Summary: Kazuki discovers that Rei is ticklish. (Here is my fic for Squealing Santa 2k23, and I’m writing for *drumroll*...@tiklart!! I really hope you enjoy your fic. And a special thanks to @hypahticklish for running this event and being so lovely. Happy holidays to everyone!! xo)
Working and living together forced a sort of intimacy that both Rei and Kazuki weren’t exactly familiar with. Kazuki had been, once, but ever since that loss, he had closed himself off to forming such bonds, whereas Rei had never been so known to another person, and it sort of freaked him out.
The benefit was, of course, that it was beneficial to know one’s partner in their line of work. They had a basis of trust, of security. They worked well together, and had no reason to jeopardize that.
But there was also the domesticity of it all that was…Well, strange. Kazuki was like a proper housewife, cooking and cleaning and taking care of everything. Rei had grown up with money and maids, never had to care for himself, so that was welcomed. It was a little rude of him to leave it all up to Kazuki, but social skills were also not his strong suit, so he had no idea how to thank him, let alone help him with the chores.
It was a calm day in their apartment, for once. There were no hits to be completed, nothing to do. Miri was at daycare, giving them some much needed peace and quiet. While Rei saw it as an opportunity to do more of nothing than usual, Kazuki was taking advantage of the day off, cleaning the apartment and prepping some meals to cook throughout the week, in his apron and all.
Rei often called him a housewife, which made Kazuki scoff and say something like, “So, what does that make you? My lazy husband?” which had once made Rei blush, but he had since gotten used to the banter. In a way, their dynamic had become almost like a marriage. They did everything together. And, well, Rei wasn’t complaining. Kazuki was a good-looking guy, no doubt about it, but they had never done anything to actually be a couple. They were just roommates and co-workers, arguably friends, who had now stumbled upon a little girl that they were raising as their own. As her two dads. Who weren’t married or even dating. It was a weird dynamic, for sure.
After cleaning Miri’s room, doing some laundry, cooking, and cleaning, all before noon, Kazuki plopped down on the couch beside Rei with a sigh.
Rei was, as usual, engrossed in a video game, and ignored his presence entirely.
“You know, you could have offered to help me out,” Kazuki said.
Rei made a noise in response, something between a grunt and a hum. An acknowledgement, but not agreeing or disagreeing. Not even listening.
Kazuki rolled his eyes. “Are you even paying attention?”
Rei repeated the noise, and Kazuki gave an annoyed huff.
“Earth to Rei,” he said, waving a hand next to his face.
Rei ignored him. He was so close to finishing the level, he wasn’t going to stop now! He focused intently, determined to finish with a perfect score.
He had expected Kazuki to just give up, leave him alone, like he usually did. But instead, Kazuki jabbed him in the ribs with two fingers, an unexpected touch that made him yelp and jump, tilting his controller in the process and effectively making him lose the level.
Rei turned with a disgruntled expression. “What do you want?”
“What was that?” Kazuki asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? Are you injured from that last hit? Why didn’t you tell me? Let me see!”
“I’m not hurt, you’re just being annoying,” Rei replied with a glare. “You made me lose.”
“Did that guy hit you in the ribs? I swear, if you’ve broken something and didn’t say anything, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Kazuki began experimentally prodding Rei’s side, determined to find the supposed injury and probably cause Rei a little bit of pain as a lesson in getting shit checked out right away, but instead, Rei wriggled away with a level of energy he only showed while on the job.
“Cut it out!” he said.
“But if you’re hurt, I—”
“I’m not hurt, dumbass, just leave me—”
“Wait a second. Are you…Did that tickle?” Kazuki asked, something like realization appearing on his face.
Rei’s face grew hot. “Of course not.”
“Oh, really? So you wouldn’t mind if I did…This?”
Kazuki leapt across the couch at him, fingers finding his belly with surprising ease. Rei, with all his training, had seen it coming but forgotten any practical means of escape, and simply shouted and squirmed, like he wasn’t a fucking assasian from one of the most feared families in Japan.
He bit the inside of his cheek, refusing to laugh, his long limbs flailing and trying to hit Kazuki anywhere that would disarm him, but Kazuki was just as strong and tactical as he was.
When Kazuki’s fingers found his ribs again, Rei couldn’t contain it any longer, a giggle slipping out. He would never describe it as such, but it was definitely a giggle. Slightly high-pitched and hysterical, and kind of adorable, although he would also hate that description.
“Wait until I tell Miri,” Kazuki teased.
“Don’t you dare,” Rei spat, gasping for air between laughter.
“Oh, c’mon! You know how much she likes to see you smile.”
“I’m not smiling!”
“You’re right, you’re actually laughing. My bad. Miri will like that even better! I can just imagine the look on her little face when she finds out Papa Rei is ticklish!”
“I am not ticklish,” Rei said through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to laugh again, as if it would do him any good. Kazuki had a good grip on his torso and was tormenting his sides and ribs with the dexterity of someone who knew their way around a trigger, as well as a sewing needle.
“Oh, you’re not? Then what’s so funny?”
“Fuck off!”
“Language!”
“She’s not even here!”
Rei kicked and swung his arms and even attempted to bite Kazuki a few times, but he was weak with laughter and eventually slumped against the cushions, laughing helplessly.
“Admit it and I’ll stop,” Kazuki said.
“Never!” Rei replied. He had been trained by his family to withstand worse torture than this. He would find a way to get out of this situation…But what then? Kazuki was never going to let this go. And if the kid found out…Ugh, he was totally screwed.
Kazuki’s hands darted upward and underneath Rei’s arms, making his laughter reach a new octave. It didn’t take long for him to crack.
“Fine, fine! I’m fucking ticklish, okay? Now stop!”
Kazuki did, immediately, a smug smile on his face. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I hate you,” Rei said.
His normally pale cheeks were flushed and his eyes were watery, his hair even messier than usual, his hoodie and sweatpants rumpled. As he caught his breath, he noticed Kazuki staring.
“What?” he asked, scowling.
“You just…You should laugh more. You look…You look cute,” Kazuki said, stumbling over his words as he also blushed.
Rei’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m not…Fuck off,” he said, but he was fighting a smile.
“I’m serious though! You just…Miri’s right. It’s nice to see you smile.”
Rei opened his mouth to reply, then his eyes caught the time on the television. “Shit. We have to go pick her up.”
Kazuki looked at the time as well, jumping up from the couch. “Crap, you’re right. Let’s go!”
And in the chaos of grabbing their shoes and coats, their minds were distracted from their previous antics and conversation. It wasn’t until later that evening, when Miri had fallen asleep in his lap, that Rei revisited those words in his mind.
Cute? Really? It wasn’t the most flattering of compliments for a grown man to receive, but coming from Kazuki…Well, it had felt nice.
Maybe roommates and coworkers and co-parents weren't all that they were. Maybe they could be something more. The thought made his cheeks grow warm. As he looked down at Miri, their daughter, he truly felt that they were the perfect little family.
Hi!!! Thanks for the ask! Love your beautiful self and hope you are well!!!! 😘
10. Participate in a tickle-themed game show or a tickle-themed research experiment?
I am a science baby at heart and by trade so I would definitely lean toward some research! I’ve always been curious about the why’s and the how’s so I would love to help find out more through a study. Also being tickled for scientific research purposes and sensitivity testing and such sounds hottttttt af.
14. Be tied up, blindfolded and tickled by one person, or be able to move freely but be tickled by three people?
Okay… so like. I do love being tied and blindfolded. But like. Three lers? I’m not that strong.. they can hold me down in fun and creative ways that make me feel extra helpless bc I almost feel like I could escape but I can’t. I think I’m going with my multiple ler craving brain and choosing the no bondage but 3 (strong, evil, sadistic) lers
17. Be put in stocks where anyone who walks by can tickle your feet or be tied to a tree where anyone who walks by can tickle your belly?
Okay I do think stocks would be more realistic to end up in.. like at a Renaissance faire or something. My feet are a little more…tolerable when tickled (unless you start whipping out oil and lotion and tools). However, since it’s a hypothetical I think I would get more of a fun thrill out of being tied to a tree with my tummy exposed and helpless to be tickled by anyone who passed by. God…!!!!!!!! Okay that one that one that one that one I pick that one. Sign me up for a busy hiking trail full of lers 😅😅😅😅🫣
I dont go to critickle role but I have Fearne / Ashton BroTP brainrot so would love your take on them if you're down
Bless you, I love these precious dorks & had a blast filling out these questions for them. Feel free to send more!
1. Who’s more ticklish?
As much as I wanna say it’s Ashton cause I love big tough characters being reduced to giggles, I have to say it’s Fearne. She’s so soft spoken & sweet & bubbly, that girl is SO ticklish
2. What kind of tickles are they sensitive to?
Fearne is susceptible to both, but I think rough tickles work better on her. Both hard & soft tickles also work well on Ashton. Believe it or not, but they actually prefer a firmer touch & more thorough wrecking, but if you want to slowly drive them to the brink of insanity, gentle tickles are the way to go. They’ll be begging for you to wreck them “for real” within minutes
3. Which role (lee/ler) does each of them hold?
Fearne is a true switch at heart & Ashton’s more of a ler. But they are not immune to lee moods
4. How did they discover each others’ ticklishness?
Fearne was trying to shamelessly steal something from their pocket & they jerked away with a snort. Her eyes lit up & Ashton started backing away saying a few weak threats. She was going for their thighs & that’s one of their hot spots so there was no way they could convince her they weren’t ticklish, no matter how many times they said it through hysterical laughter. Ashton found out Fearne was ticklish as soon as they regained their breath & pounced on her for revenge. Fearne was honestly thrilled for the retaliation & would goad them by saying they “weren’t doing it right” or outright saying which spots were more ticklish
5. Who’s more likely to instigate a tickle fight?
Ashton looooves to start tickle fights. They love fights & roughhousing with friends in general, but they never really had a lot of tickle fights, so they like to pounce on & bully their friends. They also just like to be able to laugh & feel something that’s not pain when in a competitive context, it just feels good & different. Fearne will start a tickle fight whenever she’s feeling super mischievous & playful, but her motives lay more along the lines of “I’m gonna wreck ‘em so they wreck me”
6. How often do they tickle each other?
They tickle each other like every other day. She claims they’re being “too grumpy” or she just admits there’s no reason & she just jumped them out of the blue. Ashton’s more upfront about it cause she’d either provoke them by taking something or he announces “I’m bored. You’re so in for it,” & starts chasing her down
7. Who’s the least likely to ask for tickles?
Ashton would rather die than ever outright ask for tickles. They’re obsessed with their rough & tough persona & don’t want to show any signs of weakness or even hint at the fact they might like something as cutesy & childish as this. Fearne on the other hand is not at all shy about broadcasting her love for tickles
First Sentence Thingy - any characters of your choice 😊
"What do you mean wait? We've only just begun."
Dean squirms where he’s currently pinned to the floor, Castiel sitting on his thighs. He desperately tries pulling his arms out from under the angel’s steel knees to protect the sensitive skin under his arms.
“Plehehehehease, I cahahahan’t” Dean cries again, shaking his head.
Cas pities him, if only slightly, and moves his hands down to Deans exposed sides, crab pinching the soft skin. Scrunching his nose and snorting, the profanities Dean wants to scream at his boyfriend are lost in the mess of giggles flowing out of his lungs.
“I don’t believe that for a moment, Dean. I heard from a reliable source that you like being tickled. So you can, and you will. It would make me a bad boyfriend if I stopped,” Cas teases.
Dean knows, if he wasn’t already red from laughing, he’d be blushing at that statement.
Screw tequila. Nothing ever good comes from tequila. How could he have allowed this secret, of all secrets to slip out. Screw three am conversations, and screw Cas’ teasing. That is definitely not fair.
His thoughts are cut off when Cas moves his hands once more to rest on his hips. Thumbs in the hollows, and fingers splayed and relaxed around the joints. They make eye contact for a beat. Then another. A silent conversation between the two of them.
Dean knows this is his out. He knows Cas is giving him an out. All he has to do is say enough.
Another beat.
And then he’s arching his back and shrieking as Cas’ thumbs dig into the soft hollows of his hips, and his fingers splay out and flutter around the joints.
Tags/questions about today's TickleTober art! (Always happy to puddle you, @hypahticklish.)
"Are you using reference photos?"
Yes, absolutely! I source a number of different images to make sure that things look like the things they're meant to be. Some of it I can just freehand, like yesterday's legs, but often if something's a bit wonky, it's because I didn't reference it.
"Where on earth are you finding such perfect references for tickle art?"
For most body poses, I'm usually doing a basic image search. In the past, I’ve used an online tool that lets me pose dummy figures, though it usually takes me as long to get the dummies right as it does to just do the art by itself, so I’ve been avoiding that lately. But for details, the best reference is what's right in front of me. Snapping a quick photo of my own hand is faster than hunting for a reference shot, plus I get exactly what I want.
One thing Procreate has that I never thought I’d use is the time lapse video function. Here’s the video for this piece! It did take some comical effort to get the right angle for some photos, since I was using my unwieldy iPad instead of my more-easily-handled phone. But this is how it came together. You can see in here the first version of a hand I tried, which I referenced live (picture me holding up my hand and staring at it while trying to balance a tablet and stylus and draw while not cramping up repeatedly or dropping the tablet on the floor) but it wasn’t coming out how I wanted, so I ditched it and took a still to reference instead that worked much better.
Tickle fight between Princeps Zortch and Skip, what's the outcome??
i don't know the logistics of psychic abilities in a tickle fight (fuck, that's a fic idea if i've ever heard one). but at the end of the day, skip has the body of a dextrous soldier with years of fighting experience and zortch is a royal - a position that famously makes you very susceptible. so while i think zortch might be able to pull some snorts out of skip, the princeps is unfortunately fucked on this one
Sentence starter - "Oh c'mon, don't do the countdown thing!"
(i can’t quite remember if you’re into CR, but here’s hoping - feel free to ask for another fandom if you want!)
“Oh, c’mon, don’t do the countdown thing-”
Jester looks up from where she’s currently draped over his legs, fingertips and fangs poised mere inches from his defenseless belly. “What countdown thing?” she asks innocently.
The tips of her hair drag across tender skin, and Fjord has to bite back a very embarrassing noise before he feels safe answering. “The - the thing where you say you’re counting down, but the numbers are all wrong, and it - it just - the waiting, it-”
“Tickles?” Jester completes. She cocks her head, waiting for agreement.
He sputters for a moment, all the smooth talking he’s spent years faking his way into turning to piecemeal on his tongue. Focus, Fjord. Focus. “I - yeah, tickles.”
She pouts exaggeratedly at him. “Oh, no, Fjord, did someone do that to you? That’s so meannn!”
He frowns. “Oh, is that not a tiefling thing? I could’ve sworn Molly said-”
“Molly?” Jester exclaims, slapping her palms onto him and levering herself up to a more indimidating height. “What do you mean, Molly gets to tickle you? I thought you were nervous and scared and off-limits-”
Fjord sucks in a shallow breath, extremely aware of the position of Jester’s pinky finger just to the left of his navel. “I - Jes, it’s not like I wanted him to tickle me, he’s my roommate, it’s not like I could fucking stop him-”
“Okay,” Jester interrupts. She smiles pastry-sweet down at him and wriggles back down, huffing a playful breath over his belly that makes his entire body twitch. “Well, Molly and I are going to have a little talk later-”
Somehow, it sounds like she’s threatening him and Molly both. Fjord swallows.
“-but for now... let’s see if I can’t do any better, huh?”
1. Describe your laugh/teasy voice as a color or mixture of colors
Ooh I had to think hard about this one! I like to think my laugh is like...idk pink lemonade? Like this sunset swirl of blushy, rosy pink (even though I don't blush, not really), orange, and summery yellow? Idk I think my laugh is warm and steady and the usual (and stupidly effective) tease is that I'm cute, so I think of sunsets and summer and warmth c:
As for my teasy voice, bear with me, but raspberry. A deep color that got lost somewhere between red and pink, something smooth and playful you can get lost in. I think of smirks and prolonged stares with a gaze that flits momentarily to exposed spots. I think of barely-contained giddiness that swirls with an enchanting, can't-be-ignored red. I am very confident in my teasy voice even though I never get to use it.
13. If you had to make up a tickle challenge based on a certain tv show/movie, which one would it be?
Another toughie! I do adore a good tickly chase, so something horror movie themed? A playful-yet-relentless hide and seek where you're trying to 'survive', but you're trapped in the house with a monster? A....certain kind of monster, perhaps? No bloodcurdling screams during this chase, just giggly shrieks and the desperate rounding of corners.
