"Umbrella to the face again?" Heero asked, signing off on a request form and stuffing it in the outbox on his desk with one hand while the other was sifting through the stack of papers from the inbox. The sound of shuffling forms and pen nibs moving across paper were just barely audible over the whistling of the wind from outside.

"Ugh, yeah. Damn latch thing caught me in the cheek this time." Duo sucked in a sharp breath as he gingerly touched the angry red scratch now gracing his left cheekbone.

"Was it raining hard enough to require an umbrella?"

"Not really, I just wanted to make sure the electronics in my back didn't get dripped on."

"Duo, you live three blocks away."

"Hey, no reason not to be careful with some delicate equipment," so saying, he carefully removed a portable music player from the pocket of his trousers and set it on his desk. Heero has paused long enough to catch a glimpse of what Duo was doing.

"It was your own fault for bringing that out in the rain in the first place."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let it never be said that Heero Yuy has a pleasant bedside manner."

The sound of paper and pens started once again. Then, "Would it help if I kissed it?" Heero asked, sounding flippant.

"Ha, sure it would," Duo responded with equal aplomb as he dragged out his office chair and the contents of his own inbox. As he righted, he noticed two things: first, Heero was suddenly at his side; second, Heero's lips pressed gingerly if briefly to his injured cheek. Duo's hands tightened, one around the chair back and one on the papers he held. "Did...you just kiss my cheek, Yuy?"

"You said it would help," Heero murmured, not having moved an inch outside of Duo's personal space. "Did it?"

"I...don't know, can you do it again?" Mentally, Duo was banging his head against a wall at how corny he sounded. To his great surprise, the warm, dry lips touched his cheek a second time.

"So?" Heero was grinning a knowing, crooked grin.

Duo touched his cheek and returned the smile, "Yeah, it helps."