Chivalry

[OnlyADream]

More about Alena and Mahin.

Note: Alenka is a diminutive of Alena, like calling someone named Daniel Danny.

 

Alena was leaning against a wall scrolling through news articles on her phone while she waited for Mahin to reappear from the mall bathroom. She wasn’t really paying attention to the people walking past her, but the tap on her arm signalling Mahin’s return still wasn’t unexpected, the touch too familiar to startle her. She looked down from her phone, a greeting on her lips. It was only with intense willpower that she was able to avoid doing a double take.

“What happened to you?!” She was somewhat less successful at keeping the shock out of her voice.

Mahin wiped her dripping eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. “Some woman was putting on perfume by the sinks, and I… I… Itchssh! ItSCHH!” She rubbed her nose up with the palm of her hand, sniffling at the watery liquid trickling from her nostrils.

“Bless you. You think you’re allergic?”

Alena fully expected a not-undeserved sarcastic response to this, and Mahin looked like she very much wanted to deliver one, but instead she buried her face in her sleeve again. “Ih-ItCHIHh! ITCHIIH! Hih-hh-HTSSCH!” She settled for gesturing at her face, her eyes and nose puffy, red, and leaking.

“Bless you, again. Do you need to go clean up?” She waved vaguely towards the bathroom Mahin had emerged from, realizing as she said it that heading right back into the cloud of perfume probably wasn’t the best idea. Mahin shook her head, confirming this.

“I cand’t go back ind there.” Her sneezing fit appeared to have left her stuffed up. One hand was pressed over her nose, hiding the results of her allergy attack. “It will stop ind a while. IhKiTSCHHH!” She caught the sneeze in the hand already hiding her face, which, from her expression, was a mistake. She snuffled desperately, rubbing hard at her nose with the center of her palm.

Alena dug in her pocket, fishing out a white square of fabric. “Handkerchief?” She offered.

“Oh, thandk you.” Mahin took it with her free hand and buried her face in it, scrubbing at her nostrils through the fabric. She turned away from Alena to blow her nose with a soft gurgle, and dabbed at her wet eyes. Alena sighed.

“Sorry, baby.” She brushed a few stray strands of hair from Mahin’s face, pausing to cradle her cheek, and Mahin leaned into the touch. “I wish people wouldn’t spray that stuff in public.”

“There’s ndo law againdst wearindg perfumbe, Alendka.” Mahin did not sound entirely happy about this. She blew her nose again, hard, and sneezed almost instantly. “Ih-ITCHIIShh! Ugh.”

“I don’t like seeing you suffer, though.”

Mahin gave her a watery smile. “I’mb finde, Alendka. It just itches.” She worked her nostrils up and down through the handkerchief, practically pushing the fabric into her nostrils in an attempt to scratch at least some of the allergic itch. She glanced up at Alena guiltily. “Sorry. I dond’t mbeand to mbake such a mbess of your handkerchief.”

“No, that’s what it’s made for. Do whatever you need.”

Mahin nodded gratefully, and blew her nose yet again. “Why do you carry onde of these anyway?” She asked. “I cand probably coundt ond onde hand the ndumber of timbes you’ve ndeeded it.”

“It’s for you.”

It’s rare that Alena actually startles Mahin, but it appeared this time she’d managed it. Mahin’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ of surprise. “What?” She asked after a couple of seconds of staring.

“In case you need it.”

Mahin stared for a moment longer, and then her face split into that slightly lopsided smile that made her eyes go dark and warm and made Alena feel like her internal organs are doing a gymnastics routine. “Really, Alendka, you’re so chivalrous,” she said, and her tone was so fond, and if all Alena had to do to get that tone of voice directed at her was carry handkerchiefs then she couldn’t believe the bargain she was getting.

Mahin’s eyes blinked closed, her nostrils flaring, and she buried her face in the handkerchief again. “ItSHIIH! IkSHHIIH! Ih-ITCHIIh! Excuse mbe—ItCHISHIIIH!” She sighed, dabbing at her streaming nose and eyes.

“The real question is why you don’t carry one, with your allergies.” It seemed an odd oversight. Mahin wasn’t exactly prone to forgetfulness.

“I dond’t ndeed to.”

“Really.” Alena’s tone was incredulous. The thick congestion in Mahin’s voice, the bright, irritated pink of her nose, and the fact that she was wiping her nose with a handkerchief as she spoke all seemed to contradict Mahin’s statement.

Mahin ignored her skepticism. “I dond’t,” she said, as if she were speaking the obvious. “I cand just use yours.”

It took Alena a few moments to process this statement, but when she did she groaned out loud. “Oh my god, I’m an enabler. I’m enabling you.”

“Yes, how terrible of you,” Mahin said mildly. A slightly dazed look had entered her eyes, and she was scrubbing her quivering nostrils back and forth, sniffling steadily.

“It is terrible. I’m preventing you from being self-sufficient.”

“I dond’t—hih—I dond’t ndeed to be self-sufficiendt.”

“Oh? And why’s that?”

“Because—ItSCHOOO! Ih-ITSCHOOO!” The sneezes were so hard that they threw her forward, and Alena automatically put a steadying hand on her elbow. Mahin stood dazed and sniffling for a few moments before giving a decisive snuffle and looking back up at Alena, eyes watery. “Because I’m always goindg to have you. So I dond’t ndeed to learnd to be alonde.”

Alena heard the question in her voice, Mahin’s eyes flickering over Alena’s face in search of confirmation. She slipped her hand into Mahin’s, squeezing it.

“You’ve got me there.”

Mahin was too busy hitching her way to another sneeze to respond, but the answering squeeze she gave Alena’s hand told her everything she needed to know.

[starpollen]

I love this!

[poiub]

very cute

[SexyGodlikeHair]

THIS IS SO FUCKING CUTE AHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Sneezingnonstop]

This was truly adorable! Loved reading their interactions and allergies!

[Alex Hemmings]

adorable