āPlease, please, just let me put my arms down!ā
āYou can put your arms down. Literally nothingās stopping you.ā
Roman squirmed, turning his burning face so far to one side that his cheek brushed the bedsheets beneath him.
āYour fingersāā was all he managed before collapsing into another fit of helpless giggles. Virgil raised an eyebrow, the tips of his fingers just barely dancing under Romanās arms.
āTheyāre not doing anything,ā he said. āTheyāre not even moving.ā
āBecause you keep wiggling everywhere! Seriously, if it tickles so bad, just put your arms down.ā
Roman shook his head. āI canāt I canāt I cahahanātāā
Virgil was glad Romanās eyes were screwed shut as he begged and pleaded; otherwise, heād see the ridiculous smile on Virgilās face as he watched Roman very quickly lose all composure.
āCome on, Princey,ā he murmured, his fingers moving just enough to brush Romanās underarm hair. āI promise I wonāt tickle you if you bring your arms downā¦ā
āIt tickles!ā Roman shrieked, bouncing against the bed in a weak attempt to get away from Virgilās hands.
āYou keep saying that, so why donāt you bring your arms down? Iām sure it canāt tickle any more than this already does.ā
On āthisā, Virgil scratched his nails ever-so-lightly at the spot just above Romanās armpits, and with another shriek of laughter the creative sideās trembling arms finally shot down, pressing against his sides and trapping Virgilās hands in his pits.
A beat, as the two caught their breath, eyes locked onto each other.
And then Roman began to cackle, and squeal, and make noises that sounded an awful lot like begging although they were mostly incomprehensible. His legs kicked out behind Virgil, and he shook his entire body back and forth in a panicked desperation.
āYouā you saidāā he gasped, but couldnāt get the sentence out as he dropped his head backwards, bright laughter bursting out of him.
āI said I wouldnāt tickle you, and Iām not!ā Virgil said. āIām not even moving, am I? It looks to me like youāre tickling yourself, Princey. Come on, if it really tickles that bad, just lift your arms, okay?ā
Roman didnāt respond to him, too busy losing his mind at the feeling of Virgilās fingers pressed right against his armpits, unbearably tickly and impossible to stop without lifting his arms. Virgil grinned and settled back, getting comfortable in this new position. Oh, this was going to be fun.
