Authors Note:
This delightful little AU was birthed out of a caffeine induced nap. A prompt on Twitter by @psychicscully asking for a Mulder and Scully AU where Mulder is in the Academy and Scully is writing her thesis.
It was begging to be written.
University of Maryland
Frederick Coffee Co.
February, 1986
Among all the people in the coffee house, he noticed her right away.
She was sitting alone, engrossed in books. Strawberry red hair pulled up in a loose ponytail. Creamy complexion, little to no make-up. Dressed for comfort, study clothes .
From the looks of it, she'd been at the coffee shop for a while. She had a pile of books scattered across the small cafe table and, at her feet, what looked like a backpack full of more.
He had already watched her approach the counter once for a coffee refill, and an untouched pastry was taking up space among the clutter of books and notes. A student at the University, no doubt, and based on her youthful, albeit beautiful appearance, probably an underclassman. But as he focused on the reading material she had on top of the table, he wondered if his assumptions were correct.
He wasn't one to bother people when he was practicing his profiling skills, but the contradiction he had formed in his mind was too intriguing to pass up and besides, Frohike was ten minutes late already, and she was strikingly beautiful and well, why not.
He walked over to her table.
"Hey."
"Oh, hello."
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Um, I don't know you."
He extended his hand, "Fox Mulder, but you can call me Mulder. My friends do anyway."
"Oh, are we friends?"
He shrugged his shoulders to his ears, becoming more and more embarrassed at his forwardness and unpracticed self-assurance.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you….you look busy."
"I am," she said, and Mulder turned around to walk away, "Wait," she said, and he heaved a small sigh of relief. "I could use a break. Sit, please."
He smiled, "Thanks."
Picking up some of the books she had lying across the small cafe table, he read them out loud, " Gravitation , Relativity: The Special and The General Theory, Einstein, huh? That's some heavy reading. I had you pegged as an underclassman."
She smiled, and he continued.
"But man, these are graduate-level books, if I had to guess that is."
"Close: I'm working on my senior thesis."
"Dana Scully," her hand stretched out, and he took it. Electric.
"My friends call me Dana- but you can call me Scully since I get to call you Mulder."
She smiled, and he did too. He liked her smile; It was warm, bright, and familiar.
"So, I guess you're a senior?" She was asking the questions now.
Oh no, I..uh…graduated, not here though. Oxford."
"Oxford, huh? What brings you to UMD, graduate work then?"
"No," he chuckled, "Four years was enough for me: I'm actually at the Academy, the FBI Academy."
"You are a long way from Stafford: what brings you here besides the bottomless coffee?" She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She captivated him; even the simplest of gestures had him wanting to know more about her.
"My buddy Melvin Frohike, he's a grad student. TA's for a tenured Anthropology professor. We meet every Thursday to contemplate our life choices."
She giggled. Mulder liked her giggle too. Her blue eyes danced as she laughed, and he was sure by the way she looked at him he was the only person in the room.
"I can get behind that. I question mine at least ten times a day," looking around the small coffee shop, "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"Your friend."
"Oh yeah, him."
She laughed again.
"He must be late- it happens." He continued his questioning, he wanted to know more about her, but he wanted to pace himself too-at the slim chance he'd spook her.
"I've never seen you here before. Do you come here a lot?"
"I usually go to the campus library, but it's closed today; something about book inventory," she continued, leaning forward as she spoke.
Good sign. Really good sign.
"My sister is always bragging about this place, so I decided to try it out."
"Well, I'm glad you did, Da…," snapping his finger, "I mean, Scully. "
She smiled and put her head down. "You don't have to call me that. I confess I was being a little flippant."
Pink cheeks —a nother good sign.
"Actually, I kinda like it. Makes me feel special." He smiled, and she smiled back, with even pinker cheeks.
Oh yes, a very good sign.
Looking up, he spotted Melvin walking through the front entrance. "Ah, there he is now." Motioning toward his friend, "I guess I better go then." He was bummed that his time with her was coming to an end.
Standing up, "Will I see you again, Scully? I'm here every Thursday."
He noticed a hint of disappointment on her face—v ery, very good sign.
"Hmm, maybe, Mulder," she continued, "I will have a ton of work to do, so it wouldn't be outside the realm of extreme possibilities that I would happen to be here next Thursday."
"Einstein, huh? Pointing to the books."
"Einstein," she nodded with a glowing smile.
He put his hands in his pockets, lingering a bit longer. Taking one last look at the woman he had suddenly become so enthralled with, wondering if he would ever see her again.
"Okay, Scully, I'll see you around then."
"See you around, G-man."
He knew he was wearing the biggest grin plastered across his face, but he didn't care. He made a beeline to Frohike, who had already sat down at their usual table.
"Who's the little chickadee?"
"Man, you have got to stop using that word. Just a girl I met, Dana Scully. She's about to graduate, working on her senior thesis."
"Hmmm- she's cute."
"Yeah, she is. And smart too."
Dana Scully had a hard time concentrating after the tall and very handsome Fox Mulder sat down at her table. She wasn't usually one to invite strangers into her universe, as Missy would say, but there was something about him-he was disarming, and she felt drawn to him.
Stealing a glance at Mulder as he sat with his friend. She took notice. He had a pair of jeans on and a black v-neck sweater, he was straddling the chair, and he was effortlessly conversing with his friend.
He was really, really handsome.
Then she suddenly remembered what she must have looked like. She barely had time to brush her teeth this morning before she left her small apartment she shared with her sister. She had thrown on a pair of jeans and a red sweatshirt. Touching her hair as she recounted her rushed morning. She must have looked like a mess; she certainly wasn't dressed to meet a young handsome future FBI Agent. Feeling less confident. She pulled her eyes away from him and tried to focus on Einstein.
Einstein. Attraction. Mulder was really handsome.
She sighed and shook her head; she resigned herself to the notion that getting any work done at this point was null and void. She stood up and gathered her books, picked up her backpack, and left a couple of dollars on the table. She stole a glance at Mulder as she walked by, waving as she did, and he returned a quick and friendly wave back.
God, he must think I'm such a nerd.
As she made her way out and into the street she thought if by some chance he didn't think she was a total geek and he was, let's say, attracted to her in the slightest, she would make sure to look more presentable next Thursday.
A week seemed like an awfully long time. But she was willing to wait because something told her he was worth it.