Title: All of Me
Author: Singing Violin (Pearl on Gossamer)
Rating: K+/PG
Category: X-Files VRA
Spoilers: All Things
Summary: After the events of "All Things," something's bothering Scully. Sweet!Mulder attempts to allay her fears.
Disclaimer: The X-Files characters and universe are not mine.
Feedback: Honest feedback is always welcome.
Archiving: Anywhere, but let me know. I post to AO3, ffnet, and Ephemeral/Gossamer.
He could see the tears gathering in her eyes, but then she turned away.
"Hey," he uttered, sotto voce, "what's wrong?" Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently turned her towards him, though her focus fixed itself upon the floor. Then, he reached forward with his finger, inching it under her chin, attempting to turn her face up to him so she would meet his eyes.
"I can't," she almost-sobbed, refusing to look in his direction. "Please don't."
He was confused. "I don't understand," he said.
He could see her shoulders rise and fall as she valiantly attempted to calm herself. Finally, she raised her face slightly, though still did not look directly at him. "When I cried, he died," she admitted.
"What?" Mulder asked, still not following.
She sighed. "When I went to see Daniel in the hospital, the second time, after he asked for me, we talked, and he said something that hit close to home. I started to cry, and I put my head on his chest, and he coded on me. I was listening to his heartbeat, and then I heard it stop. Directly. And I couldn't help but think I'd been the cause. His daughter certainly blamed me."
Despite himself, Mulder chuckled a bit. "You're afraid that if you show emotion in front of me, that I'll die too?" he asked incredulously.
She flicked her eyes up at his face, then looked back down. He expected her to shoot him down, to scoff at the ridiculousness of his claim, but instead she merely admitted, "Yeah, I guess."
"You've cried in front of me before," he pointed out. "I'm still here. And goodness knows you've seen me wrecked enough times."
"I know," she said, "but that was before we...uh." She looked up shyly at him, obviously uncomfortable verbalizing her thought.
He raised his eyebrows. "Really, Scully? You think that just because we had sex," he paused for a moment as she winced at his bluntness, "that suddenly I can't handle your tears?"
She chewed on her lip before replying. "Maybe...I'm just afraid to lose myself. I've given you the emotional, and the spiritual, and now, finally, the physical. What do I have left of me?"
He reached around her back and gently pulled her towards him, and hesitantly, she rested her head on his chest as he lightly stroked her shoulder blades. "You've still got all of you," he insisted, his lips brushing her hair as he spoke. "You've just got all of me too."