It had been a whole month since Mulder joined the clinic. Scully quickly learned his work ethic and found that his commitment to his patients mirrored her own. He was caring and listened, wanting to help those who so desperately needed it.
As they'd spent time together, they had fallen into quite a predictable pattern; when either worked late at the clinic, the other would bring dinner. It had quickly become a tradition among friends, something she had been sorely lacking as of late.
He was her friend, this was certain, but he had become something more too.
Over their shared late night dinners at the clinic, they had discussed patients, caseloads and other non-work related topics. They didn't always see eye to eye, but they had an extreme amount of respect and admiration for each other.
The topic this evening was the existence of life beyond the universe. They were camped out in Mulder's office, sharing Chinese takeout, which he had driven into town to pick up, as that particular restaurant didn't deliver. She had mentioned once, in passing, that she preferred Hung Palace over Bamboo Gardens, and he had apparently stored the information away, only ordered from them when they decided on Chinese food.
Scully sat on the floor against the wall, a container of food in her hand, and her laptop perched on a box he had yet to unpack, using it as a makeshift desk. Mulder sat at his desk with his feet propped on top. She watched him as he dug with his chopsticks through the white take-out oyster pail filled with lo mein. He was animated when he spoke, especially about something he was passionate about, and she thought he couldn't look any more handsome than he did at that moment.
"Think about it, Scully… life beyond the cosmos. It's not outside the realm of extreme possibilities."
"Mulder, you can't be serious. Extraterrestrials, really?" Scully rolled her eyes as she picked up a piece of broccoli with her chopsticks. "I can't believe we're even having this conversation."
"C'mon Scully, you mean to tell me in this vast universe among all the sta…" Mulder stopped, "I have an idea. How much more paperwork do you have left Scully?"
She glanced at her laptop and raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise. "Actually, I'm good Mulder. All caught up."
He stood up with a nod, setting the container in his hand onto his desk. "Great, me too. C'mon I want to show you something. But… you're gonna need your jacket."
Outside the clinic, Mulder asked her if he could drive the Jeep and she threw him the keys. He gathered a couple of blankets from the trunk of his own car and they made their way to her Jeep.
She had a slight suspicion that this impromptu excursion was Mulder's way of practicing self-care ; a habit he often encouraged her to utilize in her life. Over the past couple of weeks the two of them had spent quite a bit of time together outside of work and the clinic.
Morning runs before work became a regular occurrence, although Mulder was significantly faster than her.
Freakishly fast , she thought.
He would run ahead, becoming a speck on the horizon at times, but he would always circle back to finish with her, hardly even out of breath.
Most of the time she enjoyed and even welcomed his company, but there were occasions when she needed a good solitary run. She would need to clear her head and stay quiet in her own thoughts. When that was the case, she'd text him early, seeing his light was on and knowing he was up, ready for their run.
He never pushed or pouted and he never asked why or demanded they go together. He would answer with a thumbs up or a smiling face emoji, then would return a quick text, Enjoy your run doc, see you later at the clinic!
He was very good about giving her space when she needed it most.
Tonight however, she was glad he was with her. Or she was with him. Or whatever they were.
Lately, they had been so busy. Mulder stayed late on Tuesdays and Fridays to keep the clinic open for Ms. Halona's student referrals and she felt that if he was there, she needed to be as well. Doing paperwork, catching up on emails, whatever she could to stay with him so he did not feel alone.
But the work had begun to catch up to them and even she felt they needed a break.
Mulder started the Jeep as she pulled herself up into the passenger side with a deep sigh. It was bound to be cold once they started to drive, but she didn't care.
Leaning back in her seat, she sighed again as he backed up and headed away from the clinic. She liked when he drove; it gave her time to look out at the open desert around her. Even in the dark, the moon and the stars blanketed the heavens producing enough light to mimic the landscape of Van Gogh's Starry Night .
She raised her eyes to stare at Mulder. He was clean shaven now, prompted by a dare from Albert to see what he was hiding under all his scruff. Not believing he would actually go through with it, she thought of the day last week when he showed up at the clinic, proving her wrong.
Katy and Mrs. Hosteen had come into Scully's office, closed the door, and gushed quietly over how his lack of a beard had morphed his entire appearance. She had casually nodded in agreement, keeping her feelings about his appearance close to her chest.
She continued to study his face, causing him to look over and hold her gaze for a moment before he returned his eyes to the road.
"What's up, Doc? I can hear you thinking from over here."
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about these past couple of weeks and how much I have enjoyed our time together." She reached over to cover his hand that was resting on the gear shift and she saw him smile. "Thank you, Mulder. You have helped me to loosen up and see that work isn't everything." She sighed and squeezed his hand before letting go.
"You know what they say about all work and no play?" he said with a clever grin and she turned away as she smiled into the darkness. She loved his humor, though she realized that sometimes he used it to deflect compliments.
She stared out into the dark sky. "So Mulder, where are we going?"
"I told you, it's a surprise, Scully."
She responded with a low hum, not being the best with surprises. With Mulder though, she didn't seem to mind. She felt safe with him and trusted his judgment. It seemed small, but she wasn't one who allowed those feelings to surface.
Especially so quickly.
While she didn't know for sure, there were moments she was sure he felt the same way, although he didn't verbalize them.
Two nights ago, they drove home together from the clinic. They started to carpool when they could, which seemed to be happening more often than not. Mulder pulled up to his RV and parked his car.
Inviting her in to watch a movie had seemed like a step forward, but Scully being Scully, ended up falling asleep half-way through it. She woke an hour later to the closing credits, using Mulder's shoulder as a pillow, which apparently had been the case through majority of the movie.
When they called it a night, Mulder walked her to her trailer and as she moved toward her front door, he had gently gathered her hands in his. The porch light illuminated his olive skin against the dark desert sky,
"Scully, thank you for hanging out with me tonight, I thoroughly enjoy your company…even when you fall asleep on me," he chuckled. She felt her face flush as she smiled up at him. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, then he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. She was still smiling when he said, "Good night Scully, see you in the morning." He waited for her to go inside and she watched from her living room window as he ran to his trailer.
Missy was right.
Giddy, she had grabbed her phone from her back pocket and called her sister to let her know what just transpired.
She felt a shift in their relationship, unquestionable movement, and she was sure things were headed toward something more.
She was jolted back from her thoughts when Mulder steered the Jeep off the paved road they were traveling on and onto a desert gravel road.
"Mulder, what are you doing?"
"Do you trust me, Scully?"
"Of course, Mulder. A ctually … I trust you with my life." Scully was surprised at her candor, but the words just rolled off her tongue.
Mulder couldn't believe his ears. He needed to let her know how important she was to him; let her know that not only did he trust her as well, but he was falling in love with her. She was the first person he thought about when he woke up and the last face he saw when he went to sleep.
He had called Melvin the night after he kissed her on the cheek. Worried he'd been too forward, he didn't want to scare her off.
"There is something about her, Melvin. She's different, special. I don't want to screw this up."
Melvin listened, and Mulder loved his friend for that. Mulder was no stranger to relationships, as a matter of fact he never had a problem getting women. But she was different, worthy of more than he knew how to give.
"Look man, seems to me this lady doc is the real deal, and she deserves a real deal guy. One that's genuine and empathetic. One that's gonna treat her with respect and adoration. And really the only man I know who could do all those things and more, is you. Hands down you need to go for it. And if you don't, I will ."
"Mel, I think you're right. And you're not getting a shot at this one buddy, I'm not letting her slip away."
Mulder slowed the Jeep to a stop, throwing the gear into neutral and pulling the emergency brake up. He turned to face a confused Scully.
"Scully, I need you to know that I take it seriously when you say you would trust me with your life." Taking her hands in his, he let out a sigh. "This past month, I have gotten to know the most incredible woman I have ever met. I can't believe I get to work with you every day, share meals with you, share conversations. I…I think I would like to be more than friends, Scully. But if you are apprehensive in any way, I want you to know I will respect your boundaries. I will continue to be content with our current relationship and wait until you are ready."
When he was done he was still facing her holding her hands between both their seats. She was looking at him, speechless. Just when he felt as though he might have overshared, or even sabotaged the best relationship he had ever had, she leaned in close as she took her hands from his and placed one on his cheek.
"Mulder, kiss me."
As if a goddess had spoken, and Mulder was her faithful follower, he shifted his body closer. Placing one hand behind her seat headrest as the other cupped the back of her head, he leaned in and gently pulled her close. Tilting his head, he pressed his lips to hers. Her bottom lip rested perfectly between his, surrendering to his control.
Her lips were soft, warm and wet and her skin smelled like flowers and cinnamon. He lingered on her lips for a moment, but then pulled away prematurely before his desire for more took over. He opened his eyes and searched for a response from her. She was smiling with her eyes closed and her cheeks were a perfect shade of pink.
A good sign.
When she opened her eyes she purred. "Mulder, hmm that was nice…"
He released his hold on her, but he wasn't ready to give up full contact, so he placed one hand on her knee.
"Scully, I still have a surprise for you." Tapping the side of her knee with the back of his finger, he laughed softly. "Don't get me wrong, I could kiss you all night, right here, right now, but I still have somewhere to take you."
He pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then he turned and shifted the Jeep back into motion. He wanted more of Scully, much more, but he was willing to wait.
He was on a mission and he wanted to surprise her.
The first thing Scully thought when Mulder broke from their kiss was, more. She wanted more. He was a drug to her, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone. At the very least she knew where he stood and at the very most , she might be staring into the eyes of her soulmate. Her Mulder drug and she was addicted.
Mulder reached over and grabbed her hand and held it on the stick shift, shifting through the gears with her hand in his; not letting go. They drove for another ten minutes listening to the radio, drunk on endorphins and anticipation of what's to come.
When they stopped, they were at the base of a large rock formation. There were several across the desert, some larger than others, and they stood like monoliths against the flat desert earth.
Mulder turned to Scully, "We're here, c'mon."
He reached behind her seat and grabbed the blankets. Rolling them under one arm and using his phone flashlight as a guide, he walked around the jeep to meet her as she climbed out. He grabbed her hand with his free one and led her up a path that disappeared behind the large rock structure.
Scully's stomach was filled with butterflies which she likened to how she felt long ago as a giddy teenager. Her mind and emotions were all over the place. But surprisingly, it all felt right, he felt right, and nothing, not even her own rationality, could convince her otherwise.
Mulder held her hand as he led her up the trail, squeezing and offering support when the ground felt unsteady.
"Mulder, how did you find this place?"
"Before my assignment, I did some research on the internet on places to hike. This was the first place I went to when I arrived."
After a couple minutes of trekking up the earthen mesa, Mulder stopped abruptly, and she bumped into him. He turned around and handed her the blankets. Looking at her, he took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.
"I'm going to cover your eyes and lead you the rest of the way, is that okay?" She nodded as if in a trance and her heart felt like it could explode.
He slid his hands away from her cheeks to cover her eyes and stepped behind her. His body was flush against hers and she leaned against him, allowing him control over the momentum of her steps forward.
Her body was engulfed by his and he felt warm and safe around her, unlike anything she had ever felt before. As they moved forward, he tilted his head toward hers nestling it at the crook of her neck. Scully shivered in response and her skin prickled. His lips grazed her ear and she shivered again.
"Scully, there isn't anything more beautiful than you, but if something came close, it would be this."
He uncovered her eyes, grabbed the blankets from her hands and wrapped them around her, leaving his hands at either side of her waist.
They were standing on the other side of the rock structure, on a flat embankment that looked out along the vast desert. She gasped, and her eyes began to water,
"Oh Mulder…"
She had never seen anything so amazing. What she had seen from the jeep paled in comparison to the bird's eye panoramic view of the desert she now saw in front of her.
The sky, bright with a million stars and one vivid full moon, bathed the desert in a twinkle of blue and whites and the pink sandy earth glistened from the sky's radiant glow.
Mulder was still behind her as he held her. They stood together in silence taking in the view, as though speaking would break the spell of the beauty around them.
A shooting star blazed across the sky as the desert lay in slumber; the quiet of the night interrupted only by the rhythmic sound of their breathing.