:CHORES:

Sweat, hard work- these were concepts not foreign to the genius. Jack Spicer could be a hard worker, when he felt like it was a noble cause. Fighting for Shen-Gong-Wu? Worth it. Fixing up and repairing his beloved robots? Worth it. And as he got older, the sweat from a passionate night…

Quite worth it, he'd say. (Though then one would debate about whether it counted as work. And he rather not discuss it.)

Jack was in his lab. It had been many years since he had moved from the Spicer Mansion, and into the Xiaolin temple. And probably just as long since he turned his back on the ways of evil. The inventor was no longer a boy…But a man.

"Jack Spicer!"

That still, however, didn't stop him from shrieking like a little girl when he was startled. The wrench he had been holding flew into the air, and not too kindly, landed on his poor noggin.

The pale skin man cursed.

"Gah! Okay, THAT hurt. What's the big idea scaring me like that, Cueball?"

"Why, having a guilty conscious I suspect? You are a used handkerchief of deceit!"

Jack Spicer made a face of disgust.

"First of all, eww. That's unwanted imagery right there. SECOND of all, it's 'tissue of lies'. And third of all," he paused. "Um…What did I do THIS time?"

The short monk struck the beginning of a mustache. It was a new habit he had developed for whenever he was displeased. He pointed to outside.

"You promised me that you would be weeding the garden today. I see you not weeding. No weeding is what I see."

"Pfft. It's getting done. See, look, the jackbots are doing it. So what's the problem here?"

The robots were, indeed, doing what was asked of the inventor. This seemed to only make Omi frown more.

"You had promised me that YOU would do it, Spicer. "

"Yeah, but-"

"This is not teaching honor to our young students, is it not?"

"Woah. Grammar issues there. But come on, I'm not their teacher. That's your-"

"But you know they look up to you. In the eyes of the youth, you are, as they say 'cool'. And as such, I think it would be just if you set a better example." The lovable Asian flashed his winning smile, all disappointment washed away from his features. "Please?"

Jack scowled.

Omi smiled.

Jack pouted.

Omi smiled.

Jack turned his back on his lover.

But he could feel Omi's charm burning through his back. Finally, the genius threw his arms up in the air with disgust. He groaned.

"Fiiiine. But if I break a nail, you owe me."

"That is a fair trade, I believe. But unlike some…I am more than ready to do my fair share of work. Even if I get the hardest job of them all…Pleasing you."