What's this? Two những thông tin cập nhập in one day? It's madness, I tell you, madness! Mwa hahahahahaha...
~*~*~
Lisa’s eyes smarted as she got out of her car, the wind irritating them even further. Bypassing her trailer entirely, she went straight to wardrobe and changed back into the clothes Cuddy had been wearing at the end of Under My Skin, stalling for time. But suddenly, on her way back out, she stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, looking at the rack of House’s clothes, all the hangers dated and labeled for easy access. The suit Hugh was slated to wear for the day’s filming was gone already.
He was here.
Lisa looked around as she walked back onto the lot, starting toward the set, then changing her mind and going back toward her trailer. It was thêm than likely that Hugh had arrived early, as usual, and was probably already there talking with David and Katie about the day’s scenes. And although she knew full well what she had to do… she squeezed her eyes closed as she put her key into her trailer door and let herself in to kill time before she absolutely had to be on set and face Hugh.
A lamp flicked on to her right, and she spun in its direction—and there was Hugh, suited up and ready to go, sitting calmly in the corner chair, legs crossed—watching her.
“Should we talk?” He asked, looking at the floor. Lisa gaped at him, feeling her ire rise.
“About what?” She put her bag on the table. “About running lines, the script, hoặc how bạn managed to get in here before me?”
“Lisa…” Hugh sighed, looking off to the side.
“You used your key.” She stood before him, hands on her hips. “God—I absolutely cannot wait to hear what makes this an emergency. I suppose bạn smelled smoke and thought I was on fire?” He didn’t respond. “Hugh?”
“You lied to me last night.” He said, finally looking up at her. Lisa’s tim, trái tim paused for a một giây when she saw his eyes, sending her throat into a spasm before it resumed its regular beating time. Hugh ducked his head again, resting his elbows on his knees and speaking to the floor. “I was completely honest with you. I’m not trying to talk bạn into anything; I’m not trying to make you… I just want to know. Even if it means you’re going to tell me nothing can ever—” He tapped his fingers together a few times and looked up at her. “Lisa.”
Licking her lips and cursing herself, she wavered between moving toward him and turning around and walking out the door, away from this insanity.
Was there every any doubt?
Lisa knelt down in front of him and reached out to cup his face, drawing his gaze down to her. “Hugh.” Her voice cracked. “See, this is why the phone idea was a good one, damn you.” Hugh looked into her eyes, startled, but relaxed when he saw that the faintest vestige of a smile remained where only he could see it. “You’re my best friend. bạn have to know that. We’ve been through so much…”
“You are not seriously giving me the ‘friends’ speech,” Hugh started, and Lisa reached out an impulsive finger and laid it across his lips, shushing him.
“You had your chance last night,” she reminded him. “Please listen to me. This has been—this whole season has been weird. And every time we started to get—closer…” Hugh was turning his head so that her hand slipped to the side, brushing his lips against her palm, his eyes never leaving hers. “Whenever it seemed like we were growing closer, something happened to push us back apart.”
“We pushed ourselves back apart,” Hugh said, pulling away just far enough to talk.
“And bạn don’t think there was a good reason for that?” Lisa asked gently. “You don’t think we both know what we’re dealing with here? Its—” The feeling of Hugh’s lips on her hand was driving her completely out of her mind. “I don’t want bạn to do anything you’ll—regret, I don’t want us doing anything that will make it impossible for us to be friends, or—”
“Shh.” Hugh stood up, pulling her to her feet. “Lisa. Something’s gotta give. But you’re right. Maybe we should finish off this season, get work behind us, clear our heads, and make sure we’re not just—reacting to the characters.”
“You really think we’re just reacting?” Lisa looked up at him. Hugh shrugged slowly, giving her a lopsided smile.
“Isn’t that what you’re hoping for?” He asked quietly. “It would make what bạn want to tell me a lot easier, wouldn’t it? Tell me we’re imagining things, that this isn’t really happening?”
Lisa was completely speechless. There was nothing she could say that wouldn’t destroy the fragile situation they had created. She could tell him he was right, that they were only mirroring what their characters were going through, and completely crush his hopes. He would go trang chủ after they finished filming, they wouldn’t see each other for a few months, and it would all go away. That was what she should do. So why didn’t she just do it? Because the other option was to reassure him, to tell him he was right, and they had a problem, and they had to deal with it. What did that make her? There was nothing she could say…
So she reached out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, and pulled him close. Hugh frowned slightly before extending his own arms around her back and holding her against his chest.
“Now I suppose you’re going to tell me we’re just Những người bạn hugging,” he đã đưa ý kiến into her hair, and Lisa squeezed her eyes closed.
What in God’s name is he trying to do to me?
“Of course we’re Những người bạn hugging,” she tried…
“Just Những người bạn hugging?” Hugh pulled back just a little, looking into her eyes. “So this is what it feels like when bạn hug James?”
Lisa couldn’t help but giggle at that. “No, this is different.”
“So why is it different?” His hand ran its way up her back to căn nguyên, cái nôi her head, bringing it back to his chest as he pulled her in again. “What’s the difference between bạn and me… and bạn and your other friends?”
“The accent, for one…”
“Hush. I’m thinking out loud. bạn can feel free to chime in and agree with me, but other than that I’ll thank bạn to keep quiet.” Lisa snorted into Hugh’s chest and he lightly poked at her head in retaliation before moving his hands back to rest between her shoulder blades, his thumb restlessly stroking up and down, soothing her. “I think the difference is that we know each other better than bạn and any of your other Những người bạn know each other. There’s chemistry, obviously…” Lisa’s head nodded against him. “Yes, there’s chemistry. There’s always been chemistry.”
“I flunked chemistry…”
“That is not agreeing…” Hugh cut her off. “And no, bạn didn’t. Stop deflecting. Where was I?”
“Chemistry.”
“Thank you. What else? Well, there’s the fact that we can, and have, had conversations that go on for hours…”
“Usually the length of a primetime awards show…”
Hugh chuckled. “And we make each other laugh. So the only thing left… is desire.” Lisa’s shoulders stiffened under his hands. “Now, I made my position clear last night. So the câu hỏi becomes… did bạn make your position clear last night? hoặc were bạn trying to lie to the both of us?” Silence descended upon them. “Lisa? Did bạn lie to me last night?”
His arms were warm around her. His breath sent tiny strands of hair tickling past her ear. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes at the vibrations of his heartbeat. Maybe if she didn’t answer they could just stay like this forever… her fingers gripped the back of his neck as she pulled away from him, looking him in the eye.
“Yes.”
Hugh drew in a deep breath—possibly the first since their talk the night before. “You lied last night.”
“Yes.”
“And now you’ve learned your lesson.”
Lisa pulled him back down into the hug, her arms encircling his neck like a vise, her face in his shoulder. “Yes.”
“And you’re never going to do it again.”
Lisa closed her eyes, drowning in the feeling of Hugh’s closeness, realizing that any more, and she wouldn’t have to daydream about what it would feel like to be completely surrounded bởi him, to feel his weight on hàng đầu, đầu trang of her… then Hugh moved ever so slightly to his right and his hips came into contact with hers and suddenly
“Jesus God…” Lisa breathed, tightening her arms around his neck and hiding her face behind his ear. “Oh…”
Hugh squeezed his eyes closed and leaned phía trước, chuyển tiếp again, looking to repeat that evocative mistake in just the same location, and when he found it…
“Hugh…” Lisa half-sobbed, half-gasped, “we can’t, we can’t…”
Hugh turned his face into the soft skin here her shoulder joined her neck and breathed deeply, trying to keep himself from shifting again. Lisa bit her lip and tried one last-ditch attempt to talk herself out of the direction she knew she was going. Was it really any use? She was quickly realizing that Hugh was loads and loads ahead of her on this score. Why had it taken her this long to catch on? This was going to be a reality…
“Do bạn have any idea what bạn do to me?” She asked, turning her head to Kiss the side of his head softly. “Now you’ve gone and shown me—”
“You doubted me?” He asked lightly, putting his hands on her hips and holding her still against his waist even as she leaned back. His own hips cradled hers perfectly, and the rush of moisture descending past her stomach had long past reached the point of deniability.
“God—denied? Never.” She breathed, and Hugh steeled himself enough to take a step back. Lisa let out an involuntary whimper at his absence that was quickly silenced when he met her eyes seriously and reached to stroke her hair, tilting his head at her.
“I didn’t—talk bạn into anything, did I—” he started, and Lisa reached out and took his face into her hands, leaning phía trước, chuyển tiếp to brush her lips against his cheek.
“No, Hugh. No.” She shook her head, her eyes reassuring him of her feelings. Her gaze descended toward his lips, and she realized that he was waiting for her to close the distance. Smiling radiantly, she tilted his head down to hers—
“Lisa!” A banging came on her trailer door and the two jumped apart, staring at each other. “David’s looking for you! And have bạn seen Hugh?”
Lisa cast a positively evil glance down toward the front of Hugh’s pants. “No, I haven’t seen him! But I’ll be right there!”
Hugh glared at her, crossing his hands in front of himself protectively. “You haven’t seen me?”
Shrugging playfully, Lisa started toward the door to head outside for the shooting. “Not yet…”
~*~*~
~*~*~
Lisa’s eyes smarted as she got out of her car, the wind irritating them even further. Bypassing her trailer entirely, she went straight to wardrobe and changed back into the clothes Cuddy had been wearing at the end of Under My Skin, stalling for time. But suddenly, on her way back out, she stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, looking at the rack of House’s clothes, all the hangers dated and labeled for easy access. The suit Hugh was slated to wear for the day’s filming was gone already.
He was here.
Lisa looked around as she walked back onto the lot, starting toward the set, then changing her mind and going back toward her trailer. It was thêm than likely that Hugh had arrived early, as usual, and was probably already there talking with David and Katie about the day’s scenes. And although she knew full well what she had to do… she squeezed her eyes closed as she put her key into her trailer door and let herself in to kill time before she absolutely had to be on set and face Hugh.
A lamp flicked on to her right, and she spun in its direction—and there was Hugh, suited up and ready to go, sitting calmly in the corner chair, legs crossed—watching her.
“Should we talk?” He asked, looking at the floor. Lisa gaped at him, feeling her ire rise.
“About what?” She put her bag on the table. “About running lines, the script, hoặc how bạn managed to get in here before me?”
“Lisa…” Hugh sighed, looking off to the side.
“You used your key.” She stood before him, hands on her hips. “God—I absolutely cannot wait to hear what makes this an emergency. I suppose bạn smelled smoke and thought I was on fire?” He didn’t respond. “Hugh?”
“You lied to me last night.” He said, finally looking up at her. Lisa’s tim, trái tim paused for a một giây when she saw his eyes, sending her throat into a spasm before it resumed its regular beating time. Hugh ducked his head again, resting his elbows on his knees and speaking to the floor. “I was completely honest with you. I’m not trying to talk bạn into anything; I’m not trying to make you… I just want to know. Even if it means you’re going to tell me nothing can ever—” He tapped his fingers together a few times and looked up at her. “Lisa.”
Licking her lips and cursing herself, she wavered between moving toward him and turning around and walking out the door, away from this insanity.
Was there every any doubt?
Lisa knelt down in front of him and reached out to cup his face, drawing his gaze down to her. “Hugh.” Her voice cracked. “See, this is why the phone idea was a good one, damn you.” Hugh looked into her eyes, startled, but relaxed when he saw that the faintest vestige of a smile remained where only he could see it. “You’re my best friend. bạn have to know that. We’ve been through so much…”
“You are not seriously giving me the ‘friends’ speech,” Hugh started, and Lisa reached out an impulsive finger and laid it across his lips, shushing him.
“You had your chance last night,” she reminded him. “Please listen to me. This has been—this whole season has been weird. And every time we started to get—closer…” Hugh was turning his head so that her hand slipped to the side, brushing his lips against her palm, his eyes never leaving hers. “Whenever it seemed like we were growing closer, something happened to push us back apart.”
“We pushed ourselves back apart,” Hugh said, pulling away just far enough to talk.
“And bạn don’t think there was a good reason for that?” Lisa asked gently. “You don’t think we both know what we’re dealing with here? Its—” The feeling of Hugh’s lips on her hand was driving her completely out of her mind. “I don’t want bạn to do anything you’ll—regret, I don’t want us doing anything that will make it impossible for us to be friends, or—”
“Shh.” Hugh stood up, pulling her to her feet. “Lisa. Something’s gotta give. But you’re right. Maybe we should finish off this season, get work behind us, clear our heads, and make sure we’re not just—reacting to the characters.”
“You really think we’re just reacting?” Lisa looked up at him. Hugh shrugged slowly, giving her a lopsided smile.
“Isn’t that what you’re hoping for?” He asked quietly. “It would make what bạn want to tell me a lot easier, wouldn’t it? Tell me we’re imagining things, that this isn’t really happening?”
Lisa was completely speechless. There was nothing she could say that wouldn’t destroy the fragile situation they had created. She could tell him he was right, that they were only mirroring what their characters were going through, and completely crush his hopes. He would go trang chủ after they finished filming, they wouldn’t see each other for a few months, and it would all go away. That was what she should do. So why didn’t she just do it? Because the other option was to reassure him, to tell him he was right, and they had a problem, and they had to deal with it. What did that make her? There was nothing she could say…
So she reached out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, and pulled him close. Hugh frowned slightly before extending his own arms around her back and holding her against his chest.
“Now I suppose you’re going to tell me we’re just Những người bạn hugging,” he đã đưa ý kiến into her hair, and Lisa squeezed her eyes closed.
What in God’s name is he trying to do to me?
“Of course we’re Những người bạn hugging,” she tried…
“Just Những người bạn hugging?” Hugh pulled back just a little, looking into her eyes. “So this is what it feels like when bạn hug James?”
Lisa couldn’t help but giggle at that. “No, this is different.”
“So why is it different?” His hand ran its way up her back to căn nguyên, cái nôi her head, bringing it back to his chest as he pulled her in again. “What’s the difference between bạn and me… and bạn and your other friends?”
“The accent, for one…”
“Hush. I’m thinking out loud. bạn can feel free to chime in and agree with me, but other than that I’ll thank bạn to keep quiet.” Lisa snorted into Hugh’s chest and he lightly poked at her head in retaliation before moving his hands back to rest between her shoulder blades, his thumb restlessly stroking up and down, soothing her. “I think the difference is that we know each other better than bạn and any of your other Những người bạn know each other. There’s chemistry, obviously…” Lisa’s head nodded against him. “Yes, there’s chemistry. There’s always been chemistry.”
“I flunked chemistry…”
“That is not agreeing…” Hugh cut her off. “And no, bạn didn’t. Stop deflecting. Where was I?”
“Chemistry.”
“Thank you. What else? Well, there’s the fact that we can, and have, had conversations that go on for hours…”
“Usually the length of a primetime awards show…”
Hugh chuckled. “And we make each other laugh. So the only thing left… is desire.” Lisa’s shoulders stiffened under his hands. “Now, I made my position clear last night. So the câu hỏi becomes… did bạn make your position clear last night? hoặc were bạn trying to lie to the both of us?” Silence descended upon them. “Lisa? Did bạn lie to me last night?”
His arms were warm around her. His breath sent tiny strands of hair tickling past her ear. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes at the vibrations of his heartbeat. Maybe if she didn’t answer they could just stay like this forever… her fingers gripped the back of his neck as she pulled away from him, looking him in the eye.
“Yes.”
Hugh drew in a deep breath—possibly the first since their talk the night before. “You lied last night.”
“Yes.”
“And now you’ve learned your lesson.”
Lisa pulled him back down into the hug, her arms encircling his neck like a vise, her face in his shoulder. “Yes.”
“And you’re never going to do it again.”
Lisa closed her eyes, drowning in the feeling of Hugh’s closeness, realizing that any more, and she wouldn’t have to daydream about what it would feel like to be completely surrounded bởi him, to feel his weight on hàng đầu, đầu trang of her… then Hugh moved ever so slightly to his right and his hips came into contact with hers and suddenly
“Jesus God…” Lisa breathed, tightening her arms around his neck and hiding her face behind his ear. “Oh…”
Hugh squeezed his eyes closed and leaned phía trước, chuyển tiếp again, looking to repeat that evocative mistake in just the same location, and when he found it…
“Hugh…” Lisa half-sobbed, half-gasped, “we can’t, we can’t…”
Hugh turned his face into the soft skin here her shoulder joined her neck and breathed deeply, trying to keep himself from shifting again. Lisa bit her lip and tried one last-ditch attempt to talk herself out of the direction she knew she was going. Was it really any use? She was quickly realizing that Hugh was loads and loads ahead of her on this score. Why had it taken her this long to catch on? This was going to be a reality…
“Do bạn have any idea what bạn do to me?” She asked, turning her head to Kiss the side of his head softly. “Now you’ve gone and shown me—”
“You doubted me?” He asked lightly, putting his hands on her hips and holding her still against his waist even as she leaned back. His own hips cradled hers perfectly, and the rush of moisture descending past her stomach had long past reached the point of deniability.
“God—denied? Never.” She breathed, and Hugh steeled himself enough to take a step back. Lisa let out an involuntary whimper at his absence that was quickly silenced when he met her eyes seriously and reached to stroke her hair, tilting his head at her.
“I didn’t—talk bạn into anything, did I—” he started, and Lisa reached out and took his face into her hands, leaning phía trước, chuyển tiếp to brush her lips against his cheek.
“No, Hugh. No.” She shook her head, her eyes reassuring him of her feelings. Her gaze descended toward his lips, and she realized that he was waiting for her to close the distance. Smiling radiantly, she tilted his head down to hers—
“Lisa!” A banging came on her trailer door and the two jumped apart, staring at each other. “David’s looking for you! And have bạn seen Hugh?”
Lisa cast a positively evil glance down toward the front of Hugh’s pants. “No, I haven’t seen him! But I’ll be right there!”
Hugh glared at her, crossing his hands in front of himself protectively. “You haven’t seen me?”
Shrugging playfully, Lisa started toward the door to head outside for the shooting. “Not yet…”
~*~*~
