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It had started as a passing thought, a way to keep his promise, both to himself and to his friends. Then, Wylan had picked up on it, and it had become a joke between the two of them. Jesper had never expected it to become a threat , much less an action to be followed through.
Not that Jesper hadn’t brought this upon himself. He’d agreed to the terms, after all, as joking as it had originally been.
And now here Jesper was, sitting in Wylan’s room, his arms tied to the back of a chair. Wylan stood nearby, fidgety and red in the cheeks, eyes darting from Jesper to the door as if he was worried his mother or one of his employees was going to walk in at any moment.
“If you’re really so worried about it,” Jesper drawled, trying his best to get comfortable, “just go lock it.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Wylan said, but he walked over to lock the door anyway. The red in his cheeks only flared up more.
“Why are you so embarrassed? I’m the one trussed up to a chair.”
Wylan scowled at him. “And just why might that be?”
Jesper bit his lip and looked away. It wasn’t like Wylan wasn’t in the right, he had been trying to sneak off to a gambling hall -- but only for an hour, two max! The itch had been so bad lately, getting progressively worse, and no matter what distraction Wylan or the others presented Jesper with, it just would not go away. Not even playing the markets with Wylan was enough, right now.
“Okay, fine.” Jesper said, squirming a bit. “You’ve made your point, you can untie me now.”
Wylan crossed his arms. “It was your idea.”
“I know that--”
“Maybe you need to stay there a little longer,” Wylan said, the red finally fading just slightly from his cheeks. They were still an adorable pink. “Maybe it’ll help get the message through.”
Jesper rolled his eyes. “I’m a Fabrikator. I could probably untie myself if I wanted to. You’re the one who figured out I can, with the bullets.”
Wylan huffed out a frustrated breath, and Jesper couldn’t help but grin at how cute he was. Jesper relaxed back into the chair as Wylan approached.
“Fine. But you have to stay in tonight.”
Jesper sighed. “Fine, sure. Want me to read to you? Or you could play us some music?”
Wylan hummed, leaning over Jesper to reach the back of the chair instead of just walking around it. He placed a hand on Jesper’s leg to steady himself. Jesper was tempted to tease him, just a little. To lean in, breathe against his neck, leer and whisper sweet words that would bring the red back to those cute little cheeks.
And then, inevitably, seeing as it was Wylan, he lost his balance. He yelped, one hand grabbing the back of his chair and the other squeezing at Jesper’s leg, just above his knee. Jesper flinched, jerking his gangly legs up against his chest, squealing uncharastically. Wylan jumped back, hands held nervously in front of his own chest.
“I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?” He asked, reaching out to fret over Jesper but too afraid to actually touch. “I didn’t know you were hurt, should I call for a doctor or medik?”
Jesper cleared his throat. “Uh, not hurt, Wy. Just, ah, sensitive is all.”
Wylan’s eyebrows bunched up and he frowned. “Sensitive?”
Jesper tilted his head back against the chair and groaned. “Ticklish, okay?”
Wylan’s face turned sly, a smile tugging at his lips. “You’re ticklish ?”
Jesper tried to scoot the chair away from Wylan, only managing to make it a couple of inches despite all the horrible screeching noises the wood made against the floor.
“I don’t like how eager you sound, merchling.”
“Oh, we’re back to ‘merchling,’ now?”
“We are if you keep looking at me like I’m a piece of meat.”
Wylan cocked his head to the side, the most innocent look on his face. “But Jesper, I thought you liked it when I looked at you like that?” And oh, that rascal had been spending far too much time with Nina, Jesper was going to have words with her. “You always look at me like that.”
Jesper squirmed, twisting his hands where they were bound to the slats in the back of the chair. He could feel the warmth rising in his cheeks, glad that his darker skin tone hid the flush. With how much he teased Wylan about his adorable blushing, Jesper didn’t think Wylan would let him live it down if he was caught with the same.
Wylan bit his lip, suddenly looking worried. “I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.”
Jesper blinked. “Pardon?”
“Tickle you,” Wylan said, his cheeks going a little ruddy again at the word -- and wasn’t that the most adorable fucking thing, it wasn’t fair . “I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.”
Jesper paused. No one had really tickled him in years, not since he left home. And his father had barely done it, so really, it was likely that no one had truly tickled Jesper since his mother died. He barely remembered what it felt like, save for that quick pinch Wylan delivered above his knee. He only remembered it being fun, exhilarating in a way only his mother’s playful fingers could achieve.
Jesper squirmed in his chair again. “I guess you can,” he mumbled. “But only a little!”
Wylan grinned, leaning in close. “Really?”
The heat in Jesper’s cheeks grew stronger, and he worried that Wylan would be able to feel it with how close their faces were. His mouth twisted a little in embarrassment.
“Just get it over with.”
Wylan didn’t need to be told again. His fingers made contact with Jesper’s legs again, surprisingly gentle. They dragged carefully over the tops of his thighs over his trousers until they reached that spot right above his knee again.
“Last chance to back out,” Wylan said, an unfairly teasing note to his voice.
Jesper leaned forward as well as he could in his bonds, so that when he spoke his lips nearly brushed Wylan’s. “I never back down from a challenge.”
He felt more than saw Wylan’s responding grin. “Are you blushing?” He asked.
Jesper’s eyes went wide as he realized that Wylan could feel the heat in his cheeks, with how close they were. He didn’t get a chance to flub through a reply to that before Wylan was squeezing at his knees, making him squeal again. There was no hope of Jesper holding in his laughter as he squirmed and kicked and tugged desperately at his wrists. Wylan had to jump to the side to avoid being kicked, though he managed to keep his hands on those tortuous little pressure points. He squeezed up and down Jesper’s thighs before returning to just above Jesper’s knee.
Jesper tossed his head back against the chair, shouting out a laugh. Now he was worried about Wylan’s mother or employees making an appearance, if just to see what that shrieking howling noise was. He bounced his legs and kicked frantically, instinctively trying to dislodge Wylan’s hands. In reality though, he didn’t quite mind as much as his squirming was probably making it seem.
The legs were becoming a bit too much, though.
“Somewhere else !” Jesper shouted out through his laughter.
Wylan giggled a bit at that, slowing his fingers. “Somewhere else?”
Jesper nodded, and Wylan was kind enough to acquiesce, despite another teasing laugh slipping out. His hands instead shot up to Jesper’s sides, squeezing away at the squishy flesh. Jesper tried to double over, giggling fiercely, but his arms tied behind the chair prevented him from having much of the same range of movement as he’d had with his legs. Instead, he just had to sit there and take it. He tried to curl his legs back up into his chest, and it might’ve helped if Wylan was kneading into his stomach, but the action did nothing to hide his sides. In fact, all it did was make Jesper’s legs a target yet again.
“Didn’t you tell me not to tickle here anymore?” Wylan asked, squeezing at one of Jesper’s knees.
Jesper yelped and his legs shot back down to the ground. Wylan laughed again and took the opportunity to attack Jesper’s stomach with scritching fingers. A snort fought its way out of Jesper’s nose and he sank down in the chair as much as his bound arms would allow him, which was actually a shocking amount. He really was too gangly.
“Wy!” Jesper cried, not really sure of what he wanted to say, just that he needed to say something .
“What is it, Jes?”
Jesper just shook his head. Through his squinted eyes, he caught Wylan’s wide, wild grin, looking more giddy than Jesper had seen him in ages. They’d both been tired lately, more run-down than either would care to admit, trying to run the Van Eck empire. Maybe goofing off like this was just what they both needed.
But then, Wylan’s hands wandered up to Jesper’s ribs, and Jesper took back every good thing he’d ever said or thought about the merchling. It was the most ticklish thing Jesper had ever felt in his life, Wylan’s deft, musician’s fingers picking away at his ribcage without mercy. It was made worse by the fact that he had sunk down so low in the chair, all stretched out, unable to press his arms to his sides in a feeble attempt to protect the area. He couldn’t even get the leverage to sit back up, with the awkward way he’d slunk down and the way the laughter had thoroughly weakened his muscles.
It was only moments later that his laughter went silent, his head tossed back desperately against the chair. Wylan’s fingers slowed until they were no longer moving at all, simply holding Jesper’s ribcage as it heaved while he caught his breath. When he’d steadied, Wylan walked behind the chair to release his wrists. Jesper used his newly free arms to pull himself upright back into the chair, then rubbed at his wrists. He was glad that Wylan had insisted on using something softer and kinder than the rough ropes Jesper had suggested.
“You have a nice laugh,” Wylan said, rounding the chair once more, wide smile still across his lips.
Jesper took a deep breath and shook out his limbs, checking to see if he’d regained his strength. “Not as nice as yours,” Jesper replied, stretching out his arms.
Wylan blinked and opened his mouth, presumably to ask just what Jesper meant by that, but Jesper didn’t give him the chance. He shot up from the chair and wrapped Wylan up in his arms, lifting his feet from the floor and carrying him across the room to toss onto the bed. Wylan shouted and squealed, gasping when Jesper quickly followed him onto the bed, pinning him to the plush surface.
“Your turn, merchling.”
Wylan gaped, his cheeks going beautifully flush once more. “Wait! But-- you told me I could!”
Jesper grinned down at him. “I did. But did I ever say I wouldn’t get revenge?”
Wylan pouted at Jesper, though his eyes were twinkling with joy. Jesper couldn’t help but press a quick kiss to his lips. When he pulled away Wylan was smiling again, his cheeks still red and ruddy.
“You wanted me to stay in tonight, Wy? You got your wish.”
Jesper only hoped the locks held with all the giggly screeching Wylan would be doing the rest of the night. Hopefully the neighbors wouldn’t complain.