It was hot.
And not just hot either. It was muggy. There was no wind at all and even though it was only in the 80's, Mulder was sweating. There wasn't much shade on the beach and of course, that's where Scully wanted to spend the day.
They'd gotten up fairly early, because Scully insisted on getting the sand dollars before the seagulls got them. They didn't find any sand dollars, but they did find a few jellyfish.
Scully was laying out on a towel, halfway through a book, while Mulder made lazy drip castles in the sand between them.
"Scully?"
"Hmm?"
"Can we do something?"
"Are you bored?"
"Kind of."
She sighed.
"Why don't you read that book you brought?"
"How can you spend a vacation reading?"
"Reading is a vacation. I never have time for it."
He sighed and looked down the beach.
"Hey Scully, what are those guys doing?"
She glanced up again and noticed the group of guys, throwing small boards down in the water's edge. They ran and jumped on the boards and rode them until the momentum ran out.
"Skimboarding," she answered simply. "Go try it."
"Me?"
"Why not? You'd never be able to do it at home."
"You think I can?"
"Sure. Go for it."
"Are you going to laugh at me if I fall?"
"I won't even be watching."
"Okay."
He stood up and headed over to the guys. Scully chuckled and watched him cross the beach. She had to say she kind of enjoyed seeing him in nothing but swimming trunks. Of course she would never be so bold as to say that she liked how he looked without a shirt. It was more the she was happy to see him out of the confines of a suit and an office and a bureaucracy. He was able to just be, and she was able to watch him. She liked seeing smiles that weren't wry, hearing laughter that didn't end after a few seconds. Just that was enough of a vacation for her.
She turned back to her book for a while, trying hard to keep her promise not to watch him. After less than five minutes, she failed miserably.
Mulder seemed to be catching on pretty well, or at least he was staying on the board. She chuckled a little as he wiped out, but managed to do it gracefully.
The next time she looked up, he seemed to be doing much better. He was even managing to do a few tricks. She was actually kind of proud of him.
He must have felt her watching, because just at that moment, he biffed it. Really badly. The board actually went flying up in the air and landed on his shin. She tried really hard to keep from laughing, but had to cover her face with her book when he looked up to see if she was watching. She stayed like that for a long time until she felt cold droplets of water on her legs.
"You saw that, didn't you?" he asked.
She tipped her sunglasses down and noticed the cut on his leg.
"Classy," she replied.
"Okay, so I don't want to get it infected and I'm thinking you might have a band-aid or something."
She rolled her eyes as he sat down on his towel.
"What am I, your nurse?"
"Yeah?"
"You're ridonkulous."
"What's ridonkulous?" he asked as she started to clean up his leg.
"Ridiculous. I guess."
"You say words that you don't know the meaning of?"
"You use the word logic."
"Oh, burn."
She chuckled and finished up with his leg.
"Thanks, Scully."
"You're welcome. Going to try it again?"
"Nah, I think I've had enough humiliation. Want to walk?"
"Sure."
They stood up and began to walk down the hot sand to the water. The sand made a strange squeaking noise under their feet, and sand flies jumped out of their way.
"You want to know what I've always wondered?" Scully asked, kicking the sand out ahead of her.
"What?"
"How do mermaids give birth?"
"You've always wondered that?"
"Well… yeah. I mean, for the sake of the argument."
"I think they're like fish."
"Fish?"
"The mermaid lays eggs, and the merman pollinates them."
"Pollinates?!" she laughed. "Mulder, I don't think you mean pollinates."
"Fertilize? I don't know, I'm not a mermaid."
She doubled over with laughter, covering her mouth.
"Oh Mulder, the things that you think of."
"You were the one wondering about the reproduction cycle of a mermaid!"
"Alright, maybe we're even then."
"Even, and ridonkulous."
"Indeed."
"It's hot out here," he commented, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.
"Yeah, it is. I don't think I can stand it anymore."
She suddenly peeled her t-shirt and shorts off, revealing a black, but very modest two piece. Before he could say anything, she took off running towards the water, through the waves, and dove in. He just stood there, his mouth agape, wondering what to do. Scully stood up from the water and raked a hand through her hair.
"Come on, Mulder."
"No way, it's cold."
"It's not bad," she shouted back. "Are you a wimp?"
He hated how persuasive she was.
He splashed into the water next to her and came up quickly, trying to get his breath back. Scully grinned as they stood in the water, the waves crashing around them.
"I can get you to do anything," she said, making her way back towards the beach.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"It's cold in here."
"Scully, that wasn't fair!"
The sky was a dark purple, almost onyx, and it had cooled off considerably. Mulder was building a fire on the beach so they could make S'mores, and Scully was standing in the surf, letting the water wet her ankles. She looked smaller than normal as she stood there, and he got up to join her, wondering what she was thinking about. He placed his hand on the small of her back and she turned to him with a smile.
"Fire's ready," he said, leaning closer to breathe in her scent. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.
"I smell like the ocean," she commented. "I don't think I'll ever wash this sweatshirt."
"You sound like Marsha Brady-"
"When Desi Arnaz Jr.-"
"Kissed her on the cheek," they finished together with a laugh.
"Okay, now I understand the meaning of ridonkulous."
She laughed as he grabbed her hand and spun her away from him and back again. The water splashed up and made his pants wet, but he didn't really care.
"Dance with me," he said, moving them in a slow waltz.
"There's no music, Mulder."
"Doesn't matter."
She smiled and went along with it, letting him dance them through the water for a few minutes.
"As I recall, you said something about the fire being ready," she said after a while. "I would love a S'more right now."
"As you wish."