Dear guest reviewer,

the concept of this fic is indeed similar to Winnywriter's "Snapshots" but what's the big deal? I already told you that this story actually is an adoption of the fanfic I wrote in German 2 years ago and apart from that I don't copy Winnywriter's stories and sell them as mine.

All I actually did here is posting my one shots like a more chapter fanfic instead of posting each of them separately, millions of people already had the same idea.

Besides do you have an idea how many fics I've read that are pretty similar to fics I've already written? Tons and I enjoyed reading them because I like to see what other people did with the idea.

In your comment you also said it is a „lesser version of Winnywriter's Snapshots" and I do agree. She writes better than me. Of course! 4 years ago I couldn't even say one proper sentence in English, today I'm writing stories in English. I would be scared of myself if I suddenly wrote better than people whose mother tongue is English.

I'm sorry that I had to answer this review in public but I had no other choice since the review was – surprise surprise – anonymous.

Now to the fun part:

This fic is a kinda fluffy one once again… but that's not a problem right? xD Thanks a lot to the great LEfan77 for beta reading and for helping me find a title :D

Before you read just one more thing: Did you watch Lisa on Scandal? OMG she was outstanding, wasn't she!? The bottle scene was just epic! If anyone of you hasn't watched it yet I highly recommend it to you. It is really, really gooood :D

Ok… I'm gonna shut up now for realz and let you read. :)

Catching your beauty

He was leaning against the doorframe watching her standing in front of the mirror, sucking in her stomach and checking her face for any wrinkles she might have gotten over night.

It wasn't the first time he caught her doing that. She seemed obsessed with it lately and it was killing him that he didn't know why.

He didn't talk to her about it until the day she entered their kitchen wearing a grey business suit, showing neither her legs, nor any cleavage.

"You have got to be kidding me." He said looking at her.

"What?" She wanted to know.

"What the hell are you wearing?!"

She poured some coffee into a cup. "Normal working clothes."

"You can't go in like that… you look like an old, dried out lady in these rags."

The moment the words were coming out of his mouth he already regretted them but that didn't matter. Not to her anyway. He should have thought before opening his trap.

Cuddy looked at him as if she was about to rip off his head. She put her cup of coffee down on the counter forcefully and stormed out of the kitchen.

House sighed. "Oh shit."

Later that day House dropped by her office. He had avoided her ever since the incident in the kitchen this morning, hoping she'd cool off if he gave her some space.

But his theory was proven wrong.

Cuddy's immediate reaction upon seeing him was to tell him to get the fuck out of her office.

To his own surprise he listened. He knew trying to talk to her wasn't going anywhere when she was in a mood like this.

Fucking off had indeed been the best thing to do.

Not in the mood to actually do some work he decided to go and bother Wilson.

"I'm busy, House." The oncologist said as his best friend, unannounced as always, entered his office.

"I know you like to pretend to be working when you are actually just shopping for napkins and other girly stuff online but I can see right through you." House said as he dropped down on Wilson's couch.

He sighed and closed his laptop. "What do you need, House?"

"Cuddy is acting weird."

"What do you mean 'weird'?"

"She thinks she looks like a female version of Mick Jagger, she's dressing like the Queen Mom and is overly sensitive for no reason."

"Maybe it's THE time of the month."

"Geeez thanks Wilson, I'd have never thought of that." House said sarcastically and sat up again.

"Why do you even come to me for advice when you are so smart yourself?"

"I don't need advice from someone who's smart… I need advice from someone who thinks like a woman."

"Thanks for the compliment", Wilson muttered under his breath. "Have you given a similarly 'nice' compliment to Cuddy?"

"It's hardly an insult when I tell her that she thinks like a woman."

Wilson folded his hands and drew up his brows, silently telling House to take it seriously.

"I might have told her that I think she looks like an old, dried out lady in those rags she's wearing."

"For a man with an above-average IQ you can be incredibly stupid."

"I didn't insult her… just her clothes!"

"Doesn't make a difference."

"Have you even seen what she's wearing today?"

"No but it doesn't matter. You can tell her that you liked it more when she dresses like she usually does but you can NEVER EVER tell her that she looks old or dried out... NEVER, House!"

House sighed. "What do I do now?"

"Apologize."

"I suck at that."

"The more often you do it, the less you'll suck at it." Wilson said and hinted at his office door. "So go and practice."

House got up from the couch and muttered something Wilson couldn't make out. He then left his friend's office without saying another word.

House didn't go back to Cuddy's office. He decided to do all the apologizing stuff at home. He even thought about buying her some flowers but how fucking clichéd was that? Every pathetic guy does that… No way he would do that too. He just had to come up with another, better idea.

He was sitting on the couch, watching TV when Cuddy and Rachel came home. The little one had been with a friend this afternoon and Cuddy had just picked her up from there.

Rach ran over to him to give him a hug, Cuddy didn't say a word, she didn't even look at him.

He had obviously hurt her more than he thought he had… and even though he didn't really understand why she had taken it so seriously he felt awful for doing it.

He waited until Rachel was asleep to approach her.

When he entered their room Cuddy was already lying in bed. She was reading.

He sat down on his side of the bed, hoping she wouldn't kick him out like she had done in the hospital.

"You sure you wanna lie in a bed with an old, dried-out lady?" She asked without looking up.

He sighed, turned towards her and softly took the book out of her hands. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

She snatched the book back from him. "Leave me alone."

"No. I want you to come with me into the living room."

"Go away." She said as she turned to the side, away from him.

He looked at her backside for a few more moments until he got up again and left the room.

For a second he thought about going back to his old apartment… but he decided against it.

Instead he just carried on with his plan.

He went into living room, sat on the piano stool and started playing. (I recommend you to go to youtube and type in "The Piano Guys Just the way you are". Then open the first video, fast forward to 02:00min and press play :D )

After the first few notes you could already make out Bruno Mars' "Just the way you are".

He was no big fan of the song but he knew Cuddy liked it and apart from that it said exactly what he wanted to say but what he couldn't express with words.

His eyes were closed, he didn't need to see anything. His fingers knew exactly which keys to press to create the right melody.

He was half into the song when he suddenly felt someone's presence. Cuddy's presence.

Knowing that she was here, he started putting even more of his heart, even more passion into the song. He wanted her to know that he really meant it even though he wasn't singing the words.

A little sigh of relief escaped his lips when he felt her dropping down next to him.

It didn't take long until she put her head on his shoulder.

He could feel the warmth of her body, her breath on his neck, her arm that went around his back and it made him shiver for a second. In this moment he realized again how lost he'd be without her and he promised himself he'd do anything to make this relationship work. Anything.

She snuggled even closer into him and buried her face in the warm crook of his neck. Something she loved to do and something he probably loved even more.

What he had said to her earlier was forgotten. Deep down she had known how he had meant it… She had known that he hadn't meant to hurt her with his words. Usually she would have countered or she would have just started arguing with him… but this time it had hurt her because he had hit a nerve… but he hadn't known that. So his was forgiven.

She watched his skilled fingers moving over the keys as if it was the easiest thing in the entire world.

He didn't make one mistake. He never missed the right key. He was one with the piano, one with the music.

He seemed like a different person when he was playing but at the same time it seemed that he had never been more himself than he was right now and she absolutely loved it that he let her see this side of him.

Her left hand went to his right knee, not daring to touch his thigh right now, and started drawing soft circles on it.

As the song ended Cuddy pressed a kiss against his neck. "Thank you." She whispered.

He swallowed. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"I know."

He turned his head to the side so he was looking at her. Their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching. "What I actually wanted to say this morning was that you are the sexiest woman on the entire planet and that there is no need to cover up that fact with clothes you found in your grandma's closet."

She chuckled.

"What's going on?" He wanted to know. "Why are you acting as if you suddenly turned 80 over night?"

She sighed. "Its stupid."

"I don't care. Tell me."

"There's this new board member… She's the daughter of a donor and she's like 28 and everyone is all over her."

"So you are jealous that the old fat morons of the board found a new girl they can drool over and whose image they can jerk off to?"

She chuckled again and softly hit his chest with her hand.

"You do know I get a hard on when I just see you, right?"

She can't help it but giggle again. He just always managed to make her laugh.

"And you know that Wilson watches your ass when you leave the room, right? And 13 told me she'd totally do you if you weren't her boss."

"Stop it." She said with a smile on her face.

"Well… its true."

Cuddy let go of him and got up from the stool but not to walk away, rather to straddle him.

Mindful of his damaged thigh she put most of her weight on his left leg.

Her hands went to his cheeks and softly caressed them while she looked into his wonderful blue eyes. "Thank you." She whispered again and started kissing him.

His hands went around her and pulled her as close as possible as he returned the kiss.

When they broke apart, she entwined her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat there holding each other for a while until Cuddy broke the silence.

She snuggled close into him and whispered. "I love you."

His lips formed to a smile. It was incredible what those three words spoken by her did to him.

"I love you too." His voice was hardly audible but she understood perfectly fine.

Cuddy smiled and sighed contently. She could sit here with him forever. She would never get sick of it.

His hands softly started to stroke her back. She loved it when he did that. It calmed her down and relaxed her like nothing else did.

"How about we go to the bedroom and I show you how incredibly sexy you still are?" He asked after a few moments.

Cuddy laughed. "I'd love that."

With that they let go of each other, went to the bedroom and made love.

- The end -

Yep, I have a thing for consoling House xD