Babysitting
Max was laying upside down on a long, flat rock with some soft moss on it, with his arms hanging down by his head, and his legs hanging over the top. Plus, his long-ish grey hair was spread out on the ground, and he was asleep. He was supposed to be babysitting his sister-in-law Nina's son Timon, but he couldn't care less. He wished that Nina would just kill him instead. It'd be better than this. The little brat could wander in the Elephant Graveyard alone for all he cared. He was the sole reason why he had grey hair so early.
"Uncle Max!" Speak of the devil… literally.
"WHAT do you WANT?!" He seethed through gritted teeth, keeping his eyes shut. He wished that there was somebody else with him to help him look after the little monster; but his closest friend Vitawny was teaching her baby stepsister Shenzi (She's not really a baby; she's around Timon's age) how to dig tunnels, so she was unavailable. Sometimes Vitawny acted a little flirty around him; It was confusing and a little annoying at times, but he'd take that over this any day. At least he'd be with her instead of the little pain in the butt.
Plus, nobody else would look after the little beast. And he did not blame them. Not one bit.
In response, he felt two tiny fingers run up his armpits. He let out a yelp of ticklish surprise, as he jumped away, which proved to be a bad move; He ended up tumbling off the rock and roll onto the floor. He ended up face-down, with his left foot up. "Ugh," He groaned more in annoyance than pain, as he stayed completely still.
"Uncle Max!" Timon exclaimed in concern, as he ran over in front of him, "Are you okay?!"
"Just PEACHY," Max growled, staying put.
"Peachy? How can you feel peachy? You're a meerkat, not a peach! Whatever that is…" Timon giggled. Max stayed silent as he gazed up at him, a menacing death glare on his face, and his hair over his left eye. "Uncle Max! Your eye is missing!" The young meerkat gasped and shouted in fear. He blew his hair away from his eye. "Oh, there it is! I found it!" Timon shouted in joy.
'You're pushing your luck, you little troll,' Max refrained from kicking the little rat across the Serengeti, as he stood up, slamming his hands down as he pushed himself up and sat back on the rock. He rested his cheek in the palm of his hand, and his elbow on his knee.
And much to his dismay, little Timon jumped up and sat next to him, getting too close for comfort. "Want to play Hide-and-Seek, Uncle Max?" He asked him in a hopeful tone.
"… No," Max deadpanned, not looking at him.
"How about I Spy?"
'I spy a little demon,' The older meerkat thought angrily, but kept it to himself. "… No."
"Tag?"
"No." Timon pouted in disappointment, before wondering what to do. He was bored! And his Uncle Max was being difficult… and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Grinning devilishly, he stuck out his tiny index finger, and pulled his lower arm back…
Max was indeed lost in his thoughts; The sooner Nina would come back and the little devil was out of his life, the better. He could've been digging tunnels and singing his favorite song with Vitawny, who was a wonderful singer, but nope! He had to baby-sit the little- "Gyaa! Timon!" He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a little finger poke his ribs. He was about to strangle him to death with his bare hands, but the little meerkat pounced on him, so Max was laying face-up on the rock.
"Pinned ya!"
"Timon, get off of me, or I'll tear you to pieces and feed them all to the jackals!" Max threatened, not caring whether Timon would get traumatized or not.
"I just want to play!" The young meerkat smiled innocently.
"You're playing with fire, you little- AH! Aaahahahahahahaha! Stohohohohohop! Timon stop it!" Max burst out laughing when his nephew's little nimble fingers dug in his ribs.
"Are you enjoying this, Uncle Max? You look like you're enjoying this."
"Nohohohohohoho!"
"But you're smiling!" Timon pointed out, like it was obvious.
"Tihihimon stohohohohop! I'm serious! Hahahahahahahahaha! GYAA! Not the sihihihides, you little demon! Stohohohohop!" Max yelped, as Timon's wiggling fingers went down to his sides, and he moved his little hands up and down.
The little troll showed no sign of stopping, and Max was starting to feel light-headed. With every little claw that stroked his sensitive sides, he'd laugh harder. Thankfully for his sanity, Timon stopped tickling him. "Wow, you need a breather, Uncle Max! You were about to pass out!" Timon giggled.
"Get… OFF… of me," Max growled between pants. If he wasn't so exhausted, Timon would be at the other side of Africa by now.
"But I'm having fun!" Timon pouted, attempting to look cuter than he already was. Instead of arguing with the little devil, Max simply reached up, and dug his own fingers in Timon's tummy and sides.
"AAAAH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOHOHOHOHOHOP! THAHAHAHAT'S NOHOHOT FAHAHAHAIHIHIR!" The young meerkat screeched with laughter, as Max's tickling fingers teased his little tummy and sides, and his skinny ribs.
"It is too, you little brat," Max grinned evilly, not stopping his assault. Tickling the little monster felt good to the older meerkat. But what happened next made that feeling go away; When he stopped to give him a breather, the exhausted young meerkat started falling head-first towards a sharp rock! "Whoa, Timon!" Max went to grab the fur on his chest, but missed completely. Normally, he could've cared less if Timon's head burst open, but if that actually happened, then he'd tell Nina that it was Max's fault, and he'd be in deep doo-doo.
He didn't want that to happen, because he could admit that Nina was scary when she was mad, so in a swift move, he caught the little meerkat with his hand on his back, so his head was inches away from breaking. "Jeez, you're heavy!" Max groaned, "Put your feet on the floor! I don't know how much longer I can hold you up like this!"
Getting the message right away, Timon set his feet on the floor. But then he slid down out of Max's hold like a snake, and darted away like a cheetah! Max stared at the now empty space in the palm of his hand in shock, with a "What just happened?" expression. He looked around the area, and Timon was nowhere in sight.
"Timon? Timon!" Max stood up and looked around cautiously, when there was no answer. "Come on out, Timmy. I won't hurt you," He tried to coax him out of hiding. "You little scorpion," He grumbled to himself. He whipped around whenever he heard a noise, but never saw Timon.
"Max?" He felt somebody tap his shoulder, so he jumped out of his skin, and whipped around in midair, his hands bunched into fists, prepared to punch whoever scared him in the nose. It turned out to be Swifty's father, Bakari. "Whoa, whoa, Max! Relax!" Bakari had his hands up in surrender, "What are you doing?"
"Searching for a certain little beast," Max told him, as he lowered his hands down.
"Timon?" Bakari guessed on the dot.
"Yep, but I can't find him."
"Ohoho, Nina is gonna kill you," Bakari chuckled, and Max's eyes closed halfway, and he furrowed his eyebrows in exasperation at him. "Sorry; Anyhoo, I wish I could help you, but I've got to give Swifty digging lessons. See you." He walked away towards a certain tunnel, where little Swifty was. "Wouldn't want to be you!" He teased, before laughing to himself.
Max's hands bunched back up into fists, as a growl escaped through his teeth, and he wished that he did punch him in the nose. Timon and Swifty's families weren't on good terms since the kits became rivals. "Okay Timon, this isn't funny anymore! Where are you, you little brat?!" He yelled angrily, continuing his search; He had enough of this nonsense. He didn't want Nina to murder him, because he lost her precious son.
Speaking of Nina, Max saw her out of the corner of his eye. Panicking, he ducked down in the nearest tunnel, gripping the edge and praying that Timon was in the tunnel too. When he didn't hear footsteps anymore, he peeked out, and sighed in relief when he saw that she was gone. Little did he know, Timon was in the same tunnel; And was right behind him.
"GYAA!" Max yelled out when he felt two tiny fingers poke his hips. The surprise attack made him slip, and fall in the tunnel on his backside. Before he could do anything else, Timon's tiny, nimble fingers dug into his ribs and stomach. "Gyaahahahahahahahahahaha! Timohohohohohohon! Stop it, you little troll! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"You actually have a nice laugh, Uncle Max!" Timon exclaimed, not stopping his torment as the older meerkat fell on his stomach, and the little meerkat sat on the back of his waist, and tortured his uncle's ticklish armpits, "You should laugh more often!"
"Aaahahahahahahahahaha!" Max laughed hard as he banged his fists on the ground and kicked his legs, "Tihihimohohon stohohohohohop! Or I'll tear you apart! Hahahahahahahahaha! I'm serious! I'm gonna wet myself! GYAAA! Not the sides agahahahahain! Quit it, you little brat! Aaaahahahahahahahahahaha! Thahahahahat t-tihihihihickles!" Max laughed hysterically, as Timon went down to his hips, then back up to his armpits, and down again.
"Of course it tickles!" Timon giggled, "I'm tickling you, stupid!" He teased his poor uncle.
"Don't call me stupid, you little devil! Hahahahahahahahahaha! Aaaahahahahahahahahaha!"
"Are you really going to wet yourself, Uncle Max? You want a break?"
"Yehehehehehehehes! Plehehehehehaheahahahase!" Normally, Max never begged, but the tickling was getting to be too much for him to handle.
"Okey-dokey then!" Timon stopped his torment, and jumped off of him. "You okay, Uncle Max?"
"No. No I'm not," He growled, staying still and panting from exhaustion.
"Wasn't that fun?" Timon asked Max as the older meerkat sat up, and covered himself with his arms.
"No!" He snapped angrily.
"It was too!" Timon giggled incredulously, "Maybe you haven't had enough to realize how fun it was!" He dove towards him again, but this time, Max was ready, so he jumped back on his feet. Timon missed him completely, so Max wrestled him down on the floor, and sat on his back. He was being careful, so he wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't let him escape. Payback time! "Uncle Max? What're you doing?"
"Just a little payback," Max smiled evilly.
"Wha-? No, please don't! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Any of it! I'll never do it again! I promise!"
"Oho, it's too late to kiss up now, sonny boy." Max turned himself around, so he was facing the back of Timon's head. Then without warning, he slipped his fingers under Timon's arms, and started tickling intensely.
"B-but- AAAAH! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Timon screamed loudly, hurting Max's ears. He would've been surprised if the lions at Pride Rock didn't hear him. But he couldn't care less at the moment; All that mattered was, the little monster was getting what he deserved. "NOT THERE, UNCLE MAX! NOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHERE! PLEHEHEHEHEHEAHAHAHAHASE!" The little devil punched the floor with his tiny fists, and kicked his short legs.
"What's wrong, Timmy?" Max taunted him, "Not having fun?"
"NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
"Now you feel my pain, you little punk," Max stated emotionlessly, as his tickling did not cease. But then the young meerkat made an unexpected, sneaky move: He reached up, and dug his tiny fingers in Max's slightly pudgy belly.
"Gyaaahahahahahahahahaha!" Max yelped, as tickling Timon suddenly got a lot harder, "Quit it, you little punk! Aahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Two can play at that game! Max slipped his fingers under Timon's little body, and started tickling between his tummy and hips.
"AAAH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Timon screamed with laughter, although it wasn't as loud as before. Then to Max's dismay, the little demon moved his hand to the side, and started tickling between his hip and stomach.
"Aaah! Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Max burst out laughing, as he tried to arch back, but he figured if he arched back too far, then Timon would be out of his reach. So he had to endure the already agonizing torture. "IhIhIhI'll beheheahahat yohohohouhuhu!" He laughed with confidence, but he was actually unsure if he would actually be able to do just that. Timon was an awfully skilled tickler for his young age, and the light tickling on Max's tummy was already unbearable. To retaliate, he shoved his hand away, turned himself around, pinned Timon's ankles down, and scribbled his fingers up and down his legs.
"Gyaaahahahahahahahahahaha!" Timon burst into laughter, as he punched the floor repeatedly again. "Hohohohow dohoho you lihihihike thihihihis!?" Max had no idea what Timon was talking about, but he soon found out. Abruptly, a small hand grabbed one of his hips, that alone making him jump and yelp, and then something small, warm, and wet slid up his other hip.
"GYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Max shrieked with laughter, "WHAHAHAHAT IHIHIHIHIS THAHAHAHAT?!" He easily jumped back on the floor, ripping Timon's hand off his side. "What was that?! … Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to tickle it out of you?" Timon merely grinned evilly at his poor uncle, and stuck his tongue out. Max was confused at first, but then he realized what the little monster just did to him. He gazed down at his now damp hip, then back at Timon, going back and forth, his jaw dropped in horror. "… Tell me you didn't."
"Your fur tastes gross!" Timon sneered, wiping his tongue on his lower arm, "You need a bath, Uncle Max!"
"You LICKED me?! SERIOUSLY, TIMON?!" Max shouted, more furious than he had ever been in his life. The mere thought of the little demon licking his hip made him want to puke. He felt so violated! What the heck was that little brat's problem?!
"You wouldn't stop tickling me!" Timon defended himself, "I was going to pee myself! I had to make you stop somehow!" He stood on his toes, so he was eye-level with his uncle's ribs.
"That was the most disgusting thing I ever felt in my life! Don't you EVER do that again, young man! What is the MATTER with you?! Have you lost your mind?!" Max shouted some more, letting all his anger out on the little rat, as he bent down to make direct eye contact, so he would know just how furious and disgusted he was.
"It was the only way to make you stop! I just said that a second ago!" Timon shouted right back. The two meerkats glared daggers at each other silently, thick tension in the air around them. Max bared his teeth down at him to look more intimidating, but Timon didn't move.
But then, they did something completely unexpected: They burst into fits of laughter.
"Oh man! Did you see the look on your face?!" Timon giggled.
"Me? What about you? You were begging me to stop like a little baby! 'Oh please Uncle Max! Stop tickling me!'" Max imitated his nephew before bursting into more laughter, holding his stomach.
"I wasn't scared! I was faking it to fool you!" Timon claimed.
"Yeah right," Max chuckled tauntingly.
"It's true!" Max was about to say something back to him, but heard faraway footsteps. He jumped up and gripped on the edge of the tunnel, and peeked out, seeing Nina walking towards the tunnel. He jumped back down before she could see him, and turned to Timon. "I've got an idea," He whispered to him, "Your mom is coming."
"She is?!" Timon smiled excitedly, before jumping up to the edge of the tunnel, but Max grabbed him on his sides, and put him down in front of him.
"Wait! I got an idea," He said again, "You want to give her a big surprise?"
"Yeah!" Timon shouted excitedly.
"Shhh!" Max clapped a hand over the little meerkat's mouth to shut him up. "We've gotta hide. Follow my lead."
"Boys! I'm back!" Nina called out, her arms full of bugs for them. "Boys? Where are you?"
"Wait for it…" Max whispered to Timon, struggling to keep his giggles in. "Now!"
"BWAAAAA!" Max and Timon screamed simultaneously, jumping out of their hiding spots. Nina screamed and jumped real bad, flailing her arms around, so the bugs were flying everywhere. She put her hand on her heart, as the boys rolled on the floor, cracking up a storm.
"Max! Timon! You boys nearly gave me a heart attack! Don't ever do that again!"
"Oh man, you should've seen your face, Nina!" Max laughed, rolling on his back as he held his stomach and kicked his legs.
"Your eyes were almost out of your head!" Timon giggled, as he was punching the floor.
"S-so Timon," Nina stuttered, still out of breath from the scare, "Were you good for Uncle Max, sweetie?"
"Sure was!" He smiled innocently.
"Was he good, Max?" She asked her brother-in-law.
"Oh, he was a little angel," He assured her, with a big teeth-baring grin, "Just wonderful."
"Aw, that's great," Nina smiled, "You're looking awful tired, honey," She said to her son, "You want to take a nap?"
"Sure," Timon nodded, letting out a yawn, "But just a short one."
"Come along," Nina took his hand, and led him home. Max let out a breath of relief as soon as they were out of earshot, and slept on the moss rock, happy to be away from the little nightmare.
The End
(A/N: I couldn't resist. XD It was inspired by a story I read on dA, where this one is also posted. Max, Timon, Shenzi, Nina, and Swifty don't belong to me, but Vitawny and Bakari do. Poor Maxie. XD Also, the idea of naming Timon's mom Nina belongs to Maran Zelde.)