fine-nephrit

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #91: "Rose Petal" by Satina

This story is Mulder’s inner monologue throughout the entire run of ‘Never Again.’ Oh boy, does he self-torture, angst, pine, and yearn so gloriously. It fits so seamlessly with the episode that it’s become my headcanon. I love it.

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🥏 on Gossamer

length: short, 5000+ words season: season 4, 4x13 Never Again pairing(s): M/S UST tags: angst, jealousy, Mulder-POV rating: mature/R

Tagging @today-in-fic

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🥏 Fic Rec #90: "The Summoning of Nikola Price" by alienqueequeg

Today’s rec is an eerie, thrilling Gothic horror novella, where our duo spend a weekend in a haunted house and end up confronting more than just ghosts.

It’s easy to get pulled into this world from the very start: suspense builds masterfully, and the rich, vivid writing brings every scene to life. It’s also genuinely scary (kudos!). There’s delicious mutual pining, creepy-yet-sexy hurt/comfort, and a well-handled jealous!Scully. Highly recommended.

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🥏 on AO3

author: @alienqueequeg length: novella, 23,000+ words season: season 6 pairing(s): M/S UST to RST tags: casefile, angst, hurt/comfort, jealousy, one bed, good OCs, rating: mature/R

Thanks for the rec! @cecilysass @pookie-mulder Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

Most romantic thing Scully ever did?

that time she shot mulder 

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #89: "Eternal Return" by all_these_ghosts

A tight, aching vignette that puts an angsty spin on FTF, all in under 400 words. Every word earns its place. Beautifully written.

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🥏 on AO3

author: @all-these-ghosts length: ficlet, 300+ words season: FTF pairing(s): M/S UST tags: angst, vignette rating: G

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #88: "The Dark" by Darwin_xf

Post-Never Again, a drunk and jealous Mulder barges into Scully’s apartment to confront her about Ed Jerse and … well, things escalate from there. The dialogue in this fic crackles. It’s packed with dark angst, sizzling heat, authentic character voice, and somehow, humor too. It makes me hold my breath and kick my feet. So good.

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🥏 on AO3 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @darkesttimelinestuff

author: @darwin-xf length: short, 3000+ words season: season 4, 4x13 Never Again pairing(s): M/S UST to RST tags: angst, humor, smut, jealousy, fight, cancer arc rating: explicit/NC-17 TW: soft dub-con

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #87: "Fox Mulder, Closet Romantic" by SilhouetteOfACedar

Mulder finally realizes he’s in love and sets out to woo his totally platonic partner with his signature brand of courtship. Expect delicious slowburn pining, cute romantic fluff, and a bit of Scully/Other drama (just a blip). Bonus: chapter titles, summaries, and end notes that are a joy in themselves.

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🥏 on AO3

author: @silhouetteofacedar length: novella, 38,000+ words season: season 5 pairing(s): M/S UST to RST, Scully/Other tags: fluff, angst, jealousy, birthday, the Gunmen rating: explicit/NC-17

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #86: "Seeing Red" by mldrgrl

Don’t you want to know what happens after Mulder’s lingering ‘Yes, but it’s …’ in the final scene of Never Again? That anger and pain, just barely beneath the surface, keeps pulsing in this immediate, emotionally raw post-ep. I could see every beat of it play out in my head.

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🥏 on AO3 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @darkesttimelinestuff

author: @mldrgrl length: ficlet, 600+ words season: season 4, 4x13 Never Again pairing(s): M/S UST tags: angst, cancer arc rating: G

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

I headcannon that Doggett and Reyes are just as "I think they are... but... are they??" About MSR as we were for the first seven seasons. My ideal scene goes like this:

Doggett: "Ah, Agent Mulder! Glad to have ya back, buddy."

Mulder: "..."

Reyes: "Yeah, welcome back. Scully's over there, shes been worried sick about-"

Mulder: *walks past both of them, straight to Scully, and starts making out with her. Just like- no shame. Tongue involved.*

Doggett: ".....oh."

Reyes: "Yeah we should- we're just gonna... go...."

Reyes: *whispering to Doggett* "You owe me lunch."

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #85: "after philadelphia" by icedteainthebag

This is some seriously hot smut, wrapped in that delectable post-Never Again angst and jealousy that I love, and it cranks the tension up a notch with a little shift in setting. Very well done.

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🥏 on AO3

author: @icedteainthebag length: short, 1100+ words season: season 4, 4x13 Never Again pairing(s): M/S UST tags: smut, angst, friends with benefits, jealousy rating: explicit/NC-17

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

Mulder and Scully checking each other for parasitic alien ice worms is the most erotic thing to ever happen on television. If you even care.

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #84: "One Fish Two Fish" by Rah

A lovely little post-Requiem Scullyangst fic where she navigates her pregnancy, adjusts to a new partner, and grieves by taking care of Mulder’s fish.

It’s not a full-on angst fest. The touches of humor sprinkled throughout set this piece apart without making it any less heartbreaking. It leaves you with just the right amount of warmth and hope.

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🥏 on Gossamer

length: short, 4000+ words season: early season 8 pairing(s): M/S UST tags: angst, holiday, pregnancy fic, abduction arc rating: teen/PG-13

Tagging @today-in-fic

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Skinner: I’ve gathered this task force because one of our own is missing.

Random Agent: Is it Mulder or is it Scully?

Random Agent 2: This is the third task force for one of them in six weeks.

Skinner: Agents, let me remind you that being a field agent is a dangerous job, and this could be any one of you next week, next month, or next year. When we start making light of it, people can get hurt. I don’t want to hear any more jokes about this… That being said, yes it is Agent Mulder.

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #83: "Goodbye Utah" by Bonetree

Set in season 7, not long after falling into bed together, M&S drive across the country with a Kurt Crawford clone who brings them a mysterious lead, with one impossible fate waiting for Mulder at the end.

I love a road trip fic, and this is a damn fine one: tight, gripping, and soaked in atmosphere. Bonetree, one of the fandom greats, delivers top-tier storytelling that nails M&S’s voices and the tension of their newly-shifted relationship. In the mix are haunting existential angst, deep feelings, and a Kurt Crawford character who holds his own.

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🥏 on AO3 🥏 on Gossamer

length: longer short, 8,000+ words season: season 7, mention of 6x10 Tithonus pairing(s): M/S RST tags: AU, action adventure, angst, Mytharc rating: teen/PG-13

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #82: "Without Reason" by Rachel Howard

Today’s rec is a “Kitsunegari” post-ep that opens with delicious angst, sharp dialogue, and great character work, then promptly morphs into a hot, hot smut biscuit. No complaints.

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🥏 on Gossamer

length: short, 3,000+ words season: season 5, 5x08 Kitsunegari, mention of Pusher pairing(s): M/S first-time tags: angst, smut, fight, Mulder-POV rating: explicit/NC-17

Thanks for the rec @randomfoggytiger Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #81: "Under Construction" by MaybeAmanda

This fic is a character-driven, post-season 8 AU that might be my favorite “Mulder returns” story. We get an exquisite, heartbreaking glimpse into Mulder’s mind as he struggles with depression and PTSD, trying to find his place in Scully and William’s lives.

Told in a spot-on first-person Mulder voice, it handles complex, delicate emotions around their separation and reunion with pitch-perfect precision, which canon either glosses over or completely botches. It feels so real, so true to character.

The angst is intense, the emotional payoff immense, and there’s even a quiet thread of humor woven through. And yes, it all builds to an utterly satisfying, hard-earned happy ending. I can barely express how much I love this one.

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🥏 on Gossamer 🥏 on author's xffics site

length: longer short, 13,000+ words season: season 9 pairing(s): M/S UST to RST tags: AU, angst, separated/reunited, fight, jealousy, baby fic, Mulder-POV rating: teen/PG-13

Thanks for the rec @randomfoggytiger Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 Fic Rec #80: "Other Activities" by Defnotmeyo

Skinner drops by Mulder’s apartment unannounced, and chaos and hilarity ensue. Screamingly funny and lovely!

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🥏 on AO3

length: ficlet, 700+ words pairing(s): M/S RST tags: humor, Mulder-POV rating: G

Tagging @today-in-fic

[fine-nephrit]

I don't think Mulder's arc around fatherhood is about him learning to want to become a father. I think he always wanted to be a father, but that Samantha was such a wound he had to deal with that pain first. His not taking up that mantel explicitly with Emily is entirely a fair reaction given how Emily came to be, but doesn't indicate that he didn't want fatherhood itself (spiders Emily was an outlier and should not be counted). He is very attentive and attuned to children from the jump, and does talk a lot about wanting them, he just doesn't want a suburban life, particularly not without answers about Samantha. It's Scully that has an arc about learning to want parenthood (which I have thoughts about politically but).

Mulder was always ready and with Samantha buried and Scully ready to say the word and give him a formal role in her life, he was raring to go. He didn't need to learn to love life on this planet. His search for extraterrestrial life is a search for justice for the life that he loved, loves and will love on planet Earth.