#and if their partner got it wrong they’d be tickled in a certain spot for like 10 seconds or something

[ticklystuff]

do yall think aventurine would be into streaming? not like a streamer au but like actually one of his hobbies

[comfyswitcherblanketfort]

IUI - Roach is Baby

Wifey told me Jask needs to meet Roach and fuck she was RIGHT

warnings: I... went a little horse girl on main? sorry? no triggers, just cuteness. also i was tipsy whilst writing the last half so like... im sorry if theres typos or its unreadable lol

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“I’m sorry. I just have to go check on Roach before we go to dinner,” Geralt cringed as he turned away from the restaurant Jaskier had wanted to go to. 

Jaskier just put a foot on Geralt’s dash and made himself comfortable, “Oh what’s wrong with our baby?”

“Our baby?” Geralt nearly swerved into a ditch. 

“I’ve seen enough pictures and heard enough stories that I happen to have grown attached. Now answer my question,” Jaskier didn’t seem phased at all. In fact, he seemed to think it was perfectly normal to just adopt your partner’s animals after three months of dating.

Geralt took a steadying breath and tried not to read into it. Jaskier said wild things all the time, he was just beginning to get used to it, “She got her teeth floated.” 

Jaskier was quiet for a moment, tapping Bonnie the Blue Footed Boobie on his thigh, “I’m having some horrible image of pumping her mouth full of water until her teeth come out, please tell me what this means.” 

“Horse dentist filed down the sharp bits of her teeth so she can chew better.”

“Oh! Ow!”

“Oh no, they sedate the horses. That’s why I didn’t answer last night. I- uh. Didn’t want to leave her in case she laid down and got cast.”

Jaskier shifted and peered at him over the rim of his sunglasses with a fond smirk, “Sweetheart, I don’t speak Horse Girl.”

“Cast is… cast? Getting stuck laying down? But stuck on or under something? Once Roach did it by rolling on a pile of shavings I hadn’t spread yet so she couldn’t roll back over where she had room to get up. I had to pull her back over it by her legs…” he chuckled at the memory then paused as he turned into the barn’s driveway, “I see how this sounds odd.”

Jaskier sat upright and leaned forward, mouth open in awe as he took in the stables that looked like something straight out of a high(er) budget daytime soap, “So this is why you live in a studio.”

Geralt sighed as he parked the truck in front of Roach’s barn in between the indoor arena and the massive covered wash racks, “Yup.”

Jaskier got a brief tour, or more accurately, he followed Geralt to Roach’s stall and pointed at things and asked questions the entire time. There were so many horses. He’d never seen a horse up close, except for that one mounted police officer on his trip to Canada and that wasn’t an all too fond memory. He was almost vibrating with excitement when they reached Roach’s stall. 

Geralt stepped in and greeted her so softly Jaskier thought he might faint, “Hey, Ro. How’s my sweet girl?”

She pressed her forehead into the hand he held up and nickered. Geralt just laughed and scratched under the little tuft of long hair between her ears. He leaned forward to give her a kiss and whispered something in her ear that Jaskier couldn’t catch despite his best efforts. 

Geralt turned back to face Jaskier, looping one of his arms over Roach’s neck and giving him a proud almost-smile, “Wanna come say hi?”

Jaskier ever so hesitantly stepped down into her stall, “She won’t step on my toes if she doesn’t like me right?”

“She might. She’s never met someone in Berks and daisy dukes,” Geralt winked as he ran his fingers through Roach’s mane. 

Jaskier took a moment to register his sarcasm and flipped him off with a grin. Geralt gently gripped his wrist and manipulated his hand into a flat surface, popping a sugar cube in his palm.

“Just keep your hand flat and let her sniff you. She’s easy to win over,” Geralt’s voice was unbearably fond and Jaskier found him watching his face more than the horse reaching her nose toward his outstretched hand. 

It was one of two times since he’d known Geralt that he didn’t have at least one solid worry line in his forehead. Hell, his whole body was more relaxed.

Roach took the sugar cube and explored his hand, wiggling her upper lip over his palm and wrist before snorting and shaking her head.

Jaskier yelped and jumped back, earning a confused head bob from Roach and a laugh from Geralt, “It’s okay. Something just tickled her nose.” 

“She’s just so big…” Jaskier muttered, stepping forward and holding his hand out just like Geralt had shown him.

“You can pet her too.”

Jask just brushed his fingertips over the white patch on her face but she pressed into him, bobbing her head a bit to use his hand to scratch at a certain spot between her eyes. 

“Oh! Hello! Does this mean she likes me?”

Geralt’s smile covered his whole face, another thing Jaskier had only seen a handful of times, “She does. You want to go for a ride?”

“Now!? In shorts?!”

“Oh no, sometime next week maybe? You’re not supposed to ride for a couple days after a float.” Geralt started running his hands over her back and belly, then her legs as if he was looking for something. He pinched right at the peak of her rump, making her flinch a little bit and swish her tail, which he seemed satisfied with. Then he pushed at her middle, just gently leaning against her and watching her feet. When nothing happened he seemed pleased and moved on to checking her water and kicking around some of the shavings and, to Jaskier’s disgust, poop. 

“Darling what are you looking for?” 

“Anything unusual. She looks fine though,” he draped his arms over her back, now on opposite sides from Jaskier, “Could I convince you to walk her up and down the breezeway for me?”

Was this the date night Jaskier had been expecting? No. Was it absolutely adorable and delightful to see Geralt so clearly in his element? Fuck yes. He giggled and played little games with Roach and was so gentle and patient with both Roach and Jaskier. It was, so far, the best date they’d been on, first one included. Jaskier had gotten a little peek at who Geralt was when he was truly at home. 

After a brief and very goofy showmanship lesson, they strolled out of the barn with Geralt’s arm draped over Jask. 

“I’m sorry. Restaurant’s probably full by now…” Geralt sighed, opening Jaskier’s door for him. 

Jask hopped up on the seat and pulled Geralt to stand between his knees, “I don’t give a flying fuck about where we eat. This was lovely.” 

There was a look in Geralt’s eyes that reminded Jask of a little kid being told they could play outside for one more hour, “Really? You had fun?”

“Of course, darling,” Jask mumbled as he pulled Geralt further into a kiss, “Just give me heads up next time so I can wear my boots.” 

“You have cowboy boots?”

“Well they’ve got a rather high heel… but they’re still technically cowboy boots.” 

Geralt leaned his head back and laughed, “I’m getting you barn boots.” 

“If you insi-,” Jaskier shrugged, cut off by Geralt’s lips on his, where they stayed for several minutes. 

They were definitely too late for a table. 

[fluffy-lee-boa]

Teaching Me How To Move On

(A SamBucky tickle fic :3)

@tickleebug requested some Sam and Bucky, so I went a little wild with it and made a short story to show how Bucky is adapting to his new life, and his new partner. Spoilers for Endgame/TFATWS btw!

“Buhucky! Cut it out!” Steve snorted, swatting at the younger’s arm as he lightly dug into his sides.

Before he’d taken the serum, it had been a well-known fact that Steve Rogers was probably one of the most ticklish guys in Brooklyn. Sure, he hated to admit it in public, and Bucky respected that, but when he and Bucky were hanging out at home? All bets were off.

So James Buchanan Barnes took every opportunity like this to tease the other about his sensitivity, sitting beside him and carefully scratching at all the spots he knew would make the other squeal. He never took it overboard, considering Steve’s fragile state, but he did tire the other out enough that he would be sure the smaller wouldn’t get revenge.

“Come on Stevie, there’s no way you’re gonna make the army if you can’t handle a little tickling,” he smirked at the other.

Steve gave an snort, slapping a hand to his face before shaking his head rapidly, “This is just tohorture!!”

“Mhm. And?” Bucky snickered as he trailed his hands up to Steve’s stomach, relishing in the deeper laughter that it gave him.

This certain brand of “torture” continued for a few minutes, interspersed with cruel teases and barely-masked flirting that the ever-oblivious Rogers seemed to let fly over his head. Though it was easy to tell Steve wasn’t trying very hard to escape the other’s grasp, especially considering how lightly Buck was holding him down in fear of injury. He could stop any time he wanted, really.

Bucky finally let up once the wheezing started, almost immediately leaving the room only to reappear with a cup of water. He couldn’t help the smug grin on his face as the other struggled to hide his deep blush. The moment was perfect.

Too perfect.

He would wait another day to tell him about his draft card. He didn’t want to ruin what they had just yet.

~

Years.

Years had gone by since that day- decades, even. He had gone for most of that time without Steve, without those affectionate touches and softness, and without love. He’d gone for even longer now that Steve was....

No, he didn’t like to think about the past few months. About how the very man he’d grown up with, who’d told him he’d be with him to the end of the line, got off early. -He couldn’t be angry with him, though. It was his life, after all. His choice. Steve would probably be better off with Peggy, anyways.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell, and that he was absolutely starved for affection with no one in the world to fix it for him.

Well... almost no one.

Admittedly, he’d grown closer to Sam in the time since the new Cap was gifted the shield. Despite his reservations, and the rocky start to their partnership, they’d come to an understanding. Especially after all they’d been through in their mission to stop Karli, and then Walker thereafter.

And there was the boat, of course. Bucky hadn’t even known Sam had a boat before this week- never even been near one besides during war times. Yet he found himself spending hours and even days of his time on helping him fix it. Then the days after that teaching the new Captain to toss the shield.

Was this what having a friend was like?

He couldn’t tell. I mean, after Steve, nothing was going to feel just right. ...Or so he thought.

See, even if Bucky had tried to deny it, Sam felt safe. He felt like Steve did. They shared that same big heart Bucky had always admired, and honestly, the shield couldn’t have found a better wielder. But on the other hand, Sam was also more honest, and more direct. That was something he needed after all those years of manipulation and self-pity. Not exactly tough love, but the truth. A kinder, softer truth.

“Hey! Buck!” Sam had called from the other side of the open field, between a few lone trees that were wrapped in foam.

Bucky looked up, torn from his deep thoughts about friendship and Captains and shields. He didn’t give away any of it through his glance, much better at hiding behind an emotionless mask these days.

“Are you gonna throw it back or what? -The shield, I mean.” the figure laughed.

James rolled his eyes and walked over, trying to play it off, “Your stance is off. You’re gonna get someone killed if you don’t have enough balance.”

“Balance my ass,” Sam scoffed jokingly as he took the shield back from the other, looking him over suspiciously, “...You’re just deflecting again. You’ve been spacing out like crazy today... did something happen?”

Ah, there was that signature therapist-like concern that Wilson managed to worm into every conversation. It made Bucky’s heart beat faster and his stomach flip and he hated it. No one had been this worried about him since he came back from the icy abyss of HYDRA’s control. No one else had checked up on him so consistently for no other gain than his continued wellbeing.

“I’m fine.” He shot back despite himself, half of a glare on his face as he turned away to go back to his spot.

Sam rolled his eyes at the other’s dramatics, at this point being readily used to the cold demeanor Bucky used to push aside his own feelings. But he wasn’t ready to let it slide this time around. So he stepped towards him after setting aside the vibranium shield, reaching out to stop him from walking away again.

Quite a few things happened after that, one after the other.

For one, Sam had underestimated how quickly Bucky could power-walk away from him, and ended up grazing his side with a small grabbing motion rather than taking him by the wrist.

From there, Bucky had faltered in his pace with a quick giggle, before looking back at the other with a somewhat horrified expression. Oh no.

It was painfully obvious to Sam now, by Buck’s initial reaction and the way he seemed just about ready to jump out of his skin.

“There is no way in hell....”

“Sam, you don’t want to do this-”

“You’re ticklish?!”

Bucky cringed, almost immediately blushing just as Steve had whenever he’d done the same to him back in Brooklyn. Karma may have been delayed for almost a century, but it sure did come back to bite him. Figures as much, right?

Bucky had started walking backwards away from the now-very-menacing falcon, though with the woods around them, his ankle caught on a rock and sent him flying back onto his butt. Figures even more.

Before he could up and scramble away, probably going to rush to Sarah and beg for protection, Sam had pounced. The super soldier found himself being straddled, which didn’t help his confusing feelings from before at all. He hands ended up under Sam’s knees, and even if he knew he could probably escape, he was concerned he’d end up hurting the other if he lost control of his own strength.

“Sam! Get off!” He said in a shockingly squeaky shout, obviously flustered.

“Nu-uh. I need to see this for myself.” Sam snickered, making the other look away as his blush deepened.

“You su-AHAHUCK-“

Before Bucky could articulate what would have totally been a coherent and witty response, Sam had taken the initiative and dug straight into the dip of his sides. There was an explosion of sunny and bubbly laughter that didn’t suit the awkward Soldier at all, making Sam beam down at the other.

Bucky internally cursed as he looked up and caught glimpse of the smile. He was too perfect- it was unfair!

Sam chuckled as he lightened up, tracing circles around his hips and making Bucky jerk back and forth with a few left over giggles, “Wowwww... It’s worse than I thought.”

“Shut the hell uhuhup...” Bucky muttered in embarrassment, making Wilson roll his eyes.

Sam knew he could definitely find a worse spot, and ignoring Bucky’s continued insults and thinly-veiled threats, he scanned the other’s upper body as thought to himself.

His metal arm probably couldn’t feel anything, right? But what about the spot just where the two met...?

Bucky noticed where his partner’s gaze had fallen, suddenly looking alarmed as he turned to begging, “Hey, wait, hold on, that’s a bad idea, Wilson. -Agh- Please? Is that what you want? Fine! I’m saying please-“

Sam just shook his head with that stupid, handsome smirk on his face, “Saying please isn’t gonna save you this time around. Tell me what’s wrong.... and I won’t absolutely wreck you. And trust me, I have an older sister. I know exactly how to do it.”

Bucky went quite besides his quick breathes and squirmy giggles, looking off to the side as he tried to consider his options despite the continued teasing of his sides and hips. But no- he couldn’t say what was really on his mind. Stubborn is as stubborn does.

“Do your worst.”

There was only a moment of reprieve as Wilson took in the other’s bratty reply, before he wiggled his fingers into that horrible dip between Buck’s metal arm and his ribs, right in the hollow. His other hand went to the rest of his rib cage just as quickly, alternating between both sides and dipping in between the spaces for added torture.

Bucky was pretty much lost in a handful of seconds.

He cackled, kicking his legs and pulling at his arms with only a shred of resistance from the last part of him that was conscious, which was still bent on making sure he didn’t hurt Sam.

But, that part of him could only hold out for so long, and when Sam found an extra sensitive spot between his ribs, Bucky ended up arching so suddenly that Sam was sent a good five feet away by his super strength.

Whoops.

There was a long pause as the air around them stilled once more, Sam laying feet away and laughing hysterically at his friend’s reaction while Bucky himself calmed himself down to a frenzy of frantic giggling.

After he was able to regain control of himself, he sat up to look over at Sam, his arms wrapped around his own torso protectively so the falcon could no longer access his weak spot. His voice was hoarse as he asked sheepishly, “...Are you ok?”

Sam’s own laughter died down, and he waved his hand dismissively, “Fine, fine. I shoulda expected it. You’re a hyper-ticklish super soldier. I’m just lucky you didn’t break my arm.“

Bucky didn’t find much humor in that joke, but he got up and made his way over to the other anyway. He held out his hand to help him stand beside him, and Wilson smiled softly at the other’s still reddened face, “Maybe we should do that more often. You’re cute when you’re blushing like that.”

And he walked away.

Bucky, for better or worse, didn’t have the same luxury that his old partner did of obliviousness to such direct declarations of affection, so he simply stood in shock as he was left in the small field of grass.

...Maybe, just maybe, his new life wasn’t as empty and lonely as he’d previously thought. Maybe Sam... could be what he really needed, as a partner, and as a friend.

Or.... maybe something more.

Lots of maybes today. But then again, when is anything ever certain?

[theatregaymer]

You need to Relax~ SuzaLulu sfw tickle fic

Here is a pairing I’ve long been a fan of.  Suzaku was my first muse back when I started roleplaying on here and enjoying it.  A friend of mine @ticklish-v-93​ and I got together for a sfw tickle fic since we know a lot of us like sfw as well as nsfw.  I’ll upload one or two of those later but this one is more for everyone!

As the bugs sang to the evening sky, Suzaku Kururugi was making his way...or rather slugging his way home.  Having just finished another group cram session, he'd long since passed when he thought he would be home.  But when the groove hits ya, you just have to ride it...right?  He'd been preparing for these final exams like his life depended on them, his work taking up a lot of his time though, thus resulting in his stress levels and fatigue being higher than they were even back in midterms.

College life really was exhausting, though he did know he was luckier than most, having someone to come back to amidst all his internal exhaustion.As he opened the door to the apartment they shared, the man left his size eleven shoes at the door before calling out.  "Lelouch?  You still up?  Mmph sorry I took so long, you got my text though right?"  He'd sent word ahead as they agreed, when he would likely be home late and not to wait up for him to eat dinner, he usually got by on vending machine ramen or something depending on if the cafe on campus was still open.  He came out of the entryway and felt his shoulders relax slightly, his lover seated on the couch with the television showing some kind of film he hadn't really seen before.  He let his bag rest along the side of the couch for now, knowing he'd be hitting the books first thing in the morning while he ate breakfast to save time.  "Hey, you could have gone to bed ya know?"

Lelouch had dozed off with the tv on as he waited up for his boyfriend. It being finals he saw how Suzaku cramed for his exams and overworked himself. Lelouch himself had one more paper to turn in. Yet since he was almost done he could give his boyfriend tlc.He rubbed his eyes and perked up as he smiled at his boyfriend. "Su, welcome back." he beckoned him over, wanting to greet him properly. "I know but I felt bad and decided to wait up for you. So how did it go? Today was your last day finishing everything right?" He asked as he watched him make his way tiredly to the couch.

The brunet wavered for only a second, having his own mind somewhat sluggish at the moment.  Suzaku undid the few buttons on his top, part of his chest being revealed as he let himself relax around his best friend, roommate and partner in life.  "I hope you at least ate something...mmph yeah the big stuff is done but..."  He knew Lelouch wouldn't like it, but he couldn't rest on his laurels yet.  As one of the only Japanese students here at their university it was almost like he felt he had to excel in all his scholarly aspects in order to show any of his peers or even teachers that he was not just some lucky transfer student. "I still have some minor things to go over before next week.  Nothing that will keep me out late but, I won't be puttin the books down just yet."  He said with a smile, trying to keep their soft and loving mood going rather than get a lecture at this hour.  His rear end finally sinking into the cushions, the boy reclined somewhat instantaneously with a groan as he could have sworn he felt a pop in his back  after having been hunched over all day.

Lelouch listened, and with each word he had a concerned and disapproving expression before he finally sighed and shook his head as he settled beside him. He understood why his boyfriend worked so hard, he knew of some of the professors and students who didn't believe he earned his place in the school. So to prove them wrong he go back over his completed assignments before final submission, being meticulous as he searched for any error he missed or reworking. "Haa Suzu...I won't lecture you, because I understand why."  He shot him a soft yet loving scolding look. "So I'm gonna use a different method...you can lay on my lap and rest properly or I make you." He let his eyes narrow as he patted his lap. "If you don't at least break properly you won't be in tip top form." He wasn't upset but didn't like the way his lover would overwork himself because idiots couldn't get over the fact that he was a genius.

Suzaku smiled initially, the warm words of understanding coming from Lelouch and washing over him.  He could kiss him right now, sloppy as his tired kisses could be.  However he caught the look in those eyes right away and knew he was still in trouble, even without a lecture.  "Eehehehe...s-seriously?  I mean I'm grateful and all, I mean...I accept...thanks."  He was too tired to defend himself right now anyways, and an argument usually ended with him getting outwitted anyways.  He grunted and stretched out, a grunt eeking out of his throat as he took a second to find a comfy position with his head resting on Lelouch's thighs, his legs being long enough that his ankles rested on the arm of the couch.  "Mmm this is actually...kinda nice, heh.  If your legs get numb though you need to let me know."  He could just study tomorrow once he woke up right?  Lelouch wouldn't mind that...he hoped.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at the adorable doofus of a boyfriend flicking him teasingly on the forehead with a smirk. "Yes, and you should be." when he was comfortable he leaned down pecking his forehead. "Sure sure, I will but first." he squeezed his cheeks. "I hope you aren't thinking about studying..." he could tell when Suzaku was making plans in his head. His brow would lightly furrow in the cutest of ways and his eyes would slightly darken in thought. Completely unnoticeable if you didn't grow up with him. "Suuuzaakuu~" he drawled out his name as he smooshed his cheeks. "If you are I’m going to take matters into my own hands...literally." he smirked as his fingers started playing with his ears.

The brunet was caught red handed, how was Lelouch able to see what he was thinking so easily!?  Well then again, the two had been friends since childhood, even after so much time apart they'd gotten right back into their friendship so quickly.  And developing that relationship further into what it was now...well there were bound to be things they knew about one another after all that time. Through squished cheeks and the teasing of his ears, Suzaku attempted to explain himself...or at least lie.  "No noho hehe I pwomishheheh hehey oomph come on Lelouch Ihi'm too tired for that."  He said, not even thinking of where it might lead his boyfriend since there were certain things about him Lelouch liked to exploit to gain an advantage.  That was his style after all, exploit a weakness and turn it into your own strength.

He knew it! Well at least he can distract him from such thoughts. "Ohhh, I can't tell, you must not be that tired if you can think of plans, so you can handle this!" he chirped fingers moving to his neck. "I think this is just what you need. Proper punishment for overworking yourself." he said over him. "I bet you even planned to sleep for a certain amount of hours then waking up early to finish whatever things you had left to do." he said alternating between tickling his ears and neck.

"Pffthehehehaha oh ohoh noho come ohohonahah!"  Lelouch was nothing if not thorough, sometimes overly so.  His thought processes moved at a staggering rate leaving Suzaku little room to mentally maneuver around whatever he could say.  "HAha nah no please Ihi swearhahaha ack come ohon mercy you knohow how it tickles!"  Suzaku weakly began trying to curl up, being comfortable enough to not want to leave this spot as he turned his face into the other's stomach to laugh his heart out.

Lelouch cooed at the action trying not to laugh himself. Because it was finals the two didn't really have that much quality time together besides a kiss here and there. With how much their schedules kept them separated and busy. So now here he was, tired as they both were he couldn't wait until they were done. It was time to collect!! "Awww nope let me feed off that sweet laughter!" He snickered and moved his fingers to his ears. "Ahh mercy? Nono how bout some food, likeeee raspberries!" He chirped with out warning attached his lips to his exposed neck and blews light raspberries and nibbling at the exposed skin.

Suzaku was completely at the other's mercy now, those exploratory fingers wreaking havoc on him even with only these light attentions.  "HAha ah wahaha noho nono KYAAHAahha!"  The raspberry, dear god why was he still so vulnerable to those things at his age?  Lelouch's lips were soft, perfect to vibrate against his neck and make the poor guy buck and squirm around some more.  "MMhmhmhmhmph!  Looohouch meheanie!"  He complained, letting out a bit more of an undignified and childish side of himself while trying to curl up.

At the comment Lelouch growled playfully then delivered another loud raspberry. He giggled himself as his lover squirmed around, it was nice to hear his laughter, if anything he was addicted. So to gain more he shot his hands to his sides poking and squeezing. "Mnmnm pbbttt..mhuaahh!" He lifted his head. "Not nice to call names mister tease!" He chimed grinning down at him. "Mean would be me cuffing you to the bed and tickling you until sun up." He snickered. "Plus, I can't trust you to stay still enough before you dash out that door again!" He said finding an unprotected spot and digging his fingers in.

Suzaku moved like a man possessed.  Lelouch choosing to target his poor sides had him twitching and wriggling about in that lap, only slightly managing to not fall off the couch at this point.  "BWHAHAh ahah AH staha no no that's haha not fahahirhah!  Youhu wouldn't!"  The only time they'd actually done cuffs with tickling was one of Suzaku's birthdays, definitely a wake up call he never forgot.  "HIhihehehaha AH AHAHA I WIHIHLL Pleehehasehaha just move somewhere eleehehehse!"  The brunet pleaded, knowing and accepting that this sort of punishment was inevitable.  He didn't hate it, liked it sometimes in fact, but Lelouch knew that and always tended to keep him in suspense as to when he would strike.

"Hmmm?" Hummed playfully as he heard his words. "Completely fair love." He said over his laughter. "Ohhh think I won't when I will...hehe this time I won't buuuuttt. Next time when you least expect it." He told him thinking maybe once their exams were over he would reward him in his own special way. "Huh? Move?" His smile turned downright evil. "You said it...not me!" He changed his position a little and stretched over him and went for his hips.

The ideas for such a wild night were not completely lost on the brunet, but at the same time his entire being wasn't really in on any conversations right now.  He barely caught a glimpse of Lelouch's wickedly playful smirk before his lithe hips were seized.  "Whahat are you GYAAHAHAA aAH AHA NONONONHIOHOHHAHAIHIHI!"  One of his top three spots no doubt, the hips  had never been somewhere Suzaku thought himself to be vulnerable until Lelouch got ahold of them.  Something about his delicate fingers, his touch almost like an artist molding a masterpiece...Suzaku had no chance at preventing such embarrassing and rapid paced laughter from bursting forth.

"There we go! Wow!" He chuckled himself as he squeezed his hips, digging his thumbs into the groves then moving up to his sides then his ribs and with some struggle was trying to get to his armpits " Yes! Let me get your armpits!" He said giddy from the situation. "Let me in Suzu!" He said sweetly and he focused on his ribs since his arms were clamped down. They should be sleeping after all but did not want to pass up this chance of physical affection. "This is helping both of us! You look so refreshed!" He grinned as he continued to assault him with tickles as he became more drunk off his laughter.

High pitched cackling, soft moments of silent laughter in between louder fits of uncontrollable giggles, Lelouch had him right where he wanted him to be sure.  "HAhaha...eheh ah no nohoh please no aharmpihihitshshsheheha!"  The poor brunet was writhing, desperately trying to think of what he could do to defend himself even in the slightest as his arms stayed as closely tightened as possible.  He bent them at the elbow though, trying to lean into Lelouch and tickle with his hands where he could as payback, despite knowing that in this situation he definitely couldn't be as effective, nor get at the really good spots.

"Dont worry I'll get them eventually! Maybe I should go for your fe-eheheehet!" Lelouch jumped a laugh as he felt his hands get active below him and pulled back just to clasped both hands. "Oh you little sneak hehe!" he grinned down at him as he allowed for a brief breather keeping their hands clasped. "Maybe I should go for your neck again for that little stunt." It was no secret that he was just as ticklish as his boyfriend. Just he was better at hiding it and getting the upper hand on Suzaku.

Grinning as he at least got a bit of a breather, Suzaku knew he made the right call after hearing Lelouch's next targets.  "Heheh...mmmhmhmhm, Maybe instehead, we can work out a deal?"  He asked, not to get more studies after, but to make sure he could obtain some payback when his own torment was ended.  "I'll let you get one of the spots...heh the pits or the feet.  But in return...I'm gonna get you back, on your back."  He grinned widely, knowing the other boy had quite the sensitive spine...and he loved playing him like a piano.  Sure he was at a disadvantage, but if his own hands were in check now, that meant Lelouch couldn't keep tickling him either.

Lelouch listened to his offer with an amused smirk, usually he was the one planning and making deals that would give him the upper hand. Yet as he stared down at his boyfriend he couldn't help but shake his head with a small laugh. "Striking a deal huh? You drive a hard bargain!" he thought about it and almost wanted to decline and go back to tickling him. This was suppose to be a 'punishment'...Thaaat quickly turned into self indulgence. Plus his back was his worst spot and he hated his laughter when he was tickled their. "Haha alright, it only fair," he leaned down capturing those lips briefly. "Mmnn lets see," he thought about what he wanted and decided to target the spot he was closest too. "Give me those pits Mr.Tease." he grinned down at him.

He was glad Lelouch was so understanding and willing to deal with his bit of selfishness at least in this regard.  Of course, even though he knew one of those spots would be subjected to torture, he still struggled for a moment to lower his guard as he looked up at Lelouch while getting comfy again.  "Mmhmhmhm crap.  I swehear you better be ready for my turn."  Arms tentatively moving at a snail's pace, he jerked a little out of fear a couple times before reaching up and gripping the armrest of the couch for support, his pits wide open and practically wearing a sign that said kill me now.

"Oh dont worry I will be." he chuckled booping his nose. "Now arms up Suzu!" he said showing him his hands, snickering at the flinches and hesitation before he finally yielded. "Aww that's cute," he giggled at his expression. "Don't worry I won't be long!" He dug in before he could clamp his arms. "Tickle tickle Mr.tease!" He taunted with a grin. He was most likely gonna get it worse for the teasing but at least it was worth it just to see that gorgeous smile.

Though his arms did jerk a bit, Suzaku kept his hands holding firmly to the couch, even when his legs bucked into the air at the sudden and intense feeling of his poor pits falling under fire.  "GWAHAHah haah ahah AH AHAH LELOHOHOUCHEHEHAH Oh MY gahahadhahaha!"  The brunet's laughter continued unhindered, his vocals rising up an octave on occasion as he certainly didn't feel tired anymore, though that would probably hit him later after things calmed down.

Lelouch happily indulged himself as he continued scribbling his fingers in the spot. To futher mess with his boyfriend he gasped. "Woah Suzu I think I feel a hair trying to come in!" He pinch and clawed switching between hard and soft tickles just enjoying the sight and sound he continued for a moment more before stopping and simply rubbing his hands down his side. "See was that so bad?" He cooed moving bangs from his forehead.

"HEHEHAAAHAHA AHAHA AH NOHOHO You HEHEHAHAha!  LeLOUHUHUHUCH!"  The poor boy squealed, legs flopping about again until his love seemed to finally take some pity on him.  Suzaku was panting groaning as his arms came down and tried rubbing the feeling away.  He looked up at Lelouch, playfully pushing out his lower lip with a huff.  "Mmph...i'm so gonna get you double time."  He declared with a pout, having another spot in mind that he knew would put Lelouch in a similar state.

"Hehe I know you will!" He kissed those lips again. "But was it really that bad?" He cooed as he scratched through his scalp. "You look better too." He tapped his forehead. "And not as grimy like earlier...well you could use a shower and some shampoo." He teased just to mess with him. "Maybeee I should continue and get those cuffs." He strecthed moving to stand.

Suzaku huffed in a joking manner, sitting upright and stretching himself before blinking slightly and turning to snatch Lelouch around the waist.  Just like that, his strength was practically fully functional as he pulled the boy back onto the couch with him.  "Ooohoho no, I think you're gonna stay right here mister tickle monster."  His superior athleticism gave quite the advantage here as once he was in control it would be nigh impossible for his more intellectual partner to escape him.  And thus he playfully pushed Lelouch down face first, cackling like a playful villain before he shoved his hands up the back of his shirt and began doodling different lines, circles and swirls along his bare skin.

Lelouch shrieked with a laugh as he was pulled back down. "W-wahahait pft Suzaku!" He flailed as they wrestled and he was maneuvered on his back, he should have worked more on gaining muscles along with his intellect. "Nononono pfthehee kyaha mnff." He bit his lip and covered his mouth as he grabbed a pillow tossing it at his boyfriend. His legs kicked as one of his most ticklish areas was exposed. 

"Pffthahah hehey now I didn't use weapons!"  Suzaku complained playfully, using claw motions to crawl up his boyfriend's back and then down along his ribs and flanks, giving him squeezes all the way down.  The whole time he was shifting his weight, dodging as much as he could while feeling Lelouch writhe in agony underneath him.  He may be rather ticklish himself, but his dainty partner was for sure much more wild and unstable when you got him in a good spot.  "I wonder if your feet are worse than your back Lelouch, what do you think?"  He teased, not even really pausing as he continued to work his thumbs into the other's waist.

“Pfahahaaa!" He bucked with a pitchy laugh as he felt those fingers making him arch out of control. "Hahaha arhghahaha Suzakahahahaha!" He tried to roll onto his back to escape the feeling but his body was heavy and had all his weight on top him. Plus the tickling was taking all the fight out of him. "Nohohoohohoho! Oh my gohohohosh!" He clamped his arms down to his sides as some form of protection.

"Oh?  No you say?  Noooo?  Not here then, well we might as well try the other spot."  Suzaku happily announced before pulling his hands back and turning around.  Seated on Lelouch's butt now, the brunet reached down and, after a bit of struggling, grabbed both of Lelouch's ankles and hoisted them towards him.  He made a habit of drawing out this particular torture, starting to scratch and scribble his fingers along both soles with one hand.

"Thahahahats nohohoht what I meantehehehe!" he cackled with a squeal and groan, he tried to keep his feet hidden and out of his lover's grasp and shreiked as he was caught. "Nononoooo Suzuhuhuhu pft I hahahahate you so much!" he pounded at the couch as the worse torture began. Oh this was war! if he could reach back and get him he would.

Suzaku giggled wickedly, having an almost sinister cackling sound to his voice as he eagerly stripped the boy's socks away and went doubletime over both feet.  Heel to toe, back and forth, he didn't really let up until he was suddenly rubbing each toe instead, cooing his boyfriend to calm him down.  "Hahaha there there, gosh your feet are so ticklish Lulu~"  He teased with the nickname their friends came up with, knowing that if he wasn't blushing from his undignified response, that would get him heated in a hurry.

"Nohohoho GAHAhahahaaha!"  he laughed out as he struggled to try and get free but could only laugh and toss and turn. "Ahahaaha...ahh haa pft hehehe ahh haha..." He gave a laughing glare to his boyfriend as he all but melted and laid there blushing heavily at the nickname he groaned hiding his face in the cushion. "Thahahats not my fault you ass." came the muffled response. Though he was happy Suzaku was in better spirits. "Your just as t-ticklish there too!" he said still refusing to show his heated face.

Suzaku couldn't stop smiling at how cute Lelouch was with his guard down, his normal walls no longer preventing his real self to shine through. The muffled protests were mostly easy to make out, Suzaku gathering there was some return taunts as well as accusations. "Sorry what was that?"  He said playfully, fingers digging into the soft balls of the other's feet for a second to get a renewed reaction.  "Hehhe not my fault you didn't take advantage." The brunet couldn't help but enjoy this ticklish little time they had together, the stress almost wiped completely from his mind due to Lelouch's influence.

"Kyahaha! Hehehehe!" Lelouch bucked with a shriek flushed face coming out of hiding as he laughed. Only Suzaku could bring this side out of him, making him break through all that regal and mature persona to the wind and be as immature as he wanted. He was more than happy to be able to act like this around him.  "Ahahaha! I saihhihihid you're j-just as ticklish too youhuhuhu ass!" He giggled out covering his face as he struggled to reach back   and aimed a squeeze at his knee. If he wanted him to take advantage more he would as much as he could.

Suzaku saw this coming, the inevitable countermove by his chess loving partner.  But he was ready, quickly snatching said arm and holding it out so he could in turn reach in and reintroduce the vulnerable armpit to tickles again.  "Ooohohoho bad moove Lulu~  Oooohohoho tickle tickle tickle hehehe.  Oomph!"  Suzaku grunted as he let up and laid down on top of the other's back, making sure to hug him from behind and prevent any further tickle attacks.  "But you win, no studying, no stress....yawn aaaall relaxation...mmm starting with a nap here."

"OH SHIHIHIT! Suhuhuhuahahaha!GAhahahaha!" He tried to clasp his arm down yet all he could was lay there and take it. "Hahaha ahh hngnn." He panted and flinch as those arms wrapped around him, thinking he was going to go for his stomach yet relaxed when that wasn't the case. "Uhng Suzaku get off so we can at least cuddle in the bed! Dont crush me hereeee!" he whined playfully trying to turn in his arms. "I know you aren't asleep that fast!"

Suzaku playfully make snoring sounds, exhaling and blowing into Lelouch's ears once or twice before he giggled and got up.  "Cuddles sound good to me hehe.  You gonna make me breakfast tomorrow?"  He asked teasingly, offering his hand with that casual smile that Lelouch no doubt fell for a long time ago.

"Nyahaha Suzahahaha...hgn hahaha..ahh!" He rubbed at his ears before taking his hand with a laugh face still flushed as he stood. At the breakfast comment he pinched his sides. "Wise guy...psh it was going to be a surprise. Now im not sure." He smirked walking past him into the room. "But if you get yourself a full eight hours then maybe I'll think about... now shower and come to bed. If you start working I  swear to tickle you again until you pass out!" He beckoned him with a finger. " But if you want I'll keep you company in the shower and wash you hair~" he purred.

Suzaku nodded, feeling the alert status he'd gained from the tickles begin to wear off.  Of course as he rubbed the back of his head and stretched, he couldn't help but hear the subtle meaning behind Lelouch's words as he walked away.  "Huh?  H-hey Lelouch!  Wait a sec, together!  I want you to wash my hair!"  He quickly chased after him, knowing what that kind of tone meant for the tactical genius that never failed to put him in check.  He'd get that sleep, but the night was clearly still young...

[corinnesamuels]

Takes A Little Extra Time, But It All Works Out

    I can’t live without you, set my goals around you

Takes a little extra time, but it all works out

    Lily never had been a morning person.

  And as the sun filters through the curtains of their bedroom window, casting shadows and streams of light across her face, James finds himself grateful for quiet moments like these, taking her in and marveling at how a sod like him had ever gotten so lucky.

  He can’t imagine a version of his life without her, even on their worst days.

  They’d had plenty of them. Their days as kids at Hogwarts before he’d grown out of being an arrogant berk. Petty disagreements that escalated into all-out rows . . . and then, as much as he’d like to forget it, there was the war. 

  He’d hated those days.

  They had given up their lives to become soldiers. They were too young to have seen the things they’d seen during those years. The disappearances and deaths, the stories of torture. It had challenged everything they had thought they were. But Lily had been a beacon for him. Not just a girlfriend or a wife, but a partner he could literally go to war with. James had thrown himself in front of more wands than he could count for her, ready to give his last without a moment’s hesitation. She hated it, but she understood. She had often done the same for him.

  And then they’d had Harry. Their beautiful, happy boy. James beamed with pride at the thought of their son, his spitting image, but with the same eyes he’d fallen in love with a thousand times over. He was perfect, even on the nights he cried all evening and couldn’t be consoled.

  . . . Okay, he was a little less perfect on those nights. But his son hung the moon.

  But somehow, before Harry had even started crawling, he’d ended up with a target on his back. He’d never forget the day Dumbledore told them that Voldemort believed the prophecy referred to their son. To his son.

  They’d gone into hiding right away. James and Lily did their best to make their small cottage feel more like a home and less like a prison, wanting to focus on creating the best life possible for Harry and for each other. Harry and Lily had been troopers and kept him sane. He tried his best to hide how difficult a time he had been having with it, but he never had been good at sitting still for very long.

  And just when it seemed like they were losing hope, Voldemort was gone, and they were free again. They could take Harry to the park and for walks in the pram. They went to quidditch matches, where he told his old teammates at Puddlemere that his son was a star chaser in the making and already had a better arm than them, the wankers. They retaliated by getting him pissed at the pub that night, and Lily was none too pleased. She spent the next morning hiding the hangover potion, letting Harry be as loud as possible in James’ ear, and cooing about what a great seeker Harry would be.

  He’d married an evil genius.

  Once she finally took pity on him and gave him the hangover potion, he took Harry’s miniature stuffed quaffle and did Quidditch drills with him in the back yard. Harry, still in nappies, spent most of the time distracted by various things and yelling “Kidish!” every so often. It mattered not. James had a point to prove.

  Now that Harry was approaching his fourth birthday, James’ work of indoctrinating his son was paying off. Harry pulled James outside nearly every day for a fly, insisting on riding the toy brooms Sirius kept buying him for his birthdays until he wanted to fly higher and allowed James to fly the two of them on his Comet. Until then, James always hovered alongside Harry on his broom, ready to jump into action if necessary, though he was never too worried. Harry had a remarkably strong grip for his age. But yesterday, Harry had gotten distracted by an owl delivering the post, and James had to leap over the broom to catch him. He wasn’t quite in the same shape he had once been in, so the two Potters ended up toppling over into the mud.

  Lily was none too pleased when they trekked mud into the sitting room after flying around for a little longer. James and Harry both grinned at her sheepishly, running muddy hands through their identical mops of jet-black hair. James tidied it up with a wave of his wand, and after giving Harry a bath and putting him down for a nap, he made sure to make it up to her thoroughly.

  He was thinking of making it up to her again right now, actually.

  He pulled her closer to him, and she nuzzled into his neck instinctively, still very much asleep. He ran a hand down her side, skimming the hem of her nightgown as he did some quick calculations. Remus was undoubtedly still exhausted from the full moon, so he wouldn’t have the energy to watch Harry, who had been giving the Marauders a run for their sickles lately. None of them remembered their joints being nearly as achy as they were after spending a day keeping up with Harry.

  He hoped Sirius had been doing his stretches because he was about to call in a favor. Making up his mind, he reached for the mirror in his side-table drawer.

  “Why do I get the idea that you’re up to mischief?” Lily said into his neck, making him shiver a bit.

  “I’m calling Sirius to watch Harry for the day so that we can get into some mischief.” He said, rolling on top of her and pressing his hips into hers to prove his point. “Harry needs a sibling.”

  Lily laughed, a tinkering sound that he could never get enough of. “Making this about Harry’s needs, are we?”

  “More than one thing can be true at a time, love.” He said, kissing her on the neck. She sighed.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t have time for mischief this morning. I have to check on the potions stores at St. Mungo’s today.”

  “Have someone else check. I’ll pay them double their rate for the day.”

  Lily laughed again, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re too rich for your own good.”

  “We. What’s mine is yours, love. And I really don’t want to share you with St. Mungo’s today when we could be spending the day in bed.” He said, resuming his work on her neck and that spot behind her ear that he liked.

  “Not even with Harry?” At this, James paused his ministrations and propped himself on his elbows to look her in the eyes.

  “Harry is the most clever, beautiful boy in all of Britain, and a world cup chaser in the making.” He said, ignoring Lily’s eye roll. “But today is a day for him and his Uncle Padfoot to wreak havoc on some unsuspecting township not called Godric’s Hollow. I can feel it in my bones. And I’d very much like to feel you on my bones while they’re gone.”

  She giggled this time, clearly enjoying his suffering, but James powered through.

  “If we’re quick, we can get a round in before Harry wakes up and iron out the rest of the details la—”

  The pitter-patter of tiny feet, followed by a crash in the hallway and the angry howls of their aging cat, quickly derailed that line of thinking. James rolled off of her with a disappointed groan.

  Lily sat up and reached for her dressing gown. “I’ll go see what the damage is. You call Sirius and let Gringotts know your latest plans to be reckless with your galleons.” She said with a wink.

  James’ eyes nearly bulged out his head, and he dove for the side table drawer with such force that he very nearly knocked it over. “Our galleons!” he called, as an afterthought.

  He grabbed the mirror and called for Sirius. “James!” he smiled when his face appeared in the mirror.

  “Padfoot! Listen, I need a favor—”

  “James?”

   “Sirius, can you hear me?” Something wasn’t right. They had never had trouble communicating through their mirrors before.

  “James? Wake up—”

  “Wake up? I’m not asleep. What’s going on?” A rat raced across the bedroom into the hallway. Where did that come from? 

  No, something was wrong.

  He felt someone shaking him, and suddenly he wasn’t talking to Sirius, but Lily. He blinked twice in confusion, but there she was, shaking him awake, a one-year-old Harry—not four—babbling happily at her hip.

  He’d had that dream again. The one where they’d made it to the other side of the war and were a happy family in a comfortable cottage, and not a family in hiding because a madman wanted to kill his son.

  James deflated. It was the third time this week. It had felt so real this time . . .

  “Dah-deeee! ‘ake up!” Harry yelled, bringing a soft smile to James’ face.

  “Harry says it’s time for breakfast. Didn’t you, my darling?” Lily coos into Harry’s cheek.

  “No!” Harry said with glee. It had been his favorite word as of late. 

  James chuckled and put on his brave face again. “Is that so? Well, I can’t let the two of you go unfed, now can I?”

  He ran a hand through his hair before tickling Harry’s round tummy, kissing his temple as he giggled and squirmed in Lily’s arms. “Fairly certain this one wants porridge. But what does my beautiful wife want for breakfast?” James asked, kissing Lily on his favorite spot behind her ear.

  “Mmm . . . surprise me. You’re quite good at that, you know.”

  “Well, you know I’m not the type to pat myself on the back, but if you insist.” He lifted Harry up into his arms as she laughed.

  They walked to the kitchen, and James set about making breakfast while Lily made tea. Harry sat in his highchair playing with his stuffed quaffle and the stuffed black dog Sirius had gotten him last week.

  “You had the dream again, didn’t you?” Lily asked softly. James sighed and nodded, focusing harder than necessary on the empty stove in front of him. He didn’t want to worry her, but it was hard to do when he was worried himself.

  Lily glanced at him before making his tea just the way he liked, which was, coincidentally, the way she hated. She handed him the cup, and he took it gratefully, running a hand through his hair after taking a sip.

  She didn’t tell him it would be okay. They weren’t in the habit of making each other promises they couldn’t keep. But she squeezed his arm before coming to hug him from behind. “We’ve still got a lot of fight left.” She said.

  He took her hand and kissed just below her wedding ring, the solitaire diamond and gold band that had once belonged to his mother. “We do.”

  He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly, almost as if to clear out the dark clouds hovering over him. “Anyways, I’ve been meaning to ask you. What do you think about getting one of Hagrid’s pumpkins for next week? We can’t take Harry out for that barmy trick-or-treating thing, but there’s no reason he can’t have a great Halloween right here.”

  “Where on earth would we put one of Hagrid’s giant pumpkins?” she asked, looking around the sitting room.

  “We’re magic, love. We’ll find a way.”

    Author's Note: Ah! I'd had this idea stuck in my head for months and finally decided to give this a try. I don't get to do much creative writing these days, so it was a fun pandemic activity. The post is also here on ao3.

[malachite-isms]

Your Kiss is on Their List pt2: Ruby Rose

Their trap was set. The hunters in position, the bait readied, the prey driven into range. Now all that was left to do was wait. It was all too simple... Like, way too simple. Stupidly simple. Cartoonishly simple. But, if their research was to be trusted, it was just the right amount of simple.

That is not to say their target would be as easily caught as the trap was set. Quite the opposite. She was a veteran in all but title, a seasoned fighter and hunter of the creatures of Grimm. More, she was a speedster, able to outpace and out-maneuver nearly any foe. Not only that, but her position of leadership spoke to her tactical mind and quick thinking. Any who considered her a mere upstart in battle would be sure to suffer.

Fortunately for the devious duo, their target had weaknesses they were intimately familiar with exploiting. She was socially awkward, romantically inexperienced, easily embarrassed by praise, and currently crushing hard on another girl. Additionally, it would appear as though she has never been competently flirted with. Frankly, all they would need to do to secure their victory would be to make physical contact.

And she was getting closer by the moment.

-------------------------

Usually, this sort of thing might've been her fault. She could admit that, no problem. But this? This?! How in Oum's name was she supposed to know the lines for the bathroom grew so quickly? She had taken five minutes to clip her toenails in the room (almost exclusively for the purposes of upsetting Weiss) and suddenly the lines for every bathroom on every floor of their dorm stretched longer than lines for the new Scroll.

After patrolling every bathroom in the building in her pajamas for what felt like hours, Ruby had simply started wandering. Maybe she could trick Weiss into thinking she had taken a shower if she was gone long enough. It wasn't like she was going to perform an inspection.

As she considered tweaking that thought to make a new pickup line to use on a certain cyborg, the most divine scent known to man or faunus made its way to her senses.

When had she wandered so close to the kitchens? It didn't matter. Who was baking in the school kitchens so late at night? Who cares? Would she be welcome to partake in the sweet treats? Irrelevant.

She had been denied a shower by fate, truly this was the universe making things right. She quickly moved from the thought in favor of kicking open the wooden double doors to the cafeteria. She scanned the grand dining hall, finding it empty. Good. A better chance the cookies would be fresh. Unless... No... Could the cookies be gone already?

Across the room, the huntress spied the door to the kitchen with light flooding from its edges. So there was hope! With a whisper-shout of "parkour!" Ruby took advantage of her solitude and clumsily ran over the benches and tables between her and the kitchen.

As she stood outside the kitchen's silver swinging door, the chocolatey aroma had hit a new high. If her nose was to be trusted, as it often was, not only were there plenty of chocolate chips, but they were fresh enough that they were at an optimal level of gooey-ness. Whoever was responsible for this batch was quite the adept.

Momentarily forgetting the concept of being judged, Ruby made a show of kicking open the light door and adopting an entirely ineffectual, yet very cool looking, fighting pose. She spied the hefty plate of cookies and wasted no time in closing the distance between herself and the small countertop it rested on. As a connoisseur of cookies, she had no doubt that this was a masterfully made batch.

The dough was baked to a beautiful golden-brown, not a single spot overcooked. Plenty chewy, but with just the right amount of satisfying crunch. The chips were still gooey, as expected, and spaced appropriately so that both the chocolate and cookie would be properly appreciated.

Swiftly taking a bite out of the first cookie very nearly brought a tear to her eye. A superb mix of gooey, crunchy, and chewy melted in her mouth. This was truly the epitome of sweets.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

Halfway through her fifth... fifteenth? Tenth. Her tenth cookie, Ruby's eyes shot wide open when she heard the monotonous voices behind her. She swivelled around, cheeks pudged and half a cookie still in her hand, and saw the source of the voices.

There were two young women, each in short, wide-skirted lolita-style dresses, red lipstick, high heels, and a feathered hair clip. The woman on her left was dressed in white, with elbow-length straight black hair and particularly sharp looking heels. The woman on her right was dressed in red, with a short black bob cut, and a fluffy fur boa across the back of her neck and shoulders.

Ruby had done plenty of growing in her time at Beacon, not enough to resist the temptation of cookies mind you, but getting caught red-handed like this made her feel like a kid again in the worst way. Operating on instinct, she popped the half-cookie in her mouth and chewed slowly. The pair each simultaneously raised a single eyebrow, the perfect synchronization unnerving. Ruby's eyes darted between the two, eventually falling on a glass of milk in the white twin's hand.

Following her gaze, said twin piped up. "So first you eat half our cookies, now you wanna take our milk too?" she demanded.

"My min'd meem do!" Ruby tried to communicate, but was impeded by half-chewed cookie. She began coughing after swallowing the cookies down the wrong pipe.

"Ugh," the white twin began ",fine, here."

Ruby took only a moment to consider the act of kindness before swiping the milk and chugging it with practiced efficiency.

"Sorry!," she gasped, wasting no time on breathing ",I just smelled then while I was walking around, and I could tell they were fresh, and nobody was around, and the universe owed me because I'm still all sweaty, and you guys got a lot closer, and I'm starting to sweat again...!"

Just as she had said, the twins had stepped forward, in perfect unity once again. Ruby had stared down Nevermores, Deathstalkers, Ursas, Beowolves, and all manner of nightmare in her huntress training, but being cornered by these two was a different game altogether.

Ruby was short, shorter than most anyway, and these two weren't exactly tall, but as they loomed mere inches from her, she felt like she was facing giants.

"Sorry!" she managed to squeak out as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"*chu*"

Ruby's eyes flew open to see the twins' faces pulling away from her cheeks. Her brain took its time putting the pieces together; the noise, the oily feeling on her cheeks and the warm tickle preceding it... They'd kissed her.

All coherent thought ground to a halt, no external stimuli was being acknowledged save for the slick sensation where the two women's lips just were. A thousand questions raced through her mind, none of which she had the capacity to try and answer. She had short circuited.

"Uh...," her mouth was flailing, and with no help from her floundering mind, all that escaped her was "UH?!?"

"Oh we couldn't be mad at that cute little face of yours!" the red twin said with a sweet smile before leaning in again and pressing a kiss to the smaller girl's forehead. Ruby's eyes widened and her blush deepened.

The white twin gently poked Ruby's nose before kissing it. "Oh you're so small and adorable, I just wanna take you home and make you my teddy bear!," she gushed.

With all mental defenses thoroughly crushed, Ruby imagined herself in bed, nestled between these two beautiful, inexplicable women.

Her blush deepened as the kisses and compliments and mental images kept coming. As the cookies behind her cooled off, Ruby Rose began to steam.

-------------------------

"Hey, where's Ruby?" Yang asked, stopping in the middle of pulling a loose t-shirt over her head.

"Could she still be in the showers?" Blake offered ",only a few of them are working, so the lines have been pretty long."

"That's true," Weiss paused, noting Yang still not having moved from her mid-dressing stance before continuing ",but even so, it's been far too long. Hasn't it been hours?"

"Eh, maybe she spotted one of the blacksmiths on their way to the forge," the brawler theorized, finally pulling the shirt on fully ",you know how she gets with weapons."

"That's true," the heiress conceded ",but she's never hasdled them for this-"

"Wait!" Blake cut in, looking at an arbitrary point above.

"What's up?"

"Do you smell that?"

At her urging the two girls took probing sniffs of the air and reached the same conclusion. Sweet and rich, their fearless leader had made them all familiar with that aroma in due time.

"Cookies." they stated in unison.

There was a light tapping on the door and Weiss was ready to begin a tirade.

"Ruby! How many times are you going to do this? You can't just-" she opened the door "-keep doing thi- *gasp*"

There in the doorway stood Ruby Rose, clad in her pyjamas, holding a tray of chocolate chip cookies, and wearing a mask of crimson lip prints. Across her forehead and cheeks, tracing her jawline and cheekbones, and peppered on her neck and nose were the remnants of an amorous assault. Weiss might've recognised the shade of lipstick on her partner's face were she not in stunned silence.

Her features spoke to the trance she seemed to be in, as well as the low, slow, mumbled gibberish that was flowing from her mouth. In a way, the sight was comical, one could almost see the hearts in her eyes and spinning around her head.

"Wow Yang," Blake chuckled ",maybe you should ask your sister for some pointers, huh?"

"Heh, always knew she was a chip off the ol block!" Yang responded, trying to hide the nervous pit in her chest.

"Um... guys?" Weiss called from the door.

Blake and Yang approached as Weiss held out a photograph. It was a school photo of Ruby, big enthusiastic grin and all, but stained with two lipstick marks. Weiss flipped it over to reveal the message on the back:

💋Who's next?💋

-----------------------

(And there's the first part. Not great, I know, but I really just wanna put this silly idea on metaphorical paper, y'know? Plus, I think we know of plenty of characters in need of a good smooching.)

[merthurians-prat-and-idiot]

Double The Pay~ Lee Scoresby & OC fanfic

Note: Hi!! This is a lil something I got inspired to write one Sunday night after watching HDM & reading Lee x Reader stuff! I have included an OC Female character called Indra. Pls let me know what you think- Its a draft but I think it turned out ok! A bit cliche but hey!

Enjoy :)

•°○•○•○•••

All Farder Coram had said was "Double the pay?" laughter in his voice as he shook his head at the young girl who had tricked them all.

See Lyra was a smart young girl, that had to be said before anyone moved onwards- she knew how to get people to help her, how to weigh & bargain with her words alone.

She had certainly done so with the two new recruits to the Gyptian crews.

Lee Scoresby, Aeronaut, Adventurer & all around troublemaker with lovely hare Hester his dæmon had recently found his path crossed with Lyra, all because of a certain re-armoured bear, who now claimed the space next to him huffing with impatience.

Indra Collen, Explorer, Fighter & Fellow troublemaker with her raccoon dæmon Lowell. She too had been part of the troupes trying to convince Lorek to get back into the world. She had seen the spark Lyra brought, never going out despite the cold icy winds the north blew constantly.

Indra knew of the Gyptians, her grandmother a Gyptian woman herself- forced to give her daughter to her father- a passing magisterium general- but that was a whole other story.

What matters here is the fact that these two had been fangled in their own way into joining this new adventure & what a one it was going to be!

°°°°••••○○○○●●●●••••°°°°○○○○●●●●°°°°•

Another thing one must know in order for this tale to have its birth is of Lee & Indra.

Lee and Indra were practically as good as inseparable. Partners in life as they were in trouble.

The two had met bordering on five years ago in far far lands from the North. They had met of course in a huge ruckus.

Lee had found the wrong inn, wrong words, wrong sleight of hand and found himself smashed against a reception desk of said inn- getting his ass handed to him.

"Well fuck"

"Lee you really are an idiot"

"Thank you Hester- I appreciate that right now"

The person doing the dusting with the Aeronaunt's body snarled chucking him into the window, glass smashing outwards as his body met the frosty road, splinters & rocks marring his face.

"Is this my lowest moment?" Lee contemplated for a second spitting gravel from his teeth into the dirt.

"Nah probably not" he winced, sitting up and huffing as a hunking man, bones groaning under his size quick-waddled towards the exhausted adventurer.

"Here we go" Hester sighed- not even surprised anymore.

"Nothing a nip of brandy won't shake" he winked to his dæmon.

"Now I don't know about that- might need a bit of whiskey too" A voice cut through Hester's abated response.

Lee looked up squinting at the strong sun behind the speaker until it settled into focus.

A woman with bright golden eyes alight with a spark of amusement and curiosity- he could feel the insant tangible fire & excitement seeping from her very essence like no-one before. She stood with a raccoon at her side- both surveying the situation with a clear lack of judgment or surprise- he distantly wondered how many times she had been in his postion right at that second.

"Now now lady- this is between me and the piece of shit on the ground here" the meat-head spoke- barely regarding the mystery woman despite the hastily spotted dagger hanging from her belt that Lee spotted the next second.

He watched her smile before aiming a very swift & sharp punch to the side of the man's head, knocking him down cold like timber at a woodman's forest.

"Well shit!" Lee exclaimed unprompted.

"Shit indeed Mr-?"

"Scoresby- but you can call me Lee seeing as though you just saved my ass"

"Ok Lee- I'm Indra Collen & this here is Lowell" she smiled- grasping his arm and pulling him to his feet.

"Pleasure" he replied tipping his hat.

"How about you repay me by telling me how the hell this all happened?" She twinkled.

He grinned. This was gonna be good.

°°°°•○•○○●●○○°°○°○•●•●•●•°°○•○●●●○°

From that day forward they'd stayed in each others lives. Ever the exception to their nomadic rules. Turning from grateful strangers to fanciful friends to much much more- proclaimed lovers- bound to travel & adventure together for as long as life allowed them.

So it was inexplicable that they came as a pair really, with Hester & Lowell too of course.

And so the two found themselves at the beginning of a new chapter for them & and invited into a new ongoing story book to dance amongst the pages & fly alongside the plot.

°•••○●°•●○○●○•°●•°○●○•°°•●○•°○○●○•°

"Miss Collen?"

"What's up buttercup?"

"When we get to the far North..."

"Mm"

"-And to the place the gobblers have taken everyone.."

".."

"Do you think we're strong enough to do it? To defeat them & make it out?"

Indra paused, contemplating the question the small brunette had posed her as they trekked up the cold hillside, only a few hours into their true journey. She knew Lyra wouldn't take molly coddling.

"Yes and no" she sighed and stopped walking to face the girl.

"I believe we have a good lot- a good chance- riddled with determination & brave, brave people- but I don't know the forces that they have there- but we will try as hard as we can & truly Lyra, with someone like you and people like the Gyptians to fight alongside I couldn't be more honoured or more hopeful"

"I hope that was the answer you wanted Miss Belaquar" She tickled Lyra under her chin before continuing her trek.

Yet spinning round to add- "And you can call me Indra you know!"

°•••○●●•°○°●°●°○•●°○°•○○○•°•●●••°○●

"Quickly now!!"

Everyone was hurrying as they passed over the seedy cliff. The tumultuous drop looming from below, fear creeping up into the minds of the man from between the very cracks in the rock.

They set wooden planks to pass people, equipment & supplies across the rocky casm of the mountainside.

With most of the Gyptians and Lyra across already it was now down to the two to make their steps.

"You go first- so I can be here to catch you" Lee said firmly.

"Don't you-" Indra spun round to speak but deflated at Lee's worried expression.

"Fine but I'll be as pip as peaches you'll see love" she said softly yet promised, hand on his coat right over his heart.

She passed across with ease, sending a wink back his way yet a coil settling across and around her chest at the realisation it was Lee's turn.

He let out a nervous bark of a laugh at her sudden expression change.

"We've faced worse babe"

"Be careful"

" course"

Lee began across the plank fine- afterall he was used to climbing the side of the balloon sometimes when he really had to.

He was used to heights, he was used to winds, but the thing was, he usually had the side of a balloon latticed with rope to hold onto...

When the wind suddenly picked up it threw him off, teetering to the side slightly with a sharp inhale.

Indra reached forward but he shook his head.

"I'm ok!" He flashed her what he hoped was a reasurring grin that only half reached his eyes in all truthfulness.

He took several more steps slowly, almost across.

"Told you- easy as pi-"

Suddenly the board he was standing on dropped out beneath his very feet.

He yelled as he felt himself start to fall.

"LEE!!" Indra screamed reaching down and just grabbing the edge of his sleeve desperately.

"Lee! Reach up to me! Please baby- come on- COME ON!"

He clawed desperately at the rock trying to reach up and grab her other hand.

"Ind- I c-can't-" he puffed into the cold as he struggled.

"Yes you can! Yes you can- come on- don't you fucking dare leave me-" she croaked shakily.

Joined by several gytians, they reached further down than she could whilst grasping him and they all heaved him back up onto the rock path.

He lay face down breathing heavily- clutching at Indra.

They breathed as one, ragged and sharp with relief.

"Ind- Ind- Ind" he repeated like a prayer- whilst she pulled him into a tight hug rocking slightly with her boyfriend safe in her arms- Hester buried into their sides.

"Shhh its ok- I've got you" she whispered.

He looked up- skin paled with shock & fear yet alert & cold with stark red against the pallor.

He put his hands either side of her face and they kissed deep & desperately, the pain still racing.

•○•●○•°•●•●•

Thats everything so far! Pls let me know thoughts!! And yes ending with a lil bit of "tongues battling for dominance!!"

[cranial-echo]

The Worst Kind of Torture

Fandom/Series: Bungou Stray Dogs

 Description: An “extension” or alternate variation of episode 14, in which Dazai and Oda discover that Ango is hopelessly ticklish.

Genre: Comedy? I think?

Characters: Dazai Osamu, Odasaku Sakunosuke, Ango Sakaguchi

Ships: None

Trigger Warnings: Minimal spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2 (Episode 14 in the series)

Inspiration: I honestly don’t know at this point

Author Notes: THIS IS THE LONGEST THING I’VE EVER WRITTEN??? (also Ango’s laugh is adorable and he is a godsend)

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Had Ango Sakaguchi known what was to await him at work today, he most certainly would have stayed home. To be visited out of the blue like this was quite rare, especially by two already semi-familiar faces. He'd hadn't formally met them until now, of course, but it was hard not to hear about the Mafia's youngest underboss and the lowest ranking member of the affiliation. Just why they were together, however, was not something Ango could readily place. Nor why the two of them were bothering him at this time. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't come any closer," he tells them, hardly in the mood to deal with whatever nonsense they'd come to deliver. "You reek." He notices the shorter one (Dazai was his name, he thinks?) goes about smelling his own clothing in a manner that could only really be described as "frantically confsed". Yep. Today was going to be absolutely wonderful. (This was sarcasm, of course.) He hardly pays any mind to them after this, instead deciding to focus on what he'd been doing before the two of them so eloquently decided to drop by for a very unwelcome visit. He tunes out the sound of Dazai's voice, hearing him ask his companion if he, indeed, smelled bad. The answer was yes, and Ango quickly found that he couldn't focus with such a smell in his office - and the mere presence of them alone wasn't helping at all. "You must be new here," he hears Dazai say a moment later, and he looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't you tell us your name?" Ango waits a moment before replying, as if debating whether or not being on a first-name basis with the two of them would even be worth the trouble. Eventually, he introduces himself. "It's Ango Sakaguchi." "Well, Ango," Dazai says, approaching his desk. "You're a fascinating character." Oh. Oh god, he's coming closer. Oh fuck. Why is he coming closer? What is the purpose of invading his personal space like this? And... Oh lord, the stench... It's assaulting his nostrils mercilessly. It's so awful, so horrific, so- "Smelly-!" he ends up blurting it out almost comically, voice raising in pitch and almost cracking, trying to lean as far away from his desk and the other male as he could while still seated. Dazai hardly seems to care about his discomfort as he just leans in to invade his space even more, staring at him with a sickeningly curious look on his face. "Are you sure that the boss approves of what it is you're up to right now?" Ango exhales a barely audible breath, discomfort quite clear at this point - not that either of them seemed to care. "And just what are you insinuating that I'm up to, exactly?" Dazai smiles, reaching out to pick up one of the sheets of paper he'd been writing on, holding it up to show him. "That you're writing an obituary for those who died. Am I wrong?" Such audacity, to just saunter into his office and snoop through his work. Ango would shoot them, if he could. And he definitely wants to, at this point. "He's writing obituaries?" he hears the other man in the room ask (Dazai had called him Odasaku, hadn't he?), having almost completely forgotten he was there to begin with. "These are the three that died during the attack on our executives last night." Dazai explains to him as he goes about reading the names off of the paper out loud. "Kurehito Umegi, Shoukichi Saigusa, and Mirouku Ishige. Umegi was a former MP who was shamefully discharged for killing a coworker. Both parents are dead." He reaches out to set the paper back down on Ango's desk, addressing the bespectacled brunet once more. "You're keeping a record of their life events and family history." Ango simply listens to him ramble on about information he'd already known, speaking up once Dazai had finished, looking down to avoid his gaze. "It's the least that they deserve." he says, adjusting his posture properly in his seat. "Every one of their lives has to have had some meaning." He looks up at Dazai after a few seconds pause. "I wanted to do more to remember who they were than just chock them up as part of a body count. To honor their sacrifice." Dazai smiles at him. "What did the boss say about this?" Ango folds his hands neatly on his desk, trying his best to not let onto how he was quite displeased with the way this conversation was dragging out so unpleasantly. He figures it's best to humor them for now. "I managed to convince him to account for everyone who had been reportedly killed as a result of the incident. He was very opposed to the idea at first, but he eventually saw great value to the Port Mafia in keeping such detailed records." The words are barely out of his mouth before Dazai speaks again, turning around to look at Odasaku. "See? Isn't he fascinating? What kind of person goes through the trouble of creating such a unique job?" His tone is almost disparaging, Ango notes. Oh, how he wushes they'd hurry up and conclude whatever business they had, and just leave him alone. "There's only one way to find out." Odasaku replies to his friend. "Let's take him out for a few drinks at our usual spot." Dazai grins mischievously. "That's a lovely idea~" Alright, unexpected change of plans. Ango certainly as fuck wasn't going to give them what thwy wanted. Not a chance. Though he's certain his discomfort is quite visible now - and he already assumes they'll take this to their advantage. "I can't do that," he tries to tell them. "I have work to do-!" He realizes too late when Dazai approaches him from one side, nearly squeaking in panic. "Hey Odasaku~" Dazai lulls to his partner in crime (or rather, partner in harassment), with a certain tone to his voice that has Ango fearing for his own wellbeing. "I think I know just how we can get him to leave early. If we hug him real tightly, the stench will be unbearable for him and he'll have to call it a day." Odasaku's response was three simple words Ango dreaded to hear at this time. "Let's do it." He tries to make a break for it, but to his horrified dismay, Odasaku is on the other side. He was trapped. "Wait! I've got an even better idea!" Dazai exclaims happily. " Let's tickle him and see if he breaks!" Ango is absolutely mortified at the concept, pressing himself as far back into his chair and away from the other brunet as he can. "D-Don't you dare come any closer!" Dazai chuckles, presumably at Ango's terrified movements. "I think we have a plan of action, Odasaku~" Ango doesn't even has time to formulate a proper response before he receives a sudden poke to his side, from none other than the redhead to his left. He just barely manages to stifle a squeal of surprise, glaring daggers at the blue-eyed male. "Aaaah," Dazai hums. "I think he's ticklish!~" "I-I most certainly am not!" Ango stutters, practically fuming at the audacity of these two interlopers. "I think all evidence points to otherwise," Odasaku says, poking Ango once more. Ango squeaked. Oh. Oh god. This wasn't going to end well... This wasn't going to end well at all. Destruction was imminent, and Ango knew it. There was a momentary pause after Ango let out that tiny, impotent squeak. Dazai was the first one to break it. "Did he just...?" Odasaku nods. "I think he did." Ango is visibly nervous now, several thoughts racing through his head all at once. This couldn't end well. This couldn't possibly end well. He'd practically sealed his fate the instant that displeased squeak came out of his mouth. But yet, he tried to divert them. "I s-strongly urge the both of you to leave," he tells them, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose in nervous habit. He tries to keep the anxious stutter out of his voice, but ultimately fails. "I have very important work to attend to..." "If you think we're gonna be deterred that easily, especially after that little squeak," Dazai starts, a certain sparkle in his eye that sent a great feeling of unease to wash over the bespectacled brunet. "You've got another thing coming~" "T-This," Ango can barely keep his voice steady, damn near raising an octave higher than usual. "This is highly unprofessional...!" "Being professional is so boring," Dazai says with a sigh. "I'd much rather hear you squeak again~" Ango couldn't quite place just what he'd done to deserve such torture. Oh, what a catastrophe this was. An utter disaster. How to get out of this conundrum? Ah, there was his pistol. He could always use that. Not on these two nuisances, of course, but rather himself- His thoughts are interrupted when a pair of hands makes contact with his side, illiciting a sharp squawk of a sound out of him. It was Dazai this time, practically beaming at the sound he'd made. "He sounds kind of like a crow, doesn't he, Odasaku?~" Ango fumes at these words, letting out an indignant squeak when he heard Odasaku' s response. "He does, now that I think about it." Ango presses himself into the back of his chair once more, looking like a mouse forced in a corner and trapped by two hungry felines. This was how he died, wasn't it? He always thought he'd be shot or shanked. Never tickled to death. He opens his mouth to plead with the two of them. "I-I implore you-" Dazai interrupts hm. "Implore away~ We're not leaving until you give us what we want~" Ah. So this was what Hell was. Ango tries his best not to panic, though he's failing miserably - and he knew Odasaku and Dazai could see it. He quickly found that he couldn't keep his eye on both of them at the same time. When he focused his attention on Odasaku, Dazai would inch closer, and vice versa. He fidgeted nervously, pulling at the collar of his shirt in a feeble attempt to ease his nerves. He was always a man of routine, of statistics and logic. Thinking several hours if not days before making even the slightest movement. He always planned everything beforehand. Dazai and Odasaku, on the other hand, were not something he could have thought about. He couldn't have possibly planned for an underboss and his low-ranked companion to bust in uninvited with plans of torturing him - by tickling him, no less. Needless to say, being forced to act on the spot was highly uncomfortable, and not recommended for the poor glasses-wearing man. Such a catastrophic event. If he can just get past them, he thinks, then he could perhaps make an escape. To run away and avoid such an embarrassing fate. His gaze first lands on Dazai. He knows, just knows that he is the one to keep close eye on. That mischievous glint in his eye and almost malicious smirk are too obvious to ignore. He then glances at Odasaku from the corner of his peripheral vision. He seems more passive than Dazai, no doubt, but he doesn’t dare assume he won't attack him just as mercilessly as Dazai will. He must look positively comical at the moment - squished into his chair, feet up on the seat, knees to his chest. Shoulders hunched forward and head lowered. How truly mortifying. Such an unsightly occurrence. He feels an underlying shame from allowing himself to be harassed so easily, beneath the more obvious outward terror of being attacked by two absolute strangers. They're just toying with him at this point, just standing there, watching him - waiting to see what he'll do next as if he's some sort of exhibit at the zoo. He inadvertently lets out a soft whine, and hears Dazai's amused chuckle. Oh, god. It can't end like this. He refuses to let himself be beaten. He absolutely rebukes the mere thought of it. He hates acting on a whim, but knows he has to make some sort of move if he wants to get out of this with even a shred of dignity left. Why couldn't a bunch of gunmen have bursted into the room with the intention of killing him, instead of these two buffoons? It would have been so much more ideal than whatever the hell they were trying to do... He sighs through his nose, knowing that it was now or never. He springs up from his seat, with the full intention of leaping over his desk and high-tailing it the fuck out of there. Unfortunately, it seems as though they'd been waiting for ths exact moment, as Dazai wasted no time tackling Ango to the ground, straddling his hips in a rather inopportune way and pinning him by the shoulders to prevent his escape. "Ah ah ah," he hums, smiling sweetly at the other with a fake innocence. "You're not getting away from us that easily~" Ango lets out a displeased groan, glasses askew from having been tackled so harshly. He squirms in Dazai's hold - for someone who certainly looked weak in appearance, he was definitely strong. Ango admits inwardly that it was his own fault for making an assumption like that, but in no way does he relent. "Unhand me this instant!" he demands, squirming quite ungracefully in the other's grip. "I d-demand that you release me!" "Nope~" Dazai grins happily at him. "Odasaku, do me a favor and hold him down for me, will you?~" Ango was about to make some sort of retort, when he felt a second pair of hands on his shoulders, qute the bit larger than Dazai's. He looks up to see Odasaku had knelt down next to them on the ground, and was now keeping him steady per Dazai's instructions. Usually Ango was great at pinpointing a person's emotions just from looking at their face - but Odasaku was different. His facial features didn't seem to hold much of an expression at all, but there was a certain shine in his blue eyes that he couldn't place. And the fact that he couldn't made him greatly uncomfortable He can't help but notice the way Odasaku was holding him steady. His hhold was firm, yet quite gentle as well. Just strong enough to keep him in place without causing any sort of pain. He does realize, however, that whenever he tries tp struggle, Odasaku adds a bit more pressure every time. What a joy. It's only once Odasaku's hands are properly placed does Dazai remove his own, humming to himself as he got off of Ango in favor of sitting next to him, legs crossed, elbow on his knee and chin resting in the palm of that hand. "Soooooooo," he drawls, looking at the flustered male in front of him. "Are you going to give us what we came for, or are you going to keep resisting?" Ango huffs, trying to keep his composure despite how greatly concerned he was for what events may come next. "If you honestly think that t-tickling me will get you anywhere-" "Oh, I do," Dazai seems to have a habit of interrupting him, causing an irritated growl to come from Ango's throat. "I'm genuinely curious as to how long you can last like this. Aren't you?" He punctuates his sentence by delivering a harsh poke to Ango's side. Ango holds his breath, clenching his fists in a desperate attempt not to laugh or make any kind of sound. He wasn't going to give in. Nope. Not today, not ever. Being pinned down on his office floor while two men take advantage of him. For most, this would be some sort of fantasy come true. For Ango, he's certain it means his utter doom. "Oh?" Dazai speaks up once again. "Not going to say anything? I'm disappointed in you. We're guests in your office, after all. You could at least show us some common courtesy..." "Bite me." Ango's retort comes swiftly, his mind barely even registering what he'd said until he'd heard the sound of his own voice. Dazai was correct - usually, he tried his best to always at least be polite. But now... Well, courtesy be damned. "Is that so?~" Dazai lilts, gaze darkening in a way as to cause a sudden pang of fear to strike through Ango's chest. "Well, I'll just have to use some different tactics to get you to talk instead~" That was the only word of warning Ango got before Dazai lunged at him, making instantaneous contact with his sides. Ango's breath hitched in his throat, trying to steel himself as best he could in hopes of enduring this attack. If he holds out long enough, perhaps they'll get bored and come to the conclusion that he wasn't ticklish after all, and leave him in semi-peace. But judging from the look in Dazai's visible eye, something told him that it wouldn't be so easy. Dazai doesn't let up, continuing to take advantage of Ango’s sensitivity in a way that Ango greatly despised. He clenched his jaw shut, staunchly refusing to make any sounds willingly. Unfortunately for him, however, Dazai ended up hitting a particularly sensitive spot just below his ribcage, and he damn near lost it. He ended up making a choked-off gasping sound, hardly managing to stifle an actual laugh. Oh god. This isn't good. "Come on, Ango~" Dazai purrs teasingly. "Let us hear your beautiful laughter~" Ango's been holding his breath long enough to feel lightheaded at this point. Perhaps if he holds it long enough he can pass out and they'd leave him alone. He might even die, if he's lucky. This wish doesn’t come true, however, as he exhaled a shaky breath a few seconds later. He only manages to choke out a restrained "S-Stop...!" before he ends up breaking into an uncontrolled giggle fit. Oh lord. He's laughing. He's actually laughing. He's being held down and harassed by strangers and he's laughing. It's barely been going on for two minutes and he already feels like he can't take it anymore. "There it is!~' Dazai proclaims with a grin. "Precisely what I wanted to hear!~" Ango opens his mouth as if to plead with him to stop, but all that comes out is a fit of laughter. He can hardly form a complete sentence through it, either. How embarrassing. "I- Hh- S-Stop-!" He squirms in Odasaku's grip once again, trying desperately to get away from them. "I- I-I c- hahaha-!" "He really seems to be enjoying himself~" Dazai muses, looking over at Odasaku. "Perhaps we should continue?~" Odasaku gives his companion a nod of approval. "If he's enjoying himself that much, I think it's only best." Ango practically squeals in protest to hearing these words. "N-No-!" His words are choked out by more of his own laughter as Dazai's lithe fingers had managed to find their way up beneath his jacket and shirt, now making contact with his bare skin and only heightening this dreadful feeling. He shuts his eyes tightly, kicking feebly and aimlessly at the air as he fucking cackles in a false sense of what most would consider delight. He can hardly believe that this is happening - he doesn't want to believe it. But it is. He instinctively arches his back, trying anything and everything he can think of to try and get away. "S-Stoppit-!" Dazai hums to himself in contentment. "Such a cute laugh~ Sort of nasally, kind of screechy... What an absolute dork you are, Ango~" Ango couldn't tell if Dazai was teasing him or if he was being genuine. Either way, it was a comment that Ango took offense to - his laugh certainly wasn't cute or anything of the sort. And to actually call him a dork was... was... His train of thoughts was derailed when he heard a soft chuckle. It wasn't Dazai, no; it was Odasaku. He opens his eyes momentarily to look up at the redhead. Blue eyes sparkling, smiling ever so slightly... Were they really enjoying his suffering that much? He tries to say something when Dazai's fingers moved from his sides to his midsection, causing him to let out a rather unflattering sound in an attempt to stifle his own laughter. "Pffffthhh-!" "What was that?~" Dazai hums, a wide grin on his face. "You'll have to speak up, Ango~" "S-Stop," Ango wheezes. "I- I ca- I c-can't-" "Well isn't that a shame?~" the other brunet teases. "Certainly, I thought you could have lasted longer than this~" "I-I'm s-serious," Ango should know better than to try and reason with them at this point, but he's desperate. His chest hurts from laughing so much and he fears he's close to passing out. "I-I'm n-not joki- snrk!" Shit. Shit fucking shit. He just snorted. This was it. Everything was over. "Oh my god," Dazai says with a laugh of his own. "Did you just snort?" "I- N-No, I'm-" Ango tries to respond, but only ends up snorting again. Lovely. He shuts his eyes once more, hearing Dazai's amused laughter and another quiet chuckle from Odasaku. He honestly wishes he could just die at this point. Death would be much better than this. He finds that once he'd started to snort, he couldn't stop - for Christ's sake, he sounded like a fucking pig. This was horrific. Absolutely nightmarish. "You know," Dazai tells him. "If you'd just say the magic word, we'd let you go~" No. No. He won't say it. He refuses to give in. He refuses to beg. He won't do it. He won't, he won't, he- Dazai's fingers brush along a sensitive spot just above his hip on his left side, causing him to nearly scream with laughter. "F-Fuck-!" He hadn't meant to use such vulgarity, initially, but it just sort of slipped out. Hs voice is hoarse as he decides, fuck it. Screw dignity. He tries to get them to stop, he truly does. But he can hardly speak through his laughter, now actually crying from laughing too hard. He must look pathetic - laying on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, clothes and hair a mess with his cheeks wet, and most likely, flushed. "P- Pleahhahha-!" "Hmmm?~ Did you say something, Ango?" Dazai grins mischievously. "You'll have to speak up~" "P-Please-!" Ango manages to finally squeak. "P-Please stop! I a-admit defeat-!" Dazai stops tickling him almost instantaneously. "Good!~" It takes a while for Ango to calm down, flailing his arm at Dazai in an attempt to shoo him away as he, for whatever reason, shifts closer to Odasaku. He covers his face with his hands, feeling both the heat in his cheeks and an already familiar hand on his shoulder. He was panting, breathing heavily, and absolutely mortified. He was never going to live this down with these two around. Then he notices what looks like a flash from between his fingers. No... It couldn't be... He rolls over slightly to look up at Dazai, his worst fears being proven - the bastard was smiling happily at him, phone in hand. Ango quickly finds he lacks the strength to scold Dazai in a way that was preferred, only able to stutter like some sort of clueless asshole. "Y-You..." Dazai's grin seems to widen. "Yep!~" The bastard took a picture of him. He took a picture of him in his absolute lowest, weakest time. Ango lunges for Dazai suddenly, only to be held back by Odasaku. "That's not how you handle blackmail material, now, is it?" the redhead asks him. Ango tenses noticeably, looking back at him. "B-Blackmail...?" "Thaaaaaat's right!~" Dazai sing-songs. "We have sufficient evidence of you cracking under our torture tactics. Now you have to tell us everything we want to know, otherwise this picture gets released~ Say, over drinks, perhaps?" Ango grits his teeth, glaring harshly at the grinning brunet. He's an absolute mess, his heart rate is entirely fucked up, and he was made an absolute fool of. Odasaku pats his shoulder. "So, what'll it be?" Ango pauses for a second, adjusting his glasses with a defeated sigh. "...Fine. But so help me God, if either of you tries something like this again, I have two bullets with your names on them." As much as he hated to admit it, Ango knew in the pit of his soul that this wouldn't be the last time he would be forced to deal with these two. Perhaps he could drown his regrets of this experience over the drinks they were apparently going to get. He should have stayed home today.

[starsandmaple]

Dances and Drafts, Chapter 12 - The Yule Ball

Synopsis:

It is 1977 and the Triwizard Tournament has come to Hogwarts. As the school prepares for its first Yule Ball in two-hundred years, Lily Evans finds herself completely put off going thanks to a certain toerag, and Severus Snape too shy to even consider attending. Can a cunning plan change that?

Notes:

I do not own these characters or anything deriving from the Harry Potter universe. All of that comes from the lovely J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Insert obligatory joke about being broke.

The Yule Ball

The ball lived up to the excitement. Well, visually at least.

As soon as they stepped into the Great Hall, Lily’s jaw dropped in absolute awe. The room had been transformed into a winter wonderland; icicles trickled down from the bewitched ceiling which had been enchanted to look like snow fall. The silver statues which lined the walls seemed to sparkle as they reflected the white lights of the hundreds of enchanted candles floating around the room. Round tables, upon which stood incredible ice sculptures of various magical creatures, were scattered throughout the hall, only leaving space for the dance floor in the centre of the room where the champions and their partners stood in pairs. Three large Christmas trees, each covered in a delicate dusting of snow, had been placed at the end of the hall where a small stage stood in front of them. On this stage, a string quartet was just beginning to play the next song.

Lily and Severus were stood at the back of the crowd of students, some of whom seemed impatient to join in the dancing now that the champions had finished their waltz. Lily looked up at Severus, who was looking nervously at his feet. Lily felt butterflies in her stomach as she regarded him. He looked very handsome in his robes, something which Lily wondered why she hadn’t expected. His usually messy, ungroomed hair looked to have been tamed a little too, giving him an air of something ‘not-quite-Sev’ about him. He usually could not care less about his appearance, but he’d clearly made an effort tonight.

Finally, the bulk of the crowd in front of them had managed to make their way onto the dance floor for the next dance, another waltz. A few groups of students hung back; most of them were witches and wizards who had appeared to have come alone, and some were couples who, like Lily and Severus, hadn’t quite brought themselves to join in with the couples dancing.

“Would you…” Severus spoke suddenly, causing Lily to look up in surprise. He wasn’t looking at her, purely because he thought that if he did all of the courage he had would be sucked out of him at the sight of her.

Severus cleared his throat and tried again.

“Would you like to dance, Lily?” he finally took the chance to carefully gaze at her from the corner of his eye. Lily blushed and looked away just as their eyes met.

“Um, y-yes!” she tried to seem confident, but failed miserably as she stuttered. Severus hesitated before leading her through the last few students to the edge of the crowd of dancing couples, hoping that she couldn’t feel his pulse which was thumping in his chest.

They turned to face each other, they were stood very close together neither taking initiative to lead. Severus quickly looked around, a slight panic striking him as he realized he had no idea how the dance went.

“I-“ he quickly looked back at her, “I didn’t pay much attention in the dancing lessons we had,” he confessed as they stood there, a little awkwardly.

Lily gave a nervous giggle. She wasn’t used to feeling like this; she was usually so confident and couldn’t help but feel frustrated with herself that she should get nervous over something so simple.

This is Sev, she reminded herself, trying to mentally slow down her own heartbeat.

“That’s okay, I don’t think many people did,” she got to work at arranging their arms into the correct position, trying to remain very methodical about it to avoid, unsuccessfully, any feelings of embarrassment as she placed one of Severus’s hands in her own, and his other on her waist. Finally, she placed her own hand on his shoulder and waited for the beginning of the next bar in the music.

“Ready?” she looked Severus in the eye. He was visibly a little red in the cheeks, obviously not quite sure what to do with himself as he shifted his weight onto each foot in an obvious sign of nerves. He managed to keep her gaze and gave a small nod.

Lily smiled up at him and took the lead, stepping back on her left foot to join in the dance. Severus was visibly tense as he followed her, stepping forward on his right foot. As Lily led him through the motions, Severus couldn’t help but keep his eyes fixed on his own feet, terrified that one wrong step would cause him to trod on Lily. As the steps began to repeat themselves, however, he started to get the hang of it and relaxed little by little, even managing to look up at Lily every once in a while, who he realized was also looking at his feet. She looked up slightly and caught his eye, smiling a small, sweet smile.

Severus’s world became focused on just her and oh, was it enchanting. The feeling of her hand in his, his arm around her, being closer to her than he could have ever hoped for. His heart was absolutely pounding and his stomach was tying itself into knots as it usually did when he was around her. But this was different. They were together, dancing together, actually doing something romantic together. If this moment could have played out for the rest of his life, Severus would have died in bliss.

They were so focused on each other they may as well have been the only ones there. Both of them finally feeling confident in the steps, their eyes remained fixed on each other. They had managed to become even closer together with the movements of the dance; there was no longer space between their bodies as they glided across the floor, Lily no longer completely leading Severus through the steps.

Severus returned Lily's smile, her brilliant green eyes were sparkling at up at him, reflecting the candlelight which glittered around the room.

Severus barely noticed that his face was moving closer towards hers until he began to feel her breath against his cheek. Lily’s eyelids fluttered and Severus could almost feel her eyelashes tickle him. His heart raced. His breath quickened. His own eyes began to close as their noses nearly touched and then…

The sound of applause snapped them both out of their trance. The dance had ended.

Lily’s eyes widened and she slowly joined in the applause.

What was… Did he almost just – No, we almost just… Lily’s thoughts were swimming. The haze that had clouded her mind throughout the dance had not completely cleared and if she were not mistaken her vision had become slightly blurry. She dared looked up at Severus, who was very clearly avoiding eye contact, having also put a little distance between them since being jolted out of their embrace.

Lily shook her head a little in attempt to clear her mind, trying to fight the wave of confusion and, if she would dare admit it to herself, slight disappointment that had resulted from what had just been interrupted.

Hogwarts’ headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had made his way onto the stage as the string band cleared. He was met with increased applause from the crowd below. As the applause died down, he held his wand up to his neck and spoke in a clear, bombing voice.

“Welcome, students and faculty, to the 1977 Yule Ball,” Dumbledore’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, a hint of pride gracing his features, “now I know you are all keen to continue with the festivities so I will keep this brief, as we celebrate the first Triwizard Tournament held in centuries with an evening of feast and dancing, I encourage you all to put aside the competition for a brief period and enjoy the company of friends, old and new,” he smiled warmly, “now, if you would each find a seat, we can let the feast begin!” with a clap of his hands, food filled the tables and soft music began to play throughout the hall, covered by the sudden waves of conversation from the students who were all finding their places.

Lily suddenly realized she didn’t know where they would sit. Would they sit with her friends or his? Luckily, Severus seemed to be one step ahead of her.

“We should find your friends,” he said, still not ready to look at her yet.

“Oh,” Lily said, mildly surprised “I-if you’re sure?” she regarded him carefully. He nodded.

“Not many of my friends are here anyway,” he grinned slightly to himself.

Lily surveyed the room and quickly spotted Dayana who was waving at her. She was stood next to a dashing Durmstrang boy with short blonde hair and a broad stature. This caught Lily off guard a little, Dayana hadn’t mentioned a date to her in the many many conversations they’d had about the ball. As Lily and Severus approached them, Dayana motioned to him.

“Lily,” she said, a hint of smugness in her voice, “this is Nicolai, Nicolai,” she gestured towards Lily and Severus, “this is my friend Lily and her date, Severus,”

“Nice to meet you Nicolai,” Lily smiled at him and he returned it, “shall we find somewhere to sit down?”

Lily quickly grabbed Dayana by the arm and led her towards a table with a few other Gryffindor student, leaving Severus and Nicolai following behind them.

“Who is he?!” Lily whispered excitedly into Dayana’s ear. Dayana giggled a bit.

“He asked me to dance during the second song, isn’t he lovely?” Lily nodded enthusiastically. She could feel herself being swept up in the excitement of it all, the ball, the music, the almost ki-

She mentally cut herself off and took a seat at one of the tables. Severus took the seat next to her, looking more than a little uncomfortable, and Dayana sat on her other side looking elated. They could not have been more opposite.

As Dayana talked Lily through all of the events of her evening so far, Lily realized, much to her relief, that Dayana seemed to have been so caught up dancing with Nicolai that she hadn’t noticed Severus and Lily together during the waltz. She wasn’t in the mood to be quizzed on something she didn’t really understand herself.

“He actually cleaned up pretty well didn’t he?” Dayana said, shooting her eyes towards Severus momentarily.

Lily smiled and nodded, picking up some turkey from the big plate in front of her and placing it on her own, along with some extra stuffing and cranberry sauce.

“You know whatever you decide to do I’ll be happy for you right?” Dayana’s comment caught Lily off guard.

“What do you-“

“I just mean that if you’re worried about what people think you shouldn’t be,” Dayana said clearly.

But Lily wasn’t worried what people thought of her. She had always found it so strange that people, particularly Gryffindors, treated Slytherins like they had the plague, that people treated Severus like he was weird and different. They were just people who valued different things, shouldn’t that be celebrated?

Lily frowned a little to herself as she stole a quick glance towards Severus at her side; he was clearly still very uncomfortable. She wanted nothing more than to make him feel welcome anywhere that she was, especially among her Gryffindor friends. Deep down, however, she knew that the simple fact of him being in Slytherin would make this near impossible in the company of members from her own house, not to mention the fact that he personally was the target of bullying by the Marauders.

“Hey Sev?” Lily turned towards him, finally causing him to look at her for the first time since their dance.

“L-lily?” he stuttered a little but didn’t look away. She smiled at him.

“I’m really glad I’m here with you,”

“Lily, I’m-“

“Well well,” Severus was cut off by the icy voice of someone approaching them, “how’s it going Snivellus?”

Lily froze, her eyes widened at Severus, not wanting to look at who was slowly walking towards them, though she knew that voice perfectly well.

“What do you want Potter?” Lily could not believe he was doing this now, what more could he possibly have to say? It was over, Lily was here with Severus, he had nothing to gain from causing a scene here.

“Oh, Evans, I just thought there might be something you’d like to know before you let a Death Eater try and snog you again is all,” he smirked. Severus was frozen, wide eyes staring at the floor between himself and Lily, who turned in her seat to face James. Of course he had been watching her and Severus together.

“What on Earth are you talking about?”

James twirled his wand casually in his hand, putting it on display obviously in case anyone tried to get in his way.

“Oh, didn’t you know? I thought you two were so close that Snivelly would have mentioned that tiny detail,” Lily glared at him.

“I don’t care what rubbish you make up about Sev, I will never be your girlfriend James,” anger was boiling within her now. She was perched on the edge of her seat, ready to stand up to him if needs be. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that though, the whole table had already gone silent and others around them were beginning to listen in too; she did not want this to get out of hand. Not tonight.

“It’s not rubbish, I had the pleasure of hearing it from Severus’s old friend Malfoy that he was being recruited after he graduates. Ask dear old Sevyourself if you don’t believe me,” James placed an arm on the back of Severus’s chair, who had visibly blanched and looked like he wanted nothing more than to apparate into thin air.

“That’s not true,” Lily spoke defiantly, “everyone knows Malfoy is an eccentric, and even if he was trying to recruit Sev he probably tries to recruit everybody in Slytherin!”

James grinned slyly.

“We thought you might say something like that,”

Lily frowned.

“What do you mean-“

“Peter!” James called over his shoulder. The small, bumbling Peter Pettigrew scurried to James’s side, “Would you show Evans what you uncovered on your trip to the Slytherin dorms?”

Lily’s eyes widened.

“How did you…”

Peter reached into his robes and pulled out a shiny, silver object which he handed over to James, who held it in front of Severus.

“Snivellus, would you care to explain to Evans what this is?”

If it was possible for Severus to go any paler, he did.

“That is not mine,” he spoke in a small voice, not looking up at anyone.

“I’m sorry Snivelly, that wasn’t quite what I asked,” James said in a contemptuous tone.

Severus had had enough. He stood up quickly and faced James, a sudden look of venom in his eyes.

“It is a mask and it is not mine,” Severus spat.

“It isn’t just a mask though is it,” James turned it over and placed it in front of Lily on the table, “this is a Death Eaters’ mask,”

Lily glared at James from her seat.

“You thought this would convince me that my best friend is a Death Eater? You could have gotten this from anyone!”

“But you see Lily, I didn’t,” James held Severus’s gaze, “look.”

Lily rolled her eyes and picked up the mask, turning it over in her hands. It was incredibly ornate and heavier than it looked. She narrowed her eyes at it, failing to see what James was trying to get at until.

“The inside, Evans,” Lily spotted it just as James spoke. Her eyes widened.

Engraved in clear, decorative writing on the inside of the mask were the words:

A lifetime of service or death.

S. Snape

“Y-you did this,” Lily’s hands shook slightly and she looked up at James with timid eyes.

“Is there anything you have to say for yourself, Snivellus?” James did not look at her.

As he spoke, Severus’s right hand twitched at his side, he was one little push away from drawing his wand.

“Severus, don’t…” Lily said in a small voice.

“No, Snivellus, go ahead,” James said, stepping forward even closer to Severus, “Wouldn’t your Dark Lord praise you for it?”

At that, Severus couldn't stand there a second longer. Without looking towards Lily, he stormed out of the hall, attracting countless gazes from nosey on lookers who had witnessed the scene.

Lily stood up and went to follow him.

“Good luck with that one Evans,” James called towards her, “He’s a real keeper!” Lily turned on her heels, her eyes pooling with the beginnings of tears which threatened to fall in anger at any moment.

“Don’t you dare Potter!” she pointed at him, furiously, “Don’t you dare,” and with that she ran out of the hall.