#I actually can't remember if Mob was taller than Ritsu as a kid but he must have been at some moment and I just sdfghjkjhg

[kanene-yaaay]

A Successful Hunt

Kanene’s notes: I just wanted to write some more of Shigeo and Ritsu being silly kids dfghjjhgfd. I am in a hurry rn so maybe some parts will be confusing, hope it’s still an enjoyable story tho. Thanks for your attention! I will be proofreading and posting it on AO3 later ^.^

Warnings: There is raspberries, nibbles and lots of mentions of ants and spiders in the beginning. Switch!Ritsu and Switch!Shigeo. Both Shigeo and Ritsu are small kids here. Around 1.000 words.

[~*~]

The door opens slowly, with a silent, almost inaudible screech.

The spider looks at the distracted prey. It’s an ant. Hardworking, organized, careful. Usually too much difficult to catch with a lowered guard, but today it is way too unaware of anything beyond the leaves on its clutch to realize the slow creep of the predator in its direction.

That is good, the spider internally celebrates. It has been watching the ant for days now (or maybe a few minutes, time doesn’t matter when you’re a spider) just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And the perfect moment arrived.

This will be a successful hunt. The spider can feel it, no sound following its steps as it gets closer and closer to its target. Today it will be able to have a big feast. A good meal. A fulfilling banquet.

Just a few meters and then the hunt will succeed.

The spider hides itself next to a crafty piece of wood, crouching, articulations bended and lightly wiggling its butt to prepare for one and only jump that will close the last half meter of distance between the arachnid and the arthropod and bring a sweet victory to the older one.

One of the hunter’s legs hit a rock on the crafty wood by mistake, bringing it to the ground with a sharp, loud clattering that echoes in the entire universe.

The ant’s head immediately turns to look at him.

The cover has been blown! It needed to be now! The spider jumps, landing on the soft cushion with a quiet ‘oof’ barely letting itself recover before quickly scrambling to pin the other to the comfy ground when it tries to run away with a characteristic high pitched squeak.

“Nonono! Not again! That is not fair, nii-san I was studying. Don’t!!”

The spider mouth opens, merciless, inescapable, inevitable. A perfect mirror of the cycle of life. Just one more move for a successful hunt. His head comes down, touching the vulnerable skin and-

“PTTBTBBHBTBHTBHPT”

Loud laughter fills the entire room. Ritsu tries to push his head away, legs kicking madly and body shaking with the force of his surprised laughter as his older brother refused to leave his stomach alone, smaller - but still equally deadly - raspberries following the first one, spreading across his sides and almost edging the spots right below his lowest ribs.

For a second all his brain could do was only blue screen, embarrassing high and uncontrolled giggles spilling non stop from his lips as his limbs trashed around without any purpose or coordination to protect himself from the surprise tickly attack that abruptly interrupted his homework.

He didn’t even do anything this time!

A curious nibble hit his rib.

“NO!” The shorter and younger Kageyama (his mom said that if Ritsu kept drinking milk and eating all his vegetables he would grow taller than Shigeo. His dad promised he would help him to style his hair with gel to give him a few more inches if her plan didn’t work) didn’t know that the tickles could get even tickler, however sudden snorts and crackles began to happily chase his laughter, more and more nibbles coming to attack all across his ribs, more enthusiastic and energetic, as if powered by the reactions they got. “Niihihihihisan you cahahahahan’t! PleheheheasEEK!”

Shigeo hummed proudly at his accomplishment, not realizing how such simple action lead to a sea of electric ticklish shocks to run across his sibling’s torso, but stopping the nibbles and raspberries anyway when the babbles of his brother became too incoherent and his hands tried once again to push his head away, a few fingers tugging at his hair painfully before he carefully untangled then.

(It was fine. Ritsu was his little brother. A little kid. And little kids don't know how to control their strength well. He could never get angry at his bro because of that.)

He smiled at Ritsu, proud for being a successful hunter and content with the mirth shining on his eyes and the big smile that was reflected right back at him.

Before, of course, his brother tried to hide it with a half-protesting pout that barely hid the way the cornerss of his mouth were still turned upwards.

“Nii-san! I was doing my homework, you can’t just interrupt me like that. Now I will have to start it all over again.”

Shigeo’s eyes widened, his smile disappearing and gaze focusing in all the notebooks that had been thrown around the futon with the ruckus, only now realizing what was happening when he was too caught on playing pretend to notice.

“I am sorry, Ritsu.” His shoulders came to his ears, ashamed. Ristu felt his own scolding pout lose its form. “I just came here becau-”

“REVENGE!”

His shout cut the older words, eyes becoming wide again, reactions too slow to stop Ritsu’s hands when they shot to grab his ankle, pulling at it so abruptly that it broke Shigeo’s balance, making him fall on the bed with another quiet ‘oof’. A half squeak and half surprised gasp being fished from his throat when fingers began running clumsily on his sole.

“R-Ritsu!” huffs and puffs began breaking free from his mouth, snickers, chuckles and snorts that made him hug his shoulders with how much they were bouncing with a joyful energy falling like a stream and dancing in the air. “Ehehehe!”

“I got you.” The younger one only felt the mischief expand in his chest when he began scratching the arch of the feet, letting his fingers concentrate there for a few seconds before getting bored and chasing the jumpy, giggly ‘eeep’s that appeared every time he slipped to scribble his fingers under his toes. “You need to pay more attention, nii-san! Or everyone will be tickling you all the time and you won’t even notice before it’s too late.” He huffed.

“B-but I like it!” Shigeo answered, amidst giggles, cheeks puffed and red spreading across his face as his laughter grew louder.

“Hm...” Ritsu thought a bit, changing to attack his knees when too many hiccups began taking over the air. Yelps jumped at every squeeze that was delivered to the new targeted tickle spot. “Then I will stop them if they tickle you too much!”

His voice was determined.

“Ohohohokay.” Shigeo felt his smile get bigger, looking at his little brother for a second before coming to a decision. He nodded. “Aahahand then I can t-tickle them too!”

Suddenly sitting, he hugged Ritsu, almost making them both fall on the bed when the younger yelped at the sudden movement and wobbly tried to squirm away, more laughter already painting his protests even before hands started drumming on his armpits.

“No more revenge! No more revehehehehe!” But still, he tried to control himself to not trash too much and hurt Shigeo.

In the end, he and his brother were very much alike.

More high pitched squeals. Both Ritsu’s uncontrollable loud laughter and Shigeo’s remanent huffed giggles filled the entire room in a playful, silly manner.

But Ritsu had a secret move. One that would guarantee his victory and buy himself time before he could make the perfect plan to get Shigeo back.

He resorted to the highest one in the hierarchy.

“MOHOHOHOM! NII-SAN IHIHIHIS TICKLING MEEK!”

Shigeo gasped, a mix of surprise and betrayal, tickling coming to a stop as both of them tried to not fall back in a mess of titters, waiting for the answering shout of their monarch.

“YOU TWO STOP PLAYING AND COME GET YOUR SNACK BEFORE IT GETS COLD! SHIGEO, I ASKED YOU TO GO GET YOUR BROTHER, NOT START FOOLING AROUND.”

The shout was a mix of fondness and exasperation that only mothers could make. They got up, legs wobbly and left over snickers yet following their every move.

Shigeo squeaked when a finger poked his side, turning around just in time to see Ritsu smiling at him before running away through the door, a “Coming, mom!” being left behind.

Shigeo blinked twice before realizing what was happening and quickly - and still clumsily - following his brother, trying to be careful to not hit the walls with the sharp turns and squeaky floorboards.

The spider and the ant raced to the kitchen.