okay what, there's no fluff/angst these days, it's always just smut, likeee don't get me wrong, i enjoy reading smut, but it's not something i wanna read everyday and what gets me, is that even when i try searching either angst or fluff, smut always shows up, like no i don't want angst turned smut, i want pure angst 🙁
I'm a real sucker for fics that centre the main ships' surroundings and how they change as their relationship grows. For example I'd love to know how Jack's search history changes from when he meets Samira to when they're in a relationship, like his YT history goes from "white noise ~10 hours~" to "how to prepare daal". Or how his medicine cabinet starts being stocked with hair mousse, pimple patches and hand cream. How his unscented body wash now smells like bergamot. Or, my personal favourite, several hair ties to be found all over his home, their owner nowhere near them.
Also, Jack's place undergoes the most change to symbolise how love truly saved him, the growth it caused and the happiness it brought him. The purest form of love is the love that seeps into the mundane parts of life, almost like every action you do can be traced back to them, every breath you take is one taken to continue laughing with them.
At first, she thinks it’s just stress. Considering their lives, it’s always a likely culprit. Then she thinks she might not be sleeping enough. Not eating well enough. It’s not until Friday morning and a whole box of used tissues that she admits what’s been obvious all along: Scully has been struck down by the common cold.
What a bummer.
When Scully calls their office to let Mulder know she won’t be coming into work today she only gets the machine. Part of her is glad. She wouldn’t be able to face his disappointment. She’s not only calling in sick, but also canceling their dinner date tonight. Today was supposed to be their first official date. And now she’s sick. She refuses to read anything into it. They’ve been through a lot this year. Every year for the last couple of years.
She falls asleep on her couch watching some silly TV show she’s never seen before. A knock on her door is what wakes her. She grabs a tissue and blows her nose on the way to the door.
“You look awful, Scully.” Of course it’s Mulder. “When you said you’re sick, I thought-” he doesn’t finish his thought. She can imagine what he was thinking.
“’m sick,” she says, her voice raspy.
“I can see that. Come on, back into bed with you.” He ushers her back inside, following her. “I brought chicken soup, crackers, cheese, popcorn. Any of that sound good?”
“Soup?” she asks.
“I’ll warm it up for you.”
“Mulder, you shouldn’t be here. What about work?”
“The only plans I had for today were canceled.” There’s a smile on his face when he says it. “I have all day and all night. We were going to spend the day together anyway. I’m not missing out on it.”
“You’re only going to get sick too,” she complains, sitting down. Her whole body hurts. Her nostrils burn and tickle. For a moment, she forgets it all when Mulder sits down next to her and wraps a blanket around her shoulders. As if led by an invisible magnet, she leans into him.
“Scully, we spent all day together yesterday. I know you’re the medical doctor here, but I’m pretty sure it’s too late now. And I don’t care. We have a date tonight.”
“Can’t leave the house,” Scully murmurs against his shoulder. Her eyes feel heavy. He’s so soft and so warm. All she wants to do is sleep. She had been looking forward to their date. They’ve kissed, but they’ve not been on a date yet. She doesn’t know if they need to go on a date at all, but she wanted to. Wants to, still.
“You sound like a broken-down freight train,” Mulder informs her. “We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just have our first date right here in your apartment.”
“’s not a date.”
“Sure is. We’ll have dinner, watch a movie.” Their eyes meet. Her vision is a bit blurry, but she feels like he’s smiling. “Or maybe take a nap instead.”
“I’m sorry, Mulder,” she says. “I was looking forward to our date.”
“That’s why it’s still happening.” He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brush her forehead. Even in her sick state she knows what he’s doing. “No fever.”
“Just a cold,” she says with a yawn.
“Rest a moment,” he says, pressing a kiss against her temple. “This will be the first date you’ve ever had, Scully.”
*
She doesn’t know how long she’s been asleep. Mulder is next to her, reading a magazine when she wakes up. With his help, she sits up.
“How are you feeling?” His hand is on her back, drawing small circles.
“A bit better. How long was I out?”
“About an hour. Do you need anything?”
“I wouldn’t say no to that chicken soup now.” Mulder grins at her.
“A bowl of chicken soup for the lady is coming up.” She tries to get up, but Mulder stops her. “Let me do it, Scully.”
“I want to use the bathroom.”
“Oh.” He runs a hand through his own hair. “Of course.”
By the time Scully returns, Mulder has the chicken soup and a cup of steaming hot tea waiting for her.
“Some aspirin for you as a side dish,” he says with a grin. She takes the small pills from him and swallows them with a glass of water.
“Thank you, Mulder,” she says earnestly. “You could be home right now and-”
“And do what? Be sad that we can’t go on our date?” He shakes his head. “I’m right where I want to be. This chicken soup isn’t too bad. I was thinking we could split some ice cream for dessert. If you’re willing to share.”
“I’ll share with you.” He’ll change his tune once he’s down sick with the cold she’s battling now. For the moment, though, he’s grinning at her.
So sharing ice cream is what they do- They’re on her couch, eating it straight from the tub. There’s a movie playing that Scully is barely paying attention to. She sneezes and Mulder hands her a tissue wordlessly. Once she can’t eat any more ice cream, Mulder takes it back to the freezer and returns to her a moment later.
“Do you want to lie down?” he asks and she shakes her head.
“Can we- can you?” She motions to the couch, not sure how to voice what she wants. She wants him next to her, holding her. Snuggling. Mulder nods before he sits back down. Their sides press together and Scully sighs.
“So how would you rate our first date?” Mulder asks after a while.
“Not a date,” she murmurs.
“Hey, it was dinner and a movie. You’re all dressed up, too.” He runs a hand over the sleeve of her satin pajama. The touch makes her tingle.
“If that’s a date, we've had a hundred dates already.” She thinks of all the times one of them has been hurt. The times they’ve shared hospital jello and watched Jeopardy on TV together. There have been so many moments they’ve shared. So many meals.
“Maybe we have. Do you think you want to do it again?” With some difficulty, she turns in his arms.
“Without either of us being sick,” she says.
“I can wait.” He kisses the crown of her head and she relaxes in his arms.
guess who's back... more bloodymary be upon ye! *throws a brick with paper on it*
this'll mention some mutated!Simon in the beginning, so very tiny, itsy bitsy gore mention warning! not a lot, i'm not very descriptive sigh
simon "the butcher" who has teeth growing out of his missing arm area and is severely freaked out by it, grace who is gobsmacked and doesn't really freak out until he learns that the teeth move
grace "the savior" who brushes/cleans simon's extra cheek-teeth since Simon refuses to, Simon who refuses to because he thinks it would be 'nice' to the 'monster' on his face ("They can still rot like regular teeth." "Then let them rot, it's stupid and creepy as shit." "StIllL paRT oF YoU, BUtcHEr." "I'm gluing this shit shut--" "Oh my goodness...")
simon "the butcher" who is still getting used to his 'additions' yet somehow beefs with his cheek-teeth (as mentioned before, it talks), grace "the savior" who found it so interesting that he named the second mouth since it technically isn't simon even if he could sometimes feel what the teeth felt (name is up for debate if anyone has any ideas... *looks away with a subtle awkward whistle)
(quick add)
simon "the butcher" whose cheek-teeth/mouths bites... and maybe he developed the habit too (chewing on pens, fingernails, sometimes his own fingers since he hardly feels pain anymore), grace who suspected it was some oral fixation thing (because he's that awkward) only for simon to deny it and say it was only a mild habit
grace "the savior" who knows that simon doesn't like the sea and told the eridians to make a garden/forest part for him, simon who nearly cries because he doesn't think he deserves it
simon "the butcher" who was blamed for over 60+ deaths, got into prison fights, trained to fight/kill for a tree ever since he was a child... simon "the butcher" who has the gentlest touch on erid.. who apologizes for small things, who holds grace's hand when he's scared, who is careful not to crush grace while cuddling... grace who notices his gentle touch and can't help but yearn to prove how loved simon is and can be
cutie patooties 🥹❤️🩹