me a bone for once."
Wilson chuckled, though there was a serious undertone to his voice. "House, I've never seen you like this—so... happy. It's unsettling, but also kind of... nice. Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"
House's expression softened slightly. "Cuddy and I, we've got a lot of history. It's complicated, but... it feels right. For once, it feels like I'm not screwing everything up."
Wilson nodded slowly, processing this. "Well, if anyone can handle you, it's Cuddy. Just don't screw this up, House. You both deserve to be happy."
House smirked again, though his eyes showed a hint of genuine emotion. "Don't worry, Wilson. I plan on doing my best not to."
For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of their friendship and House's new reality settling around them. Then, as if to break the tension, House took another bite of Wilson's sandwich, making a face of exaggerated satisfaction.
"Seriously, Wilson, this sandwich is terrible. You need to upgrade your lunch game."
Wilson rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "Some things never change."
House nodded, his smirk returning full force. "And that's exactly how it should be."