Disclaimer: Nothing of this is mine but the idea. I swear.
Spoilers: See if you can find them.
A/N: This story is for Girl-In-Colour. She always sends me really nice reviews. Happy Early Valentines Day, everyone. I hope that none of you have the urge to call it national heartbreak day.
Scully sighed to herself and struggled to zip up her jeans while holding the phone in one hand and trying to find her shoes.
"Hello?"
"Hi mom, it's me."
"Hi honey."
"I was just returning your call. What's up?"
"Nothing really. I just wanted to touch base."
"And see if I had a date tonight," she finished, finally finding the shoes.
"Moms are supposed to have ulterior motives. It's in the job description."
"Well, well, look who finally admits that being a mom is a job, not a joy."
"It can be both, and you're avoiding the question."
"I don't have a date. And yes, I can see the disappointment from here."
"You know I don't mean to get on your case."
"I know."
"Are you at least getting out of the house?"
"Just to buy some ice-cream and mourn another Valentines day alone."
"Sure, that sounds like something you would do."
"But of course."
"Now really."
"Yes, I am getting out of the house. Mulder and I are going to dinner."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. We've been planning it for a while."
"So you are going on a date. What, are you going to pretend you've come to your senses and admitted you're in love?"
"No, but we're going to shamelessly mock those who are."
"Oh Dana."
"Oh mom."
"Well are you at least dressing up?"
"No way. We decided that we spend way too much time in suits and slacks and other things that are dry clean only. So tonight it's t-shirts and sneakers."
"And pants in between?"
"Maybe. It's kind of cold out."
"Well someone sure had her coffee today."
"Yes, I certainly did."
"I'm going to let you go get ready for your non date and I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. I love you mom."
"I love you too."
She hung the phone up and leaned down to tie her shoes. She was running late and she was banking on Mulder running late too, or she'd never hear the end of it.
"I don't think we're ever going to get a table," Mulder said with a sigh, tipping his head back against the bench. They'd been waiting for twenty minutes, and had already played every people watching game they could think of.
"Just be patient."
"That's what you said fifteen minutes ago. I'm starving."
"You are not."
"Yes I am. I bet you could see my ribs."
"I'll put my elbow in your ribs."
"Is it wrong to eat an after dinner mint before dinner?"
"What?"
"The mints in the bowl over there."
"Don't."
"Why not?"
"People go to the bathroom, don't wash their hands, then come out and stick their hand in the bowl. Urine mints. I will leave the rest up to your imagination."
"Gross."
"I know."
"I am never eating one of those mints again."
"Good."
He sighed and looked at his watch for about the tenth time.
"Mulder, knock it off."
"I'm sorry."
"We're supposed to be making fun of people. Now come on, be cynical."
He looked around the part of the restaurant he could see, his eyes finally settling on the bartender.
"Why do you think he's working on Valentines day?"
"I bet… he doesn't really care if he works on Valentines day or not. See, he's dating the hostess, and since she's working, there's really no point in him not."
"You're a good story teller, Scully. Tell me more."
She chuckled and darted her tongue out across her lip.
"Let's see. They'd never really talked until one night when they were both leaving work. They were talking about the latest episode of Friends. They were parked next to each other and her car wouldn't start. Normally this would have made her mad, but he offered to drive her home, and it was totally worth it."
"Totally? Have you been watching Clueless?"
"After that they started talking all the time. She would tell him about her college courses, and he would talk about the people he met on the other side of the bar. Before they knew it, they were caught up in each other, so in love that if they stopped to think about it, they might fall to a dangerous place, a place where that kind of love makes one skeptical. So they just accepted it. They watch each other without the other knowing. He talks about her like she's a queen, and she tells all her friends what an amazing man he is. They truly are soul mates, and they found each other simply because of a dead battery in her car."
"Wow."
"What?"
"How did you come up with that?"
She shrugged and picked a piece of lint off of her coat.
"It just… sounded like life," she said.
"Your life?"
"Does it sound like my life, Mulder?"
"Maybe your pre-FBI life. He was a dashing young doctor and he swept you off your feet. You didn't even know it was happening. He wooed you and you swooned and it was the most exciting time in your life. Then something happened and you two drifted amicably apart, but sometimes you still think about him and wonder what your life would have been like."
"False."
"Oh come on."
"I can make up good stories, but I don't get them from my own life. Usually."
"Usually?"
"Mulder, we need to get some food in you. You're far too nosy."
"Tell me a story."
"I already did."
"Tell me a true story."
"Lizzie Borden had an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she-"
"You're mean."
"You weren't specific."
"Tell me about your past love life."
"No."
He chuckled.
"I'll tell you about mine."
"Oh yeah, that's tempting. It would be rife with Phoebes and Dianas and I for one am not interested in hearing about how you got burned."
"I wasn't looking for a pity party."
"I wasn't going to give you one. I just don't like seeing you hurt, that's all."
Their eyes met and he nodded.
"I know you don't."
He didn't say anything else. Nothing else would have made a difference anyway.
"My mom said something really stupid today," Scully said, licking the last little bit of ice-cream off of her spoon. She was laying on the couch in her pajamas, with her feet in Mulder's lap. The TV was playing quietly and there was a fire in the fireplace. She'd never been quite so relaxed before.
"Your mom always says stupid stuff."
"Sorry about your ear. I must have talked it off about this before."
"It amuses me. What did she say?"
"She alluded that we're in love but won't or can't admit it."
"Why do people always think that?"
"I guess because… well… I don't know."
"Me Tarzan, you Jane?"
"I guess. Why can't men and women be friends? It's not that difficult."
"Yeah, three weeks out of the month it's a cake walk."
"I don't get that bad, do I?"
"No, not really."
"I'm sorry if I do."
"I promise, you don't."
She smiled as his hands wrapped around her feet and massaged gently.
"That feels good. My feet are killing me."
"You look pretty tired. It's been kind of a long week."
"It's Tuesday."
"I know."
"If I play hooky tomorrow, you won't tell, will you?"
"Never."
"Thanks."
"Well, you spent Valentines day with me. I figure I owe you one."
She smiled and slid down on the couch a little, closing her eyes for a minute.
"I should go," Mulder said suddenly.
Scully opened one eye and looked at him and he smiled.
"It's getting late. Unlike you, I am going to work in the morning."
"You're probably right."
"You're not going to play hooky, are you?"
"I doubt it."
"Okay. Then I'll see you in the morning."
He stood from the couch, then leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Thanks for tonight."
"Next year?"
"You're on."
"Goodnight, Mulder."
"Night. I love you."
"Love you too."
She smiled as she watched him leave, then stood up and headed for her bed. There was a pink envelope leaning against the pillow and she picked it up, turning it over in her hand. At first she thought Mulder had left her a cheesy Valentines card, but when she opened it up, she found a plain white card with a heart on the cover. She opened it to find a picture of an actual heart with the words "Love is about telling the truth." She snickered to herself and read the rest of the card, written in a scrawl she knew better than her own.
I saw this card back in August and I knew I had to get it for you. Of course, there isn't an excuse to get it for you except on Valentines day, so I left it on my desk, and then I lost it, and then I was frantic looking for it, and then I had to just go buy another one. So I hope you like it.
Thanks for being my partner and putting up with me and sticking up for me all the time. I appreciate it. I know I don't say that enough, and I promise, I will try harder. You mean everything to me and I want you to always know that. I heart you.
Mulder
She smiled and tucked the card into her bedside drawer, knowing that she would probably look at it a lot more than he thought she would. She needed to hear words of appreciation every once in a while, even if she knew how he felt. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, biting her lip until he answered.
"Hey Scully."
"Hey. I just wanted to say… ditto."
He chuckled.
"Happy Valentines Day, Scully."
"Happy Valentines Day, Mulder."