Author's Note: After hearing about last night's episode (I have not yet watched), I was bothered by something A LOT and was thus inspired to write this. If you want to know what bothered me so much, please visit the Quinn&Artie forum board here at ff net. :) Also, don't forget to review my little ficlet!

the girl who loved him

Early Saturday morning, Artie fully woke up (though he had been half awake for at least an hour) to the smell of coconut. Shifting, he looked down at the source of the scent: Quinn, pressed to his side, her head, hair full of coconut scent, scant inches from his nose. He took a deep breath, enjoying the coconut before sighing heavily, recalling the reason he was awake so early on a Saturday.

"Hmm…what?" she murmured, as his exhale had, apparently, awoken her.

The dream from the previous hour, the interrupter of his slumber, resurfaced as he contemplated how to answer her. In it, he had been walking down the halls of McKinley High, hand in hand with Quinn. Walking. It had been pretty much perfect. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "I wish that I could walk."

Quinn was quiet for a few minutes and he waited for her to repeat his wish, telling him it was also what she wanted. Finally, she whispered, "I know."

Frowning, he glanced down at her, bit down on his tongue for a minute, then asked, "Don't you wish I could walk?"

Tilting her head slightly to the right and up, she gazed up at him, her hazel eyes somber. "My only wish, at all times, is that you are happy." Raising one hand, she brushed her fingertips against his cheek.

"I am happy," he intoned, thinking how beautiful she looked after just waking up. Blinking, he raised his eyes to the ceiling as he thought of how wonderful his dream had been, of Quinn grinning as she walked by his side. "But…don't you wish I could walk? Wouldn't things be better if-"

She interrupted, not allowing him to finish. "Artie, stop. Look at me."

Obeying her command, he turned his eyes to her and she searched them for a few minutes then placed a soft kiss to his lips. "You, Artie, are the most amazing person I know," she said, her tone gentle. "You're smart, profound, sweet, funny, snarky almost to a fault." Pausing, she smirked then kept going. "You understand me without me having to say anything and you know the right way to comfort me when I'm sad, with a word, a kiss or just a touch. You have the best voice in glee." Halting once more, she leaned over to plant a kiss on his neck. "And you are adorable, cute, hot and oh so sexy."

"It's the suspenders, isn't it?" he quipped, waggling his eyebrows, not allowing her to go on with the unending compliments. She laughed and it appeared she was ready to say even more but he grew serious again, capturing one of her hands with his. "But if I could walk-"

"If you could walk," she echoed, silencing him with a finger to the lips. "Artie, you being able to walk wouldn't change who you are. And guess what?" Pressing her forehead to his, she answered the question herself. "I'm pretty fond of who you are. Might say I like who you are. Might even say I love who you are."

As she spoke, a lump formed in his throat that he couldn't swallow and moisture gathered at the corner of his eyes, none of which were indicators of anything emotional he might be feeling. They were probably related to the allergies he didn't have…but was clearly getting. "I love you too…you."

At his nickname for her, the simple "you", Quinn bit down on her bottom lip, smiling. "Soooo much."

Pulling her against him, he said, his voice raspy, "You're such a dork. But I love you soooo much too."

"Your dork…and you're a bigger dork for waking up at 7:30 am on a Saturday!"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Go back to sleep then."

Cuddling against him, she "mkay"-ed then closed her eyes, as he just lay there, arms wrapped tightly around the girl he was lucky to have in his life. The girl he loved who loved him just as he was, wheelchair, suspenders, snark and all.