Cass reached back to grab the remote so he could start the next episode. “It is lovely. You are so talented, Elly.”
“Thank you, baby. Go on.” LA waved at him. “You’re supposed to be painting too!”
“I am. Don’t worry!” Cass giggled as he fumbled with a tube of paint. He squeezed too hard and his claw punctured the side, squirting bright green paint everywhere. It was on his fur, the canvas, LA’s canvas, and the floor. “Oh fiddlesticks.”
LA burst out laughing. “Aw! No! Baby, I’m sorry.” He didn’t know why he thought it was a good idea, but he tried to help Cass stem the flow of paint with his bare hands.
“Elly! No! Your picture!” Cass grimaced. “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine!” LA snickered. “Hey, it looks better now. See?” He smeared his hand over the canvas, spreading the green. “Beautiful.”
“No, I ruined it.” Cass pouted miserably. “I’m so very sorry, sweetheart.”
“Cass, it’s okay! Seriously!”
“No, it’s not. I messed up our whole date night! I’m—”
LA poked Cass’s forehead with a paint-covered finger.
“What was that for?” Cass blinked.
“Booping you seemed like the nicest way to get you to stop talking.” LA smiled warmly and leaned over to kiss Cass sweetly. “Cassie, it is absolutely fine. We can still make this work and we’re going to have so much—hey!” He laughed as Cass booped him back, smudging paint on his cheek.
Cass giggled a little. “You look very pretty in green.”
LA grinned wickedly, rubbed his hands together, and then grabbed Cass’s face. “Hey! So do you!”
Cass gasped. “Oh, this means war.”
“Does it?” LA reached over to grab more paint from his palette, getting a big glob of pinkish orange. “Because I don’t think you’re ready for this.”
“I am definitely ready.” Cass growled, slowly rising up on his haunches. His tail wiggled behind him like a cat about to pounce.
LA’s heart raced and he grinned, taunting, “Bring it on then, bitch.”
“No name calling!” Cass declared as he pounced.
LA laughed as Cassverygently tackled him to the floor, smothering kisses against his neck. He squealed and smeared paint over the top of Cass’s head. However, he hadn’t realized that Cass had grabbed a fistful of green paint from where it had landed on his fur. “Ah! No, no, no!”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Cass cackled as he gleefully dragged the paint down the front of LA’s shirt.
“Hey! You just gave me that!” LA squirmed, wiggling out an arm so he could get his hand on another tube of paint. It was neon pink, and he used his teeth to pop open the lid. “It’s on now!”
“I don’t care! I love pink!” Cass still squealed when LA smothered the paint down his chest and then under his chin.
“Here! Have some more!” LA snickered.
They traded blobs of paint until they were both breathless and panting, and Cass had managed to pin LA’s hands to the floor over in front of the TV, where their playful wrestling had taken them. “There! Now surrender, sweetheart.”
“Never!” LA wheezed. “Although.” He winced. “There is a canvas under my butt.”
“How did that get there?”
“I have no idea.” LA grinned.
“Oh no!” Cass’s eyes widened and he let go of LA, pouting. “Poor Alan Tudyk’s precious face!”
“What? No. I’m sure it’s fine.” LA wiggled his hips a little. “I mean, okay, maybe not. But I can fix it later. Promise.”
