Tension - (5 Parts)

[glowstick03]

So, I have another story, and this one actually has a title! I'm sorry to the people who were reading my other story, but I have been utterly uninspired by it lately...perhaps because this one was eating at my brain! But I promise I will go back to it. Anyway, this was intended to be a one shot, but I realized that that wouldn't be possible, not with everything that I would like to happen. It's about a girl who has to endure a two hour car ride with her ex-boyfriend and there's a TON of tension between them because they had a bad breakup...and sneezes, of course ;] Please don't kill me for the utter lack of sneezes in this part. There will definitely be more...this one is more to set up the story. And, without further ado, I give you this first installment of Tension:

Part 1:

My cell phone buzzed, startling me. I’d been watching an old House episode online, engrossed in the drama between Cameron, Chase, and Foreman as they tried not to be fired. I checked the small screen of phone- it was Kiara, my best friend that lived in Arizona.

“Hello?”

“Mara? It’s Kia! Guess where I am?”

“Where?” I asked, hardly daring to hope she was in Pasadena.

“San Diego!”

“No way!” I sat up straighter, nearly knocking over my mug of apple juice. San Diego was more than two hours south of where I was, but California was California.

“Yeah, for the weekend! I really want to see you- can you come?”

“Well,” I began, my heart beginning to sink, “my car is in the shop and my parents are out of town, so I can’t borrow theirs- let me check train prices.” I opened up a new page and typed into my trusted search engine, Google.

“All right. Anyone else that can give you a ride?”

“Alisha’s in Germany, Sam and Katie are in Oregon…none of my other friends know you, so that would be awkward. And I they’re all working. That’s the only reason I’m stuck here watching House online, I rattled off, navigating my way through the Amtrak website.

“What about Jason?”

My fingers slipped on the keyboard, and I accidently typed in “San Diegl;” rather than “San Diego.” I bit down on my lip. “No,” I told her shortly.

“Come on, Mara.”

I grimaced at the ticket prices. If only she’d told me earlier… “I don’t speak to Jason anymore, as you very well know, Kia. And the train tickets are too pricey. I’m really sorry.” Disappointment replaced the resentment that had flared at the thought of Jason.

“Please, Mara. Riding down here with Jason won’t kill you!”

“Yes, I believe it will. I think I’ve developed an allergy to him.” I moved my mouse over the play button, now very eager to return to House.

“Mara, he’s my friend too. I want to see him.”

“So call HIM,” I snapped. “I’m sure he’ll drive down. I can visit you in Tucson, maybe in a couple months.”

“You’re still not over him, are you?”

“I’m over HIM,” I said, rankled, “but not what he did to me. I have to go. Call me when you’re home again. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I hung up and quickly unpaused my show, trying my utmost not to think of Jason.

~~~

I was starting on a new episode of House- the one where Chase’s father comes to visit- when the doorbell rang. I frowned, pausing the video. It was probably Eliza, the girl who lived across the hall. She ALWAYS forgot her key, so she left a spare at my place.

Grudgingly, I stood, stretching, my long, depressingly straight hair cascading down my back. I crossed to the door, a mahogany brown door worn with age, the other side bearing a large brass number 3. I didn’t bother to check the tiny peephole that I had to stand on tip-toe to see out of anyway, grabbing the spare key as I opened the door.

Instead of seeing the tall, leggy platinum blond that was Eliza, I saw dark red hair, even darker red stubble, baby blue eyes, a t-shirt, long shorts, and combat boots. The key slipped out of my hand as I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly horribly aware of the fact that I was in a tank top and boxers.

Jason ducked to retrieve the key, his four-inch fiery hair swinging across his face as he straightened up again. He held the key out to me. Jason Marshall. My ex-boyfriend. I just stared at him, my dark eyes locked on his.

“You dropped this,” he said, brandishing the small silver key, now completely insignificant.

I couldn’t seem to draw enough oxygen. My brain and throat worked furiously, struggling to articulate something. Anything.

“Are you…okay?” he asked uncertainly, still holding out the stupid key.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him. Had it been a year? My mind reeled.

Jason finally let his hand fall, the key still in it. He shifted uncomfortably.

“Why-why are you here?” I choked out at last.

“Kia said you needed a ride to San Diego.”

The breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding whooshed out. “Get out,” I snapped, snatching the key from him. “I don’t need a ride anywhere. Not from you.” I made to shut the door.

Jason put his body between the door and the frame. “Mara, wait-“

“Don’t think I won’t slam this in your damn face.”

“Mara, please,” he pleaded.

His tone made me pause.

“Mara, I’m sorry. For everything.” He watched me with a pained expression.

My hands shook. “Bullshit,” I spat.

“Really, I am.”

“Even if you were, I’m not spending two hours in a car with you.” I tugged down my tank top self-consciously.

“Mara-“

“Goodbye, Jason.” He leapt out of the way as I slammed the door, making the ancient wood rattle and creak. I turned away, and then a knock sounded.

“Mara! Please come to San Diego with me! Kia hasn’t seen you for a year!”

I whipped back around, seething. “Go to hell!” I locked the door. I took deep breaths, willing myself not remember anything.

“Mara, stop acting like I raped you or something!” Jason shouted through the doorframe.

“Stay away from me!” I shouted back. To my horror, I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. No, no, no, no, no! I blinked rapidly. “Just leave, Jason! I don’t need idiots like you in my life!”

“Mara, I get that you’re mad at me, but I have a good reason for wanting you to go with me.”

“Oh, yeah?” I snapped. “What’s that?”

“Kia’s in trouble.”

Jason jumped as I wrenched my door open again. The lights in the dingy hallway hummed. “What?” I demanded.

“She’s in trouble,” he repeated, running a hand distractedly through his hair.

“She…didn’t mention that to me.”

“Probably because you practically hung up on her.”

My stomach twisted. “It’s none of your business.” I had pretty much cut her off the moment she’d mentioned Jason…what if she’d had something to say? Something important? “Well, if you’re so smart, what’s wrong?”

“She didn’t really go into it. She just said she really needed friends right now.”

I frowned. That could mean a lot of things. “But…she sounded just fine when I talked to her.”

“She was like that with me, too. Then she broke down crying.”

Doubts swirled around in my mind. But what if it was true? “But…what does she expect us to do?”

“I don’t know. I just know that she needs us, and we need to get there. Everyone else is gone right now.”

“But…” I began again, unsure whether or not to believe him.

“Mara, why would I lie about this?” said Jason exasperatedly, throwing his arms up.

“I don’t know.” I watched him, still unsure. If Kia was in trouble…I needed to help her. And Jason had a new girlfriend, from what I’d heard, so why would he be trying to get me back?

“Mara, just trust me. Come to San Diego with me,” he pressed, seeing me vacillate.

Maybe past events were clouding my judgment…I couldn’t figure it out. I stared into the eyes that once upon a time I had loved. That I didn’t think I could love again. And then I whispered the last word either of us were expecting. “Okay.”

~~~

“So…the hair’s new,” said Jason, standing awkwardly in my small, cluttered living room as I came out of my equally small bedroom. His eyes appraised my outfit; a light grey tank top with blue zig zags and wide straps and dark denim shorts.

“Yeah,” I said grudgingly, knowing he was referring to the cobalt streaks in my otherwise jet-black hair. I looked away as I began shoving some stuff into my black Addidas overnight bag. I still couldn’t believe I was doing this. What had made me say yes? He was a complete scumbag that I’d planned on never speaking to again. But Kia needed me. I’d do anything for her.

“When did you do that?”

“Do what?” I asked distractedly as I mentally checked off my list of what I was bringing.

“Dye your hair.” He shifted his weight to his other foot, clearly still not at ease. Good.

“A couple of months ago.” I zipped up the bag, then checked my purse to make sure I had what I needed. “Okay, let’s go.” I looked back at him, still not believing I was going to, or even able to do this.

Jason nodded. “Okay.” He ran a hand through his hair again, then turned to open my apartment door for me.

“Thanks,” I said stiffly as I walked into the hallway, my feet leaving impressions on the dirty, threadbare carpet as I turned to lock the door.

“Mara-“ began Jason, and I knew what he was going to say.

“Look,” I cut him off. “I’m only doing this because Kia needs my help. I still hate you. And that’s not going to change, so don’t even try. Now, where are you parked?” I shifted my bag into a more comfortable position.

“Out front.”

I turned and walked down the hall, past the yellowing wallpaper to the rickety staircase. We walked in silence, the stairs making ominous cracking noises as we stepped on them. I really needed to find a better place to live.

Why was I doing this? For Kia, I reminded myself. For Kia.

The California sun hit me full in the face as I stepped outside, momentarily blinding me. I pulled out my reflective aviators, shielding my eyes. It was warmer than it should have been for mid-April, but that was Southern California for you. The phrase “April showers bring May flowers” was meaningless here most years, and this was definitely one of them. Instead, it was at least 80 degrees, and everything was in full bloom.

“Over here,” said Jason, and I looked at him to see where he was pointing. He’d donned sunglasses, too, and to my horror, they were reflective aviators. He still had his? When we’d been dating, we’d thought it was cute to have the same sunglasses, but now it was just embarrassing. If the sun didn’t give me headaches, I would have taken mine off. I turned my head quickly in the direction he was pointing instead, my eyes alighting on his beat-up beige truck.

Jason reached the truck before me, but he was still struggling to unlock it as I came up beside him. I rubbed at my eyes. They were beginning to itch. Damn it, I’d taken my allergy meds this morning, hadn’t I?

“There we go,” he said as the door popped open. He crossed in front of the truck to get to the driver’s side.

“Hekishoo!” I brought my arm up just in time, the sneeze startling me. I rubbed at my now itchy nose, then quickly got into the truck, praying silently to make it through a two hour car ride with my ex-boyfriend.

~~~

TBC...feedback would be very much appreciated. The second part may not come for a couple of weeks, cuz I'm in the process of moving across the country! However, I'll do what I can because this story is eating away at my conscious, begging to be written...hehe.

[Ciuty80]

sounds interessing for me

please write more

i´m excited about what will happen in the car

[Kiwifruit]

Wow, you really are a fantastic writer! This is a very promising start...I can't wait to read about the car ride!!

[zneeze]

Wow *is intrigued* Can't wait for more!

[ilovesneezing]

Wow, this is an awesome start, you write very well

[TheCakeIsAlive]

* basically agrees with all comments so far *

I'm very curious where this story is going. *eagerly awaiting next installment*

Terrific writing style. I've very much enjoyed reading.

[glowstick03]

Thanks for the kind words!! I'm already quite a ways into the next part, but I'm trying to be good and packing for my big move...so I won't be working on it again till I make the move next week. Maybe. I'm pretty bad about not writing when I really don't have the time but still want to...good for all of you, not so much for me! But Part 2 will should be up by the end of next week :]

[Kineret]

I can't wait to read the rest of this!

[mysterysneezer]

this is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!

please please PLEASE continue

[smiles15]

Really Really Interesting! (:

Continue.

[glowstick03]

So...I'm REALLY bad at not writing when I don't have time...but on the bright side, Part 2 is finished, and I decided to post it. It's a bit short compared to Part 1, but the next part will most likely be longer...I just wanted to establish something with this second part...as well as provide my readers with some sneezes :] Thank you very, very much for the positive comments...I'm glad people like this :] it was just a random idea I had. Anyway, enough blabbering from me. Part 3 will hopefully go up next week...and now here is this next part!

~~~

Part 2:

This could not be happening.

But it was. My breath hitched quietly as we merged onto the 110 Freeway. Jason couldn’t hear my desperate breaths because he had the two front windows rolled down and the wind drowned them out.

“My air conditioning doesn’t work right now,” he’d explained when I’d started to roll mine up when we got onto the freeway.

So I could either die of an allergy attack or die of heat stroke. Fantastic.

I bent down to search my overnight bag for my allergy meds, rubbing at my nose in the process. If anything, the rubbing made the itching intensify. But I didn’t sneeze. Not yet. That’s the way my allergies were. My eyes would itch, my nose would itch and sometimes run, but it took a while for me to actually sneeze. And that was if I was lucky. A lot of the time, it would just go away. I actually found it incredibly annoying, but I prayed for that to happen now. I knew it was a lost cause, though. If I had to be breathing in the pollen of all the plant life on either side of the freeway the entire two hours, I was going to sneeze. A lot. Which was definitely something I was not keen on doing in front of Jason. My search through the bag was fruitless. God damn it. How could I forget my meds?

There was a small travel pack of tissues, so I grabbed those and stuck them between my legs before Jason could see. If I could pull it off, Jason would never know I was having an allergy attack.

Ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I took my meds every single day, and this was the day I forgot?

The nice thing about having the windows down on the freeway was that it was too loud to have a conversation. Not that I would have anyway, but now he wouldn’t hear my pathetic attempts not to sneeze. My nose twitched. Jason glanced at me, and then turned on the radio. Even better. My breath caught.

“Heh…heh…hih….” And then the tickle abruptly receded. “Hihchoo!” I involuntarily inhaled deeply and sneezed, just when I’d thought I was safe. That tended to happen to me too.

Jason’s eyes darted to where I was sitting. “B…bless you,” he said uncomfortably. He looked back at the road.

“Thanks,” I said, just as uncomfortably back.

No. This was not going to happen. He’d just think it was a stray sneeze. I was not going to sneeze again.

I stared straight ahead, trying to pretend my nose wasn’t itching like crazy or that my eyes were beginning to water. But clearly, the universe hated me today.

“Kishoo! Hekishoo!” A light spray misted my hand as I brought it up to my face. But I wasn’t done. “Ishoo! Huh…choo!” I brought a tissue to my reddening nose, dabbing at it, then wiping my eyes.

“Bless you,” Jason said again, in that same tone of voice.

I pretended not to hear him. I was too busy wishing I had taken my meds this morning, that Kia wasn’t in San Diego, and that I hadn’t agreed to come on this stupid trip.

My nose felt like there were ants crawling all over the inside of it. I couldn’t do this. “Eichoo!” Ouch.

Jason shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t bless me. I was grateful, because that was even more embarrassing.

The next few minutes, I did nothing but huff, and that made me almost wish I were sneezing again, but not quite. The sneeze teased me, making my chest expand as I took deep, hitching breaths, and then the tickle would recede again. I rubbed at my itchy, watery eyes and sniffled. Mistake. “Hih…hihchoo! Kshoo!” I cautiously sniffed again, but immediately stopped as the tickle flared to life. To pull out the tissues…or not to pull out the tissues…I really didn’t want to, but sniffling made me sneeze. I glanced at Jason. He was staring determinedly at the road ahead. I pulled a tissue out as quickly as I could, wincing at the crackly sound the plastic made. I wiped carefully at my nose.

“Huh…Ih…” Oh, God. Why me? “Heh…” I mean, really. Was this torture necessary? My nose burned. “Ih…Itchoo!” I caught this one in the tissue, along with some of the tears streaming down my face. I saw Jason look at me again. I swallowed my pride, and before I could chicken out, asked “Could we…heh…roll the windows up?”

“Mara, it’s like 90 degrees outside. And I told you, my air doesn’t work.”

Jackass. “Kitchoo! Hih, hih, hih…eshoo! Heh’ngt’choo! Ple-hih-please?” I begged, dabbing at my streaming eyes and nose miserably and feeling embarrassed and defeated. This was not the way I wanted my ex-boyfriend to see me…

“I’m sorry.”

“Dohuhn’t talk me.” I sniffed without thinking. “Ahchoo! Ah…tishoo! Choo! Huh…”

Jason shifted uncomfortably again.

The sneezes were beginning to come faster as we sped by fields of flowers and tall grasses. “Itchoochoo! Hih’ngt!” I held a finger under my quivering nose. Mistake. “Hih’choo! Ehchoo! G’choo! Tshoochoochoo!” I gasped for air, feeling lightheaded. I clamped the tissue over my nose, hoping to provide a barrier between the plentiful yellow-gold dust and myself.

Jason’s legs seemed to give involuntary shudders. “Jesus, Mara, could you stop that or something?” he asked, a desperate edge to his voice.

“Oh, yeah, let me juhuhst stop my allergy attack! Kshoo! Well, maybe I couhihld if you would hih roll uuup the DAMN WINDOWS, you- Kshoo! – you jackass!”

“Mara, it’s not like I’m-“

“Oh, scruuhhew you! You like this, don’t- kishoochoochoo! Hihchoo! Hehchoo!” The sneezes came out nearly on top of each other for almost a solid minute. I sat hunched over, my face in my hands, which were clutching the nearly disintegrated tissue. My eyes streamed, my nose ran, and all I could do was sneeze.

“…Mara?” asked Jason uncertainly, but I could barely hear him through the haze in my mind. I couldn’t breathe. I really couldn’t.

The fit subsided, but my chest was tight, and my breath came in wheezes.

“Alright, alright!” said Jason in alarm, rolling up both of the windows. But it didn’t matter. I gasped, my vision blurring a little.

“I…hate…you…” I wheezed. “Kshoo!” I doubled over.

“Mara, I swear I didn’t do it on purpose! I forgot how bad it could get,” he pleaded, hands tight on the steering wheel.

See, there was this thing about Jason. A thing that, last I checked, only I knew about. This thing? Well, Jason…he had a…a kink, I guess you could call it. More specifically, a sneezing fetish.

~~~

TBC! Comments, if you wish to leave them, are welcome :]

[ilovesneezing]

Ooooooo I saw that coming. Jackass indeed WONDERFUL sneezes!

[Ciuty80]

wow nice update

keep it going love to read more

[Wishing]

Brilliant, just brilliant....really looking forward to the next part

[mysterysneezer]

AHHHHHH THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR CONTINUING!!!!!!!!!

this is sooooooooooo incredible!!!!!!! ))))

cant wait for the next part!!!!

[sneezes]

thats a great story you have got to carry on!

[greenwave9]

!!!!! this is great!!!!! SO AMAZING how many parts are there going to be?

[zneeze]

Yum Great job on the second part, can't wait for the next one!

[glowstick03]

Thank you so much for the positive feedback--glad people are enjoying it! I've finally settled into my new home, and was able to finish up Part 3--sorry to keep you waiting! Part 4 to come soon, hopefully :]

~~~

Part 3:

“Ih…itchoo!” I sneezed weakly, keeping my eyes shut after I sneezed. I felt crappy. And I felt crappy with the last person on earth that I would want to feel crappy around. Seriously, universe? I wrapped my arms around myself, sniffling pathetically, still quite a bit wheezy.

“Hey, hey,” came Jason’s voice worriedly.

I didn’t open my eyes or answer him. He was such a jackass. So he just felt like indulging himself, regardless of what it would do to me? Even though we weren’t even together anymore? The little breath that I had hitched helplessly as my nose itched fiercely.

“Mara,” he said.

“Fuck off,” I snapped. “Eichoo. Hih, hih, hih…hitchoo!”

“Mara. Are you all right?” I felt the car pull off onto the gravelly shoulder and slow to a stop.

“Dandy.”

“Tell me what you need, Mara…I’ll get it for you.” A warm hand touched my shoulder.

“Don’t tou-hih,hih-touch me…ksh.” I stifled the sneeze against my wrist, making my head spin.

Jason sighed a little exasperatedly. “Mara, I swear I didn’t do this to you on purpose.” He began to rub my back in small circles. Just like he used to…

***

“Hih, hih, hitchoo! Itchoo! Eichoo!” I gasped for breath, my eyes watering profusely. I was so allergic to poppies. “Heh…hehkishoo! Kishoo!” I stayed bent over myself, clutching a damp handkerchief to my face, knowing more sneezes were to come. My breath came in wheezes…my chest felt too tight.

The sound of a door opening and closing reached my ears as I convulsed with a resounding “HEHKISHOO!”

“Still feeling sneezy?” asked a sympathetic voice. My boyfriend’s voice.

I nodded, keeping my eyes shut. “Heh…ih...hih…” I hitched pathetically. The damn sneeze was stuck. Again. My nose twitched desperately.

A warm hand delicately ran a finger down the bridge of my nose. “Itchoo! Tshoo! Ehchoo! Choo! Hitchoo!”

“Bless you, love.” Jason’s arms encircled my shaking body and he pulled me onto his bed with him, holding me close to him. “I threw the poppies in the outside trash and changed my clothes and washed my hands…all traces of them should be gone.”

“Do…doesn’t matter…I’ll be at iihht for another…hour…Hehksh!”

“I’m really, really sorry, Mara. If I’d known you were this allergic to poppies, I would have begun with something else.” Jason began to rub my back in small circles.

I shivered a little in pleasure. “Hih…tshoo! Tshoo! Hih’nggt!” I held the handkerchief tightly around my nose, trying to prevent the oncoming sneezes. This only made it tickle more. “Hih’ksh! Hih’tsh! Heh’ng’choo!”

“Love, please don’t stifle…it’s bad for you.” He continued to rub my back. Kissed my hair.

Opening my red eyes, I turned over to face him. “Ksh!” I sneezed into my free hand.

“Bless you.”

“You really find thihhs sexy?” I asked in a hoarse voice, gesturing to my red, puffy, streaming eyes, my bright red and slightly drippy nose, the sodden handkerchief, my wheezy breaths.

His beautiful blue eyes locked on mine. “Mara, I think you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever met, especially right now. Seriously.” He gave me a sheepish half-smile, clearly embarrassed.

I gave him a half-smile back, but quickly dropped it as I sneezed again. “Kitchoo! Hitchoo!”

Jason pulled me closer and whispered into my ear “Bless you…your sneezes are so cute.”

I smiled and snuggled closer to him, and he resumed rubbing my back the way I liked so much.

***

“Mara? I’m serious. I didn’t do this to you. I really did forget.”

I felt the comforting hand on my back. I thought about the memory I’d just relived. And for some reason, it made me believe him. “Okay,” I whispered, before launching into a fit of wheezy coughs.

“Hey, now…” said Jason, rubbing my back a little more vigorously. “Just breathe.”

I sucked in a breath, only to have it come back out immediately- “Kshoo!” It was starting to get seriously hot in here. “Jason, it’s too hot in here,” I moaned. All thoughts of putting up a front were gone.

“I know it is, Mara. Here, I’m gonna get off the freeway and get you some medicine, okay?”

I nodded my head before I sneezed again. “Itchoo! Uh…”

“Bless you,” said Jason as he started up the car again and merged back into traffic. He kept his hand on my back.

I didn’t want this to be happening. None of it. I didn’t want to be going to San Diego with Jason, I didn’t want to be having an allergy attack, and I did not want Jason being nice to me. It made it so much harder to hate him, so much harder to keep the memories I’d tried so hard to repress from flooding back…

***

“Bless you,” said Jason, after another rather impressive fit of sneezing from me. I’d been having fits like it on and off all afternoon, even after the windows in Alisha’s parents’ mountain cabin had been shut tightly.

“Th…thanks…hihksh!” Not to mention sneezing quite a few times in between these fits.

“Bless you,” repeated Jason, for probably the thousandth time.

“You can stop saying that, Jason…it’s not gonna stop for a while.” I wiped my nose on a handkerchief he’d offered me earlier. I blushed a little, my cheeks matching my pinkened, irritated nose. Even with medication, I’d been reduced to a sneezy mess today, forcing me to stay inside the cabin while everybody else went for a hike to the nearby stream. Jason had volunteered to keep me company. I wasn’t sure why, but I was a little bit glad, because I had a major crush on him. But I was mostly embarrassed, because I just could not stop sneezing.

“You’re gonna have to deal with it…it’s a habit.” He cast me one of his half-smiles.

I knew for a fact that he never blessed anyone else, not just because I was currently obsessed with him, but also because he’d been my best friend for four years now, and I’d never heard him say it to anyone else. But I didn’t contradict him, because that seemed like an awkward thing to know/mention about him. I was becoming increasingly paranoid about the stuff we discussed since I’d realized my feelings were a little stronger than they used to be. I stuck my tongue out at him, and then sniffled, which brought on another sneeze. “Hitchoo!” My head ducked down into the handkerchief. “Ugh…”

“Bless you.” He watched me amusedly.

“Thanks,” I responded, glaring at him. Before I could really make it good, though, I sneezed again. “Hih…ih…” I hitched, my face wrinkling into an incredibly sneezy expression, as Jason looked on, one eyebrow raised. “Itchoo!”

He laughed, reaching out to pat my shoulder. “Bless you. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as sneezy as you.”

My blush deepened, and I looked away. “Only when there’s pollen around,” I said, embarrassed.

“Hey,” he said, reading me as only he could. “Don’t be embarrassed about it! It’s not like you can help it.”

“Yeah…” I kept my gaze towards the dark blue, shaggy carpet.

“Mara…”

“Hitchoo!”

“Bless you.”

“Thanks.” I felt stupid. I rubbed at my still-itchy nose, turning away from Jason, wishing he had gone on the hike so that he wouldn’t have seen me like this.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” I sighed.

“I…” I could hear him swallow.

“What?” I asked, turning back to find him suddenly nervous and flustered.

“I…well…”

“Go on.”

“I…never mind,” he said quickly.

“No…hih…what?” I asked, pressing a finger under my nose. “What were you going to say?”

“It’s not important,” he responded, looking away from me.

My mind began jumping to a thousand different conclusions. “What, you don’t truuhst me?” I demanded, pressing the finger harder against my septum. “We’re best friends, aren’t we?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Well, yes…”

“What’s going on?”

“I just…listen, you can’t tell anybody about this, okay?” He was staring down at his lap.

“Of co…co…hihkishoo! Hih…ih...ekshoo!” Clearly, my finger was failing me. And at the worst possible time. “Hitchoo! Hih’nxt! Hih…hih…hih…hih…? It’s…hih…stuck…” I whispered, my mouth hanging open and my eyes squeezed shut.

“Let me help you.” I heard Jason shifting on the couch towards me.

“Hih…what?” I asked, confused.

“Just trust me.” He touched my nose, barely applying pressure, just enough to leave a tickly sensation. Slowly, he ran his finger up and down the bridge of my nose.

“Hih..hih…hihksh! Hihksh! Hihkishoo! Ksh! Ksh!” I gasped, then opened my eyes, staring at Jason. “How did you…?”

It was clear he was struggling to keep himself in control. Of what, I wasn’t sure. He settled back down onto the couch, looking a bit embarrassed. “I…I…Mara, there’s this thing about me….no one knows about it.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “What, Jason?”

“I…”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s just…probably gross…to…people.”

“Um…all right? Jason, just tell me.”

He looked away before mumbling something.

“Whahhh-“ I held a finger up to my nose. It didn’t work. “Kishoo!”

“I have a sneezing fetish!” he burst out while I was still recovering from my latest expulsion.

“A…sneezing fetish?” I asked quietly.

“I know, it’s disgusting,” he said, blushing as red as his hair.

“I…I didn’t know there was such a thing.” Was this why he’d said he’d stay with me?

“You don’t have to pretend, Mara…”

“No, I’m not disgusted…just…confused. You think sneezing is…sexy?”

“Yeah, something like that.” I could tell he was regretting saying anything at all.

I, on the other hand, was intrigued. By the fetish itself…and did that mean he found me sexy? My heart sped up at the thought of it. I watched him as the redness faded from his handsome face, his big blue eyes that I loved so much still staring at anywhere but me. “Jason?” I asked timidly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think…my sneezing is sexy?”

He looked up at me, surprised. I tried to meet his eyes, trying not to feel embarrassed that I’d just put myself out there like that…what if he didn’t?!?!

He swallowed. “You have no idea.”

***

“Mara? You still with me?”

“Ye…uh…itchoo! Hih, hih,” my breath hitched sharply. “Itchoo!”

“Bless you.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, wiping at my streaming nose. I coughed, feeling dizzy again.

I lost track of time…I kept my eyes squeezed shut and a tissue near my quivering nose. “Hitchoo!” I would sneeze like that every thirty seconds or so, and each time, Jason would bless me. I wish he wouldn't.

“We’re here,” he said, turning the car off.

Thank God.

~~~

TBC :]

[Kiwifruit]

Oh my gosh, the poor girl! :S Wow, this is amazing... Gee whiz, allergies like that would be awful though. But still, it definitely makes for a great story! I can't wait for the next part!

[zneeze]

Ohmigosh *is in love* This is too amazing! Keep going

[mysterysneezer]

AHHHHHHHHHHH IM IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

thank you soooooooo much for continuing!!!!

cant wait for the next part!!!!

[Ciuty80]

WOOOOOOOOW awesome!!

[ilovesneezing]

Holy craaaaaaaap just when I thought it couldn't get any better! *faints*

[Wishing]

Holy craaaaaaaap just when I thought it couldn't get any better! *faints*

Ditto!! I can't wait for the next part, this is just so good!