Title: Hot stones
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 and 5xOC
Timeline: After EW
Word-count: 1567
Author notes: Got the idea after sis massaged my poor abused back when I threw my lowest vertebrae out of place. Hope you like. Dedicated to Sharon. Visit her site Moments of Rapture!
Disclaimer: I own only my OC Rinku Lowe.
Hot stones;
Heero blinked when a strange car pulled up on the driveway. Quatre was in the study, Trowa wouldn't be back from visiting Cathy for another day and Wufei and Duo were at preventors for the next 3 hours, 22 minutes and 25 seconds. None of them were the owners of a car like that and the man who got out didn't look like anyone he knew; his preventors uniform jacket though made Heero wonder if something had happened. He got up and went to the door.
"Easy does it. Just a few more steps and you're home." the stranger said to the person he led to the door.
"Thanks man. I owe you." Duo said smiling at the man thankfully. Heero blinked and took in Duo who walked slowly and stiffly to the door; while doing so he leaned heavily on the stranger. Something was not right.
"Duo?" Heero asked walking over to them.
"Hey Heero. Thanks Larry you can go now. I'm in good hands now." Duo said waving the preventor named Larry off.
"Right, remember to listen to Sally's advice or she'll have my hide for it." Larry said grinning.
"I will. I will." Duo laughed before wincing and turning back to the house.
"You okay? You're home early. What happened? What hurts?" Heero asked offering Duo his arm to lean on as the braided one was obviously in pain.
"Aw I'm alright man. I just messed up during training today n threw my back. It hurts like hell, but I'll just lay down in the downstairs bedroom for now and relax n it'll be better in a day or so." Duo said gratefully accepting Heero's arm and slowly shuffling to the downstairs bedroom. Heero helped him get comfortable and thoughtfully brought him coffee and his laptop to work on. Duo smiled at this. Heero was like this only at home and he loved that.
"Thanks love." he said wincing some as turning slightly to look at Heero pulled on the muscles in his back.
"You're welcome. Rest up now." Heero said smiling.
OEOEOEOEOEO
Two days later Heero watched as Duo slowly shuffled from the toilet to the downstairs bedroom. He felt bad for Duo whose back had only gotten worse. Quatre had been very sweet and had late at night gone to the 24/7 store to grab Duo some painkillers and special ointment to help heal his back muscles, but the ointment hadn't done much for him. Over the span of 2 days the pain in Duo's back seemed to get worse and his back got stiff something terrible. Heero couldn't stand to see the braided one in pain like this and pondered on ways to help him. Suddenly he grinned. He knew how to help Duo. Heero got up and ran up stairs.
"He's got to have them somewhere here." Heero murmured as he went through the things in the shower. He let out a triumphant exclamation and pulled the small velvet pouch out of the small cupboard beside the bath. He hurried down the stairs again to prepare his find to help Duo with them.
OEOEOEOEOEO
Duo winced and bit back a whimper as he slowly sunk down on the bed again. His back hurt still and with the stiffness it actually seemed to be getting worse. He hated this; he felt like a cripple. He was shocked out of his brooding when his bedroom door opened and Heero told him to strip off his shirt and turn over.
"Excuse me?" Duo asked blinking in shock.
"Got something to help your back." Heero said blushing as he realize just what he'd said. Duo laughed and winced while he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and let gravity do the rest for him before pushing it aside and lying down on his stomach. Heero meanwhile set down a pan on the bedside table and a bottle of massage oil. He then placed a towel over Duo's lower half and checked the contest of his pan. Nodding to himself he got to work and rubbed massage oil on Duo's back gently.
Duo moaned as Heero's hands worked precise and effectively on the muscles of his back and he slowly began to relax letting Heero work his sore back. He gasped in shock though when he felt something hot come in contact with his back.
"Ahh what the?" he yelped.
"Hot stones. It's supposed to be very good for strained muscles and such. I remembered Wufei gave Quatre a set for his birthday after Rinku told Quatre about the massage technique. She gives Wufei hot stone massages whenever he over works his muscles again." Heero explained checking Duo's back to make sure the stone wasn't too hot. When he noticed no reddening skin he set to work using the two smaller of the stones first to massage Duo's back and let the heat soak into the aching muscles. Duo moaned softly and winced when Heero went over the point from where his back pain spread.
Heero smiled as Duo relaxed again. The two smallest stones turned cold soon and Heero bent over to the pan to pick out two more. He carefully tested them before placing them on Duo's back.
"Let me know if they're too hot." he murmured. Duo nodded quietly as he enjoyed the heat soaking into his body and Heero's hands that moved the stones expertly along his back. This hot stone thing felt amazing and if it were physically possible Duo would've melted into a content happy goo.
As he worked on the part of Duo's back that hurt the most Heero began to hum softly a soothing melody he'd once heard, but couldn't remember the text of. He kept his eye on Duo to make sure he didn't hurt the boy. Duo only winced whenever one of the stones went over the sore vertebrae that was the cause of his misery. Heero kept up this massage for a good twenty minutes before he placed the extra towel on Duo's back and systematically placed the remaining stones on Duo's back for optimal heat absorption. He smiled when he heard Duo purr contently as the heat did its work.
Duo had always disliked being cold so it made perfect sense to Heero that the braided one loved this massage. Heero had not mentioned it, but he'd on more than one occasion during mission gotten a hot stone massage himself. Wufei had been glad to share with him the wisdom and the perks of hot stone massages. He'd even taught Heero how to do it so the Japanese youth could return the favour. That had been ages ago though during the war. Heero had not been as open as he was now nor had he realized just how much he loved the braided menace that seemed to bring nothing but trouble for him then. Now however he could reap the benefits of Wufei's teachings and he was thankful that the Chinese Youth had insisted that it was a good thing to learn and would be beneficial for future missions.
"Better?" Heero asked as he put the cold stones back in the pan to clean later and cleaned his hands on the towel that had been over the pan to keep in the heat. Duo didn't speak though, instead he gave something of an almost nod. Heero smiled and checked the stones on Duo's back and began to remove them now. Duo let out a sad mewl at the loss of the delicious heat.
"Guess you like?" Heero chuckled.
"Hm...gotta get us some..." Duo murmured sleepily. Heero smiled and helped Duo put his shirt back on and then tugged him in before leaving the room to put the stones away.
OEOEOEOEOEO
Heero smiled as he washed the stones carefully and dried them before putting them back in the velvet pouch.
"Give Duo a massage huh?" Quatre said smiling.
"Yup. He wants his own set now." Heero said grinning.
"Haha, I'll bet. Duo hates being cold so hot stones are perfect for him." Quatre laughed.
"Hm, I just hope it helps. He looked downright miserable earlier." Heero said as he put the pouch away carefully.
"Indeed he did. I'm sure though he will benefit if only a little of it." Quatre said smiling. Heero nodded and returned to the downstairs bedroom. He smiled upon seeing Duo sleeping peacefully wrapped in the blanket. The braided one murmured in his sleep and grinned. Heero chuckled and closed the door quietly.
"Love you too Duo." he whispered.
OEOEOEOEOEO
Duo came out of the bedroom and stretched his back carefully. He grinned noting that the ache was significantly less now and he finally was able to walk without almost doubling over in pain. He'd never have thought that something as simple as a shifted vertebrae could hurt more than broken bones.
"Feeling much better I see." Heero said wrapping his arms carefully around Duo's waist.
"Yeah, thanks to your massage. Thank the stars...I need a shower badly now I can finally stand for more than 5 minutes without pain." Duo said pretending to sniff himself and gag from the scent.
"You could've said something before. You know I'd have no problem helping you." Heero said giving Duo a shy sultry look through his bangs. He chuckled softly as this made Duo turn a lovely shade of red.
The end.