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"Don't smile."
A simple command. Something he accomplished daily. Barely a challenge.
Except it was actually an extremely difficult near-impossible challenge right the fuck now.
Alastor's fingers were delicately placed along his jaw, holding his face in place, as he painfully slowly pressed a soft kiss to every single one of his freckles.
That alone was sweet enough to turn him into a smiling smitten mess right on this couch, except those fingers were expertly placed to be applying just enough pressure to specific points beneath his chin that were horribly ticklish. It was astounding how pressure that wasn't even moving, just completely still and steady, could tickle so goddamn bad.
Vincent was trained in television, in acting. Learning not to break on camera was expected. But boy, was it one of his worst exercises in classes. He couldn’t help it. The moment he knew he was supposed to keep a straight face it became borderline impossible. Thankfully his roles on television usually required a confident charismatic grin, though he had sometimes struggled when he was a newscaster during a more somber story. His mind would supply him with 'don’t smile' and he’d fight tooth and nail to keep a frown.
So when he vented this struggle to Alastor, his partner had told him he'd help him.
He wasn't stupid. He knew Alastor had something up his sleeve. The man took great pleasure in tricking him, making him stumble or stutter, catching him off guard.
He just hadn't expected it to be this fun.
He chomped his molars down on the inside of his cheek as his lips quivered with the need to turn upward.
Alastor planted another soft kiss to his forehead and pulled back with teasing eyes. "No biting, dear, cameras can see that, can't they? We're not leaving until you master this whole 'no smiling' thing.
Vincent wanted to quip that he would happily stay here forever, but he knew he'd start giggling the moment he tried to speak.
He let his cheek go and could feel his lips trembling with the immense effort and focus this was taking. Honestly, he should be commended for accomplishing this much. He wanted to melt into a happy puddle being showered with kisses and attention, not to mention that ticklish feeling that just wouldn't let up.
Alastor's grin widened before placing a comically quick kiss to the tip of his nose.
Fuck, he couldn't help it! His face pulled back into a big stupid grin. Knowing he'd failed, he let himself burst into giggles at the adorable gesture.
"Come now, Vincent, you were doing so well!"
"Ihihihi'm tryihihing!" He squirmed, letting his head duck back to avoid those maddeningly ticklish presses beneath his chin, but Alastor followed him perfectly. His giggles grew, the mirth bubbling as his chin tried fruitlessly to escape the tickles. He playfully batted at Alastor's arm with comically little force, like a kitten pawing at string.
Alastor snickered and sat back, hands at his side, and let his partner recover.
With some deep breaths, Vincent sat back up, forcing his traitorous lips back into a straight line.
"You should at least let me finish counting all your freckles. I think I've finished all the ones on your face, just leaving the ones... here." Alastor leaned forward and angled his head to be just below Vincent's jaw, his lips less than an inch from his neck.
He was already a sputtering giggling mess. "A-Ahahal! Ihi KNOW Ihi dohon't have any freheheckles dohown there!"
"Can't be too sure," he cooed before planting light pecking kisses in quick succession.
Vincent squealed like a mouse before erupting into silly laughter. His hands grabbed Alastor's shoulders and pushed back, but with so little force that it was completely negligible.
Kiss after kiss, peck after peck, Alastor trailed over his neck and below his jaw making Vincent lose his mind laughing.
Vincent's neck had always been crazy ticklish. When he was with women before he was very careful to not let them kiss him there, lest he spoil the mood with his stupid giggling.
Now he was happy to be giggling stupid, as long as Alastor was the one making him. The man moved forward, wrapping his arms around his neck to hold him closer as he kissed even quicker. Vincent couldn't keep himself from squirming and wriggling beneath him as he laughed out every thought in his brain. All that was going to be left soon was the knowledge of how badly this tickles.
Especially cause Alastor decided to be even more evil and switched to light nibbling at the side of his throat hoLY FUCK-
"AHAL! WaiwaitwaitWAHAHAHAIT! AAAIIEE! TH-THAHAT TIHIHICKLES! THAHAT TIHIHICKLES SOHOHO BAHAHAD!" Vincent howled in laughter, falling backwards onto the couch arm as he kicked and tossed side to side. Alastor wasted no time following him back, still locked onto his target with maddening precision.
His body screamed at him to stop it but his endorphin-blasted brain begged him to let it continue. His hands clawed at the couch, straining with the desire to shove Alastor away from his ticklish spots. Eventually he found the compromise, his arms wrapped around his partner and squeezed, putting all that ticklish energy into keeping him close.
Tears grew at the corners of his eyes before flinging off his face from his tossing but he didn't care. He was in Heaven. Alastor being so overly affectionate, peppering him with loving kisses and nibbles, and tickling him until he laughed himself silly? He wanted to stay here forever even if he ended up laughing himself to death.
Oh, shit, he felt Alastor's claws start skittering up and down his ribs! He threw his head back and cackled. Alastor switched his nibbling to a mix of kissing and nuzzling, still hitting each weak point with deadly accuracy.
"Laugh for me, darling. Maybe if you get out all your giggles you'll finally complete our little exercise."
The exercise was long gone from Vincent's mind, which was currently taking a trip through La La Land, a place that made his core ache wonderfully and brain leak out his ears.
As soon as those tickling fingers started attacking his underarms he wheezed before exploding right back into loud raucous laughter.
Heavens above did it tickle! He couldn't hold himself back anymore! His hands grasped Alastor's biceps and harshly shoved him away. His partner relented, moving his hands to support his weight on the couch rather than drive Vincent mad with laughter.
Vincent gasped for air, body melting into the couch cushions, utterly spent.
"I'll be honest, you lasted longer than I expected you to," Alastor snickered.
"Honestly," he panted deeply, "me too." He dramatically threw an arm over his forehead and groaned. "You really put me through the wringer."
"You loved it."
A roll of his eyes and deep sigh. "You're not wrong."