Him, the Five (M)

[Skylacticon]

Hey all! Thought I’d bring back a couple of my favourite OC’s for a new prequel series. We’ll see how it goes. Hope you enjoy~

 

Part 1: The Death Wish

 

 

Where is he?

 

I look at my wristwatch. The sun is already starting to set, and although I’ve already eaten, the uneaten portion of pepperoni pizza I’d saved is bound to be cold by now. I reach for my phone, clicking the home button. But all I see is my screensaver, an old picture of my cherry blossom tree back home. 

 

I smirk, and lean back a little. Cherry blossoms. I’ll be damned if I ever see-

 

My phone dings and a message pops up.

 

‘Sorry, won’t be coming after all.’

 

What? I furrow my brow. Swiftly, I sit upright and rest both elbows on the table. 

 

‘What gives? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.’

 

The text lingers in the little bar, and instead of sending it, I press the backspace key until it’s blank once again. This isn’t like him. After a beat, I go to info and opt to call him instead.

 

Rrrrrring. Rrrrrring. Really? Where is he? Then- Click.

 

“Hey.” 

 

My posture perks up. “Hey dude. What’s up? We had training, like, almost an hour ago... You’re my partner. I thought- well, I thought you wanted...” shit, here comes the anxiety...

 

“Listen.” He says, and it’s his voice that gets me to shut up. “I-I’m still stoked to train, but-“ he pauses. There’s coughing on the other end, so full of wheezing and tightness that it makes me wince. It takes him a whole minute to recover, and now I’m basically feeling like shit for chewing him out. 

 

“Dude... J- hey. Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, sorry.” The voice on the line is raspy and deep, and I don’t believe it for a second. “I’b just... I’b really dot feelig well. So.. Hh’GXSCHHhh!! I- hhgG’SCHHhh!! I’b, *sddrff*” he sighs, taking a second to take in a few wheezy breaths. “Ugh. ‘Scuse be, I’b-gG’YISSCHHhh!! *sddrf* oh...”

 

“Jeez, man. I’m sorry. I had no idea.” I bite my lip. 

 

“Yeah... *snnrrff*” he sounds so congested. “I wod’t be cobig today, c-cuz...” there’s a hitching pause for a moment, then he just sniffles and continues. “I- *snnrff* I dod’t wadt- hiehh... I-dod’t- hgG’ISHHIU!! ESHHIU!! ESSHHHhh!! ESSHHHIEWW!!!”

 

Jeez, he’s not even stifling. Then I suppose he couldn’t if he tried. There’s a loud scratch on the line and some shuffling. I assume he’s gone to get some tissues, or maybe he just didn’t want me to hear him. After a second, I break the silence.

 

“Hey, don’t worry. You know what, how about I grab some Japanese udon and I’ll be at your dorm in an hour or so?”

 

Some choked laughs. “Really, you dod’t wadt to catch whatever-“ his sentence gets caught on a wheeze, and he coughs briefly. “whatever this is. *sddf* I’b sdeezidg like crazy, a’d I dod’t wadt you to...” he explains miserably.

 

“It’s cool. My treat. Anything for the Furious Five.”

 

A tired sigh. “Rin, you d’ow I hate being called that. *sdrf*”

 

The sweetness that lingers in his tone has plastered a smile on my face, but the high-pitched wheeze that accompanies his sigh is like a kick in the shin. I shift the phone to the other ear. 

 

“Okay, okay.” I start again in a coddling voice. “Anything for you, Johns.”

 

“Ahem.” He goes for sass, but clearing his throat only sends him into another mini fit of coughs. I giggle.

 

“Alright, fine! Mason.” Calling him by his first name is still sort of strange, but ever since we became partners, he insisted on it. It’s closer, more personal. 

 

“You have a death wish.” I hear the smirk in his voice, and it’s contagious. It makes my stomach all tingly. I quickly pinch my wrist, hard.

 

“See you in five, five.” I tease, and hang up, before he can start yelling at me.

 

———

 

The elevators in the compound aren’t my favourite, for multiple reasons. One being the mirrors on all four walls. Second, the speed of the ascension and descent being the slightest bit too fast - clunking on each stop, making my teeth rattle. Other than that, the air is relatively cool. There are no ads beside the door - not in a place like this. I glance at my reflection. A black dress shirt unbuttoned to reveal an olive tank top beneath. Technically I don’t still need to be wearing uniform, but I didn’t think to change before I left.

 

One of the things that the Mental Health wing of TSP tries to cover is self confidence related to appearance. And because everything is connected, or so I assume, they make an effort to endorse it anywhere they can. I smirk, imagining them hanging potted plants around corridors, as if aesthetics mattered around here.

 

“Do you straighten your hair?” Johns asks out of the blue.

 

A smile tugs at one corner of my lips. “No, why?” I ask.

 

“Just wondering.” He shrugs, and sips his coffee.

 

“Not like I could here, anyway.”

 

“But you dye it.” He says pointedly.

 

“Dyed. In the past tense.” Mason looks at me, and I lean back in my chair. “Honestly, with them watching, progress could be noted from anything I do. What I eat. Whether I eat,” I rub the sides of my coffee mug.

 

“Yet whenever I see you, you’re here... in a library... as far away from civilization as possible.”

 

“Like you don’t coop up!” I shoot back wittily, smacking his arm. He grins and does a half-shrug.

 

“What? I run. Plus, I’m a five. What do you want from me?” I roll my eyes. That’s the first time he’s ever used it as an excuse. He leans back and stretches. Then, he leans forward and lowers his voice. “Hey, let me sneak you out for movie night at the drive in.” Whoa. “Cabin in the Woods, my treat.”

 

My mouth falls open. “We’re... Johns-“ “-Mason.“ I look up at his blue-eyed gaze. “Mason.” I say, more firmly. “My sister would kill me. And by the way, we’re still new agents, if we get caught-“

 

“We won’t get caught.” He cuts me off, with a voice that’s deep and endearing. I exhale. “Come on, Misaki. Rebel a little,” he nudges me gently, earning my smirk. “Gain some confidence.”

 

The thought is tempting. “Plus, how do you even have the money to...” I trail off.

 

Mason raises his eyebrows. For a moment I stare. Then I laugh, incredulous, shaking my head. “You, Mr Johns... have a death wish.”

 

The elevator dings, and I get off. I double-check that it’s his door, then softly knock. “Hey... Mason?”

 

———

More to come soon! :)

TBC...

[starpollen]

I looooooove these characters! 😍🥰❤️ I’m so happy for more of them! 

[Elyze]

I'm so happy to see that Mason is back! 😍

[Skylacticon]

Hey all! Back with the next bit~

 

Part 2: Proceed with Caution

 

The door swings open. The first thing I notice is his hair, which is a fluffy, matted mess of blond. His tall frame is droopy, his blue eyes sporting dark circles. A tattered red gingham handkerchief clutched in one hand, the other leaning on the doorframe. After a few seconds of silence, I bite. “Hi.” 

 

With half-cough-half-amused chuckle, Mason turns back to the interior of the apartment, leaving the door open for me to enter. “I d’ow. *sddf* I look terrible.” He snuffles, running his fingers through his hair. On the contrary, he looks kind of adorable.

 

“You’re not wrong,” I offer him a sympathetic smile, setting the food down on the kitchen counter. “How’re you feeling?”

 

“Uhhh.” He runs his hands over his face. “Like I just got out of McGuire’s. *snnf*”

 

“Have you taken anything?”

 

“Yeah, *sdrf*” he pinches at his red nose  with the handkerchief. “Just sobe cold add flu sduff, but ahh... *sdf* I’b back to sta’dard allergy beds for- huH’Nnxgghh!! Hih! Ah’KSCHHh!! *sddrff* for dow, so.” He sniffles miserably wetly, and rubs hard at his nose. “They say it da’gerous to tage agydicol.”

 

“Sorry... that must suck.”

 

Mason sits down, blue eyes glassy and nostrils twitching. “*sddf* Yeah.” He wrinkles his nose, and looks over the the white bag. He snorts. “If could sbell, I’d probably say that sbells good.”

 

I heave another breath and turn to counter to get the containers. “I got the special.” I say perkily. 

 

“Oh yeah? *sdf*”

 

“Agedashi tofu and broth.”

 

“Tofu?” Mason repeats, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Relax,” I chuckle. “It’s for me. I got you this.” The noodles and broth are packaged separately, so I combine them in another bowl.

 

“You...” Mason starts to say, his expression unreadable. His gaze is directed downward, his dirty blond hair shadowing his eyes. He sniffles and rubs at his nose.

 

“Hm?” I slide into the seat next to him. 

 

The hint of a grin plays on his lips. “You did’t have to do this.”

 

I look down at the soup, the steam rising into the air in faint wisps. “I know.” I say softly. “I wanted to.”

 

When I look up again, his head is turned, his breaths going uneven. “Hieh’-! *sdf* ESCHHIEW!! AESCHHh!! *sddf, snnrf, snnrfff*” Mason gets up and switches the soiled handkerchief with a clean one from the bedroom, looking probably just as old and worn. “HhuhhyY’ISSCHHiUHh!!-ughhh...” He blows his nose gently, as if trying to avoid triggering another set of sneezes. 

 

“Bless you.”

 

“*sddrk* hehh... *sddf*” His eyes are still distant, like he might sneeze again. He lifts the handkerchief to his nose, and gives another weak blow. “Sorry, I- hih’Eschhu! I’ve beed sdeezi’g like this all day.” Mason says, sounding exhausted. He swipes at his eyes.

 

MASONS POV

 

Yikes, stifling was a bad idea. I rub hard beneath my nostrils and sniffle, cringing at how wet it sounds. 

 

The steam from the soup is helping to loosen the congestion, making my nose a lot runnier. I keep blowing my nose, feeling a bit better now that I’m not as blocked. However- “huh’TSCHHh!! Ah’TSCHIEWW!! H-huh’- *sddff*” Oh, I hate when it does that. “*snnrff* hhih’-! Hih! Ughh....”

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“NuhH... *sddf* Dothi’g... *sdf, snrf*” I murmur from behind my handkerchief. I hate whenever a sneeze gets stuck because it builds up into something huge, and my temples are already prepared to burst. My nose is completely stuffed again. One sniffle, and the itch suddenly explodes tenfold.

 

RINS POV

 

“YYESCHHIUU!!-ohh,” he groans, clutching one temple. “Oh. Ow. *sddrff, sddf* Ohh, by-b-by hehh- AYYESSSHHIEWW!! -oh.. *sdf, sdrff* by head.” Mason’s eye are shut, a knuckle secured under his nostrils. His brow twitches, as he tries to endure the intense headache.

 

“Bless you. Here,” I offer him a napkin.

 

He waves it away dismissively, sitting as still as he can. In one hand, he’s holding the tattered, old-looking cloth. One nostril twitches and his brows wrinkle. His poor nose, a sore-looking shade of pink, wrinkles and his eyes squeeze shut.

 

I can hear his breath hitching, his face falling into a grimace that was only able to tell me two things: one, that he needed, nay, was going to sneeze; and two, that he was going to try and stifle, which I couldn’t imagine him doing with this sort of headache. 

 

His head rises from his hands, eyes still shut if not narrowed to slits. His nostrils flared wide, trembling. “Uhh.... *sddrff*” That last sniffle did it, and within a split second, before he even had time to think about stifling, he’s folding in on himself, sneezing and sneezing like crazy. “ESSHH!! ESCHH!! Eshh!-Eschh!-Rrschh!! HRRESSHHIEWW!! ESSHHIEWW!!-ESCHHIU!!-ESHH!!” A wild gasp, then- “AESSHHHIOO!!” - gasp - “ESSHHHIEWW!! Ughh...” he moans, barely moving from his sitting position only to bury his nose into the tattered handkerchief. His blows are tired and gurgly, but in any case, manage to clear him a little.

 

“....fugck, by head....” he croaks, clutching both palms to his temple, elbows planted on his thighs.

 

“Wanna lie down?” I ask softly, watching him fuss some more at his nose. He lifts his head and nods miserably, sniffling wetly.

 

“Sorry you had to see be like this. *snndff*”

 

“It’s okay, Johns. Really. Plus, it’s... it’s not like I haven’t seen you like this.” I say sheepishly.

 

Mason chuckles, and and clears his throat. “Fair edough. *sdrff* God, it’s like-“ he sucks in another drenched sniffle. “I cad’t seeb to sdop sdeezig odce I- *sddff* huhh... odce I start.”

 

“Your nose all itchy?”

 

“Yeah, id’s addoyig. Od mby old mbeds, like they’re ady helb. *sddgk*” He chuckles breathlessly, tossing a glance back at me with a shy grin. His blue irises stand out like crystals in the miserable hue of red that tinges the skin around his eyes. He plops down on his bed and raises his wrist to rub roughly at his cherry red nose, sniffling wetly.

 

“A’d it sugcks I cad’t take agydicol, cuz- *sddrff* cuz so far, it’s the odly thi’g that works.” I sigh inwardly. Agynicol works very well for stopping allergies, but the process of how it works is a harsh one - and right now, Mason can barely breathe as it is. “Huh’TSSCHHIEWW!! *sddrgk, sdrf*”

 

“...it’s the only one that works for your allergies?”

 

“Yeah, so far. *sddrff*” he rubs his nose with his fingers, sniffling. “Hehh... *sddf*” he’s silent for a second, and when I turn to look at him, his jaw is slack, eyes distant, and nostrils flaring. “EEISSCHHIEW!! *sddrff* AESSSHHIOO!! Huh’- huh’TDSCHHhh!!” He clears his throat and snorts another congested sniffle. “Ughh....” another one quickly takes him by surprise. “AYYESSCHIEWW!!-unghh... Holy shit... “

 

He blows his nose hard, producing, wet, gurgly blows. His nose is still a sore, itchy, miserable shade of scarlet, so tired and sensitive-looking.

 

“HyiEHh!-“ a major false start. “*sddf* shit, it was right- ah’TSCHIEWW!! *sdgkk* ughhh...” he groans, leaning back on an incline of pillows.

 

“Mason, if you think you can take it, we could... try the agynicol.” I suggest timidly. He opens one eye to look at me. “I mean, maybe you wouldn’t be sneezing so much, I can’t guarantee-“

 

“Let’s try it. *sngk!*” Mason says in a husky voice, sitting upright on the bed. He’s rubbing at one eye, looking exhausted. I heave a preparatory breath, wondering if this is safe. Although it’s hard to see him like this. I really shouldn’t without a doctor’s word...

 

“It’ll be like last time, but... worse.”

 

“Id’s okay. As lo’g as- hH’CHSCHHhieww!!- I cad sdop sdeezig, cuz... by head’s about to burst.” He mutters, swiping at one eye with his wrist.

 

I retrieve the emergency kit from my bag and remove the safety cap from the needle. Gravely, I look up at him. I take a breath. My sister probably won’t kill me, will she? No. “Okay,” I say, quietly taking a deep breath. “Ready?”

 

Mason barely sniffles and pinches his red nostrils. He nods. “I’b ready.”

 

———

 

[AGYNICOL: SULLIVAN PROJECT ENGINEERED CHEMICAL SERUM ADMINISTERED BY INJECTION. WARNING - WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY FLAREUPS FOLLOWING DOSE. USE WITH CAUTION WHEN EXPERIENCING ILLNESS.]

 

The needle punctures Mason’s neck... then is quickly removed. I swiftly move to put it away, placing the bottle of medicine in the kit and tucking it in my bag.

 

I exhale. “How’re you feeling?”

 

“I... *snnrfff* hehh... h-holy shihh... *snrff, snddrff*” Mason sits on the side of the bed, staring straight ahead. His nose is running like crazy now, nostrils wrinkling and twitching. He makes a frantic grab for the ragged old cloth on the night stand. “By... h’ehh!! *snngk* By *snnfff* dose-is-od-fire!- hah!” Then with barely an intake of a hitch into his lungs, the tickle takes over him. “hn’TCHH!!-TSHH-TSHH-TSCHH!! TSSCHHIEWW!! aH’TSCHHIEWW!! EEYYISCHH!! ESSHHHOO!! Huh! ESSSHIEWW!!! Huh’ESSHHH!!” He sits, panting like crazy in between fits, his eyes streaming. “AAAESSHHHUHhh!! Huh-hihh! Heh’dyYYISCHH!!-ISCHH!!-ISSHHHIU!! Unhhh...” 

 

He winces hard, bowing from what looks to be the pain in his head. I touch his shoulder. 

 

“ESSHHIEW!!-ugh... Fuck... JDSCHHh!!-ISCHHIU!! Uhhh...” 

 

He turns dizzily and almost falls off the bed, one of his hands glued to his forehead. I steady him by the shoulders.

 

“Mason,” I say firmly, as he coughs wheezily, sounding a little too tight.

 

“I’b...” Breathe in. Breathe out. “I’b okay.”

 

“Yeah? Any change?”

 

“JDSCHHIU!!” He sneezes suddenly, without a buildup. Lord, what have I done.

 

“Mason.” I breathe. “You need a doctor, okay?”

 

Mason chokes at the thought, and coughs. “Doe. Doe, that wod’t- ihheh- hihhYYISCHHIU!! -be decessary.”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

Mason’s face screws up, like he’s in a lot of pain. Beads of sweat are forming on his face. I curse inwardly and grab my phone from my pocket.

 

“Rid, dno. Rid, please?”

 

“This was a mistake. God, what was I thinking?” I mutter, hands shaking as I dial.

 

“Rid, stop I’ll be fide... Rid... please...”

 

———

 

TBC...

[MonaLisaSmile]

!!!! 

The SUSPENSE (love it)

[Privatedancer]

Love it

[missfemmefatale]

Omg I love this! 😍 Oh and of course Mason too! 😁

[dragonko]

I love this! I can't wait for part 3!

[RipleyToo]

Ooo can’t wait to read the next part! Love Mason! 

[Skylacticon]

Hi guys. 🙃

So after half a year I’m back on this story. I really enjoy writing these characters, so I didn’t really wanna rush on writing the prequel. Will try to continue this soon. Hope you like~ xx

-Sky
 

A Night in - MASONS POV

 

I stare at the tofu perched on top of Rin’s noodles. The smell of the soup seemed to have got me before I opened my eyes. I decide it’s one hell of a nice way to wake up. She picks it up with her chopsticks and pinches the cube until it splits in half, then eats one of the halves that’s fallen into the soup.

 

“You really... prefer that stuff over chicken?”

 

Rin blinks, setting her chopsticks down. “Mason.” She says, eyes darting from me to her soup and then she sets her food aside. “I-shut up.” Rin actually smiles a little. I try to grin back. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I, um.” I’ve never liked that question. But the sight of her makes me feel better. “My head feels kind of dizzy.” I stare straight ahead, recalling what may have happened during the time before I woke up in the infirmary. “...I passed out, didn’t I?”

 

“Yeah,” Rin replies, and her gaze drifts down to the floor. “Listen, you were... I... You weren’t feeling well at all, earlier, and I gave you a medicine that - I shouldn’t have. I know now that was really dumb of me, but I just wanted to help, and I’m so sorry that I did it out of-“

 

“Rin, stop.” My throat is still as sore as earlier, so chuckling makes me cough a little. “I know.” I tell her. She peeks at me, her eyes pure and full of apology. I feel bad that knowing that her RF is anxiety and especially since- “It’s my fault too. I wanted it. I knew how I might react.”

 

“Yeah, well, you scared the hell out of me.” She shakes my shoulder teasingly and smirks. I stare at the colour of her dark black roots creeping from the edges of pale blond hair coming from her scalp. I move my fingers close to the edge of the bed and wiggle them. She reaches forward and holds them gently.

 

“Rin?” I croak.

 

“Yeah?” She murmurs softly.

 

“Why aren’t I sneezing my head off?”

 

“Because you took the agynicol. It works pretty well after triggering a few symptoms.” She explains, absentmindedly pinching my fingers.

 

“So can I go back to my condo?” 

 

“Mm, we’ll see. They’re gonna give you some stuff for your cold and then they’ll wanna check that you’re okay.”

 

I take a deep breath through my nose. “Alright. Doesn’t that mean you should go before I get you sick?” 

 

“Do you want me to go?” She questions wittily.

 

“At least to get me some of that udon.” She snorts. “What?” I continue, my voice still weakened. “I’m a hungry bitch...”

 

Rin, smiling, shakes her head and reaches across the table out of my vision. “I already got you some.” I hear the crinkling of a plastic bag and a round container of soup is slid in front of me, on the thin table that hovers over my bed. I sit up.

 

“What? Thank you...” She passes me a plastic fork. Man, this girl knows me so well.

 

“And don’t worry. It’s chicken.”

 

———

 

Some time later, in casa Johns...

 

“Why can’t I train today? They said I’m fine.” Mason sulks, tugging down the hem of his grey sweatshirt.

 

“You’re not fine. They said you’re fine, and what that means is you’re on the road to recovery. If you go in, you’re gonna put yourself in danger.” I tell him sternly, stirring honey into my mug of tea.

 

“Well, pfffff...” That’s what he does when he doesn’t have a comeback. He leans back on his couch, staring at the door to the balcony. He quickly leans forward with a sudden- “hah’ISSHHhh!!”

 

“See, you’re not better.”

 

“You- what, it was just a sneeze. It just means the dumb medicine is wearing off...” he mumbles, rubbing at his nose.

 

“Mason, hon...” I come from behind the kitchen counter and sit on the arm of the sofa. 

 

“I know... *snf!*” he combs back his hair with his fingers and stares down thoughtfully. I sip my tea. After a while, he says: “You know, I’ve finished all my review work.”

 

“Really?”

 

“I know you probably have, too.” It’s true. “My, um... my classmate in com tech, Harper... he said that the range is open all night.” His aimless gaze drifts over to me.

 

“Yeah.” I say, waiting behind my tea.

 

“You wanna go blow off some steam?”

 

“I dunno. I’m kinda tired.”

 

He squints his eyes at me. “What? You’re always up for that.”

 

“Yeah, I am, but I just...”

 

MASONS POV

 

Rin stops talking. I turn to look up at her, but her head is turned away. I peek over at the door, at the kitchen, but no one’s there.

 

“Rin...?”

 

“Huh’TISSHIEW!!”

 

It’s so loud that I jump, sounding like a squeal. She turns back, raising her wrist to her nose.

 

“Jeeesus Christ, Rin. You okay?” I grab a tissue from the table and give it to her. Without realizing it, I’m stroking her shoulder.

 

She giggles, looking a bit flustered, and just uses the tissue to wipe her nose. “Yeah, I don’t know where that came from.”

 

“You’re louder than me.”

 

“Shut up.” She whines.

 

I sigh. “Well, I guess we can hang out here if you want. Netflix sound cool?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll go make us some popcorn.”

 

———

 

RINS POV

 

We sit together on the couch to watch X-Men, the only movie we were able to agree on. A bowl of popcorn later and a half hour into the movie, I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know I’m being shaken awake from a nightmare about a training simulation.

 

“Hmm?” I open my eyes. On the tv, Wolverine is stabbing two of Stryker’s men in the heart with his claws.

 

“You fell asleep. I heard you mumbling. You good?” Mason asks me.

 

“Yeah, I- hh’Kschh! Hih’Kisschhiu! I’m good...” I go to sit up, but my head feels fuzzy all of a sudden.

 

“Bless you.” I must’ve looked tired or uncomfortable, because then he asks: “You wanna turn off the movie?”

 

“No...” I’m still sleepy. All I want is to nap right now, but my head is hurting for some reason. 

 

“I turned it down so you can sleep. You want a blanket?”

 

“Okay.”

 

My arms feel kind of cold. Mason hops off the couch to go to the closet, and I lean on the arm of the sofa. Maybe I’m just tired from staying awake all night...

 

“Ah’Ksschh!”

 

“Bless you.”

 

I hear Mason come behind me. He unfolds a red tartan blanket and wraps it around me as I sit up. “Here you are.” He looks at me a moment, and I look back into his blue eyes.

 

“What?” I say.

 

“Nothing.” He glances down. “You sure you’re okay? You’re shivering.”

 

I am? “Mm-hmm.”

 

Mason looks back at me again, then away, and falls back on the other side of the couch. I snuggle into the opposite corner and watch what’s happening on the tv. Bobby, the ice man, is creating a wall of ice that shields Wolverine from Stryker. Rogue is telling him to run. I get up from my slouching position and move closer to Mason. He barely moves, only notices that our sides are touching. I lean my head on his shoulder.

 

“Hm?” He peeks down at me, a bundle of sleepiness and tartan. 

 

“I’m cold.” I mumble softly. I feel him exhale. His breath is warm on my forehead. Slowly, he takes his arm from under me and puts it around my shoulder. I close my eyes.

 

———

To be continued...

[starpollen]

So so so so SO cute! 🥰

[Skylacticon]

Hola todos! Happy February.

 

Part four: Vulnerability

 

“What the fuck, Rin?!”

No.

“You could have killed him.”

No, stop. I didn’t mean it.

“What the hell, Rin?!” Stop. “Are you fucking stupid?!!”

No. No.

I wake with a wheezing gasp, and with the feeling of pressure on my right arm. I flinch hard and pull away.

“Whoa whoa whoa, Rin, it’s me!” Mason. “It’s me. It’s me, okay?”

I can feel the sweat on my face, and my head is pounding. My heart is racing, so I let my arm drop, and my eyes close.

Breathe.

Breathe, Rin.

“It’s okay.” Mason says gently, in his deep voice. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” Breathe. Wait. Why would he say that?

I look over, trying to catch my breath. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and sweatpants, and his hair is a bit messy, flopping over his eyes when he looks down.

“I, um... I made you tea. The one you like. With honey.” His voice calms me. The smell of tea is nice. Hot green tea.

“I slept all night?” I mutter, shielding my eyes from the daylight.

“Yeah. You fell asleep in the middle of X-men, had me worried there.”

I close my eyes and smirk. My throat itches and I cough, urging myself to sit up. “I’m sorry.” My arms are suddenly freezing with the exposure. I wrap them over my chest.

“About what?” Mason’s eyes search me, innocent and kind in every way. He puts down the mug and sinks onto the couch beside me. When I look at him, it reminds me of the mistake I made. The dream. Him falling unconscious.

“I... I don’t know.” 

Mason pulls the tartan blanket and tries to drape it over my shoulders. “Here. Drink some, it’s warm.” I take the white mug and carefully take a sip. “I’m afraid I might have gotten you sick.” He says, his tone apologetic. 

“What do you mean?” I say flatly. “I don’t get sick.” Then at that moment, as if the world had turned to me and said ‘fuck you’, I swallow the tea wrong and end up coughing. The itch in my throat has made it worse, and I cough until tears spring into my eyes. “Damn it,” I wheeze. Mason’s hand is on my shoulder. I take another sip of tea. It helps a little, the warmth spreading from my throat to my stomach.

“Okay, bad timing.” Mason says after a moment. “But you kind of looked like you had chills. You were sneezing a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sneeze, until, like, yesterday.”

I rub my left eye and exhale. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I do it all the time.”

MASONS POV

‘And it doesn’t seem to bother you,’ I say inwardly. Rin offers me a pathetic smile, and then covers her eyes with both palms. 

“I think,” She starts softly, and lets her hands drop into her lap. Her face looks tired, the skin around her eyes reddish. “I think I’m just tired.” Then she goes stiff. “Oh my god, what time is it?”

“Like...” I look at the clock. “Nine.”

“Oh my god, we have class.” She stands up, the blanket falling off onto the couch. “We have McGuire’s today, right? What day is it...” she starts pacing around, and I’m worried she’s going to fall over or something.

“Not- Huh’ESSHHIUHh!! Not until around ten, Rin.” 

She pauses. Her face is frozen, like she’s thinking. It’s the same face I see whenever she’s doing her training and I should tell her to take a break. 

“Or- we don’t even have to go today, since we finished the review and the test isn’t till Friday.”

Rin frowns at the floor, her arms crossed. Then her eyes narrow and she raises an elbow to her face. “Heh’Isschh! Ugh...” she sighs, running her fingers through messy hair. “Maybe I am sick.”

“Sorry.” 

She grins a little and more calmly, walks back to the couch and plops next to me.

“Now you’re the one apologizing. It’s alright, you warned me not to come over.” She slowly leans into me, and whether it’s for warmth or for platonic affection or whatever, I don’t move.

“You mad?” I say with a smirk.

“No.” She giggles. “It means Bella won’t nag me for being absent.” Fair enough. Her head turns, and she reaches for something across the couch. It’s my grey sweater that I took off this morning. “I’m stealing this.” Rin mumbles, and throws it over her head.

She pops the hood and pulls the two strings until the hoodie only reveals a small circle where her face peeks out. A wide smile spreads on my face, though I try to hide it. She pulls even more, and the circle shrinks only to reveal her eyes peeking out from the hole. Then she leans back on the couch.

“You okay there?” I stifle a laugh.

“You made me this way.” A muffled voice emerges, as she tucks in her knees under the hoodie.

I stand up from the couch, as Rin sits there in a ball of grey. “Alright. Imma go make some ramen.” I look back. “Would the boulder like some ramen?”

“The boulder is gonna kick your ass.”

“Yeah, hehh... heh’TSCHHhiuu!! Get in line... hehk’TSCHHh!!” I lean against the kitchen counter, pulling the hem of my shirt over the lower half of my face. “HAESSHHhh!! *snnrff*”

Rin peeks over. “Bad timing?”

“Bad tibing. *snff!*” I rub my nose. I’m not sure what the pollen count is supposed to be today.

“Did you take your allergy meds?” Rin asks, pulling off the hood.

I sigh. “I did.” I take out the pack of noodles, and the cabinet slams shut. “You know those don’t work well.” I turn the faucet, and warm water gushes into the pot.

“I was just asking.” Rin says softly. So softly, I almost didn’t hear.

I look up at her from the kitchen. I sniffle. “Sorry.” More gently, I turn off the faucet and set the pot on the stovetop.

“S’okay.” Rin mumbles. She’s fidgeting with the ends of my hoodie strings.

I inhale deeply and let it out. I turn up the heat on the stove. I shouldn’t have been aggressive like that. What’s wrong with you, Mason? As I’m thinking that, my nose starts to itch again and I immediately turn away from the stove.

“Heht’ESSSCHHIUU!! *sdf* Ugh, shit. *snff*” I’m going to need my handkerchief again. I sniffle and wipe my eyes. Honestly, I’m getting tired of this. It’s not as bad as before, but it’s here to haunt me again...

“Here, let me do it.” Rin says gently. I didn’t even notice she’d gotten up.

“It’s fine.” I mutter. The water is in the pot and the pot is on the stove, so the only thing left is to wait... Rin pats my shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

She timidly puts her hands in her pockets, and strolls around to the other side of the breakfast bar without another word. I press the back of my hand against my nose, as wave of guilt courses through me. I’m not entirely used to being taken care of. If I’m honest, it feels kind of strange. Back where I used to live, the staff never seemed to want to take care of me, and the other kids were always a handful. There was little medicine to go around. Little attention. In fact, ever since I’ve been in this program, it’s the most vulnerable I’ve let myself be in a while.

***************

“AAASHHIUHhh!! *snnrfff* huh! Hieh’-! *snnrg* huh’ISCHHh!! ISHHh!! YISHHIEWW!! Huh’YYESCHHIUUU!!” My nose is itching like crazy again, and that’s because Nora made me mow the lawn. I brush my hands together and sit on the edge of the porch, rubbing my nose hard with my wrist. It feels like fire ants are crawling around inside, like feathers are brushing the depths of my sinuses, because I’ve been sneezing and sneezing non stop, even before I started mowing. “*snnrff* AESCHHIUU!! Hih’ESCHHh!! ISSHHIEWW!!” I finally get to pull out my handkerchief and pull it over my nose, which is miserably stuffed and drippy. “AESSHHIEWW! AESSSHHIEWW!! ESHHIU!! ESCHIU!! EESSHHIEWW!! EEEISCHHIUU!!! *sddrff* ughh... *sddrff* ughh- hughh, hunhh- Hih’- IEESCHH-EESCHH-IEESCHHIEWW!! EEYIEHH’HEWW!! EH’HEWW!! EH’HEWW!! Ughhh... *sdddrfff*” 

Even sneezing rapid-fire and barely able to breathe, I know I need to get inside and clean up. I somehow manage to stand- “YYEESCHHh!!-EEISCHHh!!” Ugh, my nose... “EEEYYEHH’HIEWW!! *sdddrff* GGSCHH’TSCHh’TSXCHIU!!-Heh’TSCHHIU!! Ughh...” I stumble up the porch and reach the door. A little dizzy and breathless, I pause, leaning against the door frame. I keep my handkerchief over my nose. “EEESCHHIUU!!” Ugh, so itchy... 

“ieeEGH’SCHHIEWWW!! YEH’HIEWW!! IEHH’HEWW!! *sddf, snnddrfff* unhh... *sgddrff*” I keep my nose buried in my handkerchief, my nose still demandingly ticklish, burning, and my eyes are streaming. Almost to my room, I rip my shirt off.

I swipe hastily at my eyes, which are sore and swollen. “HnNGH’ISSSHHHIEWW!! ISCHHHIEWW!! ESSSHHUHHhh!! *sdddrff*”

RICHARDS POV

“Jeez man, are you okay? Bless you.”

A shirtless Mason stumbles into the room, one handkerchiefed hand glued to his face, the other tossing his shirt into the hamper. In between soaked sniffles and wheezy breathes, he can’t seem to stop sneezing. His nose is a deep shade of pink and appears to be swollen, as well as his eyes, which are watery. He nods, eyelashes fluttering, nostrils flaring, before plopping down on his bed with the handkerchief held ready between two hands.

“UUSCHHIEWWW!! EESCHHh!! EEESCHHIOO!! EEESCHHIUHHh!! *sddrf* I- ESSSHIEWW!! Bowddelawd- HAH’ESSHU’ESSSHHIOOO!!” A long, wheezy gasp- “HieeEEHH’Esshhiu!Esshhiu!ESCHh!! ieeHHh’-! *sddrff* Ugh. *sddrk*”

“You look like hell.”

“Hih’TSCHHh!!” He sneezes freely, his frame shuddering. “Heehhh, Hih’ESSHHIU!!” He lifts the battered handkerchief and blows, producing gurgle sounds. 

MASONS POV

My nose... God, it’s so sore. “Hgg’Tschhuh!” I sniffle delicately, my nose still ticklish, god it still tickles, but at least I’m not sneezing. I blink, my eyes still itchy and teary. “Ffhhugg.... Dora... *snndddrff* nnn... *snnnrfff*” Ohh, it fucking itches. “*sddrfff* Huh’ISCHIU!! Huh’Ischhieww!! EESCHHIEWW!! EEYYISCHHUHh!!” Another four, which do not make a dent in the itching. I shut my sore eyes, my nostrils still flared and itchy. 

Sneeze... just keep on sneezing... come on, it’ll feel better....

I suddenly lurch forward. “RRRASCHHIEWWW!!” Ow, my throat- “HASSSHHIEWWW!! Ohh- EESCHHHIEWWW!!-ESSSHHUEWWW!!!” I sniffle hard, my nose extremely stuffed and drippy. I need another handkerchief. “YYUSSSCHHIEEWWW!!” A wet, uncovered sneeze as I fetch one from my dresser. “ESSSHIEWWW!!!”

“Dude, why don’t you go and shower? It’ll help get the pollen off.”

Still sneezing, I nod. I’ve been wanting to shower ever since I got outside, but I needed a moment to sit down first.

“*snnrfff*” Walking to the showers, I’m suddenly aware of how scratchy my throat is. I scrub fiercely at my nose with my handkerchief, growing more and more tired.

“Mason!”

“Whad...” I croak. It’s Gwendolyn. In the guys’ dorms? I open my mouth to say hi, but my nose twinges with a strong tickle. “Huh’ISSHHIEWW!! *snnrff*” Geez, my nose just wont stop running. “I-hhuhhh... *snnnrfff*” Fuck, I can’t speak or else I’ll start sneezing again.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?”

“Doe.” I deadpan. “Hgg’-! Huh! AESSHHIUHHhh!! I godda go shh-hahh *sdddrfff* shower.” I can barely see now, as allergic tears are basically pouring down my face, my nose still burning horribly.

“Ok. Um, hope you feel better.” She disappears down the hall.

I sniffle with all my might, watery mucus threatening to drip down my face. I take my handkerchief and blow hard into it, actually managing to clear myself a bit. 

In the mirror, my eyes are bloodshot and red, and my nose is so red, just looking at it makes me want to sneeze more. I could swear the scent of cut grass lingers in the air (and probably is, since we don’t have air conditioning in this shithole, meaning the windows are usually open). 

“ISSSHHHHHhh... EEISCCHHHHHHHhh... highhh... ehh! HGSCHHHHhh!!! *sngrk!*” I sneeze freely, powerfully. My sinuses start to ache from the irritation and expulsions. I pinch my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “HGGxXNT!-chuhhh....” I sniffle and close my eyes. I’m still a bit dizzy.

After the shower, my eyes are still sore and a bit red, but as a whole, thankfully my body itches significantly less. The swelling has gone down a lot. However, my nose is still tickly. I sniffle and comb my wet hair back. 

“H’GxXN!!-chiuh... *snff*” I wrinkle my nose. “Hih’ISSCHh!! ISSHIEWW!! *snnrf!*” 

I return to my room, exhausted. Richard is still there, accompanied by Alex and Luke, playing a game of president.

“Better?” Richard questions.

I sniffle and press my palm into my eye socket. “A bit.” I mumble, and fall onto my bed.

“Was fucking crazy, what we heard earlier.” Luke says, disbelief in his tone.

“Yeah bro, how are you still alive?”

“Dod’t d’ow. *snnff*” I cough a bit, my throat still sore from earlier. 

“Nora’s bound to get sacked one of these days.” Luke grumbles.

“*snrff* Bad, that would be the day... *ahem*” I lay with my hands behind my head. “But she’s like, the head coudsellor. Is she dot?” I murmur, my voice raspy. My eyes are so itchy, so I close them.

“Maybe. But she’s messed up, man.”

“Hey, wanna join us?” Richard offers, as they clean up their current game.

“Ndo. *snnrff* I thigk I’b just godda dap. Thagks, though.” 

***************

I look up. Rin, with the hood of my huge grey sweater on her head, is sitting at the table reading her psych book. Soon, the water starts boiling and I add the noodles.

I peek back at Rin.

“You ever learn about that in high school?” I ask, breaking the silence.

She lowers the book. “Psychology? No. I wish I did.”

“Oh.” I turn back to the bubbling pot, and reach over to turn down the heat.

“Eh’Kschh!” 

“Bless y-“

“A couple of my friends did, though. *snf* One was obsessed. It got weird cuz she had a whole phase trying to get us to do weird shit with these tricks.”

“Huh. And the other one?”

“Uh,” She uncrosses her legs. “She was less invested, she um. Well, she did psych for one year and tried hypnotizing people for a project.”

I smirk. “To do what?”

“Ah... to see if they’d be willing to do stuff, like cleaning or other simple stuff.”

“That hardly seems psychology related.” I scoff, poking the noodles with a fork. “More like a Jedi mind trick.”

“Well actually,” Rin sits back and crosses one leg over the other. “Hypnosis has had been successful in helping people with cases such as memory, or habits... Anyway like I said, she was only in it for one year, like she made that prerequisite.” She utters sarcastically.

“Hey-“ I glance back at her. “Can’t they use that type of stuff here?”

Rin looks at me, puzzled. “How? Like for mental patients?”

“Well, yeah, that, but... I mean, if you could convince me I don’t have allergies, that would be cool.” I raise my eyebrows.

Rin snorts. “You can try. Next, we gotta convince your body.”

“Ha. It was worth a shot.” Rin giggles softly, and goes back to reading. I sigh inwardly. It’s nice to see her smile again.

[missfemmefatale]

Yay thanks for the update! I love learning about Mason's past! And loved all the sneezing in this part! 

[Skylacticon]

Hi, I’m back with the next part. Hope y’all are having a good day! Sorry if it’s a lil short.

 

Part five: Perfume

 

MASONS POV

Perfume. Perfume, for me, is like a game over in a video game. An Achilles heel. Something about that wafting scent had a way of making my allergies go wild, and I had always avoided conflict at the group home as to avoid having to come too close to a counsellor who wore way too much. Perfume. Just thinking of it is making the rims of my nostrils tingle, and to be completely honest, I have no clue if growing out of this allergy is possible.

“Alright. First we’ll do a test, then evaluate the training process from there.”

“Right.” I say, and clear my throat.

“Ready?”

“Yup.” 

“Turning influence up to two and a half.”

A light hissing sound comes from the sides of the room, and promptly stops after about half a minute. Quickly, I begin to smell it - the sweetness and sharpness of the alcohol, then other chemical agents that tone down the sharpness, and oh no - oh no.

“Huh’Tschieww!” I sneeze naturally, the sting of the bold scent enough to make my nose tickle. Instinctively, I sniffle, but the inhalation of more of it makes me cough, and- “Huh’JDSCHh! Hah’Yesshhieww!! Ugh.” Wow. It’s having more of an effect on me than I thought. Although-

“Too much? I’ll turn it down.”

“No,” I say, wrinkling my nose. “Leave it.”

See, the thing about perfume is that the beginning is shocking, and as it sets in, it usually turns out like any other allergen. 

“Ok. So um,” Rin flips a page in the binder. “Tell me what you’ve done today Mason.”

The chemicals are beginning to sting inside my nose, a tough sensation to ignore. “Uhh...” I pinch my nose in a hard rub. “Well, for breakfast, I had cereal. And, hh- milk. *snf*” As soon as I sniffle, the chemicals hit me with a sharp sting, making me cough. My throat is starting to ache. “Um... and...” the urge to sneeze has returned, my nose full of perfume, my eyes hurting a little at this point. I clear my throat and rub my nose again. “After that, I went...”

Sheesh... this stuff is potent. “I... went...” Overwhelmed, I eventually take in a huge breath. “Huh’ESHHh!! ESSHHIEWW!!” I sniffle cautiously, scrubbing at my nose.

“Remember, Mason,” I look up, caught up in my allergy attack. “They say to try to stifle if you can’t prevent the sneeze.”

Right. “Nn’GxXNn!!-chiuhh...” Ow...

“Is it too much? I can turn it down. I’m going down to two.”

“Waih- hah’KTSCHh!! Wait... I can do it- *cough, cough*”

“Just try two for now.” Fine. “Okay, what’s your latest type of field training?”

“Um... *ahem*” I try to ignore the itching feeling that follows the stinging scent, a challenge that keeps bringing me back to my past. “Field traiding has beed bostly locatig of goods... *ahem* a’d...” I remember how I’d avoid eye contact with Nora whenever she cornered me. I clear my throat and straighten up a little. “Ahhd, ub... h’ESSHHIEWW!!-sorry. *ahem*” My nose is kind of starting to hurt now. “Huhh... huh’GNxXgkt!!-uhh... hg’NxXgckk!!-juhh...”

“Let’s take a break. Come on.”

I sniffle and let out a breath, feeling my posture deflate. I walk over to the other room, where I see her leaning on the doorway. I sit on the couch and grab a couple of tissues from the box on the coffee table to blow my nose.

“You okay? You seem a little off today.”

“M’fide. *snff!*” 

“You sure?”

“Just lay off it, okay?” I turn and cough into the crook of my elbow. My nose is still stinging with perfume. No rubbing or pressure is going to help it.

“Hey.” Rin says, sitting down beside me. “Come on.” She urges gently, in that calming voice of hers. “What’s up?”

I sigh. “*sdf!* I just... ughh...” My nose fucking burns. With a lack of other options, I resort to scrubbing at my nose again. Eventually I give up, dropping my wrist. “You wanna know?” Rin’s soft expression changes a little, from concerned to curious and in between. I would have said it already, but it sounds so dumb in my head. My nose twitches, and I turn away. “Hih... hyieh’TSCHIEWW!!-uhh, *snff!*”

“Bless you.”

“*snff!* I... I first learned that I was allergic to perfume when I was a kid...” a hoarse chuckle breaks loose, and I rub my nose again. “I um, I grew up in a group home. With other kids without...parents. The thing was, I’d always been allergic to- heh’TSCHhh!! Ugh, to everythi’g...”

RINS POV

Mason’s nose is really red and looks like it’s giving him hell, but he continues in a somewhat calm voice.

“The house always deeded to be clead... Ndo pets, but strangely edough, dogs dod’t bake me sneeze... hih’JDSCHh!!” he sniffles sharply and wipes at his eyes with his fingers. “And there was this ode coudsellor *sdff!* who hated be... she... *snff!* she’d dowd be sidce I was you’g, add-“

“Blow your nose, hon.”

Mason stops, eyes not meeting mine. A thought flashes across my mind, as he solemnly reaches for a tissue, that it’s hard to tell whether he’s crying or if his allergies are that bad. He blows his nose briefly and coughs, the effects of the perfume still lingering.

“Sorry. Go on,” I say softly.

“S’alright. *ahem*” He tosses the used tissue in the trash. “Anyway, her name was Nora. *snf*” He blinks, his gaze snapping down and away. “And... she... she wore this perfume-“ he pauses awkwardly, like he’s not sure if what he’s saying sounds too weird. He lets out a breath. Eyes clouded with thought, his corners of his lips twitch into a frown. 

“Mas-“ I reach for him.

“I- um,” he snaps out of it quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. He shakes his head like it doesn’t matter. “She wore this... strong lavender perfume. And, it made me worse all the time. But she never got rid of it. So, since I wasn’t exactly her favourite, she wore more of it whenever she felt I deserved it. And...” He says all of this quickly, his eyes still directed downward. He sniffles, and pinches his nose briefly between his thumb and forefinger. “Yeah. So... I never tend to do too well around it. At least, in excess. Like that.” 

A slight pause. “Mason,” I say, breaking the silence. “I- I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,”

“It’s okay. Seriously,” he manages a watery grin, the edges of his blue eyes a sore pink. “I just... I don’t know.” He says more casually. “I thought I might be able to-“

“To handle it.” I complete his sentence, feeling the weight of it crushing me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. I should have.”

We sit in silence for a bit. Guilt is welling up in me, but not just because I kinda-sorta made Mason face his traumatic past. Well, maybe a little. Knowing it now hurts me. I mean, I can’t imagine the desperation of a kid with level five allergies stuck in a home with a “caregiver” who hates him enough to punish his airways, and that’s only part of the abuse. Jeez... I saw how fast the reaction was triggered. Who knows what the kid must have went through.

“Maybe we should pick up on this another day?” I look up at him, his shoulders hunched. “Shall we?” 

He peeks over at me. “Okay,” he replies softly. He sniffs quietly and stares down at the floor. I stand up from the couch. I glance back at him, not wanting to make it any bigger of a deal, but still feeling a little crummy inside.

“I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you.” Mason says. His gaze wavers toward the ground for a moment, then up at me, his sore-looking eyes shaded by dirty blond hair. I press my lips together into what feels like a pity smile. The thought only makes me feel worse. I eventually look away, and exit the room to terminate the simulation.

MASONS POV

I breath in deep, and let out a rushing exhale once she leaves. I feel bad for wasting her time, even if I’m the one truly affected. There’s the churning in my gut, the sickening doubt that convinces me that this trauma won’t ever leave me one day, and that as much as I try, I won’t be able to overcome it. Maybe that’s true. But I never thought of how vivid re-living the experience would be.

After a while, Rin reappears in the doorway. “Hey, uh.” She fidgets a little with her hands. “Let me get you some ice cream or something.” She grins timidly. “I think we could use a treat.”

A smile unravels across my face and I close my eyes. “I’m fine, really.”

“I...wasn’t asking.” She crosses her arms. I look up at her, and the dark roots fading into straight blond hair that frames her kind face. I can tell she feels guilty, and now I’m guilty that she’s guilty, and my eyes are still kind of stinging from the perfume and after all, ice cream sounds like a really good idea right now.

Beat, I sigh, and get up. “What the hell.”

“Yeah!” She smiles at me and I can’t help but return it, as we both walk out of the lab, leaving the depths of my sorrows behind. “But first, you go shower. You smell like an old lady.”

[missfemmefatale]

My day got even better when I read this update!!! Thank you! 

[Elyze]

I'm always so happy to see another story by you, I love your writing! Mason is just so adorable 😍

[starpollen]

I love him. ❤️

[Skylacticon]

Hey y’all. I know I haven’t updated this story in a while. I’m not sure if I’ll keep updating it to be honest, but I do want to add this bit. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and TSP, I know these two are some of my favourite OC’s. It’s been so long. Thanks for reading and without further ado~

 

 

Another Sleepless Night

 

MASONS POV

 

“*snnnrf, snrf* huh’NxXGNnnnhh..... hih! Hhh, huht!’XxGgkk!!-chiuhhh.... ohh... hehh... *snnrk* heeehh *snuuurk* -uhh, hep’TSCHh!-ah’TSCHH!uh’KSCHH!!” God. I need to blow my nose. Slowly, I rise, swinging my feet out of bed. My head hurts, and the congestion is heavy in the centre of my face, as I take tired breaths of air through my mouth. “Hehh...” I raise a couple of tissues to my nose and blow, reaching for more once I’m done. 

 

The one nice thing about these lodging facilities is that they never seem to run out of tissues. Only two more days on this trip, and I get to go back to a clean, pollen-free apartment. My nose feels sore and almost numb, spare for the same constant lingering itch. I feel like I have to sneeze a lot to put a dent in it, but I’m too tired for the exertion. But if I don’t, my nose keeps tickling and running, and my eyes fill with tears. 

 

“Heh’- huh’TDSCHHIOO!!-ughh... HEEISCHHhhioo!!” I sneeze into the open air, feeling them rip through my nasal passages, bobbing my head forward. Vision blurred by tears, I grab a couple more tissues, the itch still crawling inside my nasal membrane. “AESSHHIOO!!” A sharp gasp, then- “Huh’TSCHh!!-ohh...”

 

I try to blow my nose, but I’m still blocked up. I rub at my nose, pressing down on the tip, then crushing the underside of my nostrils. It’s so itchy, I can’t stop rubbing it. I remember how red my nose looked after class, I can imagine how it looks now. “Huuhh... *snrk*” oh god. I have to sneeze again. No, no. Okay, maybe if I press hard on my nose and try not to breath too deep it won’t happen. One steady breath. Oh, it burns. My nose is dripping, so I sniffle hard - a little too hard. Shit, okay. What now? Stifle? “Hahh, huht’KxXGGnnkk!!huhh *snnnrff*” Ow. Oh no. I can’t seem to control my breath as it’s picking up. “Hah, huh! Huh’-! Huh’TDSCHHH!! Huh! Huht’GXSCHH!!’KSCHh!!’TSCHhh!!” Oh god I can’t breathe- “ESSHHIOO!! ESCHH!! Huh’ESSCHHIOOO!! Unhh... *snrgk* *snnrk, snrk*”

 

I blow my nose hard.

 

There’s a knock at my door. “Mason?” Shit. It’s Rin.

 

“Uh, just a seg.” Wow. What bad timing. I switch on my desk lamp and try to organize my hair a little, and straighten up my pyjamas. I clear my throat quietly, and go to answer the door. “Hey.”

 

She’s standing there, in a grey tank top and faded blue sweatpants. Her hair is down, falling down her shoulders and down her back.

 

“Hey.” She shifts her weight nervously, but her expression isn’t very readable.

 

“You okay?” I wrinkle my nose, trying to seem casual.

 

“Uh, not really. Sorry, did I wake you up?”

 

“Ndo.” I clear my throat again, and sniff. “I uh, I’ve beed up for a while. *sddrf* I was, hihh’- *snrf!* I was afraid I woke you up. Hh- hih’TSCHH!! *sngk*”

 

“Bless you.” I rub my nose, hoping another fit won’t be triggered. 

 

“Wadda cobe id? I dod’t thigk I’ll- *sdrf* be sleepig... for a while.” My nose suddenly decides that it’s had enough of holding back, and I turn hastily into the crook of my arm. “Hih’ISCHHhiuhh!! Huh’ESCHHhioo!! *snnrk*”

 

“Yeah. Thanks. And, bless you again.”

 

“Thagks. *snf!*” She steps inside and I close the door. “How’s your leg?”

 

“Fine. It might bruise, but it’s fine.”

 

“Ah, okay.” She sits on the chair at the desk, and I sit back down on the bed, folding another tissue. “So what’s on your mind?”

 

“I... I kind of had a nightmare. And that sounds childish, but it felt pretty real.”

 

“It’s dot childish. *snf* Sobetibes I get weird dreabs.” My nose itches more when I talk, and I rub it roughly with my knuckle.

 

“Well, it was like. My dad was here.” She says stiffly, the words forming like shyly drawn line art. “He was yelling at me for slacking... then we went in this helicopter. And then we did a mission where… a lot of people got hurt.”

 

I listen, pinching my nose with the tissue. When she’s done, I blow softly. Then I sniffle and clear my throat. “Weird how thi’gs cobe back.” I clear my throat again.

 

“Yeah. But he’s- he’s not here, I-I’ve been-“ she stands, emphasizing with her hands. “I’ve been over this, I know that I’m doing this at my own pace.” Her voice raises a little, and that’s rare for her.

 

I sniffle, staring at the ground. I would’ve said something by now, but the itch is burning at the edge of my nostrils, so the best I can do is wrinkle my nose and press the back of my hand against it. I don’t want to sneeze and make it seam like I didn’t hear her. The next sniffle is embarrassingly wet-sounding, and my eyes are watering again. 

 

“Did you take anything?” She asks softly.

 

“I did. *ahem**snnrf* Like, by throat isn’t as bad as before, so... Thanks for the tea, by the way. *ahem* But ub, by dose sdill really itches, though. Sorry- eh’Hihh, hG’ISSCHHhiuhh!! *sdrf* huh’TDSCHH!! Exguse be, sorry. Adyway. Sobetibes I uhh... get these dreabs that they’d find be here… take be back.” I sniffle and press the back of my hand against my nose.

 

She’s quiet for bit, then she sits back down on the chair. “Well... I just feel like I’m not doing well enough, at this point.”

 

“Says who?”

 

“Says me who’s been here and hasn’t moved down levels since I started.”

 

“*snff* ...Well, I haved’t.”

 

“Our situations are different.”

 

“How? I bead- *ahem* bedtal- oh by god, forgive be- *ahemmm*” My voice is dead. The congestion is heavy and my throat feels raw. 

 

“It’s ok. Don’t hurt yourself.” She grins a little, sympathetically.

 

I chuckle. I must look so miserable right now. “Ub. Oh, yeah. *sdf* Mbedtal health and healig is just like physical. Like by airways, which *ahemm!* always have to be drabatic.”

 

“Hm. I wish that was easier to believe.”

 

“Oh, well I guess I’b perfectly fide- hah’- thed-“ I quickly fold another tissue over my nose. “AESSCHHhioo!! Hh-! Huh’ESCHHIOO!!-ESCHHhh!!” Ow. Ugh, these are getting intense.

 

“Bless you.”

 

“Cad you pass be the-?” I point to the tissue box on the dresser. She gets up and hands it to me, and I fold another tissue to blow my nose with. I sniffle weakly, and lean on the wall, blinking my sore eyes. “The thig is... *ahem* the thig is, bide is like, sobethig that just happeds. And whed I’b tired, I have the optiod of going for bore drugs. Or, just like, stayig idside.” I sniffle and give my nose a hard rub. “With yours, it’s… always with you. Dot just *snf* with trainig. You face what scares you the bost. And... *snnrff* I guess you cad also take beds, but...” I have to catch my breath, sniffling congestedly. I rub my nose in a pinch. “*snnrf* It’s there. It’s part of your bebory. It’s dot sobethig you cad easily forget.”

 

Rin’s gaze is fixated on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest and her feet rested on the chair. Her brow seems heavy with thought. “I guess you’re… sort of right.”

 

I let out a breath, watching her fidget with her nails. “Plus, this bethod is pretty unorthodox. *snrf*” That makes her scoff, evoking the tiniest smile. “Od the other ha’d, who’s to say I won’t suffocate? Hih, hih’TDSCHHhh!! *snnrff!**snrk*”

 

She lets her feet descend back to the floor. “That’s true.” She looks a little calmer now, and a bit sheepish. “How’s your throat? I’m sorry to keep you talking.”

 

“It’s doe probleb. I’ll be fide. *snrf*” I can’t say that in a way that she’ll believe me. My nose is killing me, but I’m trying not to sneeze in case it hurts my throat.

 

“You look really itchy right now.”

 

“Yeahh, huhh- *snnnrff!* I thigk it was those flowers, I’ll be sdeezig for like, dayyhhs udtil I-cad-dolaudry-Hihhh, HAAESSCHHhh!! Ugh. *snnrf* Scuse be.”

 

“Mm. The whole point of this is face your weakness head on, I’m just-“ she drags both hands over her face, then lets them fall. “Tired. Don’t you get tired of the in between? When you’re not doing the challenges?”

 

“Yeah. *snrf* That’s cuz they’re always with you, these problebs.” I breathe through my mouth, and sniffle. “Hih’TgSCHh!! *snnrf* I bead.” I chuckle, and the sound is low and heavy with congestion. “*snrk* The whole reasod is focus od getting your body to adapt. *snnrff!*” I sniffle hard, and raise another tissue to blow my nose.

 

“Yeah.”

 

I close my eyes and lean my head back on the wall. I really wish I could take something more, but I’m not able to acquire more meds until tomorrow. 

 

“So you believe it?”

 

“Mmb? *snrf*” My eyes are teary when I open them, and I wipe them with the heel of my palm. Rin is looking at me.

 

“In this process.” The way she’s looking at me right now - I wish I was in better shape to face the question. Of course to some degree, I believe it. Somehow asking me is causing me to unravel, and I suppose it’s because maybe she doesn’t. 

 

I cough to clear my throat, and divert my gaze. “I bust, if I’b willig to suffer.”

 

“Well, yeah…”

 

“It’s just... ndo meds really work od be. *snff* Having this new drug, agydicol? It’s like bagic. But I’b dot exactly rich, a’d- *ahemm* I dod’t wadt to be depe’dadt od it. *snrf*”

 

RINS POV

 

I nod quietly. I know there’s a lot more I could question, but I have a feeling it would do more harm than good. Plus it’s not like I’m here for the most concrete reason, hence my stability, and I guess right now I’m just grateful I’m not alone. Mason coughs, blocking them with the back of his hand. Earlier, when we were outside, I was really worried about him. Now he seems tired, but solid, like he’ll be okay. He wears it like it’s expected of him, like it’s fine, and I wish I could know how he does it. 

 

“It doesn’t seem too bad now.” I say after a bit.

 

“Dod’t jinx be, Bisaki.” He chuckles. 

 

I grin and look down. “You’re really something, you know that?”

 

He pauses for a second, his gaze still wandering across the floor. Right now, either he’s blushing - or it’s just the inflammation. He coughs again, and sniffles. “I dod’t dow why I’b here sobetibes, to be hodest. *snnrff* If this worgks, it’ll be a biracle. *snf*”

 

“Yeah. I kinda feel that.”

 

He sniffles again, and it sounds really congested and maybe a little painful, since it sounds so harsh. He exhales through his mouth, followed by another drippy sniffle, and his red nose disappears into another tissue.

 

“If...” I pinch the seams of my pant hem. “If you wanted, I could give-“

 

As soon as I say that, his posture changes, coming up from slouching. “Doe. Doe, I cad’t bedicate udtil toborrow. *snrk!*” His lips stay parted after he speaks, his eyes glinting with tears, the skin tinged red around the edges. His nose, deeply flushed, twitches, and he rubs it fiercely. In the gesture, some frustration is revealed for a second - regret ramming me like a train for speaking - before the urge to sneeze takes over. “Uh’TSCHH!! Huh’TSCHH!! Huh’CHIEWW!! -TSCHIEW!!-tschioo!! HRRISCHHIEWW!! ‘RRRISCHHhh!! Huh’uhhh- huh’ESSSHIEWW!! *snnrk*” At first, they’re sharp, uncovered, then when he can catch his breath, they’re stronger, more intense.

 

I sit quietly until the fit passes. He seemed to be doing okay until I said that. I’m cruel. I’m so cruel. “You good?” I ask softly.

 

“Ugh, doe. *snrf*” He attempts to dry his eyes, and it’s evident how tired he is.

 

“Sorry.” I whisper.

 

“It’s okay.” He utters, his tone more gentle. There’s softness in his expression, of lack thereof, the way the small flicker of frustration dies down as he blinks his sore eyes and wipes his nose. I wish I could’ve kept my mouth shut, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. “I will be.” He croaks.

 

“…How?” I wonder aloud. My gaze goes out of focus somewhere between his feet and the edge of the bed.

 

There’s the soft whistling of his breath, then a deeper sound, a chuckle, and a shyer sniffle. “You ask a lot of questions, Rin.” I can hear the smile in his voice. My vision comes into focus. Mason’s hair is in his face, over his eyes, but he nods it away. He clears his throat, which, raw as it is, doesn’t sound too productive a move. “I’ll survive.” The charm in his voice is inspiring, always making his words sound believable. “I always do.”

[starpollen]

❤️❤️❤️