Operative Numbuh 60, Patton Drilovsky, left the KND Moonbase meeting room, where he had just finished briefing Numbuh 362 on the progress of his latest batch of cadets and strode towards the cafeteria.

Patton really liked his visits to KND Moonbase. There was always some new operative he had trained as a cadet who came up and wanted to ask him about something – the best way to take down a fat teenager, how to maximize the effect of your GUMZOOKA - or just to say thank you and tell about how his training had saved them out in the field. And now he was looking forward to a meatball sandwich and some ice cream in the cafeteria before heading back to Arctic Base.

But as he entered the large, half-full cafeteria his good mood vaporized by the sight of the well known frizzy red hairdo of Numbuh 86. She was sitting at a table in the middle of the large room with a posse of girl operatives and clearly in a very good mood about something, and while he could not hear the exact words, her screeching voice cut trough the noise of the hall awfully loud and clear.

Patton and Fanny had loathed each other ever since their time together as cadets. Every time they met it ended in shouting matches and snide remarks about the other's lack of intelligence, appearance, body odor or choice of perfume (Patton's choice of perfume, actually … and that's ALL you need to know about THAT particular incident!).

Wanting to preserve what was left of his good mood he slouched over to the counter, ensuring she did not see him, and only tossed three or four sour looks in her general direction. He picked up a tray and went over to stand next to Numbuh 65.3 in the line for meatball sandwiches.

"Why is 86 in such a good mood today?" he asked Numbuh 65.3 "Have her brothers been sent to a boarding school or something?"

"Oh, haven't you heard?" Numbuh 65.3 replied. "She beat Numbuh 4 in armwrestling yesterday"

"What?"

"Yup. Scary, isn't it?"

Scary was not the word. Patton was horrified. 86 beating the most boyish boy in the KND at armwrestling? That was going to increase her smug girlie attitude with a factor eleventy kajillion. She would go from completely unsufferable to ... beyond that. She had to be stopped, and there was only one way to do it. Patton put down his tray and marched straight over to Fanny's table.

Fanny looked up "Why, if it isn't Numbuh 60 himself" she smiled. "I thought I recognized your smell".

"Hello, Numbuh 86" Patton sat down on the bench in front of her. "I hear that you like to arm-wrestle."

"Like it? Not really" Fanny smirked. "I just thought I would show that idiot boy Numbuh 4 who is really the weaker sex."

"Well, why don't you show me too." Patton placed his right arm on the table, hand raised and ready. "Unless you're afraid of course."

Fanny's eyes narrowed. "You are sooo on, Drilovsky. Just don't start crying too much when you lose" She planted her right elbow firmly on the table, clasped his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. "One- two – three – GO!"

Even though Patton was prepared, Fanny's ferocious onslaught managed to move his arm 20 degrees to the right, making Fanny's girl posse erupt in cheer.

"Zero … you're … strong" he condn't help himself muttering through clenched teeth.

"Glad … you've … noticed" Fanny hissed, her clenched expression mirroring his own.

Patton pushed with all his strength and managed to get their hands back in starting position. Here the battle grinded to a halt, their upper arms staying completely vertical. It was clear that this was going to be a question of who got tired first.

Soon there was no one left sitting in the cafeteria. Every operative was gathered around the central table, shouting encouragement, placing bets in everything from almond joys to yipper cards or just generally hollering.

Patton didn't hear a thing. His whole world consisted of Fanny, the feeling of her hand quavering in his, her green eyes, filled with steely determination a few inches from his face, the smell of her hair, her little pug nose.

Suddenly he leaned forward and kissed her on the nose.

It was as great a shock to Patton as it were to Fanny. The two kids flew apart as struck by an electric jolt. The entire room went quiet in an instant.

Fanny and Patton sat paralyzed and stared dumbstruck at each other. It was as if all of Moonbase was holding its breath.

Then Fanny's right cross hit Patton straight on the jaw.

XXX

Patton was sitting on a chair in one of the moonbase's sickroom having his bruise tended by a medic, when Fanny entered. "Out!" she barked at the medic, who almost stumbled over his own legs, getting out of the door. Then she started pacing back and forth in front of him.

"You stupid, ignorant, smug IDIOT BOY! How dare you kiss me in front of the entire cafeteria? Of all the stupid stunts in the history of stupidity, that was the stupidest thing ever! I am SO ANGRY! And on the NOSE?," she stopped in front of him "What kind of stupid, clueless, bumbling boy kisses a girl on the nose? That's no proper way to kiss"

Suddenly she bent forward, clasped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his.

He didn't know if it lasted a second or an hour, before she let go again. "That's the proper way to kiss," she said a little breathlessly. "Don't you ferget it. Now you get better soon, we can't have anyone else yelling at the cadets. And don't think that kissing thing have let you off the hook. I want a rematch, so you can get the beating you diserve. "

She stomped out of the room, leaving Patton dazed and confused, with his head full of thoughts about green eyes, freckels and frilly, red hair.

It hurt to smile, but somehow he couldn't seem to stop.


Partly inspired by deLattre's excellent "Wrestle me this" and an old Peanuts comic, where Lucy after having beaten Charlie Brown and Linus at armwrestling armwrestles Snoopy, who ends up kissing her on the nose, causing an epic freakout. Hope you liked it.