In Sequence (3/3)

[monochrome]

So, I don't ever write this stuff or post this stuff, but today I did. This is self-indulgent illness + contagion fic, involves some mess, insincerity, cheating, and the likes... anyway, it's weird. Just be warned.

--

 

“hHHh… hiIIESHOO!!!” Allie explodes. She scrubs at her nose and sniffles, reaching up with one hand to rub at her eyes. “Ugh,” she trails off, diverting her attention back to her cell phone screen as it flickers with a new message.

ESHA <3: good morning babe

Rolling her eyes, she types back, might be morning but it’s not a good one!! my allergies are driving me crazy ~

Her breath hitches again, high-pitched and sudden. “HhEEESHOOO!” The sneeze snaps her forward, throwing her hair into her face. “HEIIISHIEWW!” They slam at her, one after the other, almost without any buildup. Her nose feels like it’s on fire.

Her phone buzzes.

ESHA <3: aww... pollen count high?

ALLIE: must be, i haven’t sneezed this much in months!

She barely finishes typing it before her breath hitches again. “hHHiih--” and then lets off again. It’s sharp and desperate and so itchy. The pressure builds at the bridge of her nose as she sniffles, again, feeling her nose drip. She lifts the edge of Esha’s scarf to her face, sniffling into it.  Her morning runs are routine, but now she’s starting to wonder if they were a good idea when she’s so--

“HEEETSHIEIEEW!!” It’s almost screamed, muffled only by the fabric of the scarf. She sniffles again. Her nose is starting to run. “hhAHHh--” Another false start. Annoying. Her house is around the corner, though she’s not sure being inside will give her that much relief. Springtime is the worst, though she’s not even sure the season’s set on as quickly as her allergies have. Only last week it’d stopped raining and this week she’d woken up like this, groggy, sniffling up a storm, craning her head to sneeze again and again--muffled--into the pillow.

She jogs up the steps to her front door. A shower’s in order, she decides, rubbing the bridge of her nose on the back of her hand. It’s a bad decision. Again she sneezes, jarring and torturous, into the scarf. “hHHh’ESSHUUuu! hhAh!! hHAHhahHH’TSHIEEEW!!”

She shuts the door behind her. The cat’s waiting for her at the door, but she hurries past him, up the steps, into the upstairs bathroom.

She unwinds the scarf and tosses it on the bed, starts unbuttoning her coat. Her phone buzzes again.

ESHA <3: just woke up... i’ll drop by later today before i drive over for my conference, but i can’t stay 4 long.

ESHA <3: see ya

Her breath hitches again. She hums in frustration; sniffles as if it will do anything to help. She’s starting to feel stuffed up. It shouldn’t be fair, she muses, for spring to already be here when it’s still so cold outside.

Her breath hitches again, too quickly for her to reign in control again, and she doubles over, almost stumbling in the process. “hEHEEHSHIIEWW!” The spray from the sneeze scatters all over the bed and onto the scarf. “HhhHHEEETTSHOOO! Ugh...” 

Spring’s her least favorite season.

---

Esha stops by not long after she gets out of the shower. She looks gorgeous as always, dressed this time in a short red dress, presumably for the conference. “Hey, Allie.”

“So you decided to show up after all.”

“Hey, I keep my word.”

“Sure you do,” Allie says, and kisses her. Esha’s hands shift around her, fingers trailing over the bare planes of her shoulders, settling on the bare of her back.

Esha’s a good kisser. Allie wonders, sometimes, where she’s learned. She’s so absorbed in the kiss that she doesn’t notice until the itch hits, practically slamming into her. “B-Babe,” she whispers, breathless and desperate, but Esha pulls her closer, mistaking urgency for intimacy. “Stop,” she whispers. “I need to… hhHiiH!...”

“HiiHHHSHIIEWW!!” She barely has the chance to turn her head. The sneeze hits Esha in the face, full-force. “Sorry,” Allie mutters afterwards, and sniffles. Esha’s no stranger to her allergies, but Allie’s still embarrassed about them, even now. “Flowers suck.”

“Bless you,” Esha says.

“Thanks. I don’t know why--HIiiESHhuu!--my allergies are so bad today, ugh. Are you wearing perfume?”

“Just a little, for the conference. I forgot it makes you sneeze sometimes.” Esha checks her watch, looking skittish. “Highway traffic is gonna be bad, I gotta be out of here soon.”

“Good luck,” Allie says, as Esha grabs a scarf off the bed--crimson, to match her dress--and heads down the stairs. 

“Thanks, babe,” Esha says, and puts on her high heels. She turns around and smiles, brisk and charming. “I’ll see you on Tuesday.” 

---

“When are you coming?” Madelyn says into the phone. It’s tucked in between her cheek and her shoulder as she paints--it’s a piece she’s just started, and she’s gotten good at not letting things break her workflow.

“I’m on my way, geez,” says the voice on the other end. “Just grabbing breakfast, I’ll be there in a couple hours.”

“Okay. I can’t remember the last time we’ve spent the night together, is all.”

“It can’t have been that long. What, two weeks?”

“Two weeks is a long time.”

“I know.” A beat. When she speaks again, her voice is honeyed and low, quiet enough that it barely catches on the receiver. “I’ll make up for it tonight, I promise,” Madelyn shivers, on instinct. She’s been looking forward to tonight for a long time.

---

Allie’s supposed to meet some friends for coffee. She gets there early, still sniffling, bundled in her coat. Her nose is driving her crazy.

“hhIIIhhSHIEEW!” she catches a sneeze into her sleeve and straightens, slightly, turning to mutter an apology at a nearby customer. “hhHAH--”

“Allie!”

She turns on her heels. Cherry’s the one who called for her, but John’s with her, too. “Oh my god, you look great!” Cherry’s gushing. “Did you find us a table?”

“Yeah! It’s great to see you guys again.”

“You too.” John opens his arms to offer a hug. Allie takes it, shivering a bit as he wraps his arms around her. “How’s work been?”

“It’s been good. I’m-- hahHH!” She waits for a moment for the sneeze that’s supposed to follow, but none does. She sniffles, frustrated. “oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, my allergies have been awful today, but yeah, work’s been great, my boss is super chill.”

“I’m not surprised, you were always such a genius,” Cherry says, “I don’t think any boss could have the capacity to get mad at you--the teachers back at uni sure never did.” 

“I’m not sure what you’re… hhhHAh… talking about,” Allie says with a sniffle. “Please, sit. Hey, how’s L.A.? You --haHH’NXT! HhihHH’NGTT! Ugh... --you likin’ that city life?”

“Yeah, it’s not for everyone, but it’s like it’s tailored for me.” Cherry says. “I mean, I lived in New York before I went to college, so it’s not like it’s a huge surprise. But yeah, people have been calling me up for gigs and stuff. John too.”

“I’ve got a super busy schedule. But hey, California weather,” John says, “and good crowds? I can’t complain.”

“That’s great.” Allie says, swiping at her eyes. “Sounds like the people out there have a good taste in music.”

The door behinds them swings open, sending a gust of wind inside. Cherry turns around, waving dramatically with her whole arm. “Rachel! You found us!”

“Cherry!,” Rachel says, sporting a bag around her shoulders. She tips her sunglasses over her head. “Long time no see, huh? Hey John! Hi Allie!”

But Allie isn’t listening. All the stifling and the now-open door are making her allergies unbearable. Her nose feels like it’s on fire, like taking a single breath would be enough to set it off. “hAAHH!” she turns away from all of them, her breath hitching with increasing urgency. She can’t breathe, can’t think. “hHAHhH… FucksorryIhaAHH--TTSSHIIEEWW!!” The sneeze does nothing to alleviate the itch that pervades her nose. Someone presses café napkins in her hand, but she doesn’t dare look up. “HATTCHEEEEW! Hhh.. HAHH’TCHUUUU! HiiH’NXT!! HiH’NGxt!! Hh…HIIHH...HIIIHH!! snf… hiIIH… HHIIIH’NGTSCHEEEWW!!”

“Bless you,” John says emphatically.

“Bless you times like, five,” Cherry says. “You sure you’re not also coming down with something?”

“No, it’s spring. This is on par with what I go through every year.” She blows her nose into the handful of napkins, embarrassed to be the center of conversation.

“You’re wearing more than all of us, and the pollen count isn’t that high,” Rachel presses. “Didn’t colds always use to make your nose more sensitive?”

“Shit,” Allie mutters, “that makes sense, actually.” It sure explains the headache, which is unusual for allergies, and the scratchiness that’s started to settle in her throat. “Shit, what if I’m contagious?” she repeats. She’d sneezed into the same scarf all morning and Esha had taken it with her. Now she’s probably dooming herself to the same fate, breathing in all that contaminated air on her way to the conference...

“We don’t mind, seriously,” John tells her, “What kind of tea do you like? It’s on me.”

“Something fruity,” she says, lowering the handful of napkins from her face at last. She clears her throat. “Rachel, I’m surprised you didn’t get stuck in traffic.” Out of the four of them, Rachel’s the one who lives closest to Allie—she’s in the same state, an hour away on good days.

“Oh, believe me, I did. I just left early, my roommate kicked me out.” She laughs, “Madelyn said she had someone coming over so she had to clean, but I know it’s this girl she’s been seeing—Esha, or something? Perks of sharing an apartment, I guess. Anyways, she implied that I’m not allowed back there until Tuesday.”

Allie stares at her, feeling something drop in her stomach. Esha. Tuesday. “What did you say Madelyn was dating again?”

“Esha. She’s--”

“Dark haired, skinny, wears red lipstick when you see her? Long legs?” Allie asks.

“Um, yeah, sounds about right. It’s--I didn’t realize you knew her. Small world, isn’t it?”

“Can you give me Madelyn’s phone number?” Allie says. Of course, she’s thinking. Of course she would do this. She’s too good for me, she's always been too good for me. Of course. The shock settling in her stomach’s already starting to give way to something hardened and cold, something like anger.

---

Madelyn’s finished laying out the base colors when the phone rings. Unknown number. She picks up. “Hello?”

“Hey,” the girl on the other end says, then sniffles. “My name’s Allie, by the way, Sorry to bother.” She sounds a little congested, even through the phone. “Uh, you know Esha?”

Madelyn bites her lip, trying to steer her mind from that solitary sniffle. “Yeah.”

“You’re in a relationship with her?”

“What’s this about?”

“She’s--she’s seeing me. And--hhH!, who knows who else? She told me it was a closed relationship. I mean, we agreed on that when we met.” There’s a brief pause at the other end. The static crackles. “I never knew she was cheating on me--until today, that is.”

“Woah, are we talking about the same person?”

“Esha Marie? Yeah, I wish we weren’t.” There’s a pause. Allie sniffles again. “Did you--hiiH’NGxxt!!--know about this?”

“I didn’t.”

“She told me she was driving to a conference, and that she’d get back on Tuesday. She’s--- hiIIH! Ugh, sorry, she’s—HHTSCHIEEEWW!” The outburst is a little muffled, like Allie’s held the phone further away from her face, but Madelyn can hear it in its glory--long, drawn-out, high-pitched and desperate. It’s really, really an inopportune time to be focusing on the wrong thing. “Snff. She’s probably on her way. I’m friends with your roommate, Rachel. I found out by accident, she gave me your number. I--hHIHH’TCHh! Excuse me. If you're in an open relationship, it's fine. I just--”

“I’m not. We’re not in an open relationship at all.”

“I see.” There’s a sound of muffled coughing on the other end. “I’m--HATTTTCHIEEWW!!” It’s so forceful and it must be messy. Madelyn has to bite her lip to keep herself from making a sound. “I’m going to cut ties with her. I don't know, but I thought it would only be fair if you knew.”

“And how do I know I can believe you?”

“Well,” Allie sniffles, and for the first time her tone sounds lighter. Teasing. “My cold started out with sniffling. Sneezing second, then a headache, then a scratchy throat that turned sore. Coughing last, maybe five hours in. I’m telling you this because she’s going to come down with it very soon.”

 

Edited April 6, 2019 by monochrome

[M214186]

Looking forward to reading more 

[sneezy_john]

This is absolutely briliant, can´t wait for more. ;)

[Likesn]

Very nice! I'd really like to read more

[Germophobe]

This is incredible! Please continue!

[MzMental]

OMG that twist!!! I love it. I hope you continue, it is quiet good. 

[dodge]

Wow, I pretty much never post but there are some legit literary devices in this story, red herrings, foreshadowing... great writing lol

[Sneezingnonstop]

This is a very well written story so far! Weird warning recieved, but its really not that weird at all~

[NoV]

On 4/6/2019 at 3:30 AM, monochrome said:

“HEEETSHIEIEEW!!” It’s almost screamed, muffled only by the fabric of the scarf. She sniffles again. Her nose is starting to run. “hhAHHh--” Another false start. Annoying

Really enjoyed reading this story - somehow you really capture the frustration and embarrassment of incessant sneeziness and I love it that she has such powerful sneezes despite her attempt to muffle them  Would love to read more of your sneezefics in the future...

[Anmeroth]

So extremely well written! Excited for more! 

[monochrome]

So, I wasn't going to continue this (or continue it publicly), but seeing as people liked the first part, I'm back waaay later with a second. (2/3, I think.) Thank you for reading and commenting! ❤️

This part is a bit shorter and it doesn't have a lot of sneezing, but it's a bit of necessary setup. Let me know if you're interested in a continuation (or if you have any suggestions for later parts).

**Their relationship definitely has a few manipulative (with Esha cheating/lying and with Madelyn having the fetish) and this chapter (and the ones to follow) will be chock-full of schadenfreude, so please be warned. If you are still interested, I hope you enjoy!

-

“Madelyn,” Esha says, after a beat. She looks Madelyn up and down and smirks. “you look good.”

Madelyn swallows over rising anger. She’d bought this dress a few weeks back because she’d known that Esha would like it, but she’d been under the impression that they were exclusive--that Esha had eyes for her only. That had been what they’d agreed, hadn’t it? 

“Thanks, babe,” Madelyn says. “I like your scarf. You finally made time for me, huh?”

“Ugh, they keep me so busy at work,” Esha says, dragging a suitcase inside. “You know how it is.”

At work. That’s probably a lie, too. Madelyn is here--half her heart laid bare, just like this, on a day she’s been looking forward to for a month, with a girl she’s half in love with, having bought a dress she looks damn good in--and Esha is probably just here to let off steam.

Madelyn says, “Of course I know how it is. You want to put your stuff upstairs?”

“You coming with me?” 

“Are you going to convince me to?”

Esha steps in, hovers just short of the door, and kisses Madelyn, slow and thorough, a hand on her cheek. Madelyn knows she shouldn’t enjoy it, but she leans into it anyways.

“Okay, upstairs,” she says, breaking away. Part of her wants to kick Esha out right now and tell her to never come back. The other part of her is still stuck twenty-four hours in the past, back where Esha is still one of the best parts of her life, and nothing has contested that.

They’ll talk about it later. Maybe she’ll hold the argument off until the end of the three-day visit. Maybe she’ll wake up on Tuesday morning and play up the anger, as if she’s just found out. 

She shuts the front door and follows Esha up the stairs. She knows that keeping Esha here--that pretending that all of this is fine--is only self-destructive. She knows it's selfish to want Esha to herself nonetheless. But it’s not until dinner until she brings it up. 

“It seems like they really need you there at the office,” Madelyn starts. “I feel like it’s been forever since I've seen you.”

“I know.”

“You think you could ever commute? Or call in? Then we could see each other more often.”

Esha takes a bite of her pizza. They’ve ordered out. “I’m not…” she pauses, thinking, and sets down a pizza crust. “it’s far.”

“It’s just two hours,” Madelyn presses. “At least you could come back for weekends. I mean, it’s not like I have something against long-distance. It just feels like the distance isn’t long enough to… you know. Justify us not seeing each other like, ever.”

“I don’t know,” Esha says, so casually that Madelyn grits her teeth to hear it. “We already call each other, right? But maybe I could visit more often. You know work’s important.”

Madelyn used to believe that, too. Now it’s frustrating beyond belief to hear Esha’s excuses. “Is that all?” she says, which is more confrontational than she usually is. “Are we… will we always be secondary to your work?”

Esha waves a hand dismissively. “What are you talking about? It’s just work. I’ve always had work, and you know I have to--”

“Do I? Because I don’t feel like I'm even--” she takes a deep breath. The anger snowballs, all at once. “...part of your life, sometimes.”

Esha sounds annoyed now. “You’re my girlfriend, Madelyn. What are you talking about? This has never bothered you before.”

“Your girlfriend,” Madelyn repeats. She sets her plate down too hard. The table rattles with the force of it. “Just this morning, someone told me otherwise.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Someone named Allie. She called me.”

Esha’s eyes go wide for a second, which is confirmation enough.

And then she laughs. It’s a startled sound, but she’s committed to the act--she throws her head back, her shoulders shaking, as if the accusation is ridiculous, as if Madelyn is the one being unreasonable here. “That’s so weird. I don’t know anyone named Allie.”

“She and I talked about you.”

“Must have been a scam caller or something. Some jealous asshole who wants to break us up. Don’t tell me you actually fell for it?”

Madelyn sits back. She closes her eyes for a second. Then she opens them. Esha wants to fake her way out of this and continue stringing Madelyn along. That fact makes her furious.

“...I thought it might be a trick at first.” Madelyn blinks up at Esha, feigning innocence. “The person seemed… suspiciously detailed, though, about all of this. About you.”

“It could have been an ex, or something. Don’t you believe me?”

“Of course I believe you,” Madelyn says. She smiles the sweetest smile she can muster. “But since you’re already here, can you do me a favor and prove it to me?”

“How would I prove it to you?”

“The girl I was on the phone with was coming down with a terrible cold,” Madelyn says slyly. She stands up, leaving Esha seated at the kitchen table, and turns away. “I could hear from her voice that she was definitely contagious. If you two were secretly together, you’d be coming down with her cold as we speak.”

“I’m not, though.”

“I just need you to prove it to me. If you’re being honest, it should be easy.” Madelyn looks down at her. “You told me you don’t have any allergies, and dust doesn’t get to you either. You’ll be here for three days, right? So during that time...” she trails off, tilting her head in faux-innocence. “...just…”

She looks sideways at Esha now. What’s the best way to get revenge? Delay the inevitable. 

“...don’t sneeze.”

[Nval95]

Oh wooooow 🤣🤣🤣 cant wait for her to sneeze her head off. 

Thank u for the update~ love it~~

[ID2006]

This is amazing. As much as I despise cold denial I suspect this is going to be fun.

[v a n i l l a]

Oh my gosh I loveeee this! And @ickydog2006, you're the first person I've heard say they hate cold denial! I'm curious as to why that is, but I don't wanna get off topic lol.

[Likesn]

I'm really glad you decided to continue this 😃 This story is heading in a very interesting direction, so I really want to read more.

[monochrome]

21 hours ago, Nval95 said:

Oh wooooow 🤣🤣🤣 cant wait for her to sneeze her head off. 

Thank u for the update~ love it~~

Ahaha my thoughts exactly while writing, I always look forward to the point where contagion is realized 😂Thank you for commenting! 

21 hours ago, ickydog2006 said:

This is amazing. As much as I despise cold denial I suspect this is going to be fun.

Thank you! And thank you for reading even though it's out of your usual preference, I hope you like it despite that!

19 hours ago, v a n i l l a said:

Oh my gosh I loveeee this! And @ickydog2006, you're the first person I've heard say they hate cold denial! I'm curious as to why that is, but I don't wanna get off topic lol.

Cold denial fans unite! ❤️I love the potential for angst 😅 (though there won't be much of that in this particular fic)!

8 hours ago, Likesn said:

I'm really glad you decided to continue this 😃 This story is heading in a very interesting direction, so I really want to read more.

Thank you so much, Likesn! I always love reading your contagion works 😄

 

--

So, I'm actually back soon (instead of a year later) with an update. 3/3, we're done! *Same warnings as before apply; revenge, manipulation, contagion, etc. 

I'll be honest, writing this felt really incriminating! It's very different from what I usually write. I typically like realism and hurt/comfort in sneeze content, and this is a bit of a 180 from there veering into sadism. If you're still on board, I hope you have a fun read!

Thanks for sticking with me through this fic. I'd love to hear your thoughts ❤️

 

--

Besides the conversation at dinner, everything’s resumed as usual; Esha had assured her she had nothing to worry about. 

Madelyn plays along with her. Part of her is furious—with Allie, with Esha, with herself for letting Esha stay.

But another part of her is waiting for confirmation. They’ve been together for six months now—Esha has been lying to her for six months. Allie had sounded terrible over the phone—with her messy, unconfined, spraying sneezes—it had practically sounded like she was trying to give her cold to everyone in the vicinity.

Besides, Madelyn can’t shake the feeling that a miserably sneezy head cold is exactly what Esha deserves.

--

But by the next morning, Esha isn’t so much as sniffling. 

“Let’s go to town,” Madelyn suggests. “I’d be a bad host if I just let you stay at home all day, wouldn’t I?”

“It’s cold, and it’s going to rain,” Esha says.

“We don’t have to walk.”

It’s freezing outside, and Esha wears a red scarf and a jacket that’s too thin for this weather. 

They take a train into the city and grab breakfast. While they’re outside, Madelyn thinks she hears Esha sniffle, but even that can be attributed to the cold. It’s almost frustrating. She wonders if Allie had been wrong—if they hadn’t spent enough time together, or if Esha isn’t going to catch her cold after all.

They’re on the train ride home—it’s crowded, and they’re standing close, when someone next to them catches Madelyn’s attention.

It’s a girl with short brown hair. Her face is turned away, and she’s listening to music on her phone. She’s bundled up in a scarf and a warm jacket and she keeps sniffling and rubbing her nose, as if it’s irritated in a way she can’t seem to get rid of.

Her nose twitches. Madelyn watches, transfixed, as she turns to her right—right towards where Esha and Madelyn are standing—her breath hitching—

“hAHh… hHHAHHH….” 

Madelyn turns away quickly, feeling her face grow hot. The girl’s chest rises and falls with each breath, her eyes squeezing shut. She pitches forward, snapping at the waist, directly in Esha’s direction.

“HAAHH’TSCHIEEW!!” 

The sneeze is so high-pitched and breathy it’s almost screamed. The sunlight through the train windows illuminates the spray where it fans out in a cloud, distant and gleaming. The girl sniffles, rubbing her nose where it’s already red, and wipes her hand on her scarf. She seems too out of it to have noticed she’s sneezed on anyone, and Esha still hasn’t looked her way.

“Say it, don’t spray it,” says someone nearby, sounding disgusted.

The girl turns to face her. “Sorry, I cad’t tell when they’re cobing. I think I mbight… aaaHH…” Unfortunately for the complainer, the girl has turned directly towards her in the act of addressing her, so she’s facing her as her chest rises with a desperate inhale. “HAHHH’TSCHHOOO!”

She sniffles wetly, grabs a tissue from her pocket that seems used, and blows her nose loudly into it. “I think I mbight have a cold. Mby friend was sdneezig all over the place yesterday.”

The stranger mutters something under her breath about the girl with a cold not being much better.

The train doors open, more people pile on, and the girl gets off.

Madelyn’s heart is pounding. The first time the girl had sneezed, Esha had been standing directly in the line of fire. 

--

There's no tissue box on the nightstand, so at night, when Madelyn’s almost asleep, she hears the ruffling of the covers as Esha tents the blankets over her nose to blow her nose discreetly into them. 

Esha sniffles again. Her breath hitches—a desperate, high-pitched “hiIH!” and then there’s movement again—Madelyn thinks she might be pinching her nose to stave off the sneeze.

Madelyn blinks, burying her face into her pillow. This is…

Esha jolts again, her breath catching on another long, “hHIIIHh!” she rubs her nose furiously. Then she clears her throat and settles.

...enjoyable indeed.

Madelyn, predictably, has a hard time getting back to sleep after that.

—

The next morning, they have breakfast downstairs. Madelyn makes pancakes—Esha’s favorite—and pretends not to notice that anything is wrong.

When Esha comes downstairs, her appearance admits hints of dishevelment. Her hair is neat as always, but her nose is a slightly red, especially at the tip—Madelyn thinks, with satisfaction, that it must have been a result of her rubbing her nose all night.

“Morning, babe,” Esha says. She sounds surprisingly normal.

“Morning. I’m making pancakes.”

“Okay.” Esha hugs her from behind, wipes her nose on Madelyn’s shoulder—Madelyn’s brain short-circuits. Esha sniffles, leans over to whisper into Madelyn’s ear. “Must be something in the air.” 

Then Madelyn gets it. Both of them are aware that Esha’s cheating, and it’s obvious—even if she hasn’t sneezed openly yet—that she’s coming down with Allie’s cold. Esha’s playing up every aspect of the cold, except for sneezing, out of petty revenge. She wants to gross Madelyn out, because she knows Madelyn is going to break things off regardless.

It’s a last shred of power she thinks she has.

Of course, Esha has no idea what the effect this is actually having. She sniffles right up to Madelyn’s ear and turns her head to cough straight down into the crook of Madelyn’s neck. Madelyn turns around and tries her best to look disgusted.

“Really? I don’t think there’s anything in the air,” she says. “Go sit down.”

“Fine. I’ll make it up to you later,” Esha says. “Upstairs.”

“Sure,” Madelyn says. “As long as you’re not coming down with a cold. I wouldn’t want to get sick.”

There’s no snappy retort to that. When Madelyn turns around, Esha’s eyebrows are drawn together, and her eyes look bleary and unfocused.

She trails off, pinching her nose again until her expression evens, and rubs her nose on her hands. “I’m not... HEEHhhh...” she rubs her nose again, more desperately. “I’m ndot coming down with a cold.”

Madelyn tightens her grip on the spatula. She flips one of the pancakes, listening to the way the oil hisses on the pan. “And that’s why you need to sneeze so badly?”

It’s like flipping a switch. One suggestion and that faraway look is back on Esha’s face. Esha crosses her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Where would I even get a cold?”

Madelyn finishes making the pancakes and splits them between them. As they eat, Esha sniffles almost nonstop. Maybe it’s an act, but when she speaks up her voice sounds incredibly congested. Madelyn tries to ignore what it’s doing to her.

They head upstairs after. “You’re good at making food as ever,” Esha says, sitting down at the edge of the bed.

“I know,” Madelyn says. “Is it hot in here? Sorry, let me turn on the AC.” She stops outside the room to put the air conditioning on full blast, just the way she likes it.

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Why not?” Madelyn asks, playing faux-innocent again. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing,” Esha says, glaring at her.

Pretty soon, Esha’s nose is running again, much more so than last night. It isn’t long before they’re making out again, and Madelyn feels her heart miss a beat when Esha pulls away from her suddenly.

“HiiHhhh…” she slams a finger under her nose to stave off the obvious tickle. 

“What’s wrong?” Madelyn says. “Do you need to sneeze?”

“No,” Esha says, rolling her eyes. “Of course not.” 

“Good,” Madelyn says, and leans in again.

It’s not long before Esha’s breath hitches again.

“hHAAHhhh…” this time it’s sharp and urgent, her whole chest heaving with the inhale. For a moment, it really looks like she might actually sneeze. She rubs her nose again, but this time, the gesture looks a lot less relieving than the last. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“You look like you really need to sneeze,” Madelyn says. “Your nose must really be tickling.”

“When’s the last time you dusted? It hahHH... has to be that,” Esha insists.

“What, did you recently develop a dust allergy without my knowledge? Is that why you’re so sneezy?”

Esha gasps again, desperate and high-pitched, and Madelyn’s mind short-circuits. This is the girl who broke your heart, she reminds herself. You shouldn’t be finding her attractive. But something about watching her try to stave off a sneeze is unjustly mesmerizing.

“Or is it something else?” Madelyn presses deviously. “It is the season for colds, after all.”

Esha wipes her nose on her hand. It’s the wrong move—her gaze goes distant and unfocused. Her nose must be so sensitive right now, Madelyn realizes, that that single touch is enough to make the tickle much, much worse.

...the girl who broke your heart, being taken down with a ridiculously sneezy head-cold.

“You know what, I don’t think it’s dusty in here,” Madelyn says. “But I vacuumed the other day.”

Esha’s eyes are watering now, her breath hitching with mounting desperation.

“hHAAAHHHh!” she rubs her nose hard, her breath wavering. “I don’t n-need to sneeze,” she says. 

“Or,” Madelyn says, talking faster now, “Maybe you caught a cold from someone you lied to. Serves you right, huh?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Esha says.

“Last time you saw her she was sniffling so hard. I bet she couldn’t stop sneezing, right when her cold was most contagious, and you thought you’d get away with it, but—”

“Shut up,” Esha says, pulling Madelyn in, roughly, for another kiss.

Madelyn kisses back, hard. The next time Esha’s breath hitches, she grabs Esha’s hands so that she can’t reach up to rub her nose anymore. Esha’s eyelashes flutter as she blinks rapidly, her chest rising and falling.

“haahH! hAahHHh… HAHHHHh…” Madelyn’s sure she’s going to sneeze, but she presses her nose against Madelyn’s jawline to quell the urge, sniffling. “You… I'm going to…”

“You’re going to what?” Madelyn teases. “Just like the girl on the train, you spent a whole week with someone who was so sneezy and contagious...”

“HHAHHhhhH...”

“...and now you caught her cold, didn’t you?”

This time, Esha doesn’t try to pull away. Instead, she pulls Madelyn closer, so they’re face to face, inches apart. Madelyn can’t take her eyes off of her. She sees her breath hitch, her eyes crossing as she jolts forward, right into Madelyn’s space, with such force that the bed shakes.

“HAHHHhH’TSCHEEEEWWW!!”

Madelyn feels the spray mist her face. The sneeze is so high-pitched and girly and desperate, the result of a cold as bad as Allie’s and as bad as the girl on the train’s. The force of the sneeze makes Esha shudder afterwards, her breath still hitching as she lifts her head again.

“There we go. So you cheated,” Madelyn says. “Admit it.”

“She’s nothing… HAHHh… HAHHHH’TSCHEEWW! nothing compared to… hAHHHh.. HAHH’NGTT! HaAHHH’TSSCCHOO! Hhah’NGSCH’EEEWW!” The first sneeze has opened the floodgates. The rest follow, forcefully, leaving her powerless in their wake. “hehh… hehhhH... HEHHHH… HEEHH’TSCHEEEEW!” 

“Don’t lie to me. You stay with her. You caught her cold,” Madelyn presses.

Esha leans forward, burying her face in Madelyn’s chest. “You don’t know what you’re… hiihh.. Talking about… hiihhihihhh… HIhIIhhhh’TSCHIIIEEWW!” The sneeze jolts through Madelyn, directly and intimately. She can feel the force of it ricochet through her chest. As Esha gasps against her, Madelyn can feel every intake of breath.

Madelyn, despite herself, smiles. “If you thought I would take you back after this...”

“I don’t... HaaHHH.. HAHHAHH…” Esha tilts her head up just in time so that the sneeze hits Madelyn directly in the face. “HAHH’TSCHEEEWW!! HAHHH’ISIHHHEWWW! I ndever thought so. That’s why I wanted to give you… hAHHH’TSCHOOOOO! m-my… hiiH… cold…” Esha tilts her head up so that they’re eye-to-eye. “As a parting gift… HAHHH’NGSCHH-EEWW!!”

“Get out,” Madelyn says, releasing her hands, her voice barely a whisper.

“I know what you did,” Esha says, blowing her nose into her hands. “Making me take the train with a girl who couldn’t stop sdneezing… turning on the air conditioning so it was freezidg… hiiiIHH...!”

“That was just a lucky coincidence,” Madelyn says, smiling. “If it made your cold worse, that’s not my fault.” She grabs Esha’s suitcases for her and starts heading down the stairs. “But,” she says, when Esha is close enough for her to whisper, “Think about how long you denied your body what it wanted. I think this might be the sneeziest, most miserable cold you’ve ever come down with. Now,” she says, stopping at the foot of the staircase. She takes in a breath.

“Esha Marie, I never want to see you again.”

“hIIIHhh…. HiiiiH.. HIIIIih….” Esha takes another step forward, leaning in deliberately, just in time for the inevitable release. “HIIIH’TSCHEEEEEW! Even if you kick me out, you’ll have… my…hahhh…  my cold… hahhH.. HAhhhHAHHHH… hAAHHH’TSCHOOOOO!! you’ll have my cold to remember me by… HHAHHH’IIISHHIEWW!” Esha says. “In a couple of days, you’ll be sneezing ndonstop too...”

Wordlessly, Madelyn waits for her to leave the house. Only when she’s standing on the doorstep does she lower her voice.

“You’re being vengeful,” she scolds lightly. Her lips tilt up. “But how do you know that’s not exactly what I want?”

Madelyn takes in Esha’s look of bewilderment with a satisfied smile right before she shuts the door in her face.

[ID2006]

22 hours ago, v a n i l l a said:

Oh my gosh I loveeee this! And @ickydog2006, you're the first person I've heard say they hate cold denial! I'm curious as to why that is, but I don't wanna get off topic lol.

I think it's cause I really like the caretaking aspect. I like the situations of someone having to sneeze when they don't really want to, or are a little embarrassed; but not denial. I'd rather hear them be a little whiny about symptoms and get attention. 

[ID2006]

I would love to hear how Madelyn handles being sick and if she has someone who will come help her feel better. Maybe a fellow fetishist hint hint

[Likesn]

10 hours ago, ickydog2006 said:

I would love to hear how Madelyn handles being sick and if she has someone who will come help her feel better. Maybe a fellow fetishist hint hint

I'll second that!

[Scandinavius]

Esha trying to get Madelyn sick was great, and the talking about catching colds was also nice.

[Mochi]

Woah. This is a great story! I hope you write more very soon! As always, you are at a very high standard, @monochrome

[-Evelynn]

This is a really great story!

[CantDoThisAnymore]

Really, really well thought out and written, thank you for sharing it with us