TW: Mentions of death and grieving in author’s note. Skip if you are uncomfortable or sensitive to the topic.
(Hey, it’s been a while. So, shit happened in my life, and not only have I been super busy, but I’ve also been grieving the loss of a very close family member since early December. This is literally the first piece of fiction -- not just fics, actual writing -- that I’ve finished since everything happened. I’m still grieving as I go along, but I promise that I’m doing alright -- as best as I can, anyway. I wanted to write something fluffy and self-indulgent, so that’s why other WIPs, Tickletober, and requests have been taking so awful long. With that out of the way, here’s Warm Embrace, which I hope you enjoy!)
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/Kingdom
Ship: Werewolf x Vampire
Characters: Lee!Werewolf, Ler!Vampire
Words: 3067
Potential Warnings: Mild angst at the beginning, mouth tickles, mentions of alcohol
They said that opposites attract, but Vampire hadn't quite believed that until recently.
Everyone liked the idea of partners that were complete opposites from each other, but nobody wanted to be in that kind of a relationship. Every time that the opportunity arose, all people did was complain about how the person didn't understand them, or about how insufferable they were. All that talk about "opposites attract" suddenly faded into bitter words and heartbreak, and everything seemed to fall apart. Vampire had always scoffed at the mention of this trope, and when prompted, he would explain his disdain for the idea of it.
At least, until he fell in love with Werewolf.
The lycanthrope had entered his life at an interesting time -- Vampire had just started rekindling his bond with Alchemist, and he was being a bit more open with everyone else about his usual philosophical thoughts. He had been out for a moonlit stroll, using the time that he was awake to be somewhat productive, and he'd bumped into Werewolf in the middle of the night.
The poor man was…distressed, to say the least. When Vampire had found him, tears were streaming down his face, and he was shaking with a wild and frantic look in his eyes. His hair was a mess, and he was horribly scratched up -- from what, Vampire did not ever find out. He had been terrified of the undead at first, but with some gentle and reassuring prompting, Werewolf wound up following Vampire back to his place. Where he’d apparently expected aggression, he had instead been treated with hospitality, given a warm meal and a comfortable bed to sleep on. There he stayed for many nights, and Vampire eventually asked him to stay. Over the time they spent living together, their bond only grew stronger.
And then, slowly, Vampire started to realize that he was falling in love with the lycanthrope. It took him by surprise, but he accepted it very quickly -- he felt no shame, only nervousness. After some consideration, he confessed this discovery to Werewolf -- and thankfully, his feelings were shyly reciprocated. Perhaps “opposites attract” was true, Vampire considered, though he still doubted the truthfulness of it.
They were quite opposite, Vampire realized as he and Werewolf started dating. Vampire, despite being tired all the time, considered himself very outgoing and friendly to those that treated him well. He enjoyed life, and all of the things it had to offer. Werewolf, on the other hand, was known for having nightmares and bursts of aggression, as well as being incredibly reclusive. He rarely talked to anyone at all, even Vampire, and he was intimidating to boot.
Vampire never quite saw Werewolf as intimidating most of the time, but he would admit that his new boyfriend was concerningly quiet. He was trying to help him open up, as he felt it was his duty as a romantic partner, but it was proving to be difficult. Of course, Werewolf didn’t have to do anything that he was uncomfortable with -- Vampire perfectly understood the concept of introverts. It was just…Werewolf rarely talked at all about what he was thinking or feeling. It made him almost impossible to read.
As a result, the wine-loving undead began to shower his boyfriend with verbal and physical affection. It took Werewolf by surprise (he wasn’t expecting it, nor was he used to it), but he very quickly accepted the attention and allowed himself to relax at least a little around his partner. He still flinched sometimes at sudden touches, and he still refused to open up about his past, but it was a start. Vampire was making progress. He began spending his nights curled up with Werewolf in his bedroom, trying to help him feel loved and cared for.
On one of those nights, Werewolf was particularly soft -- Vampire felt almost proud of himself as he carded his fingers through his love’s hair. He was lying on his side next to Werewolf, who was facing him and had his face buried in the undead’s neck. The lycanthrope’s ears were twitching ever so slightly, and his breathing was so much more calm and even than it usually was around people. Vampire had one arm tucked underneath Werewolf so that he could hold the back of his head and play with his hair, and the other arm was draped over his boyfriend’s hip. The room was full of peaceful energy, and for a moment, Vampire considered falling asleep.
Werewolf flinched suddenly, interrupting the calm moment and startling Vampire. He didn’t lean away from his boyfriend, nor did he tense back up, but he did bury his face further into Vampire’s neck and grumble unintelligibly.
“A-are you okay?” Vampire asked nervously, looking over his boyfriend to make sure that he hadn’t hurt him by accident. He checked where his hands were -- neither of them were in bad spots, but he wanted to double check. “Did I make you uncomfortable, or--”
“‘M fine,” Werewolf grumbled, not elaborating. Vampire tried to think of what to ask him next, but then he noticed something odd.
Werewolf’s ears were slightly down, but not in the much more usual tense or aggressive position. They were more in an embarrassed state -- or loving, perhaps? His tail was twitching so slightly that it almost wasn’t noticeable, and his heart was beating somewhat faster. And there was a heat in the crook of Vampire’s neck -- was he blushing? What had he done to make Werewolf blush?
He looked at the positioning of his hands one more time. One hand still had its fingers in Werewolf’s hair, lightly scratching his scalp and twisting the ends gently like it was supposed to be. The other, however, had wandered a bit from Werewolf’s hip and edged near his tail, right where it met his lower back.
Vampire had a thought that came to him like a switch flicking in his head. Moving carefully, he tapped near the base of Werewolf’s tail to test his hypothesis -- and to his delight, Werewolf’s tail thumped on the bed as he grumbled with embarrassment.
“What are you doing?” the lycanthrope asked, just a little suspicious. Vampire bit back a grin and rubbed the back of his partner’s head.
"Oh, nothing," he answered unconvincingly. "Nothing at all."
Once Werewolf appeared to be less suspicious, Vampire moved the hand on his head down to his shoulders, giving him a gentle massage. When he was sure that his partner was fully relaxed, the undead lightly scratched at the base of Werewolf's tail. He wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea, and so he was prepared to stop at the drop of a hat.
Fortunately, he didn't have to -- his boyfriend's tail started wagging slowly, almost shyly. Werewolf shivered and huffed indignantly, but Vampire could feel a smile forming on his face.
"You alright there?~" Vampire asked, his question genuine despite the mischievous tone. He smiled and rubbed Werewolf's shoulders as the lycanthrope nodded.
"J-just, um…" Werewolf cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. "It...it t-tickles a little."
Vampire could not stop the awwing and cooing that came out of his mouth, nor could he stop his urge to gently scratch at Werewolf’s stomach that followed immediately after. Of course, he was light and slow -- he didn’t want to risk startling his boyfriend or making him uncomfortable at all. And yet, Werewolf did not twist away from him or object in the slightest. Much to Vampire’s delight, the lycanthrope even seemed to lean into the touch, his hidden smile growing wider.
“Vaha-- Vampire--” Werewolf huffed out, very obviously trying to stifle a laugh. Vampire flashed a toothy smile and kissed his boyfriend’s forehead, continuing his gentle scratching that was slowly moving towards Werewolf’s sides. His nails lightly danced along Werewolf's skin, making him shudder at the sensation.
"Mmhmm?~" the undead hummed, his voice low and teasy as his hands found their target. Werewolf jolted slightly, surprised rather than frightened, and he clamped his arms to his sides in a half-protest. This did nothing to stop the ticklish feeling, but that wasn't his goal anyway.
"Mmnnhhehe-- Wh-whahat are you d-dohoing?--'' Werewolf managed to whisper through his growing giggles. Vampire's grin only widened, prompting a gentle forehead kiss.
"I'm tickling you, silly. What does it look like?"
The lycanthrope's face went a cute shade of carnation pink at the honest but affectionate statement. His tail began wagging faster, making a soft whump sound each time it hit the soft mattress. He wasn't completely laughing yet, but he was getting closer to doing so with each passing moment.
Vampire found the whole thing downright adorable. Slowly and delicately, his hands climbed their way up Werewolf's rib cage like a ladder, pausing every so often to go back down a few ribs and scribble gently at the spaces in between before continuing their ascent. This left Werewolf twitching back and forth, instinctively leaning away but wanting the affection enough to lean back in every time.
After about a minute of the game, the lycanthrope broke into husky but sweet-sounding laughter. Vampire quietly murmured, "There you go," before pressing another loving kiss onto Werewolf's forehead and lifting his mischievous fingers up towards his underarms. At this, Werewolf's laughter grew a little pitchy, and he buried himself further into Vampire's neck out of embarrassment for the sound of it.
"Are you still okay?" the wine-lover whispered to his boyfriend, his voice right in his ear. Werewolf's ear twitched and his giggles became frantic for a moment, then he nodded and wrapped his arms around his partner. This made for easier access to his underarms -- Vampire didn't know if this was intentional or not, but it was amusing and endearing all the same.
This continued for a little while until Vampire noticed that his boyfriend's breathing was getting a little fast and short. At this, he slowed down a bit and brought his hands all the way back to Werewolf's stomach. To his relief, the lycanthrope's breathing evened out (as much as it could as he laughed), and Vampire rubbed in between his shoulder blades in a rhythmic circle to help him calm down further. Werewolf was trembling a little, clearly unused to tickling and the emotions it brought up within him.
Vampire kissed Werewolf’s nose gently, still trailing his fingers along his boyfriend’s quivering stomach. He then decided to get a little more devious -- he carefully rolled Werewolf halfway onto his back, then began pressing feather-light kisses into his neck, jawline, and collarbone.
“Aha-- V-VahaHAmpire!” the lycanthrope tittered, the blush in his cheeks matching the shade of Vampire’s hair. The undead chuckled playfully, kissing closer to the back of his boyfriend’s neck to give him goosebumps.
“Yes, my love?~” Vampire purred in Werewolf’s ear, bringing his hands up to tickle his lower ribs. For good measure, he used his other hand to go for his partner’s upper back. Werewolf arched his spine in response, letting out something halfway between a squeal and a startled laugh. The wine-lover was very amused by this and moved his affectionate kissing to Werewolf’s cheeks -- his amusement only grew when he realized that his boyfriend’s cheeks were also apparently ticklish.
“I-Ihihi-- I-I neEHEehed to breheHeHAthe--!”
In an instant, Vampire’s hands were no longer gently scratching and were instead massaging where they were. The kisses were much less teasy and moved to different spots; one was planted on Werewolf’s nose, and the rest were slowly scattered across his forehead and scalp. The lycanthrope took a few seconds to catch his breath, let out a happy grumble, and leaned completely back into Vampire’s arms.
“Did I go too far? Too fast?” the undead asked, murmuring with a concerned tone. Werewolf shook his head and cuddled his partner close, wrapping his arms back around him.
“Noho, no, Ihi’m alright…” was his response. Vampire instantly felt relieved and smiled, planting another sweet kiss right between Werewolf’s eyebrows. He felt a sense of wonder wash over him -- he’d never seen Werewolf like this, and he wasn’t entirely sure if anyone had. His boyfriend, once so hostile and afraid, had trusted him in an intimate moment like this. Vampire was almost tearing up at the very notion of it.
After a quiet moment of lying in each other’s arms, Vampire cleared his throat. “Are you…are you done, or are you okay with just a little bit more? There’s one more thing I’d like to try, but I don’t want to overstimulate you or make you uncomfortable.”
The undead could feel the heat from his boyfriend’s face in his neck again. Werewolf’s tail, which had since calmed down and been in a resting position on the bed, began wagging with excitement and embarrassment. Vampire bit back a teasy, sarcastic remark and waited patiently for an answer -- though, he figured he already knew what it was.
“I-I’m okay with…w-with just a l-little bit more,” Werewolf sputtered, speaking quickly and almost slurring his words together. Vampire smiled softly, gave him one more kiss on the nose, and carefully scooted downwards on the bed.
The lycanthrope was naturally confused at first, as well as a little nervous. He wasn’t quite sure what Vampire was up to, and he was even more confused as his boyfriend stopped at his stomach.
“Didn’t you already--?” Werewolf began, tilting his head ever so slightly.
“I did,” Vampire interrupted, lifting his boyfriend’s shirt up, “but I wanted to try a different technique here and I didn’t get to it the first time.” He leaned in a little to Werewolf’s stomach, gently holding his sides in his hands, and looked up with a grin.
“Different technique?” Werewolf asked, the naive curiosity making him seem much more adorable than he would have liked to know.
“Mmhmm~” Vampire hummed, his tone casually playful. “Werewolf, darling, have you ever had raspberries?”
“RaspberRIEHEHEHES?!--” The lycanthrope didn’t even get a chance to finish his question before Vampire pressed his lips against the upper part of his stomach and blew. Werewolf was given a few seconds to recover before Vampire continued, blowing short raspberries all across his lower ribs, stomach, sides, and hips. Being undead, he had no need to breathe, so it was much easier for him to keep going.
“VAHAHAMPIHIHIREHE!” Werewolf shrieked, rolling onto his back from the shock of the electrical sensation. His hands waved around frantically, somewhere between grabbing Vampire’s shoulders, covering his stomach as instinctive protection, or covering his mouth to muffle his loud cackling.
“Yehehes?~” Vampire paused to ask, mocking Werewolf’s laugh. He didn’t wait for an answer before blowing another raspberry over his belly button. The lycanthrope yelped in surprise before falling back helplessly into his loud and uncontrollable mirth, now resigned to clutching onto the pillow that he was laying on as if for dear life.
Not wanting to accidentally kill his boyfriend, the undead attempted to make his raspberries less intense and paused in between them. Following this decision, each time that he blew a raspberry, he’d be rewarded with a hiccupy laugh that only seemed to pause for a second. He found this hilarious but didn’t say anything about it -- he wanted Werewolf to keep at least some dignity.
After about another minute, maybe less, Vampire felt a light swat on his shoulder. He stopped immediately, figuring that Werewolf couldn’t take anymore but wasn’t able to say it with the state that he was in. The wine-lover sat up on the bed, ready to ask if he’d accidentally gone too far -- but at the sight of Werewolf’s face, the words melted on his tongue.
The lycanthrope looked like a mess. His hair was wild and somewhat tangled, his eyes were glossed over and unfocused, and his cheeks were beet red. He was catching his breath, and there was a dazed smile still plastered onto his face. His tail was wagging, slowly but happily, his ears were skewed and slightly flattened, and all of his tension had apparently fallen away. Vampire found himself speechless and opted instead to scoot back up and lie down, pulling Werewolf into his arms once more. They both laid there for a while, Werewolf catching his breath and regaining his composure while his partner played gently with his hair.
“That was…” Werewolf began, breaking the silence before trailing off.
“Different?” The undead offered, smiling sweetly.
“Different,” Werewolf confirmed with a soft chuckle. “Not…not bad, though. It was nice.”
“I was afraid that I went a little overboard there with the raspberries,” Vampire admitted, squeezing his boyfriend a little bit tighter. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, though -- I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”
Werewolf smiled at the final statement, almost flattered. “You didn’t go overboard, don’t worry,” he assured Vampire. “You stopped exactly when I needed you to.”
“That’s a relief to hear…” There was a pause in the conversation, and then a stray thought crossed the undead’s mind. “You know, if you ever want me to do that again, all you have to do is ask. I’d be more than willing to, if it makes you happy.”
Werewolf only responded with a whine before burying his face back into Vampire’s neck. “Awh, you poor, flustered thing!~” Vampire teased, rubbing the back of his boyfriend’s head and returning his other arm back to where it was originally -- draped over Werewolf’s hips.
Neither of them said anything else after that. Werewolf was too tired and too embarrassed to say much else, and Vampire was enjoying the peaceful moment. Werewolf was the first one to drift off, falling into a deep slumber that he would wake from feeling refreshed.
Vampire stayed awake for just a little bit longer, watching his sweetheart’s chest heave in a slow and steady tempo. The last thought that he had before succumbing to sleep was that he never wanted to leave the moment -- or, at least, he wanted to continue to have these sweet moments with Werewolf. He was warm, he was content, and he was at peace. It was all he’d ever wanted out of a relationship, and it was what the lycanthrope wanted as well. This was the closest feeling to heaven that either of them would reach.
Vampire was okay with that. As long as he had Werewolf, and as long as they had moments like this, he’d be the happiest undead in the world. Perhaps…opposites really do attract.
