He’s accueil alone this evening. Wilson is still working, so it’s basically the usual bachelor plan: Chinese take out, some drinks, TV and Vicodin, followed par laying on his sofa for hours, almost falling asleep, but not really.
He’s in the middle of opening a box of noodles, when a knock interrupts him.
“Someone better be dying!” He screams loudly in the direction of the door. He sighs and limps over to his cane, walking over to it. It’s a big surprise to see Cuddy standing there, looking nervous.
House opens the door suspiciously, “What are toi doing here?” He asks, realizing how harsh that sounded.
Cuddy looks up at him, wringing her hands. “Hey House…can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Anything that can wait until tomorrow?”
Cuddy smiles warily. “I’m tired of waiting.” She says quietly.
An interrogative look flashes in his eyes before he steps aside to let her come in.
She takes her manteau off and tosses it on the sofa. She looks strange, he thinks. The look on her face is a combination of anger, embarrassment, hardness, and softness. Was it just stress ou something else? Was she hiding something?
She looks down at her feet. One is tapping on the floor. House is the first who breaks the silence.
“So what are toi here for? Are toi in some sex emergency?” He asks sarcastically.
Now she stares at him straight in the eyes, glare full of fire.
“Stop it House! Just stop it! That’s precisely what I’m here for. I can’t play this game with toi anymore. toi can’t toy with my feelings and always throw them away in the garbage. I can’t stand it any more!”
House stares at her, hiding his faint shock. “You’ve always liked this game, admit it!”
Cuddy stares at him angrily. “No I haven’t.”
“Oh yes toi have! toi adore being pissed off and pretending to be shocked. I know you!”
“You don’t know a single damn thing about me.” Cuddy replied venomously.
“Oh, oh, oh. The baby is getting excited!” House a dit sardonically. “You come to my place and yell like a witch… do toi even know what you’re saying? Now listen, go accueil honey and sleep on it. Tomorrow will be another day.”
Cuddy threw her airs up in exasperation. “Another jour of what?” She asked, raising her voice.
“Of what it always is. Of pissing toi off. What else is there?” He a dit rolling his eyes.
After a full seconde of silence, Cuddy replied, “That’s precisely what I needed to know. The match is over, House. I give up with you.”
House looked confused. “You need to… I don’t understand you. We’ve played from college time.”
“You are ridiculous, House! Just grow up. At least now I have the proof that toi don’t have any sort of feelings for me.”
“Are toi high?” House asked childishly.
Cuddy gave him her best ‘are toi serious’ look. “But what about you?” – She asks as she smells him – “Of course, as always, toi smell like the inside of a pharmacy and liquor store!”
She turns around on her heels, fed up and ready to go. But he grabs her arm before she takes a step, and she turns back to look at him.
“Wait! Where are toi going, Cuddy?”
“Where I belong. Home.”
“And you’re leaving like this?”
Cuddy did her best to shrug, though it’s difficult with House’s grip on her arm. “You always were one for the dramatic exits, weren’t you? Besides, what difference does it make?”
It was House’s turn to shrug. “It just does.”
Cuddy shook her head, “You can find other play mate, House. I’m out.”
“But Muuuuuuuuum!!!!!!!!” He uses his chiot dog look tactics now. But he immediately realizes that that was obviously the wrong step to take. Her face turns redder at the second, and her eyes are angry. He lets go of her arm.
“You see? toi still continue to not understand! For toi this is just a game…but for me, this is real. My feelings are real, and so am I! I’m not a doll, Greg. I’m made of flesh and blood. Can toi feel it?” – She places hand on his right arm. – “And what you’re doing- what toi insist on doing- it hurts. I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want to be miserable. I want to live. I want to love. And be loved. And toi can’t.” She gently pushed him back with the same hand she had on his arm.
“You always knew I was miserable.” He finally a dit after a pause.
“God, House! toi are so egocentric. All toi and your ego can think about is yourself. But toi weren’t always miserable. I remember that.”
“When?”
Cuddy felt tears prickle the back of her eyes. “Those times toi used to hold my hands without a reason. Those times toi used to talk about yourself freely, those times toi weren’t scared to open your heart. Those times toi used to play some musique when words weren’t enough.” She a dit softly.
“You really think things are so different now?”
Cuddy frowned. “Are toi kidding, ou is this your new way of being cruel. The past is in the past, House.”
House shook his head. “I still write and play my music.”
“And what exactly does this have to do with me?”
“Listen.”
He walks towards his bedroom. His slow movement makes her think that his leg is hurting even plus now. That usually happened when he was worried. And when he didn’t know how the events were going to play out.
He grabs a folder from his library, a logo of the université of Michigan on it. Upon opening it she sees that it was full of sheet music. When he finds that one he is looking for, he goes in the direction of the piano and sits down. He looks at Cuddy for a moment. The look on his face is one of disappointment, but he knows that it’s better speak through musique than through words. At least during times like these. He starts to play a piece Cuddy never heard before. She moves to the piano and sits down on the bench suivant to him. Now she has a clear look of the sheets of paper in front of her eyes.
Cuddy can’t believe what it says at the bottom of her. Is a title. House’s calligraphy on it. Clear. Pure. In his way… elegant. There’s her name there. Is not true. Is not real. ‘I’m just imagining things’, she thinks.
The piece is called “Cuddy’s Serenade”.
House plays it beautifully, as he always does. But there’s something different. Is seems like he really meant what he said…played, rather. There are feelings in there. Is this another trick?
Cuddy unconsciously scoots closer to House as he plays. The musique stops after a while, and the two remain seated in silence.
Cuddy is still elaborating the motive in her head, what is this supposed to mean? He looks at her, quiet for once, waiting for her reactions.
Cuddy slowly turns her head to him, an overwhelmed look on her face.
“You… you… toi wrote me a serenade?”
“I did.” He réponses simply.
“Why?”
“To be forgiven.”
“But toi weren’t gonna play it for me…”
“That doesn’t matter.” He a dit with a shrug.
“What did toi want to be forgiven about?” She asked cautiously.
“For being an ass.”
“But…you…you’re never sorry.” She said; mystified
“People change. But for the record, I truly and deeply am.”
Cuddy smiled slightly. “When did toi write it?”
“When I was supposed to be at your baby’s ceremony.”
Cuddy sighed thoughtfully, “So why didn’t toi just come?”
“I remember toi didn’t want me there.”
“I did.” She whispers and grabs his hand. They stare at each other, no one wanting to ruin the moment.
Finally House sighed. “Cuddy I’m sorry but…I’m not good for you. I’m a jerk and toi don’t deserve it. toi know toi can do better. Get out of here and be happy.”
Cuddy shook her head in disbelief. “What if I don’t want to do better? You’re pushing me out of your life.”
A pained expression passed over House’s face, and this one wasn’t because of the leg. “You were doing it yourself before.”
Cuddy raised her voice. “Before I didn’t know anything about this!”
“Lisa, It’s just a piece of music.”
“I think is something plus than that.”
“Do you?”
“Why don’t toi just say something?”
“Wasn’t that enough?” He asked, pointing at the musique sheets on his piano.
“That can mean anything ou everything. It depends on you. I’m not in your head.”
“It means…anything.” He a dit after a moment.
“So I’m still nothing for you.”
“Au contraire. You’re everything for me.”
“You just contradicted yourself. Do toi want to see me mad again?”
“No.” Was his short answer.
“So what’s the good of montrer me this? I’m everything and anything and SO WHAT? What do toi want from me House?!?” She asked, on the verge of tears.
“I told you. Go out of here and live your life. I’m not going to change.”
“I never asked toi to change.”
“Yes toi did. Yes toi are! toi want a caring lover and I’m not capable to give toi that. toi should just walk away, Cuddy. Hell, toi should run! I don’t want to hurt you. I l’amour toi too much to make toi suffer because of me.”
Cuddy opened her mouth in shock. “What did toi just say?”
“Go home, Lisa.”
Cuddy turned to face him. “House, do toi l’amour me?”
“Go home, Lisa.” He repeated firmly.
Cuddy shook her head. “Are toi in l’amour with me, Greg?”
House turned away from her. “Go home, Lisa.”
“Are toi talking about love?” She wasn’t going to let him walk away from this conversation.
“For God’s sake, Lisa! What I’m supposed to do to make toi understand that I’m in l’amour with you?? I’ve been in l’amour with toi for years! But I’m scared to death of ruining everything, don’t toi understand that? toi are the reason I wake up every morning. I’ve always loved you! And toi know what, even cheating on toi is better than nothing. I don’t know what toi want me to do? Do toi want me to scream that I l’amour you?!? How can toi be so blind? Have toi got any idea how many times a jour I’m just tempted to hold toi in my arms and Kiss you???”
“Then why don’t you?!? ” She asked, putting her hands on either side of his face. Now they’re just a few inches apart and looking in each other eyes.
“Is not rational.” He puts his hand on her wrist.
“You wanna stop being rational, just this once?” She asked, her eyes twinkling.
House finally meets her soft lips. First lightly than hungrily. Cuddy responds with all the passion she’s kept inside for years. When they finally take breath House notices that Cuddy’s eyes are sparkling with tears.
“Cuddy… I…”
She laughed a watery laugh. “Just say it.”
He takes a deep breath and finally spits up what was, until then, just a melody hidden in the depth of his heart.
“I l’amour you.” He a dit quietly, as he kissed her once more.
“Greg?”
“Yes?”
“Can toi play it for me again?”
House smiled. “You’re the only one I could play for.”
House starts to play, and the beautiful notes of Cuddy’s serenade fill the room. Cuddy stands up and wraps her arms around House’s neck and places her cheek on his head.
What happened this night was simply… everything.
He’s in the middle of opening a box of noodles, when a knock interrupts him.
“Someone better be dying!” He screams loudly in the direction of the door. He sighs and limps over to his cane, walking over to it. It’s a big surprise to see Cuddy standing there, looking nervous.
House opens the door suspiciously, “What are toi doing here?” He asks, realizing how harsh that sounded.
Cuddy looks up at him, wringing her hands. “Hey House…can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Anything that can wait until tomorrow?”
Cuddy smiles warily. “I’m tired of waiting.” She says quietly.
An interrogative look flashes in his eyes before he steps aside to let her come in.
She takes her manteau off and tosses it on the sofa. She looks strange, he thinks. The look on her face is a combination of anger, embarrassment, hardness, and softness. Was it just stress ou something else? Was she hiding something?
She looks down at her feet. One is tapping on the floor. House is the first who breaks the silence.
“So what are toi here for? Are toi in some sex emergency?” He asks sarcastically.
Now she stares at him straight in the eyes, glare full of fire.
“Stop it House! Just stop it! That’s precisely what I’m here for. I can’t play this game with toi anymore. toi can’t toy with my feelings and always throw them away in the garbage. I can’t stand it any more!”
House stares at her, hiding his faint shock. “You’ve always liked this game, admit it!”
Cuddy stares at him angrily. “No I haven’t.”
“Oh yes toi have! toi adore being pissed off and pretending to be shocked. I know you!”
“You don’t know a single damn thing about me.” Cuddy replied venomously.
“Oh, oh, oh. The baby is getting excited!” House a dit sardonically. “You come to my place and yell like a witch… do toi even know what you’re saying? Now listen, go accueil honey and sleep on it. Tomorrow will be another day.”
Cuddy threw her airs up in exasperation. “Another jour of what?” She asked, raising her voice.
“Of what it always is. Of pissing toi off. What else is there?” He a dit rolling his eyes.
After a full seconde of silence, Cuddy replied, “That’s precisely what I needed to know. The match is over, House. I give up with you.”
House looked confused. “You need to… I don’t understand you. We’ve played from college time.”
“You are ridiculous, House! Just grow up. At least now I have the proof that toi don’t have any sort of feelings for me.”
“Are toi high?” House asked childishly.
Cuddy gave him her best ‘are toi serious’ look. “But what about you?” – She asks as she smells him – “Of course, as always, toi smell like the inside of a pharmacy and liquor store!”
She turns around on her heels, fed up and ready to go. But he grabs her arm before she takes a step, and she turns back to look at him.
“Wait! Where are toi going, Cuddy?”
“Where I belong. Home.”
“And you’re leaving like this?”
Cuddy did her best to shrug, though it’s difficult with House’s grip on her arm. “You always were one for the dramatic exits, weren’t you? Besides, what difference does it make?”
It was House’s turn to shrug. “It just does.”
Cuddy shook her head, “You can find other play mate, House. I’m out.”
“But Muuuuuuuuum!!!!!!!!” He uses his chiot dog look tactics now. But he immediately realizes that that was obviously the wrong step to take. Her face turns redder at the second, and her eyes are angry. He lets go of her arm.
“You see? toi still continue to not understand! For toi this is just a game…but for me, this is real. My feelings are real, and so am I! I’m not a doll, Greg. I’m made of flesh and blood. Can toi feel it?” – She places hand on his right arm. – “And what you’re doing- what toi insist on doing- it hurts. I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want to be miserable. I want to live. I want to love. And be loved. And toi can’t.” She gently pushed him back with the same hand she had on his arm.
“You always knew I was miserable.” He finally a dit after a pause.
“God, House! toi are so egocentric. All toi and your ego can think about is yourself. But toi weren’t always miserable. I remember that.”
“When?”
Cuddy felt tears prickle the back of her eyes. “Those times toi used to hold my hands without a reason. Those times toi used to talk about yourself freely, those times toi weren’t scared to open your heart. Those times toi used to play some musique when words weren’t enough.” She a dit softly.
“You really think things are so different now?”
Cuddy frowned. “Are toi kidding, ou is this your new way of being cruel. The past is in the past, House.”
House shook his head. “I still write and play my music.”
“And what exactly does this have to do with me?”
“Listen.”
He walks towards his bedroom. His slow movement makes her think that his leg is hurting even plus now. That usually happened when he was worried. And when he didn’t know how the events were going to play out.
He grabs a folder from his library, a logo of the université of Michigan on it. Upon opening it she sees that it was full of sheet music. When he finds that one he is looking for, he goes in the direction of the piano and sits down. He looks at Cuddy for a moment. The look on his face is one of disappointment, but he knows that it’s better speak through musique than through words. At least during times like these. He starts to play a piece Cuddy never heard before. She moves to the piano and sits down on the bench suivant to him. Now she has a clear look of the sheets of paper in front of her eyes.
Cuddy can’t believe what it says at the bottom of her. Is a title. House’s calligraphy on it. Clear. Pure. In his way… elegant. There’s her name there. Is not true. Is not real. ‘I’m just imagining things’, she thinks.
The piece is called “Cuddy’s Serenade”.
House plays it beautifully, as he always does. But there’s something different. Is seems like he really meant what he said…played, rather. There are feelings in there. Is this another trick?
Cuddy unconsciously scoots closer to House as he plays. The musique stops after a while, and the two remain seated in silence.
Cuddy is still elaborating the motive in her head, what is this supposed to mean? He looks at her, quiet for once, waiting for her reactions.
Cuddy slowly turns her head to him, an overwhelmed look on her face.
“You… you… toi wrote me a serenade?”
“I did.” He réponses simply.
“Why?”
“To be forgiven.”
“But toi weren’t gonna play it for me…”
“That doesn’t matter.” He a dit with a shrug.
“What did toi want to be forgiven about?” She asked cautiously.
“For being an ass.”
“But…you…you’re never sorry.” She said; mystified
“People change. But for the record, I truly and deeply am.”
Cuddy smiled slightly. “When did toi write it?”
“When I was supposed to be at your baby’s ceremony.”
Cuddy sighed thoughtfully, “So why didn’t toi just come?”
“I remember toi didn’t want me there.”
“I did.” She whispers and grabs his hand. They stare at each other, no one wanting to ruin the moment.
Finally House sighed. “Cuddy I’m sorry but…I’m not good for you. I’m a jerk and toi don’t deserve it. toi know toi can do better. Get out of here and be happy.”
Cuddy shook her head in disbelief. “What if I don’t want to do better? You’re pushing me out of your life.”
A pained expression passed over House’s face, and this one wasn’t because of the leg. “You were doing it yourself before.”
Cuddy raised her voice. “Before I didn’t know anything about this!”
“Lisa, It’s just a piece of music.”
“I think is something plus than that.”
“Do you?”
“Why don’t toi just say something?”
“Wasn’t that enough?” He asked, pointing at the musique sheets on his piano.
“That can mean anything ou everything. It depends on you. I’m not in your head.”
“It means…anything.” He a dit after a moment.
“So I’m still nothing for you.”
“Au contraire. You’re everything for me.”
“You just contradicted yourself. Do toi want to see me mad again?”
“No.” Was his short answer.
“So what’s the good of montrer me this? I’m everything and anything and SO WHAT? What do toi want from me House?!?” She asked, on the verge of tears.
“I told you. Go out of here and live your life. I’m not going to change.”
“I never asked toi to change.”
“Yes toi did. Yes toi are! toi want a caring lover and I’m not capable to give toi that. toi should just walk away, Cuddy. Hell, toi should run! I don’t want to hurt you. I l’amour toi too much to make toi suffer because of me.”
Cuddy opened her mouth in shock. “What did toi just say?”
“Go home, Lisa.”
Cuddy turned to face him. “House, do toi l’amour me?”
“Go home, Lisa.” He repeated firmly.
Cuddy shook her head. “Are toi in l’amour with me, Greg?”
House turned away from her. “Go home, Lisa.”
“Are toi talking about love?” She wasn’t going to let him walk away from this conversation.
“For God’s sake, Lisa! What I’m supposed to do to make toi understand that I’m in l’amour with you?? I’ve been in l’amour with toi for years! But I’m scared to death of ruining everything, don’t toi understand that? toi are the reason I wake up every morning. I’ve always loved you! And toi know what, even cheating on toi is better than nothing. I don’t know what toi want me to do? Do toi want me to scream that I l’amour you?!? How can toi be so blind? Have toi got any idea how many times a jour I’m just tempted to hold toi in my arms and Kiss you???”
“Then why don’t you?!? ” She asked, putting her hands on either side of his face. Now they’re just a few inches apart and looking in each other eyes.
“Is not rational.” He puts his hand on her wrist.
“You wanna stop being rational, just this once?” She asked, her eyes twinkling.
House finally meets her soft lips. First lightly than hungrily. Cuddy responds with all the passion she’s kept inside for years. When they finally take breath House notices that Cuddy’s eyes are sparkling with tears.
“Cuddy… I…”
She laughed a watery laugh. “Just say it.”
He takes a deep breath and finally spits up what was, until then, just a melody hidden in the depth of his heart.
“I l’amour you.” He a dit quietly, as he kissed her once more.
“Greg?”
“Yes?”
“Can toi play it for me again?”
House smiled. “You’re the only one I could play for.”
House starts to play, and the beautiful notes of Cuddy’s serenade fill the room. Cuddy stands up and wraps her arms around House’s neck and places her cheek on his head.
What happened this night was simply… everything.
