#I need to gnaw on them and shake them up like a snow globe

[emmagail-brainrot]

Thought I moved past my Pricefield phase, but alas it turns out it simply went dormant until I saw these two gay bitches 5 mins into starting The Quarry.

[atherix]

Dear Midnight readers,

We are gathered hear today to mourn the loss of Atherix after she was brutally murdered by both gnawing and shaking at the hands of Stitch.

Atherix was a lovely writer in their time, produce for us two quality chapters in a matter of hours and she will be missed.

The burial service will be on thee plot B at Fuck You Cemetery at Midnight Tonight.

I AM GOING TO SHAKE YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE LIKE A SNOW GLOBE AND I AM AN OVERENTHUASTIC CHILD IM. I DON'T HAVE COHERENT THOUGHTS BC I READ THE FIRST CHAPTER WHILE INCOHERENT AND THE SECOND CHAPTER RIGHT AS I WOKE UP THIS MORNING. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU, FIRST OF ALL???????

GOD the glyph disappearing. The faCT THAT I KNOW WHY YOU FUCKING BROUGHT IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM TORMENTED WITH KNOWLEDGE.

The comb, the memory sharing, the vulnerability as Scar puts it I am in LOVE

ALSO THEY SAID THE TITLE. I don't care that midnight is super common in the story it makes me happy anyway.

And Grian not getting the whole shadows are light but not thing is so funny. oh my god.

'the magic the gods hold' SHAKES YOU. SHAKING YOU. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE.

OH AND THEN THE DREAM AT THE END THERE??? EXCUSE ME!!! I mean. I knew it would come back up. But the fact that its there is making me INSANE

and then the fucking. the ALLEY. 'Its been a few years' HOW MANY IS A FEW, GRIAN. I NEED TO KNOW, GRIAN. ARE YOU FUCKING SURE SIR???????? Listen. Listen. I didn't even think that maybe grian was in stasis or some shit til everyone else was like 'is grian actually like centuries old and doesnt know' BECAUSE NOW. I AM THINKING ABOUT IT. I AM CONNECTING DOTS. I AM FUCKING GNAWING ON SHIT. THE FACT THAT HE SPEAKS ANCIENT. THE FACT THAT SCAR'S TOME HAS ADDED LINES THAT WERENT IN HIS BOOK. THE STATE OF THE ALLEY. The crack was narrows but now theres a giant hole in the ceiling. Other creatures have taken up residency in the alley. Grian's constant 'hes a little confused but hes got the spirit' vibes about everything. MY GEARS ARE FUCKING SPINNING.

God the fact that Grian just goes in. That grian keeps gettingb pulled out of his own head by his mates. The fact that Mumbo pulls Scar and tubbo down because its definitely not safe for them to just stay outside the mountain oh my god but then. Then.

Why DO the Watchers want the Tome hidden in a city full of Observants is my fucking question that I still haven't cracked. This is like one of those geodes full of water - thunderegg? I think they're called??? But I have theories okay. If the watchers are supposedly all seeing but the Palace had them wandering around AND they were walking around in a physical enough form for Grian to kill THREE of them right. Right. And theres the whole - the watchers Grian remembers werent following the stuff inside the tome right. WHAT IF. WHAT THE FUCK IF. [I feel like im talking to like. a twitch chat bc I know you arent gonna say shit about it] BUT OKAY THESE WATCHERS ARE LIKE. DEVIANT. THEYVE STRAYED. AND THEYVE MADE A BREAK OFF WITH THE ALLEY. AND THEY MAKE PEOPLE HIDE THEIR TOMES TO HIDE THEM FROM THE EYES OF THE OTHER WATCHERS, WHO SEE THAT THE ONES WHOVE TAKEN FORM ARENT FOLLOWING THE RULES. IDK. LISTEN. I READ THIS HALF DELIRIOUSLY.

Why do I recognize the Magical Menagerie. And WHY does Grian take his Tome if he already has Scars unless theirs some like godling part of his brain thats just like, dragon hoarding all the tomes. What is going on. What the fuck.

I dont fucking know if I believe that grian's only been gone for five years at this point. Relatively recent abandonment my ass, Scar. Tubbo and Mumbo have already called it, I'm believing your anons, Grian is OLD. WHERE ARE THE REMAINS. 5 YEARS IS NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR BODIES TO DECAY COMPLETELY AWATY. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THIS PLACE IS OLD AS BALLS.

And the way Grian just FLIES off when he hears Tilly's bark and the fact that I fucking TRUSTED YOU!!!! THE PALACE LOOKED LIVED IN AND THEN YOU TORMENT ME WITH THEIR DEAD LOVED ONES?? YOU MAKE MUMBO WATCH AS ONE OF HIS MATES AND HIS COVEN CHILD HIT THE APPARITIONS OF HIS DEAD WIFE AND DAUGHTER????? EXCUSE ME HOW FUCKING DARE YOU????????

the watchers eat pets im calling it now. This is a completely baseless accusation. they eat the pets.

'They prey on your emotions and then consume everything you are' HEY UH. HEY THERE TUBBO. TUB TUB. HEY BESTIE. ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY YOUR PARENTS ARE ACTIVELY BEING CONSUMED??????

AND THEN THE FALLING. AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE ALL SO FUCKED UP. I AM SHAKING YOU. YOU ARE A CHEW TOY TO ME RN.

Oh man, looks like I need to get fitted for the casket real fast hjkfgdhskg-

OKAY BUT THAT ENTIRE INTRO TO THIS MADE ME CACKLE LIKE A HYENA COME ON-

... Am I at least a pretty snowglobe- KHFSJKFHSJKFKSJ OKAY BUT I CACKLED MYSELF TO SLEEP LAST NIGHT JUST IMAGINING YOU WAKING UP AND LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE AND SEEING MY "YOU'RE GONNA KILL ME" AND THE UPDATE NOTIF AND IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT <3

HEHEHEHE :) KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN NEVER SHARE WITH ANOTHER READER HEHEHEHE. Idk if it'll be catharsis when it comes up again but HFKSHFKJSK :)

He's trying to be better for them <3 Trying to be more open and honest and let them in more <3 And the memory sharing- it means so much more this time because last time he shared his memories with them they were asking questions, but this time he volunteered the info himself- invited them to see it, and I am so khfdshgkjdfshgkjfd I am so NORMAL about them <3

I LOVE A GOOD TITLE DROP <3 And hey. Midnight is very significant in the Midnight series :) Cough cough a midnight sun.... the Midnight Alley........ a midnight Eclipse.................. :)

Grian over here like "LIGHT IS LIGHT AND SHADOW IS SHADOW" lmaaoooo I love him, magic is a conundrum to him.

🙂 Hehe~

LOOK. LOOK IT WAS A PERFECT CHANCE. HOW COULD I RESIST :)

Hey. Hey Stitch. Looks like there are some surprises I haven't mentioned to you yet LMAO <3 I will neither confirm nor deny anything, and I shall explain nothing <3 I will say this, though.... for someone running away, Grian sure hasn't met anyone looking for him, has he. :)

Grian is just. So. Stubborn. If he didn't have Mumbo and Scar to reel him in this would have gone So Bad hjfdkjk but also the fact that he LETS them help him I am just so hjkfdskkfds

You are speaking to a chat, yes, because I can answer literally NONE of those :'D And these are questions I will not answer in private either <3 I need to leave SOME mysteries for you <3

You know, if the last page of the Tome is different, I wonder what else might be. Just. Just saying. :) As for why you recognize Magical Menagerie, it was mentioned in Midnight Melody, so <3

*cough*alsostalactiteswhereglassusedtobe*cough* Sorry sorry got something stuck in my throat, but :) It's an interesting idea isn't it, my dear Stitch and readers~

Haha the Palace IS lived in :) :) TRUST ME. IT'S OKAY TO TRUST ME HAHA <3 Okay but also Scar having that split moment of like "oh shit what do I do I know it's not his dead wife but it LOOKS like her" and just hjfdhsjkghdskj BUT I FUCKING DARE <3

HFSJUKHFKJS LMAO baseless accusation but you know what, they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

:) Hehehe

WHERE WILL THEY LAND I WONDER? HEY STITCH. STITCH DO YOU REMEMBER. I MENTIONED IT BEFORE. :) But. But hehehe <3

[crimsun-n-clover]

psychiatrist gave me a new sleep aim to ward off the batshit violent nightmares of everyone i love dying

thanks i guess

i went out of town with my mom today. drove a little over an hour to a major city to walk around the shops and little gimmicky places. got some dnd shit from a nerd store while mom stared at the miniatures with apprehension (“stevie do you really need these” “yeah they go on the board and are good for battles” “you said yourself that your players suck” “okay MAYBE it’s for me”). didn’t buy any of the fancy dice sets i wanted or anything. i showed the restraint of a goddamn nun. i did get more tacky biker rings though so i guess it balances out.

fell in love with a stray cat there. named him judas because i was listening to judas priest. i miss him.

i spent the rest of the day listening to the fellowship of the ring as an audiobook. i love sam gamgee so fuckin much. “mr frodo sir this fucking sucks can we get drunk” “oh my lovely and faithful sam. no. i wanna put my life at risk.” “shit alright i guess i’ll shield you from the scary ass horses or whatever” like sam and frodo are the epitome of “could you do it,,, for m e?”

sam is a fucking simp and i love him more than i love my own fucking family because they’re straight republicans and not hopelessly devoted homosexual gardeners. i’m a (formerly) hopelessly devoted homosexual and i wanted to be a botanist for a couple years there so i could be a gardener if i didn’t hate the sun so much. he’s just like me <3

“sam we can’t go in there that old bastard set his dogs on me thirty years ago” and pippen goes “nahhhh you’ll be fine :)” and my man sam is like “i’ll fucking kill him mr frodo i don’t care how long ago it was”

frodo is so fucking blorbo. he’s my special little guy. my babygirl. my sopping wet cat in the rain. my scrunkly scrimble doo. i want to wrap him in a nice cotton blanket and gnaw on it like a soft taco. i want to watch him spin around in a microwave. i want to shake him like a snow globe. i am so normal.

i swear i had actual shit to talk about. uhhhh

if i get asked one more time “did you MAKE your jacket” “do you even listen to those bands” or the ever irritating “name three songs” i’m gonna maul someone. like nah jennifer i walked into the punk and metal store and said make me look like a threat to humanity and also a total loser at the same time. like fucking OBVIOUSLY i made it. it’s a battle jacket. have you people ever met someone with an interest in music?? i didn’t give someone a list of bands and tell them to go ham and put shit on crooked. i sat on the floor until five in the goddamn morning with a bag of patches i picked up from my patch dealer (he’s in his 40’s at least and had to move back in with his parents. he has met every member of megadeth and talked to dio before he died. he’s so strange and he even gives me a discount for being so amusing he’s pretty rad) and stabbed my hands until they bled.

i know that’s something petty to get annoyed with but hey man, just because i’m not an old bald dude who goes “YEAHHH SLAYER” at every show doesn’t mean i’m not part of that community. it’s like because i’m feminine looking and young they assume i’m trying to be quirky and different or something. nah dude i’m just actually fucked up.

“your parents must have good taste in music little lady” my mom listens mainly to country, is an ed sheeran super fan, and thinks that those shitty motivational songs are her anthems for putting up with her autistic asshole child. my dad heard me listening to misfits and goes “this guy sounds JUST like danzig” and i was like “i know????” and we looked at each other for a minute before i had to explain to him that danzig was IN misfits. i also was stealing his cds and found FOUR FUCKING NICKELBACK ALBUMS. so nah man i’m just a fuckin freak. a complete oddity. a deviant of my bloodline.

i don’t know how to end this i’m getting woozy with my meds so farewell tumblr i shall see you past daybreak tomorrow

[twistedwit-arch]

@piraticalwit

Teeth chew at a rough bottom lip as he contemplates the door of their flat, uncertainty flittering through normally confident thoughts. What if the things he carries aren’t enough? What if, by expressing his worry, he’s destroyed the foundation of the very thing that has brought both purpose and meaning to an otherwise bland life?

The idea brings a wave of nausea to Killian’s throat, a breath catching fear that in the next few moments his fate will be decided in a way that leaves his flat cold and empty - nothing but a ghost of the man he loves remaining inside. He can’t stand in the hall forever, however, so the detective pushes through the door, reminding himself to breathe. Keys are tossed upon the counter with a second glance, along with a bag full to the brim as blue eyes meet ones so familiar to his own. Fingers rise between them as if to halt any argument before it begins, gloved hand holding out the stuffed dog in its grasp.

“A husky, yeah? I was going to go for bigger or maybe even the real thing but our flat isn’t large enough for the monster they had at the shop and do you know how difficult it is to track down a puppy last minute?” The words are rushed, falling over one another in a huff of breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and the Irishman wavers between walking closer in order to hand the animal over and not wanting to invade the older man’s space. He settles on placing it gently atop their table, fingers digging through his jacket pocket for another offering.

“And this - you shake it and stuff falls around in it. A snow globe of sorts , yeah? Except it’s like... sequins. Or something. I think. ” He gives it a shake for effect, lips twitching in a hopeful grin as the way different colors fall around the figure inside - a dog with a red scarf, bounding along with a stick held safely in its jaws. “Wait - not yet. I have something else.” He tries to evade any argument Guy might make, any declaration that their relationship is at its end, continuing along with a thunderous rhythm in his chest. Momentarily faltering Killian holds the other man’s gaze, forget-me-nots full of despair and regret - a hopeless feeling that pools in the pit of his stomach. “I also brought takeout from the Thai place you like, yeah? Except I couldn’t bloody think and asking the poor bloke behind the counter ‘what’s the best dish to say I’m an idiot, love, with’ didn’t seem like the best idea, you know? So I got everything I’ve ever heard you mention. And a few others because they looked like you could mention them. At some point.”

His expression falls for a moment, cheeks flushing the palest shade of pink and the Irishman’s voice cracks with worry - worry that he’s too late, worry that it’s not enough. “I love you, Guy. Please... forgive me.” 

Don’t go.

He’s been lost in thought since their conversation earlier in the day, the hours slipping past while worry gnaws at him like a hunger he can’t ignore, the unsettled feeling leaving him jumpy and on edge despite the calm and quiet of the flat where he paces relentlessly from room to room. Did he say the wrong thing? Was he making too much of a situation that really wasn’t as bad as his gut was telling him it was? Does he want to risk losing Killian regardless, this time to his own stubborn nature rather than to death as he feared?

There are no easy answers. And so he paces.

The sound of the key in the lock startles him back to reality, unaware that so much time had elapsed since their quarrel, and still he had no answers to the questions that plagued his mind. He stands as Killian enters, a silent sentry guarding their domain even as the other man comes in bearing a multitude of gifts that Guy can’t help but smile at, albeit a bit sadly. 

Killian begins to list the items he’s brought home with him, and with each new addition a feeling of hope begins to kindle within his chest - surely the younger man would not feel the need to drown him in tokens and treasures if he were simply going to walk away, would he? If his intentions were to abandon all that they had built together, would the detective be compelled to lavish such gifts upon his lover, almost as if trying to make up for their quarrel earlier?

“Killian, I...” His voice breaks when he hears the other man’s pleading confession, his request for forgiveness and the fear in his tone more than Guy can bear, and the older man finds himself blinking away the sting of tears from stormy blue eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive - if anything, I should be begging for your forgiveness.”

It takes him a few moments to gather himself, to force unruly thoughts into something he might be able to explain to Killian without rambling like an idiot, swallowing past the lump that has formed in his throat at the realization that he may not have lost the only thing that ever mattered to him in this life. It’s not a given, though, and they still have many things to work through, but at least there is hope now where only desolation and despair had lived just a few moments before.

“I had no right to force my will on you, to push you into doing something that you felt was wrong, and I’m sorry. I couldn’t bear the thought that I might lose you, and it made me...” His words trail off for a moment, gaze settling upon Killian’s beloved features, tracing the lines of the Irishman’s face with his eyes while he searches for the words to explain himself, taking a hesitant step toward the man he loved as he gave voice to his fears in a tone shattered by grief.

“I would rather die with you than live without you.”

[atths--twice]

A Remarkable Christmas  1b/8

Chapter Two 

Christmas Morning 

It’s Christmas morning and Scully is playing Santa before she and Mulder take the time to spend the early morning together. 

Mulder jerked in his sleep, a snore escaping as he did, and Scully grinned. She knew he would not wake when she left the bed. Regardless, she got up quietly, pausing at the door to be sure he was still asleep before she left the room. When he did not move, she smiled again and walked down the stairs.

Heading straight to the kitchen, she let the Christmas tree be her only guiding light. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she took out the ingredients needed for pancakes, humming softly to herself as she mixed up the batter, readying it for the morning.

Covering the bowl with plastic wrap, she placed it in the refrigerator, and took out the pack of strawberries. She rinsed and cut them, still humming as she heard Bella move around in her bed, whining softly in her sleep, then breathing deeply once again. Smiling, she finished her task, placing the bowl of cut strawberries beside the pancake batter, and cleaned up the mess she had made.  

Turning around, she looked at the room full of decorations and shook her head with a smile. All of it was so beautiful and while it was a lot, Mulder had been right, they had needed every item from the bins. The new ones had been added and Faith had loved all of them.

She took a strong liking to a wooden gingerbread girl that had big green eyes, long brown braids and a sweet happy smile. It was like the pumpkin at Halloween; carried everywhere and brought into her bed at night.

“God, she’s really going to be a hoarder isn’t she?” Scully had groaned and Mulder smiled with a nod.

“We’ll get an extra shed for all the things she finds important: leaves, rocks, notes from friends, schoolwork…”

“Mulder, please stop. I… I feel itchy just thinking of the mountain of stuff we will have if we get an extra shed. You have enough crap in this house and out in the shed already. The basement too, Mulder…” She had moaned and he had given her a sheepish grin.

“Okay, okay. No extra shed,” he had laughed, pulling her close and keeping her in a tight hold. “We’ll just have to put up a storage system in her room.” She had tried to get away, huffing in mock exasperation, but his grip had been too tight. He had kissed her, causing her knees to go weak, and she had forgotten about anything else but the taste of that kiss.

Shaking her head once again, she walked over and listened as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing him snoring lightly, she knew she had time to carry out her surprises.

Stepping into the office, a place that had not been used in a long time, she bent down and reached under the overstuffed chair to take out the wrapped gifts she had gotten for Mulder. Knowing he would have found them in any closet, on purpose or accidentally, she had hidden them under the chair, knowing he would never think that was where they would be.

It was just a few gifts, but she knew he would love each of them. Placing them under the tree, she walked back to the office and opened the closet door and took out the gifts for Faith from Santa: a small dollhouse, little chunky bodied dolls, and a doctor's kit which would be used properly and not in any naughty manner, as the one had in the past.

They had also gotten her some clothes, a couple of stuffed toys, and a new green fuzzy blanket with black alien faces on it. Faith would not understand the day, nor all the gifts, but they would.

Taking the wrapped gifts first, she set them beside Mulder’s under the tree. Going back to the office, she made two trips to set the unwrapped Santa gifts in front of the tree. Standing back, she smiled, thinking of all the parents who were doing the same thing tonight; adding magic into their child’s life.

She thought of her parents and how it must have been to keep the magic of Santa alive for four children of different ages and temperaments. Thinking of her youth, she remembered the happiness of Christmas morning; coming down the stairs, the rainbow colored lights of the tree so beautiful and calming, the pile of presents which had appeared in the night, and the smiles on her parents' faces as they opened them.

Sighing contentedly, she went back into the office one last time, took out the bag of stocking stuffers and walked over to the stairs. A new stocking had been added this year; a red and green one, smaller than the others, with a black paw print and the name Bella written in gold inside of it. Mulder had insisted on it, of course.

Into Bella’s stocking, she put a pack of bones, some treats, and a new chewy ball on which to gnaw. Faith’s stocking received some puffy snacks, a squishy snowman, and a small plastic snow globe which held Rudolph and Clarice together in the woods. Into Mulder’s stocking went a small bag of sunflower seeds, a new penlight, and a Sasquatch family magnet for the refrigerator. She smiled as she added that, knowing he would find it very funny.

She stared at Jackson’s stocking and sighed, the familiar tug of sadness pulling at her heart and settling into her stomach. Not knowing him, not really, she decided that she would add a letter to him every year at Christmas, telling him of what had transpired over the year. The likelihood of him ever reading them was low, but she thought that if he actually did, he would see that his presence had been missed.

Putting her letter inside the stocking, she patted it and took the plastic bag to the kitchen and put it away. She set the table, readied the coffee, and placed their mugs by the pot. Nodding as she looked around, she smiled. Walking past the snow globe, she turned it over, and set it down, watching the snow falling silently inside.

After it settled, she walked up the stairs and slipped back into bed, seeking warmth and cuddling close to Mulder. He mumbled in his sleep and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. Smiling, she felt her breathing match his and she fell asleep.

_________________

“Scully! Scully, wake up!” She heard him saying softly in her ear. “Scuuulllyyyy… come on, wake up.” She moaned and he laughed, the motion felt within her own body, at the position they were laying.

“Mulder…” she sighed and opened her eyes, discovering it was still dark outside. “Mulder! It’s not even light out yet. What is our Christmas rule?”

“We get up before our girl so we can have our Christmas first, at least for as long as we can before she wakes us up. Come on, I’m pretty sure Santa has been here,” he said quietly, holding her close and kissing her neck.

“Mmm, okay. I’m up,” she sighed, as she stretched, not exactly sure she was ready to leave their warm bed.

“Good. Let’s go!” He jumped out of bed and she gasped at the cold air that entered and then laughed at his excitement. She moved a bit slower, having been up later than he had.

She used the bathroom and brushed her teeth as he waited for her in the bedroom. With a sigh of finally, he handed her her robe and some socks, already wearing a zip up sweatshirt himself, and waited impatiently as she put them on. Reaching for her hand, she smiled and stopped him, leaning up for a kiss.  

“Merry Christmas, Mulder,” she whispered and he kissed her again.

“Merry Christmas, Scully,” he whispered back. “Now come on!” They laughed quietly as they went down the stairs and into the rainbow lit living room.

Bella shook herself awake, standing up and stretching, her tail wagging as she saw them. “I’ll take her out,” Mulder said, opening her crate and clipping on her leash.

Scully stopped by the stockings on the way to switch the coffee on, taking out the bag of Bella’s chewy bones, and then walked over to the tree, waiting for them to come back inside.

“Mulder,” she whispered, with a smile and a shake of her head, when she saw that a four piece alien family had been added to the dollhouse family.

The door opened quietly and he shivered as he and Bella came back inside, shutting the door behind him, and taking off his coat and boots.

“Smells like it might snow again. We could keep that white Christmas after all, or it could end up being far too warm and it all melts away… that’s climate change for you.” He unclipped Bella and she ran over to Scully, licking her good morning as she bent to pet her.

“Merry Christmas, Bella,” she said, rubbing her soft ears. Bella wiggled and licked at her nose and Scully laughed, opening the package of bones and giving her one. She took it and ran over to her bed to chew on it.  

“Mmm, that coffee smells good,” Mulder said, as he walked into the kitchen.

“I saw your addition of gifts to the ones from Santa,” Scully said, joining him by the coffee pot.

“I don’t know what you mean, Scully. I didn’t add anything. What’re you talking about?” he asked innocently, pouring and preparing their coffees.

“Nice try,” she said, taking the mug he offered to her. “That has your name all over it.”

“I seriously don’t know what you mean. It must have been Santa and the magic of Christmas,” he said with a smile and she grinned back. “Come on, let’s open gifts!”

She laughed as she followed him to the couch and set her mug on the coffee table. Walking over to the stockings first, she reached to take Mulder’s down, when she saw that an additional letter had been added to Jackson’s stocking. Her eyes filled with tears as Mulder came to stand beside her.

“I liked the idea, and I wanted to add my own letter to him as well,” he said softly, putting his arm around her. She nodded, squeezing his hand on her shoulder and reached again for his stocking as he reached for hers.

Looking at him quizzically, he shrugged. “I told you, Santa must have been here.” She smiled as they set the stockings on the coffee table and he continued over to the tree, gathering their gifts for each other.

He set them on the coffee table next to their stockings and sat down beside her on the couch. Looking over at her, he smiled and reached for their coffee mugs, handing hers to her. Clinking their mugs, they sat in the silence of the room, staring at the tree.

“I think we should do this as long as we can, take this time for us,” he said quietly and she nodded. “It’s not about the gifts, as neither of us needs anything, but this quiet before the Christmas morning truly begins, I enjoy spending it with you.”

“Good thing you married me then, huh?” she teased and he laughed, nodding his head.

“Okay! Open your stocking!” he said, setting down his mug and taking hers, putting it back on the coffee table. He picked up her stocking and laid it on her lap.

“This feels heavy,” she told him, lifting the stocking and finding it was quite hefty.

“Santa must have known you’ve been a really good girl this year,” he said with a shrug.

She smiled and reached inside, finding a handle of sorts, and frowning. Pulling out the item, she discovered it was a compact black umbrella and she chuckled softly. Remembering many days and nights spent under one like it, she turned her head and smiled at him.

“Open it,” he said, smiling back.

“Open it? Inside? And risk the bad luck?” she asked, astonished at his suggestion.

“It’s a superstition that I don’t believe in, Scully. Open it.” Smiling, she undid the Velcro strap and loosened the umbrella, pushing the button to fully open it.

“Oh, Mulder…” she whispered, holding it above their heads and looking up. While the outside may have been a plain unassuming black, on the inside it was as yellow as a sunny day. “It’s beautiful.”

“To remind you that the gray skies won’t be around for long,” he said softly and she sighed, meeting his eyes and smiling.

“I love it. Thank you.” She kissed him as he took it from her, closing it up again.

“Keep looking,” he said and she reached in the stocking again.

A dark chocolate bar and a pair of socks with flamingos in Santa hats. Laughing, she set them aside and picked up his stocking, handing it to him. He dug in excitedly, exclaiming over the items he found, jumping up to put the magnet on the refrigerator.

Coming back to the couch, he handed her another weighty gift. “Your turn,” he smiled and she ripped the paper off of the package.

“Mulder…” she said, lightly touching the book he had given her; a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

“It’s not exactly a first edition or anything, I mean I do want our daughter to go to college one day." He laughed and she smiled. “But it is old and I knew you would like it.”

“I love it. Thank you.” She flipped through it and read one of her favorites out loud, smiling as she closed it. “Okay, your turn. The middle one in your stack.”

He smiled as he took the one she said, tearing open the paper and lifting the lid from the box. Inside was a new pair of black gloves. He tried them on, nodding appreciatively.  

“I foresee many snowmen being built in our future and I felt it best you were prepared,” she explained and he chuckled.

“They’re perfect, thank you.” Taking them off, he handed her the next gift with a huge smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him and he pushed it closer to her, bouncing slightly as he bit his lip and grinned.

“Oh, I’m a bit nervous,” she said, holding the small box in her hands. She tore the paper carefully at the edges, as he chuckled softly. Ripping the paper off completely, a white box sat on her lap and he huffed.

“Open it!” he demanded with a laugh and she did so slowly, lifting the lid carefully. “Oh my God, Scully, you’re killing me.” He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, sighing loudly as she giggled.

The lid off, she pulled back the green tissue as slowly as she had opened the box and he muttered menacingly under his breath. When she had finally opened the tissue, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“What in the hell is this?” she asked, staring at the shirt that lay in the box and then at him. He grinned wider than ever as she looked back at the shirt, taking it out of the box, completely speechless.

It was a white shirt with a black box frame in which a gray smiling alien was centered, a red heart near its left cheek. Underneath the pictures in white typewriter font were the words: He abducted my heart, with a black arrow pointing to the right.

“Isn’t it perfect?” he laughed and she opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say. “Wait! You haven’t seen the best part.”

“The best part? Does it also glow in the dark?”

“Ohhhh, that would’ve been good, but no, it’s this.” Unzipping his hoodie, he showed her the shirt he was wearing underneath.

“Oh… my God, Mulder,” she breathed and then burst out laughing.

His shirt was black with a gray box frame, the same alien, but with the heart near its right cheek. The words written underneath were black and in the same font, but they said: She abducted my heart and the arrow pointing to the left, was white.  

“Huh? How perfect is this?” He pointed back and forth between them and she shook her head, taking off her robe and putting it on over her long sleeved pajama top.

Holding it out, she looked down at it and then at his. “It’s the most perfectly ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen." She laughed and he nodded as he looked at them together.

“It absolutely is, no question. Which is exactly why I had to buy them, it’s the perfect gift. I think I beat you, my gift is best.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s a good around the house only shirt.” He looked shocked and she stared at him. “Mulder, no way I would walk around wearing this outside.”

“Would it change your mind at all, if I said I also have one for Faith?”

“What?!”

From his sweatshirt pocket, he pulled out a light green shirt. A black box frame held two larger alien faces and one smaller one, two small red hearts under its face. In white letters it said: I’ve abducted both of their hearts.

“Mulder,” she whispered, taking the shirt from him, and scrunching her chin. “I love this so much. But the answer is still a firm hell no.” She looked at him and he laughed with a nod, admitting defeat. She leaned over and kissed him, thanking him for her gift.

“Open the top one now,” she said with a grin, knowing what was inside of course, and realizing it would be a bit of tit for tat after her gift.

He laughed as he took the two teal colored bags with the large orange fox on them, out of the box. Black acorns, leaves, and swirled designs were drawn on the bag. In white letters, interwoven between them, were the words Stay Foxy.

“I thought you might enjoy using something with your own name on it so as not to rely on Bob all the time,” she teased and he laughed again.

“So, I’m supposed to take these to the store and other places, use them, but the shirts are too much?” he teased back and she laughed.

“One hundred percent. No one knows your name unless you choose to tell them. These shirts are very cute, but we’re not a matching t-shirt family. At least not in public.” She smiled and he nodded.

“I know. I’m just teasing and perfectly happy to wear them here.”

“Of course, Faith’s is pretty cute…” She shrugged and he grinned.

“I’ll convince you yet,” he whispered, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, you’ve got one more.” He handed her a large, thin envelope sized package and she gave him a curious look.

Sliding her finger under the tape, she opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was printed information about a vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard. A small bungalow right on the beach had been rented for a weekend in the middle of January. He had included pictures of the town and an itinerary that did not exactly appear to include Faith.

Looking at him questioningly, he smiled. “Skinner and Rachel have agreed to watch Faith for that weekend.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded, his own eyebrows raised.

“Wow, that’s…”

“I know. We’ll have some alone time…”

“I was thinking more like that’s a big step for them,” she mused, looking at the papers again. “I’m both elated and completely terrified.”

“I’d say that is the general consensus, judging by the amount of phone calls I’ve had from Skinner." He laughed and she sighed.

“I love this, and it might sound crazy, but I’m happier they will be having the time with Faith.” She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows.

“I did add amazing sex to the itinerary, didn’t I?” He took the papers from her and searched through them. “Yup, it’s here in bold, so it’s definitely a top priority.” She laughed as she took the papers back, seeing where he was pointing, and had indeed written amazing sex in bold.

“Thank you, Mulder. This will be wonderful. For all parties involved.” She set the papers down and held his face in her hands, kissing him softly. His tongue licked at her lips and he pulled her easily onto his lap.

“Hmmm… you have one more gift,” she murmured against his mouth and he kissed her again, nearly causing her to forget, but she wanted him to have the gift before Faith woke up. “Okay, let's pause this for later, I want you to open the last gift.” Kissing him once more, she climbed off of his lap and stood up, shaking her head, smoothing her hair, and breathing hard.

“Sure I can't persuade you?” he asked, looking rumpled and delicious. The desire to continue what they started was strong, but she had planned this and Faith was due to wake up very soon.

Turning around, she picked up his gift and handed it to him, sitting on the coffee table, instead of the couch. He looked at it and then at her.

“Open it,” she said softly, and he began to do so carefully. She watched him as he opened the box, feeling nervous about how he would feel about the gift and the idea that had been knocking around in her head.

“It’s a journal,” he said, and she nodded. “A really nice journal… but I… I’m sorry, honey…”

“I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly, taking the leather bound writing journal from him and thumbing through the blank pages. “I know you started the journal for Faith, and I love it, but I’ve been thinking about something else.” She looked at him and he smiled, waiting for her to continue. “You should write a book, Mulder. A children’s book.” He looked shocked and she laughed softly. “Hear me out.”

She handed the journal back to him and took a deep breath. “You’re an amazing writer, always have been, and I think you should take the stories of our cases, and put them into a children’s series.”

“Scully,” he said with an incredulous laugh. “They are hardly stories for children.” She smiled and nodded, knowing full well that most of the cases would not classify as child friendly.

“So, you change things a bit. Make it funny or just a little scary,” she said with a shrug. “I know it’s sometimes easier to type away on the laptop, but for me, there’s something about seeing your own handwriting filling a book with ideas that seems to make it real.” She looked at the journal and opened it to the first page, where she had written an inscription.

He looked down and read it out loud. “For the beginning of your journey. Write it down. Put it in a book. Love, Scully.”  He raised his eyes to hers and she smiled, remembering the last time she had said those words to him.

“I know you can do this,” she whispered with a smile. He stared at her and then closed the journal, setting it beside him and pulling her into his lap again.

“Thank you. I love it and I love you,” he whispered as he held her close.

“I love you too.”

A cry from upstairs broke the silence of the room and she pulled back, kissing him softly and leaving his lap. He picked up the journal and stood beside her with a smile.

“I think this will be a great idea,” he said, looking into her eyes.

“I know, that’s why I got it,” she teased him, and he laughed as Faith cried again.

“You wait here, I’ll go get her,” he said, and she agreed. “Oh!” He turned around and grabbed the alien shirt for Faith, kissed Scully’s laughing mouth, and ran up the stairs two at a time.

Smiling, she looked around the room once more, taking in its beauty. She heard Mulder speaking to Faith, telling her about the shirt he was putting on her and how much Mama truly loved it.

Shaking her head, she looked down at her own shirt; at the gray alien with a red heart, and she smiled.

He abducted my heart.

Yes, he surely had, she thought with another smile, as she heard them on the stairs, and Mulder announced they were coming down. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as she waited, ready to experience the wonder and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of her daughter.

________________________________________________

Oh, I just love them happy and being normal and loving. I hope you enjoyed this story. My friend Cheyenne created the picture of the shirts mentioned in the story. I saw that and HAD to add it to as a gift. It is SUCH a Mulder type of gift. 

Also, I saw the bags Scully gives Mulder in Michael’s during Christmas time, when the world was still normal.... I had to include that as I think she would enjoy teasing him with something like it. ❤️

Here’s a picture of the shirts in case anyone was curious about them. Well, the ones Mulder and Scully wear anyway. Faith’s was not a part of it until I added it into the story. 😊👽

[shualogy]

in the city of angels | joshua

⟹genre: angst? maybe a little bit of fluff? mostly angst? 

⟹pairing: joshua x female y/n

⟹warnings: cheating, guilt, mentions of non explicit sexy times, mentions of alcohol

⟹word count: 1.7k

⟹summary: Joshua moves to Korea but you try to make it work.

⇒ author’s note: this imagine is heavily based off of la la lost you by niki (the acoustic version>>>>>) the lyrics are italicized and in brackets and I highly recommend listening to the song while reading to make it hurt more,, just want to say who HURT me ,, anyways I hope you enjoy

[While I’m on sunset are you on the subway?] 

You breathe in the salty ocean air and release it through a sigh. Wiggling your toes in the sand, you lean forward to hug your knees. The sea breeze gives you a chill and you pull your jacket tighter around your body. 

You wonder what time it is over there, if he’s heading to practice or a concert or some other scheduled event right about now. Snapshots of you and Joshua flash every time you close your eyes. The time you went stargazing together during the summer and talked for hours. The hot summer days you spent marathoning anime in his bedroom and the popcorn fights that would lead into sweet kisses and giggles. The times where he would practice playing the guitar, humming random melodies while you read a book and glanced at him every so often. The days of sneaking around and stealing quick kisses in empty supermarket aisles or at empty bus stops. The evenings of dancing in your kitchen while baking cookies or trying to teach him how to cook which ended with burnt pots and pans and empty take out containers piled in the trash. The nights of scary movies that turned into cuddles and pillow talks. The day he was scouted. The day he left. 

[You would know if you stayed

You would know if you put up a fight]

You promised each other to call everyday. You would send him letters and videos when he was too busy to call. “Y/N look at this dog I found!” or “I saw this today and it made me think of you” texts would wake you up. Good mornings, I love you, I miss you voice messages tasted bittersweet leaving your mouth. Your mornings were his nights, his nights were your mornings. You would spend your early mornings trying to help his mind calm down from the fears that kept him awake and he would spend his early mornings wishing luck and encouragements for you. 

However, life inevitably caught up to the both of you. With you starting school and his training becoming harder, calls became less frequent. Soon the only texts that were exchanged were a curt “goodnight, love you.” Both of you fell into an uncomfortable silence. It was nothing like the silence you would fall into when you would be laying in his lap and he would be playing with your hair. It was a deafening roar of a love that had begun to burn out.

With a break from his training coming up, you promised to call him. You look at the time, making sure it was early enough for him not to be in practice nor too late to keep him up at night. You opened up your laptop, nervous but excited as the skype tones rang.

“Y/N? What’s up? Did you need something?” He looked terrible. His eyes looked like he hadn’t slept in days. 

“No I was just calling you like I promised to since you’re on a break. So how’s training been, have you had good food lately? I read this book the other day and I can’t wait to tell you about it and-”

“That sounds really good babe but I’m kind of in the middle of practice.” 

You paused. “I thought you were on a break?” 

He sighed, and ran his hand through his sweaty hair. “I was supposed to be but evaluations are coming up and I need to work on this one choreography.”

A little hurt that he forgot, you bit your lip then said, “Oh I can just call you when you’re done with practice if that’s ok-”

“I don’t know what time I’ll be done, it might be late for you.” He cut you off. 

“I can stay up, I don’t mind. Is everything okay?” You could hear the bass of muffled music in the background. You could hear yelling and every so often Joshua would wince at the loud sounds.

“Joshua? You can tell me anything, we’re in this together remem-“

“Of course nothing is okay!” He explodes. He runs both of his hands through his hair, resting on them as angry tears gathered in his eyes.

“We aren’t in this together anymore! I’m the one who moved across the globe to become a trainee in a group that I don’t even know will work out! I’m tired and exhausted and God, Y/N I knew this was going to be hard but I didn’t think it would be this hard.” 

As the screen became blurred with the tears in your eyes, you ask with the smallest voice, “Joshua what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying I can’t do this anymore.” 

[Your toes turn blue in winter, I'm gettin' red, rum]

Weeks pass and suddenly it’s winter. It’s been awhile since you’ve talked to Joshua, both of you deciding you need a break from each other indefinitely. Your friends drag you out to a house party, saying it’ll be good for you to get out of the house. You head over to the kitchen with your friends to grab a drink. Someone hands you a red cup with god knows what and you throw your head back as the drink burns  as it goes down. The warmth quickly spreads through your body, beginning with your chest. Satisfied, you head outside to get some fresh air. 

Over in Korea, the snow has piled up and the temperature is at a record breaking low. Joshua exhales, pulling his scarf tighter around him as his breath forms a cloud. He sees some lights across the river and thinks, Oh I should take a picture for Y/N, she would love this. But then he remembers. Then he regrets.

[I’m missin' our drunken 2 A.M. strolls in K-Town]

“Joshua shhhhh we’re gonna get caught!” You giggled as you tugged your boyfriend’s arm out your back door. He stumbles out the door and laughs. With a smile, he plants a kiss on your lips.

Somehow, the two of you ended up wandering the streets of Korea town. Warm with the alcohol in your system and with the warmth of your boyfriend, the universe seemed to fall into place.

You shake your head. No, that’s the past. It’s a chilly night out and you curse yourself for not bringing a jacket. Shivering, you let out a deep sigh and ignore the heat in your cheeks as tears being to well up in your eyes.

“Hey you seem cold, you can borrow my jacket if you like?” You turn and meet eyes with someone new. 

[And fuckin' on Brooklyns in Brooklyn Your Chelseas in Chelsea Hope that eases the pain, so you remember to miss me]

Tired of training, tired of working, tired of everything, Joshua heads out to a party being thrown by someone’s friend’s brother. He didn’t know who but he didn’t care.

Joshua knows this is wrong. He knows he could get in so much trouble for this. But in the moment, with her lips on his and his hands on her hips, it doesn’t matter to him. He ignores the nagging voice in his head that tells him he could get caught. He ignores how her hands aren’t like yours and how his body doesn’t fit with hers like a puzzle piece. He ignores that she doesn’t kiss him the way you did. For now he just needed something, someone to get you out of his mind. 

[And you sold your car, now you walk for miles Bet your feet feel numb] 

Joshua wakes up the next morning with a headache and his heart still empty. He sits up in bed, replaying the events of last night. His mouth tastes sour but not from the alcohol. Sighing and ignoring the gnawing feeling at his chest, he chugs a glass of water and gets ready for the day. The dorm is almost empty, save for a few members still milling about. He decides to head out early for practice to give him some time and space with his thoughts. He takes the long way, walking through parks and neighborhoods to try to get the guilt out of his system. 

[All my demons run wild All my demons have your smile In the city of angels, in the city of angels]

As nice as it sounded to go home with the stranger you met at the party, you and Joshua haven’t officially broken up yet. But then you start to see the stranger everywhere. At school, at work, and you begin to wonder if you’re being tempted, if the universe is saying it’s time to move on. He makes you laugh, smile, all of these things you’ve been missing in your life. However, you still remember Joshua. Your Joshua. You remember the way his lips turned up at the corners and how you could tell when he wanted to kiss you. And he would. Over and over again. You decide to go for a walk to clear your mind. You pass by the streets you used to walk with Joshua and wonder when they began to change. 

[Hope it holds you like I do While my demons stay faithful In the city of angels]

“Shua-hyung, is everything okay? You’ve been off lately.” Chan asks as they stretch before dance warm ups. Seungkwan elbows the younger who is oblivious to Joshua’s situation. 

“Everything is fine” Joshua assures him. Everything is in fact, not fine. Guilt threatens to swallow him whole but he pushes it aside. He came to Korea to train and become an idol. He’s realizing how selfish he’s been, and how selfish he has to be if he wants to make this work. Although the lump in his throat stays, he bottles all the other feelings down. He knows what he has to do. And he hates himself for it.

[Pretty little white lies got me good Thought this was love, I was misunderstood]

You pick up your phone and to your surprise, it’s Joshua. 

“Hello?”

“Y/N, hey it’s been awhile.”

You bite your lip wondering if he’s finally decided what future of two of you looked like.

“What’s up Joshua?” 

“Y/N, I have to tell you something.” 

__________________________________________

[If I'm honest, I'd call, but I'm trying to let go]

You’re devastated when you get your exam score back. You could have sworn you studied everything the professor gave you but still, you failed. That’s how school has been lately. College has become a new type of hard and you aren’t used to failing so often. Tears blur your eyes as you cry in frustration about your grades. You pick up your phone, knowing exactly who can comfort you, who knows what to say. But you never press call. 

[And I hope you're happy, livin' life in taxis But you'll always have me, you'll always have me]

“Y/N, I have something to tell you.” Sighing, Joshua tells you about that winter night. You can hear the regret in his voice.

You’re angry and hurt but also realize that you’ve grown so far apart. You’re relieved and heartbroken but maybe it’s for the best. Your words don’t meet his ears and his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s been like this for far too long. You’re tired. He’s tired. 

“Maybe it’s best if we don’t talk anymore Josh,” you said in between hiccups. You swallow the lump in your throat and ignore the the bone crushing feeling in your chest. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry, I truly am. Thank you for the love and memories. I wish you the best, Y/N.”

“Goodbye Joshua.”

If you thought about it hard enough, your fingertips could feel the fuzz of his cheek. If he thought about it hard enough, he could smell your shampoo and feel the pads of your fingertips against his cheek. However, you couldn’t reach each other.

__________________________________________

[And I hope you're happy, livin' life in taxis But you'll always have me] 

It’s been 5 years since you last talked to Joshua. After some time, you began to date again but no one quite made you feel the swelling in your chest that you longed for. It’s okay though, you’ve become content with the life you’ve made for yourself. You heard Joshua debuted in a group called seventeen and as much as it hurt, you couldn’t help but smile and be happy for him. You’d still feel a pang in your chest everytime someone mentioned him. You wish things didn’t turn out this way.

You look back over the water and watch as the sun kisses the ocean goodbye. You get up, deciding it’s time to go home. You wipe as much of the sand as you can off of you. After taking one last glance of the fading sun, you take a deep breath and turn around to walk back to your car. 

“Y/N?” 

“Joshua?” 

Your heart begins to swell.

[you'll always have me]

[starlightinhumanform]

Power and Control

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Ships: Familial Dark Sides (Anxceitmus)

Summary: Virgil has gotten used to living with the light sides, in fact he quite likes it. But when one of Logan’s experiments goes very wrong, he remembers where home really is.

Warnings: Moderate Language Throughout, Description of Blood, Loss of Control, Memory Loss, Imprisonment, Mentioned Animal Death (Please, please tell me if there’s anything I need to add). 

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort 

A/N: Started off as a vent fic, turned out as... the dark sides being a tight knit family? Writing this really helped me work out some of my internal angst and I hope this can at least entertain you while we get through this uncertain time. Please be careful though— this fic is a lot darker than my usual writing and I would hate to trigger or upset someone. Stay safe and healthy. I love you all 🖤✨ (P.S. Deceit’s name is Ethan in this)

Ao3    Fic Masterpost    Fic Request Info

Virgil woke up to blood dripping out of his mouth. In fact, it was everywhere; gurgling at the back of his throat, coating his tongue, crusting at the corners of his mouth as it flowed over his lips and merrily ran over the curves of his jaw. The fountain finally ended at his hands, congealing in his palms. As his gaze followed the trail of blood, he noticed with a start that one of his hands gripped a raw and ripped hunk of meat. It must have been the source of the blood but why he would have it and, even worse, why he would put it anywhere near is mouth simply made no sense. It fell from his fingers but he didn’t even notice the sickening squelch it made as it hit the floor.

Virgil’s hands were shaking . He felt numb and cold and sick all at once. It felt like every cell in his body was trying to tear in a different direction. Except maybe his stomach. Those were working on condensing into diamond and then forcing their way up his throat, sharp corners scraping along the sides the whole way up.

He was on his knees and the cold gray concrete he sat on was eating through his jeans and gnawing on his skin. He bent forward, retching and coughing and suddenly very very aware of the thing around his neck. It was cold. Definitely metal. Definitely a collar. Leaning forward, it pressed against his throat and only increased the coughs that were shuddering violently from somewhere deep within Virgil’s body. He couldn’t help but scratch at it, slippery fingers useless against the smooth metal.

“Hello there, little beast. We were wondering when you were going to wake up.”

Virgil jerked his head up and was startled to find two other men in the room. Well, if you could call this a room; it was far more like a dungeon. It was a bleak box of concrete, entirely gray and without any source of light except for the open door at the opposite side from Virgil. On the wall behind him, a chain led from a ring and attached to the thing around his neck.

And in front of him... two men stood only feet away. Only feet away but still out of reach. The one who had spoken looked down with fascination at the huddled mess of Virgil. The other was berating him, growling at the taller one for calling Virgil a beast. If Virgil hadn’t already been coughing he might have choked out a laugh. An animal was exactly what he felt like.

“Hey there, Virgil. You had us worried for a second,” The smaller of the two knelt down in front of him. His voice was soft and his gaze dripped with pity as his eyes ran over Virgil’s body. Half of his face was patterned by scales, like something off a snake. It should have been repulsive but somehow it was so familiar.

He shuffled slightly closer to Virgil and slipped the gloves off of his hands. The man reached out with trembling fingers, shushing him quietly as if that would dissuade Virgil from bolting away. Luckily for the other, Virgil couldn’t have moved if he wanted to; between the chain and the convulsions shuddering through his body, he may as well have been sewn into the ground.

Shaky hands ran through his hair and Virgil’s mind was snapped back into that direction. They felt so familiar- he knew those blunt fingernails, the way they scratched gently against his scalp, he even recognized the smooth spots where skin melted into scale. The fingers fluttered away from his face and unlatched the collar.

Virgil raised himself up just enough to collapse into the man’s waiting arms. He nearly felt bad for spitting blood onto the other’s shoulder, “I know you?”

“Yeah, yeah, you know me. I’m Ethan. Sometimes I go by Deceit? We lived together for years,” His voice wasn’t upset or even worried, just tired. Exhausted as if this was far from the first time this exact conversation had played out.

Oh, right. Ethan. His best friend. They had grown up together. They had watched each other change and evolve as Thomas had done the same. Virgil knew every single angle of Ethan’s multi-facetted personality. So how the hell could he have forgotten him?

Virgil glanced up at the other who had strolled over to Ethan’s side and was now mindlessly fiddling with the cape over Ethan’s shoulders. He was muttering under his breath and staring at the wall as if he could look right through it. Very much like- “Remus?”

He jerked his head down and to the side to make eye contact with Virgil, “Hello!”

“H-hi,” Virgil tore his eyes away; Remus’ expression was just a bit too delighted at the moment for him to handle. Ethan was still in front of him, checking over him like a concerned mother and grimacing at the red marks around his neck. Virgil decided to focus on him instead, “Ethan, what the fuck is going on? Why am I like this? Who put me here?”

Ethan had moved on to studying Virgil’s hands but refused to look up at him, “We put you here.”

Virgil jerked his hand away and shuffled as far back as he could without standing up, “Why the hell would you do that?”

Ethan sighed and managed to look at Virgil this time. His eyes were far older than they should have been. Virgil got the feeling Ethan had explained this many, many times, “It’s for everyone’s safety- including yours.”

“Ethan how the hell is chaining me up in the fucking basement for my safety? This looks like a fucking horror movie,” Virgil tried to scoot away further but his back hit the wall. Against the cold concrete, he could feel the sweat racing down his spine.

Remus butted in, cackling, “Well you saw how you were acting- who knows what havoc you could wreck if we let you lose in Thomas’ mind!”

Ethan turned on his heel to glare at Remus, “Which is something we are not going to do.”

“So, what, you’re just going to leave me locked up in here?”

“No, of course not. Only, only when-“ Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood up and Virgil couldn’t help but flinch away from the movement, “Only when you’re different.”

“Different,” The word felt bitter and heavy as it rolled off of Virgil’s tongue. Or maybe that was just the coppery coat of blood that still lurked in every nook of his mouth. He feared he would never be able to forget that taste.

“Yeah, silly, different. When it’s night and you get just a bit-” Remus had swaggered across the room and squatted down next to Virgil with a bounce. He reached out, dragging one pointer finger along the lines of Virgil’s face and tapping him lightly on the nose as if to punctuate the word, “-crazy.”

Virgil studied the face in front of him. Remus had poison apple green eyes that flickered like he had managed to trap lightening in them and a grin to rival the Cheshire Cat. Right now his eyes looked like a thunderstorm captured in a snow globe; he was either really excited or scared beyond belief. Virgil wasn’t sure which option was worse, “What do you mean crazy?”

Ethan sat down next to Remus so they were all at the same level, “You lose control, turn kind of wild. It’s been happening every night of this week- don’t you remember?”

“I don’t remember this week at all. Ethan, why the hell is this happening to me?” Virgil’s voice was shaking nearly as hard as his hands, still covered in the red grime. He knew exactly what it was but his mind simply refused to accept it.

“I guess it started with Logan. He wanted to learn about what makes a ‘dark’ side different from a ‘light’ one— no bad intentions, I’m sure. You happily volunteered to participate in his research and I’m not sure what happened next. He gave you something and it fucked you up. It was supposed to bring out the traits that make you ‘dark.’ He was just curious about what made us different from them. Except, it didn’t just made you dark; it made you as bad as a side can be.”

“And then they dumped you with us because they couldn’t handle you!” Remus grinned as if he were quite proud of his conclusion to Ethan’s explanation.

Ethan winced, “Well I wouldn’t exactly put it so bluntly. They... tried to help you but they couldn’t manage it. They knew we would be more prepared for this sort of thing.”

Virgil ran his tongue across the front of his teeth. He half expected to find a row of fangs or at least some pointed canines; something to match the snarl he felt building up in his gut and clawing its way to the back of his throat. He wanted to yell, to scream until his voice was too raw to sound anything like a human. He wanted punch his fist right through the concrete wall and he couldn’t tell if he wanted to damage the wall or just wanted to feel the pain in his hand, just as a reminder of what was real. How dare they? They turned him into this and when he was too much, they tossed him aside like a broken toy they had gotten bored off. Them. Virgil wanted to tear his teeth into the neck of one of those pretty little light sides. Wait, no. No. He didn’t want to do any of that. That wasn’t him. That was- No no no no no no no no.

The word ricocheted through his head, one clear point through the murk of his thoughts. Except it burned, far too bright as it buzzed through his mind. His head pounded and the room was closing in and the faces in front of him were swimming. Virgil bunched his legs to his chest, hanging his head to his knees. He was trapped; trapped in this room, trapped in the situation, trapped in the dark slime that suffocated his mind.

“Hey, hey, hey,” A hand smoothed across his back and lightly gripped one of his shoulders, “Don’t go there. We’re right here.”

Virgil raised his head up, somewhat startled by the effort it took, almost as if there was a weight pressing down on his neck. Ethan rubbed his hand over Virgil’s back and reached out with the other. He wiped a tear off of Virgil’s cheekbone with the side of his thumb and smiled softly, “We’ll figure this out, Virge.”

“Yeah, we always fix things eventually,” Remus ruffled his hair maybe a little rougher than necessary, but Virgil was used to it.

He couldn’t help but grin a little bit and, as weak as it was, it felt good, “Yeah, we fix it after you fuck it up in the first place.”

Remus winked, “And where would we possibly be without me being the only one brave enough to fuck shit up?”

Ethan gave a small snort of a laugh, “Maybe you should hold off on causing chaos until we’ve got this sorted out.”

“Ah, well, no promises but I’ll do my best,” Remus suddenly jumped to his feet, “Now come on, are we just going to sit here all day?!”

“He’s right, you know, we shouldn’t stay here and you look like a mess,” Ethan gave Virgil’s shoulder one last squeeze, “Do you think you’re ready to get up?”

Virgil looked down at his hands; they were still tremoring and the red was quickly drying to burgundy, “I’m not sure if I can stand but there’s no way in hell I want to stay here.”

“Ah, no issue!” Remus leaned down just long enough to scoop Virgil into his arms princess-style and stood back up.

Virgil should have been worried; this was a compromised position after all. But somehow, it felt so so much safer than that floor. The floor was cold and rough and covered in a viscous mix of blood and Virgil’s sins. And Remus— well he was warm and safe and secure and smelled like a weird mixture of metal and saccharine flowers. Besides, Virgil’s head was already swimming, his body might as well joining it in floating away.

He let his head fall against Remus’ shoulder and closed his eyes; every part of his body felt like lead, even his eyelids. It wasn’t until they reached the top of the stairs and the warm glow of light washed over Virgil’s face did he realize they had been moving at all.

Remus swung Virgil’s legs down gently but kept one of his arms wrapped around Virgil’s waist, keeping him from keeling over on the spot.

Ethan seemed to be taking advantage of the brighter light to look over Virgil again. He lifted Virgil’s chin gently, grimacing at the marks around his neck and the blood surrounding his mouth, “You really are a mess this time; do you think you could take a shower?”

Virgil managed to huff out a laugh, “I think if it weren’t for Remus, I would be passed out on the floor right now. So, uh, no. Sorry.”

“No, no, that’s ok. Remus and I will help you get cleaned up and then we can all hang out on the couch together and you can get some sleep. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, yeah sure,” Virgil slouched against Remus’ shoulder and tried to keep his feet from sliding out beneath himself.

“Hey, buddy?” Remus jostled him lightly.

“Huh?”

“We’re walking now. One foot in front of the other, ok?” Remus held him a little closer and started half-dragging/half-supporting him down the hall while Ethan walked ahead.

By the time they made it the bathroom that the dark sides shared, Remus was basically carrying him, one arm looped around Virgil’s body so he just kind of hung at Remus’ hip.

Remus set him down on the counter and Virgil let himself slump back against the mirror. The glass was cold on his shoulders through his shirt but he hardly noticed, oddly fascinated by the spots on the ceiling above him. They looked like mold— probably a result of one of Remus’ experiments. Yeah ok... so his mind was definitely drifting away.

Ethan brought him back to the present once again, handing him a cup of water and ordering him to drink it. Virgil felt like he was out of his body and watching the scene from several feet in the air; at least the picture was starting to come in a little clearer.

“Hey, Virge?”

Virgil leaned his head on the mirror at an angle he could face Ethan from, “Yeah?”

“Can I take your hoodie off?” Ethan’s hands hesitated a few inches above his chest like he was afraid Virgil would bite him at any moment.

Oh that was reassuring. Oh yeah, Virgil, everything’s totally fine but I’m definitely worried you’re going to go absolutely fucking feral and eat me but don’t let it bother your pretty little head because it’s all sunshine and rainbows here.

Virgil was suddenly taken aback by the anger he was feeling. His fists were clenched and his lip was curling into a snarl and he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Maybe Ethan had a reason to treat him like a ticking bomb.

“You,” Remus poked him, “Yeah, you. Snap out of it.”

Virgil shook his head as if he could jumble all the pieces back into place, as if he could make everything normal again, “Right. I’m, gosh, Ethan I’m just really sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Ethan’s voice was steady and soothing but his hands shook as he pulled the zipper of the Virgil’s sweatshirt down and helped him shrug it off his shoulders, “You just need to relax a bit; it’s fine.”

“Ethan, no! It’s not fine! How can you say that? You fucking chained me up in a basement I didn’t even know we had.”

Ethan hung his head. Virgil couldn’t see his eyes but he could tell he was exhausted. Virgil had hated the optimism Ethan had been faking but the honesty of this change was sickening, “Look, Virgil, I have to think everything will be fine. I can’t give up— not on you. I’ve always believed in you and I always will. I have seen you go through so much and I’m not going to lose hope just because we have another obstacle to overcome. And if I’m being honest? I have no idea how we’re going to get through this one. I have no idea how much worse everything is going to get. But I can promise that we’ll keep taking care of you. And Logan will keep looking for a solution.”

“And I‘ll help him!”

Remus’ interruption managed to pull a small smile over Ethan’s face, “Yeah, Remus has been working with Logan while he works on a cure of sorts.”

“I’m a lab rat!”

Ethan reached up to muss Remus’ messy hair, “That you certainly are.”

Virgil looked between the two men in front of him. This was his family. He loved the light sides but when things got terrifyingly real like this, these freaks were the only people he really trusted. This was his family and if there was anyone he wanted to lose his mind around, it was them.

“I love—“ Virgil’s voice broke, “I love you guys.”

Remus leaned down and wrapped his arms around Virgil, squeezing hard enough to make Virgil worry about breaking a rib.

“Ok, enough being sappy, we’ll have plenty of time for that later. Right now, Virgil is still covered in blood,” Ethan untied Remus from around Virgil and started scrubbing at his face with a cloth.

“Hey, yeah, what is that about? I’m not bleeding... so whose blood is that? What the hell was I eating?”

“Oh, that. It was venison— kind of,” Ethan explained casually as he continued attacking him with soap and water, “You were hungry but you didn’t eat any normal food and Remus found this dead deer in the Imagination and you seemed to like it so we just let you have it.”

“You let me eat roadkill?!”

Remus hopped up onto the counter next to him, “Well it wasn’t by a road so technically it’s not road-kill. But, yes!”

Ethan paused scrubbing a moment so he could fully take in the horrified expression Virgil was giving him, eventually just rolling his eyes, “What? I’m sure it won’t hurt you.”

Virgil stuck his tongue out at Ethan, “You say that now but just watch— I’m gonna develop some rare disease or something.”

“God you must be feeling better if you have enough energy to be this dramatic,” Ethan shook his head and started working on Virgil’s neck, definitely being a little rougher than necessary.

After a few minutes of the continued bickering, Ethan had managed to get every speck of blood and sweat off of Virgil— and probably a layer of skin along with it too. Ethan and Remus even managed to get him to change into clean clothes before Virgil got bored off arguing over whether or not he was going to die because they let him eat the deer.

“Bottom line, it’s just disgusting.”

“I’ve eaten worse, and I’m just fine!”

“That doesn’t matter! You’re, well, you’re you; you could eat steel shavings like cereal and it wouldn’t matter ‘cause your metabolism is built like a nuclear waste processing plant.”

“Yeah, I have tried that! It was good!”

“Alright you two,” Ethan interrupted Remus And Virgil’s squabbling and gently pushed them out the door, “I think Virgil could do with some rest.”

Remus broke away from their little group and started bouncing down the hall like Tiger from the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. He pumped his fists in the air, screeching, “MOVIE TIME, MOVIE TIME, MOVIE TIME!”

Virgil and Ethan watched him with a mixture of horror and admiration.

Ethan chuckled, “I have no clue where he gets all that energy.”

“Maybe it’s the hearty bowl of steel shavings he starts the day off with.”

“Heh, maybe,” Ethan laughed at Virgil’s joke but when he turned to face him directly, concern was written in every line on his face, “How are you feeling? Are you doing alright?”

Virgil ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back as if clearing his bangs from his eyes could clear up his thoughts. How did he feel? Well that was a damn good question. He felt like his brain was made of cotton candy and someone was pouring a cup of water over his head, drops slowly melting away the strings that held him together. He was tired. Above all else, he just wanted a fucking break. He didn’t want to think about how he was feeling or what the future might hold or the fact that he was going to turn into an animal that night, in a matter of mere hours. The idea made his skin crawl and contents of his stomach curdle.

But Ethan was standing next to him, rubbing his hand across his shoulders and looking at him with the big yellow-green eyes that Virgil had known all his life. Maybe he wasn’t ok now. Maybe that was ok too. Maybe being safe was close enough to bring alright.

Virgil tried for a smile, “It’s gonna be ok.”

Ethan grinned back, “You bet your ass it is.”

If you want to be added to my Sanders Sides fic taglist, please just send an ask or reply to this post :p

~ @phan-fander @abi-beehive @fandomfan315 @reggieleigh07 @cas-is-a-hunter @endless-rain-of-words @vicdehart @im-actually-ok @softnic ~

[daydreaming-away-reality]

Rewrite the Stars

Jack Frost x Reader | ☁️ +  🌠 | 3k | Guardian of Nature!Reader | Song Fic : Rewrite the Stars - Zac Efron & Zendaya

You know I want you It’s not a secret I try to hide I know you want me

The two of you had met by chance.

Usually when winter had run its course, you would make your appearance and bring forth spring. All the chilly mornings, rainy weather, and revitalization of life in its earliest stages - that was all you.

A spring spirit. 

Blessed by the Man in the Moon, you became the Guardian of Nature a long time ago. It had been so long, you weren’t sure whether you had simply forgotten your previous life or never had the memories of it in the first place. Either way, you were happy with who you were.

A couple of hundred years ago, you had stepped into a forest not far from a quiet little village and that was where you met him.

After landing from your flight, your (E/C) eyes met a particularly beautiful pair of blue eyes peeking back at you. Your heart fluttered. Eye contact from humans rarely ever happened, as you were shy and tend to stay out of sight. This occurrence as surprisingly enough to pique your interest as you curiously approached them.

“Hello,” you softly greeted, making your way towards them. The snow around you began to melt away and the plants started showing signs of life around you.

The boy appeared to be just as curious as you were, coming out from the shadows of the trees. The moonlight revealed his white hair and his handsome features. Donning a brown cloak with frost decorating, you had a feeling he wasn’t quite human like you.

“You can see me...?” he asked, eyes wide.

You offered him a smile and your hand. “Of course. I’m (Y/N).”

He shook your hand, hand colder compared to yours.

“I’m... Jack. Nice to meet you.”

The two of you had taken the opportunity to get to know one another as you explained and showed Jack the basics of being a spirit. It was nice interacting with someone new. Jack was playful, energetic, and so considerate. Time with him felt refreshing like the warm spring breezes. In the time you had with him, you were certain that this relationship had a certain kind of chemistry that would last a lifetime.

So don’t keep saying our hands are tied You claim its not in the cards Fate is pulling you miles away And out of reach from me

It didn't take long for you to realize that Jack was a winter spirit. He was drawn to the cold while you were the one to bring forth warmth after the chill. Despite the connection you two had formed, it felt like fate kept you two apart.

Due to the natures of your work, you two were often distanced from one another and rarely had a chance to see one another. 

Years passed by like that and you found yourself wondering at times if he missed you too. 

“Hey Bunny,” you called out. Lounging on top of mossy rock in the warren, you watch Bunnymund hop around to check up on his eggs. His ears twitched your way to acknowledge he was listening. “Have you met anyone named Jack?”

“Frost?” Bunny asked. Your fellow guardian’s nose twitched in annoyance. “Yeah. You should stay away him, (Y/N), he’s nothing but a troublemaker.”

“What makes you say that?” You sat up, pushing yourself off the rock to walk next him. You smiled at the little eggs wandering by, gently nudging some of them back up after falling over. 

“Have you seen how bad winter can be?” Bunny responded. He shivered at the thought of the ice and cold. “You’re a spring spirit, you know how much better warm weather is.” He ruffled your (H/C) hair affectionately. “Besides, the two of you probably won’t get any chances to meet, seeing the two of you are nearly opposites. Some things are not meant to be after all.”

You gave Bunny a non-committal hum, eyes adrift as you became lost in thought. Not meant to be, huh...

But you’re here in my heart So who can stop me if I decide That you’re my destiny?

Jack lingered around, despite knowing that winter should be drawing to an end, he kept waiting. 

He knew how things were supposed to be, but he couldn’t help but hope that he had a chance of bumping into the girl that liked. Not long after becoming who he was now, he met you. You were beautiful, both inside and out. (E/C) eyes that sparkled with life and soft (H/C) hair that smelled like flowers. 

His heart raced at the thought of you. 

During the time he had initially spent with you, Jack was convinced that destiny had set up the meeting between the two of you. 

Maybe it was love at first sight.

No matter what it was, Jack was smitten with you. Even after all those years that passed by, you held a special place in his heart. 

That was why he decided to hold on a little longer tonight. For a chance to see you.

A warm breeze made the boy turn, eyes alert to his surroundings. So far, nothing. He gnawed his lower lip anxiously, what was he expecting?

Just as he turned, he was knocked to the ground by an unexpected force. Jack almost panicked when he realized he dropped his staff - his only defense - until he realized who was pinning him down.

“(Y/N)?” he asked breathlessly.

“Hi Jack,” you replied, brushing back a strand of hair. “Long time no see.”

Your radiant smile beamed down on him as you moved to sit down next to him. After you helped the boy sit up, he threw his arms around you. 

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured, breathing in your soft floral scent. “It’s been so long.”

You returned his embrace, bitter smile on your face. “It has...”

What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine Nothing could keep us apart You’d be the one I was meant to find

Jack leaned back, looking at you. After spending so much time apart from you, he felt the need to tell you the truth - his feelings.

“I want to tell you something important,” Jack started. Your encouraging now gave him the courage to continue. “I... think I’m in love with you.”

Blushing, you ducked your head and stood up. His confession was short and simple, it was enough to touch your heart but not to erase your doubts. “I’ve been in love you with you, too, Jack. But...” 

“But?” Jack echoed as he got to his feet. His heart was pounding heavily in his chest. He was beyond excited to hear your confession of love, but something seemed to hold you back. 

“Fate doesn’t seem to want us together,” you whispered. “Once winter is over, you leave just when I arrive. Being together won’t be easy, Jack.”

Jack reached over, cradling your cheek in his cool hand. His blue eyes stared deeply into your (E/C) eyes. “I know, trust me, I know. What if we rewrite the stars? Intertwine our fates rather then let them pull us apart. We still have a choice.”

It’s up to you, and it’s up to me No one can say what we get to be So why don’t we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours Tonight

You couldn’t help but look up at Manny, wondering what he thought as he watched over you. The winter spirit seemed to notice and spoke up.

“We were given a second chance at life. If you want this as much as I do, give me a chance. Give us a chance.”

His plea resonated in your heart. You really hoped that Manny would support the choice you would make. Reaching over, you gently draped your arms around Jack’s neck and leaned forward until your foreheads touched.

“I’m yours,” you whispered before pressing a kiss on his lips.

Seeing Jack’s eyes light up from your response made all your doubts fade away for now. He was so happy, he picked you up and spun you around. You giggled at his antics but was completely breathless when Jack gently pushed up against a tree to a share another kiss with you.

Unlike the one you given him, this one was more playful and passionate.

The stars shone down, aligned and twinkling above you two. Tonight was the beginning of your relationship.

You think it’s easy You think I don’t want to run to you But there are mountains And there are doors that we can’t walk through

Jack was your everything.

Your relationship held strong year after year. Despite what your positions demanded of you, the two of you did your best to be together. It wasn’t easy though. There were times you felt insecure, wondering if you were enough for Jack. Somehow, Jack always seemed to know and showed up to reassure you. When Jack was feeling down, you made the effort to be there and talk to him.

It was getting a difficult to see him lately though - your position as a Guardian was demanding more attention with rumors of Pitch Black being back.

The unexpected signal of the northern lights made you falter as you were planning on dropping by to visit Jack. Frowning, you sighed. 

While Jack was a priority, so was being the Guardian of Nature.

Letting the winds carry you to the North Pole, you mentally prepared yourself for trouble.

I know you’re wondering why Because we’re able to be Just you and me Within these walls But when we go outside You’re going to wake up and see that it was hopeless after all

“A new Guardian?” Bunny asked in disbelief. 

“Manny must think we need help,” North explained.

As the other Guardians around you murmured their thoughts, you stared and waited for the reveal of who the new Guardian was. Hearing about North’s encounter with Pitch on the globe had you worried and having someone new to work with wasn’t going to be easy.

The moonlight revealed a familiar figure that made you freeze.

“Jack Frost?”

Your eyes flit among the other members, gauging their reactions. While your relationship was now long term, you never had the opportunity to properly introduce Jack as your boyfriend.

“You okay, (Y/N)?” Tooth asked, peering at you.

You snapped out of your thoughts. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Glancing around, you realized someone was missing. “Where’s Bunny?”

“He went to get our newest member with the yetis,” Tooth replied. A look of concern appeared on her face. “Did you not hear?”

Shaking your head, you followed everyone else as they relocated to a different room. Perhaps meeting your ‘extended’ family and the troubles you all faced be the real challenge for your relationship.

“I actually have something to tell you all,” you began.

No one can rewrite the stars How can you say you’ll be mine? Everything keeps us apart And I’m not the one you were meant to find

After landing, Jack peered out of the sack he was thrown into. The sight before him was unbelievable. He was in the North Pole. Coming out of the bag, he stood up to take in the place.

“You tossed him in a sack?!”

Your familiar voice caused his blue eyes to turn your way. 

“(Y/N)?” he called out, walking towards you.

You turned away from everyone else and hurried over to him. Holding onto him at an arms length, your eyes scanned over him to make sure he was okay. Once you were certain he was unharmed, you threw your arms around him.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” you mumbled. Slipping your hand into his, you gave him a light squeeze before turning back to the rest of the Guardians. “As I was saying... Jack is my boyfriend.”

Bunny was the first to react. 

“You're dating him?”

You nodded without any hesitation. Bunny’s narrowed green eyes looked at Jack critically. You could tell he didn’t approve of Jack being your boyfriend or the newest Guardian.

Looking over at the other Guardians, you could see the worry on their faces. They didn't think you were a compatible match either. When your (E/C) eyes met Sandy’s eye, he offered a supportive smile.

“Jack was chosen by Manny to be a Guardian,” North spoke up. “We’ll give him a chance.”

Jack looked confused. “A Guardian? I don’t want to be a Guardian.” He gave you a soft smile. “No offense.”

Tooth flit over. “Jack, I don’t think you understand...”

You looked at the globe with the lights glimmering on the globe. Some things were meant to be - like your role in protecting the children of the world. Was being Jack also something that was meant to be even though everyone else otherwise?

It’s not up to you It’s not up to me When everyone tells is what we can be How can we rewrite the stars? Say the world can be ours Tonight

“The two of us would have been a good match,” Pitch snarled at Jack. “It’s too late for you to go back to the Guardians now, Frost. Give me your staff.” 

Jack shook his head, holding Pitch’s gaze.

The King of Nightmares chuckled. “You know, spring and winter never were meant to be a good match. I know your fears, Jack, and losing her is one of them.” 

Pitch pulled out from the shadow, tightly gripping onto you. You had been trying to find Jack after Bunny’s Easter event, knowing that there must have been a misunderstanding. Unfortunately for you, Pitch had caught you first.

The cold of Antarctica had you shivering - you were not dressed for the weather.

“(Y/N)!” Jack called out to you desperately. 

“Look at her, shivering. You see how the cold drives away others?” Pitch smirked at the sight of Jack’s worried face. “The staff, Jack, and I’ll let her go. Although the two of you are not a good couple.” 

“Don’t give it to him,” you pleaded to Jack. “I’m fine - I’ll be fine.”

Pitch tightened his grip and made you yelp.

Jack was devastated. How did he let things come to this? He promised that you two would look out for each other. Be there for one another. Yet, here you were, captured by Pitch.

Ignoring your silent pleas, Jack held out his staff.

“Give me back (Y/N).”

All I want is to fly with you All I want is to fall with you So just give me all of you

“Jack!”

Blinking his eyes open, your worried expression came into his line of sight. Pulling himself together, Jack was relieved to see that you weren’t hurt.

“You’re okay,” he breathed out. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N).”

You returned his embrace. “It’s fine. Are you okay? You hit the rocks pretty hard...”

Jack nodded. You had taken your chances with your powers when Pitch refused to give you up. While you were freed, Pitch snapped Jack’s staff and thrown you and Jack into an icy crevice. Your considerate boyfriend had taken most of the impact for you, leaving you scratch free.

Knowing he was okay made you relax a little. Before you had the chance to speak again, you sneezed. This made Jack pull away with a frown.

“Jack?” you whispered, peering at the winter spirit.

“I’m sorry, I can only keep you cold,” he apologized. His blue eyes turned glassy. “Bunny was right - I make a mess of things every where I go. I’m not a guardian.”

You shook your head, moving back towards him and caressed his cheek. “That’s not true! You’ve done so much for the children of the world and... for me. You told me that we would rewrite the stars together - we can still fix all of this.” 

Jack smiled at your words. “I’m yours, you know.”

“And I’m yours,” you replied. You reached over and felt something in Jack’s hoodie’s pocket. Pulling it out, you realized it was Jack’s tooth box. “Maybe... this will give you some answers.”

How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing can keep us apart ‘Cause it’s up to you And it’s up to me No one can say what we get to be

Lying down on the cold earth, you stared up at the starry night sky in awe. Chilly nights like this made the skies clearer, making the condition perfect for stargazing.

“The stars look different compared to when we first met,” you commented. 

“Yeah, they do,” Jack agreed from your side. “I think they look their best when I'm with you though.”

You giggled, rolling over to look into the beautiful blue eyes you loved. After the battle with Pitch, something in your relationship changed. The two of you felt more committed to being together after facing the challenges thrown your way. Together. 

While things felt impossible at first, you both knew that things could become possible when you were together. Regardless of what anyone said, the two of you were stronger with one another. 

“Who says we can’t change our fate?” Jack whispered, drawing you close. “I’m so much happier with you by my side, no matter what happens.”

“Nothing could ever tear us apart,” you replied, cuddling into his side.

Under the glow of the moon, the stars seemed to align and twinkle about the secrets that the future held. One that you would face with Jack together. 

And why don’t we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours

[baronessblixen]

Tiny

This is a sequel to William wearing Mulder’s sweater fic “His Father’s Son”.

Day 6 for @thexmasfileschallenge: snow globe. Also tagging @today-in-fic

"No, mommy, no!" William stomps his feet. He's standing in front of her, his face red as big, angry tears roll down his cheeks.

"William, we can't just tell grandma we're not coming for Christmas." Of course William would have a meltdown the night before Christmas Eve. She should have known. She should have seen it coming. She crouches down and her knees protest. She reaches for William, but he flinches away from her touch.

"We can't leave, mommy," he sobs loudly, "Daddy doesn't know! We have to be home when daddy comes back." His cries tear through her soul and make room for her own hurt. This time when she reaches for him, William comes willingly into her arms. He's crying harder against her, the pain rattling his small body. As she holds him, strokes his back, she tries to keep her own tears at bay.

"Your daddy knows where grandma lives, baby," she whispers into his damp hair and straightens a stubborn curl, "He knows we'll be there." She crushes hissmall body against hers praying that her love for him makes up for Mulder's absence. She's tried. Ever since he left, she's done nothing but try. Try to keep William's belief in his father intact. He loves his son, and her, and that's why he left them in the first place. She's tried to believe that, too. The longer he's gone, though, the less she believes. She hasn't heard from him in over three weeks. It's time, she thinks; time to stop.

"William, your daddy…" The words get stuck in her throat. She can't do this. She can't shatter her son's hopes, take all of this away from him. For the past two weeks, every night, he would sit in front of his window, stare out, waiting and hoping. At first Scully thought he was waiting for snow. He shook his head when she asked him about it. 'Waiting for daddy', he told her, the ghost of his father's smile playing around his lips.  

"He will be home for Christmas." William, defiance in his voice, sobs against her shoulder.

"How about a compromise?" The boy loosens his grip and blinks at her needing an explanation. "Remember how I said you could wear daddy's sweater at home but not at church?" William nods. "That was a compromise. You know, grandma is really looking forward to seeing us tomorrow and so are your cousins, your aunts and uncles. We'll leave a note for your dad, all right? So if he's late and we're already on our way, he'll know where to find us. What do you say?" He thinks about it a moment. Uses the sleeve of Mulder's sweater that he's barely taken off for weeks to wipe at his red-rimmed eyes. A shaky sigh through his sniffling nose and he finally nods. Scully kisses his warm, sweet smelling skin. Another crisis diverted. She's not sure how many more she can take. This, she knows, is only the beginning. What will she do, what will she say, when Mulder doesn't return? Not for Christmas. Not at all.

"Time for bed now, young man." Scully finds her voice again, as strange as it sounds in her own ears, and just this once William doesn't complain. He pads into his bedroom and Scully follows him. He grabs the snow globe Scully had to buy for him the other day and crawls on the windowsill. This time Scully joins him. Together they stare outside where the streetlamps throw yellow and orange light cones onto the pavement. William, not taking his eyes off the window, absent-mindedly shakes the snow globe. Scully watches the tiny flakes swirl around the glass and settle peacefully on the ground. William persuaded her to buy when they were out buying Christmas presents for the rest of the family. The day had been, like all of them lately, stressful. William kept asking her if he could have it and she should have told him no, should have told him Christmas was coming, but she didn't. She told him yes, paid for it, and reveled in the pure joy she found on her son's face. She never once looked at the snow globe. She does now. As the last flakes fall down, she takes in the simple scenery. A house, unremarkable, a dog and a boy. And there, a few steps away, in each other's arms, are two people, the parents, just watching. Tears cloud Scully's eyes as she stares at the tiny still life in her son's hand.

"Don't be sad, mommy," William tells her, jolting her back to this life, the real one, "Daddy will be here. He will come home."

After William falls asleep, Scully wraps the last of his presents. She checks on him one last time, makes sure he is fast asleep, before she grabs her keys and takes the bags full of gifts to her car. The trunk of her car is jammed once again; it's been happening a lot lately and it gets worse with the cold. She makes another mental note to have it checked as soon as this crazy season is over. She groans as it refuses to open. The cold is gnawing at her skin and her cold hands sting as she pushes at the metal.

"Do you need any help?" His voice is a rush of warm air against her body. She whirls around feeling dizzy and there he is. She hasn't imagined what it would be like when he came back. Part of her convinced that he never would. Now there he is. His hands deeply pushed into his pockets, his head tilted slightly he looks almost shy, uncertain if he's still wanted here.

"Scully, it's me." But she can't find her voice; words fail to come to her. She stares at him, not believing. She's never been a believer. "It's me." He repeats with a lifetime of memories shimmering in his eyes.

"It's you. Mulder…" But that's all she can say before she finds herself in his arms. He is warm, he is solid; he is every piece of her that's been missing these last few weeks. "You're here. It's you."  

"It's me and I'm never leaving again. This is it, Scully." She brings distance between them and feels cold air slash at her. She shivers glancing up at him.

"What did you find?" He shakes his head.

"Nothing, Scully. There is nothing to be found. This… all of this is no longer my life. You are. You and William. Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life."

"Mulder…"

"You don't believe me," he says, nods, "I don't blame you. I will do everything in my power to earn back your trust and your love. This was the last time, Scully. I promise you. I'll show you."

"I don't want you to-" Scully starts and Mulder puts his finger against her lips. A tiny spark that sets off a whole firework inside of her.

"My life is here, Scully. Wherever you and William are is where I'm supposed to be." One of his hands leaves her body and reaches into his coat pocket. He takes out a small snow globe and hands it to Scully. "It's funny how epiphanies come about. I went into a shop to buy sunflower seeds. That's all I wanted but there was this family. You know, a mom, a dad and two little girls. One was crying and the other one snuck away to look at these snow globes on display. She must have heard a noise or startled and the globe slipped from her hands and broke. I wanted to go over to her and console her, but I stopped. That wasn't my daughter. I didn't know her at all. Instead I watched her parents come over and comfort her. Once they were gone, I picked up one of these snow globes myself. It's silly, I know that, Scully, but look at this," he touches her hand that's holding the globe and shakes it gently, "I saw us. A house, a kid and a dog. I realized that was all I wanted. I no longer cared for anything but coming home to you and to William."

"This is crazy." Scully whispers staring at the toy much like she did earlier. She's seen the exact same picture in William's snow globe. The same house, the dog and the boy with the snowman, and the parents. It's all there. She shakes it again but the image remains.

"I know it's crazy, but-" Scully doesn't let him finish. She kisses him, tries to kiss away the weeks without him, the pain and the anger.

"Welcome home, Mulder." She whispers against his lips before she leads him inside.  

[atths--twice]

Chapter Two 

Christmas Morning 

It’s Christmas morning and Scully is playing Santa before she and Mulder take the time to spend the early morning together.

Mulder jerked in his sleep, a snore escaping as he did, and Scully grinned. She knew he would not wake when she left the bed. Regardless, she got up quietly, pausing at the door to be sure he was still asleep before she left the room. When he did not move, she smiled again and walked down the stairs. 

Heading straight to the kitchen, she let the Christmas tree be her only guiding light. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she took out the ingredients needed for pancakes, humming softly to herself as she mixed up the batter, readying it for the morning.

Covering the bowl, she placed it in the refrigerator, and took out the pack of strawberries. She rinsed and cut them, still humming as she heard Bella move around in her bed, whining softly in her sleep, then breathing deeply once again. Smiling, she finished her task, cleaning up the mess when she was finished. 

Turning around, she looked at the room full of decorations and shook her head with a smile. All of it was so beautiful and while it was a lot, Mulder had been right, they needed every item from the bins. The new ones had been added and Faith had loved all of them. 

She took a strong liking to a wooden gingerbread girl that had big green eyes, long brown braids and a sweet happy smile. It was like the pumpkin at Halloween; carried everywhere and brought to her bed at night. 

“God, she’s really going to be a hoarder isn’t she?” Scully had groaned and Mulder smiled with a nod. 

“We’ll get an extra shed for all the things she finds important: leaves, rocks, notes from friends, schoolwork…” 

“Mulder, please stop. I… I feel itchy just thinking of the mountain of stuff we will have if we get an extra shed. You have enough crap in this house and out in the shed already. The basement too, Mulder…” She had moaned and he gave her a sheepish grin. 

“Okay, okay. No extra shed,” he had laughed, pulling her close and keeping her in a tight hold. “We’ll just have to put up a storage system in her room.” She had tried to get away, huffing in mock exasperation, but his grip had been too tight. He kissed her, causing her knees to go weak, and she forgot about anything else but the taste of that kiss. 

Shaking her head again, she walked over and listened as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing him snoring lightly, she knew she had time to carry out her surprises. 

Stepping into the office, one that had not been used in a long time, she bent down and reached under the overstuffed chair to take out the gifts she had gotten for Mulder. Knowing he would have found them in a closet, she hid them under the chair, knowing he would never think that was where they were hidden. 

It was just a few gifts, but she knew he would love each of them. Placing them under the tree, she walked back to the office and opened the closet door and took out the gifts for Faith from Santa: a small dollhouse, little chunky bodied dolls, and a doctor's kit which would be used properly and not in any naughty manner as the old one had. 

They had also gotten her some clothes, a couple of stuffed toys, and a new green fuzzy blanket with black alien faces on it. Faith would not understand the day, nor all the gifts, but they would. 

Taking the wrapped gifts first, she set them beside Mulder’s under the tree. Going back to the office, she made two trips to set the unwrapped Santa gifts in front of the tree. Standing back, she smiled, thinking of all the parents who were doing the same thing tonight; adding magic into their child’s life. 

She thought of her parents and how it must have been to keep the magic of Santa alive for four children of different ages and temperaments. Thinking of her youth, she remembered the happiness of Christmas morning; coming down the stairs, the rainbow colored lights of the tree so beautiful and calming, the pile of presents which had appeared in the night, and the smiles on her parents' faces as they opened them. 

Sighing contentedly, she went back into the office one last time, took out the bag of stocking stuffers and walked over to the stairs. A new stocking had been added this year; a red and green one, smaller than the others, with a black paw print and the name Bella written in gold inside of it. Mulder had insisted on it, of course. 

Into Bella’s stocking she put a pack of bones, some treats, and a new chewy ball on which to gnaw. Faith’s stocking received some puffy snacks, a squishy snowman, and a small plastic snow globe which held Rudolph and Clarice together in the woods. Into Mulder’s stocking went a small bag of sunflower seeds, a new penlight, and a Sasquatch family magnet for the refrigerator. She smiled as she added that, knowing he would find it very funny. 

She stared at Jackson’s stocking and sighed, the familiar tug of sadness pulling at her heart and settling into her stomach. Not knowing him, not really, she decided that she would add a letter to him every year at Christmas, telling him of what had transpired over the year. The likelihood of him ever reading them was high, but she thought that if he actually did, he would see that his presence had been missed. 

Putting her letter inside the stocking, she patted it and took the plastic bag to the kitchen and put it away. She set the table, readied the coffee, and placed their mugs by the pot. Nodding as she looked around, she smiled. Walking past the snow globe, she turned it over, and set it down, watching the snow falling silently inside. 

After it settled, she walked up the stairs and slipped back into bed, seeking warmth and cuddling close to Mulder. He mumbled in his sleep and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. Smiling, she felt her breathing match his and she fell asleep.

“Scully! Scully, wake up!” She heard him saying softly in her ear. “Scuuulllyyyy… come on, wake up.” She moaned and he laughed, the motion felt within her own body, at the position they were laying. 

“Mulder…” she sighed and opened her eyes, discovering it was still dark outside. “Mulder! It’s not even light out yet. What is our Christmas rule?” 

“We get up before our girl so we can have our Christmas first, at least for as long as we can before she wakes us up. Come on, I’m pretty sure Santa has been here,” he said quietly, holding her close and kissing her neck. 

“Mmm, okay. I’m up,” she sighed, as she stretched, not exactly sure she was ready to leave the warm bed. 

“Good, let’s go!” He jumped out of bed and she gasped at the cold air that entered and then laughed at his excitement. She moved a bit slower, having been up later than he had. 

She used the bathroom and brushed her teeth as he waited impatiently for her in the bedroom. With a sigh of finally, he handed her her robe and some socks, already wearing a zip up sweatshirt himself, and waited as she put them on. Reaching for her hand, she smiled and stopped him, leaning up for a kiss.  

“Merry Christmas, Mulder,” she whispered and he kissed her again. 

“Merry Christmas, Scully,” he whispered back. “Now come on!” They laughed quietly as they went down the stairs and into the rainbow lit living room. 

Bella shook herself awake, standing up and stretching, her tail wagging as she saw them. “I’ll take her out,” Mulder said, opening her crate and clipping on her leash. 

Scully stopped by the stockings on the way to switch the coffee on, taking out the bag of Bella’s chewy bones, and then walked over to the tree, waiting for them to come back inside. 

“Mulder,” she whispered, with a smile and a shake of her head, when she saw that a four piece alien family had been added to the dollhouse family. 

The door opened quietly and he shivered as he and Bella came back inside, shutting the door behind him, and taking off his coat and boots. 

“Smells like it might snow again. We could  keep that white Christmas after all, or it could end up being far too warm and it all melts away… that’s climate change for you.” He unclipped Bella and she ran over to Scully, licking her good morning as she bent to pet her. 

“Merry Christmas, Bella,” she said, rubbing her soft ears. Bella wiggled and licked at her nose and Scully laughed, opening the package of bones and giving her one. She took it and ran over to her bed to chew on it.  

“Mmm, that coffee smells good,” Mulder said, as he walked into the kitchen. 

“I saw your addition of gifts to the ones from Santa,” Scully said, joining him by the coffee pot. 

“I don’t know what you mean, Scully. I didn’t add anything. What’re you talking about?” he asked innocently, pouring and preparing their coffees. 

“Nice try,” she said, taking the mug he offered to her. “That has your name all over it.” 

“I seriously don’t know what you mean. It must have been Santa and the magic of Christmas,” he said with a smile and she grinned back. “Come on, let’s open gifts!” 

She laughed as she followed him to the couch and set her mug on the coffee table. Walking over to the stockings first, she reached to take Mulder’s down, when she saw that an additional letter had been added to Jackson’s stocking. Her eyes filled with tears as Mulder came to stand beside her. 

“I like the idea, and I wanted to add my own letter to him as well,” he said softly, putting his arm around her. She nodded, squeezing his hand on her shoulder and reached again for his stocking as he reached for hers. 

Looking at him quizzically, he shrugged. “I told you, Santa must have been here.” She smiled as they set the stockings on the coffee table and he continued over to the tree, gathering their gifts for each other. 

He set them on the coffee table next to their stockings and sat down beside her on the couch. Looking over at her, he smiled and reached for their coffee mugs, handing hers to her. Clinking their mugs, they sat in the silence of the room, staring at the tree. 

“I think we should do this as long as we can, take this time for us,” he said quietly and she nodded. “It’s not about the gifts, as neither of us needs anything, but this quiet before the Christmas morning truly begins, I enjoy spending it with you.” 

“Good thing you married me then, huh?” she teased and he laughed, nodding his head. 

“Okay! Open your stocking!” he said, setting down his mug and taking hers, putting it back on the coffee table. He picked up her stocking and laid it on her lap. 

“This feels heavy,” she told him, lifting the stocking and finding it was quite hefty. 

“Santa must have known you’ve been a really good girl this year,” he said with a shrug. 

She smiled and reached inside, finding a handle of sorts, and frowning. Pulling out the item, she discovered it was a compact black umbrella and she chuckled softly. Remembering many days and nights spent under one like it, she turned her head and smiled at him. 

“Open it,” he said, smiling back. 

“Open it? Inside? And risk the bad luck?” she asked, astonished at his suggestion. 

“It’s a superstition that I don’t believe in, Scully. Open it.” Smiling, she undid the Velcro strap and loosened the umbrella, pushing the button to fully open it. 

“Oh, Mulder…” she whispered, holding it above their heads and looking up. While the outside may have been a plain unassuming black, on the inside it was as yellow as a sunny day. “It’s beautiful.” 

“To remind you that the gray skies won’t be around for long,” he said softly and she sighed, meeting his eyes and smiling. 

“I love it. Thank you.” She kissed him as he took it from her, closing it up again. 

“Keep looking,” he said and she reached in the stocking again. 

A dark chocolate bar and a pair of socks with flamingos in Santa hats. Laughing, she set them aside and picked up his stocking, handing it to him. He dug in excitedly, exclaiming over the items he found, jumping up to put the magnet on the refrigerator. 

Coming back to the couch, he handed her another weighty gift. “Your turn,” he smiled and she ripped the paper off of the package. 

“Mulder…” she said, lightly touching the book he had given her; a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets. 

“It’s not exactly a first edition or anything, I mean I do want our daughter to go to college one day,” he laughed and she smiled. “But it is old and I knew you would like it.” 

“I love it. Thank you.” She flipped through it and read one of her favorites out loud, smiling as she closed it. “Okay, your turn. The middle one in your stack.” 

He smiled as he took the one she said, tearing open the paper and lifting the lid from the box. Inside was a new pair of black gloves. He tried them on, nodding appreciatively.  

“I foresee many snowmen being built in our future and I felt it best you were prepared,” she explained and he chuckled. 

“They’re perfect, thank you.” Taking them off, be handed her the next gift with a huge smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him and he pushed it closer to her, bouncing slightly as he bit his lip and grinned. 

“Oh, I’m a bit nervous,” she said, holding the small box in her hands. She tore the paper carefully at the edges, as he chuckled softly. Ripping the paper off completely, a white box sat on her lap and he huffed. 

“Open it!” he demanded with a laugh and she did so slowly, lifting the lid carefully. “Oh my God, Scully, you’re killing me.” He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, sighing loudly as she giggled.

The lid off, she pulled back the green tissue as slowly as she opened the box and he muttered menacingly under his breath. When she had finally opened the tissue, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. 

“What in the hell is this?” she asked, staring at the shirt that lay in the box and then at him. He grinned wider than ever as she looked back at the shirt, taking it out of the box, completely speechless. 

It was a white shirt with a black box frame in which a gray smiling alien was centered, a red heart near its left cheek. Underneath the pictures in white typewriter font were the words: He abducted my heart, with a black arrow pointing to the right. 

“Isn’t it perfect?” he laughed and she opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say. “Wait! You haven’t seen the best part.” 

“The best part? Does it also glow in the dark?” 

“Ohhhh, that would’ve been good, but no, it’s this.” Unzipping his hoodie, he showed her the shirt he was wearing underneath. 

“Oh… my God, Mulder,” she breathed and then burst out laughing. 

His shirt was black with a gray box frame, the same alien, but with the heart near its right cheek. The words written underneath were black and in the same font, but they said: She abducted my heart and the arrow pointing to the left, was white.  

“Huh? How perfect is this?” He pointed back and forth between them and she shook her head, taking off her robe and putting it on over her long sleeved pajama top. 

Holding it out, she looked down at it and then at his. “It’s the most perfectly ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” she laughed and he nodded as he looked at them together. 

“It absolutely is, no question. Which is exactly why I had to buy them, it’s the perfect gift. I think I beat you, my gift is best.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s a good around the house only shirt.” He looked shocked and she stared at him. “Mulder, no way I would walk around wearing this outside.” 

“Would it change your mind at all, if I said I also have one for Faith?” 

“What?!” 

From his hoodie pocket, he pulled out a light green shirt. A black box frame held two larger alien faces and one smaller one, two small red hearts under its face. In white letters it said: I’ve abducted both of their hearts. 

“Mulder,” she whispered, taking the shirt from him, and scrunching her chin. “I love this so much. But the answer is still a firm hell no.” She looked at him and he laughed with a nod, admitting defeat. She leaned over and kissed him, thanking him for her gift. 

“Open the top one now,” she said with a grin, knowing what was inside of course, and realizing it would be a bit of tit for tat after her gift. 

He laughed as he took the two teal colored bags with the large orange fox on them, out of the box. Black acorns, leaves, and swirled designs were drawn on the bag. In white letters, interwoven between them, were the words Stay Foxy. 

“I thought you might enjoy using something with your own name on it so as not to rely on Bob all the time,” she teased and he laughed again. 

“So, I’m supposed to take these to the store and other places, use them, but the shirts are too much?” he teased back and she laughed. 

“One hundred percent. No one knows your name unless you choose to tell them. These shirts are very cute, but we’re not a matching t-shirt family. At least not in public.” She smiled and he nodded. 

“I know. I’m just teasing and perfectly happy to wear them here.” 

“Of course, Faith’s is pretty cute…” She shrugged and he grinned. 

“I’ll convince you yet,” he whispered, and she laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, you’ve got one more.” He handed her a large, thin envelope sized package and she gave him a curious look. 

Sliding her finger under the tape, she opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was printed information about a vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard. A small bungalow right on the beach had been rented for a weekend in the middle of January. He had included pictures of the town and an itinerary that did not exactly appear to be include Faith.

Looking at him questioningly, he smiled. “Skinner and Rachel have agreed to watch Faith for that weekend.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded, his own eyebrows raised. 

“Wow, that’s…” 

“I know. We’ll have some alone time…” 

“I was thinking more like that’s a big step for them,” she mused, looking at the papers again. “I’m both elated and completely terrified.” 

“I’d say that is the general consensus, judging by the amount of phone calls I’ve had from Skinner,” he laughed and she sighed. 

“I love this, and it might sound crazy, but I’m happier they will be having the time with Faith.” She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows. 

“I did add amazing sex to the itinerary, didn’t I?” He took the papers from her and searched through them. “Yup, it’s here in bold, so it’s definitely a top priority.” She laughed as she took the papers back, seeing where he was pointing, and had indeed written amazing sex in bold. 

“Thank you, Mulder. This will be wonderful. For all parties involved.” She set the papers down and held his face in her hands, kissing him softly. His tongue licked at her lips and he pulled her easily onto his lap. 

“Hmmm… you have one more gift,” she murmured against his mouth and he kissed her again, nearly causing her to forget, but she wanted him to have the gift before Faith woke up. “Okay, let's pause this for later, I want you to open the last gift.” Kissing him once more, she climbed off his lap and stood up, shaking her head, smoothing her hair, and breathing hard. 

“Sure I can't persuade you?” he asked, looking rumpled and delicious. The desire to continue what they started was strong, but she had planned this  and Faith was due to wake up very soon. 

Turning around, she picked up his gift and handed it to him, sitting on the coffee table, instead of the couch. He looked at it and then at her. 

“Open it,” she said softly, and he began to do so carefully. She watched him as he opened the box, feeling nervous about how he would feel about the gift and the idea that had been knocking around in her head. 

“It’s a journal,” he said, and she nodded. “A really nice journal… but I… I’m sorry, honey…” 

“I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly, taking the leather bound writing journal from him and thumbing through the blank pages. “I know you started the journal for Faith, and I love it, but I’ve been thinking about something else.” She looked at him and he smiled, waiting for her to continue. “You should write a book, Mulder. A children’s book.” He looked shocked and she laughed softly. “Hear me out.” 

She handed him back the journal and took a deep breath. “You’re an amazing writer, always have been, and I think you should take the stories of our cases, and put them into a children’s series.” 

“Scully,” he said with an incredulous laugh. “They are hardly stories for children.” She smiled and nodded, knowing full well that most of the cases would not classify as child friendly. 

“So, you change things a bit. Make it funny or just a little scary,” she said with a shrug. “I know it’s sometimes easier to type away on the laptop, but for me, there’s something about seeing your own handwriting filling a book with ideas that seems to make it real.” She looked at the journal and opened it to the first page, where she had written an inscription. 

He looked down and read it out loud. “For the beginning of your journey. Write it down. Put it in a book. Love, Scully.”  He raised his eyes to hers and she smiled, remembering the last time she had said those words to him. 

“I know you can do this,” she whispered with a smile. He stared at her and then closed the journal, setting it beside him and pulling her to his lap again. 

“Thank you. I love it and I love you,” he whispered as he held her close. 

“I love you too.”

A cry from upstairs broke the silence of the room and she pulled back, kissing him softly, and leaving his lap. He picked up the journal and stood beside her with a smile. 

“I think this will be a great idea,” he said, looking into her eyes. 

“I know, that’s why I got it,” she teased him, and he laughed, as Faith cried again. 

“You wait here, I’ll go get her,” he said, and she agreed. “Oh!” He turned around and grabbed the alien shirt for Faith, kissed Scully’s laughing mouth, and ran up the stairs two at a time. 

Smiling, she looked around the room once more, taking in its beauty. She heard Mulder speaking to Faith, telling her about the shirt he was putting on her and how much Mama truly loved it. 

Shaking her head, she looked down at her own shirt; at the gray alien with a red heart, and she smiled. 

He abducted my heart. 

Yes, he surely had, she thought with another smile, as she heard them on the stairs, Mulder announcing they were coming down. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as she waited, ready to experience the wonder and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of her daughter.