From Here On Out |House|Mature|

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

From here on out, I'm gonna know what I have and just how close I came to losing what I need most, from here on out. Your sweet love turned me around, now every precious moment counts. Oh, how I'm gonna love you, from here on out.

It had been a long day. A really long day. And all of the fatigue and stress that Cuddy felt as she unlocked her front door stemmed from the incident in trauma room two. She couldn't save him. She could have, but then she would have lost something much more precious. She left the door open, allowing House to follow her inside. Hanging her coat up by the door, her hand hesitated for a brief moment, hovering in the air, over her stomach.

"I can't handle anything like that again..." she said finally, turning and moving to her sofa. She collapsed onto it, trying to keep her breathing even. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Angel suffering as Jackson's body was wheeled out of the room. "I know I'll have to, sometimes, but I can't."

[Dr. Gregory House]

"No Cuddy," House muttered as he followed her in, "you couldn't have. He was dead the second he got into that car, Lisa. He just didn't know it. It was insane how long he managed to hang on, but no one could have survived those injuries."

He sat down on the couch next to Cuddy, drawing her feet up into his lap. He massaged her feet, feeling bone tired himself. It had been a turbulent day. Amazingly turbulent day. A long week. Thank God it's Friday had nothing on what he was feeling right at that moment. He was beyond exhausted.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

She sighed. It was always amazing how long they managed to hold on, how long they forced themselves to keep living. But, they always gave up sooner or later. Knowing it was a fact didn't mean that they had to like it.

"I know, Greg, but you know me. I can't help but feel personally responsible. It's my hospital, I was his attending. I know it's not my fault..." she answered, readjusting herself on the couch as her feet were pulled up. The feel of his hands on her feet made her smile. Then, she had a thought.

"You're going to be doing this a lot more often," she told him, not much looking forward to swollen ankles and varicose veins. Letting her head fall back against the sofa cushions, she let all the horrible memories of the day slip away with the stress.

[Dr. Gregory House]

That was Cuddy, House thought fondly, always taking on more than she needed to. More than was good for her. House decided to leave that topic for another day, when he wasn't feeling so exhausted.

He wrinkled his nose at her declaration. "I'll hire a masseuse to keep up with the demand," he retorted. He was not looking forward that either. Cuddy would be beautiful pregnant, of course, but soon the parasite... baby... would become large and stressful on her slender body. Her ankles would be the least of the problems.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Cuddy laughed. It was so like him...and she loved it. "I figured you were going to say something along those lines," she shot back, all negative emotion absent from her voice. "Will your masseuse cover neck rubs and back rubs, too?" Not so subtle hint, right there. God, but his fingers were magical. And for some reason, her thoughts began turning in a dirty direction with that idea. She knew she should stop that train; both of them were tired. It was more than obvious that neither would be able to go a round in their current condition.

Involuntarily, she moaned. She told herself it was more because he'd hit a tender spot than anything else. "Good spot..." she covered, breath hitched. Cuddy wasn't sure he'd buy that, but it was the only other viable explanation.

[Dr. Gregory House]

"For my money, that masseuse had better be able to sing and dance too," House replied before taking pity on Cuddy. "Let's get somewhere more comfortable than a tiny couch- like a bed- and I'll do my level best to help you out."

House was tired, not dead. He knew that Cuddy was getting turned on by his touch even though he tried to keep it light and impersonal. It was inevitable really. Their physical relationship was sort of new (or renewed) and still shiny. "Come on, Lisa. Bed."

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Sighing, Cuddy pulled herself up from her half-laying position. She really didn’t want to move, but bed sounded so good right now. She’d tried so hard not to let her attraction show, but she couldn’t seem to control her thoughts anymore.

“So, is this my new spa weekend?” she asked softly, standing up slowly. “Massage on request and slow, sweet romance?” Although, she doubted that it would stay like that. “All weekend?” she tacked on hopefully. At the moment, she needed him more than she wanted him. Needed him to hold her, and never, ever let her go.

[Dr. Gregory House]

"Oh, I forgot about that," House muttered, standing up after Cuddy did. "poor Cuddy, poor Fraser. No spa weekend for you two girls. Maybe in a couple of weeks?" House put his hands on Cuddy's hips, leaning toward her. "Get to bed, and I'll think about that massage on request thing." He didn't need to think about the slow, sweet romance part, because if she meant sex, then yeah, he definitely didn't need to think about it; he'd do it.

"As for the all weekend part, I'll have to take that under advisement and get back to you," House murmured, leaning close to Cuddy. His five o'clock shadow lightly scratching at Cuddy's neck as he spoke, nuzzling into the warmth. Reluctantly, he stepped back, giving her a light slap on her butt, "bed. Maybe I'll be nice and massage you to sleep."

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Cuddy sighed. It wasn't that big of a deal, really. It had only been meant as an escape; from work, from patients, from House... "Yeah. Maybe when Angel's better," she agreed, unable to think of anything else to say. Lisa couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her as House touched her, leaned close to her. Responding in kind, she forced a half-smile.

"Are you coming, too?" she asked, the undeniable need to be held, cherished, comforted, evident in her voice. Cuddy met House's eyes as he stepped back, smiling softly before turning and walking back to the bedroom. If they were too tired for sex, she would be fine as long as she was held. That was all she really needed in that moment. Although...she did still have that black silk robe House had never gotten to see...

[Dr. Gregory House]

"Right behind you, Lisa," House said, eye groping Cuddy's very swank butt. "Yes, right behind you, indeed." House admired Cuddy's tight skirt around her very shapely ass, remembering a time when she had taken one for Big Love and given him her thong. Aiya, too bad that didn't work out. Should have known better than to mess with the master.

House looked at his watch and realized that he was overdue for another dose of vicodin. He patted his pockets, and realized he wasn't wearing his blazer. He had given it to Cuddy, stupidly forgetting about the vicodin. He hadn't done that in a long time.

Swallowing back the discomfiting feeling in his throat, he walked to the hallway, "Cuddy, do you still have my blazer?"

Oddly, he couldn't remember if she had been wearing it still. She must be, he took her home and they went straight from the ER, not even bothering to do anything more than picking up Cuddy's things from her office and making a quick run up to his office so he could grab his leather jacket and his backpack. He never filed paperwork and he had convinced Cuddy to leave hers until the next day. (He hadn't specified which next day, however, as he was planning on keeping Cuddy close to home in the morning). Beyond that, he felt overloaded and burnt out. Shock and trauma, given that yet another young doctor had almost gone the way of Cutthroat Bitch. He really needed to stop having colleagues going near death.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Stopping as he called back to her, she made a half turn and stared at him. His blazer..? Oh! That's right...

"I hung it up by the door, right after we walked in," she replied, confused for a moment. Then she remembered. His painkillers. Turning fully, she walked back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing herself close. "That time again already, huh?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt. Stepping back after a moment, she looked him over.

"You look dead on your feet, Greg....go put your leg up. I'll bring you your vicodin." Even as she walked around him to do just that, she realized that she must be out of her mind. She was actually offering to bring him something that would, admittedly, make him better, but at the same time almost guarantee that there would be no sex for a while. She hated side-effects. But, she loved House. And if feeding his addiction meant no comfort-sex, she would be okay with that. If only to prove to both of them that they could do it right this time, and not build up their entire relationship on sex.

[Dr. Gregory House]

House almost smiled as he tenderly held Cuddy in his arms. Her hug was an unexpected pleasure, and he breathed in the scent of her hair. Faded shampoo smell since it was the end of the day, more feminine musk, but it was a pleasant scent to his nose. "It's always that time," he replied with a wry twist of his lips. The pain was constant, the vicodin just took the edge off.

He could hear the weariness in Cuddy's voice, the disappointment as she slid past him to get his vicodin. His mind worked out the reasoning behind it, analyzing the possibilities. The most likely cause of her despondency was the possibility of no sex. Well, he'd show her. He could ensure that she had a good ending to a long day.

Just because one half of this partnership wasn't going to come tonight didn't mean the other should suffer. Even if he went without the vicodin, the pain would still kill his sexual appetite. With the vicodin, however... he could function enough to give Cuddy pleasure. Which he wanted to do. It didn't always have to be equal, tit for tat, quid pro quo. House pondered the out of character thought for a moment, then shrugged. It could just as easily be chalked up to amassing karma.

He was mostly undressed by the time he made it to Cuddy's bed. Still clad in his boxers and t-shirt he made himself at home in her bed, waiting for Cuddy. His fingers ran over the sheets. He liked the feel. He liked the distraction, because his leg was starting to penetrate his calm.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Reaching the coat rack, Cuddy took the blazer down off the hook and searched the pockets. It didn't take long to find the orange bottle. Glancing briefly at it as she replaced the jacket, she noticed there were only about six or seven pills left. Twisting her lips as she walked back to her room, she decided her first priority when she returned to her office would be to write up his refill. He'd survive until then, she was sure.

As she made her way through the hall, something caught her eye just inside her bedroom door. Lisa felt the oddest sensation in her chest as she stepped over the discarded jeans and padded to the bed. "Here," she said, holding the bottle out to him as she sat on the edge of the bed. "We don't have to.." she started, cutting herself off. If his mind had been made up, arguing would do no good.

[Dr. Gregory House]

Taking the pills, he nodded in thanks to Cuddy. Popping a vicodin, he set the pill bottle easily on the closest of Cuddy's bedside tables in relation to him. Swallowing the pill, he turned at Cuddy's crawling into bed with him, which was of the good. He lazily looked at Cuddy's face, oh yeah, he thought, all kinds of good.

"Don't have to what, Lisa?" House asked, pulling her close. "Express my lust for you? Make you feel good? Cry out at the touch of my fingers in all the intimate places?" His fingers walked over her clothes, plucking at them to gain access to her bare skin. Her skin was so soft under his fingers and he brushed his hands up underneath her shirt, feeling her bra. His lips found her sensitive spot on her neck, under her ear. He sucked. Hard.

[Dr. Lisa Cuddy]

Words were lost to Cuddy as she was pulled into House's arms. Unintelligible sounds were all that escaped her in answer to his queries. "Oh...oh god..." she finally managed to get out as he sucked on her neck. And she'd wanted to pass this up? The feel of his hands on her skin...she was surprised she could even breathe.

Her hands trailed down his chest, pressing, feeling as best she could through his shirt. Lisa pulled herself away just enough to readjust herself and claim House's lips. She wouldn't trade any of this for the world. Breaking away, she smiled softly. "This might be a little difficult..." she stated, referring to her pencil skirt. She moved away, sliding off the bed just long enough to remove the skirt and shirt. She'd let House have the pleasure of removing her undergarments. Light blue today...he'd like that.