#yes i know dohoe has been in pain as well

[heretherebedork]

Dohoe was the moon that lets Juyoung see his own light and energize himself and the more time he spends away from him the more he has to rely on himself and no one else gives him anything, not the students and not his friends and not his coworker... nothing. The sun is fading because he lost the moon that showed him how bright he could be.

(Joyoung learning that not only was he left but he was deliberately abandoned at the end of the episode, when he saw Dohoe right there and knew he'd been not just abandoned but actively avoided was heartbreaking. He tried to be so bright when he was young and he tried so hard for so long but twelve years is a long time to shine into a void and to wait, to wait, to not live but to survive, to keep moving but to not experience any of it and to see that Dohoe lived and succeeded and found his dream and Juyoung has just been circling the one time he was happy and when he thought they were happy but maybe he was wrong because Dohoe is living and it's just... ugh.)

[myreygn]

n over k equals you going down!

summary: Kuroo and Yaku are studying math and, to put it nicely, it doesn't work all too well. Luckily there are ways and methods to clear your head and Kuroo has just the right idea - whether or not it works out for him is a different story.

an: i'm sorry @heyoitsgenderconfusion your ask disappeared. idk where it went so i just have to tag you and really hope you see this!

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“Okay, let's try this again.” Kuroo rubs his temples and sighs, then he points at the book right in front of him. “We have these numbers, four and thirteen, and we have this formula. Now we put the numbers in and then we have...?”

“Gosh, Kuroo, I don't know! Repeating the question doesn't change anything!”

“Just look at the example, there's an example right there-”

Yaku groans and bangs his head on the book, effectively crushing Kuroo's hand with his forehead and making him whine in pain. “I. Don't. Know. And I'll never know if you keep going like this!”

“It's not that hard!” Kuroo pushes him away and shakes his maltreated hand while furiously nodding at the exercise. “It's n over k, so it's thirteen over four and that means thirteen faculty divided by four faculty multiplied by thirteen minus four faculty! You just have to put the numbers in the formula!”

“But how am I supposed to know which number belongs to which letter?”

“I told you a million times!”

“Fine,” Yaku cries out, “fine, shut up, we've been doing this for, what, three hours?! I'm taking a break, I'm getting water!” He gets up and stretches out, nudging Kuroo's side with his foot. “Breathe through and hydrate yourself, you're so tense dude!” Kuroo flinches away almost hard enough to faceplant, making Yaku chuckle. “Come on now.”

He hears Kuroo shuffle around behind him as he gets himself something to drink, turning around when his friend enters the kitchen, and sighs. “Thank God, I needed this.”

“You needed this?!” Kuroo splashes water into his own face before he empties his half finished cup of coffee, regardless of the fact that it must be cold by now. “I've been explaining the same problem for thirty minutes and you still don't get it!”

“Well, maybe you're just bad at explaining.”

“Or maybe you're just bad at math!”

“Oh, that's not a good combination.”

“Then maybe you should get someone else to tutor you!”

Yaku smirks. Bantering means that Kuroo is recharging his battery, that's good – seeing him fired up  helps himself to regain control as well. He turns around again to put his glass in the sink. “Probably. I'm sure Kai would also actually tutor and not torture me like you do!”

“Oh, you want torture?” Yaku busts into surprised giggles when he feels long, swift fingers scribbling up and down his sides and he leans away from the maddening sensation, over the counter. Unfortunately this attempt to escape just makes everything worse for now he can't even properly protect himself – not that that was an option before. “I'll give you torture!”

“H-hey! Dohon't doho thahahat! Kuroo!”

“I mean, you started it.”

“Whahat? Did not!”

“Yes, you did!” Kuroo shoves his hands further up Yaku's torso to massage the spaces in between his ribs, drawing some of the ugliest cackles the Libero has ever heard from himself. “You attacked me earlier when you nudged my side, you did that on purpose!”

“I-it's not my fahault thahahat you're a wahalking tickle spoAAHT, STOP IT!”

“Why?” Yaku manifests all of his willpower to turn around and immediately regrets it when he's met with Kuroo's obnoxious signature smirk, those awful fingers relentlessly squeezing and jabbing his hips. “Aren't you having fun?”

“FAHAHACK YOUAHAHA!”

“Tsk, language.”

Yaku feels himself getting weaker and weaker the longer the tickling lasts – no wonder, this bastard is attacking his worst spot exactly the way he knows it drives Yaku up the wall. A little voice in his head regrets to ever have agreed to this study session, another one criticizes the very idea of being friends with Kuroo and Yaku hates how he hesitantly agrees. They just know each other too well and... hey, wait, that might be it!

“NAHAHAHA KUHUROHOO! PLEAHEHEHESE!”

The captain slows his touches down and moves his hands up a little. “Please what, Yakkun?”

God, he's going to kill this jerk! Yaku feels his face burn. Please, that's a word he almost never has to resort to and only uses when it's really bad. More often than not he's too proud – but that also means, that Kuroo knows it's bad when he actually pleads and that's a huge opportunity to fool him. The tickling on his sides is bearable. He can function now. Yaku throws him a wicked smirk through his giggling and it turns victorious when he sees the horror dawn on his friend's face.

“Please don't be less ticklish than last week.”

“WhAHAHAHAAA YAHAKU!”

“You know, Tetsurou,” the Libero smirks and wrestles Kuroo down, straddling him and wriggling his fingers in his armpits, “you're really funny. We've known each other for, what, two and a half years? You should really know by now that you don't stand a chance. I don't know if you noticed, but my worst spot isn't half as bad as yours. See?” He coos at his friend. “You're already crying, naw, Tetsu! It's not even been ten seconds!”

It's almost funny how Kuroo is a mess already, yet the teasing still seems to make everything so much worse. Yaku grins. He can't deny it, he's always having a blast wrecking Kuroo, especially when- ah, there it is.

“NYAHAHA! PLEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAP!”

“I don't know, should I? We barely get to hear this beautiful, beautiful hyena laugh from you, we should enjoy it while it lasts!”

Honestly, it's impressive how long Kuroo takes it. They're almost at four minutes before his laughter goes silent and Yaku decides to move away from his underarms, resorting to softly scribbling all over his stomach. “So, will you teach me this math problem?”

“I- Ihi trihied!”

“Yeah, well, as you said, I'm bad at math. Will you try some more?”

Kuroo can only nod, his face flushed bright red and his cheeks wet from laughing tears.

“Good.” Yaku finally stops his tickling and stands up, offering his friend a hand to get up. “Let's get back to work. And remember, when you think about starting a tickle fight the next time, don't. You'll lose. Got it?”

“Shut up...”

“You shut up.”

[happyandticklish]

Disarming Your Demons

Notes: Okay, so I’m only halfway through Jujutsu Kaisen, but I had an idea and I had to write it down. I’m not sure if I’m gonna write anything else for it until I actually finish the show, but I said that before and now this exists, so who knows really. 

Summary: Itadori discovers a new method to deal with misbehaving curses. 

Sharing a body with a thousand-year-old curse could have its downfalls, something Itadori was quickly becoming familiar with. Though he could control it most of the time, it was difficult, and took a strain on his mind and body. He put on a brave face afterwards, insisting that it was no big deal, but the truth was anything but. Sukuna’s ability to switch out with him was growing stronger, and the exhaustion was setting in faster now with each time Itadori wrestled back control over his body. In the heat of battle was one thing, edged on by desperation and the will to keep his friends alive. But it was the other times, when Itadori was tired and vulnerable and fully unprepared to battle his literal inner demons, that he regretted the lifestyle most.

Say, for instance, in his dorm room, half-asleep and dreary from a battle earlier that day.

“Hello again.”

Switching out with Sukuna was strange. He didn’t feel it in a physical sense, no pain or sensation inflicted upon him. One moment he was in his body, and the next he was trapped, a helpless bystander to the other’s will.

“You know, it’s awfully bold of those teachers of yours to leave you all alone like this at night.” Sukuna stood, stretching his arms above his head in satisfaction. “Do they really put so much stock in you to assume you’d be able to fight me, like this?”

“Sukuna.” Itadori’s voice was inaudible to anyone who might be passing by, an aimless thought floating around in his consciousness, but he knew the other could hear him nonetheless. “Give me back my body!”

“Please,” Sukuna dismissed, waving one hand as he strolled around the dorm, examining objects with a vague curiosity. “After you used me earlier? I’m growing rather tired of this dynamic, you know. Only ever summoning me when you need your friend healed, or a new big baddie rears its odious head. Then, afterwards, you hide me away without so much as a thank you.”

“I do appreciate your help,” Itadori started carefully, trying to keep his tone neutral. It was difficult though, when the other could easily read his true thoughts. “But you can’t expect me to simply hand my body over like some kind of puppet. I know what your true intentions are, and I won’t let you harm my friends or anyone else.”

“Oh, of course not, not heroic, selfless Itadori.” He placed a hand on the doorknob, twisting it and pushing the door open with one hand. “I wonder what would happen if I went to pay them a little visit now?”

“No!”

“Oh? Don’t like that, do you. Then why don’t you do something about it? Force me back, take over your body once more.” Sukuna chuckled dryly, pausing in the doorway. “If you can, that is. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the toll this is taking on you. Do you really think you have the strength to best me now, when you’re tired and weak from battle?”

Itadori tried, he really did. He knew he had to do this, but Sukuna was right. In his current state, he could hardly focus enough to remain present enough to speak to the other, let alone reclaim his physical form. With his last remaining willpower, he managed to gather enough strength to take control of one arm before he found himself blocked by the other. 

Sukuna’s eyes widened, and then he laughed, a throaty, derisive thing that made Itadori clench the fist he had. “One arm? Is that it? You truly are in for it now. I must say, I am impressed though. I didn’t think you had even that in you. Still, it’s no matter. I could end your world as you know it with both my hands tied behind my back. This pathetic defense is but a pebble in my path. I must thank you for the amusing display though—I needed a good laugh.”

Itadori watched helplessly as his body moved forward against his will, his mind racing as he tried to think of anything he could do in his position.

I needed a good laugh.

That was it!

Itadori would have smiled if he could use his mouth. An idea was formulating in his mind, crazy and nonsensical, but possibly just the thing he needed. It was a method that Gojo had employed once, to train him to focus on maintaining curse energy and resist distractions. He had no idea if the same thing would work on Sukuna, but seeing as he was in his body and therefore should be just as susceptible as Itadori had been, it just might work.

Sukuna stopped short as a jolt of sensation shot through him, and he snapped his head down to see his own hand squeezing his hip. “What the hell?”

“Ha! I didn’t think it would actually work!” Itadori’s voice rang out triumphant through the other’s mind as he squeezed again and again, quick and sudden so that Sukuna had no time to adjust to them. “Who knew that my own ticklishness would come in handy one day?”

“Tickli—what?” Sukuna started in confusion, but quickly slapped his other hand to his mouth to hold back… was that laughter?

He stumbled back against the wall, torn between shoving the other’s hands away and holding back the embarrassing noises leaking between his fingers. It was in times like these that he missed his four arms. It was hard enough to work with only two arms—one was impossible.

“W-What are you d-dohoing?” Sukuna grunted, trying to sound intimidating despite the silly grin quickly taking hold of his features.

“Tickling you, duh.” It was weird tickling his own body, and weirder still to have the sensation disconnected from him. He could feel the AC in the hallway on his arm, and the warmth of his hip under his hand, but that was all. It was disconcerting, but Itadori was grateful for it in this moment. He wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to continue if he could feel everything the other was feeling. He could only imagine how Sukuna was managing to stop himself from collapsing into an Itadori-sized puddle of laughter on the ground. “Haven’t you ever heard of tickling before?”

“I-Is that some k-kind of hihidden Jujutsu?” Sukuna snapped angrily, annoyed at the chuckle that had slipped into his words halfway through.

Laughter rang through his head, unhelpfully as Sukuna tried to hold back his own. “Dude, what? Of course not! Tickling is… well, it’s a human thing you know? When you lightly touch the human body, like this—” he scribbled his fingers up his sides suddenly—“They laugh! I’m not sure why though… science is still a bit iffy on that.”

Sukuna had stopped listening at this point. He had burst into panicked giggles the second Itadori touched his side, unprepared for the other’s change in strategy. Sukuna’s hand come down, wrapping around his wrist and pulling it up, away from his sides.

He drew in an exhausted breath, grinning in relief as he held the other firmly away from him. “There. Your… tickling, or whatever it is, is ineffectual now. Seems like you didn’t think this plan through, did you now?”

He was right. It was a temporary solution, but the truth was that Itadori was going to get nowhere with just one hand. Which was why…

Sukuna’s eyes widened as he felt a sudden pull at his person once more. His body was rebelling, and he fought back, trying to push back at Itadori’s attempt to switch back. He was getting stronger now, and Itadori was still weak, so it should be nothing to keep control from the brat. What he hadn’t expected was for Itadori to focus all his energy on reclaiming a single part of his body, leaving Sukuna unprepared for the concentrated force. He felt his fingers slipping on his wrist, his left arm losing connection just like the first one had.

“No!” Sukuna growled, but it was too late. Both arms were lost to him now, and he knew if Itadori could, he would be smirking.

“Yes,” Itadori countered. Surprisingly enough, he kept his one arm raised. He lowered the other one, poising his fingers under his arms and wiggling them in the air threateningly. “I remember this always being one of my worst spots. Unfortunately for you, I’m afraid.”

Sukuna narrowed his eyes in confusion, but before he could say anything he was stopped by the sensation of nails gently spidering under his arm. It was a slow, unhurried process, that never missed its mark. Instinct shot through him like a bullet and Sukuna attempted to bring his arm down protectively. He was stopped by the other’s remaining control of the limb, which kept it raised exposed and vulnerable over his head. It didn’t help that Itadori hadn’t worn a shirt to bed the previous night, so Itadori had full access to his bare torso.

Sukuna spluttered over a laugh, a hysterical cackling that only grew in desperation as time went on. Sparks flurried through him, his stomach erupting with what felt like millions of butterflies all taking off at the same time. It was impossible to explain how unbearable the feeling was, and Sukuna wondered how humans lived with such a weakness on their body all this time.

“A-Ahaha, stahahahap, eh, gah, stahahahap i-ihihit!” Sukuna’s head was thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut as a wild grin danced along his features. “Y-Yohohou irritahahating b-brahat!”

“Intense, right?” Itadori asked, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice. “If only you had chosen a less ticklish vessel. You’re in for it now, though. I got to be honest, it’s kind of funny seeing a bigshot curse like you writhing around like a worm on a hook.”

“Shuhuhut uhuhuhup!” Sukuna demanded, though it came out far more giggly than he would have liked. He couldn’t concentrate like this, couldn’t even begin to start to try to reclaim his arms. He needed him to move his hand, maybe back to his hips, or somewhere else, anywhere else. He wasn’t sure if the rest of this body was less ticklish, only that he needed Itadori to move away from that spot.

“Not a chance,” Itadori scoffed. “This is way too much fun! Of course, you could always stop me. Just switch back and the tickling won’t affect you anymore; it’s that easy.”

“L-Lihihike hehehell Ihihihihi wihihihill!” He was slipping now, his body sliding down the wall in an attempt to get away. Unfortunately, you can’t run away from yourself, and those wiggling fingers followed him all the way down. “Cuhuhut ihihit ohohout wihihihith thahahat sphohohot!”

“Why?” Itadori asked innocently, loving this a bit too much for his own good. But could he really help it when he was given such a perfect oppurtunity for revenge? “Does it tickle too much for the big bad curse?”

Sukuna was going to kill him. Then, once he was sure the pest was well and truly dead, he was going to bring him back to life so he could kill him all over again. Right now, however, his focus was only on those devastating nails, light, barely-there touches that had his mind reeling. When his fingers traveled a bit too high, skittering at the top of his armpits, he finally gave in. “Yehehehes, ohohokay, ihihit tihihihickles, ohohor whahahatever y-yohou cahahalled ihihit! Sohohomewhehere ehehelse!”

“Are you sure you want me to go somewhere else?” Itadori questioned teasingly, circling the area with just one finger. Sukuna ducked his chin into his chest, unable to hold back the flood of giggles that caused. “Really sure?”

“Y-Yohohou, ahaha, yohou lihihittle—”

“Okay, okay.” Itadori moved his hand away, pulling his other arm down. Sukuna exhaled in relief, an exhausted grin still dancing on his features. Unfortunately, Itadori noticed. “Hey, don’t relax just yet. I’m not done with you. After all, you still haven’t given me back my body, have you?”

“What the hell—noHOHO!” Sukuna burst into laughter anew as his arms wrapped around himself, trapping him in a tickly hug as fingers wiggled up and down his sides. “S-SHIHIHIT!”

“Regretting your words yet?”

Sukuna thrashed wildly, howling as he doubled over in a useless attempt to protect himself. The snarky remarks were gone now, so completely was he lost to his own laughter. His skin twitched and goosebumps scattered up his sides, a helpless reaction to the playful tickling.

Because it was playful. Despite everything, he could tell that Itadori was having fun with this. And maybe, just maybe, the other was too. His insides felt warm and fuzzy in a way they hadn’t in a while, his laughter peaking between desperation and silly giggles. It was strangely addicting to give in like this, allowing the tickling to consume his thoughts and blur out any remaining negativity.

It was… nice.

“I-IIHIHITADORI!” His head was thrown back, a hearty flush spreading across his cheeks and warming his skin. “I-IHIHI CAHAHAN’T!”

“You know how to stop this,” Itadori reminded him. “Just switch back and the tickling stops.”

Sukuna fell back on the floor, unable to hold himself up against the relentless tickling. He let out a frankly embarrassing squeak, the sensations breaking through the last of his revolve. And finally, at last, he caved in.

With a start, Itadori felt the other ducking back into himself, releasing his body in the process. He stopped wiggling his fingers, sitting up slowly as he regained control of himself once more. He was sweaty and exhausted, like he’d just ran a marathon, and he could feel that familiar floating sensation in the pit of his stomach that came with being tickled.

“Damn brat,” Sukuna complained from inside him, and Itadori smiled fondly. He would have to remember this method for next time.

“What the hell?”

Itadori startled as a voice shot through his thoughts, and he glanced up to see Megumi standing in the hallway. He was still in pajamas, and his hair was sticking out in several directions. The look on his face implied he’d just woken up. The two made eye contact, Megumi taking in Itadori’s flushed features and his sprawled position on the floor.

Megumi furrowed his brows in confusion. “Itadori? I heard a noise and I thought… are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, totally,” Itadori dismissed, sitting up slowly. “I was… sleep-walking. Yeah, that’s it. Just a weird dream, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”

Megumi continued to stare at him for a moment, clearly debating whether or not to believe the other. Finally, he sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “Alright. If you say so. Just keep it down next time, will you? Some of us are actually trying to sleep.”

Itadori threw the other a hearty thumbs-up, grinning innocently. “Will do!”

Megumi frowned, but eventually disappeared back into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Itadori stood up fully, his legs a little shaky from the previous tickling, and decided to do the same. It was the middle of the night after all—sleep was probably in order. However, as he turned the knob to shut the door behind him, he heard a voice loud and clear in his head.

“Sleep tonight, young sorcerer, and get your rest. Because tomorrow—” a sudden pinch to his side as Sukuna wrestled control of his hand—“it’s your turn.”

Itadori regained control almost instantly, and his hand was his again as though nothing had happened. He smiled nervously, not doubting the other’s words for a minute.

And as he got into bed that night, pulling the covers tight around himself, he found he couldn’t wait.

[happyandticklish]

Stress Reliever

Part One - Gansey discovers something new about himself and decides to use it to deal with a problem of his; Ronan is happy to help.

“Hey. Dickhead. Move.”

Gansey glanced up at the fragmented words, barely a sentence, and raised an eyebrow. “It’s my couch.”

“Yeah, and it’s my legs you’re sitting on.”

“Move your legs then.”

Ronan narrowed his eyes. The weight of Gansey pressing into his legs was beginning to become painful, not to mention he had been sitting here first, ownership of the couch be damned. He hadn’t meant to do it, really, but having lived with brothers all his life, instinct just took over.

His fingers were moving before he could help it and Gansey let out a surprised snort of laughter as Ronan dug into his sides.

“R-Rohohonan?” Gansey yelped, confusion evident in his voice though he didn’t move away immediately. “Whahat are you dohoing?”

“Getting you to move.” He honestly hadn’t expected it to work. Gansey was so calm and composed most of the time that the thought of him being ticklish had never even occurred to Ronan. But here he was, giggling underneath Ronan’s fingers with a freeing helplessness that hadn’t been apparent on his face in years.

What a world they lived in.

“Stohohop,” Gansey cried frantically, apparently also unaware of his sensitivity. “I-Ihihi swehear, Rohoho—ohoho my god, nohoho!”

After Ronan hit a particularly sensitive spot under his ribs, Gansey finally jerked away from him and consequently off the couch. He let out a startled yelp, just managing to save the computer from falling as well. Satisfied in his mission, Ronan leaned back on the armrest, closing his eyes.

Gansey slowly clambered to his feet, setting the computer on a nearby desk to save it from further harm. He fixed his glasses, which had gotten knocked askew in his tumble. He glared at Ronan who in turn ignored the gesture in favor of a smug grin.

“You know I could get you back, right?” Gansey pointed out, clearly taking in the way Ronan sat completely spread out and exposed on the couch.

Ronan didn’t so much as twitch a muscle. “Try touching me and I’ll spend the rest of my day finalizing your funeral arrangements.”

Gansey didn’t move for a moment, clearly taking the threat into account, and finally snatched up his computer and stalked out of the room. Ronan settled into the creaky cushions, allowing himself to sink back into the relaxed state he had been in.

He had expected that to be the end of it, so when Gansey approached him a month later he had no idea the direction the conversation had been headed.

“Ronan.” 

“Gansey.” 

Gansey was nervous. Really nervous. It was difficult to tell with him sometimes as he usually preferred to keep his emotions sealed tightly under a charming grin. But now he fidgeted with his hands, his eyes only occasionally moving to focus on Ronan’s before flicking back to a spot on the left wall.

“As you know, focusing on both school activities and everything relating to it, as well as my search for Glendower has become rather, shall we say, taxing. What I’m really trying to get at is I’m stressed.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. It was rare that Gansey admitted when something was bothering him, and he didn’t want to ruin that with questions.

“Do you remember that moment, a couple weeks ago, when I sat on your legs to finish my paper, justified reasons I should add, to want to work on my own couch. And then you… um, you know.” Gansey gestured vaguely with his hands.

Ronan frowned. “No, I don’t know. Are you okay?” Possibly he was having a nervous breakdown. Or a stroke. That seemed likely from how much he was sweating.

“Never been better.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“What was I doing?”

Gansey’s cheeks burned as he answered. “You were tickling me.”

Confusion remained etched onto Ronan’s features. “Yeah, so?”

“So,” Gansey continued with gritted teeth. “I was wondering if you could, you know, do it again.” He paused. “If you want to, of course.”

Ronan blinked at him. Ganey was staring at him intently, as if trying to make up for his nervousness by intensity. The request had thrown Ronan for a loop, and he repeated the question, sure he had heard him wrong. “You want me to tickle you?”

Gansey flicked his tongue over his bottom lip nervously, his face somehow growing even redder at the mention of the word. “Y-Yes?”

Ronan leaned back on his bed, arms crossed as he examined Gansey critically. It was a show of how much Gansey wanted this that he had dared enter his room at all without permission or a death wish.

“Why?” he said at last after trying to form his own answer for the question and failing. It was a simple question, but from the look on Gansey’s face it was not as simple an answer.

“I’ve heard—I mean I’ve read, books that say t-tickling can relax the body and the mind,” Gansey said after a moment, both of them hearing the stutter and both of them choosing to ignore it. “It releases natural endorphins in the brain. I thought it might help.” He paused. “With the stress that is.”

Ronan sat forward, narrowing his eyes in determination. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Gansey repeated, confused. “Does that mean—whahahait!”

Ronan’s sudden pounce threw him off guard and Gansey fell back on the couch as his roommate dug ruthless fingers into his sides, his thumbs digging harshly into his ribs. Gansey found laughter startled from him and after a very uncharacteristic shriek he bit into his lip, trying desperately to hide the rest of the sounds that tried to escape.

“I’ve never had somebody ask for me to this,” Ronan commented curiously, his fingers climbing effortlessly up his sides. “But I’m not going to turn down an oppurtunity like this. God Gansey, I didn’t realize you were this ticklish.”

“I-I dihidn’t k-know!” Gansey replied honestly, squeezing his eyes shut. He was heavily losing the battle of wills he was playing against himself, and spluttering giggles slipped out despite himself. Every inch of him begged to shove Ronan off and end the torment immediately. He didn’t, though, choosing instead to curl up on the couch and feebly clutch his sides in an effort to protect them, an effort that was, ultimately, useless. “Ehehehe, ohohoho, g-gah! Nohohohoho!”

“I know you’re ticklish here,” Ronan said, darting his hands up to goose his sides, delighting in the startled yelp. “But I wonder where else.” His hands darted down to squeeze at his hips and Gansey honest-to-god squealed, a noise he would later deny ever making. His hands shot down to grab his wrists, but as Ronan had two brothers and had often found himself involved in vigorous tickle fights, he was undeterred by this action. His thumbs dug into the bone, gently rubbing it, and Gansey arched on the couch, his knee coming up to protect the ticklish nerves.

“Now we can’t have that.” Ronan shoved his knee back with his other hand, flipping them around so that Ronan sat on his stomach facing his legs, his hands now free to continue their relentless assault.

Gansey himself had only ever experienced Helen’s teasing pokes and a couple jabs by classmates, including Adam on occasion, so he was unprepared for the sheer intensity of real tickling. He couldn’t figure out the right way to react and compensated for this ignorance by flailing around in a way that was altogether quite useless. After a while he settled on lunging forward and wrapping his arms around Ronan’s torso. Ronan flinched, startled by the sudden movement, but after seeing that Gansey had zero plans to launch any kind of counterattack, he decided to let him be.

Their position did mean that hips were quite out of the picture however, so Ronan decided to move onto his legs. He squeezed curiously up and down his thighs for a bit, watching as Gansey twitched and chuckled. When he got to his knees, pinching right above the bone, he was rewarded with a frantic shriek right in his ear. Before he could even complain about the noise Gansey was shoving him off and scrambling to his feet.

“I-I think that’s enough for right now,” Gansey informed him in a forced business like tone, his cheeks a bright red. “If you don’t mind, I believe I have a project that’s due tomorrow, so I will be getting to that now.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow as he fled back to his room, his haste not unnoticed by the other. He decided to let him be for the moment, but there was no doubt in his mind that this would be the last time he exploited the other boy’s sensitivity. Not now that he knew about it. He tucked the information away for later and stalked out of the apartment to go find Adam.