Canon

It was the first day of their week off during the actor strike, and Cynthia was looking forward to a few quiet days of relaxation. But Ariana had other plans.

“Come on, Cyn! This is the perfect time!” Ariana had insisted the night before. “You’ve been talking about painting your room for months, and we’ve got the whole week free. We can finally get it done!”

Cynthia had reluctantly agreed, despite the fact that she was much more inclined to spend the time curled up with a book or lounging around. But as always, Ariana’s excitement was contagious. Plus, it seemed like a good way to pass the time while they waited for everything to settle down.

Now, Cynthia stood in the middle of her bedroom, hands on her hips, surveying the scene. The room was an organized mess, with furniture pushed to the center and tarps covering the floors. Two cans of paint—soft lavender for the walls and a creamy white for the trim—sat open, brushes and rollers ready.

“This is going to look amazing,” Ariana said from behind her, voice brimming with excitement. She was already wearing an oversized T-shirt and leggings she didn’t mind ruining, her hair tied back in a messy bun.

Cynthia turned and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never painted a room before, have you?”

Ariana grinned. “Nope. But how hard can it be?”

Cynthia chuckled, grabbing a paint roller. “Famous last words.”

The first half-hour was surprisingly smooth. Cynthia worked steadily, outlining the edges and corners with precision, while Ariana enthusiastically rolled paint onto the walls. Sure, she missed a few spots and accidentally smudged a corner, but Cynthia didn’t mind. Watching Ariana’s childlike excitement made up for any imperfections.

That was until Ariana accidentally dipped her roller into the wrong can of paint—the trim paint, instead of the lavender—and accidentally splattered a streak of white on the wall.

“Uh-oh,” Ariana muttered, staring at the streak of white she had just created.

Cynthia turned, biting back a laugh. “Ari, what did I say about double-checking the paint?”

“It’s fine! I’ll fix it!” Ariana said, trying to wipe it off with a cloth. But instead of cleaning it, she only smudged it further.

Cynthia couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. “You’re making it worse!”

“I got this!” Ariana insisted, panic and determination written all over her face.

Cynthia stepped closer, holding her roller like a pointer. “Let me—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Ariana flicked the cloth in her direction, sending a splatter of lavender paint right onto Cynthia’s cheek.

There was a moment of stunned silence as Ariana froze, her eyes wide. “Oh my God. Babe, I didn’t mean—”

Cynthia slowly wiped the paint off her cheek, raising an eyebrow. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Grande.”

Ariana took a step back, holding her paintbrush like a sword. “It was an accident! I swear!”

Cynthia’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. Without warning, she dipped her brush into the lavender paint and swiped it across Ariana’s arm.

“CYNTHIA!” Ariana shrieked, staring at the purple streak in mock horror.

“Payback,” Cynthia said smugly, already reaching for more paint.

“Oh, it’s on!” Ariana declared, grabbing her roller and charging at her.

The room quickly descended into chaos. Paint splattered everywhere as they chased each other around, laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Ariana managed to dab Cynthia’s nose with white paint, only for Cynthia to retaliate by streaking lavender across Ariana’s forehead.

“Truce!” Ariana shouted, ducking behind the tarp-covered bed. “Truce, truce!”

Cynthia paused, a paintbrush dripping in her hand. “You started this.”

“And I regret nothing,” Ariana said, grinning wickedly.

Cynthia rolled her eyes but set the brush down. “Fine. Truce.” She held out her hand, which Ariana immediately grabbed.

But instead of shaking it, Ariana yanked her forward, smearing paint on her cheek with her free hand.

“ARI!” Cynthia gasped, laughing despite herself.

“You fell for it!” Ariana said, practically doubling over with laughter.

Cynthia shook her head, pulling Ariana into a hug. “You’re impossible,” she said, her voice warm and affectionate.

Ariana grinned up at her, her face streaked with paint. “But you love me anyway.”

“Always,” Cynthia murmured, leaning down to kiss her—ignoring the faint taste of lavender paint on Ariana’s skin.

Cynthia pulled back from their paint-smeared kiss, laughing as she tried to wipe a streak of lavender paint off Ariana’s cheek. She shook her head, amused by how far things had gone.

“Alright, I think we’ve done enough damage,” Cynthia said, her voice light, though she could still feel the laughter bubbling up inside her.

Ariana grinned, looking at the room around them. It was chaos, but it felt good. The walls were streaked with mismatched splotches of lavender and white. Some areas were far from perfect, but the whole thing had a sense of fun and freedom to it, like everything had fallen into place on its own.

“We’ll just have to redo some spots,” Ariana said, eyeing the walls, “but it’s gonna look great once it’s finished.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “You mean once we stop flinging paint at each other?”

Ariana laughed, brushing a hand through her hair. “Hey, I only got a little carried away. I blame you for looking so cute covered in paint.”

“Uh-huh, right,” Cynthia said dryly, before reaching for the paintbrush again. “Well, let’s get back to it. I’ll redo the trim, you handle the rest.”

Ariana made a face. “Can’t we just call it art? Like, abstract art?”

Cynthia looked over at her, her lips curling into a smile. “I think we need a little more technique for it to be considered art, babe.”

“Hmm, we’ll see,” Ariana teased, picking up a brush and dipping it into the lavender paint, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

The two of them spent the next hour getting back to work, this time with a bit more focus—though not without more moments of teasing and laughter. They worked side by side, Ariana carefully rolling the paint onto the walls, while Cynthia touched up the trim, guiding the brush along the edges with precision.

At one point, Cynthia turned to see Ariana standing on tiptoe, trying to reach a spot on the top of the wall. Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, and Cynthia couldn’t help but laugh.

“You know, you could just grab the step stool,” Cynthia suggested, though she was clearly amused by the sight.

Ariana shot her a playful look. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Cynthia just shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Hey,” Ariana said, not missing a beat, “It’s about the journey not the destination, Cyn.”

Cynthia chuckled, setting her roller aside as she stepped over to help. “Alright, let me help you with that.”

She gently reached for Ariana’s waist, steadying her as she pulled the step stool out from the corner. “Here, stand on this. It’ll make things easier.”

Ariana smiled up at her, looking a little sheepish. “You’re right. I was trying to make it a challenge.”

“I love the challenge,” Cynthia said softly, looking into her eyes. “But not when you risk painting yourself into a corner.”

Ariana laughed, and for a brief moment, they both just stood there, smiling at each other in the stillness of the room. The chaotic paint job had slowed to a quiet rhythm, and the tension between them shifted, the playful energy giving way to something warmer.

"Thanks, Cyn," Ariana said quietly, her voice gentle as she stepped up onto the stool. "I know I can be... well, a lot sometimes."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on the back of the stool as Ariana worked. “A lot? You’re never too much, Ari. I like when you push me out of my comfort zone.”

Ariana looked up, a soft smile on her face. “Good, because I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

“Good,” Cynthia replied, her heart swelling at the simple sincerity in Ariana’s words. “Neither do I.”

The rest of the afternoon passed in relative peace. They finished the room with a few final touches, the walls now a calming, soft lavender with bright white trim that looked much cleaner than it had before. It wasn’t perfect, but it was theirs. It was a symbol of the time they’d spent together—messy, fun, and full of life.

As they stepped back to admire their work, Cynthia grinned. "It looks good, babe."

Ariana stepped beside her, nodding. “Yeah, it does.” She tilted her head toward Cynthia. “Though I’m still going to need a couple of touch-ups here and there.”

“Of course you are,” Cynthia said, her tone teasing. “But you were the one who insisted on painting.”

Ariana leaned her shoulder against Cynthia’s, a quiet warmth between them. “I’m glad we did this. It was a good way to spend the day.”

Cynthia smiled, resting her head against Ariana’s. “I agree. No regrets.”

As they stood there, admiring their handiwork, the soft light of the evening filled the room, making the lavender walls seem even more calming.

Ariana smiled and nudged Cynthia lightly. “So... what’s next? Can we just relax now?”

Cynthia chuckled softly. “Absolutely. You’ve earned it.”

Ariana yawned dramatically, leaning against her with a contented sigh. “Good. Because I’m pretty sure I’ll be covered in paint for the next week.”

Cynthia laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’ll make sure you have plenty of time to rest.”

Ariana smiled up at her, her face lighting up with affection. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Cynthia replied, pulling her close for a hug. "You're my favorite disaster."

Ariana grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Only for you, my Elphie.”

Cynthia chuckled, pulling her into a kiss, the lavender paint still faintly lingering in the air between them.