#ler!ethan

Karl had been annoying. All day. Nonstop harassing Ethan over the little things, poking at him, purposely moving things he knew Ethan had put there for a reason. Ethan was working on reorganizing his desk area. He felt a metal pole poke him in the back. Then his shoulder. Then dig lightly into that spot right above his shoulder blade. Ethan squeaked and scrunched his shoulder up. ‘Ugh–Karl!’ Heisenberg was leaning against the dresser, whistling softly to himself while spinning a knife. He glanced up at his husband, who was half glaring at him. ‘What? Didn’t even do anything.’ 

‘You’ve been annoying all day.’

‘I have not,’ Karl objected, throwing the knife up in the air and catching it, then twirling it around his fingers. Ethan rolled his eyes and went back to stacking and organizing papers. He got his journal put together and put that in his desk drawer. He felt like someone was staring. He went to turn around to see, and nearly jumped out of his skin seeing Karl directly behind him. ‘Jesus–fuck! What do you want, hm?’ Ethan asked, reaching up and stealing Karl’s hat. The metalbender grumbled and snatched it back, almost growling when Ethan ruffled his already messy hair. 

‘Why are you being such a grump today?’ he asked, reaching down and rubbing Karl’s shoulders a bit. The man relaxed the slightest amount, sighing and leaning into it. Ethan squeezed his shoulders, purposely digging his left 3 fingers right into that spot above Karl’s shoulder blade. The man let out a very childish squeak, scrunching his shoulder up rapidly. ‘The fuhuck!?’ 

Ethan pretended like nothing had happened, going right back to the gentle massage. Karl slowly relaxed, eyeing him with an almost wary look. It quickly turned to suspicion when Ethan moved his fingers lower, down to under the shoulder blades. He scribbled quickly, causing the metalbender to laugh sharply, kicking. ‘Listen. I know you want it. You’ve been in a mood. Poking me. Annoying me. Messing with my shit.’ 

As if on cue, a metal rod came up behind Ethan and poked him right in the side. Ethan yelped, grabbing the rod and chucking it across the workroom. Karl whipped around, looking quite offended that Ethan had taken his rod away. ‘Hey!’ he protested, glaring at Winters now. Ethan walked back to his little desk area, sitting down and pulling out a sketchbook. He began to draw. Heisenberg, a pistol, his knife. He liked to sketch things. 

He could hear a confused noise from behind him. ‘Aren’t you going to..?’ 

‘Going to what?’

‘Ti–give me attention?’ Karl asked, avoiding a very specific word. He nervously looked down at his hands. He swore he could feel Ethan smiling at him from behind. So, he decided to be the bitchy one and, with a flick of his wrist, had a few screws fly onto Ethan’s sketchbook. Then a metal paintbrush came up and dragged itself up Ethan’s neck. The man squeaked and swatted at it. ‘Okay, that’s it. Get over here,’ Ethan snapped, all of a sudden very scary.

Ethan practically pulled him to their shared bedroom. ‘Sit.’ Karl surprisingly didn’t fight him on it, doing as told. Winters was grabbing something, and Karl couldn’t tell what. Ethan gently pushed him onto his back. Attached soft restraints to the headboard of the bed. ‘Jesus, Ethan. At least take me out for dinner first,’ Karl teased, earning him a playful whack with a pillow. He grunted in surprise then glared at his husband who just smiled back. 

Ethan grabbed Karl’s wrists. Before he put him in the restraints, he paused for a moment. ‘Do you want me to do it that bad? As in you’re fine with all this?’ With a deep red blush across his cheeks, Karl nodded. Breath hitching in anticipation. He started to lightly drag his blunt nails up and down the metalbender’s clothed sides. Karl tried to fight it at first, face contorting into a strained smile as he dug his feet lightly into the mattress. 

‘Plehease–Ethan. Ehehethan! Fuhuck ohoff!’ 

 Ethan slowly pushed Karl’s shirt up. He ignored the way Karl’s breath hitched. He tazed his fingers into Karl’s lower ribs, the shirt not pulled up enough for his lower ribs to be bare. They were covered by a layer of shirt fabric. Heisenberg yelped with surprise, shaking his head frantically. ‘Bihihihihitch! Motherfuhuhuhucker!’ He lurched to the side as well as he could, which only gave Ethan more space to dig his fingers into the space between the bones. 

The man beneath Ethan wheezed, kicking one leg out and trying to buck him off. Ethan had barely even started the tickle session. He rubs the base of both of his thumbs right below the lowest rib, chuckling softly as his husband’s laughs got loud and bubbly. ‘Goodness, Karl. You never told me you were this bad’

‘I’m nohohhohoHOT!’ 

‘This little session is proving otherwise.’ Ethan finally turned his attention to Karl’s bare stomach. 

‘Well, this belly looks really tasty,’ Ethan started, which earned a snort from the flustered man beneath him. ‘Are you trying to be like those vampire freaks?’ Karl asked, earning himself a quick and rough scribble up his waist, which made him screech and squirm. ‘No, you idiot,’ Ethan growled, playfully scritching at that horrid spot on Karl’s waist. Karl was getting frantic, desperately arching his back and giggling all whiny. Something better than being gruff for once.

Ethan leans his head down, ready to blow raspberries and nibble on the metalbender’s stomach. ‘WAHAHAIT! Wahait, shihit! Winters, I’m nohot reheady! I’m not ready, fuhuck off!’ “Okay, okay. Let’s try this. I’ll count down, then maybe you'll be ready,’ Winters suggested, watching him writhe a little. He wasn’t even making an effort to actually get away, which told him a lot. He didn’t comment on that yet, though. 

‘Ten.’

‘Nine.’

‘Eight.’

Karl’s breath hitched as Ethan slowly pushed up his shirt to reveal his stomach. Then pushed his coat up as well just to get everything ready. He kicked one foot with a giggle of anticipation.

‘Seven.’

‘Six.’

Ethan starts to rub small circles on his husband’s waist. It was meant to be soothing, but clearly Heisenberg was too pent up from anticipation to see it as such, because he started to whine and twist to the side a little bit. Which made his shirt ride up further. Ethan loved the slight layer of pudge over his belly. 

‘Five.’ Ethan scribbles quickly, ignoring the squeak.

‘Four.’

‘Three.’

‘FUHUCK!’ Karl screeches, kicking. 

‘Two.’

‘NOHO, NO DOHON’T!’

‘One.’

He waited just a second after saying it just to make Karl look down at him in confusion. Ethan then took a big breath in and wrapped his arms around his waist. He felt the man squirm in the restraints. Ethan leans down and blows a long raspberry right in the middle of Heisenberg’s stomach. He could hear the scream of laughter go up an octave then go completely silent. 

‘That bad, huh?’ he teased, nibbling from the center of his stomach to the sides, then up toward his ribs. Karl howled as he kicked his legs, thrashing side to side. Winters had a horrifyingly good grip on him, so all the thrashing really wasn’t doing anything at all. 

‘FUHUHUCK YOHOHOHOU!’ Heisenberg screamed, his laughs surprisingly loud and sweet, especially for a man like him. Ethan loved how the usually gruff engineer was cackling his ass off and loving his tickles. ‘Oh, does it tickle? Right…’ Ethan nibbled on a lower rib, ‘here?’ Heisenberg yelped and tried to squirm his body to the side to avoid it, but Ethan just followed his movements.

‘Gehehet yohohour fuhuhuckin’ shihihitty ahahahass awahahahay!’ Karl pleaded, and Ethan could hear a little thunk on the pillow as his husband threw his head back to laugh. He noticed his hat had fallen off. Whatever. Ethan made these ridiculous eating sounds as he nibbled on Heisenberg’s lower waist area. His giggles got oddly bubbly, snorting as he tried to roll away. He felt Ethan’s hands push down on him, holding him firmly in place.

‘Fuhuhhuck ohohohohoff!’ Karl snapped. Ethan hummed in amusement, pressing down a little on Heisenberg’s thighs as he sat up. He heard the man beneath him let out a very unmanly squeak. ‘Oh, don’t tell me your thighs are ticklish!’ Ethan squeezed one side of Heisenberg’s thigh, enjoying the flustered squeak and giggle. ‘Shihihit–Wihihinters, fuhuhuhuck!’ Ethan found a good spot on the outside of his thigh–specifically up towards the bottom of Karl’s hip. 

He started to knead into that spot, watching Heisenberg kick his feet and try to buck Ethan off or away to absolutely no avail. He snorted as Ethan scribbled down the whole outside of his thighs, then gave ticklish little pinches and squeezes to the underside of them. ‘Aw, you’re blushing! Do you like them? Do you really love your tickles?’

Heisenberg choked back a flustered whine. He hated when Ethan just threw around that dreaded word like it was nothing. ‘Tickle tickle tickle…yeah, I bet that’s a bad spot, huh? Right…’ Ethan suddenly jumps spots. His hands dig under Karl’s coat, digging roughly into his husband’s underarms. ‘FUHUHUHCKING AHAHAHHASS!’ ‘That’s not nice, Karl,’ Ethan sing songed, scribbling over his upper ribs now, ‘You should learn not to swear at me.’

‘I cahahahan’t hehehehelp ihihit!’ Heisenberg snorted as Ethan kneads in between the rib bones. ‘Oh fuhuhuck–WIHIHIHINTERS!’ he lurched to the side to try to pin Ethan’s hands underneath him. It worked, at first. Ethan smiled and decided to let Heisenberg think he had won for just a minute. It was amusing to watch the smug smile slowly return to Karl’s face. ‘Oh, soho you think you’re so ehevil?’ He was still giggling a bit.

‘Do you really think you’re in a position to be sassing me right now?’ Ethan asked, flexing his fingers as much as the position would allow him to. He felt his partner’s whole body tense up, seeing his eyes widen and a bubbly snort escape. Karl shifts, kicking his feet a little. Refusing to let Ethan’s hands be free.

‘I dohon’t think you should be ti–tick–t-t–FUHUCK!’ 

‘Hm. Yeah? Tickling? Tickle tickle tickle?’ Ethan coos, leaning closer. He watched his husband’s face immediately go a deep crimson as he curled himself up in a ball–well, as much as he could with his arms bound above his head. His legs curled up until his knees were almost to his chest. Ethan used the hand that was under Heisenberg to slowly start tickling him that way despite his hand being pinned. He pulled one hand out, starting to use his very finger tips to gently graze and brush at the sides of one of the engineer’s thighs.

Heisenberg let out a very childish noise, kicking the leg out to try to get Ethan away. Karl made whimpery hyperventilating noises as Ethan kept going. He felt Ethan slide his hand–albeit with some effort–up his ribs, starting to massage right at the ones below his underarm. ‘Fuhuhuck you, fuhuhuck yohohohou–! FUHUHUCKHEHEHEHEAD!’ The metalbender suddenly uncurled, then began to kick like some psychotic man. Which, in a sense, he was. 

‘Jesus fucking Christ–hold still!’ 

‘No!’

‘Fine! You want to play games? Then let’s do this. Hot or cold. I’ll try to find what spot is your worst, or is a bad spot, and you tell me how bad it is by saying hot, cold, warmer, stuff like that. Got it?’ Ethan said as he straddled over Karl’s thighs to hold him down and still.  Heisenberg made a strangled laughing noise but nodded. Ethan started to tickle over his sides–specifically right below his lower ribs.

‘Nyeheheh!-- Wahahharm! Wahahharm–!’ Karl sputters out, already starting to squirm and kick his feet, ‘Shihihit!’ Ethan was smiling already, fingers traveling down the man’s sides. ‘Hm. So, a good spot, but clearly not a bad one. That gives me some information,’ Ethan murmurs, more to himself than the man beneath him. Karl hyperventilated for a minute as he attempted to regain composure. 

He starts to lightly tickle and massage into his partner’s thighs. Heisenberg instantly tensed, digging his heels into the soft mattress as a low giggle escaped him. ‘Fuhuhuhuck, fuhuhuhck, fuhuhuck!’ Karl squirms, trying to kick his legs but unable to due to Ethan’s weight sitting on him. Ethan began to trace little shapes over the outer part of his thighs, making the man giggle harder. ‘Shihihit! Fuhuhuck ohohoff–! Ehehehthahahn! Gehehhet awahahhay!” 

‘I’m not moving until you give me a word,’ Ethan states simply, continuing his little ministrations. He traces a swirly line from the outside of his thighs to the top, then back again. ‘Thihihihs ihihis fuhuhuhcking buhuhullshihihihit!” Heisenberg shakes his head desperately. Somehow, the gentle touches were so much worse than the rough digging he experienced earlier. ‘Stahahahp! Ethahahan, I’m–keheheheh!’ 

‘Tell me how bad it is. Then maybe I’ll move spots if I really feel like it.’ 

‘Fuhuhuhuck you! Okahahay–ihihit’s–it’s cohoholder buhuhuhut still kihihnd of bahahahad!? Buhuhuht thehehere’s wohohorse spohohots, yohohou fuhuhucking bihihihitch!”  

‘I know there is. That’s why I’m doing it,’ he teased as he squeezed the slight dip of Karl’s hips. The metalbender squeaked and tried to growl to act like he was all pissed off. It came out as more of a half suppressed snicker than anything, considering it tickled. Ethan could see his lover’s hands twitched and his fingers flexing slightly. In his peripheral vision, he could see the loose screws, bolts, and other metal scrap starting to move around, then hover in midair. 

‘Hm, I don’t think so,’ Ethan scolded, more playful than anything. His fingers begin to scribble and tickle on Heisenberg’s underarms. Ethan could hear a choked noise of both surprise and mirth, and the man underneath him instantly started to arch his back and dug his heels into the soft mattress below him. Winters could see and hear the metal pieces that were hovering clatter back down onto the worktable, a couple of the screws rolling onto the floor. He knew Karl would fix that later. 

‘SHIHIHIHIT–ETHAHAHAN!’ Heisenberg screeches, trying to buck off the man sitting on his thighs. He felt his face heating up by the second, surely a deep red by now. ‘Gehehehet OHOHOHOFF, you fuhuhucker!’ he swore at Ethan through laughter. ‘I don’t think I want to just yet,’ Ethan jests as his fingers draw small circles on the tickle spot. He could feel the way Karl was desperately trying to squirm away and fight him off, and it was so adorable to him seeing the effort he was putting into it. 

‘Give me a word and I might be nice enough to move spots.’ 

“Fuhuuhuhuck yohohou!’ Karl snapped.

‘Dig your own grave then,’ Ethan hummed, scrunching the tips of his fingers on the spot. Karl’s laughs got all high pitched and sweet. ‘God, have I ever told you how cute you sound laughing like this? Especially when it’s me tickling you? It really is the sweetest thing, you know,’ Ethan commented, watching his husband’s face somehow go a deeper shade of red than before. Ethan leaned down and nibbled ticklishly on Karl’s neck and the man squealed, hands curling into fists from how ticklish it was. He tilted his head to try to coax Ethan away. 

‘FIHIHINE! Hohohotter! Hohohotter, you fuhuhuhcker! Fuhuhckin’ hehehell, Ethahahan! It’s really bahahad!’

‘Hm. Yeah?’ Ethan crooned, tickling at his upper underarm, which had Heisenberg thrashing as much as he could. ‘I hohohohope Sturm’s shiihihtty ahahhahass comes and–ahahhahand–’ ‘I dare you to finish that sentence,’ Ethan said, his tone suddenly playfully scolding. His fingers had stilled. Karl was trying to use the method of threatening to get his way out of it. ‘I sahahaid,’ Karl started, adjusting himself with a grunt, ‘I hope Sturm’s shihitty ass comes ahand slihices you to fuhucking bits!’ 

‘You don’t mean that,’ Ethan said, pouting in a fake way. 

‘I do fuhuckin’ mean it.’ There were still some residual giggles in Karl’s words. 

Ethan raised his eyebrows, then sat himself up. He pushes Karl’s heavy trench coat up around his shoulder and underarm area. Since his arms were bound above his head, Ethan couldn’t take the coat fully off like he wished to. ‘Wahait.’ Winters ignored the pleading tone in his husband’s voice. ‘Ethan–Yohou know I didn’t mehean it. I’m sohohorry?’ he tried, giggling from the sheer anticipation.

Ethan plucked the sunglasses off of Heisenberg’s face, now able to see the eyes full of mirth. Karl immediately squeezed them shut with a flustered yelp. ‘Hm. Should’ve thought about that before you decided to threaten me,’ Ethan said. ‘I sahahaid sorry!’ Karl protested, trying to squirm away now. ‘I think we both know it’s a little late for apologies.’ 

‘Nohoho!’ 

‘Saying you’re going to have Sturm come chop me to bits? And you know I don’t like him to begin with,’ He enunciated his words with a squeeze to the waist, making Karl shriek and lurch to the side. Ethan began to push the metalbender’s shirt up as far as it would go, which was to the middle of his ribcage. His stomach was now fully exposed. Ethan cooed softly in affection as he laid his warm hands flat on Karl’s stomach. Karl squeaked softly at the touch, the overall anticipation making him feel much more ticklish than usual. Ethan thought the slight layer of body hair and pudge on Karl’s belly was adorable. 

He slowly curls his fingers until his hands are a loose fist on his husband’s stomach. Winters could feel Heisenberg’s stomach trembling from the way he was silently giggling. He then uncurls his fingers so his hands go back to laying flat on the stomach. The man below him choked out a laugh, trying to kick his feet to no success at all. Ethan repeated the motion multiple times, reveling in the way his husband squirmed and tried to arch away. 

‘Juhuhust fuhuhckin’ doho your shihit already!’ he snaps, pleading with Ethan more than anything. He just wanted the anticipation to go away, although he had a feeling Ethan wasn’t going to let up any time soon. His husband was on his worst spot which just upped it. ‘Do what? I’m really just resting my hands here. Nothing much,’ he teased. His eyes shone bright and playful. Ethan dragged his blunt nails down the bare stomach which made him squeal. ‘You ahahare dohoing shit!’ 

Heisenberg whines at Ethan, trying to get him to just wreck him already. 

Winters ignored it.

 ‘Ethan…’ Heisenberg tried. 

‘You should tell me about a new project you’ve been planning,’ Ethan suggested, hands perfectly still in place. Heisenberg’s eyes met his, full of confusion. ‘Whahat?’ He was confused as to why the topic was suddenly switched. It took him a few seconds to connect the dots. Ethan was teasing him and just dragging out the anticipation. ‘I–I dohon’t have any new–’ 

‘Baby, I’ve literally seen some of your blueprints. Just tell me. I won’t judge.’ 

Heisenberg took a shaky breath, staring at Ethan’s hands as if they were about to start scribbling at any second. And honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if that started. ‘I-I wahas thinking of trying to redoho Sturm. If I cohohould just fix his fuckin’ motor, then maybe it’d work.’ Ethan gazed down at him fondly. God, his husband was adorable. 

Heisenberg’s eyes were wide with anticipation, his gaze locked onto Ethan’s fingers. As if on cue, the fingers twitched slightly and Heisenberg squawked in surprise, arching to the side. Ethan just kept smiling. He started to giggle silently and frantically out of the sheer amount of anticipation that was built up in his system. He shook his head when Ethan made eye contact with him, snorting as he did so. 

‘Keep talking to me, Karl. I know you have ideas in that strange little mind of yours.’ 

His stomach trembled as he regained most of his composure, his breathing frantic little gasps and giggles. ‘I–Ethahan. Juhust–do ihihit. Plehehease,’ he said, adjusting to give Ethan the most adorable pleading look. Ethan’s grin widened in the most teasing way. ‘Do what? You know I can’t read your mind,’ he said, trailing his fingers up and down Karl’s stomach once or twice before going back to loosely settling them on the sides of his stomach. 

Karl groaned, kicking one foot a little. ‘Fuhuck. You.’ ‘Now, that’s no way to talk to your husband, is it?’ Ethan chided, taking one hand and grazing over Heisenberg’s waist. Up and down. Agonizingly slow. Heisenberg squirmed side to side, pinning his chin to his chest. He realized that made it easier to see Ethan’s hands, so he brought his head up and buried his face into the side of his arm. 

‘Karl, hiding isn’t going to get you out of it. You would’ve freed yourself already if you really wanted out, don’t you think?’ Ethan hummed, drawing little circles on Karl’s lower waist area. ‘Fuhuhuckin’--mm! I–wahahant the thing!’ ‘Too vague,’ Ethan said, and even though Karl was hiding his face, he could practically feel Ethan’s evil grin smiling down at him. ‘Kitzeln,’ Karl whined, using German to try to get his way around it. Ethan knew full well what Heisenberg was saying, but he liked to tease.

‘English, love.’ 

‘Noho!’ Karl snapped, shaking his head a little. He felt the hands on his stomach go still, and he felt that oddly tingling sensation from the anticipation of it. ‘I’ll do it as soon as you say the word. It’s that simple. You just have to give the word.’ ‘I wahahant–t-t-ti–heh! Fuhuhuck off,  Winters.’ Karl could feel his face turning a deep shade of red. He wasn’t used to Ethan teasing him for this long, nor was he used to the amount of anticipation he was being put through. His stomach felt warm from how much he was craving the tickles.

‘I wahahant–I wahant ti–tihick–’ Karl sputtered out, and he felt Ethan’s fingers twitch which made him jolt with a slight yelp. It felt like the word was stuck in his throat and wouldn’t come out. He swallowed hard, giggling softly. ‘Tihickle, plehease,’ he whispered, the word so quiet and adorable all Ethan could do was just gaze fondly at his husband. It was barely audible. Winters almost thought about making him say it louder, but he honestly wasn’t sure if Karl would survive that considering how flustered he was. 

Ethan began to claw and tickle across his stomach. The sound that came from the man was nowhere near human.

Karl bucked his hips out of pure reflex, Ethan laughing softly as he managed to keep his position. He knew Heisenberg was able to pull out of the restraints if he really really needed to, so he was doing fine. ‘Who’s my little gigglebug? Is it you? Is it you?’ Ethan cooed, leaning closer down to Karl’s face. As he did, he let one hand slide up Karl’s waist then poke and prod into the bare skin of his lower ribs. 

‘Fuhuhuhuck, fuhuhuhuck, fuhuhuhuhck!’ His laughter was getting higher pitched and almost squeaky. Fucking cute. ‘Goodness, Karl, hasn’t someone taught you to keep a clean mouth?’ Ethan laughed, drilling his thumbs into the slight dip of Karl’s hips, making the metal bender screech and buck harder. Ethan drew little spirals on Karl’s tummy with his nails. He adored the way Karl was whining through laughs and shaking his head. ‘Yohohou’re a fuhuhuhucking ahhahhahass!’ 

‘You’re the one who wanted me to do this to you. I’m simply fulfilling a request,’ Ethan said cheekily, grinning as he scribbled up Karl’s belly, then started to knead lightly into his lower stomach. There was a noticeable change in octave when he got to that spot. ‘Bad spot, huh?’ ‘Yohohohohou fuhuhuhuhucking knohohohow how shihihiHIHITTY-!” Karl’s laugh went silent for a moment before he sucked in a breath and descended into this hysteric laughing fit. 

‘Oh, I know. You’re the one who made it obvious you wanted to be tickled. Anyway, do you want to know about a game I saw somewhere?’ Ethan asks, his fingers slowing to light skitters across his abdomen. ‘I–whahahat? Sure! Whahahat the fuhuhuck else do yohohohu have fohohohor thihihis shit?’ Heisenberg giggles out, gathering most of his nerve to actually watch whatever Ethan was about to explain. 

‘Round and round the garden like a teddy bear,’ Ethan started to singsong, drawing a circle around Karl’s navel with his left hand. His smile was suddenly all teasy and daresay predatory. Karl’s face instantly went back to hiding in his arms as he snorted. He dug one of his heels into the bed, trying to figure out how the hell Ethan could make him feel like this. Ethan snapped his fingers with his free hand, coaxing his husband to look up at him. ‘Atta boy,’ he chuckled, watching the man go a deep shade of red as he squirmed in place. He tugged a little at the restraints, but not hard enough to free himself quite yet.

‘One step,’ Ethan poked above his navel, and Karl sucked in his stomach. ‘Two step,’ he continued. Karl was giggling, and Winters had barely done anything. To be quite honest, he wanted to see when Karl would finally free himself and call it done. He knew his husband could be extremely stubborn, though. And sassy. That was how they got here in the first place. 

‘Tickle you under there!’ he finished off the phrase with a coo. He scritched at the inside of Karl’s navel with his thumb, his four other fingers scribbling into his husband’s lower stomach. He kneaded as best as he could into the soft pudge. He didn’t even hear Karl’s laughter anymore. All Ethan heard was a wheeze as Karl dug his feet into the mattress and arched his back hard. God, he didn’t think it was that bad. 

‘ETHAHAHAHAN!’ Karl howled, thrashing wildly now. He let up on the tickling a little, scribbling all of his fingers on Karl’s lower tummy. He liked the way the metalbender’s body jolted at the sensation. ‘Good spot, huh?’ Karl shook his head, tears starting to flow from how hard he was laughing. Ethan went to move spots.

In one swift movement, Karl’s hands were shoving weakly at his arms. He immediately stopped, taking his husband into his arms. Rolling the shirt back down. Adjusting the coat. Making sure Karl could breathe. Heisenberg instinctively curled up in Ethan’s embrace, breathing heavily. Ethan noticed the bolts and screws that had been scattered on the floor earlier were hovering back up to the table and placing themselves in a bowl. He could feel the lord’s hands twitching a little. 

‘Just had to clean those up, huh?’ Ethan murmured, running a hand through Karl’s hair, soft and gentle. Karl groaned softly, half asleep already. Ethan grabbed a glass of water from the nearby nightstand, offering it to the exhausted man in his lap. Karl took it and downed half the glass before messily pushing it back at Ethan. Ethan chuckled softly, scritching at the man’s head before putting the cup back.

‘Snacks?’ he asked. Karl shook his head. Winters sat back, pulling a blanket over the both of them. He laid on his side, and he felt arms instinctively wrap around him. He realized Karl was cuddling him. Hmph. Cute. He guided his husband to lay his head more on his chest, then started to rub his back. ‘Do you want your coat off?’ ‘Mm…shit’s stayin’ on,’ he mumbled sleepily. Ethan laughed, tilting his head down to rest his chin on the crown of Heisenberg’s head. 

The man was stubborn. Gruff. Around Ethan, he was sassy and often liked to see how much he could annoy him in a day. Ethan got used to it. He rubbed Karl’s back slowly. Winters could feel his eyes growing heavy. Heisenberg was half asleep already, instinctively tightening his arms around Ethan’s waist, trying to get as close as possible. ‘That’s all the closer you can get,’ Ethan murmured tiredly. ‘Don’t care,’ Karl responded with a huff. 

Everything was quiet, much more quiet than it was when he was running through the factory, frantically searching for any sort of shelter or any way to defend himself.

He’d been hiding in that cabinet for at least five minutes, and the silence only made him more nervous. Every little move he made, and every little creak he heard made his heart beat nearly out of his chest as a lump formed in his throat.

He knew he’d be caught. There was no way that… thing would give up; no way he would be spared. All he had to do was think of an escape plan, but his mind was too scrambled to come up with anything significant.

‘What if I just.. let it catch me and then make a break for it? Surely I can get to Donna’s, right? It wouldn’t look for me there’.

‘Alcina would help me, wouldn’t she…? No, no, she’d probably let it have me’

‘Maybe… Salvatore- No. Absolutely not, fuck that. I’d rather die in my factory’

He didn’t know what to do with himself. He was literally backed into a corner with nowhere to go, and running was way too risky.

So he stayed where he was and he thought, and he thought… and he thought and-

A creak.

Karl’s breath got caught in his throat.

Footsteps.

He clenched his eyes shut and slammed a hand over his mouth.

The door is open.

He didn’t dare to even breathe.

It’s in the room.

There was a moment of silence as the footsteps stopped, but they started again as it made its way around the small room.

“Karl, I know you’re close. I can feel it. I’ve searched this factory high and low, but now… I can hear your heart racing”, the tone it used was pure evil, a knowing sound playing at its voice as it taunted the man.

Karl shook his head, not daring to move even an inch in his small space. He was started to feel claustrophobic at the realization of just how stuck he was.

The footsteps came closer and closer to his hiding spot, but they were slow: agonizingly slow. Almost like the damn thing was toying with him.

“Come on, Karl…”

A couple taps on the cupboard door.

“You know you’ve been caught”.

He was paralyzed. He couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He knew what waited for him on the other side of the door he hid behind, and he knew he couldn’t just step out and face it.

It seemed to wait a couple minutes, as if expecting Karl to come out willingly, but it became obvious that wouldn’t happen.

“You’re not gonna come out?”, it asked, wrapping a hand around the handle of the cabinet.

“That’s fine…”, it said tauntingly.

“You don’t have to”

The door swung open, and Karl let out… a very manly shriek as strong arms wrapped around him and dragged him out.

“No! No no no, let me go, you fuckin monster!”, he spat insults at it as he thrashed in its grip, but he couldn’t get away, and the fear that had been building inside of him turned to pure anticipation for what was to come.

“Please. Plehehease, Ethan, lehehet me go”, he whined through his nervous giggles, still attempting to squirm away from his husband.

It- Ethan chuckled, throwing Heisenberg over his shoulder and proceeding to carry him to his impending doom.

“I don’t think I will. You picked a good hiding spot, but alas… you were caught”, he said, kicking another door open before laying Karl down on their bed and managing to grab both of his wrists with just one hand and pin them above the poor guy’s head.

“Let this be a lesson, dear”, he said as he pushed his husband’s shirt up to his ribs and clawed his free hand above Karl’s abdomen.

“Don’t hide from the tickle monster”.

He flashed Karl an absolutely wicked grin before his hand shot down and he started clawing over and around the defenseless sides.

“NO! Nohohoho! Ehehethan, plehehease! Quhihihit it!”, he squealed, thrashing about as much as he could with Ethan straddling his hips.

Ethan just laughed, now spidering in the middle of his left side, only to move up to his rib cage and scratch at the sensitive bare skin.

“Oh fuhuhuck! You’re ehehevil, Wihihinters- NO! NO NOHOHOT THEHEHERE!”

Ethan’s hand suddenly move to Karl’s belly from his ribs, where he decided to spider at the pudgy area.

“Yes here. Tickle tickle tickle. You sure are squirming a lot, huh? Does it tickle too much?”, he teased, vibrating his hand in the center of Karl’s dreadfully sensitive stomach.

“STOHOHOP SAYING THAHAHAT! PLEHEHEASE- PLEASE, ETHAHAHAN!”, tears pooled in the corners of his eyes from the dreadful sensation, and he knew it had just begun.

Ethan smiled as Karl threw his head back, and he leaned down to nuzzle and place ticklish kisses over his husband’s neck.

Karl let out an embarrassing squeak and scrunched his shoulder as he blushed a deep shade of red, Ethan now prodding and poking at his bellybutton.

“EHEHETHAN, PLEHEHEASE! PLEASE STOHOHOP!”, he tugged at his arms that were still very much pinned and he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Aww, pleading can’t save you from the tickle monster, but it is cute”, he teased, now circling one finger around the little divot in the center of Karl’s abdomen.

“FUHUHUCK! ETHAN, NOHOHO!”, he shrieked as he tried to buck Ethan off of him, but when Ethan let off for just a second and let out a small growl, he was very quickly reminded of the consequences.

The tickling had stopped and Ethan had pinned his hands even tighter, “Keep those there”.

Karl’s eyes widened, “W- Wait, Ethan! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I really didn’t!”

Ethan shushed him, reaching in his jacket pocket and pulling out the claws that he carried with him at all times.

He repositioned himself to sit on his husband’s thighs before making a show of putting the claws on and poising them above Karl’s stomach.

Karl drummed his feet on the mattress and squealed in giddy anticipation as he watched the claws descend towards his tummy.

Ethan’s face absolutely lit up at the sweet sound, “How cute..”, he said, looking up at the happy smile on his husband’s face, “You must love being tickled, huh? I mean, you made these for me!”, his hands suddenly shot down to Karl’s tummy as he danced the claws all over the tickle spot, spidering and clawing gently at his sides before letting his hands meet right over his bellybutton.

Karl squirmed and squealed, and he was dying to pull his arms down, but he did his best to keep them where Ethan put them, “NAHAHAHA! THIS ISN’T FAHAHAIR! GET OHOHOHOFF!!”

Despite his desperate calls for mercy, Karl was in heaven. His nerves were on fire from his worst spot being attacked. It was so soft and still so horrendously ticklish, but he loved it (though he’d never admit it).

“I think it’s completely fair! You’re just too ticklish”, he teased, circling one sharp claw around Karl’s bellybutton while his other hand continued to scritch and spider at his sides and belly.

Heisenberg squealed, “NONONO! WAHAHAIT! N-NOHOHOT THEHEHERE!”

Ethan hummed, “Not where? Here?”, he asked, suddenly dipping the claw in Karl’s bellybutton.

Karl shrieked and finally brought his arms down, pushing weakly at Ethan’s hands, “No mohohore! Ethan, plehehease!”

Ethan laughed, delivering a couple more squeezes and claws to his husband’s tickle spot before he laid off, only for Karl to curl up in a little ball beneath him.

Ethan’s face fell into a warm smile and he stared for a couple moments before curling up beside Karl and wrapping the exhausted man in his arms. In return, Karl buried himself in Ethan’s chest and allowed himself to be held.

He was still giggling his heart out as he shook from the tickles, and god was it adorable embarrassing.

“Aww, honey. Did you get tickled?”, Ethan asked with a gentle but teasing tone, making Karl grumble something under his breath about Ethan being mean.

Ethan just rolled his eyes, “You love it”.

Karl scowled, “You’re a monster”, he spat, glaring at his husband.

Said husband just nodded, “Indeed I am: a tickle monster, but I’m your monster, and you love me”.

Karl wanted to be mad, but he couldn’t, so he just curled up to Ethan and sighed contentedly, “Mhm… My monster”.

Ethan’s eyes widened and he blushed a deep shade of red, not expecting Karl to say anything of the sort, but before he could respond, Karl was snoring quietly against his chest.

“Your monster”, Ethan whispered, placing a kiss on Heisenberg’s forehead before pulling the man closer to his chest and allowing him to sleep peacefully.

________

Mark walked out of the recording room with a grumpy pout. Ethan and Tyler were walking down the hall when he slammed the door.

“Hey, Mark. Why so grumpy?” Ethan giggled. Mark just glared at him.

“You know how I was going to take that mental age test thing?”

“Yeah? We all did! I got my actual age and Tyler got 27.” Tyler smiled at Ethan and glanced back at Mark to see him mumbling something under his breath.

“What was that?” Ethan asked.

“I got 7…” Mark trailed off as the two other boys cracked up. “It’s not that funny!”

“Dude! You got 7?!” Tyler laughed. Mark only pouted more at the teasing.

“How on Earth did you even score that low? We need to make sure this doesn’t ever happen again!” Ethan declared. Tyler slowly began catching on.

“Yeah. We should make it so you don’t ever score that low. Perhaps punishment is in order?”

“Oh come on, you guys. What do you even have in mind?” Mark rolled his eyes and chuckled, unfazed by their ominous threat.

“I actually don’t know.” Ethan admitted. Tyler smirked.

“We’ll figure it out. Better watch out, Mark!”

“Ooh I’m so scared.”

“You should be, i mean, we’re about 15 years older than you.” Ethan giggled.

“Screw you guys!” Mark stomped off with two hysterical boys left behind.

—

“So what should we do to punish Mark?” Tyler asked Ethan, the two were sat on the couch, pondering possible punishments.

“I have no idea. Pelt him with water balloons maybe?”

“Too tame.”

“dump ice on him?”

“Nah.”

“Well what do you think!?”

“I think we need some help…”

“Ooh!” Ethan exclaimed. "Why don’t we call Jack? He IS his boyfriend after all!”

“Good idea! Of all people his boyfriend must know how to punish him!” Tyler whipped out his phone and scrolled through is contacts. It was still early in the morning so Jack should still be awake in Ireland. Tyler hit “Call” and waited as the rings of the phone filled the silence.

“Hey, Tyler!” Jack’s voice greeted.

“Jack? Hey!”

“What’s up?” Jack asked.

“So we have a problem. Mark did the mental age test thing and scored a 7 and-“

“He scored a 7?! Oh my god that’s priceless!” Jack cackled hysterically from the other end. Ethan and Tyler smiled.

“Yeah we thought so too. But here’s the thing. We thought we should punish him for scoring so low but we can’t think of anything. Any ideas?”

“Um… let’s see… I can’t really think of anything.”

“Nothing? No secret weaknesses or anything?” Ethan chimed in. There was a pause.

“Weaknesses you say?” You could hear the grin in Jack’s voice. “Oh I definitely know what punishment you could do.” This peaked the boys interest.

“What is it?”

“He’s ticklish.” Another pause. Both Ethan and Tyler suddenly grew mischievous grins.

“How ticklish?” Ethan asked.

“Stupidly ticklish.”

“Oh this is going to be fun. Where’s his worst spot?”

“Under arms make him go nuts! Trust me, he’ll be begging for mercy. And don’t forget his thighs either!”

“Thanks, Jack.”

“Oh. One more thing, guys?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Mark is very embarrassed about being ticklish. So don’t tell him I told you? He’ll KILL me if he finds out! And by kill me i mean he’ll tickle the crap out of me when i come down to L.A. this weekend.”

“We’ll make sure to tell him it was you.” Tyler laughed.

“What? Don’t you d-“ Tyler hung up. Ethan cracked up.

“You know you just sentenced Jack to tickle-death?”

“Yeah. Mark’s always one for revenge. If he didn’t know it was Jack we’d be next!”

“Good point.”

The two then departed the room to seek out their victim.

—

Mark was laying on his bed in his room on his phone, scrolling through twitter and replying to tweets from fans. Ethan knocked on the door and entered.

“Hey, Mark!”

“Hi, Ethan. What’s up?”

“I need your help with some of the recording equipment.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” Mark grunted as he sat up and got off his bed. He walked out of his room to see Tyler and Ethan grinning at him. He eyed them nervously.

“This isn’t about that punishment, is it?”

“You know… Jack told us something interesting about you on the phone.” Tyler started.

“You called Jack about the punishment?”

“He told us you were… ticklish.” Ethan informed Mark. Mark paled and stiffened.

Oh that Irish bastard was so getting it when he flew in this weekend.

“Are you?” Tyler asked cockily.

“No. That’s absurd.”

“Oh really?” Ethan wiggled his fingers in the air. Mark felt a steady blush settling on his cheeks. He assessed the situation. His two best friends were threatening to tickle the shit out of him. There was an opening to his right, he could run to the fort door and get out of the house. His friends wouldn’t tickle him in public… right?

Mark bolted. He ran as fast as he could, hearing the laughter and teasing words of his friends behind him.

“Mark~ don’t you want your tickles?”

“Don’t run from the tickle monster, Mark!”

He saw the door! he could make it! if he could just-

“FUCK!” Mark shouted as he was tackled to the ground. He was laying on his back with Tyler straddling his hips. Ethan walked by and sat by his legs.

“Accept your punishment, Mark!” Ethan exclaimed. Tyler placed his fingers near Mark’s underarms. Mark froze and bit his lip nervously.

“He didn’t tell you… where to tickle me… did he?”

“Oh you can bet he did.” Tyler growled. Mark silently cursed Jack in his head. Tyler’s fingers slowly began moving, gently caressing the skin. Mark was really going to regret his outfit. Tank top and shorts. Mark felt himself smiling despite himself. His breathing hitched.

“Wow he really is ticklish!” Ethan cheered, noticing the growing smile on Mark’s face.

“You’re already smiling?” Ethan asked, grinning madly.

“He is! Does this tickle, Mark? His fingers just barely moving? You must be extremely ticklish, just like Jack said!” The teasing just made everything worse. It’s like his nerves were lighting up at the words. Tyler’s fingers began to move faster, all ten fingers gently sliding against his armpits. Mark bit his lip in an effort to keep from laughing. He was already smiling like a doofus and his face was a ready red as a tomato. But he could hold out! He could keep from laughing!

Until Mark felt Ethan’s fingers begin to poke and prod his thighs. the two ticklers heard a couple muffled giggles come from Mark and his legs began shaking with the overwhelming desire to escape the sensations. Tyler soon began wiggling his fingers at Mark’s armpits, receiving violent thrashing in response.

“Oh my god, what are you doing to him, Tyler?” Ethan asked, noticing Tyler struggle to stay on top of the thrashing man.

“I’m literally just wiggling my fingers at his armpits! He’s so ticklish!” Tyler giggled, finding Mark’s sensitivity incredibly amusing.

“Cootchie cootchie coo, Mark~” Ethan teased. Mark almost broke right then and there. His grin was already so wide it felt like his face would break in two. He felt like he could pull through.

Until Tyler got impatient and started scratching at the hollows of his armpits.

Mark screamed in laughter and bucked his hips, laughing and cackling hysterically.

“Holy shit!” Both ticklers exclaimed, surprised by the sudden explosion of laughter. Both began laughing along with the victim.

“STAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIT! PLEHEHEHEHEASE!”

“This is your punishment! We haven’t gotten your other spot yet!” Ethan explained before he began squeezing Mark’s thighs. Mark thrashed harder than before, throwing Tyler off of him. Tyler hit the ground with a thud and Ethan stopped tickling to clutch his middle in his won hysterical laughter. Tyler groaned and rubbed the side he landed on while Mark panted weakly on the floor, giggles still spilling from his lips.

“Now you’ll never fail that test again! Otherwise we’ll come back!” Ethan playfully threatened. Mark turned his head to look at the blue-haired man.

“When I-“ pant. “catch my-“ pant. “breath-“ pant. “You are-“ pant. “so dead.“ pant.

Ethan felt a bit nervous at that but then decided to pass the blame.

“Well Jack IS the one who told us to do this.”

“He’s so getting it Saturday.” Mark said breathily. Ethan chuckled and stood up, extending a hand for Mark to take. He helped his friend up and then helped up Tyler.