"To Mine Most Radiant and Easily Undone Lightner,

Thou art hereby summon'd to mine chambers this eve, for a trial most dire. Not of wit, neigh, nor of blade, but of endurance! A test to see if thy golden SOUL canst withstand the relentless march of mine... attentions. Come prepared- rather, come unprepared, for thou shalt find no mercy in these halls!

- Rouxls Kaard, Duke of Puzzles and Purveyor of Thy Doom~!"

Yellow snorted, folding the note back up and setting it on the desk. "Dramatic little twerp," he muttered, but his fingers twitched with the ghost of laughter already threatening to escape. He knew Rouxls' games, yes; by now, at least, he should be quite familiar with how they usually went. He knew the way the Duke drew out the seconds, every breath, until Yellow was nothing but a giggling, squirming mess. But here he was, adjusting his vest and heading toward Rouxls' chambers like a moth to an almost-infuriatingly smug, cape-swirling flame.

The halls were quiet, the usual bustle dulled as the playing cards, checkers, and jigsaw pieces had been deployed to someplace in the Forest. Yellow's boots clicked against the checkerboard floor, each step a little quicker than the last. He should have been annoyed; in fact, he should have ignored it, knowing full well what was going to happen. But the truth was, he'd been waiting for this. Rouxls had a knack for knowing precisely when Yellow needed a distraction... even if that distraction came in the form of psychological torment, velvet, and theatrics.

He paused outside the ornate doors, rolling his shoulders like he was bracing for combat. With a wobbly sigh, he pushed them open.

Rouxls stood in the center of the room, one hand resting on the back of his throne, the other idly twirling a long, white feather between his fingers. The candlelight flickered across his grin, turning it downright wicked. If it weren't for the special bond the two of them shared, Yellow might have said he was as scary as the former king was.

"Ahh, mine Lightner~!" Rouxls declared, spreading his arms wide. "Thou hast arriv'd most punctually, for once!"

Yellow leaned against the wall with practiced nonchalance. "Yeah, yeah. What's the game this time? Gonna re-enact a one-Darkner show of Shakespeare?"

Rouxls huffed, clutching his chest. "Fie! Such cruelty!! Neigh, tonight's trial is one of endurance! Canst thou withstand the relentless onslaught of mine... affections~?"

Yellow's smile faltered. "Sure, and that's not ominous at all, by the way."

Rouxls' grin sharpened. "T'was my intention."

The doors slammed shut behind Yellow with a dramatic thud!, sealing him in. He didn't jump... that much... but the way Rouxls' eyes gleamed told him he hadn't hidden his flinch nearly well enough.

"Relax, mine Lightner~," Rouxls purred, sauntering closer. "'Tis but a simple test, nothing to fret o'er. All thou must do... is endure. Simply... take it."

Yellow crossed his arms. "Endure what? What am I taking, Rouxls?" No matter how many times they danced this dance, Yellow would never, ever let Rouxls make him say it first.

Rouxls didn't answer. Instead, he quickly dragged the feather along the back of Yellow's ear, light as a fond whisper. Yellow jerked away with a sharp inhale, but Rouxls only chuckled, circling him like a hungry shark.

"Thou seest, the rules are thus!" Rouxls announced, voice dripping with mock gravity. "Thou shalt stand, neigh, remain upright, while I... test the limits of thy fortitude. Shouldst thou fall, or beg, or..." he leaned in, "laugh~, thou losest~!"

Yellow did his best to scoff. "That's it? I've survived worse than that in at least three other places in this castle alone. No, wait, Jevil bit me that time, so then, four places. I can handle you."

Rouxls' feather trailed up his arm, hovering around his neck. "Ohh, but canst thou~?"

Yellow's breath hitched. He hated that Rouxls knew precisely where to hover, where to just threaten. His ribs, his neck, the stupidly sensitive spot just below his-

"Stop thinking about it~," Rouxls sang, tapping the feather against Yellow's cheek. "For the more thou anticipatest, the sweeter thy defeat shall be~!"

Yellow swallowed hard. "You're all talk."

"Amst I?" Rouxls' fingers joined the feather, dancing in the air just inches from Yellow's sides. "Then let us commence!"

Yellow braced himself, locking his knees and squeezing his eyes shut. 'I won't fall, I won't fall, I won't, I won't!'

Rouxls struck.

Not with his hands, no, no, that would be too merciful. Instead, he just blew a stream of air against Yellow's neck, soft and cool. Yellow's shoulders shot up, a traitorous giggle slipping out.

"Ho, ho!" Rouxls crowed. "Already~?"

"I-I'm not-!" Yellow protest dissolved into giggles as Rouxls repeated the motion, his breath tickling the shell of Yellow's ear. He twisted away, but Rouxls followed, the feather now wriggling its way under the hem of his vest.

"Thou art weak to me, mine Lightner~," Rouxls cooed. "Puffs of air~!"

Yellow gritted his teeth. "Sh-SssHut uhup and doho something alreheady-!"

Rouxls' laughter was a dark chuckle. "Oh, as thou wishest~!"

The feather finally touched his skin, just the barest graze along his side. Yellow yelped, stumbling back, but Rouxls caught him by the shoulders, steadying him with infuriating ease.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Rouxls tsked. "The trial hath only begun! Last a little longer~!"

Yellow's legs trembled. He could do this, he had to... but then Rouxls' fingers joined the feather, skittering up his belly, and-

"N-NoHohOHopE!!" Yellow's knees buckled. He caught himself on the armrest of Rouxls' throne, gasping for air between laughs. "Y-OuHuhu ChehEHeheat!!"

Rouxls tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Cheat? I'd never! All's fair in love and... the other thing."

Yellow glared, but his traitorous body betrayed him, shaking with suppressed giggles. "Youuhu're soho ehevil!"

Rouxls smirked, feather poised for another strike. "The boot doth fit~!" he teased, wiggling the feather around Yellow's neck.

As Yellow's giggling still bounded around the chamber, Rouxls, with a dramatic flourish, settled onto his throne. The velvet cushions hissed a little as he settled onto them, and he patted his thigh with a smirk. "Come, mine Lightner. If thou truly canst not stand, then recline~! I'm nothing if not merciful!"

Yellow eyed him warily. "T-that's a trap."

"Perceptive!" Rouxls clapped his hands once, grinning. "But 'tis also the rules! Thou must endure, or forfeit~!"

Yellow hesitated, but the promise of a reprieve from the feather's incessant teasing was too tempting. With a groan, he draped himself across Rouxls' lap on his stomach, arms dangling limply. "F-fine. But if you- you-know-what, I will bite you!"

Rouxls gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in mock horror. "Why, such violence! And here I thought thou wert a hero!"

Yellow rolled his eyes, but the moment he relaxed, Rouxls' fingers began to trace idle circles on his back, just above his waist. Not really tickles, not yet anyway, but close enough to make him tense up.

"Thou art most tense," Rouxls observed, voice dripping with amusement and not a little bit of smugness. "Dost the mere thought of mine touch unravel thee so~?"

Yellow huffed, trying to ignore the way goosebumps were rising all over his body. "I'm fine."

"Mmm," Rouxls hummed, his fingers drifting higher and skimming the hem of his vest. "Then thou shalt not mind if I adjust thy position?"

Before Yellow could protest, Rouxls shifted him slightly, pulling him closer until his head rested against the cushioned arm of the throne. The new angle left his sides completely exposed, and Yellow's breath hitched as Rouxls' free hand began to toy with the feather again.

"R-Rouxls," he warned, voice already unsteady.

"Patience~," Rouxls murmured, gently pulling Yellow's vest up to expose his midriff and dragging the feather along his side. "Endurance is about more than survival, mine Lightner. Embraceth it!"

Yellow's fingers curled into the fabric of Rouxls' tunic. "T-Thahaat's nohot- HahahHA!! N-NoHOHot hohow enduHuhURance wohOHOrks!!"

Rouxls chuckled, the feather now tracing lazy figure-eights with the quill end of the feather along his ribs. "Is it not? Perhaps thou shouldst teach me."

Yellow's laughter bubbled up, but he bit his lip, determined not to give in. Rouxls, however, was relentless. The feather dipped lower, teasing the poor Lightner's lower belly, and Yellow's legs kicked reflexively.

"Ah, ah," Rouxls tutted, pressing a hand to his back to keep him still. "Thou must take it, remember?"

Yellow whined, his body trembling with the effort of holding back.

Rouxls' fingers finally abandoned the feather, instead pressing lightly into the small of Yellow's back.

Yellow's breath came in short, uneven bursts. He could do this, just a little longer- But then Rouxls' thumb began to draw slow, deliberate circles just above his hipbone, and-

"StOHohOhohohOoOHoHOP!!!" Yellow's body jerked, a laugh tearing free as he tried to twist away. Rouxls' grip tightened, holding him in place.

"Ho, ho!!" Rouxls laughed, triumphant. "Mine Lightner falters~!!"

Yellow's face burned. "IhiHiHi hHAahhahHAte youHuHuHuhUuu!!"

Rouxls leaned down, his breath warm against Yellow's ear. "Neigh, thou lovest this~!"

And... Yellow couldn't find it in him to argue. Not when his body was shaking with laughter, not when Rouxls' fingers were already creeping toward his ribs again.

Rouxls shifted Yellow's position with practiced ease, turning him onto his back. Yellow's boots dangled over the other armrest, his ticklish body stretched out like a buffet for Rouxls to partake in. The throne's velvet was soft beneath his head, but the Duke's grip was unyielding.

"Comfortable~?" Rouxls asked, voice laced with false concern.

Yellow glared up at him. "J-Juhuhust gehehet ihihit ohohover wIhiHIHITH-!!" His retort was stifled by a squeal as Rouxls' fingers hastened to resume their play, this time focusing on his sensitive belly, now that it was exposed so deliciously before him. He squirmed, but Rouxls' other arm wrapped around his waist, pinning him in place.

"Thou art moooost wiggly~!" Rouxls observed fondly, his breath warm against Yellow's temple. "Dost mine throne displease thee~?"

Yellow's response was a muffled "shut upppp!!" but his laughter betrayed him entirely. Rouxls' fingers danced higher, brushing the underside of his arm, and Yellow's body arched instinctively.

"Ahhh, there it is~!!" Rouxls crooned. "That helpless laughter~!"

Yellow's laughter spilled over, his body shaking as Rouxls' fingers skittered across his tummy. He tried to buck free, but Rouxls' grip was ironclad, his strong arm trapping Yellow's thrashing limbs.

"LehHEhhet mEHEHehhe UhUhUHUP!!!" Yellow gasped, mirthful tears pricking at his eyes.

"Neigh!" Rouxls murmured, sounding practically insulted at the proposition that he put down his favorite toy.

Yellow's laughter turned desperate, his body twisting as Rouxls' fingers alternated between his tummy and the sensitive spot beneath his arms. He could feel his control slipping, his muscles burning from the effort of holding still.

"ROuHuHUHuHUXLS!!" he pleaded, his voice cracking.

"Yeees~?" Rouxls drawled, his fingers pausing just long enough for Yellow to gulp in a big breath before diving back in.

Yellow's body convulsed with ticklish laughter, his hands flailing, trying to grab onto something and landing on Rouxls' wrist... for all the good that did him. "IhIHIh CahHAhahAHHAN'T!!"

Rouxls' fingers stilled, but didn't leave their position on his belly. "Canst thou not?"

Yellow panted, his body trembling. "P-PlehehehehEasee!!"

Rouxls' expression softened, just for a moment, before his grin returned, suave and sharper than ever. "Then thou hast failed!"

Yellow whined, collapsing against the Duke as Rouxls released his hold. His chest heaved, his laughter slowly fading into breathless hiccups.

Rouxls stroked Yellow's hair tenderly. He pressed a kiss to his temple, his voice barely above a whisper. "T'was a glorious failure. You shall do better next time, mine Lightner~."

Yellow followed behind him, hands tucked into the pockets of his vest, his step casual, though his eyes darted with a subtle alertness. He knew Rouxls too well to take the "summons" at face value. Whenever the self-proclaimed Duke of Puzzles put on his most dramatic airs, it usually meant trouble, though the kind that left Yellow smiling more often than not.

"Alright," Yellow finally said, his voice breaking the silence, "are you gonna tell me what this is about, or do I have to keep guessing?"

Rouxls whirled on his heel, his cape flaring out with far too much flourish for such a mundane motion. He planted one hand on his hip, the other raised skyward as though he were proclaiming to an unseen audience.

"Mine Lightner!" he declared, his voice carrying the full pomp of a royal decree. "To-night, thou shalt face a most grievous and perilous trial! A testeth not of strength, nor of magicks, but of-" He paused, letting the moment hang, then leaned forward, eyes glittering with mischief as he rolled his R's dramatically. "Composurrrrre."

Yellow blinked, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Composure, huh? Sounds serious." He leaned against the wall, feigning nonchalance. "What, you gonna read me silly poetry until I crack?"

Rouxls gasped, clutching at his chest as though mortally wounded. "Mocketh me not, O golden-hearted Hero! Neigh, this assay shall reach far beyond the bounds of such trifling jests. It shalt pierceth into thine very SOUL, and reveal thee truths of thy weaknesse!"

Yellow tilted his head, the smile growing despite himself. "You've been hanging out with Jevil again, haven't you? That sounds like something he'd say."

"Pah!" Rouxls waved the accusation aside. "The fool spinneth words like tangled yarn! I, howe'er, speaketh with purpose."

Yellow chuckled, but something in Rouxls' eyes, a spark, a glint of intent, made his chest tighten in recognition. He knew this game. He'd been in it before. And no matter how much he braced himself, he never seemed to win.

"You're planning something," Yellow said flatly, though the laugh already threatened at the back of his throat.

Rouxls stepped closer, boots echoing with theatrical menace. "Astute observation, mine Lightner. But know ye this: it is not the act that shall undo thee, but the waiting... the anticipatiouns." He drew out the last word with a deliberate flourish, savoring each syllable.

Yellow swallowed, his heart already skipping that jittery way it always did when Rouxls spoke like that. He tried to cover it with a shrug. "You know, you're terrible at keeping secrets. You always talk too much before doing anything."

"Bah!" Rouxls countered, looming just close enough that his shadow stretched across Yellow's chest. "'Tis part of mine strategem! Forsooth, the heralding of doom is oft more dreadful than doom itself!"

Yellow laughed nervously, shoulders tensing despite his relaxed posture. "You're not wrong." He shifted his weight, as though preparing to bolt, though they both knew he wouldn't, not really.

Rouxls leaned in, voice dropping to a stage whisper. "Then steel thyself, for I am prepar'd to demonstrateth this truth most thoroughly. Thy fortitude shall bee put to thee test of Anticipatiouns!"

Yellow's breath caught, and the laugh he'd been holding back escaped in a single, airy giggle. The game hadn't even begun, and already Rouxls' words alone had him on edge.

Rouxls straightened to his full height, fingers curling into the air as though preparing to weave some grand spell. Yellow leaned instinctively back against the wall, eyes narrowing, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"Don't," Yellow warned, though his voice was already light with suppressed laughter.

"Dost mine Lightner commandeth me so~?" Rouxls' grin widened, devilish beneath all the pomp. He raised both hands high, then wiggled his fingers in the air, each twitch exaggerated as though they were enchanted instruments of fate. "Observe! Thine undoing approacheth~!"

Yellow let out a sharp laugh and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. "YouhUhu hahaven't even touhuhuched me yet-!!"

"Ho-hoh!" Rouxls chuckled, striding closer, his cape swishing behind him. "So fragile, so brittle~! Thou art brokenned afore mine handes hath e'en brush'd thy tummy~!"

Yellow's shoulders shook as he giggled despite himself. "Ihihihit's nohohot fahahair- youhuhu knohow I cahahan't hehelp ihihit!"

"Precisely~!" Rouxls declared, wagging a finger as though he'd uncovered a grand truth. "'Tis the finest weaknesse, mine Lightner. For I needs not touch thee; neigh, I but threateneth it, and thou shattereth like glass~!"

Yellow groaned through his laughter, sliding a hand down his face. He pressed back harder against the wall as Rouxls drew nearer, each deliberate step echoing with menace.

The Duke finally stopped a mere breath away, his hands hovering near Yellow's ribs but not daring to connect. The tips of his fingers traced invisible lines in the air, so close Yellow swore he could feel phantom tickles ghosting through the fabric of his vest.

"Rouhuhuhuxls-!!" Yellow tried, only for his voice to crack into a squeaky laugh. He bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut like that might block out the unbearable tension.

"Yes~?" Rouxls purred, leaning down until his nose nearly touched Yellow's cheek. "Art thou already crumbl'd? Shall I stoppeth ere the trial hath even commenc'd?"

Yellow opened one eye to glare at him, though it was ruined by the grin splitting his face. "Y-Youhuhu're enjohohoying thihihis way toohoohoo muhuch."

"Indeed!" Rouxls chuckled, pulling back just far enough to resume his finger-dance. He wiggled them slowly, deliberately, tracing circles near Yellow's waist, his collarbone, even daring to hover near his neck. Each pass sent Yellow into helpless squirming giggles, the anticipation worse than any actual touch.

"Rouhuhuhuxls, Ihihihi swehehear-!" Yellow broke off into breathless laughter, twisting side to side as though to escape the invisible attacks.

"Swear not~!" Rouxls commanded, tilting his head dramatically. "For thy plight is written in stone. Strugglest though thou might, thine nerves betrayeth thee~."

Yellow wrapped his arms around his middle as if that would shield him. "You're cruel, youhuhuhu knohohow thahahat?" His words dissolved into a laugh halfway through, shoulders bouncing.

"Cruel? Neigh!" Rouxls laughed thunderously. "This is but pedagogy! A lessonne in patience, in fortitude! Canst thou withstand the waiting?"

"Ihihihi dohohohon't thihihink I cahahahan-!" Yellow admitted, the words tumbling out on a wave of giggles. His knees bent, body sliding lower against the wall, but Rouxls merely followed him down, ever looming, ever hovering.

For a long, torturous moment, Rouxls froze with his fingers mere inches from Yellow's side. He didn't move. He didn't even breathe. He just let the tension coil tighter and tighter.

Yellow's laughter died down to nervous hiccup-giggles, his chest rising and falling as though he'd run a mile. "Y-youhuhuhu're nohohot actually gohohonna...?"

"Perchance," Rouxls whispered, eyes glinting with glee. "Perchance not~! That is the beautie, mine Lightner. Thine SOUL doth tremble, not for what is, but for what may yet bee~!"

Yellow groaned, throwing his head back against the wall. "Youhuhu're ehehevilll!"

"Evil?" Rouxls chuckled darkly. "Neigh, I am merely... thorough~."

His hands hovered again, dipping close enough to make the fabric of Yellow's vest shift under the faint brush of displaced air. Yellow squealed, laughter bursting free, though not a single touch had landed.

"S-STohOhOp ihiHIHIt!!!" he pleaded, clutching at Rouxls' wrists... but not daring to push them away, in fact, he moved them closer. "J-JuhUHUHst- dohohoho ihihihiht alreheheheady!!"

Rouxls' grin turned positively wicked. "Ahh, but if I yield to thy request, then the anticipatioun ends! And is not that, mine Lightner, the cruelest cut of all~?"

Yellow buried his face in his hands, shoulders quaking with helpless laughter. Every nerve in his body was strung taut, waiting, waiting... waiting!! The tension was unbearable, and yet he couldn't tear himself away!

Rouxls leaned in close once more, his voice silk and thunder all at once. "Steel thyself, for the trial nears its true commencement~! Shall thy laughter withstand~? Or shalt thou be undone by the mere brush of a single fingertip~?"

Yellow peeked through his fingers, eyes wide, smile betraying him. "Y-Youhuhu're gohohonna drihihive mehehe insahahane-!!"

"Then my work," Rouxls purred, drawing one fingertip to hover just above Yellow's ribs, "is nearly complete~."

Rouxls held his hand suspended above Yellow's ribs for what felt like eternity. Yellow's giggles sputtered and stalled into nervous silence, broken only by the occasional squeak that slipped through his pressed lips. His knuckles were white where he clutched Rouxls' wrists, yet he didn't shove them away.

Then, finally, deliberately, Rouxls lowered a single finger until it brushed against the thin fabric of Yellow's vest.

The reaction was immediate and explosive. Yellow doubled over with a wild burst of laughter, knees giving way as though his whole body betrayed him at once. "AhahHAHAH!!! ROuHuHuhuXls!! NONONO, noNoNoHO, nOhoHoHO!!"

"Ho-hoh!!" Rouxls thundered, eyes alight with triumph. He drew that one finger slowly, agonizingly, up and down Yellow's ribs. "What fragilitie~! What feebleness of composure~! Canst thou truly bee thee same Hero whomst creatéd the Fountain?"

Yellow tried to straighten, but every brush of Rouxls' fingertip sent him collapsing back against the wall in fits of laughter. "Y-YouHuhUhu're theHEHE WOHOhOHORST!!! IHIHI cHahahAHn't- ihIhIhi CahahAHHN'T-!!"

"Cannot withstand e'en a single finger~?" Rouxls teased, adding a second one to tap gently against Yellow's side. "Fie, fie~! Such disgrace~! I had thought mine Lightner of sterner stuff~."

Yellow squealed, twisting away, though Rouxls followed, keeping the touch light, measured, mercilessly precise. His laughter rang clear and wild, echoing down the empty corridor. He slapped at Rouxls' arm in protest, but couldn't actually bring himself to push him off.

"YoUhUhU plAHahHAHANNED ThiHiHIS!!" Yellow accused between shrieks, tears of laughter already gathering in his eyes. "YouHuHU kNehEHEHW!! YoUhUhU knEHehHEHEW IIHiHI'D BrehEHEHAK thiHIHIS fhahaHAST!!!"

"Aye!" Rouxls admitted shamelessly, fingers now creeping higher to tease just under Yellow's arms. "And doth it not delight thee, mine Lightner~? To succumb so swiftly~? To fall, not by blade nor spell, but by touch most trivial~?"

Yellow jerked his arms down against his sides, trying to block the assault, but the attempt only made him laugh harder. "StOhoHoHOP!! StoHOhOhop, IhIhI c-CahahhAN't!!!"

"Cease?" Rouxls gasped, pretending to look scandalized. "When thine trial hath only just begun? When thy golden SOUL quivers at but the gentlest prod~? Neigh, mine Lightner, thee must learn~!!"

He withdrew suddenly, hands pulling back into the air. Yellow gasped, his head falling forward as he tried to catch his breath, but his laughter continued in nervous spurts, his body still braced for another attack.

The pause lasted only a heartbeat before Rouxls darted back in, this time scribbling his fingers in rapid little bursts against Yellow's sides.

Yellow let out a strangled squeal, legs buckling. He continued sliding down the wall until he sat on the floor, clutching at Rouxls' arms with desperate hands. "ROuhUHUXLS!! MeheHERCY!! PlehEHEHEASE, IhIhIHI cahahaHAN'T taHAHAHke ihIhiT!!"

"Mercy?" Rouxls repeated, his tone dripping with mock-consideration. He paused just long enough for Yellow to gasp in relief, then jabbed a fingertip lightly into the center of his vest's heart-shaped cutout.

Yellow shrieked, laughter bubbling out so violently he nearly tipped sideways onto the floor. "YOUHUHU'RE EhEHEHVILL!! EHEHVILLL!!!"

"Evil~?" Rouxls crowed, crouching with him so they were eye-level. His fingers tapped, teased, and traced circles around Yellow's stomach with a theatrical flourish. "Neigh, neigh! This is artistry! A masterpiece wrought from giggles and squirms~! Dost thou not agree~?"

Yellow couldn't answer, his laughter drowning out any words. He kicked one boot weakly against the floor in protest, his whole body trembling with the helpless joy of it.

At last, Rouxls slowed again, drawing his hands back, leaving Yellow gasping and hiccuping against the wall. His vest was askew, hair falling into his eyes, but the smile still lingered stubbornly on his face even as he panted for air.

Rouxls tilted his head, smirking as he observed the mess of his Lightner. "So easily undone~," he murmured, fondly. Then louder, with renewed mischief: "And yet, methinks thou hast only weather'd the first raindrop of a much greater storm."

Yellow groaned, letting his head fall back against the wall with a breathless laugh. "Youuhuhuhu're gohohonna kihihihill meheheee..."

"Neigh," Rouxls corrected, already raising his hands for another flourish. "I am merely... testing thine limits~!"

Yellow's nervous laughter reignited before Rouxls even touched him again. The game was far from over.

Rouxls didn't give Yellow much chance to recover. The Duke rose to his full height again, looming above with his fingers steepled as if in prayer. His grin, however, betrayed the holy imagery. It was the look of a cat who had cornered a mouse.

"Mine Lightner," he intoned, voice velvet with mock-gravity, "what lesson hast thou glean'd thus far from thy trial~?"

Yellow wheezed a laugh, still bent forward with his hands on his knees. "Thahahat... youhuhuhu're ahaha mehehenacee..."

"HaHA!" Rouxls threw back his head in delight. "Then thou hast learn'd only the prologue!" He bent low, eyes glinting mischievously. "Thee hath not yet suffer'd the climax~!"

Yellow's body tensed in reflex, laughter bubbling before Rouxls even moved. "No, nohoho, nohoho! Youhuhu dohohon't need a clihimax!! Wehehe're good rihight hehere, truhust me-!!"

But Rouxls' hands were already darting. With the flourish of a magician, his fingers found Yellow's sides and squeezed.

Yellow's whole body jerked like someone shocked by lightning. A scream of laughter tore from him, loud and raw, echoing down the checkerboard halls. "AHahHAH!!! ROUhUHUHUXLS, S-STOhOhOHOP!! STOHOHOPSTOHOHOPSTOHOHOPPP!!"

"Neigh~!" Rouxls declared triumphantly, digging his thumbs lightly into the creases of Yellow's ribs. "For thou hast fail'd at composure, and now shalt thou be instruct'd most thoroughlie~!"

Yellow squirmed desperately, twisting against the wall in a flurry of laughter. He grabbed at Rouxls' wrists, tried to pull them away, but his strength gave out in favor of thrashing helplessly. "IHIHI CAHHAHAHAN'T TAHAHAKE IHIHITTT!!!"

"Cannot withstand sides~?" Rouxls crooned, immediately skittering his fingers higher into Yellow's underarms. The reaction was volcanic. Yellow squealed, arms slamming down uselessly to block the intrusion, tears of laughter streaming from his eyes.

"TH-THAHAHAHT'S NOHOHOT FAAHAHAHIRRR!!" Yellow howled. "YOUHUHU KNOHOHOW THAHHAT'S THEHEHE WOHOHORST SPOHOHOHOHOOTTT!!!"

"Indeed~!!" Rouxls boomed, leaning close enough that his nose brushed Yellow's cheek. "That is why I useth it~!"

Yellow tried to duck away, but Rouxls' hands followed with devilish precision, alternating between scribbling across his ribs and spidering into his underarms. Every switch kept Yellow off-balance, his laughter spilling without reprieve. His boots scuffed against the tiled floor as he wriggled and kicked, a hero reduced to a squirming puddle by nothing more than wiggling fingers~!

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Rouxls stopped.

Yellow collapsed forward, gasping, clinging to Rouxls' cape for balance. His giggles continued uncontrollably, his body still shaking from the phantom touches. "Youhuhuhu're eheheheevilll," he muttered between breaths.

Rouxls leaned close, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent shivers down Yellow's spine. "Perchance~. But dost thou not prefer mine cruelty, when it is only for thee~?"

Yellow's laughter softened into a nervous giggle, his cheeks pink. He managed to glance up, his eyes soft even in their watery haze. "...Mahahahybeeee..."

Rouxls smirked. "Then suffer more of it!!"

Before Yellow could react, Rouxls wrapped one arm around his waist, pulling him close in a half-embrace. He peppered kisses on his dear Hero's face while his other hand dove mercilessly into his stomach, fingers scribbling in rapid, unpredictable patterns.

Yellow's laughter reignited with wild intensity. "R-ROUHUHUHuXLS!!! W-WAAaHHahaHAHIT!!! IHiHI CahAHAN'T-!!" He twisted against the hold, but Rouxls only tightened the arm around his middle, pinning him with effortless flair.

"Mine Lightner~," Rouxls said between kisses, voice as theatrical as ever, "I declareth thy belly the weakpoint most illustrious~! It trembleth beneath mine hand like jelly~!"

Yellow shrieked, kicking weakly at the air. "IhIhIhI hAHahHAHtE YoUhUhUU!!!" he cried through laughter, but the fondness in his tone betrayed him completely.

"And yet," Rouxls mumured, dropping his lips to Yellow's ear, not stopping his tickly kisses, "thou smilest still~!"

The words struck as hard as the tickling itself. Yellow flushed red, laughter breaking into hiccups. He wanted to argue, but all he could do was sputter between giggles. His guard, the cautious layer he always carried, was gone, peeled back by sheer joy. Rouxls knew it and savored it.

Finally, after another flurry of teases at his stomach, an onslaught of kisses to his face, and a final squeeze at his sides, Rouxls relented. He pulled back just enough to let Yellow crumple into his arms, giggling weakly, leaning his forehead against Rouxls' chest.

For a long while, the hall was filled only with Yellow's residual giggles and Rouxls' smug, satisfied humming. Yellow clung loosely to him, trying to steady his breathing, his face buried against the Duke's ridiculous tunic.

"Y-youhuhuhu're thehe wohohorsttt," Yellow mumbled, voice muffled by fabric.

"Incorrect!!" Rouxls declared, gently stroking Yellow's hair as if rewarding a loyal pet. "I am the greatest!"

Yellow snorted despite himself, shoulders still bouncing with leftover laughter. He pulled back just far enough to meet Rouxls' eyes, still glassy from the tears of joy. "Ihihihi shouhuhuld hahahte youhuhu fohohor thahahattt..."

"But thou dost not~," Rouxls replied smoothly, smirk softening into something more tender. "For though I tormenteth thee, mine Lightner, I am thine tormentor and thine alone."

Yellow rolled his eyes, but the warmth in his gaze betrayed him. "Youhu're rihidiculous."

"Perchance!" Rouxls said with a dramatic shrug. "But thou art still smiiilinggg~!"

Yellow let out one last chuckle, leaning into him again, his body finally relaxing after all the squirming. "Ihi think the wahaiting was worse than ahall of ittt," he admitted quietly.

Rouxls' grin widened, slow and devilish. "Then next time, mine giggling Lightner, I shallst make thee waiteth long'r still~."

Yellow groaned, already laughing nervously again. "Youhuhu're gonna drive me insahahane."

"Then mine mission is most assuredly succeed'd," Rouxls said, pressing his forehead fondly against Yellow's with surprising softness.