Author's Notes: I had the idea for this during a 4-hr drive back from a friend's house up north, working most of it out in my head. Then it was a dash to get home and write it down before I forgot!
Spoilers: None
Synopsis: A conversation.
Thanks to Alia for assuring me that this one worked since the voices in my head were not cooperating.
In the Dark
By Suzanne L. Feld
Rated PG
"Mulder…"
"Scully…"
"You go first."
"No, you go ahead."
"All right. You sound like you know what I'm going to say."
"I suspect I'm going to say the same thing or, at the very least, something similar."
"Was this a mistake?"
"No. Definitely not. Perhaps our timing could have been better but it was not a mistake."
"I'm glad you think so."
"Don't you?"
"Well… not a mistake, and our timing was bad, but…"
"I don't like the sound of this."
"We shouldn't do this again, Mulder."
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"Well… there are a lot of reasons why we shouldn't and only one why we should."
"If you put them both on a scale for me they'd balance out."
"Nice of you to say, but…"
"But? There has to be a 'but?'"
"Come on, you know we won't be able to keep this separate like we agreed beforehand."
"It's not going to be easy but I don't see why not."
"Is it worth it? I don't mean how good it is, I mean how much it'll distract us from the cases we're supposed to be solving."
"It's worth it to me, Scully! And I thought to you as well…?"
"Don't get upset, Mulder, I'm not… uh, insulting, your performance. It was wonderful and you know it. But you also know damn good and well that instead of sitting quietly in a car on a stakeout or researching in the files or heading off to do a four-hour autopsy—"
"That's why I'm saying that this stays here and goes no further than either of our apartment doors. Once we leave our places we're nothing more than friends and partners."
"Friends with benefits?"
"Something along those lines. Exclusive friends with benefits, I'm assuming."
"Of course. I haven't wanted anyone but you in years, Mulder."
"That's a relief; same here. So, uh… you don't need to hurry home or anything, do you?"
"Not really. Are we…. up for another round?"
"Ooh, I love it when you pun, Scully."
"That's not all you're going to love, Mulder."
finis