This wasn't prompted, I just couldn't get this silly idea out of my head and it's short, lol.

Sing - Prompted by me - August 21st, 2019

Stuck - Season 5-7ish

"Do you know what song that kid was playing?" Scully asked while buckling her seatbelt.

Mulder had been fiddling with the keys, trying to get the old rental to start, and hadn't followed her train of thought. "Huh?"

"The Brown's teenage son. He was in the garage playing with his band. Did you hear?" she explained, turning to him with a furrowed brow as she concentrated.

"Oh, yeah. I think so," he nodded, letting out a sigh of relief when he turned the key and the engine finally started.

She was silent for a while and he thought the topic had blown over. But then the silence dragged on for too long and he realized something was off. At a red light, he glanced over at her and saw she had a look of intense concentration on her face and was practically glaring a hole through the dash.

"You okay there, Scully?" he teased.

"The song's stuck in my head, but I can't remember the name of it and it's bothering me," she admitted monotonously, trying to figure it out even as she spoke. "Do you really not remember?"

He laughed at her seriousness and apologized, "No, sorry. I didn't catch it." She just let out a little hum sound of acknowledgement before the silence resumed.

They were just now leaving and they had a forty minute drive to the motel and a broken radio. If there was one thing he knew about Scully, it was that she wasn't going to let this go and he missed having someone to talk to while driving. "Did it sound familiar?" he asked.

"Yes! I remember around when I was teaching at the academy it would play on the radio all the time. It's grungy, it's catchy," she rambled, her face a mask of intense contemplation.

Already with the description of early nineties, overplayed, and grungy, he was pretty certain he knew what song she was thinking of. But he wasn't about to suggest it and let this opportunity slide by. "You should sing what you know, then I might be able to recognize it."

"Mulder, you know I don't sing," she deadpanned, memories of a monotone Joy to the World visiting them both.

"Come on, Scully," he prodded. "It might help you remember."

She was silent for a moment and he thought she might've been blocking him out, but then he heard a sound he'd never expected to hear: Dana Scully imitating a guitar riff.

"Bum ba dum, dum da da dum, bum ba dum, dum da da dum." It wasn't like her singing in the words, she was actually inflecting, albeit only slightly, and it was the cutest sound he'd ever heard.

It was also distinguishable enough that his prior guess was confirmed, but he was having too much fun to let her know. "Do you know any of the lyrics?"

"I think I know a little of the beginning," she confirmed.

"Sing it," he prompted, trying to hide his smile when he looked over and saw the tips of her ears were already red from embarrassment.

"Load up on guns, bring your friends. It's fun to lose, and to pretend," she sang softly, but in the silence of the car it was clearly audible.

"She's du dun dun and blah blah blah, oh no, I know, a dirty word," she continued, mumbling through the lyrics she didn't know.

Not only was she singing, but she was emoting too and he was glad he didn't have to pay too much attention on this country road, because it was hard to keep his eyes off her.

Suddenly she gasped and said "Nirvana! It's by that band Nirvana!"

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, pretending like this was news to him and the words Smells Like Teen Spirit hadn't been dancing in his head since the conversation started.

"What's it called?" she asked him, getting excited at the affirmation.

"I can't remember, sing more," he replied.

"Then he just goes 'hello, hello, hello, how low,' over and over again for a bit before the chorus. Damn it, how does the chorus go?" she mumbled, singing the hello's quickly.

"With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us," he sang, smiling when he heard her gasp in approval.

"I feel stupid, and contagious. Here we are now, entertain us," they sang in unison. To be honest, the kid's playing had annoyed them while they were trying to conduct the interview, but if it had led to this moment happening, he'd gladly request an encore ten times over.

"A mul-nah na, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, yeah!" they sang, taking turns fumbling on different words.

She started giggling at their duet and the decidedly made this song an honorary favorite of his. "What is it?!" she yelled, laughing.

He pretended to think a moment before declaring, "Smells Like Teen Spirit!"

"Yes!" she exclaimed triumphantly, grabbing his arm in celebration. "Oh I could kiss you, that was bothering me so much," she exhaled, as if a weight had physically been taken off her shoulders.

If this is the type of reaction he got, he'd sing her the whole damn Nevermind album right here and now. "They never actually say those words so I bet that's why you couldn't think of it," he offered, not wanting to embarrass her by telling her she could feel free to show her appreciation anytime.

"Ugh!" she sighed, leaning back in her seat as if she'd run a marathon. "I feel so relieved."

"You lied by the way," he teased.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You can sing."

"Did you just hear me, Mulder?" she laughed. "No, I can't."

"I think you have a pretty singing voice," he replied honestly.

He looked over just in time to see the corners of her lips twitch up at his compliment. "So do you," she murmured softly.