Title: Tickled pink Fox leaned forward on the couch and let out a pained gasp as he lifted himself up. For days he’d been in pain, but this was the first time he’d felt bad enough to show it in front ot Walter and John. Stupid file box. Ignoring all Walter’s advice about careful lifting, he had simply bent at the waist and lifted the box up. And now he was paying the price. ‘Fox?’ ‘It’s nothing Walter. Just a pulled muscle.’ Fox decided not to make any more fuss about his backache. Or its cause. A lecture on safe handling of heavy objects would follow. And corner time would follow that. And… He shuddered inwardly at the thought of what would follow that. ‘C’mere.’ Walter put out a hand and, reluctantly, Fox walked towards him. ‘Walter, I’m fine, really.’ ‘Go down to the basement. John, in half an hour, please run a hot bath. And put some of that muscle relaxing stuff in it.’ John looked up from his book. ‘Sure.’ ************ The dark wooden table stood imposingly in the center of the dimly-lit room. Originally, some months earlier, Walter had seen it in a shop window and decided it would make the perfect dining table for them. On bringing it home, however, it was quickly clear that the large, heavy oak table dominated the light room, otherwise furnished and decorated in pale colors. Deciding he had made a mistake, Walter had put an ad in the paper. Thankfully, the legs unscrewed and the three of them had dragged it into the basement, awaiting a buyer. Three months on, and the table now served a whole different purpose to the one its maker had intended. Patting the surface, Walter said quietly: ‘Up you get.’ Fox climbed onto the table, grateful for the leather-covered foam mat they had decided needed to cover the table’s surface if it was to be comfortable to lie down on. Fox had already stripped to his boxers, wincing as he bent and twisted. He squirmed for a short while, finding the least uncomfortable position. ‘Aaah!’ Fox cried out as the hot massage oil pooled in the small of his back. ‘The oil has to be warm Fox, or it won’t help.’ Walter said in a tone which suggested he thought Fox was making a fuss over nothing. ‘Any ‘warmer’ and it’d melt my skin.’ Fox complained. Walter laughed, sighed, then began to work on Fox, his strong fingers finding the tense and overstretched muscles. After a few minutes, Fox began to relax, even managing not to completely lift off the table each time Walter’s probing fingers pressed firmly into his side. ‘What happened Fox?’ Not fair Walter. Fox’s internal voice complained. Don’t ask me now. You know I won’t be able to lie. ‘I lifted a stupid box.’ ‘You mean you lifted a box stupidly.’ Walter corrected, his voice deceptively calm. Fox’s huff and slight squirm were answer enough for Walter. After a few more minutes, Walter squeezed Fox’s cotton-clad butt cheek gently. ‘You’re done. Bath time.’ Groaning at the loss of the pleasurable sensation rather than any discomfort at the motion of climbing off the table, Fox pulled on the heavy towelling robe Walter handed him. A while later, Fox came back downstairs, intending to snuggle between his two lovers until bedtime. Walter looked up, smiling, as he realised Fox was back. ‘I think you need an early night Fox.’ Walter said, his tone indicating it wasn’t worth arguing. ‘Walter, really, I’m okay…’ As he spoke, Fox realised, too late, that yet again he was wasting his breath. ‘Bed Fox. Now. Go.’ Walter said, this time making sure he had the last word on the subject. Dejectedly, Fox stared at the carpet. ‘Night John.’ Wanting to finish his book and determined not to be dragged into one of Fox’s bouts of self-pity, John hardly looked up. ‘Night Fox.’ ‘Night Walter.’ ‘Goodnight Fox.’ Walter smiled inwardly as he heard the pathetic tone the words were delivered in and saw the pout and tear-bright eyes he was both supposed to see and not supposed to see. ‘I’ll be up in a little while if you need anything.’ In other words Fox knew Walter really meant: Get out of bed and regret it. He was already in enough trouble, and had no intention of moving once he was under the covers. Click here to go to Part Two Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index Return to the BDSM FIC Index