#Lee!Kel

[raviostinkzz]

Ok so like me when I write my own shit to get out of writing block instead of doing requests

Anyway SHUT Up you get what you’re given I love these goofy motherfuckers they deserve the world

-It’s Tradition!-

-switch!hero switch!kel, warning for tickles & slight(?) bad?? emotions??

“I’m your brother!! You can tell me anything.”

“I know, but…it’s dumb..”

“Don’t say that, it’s not dumb at all stop beating yourself up!!”

“But it is!! It’s stupid & I shouldn’t even be upset about it-“

“Heyy what did I say? If you don’t stop bullying yourself you know what I’ll have to do!”

“What? No- don’t! Seriously it’s not even that big of a deal I’m just overreacting!”

“Come onn it’s brother tradition~!” Kel sang.

“No!!”

“Heroo~~” he raised his wriggling fingers & grinned at his brother, whose pout was now curling up at the corners to form a slightly nervous smile.

“K-Kehel dohon’t!”

“Don’t whattt?” Hero cringed as the younger grew closer.

“Tihickle me! WaIT-“

“If you say so!!” Kel quickly darted his fingers to his brothers sides, starting to squeeze & tase as the other burst into laughter.

“Nohohoho Kehel quihihit it!” He squirmed against the couch reaching blindly for the attackers wrists & sinking further into the pile of pillows under him.

Kel laughed along as his fingers crawled under Hero’s shirt & skittered across the ticklish skin, making the other squeal & kick adorably.

“KeHEL dohont it tihickLES- AHAH NOHOT THERE!” He squawked, barking out in loud laughter once his brother found his way up his ribs, circling around a sensitive hip with the other hand.

“I don’t know Hero, you seem to be enjoying this if you ask me!” He giggled at the other’s embarrassed face.

“Hey waHATCH it yohou little shihit” the older boy said as a seemingly empty threat, given his wide smile & bright red cheeks.

“Listen, I don’t know if this is just me but you don’t really look like you could do much right now judging by thAHAT FAHACE-“ Kel’s elbows shot to his sides once a sudden & unbearably ticklish sensation spread across his torso.

“WaiHAHAIT IM SOHORRY HehERO!” The teenager curled into a ball of snorts & cackles as his older brother spidered around his stomach, pinching gently at every sensitive spot he could find.

“I warned you!” He smirked as the other slammed his fist against the pillows & shook his chest with ticklish mirth.

“YoUHOURE SUHUch a diCK!” He screeched out.

“Oh I’m the dick? For getting my very ticklish brother back after being wayy too cocky??” He scribbled up the boy’s ribs, poking at his underarms.

“I’d say that’s quite reasonable.”

Kel’s laughter raised in pitch as he blabbered with giggles & petty complaints.

“..dihick”

“Okay, that’s it. You’re done, smiley.” Hero held the other’s wrists together in a loose grip, slowly bringing them above his head & hovering a hand over his now exposed underarms.

“Nononohoho dohONt thahats so bahad HEherO-!” The elder lowered his wriggling fingers closer to Kel’s death spot as he watched in fear & anticipatory belly laughter.

Before he stopped, & dashed to his stomach making him jolt his legs to his chest & whine, “Youhouhou fuhucker!”

Hero cackled at the miniature athlete’s response, asking, “What’s the magic word?”

Kel squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, “Ohoh my GOHOD”

“Go on~!” He traced a line up his flanks to his sides, tickling lightly up the other’s torso (which wasn’t helping.)

“Juhust do ihit! Hehero!!”

“Do whatt?” He grinned with affection.

“Tihickle meEHE!” Kel threw his head back in deafening laughter, howling once his brother began to scribble & drill into his worst spot. His face burned a bright pink, as much as his ego suffered he knew it’d cheer Hero up, it always did & that was what mattered. (He also loved it. A lot. But he’d never say that.)

A minute or two of 90 decible squeals & useless protests later, Hero finally let up & smiled at the ticklish giggling mess that was his brother, ruffling his hair as he held his sides with left over ghost tickles.

“Fuhuck you, man. Were you tryihing to kihill me or what?” He snickered.

“You asked for it! Plus, “it’s tradition” right?” He snarked, “pft-hehey get ohoff!!” Kel giggled mischievously as Hero pushed the sneaking hand off his side.

“You feeling any better?” He asked.

“Yeah, thanks. I think I’m ready to talk about..everything.”

[fbpsdumbtklblog]

For requests, I know you tend to prefer Sunflower stuff, but maybe some Kel and Hero brotherly shenanigans? There's no way they wouldn't have the silliest tickle fights -🍊

oh for sure for sure

[kanene-yaaay]

Okay, I came up with this idea while healthily procrastinating. So, the Omori Crew. They're playing Hide and Seek right? But it's their own special brand of Hide and Seek where the seekers will find and tickle someone until they publicly admit (through varying degrees of laughter) they're the seeker. While the former seeker cheers at a job well done before running away while the new giggly seeker recovers and plans their next move.

Now, what none of them (well except maybe Mari and Kel) will admit is that each of them have their own personal target when they're a seeker. Aubrey goes for Mari, Mari hones in on Hero, Hero is pretty much the only one who can catch Kel, Kel then murders poor Baby Basil with tickles, Basil tries to regain his lost tickle honor by attacking Sunny, and Sunny... well he's the outlier in that he doesn't have a specific target. The little goober just loves hearing his friends laugh that he just goes after whoever he finds first. Which works out to varying degrees of success.

Mari and Hero often abuse their big sibling perks and break the rule by attacking Sunny back, specifically Sunny since they know they'd get away with it. The boy is too forgiving, even with this severe case of unfairness and injustice.

Then there's Aubrey, who Sunny knows it's a 'Tickle at your own risk' scenario because that girl is a flailer, a total wiggle worm that Aubrey. She tries to reign it in for the sanctity of the sport but can't help those nerves. But Sunny thinks it's worth the risk because he loves her joyful laughter (but don't tell anyone he thinks that, or it'll be the silent treatment until the end of time).

Kel is also high on the 'TAYOR' scale for the fact that the boy cannot help himself. He was raised in the art of the Tickle Fight and he will fight or flight his way to victory! Until he trips on a tree root and lays their motionless for Sunny to jump him. Klutz. Well at least Sunny finds his screeching laughter hilarious enough to try for it.

Anyway Basil, yeah he's easy prey. I don't make the rules the boy is too ticklish for his own good. Doesn't help that he doesn't know how to protect himself. Which hey, Basil laughter is good for the mind, body, and soul so it works out for Sunny and those within a 5 mile radius to hear his squeaky cackles.

And that's all for today folks on the Tickle Fight Programming Network or TFPN for short. See you next time for the next in depth tickle analysis of these little goobers.

I am just SCREAMING SO MUCH and SO LOUD AT THIS!!!! YES YES YEEEES YOU ARE 100% RIGHT IN EVERY SINGLE!! DETAIL!!!!

I love the fact that everyone has their specific target and that the rest of them just knows it because holy GOSH! Can you imagine the anticipation!? Like, I am here imagining Hero hiding very well and trying to keep himself quiet until he listens to the melodious, loud and full of squeaks laughter that clearly comes from Mari and a shiver run across his spine because he KNOWS that he will be the next one, so he just stays there, a wobbly smile threatening to take over his face as Mari admits that she is the next seeker and Aubrey triumphly shouts and runs to hide and then the left over giggles disappear and everything goes silent again and he just stays there ~ waiting from his moment ~ wondering if it would be safer to already run away or try to be the quietest that he can ~

Also!!!! The fact that Sunny doesn't focus on just one friend because he loves to hear everyone's laughter STAAAAP 😭😭😭💛😭💛😭💛😭💛 MY HEART IS MELTING HEREEE. HE ABSOLUTELY WOULD!!!!

The mental image of Kel just NYOOOOM then tripping and falling into a loud laughter while Sunny is there, proud of himself for making a friend happy is just too precious I am going to lay on the floor rn and cry tears of pure joy excuse me

Aubrey!!! Trying to !!!! Not wiggle too much to not hurt anyone!!! SO SWEET SO AMAIZNG SHEEEEE WOUUULD

Also!!!! BASIL'S PART YESH YESH YOU ARE VERY RIGHT HE IS JUST SO SILLY AND TICKLISH SORREY BEAN YOU'RE TOO CUTE TO RESIST 😭😭

[raviostinkzz]

THIS IS SO CUTE IM GONNA CRY 😭

Hello, I see your doing Omori request’s, which is really cool, I hope you’ll enjoy them. So, while I see a lot of art of Hero having a wholesome older sibling dynamic to Sunny, seeing the same thing with Mari and Kel is very rare. So, I’d very much love to see cute art or Hc’s of Mari being a huge teasing ler to Kel when he’s feeling sad if that’s okay? Thank you, and have a good night.

ANON I cannot tell you how happy this request made me !!! I started drawing the moment I had time !!! I absolutely agree these two should be drawn together more in a brother/sister dynamic ! It's so sweet !!!🥺🥺🥺

Bonus :

Observing the fun from afar ~

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 2

Book summaries below:

The Trials of Apollo (The Hidden Oracle, The Dark Prophecy, The Burning Maze, The Tyrant's Tomb, The Tower of Nero) by Rick Riordan

How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go… an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood. Fantasy, mythology, middle grade, adventure, urban fantasy, series

The Machineries of Empire series (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, Revenant Gun, and other stories) by Yoon Ha Lee

To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general. Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next. Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress. The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim. Science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, series, adult

[shukakumoodboard]

i need you guys to look at what @roarshackle sent me in the mail you guys because look

Look

(i’m crying)

[floofery]

A kel i did !! i always draw him with a wide grin so i wanted to experiment with. other faces,,, . tried to recreate the expression of him recounting the story of when he approached Hero in an effort to break him out of his intense depression to Sunny,... hii

i know he's supposed to be crying too but seeing him cry makes me sad KJDHASKJ perhaps another time,,

the whole aggie!! Did with some friends thought it was silly

[kanene-yaaay]

Very bold of the universe to assume that I will be able to just KEEP LIVING MY LIFE LIKE THIS FANART ISN'T LIVING IN MY MIND 24/7 SPINNING NON STOP

First of all: 🧡💙THEEEEEM ��🖤 THE SILLIEST SIBILINGS TO EVER SILLY!!! I adore the fact that while Kel is trying to escape Sunny is just,,,, there,,, just giggling and blushing like MAH DEAAAARRRR 😭😭😭💛💛💛🥺👌

I have one thing to say…SIBLING ATTACK

​Just felt like making this cuz the thought of siblings attacking their younger sibling with tickles is just too good of an idea to pass up.

[cherieonow]

A mari doodle+made some more bookmarks!! And put then inside this lil letter

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ! !

Sooo..... on 14 day Wednesday I'm gonna travel!!! And will not take my phone with me which means I won't post for 10 days yep:3

10 whole days won't post so....this might be important or not but so you guys won't get worried

Tags @kitsunemist66 @yumiiyummech @rumiruru @love-stvrs @echan799

@amazingbananabread I will miss you guys! Please do take care of urselfs!! Especially you rumi!♡

[exmakina]

Days 13, 14, 15, and 16

Jedao, Cheris, Mikodez, and Kujen from Machineries of Empire

Machineries of Empire is a trilogy of books (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem, and Revenant Gun) by Yoon Ha Lee.

[raviostinkzz]

I NEED LEE KEL theres not enough 😭😭

I CANT FUNCTION WITHOUT THIS SILLY LITTLE HUMAN GETTING TICKLES

everywhere i go i will search the fandom list for omori & i will REQUEST THIS MF

watch your inbox, its next 🫵🫵

[kanene-yaaay]

THOSE FOUUUUUR OH MY GOOOOOOOSH!!!

Okay okay okay I am WEAK I am on the FLOOR I am HUGGING MY PHONE and thinking about the GIGGLE MESS that is this wonderful, awesome, cute and adorable scenario. The idea of Mari and Hero pretending that they are slowly realizing that they got the wrong lil bro because their tickle spots are different is both so FUN and SILLY and honestly rip mah man Kel and mah man Sunny rip rip the ticklish boyos

Also!!! Mari who is usually so gentle absolutely DESTROYING (but w care ♡) Kel w giggles is so funny to think like aufwtfegvej both her teases and her tickles are deadly I see. And that not to mention how my heart MELTED w Hero and Sunny. Sunny hiding his face on Hero's chest while saying "Hehero I'm rihight here!" I can't- *loud sobbing*

My whole day will be spent thinking about this precious and adorably adorable scenario thank you so much this is so cute 😭😭💛😭💛😭💛

Hello there, hope your having a great day. Would it be okay if you were to write headcanons of Mari and Hero tickling their respective little brother’s, I think that’d be really adorable. (By that, I mean Hero tickling Sunny and Mari tickling Kel, I think the latter’s friendship is very underrated.)

Wahhh thank you!! I hope you're having an awesome day too!! And YES YES this prompt is so cute !! I agree I hardly see anyone talk about Mari and Kel as a pair. I took inspiration for some of these ideas from a similar one that @kanene-yaaay wrote abt Mari and Hero swapping brothers :D

Also erm. I kindddd of got carried away,,,, this is like 2k words HSJDBDJSH

☆☆☆

-Ok so. The idea of Mari tickling Kel while Hero tickles Sunny next to her is SO SO cute because like. Both of their little brothers will be giggling in their laps, and as much as Kel wants to protest he really isn't fully trying to get away so he's definitely having fun (Sunny couldn't try to get away if he wants his body like shuts down when he's being tickled and all he can do is sorta squirm around and curl into himself but they know he’s def having fun too)

-And ofc the two of them have different tickling styles and know exactly how to get their younger siblings bc. Siblings things

-Some more context hcs, I imagine Sunny's worst spots are (in order): neck/collar bones and BEHIND HIS EARS DUDE, the place where his lower ribs meet his back, and knee/underneath his knee

-For Kel it goes armpits, hips (he shares this with Hero teehee), and then specifically the pads of his feet

-Mari is naturally a pretty gentle but merciless tickler

-Like. First of all her fingernails aren't super long but they're very well taken care of bc piano and she likes painting them

-Second, her fingers are NIMBLE like she literally plays the piano on ur body it's actually so weird bc it's unpredictable to the lee but she's following her own little pattern

-Also her fingers are actually somewhat calloused from over-practicing which makes gentle tickles a bit more effective (bc I said so)

-Also x2 she is an expert in gentle tickling and squeezing, which makes her the perfect ler for Sunny

-Don't get me started on her teasing. Shivering in my boots rn.

-As for Hero!! He is definitely not as elegant or nimble, a bit more sloppy

-Also bc he's Hero his fingers are actually not calloused at all… stupid pretty boy /aff

-He's def better at slightly rougher tickles, mainly bc he grew up tickling Kel and that kid has far too much stamina like u gotta work hard to tire him out

-Dw he can also be gentle and teasy Sunny is in good hands

-Mari has a different teasing style for Sunny vs Kel, and Hero kind of does too

-For Sunny she's still playful but like. A little gentler, like she doesn't make fun of him it's more so "What's wrong, does it tickle little brother? Hehe!" stuff and "I forgot how much you love this spot! So cute!"

-For Kel however, she's def a little more "teasy" in a poking fun sense, saying stuff like "If you're not ticklish, then why are you laughing so much! Did I say something funny, hm?" and "Keep squirming so much and the Tickle Monster's gonna get angry~"

-As for Hero, he's not much of a teaser tbh he likes laughing w his lee and it just makes him smile tickling some1 he is SO silly

-Kel is like the only exception he can be so mean and teasy w Kel he loves to build anticipation with him and use those silly nursery rhymes and stuff that embarrass Kel so much but successfully make him gigglier so

-W Sunny he's how he normally is tho, he's def the most gentle w Sunny since the boys have known Mari and Sunny the longest and Hero sorta sees him as another little brother

-While Hero doesn't tease, he does like praising

-He'll say stuff like "Wow Sunny, you're doing so good! You're hardly squirming." or "It's okay, you can hide your face if you need." w his warm smile and he is so !!!! I love this man.

-SO. Brother exchange time

-This game usually happens when Kel and Sunny end up getting into some shenanigans (Sunny is usually dragged along but it's okay bc he has fun)

-For example: Kel convinces Sunny to help him mess with Hero while Sunny and Mari are over

-So Kel starts taking things from Hero's side of the room when he's downstairs with Mari, like pens, a cookbook, his pillow, etc.

-And he hides em somewhere like under his bed

-When Hero comes upstairs to get them and notices half his shit is missing he's like. "KEL!! Where are you!!" And he searches around but can't find him or Sunny

-(They are hiding in Kel's parents room behind the bed and Kel is trying not to giggle which in turn causes Sunny to bite back small snickers)

-Mari hears the commotion and comes upstairs, Hero explaining what happened, and now Mari is feeling playful which is rubbing off on Hero

-She goes "Boyyyyys! We know you're around here!" bc they would've seen them go downstairs so

-The older two search the upstairs, calling out the younger two's names in teasy sing-song voices

-Until they make it to the parents room. And they know they've gotta be in there somewhere, plus there's not many places to hide

-So Hero slowwwwly opens the door, him and Mari walking in quietly

-He gets down to check under the bed, and sees the legs of the other two who are hiding behind the other side of the bed, and he silently motions there to Mari and she nods her head, grinning

-Mari goes "Awww man Hero, we can't find them anywhere! Where could they have gone?" all dramatic, causing the younger boys to muffle more tittering because she's being silly!!!

-Hero goes "Gosh, I don't know Mari! And they have a friend here to visit them too!"

-The two hiding perk up, and Mari catches on, going "Oh, and who might this friend be? I wonder if I know him!"

-"You definitely do! He's Kel and Sunny's favorite friend. His name is the Tickle Monster!"

-The trap has been set. Without thinking, Kel shouts "The tickle monster is NOT my favorite friend!!" Before slapping his hands over his mouth and making eye contact with a wide-eyed Sunny

-But it's too late, and Kel peeks over the bed to see the two older siblings shooting them menacing grins

-However the door behind them is still open, and Kel is pretty fast so...

-He grabs Sunny's hand and tugs him up with him, shouting "Run for it Sunny!!" And attempting to bolt out the door with him

-Except they were expecting this, and Mari catches Kel around the waist and scoops him up making him let go of Sunny's hand

-Sunny def can't run as fast, and he shrinks back when he drops Kels hand and looks up to see Hero playfully smiling down at him, wiggling his fingers like "claws"

-All Sunny can do it let out a quiet "Ah-! as Hero reaches forward and picks him up around the waist too

-Mari giggles as Kel tries to thrash around in her arms, going "Put me down put me down put me dowwwwn!! I don't WANNA see the tickle monster!!" (<- lying he literally provoked them bc he was bored)

-She goes "Aww, but he wants to see you, Kel!" and squeezes one of his ribs slightly to get a snicker out of him

-They are carried to Hero and Kel's room, the older two sitting on the floor with each other's brother in their lap

-Sunny is already sorta curling in on himself w Hero's hands around his waist, and Kel is once again squirming up a storm as Mari has a firm grasp on him (she is stronger than she looks)

-Now shenanigans begin MWAHAHAHA

-Mari looks at Hero and goes "Hmmm, your brother is looking a little different today. Are you sure you've got the right one?" In a silly acting voice

-Hero replies "Of course I do! I would know my ticklish brother anywhere!" (Kel is giggling from the antics and he goes "HERO!! Shut up!!" While Sunny is smiling softly but excitedly)

-Mari goes "If you say so!" And starts wiggling the tips of her fingers into Kel's ribs, using a tad more force than she would with Sunny

-Kel yelps and falls into his high pitched boyish laughter. It's all giggly and filled with empty protests as he squirms around, kicking his feet and throwing his head back onto Mari's chest as he laughs

-Meanwhile Hero sneaks his hands under Sunny's t shirt and starts dragging his fingers around his lower ribs, causing the younger boy to gasp and puff out his cheeks like he usually does, curling in and squirming side to side while his shoulders bounce lightly from the giddy laughter that won't quite come out

-Mari moves to Kel's stomach, squeezing the little bit of pudge that's there and above his hips, sending ticklish shocks that cause his laughter to transition into louder cackles and snorting

-She goes "Now wait a minute, I don't remember Sunny's stomach being this ticklish…"

-That actually draws a few giggles out of Sunny, and Kel goes "Mahari!! I'm Kehel!!"

-(They are being ignored)

-Hero plays along, going "Hmmm, I don't remember Kel's neck being so ticklish either..." as he skitters his nails lightly around Sunny's neck, making him scrunch up and let out a proper "haHA-!" Laugh b4 falling into silent giggling again

-"And look! Sunny's armpits weren't this ticklish either!" Mari says, and she has to raise her voice slightly bc Kel's laughter turns into louder cackles as she massages her thumbs into the spots right below his armpits which is so bad for him, like he literally just throws his head back and babbles out nonsense as his arms glue to his sides and he kicks his legs frantically

-Meanwhile again, Hero has moved to flipping Sunny around so his face is buried in his chest, Hero gently tickling the spot where Sunny's lower ribs and sides meet his back, making him snort quietly and fall into soft, hiccupy silent laughter

-"But if that's not Sunny, then who could it be!?" Hero says dramatically, watching as Mari gives Kel a break to catch his breath

-Kel is still in a fit of giggling, but he goes "Ihihi'm Kel!!"

-Mari gasps dramatically, and Hero continues "If you're Kel, then where is Sunny!?"

-Sunny snorts into Hero's chest again, gripping into his shirt as he mumbles "Hehero, Ihi'm right here!"

-Hero moves back to tickling around the back of Sunny's neck now and behind his ears after giving him a small break too, while Mari starts squeezing Kel's ribs again but softer this time

-Mari goes "Oh man! It looks like we accidentally exchanged brothers... how silly of us!"

-Hero nods and goes "Let's switch back!" and the two stop their tickling while the younger ones relax and let out the last of their giggling

-Mari and Hero gently swap the boys in their laps, and both rub soothing shapes into their brother's backs, watching their breathing slow as the adrenaline wears off and the sleepiness hits them

-The older two glance at each other and smile softly, standing up and carrying the two to Kel's bed, laying them down next to each other and pulling the sheets over them as Hero ruffles both of their hair gently

-The boys are quick to fall asleep from all that tickling and Mari quickly runs downstairs to get two little apple juice boxes to leave at the bedside table for them

-Hero and Mari then walk over and sit on Hero's bed, Hero pausing before smacking his forehead and going "I forgot to ask where he hid my stuff!"

-Mari starts laughing, before interlacing their fingers (which causes Hero's heart to skip a beat... or two) and going "Don't worry, we can ask when they wake up."

-Hero's cheeks are still pink as he reaches over and grabs one of the things from his desk Kel didn't hide, that being one of the Captain Spaceboy comics he had lying around.

-The two start reading through it together for fun, pointing things out and laughing quietly and talking about anything while their younger siblings sleep soundly in the bed across the room

[obsessiongame]

Aaa!!! omg Im so happy to see youre working on this again!!! Can we get Kel without his jacket (for science ofc)

I already had a sketch of him without his jacket that I didnt feel like finishing, now I had a reason to finish it <3

[kanene-yaaay]

Bad Days and Good Nights

Warnings: This tickle fic contains angst, hurt/comfort, family tickles, fluff, family fluff, usual siblings shenanigans and cheer up tickles. (It happens after a few years of Mari’s accident. The story itself doesn’t focus on that but there are a few hints of how everything affected them). It has Lee!Kel and Ler!Hero with a quick Ler!Kel and Lee!Hero. Around 6.000 words.

Kanene’s notes: I am once again losing myself in scenarios w siblings being good bros and cheering each other up. So!! This one is for two of my faves boyos: Kel and Hero!!! yeshhh!!!

Tbh I don’t think that this is one of my best works but it still deserves its time under the spotlight. I hope you all enjoy the story!! Thank you for your attention <3

[~*~]

Today was not a good day.

Kel knew that. Deep down he was aware that his hands were more twitchy than normal, that his brain was really, really trying but all the words his teacher said simply stopped having meaning a long time ago and only felt like senseless background sounds being dropped in the room. 

He knew that when he took a sip of his usually tasty and favorite energetic orange drink and it tasted just like always but today the citrus felt almost unbearable on his tongue. He also knew that when he remembered that he was going to meet with his basketball group after school and how that usually would have him bouncing on his feet and smiling like crazy but that today it didn’t even make the bad heavy feeling on his stomach go away.

However, it was fine! That was no problem at all because everyone feels under the weather most of the time. It’s pretty normal and all you can do is just keep going with your life, act normally and anxiously wait for the moment when all the bad feelings will just disappear, right?

It must be. After all, it really did work! Even if sometimes (more often than not) the sadness would sneak back and cling on his back like a parasite, pushing memories inside his mind and making his chest ache about the moments that he would never be able to get back to and tremble with what that could possibly mean. But that doesn’t mean that the plan didn’t work in the first place! Just that… sometimes stuff takes effort to work. And it did work. It did. 

Most of the time. 

Sometimes.

…Often enough.

Still, he just had to smile, push forward and wait for it!

The bell rang, an ear splitting tune that always made Sunny flinch and grimace (Kel wondered how he was doing) ringing all across the classes and signaling the end of the period. The boy felt a relieved sigh leave his lips, a bounce taking over his movements. See? Waiting really did work! He began shoveling all his textbooks and stray papers (eh, they would end up with wrinkles and tears but that was an inevitable fate of every piece of paper in the world), a pep on his step as he got up.

“Kel, please have a little more patience and wait for me to give you your test back before dashing through the door.”

Astonished blink. The rest of the classroom suddenly came back to focus as his classmates’ snickers filled the space. Everyone was still sitting down except for him and the girl with green strands of hair and a cool tattoo on her arm (she knew some very good shows and always carried a kind of game around. What was her name again?) folding a paper (her tests) and putting on her bag before heading to the door. His teacher looked at him with an arched eyebrow and an amused stare, lightly shaking his head when Kel chuckled and scratched the back of his head, a bit of embarrassment running hot on his face.

“Sorry, teacher.”

“Patience is a virtue, but we all take some time to conquer it. I know that I didn’t find mine yet.” The adult winked and went back to calling his classmates names, handing them their grades and saying one or two things that Kel couldn’t really - nor wanted - listen to, still feeling a flaming kind of hotness racing through his veins. 

(Usually it wasn’t so bad. Usually he didn’t mind any poke of fun. Usually he would even make one or two jokes to follow it. But today was a bad day. Today everything felt too sharp around the edges. Like just the tiniest push would make everything explode.)

It didn’t take too long before the classroom cleaned and he was the last one there. It was kind of predictable when his name was called.

“Here it is, Kel.” A C+?? That is not bad at all! It wasn’t any five stars grade or anything worth a celebration but it really wasn’t bad. 

“Cool. Thanks, teach!”

He tried to open his bag, failing. The zip was stuck.

“You know, Kel. I also was your brother’s science teacher.” Kel hummed in agreement, that was the case with most of his teachers since he and Hero had very close ages, just partially listening to the words while fighting with the zip of his bag that probably got stuck with one of the crumbled papers inside it. Ick. “Henry was a very good student. He is now studying to apply for medical college, right? I hope he gets in.” 

Kel tried again to open and close the zip without damaging the paper inside the bag. It got stuck again. Yep. At least he tried to be gentle. Now the paper had to go down. It was its inevitable fate since the beginning of the times.

“I think you also have a great potential, Kel. The points you bring on your presentations are really good and while grading this test I can’t help but feel like…” Finally! Kel managed to fully open his bag and then place the science test inside. His teacher seemed almost done talking to him anyway, which was good. He was kind of hungry.

“I expected more from you, Kel.”

Ah.

Kel froze.

That was… fine. Normal. Teachers, parents, people in general weren’t ever very impressed at Kel’s grades. Or even happy. Or had any positive feelings about them in general.

“Hehe, sorry, teach.” The words came tumbling from his mouth before he realized what he was saying. Filling the air with a halfhearted laughter before the silence could get awkward. “I will try my best on the next one!”

(He had tried his best on this one.)

Yeah. He… he would. Science was one of his favorite subjects. He definitely could try better. Not that what the teacher said got into him or anything. It was fine! It…

It kind of stung.

Actually, it kind of stung a lot.

He said something else to which the adult replied, but once again it felt like the words tumbling right out from his mouth had no connection with his brain. He headed to the basketball court in the park, way too much feelings cutting and bubbling deep in his soul.

Irritation had always been normal to him, like a bug nipping at the corner of his brain and flaring its wings at any small kind of frustration or mean commentary thrown in his way. Now, however, it felt different. A hot, thick and slick kind of anger numbed his hands and filled his lungs, making him want to scream or do something stupid.

Today was not a good day.

(...)

Two hours had passed. He played basketball and it helped. The concentration, the methodic throws, constant running, sounds of sneakers hitting the concrete, mindless shouts and encouragement screams were good to push his thoughts away and let the adrenaline and feelings boiling in him explode all at once and gradually slow down until only a tired kind of exhaustion clung to his frame.

Kel arrived home, sighing in relief when he discovered that both mom and dad were out, probably buying groceries and having ice cream when mom complains that dad hasn't taken her out for a date in forever and how nowadays no husband tries to be caring and romantic anymore. Kel was just glad that he doesn’t have to show anyone his test to anyone right now.

His room was empty. Right. Hero was probably still out studying.

He hopes his brother remembers to take breaks and have a snack while he is there. He has been working too hard these last months. 

(It was great to know that at least one of them was trying their best.)

It’s nice to see him up and about again, the determined shine in his eyes subdued, but not completely erased, even if it took a too dark tunes sometimes. 

For all that Hero was smart and caring, he often forgot the simplest things, like that he is a human with basic needs.

His bag went to somewhere on the floor as Kel threw himself on the bed with a little too much force. He was tired. And should probably take a bath if he didn’t want to have a lecture about hygiene in some hours.

Oh well, sounds like a problem for future Kel, if he ever heard one.

The younger one fell into a dreamless sleep.

(…)

There were fingers caressing his hair, slowly pulling him back to consciousness and unfairly stopping the heavenly petting and beginning to mess the strand as soon as Kel showed signals of opening his eyes.

“Wakey wakey, Kel. It’s time for dinner.” Hero’s voice rang in a light tune and Kel incoherently grumbled in protest, mechanically sitting on the mattress with one swift movement. Not pushing the offending hand away only because he knew that doing so would just fuel the older to try to “show his giant brotherly love” further and Kel wasn’t quite in the mood for that right now.

He was feeling a bit slow. 

Better, but still slow.

Kel yawned, getting up and heading downstairs to the kitchen, missing the look Hero gave him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and a slight tint of a worried something else.

The good thing about family dinners was that his mother was always more than happy to fill the silence with stories about the past, about her childhood, their childhoods or events that happened earlier on the day. His dad prodded him about his day and Kel mentioned the basketball practice before letting Hero take over with his talk about his studies and the clubs he was in. So he was free to just concentrate on chewing and thinking about what more he could do to fill the evening so he wouldn’t take another hour long nap and ended up waking up full of energy in the middle of the night. 

(Maybe he should try calling Sunny ag-)

Heading upstairs was uneventful and the shorter one stopped in front of the television in his room with a thoughtful pose. He could watch his comfort movie but…

Kel shook his head and marched with determination to get the already old DVD case. It’s been years since Hero last played the game they always did when that movie was passing on TV. He probably wouldn’t even remember about it nowadays. Even if he did, he would be too busy studying to-

“Is that Cosmic Boy? Wow, it’s been a long time since I watched it!” Kel yelped, jumping in the air with how the sudden voice of his brother cut the air.

“Hero! Don’t sneak on me like this. I almost dropped the case.”

The older one winced apologetically. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to do that.” His features, however, quickly changed to a watchful gaze that ping ponged across Kel expression and body language, trying to find any hint about the reason of the quietness that washed over him during the whole dinner. “You are just very distracted today, Kel. Did something happen? You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Please don’t be about her, please don’t be about her I don’t think I am ready for this yet-

Kel shook his head with force, as if he could physically throw his thoughts from his brain with just this action, a habit both of them had, although it was unclear who copied it from who.

“It’s nothing.” 

There was a slight pause between the words. Hero never told Kel that but this was his biggest tell during his lies. Usually he was just so used to spilling anything in full honesty that when he tried to lie he always second guessed what he was going to say.

Besides, it wasn’t a ‘there isn’t anything’, but ‘it’s nothing’, so he was right, there was something that was really bothering his little brother.

While Kel moved his attention back to the TV, putting the DVD on the device, Hero subtly bit his lower lip, looking at his desk filled with books and papers scattered all across the place. The usual guilt of not studying at every single available moment in his life was already beginning to chew his brain.

However… 

Kel sat a few meters away from the screen, his orange basketball in hands, being clung to his chest in a shadow of a hug. He always looked so… small, sitting like that.

All the doubts vanished from his mind at this moment. There was just no subject or college in his world that could be more important than his brother.

He was not going to fail him again.

“I am going to get popcorn.” He smiled when Kel turned at him, pleased and surprised with the promise of a snack and company. “Mom is in a good mood today so I am going to try to convince her to open the box of chocolate she is holding on for the holidays.”

“I want the one with caramelized peanuts, the orange one and the big milk chocolate candy or also the one that taste like bananas-”

“That is dad’s favorite, there is no way for me to convince him to give it to us.” He chuckled as Kel whined as he fell on the floor, an annoyed pout blossoming in his face.

“It’s always dad's favorite. I wanted to try it.”

“That is the thing about favorites, Kel. they usually don’t change.” The younger one pouted more and rolled on his side to look at the TV, giving Hero his back in a grump style. “We can buy it the next time we go to the grocery store, you know? Just give me a reminder.”

Kel hummed, still looking at the screen, already uninterested in keeping their banter going. 

Yep, a very special cheering up and good ol’ brotherly bonding time was in order, then.

It didn’t take long, just a few charms, lots of puppy eyes and promises of buying another box and a nice something before he was sitting right next to the shorter one with a big bowl of popcorn and lightly nudging the boy to a more comfortable position to eat.

The movie started. Hero couldn’t lie, especially as he got older, but the film was nothing but just a simple animation with an even simpler plot too full of fond memories to be forgotten. Three friends being lost in space and finding - after years of their childhood being filled with rules, boredom and routines - a world with a colorful circus where they finally discovered what it was like truly being a kid and having fun.

When he was little, it had been one of his favorites and his love for it quickly spread to Kel, who were more than happy to weekly bother his older brother to watch it again and again, usually getting so excited about it that it was almost impossible to get him to actually watch the movie instead of just continue to jump around with his giddy energy, basically screaming the lines with the characters.

Most of the time it would take a while to get him to calm down and sit to enjoy the movie with him, especially because the little boy kept doing all the stuff to get him in his nerves. 

The older one glanced at his brother. It was almost unnerving how quiet and… not-moving he was now when he looked back at those memories.

… What did he even do to stop Kel from causing a ruckus and actually sit down to watch the movie?

There was a game, wasn’t it? How did it go, again…?

Mindlessly and lost in his thoughts, Hero stretched his arm to get more popcorn, which would be a totally fine and normal move if it wasn’t that movie and it wasn’t for that scene getting close, which meant that Kel had his eyes glued on him and his actions, knowing very well that if his brother remembered The Game, this usually would be the moment that he would start it.

That is why such yelp left his lips when Hero’s hand got closer, nerves buzzing and body throwing himself on his side while a hint of a smile grazed his mouth.

Hero only looked at him confused. 

“Kel? What wa-”

But before he could say anything else, the circus’ showman - one of the best characters of the movie - laughed and his excited announcement filled the space, taking, just like he always did when showed on the screen, all the attention to himself:

“A ride? Of course! We can visit any planet in the Universe! The planet of the infinite tickles, the planet of snickering elbows, the planet of the hilarious beetroots!”

The rest of the sentence disappeared as suddenly Hero’s brain was filled with plenty of giggling and squirming memories.

The planet of infinite…

Oh.

Hero remembered, now.

Kel, who was busy squinting and watching his brother with suspicion, trying to discover if he was truly confused or pulling his leg, squeaked, immediately recognizing the gleam that appeared in his eyes and the predatory turn of his smirk, fastly making his limbs turn around and kicking his legs to run away.

“Nonono! Hero! Think about what you're about to do!!” 

And Kel may be the most athletic of the two, but Hero always was good at reading his movements. While the younger one had the anticipation and stamina on his side, which made him successfully scramble away in wobbly dodges and quick jumps,  the taller ran to put himself in between him and the door, knees bended and arms spread wide, ready to catch any giggling younger one that tried to pass through him in the only true way to escape from his fate.

“You can’t camp at the door! This is against the rules!” Kel jumped on his bed, spinning around to point at him accusingly.

“Is it, now?” Hero blinked in the personification of innocence.

“Yeah!! It is and you know it.”

“I don’t think I remember the rules very well, dear little brother of mine.” Kel groaned at the affectionate nickname and would have let himself fall on the bed and complain about how embarrassing Hero was if it wasn’t for his non-laughing-safety being at stake. “Why don’t you come closer and explain them to me again?”

Kel raspberried at him, not moving a single finger in his direction.

They stared at each other.

Well, Hero internally shrugged. He tried. 

Showtime.

“Oh no!” He hugged his stomach, making a show of groaning and squirming around. “Kel, I was visiting one of your favorite planets and I think something is wrong with me now.”

He had to lower his face and press it on his chest to stop the snickering that bubbled from him when Kel basically shouted that “The planet of infinite tickles is not my favorite!!” so he wouldn’t break his character

“I think I am sick.”

“No, you’re not!”

“Owwww. I am terribly sick, Kel, I don’t think I can fight it any longer.”

“Hero!” Kel tried to not let his smile show on his tune too much, but he wasn’t successful, especially when Hero lifted his head and grinned at him, making a tickly kind of electricity run on his spine. “This is dumb. I am not a kid anymore. I can say that you’re lying.” 

“Sick! So sick. SO so sick. There is nothing we can do now. I am infected with the Need-To-Tickle-Tickle-Tickle-My-Little-Brother-Immediately disease and it’s only getting stronger as the seconds tick by.”

Silence. Kel seemed stuck between laughing in disbelief and groaning at his dramatics. Yet he didn’t step any closer to him. 

“Kel, you need to escape.”

“Then, get AWAY from the door.”

Hm. Maybe Hero would have to jump to plan B.

He pretended to not listen. “You must run away and save your life. I can feel it getting stronger, making my fingers wiggle and asking for your squeaky giggles in my mind.”

As he gave a quick glance upwards, he saw Kel looking at the window with squinted eyes and a thoughtful face, considering. 

No. Definitely not. Time for plan B.

“There is just - urg- only one thing that can save me.” He made a show of pulling something out of his pocket. The chocolate wrapping glinted in the light. “The forbidden banana chocolate that I got for Kel but now it will have to be used for the greater good.”

A gasp.

Kel knew it was a trap. For real, he knew it.

But he also really, really wanted to know why his dad had been obsessed with this chocolate since his early memories. Besides, Hero was distracted with his theatrics. If he tried to zig zag his way to his brother he could get it, he was sure of that. There was a reason he was feared at basketball and it wasn’t only for his deathly aim, but also for how fast he could be when he really wanted.

He could do that. He definitely could do that. Just dash, grab the snack and immediately bolt back to his bed. 

 Easy Peasy.

Hero wouldn't even notice him before it was too late.

He took a deep breath, eyes full of determination. Hero didn’t move, still dangling the chocolate in the air and slowly bringing it closer to his open mouth.

One, two, three and… RUN!

(...)

Today is a great day, Hero thought, as he whistled and sat in front of the TV, grabbing the remote and going back to the part of the film that they lost because of all the shenanigans. 

It was a little bit hard, but with some struggles he managed to not be hit in the face by a kick.

Today was a really good day.

“Hero!!! Hero you can’t do this with your own brother! Hero!!”

The sun was already setting and that let a dance of orange, yellow and red fill the room. Such beautiful and calm scenery. 

The taller one adjusted the bundle in his arms, eyes still glued on the screen, a satisfied smile grazing his mouth.

Peace.

“We can watch another movie! The popcorn will get cold and taste horrible and munchy and wither and then you’ll have to make another bowl and- No! Hero!”

One of the older's hands was lifted, his fingers clawing the air and chasing the squirming torso with a skill and tranquility of someone who played the same game a handful of times before and would keep playing it for plenty of times more.

He attacked.

Kel squealed, laughter immediately spilling freely from his lips as the wiggly, playful hands squeezed his sides non stop, fingers spidering and teasing the skin for a few seconds before chasing the lovely high pitched snickers that always appeared when Hero wormed his hands under his torso and tickled the base of his spine, prodding and poking his way to there and going back to attack his sides every time the younger tried to wiggle away.

As the clawing hands got bored, their curious fingers began hiking the sinuous patch to his armpits - being careful to scratch on each one of his ribs in the way, of course. What kind of a brother would he be if he denied their necessary dose of tickles? - which automatically made Kel titter non stop and his arms trash and skip around, in failed attempts to push such an unfair, horrible, tickly and silly attack away. 

However, everytime he tried to do that it was only to have the skittering fingers jumping away to dance on his belly, making his hands get out of the way and go back to clamping on his mouth to hide the traitor snorts away. This was the same technique Hero did everytime he tickled him and the fact that it still worked even after all those years only made his reactions grow stronger and giggli-er. Hero chuckled, starting, once again, the whole cycle of climbing and going back and then clawing up, up, up, getting higher every time the loop was repeated.

Uncontrollable laughter, tittering squeals, loud squeaks and high pitched yelps stumbled in the room in flocks and waves, stumbling right out of his mouth and spreading a funny kind of warmth all across his face and chest. A warmth that fought with the creeping cold that clued in his bones since the beginning of the day and scared away with a giddy, electric kind of energy the exhaustion on his moves, replacing them with kicks, wiggles and plentiful of squirms that always got him almost tumbling out of the lap and the trap he was in only for Hero to playful complain something about “running away from their brotherly quality time” and pull him right back at his previous blushy and giggly predicament.

And Kel remembered why this was one of his favorite movies. Because there wasn’t any Cosmic Boy without Hero, and there wasn’t any Hero without fun, without the sensation that he wasn’t alone, of a hand extended in his direction and attentive eyes that found and smiled at him on his quietest days. There wasn’t a Hero without the certainty that there wasn’t anything in this world that he couldn’t fix make it better by just being embarrassingly charming or a dork or an annoying older brother that would still try to get him to play his favorite game even if Kel was complaining about being too old and being insufferable the whole way.

So, Kel couldn’t really bring himself, even between his crackles because Hero kept focusing on this horrible, awful, terrific, unfair spot right in the middle of his ribcage and nononono! That is too ticklish! Very, very ticklish!! Get away, gehet away, stohohohop- , to mind the whole playful and honestly childish attack. 

That was when Hero got to his armpits, positioned his thumbs on the sensitive flesh and began drumming.

The resulting screeching was so loud that it made their windows shake.

Nevermind. Forget everything Kel said before, his older brother was evil and mean and this is the most horrible game to ever exist.

“Oh my god, I forgot how bad your armpits were.” Hero’s chuckles evolved to wheezes as he stopped his tickle attack to try to gather himself together and not fall in peals of laughter after such a loud reaction. 

Kel was still squirming, rolling from one side to another in an attempt to dislodge the offending hands out of his armpits and body instinctively jumping away when his own movements made the fingers graze and tickle the spot unintentionally, even if they stopped moving a few seconds ago. Yet, the knowledge that they were still there and that they could attack at any moment made tiny, buzzy shocks run across his torso and tickle his nerves and smile. 

Tears gathered on the corner of his eyes while airy chuckles intertwined freely with his protesting squeaky, fast laughter.

“Let me gohohoho!” But, his sentences couldn’t summon a single drop of true irritation or heat to fill them, especially when accompanied by such a gigantic, tittering grin and half hearted pushes. “Shuhuhut up!”

“Sorry, sohohorry! I swear I didn’t mean to laugh.” Hero said, laughing. “But your face was just-”

And he fell in a sea of sniggers again.

A sudden idea made Kel’s eyes sparkle and a teasy tune take over the corners of his smirk.

“Yeah? Bet it wasn’t as funny as this!”

And then his hands flew to Hero's sides, kneading there like there was no tomorrow.

Hero, in his turn, gasped in surprise at the feeling, his laughter getting stronger and quieter as the taller one tried to become a defensive ball, only to have his plans ruined by the younger boy laying still on his lap, his entire torso shaking with the force of his snickers and crackles.

"See? Pretty funny, huh? You can't even stop laughing!" 

Hero shook his head, the tip of his ears getting red.

"No?" Kel began crawling his hands downwards on the sensitive flesh until… there it was! Hero's head shot backwards, hiccups and snorts falling freely when Kel focused on delivering pinches on the hip bones with joy. "For someone who doesn't think this is funny, I think you're laughing a lot, huh, don't you think, Hero? Huh? Huh? Don't you think that this is funnyyyy~"

With an enormous force Hero managed to pull a whole sentence between his laughter. "I-I was supposed to snrk- to be the one cheering you uP!"

"And it's working!! Look how much happy I am for WINNING this fight and obliterating you with tickles right now! Ha!" Kel shouted triumphantly, letting the hips go in order to tease the unprotected neck of his brother.

However, he miscalculated Hero's stamina, and such a mistake couldn’t be left forgotten as two hands glued on his wrists with a firm grip and pulled them away. Shiny brown eyes found his.

"Oops." Suddenly, Kel’s voice got a much wobblier tune.

"W-winning the tickle fight, you say?" The way Hero's smile - even between breathless gasps and tiny hiccups - got shark-like made every siren scream in alert inside the younger's brain. "Lehehet me assist you, then."

"No! Wait!" But the other did not, in fact, wait, pulling the arms until they were pinned above his head, palms facing upwards. "Hero, I am already cheered up! I promise!"

“I don’t think so, Kel.” Hero positioned one of his hands on the other’s wrist, the tip of his fingers scratching the skin with soft and unbearable scribbles that made goosebumps run across his arms. Then, because Hero was an unfair meanie with no heart, he began walking the playful, tickly digits to the inside of his forearm. “Besides, the planet of the snickering elbows came all the way from the other side of the universe just to see you.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Planets can’t get people!!” Kel tried with all his will to pull his trembling ticklish arms from their torment only to feel a series of squeaky giggles climb up his throat, obliging him to concentrate all his efforts in not combusting in a mess of titters and giggles. 

“Do you think so? Because I think that the planet of the snickering elbows is getting closer and closer to someone’s very ticklish and very snickery arms…”

“I-I-I am nohot” He gave up, letting the uncontrollable and high pitched snickers wash them as his squirms grew stronger with all the giddiness filling his muscles and shooting like electricity across his nerves. “Tihihihihihicklish!! I am not ticklish!”

Hero’s expression got amused. “You’re not ticklish?”

His fingers focused in teasing and dancing happily on every inch inside his elbow, blunt nails creating and senseless doodles with every scribble and a couple or two of soft pinches that never failed to make the younger’s laughter get even higher and faster.

And still, Kel stubbornly shook his head. “Ihihi am not!”

“So, all these hilarious tickly-tickles aren’t affecting you at all?” Kel just continued to shake his head vehemently, laughing and smiling like nothing else mattered in his life, wrinkles on the corner of his eyes and nose scrunched up. “Not even a little bit? A silly-billy bit? A coochie coochie coo?” 

Kel’s kicks were renewed, the words falling between his lips being too much lost in between titters and squeals to be understood. If this was a protest against Hero’s embarrassing teases or the fact that his fingers were slowly and carefully crawling across his upperarms to his armpits was impossible to say.

Being the good, lovely brother who cared about his little bro’s wellbeing above everything else, Hero decided to keep doing both.

“Great!” Digging under his arms, Hero had to elevate his voice so he could be heard above the hysteric crackles of Kel. “Because the game just started. Do you know who else came to pay a visit to their favorite giggly boy? The planet of the hilarious beetroots…~”

Hands suddenly free, Kel only had a second before he felt his feet being held in a headlock. “And they would loooove to play This Little Pig with you again!”

And, of course, Kel should know that, in the position that he was, maybe it wouldn’t be the wisest idea to provoke the tickle monster that he called brother anymore.

But, the movie was still playing in the background, and soon enough they would be getting to the middle of it, which means that they probably would have to rewind all the way back to the beginning to watch it properly. And Hero had those dangerously joyful shine in his eyes that he hadn’t seen for a long time and Kel felt it would be a long time until he would be able to stop the chuckles and giggles that played run and catch in the room.

So, yeah, maybe if he stayed quiet, they would just go back to the game and soon everything would be over.

But he wasn’t much of the whole ‘being a quiet guy’ now, was he?

“Yohou’re sohohoho pfffft- hehe stupid!”

Hero’s smirk got wider.

And then, once again, he attacked.

(...)

“Hey, Hero?”

His brother hummed from his desk, showing that he was paying attention. It was night but the younger knew his brother would still pull one or two hours of study before following his lead and going to sleep. The lights of the room were still on but that was fine, Kel never had problems to fall asleep with them anyway. Especially after such an eventful day. He could already feel his eyelids droping close as he adjusted his blanket.

“Do you think that one day I will be as good as you?”

He didn’t look up, but by the sound of their old, badly lubricated office chair being moved, he knew that Hero was now staring at him.

This time, he waited in silence, not filling it with whatever word came to rest on the tip of his tongue.

Hero’s voice was soft as it floated in the night. “I think that I would be a very lucky guy… if someday I got to be half as cool as you.”

Kel snorted.

“Still,” he continued, “we’re both doing a good job at being just ourselves, don’t you think? It wouldn’t be very interesting if we just became like each other or you became like me. Your basketball group would certainly start a mutiny, and the fabric of orange joe would go bankrupt.”

“But… more than anything” and then Kel looked up, because that was Hero’s emotional voice and he could count in the fingers of one hand the moments he got like that (most of them weren’t good ones). “I would miss you a lot, Kel.” 

Ah.

Kel smiled and it soon evolved to a fun kind of chuckle.

“Heh. Thank you, Hero. You’re not going to start crying over me, are you?”

“Maybe.”

“Old man.”

“Old and taller than you.~”

A calm sort of silence poured in gentle drops over them.

Kel took a deep breath.

“I got a C on my test today.”

“Really?” Hero’s frown quickly eased when he saw the conflicted gaze in his brother’s face. “And how was it?”

“I tried very hard and it was biology! I love biology. And it was not even a bad grade! I could have gotten a D or even a F and failed the subject.” As quick as it came, his irritation went away, body too light and too sleepy to cling to it for too long, anyway. “I got more than half of the questions right.”

“That is great.” Hero replied, sincerely, not having a single idea of how that only sentence washed over the younger one like a breeze of relief. “Hey, when your tests are all over, we should have some ice cream to celebrate, what do you think?”

Happier, Kel could already feel the dream realm reclaiming him, so, before he fell asleep, a quick, glad answer was pushed from his mouth.

“Yeah. We totally should.”

For a second, he could almost hear a fond sigh and a faint “good night”.

The day hadn’t started great, but Kel couldn’t really deny that last sentence.

This was a good night. Indeed.

[valentine-letter]

" Laugh, laugh ! I know you wanna ! ~ "

.

WOW not a rq ! Just something I had on my mind for a bit :) it is completely self-indulgent hehe

[kanene-yaaay]

That is !!!!! So precious!!! And just like I pictured the scenario, thank you so muuuuch!!! Hero being such a silly, playful gremlin and poking fun w teases and tickles on Kel is just *chef kiss* AMAZING and Kel getting all giggly and >:v is just so so sooo good!! Thank you so much for drawing this!!! You are so fabulous!

This request is for the lovely @kanene-yaaay ! :3