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randomfoggytiger · 11 months

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X-Files Collector's Edition: Dad!Mulder, His "Mini Me"s, and Sports

Mulder deserved to bond with his "mini me"s over any sport under the sun. Here are a few fics that do just that.

Loose chronological order below~

Canon Timeline

Susan Proto’s Memory's Promise

""His first, real baseball glove. He smiled at the fond memories he held of his father and he going to the sporting goods store to pick out the perfect glove. He remembered the arduous process of breaking in the glove and trying to follow every single direction his father had given him to do it just right.

He oiled it. And he rubbed it. And he placed the baseball inside to make the perfect pocket and flinched slightly at the memory of how his hands stung when he'd tried to wrap the rubber band around it to hold the ball in place and the band snapped and stung him to the point of tears. He remembered his father found him whimpering slightly, and gently guided him into his den, all the while telling him he had just the thing to keep that ol' ball in place. His dad pulled out the biggest rubber band he'd ever seen; Mulder smiled at the sweet memory of being so taken with something so simplistic.""

Pre-Empedocles Mulder remembers a happy childhood memory of becoming Samantha's protector and learning baseball from his father. He's ready.

@folieadeux1121-blog's What Might Have Been

""Hips before hands!” came a little voice in front of Mulder. William glanced over his shoulder, up at his dad, his smile wide. Now four years old, he was excited for his first baseball lesson, and had been ever since Mulder had told him it was happening.

“That’s right kiddo.” Bending down, Mulder wrapped his arms around his son to take hold of the bat the little boy was holding. It was almost as big as William was. “Just remember that and when the ball comes towards you…” he nodded at Scully, signalling he was ready for her to pitch. “You follow through like this…” Scully threw the ball, as gently as she could, and with Mulder’s help William did as his dad asked, the bat connecting with it and sending it a short way to their left. “That’s it!""

Mulder teaches his four-year-old son how to play baseball under the happy eye of Scully. It's not real (that is... if you read the last part.)

Lara Means's (Alt. Ao3) Unrealized Reality

""When he had just turned ten, he practically begged his parents to let him try out for Little League. His father thought it was a great idea, but it seemed to her he was more suited to basketball. Tall and thin, but graceful, like his father. No matter. Her husband had already decided their boy would be the 2025 World Series MVP.""

S9 Mulder returned from the run one year later, married Scully, fathering another baby, and taught his son how to play baseball. Alas, it was all false (or not if you skip the last part.)

@frangipanidownunder’s (Ao3)

Son

""Mulder hoisted the hoop set up to his son, handed him the drill, watched him work. That floppy hair, the gritted teeth, the flashing smile every so often. Pure Mulder. But the steely eyes, the surety of his hands, the precision, that was all Scully.

Back down on the handstanding, admiring his handiwork, Jackson span the ball on his left index finger. A genetic throwback or a learned thing?

“One on one, old man?""

Post Finale Will shows up to fix Mulder's basketball hoop and start to bond over their mutual interest.

Micro Fic Series - Chapter 8

""Mulder have been able to gather them up, press them, ready to keep like a journal of his days without them. When Mulder discovered he’d never hit a ball, he went all Fox Mantle and now they head out every afternoon, bats slung over shoulders, careful smiles on ruddy faces. She watches as her son, their son, bat propped against his legs, hands on hips, flexes his jaw and listens to the instructions. A willing young Mulder outlined in an orange glow. A proud father finally able to share precious moments, in the autumn years of their lives.""

AU-- Post My Struggle II(?) Mulder is recovering from the virus, taking time to teach William to play baseball.

@moldyandskuller's team spirit

""She opens the lid and rifles through it, pulling out stray t-shirts, two pairs of jeans – she’ll steal some boxers and basketball shorts from his drawers. And when her eyes fall on a piece of shiny gray fabric, she wonders what it’s doing in the box, why it doesn’t have a hanger – its own frame, and she pulls it free from its hold.

She looks at her son. “You like baseball?” But it’s more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah.”

She folds the jersey, places it on top of the pile of clothes she’ll lend to him. “When he gets home, you should ask your – ask Mulder to tell you the story about this,” she says. “it’s a good one.""

Mulder and Scully pack a relationship's worth of history into his Gray's baseball t-shirt, passing it onto Will in sundry parts of his life.

@mchalowitz's (Ao3) endearments, part 5

""He swears to Scully that he’s encouraging her interest, not influencing it. He only concedes to listening to sports radio during many sleepless nights during the first year.

“Katie Mantle steps up to the plate,” Mulder murmurs. “Even in the pre-season, she is playing a perfect game.”

Katherine purses her lips at him, slightly lifted at the corners. Her eyes are all determined concentration.

Mulder pitches slow, underhand, and he can’t help but be amazed by his child when the ball flies behind him.""

Post Finale Mulder bonds with his little girl, naming her and not influencing her to be a baseball star (but also...) He's always proud of his growing girl.

@atths–twice/ATTHS_TWICE’s (team spirit

Baseball Showdown (Ao3)

""She held her bat and got into her stance, ready to hit the ball. He smiled and threw the ball into his glove a few times.

“The pitcher readies his pitch, the batter holds the bat tight and sure, they are both waiting.”

“Daddy,” she laughed, smiling and happy, tilting her head to the side.

“And the pitcher sees the sign from the catcher,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the net set up behind her, not wanting balls to get lost in the field. “He doesn’t like that one, so he waits for another sign. Oh, he must like that one as he nods and gets ready. And… here’s the pitch!”

He threw the ball underhanded to Faith and she swung, but missed.

“Striiiiiiiike!” Mulder yelled in a deep voice and Faith laughed as she bent to pick up the ball and toss it back as it bounced off the net.""

Mulder lets his Revival daughter win at baseball, celebrating her indoor success and taking her out for ice cream.

Canon Divergent Timeline

Cathey Scully's Ballgame

""Mulder produced 3 tickets for dugout level. He grinned, picking up one of William's hands. "Can't you see it Scully? You, me, and this guy on the big screen that looks over centerfield, while we watch a bunch of guys slap a piece of horsehide with a stick."

"Mulder," Scully sighed in affectionate exasperation. "This is his 'half-birthday' present?"

"Yep." Mulder grinned down at her. Scully rolled her eyes until William called for her attention. She looked down at him to find him grinning a nearly toothless grin at her.

"You too?" she asked, already caving.""

AU-- Mulder drags Scully out of bed for a baseball game to celebrate Will's first six months of life.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM)

122 Days iv

""Kid’s gonna look good in Yankees gear,” he thinks aloud, and tries to eat his words for a second when her hand stops.

There’s a heavy minute of silence shattered by another whap of the bat, and she slowly resumes ruffling her hand across his chest.

“Bill already bought her a Padres onesie...""

Post Empedocles? Mulder (in this many part miniseries) is warming up to his impending fatherhood. During a baseball game, he's scared he's overstepped by laying claim to the baby's team. Scully smooths the awkward moment. (Love this one.)

Unnamed

""He’s four, the first time it happens.

“Mulder, he’s too young to be slapping horse-hide with a stick.”

“How else you think we’re gonna be able to afford to put this monkey through college?” his Pops lobs back at his Mom.""

AU-- Mulder savvily teaches his son the art of baseball.

An Anon's Unnamed

""Where is he, anyway ? He had a good reason, apparently, but didn’t want to tell her. Scully walks to Will’s bedroom and swears she can smell paint in the hallway.

At this moment, Mulder opens the bedroom door, and she’s face to face with his grey stained tee. She starts speaking when he grabs her shoulders and immediately cuts her : « Wait, wait. Close your eyes, ok ? »

It takes her 1 or 2 seconds to do it, but she obeys, silently praying he didn’t blow up their son’s room.""

AU-- Mulder-- faint of heart-- skips Will's vaccinations; but he made up for it by decorating his son's bedroom in style.

andsocanshe's Of Pitches and Pondering

""There’s a bag of sports equipment off to the left by the bench, Scully’s leaning against the gate, and Mulder is crouched down on the ground with a toddler in front of him. The five minutes it should have taken to explain the concept of baseball have turned into nearly twenty, but William’s interest in every detail about the game and the park around them is worth it.

He’s at the age of “why’s” and everything is one question followed by another and so on. The questions “Why do we have to go to bed?”, “Why do you go to work and not Daddy, too?”, and his personal favorite, the word “Why?” with no additional context have ruled Scully and Mulder’s day-to-day lives for the past few months. Her mother, psychology, and all the parenting books say that it’s just a phase, one that every child goes through, but Scully often wonders if her son gets this from his father; the constant search for a truthful explanation.""

AU-- Scully observes her sporty Mulders, father and toddler, bonding over Will's first baseball lesson.

Girlie_girl7’s Day in the Life, A 35

""He holds the bat high making small circles in the air. He stops, stands still, and then swings. An imaginary crack is heard as the invisible ball sails higher and higher matching the pitch of the make believe crowd. Mulder throws his bat down, makes a fist and pumps it in the air. He lopes to the sandbox making sure to tag it then hustles to the end of the pool fence touching an imaginary second base. He jogs to the barbeque grill and taps the propane tank with his foot. He rounds third and begins his trek to home plate tipping his hat and waving to the crowd. He makes one final leap and lands on the flagstone home plate. He is turning to bow to the crowds when he hears, "Da-dee, wha' ya doin'?""

AU-- William is NOT interested in baseball; and accidentally hits Mulder in a very sensitive area.

Polly's (Ao3) Believing in Miracles (Ao3)

""I took my seat as Mulder slid the glove onto Will's left hand. He beamed with fatherly pride as Will punched his fist into the pocket of the mitt a few times before holding it up to his face to inhale the aroma of the well-treated leather.

Lately Will insisted on wearing his mitt when we watched baseball on television, wanting to be prepared in case a foul ball came hurtling out of the set. It didn't surprise me that Mulder hadn't explained to Will that the glove wasn't necessary; it was only surprising that Mulder wasn't wearing one too.""

AU-- It's the World Series: Mulder and Scully and Will celebrate in style-- throwing popcorn, guitar riffing to the anthem, and delving into Mulder's relationship with his father and acting on his hope that, after their day of miracles, he and Scully will be able to pull off another one. (I love this fic so much.)

@contrivedcoincidences6/Spooky66/geektime66’s

Baseball and Horror (Ao3)

""She poked her head out of the kitchen and saw William sitting on the couch wearing a Yankees hat and leaning forward concentrating on the game.

Mulder had his hand on their son’s back and sat back cracking sunflower seeds. She smiled happily at the quaint image before her and decided to move herself and her work to the couch.

William happily moved over when he saw her, “You’re gonna watch?""

AU-- Mulder and Will watch a Cubs game while Scully works on paperwork. She gives in rather quickly.

@blackcoffeeandteardrops‘s (Ao3) Dulcet (Ao3

""After the cake they'd gone outside for party games and a water balloon fight. The other kids and Maggie had all gone home, leaving she and Mulder to clean up the debris in the yard. William was “helping”, but so far seemed more interested in trying to con one of them into giving him more cake. She'd been telling him no and stooping to collect pieces of popped water balloon from the ground when she heard Mulder come up behind her. “Where did you even find that?” she asked, gulping as she realized the object in his hands was a water balloon, still filled and threatening to burst.

“Oh, around,” Mulder replied with a shrug.""

AU-- William spends his birthday spamming Toy Story and throwing water balloons (that's a sport, right?)

Enough For Now

""Did I ever tell you guys that back in Wyoming I was on the basketball team? I even got the ball in the net from the middle of the court facing the opposite direction,” he said, walking backwards towards the booth. He cocked his head and pointed in Mulder’s direction. “You wanna play?”

In reality, shooting a ball through a tiny hoop on a wall wasn’t much like the actual game of basketball, but Scully leaned her hip against the booth and smiled, watching in amusement as William and Mulder raced to get more balls through the hoops as a timer slowly counted down.""

Part of a great AU series post My Struggle II(?): William and his (new) parents bond over basketball and other family-building activities.

@jewish-mulder/@anders-hawke/@iwtbscully/BananaChef‘s

The In-Between - Chapter 12

""Good one, Dad,” William calls with a grin, tossing the ball back to his mother. “I thought you were the baseball champion of the house.”

“Oh, come on now, don’t gang up on me.” He lifts the bat and Scully whips the ball at him again. It’s a repeat of the first time.

She goes easy on him the third time, allowing him to get a good bat out of it.""

AU-- Mulder, Scully, and William have a baseball game in the tall grass growing wild all over the Unremarkable House.

Maidenjedi’s All That Once Was Good

""And yes, it was, for both of them. William hit the ball for awhile, Mulder throwing him rather weak, easy pitches so there could be home runs and the elation, the catharsis that goes with them. Mulder knew why William came out here, after all, even if they never talked about it, never said a word about it out loud.

Mulder felt a bit spooked, though, after awhile. William hit a particularly long ball, what would have been a triple had there been a game going on a real field. And he shouted and threw the bat, ran imaginary bases in celebration. He had every reason - but Mulder heard his own voice in that shout, and felt his own reasons for this long-lost escapism flood his heart. Samantha may be dead, but it didn't matter. She haunted him as often as she could, danced in his thoughts and made him long for a reason to search for her still.

He decided it was his turn at the bat.

William took up the pitcher's post with ease. He tossed the ball in his hand, behind his back, expertly searching for the seams so he could line up his fingers exactly. Mulder laughed at him from the plate; what's taking you so long, meat? William smirked and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm.""

AU-- Will is re-adopted after his parents died in a fire. Mulder establishes a mutual bond over baseball, astonished that this wonderful boy is his son. (Love this.)

@all-these-ghosts/all_these_ghosts's the son you always had (iv)

""... In real life Will likes the Nats best, but for one weekend a year, he’ll be a Yankees fan for his dad.

His dad, who is practically glowing with excitement. Once a year, they take the train up to New York, stay in a hotel, and see at least one Yankees game. The first year they went the Yankees went on to win the World Series, so now it’s good luck to keep the tradition. Of course, the Yankees haven’t won since, but every year Will’s dad believes.

For his part, Will is mostly excited to be out of school. He likes playing baseball - and he’s actually really good, thanks to all the afternoons spent playing with his dad - but he really likes playing parent-sanctioned hooky.""

AU-- The Mulder family enjoy a baseball game; but their happy mood dips after Will overhears their fears for him and Colonization.

@aloysiavirgata (Ao3, WBM, Gossamer, LJ, Alt. LJ)

By Falling In and In

""He comes closer and sits down next to her, his rolled-up sleeve brushing her bare, brown arm. "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" His worn shirt is soft as flannel, and his long legs appear even longer in the frayed khaki shorts.

"Hey. Where's William? I wanted to show him how to fix the flange on the sink."

Mulder works his toes into the warm sand. "He has no time for plumbing. Jesse finally got the projector working again, so Will and Lusiani went to a movie. Though the pickings are slim. Tonight it's either Little Shop of Horrors or the second Austin Powers."

"Better than the solid month of Star Wars prequels. I noticed Lusiani had been hanging around quite a bit lately. She and William have been playing H-O-R-S-E a lot since you got the basketball hoop back up.""

AU-- Mulder, William, and Scully have a happy life together, trying to balance normalcy with Will's powers and the impending end of the world. Sports is in there, somewhere.

a father’s day ficlet/A Pretty Good Investigator

""Luke brightened. “Did you go to Georgetown?”

“Nah. But the Wizards are a joke, so Georgetown was the next best thing. You a basketball fan?”

“I played in high school,” Luke said. “Point guard, varsity.” He blushed. “Not that there was much competition. I grew up in a really small town. It’s not like I’m gonna play here.”

“That’s great.” Mr. Mulder was smiling now, and it was weird - it transformed his entire face. For some reason it bothered Luke.

“My dad said I had to play a sport, and I’m tall, so,” he said shortly, making sure to emphasize the my dad part.

The smile faded. Good, Luke thought.""

AU-- Revival Will (called Luke) tracks his biological mother down for a "research project", astonishing Scully and actively forging a bond. He slowly strikes up a bond with Mulder, finally inviting him out to see one of his bball games.

Mentions

@greekowl87’s (Ao3) Fic: Day of the Dead

""He was just a big ball of orange polyester fluff. He could roll away if he really wanted to. Of course, he was too young.”

“He might as well have been a basketball. A slam dunk into my heart. Just like his mother.""

On the Run Scully and Mulder observe Mexico's Day of the Dead. She tells him about William's first Halloween; and the two address some of their pain in this sad but beautiful story.

@baronessblixen's (Ao3) Our Son Loves Baseball

""He smiles against his will, thinking of their son. He is out there now doing his own thing, going his own way. Mulder wishes they could be by his side, guide him. It is not meant to be. Not now, anyway. He gets up to use the bathroom. On his way back to the bed he sees something stick out of his pocket: a picture. Mulder picks it up, swallows hard. It’s one of the photographs Scully found earlier. The ones he didn’t dare look at, then. Now he can’t tear his eyes away. There’s William, around eight or nine years old, grinning into the camera. His hands around a baseball bat, his stubborn hair hidden under a cap. The picture before him blurs as tears cloud his vision. One falls down right on the little boy. Mulder wipes it away carefully, afraid that the moment, although frozen in time for forever, might disappear.""

Revival Scully draws closer to Mulder, giving him the baseball photo of Will and deriving comfort from their mutual bittersweet feelings.

@sportsnightnut's (Ao3) she has good taste in dinner options

""He comes around the desk and rests his hand on her belly, and his expression changes immediately. Moments ago, he looked focused, intense. Now, he is practically beaming as he feels her kicking against the palm of his hand. “Our daughter has good taste in dinner options.”

Scully nods. “She would like lots of sour cream, too. And cheese. The full-fat kind.”

“Do you think she’d also like to watch some basketball tonight?” Mulder asks, picking up an umbrella as they approach the door.""

Post Revival Scully gets lost in thoughts while waiting for Mulder to wrap up his work day, marveling at his focus and devotion.

I'm missing my dad a lot right now

""Though her eyes are still open, Caroline yawns.

“I can’t be boring you already, can I? Nah. You don’t even know what boredom is yet. I’ll just keep talking. Here’s the second thing you need to know: in this family, we are Yankees fans. The Red Sox are scum. You are so lucky that you were born a fan of the best team in major league baseball.""

Post Revival Mulder scoops up his newborn daughter, chatting to her about everything and anything. But mostly about his love.

@melforbes/@claup/everydaymsr (Ao3, WBM) hesitation

""though they have a television, the only time it’s ever on is during baseball games, and even then, it simply plays in the background while they go about doing other things. in the kitchen, he keeps basic cookbooks, and recently, he’s been trying to learn recipes, to fry and sauté and simmer in ways he’s never managed to master. hand-stitched curtains, a gift from her mother, billow against a breeze in the living room, and light through glass casts a rainbow along the hardwood floor; the couch is plush and so comfortable that he’s watched scully fall asleep on it more times than he can count....

though he wants to call out in search of her, he stays quiet, leaves the paper on the kitchen table, heads upstairs to see if will’s asleep.""

AU-- Mulder contemplates his new family's "starting over" house, slowly easing himself into domesticity and out of anxiety while on a morning coffee run. (Such a soft, peaceful atmosphere. Beautiful.)

@xfiles-behind-the-scenes/YouMadeMeAWholePerson's

Watching the Paint Dry

""Scully checked the time as she finished blow-drying her hair, and quickly headed into the kitchen to tell Mulder he could leave for his basketball game. She found him and Will sitting and staring at something on the table. It was unusual for their three year old to be so still, so she approached them cautiously.

“What’s going on?” she asked, coming up behind Mulder and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re watching the paint dry.""

AU-- Will wants to watch paint dry in their new house; and Mulder skips his game to spend time with his little tyke.

@we-mad-guys's forgetting the future

""After a short stare down, Mrs. Scully shrugs. “Well, thank you for taking care of him. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday.”

“It was our pleasure,” Frohike says. “We love the little guy.”

That afternoon and evening, the Scully family and their close friends have to cajole the boy into having a good time. They manage to get him to swim in the kid’s pool, bribe him with sweets, get him into a game of basketball. It all works, for a few minutes. But as soon as an activity’s ended, he’s gone right back into his funk.""

AU-- Skinner, TLG, and the Scully family fill in the blanks for little lonesome Will when his parents have to take extended trips to try to save the world. They join him in time for the 4th; but happiness will always be tempered with sacrifices. (LOVE this.)

all things bright and beautiful

""Scully laughs. “Mulder, I can see the wheels turning in your head. How about you open it? It might be easier to find out what it is that way.”

“You’re no fun,” he pouts, and she nudges him with her shoulder.

Mulder tears the paper off and crumples it into a ball so it doesn’t blow away, and lifts the lid off of the small white box. He stares down at what’s inside.

The tiniest baseball jersey he’s ever seen.""

AU-- IWTB? era Scully surprises Mulder with a pregnancy announcement. Each season gracefully turns while their baby grows. (Love this so much.)

@o6666666's (Ao3) Untitled — 20

""The Earth will burn. After, they will come up from underground.

Will wiggles around until he’s comfortable. “Can you do the story where Mommy hits a baseball all the way into the sky?""

AU-- Will and his parents bunker down during Colonization; and he falls asleep to Mulder telling him about Scully's baseball date.

@scullyphile's (Ao3) Unnamed

""Their son towered over them. He looked very much like Mulder, tall with his father’s distinguished profile. He did, however, have Scully’s red hair and freckles. He looked like he could play basketball, and for a moment Mulder imagined playing basketball with his son. Let’s work on your lay-up, he’d say. Pass me the ball; I’ll show you. The image made him smile. William smiled, too, and Mulder wondered if the boy was hearing his thoughts.

As if in answer, William nodded very slightly and smiled.""

AU-- Monica reunites Mulder and Scully with their son and his parents, ready to forge a healthy dynamic now that he's old enough.

Enjoy!

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imkeepinit · 7 months

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"Honestly I think it's a relief that Matt Gaetz is a congressman because if he wasn't he would for sure be a Florida cop that plants cocaine on people." - Samantha Ruddy

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nepascene · 2 years

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smashing-yng-man · 5 years

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Ever notice/read any of those articles about how comparing your daily activities to your friends’ “highlights” and/or spending too much time on Facebook can cause depression?

Well, life could be worse, lol.

#samantha ruddy #twitter #social media #facebook #instagram #internet

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comedians2know · 6 years

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#samantha ruddy #18 #birthday #stand up comedy #stand up comic #jokes

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supcomedy · 7 years

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Samantha Ruddy

#Samantha Ruddy #comedian #StandUp #funny #comedy #StandUp comedy #Stand Up #Stand Up comedy #StandUpComedy #Jokes #comic #fun #lol #joke

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ifyoubuilditcomedyla · 5 years

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1/28/19

Jamie Lee Rhea Butcher Jared Logan Samantha Ruddy Logan Guntzelman

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silhouetteofacedar · 3 years

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When We Drive, Ch. 12: Getting Out of the Car

Previous Chapter - AO3 link - MSR, rated M

U.S. Route 70, Otero County, New Mexico

May 23, 2002

They’re on the run.

As far as Mulder and Scully know, the FBI believes they were disposed of in the bombing of the pueblo; reduced to dust and ash. Invisible as individual grains of sand scattered across the desert.

They’ve been driving nonstop for the past few days.

Mulder stops the car to stretch his legs and urinate discretely into some brush. He returns to the vehicle to see that Scully has their map spread open on the hood of the car, her brow furrowed as she squints down at the continental United States. Her hair is longer these days, pouring over her shoulders like molten copper. Even after all they’ve been through, the sight of her still makes his heart stutter.

He walks around to the front of the car, stooping down a little to wrap his arms around her waist. He presses a slow kiss into her cheek. “How’s the map looking?” he asks, nuzzling her ear.

“It depends on where we’re headed,” she replies.

He looks down at her, awash in the early evening sun, red hair blazing. Freckles are blooming on her nose and cheekbones, and he makes a mental note to kiss each one later when they’re in bed for the night. “California,” he decides. “I want to see you in the Pacific.”

“It’s been a long, long time,” she says softly, glancing up and behind her to meet his eyes. “I want to taste the ocean again.”

“Then it’s decided,” he declares, giving her a squeeze before letting go and walking around to the driver’s side of the car. He gives the left front tire a kick. “Pressure’s low in this one,” he notes. “Remind me to add some air at the next gas station.”

She hums in reply. “I’ll add that to our supply list,” she says, folding the map again and climbing back into the SUV. “You’re almost out of sunflower seeds.”

They continue west.

“We’re not far from White Sands,” Mulder muses. “Missiles. Cover-ups. Secrets. Our old bread and butter.”

“Mm,” Scully hums in reply. “Can’t say I’ll miss them.”

A dark chasm forms in Mulder’s stomach. “I’m sorry,” he says softly. “For bringing you into all this. I’m sorry every damn day, thinking about what you’ve lost.”

“Mulder, don’t negate my choices,” she replies steadily. “We’ve both lost things along the way. And I’m here with you now by my own choice.”

“Scully,” he says softly.

“I mean it,” she says earnestly. “But… promise me one thing,” she says, watching the ruddy landscape fade in the setting sun.

“Anything,”

“Promise me you will never leave me again. I can’t lose you a third time. I won’t.” He glances at her, sees her eyes starting to water. “I buried you, I watched you leave again, I let go of our child-“

“Dana,” he implores in barely above a whisper.

“-And I know why it all had to happen. I understand. But never fucking again.” Tears are streaming down her face now, and Mulder’s heart bleeds beneath his worn t-shirt. He reaches a hand out to her, and she clasps it in both of hers, pressing kisses to his dirty fingers. “I don’t care how far you plan to go; I’m coming with you. ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’ That’s from the book of Ruth, and it’s how I feel about you. There is divinity in love, Mulder,” she whispers. “And I see it in you. So don’t you dare leave me.”

Mulder feels his hands tremble. “I- I have guilt, Scully. It follows me. It’s been there since the day Samantha was taken and I haven’t been able to shake it yet.”

“I know,” Scully says softly, clutching his hand to her chest. “And I can’t fix you. But I’ll be here,” she promises. “I’ll always be here.”

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispers.

“Yes you do,” Scully declares softy. “You do. I say so.”

They drive until night bleeds across the sky, stars poking through the blanket of darkness. Mulder pulls over on the side of the highway.

“Trade with me? We have another hour and my eyes are getting all blurry,” he yawns.

They both exit the car, paths crossing at the front of the vehicle. Scully reaches out and pulls Mulder into a hug, and he suddenly feels raw and in danger of letting himself dissolve into tears, melting into the sandy asphalt beneath their feet.

“Mulder,” Scully soothes, seemingly sensing the tension in him. She draws back slightly. “Look at me.”

Her face is cast in shadows, illuminated on the edges by the car’s running lights. “We’re going forward,” she says simply.

Mulder takes a deep breath and nods. He leans down and presses a kiss to her upturned face. It’s an act of worship, genuflection at the only altar he’ll ever kneel before.

“I swear to you,” he whispers across her lips. “I swear.”

#my fic #when we drive #txf fic #xfiles #msr #the truth #It's Done Babes Can You Believe

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picturethisshow · 1 year

Photo

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#Phoebe Robinson #Joe Kwaczala #Sonia Denis #Holmes Holmes #Clare O'Kane #Jason Chatfield #Samantha Ruddy #live animated comedy #Live Animated Comedy Show #live comedy #brooklyn #new york #ny

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lepus-arcticus · 5 years

Text

OMENS: CHAPTER FIVE one | two | three | four trigger warnings apply HORIZON MENNONITE COLONY JULY 23 - 12:06 PM

Abel Stoesz was cabled with stringy muscle, a sparse yellow beard struggling to assert itself under phlegmy, peacock-blue eyes. He had the brutish, loose-jawed look of someone who was willfully stupid, and Mulder, still on edge from the dead fox in the boat, was already itching to break his nose.

Salome, his wife, was a waif of a woman; tiny, shorter even than Scully, and so agonizingly underweight that you could see the architecture of her skull beneath her face. Perched beside Abel on the stiff loveseat, she rested her bird-bone hands on the gentle, rounded swell of her belly, and a raisin-coloured bruise, smattered with green, framed one eye. Most of her was buttoned up in one of the ubiquitous puff-sleeved frocks of the religiously sequestered, but Mulder would bet that the bruise had a few cousins underneath the powder-blue polyester. They were a few days fresh, he estimated, probably about as old as the news of Anna’s death.

Mulder longed for the opportunity to set Abel up with a few matching welts of his own, but settled for hating him privately in the interest of avoiding an assault charge and one of Skinner’s arduous ass-chewings. He consoled himself by grinding his molars together.

Outside, white bungalows and red barns squatted in clusters on the flat expanse of land. A black storm battled the sun for dominance, and the glass panes of the windows, loose in their tracks, rattled against the wind. The other members of the colony, bonneted and behatted, milled politely about their business.

He and Marion had been invited to stay for lunch by the community elders the moment they arrived. They’d been ferried along to the dining hall, but then Abel had emerged from the throng and snapped them away from the friendly masses, yelling for Salome, who scurried after them and into the dark of their tiny home.

The air stank of hyssop detergent. No one offered coffee or tea. Marion refused to sit down, and Salome eyed the gun on her hip uneasily.

Abel spoke first, and spoke plainly. “I didn’t murder my sister.”

“It’s interesting you say that, Mr. Stoesz,” Mulder countered, struggling to hide the contempt in his voice. “Why do you assume that Anna was murdered?”

“Why else would you people be here?” Abel glared at Marion, who was standing sentinel near the empty wall, arms crossed. Mulder half expected steam to billow from her nostrils.

“Your sister’s husband mentioned that you’re not too fond of him,” Mulder said. “Would you say that’s accurate?”

“Hugh Daly is a scourge on this earth, and every day I pray for his retribution,” Abel sneered, spittle frothing in the corners of his mouth.

“Wouldn’t it be more Christlike to pray for mercy on his soul, instead of divine punishment?” Marion asked, her face ruddy with indignation. She stared Abel down with fiery determination, and Abel stared right back, the loose skin around his eyes twitching, not deigning to respond. The wind knocked against the windows like it wanted to pick a fight.

“What has he done to warrant retribution?” Mulder asked, and Abel turned back to him.

“Anna always had a… disobedient streak. That’s why she left. But that man… he seduced her, corrupted her. Ruined her. Before he came sniffing around, before he made her his whore, Anna could have still come home. She could have returned to her people, to her rightful place.”

“Her rightful place?” Mulder prodded.

“It was my duty to bring her back. To correct her. She was my sister. My responsibility.”

Mulder leaned back in his seat, hands firmly flattened on his knees so they wouldn’t accidentally crash into Abel’s ugly mug. He let his eyes pass over Salome’s battered, bitter face, and wondered what, exactly, constituted this man’s idea of responsibility.

“You know, Mr. Stoesz,” he began, slowly, easing into a new strategy. “I… do admire your conviction. It takes a strong hand to correct a wayward woman, and so few men these days have the stomach for it.”

Abel was visibly heartened, his mouth twisting into an agreeable, self-righteous frown. This is too easy, Mulder thought to himself. Men like Abel thrived on validation. If he could effectively convince him that he was on his side, he was sure Abel would, intentionally or otherwise, let the cat out of the bag. Or, maybe, in this case, the crow.

Mulder could feel Marion staring at the back of his head, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything. He hoped she could trust that he knew what he was doing.

“I have a sister too,” he half-lied. “I understand. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect her. To bring her home if she was… lost.” His mind conjured a few versions of Samantha at various ages, abducted, cloned, ripped to a bloody pulp in the wheat. His chest contracted in a familiar pain, and he directed the images to the raw hollow in the back of his brain where he kept most of his thoughts about her, promising to return to them later for self-flagellation.

Abel nodded fervidly, evidently gathering his thoughts.

“Anna was the devil’s slut⁠—” Salome hissed in a high, thin squall, apparently unable to contain herself any longer. “Witch—”, then Abel violently gripped her arm, and she gasped and shut her mouth, glowering at her belly and skating a claw around it discontentedly.

“She was still my kin,” Abel growled.

Mulder, sensing an opening, leapt in for the kill. “Mr. Stoesz, have you ever experienced anything you couldn’t explain? Or suspected that you have the ability to make things… happen? To affect the world around you without necessarily taking direct action?”

Abel looked at Mulder stupidly, his neanderthal mind stonemilling the words, trying to decide if he was accusing him of something or not. But before he could answer, Salome spoke again.

“Hugh Daly is facing retribution for his sins. Whatever misfortunes befall him, whether they are acts of God, man, or Satan himself, he is deserving of.” She trembled with conviction, her bony jaw shaking.

“And Anna, Mrs. Stoesz? What about her?” Marion said tersely, from over at the wall.

“Perhaps she has also received her judgement,” said Salome, and Abel looked at her quickly, working, Mulder noticed, to keep his expression neutral.

Mulder’s cell chirped in his pocket. “Excuse me,” he muttered, and removed himself to the porch, carelessly letting the screen door slam shut behind him. He jabbed the worn rubber of the call button and put the phone to his ear, squinting at the gathering storm. “Mulder.”

“Mulder, it’s me…” Scully sounded breathless, resigned. He didn’t like it one bit. “Hey, you okay? What did the autopsy turn up?” He picked at a shard of peeling paint on the railing, wary of the sadness in her voice.

“Anna Daly was pregnant.”

“... Are you sure? How can you tell?”

“I found… remnants. Of the fetus.”

Mulder flinched. “From what I can gather based on the apparent level of skeletal development, I’d estimate she was eighteen to twenty weeks along.”

He sucked air through his teeth. “Jesus. You think Daly knew?”

“I’m going to call him up to the station here and find out.”

“You okay?” His stomach clenched with the brief flickering memory of her ova in a vial. Not now, he thought. She doesn’t need to know right now. Maybe not ever.

She hesitated momentarily before answering him. “I’m fine, Mulder.”

“You sure?” Scully’s voice took on an exasperated edge. “Yes.”

“Because if you’re not, it’s…” “What do you want me to say? That it was fun?” She said, sharply. “Scully, that’s not⁠—”

“⁠—Listen, I have to get back. We’ll discuss it tonight.”

“...Okay,” he said, doing little to disguise the irritation in his tone.

Held hostage by some unspoken, unacknowledged superstition, neither of them said goodbye. Mulder hung up the phone, took a stabilizing breath, refocused himself, and walked back inside. He settled back into a stiff-cushioned chair across from the Stoeszs. “I just got a call from my partner,” he said. “Mr. Stoesz, are you aware that Anna was pregnant at the time of her death?”

Abel looked like Mulder had punched him in the gut, which was almost as good as actually doing it.

“Are you serious?” Marion whispered behind him, and when he glanced over his shoulder at her, her eyes were saucer-wide.

And then Abel leapt up in a sudden rage, prompting Salome to flee the loveseat like a frightened, emaciated rabbit.

“Get out of my house,” he seethed, taking a few lunging steps towards Marion. She stumbled backwards, palming her gun over the holster.

“Mrs. Stoesz, if you’d like, you’re free to come with us.” Mulder swiftly maneuvered himself so that he was between her and Abel, and reached out an upturned hand, but she gave him such a sharp, hateful look that his balls practically shrivelled, even as his heart went out to her.

“You heard my husband,” she hissed. “Get out.”

Just another person he couldn’t save. Add it to the scoreboard, boys.

He stomped out of the house behind Marion’s flustered stride, the cool wind catching the edge of his trench coat and sending it flapping behind him. A few plaid-clad teenage boys waved excitedly at them from the flat of a wooden cart as they hoofed it back to the truck.

Marion released a creative string of curses and condemnations concerning Abel’s personal attributes, including the diminutive size of his dick. “You drive,” she finished, tossing Mulder the keys in disgust. “I’m gonna end up killing us if I do. Fuck, that man riles me.”

“You’ve got experience with him? Mulder asked, as he hoisted himself into the cracked leather driver’s seat of Marion’s cherry Chevy Scottsdale. A felted green air freshener in the shape of a pine tree swung from the rearview mirror. He started the engine, and Harvest swelled to life from the tape deck.

“Kind of.” Marion said, slumping into the passenger seat. “Met him a few times. Mostly at Rhiannon’s, back when me and Anna lived there. He used to show up a lot. Rhiannon usually wouldn’t let him past the front door, so him ‘n Anna’d be arguing in the driveway… God, was she really pregnant?”

“Yeah. Sc - uh, Dana found, um. She found evidence to that fact.”

“Fuck. Goddamnit.” Marion was pale.

Mulder pulled into the road and eased the needle on the speedometer upwards. The truck gasped and sputtered like it was having an asthma attack. The sky above had turned dark and threatening, but the sun pushed a few tenacious arms through the thunderclouds to illuminate the lonely stretch of highway. It was eerie as hell.

“So… while we’re at it, can you tell me how you came to live at Rhiannon’s?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“C’mon. Just help me out a little here.”

Marion picked at a hangnail, sullen and slouching. “Um... I, um, left the res when I was 16. I wasn’t planning on staying in Horizon or anything, but Theo picked me up and kinda took care of me and set me up at Rhiannon’s. She took Anna in, too, when she ran away from the colony.”

“Did Anna ever say anything about why she ran away?”

“Oh, gee, I dunno, she was probably tired of getting pummeled to shit by her brother,” she said bitterly, as if he was an idiot. She gripped the console and swallowed. “Fox, slow down a little.”

“Oh⁠—” he eased off the gas pedal. “The… colony elders didn’t do anything about it? What about their parents?”

“Her parents have been dead for years. Highway accident. And the elders...it was none of their business, not their concern. You saw how Salome looked. They’re fucking heartless up there.”

Mulder nodded, thinking. “So… do you think that Abel would be capable of all the things that have been happening? Setting the silos on fire? Drowning the horse? …Anna?”

“No,” Marion said flatly. “I don’t.” She took a deep breath and let it stream out of her nose.

“I’d love to know your thoughts on this, Marion.”

“And I’d love to know what the fuck you were going on about in there. Affecting things without trying to. What does that even mean?”

He eased into it as naturally as he could, cautious of her mood. “Well… in my particular line of work, I’ve seen people who… experience such a strong emotion that it can affect the physical world around them. Daly claims he’s been seeing omens, right? And I saw something strange myself this morning. A dead fox in a boat out at the lake.” She turned to him at that, quickly, with a sharp look in her eye. “That seems pretty on the nose, don’t you think?” he continued. “Perhaps Abel’s anger towards Daly is manifesting in these visions, or somehow these events are a result of⁠—”

“⁠—Stop the car. Oh, God, stop the car. Stop the car.” Mulder glanced at her, and upon seeing the look on her face, immediately pulled over to the side of the highway, lurching over the rumble strip. Even before they’d rolled to a stop, Marion was heaving herself out of the passenger seat and vomiting noisily into the ditch, clutching her stomach.

Mulder had to look away to keep from losing the rest of his breakfast. Jesus, first this morning, and now Marion... this was entirely too much upchuck for one day. He hadn’t even been going that fast.

He hunted around the back seat for the bottle of water he’d spotted earlier. He replayed a few fresh, brutal memories of Scully’s poorly-hidden chemo nausea, her deathly pallor, her heart-wrenching heaves behind closed motel bathroom doors. He burned anew with guilt.

Mulder swung himself out of the truck when the retching stopped, toting the bottle. Marion was kneeling on the side of the road, arms wrapped around herself, weeping. He crouched down and placed a palm on her back, trying not to balk at the caustic smell of her.

“Marion, have some water, okay?” He held the bottle out to her, and she looked up at him, teeth bared, her earth-dark eyes bottomless with desperation. “We’ll find out what happened to Anna. I promise. We’ll keep you safe. From Abel, from Hugh⁠—”

“Oh, you stupid, stupid⁠—” she sobbed. “Abel has nothing to do with it. You can’t stop it, Fox. You can’t. You need to leave this place. You need to get out.”

An investigatory thrill chilled the back of his neck, and a distant flash of lightning silently illuminated a fumey cluster of clouds. “What can’t I stop, Marion? Why do we need to leave?”

Marion groaned in tandem with a low roll of thunder, her tears splattering onto the asphalt, a prelude of the coming storm.

“You can’t stop what’s happening.” Her throat was thick with fear. “No one can.”

#omens #txf fic #i fucking MEAN IT about the trigger warnings on this chapter folks I felt sick writing it #also it's a holiday monday so I'm just posting this now instead of later because well. I'm the boss of me!

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beesloosewithcanon · 5 years

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Fictober2019

Thank you, @ieatlazers for the prompt submission! I had way too much fun with it. And oh lord did I get carried away with it! It’s just over 2.5K words. Oops. I’ve put a “keep reading” break so I don’t bog down everyone’s feed. <3

If you’re interested in seeing a writing drabble from me for a specific f/f pairing, look at this post and let me know which you’d like to see! (I currently write in Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Avatar Legend of Korra; I’d be open to also delve into the following fandoms – Avatar the Last Airbender, Overwatch, Stardew Valley, to name a few).

Prompt #11 – “It’s not always like this.”

Fanfiction – Mass Effect

Pairing – Liara T’Soni & Samantha Traynor

***

“It’s not always like this, you know,” Liara said. She couldn’t very well continue to stand in the doorway of the observatory room without announcing herself for much longer. Some of the crew were bound to walk by and take note that she was actively staring at the Communications Specialist’s backside instead of simply entering the often vacant room.

“I beg your pardon?” Traynor asked, looking away from the observatory window, her arms from their crossed position falling to her sides as she turned around, meeting Liara’s eyes.

Goddess, I seemed to have startled her, Liara thought as she tried to ensure the frown she felt internally didn’t make its way to her lips. She then held up the two steaming mugs of tea in her hands as the swish as she proceeded into the room, the automated doors swishing shut behind her.

“Shepard,” Liara continued, walking through the threshold and making a show of two steaming mugs in either hand. “He’s not typically this angry.”

Traynor gave a half shrug but reached out for her offered mug of tea with a small smile. “Are you sure? Ever since I met him, he’s acted like every other wanker CO I’ve worked under.” She scowled as she leaned her hip against the end of the nearby couch. She brought the mug to her face and took a deep inhale, a satisfied smile spreading over her lips before she took a cautious sip.

Liara watched in awe as the woman savored the taste of the tea for a few moments in her mouth before swallowing. It wasn’t often that she found herself attracted to female humans, but the Specialist was like none other she’d met. She was smart, witty, and more observant than most. The asari had half a mind to ask her to be one of her operatives, but no one on the ship yet knew that she was the galaxy’s current Shadow Broker; or that she was running her operation from the Normandy. Though, the Specialist had made several inquiries regarding her hardware that made Liara think that the woman was onto her.

Traynor sighed and looked out the window again, her shoulders drooping. “I just wish he’d leave me alone.”

Liara blinked and felt her head tilt to the side. “What do you mean?”

“That knob-head won’t stop flirting with me.” Traynor shook her head and then looked back to meet Liara’s gaze. “I’ve told him that he’s barking up the wrong tree - I’ve even explicitly told him I only shag women and the daft git still insists on trying to get me alone.”

Liara reached out and placed her hand on the woman’s forearm as she took a step forward. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m not quite up to date on all of the human phrases you’re using.” She attempted to smile but moved her thumb along the taut forearm underneath her hand. “Though, I’m sorry to hear that he’s being unreasonable.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Dr. T’Soni,” Traynor said as her brows furrowed. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Be that as it may,” Liara said softly, caught off guard by the formality of being called a doctor by the woman in front of her. “I am sympathetic. His attention is… intense.”

“Wait,” Traynor started as one of her eyebrows arched upwards. “You mean he’s like this with everyone?”

“I’m not sure about everyone,” Liara admitted. “But he definitely tried with me for a time.”

Traynor’s brown eyes went excitedly wide as a grin spread across her face. “Oh, this I have to hear!” She then moved her hand to gently grab Liara’s and began walking towards the couch.

Liara felt her cheeks increase in temperature at the feeling of the Specialist’s hand around her own. Her skin was soft and her grip was firm, but not forceful.

Traynor sat on the couch, leading the asari to do the same. Once Liara was situated, the Specialist moved so that she was facing her directly, pulling on leg up underneath her other. Her knee gently pressed into Liara’s thigh, but the mischievous smile on her face had yet to leave.

“Well?” Traynor started.

Liara cleared her throat, forcing her mind to ignore the pressure against her thigh and the warmth radiating from Traynor, as one of her arms lay across the back of the couch, mere centimeters from her own shoulders.

“When I first met Alan, he saved me from a dig site. And, well, I’d never really interacted with humans before, as I spent most of my time in the field, studying ancient prothean ruins.” Liara sighed and took a sip of her tea. “I made the mistake of telling him that I found him interesting. What with his ability to meld with ancient prothean ciphers and all... What I meant as scientific intrigue, he took as-”

“Sexual interest?”

Liara nodded. “Yes. I was young and inexperienced. Looking back on it now, there were things I would not have said. But I seemed to encourage his behavior without realizing it. And. He… well… kissed me one night.”

“He did?!” Traynor gasped, leaning in closer as she listened eagerly.

Liara nodded.

“Annnd?” Traynor probed.

“Oh, I didn’t care for it,” Liara admitted with a soft chuckle. “I don’t have much experience with physical intimacy, especially not with humans. But… he was somewhat forceful. And his facial hair felt like… I’m not sure how to describe it.”

“Rubbing off on sandpaper?” Traynor offered.

Liara felt her eyes narrow. “I don’t believe I’ve ever felt paper made of sand.”

A laugh radiated out of the Specialist, making her eyes squint. After a moment she smiled, a reddish hue tinting her cheeks and neckline. “It was rough and scratchy?”

“Oh, yes.” Liara nodded. “He hadn’t shaved for several solar days when it happened.”

Traynor smirked. “Yeah. Sandpaper. It’s ruddy gross.” Her smirk then pulled farther to the right, taking on a mischievous look. “Kissing human women isn’t anything like that,” she said suggestively.

The switch in her tone sent a pulse through Liara, ending deep into her azure. The woman’s tone had dropped slightly lower and her eyes relentlessly held Liara’s own. She’d never experienced such a reaction in herself like this before but it gave her a surge of confidence. Despite being still relatively inexperienced, there was something about the Specialist that made her feel comfortable. Like she was in a space where it was safe for her to act on feelings she’d only ever read about in silly books when her mind needed a break from the never-ending information feed of being the Shadow Broker.

Most of all, though, this wasn’t the first time Traynor had caught the attention of her entire body. They’d worked together to establish the GUI interface after Liara had joined the ship. It had been helpful, as Liara had been able to divert the needed power and cabling that she needed for her various systems while she worked alongside Traynor in the ducts. Since then, they often shared tea together after missions or when Liara happened across her in the mess. She was the best company on the ship without question. Always eager to talk to her and always able to match her level of scientific inquiry.

“Well, I am an asari of science,” she started as she bent over, placing her mug of tea on the ground by the leg of the couch. Samantha watched her curiously but stayed quiet, listening attentively. “I can’t come to a proper conclusion without proper testing.”

Traynor’s gaze locked with Liara’s as she rolled her bottom lip through her teeth. She then moved, bending and putting her own mug down on the floor before sitting back up. Samantha looked Liara’s face over again. “As a woman of science and math myself,” she started, her tone maintaining its suggestive lilt. “Data integrity is extremely important to the scientific process. Which means you should gather all of the data personally.”

Liara smiled. “It would be negligent of me to proceed any other way.”

The pressure of Traynor’s knee against her leg increased as she leaned forward. Her brown eyes roved over Liara’s body. And for once, it didn’t feel like she was being assessed or an object that someone wanted to devour or judge. Traynor’s gaze was playful and appreciative.

“I’d be happy to help you gather the data,” she said, her voice soft and only for Liara to hear. “For the sake of science, of course.” But Traynor remained still, her posture leaned in and her eyes never leaving Liara’s.

Liara could feel her heart thrumming through her bones. She had spent enough time with humans now to be sure that Traynor’s banter was flirtatious. The way she leaned in, the way her pink lips were parted just so made it apparent that she was genuinely offering despite the playfulness of her suggestion. In other circumstances, others would have simply moved in and kissed her; but Traynor stayed still. Waiting.

Her cheeks flushed with warmth when it clicked: Traynor was giving her the option. She didn’t have to kiss her if she didn’t want to, and it seemed clear that the Specialist wasn’t going to kiss her and then blame her for leading her on as Shepard had done all those years ago. Traynor was leaving the space open so Liara had time to make the decision herself. The realization made Liara’s heart flutter more sporadically, but she smiled and leaned in.

“Strictly for science,” Liara teased back, her words spoken just before she pressed her lips against the Specialist’s. When their lips met, a hum of satisfaction radiated out of Liara’s throat that she wasn’t at all expecting. But the sound seemed to intrigue Samantha, as she leaned further in, placing a delicate hand on the side of Liara’s face.

By the goddess, she thought as Samantha’s tongue slid against her own. The movement of their mouths sent another pulse that radiated throughout her body, but ached demandingly, deep in her azure. At first, she wasn’t sure what her body was doing until she felt the distinct pull in the back part of her mind. She could feel her entire nervous system as it yearned for her to engage in a meld as her lips and tongue moved with Samantha’s. But just as she registered what it was that her body and mind wanted, Samantha began to lean away.

Liara wanted to grab for her, to not let the moment stop. But Traynor had been so respectful about letting her make the decision to engage that she knew it would be rude of her to try and keep her longer than she felt comfortable.

As their lips parted, Liara’s eyes opened slowly and watched as the honey-skinned woman leaned away, a satisfied smile playing along her lips. Her eyes then opened from their half-lidded state, going slightly wide as her hand moved higher, her thumb caressing along Liara’s brow.

“Your eyes,” she said breathlessly. “They’re black.”

“What?” Liara blinked and turned away. But as she did so, she felt it too - the haze around her vision. An indication that her body still wanted to meld minds with the woman in front of her. “I’m so sorry. It’s… it’s not normally like this,” Liara said frantically.

Samantha’s hand gently pulled her to look back towards her, her thumb caressing along Liara’s cheekbone. “Is everything alright? Are you in pain?” Her voice was saturated with concern, her previous mischievous and suggestive lilt nowhere to be heard.

Liara closed her eyes and placed her hand overtop Samantha’s, leaning her cheek into the touch. “No. Quite the contrary, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

Liara waited to respond and forced her mind to relax. A meld with someone, especially a meld with someone who she was so attracted to, was dangerous to do this quickly. She could show too much, or go too quickly and hurt Traynor, or she could lose herself and her control and have an unplanned child. Despite how naturally it came on from the Specialist’s touch, it was not the time for it.

“Have you heard of the asari mind meld?” Liara asked, as she slowly opened her eyes. The haze around her vision was gone. Samantha’s own eyes blinked and Liara swore she heard the woman say “wow” under her breath. The indicators all pointed to her eyes having gone back to their natural blue.

“I’ve read quite a bit about it, yeah.”

Liara simply nodded, ignoring the warmth radiating into her cheeks again. “I’ve never had it start on its own before. Normally it takes a fair bit of mental effort to engage.”

Samantha smirked. “So are you saying we just…”

“No,” Liara said softly. “It didn’t fully manifest. It did catch me by surprise, however.” She then smiled to herself and made direct eye contact with Samantha. “Perhaps all human women have a similar effect on Asari.”

“Or maybe perhaps just this one?” Traynor asked, her tone returning to is previously playful canter as her eyebrows waggled up and down.

“I think I’d need to gather more data on that,” Liara said, allowing herself to smile.

“On other human women?” Traynor asked.

Liara might have imagined it but Traynor’s tone shifted into uncertainty and nervousness.

“No,” Liara said as she put her hand down onto Traynor’s thigh, her fingers pulling at the seam of her Alliance fatigues and applying pressure to indicate she wanted the woman closer. “Just this one,” she repeated.

Traynor smiled, moving forward as Liara’s not so subtle fingers demanded. “Take all the data you need.”

Their lips crashed together, hungrier than before. Liara let her hands move up to wrap around Traynor’s neck to pull her even closer. Her body was more than eager to move and pushed forward, her hands going to Liara’s shoulders as she realigned her body to pin the asari to the couch.

“For the love of -” Lieutenant Commander Williams’ voice echoed through the observatory room. “I sleep in here! Don’t you have an entire room of your own?!”

Samantha tore her lips away from Liara as they both looked to the doorway. Before Liara wanted to respond, but she was distracted by the haze of her vision again.

“Terribly sorry,” Samantha said as she stood up from the couch, her hand firmly grabbing Liara’s hand and guiding her up. “We were just about to leave.”

“I’m sure,” Williams said as she crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her hip out to the side.

Liara let Traynor lead her from the couch and across the room. She had half a mind to try and grab for their mugs, but the Specialist’s steps were too quick. They both muttered another apology to the LC before passing her in the doorway to leave.

“Ugh, when did the Normandy become the damn SS Love Boat?” they heard Williams mutter as the door closed behind them.

The haze dissipated from her vision just as her eyes met Traynor’s again. They both broke into a fit of laughter, holding onto each others’ arms just outside of the observatory room door.

With laughter still shining in her eyes, Traynor confidently took Liara’s hand again and took a preemptive step down the hall. “Would you like to maybe continue what was interrupted in your quarters?”

“Goddess yes,” Liara said, her hand tightening around Traynor’s as she began walking, half pulling the eager Specialist with her.

#fictober19 #fictober drabbles #fictober day 3 of 4 #mass effect #fanficiton #mass effect fanfiction #samantha traynor and liara t'soni #Traynor and Liara #2588 words #rated T #fluff #kissing #liara t'soni #samantha traynor #rarepair #this was fun #send me more prompts!#gimme those prompts #do eeet

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