Chapter Text
Melchior Gabor was, if nothing else, relentless. Ever since the first time they’d slept together, a night of nerves and passion almost a year ago, and he’d found out how ticklish Moritz was he’d been using it to his advantage on a nearly daily basis.
Waking up the sleepiest boy in the world? A few fingers on the ribs. Getting him to smile after a long day? A puff of breath on the bottom of his feet. It was almost too easy.
But today Moritz wasn’t just tired, he was sad. Melchior didn’t even need to ask, he’d heard his boyfriend on the phone with his dad for almost an hour. There was no way a conversation like that would have left Moritz in a good mood.
Melchior found Moritz in bed, curled up, staring at a wall. He climbed in next to him.
“Hey,” he said softly. Moritz didn’t answer. Melchior pulled the other boy close to him and ran his fingers down his arm. Moritz shivered a little at the touch but gave no other reaction. “I love you,” Melchior told him. Unsatisfied with the silence he got in return, Melchior turned to his secret weapon.
Moritz didn’t want to laugh. He was angry, he was sad, his dad was an asshole… but he couldn’t help it. In mere seconds he dissolved at his boyfriend’s fingertips, running up and down his sides and bringing tears to his eyes.
“Oh. My. God,” he breathed between laughs. “Stop! Leave me alone!”
“Say you love me too!” demanded Melchior, refusing to cease his tickling.
Moritz wiggled free and dove under the blanket, still laughing. “Never!”
Melchior grabbed the soft lump, trying to tickle through the layers. “Say it!”
“I love you!” Moritz cried out, voice hoarse from laughter. He popped his head out from the blanket cautiously, looking up at Melchior, grinning with self-satisfaction. “But you’re an asshole.”