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“It’s Langly.” Mulder stood in stunned silence. There were too many thoughts jumping around in his mind, trying to make sense of her words.
So he only repeated blankly, “Langly.”
“We thought you should know. We’re together now.” Scully looked up at him, obviously uncomfortable but determined to have this out. Mulder knew he had to say something, but he turned away. He couldn’t think with her eyes boring into him like that. He had to get himself under control.
Years of experience told him that what he was feeling just now was dangerous. Jealousy. Possessive anger that she had not waited for him. An urge to go and find Langly and rip his throat out for taking what, until the start of this conversation, he had always thought of as his.
“You and Langly?” His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the back of his chair. Breathe, he ordered himself.
“Yes.” She was so calm. How could she stay so fucking calm?
“Is this a joke?” Langly and Scully, a couple. It had to be a joke. They barely knew each other for Christ’s sake. How could they betray him like this? A few dates and some puppy love wasn't worth how this would change everything, unless they’d.... oh god. His stomach dropped and the room spun in a sickening haze.
Mulder suddenly saw with perfect clarity, an image of the two of them embracing. Scully looking up at Langly, the invitation clear in her eyes, leading him to her bedroom... “Have you slept together?” He blurted out. He hadn’t really meant to ask, but now that he had, some sick masochistic part of him needed to know.
“Mulder!” He knew he'd crossed a line, but he wasn't about to back down.
“Answer me.”
“It’s none of your business.” He turned to face her, raising his voice and losing some of the precious restraint he'd managed so far.
“The hell it isn’t! You’re my partner and he’s my best friend!”
“Exactly! It has nothing to do with you!” Their shouts echoed off the basement walls of his office. After a few moments of silence, he sighed and hung his head.
"Just tell me, how long. I need to know."
"No, you don't. We didn't do this to hurt you. Not everything is about you Mulder.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“This is between me and Ri.. Him.” Scully stumbled on her words, but recovered quickly. It was too much. All of this going on for weeks, maybe months behind his back. They had made a decision to disregard him, to carry on as if he didn't matter. Where there had been trust, there was now a wall, beyond which there lay Scully and Langly's relationship. He was excluded, banished out with the rest of the world to be held at arm's length while they had secret pet names for each other. When he answered her, it was the first time he ever hoped to cause her pain.
“What were you going to call him just now? Richard? Ringo? Don’t be shy now Scully. You can tell me. What do you and Lord Manhammer call each other when you’re alone?”
“Fuck you Mulder.” And she stalked out of his office, slamming the door behind her.