Chapter 189: How does your back feel?

​The rain had started and it only poured heavier by the minute, drumming a steady, rhythmic cadence against the high glass windows of the penthouse, but inside the tub, surrounded by the scent of warm water and Reid’s rich, frozen pine, the storm felt miles away.

​Reid rested his chin lightly against the top of my head, his thumbs gently smoothing over the skin of my lower stomach beneath the surface.

​"You feeling okay?" he whispered against my hair, his voice vibrating right through my spine. "Water’s not too hot?"

​"It’s perfect," I rasped, closing my eyes and letting my head tilt back against his shoulder. My body felt heavy, completely drained from the emotional wrecking ball of the clinic and the lingering strain in my hips, but my chest didn’t feel like it was being crushed under an iron boot. "Nate was right. My back needed this."

​"Nate’s a smart guy," Reid murmured, his hand sliding slowly across my stomach, his palm pressing flat and warm over my lower abdomen. He held me there, his touch reverent, terrified, and deeply possessive all at once. "We’re going to get through this, Kain. Once your body gets fixed, we’re going to play to win."

​I laid my hand over his beneath the water, lacing my fingers through his large, calloused ones.

​"I know," I whispered into the steamy air, my eyes tracking the water droplets sliding down the glass outside. "Just, for now, hold onto me, McCoy."

​"Yes, Cap," Reid promised against my neck, his arms tightening around me as the warm water carried away the aches of the day.

We stayed like that for a long while, listening to the heavy downpour drumming against the glass. As the bath water gradually began to lose its scalding heat, turning lukewarm, Reid shifted behind me.

​"Water’s cooling down, Cap," he murmured softly against my hair.

​He reached over to the edge of the tub for the soft bath sponge and a bottle of my scent-neutralizing wash.

Squeezing a generous dollop onto the mesh, he worked it into a rich, gentle lather before pressing it against my shoulders.

His touch was remarkably gentle, gliding the sponge down the expanse of my back, washing away the dried sweat and deep-tissue cream from the long day. He moved with a quiet, reverent care, lingering over the tight knots in my shoulder blades without pressing hard enough to cause pain.

​Next, he grabbed the bottle of shampoo. "Tilt your head back for me," he rasped softly.

​I complied, resting my head against his chest as he used his large palm to scoop warm water over my scalp, wetting my hair thoroughly. His fingers threaded through the strands, massaging the foam into my scalp with a slow, firm rhythm that sent a shudder of pure relaxation straight down my spine.

I closed my eyes, letting out a small, quiet sigh into the steamy air as he rinsed the soap away, his hand cupping my forehead to keep the water out of my face.

​Once we were both clean, Reid carefully drained the tub. He stepped out first, grabbing two thick, plush towels from the heated rack. Wrapping one securely around his waist, he held the larger one open and reached down to scoop me out of the water.

​He carried me over to the vanity bench, setting me down gently before draping the warm towel over my shoulders. Standing between my knees, Reid took a smaller hand towel and began thoroughly drying my wet hair, rubbing the damp strands with practiced, gentle motions. He worked efficiently, his grey eyes locked on my face, checking every faint line of exhaustion on my features.

​"How does your back feel?" he asked softly, setting the towel aside and grabbing a wide-tooth comb to gently untangle my hair.

​"Less like lead," I murmured, leaning slightly into his body as he worked. "A lot better than this afternoon."

​Satisfied, Reid wrapped me up in his thickest bathrobe, practically carrying me out of the bathroom and tucking me into the king-sized bed.

The moment my head hit the soft pillows, the sheer, overwhelming exhaustion of the past twenty-four hours caught up to me. Wrapped in Reid’s rich pine scent, I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

​The next morning, around 6:45 AM, I woke up to a faint, rhythmic clinking sound coming from the master bathroom.

​My eyes fluttered open. The bed beside me was empty, the sheets cold where Reid had been sleeping.

I pushed myself up slowly, testing my lower back; the sharp, agonizing ache from yesterday had subsided into a dull, manageable stiffness, just as Nate had predicted.

​I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, moving quietly toward the open bathroom door.

​Inside, Reid was standing over the deep metal recovery tub. He was wearing nothing but a pair of dark sweatpants, his broad back flexing as he dumped a third heavy bag of solid ice blocks into the water.

​I blinked, taking in the sheer volume of ice floating on the surface. "Reid... where did you get all that?"

​Reid turned his head, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. "The freezer in the kitchen," he explained, his voice low and quiet in the early morning air. "I moved extra water trays and ice blocks into it last night before I went to bed so they’d freeze solid by dawn."

​I stood in the doorway, staring at him in faint disbelief. He had planned this whole thing out while I was fast asleep—setting up the freezer, checking the timing, and waking up early just to ensure my treatment went smoothly without me having to lift a single finger.

​He was terrified, exhausted, and carrying the weight of our whole world on his shoulders, yet his attention to every single detail of my physical care was absolute.

​"You’re too attentive, McCoy," I rasped out softly, a small, genuine warmth breaking through the quiet cold of the room.

​Reid set the empty bag aside and stepped over to me, his large, warm hands coming up to rest gently on my waist. His grey eyes searched mine with intense devotion.

"Nate said hot bath last night, ice bath at 7:00 AM sharp," he murmured, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead. "I’m not letting anything slip, Cap. Water’s ready. You prepared for the shock?"