Day 10 – Roughousing

"Somehow it's a little different when I'm with you."

'This is your fault.'

'Are you kidding me? You're the reason we got caught.'

'Am not. We'd have gotten away if you had kept watch like you were supposed to.'

'Hey, you were the one supposed to keep watch. I was gonna go in an -'

'You know what, wasn't Newton supposed to -'

'Newton was supposed to -'

'Damn it.'

Zero scowled, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Vin, who was sitting atop the nearest washing machine, was sporting a similar expression. 'Then he's the one who should be doing freaking laundry duty!'

'There's no helping it, man,' Vin groused. 'You know Soper's mind can't be changed when it comes to our poor taste in pranks.'

'Ugh.' She aimed a kick at the nearest basket of clothing, but missed by half a metre since the effort was so half-assed. Vin snorted, shooting her a lazy grin when she glared at him. 'I am so gonna get Newton,' she grumbled. 'I'm gonna wring his skinny little neck.'

'Seconded. I hate laundry.'

'Everyone hates laundry, dumbass.'

'You're the dumbass.'

'Yeah right. Is that the best comeback you've got?'

He poked his tongue out at her, and she made a noise of indignation.

'You're so petty.'

'Petty's my middle name, baby,' he replied easily, sliding off the washing machine and lifting the lid, before dumping one of the baskets of clothing into it.

Zero huffed a sigh and went back to sorting out her own basket, rolling her eyes as she did so. Then, once she was certain he was no longer paying attention to her, she grabbed a block of soap from the counter top and pegged it at his head. It hit its target perfectly with a loud clunk, and Vin let out a particularly loud yell of annoyance.

'Now that,' he told her, jabbing a finger in her direction, 'was petty.'

Just to drive the point home, she stuck her tongue out.

Apparently the best response Vin could think of was to launch a dishtowel at her head, which was absolutely pathetic. When she pointed this out to him, he then proceeded to launch himself over the basket separating them, tackling her into the colossal pile of bed sheets on the floor behind them.

After that, it got a bit chaotic. Well, that didn't really say much – it always got chaotic when they play-fought – but this time it was a little more reckless since the blankets provided a suitable crash barrier. Ordinarily, Zero would expect to come out on top in situations such as these. However, over the years Vin had become pretty good at matching her in strength and agility, making the scales a little more even – and as such, more fun.

They wrestled for a bit, worn down slightly by the fact that they had sunk rather deep into the mountain of sheets. Eventually Zero managed to scramble into a relatively upright position and duck beneath Vin's arm, before grabbing a broom and holding it before her like a staff. 'Ha. Come at me now.'

Vin immediately snatched up a mop, spluttering when its wayward head smacked him in the face. Once he had recovered some sense of decorum, and Zero had stopped laughing, he huffed and replied, 'You've just resorted to this because you're so freaking short. Go figure.'

She ignored the jab at her height, choosing instead to take a swing with the broom, which he dodged. 'You've completely missed the fact that down here I can murder your shins. Go figure.'

'Only bitter people come up with excuses.' He gave her the biggest shit-eating grin, before feinting a jab to her left.

She nearly fell for it, flinching only slightly before shooting him a scowl. 'Yeah, well, back when I was taller, you couldn't do jack shit, man. I think that speaks volumes.'

'I think it speaks volumes about growth spurts,' he replied smoothly, grabbing a small towel from the bench with his spare hand, 'and the fact that you haven't had one since.'

She couldn't really help her jaw dropping open there. 'Now that was low.'

'All's fair in love and war.' He gave his mop an extravagant flourish. 'En garde!'

'I'm not gonna frigging joust you with a broom, dipshit,' she groused, tilting her head at him.

'Speak for yourself,' he replied, reluctantly tossing it aside. 'I think it's a brilliant idea.'

'Let me continue to stress that you have bad taste.'

'Again -' Easily as breathing he flicked the towel at her ass, making her yelp in surprise. ' - you speak for yourself.' When she scowled, he cracked a grin, wriggling his eyebrows.

'You're impossible,' she groaned, huffing a sigh.

'And don't I know it.'

She pegged another bar of soap at him.

Chapter Title: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", Dead or Alive

Quote: "Rock N Roll", Avril Lavigne