A/N: This one takes place during Rush. After a particular scene during which, if you watch carefully, Scully plays with his tie. It's not really showed but it looks like that's what she's doing.

Here is both Mulder's & Scully's thoughts about that.

Ties

She played with his tie. She PLAYED with his TIE. They were supposed to be working on a case, but right now, as he was driving, the only thing Mulder was capable to think about, was Scully playing with his tie.

He knew her well. He knew she had her ways to keep his feet on the ground, and to make him do what she thought they needed to do to work a case smoothly. Eliminate all the potentially plausible and rational explanations before coming to the crazy conclusion. That was her job to make him do that. She did it well. Scully was a very good debater, and she knew how to make her point, so he was absolutely sure she never had to use that kind of technique before to get this result. At least not with him.

Mulder was edgy. After the two kisses they shared on New Years Day, it could not be a coincidence to see Scully openly flirting with him that way, right? It had to be a good sign. For Mulder, right at this moment, it just had to be, as frighteningly good as it sounded to him.

It was awfully silent in the car but Mulder did not dare to say something, let alone to look at the beautiful, red-haired woman sitting beside him.

XXX

Scully couldn't believe she did this. What was wrong with her? She never acted that way with him before, especially not on a case. That was totally inappropriate. That was totally unprofessional. She did not even need to flirt with him to get what she considered was needed on a case. She never had to before and she was sure that she still did not.

She might have responded to some of his innuendos before but never really seriously and never while in a middle of a case, arguing about the next move. That expression itself, sounded sooo wrong right now, that Scully gave herself a mental slap.

She really did not understand what had happened there. Mulder had not say anything even remotely flirty. They were just arguing about what could have had possibly happened on those woods and what to do next. Mulder had been his usual self as had she been while trying to not make him jump to the crazy conclusion right away… while playing with his tie.

Scully was sure that Mulder was probably wondering if she was not one of those aliens who could take whomever appearances. After all, this was so unlike her. Scully always had a hard time to flirt spontaneously. She could flirt back, but it did not come to her naturally. Another voice in her head reminded her that it did not prevent her to flirting back with him from time to time. She also had a flash of two particular kisses she had participated in recently.

She blushed a little as she stared out of the car window. She did not want to think about that now.

The drive was abnormally silent for them but she did not dare to say something, let alone to look at the tall, handsome man sitting beside her.