#daredevil tickls

Across from him, Matt Murdock sat on the couch with a thick braille volume spread beneath his hands. His fingers traced the raised dots in practiced sweeps, calm and precise. Every now and then, he tilted his head slightly, listening to Peter shift the plastic bricks around, the sound standing out like footsteps in the quiet.

Doctor Strange was also in the room, perched at another table, a heavy grimoire open before him. He turned the pages without much interest. His cloak twitched irritable now and then as though it wanted to drag him somewhere more exciting. Strange himself looked less than thrilled, though the silence at least suited him.

Peter didn't leave it that way for long.

"Hey, Matt," Peter said brightly, snapping another Lego piece into place. "You ever watch Star Wars? I'm working on the Executor, that's Darth Vader's flagship. This thing's, like, massive. Coolest ship ever."

Matt's fingers slowed over the braille. His mouth tugged into a faint smile. "Oh, I've heard of it. But... space wizards, laser swords... Can't say it ever sounded that appealing to me. I always thought it was childish."

Peter froze. Very slowly, he set down the brick in his hand. "What was that?" His voice wasn't loud, but there was a deadly seriousness to it, playful in tone but sharp underneath.

Matt tilted his head, recognizing the sudden shift. His lips quirked as if he already regretted the words. "I didn't mean anything by it." Peter's heartbeat was already quickening. Matt could hear it, the subtle acceleration in the rhythm that told him the spiderling was gearing up for something. He sighed inwardly. "You're not actually offended."

Peter rose smoothly to his feet, eyes narrowing with mock gravity. "Matt, I swear, you just insulted one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of all time. That's a crime against humanity."

"Peter-"

"You know what?" Peter cut in, pointing at him accusingly. "I think you've got a spider-sense too."

Matt frowned. "What are you-"

"Because you knew. You knew the second I got serious that you were in danger. Your whole demeanor changed." Peter took a silent step forward, grinning now. "That's spider-sense, Matty. Congratulations."

Matt leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. "No. That's just basic survival instinct." He quietly closed the book and set it aside.

Doctor Strange looked up, pinched the bridge of his nose, and muttered something about idiots before shutting his book with a thump. "Not again," he sighed, and with a dramatic swish of his cloak, he strode out of the room.

Peter didn't wait another second. He pounced.

"Peter- Wait-!"

The words cut off in a burst of laughter as Peter wrapped his arms tightly around Matt in what he had, in the past, affectionately dubbed a "tickle hug." His fingers dug mercilessly into Matt's ribs, fast and precise.

Matt's head fell back, laughter spilling out instantly, raw and unrestrained. His hands shot up to grab Peter's wrists, but Peter shifted quickly, pinning him with ease.

"What's wrong, huh?" Peter teased, voice high with excitement. "Don't like me defending the honor of a galaxy far, far away?"

Matt was already a mess, laughter bubbling before Peter even touched him again. His heightened senses betrayed him. He could feel the heat of Peter's hands hovering just above his sides, the tiny displacements of air, and it tickled before contact was even made.

"P-PeHEheheter, DoHoHoHOhn't-!" he tried to warn, but he was giggling too hard to sound convincing.

Peter's grin widened. He let his fingers wiggle menacingly in the air an inch from Matt's ribs, and Matt broke, dissolving into helpless giggles.

"Oh my god, you're laughing and I'm not even touching you!" Peter crowed, delighted. "This is amazing. I didn't know Daredevil was this easy."

Matt squirmed uselessly, still pinned in Peter's tight embrace. His cheeks burned red as laughter rattled out of him, louder and louder the more Peter dug into his sides.

Peter laughed along with him, flustered himself, but relentless. "You're toast, Matt. Nobody insults Star Wars to me and gets away with it." Peter didn't give Matt a chance to recover. The second his giggles shifted into gasps, Peter adjusted, maneuvering him into a more comfortable position on the couch. With a practiced move, he swung a leg over and straddled Matt's waist, effectively pinning him down.

Matt immediately shook his head, still laughing, his voice caught between pleading and warning. "P-Peheter, Wahahahait, d-dohohOhon't youHuhu dahahaare!!"

"Oh, I dare, Matt!" Peter's grin was downright villainous. "You called Star Wars childish? You're gonna regret eeeeverything."

His fingers darted to Matt's stomach, spider-fast, and the reaction was instant and delicious. Matt doubled over with a bark of laughter that sounded far too undignified for the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. His hands strained against Peter's hold, but Peter kept him neatly pinned, relentless.

"YoUHUHU've goHohot- NoHoho iHihiDeAHAha- WhahahHAt youHuhu're DohohOhOINg!!" Matt choked out, trying to twist away.

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing!" Peter teased, scrabbling his fingers in rough bursts across Matt's belly before shifting to feather-light wiggles. "You're, like, the most sensitive person I've ever met. You're not even trying to fight! Admit it, you love this!" Matt let out a desperate laugh that cracked into a snort, and Peter froze for only half a second before bursting out laughing himself. "Youhuhu- ohohoh myhyhy gohohod- youhu snohorted!! That's it, Matt, you're never living this down."

Matt's face was redder than Peter had ever seen it. He tried to form words, but all that came out were half-coherent chuckles between gasps for breath. "P-Peheheter, plehehehease-!"

Peter mocked a sympathetic pout, fingers slowing just enough to let Matt hope. "Awwh, poor Matty. Can't handle a little tickling? What happened to big, scary Daredevil, huh?"

Matt shook his head frantically, laughter spilling again as Peter attacked under his arms this time. His back arched off the couch as if jolted by electricity. "N-NOhOHOT THEHEHERE, NOHOHOT THEHEHEREEE!!!" he begged, voice ragged, his laughter dissolving into squeals he couldn't stop.

Peter's face went scarlet at the sound, but he kept going, giggling at how funny it was. "Ohh my god, this is the best day ever."

Matt bucked and twisted, but there was no escape. The second Peter's fingers wandered down to his thighs, he lost every ounce of composure. His laughter shot up an octave, frantic and wild.

"STOPSTOPSTOoHO OKAHAHAHY OKAHAHAY PEHETER!!! IHIHIM SEHERIOUS!!"

"Serious? I'm serious!" Peter chirped, digging mercilessly into the sensitive muscles above Matt's knees. "Say Star Wars is the best thing ever, and I'll stop!"

"YohUhUHU'RE inSSaahHAHANE!!" Matt howled, though the grin plastered on his face ruined the protest.

"No, I'm just passionate," Peter countered, switching to light fluttering touches again, drawing another squeal from Matt. He nearly fell over laughing. "Oh, man, I wish I had this on video. YouTube would love it."

"YOUHuhu'RE suhUHUCH a BuHuHULLY!!!" Matt managed between laughs.

Peter froze dramatically, eyes wide, then beamed. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever called me!"

By then, both of them were laughing too hard to keep up the battle. Peter slowed, finally letting his hands still. Matt lay slumped against the couch, chest heaving, his usually composed features flushed and undone.

Peter collapsed next to him, flopping onto his side with a satisfied sigh. "Whew, what a workout."

Matt groaned, dragging a hand over his face, still catching his breath. "Y-youhuhu're... thehe wohohorst." Matt's lips twitched, betraying him with the faintest grin. He turned his head away, but Peter noticed.

"Ah! Ah! Don't think I didn't see that!" Peter said, nudging him. "You liked it. At least a little."

Matt huffed, pretending to be insulted. "I liked nothing about that."

"Uh-huh." Peter leaned in closer, whispering in faux menace: "Insult Star Wars again and I'll show you suffering."

Matt let out a weak laugh. "That was suffering."

Peter patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "Ohh, poor Matty. Bullied by a Lego nerd. How tragic-!" He was cut off as Matt shoved him off the couch with a laugh.

"Gehehet awahahy, you little hobgoblin!"

"Learn your lesson?" Peter asked from the floor.

Matt shook his head, still smiling despite himself. "I should've known better than to say something so careless."

Peter grinned proudly. "Don't mess with my fandoms."

A voice cleared in the doorway. Both of them turned their heads to see Doctor Strange standing there again, arms folded, looking like a man who regretted every life choice that led him to this moment.

Matt was still slumped and breathless. From his spot on the floor, Peter grinned ear to ear.

Strange sighed heavily. "Are you done? This is a library."

Peter giggled and whispered, "Oh, Matt, be quiet, the librarian's here."

"Shut up, Peter," Matt whispered back, playing along.

"Dude, shhhh, he's gonna get mad!!" Peter giggled under his breath, hitting Matt on the knee as the two descended into loudly shushing at each other.

Strange rolled his eyes as he sat back down.

Peter crawled over to his Lego set, humming the Star Wars theme under his breath, smug as ever.

Matt groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I'm never living this down."