#lee!gn reader

“Hey, lover,” Betty hummed, stretching out on the sheets. Her hand patted the space beside her, beckoning you. She was technically lying on herself, but damn, she was comfortable.

You blinked, looking at her like you’d forgotten the dateviators were on. You seemed…distracted. “Oh…uh, hey, Betty.”

Her brows immediately furrowed at that. You were normally a bit distracted when you came in—you were tired, after all—but this was different. “Everything alright?”

“Kinda? I just had a bad day,” you shrugged, laying back on the bed beside her. You stared up at the ceiling, then at her. You’d missed that face all day.

Betty frowned at that, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Aw…is it okay if I try and make it better?”

That made you smile a bit. Betty was usually pretty good at boosting your mood, no matter what methods she chose. “Sure.”

With a small chuckle, Betty turned, hovering over you on the bed. She loved the way your eyes lit up with excitement, even when you had no clue what was coming for you.

Betty’s hands slid up your sides, and your own mirrored the motion on her. Only, instead of slipping under your shirt, her fingers began wiggling.

“SHHHHIhihihit! Behehetty?!” you yelped, squirming around beneath her. You’d expected some fun, maybe cuddling, but that?

That, you were wholly unprepared for.

“Just relax, baby. I wanna make you feel better,” she cooed, pulling out her teasing voice. Usually, you’d hear it late at night when she wanted to be mean. Then, however, it carried an entirely different meaning.

“Thehehere are ohother wahahays!”

Betty chuckled at that, clamping her legs around your own. “Maybe, but this seems much more fun.” She was ready for a fight.

You could hear the challenge in her voice, a giddy excitement filling your chest. If she wanted a challenge…well, you could certainly try and give her one.

You lurched upward, trying to push Betty off of you. She laughed, nearly falling off from your efforts. Instead of letting you go, however, she pounced back on you, tugging you into her lap. Before you could even think of countering, Betty had your arms behind your back in a startlingly effective hold.

“Wahait! Wait, wait, Behehetty wahahahait!” you giggled, all worked up before she even began tickling you. Betty was an impressively good play-wrestler.

She shook her head, getting your arms secured behind your back while freeing her hands. Perfect. “Sorry baby, but I’ve waited long enough.”

With that, Betty’s fingers dug into your sides, poking and wiggling against the sensitive areas.

“Why ahahahare youhu sohoho gohood at thahahat?!”

A compliment? Betty couldn’t help but smile at that, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Aw, how sweet. It’s a skill, and I’ve had lots of practice.”

That both answered your question and made you incredibly nervous. That “practice” almost definitely spelled giggly doom for you.

Sure enough, her skilled fingers traveled to your stomach, vibrating her clawed hand against the soft skin.

“NYAHAHAHAHA!”

You kicked and squirmed, tugging at your restrained arms. Betty didn’t falter, however; you weren’t getting away that easily.

“Oh, love, does that tickle? Hmm?” Betty teased, leaning forward to whisper in your ear. She was purposefully letting her lips brush the shell, tickling you more. The way your cheeks brightened was gorgeous to her. “You’re so cute when you blush~”

“SH-SHUHUHUSH!”

Your fluster at her compliments was rather adorable. She would happily try to break you another day, but right then, her mission was to brighten your day.

“Poor thing…want me to be gentle, baby?” she cooed, purposefully using a baby-voice to tease you.

You nodded frantically, trying not to sound too pathetic. Of course, you failed. “Y-YEHEHES!”

Betty stopped tormenting your stomach, switching to gentle spidering across the soft skin. She began nuzzling her face against your neck, occasionally planting little kisses.

“There we go. Is that better?” she whispered, pulling you closer. Betty released your arms, letting you flail a bit and hold her arms.

“Y-youhuhu’re sohoho mehean!” you whined, leaning back against Betty’s chest. She’d worn you out, and there was a lovely set of pillows for you to rest on behind you.

“Oh, I know, I’m so mean,” she tutted, shaking her head. She nipped your neck softly, making you squeak. “Don’t tempt me to bully you again, lover. I will get you if you push me.”

That did sound fun…but maybe another time. You were rather worn out from your bad day, and the tickling had exhausted you. You were ready to throw in the towel. You giggled out your safeword, tapping Betty's arm to show that she hadn’t done too far.

Betty’s arms tightened around you, turning you to face her. You got a lovely kiss before she started petting your hair again. “Aw, is someone tired?”

“Yehehes…” you grumbled, burrying your face in Betty’s chest. It was definitely time for a nap.

“Alright, alright. Let's rest together, then.”

Giving you another quick kiss, Betty laid the two of you down, pulling you closer against her. Your head rested on her chest, arms tucked around her waist as you held on. It was adorable.

“Baby…sleep well. I’ll be here when you wake up, always by your side. Especially with those giggles.”

“Mph, fuck off…”

You sighed as Kofi handed you your drink of choice, rubbing your eyes tiredly. You’d been working on a project all week, but had yet to finish. And, of course, it was due in a day. Pulling all-nighters two nights in a row probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was the only way you saw yourself getting it done on time.

“Hey…be sure to get some rest, yeah? I want my drinks to make you feel good, not help you feel bad.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a bit at Kopi’s concern. She was always so nice to you, even when you were on another productivity bender. “I’ll be fine, Kopi. Your drinks are always amazing. I just need to get this done, okay?”

“Alright, I guess. Just…be careful?”

“I’m always careful.”

With that, you strode off to your bedroom, choosing to ignore the skeptical look Kopi was giving you. You were fine; as long as you didn’t go longer than 72 hours without sleep, it was technically healthy…

…ish.

With the aid of the caffeine, your fingers flew across your keyboard. Finally, a rhythm! You hardly noticed the hour pass, though your body definitely did.

Soon, your eyelids grew heavy. The satisfaction from your progressed had eased some of your nerves, allowing you to relax just enough to grow tired. Your blinks grew longer, and before you knew it, you were floating in a black abyss.

“Shit…Nightmare?” you called out, your voice strangely void of any echo. Eyes open or closed, your view in the void was the exact same. You felt that familiar fear creep down your spine, followed by a warm arm wrapping around your middle. You couldn’t help but jump, frightened by her sudden touch in the emptiness.

“Hello, beloved.”

“Fuck, Nighmare, warn me first…” you huffed, leaning back into their touch. The warmth of their chest was nice against your skin, as odd as the giant lips there felt. Their lion head rested on your shoulder, giving your neck little nuzzles. The snake burrowed itself under your arm, hissing softly.

They chuckled in amusement, placing a small kiss on your cheek. “That would defeat the purpose of my visits, wouldn’t it?” Their hand wandered lower, giving your side a little poke. “Besides, you love my visits. I can feel your heart racing, you know. It’s quite lovely.”

That simple poke had an instant effect on you. You’d managed to avoid thinking about that during Nightmare’s pop-ins, but the simple touch had your mind racing with giddy thoughts and nervous energy. “I…shut up.”

Of course, it picked right up on that new anxiety. Its hands both grabbed onto your sides as it chuckled. “Oh? What’s this now?”

“W-wahait, wait, Nightmare, c’mon! Don’t you wanna see what bugs I’m afraid of or something? It’s really interesting,” you stammered, trying to distract them from the idea of tickles. Unfortunately for you, they weren’t swayed so easily.

“That can wait for another night,” they said, voice tauntingly soft. You knew that honey-smooth inflection was meant to build up a false comfort. “For now, we’re exploring this.”

With that little growl, Nightmare’s claws dug into your sides. They were torturously pointed, just enough to tickle the hell out of you without the chance of being accidentally scratched. She squeezed and scribbled on your soft skin, loving the squeals she was pulling from you.

The void around you shifted, changing into a park. It was a bright day, people mingling about. And, of course, they were a few of the other objects.

A whine escaped you at the sight, knowing the fear she was going to prod at. You hadn’t exactly gotten around to telling the other dateables about your affinity for the touch, and it was definitely on your mind. “N-Nihihightmahare, plehehease!”

They pressed another small kiss to your skin, this time against your neck. “Don’t worry, beloved. I’d never be cruel. This is to prove some fears to be irrational.”

Nightmare’s evil hand slid beneath your shirt, teasing your hips and waist with little squeezes. As you hiccuped and laughed, a few of the exploring objects came up to the two of you.

“Aw, how cute!”

“Look at our homie, all happy and stuff! Dope!”

“Think I’ll have to ask ‘em if they’d let me give that a try.”

“They seem like they’re having so much fun…”

Instead of the disgust and judgement your mind had convinced you was inevitable, Nightmare showed you the far more probable outcomes: your loved ones didn’t hate you for having an odd preference. True, it was still a little terrifying to have people see (even they were the non-sentient dream versions of them), but it made you feel a bit more secure in yourself.

“See, beloved? Nothing but your anxieties to fear,” they cooed, kissing your cheek. The world around you changed again, this time resembling your bedroom. It was slightly off, fuzzy at the edges, letting you know you were still asleep. Still with them. “And, of course, this little trick…”

You really should’ve learned better than to ask what they meant by that. Nightmare was more of a show rather than tell kind of entity.

They pressed their mouth hand flat against your stomach, their snake head moving up to your shoulder. In an instant, the mouth was blowing raspberries on your stomach. The snake head joined in on the fun, its tongue flicking across the shell of your ear to make you squeak.

“SHIHIHIHIT!”

You bucked in Nightmare’s hold, belly laughter tumbling freely from your lips. The dual sensations were evil; you both loved and despised Nightmare’s versatility with its strange body. It was rather amused with all of your reactions, chuckling in your ear.

“That seems quite ticklish, beloved. Good thing we have time to explore this.”

Their voice dropped as they leaned in, deep and deliberate in your ear. They knew the tone would get you nervous and squirming. It sparked an entirely new fear, though not exactly an unwelcome one. One that got your heart racing, lips wobbling, and eyes squeezing shut with flustered anticipation.

In the end, all you had were a handful of finished works, many more WIPs, and a massive headache.

As you cursed your past self’s stubbornness, Hector peered through the grates of your room’s air vent. He frowned at the state you were in—annoyed with yourself, overwhelmed, feeling like you’d failed. He’d have to fix that.

Hector deliberately lowered the temperature of the room, blowing cold air out from the vent. He watched as you shivered, looked up at the vent, and huffed. You knew what he was doing, to some degree.

“You’re an ass for making me get up,” you grumbled, heading for the attic. Whenever the temperature got weird, you knew Hector wanted to see you.

While you were stomping over, Hector hid, awaiting your arrival. He felt only a little bad for sneaking around. You needed to reset, after all; he was simply sweetening the recovery process.

Rubbing your arms to warm up, you pushed open the attack door, cringing at the slight creak. You’d have to work with Dorian to get those hinges oiled soon.

“Hector? You know there are better ways to get my attention, right?” you huffed, looking around for your man. Where is he?

You were not expecting a pair of arms to wrap around you from behind. You jolted, nearly attacking Hector out of shock.

“You— Hector! What the hell?”

“Sorry, my love. I had to get you out of that bedroom somehow,” he hummed, brushing his lips against your ear. You took a moment to appreciate how warm he truly was, your slight annoyance quickly fading.

You grumbled, “Could've just asked,” though there was no true heat behind it. Truly, you’d missed his warm touch since you started your project binge.

“We both know you would’ve fought me, dear.”

He wasn’t wrong. You were horrible about coming out of your room when you were focused on something unless it was important.

“Whatever.” You were getting a bit snippy with him, though it wasn’t because you were upset at him. You were simply stressed, and he had disrupted your routine of wasting away in bed with your horrible feelings.

Hector sighed at your snappy response. He knew it wasn’t anything he did; you were stressed, and you didn't know how to vent your frustrations.

Luckily for you, Hector knew exactly how to solve that problem.

The warm hands resting on your sides began to gently dig in, fingers kneading your sides in rhythmic, teasing motions.

“Mph— Hehehey! Hehehector!”

Ticklish little currents ran through your nervous system as you squirmed, pulling giggles and squeaks from your lips. “Whahahat?!”

“I thought it was clear, love,” he hummed, enjoying the way you flailed in his arms. Very cute. “You need to reset. I’m simply performing some routine maintenance.”

That sparked a memory. A week prior, Hector had been having a hard time providing cool air for you. Thanks to your “labor limbo” salary, you had to check his inner workings yourself. The fix had been relatively easy, but you’d noticed how he twitched and snickered when you touched the right panels and wires. Things had escalated from there, leaving him a giggly wreck.

Your actions had a funny way of coming back to haunt you.

“Ihihi’m sohohorry, ohohokahahay?” you huffed, half-heartedly trying to squirm out of his arms. You really weren’t sorry for tickling him—you both knew that—but it was worth a shot.

“This isn’t out of revenge. I’m helping you, dear.” He pressed a kiss to the side of your head and he continued to tickle you, holding you close. Sure, a bit of it was revenge, but he truly did want to boost your spirits.

Hector’s hands traveled, sliding down to your hips. His touches were smooth and calculated. He’d mapped out your body before, knew every sensitive zone by heart. Your body was a work of art, and he was more than willing to appreciate its craftsmanship.

His skilled fingers stoked and pressed into the divots of your hips, knowing just the right technique to make you squeal.

“GYAHAHahahahoho shihihit! H-Hehehectohor!” Your laughter was whiny as you squirmed in his hold. Your hips weren’t your worst spot, but they were definitely sensitive.

“Just relax. I'm here to take care of you,” he murmured, placing a little kiss beneath your ear. Your thoughts were too crowded; he was putting their channel for you, directing them to a more pleasant place.

While his actions were definitely tickling you, you noticed that he was avoiding your more sensitive spots. He didn’t want to exhaust you any further; he wanted to help you wind down.

Hearing your giggles had Hector feeling rather affectionate. He began peppering your neck with butterfly kisses, his stubble gently scratching your skin.

“BAHAHAhahahabe!” Squeaks punctuated your giggles, cheeks heating with fluster. You’d usually adore his kisses, but he was on your neck, and shit, his stubble tickled.

“What? I’m just showing you how much I love you,” he cooed, purposefully adopting a babying tone. It always flustered you, and he loved that shaky glare you attempted every time.

Sure enough, you groaned through your giggles, stomping one of your feet. It was unintentionally adorable. “Shuhuhut uhuhup!”

Hector smiled, enjoying the cute pitch of your voice. He woild’ve loved to keep tickling you, but the whole point was to help you relax.

His fingers slowed to a stop, but the kisses didn’t end. Instead, they traveled, moving across your cheekbones.

“H-Hehehector, youhu…you jerk,” you huffed, smacking at his chest. He'd turned you around in his arms, leaving you two pressed chest-to-chest.

“I know, but you have to admit that it helped.” Hector stroked your head, his small, awkward smile on full display.

“I…” When you thought about it, he really wasn’t wrong. Your mind felt less crowded, the stress was a bit lighter, and you felt boosted emotionally from the affection. “Shut up.”

“Aww… Would a kiss make it better?”

“…yes. And cuddles.”