Nothing To See Here

their partner always says a sweet “bless you~” and gives them a little kiss to their cheek, their forehead, the tip of their nose, the nape of their neck, wherever is in reach in the moment

their partner is always endeared to their sneezes, and at first they thought it was kind of embarrassing, but over time it became a thing in their relationship, and they started automatically associating sneezes with affection

getting praise for their sneezes. “aw, that one was cute” / “that was a nice one” / “you’re so perfect”

and eventually, they start seeking praise after a sneeze. “how was that?” / “was that one good?” and yes, their partner always thinks every one is good

whenever they randomly sneeze they immediately glance at their partner for their reaction

and if their partner takes too long to react, they tease, “where’s my bless you?” / “where’s my kiss?”

whenever they sneeze when their partner isn’t around, it makes them think of their partner

occasionally they text their partner simply, “i just sneezed,” and they always get a “bless you sweetheart 💕” / “bless you cutie 🥰” / “bless you my love ❤️” in response

just the way sneezing was once a normal everyday thing that they never thought much about, but because of their doting partner it’s morphed into something fun and playful, something that makes them happy

waking up slowly to the sound of them muffling sneezes into the blankets. they’ve rolled away from you, stifling as quietly as possible and trying not to move too much so as not to wake you with their persistent fit even though you’ve assured them that this is your favorite thing to wake up to.

once you’re up, you reach for them to pull them closer, and as soon as they know you’re awake, they turn towards you, sniffling and whining, relieved that they don’t have to hold back these tickly sneezes anymore. they bury their twitching nose into your neck, clinging to you, asking if it’s okay if they sneeze on you, to which you say “of course, love.”

A always knows when to nod or hum their approval, occassionally chipping in or offering short contributions.

So when A has been silent for the past ten minutes, their gaze drifting away from B and their eyes falling into an unfocussed lul, B pauses their story and prompts, “Hello? Earth to [A]”

A’s attention snaps back to B for just a second before they bury their nose into the crook of their elbow, sneezing once, twice, three times before re-emerging. Whether they had been trying to hold back the sneeze or had been teased by the sensation, B isn’t entirely sure — either way, B had interupted their focus.

“Oh, bless you, bless you, bless you!”

When somebody leaves the room and sprints down the hallway to get out of hearing range so they can finally sneeze, except they are stuck in a sneezing fit so desprete they don't notice they were followed until their partner offers them a tissue (mybe their so caught off gaurd they forget to cover the next batch)

Or when somebody's breath is already hitching despretly as they make their way out of the room and it is only by pure willpower that they make it out of hearing range in time (or so they thought)

Or somebody having a quick sneezing fit before quickly leaving the room to avoid their partners questions only for said questions to be answered a few moments later as said partner hears them sneezing from down the hall, they are definitely sick.

Or someone with generally quiet sneezes only going enough down the hallway to not be in direct view not realizing that they are sick until the sneeze echos in the empty hallway

Or when someone leaves the room in the middle of a stifled sneezing fit and everybody can hear their sneezes get louder and more desperate as they stumble down the hallway

Or when they are trying to escape some else perfume/colone only for that person to follow them but their to busy sneezing to tell them what's happening

(I just imagine their stumbling away and this walking allergen is all concerned and trying to help them but is in the process, entirely in their personal space, like really sweet but maybe back up by a dozen feet or so)

Or maybe somebody who saw the sneezer slip out of the room and followed them a few moments after looking around to find them only to be alerted to look down and find that person sat against the wall and desperately stifling sneeze after sneeze

Or when they're so desperate to escape the room that they knock into something on the way out, drawing even more attention especially because the delay meant they couldn't quite make it out of hearing range

"Oh, you just can't stop, can you?"

-- to B during a sneezing fit.

like, hello??? can we talk about the nuance and some of the different ways this could be applied because 🥵

🥺 "Oohh, you just can't stop, can you?" --- Said sympathetically by A to B who has a terrible cold and has been suffering through a long, drawn-out fit (the sneezes aren't coming fast, but they're sure coming consistently)

😅 "Oh-ho! You just can't stop, can you?" --- Said with an amused chuckle when A sees B sneeze for the first time and learns they're a multiple-sneezer

😳 "Oh, you just can't stop, can you?" ---Said with astonishment/rising concern by A to B when B is suffering through an allergy attack (maybe A didn't realize at first just how allergic B is, or they simply didn't believe B who tried to warn them)

but not without repercussions.

it isn't their natural sneeze, though. their natural sneeze is the exact reason they learned to properly stifle in the first place. desperate, intense and always, always loud, they've learned through considerable trial and error how to choke them down into something that's more acceptable for polite society.

it isn't without it's drawbacks: not only are the stifles wholly unsatisfying (and really only delay the inevitability of the proper fit they'll need to have later) it gives them the worst headache if it goes on for too long.

but in moments where they can allow themselves to just... relax, and really let loose, their nose has decided to make up for every single instance that they've been smothered and stifled. what was already a source of embarrassment has become a near force of nature, thanks to their efforts to diminish it.