The front door finally came open, and groaning heavily, the red headed Team Magma leader came through the door and accidentally slammed it shut.

"H-hey! Babe!" Archie came running to him, then he had his arms around him in a hug. "How was today? Ye look exhausted.."

"I AM exhausted..." Maxie replied. "My back is killing me... and so are my feet.." He made an attempt to stretch but he winced and held his shoulder. "I'm a mess right now.."

Archie snaps his fingers. "Oh, Max. I've got a great idea-"

"-oh god.."

*pout* "Will ye at least let me tell ye me idea before ye start assuming it's a bad idea?"

"Alright, what is it?"

Archie grinned. "I'll do what Matt does when me back isn't feeling right. Now, go lay down on the floor."

"...uh, what..?"

"Ye heard me! This'll work, I promise ye! Now, go get cleaned up and I'll give it a try."

Maxie didn't trust this one bit. Any idea that comes from Archie's head is a guarantee either a plan that'll get him hurt, or worse.. embarrassed.

One he was finished, he came out and saw his husband signaling him to the floor.

"Archie.. if this ends up breaking my back... I'm going to knock you into next month."

"Just trust me, Max! Matt has done this millions of times for me, and me back isn't broken! so it has to work!"

He saw that arguing wasn't going to help, so he sat down on the floor, then laid down.

"Are ye ready?"

"To have my back snapped in half? Sure, hun. I'm ready to go to the ER."

Archie detected his smartass attitude, and rolled his eyes at him. "Babe, have I ever steered ye wrong?"

Silence.

"Do you really need me to answer that?"

"Yeah... no. don't answer that. Alright.. 3.. 2.. 1.." He stepped up onto Maxie's back and started walking on top of it.

"A-AH! A-Archie-! Ack- That hurts!!"

He shook his head. "It will at first, just gimme a second.."

*crack*

"AH-ARCHIE! GET OFF!! Argh.... This isn't helping!!! Oh god.. AHH!!"

Archie stepped off of him and lowered to his level. "Hun, are ye alright? I'm sorry... I thought that would work.."

"Ugh... I'm fine.. just NEVER do that again.." Maxie groaned. "Remind me to tell Matt that he's insane."

A chuckle came from the larger man's mouth, but he felt bad. He watched his husband sit up and writhe in pain.

"Hey.. Max..?"

He sighed. "If it's another bad idea... please don't.. my back hurts even more after that.."

Archie scooted over behind him and wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek.

"Will ye at least let me rub your back..? If that doesn't help, I dunno what will. I promise to be gentle.."

Maxie was about to decline, but seeing the way his husband looked at him, he couldn't say no. He knew that Archie felt bad for almost breaking his spine.

"Alright.. there's nothing that can go wrong there..." He stood up and flopped onto the couch, drained.

Archie follows him and lays down right next to him, snuggling him close.

"Alright, if ye feel any pain.. just let me know, and I'll stop.. okay, hun?"

The redhead smiles. "Yes... I will.."

Archie slipped his hands underneath his shirt and started rubbing his back gently, making Maxie purr like a Delcatty.

"Does that feel a little better, Max?"

"Mmmhmm..." He hummed, resting peacefully on the couch, eyes closing. "Thank you...."

"Awww, it's no problem, baby.. Ye know I'll always try to take yer pain away.."

Archie kept this up,thinking that he would put his husband peacefully to sleep with his gentle touch, but after a few moments, he heard something else instead.

"Mmm.. hmhmhmhmhmhm.. hehe.. A-Archihihihihie.."

"Mm? Yeah? Am I hurtin' ye?" He softens his touch even more.

He started to cough up giggles. "Ah! N-noho, it's starting to tickle.. hehehe.."

Archie smiled, keeping it up. "Well, that's gotta be better than the pain, huh?" He playfully spiders his fingers at his back, practically sending shivers up the redhead's spine.

"N-nonononono! Ahahaha! Ahaharchieeee..." He giggled, squirming in his grip. "Ahaha! S-stop! Ahahahehehe- th-that's not hehelping ihihihit tihihihihickle lehehehess!"

"I'm sure it isn't! But ye don't seem to be in pain anymore!" He grabbed a hold of Maxie, since he was about to hit the floor from squirming so much. "Ah, ye get back here, wiggle worm.." He cooed, gently raking his fingers down his back.

"Nohohohohohoho!!!" He squeaked, unable to twist himself around. "St-stohohohop!! *snort* Ihihihihit ticklehehehes!!"

"That's the point, babe.. THIS is what ye need. A tickly back massage.." He smirked, scratching softly at the soft skin.

"NO! No-nohahahahaha!!! Ahahahehehehe!! Ahahaharchihihihihie!! St-stop!! M-my bahack ihihihis vehehery sehehehehensitive!!"

Archie just smiled back, listening to his sweet giggles. "Ah, come on... this has to be better than feelin' like yer back is snapped in half!"

This continues for a good moment, then Maxie tried wiggling away again, but Archie had an iron grip on him.

"Okahahahay okahahahay!! *snort* You cahahahan stahahahahop now! I can't tahahahake it!" He squeaked again. "Cahahan't you juhuhust rub my bahahack normahahahahally???"

"Well, then it wouldn't be that much fun then, would it?" The Aqua leader laughed. "This seems to have ye much more relaxed, sweetheart. Besides... that soft giggle of yers is tuggin' at me heart strings~ Yer laugh is so beautiful."

His face turned pink, not just from laughing, but also from Archie's compliments. "Ahaharchie! Cohohome ahahahahan!!! Y-you're ehehehembarassing me!"

Archie let up on him and put more force on his back, slowing his giggling.

"Th-thank *hic* you.." He hiccuped.

"Yer so cute, I swear.." He brought a hand up to his head and pet it, getting him to purr more. "Me magma bear~"

"Stop it, you dork... you know I hate that nickname...." Maxie replied, blushing and sinking back down into the couch.

After a while, Archie stopped. Yawning, he sat up. "I'm gettin' sleepy, babe... can we head to bed now?"

"As long as you keep rubbing my back.. that's fine with me.." He chuckled, sitting up.

He saw that Archie was looking down at the floor, lost in thought.

"Archie?"

He snapped back to reality. "Sorry, Max. But I was just wonderin'.. didn't ye say that yer feet were hurtin' too?" There was a playful tone in his voice.

Maxie's eyes went wide and he started to move away from him. "N-no I didn't-!"

"Pretty sure ye did..." Archie growled. "Maybe I should give ye a foot rub too."

He was already running away. "NOPE. BYE."

Archie took off after him. "Wha-? Come back here! Yer not gonna run away from me! I just wanna help ye relax!" Chuckling, he went searching around the entire house, looking for his hiding husband. "What do ye think a foot rub is gonna do?"

"KILL ME!" He yelled back. "D-Don't you dare come near my feet! Do you hear me?!"

Silence.

"Babe. Ye know I'm gonna find ye." He crossed his arms, walking to their bedroom.

He found Maxie hiding in the bed. Not a very smart hiding spot. And to make it worse, he had his feet sticking out from underneath the covers, making Archie flash an impish grin.

"Gotcha!"

"Aaah!!"

Archie sat down on top of his legs so he couldn't escape. "Now.. just relax, and hold still, babe..." He began massaging his right foot. "I'll make sure it doesn't hurt, but there's no guarantee it won't tickle like hell."

"N-no!! Don't you da- HAHAHAHAHA!!!! NOHOHOHOHO!! LEHEHET GOHOHOHOHO!!"

Needless to say, he got his foot rub, alright. Despite the dumbass act, Archie knew that he would have him howling in laughter, because his feet were even more ticklish than his back.