A/N: here is a little fic i wrote recently :) it spans several years of dana scully's birthdays, with or without mulder.
February 23rd, 1994
"So, what're you gonna do today after work, Scully?" Mulder asks. They're friendly enough to the point where they can ask each other casual questions.
"I think I'm going over to my mom's house." she replies.
"Oh, what's the occasion?" going to a parent's house just because you can is foreign to Mulder. He loves his mom, but it's hard to go and see her for no reason. It's hard to be around her. Scully is close with her mom in a way he's never known.
"It's my birthday today, so -" she's interrupted by him exclaiming, "Scully!"
"It's your birthday?" he asks. "You didn't tell me."
She shrugs. "Didn't see a reason to, I guess."
"How old are you today?"
"Twenty-nine." she replies, sounding just a bit shy.
"Happy birthday, Scully." he grins. For once there's no arguments or debates about paranormal creatures and phenomenon. They just smile at each other and the fact that he's the first person to tell her happy birthday brightens her day a little.
It turns out her mother is out of town, and she promises over the phone that she'll see her daughter next week. Scully can't avoid feeling hurt. Her birthday is spent by herself, watching bad soaps on TV and sipping cheap wine.
The next morning, after sleeping in and not being able to grab coffee, she comes to work frazzled and a bit grumpy. Mulder isn't in the office when she walks in, adding another annoyance to her bad day. He returns in a few minutes with two cups of coffee and two danishes.
"Sorry I'm late," he says, setting his goods on the desk. "I know I forgot to get you something for your birthday, so I got you some coffee and a danish."
She's so overwhelmed and happy that he thought of her, and the only thing she can do is wrap him in a tight embrace. He laughs. "Whoa, guess I know the way through your heart." She can't even roll her eyes at it.
Febraury 23rd, 1995
She's only just returned to him after her abduction. They're on the road, though he was reluctant about letting her come. She assures him for the millionth time, "I'm okay, Mulder."
"What time do you think we'll get to the hotel?" Scully asks, tired.
"Two, maybe? I'm sorry, Scully. I know it's a long drive."
"It's okay," she can't conceal her yawn. The clock turns to midnight. "Hey, what day is it?"
"Um...well, it's midnight...February 23rd, I think."
She wants to snort with laughter. She just turned 30, and she's been sitting in a car for six hours to chase after UFOs. And she feels a migraine coming on. Great.
"That's it!" he exclaims, suddenly. "It's your birthday! I knew there was something special about today. It's thirty today, right?"
She sighs. "Don't remind me."
"Why? Your birthday is a special day."
"When you're a kid. Once you get to be an adult no one cares." she's tired, she can't help being a little cynical.
"I..." he pauses and never continues. A few awkward minutes pass.
"You what, Mulder?"
"I care, Scully." he glances at her, then keeps staring at the road. "Don't say things like that."
He's right - his obvious concern about her that has developed over the past few days is proof that he cares. "It's just my birthday, Mulder."
"Scully, you're my partner..." he says. She remembers last year when he was practically the only one who remembered and suddenly feels slightly bad for being so cold. "And you're my friend, you know that? I don't have a lot of those."
"Neither do I," she chuckles. "At least not many I would drive hours into the night with."
"I'm sorry we couldn't have a proper celebration and that we're stuck in a car."
She thinks it over for a moment. "Mulder...it's okay. I don't mind this at all, really. I think I would mind it if it were anyone else. But with you...it's alright."
The smile that comes to his face makes her stomach flutter.
February 23rd, 1996
Finally, her birthday falls on a weekend. No cases, no paperwork, just her warm bed and Queequeg. She can't help but feel a sense of loneliness not having Mulder around. He calls and asks how she is, and when she mentions it's her birthday, he groans for not remembering and sings off-key to her. She kind of wishes he could actually be there, with her, sharing this piece of cheesecake she's eating.
She thinks of his cute smile and his glasses perched on the end of his nose. It's days like this where she likes to imagine them as a couple, as schoolgirl as it is. His hands on her hips, hugging her from behind as she washes dishes, his lips on her neck. Cuddling up to him on the couch. Kissing him, his hands trailing down her back. Away from scary monsters and long car rides, just feeling warm and safe with each other.
She sighs, settling for cuddling with Queequeg as she works on her laptop.
February 23rd, 1997
She feels sick on her 32nd birthday. She hates feeling sick. It's like a reminder she has cancer. But she keeps a smile on her face when Mulder drags her into a little diner to celebrate. When he gives her the Apollo 11 keychain, she smiles and tells him she's touched, but it comes out a bit sarcastic. She is touched, if a bit confused as to the reasoning behind the gift.
She wonders why he chose to celebrate it this time. For the past few years, she's had to tell him it was her birthday, or there was no real celebration aside from him saying kind words, which she was fine with. But why this year?
It dawns on her. She's dying. He knows she's dying. It hurts him, almost more than it does her. She can see his sad eyes when he gazes at her, when the dark red blood runs down to touch her lip. This could very well be her last birthday. Her last year with him.
She's fallen in love with him, so completely, so deeply. And she's slipping away from him.
She sobs herself to sleep, trying to conceal the sounds. Mulder, in the next hotel room over, pretends not to hear.
February 23rd, 1998
After Antarctica, after the X-Files had been shut down, after everything, she is safe at home. He's there with her too. It began as him dropping her off, but she invited him in and he's stayed. "You look exhausted." he says.
"I know." she barely even cares. "I am exhausted. This whole past year...it's all been so much."
"I know. It's been a long year. I mean after Emily and everything, and then our office and Antarctica. You have every right to be tired."
She can see the dark circles under his eyes. She embraces him tentatively and he pulls her in closer. She glances at the clock and it's five, dinner time, and she can hear his stomach growling. "Let's eat, okay?" she asks, pulling away. They end up just ordering pizza, sitting on the floor, the TV on mute and them chatting, trying to keep their mind off everything, when it dawns on her. It's her birthday, and she's forgotten. She laughs.
"What's funny?" Mulder asks.
"I forgot that today was my birthday." she laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. "Jesus Christ. My mom called me yesterday to wish me an early happy birthday...I should've remembered, God."
"Scully," he says, "It's your special day, how'd you forget?"
"How'd you forget?" she raises an eyebrow. It's all in good humor; she's too tired to be too mad at anyone. "God, how stupid. My own birthday. I forgot it."
"I..." he just looks at her, trying not to laugh, and bursts into laughter himself. Neither of them know why they're laughing. They don't know why they're eating pizza on her floor with the news on mute and her head on his shoulder. They don't know what the fuck they're doing, and for once it's okay. Everything's okay, if even for just a few minutes.
February 23rd, 2000
Her birthday falls on a Saturday again, and this time when she rolls over in bed after slapping the alarm she always forgets to turn off, Mulder is next to her. "Morning, birthday girl," he says, kissing her forehead.
"You remembered," Scully replies, pleasantly surprised.
"I know." he leans in for a real kiss, long and deep and sweet. She rolls on top of him and they continue to kiss and touch and chuckle into each other's neck. "Happy birthday," he says, kissing along her jawline.
"It most certainly is a happy one," she says, warm and content in his arms.
February 2002
Scully sings a lullaby to her son until his breathing becomes steady. Who needs an alarm clock when you've got a kid, she thinks, beginning to prepare breakfast; it's five in the morning, might as well.
When her mom comes to watch William so she can go to work, she tells her happy birthday and Scully just mumbles a thank you. When she gets to work, Monica's decorated her office and showered her with gifts for herself and baby William. She's overwhelmed and exhausted, to the point of where she doesn't know what to do besides give Monica a kiss on the cheek and thank her, repeatedly.
She comes home and even though her baby babbles and giggles and tries to say "mama", the house feels empty and cold.
February 23rd, 2009
"Getting cold out," Mulder comes stomping in from the backyard, which has been gifted with crunchy, cold snow. He throws the newspaper on the counter and takes Scully in his arms, kissing her. "Happy birthday, honeybunch."
She rolls her eyes at the petname. "Thanks. Gonna do anything today?"
"I dunno. What about you?"
"I've got work. I think I'll stay overtime today, I could use the extra pay."
"Overtime? On your birthday?" he asks, sounding slightly hurt.
She shrugs. "I don't have anything else to do. I mean, I'd love to stay and clip UFO articles with you, but...I need to work, Mulder."
His brows furrow. "Damnit, Scully, you know I work around here. I know I should have a real job, but you know what's it like. I just wanted to spend time with you on your birthday."
"It's just another day," she grumbles, gathering her things for a work day. "I'll see you." The door slams just a little too hard. She doesn't even blame it on the windy weather.
When she returns home, late, the bathtub is full of warm water and there's a bottle of wine waiting for her. "I don't deserve you, you know that?" she says, kissing Mulder.
"Only today," he chuckles.
February 23rd, 2015
"What do you want for your birthday tomorrow?" he asks at midnight, stroking her hair after she's awoken from a dream about their son.
"To feel at peace, I guess."
He doesn't know if he can promise her that, but he can try.
When she wakes up late next morning, snow is falling and he's not next to her. She sighs, pulls on a robe, and pads to the kitchen to find him with breakfast made, smiling sleepily. He embraces her from behind and kisses her neck. "Happy birthday, dear Scully, happy birthday to you." he sings softly in her ear.
She's at peace.
a/n: thanks for reading :)
-lulamae