They had just finished cleaning up her kitchen from the mess the Pad Thai cooking demonstration had left. Barrett was extolling the virtues of the latest book she was reading as she wiped off the center island, and when she stopped for a breath, Marshall leaned over and kissed her lightly on the mouth. She tasted of the port they'd had after dinner.

He backed off slowly and opened his eyes to assess her reaction. She swallowed hard and stared seriously at him. Reaching up, she framed his face with her hands and pulled him toward her to return the kiss, deepening it. Then it was her turn to pull back, her head tilted to one side thoughtfully.

"Well?" he asked. "Did you hear violins? A chorus of angels?"

She hesitated briefly, considering. "Noooo, it was more like..." she broke off, obviously searching for just the right thing to say. Her lips trembled as she continued, "It was more like...a kazoo!" She snorted and then dissolved into a howl of laughter, collapsing on the granite counter top. He joined her.

"I was going to say 'like a harmonica' or 'sad trombone'," he managed to choke out, when he finally got some of his breath back, and that sent her to the floor in fresh peals of laughter.

He walked around the island and offered her a hand up. As he hauled her to her feet, she once again captured his face and gazed at him. "Marshall, please don't take this the wrong way, but that felt like what I imagine kissing my brother would be like...if I had a brother. Ewgh." She shuddered.

Marshall echoed her shudder and added a cringe of his own. "I felt like I was participating in an experiment," he admitted, smiling down at her. "I half expected someone with a white coat and clipboard to ask me where my reaction ranked on the Likert scale."

She smirked in appreciation.

"But I wanted to know." He held her hands. "You know what your friendship means to me, Barrett. I had to see if there was something more."

"We had to try," she agreed. "I admit I was wondering the same thing." She looked at him with a glint in her eye that made him wary. "You know, seeing as how we're just buddies, I guess that would make me your fuh-"

"Don't say it!" he warned her dangerously.

"-your fu-un buddy!" she finished triumphantly, right before he poked her in the ribs and set off another bout of hysterics.

With the question answered, they were free to develop their relationship into an even deeper friendship.