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atths--twice · 7 months

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Never Too Late

I absolutely loved this one. Hope you do too. 💓

Fictober day 7. Prompt- It's not too late, let's go.

Scully yawned beside him for the third time in ten minutes, which of course triggered his own yawn though he fought it.

“I’m so tired,” she said, her voice scratchy with sleep. Or lack thereof.

They had been out of town for nearly a week, sleep becoming a luxury by the second night, the case demanding more from them.

But they were home now and had the next two days off to finish paperwork and get some much needed rest.

“I can’t stop yawning,” she said, her hand covering her mouth. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” he said just as a large yawn overtook him and she gave him a look. “Promise. It’s just because you yawned.”

“I’m sorry,” she said as she yawned. “God, I can’t seem to stop.”

“Well, we’re almost to your place and you can get some sleep.”

“I’m going to eat something first. I’m so hungry. And I have to take a shower. I feel so disgusting.”

“Okay, then after all that,” he said with a laugh. “I promise I won’t even call you tomorrow to bother you about anything.”

“I’ll believe that when it happens.” She smiled at him and then frowned. “Oh no. I just remembered that I don’t have anything to eat at my apartment. Ohhh, I can’t believe this.”

“Do you want to stop and get something?”

“No. It’s late and you still have to drive to your place. I don’t want to do that to you.”

“Come on, Scully. I know we haven’t known each other too long, but I thought by now you’d know I’m a bit of a night owl. It’s not too late, let’s go get something. We could do drive-thru and you could take it home. I really don’t mind.”

“Pancakes sound really good. And hot chocolate. There’s that coffee shop on third street that’s open all night. I’ll buy.” She looked at him, tilting her head as she smiled. He nodded and made a right at the next light.

And thus a tradition was born, though they did not know it at the time.

All they knew was that they were hungry and pancakes at nearly one in the morning hit differently than they do any other time. And hot chocolate, even when it is muggy and hot out, does something to make the world seem like a completely different place.

Those times when they ate at that coffee shop, sometimes so punch drunk that Scully got the giggles, meant more than they could have foreseen.

___________

He gave her a key to his apartment there, on a rainy Saturday morning, her eyes asking him silent questions.

“Considering the cases we investigate, the risks involved, I thought…” He shrugged and she nodded, turning it over in her fingers.

“It’s a good idea,” she agreed.

“And if you ever can’t sleep and need someone to join you in your insomnia, feel free to stop by,” he teased and she smiled as she added his key to her key ring.

________

She told him about her father, coming back from a case nearly two months after he had died.

“He was tough to get along with at times, especially as I got older and my interests changed. We… we fought sometimes and he didn’t always understand my reasoning for what I wanted to do with my life.”

“I think that’s most parents,” he offered, stirring his coffee absentmindedly.

“Yeah,” she whispered, with a nod as she tore up a napkin into small pieces. “I just wish I could talk to him, ask him if… if he’s proud of me.” She whimpered and tried to hide her tears.

“How could he not be proud of you, Scully?” he asked, handing her his extra napkin. She nodded as she kept her head bowed and dried her eyes.

_________

“Can you meet me?” she asked, calling him late at night.

“I’ll be there.”

She was already in a booth when he arrived. A plate of food and a cup of coffee sat on the table, but both appeared untouched.

“You okay?” he asked as he sat down.

“I can’t sleep,” she whispered, her head bowed. “I keep seeing him. Feeling him on me. Hearing him…”

Donnie Pfaster.

Mulder clenched his jaw and fists simultaneously as he thought about him.

“I can’t sleep,” she said again, her chin quivering.

“What can I do to help?”

“Sit here with me?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with tears when she looked at him.

“As long as you want,” he said softly and she nodded as she attempted to hold back her tears, breathing deeply and wiping her eyes.

___________

On a Sunday, he waited for her to join him after Mass. To his surprise, her mother came along, smiling as she sat down, inquiring as to how he was doing.

He looked at Scully, wondering if she had told her mother about the recent case with John Lee Roche. She held his gaze and shook her head slightly, their thoughts once again similar. He exhaled a breath of relief and smiled at Mrs. Scully.

“I’m doing alright. How are you?”

And for fifteen minutes, she spoke of Bill Junior and Tara who were expecting their first child, her friends at church, and where Charlie was currently stationed.

He nodded and added words when needed, but mostly he sat and listened. Scully’s hand found his under the table and she gave it a gentle squeeze before she asked questions, carrying the conversation and giving him the space to decide how to proceed.

________

He brought her pancakes from the coffee shop after she came home from the hospital, her cancer in remission. He did not expect her to eat much, but the gesture was what mattered most.

“Orange juice too,” she said, smiling tiredly as he took everything out of the bag. “And bacon.”

“Didn’t know what you’d be in the mood for, but I wanted you to have something.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate it, I do, but I’m not hungry right now. I just want to sleep.”

“Understandable,” he said, nodding his head and putting the containers into the refrigerator.

“I’ll have a little of the orange juice, but everything else can wait.”

He handed the to-go cup to her and she took three small sips before handing it back to him.

“Thank you,” she whispered, touching his arm and walking to her bedroom.

__________

“So, everyone is at your mom’s?” he asked, shaking salt onto his eggs. “Even Charlie, the elusive Scully?”

“He says he will be,” she said, smiling as she looked at the new watch Mulder had given her for Christmas. “I’ve got three and a half hours.”

“See? It’s never too late to be here. You’ve got plenty of time,” he said with a grin, offering her the syrup which she declined.

“If I head over after we eat, I can sleep for a bit.”

“And no one will be the wiser that you spent Christmas Eve in a haunted house.”

“Especially as I won’t be offering any information about such a thing,” she said, stealing his cup of fruit and adding it to her plate.

“You don’t think Bill would approve?”

She tossed her straw wrapper at him and he laughed.

__________

“Well, it’s a few days later than you probably would have liked and it’s definitely past sunset,” he said as they entered the coffee shop. “But knowing Richie and Henry are alright is worth the later hour.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, sitting down in what they have long since considered to be their booth.

“And while it’s not a five star place, it’s…”

“I’ve always felt that five star places are overrated,” she said, and he smiled.

“I agree,” he said with a nod.

“Besides, it’s the company that’s important.”

“In agreement once again,” he said.

He laid his hand on the table and she looked over her shoulder quickly, before placing her hand on top of it. Holding it, he gently ran his thumb across her knuckles as they both drew in a deep breath and smiled.

___________

It was her turn to bring food from the coffee shop.

She woke him with a kiss, her fingers gently running along his cheeks and jaw. Jet lagged from his two days in England, it took him a few seconds to open his eyes.

“Hey,” she whispered, kissing him again. “I have to get home to change for work, but I brought some breakfast.”

“Mmm. No work, come back to bed instead,” he said, putting his arms around her and pulling her on top of him.

She laughed, laying her head on his chest, as he closed his eyes and began to comb his fingers through her hair.

“There’s coffee, orange juice, egg white omelets-” He groaned and she laughed. “Plus some pancakes.” He hummed his approval, kissing the top of her head. “But I do have to leave soon, so if you want to join me, you need to get your ass out of bed.”

“You’re hindering me, what with your body draped across mine.”

“And whose fault is that?” she asked, beginning to rise off of him and he groaned his protest once again. “Come on, get up.”

He ate bare chested, clad in only his pajama bottoms, and his hair sleep tousled. But she could not seem to keep her eyes off of him, watching him and not eating much of her own food.

When he walked her to the door, she turned around and stared up at him.

“I was unsure what I wanted, where this…” She gestured between them and sighed. “I wasn’t sure where it was going and what it all meant. But being apart from you these past couple of days… I know now.”

“What do you know?” he asked, stepping closer, but not touching her.

“I love you,” she said softly, but firmly. “I have in many ways for a long time, but this…” She gestured again and smiled. “I know what this is and I know what I want.”

“Good,” he said, just as softly. She nodded and scrunched her chin, smiling again. “It’s me, right? You want me?”

“Mulder,” she laughed, shaking her head as he pulled her to him with a smile.

“It’s you, Scully,” he whispered into her hair. “My one in five billion. My one constant in this crazy world.” He pulled back and held her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. “I love you too.”

____________

“You know what sounds really good?” she asked, her feet in his lap. He looked up, watching her rub her pregnant belly, and he smiled.

“What’s that?” he asked, rubbing a particularly tender spot on her foot if the groan she let out was any indication.

“French toast, hot chocolate, and tomato slices.” She hummed as she rubbed her belly again.

He grimaced at the combination of items she listed, but after watching her recently eat peanut butter on cucumbers, he had learned to keep his mouth shut.

“I could make you something,” he offered, but she sighed sadly as she shook her head.

“I don’t have any tomatoes.”

“Well, let’s go get you those tomatoes,” he said, moving her feet and standing up.

“Mulder, no. It's late,” she protested, but would not hear it.

“It’s not too late. Let’s go.”

“I’m not dressed,” she whined as he helped her to her feet.

“You look beautiful. You’re glowing,” he said, and she gave him a look. “I promise, you look great. I’ll get your shoes.” Kissing her quickly, he hurried to her bedroom to grab what she would need.

When she took a bite of the tomatoes, her eyes closing as she hummed in satisfaction, he grinned.

“Worth it?” he asked and she nodded, humming again.

_____________

He saw her in their booth, though it had been many years since they had been to the coffee shop. Looking at something on her phone, she did not see him until he was standing beside the table.

“Hey,” he said softly, sitting down across from her. “Place looks different, but the same.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, putting her phone face down and sighing as she looked around. “When I drove past it the other day, I was surprised to see it was still here. So many other places have changed. But I suppose that’s life… you can’t stop it from going on around you.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, thinking of all they had been through over the years.

How many memories did this booth hold? How many meals had they eaten and how many discussions were had?

“Things are different,” she said, looking at him. “But still the same.” He nodded, knowing what she meant. “I’d like to… come here again. To…” She ran her fingers across the tabletop and then looked at him again. “To come back to what we knew. To… try again?”

He smiled, nodding slowly.

“I’d like that.”

“It’s not too late, right?” she asked, reaching her hand out to him, tears in her eyes.

“Never,” he said, taking her hand and running his thumb across her knuckles. “It’s never too late.”

#fictober23 #fictober 2023 #xffictober23 #the xfiles #fanfic #through the series #coffee shops #friendship #friends to lovers #sharing their life #sad #happy #developing relationship #living their life together #getting back together

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