(Guess who got inspiration back!!! I literally finished, like, 3 small fics in a few days and they’re all about CROB oops-- I just finished this one about 2 minutes ago ((at the time of typing this)) and it’s my favorite so far, so please have it-- Enjoy! It’s completely self-indulgent fluff, but so are most of my fics, I hope you don’t mind.)
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.
Fandom: Cookie Run: OvenBreak (could also apply to kingdom)
Ship: Lilayogurt (Lilac Cookie x Yogurt Cream Cookie)
Characters: Lee!Lilac, Ler!Yogurt Cream
Words: 1854
Potential Warnings: None
Yogurt Cream was an...interesting person to work for. For starters, he constantly went off to search for the world's most exquisite treasures, which often wound up being a wild goose chase. For another, he wasn't the least bit intimidated by any sort of stern, annoyed, or otherwise bitter expression on anyone's face. He was extroverted and jovial, even towards those who very obviously wanted him dead.
Lilac found it foolish, but also incredibly comforting in a way.
The bodyguard was known for being relatively neutral, showing no emotion as to guard himself on the job. His minimal reactions made him appear boring, but it was the mark of a great bodyguard...and a great assassin. It was for these reasons that he also tried to distance himself from Yogurt Cream. And yet, despite all of those efforts, Lilac's employer still treated him like a friend rather than a servant.
It complicated things.
Like today, for example -- Yogurt Cream, taking notice of the beautiful spring scenery, declared that the two of them should have a grand picnic outside in the palace garden. Lilac begrudgingly complied. He wasn't one to partake in relaxation, but if he had said no, Yogurt Cream would have demanded it anyway. Besides, his employer was wonderful company, even if Lilac would never say it out loud.
And so on that beautiful spring day, Yogurt Cream was lounging and eating delicious-looking sandwiches while Lilac stood rigidly beside him.
"You can come sit next to me, you know," Yogurt Cream said, stating the obvious. Lilac nodded and continued to stand anyway.
There was an awkward silence.
"Why are you always so stiff?" the former asked, breaking the tension. "You don't have to be -- I'm not going to judge you for showing a little emotion once in a while."
Silence again from the retainer.
"You know what? That's it, come here. Sit in front of me."
Lilac glanced at his employer, slightly confused, but complied immediately. He would never disobey an order. The bodyguard kept up his tense personality as Yogurt Cream ran his fingers through his short hair. The touch was...different. But it was nice.
"You need to relax -- today's a perfect day to enjoy ourselves," Yogurt Cream murmured. "That means you, too."
In his usual fashion, Lilac looked back at him with no response. He did not relax (it was near physically impossible for him to do so), but he did allow Yogurt Cream to do as he pleased. The merchant continued to play with Lilac's hair for a minute or two, then resorted to massaging his bodyguard's shoulders. That was different as well -- Lilac found himself actually resisting the urge to lie down.
Yogurt Cream wandered a bit too close to Lilac's neck, causing the latter to flinch and grab his employer's wrist, turning to face him. At first, his expression was stony and almost aggressive...but noticing Yogurt Cream's wide eyes, it morphed to be apologetic and ashamed. He let go and turned back around, not wanting to meet Yogurt Cream's gaze.
"Are...you okay?" his employer asked slowly. Lilac nodded, trying to calm himself with slow breaths.
"Can I...touch your neck again…? I just want to help you get used to it."
The bodyguard pondered the question for a few moments before nodding again. He inhaled deeply, bracing for the touch, and flinched as Yogurt Cream placed his hand on his neck gently.
This time though, Lilac's instincts didn't kick in. He sat patiently, letting his employer rub his fingers up and down slowly. For a little while, everything was just at peace.
Then the sensation grew lighter, which elicited a...strange feeling from the bodyguard. It was making him shiver, but it didn't feel bad, per se. Goosebumps formed on his arms, and he felt his cheeks get a little warm. After a couple more minutes, Yogurt Cream went up to his ear, and Lilac broke character by gasping.
Yogurt Cream jolted, stopping immediately. "Did that hurt? I'm sorry--"
Lilac cut his employer off by shaking his head quickly, visibly confused.
Both of them thought about it. It took a few seconds, but then Yogurt Cream developed a surprised, almost delighted look on his face.
"Are you...ticklish, Lilac?"
The assassin had no clue on how to answer. He looked back at Yogurt Cream, shrugging and slightly embarrassed (but trying not to show it).
"You don't know?" Yogurt Cream asked in disbelief. "Then...lie down here for me."
Lilac's stomach did a flip-flop. He obliged immediately, of course, but he did not know how to feel about it. After lying down on his back, looking up at his employer, he realized what exactly this meant for Yogurt Cream's image of him.
It was bound to happen eventually.
"Put your arms up and behind your head, please," the merchant commanded. Lilac did as requested, trying to keep his blush from surfacing. He was asked if he was "comfortable with this," and hesitated, not knowing how to feel at first. After going through everything in his head, he nodded -- he'd let Yogurt Cream amuse himself for now.
Yogurt Cream began by trailing his fingers along Lilac's abs almost delicately, as if the bodyguard were made of thin glass. The latter was taken aback a bit by the sensation, flinching and shivering ever so slightly. He wasn't sure if that was the desired reaction at first, but one look at Yogurt Cream's grinning face answered him. His employer's smile made him feel...comfortable. As though nothing were wrong. Maybe that was how it was supposed to be.
"I'm going to do something a bit different, okay?" the merchant asked, waiting for consent. Lilac nodded his head again, readier this time. He took a deep breath to ready himself -- and huffed out something that was almost a laugh as Yogurt Cream very lightly scribbled at his stomach.
"Oh wow, that's adorable!~" Yogurt Cream exclaimed softly, his fingers spidering over Lilac's torso with his nails barely making contact with skin. The bodyguard couldn't stifle his blush this time -- he wasn't adorable! Or at least, he didn't think he was! Then again, Yogurt Cream was known to find joy in even the dullest things, so maybe that was just him.
Then Lilac realized that a smile was starting to break through his exterior.
He didn't know what to do -- let it happen? But what would that do for his persona? On the other hand, if he forced it down or covered his face, he'd be defying his employer. It wouldn't have been a difficult decision if Yogurt Cream wasn't the one tickling him.
With that final thought, the reality of the situation hit him, and he suddenly couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Yogurt Cream noticed the shy expression immediately, as well as Lilac's relatively obvious struggle with it. "Oh my goodness…!~ You can smile, don't worry."
Can smile, sure. But should? Lilac looked at his employer, still confused.
"You know what, scratch the can. I order you to let yourself smile as long as you are comfortable."
With that, Lilac's inner torment melted away, and he allowed the uncharacteristic grin to show. He also began to lean into Yogurt Cream's touch -- the gentle tickling was new and unfamiliar, but it was almost...friendly, in a sense. He wasn't used to friendliness, either.
Yogurt Cream brought his teasing, spidering fingers down to Lilac’s hips, and that was when things really started to break for the bodyguard. He bucked his hips in surprise, almost twisting away and yet wanting to lean in at the same time, and his breathing quickened. The merchant continued, keeping his touch gentle and prepared to stop if need be, and then slowly...Lilac began to laugh.
It was a rough sound, faint and not frantic in any sense. It didn’t sound panicked or in pain, but it was definitely nervous and somewhat strained from having almost never happened before. It was incredibly quiet and scratchy as well, not wild or loudly clear like some.
Yogurt Cream thought it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.
“I didn’t know you could laugh, Lilac!~” he exclaimed with a slight teasing lilt, making the assassin’s cheeks turn red. He traced circles with all five fingers on each hip, making his retainer whine with embarrassment.
“Ihihi d-didn’t k-knohow eheheither!”
The statement simultaneously broke and warmed Yogurt Cream’s heart. He’d heard Lilac speak before, on rare occasions, but it was usually only when the situation was dire or when he was comfortable enough. And when he did speak, it was either a warning (in the aforementioned dire situations), or it was something that was either sad or downright heartwarming. This was, in a way, both.
“Well, I really like your laugh, Lilac,” the merchant purred, moving to lie on top of Lilac as to gently pin him down. He brought his hands up to the bodyguard’s armpits, resulting in another gasp before more shy giggling. “Mind letting me hear more of it?”
Lilac, flustered more than he’d ever been and in a giggly daze, had no idea how to respond. He was barely managing to keep his arms up as instructed -- his underarms were more ticklish than he’d expected. Granted, so far every part of him had been more ticklish than expected.
Thankfully, Yogurt Cream seemed to have the same idea, and paused his teasing for a moment to gently bring Lilac’s arms down. “Here you go, this might be more comfortable. I’ll give you a moment to breathe.”
The assassin took that time gratefully, catching his breath and trying to recover while his head was spinning. He barely registered it when his employer cupped his cheek with one hand, and he couldn’t care less when he instinctively leaned into the affectionate touch. It was just him and Yogurt Cream, and that was all that mattered to him now.
“Are you okay?” the merchant asked, clearly amused and double-checking his bodyguard’s emotions. Lilac nodded, trying to say “yes” but barely managing to get the word out through his breathlessness. “Good, I wouldn’t want you to be upset…”
There was a long, peaceful moment, where Lilac learned how to breathe steadily again and let Yogurt Cream lie on top of him. Both of them were in a daze of sorts, one incredibly delighted by his discovery and enamored with the possibilities, and the other dizzied by his newfound “weakness.” Or perhaps it wasn’t new -- after all…
...Hadn’t Yogurt Cream always been his weakness?
“What do you say to Round Two?” his employer asked suddenly, his voice mischievous but gentle. Lilac blushed and nodded, trying to hide a faint smile.
Initially, Lilac hadn’t expected anything much from that spring afternoon, as most excursions with Yogurt Cream wound up either being dangerous or compromising his reputation. But this, with just the two of them, was so comforting and so appealing...he’d have to let it slide just this once. And maybe a few times more. It wasn’t like anyone else was there.
It was just the two of them. And that was all that mattered.
