Half Rest (Jonah & Lily, M, 3 parts)

[Skylacticon]

Hey there. Here’s a new instalment with my newest OC’s, Jonah and Lily. Hope you’re doing well. 
xxx

-

 

Part 1

 

He was wearing his tan pullover with the hood up, long frame slightly hunched, moving with the music in an eccentric way over the piano. Lily watched how he stitched emotion into each solo, his fingers nimble and long enough to form wider chords on the keys. He was playing one of his audition pieces from the end of their first year, one he felt so familiar and comfortable in that each time he played it, it would be embroidered with new skillful improvisations and playful licks. 

 

Lily was sitting on his bed against the wall, scribbling notes on a lecture she’d muted and enabled captions on. Soon, the prancing, attitude-filled song ended, with a gradually slowing cascading of chords down three different octaves, until… the final, defining chord. Lily glanced over fondly. 

 

“*ah-hEH-ehmm~*….” 

 

Again, Jonah attempted to clear his throat, which had somehow only gotten worse during that little jam. He snuffled gently, and lifted a curled index finger to rub his nose. He reached for his mug, on the lid of piano over a coaster. The scent of honeyed lemon ginger tea was making Lily crave a mug of her own.

 

Meanwhile- “*ak-hhmm!* *snrf!*” Jonah took a slurp of the warm tea, and let out a soft, soothed exhale. He sniffled harshly a few more times, and returned his gaze to the piano.

 

After a beat, he straightened, and began to play again - this time, his piece for the upcoming recital. 

 

It was a composition of his own, which he had to fight to get to use in this performance. The style was different from what they usually went for at the school - refined, graceful, traditional. Jonah’s work was a mix of classical, blues, and traditional folk, and could be a little less “clean” when he got down to it. But he’d been brought up in the world of classical music, where he’d discovered his ability to play and make his own musical compositions. His curious nature and imaginative brain began to come up with unnerving, but moving pieces; but had variation - he wrote love songs as well. Sometimes he’d sing. Lily had been a witness to this countless times. Each time, she could barely do much but listen, as he’d been gifted with a unique voice that could be both rough and angelic.

 

The ascending staircase of notes he began to play, began to wobble a bit as the harsh sniffles kept coming. Lily laid her head down to gaze in his direction. He was in full goblin mode - his long torso hunching and swaying as his long fingers danced over the keys. As if imagining a full orchestra with a string or brass section, he began humming along between arpeggios, in repeated patterns. Although the soft singing was halted as he sniffled again, longer and drippier. 

 

He was in the middle of a chase-like section. A part where notes unravelled one after the other in quick succession, and his head bobbed along. Lily remembered Jonah telling her that from a very young age, he’d always had the urge to dance or generally move to the music he was making, and he’d get scolded for it in music lessons as a kid. Over time, as he grew, so did his style, and his confidence in his own personal performance slowly blossomed - enough for him to allow himself to move more when he felt like it.

 

The chase part ended… and headed into a steadier, romantic section. As he used one hand to sustain certain notes, he quickly lifted a finger to rub his itchy nose, then kept playing.

 

But then…

 

“*sddrff!*”

 

Uh-oh.

 

The next exhale came out as a sigh, one that made the next little riff of climbing notes all the more dramatic. Following that harsh, thick sniffle, the music became a bit strained. Less emphasis on notes he’d jumped on before in passionate run throughs, slight hesitation between sections, as if almost forgetting where he was in the piece. Then-

 

“*sddDRFF!* *-koff, koFF!*”

 

Lily sat up, as the music paused. Jonah’s frame shook as a harsh fit of coughing swept over him, his face tucked into the crook of his arm.

 

“Sweetheart-“

 

“I’mb fide… *g’hmmn! ah-hrmmm~*… *h’koFF!*” 

 

Lily winced a little, hearing as he kept trying to clear his throat. He coughed stuffily, and used his hoodie sleeves to wipe his watery eyes.

 

Then, sudden and powerful- “heihh-! huHht’mMMFFSSCH!!hiuh… -unhh… hih’-! eiHh- hAH’TDJSSCHHiuhh!!! …ohh…” He tried to muffle them both in his hoodie sleeve, using the other arm to prop up his elbow. 

 

“Bless you,” Lily said sweetly.

 

“*snrgk!* Thagk you,” he replied, his voice low and weak.

 

Jonah sniffled wetly a few times, his weary gaze staring blankly at his book of music. His eyes shifted downward, and he sniffled; at this point an audible combination of congested, drippy, and itchy. Slowly, he let his arms drop, and his fingers hovered over the keys.

 

“hHehhh…” his breath immediately began to snag as his fingers found where he’d left off. He snuffled thickly and kept playing. 

 

He was playing with a strange determination, each sniffle either maddeningly distracting or driving him to finish the piece, if not both.

 

“heHt’TCHIEWW!!! *snrff*” he sneezed freely to the side, his fingers still nimbly playing in sequence. It was quite wet, but relieving to some degree, leaving him sniffling liquidly.

 

“*snnnrfff* h’unhh… *sddrff!* hih-!” 

 

The itch seemed to really intensify, as he stopped playing altogether. What was left was the sound of Jonah’s gasping breaths, and a quite harsh, messy sneeze, into the cloth of his hoodie after quickly raising the collar over his trembling nose.

 

“HRR’AAASSHHIEWWW!!!”  He blinked dazedly and sniffled, a thick, marshy sound. “*snrkk!* Ohh… Oh by god, *snnrgk!*” he muttered softly, and glanced back slightly, revealing his quite flushed, sniffly nose to Lily. 

 

“Bless you,” she repeated softly, drumming her hands on her legs absentmindedly. 

 

“Thagk you,” Jonah rasped. His hood fell from his head as reached for a tissue from the box on his nightstand. Quickly, he folded it over his dripping nose. He gave a shy blow, one that became wet and thick, sounding much needed. Afterward he rubbed his poor, flushed nostrils and sniffled thickly. 

 

He took a moment to breathe, drinking more of his tea, and checking his phone for messages. 

 

After, he clicked his phone asleep, then set it down on the piano’s sheet music rest. He stretched out his long arms and let them fall, his long fingers unfurling into position over the keys. Away he went, back into the melody, as if respawning from the beginning of the journey. He treated this run through with kindness, keeping the original tempo, practicing hitting more emphasized notes. Throughout, he continued to sniffle, cough, and sneeze - though sneezes often made him pause, due to their increasingly powerful and messy nature.

 

Eventually his fingers would slow, making a fun dance out of a single-handed melody and the back of the other hand was up, pressing against his throbbing, dripping nose. 

 

But this time the end of the piece was approaching, and he hadn’t had to fully pause for too long yet…

 

Two more bold, slammed chords, and…

 

“*snddrffh!*….”

 

The final, sustained end.

 

After a few seconds added for dramatic effect, he took his foot off the pedal, which thudded softly as it raised back up. 

 

“*snnrk!* hih! hudD’EESSCHHIEWWw!! -eeEEISSCHHIEWW!!!” 

 

Two more, clawing and desperate. 

 

Next, a body-bending hurricane of a sneeze, which he managed to direct away from the piano, before he slammed his head against the front panel-

 

“hhdD’yieeESSSCHHIEWWW!!!”

 

It was so harsh, that vocalizing it came almost like a coping mechanism. His whole upper body followed through, and he rose to his feet, pacing away from the piano. He sniffled hard, the sound quite congested and thick. He raised both hands over his flushed face, to wipe his teary eyes.

 

“Bless you, oh my gosh,” Lily breathed, a gentle, sympathetic smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

 

“Aghhh…” Jonah gave a low, dismissive groan, to let her know he was fine. “*sddrff!* Jesus, excuse… *g’hrmm*, oh by lord…” his voice fluttered, as his red, tickly nostrils flared. “*sdrff!* Agh. *sngk*” He blinked a few times, and glanced blankly in her direction.

 

His greenish-brown eyes were tired, a bit puffy from inadequate sleep. It was the reason for his ailment, that, and the amount of commitments he was trying to balance all at once.

 

“‘Scuse be,” he croaked, after a beat. A tiny grin broke on his face, as if acknowledging the graceful spectacle he’d just put on in the corner of his bedroom. 

 

Lily beamed. She opened her mouth to speak, her eyes flickering downward as she paused a little. “Finishing with the lower octave, huh?” she questioned playfully.

 

His red nose twinged with a soft sniffle, his eyes lighting up at how she’d noticed. “Um… yeah, *snrff!* It just kinda… wedt that way, dunno, *sdrf!*”

 

Lily grinned fondly. “Come,” she said softly, moving over on the bed. “Finish your tea.”

 

Jonah blinked, his mind foggy from the day’s tiresome stretch. He raked his fingers through his long, dark, unruly hair, and glanced back at the piano, where his mug sat. He reached to grab his mug and went over to join Lily on the bed. As he scooted nearer to the wall, Lily took the blue comforter from behind her, and pulled it to drape over Jonah’s shoulders.

 

“Almost time for lunch,” she breathed, moving her laptop cursor to keep the screen from sleeping. “You feeling like ramen?” she asked gently, peeking sideways at him.

 

“Ramen sounds… amazing…” he breathed, and took another sip of the now-lukewarm tea. Between sips, he seemed to breathe rather heavily, due to his blocked up nose.

 

Lily reached over and gave the top of his head a little scratch with the tips of her fingers. “Alrighty, just give me one sec…” she murmured, her eyes returning momentarily to her laptop.

 

She then proceeded to finish typing the sentence she was in the middle of, and closed her laptop the moment the edits were saved. Then, she got up from the bed and stretched, gave Jonah a peck on the left side of his forehead, and went off to boil some water. 

 

After a bit, Jonah got up to follow her - the blue comforter still draped over his shoulders.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Skylacticon

[dwaekki]

It's so cute how he was so determined to finish the song despite the sneeze fit! I'm excited to see where you take this 🥰

[anachroni5m]

Amazing, the build up, the determination. Please continue!

[Skylacticon]

@dwaekki @anachroni5m Thank you! ☺️ 

Part 2:

-
 

“…Oh! that one was something.”

 

“There was definitely something unique about it.”

 

“I almost felt like I was in a James Bond movie.”

 

“Mehh. It was more like… I don’t know, a pirate fight.”

 

“A pirate fight?”

 

“Yeah! Like…”

 

Lily walked out through the doors of the concert hall and into the lobby, where people gathered in liminal groups, small-talking and hugging the musicians they came to see. Jonah’s family wouldn’t be here tonight - they’d come to the opening night performance. Afterward, they’d showered him with hugs and kisses, and brought him and Lily to the Cheesecake Factory for a marvellous celebratory dinner. His father would not stop talking about the things Jonah could do after he graduated in the following semester - travel or tour around, or keep compiling his own works. At the end of that night, Jonah returned to his house, complaining of a sore throat as they went inside. 

 

Now, he held the same pose that Lily had first noticed him in three years ago, on the day of her audition. Hands in the pockets of his dress pants, his lanky figure slouching a little. His tall figure was easy to spot once Lily had taken a quick scan around the lobby.
 

Her heart leapt when she spotted his dark brown mane. The top half was pulled back in a neat ponytail, the rest flowing down his shoulders and gently curling into loose ringlets. He was wearing a tailored brown vest with some subtle embroidery, over a white button-down shirt, with slightly baggy sleeves - perhaps the pirate allegations weren’t too off. Hung over one forearm was his brown trench coat.

 

From where she was standing, she could tell he was perspiring quite a bit. She abandoned the idea of running up to greet him with excitement, and instead, approached calmly.

 

“Hey,” she greeted softly, coming up to him.

 

He blinked from a distracted haze, and turned to look at her. “Oh, hey,” he breathed, the quickly raised a curled index finger to rub his twinging nostrils.

 

“Stellar, as always,” she murmured, giving his forearm a gentle stroke with her thumb.

 

“Aw, that’s so kind of you…” he was replying hoarsely, as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. She felt the brush of his beard as he turned his chin to barely leave a peck on the side of her forehead, conscious of his illness.

 

“It’s the truth.”

 

She noticed his chest moving, his big shoulders faintly heaving with tight breaths. He wasn’t sniffling, which was slightly strange - but his nose was undeniably flushed, his entire expression frozen with the task of keeping composure and enduring the brutal soreness that sat heavily in his throat and nasal passages. 

 

“Ready to go?” A simple, loving prompt, one that seemed to fetch a response more readily. He gave a quick nod, interrupting a subtle rub under his nose.

 

She guided him around groups of people, and he followed as well as he could. Tucked up against him, she could hear the shallow breathing, the wheezy gasps. As they reached the main entrance, he finally sniffled, a thick and congested. 

 

“Sweetie,” Lily said gently, stopping in her tracks. Jonah froze, confused.

 

“Your jacket.”

 

“Oh,” was all Jonah could utter in response, still appearing quite distracted. Or perhaps he felt warm? As he shook out his coat and slipped it on, Lily reached out the backs of her fingers to touch beneath the left side of his jaw. They were met with a very warm surface. She was afraid to feel his forehead, already jarred by the heat of his neck. 

 

He did the buttons one by one, taking his time, as if conscious of the fact that Lily was watching. Still acting as if he wasn’t that sick, and he just needed a tea and a lozenge to feel right as rain.

 

“Ready?” she asked, when he finished buttoning.

 

“Yeah.”

 

As they emerged, they were immediately hit by a cold, vicious wind, one that caused them both to shiver. Jonah’s long, large body, usually great at generating warmth, began to tremble uncontrollably, his hands burrowing deeply into his pockets. Lily wrapped an arm around his waist, firmly running a hand up and down over his ribs to create extra warmth. 

 

A great puff of wisping fog was emitted into the dark, freezing air from his lips as he exhaled sharply. Lily glanced up with concern. His sore, crimson nose was running onto his upper lip, his expression pained and irritated. His brow was furrowing, pinching with desperation.

 

“…h’unhhh…” 

 

The stark white lighting of the parking lot was less kind in comparison to the lighting in the lobby. Something about the outside lighting revealed the contrasting red of Jonah’s burning, dripping nose - and even more so the wet spray of a sudden uncovered, explosive sneeze into the chilly air.

 

“huhHtts’CHHIEEWW!!!” 

 

“Bless you,” Lily winced. It sounded like it hurt, like the cold air had stung his poor nasal passages, and exerting them did even worse.

 

But once it had begun, there was no return.

 

“HUHdt’szZZSSCHHHIEWWw!!!”

 

He swiftly turned his head away, his frame shuddering with another explosive sneeze. Lily held onto him more tightly, as the increasingly harsh convulsions caused him to stumble. That one just sounded so painful, and so desperate. His irises were like polished mahogany, gleaming under the bright parking lights. 

 

“Bless you,” Lily repeated gently. “Just a bit further.”

 

“*snrk!* Ughh, ohh by- eHt’zZZSSCHHIEW-!! *sngk!*”

 

“Bless you.”

 

They’d arrived at the car - an old, rickety, royal blue Honda that belonged to Jonah. He weakly detached from her and fumbled to find his keys, which were in his pants pocket. After turning the lock in the driver’s seat door, he froze a bit.

 

Teeth faintly chattering, breath fogging from his quivering lips, he began to stutter out a request. “Cad… Cad you drive?“

 

“Yeah, of course,” Lily walked over quickly to the driver’s side, and held out a hand for the keys. He slid them into into her palm, using the back of his other hand to press against his twitching nose.

 

“Thagks,” he breathed, and shuffled around to the passenger’s side.

 

“Of course, honey.”

 

Lily slid into the driver seat and shut the door. Jonah fit himself into the passenger seat, and pushed the seat back slightly for more leg room. Lily turned the car on and cranked up the heat. 

 

“I’b… I’b sorry, I’b g-godda… Huhh…”

 

Jonah’s red, irritated nostrils were flaring wide. He hadn’t even done up his seatbelt before the next sneeze tumbled out of him, and hastily brought up the crook of his arm.

 

“EEISSSCHHIEWWW!!! *snnrgk!* Excuse be, wow...” he muttered softly, wearily wiping his eyes. “I’b… hih! HAAD’TCHIEWW!!! *snnrff!* Christ, I’b… I’b so sohh- huh! s- huUHH-!” Jonah’s expression was frozen in a desperate, ticklish state. His poor, flushed nostrils were flaring and twinging, leaking down his upper lip. “heh! hihh? …” HRRAASSCHHhhioo!!!”

 

The were getting quite violent. Lily reached for the box of tissues by his feet, and placed it on top of the drink holders.

 

“Oh, thagk you…” Jonah panted, grabbing a few tissues to cover his nose.

 

“It’s okay, honey, you don’t have apologize for sneezing,” she reassured him, in a half teasing voice.

 

Jonah was in no mood to argue. Nor was he able to. “…huhh? huh? hiH! hahDt’ISSSCHHIEWWw!!-RRISSCHHioo!!!”

 

Those doubles always sounded rough, as if the first huge sneeze could barely handle the tickle and had to split off into a whole other contingency sneeze.

 

As Lily slowed down at a red light, she peeked over at Jonah, who was panting in the wake of this harsh, drawn-out sneezing fit.

 

“*sdrff!* Hihh… *gsnrff!* …ohhh…” 

 

His tired frame gently rose and fell with stuffy, congested breaths. He leaned his head back against his seat, utterly exhausted. The car was moving again, and Lily was driving through a block with a row of apartments. Early Christmas decor was up in a few balconies - one with two brilliant, flashing parols hung up, another with a glowing deer made of lights and wire framing.

 

“Maybe we should put up the tree,” Lily suggested, in a cheery but relaxing tone. “We can add the ornaments we bought on the trip.”

 

Jonah watched the glowing decorations pass by, his eyelids growing heavy.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Skylacticon

[Skylacticon]

{Also, here’s a lil mood board I put together for Jonah and this story, if anyone wants to see it.

My lovely boy Jonah is loosely based off of Hozier, and the vibes that inspired this are mostly romantic and soft. This one takes place in the fall, in a sort of dark academia setting. Shadows and warm lighting and wood interior design.

Anywho. Lately what I post at a time has been generally shorter, but I’m finding joy in putting detail into specific scenes that show softness and warmth. 🤎🍂 }

[thesneezyowl]

Well hellooooo there new OC’s! I love the softness of your characters and the sweetness of their interactions and caretaking. Putting the z’s in the sneezes makes them come alive for me for some reason. 

[Skylacticon]

@thesneezyowl Thank you, I appreciate it! 🥰 I agree, they seem to do the trick.

Hey folks. Happy Thursday. I wish you good things for the coming weekend. ❤️

Part 3:

-

 

Feeling dizzy and congested, Jonah walked to the bathroom. He’d just woken from a nap, one that he’d taken despite the risk of not sleeping later in the night. In fact, he doubted that it would be an issue. His mind couldn’t leave its state of tiredness, the kind felt when an alarm goes off mid-REM cycle. It lingered heavily. 

 

His socked feet stumbled before the sink, his ghostly, lanky frame meeting him in the mirror. Any ounce of self-consciousness that might’ve begun to surface was interrupted his eyelids fluttered. His sore, crimson nostrils widened as the hot, scorching sensation flared up in his sinuses.

 

“hh…. *snnrgk! snrk!* hihh! h-haHh- hahh- HAAEESSCHHIEWWWw!!! …*snnngk!* ….Ohhh….”

 

He winced, dazed, slowly lowering the crook of his arm. His sweater had to be riddled with germs - he felt disgusting, but thoroughly exhausted.

 

“*snngkt!* h’eeihhh… hHih-! HEEEISSSCHHIEWW!!! *hsddrff!* … *sngk~* ughh… heh! HAAAh-!! -ahhh… *snnrgk* hUH’dt’ISSSCHHIOOOoo!!!”

 

Jonah had meant to splash his face with water, but he hadn’t turned on the tap yet.

 

“g’uhh… *sddrff!* hih! Hihh?? HIHHhh-!! hieeyYAAASSCHHIEWWw!!!”

 

So far, he couldn’t.

 

He panted dizzily in front of the mirror, holding onto the edge of the sink. His nasal passages felt painfully heavy and sore, his eyes stinging and glassy with moisture. 

 

He stood there for a moment, still, in pain.

 

He made a weak attempt to clear his throat, which hurt - triggering an even more painful, vicious fit of coughing. He clutched his chest, waiting for it to pass. The bathroom began to spin a little around him. In his mind, bits and pieces of piano notes flitted in his ongoing mental soundtrack. Their high-pitched, yet foreboding tone seemed appropriate.

 

“Jo?” Lily called. She appeared under the doorway, peeking cautiously inside. “Oh, sorry. I-“ Before she looked away, her eyes froze over Jonah’s wilted, exhausted frame. “Are- Are you okay, what happened?” She stepped a bit closer, beneath the doorframe.

 

It hurt a little to breathe at this point - it wouldn’t last, though, luckily. The harsh fit of coughing made his throat ache, but he couldn’t breathe through his nose, so…

 

Jonah just kept standing there, trying to catch his breath. When the ache in his throat died down a little, he swallowed hard, and put one of his hands on Lily’s shoulder. 

 

“Oh,” she breathed, her voice gentle. She put a hand on his arm and rubbed comfortingly.

 

Eventually, he just shook his head. His body tried for another harsh sniffle, but it didn’t sound at all like it was moving anything.

 

“Dod’t… *snrk!* Dod’t worry,” he let out a croaked whisper, his long fingers giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

 

Her hand squeezed his arm gently in response. She glanced up through his dark, messy waves, hearing the soft whistling of his laboured breaths in the still silence. She lifted the hand on his arm and touched his soft, trimmed beard with her thumb, lightly stroking his thin face. It had been growing out a little, as lately most of his energy went towards projects he’d dedicated himself to.

 

“Sit here, and let me turn on the shower, okay?” Lily said softly, motioning to the lid of the toilet. “I think the steam will help…”

 

Jonah watched, feeling the absence of warmth as her hand lifted from his arm. “Doe, it’s…”

 

“Shh.” Lily’s head was a nervous mix of concern and control, urging Jonah to sit down. “Just humour me, alright?”

 

But I’m tired, Jonah whined mentally, his weary eyes following Lily as she twisted the knobs of the shower faucet. I know, she seemed to respond through body language, giving his hunched form an affectionate rub with her hand. She leaned in to kiss him on the forehead.

 

“I’ll be right back,” she said softly.

 

Jonah’s weary gaze was zoning out on the shower curtain, which was lined with an old-fashioned floral pattern. Small rows of red and violet tulip-like flowers. As Lily’s feet left his peripheral vision, he snuffled softly and coughed, the steam beginning to fill the space of the small bathroom. He gave in to a series of hacking coughs, which shook his weak, achy frame. They eventually tapered off. By then, his nose was streaming.

 

The bathroom door creaked open then clicked shut. “Brought you some of these,” Lily said calmly, coming nearer. In her hands were some old, but clean handkerchiefs. Jonah sniffled eagerly, staring at the soft cloth. “Thought you might need one, or two, or…”

 

Jonah resisted the urge to snort, remembering how utterly stuffed and drippy his nose was getting. The air was warm, which felt nice but also suffocating - maybe if he blew his nose, it would feel better.

 

“My love, is mine all mine,” Lily began to sing softly, arranging the hankies on the counter in a somewhat neatly-folded pile. “I love, mine mine mine, nothin’ in the world belongs to me, but…”

 

Jonah’s weak gaze seemed to crinkle with a hint of amusement, as he folded the cloth in his big hands. Lily kept humming the song, calmly moving, making sure Jonah had what he needed. Meanwhile, another sound graced the gentle atmosphere - the thick, gurgling, wet sound of him blowing his nose into the hanky. The cloth was soft and cool against his warm, flushed skin.

 

After a bit, he stopped, and coughed. For a moment, his head swam. He closed his eyes and rubbed along the sides of his nose, just between his eyes, but a little lower. Slowly, he massaged his sinuses, trying to draw in air through his blocked up nose.

 

What came next was a thick sort of sound, and he coughed again, lowering his fingers. Oh god, here it comes.

 

“iehh? h-hihHt’- hh… heHt’zZZSSCHHhhioo!! -ugh, *snnrgk!*”

 

“Bless you, babe.”

 

“Heihh-! hHehdt’ISSCHHIEWW!!-uht’chieww!!” 

 

Jonah panted slightly, and sucked in a slurpy sniffle. He lifted the hanky to blow his nose wetly again. It had gotten considerably damp, so he switched it out for another one.

 

“My baby, here on earth, showed me what my heart was worth…”

 

Jonah, a regular ponderer of whatever lyrics he’d been obsessing over at the time, considered these words. He’d only heard bits of the song on social media, but never quite long enough to appreciate it. The original key was relatively deep, yet fit nicely into Lily’s vocal range. Light, conversational, almost. The best sort of fit. His foggy mind was unable to begin to think of anything he could do or could have done to make her feel as loved as he felt in the moment, so he just focused on her voice and not the words they formed. The soft reverb of each word off of the tiled shower wall, and the constant rain of the hot water.

 

His red nose interrupted with a very ticklish twinge, and a wet stream that threatened to run down his upper lip. He sniffled hard, and let out a heavy sigh of dread.

 

A warm hand ran down his back. “Do you want me to leave?”

 

Jonah glanced up, jarred slightly from the haze of misery.

 

“I don’t…” Lily began, her voice delicate. “I just want you feel better, so, I-“

 

“Dod’t,” Jonah breathed. “Doe, just…. stay,” The single word of request was hoarse, whispered. His long, pale fingers hovered over hers, as if asking permission to touch.

 

“I’ll stay,” she breathed. She let his fingers rest on hers and ran a gentle thumb on top of them.

 

Jonah’s hand drew back slowly as he let out another soft huff, and an equally, if not more liquid, sniffle than the last. Blinking his gaze downward, prepping and lifting the handkerchief to his nose.

 

“I just really deed- uschhiew!!-huh’USSCHHIEWW!! -to sdeeze, hUHt’d’ISSSCHHIEWWw!!! -hiHh-! hieEEyY’UUSSCHHIEWWw!!! …A’d I’b…” his deep voice was hoarse and breathless, broken and battered by each explosive sneeze. He took another weary, much-needed breath. 

 

Lily’s hand kept moving soothingly over Jonah’s back. Any sense of control he had left, he was touching by a thread. If he thought attempting to play piano was a spectacle… 

 

Smaller, gentle fingers were combing back his hair, making it easier to wipe his face. As he caught his breath, she moved back.

 

“*snngk!* Oh by goodness, I’b… *k’hmm~* Sorry,” he whispered.

 

“No need,” her warm breath tickled his forehead and hairline. “Bless you.”

 

Jonah snuffled, and bowed his head slightly. “Thagk you.” A lock of hair fell from behind his ear, and she brushed it back gently.

 

There was something not only endearing, but sheltering, about the way she would say that each time. A learned way of caring amongst people that often went unnoticed, a simple two words of acknowledgment and well-wishing.

 

It almost made him feel excused for being ill - the time it took from him and her as well, the space he took up in this shared existence. But it also made room for their bond, still gently learning of its shape and form. It was the negative space of a landscape or portrait. Or perhaps, the humble rests that could define a grand composition.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Skylacticon

[Cici]

On 11/29/2023 at 2:29 AM, Skylacticon said:

as if the first huge sneeze could barely handle the tickle and had to split off into a whole other contingency sneeze.

OMG, Contingency Sneeze, I love this!

 

On 11/29/2023 at 2:29 AM, Skylacticon said:

 

[Alexmeiai774]

The Mitski song 🥺

[Catsgotyourtounge]

Omg this was amazing 

[Skylacticon]

@Cici Thank you, I appreciate it~ 😂❤️

@Alexmeiai774 Of course. Everyone go listen to ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ by Mitski. It’s so heart-warming 🫶🏼

@Catsgotyourtounge Thanks so much ☺️

[ThatSneezyGirl]

This was so beautifully written 😍 would love to read more of these two!! 

[Lady Blessington]

This is so beautiful and so steamyyyyy 😁❤️‍🔥

[Skylacticon]

@ThatSneezyGirl @Tumblesworth Thank you! 😊❤️