A/N) I actually wrote this a while back in my book but only got round to typing it up today. Hope you enjoy!
Imagine your OTP doing the dishes together in their new home and getting water everywhere. Bonus if one character is magical so they complain they could just do it with magic.
They're full and content, just lying on the sofa snuggled up together after their first full meal together in their new house. To be fair, they ordered pizza, so their work mostly consisted of getting plates out of their new cupboards, but Lexi still insisted on seeing the moment as special. And it was good pizza.
Tom has his eyes half closed and a dreamy smile rests on his face. His arm is resting around his girlfriend's shoulder, his hand sitting comfortably on Lexi's upper arm. From his relaxed expression it's obvious he's going nowhere soon.
Pity Lexi has other ideas.
Grabbing his hand, she hauls him up and out of his blissful reverie, causing a moan from the rather full and drowsy Tom. "Lexi? What are you doing?"
"Washing up," was the casual reply as the much stronger girl drags Tom to his feet easily.
Tom looks utterly agonized. "Why?"
"Because."
"It's our first day in our new house and you want to clean?" Tom asks disbelievingly.
Lexi nods, smiling innocently. "C'mon Tom, it'll be fun!"
"I assumed I'd be escaping this stuff when I moved out with you," complains Tom.
The twenty one year old flashes him a sunny smile. "Guess you thought wrong then."
"But I'm tiiired..." protests Tom, dragging out the adjective for added emphasis.
"Lazy bones," is the curt reply as Lexi goes into their kitchen.
"Hate you," groans Tom.
Lexi sticks her head around the doorframe, looking almost comical. "You love me. Now come help wash up before I make you."
Tom gives the small pile of plates and cutlery a dirty look as he reluctantly joins his peppy girlfriend at the sink. Lexi is already running some hot water in the bowl and adding some washing liquid with a flourish.
"You know, if your folks hadn't been so chilled about the whole chores thing throughout your childhood, you wouldn't be so eager to wash up," decides Tom.
"I enjoy washing," argues Lexi. "It's fun."
Tom can't see what's fun about the process, but decides not to ask for fear of another lecture. "Ever heard of a miraculous device named a dishwasher?"
"Well we don't have one currently, so don't even go there." Lexi lowers a plate into the steaming liquid.
Something else seems to occur to Tom, whose eyes suddenly light up. "I could just do all this with a click of my fingers. Then we can go back to relaxing and watch a film to celebrate moving in."
Lexi shoots Tom a look of exasperation. "You really will do anything to get out of cleaning?"
"I have done all my life. I've perfected it over the years. Magic's like that."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"So, can I?"
"No."
"Aww!" Tom pouts like a petulant child. "Lexi! Cleaning's boring!"
"Maybe we can make it less boring?" Lexi suggests.
Tom makes a 'hmph' sort of sound in weak retaliation.
"Anyway, this kitchen is a non-magic zone," says Lexi decisively.
"Since when?"
"Since about twenty seconds ago. Problem?"
Tom visibly sags, giving in. "You sound like Benny and his precious inventing shed."
Lexi giggles. "You know, Tom, you shouldn't rely on magic for everything. You need to start doing things for yourself."
Tom makes another face. "Now you sound like my dad."
Lexi attempts another impression. "Tom, magic is a very precious and valuable thing, not to be overused."
"Now you sound exactly like Gran! Stop it, that's creepy!" But Tom's laughing now along with Lexi.
"See, washing can be fun," Lexi says.
"I haven't actually done any washing. It's the hanging out with you that's the fun part," corrects Tom.
"Flattery won't get you out of this one," says Lexi sternly. "Now. Wash."
With yet another heavy sigh which details exactly how hard-done-by he is, Tom lowers his hands into the warm water beside Lexi's. His girlfriend has already made a plate and two cups spotlessly clean.
"Since when did you become such a little housewife?" Tom enquires in faint interest.
Lexi smiles sweetly. "Since I found out I had to keep you in line."
Tom is mainly splashing water around uselessly in the sink, not really achieving much. Lexi hands him a cloth and helpfully demonstrates how to wipe a plate with her own cloth. Tom copies this motion with a look of great concentration on his face. Lexi has to laugh at his apparent effort. "Oh c'mon, Tom, it's not quantum physics."
"Coming from the girl who learnt about quantum phase loops and catalytic converters when she was in preschool," retorts Tom grumpily.
Still, halfway through the fairly small pile of dishes, Lexi is pretty sure Tom is beginning to enjoy himself at least a little bit. They are washing in companiable silence, so Lexi is unprepared for when Tom's groping fingers suddenly find her hand underwater and takes it in his own. And she's pretty sure that her face has just flushed red, although they are boyfriend and girlfriend and have held hands more than once before. Curse her ability to blush at anything!
Unfortunately Tom has noticed too - and he's grinning.
"Shut up!" says Lexi loudly. The boy's grin, if anything, only widens. "Shut up!" she repeats.
"But I didn't say anything, dear Lexi," Tom says innocently.
Lexi huffs. She dislikes Tom making fun of her.
Tom leans in closer, perhaps aware that he has annoyed her. Lexi doesn't know. At the same time his hand tightens around hers and Lexi can feel the warmth of it eminating even through the warm water. "You're blushing."
"Am not," Lexi replies somewhat childishly.
"You are." Tom smiles triumphantly.
"Am not."
"You so are."
"Am not!" At the emphasis on the last word, Lexi, on impulse, splashes Tom with a little of the soapy water on her free hand.
Tom gasps as he gets bubbles all over his face. "Oh - it's on, Lexi." He splashes her back, letting go of her hand in the process. Lexi retaliates with another handful of water and they proceed to have a fully blown water fight right there in their new kitchen.
When three-quarters of the water is gone and both Lexi and Tom are soaked to the skin, they pause, breathing heavily. Lexi looks around with slight regret at the kitchen. It is covered with puddles of water and bubbles, much like them. She giggles as she looks back at him. "You have bubbles on your ears."
"Well you have bubbles on your nose," retorts Tom with a grin, flicking lightly at said bubbles with his index finger.
"We managed to get water everywhere," muses Lexi.
"Still as keen on cleaning?" enquires Tom.
Lexi shrugs as an answer, to which the boy smiles knowingly. "Aha. Thought not."
"You know..." Lexi says slowly. "Maybe we could go and watch that film you were talking about now. Save this till later."
"Now that is something I do want to hear. Never do something now that can be safely left until later. First rule of successful procrastination." Tom grins. "I must already be having my influence on you."
Lexi shoves him lightly, which for her is the equivalent of a hard punch. "Shut up."
"Okay." Tom rubs his arm where she hit him, but miraculously doesn't complain.
The two leave the soaked kitchen with their arms around each other, flicking bubbles in each other's faces. Cleaning can always wait. For now they have each other. And that's all they really need.