#alien tickles

Va'steib was not one to shy away from a challenge.

Crouched in the rafters of his ship, he silently watched, the low hum of the engine masking his soft breathing. His dreadlocks shifted around his shoulders as he scanned the storage room below, his prey hiding well for someone with such a loud heartbeat.

"Two rules;" Taylor had said, the human tongue sounding odd in Va'steibs ears.

"One: you can't use your traps. Those would probably kill me outright, if not at least maim me."

The Yautja watched the human intently, curiosity stirring in his chest. They seemed excited by the prospect of experiencing what it was to be a Yautja's prey.

"Two: you can't actively try to injure me. We've survived enough together that I think I can trust you, don't make me regret that choice."

It was meant as a playful jab, but Va'steib felt a twist of anger. Yautja were honorable, to harm an ally would be disgraceful.

He nodded, accepting the terms and taking his weapons from his belt to place on the table beside them. At first he had refused the strange request, knowing well one good hit would end his friend permanently.

Friend?

No.

Ally, maybe. On a true battlefield.

Right now, however, they were an adversary.

The challenge turned over and over again in his mind. Sure, he had been successful without his gear before, but never had he been barred from harming his target. He restrained himself from tapping his claws against the metal he held to. How do you capture something you fear breaking?

A creak, then a bang. Something clattered against the metal floor, a whispered curse and hurried footsteps accompanying the loud noise.

They were here.

Va'steib swung to the next rafter over, sweeping his legs up onto the ledge and pushing himself over with his powerful arms. He clambered between the metal supports with the grace of a spider, few sounds making it further than his own senses. He crept along the ceiling, hiding in shadows as he moved. His cloaking device was left behind with his other tools, but that didn't mean he couldn't disappear.

He remembered the shock on Taylor's face when they turned to find Va'steib no longer stood beside them. He had to mask a chuckle then, peering from behind a doorframe, just out of sight.

That had been an hour ago.

From the start, Va'steib watched.

He watched Taylor freeze for a moment before they started to run. Loud, pounding footsteps echoed through the ship, the hunter following them easily.

The human realized their mistake quickly, pulling to the side and removing their shoes to quiet their movement. They left them in the hall, hoping the Yautja would lose them when the running fell silent.

Va'steib only found it more entertaining. His kind could see changes in heat signatures, a perk of infrared based sight. While he no longer heard his prey, he saw the spots on the floor where the human's warmth had transferred into the panels, a clear trail to the storage room where they had been playing this game of cat and mouse ever since.

Va'steib kept his distance, only giving Taylor brief glimpses of his form in the shadows. To be hunted by a Yautja is to know you were being watched. To know your end was closer than your senses could see. To know fear when yellow eyes lock on you in the corners of your vision and disappear by the time you gain the courage to look.

He exulted in the way Taylor's heart began to race, pounding in their chest loud enough for Va'steib to hear. He basked in hearing their breath catch when they saw him, whipping around with fright as if to catch a ghost before it fades to mist. He ached to give chase while he watched them scurry, their form curling in on themselves as they squeezed through gaps in the boxes and expanding again to allow them to run in the hopes he hadn't seen.

Part of the lengthy stalking was due to this, drinking in and savoring the primal fear. The time spent allowed him to work Taylor up enough that despite promised safety, they knew they would not escape. The fatigue in their limbs must be setting in by now. Humans were incredibly resilient creatures of endurance, but they had limits. These limits often turned simple tiredness into desperation in the face of a threat.

The other part was figuring out what to do with them once he captured them.

He could pick them up and carry them to where they started, proclaiming the hunt successful and ending without fanfare?

He couldn't. He itched to hunt to the fullest extent he could and he wasn't a fan of catch and release.

Perhaps he could give them a good chase? Run them down with all he had, hear them scream in terror, then stop at the last second and proclaim the hunt was won on basis of fear?

No, he needed to get his hands on them. He needed to feel them freeze, to feel their warmth seep into his palms as they struggled.

What was that game humans played? The strange one where they run after one another to slap an opponent, then run away to avoid being slapped back?

That wouldn't be fair for Taylor. They couldn't keep up with him and his slap would be much stronger than theirs.

Oh, wait.

Maybe..?

----------------

Va'steib had been to Earth only once, before then he had only heard the stories.

He was immediately fascinated by these beings. So fragile, but stubborn and strong in their own ways. Their crafty nature more than made up for their lack of strength, and their resilience made them powerful companions in battle. He had met Taylor on that journey, a team forming from necessity.

A few days into his scouting, he happened across a strange sight. One the stories hadn't mentioned.

Walking through the brush, he could see human dwellings through the trees. Night was creeping in, streetlights flickering on and casting an orange glow across his helmet. Fearing the glint may give him away, he removed it and strapped it to his belt, indulging himself in a deep breath of the chill air.

It was cooler and less humid here than on his home world. The breeze was refreshing, if not a little uncomfortably cold. Movement kept him warm enough for the time being.

He wandered close enough to the dwellings to catch glimpses through the windows as he passed. Family groups sharing meals together, mate pairs arguing, younglings playing, games drawing cheers. They seemed content with their predictable lives, unaware a killer was mere feet from their sanctuary.

A shriek cut through the night.

Va'steib didn't care about plights between humans, but curiosity drew his focus. He picked up his pace, quiet footfalls stirring up leaves as he tracked the sound. Another high pitched cry reached him, drawing him towards... Laughter?

He crept to the window that leaked the sound, angling himself so he could peak through the curtains on the other side.

On the couch, two humans wrestled for dominance. Both grunting in exertion, though strangly the one on the bottom of the struggle wore a wide grin.

She kicked, pulling at the hands of the male, letting out occasional squeaks and squeals. Her will to fight crumpled as his hands found purchase against her ribcage, the sounds of struggle making way for loud streams of giggles and giddy protests. She melted into the cushions, throwing her head back as her companion smiled warmly, pestering her with teasing tones as she surrendered.

Wait.

Surrendered?

Was this a fight?

No blood, no harsh words.

Just tears of mirth.

He watched as the male allowed her to sit up, ruffling her hair and kissing her tenderly on the forehead. No, this wasn't a fight.

Play, then. Maybe?

The male jumped, seeing Va'steibs shadow in the window. Va'steib ducked, moving out of his line of site before rushing deeper into the woods, the scene weighing heavy on his mind.

---------------

That could work.

Sure, he'd never tried, but how hard could it be?

The male looked like he had just scratched at her flesh lightly. Maybe squeezing? It didn't look like it took much pressure.

Va'steib listened before creeping closer. He could hear Taylor's frightened breathing up ahead, their heart alerting him of their proximity. He held to the rafters with his clawed fingers, lowering himself gently onto the top of a large crate close to the ceiling. He peered over the edge, dreadlocks dangling to frame his view.

They sat with their back to the crate, periodically peaking around the corner to watch for Va'steib. Taylor kept their knees tucked to their chest, breathing with intention, trying to calm themselves. Despite the fear in their heartbeat and pheromones, they wore a smile.

How adorable.

Va'steib beat the thought back with a stick. Not adorable. This was his prey. His prey was meek. His prey was pathetic.

His prey was enjoying themselves.

He shook his head, clenching his mandibles to keep them from chattering in self displeasure.

Time to pounce.

He rose, grabbing the rafter above and swinging out, dropping himself in front of Taylor with a loud thud.

The human shrieked, pressing themselves hard into the crate behind them. Va'steib stood slowly, making a show of rolling his muscular neck and flexing his mandibles in a hungry way. He locked eyes with them, growling deeply when they sank down into the floor under his gaze.

He flexed his fingers, gauging their strength. His claws scraped against one another as he did so, catching the humans attention. Taylor stared at them with wide eyes as Va'steib stepped towards them, tapping his claws against each other with more intention.

"Y-you can't hurt me, remember?" Taylor said, voice trembling. Their nervous smile faultered for a moment, the hunt briefly commanding their instincts.

Va'steib cocked his head, not saying a word. His fingers continued to tap, adding a stretch and a clench to the rotation, warming up his hands.

Then, mimicking what he saw on Earth that day, he gave his claws an experimental flutter.

Something passed between them then, wordless, but thick with anticipation.

"Wait, you can't be serious."

Va'steib chattered his mandibles, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest.

"But, why? How do you even know about-"

Taylor squeaked as Va'steib came closer, scrambling with their legs to try and phase through the crate.

"Don't come any closer! I'll kick your fangs clean off!"

This earned a full laugh from the Yautja. Not only was that the least threatening thing he's heard in awhile, the anticipatory giggles pouring from the human certainly weren't helping.

He knelt, close enough to Taylor that they could strike him if they wanted to. Instead, they wrapped their arms tightly around their torso, bringing their legs as close to them as they could. Va'steib leaned in, watching their face as they sank under his studying, nose scrunched, smile pulling at their features and eyes squinting with mirth.

He stayed there for a long while, watching as confusion set in. Taylor's face flushed red, beginning to push themselves to sit upright again, muscles relaxing as they pondered if they had misread his intentions.

Va'steib then grabbed their ankles and pulled, dragging them until they laid flat, then straddled their waist and placed his hands on their torso.

They shrieked, starting to panic and beg before he even moved.

Gently, cautiously, he swirled a claw around their lower ribs on each side.

The effect was immediate.

They lurched off the floor, grasping for his hands to push him away. Loud laughter rang through the storage room, their heels banging against the floor as they began to try to throw his weight off of them. The hour long chase had paid off, making Taylor unable to hold back as their nervous energy released.

Encouraged, he splayed his hands. Scribbling, scratching, searching for the reaction. He felt a swell of pride as they fell apart under him, hiccuping and gasping.

This was more fun than he thought it would be.

He angled his fingers, lifting the claw points so the pads of his fingers rested against their torso. Curious, he pressed in, moving with the same quick circles as before.

Taylor guffawed, bright cackling shaking their frame. Va'steib was awed as he felt the force of it under his palms, smelling the endorphins flooding their brain. They smelled sweet, a fitting scent to match the elated expression.

"What... Is this?" Va'steib asked, burying his amusement. Taylor cackled and writhed, unable to shift the Yautja but determined to try. They almost seemed to move against their will, dancing away from his touch though they know they're trapped.

Tayler stammered, struggling to get a word out. Va'steib eased up a little to listen.

"T-tickles..! Ple-ase stop!" They cried, desperate. He gazed at them, mandibles quirked in a strange way. He hadn't heard this word before.

"Don't look at me like that!" They cried again, giggling wildly and holding a hand out to try and shove his face back. Defiant, he dug in a little harder and leaned in, making them choose between blocking his face and blocking his hands. They wailed frustratedly, choosing the later and clamping their elbows down.

"Is that what this is called? Tickles?" Va'steib asked, fluttering claws and massaging small circles with his thumbs. Taylor squealed, wheezing momentarily before nodding.

"Hmm... Tickles." He said rolling the word over his tongue.

"Shut up!"

Va'steib quirked an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked, not missing how their face turned a couple shades darker.

They didn't respond, continuing to thrash under his attention.

"Is tickles a forbidden word? Is it an insult?"

Taylor shook their head, some amusement slipping into the panicked laughter.

"It just makes it worse! Shush!" They commanded, trying to curl in on themselves.

Worse, huh?

"Tickles." He said, testing. His rumbling voice made the word sound like a threat. To Taylor, it was maddening.

They threw their hands over their face, sacrificing shielding for "dignity". Their laugh muffled behind their hands only encouraged Va'steib, prompting him to lean in close.

"Why does tickles make you laugh? I will never understand human humor."

He leaned side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of their grin. He was unsuccessful, but did get a good look at how red Taylors ears had become. They glowed with warmth through his infrared sight, a ridiculous image as the hands over their face began to light up as they absorbed the warmth from the skin beneath.

Va'steib sat back, removing his hands and resting them on his thighs, thoughtful. Taylor huffed, breathing heavily as their arms flopped out to the sides. Tears streaked their cheeks, pooling where their hands had been and leaving a shine on the skin. Va'steib watched as their body began to cool again, their heart rate slowing. It almost sounded like they could be winding down for sleep.

"You..." Taylor said, pointing a finger at Va'steib. "You suck."

They flopped the arm back down, lolling their head back to stare at the ceiling.

"You suck so much."

Va'steib chuckled, standing and offering a hand to the smaller being. They took it, slowly rising onto unsteady feet.

"Who taught you what tickling is?" Taylor asked, leaning against the Yautja for support. Va'steib stiffened, but allowed the contact.

He shrugged, crossing his arms.

"I know many forms of torture."

Taylor laughed, rolling their eyes. Walking together, they made their way out of the storage room, windows letting cold starlight in to illuminate their way.