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Ever since their kiss at the stroke of midnight in the new millennium, they had been growing physically closer. A conversation in a hallway and a brief look into her mind had just recently given Mulder the confirmation that Dana Scully, the woman who shared little of her deepest feelings, did indeed feel things for Fox Mulder. He had some idea that her feelings were strong, that they were permanent, and that they weren’t platonic.
Kisses to the cheek had led to occasional pecks on the lips. Instead of a quick grab of the hand for reassurance, Scully would now sometimes grab his hand and hold on, even threading her fingers through his. It made him feel like he had a fifth grade girlfriend all over again, when he would get the tingles just from holding a girl’s hand. She had openly flirted with him in Chicago. They each knew where the other stood, and they knew where they were going. They had planned a Saturday night date, without coming out and calling it a date.
And then Pfaster had struck.
Scully was still recovering from that shock to the system when they received this assignment in Santa Monica. Mulder was so grateful for the chance to work a case in which neither of their lives had been at risk. They solved the case, and all seemed right with the world.
They had to stay an extra evening in Santa Monica because the next available flight to D.C. was not until 6 a.m. Off the clock, they returned to their hotel rooms to shower and change into casual clothes, and met again to take a stroll on the ocean piers. In the twinkle of the amusement park lights, Scully held Mulder’s hand. They discussed her brothers, their mothers, and the latest gossip from the Hoover Building cafeteria.
Moving further away from the beach, they walked through a beautiful neighborhood. “One day, I think we should buy a place like that,” Mulder said as he pointed toward a lovely two-story family home.
They both realized what he had said in the same instant.
“Mulder…I didn’t know you…” Scully suddenly launched herself at Mulder’s mouth and kissed him. As she pulled back, looking into his eyes, she sighed, “Wow.”
“You kissed me. In public."
"Yeah, I did."
They stood there, grinning at each other.