The five-foot-ten brunet sat across from his long-time best friend and boyfriend, twenty-one-year-old Jake Rafton, in the backyard of the modest one-story house they shared.

"You heard me. I got a voicemail earlier from an unknown caller. He said to come to the old Tickle Manor tonight. The man said he had reliable information on the city corruption case I'm investigating." Jake responded.

The six-foot redhead gently massaged his lover's silky smooth size ten bare soles. He giggled, then leaned over and gently nibbled on the cute plump olive-like toes. Kyle's feet squirmed, his soles wrinkled, and he giggled because Jake's nibbles tickled his sensitive piggies.

"I love making you squirm and giggle, babe. You're so cute." Jake smiled and kissed each toe. His boyish giggles softly flowed past his lips, and his feet wriggled as Kyle's fingers lightly tickled the redhead's arches.

Kyle giggled and kissed his boyfriend's toes. "I love hearing your giggles too, love."

They sighed in sheer happiness, then leaned forward and shared a long, passionate kiss. A few minutes later, Jake and Kyle separated from the lack of oxygen. The young men wiped each other's sweaty brow and panted heavily. Kyle's soft light brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he gazed into Jake's emerald green eyes. They said I love you in unison while holding hands.

"Are you planning on going?" Kyle asked as he and Jake released the hands they respectively held. He leaned over and took a sip of his Malibu and Pepsi.

"How can I not go, Ky? It could be the break I'm looking for." Jake took a sip of his gin and orange juice.

"It could be a prank, or even worse a trap. Babe, you've put a lot of people away, you're a private investigator, and have made a lot of enemies."

Kyle's concerned tone brought tears to Jake's eyes. "I promise, I'll be careful, my sweet angel."

"You're damn right about that because I'm coming with you."

Kyle's stern expression and his defiant posture made Jake bust out laughing. He'd almost composed himself when he caught the added annoyance cross Kyle's face, and that made his laughing fit return.

"You're so dead, Rafton."

The brunet growled and tackled his cackling lover. The two men rolled around on the bright green grass as one tried to get the better of the other one. Kyle smirked, and like lightning, his fingers latched onto Jake's ribs and kneaded them.

"Shit." The redhead squealed as his boyfriend tickled him. Jake tried to dislodge the invading fingers from his ribs. His legs kicked the ground as his loud cackles echoed off the trees. The twenty-one-year-old was grateful they were in a secluded area surrounded by the forest. Jake's very unmasculine when he gets tickled.

Jake and Kyle were both very ticklish. The couple always used this particular physical trait on and against one another. It served multiple purposes. One, they loved doing it and having it done to them. Two, tickling made a playful revenge tactic. Three, their ticklishness worked perfectly for extracting information. And, four, it turned them both on.

Kyle giggled and moved his fingers into the bigger man's armpit hollows. "Say Uncle, Jakey." He proceeded to press and wiggle his fingers in the slightly hairy and damp crevices. The sound of his love's tickle tortured laughter made his eyes sparkle with mischief. "If you don't, I'm gonna be forced to tickle your hips, baby boy."

"You win, Ky. I give, Uncle!!!!" Jake screeched. The threat added to the pit tickling made the redhead's decision a no-brainer. He knew his lover would make good on his tickle threat. The young man composed himself and pulled his boyfriend down on top of him. Jake wrapped his arms around Kyle and gave him a ticklish bear hug.

"Fuck, not the tickle hug." Kyle writhed and cackled as he tried and failed to break the strong hold that kept him in Jake's lap. His cackling turned into high-pitched squeals and screeches when a finger drilled his belly button and two hands squeezed and kneaded his hips. The brunet's body arched and jumped around.

"What's wrong, baby?" Jake asked as he gave into his giggling fit. He leaned closer to Kyle's animated body, then kissed and blew a raspberry on his man's neck.

"Fuck, not the neck too." Kyle's head quickly scrunched to the side to protect the sensitive area.

"You love me?" Jake chuckled as he held the slightly older man's arms over his head and tickled the bare and exposed pit hollows.

Kyle's laughter morphed into silent gasps, and he eagerly nodded while tapping his boyfriend's muscular chest. "I've loved you since the first day we ran into each other in the hallway, sexy. You're the most gorgeous and handsome man I've met."

Jake smiled and wiped his tears as he hugged and kissed the brunet in his lap. "I feel the same way about you, babe. I never want to be apart from you." He paused and took a deep breath. I've got something to ask you, and I hope you've got the answer I want to hear." Jake fidgeted in his chair before motioning Kyle to get off his lap. The redhead got down on one knee and pulled a ring box from his pocket. Kyle's hand flew to his mouth, and tears filled his eyes as he waited, unable to breathe more than slight intakes of oxygen. "Kyle Macklin Barrow, you're the most loving person I know." Jake paused and tried to calm himself. "I love you and can't imagine a better match for me." Again, he stopped and let the tears fall. "Kyle, my soulmate, my precious angel boy. Will you make me the happiest man ever born and marry me?" Jake opened the box. A beautiful wide band of white gold with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds formed the letters J and K with a ruby heart between them. The redhead waited, unable to breathe for his love's answer.

Kyle wiped the tears from his cheeks. He stared at the ring and couldn't help feeling it looked familiar. Then it came to him. It was his design, in his dream journal, his dream wedding band. He looked into Jake's eyes. "I...It's the ring I designed. I can't believe you've brought it to life. It's exquisite, more gorgeous, and breathtaking than I could ever imagine." He paused and hugged Jake and kissed him. The brunet looked into the teary eyes of his love. "Jake Tyler Rafton, of course, I'll marry you. I've wanted to do that since our first month anniversary."

Jake jumped to his feet, picked Kyle up off the ground, and swung him around. "Hot damn." He exclaimed as the two giggled and shared a passionate kiss. "C'mon, babe, let's get dressed and go to dinner." Jake put his hand on Kyle's arm. "Ky, have you forgotten you can't go with me tonight. You've got to host the bingo game tonight at the senior center.

"Shit, you're right. Jake, promise me you'll be careful and watch yourself."

The redhead grinned and threw his fiancee over his shoulder. He giggled when Kyle yelped and squirmed. "I’m always careful, sexy boy." Jake chuckled and playfully smacked his brunet's ass.

"Hey, just because I said I'd marry you doesn't mean you can abuse me like that." Kyle giggled. "I expect you to kiss my ass." Suddenly he burst out laughing and kicking as Jake tickled his ass cheeks and the back of his knees. "Fuck, that tickles, you big ape." Kyle's squeals and cackles made the bigger man smile, and he did kiss his squirming man's ass as the ecstatic Jake ran into the house, with his squealing and giggling brunet still over his shoulder.

Shrouded in the shadows of a cluster of trees, he watched the young, playful couple go into the brick two-story house. The blonde man licked his lips, smiled, and stopped recording. After pressing a few buttons on the camera, he saved the footage to two separate hard drives. He gathered his things and headed to the dark blue sedan parked on the other side of the trees. The camouflage-dressed man placed his equipment in his trunk, then got into the vehicle and drove off. Thoughts of what scenes he could create for the redhead, and possibly the brunet if he got the chance to capture him also, ran through his head as the driver headed to his home. He already knew what one of them would be. The detective might not like what's in store for him, but at least he'll be paid for his inconvenience, and he'll have a lot of laughs. After all, he's starring in the new Laugh Master's Ticklish Men production.

Over dinner, Jake and Kyle discussed their ideas for how they wanted to do the wedding, whom they'd like to invite, and starting to hash out a few possible dates. By the end of the meal, the couple agreed on getting married the coming year on the date they met. They thanked their waitress, left a generous tip, and left the diner.

"Please, Jakey, be careful tonight. I love you." Kyle wiped his tears and stood against his Hyundai Genesis with the bigger man's arms wrapped around him.

Jake wiped his love's cheeks with his thumb. "I'll make sure I'm careful, love." The two men shared a passionate kiss, then Kyle got in his car and drove off. Jake walked over to his Mustang convertible, got inside, and headed to the manor.

Jake

The dark purple sports car sped down the two-lane road. Jake welcomed the solace. His mind wandered through the years of having Kyle in his life. He smiled when thoughts of the awkward teenager came to him. Jake always thought the brunet was adorable. His mate was so full of life, and until you pissed him off, when that happens, it's best to head for the hills. Kyle had a sharp tongue and the vocabulary to match. He's a pretty good fighter unless he's getting tickled, then he's in trouble. Jake chuckled at the memories of all the tickle fights they've had. Before he knew it, the redhead had reached his destination.

Jake got out of his car and silently closed the door. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his Glock 19, gripped the handle with both hands, and pointed it towards the ground as he cautiously approached the dark front porch. "Hello! Is anyone here?" The detective called out as he climbed the steps and stood on the old wooden surface. The boards creaked under his black sneakers. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he heard Kyle's warning of this possibly being a trap running through his mind. "C'mon, Rafton, get it together." He admonished himself for letting his imagination get carried away. Jake shook his head, holstered his weapon, and walked back to his car. On the way, something stung his neck. A couple of seconds after he rubbed the area where he thought he'd been bit, the six-foot man fell to the ground, unconscious.