(Hello, I’m back again with another CROB fic! I’m not as proud of this one, because it’s the first one that I wrote while dragging myself out of writer’s block -- but I think it’s alright to post, so here we are! The Almondfort one might be next~ Oh, and while it’s not a promise, I know a lot of people are posting Tickletober late, and I will be doing the same thing whenever I get around to writing them. Enjoy!)
Warning: This is a tickle fic, and I run a SFW tickle-themed blog. NSFW are more than welcome to read, but please do not reblog if you are primarily kink themed blog. Thank you for respecting my boundaries.
Potential Warnings: Nothing other than Hydrangea is both afraid of and a simp for Lotus.
Hydrangea Cookie had been called on again. It was obvious to everyone in the Lotus Palace -- she had dropped what she had been doing and rushed down the long hallways, towards Lotus Dragon Cookie’s chamber. The faint notes of the dragon’s mandolin echoed throughout the palace, and the rest of the servants looked on. Some were jealous, while some were oddly relieved -- dealing with the dragon’s every command was both a blessing and a curse.
“You asked to see me, Great Dragon?” Hydrangea asked while entering, slightly out of breath. The dragon’s vibrant gaze almost pierced her heart.
“Yes,” they answered, lingering on the word for just a moment. “I want you to speak with me.”
Hydrangea sighed. Lotus was always waiting on her for the simplest of things, making her do paperwork and dance to amuse her. The floral cookie loved her job, but...it was tiring. She approached, but did not dare to get too close. The dragon was powerful, and though they were not as aggressive as their counterparts, they were very proud and could be easily slighted.
“Of course, Great Dragon. Whatever you ask of me,” she hummed, leaning against the wall (she was likely going to be there for a while).
“Thank you,” Lotus responded, gently strumming their mandolin. “How has your day been for you?”
Horrible. Tedious. Slow. “It has been wonderful thus far.”
“And your work?”
Infuriating. “The same as it always is.”
“How have the other servants been treating you?”
Like snobs. “Obediently.”
“And why do you think you can lie to me?”
Hydrangea choked on her breath, looking at the dragon in mild horror. They were staring down at her with narrowed eyes and a thin smile. For a moment, the cookie considered running for her life -- then remembered that she could talk her way out of this. She was too valuable and too loved for the dragon to kill her. She’d be okay.
Wouldn’t she?
“I...am sorry, Great Dragon,” Hydrangea began delicately. “I did not mean to insult you. I simply thought you might be...unsatisfied...with my honest answers.”
In one quick moment, Lotus Dragon was in front of her. The quiet cookie gasped, covering her mouth with her fan and staying where she was. The dragon was unpredictable -- had she offended them somehow, even with her explanation? Or was it something else? She braced for impact as Lotus reached out for her arm.
“Hydrangea…”
The cookie looked up again as she was calmly brought closer.
“My darling Hydrangea...you need not lie to me,” Lotus whispered, using their other hand to gently touch Hydrangea’s face. Their voice had hints of frustration, but was oddly...warm. “I asked about how you were doing and being treated. Any dissatisfaction I find in your answers will not be your fault.”
Hydrangea found herself blushing. “Thank you, Great Dragon.”
“You are welcome,” the Blue Dragon murmured. “Is there any way that I may bring some light back into your day?”
Something crossed Hydrangea’s mind for sure, but she’d be damned if she mentioned it to Lotus. She tried desperately to think of an answer before she had to go back to going through her gigantic pile of scrolls. “I...I am not sure.”
“I don’t want to send you back unsatisfied,” the dragon lamented, trailing their fingers down Hydrangea’s jawline. “There must be something I--” Something interrupted them. Something that the cookie was hoping they wouldn’t notice. They gently traced their thumb in a circle, right where Hydrangea’s jaw met her neck.
And the dragon was rewarded with a crooked smile.
“Oh?” they mused, a slight lilt in their voice. The floral cookie went into a flustered panic.
“M-my dragon, I--”
“Hush,” Lotus interrupted, pulling Hydrangea into their arms, “and let me play with you.”
Hydrangea’s blush came back about ten times stronger than before. She opened her mouth to ask one of her many questions, but she wound up squeaking instead as her ruler began to tease the back of her neck.
“How amusing,” Lotus hummed, smiling a little. “I shall continue this for a while -- unless, of course, you wish for me to stop?”
Well, that was a difficult question to answer. Hydrangea stammered for a moment, unable to quell her own embarrassment for long enough to speak clearly. “i-I, well…” She averted her gaze. “W-what if I...wish for you to c-continue…?”
The dragon chuckled softly, holding Hydrangea close. “Then I will grant that wish.”
The cookie hid her face in Lotus’ chest as the latter resumed, starting by gently tickling under her chin before going down to her stomach. Hydrangea was not used to mirth, nor to being so open in front of her ruler, and so she was in a predicament -- she was unsure of whether to cover her face and her shy smile, or whether to let her dragon see. She wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding, anyway.
“I-I-- Ehehehe! G-Greheheat Drahagon!”
“Yes?” Lotus prompted, still lightly tickling Hydrangea’s stomach with a content look on their face.
“Ihihi--” Hydrangea tried to respond, but could not speak through her tittering. Pent-up reactions from over the years were now spilling out through a stream of giggles.
“You cookies and your simple pleasures,” the dragon said with a smile. “So small and sensitive -- it’s quite adorable, really.”
Hydrangea could not stop the embarrassed whine that escaped her lips. “Lohohotuhus!”
The dragon stopped. “What was that?”
Hydrangea was suddenly filled with dread -- she didn’t mean to address her ruler so informally, it was just an honest slip of the tongue. She looked into the eyes of Lotus Dragon -- and thankfully, only seemed to find mischief.
“...M-my apologies. It was an a-accident.”
“Was it now?” the dragon purred, leaning in a little bit. “Regardless, I still think you deserve some punishment for your transgressions.”
The cookie shivered, somewhere between nervous and excited. “W-what kind of punishment?”
Lotus didn’t answer verbally -- they simply went straight for Hydrangea’s ribs and stomach. The floral cookie downright squealed, which was something she was not known to do, and burst into sudden and bright peals of laughter.
“Ahahahaha! I-I’m sohohoryyy!” She kicked her legs a little, squirming and yet leaning into the sensation. The dragon only laughed along with her, tickling her ribs as they might pluck the strings of their precious mandolin.
“My goodness, I don’t think you’ve ever shown such emotion to me before,” they murmured, keeping Hydrangea close to their chest. “I shall do this more often -- next time you appear to be annoyed, perhaps? This should put a smile on your face then, too.”
Hydrangea buried her face in her hands, flustered and trying desperately to hide her blush from Lotus. The dragon’s honest and yet sweet teasing was absolutely killing her, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. All she could do was laugh, filled with embarrassment and mirth.
Eventually, Lotus grew tired of using their hands so much, and Hydrangea was tired from all of her laughing and squirming. The dragon sank to the ground, cradling their assistant and almost rocking her to let her calm down. Neither of them knew how long had passed, but it didn’t matter at this point -- they were both just lost in the moment.
“T-thank you,” Hydrangea whispered as soon as she had caught her breath. Lotus nodded. It was strange to see the dragon so enamored and calm at the same time, but it was a beautiful sight. The cookie didn’t want to forget it, and she didn’t want the peace to come to an end.
“Of course, my darling Hydrangea. Whatever you wish.”
