Peach Perfume

[RosieRed]

This is my favorite story on the forum. I always enjoy seeing it pop up on page 1 because of a boost. It's been a beat since that has happened so giving it a boost myself.

[Noseandtoes]

(A/N: Back with another part!)

“Look what just arrived in my mail,” Dr. Caldwell said, holding a crisp white envelope as he stood in the doorway of Emilia’s office. 

            Emilia turned away from the computer screen to look at him, her gaze of course, first not resting on the envelope in his hands, but at the ever-red nose that never escaped her focus.  For a moment she lost herself, imagining as always, when the next irritation would come by, when she would next be able to tend to that next fit, or when she would be able to soothe it for him, as she sometimes was able to do. 

            Her heart fluttered as she watched him read the contents of the envelope again, a finger generously sliding under his nostrils. 

            “What is it?” she asked, swiveling her chair towards him and standing to face him.

            “An invitation,” Dr. Caldwell began, still holding his finger under his septum.  Emilia was jealous immediately.  “To speak on campus.  Give a lecture.”

            “Oh?”

            “Undergraduates.  A class on their depressive disorder chapter.” He glanced up at her. 

            “Sounds fun?”

            Dr. Caldwell laughed and handed her the letter.  “Oh, tons.  A lecture hall full of undergraduates, most of whom are only there for their participation credit?” He shrugged.  “But, it’s an old colleague’s course, so it’s only right that I do it.”

            Emilia scanned the letter.  “One week from today.  Have you let,” she looked at the letter once more.  “Dr. Miles know you’ll be there?”

            “Yes.”  There was a pause.  “I’d like to bring you with me.”

            It was growing more evident in Dr. Caldwell that he needed Emilia for more than just assisting him around his office, helping him with research, etc.  There was piling evidence that she was a rare find, someone who could handle and maintain his allergies when he could not.  Already she had been making herself useful, prepping his allergy medication, taking care to ensure nothing was in the office that could set him off.  Indeed, she herself at times dutifully came in early, to dust, and re-dust his own office if she felt it wasn’t up to par.  And when it wasn’t, when, despite the medication and the precautions, he still found himself erupting into an itchy, allergic mess, she was there to maintain him.  She made sure he had plenty of clean handkerchiefs in arms reach no matter where in his office he sat or stood.  No tissues, as she had discovered he only liked to use those when he was in desperate need of something and a handkerchief wasn’t available.  Eyedrops for the aftermath of every fit that reddened his eyes… and of course, for those desperately stubborn moments when his sneezes simply wouldn’t relieve him, sat in his drawer Emilia’s bobby pin.  It seemed to be of great use; he used it on himself on multiple occasions…but more often than not, he would prefer, as Emilia had that first time, for her to tickle him into relief. 

            However, as embarrassed as he found himself getting with the severity of his allergies, he found himself reluctant to ask, and was grateful when Emilia seemed to sense his unspoken need for her expert hand, welcoming her with an unsaid excitement. 

            Emilia took one step closer to him and tucked the letter into his breast-pocket.  “I’d love to.”

 

***

 

“It should only last about an hour,” Dr. Caldwell mused, driving up the road towards the lecture hall.  “At least, I’ve only prepped an hour’s worth of material.” He gave her a smile, Emilia, sitting in the passenger seat of his car. 

            “Don’t forget the inevitable question and answer session at the end.”

            “Haha, quite right.”  It did not escape Emilia’s attention that as Dr. Caldwell rolled down his window to catch a feeling of the delightful autumn breeze, that his nose had begun to redden.  She swallowed hard despite herself.  Of course, she under any other circumstances would love a sneeze from him, she knew better.  She knew that one sneeze was simply not just one sneeze, but one would lead to another, then another, then another sneeze, until he was incapable of speaking full sentences.  Not an ideal circumstance for the lecture, especially with how abashed she knew he could become. 

            Dr. Caldwell rubbed at his nose absentmindedly.  “That shouldn’t last too long from…heh f-from personal experience.”

            Emilia felt her stomach quiver in response to his, well, quivering.  “Well, let’s go through your checklist before we go in.  You have your notes?”

            “Yes.”

            “The flash-drive with your slides?”

            “Mhmm.”

            “Bottle of water?”

            Dr. Caldwell sipped in response.

            Emilia paused and bit her lip before moving down the list.  “Your allergy medication?”

            He sighed and brought his eyes to hers before responding.  “Yes, I took them this morning.  An extra dose.”  He blushed, knowing that she caught every quaver in his voice, every hitch as he spoke.  “No pollen will get the better of me today.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

            Emilia felt herself somewhat at ease at his confidence.  “Well, then it’s in we go.”  Checking the contents of her purse for her own checklist, she exited the car. 

            From the outside of the hall they could hear the hum of voices.  It sounded like a full house and their suspicions were confirmed upon entering.  It seemed that not one seat was empty. 

            “Well, your reputation must vouch for you,” Dr. Miles said, shaking Dr. Caldwell’s hand.  “I never have a full lecture, yet here, you have seemed to bring the majority of undergraduates in the program here!”

            After a few moments of small-talk the lecture began. 

            And as Emilia sat next to Dr. Miles, she was in awe of the way Dr. Caldwell commanded the room.  His public speaking skills were astounding.  He brought notes yes, but rarely needed to refer to them, if at all.  He was so passionate about the subject matter, and to see him in what was surely his glory, made her heart swell.  He was so…intelligent.  She had worked for him as his assistant for months now, and never had the opportunity to see him so.  She found herself smiling at him, happy to be there alongside him. 

             However, near the 45-minute mark of Dr. Caldwell’s impressive lecture, she noticed it.  It wasn’t just an absent-minded twitch in his nose, a subtle touch to his septum, a swipe at his nostrils, it was a full on nostril flare, a large sniff, an unmistakable waver in his perfect speech. 

            Emilia held her breath. 

            “Internalizing disorders, while m-more common in…”  Sniff.  “In the female population, does not mean that males are…heh…hih…hehhh….” He now, sensing a beginning struggle within him, took his tickly nose between his thumb and index finger for a moment, massaging it slowly before continuing.  “Males are not immune.” He finished at last.  Frustrated at this sudden onset of a tickle, especially after having taken his allergy medication, doubly, this morning, quickly scanned the hall for any evidence he could find for an allergen that had up until this point gone undetected. 

            Emilia found herself doing the same.  Could it be dust in the room?  There were no plants anywhere and she was sure there were no hidden cats or dogs around.  What then?  Thinking back to her first meeting with him, could it be the combination of perfumes in the room perhaps?

            “Males though,” Dr. Caldwell continued, “are much more susceptible to what are c-cahh…heh…heh…”

            Don’t you sneeze, Emilia begged of him.  Not yet. 

            She watched though, as his large nose began flexing and scrunching away from whatever irritant was making him itchy.  Her mouth ran dry when he took off his glasses and excused himself while he rubbed his nose.  Glancing towards the large crowd, she saw that many in the audience didn’t seem to notice.  Yet. 

            “Excuse me,” he sighed.  “Males are more susceptible to what are called externalizing disorders.”  He renewed resolve to finish the lecture, uninterrupted by a sneeze, was magnificent.  He’d allow himself to rub under his nose, unabashedly if it meant he wouldn’t have a fit in front of the entire lecture hall.  He’d gladly hitch and massage his nostrils if it meant allaying whatever fit was waiting to take life. 

            Miraculously, through several hitchy, no doubt, itchy sentences, the lecture ended. 

            Emilia exhaled a breath that she seemed to have been holding for the last fifteen minutes. 

            The lights came up. 

            The lights came up. 

            Dr. Caldwell inhaled sharply.  His eyes glazed over as he raised his head towards the sudden beaming lights.  “Oh…”  His nose had a mind of its own, and as his head raised, Emilia could see how his nostrils began growing, flaring has his breath quivered against the now demanding tickle that resided in him.  It was a deep, torturous tickle that made his lip curl up and his nose to tremble. 

            “Hehh…heh….hehhh…!”

            Emilia stood up and began applauding so as to scare the tickle off.  The rest of the lecture followed her example, but it seemed to do little to stop the itch. 

            “Th-thank—thaaaaahhhh….hehh….”  Here he patted his pockets, desperate for his handkerchief.  Emilia felt her heart drop as he came up empty.  Frantically opening her purse, she fished out item number one on her “to-bring” list: spare handkerchief. 

            “I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to drag Dr. Caldwell away from you, Dr. Miles,” Emilia apologized to him.  “Um, but thank you so much for having him.”  She took ahold of the crook of his arm.

            “Hahhh….y-yes…th-thank you,” he managed. 

            Emilia all-near dragged him outside into the corridor outside the lecture hall.  “Okay,” she breathed.  “Now you can.”

            Her permission given, “Hahhh…hahh…I—I don’t kn—HAAAAESSCHEWWW!!!  I don’t know w-whahhh…HAAAESSCHEWWWW!!!” His nostrils were two wonderful caves, trembling and reddening in a way that made Emilia, standing in front of him, weak-kneed.  “HAAEEESSCHEWWWWW!!”  Sniff.  Sniff sniff sniff.  “Wh-where is…heh…HAAAESSCHEWWW!!” 

            Realizing at once what he was asking for, Emilia took the handkerchief she had been squeezing in one hand and brought it to the quaking nose before her.  And he, thankful for the coverage, sneezed into it. 

            “HAAESSSCHEWW!!! HAESCHEEWWWW!! HAESSSCHEWWWW!!  HAA—HAA-HAAAH…!  HAAAESSSCHEWWWW!!”  Over and over again he sneezed and sneezed and sneezed.  His nose was a reddened mess, nostrils pulsing against Emilia’s hidden handkerchiefed hand, swelling and flexing snorting and sniffling.  His nose just screamed, itchy.

            “Rub…pleahhh…pleahhhh…oh…” He sniffed lightly.  “Ruhh…rub my nose…please…” Whatever embarrassment Dr. Caldwell seemed to face during his allergy attacks, he found somewhat dwindling in Emilia’s presence, so much so that he felt comfortable asking her this. 

            Handkerchief still in hand, she held it delicately under his red-rimmed nostrils and gently rubbed his nose.  She alternated between one nostril and the other, slowly soothing a tickly and irritated appendage.  “I-I’m g-g-gahhhhh…going to…!”

            “Going to sneeze?” Emilia teased with a smile as she dared tracing one nostril. 

            “HAAAESCHEWWW!!!”  He doubled forward her, and she caught him, her arms suddenly against him, and his face buried in the side of her neck. 

            Emilia’s face burned, probably as red at Dr. Caldwell’s nose as she felt his closeness.  She felt her heart beat, racing and rapid as his nose once again began flexing, though this time the caverns of his nostrils directly on her skin.  She felt his fleshy and large nose trembling against her, she felt every hitch as she held him. 

            “It’s okay,” she said quietly. 

            And Dr. Caldwell once again sneezed.  “HAAAESSCHEWWW!!!  Oh…” 

            They remained for a moment before Dr. Caldwell straightened up, looking down at her.  Both were silent. 

            “I…I’m sorry…” he began, finger under his nose.

            “No, no,” Emilia protested against his apologies.  “Don’t be.”

            Silence once again, save for his occasional sniffs.  Emilia offered him the handkerchief.  He accepted and buried his nose in it, saying, “You…you had one on you?”

            Emilia laughed softly.  “I always do.”

            Dr. Caldwell shook his head in amazement.  “Hehh…Hehh…HAAAESSSCHEWWW!! Ugh, well,” he said, nose still buried in the fabric.  “I knew I brought you along for a reason.”

            Beginning to walk towards the exit doors and back outside, Emilia and Dr. Caldwell every now and then would glance back at one another. 

            “So,” he said once they were back in the car.  “Allergies aside, what did you thiihh…uhh…think?”

            “Of the lecture?” She felt herself blush.  “Wonderful.”

            “It won’t get you a promotion, you know,” he said, starting the car.  “Compliments and all that.” He grinned at her, happy at her approval. 

            “But maybe a stellar reference?”

            He idled for a moment before the sneezy look overcame him again.  “Ahh…ahhh…aaaascccchewwwww!!”  She loved those soft, almost delicate sneezes that he caught in his handkerchief after the main fit was over.  “Aeeessschewwww!!  Oh, excuse me.  Yes, you are absolutely getting a spectacular reference from me, no matter where you go next.” He lifted his handkerchief up to her. 

            Pride swelled within her, although she had to admit, she was rather sad at the idea of going anywhere else. 

            “Aaaaaeeesschewww!!” Ugh.”  Sniff.  “So where do lights fall?”

            “The lights?”

            “Y-yes, on the list?”

            “List?”

            “Oh, come, you r-rem---aaaaesssschewww!! Remember?”

            “Oh!  That list?”

            “Yes, I thought we were both keeping track.”

            Emilia smiled widely.  “Hmm.  Well, seeing as we don’t know what really caused it this time…  Lights are at the bottom.  Not as triggering as dust, not as bad as flowers or pollen.”

            Dr. Caldwell nodded.  “Agreed.”  He sniffed largely.  “Al-although…heh…did you…did you have to men…men…hahh…haahhh…” He buried his nose in the handkerchief once again.  “HAAAAESSSSCHEWWWW!!! Oh!  Did you have to mention dust?” He smiled as he rubbed his nose. 

            Emilia smiled.  “I had to.”

[sneezygirl97]

OMG It's back!!!!!! 😍😍😍

Just saying... campuses are notorious cold spreaders 😏 Unless that was already the mystery culprit?

[thesneezyowl]

It’s back. IT’S BACK. IIIIIIIIT’S BAAAAAAACK!!!!!!! One of my absolute FAVES! Love where this is headed!!

[BCCLX]

AAAAAA I'M SO HAPPY YOU UPDATED THIS 💗💗💗💗

[HideAndGoSneeze]

I love the update! These two are adorable, and it's one of my favorite stories! Great job!! 

[starpollen]

LOVE this fic!! 🤩❤️❤️🤩 SO glad you’re continuing it!  Thank you!!! 🤗 

[Jettous]

Yay! I was so excited to see an update to this. It did not disappoint. 

[Timberlane]

So thrilled to see an update on this one! Brilliant!

[Teacups]

I just saw this story this year and already an update! I like these two characters they're so nice to each other.

[PennyLane]

I am fan girling SO hard rn. Extatic this is back!

[uwus and love]

AHHHHH!!! IT'S BACK!!! IM SO FRICKING EXCITED TYSMMMMM 

[Icyfall]

This is very good thank you for posting 

[Gemmia]

It's so good ! She is so gentle to help him ! Anyways, this story is really picking my curiosity ! Can't wait to see more !

[Hannahnas]

OMG ITS BACK😍😍😍😍

this is one of my absolute favorite fics😍 the new chapter is really good🎉

[Fiadh]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so happy!!!!!! A new chapter?!? Yayyyy! I love these characters so much and I’m so excited to see what comes next for them!

[Cedar]

This is literally so good?! I love how their bond grows each chapter, it’s really sweet

[peachblossom]

this story is so, so wonderful. It’s one of the best ones I’ve ever read. Thanks for sharing your writing with us! 🤍

[oceanpollen]

still a favorite! the detail in the writing is 🤌🤌

[a-and-b-snz]

This has got to be one of my favourite multi-part stories on the forum! I have read and reread the first two or three parts so, so many times. I absolutely adore everything of Noseandtoes's work that I can find. Does anyone have a full, comprehensive list of all of the writings she's posted? If they'd be able to share the links I would be super appreciative 😊

[AntheaHolmes]

Dr. Caldwell is so adorable! I really enjoy all his sneezes. Amelia must be so thrilled to watch him sneeze. Would love to read more from you! 

[kiku]

I've been following this story too, and liked it. 👍 My favourite scene is the one after the lecture when Emilia takes care of Dr. Caldwell's nose, and he asks her to rub his nose for him while he keeps on sneezing... *happy sigh*

[AntheaHolmes]

@kikuyes. It's so good. I'm new to the forum and I also really enjoy your stories as well. 

[kiku]

@AntheaHolmes Oh, thank you! ❤️ I'm really happy to know you enjoy them. 😊

[solitaire-au]

I’m really looking forward to this story taking a romantic turn!  ❤️