Drizzle & Sizzle
By Intrepidwarriors
Biker Mice From Mars belongs to their Creators
And possibly the monsters living under their beds
(Dedicated to SC – thank you for sharing your creative genius!)
Chi-town was in the midst of a summer so intense that everything either sizzled with heat, or drizzled with sweat. The days were scorching, forcing many residents indoors from morning till evening, where they would emerge like nocturnal hunters, seeking fresh air and whatever relief they could find from the light evening breeze.
The airconditioner in the Last Chance was barely coping during the daytime, and the motor was close to burnout each evening. To save the airconditioner, Charlie began turning it off during the later part of the day. It was desperate measures, but there was no way she could afford to replace it.
Charlie could tell her Martian friends weren't coping with the heatwave, despite their time spent in the Martian desert, where they could escape to cool tunnels and underground lairs designed to shield their occupants from the worst of the planet's temperatures.
All the cold root-beer in the world wasn't enough to keep the internal combustion engine in Vinnie's head from overheating, and he was close to blowing a gasket.
Worried her husband's ever growing restless behaviour would land him in trouble with law enforcement, she made a call to an old friend who ran a salvage yard. Hanging up the phone, she smiled smugly to herself and took the pickup to grab her new purchase.
When she arrived back at the garage, she called to the mice to help her unload the back of the pickup.
"What kind of bath-tub is this Charlie-ma'am?" Modo commented as helped unload the over-sized tub.
Grunting, Charlie helped Carbine push from on top of the pickup. Satisfied the guys could handle it from that point, she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm and stretched her back.
"It's called a spa-bath Modo. An engine pumps air through the water so that the bubbles force their way from under the water to the top."
"Where do you want it in the garage Charlie-girl?" Throttle asked, as sweat poured down the back of his vest and lodged along the rim of his pelvic crest. He was itching to drop the heavy tub but didn't dare show it in front of his bros. He always believed in leading by example.
"Not in the garage, place it over there!" Charlie pointed to the spot she wanted the spa to go.
The three biker mice moved in unison to place the spa in position, their experience from working as a team showing in their ability to accomplish this quickly and efficiently.
They all let out sighs of relief once they were relieved of their burden.
"So hot!" Vinnie gasped, beads of sweat lining his forehead and dripping off the corner of his elbows.
Charlie quickly turned the hose on and let the water start filling the tub, while she went to the front of the pickup and pulled out several bags of ice. Ripping the bags open, she dumped the contents into the spa-bath and watched as they started to bob and weave slowly around the filling tub.
She left the mice entranced by the frozen water moving in lazy circles in its melted cousin and went to the back of the garage. Pulling out several tubes and a portable generator, she returned to the spa and fashioned a makeshift engine.
Pushing the tubing under the water, she started the generator and the water came to life. Bubbles poured out in manic fashion, racing to see who would emerge at the top of the water first, only to die a quick death of 'pop!'
The mice laughed and cheered, running their arms through the water, commenting on how cool the water was.
Charlie tested the water with her hand but decided it was too cold for her at the moment. She would wait till the ice melted and the edge was taken off the water's chill.
Carbine dashed off to the garage fridge and returned with several cams of rootbeer, which she happily dumped in the water. They bobbed their way around their new aquatic home like drunken chicks on spring break.
Charlie pulled out several armchairs and set them up in front of the spa, dropping a pile of towels on one of them, ready for people to dry themselves.
Not one to miss a new experience, Vinnie started pulling his bandoleer and boots off, hopping on one foot in his earnestness to rid himself of the cumbersome apparel. Tossing his flare holder onto a spare chair with his gloves and other gear, he yanked his zipper and started sliding his jeans down past his hips.
Charlie paused and watched as her gorgeously proportioned husband pulled his jeans off and dropped them on top of the flare-kit. He flipped over into the tub, sending a small wave of water over the side as he eased himself down on onto the seat.
Her eyes did a quick side shuffle from Martian to Martian as the rest of the male mice followed Vinnie's lead and divested themselves of their kits.
"Good grief, sometimes I forget just how handsome they all are!" she thought, managing to find the arm of a chair behind her. Unable to take her eyes off the scene in front of her, she managed to loop her foot through the chair leg and drag it underneath her. The scraping noise caused Vinnie to look in her direction and he beckoned to her.
Shaking her head slightly in the negative, she eased herself down into the armchair.
Vinnie's forehead crinkled in disapproval and he motioned her to join them in the tub.
She shook her head again, and started pulling her boots off. As the cooler air tickled her toes, she let out a relieved sigh. Undoing her buttons, she pulled her blue work shirt off and let the breeze dry the sweat on her singlet. Realising his wife wasn't about to join them any time soon, Vinnie held his tongue but kept shooting worried glances in her direction.
Carbine stripped down to her army issue underwear, which was little more than a singlet and the equivalent of earth 'hot-pants', and was about to hop in the tub with her fellow mice when she realised Charlie wasn't joining them. Martians weren't shy about their bodies, or anyone else's. Fighting a war hadn't left any room for that sort of thing, but Carbine didn't want Charlie to feel they were disrespecting her personal boundaries.
So instead of climbing into the spa, Carbine decided to see what was bothering her friend.
Maybe a little girl-time would help the Terran relax enough to join them.
"You want a rootbeer Charlie?" Carbine asked, snagging two cans as they floated by.
"Oh yes please!" Charlie called out, happily slumped in the armchair, legs straight out in front of her as she watched the guys chatting amongst themselves, water dripping to the ground from their muscular biceps draped over the spa's edge.
Pulling a chair right up close to Charlie, Carbine handed her a rootbeer.
"You ok?" she asked quietly, putting her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders.
Charlie choked back a laugh when she heard the concern in Carbine's voice. She realised her friends thought she must be shy about joining them, and she was touched by their genuine concern.
"Three dripping wet muscular hotties in their underwear sitting in my front yard is not exactly something I see everyday" she chuckled appreciatively.
Carbine turned toward the guys and took a fresh look.
The more she watched the three bros, the more she appreciated why Charlie was reluctant to leave her chair.
Vinnie couldn't stand it anymore and climbed out of the spa. Walking over to the two females, he stood in front of them in his dark boxers, rivulets of water running down his chest and limbs and pooling on the ground around him.
Seeing Vinnie standing in front of the girls and looking so worried, Throttle and Modo decided to investigate and joined their bro. Equal amounts of water caressed their way down the sculpted landscapes called Martian men, and Charlie and Carbine both sucked in a breath at the same time.
"Is everything alright ladies?" Modo politely, noticing the faraway look in his two sister-in-laws eyes.
"Everything's fine Modo" Carbine choked out, since Charlie seemed to have lost her voice.
Vinnie stepped forward and held out a hand to both women.
"Come join us" he entreated them, his eyes conveying how much their company was yearned for.
Charlie felt her hand automatically slipping into Vinnie's, while her mind was desperately commanding her backside not to leave the chair.
"I don't think I can handle this up close Carbine!" Charlie whispered with misgiving to her friend.
Her brain was already fried from the heat, now it was just plain melting from the visual overload in front of her.
Carbine could only emit a weird little squeak of agreement as her brain also entered shut down mode.
Noting they weren't resisting his gentle persuasion, Vinnie walked backwards, leading the girls to the tub.
"Must be the heat" Modo commented sagely as he noticed the human and general were staring lethargically at their men.
"Then they'll appreciate the cool-down big guy" Throttle replied as he picked up his lady-love and climbed feet first into the tub.
Copying his leader, Vinnie swept Charlie up into his arms and into the water. She gasped as the cool water hit her skin and grabbed at him, her arms sliding around his neck and locking into place. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she clung to him, refusing to be dislodged until her internal thermometer adjusted to the change of temperature.
Eventually, Charlie was able to ease her grip as their body heat mingled, allowing her to enjoy the cold bubbling water. As long as she was ensconced between a Martian or two, she was able to relax.
"Hey, Charlie...do you want to see Magic Mike Two tonight?" Carbine called out jokingly from one side of the tub, as she leant her head against Throttle's chest, her legs draped on Modo's lap.
Charlie turned her head from where it rested against Vinnie's and smiled cheekily.
"Magic Mike who?"
Carbine barked with laughter and winked saucily at her friend.
"Think we can make them dance for us?" Carbine teased, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"You'll have to make it rain ladies" interrupted a baritone voice. ***
Modo lifted his head from where it rested against the tub's edge and smiled wickedly at the two females.
Carbine and Charlie erupted into uncontrollable laughter, Modo soon joining in the merriment.
Vinnie and Throttle looked at each other in confusion, doing their best to keep their womenfolk from slipping under the water as they roared with laughter. When they pushed for an explanation, the three amigos couldn't do anything else but gasp for breath, before starting a fresh round of side‑aching giggles.
Giving up, the bros grabbed a fresh rootbeer each and sucked on their respective cans until the three tsunamis causing the waves in the tub calmed down.
Eventually, the five friends returned to the business at hand. Relaxing, drinking, more relaxing, more drinking, semi-wet runs to the facilities, relaxing, more drinking and watching the sun set over the horizon, and the moon emerge to take up nightshift duty.
It soon became their favourite time of the day, especially for Charlie and Carbine.
***when a customer briefly forgets the contents of his or her bank accounts and showers the stage with dollar bills