Work Text:
"We ruled out autoinmune" he said, crossing it from his whiteboard "What does that leave us?" he asked, turning around.
Thirteen opened her mouth to answer but the door opened. Cuddy stepped inside the office without knocking, like she always did.
"Need you" she said, looking at House "We need to discuss the department's budget, can't let it go any longer"
"Can't. This is important"
"So is this" she lifted the file. House rolled his eyes.
"There's no one dying in that file. We actually have to save a man from dying"
"I know, honey, but I have a meeting tomorrow and I need to get this done"
Chase let out a little laugh, Foreman opened his eyes wide and Thriteen just smiled, but it was enough.
"Don't do that"
"Do what, honey?" she asked, her hand travelling to her hip as it did when she was impatient. She really had no idea.
"That. The names. Don't call me that"
"I've calling you that for years"
He looked at his team, they were all curious, all listening without even trying to pretend they weren't. He sighed and started walking to his individual office.
"Come here" he said. Cuddy followed.
"What is the matter, babe?" she asked with a little frown.
"That, that is the matter" he pointed at her mouth "You have to stop calling me that"
"Why? You've never been bothered by it before"
"I have been, but I've been hiding it" he shrugged "You can't call me that. Especially not here, in front of my team"
"They know we live together, they know we sleep together. What is the problem?"
"The problem is I need to be respected by them and with you calling me that, they won't respect me" it came out harder than he intended and he knew it the moment the last word came out of his mouth and he saw Cuddy's face.
He made her upset.
He could see the hurt in her eyes and how she blinked tears away. She bit her lip and that old professional voice he spent years without hearing came back.
"Alright, whatever you want" she took a couple of steps backwards and pointed at the file "Keep working, I'll make this thing up. Like I have done for years"
Before he could say something, she walked out of the office. Her heels hitting the floor with more force than they usually did. He could see how her pace was faster than normal.
He sighed and turned. He entered back into the office he shared with his team and was greeted with everyone staring at him.
"Did you figure something out?" he asked. Thirteen nodded.
"Yeah, you're gonna regret what you just did" House stared at her for some seconds. She seemed serious about it.
"About the patient, not about my love life"
Foreman started talking, but he couldn't pay attention. He was too focused on the look in Cuddy's face. The disappointment in her eyes. The way she said 'I'll make this thing up. Like I have done for years'.
It hurt him more than he would ever admit.
He didn't see Cuddy around the rest of the day and he knew she was avoiding him.
When he arrived home, she was already there, helping Rachel with her homework. She didn't even look up when he entered.
"Hi" he greeted. That caught her attention for some seconds.
"Hey" she greeted, looking at him.
"Hi House!" greeted Rachel. He smiled at her tightly before returning his eyes to Cuddy, who was already looking back at the addition exercises in front of both of them.
He limped to the bedroom they shared and changed his clothes to his pijamas. When he came back, Cuddy had gotten up and went to the kitchen, where she started making dinner.
He stood by the door, staring at her, figuring how he should start a conversation for the first time in years. They had never have a problem like this before. They spent the whole day fighting about work so when they arrived home they never fought.
But now... Now Cuddy was upset with him because a 'couple problem' for the first time in years and he didn't know how to handle it.
"How was work?" he asked. Cuddy didn't look back from the counter.
"Fine" she just said.
House tapped his cane, not sure what to say next. Before he could open his mouth to say something else, she talked.
"Get Rachel and set the table" she said.
No honey, no sweetheart.
Nothing.
He turned and arrived minutes later with Rachel.
They had dinner with a thick atmosphere that even Rachel felt.
"House" she called, her voice small "Can you read me a story before bed?" she asked. House nodded.
"Of course"
They kept eating. House could see how hard she was clentching her teeth.
When he read Rachel her story and she was finally asleep, he limped to their bedroom. Cuddy was lying in her side, facing the wall.
"You awake?" he asked. Cuddy took some seconds to answer.
"Yes"
"Did I upset you earlier?" he finally asked "I know maybe the words were a bit harsh—"
"You didn't" she said, but her voice didn't agree "You expressed your wishes, I listened. I won't do it again" she lifter her arm and turned off the lamp in her side "Goodnight, Greg"
"Goodnight" he whispered, turning off the lamp in his side too.
He closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep.
Goodnight, Greg.
Goodnight, Greg.
He especifically told her to stop using nicknames. He told her that he didn't like them from the beggining.
So why, when he finally had what he wanted, was he feeling like he had been punched in the stomach?
The door opened with more force than needed. House lifted his gaze from the football match he was watching to look at who opened.
Cuddy, with a thick file, entering.
"Dr. House" she greeted, but her jaw was tight. Too tight "Sign this" she left it on his office table. The file made a loud sound "And read it before signing, for once"
She left the office.
Dr. House.
Not House.
Not even Greg.
She never called him Dr. House before. Maybe once or twice when she hired him, at the very beggining of their story.
This was bad.
Very, very bad.
He kept watching the match, but couldn't focus.
He couldn't focus on anything that wasn't Cuddy's cold voice when she talked to him.
He needed help.
"I have a problem" he said, storming inside the shared office.
Where happened to be Thriteen, alone.
"You have several problems"
"I have a problem with Lisa" he said. Thriteen smiled.
"You happen to have this problem with Lisa since three days ago?" she asked. He bit his lip but nodded "It's because what you said, right?" she asked.
"You heard what I said?" he asked, seeming nervous. She was fascinated. She had never seen him like this.
"House, the wall is a fucking glass. We saw and heard everything"
House opened his mouth to talk but closed it.
"How bad did I screw up?" he finally asked "In a scale one to ten?"
"A nine, probably" she shrugged.
"A nine?!" he asked louder than intended "I didn't mean it like... I meant she shouldn't call me that at work, but now she won't look at me even at home. I'm... I don't know what to do"
"You told her you have been four years hating the pet names without telling her. Not only you screwed up the confidence she had in you but also made her stop doing something she loves"
"Something she loves?" he asked.
"Calling you hers. The pet names are a way to show off that someone is yours. Also a way to tell the person you love them. The names she calls you, she probably never used them before. It's a priviledge" she explained "And you crashed it al because you were embarrassed of your workers hearing it"
"Fuck..." he groaned "What do I do now?" he asked.
"What do you want to do?" she asked. When she didn't get an answer, she leaned forward "You liked it, didn't you?" she asked. House looked up at her "You like the pet names"
"They aren't... Terrible" he finally said, his cheeks pink because of saying it out loud "And... When she calls me 'love' before falling asleep... She looks so cute" he sank his face in his hands "What the fuck am I doing?" he looked at her through his fingers "If you tell anyone this, you're fired"
"I won't" she nodded "But House, if you want her to call you that again, you need to talk to her.
"What do I say?" he asked.
"What you just said" she shrugged "If she's with you, she knows House-language. It should be enough"
"When?" he asked. Thriteen stared at him.
"Are you serious?" she asked. The look House gave her was enough "You're really freaking out... Okay, tell her when Rachel isn't around. Just the two of you"
"Okay, I'll talk to her before bed" he nodded "Having a lesbian in the team was way more useful than I ever thought"
"I'm not a lesbian. I dated Foreman"
"Your point?"
"Lisa" he called, entering into the room. He just put Rachel to bed while Cuddy got ready for bed "Can we talk for a second?"
"Sure" she said, taking off her earrings "What is it?"
"I..." he started, but couldn't find the words "You know I'm not good in this... With feelings" he stared, Cuddy didn't turn to look at him "I'll just be clear" he took a deep breath "I miss the pet names"
The room fell in silence for seconds until Cuddy locked eyes with him through the mirror.
"You especifically told me to stop. You said you didn't like them, that you never did"
"I was lying" he stroke his forehead with his hand "I was lying because my team heard and I was embarrassed and... I was an asshole" he sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her through the mirror "I'm so sorry, Lisa. I swear to God. These days have been... Horrible"
"Because I didn't call you names?" she asked, a little smile playing in her lips. A satisfied smile.
"Because I made you think I didn't appreciate the way you love me, but I do. I do appreciate it" he made a pause "And I miss it. I miss you calling me 'love' right before falling asleep" he stared and couldn't stop "I miss you calling me 'sweetheart' even when we're arguing. I miss you calling me 'honey' across the house..."
Cuddy was staring at him, wide-eyed and her mouth open. She had never seen him like this besides when he was fighting adiction.
"I miss you, Lisa. I want everything to go back to how it was before I opened my big mouth" Cuddy couldn't stop staring at him with big eyes "Thriteen told me it might take a while but... I want to try anyways"
"Wait" she now turned around "You asked Thriteen for advice?"
"She's a woman and she dates women. She's the best person to ask about women"
"You asked her for advice for our relationship?" she asked. House didn't understand.
He meant well, what was happening?
"Is it bad?" he asked "I... I meant well"
"Not bad" she shook her head "Just... Surprising" she walked towards him and sat next to him on the bed "So, you want the pet names back?"
"Yes, please. I want nothing more"
"Even if your team laughs?"
"I don't care anymore about what those assholes say" to her surprise, he reached and took her hand "I want us to go back to how we were. If you want to call me 'sweetheart' in the middle of a diferential, do it. Fucking do it. I won't complain"
"Liar" she laughed.
"Okay, I'll complain. But I won't mean it. I promise"
Cuddy stared at him for some seconds, as if she was looking for something. Apparently she did, because she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
"I miss it too" she said, pulling back and looking into his eyes "Having to hold back felt... Wrong"
"Don't hold back anymore" he shook his head firmly "I don't care if it's in front of my team. At least they'll know I'm loved by a woman out of my and their league"
"You're such a disaster, honey" she smiled. House closed his eyes with another smile.
"There it is. It sounds so good" Cuddy laughed and pulled him closer to end up on his lap.
"You know now I'm not stopping, right? I'll be insufferable. Also, you admitted you were wong. I should've recorded it. I won't ever forget it"
"You're going to be insufferable, definetly" he kissed her jaw "But I prefer it"
"Yeah, love?" she asked playfully. He nodded with a smile.
Cuddy had her sweet gaze back. She looked beautiful.
And he looked like a dork in love.
House was writing on his board when he heard the door of the office open. He turned and found Cuddy standing, looking at him.
"Honey, I need you a moment" she said, pointing at his individual office. He gave his team a brief look.
"Keep talking, it's not like you'll come with a conclusion without me anyways" he followed Cuddy inside the other office. She stood in front of him "What did I do?" he asked.
"Nothing" she smiled "Just wanted to remind you that we have dinner later with Wilson, at 7 p.m" he groaned.
"That was today?" he asked "Why don't we cancell and stay with Rachel?" Cuddy laughed and fixed his collar with careness, her fingers touching the skin in his neck.
"We did that last time, sweetheart. We can't cancel again"
"I'm suddenly sick. That would work, right?"
"You never get sick and I'm not gonna lie to our friend" she patted his chest "Be done by 6:30, okay?"
"Okay"
Cuddy kissed his lips and got out of the room. House followed her with his gaze for a couple of seconds before returning with his workers.
Who were looking at him with wide smiles and Chase was actually holding a laugh.
"Not. A. Word"
"I actually think it's sweet" said Chase, but the laugh came out with the words.
"Go and do a full body scan"
"You hate full body scan" pointed Foreman.
"Yeah, but I hate you more. Go"
Foreman and Chase got up and went to do what House ordered. Thriteen stayed sat on her chair.
"You too. Go"
"You fixed it" pointed Thriteen "You're welcome"
"Yeah, thank you" he sighed "Now the sex got incredibly better thanks to you"
"You seem happy" she smiled as she got up.
"I am happy" Thriteen didn't reply and got out of the room, leaving a thinking House alone. He smiled to himself "I am very fucking happy" he whispered to the empty room.
And it was true, he was very fucking happy.
His sweet and too-clingy Lisa was back.
And he didn't have a single complain.