Mulder glanced up as she entered the room. She looked tired or something, not on top of her game. Well it was Monday. He decided against comment, she wouldn’t appreciate it anyway.
But as the morning progressed he changed his opinion from tired to depressed. Had something happened this weekend? She didn’t seem to be in the mood to share with him. He already knew her answer if he asked anyway, "I’m fine." Damn he hated those words. He would never accuse Scully of lying, but that’s what she did whenever he got too close.
Maybe if he gave her a little space, she seemed to like that. At least she always seemed to be pushing him away to get more of it. Okay, that probably wasn’t fair, but it felt that way.
"Scully, I’m gonna take these forms up to Accounting. You need anything?"
"No, I’m fine." She didn’t even bother to look up. He bared his teeth at her in a mock growl but didn’t say anything. He punched the elevator button and glanced back at the office one more time. Why did she get like this?
He stopped at the entrance to Accounting. What the hell was going on? There were flowers everywhere and the . . . oh shit. It was Valentine’s Day. It hadn’t occurred to him, not that Scully would want him for a valentine but still, he could have acknowledged the day. Geez! It looked like there was an arrangement on every single desk, some had more than one and there wasn’t a single woman in the entire area that could hold a candle to Scully in looks or brains.
He couldn’t say anything now. She’d think it was only because he’d come up here and seen this. No, he could handle it better than that.
*****
Scully let herself into her apartment and kicked her shoes off at the door. It had been a long day and she was just as glad to be home and away from it. Nothing really bad had happened; it was just . . . oh hell.
She headed for her bedroom; maybe a good long soak would improve her mood. Before she made it that far there was a knock on the door. Strange, she certainly wasn’t expecting anyone. She looked through the peephole, Mulder?
She opened the door and looked up at him. "Is everything okay? Did I forget something?" She moved aside to let him in.
"No, I just wanted to bring you this." He pulled the long white box from behind his back and handed it to her.
She took it as though it might contain snakes. "What is this?"
"Just open it Scully."
She glanced at him one more time, then balanced the box on the back of her couch and slid the ribbon off. Roses? What was going on? "They’re . . . they’re beautiful Mulder but why?"
"Well, you may not realize it but it is Valentine’s Day. You give pretty girls things on Valentine’s Day." Her eyebrow rose, but she didn’t comment, just picking up the box and heading toward the kitchen.
He followed and watched her pull a vase out from under her sink and then lift the flowers from the box. "Seven?"
"Yeah, I wasn’t being cheap, it’s just one for each year we’ve been toget– huh, partners."
She looked up at him, she hadn’t been sure he even knew how long they’d been toget – huh, partners. A smile grew on her face and he began to breathe a little easier.
"Thank you Mulder." She rose on her toes and brushed a kiss across his cheek, before she had time to move back he turned his head and they were kissing again, a long, slow delicious one.
When she sank back flatfooted he had a hand on her back to steady her. "Mulder? Two kisses in seven years and two months? What’s going on?"
"Well you know how I like to sweep a girl off her feet." At least he’d gotten away with it. "Have you eaten?"
"No, I just got here."
"Why don’t we grab a bite, I’ll pay."
The smile grew even wider, "Okay, let me change." He nodded and watched her head toward her bedroom. Not bad for a geek on February 14. He might have to try it again sometime.