muse_playground December
~ she doesn't like to show you her tears
she doesn't want feelings to get in the way
somebody hurt her a long time ago
she sealed up her heart
and that's how it will stay
"She Keeps Her Love Away" ~ Alice Ripley
It had been twenty minutes since she had stopped crying, but his arms hadn't relaxed around her shoulders. Mulder had become accustomed to staying at her side when she couldn't sleep and as much as Scully didn't want to appear in the slightest bit weak - to him or to anyone else - she couldn't deny that he brought her a degree of impossible, irreplaceable comfort. The rhythm and pattern of his breathing had become a warm, impossible thing that she didn't really believe she could fall back to sleep without even if she tried harder than she had at anything else in her life.
"Can you go back to sleep?" His voice was as rich and warm, strong as the arm that he wound across her stomach and held her against his chest with. Her own hands were pillowing at the curve of her jaw, keeping her from falling into too uncomfortable of a position, but he was also making certain of that without her even being coherently aware of it.
They were partners, and they took care of each other. Looked out for each other, even when the other didn't know it.
"I can," she said quietly, and he kissed the place above her ear before laying his cheek against hers and letting sleep come to the both of them again.
Muse: Dana Scully
Fandom: the X-Files
Word Count: 223