#the way he shushed the crowd…I need to be sedated

[virtual-crisis]

⭐Alpha Centauri⭐, Part Eight

So, demons. As you can imagine, they can’t enter holy ground like churches/synagogues/mosques/etc. But the likes of Chick-Fil-A? Oh baby.

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Eventually, Nebb had to go back to his dorm, so Chai and I went to have dinner… At Chick-Fil-A.

The reactions were delicious. Pious, devoted and devout followers of God were for the most part shielded from the ‘ill sensations’ us demons would give with proximity to them, but the ‘Christian’ crowd that frequented and ran CFA were infamously not so. Hypocritical, decadent, prejudicial. Come to think of it, they were basically mortals acting like soldier-of-heaven angels.

When we got to the front of the line, we ordered one at a time. I took a good few minutes vocally puzzling over the caloric consequences of different options, like some ‘weight watcher’ insisting to themself that simply eating less of the same fast food would turn fat to loose flesh. While I was no wrath demon, I could feel the frustration of the others behind us. While they were getting sick of standing, my legs numbed themselves to the point I may as well’ve been sitting, using my thighs as a seat.

Then, despite my mock-indecisiveness, I wound up ordering a good ten or so greasy, deep fried, chewy-biscuit ‘chicken sandwiches’, with a different similarly unhealthy side for each one. To top it off, I spent another minute negotiating an extra large soda cup with a mix of drinks in it, trying to convince the cashier to let me have said drink——to hand off to Chialer, because holy shit that would melt me from the inside out. Audible groans of impatience came from all but Chai herself, in the line.

“Yo, girl’s gotta eat, thought ya boi upstairs said to love your neighbor,” I said to this, casting a cynical look over my shoulder. Chai gripped a hand tightly around her mouth, her chest seizing up as she tried desperately not to laugh.

The price came up on my order, and I added the real cherry on top of the infuriation: fumbling around with a total mess of different-valued dollar bills and no change except for pennies to handle the tax with. By this point, even the cashier was urging me to just give an extra dollar and take the change, but I insisted it was my last one dollar bill and needed to swing by the bank to make proper change.

Unfortunately for the process of moving the line along, they didn’t want to start actually making the huge order until I’d actually put up the cash for it. But once the money was in the register, I sidled out of the way. Little did the humans expect that I was the lesser of their problems, for Hell hath no appetite like the gluttons of its ranks.

Chai, clearly, stoned herself in preparation for coming here, which she’d recommended in the first place earlier in the afternoon. Rush hour, sedated with marijuana, planning ahead of time to be unhelpful… Her process of ordering was so much more infuriating than mine that I could swear the cashier was trying to decide between an aneurism or risking getting fired to lash out at her. The mortals still waiting behind her were exponentially more agitated, with more red skin than racist depictions of native Americans, enough clenched fists to rival a rock concert, and more eyes glaring at my roomie than I had secreted away on my wings. I quivered in place with that sadistic catharsis that ran like blood through our kind. Not like I can help one of my primary purposes for existence being to torture the damned.

My food started coming to me as Chai got in a pointless argument with the cashier about how to pronounce ‘burger’ at a place that didn’t even serve those; once I was loaded up with fast food bags, I went to take the biggest booth-table in the dining area. From there, I could see a group of people make various sounds of frustration as I’d clearly taken their place for whatever over-a-meal ‘team building’ shit they had planned in place of the sort of missionary work religious types eagerly sought out back in yester-century.

From afar, I observed a carefully planned and heavily handicapped dance: Chialer, uranium-skunk demoness of gluttony and envy, working carefully to maintain hostility with the cashier and even a couple other customers, but keep herself from being kicked out of the restaurant; all while stoned off her ass with weed, which didn’t get along with her anyway.

One minute, she was arguing about ordering hashbrowns, even though they were part of the breakfast menu and it was dinnertime. The next, she was antagonizing the cashier with horrifically nitpicky specifics on *just* how much vegetables and sauces would be on each thing… Oh damnit, she got them to call out the manager. I forgot that whoever did that quicker dodged having to pay…… Couldn’t blame her for not stopping me from paying when I hadn’t done so at all during my order.

It took a good half hour before she got to my table with me. She sat next to me, sidling up against me and gently thumping my chest with the back of her hand. I sneered, letting out an obnoxiously loud belch. Only Chialer and myself were amused. Unfortunately for them, Chialer had a similarly crude sense of humor, and we kept up, acting like completely undignified slobs. That, mortals, is what happens when gluttony meets sloth. Alongside, ironically for my end, leaving no leftovers to take home. It was Hell on my stomach (ha ha), but Chialer being around helped a ton (also ha ha).

People cringed, faces squinched up. Kids were giggling, which their parents quietly shushed. Personally—and I can’t speak for Chai here, necessarily—I enjoyed the kids’ reactions the most. They enjoyed what we did: lots of food, lax on ‘customs’ and ‘following the norm’. Modesty, in my opinion, was easily one of the worst traits of humanity.

But all the while, something felt… Insufficient about it. Something not adding up to the sum. I looked around. One couple—an asian duo, looking more than a little out of place in a crowd of white people—were casually sat and eating food as if nothing was wrong, despite all the noise from us. I stared at them for a minute… The man looked really… Tired, while the woman looked very tense.

“See those two?” I whispered across the table at Chialer.

Chai glanced up. “What about ‘em?” she replied quietly.

“They’re not even reacting to us…”

“Maybe they’re deaf, who knows.”

“And coming to a fast food place, ordering food without holding up the line at all? Bullshit.”

“Whatever, Cen, just keep eating. Or let me, if you’re too high on conspiracy theories.”

I furrowed my brow. She wasn’t wrong, but she also was. I knew something was up there, so I sat and pouted for a while, staring at the ceiling. Eventually, the husband got up and walked to the bathroom.

I followed.

He may’ve gone into the men’s room, but I had… Reasons I could go in anyway. Independent of me being a demon, don’t get me wrong. I still looked around to be sure nobody was watching, then slipped in, carefully scanning for others besides the one I was tailing.

The man in question… I saw his shoes in one of the stalls, and… Well, you know what sound I heard from in there. So I used a long, wadded up strip of paper towels to stick the door shut from the inside, and waited for him to come out. When he did… He’d give some answers. If they were innocent enough… Well, hopefully I could zap him in the right way to only erase his memories of the last hour. Electro-neuroscience was very difficult to get right.

“Okay, who the hell are you?”

The Asian man looked up from brushing off his jacket. “I not speak English,” he said calmly. No conviction, no sort of gesture or look of confusion… Yeah right.

I crossed my arms. “Then how did you order food.”

“My wife order food, I eat.”

I scoffed, narrowing my eyes. “If you don’t speak English, how did you understand that.”

The man narrowed his eyes as well, hunching over somewhat. “...Takuya Nakano. Now piss off.” he said flatly, walking around me to wash his hands.

I looked down, pulling up a sleeve to glance over my upper arm momentarily. Some time back, I’d written on it with permanent marker, occasionally reapplying it if it seemed to be fading. Mom had told me the line years and years ago, and I wanted it on hand [or close enough while out of sight] in case I needed to use it…

“Shilton lot-zipper……?” I murmured.

The man lifted his head, glancing over his shoulder for a moment, before shaking his head and going back to washing his hands.

I looked over my shoulder at him, furrowing my brow. “לוציפר שולט." ‘lotziper sholt’. Lucifer reigns.

The water from the sink abruptly stopped. Given the improvised soundproofing I put in the door, it was now dead silent. I couldn’t even hear anything through the walls.

“Where did you hear that.”

“My mom.”

The man shook off his hands for a moment, going to dry them off. “When.”

“Eight years ago, as she sent me off to college. Told me it was a ‘code phrase’.

“Only the princes of Hell pass that knowledge around. Hebrew is a dead language outside of the middle east.”

I let out a huff of air. “So that’s why you’re so nonchalant about my roomie and I.”

“I was trying to have a nice, quiet dinner with my wife. We were ignoring you.”

“Mortals can’t just do that.”

“I noticed.”

“So what are you, then?” I demanded.

The man grumbled in frustration, walking past me again to the door. When he had trouble opening it, he looked down then stomped on the wadded up paper towels and scraped them out so he could leave.

I peered out the door around him. Someone had been trying to get in, and thankfully hadn’t seen me yet. I quickly ducked into a stall and let the guy enter as well. Once I was sure his view would be blocked by a stall door, I snuck out and scoped out ‘Takuya’’s table. His wife was gone.

I ducked into the girl’s bathroom and searched it. Didn’t recognize any of the shoes—hers were pure black boots, really stuck out from the other patrons—so I headed out and made a lap around the building. The alcove for the dumpster out back was a crack open, so I peered in, and sure enough…

“What do you want?” the woman spat in an expected Japanese accent. She was leaning against the back wall of the enclosure, smoking a cigarette with indeterminate components.

I stepped in, closing the gate behind me. “I was trying to chat with your husband a minute ago—nothing flirty or anything, I saw his ring—and he was being evasive about a question I asked…”

She blinked slowly and deliberately. “His dick’s four and eight-tenths inches, he subs in bed, and yes we do use condoms.”

My eyes went wide, and I raised both brows. She smirked. “Woah? Yikes? Okay shit, I’m part succubus and that’s TMI to me.”

“Part what?”

I waved a hand boredly. “...Yeah yeah, לוציפר שולט and all that,” I murmured. “You two are demons and he’s not admitting it.”

The woman blinked again, same as she had before. She then stepped away from the wall and turned around, rubbing the burnt end of the cig on the brickwork. “His name’s Tsuki. I’m Shihai. We’re trying to have an anniversary date, so contact us later about it,” she said. Awfully trusting...

“You’re just…”

“A demon hunter or angel wouldn’t just spit out that they’re part succubus in response to a line like that. They’re too serious, especially for jokes like that.”

I shrugged. “Well I… That’s probably gonna get you fucked up sometime.”

“Believe me, if it were going to, it would’ve happened long before you. Now take your notes and let me smoke,” she said. Afterwards, she pulled out a new cigarette, lit it, and stood aside from an ashen graffiti tag of a pentagram. I quickly ran up to it, looking over it carefully and memorizing the runes drawn in the spaces around it. There were ones representing several of the seven deadly sins—but not all—and an elemental rune corresponding to each. The center held a manji: ‘svastika’ in Sanskrit, but well, you wouldn’t want the symbol nazis stole to be referred to by such a similar name, even if it was the original one.

I nodded slowly. “...Holy shit, you’re—”

“Out. Now.”

I winced, then nodded slowly, going back to open the gate and head inside to finish up dinner with Chai—or rather, yell ‘angrily’ at her for eating all the rest of my food. That svastika (okay, let’s just call it a manji like they do in Japan) had a very specific meaning among demons: versatility. Power. Maybe a certain elder goat-demon would be able to give me more information on the topic...

[annebrontesrequiem]

Hi! Could you do the RFA + Saeran and their reactions of getting a call from the hospital because MC got in some sort of accident (not too serious though) and them going to visit her? It's ok if you don't want to though!

Okay, I really do need to get better at saving this lol. It’s deleted, and right when I was on Baehee! I’m also sorry for being gone so long, jeez it’s been too long! Lol, anyway, whatever, let’s begin!!

Zen

It was two days before a big performance of his

After rehearsal he was planning on having dinner with you, and watching your favorite show, something relaxing

But all that was quickly abandoned when he got a call from Jumin

You were going to get some groceries to make your special soup for the cold rainy April weather

And when you were crossing a street a drunk driver hit you on the side

Zen was surprised his phone wasn’t across the room by now

He was however, sprinting out of the theatre, yelling at his manager a babbling excuse, screaming at Jumin for the directions

When he got there he was a mess

The RFA was crowded around you, barely giving you any room to breathe, but the minute they saw him they parted

While he walked up to see you he spied the crumpled groceries, beside your bed, the green stalks of celery still peeking out, and he broke down completely

He knew that you were in pain, not only due to your arm in a cast, but also the fact you had an IV, something he knew you always hated the idea of

So instead he stroked your hair and squeezed your hand

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m so, so sorry.”

You just smiled kindly at him

Afterwards you were very wary of cars, and he held your hand when you crossed the street, arm around your shoulder

He was terrified of what could’ve happened

About what would’ve happened had that car hit you dead on

He would’ve crumpled

Yoosung

He was playing LOLOL, like usual, and you were reading

It was such a relaxing night

When you finished you kissed him on the cheek and rushed off to get the next book in the series

By the time you got out the sun was setting

You loved this time of day, the weather being remarkably clear for April, streaks of pinks, purples, and reds streaking the sky, the night cool and balmy, slightly wet like the morning dew type feeling of late summer days

You beamed up at the sky

Walking back to your apartment you didn’t notice the car pulling out of a parking lot

As it collided with you, you skidded across the pavement and into the street, your book splayed across the asphalt, just a hair’s breadth away from you

Yoosung got five messages from Seven before he picked up his phone and read it

And when he did he dropped it

Typing furiously into it he slid across the room, grabbing his keys quickly, jacket be damned

The whole way there guilty thoughts danced in his head

Why didn’t I go with her? Why didn’t I pick up the phone sooner? Why? Why…

When he got there you brightened up slightly, you’re smile growing bigger

This caused him to burst into tears at seeing your two broken ankles

You ended up comforting him, but he was adamant on feeling guilty

Gave you tons of kisses

Decorated your wheelchair with stickers of the constellations, moons, and stars

And when you began physical therapy to walk again he was there the whole time

Every appointment, every single thing

And every night he’d hold you close

Grasping you tightly

He feels like he needs to remind himself you were there

Because if you hadn’t he would’ve fallen

Jaehee

It was a hard week for her

Jumin was preparing for a huge trip, culminating with an important conference, then a party when he got back

So that meant a ton of sleepless nights for his poor secretary

You understood how tired Jaehee was

So one night you took the time to take the two hour trip to a reclusive coffee shop, which sold Jaehee’s favorite

You were so happy when you managed to grab the last two bags

Practically happy danced out of that shop

When you stopped at a red light you went to check and make sure it was still standing straight

When a young driver rammed you straight from behind

Jaehee was just about to take a break when Jumin came bolting in, hair disheveled

“Jaehee, MC, she’s been in an accident.”

Jaehee bolted out of her chair like a missile

Sprinting towards the elevator she barely paid enough attention to get the location

Jumin couldn’t keep up with her

And he’s tall

And she was in heels!

When you saw her running down the hall you twisted around yourself, desperately looking for where the heck they put the bags

When she reached the room, panting, looking so worried, you broke down

She immediately gave you a big hug, stroking your hair, avoiding the spot where your head was bandaged

“I-I’m so, so sorry! I, I w-was just trying to get you the c-coffee, you like. A-and now you’re behind schedule, a-and it’s all my fault!”

She shushed you and kissed you on your cheeks

Jumin could get someone else’s help for the last two days, she was going to take off

You also broke your ribs and she needed to make sure you took your meds and ate enough

Every night when you fell asleep she’d brush you bangs to both sides

“Coffee beans could never replace you, you’re so much more to me…”

Jumin

You two were coming home from a party

Jumin was happy to get home, away from the crowds of people, he wanted to be with you

You were just waiting for when you could get out of those heels

Already unbuckled you lagged a bit behind him

He laughed a bit at your struggling, which earned him a glare

“Here, let me help you.”

You smiled gratefully at the hand and went to grab it

When the motorcycle came out of nowhere

Jumin screamed when you fell backwards, your shoes in a moment of cruel irony let behind

He didn’t have time to look at the cyclist, who was looking, bewildered, stoned as Hell

Jumin scooped you up and pulled out his phone, calling an ambulance

Rode with you in the back, holding your hand as you cried

They sedated you to set the broken collarbone and Jumin flinched

When you shook it off and came to he kissed you firmly

“Oh my God, I thought, I thought that, that you were going to leave me.”

You began tearing up,

“I wouldn’t be able to go on like I do now, you, you’re too important.”

Since he was in his apartment he just arranged a lazy boy to be brought in

Supervised everything

And made sure the cyclist was brought to justice

There doesn’t need to be people like that driving, not with all the troubles already in the world

Saeyoung

You had stormed out after even more pushing away

You hadn’t planned on going anywhere in particular

Just needed some fresh air

Unfortunately fate just wasn’t on your side this day

After cooling down enough to go back to that Hell of an apartment you quickly walked towards the apartment

Unfortunately you didn’t see the public garage opening

There was a horrible scraping of metal on cloth and flesh

And the door knocked you into a fire hydrant

You thought of Saeyoung right before the world went dark

Saeyoung had  begun tracking you the minute you left

And the minute the phone blinked out he picked up his keys and ran

Terrified that his fears had come true

He hadn’t expected the scene on you being carted on an ambulance, phone spotted with blood, falling from the rim of a sickly yellow hydrant

His stomach had dropped and for a minute he couldn’t breathe

Running in he barely stopped to explain it to the nurses

You weren’t responsive, but that didn’t stop him from apologizing for everything

He had to wait while they set everything, you had a concussion, but when they left and he was alone, the RFA hadn’t yet arrived, he poured his heart out to you

You woke up to him talking

“I didn’t understand, I thought if I pushed you away it would get better, you’d find someone better, someone more deserving. Instead I got you hurt, I can’t believe it, you’re at the center of my thoughts and I’m so sorry, I’m so damn sorry.”

You reached out, despite the pain, and touched his hand

He jumped, but seeing you, a light smile on your face, he enclosed you in a tight hug, clutching you like water, something that might slip away if he didn’t hole you tight enough

You hugged back and he began crying

“I love you so much MC, I love you so damn much.”

“I love you too, I will always love you.”

“Always…”

Saeran

You two were planning an ice cream date

And he was so excited

Smiling around the house, practically beaming

Kissing you a lot, causing you to laugh

God, he loved your laugh

When the time came to go out he was dragging you

You barely had time to grab your purse

It was an amazing night, not too hot, not too cold

After the ice cream you two walked slowly around a park, looking at the statues in Greek style

Just enjoying each others company

Saeran was completely at peace, he couldn’t believe that there was a happiness such as this in the world

As he led you through the park he pointed eagerly towards a statue, dead center of the park

“Look MC! Look!”

He started running towards it, and your hand started slipping

He noticed after a few seconds, and turned around to laugh, teasingly

When he saw the motorcycle ramming into you

The cyclist didn’t even stopped

Just laughed

Saeran took a quick mind of the plate before picking you up

Your leg was bent oddly and you were crying

He was shaking with anger, and fumbled with his phone

At the hospital he wasn’t allowed to be there while they set the bone

He turned his phone on again and looked up the guy

Sexual assault charges, physical and verbal abuse, the list went on and on

Saeran was grinding his teeth in anger

How was this guy not in jail

It didn’t matter, Saeran knew how to change that

Pulling a few strings he smiled in cold, cruel, satisfaction

The guy was going to be in jail for a while

Just then your room opened and he rushed in

Seeing you, tears still at the edge of your eyes, leg in a cast

He went over to hug you and kiss you

And the tears started flowing, something that surprised him

After everything, his mother, Mint Eye, the attacks, the whole time he’d never cried

But seeing the center of his universe, the light in the never-ending darkness, the love of his life, seeing you hurt made him so sad

So he just held onto you, showing that it would never happen again

It wouldn’t

He wouldn’t let it

I hope you like!!! Again sorry for it being so long, but hey I hope it’s really good!!! Have fun reading, and again hope you like!!

[alittlemissfit]

37? :)

my long, long overdue response to this prompt. 37: welcome to fatherhoodMSR, missing scene from “Existence”@how-i-met-your-mulder @contrivedcoincidences6 @kateyes224 @sunflowerseedsandscience @2momsmakearight  @blackcoffeeandteardrops

She’d been moved to recovery an hour ago. The nurse had told Mulder she was lying sedated for a reason, that she needed all the rest and recuperation time she could get and probably wouldn’t even realize he was in the room. 

He countered that, pointing out if his partner was asleep and as unaware as they said, there was no reason he couldn’t stay at her side. The nurse got fed up and walked off. Luckily she hadn’t called security on him.

He knew there was a chair in the corner of her room. But it was uncomfortable and she looked cold under the thin fleece blanket. After everything they’d endured the past few days, he needed her close and didn’t doubt she felt the same way.

Curling his body around her like a shield he twines their fingers, content to just lie here and watch her dream. He’s exhausted but has no plan to take his eyes off of her. Before his grow heavy though Scully’s flutter open, focus on his.

“H…Hi..”

“Hi yourself,” he laughs, kissing her.

“How you feeling? Are you in pain?”

Scully shakes her head before frowning, looking nervously around the room.

“Scully…”

“Where is he? Mulder, where is he?!“

“He’s fine. William’s fine. He’s just over in the nursery catching some z’s.”

“You mean th…they…”

“Shh, breathe, Scully,” Mulder soothes, stroking her hair back. She nods, slowly inhales through her nose but her eyes are still too wide, too wet.

“They didn’t take him?” she chokes out.

Shifting closer Mulder slides an arm around her, touches his forehead to her’s. He feels her shaking and his heart breaks on the spot.

“No, they didn’t. Nobody tried and nobody’s going to, Scully. You kept him safe in Georgia. Now we’re keeping him safe here.”

“I want to see him. I…I have to go and see him, Mulder.”

She tries to sit up but her lower body screams in protest. Wincing, she shakes her head as he guides her back against the pillow.

“No, I told you! I have-“

“What you have to do now is rest, Scully. Look, I’ll lie down with you.”

Leaning back into the large pillow he taps the free side of it invitingly, grins at her.

“C’mon, Laura. We’re parents now.”

“And I still go by Scully,” she scoffs. 

Rolling her eyes she curls up half on the pillow, half pillowed on Mulder’s chest but she lets out a groan, prompting him to stroke the side of her face.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. Just sore.“

“You know damn well the best thing to help that is rest.”

“Don’t forget what they say about doctors, Mulder.”

“Don’t be cute, G-Woman. Once you get the bambino home a good night’s sleep is gonna be hard to come by.“

“It’s a small price to pay though,” Scully murmurs.

Nodding, brushing his lips on the crown of her head Mulder smiles, shuts his eyes for approximately five minutes before he hears her sniffle, wakes back up.

“Scully? What’s wrong? Are you-“

“I have to go to the nursery, Mulder,” she chokes out. “I have to see him before I go to sleep.”

“Okay, okay. We can make that happen. Try and relax though, okay. You’ll see William, I promise.”Stroking her hair with one hand he feels around on the night stand with the other, finds the call button. When the nurse arrives a minute later, she barely has a foot in the room before Mulder asks her for a wheelchair.

“Dana, right now it’s crucial you get as much rest as-“

“It’s crucial right now she see her son,” he says coldly. When the nurse doesn’t respond he gets out of bed, approaches her.

“William was whisked to the nursery to be examined right when Scully was wheeled to the E.R and then the recovery ward. She hasn’t held him since the delivery and she’s not going to sleep again until she does.”

“I understand, sir,” the nurse says. "William can room-in with you two tonight. Just give us a few minutes.”

Nodding, thanking her, Mulder turns back to Scully with a smile, but seems content to pace by her bed as opposed to rejoining her in it.

“Mulder, why are you pacing?”

“I’m not pacing. I’m just stretching my legs.”

“By pacing.”

“What’s the big deal, Scully?”

“The big deal is you’re wearing your panic face, Mulder. What’s wrong?“

“Nothing! I’m just excited. Aside from the helicopter ride Will and I really haven’t had much guy-guy bonding time.”

“Well now’s your chance, Dad!” the nurse exclaims, wheeling William’s bassinet into the room. Placing it as close to Scully’s bed as she can.

“He woke up just a little while ago. But he’s not due for a feeding for another three hours.”

Gently lifting William the nurse goes to hand him to Mulder, gives him a smile. All the while he has a nervous one plastered on his face.

“Mr. Mulder?”

“Yeah? What?”

“Are you ready to hold-”

“I’m ready,” Scully says, pressing the button on the side of the bed to raise it.

“Oh, okay, I just thought-“

“Let me hold my baby, please,” she says coolly, but beams as soon as William is situated in her arms. Cradling him close she brushes her lips on his tiny head.

The nurse exits and once she does, Mulder shakes his head, sinks down on the foot of the bed.

“How did you know?” he asks shyly.

“You were still wearing your panic face. Plus I could see your arms shaking from over here.”

“At least you picked up on it.”

“I’ve known you for seven years, Mulder. You’re not as much of an enigma as you wish you were,” Scully says with a smile, that fades seeing the look on his face.

“The last baby I held was Samantha after my parents brought her home. I didn’t want the EMT’s or the nurse to see how rusty I was.”

“You attended Lamaze class with me and held the doll!”

“Yeah but that doll wasn’t a tiny breathing human with tiny fragile bones and soft spots on its skull.“

Frowning, cuddling William closer Scully kisses his head again.

“Sorry. Too clinical?”

“Yeah, even for me,” she scoffs.

“Anyway, now that we’ve established our newborn son is fragile, come here.”

“You sure? I don’t want to go crowding the two of you.“

“Mulder, come here.”

Nodding, refusing to jostle her Mulder squishes himself into the small space to the right of her.

“Okay, now remember from class, just make sure his head is supported. You’ll be fine.”

Nervously he sits up straight in bed, locks his arms that are starting to quiver again.

“Mulder, if you’re that tense your arms will be too stiff and they’ll get sore. There’s no reason for you to be this nervous!”

“I can’t help it, Scully.“

“You know you’re his father, right?” she asks gently, earning a frown.

“What are you talking about? Of course I know, I-”

“I feel like you don’t, Mulder. More often than not you call William my son, my baby. He’s yours, too.”

“Scully, I-“

“He knows your voice. The Gunmen gave me a tape recorder of yours where you’d log your old case notes. I played it in the apartment when I was pregnant.”

“My recorded voice sounds terrible, Scully. You probably gave the kid nightmares,”

“He’d kick whenever he heard you after you came back,” Scully says, giving him a soft smile.

“And look, he’s got your chin, Mulder. His lips have your pout, too.”

“You don’t have to do this, Scully. W…William’s mine,” he stammers, lowering his eyes.

“I know I didn’t take ownership of that right when I got back but I didn’t doubt that he-“

“Then hold him for me, Mulder,” she demands but he breaks out in a sweat. Bowing his head he gets out of bed, runs his hand through his hair.

“You told me when I woke up and wanted to see him that we were going to be able to keep him safe, Mulder. Do you believe that? Or are you keeping your distance from him now because you don’t actually know?”

“He’s safe with you, Scully!” he snaps, turning around. "The safest that boy is ever going to be is where he is right now. With you.”

“But not with you? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Damn it, Mulder, you’re his father and-“

“And where have fathers gotten me? You know the story better than anyone, Scully. I got my genes from a black lunged son of a bitch and perpetual mind games from the man that raised me.”

“And that’s why you didn’t want to take ownership? Why you still won’t? You think you’re no better than Spender?!”

“I don’t know! But I’m scared shitless to find out!”

“Mulder…” Scully whispers, blinking back tears as he walks over to the chair in the corner, folds himself into it. He’s clearly uncomfortable, but appears content to stay there the rest of the night

Kissing William on the head, Scully sits up, winces before setting him in the bassinet. She drifts off not long after, only to wake an hour later in a cold sweat, realize her pain meds are wearing off.

She knows she’s won’t receive more from the IV drip for another half hour, and knows the best thing she can do is try and roll over and sleep some more. But hearing William whimper she jolts up, bends over to slowly lift him from the bassinet.

Shushing him, cradling him close, she frowns when he doesn’t settle, starts wailing louder.

“Shhh…shh, it’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

“Scully…are you-“

“I’m fine, Mulder,” she snaps, though he can see as he stands up that’s clearly not the case. For her or for William.

“Is he hungry, Scully? Does he need to be-“

“I don’t know! I…I don’t know,” she chokes out, feeling even more sore now and too tired to even think.

“Are you due for more pain meds yet?” Mulder asks, as she shakes her head.

“Not for another half hour.“

“Look, let me get the nurse, Scully. See if she can settle him-“

“No, damn it! I can’t just hand him off to someone every time he starts crying!”

“You do in order for you to get some sleep!“

When she shakes her head stubbornly, looks on the verge of sobbing along with William, Mulder perches on the edge of the bed, moves to take him from her.

“Forget it, Mulder! If you were nervous to hold him before, I-“

“Let me just get him in his bassinet, Scully.”

Her arms starting to quiver now, she nods, eases the baby into Mulder’s arms  She can see the fear in his eyes as he gently cradles him to his chest, takes painstakingly slow steps around the bed to the bassinet. But before he reaches it William’s shrieks downgrade to small whimpers, softer sounding mews. Standing in front of the bassinet now, Mulder looks down at him in amazement, can’t help but laugh.

“He stopped, Scully! He..he stopped-“

“Shhh, I know. Don’t wake him up!”

“I…I got him to stop. That..that was all me?”

Nodding, relaxing back into the pillows Scully smiles, sniffs back tears.

“I told you. You’re his father.”

“Yeah..you hear that, bud?” Mulder grins, his arms steady as he cradles William closer still. “I…I’m your father.”