#tktober2023

One evening, the youngest Byers was presumably hiding away in his room.

Normally, the younger would be sitting at the kitchen table, doodling away without a care in the world, enjoying the presence of either Jonathan or Joyce.

Jonathan knew more than anyone that sometimes, people just needed some alone time. But this had been going on for days, and he was starting to worry.

Walking down the hall with the intention of returning to his own quarters, he eyed the open door to Will’s room. With a sigh, he started walking towards the entrance.

He poked his head in and knocked to make his presence known, spotting his little brother situated on his bed, sketching away in his sketchbook with a pensive expression.

“Hey, buddy. Whatcha drawing?” Asked the elder, casually plopping down across from Will.

The younger’s gaze flickered up to meet Jonathan’s before returning to his artwork. “Halloween stuff.” He responded blankly, keeping his head down.

This only fueled the older brother’s concern.

“Will, are you okay? You know you can talk to me about anything…” Speaking in a gentle manner, he placed a tender hand on Will’s shoulder, looking at him with utmost care.

Suddenly, Will threw Jonathan’s hand away and tossed his drawings to the floor, eyes full of frustration.

“Just stop, okay?! I’m not a baby and I don’t need everyone treating me like one!” The kid snapped, taking the older by surprise.

Will had never lashed out on him like this. If he wasn’t worried before, he definitely was now.

“What are you talking about? Will, I treat you like this because you’re my little brother and I care about you.” He tried to reason, seeing the defensiveness in Will’s eyes.

“Yeah, well I’m not fragile and I don’t need you to treat me like I am!”

Seeing that his efforts weren’t getting through, Jonathan decided to try something else.

If Will wanted to stop being treated like he was fragile, then Jonathan would do just that.

“You know what? Fine. You asked for it!”

Before the youngest Byers could ask any questions, his older brother pulled him into a bear hug, growling like a vicious monster.

“Gotcha! Prepare to be the tickle monster’s dinner!”

Jonathan’s nimble fingers began to dance and wriggle all over his brother’s torso, attacking each spot with skill and precision.

“Eek! Jonathahahahan! T-That tickles!” Will squealed, squirming and wriggling in the older’s grasp, though he was unable to evade the tickles.

Jonathan smiled at the sound of his brother’s genuine laughter, a sound that had become quite rare as of late. Of course, nobody could blame the kid for acting the way he had been. He’d been through hell and back and was still struggling to get back to normal, every shadow drowning him in fear and anxiety.

Will needed this, and Jonathan was more than happy to give it to him.

“That’s the idea, smarty-pants. Now let’s see if Will the Wise can handle… this!”

The photographer rolled over and pinned Will to the bed, forcing his arms above his head and holding them down before teasingly hovering his fingers over one of the exposed armpits.

The kid’s eyes widened and he started to thrash, tugging at his arms to no avail.

“Nooo, dohohon’t!!” He protested, eyeing the wiggling fingers that were getting too close for comfort.

With a devilish grin, Jonathan let his digits dig into the sensitive hollows, earning a high pitched shriek from his little brother.

“NOHOHOO! STOHOHOP!”

The reaction only added to the elder’s delight.

“Stop?! Oh, I’m just getting started!”

Will’s laughter continued to fill the room, bright and bubbly. It was a sound that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

Jonathan was relentless, ignoring Will’s pleas and turning him to a squealing mess. The boy’s cheeks were a rosy shade of red and tears were prickling at the corners of his eyes which were squeezed shut in mirth; it was a sight for sore eyes.

Jonathan retracted his hand and admired the kid’s flushed happy face, letting his little brother catch his breath for the next attack.

“You remember what I said about being the tickle monster’s dinner? Well, I think he’s ready to feast!”

The younger once again burst into giggles simply at the statement, unsure what his brother had in mind.

“Nohohooo, I don’t tahaste good!” Whined Will, squirming more intensely when Jonathan started to roll up his shirt, revealing the smooth expanse of his tummy.

Getting a firm hold on Will’s sides, the elder bent down and nuzzled the soft skin, earning a little snort in response.

“The tickle monster begs to differ…”

With no further delay, the older brother started to nibble the tender skin of his little brother’s belly, being careful not to bite too hard.

Will bucked his hips and tossed his head back with unrestrained boyish laughter, the nibbling and occasional grazing of his brother’s teeth against his skin was enough to drive him crazy, but he absolutely loved it.

Will had always loved being tickled, but it had become less occurrent since he returned from the upside down, everyone seemingly not wanting to break him. But now, Jonathan wasn’t holding back. He was completely relentless and Will couldn’t ask for it to be any other way.

“Nomnomnom~ mm, ticklish tummies… the tickle monster’s favorite!” Teased Jonathan, adding playful nomming noises, knowing it would intensify the sensation for Will.

“JONATHAHAHAN, I-ITS TOO TIHIHIHICKLISH!! I CAN’T TAKE IHIHIT!”

The photographer delighted in the kid’s happy laughter, continuing to nuzzle and nibble the ticklish skin.

Sensing his brother was genuinely reaching his limits, Jonathan decided to finish his attack with one of Will’s favorite things.

Pulling away, he looked into Will’s mirthful eyes, a mischievous smirk on his face.

“The tickle monster still had room for dessert, Will… guess what his favorite dessert is~”

Will giggled, squirming with excitement and anticipation.

“W-Whahahat?..”

Jonathan leaned in to whisper into the younger’s ear.

“Raspberries!”

The youngest Byers squealed with delight, bursting into a fit of laughter that could only be described as pure.

“EHEHEE, TOO MUCH TOO MUHUHUCH! S-STOP PLEHEHEASE, JONATHAN!” He kicked and squirmed, struggling to catch his breath.

After what felt like forever, Jonathan finally relented, releasing his little brother and helping him sit up and seating himself across from the kid, reassuming their earlier placements.

“How was that for not fragile?” He asked, giving a playful shove to Will’s shoulder.

Will continued to giggle and catch his breath.

“It was fuhuhun, but really ticklish…”

Jonathan let out a chuckle of his own, reaching a hand out to ruffle his brother’s hair.

Once the younger had calmed down, he abruptly flung his arms around his big brother, catching Jonathan off guard for the second time that day.

Without a second thought, he returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around the thin frame of his little brother.

“You’re the best brother ever… love you, Jonathan.”

Jonathan felt himself melt, his heart swelling with emotion.

“Love you too, buddy.”

It was a well known fact that Dean was a professional in the field of tickling, having had years to master the art and refine his skills. Sam, his little brother, and Castiel, their angelic friend, fell victim to Dean’s tickle attacks more often than not.

But this time, things were going to change!

At least for the day…

The angel and the younger hunter sat in the bunkers library, hunched over the table with focused expressions.

“Alright, here’s the plan…” Sam started,

“Dean is in the living room watching tv, so his guard will be down. As long as we’re coordinated and quick, he’ll never see it coming!”

Castiel nodded to show that he understood, just as eager for revenge as Sam.

“Right. He does tend to get quite engrossed in his odd doctor show.” He commented with furrowed brows, getting a chuckle from the youngest Winchester.

“Exactly. So I’m thinking we ambush from behind, you get his armpits and I’ll get his sides. And then, when we have him weak enough, I’ll go for his hips.” Sam spoke like an old war general, knowing better than anyone that they would have to execute this perfectly.

“I will warn you that in the past when I’ve gone for his hips, he always breaks free after a few seconds. But since there’s two of us, we should be fine as long as we hold on. I’ll give you a heads up before I attack, got it?”

The angel stood up, ready for battle.

“Loud and clear. Now let’s go exact our revenge.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh again, amused by the angel’s eagerness.

Together they stealthily entered the living area, spotting Dean sitting on the couch, engrossed in an old rerun of Doctor Sexy, just as Cas had predicted.

They crouched down, slowly approaching the older hunter, sharing a look of determination.

Sam looked at Cas, mouthing an “On three” before counting with his fingers.

As soon as Sam’s ring finger went up, the duo leaped over the couch and pinned their target, Castiel holding him from behind and Sam perching himself on his thighs.

“Wha- HEY!” Dean shouted, voice filled with surprise as he writhed to break free.

“Now, Cas!” With that signal, they had begun their attack. Sticking to the plan, Castiel dove his fingers under Dean’s arms while Sam dig into his sides, getting a bark of laughter from the older Winchester.

“GAH- WHAT THE HEHEHELL?!”

Sam broke into a bright smile, filled with a giddy sense of accomplishment.

“This is payback for tickling us so much!”

The angel couldn’t hold back his own amusement, warm laughter mingling with Dean’s.

“I believe this is what you call… sweet revenge.” He smirked, drilling his thumbs into the tender hollows, receiving loud, hearty laughter in response.

“CAHAHAS, YOU FEATHERED SON OF A-”

Sam and Castiel relished in their vengeance, taking in the sight of the suave Dean Winchester overtaken with hysterical laughter.

“I wouldn’t finish that remark, Dean. Don’t forget that we’re in control here.” The angel teased in a low, warning tone, taking pleasure in the growing blush on Dean’s face.

“Looking a little rosy there, Dean. This doesn’t tickle, does it?” Taunted the youngest of the three, skittering his fingers up to Dean’s ribs, knowing that was a tickle hot spot.

“SHUT UHUHUP! Y-YOU ARE SOHOHO GONNA GET IT!!”

Sam giggled a little in response. “You’re all talk, Dean. Aaall talk.”

The older hunter thrashed and kicked with all he had, but no matter how hard he tried, Sam and Castiel were far stronger when they worked together. That, and the overwhelming tingling sensations under his arms and on his ribs were driving him mad.

“KNOCK IT OHOHOFF!”

He shouted through his laughter, glueing his arms to his sides, only succeeding in trapping Castiel’s hands, though the fingers kept wriggling. This only seemed to make the sensation even more unbearable, but he just couldn’t raise his arms. His body wouldn’t let him.

“It is very difficult for me to 'knock it off' when you’re imprisoning my hands.” Castiel spoke in a blunt manner, wiggling his fingers harder for emphasis.

Dean let out a snort, throwing his head back in hysterics.

The incessant tickling was draining his energy and he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker as time went on.

Noticing the significant lack of force, Sam decided that now was the time.

He looked at the angel as if saying “get ready”. The angel nodded and ceased his tickling in favor of tightening his hold on Dean, recalling Sam’s earlier comments.

The youngest Winchester hovered his fingers above Dean’s hips, flexing his fingers playfully with a mischievous grin.

“Prepare yourself, big brother… this might tickle~” Sam taunted, eyes glittering with mischief.

“S-Sam, I swehehear… don’t you dAHAHAHARE- SON OF A BIHIHIHITCH!!” Dean howled with laughter, boisterous cackles filling the room as he bucked and jerked with renewed force, just as Sam said.

Sam drilled his thumbs into the divots of his older brother’s hips, digging into the hypersensitive bones, sending ticklish electricity coursing through Dean’s nerves.

Dean’s face was bright red by now, eyes watering with mirth.

Dean’s laughter wasn’t the only sound that filled the room; Sam and Cas joined in, one bright and boyish, the other warm and deep. Together, they performed a symphony of joy and silliness.

Seeing that Dean was struggling to breathe, the duo backed off, satisfied with their revenge.

Sam hopped over to sit beside Cas, putting some distance between him and his brother on the off chance that Dean decided he wanted revenge at this very moment.

Sam and Cas watched triumphantly as Dean tried to catch his breath.

Dean leaned against the arm of the couch, looking at his brother and angel.

“Hah.. I have to give you guys credit…” Dean panted.

“You got me prehehetty good…” He commended, crossing his arms and looking at the two with an impressed expression.

“Couldn’t have done it alone.” Sam gave the angel a nudge, grinning proudly.

“Well, as the saying goes… teamwork makes the dream work.”

Sam and Dean both laughed, the cheesy saying paired with Castiel’s monotone voice far too amusing.

Dean, having caught his breath, sat up, a certain spark in his eye.

“Well, I hope you two had fun… because when I’m done with you, you won’t be able to think straight for days~”

He wiggled his fingers tauntingly, noticing the way their eyes widened, Sam in particular looking rather nervous.

At first, Dean didn’t care all that much since Sam was always pretty sassy… but when his little brother made the comment that he did, all hell broke loose.

“Dean, you really need to start listening to good music; this crap is seriously outdated.” Said the younger Winchester, looking up from his laptop and shooting his older brother a smug look.

Dean looked at the younger with a look of disbelief.

“Outdated?! Sam, the classics never expire!” He defended, pointing a finger at his little brother, who only rolled his eyes as he prepared his next snarky comment.

“Well it’s certainly been replaced by newer and better songs.”

Dean switched off the radio and closed his magazine dramatically, giving Sam his full attention.

He knew exactly what Sam wanted.

If Sam wanted to play, they were gonna play.

“Ten, nine, eight,” He began counting down, noting the confusion in Sam’s face.

“What are you- oh no. no, no, no, no, no-” Realization settled in for Sam and he knew exactly what Dean was planning.

Without waiting another moment, he leapt up from his seat and bolted towards the halls, searching for a place to hide.

His heart raced as his brother continued to count down.

“Five, four,”

Shit, shit, shit, he was almost out of time.

Thinking fast, he slipped into the closest room, which happened to be Dean’s.

He carefully closed the door and knelt by the desk, hoping it would suffice.

“Two, one. Prepare for the tickle monster, little brother!” Dean called out, a smirk on his face.

He crept through the bunkers halls like a lion stalking its prey.

Sam tried his best to keep quiet, but the anticipation was making it very difficult.

“You’re only delaying the inevitable, Sammy… and the inevitable involves lots and lots of laughter~” taunted the elder, pausing in between his teases to listen for any giggles.

Meanwhile, Sam could feel those giggles bubbling up, as well as Dean’s fingers skittering all over his tickle spots… his brother was just too damn good at building the anticipation!

“I mean, just imagine it Sammy… my fingers scribbling and scratching all over that ticklish skin of yours. I can practically hear your laughter!”

Sam could hear Dean’s footsteps getting closer and closer and he just couldn’t hold it in anymore; a giggle slipped from his lips and he instantly became aware of how screwed he was; when the footsteps stopped is when it REALLY kicked in how screwed he was.

“Oh, Sammy~ I know you’re in there…” Dean teased, opening the door to his room.

Sam shot up and tried to maneuver around his older brother, but to no use.

Dean caught him around the waist and pushed him on the bed, instantly wriggling his fingers up and down Sam’s sides.

“DEHEHEAN, NOO- I’M SOHOHORRY!” The taller hunter squealed, squirming under the electric sensations caused by his skilled older brother.

The elder grinned, taking in the clear joy on his little brother’s face. He knew his brother more than anyone and he could tell that Sam was enjoying every second of this.

“Too late! You’ve unleashed the tickle monster with all your sass, and he’s hungry!” He skittered nimble fingers up to the ribs, lightening the touch to add more suspense.

“You know, the tickle monster is inquiring about your ribs… wants to make sure you have them all before he… digs in!”

He let his claw shaped hands vibrate against the bones, earning a shrill shriek from Sam, his loud happy laughter filling the room.

“DEHEHEE, NOO! DON’T YOU D-DAHAHARE!!” He flushed bright red, looking at his brother with sparkling eyes filled with excitement, getting a low chuckle from said brother.

“Sorry, Sam… the tickle monster likes to make sure his meal has all the ingredients he requires. I’m sure you won’t mind if I just count your ribs and make sure they’re all there~”

Without waiting for a response, he started counting, massaging the sensitive bone.

“One… two… three- hey! You made me lose count with all that giggling! Now I have to start over…” Taunted Dean, huffing with feigned irritation, relishing the way Sam’s eyes widened with terror.

“NOO!! I HAVE TWENTY FOHOHOUR!! ALL HUMANS DOHOHO!!” Sam guffawed, though he couldn’t science his way out of this situation; not that he really wanted to…

“I’ve just gotta be sure, Sam! What if you lost one?! The tickle monster needs his meal in one piece!” Dean exclaimed, grinning wickedly.

“Now, let’s try this again… one, two, three, fourrr…” He scratched his index finger into the fourth rib, sending shocks of tickles through Sam’s nervous system.

“NAHAHAH- DEHEHEAN!!! I WONT BE SAHAHA- SASSY ANYMOHOHORE!!” Pleaded the younger Winchester, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Dean felt his heart melt at the sight of his little brother so happy.

He’ll wrap it up soon, but first, he wanted to do one last thing.

“You know what, Sam? The tickle monster is on a schedule today, so lucky for you, he’ll take what he can get and he’ll just eat it now!”

With that explanation, he rolled Sam’s shirt up to reveal his bare skin and without any hesitation, leaned down and blew a loud raspberry against the ticklish ribs, eliciting a snort and a squeal.

“EEK- DEHEHEE!! NOT THAHAHAT!!”

His thrashing had doubled, twisting side to side in desperation as his brother blew raspberry after raspberry on his ticklish skin.

His cheeks were rosy and sore from smiling, but he felt so undeniably happy.

When Sam’s laughter went silent, Dean pulled away and let out a laugh of his own, rolling off of Sam and letting him calm down.

“Mahahan… I always forget how ticklish you are, Sam.” He laughed, affectionately ruffling his brother’s hair.

Sam smiled up at his big brother, a smile of contentment.

“How did you knohohow? That that’s what I wanted?..” he asked shyly, averting his gaze.

Dean only smiled.

“Big brothers know everything about their little brothers…”

As soon as he learned about Sam’s sensitivity, he quickly found all of his tickle spots.

Or so he thought…

On one lazy evening, the couple was huddled together on the bunkers sofa, enjoying some alone time on a day off.

Gabriel leaned in close and gave his boyfriend a peck on the cheek, delighting in the warmth of his presence.

“I told you a rest day was a good idea.” Said the archangel, grabbing the taller man’s hand and giving it a kiss.

Sam giggled and leaned into the touch, melting at the sensation of warm lips on his soft skin.

“Alright, I’ll admit it… for once, you had a good idea.” He teased lightly, earning a theatrical gasp from Gabriel.

“All of my ideas are good ones and I am offended that you seem to think otherwise!”

Sam giggled again, amused by his lover’s theatrics.

To Gabriel, the sound was like a drug, addictive, always leaving him wanting more. It was a sound so sweet, it could give honey a run for it’s money.

Gabriel did always have a sweet tooth.

Overfilled with affection, the archangel brought Sam’s wrist to his lips and started littering the skin with quick, playful kisses, traveling upwards to the delicate skin of his inner elbow.

The sensation sent sparks through Sam’s arm, drawing out a surprised gasp, followed by a storm of titters.

“Gahahabe! T-That tickles!” The hunter lightly tugged at his arm, his stomach filling with butterflies.

Gabriel froze and looked up at his boyfriend’s smiling face, utterly delighted by the reaction.

“Oh? A new tickle spot, you say?” He kept a firm grip on Sam’s wrist and used his other to spider his fingers from the wrist to the crook of the elbow, prompting the muscles to twitch and shake.

Sam let his head fall back against the couch, letting out sounds that could only be described as angelic.

“Just when I thought I had found all your tickle spots~”

Sam’s laughter reached a new pitch when Gabriel started nuzzling the soft skin. He never knew such a light touch could be so ticklish, but as his boyfriend continued to nuzzle, the slight stubble brushing against the inside of his elbow, he couldn’t deny the overwhelming happiness that the sensation brought.

“Aww, does this tickle? Who knew you could be sooo sensitive in such a strange spot~” Cooed Gabriel, switching back to peppering chaste kisses all over his lover’s arm.

Sam couldn’t help but blush, the teasing getting under his ticklish skin and chasing his blood to the surface.

“You’re s-so embahaharrassing!”

Gabriel’s eyes had that flare to them, signaling that he was up to something.

“You think that tickles? How about this!”

Quick as a hare, he sucked in a breath and blew a sharp raspberry right on the sensitive skin, prompting Sam to jerk his arm and squeal.

“GABE, NOHOHOO!” Sam protested through peals of laughter, the blissful smile on his face betraying how he truly felt.

Gabriel could never put into words how he felt about the hunter before him. In his entire celestial life, he had never loved anything as much as he loved Sam.

Deciding he’d tortured his lover enough, the archangel released his arm and pulled away, eyes filled with love for the blushing mess in front of him.

He leaned in and pulled Sam into a warm, gentle kiss, relishing in the way Sam’s giggles felt against his lips.

When they parted, be it reluctantly, they looked at each other with all the love in the universe, content smiles adorning their faces.

“I love you… even when you embarrass the life out of me.”

Gabriel grinned and gave the hunter one last kiss on the nose, admiring the soft chuckle that escaped Sam’s lips.

“Love you too, my big brave hunter.”

They spent the rest of their night cuddling, letting themselves bask in the serenity of the moment.

Today, the two lovebirds sat in Will’s bedroom, Mike flipping through an old comic book while Will sat at his desk, engrossed in his current artistic project. Though they were both doing separate activities, they were together and that’s all that they needed.

After awhile of sitting in comfortable silence, Mike started to feel bored, looking over at his boyfriend who was lost in his own world of creativity.

Getting an idea, he closed his comic book and carefully set it aside, hopping up from the bed and slowly making his way towards the unsuspecting artist.

When he reached his destination, he waited for Will to put down his pencil, not wanting to risk ruining the project by causing him to slip.

When the brunette set his pencil aside in favor of reaching for a marker, Mike put his plan into motion.

Before the boy could grab his marker, his boyfriend spun the chair around to face him, eliciting a sharp gasp from the Byers.

“Mike, you scared me- hey! Mihihike!” Any words that he tried to get out were cut off by the feeling of soft lips against his neck, peppering the skin with loving - and ticklish - kisses.

“What? I’m just showing you how much I love you.” Said the taller boy, smiling against the skin.

This comment caused Will’s cheeks to take on a rosy tint, and he was kind of glad that Mike couldn’t see it from his position.

“I-I love you tohohohohoo, but that tickles!” He giggled, hands resting on his boyfriend’s shoulders, head tipped back to welcome the affection, despite his protests.

Mike had known that Will was tickling LONG before they started dating.

He’d always tickle his - at the time - friend when he needed a pick me up or when he just seemed like he could use a good laugh, and the shorter boy never seemed to mind; he’d squirm around but would never make any attempts to escape and sometimes, albeit rarely, he’d get the courage to ask for the playful attention.

It was one of those things that made him love Will even more.

“Mike, plehehehease!”

The brunette squirmed in his seat, halfheartedly trying to dislodge his lover from his sensitive neck, which was starting to turn pink as well.

Mike started to laugh as well, the sound vibrating against Will’s skin and making it tickle more.

“I can’t help it, you’re too adorable!” He teased, continuing his barrage of ticklish kisses.

Will, though starting to reach his limit, couldn’t help the euphoria that had overcome him.

The reality of someone he loved for so long loving him back was just setting in and he couldn’t be happier, and he let himself continue to laugh and melt away into the silly moment.

“Am nohohohot! Eek- plehehease!”

The taller boy was about to relent, but then he realized there was one more thing left to do.

“Okay okay, one more thing and then I’m done…” He assured, letting Will catch his breath for a moment.

The brunette’s eyes flickered with curiosity and a trace of excitement.

“And what would thAHAHA- MIHIHIKE NO!” He squealed, childlike laughter following suit as Mike blew a sharp raspberries in the crook of his neck, sending ticklish shocks through his whole body.

“M-MIKE, CAN’T BREHEHEHEATHE!!”

At those words, the Wheeler immediately pulled away, not wanting to overwhelm his boyfriend.

He watched the artist recuperate from the tickly attack, eyes filled with love and affection.

Not missing a beat, he leaned in to connect their lips, locking them both in a soft, tender kiss.

When they pulled away, they shared a look of mutual infatuation.

“I love you, even when you torture me with tickles…” Will smiled, bashfully averting his gaze.

Mike laughed and pulled the shorter boy up from his chair, guiding them both to the bed.

“If you really love me, you’ll take a break from the paper and engage in some cuddle time~” He grinned cheekily, earning a chuckle from Will.

“Deal… but no more tickles!”

With a heart full of love, Mike smirked.

Ready to make her next move, she reached across the board to grab her game piece, accidentally brushing against Will’s wrist in the process.

Her head perked up when she heard a giggle, the youngest Byers jolting and quickly pulling his hand back.

Now, Eleven wasn’t a stranger to tickling. She had gotten into tickle fights many of times, mostly with Mike. She always had a feeling Will was ticklish, but now she was certain.

Suddenly disinterested in the game, she focused all her attention on her brother, eyes glittered with curiosity.

“Will, are you ticklish?”

Will’s cheeks turned a shade redder and his eyes widened, taken aback by the playful question.

“No, I’m not! You just scared me, that’s all…” he said hastily, avoiding eye contact.

Jonathan looked up from the game, raising an eyebrow.

“Since when are you not ticklish?”

Will’s eyes darted towards his older brother, heart racing with suspense.

“Since… forever?”

He tried to sound casual, though his voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.

Jonathan smirked, sensing the opportunity for some fun.

“Oh really? Because I remember when I used to chase you around the house and tickle you until you couldn’t breathe.”

Eleven’s eyes lit up with mischief. “Friends don’t lie, Will.”

Will groaned, burying his face in a cushion. “Oh no.”

Seeing the gleam in El’s eyes, Jonathan grinned.

“You know, El, I think Will could use a little reminder of the rules around here.”

Eleven nodded, trying to hold back her giggles.

Suddenly, the two pounced, fingers wiggling wherever they could reach.

“Ah! No, w-wahahait!” Will yelped, trying to wriggle away. But it was two against one, and he didn’t stand a chance.

Jonathan managed to pin one of Will’s arms down while Eleven attacked his sides, making him burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“G-Guys, I cahahahan’t!” he squealed, kicking his legs out and futility tugging at his arm.

“Admit it,” The girl said, trying to speak through her own laughter. “You’re ticklish!”

Will’s face was bright red, eyes sparkling with mirth as he squirmed hopelessly under his siblings, embarrassed but enjoying the bonding moment nonetheless.

Jonathan’s heart also warmed at the sight, taking in the pure innocence and silliness that the three of them were engaged in. Life had been dark and scary the past few years and it was nice to take part in something ridiculous for a change.

Besides, it had been too long since he’d tickled his little brother, and if he could lend El some useful tickling tips, that was even better.

Getting that very idea, he gave a devious smirk and glanced at their adopted sister.

“Hey, El, try his stomach.”

Will’s giggling increased at the anticipation, his slightly watery eyes widening with dreadful excitement.

“Nonononono, don’t l-listen to hihihim!”

The brown haired girl pretended to ponder, though she had no intention on giving mercy.

“Jonathan, didn’t lie to me, Will.” Raising her hands, she wiggled them just above Will’s tummy, a trick she’d learned from Mike.

The youngest Byers grew more frantic in his squirming, eyes locked onto the wiggling digits.

“EEK- I’m sorry, I’m sohOHORRY!!” He threw his head back with a shriek when El’s surprisingly vigorous fingers made contact with his stomach, wriggling and scratching the soft skin.

Jonathan laughed at his brother’s reaction, all too familiar with which spot got which response.

“Ah, the classic Will Byers shriek… never gets old.” He teased, watching the younger boy’s face turn even redder from embarrassment.

After awhile, the two finally relented and let their brother go.

“Have fun, Will?” Jonathan asked with a smirk, arms crossed as he watched the boy catch his breath.

Will laid there panting dramatically, cheeks still flushed from the laughter.

“No... You guys are mehehean..”

Eleven narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by the statement. “Friends don’t lie, Will…” she glared playfully, raising her hands to threateningly wiggle her fingers once again.

Will giggled more and squirmed away, wrapping his arms defensively around himself.

“Eep- Okay, Okahahay, it was r-really fuhuhun!”

The girl lowered her hands triumphantly and smiled, clearly pleased with herself.

Ponyboy, his best friend, wanted nothing more than to see that heart-melting Johnny Cade smile, and he knew just how to get it.

The pair were lounging on the Curtis's living room couch, Pony secretly plotting his ambush.

“You’ve been lookin' real down, Johnny. Something on your mind?” He lightly probed, trying to set up the perfect moment to put his plan in motion.

Johnny seemed to snap back to reality just then, blinking and momentarily processing the question.

Finally, he answered mellowly. “Nothin' in particular… just the usual stuff, ya know?”

The youngest Curtis boy nodded in response, briefly forgetting his plan in favor of providing support.

However, this was the perfect moment.

Trying to bite back a grin, Ponyboy sat up and turned towards his friend, unable to hide the mischievous sparkle in his eye.

“Ya know, they do say laughter is the best medicine…”

When Pony began wiggling his fingers in the air, Johnny had gotten the message.

“Ponyboy, don’t you d-dare!”

Taking that as his queue, the blonde pounced on his friend, fingers digging into his sides.

“EEK- Pohohony, q-quit ihihit!” He squeaked and giggled, trying to squirm away from the tickling fingers, though they only seemed to follow wherever he went, only amplifying his sense of desperation.

“Why? You aren’t ticklish, are you?”

The teasing only seemed to get under the older boys skin, which was starting to turn a soft pink.

“Y-You know I ahahaham!”

By this point, Ponyboy couldn’t help giggling along, finding the slightly shy laughter quite infectious.

“You sure do have a nice laugh, Johnny. Maybe we could get it louder?..” He then moved his fingers upwards towards the scrawny ribcage, and that did it.

A high pitched squeal filled the air.

Ponyboy stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

Johnny had slapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes just as wide as Pony’s, seemingly unaware he could make such a sound.

“Did you just squeal?!” The younger boy laughed, pleasantly surprised by the reaction.

Johnny on the other hand looked terribly flustered, his tan skin turning as red as a rose.

“That’s soho embahaharrassing…” He whined, burying his flushed face in his hands, his voice tinged with slight insecurity.

The youngest Curtis laughed and poised his hands above the newly found soft spot, eyes glittering with glee.

“Aw, don’t be shy, Johnny! It was a cute squeal!” He assured, resuming his skittering to see if he could evoke the same reaction.

Low and behold, Johnny let out yet another squeal, this one louder than the last.

“PONY, PLEHEHEHEASE!!” Johnny kicked his legs and squirmed with reckless abandon, trying to bat at the hands that were mercilessly attacking his worst spot.

The younger pretended to ponder, not pausing his motions.

“Hmm.. I don’t know, Johnny… Do you think you’ve laughed all the sadness away?”

All the response he got was a frantic nod of the head. Johnny’s face was flushed and tears of mirth were running down his face.

On one hand, Pony wanted to hear more of the happy laughter, but on the other, he didn’t wanna kill his best friend.

Finally pulling his hands away, the Curtis boy sat next to his friend who was curled up letting out leftover giggles.

“Thahanks, Pony. I-I needed thahat..” Johnny confessed, looking at the blonde with eyes full of gratitude.

Ponyboy smiled proudly, crossing his arms in triumph.

“Don’t mention it.”

Though Sam was ticklish everywhere, there was one spot in particular that REALLY got him laughing.

“Dean, wait- nonono, not thehehere!” Sam giggled with anticipation when he saw Dean’s hands hovering just above his tummy, fingers wiggling menacingly.

“Not where, Sammy? You mean here?” He inched his hands closer, chuckling when Sam yelped and sucked his stomach in as if it would really help him get away.

“Aw, trying to escape? Nice try, Sammy, but you know you can’t get away from me~”

Dean leaned in close to the soft skin and growled playfully.

“I’m gonna get your tummy, Sammy~”

Sam yelped, feelings the breath against his skin, the anticipation making him blush.

“Ehehee- Dean, plehehehease!” He giggled nervously, his tummy quivering with anticipation.

“Please what? Please tickle this adorable tummy of yours?” Dean leaned back with a smirk.

“With pleasure!”

With that, Dean’s skilled fingers dug into the soft flesh of Sam’s tummy, eliciting a loud squeal from the younger Winchester.

“EHEEHEE!! DEHEHEAN, NOT THEHEHERE!” Sam’s eyes glistened with mirth.

“But why? You love having your tummy tickle tickle tickled!~”

And there was that damned word; the word that never failed to turn Sam into a blushing mess.

As usual, that dreaded T-word caused a bright pink blush to spread across Sam’s cheeks, his smile wide and dimply, eyes squeezed shut in mirth.

“NOO, DON’T SAHAHAY THAHAT!!” He whined.

This of course wouldn’t stop Dean.

“Say what? Tickle? But that’s my favorite word!”

Getting a wicked idea, Dean leaned down, his nose to Sam’s stomach.

“Tktktktktktktktk~” He growled against Sam’s tummy, squeezing his sides and nuzzling at the soft skin, earning a loud shriek.

“EEEK! DEHEHEE- T-THAT TICKLES!!”

Dean laughed against the skin, even that managing to tickle his little brother.

“That’s the whole point, Einstein.”

Sam’s bright boisterous laughter filled the room, creating an air of playfulness that only fueled Dean’s attack.

Acting upon instinct, Dean took in a breath and started blowing raspberries on Sam’s belly, getting an honest scream from his hypersensitive brother.

“NAHAHAHAH, DEHEHEAN, PLEASE-”

Sam was enthralled.

He loved when they got to have playful moments like this. The darkness that consumed their lives was often too much, but these moments were a reminder that no matter what they went through, they would always be there for each other.

“Aww, your wittle tummy can’t handle a few measly raspberries? How adorable~”

Dean’s teasing was at a level that could only be achieved by an older brother who’s spent his whole life mastering the art of tickling his younger brother.

Sam was a blushing squealing mess, the tickles and teases scrambling his brain.

“DEE- PLEASE- I CAHAHANT!!”

With a dramatic sigh, Dean released his younger brother, relishing in the happy glow radiating from his face.

“Alright, alright. I guess I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

Sam panted, smile glued to his face as he caught his breath.

Dean smiled and ruffled Sam’s hair.

“You good, little brother?”

Sam, still a catching his breath, looked at his big brother with pure happiness in his eyes.

“Yeheheah.. thanks, Dean… for making me laugh.”

Dean simply smiled back.