Stella/Scully One-shots

Scar tissue

*** TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of self harm scars. non graphic. ***

Stella stared into the mirror and sighed as she slipped her arms into her red bathing suit top. She'd never been one to fixate on the way her body looked in a negative way, but something just didn't feel right lately. Recently she even found herself hiding it from Dana who she'd never felt the need to hide from before. Swimming used to be her main form of exercise but now that she wasn't doing it as habitually, she felt as though she'd gained a bit of weight. Her scars felt prominent, her face was often broken out from all the stress work was causing, her hair seemed dry. Overall she just felt bad.

She slipped a t-shirt on her bikini clad frame and made her way out to the bedroom to find her girlfriend sitting in a chic black one piece that hugged her curves flawlessly. Stella thought she was utterly glowing and she couldn't help but smile.

"Ready to go?" Dana asked as she did a once over, smiling at the blonde.

Stella nodded and the two of them made their way out into the living room where the Scully boys were patiently waiting in their swim trunks with floaties already strapped to their arms.

"Let's go pipsqueaks!" Dana called as she made her way to the front door and grabbed the two overstuffed pool bags.

Since the night they'd first babysat Dana's nephews, the boys seemed to constantly be around. It made Dana happy to have them there, and truthfully Stella enjoyed their company too; and now that summer had finally arrived they got to be the best aunts ever and take them to the community pool in their neighborhood.

Both women had been looking forward to this day for weeks but now that it was actually here Stella found herself wanting to just cancel all together. She wanted to be with Dana and the boys but she didn't want to be out at a public pool. Not when she felt like this.

As they walked she began to feel a little better,  loosening up as she laughed and joked with Matthew and Max.

The second they got to the pool, the boys threw everything they were holding to the ground so they could run and jump in. Dana yelled for them to wait, but they were already bobbing in the shallow end by then. She joined them quickly, not wanting them in there alone, leaving Stella to set up their spot.

Once four pool chairs were pulled into a corner with their bags and towels resting on them, Stella slowly made her way into the pool. She took a few steps in, trying to adjust to the water, but she was bored by the time it was up to her knees so she shed her t-shirt and sank her entire body into it at once.

She swam back and forth from the shallow end to the deep end repeatedly, grateful they were the only ones there. Dana kept the boys entertained in the shallow end: playing, splashing and giggling.

Stella felt the tension in her body loosen with each stroke of her arms through the cool chlorinated water. It had been a while since she swam on a regular schedule; she no longer needed it the way she used to. Not since she met Dana. That didn't mean it wasn't still nice to do when she got to, though.

After a while she'd tired herself out and joined Dana and the boys by the steps of the pool, lifting Max up into her arms. He kicked and giggled as she lifted him, one of his floaties bumping against her arm as he flailed.

"You swim just like those guys at the olympics. How do you know how to do that? Is swimming your job?" Matthew asked.

Stella couldn't hold back her laugh as she shook her head.