Chapter Eighteen: Grotto
Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully's shoulders and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a shaky sigh. Mulder looked down at her, about to ask if she was okay, as she looked up at him. Mulder closed his mouth and just smiled softly. Scully returned the smile, only after a fleeting glance at his lips. Mulder pulled his far hand around to touch her cheek, but instead just grazed her jawbone with his fingertips.
Scully's eyes easily slipped closed as the rest of Mulder's body twisted to softly kiss her partially opened lips. He pulled back to switch angles and pulled her bottom lip into his mouth. She reciprocated, sucking on his upper lip. Slowly, she pulled his face closer to hers with a hand on the back of his head. Together, they deepened the kiss. Then, they pulled apart shyly, both self conscious of his or her own breath this late at night.
Scully glanced at the clock, "I better go."
Mulder nodded then smiled, replying, "I don't think they'd accept the 'I found my boyfriend wandering through the neighborhood' excuse."
She chuckled and shook her head softly, "No, I think not."
Scully reluctantly threw back the comforter and stood. Mulder made it over to where she had tossed her coat. Smiling, she reached out her hand for her coat, cocking her head to the side, amused. Mulder shook his head and twirled his finger above them, motioning for her turn around. Rolling her eyes at his chivalry, she obediently turned so that her back was facing him. He helped her put on her coat, smoothing his hands down her arms.
She turned around, smiling up at him, reassuring his resurfaced guilt. She broke eye contact with him to zip her coat, but he gently pried her fingers off the zipper pull.
"Mulder," she lightly whined.
"Lemme do it," he whispered.
Scully stood still, her arms obediently at her size. "I feel like I'm six years old."
Mulder smiled down at her before kissing her pouting lips.
Scully jestingly scoffed at him before walking over to his nightstand to retrieve her coffee cup. Mulder took it from her, "I'll get it."
"Okay. I really better go. My mom's an early bird, even on Saturdays."
Mulder guided her out of his house, through the backdoor. Scully turned to face him before leaving his house.
"Are you going to be all right?"
Mulder nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay."
"I'm glad."
"Hey, Scully, can I…"
"Spill it, Mulder."
"I want to take you on a date."
She laughed.
Mulder crinkled his eyes.
"Aw, Mulder," she nobly composed herself. "I'd love to go on a date with you."
"Six o'clock."
"That early?"
"Six o'clock."
"Okay, I'll be ready," she squeezed his hand before hurrying off into the cold weather.
By the time she got back to her house, it was almost five thirty. Glancing up to the ceiling above her, she heard her mother stirring in the master bedroom. Quickly, she threw her sneakers and coat into the hall closet before pouring a glass of orange juice and slumping into a seat at the kitchen table. In the moments it took for Maggie Scully to enter the kitchen, Dana had managed to let the fatigue she felt take over her body.
"Dana, I'm surprised to see you up so early," Maggie exclaimed before bustling around the kitchen. Moments later, the gurgling of the coffee pot filled the room.
"Yeah, me, too," Dana said, praying that her mother wouldn't be able to see through her lie of omission.
"You looked flushed. Do you have a fever?" Maggie inquired, stretching out her hand to feel Dana's forehead.
Dana pulled back, dodging her mother's hand. She knew if her mom felt her face, she would know she'd been outside. "I'm fine."
"Okay. Do you want some coffee?"
Dana nodded.
When Maggie placed the steaming mug in front of Dana, she pulled the mug close, taking a cautious sip of the hot dark liquid. Three mugs later, Dana was awake enough to properly function. She planted herself in front of the television, staring aimlessly at the morning cartoons.
Promptly at six o'clock that night, the doorbell of the Scully residence announced a visitor. Dana hollered down from her bedroom that Fox was here and for somebody to let him in. Moments later, as Fox shifted in the foyer under Captain Scully's paternal inquiries, Scully bounded down the stairs. She grabbed her coat off the floor of the closet and her leather gloves from the shelf.
"Bye, Dad. Bye, Mom," Dana said.
Maggie turned her attention to her younger daughter, "Be home by eleven. We have church tomorrow."
Dana nodded and grabbed Mulder's hand, leaving before even putting on her coat and gloves. Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully, holding her close. He let her in the passenger side of the car before seating himself behind the wheel. "Okay, Mulder, where are we going?"
"You feel like some pizza?"
"Order-out?"
"Nah, I got this parlor I want to take you to. Have you ever heard of Grotto Pizza?" Mulder smiled.
Scully shook her head.
"Good."
Thirty minutes later, Mulder pulled his car into the parking lot a block from the boardwalk of the next beach over.
Arm in arm, they walked the length of the boardwalk, passing the closed amusement park and the multiple seashell gift shops. He held the door for her to Grotto Pizza, a charming and rather large pizza parlor. It was mostly empty that night, due to the lack of beach-bound tourists and vacationers. Still, a good-sized party in one of the private rooms made quite a lot of noise. From what Scully could see, it was a family, complete with aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The five kids were arguing over the breadsticks, while the little girl on the end cried to her father about burning her finger. Apparently, she had grabbed the pizza tin not long after a waiter had brought it to the table. The father deftly shoved the girl's hand in the pitcher of Sprite, letting the ice and soda soothe her hand.
Scully returned her attention to Mulder as they followed the hostess to a small table in the main room. There were only a few other tables occupied, so Mulder chose the one in the back corner, more secluded from the other customers.
They both ordered Coca-Cola before the waitress went back to the kitchen, and Scully opened up her menu. Mulder watched Scully, trying to gauge her reaction. Under his gaze, Scully looked up.
"What?" she smiled.
"What do you think?" Mulder asked.
"I don't know yet. The atmosphere is nice. It isn't too loud, and the décor is definitely authentic," Scully smiled as she motioned towards the red and white checkered table cloth that matched every other table in the room. With the dark lighting and the quiet atmosphere, Grotto Pizza really did resemble what its name meant—a cave.
"How did you find this place, anyway?"
"We used to come here for my birthday, when I was little. We came for a couple of Samantha's birthdays too. After her disappearance, my parents never brought me back here. I love this place, though," Mulder finished, smiling broadly. "Best pizza on the Atlantic."
Scully laughed, "Well, what're we going to eat?"
"Pepperoni pizza, extra cheese. You haven't lived until you've tried this," he declared.
They ordered as planned and talked in hushed tones until the pizza arrived. Mulder and Scully each took a large piece from the pizza tin and slid it onto their respective plates. Scully understood Mulder's excitement over this pizza after she saw it.
"This is the greasiest pizza, so you might want to blot—"Mulder started.
Scully looked over the piece that she had shoved in her mouth. She managed to swallow before choking out a laugh at herself.
"Or you could eat it like a man," he finished, laughing.
Scully swatted at him, but he grabbed her hand.
"You're getting slow, Scully."
"Am not," she retorted, the folded piece of pizza dangling from her free hand.
"Oh, no?" he teased her, grabbing her crossed feet between both of his calves, pulling her feet close to him.
"Fine, you win," she gave up.
"I know."
"Now you have to let me go," she replied.
"Not without making my demands."
After giving up trying to pull her hand out of his grasp, she complied, "Okay, what will you take for my ransom?"
"A kiss."
"Fine," she smiled before smacking a kiss clumsily on his cheek. She laughed at the grease mark left on his cheek from her first bite of pizza.
"Aw, that's not a kiss," he complained, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. "A real one."
Scully smiled before leaning over the table. Mulder met her more than halfway, and winked at her before their lips met. He laced his fingers with hers, though their kiss was only momentary. Neither was used to making a show of their relationship, and though no one was paying mind to the young couple, both were self conscious.
"I told you I loved this pizza," he remarked, licking his lips.
the little girl who burnt her hand on the pizza was me, way back in the day. Grotto Pizza is actually in Delaware, not Connecticut, but I took artistic license with that one. Check out