Title: All Manner of Sins

Author: Angel Leviathan

Spoilers: Need to Know and one brief one for Euphoria I & II. I know Euphoria's in the future from the ep, but I figure then wouldn't have been the first time he'd made the comment.

Disclaimer: House, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.

Notes: First House fic. Tag to Need to Know.

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She'd been sitting in the diagnostics office for a good hour, just where she knew he could see her, back turned to him, supposedly working on some kind of file in front of her. Obviously expecting an apology she knew she wasn't going to get. House rested his head on his cane and stared through the glass, eyes narrowed, wondering if he could make her turn round and look by the power of thought. Cameron didn't move. Just as well really. She wasn't getting her apology.

House glanced at his watch, frowning. It was too late for her to still be at the hospital, even with the excuse of work. And he knew exactly how much work she had. Still waiting for that apology. Tough luck, she still wasn't getting it.

He had nothing to apologise for. She wouldn't have taken the test herself. Therefore the likelihood of her actually opening the envelope containing her results there and then, to him, had seemed slim. He had…well, he just had to know. Okay, so there was a difference between needing to know and wanting to know, but both seemed covered by the words 'had to'. Why couldn't she just go home and leave him to brood in peace?

Enough was enough.

House wearily got to his feet and wandered across the room to swing open the door to the next office, "Are you going to wait here all night for me to break down and beg forgiveness? Or do you actually have a reason to be here?"

"Actually I was waiting for you to stop being an ass. But you were right, it is comforting to know that that's never going to happen."

"Ouch. If I had feelings, I might be hurt."

"It's a good thing I know you don't then."

He made his way across the room and sat down at the other end of the table, "You're becoming a very bitter young woman, Doctor Cameron."

"Must be from associating with you," Cameron didn't even look up from her paperwork, "Don't you have to go tell some kids Santa isn't real or something?"

"Again with the hurtful comments. Somebody might think you were angry with me," House leant back in his chair.

She laughed bitterly under her breath, shaking her head. Why, of all the people in the world, did she have to have fallen for him? "You want me to validate my anger now or later?"

"Oooo, now please. I'm simply dying to know."

Cameron looked up, "Foreman's right. You are a manipulative bastard."

"But imagine what you'd do if I came into work one day all smiles and handing out kittens and bunnies. Now, are you going to talk or do I have to hobble back to my office and try again in, say, two hours?"

"You had no right to open my letter. You had no right to run the test," she snapped.

"This is getting boring. You were avoiding the issue. You weren't going to submit to the test yourself-"

"You just don't give a damn about how your behaviour affects anyone do you?"

"You should know that by now," House answered, deadpan, "Look, did you really want to continue to spend however long you were intending to wait to take the test planning your funeral?"

"You're sick," she spat.

"And twisted, yes, we know this already. But let's be honest – you may not have opened that envelope for hours after you got it. I could have been saving you from you a good few hours of pacing and tearful sniffles."

"You had no right," Cameron insisted.

"I had every right," he shot back, "I need to know whether or not my staff are in a fit condition to-"

"Bullshit."

House looked almost taken aback, "Feisty." He paused, "Why are you still here?"

"I want you to apologise," she replied.

"No way in hell. Does that destroy your faith in humanity a little more?"

"I'm sure it'll all be gone after a few more years working with you."

"A few more years? Wow, somebody intends to stay the course," he smirked.

Cameron sighed and looked down at her paperwork again. She hesitated before looking him right in the eye, "One thing. Did you open it because you're a nosey son of a bitch, or did you open it because you needed to know the result?"

"I had to-"

"Did you need to or were you just playing another game?"

House fell silent, but didn't look away. He stood up, "I needed to know," he stated, heading for the door, "God forbid I should take an interest in your wellbeing. Take whatever apology from that that comforts you the most." He was halfway through the door when he heard her voice.

"House?"

He hesitated, yet didn't look back.

"Thank you," Cameron said softly.

She was gone from the office in a matter of seconds.

Fin