“Cool it, kid, I know exactly what’s going on up here.” Both teens were mortified, but for different reasons. Sojiro’s mischievous smirk was not helping, either.

“On paper, it’s my job to keep that one safe and out of trouble,” Sojiro started, pointing at the raven-haired boy.  “But just keep it down while I have customers, and I can allow for trouble of the “revenge of a sore loser” variety.”

“Whew, okay, thanks-HEY!?”

 “And I’m sure he still has a few secrets we haven’t found yet.”

Ren and Ryuji’s hearts leaped simultaneously, and the latter glared back at the former. “Oh yeah?”

Sojiro looked at Ren’s betrayed eyes. He sometimes forgets Ren was just a teenager, still very much a kid in some ways. But he took on so much more responsibility; a responsibility that most adults couldn’t handle. If they could, the Phantom Thieves may not exist in the first place.  Then he remembered how hard of a time he gave the boy after coming to Le Blanc and not believing his story.  He could go on a guilt trip about it, but he’d rather see Ren’s tension replaced with mirth at the moment.

“We haven’t tried his knees or feet yet.  Do with that what you will, I’m going to shut the door to the staircase, though,” Sojiro told Ryuji as he made his way back downstairs. Ren, having never seized the opportunity to stand, released an “Oomph!” as Ryuji pounced on his waist, facing away from him.

“Ryuji, please, doohohon’t, NOHOHO AHHAHAHA!”  Mercilessly and with a wicked cackle, Ryuji squeezed the soft area above Ren’s knees, causing an absolute explosion of laughter.  He reflexively brought up his knees, which did nothing to deter Ryuji’s ticklish grip, and brought his hands to grab futilely at his assailant’s shirt, unable to move much more than that.

“Ryhehehujihehe!” Joker cried, attempting to twist out from underneath his teammate.

“Nuh uh uh!” Ryuji scolded, pinching his calves. As it turns out, Ryuji found a not-quite-ticklish spot. Ren, still giggling, took the opportunity to hook his fingers into Ryuji’s hips, a recently discovered weak point of his.

“WaitwahehetWAHAHEHET NOHOHO! I KNEHEHEW YOU WERE A CHEHEHEATER!”

“You wound me, Ryuji,” Ren started, “I’m defending myself!  Why would I need to cheat?” He asked as if he was truly hurt by the accusation.  He continued to knead and tease his friend's hips, holding strong against every attempt Ryuji made to try to stand.

“Toohoo beheehat meehehehe!” Ryuji cried out, desperately trying to free his hips from Ren’s hands.  Ren, swiftly and cruelly, wormed his fingers under Ryuji’s waistline, just enough to contact the taught skin covering the hip bones.  Trading kneading for scratches with his dull fingernails nearly sent Ryuji into hysterics.  His cackle jumped up to a full-blown, unhindered belly laugh.

“Clearly, I don’t need to cheat to beat you. I’m just a natural at most things, it seems,” he teased.  He didn’t know exactly why, but he enjoyed antagonizing his friend this way, especially while he was coaxing out the most unabashed giggles from him. 

“Imagine if Shadows fought this way.  You wouldn’t have a chance,” Ren started, “All they would have to do is this,” and spidered his fingers along not just the hip bones, but up his sides and across is belly.  Ryuji screeched, trying to grab the offending hands while enduring a barrage of ticklish jolts that were turning his mind and muscles to mush. 

“YOHOHOU’RE ASKING FOHOHOR IT!”

“Even if I was, you aren’t so scary right now.  You’d think someone with the name Skull would be more of a threat.”  

That did it. Ryuji, mind still fuzzy, lunged forward, breaking out of Ren’s “lethal” grip.  He grabbed one of Ren’s ankles.  He scribbled all along his socked sole, hoping to throw his leader off guard.  Sure enough, Ren’s head was thrown back in a surprised yelp before devolving into bubbling, boyish giggles.

“Dohohohon’t! Quihihihit, Ryeeehehehujii!” Ren spat through his cackles, hoping not to hurt his friend with his spastic kicking. Ryuji, on the other hand, was glad to be catching his breath.  And while he regained breath, he also regained his deviousness.

“Don’t quit? Didn’t plan to, chuckles.”

“Nohoho nahahame calling!” Ren retorted.  He couldn’t reach Ryuji’s hips again from where he scooted forward to sit closer to his ankles.  Smart, so now he wouldn’t get kicked in the head, but it put Ren in a position without many options. 

“You want scary? I’ll give you scary!” Ryuji, fired up now that he had the upper hand again, shifted slightly so his wiggling fingers were in plain view, slowly descending toward Ren’s captured foot. Despite himself knowing this tactic, he couldn’t stop himself from giggling at such anticipation.  He yelped when Ryuji just barely grazed the tops of his toes, and the blonde assailant shot his hand back up to repeat the maddening process.

“And you want to talk about me! The Shadows would only have to think about tickling you and you’d be a mess!”

“Ryeehehehujihehe, pleeheheease!”

“Please what, fearless leader?”

“Geehehet on wiheheth it!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, dude. I’m not even touching you.” Though he tried, Ryuji couldn’t keep a straight face through the whole interaction.

Ren groaned, and ultimately resigned to his fate, however long that would take. But then he found his assailant’s own socked foot and grabbed his ankle.  Ryuji paused, and Ren took in several breaths, keeping his other hand poised for attack on Ryuji’s sole.

“Ihi’ll make your life reheally hard, don’t you dare,”  Ren smirked, noting the preliminary giggles lacing the threat. He twitched his fingers and Ryuji jumped.

“Another bad spot? You make a lot of threats for someone with so many weak points.”

“HA! You’re one to talk. At least I don’t deny it as it’s happening.” Ren only rolled his eyes and felt the blush that finally started to settle come back.

“Don’t be embarrassed or anything, dude. I’m not.  Makes us human, ya know?” Ren met his eyes and smiled genuinely, but twitched his fingers again on Ryuji’s sole, causing another jolt.

“Okay, bro moment’s over, you’re deHEHEHAHAHAD!” Ren, knowing he was instigating and still pinned, made sure to get the first move in.

“Don’t you mean a bro-ment?” Ryuji’s cackles, like Ren’s earlier, picked up at the pun.

“Yooohoohou deheheserve this!” Skull claimed, haphazardly tearing off Ren’s sock, skittering lightly from heel to toe. He immediately relented his own attack and squealed before his giggles came bubbling over. 

“You like that, huh?”

“NOOOHOOHOO I DOHOHON’T!” he denied, a little too vehemently. He didn’t understand how just a few well-placed swipes on such a small part of the body could render him to such a state. Whether Ryuji was aware or not, Ren wasn’t sure, but every time those malicious fingers wandered too close to his toes, his laughter kicked up an octave. Ryuji snickered.

“Dude, yoohoou make the best noises.  I could do this aaaaallllll day!”

“PLEHEHEASE DOHOHON’T!” Ren spat, tapping the couch, trying to signal he had enough.  Ryuji obliged immediately, finally removing himself from on top of his friend and sat on the floor to allow him to recover.  Ren, still catching his breath, shot up and put his sock back on, catching Ryuji’s glance.  Chuckling, Ryuji reached and patted Ren’s back reassuringly.

“*pant*... asshole... *pant*,”

“Ready for another round?” Ryuji asked.

“NO!” Ren boomed, already curling in on himself.  Ryuji was startled, but then laughed at his poor friend.