this takes place shortly after Reunited, but you don't have to know anything about the story or characters for this one. minimal plot, mostly snz here. enjoy!
~~~
"hhehhh…hh'hETCHhieww!"
That's the greeting Toby receives at the door of his boyfriend's apartment, who's appeared before him with his fluffy blonde hair all mussed up, clothes disheveled, and his nose a vibrant shade of red. His mouth is still slightly agape, brows pulled together as soft hitches escape his lips.
He's not done. He never stops with just one, after all.
There's a hearty sniffle from Nat before he answers. "Mmh. Allergies kicking mby ass," he whines, rubbing at his watery blue eyes. "Maybe I should have called idt off today."
He pouts, and the sight pulls at Toby's heartstrings. It's unusual to see his typically bright, sunshine-y boyfriend look so glum. He must really not be feeling well.
"Awh, it's okay. We were just planning to stay in anyway, right? U-Unless you want me to go…"
Nat responds with a low groan, which progresses into a dry cough and thick sniffle. "Nooo, I wanna spend time with you," he whines. "I just don't want you to have to deal with me being gross."
"I don't mind," Toby says quickly. And it's true, in more ways than one. "I-I mean, I don't think you're gross in the first place, s-so you don't have to worry about that."
Slowly, a smile breaks out across Nat's face. Now he's looking more like his usual self.
He huffs a laugh. "Okay, okay. C'mon in," he says, motioning for Toby to enter.
Toby's only been to Nat's apartment once before, and that was for his birthday party. At the time, there were a bunch of other people there, and the place had been prepared for guests. This is his first time here with just the two of them. It's fallen into a bit of disarray, he notices, as he walks toward the living room. Sweaters left in piles, a discarded pack of allergy pills here, empty drinking glasses there.
And tissues. Tissues everywhere.
Nat winces. "God, sorry, I really meant to clean the place up, I just—hh'ITCHhiew!"
He wrenches his body away from Toby, bringing his wrist up to his nose just before taking in a big, wavering inhale.
"hh'ITSCHhu! tschiew-iscchuu! hhITSchuuew!" Another sniffle, then a sigh. "Well, I've been trying to clean, but that keeps happening, and it's kind of exhausting. So I gave up."
Toby gives him a pitying look, and for a minute, he considers cancelling their plans to cuddle and watch TV and instead spend his afternoon cleaning up Nat's apartment for him. But that idea leaves his mind as soon as Nat makes it to the couch and holds his arms open wide, waiting for Toby to join him.
So he does. How could he say no to Nat in such a state? Cleaning will just have to wait.
Nat pulls Toby into his arms, giving him a quick squeeze before letting go to grab the remote. He keeps one arm draped over Toby's shoulders as he scrolls through Netflix's latest offerings.
It's only been about a week since they officially started dating, and Toby is still getting accustomed to the kind of open affection that Nat offers with ease and enthusiasm. Before Nat, Toby had been living somewhat of a socially reclusive life, preferring to stay indoors and having more friends on his phone than in real life. With his family not being the affectionate type, either, human touch wasn't something he experienced often until now.
He likes it—loves it, really. Craves it. But he's not quite sure how to accept it. So, he sits there a bit stiff, quietly basking in the warmth of Nat's embrace.
…at least until Nat nudges him closer, guiding Toby's head down against his chest with a startled little gasp, to which Nat lets out an affectionate chuckle. Over time, Toby settles in, lulled by the rise and fall of Nat's chest.
It's not long before those lulling breaths become short, uneven hitches punctuated by congested sniffles, and Nat starts intermittently rubbing his nose. That seems to stave off the tickle for a while, though each set of hitches sounds more urgent than the last.
"hhehhh…hihh…mmnghh."
Toby's far past the point of paying attention to the show they're watching.
"h-hehh…ihh—?? hhehhh…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Nat pinching his nose between his forefingers, and he's really, really tempted to tell him to just sneeze if he needs to. He can't imagine saying that out loud, though, so he holds his tongue.
Eventually, Nat's attempt to hold back fails, and his body jerks forward with a stifle.
"hehh…hh'nght!"
The movement jolts Toby's head upward, and a shiver runs up his spine. Nat seems to notice his reaction.
"I-It's okay," Toby stammers, wincing at the way his voice cracks on the first syllable.
To his disappointment, Nat tries to shift away. Instinctively, Toby grasps for Nat's shirt, not wanting to give up their closeness just yet.
Nat turns to him with a sly smile. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Just getting a tissue." He ruffles Toby's hair. "So cute."
Toby can feel his face heating up. He returns to an upright position, pressing his thighs together and fixing his gaze at the floor as Nat blows his nose.
While he's waiting for Nat to finish, he takes a steadying breath. Act natural, he tells himself. He's still struggling for composure when Nat resumes his position with his arms open wide. Toby hesitates, but the brief flicker of uncertainty in Nat's expression makes him quickly put aside his internal struggle and settle back into his spot on Nat's chest.
For the next little while, they enjoy cuddling and watching TV without disruptions. Well, mostly, aside from Nat's near-constant sniffling. They're about 30 minutes in when Nat abruptly shifts away, causing Toby to slip out of his arms with a soft noise of confusion.
"S-Sorry, I…" Nat manages to explain between shallow, rapid hitches. "I…f-feel a fit comi-hhing on…"
As the fit picks up, it sounds like he can't even get a breath in between sneezes. Despite feeling a little dazed himself, Toby musters up the presence of mind to place a supportive hand on Nat's back.
"Y-You okay…?"
Nat responds with a sharp, urgent breath before crumpling forward with another rapid fit.
Toby's teeth sink into his tongue as he bites back a moan that tries to escape his throat. Looking for a distraction, his eyes land on the tissue box that Nat retrieved earlier. He picks it up, waiting until there's a small pause in the fit to cautiously offer it to him, but Nat shakes his head.
Once the fit finally seems to have slowed down, Nat accepts the tissue box and grabs a handful, burying his nose deep in them for several minutes. When he's cleaned up, he shoots Toby a pitiful look, eyes still red and streaming.
"Gonna be like this all day, I think…"
That hits Toby right in the heart. He scoots closer to Nat, closing the distance until their legs are flush and wrapping an arm around his taller frame.
"That, um…s-sounds like it really sucks, I-I'm sorry," Toby soothes, trying to keep his voice even. "Can I get you anything? I assume you already took medicine today…?"
Frowning, Nat nods. "It hasn't really been helping lately, though."
"Oh…" Toby trails off, unsure of what to say.
Nat collapses back into the couch with a frustrated groan. "I probably need to try something else…gah, sorry. I didn't mean to be such a drag today." He glances over at Toby, eyes glimmering with the remnants of allergic tears. "I promise I'm usually more fun to hang out with."
"This is fun-" Toby starts, but quickly catches himself, "I-I mean, I always have fun spending time with you, no matter what. And besides, you can't help it. S-So you don't need to be sorry. I just wish I could do something to make you feel better."
Nat pauses to think. "Well, there is something…" He averts his gaze, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. "Could I lay down…?"
"Yeah! Of course!" Toby scrambles to make space for Nat to lay down on the couch, but he grabs hold of Toby's thigh before he can move.
"I wanna lay right here," Nat emphasizes, looking pointedly at Toby's lap.
"Oh!" Toby squeaks. "U-Um, sure."
Nat's face lights up, and he starts leaning down to claim his spot. Just before his head reaches Toby's lap, Toby grabs a nearby pillow and slides it underneath.
Once Nat's made himself comfortable, he takes Toby's hand in his own, guiding it up to his head. Instantly, Toby takes the cue to stroke his hair. Nat looks the happiest he's been all day.
There's a few moments of peaceful silence before he speaks up again.
"You sure you don't mind having the world's sneeziest boyfriend?
Toby goes still for a moment, then clears his throat, pulling himself together. "Not at all," he reassures Nat, trying his best to sound unaffected as he continues to run his fingers through his blonde waves. "I, um…I-I think you're pretty much the perfect boyfriend, actually."
Nat smiles widely, and soon, his eyelids fall closed, their TV show long forgotten by now. In a few minutes, he's fast asleep, as evidenced by his congested snores.
For the rest of the afternoon, Toby holds him, keeping a close eye on his flaring nostrils the whole time.
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Part 4 summary: Nat and Toby are going out to dinner, but unfortunately for Toby, his body has other plans...
Words: 3,305
Toby’s eyes glaze over as he reads and re-reads the same passage of this report again and again, trying to make sense of the words. The fluorescent lights feel brighter than usual, the office chatter louder, piercing his skull and forming a dull ache behind his eyes.
He glances at the time in the bottom corner of his laptop screen. The workday has barely begun, but it feels like he’s been here for hours. At least he has dinner tonight to look forward to.
Dinner with Nat…he’s been eagerly awaiting it all week. But, God, he’s so tired, is he even going to make it through the day?
He tries again to focus on the report, only managing to get through a few paragraphs of proofreading before a tingling sensation creeps its way into his nose, demanding release with unexpected urgency.
“hhhh’HNGxch’uh!”
The stifle sends a wave of pain through his sinuses. With one elbow on the desk, he rests his chin on his hand. Just for a minute, he allows his eyes to fall shut, hoping to ease the throbbing in his head.
A minute becomes two, then three, and his head tilts forward until a sudden lurch snaps him awake with a gasp.
Ugh. Maybe coffee will help.
He makes his way over to the office coffee bar, grabbing a mug before loading an instant pod into the machine. At the press of a button, it roars to life, water boiling as he waits.
“Hey, Toby!” a voice calls as a familiar figure steps up to him, long brown hair tied in a high ponytail, empty mug in hand. “It’s that time of the morning, huh?”
“Hey, Hannah,” he greets his coworker, who joined the company around the same time he did. “Yeah, I needed some caffeine.”
“I feel ya.” As if to emphasize the point, she yawns. “They had me working late last night on a presentation. Claimed they needed it by EOD yesterday, but it’s been radio silence since I sent it over. I bet they haven’t even opened the file,” she says with a weary sigh.
“Mmm.” Toby offers a vague noise of sympathy. Then, to his dismay, the tickle in his sinuses makes its return. Seriously? Why now?
“I could’ve easily finished it this morning and it would’ve been fine. I don’t know why our client keeps doing this, acting like it’s life or death when it’s literally just a goddamn training that isn’t even happening for another month.”
Toby nods, half-listening to her rant while willing away the tickle, but it doesn’t subside. He tries pressing his tongue to the palate of his mouth. No luck. At last, the machine finishes boiling the water and starts dispensing his coffee. If he can just hold back for 30 more seconds…
“I swear these people forget they’re working in HR and not performing brain surgery or something. Nothing we do is ever that serious.”
The tickle is all-consuming now, a sneeze imminent, and Toby wonders why Hannah had to pick this exact moment to loiter around the coffee machine and deliver her rant, and why the coffee machine seems to be taking forever to dispense his coffee. Finally, the last of the liquid drips from the machine, and his mug is full. It’s too late for his poor nose, though, and he has no choice but to wrench himself away as he smothers a sneeze into his elbow.
“...hhh’ngxxch.”
“Bless you,” Hannah says, and Toby’s cheeks flush. To his dismay, another barrels out of him before he can respond.
“...hh’HNGXxxch’uhh!”
“Bless you!” she says again, this time with more emphasis. “You didn’t catch that cold that’s going around the office, did you?”
“‘m fide,” he says with a sniffle, his face bright red.
“Well, take it easy, okay? Don’t let them overwork you the way they’ve been doing to me lately.”
Toby lets out an awkward laugh. “I’ll try.”
With that, he hastily grabs his coffee and returns to his desk.
***
Toby spends the rest of the workday counting down the minutes until he can leave. Luckily, he’s able to slip out of the office on time. Less lucky, though, is how crowded the metro is for his commute back home.
With all the seats taken, he’s forced to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a car full of other office workers, one hand on a grab rail to keep from falling over as the train picks up speed. Avoiding any awkward eye contact with strangers, he stares down at his shoes, wondering why the edges of his vision are getting blurry.
Oh. That’s right. He skipped lunch, as he hasn’t had much of an appetite all day. All he’s consumed is a granola bar on the way out the door and a couple cups of coffee. That would explain the lightheadedness.
At least he should be plenty hungry by the time he gets to the restaurant tonight.
Of course, his body decides to choose another inopportune moment to need to sneeze. Without much room to maneuver himself, Toby uses his free hand to pinch his nose as he tries and fails to hold back the inevitable.
The effort of stifling his sneezes leaves him reeling a little bit. A passenger next to him makes a face and takes a step away, and Toby shrinks in on himself.
Why is he sneezing so much today? Any more than one or two at a time is pretty unusual for him unless he’s sick.
Oh no. Is that what this is?
A knot forms in his stomach. When Toby gets sick, he tends to get hit hard. Chances are, once this fully sets in, he’ll be totally out of commission for at least the next few days - a miserable, sneezing, coughing, snotty mess.
The sensible thing to do would be to text Nat and reschedule their dinner plans, but that idea makes his heart ache a little. Selfishly, he knows that seeing Nat would cheer him up when he’s not feeling well.
Alternatively, he could just ask Nat to bring him some food. Would that be too much to ask, though? They’ve only just started talking again. It hasn’t even been a month since that day at the concert.
To his dismay, the tickle in his nose returns. Hasn’t his body had enough? He pinches his nose again, which manages to make the tickle recede just long enough to make it through the rest of his commute without issue.
When he finally makes it back to his apartment, he hurries inside, where he can finally let go as the door closes behind him.
He doubles over as the harsh sneezes tear out of him, triggering a coughing fit that intensifies his dizziness. He drops his bag by the door and stumbles to the bedroom, not even bothering to change out of his business casual before collapsing onto the bed.
Okay, he’s definitely caught a cold, and it’s hitting faster than he anticipated. There’s no way he’s making it to dinner tonight. He should text Nat.
Except his phone is still in his work bag, all the way across the apartment. And he just laid down. And his eyes are suddenly very, very heavy.
For just a minute, he’ll rest his eyes. Then he’ll get up and grab his phone.
Just one minute…
***
When he wakes, it’s to the sound of knocking at the front door, the noise like a hammer to his aching head. At first, he buries his face in his pillow to drown it out. But whoever it is is persistent, and eventually he has no choice but to get up.
The room tilts around him as he rises to a sitting position. He tries to sniffle, but there’s an impenetrable wall of congestion that he doesn’t remember being there before, and trying to get any oxygen in is futile.
He lets out a frustrated groan.
Reluctantly, he swings his legs over the side of the bed and pushes himself to his feet. The blanket wrapped around his shoulders does little to ease the chill seeping into his bones, making him shiver slightly. Since when did it get so cold in here?
With limbs that feel heavy as lead, he drags himself to the front door and pulls it open.
“Toby!”
The familiar, cheerful voice is like the sun peeking through stormclouds, painfully bright yet comforting all the same. Still, he’s having trouble placing it.
“Ready for dinner?”
“Ready for…huh?”
There’s a pause as his brain struggles to catch up. He blinks a few times, clearing the blur of sleep from his vision until he finally registers the figure in front of him.
Nat. Shit, right, dinner plans. He was supposed to text him - he only meant to close his eyes for a minute. What time is it…?
“…ah, did you forget?” Nat laughs, though Toby detects a hint of disappointment to it even through his foggy brain. “No worries. If you’re too tired, we can always go another time…”
Toby opens his mouth to respond, but before he can get any words out, he’s overcome by an urgent need to sneeze. It’s all he can do to quickly turn away from Nat before erupting miserably.
“hehh’EEEHHSSSSCH’hhuh!”
The massive, mortifyingly unrestrained release is followed by a fit of hacking coughs, and he struggles a little to catch his breath in the aftermath.
“Woah, bless you!” Nat says, alarm creeping into his lighthearted tone. “Are you…oh no, wait, are you sick?”
Toby hunches his shoulders, covering his reddening face with his hands. “I-I thidnk so…sorry, I m’beant to-” he rasps, but he’s cut off by another set of coughs.
Nat doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, before Toby can realize what’s happening, Nat steps inside, closing the space between them as he places the back of his hand to Toby’s forehead.
“Forget about dinner. You’re feeling pretty warm…c’mon, you should be in bed.”
Barely conscious, Toby lets himself be guided, shuffling across the floor until he slumps onto the mattress. Nat hovers close, leaning against the bed.
“Do you have any medicine? Or a thermometer?”
Toby racks his fevered brain for an answer, but comes up short. “M-maybe…I dunno…”
“Actually, never mind, don’t worry about it. I’ll get both. And some soup, too. I’m just gonna stop by the corner store, I’ll be right back.”
Already drifting off, Toby hears Nat’s footsteps receding toward the door, then a faint jingle of keys.
“I’m borrowing your keys so you don’t have to get up when I come back, okay?”
“Mmmhhkay,” Toby manages to make an affirmative noise, though it’s more like a groan, before succumbing to exhaustion.
***
He wakes again some time later, damp with sweat, his head pounding and muscles sore from shivering. Disoriented, he opens his heavy eyelids, only to be met with darkness and silence.
He isn’t sure how long he was out. He doesn’t even remember falling asleep, really.
Whatever happened between getting home from work and now is a blur. There’s a vague memory of Nat being here at some point, saying something about medicine and soup, but the apartment is quiet now.
And he’s alone.
Usually, introvert that he is, Toby is fond of his solitude. He’s always told himself he prefers it this way, that he’s happiest on his own, safe in quiet, empty rooms where no one is watching him or expecting anything from him.
But right now, the emptiness feels wrong.
He curls in on himself, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat.
It must have been a fever dream, Nat being here. A fantasy conjured up from the part of him that wants to break down the walls he’s built around himself and let somebody in for once, even when things get hard.
His eyes burn. He begins to tremble again, not with chills this time, but with the first hitching breaths of a sob.
Ragged sobbing breaths soon become interspersed with another kind of hitching as the crying shifts the congestion in his sinuses and triggers an itch.
Then, he starts to cough. Harsh, painful hacking coughs that don’t stop. He tries to get in a proper breath between fits, but his airway has become too tight, each inhale producing a horrible wheezing instead.
At some point, he becomes aware of sounds outside of his own endless hell of struggling to breathe. A light clicks on and someone’s rushing to his side, holding something in hand.
“God, Toby, are you okay?”
It’s Nat. Nat’s here, and his typical cheery demeanor has been replaced with an unfamiliar one of panic.
“Here, have some water-”
Unable to process much of anything aside from his fight for air, Toby shakes his head, holding a hand up to refuse the glass.
“Inhaler…” he croaks out between labored, wheezy breaths. “My…bag…front door…”
There’s frantic scrambling, footsteps hurrying away and back again, and then Nat is there, pressing the inhaler into Toby’s open hand. He takes it, hands shaking, and for a moment Nat gives him space, watching anxiously as the medicine settles into his lungs and his breathing returns to normal before speaking up again.
“Toby…do you have asthma?”
The question is neutral, lacking any judgement. But for some reason, Toby is overwhelmed with how vulnerable it feels to admit, especially in his current state.
The tears from earlier come rushing back, and he chokes on a sob.
Nat’s breath catches. “Oh, no, Toby, it’s okay! Don’t cry!”
And then, Toby’s being pulled into a hug, warm arms wrapping firmly around his shoulders. Fevered state altering his clarity of mind, Toby lets himself melt into it, fingers curling in the fabric of Nat’s shirt, face buried into his chest as he tries to even out his breathing.
“S-sorry,” Toby mumbles between sobs. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Nat repeats as he rubs soothing circles on his back. Toby focuses on the sensation and the comforting sound of his voice, matching his breathing to the motion until the shaking eases.
Once he’s calmed down, Nat pulls back just enough to look at him.
“Man, you’re really feeling warm now,” he says, brows drawn in concern. “Would you let me take your temperature?”
Not wanting to be released from his haven of comfort, Toby clings, refusing to budge.
“Hey now,” Nat says, switching back to his usual lighthearted tone. “My hugs are not a limited resource. There’s plenty more where that came from. Just give me a minute, okay?”
Reluctantly, Toby releases his grip and lets Nat place the thermometer in his mouth. A few moments later, the device beeps, and Nat clicks his tongue.
“102.3…no wonder you’re not feeling so good. That’s pretty high.”
Toby lets out a low groan. “Mmmh…‘ts not that high.”
“Not that high?” Nat huffs softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a fever much higher than that, personally…” He exhales a troubled sigh. “Yeah, I’m definitely not leaving you here alone tonight.”
That sends a little flicker of hope through Toby’s chest, though his immediate instinct is still to push back.
“…y’don’t…have to…stay…”
“Mm, nope, not hearing any of that,” Nat waves him off. “Now, let’s get some medicine in you. And I’d really like you to eat something, since we missed dinner and I have no idea when you last ate. Also, you should change out of those work clothes. You can’t be comfortable in that.” He pauses. “But, one step at a time, yeah?”
That’s entirely too many words for Toby’s exhausted brain to process, so he lets Nat take the lead for a bit through his tired haze.
He accepts some pills, swallowing them with a glass of water. Then, he lets himself be guided back, where pillows have been propped up to help him sit. Nat disappears into the kitchen for a while, and in the meantime, Toby rids himself of his sweat-damp work clothes and sluggishly wriggles into a pair of pajamas that have somehow appeared at his bedside.
Eyes half-lidded, he starts to drift off again when a gentle hand touches his shoulder.
“Hey,” Nat says softly, holding out a bowl. “Don’t sleep just yet. I really think you should try to eat something.”
Blearily, Toby takes it, staring down at the chicken noodle soup, the bowl warm in his hands. Steam rises in wisps against his face, loosening the pressure in his sinuses. It offers some relief from the congestion, but the shift is enough to make his nose itch.
“...ihhh’hhh…hehh…”
Panic flickers through him, not only at the thought of spilling the soup, but also at the idea of sneezing in front of Nat again. He clamps a hand over his nose as a tiny, desperate whimper slips out between hitches.
“Oh!” Nat jumps into action, taking the bowl just in time. Toby manages to stifle the sneezes into near silence.
“...ngxcht…nggxcchh…ngxxch’hht’huh…”
“Bless you, I think?” Nat says with a laugh, and Toby wishes he could disappear. Hands still pressed to his blushing face, he chances a glance at Nat, who offers a sympathetic smile.
Nat slides a box of tissues toward him, and Toby pulls one free to wipe at his nose, too embarrassed to blow properly. When he’s done, the bowl is returned to him.
The soup soothes his sore throat and empty stomach, even if he doesn’t have much of an appetite. Like an attentive bedside nurse, Nat waits patiently until Toby finishes the last drop.
“Done?” he asks, reaching for the empty bowl.
“Mmm…yeah…um,” Toby starts, clearing his throat. “Thanks. For everything…y-you really didn’t have to do all this for me.”
Nat shakes his head. “That’s okay. I wanted to. I mean, how could I not?” He blinks, flushing. “Unless you’re saying it’s too much. I just kinda jumped in without asking because I was worried. If you want me to back off, it’s okay. Just tell me.”
“N-no! No, it’s not…” Toby fidgets with the blanket. “I…I really appreciate it. A lot. Especially just, um, just you…b-being here…”
Nat lets out a fond huff of a laugh. “No problem. I like being with you.”
Warmth spreads through Toby that has nothing to do with his fever. He feels the urge to reach out for another hug, but his train of thought is interrupted with a yawn.
“Ah, I’ll let you get some rest,” Nat says, rising to his feet. “I’ll crash on the couch. Let me know if you need anything.”
Before he can stop himself, Toby reaches out, latching onto the hem of Nat’s shirt before he can leave.
“Hm?” Nat tilts his head. After a beat, a shy smile works its way onto his features. “Or…I can stay here until you fall asleep, if you’d like.”
He would like that. Very much. Eyes squeezed shut, Toby nods.
There’s a soft clink as the bowl is set on the bedside table, then a shift in the mattress as Nat sits beside him.
If his senses were at full capacity right now, he’d be absolutely freaking out at the situation. But between the fever and the medicine kicking in, his thoughts are becoming a little muddy. He lies back down, and Nat pulls the blanket snug around him.
“Is there anything that helps you sleep?” Nat asks, barely above a whisper.
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Part 8 summary: It's finally time for Nat and Toby's first official date...even if Toby still doesn't quite believe that it's really a date.
This is the final part of Reunited!
Words: 4,465
A knock at the door makes Toby jump in his seat.
He takes in a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds, then slowly exhales, though it does little to calm the hammering in his chest. He still hasn't fully gathered his courage when there's a second knock.
He waits another moment before finally approaching the door, trying to make it seem as though he hasn't been sitting on the couch anxiously awaiting Nat's arrival for the past thirty minutes.
A date, he called it. Toby still doesn't quite believe it. Or maybe it's more that he doesn't want to get his hopes up. Nat probably didn't mean anything by using that word. As far as Toby's concerned, it's just a day out between friends. Yes, that's it.
No matter how many times he tells himself that, though, it doesn't stop his nerves from catching fire the moment he opens the door and sees Nat, who greets him with that beaming smile of his. He's dressed up a little more than usual, still wearing his familiar combination of a band tee over a long-sleeved shirt, but today he's fully accessorized with layered necklaces, beaded bracelets, and chains draped from his black denim pants. His long hair is pulled back into a ponytail, a look Toby thinks suits him especially well. And is that a little makeup?
"You look nice."
Nat blushes slightly, twirling a stray strand of hair around his finger. "Aw, you think so?"
Wait, did he say that out loud? "I-I mean, I, um…I like your style," Toby stammers. "It's cool." Great, he's already a blushing, stuttering mess. "I feel like maybe I should have dressed up more myself…" he adds, glancing down at his own boring t-shirt and jeans.
Nat just giggles, though. "You look cute no matter what! Not that I'd be opposed to giving you a makeover if you wanted…" He takes a small step back into the hallway. "Anyway, should we head out?"
"Oh, w-wait, I have something…"
Toby steps away for a second and returns with a gift.
"I wanted to make up for my failure of a birthday present, so…I got you these."
He holds out two cat plushies - smaller than the last one, and decidedly fragrance-free this time. In his right hand is an orange tabby with a blue ribbon tied around its neck, and in his left, a black cat with a matching red ribbon. Nat's face instantly lights up when he sees them.
"Ohh, they're so cute! Thank you!" he says, taking them into his hands and admiring them for a moment. "So, I'm guessing the orange cat is supposed to be me, and the black cat is you?"
Toby flushes. "Y-Yeah…they reminded me of us, so I just…um…" he trails off.
Nat smiles again, softer this time, and there's a certain fondness in it that Toby can't quite place.
"A perfect pair, yeah?"
He lifts them up to his face, burying his nose in the fabric and taking a long, exaggerated whiff. "And I'm not allergic this time!" he announces proudly when he's done.
Toby flushes even harder. "D-Don't…never mind."
Nat glances down at the plushies again, pondering.
"I have an idea," he says after a pause, handing the orange cat back to Toby. "Why don't you hold on to this one? Then it'll be like we're always together. Y'know, just in case you miss me when I'm not around." His tone suggests he's joking about that last bit, but a part of Toby thinks there's something genuine there.
He accepts the plush, heart fluttering in his chest as he stares into its beady little eyes. "O-Okay…oh, but we should probably leave them here for now. I don't want them to get lost at the concert or anything."
"Good idea," Nat agrees, snuggling the black cat close to his face one last time. "I definitely don't wanna lose this cute little guy."
So, the plushies stay behind while Nat and Toby head outside and make their way to the metro. It's that awkward stretch of late spring where you can never quite predict the weather day to day, and seeing the sweater tied loosely around Nat's waist makes Toby worry that he's made a mistake by leaving his at home. As they continue to walk, though, it's clear that the sun has decided to shine today, making Toby more confident in his decision as the warm sun prickles at his skin.
The walk to the station isn't too long, nor is the ride to their destination. Ease of transit is one of the things Toby has enjoyed the most about city life since moving here. When he actually does leave his apartment, that is. Thanks to Nat, he's been doing that more often lately.
It's almost chilly in the dark underground of the station, and stepping back out into the bright sunlight is a shock, causing Toby to squint as his eyes slowly adjust. His vision settles just in time to see Nat frozen in place, eyes distant and jaw slack before pitching into the crook of his elbow.
"hhhehh’ETSChhuu…hh'ITSCHhu…hhh’ETSCHiew!" There's a small pause that suggests he's done, but then two more seem to sneak up on him. "ehHTSCH’uuuhh…hhh’ihhHITSChhiew!"
Toby's heart leaps a little. "B-Bless you," he mumbles.
Even in the heart of the city, plenty of plants are in bloom, with no lack of nicely trimmed bushes and flowering buds adorning the buildings in their path. He vaguely remembers a notification on his phone indicating a high pollen count today.
"Are you gonna be okay?" he asks sheepishly. "You know, being outside…?"
"It wasn't allergies that time!" Nat is quick to clarify despite his continued sniffling. "That was just the sun! I'll be fine."
"Mmm, okay…" Toby isn't fully convinced, though he can't say a part of him isn't looking forward to finding out.
Nat shrugs it off and turns his attention back to guiding them to the venue, moving with the confidence of someone who's been there many times before. Toby quickly realizes that he has, as Nat starts sharing stories of other shows he's seen there while they walk.
Toby mostly listens, offering the occasional 'oh wow' or 'that's cool.' Not that he minds. Honestly, he's happy just to quietly admire him. How the pitch of his voice rises whenever he gets excited, or the way his eyes seem to sparkle as he recounts each happy memory…
Conversation feels so easy with Nat, which isn't something socially awkward Toby can say about many people in his life. He never feels pressured to fill the silence when they're together. And whenever he does have something substantial to add, Nat gives him plenty of space to do so, attentive to his every word no matter how sparse.
As they walk and talk side by side, their hands occasionally brush up against each other. Toby doesn't think much of it the first couple of times. After the third or fourth time, though, Nat slips his hand into Toby's grasp, holding it firmly, intentionally.
Oh.
His gaze drops instantly to their joined hands, Nat's fingers laced around Toby's like it's the most natural thing in the world. Nat continues on with his story without so much as a pause, but Toby's lost the thread a little bit, trapped in an internal panic as he's trying to figure out exactly what this means. He doesn't say anything about it, but he doesn't let go, either. By the time they reach the restaurant, he's thankfully managed to keep up his unbothered facade.
Dinner is much more upscale than Toby's usual fare. They order drinks, an appetizer, and a pizza topped with fresh truffle shavings and drizzled with honey - a savory-sweet combo that he thought sounded absurdly fancy but ended up being undeniably delicious. He's still thinking about how good it was when the bill jolts him back into reality, guilt settling in his gut as Nat reaches for it and offers to pay for the whole thing. Toby protests, and after some convincing, Nat agrees to split the bill, though he's left looking oddly deflated for some reason.
It's another short walk from the restaurant to the venue. They arrive a little early, so they join the line of fellow concert-goers waiting outside for the doors to open. Nat's partway through another one of his monologues when he suddenly goes quiet, a look of dread falling over his features. Confused, Toby tilts his head, awaiting an explanation. That's when he hears the humming of a lawnmower, alerting him to landscapers working on the grass nearby.
Nat raises a knuckle to his nose and pushes it up, wincing. "Ugh, seriously? Why now…" he mutters under his breath.
Toby's pulse spikes. Could it be that cut grass is an especially bad allergen for Nat? The part of him that feels a little excited at the thought is quickly overridden as he takes in the distress on Nat's face, who's breath is already hitching. More than anything, he doesn't want him to suffer…not when he was so excited for today.
"O-Oh, uh…" Toby stutters, frantically looking around for a safe haven they can escape to. "Should we…do you want to step inside somewhere?"
Nat opens his mouth to answer, but all that comes out are a few desperate, hitching breaths, before—
"hhh’NGtchh…hhihh…NGTCHhhiew!"
"W-We could…um…there's a pharmacy just around the corner, I think…"
"hhheEH’ngtchh! hhh’NGTCHHhhiew! B-but I…ah…hhihh…hihh'NGGHTCchhu! I wanted us t-to get a good s-spot—hhheh’NGTSCHhhhiew!"
The couple beside them in line shoot a look at poor Nat, which only intensifies Toby's sense of urgency. "I-I really don't mind if we're not up front…"
"I d-don't…hh'NGT! NGT'chiew! I-I—hhehh’TSssCHHhhiew!" He fails to get a coherent sentence out. It's clearly getting harder for him to contain his fit. He holds a finger to the underside of his nose, trying to hold back the onslaught long enough to speak.
"I don't want to ruin our first date w-with my a…ahh…aaahh'HHISTChhieeww!" Nat sniffles miserably. "Allergies…"
He glances over at Toby with red-rimmed eyes and allergic tears running the makeup down his face, looking absolutely pitiful. The sight tugs on Toby's heartstrings.
"Oh, Nat…hey…" He places a comforting hand on Nat's arm. "You don't have to worry about that, okay? I just wanna make sure you're all right…so, how about we go inside somewhere?"
Nat holds Toby's gaze for a moment. "But…but…hhehhh…"
Before he can finish that thought, he wrenches himself out of Toby's grasp.
Toby's about to drag Nat out of there whether he wants to or not when, miraculously, the line starts moving.
"S-See? It's fine!" Nat declares with a proud smile in spite of his teary face and congested sniffling. Toby lets out an exasperated sigh.
They make their way inside the venue, but not until after Nat sneezes his way through ticketing and security, apologizing profusely to the staff between every set of itchy stifles. To Toby's relief, Nat looks less distressed once they're in, though he still has eyeliner tracks running down his cheeks.
"I'm gonna go clean up real quick," he tells Toby before slipping away to the restroom.
If he has any hope of keeping it together for the rest of the night, he'll need to get his mind off the scene he just witnessed. Desperate for a distraction, Toby wanders around, eventually landing by the merch table. He lingers there, perusing the clothes and prints on display until one t-shirt in particular catches his eye. He considers getting in line but stops himself when he notices the price tag. Since when are band tees this expensive?
"See something you like?"
Toby startles, turning around to see Nat standing behind him. He's visibly recovered from earlier, though his nose is still faintly red. Toby tries not to stare.
"I do like the tour shirt," Nat nods toward it. "I already have one of theirs, though," he continues, gesturing to the one he's wearing. "But you don't, do you?"
Toby looks back and forth between the merch table and Nat. "U-Um, well…it's nice, but I should probably save my money."
"Do you want it?" Nat asks, already reaching for his wallet.
Toby blinks. "W-Wait, what? You shouldn't…I'd feel bad, especially after you paid for my ticket."
"Toby," Nat says with a huff. "I saved money specifically to treat you today." He pauses, nervously scratching his neck. "B-Because I…y'know, I…"
Before he can finish, a rowdy group of concert-goers shoves past them, jostling Toby off balance as they push toward the merch line. Nat catches him before he can fall.
"Hey, watch it!" Nat snaps at the strangers in a sharp tone that Toby's never heard from him before, though it would probably register more if he wasn't currently preoccupied with being faceplanted into his chest.
"Toby, are you okay?" Nat asks, his tone softening, scanning Toby up and down.
Toby pulls away, blushing furiously, though Nat's hands are still on his upper arms, holding him steady. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm good…"
Nat sighs. "Some people seriously need to have some consideration for others…"
"I-It's okay," Toby mumbles, willing the heat from his face. "It's pretty crowded here, I'm sure they didn't mean it."
"I'll just have to stay reeeal close to you, then," Nat declares.
"Ah, o-okay…" Toby agrees bashfully. He glances back at the merch table, which now has a chaotic crowd surrounding it and staff yelling at them to form a line. "Let's just go. I…don't feel like dealing with that."
Nat frowns. "If you're sure…"
The pair venture further inside, finding a spot close to the stage. It's not too crowded yet, but after the opener finishes their set, the venue fills up considerably. Soon, they're packed in tight.
At last, the headlining band takes the stage, and the crowd surges forward, pushing Toby up against Nat. Toby's heart nearly stops when Nat puts an arm around him, gently guiding Toby in front, trying to give him a better view given his shorter stature.
It's Toby's first time seeing this band live. They put on a great performance, and the crowd gets pretty riled up as the night goes on. Throughout the show, Toby's acutely aware of Nat hovering protectively from behind.
Toby's eyes are drawn to the guitarist, who's closest to their side of the stage. He finds himself studying the way he plays - not just the technique, but how unbothered he seems doing it in front of such a large crowd. Toby's fingers twitch faintly at his sides, mirroring the chords. With enough practice, he could learn this song, too. Confidence, though, is a lot more difficult to rehearse.
"That could be you," Nat whispers as the song ends, his breath warm against Toby's ear, sending a shiver up his spine.
"H-Huh?" Toby gasps, turning to Nat.
"That's what you're thinking, right?" he says with a sly grin. "Something like, 'I could totally do that!' It's written all over your face."
"U-Um…I mean…"
Nat isn't entirely wrong. Toby often finds himself imagining what it would be like to play up on stage. But someone like him could never have the courage for that, not when he can barely play in front of one person.
"I wish, but I…I could never."
"I believe in you, though." Nat flashes him that fond smile that makes Toby's heart soar. "I'd be your number one fan, for sure."
Luckily, the next song starts up before Toby has to find words, sufficiently distracting the both of them.
~~~
Still basking in the post-concert afterglow, Nat and Toby get swept along with the packed crowd making their way out of the venue. As soon as they step outside, the cold air shocks Toby's bare arms. It's chilly now that the sun has set, a stark contrast to how warm it was earlier that afternoon.
The crowd finally starts to thin as people disperse, heading toward restaurants or bars or back home, but Nat keeps to the waterside path. Toby follows.
With the body heat of the crowd gone, the cold starts to become more noticeable. Toby crosses his arms, rubbing at the goosebumps on his skin. His face, too, is feeling the chill, and a tickle in his nose leads to—
"hhh’ngxchh!"
He attempts to stifle it into near silence, hoping to go unnoticed, but the effort irritates his throat, making him cough and drawing Nat's attention.
"Bless you!" Nat says with a worried pout. "You okay?"
Toby opens his mouth to respond, but he's cut off by a second sneeze that he struggles a bit more to contain.
"hh’HNGXxchh’uhh!"
When he looks up, Nat is standing in front of him, studying him with concern. "You're not coming down with another cold, are you?"
Toby averts his gaze. "I-I'm not sick, I don't think…it's just the temperature change getting to me a little bit."
Nat's worried expression doesn't fade. Wordlessly, he unties the sweater around his waist and drapes it over Toby's shoulders.
"Y-You don't have to—"
"You're cold, though," Nat insists. "I know we planned to walk along the waterside for a bit, but if it's too cold, we can head back early."
Toby shakes his head. "I'll be okay." He pauses, biting his lip. "I…I don't want to go home just yet."
He takes a second to properly pull his arms through the sleeves of Nat's sweater. It's a little oversized on him, the sleeves extending past his hands, but it's comfy. He can still feel a bit of Nat's residual body heat clinging to the fabric, and it's like he's being wrapped in a warm hug.
"If you're sure," Nat relents. "There is something I wanted to show you…"
Nat takes Toby's hand in his own once again and leads the way further down the path. Soon they arrive at a pier, where bench swings large enough for two line the path all the way down.
"C'mon!" Nat encourages Toby as he hurries to claim an empty swing up ahead. He sits down, patting the spot beside him, and Toby takes a seat once he catches up. Nat starts propelling them gently back and forth with his feet, looking content.
A few minutes pass before a gust of wind cuts through their peaceful moment, bringing with it a chill that bites even through the borrowed sweater. Toby shivers.
"Still cold?" Nat asks.
"Hmm…just a little," Toby admits. "It's fine, though."
Nat pauses for a moment. Then, slowly, he wraps one arm around Toby, letting his hand rest gently on his shoulder.
"Is this okay?"
Toby feels his face heating up and his pulse quickening. "Y-Yeah."
Nat smirks, taking the response as an invitation to pull Toby closer until they're pressed side to side. Warmth radiates off of Nat, fighting away the chill.
It's nice. Really nice.
Toby feels like he could just sit here forever and let the rest of the world fade away. Soon, though, Nat's voice pulls him back.
"Y'know, I'm really glad we met again," he muses wistfully.
"Mhm," Toby hums with a nod, butterflies stirring in his stomach.
Nat looks off into the distance, then lets out a soft chuckle. "I remember back in high school I wished we were closer, but I wasn't really sure how to get through to you."
Toby tilts his head. "Oh?"
"That's why, when I saw you again, I knew I had to go for it." He turns to Toby, smiling. "And I'm glad I did. It took a while, but I'm happy we finally got there."
Toby takes a deep breath, trying to get on top of his emotions.
"M-Me too," he says, almost too softly to hear. "I-I'm, um, r-really happy that we got to be friends."
At that, Nat's face drops, and he goes quiet for a minute. Toby's mind starts to race, wondering if he said something wrong.
Finally, Nat pulls away enough to look at Toby directly.
"Toby…" he starts with a disappointed sigh, and Toby's nerves tip over into panic. Oh no. Nat's upset. He definitely did something wrong. What did he do wrong?
"When I asked you on a date, did you think I was just messing with you or something?"
Toby's eyes go wide. "W-What?"
"When I said this was a date," Nat says firmly, "I meant like, a date."
"Huh?" Toby falters. "I-I don't…"
Nat's face scrunches up, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks.
"Okay, I don't think you're gonna get this otherwise, so I'll just come out and say it."
Nat leans in, holding Toby's gaze with an intensity that takes him by surprise.
"I really like you. Not just as a friend."
Nat moves closer, close enough that their noses brush and Toby can feel his warm breath on his face.
"Toby," Nat whispers.
"Y-Yeah?" Toby squeaks back.
Nat takes a shaky breath in, then out.
"Can I kiss you?"
Toby's mouth has gone dry. Speechless, he nods.
With that, Nat closes the distance, his soft lips meeting Toby's in a gentle, innocent kiss. It's over in a few seconds, really, but it feels like time has gone still, and Toby's lost in a void where he's floating, fireworks exploding in his veins.
When he comes to, Nat's staring deeply at him, his blue eyes faintly illuminated by the streetlamps, lips still slightly parted.
Toby can't believe it. Did that really just happen? Things like this don't happen to him. Not shy Toby who keeps to himself and never catches anyone's attention. Especially not someone like Nat, who's so infinitely kind and generous, friendly to everyone he meets, pretty enough to be with whoever he wanted. But he chose Toby.
He feels a lump rise in his throat and swallows hard. It doesn't make any sense. He doesn't deserve someone so perfect.
"B-But…why me…?" Emotions swell in Toby's chest, and his eyes start to burn. "Why…you…with someone like me…?" He sniffles wetly.
"Hey," Nat says quickly, cupping Toby's face in his hands. "Hey, hey, don't—what are you talking about? Toby…"
Toby chokes on a sob. "Y-You're so…perfect, I don't…I don't understand…I-I can't do anything, I…I'm nothing like Thea…"
Nat's expression freezes, hands dropping to his sides, until he bursts out with laughter. "Thea?!" he shouts, incredulous. "I mean, yeah, she's pretty awesome, but…oh, Toby, what's been going on in your head?"
Toby sniffles miserably. "I-I mean, you should be with someone cool and smart and…and good-looking like you, right? I don't get it."
Nat shakes his head, reaching out and ruffling Toby's hair. "Well, I'll take the compliments, but I don't want you to be like anyone else. I like you just the way you are!"
Toby dabs at his damp eyes with the sleeves of Nat's sweater. "R-Really…?"
Nat nods, smiling warmly. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You have plenty of good traits. For one, you're so absolutely adorable I can barely even stand it. It's like…y'know cuteness aggression? That's how I feel whenever I see you."
A garbled sound escapes Toby's throat, and Nat just chuckles affectionately.
"And besides that, you're sweet…considerate…you're a great listener…even when I go on and on about something, you never get bored. Or if you do, you're good at hiding it."
"I-I don't…I'm not…" Toby stammers.
"You have this…shine. I've seen it a few times now. I want to see you shine even more…"
Nat cups Toby's cheek with one hand, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I hope you can believe me. Even if you don't right now. Someday, I hope you can understand how special you are to me."
Toby whines, biting back another sob, and Nat pulls him into a warm embrace until he calms down.
After some time, he pulls back. "Ah, but, I hope you feel the same…?"
Toby sniffles, wiping his eyes again. "I-I…I do…feel the same about you."
Nat lets out a heavy sigh of relief. "Okay, good. I was pretty sure you did. Especially after that time you stroked my hair. Sooo romantic of you, by the way. Gave me butterflies for sure."
Toby goes bright red. "Y-You were awake?!" Nat giggles, and Toby puffs out his cheeks. "Hey, are you laughing at me again?"
"No, no!" Nat replies between poorly contained laughs before pulling Toby in for one last hug. Toby buries his blushing face in Nat's chest, hearing the flutter of his heartbeat and the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing. He doesn't ever want to let go.
Eventually, though, the cold starts to sink in despite it all, and Toby feels his sinuses start to burn, the leftover teary congestion not doing anything to help. With a bit of resistance, he pulls away from Nat, sniffling wetly. He rubs at his nose, but the need to sneeze doesn't let up no matter how much he wills it away. Instinctively, he raises his arm to cover, but he quickly realizes how mortifying it would be to dirty Nat's sweater that way. He's left without much of a choice.
Unable to hold back any longer, he turns away from Nat as much as possible.
"hhh…hehhh…hh’EEEHHSSSSCH’hhuh!"
His body shakes with the release, wincing at the volume of it. Raising his hands up to contain his dripping nose, he whimpers, feeling completely ashamed at his gross display.
"Aww, bless you, poor thing," Nat coos, rubbing Toby on the back. "If we're lucky, there might be some tissues or napkins or something in those pockets. Hopefully clean ones."
Toby fishes in the pockets and, thankfully, finds an unused napkin there. That'll have to do. He uses it to relieve his congestion as discreetly as possible and shoves the shameful thing in his pants pocket.
Nat continues to rub slow circles on Toby's back. "Let's get you out of here before you really do catch another cold, yeah?"
Toby sniffles. "Weren't we supposed to get ice cream, though?"
"Ice cream?" Nat scoffs. "No way. If I let you eat something cold right now, I think you'll freeze to death. Can't have that." He pauses to think. "Maybe we can find some hot chocolate instead?"
Then, he shoots Toby a smug look. "Or…we can go back to your place and I can warm you up myself?"
Toby goes still, stammering incoherently until Nat giggles. "Just kidding!"
Despite the cold, Toby's face is burning with heat. Still, he can't help but smile widely as his boyfriend helps him up by the hand. He's feeling warmer already.
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Part 7 summary: Toby just wanted to get Nat something nice for his birthday, but he manages to mess it up somehow...despite that, it looks like the night may end on a happy note for him after all?!
Words: 3,906
The sound of bustling Saturday afternoon crowds, snippets of songs playing over the speakers in each store, and colorful signs advertising sales are all vying for Toby's attention as he wanders through his local mall. He's stuck in his head, though, slumped over with his hands shoved into his pockets as he contemplates his current dilemma.
Nat's birthday party is next weekend, and Toby wants to get him a gift. The problem is, he has no idea what to get him, so he's hoping inspiration will strike if he paces the mall long enough.
The first store to catch his attention is a clothing shop, low-lit with an edgy atmosphere, its displays lined mostly with black apparel. Toby pauses. Maybe Nat would like a band tee? He does wear those a lot…but if that already makes up most of his wardrobe, he probably doesn't need another one. So, Toby keeps walking.
A bit farther down the hallway, he spots a record store, several rows of vinyl tempting him through the window. Again, he pauses, thinking a record could be a nice gift. Does Nat even own a record player, though? A CD would probably be a safer bet. Then again, do people even use CDs anymore?
He huffs and continues his search, no closer to an answer than he was when he arrived. He doesn't want to get Nat just anything. He deserves something special, something that would genuinely make him happy. The thought of Nat's smile after receiving a gift from him is too irresistible. It's an opportunity he can't pass up.
Just as he's about to circle around to the clothing store, something in the window of the next shop catches his eye. Curious, he steps inside for a closer look.
There, he finds a display of stuffed animals, among them an orange plush cat. Something about it immediately makes him think of Nat. It's pretty large, perfectly sized for cuddling, lying belly-down with beady little eyes and its legs splayed out in front of it. Toby gently lifts it from the shelf, feeling its soft fur beneath his fingertips. Its weight takes him by surprise. A quick glance at the display explains that the plush is filled with a special material that allows it to be warmed in the microwave.
An earlier conversation comes to mind, one in which Nat had complained about being unable to have a cat due to his allergies. Since he can't have a real cat, maybe this could be the next best thing. It's warm, soft, a little weighted, and most importantly, really cute. A shy smile tugs at Toby's lips as he walks to the checkout with the plush in hand.
~~~
Toby's eyes dart between the open text message on his phone screen and the apartment number beside the door, checking once, twice, three times. Yes, this is definitely it.
It took him a little while to find it, after already spending too much time overthinking his outfit before ultimately settling on his usual, not to mention having to psych himself up enough to overcome his anxiety about hanging out with a bunch of strangers, so he's already running a bit late. The last thing he needs is to show up at the wrong place.
After putting his phone back into his pocket, he takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. Faint sounds of chatter and laughter from inside echo out into the hallway. Toby nervously shifts from foot to foot, fidgeting with the gift bag in his hands while he waits for someone to let him in.
When the door opens a few moments later, a woman appears, leaning against the doorframe as she gives him a slow once-over. Immediately, his attention is drawn to her striking pink hair, bangs stopping just before her heavily lined eyes and the rest cascading down her shoulders nearly to her waist. She's wearing a denim jacket over a cropped band tee and ripped black pants with fishnets peeking through the holes at the knees. Toby feels a little underdressed in comparison, standing there in his hoodie and jeans, lamenting his own lack of fashion sense. Something about her looks vaguely familiar, but he can't quite place it.
Judging by the way she raises an eyebrow in confusion, though, it seems the familiarity isn't reciprocated. Toby panics for a moment, wondering if he somehow did end up at the wrong address after all.
"S-Sorry, I think I might've…"
Before he can finish his sentence, Nat appears behind her.
"Toby! You made it!"
He smiles in that way that seems to light up the whole world, and now Toby's heart rate is spiking for a different reason.
The woman's expression instantly softens at hearing his name. "Ohhh, so this is the guy you've been talking about!"
Nat nudges her side with his elbow. "Shut up," he mutters, looking momentarily flustered before refocusing his attention on Toby. "Come in!" he says, beckoning him inside.
Nat's apartment is slightly larger than Toby's place, but still pretty snug. A few more people are in the main living area, some playing video games on the couch and others chatting around the dining table. An untouched store-bought birthday cake sits on the kitchen counter, various beverages lined up beside it.
What Toby doesn't see are any gifts.
He hides the bag behind his back as it dawns on him: people in their twenties don't really give gifts at parties like these, let alone plushies, do they?
Anxiety creeps back in as he realizes how obvious it's going to be that he hasn't been to a big birthday party since he was a kid. Maybe he can shove it into a corner somewhere before anyone notices?
"Oh, I should probably introduce you two. This here is Thea," Nat says, gesturing to the woman who met Toby at the door. "Well, it's technically not your first time seeing her. Y'know that concert we went to? How I said I had friends in the opening band? Thea's the bassist!"
So that's why she looked familiar. "Nice to officially meet you," Thea says, flashing Toby a grin. "And thanks a ton for coming out to the show."
"Y-Yeah, no problem," Toby says with a nod.
Based on something Nat said to him a little while ago, if Thea is the band's bassist, then that means she's also Nat's ex. This gives Toby pause.
Aside from their shared interest in music, everything about them seems so different. She's the complete opposite of Toby, radiating coolness and confidence. She's even brave enough to get up on stage and perform in front of a crowd, something Toby could never do.
And even if he's not into women, he can still objectively acknowledge that she's gorgeous. Standing next to Nat, who's handsome in his own right - tall, with his well-maintained wavy golden hair that Toby often finds himself admiring - the two make a really attractive pair.
Suddenly, he's feeling terribly inadequate.
"Ah, yeah, my girlfriend Connie is in the band too. She plays drums." Thea points to a woman with short dark hair on the couch, sitting back and silently observing the others. "She's not the most…expressive person, but trust me, she's super stoked for the support, too."
At that, Connie turns around and gives them a little wave.
"Have fun, you two," Thea says with a wink before joining her girlfriend on the couch.
"Don't mind her," Nat sighs, rubbing his neck. "Anyway, I'm really happy you made it, Toby. I know you were feeling a little nervous, but I promise everyone here is…"
He tilts his head mid-sentence, eyes lighting up as his gaze drifts to the poorly hidden gift bag behind Toby's back. "What'cha got there?"
Toby shifts the bag in his hands. "N-Nothing much, I just thought I'd get you a little something for your birthday…" He glances around the room nervously. "B-But maybe that's kind of weird? You don't have to take it if you don't want it. I can just bring it back home…"
Nat's eyes sparkle. "You got me something?"
Toby nods, and another bright smile breaks out on Nat's face.
"That's so sweet of you! Ooh, can I open it now?"
Glancing around again, Toby blushes, feeling self-conscious about what's inside. "U-Um…"
Nat seems to understand Toby's hesitation. "Here," he says, grabbing Toby by the hand. "Come with me!"
Nat leads him away from the others, down a short hallway and into a bedroom. Once inside, he quickly scrambles to push aside the clothes strewn across the bed, clearing a spot for the two of them.
"Sorry for the mess," he laughs nervously, patting the bed when he's done.
Toby swallows hard, trying to ignore the way his heart is racing at the thought of sharing a bed with Nat. It's not the first time, technically, but the last time he'd been too feverish to think straight. He perches himself on the edge of the bed, and Nat takes a seat beside him.
Nat holds his hands out expectantly. "May I?"
"Y-Yeah, sure…" Toby passes him the gift. "Oh, and happy birthday."
Nat excitedly tears into the bag, letting out a little gasp as he lifts the plushie out.
"Awww, it's so cute!" He runs one hand along its back. "Ooh, and the fur…so soft…"
"Mmh, yeah, it reminded me of you," Toby says, looking away. "Orange cats just make me think of you for some reason."
"So you think I have orange cat energy?" Nat chuckles, punctuating it with a sniffle. "You're not totally wrong, I guess…ahh, thanks Toby, I love it!" He squeezes the plushie, feeling the weight of it in his hands. "And, wow, it's surprisingly heavy?"
Toby nods. "You can heat it up…I-I thought that, since you can't have a real cat, maybe this could be, like…kinda close? It's warm and soft…I know it's not the same, but…" He winces. "Sorry, it sounds kind of ridiculous now that I'm saying it out loud. I know it's just a plush…"
Nat shakes his head. "No, that's r-really thoughtful o-of youuhhh…" He brings a finger up to his nose and presses it upward with another sniffle. That only seems to amplify whatever reaction he's having, taking in short, uneven breaths more rapidly now.
"I-Is this thing, like, scented o-or something?" he asks between hitches.
Toby freezes up. "Is it?" His voice comes out much more high pitched than intended. He leans in a little as the two look closer at the tag, and there it is.
Oh no.
"Ah, it's…lavender scented…?"
Nat's eyes go wide, and Toby realizes he's made a big mistake.
"Shit, I-I'm—hheehhh—"
Nat's breath is already hitching wildly. Rubbing his nose must have been the final straw, as it just spread all that lavender essence right onto his face.
"I-I'm r-really…ahh…a-allergiihh…hhahhh…"
He doesn't get a chance to finish that thought before wrenching away from Toby, half-stifling the first fit.
"hhh'HMPTSCH’uuu…hhhmpt'chu…hhh…hhiiih’TTSschu…"
Instinctively, he lifts a hand to his face to cover - a hand that's been coated in the lavender scent.
"Wait, Nat! Don't!"
In an attempt to keep Nat's tainted hands away from his face, Toby dives in, holding them in his lap. This leaves Nat painfully exposed as his features scrunch up into an especially distressed pre-sneeze expression.
"S-Sorry, it's just…" Toby tries to stutter out an explanation. "U-Um, that's only going to make it worse, so…you shouldn't…"
He's clearly trying his best to face away from Toby, but each sneeze is more desperate than the last, and he doesn't have much control over it. Trying to move quickly, Toby grabs the plush and throws it back in the gift bag.
"hh’HITSCHuu-ishhu-ishhu-etschu-hh'ETSChiew…"
While Nat's fit isn't showing any signs of slowing down, Toby chucks the offending gift into the open closet door, shutting it forcefully in his panic, hoping to make as much space between it and them as possible. Poor Nat's doubled over now, sneezing openly into his lap, totally at the mercy of his body as it tries to expel the allergen.
The rapid fit ends in a whimper, which hits Toby with a pang of guilt. Gently, he reaches a hand out, placing it on Nat's upper arm and rubbing soothing motions up and down. He's still going.
Nat lurches against Toby's hand with each release, which jolts him in turn, sending all kinds of sensations through his body, most of which he tries to ignore in favor of giving Nat some comfort and maintaining his own composure. When there's finally a short pause between fits, he whispers, "I-It's okay…"
Nat takes a shaky breath in, then falters. Again, he's breathing in, wavering, itchy, desperate, and again, higher in pitch until—
"hhhETSCHieww!"
It leaves him panting, but that really does seem to be the end of it. Toby drops his hand, swallowing on a dry throat.
Nat sniffles in a short, rhythmic pattern, and a tear creeps its way down his cheek, dripping down into his lap.
"Nat? Are you okay?" Toby leans in, trying to get a clearer view of his face. "A-Are you…crying…?"
Nat huffs a few more uneven breaths, his shoulders trembling. Suddenly, those shaky exhales give way to laughter, catching Toby by surprise.
"I-It's just…the way you threw it so dramatically…" He struggles to speak between laughs, and another tear falls that he has no hope of wiping with his hands off-limits. "That was hilarious…!"
In shock, Toby's at a loss for words. He just sighs as he gathers his composure.
"Nat, I…I'm so sorry. It was an accident, I swear, I didn't realize…"
It takes Nat a minute to get past his giggles. "Hey, it's okay, I know. Of course it was just an accident. I mean, why would you do that on purpose?"
Toby goes still, feeling like he just almost let something slip.
"I am a little sad though," Nat admits, "the plushie's so cute. And it's a gift from you, which makes it extra special…"
Toby's heart skips a beat. "I-I'll get you a better replacement, I promise!" He glances at the closet. "And I'll make sure to take that one back with me."
Nat lets out a dejected sigh. "Okay, o-okahhh…h’itschu! Gah, sorry—hh’ETCHiew! Jeez…"
"M-Maybe you should go wash your hands…and your face…would that help?"
Nat sniffles. "Yeah, you're right. Be right back."
He steps out to go wash up, leaving Toby alone with his thoughts. He wraps his arms around himself, fingers digging into the fabric of his sweater. Guilt twists in his gut as the minutes pass. After everything that Nat has done for him, all Toby wanted to do was get him something nice, but he managed to mess it up. On top of that, he can still feel the way Nat's body lurched under his touch, how he had to bite back the desire to embrace him even closer at his most vulnerable.
Why does he have to be like this?
"You coming back out?"
He jolts a little, looking up to see Nat peeking into the bedroom, his face still damp from washing up. A droplet of water falls from his bangs down his nose before dripping to the floor. Realizing he was staring, Toby averts his gaze again.
"Don't," Nat starts, placing a hand on Toby's shoulder, prompting him to look him in the eyes. "I'm used to stuff like that happening, honestly. It's no big deal. Just the fact that you got me something makes me really happy." He smiles softly, an expression so pure and accepting that Toby almost forgets his guilt. Almost.
"Still…I-I'll try to make it up to you."
Nat's smile grows. "I'm sure you can." He looks down, biting his lip as his cheeks flush. "Speaking of which, there's actually something I wanted to ask…"
Toby holds his breath. Nat hesitates for a moment, opening his mouth and then closing it again, like there's something he wants to say but he just can't quite get it out. That kind of thing doesn't suit the Nat that Toby remembers, usually so outgoing and talkative. It leaves Toby aching to know what has him acting like this.
"U-Um…" Nat clears his throat. "Ah, maybe later…we should head back out. My friends are probably wondering where we went." He reaches a hand out. "Let's go?"
A little confused, Toby takes his hand, and soon he's being led back out into the party. Nat drops his hand once they reach the living room, and Toby's anxiety starts to creep back in as the others look their way.
Thea walks up to Nat with a smug look on her face. "You two were in there for a while." She lowers her voice, presumably intending for only Nat to hear. "Did you do it?"
Nat's cheeks flush, and he whispers back, "N-Not yet…"
Thea lets out an exasperated sigh. "C'mon," she says, taking him by the arm and starting to lead him toward the kitchen. "You need a pep talk."
"What—I don't—okay, okay!" Nat relents.
"Connie, entertain Toby for a bit!" Thea calls out before whisking Nat away. Toby watches Nat being dragged off, much as Nat had dragged him off to his bedroom earlier, and the similarity in their mannerisms is striking.
He shifts his attention to the couch where Connie is sitting. Despite the aloof look on her face that might suggest she isn't too happy with the company, she pats the empy space beside her, inviting Toby in. With a shy wave and a nervous grin, Toby takes a seat.
A few minutes pass like that, the two of them silently watching the TV as the other party guests play a lively game of Mario Kart. Out of the corner of his eye, Toby peeks over at the kitchen, where he can see Nat looking nervous as Thea gives him an impassioned speech.
"How'd you like the show?"
Toby nearly jumps out of his skin at the voice beside him. "H-Huh?"
"The show," Connie repeats. "You came to our show, right?"
"O-Oh, yeah! You guys were great," Toby stutters nervously, feeling like this is some kind of test, though he is answering truthfully. "I, um, really liked your sound."
"Hmm," Connie hums. The corner of her mouth lifts just a smidge. Is she…smiling?
A few more minutes pass, Toby's gaze drifting between the TV and the scene in the kitchen, trying not to make it too obvious that he's trying to eavesdrop. Between the sound from the TV and the rowdy competitive jabs from the gamers, though, it's impossible to hear what they're saying.
"You play guitar?"
The second time Connie speaks up barely startles Toby any less than the first. "Oh, y-yeah, I do. It's just a hobby, though. Not like you guys." He fidgets with his hands. "Did Nat mention it?"
Connie nods. "He's been talking about you a lot."
Oh? Toby perks up at that.
"My girlfriend plays, too, as you know. Well, bass." Connie pauses, glancing toward the kitchen. "Seems like Nat has a thing for guitarists."
As Toby is trying to figure out what that means, Nat and Thea make their way back to the living room. Nat's looking more timid than Toby has ever seen him. Thea gives him one last nudge before leaning over the back of the couch to kiss her girlfriend on the top of her head, and Connie smiles big for the first time that night.
Nat's hovering a few feet away, and Toby tilts his head in his direction. Shyly, Nat beckons him over.
Toby gets up from the couch and follows him just out of earshot of the rest of the party, over to the kitchen where Toby had seen him talking just a few minutes before.
"Hey, so, um…there's something I wanted to say."
Toby's eyes go wide. "Hm?"
"Ah, um, well…" Nat takes a deep breath, shifting nervously in place. "First of all, thanks again for coming over. I know you get nervous around strangers, so…I'm really happy that you came to see me anyway." He smiles shyly, rubbing a finger under his still slightly pink-tinted nose. "It means a lot to me."
Toby swallows hard, trying to numb the sensation of his heart beating out of his chest. "N-No problem," he squeaks out.
"And, uh…that's not all. Um…"
Nat absently rubs at his nose again, averting his gaze. His eyes land on the beverages lined up on the kitchen counter. "…oh, do you want something to drink?"
Toby blinks, thrown off by the unexpected question. "I think I'm okay…"
"Hm. Right. Anyway…"
Nat takes another deep breath and exhales slowly while Toby watches on in anticipation. Nat's breaths turn hitchy, though, before he can get out whatever he's trying to say. "I…hhihh…hhi'ITSChhu! Oh come on, why now…h'itschu! hhETschiew! Ugh, sorry…"
"B-Bless you," Toby mouths the words, though he's not really sure if he's speaking or not. Nat sniffles a few times and attempts to push through.
"So, there's this concert I wanted to go to…I mean, I got tickets to. Y'know that big venue on the wharf?"
Toby pauses to think. "Yeah, I've heard of it. Never been, though."
Nat offers a shy smile. "Oh, it's really nice. You should…well…"
He takes another breath.
"I got two tickets, is what I'm trying to say. I thought maybe we could go together? Get there a little early and grab some dinner? There's this Italian place nearby that has the best pizza in the city, at least in my opinion. And after the show, maybe we could get some ice cream and walk around the wharf a little, if you haven't been."
"Oh? That does sound nice…" Toby's eyes brighten as he thinks it over. "But I heard tickets are expensive…and aren't the restaurants around there pretty fancy, too? I-I'm not sure I can afford that right now…"
Nat shakes his head. "That's okay! It's on me!"
"Huh? B-But why? You can't…you don't have to…"
Nat sighs. "I think we've had this conversation before, yeah? About offering something because I want to?"
Toby goes quiet for a moment, which seems to make Nat nervous.
"N-Not that I'm trying to pressure you or anything. If you can't, or don't wanna go, that's totally fine, I just thought…maybe…spending the day out together would be fun."
His voice drops. "Y'know, like…just the two of us."
Toby feels his cheeks heat up.
"I-If you're sure…"
Nat's face lights up. "Of course!"
"Okay, then…if you're really sure…I'd like that a lot, I think."
There's that blindingly bright smile again, and Toby can't help but smile back.
"All right," Nat says with a blissful laugh. "It's a date."
Toby blinks.
A date?
Looking satisfied, Nat grabs himself a drink and starts heading back to the party.
"C'mon, let's go play games with everyone else! I bet I can beat you in Mario Kart!"
And with that, he's gone before Toby can fully process what just happened.
i'm working on a larger project with these two ocs but this seasonally appropriate one-shot came out first, so here we go!
Words: 1,460
***
Nathaniel had been looking forward to this day for weeks now – an outing that existed first as a casual suggestion from his boyfriend.
“I haven’t been since I was a kid,” Toby had said one afternoon while they were driving through their old hometown. “It would be fun to go together, don’t you think, Nat?”
Nat will generally agree to just about anything whenever Toby flashes those precious pleading brown eyes of his, but even aside from that, the idea had genuinely sounded fun. Despite them both growing up in the same town, Nat had never been to the local farm’s fall festival, so he’s excited to finally get the opportunity to check it out. Plus, it’s their first autumn season together as a couple, so he wants to do something festive together for the occasion.
When the day arrives, the weather is beautiful - clear blue skies with a mild breeze, not warm yet not too cold, a perfect encapsulation of the season. The festival is full of everything you would expect, like a pumpkin patch, fresh made apple cider, plenty of farm animals to pet, and what Toby had been looking forward to the most: the hayride.
There’s only one problem, and that’s Nat’s notoriously bad allergies.
That morning before heading out, after pulling his wavy blond hair back in a short ponytail and putting on a red and black flannel over a band tee, he made sure to load up on allergy medicine and hope for the best. For the first part of their visit, he holds up pretty well even as he’s surrounded by copious amounts of allergens like animal fur and hay bales. Despite his love of animals, he’s content to admire them from several feet away, allowing him to manage with only a few sneezes as Toby happily pets the goats.
But when it comes time for the hayride, there’s no avoiding it. He’s going to have to sit in a crowded tractor full of hay for a good 15 minutes or so, and try to do it without making a spectacle of himself by sneezing his head off. It’s not that he’s ashamed of himself – he was always one to dress in an alternative style, so he’s well used to getting the occasional stare by now. If anything, he’s more worried about how mortified his sweet, shy boyfriend will be if his nose unintentionally makes them both the center of attention.
He has half a mind to sit this one out, but the way Toby’s eyes sparkle when the tractor pulls up throws that idea right out the window.
“Ahh, this is so nostalgic,” Toby beams. “I used to come here every year with my parents when I was little. And now…” He hugs Nat’s arm. “I get to be here with you.”
Toby looks up at him, his eyes peeking through his overgrown black bangs and the sweetest shy smile on his lips, and Nat’s heart soars. It’ll be okay. He can do this.
The couple climb up onto the wagon, Toby claiming a spot in the back corner and Nat taking a seat next to him. As they wait for the other guests to board, a gust of wind causes Toby to pull his oversized sweater tighter around his petite frame. Nat wraps his arms around him and pulls him close to share body heat.
“Better?” he asks, trying to ignore the tickle already building in his nose.
“Mhm,” Toby responds, leaning in to his side ever so slightly. His boyfriend tends to be shy about PDA, so Nat treasures any little display of fondness he can get.
Soon enough, the trailer is filled with other festival-goers and the tractor takes off. It’s only a few minutes until the tickle in his nose is already building to a full-blown itch. That doesn’t bode well.
Meanwhile, Toby’s looking utterly content as they pass by fields of corn and grazing cows. While he’s thoroughly distracted, Nat takes the opportunity to sniffle discreetly.
Immediately, he realizes this was a bad idea. The itch only intensifies as he sniffs up even more of the hay particles floating in the air. He has no choice but to remove his arms from around his boyfriend and bring them up to rub his nose.
At that, Toby glances over, brows furrowed. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” Nat says with another rub of his nose, which seems to quell the itch for the time being.
Toby pouts, not convinced. “Allergies bothering you?”
“Mmm, a little,” Nat admits. “I’ll be fine, though.”
Wordlessly, Toby searches the pockets of his sweater, finds a fresh tissue, and places it into Nat’s hand. In response, Nat gives him a “thanks” and then a quick peck on the cheek, to which Toby’s face flushes an adorable shade of red.
A few minutes pass peacefully before the itch is back, stronger this time. Nat can’t tell where the hayride is driving through now, his vision gradually becoming clouded with allergic tears as he struggles to maintain composure.
…hhhehh…hhiiihh…sniff…hehhh…
He dabs at his now-dripping nose with the tissue in hopes that it will satisfy the tickle, but it’s no use. His body is begging him to sneeze. He knows once he starts, he won’t be able to stop, so he continues his valiant effort to avoid the inevitable.
“You sure you’re okay?” Toby asks from beside him, his voice laced with concern.
“Y-Yeahhhh, just a-allerghhieeehh…sniff…allergies.”
Nat feels Toby’s hand stroke his arm in a comforting motion, and his heart swells at the gesture. “If I remember correctly, we’re about halfway through. Think you can make it?”
Guilt prods at Nat’s gut. Toby was so looking forward to this, but now he’s counting down the minutes until it’s over because of him. And he’s about to become a total distraction and a complete mess.
He isn’t even able to answer Toby’s question – rather, his body decides to answer it for him, as it’s finally decided it’s had enough of the allergens. Nat buries his face in the tissue and succumbs to the urge.
…hhhHITSCH’uuu…hhhETschu…hhh…hhiiih’ITschu…
The trio of sneezes do nothing to ease the sensation in his nose, which has progressed to an intense burning. Tears roll down his cheeks as he tries blowing a little, which, of course, only makes things worse.
…hhITSCHhu…ITSCH’uu…ehHTSCHu…hhh’hHITSChhiew…
A hand gently rubs his thigh as he continues to sneeze. “Oh, babe…”
“M’fine,” Nat croaks and then sniffles, sounding more pitiful than intended. He is definitely not fine. His vision is a total blur now, allergic tears flowing freely from his blue eyes down his cheeks. He breathes in intentionally shallow huffs in an attempt to not irritate his nose any more, and he’s suddenly very glad he doesn’t have asthma like Toby.
Then, to his surprise, Toby reaches an arm around his shoulders, pulling his face down into the shorter man’s chest.
“It’s okay,” Toby soothes. “Let them out if you need to.”
His body gives him no choice but to obey. The next round of sneezes come rapid-fire with no room to take a breath in between.
…hh’HITSCHuu-ishhu-ishhu-etschu-hhETSChiew…
A shaky inhale, then more-
…hhitschu’tschiew…itschhu…itschiew…ughh…
He feels Toby’s grip tighten around him. “Poor baby…”
For the next couple of minutes, he’s completely consumed by his body’s incessant need to expel allergens. He barely notices when the ride comes to a stop. Toby gently pulls him up and guides him off, then leads him to a more secluded area, where Nat braces his arms on his knees and sneezes freely toward the ground.
When he recovers, he sees Toby staring at him wide-eyed, guilt etched deep into his features.
“I-I’m so sorry, Nat! If I had known how allergic you were to hay, I never would have suggested this…” Toby stutters, looking downcast.
“To be fair, I didn’t really know it was this bad, either,” Nat says with a sniffle and a laugh. “I can’t even remember if I’ve ever seen this much hay in one place before. I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t ruin today for you.”
He pauses for a moment, then smirks.
“Or maybe you enjoyed it..?”
Once again, Toby’s face burns bright red. “That’s not…I-I was more worried about you than anything…” he sighs. “C’mon, let’s go home.”
“You’re that eager to get me in bed, huh?”
“Wh– no! You– I mean we’re both totally covered in hay, we should definitely wash our clothes and take a shower before you get any worse…”
“Oh, and you want to take my clothes off? That’s unusually bold of you, sweetheart.”
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Part 5 summary: Toby has come down with a nasty cold. Luckily, Nat is here to take good care of him.
Words: 3,111
The late morning sun peeks through the blinds, casting its rays onto Toby’s face and rousing him from his sleep. He yawns and instinctively reaches out his hand, but his palm meets nothing but cold bedsheets.
Slowly, the memories from last night start to trickle back in. Nat was here, he's sure of it this time. The last thing he remembers is Nat sitting beside him in bed, singing a song as he drifted off to sleep. But he's not here anymore. He must have left sometime in the night.
Fair enough. Toby wouldn't expect Nat to stay all this time. Bringing him food and medicine was already far above and beyond anything he would have imagined.
As consciousness settles in, more memories surface, and Toby's stomach twists into knots as he remembers being a pathetic, crying mess in front of Nat. He sighs. How is he supposed to face him again after such a display? For a brief moment, the shame is so overwhelming that he has the urge to block his number so he never has to think about it again, but he quickly realizes that would be far too cruel for both parties involved.
At least now that he's alone he can be sick and gross without the need to be self-conscious about it. He begins the slow and painful process of using his aching muscles to bring himself a sitting position, to which his body immediately protests.
"hhehh’ISSSCch’hhuh!"
The harsh, wet sneeze triggers a coughing fit, and fuck, that hurts. He has trouble stopping once he starts, the strain causing tears to well up in his eyes. Luckily, he finds his inhaler along with a glass of water, a bottle of cold medicine, and a thermometer laid out nicely for him on his bedside table.
After using his inhaler, the tightness in his lungs eases. He checks his temperature with the thermometer: 101.5. Better than last night, if he's remembering correctly, and not too bad in terms of how his fevers usually go. Still, he feels like he's been hit with a truck. It takes all of his strength to push himself up to his feet so he can go to the bathroom and clean up.
Using the bathroom and brushing his teeth is about all Toby has the energy to endure. He knows he should eat something, but he doesn't have it in him right now to prepare any food. Just as he resigns himself to crawling back into bed for a few more hours, he hears a familiar sound in the distance.
"hhhHITSCH’uuu…hhhETsschu…hhheh…hheh’ITsschu…"
Half-convinced this is some kind of fever dream, he tiptoes down the hall and peeks around the corner into the living room.
He blinks. No, he's not dreaming. Nat is definitely still here, sitting on his couch, sneezing his pretty head off.
"…hhITSCHhu…ITSCH’uu…ehHTSCHu…hhh’hHITSChhiew!" Nat sniffles, trying to compose himself. "Oh, Toby, g-goooohhhd morning," he manages, holding a finger under his nose presumably to stave off the next fit. "How're you feeling?"
Suddenly, Toby's throat has gone dry. He coughs, then swallows hard. "U-Um, better, I think. My fever's gone down, but, uh—"
“hhehh’ETSChiew!”
"—I-I'm surprised to see you…um…still here."
"Good to h-hear your…hoooold on…hhh'ISTchu! istchu! eeeEHTchiew!"
He pauses to bring a clearly spent tissue to his face, using it to pinch and rub at his itchy nose. "S-Sorry, I just…need to hiiihhh…g-get this…under…contro-oohh'hh’HITSCHuu-ishhu-ishhu-etschu-hhETSChiew…f-fuck—"
Nat devolves into a fit of rapid kittenish sneezes that leave him unable to do much else for a while. Toby's getting dizzy, and he's not sure if it's only because of his fever. Hesitantly, he makes his way to the couch and sits beside Nat, leaving as much space between them as possible so that Nat has no chance of hearing the way his heart is thundering in his chest. Aside from that, though, a worry starts to creep in. After what must have been 20 or so more sneezes, Nat finally seems to be done, and Toby speaks up again.
"B-Bless you…I didn't give you my cold, did I…?"
"Nah, don't worry," Nat sniffs. "This is pretty normal for me during allergy season."
Toby's eyes go wide. Did he hear that right? To witness this every morning in the springtime…no, wait, what is he thinking?
"Well, it is a little worse right now since I didn't take my morning meds. It's just…you seemed really out of it last night, and I didn't want to leave you alone, so…"
Nat's eyebrows draw in, a worried pout forming on his lips.
"Wait, you said your fever's gone down, but that means you still have a fever, doesn't it? Should you even be out of bed?" He perks up. "Oh, right! There's still more soup. Want some? Stay here and rest, I’ll heat it up for you."
Without waiting for an answer, Nat rushes over to the kitchen and prepares the food, sneezing intermittently all the while. Toby's head is full of static, his body warm, his chest heavy as guilt over keeping Nat from his obviously much-needed allergy medicine settles in. Conflicting feelings swirl around in his mind as he lets his eyes fall shut, leaning back to lay his head against the couch's armrest.
Just as he's starting to doze off, he's pulled back into the present by the sound of a loud sniffle nearby. He jolts awake to find Nat standing at his side, cradling a bowl of hot soup in his hands, his eyes red and puffy with a few allergic tears trickling down his face.
"Oh, Nat…" he can't help but whisper at the pitiful sight.
"I know, I know, but I'm fine, really," Nat insists, handing the bowl off to Toby. "Don't worry about me. Focus on getting yourself better, okay?"
Toby frowns, but he accepts the soup, appreciating the way it soothes his throat and fills his belly. Meanwhile, Nat goes off to the bathroom, and there's the sound of the tap turning on, then the splashing of water, followed by a quiet sniff and a congested sigh.
"Hey, Nat…" Toby starts when he returns to the living room. "I'll be okay now. Really. You can go back to your place if you need to."
Nat bites his lip. "Yeah…I think I'll head back in a little bit so I can take my meds and clean up." He shifts from foot to foot. "But, when I'm done, I was wondering…would it be okay if I came back to keep taking care of you?"
Toby blinks, his heartbeat speeding up again. "You…you really don't have to. I mean, you've already done so much for me, and I really appreciate it, but…"
Nat looks away, and Toby can't tell if it's allergies tinting his cheeks red or if he's actually blushing.
"It's not…I…" Nat clears his throat. "I know I don't have to. But I want to. Is…is that okay?"
"U-Umm…well…" Toby stutters, fidgeting with his thumbs, swallowing his instinct to immediately refuse. On one hand, he worries that he's already been too much of a burden. But on the other, he can't deny that being in Nat's presence makes him feel better.
Nat looks back at Toby. Their eyes meet, and Nat flashes him a shy smile. Toby takes a deep breath.
"If you really want to, I…I wouldn't mind."
Nat beams like a ray of sunshine. "Perfect! Just take it easy while I'm gone, okay?"
"Mmh. Yeah," Toby hums, trying to ignore the butterflies in his chest.
~~~
Everything is fuzzy.
Toby's body feels wrong, too hot, a sheen of sweat clinging to his clammy skin. The sensation of something touching his forehead breaks through the haze and sharpens his vision to a single person in front of him.
"Oh, Toby…" Nat whispers, concern heavy in his voice. "It feels like your fever's gone up again. I should have come back sooner…"
Toby groans a little when the hand leaves his forehead, and the action is followed by the sound of footsteps walking away. That was the second time Nat has touched him like that, and it felt heavenly. He aches for more, but his train of thought is interrupted by a coughing fit.
When he recovers, he shifts from his slumped-over position on the couch and notices that the living room is illuminated by artificial light now, sunlight no longer filtering in through the blinds. How long was he asleep here? He doesn't have too long to think about it before he's distracted by a tickle in his nose.
Nat turns the corner, holding some items including a bottle of pills and a glass of water in his hands that he must have retrieved from the bedroom. Shit, why now? Dread creeps in at the anticipation of having to sneeze in front of Nat again, but he doesn't have much of a choice. So, he smothers his face in his hands.
"hh’ngxch…nggxcch'k…ngXCHhh’hht…nggXCHH’hhhnnn…"
On the tail of the last stifle, he lets out an involuntary whine as pain flares behind his eyes.
"You really shouldn't hold them in like that," Nat gently scolds as he places the arsenal of cold supplies on the coffee table. "You're just gonna hurt yourself."
Toby can feel his face burning. The only thing worse than sneezing in front of others is talking about sneezing in front of others. He wishes the floor would swallow him up.
"Mmm…'ts embarrassing," he mumbles from behind his hands.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Nat says, pouring a couple pills out of the bottle and into his hand. "Besides, if I were to judge anyone for sneezing, I would be the most hypocritical person in the world. So you really don't have to worry about that around me."
Toby feels like he has no choice now but to heed Nat's advice, and his body quickly gives him an opportunity.
"hh'hhmpSSschh'uh'hhh…"
"That's better. Now here, have some fever reducers. I assume you didn't take any while I was gone?"
Toby shakes his head, his hands still covering his face. He sniffles, wincing at how audibly liquidy it sounds.
"Oh, right, tissues first would probably be good. Tissues, tissues…" Nat mumbles before locating the box and handing it to Toby.
With how full his nose is, he really has no choice but to blow. Bashfully, he turns away to clear his sinuses, having to do so in between sets of coughs. The process takes a mortifying number of tissues to complete, but when he's done, Nat is just standing there patiently, waiting expectantly without a hint of judgment. Wordlessly, Toby takes the pills and downs them with the glass of water.
"Sorry I took so long to come back," Nat says once Toby's done, looking guilty. "I figured you were tired of canned chicken noodle, so I went out and got you something good. Just a sec!"
Nat disappears again for a few seconds before returning with a paper bag and a drink carrier.
"I stopped by that cafe we like," he explains, placing both items on the increasingly crowded coffee table and pulling a container of food out of the bag. "Here - chicken and wild rice soup! I thought it would be a nice change of pace. Also," he slides a cup over to Toby, "A hot tea with honey and lemon for you. And a coffee for me so I don't fall asleep after taking an extra dose of allergy meds."
Toby stares at the food and drink, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Nat's continued generosity. A lump forms in his throat, but he swallows it down, not wanting a repeat of yesterday.
"This is really…really nice of you. Thank you," Toby manages, hoping the wavering in his voice isn't too noticeable.
"It's really no problem," Nat responds in a softer voice before sitting next to Toby on the couch.
"Are you sure you should be sitting so close to me? I don't want to get you sick…"
"My immune system is pretty good. At least when it comes to colds. Allergens, not so much, obviously." Nat grabs the remote and turns on the TV. "Anything in particular you like to watch when you're sick?"
"Hmmm…" Toby thinks as he takes a sip of tea. "It might be a little weird, but sometimes I like to look up recordings of concerts I've been to. Remembering how I felt when I was there cheers me up."
Nat smiles. "You really love music, don't you?"
"I-I guess so," Toby stutters, blushing. "But, besides that…maybe something like a nature documentary? They're usually pretty relaxing."
Nat nods, clicking through the options in the documentary category. "Aww, here's one about cats…I wish I could have a cat…"
Toby tilts his head. "Let me guess…?"
"Yeah, I'm allergic…of course," Nat sighs, looking genuinely upset. "Cats are soooo cute, though…Toby, you should get a cat so I can come play with it."
Toby's heart skips a beat as he considers it for a moment. He didn't grow up with pets, but he had been thinking about adopting a cat ever since getting his own place. With Nat in the picture now, though, that presents a problem.
"Wouldn't you be suffering every time you came to visit, then…?"
"I could double up on my meds and wear a mask or something…nah, yeah, you're probably right." Nat sighs again before finally landing on a documentary about the ocean.
Toby's attention returns to his soup, which he takes a few bites of. It's good, but he's not very hungry. He usually doesn't have much of an appetite when he's sick. He manages a few bites, if only to appease Nat.
With soothing underwater imagery and a deep voice talking about perfectly boring fish biology, Toby's eyelids begin to feel heavy. His head starts to drop, but he catches himself before it lands squarely on Nat's shoulder, jerking back to an upright position.
"You can go back to sleep if you're tired," Nat assures him.
Toby pouts. "Don't wanna."
"Why not?" Nat scoffs. "You're sick, you need a lot of rest. There's nothing wrong with that."
Toby blinks slowly. "Wanna spend time…with you…"
Nat giggles softly with a hint of fondness. "I'm not going anywhere."
Despite his best efforts, Toby can't fight the heaviness in his eyelids for much longer.
~~~
Before he opens his eyes again, he feels the surface under his head shake.
"hhh’hngtch'iew…!"
Slowly, he lifts his eyelids, keeping still for a moment as he adjusts to his surroundings. Another shake.
"ngTCHiew'ah'hh…hhih…hhih’ng’TSCHhiew!"
That's when Toby realizes the surface underneath his head isn't the couch or a pillow. It's Nat's shoulder.
He jerks his body away with a start, nearly tumbling over in the process. The shock makes him gasp, which triggers yet another coughing fit.
"Ahh, Toby, are you okay? Sorry, I was trying r-really hard not to waaahhhhke you up, but I c-couldn't help…h-hold on…hhh’itsch’itschu-hhh-hhh’hHITSChiew!" Nat sniffles. "Oh my god, I'm so tired of sneezing. How am I sneezing way more than the sick person here?" he says with a dry laugh before grabbing a tissue to blow his nose.
"I-It's okay," Toby mumbles, his heart in his throat and concern churning in his gut. "You sure you're not getting sick, though…?"
"I don't think so." Nat pauses, seemingly taking an internal assessment. "Well, maybe, but even if—"
Before he can finish, Toby reaches over to feel Nat's forehead. It doesn't feel warm, but maybe due to his own fever, he isn't the best judge.
"I'm fine," Nat insists. "Like I was saying, even if I do catch your cold, it's pretty rare for me to get a fever. Colds don't hit me as hard as they seem to hit you. Is that…" He hesitates. "Is that, like, something to do with your asthma? If you don't mind me asking."
Toby looks down and clears his throat. "Yeah, I do tend to get sick more often. I get worse respiratory symptoms, too, because of it. It's always been like this…you probably noticed how I would miss school a lot." He pauses, shying away. "I-I mean, maybe you didn't notice, I don't want to assume you paid much attention to me or anything…"
"I did notice you," Nat answers immediately, and Toby's gaze floats back over to him. Is Nat blushing for real this time?
"And…I always thought you were pretty cute."
Toby's mouth drops open, stunned speechless, and Nat laughs softly.
"Remember that time I walked in on you practicing alone in the music room?" he says with a smirk. "I was grabbing the sweater I forgot in choir class, and there you were, playing guitar and singing to yourself. Ever since then I thought you were pretty cool. And cute."
Toby could pinch himself right now, because he's wondering again if he's in a fever dream. Maybe this whole weekend has been a fever dream?
Nat leans in, smiling softly at Toby. "Hey, when we're both feeling better, I'd like to hear you play again. Maybe I can even sing along if you'll let me."
Toby takes a moment to remember how to form words. "U-Uh, yeah, I guess we could. I'd, um, like to hear you sing again. Though really, I'm not anything special…"
Nat sighs, shaking his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You're really talented! And I mean it. I'm not just being nice, you sounded really good when you played for me the other day. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that song."
Toby feels his lungs seize up, and he's unable to tear his gaze away from Nat. There's a glimmer in his eyes.
"I think you're really special, Toby."
He opens his mouth, not even sure what to say. What can he say to that, anyway? All that comes out is a few pathetic stuttering noises, to which Nat just laughs again, grinning from ear to pink-tinted ear. Yeah, he's definitely blushing now.
"A-Anyway, I think another boring nature documentary is in order, yeah?" Nat hurries, his earlier boldness replaced with an uncharacteristically bashful tone. He slides Toby the TV remote. "Go ahead and pick something out, I’ll heat your leftovers back up."
With that, Nat vanishes, and Toby's left alone in a whirlwind of emotion. He knows Nat will be back soon, though. And that's enough to let himself relax, if only for tonight. He'll have to try and make sense of everything once he gets better.
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Part 3 summary: Nat visits Toby's place for dinner. Fluff and snz ensues.
Words: 2,739
A couple of days have passed since they met up for coffee, and Nat is already making good on his promise to show Toby around the city. They’ve made plans to go out for dinner at one of Nat’s favorite restaurants on Friday evening. The problem is, it’s only Tuesday afternoon, and Friday feels like it’s ages away.
Slumped over in his cubicle, Toby pokes half-heartedly at the salad he packed for lunch and lets out a long sigh. All he has to do is survive three and a half more boring days of work before he gets to do something fun…
Then, his phone lights up with a message. Or, more accurately, several messages.
Nat: heyy toby
Nat: I know we have plans on friday but tbh i really wanna see you sooner
Nat: can i come over after work today?
Nat: i’ll bring takeout!
Nat: besides i owe you for coffee
Nat: which i totally just realized you paid for lol oops
Toby huffs out a quiet laugh, doing his best to keep his voice down in the office. As is typical for Nat, he can’t seem to put all his thoughts into a single message, and they instead come through as a flurry of disjointed texts.
Still, Toby’s heart flutters nervously at the idea of Nat coming over with such little time to prepare. His apartment is nowhere near guest-ready, and honestly, he hasn’t had a single visitor since moving in. He’s not even sure he knows how to be a good host.
But…he really wants to see Nat, too.
He realizes that he’s left Nat on read for longer than he meant to when another set of messages come through.
Nat: no pressure though!
Nat: just thought i’d ask since you live so close anyway
Nat: either way, i’m looking forward to friday :)
Toby smiles to himself. He should probably answer him now, before Nat starts backtracking even further and he misses the opportunity.
Toby: okay!|
…too bland. Backspace…
Toby: sure, we can do that|
…so unenthusiastic. Backspace again…
Toby: yeah, that sounds like fun! work has been super boring today so i could use something to look forward to, and i didn’t know what to make for dinner anyw|
…now he’s rambling. Reign it in, Toby…
Toby: yeah, that sounds like fun! i’ll send you my address. and don’t worry about the coffee
And send. He only gets a chance to take a couple more bites of his salad before his phone lights up again.
Nat: yay!! i’m excited to see your place
Nat: and you
Nat: how does chinese takeout sound?
Beaming, he puts down his fork to type out his response.
Toby: perfect!
***
When he finally gets home that evening, Toby immediately flops onto the couch. Riding the metro during peak rush hour, even if his commute isn’t too long, is always draining. Normally, he’d use this time to revel in his solitude after being surrounded by people all day long. But tonight, he can’t let himself relax. Tonight, he’s expecting a special guest.
A glance around the apartment sends a twinge of dread through him. Without roommates or regular visitors to keep him accountable, he’s gotten a bit sloppy with how often he cleans. If he’s going to be a decent host, especially to a guy he’s maybe totally crushing on, he should probably make an effort to tidy up.
He checks his phone. 6:15.
Nat said he’d be here around 7…which gives him 45 minutes to make this place presentable. With a deep breath, he pushes himself off the couch, changes into something more comfortable, and gets to work.
A bit of effort later and the couch cushions are straightened, the throw blanket is neatly folded, the coffee table is cleared (aside from a box of tissues - just in case), and the TV stand is…well, bare enough to reveal the thick layer of dust coating it. Toby winces. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t dusted it once since moving in.
He manages to find a duster and gets to work on the TV stand, then the TV itself, then the bookshelf nearby that was also looking neglected. One of the only things that isn’t dusty is his acoustic guitar, propped up on its stand in the corner of the room, as it actually gets frequent use. Pretty soon, the entire living room is filled with floating particles of dust. A tickle creeps into his nose, bringing his task to an abrupt halt.
“...ihh…ihhHH?...hhheh…”
Toby rubs at the underside of his nostrils with his finger, but the itch doesn’t subside. If he was in public, he’d do whatever it takes to hold back. Something about his…interest in sneezing makes it feel weirdly intimate and embarrassing to sneeze in front of others. Plus, his unrestrained sneezes tend to be pretty loud. But since he’s all alone for now, he allows himself to let it out. His body forces in a deep inhale.
“...hhhhiiiihHH’ISSH’uhh…”
The dust must have really worked its way in because his body isn’t satisfied with just one. Another forceful inhale, more desperate this time, precedes the next set.
“iiihHH’IESSH’uh…hihh-iTCHHhuhh…ISCSCH’huh…”
His body trembles with each release, that last one tearing out of him especially harshly, causing him to cough and his lungs to tighten up. Ah, shit.
He sits down for a moment and then takes a few test breaths. Okay, it’s not that bad. Not enough to need his inhaler or anything.
He opens up the window, hoping that the breeze will help blow away any remaining dust particles floating around. If it’s bothering Toby this much, he can only imagine what Nat’s reaction might be. At least, if he were to venture a guess, Nat is probably sensitive to dust, too. Though, he can’t deny that Nat’s potential reaction is something he’d enjoy witnessing…
But more than anything, he wants to be a good host and make him comfortable, so he puts that fantasy away for now.
It isn’t much longer before he hears a knock at the door. When Toby opens it, Nat is standing there in the doorway, a large plastic bag stuffed with takeout containers in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other.
“I come bearing gifts,” he announces in a mock-serious tone. The delivery earns a small giggle from Toby before Nat breaks character. “Thanks for having me over!”
“Of course,” Toby replies softly, his eyes lingering on the overstuffed bag. “That…looks like a lot of food. You really didn’t have to get all that for me…”
“Don’t worry about it! I got you the sesame chicken like you asked.” Nat lifts the bag proudly. “But, I mean, it’s not a proper Chinese takeout meal without crab rangoons and egg rolls and…uh, whatever else I ordered. Honestly, I forget. But we’ll find out soon. It’s like a surprise gift from past-me. We can share!”
“O-okay,” Toby says with another shy giggle. He steps back, opening the door wider. “Anyway, um, come on in…!”
“Nice place you’ve got here. Looks cozy,” Nat says as he heads straight for the coffee table to unload the food and beer. But before he settles onto the couch, something else catches his eye.
“Oh, is that your old guitar from high school?” he asks excitedly. “Do you still play?”
Toby takes a shy glance over at the instrument, remembering the days when he would carry it around school for guitar class. “Ah, yeah, sometimes…”
Instantly, Nat’s eyes light up. “Ooh, I love that! Could you play me something?”
“W-what?” Toby stiffens. “Um, I-I dunno…I’m not that good…”
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Nat flashes a cheeky grin.
Toby shifts awkwardly. “Uh, w-well…” His gaze shifts to the table. “Maybe after a drink I’ll be feeling braver…”
“Oh! Right! Sorry, don’t let me keep you from having dinner! You’re probably hungry. I know I am,” Nat rambles as he hurries to unbox the food.
They put a show on the TV and waste no time digging in as they watch. The episode is frequently interrupted by Nat’s commentary, but Toby doesn’t mind at all - if anything, he finds it endearing. Besides, he’s far more preoccupied with trying to keep his cool while they’re sitting barely a foot apart on his tiny couch.
The scene is reminiscent of a time that feels simultaneously like a lifetime ago and just yesterday: the two of them sitting side by side in the school library as Nat helped Toby work through another algebra problem, Toby thoroughly distracted by how close their faces got whenever Nat would lean in to write something down, close enough to feel his breath on his cheek as he explained the answers, how impossible it was to focus on numbers when Nat was right there and oh god his feelings haven’t changed at all, have they-
“...what’s that actor’s name again? He’s also in that movie about th-the-hhehhh…”
Nat drops his chopsticks onto his plate and turns to the side.
He pauses for a moment with one hand hovering over his face, sniffling a bit, and Toby wonders if there’s more coming. Instead, his eyes lock on to the fresh box of tissues that Toby had left readily accessible on the coffee table.
“I see you were thinking of me,” he jokes before taking a tissue.
Toby freezes up. Um, did Nat just imply Toby’s been thinking about him sneezing? Is it that obvious? Wait, that’s normal though, right? To have tissues ready for a friend who has allergies? That’s just being thoughtful…right?
“...you okay?” Nat asks.
Oh no, was he making a face? “Hm? Y-yeah, fine,” Toby stutters.
“Good,” Nat says, and thankfully drops the subject.
They make it through another episode as they finish their food and a beer each. When the credits roll and their plates are cleared, Nat shoots Toby a glance.
“Soooo…” he starts, fidgeting with his empty bottle. “How about that guitar? Feeling brave enough yet?”
Toby’s face heats up, averting his gaze. “M-maybe…I just get really nervous playing in front of people. And like I said, I’m not that good.”
“Pleeease?” Toby risks a glance to find him staring with big pleading puppy-like eyes that are hard to refuse. “It’s been so long since I heard you play…”
Toby recalls a time when Nat stumbled upon him practicing in the music room after class one day. It was mortifying at the time, but he has improved since then. Maybe, by comparison, he’ll sound good now?
“...okay,” Toby concedes, and Nat immediately perks up in delight. “On one condition.”
“Go on…”
“You can’t stare at me while I’m playing. Just, like…look away or something.”
Nat chuckles. “Sure, whatever makes you comfortable.”
Toby nods, downs the last sip of his beer, and retrieves his guitar from the corner of the living room. True to his word, Nat turns around on the couch so that his back is facing him.
With a deep breath, Toby positions his fingers on the frets and begins to play an original song he’s been working on.
The first few measures are awkward. Even with Nat turned away, he’s still feeling a bit of stage fright. His strumming feels uneven and his tempo is off, though maybe that’s just his own overly critical ear, because a moment later Nat starts swaying from side to side, clearly enjoying it.
The sight sparks a small bloom of confidence in Toby’s chest. Gradually, the tension in his arms dissipates and he falls into rhythm. Soon, he’s fully in the zone as he transitions to the next section of the song. To his own surprise, he even starts humming the melody of the chorus, or what would be the chorus if the song had lyrics yet, which it doesn’t. Those are still half-written in a notebook sitting on his desk.
By the time the song reaches the end, he’s so absorbed that he almost forgets Nat is even there. He strums the final chord, sitting in quiet for a few moments before reality sets back in.
“Ah, that’s all I have for now…”
Nat doesn’t respond right away. He doesn’t move, either, making Toby uneasy.
“H-hopefully that was okay…?”
Finally, Nat turns a little, just enough so that Toby can see his face, and oh, he gets it now.
“S-sorry I…I was trying really hard n-not to…to…hheh…hheh’eeh’ETSChhuu…hiih’HITSchu’tschu’itschiew…hhiiih’ITschu…hhh’ETSCHiew!”
Toby falters, feeling a little out of breath. “Um, b-bless you. Are you okay…?”
“Yeah just my…hhh’ETSsshu...stupid…hh’ETCHiew...allergies.”
Toby feels a pang of guilt. Maybe something in his apartment is setting him off? He’s not the type to leave candles or air fresheners out, so it can’t be that. Could it be some leftover dust floating around from his cleaning earlier? Or- oh, shit-
“The--hhh’ESsshieww’window,” Nat manages between sneezes. “C-can you close it…?”
The window. He hadn’t even considered that leaving it open would invite all kinds of pollen from outside to blow right in. Quickly, he places his guitar down and shuts the window.
When he returns to the couch, he finds Nat with his nose buried in a handful of tissues in the midst of an itchy-sounding fit.
He continues on like this for another minute until eventually, the sneezes taper off, and he sinks back into the couch with an exhausted sigh.
“I-I’m sorry,” Toby finally manages to squeak out. “About the window…”
“Ndo, no, idt’s okay,” Nat says with a sniffle to clear his congestion. “My allergy meds are probably starting to wear off, too, so that’s also partially to blame.”
Toby frowns. “You should probably get back home, then, huh?”
Nat’s expression wavers. “Oh…yeah. I guess. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be all sneezy and gross around you again. You’re probably getting a little sick of it. And honestly, I can’t blame you.”
“N-no…!” Toby exclaims, leaning in. “It’s not that. It’s just…because the window was open, this place is probably covered in pollen now, a-and if you need to take more medicine, you should go do that. I just don’t want you feeling bad if you can help it.”
At that, the corner of Nat’s lips turn slightly upwards. “You really are sweet.”
Toby looks away, hoping to hide the blush creeping across his cheeks. “H-huh--what--I--um,” he stammers, failing to string a coherent set of words together, which elicits an amused giggle from Nat.
“You’re right, though, I should probably get going…” Nat starts to stand up, but pauses mid-motion, his face lighting up.
“Oh, but first! Your guitar playing was really good! Like, really really good! Whatever that song was, it was so soothing. It had this nostalgic feel to it…almost like a lullaby? Like when you listen to it, all your troubles just float away.”
Okay. Nat is absolutely trying to kill him. In several different ways. Consider Toby completely and utterly destroyed. It takes him a moment to remember how to form words after that.
“A-ah, um, thanks…it’s…I wrote it myself. Or, I’m writing it. Still a work in progress since, y’know…there aren’t any lyrics yet.”
Nat’s eyes go wide.
“Wait, really? You write your own songs? That’s so cool!”
Toby’s pretty sure his face must be bright red at this point. ‘Cool’ is the last word he’d use to describe himself or anything he does, but it seems so genuine coming from Nat that he can’t help but believe it a little bit.
“I definitely wanna hear more…but,” he pauses to sniff and rub at his nose. “I guess that’ll have to wait ‘til next time.”
Still reeling from the events prior, Toby nods shyly before they both start to make their way to the front door.
“Thanks for letting me come visit,” Nat says once he’s stepped into the hall.
He lingers for a moment, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor with an expression that almost looks…bashful? It’s an unfamiliar look for someone typically so confident, and one that takes Toby by surprise.
“It’s been really nice to get to hang out with you again. Like, not just today, but in general.”
Toby feels his pulse quicken.
“Y-yeah, of course.”
He takes in a breath.
“See you Friday…?”
Nat’s face breaks into a wide grin. “Can’t wait.”
And with that, he heads out, leaving Toby in a bit of a daze. Friday suddenly feels a lot closer.
i’m back with my boys Nat & Toby from the one-shot I posted earlier this month! this will be the story of how they meet (well, meet again - you’ll see) and get together. it takes place in the spring before the hayride story.
Link to all parts: Reunited
Story summary: Shortly after moving out of the suburbs and into the city, Toby, a socially anxious guy with a thing for sneezes, has a chance encounter at a concert with a friendly, sneezy stranger who ends up not being a stranger at all. The two end up growing closer after their unexpected reunion.
Words: 2,144
A crowded bar isn’t usually where Toby spends his Friday nights. To the contrary, his ideal evening involves staying in his apartment with a comfy, warm beverage, rain gently pattering against the window as he idly strums melodies on his guitar.
But tonight is different.
Tonight, he finds himself inside one of the many small music venues that line the streets of the city he calls home, trying to catch the attention of the bartender. When he finally does, he awkwardly stutters his way through an order. He doesn’t really drink much, and what he ends up with is something vaguely fruity, overpriced, and by the taste of it, disappointingly low in alcohol content.
As much as he enjoys his solitude, city life has left him lonelier than anticipated ever since moving here a few months ago. He quickly learned that living in close proximity to other people does not automatically make them your friends, and meeting people actually requires effort.
So, earlier that night, he’d gathered up the willpower to check out a showcase of local musicians in hopes that he’d meet people with similar interests. Now that he’s here, though, he’s just standing in the corner, taking small sips of his drink while sheepishly eyeing groups of people that all seem to know each other already. It’s a scene that reminds him of his high school days, a thought that makes him uneasy.
The first act takes the stage and Toby lingers at the back of the crowd, slightly swaying from side to side as the band plays. At some point he closes his eyes and goes to his happy place - alone in his room, daydreaming to music without having to worry about being perceived by other people.
Then he remembers that’s the exact thing he was trying not to do when he forced himself out of his apartment that evening. He glances around, seeing couples and groups of friends chatting and dancing together, and feels a familiar tug of loneliness.
Toby has always struggled to make friends, and it’s been no different since moving out of the suburbs. He hasn’t really connected with anyone at the boring corporate desk job he moved to the city for in the first place, and the few friends he actually kept up with from high school and college had all moved out of the area.
He really should try talking to someone. He already has something in common with everyone here. Striking up a conversation should be easy, in theory.
Socially anxious as he is, though, he ends up keeping to himself. Soon enough, the first band has played their last song and Toby has finished his drink.
With a deep breath, he finally manages to summon the courage to at least say hi to the people next to him. But as soon as he opens his mouth, they turn away and start laughing about something with someone else.
Toby sighs. This is how it always goes. Dejected, he leaves to throw away his cup and goes to the bathroom. After washing his hands, he looks in the mirror, pushing his overgrown dark bangs out of his face and staring into the tired brown eyes hidden underneath.
With another sigh, he wonders if he should just give up. The crowd is starting to make him feel more self-conscious, anyway, his anxiety creeping in like an unwelcome guest.
As he’s leaving the bathroom, the temptation to just keep walking out the door and go home where he can be alone is hard to resist. Just as he’s heading for the exit, a taller figure bumps into him, drink sloshing in his hand.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
Toby fixes his gaze upwards toward the stranger. Well, no, he’s not a stranger at all.
To his complete shock, standing before him is a very familiar tall, slim boy - no, a man now, with deep blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that reaches his shoulders. He’s wearing a band tee over a striped long-sleeve shirt and black cargo pants, and his arms are adorned with colorful handmade beaded bracelets. He’s still got that quirky fashion sense Toby remembers from back in high school.
Because of course, of all the people in the world, he’s managed to run into his old high school crush.
“Nat?” The name escapes his lips before he can think through a socially appropriate response.
“...Toby?” Nat responds, looking equally bewildered at first, but his expression quickly softens. “Oh my god, it is you! It's been years! How’ve you been?”
It really has been years. They hadn’t kept in touch after Nat graduated a year ahead of Toby and went off to college. Toby is honestly surprised Nat even remembers him, as he spent most of his high school days trying to attract as little attention as possible. Quite the opposite to Nat, with his outgoing personality and disregard for fitting in that Toby always admired.
The two had been friendly, but weren’t quite close friends; most of their encounters were during peer tutoring when Nat, a top student, would help Toby with math, which was always his worst subject. Through those tutoring sessions Toby had developed a little crush on the upperclassman, though he’d never dare tell anybody.
“Ah, yeah, I guess it has been a while, huh?” Toby mumbles back. “I’m, uh, I’ve been…good.”
Nat flashes a smile that seems to brighten up the room, and Toby’s heart skips a beat, unearthing feelings that Toby had buried years ago.
“Time flies, doesn’t it? What are you doing here tonight - did you come up to the city for this? Or maybe…are you here with someone?”
“N-No, no, it’s just me…” he feels a little pathetic at the admission. “And, um, I actually live here now…my new apartment’s not too far.”
“Wait, really? Me too! Small world, huh?”
“Yeah, haha…”
There’s a lull in the conversation that Toby knows a more socially skilled person would fill - maybe by asking the other person something about themselves, or by sharing more personal details - but none of that comes to mind, so Toby just stares awkwardly while shifting from one foot to another.
“A-Anyway, I don’t wanna keep you if you’re here with friends or something,” he stutters out nervously, for some reason trying to end the conversation after coming here to socialize in the first place. Typical. Why is he like this?
Luckily, Nat seems undeterred.
“Actually, the friends I came here with tonight are performing. They’re in the band that’s up next! So I’m just waiting around for them to start.” Nat blinks. “Oh, I mean, you don’t have to stick around if y- heh- if you-”
His friendly expression drops, replaced by one of anticipation. His brows furrow and he opens his mouth slightly as he rubs at the underside of his nose with the hand not currently holding a drink.
“Sorry, I meant to say if heehh…”
Quickly, he turns away from Toby and buries his face into his shoulder.
“hhhe’ETCHu…hhh’itschu…hheh…hh’ETCHiew…ah, ‘scuse me! As you can tell, my nose is still overreactive as ever, haha.”
Toby feels his cheeks heat up.
For as long as he can remember, he’s had an unusual affinity for sneezing. Something about watching someone fight against their body - the vulnerability, the loss of control - he finds incredibly attractive. Nat’s sneezes, too, he finds particularly appealing. They’re breathy, itchy-sounding, a little wet but not to a gross degree, and not too loud or vocal aside from occasionally being punctuated by an adorable little “chiew” at the end. Not to mention them coming in multiples.
He’s perfect, really. That little show was enough to make it worth leaving his apartment today.
Fuck. He’s staring. Toby nods and looks away, too shy to even mutter a ‘bless you.’
“What I was trying to say was, I won’t keep you hostage,” Nat says with a lighthearted tone.
“I-It’s fine! I’m not, uhm, being kept hostage or anything.” Toby takes a deep breath, meeting Nat’s eyes. “It’s…nice to catch up.”
Nat responds with an adorably toothy grin. “Good! Because I was thinking the same. Want to come with me to find a good spot?”
“Oh, okay,” Toby manages before Nat is leading him through the crowd and toward the stage.
After some maneuvering, they claim a spot close to the front. Nat cheers for his friends as they take the stage, then falls in line with the crowd as everyone enjoys the show. They’re playing guitar-heavy rock music, which is right up Toby’s alley. With music to focus on, his anxiety quiets a little bit.
He can’t help but notice, though. Every few minutes, Nat brings a finger up to rub at his nose. There’s a sniffle here and there, and the occasional hitching breath. But it doesn’t progress to anything further. Yet.
A little while later and it’s time for the headline act. The crowd surges forward, pushing everyone closer together. People are jumping, cheering, dancing. Toby finally allows himself to let loose and have fun.
However, those hitching breaths beside him, practically right in his ear with how close they’ve drifted together, are very distracting.
They’re several songs in by now and Nat’s pinching his nose between his fingers. Toby notices this because he’s been watching him out of the corner of his eye, of course.
Another song in and Nat turns around, pushing his way back through the crowd with some urgency, leaving Toby on his own.
Fueled by curiosity and concern, Toby follows him.
And then he hears him before he sees him.
“hhhHITSCH’uuu…hhhETschu…hhiiih’ITschu…”
Following the sound, he slips out the front door. There, he finds Nat standing outside the venue, pitching forward helplessly into cupped hands over and over.
“hhITSCHhu…ITSCH’uu…ehHTSCHu…hhh’hHITSChhiew…”
Toby’s heart jumps into his throat as he watches. Well, really, he shouldn’t just be standing here staring, that’s a weird thing to do, right? What would a normal person do, offer a tissue or something?
A pang of worry hits him. Something’s really setting him off, it seems. Hopefully Nat’s not feeling sick. When there’s a pause, Toby clears his throat.
“U-Um, y-you okay?”
Nat jumps a little, obviously not expecting the company. He looks over at Toby with bleary eyes, his hands still hovering in front of his face.
“Toby…?”
Toby blinks. “S-Sorry, I just…I saw you run out and I was just a little, um, worried I guess…I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Silence. Oh no. Toby is definitely acting weird, and Nat is probably wondering what’s wrong with him-
No, wait, he’s just-
“…hhhhh’ETSCHiiiewww…*sniff*...You wouldn’t happen to have a…”
“Tissue?” Toby perks up, fervently digging through his pockets. “I do, actually. Here.”
Looking uncharacteristically bashful, Nat carefully lowers a hand to take it and cleans himself up. After a few nose blows, he speaks up.
“Sorry you had to witness that…you didn’t have to follow me out here,” he says with a nervous laugh. “Ugh, the person next to us had this perfume that was so strong, it was making my nose itch like crazy. I didn’t want to just sneeze all over everybody, but I couldn’t hold them back any longer…”
Toby will never understand how people without his…proclivities can just say things like that like it’s nothing. He’s relieved to hear Nat’s not feeling sick, at least.
“It’s okay,” Toby says when he finally pulls himself together. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Nat smiles. “That’s very sweet of you.”
The distant sound of music stops and cheers from the crowd echo out from inside the venue.
“I think that might have been their last song,” Nat says. “I guess I might as well just head out, huh?”
“Oh, um, I guess so…”
“Well, it was really nice to catch up with you! I’ll see you around, yeah?”
“Y-Yeah…”
With a sniffle and a little wave, Nat turns and starts walking away.
Toby opens his mouth to speak. Any socially skilled person, after miraculously reconnecting with their still totally cute high school crush, would take this golden opportunity to ask for their number.
But he seemed like he was in a hurry to go. Maybe he was embarrassed? Or, did he get weird vibes from Toby and just wanted out of there? If Toby asked for his number, would it put him in an awkward position where he felt pressured to give it to him, and he wouldn’t actually be giving it out because he wanted to, so any conversation that happened afterwards would just be out of obligation-
“Wait! I almost forgot!”
The voice jolts Toby out of his spiral, and he looks up to see Nat in front of him. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps on the screen, his thumbs at the ready to type.
