I woke up alone again, the duvet a tangled around my legs as I blinked rapidly and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Grumbling, I pushed my hands up against the headboard as I stretched and tried to get some blood flowing. I was still massively tired from last night, and as I looked over at the digital clock by my bed, I realized that I had slept in much longer that I had intended. The green numbers shone 10:11 in the darkness of my room.

        I jumped up quickly and threw open the curtains, squinting as the moody grey light filtered into my room. Amanda wasn't anywhere to be found, which was odd because she should have been back from her run by now, if yesterday was any precedent. I willed my legs to work properly as I left my room and stumbled down the stairs, intent on checking in with someone before I showered.

        I immediately heard both the low rumbles of Trott's voice and the higher pitched giggles of Amanda coming from the living room when I rounded the corner. The door was ajar and I could see the wet curls of a freshly showered Amanda as she faced away from me on the couch, and a still quite disheveled Trott sitting next to her. They were both laughing at something

        "Trott!" she said, exasperated, "If you don't stop moving, I won't be able to finish!" I walked towards the two to see what they were talking about, and noticed a small wooden easel on Amanda's lap. Resting on it was a small black canvas, and Amanda had painted a very colorful looking Trott onto it. It was abstract and had a loose form to it, and the painting was completely different than any of the other artwork she liked to show me over Skype.

        Amanda was rapidly scrubbing her brushed back and forth across the canvas, finishing Trott's hair and shoulders before she put up her messy hands and said, "Time."

        Trott looked at his phone while Amanda carefully turned the wet canvas around so he could see. "16 minutes, 23 seconds," Trott said smugly.

        Amanda sighed in annoyance. "Yeah, but that extra time was because you kept distracting me," she defended.

        Trott laughed at her and took the canvas out of her hands. "No way mate, you should be able to handle the pressure," he quipped, admiring the work of art in his hands.

        "You owe me five bucks," Amanda said resolutely, crossing her arms over her chest.

        "I live in the UK," Trott spat back, knowing that five dollars would translate to a weird amount of money in euros.

        I cleared my throat, alerting them of my presence in the door way. They both turned to look at me, and Amanda greeted me with a huge smile. "Hey Smiffy," she said in a sing-song voice. I couldn't believe that she was so chipper after going to sleep at 4 or 5 in the morning, and then running after that, but her happiness was contagious.

        "Good morning," I mused, my voice hoarse from sleep. I couldn't help but grin back at the small girl as she wiped a hand across her face and streaked orange paint across her cheek. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked after a moment, talking to Trott more than her. He knew how much work we had today, and he wasn't dressed yet either.

        I mentally kicked myself, just remembering the music video we had to shoot and post by tomorrow. I hadn't asked Amanda if she was alright with helping us out, and I was fearful that she might be offended that we were cutting into our time together.

        "You seemed pretty tired," she smiled, oblivious to my sudden change in reaction, "I wanted to let you sleep." Her words were weighted and she had a glint in her eye that made my heart pound as I thought about last night. I could still taste her lips on my tongue, and seeing her smile up at me relit the fire I had felt in the pit of my stomach.

        I cleared my throat and tried to think of something else, knowing my flannel pajamas wouldn't hide much if I let my mind wander too far. Trott thankfully filled the silence as he announced that he was going to get dressed, and told me to be ready in half an hour.

        "Be ready for what?" Amanda asked as she stood up, snapping her easel closed so it resembled a wooden briefcase, "Where are you guys going?" She walked over to me and I could get a clear view of her 'periodic table of minecraft' shirt under a fitted red flannel. She looked comfortable, and I was glad she wore a lot of flannel like I did.

        "Nice shirt," I commented before placing my hands around her waist and giving her a quick kiss. "Listen," I said after I pulled away, still holding both her hands in front of me, "I know this is you and me time... but we kind of have to do some recording today for a short film."

        Amanda only gave me a confused look and I braced myself for her disappointment. "Am I allowed to come?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

        "O... of course," I stammered, "but you don't have to...."

        She gave me a warm smile and said, "I'd love to!" before placing her hands on my chest to kiss me again.

        I was glad we had gotten past that point in our relationship last night, and I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders now that I had kissed her after waiting so many months. We were now settling into a comfortable familiarity with each other, and hopefully our progression as a couple won't stop as the week continued. I didn't want to think of what it would be like when she left after new years, but I planted another small kiss on her lips to rid myself of the thought. Right now, I just wanted to focus on being with her without a time constraint hanging over my head.

        "So what's the video about?" she asked as I let go of her.

        I only scratched at the back of my head and smiled, knowing she would probably be running back to the airport once she found out what we were doing.

-------------------------------------------

        "Hello, I'm wearing a weird hat," Trott told the camera as Ross adjusted it to his hight, "and I'm out doors wearing shorts, you can't see bellow there... but Smith's got some water, and a hose..."

        I took the opportunity to cut him off and say "I'm going to make it rain," before ducking back to the corner of our garden. I had the hose pouring down the drainage pipe while I waited for the small man to finish explaining what we were doing to the viewers. Amanda was going to hold the colander for me while I manned the hose, and together we were going to rain down boiling hot water on to Trott's head.

        Ross panned the camera over to us and Amanda held up the colander, trying not to get her shoes wet as I demonstrated the rain maker. "That's the technology we're using today," Trott joked, "high budget." 

        The water made the hose almost too hot to hold, and I wasn't looking forward to feeling that on my head when it was my turn. "We're literally pissing boiling hot water down the drain," I commented, "so let's do this."

        "Well how hot is it?" Amanda asked, sticking a few fingers under the tap warily before drawing it back quickly and holding it up to her chest. "Oh my gosh, Smith, we're going to cook him alive," she said, sounding concerned but also a bit excited at the same time.

        "He's fine," Ross assured her as he panned the camera back to Trott. The two of them started explaining why we were speeding up the song so that we had to lip sing it twice as fast, and I felt annoyance build up as I thought of our heating and water bill rising with every second I stood running the tap.

        "You know what this reminds me of?" Amanda asked as she stood well away from the splashing water. "It's like when you stick a live lobster in a pot of boiling water and you kill it that way."

        "Wait, what?" Trott asked, concern choking his voice.

        "Ready for a wet one mate?" Ross japed, glazing over his question.

        "Born ready," Trott mumbled, not sounding prepared at all. I hope we don't actually cook Trott alive, though if we did it would make a great video.

        "Should we start the singing before or... wait for the rain" Ross asked as Amanda stepped into the kitchen so she could hold the colander above Trott's head.

        "Just go ahead and start it, he doesn't have to mime to it," I said, maneuvering onto the step to stand behind Amanda without getting water on her or flooding the kitchen. She was small enough to where I could reach over her with ease, and I placed a hand on her waist to steady myself as the music started and I quickly switched the water from the drain to the colander.

        "That's... really fucking hot," Trott said after only a few seconds, shouting loudly. Amanda quickly ran to turn off the tap in the kitchen.

        "Guess you're doing it cold then!" I shouted, following Amanda inside to turn on the cold water.

        "That poor boy," Amanda laughed as she bent over the counter to look out the window at him. She stood on her toes as I saw all the muscles in her legs tense up, and I couldn't resist letting my eyes wander up the curves of her body. Her back arched deliciously, and the jumper she had stolen from me for shooting was bunched up at the base of her spine.

        "Smith," Amanda giggled as I wrapped my hands around her waist and kissed up her spine, "What are you doing?" She didn't push me away however as we both straitened up, and she tilted her head to the side as I let my lips run across her shoulder and up the skin of her neck.

        "You're beautiful, you know that?" I said once I was done kissing her neck and jaw, letting my chin rest in the crook of her neck as I grinned up at her. I had to bend down quite far to hug her from behind, and it felt strangely like hugging a small, cute animal.

        "Stop," she smiled, rolling her eyes at me and turning around in my arms. She leaned back against the counter and let her arms cross mine as she rested her hands on my waist. We had to keep it dark in the kitchen so that it didn't interfere with the filming outside, and Amanda's curls were back lit white from the bright light attached to the camera. "We need to get back," she smiled, trying to break out of my grip.

        I was feeling flirty and aroused, suddenly wishing we were done with this project so I could be alone with Amanda again. "We're fine," I muttered, bringing my lips down to the soft skin of her neck again. I nibbled on her collarbone, enjoying the sent that wafted off of her with every shift of her hair as she giggled in my arms. I hooked a finger into her collar to bring her shirt down and expose more skin, but something caught my eye as I went to return my lips to the base of her neck.

        "What's that?" I asked, not really able to see what was colored onto her skin in the dark room. I thought that she might be wearing another shirt under neither, or that she had somehow gotten paint on her chest.

        "What?" she asked, running a hand across her neck, not touching the spot I was looking at, "Do I have anything..."

        "Smith!" Ross said, interrupting our conversation as he stuck his head through the open door, "Hurry up, we still have to finish Trott and do both you and me, mate." Amanda quickly turned on the cold water tap and ran back outside, not addressing my question. I made a note to follow up on it later after we went to bed.

        After trying cold water on Trott's head, Ross had the bright idea of using a watering jug with luke warm water, but that also proved more difficult to raise over Amanda's head than a hose, and less easier to aim for the colander.

        Ross panned the camera down onto Amanda, who was sitting on the step and rolling duck tape around the spout of the watering jug, attaching the colander so only one person had to stand on the stoop and pour the water. "This is our resident engineer," Ross explained to the viewers, "Who's problem solving our water issue."

        Amanda only glanced up at him and held up the watering can. "This is the rain maker mark two," she said. "After failed attempts of both..." she set down the jug and held out her hands, "boiling hot, and freezing cold."

        "This is the only time Amanda can see us," Ross said, "And she's here putting up with this sheit."

        "I love this job," Amanda said with a monotone voice, breaking the act when she started laughing, "Does this mean I can be a part of Hat Films now?"

        "You heard it here first," Trott laughed, "Amanda is the new A in Hat Films!"

        "What does that make me?" I laughed.

        The camera panned back to Trott as we got ready for another take. "Sorry Alex," he winced, "You're being replaced."

        "Don't worry Smith," Amanda said, handing me the can, "I'll keep your memory alive by burning anything I can and destroying everything these two love."

        "Eric," Trott choked, biting his knuckle as if he were going to cry.

        We had to fix the rain maker one more time before it worked properly, and sooner than I wanted it to, it was my turn. I wasn't wearing a pair of shorts like Trott was, and I knew my jeans would be destroyed by the time I was done with this.

        I pointed at the camera. "Hey, it's my turn to be freezing, and/or a little bit warm; who knows." I looked over to Amanda, who was still filling up the jug, so I continued to stall. "It's late December, and it's night time," I joked, looking into the camera lens, "What a great idea to shoot this kind of thing now."

        Trott nodded towards Ross, who started playing the sped up music while I made a fool of myself for all of the internet to see. "My shoes are fucking full of water," I laughed, the water still pouring into my eyes and mouth. I pulled off one of my shoes and dumped it out, to the amusement of everyone else in the garden.

        "Do that in front of the camera with the other one," Trott laughed.

        I slipped off my other shoe and picked it up, careful not to spill any of the water that was sloshing around inside of it. I gave the camera a surprised look as I tipped the liquid out of my shoe, smiling and saying "Yeah? Those are my shoes!" We did another take and called it a wrap, allowing me to grab the towel that Amanda had ready for me.

        "Is it your turn now?" I asked her, giving her an encouraging smile.

        "Fuck off Smith," she laughed, pushing me away when I got too close to her, my hair dripping onto her whenever I moved my head. I guessed my face gave away my intentions, because instead of grabbing the towel, I planned to grab her and wrap her in a hug. Ross turned to camera onto us right when Amanda bolted for the kitchen, knowing I wasn't allowed in the house while I was soaking wet.

        She gave a terrified squeak as I caught he hips right as she reached the threshold and I lifted her to my chest. She pulled her legs up as I held her there easily, shouting profanity at me as I felt the cold water seeping through her clothes. "I hate you, put me down!" she shouted, going for my face as she struggled to free herself. Trott and Ross only laughed at her and filmed the entire thing, offering no help. She was weak from laughing, so I spent a long time just holding her there as she swore at me and probably woke the neighbors.

        The minute I let her slip down, she ran into the house, taking my towel with her. I had to take off my shirt and ring it out to stop hypothermia from settling in.

        Ross decided that it would be a good idea to take is trousers off, so he was standing in a tee shirt and pants when Amanda returned, having changed into her pajamas. "Hi!" he said, making a jerking off gesture towards the camera, unaware that she was in the doorway, "I'm in my boxer shorts and you're not going to see, unless he pans down!" 

        I just nodded towards Amanda and continued to ring out my shirt, finding it funny that this was the circumstances when she would first see me with my shirt off. She didn't seem to mind my lack of fitness, however, she reddened whenever I caught her looking at me while I was shirtless.

        The water being squeezed from the fabric made a loud splashing sound on the pavement, and Trott said, "That's Smith ringing his shirt out from the previous take." I yelled a greeting to the camera, and Ross continued to talk.

        "I was going to go shirtless," Ross laughed, finally noticing Amanda, "but there's a lady here..."

        "Don't want to shock her too much," Trott laughed, "She might not come back!"

---------------------------------------------

        "You're a Boy Scout," I said to Amanda as I rubbed the towel across my head, "How do you stop hypothermia?"

        She was editing our music video on her laptop while she sat cross legged in the middle of couch. She bit at her thumbnail as she worked, her eyes trained on the screen as she concentrated. Amanda paused to look up at me, her eyes the only thing moving to shift her gaze. "You get naked with them in a sleeping bag," she said, fixing me with an placid look before cracking a grin and returning to her editing job.

        I fell onto the couch beside her and tugged at her wrist, placing the back of her hand on my forehead as if I had some type of ailment. "I think I have hypothermia," I gushed over dramatically, "I need you're help!"  Amanda only laughed at me and pulled her hand free, telling me that she needed to finish this. "Come on," I laughed, "You gotta do a good turn daily!"

        Amanda leaned in to kiss me before shoving me away again. "I have to finish this Smith," she insisted, "Why don't you go to bed? I'll be up soon."

        "And leave such a beautiful piece of art with no appreciation?" I scoffed. My girlfriend only looked at me and raised her eyebrows, causing me to laugh and throw my arm around her shoulders. I was exhausted and not thinking clearly, and I wanted nothing more than to cuddle with this pretty girl.

        "Are you okay Smiffy?" she asked, looking at me with mock pity, "You're acting kind of delirious."

        "I'm really tired," I mused, played with a curl of her hair. I buried my face into her neck, letting myself get lost in the scent of he shampoo.

        After watching her work for a while, I stood up and tugged at her sleeve, trying to get her to stand. "You can finish that in the morning," I wined, "Come to bed."

        Amanda tried to tug back her arm as she said, "Just a few more minutes and..." I cut her off by wrapping my arms around her waist and tugging, almost sending her laptop crashing to the floor. She reluctantly saved her work and turned off the computer, all the while battling my hugs and kisses. "You are the cuddliest piece of shit Smith," she grumbled, trying to get me off of her long enough to make it upstairs.

A/N I know the music video was filmed in November. Please don't hurt me, I just really wanted to do something like this ever since I started this story. Sorry I havn't posted much of this lately, I'm trying to refine my ideas and make this all around better for you guys. I'd love to get some feedback on what you guys think and don't forget to vote, it really helps. Thank you for all the support and views, happy reading!