Experience - BBC's The Fall (F/F)

[zakandsara]

As promised. There might be more parts, or more stories about her/them. Archie Panjabi + Gillian = bliss.

(Note: very mildly PG-13, because of some kissing...'n stuff. )

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From the very moment I met her, Stella Gibson tore something open inside of me that has yet to be mended. She made my heart race, just the thought of her. And the increasingly frequent occasions upon which I actually got to spend time with her? I felt, on those days - the days where nothing more happened than our professions simply overlapping, but that felt like a lifelong wish brought to fruition - as though I'd happened upon a million dollars and then won the lottery. A woman like Stella didn't come along twice in a lifetime. No, she was a wholly unique experience- something to behold. The way she walked, the clothes she wore, the effortless elegance she exuded that somehow mingled so strikingly with her fierce strength of character. The way her hair was never out of place but wasn't perfect, either. The way she smelled, like she was wearing either impossibly expensive perfume or nothing at all. The way she said my name. The way she called just hours earlier to invite me out, as though it were a casual night between friends and not a potential siren song.

Up until this moment, I couldn't imagine she'd ever be interested in me in any capacity. I wouldn't even let myself dream it, for fear of breaking my own heart with the horrible truth of it all. And now, though I still can't allow myself to fully give in to the bliss of my reality, it seems she is, in fact, interested in me. And quite so.

I got her call earlier this evening. I was at my desk, filling out a report, when my phone screeched at me. I hate to admit it, but I rolled my eyes, assuming it was nothing but a bother that would prevent me from leaving the office on time for the first day this week. "Reed," I answered, foolishly neglecting the caller ID; one can never be too prepared for a conversation with Stella.

"It's Gibson," she said, her voice pouring through my speaker like honey.

My breath caught. "Hello."

I could almost hear her smirk. "Hello there. Working hard?"

I smiled. Had she been thinking about me? "I always am. How are you? Getting enough sleep?" I rolled my eyes at myself. I didn't want her to know how I worried about her, how I desperately hoped she was taking care of herself, or how I wished she might at least have someone to take care of her, even if that someone couldn't be me. "I'm sorry," I immediately took it back, laughing at myself. "I'm a mother."

She chuckled. "I know you are. I'm getting on just fine. Quite lonely though, if I'm honest." Her voice had changed a bit. Was she...flirting?

"That so?" I finally put down my pen. It was laughable that I thought I might be able to multi-task. When Stella was on the agenda, Stella was the only thing on the agenda. It was simply unavoidable.

"Mhmm," she hummed into the speaker. "I wouldn't be opposed to you helping remedy that," she said to me, oozing confidence but somehow not the least bit arrogant. "Fancy dinner tonight? Or just drinks, perhaps?"

I stopped breathing for a bit, the fluttering in my stomach seemingly hindering all of my body's involuntary responses. "I'd love to. Where?"

She didn't answer right away, but I could still vaguely hear her moving. I wondered where she was, what she was thinking, what she was wearing.

"Gibson?" I asked, hoping I hadn't lost her.

"I'm here," she finally purred back. Her voice suddenly sounded a bit huskier, somehow sexier, but tired. "How about-"

Her voice dropped out again. Was our connection dodgy? Was she nervous? I hugged the phone closer to my ear, hoping to hear her better, when I caught what might've been a muffled, half-sneeze in the background. "Stella?" I asked again.

"Yes. I apologize about that," she returned. I realized now that she sounded a bit congested, and subsequently like a much younger version of herself.

"No trouble. Bless you," I tried, as casually as I could, hoping I wouldn't come off like a worried mum again.

She laughed softly. "You heard that, did you?"

"Just barely," I reassured her, guessing that she was a bit embarrassed. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, thanks," Stella replied, though what else would she say? "Drinks at Bart's? 9:00?"

I bit my lip to keep from grinning, knowing she'd be able to hear it all the way on her end. "Sounds lovely. I'll see you soon."

"That you will. And don't kill yourself working. I want you nice and fresh for our date, yes?"

My cheeks went red. I loved her giving me directions. "Yes, ma'am," I said, biting even harder. "Goodbye, Stella."

"See you," she answered, and the line went dead.

I put my phone down, laying my head in my hands and taking a deep breath. I couldn't believe she'd called me. I couldn't fathom that an actual fantasy of mine was coming true. I couldn't reconcile that the flirtation coming from the opposite end of the phone wasn't fabricated on my part, but had genuinely happened. I couldn't believe that I was going on a date with Stella Gibson.

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Our conversation had set me back quite a bit in my work. Not the actual talking bit - that was only a minute. But the gnawing distraction of the knowledge that I'd be sitting next to Stella in 4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours....

Subsequently, I ended up having to leave work late, which didn't bother me as much as it might've if I hadn't, for some lucky reason, decided to dress up a bit that morning. Not that Stella cared a bit. But I cared, because I was endlessly compelled to impress her. Though, the fact that she was the one who reached out to me for a date was, admittedly, eased my mind a bit.

I hopped on my bike and made it to the bar, a place I'd only been once before on a horrible blind date I'd agreed to go on for a friend's sake. I remember, I had arrived and departed that night so miserable, unconfident, and lonelier than I'd been in months. But tonight, that memory became laughable. This would be our place now. This would be a place that is owned by Stella in my memory, not by some scummy, accidental date.

I pulled off my helmet and shook my hair out, which often made other women look a mess but fortunately made me look quite sexy, if I did say so myself. I took a deep breath and looked at my watch. 10 minutes late. Dammit.

I hurried in, scanning the room. Stella wouldn't be sitting at the bar; she liked to make eye contact, to sit close and talk directly to each other. No, the bar would not be her choice.

A hand on my hip made me jump, and I turned around, on guard. It was, in my profession, never wise to let one's guard down, even after hours. But there she was, not a threat, but a vision.

She smiled at me curiously. "Did I startle you?" She leaned in and kissed my cheek without waiting for an answer. "Come." She put her hand on the small of my back and led me to a small table in a quieter, dark corner. Her touch felt electric, even through my clothes.

We sat down, settling into the booth that was quite cozy for two people, but I didn't mind and seeing as she'd chosen it, I guessed (and hoped) that she didn't mind either. "You look gorgeous," I told her, physically unable to play it cool.

"Thank you," she purred. "As do you." She reached over and fingered my necklace, her hand grazing my neck as she did so. I was worried she'd feel my goosebumps. "This is lovely."

"Thanks," I said softly. I suddenly realized how very much a drink would help me in so many ways. "What are you drinking?"

She let go of my necklace and picked up her glass, swishing it around. "Scotch," she answered, taking a small sip. "I've ordered you a gin and tonic. Did I remember wrong?"

I smiled. "No, you got it." I couldn't believe she knew my drink order. From what I recalled, we'd only been out together on one occasion, and it was weeks earlier, and the entire station was present. "How was your day?"

She nodded. "It was tedious, exhausting. I feel as though I'm getting nowhere with Spector and it's maddening. But you know how that goes," she said, softly running a finger under her nose.

"I'm sorry. On the bright side, your team seems to think you're doing wonderfully. I've never heard a bad word spoken about you," I told her, trying to make her feel better, not that she needed it. She wasn't one to fish for compliments, nor feed on them either. But sometimes, I figured, they help anyway.

"That's nice to say, thanks," she told me as my drink finally arrived to the table. She held her glass up and I clinked mine against hers, taking a long, much-needed sip. "Slow down there. Can't be picking you up off the floor later this evening," she said, winking at me.

I giggled. "I wouldn't leave you with that mess," I assured her. "How's the hotel?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself almost immediately. She turned her head slightly away from me and held up a finger telling me to wait a moment. "Hihh'ntchht!" She half-muffled a sneeze against her wrist. She turned back to me, sniffling quickly and purposefully. "Excuse me, the hotel's just fine. Nice bed, surprisingly, but weak tea."

I watched her wrinkle her nose again, trying to ride herself of another tickle, I assumed.

She drew in a quick, urgent breath and turned her head away again. "Hih'NGchhht! Shit," she muttered. She cleared her throat.

"Bless you," I offered. I'd never seen her vulnerable in any way before. It was a bit disconcerting.

"Thanks," she said softly. "How're you doing on your drink?" she asked with a smirk, watching me finish off the last of it.

I smiled up at her. "Doing just lovely. You look like you could use another as well?"

She nodded, raising a hand at a passing waiter to signal for another round. She brought her hand back down, it landed dangerously close to my thigh. I hoped it was on purpose. "I'm glad you were able to make it tonight," she half-whispered, leaning a bit closer to me.

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything," I told her, the gin starting to hit me. "You really do look lovely. Then again, you always do."

She laughed, not embarrassed or protesting, just accepting. "You're not so bad yourself, you know."

I felt my face getting red and hoped she wouldn't notice in the dark. I looked up at her to find that, thankfully, she wasn't paying close attention to me. Unfortunately, it was because she was too busy being bothered by her nose again.

Her breath hitched delicately, and she brought her far hand up under her nose. "Hih'NGshhht!" She suddenly grabbed onto my thigh with her hand closest to me, as if to anchor herself. "Hih'nkxCHH!!" She turned back to me, her hand releasing its grip on my leg but not leaving. She looked down, as if she hadn't noticed it'd been there. She smiled to herself. "Sorry," she said, still not taking it away.

I shook my head. "Don't apologize. Bless you. Are you feeling alright?"

She nodded. "I've just had a bit of a tickle all day. It's rather inconvenient," she admitted, her thumb now rubbing my leg.

"Allergies?"

She shook her head. "I'm quite fine, darling," she assured me, though the increasingly nasal quality of her voice didn't do much to convince me. "Just got to let it work its way out of my sihhh....hih'KtssCHHHuh!! My system. 'Scuse me," she finally let go of my leg, pulling a napkin from the middle of the table and rubbing her nose. She seemed not to have had enough time to prepare for that one, and it was a bit louder than I think she'd have liked, because she suddenly appeared to be embarrassed.

I took over, reaching over and placing a hand on her bare knee. "Bless you. If you'd rather we re-schedule..."

She shook her head from behind the tissue, finishing up and tossing it in a garbage bin behind us. "Have I turned you off?" she half-joked, still sniffling.

I scooted a bit closer to her, moving my hand down to hers. I played with her fingers. "Absolutely not," I said quietly. "You're quite appealing, even when you're sneezing your head off."

She looked down, a bit....shy, was it? If it was, it was the first time I'd seen her act anything of the sort. Perhaps it was the booze, or that she was tired, or that she was embarrassed. In any case, it was quite endearing.

"You're mad," she replied, looking up to face me again. She brushed a piece of hair away from my face.

"You're beautiful," I answered, leaning in close to her without even thinking. My lips were centimeters from hers. I could feel her warm breath against my chin. I could smell her hair. My brain went fuzzy as I put a hand under her chin and cocked it up just a bit, to align her mouth with mine. And I kissed her. Her lips were softer than I'd imagined, and they tasted distinct. It was the way Stella kissed. It was the way Stella tasted. And now I knew.

She pulled away slowly, my mind racing so fast, I didn't even have time to process how long it'd been, or why we were stopping for that matter. She gently rested a hand on my collarbone, as if to hold me back - or maybe to hold herself back.

I finally opened my eyes; she had already turned her head as far away from me as she could while moving barely more than an inch.

"Ht'ngxCH!!" She managed to keep this one under control, and without taking either hand off of me. She turned back, rolling her eyes. "Excuse me," she sighed, giving me a quick kiss on the lips and sitting back again.

"You're really good at that," I told her, discreetly trying to lick my lips to get the taste of her back.

"What, kissing or sneezing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed. "Both, as a matter of fact."

She shrugged. "Yes, well, I have many years' experience in both, as you're witnessing tonight." She took a sip of her drink, which must've been replenished while we were otherwise occupied.

I took a sip of mine as well. "You really are quite good," I said again, almost to myself.

"I do hope you're talking about kissing," she said with a soft chuckle.

I smiled at her, looking down at her lips. "Of course I am."

She winked at me again, crossing her legs and leaning back a bit to face me full-on. "Tell me: have you ever been with a woman?"

I froze, not anywhere near expecting that question. "No." I said quietly, but assuredly. It was the truth, and I wasn't ashamed of it, though I was growing nervous now that it seemed the one woman who interested me the most was likely to be my first.

She smiled warmly, like a schoolteacher aiming to make the new student comfortable on the first day of class. "Have you always been interested in women?"

I looked up at her, into her cool, blue-green, piercing eyes. I hadn't, I realized. Not always. "No," I said again.

"Curious." She muttered, motioning to our waiter across the room for our check. "Care for a nightcap? I've got supplies in my room."

"And a comfy bed, apparently," I said, bolder than I thought I could be.

She laughed as she signed her name on the receipt and tucked her credit card back into her wallet. "That's right."

She stood up and knocked back the last of her drink, reaching a hand out toward me after she put her glass down on the table.

I stood, too, and grabbed ahold of her hand. She laced her fingers through mine and led me, casually, toward the elevator.

"Thanks for the drinks," I said, wishing I had something more astute to say while we waiting for the lift to arrive, but my heart was beating too loudly for me to concentrate on any one thought for too long. I was sure she could hear it.

She squeezed my hand in recognition. "Of course."

The car arrived and a few people stepped off as we stepped on together, alone. As the doors shut, I turned to look at her and couldn't help but crack up.

She chuckled back, amused. "What's funny?"

I finally pulled it together and shook my head. "Nothing. I don't know. You." I tried to articulate, but there was no way. It was all funny. It was all surreal.

"I'm funny?" she repeated, teasing me. "I don't hear that very often."

I leaned closer to her, putting my head on her shoulder. She was quite a bit shorter than me, but with her heels, we matched up.

She let go of my hand and rubbed my back. "Tired?"

The doors suddenly opened and I lifted my head up, slowly following her out. "Not a bit."

She unlocked her room and held the door open for me. It was quite elegant, with a bottle of champagne on the middle of the table on ice and a bowl of fresh fruit next to it. She dropped her bag on a chair and hung her coat up on the back. She sauntered over to me, pulling my jacket off and laying it over hers. "Champagne?"

I nodded, taking a seat on the bed. "Have you?" I asked, without thinking.

She looked over at me curiously. "Have I what, darling?"

"Been with a woman?"

She looked down and smiled, coming over to join me on the bed with two champagne flutes in hand. She gave me one and clinked hers against it, taking a small sip. "Yes," she replied easily. She looked over at me and studied me for a moment silently. And with no warning, she leaned over and kissed me. It was more passionate than before, but still somehow sweet. She set her champagne glass down, taking mine from my hand and doing the same, and in one swift move, repositioned herself so that she was straddling my lap.

I couldn't believe this was happening, nor could I recall a time in recent memory in which I was so unbelievably, wholly turned on. She took my face in her hands and I gave in to her completely, reaching around and resting my hands on her ass. She started to giggle through our kiss.

I grinned. "What?"

She pulled back a bit, her smiled suddenly fading. She shook her head, bringing her wrist up under her nose and bending down in between our bodies into it. "Ht'nGxchh! H'kNTxshh!! Fuck," she whispered, lowering her hand. She blinked a tear away and sniffled.

I reached up and wiped it from under her eye. "Don't stifle them like that," I told her, noticing her nose was suddenly taking on a rosy tinge.

She dismounted me, making her way to the desk that held a box of tissues. She blew her nose softly. "I didn't want to go sneezing all over you," she said, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry about that."

I readjusted myself on the bed. "Stella, don't be sorry. You can't help it."

She shrugged, starting to unbutton her blouse and make her way back to me. "Where were we?" she asked, not needing an answer.

She tossed her top onto the floor, resuming her spot on top of me in just a skirt and a lacy bra. Her skin was warm and smooth and felt somehow so comfortable yet so foreign to me at once.

She pulled away from my lips and moved down to my neck, a spot that when kissed, no matter who was paying it attention, absolutely melted me. But the way Stella did it...it was hard to reconcile that any pleasure I'd felt before was really pleasure at all. "That feels amazing," I whispered, shocked that I was even able to get any words out.

She suddenly stopped again, sitting up quickly and turning immediately over her shoulder. "Heh'IKtschhOO! He'tnSHHHeOO!! God dammit." She rolled off of me and propped herself up against the headboard, frustrated. Her breath hitched erratically, and for several seconds. "Hehhh...he'EEshtchhhOO!!"

I sat up, moving closer to her. I entangled my legs with hers and started tracing shapes into her stomach with my index finger. "Bless you," I told her. "Those were quite impressive."

She was clearly annoyed with herself. "You mean obnoxious? You told me not to hold them in."

I kissed her shoulder. "Not obnoxious a bit. Powerful, maybe. Suits you."

"It does feel better to let them out, in all honesty." She half-smiled. "I'm-"

I put a finger up to her mouth. "Don't you dare tell me you're sorry."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Right."

"It's hay-fever, yes?" I asked her, reaching for the box of tissues she'd brought over and handing her one.

She took it gratefully and rubbed her nose. "Yes."

"Thought so," I told her. "Do you need me to get you anything? Some of that weak tea, perhaps?"

She laughed, starting to come around. "I'm fine, truly. Some days are worse than others."

I nodded. "We don't have to do anything if you're not feeling up for it," I told her, disappointed but knowing I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself if she were suffering. "Not that I wasn't enjoying myself."

She leaned down and kissed me, lingering for longer than I'd expected. "Another time. You have my word."

I stood from the bed, walking toward my shoes, my mind still racing and my body still buzzing.

"Hang on," she said suddenly. I didn't realize until she said it, but I'd been desperately willing her to stop me.

I turned back around and tilted my head at her. "Yes, gorgeous?"

"Don't go," she suggested, pulling down the covers and patting the spot next to her that I'd just vacated.

I smiled at her, stepping back out of my shoes. I walked toward the bed but stopped before I got in. I put my fingers on the zipper of my pants. "Do you mind?"

She looked down, then back up at me, smirking. She motioned to her mostly-naked top. "It's only fair."

I laughed, slipping out of my tight jeans and sliding into the bed next to her. Her soft leg brushed against mine as I cuddled up next to her. She put an arm on my back and I resumed my position, putting my hand back on her bare stomach. I loved the way it felt, the warmth of it, the comfort of her body. "You smell so good," I said, breathing her in.

"Thanks," she said quietly. I noticed her stomach rising and falling quite quickly, and before I could look up at her, she had brought a hand lazily up to her nose. "Heh'ngTISCHHeO! Excuse me," she sighed. "Hehhh'tnESCHH-oo!!"

I watched her stomach muscles contract and release, finding the movement rather soothing. "Bless you," I mumbled into her side. "I'm sorry you're going through this."

"It's alright, darling. I'm used to it by now," she told me, not a bit feeling bad for herself, but simply stating a fact. She sniffled. "I'll live."

I kissed her stomach and immediately watched goosebumps form. My body tingled- I did that. I did that to Stella. She shivered. "Sorry," I chuckled.

She laughed, too. "It's okay. I'm quite sensitive."

"I can tell," I nuzzled in closer. I yawned, not fully realizing how exhausted I was until it hit me all at once. "Tired?"

She nodded. "Very."

"Bedtime?" I asked, closing my eyes.

She reached up and flicked the light off in response, readjusting herself in bed so that her back was to me. I put my hand on her thigh, rubbing it slowly to lull myself to sleep.

"Mmmm," she purred. "That feels good."

"Goodnight, Stella," I whispered, as content in that moment as I could remember being in years.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered back. Her heavy, rythmic breathing, her scent, and her warm body so close to mine lulled me into what I was sure would be a dreamless sleep, but I didn't mind- I didn't need to dream. I was living one.

Edited September 10, 2015 by zakandsara

[curlyq9393]

OH. MY. GOD. You know how I said a Fall fic might make me transcend? I was right. I have transcended.

Just like in your X Files fic, you capture a challenging dynamic so very well. I love Stella with her guard down, all flirty and fun, and I'm always so nervous writing in first person for fic because narrative voice is so much harder than dialogue voice, but you managed it excellently here.

And, of course, the sneezing. *swoons*

[marip0sa]

OBSESSED. your words are forever my favourite. don't. stop. writing. ever.

[Purple]

Oh god. Everything about this was perfect.

[Winged]

This is absolutely beautiful, oh my goodness. There's something about casual sneezing/admittance of allergies/cold/whatever that just hits me and makes me turn into a little puddle of adoration. Ahem.

Stella seems like a gorgeous badass, and between you and curlyq9393 I may just have to watch The Fall! So the next five times I reread this I can picture them exactly

[cally]

This was absolutely amazing and so well written. I love the way you write; your use of language is so eloquent and your characterisations are so spot on. I could totally imagine this happening in the show.

I look forward to reading more pieces!

[lifelove1]

Oh man, thank you! There are too few fics of The Fall, period, especially sneezefics While Scully will always be my favorite, Stella Gibson is just...smoking hot. Love this pairing and can't wait to read more!

[White Rose]

Wow! Amazing!!

[zakandsara]

One more part, cuz I couldn't resist.

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I woke up slowly, becoming acutely aware of everything around me not all at once, but in a deliberate, steady manner. I felt an arm draped across my chest, hair (not mine) tickling my neck, a slight, somehow delicate snore coming from the left of me. The sun pouring over my face, heating me up quickly. Smooth skin pressed against my unclothed hip. I smiled and opened my eyes, turning my head toward a still-asleep Stella. Her usual fierce demeanor was nowhere in sight. She looked sweet, peaceful, at ease- three words I'd never before even dreamed of using to describe the woman. Throughout the night, it'd seemed we'd switched roles, and though I wasn't sure she was even aware of it, she'd pulled me in close to her while we slept. It wasn't a terrible way to wake up, I had to admit. Quite the contrary, in fact. It was lovely, electric, a bit new and consequently somewhat scary, but cozy. It was comfortable, above all. I was comfortable with her, and she, me. It was bliss.

I reached over and slowly pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, careful not to brush past her nose. It was, I suddenly remembered, probably still quite irritated from the night before, and to wake up sneezing couldn't be a particularly pleasurable way to start the day. I giggled at myself; I was being a mum again. And not just a mum- a doctor mum, something my girls quite often teasingly reminded me to "please just stop." I wiggled out from under her arm and propped myself up on my elbow, facing her. I leaned down and kissed her stomach, her collarbone, her neck, until I made it up to her cheek, and finally, her slightly parted lips.

As I pulled away, she licked at her lips, searching for the source. I smiled. "Good morning," I whispered, moving back to her collarbone.

She slowly took a deep breath, her body waking up before her mind. She cleared her throat and opened one eye to look at me. She closed it again and grinned. "Good morning to you," she said, her voice slightly husky, but sexy nonetheless. "Quite the wake-up call."

I pulled away from her stomach, where I had lingered for a bit. "How did you sleep?"

She nodded. "Exceptionally. And you?"

"The same. You were right- very comfy bed. And the company wasn't bad, either," I told her.

She laughed softly. She sat up, adjusting her bra and tousling her hair into place. She pulled a tissue off the nightstand and wiped her nose delicately. "Did I snore?" she asked, not self-conscious- almost amused.

I smiled. "A bit. But I found it charming," I assured her.

She rolled her eyes. "I really am sorry about last night. I meant for us to..." She stopped herself, not wanting to be crass, I assumed. "I'd hoped for it to go a bit more smoothly."

My stomach fluttered. The fact that she had thought about it before- the fact that I wasn't the only one fantasizing about the possibility of us- had me reeling. "I think it went just fine," I told her, leaning down and kissing her nose. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright." She shrugged. "Don't be surprised if I start up again soon. It's the season for it," she admitted. "Care for breakfast?" She kissed me quickly and hopped out of bed. She must've taken her skirt off at some point in the night, and so she sauntered toward the bathroom in just her bra and a lacy thong. The sight of it made me shiver.

She shut the door, but not all the way, and turned on the sink. I couldn't believe how little time it had taken for us to get comfortable with each other- or, rather, for Stella to allow herself to get comfortable around me. It had only been one night, not even a full night, and already everything felt so intimate. The way we woke up, the way she got ready, Hell, even the way she blew her nose next to me in bed. It made me feel like we were really sharing something. It made me feel like we were a we.

The faucet stopped and the towel rack squeaked and the doorknob turned, but Stella remained behind the door.

I sat up in anticipation, watching the door open very slowly. Suddenly, I heard her now-distinct, feminine-yet-powerful sneeze from behind the door. And another.

She pushed the door open, her mouth hanging open slightly and a hazy look upon her face. "Heh...hih'tnGSCHHHiiO!" She bent at the waist into a wad of toilet paper. "'Scuse me," she mumbled, making her way back to bed in a silk robe she'd found somewhere along the way.

"Bless you," I sighed. "Three times."

"I told you I wasn't done," she said calmly. She kissed me, her lips tingling with mint. "Thank you, three times."

I giggled as she bit my lower lip. I loved that she was playful, funny even. I knew not everyone saw her that way. And I knew that I was lucky to get to be privy to it. "How is it you look so sexy the moment you wake up?" I asked her, unable to come up with a valid answer myself.

She moved down to my neck, kissing it softly. "This is the spot, yes?" she whispered into my skin as my whole body sprung up with goosebumps.

"Mhmm," I managed to get out as she moved down a bit further, just above my chest.

My heart started pounding again as I laid back on the bed. She calculated kisses up my chest, to my collarbone, back to my neck, and finally landing on my lips again. She brushed my hair out of her face as she kissed me, until she suddenly pulled away.

"Heh'NgKSHtchh!" She exhaled and smiled, twirling a lock of my hair around her finger as she turned back to me. "Couldn't keep that back, sorry."

I shook my head. "Bless you." I sat up a bit to kiss her. "Perhaps it's me you're allergic to."

She chuckled. "If that were the case," she leaned down and left a lingering kiss on my mouth. "It would be quite worth it, darling."

She sat up, not bothering to close her robe as she strode over to the closet to choose something to wear. I stayed on the bed, propping myself against the headboard and watching her intently. I could watch Stella do anything. I could watch her read a book, or take a nap, or drive a car, or pick out clothes, and it would still make my insides churn. There was nothing Stella could do that was dull, in my mind. Everything was exciting. Everything was enlightening.

"Going to stay in bed all day?" She looked over at me from the corner of her eye.

"Maybe," I smiled. "I'm just watching you. I'll get up...eventually."

She winked at me, reaching into the closet and pulling out one of her signature silk blouses. This one was navy blue, but next to her, it lit up. Her crystal eyes sparkled when she wore any color remotely resembling them, and her pale skin shone. She held it up to her body and turned to me. "Yes?"

I nodded. "Oh, yes," I said enthusiastically.

She laughed, laying it out over a chair. She shed her robe and reached around her back to unclasp her bra, so confidently, as if I weren't right there hanging on her every move. She calmly pulled it off, tossing it into a hamper, and made her way to a drawer where she pulled out a clean one.

I watched her diligently, as though I might be tested on it later. I couldn't believe this was happening in front of me. I wanted to look away, to be polite, but it seemed she quite enjoyed the attention. Not in a narcissistic way, but somehow, in an intimate, sweet way.

She finally clasped the new bra, adjusting it so it fit her perfectly. I didn't know how she pulled it off, but it seemed everything Stella wore was made exclusively for Stella to wear. She returned, wordlessly, to the draped blouse and reach to pick it up, but stopped herself. Her face had a familiar, bleary look and she took several short, shallow breaths before bending at the waist. "Heh'ISHHtchOO! Hi'KetssCHHiOO! Hehh..HE'YiSChhheOO!" She straightened back up, her hands finding their way to her bare stomach. "Jesus. I think I pulled a muscle."

I laughed out loud. "Bless you," I told her, still chuckling.

She shot me a look, but her eyes were playful. "I'm not kidding!"

I moved nearer to her, kneeling at the edge of the bed. I motioned for her to come closer to me. "I am a doctor. Shall I have a look?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. What's the cure for this kind of injury, doctor?" She put her hands on my hips. "Bed rest?"

I broke eye contact as I felt my face start to flush and I giggled. "Oh, yes. Hours and hours."

I finally looked back at her just as she looked up at me, apologetically, and turned her head tiredly over her shoulder. "Hih'EYtsCHHHeOO!! Hi'KtESCHHiiEO!!" She turned back, burying her head in my stomach and groaning. "My sinuses are going to implode."

Her pathetic complaining like a teenaged girl struck me as absolutely adorable, one of the few adjectives I had not yet thought to assign to Stella. But to witness the woman who'd just so expertly commanded my attention, a brilliant, confident, painfully sexy woman, mope about her stuffy nose...'adorable' was the only word. I finally put a hand under her chin and cocked it up toward me. I clinically felt around under her eyes, toward her throat. I lightly pressed against the bridge of her nose, which instinctively made her draw back. Her breath began to hitch, but not urgently. "Are you going to sneeze?" I asked her, as if this were a routine examination and she weren't standing in front of me in her underwear. I pulled my hand away from her nose, giving her space.

She sniffled, pushing her hand up under her nose. Her breath slowly evened out, and she shook her head. "It's gone," she said quietly.

"You need an anti-histamine," I told her, finally concluding my impromptu exam. "You're having a severe allergic reaction, Stella."

She looked at me curiously, one of my hands still under her chin. She reached up and took it down slowly, keeping my hand in hers. "I've never understood the appeal of 'playing doctor,' but that was quite sexy."

I smiled, rolling my eyes. "I'm serious."

"So am I," she said, though her giggle after didn't much help drive her point home.

I kissed her forehead. "You need to take something," I repeated quietly. "Or your sinuses may just implode."

She nodded, smiling. "Yes, Dr. Smith."

"Have you got anything, or do you need me to run out and get something for you?" I asked immediately, so she knew I wasn't playing around.

"I've got a prescription in the bathroom," she told me, returning once again to the serious, capable woman I knew her to be. "I've been neglecting it."

I sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "You shouldn't do that."

"Hih'KNsCHHuOO!" She shrugged, wiping an irritated tear from below her eye. "It makes me tired. I can't exactly afford to be drugged and drowsy on this case."

"Nor can you afford to continue sneezing until you injure yourself," I pointed out, poking at her stomach.

She pulled away quickly, to avoid being tickled. "Suppose you're right," she conceded with a sniffle. "Although I do think I'll need you to check up on me every now and again. Doctor," she added again, winking at me.

She finally resumed her task of dressing, slowly buttoning and smoothing her blouse. I stayed perched on the edge of the bed, wondering how this woman looked almost sexier putting on her clothes than she had removing them.

She paused, standing before me in just her blouse and her underwear, peeking back into the closet. "Pants or skirt?"

I smiled. Stella was, no doubt, doing this for my benefit. She knew how much this closeness turned me on. She could sense how utterly smitten I was with our intimacy. And she absolutely, one hundred percent, did not need help picking out an outfit for the day. But her asking my opinion did, just as she'd intuited, make my insides warm. "Skirt. The black one."

She nodded, pulling it out of the closet and stepping into it. She zipped it, and the way it tightened over the curve of her ass made me tingle.

I finally stood up, deciding that as much as I'd love the opposite to be true, our day could go nowhere if I just sat watching her get ready for hours. I made my way to the window, peeking out at the uncharacteristically sunny Belfast day. "I might need to borrow something for the weather," I said. "I'd only prepared for rain or sleet." I pulled the curtain back and the sun caught my eye, immediately making my nose tickle. I backed up and turned around, bending into my hands. "Eh'gntSCHHieEW!"

Stella flipped around, raising an eyebrow at me. "Don't you start."

I shook my head and smiled. "The sun always does that to me," I admitted.

"Lucky for you," she waltzed over to me, fully dressed and looking somehow even more stunning than usual. "We don't get to see the sun very often." She kissed me softly on my nose. "You can borrow anything you'd like." She motioned to the closet and disappeared into the bathroom.

I grinned after her. It was almost supernaturally fitting, I thought, that the sun had come out today.

------------------------------------------

We stepped out of the room together, her in her signature skirt-and-silk combo and me in a tank top and trousers combo I couldn't believe I'd found in Stella's wardrobe.

"I like you in my clothes," she said to me quietly as we loaded into the lift.

I moved closer to her, putting my arm around her tiny waist. "I do, too. They smell like you."

She smiled, suddenly leaning in and kissing me along my jawline. "You taste quite good in the morning," she whispered into my ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down my spine.

She pulled away as the doors opened, casually taking my hand and leading me out past the lobby and through the revolving door. Though I was grateful for the unexpected warmth the sun provided the moment we stepped outside, I, again, was interrupted by my nose, and Stella remembered right away.

"Mind the sun," she told me, though there was nothing to be done to ignore it.

I nodded, turning slowly into the hand Stella wasn't occupying, waiting for it to come to fruition. "Eht'gnnSCHHiEE!!"

Stella squeezed my hand. "Bless."

"Thanks," I turned back toward her. "Pardon me."

She shook her head. "It's quite nice to have a break from that role," she said. "Wouldn't mind if you took it over from me for the rest of the afternoon, truthfully," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah? You'd pass it off to me just like that? How thoughtful," I joked back, sniffling.

She let go of my hand for a moment and opened up a compartment on the side of her bag, trying to dodge the oncoming foot traffic as she rifled through. She finally produced a tissue and handed it to me. "I am quite thoughtful, aren't I?" She winked at me

I took it gratefully and wiped my nose, pushing the barely used tissue into my bag, just in case. "You actually seem to be doing better. The pill helped, I see."

She gave me a look that would read as guilty if it were coming from anyone besides Stella. On her, it simply read as mischievous. "I didn't take the pill."

I rolled my eyes. "Stella Gibson."

She stared back at me, refusing to break eye contact. "Tanya Reed Smith," she mirrored.

Her defiance didn't intimidate me. Rather, it drew me to her. "You're trouble."

She laughed, earnestly and easily. "You have no idea," she said, as she pulled open the door to a small café. "After you."

I led her to a little table along a wall of windows and made to take the seat facing outside until she stopped me.

"Ah, ah. You take the bench," she directed. "Don't need you facing into the sun."

I smiled to myself as I obeyed, putting my back against the window. The sun beating down on my neck felt amazing.

She took a seat facing me, crossing her legs and immediately pulling the cloth napkin from under her plate. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breath hitched urgently as the napkin hovered gracefully under her nose. She finally gasped sharply and bent down. "Heh'mphTSCHHH!! He'MPtssCHHHiiOO!! HEH'nGKschmphh!!" She pulled the napkin away quickly, shaking her head.

I reached across the table and rubbed her arm. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Those came on quickly," she said. "I've got another..."

I watched her bury her face in her hands, her chest rising and falling as though she were breathing heavily. Finally, she jerked forward silently and sat back, bringing her hands back down and sighing tiredly. Her nose had immediately taken on a tinge rosier than I'd yet seen it.

"Better?"

She shook her head, exhaling calmly. She put a hand over her chest. "That fucking hurt."

"Of course it did. Stifling them won't help one bit," I reminded her, trying to sound sympathetic rather than naggy.

She shrugged, her mouth hanging slightly open, and buried her face in her elbow. "HN'gxSCHHt! HE'tNKxCHHH! Hehh...EH'TnSCHHHieeOO!! God damnit."

I tried hard not to look at her with pity, but all I wanted to do was scoop her up, put her back into bed, and lay next to her, rubbing her head, her back, her chest. I wanted her to not feel like this anymore. "Stella-"

"I'm fine," she assured me, forcing a smile. "Just a small attack. It happens. I'll be fine."

I tried to smile back. "You'll tell me if you need anything?"

Stella shrugged. "I'll certainly try."

"Stella."

She conceded. "Fine. Yes. I'll tell you."

"And you'll let me take care of you?" I ran my fingers across her wrist.

She smirked at me. "Don't push it," she said, defiant as ever. But the light in her eyes and the smile she melted into as I held her hand in mine told me that, under her steadfast, tough exterior, she was bluffing.

And I was undoubtedly, absolutely, achingly ready to call that bluff.

[curlyq9393]

I CAN'T HANDLE THIS, EVERYTHING ABOUT IS PERFECT AND I'M DEAD

[curlyq9393]

You are such a talented writer, just in general, and I know I say that a lot but it honestly can't be said enough tbh.

{if you were ever to add to your X files fic, my little heart might just explode from happiness}

[zakandsara]

You are such a talented writer, just in general, and I know I say that a lot but it honestly can't be said enough tbh.

{if you were ever to add to your X files fic, my little heart might just explode from happiness}

I may or may not be in the process of starting a (mostly) X-Files drabble thread....

And THANK YOU for this nice nice niceness. Your writing is some of my favorite, and I read your drabbles more than is okay, probably.

[Snapdragon]

Oh my god, this is one of the hottest things I've ever read and I know nothing about this fandom.

[Kalla]

Oh my god, this is one of the hottest things I've ever read and I know nothing about this fandom.

hahaha, I feel the same way. I know nothing about this fandom but the F/F in the title piqued my interest and wow, this is hot??

I am enjoying the relationship and banter between these women even if I'm not familiar with the source, and the stifles and sneeze spellings are gorgeous. I love the whole "attempt to stifle everything" schtick. Really hot scenarious here and very well-written.

[SexyGodlikeHair]

Excellent instillation, as always!

Of course, my primary take-away is: YAAAAASSSS REED SNEEZES YAAAAASSA

[Winged]

I am SO HAPPY you updated this, oh man. I love little sniffly Stella and how Reed is trying to take care of her without being overbearing. Looking forward to more, maybe?

[curlyq9393]

You are such a talented writer, just in general, and I know I say that a lot but it honestly can't be said enough tbh.

{if you were ever to add to your X files fic, my little heart might just explode from happiness}

I may or may not be in the process of starting a (mostly) X-Files drabble thread....

And THANK YOU for this nice nice niceness. Your writing is some of my favorite, and I read your drabbles more than is okay, probably.

I ACTUALLY SQUEALED WHEN I SAW THIS (both b/c of the promise of fic but also b/c you're so sweet and nice to say that about my writing

[lifelove1]

WOW! I don't know how we got so lucky for you to add onto this fic, but...wow. The end at the cafe was especially good...and sneezes from Reed were an extra perk!

You are such a talented writer, just in general, and I know I say that a lot but it honestly can't be said enough tbh.

{if you were ever to add to your X files fic, my little heart might just explode from happiness}

I may or may not be in the process of starting a (mostly) X-Files drabble thread....

OMG this is honestly the best news I've heard since they announced the XF reboot

[White Rose]

Oh my god. Amazing. Please continue!!!!