Title: Workplace Romance
Author: Vesper (Regina)
Warnings: none
Category: Fluff
Characters: Austin James/Mickey Castle
Summary: Mickey gets a paper cut.
Archival: If you wish to archive, please link to my website. Please keep all my headers intact.
Notes: For Paula. I'm sorry it's late and for not asking earlier so I could get it done in time. 452 words.

"I'm your secretary, Austin, that means I can't always be gallivanting around town with you. I do have to work."

Austin picks at the tangled bunch of wires he's set down on the counter in front of him. "Don't get me wrong, stuffing envelopes and sealing them isn't something I would want --"

Mickey overrides with a dry, "God forbid," but Austin keeps on going, "to do, so I'm not going to stop you. I'd just like to know why you're doing it when you could have just assigned someone else to do it."

Mickey stops in the act of reaching for another manila envelope. She freezes there for a long time, before bringing it forward in front of her. Austin watches her, an amused curve to his mouth at the way she's avoiding looking at him.

"I'm hiding," she answers, after a moment, wincing exaggeratedly. She looks up at him. "I think you're rubbing off on me, Austin! It's all your fault. Serendip is crazy. Every time I'm there, everyone has to drop by my desk and ask why you're not in, when you're going to be in, what's brought me there, and if I'm not too, too busy, would I mind making some coffee!"

She stuffs some papers inside the envelope, with fierce aggression. It doesn't work out too well, and she has to start over. Austin puts down the tangled bunch of wires; obviously he's going to have to poke at it more when he's not so distracted.

"Coffee-making being the worst of those offenses. Considering your title isn't just secretary anymore."

"Exactly. Ow." She swears and sticks her finger in her mouth.

"What?"

She speaks around the finger, "Paper cut." She takes her finger out and glares at it, eyebrows down and eyes narrowed. "I hate paper cuts."

"How dare a paper cut be so bold." Austin leaves the wires, and sits down beside Mickey. "Let me see."

"Austin, it's just a paper cut," she protests, but stills when he takes her hand in his. Austin brings her hand up so he can get a better look, and Mickey shifts to face him.

"It's never just a paper cut." He rubs his thumb over the injury.

"Well, it's nice to see that you're taking it so seriously."

"Please, Mickey, when am I never serious?"

Before Mickey can answer, he brings her finger up closer, bends his head and kisses it, and then looks up at her. "You'll be fine," he says, grinning.

"Austin James!"

"What?"

"You look like a cat with cream."

"Don't you have completely unnecessary work to do?"

"I would have liked a bandage more," she gripes, but smiles when he snorts and shakes his head.

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