❀ Blossom ❀

He groaned quietly, but like a spoiled child, when the passenger door opened and forced him to meet your concerned gaze. "Come on, Sylus," you hurried him, your foot tapping the ground, impatient. As there was no sign of him moving, you leaned over and into the car to drag him out of it. "You're not going to tell me you're afraid of doctors, are you?"

"Don't be silly, kitten," he muttered — it was not like it was going to make any difference if he was, anyway. "But this is a clearly waste of time. You know I don't need it."

"You do," you corrected him, taking the lead and pulling his hand to make him keep up with your pace, "you said yourself the pain didn't go away this time."

"Tsk."

This was not how it was supposed to go. Now that he thought about it, Sylus was the one to blame for listening to Luke and Kieran's stupid idea. Why would he, of all people, be in pain when he could simply heal himself? "Trust us, boss, you'll be pampered day and night", the twins would promise and insist as they tried to push Sylus into this idea. And they did, eventually.

All he had to do — according to the brains behind this plan — was to limp a little around you, whine and moan whenever you looked at him and pull up a pitiful facade while talking to you. Those, combined, were supposed to make you care a little more for him and encourage you to spend more time with him than with the others.

But that didn't happen. It did make you worry, but not in the domestic, cuddly way he expected. Instead of spoon-feeding him, you forced him to take the pain pills you had around your place; instead of pampering him rotten, you demanded him to resonate his evol with yours over and over, trying to see if it would help him heal the imaginary pain; and instead of letting him stay over at your place, you were now dragging him to the hospital.

"It will go away on its own," Sylus tried to argue, but it felt like he was throwing words at a wall instead of you. "I will be fine."

You sighed, pulling at his hand while still being careful to not hurt him — wherever the source of the pain was. "It's been days, Sylus, and your evol isn't working. We need to know what's going on with you."

"Aren't you scared they will call the Association on me the moment you give away my identity, kitten?" He suggested, unable to hold back that usual confident smirk from taking place in his face. "Or is this your plan to submit me to your hunters colleagues?"

You stopped walking, letting go of his hand. For a moment, Sylus thought he had draw the right card after all those attempts, but the look on your face said otherwise.

"What do you take me for?" You arched an eyebrow, pressing your finger at his chest while looking up to his stupidly handsome face. "Why do you think I brought you here of all places?"

"Because this is the place covered by your insurance?" He joked, but it didn't seem amused at it.

"Idiot," you rolled your eyes, "Zayne works here. He can get you checked while I keep you out of the jail. You just need to wait while I talk to the staff and then we-"

"Wait," Sylus frowned, holding your hand, "that doctor works here?"

"Yes," you nodded casually, "now hurry up, we need to get to him before the end of his shift," you said and was already dragging him by his hand again, barely giving him time to process how badly that plan was going to end.

If the fact that you were seeking for professional help instead of cuddling with him at home wasn't bad enough, you were going to force him to meet that guy of all people. And worse, ask Zayne to take care of him in your place? If he wasn't feeling sick before, now his stomach was surely turning upside down.

Sylus was already unwilling to comply before, but he still managed to, somehow, make it even more difficult now. Making it past the front door felt as difficult as one of those Hunters' Contest stages and stopping Sylus from running away while you talked to Yvonne proved to be another whole battle of its own.

After what felt like eternity, you were, finally, walking into Zayne's office to meet the man himself. He looked up from a pile of documents, his eyes meeting yours with a soft tenderness. "You arrived early today," Zayne started, elegantly taking off his glasses, "I'll only be out in half an hour from now."

"I know," you sighed, looking over your shoulder and giving Sylus a look through the gap on the half opened door, "but I guess it's a good thing you're still on duty."

"Yvonne told me a thing or two in advance," Zayne nodded and you thanked the greater forces above that he was still as reliable as ever, "she said you needed a favor? Is it related to your health?"

"Not mine, a friend's," you giggled nervously and scratched your cheek, "he's… been having a weird pain and I thought you could check him up? Just so we know what direction we should follow."

"Mhm," Zayne nodded, "a friend of yours is a friend of mine, too. Ask him to come in," he added, pushing himself up and picking a pair of sterilized gloves and the stethoscope. "I hope I can be of help, but we should be able to figure out what kind of pain is… it… at least…"

Zayne's voice faded the moment he turned around, meeting not a friend of yours on the examination table, but rather a… he sighed, not knowing what word would be the fittest to describe Sylus.

"Hello, doctor," Sylus purred, leaning on his hands and tilting his head to the side to look at Zayne, "she said you can fix me."

"Sylus," Zayne nodded, sliding his hand under his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. Stay professional, he repeated inside his head before he looked up to you, who was standing next to the table. "I'm a physician, not a saint to perform miracles, but I will do my best."

You looked back and forth between the two men, wondering if this was a demonstration of friendly bickering or hostile politeness. Still, much to your happiness, Zayne walked towards you and Sylus, snapping the elastic around the wrist of his glove. "So, what seems to be the problem, Mr. Sylus?"

"It-"

"He is in pain, Zayne," you interrupted, already feeling like Sylus would come up with anything but the truth. "Today he woke up complaining about an ache on his thighs. Yesterday, it was his back, and then his shoulders on the day before."

"That, doctor," Sylus sighed, crossing his arms.

"It's natural to feel pain at these parts at an advanced age," Zayne suggested with a small, sly smirk. Sylus frowned. "But they are usually concentrated around the same area. To have them changing from day to day it's a bit unusual."

"Right?!" You gasped, finally someone acknowledging the matter with the proper concern. "A-and there is something else, too!"

"Kitten, pleas-"

"You see, Sylus can use his evol to heal himself, but it's not working this time," you explained while gesticulating, not noticing how Zayne was more amused by your speech than worried about the "patient" you brought to him. "…but it just won't work!"

Zayne shook his head, snapping back into reality. He could hear Sylus scoffing, probably because he noticed what happened, but that man wasn't really the priority for the doctor at that moment. "Well, let me have a proper look, in that case. If anything, I'll send you two to a specialist on the matter."

Sylus rolled his eyes and turned his face away. "I knew this would be a waste of time," he taunted, but peeked through the corner of his eye.

"Don't worry, Mr. Sylus," Zayne chuckled, hooking the stethoscope around his neck as he already discarded any hypothesis that would need the tool. He had a guess, but still needed to confirm it. "It's just a physical exam. Where did you say you were feeling pain today?"

"On my legs, doctor," Sylus grinned, spreading his thighs as he leaned back even more. "It was a torture to come all the way here just to see you, but I was forced to."

"Stop messing around," you smacked him on the shoulder and he chuckled. Zayne kept the straight, serious facade as he looked at both of you.

Without another word, he walked forward, narrowing the distance between him and Sylus — getting close enough to pay back some of the discomfort he felt with Sylus's shameless behavior. He placed one hand over Sylus's right leg, his fingers pressing the skin through the cloth.

"H-hey now, doctor, at least buy me a dinner firs-"

"Does it hurt here?" Zayne interrupted, his eyes fixed on Sylus's face while he rolled his thumb a little, massaging the spot just above the kneecap.

"It dohoesn- caham, it doesn't."

"Right," Zayne smiled calmly and looked at you like a professor doing a demonstration to his students. He slid his hand up Sylus's leg, his fingers slowly reaching to the top of his thigh.

And despite his best efforts, Zayne's hand was barely a palm away from Sylus's knee when the latter kicked up his leg, the reaction strong enough to make him nearly jump out of the examination table. Sylus groaned, "careful, doctor," and whined.

"I might've just struck a nerve, nothing to make a fuss over, Mr. Sylus," he explained, his fingers beginning to squeeze and pinch Sylus's leg again. "You see, I think I might have discovered a thing or two just now."

Great, Sylus thought, this was about to be over. He looked down at Zayne's hand on his leg and then back and forth between you and the doctor. Obviously, it didn't hurt — there was no pain to begin with — but it tickled, awfully so. Sylus felt the urge to coil his leg and kick Zayne away at each circle Zayne's thumb pressed into his thigh. His fingers skittered and caressed the clothed skin in a way that forced a crooked, nervous smile on Sylus's face. It was bad to the point that he knew he had to cover his mouth and fake a cough or two, just so his cover wouldn't be blown. Or so he thought.

"And what is it, Zayne?" You asked, your eyes filled with curiosity as you could swear Sylus was… trembling?

"Well, the good news is that I believe there is nothing wrong with Mr. Sylus. At least, from a medical perspective," he explained, barely putting effort to conceal the mockery.

"Y-yohou are the reheal pain, dohoctor," Sylus retorted, trying to stiff himself and stop any other embarrassing giggle to come out.

"And the bad news?"

"They are not really bad," Zayne chuckled, looking at both you and Sylus, "not for you at least. Well, Mr. Sylus is quite ticklish."

"N-nohonsehense!"

"You're laughing like a kid and I'm barely trying," Zayne insisted, clawing a little harder at the top of Sylus's thigh and, in a matter of seconds, he found his wrist being tightly held by his patient, forcing him to stop. "See?"

"You-"

"Wait, for real?" You muttered. You were still processing the fact that Sylus was most likely faking the whole thing for the past days, but the new information that Zayne just delivered to you on a silver plate felt much, much more appealing. "Ticklish?"

"See it for yourself," Zayne nodded, making room for you before Sylus could even move away, "his legs are quite sensitive and I supposed the rest should be about the same."

"W-wahait, I dihidn't say you cohohould!" Sylus groaned, letting go of Zayne's hand to stop yours while trying to back into the examination table and move away from the couple before him. "Thihis is h-hahAHaharassment, I want to caha- HEhey!"

Sylus turned his head and growled quietly at Zayne, the sound spilling along with some giggles through his gritted teeth. It was far from enough to convince him or you to stop, but at least it made Zayne pull his hand away from his side. "B-bohohoth of you, stohohop it!"

"What? No way," you shook your head, gladly taking Zayne's lead and placing your hands on each of Sylus's thighs, tickling both of them at the same time. "You've been a pain 'til now, this is the best thing that happened today!"

"K-kihihitten, it wahahas hurting, I swehe- AGH, d-dohohoctor, gehehet off thehere!" Sylus gasped, his back arching when Zayne got a hold of his arm and managed to sneak some tickles on his ribs and under his arm.

It wasn’t like he was happy about the company you left him with, but Sylus thought this one would have the decency to keep his mouth from running. “Anything wrong, doctor?”

How you managed to get them to meet each other was still a mystery - to you and to them as well. From growing up next to Zayne and Caleb, to working with Xavier and Rafayel and meeting Sylus during a mission… Some could say it was fate, but would fate really let you in such a tangled mess?

While they seemed to live each on their own world, you couldn’t help but grow close to them as time went by - especially to Sylus and Zayne, in this matter. Part of you wish they, too, would get along with each other. It would be much easier if they did, honestly. But, at the same time, another part of you couldn’t help but feel a little… happy to see how they would bicker and have little fights over you.

Now, since one shouldn’t really encourage violence or fights - and since neither Zayne nor Sylus had officially made their move - why not try to get along, you thought? And, then, against all the odds, here they were.

Akso Hospital’s most renowned doctor and Onychidus’ boss, both in your living room, waiting for you to come back from a trip to the nearby store to buy some snacks.

“I’m just contemplating,” Zayne snapped, trying to keep himself as the bigger person and not let his feelings get the best of him. “Trying to figure something out.”

“Oh? My mistake, then,” Sylus hummed with a chuckle, folding an arm behind his head while using his other hand to gesticulate, “I didn’t take you for the kind that speaks by yourself and thought it was related to me.”

Zayne felt like a vein in his temple would burst at any moment now. “Surprisingly, you’re not half-wrong this time,” he retorted, the passive-aggressiveness in his tone growing worse by the second, “it does concern you, to some degree.”

Sylus sighed out loud, highlighting his lack of interest for whatever was about to come his way. This was going to be a long afternoon, he thought. “Is that so?” He groaned softly, his shades tilting to the tip of his nose as he looked over to Zayne’s direction, “and why?”

“I just can’t help but wonder what she sees in you,” Zayne smirked slightly, trying to mask his annoyance. “The more I think, the more I assume that, at this point, you could only impress me, Sylus.”

“Hah,” Sylus scoffed, coiling his long legs before turning around, sitting up as he faced Zayne with a defiant look, “I must occupy quite the space in that handsome head of yours. Flattering, I do say.”

Their eyes locked, the tension enough to stop time itself. If this wasn’t your place, if they weren’t waiting for you, who could guess how bad it would go?

“A difficult personality, to say the least, terrible history and don’t even let me get started with your field of ‘work’, Sylus,” Zayne shook his head, showing the full glory of his contempt. He wouldn’t let this side of him out anywhere near you, but Sylus? That was a different story. “You’re a menace, to her and to society, if you ask me.”

Still, the more words Zayne threw at him, the large Sylus’ grin seemed to grow. “What else, doctor? Are you going to say I don’t look good enough for her, too? I think I’m going to cry,” he chuckled.

Zayne knew it was no use to keep talking, that it wouldn’t do him any good to play Sylus’ games and that it could even backfire - but the thought of that guy hanging around you made him sick, feeling like his blood was boiling inside his body. “You-”

“Now, if you ask me,” Sylus started, looking at his hands, “maybe she looked for someone like me because you’re lacking.”

!!!

“You are always frowning and nagging at her, don’t you think she is ge-”

“Enough!” Zayne hissed, clenching his hand and swinging the back of his fist towards Sylus’ face.

“Careful there, doctor,” Sylus hummed, holding Zayne’s wrist as he blocked the hit, “you might get yourself another patient at this rate. You need to relax.”

“L-let go, you ruffian- agh!” Zayne groaned, unable to stop Sylus from pulling him off his seat and into the couch, next to him. Charging at someone who was, clearly, physically stronger and more experienced in fights was a mistake. “U-unhand me, you- aghahaha!”

“So you do know how to smile, huh?” Sylus teased, holding Zayne’s hand out of his way while tickling his now exposed side. His fingers pressed and tweaked at the doctor’s stomach and lower ribs, making annoyed giggles spill from Zayne’s lip one after the other. “You’d be much more charming if you smiled like this more often, for starts.”

That man was quickly becoming one of the worst things that happened in his life, Zayne’s thought. As much as he wanted to hiss and roar with annoyance, all he could do was flash Sylus a crooked smile, baring his gritted teeth. “S-shuhut it!! I dohon’t neeheed to hehear it frohohom you!”

“Do you have any other option right now?” Sylus mocked, letting out a quiet smile when Zayne’s back arched as soon as he moved his hand up to tickle his ribs, “might as well make the best of this situation and learn a thing or two, doctor.”

“S-StoHOhohop it, yohohou bahahastaha- AHAhah!”

“That wasn’t very nice, now, was it?” Sylus shook his head, clicking his lips as if he was reprimanding a child, “ask me nicely and I might stop before you embarrass yourself.”

Zayne felt his face burning, the bloodrush making his cheeks warm up quickly. He used his free hand to paw and swat at Sylus’, trying to stop it from tickling him, from climbing his body any higher. “A-as ihihif! I d-dohohon’t make deheheals with peheople lik- aHAHAha, l-lihike yohohou!”

“Suit yourself,” Sylus shrugged, making Zayne interrupt himself with his own laughter as he managed to sneak his fingers under the doctor’s arm, prodding at that sensitive spot. “Maybe this way I can teach you who is the boss around her-”

Click.

Despite the mess the two had themselves into, the sound of the door’s lock opening echoed through the living room loud and clear. Sylus and Zayne looked at each other, both suddenly squirming to push the other away.

“Sorry for the delay,” you hummed, holding the groceries’ bag in your other hand as you closed the door behind you, “the store was packed and my phone died on my wa…”

You stared at the scene, Sylus and Zayne sitting at each of the couch’s edges, their backs turned to one another. Zayne’s face was red and his hair disheveled while Sylus’ clothes were all wrinkled up. 

“What were you guys doing?” You asked, suspicious, slowly walking inside your home.

“Nothing,” Sylus hummed, looking at Zayne with the corner of his eyes while hiding his shit-eating grin behind his hand, “right, doctor?”

“...Yes,” Zayne huffed, furrowing his brows as he focused on ignoring that annoying, insufferable man, “nothing at all.”

Poseidon grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back to look him in the eye. He smiled at the pained hiss that escaped his victim, relishing in the fear etched on his face.

"Poseidon! I-" he was cut off with a sharp slap across the face.

"I'm not interested in conversation. I'd much rather make you beg for mercy," he growled, grabbing Odysseus by the jaw.

"Really? I thought mercy wasn't exactly your thing," Odysseus tried to remain defiant and cocky, refusing to give the God what he wants. He should've known better.

"I never said I'd show you any," he sneered, allowing himself to get closer. He grazed his claws over his throat as he let go of his jaw, brushing off the shudder and twitch as fear. What else would it be?

"Please, if this is about your son-"

"You think I still care about that?" Poseidon let out a low, snide chuckle. 

"What?"

"I just don't like you, Odysseus. And your suffering is just so fun to watch," he spoke casually, but wore a downright sinister grin. He pressed his trident against his chest, not enough to pierce his skin, but the threat was there. He drug the weapon down his body ever so slowly, slightly digging into the soft flesh.

He jerked back with a gasp, sucking in his stomach as he turned away, closing his eyes for good measure. Poseidon yanked him around by the hair once more.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," he ordered. Odysseus forced his eyes open, meeting the God's piercing gaze. His eyes were full of fear and uncertainty, yet he had the gall to smile at him.

He gripped his hair tighter, pulling at the roots until he heard him yelp in pain.

"Wanna tell me what's so funny?" he asked in a low, threatening tone. Odysseus shook his head frantically.

"N-nothing!" he stammered, pressing himself against the wall of the cave.

"Then wipe that fucking smirk off your face before I slap it off," he threatened. Before Odysseus had the chance to answer, a swift backhand was delivered to his cheek. He could swear the webbing between his fingers made it sting even more.

"It would be so easy to just split you open," Poseidon mused, drawing a line down the center of his belly with the blunt tips of the trident. He really needed to learn how to sharpen his weapons better, because all Odysseus could focus on was how bad it tickled.

"Just get on with it then," Odysseus sighed, admitting defeat, squirming against the wall. Regardless of how blunt it was, it was still sharp enough to get the job done.

"No. You don't get the peace of a quick death," Poseidon said, pulling the trident back.

"Lucky me," he mumbled to himself. Poseidon sneered and lurched forward, metal clanging on the ground as he tossed the weapon aside. He slammed Odysseus against the wall, one hand gripping the base of his jaw while the other held him back by the shoulder.

"What was that?" he growled in his ear, warm breath ghosting over his skin. Odysseus gasped and tried to twist away, scrunching his neck. Poseidon's thumb rested on the edge of his armpit from where he gripped his shoulder.

Odysseus bit his lip and tried to turn away, but the hand on his jaw didn't allow it. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his breath came out in quick huffs through his nose. His arms were straining at their restraints as he tried to lean away, but... not in the way Poseidon expected.

He studied his expression, ready to scold him once more, until he noticed where his hand was.

Oh. Ooooh.

He looked back at his captive, a sadistic smile stretching across his face. He moved his hand down, raking his claws over his ribs, noticing the way Odysseus struggled to mask his reactions and pass off his smile as a pained grimace.

Things just got a lot more interesting.

Odysseus felt a chill run up his spine when he heard a slow, deep chuckle.

"Oh this is rich," he heard him say, and the hand around his throat forced him to look up. There was a sick, gleeful kind of curiosity shining in the God's eyes that hadn't been there before.

"What do you want from me?" he managed to ask. Poseidon only smirked.

"At first, I thought I wanted to hurt you. I had every intention of killing you slowly and leaving you to drown. But now, I'm second guessing myself," he said, leaning into the captain's personal space. Odysseus tried to lean away as much as he could.

"W-why the change of heart?"

Poseidon laughed, a contorted, garbled sound. "Humiliation is a far better punishment for you. Wouldn't you agree?"

"What?" Odysseus shook his head, brows knit together in confusion. No. There was no way he meant that.

"Tell me, king of Ithica. You wouldn't happen to be ticklish, would you?" he asked, curling his fingers ever so slightly so they dug into his ribs.

Odysseus choked on a gasp, jerking away from the touch as a blush quickly spread across his cheeks.

"And don't lie to a God," Poseidon added. He relished in the mix of fear, confusion and embarrassment on his face as he shook his head.

"Don't, please! Why that?" Odysseus stammered, pressing himself against the wall and staring him up and down. He barked out a quick laugh when both hands grabbed his ribcage before clamping his mouth shut to prevent anymore unwanted sounds from escaping.

"Because someone needs to break that fragile little ego of yours, and I look forward to watching you scream and writhe," he taunted as he began tapping his fingers against his ribs.

His breath hitched in his chest, and he instinctively twitched away. Poseidon smirked and scratched between each bone with sharp claws, and the first muffled giggles started to slip out. Odysseus tried to hold in his laughter as long as he could, but it was a futile effort.

"Trying to tough it out? Go ahead, it just makes it all the more fun when you finally break." Poseidon raked his claws up and down his ribs relentlessly, pausing to trace and scratch the spaces in between. Odysseus yelped, twisting side to side in his bonds. His breath was labored from the effort it took to maintain composure, and he had to bite down on his lip to stop the giggles from spilling out. Poseidon wrapped both hands around his entire ribcage and dug in with vibrating claws. The reaction was instant.

Odysseus finally cracked with a snort, releasing all the laughter that had been trapped in his chest. It was a rich, full sound, rare to those even among his inner circle, but now it took on a more desperate tone. He leaned away as far as the chains would allow, twisting uselessly.

"Really? That's all it took? I was honestly hoping you'd struggle a little longer," he teased in a purring, almost sultry tone. "But you mortals are so fragile, so sensitive," he slowly walked his fingers up his torso like they were climbing stairs. Odysseus shook his head as breathless giggles poured freely. "So easy to break."

Poseidon's hands jumped up to drill in his exposed hollows, kneading the muscles and scratching delicate skin. He threw his head back, cackling loudly as he desperately yanked on his arms.

"NOHOHO! J-just gohoho bahack to hitting mehehe!" Odysseus bargained, trying to appeal to his violent nature. Poseidon hummed in thought.

"I don't think so. Pain is an old friend of yours, isn't she? You've come to expect it around every turn. At some point, pain stops being effective at getting the point across," his voice was cold and emotionless, yet the sadistic glimmer in his eyes was proof that he was enjoying every second of this. He rubbed circles with his thumbs in the center of his underarms, sending Odysseus into wild hysterics. The chains rattled as he thrashed around, tugging on his arms with all the strength he had. His mouth hung open in a wide smile, nose scrunching as he snorted. His laughter was loud and deep, with a beautifully frantic undertone.

"But I doubt you were expecting this," to emphasize his point, he scratched up and down his exposed hollows, lightening his touch ever so slightly, but compensating by speeding up. Odysseus threw his head back with a giggly shriek, arching his back and jerking away.

"Confusion and utter humiliation are rather powerful tools of persuasion, wouldn't you agree?" he purred in his ear, making Odysseus squeal and scrunch his neck. Poseidon chuckled at the sound, reaching a hand up to flutter under his chin.

"N-nohoho!" Odysseus giggled and shook his head, slamming his chin down for protection. Poseidon smirked and cocked his head.

"Oh? You don't agree?" he asked as he began tracing up and down the length of his arms, from his pits all the way to his wrists. He watched the way Odysseus giggled and twitched as he lightly grazed the skin. His arms shook, muscles flexing as gentle fingers passed over. "It's not eating you alive that I'm doing this to you? That you're crumbling at the hands of a God, able to do nothing but laugh and scream? Your thoughts aren't racing, wondering why I'm not ripping you to shreds?" he taunted directly in his ear, lips ghosting over the skin.

Odysseus hated how true his words were. He clenched his jaw and growled through his laughter, "Shut uhup! Just shuhut uhuhup!"

"You think you're in any position to make demands of a God?" Poseidon questioned, and even his breath tickled.

"NO! Nohoho, I wahasn't-" he cut himself off with a scream that morphed into helpless laughter when the hands moved down to knead at his belly and sides. He twisted side to side, trying to hide his face behind a restrained arm. His hair was a mess, wet and matted to his forehead. Rosy cheeks were carved with dimples, and crows feet wrinkled at the corners of his eyes. He almost looked cute, in an endearing, pathetic sort of way.

"Let me make one thing clear: I'm in control," he taunted, gripping Odysseus by the hips roughly. He yelped and instinctively bucked his hips to get away, snorting and doubling over as much as he could when he gave another squeeze.

Poseidon arched a brow and smirked down at him. "What's wrong, did I find a bad spot?" he taunted, squeezing up his sides and drilling his thumbs in the divots of his hips.

"Nohoho plehease!" he shrieked and writhed in his binding, unable to escape the relentless touch.

"What did I say about lying?" Poseidon chuckled sadistically at his own joke.

"Plehehease, just lehehet me gohoho! Ihihi'm sorRYYYY!" His voice jumped an octave when sharp claws pricked and tapped against his hips. Full belly laughs gave way to shrill giggles, and the sounds he was making amused Poseidon to no end.

"Awww, what a sweet sentiment. Almost as sweet as those giggles of yours," he teased with a sly smirk, sharp teeth peaking out from under his lip. Of course he wasn't actually complimenting him, he only said it to get under his skin. "Too bad I don't care."

Odysseus flushed and stared at him in shock. "I-I dohohon't giggle!" he tried to sound defiant, but the giggles pouring from his mouth negated the effect.

"Denial's a good look on you. Next, I bet you'll try and say you're not ticklish," Poseidon snickered, reaching a hand up to tease his neck and ears. Odysseus snorted and scrunched his shoulders.

"Nohoho!" he tried to deny, shrieking when a claw traced the shell of his ear. "Stohohop! Plehehease, juhust stohohop!" he pleaded, shaking his head.

"That's right, keep begging. Not that it'll help," he let out a raspy chuckle, cupping his face with both hands. Odysseus was forced to look up at Poseidon as he squirmed helplessly, giggling himself silly as he scribbled around his ears and neck. No matter which way he twisted, the tickling never stopped.

"You humans are so sensitive; so fun to toy with," the God mused as his hands trailed back down his body. "So easy to break," he squeezed his hips again just to watch him buck and snort. "And yet, you all think you can win."

"Ihihi'm sohohohorry! I-it wohohon't hahappen again, I swehehear!" Odysseus bargained futilely.

"Oh, but it will. That's just the way it works," Poseidon explained, digging his claws into his thighs. Odysseus gasped and jerked beneath the threatening touch. "You'll get yourself into trouble and try to work your way around it, but you'll always lose." He slowly scratched down strong thighs, earning a ticklish scream and a violent twitch.

"Fuck! Noho, you cahahan't! N-not thehehere!" he begged through growing hysterics. His words only made Poseidon more curious as he began squeezing up and down his legs.

Odysseus squealed and jumped away from the touch, pressing against the wall of the cave and kicking out futilely. Poseidon looked him up and down with a hungry, scrutinizing gaze, evil smirk twisting into a sharp, dangerous smile.

"Awww, what's the matter? Too ticklish here?" he asked, raking his claws down the captain's thighs as he knelt before him. That alone drew out a panicked bark of laughter as he twitched away.

"N-no! Ihihi mehean- shihihit, stohohop!" he cut himself off with a snort as sharp claws delicately traced his inner thighs. Breathy giggles became hysterical laughter as the soft scribbling got faster and added more pressure. He threw his head back, practically dancing in place as he tried to escape the unending torture.

"Just look at you, barely able to speak. How pathetic," he taunted, scratching higher up his legs, enjoying the way his voice changed pitched. He pinched back down the muscle, drawing out a few giggly snorts. Poseidon couldn't help but comment on it.

"Those are some pretty funny noises you're making. I think I'll stay right here," he kneaded deep into his thighs, and Odysseus practically screamed.

"NOHOHO PLEHEHEASE! IHIHI'M SOHOHORRYYYY!" he threw his head back, cackling wildly. His legs gave out, but he was still held upright by his chains. His legs kicked and writhed in Poseidon's grip, his sanity slipping away with each passing second.

"Good," he growled, raking his nails down his inner thighs just to make him squeal. "But I'm not stopping any time soon. By all means, whine and beg, but don't expect it to help much." From this position, his bare, squirming stomach was right in front of his face. He grabbed Odysseus from behind, making sure he couldn't move away before biting his hip.

He let out a piercing shriek, followed quickly by frantic hysterics. He writhed and twisted in his hold, tugging on his arms with all his might. His vision went blurry as tears streamed down his cheeks, and he closed his eyes so he didn't have to watch his own torment.

Poseidon grazed his teeth across delicate skin, stretched taught over the bone. He nipped and nibbled at his hips, allowing his tongue to flick and trace the contours of his waist. That really seemed to drive him mad, so he continued nibbling along his hips and belly while his hands returned to his thighs.

Odysseus wailed in ticklish agony, babbling incoherently for mercy. He couldn't form a single coherent thought, legs trembling from the relentless onslaught.

"Ohoho shihihit- NOHOHO! FUCK- NOHOT THAHAHAT!" his arms strained to hold him up, leaning against the wall for support. Poseidon drilled circles where his hips and legs met, scribbling along the backs of his thighs. His back arched and he tried to jerk away, only for his leg to be trapped under a strong arm.

"Why, is this a bad spot?" he cooed, scribbling behind his knee all the way up the back of his thigh. His muscles quivered with every pinch and stroke, and his voice periodically cut out.

Poseidon slowed his touches to give him the chance to breathe. Odysseus gasped for air between helpless giggles, legs writhing in his grip as his claws scribbled against the sensitive skin. He hiccuped and snorted when he'd zero in on a particularly sensitive spot.

"I asked you a question," he growled, going back to clawing mercilessly, just to remind him how much worse it could be. Odysseus screamed and thrashed.

"YEHEHES OHOHOKAHAHAY? STOHOHOP!"

Poseidon smirked as he slowed back down, focusing on his right leg. Odysseus whined and snickered as the feather light touches clouded his brain. It was almost worse than when he just dug in. At least then his voice didn't sound so shrill and broken.

"Plehehe- staha- stohohohop! I-I cahahan't!" he pleaded through breathless giggles.

"You humans are hilariously pathetic. So weak and soft, unable to hold out against even the softest of touches," he taunted. Odysseus was limp and pliable, yet still struggled, providing a map of his most ticklish spots.

He continued the light scribbling, spidering his way to the tops of his knees. Odysseus snorted and kicked, laughter jumping up an octave. Poseidon smirked, meeting his eyes to flash him a smug wink before digging in. He clawed ruthlessly at his knees and the tops of his thighs, relishing in the resulting shriek.

He leaned in to whisper in a deep, threatening tone, "I hope you didn't think we were done. There's so many places I haven't even tried. And I plan on keeping you here as long as I like."

"What? N-nohoho y-you cahahan't just do thahat!" Odysseus insisted, eyes wide with fear as he frantically shook his head.

"Actually, I can. And there's nothing you can do about it." He grabbed his feet, wiggling his fingers dangerously close to the soles. "Nothing but laugh."

You glanced shyly at his reaction, and he chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want me to?"

"No! You just moved your hand like that, and my arms were up and... it's a normal reflex, don't worry about it."

"I think it's because you're just too ticklish," Vyn said teasingly. You gasped and blushed even more.

"Dr. Vyn, as a psychiatrist you should know everything about human reactions like this. It's called anticipation. A-anyone would've reacted like this."

"Only anyone who's as ticklish as you are. Very true, sweetie."

You held back a laugh. Sometimes Vyn was just too smug and teasy. Such a know-it-all. You interrupted the salt-cleaning by grabbing his wrist, and you pulled him up. You cornered him against the kitchen counter and looked at him intensely.

"I'll show you. Here. Arms up."

Vyn stared at you. "And if I don't want to?"

You rolled your eyes. "Then I'll say you're a childish doctor who can't prove he's right. So, arms up!"

Vyn, though still smirking and looking way too confident, raised his arms.

"I think you're actually being the childish one here, but I won't say it. So, like this?" He put his hands behind his head.

You nodded. "That's more like a model pose, but sure. So I move my hands like this," you said, moving your hands closer to his exposed torso.

Shit. He didn't even twitch! He cocked his head. "And then what?" he asked.

"And then..." You moved your hands even closer. Damn, was it really just you? Too ticklish to even get someone's hand close to you whenever you lift your arms without activating your jumpy reflexes? You knew Vyn was ticklish too. Maybe not as bad as you were, but you really thought he'd react.

Hm... You wiggled your fingers experimentally. Now that worked. Vyn lowered his arms in surprise.

"What's wrong? I wasn’t even touching you." Now it was your turn to be smug. Vyn glared at you.

"I didn't wiggle my fingers. It doesn't count," he said, grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers to make you stop wiggling them right next to him.

"Oh but it does count. I was proving to you that reacting because of anticipating tickles could happen to anyone. Unless... you fall in the same category as me? Are you that ticklish as well? I don't recall it," you teased, and you were pleased when you successfully landed an attack: you brought your free hand to his side and started to tickle.

"Hehehey! Don't - now y-you're just beheing- ahhhahah!" Vyn giggled. Cute. He dropped your other hand and tried to catch the tickly one, not realizing he freed your hand to do just the same. Now you could tickle him with both hands, and Vyn wiggled charmingly against the kitchen counter.

"I'm just being ahahah? I'm afraid I do not understand, doctor," you sang. Vyn's reflex was taking him further back into the kitchen in a cute ticklish dancing routine. You chuckled when you flexibly hopped around the salt on the floor while he pranced right through it with his bare feet.

"Right through the salt you go," you giggled, catching him again when he couldn't go further. Then when you managed to dig both your claws into his tummy from behind, you really had him. Your lover thought he could tease you about being ticklish without consequences? Think again!

"Okahahay! Point mahahade! Now s-stohohop!" Vyn laughed. Usually strong enough to pin you down and tickle you to tears, Vyn actually didn't seem able to shake you off him right now. You couldn't believe you hadn't tried to tickle him before. Well, at least not like this.

You had sometimes given him a soft tickle here and there, a little poke or some flirty things like sliding your finger down his back, enough to make him gasp or giggle, but it'd usually result in just a mild reaction and your own downfall.

What a nice discovery on a plain Saturday morning!

"Ihihif you d-don't stop hehe- I'll-!" You didn't let him finish and managed to twirl him around so you could stand on your toes to kiss him.

Vyn laughing like this really had made you fall in love with him even more. You felt him relax, as did your fingers on his sides. You wrapped your arms around his middle. Pressing your body against him, you really were getting ready to taste more of him. But no making out was going to happen the moment Vyn buried his fingers under your arms.

"HNGah!" You jumped with your arms still around him, and your eyes widened in realization.

"I was going to say... If you don't stop, I'll get you back twice as much. Did you want that to happen?" Vyn asked in such a stern voice it sounded sexy.

"I.... I stohohopped!" you laughed, but Vyn was already tickling you. Well, that was bound to happen, and soon you sank through your knees and literally went rolling through the salt, squealing and cackling while Vyn had his well-deserved revenge.