"My partner asked me on a date," Mulder informed Roger, his friend and former therapist.

"Your partner," Roger raised an eyebrow, smiling teasingly. Mulder loved to show his territoriality by calling Dana his friend or his partner instead of using her first name. If he did address her by name, it was always the last name. Scully. Betty was usually his daughter, or, self-explanatory enough, Uber Scully.

"A date," Mulder tried to direct his attention to the point, which Roger playfully ignored again.

"Did you start working in the hospital with Dana?" he kept on teasing. "I didn't know doctors even had partners..."

"A soldier doesn't stop being a soldier when the war is over," Mulder leaned back in the chair and took a sip of his coffee. "Scully will always be my partner."

Roger chuckled, as always enjoying Mulder's unique way of showing affection for his... Partner.

"How is Dana?" he asked.

"Busy," Mulder sighed, annoyed with Roger's avoidance of the subject, even more annoyed with himself for trying to have this conversation with him in the first place.

"Busy dating," Roger nodded. "It was about time. Please tell me you didn't say no."

"I didn't," Mulder sighed, looking guilty, as if dating was some kind of shameful activity.

"Good, great," Roger was pleased. He took a sip of his tea, taking a moment to think about what bothered Mulder so much that he decided to contact him, after months of not keeping in touch.

"When was the last time you went on a date?" he finally decided to ask.

"Yesterday," Mulder answered, hoping Roger wouldn't ask about next to last.

"Yesterday," Roger slowly repeated, carefully observing him. Mulder didn't look happy, but he didn't look miserable either. He just looked... Constipated.

"Tell me about it," Roger finally requested. "A beautiful woman, a mother of your child, asks you on a date, you go, and the next day you are sitting in the nameless café with me, looking like you lost all hope. How bad was it?"

"It wasn't bad," Mulder said, not offering any further explanation.

"Tell me about it," Roger repeated patiently.

"My daughter was excited," Mulder smiled. "She insisted on helping Scully pick a dress, I think they even went shopping. Scully looked beautiful in it, it was sparkly and, as I was informed, purple. Did you know she wants to become a fashion designer?"

"Dana?"

"No, Betty."

"Ah, Betty. She will be successful in whatever she ends up doing."

"I just want her to be happy," Mulder said. He couldn't understand Betty's obsession with clothes, but he loved her excitement and dedication to her dream. "My Uber Scully."

He stared at the coffee cup with an enigmatic smile, until Roger coughed to get his attention. Mulder raised his eyes at him, patiently waiting for questions, having nothing more to say even though he hadn't even started talking yet.

"Where did you go?" Roger asked, not really caring. He was fishing for some information that would help him figure out what was it about this date that bothered Mulder so much. He used to root for Fox and Dana, he used to try letting them know that they belonged to each other, but neither of them was very receptive to his efforts. He'd given up on seeing them together years ago and he didn't feel like getting his hopes up again. But Mulder looked troubled and Roger's professional instincts kicked in.

"Betty wanted to..." Mulder started, but Roger stopped him.

"I don't care what your Uber Scully had planned for you. I'm asking about Regular Scully."

"Regular Scully," Mulder repeated, getting a taste of the expression. He liked it. "We went to a, um, restaurant. And... It was fancy, expensive. Not really my taste but Scully likes the occasional luxury."

"It reminds you of your parents," Roger remembered. Mulder had inherited lots of money and properties, but he didn't use it. He lived in a small apartment with only one purple bedroom that wasn't even his. He dreamed of a simple, modest life, but was content with even less. A couch and a TV was pretty much all he used. It wasn't a home, it was a cave, a basic shelter. Roger knew from theory and experience that lots of children from dysfunctional families dedicate their lives to not ending like their parents, which in turn often pushes them into equally dysfunctional opposites. Mulder deserved more, so much more than he was allowing himself to have.

"It was nice to talk about adult stuff for a change," Mulder said, ignoring remark about his parents. "We had a good time."

"Did you kiss her?" Roger asked bluntly.

"I..." Mulder was hesitating and Roger didn't think he would answer, but the perfectly satisfying answer arrived anyway. "I kissed her good night. She asked me if I wanted to come upstairs, but I refused. I went home. That was it."

"You went home?" Roger raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He knew Mulder was traumatized and needed time, but at this rate he was going to die a virgin and there was no objective need for that fate.

"It was only our first date," Mulder smiled teasingly. "You didn't really think I was that easy, did you?"

"You knew each other since... Forever. You have a child together. There's no reason to go slow and you know it, Fox."

"Don't call me that," Mulder complained.

"Sorry," Roger genuinely apologized. He meant no disrespect, but he liked being on a first name bases with his friends, especially when a said friend had such an irresistible name. Fox. What a perfect mixture of mystery, exoticness and domestics.

"What do I even do?" Mulder sounded almost desperate. " I can't help to feel like it's some kind of a... charity from her part."

"You mean a pity date?" Roger offered.

"No, I mean... Yeah. Maybe. Is it?"

"Honestly, Fox, I think you are too attractive for there to even be any room for a pity."

"Attractive?"

"She asked you to be the father of her child, when she had an endless collection of anonymous donors to choose from. She is willing to die for you, and not just in theory. She stood by you when you were on your lowest, she went to hell and back for you more times than I can count. Honestly, Mulder, the only pity I see here is self-pity and it doesn't look good on you. You've came too far to resort to that now."

Mulder took the last sip of his coffee, then stared at the empty cup, contemplating Roger's words.

"It's not self-pity," he finally said.

"What is it then, Mulder?" Roger asked gently.

"It's what I wanted to ask you..."

"Then ask."

"What's it like, Walker?" Mulder finally looked him in the eyes, his embarrassment giving way to curiosity now. "What's it like being with a woman?"

It was Roger's time to be embarrassed. He needlessly stirred his tea, trying to buy some time. He didn't know what to say. Not talking about his private life was one thing, but answering this question would turn him into a liar. If this was anybody else then maybe... But this insanely attractive and even more insanely troubled man dedicated his life to finding the truth.
"I don't know," Roger admitted. "I've never been with a woman."

"What?" Mulder stared in him in disbelief. "Is this a joke? 'Cause I'm telling you, it's not funny!"

"It's not a joke, Mulder. I've never told you because I... I didn't want to trigger you or... And it never really mattered, but... I have a very fulfilling and diverse sexual life. Just not with women."

"So you're..." Mulder was trying to wrap his mind around it.

"Homosexual," Roger nodded. "I'm gay, Fox."

Mulder just stared at him while the rage was building inside him.

"Say something," Roger pleaded when the silence and tension became unbearable.

Mulder just shook his head.

"I have nothing to say to you," he said. With those words he stood up, threw some money on the table, turned around and left without a goodbye.