Washington D.C.
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Night Before Christmas Eve
5:57 pm
As Agent Dana Scully sat in her designated chair watching the clock tick away in their basement office she realized she hadn't asked her partner what his plans for Christmas were. It had snuck up on her, as it did every year, though this year Christ's birthday had been especially sneaky since she had just started working at the X-Files. The work had included investigating some of the most outlandish, stressful and difficult cases she had ever encountered. Not to mention she had no real prior investigative experience, outside that of what she learned at Quantico. However, this year's cases had sure provided her experiences. Of what she wasn't sure. Paranormal activity, UFO sightings, monsters hiding in the shadows, government conspirators. You name the myth, she had investigated it, though she felt there was still years of work to be done. Luckily, she didn't have the worst partner in the world and he made the plane trips across the country, stuffy motel rooms, long nights at the office reading file after file somewhat bearable. If she was being completely honest, she was glad to work with Fox Mulder.
"Hey Mulder," she said plainly calling his name from the adjacent room. She waited a few seconds, and then a few seconds longer. No reply. That was strange she thought and got up out of her chair to walk into the main office. She rounded the corner and saw his unconscious body slumped back into his chair.
She couldn't help but grin. He actually looked somewhat adorable in this state. His glasses had fallen slightly off of his eyes and were resting on the tip of his nose. His black slick greasy hair had fallen from its usual position as a few strands rested just in front of his forehead. He had his feet up on his desk as his left arm was lying on the armrest and his right one was pressed up against his cheek.
She continued watching him sneakily, staring as his chest moved up and down with every breath he took. She remembered the last time she had felt his chest move as she had been pressed against him. It seemed like yesterday they had been in that motel room in Bellefluer, Oregon even though a few months had passed.
"Mulder." She said again louder. He didn't stir.
"Mulder!" She yelled as if she had been in trouble. He immediately jumped in his chair and fell over backwards but quickly got up and was at attention glancing around the room for possible threats. Then his tired eyes rested on her and saw she wasn't in any danger.
"Scully, what are you doing?" he asked as he relaxed back down into his chair.
"Well, I wasn't sleeping at work that's for sure," she said teasing him as she remained standing in front of his desk.
"Oh God," he replied rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Six o'clock," she answered simply. "And I was on my way out but Mulder, I have a question."
He shot her a confused look but raised one eyebrow curiously. "Shoot," he said.
"Well it just occurred to me that I haven't asked you what your plans for Christmas are," she said sweetly looking back into his puppy-dog eyes.
"That's awfully friendly of you Agent Scully," he said coolly. She could tell he was trying to regain his suave exterior after falling over backwards in his chair. "To be honest Scully I'm probably going to come to work for half the day and then just go to my parents have a nice dinner, exchange a few gifts, come home and enjoy my time with Scrooge."
"Scrooge, Mulder?" she asked quizzically. "Don't you mean 'A Christmas Carol'?"
"No Scully," he said as he began to organize the files on his desk. "Scrooge, you know, the 1970 musical adaptation of your precious Christmas Carol. Except this one's much better."
"Huh," she replied at a loss for words. If the man didn't work at the FBI she was convinced, he would be some sort of old movie collector. He was always telling her about moves she had never seen or quoting movies she had seen like Terminator or Alien. "Well why don't you and your parents come over for Christmas dinner? My mom always makes way too much food for us and Bill is currently deployed overseas so he and his wife and kids won't be joining us this year."
"Oh I don't think so Scully," he said almost immediately. "Thanks but…well my family is a bit eccentric and I don't think-,"
"Everybody's family is eccentric Mulder," she said cutting him off. "Come on, my mom will be happy to have more company, and she already likes you so you don't have to worry about feeling left out or anything."
He gave her one of those 'are-you-sure' looks and threw up his arms. "I just don't know if it's a good idea Scully, I mean we're partners and we wouldn't want our family thinking that we're…well…you know," he said stumbling over the past few words.
She knew exactly what he was thinking, but a small part in her brain gave her the courage to press further, she wanted to hear him say it.
"Thinking that we're what Mulder?" she asked innocently holding her hands together like a daughter who was asking her mother if she could have dessert before dinner.
"You know," he said calmly. "Anything more than that."
She sensed she wasn't going to get the exact words out of his mouth anytime soon. And even though she enjoyed playing these little flirtatious games with him, she retreated into her usual state and dropped it. "Well I still am inviting you over," she said calmly. "Even if your parents don't want to come, or if you don't want them too."
He sighed openly and stood up as he brushed past her barely touching his arm to hers moving to the coat hanger. She turned to face him as he retrieved his coat and threw it over his shoulders.
"You're not going to drop this are you?" he asked as he couldn't help but smile.
"Not one bit," she answered crossing her arms. "Come on, it'll be fun, and I don't think you want to be alone in your apartment on Christmas Eve, I wouldn't want to be."
"I'll call you tomorrow how about that?" he asked though it sounded more like a statement.
"Sounds good to me," she said as she moved closer to the doorway where he stood. She grabbed her coat and looked up at him realizing she now was practically as close to him as she had been that night in Bellefluer.
They exchanged awkward stares for a moment before he quickly stepped out of the office and motioned for her to take the lead towards the elevator.
"Come on Scully," he said awfully gentlemanly, "I'll walk you to your car."
She exited the doorway of their offices and let him shut the door behind her. She started walking towards the elevator and felt him walking just barely behind her. She almost jumped at the sudden soft touch of his hand against her back and even though she was wearing two layers of clothing, she felt an electric shock run through her body as if he was undressing her with his eyes from behind. Of course that would be unprofessional, but what could a little fantasizing possibly do to harm their work relationship? After all, it was almost Christmas and she had earned the right to give herself a present.