Friends w/ Benefits Don't Do Chicken Soup! (Glee, Quintana F/F) updated 7/5

[wannablessedbe]

Hey peeps! Hope everyone is having a great summer. This story is a request for my friend PurpleNinja, who loves Quinn & Santana! But as always, I don't think you need to follow Glee to enjoy this story. Stay tuned for part 2 soon!

cheers,

--WBB

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Friends with Benefits Don't Do Chicken Soup!

A Quintana Fic for SFF

By WannaBlessedBe

Part 1

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Santana tried to ignore the high-pitched squeals and giggles coming from Kurt's partitioned “bedroom” portion of their shared Bushwick loft, and concentrate on perfecting her smoky eye makeup in the dimly lit bathroom mirror. She'd only just gotten home from her exhausting bartending job fifteen minutes ago, and was now scrambling to get cleaned up and sexified before Quinn showed up for another one of their totally casual, and obscenely hot booty calls. They didn't call them that out loud, of course; but they were both careful not to call them anything else, either. Certainly, they didn't call them “dates.” Quinn had been very clear from that first time at the Lima Hotel that this was not a relationship, and Santana, still smarting from her breakup with Brittany, didn't see any reason to push. Casual hookups had always worked well for her in the past; all the fun and none of the risk of a “real” relationship, right? So what was so wrong with that? And Santana had to admit, no one had ever scratched her itch quite like Quinn. Not even Brittany.

The idea of a “real” relationship with Quinn had flitted through her mind occasionally, it was true; when they were lying limp and contented in each other's arms late at night, falling asleep together after hours of mind-blowing sex; or when they saw that scary movie at the Angelika, and Quinn hid her face against Santana's shoulder every time the monster attacked. But each time the thought entered her brain, Santana immediately squashed it, telling herself it was never gonna happen, so just forget about it. Might as well enjoy what you've actually got, instead of sitting around wishing for more.

She was just applying one final coat of lipstick when a soft knock reverberated off the loft's heavy metal door; and Kurt, despite his highly distracted state behind the partition with his own totally casual, non-boyfriend Adam, got there first, swinging the door open to reveal the sparkling hazel eyes and mischievous smile of Quinn Fabray. Santana hastily tossed her lipstick back in her makeup bag and skipped out of the bathroom, biting back an all-out goofy grin of sheer happiness at the blonde girl's presence—she had to keep her cool, after all. Santana Lopez always keeps her cool.

“Hey Q, you made it. Guess that means you finished that term paper for your econ professor, huh?” She wanted to kiss the blonde girl hello, but settled for a quick hug instead, allowing herself a moment to breathe in the sweet smell of her best friend's sleek blonde hair before pulling away casually.

“Not quite. I actually decided to take a break and clear my head a little, and then go back and finish it tomorrow. It was either that, or throw my laptop out the window. I might still do that, actually.” Quinn smiled sardonically and dropped her head to one side. Santana frowned.

“Everything okay, blondie? You look kinda wiped out.”

“Yeah, yeah, it's fine. I'm just frustrated with this one class. But I'm not gonna let it ruin my whole weekend. We're seeing Shakespeare in the Park tonight, right? And my dumb econ paper will still be there in the morning. You look pretty fly in that dress, by the way.” The blonde girl grinned for real now, and Santana returned the favor, feeling a slight blush rise in her caramel skin as she smiled back at her totally casual friend-with-benefits.

“Fly? Where'd you pick that one up, hmm snowflake? The Urban Slang Dictionary?” Santana teased, slinging an arm around Quinn's shoulders and grabbing her jacket off the peg by the door as they walked out.

“I have my sources,” The blonde girl shrugged, smirking demurely as they made their way down the hall to the elevator. “I may not live in Brooklyn, but New Haven's no cornfield either, y'know.”

“Oh, yeah, right. New Haven, the cultural capital of America,” Santana teased, her hand finding its way into Quinn's silky blonde hair, and twirling a loose curl around her finger. She thought she felt the other girl shiver slightly against her.

“Yeah, well, it's...not so bad,” the blonde girl murmured distractedly, with a soft intake of breath as they stepped into the elevator. Santana assumed it was because of her flirtatious fingers, and with a satisfied little grin, she slipped them further up the back of Quinn's neck, stroking the soft skin there with her thumb. She was confused when the blonde girl went suddenly stiff; but only for a second, until she felt Quinn's soft gasp beside her, followed by a sniffle as she cupped a pale hand to her face.

“Hhih—hht'chxiuh!! *Snfl,*” The blonde girl snapped forward with a hitching, breathless sneeze, her nose pinched firmly between her fingers. Santana's hand still rested on the back of her neck, and the dark-haired girl felt the weak shiver than ran up the length of Quinn's spine as the sudden sneeze tumbled out of her.

“Aw, bless you cutie,” Santana chuckled, rubbing her friend's back lightly as they stepped out of the elevator and walked out into the cool spring night. “Do you need a tissue? I think I have some in my purse.”

“Nah, I'm okay. I have some,” Quinn sniffled softly, pulling a pocket-pack of kleenex from her purse and wiping her nose hastily. Santana raised an eyebrow.

“Are you coming down with a cold or something? We don't have to go out tonight if you're not feeling good, y'know. We can always swap our tickets out for another date.” Santana tried to make her tone of voice as indifferent as possible, like it didn't matter to her either way; but Quinn still rolled her eyes and huffed impatiently as she crammed her used tissue back in her pocket.

“I'm fine, I told you already. C'mon, we better get going if we want decent seats.” Santana shrugged and followed after her, not wanting to press the issue if it was going to cause a fight. Not when they were having so much fun together, and things were closer to perfect than they'd ever been before.

On the subway, they giggled and whispered together, and Quinn didn't seem to mind Santana's wandering hands one bit; but then when they emerged into Central Park, there was a light rain falling, and neither of them had thought to bring an umbrella. “Damn, this blows,” Santana groaned, wrapping her arm around Quinn's shoulder again as they came to the end of the line for the outdoor theater's ticket holders, most of whom were holding umbrellas. “Should we bail, and try again another night? It's not like we'd be losing any money. The tickets are free and all.”

“No way, I'm not giving up my first chance to see Shakespeare in the Park,” Quinn shook her head sullenly, shivering slightly as she pressed herself more firmly against Santana's warmth. “It's just a little rain, it's not like we'll die.”

“Ohh-kaaay,” Santana hummed in an unconvinced voice, rubbing a hand briskly up and down Quinn's arm to counteract the shivers running through the blonde girl's body. “But it might get cancelled anyway if this rain gets any heavier. I'm up for giving it a shot if you are...but we might have more fun back at my place, anyway.” She gave the blonde girl a saucy wink, and leaned in to nuzzle her ear. Quinn sighed and leaned in a little closer; then her breath hitched again, soft but urgent, raising a hand to her face as her eyes narrowed ominously. She tried to pull away, but Santana held on tight, keeping her arm wrapped firmly around the blonde girl's trembling shoulders.

“Ahh'ihhshiuh!! Hhih...hht'chxxew!!!” Quinn shivered and snapped forward into the rain, tendrils of blonde hair sticking to her face as she sneezed dazedly, nose pressed against the back of her hand.

“Jeez, bless you querida,” Santana sighed, the term of endearment slipping out unintentionally as she gazed at the other girl's unfocused expression, hazel eyes blinking absently as she rubbed and pinched the bottom of her nose, coughing and sniffling sharply. “Maybe tonight's not the best night for outdoor theater, hmm? How about we go back to my place, make some chicken soup, and watch something dumb and violent on Netflix? I'll warm you up in about five seconds, blondie,” the Latina teased, trying to keep her tone light as she rubbed a hand gently across Quinn's shivering back. But the sniffling blonde girl just scowled.

“Here's a thought. How about you stop acting like you're my damn girlfriend, and just fuck off?” Quinn yanked herself out of Santana's gentle grip, and stalked off through the rain, marching blindly through Central Park though she really didn't have a clue where she was going.

“Q, wait a minute! Just hold up! Quinn, stop!” Santana yelled in frustration, chasing after friend through the park. Quinn could be mad at her if she wanted, but that didn't make it okay to just let her walk off into the depths of Central Park late at night, to be raped or mugged or killed.

“Stop following me!” Quinn huffed, arms wrapped around herself as the rain grew heavier. Soon, they were both dripping wet and could barely see ten feet in front of them.

“I can't leave you here, stupid! You're gonna get murdered! Will you please just stop!” Santana yelled furiously after her, speeding up and grabbing the other girl firmly around the wrist. Finally, Quinn stopped, and turned to confront her with tears running down her rain-spattered face.

“You can't look at me like that, Santana,” the blonde girl shouted, all her usual composure gone as she stood there screaming in the rain like a lunatic. “That wasn't part of the deal! It's just supposed to be sex. How am I supposed to stay casual when you look at me like that?” They stared at each other in silence for a moment...and then finally, Santana screwed up the courage to say what she'd been wanting to say for weeks.

“Maybe...maybe this isn't something casual anymore, Q. Maybe I want to cuddle you and feed you chicken soup when you're sick, and be the one to chase after you in the rain when you decide to run around Central Park at night like a lunatic. Maybe the idea of anyone else's hands on your body makes me wanna go on a murderous freakin' rampage. Maybe...maybe I wanna be your girlfriend, Quinn Fabray.” Santana was trembling by the time she finished her rant, her heart beating so loud she was sure Quinn could hear it, even over the rain. For her part, the blonde girl just stood there staring like an idiot, shivering, with rainwater dripping from the ends of her hair.

“Q? Please say something,” Santana begged. The blonde girl just shook her head.

“I've never...” Her voice trailed off, and Santana could see in her face that she was going to sneeze again; her eyes were unfocused and fluttering, and her nostrils, now slightly pink from the cold rain, began to twitch. She cupped both hands to her face as her breath caught sharply in her chest, and her eyes snapped helplessly shut. “Hhuh...hhehISHsheww!!! *Snfl,*” The blonde girl sneezed breathlessly into her hands, and sighed miserably as she wiped her nose, breaking into a rattling coughing jag. “I've never actually dated anyone I had actual feelings for before,” she finally confessed, rubbing her forehead woozily. “I wasn't...*snfl*...wasn't gonna tell you that. There's...*snghf*...a slight chance I'm delirious right now.”

“Aww, pobrecita,” Santana chuckled, a physical sense of relief flooding through her entire body as Quinn smiled weakly at her. “C'mon, let's get you out of the rain before you catch pneumonia. We don't have to figure this all out tonight, okay? Right now I just really wanna take care of you, baby Q.” She wrapped an arm around the blonde girl's shoulders, drawing her close and kissing her lightly on the lips. Quinn sighed, and dropped her head against Santana's chest.

“'Kay,” the blonde girl nodded woozily, cuddling up a little closer to the taller girl's warm body as a fresh shiver ran up her spine. “B-but I...*snfl*...I think I n-need a hot sh-shower first...” Santana watched Quinn press the backs of her fingers firmly to her pink nose as her eyes welled up again; and she cuddled the shivering girl a little closer, rubbing her back and cooing softly in her ear. “Ah—ahh—ahht'chOOoo!!! *Snfl.*”

“Bless you, poor baby,” Santana hummed softly, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around Quinn's shivering shoulders. “C'mon, let's catch a cab, we can cut through to 5^th ave right over here.” She offered her hand, and Quinn took it, smiling sheepishly as they made their way to the street in comfortable silence. Neither of them knew quite what would happen next; but they both knew it was worth the risk.

Edited July 5, 2013 by wannablessedbe

[purpleninja]

I'm not even gonna lie: I hyperventilated throughout the entire thing, then topped it off with just sitting her grinning like an idiot. Real normal, eh?

Seriously, though, thank you SOO much!! I don't even think I can begin to TOUCH on how amazing that was!!

Will there be a part two???

[SneezeformeKristen]

I absolutely love your stories. Please continue!!

[purpleninja]

Jus reread this and realized I missed the "part 2 coming soon" bit in the beginning. Woops! More to look forward to

[6DDDDDD6]

Wow this was great! I haven't seen the show, but I might have too now!

[LoveFemaleSneezes]

Very nice, looks like you're building a fanbase as well

[Cauldwell]

Fantastic as always WWB!!! Absolutely love your Glee fics

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Wonderful simply wonderful<3 continue for sure

[wannablessedbe]

thx you guys! glad to have you all on board. here's part 2, enjoy!!

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Friends with Benefits Don't Do Chicken Soup

Part 2

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As soon as they got home, Quinn made a beeline for the shower; and when she got out, warm and steamy and relaxed, Santana had a cup of tea and a pair of warm flannel pajamas waiting for her. “You sure you want me wearing your pajamas?” Quinn asked anxiously. “That feels awfully girlfriendy to me. Plus I'm...*snfl*...I'm getting my germs all over your apartment...”

Quinn sniffled again, a spacey expression coming over her face as she shivered and clutched the damp towel tighter around her body. A single, glistening drop of snot was beginning to pool at the bottom of one pink-rimmed nostril; and Santana felt a pang of overwhelming tenderness as the woozy blonde girl closed her eyes and took a sharp, sneezy breath, one hand already halfway to her face. “Ahht'chxiuh!! *Snfl*...ughh, sorry,” she sighed miserably, a thin trail of watery snot leaking gently from her delicate pink nose. She sniffled, and the trickle sucked momentarily back into her head; then immediately leaked back out again, where she hastily wiped it on the back of her hand.

“Aww, sweetie. Don't be sorry,” Santana shook her head, kissing the blonde girl's warm forehead and pushing a box of tissues into her hands, along with the borrowed PJ's. “I don't care about your cooties, I just care about you. Now go change, and then I'll let you pick whatever you want from Netflix, okay? I'll even watch one of your dumb BBC documentaries if it'll make you feel better.” Santana winked, and Quinn smiled shyly.

“'Kay. I'll be right...*snghf*...right there,” she murmured, accepting the offerings. “Aahh...*snfl*...uh, hhuh...” The blonde girl's head fell back slightly, nose running, eyes narrowed to slits. A fresh trickle of snot slid teasingly from one pink nostril, trailing sluggishly down her lip. Hastily, Quinn shifted the pajamas and kleenex in her arms to one side, freeing her right hand to snatch a tissue and press it to her leaking pink nostrils, just as they widened involuntarily in congested irritation. “Aht'chOOoo!!! Ughh...*snfl.*”

“God bless you,” Santana called sweetly, as Quinn disappeared grumbling into the bathroom. The dark-haired girl turned on the TV and fetched a few snacks, plus a little package of cold pills, while Quinn changed; and when she came out, Santana felt herself going gooey all over again at the sight of the blonde girl wearing her pajamas. They were a bit too long for her, and the cuffs had to be rolled back a couple of times, making Quinn look even more like a sleepy child than ever.

“Are you all comfy, querida?” Santana asked with a soft smile, reaching out and running a hand through Quinn's silky hair as the blonde girl sat down beside her.

“Uhhh...*snfl*...uh-huh,” Quinn sighed, with another shy smile as Santana's gentle hand left her hair, and lightly pressed against her forehead, checking for a fever. “That feels good,” she yawned, closing her eyes briefly.

“You've got a little bit of a temp,” Santana sighed sympathetically, stroking Quinn's forehead with her thumb. “Here, I found some cold meds in the cabinet. Take two now, and then two more before we go to bed.” She handed over the orange gelcaps, and a bottle of water to wash them down. The blonde girl snickered, eyeing her suspiciously as she accepted the offerings.

“Geez, yes Mom. Where exactly did this maternal side come from? Maybe you're getting delirious now.”

“Ha ha. Take your damn pills,” Santana rolled her eyes. Quinn smirked, but did as she was told and gulped down the pills.

“There, happy?”

“I'm ecstatic,” Santana smirked back, leaning in and kissing the blonde girl lightly on her temple. “Now c'mon, lie down.”

“Are you...*snfl*...gonna lie down with me?” Quinn pouted, wiping her runny nose on a fresh tissue.

“Of course I will, babe. Whatever you want,” Santana cooed softly, pulling Quinn's body down against her on the couch so she was the big spoon, and Quinn was the little spoon; then pulling the blankets up over both of them.

“Whatever I...*snfl*...whatever I want?” The blonde girl asked, a teasing edge to her drowsy voice as she wiped her nose again.

“Mm-hmm,” Santana nodded, smiling softly as she leaned over Quinn and dropped a few kisses on her warm face, one hand slipping under her pajama top to trace light circles around her bellybutton.

“Uhhhh...*snfl*...that feels so good,” Quinn sighed, yawning and going limp against the couch cushions under Santana's gentle fingers. It was the first time they'd ever shown each other any physical affection that wasn't directly tied to sex; and suddenly, Quinn felt shy and unsure and completely out of her element. No one had ever just cuddled her like this, without expecting anything in return. What if this wasn't what she thought, after all? She gave an anxious little cough, and cleared her throat.

“But you doe I'mb...*snfl*...I'mb too sick to...hhuh...f-fool around, r-right?” The blonde girl sniffled again and raised a crumpled tissue to her pink nose, pressing it flush against her leaking nostrils as a deep breath welled up in her chest. “Hhih—hhih'tchiuh!! *Snfl*...ughh.”

“Bless you,” Santana murmured, dropping another kiss on Quinn's warm cheek as the blonde girl blinked woozily, squeezing and tugging the bottom of her stuffy pink nose through the damp tissue. Her breath hitched softly, forcing her pink nostrils wide open behind the tissue's folds as her eyes closed in helpless surrender.

“Hhuh...uhtchOOoo!!! Ishhxiew!! *Snfl*...ah...*snfl*...ahhh...aht'chhhew!!!” A weak shiver accompanied each congested sneeze, and Santana could feel Quinn's stomach muscles tensing and relaxing involuntarily under the blankets.

“Bless you, pobrecita,” The dark-haired girl hummed softly, kissing Quinn's ear, her neck, her shoulder. “Poor baby girl, you've got such a bad cold. Don't worry about anything Q, I'm not trying to put the moves on, that's not what this is. You don't have to put out; you don't have to do anything. I'm just...just cuddling you a little. To make you feel better. Is it working?” Santana grinned shyly this time, as unused to this kind of casual intimacy as Quinn was, apparently.

“Uh-huh,” Quinn nodded dazedly, pulling a fresh tissue from the box by her head and blowing her nose vigorously into it. “I just feel bad that I'mb so gross. You doe you...*snghf*...you dod't have to do this.” The blonde girl sighed miserably, self-conscious and blushing as she wiped her wet nose on the damp, snotty tissue.

“You're not gross, Q. You're freaking adorable. Even with an enormous, snotty cold in your cute little nose, you're still gorgeous, and you know it.” Santana leaned down and dropped a gentle kiss on the damp pink tip of the blonde girl's nose, making her grin shyly. “And I want to take care of you, I already told you that. So just shut up and get used to it, because you no longer have a say in the matter. Okay?”

“Oh...*snfl*...okay,” Quinn agreed, settling back down against Santana's warm body with a soft yawn. “If you...*snghf*...if you insist. Can we watch...hhuh...can we watch Blue P-planet? Hheishhiew!! *Snfl.*” The blonde girl shivered, and pinched her leaky pink nose in the crumpled tissue as it expelled another snotty sneeze. Santana giggled softly, pulling a fresh tissue from the box and gently wiping the glistening-wet underside of Quinn's runny nose for her, dropping a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Whatever you want, baby.”

Edited June 6, 2013 by wannablessedbe

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Good <3

[Yuuki]

adorable *O*

[purpleninja]

SO glad I decided to refresh the page before I went to shower!! This is adorable! I couldn't stop smiling the entire time

[BootyBurgers]

I love this so much! please keep it going!

[wannablessedbe]

You guys, I seriously cannot stay away from this story! Thanks for your enthusiasm, here is another part! enjoy

cheers,

--WBB

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Friends with Benefits Don't Do Chicken Soup!

Part 3

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Quinn fell asleep on the couch watching nature documentaries, and Santana didn't have the heart to wake her; instead, the usually tough Latina just sat there curled up around the peacefully dozing blonde, stroking her hair and whispering soft assurances whenever Quinn coughed or whimpered in her sleep. It was surprisingly easy to stay there, doing absolutely nothing but snuggling her sleeping blondie; normally Santana was restless and fidgety without some kind of activity or stimulation, but right now she felt strangely peaceful and relaxed, without the usual sense that she ought to be doing something, that there was something better or more important going on somewhere else in the city. It was odd, but it felt too good to worry about, so she just snuggled down a little deeper under the blankets, wrapping her arm more securely around Quinn's hip and kissing the back of her neck, which, Santana noted, had grown very warm.

“No, don't...the zombies are coming,” Quinn whimpered, shifting restlessly in her sleep and trying to kick the covers off unconsciously.

“Shh, sweetness...you're just having a bad dream,” Santana cooed, pushing herself up on one elbow so she could stroke the blonde girl's feverish face, and whisper in her ear. “I'm here, Q, I got you, shh...” Quinn struggled weakly, mumbling incoherently about zombies; then with a shriek, her eyes flew open, wide and fever-glazed and terrified.

“No! Don't let the zombies get me,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks as she woke in a haze of nightmarish confusion.

“Hey, hey, it's okay baby,” Santana soothed her, not caring for once how sappy she was being as she held the blonde girl's shaking body close, stroking her back and kissing away her tears one by one. “It was just a bad dream, querida, shh...there are no zombies in my apartment, I promise.”

“Ohh...” Quinn coughed, rubbing her eyes woozily as the waking world slowly filtered in. “Fuck, I was dreaming...” She coughed again, a deep, wet, rattling sound that Santana didn't like one bit.

“Poor baby, you're burning up,” Santana fussed, lightly pressing the back of her hand to the blonde girl's hot forehead. “No wonder you're having bad dreams. Just stay right here, and I'm gonna go get you an ice pack and something cold to drink, okay mamí?”

“No, don't go,” Quinn whined, pressing her face into Santana's t-shirt and wrapping both arms tightly around her. “Felt so real...please, just...*snghf*...just hold me for a minute...hhhuh...uht'chhew!!! *Snfl.*” The blonde girl cupped a hand clumsily to her face to cover a raspy sneeze, followed by another congested cough. Her whole body was shaking with fever chills, and the dark-haired girl felt another intense rush of protectiveness for the trembling blonde girl in her arms. Quinn was usually as tough and fiercely independent as Santana herself, and it was a foregone conclusion that there weren't many people in this world who could say they'd seen Quinn Fabray quite this vulnerable, shaking and sniffling and asking to be cuddled.

“Aw, honey. I'm right here, Q, I've got you, shh...I'm not going anywhere, I promise...” Santana sang a soft lullaby to calm the feverish blonde girl; and after a few minutes, Quinn's shivers relaxed, and she went limp against the couch cushions.

“I'mb sorry, Santi,” she sighed, wiping her nose absently on the back of her hand. “Didn't mean to ruin our whole night like this...I should just go home before you I give you all my...*snfl*...my cooties...hhit'chhiew!! *Snghf.*” Quinn sneezed against Santana's collarbone again, woozily cupping her hand to her face; but Santana could still feel the light mist of Quinn's sneeze hitting her skin. Not that the dark-haired girl was complaining about the intimacy of their current position.

“Yeah, I'd like to see you try and walk out of here right now,” Santana chuckled, rolling her eyes as she reached over and grabbed a tissue from the coffee table, passing it to her sniffling baby with a soft kiss, unperturbed by the trickle of snot running down her lip. “You're not going anywhere tonight, blondie, so take a chill pill. And you didn't ruin anything, okay? I wanted to spend the night with you, and now I am. So just relax, and stop apologizing.” She kissed Quinn's forehead, making the blonde girl giggle weakly behind her kleenex.

“'Kay,” Quinn sighed, smiling sheepishly as she tossed her kleenex aside and settled back down against the couch cushions. “In that case...can I have something to drink? I'm really...*snfl*...really thirsty.”

“Of course, mamí. Just chill here for a sec and I'll be right back, okay?” Santana dropped another kiss on the top of Quinn's head, and gave her a little wink before slipping out from under the covers and heading to the kitchen area of the loft, grabbing a bottle of red Gatorade from the fridge (Quinn's favorite), along with an ice pack from the freezer, and a dishcloth to wrap it in, so it wouldn't be too cold against the blonde girl's skin. She could hear Quinn coughing again as she gathered her supplies, and in the back of her mind she wondered if she should go out to the corner store to get some stronger cold medicine.

“Okay, here we go,” the dark-haired girl hummed as she returned from the kitchen, sitting down on the edge of the couch and pressing the cold pack gently to Quinn's hot forehead. “There now...just lie still and we'll cool you off a little, hmm querida?”

“'Kay,” Quinn agreed woozily, cupping a hand to her face to cover another rattling cough. Just then, the loft's heavy front door swung open to reveal Kurt and Rachel, returning from their saturday night karaoke date with their NYADA friends.

“Santana, that cough sounds awful,” Rachel tutted, absentmindedly kicking off her shoes by the door. “I think we need to get you some—oh! Hi. Sorry,” she smiled awkwardly, shooting Kurt a quick look of frank surprise as they both took in the scene in front of them; Quinn curled up limp and feverish on their couch while Santana sat vigil over her, with fluids and ice packs and kleenex scattered over the coffee table. “We didn't realize you had company. Hi, Quinn. You aren't looking very well at all.”

“I doe,” Quinn sighed; and Santana passed her a fresh tissue as eyes went out of focus and her breath hitched, a little crinkle appearing between her eyes as her pink nose twitched. “Aahh...ahht'chOOoo!!! *Snfl.*” The blonde girl sneezed breathlessly into her tissue, then broke into another congested cough. “Ughh, sorry. I dided't...*snfl*...dided't bead to spread by cooties all over your...aah...your apartmendt...*snfl*...aah'ehhshiiew!!” She sneezed again, dazed and feverish, and blew her stuffy nose in the damp tissue. Santana groaned and rolled her eyes.

“For the love of God, Q, stop apologizing every time you sneeze! You're allowed to get sick, for fuck's sake. People get sick. Even Hummelina and the Keebler Elf here get sick sometimes. In fact, they just brought home a super-gross finals bug from NYADA last month, so if anything, it's my turn to bring some snot-cooties home around here. So you're covered, okay baby? You're my adorable little cootie. Now shut up and let me take care of you, before I have to sedate your ass! Got it?”

“'Kay,” Quinn agreed shyly, her feverish face flushing even brighter with a combination of embarrassment and pleasure at the other girl's vehemence. She was too woozy to notice the significant look Kurt and Rachel were giving each other; and Santana was too busy fussing over her to pay attention to anything else. She hadn't even noticed that she'd called Quinn baby in front of their friends.

“All right, well, I think we're going to go get ready for bed,” Kurt said brusquely, with a sly smile that only Rachel noticed. “Quinn, sweetie, please don't worry about anything. You know we're all family, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want, of course.”

“Thadks, Kurt,” the blonde girl sighed, smiling sleepily as he ruffled her hair and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Yes, same here,” Rachel nodded in hasty agreement, biting her lip to suppress a childish grin that she knew Santana wouldn't appreciate. It was just so exciting to see Santana letting her guard down like this, opening up to someone and actually letting her feelings show; and she'd certainly never seen Quinn allow herself to be this vulnerable with anyone, ever. The little starlet wanted to jump up and down and cheer for her friends; but she knew better than to risk ruining the moment, which seemed so tender and delicate. Instead, she settled for giving them both a light kiss on top of their heads. “Feel better, Quinn. Just let us know if there's anything you guys need.”

“I will. Thadks, Rach.”

“Yeah...thanks, you guys,” Santana smiled grudgingly. “I guess you're pretty okay roommates. Even if you do both sing in the shower at ungodly hours before the sun is up.” Quinn giggled weakly as Kurt and Rachel waved goodnight, walking off to their separate bedrooms, and Santana stroked her hair.

“I still can't believe you live with them,” Quinn yawned, rubbing her eyes as she settled back down against Santana's warm body. “If a magic fairy had told us in 10^th grade that we'd be friends with Kurt and Rachel in college...let alone, roommates...you'd probably have bitchslapped its little fairy ass all the way back to Neverland.” Santana chuckled, and kissed the blonde girl's forehead before pressing the cold pack back against her warm skin.

“Yeah, I probably would,” she agreed with a smirk. “But we've all grown up a lot since then...haven't we?”

“Uh-huh,” Quinn agreed, a soft smile on her lips. “We sure have.” A thin trickle of discharge slipped wetly from one stuffy nostril, and Santana reached over to the coffee table and grabbed a fresh tissue, gently wiping the blonde girl's damp pink nose for her, and then leaning in to steal a kiss.

“You're the cutest little snot monster in the world, aren't you?” The dark-haired girl teased, making Quinn groan with embarrassment.

“San, you don't have to...*snfl*...wipe my nose for me. I still have the use of all my limbs.”

“I know, but I don't want you to move right now. I'm trying to keep this ice pack on your head, silly,” Santana pressed down lightly on the cold gel pack lying across Quinn's forehead, then leaned in and kissed her again. “I don't mind wiping your little nose, baby. It's all cute and pink, like a tiny little kitten.” She pinched the blonde girl's nose lightly in the tissue again, and Quinn giggled sleepily. “Now, blow.” Too sleepy and too relaxed now to resist, Quinn closed her eyes and gave a half-hearted blow into the tissue Santana held for her, enjoying the feeling of having her runny nose pinched and wiped for her a lot more than expected.

“Uhh, that feels good,” she sniffled, blinking sleepily. “Watch out, you're gonna...*snfl*...gonna turn me into a spoiled brat if you keep this up much longer.”

“Maybe that's my plan,” Santana wiggled her eyebrows, smirking as she dropped another soft kiss on Quinn's warm lips. “I'll spoil you so rotten, you'll never wanna leave my couch. Is it working?”

“Uhhh...*snfl*...uh-huh,” Quinn nodded woozily, her pink nostrils quavering as a fresh tickle blossomed in the back of her head, making her breath hitch and huff. Without having to say a single word, she felt a tissue being pressed to her leaky pink nose, pinched lightly to the rims of her twitching nostrils to hold it in place. A voice in her head told her to pull away, that this was embarrassing and she shouldn't allow herself to be babied like this; but it felt so good, and her nose tickled so much, and it was just Santana, who somehow was always there for her. In the half-second she had to think about it, she couldn't bring herself to resist.

“Ahh—aahtxchhew!! Ah, aah, ahh'tchOOoo!!!” Quinn closed her eyes and sneezed helplessly, Santana's gentle fingers pinching her pink nose through the tissue.

“God bless you, querida,” Santana cooed softly, wiping Quinn's nose again, then leaning in to kiss it lightly on the tip. “My poor little kitten.”

“It's okay,” the blonde girl sniffled, smiling sleepily. “It doesed't...*snfl*...dosed't feel that bad adybore.”

Edited June 12, 2013 by wannablessedbe

[ValkyriePleasant]

Dying of cuteness

[Bgrace27]

omg just perfection.

[BootyBurgers]

omg just perfection.

^Pretty much.

[Sneezypeezy]

I want to marry this storyyyy! <3 so perfectt

[purpleninja]

Gah! SO sorry it took me so long! This is beyond amazing, as usual Almost died; the cuteness is getting toxic

[tFM!]

I've been digging this Please continue.

[wannablessedbe]

Hey, thanks for the continued feedback everybody! Enjoy this weekend update

…..................................................................................................................................................................

Friends with Benefits Don't Do Chicken Soup!

Part 4

…..................................................................................................................................................................

The bedside clock read 4:03am when Quinn woke coughing in the darkness, sweaty and tangled in the blankets with Santana's arm slung limply over her hips. She rubbed her eyes and groped blindly for the glass of water on the bedside table; but in the darkness, half-asleep and disoriented, she knocked it over by accident, sending it to the floor with a sodden crash of shattering glass.

“Shit,” the blonde girl groaned quietly, pressing a hand to her forehead as another rattling cough seized her and doubled her over in bed, making her chest ache and her breath catch in her throat.

“Hey,” Santana's groggy voice mumbled sleepily in her ear, as a warm hand slipped under her pajama top and rubbed her shaking back in gentle circles. “Are you okay? Thought I heard a crash...”

“Yeah. I'm...I'm okay,” Quinn croaked out between coughs, sitting up and rubbing her eyes crankily. “I'm sorry San, I broke a glass...just wanted a drink...” Her voice dissolved into a prolonged fit of wheezy, congested coughing, as Santana sat up and flicked on the bedside light, climbing out of bed without a word. A minute later, the dark-haired girl was back, and a fresh glass of water was pressed gently to Quinn's lips between coughs. She gulped it gratefully, wrapping both hands around the glass and draining it quickly.

“Better?” Santana asked anxiously, still rubbing the blonde girl's shaking back with one hand.

“Uh, yeah...thanks,” Quinn croaked, rubbing a finger absently under her stuffy nose. Then she went still, eyes closing, head tilting back as her pink nostrils quivered with congested irritation. “Hhih...hhetchshh!!” She sneezed breathlessly into her lap, finger pressed to her nose as a trickle of snot ran down her lip, immediately followed by another raspy coughing jag.

“Bless you, liar,” Santana hummed teasingly, taking the empty glass from Quinn's hand and gently feeling her sweaty forehead. “Jesus, Q, you're really hot. I think we might need to take you to the doctor tomorrow. But for now, please tell me you've got your inhaler with you, because you really need it mija.”

“Uhh, yeah,” Quinn nodded woozily, rubbing her nose sleepily on the back of her hand. “In my...*snghf*...my purse, in the little zipper pocket.”

“'Kay. Hold tight, I'll be right back,” Santana instructed, kissing Quinn's hot forehead and smoothing a few locks of sweaty blonde hair back from her face.

“Careful! Don't step on the...*snfl*...the broken glass,” Quinn croaked out anxiously, with another rattling cough into her hands.

“I know, I see it,” Santana assured her, hopping lightly out of bed and skipping around the pool of water and glass to cross the room, rooting through Quinn's purse to find the little blue tube that would help calm her vicious cough. “Here we go.”

“Thadks,” Quinn sighed, shaking it up and popping off the cap. She took three deep puffs while Santana rubbed her back, cooing soft nonsense in her ear. Finally, with a soft sigh, Quinn leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes. Santana curled up beside her, stroking her hair and dropping soft kisses on her warm temple.

“There, that's better, isn't it?” Santana yawned, dropping her head sleepily against Quinn's shoulder and rubbing her stomach absently.

“Yeah. Lots better,” Quinn sighed, rubbing her eyes. “How did you know? About the inhaler? I just got it last year, and I hardly use it anyway. It's mostly just for emergencies.”

“Yeah. I know,” Santana nodded, tracing her fingers absently around Quinn's bellybutton. “I was there at the hospital when you got it. After the accident. I heard what the doctors told your mom, about how you'd have scar tissue in your lungs for the rest of your life, and you'd probably always need a little extra help getting over coughs and colds. I'm just glad it wasn't any worse...for a few days they were talking about possibly doing more operations and stuff. You could've been stuck in that hellhole a lot longer, mija.”

“Oh,” Quinn nodded dumbly, shy and a little embarrassed at the revelation. “I didn't know...I mean, I don't remember you being there. At the hospital.”

“I came every day,” Santana said quietly, keeping her head nestled against Quinn's shoulder so she wouldn't have to make eye contact as she made her admission. “You were really out of it...you were so messed up from the accident, and then you got a lung infection after the surgery, and your temp went through the roof for a few days. So, I guess it makes sense you don't remember. You're better off not remembering, honestly.” Quinn was shocked to hear the tremble in Santana's sleepy voice, as she realized the other girl was fighting back tears.

“You came to see me? Every day?” The blonde girl sat up a little, running her fingers through her friend's silky dark hair as they gazed sleepily at each other, holding eye contact in silence for several long moments.

“Yeah,” Santana finally nodded, with a tiny, shy smile. “I was so fucking scared, Q...thought I might lose you there for a minute.” She sniffled softly in the dark, and Quinn blinked in astonishment as a stray tear rolled down the other girl's cheek.

“Aww, Santi...I never knew,” Quinn murmured, cupping Santana's face in her hand and wiping away the tear tracks with her thumb. “My big tough girl...” They shared a sleepy smile, and leaned in at the same time for a soft, drowsy, 4am kiss. Then Quinn pulled away rather abruptly, cupping a hand dazedly to her face as her wheezy lungs sucked in a sharp breath, and her delicate pink nostrils trembled.

“Hheh'tchiishew!! *Snfl,*” Quinn sneezed sleepily into her hands, pitching forward with a little shiver as her cold welled up and overtook her from head to toe.

“Bless you, baby girl,” Santana cooed, passing her a tissue with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Ughh...*snfl*...thadks,” Quinn sighed, closing her eyes and blowing sleepily into the soft cotton. “Sorry I...*snfl*...ruined the...the moment...” She pressed the damp tissue back to her trembling nostrils as her breath began to hitch again, and a soft, adorably ticklish sound quavered in the back of her throat. “Ehh'ishhoo!! Aah...*snfl*...ahhgxchiew!!!”

“Bless you, bless you,” Santana chuckled, passing her more tissues along with a few light, teasing kisses all over her face as the blonde girl sniffled and blew her nose again. “And your cute little sniffles and sneezes didn't ruin anything, querida. I just feel bad that you've got such a nasty cold, poor baby. What can I do right now to make you feel better, hmm? Do you want some more tea?”

“Uhh, yeah, thadks,” Quinn nodded absently, her attention still focused on the stuffy tickle in her pink nose as she pinched it roughly in a fresh tissue, head titled back in helpless surrender as she rubbed her leaky nose firmly up and down through the thin cotton. “That would be...*snfl*...r-really g-good...*snfl*...ughh, dambit...hhhih...hhtchiiew!!!” She pitched forward and sneezed, the tissue still pressed urgently to her runny nose; then she coughed again, but just once, not a long string like before. At least the inhaler seemed to be working, Santana noted with some relief.

“Bless you, baby. Here, why don't you take my laptop, and see if there's anything you wanna watch online? I'll be right back with some nice hot tea, and maybe a little midnight snack, too.” Santana gave Quinn a shy, crooked grin, and kissed the tip of her pink nose. The blonde girl grinned woozily back for a moment; and then her expression dissolved into ticklish irritation all over again, and she raised a fresh tissue to her leaky nostrils, closing her eyes in anticipation as her breath hitched jaggedly a few times in rapid succession.

“Ihtshhx!! Iihh...iih'SHHIIEW!!! *Snfl*...ughh, that tickles. 'Scuse be.” She blew her pink nose once more, and smiled sheepishly. Santana kissed her lightly on the lips, and gave her a little wink.

“God bless you, sweetie pie. Now just sit tight, I'll be right back.” They shared a shy smile, and Quinn sighed softly as Santana slipped out of bed, wondering what kind of surprise midnight snack she was going to get. She still felt pretty awful; but somehow, she also kind of felt awesome at the same time.

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

CUTE LIKE OH EM GEEE<3

[BootyBurgers]

OH MY GOD

I love this... Maybe more than Faberry Please keep it going!

[purpleninja]

How do I keep missing these amazing updates?!?! I just got back from vacation; I need to get back in the swing of things!

Amazing as usual I could picture every second perfectly and it made me so freaking happy. You writing is magical. I'm convinced.

[wannablessedbe]

OH MY GOD

I love this... Maybe more than Faberry Please keep it going!

MORE than faberry??! girl you did not just say that. even I still love faberry best, and I'm the one writing it! but thank you for the ridiculously high praise!!