Hera stretched on the common room seat, her back aching badly. She'd been leaning over in a awkward position for over an hour to fix the control panel in the Phantom. And now she was paying the price. With a small groan of discomfort, she tried to sit so that the pain would soothe but unfortunately, it did not.
"Hera?"
The Twe'lik looked round to see Ezra standing in the hall doorway.
"Oh hey Ezra" Hera smiled, doing her best to ignore the ache.
"You alright?" Ezra asked in concern.
"I..." Hera hesitated.
"I'm a little sore in my back, you don't know how to heal with the Force do you?"
Ezra smiled slightly but the concerned gaze in his eyes didn't lift.
"No, but I do know how to help you."
"How?"
"Simple."
Ezra sat beside Hera and made a motion for her to turn around. Feeling curious, but a little nervous, Hera obeyed. She flinched when she felt Ezra's fingers dig into her back then relaxed when he moved them around.
"Thank you" Hera exhaled, feeling the tension in her spine melt away.
"My mom taught me how to massage properly" Ezra explained as his fingers worked their magic.
"Mind moving down a little? To the left a bit...that's the spot" Hera sighed contently as Ezra got to her lower back.
Ezra smiled as Hera closed her eyes in bliss. He hadn't done anything like this to anyone in ages, but he hadn't forgotten the movements. He saw that the Twe'lik was probably fine now and got an evil idea. Moving his fingers a little so that they were near Hera's sides, he began to massage the area. Hera flinched as she felt small, but common ticklish sensations around her midsections. She tried to ignore it but found they grew more intense as Ezra shifted closer to her belly.
'He's doing that on purpose!' She realised.
Seeing Ezra's goal was to reach her extremely ticklish stomach, she decided to use his own tactic against him.
"Ezra" Hera said innocently and sweetly.
"You've seemed rather tense lately, would you like a massage?"
Ezra was quite surprised by the offer. He normally would decline because he wasn't too comfortable with it. But as he gazed into Hera's shining emerald eyes, he didn't have the heart to say no.
"Alright" he agreed, much to Hera's delight.
He turned his back on Hera who placed her fingers into Ezra's back. She began massaging the area and Ezra flinched quite noticeably.
"Relax Ezra" Hera said gently and the boy hesitatantly stopped tensing.
After a while, Ezra found himself enjoying the massage. Hera considered abandoning her plan to tickle Ezra but decided against it. Besides, hearing Ezra laugh was the cutest thing ever, and it also made her feel happy. She stopped moving her fingers around Ezra's backside and embraced the boy from behind. Ezra seemed quite surprised by Hera's sudden hug but placed his hands over hers. But when he tried to break free, he found he couldn't. Hera had him in what you might call an 'Arm Cage'.
"Hera...?" He began.
He gave an inward gasp as he felt her finger tips trace his belly.
'Oh Karabast' he thought instantly.
'I gotta get out of this.'
Unfortunately for Ezra, he wasn't going anywhere. Hera's grip was gentle, but firm. She wasn't letting him get free, at least not for now. Hera's fingers lightly went over Ezra's sides and stomach making him cringe and clench his fists.
"Hera" he said, trying not to giggle.
"Stohop."
A crafty smile wove onto the Twe'lik's face as she lifted an eyebrow.
"And why would I do that?" She asked.
Ezra didn't trust himself to reply, he was sure if he opened his mouth again he'd laugh.
'Don't give in' he thought firmly, but knew it wasn't going to help his situation.
He knew he was going to break at some point, but was doing his best not to give Hera what she wanted. For his resistance to break.
"Come on Ezra, do I have to resort to the thing you hate?" Hera teased.
At first Ezra thought she was talking about raspberries or tickling his weak spot. However, she did neither. She only increased the ticking on his stomach and said the line Ezra hated.
"Coochie coochie coo!"
Ezra didn't know how, but for some reason, that made the sensation worse. His resistance broke and he giggles slipped through his lips.
"There we go" Hera smiled.
"Took you long enough!"
"I wahahahas trying tohohoho stohohohop myself frohohohohohom laughing" Ezra replied through his unstoppable giggles.
"Yeah and how'd that work out for you?" Hera smirked.
Ezra gave a yelp as Hera's fingers suddenly shot into his armpits. He jerked around on the couch, doubling over with laughter as he kicked out.
"HERHAHAHAHA!" He yelled.
"NAHAHAHOHOHOHOHO! STOHOHOHOP IHIHIT!"
Hera only grinned and squeezed Ezra's sides.
"Plehehehehehse! I'm gonahahaha dihihihihihihie!"
Hera rolled her eyes at that, but stopped her assualt.
"You're not going to die Ezra" she told him.
Ezra only leant back into her and took large gulps of air.
"It's funny" he said when he could speak.
"How fast a massaging session can esculate into a tickle fight."
Hera smiled and leant into the back of the couch, Ezra in her arms. She ran a hand over his short, raven hair fondly making a smile rise on boy's face.
"Thanks for everything you've done for me Hera" he exhaled contently.
"I'm really lucky to have met someone like you."
And with that, Ezra snuggled down and fell asleep. Hera smiled and planted a kiss on Ezra's forehead.
"Sleep well Ezzy" she whispered.