What a Lovely Fall it is

[Juniebee]

Small brainchild. It was originally HS setting, but since I started college, I just can't bring myself to write about HIgh School stuff, simply because I'm not at that level anymore Enjoy some fluff, it's not really romantic...or is it?

Sigh.

Today was the first day of classes after summer break, and I have to say. Not really excited for school to start. All the stress about getting perfect grades, so I can get into graduate school, and have the job I want. I just really miss having nothing to stress about. I mean sure, the social level of college is better than it was in high school, but I just still don't enjoy it. And I have to work so hard, all the time. Always studying, looking at notes, sleepless nights. Not like my friends.

Zachary was born smart. Smart, well spoken, never had to work too hard to do well in school...he was made for a place like our University. Zachary was one of the few friends I had made after starting here , and I have to say, he was one of the best things I ever got out of this place. Where was he anyway, we were going to meet for coffee before out 10 am class, to celebrate the start of the school year. I hadn't seen him since two weeks ago, and was pretty impatient.

" Eh....Eh'PSCHU!hihhh....PISSH...unh.."I turned around to find him, having sneezed into the crook of his elbow, recovering and sniffling. ( I missed it...not that I cared or anything..).

" Hi Brooke, sorry I'm *snf* late. I went for a run and there was a line at the showers and ...iihhh...I'pSCHU!IISsHHU! " he ducked into his arm again to catch those itchy, desperate sneezes in full veiw of me. I take a closer look at him and realize...he didn't look so well. His pouty lips were parted, taking in air in short puffs. His slender, chiseled nose was slightly pink, especially at the oval nostrils ( as they flared with irritation). His sharp green eyes were hazy and out of focus. Zachary suffered from pretty awful fall allergies, but I rarely saw him like this.

" Bless you, Zachary. What's wrong? Allergies getting to you?"

He nodded, twitching his nose back and forth, apparently in an effort to quell the itch without making it worse. Up and down, a quick sniff...his eyes lose focus and then refocus again.

" I *snf* don't know why. Maybe I din't take enough medicine. That ragweed wasn't gonna be high today so I didn't take my pills and just took some nasal spray this mornign, but it's been raining and so there's a lot of bold...ihh...ip"SCHU!IISSSHUU!...ahh..ahhh" He tilts his head back slightly, his elbow bent in front of his face , waiting for the last, itchy sneeze in the triple. " ASHEW!...*snf* ugh...sorry I'm so gross." He chuckles , revealing his cute dimples, and brilliant white teeth.

" Aw, Bless you. You don't have to apologize for sneezing." I try to laugh casually, and elbow his side, he giggles in response. He pulls out a tissue from his jeans pocket, and wipes under his nose in a pinching motion, scrubbing up , then down, in an effort to releive the itch.

"Hope you have plenty of those in there."

" Uh-huh" he nods vaguely, folds the tissue over his nose, scrunches up his eyes and gives his nose a quick, harsh blow. It must be itching like crazy. " Going for a run this morning probably didn't help." he comments calmly, nose properly cleared, tossing the tissue into an upcoming waste basket.

I steal a glance at him on the way to the coffee shop, his elegant nose is rosy pink around the notrils and sharp tip, his lips are slightly parted ( probably out of instinct , so as not to make his nose itchier). The sharp rise of his cheekbones, his smooth jawline, he's clean shaved....Stop it, Brooke. Zach's good looking, so what? A lot of guys are.

We enter the Coffee shop, and I hear Zach take a deep breath, in through his freshly-cleared nose and out through his mouth " I love the smell of coffee, just smelling it waked me up in the morning."

We make our way through the line, I order a Salted Caramel Latte, Zach steps up to order, but as soon as those sharp eyes start to close and his nostrils flare...

He turns to the side and bedns his arm in front of his face ( like he always does, he tries to be so polite about it, the poor thing) "I...heh..ESHEW!...ihh...IISHU!..." I step up to the Barista, who looks a tad concerned, " He'll have a grande Mocha please, and he'll be fine, he has allergies." She smiles and nods, and Zach and I walk away form the counter as he lets a final " Hut'SHEW!" A look of releif crosses his face, along with a light flash of pink across the sharp cheeks.... and he pushes the heel of his hand under his nose with a wet, itchy sniffle " *ssnnff* Uhhh..." Ugh, he looked so miserable, but so....cute. Nononono, shove that thought back down. It's not cute, he's sneezing and sniffling and itching and suffering, it is not cute! I pull one of the soft napkins from the dispenser and pass them to him, and he turns his back to everyone else and blows quickly, as queitly as possible. Now it's my turn to blush.

What do you think? Should I continue? Should I leave what Brooke looks like to the imagination?

[Melody]

Oooo I like this so far!! It's very cute! And I adore your spellings! Zach sounds like a cutie... dimples and green eyes are my weakness. Hope you continue with this!

[Sinc]

Continue?? Yes please

[ThatSneezyGirl]

This is so adorable! Please continue ?

[Shadestrike]

OMG Dis is fabulous! Please continue!

[anna]

I love it! Simple and sweet. The bits about his itching nose are great

[daystar428]

Loving it and hoping for more! Zach is adorable and so allergic!

[Bashfulnewbie]

More please

[Juniebee]

Hello lovelies, I am back with the next installment!

He tossses the makeshift tissue in the trash with a sigh. His nose is already pinker than the rest of his face.

"Bless you." I offer coyly. He normally can't stand it when people bless him multiple times, but we're close enough that it's okay. He really should have taken his pills, the poor thing.

" Thanks." He answers, short but genuine. We grab our drinks and sit on the tables outside.

" I'm kinda glad summer is over." Zach starts, rubbing his nose with his finger as soon as we sit down. " I didn' really have much to do this summer. I played guitar. Went running and hiking with my dad." He sniffles, his nose twitches. " Hung out a little bit. ....it...hih!...gets kinda boring after a while. I...huhh....iihhh....hut'SHEW!ISHU!...iihhhhh...huh-KISH! *snf* " He pulls a a tissue from his pocket and swipes under his nose with it. He scrunches it up and down on his face like a bunny. The itch is getting worse. Not that I'm not enjoying the veiw.

" Bless, and I don't think it's so bad. I sang in my church choir, hung out with friends, enjoyed the beautiful weather. Sometimes it's nice to not be constantly worrying about school. I worked at a coffee shop, it helps kill the time. "

"That's...hhih....nih-dice." He pronounces , his breath hitching. He pushed his fist under his nose, desperate to quell the tickle. He rubs the tip of it from side to side, he's barely touched his coffee. " I'm...hiiihhhh...." Suddenly a sharp, distinct smell hits me. The smell of cut grass, releasing spores and spores and ragweed into the air. Aw, poor Zachary.

His sniffling more and more frequently now, his nose now bright pink, filled with allergic itch.

" Just blow your nose already" I quip, feeling heat rise in my face. He looks so painfully cute, his nose pink and his eyes watering, sniffling like a little kid.

He rolls his watery eyes, pulling a second tissue from his pocket and gives his nose a quick, harsh blow. He folds the tissues and presses them under his leaking nostrils, and mutters " I didn't...wand..hih....iiihhhhh.... to gross you ou-hih!-outd." He closes his eyes, an itchy tear spilling down his cheek. Suddenly, he turns away from the table, pinches the tissues over his nose, and launches into a rapid, stifled fit " Huh-ngtht!KSHT!Knch!Ksscg-uh" He pulls the tissue away, eyes shut, mouth hanging open and breath hitching. His head is tilted back, his nostrils are flaring, he can't stifle his powerful , allergic sneezes. The ragweed is too much for his poor, sensitive, allergic nose " Kssshht-juh!IIisshhht-yuh!NNsschht-yu!" Half stifled, and they still didn't satisfy. " I cand't...hold it bhuh-baahhkk" "Huh-ESH!ESH!ESHU!...ihh...hihhh...ISHU!Ip'SCHU!Huh'KISH!heh...hehh...He"ESHUH!" He's gasping slightly, he gives his nose a wet, thick blow. He pulls out two more tissues.

" God Bless you." I answer, my heart thumping at his helpless allergy fit. He nods his thanks. His watery eyes come into focus at the lawnmower " Are dey mowidg the lawnd?" He asks irritantly, his nose already full again.

" Mhm, you wanna go inside?" I offer, resisting to urge to walk over and grab his shoulder. He blows his nose yet again, thick and gurgly, his nose must be completely stuffed, the poor thing. It's now bright pink, nostrils flaring incessantly . I tell him about some of the classes I'm taking this semester, how I hope junior year goes smoothly, and it's not as bad as junior year of high school. He nods his confirmation.

" I...ihhhi..ISHU! hope it'll be fide by ndew roombate is...ESHU!hehT'ESSHH!..also pre-bed and I...huh-KISH!ISH!ISsshhYUU!" I stare at him, as he hunches to the side, tissues pressed over the lower half of his face, helplessly sneezing and sneezing, his nose overwhelmed by all the ragweed and mold hanging in the air. He paused, his head hanging back, the sneeze stuck. I take this oppurtunity to grab his shoulders and lead him into the nearest lecture hall, filled with cool , clean air.

" ASHU!" He sneezes yet again , but this time it came to quickly for him to cover. The cool mist lands on my shoulder. My face is burning, I shudder slightly...I hope he doesn't notice. We're insdie now, and his sneezing subsides for a few seconds.

" God I'mb sorry Brooke." he ammends, tossing the used tissues in the trash bin and pulling out fresh ones, immediatly pressing them under his leaking, pink, tickley nose " I didn't bean to, that came so fast I ..ihh..ISH!K'ISHU!ISHU!...I couldn't cover it fas...huh..fasdt edouf. That was gross...hhehh..heT"ESH!ESHU!...hEP'PSCHU!" He gives his nose a wet, gurgly, itchey blow, and draws the now soaked tissues away and throws them in the trash.

"Bless you, bless you, bless you!" I answer, rubbing his back as he presses more tissues to his nose, in preperation of any more sneezes " And it's fine...you can't help it." And I really don't mind...

" Thanks" He smiles at me, his perfect dimples forming, green eyes glassy and nose bright pink. He snuffles , and adds" We...should probably get to class."

I stare after him as he walks to his first class, and sigh to myself. I guess school wasn't so bad afterall...

Be sure to reveiw!

[Melody]

Ummm we all need a Zach in our lives I love this! I love your writing! Your dialogue is so natural! Can't wait for more!

[justalittlemusic]

I love your writing so much! Please continue!

[decrescendo]

My gosh, I love this fic!! I'm excited to see this relationship flesh out more. Great work!!

[ThatSneezyGirl]

Literally in love with this story! I hope to see some major care taking from Brooke in the future

[starpollen]

Looking forward to his suffering through class!... (that sounds so mean...)

[CharliesGirl]

You have to continue this! He's adorable!