Follow You Anywhere
Rating: It's fine for now.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: Their outings become more frequent as the years progress.
A/N: I got this idea when I was visiting my second mom up in Washington. I'll try to get it to follow every season, but I'm not sure how well I'll be able to write season eight and nine. I've already got all the scenes planned out, I just need to write them. So I'm sorry in advanced for any grammar mistakes!
The song playing in the bar is Black by Pearl Jam.
Special thanks to Rachel (second mom) who helped me come up with some of the scenes!
She's packing up her things and preparing to head home for the evening. Today had been a good day. He had managed to slip by without annoying her too much with his talk of conspiracies and secrets. She had even smiled at him once or twice throughout the day. It had made him happy to see her happy. So much, that the prospect of them actually getting along had provoked him to invite her out for a drink at a nearby pub.
He had assured her that they would stay for no more than two drinks, that he would behave himself. She had to admit that it was a tempting offer and the thought of a drink was appealing, but so was the idea of a bubble bath and a glass of wine. She would've been happy to go with Mulder, save for the fact that he would have brushed her off towards the end of the night for some tall, leggy blonde. So she turns him down politely.
"I really appreciate the offer, Mulder, but I think I'll just head home for the night." She can see the letdown in his face and the guilt strikes her immediately, but she reminds herself to be strong and tries to convince herself that he'll call an old friend from the academy so he won't be at the bar alone. "Maybe some other time," she offers up some hope before reaching for her coat. He offers up a sincere smile and waves her off, telling her to get out of the office and enjoy her weekend.
So she does. She heads for the parking garage, gets in her car, and drives home without it crossing her mind again. It's when she steps into her empty apartment that the image of a lonesome Mulder sitting at a bar begins to occupy her mind. She pressures the thought into the back of her head when she spots the bottle of wine staring back at her from her kitchen counter.
She draws her bubble bath and settles in with a considerable amount of wine. She sighs when she descends into the hot water and can practically feel the stress abandon her body. She closes her eyes and lets the sweetness of the wine soothe her throat. When the glass is empty, she sets it down on her bathroom floor and proceeds to strip off the makeup she had applied earlier that morning.
When her bath comes to an end and she's setting out carefully with a towel wrapped around her, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror that's hanging above her sink. She can't help but think that the woman staring back at her was a cold, heartless person for declining Mulder's innocent invitation.
She glances at the clock that's hung up on her bathroom wall and swears.
Only Fox Mulder could make her go home, relax, and get fixed up for a second time that day, only to join him at a bar that he most likely already had company at. But it's too late to reconsider once she has her hair fixed in a messy pony tail and throws on some casual clothes. She huffs a piece of her bangs out from her eyes in frustration as she grabs her keys and heads out into the dark of the night.
She prays that he's still at the bar by the time she gets there and finds a parking spot down the busy road in front of the pub. She doesn't see his car, but she knows his apartment isn't too far away, so the image of him walking alone proceeds to break her heart even more.
She's been to this bar once or twice before, so it's vaguely familiar when she steps through the front doors. A few heads turn and notice her arrival, but not Mulder, who is seated at the bar with his back to her. There's a recognizable song playing through the speakers and fills the bar room as she watches him take another sip of his half-empty beer.
She walks up to where he sits in an unhurried pace and when she's close enough, she reaches out to tap his shoulder. He turns his head immediately at her touch and beams with delight when he see's her standing awkwardly behind him. He says nothing, but pats the empty bar stool next to him, which she languidly climbs up on. Her feet barely reach the foot rests bolted to the stool and he acknowledges it with a smirk.
"What made you change your mind," he asks as he flags down the bartender.
Her hands are in her lap as they clutch onto her wallet that houses her ID and money. She doesn't have any time to answer his question though, because she's having to order her drink once the bartender notices her sitting besides him. But she's left with Mulder staring at her when the man behind the bar leaves to fetch her mixed drink, waiting for an answer.
"I don't know," she starts cautiously. "I guess my bubble bath and wine weren't as exciting as I had hoped," she confesses, then offers up a small smile when her mix drink is presented to her. At the mention of her bath, he pays close attention to her face and notices that her makeup is fresh. There's a small sliver of optimism, one much like earlier that day when he had earned a couple of smiles from her, when he grasps the fact she had completely disregarded any previous plans to accompany him here at the bar.
"Well regardless… I'm glad," he confides in her, then turns his attention back to his beer.
"How long have you been here," she asks, noticing his homey attire consisting of jeans and a long-sleeved sweater that covers up his white undershirt. It means he had time to go home and change… that he hadn't come here straight after work like she thought he would have.
"About… an hour or so," he replies after checking his watch.
The spend the rest of the night together at the bar, slowly sipping at their drinks and talking about whatever comes up in conversation. To her surprise, the majority of their topics hadn't been work related. In the few short hours they spent together, she felt more at ease with him. It hadn't been necessarily difficult to get along with him before tonight, but she had finally made a connection with him and it felt remarkable.
So when the time comes for the bar to close up, he picks up their tabs and pays it off with cash while leaving a generous tip for the young man behind the bar. She had protested, insisting that she could pay for her own drinks, but he wasn't having any of it.
"Think of this as a 'thank you' for coming out tonight," he says as he leads them out onto the sidewalk. A few more of the bar goers are trickling out through the doors, but they're the only two standing in front of it.
"I had fun," she finally says, shoving her hands into her jacket pocket and slightly leaning back to get a good look at him in the dim light of the city. "I'm glad I came," she declares, offering him a coy smile. He nods his head in agreement and reaches out to gently grab her arm, leading her away from the bar and walking her down to her car. When they reach where she's parked, he slows and lets her slip past him. She leans back against the passenger door. "You need a ride back home?"
"I planned on walking," he says as he points in the direction of his apartment, but he notices her start to shake her head. "What," he asks with a knowing smile.
"It's no trouble. Get in," she's made up her mind, pushing herself away from the car and closer to where he stands on the sidewalk, then turns sharply and heads for the driver's side of the car. She slips into her seat at the same time he opens his door.
The drive back to his apartment takes no time at all and before he knows it, she's pulling up to his building and parking her car out front. He unbuckles the seatbelt and for a split second, debates asking her to come up to his apartment, but it's late… and he knows she'll decline.
"Thanks," he says gratefully. She nods her head in response. He pushes open the door, but before he climbs out from the car, looks at her one last time. "Hey. Do me a favor?"
She looks up at him with wide eyes, encouraging him to continue.
"Call me when you make it back home." It's not a question, but more of a request. Her hands grip the steering wheel.
"Okay, Mulder," she says amusingly.
"I'm serious." So she nods her head, he pushes her car door closed, and watches as she drives off into the night.
Half an hour later, he's headed for his couch after he's turned on his television, but his ringing phone stops him from lounging back. He picks up the headset to his phone and answers.
"Mulder, it's me. I'm back home," she lets him know and he knows now that he'll sleep a little easier knowing she made it home okay.
"Good." He drags a hand over his face as he leans against his desk. "Listen, have a good rest of your weekend. And… thanks again."
"Goodnight, Mulder," he hears her say with the hint of a smile in her voice.
A/N: Alright. Season one down... the rest to go! Review and let me know if you want me to continue!