Why Didn’t You Tell Me?
I still suck at titles ^^
Characters: Lee!Raine (oc), Ler!Pike (oc)
Word Count: 1,607
TW for mentions of injury
WARNING: This is a tickle fic! If that kind of stuff isn't your jam, don't read!
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Raine winced as they opened the door to their apartment, hand holding their side. They had just returned home from a day-long training session in the desert, and during that time they got into a pretty nasty tussle that ended up leaving them with many wounds, most notably a huge gash on their side. The inkling groaned in pain as they entered the apartment, setting down their e-liter and hanging up their leather jacket as they made their way to the couch. Once they were settled on the couch, they picked up the tv remote and started flicking through channels, eventually settling on a nature documentary. Not long after, a ding was heard from their phone, and they reached over to pick it up, wincing as the pain in their side flared up.
PIKE: heya raine! i’m on my way home with groceries, be home in 5!
RAINE: k
Seeing as how their roommate would be home soon, the inkling decided to freshen themselves up and change their shirt, seeing as there was a tear where the gash on their side is. They got up, once again wincing in pain, and made their way to their bedroom. Once they picked out a new shirt, they made their way to the restroom. They discarded their shirt and inspected the wound. The wound ran from the middle of their ribs to just above their hip. Raine breathed through their teeth as they gently ran their fingers over the wound. The inkling also looked over other wounds they had, such as one on their bicep and one on their front tentacle. They let out a sigh as they put on the new shirt, not bothering to tend to the wounds.
Walking back out into the living area, Raine was met with their roommate, Pike, putting away groceries. The octoling looked up from taking a box of waffles out of a bag and waved energetically at the silver-haired inkling. Raine waved back and sat down at the counter. After a few moments of silence, Pike decided to break it.
“How was your training today?” the octoling questioned, causing Raine to look up at him.
“Mmm, it was good,” was all the inkling said, their voice muffled by the mask they’re wearing.
“That’s good,” Pike chirped. “Say, do you wanna watch a movie after I’m done putting these groceries away?”
“Mmm, I’d like that,” Raine replied, before being sent into a coughing fit, catching their roommate’s attention. Pike put their hand on top of Raine’s as he gave them a look of concern.
“Raine, you okay?”
“I’m fine,” they groaned as they held their side. “It’s nothing, just got something stuck in my throat is all.” Pike didn’t believe them in the slightest.
“But you’ve been wearing your mask ever since you came out here. I haven’t seen you take it off to consume anything that could get stuck in your throat,” the octoling commented. “Plus, you’re holding your side. That’s not something you usually associate with getting something stuck in your throat.” Raine turned their head away from their roommate.
“Ugh, fine, ya got me,” they groaned, crossing their arms. “When I was out training, I got into a fight with an octarian soldier. I’m not even sure how it got that far into the desert, but I managed to send it packing. It did leave me with a few wounds, though.”
“Oh, Raine,” Pike said softly. “Let me see.”
Raine scoffed as they beckoned him over. The octoling gently ran his hand over the inkling’s front tentacle, frowning when he heard them sucking air through their teeth. Pike then kneeled down in front of them.
“Lift up your shirt,” he ordered, causing Raine to sigh and lift up the article of clothing. Pike frowned even more once he saw the huge gash on the inkling’s side and the gash on their bicep.
“It’s bad, isn’t it,” Raine dryly chuckled.
“You need these wounds patched up, ASAP, Raine. You and I don’t want these to get infected, do we?”
Raine shook their head as they stood up, motioning for Pike to follow them. The octoling followed them to the restroom, where he pulled out a first aid kit from the under sink cabinet as the inkling sat down on the edge of the tub.
“I’m going to start with your tentacle, is that okay?”
“Just get it over with,” Raine grumbled.
Pike did as he was told and reached up to grab their tentacle, but as they did so, they felt the inkling stiffen a bit. He first thought that they stiffened in pain, but their reaction was soon confirmed to be something else. As he was applying some antiseptic to the wound on their tentacle, he felt them shaking a bit. Looking down at their face, he could tell that their eyes were shut and, even beneath their mask, that they were trying not to smile. Piecing two-and-two together, Pike figured out something about their roommate that they never knew about.
Raine, their stubborn and cocky roommate, was ticklish.
“Raine, are you ticklish?!” the octoling exclaimed with a huge grin on his face, causing the inkling to scoff.
“What? Of course not! That would be ridiculous,” they huffed, blush evident on their face.
“Uh huh, sure. As if you totally weren’t trying your hardest not to laugh just then,” Pike giggled as they applied more antiseptic to the wound, but this time they purposefully wiggled their fingers as they did so.
“Pihihke,” Raine gritted their teeth. “Stop that thihihis instahant!” Pike tsked.
“But if I stop, then your wounds could get infected!”
“Dohon’t play dumb, you know whahahat I mehehean!”
“Do I?” the octoling feigned confusion while applying a bandage to their tentacle, giving a little tickle to the underside of it, causing Raine to squeak. “Okay, Giggles, do you want me to do your bicep or side next?”
“Don’t call me ‘Giggles’,” Raine glared at Pike, earning them an innocent smile in return. “But, uh, you can do my bicep next. I’m less sensitive there.” They said the last part under their breath, and was glad that Pike didn’t hear it.
“Okey-dokey then!”
Pike began to clean the wound on their bicep, giggling when they saw Raine shake and bring a fist up to their mouth. The octoling then brought his fingers to the underside of their bicep and began drawing little shapes on it, grinning as their giggling turned into light laughter.
“Aww, what’s the matter Rainey? Does this tickle tickle tickle?” the octoling teased, causing the inkling to cover their face with their hand.
“Shuhuhut uhuhup!”
Pike playfully gasped at Raine’s remark and moved their tickly attack to their wounded side, being careful not to hurt them further. He had to do a double take when Raine let out a snort.
“Oh my cod, Raine! Did you just snort?”
“NOHOHO I DID NOHOHOT! YOU’RE HEARING THIHIHINGS! *snort*”
“You just did it again! Oh my cod, that’s adorable!”
Now it was Raine’s turn to do a double take.
“DIHIHID YOU JUHUST CALL MEHE ADORABLE?!”
Pike’s face flushed orange as he slowed down on his tickling.
“Uhhh, maybe?”
The octoling gingerly applied antiseptic to the wound on their side, delighted to hear them squeal. Pike then grabbed some gauze and medical tape and began to bandage up the wounds on their bicep and side, making sure to run their fingers along their ribs as they did so, earning them more snorts and squeals.
“Okay, that should be all of them, unless there’s more you haven’t told me about, Giggles,” the octoling said, earning a growl from Raine.
“No, that’s the last of ‘em,” the inkling replied while crossing their arms. “Thank you, by the way, for patching me up.”
“No problemo, Raine,” Pike flashed a smile while giving them a thumbs up. “Though I am upset that you didn’t tell me about these wounds earlier; I think you deserve a punishment for that.”
Before the inkling could react, Pike picked them up bridal style and brought them to their bed. The octoling straddled their hips and gave them a sinister grin, causing Raine to glare at them.
“Don’t,” was the only thing they said before Pike began trailing his fingers along their sides, giggling as they let out a loud squeal followed by loud, boisterous laughter. They tried pushing the octoling off of them, but he was strong and held his position with ease.
“Aww, what’s the matter tough one? Is someone a little ticklish? A coochie-coochie-coo!”
Raine’s face flushed silver at the teasing, as they brought their hands up to cover their eyes.
“SHUHUHUT UHUHUHUP,” they screeched as they tried to buck the offending octoling off. “STAHAHAP IHIHIHIT THIS INSTAHAHANT!”
“Listen, Rainey,” the octoling giggled. “I wouldn’t be doing this if you told me about your wounds as soon as I got home!”
“I’M SOHOHORREHEHEY! PIHIHIHIKE STAHAHAP IHIHIT! I CAHAN’T TAHAKE IHIHIT!”
The octoling kept tickling them for a bit longer before finally stopping. Pike looked at their roommate’s face, and felt a flutter in his chest; their face was almost entirely silver and tears streaked down to their mask. He couldn’t believe how cute Raine looked right now. Pike took their face in his hands.
“Cod, Raine,” he started. “You are so unbelievably cute right now.”
Raine looked up at their roommate and saw that his face was flushed orange, causing them to blush even harder.
“Shut up,” they groaned, but their words held no malice to them. Pike might drive them crazy from time to time, but Raine was happy to have him as a roommate.