"Working hard, or hardly working?"

V perched herself next to Johnny as he kept on rinsing the dishes, and the small tune he'd been humming was cut short. "You're giving me that?"

"Yeah, but I'm just playing. You've been working hard all day," she said, shifting her gaze from the muscles working in his forearms, to his ass. "And I was wondering if you wanted help, actually. Not fair for you to deal with the shit with my car only to take this out on your own."

"Eh, it's nothing. You cooked this up, you get a pass. 'Sides, when Troy's off the phone he'll want in."

"So let me help in the meantime. It's no big deal." He smirked, and V pursed her lips. "What's that look for?"

"Just remembering what happened the last time you offered."

"Oh?" She grinned as she kept on watching him, knowing full well his eyes were on her. "They got done, didn't they?"

He chuckled. "They weren't the only thing."

She elbowed him. "Shove over. You're getting help."

Johnny leaned on the edge of the sink as she all but took his place, and rolled her shoulders before diving in. It didn't take long for her to start whistling – picking up the tune that Johnny had started, but abandoned once she showed up – and sudsed up what was left in the sink before rinsing everything off.

Each finished plate went straight to him to dry, and once they settled into the other's rhythm, it wasn't hard to keep the dishes coming. Every now and then his hand would wander a little too close to the edge of the sink, however, and every time she flicked at his wrist.

"Thanks, by the way. You really didn't have to do that." V quit chewing her lip long enough to give him a small smile, and he raised an eyebrow. "For the car. You rushed to get that done so fast I didn't even get a chance to see what they'd messed up. How's it look now? Is it sharp?"

Gat shrugged. "You could say that."

"Nice and slick?"

"And smooth," he replied with a grin.

"Shit. You're so going to have to show it off to me later. Go over every last inch of it." He reached over again and she flicked him, hard. "Hey, hands off. I'm not blind, you know."

"No, just stubborn as hell. What'll you lose if I wash a couple?"

"Nothing, but your job's to stand there and look pretty. Can't do that if you're too willing to get your hands dirty."

Johnny snorted. "Pretty?"

"Yeah, fucking pretty." V bumped his hip with hers, and kept her eyes on the mug in her hands. "Hard as it must be to accept, it's the truth. Tell me one thing, though. When you were all set and focused on making my car fucking gleam, was your shirt on, or off?"

"On."

"Huh," she said, and shook her head. "No wonder your little distraction crashed and burned."

He took the mug when she offered it, and frowned before reaching under the faucet to wet his fingertips. The flick to her nose came quickly after, making her squeak as the plate in her hands hit the water.

"God, you fucking asshole," V swore, feeling her cheeks burn as he grinned over at her. "I am this close to just grabbing the damn hose and spraying you."

"And?" Gat asked, leaning back against the sink again.

"And nothing," she said, swiping at her nose, "because Troy's not getting off the phone only to find the kitchen flooded. Again." She gave Johnny a withering look, and shoved both hands back into the sink. "So, watch it."

Reaching for the next dish, she tried not to grouse too much over the water on her shirt, but there was nothing to distract her from the fabric sticking to her skin. …Except for a certain someone standing to her left, who happened to be perfectly dry.

So she did what any mature person would've done in that moment. She lowered the dish, washed her hands clean and proceeded to wipe one hand off on the front of his white T-shirt. His smile wavered, but didn't fade, and once she was done he tilted his chin up. "Better?"

"Nah, not quite yet." V held up her other hand and wiggled her fingers. "Still got one more that needs taking care of."

Gat didn't make a move to stop her when she reached out again, this time taking her time as she ran her hand down his chest. When she reached the bottom of his shirt, however, she tugged it up only to have his fingers close around her wrist.

"What?" she asked, looking coy. With his eyes still on hers, she gave his shirt another tug. "Wet clothes aren't the most comfortable, so…"

"They've gotta come off, right?" The corner of his mouth edged up, and he got up, moving around her as she pivoted with him. "Funny, I don't remember you being too dry yourself."

She rolled her eyes, but giggled when she felt Johnny's fingers trail along her sides. "There's a reason for that. I'm looking at him." They ducked under the fabric, and she batted at his hands. "Hey. You're worse off. You first."

"Me first?"

V brushed both of his hands away and didn't wait for him to stop her this time. The shirt went up and over his head, and once it was off of him she tossed it to the side. His gaze followed it, and once his shirt hit the ground his sunglasses swung back to face her. Leaning back against the sink, she propped her elbows up and aimed an expectant stare back at him.

He crossed his arms, and she didn't let up on any of her staring. "Let me just soak this in, just a little longer…"

"No more playing, boss." He gestured towards her shirt. "Up and off."

Her nails stopped tapping, and she raised her arms over her head, slowly stretching them out before letting them fall back to her sides. Only then, when she knew his attention was firmly caught, did she reach for her shirt and lift it.

It caught around her elbows, even with his help, but the moment her chin was through, his mouth was on hers. Tangled up and unable to see, she made a sound of surprise against his lips that quickly got lost in the deep kiss she returned. Gat's tongue teased, moving slowly as his arms kept hers raised above her head. Tilting her head back, he moved to her throat, the light stubble he had tickling her just enough to make her stifle a laugh.

Tugging at the shirt, V shifted in his grasp, making faces as she freed more of herself, only to feel him chuckle against her neck. "Shut up. Not like you're helping."

His response was to give the shirt a hard pull, just enough to free her head, but not her arms. "Better?"

"No, not if-" His mouth latched onto the spot beneath her ear, and she sucked in a breath. "Fuck. Okay, fine, it's an improvement."

"Sure," he replied, his voice rumbling in a way that made her knees weak.

"But it'll be even more of one once I can get this damn thing off-!" The shirt finally gave up the fight, and she wrenched her arms free. But her triumphant grin fell as soon as she heard the splash. "That was-that was my shirt, wasn't it?"

Johnny glanced over her shoulder and gave her a quick nod. "Yeah."

"Ah, fuck it." She grabbed for him, and they dove right back in, kissing each other hard and fast.

His hands were anywhere and everywhere as he ground up against her, and she paid him back for the sharp hickey on her neck with one of her own, sucking hard until she heard his groan. He crouched down to lift her, and she hopped up, hanging on tight as he moved her over to the counter, and she barely registered the things he shoved to the side to accommodate them.

They broke apart right as his fingers started fumbling with the button on V's jeans, his mouth pressing wet kisses to her neck, and she pushed his hand away to get it open herself. He took over after that, following the jeans as he pulled them down, his tongue marking every inch of his progress. Her pants were caught around her ankles when three loud knocks made her sit up straight, and she nearly smacked Gat in the side of the head with her knee.

"Hey," Troy said at the entrance to the kitchen, his phone pressed into his shoulder, "I know I said I wouldn't be long, but I think I'm having some serious déjà vu here."

She traded a look with Johnny – still down between her legs – and sat up, making sure to drag him up as well. "In our defense, we were getting shit done."

"Sure."

Jogging her mind with Gat this close, and her pulse running wasn't easy. But she tried, and stumbled as she brushed her hair out of her face. "Yeah, roughly, what would you say? Five minutes ago?"

"'Bout that much," Gat replied, leaning forward to kiss her. "Give or take."

V placed her hand over his mouth. "So he says. Tell me, though, how much longer do you think you've got, Chief?"

"Maybe ten. Why?"

"Well, Gat and I were doing great, but…a little help wouldn't hurt."

Troy's fingers tapped the back of his phone as he stood there, and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Got to get back on task somehow." Johnny muttered something under her fingers, and V gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, but didn't remove her hand. It flew away when she felt his tongue touch her palm, however, and she shook her hand out while Johnny snickered at her. "See? You wouldn't leave us hanging, would you, Troy?"

Her meaningful look would've had more impact if she hadn't been struggling to keep a wide grin from spreading across her face, and if Gat hadn't been all but sprawled on top of her.

But after a minute of considering them, Troy's fingers stilled, and his thoughtful glance took on a playful hint. He picked up the phone, and mouthed, "Give me five."