Hold me (M, 15 parts)

[Skylacticon]

@thesneezyowl Thank you!! Your comments are so so sweet. 💕

@dwaekki Thanks! I plan to 😉

@Catsgotyourtounge Your comment made mine 😚

@starpollen No you! 😝 Thanks, it means a lot~

 

Edit: This is at 11.1k views now (ahh!!) - it’s time to make a wish. If you want, comment a prompt of what you might wanna see from these two, and perhaps I’ll try and write it to my best ability. I know there have been suggestions in the past I haven’t gotten to, so this time maybe I’ll be more diligent. 😆

Thanks again for reading! I’ve had a blast writing this little series.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Spooklacticon

[dwaekki]

Could we maybe see one where the 2 of them are having a cosy day alone at home but he keeps sneezing for an unknown reason and it really frustrates him? I'd love to see him try to stifle to stop the sneezes and her try and comfort him through it as he gets upset with himself 🥹❤️

[Catsgotyourtounge]

Could we do one where he finds a puppy in the rain on way home from work and brings it home and pretends that he isn't that allergic but his allergies take over quickly and she has to beg someone to take dog and even after dog leaves he can't stop sneezing. Odd request I know I'm sorry!

[Skylacticon]

On 10/20/2023 at 8:02 PM, dwaekki said:

Could we maybe see one where the 2 of them are having a cosy day alone at home but he keeps sneezing for an unknown reason and it really frustrates him? I'd love to see him try to stifle to stop the sneezes and her try and comfort him through it as he gets upset with himself 🥹❤️

Ask and ye shall receive.

Part 10:

-

 

 

“kg’ISSCHHhiuh!! *snrf*”

 

I heard the soft, squishy sound of him rubbing his nose over at his desk, my eyes softly zoning out at my crossword puzzle. I hovered the top of my pen over number thirteen, the surname of Marvel’s Cyclops.

 

“*snff!* -ahh, *cough!*”

 

More squishy rubbing, this time more vigorous, and a thick sniffle. I blinked. That guy had a last name. Okay, what was his first name? I tapped the back of the pen against my chin.

 

“huhHt’TCHHIEWW!!! -ohh, *snrff!*”

 

“Bless you,” I said softly, still staring down at the crossword.

 

Behind me, his breath hitched gently, causing the writing on the page to become illegible to me.

 

“hihhh… *snnrff!*” There was a hard, squelching rub, and a soft, irritated moan, then another gasp. “ihh! hUHdt’ESSCHHIUHhh!! *snnrk!*"

 

“Bless you.”

 

That one was harsh, desperate. He snorted a thick sniffle and sighed. I heard his chair scrape the floor gently as he stood, his big footsteps pacing around the study corner of the living room. I finally peeked over my shoulder.

 

He slowly took steps, his head tilted back, shoulders rising and falling with hitching breaths. As he turned, I saw the side of his face, which had thoughtful or confused-like expression, eyes narrowing to slits. Then he sniffled thickly and rubbed his nose, which was growing redder in hue.

 

“hiehh… hih-?” Quickly, he threw up the crook of his arm. “HAH’tdj’ESSCHHIEWWw!! *snnrff* Oh by god,” he muttered nasally, sniffling wetly.

 

Oh, that one was wet-

 

“HAAAASSCHHIEWW!!!”

 

-and that one was wetter, the spray illuminated in the soft sunlight coming in through the sheer curtain. They were both particularly harsh, and desperate. He sniffled liquidly a few times, and let out a soft sigh.

 

“You okay?” I asked softly, watching as he walked over to the couch and sat down heavily.

 

He pulled a pair of tissues from the box on the coffee table and folded them, clearing his throat softly. He hurriedly lifted them to his face to catch an itchy-sounding sneeze.

 

“USSCHH!!-ioo… *snrk!* Yeah… hih! hh’just… hih! I just keep- USSCHHIEWW!! -ohh, *snrgk*”

 

“Bless you-“

 

“-just keep sdeezig. *hsnrk!* …Ohhhh… *snrgk!*” He rubbed his nose again hard, with a curled knuckle. 

 

What followed was an odd silence. I peeked back towards the couch. Slowly, I got up and stepped over to check on him. He looked to be desperately fighting a sneeze, and losing. His nostrils flared wide, twinging with a strong tickle. Eventually, his frame swelled with a huge breath, and he quickly raised a hand to stifle the inevitable sneezes.

 

"hihh... heHt'knxXgtt!!-unhh *sddrf* huh! hih! hEHt'gxXGck!!-chiuhh... *sngk!* iehhH! AH'gxXGtt!!-chieww...."

 

"Oh, hon..."

 

He sniffled rather wetly, and sighed again, the exhaustion more audible up close. He was blinking teary eyes, his head slowly tilting back again.

 

“hehh…? hEh’TttsSSCHHIEWW!!! *sddrff!*” he erupted freely.

 

Another fine mist of spray glittered in the soft sunlight, his nostrils flared and quite red at this point. He was already gearing up for the next sneeze, his eyelids fluttering shut. Quickly, he lifted the tissues to cover a harsh, messy-sounding,

 

“hHEHHd’SSCHHIEWWw!! … *snnnrk!* ahh, ooh.” He muttered softly, catching his breath. “Yup,” he breathed, discarding the tissues and pulling more.

 

“Mm?” I sat next to him and gently ran my hand over his back.

 

“heeEESSCHHIEWW!!” He sneezed, quite violently. “-ahh, *snrff!* oh, I don’t- ESSCHHiuhh!! *sngk!* hih, I dod’t- ESSHH!!” He sucked in a huge breath, and let out a harsh, ticklish sneeze- “huHht’ESSSCHHIUHHhh!!!” -into the folded tissue.

 

He emerged with a weary sigh, and a thick sniffle. I gently ran my hand over his back as he blew his nose briefly.

 

“Bless you, wow.”

 

He lowered the cloth, revealing flushed, sensitive nostrils. He gave few irritated swipes at the widening rims with the back of his wrist, his eyes still slightly out of focus.

 

“Thagks… *snf* Dod’t kdow what’s mbaking be sdeeze so buch, oh by gooddess…” he muttered breathlessly, his long eyelashes fluttering down at the tissues in his hands. "I'b sorry, I... *hsnnrff!*"

 

“It’s okay hon, just let them come…”

 

I suspected stray dust or pollen, quite anything had potential to set him off. Sympathy washed over me, and warm fondness tugged in my chest, as a tiny sympathetic grin formed on my lips. He snuffled and cleared his throat.

 

“I just wanted finish the last… *’hemm* part of my report, but I just- kg’ISSCHH!! -huh’ISSSHHIUHHh!!”

 

Ooh. I ran my hand gently over his big frame again. That harsh, rapid pair of sneezes had left him blinking dazed, teary eyes.

 

“Bless,” I breathed.

 

I felt him draw slow, steady breaths, his ribs expanding beneath my fingertips. I began to observe him more closely. The flushed tone of his nose, the soft breaths through his lips.  The way his poor, irritated nostrils seemed to widen as he sniffled hard, and coughed.

 

I reached out slowly, and rested my fingertips on the side of his face. He snuffled softly, his breath pausing a little. Gently, I traced one nostril, which quickly flared red at my touch.

 

“ihHHh…”

 

Risking it, I continued, moving onto the other nostril, already flared. There was a small, stuttering sniffle. I saw a glint of moisture peeking under his rounded nostrils, before he sniffled again, sharply. A muscle in his neck twitched as he swallowed, his eyelids fluttering shut.

 

“I-I’b,” he barely huffed, before sneezing explosively. “h-huHdD’ZZSCHHIOOO!! *snnrfff!*” My hand was showered with a wet spray, and he sniffled messily several times. A fine mist reached my face, faintly cooling my cheeks.

 

Then there was another shallow, involuntary gasp, and thinking quickly, I moved my hand to hover over his nose and mouth.

 

“HRRUUSSCHHhh!!!-mmnh,” The force of the sneeze jerked him forward, his tender nostrils pressing into my palm. I felt the warm puff of air, and a wet spray.

 

It had mostly splattered the lower half of my palm, so I used my index finger and thumb to give his poor, itchy nose a few pinch-rubs as I pulled more tissues.

 

“Bless you,” I breathed. As I was folding the tissue with my right hand, he let out another ticklish sneeze into my cupped left hand.

 

“gG’YISSCHHiue!!”

 

He sniffled hard, but snot was already dripping down his face, over his damp lips. The tissue wasn’t working with me - folding unevenly, stalling the cleanup. His breath hitched urgently against my palm.

 

I began to rub his warm, itchy nose again, pinching and massaging the inflamed skin between my thumb and forefinger. His eyelids fluttered, red nostrils squirming between my fingers.

 

“ihhH’- hhg’GxXSSCHHhh!!”

 

Another itchy, wet explosion into my left hand.

 

“Sorry, hun, just a second…”

 

I pulled another tissue. He sniffled and blinked rapidly, his hands reaching for the tissues I’d pulled. His nostrils were flaring, and his poor nose couldn’t wait, bursting with another wet sneeze as he rushed to raise the clump of tissues.

 

“HAAASSHHIEWWw!! -ohh, *snnrff!* hih-! HyEH’TDSSCHHIUHHhh!!!”

 

He raised the haphazardly folded tissues to his sneezy nose and blew luxuriously. It was followed by a soft sigh of relief, and a few sharp sniffles. As he blew, I pulled another tissue to wipe my left hand.

 

“*snnrffh!* Oh by gosh… *k’hmm~*” he cleared his throat, his glassy eyes blinking in a soft daze. “*cough, sdrf!*”

 

He glanced over at me, as I sat patiently, wondering if he might sneeze again. His dazed, itchy expression softened with a soft laugh, and he raised a curled knuckle to rub at his flushed nostrils.

 

“…That it?” I chuckled.

 

“Ah, *ahemm*.…” He paused again, wrinkling his nose, as if debating it. “*hsnff!* …” After an empty beat, he blinked, as if returning to reality. “Well,” he huffed, and sniffed. “That’s all folks,” he muttered, and got to his feet.

 

I grinned up at him. He stretched a bit, turning from side to side. Then, his shoulders dropped, and he turned to me again.

 

“That’s all for today’s episode?” I teased gently, grouping the used tissues on the coffee table before throwing them in the little trash bin.

 

He let out a soft chuckle. “Yup,” he stooped and leaned in to kiss my smiling lips. My eyes followed his still sniffly, red nostrils as he straightened and went back over to his desk. "I hope," he added softly.

 

I gazed down softly at the coffee table, wishing he didn't have to work, wishing I could focus on productivity, my ears catching on every little absentminded sniffle...

 

Summers, I thought, my gaze freezing for a second. That was the guy’s last name.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Spooklacticon

[thesneezyowl]

Holy 💩!!!! Her massaging his nose while he sneezed just about did me in. I swear I legit swoon at some point when I read each new post. 
 

I would love to see his sneezes keep getting stuck during an allergy attack and she has to help induce them. 

[dwaekki]

Aww that was so cute! Thank you for doing my request! I loved it so much haha, he was so helpless and sweet at the same time, even I started to feel sympathetic 😭❤️ I especially loved him stifling, I have such a soft spot for that lmao. I'd love to see him cry some time lmao, that may sound strange but it really feeds into the caretaking thing, like if he kept sneezing whilst he was really upset and she was hugging him, maybe he sneezes into her neck? Idk but I'll give you freedom to write what you want, especially since you have other requests ❤️

[Catsgotyourtounge]

Omg I absolutely loved this!!! Made my whole day!! ❤️❤️❤️

[Alabaster]

Love it! 
 

as for requests, maybe something where they’re mildly in public (but not seen- like a movie theater or crowded area) and he has a fit he has to muffle against her to avoid too much attention/embarrassment? 

[Mysecretlifee]

This story is absolutely fantastic!! Ever since I first read it, I've been coming back for every update!! 

 

If you're still taking requests into consideration, anything cold/flu related would be amazing. Caretaking is my weakness, especially when it's illness and not allergy. The one you already have about it is splendid, and I hope you might write some more!! 😁

[Skylacticon]

Hey again. Thanks so much for reading and the kind words. I think these are all the requests I’ll consider for now. Stay tuned 😘

[Skylacticon]

On 10/20/2023 at 9:02 PM, Catsgotyourtounge said:

Could we do one where he finds a puppy in the rain on way home from work and brings it home and pretends that he isn't that allergic but his allergies take over quickly and she has to beg someone to take dog and even after dog leaves he can't stop sneezing. Odd request I know I'm sorry!

I did a play on this concept, I hope it’s not too shabby. 🧡 

 

Part 11:

-

 

 

“Why am I not surprised?”

 

“I- I know,” I sighed, shaking my head.

 

“What a guy, what a- he’s such a gentle giant.”

 

“....hhrrRR’ESSCHHIEWW!!.....”

 

I turned my head to look under the doorway to the kitchen. That came from the living room, muffled, but forceful.

 

“He’s just so in love with her, though,” I continued. “It breaks my heart.”

 

I heard the soft thump, thump of a rubber ball bouncing across the floor in the distance. Then there was the scratching of the young pup’s nails across the wooden floor, leaping and tumbling.

 

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Maggie sighed apologetically. “Is he gonna be okay with it sticking around?”

 

“Well…”

 

“....hHEHt’TDJSCHHhh!! *snrff!* -ohh…..”

 

“I mean…”

 

“-hd’YIESSCHHhioo!! -huht’CHIEWW!! … *snnrff!*”

 

“Bless you!” the words seemed to leap from me, without lowering the receiver. 

 

“Thagk you… *akhrmm, snrff!*”

 

Maggie laughed on the other end, and tried to compose herself, coughing to cover it up. “Oh my god, you are screwed,” she said, and let out a big, Maggie cackle.

 

“Mags,” I whined, covering my face with my free hand. I could feel my cheeks going red again.

 

She giggled again. “You can give me the thing once you decide you’re sure,” she said, a devilish smile in her tone. “Take your time.”

 

“hgG’NSSCHHhhh!!!-iuhh… *snrgk*”

 

“Oh my goodness,” I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut. “Okay, just come, please? I- I’m worried he’s gonna have an asthma attack or something.”

 

“But he did have his meds, right?”

 

“Yeah,” I replied, exasperated.

 

“Wow… okay, sure, I’ll come by.”

 

“Thank you, oh my gosh…”

 

“EEISSCHHIEWW!!!”

 

“Thank you,” I repeated, genuinely.

 

“Don’t sweat it.”

 

I hung up and let out a long, quiet breath. Then I slid my phone into my pocket, and slowly walked under the kitchen doorway. Down the hall and in the living room, a toy gave an obnoxious squeak. 

 

“You wadt it? Go get it,” he cooed, followed by the sound of the ball bouncing. Then, more scritchity-scratching of little pup nails on the wood flooring.

 

I saw the little stinker run to fetch the ball. ‘Shamrock’, he’d called her, a young golden retriever he’d found outside alone, with a wound on one leg. He had taken it upon himself to carry the pup home, clean and bandage his wound, and now had just fed her. After gaining some strength, the pup limped around enthusiastically, eager to play. I stood and watched in the living room doorway, as he chuckled, waiting for Shamrock to return the ball. She ran back eagerly with a ball in her teeth and dropped it, jumping to give him excited kisses. He sat on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward.

 

“Oh, you did it! That’s a- oomph, that’s good- hih! Good girl- HAATCHHieww!! AATCHhiuu!! Hih! AAESSCHHIEWW!!!” He sneezed rather harshly, turning his head to the side. “*snnrff!* Ohh, yeah?”

 

Shamrock was sitting in front of him now, paws spread out playfully. She leaned down to nudge the ball toward him and straightened, panting excitedly. He took the ball and tossed it again, and off she went, after it.

 

He chuckled hoarsely, and sniffled, quite thickly. Shamrock came back within seconds, nearly colliding into his knees as she returned the ball.

 

“Ohh, woww, good girl!” he petted her as she jumped up again, barking with excitement. “*snrffh!* oohh…” I heard him breathe out softly, before he sneezed, quite desperately- “AAESSCHHHhiooo!!!” 

 

“Bless you, babe,” I murmured, stepping over and putting my hand on his shoulder.

 

“*ahemm* Thagk you,” he mumbled, still petting the dog.

 

I gently ran my hand over his back. His sensitive, allergic nose was twinging, and he glanced around for the ball. Quickly, he raised it so that Shamrock could see it, and tossed it across the living room. The pup ran off again, and he coughed into his fist. 

 

Then- “ihH’TCHHIEWW!! -CHIEWW!! -hg’tchieww!! …ooh… ah’TCHHiu!! ASSHIEW!! *snnrgk* huhh…”

 

He folded into another harsh, itchy fit of sneezes, his nose overwhelmed by the next excited jump onto his lap as Shamrock returned the ball.

 

“HEEAHh’TCHHIEWW!! -dt’CHIEWW!! -chieww!!” A soft, shallow gasp, and- “HAEHh’TZSSCHHhh!! Huh! HAAASSCHHhh!!!”

 

“Bless you! Oh- Bless you! Down-” I said firmly, reaching my hands out to gently urge Shamrock away from him, or at least to back up.

 

The thin pup whined, making my heart sink, but at least she wasn’t in his face anymore.

 

“hrr’ESSCHHhiuh!! *snrff!* Oh, *snrk!*

 

“Bless you. Are you okay?” I asked softly, watching his pink, teary eyes.

 

He sniffled thickly again. “‘Mb fide, fide,” he muttered, watching Shamrock lay down on the floor. I watched too. She was a good dog. “You know, she’s- hihh! hAAAESSCHHIOOO!!!” He sneezed suddenly, powerfully. “Ohh, *snnrff!* She’s particular about colour?”

 

A small grin cracked on my face. “What?”

 

“She has a favourite colour, *sddrff!* she wod’t chase after ady- tchhieww!! -huH’TCHIEWW!!! *snnrff!* after ady ball, *snnrfff!* …” he rubbed his nose so hard I could hear it, his wet, swollen nostrils squishing against a curled knuckle. After a bit, he dropped his hand and sniffed. “Ugh, she wod’t chase ady ball except the red ode, *snrgk!*”

 

“Really?” I questioned, amused.

 

“Yeah, look,” he reached for a small blue stress ball on the floor and rolled it past Shamrock. The dog watch it come and go - then went back to licking herself. I giggled. He rolled a small, green rubber ball in her direction. She sniffed it, then paused, bored. Then he rolled the bigger ball, the red inflated bouncy one, to which she jumped up and tried to catch it.

 

I stood there, impressed, intrigued. “Wait - but I thought dogs were colourblind.”

 

“Be too-“

 

“Maybe she likes that it’s the biggest,” I suggested, with a chuckle.

 

“True,” he chuckled too, and snuffled thickly. 

 

I sighed softly, still watching his face as his eyes drifted elsewhere. 

 

“So I called Mags,” I started softly, putting a hand over his. “She’s gonna come get her soon.”

 

He sniffled wetly and let out a soft sigh. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. That okay?” I asked gently, rubbing his forearm.

 

“Yeah,” he whispered sadly.

 

Sympathy bloomed in my chest, and I sat next to him, squeezing his hand. “Hey,” I said softly.

 

“*snrff!*…”

 

“I mean, we’ll always be able to visit Maggie. You’ll see her,” I murmured, trying to comfort him.

 

“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “Her and Bulldozer,” he added, leaning his head on my shoulder.

 

“…Yeah,” I breathed, trying to block out the thought of visits, the possible effects that a household with two shedding animals might have on him. Good lord.

 

Shamrock came back with the ball, and dropped it, this time sitting at a further distance. She sat, waiting. I laughed.

 

“It’s like she knows,” I said, half-jokingly. He leaned forward to retrieve the red ball.

 

“Well, am I gonna miss you,” he said in a quiet voice, as he tossed the ball across the room again.

 

I sighed sympathetically and kissed him on the cheek. “One day, maybe, sweetheart,” I said gently, looking into his eyes. “But not today.”

 

His eyes met mine, then lowered. Then he nodded, with a soft sniff, watching Shamrock scamper off. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Spooklacticon

[dwaekki]

Aww bless him 😭❤️ he's such a sweetheart even if he makes himself suffer horrendously because of it. Thank you for writing these so quickly! You're really fulfilling all my hopes and dreams here lmao

[Catsgotyourtounge]

@Spooklacticon that was everything I wanted and more!! Thank you so much for doing my idea! It was amazing and omg I am speechless. Thank you so much! You made my day!!!

[thesneezyowl]

Of course he loves puppies. OF👏COURSE👏HE👏DOES! 

[secret19]

Wow. I love. 
I don’t know if your opening this thread up to requests/prompts and whatnot but, if you are, can you do one with stifles or trying to be quiet and excusing himself in a public setting while everyone blesses him? It would make my world. Thank you for writing!!!

[Skylacticon]

@dwaekki Thanks for reading! So glad you’re enjoying it so far~ ❤️

@Catsgotyourtounge I’m so glad!! Thanks for the request ☺️

@thesneezyowl yes🐶he🐶does🐶

@secret19 Thank you! We’ll see, I might have something like it coming soon~

[Skylacticon]

Heyy~

On 10/23/2023 at 3:37 PM, thesneezyowl said:

I would love to see his sneezes keep getting stuck during an allergy attack and she has to help induce them. 

Of course. 

This can be read as a continuation to part 11. Hope you like ❤️ 

(Also - I don't know how pasta keeps finding its way into my writing. Maybe I'm manifesting it. Who knows.)

-

 

 

After Maggie left, we tidied up the living room without a word. He was still sniffling constantly, wetly, and making squishy rubs at his swollen nose.

 

I paused what I was doing and watched him for a bit, as he fought an itchy sneeze. His nostrils were red and twinging. His chest expanded with a sharp gasp, his eyelids fluttering shut. Then they fluttered open, blinking at nothing, his chest falling with a gentle exhale. He sniffled harshly a few times and went back to tidying up.

 

“You want lo mein or pasta alfredo?” I asked casually.

 

He sniffled again, and blinked a few times into space. “Uhh… Alfredo, *snrff!*” Then, “huHt’yESSCHHIUE-!!” A sudden, harsh sneeze caught swiftly in his elbow.

 

“Bless you,” I said sweetly, as I watched him puttering around in the living room from the kitchen.

 

“Thagk you, *snddrff!*” A long, thick sniffle, and a breathy exhale.

 

I kept hearing those thick, marshy sniffles from the kitchen, as I started to prepare dinner. There was a wet, squeaky sound as he rubbed hard at his nose, followed by a soaked sniffle. I sighed gently and turned the penne pasta in the boiling water with a metal spoon. He coughed lightly in the distance, still rubbing his poor, allergic nose.

 

“Honey?” I called.

 

“Yeah?” he responded, his deep voice thick with congestion.

 

“You want bacon in it?”

 

“Uhh, *snrf!* Yes please, *snnrffh!*”

 

It took every inch of me not to turn around, hearing each sniffle (or rapid set) become drippier than the last. He was huffing through his mouth, his breath coming in short gasps. And as I stared at the wall, what I heard next, I nearly felt- one of the most desperate, itchiest, wettest-sounding sneezes I’ve heard in my life.

 

“haaAAHt’szZZ'ISSCHHIUUUE-!!!”

 

Wow. I nearly dropped the spoon, and safely set it down on the ceramic rest. Huh. Uh… Words?

 

“Bless you,” I managed to breathe out. “My goodness, are you okay?” I asked, turning to face the living room.

 

There were several harsh, wet sniffles, and a weak cough. “Ooh… Wow. Ub, yeah, *snrgk!* …Oh by gosh,” he mumbled, turning with a bashful chuckle. I heard him grab tissues from the box on the coffee table and give his nose a good, gurgling blow.

 

I kept stirring the pasta.

 

After a bit, I heard him wander into the kitchen. There was the soft squishing sound of his poor nose against his fingers, and some thick snuffles.

 

“You okay, hon?” I asked gently. Those sniffles sounded itchy.

 

“Yeah…” he replied softly.

 

I peeked over at him. The poor thing, his eyes were red and puffy, blinking and narrowing. His nose was very red, and it had been all day, but the sight of it now was sore, swollen. It even looked a bit painful. Each harsh sniffle vibrated his inflamed, congested sinuses, which by now had to be aching. I drifted over, my hands coming up to touch his arms.

 

“Babe, c’mere, let-“ I began gently. “Stop rubbing, you should wash your hands.”

 

“Mb, wait…”

 

The next sniffle was quite wet, and followed up with another, and then- “-hih! Hih!” He turned away slightly. His eyes went out of focus, his head tilting back. This was going to be a harsh, spraying-

 

“…huhh….” A soft, shaky exhale.

 

I felt a touch of sympathy, and glanced back at the stove.

 

He snuffled thickly, and quite loudly. Then, more squishy rubbing. After a bit, it ceased. He sighed and sniffled again.

 

Well, pasta took time to cook. I turned back to him.

 

He let out another breath and sniffled twice, wetly, his face slackening into a sneezy expression. It was building again. I glanced around, and quickly made a grab for a spare hanky on the side table.

 

“ihH-! hiHh! Aghh, it’s dot… *akrmm~* -hih!” He gasped again, then sighed. “Ohh, it’s right there, *snnrff!*”

 

“Blow,” I said gently, pressing the cloth into his hands.

 

He sniffled sharply, taking the cloth and refolding it. As he blew his nose again briefly, I stepped back over to the stove to check on the pasta. It seemed ready. I started fishing out the penne with the spaghetti spoon.

 

“You wanna go take a shower before eating?” I suggested.

 

He sniffled again, and sighed. When I glanced over, he was blinking his pink, irritated eyes.

 

“*snf* Ugh, sorry. I keep feelig like I have to sdeeze, but it’s dot *gsnf!* ‘s dot cobig...” he huffed, scrunching his nose around.

 

I watched with sympathy, as he switched to rubbing vigorously at his poor, red nose with a curled index finger.

 

“Oh, honey, stop that,” I urged him tenderly. I put down the spoon and went over to him.

 

As I came nearer, the rubbing slowed, and he lowered his hand, still looking quite itchy. Slowly, I raised a hand and rested my fingers on the side of his face. I gently ran the tip of my thumb down the ridge of his nose. His eyelids fluttered shut.

 

“Oh, that’s…” he mumbled softly.

 

Delicately applying pressure, I traced the rims of his widening nostrils. He sniffled wetly, his breath beginning to hitch again.

 

“hh! hh’uhhh…. that’s…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thahht’s… *sdrff!* h’ehh-! Oh, I’b... hih-!”

 

His words had gone from breathy to whispering. I felt his tortured nostrils flaring against my thumb. His nose was streaming onto his upper lip. I slowly ran the tip of my thumb over his right nostril, and then over to the other. They trembled, and at this point it seemed that the problem wasn’t him not sneezing anymore-

 

“hahh-!”

 

Barely having the time to pivot, he erupted with an enormous, spraying sneeze- “hrraAAASSSCHHIOOO!!!”

 

Ooh. My hands came up as he stumbled forward, blinking as the mist settled. “Bless you,” I breathed. He panted, trying to steady himself. “Easy, it’s okay.”

 

“hhept’TDJSSCHHIEWWw!!!” He rocked forward with another harsh sneeze, which mostly sprayed over my shoulder.

 

“Bless you,” I murmured against his chest, gently rubbing his back.

 

His frame expanded and fell with some heavy breaths, and a few sharp sniffles. I kept running my hand over his back soothingly, as he caught his breath. After a bit, I felt one of his big hands on my shoulder, as he moved back a little.

 

“You okay?”  I asked softly.

 

“Yeah, *sdrff!* Thagks.“

 

While his eyes were still in a soft daze, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Go take a shower, okay?” I requested gently, moving back to the stove.

 

“Okay,” he replied, his voice thick.

 

As I returned my focus to the pasta noodles, I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. I felt the rough brush of stubble against my cheek as he kissed me, and giggled. “Go,” I bumped him playfully with my hip.

 

“Fide,” he rasped. Then, “Sure I cad’t eat first?”

 

I raised the spaghetti spoon in a mock-threatening way. Chuckling, he backed out of my reach, and finally went. Once again, I looked down at the pasta. Slowly, I shook my head.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Spooklacticon

[thesneezyowl]

Thank youuuuu @Spooklacticon!!!!! I’m a giddy puddle. This was soooooo goooooood!!! The hitching, the inducing, the sneezes, the sweet ending … OBSESSED!!!

[dwaekki]

I'll never get tired of this, your descriptions are just the best and they're so addictive! Can't wait for more x

[Catsgotyourtounge]

OH MY GOODNESS! This was amazing! Made my whole day holly shit!! ☠️☠️☠️

[Hyacinth]

These are absolutely AMAZING!!! I am in complete awe of you. Please, never stop.

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Hyacinth

[Skylacticon]

@thesneezyowl Glad you liked it! Thanks for the inspiration 🙏🏼☺️

@dwaekki Thanks! 💓

@Catsgotyourtounge Ah I’m glad, thank you ☺️

@Hyacinth Appreciate it, thanks for reading 💞

 

As usual, stay tuned. I’ve been a little busy and under the weather, so it may be a bit before the next part. Thanks all for the nice comments~ xxx

[Skylacticon]

On 10/23/2023 at 6:44 PM, Alabaster said:

maybe something where they’re mildly in public (but not seen- like a movie theater or crowded area) and he has a fit he has to muffle against her to avoid too much attention/embarrassment? 

Sure! Hope you might like this.

Have a good time of day, whatever that might be for you reading this right now. ♥️

Part 12:

-

 

 

Maybe standing with the rest of the crowd wasn’t that bad. Sure, I would’ve loved to have sat and watched our favourite artist play from our area on the venue’s back lawn, atop the comfy blanket he’d brought. But as the gentle sound of acoustic guitar sweetly filled the air, I was more than happy to stand among the dim crowd, with the fabric draped over both our shoulders.

 

I always wondered if I’d get a chance to dance with him to this song. Real slow, like in the movies, sparks flying and all that jazz. Except now - the tiny dream had become sort of a reality, and it was wonderful.

 

His arm was slung around my shoulders, the other holding the ends of the blanket, keeping it around us. I leaned my head into his chest. With each echoing pluck of the melody, I could feel the deep, gentle buzz as he hummed along.

 

I blinked in slight surprise as someone accidentally bumped us while passing through the crowd. Beside us, a girl began exchanging greetings with her friends. I got a little distracted by them, but shrugged inwardly and kept swaying to the music.

 

The song came to an end, and the entire audience erupted with cheers. I clapped hard, grinning from ear to ear. I felt his big chest rumble with a soft chuckle, and a gentle kiss on my forehead.

 

As he pulled me close, my nostrils stung as I seemed to have gotten a whiff of perfume. Sweet, vanilla-y. It was definitely the girl who’d just joined us on our left. Oh boy. Hoping for the best, I glanced up at him. He was squinting toward the stage, his large nostrils twitching.

 

“You okay?” I asked him gently.

 

He lifted the hand that was securing the blanket around us, and rubbed his nose on his knuckle.

 

“Yeah,” he responded, in voice that told me he knew, he could smell her, and perhaps that ‘yeah’ was actually a ‘maybe’.

 

Although he stayed put, his arm still around me, beneath the warm blanket.

 

The intro to the next song was fun. The singer went on about how loud they could get crowds to sing in Vancouver, and teased us about their doubt in our ability to sing louder. The crowd laughed and the singer began, in short vocal riffs that the crowd echoed back, Freddie Mercury style. I joined in too.

 

Most of the crowd stopped singing as the band dove into the edgy, bluesy song. I swayed with the heavy percussion and hypnotic rhythm.

 

Then I heard, or thought I heard a thick snuffle from above my head. I waited a bit, listening. As he made no other sound, I let my eyes drift back to the stage.

 

A couple of verses later, he sniffled again, and the blanket was pulled gently as he raised his fist to rub his nose. 

 

“Wanna move, babe?” I asked gently, tilting my chin back to look up at him.

 

“*snf*, No, it’s fine,” he breathed out softly.

 

I could still smell the girl’s strong, sweet perfume, even while having his body between us. This was the kind of thing that had manifested rules in certain spaces, about being mindful of scents. It was courtesy for people whose systems were a little more sensitive, and when a sensitive system is bothered…

 

“-*snrff!*…”

 

Well, I have an idea for why those rules might be in place.

 

“*ahemm~*…” The sound of his throat being cleared was partially drowned in the music. All around us, the crowd was engaged in this heavy, guitar-wailing song, the lyrics about longing for solitude with a lover.

 

“-hihh, *snff!* h’ehhh…” he exhaled breathily, as if accepting his fate. The next few whining notes of electric guitar got cut out for me, as he pressed the back of his hand to his nose to block a sudden sneeze- “-hnNdt’ISSCHhiu!!” -which caused his big body to jerk against me.

 

I gently put a hand on his side, and rubbed soothingly as he straightened. He sniffled again, twice.

 

“Bless you,” I turned my chin to face him, my voice soft.

 

I slowly turned my hips towards him, and wrapped my arms around his waist. The next itchy sniffle was crystal clear, his chin just above my shoulder.

 

”Thank you, *snf!*”

 

As another sustained, dramatic electric guitar riff filled the air, he pressed his face into my neck and muffled a strong sneeze.

 

“…hrrRR’SSCHMM!!!ffhh…. *gsnff*”

 

He lifted his head cautiously afterward, sniffling softly.

 

“Bless you,” I murmured gently, running my hand gently over his back.

 

“rr’USSCHhh!!-ioo…” Another muffled, itchy one, shuddering against me.

 

“Bless you,” I repeated.

 

“‘Mby goodness, *sdrf!*” he muttered quietly, next to my ear. “‘Scuse… *sdff!* ‘Scuse be.”

 

The sniffles grew hesitant - they were getting wetter, thus louder, and he wasn’t too up to disturbing the people around us who were trying to enjoy the music. I dropped one of my hands from his torso to feel around in my pockets. Damn. I didn’t have anything.

 

“Maybe we can move,” I suggested softly, listening as he kept sniffling thickly. 

 

“*sdrff!* Ndo, I dod’t *gsnff!* thigk so…” he responded breathily, and resorted to grabbing the corner of the blanket to wipe his nose. His now reddened nostrils were wrinkling, unsure. I kept a hand on his back. “Doe, it’s too crowded… *snndrff*….” 

 

He coughed gently, and sucked in another thick sniffle. I glanced up again. His audibly itchy, sniffly nostrils were flaring, and his eyelids began to flutter, as the itchy sensation overwhelmed him. He bowed his head again, burying his face between my shoulder and neck.

 

“Sorry, I-“ he mumbled breathily, and pressed his nose into the blanket, into my shoulder- “hnNdt’sZz’ISSCHHhiue!!” Another gasp, then a desperate, swallowed- “dtzZ’ISSCHhioo!!”

 

Two harsh, itchy, sneezes, that warmed the cloth of the blanket and shuddered against me. There was a stuffy, breathy exhale in my ear, and a particularly thick sniffle.

 

“Bless you,” I whispered, gently applying pressure as I ran my hand over his panting frame.

 

“Ahh…” he sighed gently, slowly raising his chin. “*sndrff! snnrffh!*”

 

I clung to him gently, feeling sympathy in my chest. There was a gentle pause, and he stood quietly, watching the singer onstage get into another homey, acoustic piece. I watched the blue and green stage lights reflect in his soft, glassy eyes. He sniffled again, absently, his lips moving faintly to the soft, romantic verses.

 

I let my gaze lower, as the familiar lyrics found themselves upon my lips as well. Slowly, we began to sway again, and his arm gently squeezed my shoulders beneath the blanket. I leaned into his chest, hearing crystal clear another one of those wet, runny sniffles. Then, as if nothing happened, he kept singing along softly, holding me tightly against his frame.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Skylacticon

[Catsgotyourtounge]

Oh my goodness this was magic! ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[thesneezyowl]

So damn good!!! It’s the sneezes in the neck and the forehead kiss for me ☠️