Female Unexpected Affection

[sickfic_lover]

Alright so, this is a one-shot between two CEO wives. Please excuse any grammatical issues or poor writing (and that title, i didn't know what to put so...) . I've been writing in chunks the past few days and I was tired during the whole process so... my apologies. Hope you enjoy!

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"hhh'YEESsshhOO!" 

The echo of the nasal explosion rang sharply through the various halls of Flint Corporations. 

"God bless you, Mrs. Flint!" a few employees called.  

Thalia Flint sighed and silently arranged the papers on her desk as she waited for her wife's inevitable appearance. Another strong sneeze was heard from outside her office, followed by the determined click of heels. Moments later, her door swung open. "Anne," she greeted without looking up from her paperwork. Anne held her finger up and bent at the waist. 

"ARRGG'TCHhhOOO!"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Bless you, dear. Are you ill?" she inquired with disinterest. She knew it was just her allergies, but she was never one for coddling. Thalia had set the Benedryl out on the table for her before leaving this morning. It was Anne's own fault for not taking them. 

Anne sniffled and glared at her lover. "You know damn well this isn't a cold," she spat. "Perhaps I'd be able to tell if you had taken your medication," Thalia muttered. "Eat me."

The taller of the two finally looked up from her desk, a smirk on her lips.

"Sure. Once you're feeling better, though." Anne blushed, momentarily flustered.

"God, Lia. You're disgusting," she said. "Says the woman dripping with snot... Are you alright, do you need a tissue?" Thalia teased. "Oh, fuck off," Anne grumbled, but snatched a few off her wife's desk. She produced a wet gurgle into the Kleenex, soaking through the paper.

"You sounded awful on the phone this morning. I don't know why you didn't just stay home," Thalia said. Anne threw the tissues in the trash. "It's not like you would have let me, anyway. You've had such a stick up your ass about this meeting."

"Your well-being comes before business, Annemarie," Thalia stated, voice lacking sincerity. Anne scoffed, which caused her breath to catch. "Uh, oh. At least let me cover my ears before you start up again," Thalia said.

"EHH'PTSWWIEWW! uuUUGG'TCHOOO! AHHHEEUHH!"

She snuffled over and over, pawing at her allergic nose. "Ugh. Is your window open?" she asked. Thalia shook her head. "With the pollen count that high? I'm mean, but I'm not cruel." 

"T'SHIEWW!"

The softer sneeze made up for its sound with wetness as it sprayed the air in front of Anne, taking her by surprise. "Jeez. Don't even talk about the p-word," she said.

Thalia sighed. "Please try to control yourself today. I think the pitch deserves everyone's full attention." Anne blinked sneezily. "Anne?" Thalia asked. She didn't respond, instead, she glanced at the fluorescent lights and placed her pointer against the underside of her nose.

"Anne!"

The allergic woman caught her spouse's eye for a mere second before curling in on herself.

"HNng'tCHOO!"

"Darling, please start using the medicine I set out for you... Now, go find one of our employees with allergies and steal a Claritin or two off of them," Thalia instructed. "I didn't see any antihistamines set out," Anne protested. "Of course you didn't. Your eyes are so swollen from the pol-flower sperm- that I suspect you didn't see much of anything."

Anne raised an eyebrow and smirked. "'Flower sperm'?" Thalia smiled. "Sorry, I meant, that tickly yellow stuff that floats up your nose and assaults your poor, sensitive sinuses and- Oh. Is somebody gonna sneeze?"

Anne inhaled shakily. "D-Do.. heh... Don't even."

"I bet it makes you pretty itchy, huh? Probably feels like a billion miniature feathers prodding at your sensitive flesh. That's gotta tickle!"

"T-Thalia Katherine!"

Anne only used Thalia's middle name when she was really pissed or teasing her. And the only thing teasing about Anne right now was the sneeze threatening to rock her delicate frame.

The CEO walked around to the front of her desk and began to pace. Ignoring the warning use of her full name, she said, "I mean, I bet it's torturous. Don't you just wish you could claw your little nose off-"

"L- Lee EH! Stop!" Anne pleaded.

In a quick stride, Thalia was in front of her wife, slipping her pointer underneath that pretty, flared nose. "The meeting is important," she said. Anne nodded frantically, the itch reaching her septum's tip. Thalia rubbed her finger back and forth, producing a soft moan of relief from the other girl. "I'll need you to get ahold of yourself." "O-! heH! Okay."

Satisfied enough by her wife's answers, Thalia stopped talking and studied the other's face, noticing mascara. She hummed.

"Brave girl. Wearing mascara at a time like this," she said.

Anne opened her reddened eyes.

"It's waterproof."

Thalia chuckled, indicating she didn't really believe that.

"It never is for long," she said.

"Are you going to sneeze if I take my finger away?" "Dunno," Anne mumbled, congestion thickening. "Would you like to sneeze?" Thalia asked. "Not really, but I hate it when it's stuck. You know I hate it when I can't sneeze, Lia." Thalia offered a soft smiled and pulled her finger away, replacing it with her lips.

One peck.

One peck was all it took to throw Anne into an itchy, uncontrollable fit that she didn't even have time to cover. All she could do was quickly angle herself away from Thalia and sneeze. Expulsion, after expulsion hit the air with harshness.

Thalia felt her heart clench at her lover's discomfort. She was not a very affectionate woman, and allergies seemed like they were so insignificant that they didn't deserve sympathy. But Anne's allergies were pretty bad and, dammit, she had a soft spot for that girl. At last, Anne drew in a large breath and ended her fit with a desperate,

"HUUHK'TCHEWW!"

"Oh... ow... That didn't feel good," she mumbled, wiping the allergic tears off her face. Thalia, not the best with comfort, let a surge of annoyance overcome her. Anne wouldn't be in pain if she had just taken that medicine. Why the hell didn't she take her pills?

"You said you didn't want your sneeze to get stuck," she deadpanned. "Yeah, but I wasn't expecting to sneeze like that!" Anne said.

"I want you to get out," Thalia said quickly. "What? Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm busy. You'll find not all things are about you, Annemarie."

"Don't talk to me like that, Thalia," she said with defense.

Thalia spoke after her as though she hadn't said anything at all.

"Jen has seasonal allergies, I believe. I'm sure she has something that'll help in her purse. Do not ruin this meeting."

"Stop acting like you're my boss. We're equals. Co-founders. Remember?"

"No. My father was founder. This company is his legacy. He put me in charge as his dying wish. The only reason you have the title that you do is because I married you," Thalia corrected harshly.

Anne scoffed. She was quite clearly hurt by that.

"Whatever. I'll leave you alone. In fact, why don't you have the couch to yourself tonight, too," she said, leaving the office behind.

Thalia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She wasn't mad at Anne. She was worried... And a little upset. But the upset feeling came from love. She wanted nothing more than for her love to feel better.

Those damn allergies always seemed to torture her, more so without antihistamines. Thalia just wanted Anne to take better care of herself. She had a fucked up way of expressing that, but... That was all she wanted.

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Thalia sat on her computer in the conference room with no one but Chris, the presenter. The meeting would start in ten minutes. "How's Anne?" Chris asked. Thalia didn't look up from her screen.

"Mrs. Flint is fine."

"She was sneezing up a storm this morning!" "Yes, well. I suppose allergies will do those things to you." "Sure, but... She sounded awful! And her sneezes are so giant. I swear the foundation was shaking and-"

"Do you have a problem with Mrs. Flint's sneezes?" Thalia asked, though she didn't wait for a response. "Because, of course, she can't help it. If she had a choice, I'm sure she'd choose to get rid of her allergies. But she doesn't have a choice, does she? I mean, I don't make fun of your fucking lazy eye, do I, Chris?"

His cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, I just wanted to make sure she's alright." "And I told you that she is fine. Get back to work."

Just as the conversation ended, Anne entered. She was no longer wearing mascara, and her nose was a much lighter shade of pink. She had probably taken an antihistamine. Good girl, Thalia thought.

Anne took a seat beside her wife at the head of the conference table without acknowledging her. "How are you, Chris?" she asked. "I'm pretty good, Mrs. Flint," he said. Then he took a nervous glance at Thalia. He decided it was best not to ask the question of wellbeing to Anne.

"Ah, well, that's good to hear. I'm quite well myself. In case you were ever going to ask," Anne said. Chris smiled and nodded, fighting embarrassment.

Thalia cleared her throat and glanced at her Rolex. "I believe the meeting will be starting soon. Chris, are you ready?" she said. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Very good."

Seconds later, the employees of Flint Corporations began to trickle in.

Anne placed her fist very firmly underneath her nostrils as her breath gave a soft catch. "Shit," she mumbled to herself, almost inaudible. Thalia raised her eyebrow to silently ask what the matter was. "Perfume," Anne whispered in response. Thalia scanned the room. There were so many women who could be possible culprits. So many scents.

Many of which were probably on the list of body sprays that were allowed to be used by employees. A list that Anne's vulnerable nose agreed to.

"Figure it out," Thalia growled at her. Anne shut her eyes and rubbed her finger against her nose. Already, the slight pink tint to her nose was flushing to a much deeper color. Knowing that Anne couldn't possibly go the entire meeting without making a mess of herself, Thalia sighed. The sound only loud enough for her wife to hear.

Anne tensed. She didn't want to disappoint Thalia. Maybe she could hold it back. The tickle wasn't even that strong. It wasn't even pollen bothering her right now. She could manage. Or at least she'd try to.

"Alright, good afternoon, everyone!" Chris said, beginning the meeting. "I won't beat around the bush; this past month, sales have plummeted to a new low." Thalia winced. She imagined the disapproval in her father's eyes. "But, I think that's because of who we're targeting," Chris continued. "Summerville, Michael'sTown, Freston. The main group we see in these places are elderly. 60+. We need to expand our market. Look for-"

Anne twisted away from the table and ducked into her elbow.

"hng'TChh!"

The table erupted with bless yous. "Thanks," Anne said, though her cheeks were bright red. "As I was saying, we should look for neighborhoods that target younger citizens. Their payments are larger and longer. They have fewer benefits and bigger ambitions. It's easier to sell a twenty year old on an idea than a seventy year old whose been around the block once or twice. I mean-"

"HURT'SHOO!! RR'GT'CHOOO! AHT'SHIEWW!"

So much for trying to hold back. Many more concerned blessings sounded through the room. Thalia rolled her eyes. "You'll excuse me, Chris. It seems I'm allergic to your presentation," Anne joked. Everyone laughed.

"Ha! Don't worry about it, Mrs. Flint. I just think an expansion of our demographic is due." The hand of an older gentleman shot up. "Flint has always worked with our current demographic. We've made billions," he said. "Sure, in the 80s. But now all those people we've made fortunes off of are dying or selling their homes to go into assisted living," Chris said.

"Perhaps it's a problem with the face of our company," another older man said.

Thalia grunted. Here we go again, she thought. Nobody above the age of sixty wanted to be represented by two lesbians. She had fought her whole life to get where she was and even now, in 2024, her sexual preference affected business. It was all such bullshit. 

"The face of our company is only a problem to our current demographic," Chris retorted.

Thalia liked that answer. She threw a quick glance at Anne, who looked to be fighting a sneeze. Underneath the table, Thalia gave her knee a gentle squeeze of encouragement. She could sense her wife's discomfort a mile away. Anne accepted the touch, breath snagging softly. These buildups were unbearable.

"Nngtxx! hkTChh!"

Chris continued the meeting, flipping through slide shows, bringing up good points, and pausing every so often to bless Anne.

Anne was now red in the face. She was struggling to breathe, let alone talk. She sneezed an itchy, uncovered double to the side, and coughed. Thalia looked annoyed, but she always did to some degree.

"It's almost over," she whispered to Anne.

Anne shook her head and sucked in a breath.

"ARRG'TCHOOO!!! Gah... Ah... YEASS'TCHOOO!"

The fit did not stop there. Anne cursed between sneezes and tried to excuse herself from the table. She turned her chair away from the others and curled in on herself continuously. Thalia clenched her fist.

"Who is wearing perfume?" she snapped. Many women raised their hands. "Something that isn't Chanel or Armani?" Only one woman left her hand up shyly. "Get out," Thalia growled. "B-but it's on the list!" she protested.

A strong sneeze escaped Anne.

"Go to your desk, now. We'll discuss your position later. But I'd suggest packing your things immediately to save time."

Tears shown in the woman's eyes. "Please, Mrs. Flint! It's on the list! I-"

"Now," Thalia snipped, leaving room for no argument.

The woman rushed out of the room.

Anne gasped for air, bending forward with three desperate explosions.

"Everyone!"

The employees scattered out of the conference room as if she had warned about a fire. Nobody protested. In record time, the room was left with only Thalia and Anne. The latter of which was still sneezing, but less frequently. She turned back to the table, face in her hands.

"MM'PSHIEWW!"

The sneeze was strong compared to others, but weak compared to her own. Thalia sat a cool glass of water in front of her wife. "Are you finished?" she asked, unamused.

"I-" her voice broke and she coughed. "I think so..." She gulped down the water quickly. "Thanks."

Thalia didn't respond. She crossed her arms.

"...I'b sorry," Anne whispered. "By all means, don't apologize to me. I'm not the one you embarrassed in front of all our employees. I'm sure everyone pitties you. Is that what you want? Pity? You made everyone think you were weak, Anne. You're a fucking woman trying to make it in a man's world and you made everyone think you were weak! What is wrong with you?" 

"I didn't mean to. I couldn't help it. It's not like I did it on pur- heh... uh.... HEH-!" She shook her head, indicating a false start. How embarrassing.

Thalia dropped a tissue box in her lap. "Blow your nose, I can't understand you when your Ms are Bs and your Ns are Ds."

Anne did as she was told, producing a rather messy blow. She cleaned herself up, sighing. 

"Hnggtt..."

Thalia made a dissatisfied grunt at the fragile stifle.

"You can't fire her," Anne mumbled. "What?" "Shelly. She's been with us for seven years."

Oh, that brain-dead woman Thalia had threatened.

"Seven years and she still doesn't know which perfumes are on the list?" Anne pinched her nose, fighting off another sneeze. "She was right. It was on the list. I just think... I think my allergies are developing. We might need to update the scents."

Thalia hummed as she heard the wet squelch of Anne rubbing her flushed nose.

"Okay," she said.

Anne nodded and turned her head away. She was sniffling. "

God, are you gonna sneeze again?" Thalia whined.

Anne shook her head. Her breath was shaky. Thalia caught a glimpse of the tears, dripping down her lover's cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong, honey?" she asked with an unfamiliar softness. "I don't feel well, Lia," Anne sobbed. Thalia gathered her into her arms with worry. "Oh, baby, I know. Please don't cry, love." 

Anne was taken by the unexpected affection. "W-was it really that bad?" she asked. She was talking about the meeting. She wanted to know how badly she embarrassed herself.

"No," Thalia promised, rocking her gently. "I'm sorry if I pushed you. I haven't been very kind, have I?" Anne shook her head against Thalia's chest.

"Forgive me?"

"Yes," the shorter woman said. "Are you mad at me?"

Thalia chuckled. Anne's voice was terribly muffled against her. "Of course not, my love." She could feel her lips turn to a smile. Without much warning, Anne sneezed against her breasts. Thalia didn't even flinch.

"Bless you," she mumbled. It was genuine.

"How about we go home early today? We can take a shower, get you some proper antihistamines, and cuddle on the couch. I think Greese comes on at 4."

It was very rarely that Thalia ever suggested cuddling. However, when she did, Anne always took advantage of it.

"Really?" she asked.

"Mmhmm."

Anne smiled.

Thalia sucked at affection more often than not, to put it lightly. But when it mattered most, she was pretty good at it.

It had taken a while for Anne to get used to her wife's somewhat detached manner, but Thalia did care. Perhaps it was not always obvious, but the two woman loved each other with their entire hearts.

And that was truly all that mattered.

[Sneezyfuta]

I love how you spelled the sneezes! Absolutely love this!

[Likesn]

Allergies aren't really my thing, but powerful sneezes from powerful women are always welcomed. Your name suggests that you like sickfics and I'd definitely be interested to read some written by you, if you feel like doing it.

[NoV]

I really liked how you managed to convey Anne's desperation in trying not to sneeze in these scenarios, as well as how unexpectedly huge her sneezes end up being