"Didn't your mamma tell you not to be a slouch?"
Dwight pulled his eyes away from the campfire as Ace sat next to him. "I don't think my posture was high on the list of my mother's concerns", he sighed. He turned back to the campfire, chin resting on his fists, propped up by his elbows on his knees. Ace tutted, playfully. "A good stance and posture, reflect a proper state of mind". "Maybe that's why mine is so terrible", Dwight laughed, wryly.
"Let me help you with that, my friend". "Please don't…Oh my…Ow what are you doing?!" Dwight jerked away as he felt Ace's index and middle finger, press deeply, between his shoulder blades. "Relax. Come 'ere, try squeeze my fingers between your shoulders". "Why?" "Imaging you're trying to keep something there will help you sit straight".
Dwight eyed Ace, suspiciously, as the grey-haired man placed his fingers between his shoulder blades again. More gently this time. "Now bring your shoulders back…that's it". Ace smiled proudly and retracted his fingers, leaving Dwight sitting straight and upright. "You look great", he gripped the younger man's shoulder, affectionately. "You're tense as all hell but…you look great". Dwight snorted at the comment. "Yeah, I haven't exactly had time to call my masseuse".
A silence fell over them. Dwight fought the urge to let his shoulders slump forward again, eventually losing the battle. "I'm sorry, I can't keep sitting like this. My back is killing me". "I, uh…might be able to help you out there, too", Ace spoke up. Dwight cocked an eyebrow at him. "I just…let's just say I got in trouble once. Got some money together and spent some time in Thailand. Picked up a couple of relaxation techniques, from this nice girl, while I was there".
Dwight's mind raced, his face flushing. "Wh-what…techniques?". Ace studied the man's face intently, until he realised the miscommunication. "Oh…no no…I'm talking about massage". Dwight breathed a sigh of relief, before his shoulders hitched again. Was he serious about this?
"Not in a weird way", Ace continued. "I mean…'tis a great skill to impress the ladies. Which isn't what's happening here. I just…uh…". Dwight never saw Ace get flustered like this before. An awkward tension hung in the air while the man searched for the right words. "I just…wanted to do something nice for our dear leader", he nudged Dwight, playfully. "Please don't say that. You make me sound like a dictator". "Oh, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you". "Wait wha-". "I'm kidding, I'm joking", he nudged Dwight again. Dwight hung his head. He could never keep up with Ace's wit. "So, we doin' this or not?"
A few minutes later, Dwight sat cross legged on the ground. Ace sat on a log behind him, hands resting firmly on the leader's shoulders. He gently began to move Dwight's stiffened shoulders, between his hands. "I'm gonna need you to relax if we're gonna do this", he sighed, noticing the younger man's tautness. "Sorry, I just feel like everyone's looking", came the whispered reply. Ace scanned his eyes around the campsite. Almost everyone else was either napping or on a trial. There was no one watching. "How can someone be this anxious, all the time?" he thought to himself, before turning his attention back to Dwight. "Just imagine I'm a beautiful woman", he chuckled. "You're not helping". "Well at least close your eyes". Dwight audibly sighed but, obeyed.
Ace moved his fingers, in circular motions along Dwight's shoulders and neck, searching for any muscles that were unnecessarily tight. Which in Dwight's case, was most of them. He did not know why but, Ace found this incredibly therapeutic. He focused all his attention to rubbing his thumbs along the base of Dwight's neck, applying pressure wherever it was needed. Ace felt a knot of guilt form in his stomach. He always treated the trials as a game. Just another chance to test his luck. He never stopped to think that, some of the others carried the weight of a trial back to the campfire. Ace's fingers found a particularly tense spot, at the base of the leader's left shoulder. He shook his head, "No surprise he always looks so tired". A whimper and a quiet "Ow", pulled him from his thoughts. "Ah shit, sorry…I'll go easier". Ace often forgot how fragile Dwight actually was, considering he took on a lot of the heavier burdens of the group. He gently worked his way around the rest of his back and shoulders, watching for any more negative reactions.
Ace began to finish up the massage. "I think we're just about done here…How'd you feel?". He waited for some sort of response but, it never came. He shifted his sitting position, to get a better look at the young man. Noticing he was now fast asleep, Ace gently moved his legs from behind the sleeping man. He began to get up, taking a moment to admire his handiwork. He smiled proudly to himself; "Visconti, you're one helluva miracle worker".