#leiascully fic

[leiascully]

I wish you wrote a little something about one of them kinda gettin pleasantly lost in the haze a day or two after their first time together and having to have their attention called back to the task at hand 🥰

It hits her in flashes: Mulder's lips on her neck, trailing up under her ear. Mulder's big hands on her bare waist. Mulder's jaw brushing her thigh. Mulder's grin, his teeth flashing white in the dim. Mulder's tongue, oh God, Mulder's tongue.

"Agent Scully?" Skinner's voice has some edge to it. She wonders how many times he spoke to her before she came back from her dreamland.

"Sir?" His mouth is a straight line of disappointment. She's supposed to be the one who pays attention.

"Can you walk us through your profile?"

"Yes, sir," she says, turning to the appropriate page in the file. She reads from their profile, as if the others aren't perfectly capable of doing the same. The perpetrator is likely a highly-resourced white male with a difficult childhood, although presumably not Mulder, because she can guarantee he was busy at the time. Very, very busy.

She glances at Mulder, sitting at the end of the table, just cattycorner from her. He won't look at her, which is probably for the best. There's just the faintest flush on his face. She can just barely see the edge of the hickey she left on his neck last night above the stark white collar of his shirt. She's luckier: hers are hidden under her clothes, in much more intimate places. She squeezes her thighs together, relishing the ache in her hips.

"And how did you and Agent Mulder arrive at this conclusion?"

She patiently walks the table through their process, citing each piece of evidence. The perpetrator has access to multiple vehicles, all imported. The perpetrator is highly educated and probably respected in their community, based on the access they have to various institutions. She toes off her shoe and slides her toes under the cuff of Mulder's trousers. The perpetrator focuses their efforts on women in their late twenties and early thirties. She reaches a logical limit and removes her foot from Mulder's trousers. The perpetrator has a preference for brunettes with longer hair and a traditionally feminine presentation, i.e. makeup and skirts or dresses. Her foot slides up Mulder's calf. The perpetrator lies to their victims about professional opportunities, encouraging them to invest in specious workshops that will supposedly lead to job interviews. Her foot reaches Mulder's knee; his hand catches hold of it and he applies his thumb to her arch. She catches her breath.

"Agent Scully?" Skinner raises one eyebrow.

"Paper cut," she says, and puts her fingertip in her mouth.

The perpetrator has thus far contented themself with the money and attention of their victims, but she and Mulder suspect the recruitment process will escalate, potentially to violence. Blackmail is more lucrative and doesn't require creating flyers for made-up conferences. They're following up with the shop that printed the flyers, but it's likely to be a dead end. Mulder's thumb rolls back and forth across the arch of her foot with a lazy, self-assured grace that's somehow suggestive of the things his hips did last night and she's very glad to have reached the end of their part of the briefing.

Except that ten minutes later, when she's trying not to moan at the way Mulder's touch makes her feel ticklish and turned on all at once, Skinner's talking to her again.

"Agent Scully?" he says, and this time he's almost snapping. She must have drifted off again.

"Yes?" Her voice comes out higher than anticipated.

"I want you and Agent Mulder to go to the university campus," he says. "Dress to blend. Agents Silver and Reisgraf will go to the print shop."

"Am I given to understand we're setting Agent Scully up as bait?" Mulder asks.

"No," Skinner says. "But I have every faith in your ability to fit in with a crowd of overeducated professionals who lecture for hours and acknowledge little to no supervision or hierarchy."

Mulder ducks his head, acknowledging the point. Scully takes the opportunity to retrieve her foot and slip it back into her shoe. She's sure she's pink in the cheeks. She steadies her breathing carefully. Mulder's lucky she couldn't get her foot all the way into his lap. Maybe that's the next meeting.

"Are you all right?" Skinner asks her in a low voice as she steps past him. "You look a little feverish." He does this, since her illness, and she's both grateful and annoyed.

"I'm fine, sir," she says. "It's a little warm in here."

"Drink some water," Skinner advises.

"I'll make sure she gets what she needs," Mulder assures him, putting one hand on her back. Skinner knows, Scully's sure of it, but he just lets them pass without another word.

"I guess we'll have to go home and change," Mulder murmurs in her ear as they walk to the elevator.

"Your place or mine?" she asks, equally quietly. They've had clothes stashed at each other's apartments for years in case of emergency. Maybe she can get him into jeans and a blazer. She'll definitely enjoy taking those off later.

"Yours," he says decisively. "And if we end up making out in the stacks of university library, nobody has to know."

"Agent Mulder, you're a dream come true," she says lightly.

"Are you sure I'm not a nightmare?" he asks as they enter the elevator. No one else joins them. Everyone knows better at this point, and no one else is going down. "I seem to recall some screaming last night."

"Maybe I dream about opera," she teases.

"Maybe you do," he says, and takes her hand, swinging it gently between them. She looks at their twined fingers and smiles. Maybe it was all inevitable, but it took so long to get here. She'll take a hundred scoldings from Skinner if she has to. This is worth it.

[gargoyleandgremlinpress]

My final Fanfic Writers' Appreciation Day package has been delivered! Ten Prides in Portland by Leiascully and Simple Machines by coffeesuperhero continue the Leverage OT3 theme I've got going on this year. The fic aren't necessarily a series, but are thematically connected, and also the authors are married to each other. (It happens! My wife and I met writing Due South and Hard Core Logo fanfic lo these many years ago!)

There are some similar things I adore about both these fics. I love the sort of playing with structure in both of them, and watching the characters evolve, and also, seeing the queer community in all of its heartfelt messy occasionally infuriating glory. I also adore the thoughtful Eliot character exploration.

First off, Ten Prides in Portland! What it says on the tin. Ten years post-series at a certain brewpub in Portland, as Elliott finds queer community and figures himself out. This book is the reason I now have rainbow ribbon for bookmarks. As you can see, I went so very literal with this one. Homemade book cloth, acrylic paint, and cardstock endpapers printed with a map of Portland.

I had way too much fun with the layout on this one! It was an easy theme to lean into.

Eliot navigates a relationship with two people he loves, runs a restaurant, and figures himself out. I love the character dynamics, the cast of queer characters, and the way the second fic in the series is structured around brewpub menu items. The titles are from the iconic Mary Oliver poem Wild Geese, which is where the bird theme comes from. I used a really lovely fancy liquid mirror silver paint for the geese on the cover, which is gorgeous in person but hard to photograph.

More geese! Some menu formatting! Also, a food-themed illustration at the beginning of each chapter to match the menu item. (Thank you, stock images on The Noun Project.) This was another fun one to play with.

Not pictured here for either book: the insurmountable printer issue I was having where any page with an illustration turned out extra-dark, and the flip side was correspondingly lighter. BUT. I'm still pretty pleased with how they both turned out, happy to have both of these on my shelf, and even happier to send them off in a set together to the authors' hands.

Happy slightly belated FFWAD, Leiascully and Coffeesuperhero!

[enigmaticxbee]

Tropes & More - Fic Recs

All the tropey-goodness!

Body-Swap:

Underneath Your Skin by crescentmoon222 - Dreamland AU, NSFW

What if Feels Like for a Girl by @mldrgrl - Dreamland AU, NSFW

Dreamland III by @admiralty-xfd - Dreamland sequel

Flea Market Economy by Punk

I’ll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours by Tv_Saved_The_Teenage_Girl

Masters of Time by @sisterspooky1013 - time travel to 1960s Masters of Sex, NSFW

Times Colliding by onlytheinevitable- time travel 1998/2018 body swap, NSFW, WIP

Cubed by Louise Marin - Scully wakes up as an alternate version of herself, NSFW.

Parallel by @sisterspooky1013 - Scully wakes up as an alternate version of herself, NSFW.

Fake-Dating:

Never by Allison Kinney - Undercover, NSFW

Diversion by @sisterspooky1013 - Stakeout, NSFW

Just Another Dinner Party by @somekindofseizure - Undercover at a swingers party during Arcadia

Amish Country by Lolabeegood - Undercover with the Amish, NSFW

We’re Married Now by @skinfull - Undercover in a cult, NSFW

Hallowed by onlytheinevitable - Undercover in a cult, NSFW

More Than a Feeling by @sisterspooky1013 - Undercover at a carnival, NSFW

Undercover Swing by 2momsmakearight - Undercover at a sex party, NSFW

It’s Just Pretend by @storybycorey - Undercover in a motel, fake sex turning into real sex, NSFW

The Marriage Spectacular by @cecilysass - Lost FBI agents. Stormy weather. A marriage retreat in a mountainside inn with one room available.

The Newlywed Game by onlytheinevitable - While going out for dinner, Scully runs into an ex and Mulder valliantly pretends to be her husband. However, that little lie traps them into having to play the Newlywed Game in front of a bunch of strangers and they have to navigate admitting feelings they haven't even admitted to themselves.

Baseball Metaphors by @leiascully - Scully runs into an ex and they pretend to be dating, NSFW

Just Go With It by @skinfull - Mulder runs into old high school classmates and they pretend to be married, NSFW

The Annapolis Grant by @slippinmickeys - AU, Scully pays Mulder to play the role of her boyfriend, NSFW

Wedding/FBI Ball Date:

Plus One by @alienqueequeg - Mulder convinces Scully to let him be her plus one at an old friend's wedding, NSFW

Hardball by Missy Pennington - Scully gets a sexy red dress to wear to the FBI ball when she finds out Phoebe Green will be attending

Five Ballrooms by @admiralty-xfd - Five Christmas parties. Five separate POVs.

The Twelve Tropes of Christmas by @mangokiwitropicalswirl - Christmas ball and all the tropes

Holidays:

far away and to the west by @audries - Thanksgiving with the Gunmen

at the close of the day by @audries - Thanksgiving on the road

Fairies, Skip Hence by @slippinmickeys - Christmas at the Scullys, NSFW

Shades of Winter by @piecesofscully - Christmas at the Scullys, NSFW

Marshmallow World by @agoodwoman - Christmas 1998, set Season 6, our beloved agents are working under AD Kersh. Mulder and Scully get into the holiday spirit. NSFW

Regular People by @chimerical1975 - Thwarted Christmas plans, impulsive decisions, and unexpected visitors make two extraordinary FBI agents into regular people. NSFW

Chicken Dinner by @cecilysass - Dinner at Mrs. Scully’s. Mulder overhears Maggie speaking to her friends about her daughter’s relationship with her partner. What he hears floors him.

Gingersnap by @cecilysass - Holiday baking, NSFW

if the fates allow by @all-these-ghosts - Christmas with Mulder and Scully, 1993-2016

Birthdays by @syntax6 - seasons 1 through 7

One Bed (see Faking Dating above too):

Let’s Play a Game by @danasculllie - Motel room Truth or Dare, NSFW

Truth or Dare by Adrienne - Mulder and Scully have a wicked game of Truth or Dare while sharing that hotel room in Rain King. NSFW

Twenty-Questions and a Winter Storm by @danascully77 - NSFW

Designated Mulder by onlytheinevitable - Mulder had always wanted to see what Scully would be like drunk, but he didn't anticipate it would finally happen on the one night they had to share a bed. NSFW

Sexy Snowed-In by @peacenik0 - Mulder and Scully are snowed-in together, will they find a way to escape their boredom? NSFW

Hot and Sticky by Megan Reilly - One hotel room, two FBI Agents...and it's a hell of a hot night besides. NSFW

One room. One bed. by spooky66 - NSFW

Free Merlot at the Cool View Motor Court by @sarie-fairy - post The Rain King, NSFW

Turn that damned thing off by @sunflowerseedsandscience - The Rain King missing scene.

Time Enough At Last by bayloriffic - The Rain King missing scene.

Conversation in the Dark by Cass - The Rain King missing scene.

Stop Me by Gina Rain - post The Rain King, NSFW

Unbidden by @phillippadgettwrites - NSFW

Bunkmates by @leiascully - There's only one hotel room, and it's got a special surprise.

Expense Report by 13th_blackbird - The Bureau conducts an audit, and Scully considers the costs.

Scully/Other:

Universal Invariants by @syntax6 - set over the course of a canon-parallel version of season 1 and early season 2 where Scully’s boyfriend Ethan who was cut from the pilot sticks around. NSFW

Early On by @sunflowerseedsandscience - Mulder and Scully are drawn to each other from the start but Scully is still with Ethan. NSFW

Homicidal Tendencies by Swikstr - Casefile crossover that pairs Scully with the detective from Homicide: Life on the Street. NSFW

You He Did Not Fail by extraordinarily_ordinary - After Scully leaves the X-Files for a position in LA a case brings them back together. Starts Scully/Other but ultimately MSR. NSFW

Original Sin by @syntax6 - post FTF Scully moves to Utah. Scully/Other but great MSR. NSFW

Arizona Highways by Fialka - Visions of Melissa lead Our Heroes on a case confirming the existence of a series of Emilys. But does Melissa really have a message, or is it all in Scully’s head? Scully/Other but ultimately MSR. NSFW

No Regrets by MystPhile - During Arcadia Scully reconnects with Detective John Kresge. Ultimately MSR but not until the very end. NSFW

Promises to Keep by Prufrock’s Love - post Requiem Scully/Skinner, I really struggled with this one, but still an interesting read. NSFW

Heart’s Desire by @malibusunset - post Two Fathers/One Son Scully reconnects with an old boyfriend during a case. My favorite Scully/Other fic - ends in MSR, but it’s probably the only fic where I’ve thought that Mulder might be the wrong choice. NSFW

La Lacuna by @aloysiavirgata - Scully explores her feelings after Milagro while investigating a murder. Scully/Other but ultimately MSR. NSFW

Mulder/Other:

The Waters of Babylon by @aloysiavirgata - As they prepare to become Rob and Laura Petrie, Mulder thinks back on his life and the paths not taken.

Seventeen by @scapegrace74-blog - Explores how Mulder's sexual relationships shaped (and mis-shaped) him as a man. Each chapter represents a different partner. Mulder/Other, ultimately MSR, NSFW

Triptych by @iconicscullyoutfits - married to Diana AU, ultimately MSR

To Love Somebody by Tess and Jacquie LaVa - In the midst of attempting to have a normal romance, Mulder's escalating feelings for Scully, and her deteriorating health due to her advancing cancer, make it impossible for him to commit... Mulder/Other but ultimately MSR. NSFW

The Guts by @wtfmulder - How would Scully react if Mulder dropped an open condom wrapper in front of her? MSR but dealing with Diana.

Dr. Scully's School for Exceptional Boys by Prufrock’s Love - post series, Mulder/Other and MSR, NSFW

One for the Road by @phillippadgettwrites - post breakup, Mulder has a girlfriend but mostly MSR, NSFW

Pregnancy/Baby/Family:

The Family G-Man by Neoxphile and FelineFemme - A double tragedy strikes Mulder the week before Christmas of 2003. What if he could go back and change things, save the son one lost and give the other the family she wanted? Could it keep them safe? NSFW

Five Years and a Lifetime by @monikafilefan @slippinmickeys - One night stand AU. Five years later, Scully and Mulder work at the same pediatric hospital, and Scully's four year old daughter bears a striking resemblance to the picture of a dark haired girl that sits on Mulder's desk... NSFW

In the Best Interest of the Child by @mldrgrl - AU When tragedy strikes, Mulder is forced to take guardianship of his young niece, but the matter is complicated by the arrival of a sister-in-law he's never met.

The Way Things Are by Sukie Tawdry - One night and their whole lives were changed forever. Season 1 AU. NSFW

Right Hand Return by humphreywrites - Scully is returned from her abduction with a baby, no memories of anything prior to her captivity and some PTSD.

All That Is Dark and Bright by @malibusunset - Emily lives AU. NSFW

Five Years and One Night by Shalimar - Scully leaves the X-Files post-Emily but gets drawn back in when Mulder discovers Emily wasn’t the only child created. NSFW

Intimacy Deux by Mojo - The one in five billion happens. NSFW

40 Weeks by @malibusunset - What if the IVF attempt in Per Manum had been successful? NSFW

A Boy and His Fox by 6hoursgirl - What happens when two FBI agents have a platonic relationship based on trust and mutual respect...and an exchange of genetic material. NSFW

The 13th Sign and 7 Days in May by Prufrock’s Love - Post-Deadalive. Mulder saw no reason for life, death, sex, Armageddon, or emotional dysfunction to stand in the way of true love.

Hurricane Season by rah and beduini - Post-Existence week at the beach with the Scully family and baby Wim. NSFW

Terra Firma series by @malibusunset - Post-Existence domestic family drama, a classic comfort read for me. NSFW

Misc:

Partners With Benefits by onlytheinevitable - Friends with benefits, NSFW

Truncated by Lysandra31 - Scully and Mulder find themselves in a tight spot. Spooning ensues.

You Send Me by @spooky-nerd - Portals keep popping up around Mulder. It's rather inconvenient until he realizes it's possible the universe is trying to tell him something.

[daynascullys]

LISTEN THROUGH SILENCE: An MSR Playlist ⤷ Part Two: Scully

It feels close to you, somehow, to say your name out loud.

playlist / songs ↘

SIX by Sleeping at Last / Similar to with Mulder, I haven't really thought about what enneagram I think Scully might be, but the lyrics of this song are so her. Plus: "I want to believe—no, I choose to believe—that I was made to become a sanctuary." I constantly think about "I want to believe" in the context of Scully because that's very much Mulder's thing, but it takes on so much significance when you think about it relating to Scully (just like Mulder choosing not to believe things takes on special significance as well). Mulder wants to believe in so many things, but Scully wants to believe in Mulder—and she chooses to believe.

RENEGADE by Big Red Machine & Taylor Swift / Very very Scully to Mulder. I mean— "there was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway" and "you fire off missiles 'cause you hate yourself, but do you know you're demolishing me? And then you squeeze my hand as I'm about to leave" and "it's time, you've come a long way / open the blinds, let me see your face / you wouldn't be the first renegade to need somebody" and "is it insensitive for me to say / get your shit together / so I can love you." But "open the blinds, let me see your face" really gets me because Scully truly does see Mulder, she sees him better than anyone ever has.

BETWEEN THE LINES by Sara Bareilles / Oof, this one huuuurts. I chose the title of this playlist from this song ("listen through silence") because I feel like it goes pretty well with Mulder's playlist ("amidst the chaos," also from a Sara Bareilles song) and because it's so much of what Scully does while Mulder learns—she listens through silence and reads between the lines. ALSO: "I'm queen of attention to details, defending intentions if he fails." Scully is forever the first to defend Mulder no matter what he does, always from a place of love.

BREATHE by Lauv / There are so many songs that could be applied to both of them, but for some reason or another I choose it for one of their individual playlists (this being one of them). I think one of my favorite parts fits Mulder better—"I should leave 'cause you deserve better"—but overall this song made me think of Scully, especially during I Want to Believe. "You're my all and more, but I need room to breathe."

WATER WORSHIP PRAY by Grace Power / This song also makes me think of I Want to Believe, and I especially love this song for Scully because of all the religious imagery. "How can two people fall apart when they both want the same thing? How can my happiness be you, but I'm not happy at all?" OW. And also: "First peace I ever knew / Can't love you well enough to keep you or enough to let you go / I'd rather stay in purgatory with you than in heaven alone."

IF PATIENCE DOESN'T KILL ME by Alison Sudol / I'm very aware that this is a pretty specific sound that not everyone will love, but I love Alison Sudol and I feel like this song is perfect for Scully so I kept it anyway. I just feel like the lyrics fit her perfectly—"if patience is a virtue, I abound / ... / if patience doesn't kill me, I'm yours." And it's where the description comes from—"it feels close to you, somehow, to say your name out loud." It feels like they constantly are calling for each other both because they want them there and trust they will be there, but also because the simple act of calling for each other makes them feel less alone.

GIVE UP THE GHOST by Rosi Golan & Johnny McDaid / Another song I love (I would've titled this "Quiet the Noise" if I hadn't already used that as a playlist title) that takes on new meaning when you think about it in an MSR context. Ghosts take on a different significance when thinking about Mulder (also, @leiascully just KILLED me with her fic and "I don't love anything more than I love you, Scully. Not even ghosts." Literally what the fuck). Even the very beginning of this song—"come here, it's all worth the fight when it's you, dear." And "slow down, we're losing the meaning of words now / quiet the noise 'cause we made a mountain of minuscule things." And Scully really does quiet his noise.

THE BEACON by A Fine Frenzy / The lyrics in the gifset are from this song and if I could write out the entire song without it being ridiculous, I would. I swear this could truly be a song written by Scully about Mulder. I mean, just starting with the first verse: "You say your time has come / you're tired of waking up / don't be obscene, I can't conceive of living without you / You say you drag me down, no one should want you now / I start to cry, you kiss my eyes and say I'm not allowed to." And then, AND THEN the second verse: "you were a child forgot / lessons of love untaught / now no embrace can quite replace the one that never found you / I was raised tenderly / all that was taught to me / I will apply / Your parents tried, but they didn't know how to." Like. Okay. Sure. That's fine.

SATURN by Sleeping at Last / I know I'm not alone with this one because I've seen multiple videos of them set to this song, but I chose to put it on Scully's playlist because it really makes me think of Mulder's abduction arc/when he wakes up in "Deadalive." Just imagine her listening to this song sitting by his side, holding his hand, willing him to wake up. GAH.

YOU MATTER TO ME by Jessie Mueller & Drew Gehling / This is another song I was debating for both of them, but the first verse especially makes me think of Scully: "I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes / they've seen things you never quite say, but I hear / come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you / and I'll stay there as long as you'll let me."

SOMEONE WHO LOVES ME by Sara Bareilles / This song wrecks me and has some of the most beautiful lyrics I've ever heard. One reason I love it for Scully is because of the hug at the end of "Irresistable." This is another song I would have considered for a playlist title ("my home, my heart") if I hadn't already used it before. But the way it's sung always gets to me—"my home, my heart, thank god you are someone who loves me," like she's exhaling into the safety of his arms.

I F*CKING LOVE YOU by Zolita / The song pretty much says it all: "what if I let it slip, tell you that oh my god, I fucking love you."

WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT by Emily James / I absolutely love the first part of this song when she says "I just wanna say that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon unless it's with you." What really made me think of MSR was this, though: "'cause we've been busy lying to ourselves, swearing it would never work / promising that we were just friends / it's funny how it doesn't make sense / and then it does." And I love the idea of Scully thinking again about how different her life is, how this is so far from where she thought she'd be, but with a little bit of wonder: "who would've thought that it would've been you?"

[cecilysass]

Happy birthday, Fox Mulder! (celebrating with Spooky fic recs)

In honor of Mulder’s birthday, here's a somewhat eclectic selection of Mulder-centric fic. (Some of this isn’t a very nice way to celebrate his birthday as it is a bit angsty and traumatic, but luckily he doesn’t know.) These are all just fics that feature Mulder in the foreground I happen to admire and think of offhand; there are sooo many more.

Genius by Kipler This is a vintage fic (written 1995!) and it feels SO MUCH like an early episode of the show in vibes. A casefile that becomes a serious Mulder character exploration. Canon divergent, but it feels like it could have been canon in some parallel XF universe.

Just the Thing - pinebluffvariant This is about opening presents after How The Ghosts Stole Christmas, not his birthday, but right mood. The end of this … y'all, my breath catches, it’s so perfect.

The Fox Mulder Phonetic Alphabet - storybycorey Mulder’s ABCs of Scully. This seems at first like alphabet themed vignettes, but omg keep reading until the last, because it becomes a narrative that make me weep.

Mrs. and Mr. Spooky - leiascully This fic has both (1) a Tom Colton reunion and (2) Scully seriously upping her birthday present game.

Normal Conversations - Soronia Mulder goes to therapy. The therapist suggests he has normal conversations.

october midnight- skuls Mulder celebrates his birthday in 2018.

Radium - spark_writer Dysfunctional, miserable Mulder in love will do anything but tell her.

Seventeen - scapegrace74 A history of Mulder’s sexual experiences. This ends up being a really moving character study that takes his personal trauma seriously. It also is MSR and leads to that in a simply beautiful way.

Vox Mulder: Wired and Fired - darwin_xf This is a long, rich exploration of how Mulder evolves season 6/7, a kind of replacement for The Sixth Extinction / Amor Fati. Masterful dialogue, partner vacations, smut -- if you haven't read this, it's a treat. You should.

You Send Me - spookynerd Mulder as romantically smitten and completely in character. He’s anxious and miserable and developing theories. This fic is sweet and darling and deliiiiiightful.

[thursdayinspace]

fic: all after such a desert (13/13) [complete]

Rating: Explicit

Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13

So. This is it. Typing "epilogue" into the chapter title box made me tear up a bit, not gonna lie. It's been such a journey, and I'm truly overwhelmed by all your comments, reblogs, and support. I've loved sharing this with you. I love you guys. Thank you. And until next time. <3 Thanks once again to leiascully for the beta, muldersfingers for the cheerleading, and libbytxf for the title. And thanks to all you lovely people for your reblogs and comments, love you! <3

Summary:

He would rather stick his fingers in a wall socket than hurt or upset her, ever. He keeps waiting for this love to start hurting the way he knows all love hurts at some point down the road. But he’s loved her for years and here they are. Tentatively, timidly, his soul is still reaching for hers, asking it to soothe old hurts and pain. He doesn’t know how he’s ever going to be able to be enough, but he’ll try, he’ll try. And hope that eventually, maybe, one day he will deserve her, if he just tries hard enough.

In which Mulder learns what it truly means to be a whole person to someone.

Read on AO3

Tagging @today-in-fic

[pookie-mulder]

October 2024 fic roundup

👶☑️ Beginnings by @television-overload

The most perfect follow-up to Of Our Own Making! Seeing m&s fall in love and go on their first date AFTER getting married and having a child together is just precious. (Especially Mulder’s “will u go out with me” note!) I love their unconventional relationship so much.

🐓🍽️ Untitled by @aloysiavirgata

This little fic is hilarious! I love Mulder getting the chance to be subtly petty towards Bill. I also love to see MSR being so domestic and settled down in the unremarkable house.

blue prints by @foxmulders

(Couldn’t find an ao3 link to this one)

Oof. This one hurts in the best way. It’s everything you want for these characters that they never got to have. It’s fluff, but it feels like angst because it’s a reminder of what the Mulder-Scully family could have been. I love it!

🛁🫧 the alchemy by @leiascully

I absolutely adore “platonic” intimacy that happens when they’re not quite together, and this fic starts out that way and ends in some incredibly satisfying RST. For such a short fic, this one sure does pack a punch! One of my favorites from fictober.

🕳️📍 You Send Me by spookynerd

The silliest premise leads to the sweetest romance! I love to see Mulder all pathetic and pining. My favorite line: “I’m in love. I think it’s terminal.”

🧜‍♀️💍 mermaids, native to montana by @foxmulders

I read this one a while ago and recently stumbled across it again. It’s the type of fluff with an undercurrent of sadness that creates such a powerful sense of longing. If you’re a fan of an unconventional marriage fic, read this one!

🛌🚂 Untitled by @myassbrokethefall

I usually steer clear of revival fics (I haven’t even been able to bring myself to watch it yet) but this one is just so darn sweet! I’d like to go back in time and show CC a copy of this fic so he writes it into the show.

🎂💌 Birthday Blues by Donnilee

I’m a fan of an author who can turn the silliest, most improbable situations seem probable, and this fic delivers. Read it if you’re a fan of tropey goodness and smut that’s as adorable as it is hot.

💇‍♀️💥 By the Dim and Flaring Lamps by @sunflowerseedsandscience

I was in the mood for a historical setting, and this Civil War AU fit the bill! One of my favorite things was its exploration of 19th-century gender roles, not to mention the unconventional romance.

🇮🇪🏰 Katherine of Ireland by Jenna Tooms

If you’re a fan of Hiraeth (as I am), you’ll love this one! It has a very similar setting and plot. The writing styles are very different, though, so it’s not like they’re carbon copies of each other or anything.

Anyway, this fic is achingly romantic, with plenty of lines that take your breath away.

(If you want the epub for easier reading, let me know!)

🏝️👻 Waldron Island by @sisterspooky1013

Like Gaslight, this fic features M&S not being able to trust their own minds. However, this time, it’s for horror reasons, not sci-fi reasons. Regardless, that concept is one of my favorites to explore in fiction, so I absolutely devoured this spooky fic! (And the ending scene? 😫🔥🥵🥹‼️)

😈🪞 Succumbing to the Truth by OnlyTheInevitable

If you liked Waldron Island, you’ll love this one! It’s a similar concept, but lies more in the casefic genre rather than straight-up horror. I loooove the way it uses the plot (a succubus demon) to force M&S closer together and finally talk about their feelings. It’s one of those fics where you can see where it’s going, which adds anticipation and makes the ending so much sweeter!

🥤🛍️ Inevitable by @thefinestmuffins

This alternate version of the car conversation in Tooms is an incredible Scully character study that’s absolutely dripping with UST. For a short fic, it truly packs a punch! One of my favorite parts is this: “On the Dana Scully list of priorities, want figures very, very low. It’s not that she doesn’t possess it in great quantity, it’s just that she fights like hell to rate it less highly than ambition, dignity, control, pragmatism, self-sufficiency, stability.”

[lilydalexf]

Hi! I'm looking for fic where either Mulder or Scully (or both) are some kind of cryptid and/or have supernatural powers or abilities. Thank you in advance!

Here are some fics where Mulder and/or Scully is a cryptid or something else fantastical or supernatural. There are a ton of stories where one of both of them have supernatural powers or abilities, so I'm leaving that daunting ask for another time since I'm not sure I could make a reasonable list. Enjoy!

And if I make my bed in Sheol by threeguesses Mulder becomes his own x-file. (Scully and Mulder’s ghost and believing)

The Entity by Annie Jennings It stalks humanity with a vengeance. It looks upon the blood of man with an insatiable thirst. It can bestow upon mortals the gift of eternal life. And now, it sets its sights upon Fox Mulder and Dana Scully...

Essentially Exactly the Way It Happened by @scullyphile (WIP) AU where nothing is different except that Scully’s a vampire, and for all Mulder’s suppositions, he still doesn’t guess

Eternity in Your Arms by Piper Sargasso This is an alternate reality of my “This Mortal Coil” universe. What if Scully had left after their first night together since Mulder’s making, rather than staying and being taken by Julian? Although this is technically a spinoff of TMC, it can definitely be read and understood as a standalone.

Ghost series by Joyce An accident radically changes the partnership between Mulder and Scully while opening Scully up to extreme possibilities.

In the Blood by twosheds (No summary provided)

inosculaton by @leiascully When Scully fucks him, it's a supernova.

lucky silver by goatfriend dana scully is a werewolf. angst ensues.

midnight hold by @brenayla “They’re fine, I guess,” Julie says. “Kinda weird.” Weird as in: she gets a feeling like brain freeze if she looks at them for too long. Weird like: when they lean in to speak to each other, they make the conference room go still and November cold. She would need something far stronger than coffee before she’d admit it, but there have been moments where Julie could not tell them apart.or: soulmates as cryptids

Siren Song by @leiascully Navy sailor Dana Scully, in disguise as Daniel, has a very close encounter of the mer kind.

Tam Lin by Pequod When your local young men disappear, only to turn up dead a year later, sometimes it helps to have friends in high places. Myth and murder combine in a remote Scottish village, and Mulder and Scully investigate. The Fairy Queen is out to revenge the loss of her most prized knight, Tam Lin. Mulder believes but Scully’s not so sure, until Mulder takes a walk in the woods.

Tonight I Was by Brighid A late night call turns Mulder's world inside out.

Too Close to Hide, By the Moonlight Side by @giroshane Scully tried to keep a positive outlook on life. Truly, she did. With the amount of bullshit she'd been through, before and during her tenure on the X-files, if she didn't find some spots of light in this dark dark world she'd have gone insane long ago. 1995 made that hard. Yes, she thought, cold, shivering, blood-spattered and buck-naked in the mud and rain in the middle of the woods, with the waning full moon shining down on her like a spotlight. By the summer of 1995, it was shaping up to be the worst year of her life. -- Or, an AU where everything is exactly the same--except Dana Scully is a werewolf. When grief and loneliness cause one too many slip-ups, it's time for Mulder to learn the truth. Unfortunately, the hard way.

[numinousmysteries]

@leiascully mentioned airports. JessM wrote the quintessential airport fic and this lives in that universe. I owe them everything, and they owe me nothing.

This has not been beta'd, edited, or put through any quality control whatsoever. Read at your own risk.

@today-in-fic @xffictober24

Paved Paradise

It's Bill Scully's turn to host Christmas. There is some sort of algorithm within the extended Scully clan that determines this. It factors in variables such as who's stationed abroad, who's too pregnant to travel, and who's just being so goddamn stubborn (Scully's words) this year. It's a complex calculation that starts as early as July if Scully's sighs and eye rolls during her phone calls with her mother are any indication. And despite all the time and care that allegedly goes into these deliberations, it seems that more often than not–in Mulder's mind at least—they end up flying to San Diego on the busiest travel day of the year.

Maggie headed out a week earlier to spend more time with Bill's kids, so it's just the three of them hunkered down at O'Hare for an extended layover. One that's becoming more and more extended as the snow piles up.

William has been characteristically well-behaved on the journey so far but even the most mature six-year-old's patience would be worn thin by now. Fuck, Mulder thinks, even this not-so-mature 46-year-old is getting antsy.

"I'm so bored!" He calls out, squirming in the vinyl seat at the gate. "Can I go walk around?"

"No," Scully says. She's not even looking up from her book. Mulder doesn't know how she can maintain her stoic calm in the boisterous chaos of an airport on Christmas Eve. "They could call us to board any minute now. And besides, it's too crowded, I'm worried you'll get lost."

Mulder doesn't want to remind her that they could have been called to board any minute in the past three hours now. "I'll go with him," he says, jolting up out of his seat. "We won't go far. And I'll have my phone on me, so just send a bat signal if we need to come back."

She looks up from her book to consider it. The two of them must look desperate because she just shakes her head and sighs. "Sure. Stay close."

Mulder grins down at William who smiles back conspiratorially.

"Yes! Thanks mom!" Full of pent-up energy, the kid grabs Mulder's hand and pulls him into the mire of human mass in the terminal. Will's red hair makes it easy to keep track of him in the crowd although, to Mulder's dismay, it's been getting darker recently. He'll always have Scully's bright blue eyes, though.

"Where to, kid?"

"I'm hungry," he says, excitedly. "And maybe they have a book store. I finished my book on the first flight and then I read the whole thing again. And look—there's a Pizza Hut. Can we get Pizza Hut?"

Mulder stops in his tracks in front of the restaurant. Still in motion in front of him, William stumbles a bit at the abrupt stop. He's been here before. In this exact spot in this terminal seven years ago. But there wasn't a Pizza Hut Express there before. It used to be a Chili's To Go. A very special Chili's To Go.

"What is this crap?" He gasps.

"Dad!" William glares up at him in surprised disapproval. A look that could come from his mother. "You can't say that."

"This didn't used to be a Pizza Hut, Will."

"Huh?" His son asks, confused.

"There was a Chili's here once. Before you were born. Your mom and I went there after a case once."

William is still staring at him skeptically. "Didn't you go to like a million airports?"

"Yeah," Mulder says, gazing in shock at the new restaurant as if its predecessor will suddenly appear before his eyes. "But this one was...memorable."

"Why? Was the food good?"

"I don't remember any food."

"You're so weird, dad," Will shakes his head. "Can we get pizza?"

"Um, sure," Mulder says. He's sadder than he should be by the replacement of one chain restaurant in an airport by another. But god, what had happened at that Chili's. It was the first time she let him touch her. The first time they fucked. In a red vinyl booth, no less. It was where their partnership finally became something more. William wasn't conceived there—and for that, he is thankful—but it set in motion the shift in their relationship that would ultimately lead to William's conception. That would ultimately lead them here. To this airport. On this holiday. As a family. And the Chili's wasn't even there to witness them.

Mulder goes through the motion of paying for William's personal pan pizza, bottled water, and a large diet Pepsi for him and William to share. He eyes the corner of the restaurant where there used to be a booth behind a retaining wall. The wall and the booth are gone. Probably ditched in a dumpster somewhere, trash compacted, or sold at auction. They should have been given a proper sendoff. A 21-gun salute. A hero's farewell at Arlington.

Eager to eat his pizza, Will skips his way back to the gate, his dazed father following a half-step behind.

As Will sinks back into his chair, Mulder turns to Scully any says, "It's official. They've paved paradise and put up a Pizza Hut."

"Blow on that, honey, it's hot," Scully says to William, not missing a beat. "What are you talking about, Mulder?"

"The Chili's that was in this terminal. Our Chili's? It's gone. They replaced it with a Pizza Hut Express. Can you believe that shit?"

"Language, Mulder," she whispers, nodding toward William who's too absorbed in his cheese pizza to notice.

Mulder can tell she knows what he's talking about though. She's starting to blush. A light rouge rising to her cheek not unlike the fuzzy pink of the sweater she'd been wearing that day. One that, now that he thinks about, he'd never seen her wear before or since.

"Are you sure it was even this terminal? These all look the same," she says.

"How could I forget?" It comes out louder than he wanted, even startling William briefly before he turns back to his meal.

"It could have been this terminal. Or it could have been any of the other identical ones though."

He slaps his hands on his thighs in frustration. "No, Scully, you're wrong. It was this one. I know it was. And I know you know, too."

"Oh, Mulder." She shakes her head and turns back to her book.

Finally, their flight is called for boarding. They gather up their bags and herd William onto the jet bridge. Once they're settled into their row, William in between them distracted with a new book, Scully leans over him to whisper in Mulder's ear.

"We'll always have Chili's." She winks.

Her low purr makes his groin twitch and he makes a note that he'll have to do something about that later, even in Bill Scully's house. It'll be more comfortable than a booth at Chili's To Go at least.

[sagan-starstuff]

What's the origin of your blog title? "We are made of starstuff" - Carl Sagan

OTP(s) + Shipname: Mulder and Scully, good old MSR. The one ship to rule them all, no one will ever do it like they did it.

Favourite colour: Basically all shades of blue

Favourite game: I don't really game much but I am playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild right now and it's pretty great.

Song stuck in your head: "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton thanks to my brother taking me a trip down memory lane

Weirdest habit/trait? I am pathological about keeping my nails short. It's not even a sex thing, I just haaate the feeling of having them more than like...2mm of overhang.

Hobbies: Reading, gardening, baking, slowly getting back into writing fic. I also have like....a dozen crafts/arts that I pick up for a month and then abandon

If you work, what's your profession? I'm a medical doctor. (IYKYK)

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Astrophysicist but somehow without all the math and computer science that seem to be required. I just wanna look at pretty pictures of space all day.

Something you're good at: I'm a pretty decent baker.

Something you're bad at: Talking coherently about my feelings.

Something you love: My husband and son. Chocolate. The feeling of the sun on my skin. The X-Files. Looking at the night sky. Walking around art museums.

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: The X-Files. Also microbes!

Something you hate: Anti-intellectualism. Unfairness or injustice. Hypocrisy. The current state of American politics. Raisins.

Something you collect: X-Files stuff! And Terry Pratchett books. And books in general.

Something you forget: Biostatistics. I re-learn how to do the calculations before exams, then immediately forget.

What's your love language? Quality time and touch.

Favourite movie/show: The X-Files, always forever. I also love Contact, The Princess Bride, and basically everything Studio Ghibli, 30 Rock, most Michael Schur shows (not The Office, though)

Favourite food: Seafood. I'll eat anything that swims/scuttles/clings to the side of a boat.

Favourite animal: Cats, owls, Highland coos. My specific dog.

What were you like as a child? Smart, shy, generally well-behaved, awkward around my peers, made furious by injustice or unfairness. Basically like now, just less well-behaved.

Favourite subject at school? SCIENCE!

Least favorite subject? None, really. I was decent at math, I just lost interest once I got past Calc I.

What's your best character trait? I like to think I have a sense of personal integrity. If I think something is unethical, unfair, or unwise, I refuse as much as I can to go along with it.

What's your worst character trait? Limited patience. The above traits also can make me a little rigid, and I've had to work a LOT on not just flat out telling people I think they're wrong, I've had to work on developing a sense of compromise and diplomacy.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? UGH my commute, there's so much construction and the roads in my city were laid out so poorly that it should NOT take a long to get to/from work as it does.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? Carl Sagan or Ida B. Wells.

Recommend one of your favourite fanfics (spread the love!): Shine On by @cecilysass, the whole time it was coming out I'd drop everything I was doing when a chapter dropped. One of the best Revival fics I've read. An AU, technically.

I stole most of this list from @randomfoggytiger because I'm laaaazy but participate if you like!

@baronessblixen, @dd-is-my-guiltypleasure, @welsharcher

@agent-troi, @amplifyme, @laurencem, @illaisland, @halfali3n,

@virtie333, @television-overload, @brenayla, @nachosncheezies,

@leiascully, @catharsisxf, @numinousmysteries, @frogsmulder,

@suitablyaggrieved, @loubetcha, @storybycorey, @rachg82,

@spooky-jordan, @borogirl, @jessahmewren, @skelavender,

@unremarkablehouse, @thefinalpaperheart, @redteekal,

@sigritandtheelves, @lesbianagentofnothing, @kiivitaja,

@unremarkablehouse, @freckleslikestars, @pianogirlxf,

@justice-for-queequeg, @scullysmywife, @xf-cases-solved,

@muldersfingers, @is-on-its-way, @sarie-fairy,

@lilydalexf, @thescullyphile, @teenie-xf, @touchstoneaf, @ellivia,

@trusttnno1, @settle-down-frohike, @thursdayinspace,

@sagan-starstuff, @b0oker18, @singeart, @bakedbakermom,

@slippinmickeys, @pookie-mulder, @thatfragilecapricorn30,

@deathsbestgirl, @calimanc, @goodshipsmulder, @vincentsleftear,

@aloysiavirgata, @pennyserenade, @dreamingofscully,

@xxsksxxx, @writingwell, @trans-spidey, @scullys-scalpel,@daynascullys, @precedex-files, @bakedbakermom, @msrafterdark @cecilysass

[leiascully]

Fic: Here's A Hand In Thine (MSR, T)

3800 words; T for alcohol use and innuendo; the Gunmen throw a New Year's Eve party (for @thatfragilecapricorn30)

+ + + +

“Hey, Scully, have you got plans for New Year’s Eve? If not, the Lone Gunmen are throwing a party. Should be a good time.”

She had had plans, with Ellen, but then Trent wasn’t feeling well and Ellen’s babysitter fell through, so that was the end of that. When Mulder had inquired, she'd assented. So here she was, standing in front of her closet, trying to find an outfit that made sense to wear to a party with a group of nerds she barely knew.

“What should I wear?” she asked Melissa, the phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder.

“Something adventurous,” Melissa said without hesitation. “Something fun. Live a little, Dana. How long has it been since you went to a real party?”

“I don’t know if this is a real party,” Scully said. “The people throwing it are, well. I wouldn’t describe them as socially adept. They have very specific interests and most of them are technological.”

Melissa snorted. “My sweet naive baby sister. I can’t believe you’ve made it this far through life without knowing that nerds throw the wildest parties. You’re going to a banger.”

Scully flipped through her wardrobe. Suits, skirts, blouses: all of it office-appropriate and none of it particularly festive. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party that could be described as a banger.”

“Not even in med school?”

“I didn’t go out much.” Scully hadn’t really told Melissa about Daniel. She knew Melissa wouldn’t approve, would tell her Daniel had been preying on her, would tell her that she’d missed out on meeting people to spend time with a man who was never going to be anything but a dead end in her life. Maybe that was true, but the disappointment had led her to say yes when the FBI had recruited her, so there had been some value to the whole thing.

“Then you’ve got to party tonight for all the years you missed,” Melissa said. “Don’t let the 90s pass you by, Danes.”

“It’s 1994,” Scully said. “I would hope I’ve got a few more years of the 90s left.”

“You never know,” Melissa said in one of her mysterious voices. “Anything could happen.”

Enough already had, but neither of them mentioned Scully’s disappearance.

(read the rest on AO3)

[unremarkablehouse]

Hi! Secret Santa here. Just wondering what are some of your favorite fics? I hope you're having a great week 🫶

YAY!! You know my week was rough (I have an ear infection), but your message brightened my day. There are SO many amazing fics, I like a lot of fluffy stuff and am a solid S8/S9 denier. Honestly, a list of favorite fics would take forever but here are some of my favorites from Fictober:

Literally everything by Baroness Blixen and MSRAfter Dark. I love Leiascully’s writing, particularly Poang! But any of her stories set during the original run are my favorite.

Thursday in space wrote this fic and it’s one of my all time faves now.

Here are some others I’ve recently bookmarked, but my tastes are all over the shop, lol.

dad - thatfragilecapricorn - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

It's Not Like You Spent a Lot of Time at Home - Chapter 1 - Katy_KT_Katie - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

Honest Man - Chapter 1 - cecily_sass - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

[randomfoggytiger]

Collector's Edition: Melissa Scully, the One and Only (Part I)

Melissa Scully, a character with incredible impact compared to her minuscule screen time. Today, we honor her memory.

(If you're curious to read more Melissa-dedicated fic, I recommend The Other Side: Melissa Scully's Recs's site.)

Loose chronological order below~

audrey_cooper/Audrey Cooper's Fairy Tale

Melissa dug in her feet and made tracks on the thin ice covering the sidewalk. "You'll fall if you don't _slow down_." She emphasized the last two words with jerks on Dana's hand. Dana's mitten came off, and, already overbalanced, Melissa flopped down into the snow that was piled next to the sidewalk.

Melissa Scully is dragged around by her little sister (who may or may not have seen a cryptid.)

resistate's Scared at Night

Dana hears another almost-moan, this one following by a terrible scraping sound. Dana has half-convinced herself she has been imagining things. She jumps a little bit without meaning too and bangs her elbow on her bedside table by accident. "Melissa," she says urgently, before she can stop herself. "Missy!"

Pre-S1 Scully deduces that the noise under her bed is Melissa.

@minuete-blog/Minuete's

The Scully Sister

Charlie, bless his soul, told Mom he planned to stick up for a kid that was being bullied in class.  Dana, the overachiever, wanted to ask her teacher for extra credit on the history project regarding California missions on top of the required diorama all students had to turn in.  Once it was my turn to speak, I blurted, “I’m not going to get confirmed next year.”

Melissa's slow journey away from religion.

Porch Talk

Dana glared at me as she chewed on her bottom lip. A smug smile crossed my lips. “I thought so. Dana, if you’re doing this to nab a guy, then he’s definitely not the one for you. If you’re doing this to get attention, then believe me, you got it. Just don’t hide the genius that you are. That’s the real you.”

Pre-S1 Melissa has a very serious talk with her little sister.

@mulders-boyish-enthousiasm/muldersboyishenthousiasm's Dear Stubb

Mom helped me fill a lot of papers to redirect letters and subscriptions I receive through mail. Melissa could not stop hovering over my shoulder sending me good vibes using a new age technique she just learned. Bill didn’t even bother to feign interest in my going to Quantico. And Ahab… well… Ahab avoided me most of the time. What about Charlie you’ll wonder? Charlie’s absent. As usual.

Pre-S1 Scully writes about her family and new assignment to an unidentified friend.

Beshter's X-files Seasons

"Mom said you were in town, I thought you would call." Scully pulled away, glancing at her stove where strange and good smelling foods were bubbling.

"Yeah, well it's Tuesday. We always have dinner on Tuesday, remember?" Melissa produced a key from her pocket, waving it in front of Scully. "And as I remember it was my turn to cook."

"That was a year ago, Missy." 

Melissa Scully appears many times in this sprawling epic spanning the first seven years Scully spent on the X-Files.

zulu's

First Sight 

How her parents had managed to live such confined, orderly lives for over thirty years was beyond her; something to do with a military mindset, she supposed. Bill and Charles had never minded, not like her--or Melissa.

Pre-S1 Melissa pokes a few bears after Scully announces her new assignment.

Third Memory

Melissa gasped. This was far more than a dream vision. It was cold here. She smelled the acrid sickness of antiseptic and vomit, heard the insistent beeps and shushing of life support equipment. She knew it was Dana's mind that touched hers, and she felt herself sliding down into her sister's memory. She tensed and called out, "Dana!" In her bedroom, alone, there was no answer. She was falling, falling into Dana's thoughts, into her sister's past.

Anasazi Melissa taps into Mulder's aura.

Shelba's The Man of her Dreams

Months passed; she forgot about the dream. Then one night in late summer, she gasped awake, shaken to the core. The man from her dream had returned in a nightmare. His long body was fastened to a chair, if a chair had been made by Dante.

Pre-S1 Melissa has unknowingly dreamed of Mulder for years.

@frostbitepandaaaaa/FrostbitePanda's Nine Minutes and Then Some - Chapter 4 (Ao3)

Missy almost chokes on a cherry tomato, looks up at her sister to see if she’s suddenly been replaced by someone else. But Dana Scully is still there, pushing her fork through her spinach, her face carefully schooled.

Post Pilot Melissa sides with Mulder against Scully.

@viceversawrites/viceversa's One word prompt: Maybe (Ao3)

“He’s, uh. He’s tall.”

“Dana, you’re tiny. Everyone is tall compared to you.”

“He’s tall compared to most people, Melissa. And he, uh.”

“Come on, spill it.”

“He has a nice face. It’s… sad.”

S1 Melissa gets Scully to admit her new partner's cute.

@katy-kt-katie/Katy_KT_Katie's

“Jersey Devil” ficlet (Ao3)

“Who?” Scully asked, washing dishes, phone propped to her ear with her shoulder.

“The guy…that dad you went out with. You wore that beautiful lace dress?”

“Oh, Rob.”

“Rob….” Melissa said, stretching his name as if prodding her for any salacious details.

Post Jersey Devil Melissa figures out Scully might have a crush on her partner.

Fictober Day 17 Post “One Breath” (Ao3)

Mulder’s eyes shot up to meet Melissa’s; a deer caught in the headlights, trying to decide if he should admit or deny his feelings.

“ You should break the ice, let her know that she’s on your mind, ” Melissa encouraged.

Post One Breath Melissa encourages Mulder to make some moves.

@just-a-donut-who-reads/just_a_donut_who_reads 's One Day 

Missy warned me not to take on the assignment to the X-files. She said it would be dangerous. It is. She said it would be frustrating. It is. She said it would drive me mad, make me question everything I learned in med school and in Quantico...

That said - on the X-files, I have something Missy never anticipated.

An excellent view.

S1 Scully realizes she has a crush on Mulder.

@swinging-stars-from-satellites/bravest_person_in_Wonderland 's

a faint and faraway sound

She didn't see the glance shared between Melissa and their mother, who had been disagreeing over something else just before they sat down to eat, but were the two who understood the best — Dana was liable to take this too much to heart, and if she couldn't change the way she spoke, she would take it as a personal failing.

Scully worked hard to overcome her childhood lisp... and feels a bit hurt when Mulder draws attention to it.

scully and monica (scully's sister, iirc?)

Dana holds the phone between her shoulder and ear, precariously stretching the cord as she tries to carry a frozen turkey over to the sink without dropping either it or the phone; her parents are coming for Christmas dinner tomorrow, but Melissa predictably couldn't make it.

AU-- S1 Scully may have quit the FBI, but that doesn't stop her sister from bringing up Mulder.

💬?

"Missy," Dana says after breakfast, still sitting at her mother's table while Melissa insists on taking care of the dishes. Maggie had left momentarily to run to the store. "Promise you won't think I'm insane."

Post Beyond the Sea Scully asks Melissa if she believes in ghosts.

Whumpay Day 5/Lu's Whumpay 2022 - Chapter 5

"When's the last time you ate?" Asks a voice somewhere out of his range of vision, and Mulder turns in the hard plastic hospital chair to see who it is.

Melissa Scully, all five foot five inches of her — plus three extra inches of platform boots — stands in the doorway of the waiting room, her arms crossed and eyes surprisingly clear, considering that she's been here as long as he has. When he doesn't respond right away, she raises an eyebrow and asks again. "So, how long has it been? I know you haven't slept, but I'm not about to get on your case for that."

One Breath Melissa reads between the lines of Mulder's behavior.

@leiascully's (Ao3)

OctoberFicFest Day 9: Herbal Tea/OctoberFicFest 2021 and OctoberFicFest Day 13: Crystal/OctoberFicFest 2021

Missy’s apartment is cluttered, but it’s a cheerful, kitschy kind of clutter.  There are at least three tarot decks, and those are just the ones Dana can see from her mismatched chair at the battered kitchen table.  The whole apartment smells faintly of herbs and incense.  There are bunches of flowers hung over the doorway to dry and crystals scattered over most of the horizontal surfaces.  On the coffee table, a Ouija board is half-buried under a pile of paperbacks.  The planchette rests in a lipstick-smudged wine glass.

“No crystal ball?” she cracks.  

Melissa's kitschy kitchen and crystals have a lasting impact on one Dana Scully.

Scully gets the below toe ring in S4

She bought the ring on a whim from a basket on the counter at some little witchy shop that she visited out of nostalgia for the scent of incense. Melissa had worn a toe ring when they were younger and it had driven their mother crazy. Scully had thought it looked elegant and just a little daring. She felt tender for that younger self while she browsed the display of rings, stirring through them.

Melissa sparks an unlikely interest.

@slippinmickeys/SlippinMickeys/Slippin' Mickeys's

Scully and Missy talk about her work 

“But what’s he like?” Missy asks, hand curled around a chunky mug, her fingers playing with the string of a tea bag. She asks as though it’s a question with an easy answer, like Mulder’s some sandy-haired podiatrist who enjoys cooking and tennis.

“I don’t know,” Scully answers truthfully. “He’s… brooding. Quick-witted. Intelligent.”

Melissa’s eyebrows go up. She probably shouldn’t have led with brooding.

S1 Melissa assures Scully she's not poking fun.

Can we please have more Missy and Scully conversations, thank you😁 

There’s a brightness to her sister that lights up the gloom of the room, an overeager, watery delirium in the eyes reminding Scully that she’s had A Very Close Call.

Post One Breath Melissa carefully fills her sister in on Mulder's behavior.

The Concept of Dualism

“Dana and I are going to come pick you up,” she said, “what time are you being released?”

Scully could hear a dull mumbling from the receiver. 

“It’s fine, she could use the fresh air. We’ll see you then.”

Scully leaned back on the couch. 

“Thanks, Missy,” she said, “if you can help him get settled into his apartment, I’m sure I can find somebody to-” 

Melissa cut her off. 

“Oh, I’m not taking him to his apartment,” Missy said, matter-of-factly, “I’m bringing him here.”

Post Dod Kalm Melissa insists on nursing Scully and Mulder back to health.

Old Chem pt 3

Melissa looked at it a moment and then gave him a firm grip, observing him appraisingly while she shook it maybe three seconds longer than was polite. 

“So is it Dr. Mulder, then?” she asked, releasing it. 

“Just Mulder,” he said.

AU-- Old Chem Mulder meets one Melissa Scully.

Belated Birthday wishes and a Prompt: Valley of the Sun 

“Heard you were trying to do this without me,” he said with a smile, tossing the towel to the floor and kneeling down next to the bed to take Scully’s hand.

“I didn’t think it would happen this fast,” Scully said, and could feel another contraction coming on, the pain so intense she let out a howl.

“I did,” Missy said under her breath.

Scully was too caught up in the grip of agony to give her any grief for it.

AU-- Valley of the Sun Mulder surprises his pregnant partner with a familiar face.

@wtfmulder's (Ao3) are you wearing space pants (Ao3)

“Missy helped me make it,” she shrugs, setting the card back down. She is so bad at faking nonchalant.

S1 Mulder is affronted by a prank... or is he?

Michelle Kiefer's Only The Ones Who Believe

Melissa had been the only one who supported her decision to join the FBI. "Dana, no one can walk a path set by someone else. You have to choose your own way." What would Melissa say now? Because Dana--I can't go dancing, I have to finish my chemistry paper--Scully has set off in a direction she could never have imagined.

Post Little Green Men Scully wishes Melissa could give her advice.

AUs

Skinfull's Before

“Let me guess…” Melissa hummed on the other side of the phone. “You’re in the bath, you have a hot chocolate, you’re just in from work and you had a chicken salad for dinner, at your desk in the morgue. Your fridge is bare. Much like your dating life.”

AU-- Melissa is determined to set her FBI morgue sister up with a date... but she might be a bit too late.

CaptainLyssa's

To FBI or Not To FBI

Biting her lip, she hoped her next question wouldn’t come as a complete surprise to her family. “Has Dana told you if she’s pregnant?’

“What makes you think your sisters pregnant,” Maggie hedged, wondering at Melissa’s intuition.

AU-- Pre-S1 Melissa seems to sense that not only has her E.R. sister been swept up in a whirlwind romance, but that she might be (is) already (accidentally) pregnant-- and that there is danger and intrigue whirling around Scully's new boyfriend.

Time Slip

“Missy?” Scully managed before the pounding increased in her head.

“Dana,” Missy asked, carefully watching her sister sit up and reach an unsteady hand to the base of her neck. “Who’s Mulder?”

AU-- S6 Scully is shot back in time, before her FBI recruitment.

Sukie Tawdry's The Way Things Are (1) and The Way Things Are (2)

"Mulder, your sneakers are muddy," Scully said, trying to hide her pleasure at the sight of her dripping partner. "This is my sister, Melissa. Melissa, this is my partner, Fox Mulder."

"The prodigal daughter?" Mulder asked, toeing off his sneakers. Drying his hand against his pant leg, he leaned over the table to shake Melissa's hand. "It's good to meet you."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." Melissa studied Mulder's face with fascination. "I just had to meet the man who knocked up my baby sister."

AU-- S1 Melissa sweeps back into Scully's life after her sister trips into an accidental pregnancy, kidnapping, and shacking-up situation.

MSR Collection: Devotion Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

“It’s just—she can sometimes push people away and act like things…like they don’t bother her,” Melissa said. “But she deserves someone who can get through that and understand that.”

“I understand a lot about Scully,” Mulder offered. “I’m learning more every day, and I…I look forward to learning everything I can.”

“Then you’ve got my blessing, or whatever, for what it’s worth,” Melissa said.

AU-- Post One Breath Melissa is delighted that Mulder and Scully are dating (and senses there is something else they aren't saying.)

@sigritandtheelves/DarlaBlack’s

AU: Melissa Didn’t Die

Melissa’s recovery is slow and painstaking, and Scully helps her through every step. The sisters grow closer than they’ve ever been, until eventually, they are both ready to go back to work. By then it is October and chilly. Mulder has had months to learn, to remember, what life without Scully is like. They’ve talked on the phone, had lunch a few times, and he’s visited with both her and Melissa, but it has of course not been the same. He’s a little lost without her. 

AU-- Paper Clip Scully and Mulder's relationship changes after Melissa doesn't die.

Birth Day

It takes her an hour, but Melissa’s jeep finally rumbles up the drive, too fast, like she owns the place. The older sister emerges, swinging out her door almost before the jeep has stopped. “Somebody having a baby over here?” she calls to them. She drags out an enormous purse, a kind of floppy tote in purple tie-dye.

AU-- Doula Melissa is there for her sister and her partner.

@baronessblixen's (Ao3)

Thinking About Babies

All Dana is thinking about these days is college. Doing well. Becoming a medical doctor. She’s trying to get a glimpse of her older sister sitting there on the bed, but all she sees, or thinks she sees, is a silhouette. Her long hair falls into her face and she brushes it away quickly, almost angrily. She needs to get it cut and soon. It’s not practical and Dana is practical – or wants to be anyway. Long, wavy hair is for girls who spent their days at the beach. Dana is no longer that girl.

“A career is not the most important thing in the world.” The sheets rustle and Melissa comes into sight. She smiles secretively and leans over Dana’s shoulder to look at her homework. Who does homework on a Friday night? 

Pre-S1 Melissa and Scully have a weighty conversation that the latter revisits, years and years later, in a place called Home.

Bruises 

“Melissa and I- well, Missy had this idea to take this self-defense class and she made me go with her. She thought after… after Duane Barry it might be a good idea. I told her I don’t need it,” she chuckles, remembering their conversation. Melissa wouldn’t accept no for an answer. “I got a bit carried away.”

Post One Breath Mulder stresses over bruises on Scully's wrist.

Another Banner Year (Ao3)

Scully opens the door after a series of frantic knocks. As soon as she does, Melissa barges into her apartment, her hair as furiously red as her face.

“Well, hello to you, too,” Scully says while her sister just stares at her with a wild look. The anger on her face is a familiar sight that reminds her of her childhood.

Post Our Town Melissa drops in after Scully's latest on-the-job trauma.

Merry Christmas, Darling - Chapter 21

"Dana and Fox, sitting in tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g," Melissa hums, making kissing noises.

S2 Melissa enjoys teasing Scully about her shopping partner.

It’s a Match

Melissa Scully stares at him, waiting for him to confirm or deny it. She quirks an eyebrow, much like his own Scully does. It shakes him out of his stupor.

“Would you please be quiet,” he hisses.

AU-- S2 Melissa corners Mulder at a Scully family party, determined to get the truth out of him.

25 Days of Christmas - Chapter 20

“Where do you want me?” Mulder asks Scully, rolling up his sleeves. “What can I do?” 

“We need someone to do the dishes,” Melissa says with a sweet smile. 

“I can do that.” He gives her mother and her sister his best, most charming smile before he pushes past them and starts washing the dishes.

“That was a joke,” Melissa whispers into her ear, watching Mulder with big eyes. “Can I borrow him for one weekend?”

AU-- S2 Melissa dares Scully to make a move.

could you do msr cuddling for comfort pls?

“You need to gohome, Scully. Where is your mother? I thought maybe you could stay with her fora while.”

Disappointment bubbles up inside of her. She can’t recall the last time Melissa smiled at her, made fun of her. The only picture in her head right now is not of her sister. It’s her mother blinking away angry tears.

Post Paper Clip Scully is afraid to go home.

Can't help myself also #18 😍😍😍/Secret Spots

“We should go back downstairs.”

“I haven’t seen your room yet.”

“Later,” she promises and his eyebrows shoot up. “I didn’t mean-” but maybe she did. Maybe that’s exactly what she meant. “Later,” she repeats and he nods, his face eager. “Now come on.” She takes his hand but before they descend the stairs, she presses him against the wall – into that one spot Missy showed her one time. 

AU-- Post Millennium Scully introduces Mulder to Melissa's secret cubbyhole.

mulder braiding scully's hair during the iwtb era ❤

"Melissa and I did this for each other," Scully says, sounding wistful. "We'd talk about boys and school. Well, she talked about boys." They both chuckle, remembering their sisters.

Pre-IWTB Mulder braids Scully's hair.

The Day I First Saw You

There they are: Frohike, Byers and Langley, who is wearing a Santa hat and clinging to a shrimpy fir, looking ridiculous.

“We saw it first!” He complains now, his glasses fogging up from his fury.

“You did not!” A woman with long, wavy hair retorts, trying to push him away.

“Please refrain from violence,” Byers says, sounding anxious.

“This is my tree,” the woman says. “Its aura is clearly attuned to mine.”

“Its what?” Langley asks, exchanging looks with his friends. 

AU-- Pre-S1 Mulder, Scully, Melissa, and TLG meet while the squabbling over Christmas trees.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[xxsksxxx]

get to know your moots

Thank you, @randomfoggytiger for the tag!

What's the origin of your blog title?

It’s just a combination of initials and the inclusion of x for the x-files.

My username though is because Im a huuuuuuge fan of those pretty agents in FBI jackets. They are such a united force when they're in official garb.

OTP(s) + Shipname:

Mulder and Scully MSR

Favourite colour: midnight blue and apple green

Favourite game: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood my beloved. And basically most of the Assasin’s Creed franchise. I also enjoy playing the Sims.

Song stuck in your head: advertising space by Robbie Williams

Weirdest habit/trait?

I don't really know. I have my habits for sure but they don't seem that unusual tbh.

Hobbies:

Writing, reading, coming up with ways to analyse and organize things (I’m building a huge template right now for a collection of quotes and information; maybe I should add that to weird traits!)

If you work, what's your profession?

Communication and marketing

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Writer. Researcher. Academic.

Something you're good at:

Analysing and evaluating behaviour, people, situations, and circumstances.

Something you're bad at:

Directions. Turn me into the wrong direction and I'll never find my way home.

And Tumblr! I am unable to format or search for anything on this app!

Something you love:

Books. Music. Nature. That peaceful silence of early mornings an late nights when the whole world seems to be asleep except for a few kindred spirits.

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

The X-Files

Something you hate:

Manipulation. Power plays. Condescending behaviour.

Something you collect:

X-Files merch. And books.

Something you forget:

Everything I don't write down.

What's your love language?

I had to do a test for this one. Apparently, it's words of affirmation, followed by quality time and acts of service.

Favourite movie/show:

The X-Files

Favourite food:

Stuffed bell peppers with rice.

Favourite animal:

Cats. There's nothing like having your cat choose to come up to you and cuddle because they want to be close. It's honest, it’s real, and it’s the sweetest, warmest feeling.

What were you like as a child? Shy with strangers, open with friends.

Favourite subject at school?

That changed. It used to be chemistry, switched to languages, then math and moved on to literature.

Least favorite subject?

Physics. I just don't get it.

What's your best character trait?

According to my friends, loyalty, being a good friend, being open, having a talent for getting to the bottom of things and giving good advice.

What's your worst character trait?

Getting triggered by confrontational behaviour and dwelling on it for hours afterward.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be?

I wish I didn't have to spend part of my day preparing for a work event next week. It's the weekend. Leave me alone!

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet?

I have two answers. 😅

I’d love to travel back and meet Caesar or Alexander the Great.

I’d also give a lot to travel back in time to the Golden Globes 1997 and be a fly following GA and DD around all night.

Recommend one of your favourite fanfics (spread the love!):

Soooooo many. I don't even know where to start. This time I’m going to recommend a fic I haven't mentioned in a while:

Waldron Island by @sisterspooky1013

That fic is one of the very few stories (books included) that had me terrified of turning off the lights at night.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36700006

I’m tagging @carrie11 @leiascully @scullysflannel @muldersfingers and everyone who wants to play.

[gargoyleandgremlinpress]

But wait, there's more Fanfic Writers' Appreciation Day! I have four more books that I CANT POST YET and it's kind of killing me.

I decided I was going to try to finish all four of the books promised to other people that were languishing as WIPs, and I didn't get them in the mail in time to arrive with their recipients before FFWAD, but my GOD, did I get them done and mailed! (@renegadepublishing keeps organizing the events and challenges, and that is what I need some days to get things done.)

First off, there is a copy of Build Me No Shrines, one of my favourite MDZS fic, on its way to occultings, and I have already shared the first copy I made this past Feb here along with all the reasons you should read it. The author copy shows that I've had some more experience, and a few tiny typeset tweaks, and I'm not stalking the tracking number at allll...

The series Shelter Me by thingswithwings is two Leverage fic, Old Dog and New Tricks, an Eliot-centric OT3 full of heart and kink! It is in book shape, on its way to its new home.

Ten Prides in Portland by Leiascully is the same OT3 pairing, what it says on the tin, the slow evolution of Eliot finding queer community over a decade. And Simple Machines is another two-fic series, this one by coffeesuperhero, an adjacent Eliot finds queer community OT3 story. Both books are also headed to their respective authors.

I did not plan the Leverage theme! It just happened! I will go on at greater lengths when I post the finished pictures, but I very much wanted to get a rapid-fire rec post out today for FFWAD.

Happy Fanfic Writers Appreciation Day, everyone!

[thursdayinspace]

fic: all after such a desert (6/13)

Rating: Explicit

Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

This is one of my favorite chapters I wrote for this fic. I hope you enjoy it. I meant to update earlier this week, but my internet is apparently broken and comes and goes as it pleases. Very annoying, but it seems stable right now. Thanks once again to leiascully for the beta, muldersfingers for the cheerleading, and libbytxf for the title. And thanks to all you lovely people for your reblogs and comments, love you! <3

Summary:

He would rather stick his fingers in a wall socket than hurt or upset her, ever. He keeps waiting for this love to start hurting the way he knows all love hurts at some point down the road. But he’s loved her for years and here they are. Tentatively, timidly, his soul is still reaching for hers, asking it to soothe old hurts and pain. He doesn’t know how he’s ever going to be able to be enough, but he’ll try, he’ll try. And hope that eventually, maybe, one day he will deserve her, if he just tries hard enough.

In which Mulder learns what it truly means to be a whole person to someone.

Read on AO3

Tagging @today-in-fic