SIGNIFICANT
"Do you have a significant other?"
"Um, not in the widely understood definition of that term."
I.
The door opened softly, allowing only a fraction of daylight to seep into the darkened room. Slipping out of her heels, she navigated the questionable carpet of the motel room on nylon-clad feet.
"I'm back," she whispered.
A groan was her only answer.
She padded towards the bed, squeezing two Tylenol from the blister, giving them to him with a small bottle. He followed her wordless instructions by swallowing the pills, washing them down with the water. Another groan, then he could feel her cool fingers on his face, combing through his hair, carefully sweeping around the big bump.
"I got a coolpack as well."
"I don't need it, your hands are cold enough."
A smile cracked up her face, but he couldn't see it.
"Well, next time you start a bar fight and need me to do a late run to the pharmacy, remember not to do it mid December in Boston."
"I didn't start the fight. And that guy was pretty nasty towards my partner."
"Last time I checked, your partner was a Federal Agent capable to fight her own battles."
His fingers tapped against her hip, and despite the pain, there was a smile in his voice.
"Yeah, but she's also very small and her fists are so tiny."
"Now I want to hit you on the head as well."
His chuckle turned into a whine, as the coolpack was placed on the swelling rather unceremoniously. The bed shifted under her weight, as she tried to get up, but his hand darted out, gripping hers.
"Thank you for the pills, Scully."
"Thank you for taking a blow on the head for me, Mulder."
X
"And this one as well."
Mulder put a second slip on the counter. The other man took it and smiled, recognizing the names on the paper. Mulder and Scully. Most of the times, it was one of them bringing or collecting clothes for two and, boy, they always proved to be challenging, their stains. He often wondered how and where on earth they managed to get dirty like that, but he liked them a lot. They were always friendly, always telling him to keep the change.
Outside of the dry cleaner's, the plastic-wrapped clothes hanging over his arm, Mulder flipped open his cell.
"Scully, it's me. I got our dry cleaning."
"The slime?"
"They got it out. Again. Not a stain."
"Wong truly is the best dry cleaning store in DC."
"Did you get the movie?"
"I did, and I got us a pizza."
"I have to say 'divide and conquer' has its benefits. See you in ten."
X
"So, how's Dana?"
Maggie Scully was used to the whispers mingling with the scent of flowers and incense, had been for years. She did not care about rumors, though, never had. She had not listened to rumors surrounding her oldest daughter and naked Wiccan dances in the moonlight – although that sounded a lot like Melissa – and she had never cared about the whispers concerning her second daughter's unconventional career choice.
What had bothered her was the pity.
"She is such a strong woman. Battling cancer all on her own."
Dana at the age of four, stubbornly insisting she could ride that bike. Dana at the age of fourteen, not-so-secretly stealing Maggie's cigarettes. Dana at the age of twenty-two, reinterpretating Einstein.
"Oh, she is strong, has always been. But she is not on her own."
Newer memories mingled with the old ones. The tall man hovering over her daughter, rarely leaving her side. Their ability to read each other without words. The change in the atmosphere whenever their eyes met.
A soft smile washed over Maggie Scully's face.
"Dana has someone. He's there for her."
X
The chocolate heart was put in her palm, and she raised her head to meet her partner's sheepish grin.
"You probably didn't dream about spending your Valentine's Day with me in Noplaceville, Milwaukee."
Scully sighed.
"Well, considering how my life is going right now, this is pretty much standard. Thanks for the chocolate."
She unwrapped the sweet heart, breaking it in two, offering him a half.
"What about you," she finally asked. "Any hot date waiting for you back home?"
"Yeah," he mused. "Long blond hair, a wicked sense of humor."
He watched how her face fell and hurried to add.
"Langley. I'm taking about Langley and the rest of the Gunmen."
"Oh."
He nudged her arm with his.
"Thanks for giving me a piece of your heart, Scully."
She rolled her eyes, but a playful smile lit up her face.
"You know me, Mulder. I like them spooky."
Something flickered through the hazel-green of his gaze and for a moment, just for a moment, she found it hard to breathe. Then he blinked, and the moment was gone.
X
He was there for take-out and paperwork, but he couldn't help noticing the invite sitting on her table.
"What is this?"
"Oh, just some people from college getting together in D.C."
"Sounds nice."
Scrunching her nose, she looked at him over of her glasses.
"Mulder, when was the last time you went to a school reunion?"
"Touché. But, hey, you're probably Miss Popular. I'm just," he shrugged, "a little weird."
Her eyebrow arched up.
"A little? Mulder, what makes you even think I could be Miss Popular?"
"Well, you're smart, funny, beautiful."
For a moment, her jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly.
"I am not Miss Popular. And I don't think I want to go. I have a satisfying career, but all they ever talk about are dates and spouses and kids. It's weird being there without a significant other. I don't really care, Mulder, I don't want to live in their world. But ..."
"I could come with you."
"You?"
He shrugged.
"You're pretty significant to me, Scully."
X
And for the longest time, she had been. Significant. She was significant to him, he was significant to her. Significant in every way but one.
Until, suddenly, the stars realigned and the universe gifted them with new possibilities.
To be continued …