#ler!wanderer

Sethos had come to a very important conclusion: His new roommate was weird. Not dangerous weird - he’d met plenty of people in Sumeru who qualified for that - but the quieter kind. The kind that sat on the edge of the room, watched everything, and acted like the world had personally offended him just by existing.

Sethos lay on his bed, one arm tucked behind his head as he stared lazily up at the ceiling, letting his thoughts wander. Day three of sharing a room at the Akademiya, he mused. Name: Wanderer. Or… Hat Guy, apparently. Personality: Grumpy Cat. He snorted softly to himself.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. “Hey, want to grab lunch?” had been met with a flat “No”. “Want to come study with me?” had gotten him a blank stare and a “I don’t waste time”. Even casual conversation had been… difficult.

Wanderer was quiet, sharp, and distant. Always perched somewhere slightly offside - at the back corner of the auditorium or the windowsill in their room - like he didn’t quite belong on the same level as everyone else. Like a cat, Sethos thought again, amused. An unapproachable one. Still… Sethos turned his head slightly, glancing across the room.

Wanderer was sitting on his desk, one leg loosely crossed over the other, a letter held in his hand. His hat rested nearby, abandoned for once, and his expression - usually so cool and composed - looked… different. Softer. There was the faintest curve to his lips. Sethos blinked.

…Wait. What?! He pushed himself up onto his elbows, eyes narrowing. “A smile?” he whispered to himself. That was new. That was very new. Curiosity sparked inside him immediately. Okay, Sethos thought, grinning to himself, what could possibly make Mr. Grumpy Cat smile like that?

He rolled off the bed in one smooth motion, padding quietly across the room. Wanderer didn’t notice at first. He was too focused on the letter, eyes scanning over the page with that same faint, almost absent smile. Sethos leaned in just enough to peek over his shoulder.

“…make friends…” “…friendly…” “…stubborn…”

That was all he managed to catch before, the dark-haired finally noticed him. “Get lost,” he snarled, sounding as if been caught red-handed. Sethos didn’t even flinch. Instead, his grin widened. “Aww, Hat Guy,” he said lightly, leaning closer, “what’s that? Someone writing you love letters?” he teased, trying to get a better look at it.

Wanderer’s expression snapped back to its usual sharp edge, and he folded his arms quickly, hiding the paper. “Mind your own business.” “Oh, come on,” Sethos laughed, “I just saw you smiling. That’s a historic event, I deserve context.” “You deserve to leave,” the dark-haired replied annoyed. “Not happening when you finally show a hint of emotion there~”

Wanderer turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing. “You’re annoying.” “And you’re hiding something,” Sethos shot back, clearly pleased with himself, resisting the urge to poke his nose, and settled to wiggle a hand over the back of his neck instead. The light touch caused his him to flinch, but he kept quiet.

There was a beat of silence, before the brunette smirked, a sudden thought coming to his mind. It might be childish- embarrassing even, if it wouldn't work, but if it did, he might finally be able to get closer to him. There was nothing to, lose anyways, right? The slight reaction he just got gave him the confidence to proceed.

“Alright,” he said, flexing his fingers slightly, “if you won’t show me…” Wanderer raised a brow “…I’ll just have to make you.” Before Wanderer could react, Sethos darted forward and jabbed his fingers straight into his sides. It was a gamble, a complete, reckless guess… and it paid off instantly.

Wanderer squeaked. It was soft, completely unguarded and absolutely priceless. His entire body jolted in surprise, his arms snapping tighter against his sides to protect them, causing the grip on the letter to loose in the process. “WhaH-?!” he sputtered, breath hitching as Sethos’ fingers scribbled lightly along his ribs. Sethos’ eyes lit up. “No way!~”

“StoHop that!” Wanderer snapped, trying to suppress the giggles that wanted to get out, but the command broke halfway into a startled laugh, as he was not able to hold them back. “Oh, you’re ticklish,” Sethos grinned, doubling down immediately, visibly relieved that his intuition was right. He had learned something new about him.

Wanderer tried to twist away, but with his arms pinned close to protect the letter, he had no defense. Sethos took full advantage of that, wiggling his fingers teasingly over the exposed sides. “H-HeHey, gehet your hahAnds out of theEhre!” Wanderer hissed, laughter slipping through despite his best efforts.

“That’s so unfair,” Sethos teased, “you act all cool, and this is what happens?” “ShuHut…uHup!” the navy-blue-haired cursed, but his composure was already cracking. His shoulders trembled and another soft, breathless laugh escaped him as Sethos squeezed lightly at his ribs, making sure to target the sensitive areas in-between.

That was all the opening Sethos needed. With a quick movement, he snatched the letter from Wanderer’s loosened grip. “Got it!~” he cheered, holding it up in the air like a trophy. Wanderer froze for a moment. Then his eyes sharpened. “…Give that back.”

Sethos jumped back, waving the letter triumphantly back and forth, while paying attention not to crumple it by accident, knowing how much it seemed to mean to the other. “Make me~” he challenged. That was a mistake. A very big mistake he realized way too late. A rush of wind surged through the room.

Before Sethos could even react, Wanderer used his anemo power to propel himself forward- fast… very fast, catching up to him in an instant. “Whoa-!” The world tilted as he slammed into him, tackling them both onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. “Oof!”

The impact knocked the breath from Sethos’ lungs, and the letter fluttered from his grasp, drifting uselessly to the floor. For a second, everything stilled. Sethos blinked up. Wanderer was above him, straddling his hips, his dark hair slightly disheveled, his blue eyes sharp- and just faintly flushed. “…You’re fast,” Sethos breathed.

Wanderer smirked. “If you wanted to ‘bond’ so badly,” he said coolly, “I suppose I can humor you.” Sethos barely had time to process that, before the other’s fingers dug into his sides, kneading into them with such a surprised and unexpected gentleness that it broke him instantly. He burst into loud, belly laughter. “HAAHAHAH H-HEY-! NOHOHOHO!”

He couldn’t believe that he was seriously tickled by the other and why was he so good at it? His touch was quick and precise, fingers dancing over Sethos’ ribs and slipping under the edge of his shirt to trace along his stomach, as if had to done it countless times already.

The brunette's interest and wish to get closer to him was triggered even more by that, but right now, he had to get out of this situation, and fast. Sethos squirmed beneath him, laughter spilling out freely. “OhoHohokay- Okay I- Pfft I diHihidn’t mean this kind of bonding!”

“Too late for that~” Wanderer teased, not even realizing what expression was shown on his face. His lips curled into a small, amused smile - different from his usual sharp smirk. Softer. More genuine. And Sethos noticed. “You’re- hahaHa smiling again!” he managed between giggles. Wanderer’s expression faltered for a split second. “Shut up.”

“That’s so uHunfair!” Sethos laughed, twisting under him. “I’ve neHehver seHehen you like this!” “Then stop looking.” “CaHahn’t! AhAHAHHhah!” Sethos gasped as fingers skittered up his sides, dangerously close to his underarms. “Oh no- n-n-noHo doHohn’t… noHohot theEhre!” he laughed, tears of mirth already forming in his eyes.

He was giving him a pleaded look- well, he tried to, considering he looked like a complete mess right now. Wanderer did it anyways, and his fingers found their way into his bare armpits, wiggling into his hollows with gusto.

Sethos yelped, high-pitched laughter spiking as he tried to curl inward, only to be held in place by Wanderer’s weight. “AHhAHahah iHit t-tiHickles!” “Sensitive?” Wanderer asked, almost teasingly. “YoHou’re eHEhvil!” Sethos replied. “And you started it.”

Sethos grinned despite himself, breathless and flushed. “…Worth it~ I like tickling and I’ve never seen you so happy- well, anything besides that kind of face, so totally worth it~” Sethos said, trying to mimic Wanderer’s serious face which got him a chuckle from the other. Wanderer huffed, but the smile lingered.

That was Sethos’ chance. With a quick twist, he shifted his weight and grabbed Wanderer’s sides in return. The other froze. “Oh?~” Sethos panted, still laughing. “You didn’t think I’d fight back?” Wanderer’s eyes widened - just a fraction, but before he could even have a chance to react, Sethos had already squeezed a now well-known weak spot of his.

His composure shattered. A startled laugh broke free, as his shoulders jumped, fingers faltering against Sethos’ sides. “S-SeHehthos! StoHop iHit!” Sethos didn’t stop. “Oh, this is good,” he grinned, digging into his sides more firmly now.

Wanderer tried to push himself up, but Sethos used the momentum to roll them over, reversing their positions in one swift movement. Now he was on top and Wanderer was pinned beneath him. For a second, they both froze again. Wanderer’s face was flushed, his usual sharp expression replaced by something softer, more flustered.

“SeHethos,” he said, his voice tight, “g-get off-” “Nope.” Sethos grinned down at him. “You said it yourself,” he teased, “let’s “bond”~” The navy-blue-haired’s eyes narrowed. “ThaHaht’s- argh noOH- ahAHAHAhahaH!” “That’s the way buddy~” The brunette’s fingers wiggled teasingly over his sides, absorbing each and every reaction from the other.

The other sucked in a breath and Sethos struck, sneaking in something teasing pokes on his stomach as well. Wanderer laughed, his giggles sounding almost childlike. It was softer than Sethos’, more restrained, but no less genuine.

It slipped out in breathless bursts as Sethos’ fingers traced over his stomach, his ribs and the sensitive spots in-between, and up under his arms. “AHaHAHAHAH s-stoHohOHop!” “Not a chance.” Wanderer twisted, trying to escape, but Sethos held him easily, laughing along with him now. “You’re even more ticklish than me,” he teased. “Am noHohot!”

“You totally are and it’s adorable.” Wanderer huffed- and then laughed again when Sethos squeezed his sides. The room filled with overlapping laughter, warm and bright and completely at odds with the quiet distance that had existed between them just minutes ago. Neither of them noticed how close they were anymore, or how natural it felt.

Eventually, their movements slowed, laughter fading into soft, breathless giggles. Sethos collapsed beside Wanderer, still grinning. “…Okay,” he admitted, “that was fun.” Wanderer turned his head slightly, avoiding his gaze. “…As if...” “But you laughed.”

“…That means nothing,” Wanderer mumbled, but the undertone in his voice made it quite obvious that he had enjoyed it too - whether it was just as much as for him, well, he now had enough time to find it out.

Sethos chuckled. His eyes drifted to the floor. To the letter. It lay there, slightly crumpled from the fall, the writing - a bit crooked as if written by a child - still visible from where it had landed. His gaze caught on a line.

Did you already make friends at the Akademiya?

He blinked. His smile softened. He read a little more.

I know you can be stubborn sometimes, but I also know that you’re actually a kind person deep down. If you give it time, I’m sure the people around you will see it too.

Sethos’ eyes flickered back to Wanderer, then back to the letter.

You’ll probably pretend not to care, but I think you’ll make a lot of friends before you even realize it, Hat Guy.

There was a small pause. And then, at the bottom-

-Durin P.S. I miss you. Come visit again soon.

Sethos smiled quietly to himself. “…Hey,” he said after a moment. Wanderer stiffened slightly. “What.” Sethos didn’t tease him this time. “…You’re doing fine, you know.” Wanderer frowned faintly. “What are you talking about.”

Sethos just shrugged, still smiling. “Nothing.” Wanderer narrowed his eyes but didn’t press. And for once, the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable.

...

Bonus

A few days later, Wanderer sat alone at the desk. The same place where Sethos had first caught him smiling. This time however, there was no one peeking over his shoulder, no sudden attacks, or no annoying voice calling him “Hat Guy” every five minutes. Just silence and a blank sheet of paper. Wanderer stared at it. “…Tch.”

He picked up the pen. Paused. Put it back down. “…Ridiculous,” he mumbled to himself. And yet, after a moment, he picked it up again. The scratching of ink on paper was soft, almost hesitant at first.

Durin, Your timing is as inconvenient as ever. The Akademiya is just as insufferable as you’d expect. Full of scholars who talk too much and think too highly of themselves.

There was a pause. Wanderer tapped the pen lightly against the paper, his eyes narrowing slightly as if debating whether to continue.

…However. It seems I’ve acquired a roommate.

Another pause. His expression shifted- just barely.

He is loud. Persistent. Annoying beyond reason. He lacks any sense of personal space and has a habit of inserting himself into matters that do not concern him.

The navy-blue-haired exhaled quietly through his nose.

He also laughs too much.

The pen stilled again. For a moment, it looked like he might stop there, but instead, he added:

…He is not entirely unbearable.

A faint flicker of something - something softer - crossed his expression and he caught himself smiling, despite himself. He shook his head.

He has a tendency to act before thinking, which is troublesome. However…

Wanderer hesitated, then he slowly continued to write:

…I suppose I understand what you meant.

Another small pause.

About “making friends”.

The word looked almost out of place on the page. He stared at it for a second longer than necessary, then scoffed under his breath.

Don’t misunderstand. I am not confirming anything. But…

The pen hovered- then moved again.

He hasn’t left yet.

That was the closest he was willing to get. For now at least. Wanderer leaned back slightly, glancing at what he had written, as if checking for errors - not in grammar, but in something far more intangible. After a moment, he continued:

As for your other point- I will visit when I have the time.

A brief pause. Then, almost as an afterthought:

…Don’t get used to it.

The pen lifted. Wanderer stared at the letter, expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet huff, he added one final line at the bottom.

-Hat Guy

A moment later, the door creaked open. “Hey, Hat Guy- Oh!” Sethos leaned into the room, blinking in surprise. “You’re writing a letter? That’s rare.” Wanderer’s hand moved instantly, flipping the paper over. “Get out.” Sethos grinned. “No way. Who’s it for?” “None of your business.” Sethos stepped further inside anyway, clearly undeterred.

“And then use your…thumb joint thingies? Those are actually called— Albedo, I love you, babe, but we are not doing a full anatomy lecture right now, to press into the temple area and pull up—”

“BWAHAHAHAHA!”

Whatever Scara said after was lost as Durin exploded in laughter, shrieking and frantically pulling at Scara’s hands while his feet kicked out, almost toppling the chair over if Scara wasn’t there behind him.

“S-SCAHAHAHARA! HAHAHAT GUHUHUY! IT TIHIHICKLES! IT TICKLEHEHESSS! OHOHOHO MY GAHAHAHAWD! AHAHAHA!”

“Oh? It does? I didn't realize~” Scara said, innocently, while he continued tickling him.

Durin’s tail swished rapidly behind him, whacking against Scara incessantly as his wings frantically flapped about and his legs kicked out.

“YOUHUHU SAHAHAID IHIHIT WOHOHON’T TIHIHICKL— GAHAHAHA! YOU TRIHIHICKED MEHEHE!”

“Oh, Durin,” Scara cooed. “It was obvious that I was going to tickle you~ ’…a defensive technique’; Pfft. That was such an obvious excuse for me to tickle you~”

Scara angled his fingers a bit, scratching at a particularly sensitive patch of skin on his neck, making Durin roar with laughter.

“AHAHAHA! NOT THERE! NOHOHOT THEHEHERE!”

“Come on, this is good practice for you to try and get out~” Scara teased. “You can do that, right? Since you are an almighty dragon?”

“NOHOHOHO TEHEHEHEASINGGG!!”

“No? I thought you liked teasing. I would even say you like it as much as you like being tickled~”

Scara smirked devilishly before leaning down and placing small ticklish raspberries on the tips of his horns. That, in addition to the tickles on his neck, made Durin completely fall apart.

“BWAHAHAHA! snort MY HOHOHORNS AREHEHE TOHOHOO snort TIHIHICKLISH! SCARAHAHAHA! snort NOHOHOHO!”

He was being tickled to tears, and he was loving every single second of it.

“Aw, those snorts are adorable~” Scara cooed. “Do them again~”

He placed even softer raspberries that were barely there, making Durin squeal and snort uncontrollably.

“snort NAHAHAHA! snort YOHOHOU’RE SOHOHOHO snort GAHAHAHAHA! snort MEHEHEAN! MEHEHEHEANIEHEHE! snort EHEHAHAHEHE! snort WAHAHAHAIT!”

“Heh, isn’t he adorable, Albedo? … Albedo?”

Scara looked towards Albedo, who wasn’t looking at him, making him scoff.

“Albedo! I was asking you—”

“Tahahahake thihihis!”

With Scara distracted, Durin managed to control his tail and make it curl around Scara’s waist, trapping him and dipping the end into one of his hip windows and prodding inside, earning an undignified squeal from Scara, who immediately let him go.

“Youhuhuhu rahahahascal! G-Gehehehet ohout ohohof thehehere!”

In a desperate attempt to gain control again, he gave Durin a bear hug and scribbled over his wings, causing the other to cackle and instinctively give his wings a big burst of energy, flying off the chair and taking Scara with him before heading right directly to Albedo and the bed.

“W-Whoa, DURIN! WATCH OUT!”

“OH SHIT!”

A flutter of bed sheets, pillows, feathers, and blankets exploded from the bed as the two crashed into it.

“Owie,” Durin groaned, taking a punctured pillow out of his horns.

Hearing Albedo groan too, Durin gasped, crawling over to him.

"Albedo! Are you okay?!" Durin cried out with concern.

Albedo gave him a light grin, patting himself down.

"Ah. I feel like 10 million mora. Can't say the same thing about Hat Guy, though," Albedo chuckled, winking at him and gesturing towards a hatless Scaramouche.

“Durinnnn!! What was the plan there!?!”

A grumpy Wanderer pulled the dragon's legs toward him, making him yelp.

“I-I didn’t think that far ahead!” Durin sheepishly grinned, scratching the back of his head before gasping when he felt his arms being raised over his head.

“Albedo?!”

“Finally, deciding you want to join in, huh?” Scara clicked his tongue at the Alchemist as he climbed onto Durin’s hips.

“Mm, he almost destroyed my painting…” Albedo murmured, taking off Durin’s gloves, causing the other to get into a giggle fit.

“D-Dohohon't! Ahahalbehehedohoho! Scahahara!” Durin giggled, squirming around, and his wings flapping about.

“We're not even tickling you, and you're this giggly?” Scara chuckled, looking at Durin’s flushed face with amusement. “Hmm, we have to do something about those wings…”

“No! Y-You dohohon't need toho! Stahahay awahayehehehe!”

Durin giggled, hiding himself behind his wings before immediately unfolding them and letting out a guffaw of laughter when Scara scribbled over his lower abdomen.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. We definitely need to do something about those naughty wings.”

He exchanged a glance with Albedo, who nodded with a knowing smirk on his face, before they instantly were at opposite ends of Durin’s wings, spreading them taut before gently tracing the inner membranes.

"Ahahehehaha!! NoHOhohO! NOHOHOHOHO! P-PleheahasEHE! Dohohon't doho thaHAHAT! My wihIHiHings arehehe sehehensitivehe! BwaHAHAha!”

Durin clutched his sides with his now free hands, scrunching up his face in squeaky, uncontrollable snickers and laughter as Scara and Albedo giggled alongside him.

Albedo glanced over to his side when he felt something brush against his thigh.

“Hmm, oh. A feather…a feather.”

Albedo's eyes lit up in realization. He picked up the feather and twirled it in between his fingers before calling out to Scara.

“Scara! Try this!”

He showed the feather to him, making the latter widen his eyes and flinch, biting his lip before regaining his composure in an instant.

What was that? Albedo thought to himself, filing that detail for later.

“I like the way you think, Bedo,” Scara said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Scara summoned Anemo, bringing some feathers to his and Albedo’s side. He could use his powers to control the feathers to tickle Durin, but he’s 100% sure that the dragon would not survive the onslaught. Better suited for a dumb bee, too smooth samurai, flirty detective, or a smart ass alchemist.

Durin was grateful for the break, pulling in gulps of air before starting to giggle once again when he saw the two readying themselves.

“Wahahait! Plehehease! Pleasepleaseplehehahasehehe!! I'll do anythihing!” Durin pleaded, a glint of nervous excitement in his eyes.

“Anything, you say?” Scara hummed, armed with two feathers, one in each hand, hovering them over Durin’s wing.

“Ahahanythihing! Eep!”

Durin let out a squeak when he felt a feather brush on his other wing, looking at Albedo with wide eyes.

“Oops, sorry,” Albedo apologized, the apology not reaching his face as he smirked.

“Hmm,” Scara pondered aloud, bringing Durin’s attention back to him. “Say you’re the most ticklish person in the world.”

Durin bit his lip. There’s no way he can say that! That’s too flustering! He looked between Scara and Albedo before sighing in defeat.

“You’re the most ticklish person in the world. There, I said it,” he finally spoke with an innocent face.

The shock on Scara’s face was priceless that Durin had to break into a sly grin, and Albedo started laughing.

“Don’t laugh, Albedo!” Scara cried out, being pulled out of his stupor.

“Sorry! Sohorry!”

Scara rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Durin and, without even giving him the chance to react, started swiping the feathers across his sensitive wing, which he was pinning down.

The reaction was instant as Durin was beside himself in laughter, kicking his legs out and arching his back before falling back down.

“HAHAHAHA! WAHAHAIT! GAHAHAHA!”

“You were really asking to be tickled, huh, bratty dragon?”

“N-NOHO— !!! ALBEDOHOHO! NAHAHAHA! THIHIHIS IHIHISN’T FAHAHAIR!”

Despite his protests, both Albedo and Scara can see that Durin was enjoying himself with the wide smile on his face and bubbly laughter flowing out of his lips, while his tail whipped back and forth between his legs.

“I knew you were ticklish, but not this ticklish,” Albedo said in awe, as he swept the feather over the edges of his wing, making the dragon let out a squeak.

“DOHOHOHON’T DOHOHO THAHAHAT! IHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLES SOHOHOHO MUHUHUAHAHACH!”

“It does, huh~?” Scara asked with an evil grin. “How about here?”

He reached for a spot on Durin’s wing where he knew was extremely ticklish, thanks to the photo Albedo sent him of Klee drawing on his wing, and suffice to say, it was very effective.

“BWAHAHAHA! L-LEHEHEAVE THAHAT— AHAHA! AHAHARCHOHOHONS! SCAHAHAHARA!”

Durin couldn’t think straight anymore, much less complete his sentence. He just knew it tickled so, so bad! It was only feathers, too! Why does it tickle so much!?

“Now imagine if Albedo did the same thing on your other wing?~” Scara teased, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He darted his eyes towards Albedo, seeing how he was slowly lowering the feathers in his hands towards his wing, and that was the final straw before Durin finally gave in.

“OKAY! OKAHAHAY! NOHOHO MOHOHOHORE! PLEHEHEHASE!”

Hearing those words, Albedo and Scara immediately stopped and let him go. He instantly curled up, giggling as he hid himself with his wings.

The two of them slowly approached him before hugging him, staying like that for a while, before the door to the room suddenly swung open, and Sethos stepped in.

“What’s going on he—? Oh! Is this a cuddle pile?! Let me join!”

Sethos jumped onto the three of them, making them let out an ‘oof!’ as they fell over. Scara immediately started whacking at Sethos and scolding him while Sethos repeatedly let out ‘I’m sorry!’ trying to protect himself with a nearby pillow. Durin laughed at the scene they were in, and Albedo looked at Sethos and Scara fondly, chuckling under his breath.

“You are an idiot, Sethos! What if we got hurt?!”

“I’m sawry…”

“Don’t. Don’t give me those puppy eyes.”

“You’ll forgwave me? Wight, Scawa?”

Scara’s face was heating up quick and he jolted when Albedo nudged him with a smirk.

“So?”

“Ugh, you all are insufferable! I forgive you, now stop with those puppy eyes!!”

“Yay!”

“You are such a child.”

“Hmm,” Durin hummed to himself, having finally recovered after his two tickle sessions and catching Albedo’s attention.

“What is it, Durin?”

“I was just thinking,” Durin looked towards Scara, who finally left Sethos in peace. “You seem to be quite a tsundere, Scara.”

Scara sputtered as the other two shielded their laughter behind their hands.

“I’m not a tsundere! And where the hell did you learn that word?! Albedo?!”

“Why are you blaming me!? I didn’t teach him that!”

“Sethos!?”

“Not me, honest!”

Scara pinched the bridge of his nose before tackling Durin.

“Ah!”

“Durin, you have five seconds.”

“I’m not telling!”

“Fivefourthreetwo—”

“You can’t count that fa—*one—*hahAHaST! AHahAhAHA!”

“Now tell me where you learned that word or else.”

“NehEHEverrr!!”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you~”

“Wait! Not the— N-NonononoHOHoho!”

As Durin was tickled once again, Albedo and Sethos looked on in amusement.

“I bet 10 mora that Durin will not give in,” Sethos said after a moment. “What do you say, Albedo?”

“You bet?”

“Yeah. The shenanigans Cyno, Tighnari, Kaveh, Alhaitham, and I get into during Genius Invokation TCG can lead to some…interesting bets.”

“I see. I accept your bet then. 10 million mora says he folds.”

“HUH?! cough I-I see someone’s confident.”

“It’s cause I’m a winning man. See?”

He gestured to Scara and Durin, the latter beside himself in squeals, giggles, and snorts as Scara gently tickled his horns.

“Ready to give in, little dragon?~ I know this is your weakest spot~”

“L-Let’s call off the bet and join in instead?” Sethos asked hopefully because he definitely does not have 10 million mora.

“Sure,” Albedo chuckled, making Sethos sigh in relief.

“Ah, look. Seems like we have two more people who want to join in on the fun~” Scara snickered.

“S-Stahahay bahahack!” Durin giggled at the two new lers.

Sethos feigned hurt as he grabbed a hold of both Durin’s palms while Albedo sat near one of Durin’s wings.

“Rin-Rin, that hurts!” Sethos pouted. “I want to hear more of your giggles!”

“He did curse earlier,” Scara recalled, tracing the ridges of Durin’s horns and making the dragon yelp. “He should be tickled for that, don’t you think, Sethos?”

“Our little dragon cursed?!” Sethos widened his eyes in shock.

“It’s true, I did witness it,” Albedo chimed in.

“Durin, you’re so going to get it!”

Sethos started blowing raspberries on his palms, and Albedo joined in on scribbling his fingers over his wings, and with the added tickles on his horns by Scara, the rush of sensations immediately hit him, igniting the loudest laughter yet from the dragon.

“EHEHAYHAHAHAHA! snort AHAHAHAHA! snort snort I’M SAHAHAHWRYYY! PFFT! PLEHEHEASE! IHIHIHI snort DIHIHIDN’T MEHEHEAN TOHOHOO! snort”

Hiccupy laughter and snorts filled the ears of his ticklers, and they felt their hearts melt at how adorable he was as they slowed down before stopping altogether and hugging Durin tight.

“Never change, Durin.”

“You’re so adorable, little dragon~”

“Sigh, bratty dragon.”

A moment of peaceful silence settled over them before Scara spoke again.

“You still didn’t say where you learned the word tsundere.”

All of them could hear the pout in Scara’s voice, making them all chuckle, and Scara’s face burned a bright red.

“Oh, Hat Guy~” Durin teased, wiggling his wing against his side. “It was Kazuha. He lent me some BL to read because I was curious about love, and I found out about that word.”

“…That Kazuha!! I’ll kill him!”

“Now, now,” Sethos interrupted. “Calm down, everyone knows you’re a tsun—hahaha!”

“I’ll kill you first, Sethos!”

Laughter filled the room once again, and Durin leaned into Albedo’s hand, who was ruffling his hair.

“Albedo?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m happy to have been born,” Durin spoke softly. “Thank you for making it possible. I’m happy I have a family that loves me.”

Before Albedo or even Scara and Sethos, who stopped after hearing what Durin said, could say anything, light snores and purrs emitted from the now sleeping dragon.

“I’m glad you are here,” both Albedo and Scara said in unison to his sleeping form with small tears in their eyes before snuggling close to him and then pulling Sethos towards them, who was unsure if he should say something and leave.

“You’re part of this family. Stay.”

It was a particularly peaceful night on Watatsumi island, the air cool and crisp. The moon beamed down from shore to shore, giving the place a tranquil atmosphere. Now there, in the general's quarters, was Gorou himself, and Kunikuzushi, or Wanderer. The two men had grown close together over time, especially with the Wanderer's more frequent visits to Inazuma to see his favorite little shiba.

Inside the abode, Wanderer, or as Gorou liked to call him—Kuni—was sat up, back against the wall and sitting on a futon as the doggy general was splayed out across his lap, happily basking in the affection he was being given. His tail thumped softly against his blanket with each gentle rub to his plush ears, eyes closed blissfully.

"Gorou, are you falling asleep on me now?" Wanderer murmured, feigning irritation as Gorou opened one eye to look at the vessel, almost cheekily, before replying. Despite the slight hint of shyness in his tone, he still managed to make an at least somewhat witty reply. "W-with the way you're rubbing my ears.. I may as well be."

Wanderer clicked his tongue, trying to hide the faint smile that graced his lips. "Oho, really? Don't you close your eyes, pup." He chided playfully, his free hand moving from the futon to gently prod Gorou's ribs, to which the general squeaked and glared halfheartedly, ears twitching.

"Gorou~" The puppet cooed, moving his hands down from Gorou's ears to his ribs, beginning to gingerly poke and scribble at the exposed skin. The general yelped at the sudden tickling, then melted into soft, hiccupy laughter. His tail began wagging, the appendage exposing his love of the treatment every time.

"BwahAha! K-Kuhuhuni—ehe! " Giggled the general, his cheeks flushing an adorable shade of pink. "Oh noo~ Gorou, are you ticklish?" Wanderer cooed, gently poking between each rib one moment, then scribbling his nails towards Gorou's armpits the next, to which the shiba snorted.

Once Wanderer had decided Gorou's ribs had enough attention, he shot his fingers towards his tummy without warning. Gorou immediately squealed, his tail whipping madly against the sheets in delight as he felt those soft fingers scratching and wiggling all over his belly. "NAhahAH! Ghk—bwehehEe! Eheep, haha, Kuhuniiii!"

Gorou whined between his laughs and squeaks, squirming beneath the 'assault' on his poor, ticklish tummy. The shiba kicked when Wanderer traced up his side, and snorted and bucked at the softest caress to his navel. His tail wagged wildly, his happiness evident in the pitch that sweet laughter Kunikuzushi loved to hear so much.

"Awee, is my little pup hap–" "YEHEHEHES!"

Gorou interrupted, his head tossed back as mirthful tears pricked the corners of his teal eyes. Wanderer looked pleasantly surprised at the eager confession, but gradually slowed his tickling to gentle rubbing, allowing Gorou to catch his breath.

As soon as the general's breathing wasn't so heavy, Wanderer leaned down to pepper kisses all over Gorou's face and cheeks, prompting more wagging from that fluffy tail. The two men eventually locked eyes, then leaned forward to press their lips together, holding the position for a good 10 seconds before pulling away, expressions fond and flustered.

"I l-love you." Gorou whispered after a few moments of silence, shifting his gaze as his features gained a bashful look. "I love you too, Gorou." Kunikuzushi murmured in reply. Lying back against the tatami mat on the floor, Wanderer gently stroked Gorou's soft, brown locks. He watched fondly as the general's eyes eventually fluttered shut, to which he leaned down to peck him on the forehead before shutting his own eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

Aether and Sethos had been running for their lives for the past ten minutes, though it felt like ten hours at this point. What seemed like harmless fun at the time, turned out to be a life-or-death situation, and both kept running through the streets of Sumeru.

“We could probably lose him if we head to Alhaitham’s place!” Aether called back to the bow wielder who was a couple of steps behind him. “I’m sure he would help us out!”

“That’s just up ahead, lets hurry while there is still some distance between us and the raging terror back there!”

With renewed determination, both sped up in the direction of Alhaitham’s home.

When they reached the scribe’s door, Aether began knocking upon it frantically, urgently calling out. “Anyone home? We need help, quick!”

Silence.

“Alhaitham?” Aether tried again. “Kaveh? Anyone!” he then tried his luck with the handle, seeing if it was unlocked. Rude, yes, but this was an emergency. Unfortunately, that option had failed them also as the door was locked and no answer was heard.

“Well, well.”

Aether and Sethos flinched, both slowly turning to see Wanderer looming just behind them, a wicked gleam in his eyes and a menacing smile playing across his lips.

“How unfortunate, it seems like no one’s home.”

“N-Now, Hat guy,” Sethos nervously waved his hands in front of him. “We can talk about this, right? There’s no need to do anything rash.”

“You see, that’s where we disagree,” Wanderer placed a hand on both of their shoulders. “Actions speak much louder than words, so why waste your breath? After all, you’re going to be needing it.”

Aether and Sethos gulped.

Before they could protest, Wanderer yanked them harshly towards him and kept them pinned against his body with his arms wrapped around their middles, after a bit of panicked squirming, Aether then felt fingers dig into his exposed sides and midriff.

“AH! No- Ahahaha!”

Sethos received the same treatment, though it seemed he was more reluctant to lose his composure in comparison to the blonde traveller, who dissolved into immediate giggles and laughter.

The only sound Sethos offered was muffled laughter behind his closed lips as he kept his mouth closed, his shaking body giving away just how much he wanted to laugh.

“That won’t do, little bee.” Wanderer said, his fingers travelling up to the electro user’s ribcage. “I won’t be satisfied until I hear you both begging for mercy.”

Sethos finally cracked when he felt those fingers vibrating against his sensitive ribcage.

“Nahaha! Nohohot thehere!”

“You two really had the audacity to think you could just get away with ganging up on me? Your idiocy reaches new levels with each passing day, it seems.”

“Ihihit wahahas Aheheether’s idehehea!” Sethos howled when his upper ribs were the next target.

“Whahat!” Aether choked. “Yohohu sahahaid- AHAHA NOHOHO!” Aether was interrupted when Wanderer’s fingers attacked his navel, undoubtedly his weakest spot judging by that reaction.

Wanderer did have to wonder why Aether chose to have such a weak spot on display, but he put it down to idiocy again. It worked well in his favor for now, at least.

“I CAHAHAN’T BREHEHEATHE!”

“Stahahap it!”

The tickling had gone on for a few minutes now and both had tears in their eyes from mirth, their hair becoming unruly through all the squirming and their legs were starting to give out on them from all the laughter, making it more difficult for Wanderer to keep them both up right against him.

“Apologise, now.” He demanded.

“Wehehe’re sorry!” both said in unison, sounding exhausted through their breathy laughter. Wanderer gave a ‘hmph’ and paused his tickling, both greedily gasping for air.

“Don’t you ever think of pulling a stunt like this again,” Hat guy rolled his eyes at their lack of response, still trying to regain their composure. “I won’t be so kind next time.”

“This was kind?” Sethos questioned, but as soon as those darkened eyes pierced into his own, he regretted it. “I, uh, I mean, t-thank you for your kindness, oh merciful one.”

“You’re welcome.”

Sethos looked at Aether, who remained quiet since the tickling had stopped and he winked at Sethos knowingly. Both mirroring the same smirk.

They would both be doing this again.

“What is all the commotion outside?” Kaveh questioned as he stepped out of his bedroom to the living area where Alhaitham was seated. “Didn’t you hear the door knock?”

“I did.” Alhaitham replied, not taking his eyes off the pages of his book.

“And you didn’t answer it, because?”

“I was busy.”

“I can see that.” Kaveh rolled his eyes before taking a seat beside him. “It could have been something important, you know?”