Shorts

Not So Lonely part 2

Requested by Trust_No_One_But_Me

Scully pov

Scully trusted Mulder, of course she did. He had never given her any reason not to. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to his apartment.

But after one of the pair's previous cases together, she had grown to hate going back to her home by herself in the dark. And, well, an opportunity to escape that situation had just presented itself before her eyes.

Mulder pov

Mulder watched Scully squirm in her seat. He wondered if he had made her uncomfortable.

"Actually, let's go to my apartment," she suggested a few moments later. "I recently redecorated the kitchen, and I, uh, I don't think you've seen it yet."

Darn it, Mulder thought. But he didn't want to argue right now, nor did he want to push. "All right," was all he said.

~~~

Scully unlocked her door, pushing it open and stepping inside. Mulder followed close behind.

She flicked on a few low lights. "Can I take your coat?" she offered.

"Oh, sure, thank you," he said, slipping the bulky item off his shoulders.

Scully took the coat and left, and Mulder took the opportunity to look around. She had indeed redecorated her kitchen, and just the dining table put his whole apartment to shame. He figured Scully would have been disgusted had they gone to his apartment.

As Mulder admired the golden placemats set along the mahogany dinner table, he heard Scully come back into the room. Her heels clicked loudly against the tiled floor, the only noise to be heard in the otherwise silent room.

She set her purse down on the kitchen counter. "You make yourself at home, I'm going to go change out of this awful dress," Scully said, muttering the last phrase, and clicking out of the room.

Mulder found himself feeling rather awkward, and gently seated himself on the sofa. He hadn't noticed until he sat down, but he was quite warm and sweaty. Good God, this woman keeps her house warm, he thought to himself, promptly removing his blazer and bow tie. After casting the two items aside, he even took a moment to roll up his sleeves.

Scully came back shortly thereafter. Mulder listened as she made a brief stop in her kitchen, pouring herself a glass of what he assumed to be water. "Would you like anything to drink?" she offered.

"Oh, uh, just a glass of water, please," he said as he attempted to read the title of an old, worn book lying on the coffee table before him. The title had rubbed off in several spots, and he couldn't make it out.

Scully quickly came over, two glasses of water in each hand. She handed one to Mulder, and he was careful to set it on one of the coasters placed on the table. As he did so, he picked up the old-looking book, flipping it open and reading the inside flap, hoping to dodge all of the awkward silence.

Just as he was about to ask what the book was titled, Scully said, "You know, Mulder, we never just talk."

Mulder glanced up from the book. "Talk?" he questioned.

Scully nodded once, circling her water glass with her pinky finger. "Talk. I've been working with you for five years now, and everything that I know about you relates to your work somehow," she said.