(no subject)
12.
“Well, that was one of the better ass-chewings we’ve had in the past few months, wouldn’t you say, Scully?”
His hand swung out beside him on its familiar path to her back as they walked down the hall away from Skinner’s office. She anticipated it, slowing for half a second to press back into his touch before picking up her pace again.
“While I do think he had every right to be upset, considering the costs incurred during our little jaunt to Idaho”-she could feel him tense beside her, breathe in sharply, prepare to defend himself to her now that they were alone, stepping into the elevator-“the fact remains that we had a legitimate reason to be out there, and the situation really couldn’t have been avoided.”
She turned to face him, arms crossing over her chest as she tilted her head to the side. He folded his hands behind his head and scrunched his face up at the ceiling, closing his eyes and exhaling.
“Are we done for the day?” He didn’t look down.
“I think so.” She reached a hand out to straighten the edge of his jacket, drawing his attention downward. “Do we have plans for the weekend?”
“I was thinking we might enjoy something from my extensive collection of classic science fiction.”
He stepped closer and put a hand out to the wall just above her head, supporting himself above her, looking into her eyes, crowding down into her space. She tipped her head back, blinking up at him. She felt like a B-movie starlet under his thrall. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the basement.
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“Oh, do tell, Scully. What did you have in mind?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” She raised her eyebrows at him, glancing back over her shoulder as she walked toward the office. He was making a face, one she had grown familiar with in recent months. It promised good things for her future.
In the office, she filed the papers from their meeting with Skinner and grabbed her coat.
“You ready, Mulder?” She crossed to his desk and leaned against it, half sitting and folding her arms over her coat.
“Mmhmm,” he said, concentrating on the papers spread in front of him. She sighed to herself. “Did you know there’s been another sighting in Montana?”
She hoisted herself up on the desk, crossing her legs and nudging his chair with her foot.
“Mulder? We were making plans for the evening?”
“This pattern of appearances is really very unusual, because…” He trailed off, his gaze sliding to the right, looking from the edge of her skirt up, up, up to her face. She waited. “Well, because of many reasons, really, but you know, Scully, Skinner said we’re off this case, and honestly, I have to say I agree. There is definitely nothing here that begs our immediate attention.”
She hopped off the desk and headed for the door, swirling the coat around herself as she put it on. He followed her out, locking the door behind them and guiding her to the elevator with one hand while shaking the other through the sleeve of his own coat. He stabbed at the P2 button impatiently.
“That doesn’t make it go faster, you know.”
“There’s no harm in trying.”
When the doors opened, she stepped inside and leaned against the wall, studying her manicure, trying to ignore his closeness, her skittery heartbeat, the intimacy of the small metal box shuddering from floor to floor. She wanted to kiss him, to reach out to him, to feel his solid torso under the layers of his clothes. They said nothing. The doors opened and the parking garage yawned in front of them. It was mostly empty of cars and entirely empty of people.
He made a ladies-first gesture and they hurried to her car, coats flapping behind them. He caught up to her with long, easy strides and pressed her up against the driver’s side, bending down to kiss her. She snaked her hands under his suit jacket, running her fingers over his back. He slid a hand up her thigh, edging under her skirt.
“Mulder,” she said. “Mulder. Get in the car.”
He licked her ear and complied, buckling in as she drove toward the exit.
--
Monday morning, as she unlocked the office door and stepped inside, her foot nudged an envelope lying on the ground.
Narrowing her eyes, she knelt to pick it up. Inside, she found a series of still photos captured from one of the security cameras in the parking garage. Her heart pounded and the back of her neck prickled. She could feel eyes all over her, and she suppressed a shiver.
“Damn it,” she hissed. She should have known better. They should have known better.
Stuck to the top photo was a note. “Watch your asses, agents,” it said. “Or someone else will.”
“Well, that was one of the better ass-chewings we’ve had in the past few months, wouldn’t you say, Scully?”
His hand swung out beside him on its familiar path to her back as they walked down the hall away from Skinner’s office. She anticipated it, slowing for half a second to press back into his touch before picking up her pace again.
“While I do think he had every right to be upset, considering the costs incurred during our little jaunt to Idaho”-she could feel him tense beside her, breathe in sharply, prepare to defend himself to her now that they were alone, stepping into the elevator-“the fact remains that we had a legitimate reason to be out there, and the situation really couldn’t have been avoided.”
She turned to face him, arms crossing over her chest as she tilted her head to the side. He folded his hands behind his head and scrunched his face up at the ceiling, closing his eyes and exhaling.
“Are we done for the day?” He didn’t look down.
“I think so.” She reached a hand out to straighten the edge of his jacket, drawing his attention downward. “Do we have plans for the weekend?”
“I was thinking we might enjoy something from my extensive collection of classic science fiction.”
He stepped closer and put a hand out to the wall just above her head, supporting himself above her, looking into her eyes, crowding down into her space. She tipped her head back, blinking up at him. She felt like a B-movie starlet under his thrall. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the basement.
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“Oh, do tell, Scully. What did you have in mind?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” She raised her eyebrows at him, glancing back over her shoulder as she walked toward the office. He was making a face, one she had grown familiar with in recent months. It promised good things for her future.
In the office, she filed the papers from their meeting with Skinner and grabbed her coat.
“You ready, Mulder?” She crossed to his desk and leaned against it, half sitting and folding her arms over her coat.
“Mmhmm,” he said, concentrating on the papers spread in front of him. She sighed to herself. “Did you know there’s been another sighting in Montana?”
She hoisted herself up on the desk, crossing her legs and nudging his chair with her foot.
“Mulder? We were making plans for the evening?”
“This pattern of appearances is really very unusual, because…” He trailed off, his gaze sliding to the right, looking from the edge of her skirt up, up, up to her face. She waited. “Well, because of many reasons, really, but you know, Scully, Skinner said we’re off this case, and honestly, I have to say I agree. There is definitely nothing here that begs our immediate attention.”
She hopped off the desk and headed for the door, swirling the coat around herself as she put it on. He followed her out, locking the door behind them and guiding her to the elevator with one hand while shaking the other through the sleeve of his own coat. He stabbed at the P2 button impatiently.
“That doesn’t make it go faster, you know.”
“There’s no harm in trying.”
When the doors opened, she stepped inside and leaned against the wall, studying her manicure, trying to ignore his closeness, her skittery heartbeat, the intimacy of the small metal box shuddering from floor to floor. She wanted to kiss him, to reach out to him, to feel his solid torso under the layers of his clothes. They said nothing. The doors opened and the parking garage yawned in front of them. It was mostly empty of cars and entirely empty of people.
He made a ladies-first gesture and they hurried to her car, coats flapping behind them. He caught up to her with long, easy strides and pressed her up against the driver’s side, bending down to kiss her. She snaked her hands under his suit jacket, running her fingers over his back. He slid a hand up her thigh, edging under her skirt.
“Mulder,” she said. “Mulder. Get in the car.”
He licked her ear and complied, buckling in as she drove toward the exit.
--
Monday morning, as she unlocked the office door and stepped inside, her foot nudged an envelope lying on the ground.
Narrowing her eyes, she knelt to pick it up. Inside, she found a series of still photos captured from one of the security cameras in the parking garage. Her heart pounded and the back of her neck prickled. She could feel eyes all over her, and she suppressed a shiver.
“Damn it,” she hissed. She should have known better. They should have known better.
Stuck to the top photo was a note. “Watch your asses, agents,” it said. “Or someone else will.”