"M&M's?"

Cuddy jerked up slightly in surprise, forgetting the weight of the double paneled 'door' in the bottom of the snack machine and catching her wrist painfully in the process. Close to growling at the intrusion, she slammed the panel open again with her other hand and finished retrieving the dark brown bag of candy-coated chocolate.

House seemed to notice her irritation and held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Hey, I liked them too. Now I find they're too close to pill size and I swallow them whole. Ruins the entire 'chocolate experience.' Not that you needed chocolate for that reason," he added when she glared. He cocked his head, noting how she held her wrist, and she winced at what he might say - only to find he seemed to recognize the need to be silent for once.

She shrugged indifferently and seated herself at a nearby table in the break room, grudgingly allowing him to sit opposite and check the damage to her extremity. His examination was gentle, and she found she was strangely touched by his willingness to actually practice medicine without complaint. Of course he probably felt guilty about startling her, she reasoned, until she looked up and lost herself in those impossibly blue eyes of his. She jerked herself back to reality only when she felt his warm fingers leave her.

"Earth to Cuddy," he said, frowning with concern.

Cheeks heated with embarrassment, she looked down and began to fumble with the bag.

"I need a break, House. You mind?"

She was keenly aware of his exit, the room now devoid of all breathing but hers, and for a long while she sat and stared at the brightly colored candy in her palm, finally realizing it wasn't going to satisfy her after all.