For the Love of Tickle Torture

Chatper Eight

     April's stomach fluttered as she entered Jake's room with the Guards. She was grateful they would never question her because she wouldn't know how to answer.
Why would I let him convince me to do a fight?
     The fights she watches on YouTube and other sites do look fun, but she was nervous to put herself in the situation. Her thoughts jumbled, conflicted in her head. But as always she had to put on a mask for Jake.
     Jake was happier than usual to see her. Patted the bed teasingly as April approached.
"I've never been in an actual tickle fight."
"Me either.", she admits. He looked surprised. She nudged off her flip flops and sat on her knees on the bed facing him, giving him a smirk.
"How can you look at me so confidently? I'm gonna get some revenge on you, much needed revenge." Jake copies her position as he speaks. They eye each other smugly.
     Jake was still barefoot. He was exposed the most, no shirt or pants to protect him, just his boxers. A clean dark gray pair now. April had short grey gym shorts and a soft black t-shirt.
April's eyes were up-turned to meet his gaze. The inches he had on her were much more obvious in this position.
"And...fight!", Guard 1 dinged a small bell. Jake pushed her left shoulder back, at the same time he hooked his other hand around her right knee and pulled her onto her back underneath him. April could only protest with a sharp gasp, her strength dwarfed by his. Her fighting back was hardly noticed. Jake dug into her sides with both hands. She screeched and burst out laughing, her hands trying to push and pry at his. She squirmed wildly.
"You're so weak!", he laughed as he continued to prod and squeeze at her sides. She wheezed and squealed. Jake had unknowingly gone straight for her weak spot. April's legs flopped and kicked at the bed as she squeaked with laughter.
"Please!", she managed to peep out the word. She severely underestimated how strong he was. She had gotten this far in life without touching many males. She was stunned at how he didn't even have to hold her down. Her face heated in the mix of embarrassment and realization.
"Tickle tickle! See you don't like it huh? Huh? The tickles?", Jake cooed teasingly at her as he grabbed both her wrists with one hand and pressed them to the bed above her head. She gasped out loudly for air right before he attacked her ribs, side, and slightly exposed tummy with tickles. She exploded with squeaky desperate laughter. Her fingers twitching. Her legs shaking. She couldn't handle it for one more second.
"Popcorn!", she cried out. In a flash Jake was restrained by Guard 2, pulled off the bed and left dangling in his arms. April was left a gasping giggling mess on the bed. She closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her tingling midsection.
I feel so small. Her thoughts swarmed excitedly.   
     Her blush would not calm down anytime soon.
"Oh so she gets a safe word but not me?", Jake joked. She opened her eyes again and sat up, eyeing him amusingly as he started to gloat. "Finally! I get to see you break! Didn't take much huh?", his legs kicked gently at the air above the floor. Guard 2 made him look like a little kid as he held him up in the air effortlessly. He didn't look so scary now.
                                         ~•~
     Tonight they ate together. Jake had a fresh black t-shirt on and sat with his legs stretched out in front of him on the floor with his back against the bed. April was cross-legged right next to him. They both had mac and cheese and orange soda. April liked that they both had some of the same favorite foods and drinks. Guard 1 had dragged a chair in and was in the corner playing on his phone.
"So my sides are my worst spot, if you hadn't realized. By the way. I think that's why I lost.", she was finally calm enough to talk about this.
"First of all, noted.", he nudged her playfully. "And second of all, you lost because you're super weak and super ticklish. Did you somehow think you'd be stronger than me?"
"I don't know. I guess I thought we would be around the same strength? And I'm good at tickling so I thought I could overtake you. At least a little. I've never been tickled like that before.", she stuffed her mouth with mac and cheese, a little embarrassed.
"You don't like being tickled?", he asked. She quickly shook her head no. She wasn't lying but the heat creeped up her ears anyway. Jake noticed and decided to let her relax. She was incredibly cute.
     He was trapped here. By her.
She's crazy. His thoughts insisted.
     Still, they fell into a comfortable conversation as they ate. No more tickle torture for the night. He knew the next day he would pay for the tickles he doled out today. But for now they both relaxed.