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intheticklecloset · 1 year ago

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Carol of the Archer (Dr. Stone)

Summary: In the aftermath of a blizzard that kept everyone apart for a couple of days, Chrome and Ukyo reunite to talk about Christmas carols in the old world. When Ukyo gets more emotional than he expected over it, Chrome decides there's only one thing to do...

A/N: This is one of four Christmas fics I had written for last year's 12 Days of Ficmas that never ended up happening. I'm not doing the 12 Days this year either, but I wanted to finally share these holiday fics with you, starting with this one. There will be three more released between now and Christmas Day, as well as Peppermint Mocha drabbles in between. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Word Count: 1,725

~~~

“Hey, why are you sitting all the way out here by yourself?”

Ukyo turned, not at all surprised to see Chrome striding up to him, bundled up in his blue fur coat and gloves as he trudged through the half foot of snow that covered the ground. It was the first time it had been safe to go out in the last couple of days; no one had been able to do anything outdoors thanks to the winter storm that had blown through. That had meant no working, no playing, and only socializing with those in your respective hut. It wasn’t surprising that Chrome was confused by his desire to spend some time away from people for a moment when that’s all they’d been doing the last two days.

“I’m just thinking,” Ukyo replied now, scooting over to make room for the brunette on the seat beside him. They were overlooking the river that ran by their camp. “Remembering the old world.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Chrome asked, shivering as a breeze picked up his hair from his ears. He flipped up the hood of his coat.

“Since Senku made a calendar, I know that next week is Christmas. I’m just missing the feeling that used to come with that, I guess. I wish I could hear some carols.” The archer smiled wistfully. “It would sure have made that blizzard suck a lot less.”

Chrome opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to reconsider. He was quiet for a moment. Then, “What’s your favorite carol?”

The question took Ukyo by surprise. He hummed thoughtfully, recalling all his favorites from three thousand years ago. “Probably ‘Carol of the Bells’. It’s beautiful in a haunting kind of way.”

“Haunting? A Christmas carol?” Chrome nudged him. “Why don’t you sing it for me?”

“What?” Ukyo turned to look at him, startled. “Why?”

“Because I only remember one of the carols Gen taught the kids last year, and even though it’s about bells I don’t think it’s the same one you’re thinking of if yours is ‘haunting’.”

That, and Ukyo was pretty sure Gen wouldn’t have taught the kids “Carol of the Bells.” It was too complicated for beginners.

He shifted in his seat, blowing out a puff of air that dissolved in front of them. “I’m not much of a singer.”

“Can’t be any worse than me,” Chrome replied, grinning. “Go on. I won’t make fun of you.”

Feeling mildly uncomfortable but also very nostalgic, the archer compromised. “How about I just hum it?”

At his friend’s nod, Ukyo started humming quietly under his breath, relieved when Chrome looked away from him to focus on really listening. Not having eyes on him made it a lot easier, so he gradually increased his volume until he was humming a Christmasy tune into the freezing air around them without reservation, the words of the tune coming back to him as he went. He remembered all the times he’d hear this song in the streets when he passed by a group of carolers, and the thought was enough to make him come to a halting stop, suddenly too choked up to continue.

“It sounds neat,” Chrome said, turning back to him with a smile that vanished when he saw how emotional Ukyo had gotten suddenly. “Whoa, are you all right?”

“Sorry.” Ukyo swiped at his eyes and laughed humorlessly. “Guess I miss it more than I thought.”

“Hey, no need to be so sad. You know we’re going to take a couple days off for Christmas again this year, right? Senku made that clear at the beginning of the month.”

“Even after we’ve fallen two days behind because of that blizzard?”

At that moment, a third voice called out to them from somewhere nearby, making both men turn in their seats. Gen waved at them cheerily with one hand, his other firmly clasped in Senku’s, who walked beside him with his usual nonchalance and sarcastic smirk. “Hey, you two! What are you up to?”

“Ukyo was teaching me ‘Carol of the Bells,’” Chrome answered with a returning grin.

“I wouldn’t call it teaching,” Ukyo muttered. Their resident brilliant scientist and his partner stopped just behind where they were sitting. “Out for a romantic stroll?”

“Something like that,” Senku replied, trying for indifference and failing spectacularly. It was clear he was enjoying his time with Gen. “‘Carol of the Bells’, huh?”

Chrome nodded. “It was his favorite in the old world.”

Gen considered this. “Is that the one that goes, ‘Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away’?”

Ukyo’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! That one.”

Chrome nudged him again, a little more playfully this time. “Look at you getting all excited. See? There’s no need to be sad. We can probably sing it on Christmas Eve if enough old-worlders know it.”

“Sad? Who’s sad?” Gen chimed in, eyes focusing on Ukyo. He already knew the answer of course; nothing could get past the mentalist. “Why are you sad? It’s nearly Christmas!”

Ukyo suddenly felt embarrassed. He waved his hand quickly. “No, I’m not sad. I just had a moment of nostalgia, that’s all. I’m fine, really.”

Chrome shot him a look of exasperation that transformed into one of mischief so fast it actually scared the archer a little. “Really, now? No more crying, then?”

“I wasn’t crying!” Ukyo yelped, cheeks burning. “It was just an emotional moment. Quit picking on me!”

“But it’s so easy,” Chrome laughed. He brought his gloved hands up in front of his face and curled them, wiggling his fingers teasingly, making Ukyo gasp and scoot as far away as he could while still sitting on the bench. “See? I’m not even touching you yet.”

“Don’t!” Ukyo begged, unable to help that he was smiling wide already, body shivering just from the thought of having those fingers on him, making him giggle and let out all kinds of humiliating noises. “I don’t need you to – I’m fine, Chrome, really!”

“Cheer up tickles?” Gen gasped excitedly, pulling his occupied hand from Senku’s grasp to wiggle his fingers, too. “Those are always a good idea~”

Ukyo’s eyes darted to Senku, who merely looked at him as if to say, you’re on your own. He got up to try and run, but the others were on him instantly, leaving him no chance of escape. He was giggling hysterically even before they started in earnest, squirming and kicking up snow. “No! Please, no, I’m fihihihihihine! I swehehehehear! Guhuhuhuhuhuhuys!”

Chrome grabbed one of his arms and pinned it out to the side, wiggling his fingers into Ukyo’s ribs through his coat, which gave him absolutely no protection whatsoever thanks to how insanely ticklish he was. Even the slightest brush of feeling against his torso had him cackling, let alone determined digging and pinching.

Gen pinned his other arm and wormed his way into his armpit, beaming all the while. “Being cooped up inside is never good for one’s mental health, you know. I think a good tickling ought to help bring you back to a good place~”

In the back of his mind Ukyo knew he was right, but it just tickled so bad he didn’t care if it would help him or not. He struggled and laughed loudly, the cold air refreshing in an odd kind of way every time he sucked in a lungful of it to catch his breath and expel it back out again in a cascade of unstoppable giggles.

“Plehehehehehehease, stahahahahahahap! I’m fine! I dohohohohon’t need thihihihihihis!” he begged, squealing when Chrome started pinching at that awful spot below his ribs. He threw his head back into the snow, so far beyond caring how wet and cold it was. “PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE!! NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

At this point Gen glanced up over his shoulder and winked at Senku. “Come join us, my love~”

Senku crossed his arms, but he was smiling. “Nah, I think I’m good.”

“Aww, does someone else need some cheer-up tickles, too?” the mentalist teased, and the words were enough to make the scientist kneel into the snow beside him and commit to at least trying to help out, squeezing Ukyo’s knees and lower thighs, narrowly avoiding being kicked in the face for his efforts.

He sighed, then shrugged resignedly. “Well, laughter does have its scientific benefits, I suppose. And Gen’s right about it being a good way to get you out of a bad headspace—”

“I DOHOHOHOHON’T CAHAHAHAHAHARE ABOUT THAHAHAHAHAHAT!!” Ukyo screeched with laughter, desperately trying to buck and roll away from Chrome’s relentless pinching in that awful, highly ticklish spot. “PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, I FEHEHEHEHEHEEL FINE!! I’M GOOD!! I’M GOHOHOHOHOHOHOOD!! LEHEHEHEHEHET ME GO!!”

Chrome grinned, getting right down into his face to tease, “Isn’t there a Christmas carol that talks about ‘laughing all the way’? Do you miss that one, too?”

Ukyo’s cheeks went dark red and he twisted his face to the side, giving in to the knowledge that he was stuck like this for at least another few minutes even as he screamed, “YOU’LL PAHAHAHAY FOR THIHIHIHIHIS, CHROHOHOHOHOHOME!!”

“Uh-oh, is that a threat?” Gen chuckled. “Sounds like he needs some more tickling. Don’t you agree, dear Senku?”

Senku rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. “I’m sure another minute or two couldn’t hurt. Chrome?”

Chrome dug into his friend’s death spot with even more vigor, beaming at the way it made Ukyo dissolve into silent hysterics. “Yeah, another minute should do it. Then I’m gonna hightail it out of here before he can recover.”

Senku snorted. “Scared?”

“Not really,” Chrome admitted, tuning back into Ukyo’s ticklish distress right as he let out a high-pitched shriek and a flood of bubbly giggles so adorable it made the brunette’s cheeks turn pink. “But if he wants to make me sound like that, I’m going to make him work for it!”

Ukyo heard and understood the challenge, but he was too far gone laughing himself silly to formulate any kind of response at this point. All he could do was laugh and writhe and kick and laugh some more, and curse that all-knowing mentalist if it wasn’t making him feel about a hundred times lighter.

Well, he supposed, his favorite Christmas carol did encourage him to ‘throw cares away’, didn’t it?

The archer gave up the fight and did exactly that.