A Te-hea Spell
A/N: Here's another fic for intheticklecloset's Tickleween event! This one is for prompt: #30 Jack-o-lantern and #24 Witches' Brew
Word count: 2,201
Read on Ao3
On the day of the Spooktacular, all the clocks in Furin high seemed broken. No matter where they looked time passed agonizingly slowly; each minute an hour as the sun crept across the sky.
When the school day finally ended the school teemed with excitement for the festivities and frights to come. Class 1-1 was starting particularly early, with a so-called “ritual” being conducted in the glass tea kettle the class was circled around. The water within boiled raucously, and when Suo placed the teabags inside, it swirled with a deep, royal blue. Surprise heightened when a different teabag sent curls of magenta throughout the liquid.
“Woah! That’s so cool, Suo-san!” Nirei gasped.
“What the hell even is that?” Sakura frowned, though his eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Tea,” Suo said, his smile becoming a smirk. “And water.”
“Shut up, you know what I meant,” Sakura glared.
Kiryu raised his hand. “I also want to know about the magic pink color, Suo-chan!”
Several of their classmates voiced their agreement but Suo only shook his head and put a finger to his lips. “I’m not supposed to say, but…it’s magic.”
“Oooh, like you mean with your exorcist powers?” Tsugeura awed.
Sakura raised his eyebrows while most his classmates gave varying expressions of amusement.
“Just spit out what ingredients are in it,” Sugishita glowered.
“I’m sorry, Sugishita-kun, afraid I can’t do that,” Suo beamed.
“But…what if someone’s allergic to it?” Kakiuchi asked, eyeing the undeniably magical-seeming liquid.
“Oh, no one is allergic,” Suo said with a knowing smile.
“What the–how could you know that?” Anzai cried.
“Ah! It was me,” Nirei said, putting a hand behind his head. “Suo asked for a list of everyone’s allergies and I–”
“You just gave it to him?” Kurita cried, pointing at Suo. “To that guy? With all his deviousness?!”
“Umm, yes?” Nirei replied, looking at Suo. “Suo-san said he wanted to bring a treat for everyone and wanted to make sure it was safe…”
“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t,” Takanashi grinned. “I’ve heard of this trick before but never seen it in person because this stuff can be hard to find. It’s really cool of you to share it with us, Suo!”
At Takanashi’s comment a lot of the hesitation dissipated, as he had brought snacks before and had grown a reputation of trust with food stuff.
“Of course!” Suo beamed, taking out a corked spice bottle decorated with swirls. “This tea blend will help everyone stay energized throughout the night…” He uncapped the vial and gently poured the clear contents into the kettle. The liquid inside swirled into a brilliant emerald. “If you’re brave enough to drink it.”
“Oh wow! Furin green!” Nirei beamed.
“Wait!” Takanashi shouted, making Nirei and some others jump. “It’s not supposed to change that color! I have no idea what was in that vial.”
The class looked to Suo who only smiled as he set out paper cups. “It’s the secret ingredient.”
Tsugeura, Sakura, Nirei and a few others took a cup as he poured the tea, but a lot of them remained untouched.
Suo sighed, picking up a cup. “You all wound me. I would never give you something that would harm you in such a way,” he said, taking a sip himself. “It also definitely wouldn’t be by defacing tea. If you all grew to dislike tea because of me, it would break my heart.”
“Awe okay,” Kiryu smiled, taking a cup. “Thank you for the tea, Suo-chan!”
Eventually everyone did take some, many smiling at the tasty mystery flavor. As they cleaned up the cups, Suo was pleased that all of them were empty. Though, some continued to ponder what the secret ingredient had been.
Takanashi especially couldn’t shake it from his mind. All the things he’d ever made and he still couldn’t figure it out! He unconsciously eyed Suo as they moved things into place for the night ahead, though his gaze did not go unnoticed.
“Really got his goad huh, Suo?” Tsugeura asked, literally poking fun at him as he wiggled a finger into his side.
Suo jumped and smacked his hand away. “The phrase is ‘get one’s goat,’” he replied, trying to hide his surprise with a glare.
The class finished putting away their things and began to disperse to get the school ready for the night ahead. A small line formed at the door as everyone drew from a large plastic bowl Anzai had found. Inside were envelopes for the game he and Kurita had roped them all into during lunch. Kurita stood beside him, the pair having agreed to draw last to assure fairness and douse suspicions of trickery.
But when Suo approached, Anzai pulled the bowl away with a grin. “What’s the password?!”
“Oh?” Suo asked, smiling patiently. “Do I get a hint?”
Anzai looked to Kurita who hunched his back and curled his hands into claws. “A mystical thing!” he rasped, bringing his uniform up to his face and peering over it. “It swirls and teems, casting green in magic tea!”
Anzai and the classmates in the line behind Suo looked at Kurita with awkward smiles. He’d put so much effort into the performance he’d basically given Suo the answer.
Still, those left in the room watched in interest.
“My, my! Really tangled up over that detail aren’t you?” Suo mused, placing his hands behind his back. “I really shouldn’t say though. Secrets are meant to be kept.”
“Nope!” Anzai yelled.
His classmates looked over to see his hand around Suo’s wrist which was inches from the bowl’s rim.
“Oh! You’ve gotten faster, Anzai-kun!” Suo said, his smile turning a little more sinister. “How wonderful.”
Kurita gasped in realization. “You dared try to trick the bowl guardian?!” He cried, pointing at Suo menacingly. “Now you have to face my wrath!”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine–” Suo said, stopping short when arms wrapped around his middle and shoulders. “Hm. This isn’t the best time to be giving huHUGS!”
Before any of them could blink Suo had pulled his arm back from Anzai, grabbed Kurita’s hand from his side and clapped his remaining hand over his mouth. Silence settled over the room. A mischievousness took over Anzai’s face as Suo looked at the ones holding him: both Takanashi and Kakiuchi wore knowing grins.
Not good. At what point had he let himself be surrounded by these four?!
“Something you want to say?” Kurita asked, but the second Anzai moved to put the bowl down Suo’s pressed his fingers under Kakiuchi’s arms and pulled one of Takanashi’s knees out from under him with his foot. One squeaked and the other yelped, but neither let go as all three of them went crashing to the floor.
Kakiuchi’s laughter filled the air as Suo fought to find purchase and escape their limbs.
“Just!” Takanashi huffed, grabbing Suo’s ribs and making him jump. “Tell us what ingredient you added!”
“As I said, it isn’t my information to tehehehell!” Suo replied, flinching as Kakiuchi’s fingers curled into his side. Suo pinched his upper ribs in retaliation, becoming more desperate as Anzai and Kurita stalked towards him.
“Hehehehe! Oh noho! Hehehehehelp!” Kakiuchi squealed, pulling his arms from around Suo to push at his hands. “Ihihihehe! I cahahahan’t!”
Suo quickly got to his feet and two sets of hands promptly grabbed each of his arms.
“Going somewhere?” Kurita smirked, digging his fingers into his side.
Suo clamped his mouth shut and willed himself not to move in hopes they’d loosen their grip.
“Hmm…not talking huh?” Anzai grinned.
Suo’s gaze narrowed in reply.
Anzai snickered and looked over his shoulder at their classmates. “You guys can take your cards. This is going to take a minute.”
“Yeah, you can go ahead of us too,” Takanashi said, helping Kakiuchi to his feet and wiggling his fingers into Suo’s stomach.
Kakiuchi nodded in agreement as he dusted himself off.
Some took their evolves and escaped the possibility of being dragged into the mayhem, while others stood healthy distances away to watch the spectacle.
Suo only flinched at each edition of hands, even as Anzai wormed his fingers under his arms.
“I know I heard him giggle,” Kurita said, poking up and down his side in search of a good spot.
“Come on, Suo,” Takanashi sighed, switching to sporadic squeezes. “We know you’re ticklish and that you know what was in that vial.”
Kakiuchi smiled. “It’ll be easier if you just tell them,” He said, gently scratching along Suo’s ribs only for him to jump so hard Anzai and Kurita almost lost their grip on him.
They looked to him expectantly, and though he’d already swallowed down the smile, there was a certain sparkle there that hadn’t been there before. Each of them took turns repeating their most recent attempt.
Suo braced himself as much as he could, but the second Kakiuchi resumed tickling his ribs his smile returned.
“Oooh, I get it!” Kurita smirked, lightening his touch. “Can’t take the soft stuff huh?”
Helpless giggles bubbled past his lips which escalated to laughter as the others joined in. “Ahaha! Nohohoho wahahahait!”
“Nope, you didn’t wait and say the password, so now we’ve got to tickle it out of you!” Anzai grinned.
The tickles sparking through Suo’s nerves left him no room to think. “Ihihi! HEHE Ihihihi cahahaAHAN’T!”
“Sure you can,” Takanashi replied, gently dragging his nails down his stomach. “These little tickles take less energy so we could probably go for hours.”
“NAHAHahaha! PLEHEheheheheASE! Pleehehease DohohoHOHOhon’t!” Suo hiccuped, his feet tapping the ground as he tried to pull away.
“All you need to do is tell them,” Kakiuchi grinned, wincing when tracing his upper ribs resulted in a burst of higher-pitched giggles.
“IHIHihi cahahaAHAHAN’T” Suo cried, trying to drop to the floor to escape the gentle torture. “PLEHEhehehe! Ihihihi’ll tahAHAHAHALK! JuhuHUHUst stahahahap!”
The four gave just a few more gentle pokes before letting him catch his breath.
“Plehe–Please lehet me ahahanswer ahahall the wahay,” Suo breathed, a few after giggles getting past as ghost tickles sparkled through his nerves.
“Sure, sure,” Anzai smiled, barely scritching a finger under his arm to make him jump.
“Ihi! I cahan’t tell yohohou whahat the ingrehehedient wahas,” Suo giggled, squirming as Anzai added another finger alongside his first. “Ehehehe! Ihihi’m nahahat dohohohone!”
“Then keep talking,” Kurita smirked, drumming his fingers on Suo’s arm.
Suo flinched at the touch. “Ihihi cahahan’t sahahay behecahahause I dohohon’t know eihehehehehither!”
“Wait, for real?” Takanashi blinked.
Suo nodded. “The shohop owner said it was a surprise fohohor the holihiday.”
At that all their fingers stopped.
“But the allergies?” Kakiuchi frowned.
“I showed thehem the class allergy list I got from Nirei and thahat is the one they said we could all have,” Suo breathed. “I didn’t eheven know what color it would turn into. He was pulled to his feet for what he feared would be more tickles only to be released.
“Why didn’t you just say that earlier?!” Kurita shouted.
Suo took a step back so he could see them all. “I didn’t want to ruin the illusion of the mystery,” he said, his smile returning. “I also tried, but couldn’t get all my words in.”
“Eheh, sorry about that,” Anzai winced, offering him a cup of water. “I was excited that we finally got you laughing and went overboard.”
Suo politely took the cup. “Thank you, Anzai-kun, and it’s alright, but I will think twice before I bring any more tea to school.”
“Oh, no,” Takanashi frowned. “We like your teas, Suo.”
“Yeah! Don’t not bring them because we were being stupid!” Kurita pleaded, clasping his hands together.
Kakiuchi nodded in agreement and Suo hummed in thought.
“Hmm…Maybe if I could borrow your services in the future,” he said, inching a finger at them. “Then I might be able to look past what has transpired.”
Takanashi, Kurita, Kakiuchi and Anzai looked at each other in surprise before smiling at each other in ranging amounts of relief and mischievousness as they nodded.
“I’ll let you know when the time comes,” Suo nodded. “May I draw my card now?”
“Oh, yeah!” Anzai grinned, grabbing the bowl. “Here!”
Each of them took an envelope from inside and put them away for later.
“Now that that has been sorted out,” Suo smiled, turning to his classmates who had lingered behind to spectate. “Lets not keep the preparations for tonight waiting any longer, shall we?”
The hint of darkness in Suo’s gaze had everyone, Anzai and his friends included, moving swiftly for the door only to freeze.
Thuds echoed from the other side, slowly becoming louder and louder. Those closest to the exit slowly backed away for the door to slam open and a bright orange jack-o-lantern mascot to burst into the room.
“HELL YEAH!” Tsugeura’s voice yelled from inside as he grabbed two of their nearest classmates under his arms. “Come on you slow pokes, time to get SPOOKY!”
He turned and walked out, their classmates struggling for release as they were carried out into the hall. Everyone else cheered and laughed at the spectacle as Suo followed behind, his ever calm smile donned on once again.