#ensemblestarstickle

Quiet, it was all too quiet. It filled up the air so quickly, and it seemed to never disappear. It was too silent, silent enough to hear water dripping, silent enough to even hear the faint sound of the air conditioning. It was all too much, but, this is currently the reality for Eichi. He was bedridden again, having to stay in the hospital one more due to his poor health. He was used to it, but he really hated the silence that he experiences everyday from it. He sat up from his hospital bed and sighed, waiting for something to happen, yet as usual nothing did.

“Well, that’s on me for expecting too much” the blonde whispered as he took a sip of water from the glass beside his table. He waited just a bit more, maybe a few minutes passed by, but alas nothing happened. Eichi felt lonely, exaggeratingly lonely, and because of that he couldn’t help but feel disappointment. A few tears fell down his cheeks but he didn’t cry, he just let those tears stain his face before laying down and dozing off peacefully.

.

.

.

“Eichiiiii~!! We’ve come to stop b—ah” “…We should probably leave in order to not disturb him.” “But we just got here! We have flowers prepared so what gives?!”

.

.

.

Suddenly, loud yet enthusiastic sounds filled the room. They weren’t just random noises—but rather voices that Eichi could recognize, it was a bit cloudy though as he was awoken by the sudden chatter. His eyes fluttered open and he turned to his side— it was his unit-mates, all there standing in the doorway. They seemed to be arguing with something but it was barely recognizable with how they’re trying to whisper in their conversation.

“…ah, hello.” He sat up from his bed, rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t expect any visitors today” he said with a small smile to his face, somehow sending a shock to the other three. “Ah, we’ll just drop off our small present, then we’ll take our leave, Master Eichi.” said Yuzuru waving his hands as he placed the bouquets of flowers on Eichi’s beside, surprised when their leader suddenly grabbed his hands. “No-! I mean…” a slight flushed tone came out of the blonde’s mouth “…you came all the way here right? Why not stay? I always have room for the three of you”.

The three of them smiled and giggled slightly. “Did you miss us, Eichi~? Was it lonely without us?” Wataru teased, approaching the leader and then sitting next to him. “Mm…yes, it c-certainly was” he said, not even trying to hide it. Tori then took a seat on Eichi’s bed, careful not to hurt him but still wanted to stay close “Ehehe~! Don’t worry Eichi-sama, we’ll stay here for as long as you like!”. It was such a cute and calm moment that Eichi couldn’t help but feel loved.

All of a sudden a finger brushed up his cheek, it was Wataru’s. “Eichi, your face has stains. Did you cry…?” he asked so bluntly, making their leader go quiet for a few moments. “…yeah, just before I slept. It’s not anything to worry of anymore though, I’m already fine.” Despite his attempts at reassurance, it was obvious they weren’t buying it. “Did you feel lonely again…?” his tone softened, it was one of those signs that it was a genuine moment, and from that he couldn’t help show that he truly did feel alone as Eichi’s lips wobbled before turning into a frown trying to force itself to smile.

“Ahh come here” Wataru pulled Eichi’s head into a hug while Yuzuru then moved to sit beside the bed and Tori then hugged his torso. It felt nice to be close with all of them, their embraces warming him up, he can’t help but allow some tears to stream down his face again. “Ah—!! Nonono-! You can’t cry again! We’re here to cheer you up and that’s exactly what we’re going to do!” Wataru exclaimed cheerfully as Tori beamed as well. Eichi giggled “I’m not crying…I just got overwhelmed.” he said as he rubbed his eyes to stop the tears, and suddenly it went silent…too silent again.

“…e-eh-? E-Eh? Why did you gUYS—AH-!” Eichi suddenly had to stop rubbing his eyes as a sudden shock surged through his nape, then all over his body. Oh no. Not this method. “Eichi-sama don’t. worry. too. much~!” Tori playfully said as each pause poked his side, making the blonde fold on himself a bit, but found himself unable to as Tori laid on his lap. “Ehehe…! T-Tori, I-I’m a bit sensihitive the-hehehere?!” Eichi cut himself off again as there was suddenly a new wave of tickles by his neck. “Yes of course we knew that! That’s why this is the best course of action isn’t it? It’s entertaining too!.

Wataru’s words quickly made the fine leader blush. “Yuzuru, care to join us~?” he asked, making the leader’s eyes grow big from anticipation. The butler nodded and moved spots to stay close to Eichi’s side. The anticipation kept growing and Eichi’s nerves were set on fire as he waited for the feeling to finally get intense due to three ticklers at once. To his shock, that didn’t exactly happen…?

The tickling was so gentle and it felt so light, despite that, the blonde was still in stitches as he started to squirm lightly and giggles couldn’t stop pouring from his lips. “Ahahahah…! W-Wahahaiit…! Ihihit tihihickles~!” he giggled, a huge grin plastered on his face. “Because we’re tickling you, Eichi.” Wataru said smugly as he squeezed his side a bit, causing him to squeak. “EEK-!! Ehehehee…!! Nahahaha..! Plehehease..!” he said, not exactly sure what he’s pleading for.

Tori decided to switch techniques, changing from poking his sides to skittering his fingers lightly “Eichi-sama’s smile is so bright isn’t it?” he teased as the leader blushed more with his giggles growing a bit more frantic “Tohohori…!” It didn’t help that Yuzuru never spoke, teased, or switched spots nor techniques, it was less ticklish than whatever the other two did but it was so consistent that the tickles never went away even if the other two paused to think of ways to tease him every now and then “nohohoho…! Wahahait…!”

He opted to hug himself as protection as he couldn’t escape even if he tried. “Guhuhuys…! I—ehehe-! I cahahan’t..!” Eichi giggles as his face as flushed from laughing too much. Slowly but carefully, all three of them moved away and stopped. A permanent smile on their leader’s cheeks, that’s exactly what they we’re looking for!

“hah…ahaha…that was so mean..!” Eichi joked as residual giggles kept pouring as the other three laughed along with him. “You can’t call us mean-! You never told us to stop or tried pushing us away! Don’t be such a liar, Eichi~!” teased Wataru, not expecting to fluster him even more. Eichi’s face was red as a tomato, but he couldn’t deny that. It was not something he could get used to, but he really appreciated the affection and just giggled while covering his face with one hand and the other to gently swat Wataru away. All of Fine did have fun during that visit, staying longer than they hoped for to keep their leader company. Eichi would be lying if he said he wasn’t grateful for them.

---☀️

A/n: I actually didn't know how to write for Fine as it was one of the unit's I didn't think of much in terms of liking, but I was always invested how their relationship worked with each other as I already did a small analysis on all the characters with their lore before as I'm super invested in the story! I'm not so confident I wrote them accurately, but I really did have so much fun writing this. Thank you so much @augustunicorn for this request it was so much fun to write!

This was…a mess. The practice room was dark with barely any light. Crumpled papers were scattered, pencils broken in half, laptop opened yet unresponsive, and Leo lying down on the floor without saying anything. He was extremely uninspired, and normally you would think that it’s no problem as ideas can just come another day, but not for him. He had a tendency to doubt his own worth by his crafts and his purpose, and with no inspiration comes no ideas for an outcome. Slowly his motivation, mood, and his current state couldn’t handle it anymore.

He was still laying down, his arms numb from staying still for so long. Tear stains covered his face and silent sniffles and hitched breaths kept coming out of his mouth. He was having trouble breathing but he didn't do anything to stop it but stayed there in despair. Well, that was until he heard knocking on the door.

“Oi, are we allowed to finally go in? Rehearsal starts in a minute.”

Izumi didn't mean anything harsh by it, he thought that Leo was just busy inside composing his heart out as per usual. No response. “Hm, alright. I won't disturb you but you have around five minutes left.” He left and Leo continued to weep silently, thinking that, that was the final interruption and he can pick himself up before rehearsal starts. Unfortunately, that didn't happen as suddenly the door to the practice room opened and a shadow revealed itself “Leo?” A gentle voice called out. Leo looked towards the door and saw Arashi, the very first witness to this…mess of a person.

She gasped, running her way to Leo immediately “ah!? What happened!? Did something hurt you?” She assumed, not being able to process everything just yet. The ginger tried to explain, but only a few words came out as his voice was currently…not in the best condition as he had to forcefully try to stop crying when she walked in. Arashi sat down beside Leo before slowly lifting his body and putting his head on her lap to support him while she took a breather to observe their surroundings, and then it clicked. Oh no. “Leo…you can ask for help y’know …?” She said, cradling him in her arms a bit while rubbing his head “it's one of those days, huh?” He couldn't reply as he was trying his best to stop the tears from flowing so he just nodded and planted his face on her chest. He really did his best not to cry since he didn't want them to feel like he's a burden, but be couldn't help letting out some sniffs and soft sobs around her.

He didn’t even notice that several minutes had passed and the door opens once again “Are you done yet? I have to contact Suou and—” “Sena give us a minute.” “What’s going on anyw— ah.” Izumi looked at the situation at hand and saw Arashi gently cradling Leo in a tight hug, trying her best to comfort him. He moved closer and sat beside them, leaning to peek at the ginger’s face that he quickly hid away. “…we’re cancelling practice.” “You changed your mind quickly, you had a change of heart too, Sena?” “You make it sound like I’m so cold. You should know me better than that.” Leo looked up with tears in the corner of his eyes, watching them bicker a bit. It wasn’t exactly the ‘fighting’ kind of bickering, it was playful and just full on friendly teasing. It changed the mood of the atmosphere entirely and he immediately felt a bit better with it.

“You aren’t like this most of the time.”

“You make it seem like it’s rare for me to be kind, how painful…!”

“It is rare! You're always so bossy!”

“No I'm not!”

“You're just kind when you're impulsi—”

“..ehehe..!”

A small giggle came out and the other two stopped bickering to look at Leo who had a tiny smile plastered on his face. When he realized that they're both looking at him, he hid his face on Arashi’s tummy again to hide his face heating up. “Hey don't hide…! It's nice that you're smiling now!” The blonde said rubbing his head while the other moved closer to Leo. “Why are you hiding? You're always smiling outside, what makes it so embarrassing now?” He couldn't explain it, but being taken care of by two of his friends felt…oddly comforting yet embarrassing. His flushed face wasn't calming down anytime sooner and it was still messy from the aftermath of his breakdown. He wasn't entirely better but it was still better than earlier. They just wanted to see him smile again.

Arashi pondered and came up with an idea “Leo, would it be alright to touch you…?” He looked at her confused about what she meant until she placed her hand on top of his side, it tickled a bit that he flinched before a small panicked smile revealed itself. “I know you're not…comfortable enough to talk about it or to even speak but, maybe this’ll help. That is, if you let me.” Izumi doesn't really understand what's happening but for Leo he felt conflicted. On one hand, he's a bit tired and he wants to rest but he also wants their efforts to help him not to go waste and let them. Shyly, he tugs on her jacket sleeve and nods, finally allowing her to do what she wanted, watching a smile grow on her face. “Ehehe~! You won't regret this I promise!”

Arashi wasted no time and started turning her hand into a claw and lightly scribbling Leo’s side, causing him to curl up in her lap while hugging her tummy “ACK—! Ahahahaha…!” He wasn’t protesting but he did have a hard time staying still. She was one of the most skilled ticklers he’s ever met so his sensitivity with her ability made it pretty hard for him to hold back his reactions. “Oh? Is tickling common for both of you?” Izumi asked genuinely as he used one hand to gently skitter the ginger’s nape, making him fold and giggle more. “Well, yeah but I don’t get to do this often to him for these. He’s so cute though isn’t he?” That was so embarrassing…! Leo was still there just giggling on her lap and they’re just casually discussing this…! He blushed from the words and hid even deeper into her.

“Hm? He gets shy from this?” Izumi was really just asking from inexperience, but his words keep on coming out as teasy and it did not help since he turned even redder! “Sena keep your mouth shut! You’re making him focus on those instead of this…!” On cue, she dug her fingers into his ribs, vibrating one by one “EEHEHEEK—! AHAHARA— EHEHE—! WAHAHAIT!” Leo started squirming around like crazy! He clamped his arms a bit and started kicking frantically while rolling around her lap. The gray haired one retracted his hand a bit and she just moved back to his sides “Oops-! I forgot you were really ticklish there. I’ll save that for last my bad…!” She said as Leo nodded, not really wanting to stop but he really can’t handle it there. It was unbearable!

Instead, she slipped her hand under his shirt and started tickling his stomach, making him curl up and cover his mouth to suppress his giggles, making Arashi get a playful yet pouty face. “Hey! You can’t cover up now!” She said, not stopping her tickling but huffing her cheeks pretending to be disappointed while Leo shook his head in disagreement. “She’s doing you a favor isn’t she? Least you can do is let her see your face, no?” Leo did not expect Izumi to start teasing him out of nowhere, and didn’t even expect him to suddenly grab his hands and pull them away from his face! That’s not all, he started to gently walk his fingers on his palm too! “EEEHahahaha…! Wahahahait—!” he giggled, cheeks puffing up while he turned his head side to side “Ihihit tihihickles…!” It caused both of the ticklers to laugh along with him with his obvious statement “Leo we’re tickling you! Of course it’s going to.”

The tickling went on for quite a while with both of them just randomly switching spots, causing Leo to squirm repeatedly. It didn’t matter though, he felt loved and he felt happy despite the sensation being unbearable! He was blushing, hiccuping, and even squealing all throughout and Izumi and Arashi would be lying if they said they didn’t find it cute.

After a few minutes, they stopped, leaving Leo tired and breathless but with a permanent smile on his face. He closed his eyes to try and catch his breath but he started to get sleepy and doze off a bit.

“Oi wake him up, he should at least walk back to his dorm before dozing off…!”

“Hush—! You might wake him up. I’ll just carry him back.”

“Don’t start crying to me about any complaints when doing so!”

“Honestly, I’ll most likely complain about you than him!”

Leo may have looked like he slept but he was still listening and couldn’t help but smile. He had a horrible start, but he was happy to end the day this way feeling loved and appreciated no matter his efforts! He shortly slept right after the bickering calmed down while the other two just carried him back to get him some rest.

"Should I tell them...? But they'd worry...! But if I don't I'll screw up..."

Hiiro was currently lost in thought, encountered with so many words of doubt with being a new leader and all. Even after he successfully lead Alkaloid out of their slump and getting his brother back on stage, something just doesn't sit right with him. He constantly felt like he wasn't deserving to be the leader as he already caused several problems, but it wasn't really his fault! He...just didn't see that.

He tossed and turned on his bed, constantly burying and messing the blankets as he couldn't get these voices out of his head. Hiiro felt hopeless knowing that he's somehow troubled by not knowing what things a leader should and shouldn't do yet, it was making him feel awful. He was so lost in his own little world that he didn't notice someone standing in the doorway of his dorm.

"Ahaha! You look quite funny tossing n' turning like that!" It was Rinne, his older brother standing there as he watched him just throw his little tantrum. Hiiro looked at him with wide eyes "A-Ah!? How long have you been standing there brother!?" He asked, his mouth gaping a bit in shock. The elder one sat beside him and gave his shoulder a playful punch "just got 'ere but man! I didn't expect to see that! Were you fighting a ghost or something!?" He teased before laughing more, causing his little brother to blush a bit.

"No actually..." Hiiro says looking down, a bit embarrassed to admit his predicament not realizing it's a genuine problem. "I'm not sure if I deserve to be the leader. I know it wasn't my choice but I wish I could be a better one for them, they need to depend on me and I somehow made things go bad." Hearing and listening to all this made Rinne realized, oh, this was a serious problem. It wasn't a laughing matter by any means. His expression softened a bit, getting rid of his cocky and brash attitude for a second, going back to the older brother Hiiro was more familiar with.

"..." He stayed silent for a bit, and Hiiro didn't really know what to do. Did he disappoint his brother now too? He was the next leader and he watches his little brother get dragged by emotions? What a shame...Hiiro really thought about every single possible thing that Rinne could say to say it's true but-

He was greeted by his older brother pulling them both into the bed, hugging him tightly like a wrestle. "Brother-!?" Hiiro squeals, eyes widening as he suddenly heard the other laugh. "Ahaha!" He continues to laugh, making his little brother stay confused during the hug "w-why are you laughing brother!?" Slowly, Rinne stops and turns to him, smiling and giggling "Well, didn't you say it yourself? You're gonna copy me and laugh your problems away! Why aren't you joining me?" He asks raising a brow. Hiiro hesitates, but he smiles a bit wobbly "I-I can smile but I don't think I should laugh when I have problems like this..."

Rinne blinks a bit, before a small playful grin grows on his face as he laughs more "... then I'll just force ya like before!" Suddenly, his hands go under Hiiro's shirt and started wiggling on his bare skin messily. It was more playful than torturous, it was kind of fun if anything!

Hiiro gasps before suddenly squirming like crazy! Doing his best to pull his brother's hands out of his shirt but unable to as they kept persisting "Aahahaha-! W-wait! Wait w-why!? Ahahahaha! B-Brother!" He giggles frantically, holding onto his hands instead still trying to pry them away. Rinne smiles at the sight, that's the smile he missed so much. His little brother being carefree and childish the way he's supposed to be! That's what he wanted, that's all he ever wanted! He's glad to get another opportunity like this.

As his fingers kept roaming around, Rinne giggles as he kept tormenting his little brother "you know why! You didn't want to join me and laugh our problems away! So this is all you get~ maybe you're regretting it now~?" He teases. "AHEHEHEHhehehheee! Nohoho! I-I didn't mean to! I-i wantehehed to join! I- ahahaah! Brohohotheeeerrr!!!!" Hiiro whines as he opted to clamp his arms down instead to attempt protecting himself, it wasn't working at all though! His fingers just kept messily going around his torso like it was a game!

Rinne chuckles before playfully pretending to be upset, moving his hands to squeeze Hiiro's hips while having a sad expression on his face "b-but, if you wanted to join then your big brother wouldn't be so sad~!" "I-I dihihidd!! Ahahaha! Lehehet gohohooooo!!" "B-but this makes me happy Hiiro~! Don't you want your brother happy~!?" He playfully retorts, trying to guilt his little brother a bit for fun. Hiiro shook his head as he kept squeaking "B-Brohohotheeheherrrr! Plehehehaseeeeeee! Ahahahaha! I-I can't! I can't!" He says through his giggles, unable to stop squirming as well.

After a minute or two, Rinne stops, leaving his little brother breathless. The bedsheets were messed up, Hiiro's shirt was wrinkled, his hair even poofier from all the squirming, red cheeks, and even a permanent smile! He was proud of his work and giggled victoriously before looking at his little brother "You used to be able to last longer than that~!" "I-its hard since you left for years y'know?" He says jokingly, but there was a hint of sadness in Hiiro's words. Rinne sighs before pulling him into a gentle hug, caressing his back "...I'm sorry" he whispers quietly "...You're no failure, okay? You just keep being called that because society is nothing more than a canvas of judgement. I'm sorry for leaving. I know ya understand me but...a big brother can't help but want the best for their siblings no?" Rinne has a soft expression on his face as he pulled Hiiro tighter "...I'm very grateful you did all the things for me as I did for you, don't forget that. You're a kid, don't feel so strict okay?"

A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a while since my last fic. I've been very very very busy with school so I'm sorry I haven't been online! I've been doing my best but it's really difficult with my life situation right now! I'd rather not disclose it, but I promise you, Yoyo is indeed trying her best! Hope this fics makes you guys happy!

He ruffles his little brother's hair before chuckling, Hiiro's expression changing from a sad smile to one with enthusiasm. Just like how they used to, they cuddled in bed to comfort each other for once. It was quiet, not as wild as both Amagi's were known as, but they needed this moment. It was childish, playful, and definitely unexpected but anything to provide them both with comfort, right?

"Kyahahah-! Rihitsuhuhu-!"

It was a peaceful night by the lobby where in it was mainly their small friend group hanging out before hitting the hay and going to bed. Mika and Ritsu were having a playful banter about something in their dorm that left Arashi confused, but she still had fun around them. She giggled and told them off but they didn't really stop their small tickle fight, so she just stayed seated as she watched them both continue their playfulness until they grew tired.

As they we're having their own childish play, Leo was above the entire lobby about to scream his lungs out about his lack of inspiration, when he suddenly saw the three of them sitting down by the lobby chairs living in the moment. However, something interesting caught his attention and it's not the other two, but Arashi. She was staring at them with a softened expression, but Leo couldn't help but notice the small spark of curiosity in her eyes despite him far away. "She was...staring so intently...huh" he whispered to himself, but kept it to his thoughts as he went back to his room to continue his tasks.

"...I want ask her about it tomorrow..."

The very next day, Leo forcibly lunged himself towards Arashi and hugging her tight from behind "ARASHIIIIIIIIIIIII~!!!!" "GYAH-!? Hey don't be so rough to girls-! What is it?" She said, fixing her hair and taking Leo off her back to move him in front of her to have a proper conversation. Leo beamed with excitement as he jumped a bit from his seat "I saw you yesterday! With the other two!! I want to ask you something!!!" "You seem ...way hyper today. Okay what's going on?" "You were watching them really really well yesterday, what's up with that? You rarely make that face...!"

On the outside, it felt like an innocent question, but Arashi's face suddenly heated up so quickly that she covered her face and only peeked her eyes out "U-Uh...it was nothing? I'm just happy my friends are after all...!" "Then you would start beaming too! That was something entirely different don't you think so too?" Shit. He caught on. Arashi didn't really expect Leo to see that, nor did she really expect or prepare for this question. It was always a habit of hers to stare at people cuddling, holding hands, or tickle fights like this as she was so used to giving them but never received the same for her, and she was fine with that. However, she couldn't help but wonder what it's like to experience it herself properly. So now she's faced to confront Leo, who seemed too eager about asking her. "Hmm...maybe it's because it was late at night?" She tried to reason herself out of this as she didn't want to deal with embarrassment about being curious of "childish" things like this.

Leo blinked, it was so obvious that she wanted to be involved in it so badly so why isn't she just being honest...? He hasn't said anything yet, but the moment he saw it he immediately knew what she was looking for. He was so eager to ask because he was looking forward to having fun with her but she wasn't admitting anything. "I guess I'll just have to make the big move today.." he thought to himself as he stood up and jumped on her, hugging her torso tight out of nowhere. "E-Eh!? What are you doing!?" "Having fun! Come on you're so easy to read!" Still staying in the hug, he somehow managed to grasp on her sides and dug in immediately.

She instantly bursted into squeals as she started kicking and squirming out of her seat "aAHAHAHAH-!? LE-HEOHOHO-!" She didn't expect the sudden attack nor did she expect Leo of all people to do it, but that didn't matter since all she was focused on was not trying to throw him on accident. Arashi wasn't used to receiving tickles at all, the best she ever got was just a poke or a quick scribble during her playful antics as a child, but this was entirely different. "EHEHEE NOHO-! I MIHIGHT FAHALL!" "So be it!" And as if it was on cue, they both went crashing down on the floor.

It really wasn't a problem as it only took a few seconds to recover before the ginger continued to torment his friend, who was squirming like a fish out of water. "You're really squirmy Arashi~! You always tickle us so we never expected this~! Coochie coochie coo~!" "LEHEHEO-!!" Her smile was so bright and her cheeks started to hurt a bit from laughing so much. Her face was red, her hair was messy, and her eyes were squeezed shut, this is definitely not the Arashi he was used to! Being a model always meant she looked presentable to be pretty but...she still was and this even looked better. Leo had to stop his train of thought as he snapped back to check if she was still fine with the torment but...she never once said stop.

He paused for a moment, fingers stopping leaving her breathless. Leo's eyes started to glow as another question popped in "Arashi are you having fun with this? Do you like it?" With that, her usual playful and open personality mellowed down as she just stayed silent with her face turning even redder than before. She avoided his gaze and furrowed her eyebrows a bit "... maybe." "We can do this again next time if you'd like!"

They both ended up laughing about it before continuing their own tasks before rehearsals. Arashi couldn't help but feel happy and excited about his words as she enjoyed this kind of playful affection. She was looking forward to the next time they get to do this...just maybe not taking her by surprise like this.

---☀️

A/N: Here's my small gift for @ticklish-n-stuff just cause I said so and I'm just in the mood to write--

Hey everyone my name is Kaoru Hakaze I was born on November 3rd I'm a student at Yumenosaki Gakuen High School I'm a senior student right there, and my blood type is B, and my class is 3A That's pretty much it, thank you.

Prompt 10 "You're doing that on purpose!"

+

Prompt 11 "...doing what on purpose?"

---☀️

"E-Eh!? W-What are you doing?!"

It was just a peaceful night where Alkaloid and Crazy:B decided to eat together at the dorm kitchen, celebrating and discussing the usual business they had to tackle. While doing so, Niki had offered to cook for them which they all agreed, but he was soon followed by Mayoi as he wanted to assist him to get away from the little crowd, and so he let him.

Niki plopped his head onto Mayoi's shoulders, a satisfied smile quickly growing on his face. "Aah~! You smell good as always!" He mumbled into his neck, wrapping his arms around the other's waist giggling in satisfaction. What he didn't expect however, was the squeak and the little jolt that came out of his mouth, followed by a face that was so flushed he could be mistaken for a tomato. The purple haired one gasped and covered his mouth with both his hands, looking away from the other one's face. Deciding to play along, Niki continued to play innocent and pretend he didn't notice the sounds that just came out of him.

"A-Ah, shouldn't you be c-cooking at your own station!? S-So we can get more work done!" He suggested, face burning as he continued to do prep work, trying to avoid the other's gaze. Niki nodded, returning to his own station. However, he kept returning and plopping his head down Mayoi's neck, then taking a sharp inhale as if he's taking in the scent of what he was preparing, but it was all a facade to tickle the other's neck a bit more and it worked! "Stop that! You're doing that on purpose!" The phantom squeals out, scrunching his neck and squeezing his eyes shut. Niki chuckles and barely tries to hide his intentions anymore "...doing what on purpose?" "You're tihickling me!" "That's not tickling!" He dipped his head onto Mayoi's neck, nibbling away and grabbing his waist so he wouldn't fall to the ground as he started to squirm and laugh.

"EHEHEHEK--! YOU AHAHahahare!! EeheheEHEENOHOHO-!!" "I'm just simply trying to get a taste that's all!"

They've completely forgotten that their unit-mates were there in the other room, listening to the small situation in the kitchen. It was noisy and quite a mess to listen to, but they couldn't help but smile hearing Mayoi's pleading and laughter.

---☀️

A/N: I swear I'll get back to writing!! It's just really hard to do so at the moment but I've been demotivated after losing my drafts :"D

A/N: This is actually for a friend of mine (you know who you are.) who really loves Kaoru! I don't feel comfortable writing self inserts unfortunately but, I really wanted to write for Anzu for a while too so I hope this is good! This is just a small gift as appreciation for our little chats ^^!

It was a long day, a bit too eventful for Kaoru. The best summary for him is that he bit off more than he could chew since he offered to help so many people at once he didn't keep up himself. First, he had to listen to Koga practice his guitar and get frustrated, making him spend his time and comfort him. Next, he had to deal with school work and idol work at once! He isn't that required to do his work at school but he was really behind and the idol work was necessary! Not only that, but it went really roughly today with alot of cancelled plans, clashing schedules, and generally draining activities. Now he was too upset about it that he couldn't even go back to his dorm since he didn't really want to see the bright and shining Kaoru down in the dumps...! I mean, he didn't mind going there but he really didn't like bringing the mood down so his only choice now was isolating himself by going away to the beach on impulse.

The ride was long and lonely, with only the sounds of the road and the wind to accompany him. He really felt like his insecurities were coming to bite him today...! He felt like everything was burdening him now and he couldn't help but sulk about it. About an hour later, he arrived to the beach and instantly stayed on the sand to lay down and relax. The sun was setting and he wasn't in the mood to start surfing, but he really needed the comfort of the water to collect himself right now. Kaoru sighed, drawing on the sand and collecting shells to somehow calm him down, it worked but...not entirely. He needed something or someone right now, but he couldn't ask for it and this was the best he can do. He didn't want to be alone, that's all...

And it looks like fate was in his favor as back at ES, Anzu just got a task to discuss his new shuffle unit with him. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found so she had no choice but to ask around. She wasn't very lucky with information but, knowing him her best hope was to head to the beach as well so she started a trip since she had no contact with him whatsoever.

It was fading into the darkness of the night and Anzu had just arrived, immediately spotting him the moment she got there. She moved closer and saw that he had fallen asleep, dozing off as the water just soaked his body repeatedly. She sat beside him and watched the waters while waiting for him to wake up. It was...so unlike him so she didn't want to disturb him in-case he needed his rest. So this was the view he admired so much...Anzu understood why he found this place so calming and just stayed there in awe. A few minutes later, he woke up. Seeing that it was already dark out, he stood up and went to leave but-- "GYAH-!? Producer!?" Kaoru immediately fell back down, not expecting the girl beside him to be there. Anzu looked up at him and thought about telling him the truth about the shuffle but, it doesn't seem like the right time to discuss about it so she made up an excuse "Ah, hello Kaoru. I was just visiting 'cause it seems like you disappeared out of nowhere. Is something wrong?" She asks, expecting a joke or something but...she didn't exactly get that.

His expression softened and he just sat back down properly "uh, not really. It's just a rough day at work after all! No need to worry, you can go back." He said, patting her head trying to reassure her that nothing was wrong, but it was clearly a lie. Anzu really didn't want to pry since he seems secretive about it, though she wanted to do something about it cause he's nothing but nice to everyone, he needed a shoulder to lean on as well. She took his hand off her head, put it on his chest, and then it was her turn to give him pats on the head "Mm...if it's a rough work day, you should let me know if there's any problems, Kaoru." This made the blonde smile and lean into her touch "Okay, I'll let you know when something happens next time. Sorry for running off, producer." "I understand. It's okay to do something impulsive every now and then." It was so nice to relax and see this side of him, but she was afraid that he could immediately sulk right after if she left or if she left it this way. She had an idea but... executing it could go horribly wrong if she wasn't careful.

Anzu gently but slowly experimented by first letting her hands graze from his head to his nape, making him scrunch his neck a bit, smiling even more. Ah, it was so precious she couldn't help but feel a smile also grow on her face. Before she could continue admiring this side of him, she snapped out of it and continued her mission by gently putting her hands under his chin and started to lightly scratch it, finally letting giggles flow "hehey...! Prohohoducer?" He looked at her with wide eyes, already suspicious of her actions while she just continued that...blank smile. It was uncanny, in a playful way of course. Anzu wasn't even talking, she just kept her fingers there as he tried his best to stay still and resist "Prohohoducer...! Plehehease! Ihit tihickles!" Kaoru giggled as he held her hand but didn't even try to push it away. How cute...

"That's...the point Kaoru." Soon, the brunette used her other hand and immediately attacked his stomach, making him jolt and lay back down on the sand. "eHEHE!? Whyhyhy!? Wahait!" He tried to clamp his arms down to relieve the sensations, but even if he did, it still tickled like hell...! Anzu wasn't exactly like his unit-mates or his friends so he can't just...fight her off like how he normally would, and she wasn't doing it to harm him so he didn't know how to react! "Well, nothing? I just wanted to, what's wrong with that?" That wasn't true actually. This isn't necessarily 'cheer up' tickles cause no matter what she does, his burdens won't go away from a simple act but...this was more of 'please have this carefree moment between us' kind of tickles to let him know that he can depend on her. Anzu was never good at expressing it anyway due to her introverted nature, and that's fine to Kaoru since he's gladly accepting her company.

She stopped tickling by his neck and just used both her hands to start squeezing his sides "EEHEK-!! NAHAhahahaha!!" He started to squirm and kick his legs gently, it wasn't hurting her by any means but he was moving around so much! It looked so cute but it was really hard to tickle him this way. "You're so squirmy! I didn't expect you to be so ticklish Kaoru...!" Anzu said honestly, not meaning to tease him but it caused the other to blush "I- Eheheheeeee!! Ihim not thahahat tihicklish!!" "...not that ticklish?" She smirked "What do you mean 'not that ticklish'? Look." she squeezed both sides again "ACK-- Stohohop that..!!" He used both his hands to cover his mouth to stop the giggles from overflowing. "You're smiling lots though, but I guess I have to oblige" and with that, the brunette stopped her fingers and took it off his body. She really wasn't meant to stop, she was just teasing him...! After all, it's alright to act childish every now and then, especially to make someone happy.

That's ...the problem. Kaoru didn't really want it to stop, he was actually having fun! But he started blushing even harder realizing he had to admit than in order to get what he wanted. He slowly turned to her with a flushed face "u-uhm...producer?" "Yes?" She giggled, pretending to look innocent but failed horribly, making him while "producer please..." He pleaded, hoping that she'll actually give him a pass and spare him the embarrassment. "Please what Kaoru?" Ah. Yeah he wasn't spared from it. "C'mon you know what I mean, right?" He whined and hid his face in his hands again. "I don't really. What do you want? I'll gladly help if you tell me." He wanted to die from this, how can someone so timid and sweet be so evil at the same time...? He took a deep breath in, and just barely whispered "please continue...I needed that." In the softest voice ever. As much as she was having fun, Anzu didn't want to spoil this moment so she just gave in and started to tickle him again.

The sun had fully set as they both shared so much laughter on the beach, mainly Kaoru's since it lasted a while longer than anticipated. His hair got so tangled and his face was so flushed! Sand was everywhere and they both got really really messy! But once they were done, they hurried back and drove back to the city, dead asleep in the car from exhaustion. It didn't matter though, they both had smiles on their faces. The shuffle discussion can wait another day.

Also Anzu hurry up and show in game this is the most awkward fic thumbnail I've ever made LMAO.

This felt all so wrong! Not wrong but...conflicting. Adonis had been having a never ending conflict for days, even weeks now. At first he was denying it, but now he just fully accepted that he accidentally caught feelings for someone he's not supposed to, his best friend. There was nothing wrong with liking Souma! It's just that...he was kinda conflicted on how this'll change their friendship. He felt all giddy and happy inside whenever he'd see him, but now that he's sure that he likes him, he couldn't help but changed the way he acted. Adonis started freezing around him, stopped talking mid sentence, or even accidentally getting red around him. It was so embarrassing...! Not only that, but Souma also started noticing the change that made him feel even worse since he thought he was sick! But he couldn't help it especially since he started seeing him in an entirely different way. He didn't want to but it just happened...!

These thoughts clouded Adonis' head to the point he couldn't even think straight and started messing up during rehearsals. He would start doing his moves late and get behind or he would forget to sing and skip some parts of the song. He felt so embarrassed from all of this...! He just wanted all of it to go away as he didn't know how to exactly deal with these kinds of things. As they were packing up, Adonis sat down on the practice room's floor and sighed. "Oi Adonis, tomorrow we'll just practice better tomorrow and don't be upset about it!" Koga said, patting his back to comfort him about his mistakes. "Thank you Oogami. I'm sorry for today, I'm not thinking straight that's all." And just shortly after, both Kaoru and Koga left the practice room and waved goodbye. Adonis planned to stay for a while longer to get rid of his frustration through cleaning but was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.

"You've been oddly out of it~ Is there something on your mind?" Rei asked as he stood behind his junior, both hands rubbing his shoulders to ease tension yet failing at it. He felt him raise his shoulders with a sharp inhale and he looked slowly back at him "y-yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking Sakuma-senpai." Adonis smiled and tried to keep on cleaning to not show the faint blush growing on his cheeks. He doesn't want him to press on other wise it'll make this more embarrassing, but knowing his senior, nothing good will come out soon enough. He continued to wipe a damp towel down the floor but was once again interrupted by his senior who was staring down at him with a smirk. He once again grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to sit up straight "Hm? There it is again, you're acting real weird. What's gotten into ya?" The purple haired one sealed his eyes shut as he didn't want to face his senior with a flushed face as he tried to hide his expression again "I can assure you I'm fine, it's just that we should continue cleaning. I can finish it so you won't have to Sakuma-senpai." He says, trying to excuse his way out of this but it's not working as the other kept closing in on the distance between them. "Hmm..." Rei hums, staring into his junior's face, clearly admiring at how he still had the guts to hold his facial expressions despite it being obvious. "Alright, just do your best for tomorrow's practice. Take a rest and go home after."

The door creaked open and then shut. 'He finally left..." Adonis thought as he wiped the floors clean before standing up to put away the cleaning materials. He still thought about it...What if Souma thought of it as weird? What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore if he finds out? All these couldn't leave his mind and he sighed heavily, opening the cabinet to return the items. Before he could even store all the equipment, hands suddenly pulled him back out of nowhere and hugged him as they both fell down to the floor. "AH!? Who goes the-" "So you're hiding something from us, Adonis-kun?~" Rei had somehow managed to trick him into thinking he left the room and is now holding him into this tight hug on the floor, trying to get him to spill. Normally, Adonis wasn't stubborn but for this case? He was keeping his mouth sealed shut. He didn't want his secrets out so he shook his head and tried to lie again "Oh so now you're keeping secrets? It's pretty obvious y'know..." The purple haired one's eyes grew wide as he turned his head around to face the evil smirk on the 'vampire's' mouth "O-Obvious...?" He questioned, his mouth shaking from nervousness "You've been blushing the entire time and you're even more silent than before. Someone caught your eye~?" He teased, it was mainly a joke but he struck gold when Adonis' face burned bright red and he turned away from him. His assumptions were right...! That was so cute...! "A-Ah, I was just teasing but did I get it right!?" Rei asked from excitement but the other refused to answer and kept his back turned from him to not show his really really really red face!

"Wait so who is it--?! C'mon tell me--! Don't leave me curious Adonis-kun!" Rei trapped Adonis into a tighter hug, making him unable to escape which causes him to panic a bit. Oh they were gonna stay here for a while... "I-It's no one! I promise!" "You're lying it shows on your face! You're too honest, you can't lie very well...!" Rei started giggling as he started playfully tormenting his very flustered junior. "I'm not lying...!" "This is my first time seeing you like this! It's such endearing side of you. I'm still curious on who it is though and you know I won't stop 'til you spill their name~" this was getting dangerous! Adonis tried to get out of his grasp but he was trapped so well that he couldn't even squirm as much. He honestly expected Rei to just keep him there for as long as he wants but his nerves got set on fire right after he felt a hand squeeze both his ribs "aAH-!? S-Sakuma-senpai what are you doing..?!" His eyes lit up in panic as he tried to get away, but he underestimated the strength of his senior as he held him down with ease. "Just motivating you a bit...! You've been so tense you should at least smile while, y'know, spilling the name...!" And just like that ten fingers suddenly dug under his shirt from behind and started scratching his stomach. Adonis threw his head back and kicked his legs out, covering his mouth partially to hide his blush "WAHAHAhahait! NOhoho! Yohou're tihihicklIHIHINng meheheee...! SahahahaHAHAKUHUMAhaha-sehenpai!!" This was so humiliating! Not only did he have to think about how he'll subtly try to confess about his feelings, but he couldn't even think straight due to the sensations!

Honestly, Rei understood if he didn't want to say anything, he just wanted to tease him since it was rare to see his junior act like this! He was always so calm and collected that it felt so nice to see him go out of character every once and a while. The vampire chuckled and hugged him tighter, putting on leg on his thighs to trap him fully. He moved his hands and started to skitter his fingers on Adonis' sides. "Well, I am tickling you Adonis-kun. So of course it's gonna feel like that. I mean, you already know how to get me to stop right~?" "NOhohoho-!!" "Oh? You don't know what I want?" "NOhoho...! I mehehean stop tihihickling mehehHEHEHehe-!" Adonis' eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to focus on squirming away and enduring the tickles. He wasn't that ticklish but he was still weak to it! "Well I'll stop the moment you tell me what I want~! C'mon it's not that hard loverboy...!" "Dohohon't cahahall mehehe thahahat!!" "Hm, fair point it does sound more like a nickname for Kaoru. Fine no nicknames but I'm curious! I promise I won't snitch!" Adonis shook his head and tried to push Rei away to no avail. He can't let him know...! It's not that personal but it's so embarrassing! He wasn't known for romance or any of that stuff, this was going to be the end of him...!

'He's persistent to these things huh...' Rei thought while continuing his torment 'Well he did have three sisters...I guess he's used to these.' He moved onto squeezing his hips which earned a much more rewarding reaction as Adonis started jumping and squirming even more, laughter increasing by tenfold "AHAHAHhahahaHAHHAHA!! STOHOHOhohop ihihit-!!! ThheherHEHERES NOHOHOTHING TO Sahahay-! sahaHAHAKUMA- SEHENPAI!!" He shook his head trying to deny it but when he peeked one eye open he saw Rei's teasy expression. It was obvious he didn't fall for it. "Red face, constantly freezing, you're not even that outgoing but you still somehow made yourself shyer. It's so obvious~! There's nothing to be ashamed of!" And just like that, Adonis' face heated up even more! His face was so red he didn't even bother to fight back anymore and retreated his hands to cover his face. "Still being stubborn hm?" He hummed as he moved closer to the purple haired one's neck, whispering in his ear "remember, this can and will get worse...!" That...wasn't an empty threat. As much as Rei was known as their senior for being too chill about things and even complaining that he was too old for alot of activities, he was still an older brother that often tormented the members of UNDEAD and others with tickling if something particular didn't go his way. Knowing this, he started feeling even more nervous than before.

Before he could even process anything, Rei had somehow found a way to locate his worst spot immediately! He hadn't even gotten involved in any of the tickle fights he started before! Adonis' eyes shot open as he felt a squeeze on his thighs, jumping up before crashing down and laid down on Rei's chest unintentionally. "EHEHEEK-! WAhahait-! We can...! Uhm... Just not there!" "Oh? Are you going to...maybe tell me now?" He really isn't giving up is he? "Okay fine! I'll admit, maybe I...do like someone but that's it...! Please just nohot there!" "You're already giggling out of nervousness...!" "Yohou're too clohose!" His junior was giggling a storm! He wasn't even touching him just yet! "Well, I'm hearing no names so I have no choice, I'm hurt Adonis-kun!" "W-Wahait-but-but I already admIHI- NOHOHO ACK--! WAIT NOHOHOT THEHEHERE-!! NOT THEHEHEHERE!!" The younger started to squirm so much that his hair was disheveled and his face was beet red. Rei couldn't see it since he was facing his back but he could see his ears tinting red and his words jumbling up. He switched his technique from squeezing to kneading and--

"EEHEHEK-! NOHO NOT LIKE- EHEEHEK- SAAHAHAKU-!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA-!! OKAY! OKAHAHAY!!" "Hm? Okay?" "IHI'LL TEHELL YOU JUS-- EEHEHE NOHOOHO!!" Adonis just lost it and started pounding his fists on the ground and flailed around so much he couldn't control himself anymore. Tears were rolling down his eyes and his laughter softened up, he reached his limit. Rei stopped and started to give his head a little rub to calm him down "Ah woops-! I didn't mean to take it too far this time. I'm sorry Adonis-kun." He softened his expression before turning to his junior "you don't actually have to tell me, it's just a small tease since I didn't think you'd actually fall for someone right n--" "It's Kanzaki". He actually gave his name!? Rei was so shocked that he couldn't help but keep his mouth open a bit, not realizing that he embarrassed his junior even more as he covered his face and tried to rush away. "AH! Ah ah ah! Wait nono! I didn't mean anything bad by it! It's just that I was surprised! He's the one from AKATSUKI correct? Samurai?" "Yeah..." "I know he's one of your trusted friends so I think it's pretty nice that you ended up liking him out of all people." For some reason, those words comforted him than anything. Adonis couldn't help but turn his gaze over to his senior with a slight blush on his cheeks. "I mean, Kaoru and I mainly joke about being partners with a fan or some lady but, I consider you to be lucky that your first crush is someone you trust! Don't you think so too?" He ruffled his messy hair even more and looked at him with a gentle smile "I didn't want to pry but it looked too cute. Say, you should be like this more often." "If it doesn't include you tiring me out like this then maybe I'd consider it." "Well it was your fault for it anyway!" They ended up talking in the practice room far longer than they expected. It was a refreshing to finally get it off his chest and at least talk about it with someone. Even if it's just a small crush at it's purest form of innocence, he was still happy to know that the experience was normal and that he gets to share a moment with his senior.

A/N: I'm having a difficult time writing the requests right now since even if I have a scenario, it's pretty difficult to execute them! I'll do my best to fulfill them but in the meantime I hope y'all enjoyed this one cause I had fun writing it the most <3.