Work Text:
Professional skating means professional training. It also means aspects of the physical form, like stamina, are developed to become stronger and last longer than the average person's. Well, thank god for Yuuri enduring through Victor's professional training, because the amount of time he's had to hold his breath while crouched low under Phichit's bed would be astounding to the right few.
"Yuuri!!" Yep, he's definitely mad. Not the I'm going to rip your head off kind of mad ( i.e. Yurio's type of anger ), but the just wait until I find you and tickle the shit out of you kind of mad, because when an angel like Phichit becomes angry at you, his first method of punishment is of course going to be something inherently light-hearted.
Dark eyes widen when Yuuri notices Phichits feet within his line of sight under the bed. He knew he shouldn't have allowed Guang Hong to persuade him to prank his fellow skater, especially since it involved his social media, which is a nigh sacred thing to Phichit. It'll be funny, he said. Phichit will die laughing about it, he said. He observes those feet marching closer and closer to the bed and for a moment, Yuuri feels as though his end is near. On top of being embarrassingly ticklish, Phichit is frighteningly good at tickling and that goes double for tickling Yuuri specifically. He hears the closet door swing open and a huff of frustration falling from the other before he eventually leaves the room.
A few seconds of absolute silence pass and Yuuri, foolishly, believes he's in the clear. Slowly, like a prey feeling out the area after having been alerted to a predator, Yuuri crawls out from underneath the bed and permits himself a diminutive breath of relief. Something he let loose all too soon.
"Aha!!" Comes the loud, accusatory call from Phichit, who's reappeared back in the open frame of his door with an index finger pointed directly at his best friend. "You thought you could hide from me, didn't you, Yuuri!"
The aforementioned male squeaks and rolls onto his back, palms up and arms outstretched from his chest, as if in attempt to admit defeat before Phichit makes any moves.
"Ah! Um, n-no! Not at all! I was just -- uh -- making sure… you didn't.. l-leave your skates under your bed again! Remember last time? You ended up nearly tripping ov---" A little too late, but Yuuri quickly realizes that reminiscing on an embarrassing mishap of Phichit's, when he's already agitated with him, is probably not the wisest of choices; that’s further evidenced by the tanned youth’s cheeks puffing out with a pout drawn across his lips.
“I’ll have you know that I hang my skates beside my bed now, as a symbol of love and honor towards the sport!” Probably not the best place to hang those skates, considering they could fall from their hook on the wall and Phichit may still trip over them - but Yuuri wasn’t about to say that and speak his ticklish demise into existence. Not that it wasn’t going to happen anyway, because as soon as Yuuri attempts a rapid spin to stand and venture an escape, Phichit closes in and tackles him down onto the bed. Fingers jump right into action, scribbling all over Yuuri’s sides and stomach, whilst keeping his body pinned with his weight. The reaction is immediate; Yuuri squirms like an unearthed worm being beaten down by the sun’s rays, giggling already in hysterics. Curse his hyper - sensitive skin! Every scritch and squeeze jolts through him like an electric current and he’s only made extra sensitive by Phichit’s abrupt teases.
“Do you see? You wouldn’t have to deal with such ticklish torture if you hadn’t messed with my insta page!”
“Ahahahahaha! I-I’m sohohohorry! It wahahasn’t -- j-just mehehehehe!” The longer those slender digits torture his stomach, the higher of an octave his laughter raises. Yuuri’s hands fly forward to grip onto Phichit’s wrists to try and deter him in any way, but with the strength he possessed before now usurped by the ticklish sensations, grabbing onto his friend hasn’t proven useful at all. If anything, he’s only been encouraged to migrate elsewhere and Yuuri’s about to regret that decision.
“Now, you’re right, it wasn’t just you, and Guang will receive his punishment the next time I see him. Buuuut for now, all I see is you , so you’re getting yours first!” There’s a particularly playful evil lurking within the intentions of Phichit’s words and Yuuri swears he will never, ever prank the other skater again. Too bad for Yuuri, because Phichit isn’t quite done helping him learn his lesson. “Y’know, I’m still a good friend. Let me help you; I wanna make sure you’ve got the right amount of ribs!”
Oh no.
“Phi--Phichihihihihit, nohoho--!” It’s too late. Ignoring Yuuri’s mirth-laden request, those deft digits travel to the expanse of his ribs and begin to count each one of them, aloud , and to just to make sure Yuuri feels it, Phichit spends some time in between each bone, with gentle, maddening strokes that have Yuuri unhinging his jaw in ripe shrieks of laughter.
“Ohoho, I totally forgot about how ticklish you are on your ribs! It’s one of your worst spots right? Who would’ve thought?” He’s simply being a brat now and if Yuuri could form coherent thoughts, he’d already be planning a vendetta. For now, he’s buried in merriment, some of it obviously forced, but even he couldn’t deny how much fun he’s actually having, and Phichit would say the same thing. Still, even good things must come to an end, and the social media star finally trusts that his friend understands why it isn’t a good idea to prank him. His fingers halt, smooth themselves over Yuuri’s stomach, earning him a stray giggle, but then are removed altogether. Yuuri sucks in as much oxygen as he can, laying unmoving atop the bed, glasses all askew and hopefully, not broken or cracked.
Phichit slides off of the other, appearing rather proud of himself, hand on a hip, while its counterpart is extended to aid Yuuri off of his bed. “Now, I know you’re probably going to want to get me back…,” he starts and bites back a shiver at the small smirk spreading across Yuuri’s lips at his words, “However, if I let you help me teach Guang this same lesson, since it is partly his fault why you got tickled in the first place, will you let me off the hook?”
Yuuri goes silent, truly contemplating the ultimatum he’s given. He nods then, his smirk deflating into a smile as he stands up next to Phichit, who doesn’t see his hand behind his back, with two fingers crossed. “Count me in.”