Every morning like clockwork, I would be awaken to meet the day. Sunlight peeking in beneath my curtains, casting an orange shadow of light across my floor. It would keep inching towards my bed menacingly, causing me to groan and seek refuge underneath my covers. I sincerely wished not to wake up and be launched into another day of responsibilities, liars, and dying people.

I didn't want to go to work and see my co-workers, an annoying ex-girlfriend with intense morals and ethics that severely impede our work occasionally and an ex-street slum who has perfection issues and runs from his past. I didn't want to see the patients that never stop lying even thought their lives depend upon it, until they're on the brink of death and even then you have to yell at them to get the truth. I didn't want to deal with the puzzles that our work entails, taking days to find out what other doctors couldn't. But worst of all, I didn't want to see my boss. Who was sarcastic, sneaky, clever, witty, cruel, a genius, impossible, addicted to drugs, funny, handsome, and absolutely everything I could ever want. He brought out such annoying feelings that I could barely smother and hide around him at work. A giddy ball of warmth rising in the back of my throat, like bile but without the aftertaste.

I laid under my warm comforter, thinking about what I should do. Then I remembered my unused sick days I had yet to use to skip work. I reached out and felt around my bedside table for my cell phone. When my hand came into contact with the sleek, smooth plastic for a moment I heard a clatter on the floor. I slumped tiredly with a groan and slowly leaned over the edge of my bed to reach down. After finally recapturing the stupid little contraption, I dialed Cuddy, my boss's boss's office number. I only had to wait through two rings before she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, sounding slightly exasperated. I smiled drowsily, my boss must have been there.

"'Ello Dr. Cuddy. This is Chase, I'm calling in sick so I won't be in today." I told her, pressing the back of my tongue to the roof of my mouth to give my voice a congested sound to it.

"Wow, you do sound bad. What do you have?" I could hear my boss asking who she was talking to.

"Just a bad cold, but if you really need me in today I'll come." I said, smirking.

"No, no I wouldn't put you through a cold and House at the same time. You just rest and-" Her voice was cut off, by someone grabbing the phone by the sound of it.

"Chase? Don't think I'm gonna let you skip work if I can't." House's voice rumbled. I felt my face heat up and my lips smile. Dammit, I thought. I pulled some phlegm from the back of my throat and produced a very wet cough.

"Sorry if my illness trumps your laziness, House, but you're out of luck this time." There was silence on the other line for a moment.

"Hmm, I guess so." I felt nervous for a moment. "Got a hooker there? Because I know you'd never skip a day of work without getting some." I rolled my eyes and smiled when I heard Cuddy complaining.

"No I don't. Goodbye, House."

"Hmph, g'day, wombat." he said in his fake accent. I shut off my phone and put a hand to my flushed face, covering my eyes. Him and that nickname, it always made me blush. I sighed and sat up slowly to see my dog Kevin trying to get up onto my bed. I smiled and slid out of bed and scooped him up. He's a tiny little Yorkie I saved from the pound and I couldn't resist him. Not that that makes me soft or anything.

"Come on, Kev, breakfast time." I spoke, more to my self than to him. I set Kevin on the top of my head and walked out to my small kitchen. I got out his food and refilled his dish in the corner, then grabbed my raisin cinnamon swirl bagels. I can't eat what these people consider cereal, American cereal is disgusting.

After toasting my bagel and slathering it with some homemade Australian berry jam, I sat myself down in front of my television and started up my favorite romantic comedy. I was only ten minutes into it when I heard a knock on my door, well, more like someone was banging a cricket bat on my poor door. I sighed and got up, bringing my bagel and myself to open the door. I opened the door so I could see without opening it the whole way and grinned when I saw House there looking grumpy.

"Yes?" I drawled.

"You don't sound sick anymore, wombat."

"Spontaneously got better, but since I called in already I didn't want to waste Cuddy's time." House rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure. Because it's got nothing to do with you wanting to skip work."

"No, would never think of it. Why would I skip work when obviously it would annoy you?" He laughed once, more a rumbling cough more than anything.

"Yeah, yeah. So are you gonna let the poor cripple in, or are you gonna let me freeze?" I smirked.

"What's the password?"

"What?" My smirk widened.

"What's the password?" I repeated slowly. He looked at me and silently said 'Seriously?', I just grinned.

"Wombat?"

"Nope."

"Australia?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Hugh Jackman?" I looked at him quizzically.

"Why would-" Kevin poked his head out. I looked down to see him walk out to sniff House's feet. House stared at him for a moment before picking him up.

"I believe this has turned into a hostage situation. Let me in or the puppy gets it. He said mock menacingly, while Kevin was wagging his tail and trying to lick his face.

"Oh me, oh my, him. He looks absolutely terrified." I said sarcastically, opening my door. House waltzed in, or at least his version of waltzing, and looked around. I followed him into my living room, still munching on my bagel, and blushed when he looked at the TV to find Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock on a sidewalk in NY, Sandra on her knees looking up at Ryan.

"What are you watching?" he asked, surprisingly without any bite in his voice.

"Uh... The Proposal?" I said, hoping he wouldn't tease me about this. He looked to the screen with a thoughtful expression, like he was analyzing something and thinking of a way to respond.

"Oh, that's cool." That's it, that's all he said. No witty sarcasm, no harassment, nothing. I just Looked at him for a moment as the silence hung, thinking 'What the hell?'

"So why're you here?" I asked, having the hopeless thought that he would tell me sweet things, like how he couldn't stop thinking about me, how he'd noticed my longing gazes, my need to please him, even if it's just as an employee, and that he felt the same. Pssh, get a hold of yourself Robert, he'd never-

"Couldn't stop thinking about you." he deadpanned. I froze,my brain running blank like a faucet had been turned off. The the crazy, thousand mile an hour, ping-pong thoughts rampaged. Was he reading my mind? Did I say it out loud? Is he talking about me being "sick?" Is he being serious? Is he fucking with me?

"Am I dreaming?" the last one slipped out. My eyes widened further as I saw a compassionate smile tug at his lips and soften his eyes.

"No, I hope not, because it would really suck if I was just a figment of your imagination." he said seriously. I laughed airily, thinking it was true.

"Yeah, that would mean I'll probably wake up again with a boner." I smiled with a sigh. He quirked an eyebrow and a mischievous look filled his face with a smirk. He limped over to me.

"Then I guess I better pinch you to wake you up." he purred while reaching around to pinch my arse. I jumped and blushed, realizing I really wasn't dreaming. I stuttered and he just smiled encompassed my stuttering lips in a sweet but passionate kiss. I froze for a moment before falling into the kiss, our lips fitting together as if they were molded for each others.

As we parted for air, I look up searchingly into his gorgeous ice blue eyes that made me melt. I found myself wondering if what was swimming in his eyes was just a reflection of mine. Such warmth and understanding, but in his, instead of hesitation there was the ever-present glint of mischief twinkling back at me. I blushed and remembered what I had said about waking up with a boner.

"Oh god," I groaned. "I can't believe I told you that." A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest.

"And I'll never let you live it down." he smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist. "But I'm wondering if you have one now..." He glanced down.

"I blushed insanely and hid my face in his neck, wrapping my arms around sed neck. I smiled into his warm skin as I felt him kiss my hair. My life was going to get a lot more interesting.