"Shouldn't you be with him/her" + "You've been drinking tonight, haven't you" - Requested by Anonymous - April 4th, 2019
Season 7 - Misunderstanding

The harsh burn of the vodka sliding down his throat reminded him why he didn't like to drink. As he slammed the shot glass down on the table and was met with the sight of Scully dancing in the arms of some lab geek, he was reminded of why he was right now.

He didn't mean to seem possessive, she just looked so beautiful and she was so radiant when they drove here that he started to hope maybe he'd get to experience all 100 watts of Scully brilliance directed at him.

But no. James, or whatever the hell his name is, decided that tonight was the night he was going to make his move on Scully. He'd chuckled until she smiled and accepted his offer to dance, leaving Mulder to watch sullenly at the table. That was twenty five minutes ago.

At first he was sure she'd find a way to escape, but as soon as the fear crept into his chest that maybe she didn't want to, he claimed a table in the corner and took a shot every time the waiter came by with a tray. Not only did he have to sit there and watch the one reason he came to this office event have a great time in front of him, the entire can secretary staff wouldn't leave him alone.

"I'm a little busy, Jan."

"No, Sarah, I haven't ever seen a Chupacabra with my own eyes."

"No, Agent Scully and I are not divorced because we've never been married because we've never dated because we aren't together."

"No, Mark, I don't bat for that team. Yes, you'll be the first to know when I change my mind."

He barely paid attention to half the conversations because his attention was too focused on the silky expanse of Scully's back, revealed by the low cutline of her halter dress, and the tan hand resting in the center of it - dangerously close to his spot.

Mulder shook the thoughts out as soon as they came. She was having fun. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Scully wouldn't do something she didn't want to do, which is probably why he'd been so ecstatic when she said yes after he asked her to come to this thing with him. Well, he'd asked her to carpool, but he felt like his intention was clear.

God, he's an idiot.

He played with the rim of his beer as he thought of all the other ways he could have finally asked Scully out on a date that better encompassed his feelings instead of "I can give you a ride to the Veteran's Banquet."

Fuck. He didn't even actually ask her. All he'd managed to do was give her a ride to canoodle with this geek who looks like he'd barely hit puberty.

"Hey, sorry about that," he heard a familiar breathless voice apologize.

He glanced up from his bottle and was met with Scully pulling up a chair right next to him, taking the beer from in front of him and taking a drink herself. He was temporarily mesmerized by the way her throat moved as she drank before realizing he was supposed to respond. "Shouldn't you be with him?" he teased, pointing to the man she'd just gotten done dancing with.

Her eyebrows raised lightly at him, chastising him ever so slightly as she grabbed his wrist with her small hand and pulled it back down onto the table. "Mulder," she admonished with a laugh. "Don't point at him, I just escaped."

"Escaped?" he repeated.

She grabbed his beer again and threw it back, finishing it off like it was water. "He wouldn't stop talking to me. I felt bad," she explained, looking down and adjusting the bust line of her dress, making sure she was covered, er, maybe? When she was done they looked pushed up a little more and the amount of effort it took him to remove his stare reminded him that he'd had a few more than a few while she was gone.

When he did look up, he saw she was staring at him with a look of surprise, shock, and -maybe it was the alcohol thinking this but- pride? He was sober enough to know he didn't want to be caught in a leer, so he asked, "Felt bad for what?"

"Mulder, he asked if I wanted to dance with him and you actually laughed in his face."

"I did not," he exaggerated, his mouth gaping a little in mock-surprise.

"Okay," she chuckled, "Laughing may have been too strong of a word, but you definitely made an incredulous sound and I didn't want to dash the kid's hopes. I have to be on good terms with the lab geeks, why else do you think we get our results back so fast?"

Through his buzz, he felt a little ridiculous for reacting irrationally. "I missed you," he told her, looking at the table cloth instead of at her.

"Mulder, you've been drinking tonight, haven't you?" she asked with amusement lacing her voice.

He pointed at the drink she'd stolen from him and she added, "More than just this."

"I in-dulged a little," he stammered.

"Why?" She asked. "You don't drink." He shrugged and felt her lean closer to him, "Mulder, were you jealous?"

He was curious if being drunk made him an open book or if Scully just knew him that well. He'd like to think the former, he knew it was the latter. Looking up at her, he was taken aback at how beautiful she looked and how close she was. Her skin was flawless and her eyes were accentuated by makeup and he swore her talents were limitless. He focused on a curled tendril before returning his attention back to her cerulean eyes. Trying to match her intensity, but knowing he was just doing a poor, drunken imitation. "Yes."

She looked down as a smile broke out on her face and he felt like the luckiest man in the entire world for putting it there. James may have gotten a dance, but he got this and he didn't know if anything could be better.

"Mulder, I only came because I wanted to be with you," she whispered, reaching out to hold his hand.

Okay, maybe it could get better.