ransara (platonic or not) with a starter u think would fit ?
It didn’t take long for Sara to notice that Ranmaru rarely smiled.
Even though they had been friends for a few months, he never let himself be vulnerable around her and seldom showed any emotion other than his usual dolefulness. Maybe it was his personality, or maybe he was going through something unknown to anyone else, but it would have been dishonest to say that it didn’t bother her. She did her best to include him whenever she could, like inviting him along when she hung out with Joe and Ryoko. She even went out of her way to include him in their conversations so he wouldn’t feel like a fourth wheel. But no matter what she did, he stayed as solemn as ever. Even Joe’s stupid jokes failed to have any effect. He’d grin halfheartedly, and sometimes chuckle under his breath, but he never really, truly laughed. And Sara was determined to change that. She knew what to do; Joe and her always messed around this way, and it always helped her feel closer to him. Perhaps this method would work on Ranmaru, too.
She waited until they were alone to act. The perfect situation arose when she invited him over one day for lunch. Her parents were out running an errand, so they had the house to themselves for a spell. After making lunch together they sat next to each other on the couch to eat.
“Hey, Ranmaru?” she piped up after finishing her plate.
He had just finished shoving another rice ball in his mouth, so it took him a second to respond.
“How come you never smile?”
He stared at her, looking a bit puzzled by her sudden question.
“Uh… I dunno… why do you ask?”
“It worries me. You seem so sad all the time.”
He shrugged as he took another bite of seasoned rice.
“I’m alright. I guess I’m just a naturally gloomy guy.”
“Maybe so, but I’d really like to hear you laugh for real one of these days.”
It was subtle, but she could’ve sworn he tensed up. His shoulders flinched ever so slightly, and he almost gagged on his food. This stirred her curiosity even more.
“Why…? It’s… it’s nothing special…”
“Don’t be so modest. I bet it’s really cute.”
When he was in between bites and not paying attention, Sara reached over to gently pinch his side. The reaction was instantaneous; he just about leapt into the air and squealed in an uncharacteristically high pitched voice. Sara couldn’t help but giggle; she never would have expected that out of such a serious guy.
“Was that a squeal I heard?” she asked with a smirk.
His eyes widened with shock when he realized what was about to go down.
“Hey… no!! Don’t come any closer!!”
But it was too late. Sara cornered him in an instant and left no room for escape. She climbed over his hips, pinning him down so all he could do was wiggle his upper body a little. He started babbling before she even touched him, pleading for mercy she wasn’t planning on giving.
“Please, no! Sara, I’m really… EEHEEHEEHEEHEE!! GAAAAAH!”
He cried out the moment her fingers started dancing over his belly. Although his shirt provided some protection, he was simply too ticklish for his own good. He practically howled when she spidered her nails up and down his sides, and even snorted when she began to poke into his ribs at random. Meanwhile, he scream-laughed as he swung his arms from side to side in a desperate attempt to fling her off, but his defenses were weak and after a few seconds he gave up. Consumed by helpless giggles, there wasn’t much else he could do at that point but laugh.
Sara grinned triumphantly as she tickled him, finding herself lost in the moment. For the first time, Ranmaru looked… happy. Sure, his laugh may have been forced, but seeing him finally let down his defenses gave her a lovely feeling she couldn’t quite describe. And as she suspected, his laugh was adorable. It was goofy, loud, and downright silly, which made it all the more endearing. Even his genuine smile was warm and wonderful, the complete opposite of his usual demeanor.
However, she didn’t want to take it too far, so after a couple minutes she stopped and gave him a chance to catch his breath. He kept giggling long after her hands left his body.
“What the hell… was that for…” he sputtered out in between gulps of air.
“Heh, sorry… I got a little carried away…”
He crossed his arms around his chest and curled into a ball, facing away from her. He must have been really embarrassed. Sara felt a little guilty for teasing him.
“I’m glad I got to hear it though,” she said softly.
“Hear… what?” He seemed to perk up at her comment.
He sat up and looked at her timidly, as if afraid to ask his next question.
She nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. It’s really funny, but it’s nice.”
Ranmaru looked away as his blush deepened, his entire head becoming a comical shade of tomato red. Although he wasn’t facing her, Sara thought she saw a small smile break through.
She grinned triumphantly, happy that the two of them were able to grow a little closer that day.
