They've been dating four weeks when they have their first fight.

Sure, they fight all the time. They've always fought all the time. About who's right and who's wrong. About the world. About basic household chores. About television and music. About anything and everything.

But they've never fought as a couple.

Until the night they're out grabbing pizza.

It's a casual date. They realized early on that they put too much pressure on themselves when they try and go all out. "It's fine for once in a while," Jess had declared. "But we're best together when we're just together, having fun."

So sometimes they actually do go to the hotdog cart. Or to get milkshakes. Or for pizza.

It's Friday night and Jess is particularly glad it's the weekend. She's had a long week, work has exhausted her, and she's seen Nick far too little this week for her liking. (A perk of living together even though they've just begun dating… they always manage to catch a few minutes together, a few make out sessions, or in one particular instance, a quickie against his bedroom door – when in other relationships this new, a busy week would mean not seeing each other at all.)

She's happy to be out, to have the promise of sleeping in tomorrow morning, to be spending time with Nick for more than ten minutes. And she's in the mood to sing.

So, she sings. She sings the menu to Nick – which he takes in good stride.

She sings her order to the waiter – which he also takes in good stride.

She sings about her day to Nick. Well, she only sings the important parts, for emphasis. He's used to it. He doesn't blink an eye.

She sings "hello" and "have a good weekend!" to the family she knows that just walked in – one of her old students. He rolls his eyes, albeit playfully.

She sings the "whole damn night," as Nick eventually puts it.

"Well, excuse me," she huffs, though it's not yet a fight. It's still playful.

They eat and talk and she makes a mental note not to sing quite as much. Not because she cares what Nick says, but because maybe she is overdoing it.

Then they go to get ice-cream. And she sings her order to the woman behind the counter.

"Would you knock that off already!" Nick finally bursts. "You're driving me crazy, that's so annoying." She gives him a look and she can tell that it's already something he wishes he hadn't said. But it's too late and she's annoyed anyway. The woman behind the counter is staring at her, the family of her student is giving them a look, and a teenage couple sitting at a table sharing a milkshake snicker at her. It's Friday night. She's happy. She wants to sing. Screw him.

"Screw you." She doesn't realize she says this aloud, until she sees his shocked face (and the glare of the woman in line behind them, with three small children). "Sorry," she tells her. "I apologize. I don't usually do that. I have a teaching credential!" she declares.

She's not sure what exactly she said next or what he said next but she knows a few more sets of eyes are watching them and they've each thrown out one more word or phrase or insult they immediately want to take back.

And then they realize that they're having their first fight as a couple (small on the scale of Nick and Jess arguments, but as a couple it seems somehow bigger) and they live together so they still have to go all the way home together. They have to ride home in silence. They have to walk from where he parks his car, together (if only he'd gotten that freakin' parking spot, Jess thinks). They have to go up in the elevator, together, unlock the door, together, and only then can they have their space to brood.

She goes to bed, and he goes to bed. But then it's morning and they wake up and they're sharing the same bathroom, the same kitchen, the same space all day until he goes to work for a shift at the bar. They're not talking to each other (and Schmidt notices and keeps giving them I told you so! looks) and then she starts to wonder.

Now what? Are they fighting? Are they going to make up? Are they breaking up? Are they broken up? Sometimes, in relationships this new, something like this is all it takes and it's done.

And then he comes home and the next day they do it all over again, the avoiding, the awkward moments when they both leave their bedrooms at the same time, when they both want to watch TV, when they both head towards the refrigerator at once.

Then it gets even more absurd when he corners her in the bathroom, of all places. The freakin' bathroom.

"Jess," he says, his voice apologetic. Are they really about to work out their first fight in a bathroom? THEIR bathroom? They are a couple having their first fight and they have a bathroom that's theirs.

"Hi," she says, and she realizes it sounds lame but she doesn't know what else to say. "Yep. Yeah. That's me," she continues, since he doesn't.

"I'm sorry," he says simply and she looks at him in surprise. Just like that? Nick, of all people? "I was a real jerk. I'm sorry."

"Me too," she says softly.

"It's not your fault," he tells her, looking guilty. "I started it. I embarrassed you. I'm sorry."

"Well, 'Screw you' was pretty harsh," she admits. "I'm sorry too."

He looks at her and neither of them seem to know what to say or do next. "Are we… okay?" he asks her.

She nods and then a smile forms on her lips. "Not even the worst fight we've ever had," she points out.

He reaches for her then, and she feels instant relief, like a weight has been lifted. They're going to be okay. It was just a stupid little fight. She knows sometimes this can be the end of new relationships. You end a date on an awkward note, you both wait for the other to make a move first, neither does, too much time passes and then it's too weird to call and it just fizzles out.

But hey, they live together. The normal rules don't always apply.

She realizes she's been in her own head a moment too long to realize what's going on around her, because Nick's closer and his breath is warm on her face and he's kissing her… and damn is he kissing her.

"Did we really just make up in the bathroom?" she mumbles against his lips when they take a short (short) breath for air. He chuckles and she adds. "We sure know sexy."

"Mmmhmm," he returns, kissing her again. "Trust me, we've barely started the making up."

"Is that so," she giggles. She's happy again. She almost wants to sing—

It's almost as if he reads her mind.

"Sing it."

"Huh?"

"Come on, sing about it."

She laughs as he tugs on her to get her moving in the right direction – the direction away from the bathroom and towards one of their bedrooms – and she can't help herself.

"Going to the beeeeedroooom," she sings. "Gonna make-up! I'm so going to screw youuuuu!"

At that, they both burst out laughing and their makeout is momentarily halted.

"You are so sexy," he whispers in her ear before planting kisses down her neck. "Keep singing." He pulls back for a moment to look at her. "Always. No matter what I say."

"Remember you said that. I think you're going to be sorry one day."

He chuckles. "Your place or mine?" he jokes as they find themselves in the middle of the hallway. It's starting to become one of their favorite little quips, both finding it more amusing than it probably really is.

"Both," she tells him.