Roadtrip [M]

[AllyKabbet]

Hello! 😊 It's been a while since I posted anything (I know I have many unfinished stories, but inspiration comes when it comes, and university has me on edge). So, I'm back with another Lamarck story (because yes, I love him, and I know him as if he were my friend, so it's easy for me to write about him).

Am I the only one who loves sneezy road trips? The feeling of being trapped with a certain number of people, and the impossibility of escaping if you have a sneezing attack, especially when you're the kind of person who doesn't like to sneeze in public. Sorry if they talk too much, I really enjoy creating atmospheres.

To provide some context, Lamarck is the protagonist of many of my stories, a trafficker and leader of a criminal gang. Miranda is his companion, mainly involved in scams and espionage. Kylie is a former member of the gang who occasionally returns. They are characters from a larger story (along with Lean and others). None of them have romantic relationships, although they flirt from time to time.

Hope you like it! (As I always say, excuse my grammar mistakes. I'm Spanish, and I have no idea about U.S. roadways or driving as I don't have a driver's license.)

 

 

 

 

Kylie, Miranda, and Lamarck descend the stairs from the safe house to the car. Lamarck goes down first, coughing into his forearm and wearing a black trench coat and a scarf. Miranda, behind him in a more fitted trench coat, talks to Kylie .

 

"About five hours, I think... You said five hours?" she asks Lamarck, who responds with a throaty affirmative sound.

"Damn..." Kylie  complains and yawns. It's not even nine in the morning, and she still has sleep in his eyes. She has slept for just over four hours.

The cold air hits them like a stab in the stomach. Lamarck coughs again into his fist and turns to Miranda.

"It's there. Take the wheel if you want," he says. His voice is clearly strained, and he looks at her with narrowed eyes. He can't hide the red lines under his eyes, more noticeable because of the blue eyes he has, and how chapped his nose and lips are due to congestion.

Miranda raises her eyebrows.

"You must be really bad to let me drive. Are you sure?"

Lamarck doesn't answer, just nods and starts walking with his hands in his pockets towards the car.

"You don't have to come, Lamarck. We can handle it ourselves" Miranda insists.

"No, he doesn't trust us" Kylie  interjects, following them from behind.

Lamarck clears his throat before responding.

"I have to go, no choice. The contact knows me."

"And how do you know anyone in Chicago, if I may ask?" Kylie  persists.

"I don't. Abel does."

"Well, let him go then. What are you now, his messenger?" Miranda comments.

Lamarck stops next to a black car and turns around to get in through the passenger side. Then he coughs into his fist again.

"He couldn’t go" he simply says, and sniffles.

Miranda opens the car, and Lamarck gets in the front passenger seat first. Miranda and Kylie  exchange a knowing look before getting into the car. While Kylie  takes the back seat, Lamarck puts his backpack at his feet and fastens his seatbelt. The girls take off their coats.

"But seriously, you could have assigned this task to someone else, Lean, for example. You're not fit for travel," Miranda complains, trying to adjust the driver's seat.

Lamarck readjusts in his seat and stretches to help Miranda move the seat-adjusting lever.

"Don't worry" he whispers.

"But are you okay?" Kylie  asks. Dressed in comfortable jeans and a rather Christmassy sweater, far from the carefree dresses and adapting to Chicago’s winter weather, she looks a bit more serious.

Lamarck looks back at Kylie  and shakes his head before sniffling. "Relax, I'm not dying yet," he says a bit louder. "But I have a horrible bronchitis" he accepts before coughing tiredly into his forearm, leaning it against the door. "Sorry if I bother you."

"Relax, you're always a bother" Kylie  jokes, to which Lamarck looks back with a smile.

Miranda holds back a laugh and starts the car.

"Where to?"

"Just get out of here, onto the regular road, and I'll guide you," Lamarck says.

After a comment from Kylie  about the morning chill, Miranda speaks again.

"But do you have a fever?"

Lamarck, who was looking out the window, turns his gaze to Miranda. He licks his lips and sniffs.

"No."

"Sure" Miranda doesn't believe him.

"I had a terrible bronchitis when I was in Puntacana, lasted like two weeks, and look, I wanted to die. Luckily, Joel was with me, a boyfriend I had, well..." Kylie  says.

Miranda lets out a small laugh. "Some have it all, others have nothing," she jokes.

"Then he turned out to be a jerk. He was a rich guy, and when he saw that I didn't want to get married, have kids, and move with him to Monte Carlo, he left me stranded."

"He only wanted you for your money" Lamarck comments in a playful tone.

"The problems of being a millionaire," Kylie  dramatizes.

Kylie 's comment is drowned out by a strong breath from Lamarck, followed by several strong coughs that he muffles with both hands in a cup shape. Lamarck whispers "damn" before leaning back in the seat.

"Should I turn on the heating?" Miranda asks.

Lamarck looks at her. "Doesn't matter."

"No, yes, it's cold," Kylie  says, to which Miranda nods.

They spend some time in silence, where Lamarck sniffs and, at one point, turns towards the window, takes out a tissue, and blows his nose quietly.

"Now where?" Miranda asks, looking at him. Lamarck doesn't respond. "Lamarck," she calls, turning on the turn signal.

He turns and makes a questioning sound with his throat, confused.

"Where?" she says urgently.

"Ah" he sniffs. "Sorry. Take the 139, the… second exit, and straight ahead. I think it's twenty minutes straight, if you don't get lost." He coughs. "You have to leave Hoboken."

"You could also use Google Maps," Kylie  suggests.

"Well, yes." Miranda says, following Lamarck's instructions.

"In Italy, the streets were an absolute mess. Pedestrians wouldn't stop, and driving was really reckless" Kylie  says.

"Do you have a driver's license, Kylie ?" Miranda asks.

"No, I took Uber," Kylie  replies.

Miranda is about to respond when Lamarck speaks again.

"How many countries have you been to?" he asks, his voice strained.

"Well... In Europe, Italy, Switzerland, Greece… I loved Greece. In Asia, only India... And in America, I've traveled the entire Caribbean, but not that much."

Miranda asks her about the country she liked the most. Lamarck disconnects in the middle of the conversation when he fights to avoid the itching in his nose. He sniffles and takes a deep breath, his features clouded.

"H-mpx!" he stifles it almost completely, with barely any sound other than one of contained pressure. He covers it with the back of his hand and turns to the window, shaking his head slightly from the effort. His exhale is audible but gentle. His other arm embraced his stomach.

The girls don't comment, but Miranda gives him a look. Lamarck keeps his hand under his nose, looking a bit blurry, until he finally removes his hand and crosses his arms, sniffing.

"Haven't you returned to the United States?" Miranda asks.

"No, I was hesitant. I know it's very big, and each state is a world, but I don't know. It was like something I left behind."

"You did well."

Lamarck takes another accelerated breath, a bit more desperate than the previous one, and uncrosses one arm to bring his hand in a fist to his nose and move away from Miranda's gaze a bit.

"Hpxh!" Once again, so stifled it seems painful, with barely a sound of pressure. He exhales, exhausted, before composing himself by clearing his throat.

The conversation dwindles, and Miranda adjusts herself slightly in her seat.

"Have you ever thought about getting your driver's license?" Miranda pronounces after a few minutes, looking at Kylie  through the rearview mirror.

Kylie  shrugs. "Yeah, I know it could save my life if something happened, but I haven't bothered.”

Lamarck's expression tightens, and with a mix of annoyance and fatigue, he brings his extended hand, adorned with several rings, to his mouth.

" h-h… -HA-Tshu!" It's the first forceful sneeze both of them have heard from him, as if he didn't have the strength to contain it anymore and decided to surrender to his circumstances. However, it is somewhat scratchy and contained, as if it were his natural way of sneezing. He leans forward due to the effort, and then runs a curved finger over his nose.

"Bless you." Kylie  says.

Miranda is about to bless him again when Lamarck extends his hand once more in front of his face and takes another accelerated breath.

"H-T-tshu." It's dry and reluctant, as if he had neither the strength to stifled nor to prevent it, and it seems too common to be Lamarck. A shiver runs down Miranda's spine. Lamarck closes his eyes tightly with discomfort as he rubs his nose with his curved finger, and to Miranda, the gesture seems too human for him.

"Bless you."

"Sorry" he apologizes without looking at her, sniffling.

Not even ten seconds pass before he brings his hand to his nose again.

"Hh-Txchiu!-Txshu" Two soft sneezes, with barely any interval between them, shake him directly. Lamarck exhales contained and sniffs, with narrowed eyes. Miranda looks at him without saying anything, and Kylie  prefers not to either. She understands how much Lamarck dislikes emphasizing his weakness and chooses to give him that moment of respite. Three seconds later, he squeezes his eyes again and shakes his head to avoid a sneeze but is forced to bring his fist to his mouth to stifle another weak sneeze. "Hh-hPsh-oo!"

"God, are you okay?" Miranda says, touching his arm in a caring gesture.

But Lamarck nods, still with a blurry gaze, and takes several more irregular breaths.

"Hh-H- Ah-Gdshu! Ag… Excuse me. Yes."

"Yes" Miranda repeats, looking at him sideways with disbelief. "Fantastic."

"I'm having a sneezing fit, sorry."

"Six. Bless you," Kylie  jokes.

Lamarck smiles with a laughter sound and rubs his nose with his finger, sniffling again.

"This is terrible, sorry" he sniffles and swallows, exhaling afterward.

"Don't worry" Miranda tells him with a smile.

Lamarck tightens his lips to stop another sneeze and sighs, but the itching in his nose doesn't stop. He covers his nose with the back of his hand.

“H...- Hh-h - Amng-sshu! Damn... H-H...” This time, he covers his forehead with his hand, avoiding Miranda's gaze. “Mgshu” They are incredibly unsatisfactory, but it seem to take away all his strength. “Nine.” He jokes, exhaling very congested.

Kylie  chuckles.

"Bless you! God, don't die."

Lamarck sniffs and shakes his head, readjusting himself in the seat. "I really hate Abel."

"You're really cuter when you're sick. Less unbearable" Kylie  comments, patting his shoulder to indicate it's a joke.

"Cuter...” He sniffle and brings his hand to the bridge of his nose, pressing it slightly before bending over his stomach to contain another sneeze. "Ag-Tchiu." It's soft and barely audible, in the hollow of his hand. He stays for a while with his hand on his mouth and eyes closed. "Hh..." He's about to sneeze, but the sensation disappears, and he exhales shakily. "Thanks, girls..." he jokes, following the previous conversation.

"Bless you" Kylie  says.

Miranda gives his shoulder another squeeze, to which Lamarck nods. "Thanks" he sighs.

"Blow your nose, maybe it'll help," Kylie  suggests.

Lamarck closes his eyes and, with his elbow resting on the window, rubs his forehead.

"Need anything?" Miranda asks, with a calm voice.

"Yeah. A damn hot tea or...” He swallows “To tell Abel to go to hell and take care of his damn business."

Miranda laughs. "Do you want us to stop somewhere and get you tea?"

Lamarck shakes his head with a smile and half-closed eyes. "Just kidding." He coughs once and rubs his nose with his thumb carefully, his expression contorting with discomfort.

"Are you done?" Kylie  asks, in a playful tone.

"Mm... Shut up." Lamarck raises a hand in the air, visible in the rear seat, and rests his head on the window while holding his cheek with one hand.

They spend some time in silence. Kylie  looks out the right window, and Miranda is focused on the road. Lamarck only breaks the silence once to blow his nose with a used and quite crumpled tissue he has in the pocket of his coat, making little noise, and then returns to his initial position.

 

More?

[RipleyToo]

Yes! More please! I love stories about road-trips! 

[Catsgotyourtounge]

 

Yes please more

[Guest]

Wow, this is quite creative! Its not too often you see some good sneezy road trip stories. I'm curious where this'll go next.

[Lilsgjerd]

I'd love to see more! Lamarck and Miranda's relationship is so sweet 😭

[dwaekki]

Omg yes I love this!! The way she suggested he blows his nose to stop the fit too 😫😫

[2SHY222]

I definitely would appreciate reading more. This is fantastic. It's also cute how they were counting his sneezes ☺️

[asapyams]

love this!! please continue

[AllyKabbet]

PART 2

(I'm going to take advantage (since I never do it, because it embarrasses me, hahaha) to thank all those who read and leave me comments, it's highly appreciated. @2SHY222, I love that kind of 'vanilla' detail that still seems very fetishistic hahaha, I've been in situations like that.

I'm sorry for the amount of stuff conversation; when I write, I usually let it flow a lot, and maybe there are too many things in my story that I haven't explained (because it's not relevant), and they are super out of context. I hope it's still understood, and that I haven't rambled too much. I like the scene to be as natural as possible.

Oh, and I have no idea how American roads work (One toll, five dollars? No idea, hahaha).

Hope you like it! 😀)

 

They spend some time in silence. Kylie looks out the right window, and Miranda is focused on the road. Lamarck only breaks the silence once to blow his nose with a used and wrinkled tissue from the trench coat pocket, making almost no noise, and then returns to his initial position.

"What was the name of the city we were heading to?" Kylie asks in a not very loud voice.

Miranda looks at her through the mirror and shrugs. She looks at Lamarck, making a confused gesture with her mouth. Lamarck has his eyes closed.

"When Xavier wakes up and realizes I'm not there..." Kylie shakes her head, then leans it against the backrest. It had been over a year since she had broken up with her boyfriend and former band member. However, since both had returned and met again, things had become increasingly complicated.

"Well, let him ask.” Miranda advises. "Besides, what does it matter to him? It's a mission."

"Yeah. The other day he said things that... Can you believe it?"

"What did he say?"

"Well..." Kylie is about to lean forward to tell Miranda, but she realizes Lamarck might be asleep and leans back. "Well, I'll tell you later, we're bothering him."

Miranda nods.

Lamarck clears his throat and opens his eyes.

"Don't worry, tell us," his voice is very hoarse.

Kylie bites her lower lip and gives him a pat on the shoulder from behind.

"But what a nosy trafficker!" she chuckles. Lamarck smiles and coughs a bit into his fist before returning to his previous position, with half-closed eyes. "Well, he said he missed me, that he hadn't found anyone who understood him like I do. I mean, the complete opposite of when we broke up. We didn't understand each other at all!"

"But do you want to get back with him, or has it crossed your mind?" Miranda asks.

"Well, a lot of things have crossed my mind. Because, you know... But no, not now at least."

"Tell him to go to hell" Lamarck says. "If you don't want to, you don't want to. That's it."

Kylie smiles, and Lamarck coughs into his fist again.

"And that's it."

"Well, it's true" Miranda agrees. "Look, I really care about Xavier, and he's a charming guy. A bit stubborn like his brother, as the Srayders tend to be.... But he doesn't understand anything. He wants to get back into action, and you want to enjoy life. You're too young to commit to anything."

While Miranda talks, Lamarck coughs several times, this time into the crook of his elbow. When it seems to end, he sniffles and leaves his hand under his nose, taking slow breaths.

"Lamarck," Kylie calls. He looks at her, turning slightly. "Here, take this."

Lamarck turns more and sees that she's offering him a water bottle. Lamarck shakes his head, ignoring it.

"No, there's only one."

"Quiet" she practically puts it on his shoulder, and he has no choice but to take it. He takes a slow sip of water, which ends in another cough.

"Thanks."

Kylie shakes her head.

"What do you say? Besides telling him to go to hell." Kylie ask to Lamarck.

Lamarck clears his throat before speaking, then turns a bit to look at Kylie.

"He grew up in a royal cradle, and you've never had anything. That's why he doesn't understand the value of money and what you can do with it. And that's why, until he understands, you're incompatible."

Kylie stares into Lamarck's intensely blue eyes and nods with tightly pressed lips.

"Damn..." She nods, more convinced, and Lamarck returns to his previous position. "I shouldn't have asked."

Lamarck lets out a chuckle.

Miranda and Kylie talk a bit more about Xavier until the conversation dissolves again, except for Miranda's complaints about traffic. They remain silent for a while until they have been on the road for over an hour and a half.

"What's that? Lamarck.” Miranda calls him.

Lamarck opens his eyes, somewhat dazed.

"Lamarck."

"The highway, Miranda, breathe" he says calmly and sniffs again.

"Do we have to identify ourselves?"

"No." He clears his throat and sits up, facing the person who might see him at the toll booth. He coughs a bit. "I think we have to pay.”

"I have some" Kylie says, pulling a crumpled five-dollar bill from her leather jacket pocket.

They pay without much dilemma, and the highway opens up before them, large and spacious, without maneuvering. According to the bearded man at the toll booth, it will be like this for the next twenty minutes.

"Do you guys know the latest, by the way?" Miranda says. Lamarck looks at her, making a questioning noise with his throat. "The one about dividing the robbery into two groups and leaving some out. The clamp plan."

"The clamp plan, what the hell. Whose idea is it?" Kylie asks.

"Allen's."

Kylie widens her eyes.

"He gets distracted because there are many more of us now, but we have to go with the traditional plan. Well, it depends on the zeppelin."

"What zeppelin, Kylie? We're just going to rob a damn bank, for God's sake." Lamarck intervenes. "This isn't Hollywood."

"Idiot, didn't you mention something about distraction?"

Lamarck shakes his head and coughs.

"No..." he corrects, with a hoarse voice. "We talked about the escape route, maybe causing a fake accident to create a commotion, like a car crash near the city but with no victims” He waves a hand and sniffles.

"Yeah, but what about the italians?" Miranda asks.

"The what?" Lamarck asks, squinting his eyes and a cloudy look. His expression changes suddenly, and he pulls down the sleeve below his hoodie to cover his hand. "H-ah-TsShu! -Ah-Mmg-shu!" Two powerful but soft sneezes that he stifles in his wrist, loaded with congestion.

"The Italians are always causing trouble. Allen thought there was probably an infiltrator in the gang, and we should have another escape route, just in case. Bless you" Miranda interrupts her explanation.” He didn't he tell you?

"Ah-TSH- ah... And so what if nobody except us knows the plan?" he says, almost as an exhalation, completely breathless, after a short and unsatisfying sneeze.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, I don't know. Talk to him about it."

"Let's not get distracted with bullshit, there are many things… Hh-h-A-tsShu!" This time, he covers his nose with both hands in a cup shape and sneezes almost liberally, with a touch of desperation in his voice. "Excuse be."

"Bless you!" Miranda exclaims.

"Bless." Kylie says.

"Thank you." He sniffles and exhales congested, his nose becoming increasingly red and cracked. "And sorry" He rubs his nose with his knuckles.

"Sorry for what, come on," Miranda replies.

"You're very polite!" Kylie exclaims, in a really amusing tone. "I didn't know that about you."

Lamarck smiles and unwinds the scarf from his neck, putting it on his knees.

"You not."

Kylie laughs and kicks the seat in front of her, where Lamarck is sitting.

"Tch" Miranda calls him after a while. Lamarck, who has a distant look on the road, looks at her. "Do you need tissues?" she whispers.

"Do you have?"

Miranda bites her tongue while checking her pants pocket, and then the glove compartment on her side, trying not to take her eyes off the road. She shakes her head with an apologetic expression.

"Forget it..."

"Kylie, do you have tissues?"

Kylie, who was looking at her phone, searches in her coat pocket. She takes out a nearly unused tissue pack and throws it to Lamarck, who catches it in the air.

"Merry Christmas." She says.

Lamarck smiles.

"Thanks, Santa."

Kylie laughs a bit. Lamarck blows his nose almost noiselessly and puts the pack in the pocket of his hoodie. Kylie announces that she's going to try to nap a bit later since they have less than three hours left. Lamarck tries too, but every now and then, he's heard clearing his throat or shifting uncomfortably.

"If you're tired of driving, let me know and we can switch," Lamarck suddenly says, after more than thirty silent minutes, just before taking out the tissue and blowing his nose again, equally soft and not very relieving.

Miranda shakes her head.

"I'm fine. I really like driving. It clears my mind."

Lamarck coughs into his wrist and nods.

"Okay."

He rests his head on the window again. He glances at Kylie, who seems asleep, with a bit of envy, and then looks back at the road. Miranda put Google Maps on a while ago so she wouldn't need his directions, and Lamarck feels his body heavy, as if bottled up by congestion, stress, and discomfort. He wishes so much that the hard glass of the window and the cold he feels on his skin, despite the layers of clothing and the heating, as if it were a cream that has permeated him, would turn into the warmth of his bed.

"Ah-Hpxh... Ah-Tsshi." Sneezes suddenly come, unexpectedly, and Lamarck stifles them in the crook of his elbow, turning towards the window. As usual, they are soft but wet, shaking his body and making his head tremble. Miranda doesn't say anything; she just looks at him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the road. Lamarck crosses his arms again, but not even five seconds pass before his breath catches, and he have to take two desperate inhalations. He lifts his forearm and hides his face behind it, again directed at the window. "Agg-TCh! Tsshi... H-h... Atshu!" He groans involuntarily and swallows while shaking his head with discomfort.

"Bless you."

Lamarck nods without looking at her and takes out a tissue.

"Lamarck, are you okay?" Miranda whispers, looking somewhat concerned. She knows the responsibility he's under, and she fears he might collapse. Perhaps because they need him, but it could be that the weight of the trust they've developed in the past few months has made them consider him a friend.

Lamarck shakes his head and whispers a "no" before stifling a sneeze in his tissue with a soft and forceful "Hp-txs… fuck" in what Miranda believes is an attempt to stop the sneezing attack. He barely blows his nose, and his expression is uncomfortable as he removes the tissue, with narrowed eyes and a very red nose.

"Do you need to stop and get some fresh air?" she asks politely. Lamarck shakes his head.

"No, no. Sorry" he sniffs and shakes his hand. "Are you worried?" He smiles mischievously, and although it doesn't carry the usual weight, that look is unmistakable.

Miranda raises an eyebrow.

"It's just that you take care of yourself like crap."

Lamarck makes a noise resembling a laugh, although it seems more like a groan, and whispers “you're right."

"I've never seen you sick." Miranda admits.

"You were my subordinate, I wasn't going to let you see me like this," Lamarck sniffs and holds a fist under his nose, keeping it there. She remains his subordinate, although, of course, not like two years ago when he was nothing more than a trafficker and she was the one bedding those he wanted to fleece under his orders.

"Does that mean you consider me an equal now or something?"

Lamarck raises his eyebrows, smiling, and then looks at the road, not answering the question.

 

 

More? 😁

 

[dwaekki]

Yes please! I'm enjoying this 😊😊

[2SHY222]

More please 😊 Lamarck trying to talk while sneezing was very cute 🥰

[RipleyToo]

Yes! More please!

[Lunaconner]

i love this it’s so cute!!! i need more 

[RipleyToo]

Will Lamarck have bigger and louder sneezes too? 

[asapyams]

Lamarck is so cute I love him

[AllyKabbet]

 

(Next part! VERY long, sorry. I got carried away, had some things already written, and didn't know when to stop. I don't know if inspiration will strike again for a long time. I know it'll have many spelling and comprehension mistakes. I handle common English; however, there are many Spanish expressions I use in colloquial language that I don't know how to translate into English, so I'm sorry if some parts sound odd. Even the chatGPT abandoned me after so many questions. Anyway, I apologize for rambling; I love everyday conversations where nothing much happens. Oh, and also sorry also for other coherence issues, I'm not quite sure how to reserve a hostel room or how the U.S. metric system works :)"

@RipleyToo Honestly, I don't think louder than what I've already written. His sneezes (unless he had an allergy attack, maybe, or I don't know, pepper?) aren't naturally loud. He tends to stifles them, but usually, they are soft and wet, so I wouldn't imagine the opposite; it would feel very out of character. Maybe for another OC.

Thank you so much for reading ❤️)

 

Lamarck is not aware that he ends up falling asleep, with his head resting between the glass and the headrest, and his arms crossed. Miranda looks at him from time to time, but this time it doesn't seem like a simple attempt to sleep. Half an hour later, Kylie's whispering voice comes from the back seat, asking to stop. Miranda nods, and Kylie looks for the next gas station on the map. After ten minutes, they end up stopping.

"I won't be long," Kylie whispers and opens the back door. "Are you going to refuel?"

"Mmm... No, it's not necessary."

"Okay."

Kylie leaves, and Miranda stretches in the seat. She wonders if she should wake Lamarck up to get some fresh air, but it would feel like a crime to disturb him now that he seems so comfortable. Miranda checks her phone messages while waiting when suddenly, some knocks on the hood startle her, almost making her drop the phone.

"If you're not refueling, move away, there are people!" shouts a fat man in a tank top. Miranda gestures in confusion, and the man continues shouting rudely.

"Okay, okay. Damn it!" She waves his hand and starts the car again, moving away from the refueling area to a more distant one. Then, she turns off the car with a sigh.

She hears several rough coughs, and Lamarck raises a bit.

"Fuck, what an asshole" Miranda complains.

Lamarck coughs again, bringing his hand to his mouth, still with his eyes closed.

"Have we stopped?"

"H-hm." Miranda replies. Lamarck opens his eyes and looks out the window. "How are you?"

Lamarck sighs and shakes his head. Then he opens the door and gets out of the car, closing it behind him. He leans on the hood with his back, hands gripping the car.

"H-H-AtsSShu!" It's a strong and desperate sneeze, shaking him like a whip and making him bend at the waist. He covers it with both cupped hands. The driver's door closes with a slam. "Ah-Mng- ts…hh" The next sneeze, however, despite having the same intensity, is completely stifled, and Lamarck lets out an involuntary groan of pain. "Fuck..." He removes his hands from his mouth and shakes one of them, while with the other, he takes a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his hoodie pocket.

Miranda approaches and sits on the hood.

"Bless you."

Lamarck lights a cigarette skillfully.

"Thank you. Do you want one?"

"It's on the house?" Miranda jokes, reaching out to take one. Lamarck gives it to her, gesturing for her to hold it while he lights it.

"Thanks." She says, cheerful, before putting it in her mouth.

"What happened with that guy?" Lamarck points with his chin to the fat man who is moving around.

"Nothing, he kicked me out because we were right in the middle or something. Rude."

"People are so stupid."

Miranda nods.

"Hey, how are you holding up? And I don't mean the flu, which is more than evident. I mean everything else."

Lamarck looks at her sideways, then swallows saliva and turns his gaze forward.

"I don't know. My throat hurts." He clears his throat, spits, and takes a final drag from the cigarette before throwing it away.

Kylie approaches running.

"Hey, I'm going to buy something to eat, I'm starving. Do you want anything?"

"Uf... A lemon Fanta? And some chips or something sweet." Miranda suggests.

"Nothing for me, thanks." Lamarck replies, checking his phone.

Kylie nods and goes to the store.

"Hey, are you going to the bathroom?" Miranda asks. Lamarck shakes his head. “Will you guys wait for me, please?"

"No, we'll leave without you" Lamarck smiles, and Miranda returns the smile. She hands him the remaining cigarette in case he wants to finish it, but Lamarck shakes his head, and Miranda throws it away.

Lamarck answers some messages on his phone when Kylie returns, loaded with a plastic bag.

"Look, look how delicious. What's this? Never had seen ones like these." She shows to Lamarck three Christmas-themed chocolate umbrellas. "These are chocolate."

Lamarck smiles and coughs a bit.

"A bit small, aren't they?" He says with a hoarse voice.

"Ah, but that's why there are three for me." She laughs. "Uh... And here, for the sick one..." She rummages in the plastic bag and takes out a plastic container with a green lid, handing it to Lamarck.

"I didn’t..." He looks at her, frowning, and sniffles. "Green tea? How?"

"This looks more plastic than tea, yes, and what? I'm sure it's delicious." She gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder, to which Lamarck lowers his head with a smile and shakes it.

He yawns involuntarily, with his hair partially covering his face, and covers his mouth with one hand.

"Are you tired?" She says, leaning on his side and opening her Red Bull.

"Yes."

"Well, let's see if you can sleep a little more now and get better."

"But are you going to refuel or not, damn it, you can't be there having a picnic, damn it!" Shouts the same man, raising his hand.

Both turn to look at him.

"What are you saying!" Kylie shouts. "We bought something!"

"That this area is for refueling, damn it!"

"Fucking Hell" Lamarck says, suddenly regaining the energy that seemed to be leaving him, and turns around to get into the driver's seat. "Your fucking mother."

"Wait." Kylie jumps into her back seat, and Lamarck leaves the area, leaving the compound. He parks abruptly, hitting the steering wheel, and then puts his hand to his forehead.

"People are fucking idiots." He says, in a hoarse voice.

"But what's wrong with that one? Good lord, it's not like this place is bursting with cars."

Lamarck shakes his head and sends a message to Miranda, notifying his position.

"A little umbrella?" Kylie pronounces, handing Lamarck a chocolate umbrella from the back seat. Lamarck laughs and shakes his head.

Miranda comes shortly after and insists on swapping places with Lamarck. He accepts, and they continue the remaining hour and a half of the journey.

 

 

 

While Kylie goes to the hostel bathroom, Miranda and Lamarck approach the hostel reception. There's a lot of commotion. A gray-haired woman, not too old, serves them.

"Excuse me, are there still available rooms?" Miranda says.

"Do you have a reservation?" the woman asks courteously.

"No, no. We're thr- two." Miranda responds. She highly doubts that, in such a busy area, they'll find a room for three people, or two separate rooms, and they can always sneak Kylie in without anyone noticing.

"Well, we don't accept rooms without a reservation because with the rain and all, we're quite full... I'll check anyway."

"And could it be with separate beds?" Miranda insists.

The woman looks at them, questioning.

"We're not a couple." Miranda clarifies, to which Lamarck smiles, leaning on the counter.

"Friends." Lamarck explains.

"Yes."

"Okay..." The woman types on her rudimentary computer leisurely.

"Take separate rooms..." Lamarck whispers to Miranda.

Miranda shakes her head.

"There won't be even one available, you'll see." She whispers back.

"I won't let you sleep."

Miranda waves her hand. Lamarck rolls his eyes and licks his lower lip, which is quite red, probably from the fever.

"Okay. Yes. Well, there's a reservation that isn't confirmed yet, for tomorrow at 11, so tonight is free. It has... Look, you've been lucky. It has separate beds, is that okay? But you would have to leave at 11..."

While the woman talks, Lamarck's expression suddenly wrinkles, and he brings the back of his hand to his nose, pressing it. When he sees that he can't hold back it any longer, he stands up and turns his head behind Miranda. The sneeze is barely audible, nothing more than a faint "Tss" that Miranda can only hear because of the proximity. Lamarck sniffles afterward.

Miranda is distracted by his movement, but quickly her attention focuses on the woman.

"Okay, perfect. How much for the night?"

"Sixty, but being double, one hundred twenty." Miranda opens her eyes wide, looking at Lamarck. But he has a finger under his nose, and he quickly nods.

"Is it okay if it's in cash?" Miranda asks.

"Yes, no problem. We'll give you a receipt, and if one of you can give me your identification."

"Yes." Miranda takes out her ID under the false name Sonia Derbis and gives it to the woman.

Lamarck blinks quickly and with a hint of desperation, he covers himself this time with his hand and hiding behind Miranda's back.

"At’xxch! txng!" He stifles two short and wet sneezes, but very soft, that make his head shake. "Hhh… excuse me" he says, very congested and almost in a whisper.

The woman stops typing for a moment to look at him.

"Gesundheit" the woman says kindly.

Lamarck, embarrassed, leans on the counter again and rubs his forehead.

"Thanks."

Miranda puts a hand on his back. He must be really unwell if he can lose composure in front of strangers like that.

The room is little more than two beds, a wardrobe with doors that don't close quite well, a terrifying picture of The Virgin, and two plants that look like plastic although they're not on a side table. The curtains are flowery, thick, and the views overlook a concrete courtyard. As soon as Lamarck enters, he drops his backpack on the floor and sits on the bed. Miranda opens the drawers with a raised eyebrow, while Kylie leans on the open window sill.

"Damn, what a view. The best 120 dollars I've ever spent in my life." Kylie mocks.

Lamarck sniffles and stares blankly at the carpet. He feels like he's floating in space, probably due to the fever.

"This is disgusting. It's dusty. My God..." Miranda complains before going into the bathroom.

"She's going to have a hard time." Kylie says. "And then I'm the snob."

Lamarck coughs. Kylie looks at him and closes the window and then the curtains.

"Do you want this bed?" She ask.

Lamarck has sat on the one closest to the window. He looks up to look at her, and Kylie verifies that he really looks bad, with his nose so red and his cheeks a bit too. He still looks handsome, though. Kylie believes, with a hint of envy, that Lamarck is the kind of person who would still look handsome in almost any situation. He has the type of face that one never tires of looking at, even when he's sick.

"Do you want it?" he says.

"I don't care."

Lamarck swallows saliva and nods. His voice is hoarse and deep, as if the words tear his throat before coming out. He closes his eyes and endures the sore throat with a grimace.

"Ow, poor thing. You look terrible..." Kylie approaches and without permission, puts a hand on his forehead, removing his bangs. Lamarck moves away immediately.

"Leave me."

"You're hot, and you look like a steamroller ran over you, with love."

"You look like you've been run over." Lamarck says, and leans back on the bed, lying against the pillow. It is hard as a stone.

Miranda comes out of the bathroom and stares at them.

"This is a pigsty; the shower is tiny." she says.

"And what did you expect, honey? Be glad we have a bed; it's a roadside motel." Kylie says.

"Hostel, Kylie." Lamarck corrects.

Miranda looks at him in silence for a few seconds while she rubs her forehead.

"Hey, what do you think if I go buy some food, whatever is in the grocery store downstairs, or... I don't know if there's something to take away, we have dinner and go to bed very early so that this nightmare passes quickly?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kylie asks.

"Yes, and when they see you, we explain that you've come out from under the bed."

Lamarck chuckles, and Kylie nods knowingly.

"Do you need me to go?" He asks, although both know it's more out of courtesy than desire.

Miranda raises her hand and waves it dismissively.

"Stay, please. And don't cause too much trouble in my absence."

"Sure." He takes a black wallet from his cargo pants pocket and tosses it to Miranda, who catches it effortlessly. "It's the secure card."

"Okay, thanks. I'll be right back."

"Not McDonald's, please. That's all I ask, Miranda, for the love of everything." Kylie begs.

"Whatever there is!" Miranda says before closing the door.

Now they're alone, and Kylie bounces on his own bed, testing it out. Lamarck grabs his phone and sends several messages, wrapped in a comfortable silence. Kylie stares at the ceiling for a while.

"Seriously, do you think Xavier will be mad?" she asks after a while.

Lamarck squints at her. "What? Why?"

"Because I left him without an answer and came on this petty mission where I wasn't needed at all! I'm such a jerk."

Lamarck looks at her, squinting his eyes for a few seconds that widen until his expression wrinkles. He is forced to open his mouth and take a quick breath before bringing his fist to his mouth and sneezing.

"Ayg-shiu! At-TCH! agh…" The sneezes leave him drained, and it seems like he doesn't have the strength to sneeze any louder. Then he sniffles. "You don't owe him an answer." He replies, so congested.

"Well, yeah, but it's an emotional and serious matter, and what I did was literally run away when I actually have a pretty clear answer..."

"Ats-ng-ah… Ag-pnx'shu." The second sneeze is more unrestrained but equally soft, seeming like a much-needed and involuntary release. "Sorry." He sniffles afterward. “Look, Kylie, I'm not in the mood for your things.” He says, more abruptly than he intended and slightly out of breath.

"Oh no, I am sorry, here I am bothering you.” She abruptly gets up and sits in his bed, next to Lamarck's legs. She puts a hand on his knee and shakes it. "Bless you." She says before Lamarck buries his head in his elbow.

"Hh-HtTxch! Hh…" It's wet, stifled, and forceful. It leaves a lingering pain in the throat and chest, prompting him to touch it with a hand, unable to hide a wince of discomfort.

"Bless you! Don't die." Kylie rubs Lamarck's leg as a kind of comfort. Her words are interspersed with Lamarck's sorry. "Looks like it hurts."

"I'm going to ask Miranda to get me Tylenol or something." Lamarck says, sniffling, and picks up the phone he had left on the mattress to text her.

"That's a good idea." Kylie gets up and heads to the bathroom eagerly, only to return seconds later with a roll of paper, which she throws to Lamarck.

He catches it and cuts a piece. "Thanks."

Kylie sits back on Lamarck's bed while he blows his nose, which is still so red that it hurts just to look at. She imagines that it must hurt when he blows it. Lamarck tries to stay clean after wiping his nose with the paper.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to you." He says, congested.

"Don't worry, you were too busy dying. Besides, it's true that it's silly."

"No, tell me."

"It's just that you're right; I don't owe anyone an answer. But then, they come with this emotional responsibility thing, and..."

"Less responsibility and more perspectives. He left you, got overwhelmed; you owe him nothing more than a day of waiting."

Kylie looked at him with some admiration. Despite his discomfort, he could articulate reflections like that. She nodded slowly, pondering his words. Meanwhile, Lamarck sniffles and wrinkled his expression. Then he cut another piece of paper and quickly brought it to his nose to stifled another sneeze.

"Agt'shu! ApXt!" The slight dampness that was muffled by the paper "God..." he said as an exhalation.

"Bless you." Kylie said. "Maybe you should try to sneeze normally, with strenght, you know, to get rid of allergens or whatever you have."

"I don't know another way." He sniffled and coughed a couple of times while sitting up a bit.

"Of course you know, just let them out and that's it."

"It's my way of sneezing, don't overanalyze it." He reproached her. "I don't know how I'm going to meet the contact tomorrow, to be honest."

Seeing Lamarck express doubt or insecurity was something Kylie didn't expect to witness. She smiled with satisfaction, leaning her elbow on his knee.

"Sleep well tonight, take whatever Miranda brings you, and you'll be better tomorrow, you'll see. Or worse, because bronchitis is terrifying, but let's think positive."

"Fantastic."

Kylie chuckles.

"Can I?" she said, pointing to his side.

Lamarck nods and once again wipes his nose with a handkerchief.

"I'll probably get you sick. Seriously. It seems like a terrible idea for you to spend the night here" Lamarck responds as Kylie settles in the pillows beside him.

"Well, I might as well go out to the street and take a nap between the trash can and that sign over there. What do you think?" Lamarck smiles sideways, and Kylie lets out a little laugh. " I don't care, Lamarck. I lived eight years of my life upstairs in a pizzeria. On my days off, it smelled like dough that stank, and I still woke up at eight in the morning because Paul liked serving greasy breakfasts, and the old ladies never stopped gossiping.” Lamarck chuckles, which turns into a cough. "What's the worst place you've ever lived?" Kylie asks.

"Mm..." Lamarck clears his throat and cracks his fingers. He had left the handkerchief on the side of the bed. "I've had several safe houses that were pretty insane, less than 430 square feet, I'd say."

"Ugh, considering how little you like minimalism."

"Things are better when they're full. Horror Vacui." he sniffles. Kylie bursts into laughter. "But seriously, I would say with my parents."

"The worst?" Kylie looks surprised. Lamarck knows perfectly well that she is an orphan who ran away from a foster home at the age of twelve. Her father was a drug-dealing Indian who injected cocaine every time he saw a needle, and her mother, a poor sixteen-year-old American who made the best decision to give her up for adoption at the age of two. Kylie, on the other hand, knows little about Lamarck's childhood. He had mentioned once that he was from Seattle and that he has a sister.

Lamarck nods. "More than the house, the environment was horrible. We lived on the third floor, and it wasn't bad, really. My room was big."

Kylie leans on the pillow and looks down at him. "I bet you had blue walls and lots of stuffed animals on the bed."

Lamarck smiles, looking at the ceiling.

"Green walls? I don't remember. And I don't like stuffed animals." He looks at her. "I collected records. And LEGOs."

"LEGOS!" Kylie gives him a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Motorcycle ones."

"Ah! That suits you so well. I collected clippings of posters that made me laugh, you posh bastard."

Lamarck smiles and shakes his head. He leans a bit to cut a piece of paper from the roll he had left on the nightstand and blows his nose lightly, moving away from Kylie before lying down beside her.

"At what age did you leave home?" Kylie asks.

"At sixteen. Seventeen?” He rubs his forehead, thoughtful. “Yes, I think seventeen.” He clears his throat and sniffs. “I would have left earlier, but I didn't get any money until I started selling."

Kylie knows he means drugs. So at seventeen. It could have been worse. "Why drugs and not a part-time job? With those eyes, they would have hired you anywhere."

"Because..." He shrugs. "I was good at it. I don't really know." His voice chokes.

Kylie clicks her tongue and rubs his shoulder.

"Ow, you're weak." She lies down next to him. Lamarck looks at her, puzzled. "I'll stop asking; I'm taking advantage of your fever, and tomorrow you'll regret telling me such personal things."

Lamarck swallows while shaking his head and makes a face of pain. "It's okay, I don't mind."

"Does that mean I have carte blanche to ask anything?" Lamarck raises his eyebrows and looks at her, saying nothing. Kylie's smile grows. "Lean. Are you dating?"

"Ugh..." He groans loudly in protest. "How predictable."

"What! He doesn't give me clear answers."

Lamarck looks at her and shakes his head with closed eyes. Kylie opens her eyes and looks confused. Then she clicks her tongue and looks back at the ceiling. "You're so boring. But have you two...?"

"Kylie." He scolds. He coughs once, and then mumbles a "Don't be vulgar."

"Don't be uptight."

"I? Uptight?” He nudged her lightly, which made Kylie squirm with a giggle and a complaint. “Maybe I can show you how uptight I am.”

"Hey, hey, heyy!" She sits up and looks down at him with a seductive smile. "King of dealers, are you hitting on me? And without sunglasses? What is this?"

Before Lamarck can respond, Miranda opens the door and enters with two plastic bags. Lamarck wrinkles his nose and runs a curved finger across the bridge of his nose.

"Miranda, Lamarck just suggested sleeping with me!"

Miranda blinks at them. "What?"

"That's not true" he says, smiling, and sits up in bed, leaving one foot curled up and the other hanging off the bed.

Miranda offers him the pills before anything else, to which Lamarck whispers a thank you and begins to open the pill box. Then heads to the bathroom to take the pill. When Lamarck comes out, Miranda and Kylie are already bringing in dinner. Chinese food from a restaurant next to the hotel. She had brought Coca-Cola for the three of them to keep it simple, sweet and sour pork, three spring rolls, and almond chicken to share. They eat in a comfortable silence, with the occasional comment from Kylie.

"What time do we have to get up tomorrow?" Miranda asks.

"The contact won't come until two," Lamarck replies, barely finishing his spring roll.

"So you do this, talk to contacts from all states to... what exactly?" Kylie asks, halfway through putting a piece of chicken and three mushrooms in her mouth. She eats with chopsticks with enviable skill.

"It's complicated. " Miranda replies.

Meanwhile, Lamarck grabs his barely used napkin and brings it to his nose with one hand. "HH-Mtxsh! Ah... H-H-Mttng! H… Excuse be.”

"Bless you."

"Thanks."

"I still think you sneeze in a very unproductive way" Kylie says.

Lamarck nods, but he's already caught in another sneeze, which he stifles this time in the cup of his hand. His head trembles from the pressure.

"H-TXK-shu!" It's a barely satisfying release. "It must be the only unproductive thing I do." Miranda's blessing interposes to his words. "Thanks."

"That and collecting LEGOs."

Lamarck sniffles, and he can't help but hide a smile. He stands up to cut another piece of paper from the roll, which he passes over his nose.

They clear the food in no time and don't linger in going to bed. Kylie has brought a vintage-style buttoned-up long pajama, and Lamarck and Miranda sleep in lounge clothes they use for home. Both lie in their respective beds after brushing their teeth. Kylie is in the bathroom while Miranda, lying in bed and already covered, debates with Lamarck, still standing with arms crossed.

"Miranda, please, are you going to tell me that today's music has the rhythmic complexity of the past..."

"How closed-minded you can be when you want. I'm not saying that; I'm saying that overly complex harmony or whatever it's called is not necessary to convey. Now it's more modern, seeking more emotional aspects."

"So, Daddy Yankee is more emotional than Basch."

Miranda hits the bed with her fist. "Fuck, you focus on the narrow things! What do you listen to more, Basch or... Drake?"

"Drake?"

"I don't know the music you listen to, Lamarck. But don't tell me you listen to classical music more than urban."

Lamarck shakes his head, smiling, and sits on the bed. "No, Miranda, you're wrong."

"I'm wrong because I'm wrong. How can you not be right?"

Lamarck swallows while making the bed, and a painful expression stays on his face. "Tomorrow, I'll give you good arguments."

Kylie comes out of the bathroom. She has been doing her skincare routine for more than a quarter of an hour, which Miranda and Lamarck have looked at with a mix of mockery and astonishment.

"Are you feeling better now?" Miranda asks Lamarck. At least, he has been talking much more fluently than during the car ride, and he seems a bit more awake during dinner. The Tylenol must have kicked in.

"Yes." He gets into bed.

"Lamarck, are you sure you don't want us to have a threesome?" Kylie asks. Her hair is tied in a short ponytail. Miranda scoffs, laughing.

"Sure, Kylie. Maybe tomorrow." He sniffs, and before lying down, he blows his nose very gently, leaving the roll on the farther nightstand. "Hey, sorry if I bother, he says sincerely, lying down and looking at them.

Miranda returns the gaze from the other bed and smiles, squinting her eyes and shaking her head slightly.

"You always bother, Lamarck, it won't be something new" Kylie responds.

Lamarck smiles. They turn off the light. Lamarck looks at his phone for a few minutes, where he answers the most urgent messages on WhatsApp and realizes he has no head to respond to the more tedious or important ones. He leaves it on the nightstand. He hears Miranda and Kylie whispering for a while, and then he sees the light from Kylie's phone before it goes out, plunging everything into darkness. Lamarck tosses and turns for more than twenty minutes with no result. His nose is stuffy, his head aches from so much sniffling, and he can hardly breathe. He tries not to blow his nose too much (only twice) to avoid bothering, and a couple and is forced to cough several times. He hopes they are really asleep, and although he hears heavy breathing, he doesn't know if both of them are.

"H-hh... Hpt!-ah... mPxch! Mpshu! Hh..." It is inevitable to sneeze, with two fingers pressing his nose to try to make it as quiet as possible. It is useless, with that silence and so little distance, they will be very audible and attention-grabbing. And the worst part is that they don't relieve the itching in his nose. He sits up, with one hand on his nose, and tries to reach for the roll of paper and tear off a piece with his free hand. He brings the piece of paper to his nose and, after wiping it, can't help but let out another sneeze that, at the last moment, decides not to contain it to get rid of the itching. "HH-AtsShi! ah..." He blows his nose and gets back into bed, leaving the piece of used paper on the bedside table, knowing it isn't the most polite thing to do. He is very tired.

 

 

 

More? 

[Catsgotyourtounge]

More please 

[dwaekki]

Yes, I love this!

[RipleyToo]

Yes more please!!

[asapyams]

ahhh this so good yes more!!

[2SHY222]

Bravo! More please 🥰

[Lilsgjerd]

Omg yes please! I think Miranda and Lamarck are so cute together.