A/N:
Title: A Pair of Foxes
Category: X-Files (MSR)
Summary: A story about a pair of foxes.
Rating: PG-13 for some relatively mild sexual terms.
Spoilers: No spoilers.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
I'm slowly posting all the stories I've written over the years, some as far back as when the X-Files were originally on. This one is super fluffy (seems like I particularly enjoyed the fluff genre back then), so if you're looking for hard plot (or even for it to make complete sense), hopefully the next one I post will have more substance!
A great thanks to everyone who reviews. I may not pm back because I hate to bug everyone, but I appreciate it more than I can say.
"Scully, can I tell you a story?"
We're sitting in what feels like our millionth discount motel room. We've got separate rooms, of course, I'm just in hers while she types up our notes. Scully is responsible that way. The case is closed but we don't fly out until tomorrow and she won't waste the bureau's time. Or consort on the bureau's time either, and it seems we're constantly out on the field. Thank god we've wrapped up this case. Maybe it's time to take a small break.
Scully may be hard at work, but I, on the other hand, can't stop looking at her. She's gorgeous. I've known that for some time. I think it hit me when she was given back to me so many years ago. I remember walking into that hospital room, her mother and sister sitting by her bed, and all I could think of was how stunning she was. I gave her that stupid video and had to leave before I kissed her.
"Does your story have green men in it?"
"Not this one."
"Naked women?"
"Not unless you're interested." I get the eye brow for that comment.
"Does it involve monsters? Ghosts? Unidentifiable entities?"
"No, I don't think so."
She's concentrating on her typing and not really paying attention to me. Sometimes I wonder if there are different timelines in this universe. Somewhere out there is Fox Mulder happily married to Dana Scully? Is she a doctor and he a… something, and do they have two point three kids and drive SUVs and have dinner at her mom's place every Sunday? Does he know how to make her come in under a minute? Do they press tight against one another while they sleep?
I would love to know. I've seen Scully sleep, but is she the kind to cuddle after sex? Most women are I suppose, but Scully isn't like anyone I've dated. Does she like to be on top, or is she a lie-back-and-enjoy type of girl? Is she shy or does she walk to the bathroom after completely naked? Does she give blowjobs and swallow, or is the whole idea distasteful to her? I'm so close to finding out, I can almost feel her soft skin under my fingertips.
"Go ahead, Mulder, what's your story?"
"Stop typing and listen."
"I've got two more sentences, Mulder."
"We've got all evening and half of the morning."
"I'd rather not spend all night writing up two sentences."
I love her stubbornness. I love her argumentative ways. I love that she believes in me, but she doesn't necessarily believe everything I say. I love that she doesn't hold back. I love that furrow between her eyebrows. I love when she looks at me like I'm crazy. I love when she looks at me like I'm a real sight for sore eyes, when it feels like she's relieved I'm even alive.
"Are you done?" I ask.
"Yes." She clicks the mouse one more time, and slams the laptop shut. "Okay, Mulder. What is your story? A fantastic case we must go on? An amazing anecdote that defies nature? What is it?"
"Let's relax."
Scully and I are already in our pyjamas. The end of our case was… eventful, with a full out foot chase through the rain and the mud when finally Scully tackled the suspect, and I arrived right after to throw the handcuffs on. Needless to say, the first thing we did was take showers in our respective rooms and put on clean clothes.
"Relax?" she asks.
"Sure. On the bed."
"How long is this story?" she asks wearily, letting me take her by the wrist and pull her along.
"Not long. Here. Get cozy." I prop up a few pillows against the headboard and gesture for her to sit. She does, suspicious the entire time – she is my Scully, after all – and I plop myself next to her, sitting a somewhat respectful distance away.
"Let's have it," she says.
"Once upon a time, there was a fox."
"A fox?" she says, her eyebrow arched once more.
"With a lowercase 'F.' The kind that runs through the forest on four legs."
"Ah."
"Anyway, there was this fox. Now, foxes typically travel in packs, but this particular fox decided he was better off on his own. He was pretty smart, as far as foxes go. He spent his days hunting and roaming and searching."
"Searching?"
"Most foxes stick to just one area, their territory," I continue, ignoring her, "but this one didn't. He figured if the land was there, he ought to explore it instead of being stuck in one place. This had its disadvantages though. The world is a scary place. Cars, big dogs, people, not to mention other foxes… he was starting to wonder if he shouldn't just dig a hole and hibernate for the rest of his life."
"That's not possible."
"It was just a thought. Anyway, he had just about given up on this world, he had decided there was no one and no where worth his time and he stumbled on into the next forest he found, fed his belly full, then looked for a suitable place to dig his hole to sleep for a long, long while. But wouldn't you know, as he was roaming about, he found another fox."
"Imagine that."
"Now, you might think that all foxes are the same, but they aren't. This particular fox had a glossy, bright red coat of fur. She was tiny and all by herself and looking at a stupid pile of leaves. But, our boy fox was intrigued, so he went to see what on earth could be so interesting.
"'Hi,' he said to her. She didn't look up at him right away, but when she did, he was very surprised to see blue eyes. The most beautiful coloured eyes he'd ever seen.
"'Hi,' she said. He almost forgot his question, but when she turned her head back to the leaves, he remembered. 'What are you looking at?' he asked her.
"'Leaves,' she responded. He almost shook his head and gave up, thinking he was the only sane fox left in the world, but he decided to give her another chance.
"'What about the leaves?' he asked. 'They're all different colours,' she responded.
"Well, he'd about had it. He was really going to take his frustrations out on her, because he'd never heard something so stupid. 'Of course they are!' he shouted, 'I've been all over this land, as far as I can walk. I've seen city after city and forest after forest and tree after tree, and they are all the same: the leaves change colours and fall to the ground. I'm searching for more. I'm searching for something fascinating, something amazing. Something beyond the natural. Something supernatural.'
"She turned her blue eyes on him again. 'That isn't amazing to you? Have you stopped and actually looked at the leaves on the ground? Have you seen the hundreds of shades of reds and yellows and oranges? Have you ever stopped to look at the sky and imagine how big and how blue it can be, how it goes on forever? Have you ever looked up in the night time and tried to count the stars? You keep walking and walking, but where are you going? What do you expect to find that's not right under your nose? Sometimes you have to stop looking and just see.'
"And our little fox opened his mouth to rebut, but he realized he had nothing to say. No, he'd never stopped and seen the changed colours of the leaves. No, he'd never studied the sky simply for its beauty. He'd been wandering everywhere, searching for something, but had never stopped to look at anything.
"So, he sat next to his new friend, and they looked at the leaves together. He couldn't imagine the shades he was seeing. Vibrant reds with bright oranges next to beautiful yellows. He picked out a small group of flowers still fighting in the cool air, their purple in contrast to everything else, and wondered at their tenacity. He heard a noise, and looked up, and saw a flock of birds dancing in perfect synchronization in the blue, blue sky, and wondered how they defied gravity. Had this always been there, he wondered. Had the world always looked so beautiful and been so wonderful?
"He turned to his companion, whose face was tilted to the sky as well, admiring the birds and he realized that no, nothing had looked so beautiful. He knew then that they were beautiful because of her, because of the blue eyed, red mane-d fox next to him. The beauty of the world was revealed when he looked at it through her eyes."
I glance at Scully. I half expect her to have fallen asleep, or be giving me the brow, or maybe just rolling her eyes, but instead she's staring at me with the most serene look on her face. I smile and am graced with a smile in return.
"Clever fox," she says softly.
"Yeah. She's not so dumb either." She shakes her head, smacking me lightly on the arm with her hand. "You know, Scully, our friend the fox fell madly in love with his blue-eyed companion."
She stares at me and whispers, "Really?"
"Really. He sees that for the first time, someone is willing to tell him the truth. She's someone who shows him the goodness in a world he'd given up on. She's the only one he can trust."
"How does the story end?"
"I want to say, 'happily ever after,' but I don't know what that means. I think it ends with the two of them together forever, though. She, forever amazing him, and he, forever grateful to have her in his life. I am pretty positive, however, that he gets to give her little kisses by licking her mouth, and she returns in kind. I'm also pretty positive that in the springtime he invites her down into his burrow… I better not continue. This was supposed to be a PG-13 type of story."
She's smiling now, a wide, full toothed smile that reaches all the way to her eyes. I don't know how long it's been since I've seen something so wonderful. It's dim in the room, but I almost think I can see her eyes sparkle and shine.
"Your fox friend is very smart," she says finally, breaking eye contact and fiddling with her hands.
"Is he?"
She nods. "There's nothing wrong with exploring, but sometimes you have to know when to stop."
"Do you want to stop?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "Not necessarily. I would like to take breaks. Be able to look at the leaves, enjoy the blue sky every now and then."
"Oh! I forgot part of the story," I say.
"What?" she looks at me.
"The blue-eyed female fox falls in love, too. With our friend."
"Does she?"
"Yeah. She finds him foxy."
"Oh, Mulder," she groans. I can't hide my grin.
"I know you'd like to stop and look at the leaves changing colour and the big, blue sky, but what do you think about kisses with a lot of tongue?"
"I think if the old, cynical fox got a chance, everyone should."
"What do you think of burrowing down under the covers and making things not so PG-13?"
She laughs. "Mulder!"
"What do you think about happily ever after?" I ask, my tone low and serious, though I'm still holding onto my smile.
"I thought you didn't believe in happily ever after?" she says, her voice just as low.
"I didn't say I didn't believe in it. I just don't know what it is. Maybe we can find out together."
She looks right at me, her smile big and beautiful and breathtaking. "If I didn't know any better, Mulder, I'd think that was a proposal."
"And if it is?"
"If it is…?"
"What's your answer?"
"It's not a proposal, Mulder."
"What if it is?"
"Is it?"
I don't have to think to know my answer, but I have to think about how to word it. I go for the most direct.
"Yes."
I can't hear her breathing anymore. There's a complete silence in the room that's a little frightening. She's looking at me, just watching my face, maybe for deception or mirth. She won't find either. Not right now.
"Yes?"
"Is that a question or an answer?" I ask.
"I don't know."
"My answer is still yes," I tell her. "Tell me, Scully. I can take it, whatever the answer."
She exhales, loud and long. "Yes," she manages to breath out.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Yes," she says.
And I break into a wide grin that I can't hold back. I grab her face and kiss her a few times all over, finally landing on her lips.
"When?" I ask
"What?"
"When? When can we get married?"
"Mulder, you just… I mean… how serious are we? How fast are we moving?"
"The courtship was long enough, Scully. Seven very long years."
"When do you want to?"
"Tonight. Tomorrow morning. Somewhere in between. As soon as possible."
She laughs against my face and I love the feel of it.
"We haven't even… you know. The non-PG-13 thing."
"It'll make for one exciting honeymoon!"
"Tomorrow," she says. "When we get back, we can apply for a license."
"Tomorrow. We'll drop off our report to Skinner and take the rest of the afternoon off. We'll go to the wonderful state of Virginia where there is no waiting period for people in love."
"Are you serious, Mulder?"
"I'm serious, Scully. Or soon-to-be Mrs. Mulder."
"Maybe we ought to stick with Scully."
"As long as we get our happily ever after."