Chapter Text
Five yawns.
Five yawns in what he quickly guesstimates as under two minutes.
They had been sorting through files for at least four hours, and he knew it was starting to get to her.
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12 hours ago, she had been in Seattle just wrapping up from a three day conference. One that she had been stressing over the full week before, as she had been asked very last minute to fill in on a panel for women leaders in forensic pathology. One of the panelists had dropped out, leaving a very big hole for one small but mighty Agent Dana Scully. She hesitantly accepted, and then stayed up well past midnight every night before flying out to prepare for the panel.
Then, on the final day, after she crushed her question and answer segment, made some great connections with her peers, and was getting ready to enjoy a well deserved glass (or two) of merlot at the hotel bar, she got a call from Mulder.
“This is Dana Scully, most-relieved-person-in-the-Pacific-Northwest.” She answered, ready to tell Mulder how great everything had gone, and how relieved she was it was over.
“Hey, Scully It’s me. I just got off a call with Skinner. There is a case that the Delaware PD could use our help on.” Mulder started. “Can you get on a flight back to DC tonight?”
“Aren’t you going to ask me how everything went today?” She said, ignoring his demanding tone.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. All good?” He said quickly.
She sighed. “Yes. Great, actually. Thanks for asking. I’m at the hotel now, celebrating with a glass of their best red.”
“Well, that sounds really good, Scully. But unfortunately, I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the red wine, and head to the airport ASAP. We’ve got about….60 case files here that need combing through to try to connect this suspect to a previous case. They’ve got 24 hours then they have to let the guy go, unless we can find the details linking this suspect to one of our old cases. I know I have it here somewhere, but I need your help on this one.” He could tell she was frustrated, but knew if he persisted, she’d be at the airport within the half hour. “Look, Scully, I know this isn’t how you saw the night going, but I promise to replace that glass with a bottle once this is all said and done.”
Another sigh. “I’ll be on the next flight.”
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Now here they were, 10:00 am the following morning, in his living room, surrounded by files somewhere in the process of being passed between the two of them, looking for the evidence that would link the suspect in Delaware PD custody.
She had landed at 6:00 am DC time after a long, crowded overnight flight from Seattle. A cab straight to Mulder’s apartment, where he’d already started sorting files that he had brought home the night before, and it was straight into digging through the reports.
They were managing about 10 files an hour, but so far had not located the file where the previous suspect’s work history was detailed. That was the piece they were looking for to link it to the current suspect. If they could prove it was the same guy from an X-File in the early 90’s, they had a shot at keeping him locked up a little longer to get more evidence.
After another two yawns he turned and looked to see a very sleep deprived, very rumpled, very delirious agent sitting on his rug, with her elbow on his coffee table, holding her head in her palm, and using the other hand to page through the file he’d passed her a few minutes before.
“Scully.” He said, part question, part statement.
“Hmmm..?” She responded, not looking up.
“You’re exhausted. Are you even registering what you’re reading right now?”
“Sort of. I think I just re-read this witness statement 4 times.”
“What did it say?” He asked.
“That the guy who robbed the store was wearing a purple ski hat, with an orange pompom.” She said looking at him under heavy eyelids.
He laughed out a puff of air. “I just handed you that one. The witness was in the store buying a purple ski hat with an orange pompom for her daughter. The suspect was wearing a black ski mask.”
“Right.” She said. “That’s what I meant.”
“OK. That’s it for you, zombie lady. Why don’t you go lay down for a bit, and I’ll keep going on this stack?” He said, pointing to a stack of papers next to him on the couch.
“No, I’m fine. I can keep gooooaaaaaawwww-ing.” She said over another yawn.
“I insist. I dragged you away from your wine and a good night’s sleep at the Westin, and you’ve helped me get through two-thirds of this paperwork. Just take a quick nap to refresh, and I’ll wake you up in a bit to finish up.” He said, standing up, and reaching out his hand to her to help her off the floor.
“Really? You promise you’ll wake me up? Don’t let me sleep too long, I know there’s still a lot to go through.” She said getting to her feet, and stretching her arms behind her back and rolling her neck.
Oh god, he thought, she looked so soft and sleepy and sexy with her head tilted to the side and her heavy lidded eyes. Thinking about her in his bed all warm and getting her Scully smells in his sheets. How was he going to continue going through files with that distracting image just a few feet away on the other side of his door? He pushed the thoughts aside.
“I promise.” He said, linking his pinkie with hers. “I’ll wake you up in a bit. I’ll save some of this fun for you. Don’t worry.”
She laughed lightly, and exaggeratedly shook his pinkie in hers. Then quickly kicked off her shoes by the end of the couch, and went into his room, closing the door behind her, but leaving it open about 3 inches.
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“Hey Scully.” His voice was soft as he gently ran his hand across her back, just between her shoulder blades.
“Hmm?” She rolled from her stomach onto her side, slowly blinking her eyes open. He was sitting on the bed just next to her. The hand that was on her back now on her shoulder from when she rolled. The other hand placing a glass of water on the night stand next to her.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty.” He teased lightly. “Here’s some water if you’re thirsty.”
“Hey. Thank you. What time is it?” She said, closing her eyes again. Not fully awake. Trying to process that she was in Mulder’s bed, and he was whispering so close to her ear, and touching her shoulder so softly. At first, she thought maybe it was some sort of peaceful dream. But now it was coming back to her that they had been working, and the jet lag hit her so hard she’d needed to lay down.
“It’s just after noon.” He said, moving his hand from her shoulder now that he knew she was awake. He wanted to keep it there, but self consciously moved it away for fear of making her uncomfortable.
Her pants were drooped over the chair in the corner of his room, and he was pretty sure she had taken her bra off as well. The thought of her in his bed in just her underwear and the t-shirt she’d worn on the plane under her blazer were…distracting…and he was trying to play it cool.
“After noon already?” She said, opening her eyes again. “You should have woken me up sooner. I was thinking I’d only be out for an hour, tops.” She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, and took the glass of water from the night stand.
Yup, he thought to himself. No bra.
“Well, about 20 minutes after you came in here, I found what we were looking for. I faxed it over to Skinner and he’s working the rest out with the guys in Dover. So, I figured I’d let you snooze a little longer.” He said, looking away as she took a few slow sips of water. The cool water leaving her lips dewy and bright.
“No way! Oh, thank God.” She said, closing her eyes and nodding her head. “Which one was it?”
“Doesn’t matter.” He shook his head and smiled at her. “Thanks for coming back and helping. We got it just in time.”
She reached her hand out to give him a playful handshake. “Anytime. You know what they, there’s no ‘I’ in team.”
He turned their hand shake and held her hand in his for a few seconds, and gave her a smirk. “That’s right, that’s what they say. But I owe you an apology. You were so busy at that conference, and I know you were working really hard, and stressing about the panel, and I was a jerk. I didn’t ask you about it, and I should have. So, instead of me telling you which old case I dragged up to find the matching suspect’s job history in…why don’t you tell me about how amazing and brilliant you were yesterday?”
She let go of his hand and smiled.
“First of all, Mulder, you don’t owe me an apology, but you do owe me a glass- no a bottle, I think it was?-of red wine. But seeing as it’s only now just barely afternoon, how about I lay here for a little while longer, and you can come get next to me…”she said patting the other side of the bed, “cause I know you didn’t get much sleep last night either. You’re looking like you could use a little cat nap yourself. Then, when we wake up MUCH later this afternoon, I’ll let you take me to that cute wine bar around the corner and I’ll tell you all about my moment of public speaking glory?”
“That sounds….like I might already be asleep and dreaming.” He said, yawning himself now.
She smiled at him as he stood up, and she rolled over so she’d be facing him when he got in on the other side of the bed. With her back to him, he quietly took off his jeans and hung them next to hers on the chair.
He walked around to the other side of the bed, and softly settled down under the downy duvet. Her eyes were closed already, but she was smiling peacefully at him. She stuck one hand out of the covers in between them, and he took it gently, rubbing his thumb over hers. She smirked a little bit more devilishly, which gave him the little bit of confidence he needed to sling his arm over her hip lightly, and dip his head so his forehead came within a few millimeters of hers. He closed his eyes and whispered, “is this ok?”
They’d fallen asleep next to each other on planes, on couches, and even once at the back of the room in a very boring budget meeting. But they’d never fallen asleep next to each other this intimately; in one of their beds and partially naked.
“It’s very ok.” She whispered back. “No where I’d rather be.” She peeked her eyes open and saw his were closed. He looked like he was already quickly falling asleep. She lightly kissed his cheek. Another promise for the day. A silent promise. A promise to both of them that whatever was next, they were headed there together.