A/N: I hope everyone who is reading is enjoying so far...if anyone has any requests/ideas let me know!

This plot device has been used to death in MSR fic...and I love it. So have another sickfic, you gotta admit you love them too. :)

As soon as Mulder woke up, he just wanted to crawl into bed again. A real bed, too. Not a couch. He knew he was sick, and not just sniffly-coughy sick. No, this was burning forehead but cold body sick, feeling completely drained of everything sick. It had been so long since he had felt like this, and he had no enthusiasm about suffering though this alone. Until his mind darted to Scully.

It was Saturday, which meant they didn't have work unless they were called in for an emergency case of some sort. So he picked up the phone and dialed her number. Even though his eyes were bleary and blurry, he knew her number by heart now. He could dial it in his sleep.

"Hello?" she answered. He had no idea what time it was, but she didn't sound groggy or sleepy, so he knew he hadn't waken her.

"Scully, what time is it?" Mulder asked hoarsely.

"It's nine in the morning, Mulder...you sound pretty bad, are you alright?"

"No. I feel awful."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Well my head feels...heavy. And I'm cold, but I'm sweating. And I just feel ache-y all over."

"Do you feel like you have a fever? Have you taken your temperature?"

"I feel like I have one, but I don't own a thermometer..."

"You don't own a thermometer? Jesus, Mulder." she sighed. "But it's not your fault. I'll be on my way in a moment."

He smiled. "You're my hero, Scully."

"I know."

When Scully showed up at his house she woke him. He had fallen asleep again. "You lie back down, I'm going to gather a few things."

"Gather? What for?"

"You're coming over to my house. A house with a proper bed."

He groaned, and she couldn't tell if it was in approval or disdain, but he was in no condition to argue with her. She grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas for him and helped him off the couch. "C'mon," she slung his arm around her and they walked to her car.

"I really appreciate this, Scully," he babbled.

"Mm-hmm," she replied. They drove in silence to her house. "Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"I didn't think of that..."

"Of course." as soon as they got into her house she began unbuttoning the shirt he had slept in (and sweat-through).

"Why, Agent Scully," he murmured. "Are you trying to undress me?"

She glared up at him. "Only because you need to get into some clean pajamas. God only knows why you sleep in your clothes..." She said every little quip with a hint of affection, and when his shirt was fully unbuttoned she ran her hand across his chest comfortingly. Gently she helped him into a new pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Feel any better?"

"Yeah, but I'm starting to feel dizzy," he admitted. She guided him to her bedroom and he slipped into the cool sheets with a sigh. "Ohhh, thank you Scully," he groaned. She chuckled.

"I'm gonna take your temperature and then make some toast for you, okay? Do you want tea?"

"I don't like tea," he whined. "Coffee."

Scully scoffed. "Coffee will do nothing but make your stomach worse, Mulder, and neither of us want you to end up puking today. Tea."

Mulder made another whiney noise but didn't protest otherwise. He sat patiently as she took her temperature, feeling like a little kid. She was dressed in a button-up shirt and loose jeans, her hair pulled back. She wasn't wearing any makeup, which made her freckles stand out even more. She was so pretty, and every time he looked up at her he melted. "God, Mulder, 102.6. I wonder what you caught."

"Is that really bad?"

"I've seen much worse, but it's still pretty high. I'm gonna make some food, just relax."

"Okay, Doctor Scully," he smiled sleepily at her and she returned it, shaking her head.

When she returned with dry toast and tea, he reluctantly took it and nibbled at the bland bread. "I know it's not that exciting," Scully said, sitting on the side of the bed. "But it'll help."

"You're so motherly," he commented after a sip of weak tea. She pursed her lips and he was scared for a moment that he had said the wrong thing.

"I'm just a doctor, Mulder. Also, taking care of someone with a fever is something anyone can do."

"So you've done this millions of times?"

"No, but everyone's good at taking care of their loved ones to some extent. The bond people can have...you just know what's best for them in certain situations. You know."

"Loved ones?" he finished off the toast.

She sighed. "Yes, Mulder, you're a loved one."

"Awwww," he grinned jokingly.

"Don't push it," she retorted softly, taking his tray of food and leaving the room.

Scully washed the dishes, hearing light snoring from her bedroom. She was so used to being alone all the time. Now Mulder was asleep in her bed and sick as a dog, and despite all those sarcastic comments, she was glad he called her. There was something comforting about taking care of him, seeing him smile up at her. And although she was attracted to him in a romantic way, she really did love him, in a different way than that of romance. She just had such deep, intense love for him, a love that longed to comfort and be with him. Throughout everything, that love had conquered every fight, every struggle.

Mulder awoke a few hours later with a growling stomach and an incredible need to pee. He made his way to the bathroom by himself just fine, but on his way back to bed he tripped and fell with a loud bang. Scully peeked her head into her room, one eyebrow raised. "Mulder?"

"I fell."

"I see that."

"I went to the bathroom, then tried to get back into bed, but I tripped over the legs of my sweatpants."

She laughed out loud and helped him up. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Can I have real food?"

"Soup sound good?"

"Alright," he agreed.

"I prepared for this. I'll be back." she slid out of her room and returned in a matter of seconds with a bowl of soup.

"You're too good to me, Scully." he declared, slurping the soup down quickly. She began peeling off her clothes and changing into her pajamas. "Putting on a show for me?"

"You wish," she replied, buttoning up her silk pajama top. It wasn't quite evening yet, but she felt more comfortable in her pajamas. Once she had taken the empty bowl from him, she joined him in her bed, lying down next to him. "I hope you don't mind this." she was surprised about how at ease she felt about all this.

"Not at all," he sighed deeply as she began to run her fingers through his hair. "Oh, that feels nice, Scully." she rubbed his temples, something she always found comforting when she was sick and someone was taking care of her. "I feel like I could sleep forever."

She settled down next to him, mere centimeters from touching him. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky and an orange tint colored the room. She found herself drifting off, his steady, rythmic breathing finally lulling her to sleep.

When Mulder woke up again, Scully was still asleep next to him, her head resting on his arm. He smiled down at her; so beautiful and small. She was so tiny, but he knew her and her personality which was not tiny at all. Now, though, she seemed small against him, burrowing a little closer. He wrapped his arms around her, not wanting to leave, even though he was feeling much better, sweaty, and hungry again. But all that didn't matter because Scully, his Scully was sleeping next to him, a faint smile turning the corners of her lips as she nuzzled into his chest.

But the moment was cut short when her eyes fluttered open. She turned red and looked away. "I forgot you were here for a second...I thought I was just holding a pillow..."

"Are you saying I need to work out, Scully?" he asked with a goofy smile.

"N-no...you're just so..warm and nice." she began to shy away, but he looked at her longingly.

"Please, Scully. Stay with me." without hesitation, she settled back down and let him hold her.

"Feeling better? It's midnight," she said, glancing at the clock. It was dark outside now, but both of them were wide awake.

"I feel a lot better. Hungry, though."

"Mmm, me too," she agreed, but it was clear that neither of them wanted to let go of each other. They stayed snuggled up until their other needs became too strong and she wriggled out of his grip. "I'll make some more food if you get in the shower."

"I can do that," he agreed.

"Need any help?"

He gave her another grin. "Well, I might not need any help in the shower, but..."

"Mulder!" she exclaimed. "Are you always like this when you're sick? Ah, nevermind, it doesn't matter. But no more comments like that." She left the room in a huff, and he couldn't help smiling behind her back. Teasing her wasn't very nice, but she always got him back with her sarcastic quips, and in the end they knew they meant nothing but love.

Mulder returned from his quick shower to find Scully making macaroni and cheese in the kitchen, still in her pajamas. It made him feel so giddy inside to know that she was comfortable with him seeing her like this, completely natural, just woken up. He wondered if there would be other times like this, that if maybe one morning they would wake up every morning together. "I hope you like Kraft mac and cheese," she said.

"You own Kraft mac and cheese?" he said, feigning shock.

"What a surprise, huh?" she chuckled. "I was too lazy to make anything else." she scooped some into bowls and handed one to him. "I'll take your temperature again after dinner, okay? You seem a lot better."

"I feel better. Thank you, Scully," he said softly. The food was hot and filling and warmed him up. She took his temperature after they had finished eating, smoothing his hair back as she waited for the thermometer to calculate his body temperature. "I really hope you don't get sick because of me," he said.

"Don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth," she chided. "And we weren't sticking our tongues down each other's throats, so I think I'm fine." it beeped and she studied it. "99.5. Definitely better."

"Not without your help. Where would I be without you, Scully?" Mulder sighed, pulling her into an embrace.

Scully couldn't resist being in his arms, the feel of his head on top of hers, just being close to him. "It's no problem," she murmured. "I always like being with you anyway...okay, maybe that's pushing it." he laughed, and she could feel it in his chest. He planted a kiss on her forehead, making a happy "mmm" sound into her hair.

"I should probably go home now that I'm feeling better," he began, pulling away.

"Nuh-uh. Not til the morning," she said. "You still need some more rest. If you jump right out of bed and wear yourself out as soon as your temperature lowers a little, it's not going to end. Get back in bed."

He grinned. "Are you going to join me?"

"If you're lucky." she retorted. Even though it seemed like they had just woken up, he was tired again and couldn't help thinking about how nice crawling back into bed and closing his eyes would be. He lingered for a moment, waiting for Scully, but she was washing the dishes, so he left her and climbed back into her bed. But just a few minutes later, she was next to him.

"So I got lucky," Mulder said.

"Or maybe I just can't resist you," she let him wrap an arm around her.

"I am a big hit with the ladies." he joked. She chuckled.

"Goodnight, Mulder."

"Goodnight, Scully."

Mulder fell asleep quickly, but Scully stayed awake for a bit longer. She thought of the situation, her and Mulder wrapped up in each other's embrace, the banter they had been throwing at each other throughout the day. Thinking back on it, she realized it had been such a happy day, just the two of them, relaxing for once. The fact that he was so comfortable around her that he let her see her while he was grossly sick made her happy. He made her happy, she realized. He made her angry and annoyed, but usually he just made her smile. She was smiling now as he stirred and cracked his eyes open, withdrawing his arm from her. "You're moving 'round a lot,"

"Sorry, just thinking."

"It's alright. I've put you under enough stress tonight, though, aren't you tired?"

"A little. And you're no stress. I told you, I don't mind it at all."

"You don't have to be here with me, y'know, I can sleep just fine without you," he replied.

"I know, I guess I'm just...worried."

A boyish smirk quirked up his lips and she wanted to smile back. He was so cute. "Worried about what, Scully? I'm gonna roll over and fall to my death in my sleep? I know I'm not the brightest, but that's just mean." She stifled a giggle.

"I wouldn't be surprised, Mulder."

"Meanie," he pouted, then broke into a grin. "Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised myself."

She smiled warmly and placed a hand on his face. "Sleep. You still have dark circles under your eyes." he nodded and turned around on his side as she slipped out of bed, immediately missing the warm feeling she she felt under the covers with him. She tried to read, but she couldn't focus, and she wasn't sure why. She meandered around the house, doing some cleaning that didn't need to be done.

Will we act like this at work on Monday? she thought. They had been so light and flirty together, one could easily mistake them for a couple, which wouldn't be the first time...but still, it was more intense than before, something she wasn't used to. But something she liked. You're overthinking this... she told herself, but it did nothing. She found herself with a headache, longing to crawl back into bed with him again. Don't overthink, she thought and slid back under the covers, careful not to wake him, but Mulder was fast asleep.

Just as she was about to drift off, she felt him turn over and wrap his arms around her waist, making a noise that wasn't quite a snore, more of a snuffle, into her neck.

Mulder left rather promptly after he woke up. In fact, Scully was still asleep when he did. He left a sloppy note: Scully-thanks so much for taking care of me. I had to go home and do some things. Love, Mulder.

"Why did you leave so quick?" she asked Monday morning as soon as he stepped into the office.

"Hello to you, too. What are you talking about?"

"Sunday morning. Why did you leave so fast?"

"Because I felt better and I didn't have the heart to wake you." he admitted. "You looked so cozy." she chuckled.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Great, I'm feeling a lot better. Did you sleep okay, with me there and all...I've been told I snore."

"You do."

"God, sorry. Did I keep you up?" he leaned back in his chair, smiling a little.

"Nah, I can sleep through anything."

"Was it a loud snore?"

"I promise you, Mulder, it sounded like a chainsaw cutting through wood. You're lucky I'm a heavy sleeper."

But the truth was that gentle noise had comforted her and lulled her to sleep, making her wish she could fall asleep to it every night.

A/N: Overly long and probably boring and stuff but I'm trying so...thanks for reading anyway.

-Lulamae