#lee!yellow

"To Mine Most Radiant and Easily Undone Lightner,

Thou art hereby summon'd to mine chambers this eve, for a trial most dire. Not of wit, neigh, nor of blade, but of endurance! A test to see if thy golden SOUL canst withstand the relentless march of mine... attentions. Come prepared- rather, come unprepared, for thou shalt find no mercy in these halls!

- Rouxls Kaard, Duke of Puzzles and Purveyor of Thy Doom~!"

Yellow snorted, folding the note back up and setting it on the desk. "Dramatic little twerp," he muttered, but his fingers twitched with the ghost of laughter already threatening to escape. He knew Rouxls' games, yes; by now, at least, he should be quite familiar with how they usually went. He knew the way the Duke drew out the seconds, every breath, until Yellow was nothing but a giggling, squirming mess. But here he was, adjusting his vest and heading toward Rouxls' chambers like a moth to an almost-infuriatingly smug, cape-swirling flame.

The halls were quiet, the usual bustle dulled as the playing cards, checkers, and jigsaw pieces had been deployed to someplace in the Forest. Yellow's boots clicked against the checkerboard floor, each step a little quicker than the last. He should have been annoyed; in fact, he should have ignored it, knowing full well what was going to happen. But the truth was, he'd been waiting for this. Rouxls had a knack for knowing precisely when Yellow needed a distraction... even if that distraction came in the form of psychological torment, velvet, and theatrics.

He paused outside the ornate doors, rolling his shoulders like he was bracing for combat. With a wobbly sigh, he pushed them open.

Rouxls stood in the center of the room, one hand resting on the back of his throne, the other idly twirling a long, white feather between his fingers. The candlelight flickered across his grin, turning it downright wicked. If it weren't for the special bond the two of them shared, Yellow might have said he was as scary as the former king was.

"Ahh, mine Lightner~!" Rouxls declared, spreading his arms wide. "Thou hast arriv'd most punctually, for once!"

Yellow leaned against the wall with practiced nonchalance. "Yeah, yeah. What's the game this time? Gonna re-enact a one-Darkner show of Shakespeare?"

Rouxls huffed, clutching his chest. "Fie! Such cruelty!! Neigh, tonight's trial is one of endurance! Canst thou withstand the relentless onslaught of mine... affections~?"

Yellow's smile faltered. "Sure, and that's not ominous at all, by the way."

Rouxls' grin sharpened. "T'was my intention."

The doors slammed shut behind Yellow with a dramatic thud!, sealing him in. He didn't jump... that much... but the way Rouxls' eyes gleamed told him he hadn't hidden his flinch nearly well enough.

"Relax, mine Lightner~," Rouxls purred, sauntering closer. "'Tis but a simple test, nothing to fret o'er. All thou must do... is endure. Simply... take it."

Yellow crossed his arms. "Endure what? What am I taking, Rouxls?" No matter how many times they danced this dance, Yellow would never, ever let Rouxls make him say it first.

Rouxls didn't answer. Instead, he quickly dragged the feather along the back of Yellow's ear, light as a fond whisper. Yellow jerked away with a sharp inhale, but Rouxls only chuckled, circling him like a hungry shark.

"Thou seest, the rules are thus!" Rouxls announced, voice dripping with mock gravity. "Thou shalt stand, neigh, remain upright, while I... test the limits of thy fortitude. Shouldst thou fall, or beg, or..." he leaned in, "laugh~, thou losest~!"

Yellow did his best to scoff. "That's it? I've survived worse than that in at least three other places in this castle alone. No, wait, Jevil bit me that time, so then, four places. I can handle you."

Rouxls' feather trailed up his arm, hovering around his neck. "Ohh, but canst thou~?"

Yellow's breath hitched. He hated that Rouxls knew precisely where to hover, where to just threaten. His ribs, his neck, the stupidly sensitive spot just below his-

"Stop thinking about it~," Rouxls sang, tapping the feather against Yellow's cheek. "For the more thou anticipatest, the sweeter thy defeat shall be~!"

Yellow swallowed hard. "You're all talk."

"Amst I?" Rouxls' fingers joined the feather, dancing in the air just inches from Yellow's sides. "Then let us commence!"

Yellow braced himself, locking his knees and squeezing his eyes shut. 'I won't fall, I won't fall, I won't, I won't!'

Rouxls struck.

Not with his hands, no, no, that would be too merciful. Instead, he just blew a stream of air against Yellow's neck, soft and cool. Yellow's shoulders shot up, a traitorous giggle slipping out.

"Ho, ho!" Rouxls crowed. "Already~?"

"I-I'm not-!" Yellow protest dissolved into giggles as Rouxls repeated the motion, his breath tickling the shell of Yellow's ear. He twisted away, but Rouxls followed, the feather now wriggling its way under the hem of his vest.

"Thou art weak to me, mine Lightner~," Rouxls cooed. "Puffs of air~!"

Yellow gritted his teeth. "Sh-SssHut uhup and doho something alreheady-!"

Rouxls' laughter was a dark chuckle. "Oh, as thou wishest~!"

The feather finally touched his skin, just the barest graze along his side. Yellow yelped, stumbling back, but Rouxls caught him by the shoulders, steadying him with infuriating ease.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Rouxls tsked. "The trial hath only begun! Last a little longer~!"

Yellow's legs trembled. He could do this, he had to... but then Rouxls' fingers joined the feather, skittering up his belly, and-

"N-NoHohOHopE!!" Yellow's knees buckled. He caught himself on the armrest of Rouxls' throne, gasping for air between laughs. "Y-OuHuhu ChehEHeheat!!"

Rouxls tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Cheat? I'd never! All's fair in love and... the other thing."

Yellow glared, but his traitorous body betrayed him, shaking with suppressed giggles. "Youuhu're soho ehevil!"

Rouxls smirked, feather poised for another strike. "The boot doth fit~!" he teased, wiggling the feather around Yellow's neck.

As Yellow's giggling still bounded around the chamber, Rouxls, with a dramatic flourish, settled onto his throne. The velvet cushions hissed a little as he settled onto them, and he patted his thigh with a smirk. "Come, mine Lightner. If thou truly canst not stand, then recline~! I'm nothing if not merciful!"

Yellow eyed him warily. "T-that's a trap."

"Perceptive!" Rouxls clapped his hands once, grinning. "But 'tis also the rules! Thou must endure, or forfeit~!"

Yellow hesitated, but the promise of a reprieve from the feather's incessant teasing was too tempting. With a groan, he draped himself across Rouxls' lap on his stomach, arms dangling limply. "F-fine. But if you- you-know-what, I will bite you!"

Rouxls gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in mock horror. "Why, such violence! And here I thought thou wert a hero!"

Yellow rolled his eyes, but the moment he relaxed, Rouxls' fingers began to trace idle circles on his back, just above his waist. Not really tickles, not yet anyway, but close enough to make him tense up.

"Thou art most tense," Rouxls observed, voice dripping with amusement and not a little bit of smugness. "Dost the mere thought of mine touch unravel thee so~?"

Yellow huffed, trying to ignore the way goosebumps were rising all over his body. "I'm fine."

"Mmm," Rouxls hummed, his fingers drifting higher and skimming the hem of his vest. "Then thou shalt not mind if I adjust thy position?"

Before Yellow could protest, Rouxls shifted him slightly, pulling him closer until his head rested against the cushioned arm of the throne. The new angle left his sides completely exposed, and Yellow's breath hitched as Rouxls' free hand began to toy with the feather again.

"R-Rouxls," he warned, voice already unsteady.

"Patience~," Rouxls murmured, gently pulling Yellow's vest up to expose his midriff and dragging the feather along his side. "Endurance is about more than survival, mine Lightner. Embraceth it!"

Yellow's fingers curled into the fabric of Rouxls' tunic. "T-Thahaat's nohot- HahahHA!! N-NoHOHot hohow enduHuhURance wohOHOrks!!"

Rouxls chuckled, the feather now tracing lazy figure-eights with the quill end of the feather along his ribs. "Is it not? Perhaps thou shouldst teach me."

Yellow's laughter bubbled up, but he bit his lip, determined not to give in. Rouxls, however, was relentless. The feather dipped lower, teasing the poor Lightner's lower belly, and Yellow's legs kicked reflexively.

"Ah, ah," Rouxls tutted, pressing a hand to his back to keep him still. "Thou must take it, remember?"

Yellow whined, his body trembling with the effort of holding back.

Rouxls' fingers finally abandoned the feather, instead pressing lightly into the small of Yellow's back.

Yellow's breath came in short, uneven bursts. He could do this, just a little longer- But then Rouxls' thumb began to draw slow, deliberate circles just above his hipbone, and-

"StOHohOhohohOoOHoHOP!!!" Yellow's body jerked, a laugh tearing free as he tried to twist away. Rouxls' grip tightened, holding him in place.

"Ho, ho!!" Rouxls laughed, triumphant. "Mine Lightner falters~!!"

Yellow's face burned. "IhiHiHi hHAahhahHAte youHuHuHuhUuu!!"

Rouxls leaned down, his breath warm against Yellow's ear. "Neigh, thou lovest this~!"

And... Yellow couldn't find it in him to argue. Not when his body was shaking with laughter, not when Rouxls' fingers were already creeping toward his ribs again.

Rouxls shifted Yellow's position with practiced ease, turning him onto his back. Yellow's boots dangled over the other armrest, his ticklish body stretched out like a buffet for Rouxls to partake in. The throne's velvet was soft beneath his head, but the Duke's grip was unyielding.

"Comfortable~?" Rouxls asked, voice laced with false concern.

Yellow glared up at him. "J-Juhuhust gehehet ihihit ohohover wIhiHIHITH-!!" His retort was stifled by a squeal as Rouxls' fingers hastened to resume their play, this time focusing on his sensitive belly, now that it was exposed so deliciously before him. He squirmed, but Rouxls' other arm wrapped around his waist, pinning him in place.

"Thou art moooost wiggly~!" Rouxls observed fondly, his breath warm against Yellow's temple. "Dost mine throne displease thee~?"

Yellow's response was a muffled "shut upppp!!" but his laughter betrayed him entirely. Rouxls' fingers danced higher, brushing the underside of his arm, and Yellow's body arched instinctively.

"Ahhh, there it is~!!" Rouxls crooned. "That helpless laughter~!"

Yellow's laughter spilled over, his body shaking as Rouxls' fingers skittered across his tummy. He tried to buck free, but Rouxls' grip was ironclad, his strong arm trapping Yellow's thrashing limbs.

"LehHEhhet mEHEHehhe UhUhUHUP!!!" Yellow gasped, mirthful tears pricking at his eyes.

"Neigh!" Rouxls murmured, sounding practically insulted at the proposition that he put down his favorite toy.

Yellow's laughter turned desperate, his body twisting as Rouxls' fingers alternated between his tummy and the sensitive spot beneath his arms. He could feel his control slipping, his muscles burning from the effort of holding still.

"ROuHuHUHuHUXLS!!" he pleaded, his voice cracking.

"Yeees~?" Rouxls drawled, his fingers pausing just long enough for Yellow to gulp in a big breath before diving back in.

Yellow's body convulsed with ticklish laughter, his hands flailing, trying to grab onto something and landing on Rouxls' wrist... for all the good that did him. "IhIHIh CahHAhahAHHAN'T!!"

Rouxls' fingers stilled, but didn't leave their position on his belly. "Canst thou not?"

Yellow panted, his body trembling. "P-PlehehehehEasee!!"

Rouxls' expression softened, just for a moment, before his grin returned, suave and sharper than ever. "Then thou hast failed!"

Yellow whined, collapsing against the Duke as Rouxls released his hold. His chest heaved, his laughter slowly fading into breathless hiccups.

Rouxls stroked Yellow's hair tenderly. He pressed a kiss to his temple, his voice barely above a whisper. "T'was a glorious failure. You shall do better next time, mine Lightner~."