A/N: I promise I'm going to stick to this story and I'm not going to abandon it on the side of the road like a homeless puppy. If I do, please yell at me. So anyway, this story is a House romance… I'm not sure yet if he'll end up with Cameron or the infamous Thirteen, but they will both get his attention, trust me. Give your suggestions on who you think he should be with. There might be some mild Wuddy …There might even be a new love interest for Chase. Ohh la la. Please review, because I'm very needy and it'll motivate me. Constructive criticism is welcome. My chapters will also be named after songs. Enjoy! (P.S. My author's notes won't usually be this long. Don't be afraid.)

[Takes place a few weeks after "You Don't Want to Know"

(The Title of this story is "Novacaine For the Soul" by Eels)

(The chapter title is the song "Under Pressure" By The Used and My Chemical Romance)

Disclaimer: I don't own House or Fox or anything anything anything at all related to them.

Lisa Cuddy was not having a pleasant day. Foreman wanted more money if he had to deal with House's meaningless games, Chase was complaining about needing more equipment for his surgeries. PPTH was low on funds, supplies, and patients recently; yet the doctors and nurses kept insisting on higher paychecks.

Looking down at her stack of paperwork, Cuddy came to the obvious conclusion that things were not adding up, and she had no idea how she was going to climb out of this ditch.

She sighed, knotting her fingers at the crown of her dark, chocolate-colored hair. She quickly pulled them out: thinking she should have gone easy on the hairspray this morning.

Cuddy's office door was abruptly flung open, releasing a cool draft through the room. The cold breeze struck her bare chest, sending a simultaneous array of goose bumps and shivers along her body. She figured that a blouse with a high neckline would also have been beneficial to choose this morning.

Gregory House seemed to have read her mind, because he greeted Cuddy cordially with a gesture to her breasts and "Are the girls getting chilly?"

Lisa raised her head slowly, issuing a deadly glare to the man looming above her.

"I take that as a 'yes'" he persisted, "Guess its time to whip out the old turtlenecks, from back in high school. If they even made turtlenecks back then…"

Cuddy instantly sat up straight and pretended to be hard at work. She tried to use an authorative voice, but it resulted in pitiful desperation. "House, it's been a rough week and I could do without…" She paused and followed House's movements as he began to juggle one of her picture frames and a dusty mug sitting on her desk before continuing "…well, I could do without you in general right now."

House's hands immediately stopped their magnificent twirling in midair as he allowed the picture and mug to clatter to the ground. Cuddy flinched at the sharp noise. He feigned offense and screwed his eyebrows together: "Oh Lisa! That hurts me deep inside. As soon as I leave your office I'll make the effort to stumble into Wilson's office and fall into his arms in tears. Then we can have tea and cut our wrists because you have displayed such distaste toward me. We might make a whole evening out of our misery."

Cuddy restrained herself from reaching across the desk and strangling him. He was just lucky that she contained much of the self control that he lacked.

"Don't you have any lives to save!?" She snapped, "Where I come from hospitals are conventionally where professional doctors work to cure people in their times of need. Not to leisurely destroy your boss little by little."

"Business is slow," House replied, smirking, "And I could have sworn you came from a whore house? Hospitals are conventionally used for role play in that context."

Cuddy clenched her hands into fists. If one more snark comment left House's lips, she was prepared to blow up at him. Needless to say, he didn't disappoint.

With a seductive murmur he added, "You can also destroy me little by little too, if you'd like."

Cuddy flung her fists down on her desk and shot out her seat, knocking her chair backwards in the process. "That is IT. You're fired House!"

House tilted his head to the side attentively. "Now that was an interesting turn of events. I believe you deserve a round of applause for that surprise."

Before his hands could form a clap, Cuddy had hurled a finger toward the door and screamed "Get the hell out of here!"

House seemed to be more amused than concerned though. "Oh, feisty."

"Get out before I call security. I swear I will have your ass hauled out of here, house." Cuddy was a woman on fire, and House decided he had tormented her enough. He started heading out, very much relaxed, while calling over his shoulder, "I'll be back in here within a week," As the door swung closed behind him.