#ler!thoma

Aether hesitated at the entrance of the newly opened Aisa Bathhouse in Inazuma, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his tunic. The warm, inviting glow of lanterns illuminated the wooden interior, the faint scent of herbal steam wafting through the air.

The blonde had been invited by some of his old friends to try out this new establishment and after being away for such a long time, he had happily agreed to join, eager to see all of them again. He had been on his feet all day, traversing from Natlan back to the islands of Inazuma, and the idea of soaking in a hot bath sounded heavenly.

He had only arrived a few hours ago, already having meet with them for a (very) late breakfast in Hanamizaka, to indulge in some Tricolor Dango, much to the joy of Paimon and the detriment of his wallet, and had agreed upon meeting with them in the bath, after checking in in a nearby Inn.

But as he glanced down at his attire and then at the row of lockers before him, a flush of embarrassment crept up his cheeks. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, unbuckling his boots and neatly placing them into an empty locker.

The cool floor against his bare feet sent a small shiver up his spine as he continued, peeling off his clothes, layer by layer, until he was left in nothing but a simple towel wrapped securely around his waist. His hands briefly hovered over the lock on his locker, his stomach twisting with nervousness.

It wasn’t like he was unfamiliar with bathhouses - Liyue had plenty - but being this exposed in the presence of others still made him shy. Taking another breath, he straightened his shoulders and stepped past the entrance curtain into the steamy bathing area.

“Aether, buddy! There you are!” a loud and enthusiastic voice boomed across the bath, making the blonde jump slightly. Itto grinned widely from his spot in the hot water, waving him over eagerly. Next to him, Thoma and Gorou were already settled into the bath, their heads barely visible above the rising steam. “Hey Traveler~” “Aether, glad you could make it.”

The trio looked relaxed, their expressions glowing from the heat of the water and Aether couldn’t help grinning at them. “You took forever! C’mon in, the water’s perfect!” Itto added, slapping the surface of the bath, causing small ripples to form. Aether chuckled sheepishly, stepping towards the edge and carefully dipping a foot into the water.

The heat immediately sent a soothing wave up his body and he exhaled in relief as he slid further in, submerging himself up to his chest. The tension in his muscles began to melt away and he sighed contentedly. “Man, you look so tense and did you get even more skinny!?” Itto commented, tilting his head before he waded towards him.

“You should really loosen up a bit~” Aether raised an eyebrow, but before he could retort, he felt large fingers suddenly squeeze at his sides. A high-pitched squeak slipped from his lips as he jolted, his arms instinctively snapping to his sides in defense. “WaHAh! D-DoOHohn’t!” he laughed, gently pushing his hands off of him. “Oh-ho! What was that?”

Itto smirked, his ruby eyes lighting up with mischief. “Did you just- No way! Traveler, don’t tell me you’re ticklish?” he fake-gasped and Aether could clearly hear Thoma and Gorou giggle at him. “He got you now~” “Itto found his next victim, ehh~” Aether’s face burned instantly, his body stiffening in place and he once again cursed his body for it sensitivity.

“W-Wait, that was just-” he began, instinctively taking a step back from the oni. He was in trouble now. “…Just you being ticklish?” Itto grinned wickedly, eagerly wiggling his fingers at him. Yeah, in a very big trouble. “Oh, this is too good to pass up!” he laughed. He had to get away, like right now, before it was too late.

However, before the blonde could even make a proper escape, Itto lunged, wrapping his strong arms around him in a playful yet secure hold. “C’mere, you squirmy little guy!” he chuckled, not wasting another second as he dug his fingers into his ribs.

Aether immediately burst into uncontrollable giggles, twisting and wriggling as he tried to pry himself free from Itto’s iron grip. “N-Nohoho! I-ItohOho! StoHohop!!” he pleaded, his laughter echoing in the steamy room. He just wanted to relax and spend the afternoon soozing in the water and here he was, in the arms of an excited oni, getting tickled to pieces.

This wasn’t like he expected his afternoon to turn out. His hands grabbed at the white-haired’s arms, his legs were kicking out, splashing water everywhere, but the hero of nations, the conqueror of dragons and Master of the Jinni couldn't break free. Instead, he felt a tingle inside his stomach, creeping up, further and further throughout his body.

“HhahAhHAHa I-IHIhiTOo! IhiHit ehEhhehe it tiHIicklekeles!” He managed to breath out, tears of mirth forming in the corner of his eyes and running down his flustered cheeks as Itto continued to explore the ticklishness of his flanks, even daring to sneak his fingers up into his underarms, wiggling into the sensitive holes with gusto.

“That’s the whole point compadre; nothing beats some good old’ laughing with your bro IttOh~” he teased and to emphasize his statement, he moved on of his strong arms around his midriff, allowing him to tickle the blonde’s stomach, wiggling and sliding his fingers around his navel.

As soon as they made contact with his skin, Aether broke into another wave of contagious chortles and he sucked in his stomach, but neither did it help, nor made it Itto relenting. “AHhhAhahah! YoHou cAhahn’t wehEh’re- ahAhhahah noHoho!” he laughed, trying to reason with his antics, but he wasn't even able to finish his sentence.

“Aw, you sound so adorable!” Itto teased, clearly enjoying to see the youngest member of the Arataki Gang at the loose of his hands. At this point, Aether had given up to try and break free, so he just lends back against the other's chest, letting his laughter out. Seeing this Itto smirked, and he bend his head a bit forward, so that it was now close to his.

"Giving up already? Don't disappoint me now..." he said, blowing in his ear and making him shriek. That was too much for him. In a last attempt, Aether eyed with his other friends who had watched the whole scenario without even lifting a finger to come to his aid.

“WHahAHAhh p-pleHEhehase heEHhelp,” he whined stretching out a hand towards them, taking into account that Itto immediately sneaked a finger into the spot again, well he had to bite the bullet if he wanted to get out of this situation.

…It was Thoma, who had been watching with an amused grin, that finally took pity on Aether and leaned forward. “You do realize this could backfire, right?” he mused, wading closer to the duo before suddenly striking. His fingers poked into Itto’s toned sides, causing the oni to jolt and let out an uncharacteristic yelp.

“HiYaHh…! H-Hey! Thoma! ThaAhaht’s cheap!” Itto barked, his body twitching under the unexpected assault. The moment of inattention allowed Aether to break free and Itto whined when he realized his little toy had escaped. Aether, now freed from Itto’s grasp, gasped for air, his face already flushed both from the tickling and the bath’s heat.

“Thanks T-Thoma, I thought I was gonna die.” He shot Thoma a grateful look, which the housekeeper returned with a knowing smile, having been a victim himself not long ago. “I wasn’t kiIHihll- noHohHOhoho!” Itto wanted to argue but got interpreted by his own laughter as Thoma continued to drag his fingers down his sides.

“Oh, come on Itto, you can dish it out but can’t take it?” Thoma teased, continuing to tickle the large oni playfully. “Well, this is actually kinda fun. What do you think, Aether?” Aether glanced at Itto, who was flailing in the water like a fish out of water, and couldn’t help but laugh along with him - he looked so hilarious right now.

A mischievous grin crept onto his lips. “I think Itto could use a little payback,” he admitted, “after all ‘nothing beats some good old’ laughing with your bro IttOh’, right?~” he mocked making the oni gulp. Thoma grinned, winking at him. “Then let’s get him!” “…W-WahAhahit, guHuys, cahAn’t we talk- aHAHAHAhhahaH!”

The oni’s loud laughter began to flood the room as soon as the duo launched their combined assault with Thoma continuing to squeeze his sides, while Aether, little as he was, wiggled his fingers down his toned chest, dragging his fingers along the patterns of his tattoos lining his skin, reveling in the way Itto’s booming laughter filled the air.

“WAHAHAHahhAhAhh!” The whole room seemed to shake as Itto’s belly laughter broke out of him, not even trying to hold it back, making Aether wonder if he really wanted them to stop. “You’re so ticklish, it’s kinda adorable~” “NoOHohoo teHEehasing,” Itto whined and hid his face inside his palms. He could never handle verbal teasing.

Aether chuckled and stood on his tiptoes, allowing him to reach his armpits, while Thoma focused on his ribs and stomach, making sure their giant friend was left gasping. “Coochie, coochie coo~” “NOHOHO! Y-YOU GUYS ARE EVIL!!” Itto howled, thrashing in the water, he had created a monster, well two of them, when Thoma joined. “Coochie, coochie, coochie~”

“HAHAHHAVE M-MEHEHEHERCY ON MEHEHEHEHHE!” he cried, seeming to forget that he could just fight them off if he really wanted to, but the tickling made him weak and his legs were giving in, making him sink further to the ground, making it only even easier for the blonde duo to reach all these ticklish spots on his body.

Aether and Thoma exchanged mischievous grins, doubling their efforts as they scribbled their fingers along Itto’s ribs and up to his underarms, making the oni nearly jump out of the water. “HAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!”

“Mercy? From us? Nah, I think you can handle a little more, big guy!” Thoma teased, wiggling his fingers right under Itto’s chin and over his neck, causing him to cackle uncontrollably. “GAHAHA! NOT THEHEHERE! AETHER, BRO, PLEHEHEASE!” Itto pleaded, but Aether only chuckled, dragging his fingertips down to Itto’s sides and squeezing rapidly.

“What was that? I can’t hear you over all this laughing,” he teased playfully, watching as Itto’s face turned a deeper shade of red. Thoma suddenly darted his hands to Itto’s belly, squeezing his lower sides before poking right into Itto’s belly button.

“I always wondered if oni were sensitive here,” he mused, feigning curiosity while Itto’s laughter skyrocketed, “turns out, you’re just as sensitive as anyone else!” “STAHAHAHAP! I’M TOHOHO TIHICKLIHIHISH FOR THIHIHIS!” Itto’s howls echoed through the bathhouse, but his thrashing only encouraged them to keep going.

Gorou, who had been chuckling at the scene, was distracted watching the playful attack unfold, feeling a light sting of jealously in his chest, not sure if he was allowed to join. His hands curled into claws and his tail wagged slightly in the water and he let out a low sigh. “I wanna… tickle too,” he grumbled, the last getting lost in-between the loud laughter.

However, his attention was cut short by a sudden, high-pitched scream of his own when he felt a sudden touch on his spin, catching him completely off guard. Turning his head to the side he gazed into a familiar pair of olive-green eyes. “W-WHAAHAHAHAT?! HEIHOZOU?!”

Heizou had appeared from seemingly nowhere, grinning mischievously as he wiggled his fingers into Gorou’s sides. “Hehe~ You looked a little left out,” the detective teased. “I thought I’d give you some attention.” Gorou’s ears twitched frantically as he squirmed in the water, laughter bubbling past his lips.

“N-NoHOohho! I-I didn’t neHEheed any attention! WHahHAHAHH!” “Liar,” Heizou snickered, slipping his fingers to Gorou’s belly and watching as the poor general dissolved into helpless giggles, his tail thrashing in the water. “I could clearly hear you back there~” he mused and gave his sides another squeeze. “HAHAHahahHAHAhahah!” “AHAHAAHhHAhah noHOhoo!”

The bathhouse was soon filled with overlapping laughter - Itto still suffering under Aether and Thoma’s combined tickling and Gorou barely able to form coherent words between giggles as Heizou tormented his sensitive stomach.

Minutes passed before the tickling finally slowed to a stop. The group, exhausted and overheated, collapsed onto the warm stone floor beside the bath, their chests heaving with residual giggles. The bathhouse’s soothing ambiance finally returned as they all lay sprawled, staring at the ceiling in post-laughter bliss.

“...We’re a mess,” Thoma chuckled breathlessly, running a hand through his damp hair. “No kidding,” Aether sighed, rubbing at his flushed cheeks, exhausted but happy. Their peaceful rest was interrupted by a calm, amused voice. “My, my, what do we have here?”

They all turned their heads sluggishly to see Kamisato Ayato standing over them, his usual elegant smile gracing his lips. “You all look like you’ve just fought a battle,” Ayato mused, raising an eyebrow, “and judging from your expressions, I assume you’ve lost?”

“Ugh,” Itto groaned, throwing an arm over his face, “we weren’t fighting… just… a little too much fun.” Ayato chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You’re all quite silly.” “Yeah, but it was worth it, right~” Heizou smirked, still watching Gorou with amusement as the poor general tried to regain his composure, glaring daggers at him before retuning his smile.

So first and foremost, we’ll start with the vs Itto dynamics. My boy has encountered all of them in my fanfics

Ayato

(Lee)

If anyone else was to tickle him, they wouldn’t get much of a reaction. But he lets himself laugh when Itto tickles him

He thinks it’s nice to let loose and let his worries melt away at the hands of Itto. It helps him relax as long as it’s gentle and playful

His laughter is full of joy and he’s really ticklish on his waist and lower back

Other spots make him chuckle or giggle beautifully

He doesn’t like to be tickled for long and will be very upset if his “stop” isn’t heard

Itto sometimes blows raspberries on him, which isn’t super effective but it does result in amused giggles

Itto is gentle with him most of the time, but also loves to make him laugh his head off by tickling his weak spots. Scribbling and squeezing work the best, and Itto always showers him with compliments:

“Your laugh is so… nice, y’know? You sound so happy!”

“Hehe! You’re very pretty~”

“Aww, your giggles are adorable!”

“Your laughter is like music to my ears…”

“Kitchy kitchy coo~ haha!”

(Ler)

He’s the biggest tease to ever exist, stopping at nothing to make Itto blush like a tomato

Bullies the shit outta him like ???

«EHEHEHAHAHA!! IT TICKLES!!» “Aww, I know, darling.. I know.”

“Oh dear, is this a bad spot~?”

“My, my, you sure are fiesty, hehe~”

“Tickle tickle tickle~”

He’s a gentle but merciless tickler (unless you’re Itto; he will dig into your ribs)

He pays close attention to Itto’s facial expressions while tickling him silly, to make sure he doesn’t overdo it

“Sounds like you’re enjoying yourself, hehe~”

“Are you having fun, dear?”

He’ll sometimes tickle Itto to cheer him up. First he asks him to smile. If he can’t smile, or if his smile isn’t happy enough, Ayato hugs and tickles him to help him “recover”

“Aw, there’s that smile! You’re so beautiful, honey…”

Will deliver several kisses, nuzzles, nibbles and raspberries with no shyness whatsoever

He has a really mean method of tickling, where he’ll hold one of Itto’s horns to keep his head still and tickle his neck, under his chin, his jaw or (especially) his ears

He may also hold both horns in place to kiss all over his face and nibbling his jaw

It doesn’t last very long usually, since Itto prefers to move freely while getting tickled. Otherwise he’ll get really upset

Gorou

(Lee)

He is extremely ticklish and squirms like crazy to escape

The only one he trusts to tickle him is Itto, because he knows he won’t kill him, y’know?

Since he’s such a cutie patootie, his most ticklish area is his tummy

He both loves and hates being tickled at the same time

Though he does sometimes want Itto to tickle him. The most common thing he does to communicate this is to lie down face-up across his lap and stare into his soul

His laughter gets louder and higher in pitch the worse it tickles, also squealing and kicking a lot

Itto loves to tickle and tease him:

“Aww! Who’s a good boy? Haha!”

“You’re so cute!”

“Tickle tickle tummy~!”

Itto always keeps an eye on his tail and face to make sure he’s not in distress

Gorou wags his tail like crazy when he gets tickled, especially on his tummy even though it kills him lmao

His face gets red every time Itto teases him and/or tickles him gently

Itto often cuddles him really close before tickling and blowing raspberries on his tum

He gets all of the kisses, nibbles, nuzzles and raspberries!

He can’t take it for very long unless it’s soft and playful

Can’t win a tickle fight to save his life

Itto is mean sometimes, pinning Gorou’s arms above his head for the sake of bullying. This doesn’t last too long though, but it makes him shriek and squeal

(Ler)

He’s often too shy to tickle Itto, but he’ll learn

He’s also nervous to do so because he knows he’ll get revenge

However, Itto sometimes annoys him on purpose to get tickled, provoking him into starting a tickle fight

Gorou likes to mercilessly nuzzle him, to show affection and to tickle him at the same time. It’s great because Itto barely fights back against it

He can use his tail to tickle too

His tickling is rutheless if he’s annoyed enough, making Itto laugh his head off until he apologizes

Otherwise his tickling is very playful

Thoma

(Lee)

Thoma is very ticklish, he’s a little embarrassed about it

He laughs and giggles a lot when he gets tickled

He runs out of breath pretty quickly though, so tickles don’t last very long without breaks

His giggles are simply adorable and his laughter can heal any soul

Itto has the upper hand since he’s got the claws™️

Ayato sometimes tickles him too, usually starting off gentle before suddenly switching to rougher tickles, making the poor man laugh hysterically

Sometimes he teams up with Ayaka to destroy him, which is a fun game they’ve played since they were younger

One must be gentle to avoid tiring him

(Ler)

He’s very gentle and kind

“Are you alright?”

“Is this ok?”

“Should I stop?”

“Are you having fun?”

“Tickle tickle!”

Won’t tickle for very long unless told otherwise

Doesn’t tickle hard unless Itto “isn’t laughing enough” (he gets more mischievous when Itto is his target)

Will use tickling to cheer him up

Because he’s so gentle, he can tickle someone for ages without exhausting them as much

Thoma is the only one able to convince Itto to raise his arms while tickling him, but Itto would rather die than admit it to anyone

He’s too nice to dig into Itto’s armpits without warning, so he just lightly scribbles instead to test his endurance (it still makes him laugh a lot though)

Sara

(Lee)

Oh she HATES being tickled

She’ll only ever accept soft tickles from Itto

She’d kill him if he tried to tickle her more than that (aka tickle him to tears)

He always respects her boundaries and does his best to make sure she’s comfy and happy

Though there are times where he tries to tickle her more to make her laugh for a few seconds

It’s a bad idea every single time and always results in revenge tickles

She doesn’t mind him being silly like that, even though it gets on her nerves

She’s too embarrassed to show her unfiltered laughter

(Ler)

If Itto has made his death wish, aka tickled Sara more than gently, she’ll quickly turn the tables

She’s strong enough to wrestle and hold him down

She shows no mercy with her revenge tickles, which often leads to the poor oni howling and flailing with laughter

She likes to tickle him because he’s adorable so like what else is she supposed to do

But also he’s annoying sometimes and tickling the attitude out of him works

She can barely comprehend how he somehow manages to have fun despite being “punished”

She’s strong enough to temporarily hold one arm above his head to commit murder (aka tickle his armpit)

She can also use any of her fallen feathers to tickle him with, or straight up use her wings depending on their positions

If they’re both merely chilling, she’ll sometimes plant ticklish kisses on Itto’s neck to make him giggle

___________________________________________

Ayato x Thoma (interpret as you wish)

Lee: Ayato

Ler: Thoma

Warnings: Tickles!

___________________________________________

As someone who harbored a lot of responsibilities, Ayato always did them with elegance and grace. At least that’s how he presented himself, but his most trusted servant knew the truth about how overworked and rushed Ayato truly was. As was the case tonight as well.

“And you promise you’ll go straight to bed? No more working, right?”

“Of course, Thoma” Ayato waved him off with an innocent look. Thoma was a bit hesitant to leave him be, but decided to trust him this time. Oh how wrong he was. The moment the blonde was out of sight, Ayato took his leftover stack of paperwork to his bed. I mean, he did go to bed. Although he decided to tune out the second part.

As Thoma finished his nightly tasks at the estate, he couldn’t shake off a strange feeling. He felt an insatiable urge to check up on the commissioner, considering how stubborn he could be at times. So he did just that. He quickly headed over to the bedroom, normally he’d be polite and knock, but in the case his lord was actually sleeping, he didn’t want to disturb. “It’ll be just a quick peek…” Thoma told himself as he slowly turned the doorknob.

Ayato felt like a deer in headlights at Thoma’s unexpected arrival, being caught red-handed. “...well, you never said I had to sleep”.

“I also said not to work” Thoma placed his hands on his hips, staring down at his lord like a disappointed father. Except Ayato just shrugged and kept on doing his paperwork as if Thoma wasn’t there to give him a piece of his mind.

The blonde had to remind himself to breathe in and out, there’s always a more civilized way to resolve conflict. Although that sort of logic can’t be applied when a certain someone is too stubborn to listen. Y’know what does apply? A silly approach.

“My lord, if you won’t listen, I’ll have no other choice but to resort to… drastic methods” as the blonde spoke, he cracked his knuckles. Ayato’s pen suddenly stopped writing, his whole body tensing up. Did he dare continue writing despite hearing such a threat?... Of course he did! Just as he stopped, he quickly resumed writing.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Ayato was too zoned out to even notice Thoma’s eerily approach before it was too late. He suddenly felt a light swipe go down his spine. “Ah!” He gasped out loud, back arching forward. Although his movement was quickly restrained as two arms wrapped around his waist.

“Where do you think you’re going?~” Thoma whispered teasingly against his ear, two fingers digging into either side of Ayato’s stomach.

“WaHAit! Thomahaha!” It didn’t take long for him to burst out into bright giggles, squirming in the blonde’s arms.

“I’m done waiting. Either you put those papers aside and sleep, or I keep going” Thoma stated simply before burying his face against the crook of Ayato’s neck, making the latter squeal.

“Buhut I cahan’t…!” The giggly male whined out, gripping his papers for dear life.

“It’s cute you think you have a choice in the matter~” Thoma chuckled against his skin, worming his fingers under Ayato’s shirt.

“HAH—?!” Ayato almost doubled over when he felt cold fingers against bare skin, poking and prodding wherever they went. Papers flying everywhere as he went to grip at Thoma’s wrists. Not like he put much force into it, wether it was lack or energy or something else, who knows.

“My lord, do you still refuse to sleep?” As the blonde spoke, he softly wiggled his index finger against the commissioner's navel.

“EEP?! I— PFF! AHAHAHA! NOHOHOHO! OKAY! OKAHAY! I’LL SLEHEEP!” Ayato leaned his head back, his limp body resting against his servant as he laughed with all his might. It was rare of him to let out such a boisterous laugh. Any energy he had left was definitely drained.

“And you’re very sure you’ll actually sleep now?” Thoma moved his hands to Ayato’s waistline, giving his hips a light squeeze.

“YAH?! Yes! Yehes! I’m suhure! Just– plehease!” the Kamisato clan leader was at his wits end, his laughter turning wheezy and airi. As adorable as the sight was, he really did need the rest.

“Haha! Okay, I’m done now. I promise” Thoma gave a sweet smile as his fingers came to a halt, his arms losening their grip to let go.

“Wait!—”

“Hmm? Yes, my lord?”

“Can we cuddle?” Ayato gave him a sleepy smile, one that Thoma couldn’t refuse. Not like he ever did.

“Of course, I’d love to” he held Ayato tightly once more, the latter resting his head against the blonde’s chest. It didn’t take long for the room to be full of soft snores. Thoma smiled down at him, giving a gentle kiss to his forehead, before joining his master in his slumber.

Knock knock knock.

“Can you get the door please, Thoma?”

“Sure thing, my Lord.”

Knock knock knock. Creeeak.

“Gorou!!”

“Thoma!!”

“Roof roof!”

“Taroumaru!”

“Haha, excited to see Gorou too, Taroumaru? Please, come in.”

Gorou stepped inside the Komore Teahouse and practically lept into Thoma’s open arms.

“I haven’t seen you in so long! How have you been? How are Ayato and Ayaka??”

“Ayaka and I have been quite well, thank you.”

“Oh! Hello, sir! Er…” Gorou now realized he was clinging to Thoma like a koala, suspended off the ground. He let go and dropped to the floor, stumbling a bit. He promptly bowed towards Ayato.

“How have you and Miss Kokomi been? Faring well, I hope?”

“Yes! The Resistance has been putting up a real fight out there. I’m very proud of my troops.”

“Good to hear. I’m sure you’ve been working hard to train them all.”

“I have! So hard, in fact, that Her Excellency insisted I take a break for once.” Gorou shyly scratched the back of his head.

“You certainly deserve one. Speaking of hard workers… Thoma, why don’t you take a break, too? I know you two haven’t seen each other in quite awhile, so why not take this opportunity to catch up?”

“A-are you sure, my Lord?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you!” Thoma and Gorou exchanged excited looks.

“Judging by your tail, I can see you’re quite happy too, Gorou. I’ll leave you to it.” Ayato winked. He waved farewell for now as he walked into another room. Taroumaru followed suit.

“Ugh, how embarrassing…” Gorou whined, covering his blushing face in his hands.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Gorou. I think it’s cute.”

“Not helping!!”

Thoma laughed. “May I offer you some tea? I believe it’s just finished brewing.”

Gorou nodded and sat down at the bar. Thoma poured two cups and sat down next to him.

“Just the other day I witnessed the craziest thing,” Thoma said, “I saw the Kamisatos having a tickle fight. A tickle fight! Can you believe it?”

“No way! I can’t imagine them doing something like that.”

“I couldn’t, either. Then I thought, everyone’s gotta have some fun every once in a while. Even the most dignified folk.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Even a war general like yourself,” Thoma grinned, raising his hands and wiggling his fingers menacingly at Gorou.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Gorou spun around and sprang up off the stool, making a run for the door. Thoma got up and ran after him, closing the door behind him, giving Gorou a head start. The two ran out into the fields.

“I’m gonna getchu!”

“NOohoho!!” Gorou was grinning from ear to ear.

Gorou whipped around sakura trees, leapt over rocks and hedges, and continued running as fast as he could, enjoying the thrill of the chase. Thoma caught up quickly, as the two of them were fairly evenly matched in speed.

Gorou suddenly turned on his heel and sprinted back towards the Teahouse, catching Thoma off guard. Gorou skidded and turned effortlessly, while Thoma…

“Whoa! Ack!”

Crashed and burned, so to speak.

Gorou heard Thoma’s cry and looked back to see Thoma sprawled out in a pile of sakura petals. Gorou stopped in his tracks.

“Thoma!” He ran back to his friend. Now leaning over him, he asked, “Are you okay!?”

“Haha, yeah, the petals cushioned my fall! I must’ve tripped on that dirt mound.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried you were hu—waAHH!”

Thoma swiftly sat up, grabbing Gorou’s waist and pulling him down on top of him.

“Gotcha!”

“Hey! Noho fair!!”

“All’s fair in love and war~ kooocho kocho kocho kocho kochoo!”

“AAAIIIIEE NAHAHA! NOHOHOT MY TUHUHUMMYY!!”

“Why would you wear such revealing clothing if you didn’t want any belly rubs? Huh?”

“Sh-shut uhuhuhup!” Gorou blushed.

Gorou was face up in Thoma’s lap, wiggling around as much as Thoma would leg him. Thoma was skittering his fingertips all around Gorou’s exposed midriff. His tail was thwapping against the ground, sending sakura petals flying into the air around them.

Thoma switched to gently squeezing Gorou’s thighs, and Gorou lost it.

“AAAAHAHAH NONONOHOHO I TAKE IT BACK I TAKE IT BAAHAHAHAHACK!!”

“Take what back?”

“N-NOHOHOT WANTING T-T-TUHUHMMY RUHUHUBS! P-PLEHEHEASE THOMA!!”

“If you say so.”

Thoma momentarily ceased his attack and gave Gorou some soothing tummy rubs. Gorou practically melted into him, still smiling brightly. His tail settled as well.

“You’re so cute,” Thoma said under his breath.

“Huh?” Gorou looked up at him, blushing a warmer shade.

“Oh! Nothing! It was nothing,” Thoma hurriedly tickled the sides of Gorou’s ears to distract him.

“eeEEEHEHE WAHAHAIT! HeheheheeEEhE *snort* stahaha—nohohoho!” Gorou was wagging again, pawing at Thoma’s hands. His ears twitched when Thoma touched a particularly sensitive spot.

“Ihihit tickles soho bahahahahad! EEP NOHOT THEHERE!”

Thoma savored Gorou’s cute giggles for a little while longer, wiggling a couple fingers right on those sensitive little spots.

“Y-you’re driving me crahahazy! S-somewhere ehehehelse!!”

“So, you don’t want me to stop yet?”

Gorou froze. “Uhm, I uh, well I—AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Thoma suddenly dug his thumbs into Gorou’s hip bones. Since when was he so good at this?? Gorou thrashed around, tail kicking up sakura petals again, arms flailing at Thoma’s hands. Thoma continued the torment for just a little while longer, until Gorou’s laughter went silent. That’s when he finally let up.

Thoma pat Gorou’s head. “You okay there, buddy?”

Gorou nodded, wiping a tear from his eye.

“You’re ruthless.”

“I stopped, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, whatever…” Gorou leaned into Thoma’s middle, hiding his smile.

“Let’s head back, alright? Don’t want your tea to get too cold.”

“Okay! Oh and, th-thanks, by the way.”