Warbler drabbles!

[stephab13]

Guess what guess what guess what guess what???

Actually, a couple things...

Okay. I now have 100 replies - and yes, I do realise this includes my own, but still, I'm kinda sorta happy about that... And two? My drabble is... 500 words. Exactly 500 words. So, technically speaking, tonight's update is actually a drabble!

Okay. Happy flailing aside... Here is drabble 38

Prompt: Compromise

Characters: Wes, Kurt (cold), Blaine (cold)

“Hichiew! Hi… Hichiew!”

“Ble… bless… bless youSHOO! Eshoo! Esh! Esh! Esh! EshOO!”

“Bless you too, honey.” Kurt sniffed and blew his nose before turning back to face his boyfriend, pressing their foreheads so tight like they were trying to share thoughts… or maybe just to try relieving the horrible sinus headache they both seemed to have. “You feel warm. What’s your temperature?”

Blaine rolled over to grab the thermometer, but handed it to Kurt instead. “You’re blistering, babe, and you were at 101.1 earlier. You first.”

“No.” Kurt pressed himself closer to Blaine, shivering into his warmth, but pulling him tighter as the boy fell to a harsh bout of coughing. “We already know I have a fever. We don’t know if yours has… Hichiew!... has kicked in yet.”

“Which is why we need to know yours. If it’s gone up at all… eshoo! Eshoo! Eshoo! EshOO!... then we have to take you to… Eshoo! Esh! ESH!... to the nurse. That was the deal.”

Kurt just sighed as Blaine rubbed the side of his nose with his hand. “And if it has then we rush off and just forget about you. I’m not letting that happen, Blaine.” He uncapped the thermometer, placing it in the boy’s ear, before dropping it as a hacking cough burst from his chest.

Blaine rubbed his back as the fit continued, sitting up when Kurt could finally gasp himself some air. “I’ll go get you some tea.”

But Kurt was gripping his pyjamas, dragging him back down to the bed. “Hon, your blood sugar’s roller-coastering. I don’t want you moving.”

“I’m fine, Kurt.”

The junior snorted. “We’ll compromise. You can get me some tea, if you take your temperature fir… fir… first. Hichiew! Hichiew! Hichiew! Hi…. HiCHIEW!”

“Bless you.”

The boys looked up in shock as Wes bustled into the room.

“You kids… Kurt, drink this.” He passed a steaming mug to Kurt, putting a spare one on the bedside table for Blaine. “Blaine, lie down.” The senior snatched up the thermometer, checking first Blaine’s temperature, then Kurt’s. “Congratulations, boys. You both have a fever, interestingly enough, of 100.3. Your reward? Getting to lie in bed, feeling rather ill for a few days.”

Wes pulled up a chair by their bedside, pulling out his Literature books.

“You’re gonna get sick looking after us, Wes,” Blaine rasped, stifling a yawn into Kurt’s hair.

“And neither of you will get any better if you continue arguing who’s closer to death,” the Asian admonished them with a small grin. “Now, shut up and get some rest. I need my Warblers in tip-top condition!”

“Fine,” Kurt grumbled, eyes already asleep. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

Wes turned his attention back to The Great Gatsby as they both shuffled around, getting comfortable, and let their bodies rest.

“Eshoo! Eshoo! Esh! Esh! Eh… Eshoo! Eshoo! Eshoo! EshOO!”

“Hichiew! Hichiew! Hichiew!”

Wes snorted, passing them the tissue box – they were so in love even their sneezes were in sync. “Bless you.”

[snifflechick]

HUNDRED AND FIRST POST! HAHA! *competitive urge satisfied* Congratulations on your 101 posts. You deserve them!

These boys are sooo cute. I've missed them since uni picked up (*typing from beneath a pile of biology textbooks*).

Can't wait to see more.

[stephab13]

Wow. I actually just went to like your post... Someone's either been spending too much time on Facebook, or is exhausted. ... I'mma blame it on the textbooks and ICOS and CD40-CD40L and please dear God kill me now

[queenie]

Awwwwwww.

I especially love when Kurt is trying to take care of Blaine, who is trying to take care of Kurt. For some reason the bits about Kurt being afraid they'll rush to the nurse and neglect Blaine and not wanting Blaine moving because his blood sugar is wacky just make me feel warm in my heart area.

[stephab13]

Hey guys!v Sooooooooo just wanted to let you all know that... exams are totally kicking my butt I had one today, got one on Friday, an essay due on the 11th and my last exam on the 13th. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd with the exception of work, after that I'm good for about 6 weeks before uni starts up again. Gotta love winter!!!

But I was just wondering while I'm driving myself nuts over study, if there was anything at all you guys wanted to see? And particular characters? Prompts, even? I'll be able to get stuff out to you faster that way... though you'll still have to wait til after the 13th, I'm afraid.

Sorry to leave you all hanging! But I shall return!!! Exams will not silence me forever! They may have won the battle - but they have not won the war!!! (My sanity, on the other hand...)

[DogLover]

Hehehe, the Wes one...Thad is evil, and thus serves our interests

Um, can I prompt stuff? Yeah? Great!

1. Blaine has a cold and is miserable. Kurt wants to stay with him and take care of him and stuff, but if he does teachers/Wes will be really angry 'cause he's supposed to be in class/Warbler rehearsal. Sooooo...he fakes being sick too Possibly using allergens... (Or maybe swap Blaine and Kurt for this? I dunno...)

2. I think Jeff and David should have allergies. They don't have any even though everyone else does. You should write something in which one of them develops a mystery allergy and everyone else has to figure out what it is. (Wow, that one came out sounding really bossy. Sorry...)

3. Fetish!Santana? With Wes? Maybe?

4. Sometime around Regionals: the Warblers play a prank on Sebastian that involves sneezing. Or, alternately, New Directions does.

5. Season 3: Blaine goes to visit the Warblers, and someone/many someones have a cold. Just 'cause a sneezy reunion scene sounds really awesome.

I'd prompt more, but then I'd feel bad about being obnoxious...

[Zane]

I vote for more Wes ones. but all of the ones DogLover said sounds amazing too. Anyway, thanks again for writing all of these. Love these stories!!

[Renny]

I would love #1, #3, #5, and ESPECIALLY #4...but the warblers should definitely do the pranking, cause New Directions isn't like that....

or the more sinister members of New Directions.....which could very well include a fetishy Santana. ;p

[blameitonthe...]

I vote 10000x over for the Sebastian prompt o__o

Grant Gustin = Goodbye ovaries...

But then again, I love everything you write, so it's all good :3

[katia]

xoxox I love these drabbles.

a couple prompts that you may ignore if you want...

-Blaine is having an allergy attack right before a performance and they're all scrambling to get him meds and figure out what's causing it before they go on stage

-Wes can't stop sneezing while trying to give other warblers notes/critiques on their performances

... but good luck with the exams, and I look forward to reading whatever else you write!!!

[tenderwarrior]

I would love allergy drabbles! Like Kurt or Blaine wants to keep a kitten but the other is allergic though doesn't say anything since he loves his boyfriend too much type of thing.

Anyway, I hope you well on your exams and I can't wait for more from you! Thank you!

[stephab13]

Wow, you guys! Thank you!!! These are aMAzing. I'll have to get round to them ASAP! I'm still working out now, which word they'll link with - but prompts are just wonderful. Like, you have no idea how helpful :D

Okay. Exams are DONE. I have SIX WEEKS off and it is amazing and all I'm doing is working - YAY!!!!! - and writing. Also updating all my stuff over on FFnet - pi.on.a.skateboard, if you want to look me up there - because it's been rather neglected... especially TSAB... but we'll get there!

Alright. Onwards!

So, I'm taking one of DogLover's prompts first of all I... may have taken a little liberty here, and man, it's turned out way more fetish-y than I was planning and I'm not entirely sure this was what you're after - so let me know and I can always redo it for you :-) But, well, here ya go!

Prompt: Impulse

Characters: Kurt (allergy), Blaine (cold), Wes

“Eshoo! Ha… Ha-Esh! Eshoo!... Ha-EshOO!”

“Bless you, honey.” Kurt passed Blaine a second box of tissues as he heard the pitiful scraping of nails against cardboard. His boyfriend still wasn’t quite able to shake this latest cold, and so there he remained in bed, propped on a couple of pillows and swaddled in blankets, pressing yet another tissue to his rubbed-raw nose.

“You dod’t have to be here, Kurd,” he rasped. “I cad loog after byself.”

Kurt just snorted, watching the poor boy shiver. “You can barely sit, Blaine. I honestly have no problem listening to you moan. I might actually be able to get some homework done, too, if not for you being so obstinate and refusing to sleep.”

“Ha… Ha… HA?” Blaine blinked. “Or dot. Fide.” He blew his nose again, reaching clumsily for the teacup on his bedside table. “Kurd. We hab rehearsal. Id’s bad edough thad I’b stuck here. Wes will kill you if you skib – eved if you are lookigg after be.” His eyes flew out of focus again and he hurriedly raised his hands to his face, Kurt having snatched the cup to safety. “Ha… Ha’eshoo! Eshoo! Esh! Ha… Ha’esh!”

“Bless you.” Kurt rubbed his back gently behind the pillows. “Just get some sleep, Blaine. Let me worry about it.”

“Do… Ha’esh!... We hab… hab… speech night… Ha’eshoo! Esh! Esh!... sbeech dight cobigg up. You have to go. Add I… I pro… I probise… Eshoo! … I probise dot to die id thad tibe. Ogkay?”

“You’re incorrigible.” Kurt shook his head. “Bless you.”

“The coudcil will odly led you oud if you’re sigck – esbecially whed they’re already dowd their lead sigger. Wes dearly had a fid ad brekkgie this bordigg. Told be to go away add drick sobe whiskey add dot to id.. idfe… Ha’eshoo!... idfect adyode.”

“Bless you again,” Kurt murmured, more out of habit than anything really, an idea starting to form… “Okay, Blaine. If I go to rehearsal, you have to go sleep. Promise?”

Blaine sneezed a few more times, sinking further down in his cocoon of covers. “I probise. Dow go!”

Kurt stood up, kissing his fingers and transferring it to Blaine’s warm forehead. Blaine was asleep before he’d even taken a couple of steps… Grinning wickedly, Kurt quickly rummaged through Blaine’s hair products before he had to rush off, pulling out a particular brand in triumph. Well, he might not be sick… but the council surely wouldn’t want the chance of anyone else getting “idfected”, right?

_______________________

“Sorry I’m late!” Kurt ran into the choir room, bowing towards the desk. “I was helping look after Blaine… Hichiew!”

“Bless you…” Wes frowned. “Take a seat. We’re just about to start.”

“Thanks.” Kurt jumped down on the floor, beside Jeff and Nick. “Hi… Hichiew! Hichiew!”

The council frowned, but chose to ignore the sneezes… Well, so far it was only 3. With not a lot of congestion or vocal strain…

“So, as you all know, Speech Night is in five days, and – “

“Hichiew! Hi’itsh!”

“ – we should possibly start looking at back-ups for solos,” Wes continued without interruption. “Blaine’s sick… again… and I know we’re missing a few – “

“Hi’itsh! Hi’itsh! Hi… Hichiew!”

“ – a few members already. Better safe than sorry.”

Jeff rubbed Kurt on the back, passing him a travel pack of tissues. “Bless you,” he whispered, frowning at the other boy. “You’re not getting sick too, are ya?”

Kurt shrugged, blowing his nose… The allergic tickle had subsided a little… for the time being…

“So, everyone up. We’ll run through What Kind of Fool a couple of times… David, I want you to take the first verse solo, then Nick, then Thad, then Kurt, if you’ve stopped sneezing and feel up to it, otherwise Jeff. Trent, you take the chorus, and I’ll take the bridge. Any objections?”

Gotta pretend to be sick… Kurt took a huge sniff, sucking more of the scent of hairgel up into his nostrils, before raising his hand. “Wes, I, uh… Hichiew! Hi… Hichiew! Hichiew! Mby throat’s ki-da sore. Hichiew! You mbight… Hichiew! Hi… Hichiew!... bight wandt to just… Hichiew!... just give it to Jeff… HiiiESHU!”

“Bless you, Kurt.” Wes looked over in concern, probably taking in his bloodshot eyes, dripping nose and now bordering-on-slightly-hoarse voice. “Are you alright?”

But he wasn’t done yet. Curling into a ball, he smothered sneeze after sneeze into his hands. Why had he done this, exactly? To help Blaine? He couldn’t stop… There was a reason that particular brand was instantly banished from Blaine’s cupboard… Why’d he have to go rubbing it all under his nose?

“Kurt…” Wes was kneeling beside him now, right hand around his stomach while left tentatively squeezing his shoulders…

“I… Hi’itsh! Hi’itsh!... I cad’t… cad’t… Hichiew! Hichiew! Hichiew!... cad’t stop sd… Hi… sdee… HiESHU! HiESHU! Hichiew!... sdeezigg… Hichiew! Hi’iktsh! Hi’iktshhh!”

“Jesus Christ! We can see that…” Jeff raised a hand to his forehead, frowning. “You’re a tad warm there, mate. You sure you’re not sick?”

But Kurt couldn’t answer, still in the grips of the harsh fit. His eyes and throat burnt, his chest was aching, he could barely catch a breath…

“That’s it.” Wes, the ever-prepared first aider that he was, was pulling a pair of gloves from his pocket. “I don’t even know if this is gonna work, but I’ve gotta do something…” He carefully pried Kurt’s hands from his face, trying not to cringe as the mist now spraying over his uniform, then pinched Kurt’s nose, cutting off all air supply.

“Hi… hi… hi… hiiii…” Kurt gasped, wriggling around, slapping at his nose. “Wes. I deed to sdeeze. Let go.”

“Sorry, Kurt, can’t do that,” the senior apologised. “I’ll let you catch your breath first. But, here’s the thing – whatever you’ve got up there, these wussy little sneezes aren’t going to get it out.”

“Hi… Hi… Wes… Hiiii… Please…”

“I know, Kurt. I know. It burns. But you gotta let it build up, okay? We’ll get you outside, take you to Blaine’s room, because I know you’ll kill us if we don’t… But when I let go, you’ve got to just sneeze the crap out of whatever you put up there. And… yeah, no more rehearsal for you. Even if it is just allergies – and don’t think I’ve forgotten about that time with you and Blaine’s gel – I can’t have you disrupting rehearsal this close to a performance, I’m sorry.” He was smiling though. “Apart from the needing to sneeze and wanting to kill me, how are you?”

“I’b… Hi… ogkay. Liddle dizzy bud I’ll.. Hi… Hi… I’ll live.”

“Good.” Wes nodded at Jeff, over Kurt’s right shoulder. “Then we’ll take you to Blaine’s room.” With a heave, they stood up, leading him out the room. “David, Thad – start warm-ups! We’ll be back soon!”

“Hi… Hi… Wes, please, let go! It ti… tick… Hiiiii…”

They’d made it outside the door, around the corridor, down the hall, into the dorm block... Wes finally sat them down on a bench outside Blaine’s room, still gripping his nose tightly. “Okay, Kurt. On the count of 3, I’m letting go, alright?”

“Tickles…..” he whined.

“One…”

Kurt drew in a deep breath, preparing. God, he needed to sneeze. This wasn’t FAIR.

“Two…”

He really was an idiot.

“Three.”

Wes let go.

“HII’ESHU! HII’ESHU! HICHIEW! HICHIEW! HICHIEW! HII’ESHU!”

With that, Kurt bent over, panting, and Jeff slowly opened the door… to find a rather awake Blaine.

“Kurd! Whadd are you doigg? Babe, are you ogkay?”

Wes helped him over to the bed. “Blaine, go back to sleep. And next time you want company, please, all you have to do is ask. Don’t make Kurt play with your hair gel.”

“Whadd?!”

They turned to look at Kurt, who held up his hands. “Alrighd, alrighd.” He sniffed. “Blaine’s really sick, and I felt really bad for him… and he said I wouldn’t get out of rehearsal without being sick…”

“So you took by gel?”

Kurt flushed, looking down. “…Yeah…”

“Bloody hell, Kurt. Why?”

He shrugged. “Impulse? … Hi… Hichiew! Hi… Hi… Hichiew!”

“Well, you sound better now,” Jeff said with a laugh. “Come on, Wes. Let’s leave the lover-boys to their sneezing. We’d better get back to singing… I want to hear you sing the crap out of that bridge!”

“Fine.” Wes peeled off his gloves, throwing the box of tissues to the bed. “And Kurt – next time impulse calls, don’t think I’ll be showing you any mercy. You’ll be singing and dancing until you either get it perfect or all 21 of us collapse. Understood?”

“Yes, Wes,” he sighed. “Hichiew! Udderstood.”

[tenderwarrior]

Love it! Thank you so much for the update!

[DogLover]

Yay, you did mine! That was absolutely FANTASTIC, how could I not like it?

I mean, Blaine was just so awesomely sick and Kurt was just...well...

And of course they saw through him at the end...

Yes, I am veeerrrryyy happy right now. Thanks so much for writing this!

[Zebra]

WOW!!!!!!!! I've never been a total fan of stories but holy goodness!! You've completely turned me. I'm actually in love with your stories. Especially the one about both Kurt and Blaine having colds. I was dying reading them all!! Could I please request that you do one on Sebastian? Something about him catching a cold and being all sniffly in practice or anything actually! I'm in love with him. Thank you so much your stories are fab!!

[queenie]

BLAINE

[stephab13]

Okay, you up for a little Sebastian action?

I've... basically inversed g123's prompt, because I could get that to fit quite nicely with my next word: hush. So I hope it's okay. And I'll probably end up re-using it, but a different perspective. But, well, it was interesting to write and I haven't really written for Sebastian, like, at all, so... yeah

But I was writing, and it stretched out, and became sorta hinting on angst and now I want to cuddle the crap out of him. And... he uses God a lot because, well, Sebastian likes to swear in his mind and I struggled a little trying to convey that. Also, I'm still trying to figure out his voice, so there's another reason why this one's a little long. I haven't quite got it yet, I'm sorry... I'm trying! We'll get there!

Also, well, not a whole lot of sneezing, but still really sick poor Sebastian. Another reason why I'm definitely giving your prompt another go. But, well, I'm somewhat okay with this so... will this do for the time being?

Okay, no more rambling. Here you are. Drabble 40 ( WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN HOW DID I GET TO 40 ALREADY???)

Prompt: Hush

Characters: Sebastian (flu), Jeff, Warblers

Sebastian moaned as he slid out of his blazer, too tired to even remove his shoes, flopping down horizontally over his bed, letting his head hang down over the side so his sinuses might stand the chance of draining. Two weeks in this cesspit of a school. Two whole weeks. That’s all it took for him to catch the plague or God knows what from these peasants. Two mother-fudging weeks.

School was a breeze. Always had been, always would be. Math made sense. Science made sense. History was in the past, and, in all honesty, who really had the energy to care when Columbus found the Spice Islands or who the first five presidents were? Sebastian certainly didn’t.

God, his head hurt.

This sucked. It really did. School sucked. Life sucked. His throat freaking sucked. His room-mate, Jeff, sucked. Or, at least, that’s what his boyfriend Nick would have them all believe.

Damn, those lights were bright. Goddammit. Why had he not thought to turn them off earlier?

There were footsteps outside his room, growing louder, each beat sending a new spike of pain through his temples. Don’t let it be Jeff. Anyone but that garish blonde, with his shiny peroxide hair and obnoxious accent and LOUD voice. Please. Don’t let it be –

“Hey, Seb!”

… Fantastic. What had he done to deserve this?

“You ready for rehearsal?”

Footsteps. Getting louder. He cringed. And God, his throat tickled. Dammit. He didn’t want to cough.

A grinning face appeared, upside-down, near his own. God. He just looked so happy. And energetic. And everything that Sebastian really couldn’t care to be right now. He was so bright it almost hurt. Or maybe that was just his chest. He didn’t know.

He swallowed. He really had to cough.

“What the bloody hell are ya doin’ down there, mate?”

Oh, God. Two weeks and he could already recognise the concern in Jeff’s voice from the strengthened accent.

Not. Going. To. Cough.

He cleared his throat, and sat up… and promptly choked. Fine. He coughed. Once. Twice. A few more times… deep and rattling and scraping right at the back of his throat and chest and harsh enough to force tears out his eyes.

“Jesus Christ! Ya right there?”

Ughhhhhh. Did he have to answer?

“Here.” Jeff pressed his water bottle from his bedside table into his hands.

“I’mb find,” he finally managed to get out, eyes streaming. At least his nose was a little less congested… he could breathe through it a tiny bit now. Though he couldn’t quite explain away how his voice had magically decided to drop half an octave or so.

“Yeah, you sure sound ‘find’,” Jeff teased him, rubbing him on the back. Seriously? The sheer nerve of the boy… though it was helping him get some of the gunk out of his lungs. God, they’d filled up quickly… “We, uh… Ya gotta come to rehearsal though. Even if ya don’t sing. Otherwise the council won’t take you seriously.”

“Whadever,” Sebastian brushed it off, trying to ignore the tickle that had reignited itself in his nose. Well, he definitely wasn’t weak. He could do rehearsal. Eyes closed. Hands tied behind his back. Ugh. He definitely should have taken some Tylenol earlier. Ah well. Too late now. He forced himself to his feet, passing off the violent shivers as shrugging his blazer on again, wrapping a scarf tightly around his neck. So, it was September. Shut up.

Jeff still had an arm around him. God, he must be sick. He couldn’t even bring himself to care any more. Everything just hurt. So Goddamn much. He just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. And now he was shivering and Jeff was frowning and he was coughing again and it was so hard and he had to bend over… Jeff brought him over to a bench and God, he was so dizzy, and he really needed to sneeze and just… ugh. He didn’t even have the energy to swear.

“On second thought…” Jeff brushed the back of his hand across Sebastian’s forehead. “Maybe we should just skip rehearsal and head to the nurse… You sound like crap, mate.”

No. He couldn’t do that. Breathe. Breathe again. Swallow. Water. Good. Okay. “Do. I’b ogkay. Led’s go sigg, alrighd?” And don’t sneeze. Not allowed to sneeze. No matter how much snot he had stuck up there, blocking any form of air again…

He sniffed. Okay, so maybe he could wipe his nose a little. Unattractive, sure, but better than walking around with slime dripping down onto your lip.

God, he missed his mom. She’d always been there, to make him soup and tuck his covers in and just hold him and make him feel safe. But she was gone now. She was never coming back.

“Seb… You don’t have to prove yourself, mate. Not if you can’t stand or breathe or, ya know, move.”

“Do.” He shivered again, sniffled again. Damn. He didn’t need anyone’s pity. “I wadd to go to rehearsal. I’b fide, ogkay?”

“Mate, If you put D’s on the end of your words, you are most certainly not ‘fide’.”

“If you ca’tt begid a sedtedce withoud the word, bate, you’re id do positiod to judge.” … Not your best call there, Sebastian. You’re getting weak. Out of practise…. Or maybe the fever’s just starting to take over your brain.

Jeff shook his head. Far out. The light reflecting off his hair… it hurt. It hurt so much. “You’re an arse, Sebastian. I’m just trying to help.” He stood up, feet thudding on the floor, like he was stepping straight onto his sinuses. Pacing. Angry. Why was Jeff angry? What right did Jeff have to be angry? He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t hated by his father. He wasn’t blamed for… but, no. Not allowed those thoughts. He felt terrible enough already.

“Heh…” No. Not allowed to sneeze. But it tickled… Maybe another sniff ought to do it…

Jeff stopped pacing, at least. Stood watching. No. He was NOT going to sneeze. No… And Jeff was most certainly NOT going to see it.

“Heh… Heh…” Fighting a losing battle. Jeff sat back down, passing him a tissue…

He sniffed again. No! That made it worse!

“Hep-choo! Heh… Hep-choo! Heh… Hep-CHOO!”

“Bless you.”

Fine. Defeat. “Thacks.” Okay, he had to cough again.

But Jeff was still there. “Look, you’re an idiot. But I’m used to stubborn idiots – I roomed with Blaine for a year, for Christ sake. So, if you say you’re fine and want to go to rehearsal, then we’ll go to rehearsal. But you look like crap, you sound like a seal crawled down your throat and died, and honestly, I’m surprised to see you still standing. But, at the very least, if you do want to go to rehearsal, we have Tylenol locked in the council drawer, and enough cough lollies to survive a zombie apocalypse spread via aerosols. And I don’t care if I have to sit on your chest and pinch your nose and force-feed you, but you are getting meds if we end up there. Or else we can go back to bed, or go see the nurse and get you better. So… what’s it gonna be?”

The tickle was back. His head was about to explode. His eyes were boiling, his body was freezing, his throat was on fire and his chest had an anvil on it. “Rehearsal.” He couldn’t appear weak… but, God, his nose was full of hot coals. He should probably warn Jeff. Jeff would never forgive him if he sprayed him with snot everywhere. “Heh… Heh… I’b godda… Heh… sdee… sdee… Hep-choo! Hep-choo! Hep-choo! Heh… Heh-ISHHHH’uh! … sdeeze.” And those build-ups. They only happened when he was sick, when the cold was just starting to establish itself.

“Bless you.” Jeff sighed, dragging an arm of Sebastian’s around his neck. “Come on. Lean on me.”

“I dod’t deed to,” he protested. But it was all in vain when barely half the corridor had passed and he tripped.

“It’s alright, mate. I gotcha.” Well… okay, he had to give Jeff credit. If they were heading to the nurse, they would have turned off at that last hallway. But they kept crawling along, Sebastian’s eyes closing briefly as he stumbled, actually fully trusting someone for once. God. He just felt so awful. He couldn’t even think of any other words to use… he could barely think at all. Only about putting one foot in front of the other… glimpsing the choir room door through eyes bleary with fatigue and fever… Jeff’s hand under his arm, around his chest. So… warm…

“Sebastian!”

“Dude…”

“Are you okay???”

“What’s wrong with him?”

That last voice. Not dreamy. Breaking through the fog in his brain. That last voice was Thad’s. Had to be. The European accent, almost New York-like.

“I’b fide,” he repeated. “I dod’t ged sigck.” So when he did, he got hit hard… really hard…

Jeff deposited him on one of the couches. It must be. It was soft and supportive. “Trent, drugs. Please.” There was the sound of material, and he felt something around his shoulders, someone tucking it around him. Box of tissues to his left. Bottle of water squished under his arm.

His chest was itching again.

“I’b dot sigck,” he repeated to anyone that would listen. He wasn’t. His body was just temporarily incapacitated.

“You keep tellin’ yourself that, mate,” Jeff humoured him, brushing some of the hair back from his face. Sebastian sneezed a couple more times. God, he was just so tired. Everyone was so far away… in another universe… He was so warm…

His eyes fluttered…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Is he actually asleep?”

“Do,” Sebastian coughed weakly.

Jeff glanced over his shoulder, at the shivering lump, pale as death, bloodshot eyes… In all honesty, he… well, the PC way of phrasing it would probably be “didn’t understand him”. Sebastian was cold, haughty, arrogant… but Jeff wasn’t friends with Wes and Nick’s boyfriend for nothing… He couldn’t bring himself to hate him yet. He just… didn’t understand him. There was so much hidden under there. This stupid “nothing can harm me” attitude. Man, was that familiar. “He’s doing a Blaine on us,” the blonde announced. “I figure, well, he’s new. I know he’s not the most inviting person in the world, but I want to gain his trust. I mean, I room with him. I want to help him. And, if nothing else, it might make living with him a little more pleasant…”

“Ooooh, look who’s already stepping into Wes’ shoes,” David teased him, inviting him to take his place at the centre of the council table.

But Jeff shook his head. “He’s, um… he’s kinda got a deathlock on my hand…”

Sebastian sniffed. “You’re all shidy like a elepha-tt. You’re by teddy bear, Jeffy.”

The Australian turned his head to the sky. The boy was delirious. Of course. Another one. “How do they always find me?!”

“Well, I guess we better get started then,” Thad began nervously, banging the gavel. “We’ve got a few more auditions today, and I think Jeff brought a new arrangement for us to try… So, Joel, why don’t we start with you? What are you going to sing for us? And then we’ll have a blind vote.”

Jeff leant back against the couch, feeling his roomie randomly cough or sniff and splutter, the heat just pouring off him, warming the entire couch… But Joel had to have his attention, so his attention he would receive.

As soon as the boy had finished singing and received a standing ovation – no vote needed for that one – Jeff turned to look at Sebastian. His hand was no longer in a vice, he suddenly realised… He was asleep. Snuffling a little, still coughing occasionally, but asleep.

Next, Adrian and Nathan both auditioned. Jeff was just about to hand out his arrangement – You’re the Voice, actually, because he thought he may as well at the very least educate the Warblers in some of the more amazing Aussie anthems – when they were yet again interrupted by the sick boy.

"Heh'ishhh'uh. Ishhh. Ishhh." Sebastian started at first, with just a few sneezes. It didn’t seem to break him out of his slumber… But then he started thrashing around, moaning. Oh, God. Jeff had already seen one of those nightmares. And nothing he’d tried yet was able to wake him… “Bobby…” Oh, God. This wasn’t the first time he’d cried for his mother either…

He couldn’t do it. Jeff wanted to just ignore it, to pretend like nothing was happening. Try to get the boys to do the same. But he couldn’t do it… He dropped the papers on the council desk then hurried back to the couch. Trying not to cringe at the warmth, he brushed some of the sweat-plastered fringe off his forehead – the boy needed a haircut – pulled the blankets down a little… maybe if he cooled off a little… Tried calling his name, but that didn’t work, it never did.

Then Trent came up, put a hand on Jeff’s shoulder. Wiped the sweat glistening Sebastian’s pasty face with a cold facewasher, then put it on his forehead. Then, kneeling by his head, he began to sing.

Hushabye, don’t you cry.

Go to sleep my little baby.

Jeff joined his voice, with Nick and David creating a smooth four-part harmony.

When you wake, you shall have

All the pretty little horses.

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,

All the pretty little horses.

The rest of the Warblers started singing from their positions… like Blackbird. They just instantly knew their parts.

Sebastian seemed to calm down a little. He’d stopped crying, his arms moving a bit but he’d stopped kicking…

Way down yonder in the meadow

Poor little baby crying, ‘Mamma.’

Birds and the butterflies flutter round his eyes.

Poor little baby crying, ‘Mamma.’

Hushabye, don’t you cry.

Go to sleep my little baby.

When you wake, you shall have

All the pretty little horses.

Sebastian sneezed again, and lay still.

Darkness falls and man calls

‘Go to sleep my little baby.

When you wake, you shall have

All the pretty little horses.’

The Warblers had somehow managed to form a semi-circle around the couch, watching, as they broke into their final round.

Hushabye, don’t you cry.

Go to sleep, my little baby.

When you wake, you shall have

All the pretty little

All the pretty little

All the pretty little horses.

They waited, breath baited, slowly moving back to their original seats…

“Hey, that was kinda good,” Joel said with a smile.

He was immediately set on by 20 Warblers. “Shhh,” they told him, pointing at the couch. “Hush. He’s sleeping.”

Jeff tucked Sebastian in one last time before ushering the choir into the next room. Well, even if he was sick… at least the boy now had some peace…

[stephab13]

Oh, and thank you guys!!! I forgot to put that in there... It always makes me happy to hear people are reading and enjoying my stories. I mean, I love writing them, but it's kinda cool to know that people actually read them too.

And thanks, g123, for both your wonderful comment and prompt. I'm flattered!

And now, back off to eat birthday cake. Om nom nom. And NOT to rant at you.

Steph. Woman. Cake is calling you.

I AM COMING, CAKE. YOU HAVE ALMOND AND COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE. I MUST APPEASE YOU. NAMELY BY EATING YOU.

... Yeah. This is what cake... well, chocolate cake. Actually, it's technically called an Opera Cake, which I've found out must be an Aussie invention because you Yanks don't seem to have a clue what I'm on about but GO LOOK IT UP AND BE JEALOUS.

... Oh, dear. I'm sorry.

I THINK I'M POSSESSED BY THE CAKE. IT WANTS YOU TO EAT IT TOO.

Here. Here is a piece for you: < )

It's gluten-free too!

Or, you can have a croquembouche of smileys, seeing as I can't find the cake emoticon. Possibly because I'm too high off birthday cake

... I'm gonna leave you all in peace now...

[Zebra]

Haha I'm getting the vibe that you're a fan of cake............

You're welcome!!!!! Yay omgosh you did Sebastian!!!!! That was so cute how he continued to deny he was ill. Thank you! I don't want to sound cheeky but please continue to include Sebastian. I've loved this!

[katia]

YAY you're amazing. these were wonderful. can't wait for more!

[stephab13]

Okay, I'm continuing my Seb one - like I did with Trent's, I suppose, though hopefully I'll get round to finishing both!!! It's over on FFnet - http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8229995/1/Hushabye_Mountain

And, I'mma have fun with the next ones

Thank you all for reading and commenting and ESPECIALLY prompting me!!!! :D

And, yeah.... I got SO high off eating cake last night. It doesn't usually have that effect on me - probably because most have gluten in them, and even the gf ones, because I'm diabetic I'm really not much of a sweet-tooth. But it had coffee and chocolate and almond sponge, and it was my birthday cake, and there's something special about your own cake so... yeah. Apologies for the randomness?

[snifflechick]

The cake is a lie.... a tasty tasty lie. (sorry, my uni break is being filled with xbox).

Also YAY continuing!!!!!!! I really have missed these.

[stephab13]

Hi guys!

I am so incredibly sorry. I had this virtually written, and then I got called in for an emergency shift... which turned into 3 sleepover shifts in a week, and a 73 hour working fortnight... so all my fics became slightly abandoned. I figured I should possibly get some sleep in that stage...

So, I'm working with DogLover's prompt for a fetishist Santana. But I'm continuing the prompt into the next one-shot as well, because, well, I want to have a little bit of fun with this too...

I've also no idea why it wanted to be in first person... usually I can't stand them. But, anyway, after WAY too long a silence, I bring you this:

Prompt: Orals

Characters: Santana, Wes (cold)

Okay, so, everyone knows that Santana Lopez is a little dirty. A little kinky, perhaps. You name a fetish, and I’ve probably experimented with it.

The sneezing thing was pretty new though.

So, it actually started fairly innocently. Don’t give me that look. I am perfectly capable of sitting with my boyfriend and studying. Plus, it’s Wes Montgomery. As ridiculous as that boy is, masochistic definitely comes into it – every moment not with me is spent chasing after those ridiculous prep-school boys or organising music or debates or driving people around… or, that dreaded word. Homework. Especially after he got sick – boy learnt to multitask. Which I can appreciate, you know. But it’s a little…

I digress.

Anyhoo. I was over at Dalton, curled up half in Wes’ arms… Yeah, I know, strange, but whatever. He liked protecting me. And it was cold. So yeah. Curled up against him with To Kill A Mockingbird and a highlighter out. And he was twisted away a bit, muttering some French poem under his breath. Apparently he had an oral coming up. It was actually really sexy… Previously the only French we’d heard was Hummell insulting us all and just… no. Not hot in the slightest. But Wes was.. something else.

So… okay. It is Santana Lopez we’re talking about. Wes had opened my eyes in so many ways. I mean, just listen to how I’m talking, for Christ sake. Us studying together was not unusual. But I never really thought about how much I like looking after people until him. I’ve always been in charge, sure. But I met Wes when he was really sick and he did his shoulder and just… he was so adorable and vulnerable and I hadn’t really felt like that with anyone. Plus, he came straight up to me after that hobbit completely tore me down with that line – because, yeah, it did sting, more than I’ll admit to anyone, dammit – and he collapsed on me after that, poor darling. So… yeah.

But anyway. He was pretty stressed and he’d been sick a lot lately. So he was just sitting there, muttering, clearing his throat occasionally, sniffing every now and then. There were tissues in the bin and a couple more over by his lamp – very strange for him. That boy was just so freaking clean and perfect and obsessive-compulsive… and there was a Kleenex box on his bedside table and a cup of tea there too. Very homely, I know. But I can assure you – he most definitely is straight.

And he was in the middle of a line – “Son chapeau était de galette” – when his voice grew a little weaker, a little breathier, and he stuttered a couple of times. He gazed up, rubbing his nose, frowning a little… it was sort of cute, actually, like he didn’t know what was happening. Though I knew…

Then… “Son habit était de… de… de vol-au-v’HEH’YIIISHH’oo!”

“Bless you!”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard him sneeze before. The first time I met him, he had tonsillitis, and our first date he was getting over a cold. But this was… I don’t know. I knew it was coming. He knew it was coming, as much as he tried to ignore it. And it was just so… I don’t even know.

But the gorgeous pre-sneeze expression didn’t leave his face, his eyes watering a little and his nose scrunching up. He sniffed wildly a couple of times and I could feel his chest expanding… and then jolt as he himself snapped forward twice, his elbow rising to cover his mouth and nose.

“Heh’kishh’oo! Heh’kishh’oo!”

He sniffed again, plucking a couple of tissues from the box beside him to blow his nose. My heart leapt in my throat.

“Ugh. Bless me. I’mb sorry, babe.”

God. Why was that so hot? That was gross. Sneezing shouldn’t be cute… “You’re sorry?” I honestly laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Honestly, Shirley Temple, that was adorable. Your girly little sneezes… they emasculate you much better than my words ever could!”

He pouted at me, sniffing again like his nose was still bothering him. So, of course, I was obligated to take those lips in mine with a kiss… and stroke the tip of his nose as we pulled apart.

He groaned. “Don’t…”

“Don’t what?” I teased, kissing the underside of his jaw. I knew how that got to him… “Don’t do this?” I flicked his nose again.

“It itches…” he whined, rubbing the side of it. “You’ll make me sneeze again…”

“Well, in that case,” I trailed off, running my fingers lightly over his bobbing Adam’s apple, just visible because of the discarded tie on the floor, then slowly up under and around his jaw, up, up, up to the crease between his forehead, because he was squinting at his page, trying to stop his eyes watering… then down, down, softly, deftly, just my fingernails, tickling right over from the bridge he’d always pinch to hold in his temper down to the very tip where more sneezes were waiting to be drawn out.

His breath began to hitch again.

I waited.

“Heh… Heh… Heh…”

I watched.

“Heh… It’s… stu… heh… st… heh… heh… stuck. Help me… Heh heh heh…”

I moved.

He had an oral the next day. Might as well give him a bit of practise, right? So to speak…

I kissed his nose, right on the very tip.

“Heh… Heh… I’m gonna… gonna… gonna snee’heh-yiiiish’oo! Heh’kissh!Heh’kissh! Heh’kishh! Heh’kishh’oo! Heh’kishh’oo!”

“Bless you!”

But he held up a finger, breath still hitching. … “Heh’kishh’oo! … It’s still there… Heh’kishh! Heh’kishh’oo! … Ugh.”

“Bless you?”

“No. One more…” He groaned, squinting into the light, tissues pressed firmly to his face. “Heh’YIIISHHH’umf!”

Then he collapsed down sideways onto my side – he’d twisted during his fit – panting, tentatively filling a handful of tissues. I waited til he was… presentable and clean… enough, then leant over for another kiss, purposefully ignoring my hair as it swept over his face.

But Wes was already one step ahead of me. As I reached closer, he rolled over, swiping a spray bottle of cologne… A very familiar one that he’d promised never to wear around me… the front label decorated with the image of jasmine…

“Now, let’s have a little fun,” he said, shirt already hitting the floor.

[Umeko]

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!

too much hotness!!

I specially like - Nick/Jeff and Blaine and Kurt!

Pleaaaase write more!!!!

[snifflechick]

Wow. That was (to quote Santana above), something else. Wesssssssssss. <3