Kitchen Chronicles — Chapter 2
(Story was formerly called Kitchen’s Comfort) — Chapter One | tagging @today-in-fic
Summary: Continuation of Kitchen Chronicles—starts off around season 8.
It was something she still couldn’t wrap her mind around even when she’s already seven months pregnant. She loved it–the feel of her baby moving, the food she’s able to eat, how overjoyed she sometimes felt–but she also loathed it at times. She hated how swollen her feet would get, how she’d get heartburn just when she’s about to lay down, or the way she sometimes felt so empty when her mind would drift to someone special.
He was supposed to be there, but he wasn’t, and she hated it. She hated him sometimes. He was God knows where and it drove her insane–the not knowing. She missed him like crazy, and as ridiculous as it may sound, it’s not just him, but also his food and everything else.
Contrary to what other people thought, Fox Mulder can cook. He can cook a three-course meal if he wanted to. It was one of those things that attracted Scully so much to him. And he had this one food that she kept on craving for almost the entirety of her pregnancy.
It was a sandwich made on rye with turkey and bacon, lettuce and tomato, whatever cheese was on the fridge, and mayo on the side. The first time he made that for her, they had to leave the state for a case and to make up to her, he made her his mean sandwich that she could eat on the road. The way she was so impressed remains a core memory for Mulder. To make it even better, it became one of Scully’s comfort foods. The first time he actually cooked for her though, was when she had cancer and thought that his grandmother’s matzo ball soup would entice her to eat, and it did. She remembers how good she felt, how her stomach seemed to warm up after a few sips.
His meals were unique, different, as if they had some sort of signature that was just his, that when Scully tried to make them for herself, she ended up in tears because they didn’t taste like his cooking.
When she missed him, she’d call his phone just to hear his voice through the voice-mail. Sometimes, she’d narrate about her day and say, ‘ I miss your cooking’ , while trying not to make her voice hitch.
For the first time in years, her kitchen once again wasn’t a place of comfort.
When Mulder came back, things were quite unstable between them the first few days and even weeks, but it was food that became one of the things that brought them back together and slowly mended their relationship.
It started with the sandwich, of course.
Scully woke up one day from a nap, hungry, and when she entered the kitchen, there she found the love of her life preparing the food she craved the most when he was gone. He smiled when he saw her, but then frowned when he saw her tear up.
“Scully, what’s wrong?” he asked, quickly at her side.
“I just– I just missed you and your sandwich so much.” She cried.
“Oh, honey.” He murmured, engulfing her in a hug. He wasn’t going to lie though, he found it endearing that she missed his cooking.
They ate in silence and from then on, Mulder promised to make whatever she and the baby wanted. She was happy, not only because he was back, but also because her kitchen felt right again.
