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The last remnants of the icy January snow are melting outside, making room for the first inklings of spring. The warmer temperatures have not only caused Scully to banish her thick winter scarf, but they have also propelled her to get an early start on her spring cleaning.
Mulder, a first-time witness to this special occasion, watches her in awe. It’s not just that Scully is wearing a form-fitting tank-top and shorts. It’s the way she’s bustling around her apartment, throwing him sweet smiles and once, to his greatest joy, even a kiss.
He knew it would be a good year after their kiss in the hospital, but he couldn’t have predicted this.
“Mulder, are you going to watch me all day, or are you going to help?”
He considers saying no for just a second, just to see what her reaction might be, but all of this between them is new and he doesn’t want to tempt fate. Also helping her means he gets to know her in yet another new way.
“It’s not just cleaning,” she says to Mulder. “It’s rearranging and sorting through everything. Like these books.” She points at her bookshelves.
“You want me to dust the books?”
“For now,” she says, pressing a good-luck-and-thank-you kiss to his cheek.
He’s never paid much attention to Scully’s book collection. He’s seen a cover here and there, read a few titles all pertaining to her medical or physics background. Looking more closely now, he realizes that Scully is interested in more than that. Way, way more.
“Well, Scully, I have discovered your secret passion,” Mulder says.
“My what?” Scully, broom in hand, turns to him.
He holds up the book he’s just unearthed from between an anatomy textbook and a thriller. In a way, he thinks, it’s awfully fitting.
“This here. I had no idea, Scully. No idea.” He chuckles, staring at the steamy, albeit tasteful cover. “Tell me, would you recommend ‘Rock Hard’?
"Give me that,” Scully says, snapping the book out of his hand. “It’s a classic.”
“I’m sure it is. I can’t believe I never knew this about you, Scully. How many of these books do you have? Is there a 'Rock Hard Two’?
"There is if you must know. But it’s called 'Too Rock Hard’. Stop laughing,” she says, but can’t suppress her own amusement.
“I love this. I really do, Scully.” To prove his point, he leans down and kisses the corner of her mouth. Who knew his Scully read erotic novels?
“It’s not like you think,” she says, worrying the cover’s edges. He pulls her down to sit in his lap.
“We had this tradition in my family where one of our Christmas gifts had to be a book.”
“Great tradition.”
Scully nods. “Except as we got older, Missy thought it was funny to buy me these kinds of novels. Said it might help me with my love life.” Mulder can’t help but chuckle.
“So for years, we’d each get each other the worst novels we could find. I assure you, 'Rock Hard’ isn’t the worst one.”
“Have you read them?” Mulder asks, leaning his head against her arm.
“Some of them.”
“Did the books do their job?” Scully gives him a look. “Did they, you know, enhance your love life?”
“No,” she says and he finds he’s just a bit disappointed. “Well, in a way. Sometimes, when I was really frustrated…”
“With me?”
“With you,” she says, running her fingers gently through his hair. “I would pick up one of the books and… read them for a while. To speed things up.”
“Sounds a bit like my videos.”
“We should get rid of all of them.” Scully gets up from his lap and puts the book back on the shelf.
“Quite the opposite,” Mulder says, joining her. “Maybe we can learn a thing or two.”
“Well then,” she says. “Feel free to read it.”
“I will,” he counters. “Tonight, before bed.” Her eyes grow wide.
“In case I” - he leans into her space, capturing her lips for just a moment - “learn something and need to test it out right away. Would you- would that be okay with you?”
“Hmm, I think that can be arranged.”