Kameo's Keep

Right, sorry. Dad doesn’t think there’s anything we can do, they’re allowed to come back, that’s what the treaty is all about, after all. ‘Peacefully coexisting’. The disgust was evident, even in his mental voice. Alright, that I caught, is this about your Dad, Seth?

I don’t think it’s possible to ‘coexist’ with a Leech. Paul's voice cut in, cutting off whatever defensive response Seth was about to shoot back. There’s a whole frigging continent for them to live in, why can’t they just live somewhere else?

Or even better, Embry Call chuckled, a brief image of ducking a low branch flashing through the pack mind, they can go live in Switzerland.

At least here I can keep an eye on them. Jake muttered shortly, slowing as he and Seth reached Sam Uley’s place.

Or an eye on Bella’s arse anyway. Paul snickered.

Shaking his head, Seth only caught the beginning of Embry’s quelling comment before he and Jake both phased, trotting into the house he was learning to call a second home. “Mmm, are those pumpkin scones that I smell?”

“If I find even one of those missing, Jacob Black, I will know exactly who to blame!” A female voice floated out of the kitchen, a wooden spoon waving at them around the archway to emphasise her unsaid threat.

Gaping in Emily’s direction, Jacob glared at a sniggering Seth before turning to his alpha and pointing wordlessly. “I – she – Sam!”

“Don’t look at me, she’s always right.” The taller shape-shifter shrugged from where he was lounging on the couch, eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Even when I’m wrong.” Emily nodded, placing a tray laden with just enough scones for one each on the coffee table. “And don’t you forget it. One. Each, Jacob Black, you will leave one for Embry and Paul or so help me.”  The dark haired girl laughed as she slipped back into the kitchen.

“What do the elders have to say?” Sam Uley asked, the question seeming to summon three other bodies from the yard.

“What we thought.” Seth almost laughed at the tone of utter disgust that always laced Jake's words when the Cullen's were brought up. “Unless she went unwillingly, they aren't violating the treaty. If she comes back turned, that’s a separate matter, but unless that happens…” Jake trailed off.

“If she comes back a Leech, can we prove it was one of them?” Jared’s quiet voice cut in thoughtfully. “I mean, how do we prove that?”

“We don’t have to.” Jake growled, crumbling his last piece of scone in his fingers.

“We do have to, or we could well have their whole race on our arses” Sam growled back, the subtle undertone in his voice causing Jake’s eyes to drop to his feet.

“These scones are really good” Quil Ataera moaned, “Leah if you aren’t going to eat yours-”

“Boys.” The only female of the pack rolled her eyes with a scowl, lobbing hers at Quil’s head. “I don’t see why we don’t just tell them to pack up and get out if they come back. They have a whole continent, if they want to stay in America”

“Paul will be thrilled” Seth snickered, “he said the same thing.”

_______

“I have nothing in common with that moron.” Leah was still yelling a half hour later, to the mutual amusement and annoyance of the rest of the pack. Seth sighed, jumping somewhat as Jake fell onto the couch beside him.

“So do you want to tell me what that was earlier?” He asked casually, eyes still flicking between the doors, as though he expected Bella to walk, or stumble, rather, Seth snickered mentally, through it at any moment.

“What?” Leaning back, Seth sounded casual, but Jake could tell from his posture that he’d hit a sore spot, if he’d been in Wolf form, his tail would have dropped to between his legs.

“I’m sorry, Seth.” He said quietly. “I should have thought, asked Sam to send Quil-”

“No.” Seth’s voice was oddly quiet as he spoke, “No, I have to learn to deal with it. Especially because Leah – and the pack – they need me to be as strong as they are”

“There is no ‘learning to deal with it’, Seth.” Jake put a hand on his knee quietly, speaking in undertones so he didn’t draw the attention of any of the others, “You just remember, and one day – one day it won’t hurt when you do. I don’t really remember my mother, I was only a kid, after all. But I do remember my sisters, and my Dad’s hurting. I don’t think I was old enough to understand what was happening. It will get better, promise.”

“Right, I know, it’s just-” Seth shrugged, blinking rapidly and looking away from him.

“Yeah. Just. You’ll get there – let’s catch some leeches in the meantime, right?” Jake squeezed his knee supportively, leaning back in amusement as the younger wolf squawked and lurched forwards in response.

“No – really?” Jake laughed, leaning towards him with a sadistic glint sparkling in his eyes.

“Really.” A female voice laughed, it took Jake a moment to recognise it as Leah, a happy Leah? “Ticklish as a three year old.” Their argument forgotten, the other members of the pack looked over curiously, Leah apparently having been paying partial attention to her younger brother.

“Leah!” Seth yelped, scrambling backwards and away from a rapidly advancing Jacob Black.

“This makes things much more interesting” Quil laughed, quirking a mischievous eyebrow at the fourteen year old who’d scrambled backwards into his legs, now blocking his way out.

“No, no, it doesn’t – I mean it, this isn’t-” Seth yelped, trying to scramble upwards and away from them as Jake swiftly pinned him to the ground, easily catching his flailing fist with the help of Quil, now crouched at his head. “Seriously, you guys need to let me g-gaha, J-Jahake-”

“Here, gimme those” Quil laughed, easily pinning the younger wolfs arms above his head. “You a little tickly, Sethie?” he taunted, adjusting his grip as Seth struggled to pull his arms down to protect where Jake was drumming his fingers along his stomach.

“I think he might be, want to smile for us, Seth?” Jake laughed, trailing his fingers along his sides, slipping them underneath his shirt to scratch rapidly at the sensitive skin.

“Nohoho, J-Jake I swehear to God-” Squirming underneath the two older boys, Seth bit his lip, arching his back and trying to lever them off, cursing them all mentally.

“Don’t tell me this is getting to you? Just smile Seth, and maybe I’ll stop” Jake teased, scampering rough fingers up his sides to dig at his ribs “Is this a bit better? Bothering you a bit less?” wriggling his fingers into the gaps between his ribs, he vibrated his fingers quickly, laughing as the fourteen year old arched his back, giggles pouring from his mouth.

“Nohononono, Jahahahahacohob, Quhiheeheheel lehet gohoho yohou bahahahastard” Seth babbled, his face flushing pink and his legs kicking out vainly behind them.

“What, does this bother you, Seth?” Jake twisted his wrist, dragging his blunt fingers up and down his friends ribs, pressing firmly enough to wriggle against each rib as he went by. “Just a little bit?”

“Yeheeeheheheehees Yehehehes it frihihigging bohohothers me” Squealing as the older boy  suddenly jammed his fingers under his arms, Seth pulled furiously at the hands holding him down, shaking his head in denial

“Mind your mouth Seth Clearwater, don’t make me come over there!” Leah laughed, ignoring the gaping Jared beside her

“Cohohome ohohohon, I’m smihihihiling, Nahahahahohohoono, Jahahake cut it ohohohout!” Seth was all but howling, sounding oddly like his Wolf counterpart as he strained against Quil’s grip on his wrists.

“I did say maybe.” Jake shrugged, switching from scrabbling his fingers in his armpits to digging his thumbs into the ticklish skin, slowly massaging them deeper into his underarms.

“BahahahaAAHAHAHASTARD, AHahahahaaa, stahahahahaaahahahap, Stuhuhupid muhuhuhutt” Squeezing his eyes closed, Seth swore mentally, bucking his hips, madly trying to throw the larger wolves off him. Trust me to go wolf when I’m angry, but not when I’m being tortured. “Nohoho Leeahahaa NAAAAAHAHAHA QUIHIHIHIT NOSTOPDON’T-"

Jake laughed, glancing behind him to see the usually foul-tempered girl perched on her brother’s shins, squeezing viciously at the tops of his knees. “Temper, temper. See, now I want an apology”

“Come on Seth, apologise, and I’ll make him stop.” Leah laughed, smiling for the first time since her life had blown apart.

“AlrIHIHIHIGHT ALRIHIHGHT, SORRYI’mSOHOHOOORRY, chrihhihihist, stahahahahaaap pleeheheeheease stahahap.” Seth babbled, shaking his head, tears slipping down his now flaming cheeks.

“Come on wolf-boy, let him breathe” Leah laughed, patting Jake’s shoulder, her eyes glistening with a thank you that he knew she’d never be able to speak. Nodding to her, Jake stood up off the still babbling shape-shifter with a laugh.

“Saved by your big sister,”

“You jerks” Seth breathed as he glared, embarrassed, at the chuckling wolves around him.

“Maybe. Wanna know a secret though? Jake is just as ticklish.” Quil laughed, glancing at his packmate slyly.

“No, we are not going there, don’t even start it. You’ll lose, Quil, you really don’t want to get into this with me-”

Jon Snow stretched upwards as he wandered slowly through the forest just south of the wall. Shaking himself tiredly he rubbed his face with his gloved hands, brushing irritably at the tendrils of dark brown hair brushing against his neck.

  “Ghost?” He called softly, peering into the dark trees around him. The direwolf always came back, but the young squire always felt safer with the wolf’s strong presence beside him, particularly after recent events.

  “You ought to know that ghosts don’t exist by now. Good thing too, I don’t think burning them would really work, you know, being incorporeal and all.” Teased a quiet voice, feet crunching over leaves as Jon laughed quietly to himself – of course they followed him out.

  “Sam, only you would use the word Incorporeal in a sentence.”

  “Just because you don’t know what it means monkey-face” The first voice snapped at the  second, lacking any malice, but sounding strained enough that Jon turned to face his friends.

  “Well look at it this way, if any ghosts come near us, all we have to do is point them at Grenn and they’ll go running. I don’t know why we didn’t do that with the White Walkers, really.” The second voice, belonging to a smaller black-cloaked ranger laughed, his small head and bigger ears poking out of his dark hood.

  “Children, please” Jon laughed as the bigger Nightswatch-man turned to Pyp with a small sound of complaint, the smaller boy waggling his large ears at him in response. “Don’t make me send you all to bed without supper.”

  “Which it is time for, Jon.” Samwell Tarly was nothing if not hungry. All the time, it was a running joke that Sam would have earned his nickname “Sam the Slayer” faster had one of the others come between him and dinner.

  “Alright, alright, I was hoping Ghost would be nearby.” Sighing again somewhat wistfully as he gazed south, Jon shoved Pyp’s shoulder from where the mummers boy was pulling faces and turned back towards the wall looming behind him.

  “Yes, we’d noticed. It’s like your good mood vanishes with that wolf” Sam observed quietly, eyeing him as the round boy rubbed his hands together.

  “He’s one of my last links to my family Sam, apart from anything else.” Sam nodded in understanding as the taller boy turned to trudge back to the castle black, blinking in astonishment as Pyp and Grenn, having been muttering quietly behind them, flew into the young squire, bringing them all to the snowy ground in a messy heap.

  “Oh for – the Others take you both, get off of me.” Jon tried to pull himself upwards, but all he accomplished was to move Pyp – now perched birdlike on his chest – backwards by a hair.

  “Grab his arms for us, Sam,” Pypar cried dramatically, “We’ve decided that a lesson in who your new family is, is in order for our good Lord Snow here.”

  “And family knows how to cheer each other up.” Grenn rumbled, smiling, even as he kept Jon pinned beneath his large bulk.

  “What are you going to do? You won’t hurt him-”

  “They’re going to let me up, or I’ll have them rostered to clean the wall tomorrow, instead of walking it” Jon said sharply, grunting as Pyp prodded at his forehead playfully.

  “Of course not – we’re just going to help him smile, and who knows – maybe his pup will come running whilst we’re here? Be a man Sam,” pausing, Pyp chuckled at his rhyme, before continuing, “Help a fellow out? Or you know – we’ll come for you next.”

  “Sorry, Jon, but you do need to cheer up a bit.” Shrugging, Sam leant his considerable bulk on his friend’s hands, pinning them in place above his head. “If you hurt him at all-”

  “We’ll be mauled by Ghost before you can do much more to us, don’t worry so much, he just needs to - aha” Pressing his small fingers victoriously into the newly opened gap in Jon’s black cloak, a startled yelp came from the dark eyed squire as Pyp continued to talk over him “laugh, a little more. Ticklish, Lord Snow?”

  “By the – Pyp!” Jon yelped, squirming underneath the young ranger as his fingers dug into a sensitive spot on his ribs.

  “By the Pyp – I like that as a curse better than any others I’ve heard. I wonder how quickly it’d catch on if we all took to using it?” Grenn chuckled in appreciation, peering around his smaller friend to see what he was doing.

  Wiggling his ears down at the oblivious boy below him, Pyp pulled his thicker cloak apart, shoving it to the ground as his fingers sought purchase in the thinner clothes covering his sides and belly. “Tickle, tickle, tickle, Lord Snow, I never realised how ticklish you were, I mean, you must be thankful right now it’s bloody cold, otherwise you’d be feeling this way more than you are now-”

  Jon didn’t know what was worse, the small fingers wriggling their way into the gaps between his ribs, or the smaller rangers describing of what he was doing above him. Yelping with laughter, the Lord Commander’s squire was easily reduced to giggling, his cheeks stained pink with embarrassment. “I sweheeheheeheheear, Pyheheeheep yohohohou prihihihihihick-” mentally cursing them, Jon strained against Sam’s weight holding his arms solidly above his head, tugging on them more insistently the higher Pyp’s fingers climbed.

  “Is this another tickly spot, My Lord? The fun we could have been having with this, why didn’t you tell me you were ticklish? I wouldn’t have been too awful to you-” cheerfully continuing to chatter down at him, Pyp carefully climbed his fingers up the squirming boys ribs, his precise strokes speaking of an unknown experience pulling people apart this way. “I can’t imagine how badly this must tickle, where are you most ticklish, I wonder? Is it – here?” drawing out the last few words, Pyp grinned somewhat sadistically as Jon’s giggling got more desperate the closer he drew to his underarms – shoving his wriggling fingers deep into the ticklish area as he threw the last word at him. “I mean, I’m not ticklish at all – not like this, anyway – so I wouldn’t know, does this tickle, Ser Lord Commander?”

  “Fuhuhuuhuhuck Pyheeheheeheeepahahahahar, YEHEEHEHEHEHEES IT FUHUHUCKING TIHIHIIIHIHIHIHIHICKLES” Jon bellowed, tears leaking out of black eyes as he struggled to pull his scattered pieces of concentration together enough to glare at the smaller boy, shaking his head in denial. It had been years since he’d been tickled at all, let alone like this, so long, he’d almost forgotten he was ticklish at all. “Enahaaahahahahahahaaa – ahahaha, stahahaahahahaap, pleheeheheeheeas-”

  “Temper, temper, I don’t think you’ve really thought through insulting your interrogator, and all it entails. Do you want to try that again? Maybe ‘Yes, Pyp, it does, thank you for pointing out to me my dreadful weakness in being ticklish here?’ Try that, maybe then, I’ll ‘stahahahap’.” Scrabbling his blunt nails against the scrap of black fabric over his taught underarms, Pyp laughed at Jon’s attempt to glare at him.

  “Gahaahahahaha – Lehehehehet the ohohohothehers tahahake me behfohohore I Thahahahahahank yohohohou” Jon laughed, squirming uselessly against the wet snow, noting in the corner of his mind that ought to get into the warmth before he soaked through and made himself sick.

  “Suit yourself, obviously you’re laughing, so you’re enjoying yourself, so if you wanted me to keep going, you don’t need to be so nasty, Lord Snow.” Tutting playfully, Pyp scampered his fingers down to paw at the Squire’s stomach, both hands clawing dastardly as he arched off the ground in protest.

  “Aha- ah, nohoho Pyp nottherenot-NAHAHA, nohohohohohoho, shuHUHUHUT AHAHahahahahahaaap, Greheheheeheen, gehehet ohohoff, or sohohoho hehehelp meheehehee-”

  “I don’t think you realise how pathetic your threats sound from here Lord Snow” Pyp observed, Sam and Grenn still watching silently, a funny smile on Sam’s face as he tilted his head at the scene. Wriggling one finger into the young would-be-lord’s belly button through his shirt curiously, Pyp laughed delightedly as he squealed loudly in protest, cheeks staining a deep red in response. “There, we go. Coochie coochie – I don’t think I’ve had whores react like this before, and they were playing it up!”

  “Shuhuhut U-AAAAAAAAHEEHEHEEEEHEHEHEHEHEE, Enohohohohohooough, Nohohohohohoho pleeheheheeheheheeheease” hiccupping somewhat pathetically up at his fellow comrades, Jon stilled as he felt two small hands burrow into his bunched up cloak to grip his hips. Opting to keep his eyes closed for the moment, Jon held his breath, grateful that Pyp had apparently taken pity on him enough to quit scratching around in his navel, but already stifling chortles of laughter in anticipation of his fingers moving just slightly- “AH. NOHONONONONONO IHIHIHI’LL MUHUHUHUHURDEHEHEHER YOHOHOU AHAHAHAHAHAHAALLLL, STAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAPIT-”

  Pyp finally relented, clapping his hands delightedly as the taller boy all but bellowed with forced laughter, tears staining his red cheeks. Ignoring the babbled threats, all three boys scrambled off the young squire, moving back far out of grabbing range.

  “Ghost!” Sam called, surprised to see the white direwolf lying quietly in the thicket nearby.

  “S-Some help you were, mutt.” Jon groaned, curling onto his side as he struggled to even his breathing out. “Just wait. Just wait, until we cross swords next.” He muttered, hiccupping a giggle out as he rubbed at his stomach.

  “Have you always been ticklish then, Lord Snow?” Pyp teased, leaning against a tree, looking for all the world as if he could fall asleep there, but tensed to bolt if he needed to.

  “Please don’t call me that.” Jon grumbled. “And I am not telling you anything. Some friends you are.”

  “Please – we’re not friends, we’re family.” Pyp scoffed, “Family isn’t always nice, but we’re always here, and we always know how to knock some sense into you, and when to – shit” sprinting for the wall, Pyp laughed as Jon stumbled uncharacteristically over a tree root in his perusal of him.

  He was done moping – for now – and that was the goal. Dignity be damned.

“Aha – AH, cahahaha – no – cohome on D-doholl face, I wahas j-just haha, dahahamnit, cuhuhuhut it ohohohout” Garcia’s fingers were quick as they jumped from his stomach to his ribs, keeping well ahead of his hands trying to grab hers.

Morgan was beside himself, between Reid sprawled over his legs and Garcia straddling his waist, he was well and truly trapped. Jerking under her long nails, he let his head fall back onto the grass, alternating between high pitched giggles when she alit on his stomach, and a deeper belly laugh as she squeezed at his ribs. “Nohohonono, thihis is nohohot fuhuhuhunny nahahahahaaaahahahaa guhuhuys gehehet ohohoff”

“You know what wasn’t funny? You – my chocolate magic man, making me exercise, for no reason!” Huffing  exasperatedly, Garcia dropped her hands down to his lower sides, emphasizing her last three words with sadistic squeezes, digging her thumbs into the soft spaces next to his hipbones.

Reid yelped, bracing himself to stop the suddenly kicking legs from throwing him off, Garcia laughing delightedly as she tightened her legs around the darker agent in response.

“Nohononohohoo quihihihihhiit AHahahahahaaaa guhuhuhuys, I swheheHEEHEHEAR TO GOHOHOHOD-” howling in protest, Morgan bucked viciously, grabbing at the grass underneath him to prevent himself from grabbing at her arms and hurting her accidentally, grappling with the urge to toss them both off him.

“Oho, you like that? Does that feel good baby?” Leaning over to see his face, Garcia laughed as he belted out peals of laughter, his head tossing from side to side and a wide smile splitting his face. “Poor baby, are you a little tickly, honey?”

“SHAhahahahaaaa aha Shuhuhuhut UHahahahahahaaaap, PLEHeeeheheeheease stahahahahahaaap” Garcia finally took pity on him, letting her fingers wander upwards under his shirt to grab at his ribs, clawing in between each one and rubbing gently over the bone. “Nohohonono Ihihihi Ahaahahahah Ihihim ­sohohohohorry alrihihight?” His laughter tapered off somewhat, allowing him to get words in between the constant stream of giggling

“I’m sorry Morgan, what was that?” Reid had a rare smirk across his features as he grabbed at his knees through the dark jeans he was wearing – grasping at the ticklish spot just above the kneecaps and squeezing rapidly “You’ll have to be a bit clearer.”

“Dahahahamnit kihihihihid, neheheeheheheheee yohohou bohohohohoth neheeheeheed to cuhuhuhut thihihihihihis ohohohout” Pressing his feet against the ground, Morgan’s legs bounced up and down in an attempt to dislodge the nimble fingers on his legs, turning his head away from the laughing face above him and pressing his fingers further into the ground.

“Oh no, Reid he can still talk, I don’t think we’re doing this right.”  Garcia clucked her tongue playfully, tapping her fingers along his ribs as she peered back at the self-confessed genius, and ignoring the protests underneath her. “Okay, on three alright?”

“Nohohonono-”

“One,”

“Bahahahaby pleheeheease-”

“Two,”

“Cohohome ohohn Spehehehence-”

“THREE!” yelling the last word, and completely oblivious to the chuckling onlookers, Garcia buried her hands in the large agents underarms, scratching and scrabbling at the sensitive skin, glancing behind her to see her dastardly partner scratching under his knees, “His thighs, Reid, go for his thighs!”

Morgan howled in protest, his back arching off the ground and his hands finally lunging to grab at hers blindly. “GAAAHAHAHAHAAA NOHOHOHONOHONO PEHEHEHEHENELOHOPE PLEEHEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEASE” Kicking his legs out, Morgan used Garcia’s brief moment of shakiness to pull himself out from underneath them both, crawling away from them unsteadily, giggles still slipping out through clenched teeth as he collapsed on the ground, shuddering. “God. Dear God. I have a sudden new respect and fear of you, sweetness.”

“You’re welcome.” Garcia laughed, dusting herself off and leaning back on the grass, herself. “Anytime, my love, anytime.”

“Oh no – how about, ‘never again’?” Morgan shivered again, rubbing his hands down his sides and closing his eyes.

“I disagree, tickling is a most satisfying form of revenge.” Reid’s voice floated from where he too, was panting on the ground, rubbing his aching legs.

“You’re telling me – next time I’m annoyed at you, we’ll give it a try pretty boy, fair?”

“No, NO, you will not Derek Morgan or I- I’ll set Garcia on you”

“Injured – really, Dean?” Looking amusedly at his older brother, Sam Winchester raised an eyebrow at him, a slow grin unfurling across his face.

  “Uh… yeah, badly bruised, you just hit a tender spot, that’s all.” Shooting a warning glare at the taller hunter, Dean inched his way along the wall he’d been backed into towards the door.

  “Oh, really? You better let us take a look at that then bro, it could be serious, and you’ve been far too serious lately for me to let that happen.” A nodding Castiel moved towards him worriedly, oblivious to the somewhat sadistic spark in Sam’s eyes as he moved to block the door.

  Cursing the snickering hunter mentally, Dean launched himself at Sam and the door, counting on the initial shock to allow him to escape before his brother spilled the beans. “You don’t remember who used to win these fights as kids then, Sammy?”

  “Augh, you mean before I grew to twice your size?” Unfortunately for Dean, Sam had ample practice reading his brother’s body language, and within a few moments of grappling, had his brother pinned to the ground face first.

  “Bitch” Dean grumbled, pulling at the arm Sam had twisted to pin to his back “You let me up Sammy, or I swear to god-”

  “This is for your own good, Dean. Sam, Dean is injured; you need to be gentler.” Cas reprimanded, leaning down to examine the older Winchester, fingers probing carefully at the hunters ribs, feeling for swelling or bruising.

  “Son of a-” Dean swore, jerking away from the nimble fingers with a gasp.

  “I am sorry, Dean, is that tender?” Pressing his fingers more insistently into his ribs, the angel frowned down at him. “You’ll need to hold still if I am to heal it.”

  “Augh – Chrihist, of course it’s fucking te-hehee-nder” Dean groused, pulling vainly at his moose of a brothers grip and squirming away from the careful fingers.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so worried about this Dean, I have healed you before.” Cas was looking vaguely hurt as he watched the two brothers confusedly. “Was it something I did?”

  “He’s just a bit ticklish, Cas.” Sam finally chipped in, chuckling as he adjusted his grip slightly. “You know, giggles like a five year old when you poke him?” he continued, seeing the bewildered expression on the angels face.

  Ignoring his brother’s muttered swearing, and occasionally adjusting his grip to keep him still, Sam cocked his head curiously at Cas, “You’ve seriously never heard of tickling, Cas?”

  “I am not familiar with the term.” Cas started cautiously, his eyes flickering between Dean’s somewhat panicked look, and Sam’s mischievous one. “Is it an ailment?”

  “It’s going to be” Sam laughed “Cas, tickling is a natural human response to touch, if you touch someone lightly or in the right place – they laugh and try to get away.”

  Still watching the two cautiously, Cas seemed to think this over carefully before replying, “So Dean is this… ticklish? I don’t understand, why would you laugh if you do not find anything humorous?”

  Laughing, Sam scrabbled the fingers of his free hand up Dean’s ribs “Oh Dean is absolutely ticklish. I dunno Cas, it’s easier to demonstrate”

  “Sahammy I swear to God, if you don’t quhihi, ahaha - quit this right this fucking second-” Dean yelped, a panicked edge to his voice as he twisted and kicked at the floor for leverage.

  “Sam, he doesn’t seem to enjoy this” Cas started cautiously, watching as Sam lessened his grip just enough to let Dean roll onto his back, pinning him swiftly with his legs and settling on his stomach in one easy movement.

  “Oh he does” Sam assured him, ignoring Dean’s “I do not!” from beneath him “He just doesn’t admit it very often. Besides – consider this payback, for all the times you got me when we were kids.” Swallowing his retort as Sam wriggled a now free finger into his stomach, Dean pressed his head against the carpet, twisting his hands from where they were pinned under his giant brother’s knees. “And what was it you used to make me say?”

  “Shut up” Dean groused through gritted teeth, yelping as long fingers scrabbled for purchase suddenly under his ribs, scratching through the thin black shirt he’d chosen to wear. “Ah – aHAhahahaaa S-S-Sahahahammy I sweheheeheear to Gohod-” Dean’s back arched off the ground,  writhing away from the practiced fingers clawing at his tender lower ribs, and ignoring the byplay going on above him in favour of cursing his younger brother.

  “See Cas, he’s laughing – how bad could it be?” Sam was saying, laughing somewhat gleefully as he clawed at his lower ribs, his fingers probing deep under the muscle and climbing up the older hunters ribcage slowly.

  “Gaha – son of a- Sahahaham” Grinding his teeth together, Dean couldn’t help the sill grin that spread across his face, giggles slipping in between every death threat he threw at the unaffected hunter. “Cuhuhuhut it ohohout, thihihihis ihihis - ahaha – kiheeheheheed stahahahahaff”

  “Do all humans react this way?” Cas tilted his head, the worry about Dean’s wellbeing seemingly forgotten as an honest smile spread across his face, glad to see the usually uptight hunter so carefree.

  “Most of them, different people are ticklish in different places.” Sam supplied, walking his fingers slowly up his brothers sides, lingering on a protruding rib near the top, and scratching his fingers rapidly in a practiced motion that spoke of experience. “See,” Sam laughed as Dean yelped in protest, his laughter falling into a higher pitched cackle and red tinging across his cheeks, “Dean is more ticklish here, right?”

  “Nohohohonono Sahahahaaammy, yohohou’d b-beheheeheehee-NAhahahahaaaa” squirming as his brothers fingers rubbed over the ticklish spot on his side, Dean struggled to push words out between the constant giggles that the younger hunter was forcing from him, barely aware of the ‘lessons’ going on above him.

  “Still as ticklish as a little girl” Sam teased, leaning forwards and scratching his blunt nails just under his underarms, “I wonder if you still squeal when I do this?”

  “GAhahahahaa, Sahahahahaaamm yohohou bihihiihihiiitch Aaaaahahaha” high pitched yelps spilled from Deans mouth as Sam’s nails scratched ever so lightly at the thin stretch of fabric protecting his underarms.

  Castiel leaned forwards, seemingly fascinated with the display in front of him, head tilted to the side as he tried to process it all at once. “This…. This ticklish… this is normal for humans?”

  “Tickling - you can be ‘ticklish’, what I’m doing is ‘tickling’ him, understand? Dean would say it ‘tickled’, wouldn’t you Dean?” Cas nodded thoughtfully as Dean shook his head in frustration, gulping in air as Sam finally stilled his dastardly fingers.

  “I see. May I try this… tickling? Where else is one… ticklish?” pausing before each new word, Cas’ eyes were sparkling with curiosity as he shifted closer to where the two hunters were sitting.

  “Sure, you know what, here, sit where I am, no, just behind me, yep. Okay now give me a moment,” Shifting forwards so that Cas could settle himself gently on top of the apparently furious hunter, Sam snatched up Deans hands and climbed off him to sit near his head, pinning his arms over his head  and leaning his weight on the hand holding them down. “Now just… do what I did, it doesn’t hurt him, I promise.”

  Dean, who’d been very quiet up until this point, yelped in protest. “No! Cas, Cas, Cas, please don’t do this, I really hate being tickled” Words tumbling over each other in his panic, Dean pulled furiously at the taller hunter’s iron-like grip on his hands.

  “You seemed to be enjoying it previously, Dean.” Head tilted as he gazed down at the older hunter curiously, Cas looked up at Sam who nodded with a mischievous grin.

  “He was – but it’s a natural reaction to try and get away from it, go for it Cas.”

  “Fuck you, Sammy, I’m going to rip your fuckihihiihihii aha, dahahahamnit Cahahas” his eyes widening as the angels fingers scrabbled experimentally along his lower stomach, the clumsy touch quickly becoming more fluid as he adjusted his hands thoughtfully.

  “Good, Cas, that’s good, why don’t you try his hips next?” His eyes dancing with laughter, Sam wriggled a finger into Dean’s neck, scratching it lightly under his ear to elicit squeaks of protest from the now panicked hunter.

  “Nohononono, getawayfrom, Isweheehee aha CAHAHAHAHAS” Arching his back off the ground and shaking his head as light fingers scratched cautiously at the skin just above his jeans, Cas looked up at Sam for an explanation.

  “Some people have spots that are really ticklish, you’re being too gentle try squeezing, put your hands like this” Demonstrating with his free hand, Sam ignored Deans swearing protests underneath him, talking over the top of him “Yep, good, now put your thumb in the little dent next to his – yep, now-” shifting both hands to hold his brothers straining arms down, Sam’s eyes widened in shock as Dean all but screamed in response, his body arching off the ground and twisting violently as the bemused angel clung on to him.

  “CAAAAHAHAHAHAHAA NONONONO WHATTHEFAAAHAHAHAHAAH STEHEHEHEEEEHEHEHE PLEEHEHEHEHEEAAASE SAHAHAHAAAMMMY-” His eyes were squeezed shut as he tossed his head from side to side, tears of laughter slipping over flaming cheeks.

  “Whoa, whoa, Cas I think he’s had enough.” Gaping at the bemused angel in shock, Sam let his brothers arms go, his now silent, wheezing laughter slowing as Cas followed suit and climbed off. “What did you do?”

  “Well I assumed it had something to do with his nerves, so is used a little bit of my grace to stimulate them in a similar fashion to what you showed me. I didn’t realise he’d react so violently. I am sorry Dean”  straightening his trench coat, Cass leaned forwards and pressed his fingers to Dean’s chest, pulling his hand away quickly when the hunter flinched away, but pumping air magically back into his lungs

  “Fuck.” He swore, eyes closed as he tried to calm his nerves down and slow his breathing down. “You will never, never, do that again, do you understand me?”

  “I… of course Dean. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Shuffling his feet, Cas gazed sorrowfully at the exhausted hunter.

  “It – it didn’t hurt, Cas, it just… Dear God, please, please don’t do it again?” Wincing as he rubbed his hips, Dean sat up, turning a black look on his chuckling brother. “And you, had better hope Cas isn’t around to demonstrate that again when I get a hold of you, I swear to God Sammy-”