A little thought | Kyle Du Vilteon x Joe Heart Rotais
Commissioned by @dirtpie39
A/N: (3/4) We're getting there! Sorry for the long wait! Hope you enjoy it!
Summary: Was telepathy a curse or a blessing? If someone were to ask Kyle, he'd say it was a curse.
Words: 4k
The morning began ordinarily enough.
Which should have been Kyle's first warning from the universe… or goddess Turga, in any case.
The weather was pleasant. The palace was unusually quiet. For once, his schedule wasn't completely full with paperwork. He had even managed to enjoy breakfast without some minor catastrophe that could possibly ruin his entire day when the morning barely had started.
Everything was… extremely perfect. Naturally, stronger forces decided to correct this huge mistake.
He was walking around the stables. Not really looking for anything or anyone. Simply enjoying the good weather and the soft breeze caressing his cheeks. Although he already felt slightly suspicious this day had been going so well and stress free.
He sneaked inside the stables just to check the horses, feeling a little calmer as he approached one and carefully rubbed his muzzle.
"Good afternoon," he said politely with a little smile and the horse only blew softly through his nose, lowering his head to enjoy the gentle touch. "Are you having a good day?" He knew he probably looked ridiculous talking to a horse, but no one was watching him and, to be fair, he was feeling slightly tired and vulnerable in front of an animal
He kept petting the horse until he started sniffing around his torso. Kyle tilted his head to the side with a playful smile. "Hmm? Do I smell like food?" he chuckled. "I don't think I'm very tasty… I'm all skin and bones, you know? You would probably get a stomachache if you took a bite."
The horse seemed to not care. He sniffed Kyle's chest and the rest of his torso. The playful smile softened on his lips, but then, his eyes widened in surprise and an undignified sound escaped his lips before he could stop it when the horse's muzzle grazed his neck. Kyle jerked his shoulders up with a soft, little giggle.
"Hehehey!" he said, trying to push the horse's head away. "Thahat tickles!" His cheeks turned slightly red, was he really being tickled by a horse? This day couldn't get any weirder.
The horse, however, was not done yet, he kept sniffing around Kyle's neck and the poor prince could only laugh and squirm like a kid as he tried to stop the animal from tickling him further.
"Fine! Fihihihine! Stohop it alreheheady!" he said, taking a few steps back, taking a deep breath before pulling out a carrot from the pocket of his jacket. "You were slightly off, but at least you smelled it. Good boy" Kyle chuckled, feeding the horse the carrot before he walked away from the stables to do some paperwork during the evening.
Silence rained in the stable… until Joe squealed, stomping her feet excitedly from her hidden place.
"KYLE IS TICKLISH!" she giggles happily, swirling around like a mad person. "Oh my goodness! This is the best day of my life! My sweet, little baby angel!"
If Kyle knew this had been discovered… he'd be extremely mortified… but Joe couldn't care less about that.
—
A couple of days later, Kyle was in the training grounds. He raised his sword, shifting his weight as his opponent circled him. The sounds of clashing steel and shouted corrections from nearby knights echoed all around Kyle, but he was focused on the knight helping him train at that moment.
"Again," Kyle said and the knight nodded, charging forward. The wooden sword came toward him, and Kyle parried cleanly. He stepped backward, just to keep his balance and then stepped forward, countering the knight.
The knight huffed as the prince was taking the upper hand in their sparring. Then, however, a familiar voice drifted through his mind. Hearing someone else's thoughts inside his brain was such an unusual sensation. An awkward experience, if he had to be honest. But soon enough, that voice drowned his own thoughts.
Look at my beautiful Kyle! Ah~ he looks so handsome!!
Kyle sighed softly, but he was slowly getting used to those kinds of thoughts coming from Joe. She would often shower him with compliments that honestly made Kyle feel embarrassed to the core, but no matter how many times he asked her to stop, things stayed the same.
He glanced up for a second, trying to see her, but he couldn't. He paid not too much attention to the voice inside his head as he kept training.
Oh, my little angel~ I wonder if his stomach is ticklish~
Kyle nearly dropped his sword and the knight stopped, blinking at him.
"… Your Highness?"
"I'm fine." His response was quick and tense. The knight looked unconvinced.
Just what kind of thought was that?! Why was she wondering about that all of a sudden?! And most importantly, how did she know Kyle was ticklish?! Wait… no way…
Kyle's face went a little pale. The knight arched an eyebrow.
"Your Highness? Do you need a break?"
There was no way Joe could know he was ticklish… unless she watched him the other day at the stables! Kyle fought the urge to groan and kick himself in the face. Of course something like that would happen, that day was way too perfect. He was not going to hear the end of it… but then he noticed he couldn't hear her voice at all anymore. Maybe she was just passing by. Yeah! He can at least finish his practice in peace.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his grip around his wooden sword. He looked up at the knight again and shook his head. "I said I'm fine. Again."
The knight barely had time to nod before the spar resumed. Wood met wood, some splinters flying off after each hit. Kyle settled back into rhythm. He even almost forgot about the whole incident.
But then that dreamy voice filled his head.
Maybe his ribs or waist~?
The tip of the blade scraped harmlessly across the knight's guard instead of striking properly. The knight's eyebrows rose and Kyle froze in place, the tip of his ears turning slightly pink.
Several seconds passed and no further thoughts arrived, but Kyle already wanted to walk into the ocean. He still thought it was nothing… just a passing curiosity. The sort of thing Joe would think since she was so obsessed with Kyle. There was no reason to worry about this.
The knight stared at him for a whole minute before he dared to speak.
"… Your Highness—"
"Again," he said coldly.
But—
Would he laugh right away? Or pretend he's not even ticklish? Oh, he would look so adorable either way~
Kyle missed another parry. The training sword struck his shoulder. Not hard, really, but enough to make him wince slightly.
"Your Highness!" The knight said, horrified but Kyle raised a hand.
"I'm fine," he repeated for the third time, even though it was more than clear that he was not, in fact, fine.
Kyle closed his eyes and then opened them, looking around slowly. Somewhere not away from here, Joe was wondering what his laughter sounded like. Not just any normal laugh, but his tickle laugh.
He sighed deeply and the sparring session continued, very poorly so. Every few minutes, another thought floated from Joe's head to his.
Would he blush and cry?
Maybe he would laugh so much he wouldn't be able to speak~!
Could it be that he would get annoyed?
Kyle absolutely would get annoyed. He was annoyed right now.
By the time this sad excuse of a spar finally ended, his patience was already hanging by a threat.
"Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness?"
"No."
"… Distracted?"
Kyle stared at him and the knight bowed deeply before he fled. Unfortunately for Kyle, the day was only beginning.
—
By mid-morning, Kyle found himself seated behind his desk with a stack of reports waiting for review. He had taken a bath, had a light snack and now he was ready to work and forget about his horrible training.
Paperwork was peaceful. Predictable and even a little boring sometimes. This was some kind of safe space and there was no way Joe—
He would absolutely shriek if I pinned him down!
Kyle snapped his fountain pen in half. The ink splattered across an empty page, thankfully. Silence filled the office after that. Kyle stared at the broken pen in his hand and slowly, very slowly, he set it down.
A maid just leaving a glass of water and a crystal pitcher on the desk blinked and then cleared her throat. "… Should I fetch another one for you, Your Highness?"
"… Please do."
The maid practically sprinted from the room. Kyle pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his hand with the exhaustion of a man returning from war itself. He sighed and tossed his head back against his chair.
What was Joe doing? … He really didn't want to know. But damn telepathy had never been merciful, has it?
I bet his feet are sooooo tiiiicklish~ maybe even under his toes?
Kyle nearly banged his head against the desk… there was still ink all over it. By now he knew Joe wasn't going to let go of this subject any time soon. The subject being him, of course.
—
Hours kept passing by. The day wasn't going to stop just because Joe was thinking about tickling Kyle until he couldn't breathe. Or because she was thinking of the playful teasing she would use while having the prince surrendering under her tickly fingers. Or because she was very interested in creating a spreadsheet—whatever that could be—about how ticklish every single part of his body was. Or because—
Yes. The day simply kept going. After his paperwork, he had a couple of meetings scheduled. It was just a routine meeting with several minor nobles regarding trade routes and seasonal taxes.
Nothing new. Nothing exciting. Nothing difficult. Nothing that should have tested the limits of Kyle's patience… but, unfortunately for him, he forgot to add Joe's existence into the equation.
Kyle sat at the head of the long table, listening to this man enthusiastically explaining the benefits of repairing a bridge somewhere Kyle didn't even know existed.
"The increased traffic would improve commerce throughout the region, Your Highness," he insisted, nodding his bald head.
Kyle blinked and fought the urge to let out a heavy, tired sigh as he nodded. "Proceed," he said with the firmness only the prince could be capable of.
The noble beamed almost as if Kyle had told him he was going to be King. Several others immediately began offering their own opinions, and Kyle, even though not really interested, managed to focus on the discussion. Peace and boring work.
Until…
I would pin his arms above his head and tickle his armpits until he's crying!
Kyle's hand tightened around the paper he was holding, crumpling it inside his fist. Not now. Please, not now.
The man around the table continued speaking, blissfully unaware of Kyle's suffering. "If the repairs begin before winter—"
I bet he'd go sooo red if I mention how pretty his laugh and smile are!
Kyle stared at the table… would he really get all red?
".. Your Highness?" A noble called him. "Are you alright?"
Kyle blinked and lifted his eyes. They were looking right back at him, some worried, some expectantly. He only wanted to go to sleep for the rest of the day.
"I apologize," he said smoothly, even managing a little polite smile. "Please continue."
The meeting continued and Kyle desperately tried to focus. But it was difficult when Joe's voice was the only thing filling his mind.
I would wiggle my fingers on his neck and ears, I bet he would be so ticklish there!
Maybe his hips too! Or his ribs? Even his hips?! Kyyyaaa~ that's such a naughty spot!
Kyle felt his whole face turning bright red as he rubbed his forehead. The corner of his eye twitched, which was a dangerous sign because it usually meant someone was in big trouble. Fortunately for everyone present, Kyle's irritation wasn't directed at them. Unfortunately for Kyle, the person that was irritating him was nowhere to be seen, so he couldn't do anything about it.
The meeting dragged on. Suddenly all the nobles ruined today had a lot to say and propose to Kyle. And Joe also was very busy thinking about Kyle again.
I would tickle his ribs one by one~ Oh! Maybe I can count them out and pretend to forget the next number~
I would go 'tickle tickle tickle tickle' just to make him squeal!
Kyle choked on his tea. The nobles jumped, some hurrying over him, nearly knocking their chairs over.
"Your Highness!"
"I'm fine," he said, his voice strangled and he coughed a little.
The men looked unconvinced, but nodded anyway, sitting back down. Kyle cleared his throat, straightened and pretended he lost a tiny bit of his dignity just now. Somewhere, Joe was happily thinking about wrecking him while Kyle nearly died.
Kyle narrowed his eyes at absolutely nothing as the meeting continued around him, and for a horrid second Kyle thought that he might, in fact, squeal if Joe went tickle tickle tickle tickle.
—
By the time lunch arrived, Kyle felt as though he'd fought three wars in one single day… and had lost all of them. The dining hall was mercifully quiet. Only a few servants lingered nearby, placing platters before him and drinks.
The meeting from earlier had been a torture. His cheeks were still red, but he was finally alone. No nobles, no more meetings, just warm, comforting food. Kyle sat down and allowed himself a soft sigh of relief.
It was lunch time. Surely Joe is very busy herself right now, having her own lunch or whatever. It had been too long either way. No reasonable person would spend an entire day thinking about the same things… especially not thinking about tickling someone from all things.
Kyle picked up his fork and took a bite of his food. It was good. It was peaceful. It was normal, and, above all, it was tickle-less. He took a few more bites, drank his wine, and wiped his mouth elegantly. And he realized, horrified, that Joe hadn't thought about tickling him in nearly twenty minutes… and he was waiting for it.
He froze. Oh this was bad. Very, very bad. Now every moment of silence felt suspicious. Was she thinking about it right now but she was too far? Was she distracted? What if she had forgotten—
He went still, his eyes widening. No. Absolutely not. He was not disappointed because Joe stopped thinking about tickling him. He did not want Joe thinking about tickling him in the first place! That was ridiculous. So very dumb.
Kyle glared at his half-eaten lunch, but his food didn't even flinch. A few more minutes of silence passed by, and still nothing. Kyle blinked and relaxed a little… alright, yeah. Maybe she was done for today. Good. Very good. The ordeal was finally over.
Perhaps—
Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke!
Kyle's eyes widened, his fork falling from his hand. It clattered loudly against the plate as he visibly jolted as if someone had actually poked him. One nearby servant nearly had a heart attack.
I would poke him all over! I bet Kyle would giggle so much! Aaah~ it would be like listening to music!
Kyle closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He counted to five… then to ten… then to twenty. When he opened his eyes again, he realized the thoughts—her thoughts were not only embarrassing, they were worse because now his body was reacting to them. Which was unacceptable. Completely unacceptable.
He angrily took another bite of food, chewed, swallowed and repeated, trying not to think. Maybe if he didn't pay attention, Joe wouldn't be able to—
Oh my goodness! What if he's ticklish in his lower back?! Would he laugh so sweetly if I ran my fingers over his soft skin?! SO CUTE!
Kyle blinked, setting down his utensils very carefully, his eye twitching, a muscle of his jaw tightening. Why was he cursed with this… ability to hear her thoughts? Couldn't he turn it off? Couldn't he—
Would Kyle want to be tickled by me?
Kyle stood up abruptly, his chair nearly toppling over. Some servants jumped and stared at him. He stared back, anger as if every single person in the whole world were the guilty ones of his misery.
"I'm done," he informed before he stormed out of the dining room.
This day was never going to end.
—
By the end of the day, Kyle was so tired he just wanted to collapse onto his bed. He dragged himself to his chambers a little earlier than usual. He wasn't even going to change into his sleeping clothes. He was just going to pass out on his bed and deal with his clothes tomorrow morning.
He opened the door of his room and stepped inside. It was silent. Silent outside and inside his head. Wonderful, beautiful silence. He walked up to the bed, he could have cried from relief right now.
Perhaps Joe had finally fallen asleep. Perhaps she had moved on. Perhaps—
Would Kyle actually let me tickle him?
Kyle froze with a knee already resting on his bed. His eyebrow twitched. She sounded so worried. Really analyzing the possibilities of him allowing her to tickle him… as if she hadn't been tickling him mentally all the long!
I bet we would have so much fun together!
Kyle stared blankly at his precious bed. So close, just… he could just—
… And maybe I can even tie him up at some point and—
Kyle stood up properly again, he let out a loud, long sigh and walked out of his room again, closing the door behind him with a little bit of more force than necessary. He walked down the long stairs, directly toward the front door. The guards there jumped a little, surprised to see the prince outside at that time.
"Y-Your Highness? Do you need—"
"Do not disturb me," he said, walking straight toward the stables without looking back.
His boots stomped against the stone path, and then against the soft grass until he literally kicked the stables doors open. Joe, who was currently doing her last nightly chores, jolted and shrieked in surprise, even the horses cried in fear at the sudden intrusion.
"KYLE?!" Joe asked with wide eyes, a hand against her chest where her heart was about to jump off. "What- What are you doing here? I—"
Kyle grabbed her collar and dragged her to her room. He kicked the door open and tossed her onto the bed. Joe shrieked, covering her face as a deep blush covered her cheeks.
"K-Kyle?! What- What are you doing?!" she cried and jolted when Kyle kicked the door closed and approached her. Joe's eyes widened when she looked at his face. Oh he was fuming.
The corners of his mouth were pulled upward, but it was something deeply unsettling about it that Joe didn't even dare to call that expression a smile. His eyes were slightly narrowed and unnaturally bright as he stared at her with the intensity of a man who had exhausted every last bit of patience several hours ago.
Joe could clearly see a muscle tightening and twitching so hard, she thought he might wear that expression forever. She could almost see Hell's flames burning behind him. His cheeks were flushed pink, however and Joe's heart couldn't help but flutter at the sight.
It was the sort of expression that suggested he was moments away from committing a crime. Joe gulped. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she could form a coherent word.
"K-Kyle? W-W-What's going on?" she asked cautiously, trying to crawl away from him. Kyle's smile widened and Joe flinched. "W-Wait! Wh-What are you—are you going to k-kill me?!"
Kyle didn't say anything, he simply moved forward like a blur. His hands latched to Joe's sides and, even before she could process what was happening, he started tickling her. Joe shrieked and then dissolved into loud giggles.
"No! Nohoho! Why ahahare you tihihickling meheheheeee!"
She still had the audacity to ask why?! After the whole ordeal she made him go through the whole day?! Kyle grew more certain every day that Joe didn't know what shame was.
Joe collapsed onto her bed, giggling hysterically as Kyle hovered over her, squeezing at her sides with a knee propped on the bed. Joe squirmed beneath him like a little worm, trying to push his hands and then his shoulders away from her, but Kyle was having none of that. He was there with a clear mission: revenge.
Although, could this be revenge even if she didn't actually tickle him?
"NOHOHO!" she shrieked, wrapping her arms around her ribs when Kyle's fingers started to play with each bone with careful precision, rubbing into them all with his thumbs as if he wanted to polish the sensitive skin.
Joe arched her back, her eyes tightly shut and her cheeks blushing red as the tickling continued without mercy.
"LIHIHISTEN! Lihihisten, Kyle, plehehease!" she begged, nearly cackling as the tickling moved higher and higher toward her armpits. She became a bit more desperate then, wriggling from side to side. "I d-dohohon't know whahahat I dihihid, b-buhut—ahahahah, wahahait!" she squealed and tried again," buhuhut I ahaham sohohorry! Ahahaha! J-Juhuhust stoahahap plehehease!"
She must be kidding. How could she not know what she did?! Honestly, Kyle was still amazed could—no, he already knew Joe was capable of thinking about him often, but she could also spend a whole day thinking about tickling him?!
Joe was crazy… and obsessed!
He continued his attack uninterruptedly, his fingers light yet quick and devastating across Joe's ribcage. From the sternum to the spine, he tickled the length of each rib so meticulously even he was surprised by his tickling abilities. He was not someone to tickle people or even get tickled often. In fact, he can't remember the last time he tickled someone, but by Joe's reactions, he thought he was doing a pretty decent job. Or maybe Joe was simply too ticklish.
Worst thing, though, or at least Kyle thought it would be for Joe, was that he wasn't talking. At all. His fast breathing was the only sound that came from him, and a little groan every now and then when Joe accidentally hit his arm too hard or held onto his wrists too tightly. Never enough to make him stop, of course.
Joe's lashes slowly started to sparkle as tears of laughter clung to them before sliding down the sides of her head. She would sniffle too and gasp a little too hard, making herself do a little snorting sound.
She tossed her head back, weakly clinging to Kyle's arms as he vibrated his fingers against her higher ribs.
"Cahahaha—AHAHAHA! C-Cahahan y-you at—ha! Ahahaha, at l-leheast s-say s-s-sohohomething?!" she said through laughter, feeling even more vulnerable that way.
Kyle stared at her for a moment, her fingers not stopping for even a second, before he smirked, his eyes narrowing a bit as he leaned closer to her until his lips brushed against her ear. "Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle~," he teased quietly.
Joe's eyes widened, her breath hitching in her throat before hysterical laughter poured out of her as Kyle's fingers finally dug under her arms, right in the middle of her poor, defenseless pits.
She kicked her legs, nearly hitting him, and pressed her arms tightly to her body, expecting to crush his fingers under them, but only making them stay buried under there for longer. His fingers wiggled and dug and rubbed and vibrated against the spot until Joe was nearly seeing stars.
But Kyle was not done yet. Deciding her armpits were one, if not her most ticklish spot, he pulled his arms out from under there and grabbed her wrists. Joe thought for a moment that he was going to stop, but then she arched her back and screamed when Kyle easily lifted both her arms above her head and gathered her wrists in one of his hands.
"PLEHEHEASE! PLEHEHEASE, KYLE!" she begged, laughing even before he started, but once he did. Joe couldn't do anything else besides laughing in ticklish hysteria as her pits were mercilessly tickled by a very angry and flustered prince.
And Kyle wasn't ready to let go yet. If anything, he was just starting.
On shoes and other matters | Kyle Du Vilteon x Joe Heart Rotais
Commissioned by @dirtpie39
A/N: (4/4) Thank you very much for your very kind support and patience! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I hope you liked the fics! Thank you again!
Summary: Kyle is helping Joe with her shoes... or is he?
Words: 4k
The morning had started far too early for Joe's liking, and also extremely busy.
She sat in front of the huge vanity while two maids fussed over the final details of her appearance, adjusting a sleeve here and smoothing a wrinkle there. The preparations for tonight's banquet had begun hours ago, yet somehow Joe had heard the maids repeating that they were running late over and over for the past three hours.
Joe couldn't care less about being late or not. As the Empress, she had accepted that noble gatherings were simply part of her life now. Endless greetings, endless conversations, and endless fake smiles just to please a bunch of people that only wanted her favor or Kyle's.
It was tiring more than anything.
Joe let out a long sigh and a maid immediately materialized herself at Joe's side. "Is something uncomfortable, Your Majesty?"
Joe jumped a little at the sudden voice beside her, but she waved her hand absentmindedly and shook her head. "No, no. Everything is totally fine."
The maid looked unconvinced and she hesitated for three whole seconds before nodding politely and retreating to continue with her duties.
On the other side of the room, Kyle was signing a final document that had somehow found its way into their chambers despite strict instructions that he wasn't going to be working for the rest of the day. He sighed and straightened his back once he finished and handed the document to a servant. His back popped into place as he glanced at Joe.
He caught her eyes through the mirror. Joe was, of course, looking at him already. They stared at each other for a long second before Kyle looked away with flushed cheeks and a sheepish smile. A maid carefully doing Joe's makeup saw the interaction and looked away too, clearing her throat awkwardly as her ears turned red.
Joe grinned, giggling quietly as her eyes sparkled with mischief. It was always so satisfying to see Kyle reacting so shyly like that, especially because they were already married. He truly was so adorable. Joe fell in love with him a little more every day.
Kyle shook his head, smiling softly as he stood up from his little desk, nothing compared to the oak desk at his office. After all, he didn't need a big dress in his chambers where he only liked to spend time with his beloved wife.
He walked up to Joe, careful to keep his distance as the two maids kept working on her. One finishing her light makeup, the other fixing Joe's hair in a high ponytail, much to the maid's displeasure. She had learned to do beautiful hairstyles, but the Empress she served couldn't hold still for ten minutes.
Kyle stared at his wife. Her long eyelashes and bright golden eyes. Her nose, her red lips. Her long neck and the dip of her neckline, exposing her cleavage just enough.
He gulped. "Are we sure we want to go with those clothes?"
The maids looked scandalized. Joe rolled her eyes, huffing a laugh. "Don't even start. These two have worked really hard all day."
The young ladies let out a long sigh of relief as they continued with their labor. Kyle chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Just making sure, Your Majesty."
Joe felt her cheeks flush pink, but she pretended not to be bothered as she crossed her legs. One of the maids made a distressed noise. "Your Majesty, please don't wrinkle your dress."
Kyle smirked and Joe felt her eyebrow twitching. "… Are we almost done?" The maids said they were, but Joe had a feeling that they were lying. However, the preparations continued for only another few more minutes like they had promised.
Joe sighed tiredly as if she had to deal with herself for two hours… the servants looked like they wanted to quit right there and then. Joe looked up to her reflection in the mirror and her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh, wow," she mumbled, moving her head from right to left. She wasn't particularly worried by looks. She thought she was pretty, or at least enough so Kyle liked her, but the girls really did an amazing job, and Joe wasn't even dolled up properly.
Kyle looked at her too, his heart fluttering like crazy against his ribs. Joe was always beautiful to his eyes, but right now she looked ethereal, without exaggeration. Their eyes met through the mirror again and Joe grinned, almost making him breathless.
"Do I look cute, Your Majesty?" she asked, her cheeks blushing.
Kyle's eyes softened and he nodded. "Absolutely gorgeous," he said gently, his words dripping with sincerity. Joe smiled brightly, giggling like a schoolgirl.
The attendants openly smiled, they had long since stopped pretending not to watch at the couple acting disgustingly cute. One gathered the makeup and makeup brushes to put them back on their place as the other went to get Joe's shoes from the Empress' closet. She stood in front of rows and rows of shoes that Joe had never sure and was almost sure would never use, but the shoes simply kept multiplying.
Kyle watched the maid grab a pair as if she was holding something precious and brought them out. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he smiled, his eyes softening all over again. "I'll do it."
The servant froze, looking up at him with a horrified expression. "Y-Your Majesty? How could I allow His Majesty to—"
"It is fine," he insisted, walking up to her and taking the pair of shoes from her hands. "This is my wife. I can at least help out with this, can't I?"
"I—" The maid was pale, sweating, absolutely losing her mind, but she nodded quickly, bowing respectfully. "O-Of course. If that is what His Majesty wants," she said, neatly holding her hands before her.
Kyle nodded. "That is exactly what I want. Thank you," he said, nodding once before turning around toward Joe. He looked at her as he walked up to her. Joe was grinning, eyes sparkling with love.
"I can put on my own shoes, you know," she said, crossing her arms, but quickly uncrossing them when she remembered not to wrinkle her clothes.
Kyle chuckled. "Oh, I am well aware, but is my wife not going to humor me?" he asked with a grin. Joe rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too.
Both servants watched the scene with wide eyes, covering their mouths as a deep blush settled against their cheeks.
Kyle stopped in front of her. The warmth in his eyes made Joe's heart soften in her chest. They had gone through a lot to end up in that exact moment. Some days she still found herself overwhelmed by how ordinary their lives could be. How easy. How peaceful. How happy. Even while being Emperor and Empress, ruling a whole Empire together.
Kyle knelt in front of Joe. The most powerful man on the continent kneeling in front of her wife to help her with her shoes. And he did it with the confidence of someone that had done the same thing hundreds of times before.
Joe blinked, looking at her husband. Kyle smiled. "You're staring," he said softly.
She pretended to pout. "So are you."
Kyle chuckled. He was, indeed, staring at Joe with so much adoration that the servants looked away, embarrassed. "Well, I am," he admitted shamelessly. "I love looking at my wife."
The maids nearly squealed.
"Are you trying to embarrass me?"
"No."
"I think you are."
"You look beautiful."
Joe felt warmth crawl up her neck. Oh he was hopeless. Completely hopeless… and she was just as much. Joe sighed, not tiredly, but like one did when they thought about their love. She quickly cleared her throat and looked away, pretending to sulk.
"Oh, be quiet."
His laughter filled the room, practically making her melt on her chair.
They had barely noticed that their room was filled with servants. Some carried a very light snack for Kyle and Joe, some others just there to clean up the mess of dresses and ribbons that weren't used.
"Excuse me then, Your Majesty," he said, gently taking one of delicate ankles in one of his hands to slip the shoe in, but then a sudden thought crossed his mind.
It was the sort of thought that could have only been formed thanks to Joe's influence. The sort of thought that made a spark of mischief appear in his eyes. Joe didn't notice. At least not yet, but oh she would.
She looked down at him, still unaware of her mischievous husband's plans. Kyle had his gaze lowered toward Joe's foot and shoe, which already made her feel a little nervous and shy. Kyle gently guided the shoe onto her foot.
"Let me know if I hurt you, Your Majesty," he said softly.
Joe rolled her eyes fondly. "It doesn't hurt. You're just putting a shoe on me, Kyle."
Kyle shrugged, smirking a little. "Anything can happen."
Joe could be many things, but one of them wasn't dumb. She noticed the tone. To the people around them it was probably nothing, but Joe knew Kyle, and she knew it was something.
The back of the shoe carefully brushed against her sole. Joe's toes curled, more in instinct than anything, but she froze. Kyle noticed, of course, and his eyes flicked upward with an innocent expression. Joe stared back at him, blinking in confusion.
For one short, silent moment, neither of them moved, but then Kyle's lips stretched into a dangerously playful grin that made Joe feel a bit tense.
"Did something happen?" he asked smoothly.
Joe narrowed her eyes. "No. Something like what?"
Kyle chuckled and shrugged again. "I don't know. You suddenly seemed a bit tense."
Joe hummed, crossing her arms and leaning back on the chair with a stubborn expression. "Well, I'm very certain that nothing happened."
"Hmm~" He lowered his attention back to the shoe.
Joe told herself she was being paranoic. It had been just an accident. Kyle was helping her with her shoe, he really couldn't control it from brushing against her foot. That was simply the reality of the situation.
There was no reason to be suspicious. No reason at all.
As she was getting comfortable again, Kyle pulled the shoe off, the back of it brushing her sole again. This time, Joe inhaled sharply through her nose.
One of the maids turned around with a bit of a worried expression. "Your Majesty?"
Joe looked up at her and smiled softly, or at least she tried. "I'm fine."
The maid nodded and turned around again. Joe also turned around to look at Kyle and she caught the trembling of his shoulders as he tried to hold back a laugh. Ah. He was absolutely doing this on purpose, was he not?
Joe leaned forward and reached down, catching the edge of his sleeve between two fingers. Kyle paused, looking up at her with another innocent smile.
"Ah," he said quietly, his eyes half-lidded. "Apologies, Your Majesty… I thought the shoe looked a bit crooked."
Joe narrowed her eyes. "It is a shoe. It would have straightened once I stood up."
Kyle chuckled. "Oh, is it like that?" he nearly purred. "I will make sure to be more careful, then."
"Behave," Joe said in a low whisper.
"I am."
"You certainly aren't."
A servant nearby noticed the whispery tension, but found the wall suddenly very interesting.
Kyle tilted his head to the side like a confused bird. "I'm only helping with your shoe, Joe."
"You know exactly what you are doing, Kyle."
His name came out like a soft warning, but to Kyle's ears, it lacked authority. He was just as immune to Joe's warnings as she was to his. He chuckled again and then turned his attention back to her shoe.
He finally put it on properly, but not without teasing Joe's sole and causing her to grip the armrests of her chair. He fastened the strap carefully, the back of his nails brushing against the top of Joe's foot and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from squealing.
The first shoe was done. Joe relaxed almost immediately. A mistake.
Kyle's fingertips moved very lightly around her ankle as if checking that the shoe sat properly. Joe's knee jerked up a little and her fingers tightened around Kyle's sleeve, tugging it slightly. Kyle's hand immediately steadied her ankle.
"Careful, Your Majesty," he said with a smile.
Joe stared at him. The audacity. She looked up at the servants around the room and she narrowed her eyes once again. It suddenly occurred to her that they all were enjoying the show very much.
Kyle followed her gaze and every face in the room immediately became professional. He laughed quietly and Joe glared at him.
"I will make you regret this," she whispered.
"I look forward to it," he answered and Joe felt her heart doing a little somersault.
Joe huffed, crossing her arms one more time and leaning back again. Kyle grinned and reached for her other foot, but Joe immediately pulled it back, causing the hem of her dress to turn inside out. One maid quickly stepped forward to smooth the fabric back in place and prevent it from wrinkling.
"Your Majesty," she almost begged, "please be careful."
Joe froze, looking up at her and then at her husband… she couldn't exactly tell her that Kyle was secretly torturing her. Kyle, meanwhile, was the picture of patience. Joe's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"You heard her, Joe," he said, making the maid look at him proudly before she continued fixing Joe's closet. "Now, your shoe."
"No."
Kyle arched an eyebrow. "No?"
Joe shook her head firmly. "I have changed my mind about attending the banquet," she said with a very serious expression. "I'm not going."
Kyle couldn't help but let out a bright bark of laughter. "This is your first banquet as the empress. Our first banquet after our marriage. You can't not go. It's basically a banquet in our honor."
Joe let out an indignant sound. "Then they should honor my decision about not attending."
A maid nearly choked, trying not to laugh. Joe pretended not to hear it.
"Is this because of your shoes?" he asked with a soft laugh as his fingers wrapped gently around her ankle. Joe went still. She could feel the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of her stocking.
For a second, he only held her there, but then his thumb moved slowly and lightly along her arch. Joe bit the inside of her cheek so hard she could nearly taste blood. Her toes curled and her foot flinched.
Kyle's eyes lifted again, and Joe felt her stomach fluttering when she saw the smile on his lips.
"Did that tickle?" Kyle whispered and Joe blushed slightly, glaring at him.
Kyle giggled and guided the second shoe onto her foot. The back of it touched her sole and Joe jolted enough to make a few servants around jolt too. She had to cover the smile pulling at her lips with her hand as his fingers fluttered unnecessarily against the top of her foot.
Her other hand flew to his shoulder, trying to push him, but afraid of actually pushing him, he only clutched at the fabric of his jacket desperately.
"Don't," she said through gritted teeth.
Kyle chuckled. "Don't what?"
"You know what," she nearly barked, tightening her grip around his jacket.
"I'm just helping you with your shoes," he said, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn't understand what was happening. "Is that a crime?"
Joe glared at him. "You finished helping me ten seconds ago."
"Oh? Did I?" he purred, glancing down.
Joe immediately reached out to grip his shoulder. She leaned down so close her nose was almost touching his. "You are dead later, Kyle."
Kyle chuckled, pressing a tiny peck on her lips. "Might as well enjoy myself a little more while I have the time."
Joe's eyes widened slightly, but before she could say anything back, Kyle tightened his hold around her ankle and his free hand fluttered its fingers up her calf. She let out a strangled sound that the servants around decided to pretend they didn't hear.
Oh how badly she wanted to kick him right there. She covered her mouth with both hands, curling on herself a little. Her skin covered in goosebumps under his playful touch. Kyle's blunt nails skittered across her warm skin covered by her stockings.
"Kyle—" she managed through gritted teeth, but Kyle only smirked, looking up at her with sweet, playful eyes.
There was a sudden knock at the chamber door and Joe gasped, trying to pull her leg away as a servant quickly rushed to open it, but Kyle held her firmly, fingers going around to tickle her shin as he looked up.
An older nobleman stepped inside with a deep bow. "Your Majesties. Forgive the interruption. The delegation from the eastern provinces has arrived earlier than expected."
Perfect! Exactly what Joe needed, now she was going to be free from this silent torture!
Kyle blinked calmly. He remained kneeling in front of Joe, his hand still around her ankle and her fingers still tickling her leg lightly.
"Thank you," Kyle finally answered, nodding once. "We will greet them shortly."
The nobleman nodded once as well. "Of course, Your Majesty," he said before bowing deeply and leaving the room. The door closed behind him and silence followed.
Joe looked down. Kyle looked up. He looked satisfied. Too pleased with himself. Joe glared hard at him, and Kyle's smile only widened. Joe realized then that he was just getting started.
Joe had made a terrible mistake.
The mistake, unfortunately, had been marrying Kyle. Or maybe the mistake was even before that… when she started to rub her mischievousness all over him. Before, Kyle couldn't even look at her without blushing, now he was comfortable enough to tease her. Comfortable enough to ignore her threats. Comfortable enough to sit there looking innocent while she tried not to lose her composure in front of all these servants.
Now that she thought about it, why were servants still here?! And, most importantly… wasn't it too obvious that Kyle had spent way too long just helping her with her shoes?! Why weren't they helping her?!
Just as she was thinking that, Kyle's fingers scratched the top of her foot and her shoulders flinched up as a snort filled the room. She covered her face with both hands, her cheeks and ears flushed bright red. Kyle giggled quietly, drawing figures eight across the top of her foot.
One maid approached like nothing was happening between the Emperor and Empress, carrying a small box of jewelry.
"Your Majesty, the sapphire earrings?"
"Yes," Joe answered from behind her hands, not daring to look anyone in the face… especially because she was smiling like a crazy lady, but Kyle stopped for a moment and she relaxed slightly. She lowered her hands and looked at the jewelry and nod. "Those are perfect."
The maid smiled, clearly pleased with herself and nodded, placing the box on Joe's vanity. She carefully grabbed the beautiful necklace and gently placed it around Joe's neck.
Joe looked at her husband again, he was already looking at her. "… You may stand now."
He hummed, smiling at her. "I don't particularly want to."
Her eye twitched just as the servant finished fastening the clasp of Joe's necklace before she reached for the earrings and Joe tried not to squirm as Kyle's hands climbed up her leg, fingertips grazing the sensitive skin until he reached her knee.
The maid had just put the second earring on Joe before the Empress let out a gasp that quickly dissolved into an involuntary burst of laughter as Kyle's fingertips tickled her knee and the back of it. It was barely the flutter of fingers, maybe a bit of short nails scraping the skin. It lasted less than a second, but it was enough.
Her leg jerked, not on purpose, but Kyle, already balanced awkwardly after crouching for so long, wasn't really prepared for such a sudden move.
"Ah—"
He tried to hold onto Joe's chair, but his fingers slipped. Joe watched her husband fighting for his life with wide eyes, and she reacted too late.
Thump.
Kyle landed back rather unceremoniously on the polished floor. The silence falling upon the room was deafening. One servant gasped. The maid beside Joe looked horrified, her hands flying to her mouth.
"Your Majesty!" Someone hurried forward.
Kyle blinked, "… I'm alright…"
Joe stared at him. Kyle was sitting on the floor, one hand still half-raised from his failed attempt to save himself. For one second, actual concern flashed across her face.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, moving forward too to help him up, but Kyle shook his head gently and lifted himself.
"Only my dignity is hurt."
Joe blinked, looking up at him and holding his gaze. One… two… three heartbeats. Then the corners of her mouth lifted slowly. A tiny smile, the start of a smirk.
Kyle groaned. "Don't—"
Joe covered her mouth, her shoulders trembled. She pressed her lips together behind her hand, trying not to react, but she failed spectacularly. A quiet laugh escaped her, then another. Soon she was laughing into her hand as she tossed her head back.
A few servants seemed relieved and quickly went back to work around the room. The maid helping with the jewelry let out a soft chuckle, more polite than anything, and bowed respectfully to Joe, leaving the box closer in the vanity to put the necklace and earrings back in place when the banquet was over.
"It serves you right!" Joe managed to say once her laughing fit slowed down, her lips stretched into a smirk.
Kyle rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. "And here I thought you were worried."
Joe shrugged. "For three seconds."
Kyle actually laughed at that and shook his head. "Anyway, we should move on now that you are ready," he looked at the servants that were already lined up near the door. "Thank you, you may leave."
They all bowed deeply before starting to march quietly out of the room. Soon there was silence again. Kyle was still looking at the last servant leaving the room when he felt Joe's presence just behind him. Her hands cupped his sides and gave a squeeze, then her fingers fluttered down towards his hips.
Kyle let out a soft giggle, jerking a bit before he grabbed Joe by one of her wrists, not tightly enough to hurt, just enough to pull her in front of him and pin her against the nearest wall.
Joe squealed, flushing brightly when Kyle placed his knee between her legs and held her wrists up above her head with one hand.
"Kyle!" she gasped, arching her back a little.
Kyle chuckled. "Hmm? What is it?" he said lowly, the tip of his nose brushing against hers. "Did you want to tickle me back?" he giggled quietly. "I don't think you can do that just yet, you know? I am kind of not satisfied by Her Majesty's reaction."
Joe's eyes widened, immediately understanding what he was trying to say. "Are you crazy?! We need to leave right now! The banquet is about to start!"
He laughed. "Now you're worried about the banquet? I thought you didn't even want to go?" He smirked. "Besides, we need to leave right now, but is it okay if you were the one tickling me? That's a bit unfair, don't you think?"
Joe stared at her husband with disbelief… She really had created a monster! She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, but she didn't really have any idea how to defend her case. Not when Kyle was looking at her like she was a prey!
"I think we could be five minutes," he purred, placing a hand against her waist. Joe tensed immediately.
"Don't you dare. Kyle. D-Dohohon't you—AHAHAHA!"
Ah, yeah. They will be late by more than five minutes…
