You're probably going to get an answer to twenty things you didn't really ask, but it's an interesting question: Does Cuddy see Wilson more as an issue she has to manage or does she like him?
For me, this is not an either-or matter. I think people 'approach' relationships (and I mean 'relationship' in a general way here, not romantically) differently, depending on the structures in which they think. You also get different approaches to music (or other art forms): some people approach it purely on an emotional level, others automatically analyse structure, instrumentation, etc. Neither approach is 'better'; they're just different.
House looks at people as puzzles that he has to solve. If there's nothing puzzling about them, he's not interested; if there is, he has to find it out. (Why did someone as pretty as Cameron become a doctor, why did Taub leave plastic surgery, etc., etc.) That doesn't mean he doesn't like the people in question. It means that his approach towards them begins with that question; like or dislike develops afterwards. Wilson's approach begins in figuring out what people need. And Cuddy, I think, is most comfortable when she finds something to manage. Neither she nor House would manage to establish a relationship if it were founded on casual meetings and small talk; they're both much too impatient for that. So for Cuddy, managing Wilson's problems is part of the bonding process; it's what she does best and it enables her to feel she's doing something for their relationship. Hence, the moment things get stressful she'll automatically switch to 'management' mode.
In canon, I don't think that Cuddy sees Wilson as someone who needs caring things from her, and caring frankly isn't what Cuddy does best. (The only instance I can think of is after Amber's death.) I think that in canon she sees him as House's appendage.
In my AU the situation has changed drastically through House's long absence and Cuddy's distance from her own family. I don't think Cuddy makes friends easily. When Cuddy and Wilson meet again in The Kelpie, House has been gone for almost three years, and without his overpowering presence it's much easier for Wilson and Cuddy to establish something that is independent of House's needs. Besides, Cuddy needs someone now. Although her sister may not reproach her openly, the fact is that Cuddy's crazy ex nearly killed both of them and changed Cuddy's life significantly for the worse. That's definitely not going to make things easier, and it's going to make Cuddy feel even more at a disadvantage than she did already in S7. Wilson is someone to whom she doesn't have to explain or justify that part of her life. He understands, because he got screwed over as badly as she did.
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For me, this is not an either-or matter. I think people 'approach' relationships (and I mean 'relationship' in a general way here, not romantically) differently, depending on the structures in which they think. You also get different approaches to music (or other art forms): some people approach it purely on an emotional level, others automatically analyse structure, instrumentation, etc. Neither approach is 'better'; they're just different.
House looks at people as puzzles that he has to solve. If there's nothing puzzling about them, he's not interested; if there is, he has to find it out. (Why did someone as pretty as Cameron become a doctor, why did Taub leave plastic surgery, etc., etc.) That doesn't mean he doesn't like the people in question. It means that his approach towards them begins with that question; like or dislike develops afterwards. Wilson's approach begins in figuring out what people need. And Cuddy, I think, is most comfortable when she finds something to manage. Neither she nor House would manage to establish a relationship if it were founded on casual meetings and small talk; they're both much too impatient for that. So for Cuddy, managing Wilson's problems is part of the bonding process; it's what she does best and it enables her to feel she's doing something for their relationship. Hence, the moment things get stressful she'll automatically switch to 'management' mode.
In canon, I don't think that Cuddy sees Wilson as someone who needs caring things from her, and caring frankly isn't what Cuddy does best. (The only instance I can think of is after Amber's death.) I think that in canon she sees him as House's appendage.
In my AU the situation has changed drastically through House's long absence and Cuddy's distance from her own family. I don't think Cuddy makes friends easily. When Cuddy and Wilson meet again in The Kelpie, House has been gone for almost three years, and without his overpowering presence it's much easier for Wilson and Cuddy to establish something that is independent of House's needs. Besides, Cuddy needs someone now. Although her sister may not reproach her openly, the fact is that Cuddy's crazy ex nearly killed both of them and changed Cuddy's life significantly for the worse. That's definitely not going to make things easier, and it's going to make Cuddy feel even more at a disadvantage than she did already in S7. Wilson is someone to whom she doesn't have to explain or justify that part of her life. He understands, because he got screwed over as badly as she did.