Setting: Post-Game

PoV: Sho

Sho quickly discovered what a mistake it is to ask Toya for help with the housework.

At first Toya seems surprised, startled even, but his eyes immediately take on an interested shine.

"Sure, of course. What do you need help with?"

The response is unexpected, as Sho is prepared to veto any of Toya's suggestions to hire a house-cleaner. Living with the rich socialite taught him a great deal of what is deemed normal for the upper class, and he isn't quite ready to come home to Toya's idea of what proper housekeeping is, with an army of maids and servants to clean their small, two-person apartment.

He should've been suspicious then, but he is far too relieved that Toya agreed so easily. With Toya's tight schedule in mind, he goes through the list of house chores left to do and picks the one that demands the least amount of time.

So armed with the basket of laundry and the bottle of detergent, Toya heads off to perform his first house chore. When Sho asks if Toya wants to be shown how the machine works, he is brushed off with a nonchalant hand wave.

"I'll figure it out. I'm sure it's not that complicated."

There are other pressing chores to do, but Sho watches Toya balance the basket on his hip as he opens the laundry door, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The sight of Toya acting domestic is completely new, and he can't help but stare. He knows about Toya's position in the world economy, his social standing, class and breeding; there are very few people of importance who don't know his name. And yet this new sight of Toya belongs to Sho alone; he doubts even Toya's own family have seen him do anything like this. He tucks that knowledge away close to his heart, feeling oddly pleased.

That moment does not last long. After a mere ten minutes he starts feeling a prickling sensation along the back of his neck, a familiar sign that something bad is about to happen. His premonitions are rarely wrong, and so he stops the vacuum and heads to the laundry room.

He is greeted by a wall of soap suds, tall enough to reach his waist. As he steps into the room with horror, he loses his footing on the layer of soapy water that covers the floor. He slides backwards, flailing to catch his balance, and slams the back of his head into something solid and warm. Toya steadies him with a strong arm around his waist, and Sho is only thankful for a brief second.

"What, what happened here?" He gasps, shocked to the point of feeling numb. Toya skims his eyes over the room before crossing the floor with a careful-footed stride, and swiftly turns the machine off with a quick twist to the knob.

The sight of Toya standing hip-deep in a sea of soap suds is strikingly humorous, but Sho isn't in the mood to laugh. Toya assesses the room, looking mildly nonplussed.

"Hmm. Too much water?" He offers, and Sho shakes his head as he parts the bubbles aside.

"Too much detergent. Gods, Toya, how much did you put in?"

"The whole bottle." Toya replies, and the casual way he delivers the three words makes Sho's head start to ache.

"No, that's not—you're not supposed to—you're supposed to measure the amount!" He finds the culprit bottle, standing empty in a corner, and gestures at the back. Toya plucks the bottle up and turns it over.

"Oh, that's convenient. They wrote the instructions right here." Toya smiles in amusement, and somehow his calm demeanor lends a surreal quality to the scene.

This is not the first time Sho has been dealt one of Toya's quirks, and so he simply shakes his head in resigned wonder and goes to fetch a bucket and mop. He hands the mop to Toya, and after rolling up his sleeves, begins scooping the bubbles out of the room.

As they work on cleaning up the mess together, Sho hears a small chuckle. Toya is still wearing that amused smile, laughing quietly to himself as he cleans. Despite the gruelling work his laughter is pure and relaxed, and the sound is contagious. They laugh together in the small, flooded room, the sea of bubbles swirling in rainbow colours around them.

It was still a mistake to have left Toya alone with the housework, Sho thinks, but for now he simply wants to cherish this moment with him.