Why was Nico making this so easy? Ben wondered. He watched in awe as Nico heeded his instructions, barely resisting what Ben felt were thinly-veiled attempts at nonchalantly coaxing the actor into being tickled. Was it just that the universe was on his side tonight?

        He thought of his past assignments -- the ones that weren't so...nice. The ones that required more than requesting or coaxing...

        "I'm gonna try a little experiment," he said, recalling how many times he'd opened with that line, albeit under much different circumstances. The boys he tickled weren't often so willing...

        ...or so...unrestrained.

        "Yeah, what's that?" Nico interlocked his fingers as he placed his hands behind his head. His biceps bulged as he pulled his elbows back, exposing his armpits. Ben could see the tease of brunette underarm hair poking out from beneath the hems of his short sleeves of his black button-down.

        Ugh, this man is going to kill me, thought Ben. His mouth watered. He felt another surge in his groin. "Um," he managed to say, nearly choking on his own saliva. "Let's see how long you can keep your arms up. I'm gonna tickle you."

        "What?" Nico laughed. "Why?" he asked, though he kept his arms in place, his armpits exposed.

        "I told you," said Ben leaning in close to Nico's right ear. He gave the top of it a quick nibble, which caused Nico to hiss and splutter. He tilted his head down and Ben pursed his lips, softly kissing the actor's ear instead. "I like how ticklish you are. I think it's sexy."

        "Oh yeah?"

        "Yep. It, uh... it kinda gets me going." 'Kinda' was an understatement, he thought. His kink was the whole reason he'd taken this job in the first place... why he was stuck in this messy, beautiful ordeal.

        "Oh, it does?" The flirtatious edge in Nico's voice remained.

        "Yep." Ben slowly raised his hands, his fingers arching, poising themselves on either side of Nico's raised arms, targeting his armpits. God, he better be watching, he thought, looking out one last time at the rows of dark, almost ominous theatre seats. "You ready?" he asked.

        "N-not really," said Nico shakily.

        His answer didn't matter.

        Ben dove in.

        Nico's "yooooowwwwhowhowhowl!" was instantaneous and it echoed throughout the empty playhouse. His face scrunched up, eyebrows knitting together, eyes slamming shut, smile exploding on his face.

        Hot damn, thought Ben, leaning forward as his fingers dug further into the fabric of Nico's shirt. As he tickled, Nico began to sink further into the couch, folding his arms forward. "Keep 'em up," he commanded.

        "I-I'm tryiiiiiiiing!" 

        Ben could feel Nico's pecs flexing as he squirmed within the confines of his touch. As his fingertips drew downward, Nico shouted and laughed again.

        "B-behehehn! Ahahaha!"

        "Whatsamatter?"

        "It tickles!" squealed Nico. "It tickles, it tickles, it tickles!"

        Ah, the magic words. Ben knew this would only help satisfy his client further. "Good," he said with a chuckle. He wondered just how long Nico could keep this up. The longer, the better. "God, you are so cute, you know that?" he said.

        "Ahahaha!" Nico merely replied with laughter.

        As Ben leaned over the couch, tucking his head under Nico's raised right arm, his fingers tickled down the actor's abs and sides.

        "O-okay! Okay! Enough!" said Nico through continuous hitching giggles.

        Ben relented a moment. He was breathing almost as heavily as Nico.

        "Sh-shit." Nico immediately dropped his arms and rested his head on the back of the sofa, looking up at Ben. This position accentuated the sharpness of his jaw. "Th-that was intense." he said. There was still the hint of inebriation in his smiling eyes.

        Ben smirked proudly. "Too much?"

        Nico shook his head, pressing his teeth into his lower lip. "Nah. All good. Can we make out now?"

        This surprised a laugh from Ben. He leaned down and gave the actor a quick kiss -- another quick taste of salt and gin on soft, pillowy wetness -- before gently sneaking his fingers back under Nico's arms. 

        Nico moaned and snickered. "Again?" he said, flinching.

        "Please?" Ben kissed him again.

        Nico huffed. "You think tickling me is that fun?"

        "If you only knew."

        "Do I get a turn next?"

        "If you keep these arms up long enough? Sure," lied Ben. "Now c'mon." He gave each of Nico's biceps a gentle squeeze.

       Nico sighed but did as he was told. Ben could only hope that this spell of obedience would persist, still a bit surprised at how well this was going. Once the actor's armpits were exposed again, and his fingers interlocked at the back of his head, Ben prepared himself. "Ready?" he asked again.

        "With the way you tickle? No."

        The words sent shudders down Ben's spine, made the hairs on his arms and legs jolt to attention. If only this could be more than a one-night fling, he bemoaned, but he wouldn't dare let the thought of this becoming anything more linger for long. His hands move to the space mere inches above each of Nico's armpits and he could see the actor flinch, elbows dropping slightly. Three...two...

        The impact was swift and heavy, Ben's fingertips jutting into the hollows of Nico's armpits.

        "O-oh sh-shihihihihihihi.......!" Nico didn't yelp this time, instead hissing through his teeth as his face balled up once more and his laughter escaped from him like air escaping from a tire. He began to furiously kick his legs, his feet flying, as he devoted all of his energy and concentration on keeping his arms up.

        Ben's explorative hands -- though remaining in the general area of each of Nico's underarms -- enjoyed swift, erratic movements. His fingers wriggled and pinched and clawed and clambered around the landscape of Nico's chest and torso, hiking up the swells of his chest, across the divots of his ribs, the valleys of his armpits.

         "Hisssssssssssstttahahahahap! Ben! Eeehahaha! HA!" Nico's hissing suddenly erupted into another explosion of loud, unrestrained laughter. He slid down into the couch again -- it was clear that he was trying not to fold into himself. The manic response of his body was being redirected into his dancing legs, which continued to kick and wriggle frantically.

        Ben's heart felt like it was on fire.

        This can't be real. This isn't really happening, he thought. I'm dreaming. I'm actually dreaming. He felt as if he were going to wake up any moment in his little apartment in West Covina, sticky with the evidence of this pleasurable fantasy. It was in that moment, again, that he was grateful to be in the position he was in, regardless of how much he was indebted to his bosses.

        "F-fuhuhuck! Hahahaha! Heeheehaha!" Nico's laughter brought Ben back -- his fingers had hit a particularly sensitive spot deep within his left armpit. "Ohohohkay! Ohohokay! Pleeheeheease!" he squealed.

        Ben removed his hands and, once more, Nico immediately dropped his arms. As he allowed the actor, whose face had now gone a bit red, to catch his breath, he began to make his way around to the front of the sofa. "I just-- you have no idea how much I enjoyed that," he admitted.

        Nico cleared his throat. He inhaled and exhaled a few times and, with a tired smirk, he said, "I think I have some idea. Are we done now? C-can we...do something else?" He raised his eyebrows up and down a few times flirtatiously.

        Ben chuckled. He remained standing in front of the sofa, beside the little glass coffee table. As he watched Nico gather himself, he returned his hands to the pockets of his slacks, curling his fingers into his palms. He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he considered his next move. There was always a chance that it would be the move too far. If it were up to him, Ben would have left things as they were. If he truly had a choice in the matter, he would simply ask Nico for his number, see if they could maybe meet up again in the future, maybe work their way slowly towards something else.

        But Ben didn't have a choice, did he? He felt the hard plastic casing around his phone. The device had yet to buzz with the alert of another incoming message. That was hopefully a good sign. He wondered how much time he had left. Surely not long. 

        It was now or never...

        "Would you...?" Ben started to ask, but the question faded on his lips. He took a breath, still trying his absolute hardest to remain confident yet indifferent in his approach. "Can I try one more thing?" he asked.

        Nico crossed his arms tightly against his strong chest. Perhaps it was an instinctive move, but he slid his hands into his armpits, perhaps as a protective measure. His smile lessened now. "What?"

        Ben laughed nervously. "Just one more thing, and then I promise no more tickling, okay?"

        A suspicious expression returned to Nico's face. "What is it?"

        Ben lowered himself to a squat, balancing himself on his haunches in front of where Nico was seated. Now near the wooden flooring of the stage, he found himself only a few inches away from his next target. He slowly reached over and gave Nico's right foot a quick pat. "Are...your feet ticklish?" he asked.

        Nico's eyes widened. "My feet?"

        Ben nodded. He was shaking. The fire had spread from his heart to every extremity in his body. The heat behind his face was almost too much to bear. God, this is it. He's going to freak out on me, try to leave... He really hoped, for both of their sake, that things wouldn't go in that direction. He did his best to keep his composure and he affected another shrug. Ben really hoped that his acting was convincing -- ironic, wasn't it? Being on that empty stage, blocking out this whole scenario for a proverbial audience... "Yeah," he said.

        "Well, uh." Fortunately, Nico didn't look insulted or concerned. Just...puzzled? There was still a semblance of light in his eyes. "I mean, I think so."

        "May I...see?" asked Ben.

        "I don't-- Seriously?"

        "Please?" Ben offered up the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster. It was the same look of innocence and charm that he had used to first bait a buzzed Nico back at the after party. 

        "You really want to tickle my feet?" Nico still sounded unconvinced.

        "I know, it's a little...strange. But, as you can probably tell, I've got a...thing for tickling"--Ben was grateful to offer up at least some truths tonight--"and I--"

        "Feet too?" Nico smiled slyly.

        Ben knew he must be glowing with embarrassment. "Well, maybe a little. I just-- Sorry, you just got me a little riled up. I mean, you've been so...chill about everything, and I just thought that...um...maybe..." He was fumbling this. He was losing steam.

        Nico leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, just as Ben had done earlier. He sighed. "We...don't have a lot of time left. I really need to be heading back soon. When you--" Nico chuckled softly to himself. "When you asked me to show you the theatre, I thought... Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

        Ben looked up at him. "I know," he said quickly. "I'm...sorry. I just figured it didn't hurt to ask, you know?" A thick silence settled over the stage. After a long beat, he asked, "You ever fool around with a guy who was into this stuff?"

        Nico was still eyeing him with a curious look. "What, tickling?"

        Ben nodded.

        "Well...not specifically. But I've dated people that have been into some...different types of things." Amusement crossed his face and this eased Ben's growing concerns.

        "Yeah?"

        Nico nodded and ran a hand through his hair again. "Oh yeah."

        "So, this isn't, like, super weird for you then?"

        Nico snickered. "No, Ben. Not at all."

        Ben shrugged. "So...."

        A second long beat of silence. Ben's heart was hammering so loudly in his chest that he swore it must've been audible throughout the theatre, like some sort of strange twisted version of Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart." An apt analogy given the organization for which he worked. Finally, just as he felt as if it were all over, Nico relented. With a dramatic sigh, he said, "All right. But only 'cause I think you're cute." He stretched out his right leg, offering Ben his foot.

        Ben nearly fainted. His lungs tightened and he feared, for a moment, as if he were having a panic attack. Employing the coolest of tones in his voice, he arched an eyebrow and said, "Yeah?"

        "Hurry up. Before I change my mind."

        Ben leapt to his feet. "You, Nico Greetham, are a godsend." He absolutely meant what he was saying. Nico had no idea how much he'd needed this.

        "You better not forget it," said Nico.

        "Put your feet up here," Ben said, directing Nico to the space on the glass coffee table. 

        "Oh man, I already feel like I'm going to regret this." Nico moaned.

        "I promise it'll be quick. No more than a minute." 

        "You promise?"

        "Yep." Ben nodded. He doubted he had much more time than that anyway. But it didn't take much to please his client, as long as the non-negotiables were covered. And hopefully everything that had transpired tonight was deemed well worth the wait. "Now, c'mon, up and at 'em." He patted the glass on the coffee table. "Take 'em off."

        Nico let out another long breath. He reached down and began unlacing his white trainers. He slide his feet from his shoes, revealing a pair of white socks. Before he could place his feet up on the table, Ben, partly out of desperation and partly out of arousal, said, "Socks too."

        "What?!"

        "Hey, if it's going to be only sixty seconds of tickling, I've gotta get the most out of it, right?"

        "Ben, I don't think--"

        "C'mon," pleaded Ben. "You asked me if I had a thing for feet too. And yes, I do."

        Nico didn't move.

        You keep pushing it, Ben. You're going to lose him too soon, he told himself. His heart felt as if it were in his throat now. He was positive that his pulse was reverberating his voice. "Like I said. Sixty seconds. That's it. And then I'm done. I promise." He held up his hands. "And if you need to go, or you want me to leave right after, I will." It pained him to say this, but for one of the first times that evening, Ben was being true to his word.

        Nico considered him a long time -- so much so that Ben feared he would receive another message telling him that the deal was off -- but then the actor reached down and began to peel the white cotton from his strong, shapely feet.

        Holy fuck, thought Ben when, a few seconds later, Nico Greetham was placing his feet up on the table in front of him. They were pink under the lights of the stage. His insteps were pale. His arches, heels, and the balls of his feet were thick-skinned and looked a little rough, probably a result of years of dance. He had short, strong toes -- well-pedicured. There was the faintest aroma of the day's musk.

        Nico laughed. "You weren't kidding." He'd gone back to crossing his arms.

        "What?" Ben looked up at him.

        "You really have a thing for feet there, Benito."

        "U-um, yeah."

        "I wish I could've gotten your face on camera. Your eyes looked like they were going to fall out of their sockets." Nico chuckled.

        "S-sorry." This is probably on camera somewhere, thought Ben, doing his best to keep his back to the rows of playhouse seats behind him.

        "Nah, I don't care. I think it's funny," Nico said. "I dated a girl once who was into my feet."

        "Really?"

        Nico nodded. "Yeah. She was always taking me to get pedicures. We'd, literally, be lying in bed together, and she would just be down at my feet, kissing them.

        Ben knew that he was fully erect. He hoped that his kneeling at the edge of the coffee table would conceal this. "No kidding," he said. He instinctively reached forward and placed his hands on on the tops of Nico's feet, which, like the rest of his body, proved to be firm and toned.

        "It was kind of sweet, to be honest." Nico laughed, but Ben couldn't tell if this was a result of his recollection or if he was already reacting to his touch. "It's flattering, you know? That someone finds some part of you so attractive? It's not, like, anything you can control, and yet someone is just so...into it, you know?"

        "Yeah, I guess..."

        "Well, anyway. C'mon." Nico softly fluttered his feet on the table, gently pressing his heels into the glass. "Get this over with. And then afterward, we are making out on this couch. And, I might add, I might get you back."

        Ben looked up at him. "Get me...back?"

        "Yeah." Nico leaned back into the sofa. "You're ticklish too."

        "Ohoho, okay," said Ben with a challenging smirk. With that, his fingers launched themselves onto Nico's feet. His flesh was warm and, despite his callouses, doughy in texture. Ben knew that he needed to make the most of his remaining time and so, he immediately sought out the skin that looked the least protected.

        "Ahhhhhhsshhhhhiihihihit," Nico said, immediately reverting to his hissing. His face did its signature scrunch and, on instinct, he began to hold back his laughter.

        "How ticklish are these bad boys, huh?" asked Ben.

        "Uhhhahaha...." Nico went to answer, but as soon as he opened his mouth, gushing laughter spilled forth.

        Ben concentrated on Nico's insteps for a few moments, watching as his strong feet flexed outward, the toes spreading. His fingers then walked their way up to his toes, which immediately scrunched up.

        "Ohohoho my god!" Nico yelped sharply. "That's b-bad! That's bad!"

        "Is it?" Ben asked, doing his best to dig into the concealed flesh.

        "Y-yes!" Nico's feet lifted from the glass as his legs began to bend.

        "Ah, c'mon," said Ben. "Keep 'em steady."

        "I-I'm trying!" Nico said through gritted teeth. "H-how much longer?"

        "Not long," said Ben, feeling almost dizzy from the rush of it all. He pressed his fingers into the balls of Nico's trembling soles, and began to rake them up and down hastily. This caused Nico to lose his composure.

        The actor threw his head back against the top of the sofa, eyes shut, sharp jaw jutting out, and he started to laugh. It was a sound similar to the one that he had produced -- jovial and unrestrained -- when Ben had struck that sweet spot in his armpit only a few minutes before.

        Nico Greetham's beautiful feet were TICKLISH. Ben had to repeat it to himself over and over as he proceeded in his craft, watching the large, pink soles shake and shimmy to protect one another from his tickling touch. Their strength was hard to navigate. Even though Nico was doing his best to steady his feet atop the table, the natural flexing of his muscles, the rapid movements, complicated Ben's task. On more than one occasion, his finger would jam or bend awkwardly against the sides of Nico's feet, sending quick bolts of pain up his arm.

        "B-Behehehehn! Ohhohohokay!" said Nico. He was no longer crossing his arms, having now planted his hands firmly in the cushions of the couch, fingers curling into the leather. His soles scrunched up again as Ben clawed into the thick-skinned balls of his feet, manicured nails nibbling away.

        "Almost done," said Ben.

        "Th-this is awhawhawful!"

        Ben ignored him, focusing his attention on Nico's left foot, which seemed the more ticklish of the two. Using his right hand, he began to rake his fingers along the instep again: up and down, up and down, while his thumb remained steady on the heel. 

        "Ohhhoho! Hahaha! Ahh! Ackthp! Haha!" Nico's mouth widened as his laughter intensified. His face had gone red again. His hands dug deeper into the sofa. He began to shake back and forth on the couch, his legs trembling as they fought to remain fixed in place.

        "Almost..." Ben muttered, nearly under his breath.

        "BEHEHEHN!"

        Ben switched to Nico's right sole again, fingertips tracing their way down the arch. On occasion, Nico would tilt his head forward to glance in the direction of his tormented feet, watching as Ben continued his laugh-inducing assault.

        "Aiiiiehahahaha! Ohhohohahaha!" Nico laughed and laughed, head shaking back and forth, butt lifting from the couch, as his manic energy was redirected all throughout his body.

        Ben tried to remember what exactly was stipulated in the agreement -- how much time did he need to provide? How much time did he have left? His fingertips touched down on the flesh just beneath Nico's big toes and this caused the actor to yelp and finally pull his feet away.

        "Ohhhohohokay! We-we're done! We're done," said Nico, planting the bottoms of his feet firmly onto the stage. Ben glanced down to see them whitening with the sheer force with which Nico was pressing them into the floor. His toes flattened slightly, looking almost squarish. The pink flesh around his arches glistened beneath a slight layer of sweat.

        Ben leaned back onto his hands and crossed his legs. He watched Nico close his eyes and rest his head back again, draping one limp arm over his heaving stomach. "Thank you," he said softly after what seemed like forever.

        Nico, still panting, looked up at him, a sleepy expression on his face -- a mix of drunkenness, delight, and exhaustion from the tickling. "You're a little sadist, aren't you?"

        Ben leaned forward, now hugging his knees. He tried to shrug. "Maybe just a little."

        Nico chuckled. "B-bit of a workout." He patted his flat stomach. "My abs hurt."

        "Oh, c'mon," said Ben skeptically. "That was, like, barely a minute on your feet, and like twenty seconds each time under your arms."

        Nico exhaled heavily again. "What can I say? Guess I have a low tickle tolerance."

        Again, magic words that nearly sent Ben reeling. The dizziness in his skull intensified. He knew he was probably still a little buzzed as well, but there was something about this all that just felt so...unreal. So dreamlike.

        I'm telling you, he said to himself again. This is a dream. It's not real. It can't be. It was too... too perfect.

        And then, the cherry on top: "Ben," muttered Nico. "C'mon. Come on up here." He opened up his arms, gesturing for a hug. "I think I've more than earned a little fun of my own, right?"

        Ben felt as if he could fly. He felt himself lifting from the stage, as if floating. His chest, his stomach, inflating with a buoyant elation. He watched the look on Nico's face soften.

        Too...perfect.

        As he drifted towards Nico, readying himself for the embrace -- for another soft, pillowy kiss -- he saw Nico's expression change again. It went from soft and playful to...something else, and the closer Ben drew, the more it changed. It wasn't until he was about to descend upon the couch again that he recognized the emotion gathering behind Nico's eyes:

        Fear.

        All good things must come to an end.