Chapter Text
4:32PM
After they come up for air, she gives him one more quick peck on the lips before wrapping her arms around him. Her chin rests on his shoulder.
“I should go,” she whispers.
He squeezes her tight. “I’m not letting you.”
She turns and nuzzles his neck, “I have to go home.”
“If we lived together, you would be home.”
She chuckles.
“You think that’s funny?” he teases. “I’d would make it easier for Skinner to find us. One phone call.”
“So convenience?”
He relaxes his grip and she leans back to look into his eyes. He rubs his hands slowly, soothingly up and down her back.
“Have you ever lived with a significant other?”
She shakes her head. “I was close once, but…”
“But what? He had too many boxes in his bedroom? Squeezed the toothpaste wrong?”
“It says on the tube to squeeze from the bottom.”
He kisses her nose, “Dearest Dana, I love the way the tip of your nose moves when you’re talking.”
“If only I could cast spells.”
“So what happened with the guy?”
She sighs. “Well, to put it bluntly –“
“Is there any other way?”
“It was you.”
He leans back, “Me? How? When?”
“You kept dragging me all over the country.”
“Wait. You have a boyfriend when we met?”
She laughs at his shocked face, “Yes.”
“How long had you been together?”
“Ummm.. Almost two years – “
“Two years! Jesus. How did I not know this?”
“You never asked.”
He opens and closes his mouth like a fish. “But…”
“I mean, to be fair, in the beginning I had no idea if you had a significant other.”
He nods, “Who was he?”
“His name was Ethan.”
“Ethan?”
“You want to hear this or not?”
“Sorry. Tell me all about… Ethan.”
“We met on a blind date right before I joined the Academy. I don’t know. After Daniel, he just seemed safe.”
She watches Mulder make a ‘disgusted’ face. Ignoring she continues, “He was sweet and supportive of my career choices. Smart – “
“What did he do?”
“He was producer over at CSPAN.”
“Ugh.” He leans back and pretends to sleep.
She swats his shoulder, “Stop it. He actually knew who you were.”
“Really? What did he say?”
“Honestly, I can’t remember the specifics. Something about a UFO project.”
“Mmm hmmm. And you weren’t living together? Engaged?”
“We had just started talking about both. But…”
“So, you guys broke up cause we travelled too much? That seems a little weak considering he waited for you while you were at Quantico.”
“Well… he wanted to move in together and for me to try to get a new –“
“Oh boy. Here we go.”
“Assignment AT the FBI. Like teaching at Quantico. Something more stable. Nine to five-ish.”
“And?”
“I liked working with you too much.”
“Damn right you did.”
“Anyway, we saw less and less of each other and eventually grew apart.”
“And you didn’t try to get back with him when they did separate us and sent you to Quantico?”
She shakes her head no, “I found I didn’t miss him like that.”
“You sure missed me though.”
“I did.”
They share a smile.
“Wow. I’m sorry I didn’t know all of that. I was a little self-centered back then.”
“A little?”
“Ok. A lot. But I blame you. You took the job to a whole new level.”
“You’re welcome.”
“One last question.”
She hesitates, “Okay…”
“What did he look like? He as good looking as me?”
“He was tall like you. Brown hair, brown eyes, occasionally wore glasses…”
“So you have a type.”
“Ha. But no, he wasn’t as good looking as you.”
“He better not be. Bill like him?”
“I have to go.” She moves to get up.
He pulls her back down.
“Mulder. I’m serious.”
“So am I. Answer and I’ll let you go.”
“He did. He was upset when we split up.”
“I knew it.”
“But can I tell you something?”
“Please.”
“My mom likes you better.”
He grins and releases his grip. But she stays seating in his lap.
“I have things I need to do before work tomorrow,” she explains.
“I know.”
“I’m glad we did this.”
“Me too. I’ve enjoyed having you in and out of my t-shirt all day long.”
She shakes her head, gives him another quick kiss and climbs off his lap.
4:50 PM
5:01 PM
She emerges from his bedroom dressed in the clothes she arrived in the night before. He’s still on the sofa shirtless in his sweatpants.
Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she turns to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Bright and early.”
She opens the door and steps out into the hall.
“Scully?”
She hesitates closing the door behind her, “Yes?”
“I want a full report on that video.” He nods towards her bag.
“You might be waiting a bit on that one.”
They share a smile as she shuts the door.
She walks down the hall to the elevator. As her hand reaches out to hit the down button, Mulder calls out to her.
“Dana.”
She turns to find him striding down the hall. He crooks his finger at her.
Her bag drops to the floor as she meets him halfway. Rising up on her tiptoes, he put her head in his hands.
Their mouths collide.
Pulling back, his hands stay in her hair.
“Your neighbors must think you’re insane.”
“You said you’d stop calling me crazy,” he smiles.
“I said insane.”
“Ah. I just missed you. That’s all.”
“I’ve been gone less than a minute.”
He nods. “Well, that and I needed to conduct and experiment.”
“An experiment?”
“Just wanted to see if I could kiss you in outside of the confines of a private room without consequences.”
“I don’t know if I’d call your hallway very public.”
“We didn’t have luck the last time we were here.”
“That’s true.”
“Maybe next time we can do this somewhere where there’s sky above us.”
“Okay.”
He picks up her bag, takes her hand and guides her to the elevator. She presses the down button.
A few seconds later the elevator arrives. He hands her the bag.
“Good night, Dana.”
“Night, Mulder.”
She steps inside and turns. As the doors close, he blows her a kiss.
5:15 PM
THE END