Summary - In which Lloyd is tickled for the first time
It had been a relatively laid back day, considering Ninjago's.... tumultuous history. The ninja had only had deal with a few minor (and amateur) criminal groups and nothing too dangerous either. Yet despite that, they'd had a late dinner so they were all gathered around the table in their pajamas, Zane clearing everyone's plates away. As he cleared Lloyd's, his hand accidentally brushed against the younger ninja's side. Lloyd jumped as though Jay had fired lightning at him.
"Lloyd, is everything alright?" Zane asked, brow furrowing in mild concern.
"Y-Yeah, fine!" Lloyd said hurriedly.
Whilst that may have satisfied Zane, it did not satisfy Kai. He leaned against his chair, arms crossed lazily behind his head. He studied Lloyd for a moment then his face twisted into a smirk. "Y'know, I think he's better than fine." He said mildly, "I think our green bean is ticklish!"
"What?" Lloyd looked genuinely confused.
Nya had risen from her seat to go and help Zane, who had paused in his washing up in his own surprise, suddenly stopped. "Wait, you seriously don't know what tickling is?"
Lloyd looked at her then at all of them. "Should I?"
"Yes!" Cole and Jay answered at the same time, the latter throwing his arm up in the air for emphasis.
Cole looked at Lloyd like he'd committed a war crime. "Kid, how have you lived and not been tickled?"
"Better question, how has he been with us this long and not been tickled?" Jay countered even if he did look completely and utterly bewildered. "Cole, Zane and I tickled Kai in the first three minutes of him being a ninja!"
"You said we wouldn't talk about that!"
"Two minutes and thirty three seconds if memory serves." Zane turned to give Kai a rare smirk. "And I believe that only you said that, the rest of us said nothing of the sort."
Kai flushed. "Zane, I swear to the First Spinjitsu Master!"
This, more than anything else, seemed to only add to Lloyd's confusion. "It just didn't happen much when I was a kid." He said to Jay and Cole.
The other five exchanged looks.
"Wrongs must be righted!" Jay shouted suddenly and practically dove across the table. Zane was very relieved he'd cleared everything when he did.
Lloyd gasped as Jay wiggled his fingers over his sides. "J-Jay, what are you doing?!" He protested, though he didn't pull away.
"Tickling you!" Jay responded in a sing song voice.
Before he could stop it, a giggle bubbled up from Lloyd's throat. That gave Jay pause and made him gasp dramatically.
"Oh my gosh." Nya said slowly.
"He actually giggles." Cole finished for her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Kai's smile broadened. "If that's the case..." He disappeared briefly into the storage room, Lloyd's eyes following him warily. Somehow, he could tell that this was either going to make him want to flee or he'd enjoy it.
Kai returned. From his shoulder, a small stretch of rope was hanging casually.
"Kai!" Nya said warningly. Her eyes glinted with approval.
Jay near enough cackled. Cole clapped slowly.
"Kai. What are you going to do?" Lloyd said slowly, half resisting as the aforementioned and Cole gently eased his arms behind his head and bound his wrists to the back of the chair whilst Jay and Nya did the same to his ankles.
Zane gave him a reassuring look. "Do not worry. If I sense it is getting too much for you, I will tell them to cease." He promised.
Lloyd had never been so betrayed. "You're going to let them do this?!"
Zane replied. "We did the same to Kai."
"Yeah, but," Lloyd protested, "he probably had it done way more!" He huffed. "And you're meant to be the reasonable one!"
The nindroid paused as though considering this then allowed himself a small smirk. "Normally I would agree. However," his hand ghosted over Lloyd's side again, "I would never pass up an opportunity to make my younger brother laugh."
Lloyd wasn't sure if he was touched or even more betrayed by that comment. He didn't have time to think about it though as Cole suddenly attacked from behind.
"Tickle tickle~" He teased, running his blunt nails over Lloyd's neck and shoulders. It tickled. It tickled so badly.
Lloyd squeaked and hunched in on himself.
"Hey, Zane." Cole said. "Check the floor for mice, will you?"
"Gladly." Zane smiled calmly and knelt near Lloyd's feet.
Zane gave Lloyd a devilish smile and calmly ran a single finger over both soles of his feet. Lloyd downright cackled, twisting in the ropes. "FUHUHUCK YOU, ZANE, FUCK YOHOHOHOU!"
"I would rather you didn't." Zane said matter-of-factly, pausing before adding, "And that you refrain from such language."
Nya grinned evilly. "It's fine, Zane, I've got it." She growled playfully, making little claw shapes with her fingers. "Here comes the tickle monster..."
"T-Tihihihickle monster?" Lloyd asked between giggles, shaking like a leaf.
"Yep!" Nya gleefully jabbed her fingers into his armpits.
Lloyd yelped and laughed. "Nohoho! Nohohot thehehehereee!" He pleaded.
"What?" Nya asked innocently. "Here?" She scribbled under his arms.
Lloyd yelped again, "Yehehes there!"
"So you do want tickles there!"
Kai smirked and ran his fingers lightly over his ribs. "One... Two.... Ah ah, green bean, no squirming else I start over."
Lloyd tried not to squirm, he really did, but - between Zane attacking his feet, Cole now moving onto his ears under the claim of his yelping sounding "like a puppy's", Nya wrecking his underarms and now Kai counting his ribs of all things - it was impossible not to squirm.
Especially when Jay sent little jolts of lightning over his stomach. Then Lloyd flipped out and squealed.
"JAHAHAY! WHAT THE HEHEHEHEHECK?" Lloyd shrieked. Yes, shrieked.
The others grinned at Jay.
"You can do that?" Kai shouted.
Jay nodded. "Of course I can." He said like it was obvious. "Especially when it gets fun little noises like that!" He did it again and Lloyd squealed. Again.
"God, you're so ticklish here." Jay said offhandedly, now scribbling with one hand and zapping with the other.
Lloyd was laughing too hard to talk, tears running down his very warm cheeks. He could feel himself tiring, his squirming growing less and less.
Zane seemed to catch this and relented. "That is enough. He is tired."
The others followed his example and drew back.
"How was that for a first time?" Cole grinned, untying Lloyd.
Lloyd panted and took a grateful sip from the glass of water Zane was now holding out to him. He mumbled something.
"What was that?" Jay said sweetly.
Lloyd groaned. "I said it was good. Really good. Now shut up and let me go to bed."
The others chuckled but let him go.