Headache

Tina rubbed her temples, then her forehead. The tension seemed to surround her, pressing on her skull like a too tight headband. It was becoming unbearable. The fact that they were in a loud movie theater didn't help matters any.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jimmy Junior asked in a whisper. She sighed heavily.

"Yeah, just a headache," she told him. "I didn't bring any aspirin with me."

"Oh, um," he shifted around in his seat a little. She looked so uncomfortable, and he didn't want to cut their date short because of this. He felt compelled to do something. "Maybe I can help?"

"Do you have aspirin?" she asked.

"No." He frowned.

"Then what?"

"Do you… Well… I mean… I could give you a massage?" Jimmy Junior rubbed the back of his neck, feeling increasingly awkward. He kind of wished he hadn't said anything, but he felt weird watching her try to rub the pain away herself. He knew it worked better if it was someone else.

"You'd really do that?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess," he answered. "I mean, you've done it for me before."

"I have," she agreed, but she was still surprised by his offer. She gave him massages a couple times before when he got sore from dancing, but she never thought he'd try to return the favor.

"You know how?"

He paused. Was there anything to know? People in the rows in front of them were starting to turn and glare, so he didn't want to ask.

"Sure?"

"Okay," she agreed. She didn't really care either way. He was willing to help, and she wasn't about to turn that down.

The two of them scooted closer together in their seats, and she leaned over towards him. Jimmy Junior was glad they chose seats in the back row, he wasn't sure he would feel comfortable doing this if they were sitting where other people could see. They had only just started officially dating a few weeks ago, and he was still adjusting to being affectionate in public. Hesitantly, he brought his hands up to either side of her head and pressed his fingertips to her temples, like he'd seen her do to herself moments ago. He rubbed in small circles.

"Is this okay?" he whispered.

"Yes," she told him. The second he touched her, she started feeling better, and now all she wanted to do was close her eyes and relax into him. So carefully, she did.

Jimmy Junior stiffened a little and stopped what he was doing as Tina shifted and leaned over more so she was resting against his shoulder. This placed him in an awkward position and forced him to change methods, but he still reached up with one hand and started stroking her hair on the one side of her head he now had access to. She sighed again, but this time it sounded softer.

"That's nice, Jimmy," she mumbled to him. "Thank you."

He blushed and smiled, but didn't answer her, just kept up his ministrations. Before too long, he stopped feeling self-conscious about it and relaxed with her, focusing on the pleasant weight of her head on his shoulder and the soft strands of her hair between his fingers. When the lights came up in the theater once again, it was like they were both coming out of a trance.

When they were asked later how the movie was, neither of them had an answer.