Characters/Pairing: Maybelle + Seaweed + Inez
Word Count: 427
--
"Inez, if I'm going to do this – you have to stop giggling," Seaweed sighed, slowly lowering his hands to rest at his side. In front of him, Lil' Inez continued to giggle, ducking her head in an effort to escape her brother's bap to her head.
"I can't help it! It tickles!" She looked back up at him, mirth shining brightly in her eyes.
"I'm not trying to tickle you; but you have to hold still and stop giggling." Seaweed tried again, lifting his hands to rest on her shoulders. "Ready?" Inez sat upright in her chair, eyes trained on the button of his shirt as she bit her lip.
"I will do my best not to giggle, sir." She nodded once, feeling his hands life away from her body as he reached to the counter to pick up the offensive tickle-causing instrument.
"Now turn around," Seaweed instructed, and Inez did so, turning to face herself in the mirror. "Here we go," he mumbled, and brought down his hand, pulling the brush through the tangled mess of hair Inez demanded that he tame. He made it once, then twice, before the giggles erupted again and her shoulders shook with the effort to keep them down.
"Seaweed," she managed between giggles, hand clasping over her mouth, "it tickles!" Her brother huffed, and then put the brush back on the counter, throwing up his hands in frustration.
"I give up! I don't know why you wanted me to brush your hair in the first place! Isn't that a girl-thing?" He glared at her reflection, watching as she came down from her recent wave of giggles.
"Yes," she smiled at him, running her fingers through the few newly untangled strands. "But it's my birthday and you said you'd do one thing for me." She offered him a toothy smile, waiting for him to begin anew.
"Did it have to be this, though? Momma's better at it," he whined, picking up the brush again.
"She is," she agreed, leaning in when she felt the brush work its way through her hair, "but she doesn't make me laugh as much."
Seaweed rolled his eyes before giving her a devilish grin, "well birthday girl, if it's laughter you want, why didn't you say so?" And before Inez could even question her brother's motives, fingers dashed quickly to her sides, a full-on assault of tickling causing her to scream with laughter.
Back in the kitchen, Maybelle felt a smile creep on her lips as she placed eight small candles onto a perfectly decorated cake.
--
A/N: Yay, thirty chapters! Certainly didn't think I'd make it this far… thanks for everyone's support! You all have been awesome! Here's hoping for many more! Unbeta'd.
