Office Jealousy - Requested by MonikaFileFan - September 22nd, 2019

Season 7 - Scully gets jealous

She'd been trying so hard to feign indifference while they waited for Skinner, but it was becoming increasingly harder to ignore. "Agent Mulder, what's an eight letter word for 'desperate'?"

Danielle. Scully answered begrudginly to herself.

"Hopeless," Mulder replied to the young blonde.

Wow their answers were the same, great minds think alike.

Scully shook the petty thought from her mind as she focused her attention back on the same paragraph of the journal article she'd been staring at since they sat down.

Skinner's usual secretary, Arelene, was out of the office for a week long holiday, leaving the generic brand Pamela Anderson in her place. Be nice, Dana.

Scully'd initially had no problem with the woman, but every time they came in, she obvertly flirted with Mulder right in front of her. Scully had no claim to him, she knew that, but part of her recognized that according to office rumors she in fact did have claim to him and that claim was not being respected. Before encountering this woman she'd been offended by everyone's presumption that Mulder was hers and she was Mulder's, but having this outsider question that made her realize how much comfort she actually took in that unstated assumption. It made her realize that in her deeply surpressed subconcious, she had a crush on Mulder and this woman was a threat.

And she fucking hated it.

"Ugh, you're so smart! Thank you!" the woman beamed, scratching his answer down on the crossword while having the audacity to pretend it was a new component in her puzzle when it was really the first time ink had touched that newspaper all day. Be. Nice. Dana.

Last time they'd come in, Mulder had made a comment about her being unnesecarily harsh with the secretary and she was embarrassed. Embarrassed that she'd been unecessarily rude to this girl simply because she had a good taste in men, and for Mulder seeing her act like that.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Mulder replied as he averted his gaze shyly.

If it were Scully she'd have called him brilliant, but then again if it were her he probably would't look as damn bashful as he does right now.

"Hey Agent Mulder?" the woman called out again. If Mulder felt Scully's entire body tense up in irritation, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Yes?"

"I was curious if you wanted to get drinks tonight after work?"

"Oh," he chuckled breathlessly, "um-."

She peeked an eye up and glared at the woman angrily. Not that she noticed, she was too busy leering at the clearly surprised Mulder.

They had plans tonight. Like they'd had every Friday night for the past two months.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as she waited what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds, for his response. "I'm flattered, but I actually already have plans tonight," he explained appreciatevly.

While she was relieved he didn't turn her down, her stomach twisted at the idea that he only did so because she was right there.

"Are they so important you can't get out of them? I'd make it worth your while," she cooed.

The crinkling of paper drew everyone's attention to Scully who, at the same time, realized she was white knuckle gripping and denting her journal article and released her grip with startled embarassment, all while refusing to make eye contact with the other two.

"Sorry, no can do," Mulder replied, turning his attention back to Danielle, offering her a shrug of apology.

"Bu-"

"Agents, thanks for coming," Skinner greeted, opening his door and effectivley cutting off his secretary, who said no more as they passed by nor when they left the meeting half an hour later.

To be honest, she couldn't remember in full what the meeting had been about, she was too busy thinking about the way Mulder shyly chuckled when he was asked out. Did he get asked out a lot? Surely so with how he looks? And his charm, and his brains?

"Scully?" she heard Mulder call out distantly, followed by a slight tug on the elbow of her jacket.

"Huh?" she started, realizing she'd been spacing out in the elevator.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, brows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, yeah," she nodded, shaking a hand in front of her face to dismiss his worry.

He nodded with her in silent understanding and they stood side by side as the awkward tension permeated the space between them. Feeling her guilt gnaw at her, she spoke up suddenly, "If you had wanted to go out with Skinner's secretary, I hope you didn't turn her down just because I was there."

"What?" he replied, uncertain of her meaning.

"I don't want to stop you from pursuing something you might want," she replied cryptically, for some reason she was unable to say her true feelings without masking them with indifference.

"You're not. I'm pursuing what I want," he replied.

She felt her gut bottom out as he said his, the thumbnail she was using to pick at the dead skin around her fingers picking up the pace in a panic. "But I thought you turned her-"

"It's just as I told her, I have plans tonight," he reassured, his face coloring a bit under her attention. A slow smile of understanding stretched her lips at the same time as his hand slid against hers, intertwining thier fingers gently.

"Oh," she replied softly, her smile evident in her tone as she looked ahead at the door. "Good."