Warbler drabbles!

[Watercolor Daydreams]

I literally gasped when I saw "stephab13 replied to the thread Warbler Drabbles!" in my notifications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TYTYTYTYTYTYTYTY for that lovely Sebastian drabble. It was just pure awesomeness.

[stephab13]

NightWolf: Yay! I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And you most definitely can have some Niff - hope this one is okay!

gummiflummi: And ANOTHER one! I'm so hopeless with getting these done... but we get there. Ugh. Life is ridiculous?

Prongsy: I'll try and get some Seb with the cats in the next one then! And, yep, I was totally an extra! I mean, I don't think you'll see my face at all (we're background actors for a reason!) but it was really cool to go along... and meet a few people! Eric was busy for most of it, and their guests, but we did get to talk to Curt for a bit (he called a friend of mine who was sick and spoke to her for 5 minutes which was really sweet!) and Chase was hanging out with us a heap. So heaps of fun! Plus, I got to flirt with Joe Moses. And tell him to come to Australia

greetingsfromboston: Thanks!

Ruskie: Yay! I'm really glad to hear you liked it! And it was such a brilliant idea... Got any more up your sleeves?

SapphireStream: Hahaha glad you enjoyed it! And, here, have another "stephab13 replied to..." in your notifications

So what has everyone been up to? I've just had monster week... It was O Week for uni, so there was heaps of stuff to organise for my club for that (including performances - always fun!) and I'm applying to be a leader at Camp America (keep your toes crossed for me?) and studying for the GAMSAT and life has been all hell. Meaning that it's taken FOREVER to get this done... but, I do have an update :-)

How about you guys? Anything interesting? Any requests you'd like me to fulfill?

(Also, what the hell. 300 replies. For 72 drabbles. You guys are AWESOME!)

[stephab13]

So this is for NightWolf, who wanted Niff with caretaker!Nick and sick and allergic!Jeff... and I'm running out of ideas because despite Riker apparently sneezing a lot, Jeff doesn't... But I have this, so I hope it's alright :-)

Any requests at all?

Prompt: Wrong

Words: 1,547

Characters: Niff!

Nick slid into the chair next to his boyfriend, dragging it over so the wood of the legs could touch and he could press a kiss against his cheekbones.

“Ahhhh…” Jeff sighed breathily – he’d hum if his nose would have allowed enough air out. “What’s that – ah!” He scratched at the bridge of his nose, squeaking in a sniff. “What’d I do to deserve that?”

Nick couldn’t help but notice the avoidance of nasals in his stuffy speech – Jeff had always seemed embarrassed by the whole appearing-sick thing. “You exist. And are generally adorable.” He nuzzled into his neck, peering at the strange symbols on Jeff’s homework. “How are you feeling?”

Jeff smiled. “Blocked up. I keep having to… uh…” He felt the cringe coming at the word. “To sndeeze. I hate it. Bud it’s just a cold.”

His whole voice sounded wet. Nick’s guts squirmed a little; Jeff sneezing was rare. Him actually getting sick was even rarer. But even then it couldn’t stop him – just hold him back a bit. “Anything I can do?”

“This calc assigndmbendt?”

“Well… That’s a little delta,” Nick said, pointing at the current problem, “and that’s where my knowledge ends, I’m afraid.”

Jeff chuckled. “Ndo differendtiationd for you thend!”

“Well, bugger. You’ve just crushed my hopes of being the next Einstein. Thank you.”

“Ndo worries.” Jeff scrawled a few numbers hastily before pressing the heels of his palms hard against his forehead. He winced, blinking a few times… and probably not as discretely as he would have preferred.

“Got a headache?” Nick murmed.

“A bit.” Jeff’s eyes refused to meet his, settling somewhere around his cheeks… not that he was hiding something necessarily, but Nick couldn’t help the feeling he was definitely downplaying how horrible he felt.

“Do you want something for it? I think I’ve got a few Tylenol stashed in my bag…”

But Jeff just bowed his head. “Ndah, I…” His breath caught for a moment, just a slight hitch, barely obvious other than the fact Nick was hyperaware, looking for signs that Jeff wouldn’t give willingly. “I took a couple earlier, about and hour ago…”

Damn. Tylenol would knock out a fever too… meaning that maybe he couldn’t cross that off his list after all. “Advil then?” he offered. “It might help take the edge off a little.”

“I have to get this findished…” Jeff said weakly. “The two together would be over the top…”

“You are sick,” Nick reminded him gently, squeezing his shoulder, “and considering your track record, I’m pretty sure even Baker would give you a day’s extension. If you keep pushing like this, you’re gonna run out of spoons, and it’ll take you a lot longer to get back to normal…”

“I don’t have a chrondic illndess,” Jeff pointed out, referencing the spoons earlier. “Add I’mb really ndot pushing. I’mb just… tireder…”

“Yeah, but you’re not exactly healthy right now, meaning for the time being, you do need to watch your count.” Nick groaned. “At least tell me you’ve eaten something?”

Jeff didn’t answer, focusing back on his work. Again, trying to hide something. Whether that was his stomach bothering him, or just that he was too damn tired, Nick didn’t know. But either way, it was worrying.

“I’m pretty sure David’s got a vat of soup going in the kitchen right now…”

“Mbaybe later. Let mbe findish this set first.”

Nick shook his head. His boyfriend was so damn stubborn… though, that was almost a requirement for the Warblers, he supposed. But even if it was just that, he couldn’t help but worry over it. The impending assignment wasn’t enough of a reason to skip however many meals it had been today. “How about some tea then?” Something simple… homely. Nick had grown up on his family’s back porch with the bags and cups, watching the sun drop behind the trees, just as Jeff had grown up drinking it on his verandah listening to rain hitting the shingled roof. Even now, it was soothing, safe.

“Ohhh…” Jeff moaned at the mere thought, and Nick couldn’t help but grin back. “Ndow you’re talking. Please.”

“Honey and lemon?”

“Earl Grey?”

“Of course.” He leant over again, touching his lips against the corner of Jeff’s mouth, tasting the hints of menthol hanging in his breath. “I’ll be right back.” He wrapped his arms around Jeff’s chest, hand brushing across his bangs as he drew back. But as he stood up to leave, Jeff’s breath immediately began to hitch, and he stopped. This was more urgent than before – Nick could almost feel the desperation in his own stomach, watching Jeff’s faraway look, arm quivering near his face for him to duck into.

But then he put it back down with a groan. “Ugh. Lost it.” He sniffed, more liquid than before, a little cautiously too. “I hate that mbore thand the cold itself. If I could just… j-just…” Another sniff, elbow pointing upwards. “Ah, combe ond!”

Nick grinned, reaching out with his palm. He pressed against Jeff’s nose, wriggling it a little for him before snatching it back rapidly.

“Tha – tha – hhh’PTSHH’oh! Hh-PTSHH! …” He finally smiled, relaxing a little. “Do you kndow how… logg… PTSH’U! … how logg that’s beend combigg? Thadk you.”

Nick leant across, reaching for the Kleenex box they’d left on the table. “Poor thing. I hate sneezing.”

“Really?” Jeff’s eyes seemed to move closer together – one of those adorable little things he did when he was trying to jump out of his body and into someone else’s perspective. “I dond’t… I mbeand… I dond’t have feeliggs either way for it, but it’s sort of a relief at the mbombendt. I s’pose I dond’t have allergies like you though…” He pulled out a handful of tissues, just wiping the bottom of his raw nose and snuffling. “Ugh, I feel horrible. Stupid imbunde system.”

“You’re only human,” Nick reminded him gently. “Go get into bed. I’ll bring you tea and soup and we can – “

“Stay up late, swappigg mbandly stories?”

He rolled his eyes. “I was thinking more, watch House reruns, but if that’s what you want…”

“That works too.” Jeff smiled, though his mouth still remained partially open for air.

“Then, come on. Up.” Again, he went in for the kiss, his hand bending into the far side of Jeff’s jaw, his palm flat across his cheek. Again, his lips met the corner of Jeff’s gaping lips… and then he was pushed aside, Jeff turning to face the opposite direction, hands over his face.

“Hp-TSHHH-hhh-PTSH’U! Hehh… hhh… hhhh’uhh? Hhh-PTSH’OH!”

“Bless you!”

Jeff sniffed beneath cupped hands, the tiny amount of cheek he could see turning beet red. “Cand you, uh…” He cringed at the sound, wet and almost gurgling. “Cand you pass mbe a tissue? Please?”

He’d already been holding a couple ready, and handed them over wordlessly, tiny smile on his face, though forced, masking the concern beneath. Jeff never sneezed. And, sure, he was sick… but he seemed to be getting worse, and more rapidly too…

Jeff seemed to have a similar idea. “It’s fundy… but I dod’t…” He rubbed his forehead, almost lost in thought. But when he turned to look at Nick, he had a twinkle in his eyes. “Give mbe your armb?” He didn’t wait for a response, didn’t allow Nick the time to question his thought processes. Instead he just snatched up Nick’s left wrist and waved it around a few centimetres from his nose… And then his eyes lost focus, eyebrows creasing and breath catching. “Ihh-hh-PTSH-OO-PTSH-OO-PTSH! Ihh… hehhhh… ISHHHHU!” He laughed before blowing his nose into a fresh Kleenex. “Thought I did’t have allergies.”

Nick frowned, tilting his head. “Your nose might be more sensitive because of your cold… Can you even smell?”

“Well… dot ady bore… but I could sbell your aftershave before…”

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Nick sighed, wondering how he was going to fit in a shower around herding his boyfriend into bed and keeping him there.

“It’s great, actually. I’ve beed deedigg to sdeeze all day!”

“Okay, into bed. I’ll wash it off.”

“Do, dod’t!” Jeff pouted for a split second, before gasping in a breath. “Be deedigg to sdeeze wod’t cha-ge eved if I ab id bed… Leave it od?”

Nick shook his head. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Aww… Please?”

“Bed, Jeffrey!”

“Odly if you leave it od.”

The look he gave him nearly broke Nick… His eyes were bloodshot but huge, the only thing he could see, eyelashes fluttering, glimmering in sneezy tears, just pleading. Jeff had long-since mastered the puppy-dog eyes, but make him pale and drawn and vulnerable and Nick would rather punt a box of kittens than say no to his boyfriend. “Fine…”

Jeff packed his books into his bag, but already had some of that familiar bounce back in his steps. “Love you!” Then before Nick had a chance to react, his wrist had been shoved under Jeff’s twitching nose as they walked out of the library. “PTSH-IU!”

“Bless you.” Nick wanted to scold him, but the look of pride and relief on Jeff’s face stole that instantly. Instead he just shook his head, a hand on the small of Jeff’s back as he steered him towards the dorms… There was something seriously wrong with his boyfriend!

[Strong_and_Wild]

I loved this!

You write Niff so well!!

[ephemeral]

Please could you do a Klaine drabble where Blaine has terrible hayfever and keeps having sneezing fits and stifles his sneezes and Kurt tells him not too

[Owlinatree]

^^^^^^ please?

[All Time No]

How am I just now seeing this?! Duuuuuuddddeeeeeee! I love you for this! It's brilliant! That last line made me laugh way too hard and the box of kittens thing melted my heart! You are definitely my favorite person! *dies happy*

[redbluemoon]

STEPHHHHH!! :DDD I love the way you write this!!

[Owlinatree]

Can you do a Sebastian one where they don't believe that he's allergic to cats, so they force him to take care of one, so he ends up having an asthma attack, and Wes save him when he comes in to check on him and all the warblers feel guilty? Thanks! This thread made me write my first post ever, because it was so good You are AMAZING!

[stephab13]

Hey guys!

Thanks so much for all the comments and requests! I'm sorry I don't have any more drabbles at this point.

I just wanted to let everyone know, I've been hired as a camp counselor! I've been here for 3 weeks, and I don't finish til August. And it's a camp for people with disabilities, so HEAPS of fun (and work!!). But that does mean I barely have time to sleep, let alone write!

So I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth - I'm just at camp working my butt off!

Thanks again for the comments! Feel free to leave me requests and I'll get to them in a couple months!

Steph

[Watercolor Daydreams]

That's awesome Steph!

[stephab13]

HELLO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!!! I AM BACK!!!!

... I'm a little excited.

So, I do have every mind to finish off this thread. I've only got 26 drabbles left so... it'll happen. Eventually.

Why did I disappear? Well, I worked at a summer camp for people with disabilities. And when I say worked, I mean I started every day at 7 and went til 10 at night with no break. The only time I had off was between 5pm Friday and 11am Saturday. It's the toughest thing I've ever done... but the most amazing. Seriously. And I highly recommend it to everyone out there because it was just... the best thing I've ever had the chance to do. ... After that I travelled around the US (and by that, I mean, I went to 12 states in 3.5 weeks!) and finally got home 3 weeks ago. In that time I've also flown interstate for an interview to med school AND jumped back into work... It's been a madhouse.

Life doesn't calm down for me, ever, but I actually think I might have some time. I can't promise regular updates because my mind just... isn't in writing. Which sucks, because I really want to do a heap of it, but I'm not in a good place for it at the moment. I won't promise good quality updates. But I will promise that this thread will finish. I have to.

Thank you everyone for joining me with this! Please keep prompting and reading and everything else - it really makes my day to find responses to this, to come back and see how many views, and I'm just so blown away by it all. Thank you.

... Also, I might just mention that I met Dom. And saw him sneeze.

So yes. I think that's most things. And on with the update!

Also, I will get to the prompts that are here. But I needed to get back into the hang of writing, and this was what hit me first :-) Hope you enjoy!

[stephab13]

So this may or may not be based on an experience of mine... I'm pretty sure I had an allergic reaction to something we cooked at camp, and they wanted to take me to hospital because I got so physically ill from it. I didn't have a Nick to help me though!

Prompt: Hands

Words: 515

Characters: Niff

I am never eating Indian food again… Jeff would have groaned if he had the energy, settling back on his legs and resting his burning forehead against the freezing porcelain of the toilet bowl. He’d woken with a jolt at 5 that morning, sick to his stomach, and it hadn’t taken long at all for him to lose the entire contents of his stomach… three times… and he now lay huddled, grateful he hadn’t disturbed anyone and slightly disheartened and alone at the same time.

This sucked absolute balls. And it wasn’t like he was unaccustomed to spice – hell, he introduced half of the Warblers to wasabi. But it had to have been the food… had to. Because gastro bugs, the flu, everything other than seasickness, didn’t leave him feeling like this. He’d passed the wanting-to-feel-better stage around 5:30 and now, nearing 7, he’d reached the I-want-to-die stage. The what-can-I-do-to-not-feel-any-longer stage. And sleep wasn’t an option because any time he moved – or lay down – everything just forced itself back up.

What he wanted was someone to sit with him. To convince him that this, too, would pass. To hold him, to care for him, to let him cry.

“Heh’GSHH’ia’hhh. Heh’GSHHH!” And finally, the sound of Nick’s morning sneezes came ringing out through the house – a sound he’d never before been so glad to hear.

“Bless you…” he croaked out.

“Heh… heh… hh’GSHH’ia! …Jeff, sweetie?”

He shivered, humming out under his breath.

“Jeff?”

The words were closer, louder… and then Nick’s warm eyes were in front of him, hand reaching out for his shoulder.

“Oh, honey. You’re sick.”

It wasn’t a question, but Jeff couldn’t help his nodded response. “Yeah… don’t get too close.”

“Oh, like that’s gonna happen.” His eyes were downcast, head against the back of the shower, but he could hear Nick blowing his nose, footsteps getting closer. “How are you feeling… relatively?”

“Well, my highlight of the morning was probably – “

“Heh’ngt’shhh!”

“Bless you. Probably spewing in the sink while I sat on the toilet so… not great is probably the best response you’re gonna get.”

“God… ngt-NGT’SHH!”

“Bless.” Jeff sighed, lifting his head a little to follow the sound – and there was Nick, right beside him. “If it’s any consolation, I’m feeling a lot better?”

“Do you want to go back to bed?”

“Definitely not.”

“Okay then.” Nick sat cross-legged beside him, a hand rubbing gently up and down his back. “Can I get you anything?” When Jeff could only moan a response, Nick’s hand grabbed his chin, thumb dragging down the side of his face. “More water… tea… toast… anything?”

He melted into the grasp. “Stay with me?”

“Of… heh’ngt’shhh!... Of course, darling.” Nick never removed his hands, keeping one across his back and the other against his cheek. It would be awhile before Jeff could feel settled, but for now there was warmth and comfort and skin on skin and fingers tracing up and down his body shooting little tingles of electricity and for a moment, just a moment, he felt like he was exactly where he should be.

[All Time No]

OMG awwww! I'm sorry that happened to you! This drabble was beautiful though! Completely amazing!

[stephab13]

Thank you!

So, another drabble... still not quite what I like, but, hey, it's sweet (geddit?). Just Trent being his adorable soft caring self. *shrugs*

The next one will have... Bas! With Wes. And the Warblers. I think. I need to iron the details out and get writing, but it has a vague idea...

Prompt: Sweeten

Words: 558

Characters: Trent, Thad

“Huu’RESH’ah!”

Trent knew he was in for a long day when he woke to Thad sneezing. Something which, he might add, never happened, because Thad didn’t have allergies and never got sick. And yet there he was, at 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning, sneezing away, and when Trent finally managed to open his eyes he could see a shuddering lump of blankets in the bed next to him.

“RRRSH’oo!”

“Bless y – “ His words were cut off as a horrible cough, hacking and wet, forced its way out through the sheets. “That doesn’t sound too good…”

He stood up, moving over to his roommate’s bed, while Thad poked his head out, eyes red and watering, mouth tucked inwards. “Don’t come near me, don’t want you getting this.”

He could hear the congestion in his words, in the hints of b’s and d’s in his speech. Trent settled instead for pulling out a bottle of water, placing a hand on the mound. “I can handle a cold.”

“Not just a… huh’IESH’OO!... a cold…” Thad fell into another coughing fit, and all Trent could do was keep his hand there, rubbing up and down in the hopes he found his back, waiting for the boy to catch his breath again.

“Have you taken anything?” he asked gently. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got meds scattered through the room.”

“You probably do,” Thad agreed, voice lightening a little – he could hear the slight smile, even if he couldn’t see it. “I don’t think I need anything yet though…”

“Not even a decongestant?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Cough syrup?”

“No…”

“Tylenol?”

“I’m too cold to have a fever.”

Trent shook his head. “That’s the exact reason why I think you do have a fever, Thad. It’s gotta be 90 in here, and you’re smothering yourself.” He pulled back a flap of bedding, hand reaching to brush Thad’s forehead. “You’re pretty warm in any case.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t take anything at the moment anyway.” Thad’s voice cracked and he began to cough yet again, still trying to hide away from his friend. “Rama…dan…”

Trent hummed, biting his lip. “Isn’t there an exclusion in that? If you’re sick, you don’t fast, and you make it up another day?”

“Well… yes, but…”

“Don’t you tell me you aren’t that bad. Starve a cold, maybe, but you won’t get better if you’re constantly dehydrated. Tell me honestly – how dry is your mouth?”

Thad moaned a little, fumbling with his doona to pull it back over and reform his complete cocoon.

“You know me. Normally I’m right behind you, and if it were just a cold I’d support you.” He pulled the blankets away again. “Let me help you. Please?”

“Huu’RUSH’oo!” Thad sniffed, finally turning his face to look straight at Trent. “Okay,” he whispered.

“Allah can see you suffering. He’s not going to hate you for doing the right thing for your body.” Trent squeezed his hand, smiling at the pressure back. “Let’s get some Tylenol and tea in you, and we’ll go from there, okay?”

“Thank you…”

“Any time.”

And Trent smiled as he poured sugar into tea mugs, as he fetched tissues and VapoRub, as he hummed under his breath and helped the sick boy sleep. Finally, he was able to give a little back of what had been done for him so many times before.

[gummiflummi]

You're back!

Loved the two drabbles. Spot on. Just like we've gotten to know you.

I adore Niff. And you captured them beautifully. At least for my head canon

Sweeten was indeed so sweet. Loved the idea of Thad being muslim. Such an unexpected twist and a lovely detail.