Morning Jogs

[Bloogap]

So I've dabbled in making snz stuff for a while, and this piece is my most recent one at the moment. Hopefully it's up to snuff, and I hope you can forgive the lazy title haha.

 

Donald never liked running. It wasn't that he was unfit, he could do his fair share of weightlifting, sports and other aerobic exercises. Being once part of National Service meant he had to be athletic in some capacity. But running was always the outlier, and Donald never seemed to have the stamina for it compared to other physical activities. Part of him wonders why he put himself in such torture, especially since he was so prone to having cramps.

It wasn't all bad though. The simplicity of the exercise allowed Donald to switch off his brain as he covered the distance. The weather was also perfect for an outside venture: cloud covered skies together with cool breezes allowed him to ease his suffering just a bit. It was the wonders of springtime weather, and Donald enjoyed every moment of it. 

"Aatschieww!"

He also enjoyed the unintentional 'side effects' this weather had on others.

Not everyone could fully benefit from the wonders of spring. Temperate climates also meant the arrival of blooming flowers. Flowers that are ready to grow and multiply, the process which means the spread of the "wondrous" yellow substance known as pollen. It's a harmless substance to some, but a complete bane to others. And no one currently embodied the pollen induced suffering more than the runner in front of him.

"Atshieeww! Heh-hakshhiew!!"

The runner was a young woman, around the late twenties if Donald had to guess. With her shorts, sports bra and slender but toned legs, the woman seemed to definitely be a running enthusiast, maybe even a regular marathon participant. She was initially several paces in front of Donald, but every head bob and "hHatshhoo!" slowed her down, allowing him to catch up. Eventually the runner came to a complete stop, and in a combination of both his tiredness and interest, Donald ceased his pace as well.

"Haschhoo! Hetschieww!"

The runner's allergies continued to assault her, with her body tightening with each breathy and wet expulsion. Her releases were sporadic, and in one moment of lull Donald decided to strike up a conversation.

“Allergies?” he asked, despite already knowing the answer. 

The runner jumped a bit, and Donald wondered if he may offended her by probing at her current state. Having someone talk while sneezing has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for Donald, and he considered himself lucky that the woman seemed perfectly fine with responding to his somewhat odd query.

“Yeah, and it's killing my nose.” 

For a moment, a silence hung between them, Donald's ragged breaths almost overpowering the runner's hitches. Then, as if to prove her point, her nose started twitching, and let out 3 short expulsions, her hands quickly moving up to her face to cover them.

“Atschiieew! Ackshooo! aATSCHIEW!!”

Donald removed some napkins from his fanny pack, a supply he's gotten from his habit of storing any extras from eating outlets. The runner took it gratefully, emptying her clogged nostrils into the white material.

"Didn't check the forecast today?"

"I did," she replied, taking a moment to blow her nose once more. "Thought my meds would kick in by now, *snf* but it didn't as you cah-cahEGHSHHH! can tell."

The runner succumbs to another set of sneezes, her auburn ponytail flailing wildly as she bends over violently. Donald passes yet another napkin, wondering if his supply would be depleting soon. 

"Yet your still going at it." Donald handed over another napkin "If it was my wife, she wouldn't even try and just wallow in her misery."

The runner chuckled before needing to blow her nose again. "Thangks, but it's...it's not like I have a...Atschiew!... a choice. I have a charity mara-Heschoo!...marathong coming up, and I can't afford to sla...slaa-Heh...slack o-AEKSCHEWW!! *snf* slack off if I don't want to lag behind."

Donald hummed an acknowledgement, "Sounds tough, hopefully this marathon won't be anytime soon?"

The runner let out another chuckle, this one taking on a more rueful tone. "Don...Aetchhoo! Don't really have a choice. Just hah-have to pray my medication is good enough to a...ahh...stave off the it...heh...iIITCHOO!!!"

As the woman recovered from that back bender of a sneeze, Donald allowed his mind to wander a bit. The image of the runner before him, and possibly many more, trying to hold back their sneezing fits while at the marathon brought a small smile out of Donald's face, though he kept his amusement to himself.

"Well, good luck with that. Oh! And here," Donald dug his hand into his pack and brought out the remaining stack of napkins. "Something tells me you'll need this much more than me."

The runner gave her thanks, quickly taking some to rub her eyes and her reddened nose. As she gets ready to dash off again, she ends up letting out a loud but muffled "Herschhh!" into her newly acquired napkins.

Donald began walking in the opposite direction. He would have loved to have been by the sneezy runner's side to take in more of her delightful releases. But any motivation he initially had to continue jogging had been lost to the void, and he would rather not cause her additional problems by lying on the floor emptying his breakfast. If there was one thing that could possibly get him dashing again (though his muscles would protest such an action), it would be the thought of his beloved at home. She would no doubt be suffering from her own ailments, and Donald is looking forward to being by her side and getting his fill of sweet allergic expulsions for the rest of the day.