Mulder arrived in the FBI cafeteria and instinctually scanned the room for a redhead who always stands a foot below the crowd. His eyes landed on her, already sitting at a table, and Mulder's heart quickened when he realized there was a man standing across the table talking to her: a handsome, popular agent that Mulder had heard many of the secretaries had been out with on dates. He had a huge smile, like he had too many teeth, and a perpetual predatory look in his deep blue eyes; Mulder couldn't stand that guy. He realized he had never discussed this with Scully, however, and he didn't know if this chump was her type.

Mulder stood there for a beat too long and her eyes found his. At first he was embarrassed he'd been caught but then her eyes widened slightly as if to say "save me!" before turning politely back to her table-guest. Mulder released a breath he didn't realizes he was holding and made it to the table just as the other agent (Chad something? Brad? Mulder couldn't think of his name) said, "Great, I'll see you Friday night!"

"Ah, sorry, couldn't help but overhear you making plans for Friday night?" As the sleazy agent turned to Mulder Scully grimaced at Mulder pleadingly. "Scully, don't you have tickets to that hockey game?" He had been trying to work up the courage to ask Scully to this game he'd won tickets to anyway, so this would be a great way to take any pressure off of him.

"Oh, that's right! I've been so looking forward to it." Scully smiled and Mulder's heart dropped to his stomach. He couldn't help but grin back at her.

"Well, that's perfect, I love hockey. I'd love to accompany you to the game, Dana." The way he said her name made Mulder queasy. The agent looked between Mulder and Scully and when nobody spoke he turned to Mulder and said, "why don't you bring a date, too, Spooky. We can double." He smirked at Mulder and started walking away before either Mulder or Scully could think of an excuse. "I'll call you with details, Dana. Talk to you tonight."

Mulder sat down by Scully at the table as she groaned once the other agent was out of earshot. "You've got to be kidding me."

"He wasn't about to take any excuses, I take it."

"The hockey thing was brilliant, thanks for trying. You don't have to come, I'll make an excuse for you when he calls." She curled her top lip at the prospect of speaking to him on the phone and regretted giving him her number.

"No, it was my idea, I won't leave you hanging." Mulder realized he had just agreed to bring a date and slowly looked around the room to see if he knew anyone well enough to ask. He really didn't socialize much at work (or anywhere) and he only came to the cafeteria because Scully forgot her lunch and didn't want to go out in the snow.

Scully noticed him and followed his eyes around the room before blushing and looking down at her plate. "So… do you… Is there someone you plan to ask?"

Mulder paused, not wanting to seem too pathetic since the truth was he hadn't been on a date in at least three years and the only person he wanted to ask out was sitting in front of him. "Uuuhh… no… I'm not sure…"

Mulder got food from the cafeteria and they ate in silence, both preoccupied with the idea of seeing the other out with someone else.

Friday came too quickly, much to Mulder and Scully's dread. Mulder had asked a chatty secretary from Skinner's floor who always talked to him as he left Skinner's office. She was a little too excited, which had Mulder second guessing his choice. Her name was Angela and as it turned out the obnoxious agent's name was neither Chad nor Brad, but Roger. "I was way off," Mulder chuckled to himself as he pulled a jacket on.

He picked Angela up and headed to the game. The plan was to meet Scully and Roger there and then they'd all go to dinner after. Mulder barely listened to a word Angela said on the drive over, which she didn't seem to mind as she barely stopped talking for a breath the whole way. His stomach was in knots.

They got to their seats to find Scully on the edge of her seat, avoiding touching Roger's arm which was strewn across the back of her seat and slowly inching lower and lower. Mulder's blood ran cold and he was sure to stomp on Roger's foot as he squeezed in front of him to get to his seat. "Oh jeez, so sorry, man." Roger's arm stayed on the back of Scully's seat. Mulder sat in the furthest seat putting Angela next to Roger and too much space between him and Scully. He sighed and leaned forward slightly to steal a glance at Scully, who shot him a pained looked as Roger talked loudly about himself for anyone to hear.

"So that's why I speak so many languages, it's really not a big deal, just something you have to pick up when you travel as much as I have." Mulder rolled his eyes at Roger's back and pretended to shove his finger down his throat in a barf gesture to Scully, which made her laugh which she quickly tried to conceal with a forced couch. Angela looked between Mulder and Scully and sighed. Oops.

Mulder was trying to pay better attention to his date when Roger's arm moved off the back of Scully's seat and his hand started circling Scully's lower back. Scully sat up stiffly on the edge of her seat, smiling awkwardly at Roger who seemed to be growling something quietly in her ear, leaning into her personal space. It was in that moment that Mulder realized how big Roger was, his hand practically covering the span of Scully's back. Mulder tried to reel in his jealousy and anger, but then Scully's clear discomfort and Roger's disregard of Scully's discomfort made Mulder see red.

Focus on Britney. No Angela! Whatever. She's talking and you should be listening. Mulder watched Roger drop his hand to Scully's seat, grazing the top of butt, and Angela was quickly forgotten again.

Roger's hand then moved up Scully's back to her shoulder blades where he started going side to side, as if to comfort her. Scully was still sitting completely rigid and staring at the game. Roger slowly snaked his arm around to Scully's side under her arm, his fingers grazing the side of her breast. She jumped and finally pushed his arm away. Mulder couldn't see exactly where Roger's hand had gone but he could imagine and his jaw hung open. Angela glanced from Mulder's shocked expression to Roger and Scully, sighing again and turning to the game.

Scully can handle herself. She wouldn't want you stepping in, implying she couldn't handle this idiot. Mulder seethed.

Roger's hand made another swipe, this time fully cupping her breast. Scully pushed his off and stood up. She didn't say a word but turned away quickly like she was going to leave. Mulder jumped up at the same as Roger, but Roger was of course closer.

Roger grabbed Scully and pulled her back. She wobbled a bit so he tugged again and sat down, pulling her down into his lap. She squirmed for a second, fighting off his hands which seemed to be all over her all at once, when Mulder scooped her up and set her on her feet on the other side of her seat, far enough away from Roger to grab her purse and start walking out of their row. Mulder turned back as Roger started to say, "oh, come on, don't be such a pru-"

He didn't finish the word "prude" before Mulder's fist met his jaw. Angela jumped up in shock and people around them cheered and laughed.

"Slug him again!" "Fight back!" "Is that all?!" Mulder remembered then that Hockey fans were not his favorite crowd.

His eyes found Scully's, which were wide in shock. This split second of checking in with Scully cost him, as Roger was then on his feet, shoving and screaming something along the lines of "do you know who I am?!"

Mulder shoved Roger back into his seat and waved for Angela to come. She slid past Roger and said, eyeing Scully at the top of their section, "you go ahead and take Dana home, I'll catch a cab." And when Roger stalked up behind her she turned around to face him and yelled, "shut up and sit down, Roger!" He looked taken aback for long enough for Mulder to bound up the stairs three at a time after Scully.

"Hey Scully, are you okay?" His worried eyes searched her face and was confused to find her giggling.

"You just PUNCHED him." She fell into a full, boisterous fit of laughter. "Did you see his face?!" She choked.

Mulder was relieved she was laughing after this ordeal because he was still fuming. He tried to smile with her as they got to the parking lot.

"Scully… don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're laughing, but… are you really okay?? That guy had octopus arms! He was all over you!"

Scully's smiled slipped and she sighed deeply. "He was a creep. And that was awful. But we were in public and you were there, so I knew I wasn't in further danger, not like… anyway, I knew I was safe."

Mulder stopped walking and stared at her. "Not like?"

Scully avoided his eyes. "Just about every woman has experienced the fear of wondering if anyone will hear you if you scream. I think it almost any time I'm alone with a man, find exit strategies, keep my hand on my weapon. But I was fine. I've been through worse. I'm fine."

She kept walking until she reached his car and then looked back and saw he hadn't moved. "You coming or do I have to highjack your car to get home?" He didn't smile. "Mulder, I'm fine." She groaned.

"Sorry, I just…" Mulder slowly followed her to the car. "I'm sorry." He walked to her side of the car and unlocked it manually, opening her door for her. She raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing as she got in. She eyed him as he slowly walked around to his side, got in, but didn't put the keys in the ignition.

"Have you ever wondered that about me?" She stared at him in confusion. "Ya know, what you said about… being alone with a man…"

"No, Mulder, I didn't - "

"The basement is secluded, nobody would hear…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence or look at her.

"Mulder, no. Just stop. Please. That's not what I meant. You're not… I felt safe today because you were there. I always feel safe with you." He finally met her eyes and she tried to convey to him with a look that she meant what she said. "Now can we please go?"

Neither of them spoke the whole way to her apartment. Scully hesitated before reaching for the handle. "We didn't eat dinner… wanna come up? We can order Chinese."

The mood was much lighter in Scully's apartment. Everything seemed to go back normal as they talked and laughed through dinner and a cheesy horror movie ("can you even call this a horror movie?") on her couch. Once the movie ended Scully sighed, content, and smiled up at him. Her smile faltered as she saw he was already staring at her pensively, brow furrowed lightly.

"Mulder?"

She felt a flush creep up her chest and cover her face as his piercing eye contact remained. She couldn't discern what was going on behind those golden hazel eyes that she usually read so easily.

"I just… I keep thinking about earlier. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make your bad experience about me, but I can't stop thinking about how I'm always invading your personal space, touching you, leaning around you… I just want to be sure I haven't made you uncomfortable, and I hope you know you could tell me."

Scully wanted to roll her eyes but she knew he was being sincere and he was actually worried.

"I don't know how to make you understand. From the moment I met you I felt comfortable, almost like we'd known each other forever. If I were uncomfortable at any point I would say so, and I fully trust that you would listen. I trust you. I feel safe with you. I feel safer with you than I have with anyone in my whole life. I love when you invade - " she froze at her admission and Mulder perked up, straightening his posture, his eyebrows almost disappearing entirely in his hair. "I mean… I don't mind… when you touch me… or I mean, it's not…"

She was stumbling over her words and looking anywhere but at him so she didn't notice him leaning in slowly until she felt his breath on her cheek. They were now facing each other on the couch and practically nose to nose.

"You love when I invade your space?" For a second she was a deer in the headlights until he added, "I'll admit I also love when I touch you." He slowly reached a hand out and put it on her hip next to the back of the couch.

A small gasp slipped from Scully's lips and she stammered, "I, I do… I love it, too." His other hand pushed her hair behind her ear and cupped her face.

"Can I -"

"Yes!" She didn't mean to sound so breathy or desperate but whatever he wanted he could have.

Mulder chuckled then took a deep breath and the air seemed to change around them and he closed the barely-there gap and kissed her, so gently at first she peeked to make sure it was really happening. She opened her lips slightly and nipped at his pouty bottom lip, which she had been dreaming of doing every day for four years. He deepened the kiss and lost his hand in her hair.

The hand on her hip suddenly pulled and scooped her up single handedly into his lap. She broke the kiss for a split second in surprise then resumed so forcefully she pushed him down onto his back on the couch. She couldn't keep her hips from moving as she tried to get every inch of herself touching him, legs tangled, hands exploring under the front of his shirt to find his washboard abs. His hands ran up the back of her shirt and stopped on the clasp of her bra.

He pulled his face away to meet her eyes, asking silently for consent. She smiled and leaned back far enough to pull her shirt up and over her head in a swift movement. She met his eyes again and nodded slowly. Always the gentleman he leaned forward, almost knocking her backwards as he removed his shirt. They searched each other's eyes for just a moment before he leaned forward and put his hands back on the clasp of her bra, never dropping eye contact as he pulled it off and tossed it on her coffee table. He leaned in like he was going to kiss her but diverted to her neck. Her eyes closed and her head fell back, wanting to feel him on every inch of her. He left a trail of kisses down to her right breast then circled her nipple with his tongue. She moaned gently then loudly as he sucked and slid her nipple past his teeth.

"I need you inside me..." she breathed. She was shocked by her own admission as she usually longed for more foreplay than any man was willing to give.

Mulder immediately lifted her from her hips and set her standing on the ground in front of him, still sitting, so he could finish undressing her first. He kissed her stomach gently as he peeled her pants off of her toned legs. She was relieved to see she was wearing cute underwear for once, lilac lace boyshort cut in a size just too small that she new made her butt look amazing. Mulder admired the lilac against her porcelain skin and enjoyed the sight of her wearing nothing else. She took his hands and pulled him up gently so she could start undoing his pants. Watching her do this almost sent Mulder over the edge; he had dreamed of exactly that many times. He gritted his teeth and glanced at the ceiling.

Scully dropped his pants and smiled up coyly through her eyelashes at him. She turned toward the couch and leaned her hands on the arm rest, exposing her perfect butt in her favorite underwear. She smirked when she heard Mulder groan behind her and peeked over her shoulder, beckoning him with just a look. Mulder's hands found her hips and he kissed her shoulder as he positioned himself and slowly entered her.

She gasped. It had been a little too long and her vibrator didn't radiate heat the way Mulder did. It also didn't make her this wet. She dropped her head back, eyes closed, wanting to commit this moment to memory forever. He started slow, going all the way in and pulling almost completely out, then repeating. Her whimpers encouraged him and he sped up until she was breathing heavily and crying out. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from finishing before her but he had to do something more for her or he wouldn't make it. He reached a hand around and found the little bundle of nerves that he knew would do the trick. Just a few circles in and she was convulsing and crying out in pleasure. He let go of his cheek and immediately followed her. Panting heavily she fell gently on the couch and he had to catch himself to keep from crushing her. He kissed her back from shoulder to shoulder and she hummed contently. She turned her head toward him and he nuzzled the crook of her neck.

"Can you believe where this night led us?" She began to giggle as she choked out, "you punched someone not 3 hours ago!"

Mulder laughed with her this time. "Yeah, and I'd do it again."

Her voice is still light but she adds seriously, "I know you would. I know I'm safe with you."

The end