You were all alone in the campus art studio, putting the finishing touches on one of your end-of-semester assignments. You'd been up since around six a.m. trying to get it done before you had to turn it in to your professor.

The late afternoon sunshine filtered in through the tall, arched windows, painting everything in an ethereal, golden hue. You had your painting perched on an easel in front of you, with various pots and tubes of paint littering your work bench.

Your tongue stuck out in concentration as you dabbed more paint onto the colourful canvas, you didn't even register the door behind you opening and closing softly, nor the footfalls that approached. You didn't even see the newcomer take one of your water bottles from the stool behind you and pop open the cap as they took a few more steps closer.

You were abruptly snapped out of your concentrated efforts by the sudden sensation of icy water being poured down the back of your shirt. Flinching and gasping in surprise, you almost dropped the paintbrush and palette grasped in your hands.

Whirling around to face your assailant, you were just about ready to punch someone in the face – that little joke could have almost cost you an entire months' worth of work!

But when you caught sight of the glittering red eyes and mirthful expression of your roommate, one certain Gilbert Beilschmidt, you anger faded into mild annoyance and you set your brush and palette down on the work bench.

You interrupted the German's guffaws, smacking him across the back of his head. "Very funny, Gilbert! That could have ruined my entire assignment!"

The albino just snickered, catching your wrist before you could clip him again. He winked, and you had to fight down a blush, maintaining your half-amused, half-irritated expression. "I still owe you for tricking the awesome me into doing the dishes!"

You snorted, rolling your eyes as you tried to pull your arm free. "You share a living space with me, you ought to pitch in and help with something!"

"I do plenty!" he protested indignantly, letting your wrist go and leaning casually against the work bench.

You turned back to your project, deciding that since Gilbert was here, you weren't going to get any more work done and might as well pack it up for the night. It wasn't due for another three days at the least, anyway. "Oh, really? And what might that be, pray tell?"

With your back turned, you didn't notice the mischievous glint in your roommate's eyes as he looked between you and your art supplies. "I clean…stuff!"

"Like what 'stuff'?" you countered, taking the painting off the easel and setting it down against the wall to dry. "The only thing in that apartment that you actually clean is the television!"
Turning around, you saw Gilbert casually making his way over to you with his hands behind his back. "I take offence, frau! You think so little of the awesome me!"

You snorted at his pompous attitude and rolled your eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of your mouth. Gilbert returned the expression, moving closer and closer until he had you trapped between him and the wall. Leaning against it, you splayed your paint-caked fingers against its rough surface to maintain your balance.

He looked down at you with a playful smirk on his face, some unreadable expression in his ruby eyes. "We're going to have to change that."

"And how just do you plan on doing that, Sir Awesomeness?" you joked back, quirking an eyebrow.

"I was thinking a little something along the lines of…" he leaned a little bit closer, until your noses were almost touching. You felt your heart flutter and tried to quell the sensation, but the butterflies that erupted in your stomach overran your self-control. Gilbert reached one hand up towards your face, keeping your gaze captive with his own. You waited in tense anticipation for something – anything – to happen. What did happen, though, was Gilbert streaking paint-covered fingers down your face in a single sweep and bouncing backwards with a jubilant laugh, "…this!"

You gaped at him for a few moments before launching yourself off the wall after him. Two could play at this little game! "Gilbert! You did NOT just do that!"

All the albino did was continue laughing, grabbing another tube of paint from your work bench. Grinning, with a predatory look in your (e/c) eyes, you snatched another tube and dashed after him. You both covered your hands in the respective colours in your clutches and turned to face each other, sizing the other up and trying to decide who would launch the attack first.

Pulling a face, you dashed towards Gilbert, catching him by surprise with your speed. You managed to swipe a hand down the side of his neck, leaving a bright red trail in its wake. Laughing, you dodged his hand as it came very close to your left arm.

"What's the matter?" you taunted with a smirk as you twirled just out of his reach. "Getting slow, old man?"

"Slow? I'll show you slow!" the ruby-eyed man growled, grinning hungrily. "I'm too awesome to be slow!"

Before you could register his movements, Gilbert had you trapped in his tight embrace, literally no space between your bodies as he slid his paint-smothered hands up the back of your shirt. The cool sensation of both the paint and his hands on your bare skin made you shiver, your skin breaking out in goosebumps.

"I'd say we're about even now," you laughed breathlessly, still grinning. You hoped Gilbert would mistake the wild blush creeping up your neck as just a side-affect from running around the classroom.

He cocked his head to the side, studying you intently with a little smile on his face. When your quirked an eyebrow at him, he finally answered, "The awesome me doesn't think we're quite even just yet."

You didn't have time to answer or question him. His mouth swooped down on yours, capturing your lips in a soft kiss. Pleasantly surprised, your eyes widened fractionally for a second before you settled into the kiss and returned it was just as much enthusiasm as it was given. As the kiss deepened, you brought your arms up to encircle the albino's neck, twining your painted fingers through his silver hair.

Gilbert pulled you closer towards him, virtually erasing all space between your bodies. His fingers played skilfully up and down your spine, no doubt spreading more paint over your skin in the process. You shivered again at the soft contact, tightening your hold on him.

His tongue traced your bottom lip, asking for entrance which you gladly gave. You moaned slightly as he explored the cavern of your mouth, as you did his. You felt Gilbert smirk against your lips, breaking the kiss grudgingly.

He looked down at you – flushed and grinning – and allowed his smirk to grow wider. "Now, mein frau, we're even."

"Oh, I beg to differ," you replied, trailing a finger down the back of his neck, over his shoulder and across his collar bone. The German shivered, watching your movements curiously. "I'm still covered in paint, thanks to you, so now you owe me something to make up for it…"

"If it's chores, I'm too awesome for those, remember?" he smiled smugly. "I could always remind you if you don't…"

"Oh, but I think you'll enjoy helping me out with what I have in mind," you grinned seductively at him, twirling a strand of his red-streaked hair around your fingers as you winked at him.

A certain sparkle danced in the German's ruby-red eyes as he leaned down for another kiss.

"Now that is a chore fit for my level of awesomeness."