Title: Noble Gesture
Pairing/Characters: House/Cameron
Challenge:
hc_challenge: Prompt # 13,
housefic50: 019. Denial
Words: 360
Spoilers: 1x17 Role Model
Rating: PG
A/N: The line in italics was taken directly from Season 1, Episode 17 Role Model. Beta by
drwilltx Prompt # 13:
Noble Gesture
"All the healthy people in the room, how about a big round of applause for Ed Vogler!"
Vogler should have known better than to put Dr. Gregory House in front of a room full of people with a microphone. No amount of threatening was going to stop House from being...House.
That didn’t prevent Cameron from hoping House’s speech would be a success so that no one from the team would be fired. When the speech rapidly took a turn for the worse, any hope she had quickly vanished. All she could do was sit there with a look of shock on her face.
She wasn’t the only one. Cuddy, Chase, Wilson, and Foreman each had similar expressions on their faces. The silence in the banquet hall was palpable. She watched as House said something to Vogler before limping off stage.
It was then that her mind was made up. She would resign. Why not make things easier for everyone involved? It wasn’t just the problems with Vogler. Cameron was becoming increasingly anxious about her feelings for House. There were times where she could feel it interfering with her work. When he stood too close, or looked at her just a little too long, or if his fingers brushed against hers as she handed him a file. It was distracting, but not unwelcome. And that was the problem. Resigning would make things less complicated.
Or at least that is what she was telling herself.
When the Viopril banquet mercifully ended, Cameron made her way to House’s apartment. It would be difficult. Part of her hoped he would try to talk her out of leaving. But look where hope had gotten her tonight. Resigning was the right thing to do. Dealing with her feelings for House would only get harder if she stayed.
Her chest felt tight, constricted, like she was fighting to take a breath. She walked from her car to his front door, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself. It felt like panic was building up inside her, waiting to leap out the moment she opened her mouth. Cameron swallowed, taking a slow and calming breath. She felt the pressure in her chest ease and she raised her hand, knocking on House’s door.
The die was cast.