The Painful Beauty Of Spring

Part 9

Note: SFF is back, but I'll continue posting everything here too. Back to part 9!

I was so close to drifting off to sleep when I suddenly sat up, held the handkerchief beneath my nose, and succumbed to a violent, half-suppressed sneezing fit. "Bless you, sneezy sleepy head," I heard Josh say as my nose calmed down and I yawned. I turned and noticed him sitting in the chair off to the side. When did he come back in here?
"Thanks," I said awkwardly, rolling my eyes slightly at the name he'd given me and wiping my nose gently.
"John's taken over cooking the food. I came in here a bit ago to check on you as you slept," he continued as if reading my foggy, exhausted, unfocused mind.
"What is h-he—hih, ih, hih—?" I attempted a question, my breath continuing to hitch as my nose already began itching again. I cupped the handkerchief around my nose. "Hihs'shiew! Hih, hiht'chiew!" I pitched forward from the sneezes and rubbed my irritated nose. "Excuse m-me. Huh, haht'tssch!" I swiftly pressed my fist to my nose, trying with little success to quash the tickle. It subsided at first, but when I set my hand down, it reappeared with full strength, catching me off-guard. Quickly, I went to grasp my nose, but the itch was too sudden and overwhelming.
"Hihs'shh! Hih, hiht'schh! Ih'shiew!" I doubled over violently with the sneezes and aimed them at the ground and to the side. I then brought my hand up and pinched my nose tightly, apologizing nasally as I held the handkerchief in my other hand. I then cupped the hanky in both my hands and blew my nose forcefully. When I was done, I felt relieved to be able to breathe through my nose again, as the allergens and sneezing had blocked it up pretty badly. However, I knew this wasn't going to last much longer, so I'd better savor the moment.
"Bless you," Josh repeated, standing up and walking over to the couch. I adjusted my position to let him settle down with me. "Apparently your nose refuses to let you sleep. Bad nose!" he added, poking the tip of my nose and pushing it up a little with his finger. Instantly, a slight prickle reappeared in my sinuses, and my nostrils gave a subtle twitch.
"I keep sneezing before I fall asleep," I said while rubbing the bridge of my nose with the second joint of my index finger. I sniffed and looked at Josh, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the familiar tickle slowly building in my nose. Within moments, my nose turned pink and crinkled with irritation, so I cupped the handkerchief around my nostrils, observing Josh through my partially-closed eyelids.
"Is your adorable nose itchy and ticklish again?" Josh asked sympathetically. I opened my eyes as much as I could and cocked my head to the side at the question but nodded, keeping the handkerchief around my nose.
My eyes closed as my breath began to hitch, and I could feel Josh watching me carefully. "Hih, hih'xt'shh!" I sneezed into the handkerchief with an accidental part-stifle. I quickly forced my eyes open as I built up for another sneeze and saw Josh shaking his head until my eyes shut again. "Hih, iht'shiew!" I sneezed regularly and sniffed. I wiped my runny nose with the handkerchief and sneezed once more when I went to blow my nose. My eyes watered as well, and I sniffed again and cupped the hanky around my nose, this time blowing my nose successfully. I turned and glanced at Josh, feeling my cheeks flush a little.
"What's up?" He asked casually, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Do you really think my nose is adorable?" I asked in a shy, embarrassed tone with the handkerchief beneath my nose.
"Yes," Josh replied with a smile. "Yes, Jess, I really do." I rubbed my nose and returned a half-smile but was interrupted when I sneezed strongly and confidently. "Bless you with your wonderful sneezes," Josh said, kissing the bridge of my nose.
"Hyit'schiew!" The slight touch of his lips on my nose made me sneeze as usual, and I sniffled gently and looked back at him after. He blessed me again, and I looked up at him and smiled, despite the tickle which was still existent in my nose. "Hih, iht'chiew!" I turned and sneezed delicately into my fist, itching my nose afterward with my finger before turning back. I looked around the room and wondered if I should stand up. "And John?" I asked.
"What about—Oh, wait," Josh suddenly got up off the couch. "Let me go check on him." He set off to the other room, and I waited patiently for him to come back as I felt my nose continue to itch. When he reappeared, he sat down with me again.
I settled back down with Josh, setting my cheek on his chest and curling up almost in a ball on the couch. He placed his hand on my head.
"What's John d-do—" I paused, my sinuses burning with the need to sneeze. Quickly, I cupped my hands around my nose. "Hiht'chiew!" I sneezed into my hands and shook my head in annoyance. "What's John doing?" I continued, my throat aching.
"Bless you, sweetheart," Josh said calmly. "John is—" before he could finish, Josh stopped speaking, and I could see John appear in the room.
"Hey Jess," he said casually with a smile and strolled across the room. "I'd recommend you cover your nose," he added, holding a feather duster in his right hand. "Dusty the duster is coming through!" He began dusting the room from top to bottom, and I could see each little particle of dust as he cleaned. I cupped my hands around my nose and tried not to breathe in, knowing the dust would make me sneezier, but I couldn't help it any longer. Eventually, I had to breathe a shaky breath.
"Hah, hahg'chiew!" I sneezed into the crook of my elbow almost instantly, sniffling afterward and rubbing my itchy, runny nose as John blessed me. I continued to watch him for a few seconds until my nose twitched once more. "Hiht'shiew!" I doubled over on the couch with another sneeze and scratched my irritated nose, receiving another blessing from both John and Josh. "Thank you," I said in an extremely congested tone. I could now feel my dust allergies causing post nasal drip and affecting my throat much more than before, and it was starting to be a true annoyance. Sniffling again had me involuntarily coughing a little harshly a few times into my fist, and I decided now I needed someone to lend me a hand...