Chapter Text
When Phantom was first summoned, he had a bit of a rocky start with the rest of the pack.
The summoning ritual left him dizzy and disoriented, unfamiliar with the overworld and already feeling suffocated by the dry air. The overwhelming anxiety and dread left no space to seek any of the ghouls out. He offered few words, earning fewer in response. He smiled kindly when he passed one of them in the hall, in the kitchen, on the way to or from the chapel, always getting a smile or wave back, but he was still utterly terrified of every one of them. He had always been naturally shy, nervous to approach others, even in the underworld, but this… this was a whole new level.
When rehearsals began, he wondered if his hands would ever stop shaking enough to play his guitar, or if their followers would even like him, uncomfortably aware of the shoes he had to fill. Taking over for Aether, who was adored by both fans and the rest of the pack, right in the middle of a tour with an already established lineup– it was nerve wracking, to say the least, and filled him with bone chilling terror so strong he thought he might die, to say the most.
Before leaving, Aether had very graciously shown him the ropes, teaching him everything he would need to know, taking his trembling hands and assuring him in a gentle voice that this was for the best, that he would grow into his role with time, that Papa chose him for a reason. Phantom deeply understood why he was so loved. It only made him more unsure of the change.
He had asked Papa once, deep into the late hours of the night when he couldn’t sleep, how he could be so certain Phantom was the right choice. Papa simply smiled and patted his head, brushing his hair from his face and combing through the strands between his thin horns, reassuring him the same as Aether that he was chosen for a reason, and only time would tell. Phantom nodded, tears in his eyes, grateful for the kindness, before turning towards the door of the chapel to return to his room.
“Phantom?” Papa had called, stopping the unsteady ghoul in his tracks, fingers shaking as he turned back around.
“Y-yes?” He asked, swallowing against the lump in his throat at the sound of his voice, scared and shaking. His long, thin tail swished behind him, pointed down towards the creaky floor, curiously and nervously waiting for Papa to continue.
“This pack is your family. They want to know you as much as you want to know them,” He continued, and Phantom sighed, looking down at his bare feet against the cold wood, nodding his head. “Let them see you, and you’ll see them too.”
“Thank you,” He replied with another nod, looking back up at Papa, who sent him a kind smile and an approving nod. Papa stood and walked past him, patting him on the shoulder before retreating to his own suite in the other direction.
After that night, Phantom did seem to open up a bit more to the other ghouls, but… not in a way he could’ve ever expected.
Aurora was the first to make the discovery.
It was the end of a very successful ritual, all the ghouls feeding off the buzzing energy of the crowd and each other, unanimously agreeing that it was one of the best shows of the tour. They gathered on stage for bows, and Phantom couldn’t help the huge smile he wore under his mask, bouncing on the balls of his feet and taking Aurora’s hand when she reached out to him. Aurora was the easiest for him to warm up to, with her loving, welcoming energy and the fact that they were summoned around the same time, so she was the first one he went to when he tried to get to know everyone. She squeezed his hand, looking up at him with a wide grin, her mouth uncovered by her mask, and he squeezed back, hoping she could tell he was smiling too. He felt Mountain grab his other hand gently, and they all raised their arms and took their bows together.
When they all let go and began to disperse off stage, Aurora wrapped an arm around his waist and held him tight, and he couldn’t help but hug her back, arms around her shoulders and his chin resting on her head, his chest fluttering from how happy he felt. He went to pull away, but her grip tightened and she squeezed his side, keeping him close.
His reaction, however, caught her attention.
He squealed and flinched, giggling quietly, his arm shooting down to his side as he stepped away from her hug and held his shaky hand up.
“You’re ticklish,” She stated, not a question, leaving no room for argument, and he gasped, hesitating.
“I–“ He began, his cheeks heating up, but her smile grew and her head tilted to the side, and all words were gone from both his mouth and his brain. Unsure of what else to do, he simply nodded, biting his lip under the mask and looking out at the crowd of people still watching them. Luckily, they weren’t the only ones on stage, and most of the attention was on Rain, Dew, and Mountain, tossing picks and drumsticks into the audience, but he still wanted to be as subtle as possible. Clearly, he couldn’t be that lucky, because Aurora reached out to poke at his sides again. He jumped, stumbling back, reaching out to grab her wrists, shaking his head. “Don’t–!”
“That’s so cute,” She cooed, shooting her hands forward and squeezing his sides once more. He yelped, jumping back, turning around and trying to quickly make his way backstage, arms crossed over his torso to cover his sides with his hands, still giggling and whipping his head around to keep an eye on her. She quickly jogged after him, grabbing him from behind and poking her nimble fingers into his sensitive sides between where his fingers covered. “Gotcha!”
“AH–!” He squealed, stumbling over his feet, grabbing her hands and holding them out to the sides, continuing to walk them both backstage as she giggled mischievously behind him. He could see her fingers wiggling in his peripherals, teasing him without even touching him, and he shook his head, willing the heat to leave his face before he had to take his mask off. When they finally made it behind the curtain, positive no one could see, he let her wrists go and whipped his body around again, hands ready to catch her right as she poked at his tummy. “Okahahay! Okay, stohop– Auroraha!” He whined through his giggles, earning more amused laughter from her, as he slumped against the cool concrete wall and caught his breath.
“I can’t believe you’re ticklish,” She said, and he groaned, leaning his head back and feeling the plastic of his helmet hit the concrete.
“Please don’t tell anyone,” He asked, and she nodded, holding her pinky out.
“Our little secret. Promise,” She said with a smile, and he nodded, connecting their pinkies. The second he did, though, she spoke again. “Except Cirrus and Cumulus, I'm telling them right away,” She added with quick words that he didn’t have time to refute.
“Wh– no!” He yelped, voice breaking, but Aurora was halfway down the hallway before he knew it.
“Bye!” She called out behind her, and he groaned, peeling himself away from the wall and towards their dressing rooms to change back into normal clothes. He knew anything that had to do with that very embarrassing piece of information couldn’t end well.
—
The next to find out was Mountain.
It was a beautiful day, sunbeams shining through the window, the warmth on his face through the glass making Phantom crave feeling it in person. After lazing around in bed for a decent while, soaking in the calm vibe and waking up slowly, he groaned as he stood up from his bed, stretching his limbs and rubbing his tired eyes with the backs of his hands. He changed into some casual clothes, simple jeans and a t-shirt, before making his way to the back porch to enjoy the fresh air.
He decided to take a walk, following the paths surrounding the property that he hadn’t gotten to explore much of yet, and he quickly found Mountain in the garden, breath hitching in his throat as he stopped in his tracks. Usually, he would retreat, telling himself not to be a bother, that Mountain would rather be alone, but this time, he took a deep breath and decided to see if maybe he was wrong.
Slowly, he stepped up to the edge of the fence, looking over quizzically with his head tilted to the side, his pointy ears piqued in curiosity and his tail curled behind him..
“What plants are these?” He asked softly, and Mountain startled at first, not expecting another voice, before looking up at Phantom with a wide grin from where he knelt by a new sprout.
“These are gonna be strawberries,” He said, and Phantom couldn’t help but smile at his voice. Mountain didn’t always talk much, sometimes going days without speaking at all, much more content to spend time with the other ghouls in silence or outside tending to the garden to have some alone time, but some days he would ramble for hours at a time, his soothing voice helping to calm any nerves any ghoul might have. “But this whole line is all different fruits.”
“What about the rest?” Phantom asked, stepping closer, hoping to hear more of Mountain’s calm voice, even if he didn’t really know much about gardening.
“Well,” Mountain began, standing up and brushing the dirt off his gloves, onto his worn jeans that were already stained with mud and grass. Phantom watched with wide eyes, always a little intimidated by the sheer size of the other ghoul, and Mountain smiled as he continued. “The two behind this one are fruits as well, blueberries, grapes, raspberries. Then there’s tomatoes, peppers, carrots. Then over there I have the flowers…” Mountain continued to ramble, rattling off each and every crop in the garden without missing a beat, some Phantom hadn’t even heard of, but he was still entranced by Mountain’s extensive knowledge and passion. Eventually, Mountain turned back to him, chuckling at the dumbfounded look on his face. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and he tugged his gloves off and rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand. “Sorry, I, uh… I might’ve gotten carried away.”
“No!” Phantom immediately interrupted, shaking his head and standing up straight. “No, not– not at all, I love hearing you talk,” He said, earning a smug half-smile from Mountain, and he immediately realized what he said, mentally kicking himself for being so awkward. “Wh– okay, no, um, I– I meant, like, uh–“
“It’s okay,” Mountain assured, laughing slightly, clearly amused by Phantom’s struggle. “It’s okay, it’s cute. It’s not the first time I’ve been told that,” He replied, growing smug, and Phantom sighed in relief, both thankful and humiliated by how quickly Mountain understood what he meant. There was a moment of silence, before Mountain tilted his head, smiled, and asked, “Do you… wanna help?”
Phantom looked up at him with wide eyes, tail standing at attention behind him, ears pinned back, nerves on fire, every ounce of his being wanting him to refuse.
But he was having fun, and Mountain actually… wanted him to be there? So, yeah, okay, maybe… maybe he could help, for a little while.
“Yeah,” He said, a smile forming on his lips. “Yeah, I– I’d like that,” He replied, and Mountain made his way towards the gate to open the door for him. Phantom stopped in his tracks, looking down at his clothes. “Wait, I– I don’t have, like, stuff to wear, or, like–“
“Oh, that’s okay,” Mountain waved a hand at him, stepping out of the gate himself instead. “We can move to the greenhouse, it’s not as messy there. And I have an apron you can wear,” He reassured, motioning for Phantom to follow him down the path a few steps, taking him into the greenhouse.
Mountain handed him a pair of gardening gloves and the apron, giggling at how big it was on him when he dropped it over his head, then helping him re-tie it to fit properly. Phantom couldn’t deny the blush on his cheeks if he tried, but luckily Mountain didn’t seem to notice– or at least he didn’t comment on it– and instead he gestured to a line of potted plants that even Phantom could tell needed a little bit of extra care.
“I’ve been meaning to get to this, I just never have the time,” He started, and Phantom nodded. He grabbed the small metal watering can next to the pots, then a handful of what looked like pre-mixed soil from the bucket next to him, then demonstrated as he spoke. “All you have to do is water a tiny bit, then put some of this soil stuff up to the top, then water again. I mixed the dirt with all the fancy grow-y stuff yesterday, so you don’t have to worry about anything like that. Sound good?”
“Yes, sir,” Phantom agreed with a salute, making Mountain smile and nod at him.
“Water spout’s behind you if you need it!” He called as he turned to the other end of the greenhouse, working on something that looked much more complex than the task he’d given Phantom, something involving a line of glass jars and several different sharp tools. He vaguely remembered Mountain talking about it at dinner once, something along the lines of prop… proper-something, he wasn’t sure, but he reminded himself to ask Mountain about it later in the day, hoping to hear more of his nice voice and wide planting knowledge in the process.
He started his task, finding a rhythm fairly quickly. He had to admit, it was kind of relaxing, listening to the birds chirping outside, the breeze rattling wind chimes near the open door, and the quiet sound of Mountain humming either a song from their set or something he’d never heard before.
He got about three pots in before he nearly tripped over his own foot, his shoe slipping on a few drops of water and kicking the table, making him drop the handful of soil all over the front of his apron. He tensed, knowing Mountain definitely heard the commotion, and he was right, as the taller ghoul was by his side in an instant to make sure everything was okay.
“I’m fine, I just– I slipped, sorry,” Phantom blurted, squeezing the handle of the watering can in his hand anxiously, feeling bad for disrupting the calm environment. Mountain laughed, shaking his head fondly and resting a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay, bud, no need to apologize. Happens to me all the time,” Mountain reassured, his other hand reaching out to brush away the dirt from the front of Phantom’s apron, his fingers trailing over his stomach in the process.
Phantom nearly flew out of the greenhouse entirely.
He yelped and jumped back, his empty hand moving to cover his stomach, and he felt the blush return to his cheeks instantly, looking up at Mountain in shock.
“What was that?” He asked, and Phantom wouldn’t have been able to suppress his giggles if he tried. He shook his head and took another step back, but Mountain took a step forward and reached out to brush over the apron again, making him gasp and swat his hand away, curling in on himself. “Someone’s a little ticklish, huh?”
“Nohoho!” He denied, but Mountain simply latched onto his torso, fingers scratching at his tummy and making him jump back again. This time, he didn’t have anywhere else to go, and he crashed into another row of plants, hearing plaster and metal clank behind him as the table stopped him in his tracks. “Ah–!” He gasped, looking behind him to make sure nothing was damaged, but he barely had time to see before Mountain’s voice made him turn back around.
“Oh, you’re wreckin’ the place now?” Mountain reprimanded playfully, standing in front of Phantom now, crowding him against the table and grabbing him again.
“Nohohoho, I’m sohorry, I didn’t mehehean–!”
“Yeah, you will be sorry,” Mountain continued to joke, a wide smile on his face, making Phantom struggle to reply, before fingers were back to poking and prodding above his hips.
“Nahahaha– Mohohount!” Phantom whined, the nickname making its way out before he could stop it, quickly throwing the back of his arm over his mouth when he realized he’d said it, but Mountain’s lips formed into a pout as he looked at him fondly.
“Aww, that was so cute, do that again! Don’t hide your giggles from me!” Mountain asked, and Phantom shook his head, biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut, curling forward until his head hit Mountain’s chest and he leaned against him. His tail curled behind him, overwhelmed by the mix of emotions surging through his body, the tip of it swaying side to side as Mountain’s fingers found new spots to torment as he pleased. “C’mon, please? Say it again!” He asked again, his long fingers traveling up to Phantom’s ribs, making him squeak and let his giggles out once again, pulling his arm away from his face and grabbing helplessly at Mountain’s wrists.
“AH– Mohohount, plehehehase!” He squirmed wildly, and his other hand finally betrayed him, forgetting the watering can in his hand and trying to grab for the offending fingers, successfully splashing water all over Mountain’s arms and the front of his already messy t-shirt. Both ghouls paused, and Phantom gasped, sheer horror washing over his face as his breathing quickened. He clumsily put the watering can down on the empty part of the table next to him. “Oh myhy god, Mohountain, I am so sorry– I’ll clean it up–”
“Oh, you’re gonna get it now,” Mountain said, clearly not bothered at all by the water, or the fact that the dirt on his own hands was now wet and muddy and definitely getting all over the apron he leant Phantom, and it was so obvious he was only using that tone to make Phantom nervous, not because he was actually upset. But as much as Phantom knew this, it still worked, and Phantom felt his stomach drop at the smirk on Mountain’s face.
“Wh–“ He squeaked, and suddenly there were hands attacking his torso again, squeezing up and down his sides and ribs, poking and scratching at his tummy, digging into his hips, trying their hardest to get under his arms even with his elbows practically glued to his sides. He swatted and grabbed for Mountain’s hands, but his attempts were futile, Mountain was simply too big and strong to defeat, arms toned and fingers dexterous, clearly familiar with the art of tickling his fellow ghouls to tears— which, if Phantom was honest, definitely made the butterflies in his tummy flutter a lot harder than it should have. Phantom was no match for him, and they both knew it. “Okahahahay! Okay, I cahahan’t–!”
Mountain stopped with a giggle, letting Phantom rest his head on his chest and let out his leftover giggles. Mountain rubbed a hand up and down his back, chuckling when he flinched each time Mountain’s fingers came a little too close to his sides, but eventually he was able to calm his breathing back down.
“That was adorable,” Mountain commented, making Phantom groan and nuzzle into him further. “Have you always been that ticklish?” He asked, and there was a moment of hesitation, before he felt a shy nod against his chest.
“Even in the underworld,” Phantom muttered, voice low and whiny, clearly embarrassed. “It sucks.”
“Aww, don’t say that. It’s cute,” Mountain reassured, and Phantom groaned, shaking his head and pressing in further, crossing his arms over his chest. Mountain hugged him tighter, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close, feeling the smaller ghoul’s shoulders relax. Eventually, Phantom pulled back, leaning back against the table and looking up at Mountain, face still flushed pink but otherwise mostly recovered. “Does anyone else know?” He asked, and Phantom pouted again, ears pointed down bashfully as he tapped the toe of his shoe against the concrete floor.
“…Aurora. I told her not to tell anyone, but I think she told Cumulus and Cirrus anyway,” He said, rolling his eyes. “No one’s said anything yet, and that was, like, a week or two ago, so… I didn’t think it would come up again,” He spoke with a pout on his lips, and Mountain couldn’t help but coo at him.
“Well, unfortunately, that will absolutely not be the case with me,” Mountain teased, and Phantom’s jaw dropped, betrayal heavy in his dark violet eyes. “I can promise you right now I will be tormenting you now that I know how adorable and ticklish you are,” Mountain continued, laughing in amusement when Phantom hid his face in his hands and shook his head.
“Nooooo,” He whined exasperatedly. “C’mon, Mount, be nice!” Mountain cooed, pulling Phantom in for another hug with his arm around his shoulders. He smiled when Phantom wrapped his arms around his waist, curling his arm up to rest his hand on Phantom’s head, running his fingers through his hair soothingly. His thumb brushed Phantom’s horn a few times, and he relished in the content sigh it got him, with Phantom pressing further into his hand each time he felt the touch. Mountain decided he would keep that little tidbit of information for a later time.
“C’mere,” He coaxed after a few minutes, dragging a still pouting Phantom to the bench in the middle of the greenhouse, patting it gently. “You sit here and chill while I finish this stuff up. Then we’ll go back inside, okay?” He offered, and Phantom smiled and nodded, making himself comfortable on the bench and watching Mountain do the rest of the work. They spent the rest of the morning switching between comfortable silence and easy small talk, chatting about any random things that came to their mind, and Phantom had to say, he was quite happy with their little bonding moment. He supposed he could get used to seeing the other ghouls in this light— with or without an onslaught of tickling preceding it.
Eventually, they did head inside, separating to shower and change before meeting back up in the common room to watch a movie together, where Mountain definitely proved he wasn’t lying about the promise he made.
—
The next ghoul to find out, much to Phantom’s surprise, was Dewdrop.
Now, Dewdrop… he was scared of Dewdrop.
He was sure Dew was very nice, and he was sure once he got to know him, everything would be fine. But still… he was scared of Dew.
The two of them had an even rougher meeting than the rest of the ghouls. Dew was cold, colder than anyone else, refusing to even make eye contact with him for nearly a week when he was first summoned. He wasn’t sure what he did wrong, or how he could make things right, but when he caught wind of how Dew watched Aether when he was teaching Phantom, glared at Phantom when Aether would praise his skills, saw the way Aether would look back at him longingly in those moments, he started to understand.
He swallowed his anxiety and asked Rain for confirmation, since Rain seemed like the one Dew was closest to after Aether, and Rain confirmed his suspicions with a sad expression.
“I think Aether leaving is hitting him the hardest,” Rain had said, and Phantom bit the inside of his cheek, feeling almost like he was intruding by even talking to Rain about this. “He’s always been closest to Aeth, closer than any of us. I mean, we all love him more than life itself, you met him, you can see why, but… it’s different, for Dewy…” He continued, furrowing his eyebrows as he spoke.
“Mm…” Phantom hummed in acknowledgment, unsure of what else to say, knowing the conversation wasn’t going to help his anxiety in the slightest.
“He’s harmless, though,” Rain continued, as if he could read Phantom’s mind, and Phantom looked up to make eye contact with Rain, who had already been studying his worried face. “Dew, I mean. He’s tough, and he’s not easy to crack. He’ll carry this tough guy act as far as you’ll let him to avoid you seeing his true self,” Rain explained, and Phantom nodded in understanding. “But he’s harmless. He doesn’t hate you, Phantom, I promise you that much. He’ll come around.”
“Thank you. That really means a lot, I appreciate it,” Phantom said with a smile, and Rain smiled back, patting Phantom’s shoulder, before stepping past him and rounding the corner back to the common room. Phantom felt a weight lift from his shoulders, knowing that Dew at least didn't hate him, they just needed more time to get to know each other.
Which led him to this moment, almost a month later.
Nothing had changed. It still felt like he was walking on a cracked glass floor, six stories up, that also happened to be covered in eggshells, every time he was even in the same room as Dew. Dew had barely uttered a word to him, outside the occasional comment during rehearsals, a brief “morning” when they passed each other in the kitchen, or a barely there “excuse me” and a hand on his shoulder that felt like it burned the one time he needed to squeeze past Phantom in the chapel. He still didn’t know what to do, feeling lost and hopeless, forcing himself to accept the fact that maybe Dew really did just hate him after all, and that would be something he’d simply have to live with.
One day, he was awake before anyone else. The sun had just started rising, it couldn’t have been any later than five or six in the morning. He stood up from his bed, stretching and letting out a soft groan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and kicking on his slippers before making his way down to the kitchen.
As he rounded the corner, he tried to think about which flavor of tea he wanted. He knew Mountain always kept his chamomile in the top cabinet, hidden away where no one else in the pack could reach it, but Mountain always said he could have it if he wanted it, and he supposed he could climb on the counter if he needed to. There was always lavender as well, but he usually had that before bed, or there was the rose tea that Rain had tried and hated and said Phantom could have if he liked it. Maybe he would do that one, he wouldn’t mind changing things up—
The light above the kitchen table was on when he got there.
And who was sitting at the head of the table, in pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt that was definitely a few sizes too big, likely someone else’s, hanging off his slim shoulder, his long, silky hair tied up in a bun, with a few messy strands untucked and cascading over his face beautifully, but Dewdrop himself, a cup of coffee in front of him and a book in his hands.
Phantom gasped, frozen in place, heart pounding in his chest, unsure of what to do next. He hadn’t been alone with Dew in weeks, and even when he had been, someone else had always passed through within seconds, never leaving them long enough to actually speak to one another. But everyone was asleep, no one was coming to save him, and Dew was there first, which meant he was walking into Dew’s space.
Maybe Dew didn’t see him yet. Or, maybe he did, and he just didn’t care. Maybe he wouldn’t have to say anything and Dew would just ignore him like he usually does. Maybe, if all went well, Dew would simply shoot him a small smile and pay him no mind, and he could just make his tea and leave.
No. Too risky. He needed to leave now. Tea could wait.
He slowly stepped backwards, prepared to turn around and bolt back to his room, all he needed to do was just fade into the dark hallway and–
“Phantom,” Dew spoke, voice flat, not looking up from his book. He uncrossed his legs from under the blanket on his lap, pushing the chair next to him with one foot. “Sit.”
So much for that plan.
He almost made a run for it– he probably could’ve made it to his room fast enough for Dew to question if he was seeing things, right?– but his legs moved on their own accord, taking slow steps towards the table, cringing at every creak of the floor boards. He let out a shaky breath, stopping before the chair Dew had pushed out for him, glancing between it and Dew, who finally closed his book and set it down on the table, glancing up at him and gesturing towards the chair. Phantom swallowed against the lump in his throat, sitting at the very edge of the chair, tail and ears both standing pin-straight and stiff, his entire body tense as he half-faced Dew at the awkward angle of the chair.
“Jesus Christ, I’m not gonna set you on fire, Phantom, you can look a little more relaxed,” Dew said with a scoff, rolling his eyes, and Phantom bit his lip.
“S-sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t– sorry,” Phantom’s voice shook, and he adjusted himself, letting himself sit normally on the chair, albeit still very stiff. He pulled one leg up onto the chair, wrapping his arms around it, as the leg that remained on the floor bounced nervously. Dew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath.
“No, no, it’s– it’s okay, I’m sorry,” He said softly, letting out a sigh and taking a sip of his coffee. They sat in silence for a while, Phantom watching Dew in awe as he tried to find the words for something he very clearly needed to say. “Listen. I… I know we got off on the wrong foot. And I just want to tell you I’m sorry,” Dew began, and Phantom’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly as his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m, uh… I’m sure you– I’m sure you could tell that, um… that, uh, Aether… and, um, and me, we, uh…”
“I know you guys were close,” Phantom nearly whispered, nodding in understanding, hoping it would be helpful for Dew to know he knew what he meant.
“Yeah. Putting it lightly,” Dew nodded with a dry chuckle, pursing his lips, looking down at his coffee and back up at Phantom. “Yeah. So, when you first got here, in my mind, you were kind of… replacing him. Which, you are, technically, but in my mind you were trying to replace him. But you’re not.”
“No, no, I wo– I could never,” Phantom explained, shaking his head frantically, and Dew smiled, nodding, stopping Phantom’s nervous ramble before it started.
“I know. Don’t worry, I know. But what I’m trying to say is…” Dew took in another breath, letting out a shaky sigh, and Phantom tilted his head and leaned in further, giving Dew the space to continue and making sure he could tell he was listening. “When you first got here, I hated you for that, and that is not at all fair to you. And the longer you’ve been here, and the more I see you with everyone else, the more I realize you’re not the ghoul I hated for no reason. And I wanted to apologize to you. For acting how I’ve been acting and not treating you fairly.”
“It’s okay,” Phantom said, and a wave of relief washed over Dew’s face. Phantom had never seen him show any emotion before, let alone anything like that, so slowly, he continued. “Really, it is. I know I was summoned in the middle of everything, and I know having a new member of the pack takes a lot of getting used to. It’s… it’s been hard for me, too, obviously in different ways than it has for you, but… I get it. Thank you, Dew. Really,” Phantom replied, watching a smile form on Dew’s face, his eyes turning glassy.
“Thank you. For understanding,” Dew replied, his smile replaced by a slight pout when his bottom lip wobbled. He took a sharp breath in, letting out an even shakier exhale than before, his fingers tightening around his coffee mug as he swallowed hard, clearly struggling to keep himself together in front of Phantom. Phantom’s eyes softened, every ounce of him wanting to reach out to embrace the other ghoul, but he didn’t want to rush things just yet, so he tried to think of other ways he could help instead.
“Hey,” Phantom started, voice still soft, as Dew looked up at him nervously. “Do… Do you want me to make you something to eat? I, uh… I was coming down here for tea anyway, and I’m kinda hungry. I could make you something?”
Dew let out another shaky breath, nodding and blinking back the tears in his eyes.
“Yeah. That would be nice,” He whispered, and Phantom smiled, standing up from his chair and pushing it back towards the table. He reached out to cup Dew’s face, holding his face gently as the smaller ghoul closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, reaching up to hold onto Phantom’s wrist. He stayed for a few seconds, hearing Dew’s breathing calm down and feeling him nod against his hand, before pulling back and moving to the kitchen to start on his tea. He didn’t consider himself a great cook, not as familiar with food outside of the underworld as the other ghouls, and definitely nowhere near the level of Mountain or Cumulus or even Rain, but he knew he could manage breakfast well enough to feed the two of them.
Minutes later, his cup of rose tea was cooling on the counter, a fresh cup of coffee brewing for Dew, and he was in the middle of cooking eggs, bacon, and a couple pieces of toast.
“Coffee’s almost done, if you wanna come grab it,” Phantom said, and Dew’s eyes shot from his book up to Phantom as he nodded. “What are you reading?”
“Something Cirrus leant to me a few weeks ago,” He started, standing up and walking towards the coffee maker, resting his hip against the edge of the counter and watching Phantom cook. “It’s about the symbolism of bats in literature and media. It’s not a long read, I started it a few days ago and I’m already almost done.”
“What’s the symbolism?” Phantom asked, glancing over at him, lowering the flame on the stove.
“Apparently they can mean a lot of things. But most commonly, they represent transformation. The need to grow and change. Letting go of the old, bringing in the new…” Dew explained, trailing off at the end, eyes jumping over to Phantom’s at the same time Phantom's jumped to his. They were quiet for a moment, before Dew chuckled, grabbing his new cup of coffee and bringing it up to his mouth. “I think I know why she gave it to me.”
“I’m– I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Phantom stammered nervously, returning his attention to the food in front of him. He turned the stove off, reaching above Dew with a quiet “excuse me” to grab two plates, divvying up the eggs and bacon just as the toast popped out of the toaster. He grabbed those as well, placing them on the plates and leaving them on the counter as he went to grab the rest of what they might need from the fridge.
“It’s never a coincidence with her,” Dew replied, and Phantom fought the urge to stop in his tracks and think about what that meant. Luckily, Dew did it for him, continuing on to say, “You are kind of like a bat, aren’t you?”
“Wh…” Phantom started, pausing in the middle of spreading butter onto his toast and blinking a few times, his brain buffering at the complete flip Dew had taken in the half hour they’d been talking. “What?”
“Think about it. They’re all dark and eerie, which makes sense for your look and everything. But they fly, and they’re agile, and you're so bendy and so light on your feet I almost didn’t even hear you walk in before,” Dew continued, and Phantom felt his cheeks heat up as he spoke. He was in awe, not expecting any of this from the other ghoul, and Dew laughed at the look on his face.
“Shut up!” Phantom said with a chuckle as he shook his head, handing his knife to Dew for him to butter his own toast.
“Aw, Mounty was right, you are cute when you’re flustered,” Dew replied with a laugh, making quick work of finishing his toast and putting the butter back in the fridge. Phantom froze, the words seeping into his bones and making his brain feel like it was short circuiting.
“Oh, please tell me he did not say that,” Phantom whined, closing his eyes and tipping his head back, his blush growing darker at the thought of Mountain talking to Dew about him and that being what came up.
“Oh, he did,” Dew confirmed, and Phantom couldn’t help the embarrassed groan he let out. “He’s also the one who came up with the bat comparison first.”
“Wh– really?” Phantom asked, whipping his head around to look at him, smiling when he nodded.
“Mm. He said you’re too giggly, though. Ruins the whole ‘dark and mysterious’ thing. I have no clue what he meant by that, but…” He said, and Phantom’s jaw dropped.
There’s no way Mountain would do that to him.
“I’m not– I’m not giggly,” He protested, biting his lip to hold back giggles.
“He said you are. He wouldn’t tell me how he knew, but he said, and I quote, that you’re a ‘giggly little thing’. Which I, frankly, cannot wait to hear,” Dew teased, a smirk on his face as he watched Phantom shake his head and look down again.
“Well, that’s unfortunate for you, because you never will–“ Phantom began, crossing his arms over his chest, but his body betrayed him, the nerves finally catching up to him, as he jumped halfway out of his skin when Dew’s hand slid past his torso, not even touching him, reaching out to grab a paper towel. He couldn’t stop the flinch and gasp, biting down harder on his lip when he realized Dew didn’t even mean to do that, and he completely blew his own cover for absolutely no reason.
“Ohhhh, I get it,” Dew mused, a smirk forming on his face. “Seems like I might get to hear those giggles sooner than I thought.”
“No, Dew, please–“ Phantom started, pushing his plate back on the counter and cowering away from the other ghoul. He held his hands up in defense, and Dew turned towards him with a new determination on his face. “C’mon, we– we were having a moment! I made you breakfast, be nice!”
“What, it’s not nice for me to want to see you smile?” Dew stepped towards him, and Phantom couldn’t hold in his anticipatory giggles anymore, letting a few slip out when Dew lunged towards him with surprising energy.
“Nohohoho!” Phantom yelped, suddenly slamming a hand over his mouth when he caught a glimpse of the time on the kitchen clock that read 6:27, reminding him that everyone in the pack was, in fact, still sleeping soundly, and he did not intend to be the wake up call. “Noho, no, plehehease, everyone’s sleeping, Dewdrop–“ He babbled, trying to be as quiet as possible, his words coming out quick and panicked as Dew’s unexpectedly strong hands pulled him closer.
“Well, you better not wake them, then.” One of Dew’s arms curled around his waist, and he tried to twist away, but his arm tightened and kept Phantom in place, pinned with his back against Dew’s chest, as his fingers dug into his side where they held him close. Dew had to stand on his toes to properly hold him, and if Phantom was any less nervous he would’ve commented on it, but unfortunately, it seemed to be working perfectly well for him. Phantom threw his arm over his mouth, pressing his face into the crook of his elbow and keeping his giggles muffled, until Dew’s free hand reached up to dig into his armpit, making him squeal and shoot his arm down to his side. “Oh, no! Sounds like you want someone to wake up, huh, bat boy?”
“Nahahaha–!” He giggled, throwing his head back onto Dew’s shoulder and pressing his lips together tightly. Both of Dew’s arms wrapped around his waist, digging into his sides and ribs wherever his hands could reach, and Phantom could feel his knees begging to give out from under him due to the awkward position. He whined, straightening his posture, and Dew seemed to be able to tell what his problem was, because he immediately pulled his arms back and latched onto his hips instead, giving him space to squirm but no reprieve yet. “AH– oh, Dew, plehehehease, pleasepleaseplease, I– nohoho–“ He protested, still muffling his laughter with his hands as much as possible, grabbing and swatting at Dew’s tickling fingers in between. “Dewdrohohohop, everyone’s sleepihihihing–“
“Not everyone,” a voice came from the doorway, and Phantom felt genuine panic flow through him, his hands shooting down to grab Dew’s wrists in a death grip, clamping his mouth shut and whipping his head around to see who it was, barely breathing. Dew turned to look as well, clearly less mortified than Phantom, smiling as he saw who it was. It was Mountain, who smiled at them sleepily, his eyes scrunching up as he did so. Phantom would’ve thought it was endearing, if he wasn’t busy actively wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole, sending him back to the underworld. He barely registered when Mountain stepped further into the kitchen, walking over to the coffee maker and reaching up into the cupboard to grab his hidden tea with ease.
“Morning, big guy,” Dew greeted casually, like he hadn’t just been tickling Phantom to tears, like his wrists weren’t losing circulation from Phantom’s tight grip. Mountain leaned over to him, placing one hand on Dew’s shoulder and pressing a soft kiss to his head, one that made Dew’s smile widen and his eyes light up even more.
“Mountain, I’m– I'm so sorry, I didn’t– we didn’t mean to wake you, we just– I was just– I’m sorry–“ Phantom rambled, fingers shaking as he let go of Dew’s hands and stepped away from both of them.
“Phantom,” Mountain interrupted, a smile forming on his lips, his soothing voice instantly flowing through Phantom’s ears, more rough than usual from it being so early in the morning. “Relax, buddy, it’s okay. You didn’t wake me,” He reassured, watching Phantom let out the breath he was subconsciously holding. “I was already up, I just came down to get some tea and you were already here.”
“Okay,” Phantom whispered, mostly to himself, nodding and leaning against the counter to recover. “Okay, good.” Dew glanced over at him, chuckling and rolling his eyes playfully at his embarrassment. Phantom pouted at him, crossing his arms and squirming where he stood.
“Mount, you were right,” Dew said, grabbing his nearly forgotten plate of food. “He is cute when he’s flustered,” He repeated from earlier, reaching his free hand out to poke at Phantom’s tummy, making him squeal, batting at his hands.
“Noho–!” He yelped, almost losing his balance from the surprise attack, but Dew stopped as quickly as he started, giggling meanly to himself and grabbing his coffee, making his way over to the table. Phantom let out a huff, adjusting the hem of his t-shirt and tapping the toe of his slipper against the floor, hoping that if he ignored the rush of warmth to his face that it would just go away. He heard Mountain chuckle next to him, watching him pull his mug away from the coffee maker and stir his tea, and he whipped his head over to look at him with a scowl. “Shut up, you.”
“Sorry, sorry,” He said with a chuckle, putting one hand up in surrender as he sipped his tea. Phantom turned to grab his own plate, finally ready to sit down and start eating his breakfast that was definitely getting cold. “Although,” Mountain continued, leaning in towards Phantom’s ear, voice low so Dew wouldn’t hear, and Phantom looked over at him as he spoke. “I wouldn’t be mad if I woke up to that sound every day. I might have to take matters into my own hands every once in a while,” He said with a mischievous wink, and Phantom gasped, dumbfounded as he watched Mountain leave the kitchen, tea in hand, leaving him to ponder what he could’ve even meant by that.
“Come sit and eat before I finish my food and leave you in here!” Dew called, kicking the chair out for Phantom once again, and the ghoul quickly shook off Mountain's comment and joined Dew at the table.
—
The real nail in the coffin was Rain. That’s when Phantom knew that the tickling thing would be a thing from then on.
He had a feeling it would be, given the undeniable increase in evil fingers that found their way into his personal space on a regular basis.
There were several mornings filled with teasing, with Dew tweaking his ribs as he passed him in the hallways or common rooms, walking off as if he had no idea what caused Phantom to jump and squeal and slap a hand over his mouth, the only sign he knew anything at all being the smirk on his face and the wink he sent Phantom’s way before rounding a corner.
There were a few times when he’d walked in on the Ghoulettes– always together, always coaxing him over with a sea of sweet words– and more often than not the interaction would end with one of them poking or scratching at his tummy, another waiting patiently for him to jump back so they could catch him in their arms, and the third would find another spot to attack, before they kindly let him go and watched him stumble away, red faced and giggling, barely composing himself by the time he made it to wherever he was heading. Once, he was napping on the sofa in the living room, and he was rudely interrupted by Cumulus running her nails down the sole of his foot, and Cirrus scratching gently at the small strip of skin on his lower tummy that was exposed where his t-shirt had bunched up. He jolted awake, a squeak following, greeted by Aurora’s upside down smiling face staring down at him from above, where she stood by the arm of the couch awaiting his reaction. He remembered to nap with a blanket after that… most times.
There were many instances of Mountain coming up behind him, wrapping his arms around Phantom’s shoulders and curling around him, boxing him in, which was already enough to make Phantom giggle and squirm in his arms. Mountain would giggle too, an evil little sound that rumbled through Phantom’s entire being, as he leaned in to speak low in Phantom’s ear, tell him he just looked too adorable standing there for Mountain not to play with him, one hand coming up to wiggle his fingers ever so gently under his chin and around his neck and ears– an area Mountain discovered that Phantom humiliatingly didn’t even know about, and he especially didn’t know it would make his chest rumble with giggles nearly identical to a cat purring. Apparently, Mountain was thrilled with that knowledge, as it was now the target of at least a third of his teasing when he chose to be more gentle.
Sometimes Mountain’s teasing would be wordless, on days where he was more inclined to be silent and let his actions do the talking. His fingers would travel up and down Phantom’s torso, seeming to find a new spot or reaction each time, giving no verbal response to Phantom’s whines and pleas for mercy, the only audible sounds from him being small chuckles and hums of content. Other days it was the opposite, when Mountain felt a bit more talkative and decided he would work his magic using only his words. When he’d hold Phantom in place, hands on his waist, ready to strike, but he just… never did. His fingers stayed still, grip strong to keep him from escaping, and he would ramble about what he could be doing, enough that Phantom would still be lost in giggles, squirming like he was actually being tickled. Phantom didn’t know how, but he swore he could feel those tickly fingers beneath his skin, and could feel Mountain’s teasing words buzzing around in his ears. If Mountain’s smug smirk was anything to go by, that is exactly what he intended.
It seemed Mountain relished in making Phantom as flustered as possible, no matter the situation. Phantom would never, ever admit it out loud, but he couldn’t honestly say he minded all that much. Embarrassingly, he kind of liked the attention. It brought him closer to the group and helped him form a connection with each of the ghouls, even beyond each of them wanting to tickle him silly every other day. He really started to feel like he belonged, like they really were taking a liking to him, and he couldn’t have been happier.
And, truthfully, he knew he wasn’t exactly subtle about how much he liked the tickling.
He knew the others were catching on. With how easily he could overpower the Ghoulettes, or even Dew with a little more fight, or how quickly Mountain would understand and never tickle him again if he even implied that it made him uncomfortable, it was only a matter of time before word spread. Luckily, it had kind of become an unspoken rule among the pack– tickle Phantom as much as you want, don’t worry, he likes it, but don’t mention the fact that he very obviously likes it.
But Rain… didn’t seem interested in keeping that “unspoken” rule unspoken.
A knock on Phantom’s door startled him away from the book he was reading– the same book Dew had that one fateful morning, which he had kindly leant him after he finished– and he picked his head up and called for whoever was there to come in. Rain pushed the door open, smiling and leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.
“Movie night in fifteen. The girls are down in the chapel tonight so they might join later, but it’ll be me, Dew, and Mount, if you wanna join us,” Rain invited, his face kind, shifting his weight from side to side as he swayed gently. Phantom smiled back, nodding and slipping his appropriately bat-shaped bookmark between the pages of his book.
“M’kay,” He agreed, already slightly sleepy from the long day of rehearsals, eyes flickering down to take in Rain’s comfy looking pajamas that he wore and suddenly realizing he hadn’t even changed out of his clothes. “Let me change and I’ll be right down,” Phantom finished, and Rain nodded with a smile, closing the door behind him and making his way back downstairs.
Phantom changed quickly, throwing on a pair of shorts and a loose fitting hoodie that, the more he thought about it, might’ve been one of Mountain’s, but he really wasn’t sure whose clothes were whose at that point, so he didn’t pay it much mind. He stopped by the mirror on his way out, fussing with his hair that had been fluffed up from the hoodie, then he began his trek down to the common room to meet the others.
“Hey, there’s my cutie!” Mountain called as soon as he rounded the corner, and he barely had time to see him sprawled out across the couch before he felt his cheeks heat up and a giggle slip from his mouth at the greeting. He stepped into the room between the two couches, letting Mountain grab his hand and squeeze when he reached out as he passed, his fingers lingering hooked around Mountain’s until the taller ghoul let his arm drop, his large hand resting on the back of Phantom’s thigh, thumb rubbing lightly over the side of it, over his bare skin below his shorts. He glanced down, biting back a smile at the simple display of affection, butterflies fluttering in his tummy when he looked over at Mountain’s smiling face.
“C’mere,” Rain called, and Phantom’s head whipped around when Rain patted the empty space to the left of him on the couch, on the opposite end of where Dew was curled into Rain’s side, legs tucked up under a fluffy blanket, his knees resting against Rain’s thigh with his head on his chest and Rain’s arm around his shoulders. He looked so cozy Phantom almost cooed, eyes softening at the sight, and Dew looked up at him with a fond smile, before motioning him over and pointing to the spot Rain had prepared for him.
He shuffled over, dropping unceremoniously onto the cushions, shaking the other two in the process, subconsciously keeping a bit more space than necessary between himself and Rain. He knew Rain was touchy, and he knew they’d end up cuddling sooner or later, but still, it was a habit to keep to his own personal space. Rain apparently disagreed, as he tilted his head to the side disapprovingly and narrowed his eyes at Phantom.
“What, do I have cooties or something?” He asked, and Phantom felt his face redden further as he let out a shy laugh.
“N-no, I just–“ He began to explain, but before he knew it, Rain slipped his arm out from behind Dew and grabbed Phantom’s arm and leg, dragging him closer and nearly knocking him over as he did so. “Oh– KAY! Chill!” He yelped, steadying himself and pulling himself towards Rain, their legs and shoulders now touching. “You could’ve just told me to move closer,” He said with a roll of his eyes, and Rain shrugged, one arm returning to Dew’s shoulder and the other slipping behind Phantom to curl around his waist, fingers toying with the worn hem of his sweatshirt mindlessly.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Rain replied, and Phantom couldn’t help but smile, relaxing against Rain’s shoulder.
“Okay,” Mountain began, standing up from his spot on the opposite couch. “I’m gonna grab snacks and drinks before we start, give a quick ring to the chapel to check in on the ladies. I’ll be right back, make yourselves cozy,” He explained swiftly, and with a few long strides, he was off to the kitchen.
The room was silent for all of ten seconds, with Rain watching the door to make sure the other ghoul was gone, and Dew blinking up at Rain tiredly when he leaned forward too far and disturbed him. Then, seemingly satisfied with the current company, Rain spoke.
“So,” He began, turning his attention over to Phantom, leaning back casually against the couch, practically sinking into it, with his legs under the blanket with Dew and his arms around both ghouls beside him. Phantom tilted his head towards Rain as he spoke. “A little birdie told me our newest ghoul is ticklish.”
Phantom swore he could’ve died.
“…Uh… Wh– um…” He replied– very well spoken, if you ask him– and his entire body froze in place, unsure of what to do or say. “I-I think Mountain needs help in the kitchen–“ He replied quickly, going to stand up, but Rain’s arm tightened around his waist and yanked him back down, making him squeal and fight to keep his balance so he didn’t fall completely into Rain’s side.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Rain muttered as he pulled him closer, trapping him with his strong hold, making him squirm and bite his lip to hold in his nervous giggles. “I have a feeling that means I’m right?”
“N-no I–! I-I mean, yes, but… well, you–“ Phantom stuttered, grabbing onto Rain’s arm with shaky fingers, his knees bouncing nervously and his toes curling, unable to look at Rain. He knew his face was bright red, probably warm to the touch with how hot he felt, and he swore if Rain kept going the room might’ve started spinning from how dizzy he felt.
“Hey,” Rain started softly, leaning closer to Phantom, tugging him closer and coaxing him to look over at him. When Phantom did, he smiled, and pulled his arm away from his waist to cup his face instead. “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetheart. It’s cute, and you obviously know that everyone here loves it,” He reassured with a smirk, and Phantom let out a small huff, looking down at his lap and then back up at Rain as the fingers under his chin tilted his head back. “I mean it. We all think it’s adorable, and we’d never look at you differently because of it, not when we all feel the same way. I mean, I tickle Dew all the time too,” He continued, and suddenly both of his hands were digging into Dew’s sides and ribs, his eyes never leaving Phantom’s.
“Wh–!” Dew squealed and kicked the blankets off, launching himself up from the couch and standing a few steps away from Rain. Phantom watched his reaction, eyes wide and jaw dropped, as Dew crossed his arms over his chest, sighing heavily and glaring at Rain as a bright blush spread across his face.
“See?” Rain said smugly, reaching out for the smaller ghoul to coax him back to cuddle more. Dew pouted, which Phantom had to admit was kind of adorable, making his way to the opposite side of Phantom and squeezing his way onto the couch there instead. He reached over Phantom’s legs, yanking his blanket back, sticking his tongue out at Rain defiantly, before curling up against the back of the couch. Rain chuckled, watching Dew’s movements, rolling his eyes playfully as his arms dropped back down, one resting on his lap and the other finding its way back to Phantom’s waist. “You’re such a little shit.”
“Takes one to know one,” Dew muttered, smiling sweetly, and Phantom couldn’t help but giggle at their antics, almost amused enough to forget what got them there.
Almost.
“Well, I guess if I don’t have Dew next to me to tickle…” Rain continued, and Phantom whipped his head back around to him, gasping softly.
“No, Rain, noho, nonono–“ He protested, shaking his head, pushing away and holding his hands up in defense, but he could only push so far before he was stopped by Dew’s body, and he realized then that he was fully trapped between the two of them. He didn’t want to push too far into Dew, still slightly apprehensive about being the one to initiate touch with him, but he didn’t have anywhere else to go as Rain’s devious hands seemed determined to attack wherever they could reach. “No, c’mohohon, Rain, plehehease–!”
“You’re already giggling and I haven’t even started yet,” Rain said with a smile, clearly amused by the reactions he received. Phantom’s blush only grew darker, and he bit his lip to try to keep his laughter in, but it was no use.
“I cahahan’t help ihihit– nohohoho!” Phantom broke into squeaky laughter when Rain’s fingers finally latched onto his sides, his thumbs digging into the sides of his tummy while his fingers pressed into the backs of them. He squealed, shaking his head wildly, squirming as much as his limited space would allow. “Nohohot thahahat–!” He whined, twisting and turning his upper body, his foot coming up to rest on the edge of the couch as he pushed away from Rain’s hands.
“Oh, that means I should do exactly that,” Rain teased, doubling down, and Phantom squeezed his eyes shut, grabbing onto Rain’s wrists and squeezing, but not quite trying to pull him off. Rain raised his eyebrows, a knowing smirk on his face, but he didn’t say anything. Honestly, Phantom was grateful for that; he didn’t know if he could’ve handled that long overdue observation at a time like that. He knew it would come eventually, probably sooner than he’d care to think about, but Rain was kind enough to wait.
His kindness only went so far, as his hands traveled down to dig into Phantom’s hips.
“Nahahahaha–!” Phantom giggled helplessly, his laughter turning squeaky as he kicked and squirmed where he sat. He gripped Rain’s forearms tighter, curling forward to try to dislodge his hands to no avail. He heard Rain chuckle at him, and then he heard Dew do the same, and he bit his lip harder to try to hold in his reactions. Rain seemed to catch on quicker than Phantom hoped, furrowing his eyebrows and frowning at him.
“Hey,” Rain said sadly, tilting his head. “Don’t hold out on me, tickle boy, I wanna hear you laugh!”
“Shuhuhut uhuhup!” Phantom bit back, voice still whiny but much more strained from trying to fight back, but Rain had a plan for that, and that was the moment he decided to slip his hands under Phantom’s hoodie, his fingers now scratching and clawing at Phantom’s bare tummy. “OH, SH– ahahahaha! Nohohononono, plehehehease!” Phantom’s laughter grew instantly, frantic and desperate, and he realized none of the other ghouls had ever done that before, and it was so much worse than he could’ve imagined. He could feel his strength leaving his body, his head spinning, and he didn’t realize he was falling back until it was too late.
“Oh! Where are we going, huh?” Rain teased, one hand continuing his attack while the other wrapped around Phantom's legs and pulled them up onto the couch over Rain’s lap.
“Nahaha– whaha–!” He whined, confused and disoriented, and two more hands– Dew’s hands, Phantom quickly realized, mortified– came up to his shoulders, guiding him to lay down completely.
He was laying with his head on Dew’s lap and his legs over Rain’s while Rain tickled him senseless.
He would never live this down.
Although, when Dew’s fingers began to gently comb through his hair and scratch at his scalp, so gently it almost brought tears to his eyes, he figured he might not want to.
“Nahaha– Rahahain, I cahahaha–!” He whimpered through his laughter again, and Rain very kindly pulled his hands out from beneath his hoodie, wanting to give him at least a few seconds of relief before he dug back into his ribs instead, higher up his ribcage and closer to his underarms. “Nohoho, whyhyhy?!”
“It should actually be a crime to be this cute,” Rain teased, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is your punishment.”
“B-buhut how is thahat fahahahair?!” He whined, and Rain shrugged, offering no further explanation as he traveled back to Phantom’s tummy, which seemed to be his new go-to spot.
“Oh no, you’ve discovered my secret?!” A voice called from beside the couch, and Phantom’s eyes flew open as he recognized it as Mountain’s.
“Some secret, apparently I’m the last one to find this out!” Rain replied, and Phantom whined and threw his hands over his face. “How have I been missing out on this, he’s adorable!”
“Mohohountyhyhy, help mehehe!” Phantom pleaded, reaching out to Mountain with grabby hands, but he squealed and yanked his arms back when Dew suddenly dug into his underarms, just once to test the waters, before going back to scratching at his head.
“Aww, are they being mean to you, baby?” Mountain replied, voice full of fake pity, dropping off the snacks and drinks in his hand on the coffee table and crouching down by the couch.
“Yeheheheah!” He whined more, face bright red, gasping for air between laughs. Mountain could tell he was beginning to get tired, knowing he wouldn’t be able to take much more tickling, and he cooed and frowned at the smaller ghoul.
“Poor thing,” He muttered, and Phantom couldn’t help but whimper, tummy fluttering at his tone. He reached out again, and Mountain took the hint, taking his hand and gently lacing their fingers together. Slowly, Rain’s hands retreated, resting softly on Phantom’s knees where they were still sprawled over Rain’s lap, and Mountain’s free hand rested firmly on his tummy, thumb rubbing slowly over his hoodie, pushing away the remaining tingly feelings. Dew’s fingers stayed in his hair, and he hummed quietly at the attention, squirming under their gentle hands and loving gazes, letting out the rest of his residual giggles, so relaxed he could’ve fallen asleep.
Well, they still had movies to watch, so Mountain kind of had to ruin that.
“S’too bad they didn’t find this spot,” Mountain said, breaking the comfortable silence, and his free hand suddenly jumped to life and scratched gently at the sides of his neck and under his chin. Phantom squeaked, his entire body jolting, grabbing Mountain’s wrist immediately and shaking his head.
“AH– naha! Nohoho more! Noho mohohohore!” He whined, and Mountain laughed, but he did stop, which Phantom was eternally grateful for.
“Okay, okay, we’re done. You can breathe now,” He said, which Phantom chuckled at, but he did take a deep breath in, sighing it out contentedly and reaching up to rub his tired eyes. “Here, lemme– c’mere,” Mountain muttered, mostly to himself, before he wormed his arms underneath Phantom’s body, quickly lifting him up off the couch bridal style and smiling as he yelped in surprise. He recovered quickly, tensing and relaxing when he realized it was just Mountain holding him and nothing to be concerned about, and he bit his lip to hold back another bashful giggle at how easily Mountain had picked him up. He chose not to think about that, instead watching as Mountain gently kicked Rain’s leg with his foot, flicking his head to the side to motion for him to move over. “Scooch,” He said, and Rain listened, sliding over to his right into the now empty space where Phantom once sat.
He held his arm out for Dew to cuddle back into him the second he got comfortable, and Dew happily did exactly so, returning to his rightful spot against Rain’s side with his head resting on his chest and his legs curled against his. Rain wrapped his arm around Dew’s shoulder again, pressing a soft kiss to his head and letting the smaller ghoul practically melt into him. Phantom smiled at the display, content with just watching the other two interact, until Mountain started moving.
He turned around to sit down on the couch as well, right next to Rain, their bodies pressed together, and he settled Phantom down in front of him, his long legs laid over Mountain’s thighs, his feet reaching Rain’s. Phantom gasped at the position, body tense as he took in how Mountain had sat him. He tried to move, his instincts taking over, but two sets of hands stopped him– Mountain, wrapping one arm around his waist and pulling him in, his other hand taking Phantom’s gently in his, letting Phantom’s fingers curl around his first two, how Phantom always liked to hold him. And then Rain, resting both hands on Phantom’s knees again, pressing his legs down flat against both of their laps. Phantom let out a soft breath, finally letting himself relax against the couch and the other ghoul’s bodies, shuffling closer and curling in to rest his head on Mountain’s shoulder. Mountain’s hand around his waist came up to hold his head, and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of it, just how Rain had done with Dew, before dropping his hand back down and rubbing Phantom’s back soothingly, fingers trailing up and down his spine. He let out a content hum, smiling widely, nuzzling into Mountain’s neck.
“Comfy?” Mountain asked, and Phantom giggled and nodded, squeezing Mountain’s fingers, fidgeting with them in his lap. He felt his tail spring to life once more, swaying side to side behind him in happy relaxation. Rain smiled at him, squeezing his leg softly, and Dew grabbed the bunched up blanket over him and threw it over towards Mountain, letting him fix the other end so it covered all of them.
After doing so, Mountain grabbed the TV remote, finally starting the movie they had all gathered to watch in the first place. The room stayed silent through the opening sequence, until Rain reached forward for the bowl of popcorn, resting it on his lap and shoving a few pieces into his mouth before making one more comment.
“Y’know,” Rain began, squeezing Dew tighter. He took another piece of popcorn, holding it up for Dew to eat from his hand, before he looked over at Phantom and continued. “Mounty’s ticklish, too…”
Phantom’s eyebrows raised, eyes wide, a smile forming on his face. He glanced at Mountain’s face, seeing a small smirk form on his lips, no sense of embarrassment crossing his features whatsoever. His hand that Phantom held slowly moved, reaching up to grab both his wrists in one hand to trap them before he got any ideas. Not that Phantom would’ve done anything, not yet anyway, but his heart still hammered faster at how easily Mountain held his wrists together and how he really couldn’t pull them back, trying his hardest to do so. Mountain’s gaze never left Rain’s, paying Phantom’s struggling no mind, and Phantom’s nervous giggles would’ve started up again, if not for the next words out of Mountain’s mouth.
“So is Rainy,” He replied, confidence never wavering, and Rain’s jaw tightened. Dew picked his head up from Rain’s shoulder, smiling up at him sweetly, and Rain narrowed his eyes at Mountain and smiled.
“…Well played,” Rain said with a smirk, holding another piece of popcorn up to Dew, then a few for himself. Mountain let go of his wrists, resting his hand on Phantom’s thigh instead, his thumb still absent-mindedly rubbing over his warm skin, soothing Phantom more than he even knew. Phantom looked at Dew, who looked over at him with a mischievous smile, and they both silently agreed to use that information against both Mountain and Rain as soon as physically possible.
But not that night. That night, they would relax and enjoy each other’s company, and Phantom would let himself be cuddled by three… admittedly strange, but ultimately wonderful ghouls.
Phantom still didn’t quite understand why Papa had chosen him at his summoning, but he was beginning to believe that there would always be things he didn’t understand.
Despite his uncertainty, one thing was clear to him. These ghouls were his soulmates, his found family, more than he ever had in the underworld, and maybe with time, he could believe he really did belong there after all.