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It had begun, as such things often did, with a conversation.
"What do you mean you don't know if you're ticklish?!"
Marinette had been incredulous of her answer, as she kept Adrien and her company after Fencing practice, sitting on the steps outside the Colége waiting for their cars.
"I am unfamiliar with the term."
This just resulted in Marinette's jaw hanging open, arms waving amusingly in exasperated confusion as she turned to Adrien, who was sitting on the opposite side of her to Kagami.
"Back me up Adrien!"
Adrien smiled. "It's just a fun thing to do Kagami, Mom and I used to make a game of it when I was a kid, we'd both try and sneak up on each other and tickle the other person to catch them by surprise, whoever got the loudest laugh would win."
Marinette's face softened at Adrien's story of his departed mother, while Kagami furrowed her brow.
"So it is a form of competition to elicit an emotional response?"
Marinette turned back to her.
"I guess…? That's what you got out of all that?"
Kagami was about to answer when Marinette started to giggle. Adrien was tickling her.
"Ahahaha no, ahaha, Adrien stop!"
Adrien grinned but relented.
"You lowered your guard Marinette. It is to be expected, but I will not be so foolish."
She shot a hand out to grab the one Marinette had been walking along the step towards her.
Marinette looked sheepish and Kagami gave her a slight smile.
Their conversation was interrupted by Tetsu, and Adrien's car pulling up.
The three of them stood. Kagami nodded to them.
"It was pleasant speaking with you both."
Marinette smiled at her, before the expression morphed into what Kagami imagined was an attempt at a mock 'evil' look.
"I'm gonna get you Kagami!"
"Providing a warning of a surprise attack is foolish Marinette."
Marinette giggled before coughing politely.
"Um, can I have my hand back please?"
Kagami had not realised she was still holding Marinette's wrist.
"Oh, of course."
Kagami released her wrist and said her farewells before turning and quickly walking to the car.
~~~
In the week that had followed, Marinette made good on her threat with increasingly elaborate attempts to tickle Kagami, but Kagami always intercepted her probing hands.
It was almost like fencing.
Now, they sat in Marinette's room. Marinette had got her there under the pretence of wanting to design an outfit for her. Surprisingly mother had agreed. Kagami very briefly considered that Marinette had roped her into this nonsense, but discarded the thought as the absurdity it was.
Marinette had of course tried to tickle her several times while taking her measurements, but Kagami had repeatedly intercepted and dodged her.
She did notice Marinette's cheeks growing increasingly flushed as Kagami had shed layers of clothing for more precise measurements.
Interesting.
Now they sat on Marinette's chaise. Kagami had put her slip and skirt back on, but she had been distracted from putting the rest of her uniform on by Marinette sketching her design.
It was not the precise drawing of a draughtsman, and lacked the construction lines she herself still relied on. Marinette didn't seem to need them, instinctively drawing the human form with practised ease.
Her style seemed to lean towards conveying emotions rather than strict adherence to measurements and rigid forms, yet the clothes she drew hung precisely how each material would hang. She scribbled notes in the margins about material ideas and stitching styles to achieve the desired effect.
Kagami had never considered there was so much involved in making clothes look pretty.
"You are very talented Marinette."
Marinette's blush returned.
"Oh it's nothing, just a silly hobby. I'm nowhere near as good as the greats like Sarte, or Agreste"
Kagami frowned.
"Do not sell yourself short Marinette. I think you are better than them."
Marinette did that little gasping intake of breath she did when surprised.
Kagami held her starry eyed gaze, not looking away for a second.
Then she grabbed Marinette's hand as the fingers were millimetres from making contact with her.
"Oh come on!" Marinette said in frustration and Kagami smirked as the other girl darted her other hand in, only for Kagami to grab that one too.
She didn't know where the thought came from but she raised first one, then the other hand to her lips, and kissed them on the back - the palms would give too much of a tactical advantage to Marinette.
Marinette gasped, and blushed again.
Kagami released her hands, and again Marinette tried to tickle her, and again Kagami grabbed the hands and repeated the kisses.
Again and again, grab, kiss, release.
She felt her own cheeks start to burn as they continued like this.
Eventually, as Kagami once again held both of Marinette's wrists in her hands, Marinette let out an exasperated groan.
"Why do you keep doing that?! I just want to tickle you!"
"I told you, I will not lose."
She kissed the back of one hand.
"As for why I do this..."
She kissed the other.
"The goal of this game is to elicit an emotional response, is it not?"
Marinette's face was rapidly turning red as she nodded meekly.
"Uhuh."
"In that case…" Kagami started to lean in, putting Marinette's hands by her side and then carefully placing Marinette's sketchbook to the side - it was far too precious to risk damaging.
"Is it fair to say that I have won?"
Again Marinette nodded slowly as Kagami stared deep into those blue eyes, like sunkissed oceans, the light from the windows sparkled off their surface.
Their lips brushed against each other, and she raised her hands to hold the back of Marinette's head as she felt a desire to press their lips together
Then in a moment she realised her mistake.
Marinette's eyes twinkled with mischief and she grinned around the kiss as both hands shot up to tickle Kagami under the armpits.
She recoiled backwards, loud laughter bubbling up from her chest and escaping her lips as Marinette mercilessly tickled her.
"I WIN!" Marinette shouted triumphantly, raising her arms above her head.
It was a perfect opening, but Kagami was seized by paroxysms of laughter as her foe discovered her secret.
"Oh my god, you're super ticklish aren't you Kagami?"
Kagami was laughing too uncontrollably to speak so merely nodded as Marinette resumed her assault.
Maybe sometimes, Kagami thought to herself, just rarely, it was acceptable to lose.