At First Sight
Forensic Pathology Specialist at the FBI. Pendrell was pretty sure he'd never seen his father so proud of him as he was when he told him the news. It was his dream job and it almost felt too good to be true.
It only made sense he'd mess it up somehow.
Looking down at the job offer email he'd printed out, all it said after the congratulations was to meet in the Forensics Lab Monday at 8:00 a.m. It was currently 7:45 a.m. He'd been here for almost an hour just trying to find where the damn lab was. Everyone he passed by either said they didn't know or they didn't acknowledge him at all. He knew they'd be lenient since it was his first day, but he hated being late.
After another unsuccessful sweep, he figured he'd start from the bottom and work his way up. If anything, at least he'd be familiar with the layout of the Hoover Building after this.
When the elevator doors slid open, he was greeted with the sight of Dr. Beverly Crusher.
Not really, but the woman had been looking down when the doors opened and all he saw was a curtain of red hair that viscerally reminded him of his favorite Star Trek character. When she looked up to see who was getting on, he was met with piercing blue eyes that made his knees weak. Pendrell wasn't sure he'd ever seen such a beautiful woman before.
He was so captivated by her that he had to remind himself to take a breath.
"S-sorry," he mumbled as he went to the opposite corner of the elevator so he didn't invade her space. He looked at the grid of buttons that was slowly becoming his worst enemy and noticed the one for the basement was already glowing.
"Usually you have to press the button for it to take you where you need to go," the woman teased. He glanced over at her and saw she was smiling at him kindly.
Getting over his initial surprise at her talking to him, he returned her smile and weakly offered, "I think I'm supposed to go to the basement?"
"Oh, I wasn't aware Agent Mulder was bringing someone in," she mused. "Are you here about the rumors of Satanic Worship and Occultism in New Hampshire?"
"Uh-" he stammered, uncertain how to respond to that. "N-no?"
"Oh," she replied, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Wh-"
"I'm looking for the Forensics Lab," he replied, color flushing his cheeks when he realized he'd interrupted her. "I'm new."
"Oh!" she repeated, this time with more confidence.
"Someone probably just told you to go to the basement as a prank," she murmured, though he didn't understand what she meant by that. "Here, I'll show you."
He watched as she leaned over, her perfume wafting towards him, and pressed a different button. "I don't want to keep you from anything!" he replied quickly. "I-I mean, it sounds like you're working on something really interesting," he chuckled lamely.
She laughed in reply and shook her head. "Interesting's one word for it, and it's no problem."
"I really appreciate it," he stated. "I've been wandering all over the place."
"It can be pretty intimidating," she agreed before extending her hand out to him. "My name's Dana Scully. I work in the X-Files division."
"The X-Files?" he repeated, making sure he heard her right while simultaneously hoping she didn't notice how clammy his hand was.
"My partner and I investigate non-traditional cases," she answered before switching the subject. "You said you're new? What'll you be doing in the lab?"
"I work with forensics. I'll be running tests on samples, just nerdy science stuff," he rambled, not wanting to bore her.
"I like nerdy science stuff," she replied. He knew she was probably just indulging him, but he appreciated her kindness nonetheless.
The doors opened and she walked him out and led him down a long hallway. "It'll just be right inside there," she instructed.
"Thank you so much, Agent Scully. I really appreciate it."
The woman smiled at him again before asking, "I don't think I got your name?"
"It's Se-"
"You Pendrell?" A booming voice called from the end of the hall near the door she'd indicated. He nodded nervously and the man replied, "Right on time, let me get ya settled!"
He turned back to her and saw she was watching the interaction with amusement. "Well, Agent Pendrell, I don't want to keep you. Good luck."
"Thank you, you too," he replied awkwardly, his face coloring with embarrassment. "I mean I hope I see you around."
"You're not going to say that when you realize how often my partner and I use the labs," she teased as she turned away from him.
Dana Scully.
He had a feeling he'd never get tired of seeing her.
Ms. Spooky
Pendrell was fairly certain his version of Heaven would be to go on a date with Dana Scully. Nothing could possibly be more divine than that. He didn't need anything fancy, just to spend time with her. Maybe she'd smile at some of his jokes, dare he wish for a laugh. And he accepted that's all it would ever be, a dream, a wish, a fantasy. He was just a simple man with an appreciation for a wonderful woman.
It hadn't taken long to see her again after his first day on the job. She didn't lie — they really did use the forensic lab a lot.
They.
When he first saw just exactly who Agent Mulder was, he knew he didn't stand a chance. It only got worse when he found out they were married from the office grapevine. "Mr. and Mrs. Spooky are coming for the results on that monster goo." He presumed Spooky was just a nickname because they work on the cool, weird cases, but the Mr. and Mrs. never failed to stab at his heart. Not that he needed that as confirmation really. Anyone who looked at them could tell how close they were, it was how they were when they were together.
He'd never seen two people act like extensions of the other. They were in such startling unison that sometimes it felt like they lived in their own world.
Pendrell had been in the labs for a while now, but he still didn't understand the full story. From what he'd been able to understand, a year or two ago Scully was abducted and was missing for months. When he tried to ask who took her, no one would give him an answer, just elaborating that it really messed Mulder up and he got worse every time she was in danger after the case.
Though that wasn't exactly a surprise given how territorial Mulder was over his wife. If he wasn't touching her back or arm in some capacity, he would be hovering around her like a protective guard dog. If someone looked at her the wrong way or spoke to her with a questionable tone, Mulder was there with proverbial teeth bared.
She expressed her love towards him in a different way, and much to Pendrell's dismay, it only made him admire her more.
Just as he quickly learned they were married through the grapevine, he learned that Mulder didn't have the best reputation. While his peers in the lab never made fun of him, the other agents who'd come in would, usually prying about the samples the Spookys sent in or just generally making fun of him.
If it happened while Mulder was in the vicinity, he never stood up for himself, he merely ignored it or just took it. Scully was a different case. She'd use her words like a whip and lash out at whoever made a rude comment. Sometimes directly, other times by finding a way to casually insert Mulder's impressive accomplishments into the conversation she was having, knowing it was being eavesdropped on. Mulder would just look at his feet shyly, a small smirk the only indication he heard her.
Mulder was a nerd. There was no way around it. Seeing Scully be so protective and supportive of him made Pendrell realize that's all he's ever wanted in a woman. Scully could tease Mulder, but she would never allow someone else to. If laughter was at him and not with him, she wouldn't tolerate it.
Pendrell was pretty sure any nerd who'd been bullied in high school would dream of having someone like Dana Scully around to defend them.
If Henderson, the handwriting analyst's reaction was any indication, women apparently felt the same about Mulder's supportiveness of Scully. Though, she was a little more forward about it.
"Henderson, does it ever make Agent Scully uncomfortable that you flirt with her husband?" he asked after listening to her proposition Mulder for another date.
"Who's her husband?" she replied, not looking up.
"Agent Mulder?" he replied. "I thought everyone knew that."
"They aren't married, sweetie."
Pendrell felt the floor drop from underneath him. "W-what?"
Henderson turned to him in amusement, taking in his obvious surprise. "Mr. and Mrs. Spooky are just their nicknames because they might as well be married."
"Oh, so they're just dating?" he clarified.
"No, they're both hopelessly oblivious and tragically single," she tsked.
"Now that's an X-File," he murmured.
Man to Man, Nerd to Nerd
It was unusual for Mulder to consult him without Scully being there, but it was starting to feel more comfortable the more it happened. It wasn't as much fun as when Scully was there, usually because when she was there the two of them could really delve into the nitty-gritty science details, but he and Mulder were slowly starting to develop their own relationship.
"How's she doing? First her sister, then cancer," Pendrell remarked sadly, filling the silence that ensued after he'd informed Mulder of his findings.
Mulder regarded him oddly and looked like he was at a slight loss for words. As far as he was aware, Mulder didn't have any friends here except for Scully, and he wondered if this was the first time someone had asked him in a non-teasing way about her.
"S-sorry, I don't mean to overstep. I just-her nose-," he stammered, stopping at Mulder's sigh.
Mulder looked around as if to confirm Scully wasn't hiding in a corner somewhere before leaning in and murmuring, "Did she get a nosebleed when she was here with you?"
Pendrell had to keep his surprise at bay. The question didn't surprise him as much as Mulder being the one who asked it. Pendrell considered Mulder to be the residential Scully expert, the thought he might know something about her this man didn't felt unreal.
Not wanting to betray Scully's privacy, but seeing this as his only opportunity to learn more about her, he settled on simply nodding.
He watched as Mulder's jaw clenched in frustration while he nodded slightly. "Yeah, uh, she's been having a rough time of it lately."
"Is there anything I could do to help?" Pendrell asked.
Mulder chuckled sardonically and replied, "I ask myself that same question every day."
"She's so private, it's hard to read her sometimes," Pendrell offered, feeling like an ass immediately after. He was probably preaching to the choir there.
But much to his surprise, the comment made Mulder smirk and exhale an amused laugh. "You got that right."
"I don't mean to cross the line or anything, but I noticed that her nose was red and irritated, so I got some of those new Kleenex tissues with the lotion in them. She seems to like them because she pockets a couple every time she comes. Maybe if you got some for your guys' office it might help her," he explained.
Mulder was smiling at him fondly now and it made him feel embarrassed at how creepy that probably sounded.
Then, much to his surprise, Mulder asked, "Why don't you ask her out?"
"Why don't you?" Pendrell blurted.
His brazenness seemed to take Mulder aback as the man's mouth dropped open before snapping shut again, looking around the room as if the answer might manifest in front of him. Pendrell got the impression Mulder didn't do this much. Guy talk. Pendrell himself was a master at failing to look casual, and he could tell Mulder was doing just that.
"I'm just Scully's friend. W-we don't have that type of relationship."
"Everyone thinks you do," he offered.
"And yet I'm the one they call crazy," Mulder joked, before responding with a more sincere, "I don't think bringing her on assignments that risk her life every week is exactly the best way to endear a woman to you."
"I don't know," Pendrell shrugged. "I always heard women found danger to be sexy."
"Maybe to most women, but Scully's in a league of her own. I've heard her say 'smart is sexy'," Mulder replied, deflecting.
The more time he spent with Mulder, the more he liked him. It was easy to be jealous of him, arguably on paper Mulder was nerdier than Pendrell was, but somehow that didn't matter because Mulder was more effortlessly charming. He was a handsome man and anything Pendrell might do that would be seen as nerdy or lame would be seen as mysterious or charming if done by Mulder. It was annoying too because he was pretty sure Mulder didn't even know he was the type of nerd most nerds wanted to be. He was humble, kind, and effortlessly likable.
Hell, even under the scoffs of irritation, he'd seen Skinner smirk in amusement at Mulder's antics.
"Did you know Scully gets mad if I accidentally send something to the lab without addressing it to you specifically?" Mulder asked, seeming to take his silence as doubt.
Pendrell's face flushed at the thought. "That's not true. You're just teasing me."
Mulder was quick to shuck off that notion, clearly remorseful his comment was construed as malice. "No, I'm not. You've seen it yourself. How often do other units send samples to be re-analyzed and how many times do we?"
Now that he mentioned it, Pendrell did often see records that indicated the samples they sent him had just been analyzed a day or two prior. He just presumed they needed reassurance given the unusual nature of their cases. Mulder smiled as he watched recognition start to dawn across his features. "Scully is a very anal-retentive person," he stated, before quickly adding, "In a good way! If something's not done how she wants it done, then it's wrong. You're the only one she implicitly trusts down here."
Pendrell couldn't keep the smile off his face, and Mulder returned it in kind. "I think she gets excited about discussing it with you. I don't really understand a lot of what she tells me. Sometimes I can tell she's blown away by enzymes doing something weird or chemicals being found in improbable places, and I feel bad when her excitement gets dulled because she has to stop and dumb it down for me. You speak her language, and I think she really likes being in a two-person science club with you."
This newfound knowledge that Mulder felt this way made him reevaluate all the times they'd come to the lab before. Mulder often just held the object in his hand and stared at it, locked eyes with Pendrell while nodding in timely intervals, or just blurted out "so what does it mean?" Pendrell had always thought Mulder was serious and blunt, but now he realized Mulder just didn't know what the hell they were even saying.
"I don't-" Mulder paused as if contemplating whether or not to say his next thought. "This job can take a lot of our free time. I um, I think Scully doesn't have a lot of friends because of that."
He couldn't be sure, but it felt like Mulder was trying to imply that he was one of Scully's friends and it felt too good to be true. "I can't believe that," he replied. "Anyone who meets her would want to be her friend."
Mulder smiled sweetly at him and nodded. "That's true, but I don't think she sees it that way. The only reason I bring that up is just to say that aside from myself and her family, I think she spends the most time with you. I mean how many times do I have to wander up here wondering where she went? 'Quick consultations to the lab' seem to turn into hours if you're here."
"I-I always thought I was just keeping her too long," Pendrell replied.
"You can see Scully is a beautiful woman, turning down men she doesn't want to spend time with is probably second nature to her. Does she strike you as someone who'll waste her time somewhere she doesn't want to be?" Mulder countered.
Pendrell shook his head with a smile and Mulder mirrored the expression.
"Her birthday's coming up soon. Why don't you ask her out for drinks?
"I think I'd have to have a few drinks in me just to have the nerve to ask."
"I think you underestimate yourself. You might be intimidated by her, but you're already friends with her. Isn't that a step in the right direction?"
He might've been a lab geek, but Mulder wasn't the only one with knowledge about behavioral psych. There was more to forensic pathology than just cold, hard facts. Motive was important, and he just couldn't figure out why Mulder was having this conversation with him in the first place.
Pendrell couldn't help but wonder if Mulder was projecting onto him. Hell, even while they were talking, as soon as they crossed the threshold into romantic territory, his phrasing switched — "I'm friends with Scully" to "You can see she's a beautiful woman." He wondered if Mulder was even addressing him, or giving a pep talk to himself. Either way, when it came to talking about pursuing Scully, it seemed Mulder would never start the sentence with "I."
Did Mulder feel like he couldn't comfort Scully in the way he wanted to, so he wanted Pendrell to do it on his behalf because he trusted him?
He only felt like he had a chance because Mulder acted like he did.
But it seemed Mulder didn't have the same faith in himself.
"When she visits me, it's the highlight of my day," he admitted. "I can't imagine what it's like working with her day in and day out."
Mulder got a sentimental smile on his face as he nodded morosely. It made him feel a little guilty. He'd been so relieved to find out they weren't together, he failed to wonder why they weren't. Pendrell couldn't help but wonder just how much Mulder stood in his own way.
"You only live once, Pendrell. Ask her out," Mulder cheered encouragingly with two firm pats on the back. Pendrell wasn't sure if Mulder underestimated his own strength or overestimated his because the impact almost knocked him off his feet. "Sorry," Mulder remarked, retracting his hand awkwardly.
Mulder's cell ringing distracted him, and from the smile on his face, he knew it was Scully on the other end without even having to ask.
He wouldn't have guessed he had so much in common with Fox Mulder.
Angels, Connotative and Denotative
He had a bad habit of forgetting to breathe when he thought of Scully.
This time his heart felt like it was twisting in his chest too.
"We haven't celebrated my birthday, Pendrell."
The words were ringing in his ears on a repeated loop. In the distance, he heard her start talking about a guy with a punctured lung, and he realized she'd started telling him about a case when he got distracted. He didn't remember that one though? Punctured lung? A shooting? An F.B.I. Agent was dying? He would've thought he'd have heard about this before now, but he feels odd right now. Almost like he's floating.
However, instead of feeling embarrassed, he felt oddly euphoric.
Scully wants to celebrate her birthday with him.
Trying his damnedest to focus on her, he blinked his eyes rapidly and wondered why the lights in the bar were so glaringly blinding there for a second.
He wasn't sure why, but he thought she'd been looking down at him for a moment, but when he's able to get his vision back, she's sitting right next to him.
"Pendrell?" she prompts, nudging his elbow with her own.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked, turning to look at her. "I think I got disoriented there for a second."
The place was empty except for them. He couldn't remember where they were, or how late it was, but he wasn't going to complain about getting alone time with Scully. It was odd, usually he would freak out at something like this, but he felt so calm right now. He'd never felt better.
"I said thank you for taking me out, Pendrell," she replied sweetly, grabbing his hand.
"O-of course," he stammered. "I'm so glad you wanted to go out for a drink with me."
"I was thrilled when you asked me," she affirmed, squeezing his hand.
He couldn't keep the smile off his face as one Zepplin song faded into another. Looking down at the bar, he saw his favorite drink was filled to the brim, which was odd considering how good he felt right now. Scully was even wearing the lavender pantsuit he'd complimented her on the other day that he liked so much.
He wasn't sure if anything had ever been so perfect.
"Hey, Dana?" he prompted.
"Hmm?" she hummed in reply.
"Y-you can call me Sean," he offered shyly.
"Sean," she replied with a lilt, making his own name sound like music to his ears. "I'd like that."
He wasn't sure how long they'd been there for, but he never wanted to leave. He just wanted to revel in the touch of her hand in his own, listen to the sound of her tinkling laughter, and bask in the glow of the starlight streaming in through windows