Snifflicious (F/F Glee Faberry)

[BootyBurgers]

oh. my. god. please please please continue it!!! i know you're busy and stuff WBB but id really really like to see more more more!!!

So good!! I love it! Tehe sick Rachel Please continue!

^^^^^^^ yesssss!

[wannablessedbe]

Hi guys! I know it's been a while, but this story is not over! Enjoy the update

--WBB

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As afternoon wore into evening, Rachel did her best to shake off her cold and get into performance mode; she slipped out from under her sleeping girlfriend on the couch and spent a long time soaking in a hot, steamy shower, breathing deeply and trying to clear her sinuses. And even though she hated taking medicine, she gulped down a shot of non-drowsy DayQuil and even used her emergency nasal spray, just to ensure she could belt out the high notes without any interference from a stuffy nose. By the time she came out of the bathroom, freshly scrubbed and breathing freely, Quinn was awake and curled up on the couch with a rattling, congested cough, Santana murmuring assurances and rubbing her friend's shivering back.

"Poor little thing, you need some more medicine," Rachel sighed, bringing out Quinn's inhaler and shaking it up before she pushed it into her girlfriend's hands. "I know you don't like it, but at least it's not the middle of the night this time. We need to get you breathing easier, sweetie pie."

"Thadks," Quinn croaked dazedly, taking the inhaler without argument. After she'd taken a couple of puffs, she leaned back against the couch cushions with a soft sigh of misery, picking up her stuffed monster and hugging him snugly to her chest. "Ugh, I hate feelihg this way. *Snrfl.*"

"Pobrecita, I wish I could make you feel better," Santana hummed softly, stroking a few locks of mussed blonde hair back from her friend's face.

"You are, Sadti...I'm glad you're here," Quinn yawned, smiling woozily at her best friend as Rachel came and kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you're here too, Santana," Rachel sighed, reaching over and squeezing the other girl's hand in her own. "I left her alone when I went down to the show last night, but I don't think I could stand to do it again. Will you help me get the humidifier out of the closet? I think it'll help."

"Sure thing, shortcake," Santana winked, ruffling Quinn's hair before rising to follow the little starlet out into the front hallway. "Hey Rach, are you sure you should be going to work tonight? I mean, you seem okay now; but if you're getting what Q's got, you might start feeling a lot worse soon. I haven't seen her this sick in a long time...hate to think of you up on stage dealing with that in the middle of a solo."

"Aww, Santana! It's nice to know you care," Rachel teased, giving the taller girl a little wink that just made her roll her eyes.

"Whatever, shrimp. I just don't wanna see you run yourself into the ground, and give me twice as many patients to fuss over in my little infirmary here."

"Well I appreciate the sentiment, but I really do feel okay...honest," Rachel smiled sweetly as she followed Santana to the kitchen to fill the humidifier with water. "I'm just a little stuffed up, nothing I can't sing through. Everything always hits Quinn so much harder because of the scar tissue in her lungs, and the ruptured spleen...her poor little body can barely defend itself from a simple cold. I hate watching her suffer like this. Did I thank you already for staying with her tonight?"

"You don't have to thank me, Rach. I love her too," Santana shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "And we'll get her feeling better soon, okay? That's a promise."

The two girls were still smiling when they brought the humidifier into the living room, heavy and sloshing with fresh water, and set it on the coffee table so the steam would blow right in the blonde girl's face. "Just what I always wanted...my own personal day spa," Quinn joked weakly, too sleepy to bother lifting her head from the pillow.

"Maybe I'll even give you a pedicure later," Santana winked, making Quinn chuckle and cough more.

"All right, no more joking now. I want her to drink at least 16 ounces every hour-- doesn't matter if it's water, or tea, or Pedialyte, she's got to stay hydrated 'till the fever breaks. Okay?"

"Yeah yeah, relax Thumbelina. I know how to take care of my homegirl."

"I'm sure you do, just humor me. She can have more cold medicine around 8, and if the cough gets bad she can use the inhaler anytime. I'll be back by 10 at the absolute latest. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Santana teased, rolling her eyes as Rachel squeezed back in between them on the couch for one final snuggle.

"Will you be okay for a few hours, angel face? I just hate to leave you like this..."

"Shh, I'll be fide, Rach," Quinn smiled absently, pressing her crumpled hanky to her delicate pink nose with a soft sniffle. "We'll just hadg out, ahd...*snnf!*...watch mbovies...*snnfl*..." Rachel stroked a lock of blonde hair back from her girlfriend's face as Quinn's eyes welled up, snot leaking from her quivering nostrils as she pinched them more firmly in the damp cloth. "Hehh, ehh...eht'CHXuhh!!! *Snnrfl.*"

"Bless you," Rachel and Santana said at the same time.

"Thag you," Quinn snuffled, with a congested cough. "Ughhh. Are you sure you're feelidg okay, Rach? I dod't wadt you up od stage if you're really...huhhh...*snnf!*...gettihg sihh...sigck..." The blonde girl closed her eyes and squeezed her dribbling pink nose firmly in the crumpled hanky, desperately trying to hold back another sneeze and the volley of chest-rattling coughs sure to follow. She pressed the damp cloth firmly against her nostrils and upper lip, breathing shallowly through her mouth; and for a moment, it was enough to keep the unquenchable tickle at bay. She sighed and opened her eyes, a bleary, dazed expression clouding her face as she kept the hanky pressed firmly to the moist pink underside of her nostrils.

"Aww, honey," Rachel cooed sympathetically, stroking her girlfriend's rumpled blonde hair. "Don't worry about me, I feel okay. I even took some of your cold meds to be safe, and I'm breathing fine. See?" To demonstrate, the little starlet clamped her mouth shut and took a deep breath through her nose, which sounded completely clear, thanks to the nasal spray she'd taken after her shower. It had done an amazing job of clearing out the slight congestion clogging up her sinuses, to be sure; but it had also left her nasal passages feeling raw and tender, as they were so unused to the rather harsh medicine, and her deep breath sparked an irksome tickle deep in her sinuses. It wasn't enough to make her sneeze, but it niggled and twitched in the back of her head, and she rubbed her eyes and the bridge of her nose to dispel it.

"Ohhh...*snrfl*...okay," Quinn nodded absently, losing the battle with her own runny nose as the tickle flared back to life, twitching impishly inside her snotty nostrils no matter how hard she squeezed and massaged them through the cloth. Her head tilted back helplessly, and her fluttering eyes fell shut as her wheezy lungs sucked in a sharp, hitching gasp of air. Finally, she released her quivering pink nose from the cloth as the rims of her nostrils twitched wide open, allowing a thin trickle of mucus to dribble down her lip as she cupped the hanky loosely to her face with both hands. "Hihhh...ehh'chiuh!! Heh-ehhTCHioo!!! *Snrfl*...Uh, uhhh...hkkSHIuhh!!!" Quinn kept the hanky clamped firmly to her mouth as a series of wet, ponderous coughs followed after the sneezes, her girlfriend and her best friend blessing her and fussing over her on either side.

"Sweet baby girl...I can't leave you like this," Rachel sighed, shaking her head as Quinn's coughing subsided, and Santana helped her take a drink of water.

"Go, Rach, please," Quinn shook her head, leaning back against the couch cushions with a weary half smile as she looked up into her girlfriend's anxious dark eyes. "I dod't wadt your life to stop just because I'b sigck. Sadti will take care of be. We'll be righh...*snnfl*...right here whed you...whed you get b-back...hehh'SHIUH!!! *Snrfl.*" Quinn snapped forward with another breathless, stuffy sneeze, her delicate pink nostrils glistening and dribbling with snot even after she'd wiped them in the hanky's damp folds.

"She's right, shortcake. Go do your thing, we got this." Santana gave her a little wink, squeezing the shorter girl's shoulder. Rachel sighed, but for once she didn't argue. With a last round of hugs and kisses, the little starlet reluctantly rose from the couch, grabbing a handkerchief covertly from the basket of clean laundry in the hall on her way to the door.

"Don't forget an umbrella!" Santana yelled after her as she was buttoning up her coat.

"Okay, Mom," Rachel called back teasingly, smiling despite herself at the reassuring banter. It took all her willpower to walk out the door, the sound of Quinn's congested coughs echoing behind her as she locked the deadbolt, and trudged down the hall to the elevator.

When she got down to the street, she saw that it was indeed raining again; fat, icy drops pelted down from the gloomy grey sky, made even gloomier by the dusky dimness of twilight. Rachel shivered, and pulled her coat more snugly around herself as she opened her umbrella and headed towards the subway. The cold, damp air tickled her nose, and she pulled the neatly folded hanky from her pocket, rubbing it briskly under her nostrils and blowing to clear the itch. But it had the opposite effect, the vibration sending waves of fresh tickles up and down the raw, irritated lining of her nasal passages, and her breath caught sharply in her chest. "Hht'chx!! Uhh-AHSHOOoo!!! *Snnf!*" Rachel doubled over under her umbrella, shivering with the force of two tingling, ticklish sneezes. She sighed unhappily, rubbing her nose briskly in the soft cotton cloth. At least there was no snot clogging her nostrils; she could still sing, her head felt clear and airy, if not a little sore and tired. She could do this. All she had to do was keep the sneezes at bay for a couple of hours. With a weary sigh of determination, she trudged down the steps to the subway platform, rubbing methodically at her slightly pink nose.

[BootyBurgers]

I'm SO glad that you kept this going! I love this story I would love it if santana got sick Please continue this!! its amazing!

[weevill25]

oh. my. god. oh. my. god. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING THIS!!!! I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!

no seriously i'm like in the middle of finals week i'm exhausted as shit and this just made my day!!!! :D

thank you so so much!!!!!!! please continue!!! poor baby quinnie shes so adorable!!!

thank you so much wbb you know how to make a girl's day

[Whysprr]

I was beginning to lose hope, but thank you so much for the update! Hmm... Sick Santana would be very interesting. Anyways great part as usual! Can't wait for more

[BootyBurgers]

I just read this again It is seriously great! Please keep it going!!!

[weevill25]

I know WBB is probably really busy...but id really like to see this continued too....please??? :D

[wannablessedbe]

aghhh, I'm sorry I've been so unresponsive lately, guys! I have been thinking about the next part...but I had a little bit of writer's block for a while. think it's past now though, planning on posting an update soon

[BootyBurgers]

Yaaaaayyy I can't wait!

[weevill25]

OMG YES PLEASE!! THANK YOU!! i'm drooling with anticipation!!

[wannablessedbe]

Hey gleeks! Thanks for all the great feedback and encouragement. This chap focuses primarily on Rachel; and FYI, you'll be seeing an AU version of Jesse St. James (“AU Jesse” is basically fictionalized Jonathan Groff, if that means anything to you). Enjoy!

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Snifflicious

Part 8

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By the time she got to her dressing room, Rachel was damp and extremely cranky. Her umbrella had blown itself inside-out a few blocks before she got to the theater, leaving her huddled under her coat against the pattering rain, and making her hair stick to her face like a drowned rat. Her nose had started running again, too, irritated by the cold, damp air; and Rachel gave a soft, liquid sniffle as she swiped the back of her wrist against the snot-slicked underside of her nostrils. But a deep, wafting tickle was already blooming in the back of her head, and she sniffled again sharply, coughing a little as she kicked off her wet shoes and began toweling her hair dry.

“Hiiihhhh...hehh'EISHiuh!!! *Snnfl.*” Rachel's shoulders jerked with the soft intensity of a wet, snotty sneeze, which she contained awkwardly with one hand cupped to her face, the other still holding the towel absently against her damp head.

"Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody might not be able to sing tonight," her co-star and good friend, Jesse St. James, said with a frown as he drew closer and offered her a tissue from the makeup mirror, gently rubbing her back while she blew her nose clear. "Should I get Duncan to call in your understudy?"

"I'm fine, it's just a little head cold," Rachel grumbled, feeling irrationally annoyed with him for the small display of concern. "I don't need to be babied like some green kid. I'm a professional."

"Me-yow, kitty!" Jesse rolled his eyes, kissing her chilled cheek before collapsing into her makeup chair with an indulgent grin. "It was just an observation, no need to shoot the messenger. You sure you wanna be here? Gotta start using those union-guaranteed sick days eventually."

"I said I was fine!" Rachel snapped, actually stamping her foot in frustration. Jesse just raised an eyebrow silently, and said nothing. "Ugh, fuck, I'm sorry," the little starlet sighed, dropping into her co-star's lap and putting her damp head down against his shoulder. After three years of having fake sex on stage together every night, they'd developed a very close and comfortable relationship, made easier by the fact that they were both really, really gay and had no sexual tension anyway (they were also, luckily, really good actors). Jesse just chuckled and rubbed her back, giving her a little kiss on the top of her head when she whined softly against his neck.

"It's okay, boo. But I am a little worried, you really don't seem like yourself. If you won't bail on the show, then can we at least smack you up with some drugs? I don't need you snotting on me in the middle of a solo."

"I already took some at home," Rachel grumbled reluctantly, straightening up with a sigh. "Honestly, I don't feel too bad. I'm just worried about Quinn...she's so sick, and the fever just keeps getting worse. I hate to leave her, even for a few hours. It makes me feel all jittery and anxious, and I just can't relax and get into character." Rachel sighed and rubbed her nose absently, wiping a dribble of snot on the back of her wrist.

"Do you want me to send Tristan over to look in on her?" Jesse asked, gently rubbing the knotted muscles in her shoulders until they slowly began to relax. "He's still pestering me about getting a puppy, maybe he'd shut up about it if he had a chance to take care of a real human being for a night. Especially one as cute and pitiful as your Quinnie-pie when she's under the weather."

"My girlfriend is not a puppy," Rachel huffed; but she was smiling wearily when she raised her head. "And as much as I appreciate the offer, it's not necessary— Santana is keeping her company tonight, so I know she's in good hands. I just...*snnnf!*...don't like being away from her when she's sick." Jesse reached across the makeup counter and handed Rachel another tissue. "Thadks," the little starlet snuffled, cupping the soft cotton to her face and blowing thickly into it. "Ugh, goddamit, I don't wanna be cranky. I'm sorry, Jess, you shouldn't have to coddle me like this."

"I like coddling you, and besides, I can't be great if you're not great," the golden-haired boy shrugged, giving her a little wink as he stood up. "How about I go make you a nice cup of tea, and you can change out of those wet clothes? Then we'll do our warm-ups. I bet you'll feel a lot better."

“Ohh...*snnfl*...okay...” Rachel nodded absently, bringing the crumpled tissue back to her face as her eyes went out of focus, and a trickle of snot ran sluggishly from one nostril. She closed her eyes and pinched the tissue around her nose, trying to hold in the twitchy tickle; but it was no good. Her lungs expanded with a sharp gasp of air, making a soft, adorably desperate sound in the back of her throat as her head tilted back slightly, and her cold-filled nostrils pulsed wide open behind the tissue. “EhhTCHIuhh!! *Snnfl*...ughh, fuck this.”

“Bless you, darling,” Jesse smiled affectionately, ruffling her damp hair while she blew her nose, rubbing it roughly with the wadded remains of her tissue. “Now get out of these wet clothes before you catch pneumonia. Be right back.”

The tea did help clear her head, and once she was in dry clothes she felt a lot better, getting through her warm-ups and costume check without any problems. She called home just once, before the first act, and Santana assured her that everything was fine, and Quinn was fully medicated and hydrated as per Rachel's exacting instructions. Once she was on stage, taking her place in the dark before the curtain rose, she felt like herself again, and it was easy to close her eyes and slip into the character that had become as familiar to her as a second skin.

Unfortunately, her zen attitude started to wear off when the tickle returned to her nose halfway through the first act, demanding more and more of her attention as the performance progressed. Every time she had a chance to turn away from the audience, she was sniffling furiously, rubbing or wiping her nose on her sleeve, and she finally gave in to a harshly stifled “Hht'kxch!” about twenty minutes before intermission, thankfully not while she was singing. She knew she wasn't the first Broadway actor in history to sneeze or sniffle on stage; but she was still blushing bright red when the director came to her during intermission and told her with obvious annoyance on his face that she was not to come to work tomorrow, or the next day, until she was germ-free, reminding her that she had a perfectly good understudy who would be more than happy to step in and spare them all further embarrassment.

“Hey, take it easy on her Duncan,” Jesse frowned as he came up territorially beside his leading lady, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she stood glumly taking her scolding from the director. “Rachel works her ass off for this show every single day without complaint. You could try offering a little sympathy, instead of acting like she deliberately came in sick tonight to make your life more difficult.”

“I'm not a goddam babysitter,” the director grumbled waspishly; but the little smirk and the way he rolled his eyes at them took the sting out of his words somewhat. “I know you're trying to be a trooper, Rach, but you're not doing us any favors by coming in here with a head full of snot. It's not just a question of whether you can work through it; now I have to worry about everyone else catching it too. That goes double for you, Mister Heartthrob,” he addressed Jesse with a sigh. “I want you on emergency vitamin boosters tonight, and for the rest of the week too.”

“Duncan, I really am sorry,” Rachel said plaintively as the director turned to go. “I thought you'd want me to...*snnnf!*...tough it out.” The director sighed and pulled a pocket-pack of tissues from his pocket, offering one to his sniffling star.

“I know you're a tough cookie, kiddo. But it's better for you and for the show if you take a sick day when you need it, okay? Now get back to your marks, curtain's up in five.” Rachel nodded glumly, trailing after Jesse as they made their way back to the stage in the darkness.

“You gonna make it through the second half, Wonder Girl?” Jesse asked playfully as they got into position, with her sitting in his lap in the middle of the stage. “I can cover for you with the sniffles and sneezes, but I'm gonna have a hard time ad-libbing if you pass the fuck out on stage.”

“I'll be fine,” Rachel huffed, crankier than ever, still clutching the tissue Duncan had given her as her nostrils quivered irritably. “I'm...*snnrf!*...sorry Jess...uhh'CHshh!!! *Snnfl.*” She barely managed to wipe her snotty nose and shove the tissue in her pocket before the curtain rose.

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Rachel took a cab home that night, something she almost never did; but as it was still raining, and she felt ready to curl up and go to sleep right in the orchestra pit after the curtain call, it seemed like the best course of action. She said a few hasty goodbyes to her castmates, apologizing profusely for her cold and the trouble it had caused them all, though everyone besides the director was sympathetic and told her not to worry, they'd all been there. Freed more or less of her guilty conscience, Rachel collapsed into the back of the cab and closed her eyes, half asleep by the time the driver pulled up in front of her building.

When she let herself in, the first thing she noticed was the sound of the TV floating down the hall from the living room. She followed it absently, collapsing onto the couch beside Santana and a sleeping Quinn with a soft sigh of exhaustion. “I'm home,” she muttered listlessly, reaching over to stroke a lock of blonde hair back from her girlfriend's flushed face. Quinn was stretched out with her head on a pillow in Santana's lap, her eyes out of focus as she blinked them open, and smiled sleepily up at her girlfriend.

“Geez, you look like roadkill, shortcake. I told you not to go to work, didn't I?” Santana raised an eyebrow, reaching over to feel her friend's forehead.

“I'm sorry,” Rachel whined, the tears she'd been holding back all night finally spilling over as she put her face in her hands and began to sob.

“Hey, shh, it's okay Rach,” Santana murmured, slightly alarmed by the sight of her headstrong friend bursting into tears over practically nothing. “You're home now, okay? I think it's time for you to get some rest. Broadway can survive without you for a couple of days.”

“Yeah...I know,” Rachel sniffled, taking a tissue from the box Santana passed her and wiping her eyes and nose. “I just...thought I could handle it. I don't like feeling weak.”

“Tell me about it,” Santana smirked, nudging her friend gently in the side. “You think I go down without a fight when I'm sick? Britt practically has to tie me to the bed.”

“I bet you kinda like that,” Quinn murmured woozily, her eyes only half open as she smiled sleepily.

“You're punchy when you're looped on cold meds, aren't ya, Q?” Santana teased, with an affectionate smile for her fever-dazed friend. Rachel, her own misery temporarily forgotten, turned to her girlfriend with a sweet, sleepy smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead, which was still very hot.

“How are you feeling, my sweet sunshine? Any worse?”

“I can see the walls breathing,” Quinn mumbled woozily, gesturing vaguely to the room around them. “D'you see that, Rach? They're, like...breathing...like an octopus.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“Is her brain cooking?” Santana asked anxiously, taking a damp washcloth from the coffee table and wiping the sheen of sweat from the blonde girl's face.

“No, it's all right San,” Rachel sighed, shaking her head with a small, affectionate smile at her woozy girlfriend. “She hallucinates sometimes when she's got a high-grade fever. It'll pass in a few hours.”

“And if it doesn't?” Santana persisted, obviously unnerved.

“If it doesn't, then we'll take her to the hospital,” Rachel said quietly, threading her fingers through limp blonde hair. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, we just need some ice...” The little starlet yawned and stumbled to her feet, shivering slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Huhh...” Breath hitching, Rachel raised the crumpled tissue in her hand back to her face, cupping it loosely to her glistening nostrils as they dilated involuntarily. “EhhCHIUhh!!! *Snnfl*...ughh, egscuse be. *Snnnf.*”

“Aww, sit your ass down, Thumbelina. I'll get Q an ice pack, and then I'm making you some tea,” Santana said brusquely, rising from the couch and checking Rachel's forehead one more time to make sure she wasn't getting feverish. “In fact, go change into your PJ's, 'cause you are not going anywhere, chica.”

“'Kay,” Rachel yawned, uncharacteristically submissive to Santana as she wiped her nose absently on the used-up tissue in her hand; then suddenly remembered the hanky she'd grabbed on her way out, and fished it out of her coat pocket. “Uhh, that's better,” she sighed, pinching her leaking nose more firmly in the soft cloth, and closing her eyes in submission as a fresh tickle stirred. “Huhhh...ahh'EHSHOOoo!! *Snnfl.*” The dark-haired girl snapped forward with the hanky cupped to her wet nose, bending at the knee to absorb the force of her lurch so as not to stumble on her feet.

“Bless you, Rachie-boo,” Quinn murmured, opening her eyes briefly to smile sleepily at her girlfriend's sniffling, absentminded expression. “You're so cute...when you sneeze,” she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

“Thadks, baby,” Rachel chuckled weakly, kneading the moist, pink-tinged bottom of her nose vigorously through the damp cloth before shoving the hanky back in her pocket. “Ughh, I'm gonna go change...be right back.”

“'Kay,” Quinn mumbled, her eyes closing again as Santana returned with the ice pack, and pressed it to her hot forehead. “Then we gotta...feed the octopus. He...*snnnf*...he likes ice cream.”

“Okay, angel,” Rachel smiled sleepily, giving her girlfriend a soft kiss on the lips before padding down the hall to their bedroom. She couldn't wait to get into her pajamas.

[Blessing Queen]

Great writing,I don't watch Glee,but liked the story!Thank you for sharing all these chapters,hope you can keep writing great fics.

[Bgrace27]

omg great update. i love it. please continue!

[Whysprr]

Thanks for the update! This was wonderful. Adding Jesse and a hallucinating Quinn, while that did cause for some alarm, it was still fantastic. Thanks for continuing! Hope to see more soon

[BootyBurgers]

Amazing update! really worth the wait! Jesse was adorable with Rachel and the Quinn hallucinating

Please continue!

[ilovesneezing]

Adorable, as always

[weevill25]

oh my god this was fabulous!! sooo worth the wait!! and i really hope we continue to see more!! thank you so much WBB!!!!

[Ezmac_45]

Great story absolutely love it hope you continue

[wannablessedbe]

The fun continues! You guys just make it impossible for me to stop writing...

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Snifflicious

Part 9

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When Quinn woke up the next morning, she knew right away that the antibiotics had finally kicked in, bringing her fever down and loosening the deep congestion in her head and chest while she slept. She sat up awkwardly on the couch, carefully disentangling herself from Rachel's warm body, curled snugly against her, yawning softly as she blinked around the room. Only then did she notice that Santana was still there, grinning at her from the love seat, eating cereal and watching the cartoon network.

“Hey Q, you feeling better? You look better,” Santana smiled, setting down her cereal and crossing to the couch to feel her friend's forehead.

“I amb feelidg better,” Quinn agreed with a weak smile, knuckling her stuffy pink nose with a soft, wet sniffle.

“Here you go, tiger,” Santana teased gently, handing the blonde girl a fresh handkerchief from the pile on the coffee table and waiting patiently while she blew her nose.

“Uhhh, thank you,” Quinn sniffled when she was done, an absentminded smile on her face as she dropped the hanky into her lap. “You didn't have to stay here all night, you know. But I'm glad you did.” The blonde girl reached down and stroked her sleeping girlfriend's hair absentmindedly, checking her forehead for any signs of a fever. Luckily, Rachel had managed to avoid the worst of Quinn's germs, and her skin felt cool to the touch, if not a bit clammy.

“Me too, querida,” Santana smiled, ruffling her hair. “I may not be a big sap like you and B and Thumbelina here, but I don't like to see you suffer. You were really out of your head last night, I couldn't leave you like that.”

“Yeah...I remember something about a...*snnfl*...an octopus?” Quinn blew her nose again, unable to quench the itch unfurling inside her head as rivulets of slick, watery snot ran sluggishly from the depths of her nose, dribbling out her raw pink nostrils. “Hehh...ISHHuhh!! Hih'HHTchuh!!! *Snnfl*...ughh, 'scuse be,” she chuckled weakly, unfolding the hanky once and blowing again, the gurgling sound just as wet as before, if not more so.

“Bless you, querida,” Santana hummed, an affectionate half-smile on her face as she watched her best friend's face scrunch up adorably, obviously preoccupied with the unquenchable tickle of nasal discharge loosening in her head and running out her nose. “And yeah, you were hallucinating that your living room wall turned into an octopus. You kept saying we had to feed him and play with him, because octopi are smarter than people think.”

“Oh, God, that's right,” Quinn giggled softly, shaking her head as she leaned back comfortably against the couch cushions. “You must've thought I w-went...*snffl*...completely in...insane,” The blonde girl sniffled again, holding the damp hanky a mere inch from her glistening nostrils as they pulsed wetly, pulling in familiar, quavering breaths as the slick discharge continued to run lazily down the moist channel of her upper lip. “H-hhuh...uh...hhk'TCHshh!! *Snnfl.*”

“Bless you,” Santana clucked, rubbing her friend's back gently as she blew her dribbling wet nose yet again. “Your nose sure sounds stuffy, pobrecita. Time for some more cold meds, I think?”

“Actually, this is a good sign,” The blonde girl sniffled, smiling wryly as she wiped her nose again. “It means the antibiotics are finally kicking in, and all this snot that's been stuck in my head for three days is finally ready to...t-take a h-hike...hihishiuhh!!!” Quinn sneezed again, finally rousing her girlfriend from her deep, exhausted sleep on the couch beside her.

“Bless you, baby,” Rachel murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes with a soft yawn, but making no attempt to sit up.

“Thadks, Rach,” Quinn sighed, giving her wet nose one final squeeze in the damp hanky before letting the crumpled fabric drop in her lap, as her free hand reached out to stroke her girlfriend's forehead. “How are you feeling today, starlight?”

“I'b f-fide...” Rachel sniffled sharply, rolling onto her side and bringing her sleeve up to her face as her breath hitched and her nostrils quivered, flared and running. “Uht-CHIOOoo!! Ahh'ahshiuhh!!!” The dark-haired girl shivered weakly as she sneezed into her sleeve; then she sniffled and rubbed her arm against the snot-slicked channel of her upper lip.

“Yeah, you've never sounded more fine,” Quinn agreed sarcastically, handing her sniffling girlfriend a fresh hanky from the coffee table to replace her sleeve. “Here, babycakes, I think you need this.”

“Thadks, Quiddie,” Rachel sniffled thickly, taking the clean cloth and blowing vigorously into it, until the wet, gurgling sound in her head subsided. “Uhh, okay, I'm not fine...I feel yucky, my throat hurts and my head's all stuffed up,” the little starlet whined, finally dragging herself upright on the couch to feel her girlfriend's pale face. “But what about you, angel? How's your fever?”

“Going down, finally,” Quinn smiled, taking Rachel's hand from her forehead and kissing it. “Thanks to you and Santi taking such good care of me.” The blonde girl's words seemed to remind her little starlet that they still weren't alone in the apartment; and Rachel finally looked up and noticed Santana sitting on the loveseat.

“Oh...good morning, Santana,” Rachel yawned, rubbing her eyes. “I didn't know you were still h-here...” her eyes narrowed as she raised the hanky absently to her face, glistening trickles of snot already leaking from her moist pink nostrils as they began to huff and quiver deeply. “Uhh—uhh—huhhh— hghtSHIUhh!!! Uhh'CHXiuh!! *Snnnnnnf.*”

“Bless you,” Quinn and Santana chorused together, as the little starlet blew her nose into the dampening fabric.

“Ughh, thadks,” Rachel sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions with a woozy yawn, and a weak grin. “I guess we're a matching set today, huh Quinnie-pie?”

“That's what you get for kissing me when I'm a snot monster,” the blonde girl teased, gently pinching the end of her girlfriend's pink nose, and feeling the slick dribble of snot coating her fingers, which Rachel hastily sniffled back with a sheepish expression. “Hope it was worth it.”

“Kissing you is always worth it,” Rachel beamed sleepily, snuggling up closer to her girlfriend's side and pulling her head down for a soft kiss on the lips.

“Okay, you guys are grossing me out now,” Santana complained, standing up and stretching her arms over her head with a yawn. “D'you want some breakfast or something? I need to get out of the room if you're gonna start swapping snot and stuff.”

“Breakfast sounds good,” Quinn nodded eagerly, perking up at the mere suggestion. “I think I'm pretty hungry, actually.”

“Really? That's great,” Rachel yawned softly, rubbing her eyes. “You really are feeling better, huh babe?”

“Yeah, lots better,” Quinn nodded, smiling as she picked up her hanky and blew her runny nose clear again. “I th-think my fever's almost...*snffl*...ahh, almost gone...” She pressed the soft fabric flush against the glistening pink rims of her nostrils as they pulsed wide and helpless, dribbling with thin, watery discharge. “Ahh—ahchiuhh!! *Snnfl*...uhh'tchiiuh!! Hhh...hht'ghshhuh!!! *Snnf, snnfl.*”

“Bless you, angelcake,” Rachel murmured, smiling affectionately at her sniffling girlfriend as Santana came and felt both their faces again.

“Well you're definitely right, Q, the fever's going down...but it's not gone yet, and you're still all stuffy and snotty. That goes double for you, shortcake,” she added, tapping the pink tip of Rachel's nose. “I'm getting you both a fresh dose of cold medicine, then we'll do breakfast.”

“I wadt padcakes, with chocolate chips,” Quinn said from behind her hanky as she gave her leaky nose another wipe.

“I can definitely go for that,” Santana agreed, pouring out a dose of red medicine from the bottle on the coffee table, and handing the little cup to Quinn, who gulped it down bravely. “How about you, Thumbelina? Will you eat some pancakes?”

“I don't think so,” Rachel sighed, wincing as she gently felt the swollen glands in her throat. “I'm not really hungry, and my throat hurts a lot...I'd rather have something I don't have to chew.”

“Oatmeal?” Quinn asked sweetly, stroking Rachel's hair back and kissing her forehead. “With honey and cinnamon?”

“Yeah,” the dark-haired girl nodded gratefully, with a weak smile.

“Okay,” Santana sighed, passing her a fresh cup of medicine before standing up with a stretch and a yawn. “Pancakes and oatmeal coming up. But first I wanna see you swallow that crap, Rach.”

“Santana! I'm not a child,” Rachel huffed indignantly.

“Somehow, that would be a lot more believable if I hadn't seen you wipe your nose on Q's shirt while you were sleeping last night,” Santana teased, making Rachel's sickly-pale face flush pink, while Quinn just smiled sweetly.

“Aww, babycakes, it's okay if you wipe your nose on me,” the blonde girl cooed, while the little starlet gulped down her cold medicine with a cranky pout.

“It's not like I'd ever actually do that when I was awake,” Rachel grumbled, squeezing her wet nose in the crumpled hanky as it began to tickle and drip again.

“Rach, it's okay,” Quinn chuckled, threading her fingers loosely through her girlfriend's dark hair, and kissing her lightly on the cheek. “God knows, I've been snotting all over you for days. And you've never been too bothered, have you?”

“Doe,” Rachel sniffled in cranky agreement, with another gurgling blow into the crumpled hanky. “I'd rather have you close...doe batter how gerby you are. *Snnfl!*”

“Right back atcha, little starlight.” Quinn winked, and Rachel smiled shyly back, tilting her face up automatically when the blonde girl leaned down to kiss her. But the sudden flare of a wet, teasing tickle bloomed sharp and sudden in the back of her stuffy nose just Quinn's lips were parting from hers, and she barely had time to cup a hand to her face and duck her head against the blonde girl's flannel pajama top as a hitching sneeze overtook her weakened body. “Uhh'KTXHuh!! *Snffl*...”

“Bless you, my poor little angel,” Quinn hummed, kissing the top of Rachel's head while the sniffling girl groped for her hanky, and wiped away the smear of her snot on her girlfriend's shirt before blowing her nose again.

“Thag you,” The little starlet croaked with a cranky sigh, snuggling back up against Quinn's chest and closing her eyes with a yawn, as the blonde girl gently rubbed her back.

“Congratulations, you're both still disgustingly adorable,” Santana rolled her eyes, trailing into the kitchen to make breakfast.

“Dod't forget the chocolate chips!” Quinn called after her, snuggling up contentedly against her girlfriend's warm body and turning her attention toward the TV, sniffling absently with a soft smile on her face.

[Masking]

Just FYI, antibiotics don't work on colds. They only work on bacteria, and even then, only some of the time, so they wouldn't be prescribed for a rhinovirus.

Otherwise - cute.

[wannablessedbe]

Just FYI, antibiotics don't work on colds. They only work on bacteria, and even then, only some of the time, so they wouldn't be prescribed for a rhinovirus.

Otherwise - cute.

I know dude. Quinn's backstory (which is only in the first part, I think, so you might not've seen it) is that she was in a bad car accident in high school, so she has no spleen and scarred lungs; so she's very prone to respiratory infections, which can develop easily anytime she catches a cold. that's why she eventually had that hardcore fever. but when rachel catches the germs quinn had on the first day, when she was most contagious, she's just getting cold germs. make sense? sorry if that wasn't as clear as it was in my head ;p

[Masking]

All right, yeah. That makes sense.

You're actually very on the mark with what scar tissue in the lungs can do, in that case. The pulmonary circuit is so important that the lungs end up being pretty much a high-traffic area, and can develop different sorts of damage from simple scarring - in fact, scar tissue from an old injury gave my grandfather lung cancer.

[BootyBurgers]

Seriously amazing! I am totally in love with this story! Please continue it!

[weevill25]

"Congratulations, you're both still disgustingly adorable" WHY ARE YOU SUCH A GOOD WRITER??? holy holy holy hell this is amazing.

[00Phantomas00]

I'm a fan of your stories !

I read every time a party before going to bed.

Your stories are incredibly adorable, thank you wholeheartedly for us to share them !

Please, do not stop !