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“Excuse me, coming through.” Kunigami shifted from behind, hands finding Chigiri’s waist.
“You’re fin-Ah!” Chigiri yelped when said fingers prodded gently, making him jump. Before he could react, Kunigami was already gone, wandering towards whatever place he wanted to be in the room.
“Son of a…” He groaned, arms coming around his torso protectively. Behind him, he heard Jingo and Gagamaru snickering, clearly amused by his reaction.
“Princess is ticklish! How cute!” Raichi cooed at him, making his face burn.
“He sounded like a mouse. Kinda like that Minnie character.” Gagamaru added, making the other wheeze.
“Aren’t you two ticklish as well?” Kuon asked from his futon, ducking when a pillow came flying at his face.
“Shut the hell up, you long haired bastard!” Rachi was on him in seconds, retracting his pillow as he attempted to “suffocate” the other. Gagamaru stepped in to help, but it wasn’t long before he was assisting Raichi into finding all of Kuon’s own tickle spots.
Chigiri bit down a smile at the wheezy giggles their teammate let out, turning his attention back to Kunigami. At first, he assumed these moments were accidental. It was no secret the ginger haired striker was touchy- shoulder pats, high fives, and hair ruffling were all things Kunigami did on the daily.
So when he went to wake up Chigiri for morning training, he believed him when his finger “accidentally” brushed under his arm.
And when he gave him an “encouraging squeeze” to his leg during a team meeting.
And of course all the times he’d had to move around him, his fingers “accidentally” poking into the soft spots of his torso like they knew exactly where it would tickle worse.
He probably should have paid more attention after the first one.
“Hmm…seems like Kunigami likes messing with you~” Bachira mused to his left, nearly giving Chigiri a heart attack. “I think he likes you, ChiChi~”
“I told you not to call me that.” Just when his blush was finally starting to fade. Turning away, he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning away from the other. “If you mean he likes to mess with me, I’d believe it.”
“Aww, such a tsun-tsun~” Bachira giggled, clearly enjoying himself. “You know, it really is like the fairy tales- the hero stealing the princess’ heart. We just need to find ourselves a villain and we’d be living the real thing!”
“I’m going to shower.” Chigiri began to leave.
“Kunigami’s ticklish too.” Bachira’s casual remark made the redhead freeze. “I know where to get him too.”
Kunigami? The ginger haired, musclehead, self-proclaimed superhero…ticklish? Logically, it’d make sense. So far, everyone else in Blue Lock proved to be so. What makes him any different?
And this was coming from Bachira- the guy who’d start tickle wars for the simple fact he was bored. If anyone knows about this, it’d be him…
“Is he now?” Chigiri looked back, giving in to curiosity. “Would you mind telling me?”
Bachira’s grin was both terrifying and exhilarating.
~~~
“Aha, there you are.” Kunigami smiled when his eyes found Chigiri. “Isagi mentioned you like to hide out in the weirdest places.”
“I’m not hiding.” And weird places? The footage room wasn’t that weird, was it? “It got overwhelming in the main room.”
There was some truth there. Without fail, bedtime was a bit of a catastrophe for the boys. They got there in time, sure, but the actual winding down part was always preceded with pillow fights, truth or dare, and various other little things.
Definitely not because he couldn’t get what Bachira told him out of his head.
Nope, definitely not that.
“Fair, fair. You’ve missed it- I’m pretty sure Gagamaru was gonna kill Naruhaya.” Kunigami took a seat beside him, leaning back on his elbows and crossing his ankles. “Of course- that’s normal for them.”
“Naruhaya does like to steal his food…” Chigiri kept up the conversation, but his focus was on the near perfect position Kunigami presented himself in. Laying out like that…
“His armpits and ribs are really bad. Oh! And his belly? Killer spot. And those thighs! I’d say his feet, but I never tried it.”
It would be so easy to reach out and try. To give Kunigami’s sides a poke and see him react. He could probably get away with it too- he’s faster. Where’d he hide was the real question.
If he bothered hiding at all. A part of him almost wanted Kunigami to tickle him for real.
Huh. He’d have to chew on that more later. For now- an opportunity was before him.
“Heh, can’t blame the kid. I’d snag a dumpling too if I was fast enough.” Kunigami tucked his arms behind his head, laying flat back with a content hum. It was almost like he knew what Chigiri was thinking of. “Actually- no. That wouldn’t be very heroic of me. I’d have to earn it. Possibly offer some curry in exchange.” He turned those orange eyes to Chigiri, something knowing in them. “Don’t you agree, princess?”
“I guess…” What was that about? Chigiri turned his attention back to the recordings. “Fair trade is probably for the best.”
“See, I knew you’d get it.” Kunigami chuckled, closing his eyes. Was he going to sleep?
Well…this was a better time than never.
Keeping his movements slow and silent, Chigiri scooted over to the bigger boy. With hesitating hands, he reached out with one extended finger. Just a poke; just a confirmation he was in fact ticklish. One little poke-
“Knew it.” Kunigami sounded amused. Chigiri felt his heart drop.
“Knew what-whoa!” The redhead yelped as he was pulled inward, crashing against the other’s chest. With a few short moves, he was properly pinned beneath a smug looking Kunigami, feeling his life flash before his eyes. “W-Wait!”
“No can do.” Kunigami raised a wiggling hand, eyes glittering. “Didn’t you hear a word I just said? We trade around here. If you want to tickle me so badly, you’re gonna have to get tickled yourself first!”
“Wait, waihahahahhahait, Kuhuhuhuhunigahahahahmihihihihi!” The redhead let out a squeak before slapping his hands over his mouth, squirming as his friend’s fingers danced across his belly. Soft, muffled giggles pushed against his palms, threatening to fill the entirety of Blue Lock.
“Aww, what’s this? Don’t be shy, princess.” Kunigami easily captured Chigiri’s hands, pinning them above his head while his free continued to lightly trace against the soft sweatshirt. “I wanna hear that pretty laugh of yours.”
“Shhhuuhuhut uhuhuhuhp! Ahehahahha, dohohohon’t sahahhahay thahahhahaht!” Chigiri squeaked, arching some when that dastardly hand moved up to his ribs, pinching and prodding at them with gentle fingers. “Gehhehehehet ohohohohoff!”
“Why not? It’s the truth.” Kunigami grinned, keeping his tickles feather light as he raked his hand down the other’s side. “It’s really pretty. Almost as pretty as that smile of yours. Your secret weapon- you could make anyone stop and stare at it!”
“Nohohoohohoho, stahhahahhaap!” Chigiri hated the whine in his voice nearly as much as he hated how red his face felt. He hid it against his arm as he thrashed beneath the other’s touch, his laugh increasing with each teasing word the other spoke. “Iihihihihihit’s embahahahahahhrrassihihihihng!”
“What, you’re smile? Or your laugh?” Kunigami shot his hand up to Chigiri’s armpit, snorting when the other squeaked loudly. “Because I think both are nice! The fact you don’t agree tells me everything I need to know. I’m not stopping until you admit you like both!”
“Thahhahhahat’s not fahahhahahahair!” Chigiri cried, kicking his heels helplessly against the carpeted floor beneath them. “I’hihihiihihhll dihihihihiihihie!”
“Not with me around! I’m a superhero- I’ll never let you die, princess!” Kunigami dropped his hand down to his hip, giving it a friendly squeeze. The squeal the redhead let out nearly took our hero out with how hard he laughed. “Holy crap! You’re so ticklish!”
“STAHHAHAHAP IIHIIHIHIHT!” Chigiri cried, burying his face into Kunigami’s shoulder as his hip got squeezed relentlessly. With a strength he hadn’t known he had, he managed to get his arms free (where they ever held that tight?), lightly batting at the other’s shoulder with one hand while the other clawed at the hand massaging his hip. “KUHUUHUHUHNIGAHAHHAMI!”
“You know how to make it stop.” Kunigami gave him a small break, walking his fingers down until they rested on his thigh. The threat was clear. “Come on- just admit it.”
Chigiri did know how to make it stop.
But it wasn’t by giving in.
“Ahehehahhaa! Tahhahaake thihhihiihs!” He shot both hands into Kunigami’s armpits, praying that Bachira didn’t give him false information. Kunigami all but squawked in laughter, falling to his side as he tried to curl up. Chigiri wasted no time, following him over with vengeful fingers.
“Ah! Ahehahahahahhaha! Whahahait- wahahhahahahit! Chihiihihihihigihihiihihihihihi!” Kunigami cried out, curling up into a loose ball as he laughed himself silly. “Cohohohome on, hahahhahahve mehehehhehrcy!”
“No way! You and your trades- you said I get to tickle you if I let you tickle me.” Chigiri tried to fight down the giggles building up at the various squeaks and high pitched noises Kunigami made, failing to do so when he moved his hands down to the ginger’s upper ribs, making him squeal. “Oh my god! What was that?”
“CHIIHIHIHIHGIHIHIIHIHI PLEAHHAHAHHASE!” Kunigami cried through his mirth, trying and failing to roll away. No matter which way he turned, the other followed. “MEHEHEHHERCY!”
“Will you stop tickling me all the time?” Chigiri asked, dropping a hand to his lower ribs. Kunigami all but shrieked.
“YEHAHHAHAHHAHAS!”
“Promise?” He moved a hand to the hero’s belly, earning a variety of snorts.
“PROHOHOHOMISE!”
“....really promise?”
“HEHEHEHHEYOHOHOHOHMA!”
The use of his first name did funny things to his heart. Chigiri retracted his hands, laughing as he watched Kunigami gasp for air, curling up like a bug. “Heh…hehe…I guess I can take your word for it, hero.” He willed his heart to stop racing- why was it racing? Clearing his throat, he sat back on his heels, shaking his head softly. “I think you’re the most ticklish person here in Blue Lock.”
“Ahehe…hehee…nohohoho way…thahaht honor goes to yohoohou, princess.” Kunigami replied, earning a swat. “Okay, maybe Isagi actually.”
“Definitely.” Chigiri snorted, letting them fall into a comfortable silence. When he spoke again, he tried to make his voice sound controlled. “You said my name.”
“Hm?” Kunigami looked at him curiously. “I did?”
“Yeah…Hyoma. It erm…it sounded nice.” Chigiri felt his face burn. Judging by how red the other got, he wasn’t alone.
“I did! Oh yeah…I did…” Kunigami ran a hand over his neck, clearly flustered. Then he turned to the other, setting his shoulders. “Hey, Hyoma. Can I tell you something?”
“Y-Yes?” He sat up, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest. Is this what Bachira was talking about?
Did Kunigami…really like him?”
“I-” The ginger began, only to be interrupted when the doors opened.
“Would you please keep it down? Some of us are trying to-” Isagi stopped short, eyes widening in shock upon seeing them. Chigiri’s messy hair and red face. Kunigami inadvertently leaning towards him. The wide eyed shock on their faces upon being caught.
“Oh-Oh shit!” He turned quickly, backing out of the room as his ears burned red. “Shit- my bad! Holy- Bachira was right! Erm- I’ll see y’all in the morning, bye!” The door shut on Isagi’s rambling, leaving both Chigiri and Kunigami stunned into silence.
“Bachira was…?” Kunigami began.
“Oh my god.” Chigiri held his face in his hands. “He set me up!”
It all made sense now. Bachira- telling him where Kunigami was ticklish. Bachira, casually mentioning the hero might like him.
Bachira most likely telling said hero Chigiri’s go-to hiding space.
“So he did…” Kunigami didn’t sound mad. He didn’t even sound bothered. If anything, amusement colored his voice. Chigiri heard him shift, and before long a hand was gently tugging his own off his face, making him look up. “I’m guessing he also told you I liked you?”
“He might have…” Chigiri wanted to avert his gaze, but Kunigami had him locked in. There was something there that he was too scared to read into. There was no way…
“What if I told you it was true?” Kunigami spoke so softly, so casually. As if what he just said didn’t set a bomb off within Chigiri’s chest. “What if I did like you?”
“I…” Chigiri felt like he couldn’t breathe. He was so close now. “Then I’d say I liked you too.” Unplanned, but the confession felt right. He nodded, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin. “So, do you? Like me, I mean?”
A gentle kiss to the lips was the only reply he got.