Washing the dishes was the last remaining thing Nate had to do before Vanessa returned home from the gallery. And that was not his favourite thing at all.
Growing up, he had always felt like he had to apologize for his family's wealth and all the stuff he got to have for free. But right now, he wouldn't have felt bad having someone else clean up his girlfriend's studio. It was so boring and... tiring!
But then again, being with Vanessa had taught him that it felt so much better when you made all the efforts yourself: he loved the feeling of reward it gave him. And that was also one of the reasons he loved Vanessa: being with her was certainly demanding, but also very much rewarding. She was always honest and she didn't take much interest in his money (or lack of when his father's fuck-ups had turned him and his mother into social outcasts). She loved him for him, and he liked the guy he got to be when he was around her.
Suddenly he had a goal in his life; she had given meaning to his days just when they seemed bleak and pointless. He had stopped smoking pot, and he kept trying to self-improve everyday, so that he'd be the guy worthy of going out with such an amazing girl.
That was why he had decided that day to do something for her while she was working at Rufus's art gallery. Cleaning up her little studio, and doing his least favourite chore (those damn dishes), was his way to thank her for letting him into her life. It was also his way to say "Hey, I'm here, I'm getting my bearings and I'm going to stick around for a while."
Even if it meant washing the dishes everyday.