Some Champion (BoTW)
Tickle fic, don't like it, don't read it.
Revali needs help with his grooming and begrudgingly turns to Link for help, only to discover he's a bit more sensitive than he remembered.
There is NO ship, since Link is a minor (17), and Revali an adult, this is strictly platonic and friendly. Maybe even brotherly, if you think about it.
Normally Revali stayed in Rito village, only allowing himself to be groomed and preened by close friends, as most Rito did. But at the moment he was in Hyrule Castle, along with some of the other champions, having a meeting. The princess was kind enough to offer rooms for all the champions to rest over the next few days, since their villages were a long way from the castle.
Revali sat in his room, trying hard to groom his feathers, but it was much more difficult than he thought with only one hand, since he was trying to straighten the feathers on his left arm. After a while, he growled and gave up, letting his attitude get the better of him. "Revali?"
The bird jumped upon hearing the voice. He turned to see Link standing in the doorway. Revali knew the other Champions thought he hated the Hylian by how hard he was on him, but the truth was completely the opposite. He had a soft spot for the knight, but he was the youngest and the smallest, and Revali was scared to see him get hurt. He was hard on him in order to create a wall between them, and also to make him stronger.
"...Revali?" Oh.. Guess he got lost in thought. "What do you want?" He asked, coldly. "You left your door open. I heard you growl and thought maybe you needed help." Link explained.
Help? HIM? Revali? Never! "Maybe I do." He found himself admitting. The comment seemed to shock them both. Link stepped fully into the room, shutting the door. "Would you like some help then?" he asked. After a moment of tense silence, the Rito nodded. "I was trying to groom my feathers, but that's usually a social thing that people do in Rito village. It's hard to do by yourself apparently." Revali said, sitting up straight.
Link walked over to the dresser and grabbed a comb. There was a comb this whole flipping time? Was Revali really that blind? Link sat down next to him, pulling him from his thoughts. "So.. How does this work? I've never helped groom... anyone really." the boy said, looking up at his much taller friend.
Revali glanced down at the comb in Link's hand. Rito usually used their hands, but it wasn't uncommon for them use combs as well. Usually parents used them for children, since they had down feathers, or their feathers were too small and fragile to really grab ahold of. Children were also encouraged to use combs until they got a bit older, since they might accidentally damage the feathers of friends or younger siblings by grabbing or pulling too hard. But Revali decided Link was allowed to use a comb as well, since he not only saw him as a child, but he was new to grooming.
"It's not that hard, really. You just comb it through, going the same direction of the feath- ..Yes, like that." Revali hadn't even finished his sentence when Link just started to run the comb gently down the length of his arm. Link was a quick learner, really. After a minute or two of Revali guiding him and giving him pointers, Link seemed as though he'd been doing this for years.
Everything was going fine for a while. Link had combed down both of his arms, and had just started to go for his side, when Revali suddenly tensed up and flinched away, grunting. The Hylian almost dropped the comb, startled. "Oh- Revali, I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Are you wounded there? I can go get a medi-" "I'm fine. It's nothing, don't worry about it." Revali said. Even he was confused for a moment, until he suddenly remembered something. Oh.
Revali had forgotten something over the years. He was ticklish. He hadn't been tickled since his mother used to play with him as a child. She used to chase him around for grooming time, and he'd always hide, making a game out of it, until she inevitably found him, scooping him up and taking him back home, where she'd comb out his feathers and tickle him. It had been years since then, and be had been so busy that he had even forgotten his own sensitivity. But he couldn't let Link know that.
"You just caught me off guard." ...Look, Revali was very skilled at fighting. Not so much at lying. Link tilted his head like a confused puppy. "...How? I've been combing your feathers for ten minutes now." Revali silently cursed himself. "Uh-.. I mean, y- Hey!" Revali yelped and gently slapped the comb from Link's hand, letting out what sounded like a strangled giggle.
"No way.."
"Link."
"I can't believe it."
"Then don't, there's nothing to believe-"
"Revali, the Rito Champion is-"
"Link, don't-"
"Ticklish?!"
"No!"
Suddenly forgetting to be proper, forgetting that they were warriors, Link jumped at his feathered friend, knocking him over. Revali put up a good fight, but he was weakened when Link buried his fingers into the feathers over his ribs, scritching against the skin underneath. And then the Rito was broken.
"Lihihink! Stahahahap ihihit, this ihis chihihildish!" Revali gave up on fighting, back, and focused more on protecting himself. He brought his arms down, accidentally pinning Link's hands right where they were.
"Hah! Some Champion you are~!" Link teased, laughing right along with his friend. He wiggled his fingers in place, listening as the pitch in Revali's voice actually got higher the more he giggled. And he giggled! It was so bizarre! Link never heard more than a chuckle or a scoff out of Revali. He assumed if Revali ever did laugh, it would be hearty or snobbish, like his personality. He never thought he would giggle like a child.
Link was just about to pull the 'my hands are trapped, you need to raise your arms' trap, when he suddenly felt a swift kick to his stomach, and found himself on the floor.
With how fast Revali sat up to check on him, Link assumed it was an accident, and raised his arms, saying "I'm okay, I'm okay. I've dealt with worse." Which was true. He was a knight.
Revali grabbed Link's hand, acting like he was gonna help the Hylian up. Link went to stand up, but found himself yanked back onto the bed, into the arms of his friend. "Wh- Revali! I thought you were helping me up!" He said, almost giggling as he tried to fight his way out of the hold (which wasn't working).
"Lesson one in battle: Never let your guard down."
"What- We weren't fighting!"
"Lesson two: Never trust your enemy."
And with that, Revali slipped his hand under Link's shirt and let his feathers brush over his belly. Link growled to keep from laughing, and kicked his legs, trying to fight back and get away. "Are you- Are you growling at me?" Revali laughed. He started to claw gently at Link's side, letting the feathers tickle him more than his actual hand. Worked like magic.
Link threw his head back, letting boyish laughter spill from his mouth. He kicked less and just laughed. "R-Rehehehehehe- Stahahahap! Thihihihis isn't fahahahair!" He giggled. Revali rolled his eyes. "Oh but it was fair when you tickled me?" "YEHEHES!" Oh this brat.
Revali pulled his hand from Link's shirt and directed his attention to his pointed ears. He stroked just under his ear with one feathered finger, as Link's loud laughter turned squeaky, and he struggled a lot more. His giggles turned to hiccups and he tried to duck his head away. "R-Rev- -hic- Revahahahali! Nahahat t- -hic- thehehere!"
The Rito champion finally took pity on the poor Hylian and stopped. When hs let go of Link, the boy just let himself flop onto the floor. Revali made an attempt to catch him, but Link was too fast. "A-Ahare you alrihight?" He chuckled. Link just held a thumbs up, still giggly and loopy from the tickling.
Revali felt a fondness for Link bloom in his chest, but one of family. In that moment, he didn't see the Hylian champion, or the Princess' guardian, or a knight. He saw a 17 year old boy who finally let himself relax and have a bit of fun for once. He saw a kid who had gone through more than what most adults went through.
"I see you two finally got along." Came a voice from the doorway. Revali snapped his head up to see Lady Urbosa, smiling at him. She must have heard all the noise. Link sat up, still with a lopsided grin. Of course he wasn't embarrassed, Revali thought, he didn't have a reputation to uphold. He sighed, knowing he couldn't lie to Urbosa. She'd see right through him.
"I guess so, but he started it."