The Ticklish Brotherhood - 4. Reunion

Mikey drove with the top down to let the sun shine on him as the crisp morning air flowed through his light brown curly locks. He loved mornings like this when it was cool but not cold.

While waiting at a stoplight, he spotted a familiar truck and giggled as a fun idea formed in his head. He made a U-turn, pulled into the diner's parking lot, parked the Corvette beside the truck, and walked inside. After giving Sandra a hug and kiss, he gave the raven-haired hostess a note and the key to his Corvette then asked her to hand them to the owners of the classic red Ford pickup. A few minutes later, the giggling, mischievous brunette unlocked the vintage Ford and drove to the library.

Fifty-nine-year-old Helen Morgan, the branch's head librarian, shook her salt-and-pepper shoulder-length curly hair and giggled when she saw her younger co-worker come rushing into the door, boyishly giggling as he closed the door and peeked through the blinds on the window.

"Good morning, Mikey."

Mikey giggled. "Good morning, Mam-Maw Helen."

The seasoned librarian smiled, and her heart filled with love when she got the usual morning hug from one of her favorite patrons, turned co-worker. She vividly remembered the first day Mikey stepped foot in the library and continued to see the young man as the energetic and giggly five-year-old boy who looked up and asked if he could call her Mam-Maw Helen.

"Okay, what mischief has my young Mikey made this early in the day?"

"I'm playing a prank on my big brother," Mikey responded.

"Which one? I thought Jai and Adam were in DC with Lance."

"They are, I'm playing a prank on Ant."

"Really? Amazing Antboy's back in town?"

Mikey excitedly nodded and continued giggling like a little boy.

Helen hugged the young man and chuckled.

"You're never going to grow up, are you?"

"I hope not."

"Me too. You're too cute and playful to become a stuffy adult."

Helen walked into the storeroom while Mikey happily whistled as he set everything up for the day.

About forty-five minutes before opening, Helen picked up her purse, tapped Mikey on the shoulder, and asked, "I'm going to the office store. I should be back a little before or just as the doors open. Is there anything you need while I'm out?"

"No, I'm good, Helen. Thanks for asking, though," Mikey said as he hugged the older woman.

When she rounded the corner of the brick building, the almost sixty-year-old librarian ran into two smiling young men with bright, sparkly eyes. "Mikey told me you were back in town, Amazing Antboy," Helen said as she hugged and kissed the blonde-haired men. "However, he didn't mention you'd be here too, Aiden. It's so good to see you boys."

"You look amazing, Mam-Maw Helen," Aiden and Anthony said.

"Oh, Mikey doesn't know Aiden's here. That's why he didn't mention him," Anthony added.

"The little Imp played a prank on us," Aiden said as he shook his head, giggling.

Helen chuckled. "He told me. Mikey's inside finishing setting everything up."

"We'll gladly wait for him to take a break to get him back," Anthony said.

"Are you kidding? That'd spoil all you boys' fun. You've still got over half an hour before the doors open. No, you guys can sneak in and have fun. Just don't make too much of a mess for our boy to clean up."

Anthony and Aiden giggled and hugged the older woman.

"Wait! I've got the perfect idea," Helen said. "Since he doesn't know Aiden's here, I'll let you in by the stairwell door, and Ant, you can go in through the front door when Mikey's not looking."

The brothers looked at her and each other.

"Helen, you're just as mischievous as we are," Anthony said.

"I think she's got us all beat, little bro. I didn't think about splitting up and getting our baby bro from different angles."

Helen cackled.

"I've always loved helping my boys with their mischievous fun."

While Aiden slipped into the backdoor, Anthony waited in the shadows, just inside the vestibule.

The almost six-foot-tall blonde male softly giggled and thought, Mikey's still as adorable as ever while watching his brunette younger brother go through his morning routine giggly and happily skipping about like a childlike fairy or wistful sprite who had no cares in the world. The second Mikey went to the bathroom, Anthony flattened his body against the wall, then didn't move a muscle until his brother exited the restroom. Without making a sound, he reached out, wrapped his arms around the slightly younger man's body, and tickled his stomach through the long-sleeved pink polo shirt covering the shorter man's six-pack abs. Instantly, Mikey doubled over, howling with laughter as his black sneakers pounded the grey carpet.

"Looks like I've caught myself a ticklish Super Mikey," Anthony said, giggling.

"I wondered when you'd get here, Amazing Antboy," Mikey managed to get out between his wild tickle-induced laughter. He grinned and reached behind him, tickling his playful assailant's hips.

"Shit," Anthony squealed as he released his giggly victim and giggled while wrapping his arms around his stomach.

Mikey turned, executed a leg sweep that knocked his brother off balance and pounced on top of the squirming blonde guy, pinning him to the floor. "Hi, Antboy," he said in a boyish voice.

Anthony grunted and struggled to get free, but the attempt to escape was thwarted by Mikey's fingers gently kneading and digging between his ribs, which made his high-pitched laughter echo off the library's walls.

"I'm sooo gonna get you, Super Mikey."

Mikey was having so much fun that he didn't notice someone else was behind him until his legs were pulled back, and he was face down on the floor. Another man's body straddled his waist, and then an arm wrapped around his flailing legs, keeping them pinned to his captor's chest as his Scooby-Doo-decorated ankle sock-clad feet twisted and turned and flapped up and down, trying to find freedom.

"Hey, baby bro," Aiden said.

"AIDEN!" Mikey excitedly hollered.

The trapped brunette started to say something but couldn't because the words got replaced by his boisterous, wild laughter when his brother's nails lightly skittered and strummed along the center of his ticklish soles.

The eldest of the trio giggled, then asked, "Still ticklish, huh, Super Mikey?"

"I think he's still ticklish here, too," Anthony stated as he tickled his writhing brother's armpit hollows and blew raspberries on his neck.

Mikey struggled uselessly and squealed like crazy from the tickle attack. Finally, after a few minutes, Aiden and Anthony stopped the tickling. They gave their panting brother a loving double-sided bear hug and kissed his cheeks.

"That was freakin' awesome," Mikey exclaimed as he returned the affection. "I missed the Giovanni side of the brotherhood, and I was shocked to see you, Aiden."

Aiden smiled as he picked up his second youngest sibling, put him on his lap, and cuddled the overgrown boy.

"I missed my Super Mikey, too, baby bro."

"You can thank me for bringing him," Anthony stated. He giggled and squeaked when Mikey jumped onto his lap, giving him the most love-filled Mikey hug the brunette could muster.

"Yeah, it was classic Antboy this morning when your brother burst into the room and started packing my clothes, then telling me I was going on a road trip with him to see you. He and Mattie didn't give me any choice, either."

The young men cracked up laughing.

"Speaking of being shocked, nice prank, you little mischievous Imp," Aiden said.

Mikey's eyes sparkled as he giggled his signature giggle, and the three men got to their feet.

"I sooo couldn't resist it. I saw your truck while waiting at a stop light and had to do what popped into my head."

"You gave us a heart attack," Anthony said as he playfully smacked his giggling brother's taut ass.

"How'd you get in without me knowing it?"

The biological brothers grinned and Anthony said, "Helen let Aid in through the stairwell door because you didn't know he was with me, and she let me in through the front door. I crouched behind the plants and waited for you to leave the room."

Mikey shook his head and laughed.

"I love Mam-Maw Helen."

A flood of wonderfully beautiful childhood memories filled Mikey's mind. He recalled the adorable ten-year-old boy, whose symphonic giggles drew him in and almost hypnotized his nine-year-old self.

"Mikey! Earth to Mikey," Anthony said.

Mikey shook his head and giggled. Sorry, bros, I was lost in memory land, where an adorable ten-year-old, Anthony Ryan Giovanni, met a very excited nine-year-old, Mikey Dante Carter.

Anthony and Aiden giggled as they remembered meeting a very playful and tickle-loving Mikey for the first time.

"Mikey, I'm planning on rebuilding the original house, and I'd love your help and input."

Mikey's eyes brightened and sparkled. "I'd love to help. I hope it's closer than you are right now."

The blonde-haired brothers snickered.

"Mikey, don't you remember," Aiden asked.

"It's across the street from your current home," Anthony said.

Mikey gasped.

"Are you serious? I'd never realized that the plot of land was where the original home was. Especially in the shape it's in."

Anthony got concerned and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"The entire plot of land has some bad vibes and mojo. It's overgrown and looks like nothing, or no one even thought of living there. Every time I look over or jog past it, this eerie chill runs up and down my spine. Not even Kota-Bear wants to get near the place. We certainly don't let Mickey go over there in its current condition."

Anthony grasped Mikey's hand and stared directly into his platonic soulmate's eyes.

"I'm sure that once we clear things out and start building the structure, things will brighten, and love and life will return to the property."

"Besides, I don't think there's anything Super Mikey and Amazing Antboy can't stand up to," Aiden said.