A/N: Merry xmas @vqler!! I'm sorry I spoiled the plot earlier this month and that i couldn't come up with a better idea than disgracing this bastard once again. Hope you can still like it and have happy holidays! nyehehe the title is a reference to my spoiler cool isnt it
Summary: You teach Caleb why he should politely accept your help when you offer it.
Word count: 1653 words
While you two filled most of the criteria for a "regular couple", there were experiences that probably belonged to fewer people and some that should be part of only you and his life. How many couples out there, after all, had a hunter and a military officer together? With a common background? And with such high-end tech implemented into your everyday life?
You were truly like no other.
You repeated this concept to yourself inside your head over and over like a mantra, trying to stay positive about the whole situation and ignore the delay, the handicap, and the struggles that also belonged only to you and Caleb.
"I can help you, you know? Four ha— I mean, three hands work better than one."
"Really funny, pipsqueak," Caleb muttered, not even lifting his gaze to meet your impatient eyes that stared down at his metallic arm. "It's just acting up, I can get it fixed in no time."
"No measurable time, you mean," you snapped, listening a nervous chuckle coming out of him. You groaned, frustrated, and dropped yourself in the seat in front of him.
You still didn't fully understand how that thing worked. At times, it was out, revealed, and ready for battle with an impressive firepower. Then, like a poorly explained sci-fi tech, it was gone, "replaced" by a regular looking limb. You asked Caleb about it before and he never really eased your curiosity.
All you knew, right now, was that it was probably going to make you two late for the Holidays' gathering at the Association. Of all times and circumstances, that thing needed to "bug" and trigger out of the blue, refusing to go back into its disguise like a stubborn child.
Now, here you were, watching Caleb pull wires out of his forearm, tight screws next to his wrist and weld some bits of metal near his elbow. 'As a mechanical, he was better as a colonel', you told him earlier, after the first frustrated attempt of fixing the damned thing.
"I can't even move my hand," Caleb mumbled, fruitlessly trying to clench the metallic hand into a fist after a new round of plugging and unplugging wires. "It's like the connection between it and me broke somewhere."
He sighed, just as frustrated. You could see how he held back and stopped himself from throwing the screw driver against the floor. There was some bits of rage that managed to peek through his disguise and you knew that, even if he did know how to fix that thing, the emotional turmoil inside his head wouldn't really let him.
"Can't you call the Fleet's tech support or something like that?" You suggested in a softer tone, leaning forward on your seat and taking another look at the scattered tools around your living room.
Caleb mimicked your posture and then ran his left hand through his hair. "You expect someone to pick up today?" He chuckled, sarcastically, and you felt something inside your head click differently.
Something bad — bad for him, especially.
"Don't talk like it's my fault, colonel," you narrowed your eyes and tried to look at his, to deliver the quiet message that he was stepping into a dangerous zone. "I did grab every single tool you requested me to, didn't I?"
"Yeah, pipsqueak, I thanked you from that too. What else do you—" he stopped himself, pressing his lips into a thin line. He was angry too, you knew it, and you respected whatever space he needed to sort it out — as long as you didn't get hit by some sort of friendly fire.
"'What else do I' what, Caleb?" You snapped back, your tone carrying that chill that made him regret each and every decision that led him to this moment.
Caleb let out a tense sigh, his eyes closing while all he could do was to hope for some damage control. "I— listen, I didn't—"
"No, it's fine," you interrupted him, your voice lower this time. You pushed yourself off your seat and moved calmly, picking up the tools left all around the room, one by one. You saw him flinch particularly harder when you went for the hammer (mistakenly brought to the scene earlier) and the kitchen knife (used as an improvisation before you found the actual screw driver). You chuckled. "What? Am I not even allowed to clean the mess? I want to help."
"You can! Y-yes, it's fine," Caleb nodded, the metallic arm still hanging lifeless from his shoulder. "It's your place, after all, h-hahah, you can do whatev—"
"So," you hummed, placing the tools on top of a nearby table before turning back to him. "Can I take a look at it now? Like I suggested an hour ago?"
You saw him die inside with each of your words, but he deserved as such for talking back to you like that. He could be the fleet's Colonel out there and have all the other cool-sounding titles he wanted, but inside your house? He was just your man — and was expected to act accordingly, after all.
"Be my guest," he replied quietly, a little embarrassed after the slight quarrel between you two.
He shifted a little in his seat and was about to pick up his arm to place it over the table, but you stopped him. Instead, your hand reached for his left, regular wrist. "Let me do it my way," you asked and he nodded.
Caleb expected you to use the tools or to pull one of the wires — like he had done countless times in the past hours — but, instead, you pulled his left arm and pushed him back and down into the couch.
You straddled his lap, making sure his right hand was freed from any pressure or restrain, and pinned his left near the armrest, high above his head. He looked as confused he could possibly be. "W-what are you doing? I thought you were going to check my arm."
"And I am," you grinned, tightening the grip around his wrist. "Let's run a stress test to see how the system will perform," you explained, your free hand caressing the metal connected to his right shoulder and then going down on his bare torso, sliding past his chest, going from one pectoral to the other.
Your explanation did little for his understanding, but it didn't take him long to figure out when he felt your fingers wiggling at his outstretched armpit, then caressing over his ribs.
"P-pihipsqueak, thahat's— ah! I-it's nohot going to hehehelp!" He laughed nervously, his feet kicking behind you and his trapped hand squirming inside your grip while your hand moved all the way up to his forearm and then scratched down, lightly and torturously, towards his sides.
"It is," you said, nodding confidently while his nervous, panicked laughter grew louder by the second. "Use your other hand to stop me. We will make you send enough electric signals to it to 'wake it up' and it will work again."
"Thahat's— aHAHah, nohohot how it wohohorks!" Caleb laughed, his back arching and chest pressing up as you focused on his underarm, tickling the sensitive skin in there before giving your attention back to his ribs. "W-whahat if it dohohoesn't work?!"
"Then you get to learn to not talk back to me the way you did the whole afternoon, colonel," you smirked and, in the brief moment his and your eyes met, he knew he was done for.
The metallic arm swayed gently with his squirming, but there wasn't a single sign that it would start to work again. You could see the remaining muscles on Caleb's right side trying to make it work as he laughed — tensing up, contracting, shaking, but nothing worked.
Meanwhile, you continued to shower his left side with ticklish attention. You wiggled your fingers right into the crease of his pit, then clawed and prodded at his ribs and the spaces between them, making his laughing like a hysterical idiot, out of his cool attitude and facade.
"I-IT'S NOHOHOT WOHORKING! AHahah, I-I cahahan't mohohove it!" He cried, his head pressed back into the couch's soft surface while he whined and laughter poured from his lips.
His face quickly gained a bright and intense shade of red, both from the laughter and from the efforts of trying to move the stubborn machine and escape your grip.
"Well," you added, pinching his hip and letting your thumb rub circles over the bone, tickling him in one of the thousand ways you knew that drove him up the walls. "All I can say is that the wires on this side," you joked, suddenly latching your hand onto his side and making his squeal, "are still working perfectly fine, colonel. Maybe I should try tickling your right side too? That should sent enough signa—"
"NOHohoh mohore! AHahah, j-just stoHOHop, I cahahan't mohohove it!" He begged, pathetically, in ticklish agony while your hand worked restlessly. Oh, poor thing, you thought for a second before remembering his tone from earlier.
He could still take it, you noted to yourself.
"That's not a good attitude for a leader, colonel, of course you can," you smirked, letting him have a few seconds of rest.
Caleb gasped, his skin starting to gleam with sweat and turn as red as his face. It looked a little hot, you thought, and made you want to continue tickling him for a different reason other than revenge helping him fix his other arm.
"P-pipsqueheheak, please! W-we are gonna be late for the gahathering, remember? W-we need to fix this thihing and—"
"Gathering? Oh, please, how could I even think of that when I have you in such distress?" Your grin widened and he gulped, fearing for his life. "We are not going anywhere until we get your arm as good as new, yes?"
"W-wahait, plehease! T-there has to be another wahAHAY!! ~"
(A/N: yes I know the dome isn’t sound proof in canon but shhhhhhhh, let me have this. Also, I had to write this because I sometimes think of this moment and start crying about how much the nein love eachother)
…
Caleb Widowgast wasn’t the best at communicating his feelings. He was the type that rarely talked about them, instead electing to keep them tucked away. That didn’t mean that he loved his friends any less, just that he was never sure how to let them know.
When the nein found themselves on an island that was slowly siphoning away their memories, he knew he had to do something, anything, to prevent them from forgetting. He had the benefit of photographic memory to know if something went missing, but his companions didn’t have any means of keeping track of their memories. And what better way to remember precious moments with friends than a photo collage? With a combination of his magic and perfect memory, he created a floating, living photo album within the confines of the magic dome.
It was amazing what could be done with just a little bit of Jade and magic. He could barely contain his excitement as he showed Veth what he created for them, followed by welcoming in the rest of his companions.
Upon entering the dome, they found themselves surrounded by swirling images of amber, documenting moments throughout their journey together. Images of them all sitting around a bonfire, pictures of a mischievous tiefling tying shoelaces together and drawing dicks on walls, of a goblin snuggled up with a scruffy wizard, of turtles tormenting Fjord, of Caduces brewing tea, of Beau majestically running up trees, of Yasha playing her harp, and of Molly smirking as he twirled his swords. Everywhere they looked, they could spot something different.
They gazed up in amazement at Caleb’s creations. No, Caleb wasn’t very good at telling people how he felt, but with each image lovingly crafted and playing before his friends, these memories that were painstakingly tweaked to perfection, were a testament to how much they meant to him, and they perfectly displayed just how much they all loved each other.
Vilya could see the way each of their eyes lit up at each photo they saw. Clearly, this was a personal moment she didn’t want to intrude on. After the day they had, they deserved a little alone time to simply enjoy each other's company, so she told them she would do one final perimeter check to make sure there was no danger nearby. She would make sure to not venture too far, but far enough that she didn’t feel like she was prying.
Turning in for the night, they sat back to relax, basking in one another's company. They looked up at the dome ceiling, like star gazing on a clear night, reminiscing on each memory that floated by.
“Look, Fjord!” Jester pointed up to a spot at the ceiling, “it's that time Caleb made you look like you were only wearing a robe while we were all walking back from the bathhouse!”
She was laying her head on Fjord's shoulder as they both sat, making it easy to guide him to the glowing orb jetting by.
Fjord sighed as he stared up at the recreation of his humiliation floating above, a frame where he’d been waving to a passerby, unaware of his appearance, while the rest of the nein smirked in the background. “Yes, it’s like it happened just yesterday.” He glared at Caleb, who gave a small shrug and a smile.
“Aw, and that’s the first time we all cuddled up in the dome together.” Another image floated close to her, this one of them all curled up close together, Caduces and Yasha in the center with their arms wrapped around everyone under the safety of the dome's gentle light.
Beau was laying with her arms behind her head next to Fjord and Jester, relaxed until she noticed a particular image floating around.
“Why did you make that one?” She frowned at a picture depicting her being shot in the butt by Nott, who got way too competitive for what was supposed to be a “friendly” race up a tree…
Caleb was seated a couple feet away, just far enough that she couldn’t kick him from there, cuddled up with Veth at his side.
“What?” He chuckled, nudging Veth with his elbow, “it was memorable.”
She snickered in response, only feeling slightly guilty for laughing (and causing) Beau’s misery.
“Pfft, you’re lucky that this was a really sweet gift for us,” Beau huffed as she turned over to take a glance at Yasha, who was seated on the opposite side of the dome, fondly gazing at an image of her and Molly together.
“Oo, look!” Jester excitedly pointed at an image floating by Caleb’s head. “It’s the time we found out Caleb is ticklish!”
The image quickly floated towards her. It showed Caleb sitting in a booth between Molly and Jester, a huge grin on his face as they poked and prodded at his sides. It was from one of their tavern hops that had gone on in the city. After a night of drinking, Jester had been commenting on how silly Caleb got when he was tipsy, followed by him drunkenly trying to argue. Of course Jester had to tease him for it, gently prodding at his sides until a wavering smile appeared on his face while he snickered, swatting away the offending hands. After going so long trying to get either the wand of smiles or hideous laughter to make him laugh, she resorted to the only option left: tickling him silly right then and there. The giggles, of course, got the attention of the rest of the table, and the rest is history. It was the first time any of the nein, everyone but Veth, had heard him laugh before, and fortunately far from the last, as many of the other passing images proved.
After that, tickle fights became a common occurrence in the group. If someone was having a rough day, a few pokes to the side. If someone was feeling particularly playful (usually Jester) they would select a target and let mayhem ensue. They had to be careful when it came to cuddle piles, just a single brush to the side could send someone into tickle fight mode.
Every member had been on the receiving end at one point or another, as evidenced by many of the amber photos, but it was hard to not notice that many of the images depicted were specifically of Caleb getting ganged up on. Though to be fair, he was by far the one most likely to get targeted. Even on a good day the closest thing to laughter he usually gave was a huff or snort of amusement, not to mention how he was prone to moping and retreating into himself. According to Caduses, people needed laughter, and just like medicine to help the body, some people just needed a little help laughing. And help him they did.
Caleb’s face flushed as he noticed the images floating close to him before he willed them to the other side of the dome.
“Aw, Caleb, are those all happy memories for you?” Jester cooed.
“Must be,” Caduses chuckled, glancing over to gauge Caleb’s reaction. He could see his face turning red even from there. “There’s so many of them, and they’re all near him.”
It was no secret that Caleb didn’t mind being on the receiving end of the many tickle outbreaks of the nein, another secret brought out of him under the influence of alcohol. He didn’t talk about it much, but the way his face flushed whenever anyone commented on how he never seemed to struggle against the attacks served as a reminder.
He tried to clear his throat. “Um, yes. I mean, they are all moments I- ah hem, look back on fondly.”
“That’s so cute!” Jester giggled. “And it’s a very good thing that I love ticking you so much!” She wiggled her fingers teasingly at him, and even from that distance he couldn’t stand the sight of them.
Hiding his face in his hands with a groan, Caleb only hoped that no one could see his bashful smile.
Beau tapped Fjord’s shoulder, gesturing to the area Caleb sat. Although he wasn’t paying attention, more and more images seemed to be popping up around him, all of different times he’d been on the receiving end of tickle attacks. One where Caduses had him in his lap, playing his ribs like a harp, another where Beau had him pinned to the ground, sitting on his back as she mercilessly squeezed his sides, and of course more with Veth and Jester prodding his sides in passing.
They snickered to themselves, imagining their poor wizard was probably flustered out of his mind.
Veth looked up and stifled a laugh.
“I think the more he thinks about it, the more pictures start appearing.” She cooed.
Caleb finally tore his face away from his hands and looked up, stunned when he realized that even more images were circling his head. He cursed under his breath as he commanded them to disappear with a wave of the hand.
He had everyone’s attention now.
“Aw, don’t get rid of them.” Yasha said, sitting up as she turned to him. “If they make you happy you should keep them around.”
Caleb fidgeted as he tried to regain his composure. “Ja, they do, but it's just- ah,” he tried to think of a good excuse, anything better than about how they make him a blushing, flustered mess.
“There are plenty more memories with you that I could be showing.”
That’s the best he could come up with at the moment.
“Well, maybe we want to see them,” Jester whined. “They definitely make me happy!”
“I just- I mean- maybe, uh-“ the airtight argument he had in his head was hard to take seriously when he was stuck stammering out his protests.
“Or, maybe we could make some new memories right here?” The twinkle of playfulness in her eyes accompanied by a mischievous smirk sent a shiver down Caleb’s spine. He knew exactly what that look meant.
“N- now hold on, we don’t ha- hahahahaha!” He was cut off when he felt something wriggling against his side. He glanced down to his right, seeing Veth hugged onto him, wiggling her fingers with a wicked grin. He tried to glare, but the wobbly smile was already on his face. He wavered and covered his mouth with his hands again, trying to hold back his snickering.
“Oh no you don’t,” Yasha’s voice suddenly came from his left. For such a large person she was deceptively quiet. She had snuck behind him and in an instant grabbed both of his arms. With an undignified yelp, he nervously chuckled as she shifted him back so he leaned into her lap, holding both arms out to the side. Her grip was both firm yet gentle at the same time, making it so he was comfortable but still thoroughly restrained.
“Neihihihin! Yasha! I cahahant!” He whined, wiggling in her grasp.
“Can’t what?” She asked. “Can’t move? That’s the point.”
He could tell by his friends' smirks that he wasn’t talking his way out of this one. Not that he necessarily wanted to.
That was the chaos crew’s cue to move in. Jester stalked towards him, wiggling her fingers in his direction, while Beau sat up and made a big show of cracking her knuckles before scooting her way over. The anticipation was already getting to him, the excited buzz of butterflies in his belly making him giggle as he squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear looking at the teasing fingers for another moment.
Before he knew it his friends were towering over him. Though he couldn’t see it, Caleb could picture their shit eating grins in his head perfectly after experiencing countless scenarios just like this. His keen mind could truly be a curse sometimes.
Jester sat at Caleb’s other side while Veth stayed put, still clinging tight. Beau was quick to follow, straddling his hips so he couldn’t move.
“Cahahahan we tahahalk about this?” He begged.
“Okay!” Jester said, “you can talk about it all you want while we tickle you!”
Suddenly, her fingers were skittering along his sides and ribs, queuing Veth and Beau to join by spidering across his belly and brutally squeezing at his hips. The jolt to his system immediately made him squeal.
“AH- NOhohoho! Bihihihitte! Neihihihin!” Struggling against Yasha's grip, he thrashed in place, though he knew it would be useless.
“But Caleb!” Jester exclaimed, poking a single finger between his ribs, “We still need to thank you for your gift! We have to do something extra special for you!”
“Ahahahand this is ihiihihit?”
“Of course, it’s obviously one of your favorite things! Why else would all those memories be floating around?”
He would try to not dwell on it, but every time this happened, every time he was pinned to the ground while laughing until he couldn’t make sounds anymore, every time someone would lightheartedly tease him about how ticklish he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. His keen mind certainly didn’t help, only increasing the detail that played on repeat. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was difficult when it was literally spelled out in front of everyone.
“Oh, I especially need to thank you personally,” Beau said, her voice dripping with sass as she smirked, “for sharing such flattering moments of me.”
On the word ‘flattering’, she squeezed his hips, making him buck in place with an unbecoming squeak.
“Beahahahau! I’m sohohohorry!” His feet kicked up and down, squirming like a fish out of water.
“Like hell you are! The only thing you're sorry for is getting caught in a tickle trap.”
It really wasn’t fair. Of all the things monks could get a read on by analyzing the energy of the body, why did it have to reveal where he was most ticklish? Not that it mattered much, as he was essentially one giant tickle spot, but the precision of a monk's hands knowing the EXACT spot and pressure to have the strongest effect possible was borderline sadistic.
It wasn’t doing much, but he kept kicking his feet out in hopes that maybe his knee would hit Beau in the back. Not to escape, just to annoy her that much more.
“Hey!” Beau shouted when he managed to knock his knee into her. “Quit being a pain in the ass. Someone pin him down, I can’t focus with all this kicking.”
“Come on, Fjord!” Jester called from her spot, still scribbling where a part of his shirt had ridden up on his tummy, “Come get his legs!”
Fjord chucked at the display. He always felt just a tad bit bad gaining up on the wizard, empathizing with being less likely to get out of a grapple. However, even he wasn’t immune to getting involved in Jester's hijinks. Especially when he knew the victim was enjoying himself.
“Alright,” he chuckled, “I do suppose I owe you as well. You know, for reminding me about the robe incident.”
“Whahahahait! IHIHIHI AM SOHOHOHOHORRY! I dihihihihidnt meahhahahan too!”
He carefully crawled over to the group and got a hold of the kicking legs. “Oh, now you're sorry.”
Caleb whined as he tried to tuck his legs in, only to gasp as they were yanked with a sudden force as Fjord pulled them down again, quickly pinning his ankles to the ground so they couldn’t be a nuisance. He was far from the strongest of the bunch, but neither was Caleb, so he managed to pin them with relative ease.
When that was under control he reached a hand to scribble under his knees.
“AH!” Caleb nearly screamed in surprise at the sudden sensation joining the already unbearable tickling on his torso, “Nohohot you too!”
Fjord gave a deep, rumbling chuckle as he alternated squeezing his knees.
“It’s certainly not my fault you're ticklish here.”
He could barely move his legs now, but that didn’t stop him from twisting and contorting his body in his captors hands.
“Ihihihihi cahahant! Please! Nohohohot at thehehe same tihihihime!”
Fjord hummed as he considered. After all, none of them wanted to tire him out too quickly. No, he deserved to be taken apart slowly but surely.
He slowed his hands to a halt.
Veth immediately let up, always careful to not over do it when it came to tickling him. Even if she knew he wanted to be tickled until he couldn’t think.
“Oh fine,” Beau finally followed along, stopping her insistent kneading of his hips.
“We don’t want to be mean, Caleb,” Jester explained, quick to follow everyone’s lead. “We can all take turns if you want! We’ll be super nice about it!”
“Nohohohoho!” He cackled as he tried to bury his face into his shoulder.
“No?” Her head tilted to the side. “Should we all just tickle you at once then?”
“Thahahahahahats nohohohoht what ihihih meant!”
If you don’t make up your miiiiiiind,” she sang, threatenly wiggled her fingers dangerously close to his belly, “then we’ll just all have to tickle you willy-nilly!”
A squeak escaped his mouth as he shook his head back and forth.
“You're ridiculous," Beau grinned. “No one’s even touching you right now!”
The combination of teasing and unapologetic remarks were already enough to make Caleb want to curl up in a ball and hide. He wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that Yasha was holding him in place, making any chance of escape near impossible.
“Alright,” Fjord laughed, electing to show some mercy, “we don’t want to break him too soon. Let’s just start slow, shall we?”
“Oh, I can do that!” Jester exclaimed, poking a single finger into his side as he jolted. Then another, and another, each time he flinched as if it were the first.
“H-hey! Thahahahat is not slohohohow!”
“I think she physically can’t help it,” Beau observed.
“It’s not my fault, Caleb,” she complained. “I just love pressing buttons. Especially this one.”
With that she poked his belly, aiming for where she thought his navel was. A look of fear crossed Caleb’s face as his body twitched.
“Jehehehess, nohohohot there!” He bargained.
“Not where? Do you mean here?” She poked at his belly again.
“AHAH, jehehesster, nihihihihien!”
“Or here?” Another jab, slightly more to the right.
More hysterical giggling.
“It’s hard to tell when I can’t actually see the spot I’m poking.” She took the end of his shirt and pulled up a bit, folding it back just above his bellybutton.
Caleb felt the cool air of the dome on his torso, feeling much more exposed and vulnerable.
“Now I can see. Okay, was this where you meant?” She poked just above his navel, sending him into another fit of laughter. “Or did you mean here?” A poke directly underneath, only millimeters away from actually poking his navel.
“Ihihihihi will not fahahahall for thihihis!” He challenged.
“Not fall for what? I’m just trying to figure out where not to poke you.”
“Nohohoho! I knohohohow what you are doing!”
“Oh, really?” Fjord laughed. “And what is it she’s trying to get you to do?”
“I know youououour game! You are trying to get me to say my navel, but it will not- NOHOHOHOHOHO!”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth she hit the dreaded spot. She wiggled her finger just along the rim of his bellybutton, slowly brushing around and around.
“Oh! You meant here!” She finally dipped a single finger in his bellybutton.
Caleb squealed at the touch, wiggling directly on the sensitive spot.
“Jehehehehehehess! Gehehehet ohohohout of there!” His voice strained.
“Alright,” Veth playfully scolded, “give someone else a turn, would ya? He’s already losing his voice.”
Jester looked disappointed, but retracted her hands. “Fiiiiiinnnne, I’ll take turns I guess.”
“Who should go next?” Veth turned to Caleb, still panting as he caught his breath.
“W-why are you asking me?”
“Because you're the one getting tickled, silly.” She tisked as if it should have been obvious.
“Veheheheth! Don’t make me choose!”
She hummed. “Do you want me to choose for you?”
“Ihihihi- I don’t, I can’t- juhuhust choose!”
“Alright,” she smiled, “Oi, Cad! you could probably get his feet from there!”
Though he was sitting further away, his long, lanky arms made it so he was still in reach. It didn’t take much effort for Caduses to reach a hand over and brush a single finger on the sole of his foot, not even having to change his seating position. The touch was more gentle than the bombardment of squeezes to the rest of Caleb's body, but the fluffy fur that now brushed up and down his vulnerable soles was its own kind of cruelty. Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken off his shoes before settling for the night.
“Cahahahanad! Nohohohot there!” He scrunched his toes at the soft, feather-like strokes. “Toohoho much fuhuhur!”
Caduces laughed at that. “Why not there? The fur’s going to tickle like that on any spot, might as well be this one.”
He gently grabbed a toe and started scratching underneath, feeling and seeing Caleb’s foot twitch. Caleb tried to curl his toes in, but each time he did Cad would switch to scratching at his soles to throw him off, each time making him snort without fail.
“Nahahaha- Cad, bitte, plehehehease!”
“Come on now,” he purred, “you’ve taken much worse than this.”
Even so, after a few more brushes up and down, he relieved his attack to give him a moment of reprise.
Huffing as he caught his breath, Caleb shifted in his friend's grip. Yasha realized that the squirming wasn’t an escape attempt, it was more like restless tossing in the night, trying to get in a comfortable spot to rest. She shifted her grip and gently lowered him to settle on the ground, being sure to still firmly keep his hands pinned above his head.
“Caleb!” Jester gasped suddenly, “I know we’ve tickled you WAY more times than this,” she pointed up at the few images that continued to circle the dome. There seemed to be plenty, but there were too many moments of Caleb being ganged up on then he could possibly fit inside the dome. “There totally has to be more than just that! Do we have to remind you of every single time we’ve tickled you?”
His eyes widened in fear. It was flustering enough to play those moments back in his mind, but having his friends tease him by recounting all those memories to him? He might never recover.
“Jehehehehester! Ihihihihi rehehehemember ahahahalready!” He pleaded.
“Ohhhh! I think I know my favorite time we got you,” she smiles excitedly, “it was when me and Molly got you in the hotel room. You were so skittish that he had to grab your arms and use his tail to tickle you! You actually screamed when I got your ribs!”
The memory came flooding back to Caleb. Two mischievous tieflings had followed him up to his room at the inn when he was trying to sneak away. He wasn’t as likely to stick around and celebrate with his friends back then, so they had to find more “creative” ways to convince him to join them. Two against one was truly unfair, as they knocked him onto the bed and pinned him with hardly any struggle. He could practically still feel Molly’s tail wriggling into his sides as Jester managed to worm hands under his shirt to gently knead his ribs. His magic manifested the memory into another floating image, a perfect replica of exactly what Jester had described.
“Aww,” she cooed as she lightly scribbled at his sides, “you do remember!”
“YeheheheHEHEHES I TOHOHOHOLD YOHOHOU!” He cackled as he twisted and turned, trying to buck his hips that were still thoroughly held in place.
Her scribbling suddenly stopped as she turned to meet everyone else. “Who else has one?”
“Oh!” Veth piped up, “I do!”
Caleb groaned through his giggling, resigned to his fate of having to relive every single moment of his ticklish agony that the nein had put him through.
“Mine is from when I found out you were ticklish.”
Quite a while ago, from what he remembered. Veth had been the first to find out, and that had been shortly after he started traveling with her.
“We were camping in the woods for the first time when it started raining. We barely got the tent up in time before it really started pouring. It was so fucking freezing that night that we decided to huddle for extra warmth.” She shivered at the memory, still able to feel the biting cold.
“We were both damp and miserable, but I kept making jokes to try to get you to crack a smile.” Her expression softened as she recalled that moment, dark and dreary but somehow warm and hopeful at the same time.
“You turned over so I couldn’t see your face, and you kept saying that you weren’t laughing, even when I could hear it in your voice and feel your body shaking. Of course I started poking you in the ribs. I was just trying to annoy you, but you yelped!”
She recreated the moment by quickly jabbing at his ribs, making him jolt and squeak in place.
“Yes, exactly like that!” She gently scratched along the top of his ribs for good measure, “And I mean, how could I pass up an opportunity to cheer my friend up?”
Caleb’s face was bright red as another image appeared, the two of them cuddled close together, Nott attempting to be the big spoon as she reached around to tickle his ribs and sides. His head was thrown back in laughter with a grin so wide it could have split his face.
“You're difficult to make laugh.” Veth continued, “You would sometimes chuckle a little, but I’d never heard you like that before. I guess I was just happy I could make you laugh like that.”
He hadn’t realized it at the time, but that was the first time he had truly laughed in over a decade. Even if it was impossible for him to forget anything, it had been so long that he had almost forgotten the feeling of laughing until his sides hurt.
He whined as he tried to hide his face by burrowing it into his shoulder. Sheiße, this was the most flustering experience of his life.
“Aw, Caleb!” Jester said, “Don't hide your smile!” In an instant she brought her fingers to his neck, skittering everywhere they could reach as he desperately tried to block out the cruel touch by scrunching his shoulders.
“Jehehehess! Nohohohohohoho!”
“Are you embarrassed or something?” Jester asked as she finally allowed him a moment to breathe.
“‘Course he is,” Beau spoke up, “anyone would be.”
“There’s really no need to be embarrassed by tickling! I mean, I absolutely love it, and I’m not embarrassed!”
“Yeah, but you’re Jester, I don’t think you can even feel embarrassed.”
“Hey!” She pouted, “I just think you shouldn’t be embarrassed by things that make you happy.”
“She’s right,” Yasha chimed in, still holding Caleb’s wrist down tight. “If something makes you happy, why be ashamed?”
“Oh, it’s not shame,” Caduces chuckled from his spot by Caleb’s feet, giving them a quick scribble and earning himself a squeal. From all his observations, there was a fine line between being flustered and being ashamed, and the lingering smile on Caleb’s face along with the lighter lilt in his voice after being completely taken apart was proof of which side he stood. “He’s just shy.”
“Oh, we all know teasing makes it tickle so much more. And, if memory serves me right, you haven’t asked us to stop teasing.”
At that point Caleb’s laugh was reduced to snickering as he scrunched his face, resisting the urge to kick. Not that he would have been able to.
“Now, I’m not sure if I can pick a favorite moment,” Caduces continued, “it’s great making any one of you laugh. Especially when you really need it.”
“Boo,” Jester heckled from the side, “boring answer.”
“Hey,” He affectionately scolded, “you're going to be next if you keep that up.”
Jester giggled from her spot. “Maybe some other time. We can’t let Caleb think he’s getting out of this any time soon.”
Caleb gave a pitiful noise as he realized the attention was back on him. At least he had gotten a moment to recover from the relentless onslaught, however short lived it was.
“It’s not exactly the same,” Yasha spoke up again, “but it’s fun to tease you while you're polymorphed.”
“Oh yeah!” Jester exclaimed. “Like when he’s a spider and you give him scritches. That’s probably really tickly!”
It wasn’t quite the same as when he was in human form, but the moments when he would transform into some sort of animal was always a relief, a way for his mind to slow down and not have to worry. Tickling felt a bit different when he was transformed, but it still was a pleasant feeling, and even better that he wasn’t nearly as embarrassed about it. Something about being polymorphed helped with that, like he couldn’t even comprehend the concept of embarrassment.
“Have you ever tried giving him scritches as a human?” Jester asked.
“Hm, no actually.” A smile slowly crept on her face. “I could try though.”
“W-wait, what do you mean?” Caleb stammered, already bracing himself for whatever might come next.
As gentle as possible, moved his hands so they were raised above his head. She was able to easily grasp his wrists in a single hand as she brought the other down to his underarm, softly scratching the vulnerable pit.
“Whahahahait wait wait- nohohoho!” Caleb’s laughter returned, squirming helplessly as tears started to line his eyes.
“Looks like he enjoys scritches in human form, too,” she smiled warmly.
“Ihihihi don’t- nahahahahaha!” He was cut off as Yasha suddenly dug her fingers into his armpit, thoroughly kneading into the hollow.
As his laughter turned more into wheezing rather than breathing, she lightened up the touch to help keep him from tapping out too soon, now fluttering her fingers barely against the skin. Boyish, child-like giggles followed.
“Oh, yes,” she chuckled as she shifted his arm to the side while she knelt down. “If you're not careful I might just-“ suddenly her face was near his own, making playful ‘nom’ noises, lightly nibbling near his shoulders and neck.
“Yahahahhahahasha! Nohohohohoho!” He scrunched up his shoulders to block out the maddening, fluttering sensation. He was practically melting at the playful affection, unable to suppress the wide grin on his face while his whole body shook with laughter, halfheartedly tugging his arms to no avail.
Fortunately, everyone’s attention was focused entirely on Caleb, otherwise someone might have noticed Beau’s face turning nearly as red as his while she watched Yasha playfully nibble at him.
Yasha couldn’t help but laugh softly along as she carried on with the game. She amped up the playfulness, giving a growl before suddenly bombarding his neck with a raspberry.
“YAHAHAHASHA! NOHOHOHOHOHO!” His shoulders tried to raise to keep her out, but each time she managed to slip past and deliver devastating blow after blow.
He snorted loudly as he tried to manage his breathing. Yasha decided to switch back to gently fluttering against his underarms, giving a short rest so he could keep up. He did nothing to fight against it, simply relaxing into the ground and letting himself giggle freely, feeling like his whole body was made of jelly.
“Oh, I can’t take it anymore!” Jester pouted, her fingers twitching as she stared at him. “Caleb, can the rest of us tickle you yet? I’m starting to feel left out.”
“Nahahahahaha! Jehehehester, plehehehease!” He begged.
“Did you hear that, Jess?” Fjord interrupted, finding the perfect opportunity to go all in. “He said ‘please’. I think that means we’re good to go.”
“Thahahahat is not what I me-HEHEHEHENT!” Too late. His body jerked as every available hand attacked. They wasted no time torturing every spot they could reach. His ribs were being relentlessly scribbled, belly kneaded, hips and knees squeezed, neck and feet teased, underarms spidered, everywhere that was touched lit his nerves up like fireworks. No matter which way his body shifted, it was met with another pair of grabbing hands that bombarded every ticklish spot he had.
“You still haven’t asked us to stop yet, giggles.” Beau teased, trying to not get distracted by looking over at Yasha working hard at her designated tickling spot.
“AHAHAHAHA BREAK! PLEHEHEHEASE!”
A break. Just a break though.
Everyone stopped in their tracks. It was truly a testament to their bond that they all knew the exact moments to let up and the moments to strike. A maddening, playful game that somehow never went too far.
“You-“ he gasped between breaths, “are all evil!”
“And you are way too ticklish to be human,” Beau scoffed. “Seriously, it’s a miracle you haven’t been tickled to death by now.”
“Yohohohou are a jeheheherk!”
“Careful,” she warned, “I can stop being so nice.”
Caleb squealed just looking at the threatening, mischievous expression on her face. “Ohohokay! I’m sorry!”
It was hard not to be amused, seeing the state their wizard was in, and soon the rest of the group was laughing along.
“I don’t think we’ve ever gotten you this bad before,” Veth snorted. “And you’re still standing?”
“Well, not literally standing,” Caduces hummed, “but I get what you mean. How do we top this?”
The group had to think for a moment, even Caleb himself pondered what more they could possibly do to him.
That was a mistake.
His floating pictures could create any scenario he dreamed up of, and in this state of bliss he didn’t have much control over what he thought about. It wasn’t his fault that his eyes wandered to Caduces, looking at the fur that covered every inch of him. His fingers, that had so delicately teased between his toes, and the fur that grew on his face, similar to Fjord’s short, stubbly beard. That’s when his mind created a new scenario.
Fjord had used that beard to tickle him before, the small hairs the perfect weapon to accompany a raspberry. He couldn’t help but picture what a raspberry from Caduces would feel like.
And that scene he imagined was the very one that manifested itself, floating right above Caleb’s head like a thought bubble.
The glow drew back everyone’s attention, and as they all stared him down he noticed the glow that shined down on him. He slowly turned his head up.
Oh. Oh nein.
In his shock he couldn’t even bring himself to try and hide his face from embarrassment. He just burned bright red as everyone realized what happened.
“Caleb,” Caduces said calmly, trying not to laugh at the expression on his face. “You could have just asked.
Beau didn’t hold back her laughter, though. “There’s no way!”
The noise Caleb made was somewhere between a cry and a groan. If he was only flustered before, he was full on embarrassed now. His expression was different, she realized.
The pictures of the memories of being tickled were all common knowledge, but the image right there was different. It wasn’t a memory, it was a scenario that hadn’t happened. A thought, maybe an invasion of privacy.
“Hey, man,” she reassured him. “I’m not laughing at you, really. I’m sorry.” She got up and off of him, sitting off to the side.
Everyone took a moment to gauge his reaction, reevaluating if he was still having fun or if they should end it. Yasha even loosened her grip to see if he wanted to get away. He chose to stay put, and the image above him slowly started to fade.
“Caleb,” Jester pouted. “It’s okay. I’ve wondered if Caduceus’s fur is tickly, too.”
“I just-“ he wasn’t sure how to describe what he was feeling right now. “I am not used to, you know, asking for things. Especially things like- this. And it’s a bit humiliating to have your thoughts on display for everyone to see.”
“Ah, I see.” Caduces sighed. Not having control over vulnerable information like that, it made sense for Caleb to be uncomfortable.
Veth put a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t have to do anything else. But if it makes you feel any better, I like making you laugh. You don’t have to feel weird about that, or for asking for any of this.”
“Sorry, Caleb,” Jester said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. “We didn’t mean to look at it.”
His expression lightened a bit. He could never stay in a bad mood for long around his friends.
“It is not your fault,” he reassured her. “Magic is a tricky thing sometimes, ja?”
She sniffled a bit, nodding.
“Well,” Caduces leaned back, “It’s completely understandable. Your thoughts are your own, no one else has the right to creep in and look at them. Having said that, if we can’t read your mind, you're going to have to use your words from here on out.”
Uh oh.
“So,” he continued. “Do you still want me to try it out?”
The flush quickly returned to Caleb’s face, more so how it was before though, back to being bashful.
“I- I wouldn’t mind. I mean, I would…”
This time Caduces couldn’t help but laugh, “alright, baby steps, but I’ll accept that answer.”
The mischievous energy from earlier filled the dome again. Caduces shifted himself over, creeping ever so closer to Caleb’s side.
“But next time you’re going to have to ask for it outright.”
“I- What?” He was back to his old, flustered self. That was a good sign.
“Oh my gosh!” Jester exclaimed. “Have you ever tried giving anyone a raspberry before?”
“Hmm, not in a very, very long time.”
Living with so many siblings, he had gotten himself in a tickle fight or two. Raspberries were inevitable.
“But from what I remember, it’s quite the effective tool.”
Jester turned her head to Caleb with a look of true evil on her face. “Oh Caleb,” she sang sweetly. She suddenly pulled his shirt up, tucking it away so that his soft tummy was exposed to the air, all the while Caduces creeped over to his side.
“C-cahahahad!” He pleaded, the anticipation filling his body all over again, “Yohohohour fur!”
“Oh, you think the fur will make it tickle more?” He grinned, “Well, only one way to find out.”
“Nehehehehehehehein! Bihhihihittie! Chahahahahad!” He practically begged. Caduces only chuckled as he knelt down.
Yasha grinned at him and made sure to keep his hands above his head and out of the way.
“He’s fucking in for it now!” Beau laughed.
“Oh yeah,” Fjord added, “if you thought my beard was bad, just you wait.”
His eyes were glued to Caduses, nervously monitoring his every move. Every motion seemed to cause him to flinch, the butterflies in his tummy fluttering all the more. “Nehehin, bitte, yohohohou will kihill mehehe!”
“Well,” Caduces snorted, "It's a good thing I’m a cleric.”
Frantic, Caleb tugged his arms still in Yasha’s grasp, desperate for something to cover his vulnerable belly.
“I can’t believe you’ve never tried this before!” Jester said as she scanned up and down his torso. “Raspberries always make him squeal!”
Caleb wasn’t sure how much more of this teasing he could take. That on top of the anticipation, waiting for the inevitable, was almost worse than the tickling itself.
“Juhuhuhuhuhuhuhust dohoho it already!” He said with as much gusto as he could build up.
His wish was granted. Caduces inhaled as big a breath as he could, then lowered his head and gave the loudest raspberry right above his navel. As the sound rang out, Caleb felt the vibrations tickle every nerve on his belly, all while the soft fur gently nuzzled into the point of contact.
Caleb’s head tossed back and screeched, thrashing and bucking his hips in an attempt to deter Caduces, but only successfully bringing his belly closer to the tormentor.
“CAHAHAHAHAD! SHIHIHIHIHISSE! NIHIHICH DA!
“So,” Caduces grinned as he let up, “does it tickle more than Fjords’s beard?”
“Neheheheien! D-dhohohohont!”
“It doesn’t? It sounded like it tickled way more.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Fjord piped up. “Not without a fair comparison, that is.”
With that as his only warning, he positioned himself closer to Caleb, gesturing for Cad to make some room for him.
Caduces chuckled as stopped himself from leaning over Caleb, giving him plenty of space to work his own attack.
“W-wait! No- no please, not both of you!” Caleb wheezed between his fits of residual laughter, still reeling from the last attack on his senses.”
“Aren’t you wizards all about fair experiments?” asked Fjord. “It’s only fair to give you a chance to compare the two directly.”
“Fjord! Plehehease- AH!” All Fjord had done was lean closer. He was in a state that any movement sent his nerves into high gear.
He laughed at the hysterical response. “You really are the most ticklish person alive. We don’t even have to do anything and you're giggling up a storm.”
“Nohohohohoho fair! Thahahahahat is nohohohot fair at all!”
Much too late for that, Fjord delivered a devastating attack on his belly, blowing a loud raspberry near his ribs. The hair was much more coarse than Caduces, not nearly as fluffy, but the scratchy texture still added to the unbearable sensation.
“Well, which one tickles more?” Fjord asked.
“Bohohohoth were bahahad!”
“Both?” He teasingly replied. “Well that can’t be right. Here, we’ll try again and you can decide after.”
He smirked at Caduceus before once again leaning his head down to blow a raspberry, this one closer to the middle of the tummy.
Caleb’s squeal of laughter nearly went silent. “F-fjord, bitte! Cad, plehehehEHEHESE!”
Cad was quick to follow up, and Caleb felt a second, horribly ticklish raspberry on his ribs. It was enough to make him scream.
Only for Fjord to follow up with more and more short, quick little ticklish blows going up his stomach.
Back and forth, one after the other, there was no sign of stopping, even when his weak laughter grew silent. He would have to pick one, or the torment might never end. Did he want it to end?
It wasn’t a matter of what he wanted, it was a matter of how much his hypersensitive, extremely ticklish torso could take, and as he gasped between fits of laughter he realized his exhaustion from the day was catching up with him.
“OHOHOHOKAY! PLEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAP!”
There was the magic word they had been looking for. The instant they heard it, all hands on him stopped, allowing him to shakily catch his breath again. Yasha unhanded his wrists, allowing him to finally pull his arms down to hug his sides.
“Well,” Caduces said nonchalantly, “I guess mine tickled more.”
“What?” Fjord said incredulously, “Clearly the beard was worse.”
Caleb just curled up into a ball, giggling far too much to respond. His mind was fuzzy, like static was buzzing in his head. It was wonderful.
“Maybe next time we can get him to admit which one is worse.” Caduces smiled, patting him on the shoulder to comfort him as he took deep, greedy breaths.
“Shit,” Beau laughed, staring at the heap of wizard that laid on the ground, “I think that’s the worst he’s ever been got. You’re completely wrecked, man.”
There was no response, only a snort when he tried to inhale again.
“Breath, Caleb, breath,” Veth said softly, amusement accompanied by some level of concern. She rubbed his shoulder, hoping to relieve any phantom tickles that might be plaguing his body.
His laughter calmed, and he blissfully stared up at the ceiling of the dome, smiling at all the passing images. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
“Well, I think we should call it a night,” Caduces decided, knowing fully well that anyone would be exhausted after that.
He laid down in the center of the dome, just about a foot from Caleb, inviting anyone that wanted to join with open arms.
Jester tried to protest, but the day was clearly catching up to all of them as she yawned. She gave up pretty quickly after that.
Caleb didn’t speak, just tried and failed to scoot his body closer to the source of warmth. Caduces chuckled when he realized he was too tired to even move, so he scooted himself over, wrapping one arm around him so his head would rest on his shoulder.
Caleb happily melted into the touch, reaching an arm himself to hold Veth close to his other side. She didn’t argue, crashing into him in a slump, sighing as she relaxed into his hold.
Even though she claimed to not be sleepy, Jester joined Caduces at his other side, tugging Fjord towards her as she laid down. He laughed as he fell into her open arms.
Beau looked towards Yasha.
“Do you want me to take the first watch?”
“Hm,” she hesitated, tempted by the cuddle pile in front of her. “I don’t mind taking the watch if you're tired.”
“No need,” the sudden voice of Vilya whispered. She was right outside the dome before making her appearance known as she stepped through. “The perimeter is clear. I’d be happy to take the first watch.”
She looked to the rest of the group, nearly already passed out. “It appears you’re all more exhausted than I thought.”
It was then that everyone (especially Caleb) was incredibly grateful that the dome was so good at muffling sound. They held back their amusement as they thanked her.
Vilya took her seat a few feet away, smiling at the images that still floated by. Yasha was quick to join the cuddle pile, finding a spot to nestle near by Veth. Beau tried to hide her blush as she joined her, hopefully not giving anything away as she laid next to her.
Caleb sighed contently, his steady breaths falling in sync with his friends. The last thought that went through his head before falling away into slumber was that he would have to ask them to do this more often.
Love and Deepspace men when you find out they’re ticklish
( featuring a Ler!reader and five poor men)
⭐️Xavier ⭐️
You first figured out Xavier was ticklish when he was jealous.
And of all living things he could be jealous of, he is jealous of… a dog?
“Who’s a good boy? Who is a good boy?” You coo at your friend’s dog, rubbing its belly affectionately.
You took a sneak peak at Xavier, who has the biggest pout on his face.
Heh, Xavier couldn’t be jealous, could he?
The moment your friend’s dog climbed off your lap, you found a cute white-hair boy staring at your lap.
“You want belly rubs too, cutie?” You teased. Almost immediately,Xavier gave in and climbed into your lap.
Hehe. What a big baby.
While holding him, you mindlessly rubbed his stomach, yet the moment your palm touched his belly, he let out a quiet gasp.
“Oh?” You purred at the interesting discovery, brushing your hands over his stomach again.
This time you’re rewarded with a small laugh, and a whiny ‘hey!’.
Pouty Xavier is back, yet this time, you could see the corners of his mouth threatening to turn upwards.
And you fully intend to see that frown morph into a wide grin.
You gave Xavier a small wink, and without warning, you fingers dove to his sides and gently wiggled against where his sides meet stomach.
“D-don’t!” Xavier gritted his teeth, yet a few soft giggles slipped from his lips while squirming around futilely.
Even when he’s being tickled, he looks like a prince.
You moved your fingers higher to dance at his ribs, and he immediately curled in on himself, trying to block the ticklish sensations.
“No curling up, I need to see your beautiful face.”
With that, you drilled your fingers in his hips, and he immediately bucked up, letting out a boisterous shriek before dissolving into soft cackles.
“You’re hehehe t-tickling m-me!” Xavier whined through giggles.
“I sure am, you sensitive baby.” You smiled at the giggling boy, and was surprised to see a blush dust across his face.
“W-well, d-dont!” Xavier giggled, and your heart swell at the sight of the squirming man before you.
It almost made you want to have mercy on him, but your fingers have a mind of their own as they dance all over Xavier’s ribs and sides and watch in delight as Xavier squirms and whines in your touch.
Forget about the dog, it’s cute, but ticklish Xavier is way cuter.
He’s just too adorable you never want to stop.
“Sorry, Xavier, no can do.”
❄️ Zayne ❄️
You first found out Zayne was ticklish when you popped the dreaded question.
“So, Zayne, are you ticklish?”
Yes? No? What you didn’t expect was for Zayne to choke on his coffee at your question though.
“W-what?!! That’s such a childish question, I refuse to answer it.” Zayne replied, a faint blush appearing on its cheek.
“That’s not an answer.” You teased, and watched as Zayne looked at his very interesting cup.
“Yes it is.” He murmured.
Heh, cute.
You can’t help but tease him further. “Well, since you’re being so uncooperative, I guess you just forced my hand.”
With that, you gently tased his sides.
The reaction you got is instantaneous.
“Ahh!” He gasped, his arms immediately slamming down to protect his sides while he tensed up like a penguin.
Whipping around to look at you, he mustered up his best death glare, but it only seemed to egg you on.
“Zayne,Zayne,Zayne… when can you give me a real answer?”
You asked, and poked his side with each word you said, earning some delightful squeaks.
Heh, who would have thought the usually calm doctor would turn into a blushing mess with each poke?
You’re not complaining though, watching in amusement as Zayne bit on his lip hard, trying (yet failing adorably) to keep his titters in check.
“Cmon, I know you want to laugh, just let those giggles out,” you teased.
Your fingers travelled up to prod at his ribs, and then the dam broke.
Zayne let out boisterous, loud and uncontrollable laughter as he brought his hands up to cover his reddened cheeks. “Nohohoho,” he whined through giggles.
It was so cute you almost ascended. However, teasing is still absolutely necessary.
“No what? No, stop? No, please don’t stop? No, I’m not ticklish? Or no, I am not giving you a real answer?”
“Nohohohoho!” You only got a another screech and you grinned.
Oh well, guess you’re not stopping, not until Zayne learns how to answer a yes or no question!
🐟 Rafayel 🐟
You first learnt Rafayel is ticklish when you were treating his wounds.
“Ow, ow, ow, it hurts, it hurtssss.” He wailed while you were applying cream to his scraped knee.
“Hold still, it’s just a minor injury.” You told the melodramatic fish.
“It still hurts!” He whined, yet that pout morphed into a surprise gasp when you kissed the bandaged knee.
“There. I kissed it better.” You said, and watched Rafayel grin at the small gesture.
“Again.”
So you kissed his knee again and again, while Rafayel kept smiling at you brattily.
You didn’t think much of the smile at first, not until you heard a squeak escaping his lips when you got to the top of his knees.
Looking up, you saw Rafayel looking at you with wide eyes and a huge grin, his hands curled into a fist.
Ticklish, you thought to yourself. You hit the gold mine.
With that, your fingers travelled up to the top of his knees and gave it a firm squeeze.
Almost immediately, Rafayel descended into loud laughter, his hands pushing about, trying to grab at your wrists.
Cute.
Alas, even the cutest of fish can’t escape the incoming tickles.
You grabbed his foot into a footlock, and watched as he panics and flails his arm around, trying to get you to stop.
“Y-you’re being m-mean to me,” Rafayel squeaked when you brushed a finger over his arch, and he sucked in his breath, tugging at his feet.
“So you don’t want tickles?” You teased.
He pouted, thinking for a moment.
And then put his foot back in your grip.
Ha, knew it.
You thought to yourself as you smirk at the blushing boy, scratching at the pads of his toe.
Rafayel erupted in laughter and gasped about, occasionally letting out at “No” or “don’t”, and squirmed around like a fish.
Yet every time you stopped, he would pout even more.
Cutie.
Looking at Rafayel’s wide grin and hearing his loud chuckling, you know Rafayel will surely be enjoying a lot more tickle episodes in the future.
But hey, he only has himself to blame for being so tickle-able!
🐦⬛ Sylus 🐦⬛
You first learnt Sylus when you’re trying to help him get to sleep.
This man is a vampire—why doesn’t he sleep at night?!!
Yet no matter how hard you tried, nothing is getting him to sleep.
Calming music? No. Muscle relaxation practices? No. Even the good old newspaper reading practices is not working.
So while you two were cuddled together on the bed, you were still pondering ways to get him to sleep.
“K-kitten…” Sylus called out to you, and you look over, and realise you’re absentmindedly tracing circles on his back.
“Yes?”
“Quit it, it tickles.”
It does? An idea popped into your head and you smiled wickedly.
“Sweetie, I know that smirk, don’t—”
You rub circles on his back again, more deliberately and closer to his sides this time, just to watch his reaction.
And it didn’t disappoint.
He arched his back as boyish giggles escape from his lips, while twisting and turning about to avoid your devious fingers, to no avail.
At this moment, he looked like a cute, ticklish guy instead of a mafia boss.
You planted ticklish kisses all over the back of his neck, just to test the waters.
And almost instantly, he buried his head into the pillow, trying to muffle his squeaks and laughs, yet occasionally a snort can be heard.
“Who would have thought the most dangerous man in the N109 zone would succumb to tickling?” You teased.
Sylus gave no response and only let out a barely audible groan, so you moved the kisses to his waist.
“Stohohop it sweetie, y-you’re not—Ahh! H-helping me slehehep.” He yelped when you pinched one hip.
“Guilty, but you’re not fighting hard to resist the tickles. Care to explain, Mr Sylus?”
You teased, and you could have sworn you saw the tip of his ears turn red.
As much as you wanted to continue, your primary goal is to get him to sleep, not to tickle torture him.
With that, you let up the tickling and resorted to running his hands up and down his back.
“Hehe, we’re done for today, but I’ll continue to explore this knowledge tomorrow.” You teased, and Sylus furrowed his eyebrows at you, yet beneath the pouty face, you know he meant no bite.
“Good night, sweetie.” He said, before drifting off to sleep.
Maybe it’s the exhaustion, maybe it’s the tickles, or maybe it’s the warmth of the intimacy, it was the first time Sylus slept peacefully next to you.
Heh, who would have thought the tough Onychinus leader is an adorable (and ticklish!) softie at heart?
But hey, you’re not complaining!
🍎 Caleb 🍎
You have always known Caleb is ticklish. That has been well-established since you two’s childhood tickle fights.
What you didn’t expect was for him to challenge you to a tickle fight years after.
“Do you want your ass to be kicked ?” You asked him incredulously, and he only shrugged.
“I was letting you win back then, pipsqueak. I won’t relent now, this is a fair fight.” He smirked.
Alright, if he insists.
You two circle each other, your hands poised in front of you to prepare for attack.
He lunged first, hands reaching out for your sides, but too slow—You saw that coming and easily gripped his wrists.
Ha, look who has the upper hand now.
While Caleb was still in shock and trying to grab his arm back, you quickly shoot your hands out to claw at his ribs.
It was an honest to goodness shriek that left his mouth.
He gasped, then dissolved into soft yelps as you repeatedly tased his sides.
“T-hahat’s cheheheating!” He protested, trying to keep his composure.
“No, I won, fair and square. You have just gotten weaker. Need a reminder of who used to be the champion of tickle fights back when we were young?”
With that, you went straight for his worst spot, scratching at his armpits.
“Ahahahaha! N-no— P-pipsqueak! Pipsqueak!“
“Ironic, considering you’re the one squeaking like a mouse.You” You teased.
Caleb was red in the face as he shook his head,trying to push your fingers away from his tickle spots, all while chortling and writhing about.
It was kind of nostalgic to see Caleb laughing, it’s been a while since you two have had carefree moments like these.
“Do you yield?” You tease the blushing man squirming beneath you.
He shook his head. Heh, so stubborn.
You clawed at his armpits with renewed vigour, and smirked to yourself as the pleas of surrender immediately escaped his lips.
“I g-give! I g-give!” He laughed, and you stopped your antics, not before giving him another poke to the side to remind him of who is the winner.
“You’re evil.” He smiled at you, it was a sweet moment, until the competitive glint returned to his eyes.
“But I’ll get you back in the next tickle fight.”
“Pfft, good luck, you’ll need it.”
“Pipsqueak!”
Looks like you two will be having lots of tickle fights to catch up on~
🌼Writer’s notes: I have been procrastinating on this fic for so many months lol forgive me i dont know how to ler.
Summary: During another Kitty Cards campaign you find yourself loosing to Caleb. Again. And of course he got to rub it in. You are fed up with the teasing and decide to serve some payback... your special way.
A/N: there are no fics with ticklish Caleb. someone must put an end to this
Word Count: 1.8k
Ever since the very childhood, you never liked thunderstorms. The darkness and that earth-shaking racket outside — as if something was going to bust inside — made your heart race and left you feeling abandoned. Luckily, like a shadow, there was always one person nearby who didn't laugh at this, but carefully covered your ears and tried to make you laugh at every opportunity.
“Not much of a fun out there, eh?” Caleb scratched the back of his head as he stared out the window.
Tonight was exactly one of those stormy nights. It was way path midnight, and seemingly any sane person would've been thrilled to cozy up and snuffle listening to the rain. But that wasn't your case for sure. Thunder fiercely slammed the roof like a jackhammer, and it felt like branches would break the windows in a wild flight. Thankfully, Caleb's house had the solidness befitting colonel. And still, neither of you could sleep, so, shuffling a deck of cards, Caleb perched on your bed.
“Shall we play?”
He smiled with his eyes, reminding little sun. So needed on this stormy night.
“Let's play,” you answer, trying not to give away your enthusiasm.
“Knew you've been waiting for this. You’re totally hooked on Kitty Cards, aren’tcha?”
It was your go-to distraction, indeed. Lately, though, life had been running you ragged, leaving zero brainpower for building good strategies.
“Not really hooked... It's just that you've been winning too often lately. And I can’t let that slide.”
“That's why you’re so eager to lose to me for the fifth time this week?” he sneered, dealing the cards. He knew perfectly well that the phrase "give up" was a rare guest in your lexicon, and he willingly took advantage of this.
“Eager? You were the one who asked!” You snatched your cards, getting into combat readiness. “Besides, you shouldn't be so full of yourself. The higher you climb, the harder you crash. Just wait — you’ll be begging me for a rematch.”
“Oh, so that’s what you're doing when drag me to cafés for playing… I'll note that.”
Without warning, you both shot out your hands. He threw rock; you threw paper.
“Ha! See? Off to a hot start,” you said, immediately slapping down a Freeze card while he drew a Number one.
Luck swung your way. Into the red cup you gleefully slapped your highest-value card — a six. But sike! — the second you ended your turn, Caleb wiped your haul by flipping the cup’s color.
“Oops,” incredibly naturally and almost not mockingly flew off from the guy's mouth.
You shot him a glare, but well, that's only a start. Picking an Assist card, you decided to skip your attack to see what he was going to do.When Caleb's turn rolled around, Lady Luck handed him two more Assist cards. He burned one to draw two more Number cards. Using all the assists somehow snowballed into a full hand, and here you silently widened your eyes, preparing for the probable defeat. Caleb dumped kittens into every remaining cup in one swoop, and now you were laser-eyeing your pathetic two-card hand, scrambling for a strategy.
He’d been studying your face the whole time till finally snorted: “You’re scowling so hard your forehead’s gonna crack. Want a mirror to check the damage?”
His jab yanked you out of strategizing like a hammer to the thumb. “And you’re grinning so smug your cheeks will split soon. Doubt you’ll see past them to any mirror.”
A spark lit behind Caleb's eyes as he leaned on his palm, squinting. “You know, you’re like a little kitten yourself: trying to put your claws on me but ending up adorable and damageless.”
“Shut it!”
You slammed down a card as weak as your odds. Caleb eyed it measurably, then you, like you’d offered him a moldy sandwich, and spoke only after a pause.
“You’re playing so bad I’m starting to think you’re loosing me on purpose.”
“It's you who's the lucky one here. And the burden of thinking about tactics falls on me."
“Tactics?” He barked a laugh, poking your forehead. “All your moves are written all over your face, pipsqueak. You’re fighting fire with gasoline.”
“Urgh, why are you being so annoying?"
“You’re just salty ‘cause victory…” he played his last Assist to boot your kitten and plant his own, “…is already mine.”
Before you could even comprehend what had happened, you looked at the game board, completely filled with Caleb's kittens and branding him the winner. So easily. Total cheat, no doubt.
“Be honest, were you cheating?”
“No. You just don’t see me training all night to beat you…” he paused. “Just kidding. I sleep like a baby.”
“Big statement. I doubt you do anything other than watching me sleeping,” you tartly notice, arms crossed. Caleb pretended not to hear, waving it off.
“Don't worry. One day I’ll be old, blind, and maybe you’ll stand a chance... Till then beating you feels like taking candy from a kid, honestly.”
Caleb's hand plopped onto your head, messing up your hair into a nest. The cup of patience quickly began to overflow. Losing to someone so insufferable as Caleb is one thing; enduring his smug gloating and never-ending teases — funny only to his ego — was another.
“So you say playing with me is the same as playing with a kid?” the complaint in your voice grew bigger, and the cheeks started filling up with blush from irritation.
“Worse.” Caleb payed special attention to the shade of your tomatoe-red face, his hand slid from your head to pinch your cheek, stretching it to hamster-pouch levels. “I even feel kinda bad...”
“Then brace for the fitting backlash!” you wanted to slap his hand away, but he managed to quickly dodge and pinched your nose along the way. At that moment, you shoved him with all your strength, sending him sprawling onto the bed, which even Caleb didn't expect, looking at you in surprise.
“Whose face is gonna crack now, huh?”, you grabbed his cheeks and started mashing them in different directions, making funny grimaces on Caleb's face. When his hands reach up to intercept yours, you just as deftly moved hands to the sides, running them over Caleb's neck and ears, which caused a stream of light chuckles to escape from the latter.
Right... He is ticklish. A chorus of self-congratulatory applause erupted in your head for remembering such working weapon against his cockiness.
Without giving him a chance to get his bearings, you aimed at his sides and began to quickly tickle them.
“Ah- Wahahait pipsqueak! Ha-ha-ha... Don't get mad!” Caleb wasn't exactly sensitive to light touch — his skin was practically armor, and you knew pretty well that you wouldn't break through it with gentle attacks, that's why you expertly kneaded his weak spots, making him squirm like a hooked fish.
“Touché! Ahah!...You're playing dirty, learn to lose grac–Ah!”
“Oh, I'm playing dirty? Pretty sure that's been your move all along. And you'll admit it soon.”
When your fingers skated down to the hips and started digging it there, he quickly grabbed and squeezed your wrists — but his grip slackened instantly, like he was scared to hurt you.
Or maybe... he didn't want to stop you, low-key enjoying this game?
“Alright, fine, let's rematch!”
You wriggled free and dove right back in, fingers dancing up his tense torso.
“Told you I'd make you beg for a rematch,” you grinned, doubling down on his most vulnerable spots, not letting him to catch breath.
Not loud, but very sparkling and clear laughter of Caleb filled the room. At moments he tried to stifle the chuckles, after all he always tried to look strong and unshakable in your eyes... But you were a pro at breaking this façade.
“Hahahaha! Ohoh come on! After all I do for you?!..”
“Do what? Being an ass?” his poor attempt to manipulate has failed, but, unfortunately, it faltered your rib counting rythm, forcing you to restart. From the bottom to the top. “You talked too much — pay the price now.”
Somewhere between the gasps, Caleb decided to flip the script: from the victim of revenge to a full-in wrestling participant. His tickle-induced squirming bucked you off and sent you both rolling across the bed as he attempted to tickle you back.
Not very successfully though...
At this point he couldn't stand it any longer and grabbed you, pressing you to himself in a tight bear hug. Your hands crawled to his lower ribs to continue tickling him even in this position, but with the loud exhale he intercepted your "killing tools" and pressed them at the seams. His arms wrapped around over your arms, and now you were trapped in a human straightjacket.
“Truce. I understood. No more teasing...” he said softly after catching his breath, trying to smother your fighting spirit.
Finally, when you both quieted down from the playfight, Caleb huffed a chuckle again:
“In past you would always poke me whenever you were bored. You've studied my weak spots pretty well over years.”
“I remember a time when you laughed so hard a snort flew out and landed on grandma.”
“What?! You sure that wasn't you?”
“Absolutely.”
“You are ruthless...”
You arched a brow and looked up at him. You’d never thought about it before, but now it hit you that he often sounded like a nostalgic grandman. What's this? A cheap trick to soften you up?
“Caleb, why are you dwelling on the past so much?” you couldn't resist asking.
Caleb stilled, resting his chin atop your head.
...
“Maybe I miss those times much more than I'd wanted.”
The tempest was beginning to subside, but the rain outside continued to tap the roof in a chaotic rythm. The sounds of the storm contrasted with the warmth and cozyness of Caleb's arms around you, in which you felt calm and safe.
As you chatted about childhood memories, Caleb tenderly scratched your back in a cuddle. Completely relaxed, you melted into him, sleep dragging you under.
Caleb cracked an eye open at your soft snores. Your face seemed so cute and peaceful to him, that he reflectively pulled you tighter. It'd always been torturous for him to hold back around you. Whatever bond was between you, he never dared to risk it, not when he thought that he was the only one whose heart raced like mad, while you only saw a brother figure. But right now he didn't want anything more. He gently brushed a stray hair from your face behind ear and kissed your forehead softly. A rush of sleep crept up on him too now, but he wouldn't unlock his arms.
“Sweet deams, pipsqueak,” he murmured, drifting off.
A/N: @vqler Happy Christmas! I knew that I wanted to write something from Love and Deepspace for you and seeing that he was the only one you wrote a fic for I knew it had to be him~
Words: 1,299 words under the cut
The familiar click of Caleb’s door unlocking was followed almost immediately by the smell of buttered popcorn and something sweet baking in the oven. It was a scent you’d known for years, tied to countless afternoons and late nights spent curled up together, eyes glued to a screen while the rest of the world faded away.
Some things changed as you grew older - work schedules, responsibilities, the quiet weight of adulthood - but this? This stayed the same. “You’re late,” Caleb said lightly as you stepped inside, though the small smile tugging at his lips betrayed him.
“You say that every time,” you replied, slipping off your shoes and setting your bag down, “and every time, I’m only like… five minutes late.” He snorted. “Five minutes is still late.” You laughed, already moving toward the living room where the couch waited, blankets already folded neatly on one side of it - like they always were.
The movie marathon tradition had started when you were kids - one movie turning into two, then three, then an entire evening lost to laughter and shared snacks. Even now, when time together was harder to come by, Caleb always made space for it. It was something special to him, well to the both of you, reminding you of the good old days.
By the time you settled onto the couch, popcorn bowl between you, the movie playing quietly in the background, you felt yourself relax in that easy, familiar way you only ever did around him. Caleb leaned back, one arm draped casually along the back of the couch, close enough that you could feel his warmth without actually touching. At least, not yet.
You had decided to start with a comedy. It was a classic one you had already watched a few times, and yet the jokes and slapstick situations in it were still one of your favorites. Even Caleb couldn’t hide his giggles and you caught yourself not only once side-eying him whenever you heard it, being drawn to it. You just loved seeing him laugh and be happy.
Somewhere during the second movie, when the plot slowed down and the characters started talking more than acting, you found yourself rambling. It wasn’t intentional - it just sort of happened. “So, uh,” you began, shifting slightly, “I went out with Xavier the other day.” Caleb hummed in acknowledgment, eyes still on the screen. “Oh?”
“Yeah. We went to that little café near the river. The one with the outdoor seating and the fancy pastries?” You smiled at the memory. “He ordered three different desserts just to ‘sample’ them, then insisted we share.” You laughed softly. “It was actually really nice. He’s… attentive and funny in this quiet way.”
You didn’t notice the way Caleb’s jaw tightened or how his fingers curled slightly against the couch. “He walked me home afterward,” you continued, oblivious, “kept making sure I wasn’t cold, even though I kept telling him I was fine.” You finally glanced sideways at Caleb, only to pause. He wasn’t watching the movie anymore.
His brows were drawn together in a faint frown, lips pressed into a thin line. When he noticed you looking, his eyes flicked to yours. “…What?” you asked, confused. Caleb didn’t answer right away, instead, he shifted closer. Much closer.
Before you could react, he swung one leg over yours and straddled you, hands braced on either side of your waist. The sudden movement startled a small yelp out of you. “Caleb?!” “Oh, I see how it is,” he said, his voice low but unmistakably teasing, “you come over for our movie marathon and spend the whole time gushing about another guy?”
Your eyes widened. “I wasn’t gushing!” His lips curved into a dangerous grin. “Mm. That’s not how it sounded to me.” And then his fingers moved. They dug into your sides, light at first, then relentless - wiggling, pressing, finding every sensitive spot with terrifying accuracy. You shrieked, laughter bursting out of you before you could even try to stop it.
“Caleb! Hahaha! W-WaHahait!” Well, it hadn't been the first time you got tickled by him. Truth to be told, when you were younger, you even had tickle fights with him every now and then - you always lost though. But that was ages ago and yet, now that you felt these all-too-familiar sensations, it felt just like yesterday.
“That’s it,” he teased, hands sliding from your sides to your stomach, fingers fluttering there, “I think someone needs a reminder.” “A reminder of what?! AhHh!” “That I’m supposed to be your favorite,” he said with all the confidence in the world, his eyes focusing on you as if you were a puppy that could get snatched away from him if he wasn't paying attention to it.
You squirmed beneath him, instinctively grabbing onto his shirt as your laughter spilled freely into the room. “Y-YoHohu can’t! HahaHAha! Just-!” “Oh, I can,” Caleb replied smugly, “and I am.” His tickling grew more playful than punishing, fingers tracing small circles over your stomach before darting back to your sides.
Your legs kicked uselessly, the couch creaking beneath the movement as you tried - and failed - to escape. He had always had a hand for tickling just the right spot in the right way to drive you crazy. His fingers squeezed into your waist and you felt your entire body spasm.
“CaHahleb! I sweHehear! I’ll-!” “You’ll what?” he asked, leaning closer, his grin softening just a little. “Stop talking about him?” Your laughter turned breathless. “Y-You’re! Being! Ridiculous!” “Am I now?” he asked lightly. “It’s a habit.” You clung to him, your face warm and flushed, your laughter muffled against his chest as he continued to tickle you.
It was unfair how easily he could reduce you to this - giggling, helpless mess - but there was something comforting about it too. Familiar. Safe. Then, in a last-ditch effort, your fingers managed to slip free and they found his lower sides. Caleb froze. “…No.” You grinned, breathless but triumphant. “Oh. Yes.”
You tickled him back, fingers squeezing and fluttering at the sensitive spot just above his hips. Caleb let out a startled laugh, short and almost shy, his composure cracking instantly. “H-HehEhy! That’s-! Pfft noHohoHo!” You took advantage of the moment, shifting your weight and rolling you both until you were the one straddling him.
His laughter spilled out softer than yours had, a little embarrassed, maybe even a little surprised. “YoHou’re uHunfair,” he accused, laughing as you continued to trace light tickles over his sides. “Learned from the best,” you shot back with a smile and even dared to wiggle your hands up and into his armpits, causing another wave of high-pitched giggles from him.
You didn’t tickle him for long - just enough to hear that laugh, just enough to make his cheeks flush faintly pink. When you finally stopped, you rested your hands on his chest, looking down at him. Caleb looked up at you, still catching his breath, his expression open in a way he rarely let himself be.
You smiled softly. “You know… no matter who I go on dates with,” you said quietly, “you’ll always have a special place in my heart and that will never change.” His laughter faded completely. “…Yeah?” he murmured. You nodded, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead - slow, deliberate, affectionate.
Caleb’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment. When he opened them again, the frown was gone, replaced by something warm and satisfied. “…Good,” he said softly, “because I don’t plan on giving that spot up.” You laughed, leaning back as he pulled you into an easy, familiar hug, the movie still playing forgotten in the background - just like old times.
In which Caleb fails his intimidation check and the Nein use their squishy wizard as a distraction. Critickle role fic!
Fandom: Critical Role (The Mighty Nein)
Words: 2,938
AO3 link
A/N: Listen, I ship Caleb with laughing and being loved and I simply could not handle the silliness of him hanging upside down by his ankles without doing something about it. So here’s my take on an alternate version of the rope trap scene in episode 50.
“You do not want to tangle with the spirits I command!” Caleb snaps his fingers as he says this, summoning both his cat and four floating globules of light into existence in front of him. The swoosh of his hand to cast comes out a bit harder than he intends, and he can feel himself swing side to side with a bit more intensity. His coat falls down even further and he chokes on the end of his sentence, coughing as both his coat and a bit of dislodged dirt from the cavern ceiling fall right onto his face. Frumpkin lands sideways on the ground a few feet away, letting out an indignant yowl. Somewhere to his left, Caleb can hear Beauregard fail to stifle a snort.
There’s a tense pause. Then - cackles. The pack of kobolds are nudging each other and pointing at the slowly swinging Caleb, hooting and hollering with laughter. In between the kobold cackles, Caleb can hear the muffled chuckles of his friends.
This is unfortunate.
Caleb reaches up quickly, trying to push his coat back down. Unsuccessfully. It slumps right back down in his face.
As he does this, the armored kobold leader turns to look at the pack over his shoulder, a crooked but sharp grin appearing on his face as he waves his shortsword towards the slowly swinging prey right in front of him. There’s an almost-palpable electric excitement crackling in the air. Caleb can barely hear the words he speaks next, but he recognizes them - he’s too disoriented to tell if it’s through his spell or because they’re in Common, but it doesn’t really matter. They make his blood run cold either way.
“Get large food! Go!”
Immediately there's a whooping battle cry that rings throughout the cavern, and with a swoosh Caleb feels himself swing backwards wildly as several kobolds leap forward, their claws finding purchase on his body. He grimaces and brings his hands up to block, readying himself for an attack.
There’s a flurry of movement to his left as the rest of his party is spurred into action as well. Caleb hears Fjord summoning the falchion with a whoosh. Nott nocks an arrow into her crossbow swiftly and lifts it up, ready to fire. Beau is in a battle-ready position instantly, lurching forward.
The kobold leader spins to face them, shortsword out. “No touch food! We eat you next, huh?”
It’s at this point that Caleb’s focus is yanked away from whatever his friends are doing - by a sudden, startling, feeling on his side. He’s halfway through the hand motions for Fire Bolt - aiming for the rope in hopes of burning through it to free himself - but he drops his hands on instinct, trying to swat away the kobold that is currently using it's back feet to cling onto him while it digs around in his book holsters. The kobold only clings on tighter, and its tiny, sharp claws prod deeper into Caleb’s ribs. Caleb chokes on a yelp and squeezes his eyes tightly shut.
He had forgotten about this particular sensation. It's been years since he felt it, and a large part of him assumed that he would never feel it again - that he would never be allowed to feel it again. He had put it out of his mind, locked the memory away in one of the many dark corners of his mind.
But here, with the kobold nails scratching against his sides, there’s no ignoring it.
Those claws really fucking tickle.
And Caleb is possibly even more ticklish than he remembers.
He clenches his hands into fists and bites down on his tongue. He needs to keep that particular bit of information out of his friends hands.
The kobolds are really scouring his form now - digging through any and every pocket and poking and prodding around his holsters and down his legs all the way to his ankles. Their nails are sharp but they no longer hurt - they’ve moved on to a far worse feeling. One that has Caleb squirming side to side in a desperate attempt to get away and forces him to bite down hard on his lip to keep a snort at bay. Scheiße, this is not good. He needs to get out of this rope.
Suddenly Caleb feels a firmer poke in his ribs. He yelps without thinking, and looks over to see…oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
A larger kobold, wearing a mischievous grin. Jester. Right next to him, eyes bright, and one finger held out in his direction.
Caleb opens his mouth to say something - and promptly closes it again, swallowing a gasp that feels a bit too much like a giggle for his liking, as a kobold pokes a particularly sensitive spot next to his holsters. He bites his cheek. He do it. He can brace against this.
Jester giggles at him and turns to the small cluster of kobolds watching her in awe. “Little me’s! C’mere, c’mere!” She wiggles her fingers in the air - an action that has Caleb flinching even though it's not directed at him (yet, his mind helpfully supplies, and he shivers). The kobolds scuttle forward, looking curious but still hesitant. Jester repeats the action, wiggling her fingers rapidly through the air and pointing towards Caleb. Wiggling, pointing. The kobolds creep closer still. Caleb squeezes his eyes shut at the last second.
And promptly opens them again with a shriek he can't manage to stifle, as ten tiefling claws scribble over his exposed side.
Jester’s laugh completely blows her kobold cover. She turns back to the actual kobolds - who have leaped back, snickering, at this sudden noise - and gestures for them to join her. They jump forward and land right on Caleb, claws out and wiggling, mimicking Jester’s movements. Jester, still laughing, dives right back into tickling up and down Caleb's sides, around to his stomach, and up towards his ribs.
And Caleb cracks. Laughter bursts from his throat and he dissolves into cackles. “Jehehehehe-ster! Bitte, nohohoho, dohohohon’t!
Jester just giggles along. “But Cay-leb! This is so much fun!” Her claws never stop moving. And Caleb can’t stop laughing. He’s swinging side to side, desperately searching for purchase along the wall, reaching for the ground, anything to get away from all these claws.
No luck. The rope around his ankles keeps him firmly suspended, and as the dozens of claws from both kobold and tiefling scribble and wiggle and poke and prod over every inch of his body, all Caleb can successfully manage to do is laugh. And laugh. And laugh. And find himself hoping beyond hope that this will never end because it’s quite possibly the most fun he’s ever had.
A screech leaves his lips as he feels a sudden pinch to his hip - and he immediately takes that thought back as he looks over to see Beauregard grinning at him, hands poised over his hips. Nope, no, there's no way he’s making it out of this alive. He’s going to die. Of laughter or embarrassment, he's not yet sure. Possibly both.
Beau can’t hide a laugh at the look on Caleb’s face when he sees her. Then her hands are flying up and down his sides with terrifying monk speed, pinching and squeezing and seeking out every possible ticklish spot with horrifying Cobalt Soul precision. And Caleb’s vision goes white. His brain feels like fuzz and static. He’s gone, lost in a world of mirth, where there is nothing but laughter and ticklishness and more laughter. He gives up trying to bat Jester and the kobolds away and drops his arms down, covering his face.“Bitte, Jehahahahahester, bitte, plehehehehehahahahaha-ease!” He doesn't know whether he's begging her to stop or keep going.
Luckily for him, Jester does not take any time to find out. She, Beau, and the kobolds all lock onto the newly exposed spot at the same moment, and the next thing Caleb knows there are at least fifty fingers and claws in his armpits. His laughter, impossibly, kicks up another notch and his face feels like it’s going to crack in half from how wide he’s beaming. That's it, he is quite sure this is how he’s going to die.
But he can’t quite bring himself to wish it would end.
A few feet away, Fjord, Nott and Yasha have slowly lowered their weapons and are watching this show with puzzled looks. Caduceus lowers his staff, a smile on his face. “Well that's nice.” He beckons to the nearest kobold. “Hey. Do you have a bag? I can fill it with food if you do.” The kobold scuttles over, carrying a large sack, and the soft glow of Caduceus’ magic lights the interior of the chamber as he fills it with food. The kobold’s face shifts into a look of amazement as it reaches out, tasting a piece.
There’s a sudden screech - blending into the sound of Caleb’s own cackling laughter ringing in the chamber - as the kobold leader leaps forward, slapping the hand away. Caleb stops fully paying attention around then - as someone’s fingers find their way onto his neck and another set worms their way beneath his chin and he’s lost again to silly giggles - but he barely makes out a conversation happening between Fjord, Caduceus, Nott and the kobold leader. He thinks he catches the words ‘gator skins’ - but it’s hard to tell when his own skin is being merciless attacked with scratches, pokes and wiggling fingers and his brain is still laughter mush.
An eternity later (exactly thirty-eight seconds, Caleb’s mind fills in), a whistle cuts through the laughter. Fjord’s gruff voice follows. “Mighty Nein! C’mon, we’re done here. Let’s get moving.”
Jester slows her fingers to a crawl - but does not pull them away, which is almost worse - and turns to Fjord with a pout. “Aww, but Fj-ord! We're having so much fun! Aren’t we, Caleb? Aren’t we, little me’s?”
The kobolds don’t respond, just continue their wiggling and tickling over every inch of Caleb they can reach, chirping and grunting to each other. And Caleb, still lost in giggles, could never hope to respond himself.
He does, however, notice Beau pull her own hands away - thank the gods - and rest a hand on Jester’s shoulder. “C’mon, Jes. We can finish tickling Caleb senseless later. We don't need the rope, he's easy to catch.”
Jester heaves a sigh but pulls away. Beauregard reaches up with a shuriken and cuts the rope, leaving Caleb to drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He rolls onto his back, still laughing, as about half the kobolds run, cackling, back to the pack, carrying coin and other various supplies they’ve stolen from him. Several others remain, claws still wiggling against Caleb as he rolls side to side on the ground with his arms wrapped around his sides in an attempt to shield whatever he can manage.
Jester shoos them off. “That's enough, that’s enough! Go on, go, go.” The kobolds scatter away from the laughing wizard quickly, before turning to watch Jester almost reverently from a short distance away.
Caleb throws his arms over his beet-red face, gasping for air. Jester bends down over him, still wearing that ear-to-ear grin. “Caleb! You’re really, super ticklish!”
Caleb says nothing, still shaking with residual giggles. Jester giggles along and takes hold of his hands, pulling them away from his face. Caleb groans and turns his face away from her, attempting to hide it in the dirt floor. Jester just giggles again and dips forward to lay on top of him, giving him a one-sided hug and a gentle kiss on his cheek, which sends his face flushing red again.“Did you have fun? Because we sure did!”
Caleb rolls over to face away from her as soon as she sits back up. His giggles are trailing off but that pesky, wide grin stays persistently on his face. He takes a deep breath, catching his breath. “‘Fun’ would not be the word I’d choose, but…scheiße, Jester, you certainly have a talent for torture.”
There's a sudden skittering sound from across the room as a few of the kobolds that had been watching their large kobold goddess suddenly rush towards her and the exhausted wizard. Caleb flinches on instinct. But the claws aren't tickling anymore. They’re copying Jester's actions - resting their hands on his and leaning in to lick his face. It doesn’t tickle - but it’s so silly, and Caleb can’t help but laugh despite himself.
Jester squeals at this sight. “Aw-eeee! Look, they love you Caleb!”
Caleb bats the kobolds away. He still has not managed to stop smiling. “Ja. Maybe. Anyway, we need to get moving before they decide to - ah, eat me.”
“Aww, no, they won’t eat you, will you?” Jester is now cooing at the kobolds that are still trying to snuggle around Caleb. She turns back to Caleb, flashing him that bright, mischievous grin. “They were definitely probably going to do that before though. I definitely kept them from eating you.”
“I might have preferred that, actually,” Caleb mutters. He’s pushing himself up from the ground. Still attempting to cover that persistent leftover smile that dances underneath his beard, as he looks up to find Beauregard staring at him.
Beau gives him a smirk. “You made a great distraction.”
Caleb shoots her a glare - aware that it's dampened by his still-present smile - and opens his mouth to snark back. Before he can say a word Fjord steps forward, frowning. “Yes, a great distraction. Other than being loud enough to summon every other monster in the area. Let’s get moving before either they show up or these guys decide to eat us after all.”
Caduceus, who Caleb notices is already walking down the tunnel ahead, chimes in over his shoulder. “Nah, I don’t think they're going to eat us anymore. We made a deal.”
“Yup. Yeah. Yup. A deal, that we did.” Fjord is still eying the kobolds warily. “Anyway, let's go.”
Jester pushes herself up, away from Caleb, and turns towards Fjord - calling over her shoulder, “Nugget, come on!” Nugget bounds over, stopping on the way to give Caleb a slurp on the face. Caleb splutters on another laugh.
Beau helps Caleb the rest of the way up off the ground, giving him a smack on the back that sends him staggering to the side as he walks away. Caleb turns to give her a look of disbelief - but he’s still smiling, scheiße - and she just flashes him a grin. He settles for a shake of his head and turns away to catch up with the others.
Jester, it seems, is now eagerly interrogating the kobold leader about the worm and the army following it, while Fjord and Yasha wait next to her, looking impatient. Nott, off to the side, catches Caleb’s eye. She’s clearly biting back a smile and she gives him a look he can’t quite decipher. Caleb averts his gaze quickly and hurries to catch up with Caduceus.
Caduceus looks over as Caleb joins him in the tunnel ahead. He gives the wizard a warm smile. “Ah. Have fun? That looked nice.”
Caleb brushes himself off, carefully avoiding eye contact with the firbolg. “Ah, um…no…but I’m happy to have provided a distraction.”
Caduceus chuckles. He catches Caleb’s eye anyway as Caleb straightens up, and his smile grows even warmer. There’s a knowing glimmer in his eyes. “Alright then.”
Jester comes bounding up then, closely followed by Fjord, Nott, Yasha, and Beau. She rushes up to Caleb, all bright, toothy grin and fingers jabbing into his side, which has Caleb jerking away, yelping. Jester giggles. “This is so great, Caleb! We can have tickle fights now!” She flashes him another bright grin. Caleb just stares at her, fighting for his life to keep his face stoic.
Jester, undeterred, turns to Caduceus instead. “Right, Cad? We can have tickle fights!” She gives his side a quick jab and is rewarded by a flinch away and a soft chuckle. Jester looks absolutely delighted at this - and Caduceus looks pleasantly surprised himself as he gives her a soft grin.
Caleb steps a few feet away from this and watches the two of them for a moment, before giving a glance behind him at the rest of his friends. They’re looking right at him. Definitely talking about him. He looks away quickly, feeling his face heat up again.
There’s a sound next at his side, and Caleb turns to find Beauregard walking quietly next to him. She gives him a nod. Without returning it, without saying a word, he reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder. And with a quick snap of his fingers, poof - his vision drops into Frumpkin's.
Beau places her hand over his on her shoulder. It’s warm and gentle and affectionate in a way that Caleb is barely familiar with - and if his emotions weren't dulled by being inside his cat, he might be tempted to say something.
But he’s not there. He’s watching through Frumpkin’s eyes as the kobolds whisper amongst themselves and two start following after them. Soon enough he’ll have to say something to the others, let them know about this new development.
But walking there, hand on Beauregard’s shoulder, her hand firmly on top of his, vaguely aware that up ahead Jester and Caduceus are starting a tickle fight all of them are sure to be dragged into, Caleb can catch his breath, calm his mind, and be grateful that, in this moment, no words are needed.
~Aww thank you! Of course, I've been meaning to give the og string-bean some attention. He deserves to smile (〒﹏〒). Working through my reqs one at a time, oldest to newest. Promise I'm not ignoring y’all, I've got a system. Thank you for the request!~
General:
I think we can all agree that this boy is mostly lee.
With Evelyn, however, he gets a bit bolder and wants to see her smile.
So I'm gonna go lee-leaning switch. Mostly wants to get got, but can leave his girl a giggly mess.
I don't see him and Philip really getting into these fights often, though Caleb’s bro definitely taught him where his worst spots were.
Really only feels like sharing his liking of this with Evelyn.
Lee:
Gets lee moods pretty frequently. Lucky for him, he's got a certain magic user to help him out.
SUPER wiggly lil guy. Kicks his feet, flaps his arms, squirms like there's not tomorrow.
If you think you can handle it, watch for flailing limbs. If not (good choice), it'd be smart to pin him first.
I imagine he's got a decently higher voice than his brother (think Ethan Nestor)
Bright, bubbly giggles and almost childish laughter. Boy's got so many squeak spots, it's adorable ( ◜‿◝ )♡
Worst spots are his feet and knees. Loud, snort-filled laughter if you manage to get him there. Careful, though: he kicks.
Melt spot would have to be his neck.
He adores tickly little kisses there from a certain witch. Some wiggly fingers wouldn't hurt, either.
Since he met Evelyn, he learned that he actually enjoys being tickled quite a bit. It's a fun way to bond, and it's fun to just relax and let his walls down around someone.
Ler:
When he feels like seeing his love smile, this boy gets disastrous ler moods.
By disastrous, I mean he gets stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Loves seeing Evelyn smile and laugh, but it flusters the heck out of him.
If his lee asks for more or says something like “Don't stop!”, he's done for.
Definitely a soft ler. Only goes in harder if specifically asked, and even then he holds back. Boyo doesn't wanna make anyone uncomfortable.
Likes giving tickle hugs/cuddles. Don't be surprised if he comes up behind you and starts squeezing your sides or teasing your neck.
Pretty much only tickles Evelyn, though he'd be comfortable doing it to people he knows decently well.
Masterful aftercare. Long cuddles, little praises, snacks and more.
He's got a special way to make hot cocoa, though he refuses to share his secret. It's well worth the giggle-fest to drink some afterwards.
(Author's Note) A/N: I’m a bit of a lurker in the community but I love sharing some stuff of my own. In celebration of the mighty nien animated series coming out soon I wanted to share this! Hope you like it!
(Publisher's Note) P/N: HELLO I'M SO GLAD YOU THOUGHT TO WRITE THIS AND SUBMIT THIS BEAUTIFUL WORK TO MY BLOG I AM RIDE OR DIE FOR LEE CALEB BABES OMG ((ALSO side note I wasn't sure if you wanted to be anonymous or not since you didn't specify so please let me know if you want anything changed and I'll be right on it!!))
Summary: Mighty Nein CR Campaign 2 - Shadowgast and Sweet Nein antics - and what happens you ask? LEE CALEB LEE CALEB LEE CALEB LEE CALEB love to see our boy getting it from his friends AND from his sexy wizard mentor / crush.
Teaching dunamancy was never something Essek considered doing. He was more of an observer, a researcher and a loner. He had only himself to rely on and no one that had to rely on him, and that was a perfect arrangement.
However, everything seemed to change after the arrival of the Mighty Nein.
What was once a chore of glorified babysitting, a job he could only blame himself for having to take, became something akin to fondness when he was around them. Of course he was still charged with monitoring them, but the more he did it the more time he found enjoying their company. Even more so, he was enjoying the time spent teaching Caleb about dunamancy.
Caleb was an anomaly to him. Drow society described humans as power hungry, close minded individuals who cared little about things that didn’t serve their own interests.
Caleb seemed to be the opposite.
He was curious, compassionate with his friends, and willing to reach out and learn all he could from people much different from himself. He had both wisdom through experience and natural intelligence. He stood strong in the face of adversity but could soften around the people he trusted.
The dunamancy lessons were becoming more frequent as time went on. Caleb's thirst for knowledge was evident with every encounter they had, his spark of curiosity seemed to light even the darkest Rosohnian sky, and Essek found himself looking forward to each meet up.
Today would be a simple lesson, mostly just brushing up and perfecting a few casting techniques unique to the discipline. Though he could have teleported, he decided to take a long stroll, or glide in his case, to the one house that stood out among the others, with a towering tree on the rooftop and glowing lights surrounding it. The streets were quiet as usual, as residents kept to themselves while walking the stone paths. The silence was broken the moment Essek stepped up to the entrance of the Xhorhaus.
Planting his feet on the ground, Essek heard a loud, muffled noise coming from within the home, piercing the silence that so often engulfed the neighborhood. His ears perked up, trying to place what exactly the noise was. The Nein definitely weren’t quiet neighbors, and loud noises from the house was nothing unusual, but this one was unfamiliar. Common courtesy ended up overwriting his curiosity, and he knocked on the door.
Mere seconds later, footsteps could be heard, and the door opened, revealing Caduceus on the other side. The sound became clear, no longer muffled by a closed door, and he could finally place what it was.
Laughter. Hysterical, unabashed, and free.
“Ah, you made it.” He said warmly, a relaxed smile lighting up his face. “Come in, I’ve made some tea if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Mr. Clay, that would be just fine."
A sudden shriek permeated from the next room over. Essek tried not to flinch at the sudden sound, but it was distracting. Not only was it loud, but he couldn’t seem to place whose laugh it was that bounced along the walls all the way to the front door.
Caduceus, perceptive as always, noticed his attention waiver. “Ah, sorry about that,” he chucked softly, “just some of the usual antics.”
After getting to know the Nein so well, he understood exactly what he meant. “Yes, I can imagine,” he huffed in amusement as he floated in.
More laughs seemed to join the previous, along with voices speaking up in between fits of giggles.
“I’ll go get that tea.” Caduceus said, patting Essek on the shoulder before walking to the kitchen.
That was something he still hadn’t gotten used to, the physical closeness that seemed to naturally come to the group. It was one thing to see them be close with each other, but to openly and unabashedly include him in things like hugs and gentle touches on the arm was both intimidating yet inviting. He still wasn’t sure what to think of it.
He thought about this as he made his way to the living room, only to find an unexpected sight on the couch.
Laying there were three figures, Beau was seated with her back to the arm of the couch, turned and holding Caleb’s arms back in a hug from behind while he was laid out. Jester sat on top of his legs, wiggling her fingers menacingly towards him.
“Come on, Caleb,” she sang in a teasing voice, “you need to relax! You always get so worked up before a lesson, there’s nothing to be nervous about!”
“I do not!” He protested through his laughter, kicking his legs and squinting his eyes shut as he refused to look at her.
“Bullshit,” Beau replied from behind him. “You get way too in your own head, you know you need to loosen up a little bit.”
“That is not true at a-HAHAHAHALL!” He was interrupted as Jester brought her hands down to his ribs, gently scribbling underneath the holsters that were always by his sides. With his head thrown back, cackling like mad for all the room to hear, it was clear the hysterical laughter had been coming from him this entire time.
Normally Essek would have made his presence known by now, but he was captivated by the sight of Caleb’s flushed, smiling face as his high pitched, hysterical laughter flowed. He would never have expected that such a sound could have come from his current student. It captured all of his focus, making it so he could barely process what was being said around him, only the sound of cackles seemed to reach his ears clearly. He didn’t even notice when Caduceus came back into the room with a tray of cups and cookies in his hands.
“Alright, who wants drinks?” He called out, suddenly pulling Essek back to reality, and gaining the attention of Caleb’s torturers.
“Oh, me!” Jester shouted happily as she leapt off of Caleb, skipping her way to Caduceus. She didn't even glance at Essek as she grabbed a cup along with a cookie on the side to dip in it.
“Sweet,” Beau let go of Caleb’s arms, only to turn and stop suddenly when she spotted Essek in the doorway. Caleb was quick to follow her gaze, nearly choking when he noticed his mentor.
“E-Essek!” He scrambled to get off the couch, being sure to stand tall as he fixed his ruffled hair. “I, um, I did not mean to- ah, keep you waiting.”
Beau awkwardly got up from her spot and made her way to Caduceus, grabbing a cup of tea to sip on while she watched the mess unfold.
Essek became aware of how warm his face felt, imagining it had become a bright magenta by now. Clearing his throat, he tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible.
“Oh, of course. It was, ah, not a long wait at all.” He quickly grabbed a cup of tea and started sipping.
Caleb made sure to avoid eye contact as he rushed out the door. “I will meet you in the usual spot.” He said swiftly as he brushed past.
Caduceus chuckled, making a note to bring him some tea later. “Don’t worry about him. Laughter’s good for the soul, some people just need a bit more help with it than others.” With that he slipped out of the room back to the kitchen, Beau closely tailing him with a smirk. Jester was the only one that stayed in the room.
“Oh boy,” she whispered, still with a smile on her face. “Caleb’s probably, like, embarrassed or something."
Essek stared at her, finally able to control his expression now that Caleb had left. “I, um, did not mean to cause anyone discomfort.”
“Oh, it’s totally not your fault,” she explained. “Caleb just thinks too much, so we sometimes have to get him to let go and not think for a while. He always gets all red and blushy when we tickle him though. It’s super cute, isn’t it?” She stared back at Essek, a single eyebrow raised, trying to gauge his reaction.
He cleared his throat in an attempt to keep his composure. Caleb was usually as well composed as he was. Seeing him suddenly with his guard down, laughing without care or need to keep up usual appearances, it was strange. But not unwelcome. “It was definitely… different.”
“Yeah, he’s so serious all the time. It’s nice making him laugh like that.” She smirked.
Oh, she had definitely noticed his face flushing earlier, there was no doubt that her mischievous gaze was analyzing him that whole time. He tried sipping from the cup again to calm himself.
“You know,” she continued, “I bet you could try it out yourself.”
He nearly spat out his tea, catching himself right before it could go down the wrong pipe.
“Ooooo, I bet he would totally love it! You know, he absolutely loves when we do it, he never fights it or tells us to stop. We usually do it when he’s feeling nervous.”
When was the last time he engaged in tickling? It must have been decades, the only memories coming to mind being from his youth with his brother, even then the memories were few and far between. No, their relationship, though becoming more casual, still remained somewhat professional. What would Caleb think if Essek were to break that persona he’d built up after all this time, suddenly behaving so childishly? It would destroy any respect he had for him. The fact that he was even considering such a thing was ludicrous.
Her eyebrows raised suggestively. “You know, he’s probably even more nervous to be alone in a room with you now. It could help…”
“If you don’t mind, we have a lesson to get to,” Essek brushed his clothes off as he floated off the ground, bringing his cup with him.
“You should totally do it!” She called after him, though he was already out the door.
As fast as his magic allowed him, he floated to Caleb’s room, where they usually held their lessons to avoid any distractions (mostly Jester).
He shut the door behind him before he turned to Caleb, already with notes out on his writing desk and books opened. He was always prepared for whatever lessons Essek would throw at him, but today he shifted awkwardly in his chair, not quite sure where to put his hands or where to look.
Essek cleared his throat. “So, shall we?” He asked, using mage hand to pull a chair next to him before taking a seat.
He tried to get through an introduction, but found himself distracted every time he tried to look Caleb in the eyes to see if he was following. Each time he did, his mind flashed back to earlier, when that face was alight with the widest smile he’d ever seen on him. His face flushed each time, and he decided to just look down at the books and references he had out.
Caleb usually followed just fine, but he seemed a bit distracted as well. He gave grunts and little nods to show that he was listening, but no verbal confirmation. Every time he looked over and met Essek’s gaze, he quickly averted his eyes. It was evident that neither of them were in the state of mind to give or receive a lesson.
Essek put a hand to his head, rubbing at the temple trying to get himself together. Perhaps it would be best if they postponed the lesson-
“I apologize about before.” Caleb blurted out. “Before the lesson I mean. We were goofing off, and it was unprofessional, and I did not mean for you to, ah, to keep you waiting.” His apology seemed to spill out faster as he rambled on. “And I- I hope you do not think of me any less. Less than capable.”
It took a lot to stun Essek, and this was a rare moment that he was taken aback. “Think less of you? Is that really what you're worried about?”
Caleb lowered his head, afraid his embarrassment would be obvious if he could see his expression.
“Mr. Widowghast, I’ve seen you do extraordinary things. You have faced dragons, faced leaders of nations, learned magic far faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, and taken to dunamancy like it’s second nature to you. You are nothing if not capable.” He found himself unable to stop his stream of praise, only just catching himself as he thought about the other things he loved about him. “What would make you think I thought any less of you?”
Caleb’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected, sincere praise. “It’s just, this lesson, it has been tense.” He sighed in relief, addressing the elephant in the room. “I suppose that is mostly my fault though. I have not let many people close enough to see me like… that. I suppose my imagination made me feel like you saw me differently.”
Guilt washed over Essek, realizing that either Caleb was more perceptive than he thought, or he hadn’t been keeping as straight a face as he hoped he had. Jester’s words echoed in his mind, ‘he’s probably even more nervous to be alone in a room with you.’ Has his behavior affected Caleb that much?
“I apologize, Mr. Widowgast,” he admitted, “I didn’t mean to cause you any discomfort, I was just… surprised I suppose. I cannot say I’ve been around many people who, ah, act so carefree with each other.” Not to mention he had never seen Caleb laugh so freely before, but there was only so much information he was willing to admit.
“Ah. I see.” Caleb smiled. “Even I have not gotten entirely used to everything our little group throws at me. Especially the more mischievous ones.”
That small smile brought Essek’s eyes back on him. Gentle and sincere, but it had him craving more of it. Jester's words of advice, and temptation, rang through his head. ‘You should totally do it!’ It was selfish, he knew, but he felt restless just looking at it. He needed to see that bright, wide grin again. But he couldn’t risk losing Caleb’s trust.
That’s when another piece of advice played through his head. What was it Jester had said earlier? ‘We sometimes have to get him to let go and not think for a while.’ He’d definitely been distracted throughout the lesson as well, lost in his own thoughts and doubts. That could be his ticket.
“You still seem to be awfully tense,” he commented.
Caleb chuckled nervously. “I assure you I’m fine.” He still couldn’t make eye contact with the shadowhand. It was plain as day that there were lingering doubts remaining.
“Your friend mentioned something interesting.” He tried to bring it up naturally. “Apparently this silly activity of yours helps you to relax a bit.”
Caleb’s face was starting to match his hair. “I, um, they sometimes try it.”
“Does it work?”
“It can- I mean it’s, ah, you see the release of endorphins through-“ He continued his overly complicated explanation of how laughter causes one to feel happier, but Essek could only analyze his face and body language. He was closed in, as if protecting himself, all while his eyes were pointed strictly at the ground, but as he fiddled his hands it was clear there was a nervous excitement there. The lengthy explanation was a deflection, there was more to it than just an artificial way to boost his mood. Everything Jester had mentioned earlier, how he always got flushed and embarrassed when people brought up tickling him, he was shy about it.
And Essek needed to know more. He had to see his face scrunched up in an uncontrolled grin as he shook with laughter. It reminded him of when he first witnessed dunamantic magic being cast, the desire to know how it worked, a draw to the source of the power, wanting to know how it felt conjuring it with his own hands. He wanted to study Caleb just as thoroughly.
But if he wanted to conduct this experiment, he would need to be somewhat subtle.
“You know,” Essek interrupted, “I have never extensively studied the subject. Your explanation is fascinating, but surely you would understand that I prefer to do my own research?” Perhaps Jester’s mischievous nature had rubbed off on him a bit, because the way Caleb’s face lit up in surprise sent a certain thrill through him.
“I-I understand you are a curious individual.” Caleb finally managed through his flustered state, only half believing that this wasn’t some sort of dream. That he’d fallen asleep during the lesson and his desires had created a fantasy he was living.
“Then perhaps we can help each other. You can relax well in my presence, and I can satiate my curiosity.”
Caleb’s eyes widened as reality shook him. This was really happening.
His friends he could handle tickling him. Time with them had lowered his barriers, freeing his playful side that didn’t mind being seen as silly or unprofessional, but Essek was different. Sure, they were allies, and his trust in Essek had been slowly growing over the time he’d known him, but there was something about him that kept him on edge. He found himself analyzing every move he made around him, stared at his hands as he cast his magic, and any time he caught him staring he could feel his face flush. It felt like being a student at the academy again, watching his companions in admiration. Was it this admiration, or cautiousness that made him so anxious? Either way, the thought of Essek’s hands scribbling along his ribs made butterflies flutter in his stomach.
“Wait, Essek!” He tried to bargain as he scooted his chair further away, only succeeding at pinning himself closer to the wall, “Is this truly necessary?” He could already feel laughter beginning to bubble up in his belly as he grew more and more cornered, the feeling of inevitability taking over him.
“Oh, Mr. Widogast,” he chuckled, “you out of everyone should know how important hands-on experience is when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge.” He nudged his own chair over to him, close enough that he didn’t have to lean too far over to reach Caleb’s trembling frame.
Though he had little experience tickling anyone, his fingers had a sort of grace to them, similar to how he casted magic. The light, fluttering tips of his fingers found their way to Caleb’s sides, and the moment he felt them make contact the laughter started pouring over. He tried to hold it back, only being able to helplessly squirm in place while he brought his hands up to cover his mouth.
Ah, no real effort to get away, Essek noted. Not even so much as trying to get out of his seat, but enough self preservation to cover his most vulnerable targets, along with his smile.
Even with the protection of his clothes, Caleb’s nerves lit up with every brush. As he squirmed back and forth, Essek managed to find a spot where his shirt had ridden up, scribbling along the exposed skin near his hips as Caleb curled in on himself, trying his best to block the sensation while still holding his hands to his face.
“I’m starting to see why they had to hold your arms back,” Essek commented nonchalantly, a grin subtly growing.
“Scheiße!” Caleb snickered as he kicked his feet, already feeling his legs turn to jelly as ticklish shocks seemed to jolt his body.
Essek could feel his body twitch with every repressed snicker as he gently squeezed his sides. He tried shifting to his stomach, gently kneeling at the soft, vulnerable area, and the dam finally broke. Caleb giggled into his hands as he continued shielding his face. Not nearly the same level as the cackling Essek had heard from him earlier, but an entirely sweet, high pitched sound that danced its way to his ears. When he put a bit more pressure behind it, Caleb would kick his legs out and yelp in surprise.
Tickling him was like learning to play a new instrument, having to test the pressure and the rhythm of his fingers to get the best sounds. Essek wanted to learn them all, each technique that would bring forth more beautiful music.
In the meantime Caleb’s arms stubbornly remained where they were, keeping his book holsters in place to protect his ribs while still managing to turn his face away just enough to keep most of it covered.
Essek chucked in amusement, “This would be much easier if you moved your arms out of the way.” He poked around his under arms, wherever his fingers could sneak past under the careful guard. “Experiments need to be thoroughly detailed, no variable left unobserved.”
Caleb squeaked with each jab that came dangerously close to his most sensitive spots, fighting the urge to grab Essek’s hands just to get them to stop their torment.
“That should include taking notes,” he continued as he kept up the prodding. “A shame I don’t have any hands free. Perhaps, with that oh so keen mind of yours, you can recount the process from the beginning so I can create a journal entry.”
Caleb couldn’t tell if he was trying to tease intentionally or not, but Essek was a natural either way. He wasn’t sure what was worse: Jester's constant comments on his smile and laugh whenever she attacked him, or Essek’s nonchalant, analytical remarks.
“Ehehehehessek!” He whined through his hands, feeling like he would melt completely if Essek kept it up.
Essek froze for just a moment at the sound of his name. The sweet, light giggles were already so endearing, but the sound of Caleb giggling out his name? It was a melody. That itch to see his face, to hear him cackle and call out his name in a cacophony of laughter, it was near maddening.
The sudden stop was enough to throw Caleb off guard, just enough for him to relax slightly while he debated whether or not to open his eyes, fearful that if he made eye contact Essek would see right into his soul. That drop was all that Essek needed to shoot his hands under his holsters and start skittering across his ribs.
He thought Caleb’s scream from the living room had been loud, but now, right next to him with his fingers delicately teasing between his ribs, the sound was like an explosion.
“EHEHEHEHESSEK! NOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHERE! BITTE!” The surprise from the sudden attack right after a moment of relief made for a perfect storm. His hands immediately lowered from his face to try and desperately grab at the offending hands, and Essek finally had his prize.
Caleb’s head was thrown back in a smile that looked like it could split his face, it was so wide, and only now did Essek notice that he had dimples that lined both cheeks. From under his hands, sweat had been beading on his brow and gave his face a shimmer from the reflecting room light, all while crumpling his hair into a tangled, damp mess on his forehead. His entire face had turned nearly the same shade of red as his hair, burning so warm that Essek could practically feel him radiating heat.
It was… beautiful.
As Caleb started taking deep, greedy gulps of air, Essek realized his hands had stopped moving. How long had he been staring like this? A few moments? Hours? It felt like time had frozen while he was looking at him, like what he’d always imagined it would feel like to stop time completely.
And with that, the realization of just how close he was pressed to Caleb dawned on him. He retreated his hands and scooted his seat back, horrified.
As he backed away, Caleb curled in on himself, holding his aching sides as he took deep breaths to sooth his remaining laughter. He looked at Essek with those squinted, teary eyes of his, and it was almost enough to make him think it was worth it.
Almost.
“M-My apologies,” he stuttered out, “I did not mean to- I mean I didn’t-“ Oh Luxon help him. How could he have taken things so far, gotten so physically close to an associate? The professionalism he strived for, torn down by something as childish as this. Had being around this group for so long clouded his judgement that much?
“That was,” Caleb paused, still wheezing between breaths. “Unexpected, to say the least.”
Essek debated whether he should just turn and run out the door, or maybe just teleport away. That would at least save him the embarrassment of having to explain himself.
“I must admit, I thought Jester would be the one to keep me on my toes. If I didn’t know better I would say she put you up to it.” His playful, accusatory tone helped to ease the rushing panic, but embarrassment still flooded Essek’s mind.
“She may have mentioned… something.” He confessed.
Caleb just chuckled. “She truly is a menace.”
Essek finally snapped out of his trance, holding a hand out to help Caleb up.
“I'm sorry, again.”
Caleb stared at the hand before taking it, a huff of air escaping him as he stood.
“No need for apologies, my friend.”
He was about to insist when a realization hit him. Caleb had called him “friend”. Not sir, not “shadowhand”, nor any other title, just simply friend. He wasn’t sure the last time someone had called him that, even less so the last time someone meant it. He had made friends.
“This is all just so... different,” he sighed. The casualness of his relationship with the nein, the lack of any decorum or need for professionalism, all the things he’d spent years perfecting, suddenly thrown out the window, all to see Caleb’s smile and hear his laugh again.
“I think I know what you mean.” Caleb shyly rubbed the back of his head. “I haven’t had people to rely on, friends to rely on, in years. It’s new, scary almost, to drop your guard. It has taken me a long time to let go of,” he hummed as he gestured to himself. “Keeping up appearances. It’s hard to do so when you're surrounded by friends like these.”
Essek chuckled at that. “They are rather persuasive.”
“Ha, that is putting it lightly.”
A sudden bang on the door startled them out of the moment.
“Ow!” A muffled yelp came from the other side of the door.
It slowly opened, and in walked Caduceus with a tray of tea and cookies. Jester had fallen to the ground, posed like she had been pressing her ear to the door, with Beau kneeling next to her.
“Hi,” Caduceus said, as casual as ever. “Thought I would bring that tea.”
He walked to the desk and put the tray down. “Feel free to join us in the living room.” And just as quickly, he headed out the door.
Jester rubbed her head, still giggling all the while.
“I didn’t think you would ACTUALLY do it!” She exclaimed.
Both Caleb and Essek’s faces flushed the same time.
“You’ve been spending too much time with us,” Beau added.
Essek sighed, inclined to agree with her.
“You guys should totally join us,” Jester smirked, “I don’t think you’ll be getting much studying done anyway.”
She giggled fondly as she turned to make her way back to the living room. Beau followed, only giving a knowing smirk before she took off.
Essek groaned into his hands. Perhaps he should have teleported away when he had the chance.
