Late night giggles
Commission for @ticklespls, also on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49049692
At some point in their relationship, Izzy had stopped grumbling about Stede’s need to cling, and that seemed to have been his first mistake. Stede had stopped paying him any mind when he realised he didn’t mean it, but once Izzy had stopped acting like the constant touching and cuddling bothered him, the floodgates burst wide open. The opening of said floodgates led to one very tired and grabby Stede collapsing on top of him on their bed after a night of overindulgence with Ed and the crew.
Slightly pink cheeked, Stede nuzzled against the back of Izzy’s neck with a content sigh as Ed flopped down next to them.
“So soft,” Stede mumbled. “Ed, isn’t Izzy so soft?”
“Don’t answer that,” Izzy grunts. He tries to roll over to dislodge his boneless captain, but Stede was apparently determined to use him as a body pillow. “Would you fucking move?”
“Can’t. Sleeping.”
“Yeah Iz, he’s sleeping. You wouldn’t wake your captain up while he’s sleeping, would you?”
“I’ll toss the sleeping captain into the sea if he doesn’t shift,” Izzy tries to push himself up again, but collapses in a huff when Stede doesn’t budge. “At least let me turn over!”
“Give it up mate,” Ed giggles, getting comfortable beside them amongst the nest of blankets and pillows. “You’re there ‘till breakfast.”
“S’true,” Stede mumbles, nuzzling closer, and Izzy sighs, resigning himself to his fate. At least Stede wasn’t all elbows and knees. The peace lasts for a few minutes, the three of them settling into sleep, before an annoying itch in his foot wakes Izzy up again.
“Ed,” Izzy hisses. No reply. “Ed, wake up.” He gets a snore in response.
Izzy squirms underneath Stede's weight, huffing into the pillow. "Fucking get off, I need to scratch my foot."
Ed's head pops up from under the blanket with suspicious speed for someone who was supposedly just asleep. Slowly, a wicked smile spreads across his face.
"I'll scratch it for you," he says coyly.
"No you fucking won’t! ” He kicks fruitlessly at Ed’s hands, which have already latched around his ankles and are tugging them free of their entanglement with Stede’s legs. “Edward!”
“What’s the matter?” Stede pushes himself up enough to turn towards the commotion, eyes glassy from tiredness. Ed grins at him smugly, easily overpowering Izzy’s weak attempts at escape.
“Izzy has an itch on his foot.”
“Okay?”
“So ‘m gonna scratch it for him.”
“Why has he gone pink, though?”
“Oh,” Ed yanks Izzy by the ankles so he’s got a solid grip. “Because he’s ticklish.”
“No I am not! ” Izzy’s blush spreads to his ears. His legs no longer a viable weapon, he pulls the pillow from under Stede’s head and smacks Ed square in the face. Unphased, Ed snatches it and tosses it away. He lifts his hand slowly into the air, clenching and wiggling his fingers for Izzy to see.
“You’re really squirming around for someone who isn’t ticklish,” Stede quips, suspiciously more awake than he was moments ago.
“That’s because he’s the most ticklish person in the world,” Ed drops his hand to skitter his fingertips along his soles. Izzy bites his lip and squeezes his eyes shut, but then he can’t anticipate Ed’s next move, so he snaps them open again.
“Are you alright, Izzy?” Stede asks him, a note of concern lacing his words, and it’s so saccharine it almost gives Izzy a toothache. “Ed, maybe if Izzy doesn’t enjoy it…?”
“Oh, he does,” Ed grins at them both, the sort of expression that promises mischief and mirth in equal measure. “Unless that’s changed from the last time, Iz? You remember that time a while ago when you pulled a muscle in your back, and Fang offered to help? You got so wound up about it because you didn’t want him to see how ticklish you are, and how it just makes you melt. ”
“ Edward. ” Izzy flushes red. “That’s bullshit, never happened. And even if I was ticklish I wouldn’t like it!”
“Liar,” Ed jabs a finger at the sole of his foot. “Don’t be embarrassed because Stede’s here! He’s super fucking ticklish too, y’know.”
“Well!” Stede bristles, puffing up in offense, and then immediately deflating and looking sheepish. “Actually, yes, I suppose you’re right. It really is nothing to fuss about, and can actually be quite fun!”
“Nope.”
“Yes!” Ed wriggles his fingers closer to his target, watching with glee as Izzy’s resolve begins to slip. Just as Izzy opens his mouth to tell him exactly what he thought of him, Ed dropped his hand to start gently wiggling over his sole. Izzy slams his hands over his mouth immediately.
“Oop, it seems like someone’s trying not to laugh!” Stede teases. Izzy scowls at him. See if he ever intervenes when Ed is tormenting him again. “Oh, do put that pout away. I so love to hear you laugh.”
“He always does this, acts like he isn’t desperate to get his shit wrecked.” Ed trails his fingers up towards his toes, poking them in between and wiggling. Izzy jerks his leg violently as a rogue burst of laughter escapes him, nearly dislodging his foot from Ed’s grasp. Ed huffs at him, and readjusts himself so he’s got a leg thrown over Izzy’s shins, well and truly trapping him. At the same time, as if sharing a mind, Stede moves silently beside him to pull his taut body against his own.
“Is Edward right?” His breath tickles against his ear and he shivers. “Do you want us to make you laugh?”
“No!” It sounds unconvincing even to Izzy. Stede’s hands slide up to his sides and pet at them, nothing more than what they normally do late at night. Stede loves to touch, Izzy knows personally. He lets himself imagine for a moment how things could be if he just gave in. The casual touches morphing into something with more intent… Izzy shudders at the thought. As though he could read his mind, Stede curls his fingers into claws and digs into his belly.
It doesn’t break the dam that was Izzy’s resolve, but it definitely cracks it. His breath turns ragged as he tries to channel the laughter into something, anything else - it was a matter of pride at this point. Ed seems to sense he’s about to break, and with a wicked grin, wiggles his fingers in between his toes.
Izzy erupts into laughter, tossing his head back against Stede’s chest and writhing in the strong grip of his arms.
“There we go!” Ed laughs triumphantly. He hones in on the spot that made Izzy break, teasing the soft skin with his fingertips. Izzy scrunches his toes and stretches his ankles in a weak escape attempt, but Ed is a devious tickler and always has been. “Nuh uh, get those toes back.”
Izzy whines and kicks about it, but does as he’s told without question. His body and mind are halfway to mush already, and as Stede’s hands ascend to draw along his ribs, he feels himself giving in. Ed takes one of his feet in each hand and works them over methodically, tracing wiggly lines from heel to toe and back again. It’s almost too much - almost.
“Please,” he chokes out, giggling breathlessly and grabbing at Stede’s hands.
“Please, what? What are you asking so prettily for?” Stede bats his hands away and continues the slow rise and fall of tickly fingers against his ribs. Izzy gets a grasp of Stede’s wrists, noticeably not trying to pull them off. Instead, he squeezes them as if to keep them there. If Stede realises what he’s doing, he doesn’t say anything.
“Bet I know what he’s asking for,” Ed chuckles. He releases Izzy’s feet from his wicked grip and slowly turns himself around, crawling up the length of his body until he perches on his hips. “What Izzy’s trying to say is ‘Please, don’t stop tickling me, don’t stop until I’m a sobbing, gooey mess.’ Did I get that right, baby?”
“Ed,” Izzy whines breathlessly, his watery eyes blinking up at his Captain, looming above him. He angles his chin up and lets his lips part, waiting. Ed’s expression seems to both soften and sharpen, his gaze dropping to his mouth.
“I think he’s also asking for a kiss, my darling,” Stede says, the smile obvious in his voice. He’s stilled his hands to take in the scene in front of him, and sighs happily. “My two boys, so lovely. Kiss him, Edward.”
Ed obliges with gusto, kissing with such force it steals Izzy’s breath. Ed’s hands cup his cheeks and wipe away a few stray tears of mirth. He pulls back, peppering his face with gentle kisses instead. “So good for us, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Captain,” Izzy replies, not really sure what he’s agreeing to, but he always tended to agree with Ed anyway.
“Will he continue being good, do you think Ed? I know I’ve not had the pleasure of tickling him to tears, but I do seem to be getting the hang of things.” Stede strokes Izzy’s hair back from his forehead. “I wonder if I can guess his favourite spot.”
Without warning, he wriggles his fingers into Izzy’s soft belly, and the surprise of it shocks an actual squeal out of him. He grapples for Stede’s hands and collapses into hysterics, kicking his newly freed legs aimlessly.
“Oh, that’s a good spot - try going nice and soft along the waistline, makes him purr real pretty.” Izzy was in hell (heaven), and had reached that point where even Ed’s words fucking tickled. There’s only a very small part of him now that wants to protest his words, but… it had been such a long time since he’d let himself feel like this. So instead of fighting, he feels himself preen at the praise. Ed hums, a pleased rumble deep in his chest that makes Izzy and Stede both shiver. “See? Such a sweetheart once the dickishness is tickled out of him.”
“Why are you only telling me this now?” Stede’s fingers pinch higher up to his top ribs, and Izzy bats at him weakly. “I don’t think I ever want to let you leave this bed, Izzy. You’re to stay here forever so we can tickle you at our pleasure.”
A groan slips out between gasping laughter, and suddenly he feels shy. He turns to bury his face against Stede’s arm.
“Now, none of that!” Ed slips a finger up to stroke at the underside of Izzy’s chin and down to his neck.
“Edward!” Izzy lurches away with a peel of breathy laughter, scrunching his shoulders up to try and dislodge Ed’s fingers. “Fuck off!”
“Can’t fuck off while you’ve got my fingers trapped, now can I?” Ed wriggles them, and Izzy’s hands fly up from fending off Stede’s assault to latch on to his wrists. Of course, this gives Stede the opening to expand his assault by sliding one hand down to squeeze at the soft spot where his thigh meets his hip. With three of his most ticklish spots being targeted, Izzy feels the giddiness growing in his gut, and can’t help the giggles that pour from his mouth. “Aw, there we go,” Ed coos. “Look at you, haven’t seen you melt like this in ages.”
Ed and Stede both laugh along with him, and... well. Maybe it is a little bit nice to let go. He finds himself settling back into their hold and finally letting go.
