#pretend couple

[wilde-at-heart-ao3]

Playing House [link here]

Nick and Judy are placed undercover as parents in witness protection.

They are to live together, sleep together, raise a child together.

The only problem is that neither of them ever fully committed to the act of pretending in the first place.

[beebswrites]

something - benji dunn ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: benji dunn x IMFfemale!reader

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚: a fake wedding ring for a mission and a crowded ballroom. benji dunn has spent months burying his feelings for you, but when the beatles' song "something" starts to play, he decides to stop pretending. this whole mission is a lie, this whole world really, but he finally lets you know that his love for you is beautifully real. influenced by the song "something" by the beatles!!

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 1231

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔/𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒔: female reader / fluff / some angst if you squint / friends to lovers / some swear words / both povs

𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆: hiii, this is my first time ever posting (or even writing) a fanfic, but there's barely any fics of this cutie so i had to take things into my own hands. again, this is my first time actually writing a fic, so sorry if he's out of character and any spelling/grammar mistakes...anyways, any tips or feedback is greatly appreciated!! hope u enjoy <33

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𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒊'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗:

benji was leaning against a column trying his best to blend in with the elaborate marble, his gaze fixed on you. the ballroom was a sea of glittering tuxedos and gowns, but all he could see was you, and he couldn't tear his eyes away.

god, you were beautiful. your elegant dress and the way you confidently moved through the crowd drove him insane. he watched as you flashed a charming smile at an ambassador, softly laughing at the joke that he made. his jaw tensed as he felt jealousy twist in his stomach.

he knew it was all a carefully constructed disguise for the mission, down to the very last detail, including your "engagement" ring. the simple gold band on your left-hand, with its single, average-sized diamond was provided by the IMF, "proof" of your pretend marriage.

earlier during the party, you had held his hand, your fingers gently lacing his as you navigated a conversation with one of the party guests. it was a gesture meant to reinforce your cover story. he glanced down at your intertwined hands, watching the light from chandelier glitter down to your ring, the diamond shimmering softly on your finger.

in that fleeting, selfish moment, he couldn't help but wish it was all real. he wished that ring was a symbol of something else—a symbol that proved he had finally found the courage to confess his love, and where he was the one who had knelt and put that stupid ring on your finger.

and honestly? benji would have gotten you a much better one, not a simple, store-bought diamond provided for the job. he would have spend months searching for the perfect one, a unique gem he would have custom-cut and set, maybe even put a tiny, untraceable tracker in the band just because he could (he can’t really guarantee your safety in this line of work). he would have given you a ring that was priceless, something that was yours and yours alone, something that showed you that his love was unbelievably real in this world full of lies.

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𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒗:

you moved through the crowd with practiced grace, a polite smile plastered on your face as you nodded at the ambassador’s empty conversation. your had a glowing presence, but you felt more like a firefly trapped in a jar. the elegant dress was a beautiful cage, and the “wedding ring” felt heavy on your finger, a constant, sharp reminder of a truth that wasn’t. your gaze kept drifting back to benji, he was leaning against a pillar, trying to look casual, but you knew him too well. he was on edge, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on you. the sight made a strange knot form in your stomach–a mix of affection and a dull ache fro the things you couldn’t have.

you had held his hand earlier, lacing your fingers with his to sell the cover story. the warmth of his touch had been startling, almost distracting. you caught him looking down at your hand, his eyes lingering on the IMF-issued diamond. you knew he saw the fake ring, but you wondered if he also saw the real feelings in your heart. you had to look away before he saw the truth in your eyes, but the moment replayed in your head, a tiny, treasured scene in the middle of a big, fake production.

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𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒊'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗:

the background jazz gave way to the unmistakable, warm guitar riff of The Beatles. as the familiar notes of “something” filled the air, he saw you look at him and smile, a silent question in your eyes. he straightened up, a small, genuine grin finally touching his lips. it was the same thought that hit him every time he saw you: you had a way of moving and looking and smiling that was just…something. he’d never been able to put it into words, but The Beatles had already done it for him.

without a word, he walked over to you and took your hand in his. he led you onto the dance floor, pulling you close as the first line of the song began. he moved with a practiced ease you hadn’t expected, his hand resting light and sure on your back, the other holding yours. you swayed together, lost in the music and the moment, the rest of the world and the mission fading away.

“perfect song, right?” he murmured, his voice low enough that only you could hear it. he looked down at you, and the sincerity in his eyes made your breath catch. 

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𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒗:

you knew he knew. ever since you had told him about your father dedicating this song to your mother, and your hope for a love like theirs, he would play it for you during car rides to the bunker. the fact that this song was playing now, in this moment, felt like fate. it was like a secret language between the two of you, and it made the small, sincere smile on his face feel like the most beautiful thing in the world.

"it is," you whispered back, a smile spreading across your face. "our song?"

he didn't answer. he just tightened his grip on your hand and pulled you impossibly closer. he leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear as he murmured, "i know this is bad timing."

you barely had time to wonder what he was going to say before he spoke again, his voice strained and quiet.

you barely had time to wonder what he meant before he spoke again, his breath warm against your skin. "I keep trying to remember the mission profile. I keep trying to tell myself that I’m just playing a part... that I'm just 'the husband' for the night."

he pulled back just enough to look at you, and the raw vulnerability in his eyes made your heart lurch. the playful, tech-genius mask was completely gone.

"but then this song starts," he whispered, his gaze dropping to the gold band on your finger. "and as selfish as it is, I realized that I don't care about the ambassador, or the files, or the exits. I just care that you're wearing a ring that I didn't get to choose for you. I care that I'm only allowed to hold you like this because a briefing told us to."

He moved with you to the music, his hand sure on your back, but his voice was trembling.

"It’s driving me insane, being this close and having it all be a lie. because when I look at you–when you smile at me like that–it’s the only real thing I’ve felt in years."

he leaned in again, his forehead resting against yours.

"when we get out of here, I want to take this off," he breathed, his hand ghosting over the fake diamond. "not because the mission is over. but because I want to replace it with something that actually belongs to us. something that isn't a disguise."

he didn't wait for you to pull away, because you didn’t. you just held him closer, letting the last notes of the song shield the truth of what he’d just confessed. for the first time, the "wedding ring" didn't feel like a heavy weight. instead, it felt like a countdown to the moment you could finally be real with him.

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notes: wahhhhh i love benji sm omg. i really hope you enjoyed this cute little story! ik this fandom is lowkey dead, so please please please leave a comment if you want more benji/mission: impossible related fics!! and writing tips are greatly appreciated <33

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #25: "Overnight Sensation" by Syntax6

Today’s fic is an “X Files meets police procedural” whodunit with some of the best Diana-induced angst ever written. Set after episodes 6x11-12, “Two Fathers/One Son,” Scully ditches Mulder to join the investigation of a high-profile serial killer case in Boston. Her partner and Diana Fowley soon follow suits, complicating things.

This is one of those holy grail fics that combine a top-notch casefile with great MSR, the type @syntax6 excels at. The fast-paced, action-packed casefile goes all out on elaborate plot puzzles and has a blockbuster scale to it. Syntax6 creates a cast of original characters for the local police force, and portrays Mulder as a brilliant, heroic, and ass-kicking investigator, bringing to life that “golden boy of VCU”, known mainly through hearsay not often seen in action. A must-read.

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🥏 on author's site 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @darkesttimelinestuff

length: novel, 88,000+ words season: season 6, 6x11 Two Fathers/One Son pairing(s): M/S UST o RST tags: Casefile, angst, jealousy, rift, holiday, pretend couple, good OCs, Diana Fowley rating: explicit/NC-17

[ellen-of-oz]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Jack Kline, Mary Winchester, OC's Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Case Fic, Fallen Cas, Pining, Angst, Fluff, POV Dean, bed sharing, Hurt/Comfort, (Obviously No Homo) Summary:

Cas lost his grace. Well, most of it. He’s almost entirely human and not sure if he will ever get his grace back. Dean wants him to know that as a human, they care about him just as much. And since Dean isn’t that good with words, working a case in a luxurious, romantic resort might just be the thing they need. If only he could remember that the romantic relationship is just for show.

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #27: "Five Years and One Night" by Shalimar

Today’s fic is an angst-ridden, plotty, gripping story dealing with the fallout in “Emily”. It starts with Scully transferring to a position in LA after a post-“Kitsunegari” fight, and six months later, Mulder shows up at her door. The revelation of Scully’s stolen fertility and Mulder’s concealment of truth from her in "Emily", something never properly addressed in canon, is satisfyingly explored here.

This fic ticks many of my favorite angst boxes: reunion after a bitter rift and separation, jealousy, electric UST leading to hot smut, posing as a married couple, hopelessly in love but it’s complicated with baggage (including a baby tossed in the mix), and a well earned happy ending after enduring loads of hurt. The momentum of the plot is engrossing, and the tension doesn’t let up till the very end. My eyes were glued to the screen throughout this wild ride.

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🥏 on Gossamer 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @stephr1026

length: novel, 83,000+ words season: season 5 pairing(s): M/S UST to RST tags: AU, action-adventure, angst, episode-related, Emily arc, jealousy, rift, separated/reunited, baby fic, pretend couple, Scully-pov rating: explicit/NC-17

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #63: "Pillar of Salt" by Nascent

Mulder invites Scully on a weekend getaway under false pretenses, but their little vacation quickly spirals into a life-threatening ordeal.

Today’s rec reads like an MOTW straight out of canon—on steroids. Told from Scully’s first-person POV, the casefile is intriguing, clever, and character-driven, easily one of the most original and compelling I’ve read. I especially love its unconventional lead-in.

It’s also a fresh, brilliant study of the complicated, sometimes self-contradictory M/S relationship, hovering intensely in that alluring space between friendship and romance in S6. Nascent really gets them.

The story works beautifully as a whole. Few fics manage to weave the case and the relationship together so seamlessly and organically. Their deep bond shines through in a way that feels both wholesome and fully earned. It’s a classic that fires on all cylinders.

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🥏 on Gossamer 🥏 on X-Libris

length: novella, 41,000+ words season: season 6 pairing(s): M/S UST tags: casefile, action adventure, angst, pretend couple, undercover, fight, Scully-POV rating: mature/R

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #11: "Never" by Allison Kinney

Today’s fic is a scrumptious smut biscuit, an oldie but a goodie, if not among the best in this genre.

It offers a nice setup, a patient buildup, a sturdy narrative, a hint of angst, and a touch of fluff, all bundled together to give us this steamy, cute MSR first-time while undercover story.

This could be a missing scene we all would have liked to see in the episode 5x18, “The Pine Bluff Variant”; this fic does the job well.

Did I mention It’s sizzling hot even after all these years?

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🥏 xfms archive link | Gossamer link 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @sisterspooky1013

Length: Short, 49K / 9,000+ words Season: sometime in Season 6 Relationship(s): MSR First-time Tags: Smut, Undercover, Pretend Couple, Separated/Reunited Rating: Explicit/NC-17

[monologue-kraken]

Haha bestie let's pretend to be lovers to piss off that obsessive person. It's been a long time now we're still just a pretend couple, right? Right...?