#Ritsu fighting like his life is on the line: NO TICKLES // The person: *stops tickling him*// Ritsu: No… No more tickles? :(((

[kanene-yaaay]

I am here if you need

Alternative Title: Little Brothers.

Kanene’s notes: So, in the brazilian dub Ritsu was always calling Shigeo “his lil bro” (probably because he is taller than him sdfghjkjhg) and I kept this nickname on this fanfic because it’s honestly the most adorable thing so just a heads up in the case that is not something that happen in others dubs or on the original. Hope it’s not very confusing!

Warnings: There are rasbperries here and nursery rhymes, but besides that, nothing! Lots of brotherly fluff and angst full of hurt/comfort with Switch!Shigeo and Switch!Ritsu. Around 5.000 words.

[~*~]

(Please consider reading my notes before the fanfic pls ^.^)

Ritsu is his little brother and Shigeo loves him.

Sometimes, everything is simple like that.

He doesn’t think life has ever been different. It’s like waking up to the sunrise every single day. You simply know that the next time you open your eyes, the sun will be there to greet you at the first signals of consciousness.

But he wouldn’t say Ritsu is like the Sun. Actually, he is much more like the Moon. A constant calming presence. Strong. Important. Always there when you need it. He is intelligent and funny and so, so amazing. And popular too, which is only natural. Of course everyone would love him. His little brother is incredible.

Shigeo couldn’t be prouder of him.

This is also a constant in his life when it comes to his brother. Love and pride.

(And fear and jealousy. But they were working on it).

Both feelings have always mingled together, accompanying their hurried steps as they grew up on those hot afternoons spent climbing tall trees and pointing at the caterpillars and bugs they found in their way.

They also followed the brothers as Ritsu went to the hospital to take his vaccines even though he was deadly afraid of needles and shaking the whole ride to the place, tightly holding Mob’s hands as the older one teared up and sniffled in empathy at his sibling’s struggles.

And on the moments they fought and Shigeo would freeze, stop and lock up because he was so afraid of losing control and then Ritsu would appear hours later with two cups of warm tea for them to sip quietly, sitting together with arms pressing on each other as the silence said words they couldn’t ever express.

Also on the way the older one would always keep money in his bag for the days when they stumbled on each other on their way to home so they could make a small detour to the ice cream store and have something nice after a busy day.

Or with how Ritsu would untwist his spoons when Mob lost control, and Shigeo would still remember his bro’s favorite shows as a kid and Ritsu would frown at him when he talked about Reigen but not say anything because he may not trust the guy, but the trusted Shigeo’s choices.

And. And. And.

That is why it was so easy to not be hurt when Ritsu got his powers and he found him in that alley. Because Ritsu was amazing. He was his little brother and Shigeo knew that feelings are a complex, difficult thing to control and when we can’t control them everything becomes terrifying (because you’re hurt) and scaring and pushing people away seems like the only good way to protect yourself. But it was fine. It was fine because Shigeo understood (he had someone who helped him to understand) and now that he understands he could help his brother. He would be there for him. Because he loved him and Ritsu also loved him and nothing in the world could ever change that.

That is why he sometimes laid awake, frozen in his bed in the middle of the night, frightening memories and horrible nightmares of those six hellish months mixing together in an undistinguished way, plaguing his mind and leaving him out of breath, as if there were rocks laying on his chest and a hand squeezing his throat, making his tongue feel like concrete in his dry mouth.

Sometimes he really despises the way that illusion changed him.

It was on one of those nights that Mob decided he couldn’t bear to stay alone in his room any longer.

Walking to the bathroom to wash his face only woke him more, however at least it also decreased the feeling that cotton was filling his brain and made his thoughts stop dragging themselves in the darkest spaces of his mind.

He stopped in front of Ritsus’ door, knocking on it very lightly, anxiety buzzing in his chest non stop. He didn’t care if it seemed childish. His fingers began to pull and fiddle with his pajamas’ shirt. It was nothing, really. Nothing really important. He just... He just... He really needed to look at Ritsu’s eyes right now and see more than indifference or disgust.

Ritsu opened his door. His eyelids were dropping. He was clearly tired, yet very alert even if all his movements were still sluggish from sleep.

And still...

“Lil bro,“ his voice was calm. Patient. Warm. Of course it was. It was Ritsu. What was Mob thinking? He would never... He wouldn’t...

“Something happened?”

Mob shook his head.

Quiet washed over them. Ritsu watched his brother for something and Shigeo kept staring at him because that shine in his eyes showed that he was worried. He was worried but also he wouldn’t pry and the oldest couldn’t put in words how much that alone made him relax.

(Worry was very different from indifference. Or hate. You didn’t worry about someone you didn’t care about. Shigeo held to this thought as if it was the only thing keeping him standing.)

Before he could say anything (his tongue was still so heavy) Ritsu held his hand and pulled him to the kitchen. Shigeo’s hand was sweaty. That couldn’t be comfortable.

He didn’t pull away.

(Ritsu cared.)

“Do you want some tea?”

It was more of a courtesy question than anything, really, since the taller one was already getting the teapot. Still, Shigeo said a tiny sound in agreement and moved to grab their cups either way. He had to let go of his brother's hands for this but it was fine. Because from time to time Ritsu would bump their shoulders together (I am here) or Shigeo would poke his arm to show the night outside their window (I care) and Ritsu would choose one of their favorite blands (I care) and the smell would be all over the kitchen so Mob had to open the window in the most careful and quiet way ever to not wake up their parents and then, since the window was open and they were already there, both would take their time to take a deep breath and stare at the night sky.

(I care. I care. I am here. I love you. I love you. I love you.)

They spent a handful of pieces of time like this before going back to Ritsu’s room, sitting on his futon and watching senseless videos on his phone.

Almost instantly Shigeo felt a head lay on his shoulder and he didn’t need to turn around to know his younger brother would be struggling to keep his eyes open. Therefore he calmly took the phone from his hands and adjusted himself carefully to not disturb the other.

Suddenly, he was nine years old all over again, putting a blanket over him and Ritsu while watching more videos in the middle of the night in secret until his sibling began taking more and more deep, paused breaths, indicating that he had fell asleep and now Mob could move him to lay on his futon without waking him up.

But he wasn’t eight years old anymore and didn’t realize that the nightmares and tea and the warmth and the comfort of having his family so close would make him fall on the hands of the dreamland easier, much before he could even properly adjust the blanket on themselves.

Did he remember to close the window?

(...)

When Shigeo woke up, he was laying on a futon that wasn’t his in his old room. The memories of the last night came back as he moved to sit, rubbing his eyes and yawning and. ah. He forgot to wash their cups last night.

Breakfast was fine, with mom talking and dad laughing and hot, enjoyable food between all of them.

He walked back to his room after he was finished (thankfully it wasn’t a school day) and left his door open due the another set of footsteps following him. It was a sunny day. Dimple must be at Reigen’s if he stayed out until now. Or maybe visiting Teru. It was fine. Today was going to be an okay day.

He turned around when the door closed, still a bit slow with the sleepiness that refused to leave his bones. His gaze found Ritsu’s, he didn’t look as worried as yesterday. That is good.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He almost said ‘no’, the word already on the tip of his tongue. However... he didn’t want Ritsu to feel like he was pushing him away. He wanted to set a good example.

Besides, it all didn’t seem so horrible now that it was day and he wasn’t alone and they had tea and a good, warm breakfast. It felt less unspeakable

“...I had a nightmare.” His brother kept an open face, calm and understanding. “I don’t remember it well. But you helped.” He hugged him, hoping it would say more than just the few words he had. “Thank you.”

“I’m always here for you, lil bro.” Ritsu hugged him back.

They stayed a bit like this.

Ritsu huffed a laugh.

“Huh?”

“Do you remember the thing to cheer us up that dad always did when we were little and ran at him after a bad day?”

Ah. Shigeo did.

“And that you also began to do when I would show up in your room after a nightmare?”

Shigeo experimentally wiggled on the embrace, not being surprised when Ritsu’s arms kept him locked on the hug. Hands began spidering their way on his ribs and suddenly Mob was more than aware that his position wasn’t the best for protection and that he fell in a trap.

And yet, his arms - trembling and shaking with the effort to not shoot downwards and trap the offending hands and wiggling fingers in their attack - were determinately kept firm, still hugging Ritsu close.

This was a family tradition, afterall.

“Do you remember that silly song that dad would always sing when he tickled us?” Of course Shigeo did, afterall, he was the one who first took upon himself to learn and keep that tradition going during his own cheering-up tickle attacks against Ritsu. The same song that pried, amidst his giggly and squeaking protests about ‘how much he despised it’, the biggest and brightest smiles from his younger sibling. “I can’t recall it that well, but you will help me to sing it, right, lil bro?”

Before a single word could come out of his lips, Ritsu focused his tickly attention on his lowest rib, pinching and drumming on a spot right in the middle of it that never failed to fish a loud squeal and scramble his thoughts all over around the place because it tickled, it really tickled so, so much, the sensation spreading all across his torso and making him want to curl in a ball and smile and laugh and laugh and-

Giggles were dancing freely on the air and Mob was nodding his head non stop even before he noticed what he was doing.

“Thank you so much, lil bro!” Any naivety of those words would be lost at the scene of the gigantic, teasy (and yet a tad soft, because that shy, smiley expression on his lil bro's face was so much better than the haunted, exhausted eyes he saw yesterday) smirk on Ritsu’s features. He couldn’t help prodding the spot on both the right and left ribs at the same time only to see Shigeo try to wiggle from one side to another and stop because that made him jump into another tickly finger and then half second later wiggle again because it tickled.

After a few seconds of tormenting he stopped, though, giving his brother a breather, warmth spreading on his chest as he watched Mob use the break to shove his face on his shoulder, little bounces of his own shoulders being the only hint of the quiet titters and yelps that still spilled from his mouth. Ritsu gave his head a couple of fond pats with an amused snort.

He wasn’t finished, however.

“How does the song start, again? It’s been a while since I heard it…”

A huffed chuckle and a hesitant, mumbled sentence was what answered him, and because Ritsu was a little shit, he scribbled the vulnerable, incredibly ticklish neck that Mob’s hiding left unprotected. 

“Sorry,” the playfulness in his voice showed that he was pretty much not sorry at all and would definitely do it again if Shigeo didn’t try to talk louder “can you say that again? I couldn’t hear you.”

Giggling giggling giggling.

“...R-round ahahand r-snrk” Shigeo shoved his face even more on his shoulder as Ritsu quickly changed his attack back to his ribs, being mindful to give every single inch of ticklish rib a few scratches and a good prodding before jumping to another. “round thehehe gar-r-rden gohohoes the teddy be-eek!”

Ritsu gave the weak spot on the back of his middle rib a last tickle before having mercy at his older sibling and continuing the song. And, well, if he even mimicked the goofy voice his father always did when he sang it… no one but his brother needed to know. 

“One step.”

He pretended to “walk” in the direction of the unprotected armpits. Mob’s titters became more squeaky, already tipping on a full laughter.

“Two steps.”

He paused for a grand effect, mentally counting to three before unmercifully wiggling and digging his fingers on the target, keeping up his attack even when the older one jolted in the air, an unexpected bark of loud laughter breaking the previous silence and making Shigeo throw his head backwards, arms shooting down a second too late, only trapping the offending, playful tickly digits in their attack as his laughter turned into an unstable mix of squeaks and hiccups.

“And tickle under there.~”

“R-ritsu!” 

The called one just snickered, paying the half heartedly protest no mind, especially since no more words or moves accompanied it. Knowing his brother he would endure a whole hour of goofy nursery rhymes and silly tickles if that meant keeping up the playful moment.

Huff.

Such a softie.

Before his laughter would become more hiccups than anything Ritsu decided to experiment and see if he still knew how to get a few snorts and airy giggles with the next rhyme.

He positioned both of his index fingers on Shigeo's cheeks. 

"Now, how does the second part goes again…?" He pretended to think while swirling his digits on the spot, receiving plenty of puffed snorts as the bright eyes of his brother stared at him, his grin growing bigger at every small skittering. "Round and round…?" He looked at Shigeo expectantly.

"Thehehe hayssstack."

"Right." Then,his voice was back to the singing, goofy tune again, he almost decided to change his attack to tease the shortest's ears but Mob seemed to be having fun. "Round and round the haystack, went the little mouse."

"One step."

Once again he pretended to "walk", now directing the scribbling to the so ticklish neck. 

"Two steps."

Shigeo's shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.

"And right up in the air."

He feigned going for his chin before changing to squeeze his sides on the last second, fishing a loud high pitched squeal, the belly laughter filling the entire room for a full second before falling to a silent laughter and the usual hiccups. Shigeo's torso weakly wiggled from left to right before he failed limply on Ritsu's arms, still giggling like crazy.

"W-wahahait!"

"Huh? Oh, shoot. That doesn't rhyme,must be something else then. Let me just try again." He stopped, leading his hands to spider over the other's stomach. "One step. Two steps. Into his little house." 

And, as Mob was about to hold his wrists, the tickling came to a stop. And they stayed there, Shigeo giggling out the rest of the giddy feeling buzzing on his nerves and Ritsu chuckling and giving his back a couple of fond pats.

It took some minutes before Shigeo's voice filled the air again.

“I had forgotten about this tradition.” Mob said, honesty and warmth painting every word. “Thank you for reminding me, Ritsu.”

Ritsu smiled. His older sibling was really a big ol softie with a giant melting heart. "I'm always here for you, lil bro."

(...)

After a few weeks, such moment had been almost forgotten, being, instead, kept in a high shelf in Ritus’s mind after his brother’s nightmares became more sparse and their bimester's finals came to pull and throw them in a frenetic pace of clubs, studies and way too much schoolwork for just 24 hours per day.

In fact, that memory only resurfaced after his tests were over, right during that stressing period right after you finished every major thing you had to do, when your body was exhausted from weeks of study and work but you mind was still too full of everything (every exercise every test every record every observation every question and answers and notes and classes and-) to be able to let go of the adrenaline that kept him going and actually relax.

The taller didn’t even realize that Shigeo was in his room until a light touch on his arm broke him from the staring competition he was having with his textbook, wondering if it was worth it to study a subject or two just to make the anxiety gnawing the corner of his mind more bearable. 

"Ritsu?"

"Hm?" He blinked, recovering fast from the unexpected touch. "Do you need something, lil bro?"

(Help with your studies? Help with understanding a confusing equation? A quick run down on the subject of last week? Help with cleaning? With your powers? With work?)

(Was he even worth something if he didn't hel-)

"No. Thank you." The attentive and calm eyes of the older one ere enough to make him let go of the book and stay on the here and now. Ritsu attempted to look patient and open, trying to not show his confusion and internal struggling to the other. He needed to get a hold of himself before he did something stupid again.

"Are you alright, Ritsu?"

The taller one stopped. Blinked one, two, three times before a smile opened in his face.

(It didn't reach his eyes.)

"Of course, lil bro. Why wouldn't I be?" He turned around to put his book in his bag again. Maybe he should start preparing his things for tomorrow.

"Because your tests were only over today and you've been through a stressful week of studies right after working hard during the school's festival, which usually overload the students council with more obligations than the normal amount." 

Ah. That is right. The school festival. Has it been that long already? After a time everything starts mixing up in the same mess. His hands kept organizing his bag even if his breath hitched for a moment too long. Wednesday was when he had math in the first and second period, didn't he? He should probably check his exercise to see if his answers were correct. 

Another light, careful touch on his shoulder made him stop.

"Ritsu, you are always here for me when I need it." Shigeo's tune was calm and light-hearted like it always had been. Like he always had been. Like helping Ritsu was not a chore only natural. "So if you need or want" his gaze became firm then, more determined "I am here for you too. You can trust me."

One blink.

Two blinks. 

Ritsu opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.

Oh.

Oh.

Okay.

That was right.

He could trust him, couldn’t he? Shigeo already proved that before, when they…

His lil bro always tried so hard for him. Ritsu could… He could try a bit more for him, as well. 

"I am stressed." The words were low, stumbling out of his lips before he could stop them. Like ripping off a bandaid. "And there isn’t a reason for it anymore. I should try to… relax a bit."

Shigeo nodded and Ritsu scratched the back of his neck in a sudden bout of shyness as the other’s eyes scanned him, understanding.

Shigeo nodded once again.

"OK. That should be a good moment to tell you that I have a message for you, then."

"Really?" A message? That is… not what Ritsu was expecting. But his lil bro was good at breaking and going over expectations. He wondered if it was from someone at the school. "What is it?"

Mob looked at the window behind him, pointing at something. Voice as neutral as ever.

“Oh. What’s that?”

“Huh?” Ritsu turned around, scanning the scenery in search for something strange. It was only when he heard a small sound behind him that his eyes widened and he realized that he fell for the oldest trick in the book.

Arms came and hugged him from behind.

Flashes of memories filled his mind in less than one second. Laughter, wide smiles, giggles, wiggling fingers, surprise attacks. 

“No!”

He would forever deny the way his voice was wobbly, embarrassing high pitched giggles already bubbling on his throat just at knowledge of what would happen, the buzzing feeling of anticipation making him want to kick and squirm around like crazy.

“It’s our cheering up tradition.”

Hands began giving the stomach they were resting on a few experimental pokes, each one of them leaving him wiggling from one side to another like a quite energetic worm. Ritsu could perfectly visualize his brother’s face even without looking at him: the way his eyebrows would be frowned in a concentrated way, curious eyes jumping from the teasing pokes to his reactions in search of what would bring out the brightest smiles or the most wheeziy snicker, just like a musician tuning his instruments.

“It’s not!”

“It’s a family thing.”

“It is really nOT!” In the last part, Ritsu’s voice was taken over by an unintelligible ‘eee’ sound as Mob gave the horribly, unfairly, awfully ticklish spot right under his bellybuton a scratch, legs almost giving out in the need to move and kick and stay and laugh and laugh and laugh.

“I-I’m… n-nohot- snrk. Come on!” He and Shigeo’s hands were caught in a game of cat and mouse for a bit when Ritsu wasn’t able to even start a sentence without having his words captured by pieces of barked laughter and badly muffled chuckles since his brother refused to leave that damn spot alone and it tickled so much. It tickled so, so bad. Shigeo’s ones escaping from his grip (not that it was that strong in the first place) with the skill of someone who tickled him since they were tiny humans and wasn’t about to stop now. The playful wrestling though gave him a breather and a chance to wheeze out his sentence. “I’m not seven anymore, lil bro.”

“Physical activities are a good way to destress and relax.” Mob’s tune was pensative, a light hint of a considerating humming in his voice as Ritsu finally succeeded in getting a hold of his hands, not letting them go even with the light tugs that this resulted. And, well, if a gigantic smile was plastered on his face and a couple of giggles escaped from his lips because of the playful moment, that is nobody’s business.

Besides, it was hard to not let a victorious (and strangely nostalgic. Had this ever happened before?) feeling wash over him as his older brother gave up from trying to free his hands.

Well, that wasn’t so bad.

Ritsu ignored the little sad weight on his chest that wished that it didn’t end so soon. Maybe… Maybe he could turn around and get a bit of a payba-

A big raspberry hit his shoulder blades, right in the middle space that connected both of them, a weak spot that even he had forgotten about. But as it seems, not Shigeo. Or his own body.

The sound that came out from his mouth was more of a screeching than actual laughter. Loud, fast - and not even remotely close from the huffed, quiet reactions from his older brother, - and uncontrollable giggling stumbled right out of his mouth when the maddening and tickly buzzing that made his nerves tingle didn’t go away, the tickling following him no matter how much he squirmed and wiggled around in his attempts to escape it, his hands letting go of Shigeo’s wrists to trash and shake around, totally unable to stop the older as he decided to throw quicker and smaller raspberries around both shoulder blades, fishing plenty of crackling squeals when they slipped and “accidentally” hit the back of his ribs and neck.

They were a shared tickle spot and one of the favorites for Shigeo to tickle, warmth filling his chest at the knowledge that he could make Ritsu happy and smiley with just a few playful tickles.

His hands were now free, though, so he could go back to his original plan.

Shigeo undid the hug, watching with an amused quirk of lips as his sibling clumsy tumbled out of it, frenetic, airy titters still floating in the room as if the tickling had never came to a stop. He waited for Ritsu to turn in his direction, bright, shiny eyes finding his before he slowly - so teasing slowly - lifted his hands, fingers mimicking claws as they clawed the air.

He used to do that all the time as a kid, Ritsu even called it-

“No!” Wide eyes and even a wider smile. Ritsu watched as the older approached with a giddy alarm, adrenaline running on his veins and muscles tensing in preparation to scramble away. He couldn’t believe Shigeo was doing that, it was so childish. “Do. not. No. Not The Claw!”

Mob didn’t stop his approaching steps, only clawing the air fast and faster as he got closer and closer and closer. “Shigeo!!”

“Tickle tickle tickle…”

Just three taunting words and then Ritsu was running away, laughter falling his lips when he managed to dodge from Shigeo and jump over his forgotten bag on the floor, shivers and the ghost feeling of poking fingers on his torso following him at every step, especially when he glanced behind with the corner of his eyes only to see the other one chasing right after him. 

Oh, that is right. He is on the Body Improvement Club, shit, shit, shit-

This was so silly. This was so childish. So stupid and it didn’t make any sense and it was so so fun.

That was the moment he tripped on his futon.

(For some reason, he also was always very bad at running away from the tickles as a kid. Looks like he didn’t outgrow that feature.)

Ritsu didn’t even process the string of protesting nonsense falling freely from his lips as he turned around, a mix of protesting ‘nonono’a and promising ‘don’t you dare!’s as Shigeo sat close to him. Still, his lil bro’s voice, calm and with drops of something a tad playful seemed to echo in the entire room.

“Got you.”

His clawing hands lunged to his belly. Ritsu screeched.

Only for his hands to stop a few inches from the skin, the tip of the finger barely grazing the spot before pulling away.

Ritsu began wheezing, hotness running from his neck to his face, feeling like a little kid facing the tickle monster that was his older brother all over again. He couldn’t believe Shigeo was doing that. He was so- This was so (silly, awful, amazing, soft, playful, amusing, silly, silly, silly) unfair.

A yelp was pried from his mouth when Shigeo again pretended to lounge on his sides. A loud squeal when the clawing hands threatened his ribs. A half snort, half chortle when they gave his hips an experimental squeeze before also moving away.

He was already a mess of squirms and uncontrollable giggles (one of his hands running to try to cover his mouth) when Shigeo decided to take mercy on him and slowly descended his hands to his knees, attacking it with plenty of squeezes and spidering so he wouldn’t get used to the feeling.

The tickling spreading tickly shocks across his entire legs and happily followed him, no matter how much he trashed or kicked around. Loud, bright peals of laughter and squeaky snorts dancing in the air in harmony, no anxious thoughts or stressed feelings filling his mind besides the only one sentence that repeated non stop on his brain and left a happy, comforting feeling on his chest.

‘It tickles. It tickles. It tickles.’

When tears began to run across his cheeks Shigeo decided to stop, carefully rubbing the knees to free them from the remaining sensation of fingers skittering on them. Ritsu threw one of his arms on his eyes, letting all the giggles and wobbly laughter get out of his system, breathing slowly going back to it’s normal pace.

It took a few minutes until he could talk without falling back to the laughing pit.

“That was your message?”

“No. Shou asked me to tell you to meet him at the central shopping mall tomorrow after school.” Mob paused a bit, Ritsu already thinking about how he would say to Shou that his brother was no messenger pigeon and for him to actually use his phone once in a while before having his thoughts cut by the rest of the shorter’s sentence. “But you told me what was wrong. I wanted to help you.”

Oh.

It was soft, the relaxing the silence that fell on them. Literally. Because relaxing made Ritsu let go of his powers (when did he activate them again?) that were keeping them and a handful of objects in his room hoovering in the air, which made all of them have a less than stellar encounter with the floorboards.

But, as both the Kageyamas brothers re-organized the room, two twin sets of fond, content smiles decorating their features, they couldn’t say exactly that they minded the turn of events that happened on that evening.