Beautiful Words Can't Compare
Scully hadn't meant to find the letter.
She and Mulder had been living together for three months now, and she was cleaning, trying to get a feel for being the "Good little domestic housewife". Not likely.
It had obviously been a while since Mulder had a clearout, there were letters from at least ten months ago, and the whole place was littered with sunflower seeds.
She was happy to note that he had thrown out all his offensive videos, presumably when they got together. Or maybe he was just hiding them.
She thought the office was cluttered, but this was a thousand times worse.
About half of the alien abduction newspaper articles that had crossed their desk were stacked in various untidy piles, dangerously close to toppling over, on Mulder's bookshelves.
She found the letter in a drawer, amongst some scrap paper. It had her name on it, she had to open it.
She looked at the date at the top. Mulder had obviously written it right after the accident that had brought them together.
She read and re-read it.
The words chosen were so beautiful, and well thought out, Scully wondered why he had not given it to her at the time. Then she realised why.
"Scully" Mulder called from the bedroom. "What are you doing"
She went to join him.
"I found this." she said quietly, slipping him the envelope.
He saw what it was. He stayed silent.
"Mulder... What you wrote, it was amazing."
"You think? That was my seventh attempt." he admitted.
Scully sighed. "But what you said to me that day, meant so much more, it was perfect."
"Better than what was written" he asked.
"It was from the heart." she explained. "That's how I knew you meant it. I could feel it."
Mulder gestured towards the letter.
"If I had given you that straight away, instead of telling you, would you still have forgiven me"
Scully thought about it.
"Not as quickly." she decided. "I'm glad you just told me. The words here are beautiful, but anyone can lie and write beautiful words in a letter. They don't mean as much to me. They can't compare."
"I did mean every word." he assured her. "I love you, with all of my heart."
"I know" she whispered, softly. " I've always known, really."
He smiled, suddenly.
"Leave the cleaning, Scully." he told her, and he pulled her into his arms.
THE END
