Fiancé's Family Holiday Gathering part 2

[Alyssa1146]

***NOTE:  Brief mention of nausea and throwing up.  No details, but I don't want to freak anyone out.***

After we ate dinner, we gathered in the living room to watch the kids open gifts.  Dylan sat next to me on the loveseat.  Throughout the evening, I could tell by his breathing that he was trying not to sneeze.  Around 4-5 times when someone was opening a gift and the attention was being directed away from our area of the room, he silently stifled into my shoulder.  I could tell that he was miserable.  He leaned his head on my shoulder, which was met with a disapproving look from his mom.  (!!!)  Later she said to me that he must really love how much I baby him.  Honestly, he's quite the independent person, truthfully.   That's how I knew he was feeling so poorly.  Usually he doesn't complain or whine at all.  Even if he did look to be "babied," I could understand why.  She's as cold as ice.

As everyone began to leave, Dylan said he was going up to take a hot shower because he had a headache.  I stayed to say goodbye to all of his siblings and their wives and children.  I did note that the siblings were affectionate with one another, and more than one said to tell Dylan they hoped he felt better when they saw him tomorrow.  When his mom made the "baby" comment, one of his sister-in-law's waited until she was out of earshot and told me that she was so happy that Dylan had found someone who was so warm seeing as he needed someone who was more soft-hearted than the Ice Queen.  It was MY turn to stifle then....my giggles, of course!

When I got upstairs, I went into my room, which was attached to Dylan's bedroom by a bathroom.  (Yes, she clearly put us in different rooms.  She also showed me the bathroom that was mine to use down the hall.  Dylan wondered if she realized they connected by a bathroom seeing as she had housekeepers and probably didn't go into those rooms very often.  The thought made me shake my head, but I digress.  I could hear Dylan sniffling and sneezing off and on as he showered, but I didn't go in to check on him as I didn't want to let the steam out.  I'm sure that helped clear his head.

When he came out, he said that he probably overdid the heat because he was feeling lightheaded and a bit nauseous.  I told him to lay down and rest, and I'd get whatever he needed to feel better.  At first, he said he didn't need anything.  When I insisted that I could tell that he wasn't feeling well and that I wanted to help because I loved him, he said, "Thank you. It's hard for me, especially being back here, to accept help.  My mom sees everything as weakness.  What I really need is a big box of tissue and one Alyssa."  (I melt into a puddle!)

I walked into the bathroom and rummaged under the cabinet to find a box of tissues.  I didn't see any but remembered seeing some Puffs with lotion downstairs in the kitchen.  I asked if he thought it was okay to go get those.  Dylan said that if the lights were on, his parents would be in the suite where their bedroom was located until morning.  

I quietly slipped downstairs and grabbed the box of tissues and ventured further to the kitchen where I made some herbal peppermint tea.  (His mom had told me when I arrived to make myself at home, and it was out on the counter anyway.)

When I got back to the room, Dylan was still on the bed with the pillow over his head.  I asked if he was okay, and he said his head hurt so bad from the sinus pressure, stifling and hot shower than he had been sick while I was downstairs.  I felt horrible for him.  I grabbed a wet washcloth for him, found some Advil and told him to take it with the tea if he could stomach it.  He said he could.  I massaged his head and face as I had read on an acupressure website once when I had a sinus infection, which he said helped the pain and pressure a lot.  After a few minutes, he was able to take the Advil and drink the tea.  It was still pretty hot, which I guess cleared things out just enough to trigger more sneezes.   

He started to hitch, Eh--hhhhh---H then stifled a sneeze into the crook of his elbow NgTch.  "Ouch.  That was painful."

Me:  "Maybe you should just let it out.  I've never heard you sneeze like this."

Him:  "You've n-never seen me sick around my h-h-hH ---Ah my germaphobe mom.  Yeah, I shouldn't do that.  Then I can't ah-h-h sn-sn-----ah sneeze."

Me:  "Poor baby.  It's stuck?"

Him:  "Yeah.  Probably a combination of holding them in and ah-h-h and not wanting to gross you out too."

Me:  "You do NOT gross me out.  Ever.  It makes me so sad that we are here and you are suddenly thinking that.  I don't want you to ever have your guard up around me."

Basically, our conversation revolved around him feeling like being sick or having allergies amounted to being seen as "pathetic."  It's amazing that someone who is so confident, yet humble, in his every day life could feel this way, but it made me see the affect constant criticism can have on someone.  Wow.  

In our discussion to reassure him, I decided to share my sneeze fetish with him, exposing something that I feel very vulnerable about as well.  At first, he thought I was just trying to make him feel better. Once he realized I was serious, he was fascinated and maybe a bit flattered and definitely curious.  He said as long as he wasn't feeling well, we should take advantage.  I was a bit unsure because I do hate to enjoy something that is depending on someone else's misery.  

Let's just say that we both took advantage of our positions.  I will have to save that post until I can post on the over 18 board.  

In the end, we got the stuck sneezes out, deepened our comfort zones with each other in vulnerable areas, and - my own opinion because we haven't really discussed this - got the best revenge by way of happiness in each other's company for the rest of our visit.  

[rockbell]

Awww this is so cute! I'm glad that things are working out for you two!

[facet]

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Edited December 1, 2019 by facet
Removed by user.

[sneezybaby]

Amazing!!

[Jeff1]

So adorable.  Good for you!

[Alyssa1146]

Thank you!  He's better now that we are back home, though the weather keeps changing, so we've both been slightly congested.  I'm not sure if he's totally into my SF, but he certainly enjoys the benefits.  

[elements]

awwwww what a sweet, special moment you shared! Wonderful you have each other

[Privatedancer]

Great post and sounds like you really care a lot about each other