Title: speed and no finish line

Author: Faith V.

AN: Birthday for houseketeer, who asked for House/Cam and a Nascar simulator. Not smutty, sorry.

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It’s strange, having time for herself again. She can spend the entire day curled up on her couch, reading, if she wants. She can sleep in and stay in her pj’s all day long. Except that’s what she did after Daniel died and remembering her post-funeral depression is not exactly how she wants to spend her self-imposed vacations.

She has three weeks before starting her new position at Princeton General. She’s going to do real immunology work again, actually work in her own field. She’s met her new boss, and he’s nice. He’s nice and not-at-all abrasive.

Cameron – she wonders if she will ever get used to being called Allison again – walks around the mall, drinking a bottle of mineral water. Shopping is supposed to be relaxing. She stares at a couple of women, around her age, maybe a few years younger, walk out of a lingerie store. She sighs, thinking of how ridiculous it would be for her to do the same. She’s never been particularly inclined to sexy underwear and she doesn’t have any girlfriends to go shopping with. It’s a depressive thought.

She sighs and keeps on walking, thinking maybe she can hit the bookstore before going home, if only because going home empty handed makes her feel like an antisocial fool, for some reason. She turns in the opposite direction, trying to decide between children’s books (of which she’s a big fan) and the newest title by her favorite Latin American author. That’s when she sees it.

It’s a huge simulator, with a wrap around screen and bleacher seats and for a second she’s tempted, but then she rolls her eyes at herself and decides she’s just being childish. She follows through with her original plan and forty minutes later she’s on her way to the parking lot, carrying a copy of a new edition of The Secret Garden.

The Nascar simulator is still there. Of course it’s still there, how could it not? The thing is, Cameron really wants to climb into that red car. She likes fast cars, always has. It’s a thing.

Almost without her noticing – though really, there’s no point in lying to herself – she makes it to the bleacher seats, telling herself she’ll only watch. She sits, with her book on her lap and a new bottle of water on her hand, and waits till the next player arrives.

It’s him. Of course it’s him. Just her freaking luck, she thinks. But House is too busy being excited and acting like a little boy to notice her. Good, but she stills takes her new book and opens it in front of her face. The words blur and the lines cross (she’s not wearing contacts and forgot her glasses at home), and she feels like a love struck fifteen year-old, who stays after school with the sole purpose of watching football practice. She’s blushing at her own stupidity but doesn’t pull down the book until she hears the fake engine start.

The race is pretty cool, and when House exits the fake car she sees the wild grin on his face, it makes her smile, it makes her ache. He swipes his receipt at the guy who’s running the simulator and bounces a little as he waits to get in again. It’s actually kinda cute.

Cameron stands to leave, sure he won’t see her, but as she walks down the make pretend bleachers she walks dangerously close to where he’s standing.

“Cameron,” he says. She sighs.

“Hey Dr. House,” she tells him, unsure of what to do. She fidgets with her water bottle, perfectly aware that he knows she’s kind of nervous and berating herself for being nervous in the first place.

“You enjoyed the race?” he asks, raising an eyebrow and smirking. He’s in a really good mood.

“I did.” A pause. “I have to go.” She starts moving, but he calls her name and she stops.

“There are two sits,” he says, simply, but she recognizes the invitation in his voice. They’ve worked together for too long. She weights her options and decides it’s safe.

“Okay,” she says and she follows him. He exchanges a few words with the guy who’s running the game, and then he helps her into the car. He helps her. He helps her. It’s shocking, to say the least, but it’s also not, because he’s not as much of an ass as most people think, and how much of a jerk he is is usually inversely proportional to the amount of people in the room who are familiar with him.

He manages to get into the car without looking like disabled, without looking like he needs help. Force of habit, probably, and she’s never been angry enough to try and help him.

“Ready?” House grins.

She asks herself what the hell she’s doing and offers him a weak smile.

It’s fun, and contrary to popular believe, she does enjoy fun. Her stomach’s doing somersaults though, and she will definitely be a bit dizzy when she gets out of the simulator, but it doesn’t matter. House is smiling again, and watching him hurts a little.

The race ends with them crashing spectacularly, though House doesn’t seem mad at this. When they get out of the car she stumbles a little. Yup, dizzy. It’s kind of like when she was a little girl and she annoyed her father into letting her ride on the roller-coaster. It’s up and down and you feel like you’re going to die (and you can realistically get hurt), but in the end, you always have fun. She steals a glance at the man next to her. This was more like him, spinning around, out of control and getting scared as hell, even though you know you will not get hurt.

“It’s not for the weak of stomach,” he tells her.

“I know.”

the end

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