Most stars don’t actually enjoy promoting their newest project whether it be a TV show, book, or even a movie but Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Kevin Hart seemed to be enjoying themselves while making their rounds promoting their new film Central Intelligence. Their obvious physical contrast provided a sort of built-in humor to any appearance the duo made and that day’s was no different. The mountain of a wrestler turned actor sat next to his comedian co-star nearly two feet above him but as strong as Dwayne’s presence was, Kevin never let anyone overlook him or forget he was there; what he lacked in size he made up for in personality. 

“Dwayne I know you have a background in mostly action movies so what made you want to get into comedy more?” the interviewer asked from in front of her guests. “Well, I’m aware most people associate me with more action-y roles but I like having fun and showing my funny side off more sometimes and this movie was a great way for me to do that” Johnson answered, punctuating with his charming pearly smile. “Kevin, my next question is for you; is there any kind of specific challenge that comes with working alongside someone who might not be as naturally comedic as yourself?” she asked. 

“There wasn’t much of a challenge there because he’s actually pretty funny to begin with but the hardest thing for me was not letting my ego get in the way. Ya know, I work out all the time and like to think I’m in good shape but then when I saw footage of us filming I was like shit! We’re gonna look like Groot and Rocket Raccoon!” Kevin explained as animated as ever, cracking the interviewer up and getting another smile from Dwayne as Hart continued. “After a while I got past it and reminded myself that the dynamic was a part of the comedy of the movie, ya know? Besides, I mean he’s a big dude and all but he’s not that tough, not like I was imagining” Kevin added as if to debunk his macho muscleman reputation. 

“How much do you bench again?” Dwayne challenged with a cocked eyebrow. “I bench a lot for my size but you’re like 3 times bigger than me so I’m guessing you bench 3 times as much which makes us even” Kevin laughingly laid out to avoid being embarrassed in the interview. “Yeah yeah whatever” Johnson dismissed like he knew Kevin wouldn’t back down. “Maybe we should have a weight lifting contest or something” the interviewer suggested. “Yeah, that’s a good idea” Dwayne agreed. “Listen, I don’t need to lift as much as him to prove I’m as tough, alright? But if you want to be reminded who’s the funniest, go see Central Intelligence next week!” Kevin made sure to mention as he got the last word of the interview. 

“Thanks, guys; that was fantastic!” the reporter added as the pair got ready to leave. “Thanks for your time” both stars replied before heading to grab lunch between interviews. “You really think you’re as tough as me don’t you?” Dwayne questioned like he was surprised at Kevin’s confidence/borderline cockiness. “I don’t mean to come off like some short guy who thinks he has to prove everybody wrong but yeah, I think I am” Hart doubled down with a cheeky smile, humoring his co-star as they sat down to eat a quick sandwich. “Alright, what about we settle this for real?” Johnson suggested. “Oh, you sound like you’re ready to throw down. Haha alright” Kevin laughed like he was happy to tackle anything Dwayne had in mind. “You let me pick the work out and if you can do it, I’ll believe you’re as tough as me” Dwayne explained as Kevin listened, still with a seemingly permanent smirk on his face. “What about we put some money on it? If I fail and I can’t do it, I pay you $10,000” “You must be looking to lose some money” Dwayne smiled. “But if I complete it, you pay me” Kevin offered. “You’ve got yourself a bet, my man” “I just love easy money” Kevin shook on the deal with another flashy smile like he already felt $10,000 richer. 

By the weekend, the small press tour was over and Kevin Hart was finally getting a look at Dwayne’s impressive home gym. “Shit, and I thought my set up was good” Kevin gawked with a lengthy look around the array of equipment and weights. “Well, it beats going to a public gym 7 days a week” The Rock answered, humored by Kevin’s admiration. “Alright, so what’s the workout? I wore my new gear just for you” Hart questioned while putting his bag down and bouncing around a little to hype himself up. “You ready to go already?” “Hell yeah, man. Let’s do it!” Kevin assured as if he was ready to run 10 miles but Johnson led him over to the part of the gym with a large padded floor, similar to a wrestling mat. 

Kevin eyed the space and realized there were only a few things there; four dumbbells, four jump ropes, and two yoga mats. “This must be one of those out of the box workouts guys like you do when you run out of regular stuff” Hart assumed after not being able to piece together the selected equipment. “I mean if you wanna back out, you can always say so” Dwayne offered, knowing Kevin would take it as a challenge to his manhood. “Hell no, I’m good! Come on, show me whatcha got” the eager 38 yr. old encouraged and Dwayne smiled with excitement toward his guest before getting him ready. 

Kevin did his best to hide his confusion when Dwayne finished, leaving him on his back in a spread eagle position on the mat with his wrists tied with jump ropes to two 100 pound dumbbells and each leg wrapped in a yoga mat with his ankles tied to the other two equally heavy dumbbells. “Uhh…so what now? I can’t really move like this, man” Hart tried to figure out as he tested the strange set up and The Rock watched him begin to squirm with uncertainty. “You can’t move? Really?” Dwayne questioned with a tone Kevin didn’t like, “Yeah, really. Just let me know how the workout is supposed to go” “What if I show you?” Johnson suggested as knelt down and poked into Kevin’s ribs. “ohaoHeY, man! Stop messing around; are we doing this or not?” “I just wanted to make sure but yeah, looks like we’re all good” the Hollywood giant answered with a grin before letting his pointer fingers roam Kevin’s ribs.

“oAohAohEYY! HHeEyYY! SSTtoOOoPPTThhAATSshHIiT!! IiTsSsnNOoOTtfFuUUnNYY!” “I’m gonna have to disagree with you there, man” Rock teased as his smile got wider and his co-star struggled harder. He pulled on the weights attached to his wrists and tried to shift his body around but realized too late that he was stuck there; his legs couldn’t move more than a couple inches and the yoga mats were there just to keep them from bending. “CcOommEeOOoonNSsSToOOPP!! AhAHAEEnNNoOOUuGGhH!” Kevin bumbled over his words, assuming this was just a playful way to fuck with him but Dwayne didn’t show any signs of slowing down. “I thought you were a tough guy?” Johnson challenged while poking all over the exposed rib cage with random jabs Kevin couldn’t even try to anticipate. “AhOAhIIIAaAmMm! JjUuSSTsSSToOPppTTiIiCKKLLIiiNnGGmMmeEEmMAANN!” Hart tried to convince as if he hadn’t had the chance to really prove himself yet. “Alright, just admit you’re not as tough and we’ll end this. Then you can write me a check” “AAohAoAaARrEEyYoOoUuSSEErRriOOuUuSS?!” “Yep” was all Johnson said back before migrating up toward Kevin’s chest and delivering more rapid-fire pokes this time. 

“AAAAHAhAhaSSHHiIITTAhAnNOOnNNoOoOOO!!” Kevin argued as his mouth opened wider and his naturally goofy laughter ballooned even louder. “I will say your chest is pretty solid; you must be eating your Wheaties” Johnson taunted with another killer smile before shifting to two fingers from each hand for more solid blows across the tight pecs. “AAohAOHaFFUuUuCcKkyYoOUu!! TthHiIiSSsiiSSBbuUllSshhIIiT!!” “You agreed to let me pick the workout; it’s not my fault you’re not as tough as you thought” Rock pointed out as Kevin’s nipples got harder from under the grey shirt, convincing Dwayne to show them some attention. With a swift pull Kevin’s shirt was up near his neck and his sculpted upper body was exposed, a sign that things were about to get worse for him. 

“Fucking stop!! Alright, you got me now just let me out and we’ll call it!” Kevin spat out once he finally got a break. “I’ll take your money now if you’re really giving up; that’s up to you” “Are you serious?! You can’t just tickle me, man; that’s fucked up!” “Is it?” Dwayne challenged with a mischievous look before teasing the perky nipples just begging to be played with. “oOoHohAOhANNoOnNoohaoAHA GgEETToOFFmMYyNNiiPPLlLEESS!! OoOhHMMyYGGOoOoDD!” higher pitched giggles poured out of Kevin like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. Dwayne laughed to himself at the hilarious protests and fluttered across both sides of his chest before using one finger to flick back and forth across each nipple, forcing Hart into humiliating fits of girly laughter he had no chance of holding back. 

The Rock wasn’t mean or cruel or the type of guy who’d usually put a friend through this but he did have what you might call a playfully devious side and after filming with Kevin for months and doing press together, he wanted a chance to fuck with him a little bit. The stand-up superstar had trouble letting anybody get laughs other than him and could get under Dwayne’s skin from time to time so when Kevin brought up his toughness during that interview, it was the perfect chance to take him down a peg or two and get out his own frustrations. 

“Don’t tell me you’re sweating already” Dwayne teased as he finished off the tattooed chest with one last tweak of both tender nipples. “Yeah I’m fucking sweating! You’re over here fucking tickling me to death like a damn maniac!!” Hart fired back as he caught his breath and Johnson laughed at his cartoonish frustration, proving Johnson really had struck a chord with Kevin he didn’t want struck. “That’s the great thing about you, man; you can always make me laugh” Dwayne added as he silently set his sights on his next target. “I’m really about to break out of this shit and-“ “And what? Kick my ass?” Johnson teased with his own cocky flare before wrapping his oversized hand around Hart’s upper thigh, telling him exactly what was coming next. 

“Shit, no! No no no, come on!! This is fucking crazy, man!!” a panicked Kevin protested like he was trying to defuse a bomb until The Rock started squeezing his thigh with his powerhouse grip. “AAAOhAAHoAHNNOOnNOOO!! HhoOOLlLLyySSHhiIIIT!!” Kevin exploded with heavier laughter than before, shaking his head back and forth while desperately trying to pull his legs together but the weights and yoga mats kept them nice and open. Dwayne’s hands were large enough to dominate Kevin’s thighs with ease so just the simplest squeeze or wiggle into his leg hit way harder than Hart was expecting. “You can always give up and pay me the 10,000” Johnson reminded while kneading into the extremely ticklish thigh like a perfectly programmed machine. “AAAHohAAAFFuUuCCCkKkTTThhhAAATT!! AhoAAOhAAIiIMmMNNnOOOTTpPpAAyYIIINNnnGG!!” Hart refused, determined to protect his ego just like Johnson had anticipated. 

“Alright…but you must’ve forgotten I have two hands” The Rock answered with a villainous tone before sinking into the other thigh with his free hand and digging into both legs on full blast. “AAOoAoAOAAOHAAMmMOOoTThEERRRFFFuUUcCKKKEER!! AHoAOhAAAYYYOOuUUGgGoOOoTTAASSTTOOoPPP!!” Kevin raged with wide-eyed horror while fighting the jump rope bondage as hard as he could. Johnson had only hoped his co-star was ticklish, having no real evidence to go off of before today but it’d always been a serious weakness of his. Of course nobody ever tickled Kevin these days so he never really encountered it but as the ex-wrestler tried to make him crack, it was as if he’d gotten more ticklish with age, every poke, prod, and squeeze more electric than ever. 

The yoga mats left just enough room for Johnson to get at most of Kevin’s thighs and with no way for him to bend his legs or kick around, Dwayne had uninterrupted access to drive him as far up the wall as he wanted. “You gonna give up or am I gonna have to make you pee a little first?” Dwayne challenged as he moved up a little closer to Kevin’s crotch and sparked another frantic reaction. “AAAhoAHAOhAAA IiIIFFfuUuCckKIInNGgHHAATTEeEEyYYoOUuFFfoOoRRTHHiIiSS!!” Hart refused again as if he didn’t sound like he was losing his mind. “Ok but I’m a pretty patient guy so we could be doing this for a while” The Rock answered before suddenly locking onto his flanks and digging in with his thumbs. “NNnOOoHO! AohACcOOmMmEEoOOnN!!” The helpless funny man bucked around the little he could trying to avoid the unyielding grip but couldn’t shake the focused attack. 

Hart’s toned stomach flexed and tightened with every twist and jerk on the mat but all that gym time hadn’t left him any less ticklish, if anything his lean physique helped Dwayne zero in on all Kevin’s spots. “I’m impressed a sensitive guy like you was able to stand getting tattooed this much” Johnson teased before wiggling across the large tattoo covering most of his upper body. “AAOhAhAJjUuSSTTGGiIVeEmMMeEEAabBReEEAAK!” “Alright, take a break” Dwayne obliged and his fingers finally left Kevin’s body. “Truce…it’s a draw….ok?” “Nah” The Rock shot down before Kevin could even catch his breath and pounced onto his stomach with ten fluttering fingers dancing across the abs Hart loved showing off. “AaAohAohAagGOODdDAAMMmiIITT!!! AohAFFUucCKKIiNnGGSSTTOoOpPP!!”  Kevin pleaded with a bubblier laugh this time as he shook in place. 

“You know, a real tough guy would probably have busted out of his by now” Dwayne taunted as if he would’ve made quick work of the homemade bondage, only pissing Kevin off more as he tried to evade the pesky fingers terrorizing his belly. “FFuUuCCkKKYYoOouUMMMAANnN!!” Johnson just smiled at the response and suddenly started drilling into his stomach, catching Kevin off guard as he let out a quick squeal of surprise. “AAhAHoHAohAANNnoONnnOoHOhAOhAAoAaHAOH!!” Hart’s body thrashed between the weights and his megawatt smile seemed to be once again permanently stuck on his face as his co-star worked over the collection of tight muscles. 

The Rock loved the overwhelmed look on Kevin’s face as he tickled and teased his upper body but after nearly 45 minutes, Dwayne left the stomach and repositioned himself between Hart’s spread legs. “Alright! Alright…I’ll give you 5,000 if you cut this shit out now…that’s the deal. I’ll give you half but you’ve gotta stop tickling me!” Kevin tried to negotiate before he was laughing his ass off again though giving in even that much stung like a bitch. “So if I would’ve lost the bet, you would’ve been fine with just 5,000? No way” Johnson pointed out as he tugged off Kevin’s right sneaker. “Woah! Hold on, just wait a second! You don’t have to do all that!” Hart attempted to convince but with a quick pull, his second shoe was off and his socked feet were sitting in front of his surprisingly vicious co-star. 

“Man, come on! Not my feet!” “I kinda like that, beg me some more” Dwayne encouraged before landing on the white socked soles, gliding down both feet with a steady raking motion. “OOOooohoHASHIT!” Kevin’s whole body cringed and his toes curled in the cotton protection but Johnson smiled with twisted pleasure, going back for seconds to see Hart try to control himself again. Kevin’s face relaxed a bit after the second round and he even smiled for a moment, thinking he might actually be able to handle this part but a sudden flurry of fingers all over both feet quickly proved him wrong. “AAoAOOohaohAAOhAFFuUUUCCKkAoAHoaHAOHA!!! NNOonNnOOOO!!” fired out of Kevin before he could even try and bite his lip while fresh dread filled his expressive eyes. 

“These feel like some nice, thick socks too…it’d be a shame if they had to come off” Johnson taunted as he scratched in every direction across the wiggling feet. “FFuUuCckKIInNnGGlLEEAAVVEeMmYyYSSoOcCkKSSSOoOnN!! IImMMSSEerRRIIiOOUuUuSSMmAAnNN!!!” Hart forbid but Dwayne got a kick out of him thinking he had any control over the situation. The yoga mats not only kept him from bending his legs but they also kept his feet a few inches off the ground so Johnson had total access, a frightening reality Kevin hated to admit the longer Dwayne tickled his trapped feet.

“I’m still waiting on a submission” The Rock reminded while stopping long enough to peel back the heels of both crisp socks. “Ok OK! Just stop!! Let me out and we can talk about it - really!” “That’s not a submission” Dwayne pointed out with another pull to reveal another half-inch of bare sole. “Fuck! Just leave my socks on!! What happened to being fucking patient?!” “This is me being patient” Johnson answered as he yanked the socks up until they were hanging on by Kevin’s toes. “OK 6,000!! $6,000 – just fucking stop!” Kevin offered with obvious desperation in his voice but Dwayne knew if he really wanted it to stop, he’d be willing to forfeit his ego and give up. “Sorry, buddy…six still ain’t ten” Johnson shot down before tipping the socks off with a quick swipe of his fingers and having his way with Kevin’s incredibly helpless bare feet. 

“NnOOoNnOohaOhAOoHAAhAOhAA!!” Hart absolutely lost it the minute Dwayne returned with the same scribbling as before, instantly wrecked by how direct and unbearable every scratch was on his naked soles. “Maybe I should’ve started down here” The Rock suggested to further mess with Kevin but he really was taken back by the wild reaction and even impressed by his co-star’s feet. They were proportionate to Kevin’s size with a strong contrast between the darker tops and creamy tan soles, only complimented by how silky smooth and inviting they were. Dwayne couldn’t help but enjoy the plush feeling under his fingers as he worked over the supple soles, quickly understanding why it didn’t take much at all to make him freak out. 

“AAAhAOHAohaNNOOnnOoMMmoORRREe!! AhAOHACCoOMmEEoONNN!!” Kevin shouted the best he could but The Rock wasn’t about to fold early, instead focusing on just one foot and grabbing its toes before raking up and down with cruel concentration. “AAAAHH!! AAHH!! AHAOhAOhAASSTTOOAOAHOOPPPP!!!” SSTTOOhOOHP!!” Kevin screamed with laughter as his head shook back and forth and he yanked on the jump ropes for dear life. “Just submit and prove you’re not as tough as me” Johnson encouraged as if he wasn’t enjoying himself, even starting higher on the foot to scratch across Kevin’s toes this time for extra hysterics. “AAAhAOhAOhAAOhAOhaANnNNNOoOOoOO!!” Dwayne just smiled to himself at how hard Hart was trying to prove him wrong and moved to the other side, wrapping that ankle in a headlock and going to town on Kevin’s hopelessly ticklish foot. 

“WAIT! NNoOoHAOHoAAoAHAOhAAohaAO!!!” The stubborn comedian gushed with another uncontrollable uproar as Dwayne scribbled and spidered with enough ease to keep going all night and never get tired. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen toes as bubbly as yours, Kevin…and they all fit together so perfectly” Johnson taunted while jumping up to tease them a little and watch them fan apart to escape, persuading Dwayne to drag a single nail back and forth across the base of the entire row. “SSTToOoPpPTttAALKKIInNGGAABBoUUTTmMYyYFFFuUcCKKIIiNNNGGFFEeEET!!” “What if I just lick em’ instead?” Dwayne suggested. “NnNoNOoOOO!! AALlLRRiIiGGThhHTT 7,000!!” Kevin offered to avoid any tongue action even though Johnson never intended on actually licking them. “You’re getting closer” The Rock assured before zeroing in on the peach balls and scratching with short drags to get Kevin screaming again. 

Dwayne always played the good guy in his movies but he was starting to understand the appeal of being bad as he pushed all of Kevin’s best buttons, taking the cursing and booming laughter as a sign that he was getting closer to winning the bet. It was no question to him that tickling Kevin’s lush feet would’ve made him give up sooner or later, hell he could’ve probably gotten him to do about anything he wanted but part of him wanted to see the look on Hart’s face when he broke, convincing Johnson to move back up toward his upper body after another 10 minutes. He straddled Kevin’s waist and looked down at him with premature victory in his smug smile, the new position very much a way to get inside his head even more. 

“Ya know, I think there’s really only one spot I haven’t tested out yet…do you know which spot that is?” Dwayne asked while Kevin gave him a dirty look of ticklish exhaustion. “Man, you already got em’ all...” “No, I think you know exactly where I’m talking about…” Johnson refused to abandon and started tracing along the top of Kevin’s sides, making him try to pull his arms in again. “I don’t fucking know! You already tickled me everywhere! Now just let me go and write the damn check!” Hart fired back with a half-hearted smile of friendly hostility, hoping if he didn’t play along Dwayne would just let it go. “If you don’t tell me I’m just gonna tickle you harder” Johnson assured as his hands grazed along his sides and down his arms a little but damn, Kevin didn’t want to say it.

“…my armpits” “Where?” “My armpits! You haven’t tickled my armpits, alright?! Now come on!” Kevin spit out to appease the surprise tickle monster. “Really? I didn’t even know they were ticklish but now that I do…” “No…NO! FUuCCKKAhAOaOhAOhAohAAAohA!!” erupted out of Kevin with renewed frustration as Dwayne barreled into his last sweet spot. The Rock’s stiff fingers daggered into the base and middle of both pits like jackhammers, destroying the last bit of Kevin’s macho resistance. “AAoHAoaHyYYOOUuUULlliiIEEEDD!! TThHiiISsiIiSsFFUUUCckKKKEEDdDuUUPPP!!” “I never said I wouldn’t tickle you if you told, I said I would tickle you harder if you didn’t; big difference” Dwayne clarified while digging in a little more to prove it could indeed get worse but that was enough to push Hart over the edge. “AAhAOHAALlLRRIiIiGGhHTT!! IIiGGiIIvVEEEuUUPP!! IiIIMMMdDDOOONNNEE!!” “You sure? You’re ready to write me a check?” “AAHoAYYYYEEESS!! AHAOHAAPPPLLEEeAASSEEeSSTToOOOoPP!!” Kevin eventually begged to save his chiseled body from anymore tickling and Johnson finally pulled away.  

“Well, you may not be as tough as me but you lasted longer than a lot of other guys I know would. I’ll give you that” Johnson added as he untied his friend but he didn’t even have time to undo his ankles before Kevin busted out the yoga mats and untied his own ankles out of fear Dwayne couldn’t help teasing his feet again. “That was fucked up…that was some government secrets interrogation shit” Kevin added as he collected himself and Johnson laughed at his commentary. “I mean you did end up getting a workout so if you ever want another session just let me know” The Rock teased as if he wasn’t totally joking. “Next time it’s gonna be you like that; let’s see how tough you really are!” “Tougher than you, that’s for sure.”