"You look like you could use a hug." - Requested by Anonymous - April 29th, 2019.
Season 3ish, maybe - Hug
They were at a pivotal point in their partnership where he felt like they considered each other friends. As juvenile as it sounded, he could confidently say she was the best friend he'd ever had, but being he was a grown man, the impulse to wonder if the intense sentiment was reciprocated felt innapropriate.
Regardless, he was still aware that even though they had saved each others lives more times than he could count, they were still slowly getting to know each other. He knew what time of the day she normally got hungry, he knew her favorite radio station, he knew she preferred Jeopardy to Wheel of Fortune, and he knew if he asked her what was wrong right now that he'd just recieve "I'm fine" as an answer. He guessed they weren't there yet, but that didn't mean he'd stop trying.
Scully came in to the office sad today. He wasn't sure why, but he could see it in her demeanor. He caught her staring in the corner of the rooms a few times, but everytime he was about to say something, she'd return her gaze to her desk and resume writing a report that she'd been working on for hours. The same type of report she usually knocked out in thirty minutes. Not only was she distant, but she even looked different- her hair was haphazardly put in a bun and she was barely wearing any makeup. She looked beautiful, but he knew how much care she put into looking professional.
He was concerned to say the least.
It wasn't until he returned from the bathroom and caught her with her head in her hands that he decided to speak up.
"You look like you could use a hug," he laughed without humor - a genuine offer disguised as a joke.
She bolted upright and he saw her wipe away tears with the back of her hand and it broke his heart. "Scully, what's w-"
"I'm fine," she choked, but the quivering of her lip made the truth so obvious she couldn't even fight it. Instead, she looked down again and offered a strained, "I'm sorry."
"Hey," he soothed as he sat on the desk in front of her. "Don't be sorry. What's wrong?"
"I'm being ridiculous," she sniffed, wiping her tears away with intense finality. Finality Mulder wasn't ready to give her.
"You've been upset all day. I don't know about you, but I most certainly don't consider that to be ridiculous."
She looked at him for a moment, pondering his words as he sat fixed under the intensity of her eyes. He knew she was contemplating if she wanted to expose her vulnerable side to him, something he knew she liked keeping under her aromor of self protection. He knew she valued her privacy so much that he felt his whole body jolt in relief when she started speaking. "I-um," she started, looking down and picking at her nails to avoid his gaze. "Today's the anniversary of my father's death," she finished, with her classic clinical detatchment to keep from crying.
"I just-," she stammered. He could tell she was uncomfortable, it was the only time she ever lost her usual eloquience. "When I got in the car this morning, one of his favorite songs was playing and it just-" her face crumpled a little and he reached out to grab her hand in his own.
"It felt like he was checking on you? Or that it was his way of saying hello?" he offered.
She nodded and sniffled at the same time. "I know it sounds stupid," she rushed, punishing herself for what she deemed a childish indulgence. Part of him was worried that she was quick to judge because she was concerned he was judging her for finding comfort in her faith. That her finding solace in the idea her dad was still with her would make him think less of her.
"Scully, it's not stupid at all. We all look for signs. Who's to say it wasn't him saying hi? He probably knew you'd be upset today and wanted to give you a sign not to be," he shrugged.
A tear ran down her cheek, but she was smiling. "You don't even beleive in that type of stuff."
"Not in the religious sense, but in the metaphysical sense, have you met me?" he joked.
She laughed in response and wiped the final tear away. "Thank you, Mulder."
"You can always talk to me," he smiled as he stood up.
Then, much to his surprise, she stood up with him and took him up on his initial offer, wrapping her arms around his torso tightly and burying her face in his chest. At first he was too surprised to react, then as a smile spread across his face, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the crown of her head.
As happy as he was to have given her any sense of comfort, he was even more happy that she'd given him the opportunity to. Just another moment he could feel their friendship growing. All he had to do was ignore the little voice in his head repeating I love you as he held her.