"And a low note to finish it off," Scanlan muttered to himself, writing the final chords to his newest piece. He began compiling the scattered pages strewn across the bed, but noticed that he was just two pages short. He looked all over the tangled sheets: no wonder he couldn't find anything.
He noticed a corner of a sheet of paper sticking out from behind the headboard.
"Aha!" he exclaimed, reaching down to grab it, but came up just shy. He strained and forced his arm deeper between the crack, but he could still barely graze the pages. He stretched as much as he could, finally snatching the papers he needed. Right before slipping in between the bed and wall. He was stuck up to his hips, legs kicking in the air wildly.
"No, oh no, this is bad!" He squirmed around to see if he could work himself free, but only made himself fall deeper into the crevice. He let out a panicked shriek when he dropped between a few more inches, thoroughly trapped.
Pride be damned, he needed help, and he didn't care who saw him like this, just as long as they got him out. So he started screaming.
"HELP! SOMEONE! HEEEELP I'M STUCK! he wailed from his upside down position, voice slightly muffled by the thick quilt he was yelling into.
He only had to yell for a minute or two before Pike followed the noise to its source.
"Whoa, hey, are you okay?" she asked upon seeing him and rushed to his side.
"PIKE! Oh thank the Gods! I'm saved!" he exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. She had to stifle a laugh as she stepped in the room, taking a closer look at Scanlan's predicament.
"How uh, how'd you get stuck like that?" she asked, a few sputtering chuckles slipping out.
"Wha- are you laughing at me?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm sorry, but have you seen yourself?" she justified, leaning against the bed. She looked around the headboard, trying to decide the best way to free her friend.
"Does it look like I have a mirror on hand?" he sassed, growing more annoyed the longer he was stuck. But he would blame it on all the blood rushing to his head, and the claustrophobia didn't help.
Pike smirked, "I could always just leave..."
"NO! Wait!" he screamed, worried his only chance at freedom was about to walk out the door. "Fuck, it's so cramped back here! Just- will you please help? I can't move," he admitted defeat, body going limp. Pike softened as she listened to his plight, smiling and rolling her eyes fondly.
"Yeah, whatever. You owe me," she said, hopping up onto the bed. "So, remind me how you got stuck?"
"Ugh, I was just trying to grab some sheet music I dropped, and I slipped," he explained.
"Maybe next time try reaching under the bed," she teased. Scanlan scoffed.
"Trust me, there won't be a next time, if I can help it. Now are you gonna help me or not?"
"Relax, will you? I'm helping," she brushed him off, tilting her head as she examined his position. "Okay, I think I can get you out."
"Oh great, you're not even sure?"
"Hey, I'm doin' my best here!" she whined playfully, grabbing ahold of his ankles. She pulled on his legs with all her might, but he barely moved an inch.
"Okay, ow, stop stop stop!" he yelled when he felt his legs pop out of socket for a split second. Pike held her hands up, immediately letting go at the first sign of distress.
"Sorry! But you're like, really stuck," she said in amazement.
"Preachin' to the choir here, Pike," he sassed, growing more annoyed and irritated as the blood continued rushing to his brain, the inkling of a headache beginning to set in.
"I know, I know, just- hold still," she readjusted her grip higher on his legs, just below the knees. "Okay, ready? On three. One, two, three!" she counted off and gave another hard tug, heels digging into the mattress as she pulled.
Scanlan let out an earsplitting shriek, kicking his legs free as she fell backwards from the force of letting go.
"I said hold still!" she scolded, dusting herself off.
"Well maybe you should hold somewhere else!" he countered childishly. Pike huffed and rolled her eyes.
"If you haven't noticed, my options are a bit limited," she deadpanned, smirking just a little as she heard him whine.
"Fine, just do it quick," he ordered.
Pike noticed the way he flinched when she grabbed the same spot, and the gears began turning in her head. Was he hurt? No, he would've been limping. Then what could it- oh. She smirked as realization dawned on her.
"You know, you could've just said it tickled," she mused aloud.
"W-what? I never said that!" Scanlan shrieked defensively, earning an amused chuckle from Pike.
"So... you're not ticklish?" she questioned, arching a skeptical brow despite knowing he couldn't see her.
"Hell no! What even gave you that idea?" he asked, wiggling around trying to free himself.
"Oh nothing, just the fact that you screamed when I did this!" Without warning, she suddenly latched onto his legs, squeezing just below his knees. She was rewarded with an ear piercing shriek as Scanlan thrashed around.
"Pihihike wahahait! T-this ihihisn't fahahair!" he screamed through his laughter.
"That's it, keep moving!" Pike ignored his protest in favor of encouragement. The more he thrashed around, the less stuck he became, so really, she was still helping!
"Dohohon't patronihihize mehehe!" he whined.
"I-I'm not! Honest!" she assured him, even as she pinched along the back of his thighs. Snorts mingled with his shrill laughter, much to his chagrin and Pike's amusement. She couldn't help but to tease, "Sorry, bad spot?"
"You hypohohocrihihite!" he cried out indignantly. He thrashed around, half of his torso now freed. So what if it was working? It was still cruel.
"I'm still helping, aren't I?" she countered smugly, tickling up his sides and ribs. His laughter rose an octave, borderline giggling as he desperately tried to control his reactions.
"Hang in there Scanlan, one more pull oughta do it!" She grabbed him by the hips and he immediately jumped at the touch. When she applied even the slightest bit of pressure, he screamed.
"THIHIS IHIHIS TORTURE!"
"Almost... there..." Pike groaned as she tugged the thrashing, hysterical bard free.
Suddenly, Scanlan felt a release of pressure and saw the room fly around him before landing on his back. His chest heaved as he could finally breathe again, greedily sucking air into his aching lungs.
"See? That wasn't so bad," Pike was panting too, lying next to him. He turned to glare at her, but the lingering smile dulled its effect.
"Easy for you to say."
"How long were you stuck like that?" she asked, making him groan and rub a hand down his tired, flushed face.
"Too long," he huffed.
"Actually, it was closer to five minutes," a sly voice spoke from the doorway.
Scanlan gasped and sat up, locking eyes with a very smug Vax'ildan.
"Wha- Vax? How- how long've you there?" he asked in a panicked, shrill voice, stuttering over his words. Out of everyone, Vax was the last person he trusted with this information.
Vax smirked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Got here just before Pike, but I thought I'd let her do the heavy lifting," he mused, ignoring her muttered, "Gee, thanks a lot."
At this rate, Scanlan's blush would never leave.
"So you've just been there? Like, the whole time?" he demanded, mouth hanging open in shock as Vax nodded.
"Yep. Wouldn't dare miss a performance like that, Scanman" he chuckled and dodged the pillow thrown at him. He waltzed over to the bed, noting the way Scanlan tensed and scooted away.
He knelt down and reached under the bed, fishing for the loose pages on the ground. He pulled back, holding the paper triumphantly in the air.
"I believe this is what you were looking for?" he held them out expectantly, only to yank them back once Scanlan reached for them.
"C'mon Vax, go easy on him," Pike came to his defense, even as she chuckled at the exchange.
"Oh, you mean like how you "went easy on him?"" he asked, using air quotes to help make his point. She gasped and playfully punched his arm as Scanlan flopped back onto the bed, rolling over to hide amongst the pillows.
"I hate you both." His voice was quiet and muffled, but even still, they knew he didn't mean it.
"Sure you do," Pike patted his shoulder with mock sympathy.
"I bet I can make you hate us even more," Vax challenged. Scanlan whipped around, a bewildered expression on his face in contrast to the rogue's mischievous grin.
"You wouldn't d-" he cut himself off when he felt a vice grip around his ankle.
"Try me."
