the Smallville sick episode (cleverly titled âSneezeâ) is soooo lewd. they say âsneezeâ so many times. thereâs too many references to his stuffy nose. so much sickie talk. oh my god?????
[Please please please edit this. I wrote this more or less off the top of my head. More detailcan be added.]
Pre-1990s: ???????????
199?: Nylone//er does a bunch of snezkink videos. Some get uploaded
199?: Tar//otgalâs Tarot of Sneezing
199?: Bon//diâs first site (Sneezing Girls)
199?: Temptres19
199?: Vivian from Hardcore Box
199?: InsideTheWeb boards (J.Perez)
199?: Geoc//ities and webrings
Late 1990s-today(kinda): Bon//diâs 2nd page
200?: Serotica
200?: SFF
200?: Youtube, Google Video, Vimeo, et al
2000s: Clips4Sale
2009: Sneezing Beauties (Tay//lor St. Cl//air, C4S)
2010s: Tumblr
2010s: Chhinkni
2016: WAZOO
199x: Usenet?? Was there ever a sf newsgroup?
1996(?): Sneezing Fetish Online by Professor S (I donât really remember it but it gets cited as the first sf web page)
1997 (if not 1996): Tarotgalâs Tarot of Sneezing
1997/1998: The Belltower (Belletower?)
1999/2000s(?): Kushami Room
thereâs more I can find when Iâm home if anyone is interested/wants to reminisce haha
Nylone//er discovery was a moment in time forever stamped into my life journey. It was previously a lone trek shouldering the question of why I was the only person on Earth into snz. Things were never the same again â€ïžđ€žđ»ââïž
i am genuinely fascinated by the anthropology of the sneeze kink community and its birth online. as someone born after 1999, i did not live in a world without internet. itâs all iâve ever known, so access to a broader market of people has always been a reality for me, especially someone who went to covid school and had to form relationships online primarily because outside was deleted. i want to read a study of this history very badly.
tldr: itâs just really cool to see someone was writing snzfics in 1996, the same way i do in 2025 and i wasnât even born yet.
Hello everybody! I'm so excited to share this wav with you all! I had multiple requests that were similar, so I combined them into one wav and collaborated with the AMAZING @waterfallofspace who was kind enough to lend me her amazing voice! This is as NSFW as I've gotten - implied sensuality, but nothing explicit.
My kink partner wanted to tie me up for some bedroom fun, and she decided to use a feather (amongst other things) to tease my nose. The catch is, I can't sneeze until she gives me permission... will I be able to hold back until she let's me sneeze, or will I fail?
Contains: Hitches like I've never hitched before, holdbacks, sneezes, playful banter, and talking through buildups.
Requests that this is fulfilling include inducing with a feather, some sub/dom dynamics (pretty mild, but about all I've got in me), being induced until the last moment then taking the inducing tool away, and playful banter.
Please let me know if you enjoyed, and for sure send some praise towards @waterfallofspace for her beautiful contribution! It's way better than my pitch-altered alien-sounding voice. Hit me up with any ideas/requests, and leave a comment if you enjoyed!
đ¶ Take me, into insanity!đ¶ 90s vibe there if you don't know the song đ€žđ»ââïž
Well I've had this snask/comment for ages and haven't rapid fired for so long on camera but today someone's beautiful perfume overwhelmed me just walking by me in a shop! It filled my nostrils and was still deep inside my nose, cemented to my hitch nerves when I was able to stop holding back. I didn't plan for rapid for but that's what I got!
I hope these drive you as insane I they felt when I was sneezing them. At one point I thought they may last forever đ
Thank you for your lovely message â€ïžđ€žđ»ââïž
I especially liked your big, loose sneezes at the end of your dusting scenario wav đ”
If you're comfortable, I would like to request a scenario where you are dealing with a stubborn tickly nose and stuck sneezes which cause lots of hitching until someone helps you to induce which results in big, wet, loose sneezes. I also like your commentary during your buildups, too, if that's something you could include?
Of course if you feel it's too similar to other requests you've recieved or you'd prefer not to then dw!! Thank you for all your lovely wavs! đ<3
Hey Anon! Thank you so much for your kind words and fun request! Here you go:
POV: I come home from work and complain of feeling super tickly but not able to get sneezes out. You volunteer to help me out (how kind of you!)
Contains: banter, false starts, hitching, some swearing, and sneezes!
**DO NOT REBLOG TO ANY NON-KINK BLOGS**
As always, let me know what you think! I love hearing if you guys like my stuff. If you have any requests/ideas, hit me up! I love you all!
Anyway I heard you guys were talking about villains sneezing mid-monologue and thought you'd want to know about this summary of The Inv/isible Man by Anonymous Artist Friend. Because it is very accurate.
As an English majorâŠyeah, this is pretty much the whole book.
He canât wear clothes, otherwise heâll be discovered, and he is constantly on the run. So of course he is constantly coughing, sneezing, just plain miserable throughout the entire book.
He is, of course, a scary character â prone to violent spells, manipulative, very intelligent. But part of that fear is deflated by the fact that he is just this sickly, sniffly little toothpick of a man the whole time.
It wouldnât surprise me if half the strange things heâs said is because of a terrible fever he hasnât had a chance to recover from. And listen, if I was constantly suffering from the worst cold of my life, Iâd be pretty angry too!
I feel like the book would only be a few chapters long if he found a doctor that has seen WAY weirder, and that took care of that raging cold.
My question isâŠwould the MESS be invisible? Probably, since that is a product of his body. Imagine walking down the street, hearing an enormous sneeze and then suddenly being misted with cold, sickly sprayâŠ
Some Signs of having a Fever (and you might not know it)
Feeling cold even when the temperature is warm or you are buried in blankets
Chills that come and go
Headache (very common, particularly behind the eyes)
Mild to moderate nausea
Feeling like your body is really hot and your extremities are cold
Racing or thudding heart
Changes in breathing, faster and shallower usually but sometimes the opposite
Cold sweating
Fatigue
Wandering or incoherent thoughts or severe brain fog
Achy joints
Weakness
Feeling sick when you drink something cold or if room temp water feels cold
Noticing your eyes water a lot
A hot, sticky feeling in the back of the throat
Getting dizzy all of a sudden or experiencing vertigo when moving
Your eyes physically hurt
extra crackly joints.
Restlessness
Just. Odd behavior in general. Maybe you got the sudden urge to call someone you havenât talked to in years. Maybe you just feel like laying on the floor for no apparent reason. Maybe you get the idea that the wall might taste good. Goes along with wandering and incoherent thoughts.
Sudden anxiety that compels you to find other people. Anyoneâs company is better than none and you canât explain why. The idea of being by yourself is suddenly unpleasant. I refer to this as the Puppy Response.
Alternatively a compulsion to hide and bunker down away from everyone else. I call this the Cat Response.
What I call Panic or Manic Circling where youâre a specific kind of restless thatâs compelling you to find somewhere to be but you donât know where âitâ wants you to go or why, so you just kinda go in circles hoping the answer jumps out at you.
Bizarre emotional states. Maybe youâre extra moody, or youâre ugly crying for no obvious reason. Maybe youâre unusually elated or happy, (that oneâs always sus to me) or get upset over absolutely nothing. Maybe a depression spiral hits you out of nowhere and wonât quit.
Perhaps itâs because I have OCD too(brand spanking new diagnosis), but I find that compulsive comfort behaviors are suddenly much more frustrating or nitpicky when I have a fever or donât feel good in general.
Now all of these can happen independently of a fever and for lots of other reasons, but I have found that if more than like three are happening all at the same time, I should check my temperature.
I have an unusual quirk (though itâs not really odd for ADHD or autistics, much less AuDHD) in that my body is absolutely terrible at telling me something is wrong and tends to find the weirdest ways of expressing that.
I have, for the record, checked my temperature when I had like 9 of these all coinciding and I actually really felt like I had a fever, and have a temp of a whole whopping 99.5. (Like now) I have also checked my temperature when I only had 3, all the emotional ones, and my temperature was 104.2. For some reason the higher my fever gets the less able to feel it I become, so Iâve learned to do a self check of these symptoms often.
I feel like these may be useful for anyone writing a sick character and wondering how they could possibly not know theyâre feverish, especially very feverish. Plus itâs interesting to see if other people experience these odd things.
Details: 11k, M sneezes, no pairing (for this part)
Summary: A secret agent is going undercover for a few days, and his target has a sneeze fetish. When preparing his next move, he finds even the best laid plans go awry.
PART 2 - PART 3 -
EVERYONE đ„čđ Thank you so, so much for your continued support and kindness!!!! đ Iâm just over the moon that folks are enjoying this and Iâve deeply appreciated all the likes, comments, reblogs, and asks!! I feel like Iâll never be able to say thank you enough times to everyone đđ Please know that Iâve read each and every wonderful word you all have said and those sentiments have given me soul power!!! đ«
This is a fluffy interlude, but it will spice up again in Part 4! đ These are original characters, all in their mid twenties to early thirties. Please mind the warnings if anything here might be uncomfy for you.
(Warnings: Unrealistic science, Mess Liteâą, getting sneezed on [accidentally, not in detail], questionable coworker dynamics [discussing sexual pleasure in a professional way], humiliation themes [main character gets embarrassed from sexual discussion], micro/macro [itâs a dream], masturbation, being induced by another person [not on purpose], feeling pleasure from sneezing).
THIS STORY IS NSFW!
-
The Wooden Lantern, tomorrow, 6:30pm.Â
Omicron knew the place. Heâd studied the resortâs directory extensively before they arrived. It was a high class, low-light, white table cloth and well-dressed waiter kind of restaurant. Either Josaline and her husband booked a reservation far in advance or they had the clout to demand one. The backdrop set the tone â extravagant, intimate, an evening of whispered banter. They better not expect me to pay, he thought, weaving around a housekeeper with a cart of towels and sheets. Head office probably wonât foot the bill.
It took longer than planned to pry himself away from Josaline. She was content to lounge for as long as heâd let her, asking him idle questions and tracing shapes on his chest with the tips of her fingers. All the while, she watched his nose. To Omicron it seemed like she was reluctant to miss even a second of his nasal misery, and she was treated to a fair amount of sniffling, sneezing, and nose blowing while they talked. When he finally managed to extricate himself, he surmised his nose was as red as the sunset. The light painted brilliant streaks over the coastline and reduced distant seagulls to silhouettes as they flew over sparkling water.Â
And somehow, looking too long at the birds flapping their wings meant he had to sneeze. Bitterly, Omicron tucked a finger beneath his nostrils. They began to flare, anxious as the tickle took flight somewhere in his sinuses. Indulging this in his hotel room was better than the hallway, so Omicron picked up his pace. He could feel the sensation worsen, his nerves trembling, and soon a whole flock of frantic tickles startled into motion.
â-hhHH-â He flipped his hand up over his nose and increased his power walk to a near sprint.
â-gUH!hhh..HHH-â He skidded to his room door and through tears he scanned the keycard, shoved himself inside-
âHHEHâDZZssch!â
âOh, here he is. He just got back.â
Omicron eased his eyes open long enough to see Agent Delta with his phone to his ear, frowning at him.
âBless-â
â-IHCHZSSHâoo!â He flattened a hand to his chest, feeling himself breathe and breathe and- â..hah!-CHIZSSHâuh!.. ngghh..â
Omicron groaned and belatedly nosed into his shirt, at this point a decimated, jumbo-sized rag hanging limply from his hand.
âBless you.â Delta delivered it firmly, and asked in the same tone, âHow are you feeling?â
âWhad?â he asked, muffled at first before he lowered the shirt. âIâb fine.â
The senior agent gave him a doubtful once-over, then spoke to whomever was on the phone. âHe says heâs fine.â
Muzzily, Omicron looked down at himself. Then sidelong to the closet door mirror. He stood only in his swim trunks, bare from his hips up with hair made wild by hungry hands and a smattering of burgundy lipstick across his throat. Worst was his nose, just as raw and sore looking as it felt. It twitched as he watched, his nostrils slowly stretching wide. His expression collapsed by degrees, jaw slacking, eyelids fluttering, chin tilting, chest lifting in one long breath.
âhhhhhHHHâADZSSHiew!!â he sneezed, and threw himself a step forward.
Delta sighed. âBless you.â
Once again Omicron lifted his shirt late and huffed a frustrated sigh of his own. When the tickle came over him, he couldnât do more than simply sneeze. His days of diligent etiquette were long behind him now. There was a tap on his shoulder and when he looked up, Delta was standing in front of him with a fresh box of unscented, lotion-infused tissues. Omicron could have cried.
âThagâk you-â he choked, snatching a handful just before he â-hdâZZSSCH!-guh..â
He transitioned his groan into a strengthless blow of his nose. Even for how little effort he used, the action was productive â more audibly than he would have preferred. At least the tissues didnât chafe. It took several rounds, Delta patiently holding the box for him, until Omicronâs sniffling was stuffy but dry. The tickle relaxed as much as it ever did, tracing shapes against his membranes. It reminded him of Josaline. By the time he was finished, Delta had traded the box for the roomâs little trash bin.Â
âYes, just a moment..â he said into the phone, then tipped the bin expectantly at Omicron. Meekly, he dropped in all his tissues (as well as his shirt, it was a lost cause) as Delta continued. âLet me speak with him first.â
Omicron tried to cobble together some semblance of professionalism. He straightened his spine and folded his hands into a parade rest to deliver his report. âSir, there is a new development-â
âApologies, Omicron, that will have to wait,â Delta bulldozed over him. âSomethingâs come up.â
A prickle of anxiety raised the hairs at the back of his neck. â⊠Sir?â
âIt concerns your condition,â Delta replied, and his faltering loss of eye contact didnât reassure Omicron in the slightest. âItâs a.. delicate subject, so Iâll leave this to Dr. Voster.â
Omicron closed his eyes in exasperation. Heâd forgotten about her. Shit. Delta passed him the phone, and then very conspicuously occupied himself across the room.
Bracing himself, Omicron lifted the phone to his ear. âYes?â
âHi, Agent Omicron,â said Dr. Voster in a tinny voice from the receiver. âYouâre a hard man to get a hold of lately.â
âWell, Iâve been a bit busy,â he said, then lifted a fist to his nose. Idle as the tickle was, the incessant, gossamer sensation of it was beginning to bother him. âForgive me if I donât have time to shoot the breeze.â
âYou think Iâd come to you for small talk? Iâd have better luck with a brick wall.â
âNoted,â he replied as he glanced around for the tissue box. He found it sitting on his bed. âAre you calling to berate me or is there something you want?â
âIf you remember from yesterday,â she insisted with unnecessary attitude, âIâm calling to talk about your nose.â
The tickle twinged, perking up like a dog to a whistling call. The rims of his eyes grew wet. His breath hiccuped. âIâd reahh- hly rather not.â
âToo bad, Iâll cut to the chase: are you getting erections when you sneeze?â
Her words pierced him like arrows, followed by the bleed of heat into his cheeks, ears, and neck. Omicronâs hand froze halfway to his face, tissues hovering. She knows, his mind shrieked. She knows. He whipped his head to Delta, who was faffing pointlessly with his suitcase while pretending to ignore the conversation unfolding across the room. And so does he.
âYour silence is telling,â said Anita.
âNo.â His mind was static and his mouth was dry. Words wouldnât flow. âIâm not.. No.â
The lie was so poorly delivered that it wouldnât have fooled anyone. Sweat slinked down his nape. Dr. Voster blew a breath over the line, sharp and rueful. âWelp. That oneâs on me.â
He darted another glance to Delta and caught the man staring just before they simultaneously turned away. Meanwhile, the tickle followed the path of a twitching nerve with a light, curious touch. Hunching his shoulders and scrunching his face, Omicron mumbled into the receiver.Â
âWhatâs that supposed tuhh.. to mean?â
âYour reaction at the lab was extreme, in relation to the vigor of your sneezing as well as the presence of physiological responses indicating arousal,â she explained, her tone appreciably analytic despite the awkward topic. âDilated pupils, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating..â
She suspected it from the beginning? Omicron reeled. It made sense; she was impressively educated and one of the most respected techs at the agency. Her knowledge ranged from biology, physiology, immunology, and beyond. In retrospect, heâd been a fool to think he could ever hide something like this from her.Â
âEven so, I couldnât be sure. It warranted further research and I found something unexpected.â
Omicron pushed a hand through his hair, pressing his thumb into the soft indent of his temple. Heâd walked in here with a headache and he could tell this conversation would only make it worse. âOh?â
âItâs a little known fact that parts of the nose contain the same type of erectile tissue as the genitals, and both are linked to the bodyâs autonomic nervous system.âÂ
As she spoke, the tickle feathered a persistent, teasing swirl around a sensitive spot. His inflamed membranes pulsed insistently, as did his chapped nostrils. He tried his damned best to ignore it. â... Pardon?â
âI believe because I gave you a higher dose of viral particles than you needed, the overstimulation of your nasal nerves is causing an echoing effect to the erectile tissue in your penis.â
A dangerous emotion lurched up from Omicronâs stomach and got caught behind his teeth: anger. It warred, then mixed, with his humiliation. Exhaustion eroded his willingness to swallow it back down.Â
âThis is actually not unheard of. Kinks aside, some people experience this during intercourse, or even from simply thinking about sex, though usually the arousal causes sneezing rather than the other way around..â
Anita blathered on about speculative science, and the bubbling pot of annoyance heâd nursed since the start of this assignment at last began to boil over. Frustration erupted into rage.
â..Still, itâs a variable I completely overlooked. Iâm sorry, Omicron.â
âSorry?â he barked, raising his volume to a throat-scratching degree. âYouâre sorry? Are you serious?â
There was a pause over the line. â.. Yes?â
âSorry isnât going to cut it.â The ardor in his voice vibrated in his sinuses, heightening the caressing sensations of the tickle, which only angered him more. âYhh-You told me I wouldnât b-be comprhhuh-.. hhmised by your stupid experiment!â
âThat was before I saw its effects in action. I advised you not to go forward with the mission, remember? I only agreed in front of Delta because you looked so sad. It was foolish on my part. I shouldâve grounded you.â
âSo that I could suffer for your mbistake??â he demanded. His nostrils shivered and he shoved them with the heel of his palm. Congestion clogged his words. âIâve waited so long for this mbission, Anita, you kdnow I have!â
âIt wasnât my intention to compromise you, Omicron,â and while she said it with contrition, there was also resignation. âI canât predict every outcome. Itâs just one of those things.â
The pragmatism in her voice only fueled his fire, but before he could assemble his response, the tickle struck. Even in the throes of wrath it wouldnât leave him be. Its touch seeped through his nose like a spill. His lungs jumped with a single breath, and then Omicronâs head snapped down.Â
âDDJZSSshâoo!â
The sneeze staggered him two steps back and another was fast on the rise. It held him hostage in its grip, but Anitaâs curt âbless youâ in his ear waylaid the urge. He fulcrumed a finger beneath his nose to buy time. Emotion roared up from his chest and broke out of him in a rambling crash.Â
âI get one chandce! One. To prove mbyself and if I fail theyâre gonna relegate mbe to archives and filing duties for the rest of mby career!!â
He was peripherally aware of Delta, whoâd at some point moved to stand in front of him. There was something in his hand, a gadget Omicron recognized but couldnât think to name. His vision tunneled, dark at the edges. His heart pounded in his ears. His nose twitched ominously, not to be delayed much longer.Â
âI c-.. hhhanâdt lose this case,â he was babbling, quicker and quicker when his nostrils began to flare. The burgeoning sneeze tugged his eyelids shut and stole his breath away. âItâll- it.. iyeehhâŠh-HH!hckâKZSShiu!â
Dr. Voster took the opportunity to cut in; she sounded deliberately calm as he sniffled fitfully through a recovery. âOmicron, listen to me, youâre catastrophizing. Slow down for a second and breathe.â
âNdo, you listen!â His voice cracked and an ugly desperation made itself known. âTheyâll really do it, if Iâb ndot perfect theyâll write mbe off aâd Iâll end up a cautionary tale, theyâll laugh mbe out of the agency, everythiâg Iâve worked for will be for dnothiâg, I-â
Glowing numbers flashed in front of his eyes. Omicron startled, teetering unevenly on his feet. At first he had no idea what it was, but as his vision steadied the image formed. Delta stood before him, grim, offering the readout screen of an infrared thermometer.
The numbers read 102.4°F / 39.1°C . Omicron squinted at them, uncomprehending.
â... whatâs thad?â he rasped.
Deltaâs reply was immediate and immutable. âYour fever.â
Omicron blinked. Squinted harder. Read the numbers again even as they started to blur. I have a fever? he asked himself. As his fury ebbed, new sensations emerged: the painful heat radiating from his head, a pervasive chill seeping from his core, the weakness in his knees and the cotton in his ears. He began listing to the side. The phone slipped from his hand.
Oh, he realized. I have a fever.
âOop!â Delta dashed and caught him before he could swoon to the floor. Together they sank in a controlled descent as the senior agent muttered, âEasy now, easy..â under his breath. Once they were down, Omicron tucked his head into his knees and tried to fend off the headrush.
Indistinct voices floated around him. He could only catch snippets of conversation â âhigh grade temperature,â and âwant you here by morningâ â and he gave up on the rest. Instead, he concentrated on the bracing passes of Deltaâs broad hand across the span of his sweaty shoulders. It took longer than he liked, but eventually Omicron raised his head with minimal dizziness. He stared into the weave of the carpet.
âDid she hang up?â
âYes,â Delta said beside him. âShe gave me a list of questions to ask you when youâre feeling a bit better.â
Omicron dropped his head back to his knees. â... is she upset?â
âAt your outburst?â Delta asked, and his subordinate cringed. âSheâs more worried about you than upset, but you wouldnât be remiss to apologize when she arrives.â
In the aftermath of his tantrum, clarity pricked him like a thorn. This was as much his fault as it was Anitaâs. It was true her virus yielded unexpected results, but by concealing them from her, heâd failed in his responsibility as a teammate. She put her trust in him, and he let her down. There were few things more painful for him than owning his mistakes.
Stewing in his shame, he sniffled and said the only thing he could say. âIâb sorry, sir.â
Deltaâs smile grew warm at the edges. âIâm not the one you shouted at, but Iâll accept your apology since you lied to me too.â
God, he wished the ground would just swallow him whole. Omicron folded into an even smaller ball, arms tightening around his shins. The position made his nose run, which required frequent snuffling for maintenance, but heâd rather do that than look Delta in the eye.
âI expect honesty from you, agent. Full stop. Not a single lie moving forward, either directly or by omission. Am I understood?â
Omicron could barely force himself above a whisper. âYes, sir.â
âNot just about the virus,â his superior continued, âbut also your wellbeing. Youâve put so much pressure on yourself, Omicron. I had no idea you were under the impression that this assignment would be your only chance to succeed.â
Without anger as a shield, heâd lost his last defense. Deltaâs sympathy felt like a punch in the gut. Even worse, his near constant sniffles were going to make him sneeze. He keenly felt each bead of moisture drip down his stressed passages, then skate back up with every subsequent snatch of air. It was unabating, alluring, and it coaxed little sighs from his lip when he exhaled. He didnât have to wait long.
â..hhâMMPHssh!!Huh..â Omicron muffled it into his knees, his entire body trembling. Then he hurried to respond before he could be blessed. â-but itâs true, righd?â
âCome again?â Delta asked, and when Omicron spoke it again with more volume, he could hear Deltaâs brow furrow just from the way he replied, âNo, itâs not true at all. Did someone tell you differently?â
With reluctance, Omicron lifted his head and confirmed with a stuffy mumble. â.. Agent Rho did.â
âRho!â Delta scoffed, as if he could scold the agent from here. His voice lowered to a grumble, and that told Omicron exactly how Delta felt about Rho. âDonât listen to them. They enjoy scaring less experienced agents.â
(Here Omicron swore a silent, seething vow that he would exact calculated revenge upon Agent Rho for their transgressions against him. Delta continued, oblivious.)
âA reprehensible practice, but between you and I, head office rarely entertains my complaints on the matter.â
Head office⊠Fuzzy worries came into focus as Omicron muddled through another lazy, slow-to-arrive sneeze. The fog of it clouded his expression as he tried in vain to soldier on.
âAre you goiâg t-.. hihâKIZSsh!â he bobbed his head, then slitted his eyes open only for them to flutter closed again. â..ehKZSShâuh!... mmbgh..âÂ
âBless you,â said Delta, watching Omicron cup a hand over his nose. âHere, use these.â
Delta held out the tissue box, still half-full with soft paper, and Omicron plucked out several. His breath hitched high, voice heady, as he attempted to relay gratitude.Â
âTh-hhah.. ahâNKZSSSâhoo!â He crushed it into the tissues, and then flushed with a fresh layer of chagrin when Delta chuckled.
âBless you, Omicron, youâre welcome.â He waited for the nose blowing to stop before he continued. âYou were saying?... âAm I going toâ what?â
Oh, right, his question.. With fever, congestion, and the pledge of sneezes crowding his head, holding onto a thought longer than a few seconds felt next to impossible. âAre you going to ground me?â
âIâm not sure yet,â Delta replied. âConsidering your condition, I should say yes, but Iâd like Dr. Vosterâs opinion first. Youâre making progress on this case and Iâd hate to halt your momentum prematurely.â
That was fair. Uncontrollable boners and a fever on active duty would probably dissuade any overseeing officer from adapting a âpush throughâ mentality. Especially Delta, since the man had the most heavily bleeding heart Omicron had ever known. It would be up to Anita, then; he couldnât muster the energy to fret about it right now. They sat together while Omicron tended to his fidgety nose, still side by side on the floor, until Delta made a sound of recollection.
âSpeaking of the case, didnât you mention a development? I interrupted you earlier. What was it you wanted to tell me?â
Ahhhh, dammit, Omicron lamented. I forgot about that too.
Even before Anita threw her wrench, he hadnât been sure how his date tomorrow would go over with Delta. Heâd had plans of carefully breaking the news, laying out the variables and working gradually to the big reveal. But now he could barely remember the basic idea, let alone complex and eloquent details. Wracking his boiling brain did nothing but cost him his opportunity; the meandering tickle of his cold stumbled yet again on sensitive territory.
â-HahâŠâ It lured a dreading sound from his lips as the urge niggled him. Hadnât he sneezed enough? His count had to be over a hundred by now, and yet his nose wasnât satisfied. Overworked as they were, his nasal nerves were as ceaseless in their goals as the virus was. â..hiH-.. ngh..â
Omicron cut his losses. Either he ripped the bandaid off or wasted another ten minutes sneezing while his cold tickled him senseless. He took a moment to steady his breathing before saying, â...She has a husâBEHSshâoo!â
It startled them both, barreling out of him freely and with an unfortunate lack of cover. Delta flinched away, visibly caught in the crossfire, and Omicron panicked. Both hands jerked up to cover his nose as a whiplash of shame froze him to the bone.Â
âFuck, Iâb so siihH-â Oh god, again? His breath wavered at the top of his throat, almost a whimper, and he was so discombobulated from the first one that he couldnât prepare for the second. â-ihâGXCHHT!â
It ran roughshod, mostly through his nose, and it scraped his sinuses on the way out. Very unpleasant, but fortunately the tickle had to play second fiddle to the stinging aftermath. Omicron hitched down from the high, hands still cemented to his face for modesty and eyelashes sticking with tears as he threw a glance to his superior.
âbâsorry!â he eked out, and he must have looked truly miserable because Deltaâs eyes widened.
âItâs alright, itâs alright!â he said earnestly, with a shake of his head and a consoling pat to Omicronâs back. âIâm not upset, I know that was an accident. Donât worry about it, hm? Here..â
He fished up the tissue box in offering before politely turning away as Omicron cleaned himself up. The mortification nearly crushed him, but still the junior agent reeled with relief. He could trust his superior at his word that he wasnât upset; it just wasnât in Deltaâs nature to lie, unless it was for his cover. It took nearly the rest of the box before Omicron deemed himself decent, and even then he pinned a preemptive bushel of tissues around his nose in case another sneeze got away from him. Delta was looking at him with such effusive compassion that Omicron delivered his news without preamble, desperate to change the subject.
âI got invited to a threesome with Josaline and her secret husband,â he said from behind his hands.
Agent Delta was gobsmacked. âWh- Josaline Jewel has a husband?â
Omicron nodded.
âWe have no intel to suggest that at all. Are you sure?â
Omicron nodded again.
There was a bewildered pause, then an even more disbelieving, âAnd youâve scheduled a threesome with them?â
For a third time Omicron nodded, bleary-eyed over the edge of his tissues. Beneath his hands, his nostrils spasmed around the shape of a sluggish itch. It stalled out somewhere in his sinuses, too present to dismiss but not yet committed to climax. Donât tease me, he begged with a slow blink. Either hurry up or go away.
âOmicron,â Delta said, a note of wonder in his voice. âI knew you were talented, but this exceeds expectations. Particularly with the knowledge that you did this while contending with unforeseen complications. Well done.â
His heart fluttered weakly at the praise and Omicron squashed any pleased feelings that arose from it. There would be nothing to celebrate if he couldnât finish the job.
âTh.. hhagk you, sir.â
âWhen are you meeting them?â
âT-.. Tihh-..â As he spoke the tickle squiggled like a banner caught in a breeze. He rushed the rest on an exhale â â..t-tâmborrow nhhigh..â â heaved in a huge breath, and then- âIDTZSSHâhoo!!â
âBless, tomorrow night, hm..â Delta rushed the blessing as well, rubbing his chin with a long sigh. âThis does complicate things. I doubt weâll get a chance like this again, but Iâm not granting clearance until Dr. Voster takes a look at you-â
âht-.. HDâJZSS!uuh..â
â-bless you, because that fever of yours concerns me. That side effect wasnât listed in the literature and it surprised her to hear that youâve developed one-â
â.. eh-.. eHâTSCHHOO!â
â-bless you. So better safe than sorry. Your health and safety takes priority over any assignment, Omicron, do try and remember tha-.. oh, blessâŠ?â
â.. h-HDT-!â
Omicron waiting on the cusp of another, eyes rolled skyward and lips parted in desire, still cloaked behind his curtain of tissues. He could feel he had Deltaâs undivided attention, which made the tickle shy. It shivered inside him, sending his nostrils into a fit of flaring. Stuttered breaths filled his lungs in tiny bursts, emptying again on uneasy sighs, and he-.. he-!..
.. relaxed, defeated, with a groan.Â
âLost it?â Delta asked, then quirked a smile at Omicronâs moody nose-blow. âIâm sure itâs very disappointing. My condolences.â
Because Delta was being very gracious about all this â Omicronâs dishonesty and careless sneezing â he couldnât summon up any feelings of exasperation. It helped that he was running on empty, too enervated by his fever to do much more than slump with a nod that made his head gently spin. He waited it out and only when he startled to awareness at a gentle touch on his arm did he realize heâd been falling asleep where he sat. He squinted up at Delta who was now standing, smiling down at him.
âDr. Voster asked me to collect more data on your condition, but that can wait,â he said, and hauled Omicron to his feet. He guided the smaller man toward the bright fluorescence of their hotel bathroom. âWhy donât you wash up? It might help.â
Too dazed to protest, Omicron stood shivering barefoot on the cold tile in his swim trunks while Delta babbled about this and that. A couple blinks later he was holding a set of sweats from his suitcase, his toiletry bag, and a clean pair of fuzzy socks that wasnât his. Probably Deltaâs. Heâd seen the man wear a different pair around the room just last night. Juggling the items and mumbling thank-yous, he nudged the door shut with his foot as Delta stated heâd be going out to grab dinner.
And thus commenced his character assassination.Â
Omicron laid to rest and mourned what remained of his dignity. He was, in essence, sick on the job with an unseemly cold and his boss was playing nurse. In other words, a nightmare. Never had any of his coworkers seen him T less than peak health, and he hadnât bargained on Anitaâs monster virus turning him into⊠this. As he shambled through a shower, pajamas, and then curled up into bed, he hoped in vain that his fever would be bad enough to knock him out before Delta got back. No such luck.
Omicron knew how he could look, especially with fresh, fluffy bedhead and sleeves that drooped over his hands. He could only assume this aesthetic was exacerbated by his glowing red nose and glassy eyes. âCuteâ was a moniker heâd take to his grave unfortunately, much as it haunted him. Heâd never managed to escape it in any disguise, not for all the leather, fake piercings, or platform boots in the world.Â
So when Agent Delta turned around and caught sight of him, snuggled in a poofy duvet clutching the tissue box with a little twitch troubling his nose, Omicron beat him to the punch. âPlease donât patronize me, sir.â
Deltaâs smile threatened laughter, but he reigned it in with a polite cough and clear of his throat. âI wasnât going to, agent. Iâm just glad to see youâre more comfortable.â
âComfortableâ was a generous word that only got further from the truth as the night wore on. Omicron was treated to dinner in bed, complete with a serving tray borrowed from the staff, and the gesture was enough to obliterate any shred of appetite he had for the hot and sour soup Delta brought him. He just wanted to dissolve into the atmosphere and disappear. What he did manage to eat sprung tears in his eyes and a menacing prickle in his clogged sinuses. He spent most of the meal with a tissue held to flexing, leaky nostrils.
The conversation after dinner was yet another exercise in torture. Omicron would have tried choking down more soup if heâd remembered Delta had orders from Anita to question him about his âcondition.â
Rationally, Omicron knew he shouldnât be embarrassed. He had sex on the job now and then, and those wild whims he pursued on his personal time were a cure for boredom more than anything. There was something different about this though, the pleasure he felt from sneezing. It felt intimate, self-generated, and to some extent outside of his control. That he might accidentally get aroused without a purpose, beyond that it simply just felt good, was a thought he couldnât bare to share with anyone.Â
âI find it endearing that you are so bashful about this, considering your line of work,â Delta said, understanding yet undeterred, âbut as this pertains directly to your ability to perform on the job, Iâm afraid Voster and I are on a need to know basis. I promise it will be quick and painless.â
The unyielding furrow in Deltaâs brow told Omicron he wouldnât escape this discussion, no matter how badly he wanted to avoid it. Maybe by some miracle heâd black out and not remember it after.
Once they got started, the questions were mercifully clinical: How often are you experiencing unexpected symptoms? Under what circumstances do they arise? Are you experiencing any unexpected symptoms beyond those already identified? And so on. All the while, Omicron dissuaded sneezes with nose rubs, nose blows, and general nose abuse of that nature. Each ticklish surge that scrambled for a foothold he countered with equal obstinacy. Nothing he did would rid him of the itch, so there was no reason to indulge it.
Yes there is, said the steady drip of tension into his abdomen. Feel that? It was a formless need, faint enough to ignore. For now. Given time the drip would form a puddle, then a pond, and eventually an ocean of want churning in the core of him. And it will feel so good to let go.Â
Omicron resolutely ignored that feeling.Â
When they finished with the questions, he didnât even realize it was over; he dozed off while Delta prattled on too long about meaningless things, his voice soothing in its familiarity, and awoke with a start minutes or hours later from a soft touch on his elbow. Just Delta, whispering something about acetaminophen, offering pills and a glass of water which Omicron tossed back wordlessly before hurtling headfirst back into sleep.
He surfaced in and out of consciousness throughout the night, plagued by chills, sweats, and the strange dreams only a fever can cook up. Vivid, nonsensical adventures that ranged from confusing to harrowing, until Omicron eventually found himself spelunking. How he ended up in this damp, drippy cavern eluded him, but he remained committed to his single directive: explore.Â
It was an odd place, even in a dream. Rather than rough-hewn stone, Omicron walked barefoot on a soft, plush surface that spanned the walls and even the ceiling. Caves were usually quite chilly, but this one was comfortably warm. Steady breezes cut through the humidity, first blowing one way and then the other, ruffling Omicronâs hair at each pass. He staggered when a particularly strong gust dragged him like an undertow and leaned against the wall to keep his balance. This immediately backfired because the wall was unexpectedly slick. With a frictionless glide, he tumbled to the ground.
âSheesh,â he muttered, planting his palms to push himself up. When he did so, there was a near imperceptible shudder through the cavern. The rhythmic wind stuttered, stopped, then continued with an unsteady edge. He raised arm against a blast of air. âWhat-..?â
A light caught his eye, and Omicron glanced down to find a nexus of thrumming veins spidering out from his epicenter. They pulsed with a beautiful glow, casting a red hue across his face and illuminating the cave floor with a pink, stained glass iridescence. Curious, he trailed his fingers along the branching paths and watched the veins spread further. Again the cave floor lurched, stronger this time, and the wind around him escalated into trembling, intermittent squalls. For some reason he didnât feel afraid, only determined.
Omicron clamored to his feet. He approached the wall where the veins began to climb. They pulsed weakly, wanting, and he felt that he needed to help them. Feeling around on his person, he unearthed something from his back pocket: a feather duster. The feathers waved in the strong breeze, plentiful and downy. How heâd managed to fit this in his pocket was dream logic he didnât question.Â
âLetâs see,â he mumbled, and crouched to sweep the instrument along the wall. It seemed to cringe from the sensation, twitching madly as the veins hungrily advanced.Â
Omicron kept it up, dusting as much as he could reach even as the cavern began to shiver in earnest and the wind whipped his hair like a storm. But he couldnât stop. He just had this feeling that if he lit the cavern completely, it would be a magnificent sight. As the paths flourished, they brought with them a gorgeous backlight to the tender, rose-petal surfaces of the cave. Funny, they looked almost inflamed. Irritated by his influence, intolerant of his presence here. The thoughts didnât deter him. Omicron raised up on his tiptoes to take a swipe at the ceiling and had his feet knocked out from under him when the world tremored in response. The gale sucked inward with authority, and the feather duster was ripped from his hands.
Something was happening. Around him, the veins fanned out on their own and heâd been right: the radiance of the cavern was incredible with it all lit up at once. Beneath him the ground throbbed contentiously, convulsing, hot to the touch, and for the first time, Omicron wondered if he might have done something he shouldnât have. No longer distracted by his goal, he became aware of a weird sound. Something deep, rumbling beneath him, the desirous moans of uhh.. uHhh.. uHHh-!... growing in volume, pitch, and power.Â
And suddenly, he felt the echo of this urge manifest in his nose. Its vigor sprung tears to his eyes and his jaw dropped open, helpless as it consumed him. His gasps and groans synced up to the wild chaos around him, and he could feel the very nerves he squirmed against crying out for mercy. It tickled insufferably, teased to heights he couldnât believe â and there was only one way down.
Iâm inside my own nose? was his first bizarre realization. The second was, Iâm going to sneeze.
Omicron opened his eyes, only to snap them closed again. â-HPâBBSZZCHHHOOO!!!-â
He groaned, arching against the mattress, as the sneeze went straight to his dick. Bleary, barely awake, all he could do was coast through a yearning gasp and âHEEHDZJJSSSZH!Nnngghh-!â
Raw relief tingled through him, shimmering through his nose and groin, and autopilot took over. Omicron plunged a hand down his pants and gripped his morning wood, firm and ready to burst. There was enough precum trickling from his slit and staining his boxers that he could smooth his thumb over the head and ignore the slight burn from dry skin friction.
His nostrils flittered in anguish, and his sinuses drummed with an insatiable itch. Please, they implored him. This tickle tortured us all night long. Do something. And Omicron was happy to serve.Â
A monumental gasp - âhHHHHIIH!â - heralded an comparatively monstrous sneeze - âEEHDDZZZCHHHâUh!!-hoohhh..â
This was so much better in bed. A tidal wave of pleasure rushed through him, from his nose to his toes, and he couldnât catch his breath. He gritted his teeth, bowing his back as he thrust into the grip of his hand. It was just on the edge of too much; Omicron wasnât normally so sensitive, but heâd woken with every inch of his skin tingling and thought it had to be the fever.Â
The tickle flexed deep inside, and Omicron recalled the striking visuals of his dream. Wet, pink walls. Encroaching red veins. Sensitive nerves, shuddery membranes, the way heâd ignorantly worked himself up to this very fit with a bundle of soft, stroking feathers. He could imagine himself doing it again, deliberately this time, sweeping the inside of his nose deftly and thoroughly, tickling and tickling and fighting to keep his eyes open even as the sensation forced them tightly closed. Coaxing a hitching breath. Making him sn-..
â-hoh fuhhck-.. hh!HUH!. UHHZZSSSHHâiu!-ooh!â His heels slipped on the sheets, straining for purchase, as he panted his way up to another. â-igih.. iHâGISSCCHOOO!-hah!!â
Each one got him an inch closer to orgasm. He bobbed over every wave with surety the next one would break over his head and drown him. Omicron snuffled unsteadily, aware his nose was running without the care to wipe it, and began twisting his wrist when he felt his nostrils blow wide in preparation.Â
Yes yes yes, he cheered. Let this be the one.
He hitched through a dazed smile, a deceptively dainty hh-hht-htt! that then curled him up with a bed-shaking, âHAHâTSSDCHâUE!..hhâmmngg-!..âÂ
Omicronâs whole body clenched, tense with the impending release, but before it could come he was hitching again. His dream self dusted away, dauntless with a single-mindedness to make him sneeze. And heâd assuredly succeed, as his real self shuddered through a fit-and-start buildup.
â-hihg..ihh!hhoh.. HHT-!chhhoo..âÂ
It wouldnât come, hovering so close to the brink that whenever he breathed into the tickle he sighed out the approximation of its finale. His hand never stopped, the steady pumps easier now that he was wet enough. Through the haze of fever, grogginess, and arousal, Omicron imagined the dutiful brush of that duster against his quivering membranes. He was a thorough man, never one to leave a job half-finished, and he visualized himself venturing deeper, farther, to a cowering patch of nerves hoping to escape torment. The feathers caressed them, velutinous and inviting.
â.. iih!HHhhh..â
Deeper, to the responsive edge of his sinuses, where he trailed the duster along the border with deliberate care. The tickleâs magnitude tripled, aching in its eagerness. His dick pulsed in reply, hot and heavy in his frantic hand.Â
â-HIH!..hh..hgIHH-â
Deeper still, to the end of the line, so far inside his nose heâd never hope to get it out. The feathers touched quivering flesh. With a smirk, his dream self stroked so gently, agonizingly slow, barely a tease and yet it tickled him to an unbearable degree. He could feel every fiber of the agitating feathers, the promise they whispered.Â
Come on, he said to himself. You know you want to.
Omicronâs gasp cut the air like a knife, inflating his lungs to capacity, before he roared violently into his blankets. â-iihHHHHH-?!..WRRIZZSSSCHHâIIUHHH!!-mmbb!!â
He turned his head into his pillow to moan through his orgasm, stroking through it as a euphoric, tingling balm spread through his sinuses. It lasted longer than he anticipated, a continuous ripple of ecstasy that had him whimpering, panting, trembling. All his muscles relaxed, every part of him sated, and when the aftershocks ebbed Omicron sunk into the sheets, hand still in his pants, to let sleep call him back into its arms. Itâs not like he had somewhere to be. What did he have to do this morning..? Vacuum the apartment..? Get groceries..? Cuddle with his cats?.............wait-
OH NO.
Omicron jackknifed into a sitting position, then immediately regretted it when his head spun. He drooped onto an elbow, coughing, heart hammering, and in a panic he scanned the room. Nobody here. No sounds from the bathroom either. The relief was so intense it sent him into another sickening dose of dizziness. He flopped flat to the mattress and tried to steady his breathing.
I didnât just jack off in front of my superior officer, he assured himself. Everything is fine. He finally slipped his hand out of his pants and wrinkled his sore nose at the stickiness of his skin and underwear. But I have to clean up.
It took a pitifully long time to do so. Shivers wracked him the moment he crawled out of bed, and every step was a wobbly gamble. He forgot spare clothes and had to backtrack, then couldnât figure out how to clean up without taking a shower he didnât have the energy for. All the while his head pounded, his throat stung, and eventually the whims of the virus brought him to the brink of feeble, fallout sneezes.
Finally, with his dirty clothes stuffed into the bottom of his suitcase and most of the sweat wiped off his skin, Omicron zombied his way back to the bed and collapsed face down. Some flailing got him purchase on the sheets, mercifully spared from most of his fluids, and at last he was horizontal. Of course the position dutched the congestion to a new angle. It tickled him.
Omicron huffed weakly, wearily, and ducked under the cover of his blankets. â-iihâKIZSSH!âiuhâŠâ Only the one. He sighed, rubbing the edge of his sheet beneath his fussy nose. Now, maybe he could justâŠ.
From the door there was the sound of a keycard clattering, then the latch lifting, and a boisterous pair of voices entered the room. âHoney, Iâm home!â
Omicron buried his head under the blankets.
âAnita, he may not be awake..â That one was Delta. âShouldnât he rest?â
âThe sooner I examine him, the better. Where-?.. ah! There you are.â
Omicron tightened his grip on the blankets, and was right to do so because seconds later there was a tug from the outside. It was hot and stuffy under the covers, hard to breathe, but heâd rather suffocate than deal with Anita Voster right now. She tugged again and he didnât budge.
âOho?â she tittered. âTrying to avoid treatment, mm? You should know better, Agent O.â
He remained tense, blinking weakly against a flutterish niggle. His nostrils flared, nervous, and he would have soothed them with a touch of his finger if his hands werenât occupied. He scrunched his nose instead, squirming it side to side when the tickle didnât abate. Dr. Voster was on the move, heâd lost track of her-...
âAnddd.. voila!â
Cold air and light entered his cocoon. Sheâd rounded the bed and flipped the covers up from the back side, which was a dirty move. A chill swept up his spine, prompting a shudder that shivered into a sneeze.Â
âh-hhiâhHTSSsh!-hh..â He flinched his knees to his chest, tucking an arm around himself as he threw the other behind him for the covers. âGih-..igâIIZSSH!â
âBless bless you,â she cooed in a playful tone that made him bristle. Her hand cupped his shoulder and pulled. âNow, let me see⊠oh.â
Her smile dropped away as she looked at him, lips parting in genuine surprise, her manicured eyebrows marching up toward her hairline. She was wearing an obnoxious summery ensemble, no doubt excited to exploit the mission for a few days at the beach. When no reply was forthcoming, Omicron glared at her. The ferocity of it was undercut when a twinge in his nose prompted a squeaky sniffle.
â.. Whad?â he croaked.
âYouâve never looked so pathetic before,â she said in wonder. âAnd Iâve seen you faint after getting a vaccine booster.â
It was an open secret that he hated injections as much as he hated the dentist, but everyone kindly agreed not to acknowledge it after that one time. He growled his words, snatching the blankets back from her. âThe ndeedle was really big and you said youâd dnever mbendtion it againd.â
âVoster,â chided Delta, hands on his hips. âPlease refrain from teasing him when heâs not feeling well. Heâs under enough stress as it is.â
As infantilizing as it was as a grown man to have another grown man scold somebody on his behalf, Omicron shot her a smug look that she met with an arched brow.Â
âFine,â she sighed, and crossed to his side of the bed. âI guess Iâll cut him some slack. Omicron, sit up a little.â
There would be no getting out of this. Delaying the process would probably get him another lecture from Delta, so Omicron reluctantly shimmied to a half-reclining position, arms crossed to ward off chills as she sat gracefully on his bedside. She crossed a leg at the knee, reached for his face, and cool hands cradled his jaw. He let her move him as she wanted, wrinkling and wriggling his nose to keep it appeased.Â
The sly bullying he expected didnât come. Dr. Voster was professional when she asked, âAny fluctuations in symptoms since last night?â
âUmb.. ndot really..â Omicron sniffed sharply and swallowed. He considered leaving it there, but his promise to Delta wouldnât let him. He mumbled through the rest and could only hope she understood what it meant. â.. there was an.. idncident this mborning. That I resolved.â
âGotcha,â she said, and didnât press. Omicron relaxed under her handling. She took his temperature (101.3°F / 38.5°C), tested his glands, pulled down the edges of his eyelids, and then at last took a cursory glance up his nostrils with a wince. âI didnât think it was possible to see a sneeze but the inside of your nose looks like one.â
Apt, since he could feel it forming between his eyes. He leaned away out of her grip, and without any tissues in reach, Omicron shook his sleeves over his hands and tucked into them. âhh!MMPSSH!..âÂ
âBless you,â chorused the other two.Â
He surfaced briefly as the tickle toyed with him, playing his nerves like batons on a xylophone. Every note vibrated, compounding in harmony, cacophonous as it crested, â..aakâKZSCHue!.. hh?..hh..â
âBless you,â chorused the other two, again. Anita passed over the tissue box but he could barely keep his eyes open and his breath from shaking. She took pity on him as his hitches became jagged, pitching in his upper register, and she held out a few in his direction just as he- heeee-!
â-ickâSSHIEW?!â
It relieved him, but his shoulders flinched to his ears at the embarrassingly high sound. Delta quickly turned away with a hand to his mouth and Dr. Voster snorted unabashedly.
âBless yew!â she parroted, and he kicked her off the bed. She rolled with the momentum into a smooth dismount before plopping right back where sheâd been. âIâm done, Iâm done! But you owe me a couple free jabs after yelling at me yesterday, you know.â
Right. His stomach soured at the reminder, and he stared at the blankets with a sleeved swipe under his septum. â.. Iâmb sorry about that. I shouldnâd have taken out my frustration on you. Or lied to you in the first place.â
Dr. Voster softened, the lines of her face smoothing into something genuine. âMm, Iâm sorry for my sloppy science. Itâs my fault youâve got such a lousy cold.âÂ
Omicron never knew what to say after such sentiments. He considered and tossed out several replies, still boring holes into the blankets with his gaze, until she reached up and flicked the tip of his nose. His inhale was a hitch into the next before he flinched down toward his chest.Â
âh-h-HâTZssh!â He brought a sleeve to his nose belatedly, throwing a scowl her way. âWhad was that for?!â
âFor lying to me about that other thing,â she said, leering over him with a grin. â... Seems like you really are the man-cold type.â
Omicron hurled his pillow at her, which she dodged and Delta caught one-handed when it soared across the room. His firm voice broke up a squabble before it could begin. âEnough, you two.â He fluffed the pillow and returned it to his sheepish subordinate before looking to Anita. âWell?â
âEither his immune system is reacting to the engineered virus, or somehow heâs caught another cold on top of this one,â she said. Both looked to Omicron, who was trying to blow his nose without popping an eardrum. âIf itâs the former, the mission can proceed. If itâs the latter, we bench him. Thatâs my opinion as his physician.â
âIâb righd here,â Omicron grumbled behind a mask of tissues.
Delta ignored him. âHow do we know which is the case?â
Dr. Voster reached for the medical bag on the floor by her feet, which Omicron only just now noticed was in her possession. âBy administering a test,â she replied, digging through it. When she found what she sought, Anita presented it to Omicron with an apologetic smile. âYouâre not going to like it though.â
He thought it was a syringe at first. Before he could react, she peeled open the thin package to show him what was inside. Somehow, it was worse. Delta hissed through his teeth and Omicron hovered a protective hand over his nose.
âNo,â he told her, eyes glued to the offending object. âNo, no. Thatâs not going to work.â
Dr. Voster twirled it between her fingers: a wickedly long plastic rod with a cotton tuft on the end. âA nasal swab is the fastest way, O.â
He shook his head, unable to look away from it. The sight alone caused his nose grief as the tickle found inspiration. Omicron did his best not to imagine how it would feel. âAnita, itâs not possible. I-.. I canât evehhn.. look at- at it withhou..HH!with.. withhHHAH-â
Omicron jammed a finger beneath his nose and shoved the sneeze back inside. He could tell heâd be on a roll if he started, and while heâd literally just cum he was terrified this impending volley would get him going again. If at all possible, even if everyone was aware of the situation, heâd like to avoid erections in front of his fucking coworkers. He held his breath and waited until his pulsing nostrils quieted before letting it all go on a sigh. Pointedly, he avoided looking at the swab.
âHmmmm,â Dr. Voster mused. âI wonder if we blindfolded you..â
âTrust me,â he said, knuckling his nose. It wasnât happy heâd ignored its demands. âThatâs not going to help.â
âRather than hold them back, could you try holding them in?â Delta suggested.
âAbsolutely not,â Dr. Voster said. âHeâs terrible at it, and I wouldnât recommend it anyway. Not everyone can be as proficient at stifling as you are, sir.â
Deltaâs smile weakened, properly chastised, as Voster tilted her head back and pressed her palms on the bed. Her leg bounced in thought. The three of them sat in a contemplative silence broken only by Omicronâs sniffling before Anita slapped her hands to her knees and stood with purpose.
âThereâs nothing for it,â she said. âYouâll just have to avoid sneezing.â
âI wonât be able to,â he told her. His cheeks flushed, and the flash of heat mingling with his fever made him tremble with a chill. Stubbornness alone wouldnât deter her, so he forced out the rest with emphasis. âAnd it-.. might cause an unexpected symptom.â
That gave her pause, but only briefly. âWhen exactly did you last experience the culmination of this symptom?â
This was embarrassing. â... approximately ten minutes before you arrived.â
âAnd would you expect yourself to experience that again so quickly after the last occurance?â
Somehow, he felt miffed on behalf of his refractory period. â.... I guess not.â
âThen even if you sneeze your head off after this, youâll be fine,â she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. âIf for some reason youâre not, itâs not a big deal. Agent Delta and I will just leave the room until it passes.â
Iâd rather chew glass, Omicron thought, than have it come to that. The tickle nestled comfortably against his nerves, weighing his eyelids and prompting a reflexive sniffle. Cheeky bastard. He wouldnât let it win this time. He grated the rough edge of his sleeve under his nostrils and squared his shoulders.
âFine.â His flinty gaze locked onto the swab, his opponent in this battle. âLetâs do it.â
The other two exchanged a LookTM and preparation shortly followed. Delta announced heâd received a message from cyber security earlier that morning that required follow up, so he left to wire into the agencyâs VPN in one of the hotelâs private conference booths. Voster snapped on some gloves and cracked open a fresh tissue box to place at Omicronâs elbow. He begrudgingly unearthed a wad of them to keep ready in his lap. Better safe than sorry.
Anita watched him carefully. âWould you like to get a few out before we start?â
If she was asking, he probably looked sneezy already. Omicron made an effort to sharpen his gaze and settle the tiny, twitching microexpressions that told plainly of a persistent tickle. âNo. I want to get it over with.â He sniffled with a flutter of his nostrils. âQuickly.â
To her credit, Anita didnât dawdle. âIâm administering a nasopharyngeal swab for the best results. If I canât get enough from one sample, weâll have to do the other nostril.â
Omicron nodded, tilting his chin when she stabilized him with a hand to his cheek. He blinked hard against a lurching itch as the swab came closer, hovering just in front of his flushed, prone nose.
âI need to rotate it for ten seconds, and then Iâll slowly remove it,â she told him. âWould it help if I counted?â
He flicked his gaze to the ceiling, hands fisted in the sheets over his lap. âYes.â
âAlright, the count wonât start until I have it in place.â Dr. Voster eased his head back further, giving him a moment to arrange himself against his pillows before she touched the swab to the edge of one nostril. It pulsed, uncertain. âHere we go.â
This wasnât Omicronâs first time with this particular type of swab. Normally he preferred it because of how deep it reached, so foreign and uncomfortable that a sneeze never crossed his mind. It was the shorter swabs, the ones that remained inside the borders of his persnickety nasal membranes that caused him agony. Maybe this wouldnât be as bad as he feared?Â
A second later that confidence was swiftly and callously dashed.
This cold was unlike any respiratory infection heâd ever had. It was engineered to inflame every cell of his airways, heighten them to such a state of paranoia that the very act of breathing registered as intrusive. This tickle wasnât a physical thing; his nasal cavity was affected by such sensitivity that it inevitably itched and twitched and worked itself up into mayhem. Sneeze was the answer to every problem, even nonexistent ones. So to have himself in this state and introduce a material object into the mix was an instant and powerful regret.
The swab burned as it was threaded through his sinuses, razing his nerves as it went, and when the tip of it touched the back of his throat he could feel every millimeter of its length. He slammed his eyes shut. There was a brief moment of shock, as if his nose couldnât quite believe what had happened. Then the swab began to spin.
His nostrils flew wide. âHHHHHHHH-â
âShit,â muttered Voster. âStay with me, câmon, itâs just ten seconds.. TwoâŠ.â
Just?! his brain screamed, overwhelmed by nasal panic and frantic to sneeze. Oh, he could feel it. An instant and oppressive demand. None of the usual hitching hesitation, just a massive and mandatory release sitting at the shores of his dilated nostrils. He couldnât even communicate to Voster that it was coming.Â
â.. Three, fight itâŠâ
Omicron pinched himself as hard as he dared by digging his thumb into the pressure point of his other hand. It took the edge off the swabâs insidious stimulation and downgraded the sneeze from automatic to imminent. Lungs at capacity, all the air sat at the top. His body wouldnât let him exhale without irritation-induced force. A pitiful sound escaped, heady and weak without breath behind it.
â-uuhh-â
âI know, weâre halfway, hang in there.. Six..â
God, this was torture. His nose throbbed with need, the insides puffy and convulsing. Please, they cried. It tickles so badly. Too much. We have to! He hovered just on the verge of the inevitable. Grinding harder into the pressure point on his hand dampened the sensation enough to keep it from progressing, but it never diminished. Just waited an inch from the finish line. Another high, helpless whimper trembled his chest.
â-huUH!-â
âEight.. youâre doing great, Omicron, nine..â The hand on his cheek shifted to brace him firmly. â.. almost done, try to exhale..â
He couldnât. His lungs wouldnât let go. All he could do was live on the brink, tears skating down his cheeks and his features frozen in what he knew had to be a ridiculous face. Yearning or dreading, he didnât know, but his entire expression flinched when the swab retreated. She was slowly pulling it out, still twirling it. He could feel the thin ropes of his control snapping, the dam crumbling, the glass shattering. An urgent, breathy shout slipped out, pure desperation, and it heralded something enormous.
â-HUUHH--!!!â
The swab slithered out of his nose completely, leaving behind a trail of unbearable sensation. âOkay! Y-â
â--HHEZZSSCCCHHHHUUUEE-!â Omicron hurled himself over his own lap, dizzied by the release, and gasped immediately for more. â-hH-HH!IIHZSSSSHHâUUh!!â
More. â-HHâAADZZSSCHHâHOO-!!â
More. â-HEHâDTSSHHHâHAH-!!â
More still. âohh-.. HDâDIZZSHHHHâHUH!!â
But the relief wouldnât come. His nose was so angry by the intrusion, it would give no quarter. Big, heaving sneezes werenât doing the job, so he found himself next encumbered by small ones. They burst out of him in a row, each igniting a furious itch to prompt the next.
âihDSH!-.. hckâISSH!.. uh-HHâTZIshh!.. ugh, god-hHIH!â Omicron fought his eyes open through another gush of tears and caught a blurry glimpse of white. Oh right, the tissues. He gathered them up as his gaze rolled skyward, mouth agape and nostrils vast. It took a couple hitches before the tickle caught again. âh-hHT.. idzz..iiH!..mgh.. aH!KZSSCHH!â
He sneezed through his teeth, then belatedly raised the tissues. His eyes fluttered closed as even the soft touch of them pried another sneeze loose. They mounted in power as his nose, fed up with the lingering tickle the swab left behind, puppeteered him through an increasingly vicious fit.
At last, a wave of pleasure rushed through his veins. It was faint, but after the hellish holdback and punishing sneezes, Omicron welcomed it. The knowledge there would be more spurred him onward; he breathed into the next ticklish swell with hope.
âuh-HHUH-HESZSCHUUE!â Cool prickles swept through his nose, soothing the frazzled nerves even as they clamored for another. Omicron complied. âheh.. HETâJZZSSSCHHOOO!-nngh..â
He shivered as his skin erupted with goosebumps. A warm, wonderful feeling unfurled in his gut. Head spinning, nose twitching, lungs hitching, he knew the end was close. He breathed deeply, relishing the way it tickled all the way down. Then-
âHEHâŠuh.. hHPâBIZSSSHHIEW!!-oooohhhh..â
Omicron massaged his nose through the tissues with quiet noises of relief until somebody clearing their throat caught his attention. With wet eyes, he raised his head to see Dr. Voster across the room mixing the swab in a vial with some sort of solution. She kept her attention on it as she spoke.
âFeeling better?â
He paused to cough and swallow. The fit left him raspy. âYeah.â
âAny unexpected symptoms?â she asked. Fuzzy headed, Omicron looked down at his crotch. There was no tent under the covers, and while he felt boneless, he wasnât turned on.
âNdo.â
âGreat!â Dr. Voster chirped. âIn other good news, I got enough particulate matter on the first try that we wonât have to do it again.â She continued her work, but glanced over to shoot him a smile. âBless you a dozen, by the way.â
âThagks,â he huffed, then collapsed back onto the mattress with the solace of a job finished.Â
It took a few minutes for him to clean himself up, and as he got his wits about him, he was appreciative that Voster kept herself busy so he could tend to his nose without scrutiny. His pleasant haze dissipated and Omicron realized he was totally spent. His head hurt, as did his throat, and his abs were aching. Once he was huddled under the covers, Anita swung by with a bottle of water and hushed instructions to take another fever reducer, which he did without complaint.
Some time passed. He didnât know how much. One moment he was nodding off to the tinkling the whirs of Vosterâs on-the-go mini-laboratory, and the next he was startling awake to a door opening. For a split second he forgot where he was, what was happening, but then a hand smoothed over his hair.Â
âJust Delta,â came Anitaâs voice. Tension left his sore muscles and he melted back into the mattress. For once his nose took pity on him, smoldering with a widespread ticklish sensation he could chase away by pinch-rubbing the sides of his nostrils.
âAh, I didnât mean to wake you!â was Deltaâs contrite greeting. Omicron cracked open dry eyes to see the man coming around the bedside, eyebrows turned up in dismay. âSorry, Omicron.â
âSâfide,â he replied, voice creaking, and he had to turn his head into the pillow to cough. Fuck, felt like heâd swallowed a sword and left it there.
âGoodness, you sound terrible.â Delta turned anxious eyes to Dr. Voster, who was leaning a hip against her makeshift workstation at the desk by their balcony doors. âDid you get the results?â
âYep,â she said, cheerfully brandishing the culture sample. âNo secondary infection. Heâs just having a pronounced immune response to the engineered strain.â Here, she smirked at the Omicron-shaped lump on the bed. âAnd being very dramatic about it.â
Delta caught the pillow lobbed in her direction before it could knock any lab equipment over. He arranged it back on the bed, then passed his hand over Omicronâs brow. The smaller man let him, closing his eyes as the cool touch moved to his cheek, to his neck, then glided to his shoulder to offer a reassuring pat.
âHow are you feeling?â he asked. âPlease be honest.â
Omicron thought of the mission. It didnât escape him that Dr. Voster confirmed he wasnât actually sick. His body thought he was, but with proper symptom management he could see this assignment to the end. Josaline would probably love seeing him like this; hopefully her husband would too.Â
âNdot great,â he admitted, and Deltaâs puppy-dog expression ramped up tenfold. Omicron rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. âIâb ndot dying, sir. If I get someb rest, Iâll be ready for tomborrow.â
The fact that heâd said all this without even sitting up likely undercut his claims, but Omicron truly believed it. When the time came, heâd rally. He always did. Delta considered him for a long moment before plopping down onto the other bed with a dejected bounce.
âEven if thatâs the case, the situation has changed,â he said, lacing his fingers together between his knees. âI got word from Ops that there were attempted hacks into multiple independent identification networks for a âNicolas Foster.ââ
Omicron struggled up onto his elbows.Â
.. So, they were onto him. At the very least, they were wary of his cover. This wasnât entirely unexpected. At the agency they explored every outcome, including this one. Josaline Jewel was a suspected cyber criminal. She was rich enough, powerful enough, smart enough to avoid the law. Theyâd chased her for years. This outcome wasnât unexpected, but it still ripped a hole through Omicronâs sails.
All this work, he thought, blinking away a sting behind his eyes. For nothing? Because I wasnât good enough?
âDonât despair,â Delta commanded. âThe hacks left traces and the cyber team is on it. Itâs possible theyâll identify a source, and if they do, we can hack them back. This is a victory.â
It didnât feel like one. Omicron slouched against the headboard, sniffling and sniffling as he compartmentalized any emotions he felt on the matter. Hopefully the others would attribute it to his cold. He nodded at Deltaâs words, casting around for his tissue box. Heâd knocked it off the bed at some point. Anita silently fetched it from the floor.Â
âIntel also shows that they have not left the resort,â Delta continued, gaze glued to Omicron as the man piled tissues under his nostrils. âThis suggests they either found nothing dubious in your cover, which I doubt, orâŠâÂ
Here, Delta paused and gave his subordinate a little âgo onâ wave. Omicron flushed, but did as he was told. One big, trembling breath and then a gurgling nose blow. As always, it was much louder than he wanted and yet again he asked himself what unspeakable deed heâd done to deserve this level of karmic retribution. His nose didnât feel refreshed afterward; rather, it was peeved. He wrinkled the bridge against a dull, undulating tickle.
âOr?â he prompted.
âOr.. they know youâre not who you say you are, but want to meet with you anyway.â
.. Could they be that horny? Omicron mused, swatching the length of his forefinger back and forth beneath restless nostrils. He recalled his time with Josaline by the pool. Yes, probably.
Sniffling, he asked, âDoes this chhh..change anything?âÂ
âThey didnât hack our network directly, so they have no idea what your true identity is or who you work for,â Delta said. âBut the nature of the encounter will be unpredictable.â
Red-rimmed eyes tightened at the corners and he gave up on the finger method in favor of tissues. He spoke as he gathered them, his voice wavering into breathier territory as the tickle took shape.
âI c-.. cahhn.. hh..handle unpredict-t.. tahbBBZZSH!â He caught it one handed, not bothering to open his eyes as he lowered the tissues just enough to continue as he contended with an encore. â.. I can handle that.. hhah..â A sharp sniffle. â.. but I doubt theyâd t-.. theyâd tehh.. hih!PPZSHâuh!.. nguh, tell mbe adythiâg..â
âWell about that, bless you, we need them occupied and away from electronics if we attempt a hack.â
Omicron squinted over his tissues. âSo Iâd be..â
âA distraction, yes.â
The original mission was to extract incriminating information from the target, but considering the new variables at play, this new directive would be just as effective. Honestly, with this cold, Omicron wasnât sure he could finesse a subtle interrogation with stellar results. Acting as smoke and mirrors for the cyber team, however..Â
â..hh!uhh.. hHT-â
That, he could definitely do.
â-DZSShâoo!â
/tbc!
Next up, the big date!! âšïž Apologies to anyone who was hoping for the threesome this chapter đ Had to indulge my rabid desire for hurt/comfort lol. A big huge thank you to anyone reading whoâs stuck around!! My next update might be a little slow because of work stuff, but hoping to have it up in a decent time frame. See you soon! đ„°
Summary: A secret agent is going undercover for a few days, and his target has a sneeze fetish. Itâs time for him to put his research to the test.
PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3
AAAA EVERYONE â„ïž I am overwhelmed TwT. Thank you so much for sharing your likes, comments, reblogs, asks, and tags QwQ. My original stuff means a lot to me, so Iâm really, REALLY touched that people enjoyed this!! To everyone who left kind words, you give me soul power đ I hope this part hits as hard as the first one did, and that you all like it!
Also wanted to quickly shout out @themiseryandcompany, @bestwhumpist, @juxtaposedrose, and @stormyweaver for going so hard in the tags!! Seriously kicking my feet and squealing, I felt spoiled by your commentary, thank you so much for all the loveđ„č
These are original characters, all in their mid twenties to early thirties!
(Warnings: Unrealistic science, Mess Liteâą, fake contagion themes [nobody can catch this cold], exhibition / humiliation themes [main character gets horny in public], feeling pleasure from sneezing, masturbation).
THIS STORY IS NSFW!
-
It was a little after 1930 in this timezone, standard military time. Theyâd started their final descent to the landing strip with the beginnings of a sunset smeared across a cloudless sky. And during the flight, Omicron learned three key pieces of information.
Firstly, he absolutely could not stop sneezing. It was simply impossible. Heâd swaggered to his plushy recliner with hubris and paid for it about 57 minutes later after dutifully repressing every single rising urge that niggled his sinuses over the course of the hour. It grew and grew in him, increasingly worrisome in its size, until the tickle was just too strong to hold at bay. No amount of snorting, nose blowing, or finger rubbing would ward it back.
It forced him at metaphorical gunpoint to the closet-like bathroom, blindly staggering through tears and wrenching hitches, where he dropped to a crouch and then to his backside with almost a dozen cataclysmic sneezes. Each one worked his lungs like a bellows, dizzying him until he saw spots, winding him until he felt breathless. By the end he was wrecked, and clinging perilously to his self control. He realized then that his sneezing wouldnât bring him to orgasm alone; it could only lead him to the edge and trap him there until he finished the job himself. Which he obviously couldnât do in the agencyâs aircraft lavatory.
So. He gave up on the âdonât sneeze until the jet landsâ plan.
Instead, Omicron washed his face, dried his hands, and resigned himself to minding his noseâs whims. His original hypothesis was correct - if he did nothing to deter his sneezes, theyâd come at regular, but controllable, intervals. This remained consistent as long as he didnât make the other critical error.
Which led him to the second issue: if his mind strayed too far toward anything sneeze-related, he armed the tickle with more ammo. His sneezes became unwieldy if he held them back, yes, but they also magnified to arousing proportions if he imagined literally anything tickling his nose. This was the hallmark of Dr. Vosterâs virus - the âsuggestion sneeze.â So to avoid a case of blue balls, Omicron did his best not to ruminate on the ceaseless, beckoning sensation that lived in him now. This was by far the most trying aspect of his predicament.
And the third and final bit of info was an exasperating realization: Agent Delta was a chronic and committed blesser even in these circumstances.
âH-ah.. DZSshuh!âÂ
âBless you.â
Omicron resisted the urge to rub his nose, and instead treated it to a dab from his beleaguered tissue. Any motion more substantial than that would goad it into further misbehavior. He wasnât interested in another stumbling trip to the bathroom.
âSir.â He sounded as congested as he felt; his voice was locked up in his sinuses. âYou really donât have to bless me every time.â
Delta patted Omicronâs knee. The two of them sat side by side, despite the sea of empty seats around them. âAw, Omicron, you keep saying that. I really donât mind.â
I mind, groused Omicron. Thatâs why I keep saying it. His gaze drifted to the porthole window and all the little, passing structures beneath. The ground drew closer meters at a time, just as the tickle, yet again, tugged him closer to a conclusion heâd given up fighting. He blinked wetly against the sensation, then let his eyes fall shut. The image of the tiny cars cruising down below lingered, each one speeding undeterred to a destination. They were perpetual. Indefinite. And it was far beyond Omicronâs ability to stop their momentum.
He felt the tickle lurch forward, ripping his breath into a shuddering, â-hUH!hh.. mbb..â Omicron swatched his finger beneath his nose, pausing when the tickle reprimanded him with a lancing spark. âeh-HEH!..hh..â
Hurry up already, he chided with a daring snub to his nose. His nostrils pulsed erratically, aggravated, and another gasp shivered out of him. âh-hh-hh.. HAH-TZSS!sssâuhh..â
âBless you!â chirped Delta.
It was a particularly unsatisfying sneeze, and ridiculous as it was he felt mocked by his own nose. Omicron sniffled, sniffled again, trying to flare the tickle into action. But it wouldnât budge. He dug at his eyes with his palms.
âDoes your head hurt?â asked Delta.
Omicron dropped his hands and leaned his head back against the seat with another defeated sniffle. âNdo, sir. Mby head doesnâd hurt.â
âDo you need more tissues?â
His fingernails bit into the palm of his hand. âNdo, sihHH-â
Unwilling to endure another hygiene lecture, Omicron flinched both elbows to his face and kept his nose there. He heaved through a series of increasingly yearning breaths, light on the inhales, heavy on the exhales, shoulders lifting and dropping each time he thought the sneeze might grant him mercy. In the end it left him wanting. He dropped his arms and panted, eyes still closed, cheeks streaked with tears.
Delta cleared his throat and Omicron lulled his head in that direction, squinting through sticky eyelashes. His superior held a fresh pack of tissues in offering, and Omicronâs cheeks heated. How many of these did he bring??
He didnât snatch them, but it was a near thing. Deltaâs smile tilted with sympathy, and Omicron prickled like a wet cat. âYou can vent your complaints to me if you want, I donât mind.â
âNot sure what you mean,â he muttered through gritted teeth, scrubbing his nose with intentional strength. It stung, but served it right.Â
âItâs okay to be grumpy, Omicron.â Delta spoke like he was soothing a startled horse. âIâm sure this is a tricky situation to manage.â
What remained of Omicronâs professional decorum disintegrated, and he snapped with a waspish, âWhat would you know?â
Deltaâs eyebrows flew up and Omicronâs blood flashed cold. He hadnât meant to say that.Â
âP...Pardon mbe, sir,â he mumbled and lowered his tissue with a sniff. âI apologize. That was uncalled for.â
âYes, it was,â Delta agreed, his tone contemplative. âBut it was also very out of character for you. Iâve seen you stay composed during triage for a gunshot wound. Just what about this has you so out of sorts?â
Admitting to Delta that there was more to this than simply sneezing - disclosing the induced erections that were slowly eroding his self control - would be professional suicide. Even if this side effect wasnât Omicronâs fault, it was his responsibility to manage. This was a chance to prove himself, and if he screwed it up heâd never get this chance again. Thatâs just how it was at the agency.
Heâd have to lie. Lie until he could deflect.Â
âDnothiâg, sir,â he said. âIt jhhust tih.. iih..ckles-hh..hH..â Omicronâs eyelids fluttered and he crushed his crumpled tissue to his face.Â
Please, please, please, he found himself begging as the itch crawled around behind his eyes. Give me a good one.
Against his better judgement, a smoky silhouette sprung to his mindâs eye. Something lithe and graceful, skulking through his nasal passages heedless of the sorry state of them. It glided across raw nerves, pausing to snuggle against their warmth as Omicron sliced his lungs with a gasp. Then dragged the breath back out on a groan. Fuck, he could feel it. Could feel the dimensions of the tickle as it prowled and pawed, arched and sprawled, coy in its torture. He could feel his nerves recoil, his nostrils spasm - a panicked cry for action.
âh-YEH!hh..oh.. hh-HEH-âÂ
Omicron panted as the tickle receded, plumeing into an indistinct but irritating mist. Like a phantom it spread through him, coating his quaking membranes as it drifted deeper.. deeper.. deeper still. It filled his nose with a sensation too ambiguous to do much more than hopelessly itch. His hiccuping breaths eased to stillness; he was trapped on this plateau, punished by a tickle that wouldnât grow. It merely wanted to endure. A bit frantic, Omicron tried to grasp onto a more solid visual. It didnât matter what it was, it could be anything, just so long as-Â
âAgent Omicron?â
The torturous mist evaporated, leaving his nose singed and no longer imminently sneezy. It took substantial restraint for Omicron not to pound his armrest in abject, miserable frustration. He blew his nose in defeat, raked his sleeves over his cheeks to clear the tears, and sniffled. His nose squeaked in reply.Â
â.. I donât think I can adequately communicate how annoying this is, sir.â
âWell, it really must be a bother if itâs making you pout like this.â
Omicron puffed up in offense and casted for a snide reply before he remembered that this was his boss. He bit his tongue, figuratively and literally. âItâs true this is testing my patience,â he said, âbut I assure you that it wonât impact my performance. Iâll achieve nothing less than exceptional results. And respectfully, sir, Iâm not pouting.â
Then he shimmied in his seat to face the window.
Agent Delta considered him with a skeptical eye, and as someone who knew the extent of his subordinateâs gifts he was right to do so. Deception was something of Omicronâs specialty. Trained in the art of information extraction, he excelled at becoming whomever a target wanted to see: a cautious creative type, a severe and dismissive businessman, the gullible boy next door or the leather-clad motorcyclist your friends warned you about. This ability, among other qualities, landed him this case.
But tricking a stranger heâd researched for weeks and swindling his superior officer were two different beasts.
âAs you say,â Delta conceded to Omicronâs back.Â
The jetâs landing gear grazed the runway.
+ + +
The destination was tropical, but close enough to a coastline that the heat wasnât stifling. Their resort hotel was nothing short of opulent, offering amenities such as: a grand carpeted staircase, bellhops in uniform, and over a dozen glittering chandeliers. Theyâd changed into their civilian clothes before entering to better blend in. Well, blend was a strong word for Agent Delta; he wore Bermuda shorts with an equally garish aloha shirt printed with hibiscus flowers. Omicron doubted it was an officially sanctioned garment. He himself donned something understated - khaki shorts, boat shoes, and a white v-neck t-shirt. A pair of gold aviator sunglasses sat on top of his head.
Heâd done what he could for his nose. When he caught sight of it in the jetâs bathroom mirror just before they deplaned, he could understand why Delta kept needling him. The skin was blushed an obscene red, the color deepest at his nostrils and fanning out across his septum, cupidâs bow, and as far up to the bridge of his nose. He also hadnât been aware of how much it moved on its own, incessantly prodded by the tickle inside. Looking at himself too long just made him feel sneezier, and Omicron had braced his hands on the bathroom counter with helpless hitching until he coughed out a single, underwhelming, ihâBZSch!
Now watching Delta check in at the front desk from across the hotel lobby, Omicron tempered his trembling nostrils with a touch of his index finger. Settle down, he bargained. Stop teasing me.
His phone vibrated against his thigh. It was a burner; he got a fresh phone for every assignment and didnât keep a personal cell. A glance at the number told him exactly who it was. He lifted it to his ear.
âMake it quick, Doctor,â he said. âIâm onsite.â
âWell, hello to you too, Mr. Grouch!â Dr. Voster trilled. His mood further soured at her enthusiasm. âNew phone again, huh? Howâd you know it was me?â
âI memorized your number.â
âBecause Iâm your favorite?â
Omicron wrinkled his nose. âI memorize all my numbers. Donât get excited.â
âYou really know how to make a woman feel special, O.â
âDid you want something?â he asked, eyes on Delta as the man chatted amiably with the clerk. His nostrils twinged and he gave them an appeasing rub. âIâm busy.â
âJust checking in. Howâs your nose doing?â
As if to answer, the tickle squirmed. Omicron snorted reflexively and rubbed more sternly against his sore septum.
âYouâre calling at..â He checked his watch. â..1:15 in the morning your time to ask about my nose?â
âYour viral load should be pretty high by now,â she replied, sounding wide awake despite the hour. âI want to know how it feels.â
âIt feels-â Heâd been gearing up for a snarky remark, but it died on his tongue. Between one breath and the next something changed. His nostrils slowly flared, grazing his finger where it rested against his lip.
â⊠it feels?â prompted Dr. Voster.
To his credit, Omicron tried. âI-hht.. hâtzuh..âÂ
But then his eyes flickered shut as he became entranced by that incurable tickle. It advanced slowly, enormous in his nose, lumbering forward and promising him a bounty. The swell would have intimidated him if he hadnât been waiting for the better part of a day. He dropped his finger from his lip and braced his hand against the wall instead. If this was as big as it felt, heâd need it to stay on his feet.
âhUH-⊠ugh..â A sharp sniff, and a mutter under his breath. â..chhome on.. h-hh-!â
Fuck, it was oppressive. Omicron cinched his eyes tightly shut as he eased a breath through his tingling nose. It didn't hasten the advance, only threw gasoline on a raging fire. The tickle licked at his nasal nerves, which began to spasm in alarmed reply. Suddenly he was gulping down air, hitching so loudly it felt lewd.
âhah!hh.. uHH!h.. HUH-.. HUH-.. HUH-!â
The fire burned on, colossal and all consuming, demanding so much of him that his lungs filled to the brim. He could feel his head ratcheting by degrees, twitching back even when he could take no more air. If he could open his eyes, heâd probably see the shimmer of those fancy chandeliers. The tickle seethed for an agonizing moment. A quiet ache of pleasure twisted his gut. And then-
âWRRUZZSSSSHOOO!!â
Ecstasy.Â
âHHHH-!.. RRIHSSSSCHâYUU!â
It scraped through him thoroughly with a crack of throbbing relief. Dazedly, he hitched anew. In, in, in-
âh-hH-HH-â And out in one fell swoop. âHPTâZSSSCHOOO!!..nnngh..â
Omicron thanked himself for the foresight of leaning against the wall. Otherwise heâd probably be on the ground, or at the very least staggering aimlessly as his sneezes tossed him around. His nose didnât seem to know what to do, other than grant him another.
âHAHâDIZSSSHâuh!â
And another.
âHEHâYIIZSSCHOO!ohhh..â
He gasped for breath, the hand holding his phone routing to his sternum. He could feel his heart hammering, his chest heaving. Each time he sneezed, his abs clenched. And with each release, a cloying ache spread through his groin. He was probably erect by this point but-
âHih-.. HIHBISSSHâYAHhh!â
He didnât want to stop. Omicron breathed deeply into the tickle, feeling it paint the inside of his nose with a swath of sensation. Something speared into his sinuses - the probing tip of a paintbrush, a thin piece of twine, a fiendish little intruder intent on undoing him.
âIIHâTIZZSCHâiu!!â
His lungs emptied and replenished themselves with another single, flowing breath. Despite his light-headedness and unsteady legs, Omicron felt himself smiling.Â
âHHHH!.. EHJZZSSHUE!!âhhhooohh by god..â
It resonated pleasantly, like he struck his body with a tuning fork, and the trancelike need to sneeze, gasp, sneeze finally ebbed. The tickle receded, mollifying his nose in its tide. He could still feel it floating around in his sinuses somewhere, sated for now but impossible to fully satisfy. And of course his dick wasnât satisfied in the slightest. His balls ached terribly. Heâd had the good sense to arrange himself before entering the hotel lobby, fully aware he might find himself in this predicament in public. Again.
A voice spoke intelligibly, muffled against his shirt. Oh right, the phone. He put it back to his ear.
âWhat?â he panted.
âDid those feel good?â
He sniffled and fended off a full body shiver. âDonâd all sdeezes feel good?â
âMm. Yeah.â Her tone was weirdly stilted. âWell. So. This is awkward, but I might have-â
Omicron tuned her out as he gathered himself. He was in dire need of a tissue, and heâd caught his own shirt in the crossfire of those last few sneezes. A quick scan of the room confirmed that just about every guest and employee saw him letting loose without even an attempt to cover his mouth. Many people were staring, including Agent Delta. The man was agog, but as Omicron stared back, he got the prickling feeling that it wasnât him Delta was looking at. It was a second after that when he heard who exactly caught his superiorâs eye.Â
âBless you.â
He clocked the voice before he turned, which gave him a split-second to prepare his expression. He arranged a look of chagrined surprise and hung up the phone on a still-nattering Anita.
âOh!â He jumped, and flashed a shy smile. âThagk you.â
She was taller in person, with legs a mile long and hair falling in thick waves to her waist. She wore burgundy lipstick, accentuating the plush shape of her mouth. A voluptuous woman, her Bohemian ensemble framed her curves and flowed around her like a modern renaissance painting. Her jewelry spoke of wealth, her painted nails spoke of elegance, and her eyes concealed a careful fire.Â
She held out a pair of sunglasses. Mine, Omicron realized.
âYou dropped these.â
He took them from her with a chuckle. âAh, jeez, thatâs embarrassiâg.â He sniffled and didnât miss her swift glance at his nose. âI really mbade a spectacle of mbyself. Sorry about that.â
âNot at all,â she said. Her voice was dark velvet, soft and sophisticated. âIâm sure you couldnât help it.â
Omicron juggled his phone and his sunglasses, keeping his eyes on her as he unearthed a half-empty package of travel tissues. He kept up his sniffling, in part for her benefit and also because his nose dripping onto his shirt was an imminent concern.
âYeah, Iâb kind of a mbess todahhy..â He tried to keep his eyes open even as they fogged with emergent tears. His voice scratched against a tender throat, tremoring around little hitching hiccups. âI do-hh!T huh.. donât eved doe where th.. hh-hH!..mbghh, where all thad came fromb I-hhH!.. ndormally donâd sdnee-â
It overpowered him suddenly. He just barely rushed a tissue to his nose in time.
âhiHâTISshâoo!â Back to the regulars, and just one didnât quite cut it. Omicron huffed his way to a second. â..uh.. hckâKSSHâu!.. ugh..â
âBless you,â she said.
That took care of the itch (for now). He wavered on his feet, fawn-legged from his earlier fit, and muttered a guttural âPardod beâ as he ducked away to noisily blow his nose. It took several tissues before he deemed himself presentable and by the time he got all the used ones shoved into his shorts pockets, he turned back around to see his sunglasses being offered to him again.Â
Omicron chuckled hoarsely as he took them from her. âI should probably start carrying a spare pair, at this rate.â
There was an amused tilt to her lips. âPerhaps.â
He shared in her smile until the pause between them stretched a little too long. Then he jolted into awkward conversation. âAh, um- whereâs my manners, jeez, Iâm Nicolas.â
Nicolas Foster, his cover for this operation: an under-the-weather tourist in town for a destination wedding.
She inclined her head to him gracefully and held out her hand. âJosaline.â
Josaline Jewel, his target: business mogul of the fashion world with a clothing line, makeup brand, and lucrative designer bag collection all sold exclusively online. The agency suspected her of extensive cybercrime; Omicronâs job was to uncover any signs of money laundering, malware manufacture, or identity theft.
âIâd shake your hand,â he said with a self-conscious scrub of his palms against his shorts and another self-deprecating laugh, âbut Iâve been sniffly all morning, Iâm sorry.â
âOh?â Again her gaze flashed to his nose when he wrinkled it with a sniffle. âAre you not feeling well?â
He sniffled again as he fiddled with his sunglasses, bashful. âIâm still hoping itâs the jet-lag, but it feels like Iâm coming down with something, yeah.â
He punctuated this with a wrist swipe beneath his warm, chapped nostrils. They flared to caution him against further meddling. Josaline crooned in sympathy.
âIâm sorry to hear that.â
Doubt it, he thought to himself as he offered a warm smile. âThatâs really sweet of you to say. Thanks.â
Omicron researched sneeze fetishes as thoroughly as he cased intel on Josaline Jewel. Operatives observed her engaging with unfamiliar men at industry events or galas, escorting them off the dancefloor and into private quarters. All these men had two things in common: they were shorter than she was, and they were at the time afflicted with sneezing. Though she didnât seem deterred by illness, the agency lacked further details. To fill his void of knowledge, Omicron dove headfirst into a world of niche kinks; he read and watched a towering amount of sneezy content, some of it about fictional characters heâd never even heard of. But he left the experience a more educated man, enlightened and prepared to perform. Now it would be a game of discerning Josalineâs preferences.
âWhat brings you to town, if I might ask?â Josaline asked. She took a hesitating step in her peep-toe wedges and Omicron followed the cue to walk with her.
âA friendâs wedding,â he said, and it became obvious that his increasingly wet sniffles required maintenance. He sighed as fished around for his last clean tissue. âHeâs an old college buddy, super nice guy. The weddingâs not until next week, but I had some time saved up at work and the flights were cheaper on weekdays, so..â Tissue acquired. â..I guess it worked out pretty well.â
âDo you enjoy traveling alone?â she asked, setting a sedate pace across lush carpet and spotless tile. âI find it invigorating, but it can be a little lonely now and then.â
He blotted gently at his nostrils. They fussed at the treatment, jerking and fidgeting against his fingers. Yes, thatâs right, Omicron goaded. Tickle me. Go on. The virus humored him, unfurling and sauntering forward with ambition. Instantly his eyelids got heavy, and his voice grew heady.
âOh, I couldnât afford this place by mys-.. mys-hhelf..â He kept the tissue tucked to his face this time, muffling his voice and obscuring her view of anything but his fluttering eyes. âIâm hhuh-âÂ
The tickle got to work, trailing feather-light fingers along his nasal walls. They writhed, trapped and helpless to the whims of a persistent itch. It stroked sensitive places, unhurried and secure in the knowledge he could do absolutely nothing to stop it. He tried to speak around the buildup, each breath a little blip or sigh he couldnât repress.
âHo, sorry, Iâm rooHH-!.. uh.. rooming with another frihhend whose⊠als-uHHâh..H-H!âÂ
He paused as the tickle escalated, now lounging indulgently as it guided him to a gasping high. Its approach was always rhythmic, an everlasting titillation that magnified as the tolerance of his nose diminished. Omicron shot Josaline an apologetic glance over the edge of his tissue and found her looking right at him. For the first time she lost composure, and hurriedly ducked behind a lock of her hair.
â.. Are you alright?â she asked, staring at the floor as they continued to stroll.
Omicron cringed through another playful swipe of the tickle, like fingers made purely of fluff skimming up the length of his nose. He gasped hugely, certain it would come, but then let it out on a near-moan. â..ohhh, sorry- itâs this cold, I-.. Iyyiieee..HH! iGâGZZSCHhu!â
It was a little stronger than he thought it would be. Instinctually he flashed a hand out and anchored his grip to whatever was nearby. The tickle gave him another long, firm stroke and his nerves begged mercy.Â
âHIH!PPSSHhâoo!â And another lancing tickle, like washing your car with a sponge, running your hand along a catâs back, a frictionless glide but it was malicious in its softness and it agitated his nose into rebellion. With one hand, Omicron sealed the tissue more tightly over his nose and mouth. âMMPPHSssh!â
He emptied his remaining air in a desperate blow. His nose tingled with temporary relief. The single, brave tissue did its best, but heâd absolutely need to wash his hands and find another fresh package as soon as possible. Picking his head up, he balled up the trash and knuckled his nose with his fist.
âSorry, that was gross, Iâm-â Genuine anxiety prickled in him as he looked up and realized his other hand was clasped firmly to her upper arm. That was an accident. Omicron flinched away and clung white-knuckled to his disguise. â-SO sorry, oh jeez, I really didnât mean to grab you like that, I wasnât- I just, I had to sneeze and then it felt like it was gonna be a big one so I-.. guess I reached for whatever was around, I wasnât thinkingâŠâ
Josaline stood and silently let him run out of steam. A molten heat pooled in her irises. A rose tint glazed her cheeks. She lifted her purse, an understated but expensive clutch with a golden chain, and popped it open.
âNot at all, Nicolas.â Her words melted from her lips. âI truly donât mind.â
She slipped a swatch of white fabric from her bag and shook it. It unfurled like a flag of surrender, and she held it out with a coy smile. He lifted his finger once again to his nose to graze it just beneath his itchy nostrils and felt a telling touch of moisture. His ears flushed and her smile grew.
âOh gosh, sorry, thatâs..â Cupping one hand over his nose, he reached with the other. âThank you, Josaline.â
Omicron took the handkerchief and paused when she didnât let go. Their eyes met.
âI do hope this wonât be the last we see of one another,â she told him.Â
Just behind her, the elevator dinged. He blinked, only just noticing where exactly they were. She stepped back into the gilded lift, leaving him with her handkerchief and one last view of her burgundy smile. Then the doors closed. Omicron dropped his shoulders and blew a slow breath from his cheeks. Initial contact: not a catastrophe. Step two: arrange a serendipitous rendezvous.
Agent Delta appeared beside him. Omicron was certain heâd watched it all from a covert corner. He spoke softly, so as not to be overheard. âThis is going swimmingly. Well done.â
Omicron ignored his heartâs little leap at the praise. He didnât like to count chickens before they hatched. His mind raced to assemble all that heâd learned, the pieces of what intrigued her. âThank you, sir.âÂ
âNicolas.â Omicron looked at him, and resisted shooting the man a withering glare when Delta brightly grinned and said, âYour nose is running.â
He tucked into the handkerchief. It was a balm to his sore nose after so many cheap tissues. The cotton was of superb quality, probably with a thread count higher than his bed sheets back home. Omicron nuzzled into it to snuffle and blow; seconds later, he realized with dawning dread that this was the wrong thing to do. For while this handkerchief was freshly laundered, it was also steeped with an overpowering perfume.
The tickle took umbrage with this. It bristled in his nose like a startled cat, sinking claws into his tender membranes and whipping its tail angrily against the sensitized border of his sinus. He couldnât even suck a breath in before-
âTssh! IhâTSsh!.. HSHâu!â He ripped his nose away from the handkerchief, holding the cloth away from him with revulsion. âHihâKSSh!.. hâKZShâiu! Ugh!â
âOoh, bless you, bless you.â
The handkerchief disappeared, and without any other options, he buried his nose into the prayerbook of his hands.
At last it abated. He could imagine the tickle huddled far back in his nose, growling low as it continued to lash its tail. Omicron sniffled behind his hands and coughed from the effort.
âItâs impossible to say whether she doused this intentionally or not,â mused Delta, studying the handkerchief. He tried to pass the offending item back to Omicron, who shrunk away from it. He didnât want it anywhere near his nose. âShe couldnât have known you were allergic.â
âIâb dnot allergic,â Omicron argued through gritted teeth. Delta gave him a look that plainly said, I donât believe you, but Iâll humor you because youâre irascible and sneezy. Omicron fantasized about strangling him with a garrote.Â
They took the elevator up in silence. Delta passed over another package of tissues and Omicron plowed through several of them. More garbage to add to his pocket collection. Heâd have to unload once he got to his hotel room, and used tissues werenât the only load on his mind. His erection had yet to flag. It was easy to ignore during his conversation with the target, focused as he was on his work, but with nothing to distract him Omicron was getting tense and eager for alone time.
Which is why he balked when Delta tried to follow him into his hotel room. Omicron stopped just over the threshold. âIs this your room?â
âItâs our room.â
Omicronâs grip tightened on the doorknob. Heâd been lying when he told Josaline he had a roommate. That was his cover story, yes, but not the actual plan. âI thought we were bunking separately.â
âIâve reconsidered,â Delta replied, and while his tone was light there was a finality to his tone. âSharing a room will reinforce our cover, and given this is your first high stakes case Iâd rather stick close to support you on the ground.â He fixed Omicron with a pointed stare. âUnless thereâs a reason youâd rather not share?â
Oh, you bastard, he seethed. You know what Iâm going to say. Delta was already suspicious - giving him anymore ammo would just worsen things for Omicron. His hand slid off the knob. âOf course not, sir.â
There were so many reasons Omicron would rather not share a room with Agent Delta. He preferred solitude over company, silence over noise, and Delta was the opposite. The senior agent prattled about nonsense while awake and he snored very loudly while asleep. He hovered around Omicron all evening and compulsively blessed his sneezes and bullied him into watching crappy reality television shows. The hotel room was excellent, but small; there was no opportunity for privacy. The silver-lining was that there were two beds so they didnât have to share.
After unpacking, discussing tomorrowâs plans, and sharing an array of delivery boxes from Panda Express while they watched some inane matchmaking show, Omicron collapsed into bed with a heavy head. All the congestion settled behind his eyes, and both nostrils were blocked as soon as he reclined. He jammed the charger into his phone with stuffy grunts of exasperation and then noticed the flurry of missed calls and text messages from Dr. Voster lighting up his screen. They were hours old, most of them berating him for hanging up on her and demanding that he call her back.
But it was late, he was tired, and surely by now she was asleep. Heâd catch up with her tomorrow.
+ + +
Steamy hot water fell around him, sliding warm down his skin and thickening the air. Omicron tilted his head back. He hitched a single breath, and shuddered it out on a voiced sigh. â..huh..â
He braced his hands more securely against the shower walls and steadied his feet beneath him. He woke this morning with post-nasal drip and a too-big tickle in his nose. Just as Delta said before, it stockpiled power in his sleep and by the time he came to bleary consciousness, he could feel the itch in every nook and cranny of his respiratory system. It wanted out.
The tickle scuffled with his weary sinuses and his lungs snagged with a sharp gasp, âHih!â and another slow, yearning sigh. â..hhuhhh..â
His prick throbbed and he brought a soaped-up hand down to grip the shaft. He was rock-hard, woke up that way, too muddled with arousal and tickling misery he could do nothing but stumble to the shower. Another grungy sniffle roused the tickle to action; it shimmied in the confined space, touching every nerve with its feathery borders. It was such an overpowering sensation that he couldnât actually sneeze. Only suffer.
âh-H-HH!â Both he and the tickle waited, but to no avail. He deflated with a moan. â.. hhh-uuuhhhh..â
Omicron stroked himself, stepping forward to press an arm to the cool tile wall and lean his forehead there as he lost himself to the climb. Sneeze or no sneeze, he was going to come. Muggy air coaxed a dry cough, a snuffling breath, another flexing fidget from the tickle. It didnât settle afterward, but instead began to twist and turn. Thrash and flail. His nose shuddered helplessly in the onslaught. Yes, yes, yes, chanted Omicron as his nostrils pulsed. Thatâs it. Tickle me.
He smoothed his thumb over his slit, arching forward. He panted hot breath against the sweaty tile. Water pounded down against his shoulder blades, muscles shifting beneath skin as the tickle wriggled and wormed against its prison. His nose frazzled at the attention, and Omicronâs parted lips flinched up with a little grin. He heaved with breath, whining his way through a monstrous buildup. All the while he pumped his hand at an increasingly feverish pace.
â..uh... hhUH-hh!.. HUH!âhh.. HAH-H-â His voice reverberated off the walls with obnoxious volume. The sound of wet skin squelching mingled with the patter of water on the shower floor. He gasped at the bolt of pleasure sparkling below his stomach. â-H-Hhhâoh-hh.. hâH-uhh..â
The arousal broke his momentum. He thumped a fist against the wall with an abysmally soupy sniffle. With warring sensations, neither could win. Omicron lifted his head to the shower spray to wipe his face and paused to chafe his index finger beneath his flitting nostrils. He slowed the rhythm of his other hand. You can do better than that, he challenged the tickle. Câmon, let me have it. He snorted, feeling his sinuses vibrate with the strain. Make me sneeze.
Wish granted. With a loss of sensation down below, the tickle rushed in to fill the void. It consumed him in an instant. Omicron inhaled as if the shower water suddenly turned to ice.
âHHHHH!! IIHDDZSSSCHHYOOO!!â
It was finally out, the start of what felt like a dozen. His whole body trembled, including his dick, and Omicron dazedly picked up the pace as his nose cramped with another powerful swell. Another butter-smooth gasp.
âHIIIIH!! EHTZZSSHHHâEH! Mmmbb-!â
A beautiful ache bled through his abdomen, mirrored in the tingling clarity of his nose. Fuck he didnât know when Delta would be back from his morning run, but.. ânnnggh..HAAASCHHYUU!-uuooh..â
Heâd never been a quiet man in bed and these sneezes were some of the best heâd had so far. His membranes twitched in relief each time, as did his prick, before another storm quickly gathered. Omicron instinctively sped up the tweak of his wrist as he rocked into each stroke. He wouldnât last much longer; heâd been edged long enough. His flaring nostrils flew wide.
The orgasm hit like a truck. It rippled through him, wrenched him forward, and it would have been perfect if the shower floor wasnât so damn slippery. As he shook his way through the aftershocks, the tickle snuck up on him.
âiiGGXSHHâTT- AAH-â Nothing about him was prepared. It exited roughly through his congested airways and upset his equilibrium. His feet went out from under him and rolling with the momentum spared him a concussion from the slick tile. It didnât spare his pride however when he heard a voice from the other side of the door.
âBless you, Omicron! You okay in there?â
Fuck, cursed Omicron, back flat to the tile as the shower pelted water into his eyes. When did he get back?
âFine!â he barked back. The slip-scare soured what remained of his orgasm and the inside of his nose ached with raw exhaustion. He touched a knuckle to the tip. Before Delta could ask, he added, âI dropped the shampoo!â
âWell, be careful,â Amused, now that he knew his subordinate was alright. âSounds like that nose of yours means business today!â
Omicron covered his face with his hands and sighed.
+ + +
Sunshine coated the simmering pavement. People kept their sandals on as they milled about for fear of burning their feet. Couples cuddled together in upholstered loungers around the poolâs perimeter. Loners relaxed with books on couches sheltered by giant, colorful parasols. A dual walk-and-swim-up tiki bar bustled at the far end of the pool, surrounded by wading, tipsy tourists. This was an adult-only area, so aside from the group of trust-fund college grads squealing and shoving one another off the diving board, it was quiet and classy.Â
Nicolas ignored wandering eyes as he maundered the waterâs edge.Â
After his ill-fated shower, Delta informed him there was surveillance of Josaline Jewel in this area and it was time for a fated meeting. Heâd put on a pair of colorblock swim trunks and a thin cotton cream shirt he left unbuttoned over a waxed chest. He was not a big man, but his work kept him toned. Defined abs, firm pecs, broad shoulders with muscles that rolled across his back when he moved. Heâd use them all to his advantage.
Deep in his sinuses, the tickle swelled. His nostrils weakly complained and he hushed them with a quick back-forth sweep of his finger. Heâd use this too, when the time came.
An arm draped over his shoulders, dragging him in for a chokehold hug. âThe whole team should take a vacation sometime,â Delta said fondly. âThis is fun.â
Speak for yourself, groused Omicron. Irked as he was to have Delta here, it would help his cover. Acting with a partner provided an opportunity that single performances couldnât. Besides, jerking off in the shower took the edge off his temper, so Omicron weathered the affection without complaint. He only pressed an elbow to Deltaâs chest when his own expanded with a fast-rising urge.
âG-Gonnaahh-â He hiccuped a hitching breath. Experienced now in dodging, Delta leaned away as Omicron pitched haphazardly into his opposite arm. âhihâDZSSSâooh!â
âBless you,â muttered Delta, and mercifully didnât complain about the distinct lack of vampire-sneeze etiquette. Some of these sneezes just got away from him, no matter how slow or quick they came on.
They both paused for more, but after a couple uneasy breaths, none arrived. Omicron checked the damage: no shirt stains, a slight drink spillage but not on himself or anyone else, and Delta wasnât caught by collateral. Insufferable as his senior officer could be, Omicron would perish if he accidentally sneezed on him.Â
Delta lowered his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. âSee her anywhere?â
Omicron scanned as they walked, swirling his stemless wine glass before he took a sip. âNot yet.â
âMaybe she left before we got-â
âHello.â
They whipped their heads to the left and there was Josaline. She wore the widest brim sun hat that Omicron had ever seen, black with a dramatic dip, and streaked with a white ribbon that matched the chic blacks and whites of her asymmetrical one piece suit. She still wore heels, toes painted to match her nails, ankles crossed. Her smile peeked at them from under her hat and designer sunglasses.
Nicolas roused himself and gave her a helpless smile, as if he hadnât meant to stare. âHi.â
âWere you looking for me?â
He fished a hand at the back of his neck, flushed to his ears, and Delta playfully tightened his grip. âYeah, he couldnât stop talking about you.â
Nicolas elbowed him with a hiss under his breath. âHarry!â
âIâm Harry by the way,â Harry told her, swooping in to offer his hand. Nicolas wrestled out of his hold in the meanwhile, straightening his shirt with a huff. Josaline raised a hand to her mouth to hide her widening smile.
âYou must be the friend Nicolas mentioned. The one heâs rooming with?â
âOh, he told you about me, huh?â Harry smoothed back his hair and waggled his eyebrows. âAll good things I hope.â
Nicolas took another sip of his drink as they chatted, wrinkling his nose to one side and then the other. A quick, strong sniff flared his nostrils wide. He let the breath go on a sigh. Josaline tilted back the brim of her hat.
âFeeling any better?â
âNdot really,â he conceded, then moved to sit across from her on an empty lounge chair. His shirt fell open to frame his sculpted chest and she curtly inspected the view. His pecs jumped with a brisk sniff, then another. He knuckled more aggressively at his nose. âBut Iâmb dnot gonna let it spoil mby vacation, if I can help it.â
Feeling lousy wasnât actually a lie. Omicron woke up in the thrall of the tickle, yes, but when he had the ability to think afterward he realized he wasnât at his best. His throat stung when he swallowed, scraped sore from all his harsh sneezing. His abs felt like theyâd been through a ruthless core workout. And there was a disconcerting malaise settling over him, a woozy feeling that he refused to acknowledge in hopes it might just go away.Â
âForgive me saying so, but should you be drinking in your condition?â she asked, nodding to his glass. He took a breath to reply but Harry interrupted with a booming laugh and an amiable slap to the smaller manâs back.
âThatâs just lemon tea and honey,â is what he told Josaline and that was also true. He did lie to Delta about it just being a prop for his cover story though. In actuality, it took the edge off his aching throat. Harry carried on, unaware. âI told him to try a hot toddy but heâs a little goodie two shoes when it comes to nursing a cold.â
Nicolas narrowed his eyes, blinking as they began to glass over. All the while since he woke, the tickle in his nose continued to haunt him. Contrary to Dr. Vosterâs claim to Delta, the sensitivity hadnât diminished at all. He bodily turned from the conversation with his drink held far away from him. His other arm tucked snugly around his nose as he sucked in a shuddering breath. Then quaked in place.
â.. hik-.. iH-GZSShu!â
âBless you,â chorused the other two.Â
He picked his head up by hesitating degrees before giving it a sharp shake. More sniffling, a thick clearing of his throat. His gaze darted to Josaline, who glanced away when he caught her looking. âPardod mbe.â
âYou know what? Try not to ruin my vacation either,â Harry griped at him, then looked to Josaline. âNobody wants to get within five feet of me with him around. Heâs like a walking cold medicine commercial.â
Omicronâs eyebrow twitched. âWell at least I donâd snore.â
Delta shot him a look that Nicolas met with innocence and a sip of his drink. Omicron shouldnât push his luck, but he refused to pass up the chance to take pot-shots at Delta while he could get away with it. Josaline giggled.
âI can tell youâre old friends,â she said as she looked between them. âDo you see one another often, outside of events like this?â
This spiraled into deeper discussion. Delta and Omicron rattled off fake trivia to all her questions, and asked about her in turn. She was vague about her work but fairly open about her personal life. Almost all of it was useless small talk, aside from a compelling instance when she told them she created the software for her websiteâs security certificate herself. Her competency in coding wasnât something Josaline Jewel advertised to the public.Â
Dr. Voster called him exactly three times during the chat, and each time he dumped her to voicemail. She knew he was working. Whatever she needed to ask him could wait, or ideally, be an email.
Soon the sun was past its apex and Omicron was running out of tissues. Mortifyingly, a passing poolside waiter brought him a little bin for him to toss his trash so he didnât have to keep walking off to a garbage can. Over the course of their conversation Josalineâs attention gravitated squarely to Nicolas and both men took this as a cue.
Harry slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. âAlright, Iâm gonna check out the casino. Iâll catch up with you later, Nick.â He winked. âHave fun.â
Nicolas waved him off with one hand and tended to his unruly nose with the other. His nostrils pushed against his fingers, pulsing irritably. The tickle seemed to get worse over the course of the day, and his sneezes were coming with frustrating regularity if he didnât waylay them. He tried to strike a balance between holding back and letting go, observing Josalineâs reactions all the while. She definitely wanted him to sneeze as badly as he did, which is why he chose to press the flat of his forefinger hard against his septum until the urge receded. He huffed away the gasp heâd gathered.
â.. huh-hh, sorry, Iâb probably ndot great combpadny right ndow..â
He opened his eyes to find Josaline staring at him from under her lashes. Sheâd taken off her sunglasses some time ago. âOn the contrary, I find you captivating.â
Nicolas laughed, ducking his head to cough. âReally? Thadâs a relief. I was worried all⊠this,â here he gestured to his nose, âwould put you off.âÂ
He punctuated with a sniff, the sound purely liquid, and rushed a hand to cup his nose while he tried to free the last of his tissues from the pack with the other. âUgh, sorry-â
âDid you lose the handkerchief I gave you?â
Omicron feigned surprise, as if he hadnât been waiting for her to ask. âUmb.. so-.. hah.â He scrubbed his finger under his nose, subduing his wavering nostrils. âI did use it, but I thigâk you had someb kinda perfumeb on it?..â
Her lips parted in shock, and Omicron knew at once that the scent on that cloth wasnât intentional. Maybe it was a habit of hers, dousing her handkerchiefs in perfume, but she didnât know it would actually make him sneeze. There was a faint, petal-like blush spreading across her cheeks and her thighs tensed more tightly together. Well, well.
Nicolas blinked wetly, as if the memory of the handkerchief was enough to make his nose tickle. Granted, literally anything was enough. âAs soonâd as I-.. as I-yeeâŠhuh-â He blinked again, and again, each time a little harder and with more moisture in his lashes. With a swallow, he tried to hurry through the rest, âAs I used ihht I.. st- st..â
He pressed a hand to his sternum as his chest jumped with a little sip of breath. The tickle fluttered in him, enticing. Omicron gave in for just a moment, letting his eyes fold shut, relaxing into the sensation of it. Sometimes the virus felt mechanical, automatic, indifferent to him and his reactive nose. Like a machine chugging ever onward, so did the tickle continue to toil. Tickling.. and tickling.. and tickling⊠Blind to his convulsing nerves, deaf to his snagging breaths, just carrying on with its function with no regard for the consequences.
Unable now to open his eyes again, Omicron spoke around compulsive gasps and breathed his words on the exhales. âhH!Sâmade be-.. h-HH!Bade be-uhhh.. sndâHIH!.. sdeehEEZZSSHOO!â
Nicolas snapped forward, sneezing over his lap, and belatedly raised a hand to his nose. It was running copiously. He wouldnât get the job done with what was left of his tissues, unfortunately. He squinted against another hopeful tickle, begging himself now to keep it together. He really didnât want to sneeze again like this.
A flash of white caught his eye. Josaline, her gaze boring into him with palpable weight, offered another handkerchief. He swallowed. It was identical in every way to the first, and Omicron suspected it smelled the same too. But this was what she wanted, and he was a professional. He would deliver.
He took it from her and began to unfold it with both hands to give her an uninhibited view of his face. As he began to wind up for another sneeze, he gave the tickle full control over every micro-expression. The fitful flare of his nostrils. The crease of his crowâs feet. His quivering, parted lips. The way his nose gathered grimacing wrinkles at the bridge when the urge became undeniable. His voice bled into his heaving exhales, unintentional but not unwelcome.
âHâuhh.. iIH!hhh..h-h-!hohh.. mbbggh..â
This was the worst part, when it crested to a peak but couldnât quite get him high enough to tip him over. Throwing caution to the wind, he lifted the aromatic cloth to his face and breeeeeeeathed-
âKZZSSSCH!â
Rough, wrenched out of him in fury. As the methodical tickle gave way to a fierce burn, Omicron had just long enough to wonder if Delta was right: he might actually be allergic.
His eyes rolled closed and he shuddered helplessly into the handkerchief. âiihâTZSsh!â A tight breath and then, âiikâKISHH!... hdâIZSSH!.. Tshh! itâTZSH!â
There wasnât time for anything else. No wavering gasps, no bleary moment of respite before the next volley. It was a quick trigger release, too itchy and ineffective to do anything but wind him. â-DSSHâuu!.. hdâDZSSHâoo!! ohh..HH!â
He heard Josaline stir in her lounge chair, and then felt the jostle of his own when she sat down beside him. A hand smoothed up and down the line of his spine, pausing to feel his back expand with a single, catching breath.Â
â-igâGEZSCâHoo!.. GZSShuu!.. Chshh-IHâchzssh!.. HIH!chzsch! Ugh!â He finally managed a shaky blow into the folds of the handkerchief. A couple desperate hitching breaths and then he quickly committed to another. It cleared away most of the mess; he was able to free his nose for air.
His eyes were still locked shut, but he could feel his nostrils twitching like a rabbitâs. Rushing a finger beneath them did nothing. He sneezed against his hand. âiihpssh!... hâTZschh!h- hIKssh!! TIZSSCHâu!â
It felt endless, and nothing like the big, bad wolf sneezes that the tickle cooked up. No, these didnât help anything. Each sneeze just somehow itched him more. â..hah-..hh.. hHâZSSCHâyah!â
He nearly lifted the handkerchief back to his face and caught himself at the last moment. Loathe as he was to do it, he used the collar of his shirt instead. He had nothing else. Omicron lifted the corner to his nose, his nostrils so warm to the touch they felt feverish, and muffled what he could.
âMMFZSSH!.. hgâISHH!..â At least it was slowing down. He sniffled, feeling muzzy, and finally cracked his eyes open. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He closed them again with a jumpy, âhih- IH!-..MMPHZSSH!!â
Omicron waited, tense, for the next one. It sizzled in his sinuses for a solid few seconds before dissipating in a wave of prickling dismay. It left his nose wary, on guard for the next attack, even as the virus insidiously labored away inside him. His shirt was a lost cause, so he shrugged it off and used it to blot at his face as he snuffled and hitched his way into presentability. Holy hell, that was more than he bargained for.
âBless.â
A touch alighted on his bare arm. Nicolas picked his head up, squinting through puffy eyes and already cringing with apology. âSorry,â he croaked. âI thigk I mbight be allergic.â
âYes, so do I,â she breathed, and smoothed her touch to his back again. Without his shirt in the way, her palm glided up and down his skin. Her other hand thumbed a tear from the corner of his eye. âYou poor thing.. I didnât realize thatâs what you were trying to say. Forgive me.â
They were both lying to each other now. Nicolas shook his head, both his hands coming to hold one of hers. âNdo, ndo, itâs ndot your fault! I couldnâd explain itd well.â He gave her a pitifully tearful smile. âHad to sdneeze too bad.â
The tone shifted. Omicron could feel it keenly. Josaline squeezed, then let them go. Her hands lifted instead to cradle his cheeks, her voice dropping to a whisper. âI need to confess something.â
He blinked at her, wide eyed. â... Codfess whad?â
âIâm not the sort of woman to be repelled by all... this,â she said softly, with an equally soft graze of her thumb against one of his chapped nostrils. It flared in response, and Omicron fended off the visceral need to rub it. Josaline stroked him again, and his nose twitched away from her. The tickle bristled and he leaned out her hands, racked with fittish hitches. He jammed his finger beneath his septum, barely catching himself before a sneeze tumbled out.Â
She watched him avidly as he battled back the urge, one eye squinted shut in a lopsided wince. Her attention honestly flustered him; Omicron never liked attention when he sneezed, and her gaze in particular stripped him bare. He lowered his finger reluctantly, and kept his hand hovering at chest level. The sneeze was stalled but certainly not gone.
He sighed his words. âS-uh.. Sorry, I-.. hooh, I bight.. I-ihhm godda-HH!â He wiped his head to the side. âiihâDZSCHâiew!! ugh, bâsorry..â
Her voice wavered. âPlease donât be sorry.â
âI-hhuh.. hkrrm!â Omicron cleared his throat, bringing the edge of his shirt up to his nose to blot and then, with great disgust, blow. He was going to burn this thing when he got back to his room. When he finished he looked away from her, painfully embarrassed. âIâm seriously so gross right now, Iâm sorry-â
âNicolas..â She slid a hand up his arm, splaying her fingers on his shoulder. Her other arm came around to rest at the juncture of his neck so she could toy fingers at the short, fine hairs on his nape. âI want to be clear. Iâm not put off at all by your cold. Frankly, I think it looks very good on you.â
He frowned at her as the gears turned, then perked up when they slotted in place. â.. Oh!â
Josaline smiled wide enough to show her teeth, humming a little laugh. âI would like to kiss you. Is that alright?â
She drifted into his orbit as she spoke, her smokey stare flicking between his eyes and his lips. He nodded, and met her halfway. As their mouths met, she tugged down the brim of her hat to hide them from view. They kissed behind a black veil, his hand reaching to cup her jaw as she pushed a palm up the plane of his bare chest. With his nose so completely packed, Nicolas gulped air between passes of her tongue and chuffed soft, stuffy breaths against her skin.
Something about Omicron. He was suited to his job in many ways, one of which being his attitude toward infatuation and sex. Romance made his skin crawl, and physical intimacy was to him nothing more than a nice dessert. Delicious? Yes. Mandatory? No. He desired sex as much as he desired bubble baths or a night at the opera. He never let it distract him from his mission, even when at times it was his mission. It was a point of pride for him.
She eased him onto his back, kissing him deeply into the plush of the lounge chair. The new angle wasnât great for his nose, shifting congestion in his head like tetris blocks until he whimpered against her lips. She finally let him up for air and he heaved in a breath, snuffling squeakily and then coughing when the air bottled up in his sinuses. He belatedly turned his head, and flushed up to his hairline.
â- guh, suh-sorry,â Nicolas whispered, his voice gravelly. âCanâd breathe through by dose at all.â
âStop apologizing,â Josaline whispered back. She nudged the tip of her nose against his, nuzzling him even as she bit down on his lower lip to mumble around the flesh. âCan I help?â
He didnât get a chance to reply before her tongue was back in his mouth. It was dark beneath the shade of her hat, with bits of sunlight dancing through the weave. While it was no mystery what they were getting up to under there, it was as subtle and as tasteful as public displays could get. She leaned more of her weight against him, pushing the planes of her palms up the span of his chest until he made another pleading sound.
Again she leaned back by an inch and again he tried to catch his breath. His nose fizzed with a wicked tickle. Sinuses immobile. Couldnât agitate his nose with air. It would have to be something else, another method..Â
A bolt of inspiration struck.
âJosah-H!.. Josalind,â he mumbled. She was passing time sucking a bruise on his neck. âhah.. Josalind, cad you-â
She blew a puff of cool air over the patch of wet skin and smirked as he shivered. âCan I what, baby?â
âHhhelp,â he gasped, and arched when she laved her tongue over his collarbone. His neck was sensitive, and Omicron resolutely continued even as he arched his back. âIâll breathe better if I cad sdneeze, bud.. huh..â He sniffled in vain. The attempt ended in another disappointed cough. â.. id wonâd combe.â
It was like he said the magic words. Josaline lifted her head and refocused her attention on his nose. It looked pitiful, so raw from rubbing and snubbing that the skin shined a brilliant red. His nostrils flared like a beacon, irregular but frequent. Nicolas gazed up at her, blotchy and half-lidded. She skimmed her pinky finger up the bridge of his nose, watching his eyes fall closed and his brows crunch and his nose wrinkle up beneath her touch. She sighed, besotted.
âI can certainly do something about that, but Iâm not sure I should do it here,â she murmured. Fingers threaded through his hair, scritching lightly at his scalp. âI have things in my room-â
He slivered his eyes open. âWhhee.. cad d..â They fluttered closed again as he breathed, breathed!... And then sighed out a groan. â-ohh..We cad go to your roomb-h-H!.. hiiff you w-wand.. but..huh-â
Unable to help himself, one of his hands routed from her waist to his nose to grind beneath his throbbing nostrils. Just enough to take the edge off so he could finish what he was saying. His entire expression scrunched as he worked his nose, but he plowed onward.
â..I usually donâd ndeed buch,â he clarified. âJusd thinking about id is edough to.. toâŠâ He dropped his hand and snatched in a gasp so deep, his chest lifted Josaline where she lay across him. âHHHUH-!â But nothing came. He growled, his first real display of frustration in front of her. She comforted him with another rake of her fingers through his hair.
âTruly?â she asked, and when he fought his eyes open to look at her she seemed awed. âNo.. external stimulation at all?â
Omicron knew of the methods to which she alluded, but Nicolas didnât. He gathered his eyebrows together. â.. Ndo?â
âHow do I help?â
âYou cand just talk.â He anchored his hand back to her waist, his gaze glassing over. âAbout how buch id t.. tiihckles..â
She pressed her lips together, her cheeks beginning to darken. â.. could you demonstrate?â
Not the response he expected. He figured sheâd want to take the lead, but Omicron was nothing if not flexible. âYeahhh..h!IH-.. I usually thigâk about fhheathers or.. flowers or.. sombthig like..â He closed his eyes and conjured an image. âLike a little bug, crawliâg around up there.â
And just like that, itâs what the tickle became. Small, at first so unobtrusive as to be barely of notice but over time the irritation compounded. Omicron hauled in a hearty sniffle, coughing for his trouble, but the endeavor cleared up some of his consonants.
âIt doesnâd know what itâs doing, but itâs tryiâg to escape and the luhh.. lohhnger it searches the.. huH!ohh.. the mbore unbearable it becomes.â
He could feel it zipping about, uncaring and unaware of how it stirred his haggard nose into motion. As it scampered along the length of a nerve, the membrane flushed and quivered. As its glossy wings grazed the tender pink walls, they shuddered. Another sensation pulsed further down; heat began to pool into his abdomen.
âAnd itâs tiih.. tiHII-!ckling mbe, but it doesnât know that and I canât tell it to stop and at this p-hhoint I donâdH! wantHH!- hhihht to..âÂ
The little presence adventured in the wrong direction, into more sensitive depths, so deep in his nose he didnât know it could tickle there. Omicron moaned at the honeyed ache in his groin. He desperately wanted friction, but common sense kept his hips welded to the lounge chair. He felt the tickle flutter, then flit, and then begin to panic. It realized this wasnât the exit.
âAhhnd th-then.. it starts freakiâg out. Itâs buzzing all around and makiâg my ndose itchier and itchier, and Iâm st.. start-HH!hâingHH!!h-to.. IIH!â
Omicron imagined the wet, cavernous expanse of his tortured sinuses, every inch of it undulating in agitation all because of one little tickle. And that tickle persevered even now, darting around in the abyss of his nose unceasing. A smile flickered across his lips as another pang of pleasure swirled through him.
â.. and I just want it to keep..HHHH!â He huffed a momentous breath and his chest jumped under her hands. Words carried on his pining exhale. â.. -want it to mbake mbe-HHHHH!â Tingles trailed down his spine as he uttered the last few words in a high, airy voice. â.. make mbe snhheeze⊠HHDZZSSSCCHHâOOO!!â
Sparks popped behind his eyelids and Omicron moaned helplessly through a wave of carnal delight. He didnât come, but the sneeze was paradise. He hitched gratefully up to the next one in line. âHH! HH! HHHH-â Something billowy and soft tucked over his nose and he pitched into it. âEHâJZZSSHHHâIUU!â
He groaned into fabric, stretching restlessly on the lounge chair as his cock twitched again. It was confined to the tight pressure of his swim trunks, a problem Omicron couldnât think clearly enough to solve as he huffed and puffed his way toward another humongous sneeze.
â-ah.. haH.. HAAASZZSSSHâUE!â And still his nose craved more. Who was he to deny it? â-iihHHIIZZSSHEW!! mmbb..â Once they started, they felt too good to stop. â.. uhTZSSSSCH!!iuuhhhhh..â
Omicron keened, muffled by the cloth snugged over his nose. The break afforded him a chance to snurfle into its folds and reach up to brace his hand over the one that held it there. Deep in his nose, the tiny intruder buzzed brainlessly against nerves flayed raw. They were defenseless, vulnerable and so, so very sensitive. His chest rose and fell with an increasingly staccato rhythm, his expression frozen with need. He needed t-to.. He hhhad to-!
âehhHPBBZSSCCHâIIYUU!â
He seized into the cloth and collapsed back to the chair. Heat surged through his veins, wondrous but left wanting as his erection strained against the front of his shorts. But at last the attack on his nose abated; the tickle retreated to the dark, hidden place where it liked to bide its time. Omicron mustered through a long, alleviating blow into the sturdy fabric. Sinus pressure dissipated from behind his eyes, just enough to take the sharpest edges off his encroaching headache. Then he just laid there panting and steadying his hazy vision when he finally opened his eyes.
He noticed a few things.
Nearly everybody in the vicinity was looking at him, sunbathers and staff members alike. Josaline was not an exception. Her hand rested lax in his, where sheâd held his shirt to his face as he sneezed. And blew his nose. And he had a visible erection, blocked mercifully by Josalineâs position to the wider crowd but absolutely not hidden from Josaline herself. And for the first time, Omicron thought, Oh shit. I might actually be compromised.
âUm-..â he squeaked. All he could hear was a rushing noise, like standing in a wind tunnel, his heart banging against his ribs. Cold sweat broke out over his skin. âUm-..â
Josaline was similarly speechless. Paralyzed, even.
Did she not like it? Was it the bug thing? Fuck, he should have gone with pollen or something, that was more mainstream or at the very least, comparatively less weird. What was he thinking?! He thought this âsneezing untouchedâ method might entice her, but a hell of an idea that was. Dr. Voster and her ridiculous pursuits. âSneezing by suggestion,â his ass. Now he was sprawled out here on display with a cock harder than diamonds and heâd just blown his nose into his shirt and practically into her hand-
Donât panic, he counseled himself through shaking breaths. This is salvageable. Just play it off with a laugh, apologize for everything, then tactically retreat, regroup with Delta, fess up, come clean, apologize AGAIN-
âI-Iâll go,â he said, barely present as he gathered his shirt and held it in front of his crotch to stand. âIâm really sorry, very sorry about this. I just⊠um..â
Delta will be so pissed that heâll take me off the case and the agency will put me on probation and Iâll be sorting files in the office for the rest of my career and theyâll never let me live this down, Iâll be the laughing stock of the force, Iâll-
A hand caught his wrist. He looked down and there was Josaline, coaxing him with soft, careful touches to sit back down. She smoothed hair off his sweaty brow.
âRelax,â she told him. âNo one knows. They only looked because you were loud, and nothing more.â
If she meant that to be reassuring, it didnât help. Everybody and their neighbor just watched him obnoxiously sneeze and moan for what might have been several minutes. So much for subtly, which was his entire job description as an agent. He was a disgrace to the force. Omicron buried his face in one hand, elbow propped on his knee. Nebulous plans to cut his losses and find a new job stalled at the sound of her chuckle.Â
âAnd didnât I tell you to stop apologizing?â
He shrunk inward, painfully embarrassed and hissing a whisper into his clammy palm. âYeah, but that was-â
âIt was incredible.âÂ
Omicron snapped his head up, blinking the blur out of his eyes. Josalineâs flushed cheeks and smile came into focus. She scooted closer to him, pressing her bosom to his arm and tucking her head in the crook of his neck. She raised the edge of his shirt, still piled between his limp hands, to dab beneath his nose. Omicron startled, recognized the feeling of something wet on his upper lip, and lost what remained of his composure.
âCould I not be a disaster for just five seconds? Please??â he demanded of the universe, of the virus, of anyone, and turned his head away to clean himself up without help. Sniffling and scuffing his nose prompted retribution. It tickled like a dangling string. Omicron ducked forward. â..hâHIDZssch!!â
Josaline swayed with him and pressed a kiss to his throat. She trailed her lips up and up even as he rushed to wipe his nose. âListen, Nicolas,â she said against the corner of his mouth. âThere is something else I need to confess to you. I want to introduce you to someone.â
Omicronâs nostril wrinkled as it was bestowed a kiss. â.. intro..hh.. duhhce me to someone?â
âYes.â Silken breath glossed over the bridge of his nose. âTo my husband.â
Everything grinded to a halt.Â
It was a good thing she expected him to be floored by that news. Husband? Husband?? The word echoed around in his head, immaterial; he couldnât grasp the concept. There was no intel about a husband. Nobody mentioned a husband. Sheâs married? How can she be married!? His eyes jerked to her left hand, bare of a ring. She followed his gaze with a charming smile.
âNeither of us wear one,â she explained. âWe married for practical reasons, and we arenât interested in exclusivity. He and I consider ourselves free to explore as we like.â
Sheâs⊠married. The fact churned sluggishly in his mind, untethered and unexpected. Sheâs married. So..
Oh for fuckâs sake. He fought tooth and nail to keep his eyes open, watching Josaline bite her lip as the last sliver of light disappeared. Now the tickle was just kicking him while he was down. It snagged him by the lungs and hurled him forward over his lap.
â-eHTCHZSSâhoo!â
âBless you,â Josaline purred, stuck to him from shoulder to hip.
Omicron tucked his fist beneath his nose with a couple convalescing sniffles. â-nguh, thagk you..â Another sniffle, sharper, and a crinkling blink to disperse the dark spots floating in front of his eyes. âSo, you want me to.. meet him?â
âWhile my husband and I have similar tastes,â she continued delicately, âwe find it more gratifying to seek pleasure with others than with one another. However..â
Here she guided him to look at her with a single finger to his chin.Â
â.. very rarely, one of us will meet someone special. Someone who would please us both. Together.âÂ
This conversation was going at light speed while Omicron was still floating in space. He nodded, buying himself time, trying to gather more than just the word husband. So his mortifying sneeze-fit failure was actually a success, to the extent that Josaline wanted him to meet her husband, who also had the hots for sneezing? Presumably? Possibly? But wait, nothing in the files ever mentioned a husband, so that meant this was a secret husband..
âDo you understand?â Josaline asked. âWhat Iâm proposing?â
Suddenly, and Omicron truly didnât know how, everything was turning up aces. Not only did he have intel on a secret husband but heâd get to meet the guy. Talk to him. Learn more about Josaline through him. Find some incriminating indication that she actually was a white-collar mastermind screwing thousands of people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And then heâd get his ass kissed by everybody at head office and theyâd crown him King of Spies and give him only the coolest assignments henceforth. Maybe heâd get a fancy company car.. or a commissioned self-portrait in a tuxedo.. or..
Omicron jolted, as if coming awake from an impromptu nap. Shit. He rubbed both hands over his face, dismayed when they came away sticky. The humidity must be getting to him. Moist air always made him groggy.Â
âNicolas?â Josaline looked a little uncertain now.
âIâd love to,â he blurted, then ducked his with a sheepish sniffle. âAh, I mean.. if thatâs-.. if youâre offering..?â
âIf youâre comfortable?â she asked back. Nicolas nodded, maybe a little too quickly because his head felt like it was on a string five feet in the air. Josaline broke into a toothy smile, reaching to smooth thumbs over the puffy skin beneath his eyes. âReally?â
âWell, I-... as long as youâre both okay with it,â he replied. His nose creased at the bridge when she nuzzled the tip of hers to his. Omicron hiccuped a breath, and huffed it against her lips. âI-hhah..â
âDinner tomorrow night,â she promised him, watching avidly as his expression contorted. Omicron squirmed his nose in a bid for it to behave, but Josaline wasnât having it. She kissed just beneath his nostrils as they flared against her own. Lurking in the recesses of his sinuses, the tickle emerged. âWeâll ask him.â
Then she sealed her lips over his as he contended with the damage in her wake. His nose felt full of fuzzy bits, and with his nose as his only source of oxygen, Omicron was forced to keep stirring them with air. Each inhale swept them in a wind, sending them spinning against every inflamed atom of his nerves. They moved deeper, joined by more, an escalating infestation drifting deeper into his sinuses until he was dizzy with it.
âmmm!â he hummed into her mouth. Both her hands sunk into his hair, holding him still, keeping him locked to her lips as the tickle grew and grew. He sucked a hitching, shaky sniffle that whipped all the fuzz into a storm. Omicron whimpered again, higher and sharper. â-MM!â
Only when he set hands on her shoulders did she part from him with a soft sound, and even then she did it reluctantly. By now Omicron was lost to his gasping ascent. âhih-..hIH!h.. IHT-!â On the cusp, he whirled to the side and rocked with a perfunctory, â-DZSHHâiew!!â
She draped her arms around him, tugging him into her side as he fussed with his nose. Nicolas topped backward with her to the lounge chair. âBless.âÂ
âUgh, thagks,â he snuffled and shifted in her arms to see her better. âHad to sndeeze, Iâm sor-â
Josaline pressed a finger to his lips to silence an impending apology, and when she was sure heâd gotten the message, she trailed her painted nails along his bottom lip. âItâs a date, then?â
Nicolas smiled. âItâs a date.â
/tbc!Â
I know what happens next, I just have to write it! Thank you so much to everyone whoâs stuck around for part 2, I really appreciate you!đHope to see you again at part 3 ^w^
Summary: A secret agent is going undercover for a few days, and his target has a sneeze fetish. The agencyâs best engineer has constructed something to give him an edge.
PART 1 - PART 2
My first original piece I've posted here!
This is VERY self-indulgent so youâll have to excuse me lol. Itâs like.. lizard brain horny. Seriously lol. Slapping NSFW on here for good measure. Itâs rare I get embarrassed about my kink nowadays but I feel a little embarrassed about this one. Still, I had fun writing it! I hope someone else can enjoy it too!Â
These are original characters, all in their mid twenties to early thirties! This story was inspired by @testingtwns writing. She has such captivating descriptions, spectacular characterizations, and fascinating world lore. This snippet canât hold a candle to her amazing stories, but I was moved to try writing it after reading hers. (If you would prefer I remove this shoutout, Red, please let me know! Your stuff is just so great!)
(Warnings: Unrealistic science, my cringe attempt at sneeze characterization, Mess Liteâą, questionable workplace dynamics, general horny undertones and overtones, accidental boners and feeling pleasure from sneezing).
THIS STORY IS NSFW!
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It was never a great morning when Agent Omicron found himself in Dr. Anita Vosterâs lab. She was a little eccentric, he thought, and liked to make mischief. Not a good combination for a scientist. Still, she was the best in the force and the one assigned to his case by the powers that be. He knew why he was reporting to Dr. Vosterâs lab and he knew what his bosses would say - The sooner you report to Dr. Voster, the sooner you can begin your work.
Omicron reported to her lab sharply at 0800, shrugged off his suit jacket at her behest, and sat himself down in her vaguely threatening patient chair for the administration of her invention. Dr. Voster was far too giddy in handing over a small container of nasal spray. It looked harmless, but Omicron knew better.
âThis,â he said, inspecting the bottle, âwill make me sick?â
âSomething like that,â Dr. Voster replied. She fetched the bottle from his hand as she spoke, and rolled a plush stool over to sit as they talked. âThis virus was engineered specifically to make you sneeze, so think of it like a cold in your nose.â
âSimilar to allergies?â
âYes, if you were allergic to air.â
Omicron sighed. He wasnât in the business of complaining, but this was going to be challenging. He crossed his arms, trying not to fidget. âHow long does it last?â
âJust long enough to see you through the mission. Your symptoms should abate by Thursday.â
So heâd be sick the entire time, essentially. Great. His leg started to bounce.
âWill this slow me down?â he asked. Dr. Voster arched a look over her safety glasses. He clarified himself. âAm I going to feel like shit?â
She smirked at him. âAre you one of those man-cold types?â
Heat swept over his ears and burned the back of his neck, and her smile only widened. He crunched his brows with a glare. âNo, Iâm just being thorough. If this will compromise my performance in any way, I want to know about it.â
âIt wonât,â she chuckled, and he tried not to get defensive at the amusement in her voice. âLike I said, the primary function of this virus is to make you sneeze. Youâll be contending with some nasal congestion, but aside from that youâll be fine.â
That was easy for her to say. She wasnât going undercover into enemy territory. He tensed as she snapped on a pair of gloves and looped on a face mask. When she uncapped the bottle, he cleared his throat. âThe paperwork said something about me being more âsuggestible?â What does that mean?â
She huffed at his air quotes and yanked down her mask. âIt means youâll be vulnerable to psychosomatic triggers. In other words, if you think hard enough about sneezing, youâll prompt one.â
âThat sounds unlikely.â
âWe have testing data to support it,â she chastised, and yanked her mask back up. âIt was a goal for the formula. We thought you might find it handy to take matters into your own hands if a sneeze wasnât forthcoming.â
âFor.. what? Tactical measures?â
âYes, strategic options. Now, tilt your head and relax.â
He reluctantly settled back into the cushioned chair, sniffing in preparation. One of her latex hands moved to cradle his jaw and keep him still as she nudged the applicator up the right side. It was wide enough to graze the sides of his nostrils, and he felt them flare in response.
âOkay, deep breath..â
Swallowing, he breathed slowly, deeply through his nose. A fffssh from the bottle yielded a mist of curiously warm aerosol that instantly coated the skin. He flinched a wrist up to his mouth to cough in response. It felt suddenly like his nose was running, so he sniffed, sniffed, and sniffed again. A strong flavor coated the back of his throat.
âWhy is it salty?â
âWell, we didnât intentionally flavor it,â she said, already moving to his left nostril. âProbably the saline. We used it as a base. Now, give me another big breath.â
He did as he was told, and again a warm puff of wetness invaded his nose. And another. And another. They performed this three times for each nostril, alternating sides, and the last one rubbed him wrong. A tiny tickle ignited. Omicron warded Dr. Voster back with one cautious hand as the other routed to his nose. He anchored his forefinger beneath his nostrils, pressing deliberately against his septum as he parted his lips to breathe. Voster snorted at him as she set the bottle aside.
âI thought that only worked in cartoons.â
âAnd on me,â he mumbled in a heady voice.Â
It took a moment of concentrated effort, but the urge passed. He sniffed, a little wetter this time as he blinked away tears. Agent Omicron was an old hand at holding back sneezes. Sudden, uncontrolled outbursts werenât great for business when he was out in the field. That, and he generally didnât like to draw attention to himself even in civilian life. He caught Dr. Voster smiling at him and his brows trenched.
âWhat now?â
âIâm not into sneezing,â she told him as she capped the bottle, âbut that was pretty cute. Your target wonât stand a chance, Mr. Honey Pot.â
He replied with a scowl and one more see-sawing rub beneath his nose. âWhen does this kick in?â
âGive it twenty-four hours,â she said, and snapped off her gloves. âIâll check on you then to make sure it took.â
He stood and slipped back into his jacket, straightened his tie. âIsnât this cutting it a little close? Iâm flying out tomorrow.â
âMaybe, but we didnât want your poor nose suffering anymore than it has to,â she cooed, and punctuated this with a little tap of her knuckle to his septum. He swatted her away.
âStop.â
âOohhh,â she pouted, leaning a hip against her workstation. âAlways so serious, Agent O.â
Omicron lurked a warning glare her way as he adjusted his sleeve cuffs and shirt collar. âIâll be back in 2400.â
---
And he was, though he dragged his feet most of the way.
Omicron believed Dr. Voster when she said this nasal spray contained a virus that would cause his nose some hell, but he didnât quite understand just how.. intense the experience would be.Â
He sniffled, a necessary indignity since he woke up this morning, and the slow, deliberate flare of that ever-present irritation beckoned him toward an unavoidable conclusion. Still, Omicron shoved the hard edge of his finger beneath his nose and tilted his head back for another whip-crack sniff. It flared the tickle dangerously, but the steady breakwater against his septum kept him in the clear. His nostrils twitched and he pinched them, rubbing rubbing rubbing until he heard the embarrassing squelch of something wet in his nose.
Another strong sniff, and a weak huhh on his exhale. Shit. He wiped his hand on the side of his pants with a grimace. Heâd have to start carrying tissues.
âThere he is!â Dr. Voster greeted him with a disarming smile, but he could see the hawklike way she zeroed in on his nose. He tried not to sniffle. âHowâs my magnum opus treating you?â
Itâs bullying me, Omicron thought, but as he laced his hands properly behind his back, what he said instead was, âItâs working.â
âOh, is it?â she said. She wasnât even trying to mask the delight in her voice now as she crowded him back into her exam chair. âLet me take a look.â
He stared hard at the ceiling as she slipped on gloves and wheeled forward on her stool, leaning over him like a dentist. He hated the dentist. A warm trickle of wetness prompted an automatic sniff, and a huffing exhale when that far-back tickle teased him.
âRunny nose?â she chirped, using her thumb to gently coax his nostril open. She held an otoscope with her other hand, using the little light to peer up his nose. Omicron tried not to shrivel in embarrassment as she crooned with sympathy. âOooh, poor thing. Youâre so inflamed..â
âWasnât that the idea?â he sighed, and sniffled again. A spark somewhere in his sinuses caused him a hard blink.
âYes, but it must tickle so much..â
In response to her words, another spark snapped inside him. Like striking flint to burn kindling. Another reflexive sniffle. His eyes began to water.Â
âIt must feel like something fuzzy is stuck up there,â she was saying, rubbing her thumb softly against the quivering edge of his nostril. âEvery time you breathe, this fluffy thing, lodged in place and too far for you to reach..â
The frantic efforts of the virus continued, tenacious now in its purpose. The fuse caught, as did Omicronâs next inhale. His chest hitched with a stutter. He tried to reach up, finger extended and ready, but Voster caught his wrist and pinned it back down to the chair arm.
âIt must be new for you, to be so out of control. This thing inside you, tickling so sweetly, growing unbearable, and thereâs nothing you can do but submit.â
That tantalizing feeling got worse. The line of gunpowder trailing through his pulsing nostrils lit up with an unstoppable blaze. It raced through him, and Omicron couldnât do anything but give it fuel. He gasped hugely, his chest straining against the buttons of his shirt. The exhale crashed out of him clumsily, unrelieved.
âH-HUHhh..â
Dr. Voster leaned away, but set her otoscope aside to pin his other wrist when he reflexively raised it to ward off what was coming. âDonât fight it, Omicron. That tickle nestled in your nose was built for this. Listen to it. You two are a team, remember?â
Omicron couldnât even open his eyes, the sensation held him so powerfully. It felt alive, calculated, somehow vying for control. He snatched in another soft breath, breathed it out on a moan, and then gasped again. His lungs strained to accommodate as that demanding tickle wanted more.. more..
He huffed out another helpless groan. âHHUHhhh..â
His hands flinched toward his face, but met resistance. A tear surfed down his cheek and dripped off his chin. He gasped- gasped-! â.. hH-hiIHH-!â
The sensation crested, and finally, overcame him.
âHHZZZSSSCHOOO!!â
The force of it threw him forward. It was the loudest, strongest sneeze heâd ever sneezed, but somehow it didnât feel big enough. Cool, tingling aftermath quickly gathered a second storm. This time, Omicron didnât do anything but breathe into it.
â..hhHIâJJIZZSHHUE!â
Another uncharacteristically enormous sneeze. His wrists were free, but he didnât even bother to cover his mouth or muffle into his elbow. Usually heâd rather disintegrate than sneeze freely even in his own home, but.. this tickle.. he just wanted to let it.. let it do..Â
âHEHâCHIZSHOoo!â
.. do whatever it wanted. And what it wanted was complete and utter domination. Omicron sniffled helplessly, half-aware he was leaking out of more than one orifice but too punch-drunk to do much about it. His breath caught fitfully in his throat and he-..Â
â-idzhih.. HIDâISSsshoo!.. huhh..â
Omicron leaned over to press hands over his eyes, his palms coming away wet. He was normally a one-and-done guy, with fairly normal-sized sneezes; this many at this size had him light-headed. His breath hitched again, quick like the strike of a viper, before he let it go on a sigh. And another, just the same. It felt like hiccups. He didnât dare touch his nose, too wary of setting off the wrath of this thing deep inside him. Instead he just sniffled pitifully, catching his breath.
There was a tap on his shoulder. He glanced askance to a sheepish looking Dr. Voster who was offering a box of tissues. He snatched several, still too dazed to be properly embarrassed as he blew a wet, crackling sound into the wad of them. It took a few rounds, but when he finished he cleared his throat and blinked at her with teary eyes.
âWhat the fuck, Anita.â
âSorry,â she winced, and she actually did seem sorry. âI wanted to test the âsuggestibleâ variable and you reacted more strongly than I anticipated. Also, um.. bless you, by the way.â
He sat back against the seat with a stuffy sniffle, arms crossed, and now that he was more aware of himself, valiantly fighting down the urge to blush. âYes, well. You were just doing your job, so I canât be mad.â
She hedged a nervous smile. âCanât be, or shouldnât be?â
He gusted a long sigh, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose when somehow even the rumble of his own voice stirred the residual dust of another sinus-deep tickle. âDo you need to test anything else, or can I go?â
His voice had lost most of its resonance from the sneeze attack as the congestion set in -- not yet enough to blunt his consonants but enough to dull the overall sound. Moisture skated down the side of his nose and Omicron wrinkled it with another snuffle that moved nothing at all. How could his nose be both dripping and completely blocked? He indulged a rub this time, soothing his nostrils to stillness with the tempering back-and-forth of his index finger.
The doctorâs voice broke the quiet. âHow does it feel?â
Omicron peered up at her, finger still held to his upper lip. âPardon?â
âYour nose,â she clarified, but not by much. âHow does it feel?â He scoffed and stood to leave. She stood to stop him, holding both hands out as if to placate him. âIâm not teasing you. I really do need to know. Are you in pain?â
âNo,â he said, chest lifting with another short sniff. He pressed harder against his septum, rubbing in earnest now as the tickle began gathering momentum. It stalled against the wrangling touch, but didnât back down. âNo pain.â
âBut it does tickle?â
âI believe weâve estahh..hkrrrm!â He cleared his throat to steady his voice. â.. established that, yes.â
She eyed him, her gaze trailing down to the finger glued beneath his nose. âYou shouldnât try to hold them off, Omicron. It might be why your sneezing earlier was so extreme.â
All this talk of sneezing was just emboldening the tickle. Itâs like the sensation was surging forward, eager to answer to the call of its name. His eyes fluttered closed and he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth to try and waylay another gasping breath. His nostrils pulsed against his finger, prompting him to pinch them instead, but still they tried to flare against his grip. He heard Dr. Voster sigh.
âI donât know why they picked you for this mission,â she muttered, just loud enough to be heard. âIf youâre too shy to sneeze, youâre going to lose your target pretty much instantly.â
His eyes sliced open, as defiant as his nose still squirming between his fingers. His voice was bottled back in his throat completely. âIâb dnot shy, Iâb.. Iâb jhhss.. hooh..â
The tickle hijacked his voice, tremoring it on a snatchy inhale. It prickled ominously behind his eyes, insistent, and Omicron stayed perfectly still in an effort to tame it. Even with his nose plugged and his fervent attempts to rub the sensation away, the tickle persisted. It dragged another breath in on a soft gasp, out on another dreading utterance.
â.. H-Ihih!.. ohh..â
âYouâre so stubborn,â said Dr. Voster, and he could hear her rolling her eyes. Heâd known her for years, and while he tried to rise above her goading taunts, there always came a point when she got to him.
Omicron let go of his nose and took as long and deep of a breath as he could through his trembling nostrils. The tickle welcomed it, greedily advancing, and rather than prolong the fight Omicron simply braced his hands on his knees to keep his balance as the sensation built inside him. As Dr. Voster so strangely asserted during his last volley, he and this virus were a team. He wouldnât see the success of this mission without it.
It was this thought that compelled him to breathe again, a sniff that coasted directly into a gasp. He waited, hovering on the edge of it, but the sneeze backed away just before he could snatch it. Omicron squinted up at Dr. Voster, who was watching him with bald interest.
âIihhff⊠hoo..â He sniffled, abandoning all dignity as he snubbed the wet edges of his nostrils against the sleeve of his suit. âIf I let this tiH.. tiihckle ha..uuHUhh.. have its way ev..âÂ
His eyes fluttered closed, and he snatched in a series of chuffing breaths. Each was a shrill gasp followed by a bleating exhale, utterly beyond his power to stop. The crescendo carried him into increasingly higher and faster octaves, before the sneeze ripped out of him with gusto.
âHAHâCHIZSHOO!-ohhhh..â He swayed on his feet, panting at the ground, and was shocked to find in the tingling aftermath how good that felt. It made it easier to let the next one swell and crash out of him. â..HIHâSSschoo!- fuck mbe..â
Omicron rarely swore aloud, but the power and sheer abandon of these sneezes were so unlike his usual that he couldnât help it. Through the haze of another rising tickle, he tried to hurry through the rest of his thoughts before he completely forgot what he was saying.
âIf I let it have.. hahve itâs wayiiiiee..igâGIZZSCHue!!-hah... Iâll be sdnee.. sdiizz.. HIZZSSSHOO!!..ughh, sdeezig for..fuh! UH!hhh.. for days.â He finished on a sigh, unrelieved, one hand now holding desperately onto the chair so he didnât end up on his knees.
Dr. Voster didnât immediately speak and when he finally blinked away blurry tears, he found her biting her lip with a worried crease between her eyes. â.. Do you always sneeze like this when you catch a cold?â
Even the very word caused his nose to buzz. His willpower was all but shredded, so he clamped onto the chair with his other hand and threw his head down with a body-shaking, âIIDâDZZSSSSSTTH!!â
It was an unfortunate sneeze, one that painted his tie and the seat of the chair with its aftermath. Omicron didnât have the energy to blush about it; honestly, this was all Anitaâs fault so if he happened to catch her furniture in the crossfire of his helpless sneezing fit he.. heeeeeeee-
âHEEZZZSHOOO!!â He stumbled forward into a suspended tray of implements that crashed to the ground in a tremendous clatter. Omicron paid it no mind, tilting his head back to the fluorescent lights in an effort to keep his running nose at bay. âUgh, wonât it st.. uh.. ohh.. hH!â
A bridge of pressure appeared beneath his septum, pressing firmly against it. He cracked his eyes open to find Dr. Voster beside him, her finger fearlessly anchored beneath his flaring nostrils. They threatened another revolt, under the tickleâs full command. That enduring, swelling force inside Omicron begged again for release and he gasped loudly against Dr. Voster.
â..hihHIT-!â
âNope, nope, nope,â she muttered, pressing even harder against his nose. âWork with me here..â
Omicron had no idea if she was talking to him, or the virus, but both struggled to comply. The maddening prickle became tortuous. His nose cried out for relief, as the tickle played his sinuses like a fine instrument. Holding it back now seemed impossible. And to be frank, he was still a bit irked with Anita. He flicked his gaze up to the lights, sensitive enough that the bright flash of them set alight the simmering fuse inside him.
And, because he was a gentleman, he did try to warn her. â.. caahh.. cahhdd..â
âO, donât you dare. I know you have more control than this, just-â
He heaved his way through an ominous buildup, letting the tickle dictate the pace of his breath until it brought him to the brink. His chest inflated, pressing against Dr. Voster as she fought to the end to keep him together. She pressed hard enough that he half-wondered if his nose would bruise, but no amount of pressure could tide it back. He threw both of them forward with a sneeze scraped up from the depths of his lungs.
âHAAAZZSCHHOOOO!!-ooohhhhh..âÂ
His knees felt a bit weak after that one, but for the first time since heâd woken up that morning, his nose tingled with welcome relief. It would be brief, he was certain, but heâd take the reprieve while he had it. The satisfaction of the fit filled his head with a pleased emptiness as he teetered his way around the edge of the chair and dropped to sit there. He tried to catch his breath.
âAgent Omicron, I swear to god,â groused Dr. Voster. He cracked his eyes open to see her ripping out more than a dozen tissues to throw at him. âYou did that on purpose.â
He gathered them up and groaned wetly into the white bouquet. His voice was an achy croak. âI had no control over that, I promise you..â
Dr. Voster washed her hands at the sink and joined him on her stool when she finished. By that time, heâd managed to make himself somewhat presentable. His suit was a bit of a lost cause, but with luck the stains would dry into something less noticeable before his flight.
âYou didnât answer my question,â she said, and there was a serious quality to her question. âDo you always sneeze like this when you catch cold?â
Omicron shook his head, bringing another bunch of tissues to his face to blow. âSore throatâ may not have been an intended symptom, but it soon would be if he kept shouting sneezes on the hour. He massaged his sinuses through the thin paper, already hopelessly stuffed up as he tried to suck in a sniffle. It just made him cough.
Dr. Voster was muttering beside him. â.. may have hit you harder than intended..â
âWhad was that?â he asked. He didnât bother masking the reproach in his tone. She sighed and adjusted her glasses.
âI said, I may have underestimated how reactive youâd be,â she admitted. âYou rarely sneeze, so I thought your sinuses werenât sensitive.â
âI have to sdneeze all the time,â Omicron admitted in turn with a sawing rub beneath his nostrils. âIâb just good at holding themb back.â
Dr. Voster stared at him a moment, then bent over her knees with a sound of pure frustration. âOmicron. You should have TOLD me that in the INTAKE INTERVIEW.â
Omicron startled in his seat, sputtering with insult. âAre you tryiâg to make this mby fault? I answered all your questions honestly!â
âI asked you if you sneeze a lot when youâre sick and you said no!!â
âThadâs because I DONâD!âÂ
His throat didnât take kindly to the treatment and he turned away to cough. He yanked out more tissues, determined to free his consonants with a noseblow. Nothing moved, and all he got was another threatening jab from the tickle for his trouble. Oh, please not again, he thought, blinking at the sensation.
âThen what do you call this, O? Are you sneezing for fun?â
Anitaâs voice called him briefly back to his ire. âI almost never sneeze this much when Iâm sick! In fact I sdneeze more when Iâm well, I-..â
He stopped, and Dr. Voster watched him with bare worry as he wrestled with what could be another punishing sneezing fit. Omicron learned his lesson from before, and he didnât try to fight it at all. Just gave himself over to the feverish tickling until it snagged his breath in one fell swoop.
âH-ih.. TZSshoo!âÂ
He waited briefly for another, but none came and Omicron could have wept with relief. That was far closer to what heâd expected at the start of this experiment. He wiped his nose with a tissue and was unsurprised to find the skin was already getting sore. His skin was prone to chafing with too much friction, which was just as inconvenient as it sounded.
Dr. Voster frowned at him. âWas that..?â
âMy usual, yes,â Omicron verified with a sigh. He was numb to the embarrassment of discussing this by now.
âOkay.â Dr. Voster folded her hands in her lap and with a deep breath, marshaled herself. âOkay, okay. This.. is salvageable. I just have to create an antidote, or maybe a diluting agent, and then maybe I can administer a weaker dose before..â She glanced at her watch and hung her head in defeat. â.. you leave in less than an hour.â
Omicron gave her a half-lidded stare over his tissues. âYou didnât create an antidote?â
Dr. Voster threw her arms up and shot up from her chair to pace. âNo, Omicron! No, I didnât. Itâs a cold. Itâs a harmless, nose-oriented cold at that. Barely a case of the sniffles. But apparently you have the most delicate sinuses of all mankind because my dose was too strong and now youâre-â
She glanced over at Omicron to find him in a state of sneezy limbo, no longer listening as his nostrils twitched their way to a consuming finale. He stuttered a few breaths, each exhale a sound of unwitting surprise when the sneeze didnât come. It took longer than Omicron wanted, but he finally got it.
âDZSSSH!â Another pitchy gasp, the corners of his mouth flinching upward in the barest hint of a relieved smile as he vented one down on his lap. âTSSschoo!! ahhh, thaâg you..â
Omicron wasnât even sure who he was talking to, the tickle or his nose, but each succinct release felt wonderful and left him spent in a way that relaxed him. It seemed if he didnât try to stop them, they would come in much more manageable waves. Hmm.. maybe that meant if he held them off, he could get another one of those punishing volleys when he needed one. It would depend on the targetâs preferences.
âOmicron, are you listening?â
He glanced up to find a fretful Dr. Voster, her hair loose from her ponytail and lab coat a little askew. He sniffed. âNo, sorry. What did you say?â
âIâm going to recommend we ground you,â she said. Omicron froze, uncertain if he heard right, but jumped to his feet when she snatched up her phone. âWe canât risk this compromising you.â
He tried to grab her phone from her, but she dodged. âWhat are you talking about? I thought that was the point.â
âThe point was to give you a reliable way to sneeze,â she clarified, quickly typing something out with her thumbs. âNot make you a liabilit-HEY!â
Omicron managed to liberate her phone and held it high above to keep it out of reach as he tried to reason with her. He sniffed again when he felt his nose begin to run, and blinked against the throbbing reply of his nose-tickle. âListen, Anita, Iâve been training for this mission for months. Itâs our only chance t.. to..â
Her eyes narrowed as his fluttered. âYou have to sneeze right now, donât you?â
âOf course I do, but Iâm telling you Iâm hh!UHhh..â He sniffled again, fighting for composure. â.. Iâm learning to work with it, alright?â
âIf you can go thirty seconds without sneezing, Iâll believe you.â
Omicron swallowed. Thirty seconds yesterday would have been nothing, but today? His nostrils flared at even the suggestion. If he wasnât certain viruses had no capacity for thought, let alone emotion, he would claim this tickle had a mind of its own and a chip on its shoulder. It was always simmering somewhere in the recesses of his sinuses, but the moment he committed to staving it off, it surged forward with pure intention.
Somehow, he could tell heâd be in for another seismic sneezing fit if he tried any tricks to keep it back, so he let his eyes fold shut. Rather than increments of jumping breaths, this sneeze was a smooth slide into fruition. He drew in a dreamy breath and felt his nostrils ease wide. Then-
âHETZChuu!â It was cleansing, a reset that cleared his mind. He welcomed another. âh-hHEH!h.. ohhH!hh..âÂ
The urge abandoned him, and of course the moment he wanted to sneeze, he couldnât. Clearing his throat, he realized with a measure of chagrin that when he sneezed, he hadnât done more than turn his head. Where had his manners gone? The urges were so immediate, he could scarcely think of anything else.
Dr. Voster snatched the phone from his hand. âThat wasnât even fifteen seconds! Iâm calling HQ.â
âAnita!â he growled, and darted forward. The two of them ended up in a spontaneous spar. While Dr. Voster was rarely on the field, she was trained in hand-to-hand as well as he was. They exchanged a series of blocks, strikes, kicks, dodges, and by the time Omicron wrestled her into a hold on the linoleum, they were both breathless. Splayed out on her back, he huffed heavy breaths into her hair. The silken strands ruffled in the gusts.
She threw him a dirty look from the corner of her eye. âLet me go, Omicron.â
âNot until you let go of this notion that Iâm incapable of fulfilling this mission, Anita,â he leveled back at her. âItâs unlike you to worry like this.â
Her glare darkened; she didnât like his choice of words, but didnât deny it. âI oversensitized you. It will be my fault if you collapse in an uncontrollable sneezing fit and get captured by the enemy.â
He scoffed. âIs that all? I didnât sneeze once during our spar and, in case you havenât noticed, Iâve got you in a lock on the ground. Not to mention the mission is information extraction. If I attract unwanted attention, that would be my own mistake.â
She said nothing in return, which prompted Omicron to slide off of her. Together they sat up, still sitting on the floor together. She tucked hair behind her ear, refusing to look at him. He sighed. âAnita..â
She shot him a side glance. â.. are you seriously going through with it?â
âOf course,â he replied, twitching his nose to one side. The tickle rippled, and he sniffled in response. Out of habit he reached up to rest his finger beneath. âIf the target enjoys this as much as sources claim, th-h!.. then itâll beeeeh-â
He tucked his finger more tightly to his septum, only realizing his mistake after the tickle churned restlessly against the tender, tortured edges of his sinuses. âOh, fuck mHH-.. HIH!hh.. uhh⊠UH..â
Dr. Voster made a noise of exasperation and he caught the sound of tissues getting snatched from the box. As he gasped and groaned his way through another incredible buildup, a flurry of softness enveloped his squirming nose. He cupped his hand over hers as he flinched forward into their shared grip.
âiiiIHHâGGZSSCHOO!..oohhh, uhduther-..â He caught his breath in a desperate gasp, straight from the bottom of his belly. When he crunched forward, he heard a couple seams rip in his shirt. âAAHHDZZSCHOO!!â
âI guess I should said bless you,â grumbled Dr. Voster. She wiggled the tissues around his nose, which remained twitchy. He had yet to open his eyes. âAre you done?â
He shook his head.
âOne more?â
He paused to consider, then nodded. And after another terrific gasp, the force of his doubling-over wrenched their hands down toward his lap. âEEHTTZZSSSCHOOO!!.. ohhh, wow..âÂ
Omicron nearly shivered at the pleasant, tingling aftermath. Why did they always feel so good? The bigger the better, even if they winded him. Dr. Voster left him with the tissues as he muzzily blew his nose. He kept his head down for a moment to let the dizziness ease, so he was still facing his lap when he opened his eyes.
Oh. That was new. Side effect of the virus, perhaps..?Â
Omicron darted his eyes to the doctor, but she was already up on her feet and brushing off her coat. She hadnât seen - his first and only stroke of luck today. Because if she thought his violent sneezing was grounds for calling off the mission, his sudden sneeze-induced half-chub would definitely warrant a mortifying and career-destroying advisory call to HQ. He rushed to adjust himself as she turned away, and then both of them jumped when the door opened.
â - yes, yes, just tell them to fax it,â Agent Delta was saying, attention still focused on someone else in the hall. Omicron scrambled to his feet, standing at attention as Dr. Voster filed beside him, just as Delta turned to them both. He clapped his hands together. âAh, there they are! Case 28947!â
That was the case number to which they were assigned, and the very case that would see Omicron leaving for the airport in the next.. his eyes flew to the clock on the wall.. twelve minutes. Thatâs probably why Delta was here.Â
âHowâs our experiment? A success?â He strolled over to Omicron, over whom he held a few inches. Omicron stood his ground, resolving not to drop his eyes when Delta jovially scanned his features. His gaze lingered on Omicronâs nose. âLooks like it was.â
âIt was.â Dr. Voster and Omicron briefly locked eyes before she continued. âItâs.. functioning as intended.â
âReally?â asked Delta, impressed. Dr. Foster preened under that look, in spite of the circumstances. The senior agent looked between the two of them with a polite smile. âI suppose you wouldnât mind me testing it as well?â
Again Omicron and Anita met eyes. This time, Omicron cleared his throat and nodded his reply. âIf you wish, sir.â
Delta scratched his cheek thoughtfully, studying Omicron in silence until the shorter agent couldnât help but sniff. He also couldnât help the need to briefly wrinkle his nose afterward. Delta grinned.
âFrom how it was described, it must tickle pretty bad in there, huh?â he said, nodding to Omicronâs nose. It must be blushed pink by now, if not darker. He waited for Delta to continue, and then realized that his superior was waiting for an answer.
Much as it humiliated him to say it, he replied, âIt does, sir.â
âMmm,â Delta hummed thoughtfully, and to the manâs credit he sounded a little sympathetic. âIt must feel like.. hm, how did your poetic literature put it, Doctor? What was it?.. Liiike..â
Dr. Voster, who was busy putting her hair back up into its customary ponytail, darted an apologetic glance toward Omicron. Well, it wasnât her fault. Omicron knew what literature Delta referenced and it was only part of protocol for her to write something thorough for their records.
âLike feathers.â
âThatâs right, like feathers,â Delta continued, shifting on his feet in front of Omicron. His eyes never left his subordinateâs face. âConstantly and tirelessly petting the inside of oneâs nose.â
The words seemed hypnotic to Omicron because he could feel it. He could feel those feathers, stroking so gently and repeatedly against the far depths of his sinuses. Somewhere deep, somewhere too far to scratch. They were careful with the fragile nerves there, but dauntless in their purpose. To make him sneeze. And sneeze.. And sneezeâŠ
Omicronâs eyes fluttered shut, his breath deepening as his nostrils flared softly to the siren call of those thoughts. His hands remained firmly clasped behind him.
Delta continued as if he didnât notice. âYes. An ever-present irritation in the most sensitive depths, coaxed to greater and greater strength by your breath. Isnât that ironic? That you yourself are the catalyst to this growing fire inside you, cursed to fan the flames even in sleep.â
Did it start while I was asleep last night? Omicron wondered. Because when he woke, it was to an itchy nose. So itchy in fact he snorted, sniffed, and rubbed it with such single-mindedness he nearly forgot he was due to Dr. Vosterâs lab today. He breathed now, a slow and reverent inhale that squeaked around his blocked sinuses and added speed to the stroking sensation of those silken feathers.
His lips parted, his chest jumping with a sudden breath. He sighed it out, the ghost of a moan carried on his exhale.
âAnd once it starts, it is nigh impossible to stop. That tickle wonât let you. No matter how badly you might want a reprieve, those feathers are mindless. You canât reason with them. Theyâll just keep at their work, teasing and teasing that aching flesh until..â
The tickle buoyed him through a catching gasp. Omicron sighed again, his voice carrying, wanting. Another cresting gasp, the wave of something reachable, and then he fell short again. His nostrils pulsed plaintively, begging what dwelled inside to give him relief. But Omicron didnât mind this limbo, this torture. He knew what came after would be well worth the wait.
â.. agitating.. working you over.. beckoning you with a relentless tickle.. until you can take it no longer.â
His chest swelled, and what he thought might be another forsaken gasp turned into the exclamation of climax. âHAH-.. BBZSSSSCHHUUHH!â
The first one came, because of course there would be more, and he snatched an arm around his middle when there was a strong, delicious undulation of pleasure deep in his gut. He groaned, his voice deep and gravelly and unfamiliar to his ears.
âWhoa!â came Deltaâs exclamation. He sounded shocked. âThat sure was something. Omicron, bless-â
âHEH-.. BBZSSSHHOO!.. nnnnghh.âÂ
These were smooth as butter - one big, long, scooping breath and then a knee-shaking release. He sniffled thickly, wetly, with his eyes shut in concentration. Omicron wanted another, and this time the tickle delivered. Those invisible feathers rustled like wheat in a windstorm, and he caught himself grinning as he gasped another huge breath.Â
âHHHH!.. EHDZZSSSHUUE!!â
He swayed forward as another cramp of ecstasy swirled in his gut, and Omicron felt a strong hand brace his shoulder to keep him from tipping over.
âIs he okay?â was one faint voice.
âYes, just-â came another.
Omicron sneezed.
âHIIH!.. IIHTDZZSSSHHHTT!! .. fuck.â
That one was particularly wet, fired haphazardly at the floor like the rest. It also contracted in a burst of stars behind his groin so intense that Omicron became instantly and fearfully aware that he would actually come in his pants if he kept this up. And holy shit he didnât want that to happen. Not here. Not now.Â
He jerked his free hand out, holding it expectantly toward the voices. With tremendous effort, he tried to be understood. âTiih.. Tiizzusss.. HUH-â
âOne second, one second!!â he heard Anitaâs tempering assurances over the rush of blood in his ears.Â
And the rush of ticklish sensation through his nose. He couldnât get the visual of feathers out of his head. Delta, damn him. All Omicron could see behind the dark of his wet eyelids was a field of pristine, white, downy feathers positioned diabolically against every inch of his nasal walls. The tips of them wavered each time he hitched a stuttery inhale, and huffed a helpless exhale. They were devoid of life beyond that which he gave them, breathing intent into them as they swayed against swollen, irritated flesh. He could picture his nasal membranes flinching helplessly against the onslaught, crying out to him for relief. And he would give it-
âhH-.. uHHâTZZZSSSHHOOOO!!â
The feathers fluttered wildly and his nose calmed with a prickling balm, sated. Until he sniffled against the slogging block of congestion in his nose and what little air there was eeked through and-.. the feathers trembled, dragging their soft tips gingerly against his quivering flesh, an endless torment, so subtle yet compounding in its simplicity because he could feel the echoes of that tantalizing sensation all through his nose and as he snuffled against the feeling, the feathers trembled again as if in eagerness, excitement, their tendrils tracing long worn paths on fraught nerves as the aching pressure built and built in his nose, deep inside, and oh-.. ohh-
âhHHHHH-â
âOh no you donât.âÂ
The sudden presence of a hand over his nose surprised him, frightened the sneeze away, and Omicron felt an irrational pang of frustration when his gasp escaped from him with a gutteral hhuhh unrelieved. He realized in retrospect that the voice was Dr. Voster, and the hand belonged to her too. He also realized, in a wash of cold sweat, that he was achingly hard where his prick was tucked into his belt.
âBlow your nose, Omicron.â
He struggled to comply. A hitching breath got out of his control, only emboldening the tickle, and again he thought of the feathers. They were everywhere, impossible to blow out, and theyâd just keep⊠keep-
âRRZZSSSSCHHâHOO!â
It tore out of him with a passion, and the pleasure washed over him so fiercely he would have gone to his knees had Delta not stepped in to catch him. Omicron panicked, bursting into motion to put distance between himself and the others. They let him go, only for him to stumble backwards onto his ass. The impact shook an impending sneeze out the queue, and Omicron had a moment to collect his bearings.
He quickly got to his hands and knees, trying to keep his crotch pointed to the floor. He was still painfully hard, but thankfully he hadnât managed to sneeze himself into orgasm. Now that he had his wits, he realized he still had the wad of tissues in his hand. He brought them to his face and blew as hard as he could, concentrating only on the act of getting something out rather than thinking too hard about what was happening inside.
Adrenaline and humiliation were quick and quiet boner killers; any residual arousal swirling in his thoughts extinguished as he assessed his situation. He was somewhat sweaty, stained with a few of his own sneezes, and his damn nose still tickled. Omicron threw caution to the wind and rubbed it with fast, punishing pressure against his septum, as if to admonish it. Rather than chance a sniffle, he breathed only through his mouth as he climbed to his feet.
Both Dr. Voster and Agent Delta regarded him warily. Omicron straightened his vest, his jacket, and smoothed back his hair where it had fallen into his eyes.Â
âPardod be,â he rasped, still breathless. He coughed into his fist to clear his throat.
Deltaâs features eased into genuine concern. The manâs flippant nature notwithstanding, he did care about his people. âAgent, are you alright?â
âOf course,â insisted Omicron. He cleared his throat again. âJust fine. Why?â
âWell, that just..â Delta looked over to Dr. Voster, who was refusing to meet anyoneâs eyes. â.. it seemed very intense, donât you think? Doctor?â
The doctor startled at her name, then reached to adjust her glasses. She looked now at Omicron, her expression as hard and firm as her voice. âYes, I agree. And I would recommend..â
Here, Omicron bit his tongue. If Anita really did want to rat him out, heâd only dig his own grave if he tried to deflect. But then her eyes softened.
â.. that Agent Omicron desist from triggering the suggestion impulse until this initial sensitivity wears off.â
Tension left his shoulders. He closed his eyes briefly in relief.
Delta rubbed the back of his neck, contrite. âOh. Sorry, I didnât realize it was an issue. You should have told me!â
âI wasnât aware it was a pattern until you tried it, sir,â said Dr. Voster. She crossed her arms and nodded toward Omicron. âAnd with all due respect, sir, you should really apologize to Agent O.â
Delta turned to him with dewy puppy-dog eyes and Omicron wanted to evaporate out of embarrassment. He didnât do well with anything sentimental and at times his superior was pure sentimentality. âForgive me, Omicron. I hope I didnât cause you any distress. Iâm sure that wasnât comfortable.â
On the contrary, thought Omicron, but admitting anything even close to the truth made his tongue wither. His cheeks burned, and to add further indignity, he sniffled. The brief, tickling swell prompted him to thumb the end of his nose to encourage good behavior.Â
âNot at all, sir. Please donât trouble yourself over it.â
Delta clapped him companionably on the shoulder, and when he turned toward Dr. Voster, Omicron leaned around him to throw a scathing look her way. She only smiled. That prompted apology was likely just her getting some revenge. To be frank, the new complication of sneeze-induced arousal would absolutely complicate the mission, but Omicron begged to be given a case like this for months. More than a year, even. Heâd take the risk rather than give this up.
Besides, it wasnât his fault his nose couldnât calm down. He didnât conduct a half-baked intake interview and design an overpowered tickle virus, so why should he be the one to suffer the consequences? Beyond those he was already suffering, he supposed.
Once again, thinking too much about it summoned the tickle forth. Omicron refused to get stuck in another self-perpetuated sneeze-cycle, so he focused only on the wall as the urge lapped at the edges of his sinuses. Oh, the ones that made him wait were the worst.
â.. to it that we grab your luggage on the way to the jet,â Delta was saying. He still had his hand on Omicronâs shoulder and squeezed when he got no response. âYou already packed right?â
Omicron took a breath to reply, but it hitched in his throat. Then rushed out with a soft uhh that he couldnât suppress. Gone were the days when he could quietly build up to a sneeze; it seemed this virus wanted everybody to know as soon as his nose started to tickle. He fought to keep his eyes open, and his ears from flushing red.
â.. yeh..hssirr..â
Deltaâs smile tilted back into concerned territory, and he rubbed Omicronâs shoulder. âLooking a little sneezy, Agent. Try not to knock yourself down this time.â
Omicron huffed a laugh that trembled into a gasping inhale, a fitful exhale, an even more urgent inhale-.. â-uUHH!â and then left him on a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his face with both hands. âFuck,â he mumbled. Then his head shot up in alarm. âOh-.. ah, sir-...â
Agent Delta only laughed, booming and cheerful as he slid his arm further across Omicronâs shoulders to give him a jostling side-hug. âDonât worry, Agent. These are extenuating circumstances, Iâll let that it slide.â
Omicron nodded as he was jerked around by Deltaâs strength, reaching up to push his hair back when it fell out of style again. His nose was still tingling, unrelieved, and he scrunched it with exasperation. Sneeze or donât sneeze, wonât you?Â
âOff we go!â crowed Delta, escorting Omicron toward the door while still under his arm. He looked back to Dr. Voster. âIâll be with him on the flight, so weâll let you know if there are any case developments.â
He tightened his hold when he said this, and Omicron fought down a flash of annoyance that Delta probably meant any developments with Agent Omicronâs nose. Speaking of whichâŠÂ
Omicron let his eyes roll shut as Delta led him into the hall, their footsteps echoing down the corridor. He was saying something, probably about the jet, but Omicron let the words wash over him just as he let the tickle wash through his nose. Wary of what might happen, he strayed away from thinking too much about feathers. Instead, he thought of dust motes. A dandelion seed. Something small and irritating and hopelessly stuck somewhere deep inside him. Whatever it was, this thing wanted to escape. It squirmed and twisted, fluttered its wings or flicked its tail. The throbbing urgency of Omicronâs tender pink membranes wouldnât deter it, neither would the gradual unsteadiness of his breath. He exhaled, yearning.
â..uh-..â
The invader redoubled its efforts, writhing against his most sensitive places. He couldnât-.. he..
â.. huhh-..â
If only he could reason with it, but on a baser level, Omicron didnât want to. He wanted it to flap and struggle, tickle and itch, uncontrollable and impossible to satiate. Fan the flames of this urge so feverish that he couldnât do anything but-
âHAH-!â
Omicron found himself smiling again, delirious as he breathed into this unstoppable force. He was completely helpless to its thrall. This thing in him, nuzzling and ruffling and bothering his nose so fervently, dotingly, sweeping him up with its caress. He.. oh-.. oh-!
âSâcombiâg-â He gasped out, if only just to himself. The breathy word preceded an absolutely euphoric sneeze. âWRIZZSSSSHUUUâuoohhhhâŠâ
Omicron stayed as he was, one hand cupped to his nose and the other bracing his middle. Another dagger of pleasure had stabbed him through, but it was fast to dissipate as he sniffled into his palm. The way his nose tingled signaled a temporary relief. Omicron couldnât decide if he was disappointed by this or not.
âGoodness, bless you!â Omicron jumped. Delta stood beside him, both hands in his pockets now, looking amused. Omicron had forgotten he was there. âThat was a big one! Sounds like you worked your way up to it.â
Why was Omicron cursed with the chattiest superior Agent in the force? He snuffled again behind his hand, by habit searching his pockets for a handkerchief or a restaurant napkin, anything. He paused when Delta extended a travel pack of tissues.Â
âThought you might need these, so I brought a few packs along.â
â.. Thaâg you.âÂ
Omicron took it with grace, turning around so he could use both hands. He blew his nose yet again, dismayed with the sheer amount of moisture he was capable of producing. At this rate heâd need to stay hydrated. Once he finished up, he turned back to Delta to find him extending a small bottle of hand sanitizer. He eyed the other man.
âYou canât actually catch this, sir.â
âI know, Agent, but the public wonât know that,â he said, as carefree as ever. âAnd even if youâre not actually sick, better to keep your hands clean, mm? And maybe try the vampire trick too.â Here he demonstrated by lifting his elbow and tucking his nose in.Â
Omicron burned with the embarrassment of having his lackadaisical sneezing addressed in such an obvious way. Normally he was very thorough with his hygiene practices. He sneezed into his elbow or better, a handkerchief if he had one. He washed his hands frequently and properly. Something about this tickle just emptied his head of all sense when it came over him. It was a miracle heâd managed to even cup a hand to his mouth just now. He didnât remember doing that.
So he could only nod, his cheeks burning, as he took the bottle and copiously applied. The stringent scent bloomed in the air. Delta could probably tell he was upset because he gave the shorter agent a lighthearted slap on the back. âYouâre usually very conscientious. Just a gentle reminder, agent.â
Omicron nodded again, this time with a yip of surprise as his eyes slammed closed. Suddenly his nose was frenzied, filled to the brim with that strong, alcoholic smell. It burned, so sharp it brought tears to his eyes as he rushed his elbow to his face. Unlike the other sneezes of this morning, this itch wasnât indulgent. It was almost brutal.Â
âChssh-! Tschh!â Even without muffling into his jacket, they would have been small. Smaller than his normal sneezes, even. They were fittish, barely letting him up for air. âItschh! HHtschh!.. uh-.. TSSHâhee!!.. fucking hell..â
It only lasted seconds, over as suddenly as it began, and Omicron picked his head up blearily. He sniffled, coughing again at the remaining scent on his hands as he fished out another tissue and nursed his nose. Stupid thing was so needy now, he couldnât even use hand sanitizer without a complaint. Belatedly he realized heâd cursed in front of his superior again.
When he looked at Delta, the man was regarding him thoughtfully. Not his usual fond musing sort of look either. The kind of discerning expression that awarded him the rank he currently held. Omicronâs blinked at him, wide eyed over the edge of his tissues.
âS-Sorry for sweariâg, sir..â
Delta stirred from wherever heâd been, and dropped into a polite smile. It didnât quite reach his eyes. âThatâs alright, Omicron, I honestly donât mind. But, Iâll ask this again: are you alright?â
Omicron blinked at him again, owlish. âMe, sir?â
Delta chuffed an airy chuckle. âYes, agent, you. Youâre sure this..â He warred over his words, trying to pick the best ones. âI know youâve been waiting a long time for this opportunity, but are you sure? About this?â
Omicron bristled, and he was certain Delta could tell. He finished up with his nose, balling up the tissue and foregoing hand sanitizer this time. âRespectfully, why wouldnât I be sure, sir?â
âThis science isnât exact,â Delta told him. His voice was lower now, the proper tone of a superior officer. âDr. Voster is a genius, but this is the first time weâve tried something like this. Thereâs bound to be a margin of error. So Iâm asking you again, Agent Omicron..â Here he fixed his subordinate with a firm stare. â.. are you sure about doing this right now, as you are, in this state?â
Omicron didnât have to think about it. He merely drew himself up to a force-standard posture and looked Delta in the eyes without flinching. âYes, sir. Very sure.â
Delta held his stare, but when Omicron didnât buckle, he sagged where he stood. With a long sigh, he once again patted Omicronâs shoulder. âAlright, agent. But if you change your mind or if you become compromised, you must be honest and tell me immediately. Am I understood?â
Omicron just barely managed to resist twitching his nose; he could feel it wanting attention, but didnât want to give Delta any reason to doubt him. âOf course, sir.â
Delta gave him a jaunty thumbs up, back to his usual lofty cheer. âGrand! Iâll take you at your word.â He turned away, beginning to stride down the corridor with expectation Omicron would follow. âNow, we ought to get a move on. Theyâve got the jet idling and you know how they are about the fuel budget..â
Agent Delta carried on, blind to his subordinate keeping step behind him. Omicron absently, then more purposefully, rubbed his nose. The skin was starting to sting, no doubt ready to peel by tomorrow like sunburn. The tickle stretched languidly, lazily working Omicron up to another toe-curling sneeze. The hedonist in him wanted to welcome it.
However, he had nearly twelve hours on a jet to contend with, surrounded by other personnel. And he was certain now after that little conversation with Delta that the man would be watching Omicron carefully from here on out. If he noticed anything suspicious, heâd ground the mission and take Omicron off the case without remorse. He couldnât let it happen, not after how hard heâd fought for this.
His nostrils flared against his finger, a premature warning to what was brewing. But Omicron knew, and he was prepared for the impending battle. It wouldnât be easy, but he fully intended to negotiate with his nose and keep sneezing to nil on the flight. Almost nil, if he couldnât hold out. Again his nostrils flared, as if playfully chiding him. Youâre not in control, his nose seemed to say. I am.
Well, thought Omicron as he stepped out of the jet bay and into the sunshine. The jet sat waiting on the tarmac, a flurry of activity around it. Weâll just see about that.
/tbc??
Iâm not sure if Iâll continue it, but I hope you had fun reading!! Part 2 is in the works!
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