Kiss it better
It was just another "quiet" and "peaceful" day at the lab. Walter was preparing toffees while Astrid was absentmindedly working on the computer, trying to watch over Walter at the same time.
Olivia was in her office in the lab, meticulously filling her reports. All was peaceful and relatively quiet (we're still talking about Walter's lab, for heaven's sake!).
That was, until Peter suddenly broke into the lab, roughly pushing the doors and stammering heavily until he reached the chair where Walter once experimented drugs on innocent students.
If his entrance hadn't been enough, his loud and colorful cursing and moaning (echoed by Gene's mooing) stirred even Olivia from her paperwork.
Peter was still muttering under his breath but relaxed visibly when he saw Olivia.
Walter ran quick tests on him and made him lay down flat on his stomach.
"Now, son, tell me. What kind of pain are you experiencing? As far as I have detected you have no disease, no rubor or edema and no damage in your tissues, skin or bone structure. But I gather from your gasps that it is indeed your back that is hurting, right?"
"So? What are you saying? That I'm bloody imagining things?"
"No, I'm sure not, son. As a first therapy I would try with Shiatsu. Agent Farnsworth?"
Walter was, unlike Peter and Olivia, totally unsurprised at the news Astrid indeed mastered Shiatsu.
Astrid and Walter stripped Peter until he was bare-chested with only his pants on. After not even 30 full seconds of Astrid's hands touching seemingly random places on Peter's back, she announced that nothing was wrong with him, that the pain he was in was unexplainable.
Walter turned pensive as his son was doing his best trying not to shout and curse ecause of his back.
Dr. Bishop's second attempt wasn't much more successful than the first had been. After having Peter drink a "worm slushie" the only effect was Peter vomiting his guts out and sending random insults towards his father.
After other two hours and five other unsuccessful remedies, Olivia approached Peter and caught his hand in hers to get his attention. She'd been quiet so far but was getting more and more preoccupied as minutes ticked by and Peter's pain wasn't subsiding.
"Listen, Peter. I'm going to ask Nina Sharp for the records of your movements through the whole day. I'm sure we'll find something that will give us a clue about what's going on with you."
She looked over at Walter and noticed him lost deep in thought. Not finding it surprising, she waved over at Astrid and managed to take exactly 14 steps toward the exit before Walter stopped her.
"Agent Dunham? I think it will be unnecessary. I think I have figured out what happened. If you would please be so kind and come back here at Peter's side? Perfect! Now back off again for a few steps... brilliant! Just what I…"
"will you cut the crap, Walter? You know, I'm still in pain here!"
"But not for much longer, son! You know, I quite admire your moral and psychological strength, Peter, you never cease to amaze me!"
"Glad you're happy, Walter. Will you please enlighten us or will you keep bantering on? To make sure I've suffered enough?" Peter's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Agent Dunham? Please come closer. Yes, perfect. Now place your hands on Peter's back, anywhere you want."
"Walter? What are we doing, exactly?" Olivia was a bit reluctant but placed her hands on Peter's back nonetheless, one between his shoulder blades and one lower, at the small of his back.
"just making sure my theory is right. Oh, yes." The older Bishop was rambling to himself. Astrid immediately noticed Peter's facial features relax, as soon as Olivia's hands touched him. Lifting both brows in a silent question she looked at Walter, who was very excited.
"Ha-ha! Excellent! And, I must say, son, you have got good taste indeed!" Walter was bouncing like a child in front of a sweets shop.
"Walter?" Olivia cut through his daydreams "What is going on? Is this something about Cortexiphan or my special abilities?"
"I believe not, Agent Dunham! You know the phrase " mind over matter"? well, it seems it doesn't always apply. To make it short, Peter's body is expressing what his mind struggles not to."
"And that would be?" Peter was genuinely curious now.
"But that you are attracted to miss Dunham, of course! That you crave for contact with her. That you desire her with every fiber of your body. That even proximity to her is soothing to the aches of your loving heart. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the star of your wet dreams at nigh…"
"Enough!" Peter's face was so red it could genuinely compare to crimson. He was just so embarrassed that "Ouch!" his back began hurting again.
"The solution would be simple! Ask Agent Dunham to kiss it better! Well, I'm leaving you some privacy…. Astrid! We need to get the toffees done, follow me…" Walter's voice slowly faded as he went back to his cooking corner.
An uncomfortable silence had settled between Peter and Olivia.
"'Livia… I…" Peter clenched his teeth and then let out a breath as he felt the pain subside. Olivia was rubbing soothing circles on his back.
For a few minutes neither spoke. Olivia was rubbing Peter's strong muscles and checking him out, getting a chance to see his body, always over clad with excessive bulky clothing.
"Is it true, Peter? Is your father right?"
Peter didn't know how to answer. Yes, of course his father was right about his feelings, but risking to tell her? What if it jeopardized their little family situation? Would he stand it, were she to turn cold as stone towards him?
But a small voice in his head was wandering how would Olivia's lips feel against his skin, or against his own lips. Was it worth the risk?
"Well… Uhm… I… Yes. Yes, I do." The hands on his back stilled.
"And?" her voice was expectant. Peter was taken by surprise. What did he have to add?
"Yes, I do feel better when you're around..."
Another pause.
"Yes, I desire you!"
Olivia was still motionless.
"Hell, yes, I love you!"
Another silence.
"Aw, come on, you don't really need to hear this… Ok, fine! Yes, I do have fantasies of you at night! Do you actually need me to tell you what I jerk off to or will you take pity on me?" he expected her to leave at that point but her hands stayed where they were, still on his back.
And he was once again startled when she began to laugh.
"You smart and funny massive pain in the ass…. That's not what I meant! Will you ask me for it or will I have to watch you be in pain for much longer?"
"Peter?"
It took him a few seconds to realize what she was talking about. Then it hit him.
"Kiss it better, Olivia, sweetheart?"
The end