Weakpoints
Aiming for Milla's earlobe instead of her cheek is an innocent decision at the time, because Milla's sitting on the floor beside him and has her nose stuck in a book and her head is tilted in Jude's direction when he's struck with the urge to kiss her. The ear is an easy target in that position so Jude leans in to treat it to a quick peck, coupled with a little nuzzling, but he's not expecting Milla to instantly flinch at the contact. Nor is he expecting a loud, gasping laugh to escape her lips as she jerks back violently, and Jude can't help the way his jaw drops once he puts two and two together.
"You're…ticklish?"
Jude gapes, awestruck, like this is the greatest discovery ever made, but Milla only nods.
"I am," she admits, easily and calmly, as if he didn't just make her squawk like a startled chicken, as if her cheeks aren't still a little flushed. "Is that a problem?"
"No, I'm just…surprised. I didn't know spirits could be." Never mind the great Lord of Spirits herself.
"It might have carried over from when I was human. Sylph always had to be careful not to blow air on my ears whenever he did my hair."
"I see," Jude murmurs, and his gaze still lingers on her ear as he replays her rather drastic reaction in his head again. It's rare that anyone can ever catch Milla Maxwell so off guard, and well…that was really cute. So Jude knows he shouldn't but it's just so strangely tempting, and in the end, he can't help himself from giving into the wicked urge to kiss her ear again.
Jude smirks with amusement when that makes Milla yelp and jump away a second time, this time even dropping the book as she does. But when she recovers, Milla cocks her head at Jude and shoots him a confused stare, until some switch apparently turns on in her head and she pounds her fist against her palm.
"Ah, I see! You're challenging me to a 'tickle fight', yes?"
This is the point at which a speechless Jude realizes he just made a terrible mistake.
"I have never actually engaged in this type of combat before." Milla advances as she speaks, her voice full of sheer excitement, her eyes lighting up like those of a child who's eager to experience something new. Normally, Jude would find such an expression endearing, but now it only makes him scared for his life. "Alright, prepare yourself Jude. Let's hold nothing back!"
"W-wait, no!" Jude tries to protest once he finds his voice again. "Milla, I wasn't—!"
Too late. She's already on him and her fingers are digging into his ribs and just as she is in everything else she does, Milla is ruthless. Within seconds, Jude is squirming and squealing with laughter, trying desperately to counterattack but to no avail, because Milla may have ticklish ears but she apparently doesn't have ticklish anything else and that's just not fair. So it's a hopeless struggle, one that eventually ends when she tackles him to the floor and spiders her fingers along his waist until he can't take it anymore.
"S-stop! Milla, stop! I give up, you win, you win!"
Jude gasps it out, his hands held up in surrender, and thankfully Milla has mercy on him then, pulling away to leave him breathless and beaten and still pinned beneath her. Yet the victor herself seems so innocently enthused, beaming with a simple pride and joy that makes her positively glow, and when she shoots a gentle smile down at him, Jude can't even pretend to be mad at her. He's learned his lesson, after all.
Milla may have ticklish ears, but if Jude knows what's good for him, he's never, ever gonna use that against her.