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❀ you can call me cherry (they/them)! i'm 31, and this is my snz kink blog. if you don't know what that is you should probably turn back now lol
❀ i'm here to share my art & writing, appreciate others' work, and connect with people in this community!
❀ my interests include sneezes of all genders, allergies, illness/sickfic, hurt/comfort, whump, and the like
❀ i’m taken so platonic interactions only please. i'm always happy to make new friends though, so please feel free to reach out, especially if you wanna chat about OCs!
my original content: art | writing | snzarios/prompts
OC directory under the cut
Nat & Toby (M/M)
character references/profiles: here
character tags:
Nat
Toby
stories:
An Encore for Spring (one-shot, 1,683 words): Technically an epilogue to Reunited, but can be read as a standalone. Nat suffers with spring allergies and Toby comforts him.
Reunited (multi-part story, 24,955 words, complete): Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Hayride (one-shot, 1,460 words): Nat & Toby go to a fall festival and try to enjoy their time together despite Nat's allergies.
(awawawawa, another fic in the vein of A Royal Request! this one involves Charlie messing about with Cassie in a dusty library. here's a ref for Cassie! hopefully I'll have one soon for Charlie...oh, here's some cool art of my girls, too!)
Cassiopeia was not what she would consider an avid reader--at least, not anymore. Sure, she read plenty when she was still going to school, and she did keep a shelf of books when she lived with her parents. She still had at least one thing she was reading at a time, now, but that was slow, fitful, and she rarely found the time to make it happen.
But when Princess Charlotte proposed to her, the "scholar" of the group (she still has no idea where that one came from--I mean, she dropped out), that she spend time in the royal library; a place filled with more books than Cassie sincerely believed possible, more than the academy, even, which supposedly had shelves stocked by magic; she obviously said yes.
Walking in, Cassie felt less like a kid in a candy store and more like a kid dropped in the deep end of a candy pool.
It was truly a mind-boggling amount of literature, and she struggled to contain her excitement as she entered. No, in actuality, she failed to contain it. She started shaking--vibrating, more like--and a wide smile thinned her full lips as she pumped both fists together and downright squealed in joy; a sound which, though quieter than it could've been, filled the vast space easily.
"Shh."
Charlotte was sat in a comfortable looking chair, holding open a book that looked older than her kingdom. A plain porcelain finger sat against her lips, indicating that she should whisper. Cassie blushed.
Her giddy smile was met with one just as warm as Charlie watched her barely avoid running up to meet the shelf in front, widened eye scanning each cover for only a second before committing them to memory.
"I'm sure you'd like to explore, but I've already had our royal librarian gather books relevant to the prophecy as it is. And," she paused, gaze unmoved, before finishing "your curse."
Cassie stopped, shock briefly appearing on her face as Charlotte's words slap her back into reality.
...Right. Right.
She needs to focus. She's a dropout, but she can read. She's a mage. She's got this, she just needs to keep her eye on the ball. She's had her time hanging at the window and peaking in; she has to let go or they'll smash her fingers. Right. She's got it. No more childish outbursts. They have more important things to worry about.
She clears her throat.
"Thank you. I'll get started right away."
Sndf.
...Ugh, really?
Walking toward the table, Cassie rubs the itch out of her nose before it can start, smushing her nostrils against her glove and ignoring the cold, wet feeling in the spot where contact was made. The air wasn't heavy with it, but Cassie knew dust when she smelled it--or, at least, her nose reacted to dust when she smelled it. Often unpleasantly. Often unpleasantly and shamefully.
Often unpleasantly and shamefully and at the most humiliating times and if it happened in front of the princess she fears she'd die of embarrassment on the spot, which is why she keeps her nose buried in her wrist as she opens the first book in the stack, sniffling and uncomfortable, hoping to stop an allergy attack before it begins. The dust wasn't quite visible, but it was here.
Charlotte casts more than a few glances in her direction, watching the way she massages up and down along the tip and conceals both nostrils, which must be running by now. Her heart is pounding.
But a princess must maintain her decorum. Besides that, she feels like allowing Cassie to naturally lose to her own body is a little more fun.
And, indeed, she knows...it's only a matter of time, now.
Cassie clears her throat, thicker this time. Charlie looks up on reflex and they briefly make eye contact before both turn away in embarrassment. Charlie looks back first, staring.
"Are you alright?" Both are sweating for different reasons. Cassie nods jerkily.
"Y-yeah! I'm just..." She pauses, hoping Charlie will say something elegant to fill the gap, but she just watches. "...ugh, dust...y-y'know?"
Charlie smiles, feeling her heart leap at the word.
"I do have a handkerchief, if you-"
"N-no!" Charlie's finger reappears at her lips, and Cassie sighs, entirely too on edge right now. "No, I'm...I'm fine, your majesty. I'm well. My nose is just tickly."
No, a handkerchief was unnecessary! Totally...unnecessary. It definitely wasn't because she didn't want Charlotte to worry and dote over her more than she had to.
Charlie isn't sure if she's adding emphasis on purpose, or if she's just hearing things. Maybe a little of both. Either way, Cassie is clueless, which is good.
Charlotte stares down at the barest drops of clear mucus threatening to run down her face, moisture settling in small pools at the edge of both nostrils, shining as they reflect light, traveling back and forth as she sniffles.
Charlotte's throat is dry again. She coughs and disguises it as a scoff.
"Alright then, suit yourself." She's still smiling. Both return their attention to their respective books, and Cassiopeia feels tension drop from her shoulders, now that the attention isn't on her. The dust is still prickling in her nostrils, but that's fine. It's definitely calming down.
Definitely sort of...kind of...okay, no, it's getting worse, and Cassie has started rubbing her eyes as well, trying her hardest to stay focused. She's trying to avoid sniffling, now; as much as her nose is running, every bit of air through her nose just makes it worse, and she doesn't want Charlotte to ask after the sound.
She rubs open palmed. Back and forth, around and around in a circle, searching for any relief she can make. She wipes up, then holds her finger under it, attempting to squash the tickle entirely too late.
She can feel the dust as it settles along each surface in her nose; she imagines the billowing clouds as it stirs up from each subtle little movement of her head, twisting and bending around itself in tiny little teasing, tickly motions as it tumbles and spreads itself everywhere inside, trapped by her finger, as it just tickles, and tickles, and--
She pinches her nose shut, trying to stop thinking about the amount of dust filling out the space in her nose completely, itching and tickling with abandon. She-
"hH-" Oh no...oh no, no, no no no no no...please no...!
A sip of breath is all either of them need to hear to know it's inevitable, by now.
Not that she'll go down without a fight.
"iigGHH-Nnxxkt-! HHh-hHigxshh! Ghh-"
...is what Cassie thinks approximately 2 seconds before she gives in to two half-stifles that are so intense she feels a little dizzy afterward.
The princess turns, doing her best to appear shocked (which isn't actually that difficult; she wasn't expecting Cassie's sneeze to sound so powerful), and paints concern onto her face (which is also not entirely false).
"My. Gods' blessings, dear."
"N-nuh-n-" her eyebrows contract and relax, expression changing with the feeling blossoming in her nose, "N-not done...! N-muh-hiihH-!" Her fingers tense against her nose, head falling forward as she- "ghH-kNnxxshhew! Nxxtsh! Nxxgshh! Hnng-KkxxshhHew-!"
She awaits the princess to shush her again, her voice raising in both pitch and volume as time goes on, shame and regret pooling in her chest like a leaden weight, internally asking why she had to come to the library, why she had to be allergic to dust, why she could never just keep herself under control.
"Poor dear..." The princess's gentle voice adds to her humiliation, reminding her she has an audience, and strengthening Cassie's desire for the floor to swallow her up.
"I'm-I'm s-sorry, I- uhNnkSHhh-sshhh-!"
"Bless you! Goodness..."
The princess didn't know the half of it. Not until Cassie finally decided to separate her face from her hand, revealing a slimy trail of mucus from her nose to-she slaps her hand back over her face, mortified.
Charlie fans herself.
"I-d-y-" Now freed from her tight grip, dust has the opportunity to enter and leave her nose all anew, and again, her breath hitches.
"Kuh-hHIIH-kKssshheww!"
...Oh, she needed that one.
More snot runs from her nose, blown out with the force of another helpless sneeze.
She doesn't want to open her eye, nor does she want to move her hand. In fact, caught between the decision of running away, actually sinking through the floor using magic, and just giving up and breaking down in tears, Cassie is stuck in choice paralysis.
Choice paralysis not quite broken by the impossibly soft fabric wiping her eye for her, following a trail down her face, and copying the motion on the other side, careful not to touch the eyepatch.
"Wh-?!"
"Relax. Allow me."
"N-you-I-maj-majesty, I-I-hHiIh-!"
"Give me your hand."
Cassie tried to shake her head, but Charlie's grip wouldn't budge. She reels, determined to hold back this time, however long Charlotte took with her.
If there was one thing Cassie did not want to do, ever, it was to sneeze in the princess's face by accident.
Unfortunately for her, Charlie took special pleasure in making her wait.
It was hard not to, now that she was seeing, with proper attention, exactly what the dust had done to her...was doing to her.
She hovered at the edge, tongue pressing up and down as Cassie stuttered and gasped, fighting for control with her nose, which prickled and itched at her gentle touch, handkerchief wrapped around Charlotte's hand, cloth fingers dabbing at her nostrils, mopping up mess and sweat in the same motion.
She huffed and heaved, baring her teeth and scarcely holding herself together, wrinkles showing just how much force each muscle of her face strained with, every feature fighting an inevitable release with as much vigor and vitality as her meager body can manage.
It's not enough.
"Hgh-!? Hh-hhih-hh-! Hg-highness-!" She wheezes, hands flapping wildly as she tries to motion for the princess to back up, to stop wiping her face, to-!
The itch suddenly presses itself onto the left wall of Cassie's right nostril, bringing the feeling to a fever pitch and finally overwhelming her.
"UhhIISHHHEEWWw-!"
"Oh!"
Charlie smiles pleasantly, aware her plaything cannot see it. She watches as Cassie's head lurches toward her, eye shut tightly, bottom lip pressing in front of the top as yet more spray meets the princess directly this time.
Cassie doesn't have time to appreciate the great indignity she's put her through.
This time, she doesn't have the luxury of wrestling back control. There is no denying it; she is going to sneeze until the dust is done with her, this time. She hitches up uncontrollably, scarcely able to breathe before-
"Ohh, you poor thing..." With barely contained lust, the princess folded the handkerchief over her hands once more, another layer of cloth shielding the open palm she holds in front of the mage's face.
"Here. Sneeze into this."
"Hh-?! Nuh-h-hHIHH-Hh-highness, I-Hhouhgh-?! I c-" She manages to swallow, the thick feeling briefly silencing her congested, broken protests.
"I-I can't stop sneezing-! hHIEHH-!"
Charlotte's smile widens and she clears her throat, trying to muster concern in her voice.
"It's quite alright, Cassiopeia, I assure you. I've got you. Just let them go."
She whines, still holding out.
"That's an order."
"HiUhngG-GGSCHHEWW! IGHHKKSSSHH-ISSH-HiIISHH-GSSHH-! hHIEKKSHHEWW! EHH-GGKSSHHew-uh-gEH-HIIISHHg! Ehhguh-Hshhh-!Ugh-ggsSHhh! Ughh-!" She whimpers, each successive sneeze doing very little to clear the tickle and doing a great deal to loosen the congestion in her nose.
"Shh, sh sh sh...that's a good girl."
Cassie shudders, ashamed but relieved that Charlie seems to be...receptive to her struggles, at least...
Charlotte submerges her hand in a sea of black, her curls much softer in her hand than she expected. In fact, everything about her seemed softer than she was expecting, more slight of frame, more...pliable than one expected from a hero meant to save the world.
"Huh-IISHH! Ughh..."
Cassie can feel the shape of the princess's hand wrapped around her nose, shielding both nostrils with the cloth as they work to rid themselves of the dust.
It doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, it's getting worse, and she doesn't know why.
There is a lull in her sneezing, and Charlie decides to take her chance before she's trapped in another fit.
She presses her face in, allowing a small gap where Cassie's nose, shining red and profoundly irritated, is visible, and available for a small kiss.
"Dfwhuh-?!?!" The sound of the princess smooching the tip is unmistakable, quiet as it is.
"Such a lovely nose...I thought it needed a kiss."
Cassie's words die in her throat. Her sneezes, on the other hand...
"Egkk-sshheww! Gssh-kkshh-uhhshhew!"
They're taking a lot of the attention she wants to put into questioning what the princess is thinking right now, or what she should do, or-well, there's not much she can do with the princess using one hand to cover her nose, and the other to press her head into her hand.
...And she's continually sneezing...into her hand...into her...
"Hehn-kKsshew!"
Repeated, uncontrollable sneezes, over and over, all held within her delicate hand, guided, under her direction, under her orders, as her...subject, to give in to her nose. To the dust.
To give in to the sneezing fit, and let go.
...Wait, why does this feel like...?
"Finally!"
Cassie jumps, unaware anyone else was in the library with them. Charlie's smile drops.
"I'm finished, ma'am!" A maid appears, popping out from behind one of the enormous shelves sporting a feather duster very heavily laden with dust, as though it were imbued into each feather.
"Every shelf, top to bottom, end to end, across the entire library, dusted as thoroughly as any space can be dusted! This new magic duster you showed me worked like a charm! I didn't need to take any time to clean it, just like you said!"
The maid only now looks up and notices her lady...erm, busy. Very busy.
Very busy with one of the legendary heroes meant to save the world.
Holding a...huh?
"Hihh-gsSSH-eww...!"
...
"Uh-"
"Harriet."
The maid instantly falls to her knees, head to the floor, ready to beg for her job, her life, her family's life-
"Harriet." The princess's voice is cold, crisp, and it stops the maid short.
Harriet raises her head, deigning to look her majesty in the eye. Her expression gives nothing away.
"Leave. Now."
"At-at once, my lady!"
"Wait."
The maid stops short midstep. Cassie's breath hitches, and she pushes her nose deeper into Charlie's hand, trying to rub it.
The princess seems to consider, looking from the girl nestled in her hand to the one halfway out the door.
sneezing while browsing through a record store. boxes and boxes of used, dusty vinyl to sift through in a cramped space. all the shuffling through the boxes causes more of that musty, well-loved smell to filter through the air - as well as more dust.
shelves that haven’t been dusted or well-kept in ages harbouring more of that tingly, tickly dust. sneezing could ruin the vinyl sleeves, or worse, cause you to bump into another box and unleash more dust into your already irritated nose.
pushing back the tip of a person's nose and holding a flower right against their nostrils making them deeply breath it in. You can watch their nostrils twitch quiver and flare in real time but you don't remove the flower. You want to make sure you get as much in them as possible and all that mess will keep the pollen trapped inside if you make them hold back
happy pride to my fellow queer snzfuckers! i hope you all know that you’re sooo beautiful and sexy and loved, and that the world is a better place with you in it!
I love the concept of sneezing into the thing that is causing you to sneeze. You're tickling your nose with a feather duster AND you use the dusty feathers to sneeze into because they're all right in front of your nose???? Same thing with a bouquet of flowers or something fluffy that would tickle your nose like a big pile of fur or feathers. Perhaps an article of clothing with far too much perfume on it.. ouuhh. The way you'd just sneeze and sneeze and sneeze from this 😵💫🩷
How about a certain block of a city street being known as the "allergy block". There's a florist, a perfumerie, a pet store, an incense store, a soap store, a specialty spice shop? And it's one of those shopping districts where most of the stores are open-fronted. And people just get a bit sneezier walking down that block.
Imagine someone who's allergic to all of the above having to walk past on their way to and from work each day.
this takes place shortly after Reunited, but you don't have to know anything about the story or characters for this one. minimal plot, mostly snz here. enjoy!
~~~
"hhehhh…hh'hETCHhieww!"
That's the greeting Toby receives at the door of his boyfriend's apartment, who's appeared before him with his fluffy blonde hair all mussed up, clothes disheveled, and his nose a vibrant shade of red. His mouth is still slightly agape, brows pulled together as soft hitches escape his lips.
He's not done. He never stops with just one, after all.
There's a hearty sniffle from Nat before he answers. "Mmh. Allergies kicking mby ass," he whines, rubbing at his watery blue eyes. "Maybe I should have called idt off today."
He pouts, and the sight pulls at Toby's heartstrings. It's unusual to see his typically bright, sunshine-y boyfriend look so glum. He must really not be feeling well.
"Awh, it's okay. We were just planning to stay in anyway, right? U-Unless you want me to go…"
Nat responds with a low groan, which progresses into a dry cough and thick sniffle. "Nooo, I wanna spend time with you," he whines. "I just don't want you to have to deal with me being gross."
"I don't mind," Toby says quickly. And it's true, in more ways than one. "I-I mean, I don't think you're gross in the first place, s-so you don't have to worry about that."
Slowly, a smile breaks out across Nat's face. Now he's looking more like his usual self.
He huffs a laugh. "Okay, okay. C'mon in," he says, motioning for Toby to enter.
Toby's only been to Nat's apartment once before, and that was for his birthday party. At the time, there were a bunch of other people there, and the place had been prepared for guests. This is his first time here with just the two of them. It's fallen into a bit of disarray, he notices, as he walks toward the living room. Sweaters left in piles, a discarded pack of allergy pills here, empty drinking glasses there.
And tissues. Tissues everywhere.
Nat winces. "God, sorry, I really meant to clean the place up, I just—hh'ITCHhiew!"
He wrenches his body away from Toby, bringing his wrist up to his nose just before taking in a big, wavering inhale.
"hh'ITSCHhu! tschiew-iscchuu! hhITSchuuew!" Another sniffle, then a sigh. "Well, I've been trying to clean, but that keeps happening, and it's kind of exhausting. So I gave up."
Toby gives him a pitying look, and for a minute, he considers cancelling their plans to cuddle and watch TV and instead spend his afternoon cleaning up Nat's apartment for him. But that idea leaves his mind as soon as Nat makes it to the couch and holds his arms open wide, waiting for Toby to join him.
So he does. How could he say no to Nat in such a state? Cleaning will just have to wait.
Nat pulls Toby into his arms, giving him a quick squeeze before letting go to grab the remote. He keeps one arm draped over Toby's shoulders as he scrolls through Netflix's latest offerings.
It's only been about a week since they officially started dating, and Toby is still getting accustomed to the kind of open affection that Nat offers with ease and enthusiasm. Before Nat, Toby had been living somewhat of a socially reclusive life, preferring to stay indoors and having more friends on his phone than in real life. With his family not being the affectionate type, either, human touch wasn't something he experienced often until now.
He likes it—loves it, really. Craves it. But he's not quite sure how to accept it. So, he sits there a bit stiff, quietly basking in the warmth of Nat's embrace.
…at least until Nat nudges him closer, guiding Toby's head down against his chest with a startled little gasp, to which Nat lets out an affectionate chuckle. Over time, Toby settles in, lulled by the rise and fall of Nat's chest.
It's not long before those lulling breaths become short, uneven hitches punctuated by congested sniffles, and Nat starts intermittently rubbing his nose. That seems to stave off the tickle for a while, though each set of hitches sounds more urgent than the last.
"hhehhh…hihh…mmnghh."
Toby's far past the point of paying attention to the show they're watching.
"h-hehh…ihh—?? hhehhh…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Nat pinching his nose between his forefingers, and he's really, really tempted to tell him to just sneeze if he needs to. He can't imagine saying that out loud, though, so he holds his tongue.
Eventually, Nat's attempt to hold back fails, and his body jerks forward with a stifle.
"hehh…hh'nght!"
The movement jolts Toby's head upward, and a shiver runs up his spine. Nat seems to notice his reaction.
"I-It's okay," Toby stammers, wincing at the way his voice cracks on the first syllable.
To his disappointment, Nat tries to shift away. Instinctively, Toby grasps for Nat's shirt, not wanting to give up their closeness just yet.
Nat turns to him with a sly smile. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Just getting a tissue." He ruffles Toby's hair. "So cute."
Toby can feel his face heating up. He returns to an upright position, pressing his thighs together and fixing his gaze at the floor as Nat blows his nose.
While he's waiting for Nat to finish, he takes a steadying breath. Act natural, he tells himself. He's still struggling for composure when Nat resumes his position with his arms open wide. Toby hesitates, but the brief flicker of uncertainty in Nat's expression makes him quickly put aside his internal struggle and settle back into his spot on Nat's chest.
For the next little while, they enjoy cuddling and watching TV without disruptions. Well, mostly, aside from Nat's near-constant sniffling. They're about 30 minutes in when Nat abruptly shifts away, causing Toby to slip out of his arms with a soft noise of confusion.
"S-Sorry, I…" Nat manages to explain between shallow, rapid hitches. "I…f-feel a fit comi-hhing on…"
As the fit picks up, it sounds like he can't even get a breath in between sneezes. Despite feeling a little dazed himself, Toby musters up the presence of mind to place a supportive hand on Nat's back.
"Y-You okay…?"
Nat responds with a sharp, urgent breath before crumpling forward with another rapid fit.
Toby's teeth sink into his tongue as he bites back a moan that tries to escape his throat. Looking for a distraction, his eyes land on the tissue box that Nat retrieved earlier. He picks it up, waiting until there's a small pause in the fit to cautiously offer it to him, but Nat shakes his head.
Once the fit finally seems to have slowed down, Nat accepts the tissue box and grabs a handful, burying his nose deep in them for several minutes. When he's cleaned up, he shoots Toby a pitiful look, eyes still red and streaming.
"Gonna be like this all day, I think…"
That hits Toby right in the heart. He scoots closer to Nat, closing the distance until their legs are flush and wrapping an arm around his taller frame.
"That, um…s-sounds like it really sucks, I-I'm sorry," Toby soothes, trying to keep his voice even. "Can I get you anything? I assume you already took medicine today…?"
Frowning, Nat nods. "It hasn't really been helping lately, though."
"Oh…" Toby trails off, unsure of what to say.
Nat collapses back into the couch with a frustrated groan. "I probably need to try something else…gah, sorry. I didn't mean to be such a drag today." He glances over at Toby, eyes glimmering with the remnants of allergic tears. "I promise I'm usually more fun to hang out with."
"This is fun-" Toby starts, but quickly catches himself, "I-I mean, I always have fun spending time with you, no matter what. And besides, you can't help it. S-So you don't need to be sorry. I just wish I could do something to make you feel better."
Nat pauses to think. "Well, there is something…" He averts his gaze, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. "Could I lay down…?"
"Yeah! Of course!" Toby scrambles to make space for Nat to lay down on the couch, but he grabs hold of Toby's thigh before he can move.
"I wanna lay right here," Nat emphasizes, looking pointedly at Toby's lap.
"Oh!" Toby squeaks. "U-Um, sure."
Nat's face lights up, and he starts leaning down to claim his spot. Just before his head reaches Toby's lap, Toby grabs a nearby pillow and slides it underneath.
Once Nat's made himself comfortable, he takes Toby's hand in his own, guiding it up to his head. Instantly, Toby takes the cue to stroke his hair. Nat looks the happiest he's been all day.
There's a few moments of peaceful silence before he speaks up again.
"You sure you don't mind having the world's sneeziest boyfriend?
Toby goes still for a moment, then clears his throat, pulling himself together. "Not at all," he reassures Nat, trying his best to sound unaffected as he continues to run his fingers through his blonde waves. "I, um…I-I think you're pretty much the perfect boyfriend, actually."
Nat smiles widely, and soon, his eyelids fall closed, their TV show long forgotten by now. In a few minutes, he's fast asleep, as evidenced by his congested snores.
For the rest of the afternoon, Toby holds him, keeping a close eye on his flaring nostrils the whole time.
so i’m pretty sure t/omodachi l/ife has a couple different snz sounds?? like i saw a clip of someone else’s mii and it sounded nothing like the one i heard on my own game…if they really do have unique sneezes that’s really cute 😭
this takes place shortly after Reunited, but you don't have to know anything about the story or characters for this one. minimal plot, mostly snz here. enjoy!
~~~
"hhehhh…hh'hETCHhieww!"
That's the greeting Toby receives at the door of his boyfriend's apartment, who's appeared before him with his fluffy blonde hair all mussed up, clothes disheveled, and his nose a vibrant shade of red. His mouth is still slightly agape, brows pulled together as soft hitches escape his lips.
He's not done. He never stops with just one, after all.
There's a hearty sniffle from Nat before he answers. "Mmh. Allergies kicking mby ass," he whines, rubbing at his watery blue eyes. "Maybe I should have called idt off today."
He pouts, and the sight pulls at Toby's heartstrings. It's unusual to see his typically bright, sunshine-y boyfriend look so glum. He must really not be feeling well.
"Awh, it's okay. We were just planning to stay in anyway, right? U-Unless you want me to go…"
Nat responds with a low groan, which progresses into a dry cough and thick sniffle. "Nooo, I wanna spend time with you," he whines. "I just don't want you to have to deal with me being gross."
"I don't mind," Toby says quickly. And it's true, in more ways than one. "I-I mean, I don't think you're gross in the first place, s-so you don't have to worry about that."
Slowly, a smile breaks out across Nat's face. Now he's looking more like his usual self.
He huffs a laugh. "Okay, okay. C'mon in," he says, motioning for Toby to enter.
Toby's only been to Nat's apartment once before, and that was for his birthday party. At the time, there were a bunch of other people there, and the place had been prepared for guests. This is his first time here with just the two of them. It's fallen into a bit of disarray, he notices, as he walks toward the living room. Sweaters left in piles, a discarded pack of allergy pills here, empty drinking glasses there.
And tissues. Tissues everywhere.
Nat winces. "God, sorry, I really meant to clean the place up, I just—hh'ITCHhiew!"
He wrenches his body away from Toby, bringing his wrist up to his nose just before taking in a big, wavering inhale.
"hh'ITSCHhu! tschiew-iscchuu! hhITSchuuew!" Another sniffle, then a sigh. "Well, I've been trying to clean, but that keeps happening, and it's kind of exhausting. So I gave up."
Toby gives him a pitying look, and for a minute, he considers cancelling their plans to cuddle and watch TV and instead spend his afternoon cleaning up Nat's apartment for him. But that idea leaves his mind as soon as Nat makes it to the couch and holds his arms open wide, waiting for Toby to join him.
So he does. How could he say no to Nat in such a state? Cleaning will just have to wait.
Nat pulls Toby into his arms, giving him a quick squeeze before letting go to grab the remote. He keeps one arm draped over Toby's shoulders as he scrolls through Netflix's latest offerings.
It's only been about a week since they officially started dating, and Toby is still getting accustomed to the kind of open affection that Nat offers with ease and enthusiasm. Before Nat, Toby had been living somewhat of a socially reclusive life, preferring to stay indoors and having more friends on his phone than in real life. With his family not being the affectionate type, either, human touch wasn't something he experienced often until now.
He likes it—loves it, really. Craves it. But he's not quite sure how to accept it. So, he sits there a bit stiff, quietly basking in the warmth of Nat's embrace.
…at least until Nat nudges him closer, guiding Toby's head down against his chest with a startled little gasp, to which Nat lets out an affectionate chuckle. Over time, Toby settles in, lulled by the rise and fall of Nat's chest.
It's not long before those lulling breaths become short, uneven hitches punctuated by congested sniffles, and Nat starts intermittently rubbing his nose. That seems to stave off the tickle for a while, though each set of hitches sounds more urgent than the last.
"hhehhh…hihh…mmnghh."
Toby's far past the point of paying attention to the show they're watching.
"h-hehh…ihh—?? hhehhh…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Nat pinching his nose between his forefingers, and he's really, really tempted to tell him to just sneeze if he needs to. He can't imagine saying that out loud, though, so he holds his tongue.
Eventually, Nat's attempt to hold back fails, and his body jerks forward with a stifle.
"hehh…hh'nght!"
The movement jolts Toby's head upward, and a shiver runs up his spine. Nat seems to notice his reaction.
"I-It's okay," Toby stammers, wincing at the way his voice cracks on the first syllable.
To his disappointment, Nat tries to shift away. Instinctively, Toby grasps for Nat's shirt, not wanting to give up their closeness just yet.
Nat turns to him with a sly smile. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Just getting a tissue." He ruffles Toby's hair. "So cute."
Toby can feel his face heating up. He returns to an upright position, pressing his thighs together and fixing his gaze at the floor as Nat blows his nose.
While he's waiting for Nat to finish, he takes a steadying breath. Act natural, he tells himself. He's still struggling for composure when Nat resumes his position with his arms open wide. Toby hesitates, but the brief flicker of uncertainty in Nat's expression makes him quickly put aside his internal struggle and settle back into his spot on Nat's chest.
For the next little while, they enjoy cuddling and watching TV without disruptions. Well, mostly, aside from Nat's near-constant sniffling. They're about 30 minutes in when Nat abruptly shifts away, causing Toby to slip out of his arms with a soft noise of confusion.
"S-Sorry, I…" Nat manages to explain between shallow, rapid hitches. "I…f-feel a fit comi-hhing on…"
As the fit picks up, it sounds like he can't even get a breath in between sneezes. Despite feeling a little dazed himself, Toby musters up the presence of mind to place a supportive hand on Nat's back.
"Y-You okay…?"
Nat responds with a sharp, urgent breath before crumpling forward with another rapid fit.
Toby's teeth sink into his tongue as he bites back a moan that tries to escape his throat. Looking for a distraction, his eyes land on the tissue box that Nat retrieved earlier. He picks it up, waiting until there's a small pause in the fit to cautiously offer it to him, but Nat shakes his head.
Once the fit finally seems to have slowed down, Nat accepts the tissue box and grabs a handful, burying his nose deep in them for several minutes. When he's cleaned up, he shoots Toby a pitiful look, eyes still red and streaming.
"Gonna be like this all day, I think…"
That hits Toby right in the heart. He scoots closer to Nat, closing the distance until their legs are flush and wrapping an arm around his taller frame.
"That, um…s-sounds like it really sucks, I-I'm sorry," Toby soothes, trying to keep his voice even. "Can I get you anything? I assume you already took medicine today…?"
Frowning, Nat nods. "It hasn't really been helping lately, though."
"Oh…" Toby trails off, unsure of what to say.
Nat collapses back into the couch with a frustrated groan. "I probably need to try something else…gah, sorry. I didn't mean to be such a drag today." He glances over at Toby, eyes glimmering with the remnants of allergic tears. "I promise I'm usually more fun to hang out with."
"This is fun-" Toby starts, but quickly catches himself, "I-I mean, I always have fun spending time with you, no matter what. And besides, you can't help it. S-So you don't need to be sorry. I just wish I could do something to make you feel better."
Nat pauses to think. "Well, there is something…" He averts his gaze, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. "Could I lay down…?"
"Yeah! Of course!" Toby scrambles to make space for Nat to lay down on the couch, but he grabs hold of Toby's thigh before he can move.
"I wanna lay right here," Nat emphasizes, looking pointedly at Toby's lap.
"Oh!" Toby squeaks. "U-Um, sure."
Nat's face lights up, and he starts leaning down to claim his spot. Just before his head reaches Toby's lap, Toby grabs a nearby pillow and slides it underneath.
Once Nat's made himself comfortable, he takes Toby's hand in his own, guiding it up to his head. Instantly, Toby takes the cue to stroke his hair. Nat looks the happiest he's been all day.
There's a few moments of peaceful silence before he speaks up again.
"You sure you don't mind having the world's sneeziest boyfriend?
Toby goes still for a moment, then clears his throat, pulling himself together. "Not at all," he reassures Nat, trying his best to sound unaffected as he continues to run his fingers through his blonde waves. "I, um…I-I think you're pretty much the perfect boyfriend, actually."
Nat smiles widely, and soon, his eyelids fall closed, their TV show long forgotten by now. In a few minutes, he's fast asleep, as evidenced by his congested snores.
For the rest of the afternoon, Toby holds him, keeping a close eye on his flaring nostrils the whole time.
a caretaker using positive reinforcement on a stubborn sickie by calling them good boy/girl when they comply (taking meds, eating food, resting, not stifling their sneezes, etc)
Someone in a heatwave desperately searching for their fan, which has been sitting in storage collecting dust for months. Upon finding it, they immediately plug it in and switch it on, too hot and tired to consider the huge clouds of dust dispersing across the room...
