Wylan does NOT appreciate being put on babysitting duty. But he doesn't exactly mind the way Jesper has chosen to entertain himself.
“Merchling!”
Wylan held back a tired sigh as he finished mixing up a new experimental compound, carefully placing the beaker in a stand in the hopes of not blowing them all up. Reluctantly, he turned to face Jesper, who had apparently grown bored of twirling his revolvers around and was now in search of some new entertainment.
Which, apparently, would come in the form of bothering Wylan.
Oh joyous day.
He shucked off his gloves and pushed his goggles up into his hair before turning around. The gunslinger was striding up to him with purpose, eyes locked at a point over his shoulder, and Wylan immediately straightened up and positioned himself more protectively in front of his materials.
“Oh, come on!” Jesper complained as he came to a stop in front of him. “Am I not allowed to be curious? Hey, what’s that do?”
He went to reach for something on the table, but Wylan was quick to smack his hand away.
“No touching! These are very, very combustible.” Jesper still looked tempted, so Wylan added, “I don’t need you killing us both because you decided to use my explosives as juggling balls.”
Honestly, Wylan felt like he was over-exaggerating a little, but when he saw the way Jesper’s shoulder sagged a little, he realized that it actually might not be that far out of the realm of possibility. The realization opened the door for a new layer of anxiety to settle within him that Wylan hadn’t even realized he should be worrying about.
Jesper crossed his arms, which calmed Wylan’s nerves a bit, and said, “You’re no fun. Why don’t you go ahead and mix up a smaller bomb for us to set off?”
The worst part was that Jesper looked genuinely proud of his suggestion. Wylan had to consciously remind himself not to just turn on his heel and leave Jesper here.
Unsupervised.
With the explosives.
See, when Kaz had left both him and Jesper behind, he never said that Wylan was on babysitting duty. It was mostly a lot of pointed, vaguely threatening looks from him and sympathetic pats on the shoulder from everyone else that got the point across.
It was obvious that Jesper wasn’t happy about it, but this part of the con was taking place in a gambling den, so Kaz had left him with strict orders to stay put. No matter how terrifying Kaz was, or how heartless people knew he could be, he cared about Jesper.
On some level, Jesper knew that, he wouldn’t have agreed to stay behind otherwise.
Those two had a strong bond. It was obvious to anyone who knew where to look.
Or, at least, it was to Wylan, who spent half of his time trying to emulate Kaz’s body language and the other half trying to convince himself that it was normal to stare at Jesper. Everyone did it. He was objectively attractive
“Earth to Wylan? Anyone in there?” Wylan blinked a couple times as Jesper snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. “Where did you go?”
Wylan could feel his face warming under Jesper’s concerned gaze, so he tried to cover it up with a scoff. “I was just imagining the horrible consequences of giving you a bomb. I think I went into preemptive shock.”
“That’s not fair! It would be for science! You like science!” Jesper was clearly trying a new angle, and Wylan was honestly a little tempted to just give him an empty box and watch him try to detonate it.
But he wouldn’t do that.
Not yet, at least.
Even though he knew it was probably a mistake, Wylan turned his back on Jesper to check on his compound. “It’s not science when I already know the result. The result being mass destruction”
“Look, let me just—what was that?” Wylan had turned around just as Jesper was trying to reach past him, and Jesper ended up accidentally jabbing him in the ribs. To say that Wylan jumped would be an understatement.
He’d basically folded in half, letting out a loud yelp and curling in on himself and cursing his instincts for the blatantly obvious reaction.
Reluctantly, Wylan straightened back up, unwilling to face the ridicule he was sure Jesper was just waiting to unleash on him. But, instead of the disdainful sneer he’d been expecting, Wylan looked up to see a fond smile of Jesper’s face, his eyes dancing with unrestrained delight.
The moment their gazed locked, Jesper’s grin took on a sharp, mischievous edge and Wylan automatically took half a step backwards, only to bump into his work table.
“Where are you going, Merchling?” Jesper asked teasingly. “This is a new discovery, and it needs to be documented. Now this is some science that I can get behind!”
Jesper took another step forward, quickly cutting off Wylan’s already limited exits.
“I am not above blowing up your kneecaps,” Wylan threatened.
“Well,” Jesper shot back, leaning closer to loom over him, “You’re not above many things, are you?”
Wylan rolled his eyes, because it’s not like he hasn’t heard that before. If Jesper wasn’t making some sort of comment about Wylan’s height, he was resting an elbow on top of his head, or exaggeratedly leaning down in order to look him in the eye.
In the split-second he took his eyes off Jesper, he realized that he’d made a crucial mistake. A warm hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him close, spinning Wylan around faster than he could blink until his back was pressed flush against Jesper’s chest.
Before his face could go completely red, though, fingers curled expertly into his sides and Wylan let out a loud squeak. Jesper seemed to chase the sound, fingers pinching up his ribs until the squeak broke into full-fledged laughter, and Wylan was trying his damndest to fight him off.
And failing miserably.
How had he not realized how strong Jesper was?
It was only when Jesper fluttered a couple of fingers against Wylan’s neck that he managed to find his words. “Jesper! Quihihihit it! Nohoho not there!”
Which might as well have been a flashing neon sign that said TICKLE HERE in big letters.
Jesper leaned in close, his lips brushing against Wylan’s ear in a way that made him squeal, and said, “Why not? It’s for science!” He blew a sharp puff of air into Wylan’s ear, chuckling lowly at the shriek he let out.
“Now, this” Jesper said, skittering his fingers across Wylan’s stomach, “This could keep me entertained for ages. Who needs cards when I can just do this? Just me and you, doing our fun little science experiments together. And do you want to know my conclusion?
He went back to squeezing Wylan’s sides, drawing out a choked-off snort as he frantically shook his head. “No! Yohohou—you didn’t even have a hypothesis!”
“You’re right!” Jesper said, “Okay, how about: Wylan has the cutest, squeakiest laughter out of everyone in the whole Barrel?”
Oh God, this was humiliating. Wylan was never going to be able to live this down.
But, if this is what it took to keep Jesper away from Makker’s Wheel, Wylan would just have to suffer through it. Just so that Kaz wouldn’t kill him, at least.
Not any other reason that may or may not involve being held against Jesper as his hands drew increasingly embarassing noises out of Wylan.
Definitely not.
“And my conclusion is,” Jesper continued pointedly. “I was absolutely right.”
As soon as he said that, Wylan heard him take a deep breath and plant his lips on the back of his neck. Before he had the chance to feel any particular way about that, Jesper blew the most horrible raspberry that Wylan had ever experienced. It sent electrick shocks down his spine as warning signals started blaring in his brain.
Over his cackling, he could just barely hear someone’s voice go, “Jesper, you have to let him breathe.”
And just like that, Wylan was being lowered onto a chair, riding out the lingering giggles as he sucked some much-needed air into his lungs.
He knew what would be waiting for him when he finally opened his eyes, but Wylan was still mortified to see Kaz standing in his makeshift lab, leaning on his cane, expression stony but looking at them with what might’ve been a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
“Tonight went according to plan, we’ll meet in the morning to discuss next steps.” It was mostly directed a Jesper, but then Kaz’s stare shifted over to him. Wylan could just barely catch the dip of his chin as he nodded in—what? Gratitude? Appreciation? Simple acknowledgement of what Wylan just put himself through?
Whatever it was, it vanished as soon as it appeared, and Kaz turned on his heel, the thump of his cane echoing as he walked towards the door.
Just before crossing the threshold, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “Wylan, if you want revenge, make sure to go for the knees.”
And then he was gone, but not before Wylan could catch a decidedly smug grin ghosting across his lips.
After a second, Kaz’s words registered in his head and Wylan slowly turned to face Jesper. It sent a wave of satisfaction through him to note the panic in his eyes and waver in his voice as he said, “Merchling—Wylan. You really don’t have to do this!”
Wylan didn’t bother wasting any time, tackling Jesper to the ground before he had a chance to run for it.
“Oh, but I really do,” he said. “After all, it’s for science!”
In the end, there were two new discoveries made that night.
The first was that Wylan had the cutest, squeakiest laughter out of everyone in the whole Barrel.
And the second was that Jesper could absolutely not handle what he dished out. In fact, he seemed to be worse than Wylan himself.
Summary: Jesper is bored but Wylan has been learning his tricks and turns the tables on him. Jesper tries to take what he usually dishes out and learns a valuable lesson.
This is a tickle fic. Enjoy!
It had been bound to happen really, he should have known. He knew the merchling would grow wise to the teasing eventually, but somehow it still came as a surprise to him.
The rest of the Dregs were all out on a job. Kaz hadn’t allowed Jesper to go, because it would involve going into a few gambling houses and he didn’t trust him not to get sucked in and blow the job. It had stung a bit, but Wylan had insisted on staying behind with Jesper, so that made him feel better, and after some convincing (arguing), Kaz had agreed.
Jesper had to hand it to Wylan, he’d gotten much more confident recently, and convincing Kaz to let him stay at the Slat had been a ballsy move. This increase in confidence should really have been Jesper’s first clue that his rein of one-sided teasing was coming to an end.
The others had only been gone an hour or so, but Jesper’s fingers were already starting to itch. It wasn’t fair that they were getting to gamble and he’d been grounded like a child. He was bored and needed a distraction, and the merchling sitting in the corner of his room was always a fun one.
“One of your buttons is undone, are you trying to seduce me?” Jesper lied with a smirk, flicking Wylan’s nose when he looked down to check.
Wylan rolled his eyes in an attempt to draw attention away from his pink cheeks. He chose not to respond, not wanting to give the Zemeni boy the satisfaction of hearing the inevitable nerves in his voice.
Jesper grinned to himself and moved to sit on the arm of Wylan’s chair. “Aww, come on, Wy. What’s a man got to do around here to get some attention from the cutie in the corner?” he teased softly into Wylan’s ear while his fingers grazed his bicep.
That nearly got him, but Wylan couldn’t help but laugh at that, much to the Fabrikator’s chagrin. “Man?” he snorted. “If you’d just referred to yourself as the boy that you are, you probably would have gotten the reaction you wanted from me, but alas, your big ego got in the way.” he winked.
The older boy scoffed indignantly. “I do not have a big ego! I’m more of a man than you are!”
Wylan snickered. “Well you sound like a whiny toddler right now.”
“I do not!” he huffed, sounding significantly like a whiny toddler. He stood up and crossed his arms, so he could pout at the younger, but dropped them quickly as he realised he was proving his point. Wylan smirked and Jesper felt some heat raising in his cheeks.
This back and forth should have been his second clue that their dynamic was changing.
Jesper rolled his shoulders back and straightened up. “You’re walking a risky line, Merchling.” he told him with as much confidence as he could muster while forcing himself to hold eye contact with Wylan and his smug grin.
“And yet you’re the one who seems nervous. I don’t think it’s me that should be worried, Jes. I think you’ve been playing too many risky games recently, and now you’re worried they’re going to come back and… bite you!” Wylan launched himself out of the chair towards Jesper, but stopped just short of actually touching him. He doubled over laughing at the surprised shriek that left the Zemeni’s mouth.
Jesper shot him a glare. “Stop laughing at me!” he complained, but there was no real annoyance in his voice, he knew they were just playing.
The younger boy calmed his laughter and grinned cheekily at his friend. “But that noise was so cute!”
Jesper blushed properly now. “It was not.”
“It definitely was.” he teased, pinching Jesper’s cheeks and cooing. “Awww, are you blushing? Your cheeks are so hot!”
Jesper pushed his hands away, but Wylan grabbed his wrists to keep him close. Jesper’s breath hitched the tiniest bit at that, and he looked into Wylan’s eyes, feeling his usually cocky demeanour falter.
“Problem?”
“You’re stealing my role.”
The merchant chuckled. “Maybe if you’d teased me less, I wouldn’t have been able to learn all your tricks so quickly.”
“Maybe if you let go of my wrists before I have to force you, I’ll let you feel the touch of my nimble fingers running through your hair, while I whisper sweet nothings in your ear.” He shot back, a last ditch attempt at regaining the upper hand.
“I don’t think you really want me to let you go.” Wylan smirked.
That was when Jesper finally realised his days of getting the younger boy to blush whenever he wanted with no repercussions were over. He should have known Wylan would learn quickly. He should have known that one day all the teasy, flirtatious comments he’d thrown at Wylan would come back and bite him in the ass. He’d given the younger all the tools he needed to knock Jesper down a few pegs, and he’d done it of his own volition.
Wylan could see the realisation written all over Jesper’s face and it only boosted his confidence. “Uh oh, is the little gunslinger in over his head?” he winked, slowly walking Jesper backwards until his back was against the wall. “Can he dish it out but not take it?”
Said gunslinger was doing his best to keep it together, but he’d taught Wylan well, and he suspected some of Nina’s charm and confidence may also have rubbed off on him too. He pulled lightly on his wrists, trying to get them out of Wylan’s grip, but the younger had gotten stronger during his time with the Dregs, which caught him a little by surprise. Jesper was sure if he really wanted to, he could still overpower Wylan, but… he wasn’t sure yet if he really wanted to.
Wylan smirked smugly when he felt the tug of Jesper’s wrists. “What’s wrong? Can’t escape? Honestly Jes, I’m a little offended that you underestimated me.” he teased.
The older boy rolled his eyes, but his expression quickly turned back to a flustered one when Wylan pulled his arms over his head and pinned them with one of his against the wall. He wanted to fight back, to prove that he wasn’t this easy to overpower, but maybe he was. Maybe all it took for him to melt was for Wylan to play him at his own game.
Wylan leaned in and chuckled lowly in his ear. “I’m going to take you apart.”
Jesper was done for. All the feelings towards his merchling that he’d been pushing down came bubbling up, showing themselves in the form of a hitching breath and a deep blush to rival the shade of Wylan’s hair. He gazed deeply into Wylan’s eyes and parted his lips slightly as the younger leaned in towards them. He closed his eyes, ready to finally get to admit his feelings without using teasing as a coverup. He was ready to be vulnerable.
And vulnerable is what he suddenly realised he was as he felt fingers spidering into his belly and laughter being forced from his unsuspecting mouth. “Wha-mehEHEherchling!” he gasped out through his laughter. He opened his eyes and was met by Wylan’s cheeky grin.
The Merchant snickered at the shock on the others face as he tickled his belly lightly. “You thought you were going to get what you wanted that easily, hmm? After the amount of teasing you’ve put me through? Oho no, Jes. I told you I was going to take you apart, and I meant it.”
If Jesper could have blushed darker, he would have. Wylan must have had some pointers from Nina, there was no way he’d gotten this good so fast on his own. He would be having some words with the fellow Grisha.
“I’m gohohohoing to kill yohohohou!” Jesper laughed, not sounding particularly threatening. He could feel himself sliding down the wall in an attempt to escape the tickling, but Wylan followed him down easily.
“Oh I’m so scared.” The younger snickered sarcastically. He moved his fingers up and tried Jesper’s armpits, grinning at the increase in laughter.
All the Dregs knew Jesper was ticklish. None had found out on purpose, and none had really taken things further than the occasional scribble to his sides. But he wasn’t very good at hiding his happiness or excitement, so Wylan had noticed how he lit up on the rare occasions he received a well placed poke or squeeze for a sassy comment or joke.
“I know you like this, Jes.” Wylan smiled fondly, as he slipped a hand up the pinned boy’s shirt and scratched maddeningly at his ribs.
“I do NOHOHOT! NohoHOHOT THEHERE! MEHEHERCHLIHIHING!”
The Merchant smirked a smirk, that looked far too evil for his face, at the reaction he received. “Bad spot? I think I might stay here until you admit that you’re enjoying this.”
Jesper had slid all the way down the wall at this point and was laughing loudly. “I DOHOHO NOHOHOT!”
Wylan let go of his wrists and used both hands to tickle his bare ribs now. Jesper’s arms were too worn out to do much more than grab weakly at his hands. He threw his head back in laughter, practically lying on the floor.
“FIHIHINE! I LIHIHIKE IT! NohoHOHOW STOHOHOP!” he demanded, but the smile on his face said otherwise.
Wylan smirked and stopped. “I know you do.” he winked, before placing a quick peck on the still giggling Zemeni’s cheek and drilling right back in.
The blush that had been beginning to fade from Jesper’s face immediately reappeared before he was thrown back into fits of laughter. “YOHOU ARE DEHEHEAD, YOHOHOU TEHEHEASE!”
Wylan laughed along with him now. “Me? A tease? I’ll take that as a compliment coming from you!” he beamed cheekily. He decided to give his ribs a break and skittered his fingers down his body to his legs. He squeezed up and down his thighs and found a wonderful little spot above Jesper’s knees that made him squeal adorably.
After a few more minutes of the treatment, the usually cocky, older boy’s laughter had gone silent and Wylan finally stopped for real. “Did… did I overdo it?” he asked, suddenly sounding much more like his usual, more reserved self.
Jesper was panting hard, but still had a big grin on his face. He shook his head, but playfully shoved the red haired boy. “Yohou will live to rehehegret this though…” he threatened, residual giggles still escaping his lips.
Wylan chuckled, relaxing again. “Mhm, I’m sure.” he teased. “Just so you know, I’m telling everyone about that spot on your knee that makes you squeal like an adorable little girl.”
Jesper flushed. “You will not.” he glared.
The redhead just shot him a wink. He stood up from where he’d been crouching over Jesper and held a hand out to help him up.
Jesper took it and pulled himself up. He used the momentum to push Wylan backwards onto the bed, earning a whine of protest from him, but it was quickly silenced as Jesper pushed their lips together, kissing him deeply.
Now it was Wylan’s turn to blush as he kissed him back passionately. After a couple of minutes Jesper pulled away and smiled down at the younger boy. “I should have been cruel to you and teased you the way you teased me… but I couldn’t resist your kissable face.”
Wylan chuckled fondly and blushed darker. “Your face isn’t so bad either.” he smiled back. “Plus I don’t think you should have been cruel, because me teasing you was just revenge for all the times you’ve teased me,” he rambled. “So as far as I’m concerned, we’re even now. Also, I think that now that we are both on the same lev- hey, what are you dohoho- JeheHEHES! Nohohoho! I’m sohohohorry!” He burst into bright giggles as Jesper shut him up with a dose of rib tickles.
Jesper smirked down at him. He shifted so he was straddling Wylan’s waist and used his knees to pin his arms. “Too late for apologies, Merchling. You’ve made your bed, it’s time to lie in it.” he winked. “What was it you said to me? Ahh yes… I’m going to take you apart… You really should have known I wouldn’t let you get away with messing with me.”
