Cuddy sat down at the cucina table. House sat across from her.
"I have no right to be mad o disappointed. We're not together and if te want to be with another it's you're business. I know this rationally... but in my cuore it doesn't make any sense...I was so happy when I saw my Med School desk. No one had ever done something so...thoughtful for me. I guess I thought it was your way of not only saying sorry, but that te wanted più than just friendship. Anyway, thank te for Rachel's present and thank te for the desk. I'd rather have your friendship than nothing at all." Cuddy let out an exhausted breath and stood up. She smiled hoping he wouldn't notice the sadness in her eyes.
House started to stare down at his own feet.
"Well, now that we've cleared that up, let's open your present." Cuddy detto as she began to walk toward the door.
House stopped her with his cane. She paused at the sudden obstacle. He stood up behind her.
"I'm an idiot sometimes." He detto into her ear.
Cuddy turned to face him.
"House?"
He took a tentative step closer to her. He placed his cane on the tavolo and took a deep breath. He felt nervous but he knew it was time to finally give her his present.
"House, te don't have to..."
"Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Amore can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making Friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of Amore alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down...by pain and moaning for release,
o nagged da want past resolution's power,
I might be driven to sell your Amore for peace,
o trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be...I do not think I would." He finished saying as his eyes remained focused on her face.
Cuddy began to open her mouth to say something but she was literally without words.
"You know the poem. It was your favorite." He detto as he pulled out a worn copy of Edna Saint Vincent Millay's complete works with a red ribbon wrapped around it; from out of his cappotto pocket.
"The one I loaned te in college." Cuddy detto with surprise.
"Yeah, I always forgot to give it back to you. I decided one giorno to give your Chick Lit a chance and I found that I really liked it...You underlined all your preferito passages and wrote notes."
Cuddy blushed.
"I always used to do that."
"This one poem was my preferito too."

Without thinking about it Cuddy grabbed House da his cappotto collare bringing him down into a kiss. It was different from the other kiss. This wasn't about drowing in comfort because the pain was too much. This was about connection. This was about giving Amore and allowing it to be received.

Cuddy pulled back eventually feeling the need for oxygen. House too took a big breath of air as they broke from their lip lock. Cuddy noticed the redness to House's cheeks and he once again saw hers. As if they both knew what the other was thinking they started to laugh in unison.
"You look happy, House."
He pulled her closer to him with his hands firmly on her waist.
"So do you, Cuddy."
Suddenly Wilson came through the cucina door holding the gift Cuddy got House.
"More people arrived so we need spazio on the couch..."
Wilson suddenly realized that Cuddy and House were embracing.
"I'll make sure no one comes into the kitchen." He detto with a smirk as he quickly left the room.
Cuddy picked up the gift bag and held it out for House. He took the bag from her and then placed it on the chair.
"I can open it later." He detto as he once più encircled her waist and pulled her into him.