RATING: PG-13
CLASSIFICATION: V, gelatofic
SPOILERS: The Unnatural
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; they belong to CC, FOX, etc. But I'm being presumptuous enough to give them to Angie for her birthday.
* * *
(Skinner and the Gunmen singing in four-part harmony:)
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Angieeeee,
Happy birthday to you.
* * *
* * *
On almost a daily basis, Scully discovered that life with Mulder was never boring. Most of the time she couldn't predict where his next sharp turn would take them, but she had learned over the years to trust his instincts. Tonight was no exception. Once again, she found herself ambling alongside her partner, relying on him to lead her blindly into their next adventure.
Just twenty minutes ago, the pair had wrapped up their impromptu session of batting baseballs and innuendos. Expecting that they'd be saying goodnight, Scully had been surprised to find that Fox Mantle had yet one more trick up his sleeve. Without explanation, he had guided her toward his car and ushered her inside. Her questions were met only with cryptic smiles, so eventually she gave up and settled in for the ride.
It wasn't a long one. Mulder unfalteringly led them through a maze of residential streets into a quaint neighborhood that she didn't recognize. Since parking was limited here, he had parked along a side street in front of a refurbished Victorian house, and they were now walking the two blocks back to the main street.
Despite the fairly late hour, the short strip of shops and cafes was still abuzz with life, clusters of pedestrians chattering past them in the humid evening air. As the two passed several undersized tables along the sidewalk, most of them occupied by patrons sipping coffee or feasting on dessert, Scully realized that Mulder's steps were slowing.
The small eatery in front of them, nestled on the corner of the main drag and the residential street, looked especially popular, but from the angle of their approach, she couldn't make out the sign on the awning.
"Mulder, what is this place?"
All she got was another Cheshire cat grin, this time accompanied by an eyebrow waggle. He opened the door ahead of her, stepping back to allow two teenage girls to exit first, each carrying an ice-cream cone.
"Ice cream, Mulder?"
With one hand propping the door open, he placed the other on her back to gently guide her through and then followed her inside.
"Nope, even better--gelato. None of that Tofutti crap tonight, birthday girl. It's time to live a little."
"You do realize my birthday was six months ago, don't you?" she tossed over her shoulder.
Mulder gave her a friendly slap on the back, with a touch of melodramatic enthusiasm. "I didn't know it was your half-birthday, Scully! Congratulations!"
She chose to ignore him, focusing her attention on the refrigerated display case in front of them. Despite the steady traffic through the small establishment, there wasn't much of a wait. Two servers were currently helping other customers, but a third had just finished at the register and soon stood opposite them.
"What can I get for you?"
Mulder leaned an elbow onto the case, flashing his teasing eyes at Scully before he shifted them toward the petite brunette behind the counter.
"Do you have passion fruit?"
The young woman blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, but we don't."
Scully felt herself beginning to chafe at her partner's overly friendly behavior, but his flirtatious gaze soon turned back in her own direction, pausing to scan her from head to toe--reminiscent of that decontamination shower a few months ago. Even after his eyes had left her, every inch they'd touched was left tingling in their wake.
"I know--mango. Two scoops. In a waffle cone."
"And for you, ma'am?"
Scully was too busy trying to regain her composure to realize that she was being addressed. By the time she caught on, Mulder was already answering.
"That one's for her. But I'll have the same."
Recovering quickly, she fixed him with a withering look. "Oh, so now you're ordering for me?"
"Yep. Trust me, you'll love it." He winked at her and then nodded in reassurance at their server, who was hesitating until their decision was finalized.
"Two mangoes coming right up."
Mulder smiled at her and then rested his other arm on the counter to lean over and talk while she filled their order. "Business seems to be good."
Since her partner appeared to be more interested in the woman behind the counter, Scully turned away from the conversation. As playful as he'd been all evening, she wasn't sure if he was intentionally trying to make her jealous, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking that he'd hit a nerve. Leaning back against the refrigerated case, she let her eyes drift around the room to peruse the Italian decor. The high ceilings made the room seem larger than it actually was and allowed plenty of space for the hanging of various paintings and memorabilia.
"It's this streak of warm weather. This is the busiest weekend we've had so far this season." Scully heard the feminine voice behind her float over the counter and then drop a few inches to be muted by the display case.
Her attention returned to Mulder when she sensed him shift position, taking a step back. Glancing again in his direction, Scully then followed his line of sight through the glass barrier to his conversation partner, bent forward to reach their flavor of choice. Surely it wasn't necessary for her to lean over *that* far just to scoop their ice cream--gelato--whatever.
"You seem to be rather familiar with the staff."
At Scully's muttered commentary, Mulder looked over at her; but if he had noticed her sarcastic tone, he didn't react to it. "I come in here every now and then. I found this place last summer. I hear it's got the best gelato in the city." The last sentence was said more to the brunette, punctuated by a smile of thanks at the cone that she handed to him, which he promptly handed to Scully.
"How come you've never mentioned it to me before?"
"Well, they don't serve tofu."
"Tofutti."
"Whatever," he said with a playful smirk, reaching out for the other cone that the server was extending to him.
Since this was her "birthday present," Scully deserted him to pay for both orders and then looked around for a place to sit. There were only a couple of small tables inside, and they were both occupied. Standing room was available but not preferable.
"Let's see if there's any place to sit outside."
Scully turned at Mulder's voice to see him pull up alongside her, and then she followed him out the door. One of the tables they had passed on the way in was now vacant, so they took their places in the wrought iron chairs flanking the matching round table.
"So, was it a good birthday, Scully?"
"Best one I've had in six months."
He snickered at her sardonic retort, but his tongue was too busy lapping up the quickly melting gelato to offer a response. Scully couldn't help but watch, mesmerized by the rhythmic motion of pliable pink muscle flexing and circling, manipulating the malleable dessert according to his whim and pleasure.
Suddenly it seemed much hotter outside than she had realized.
What happened next occurred so quickly that it was already over before Scully had actually processed it all. In one swift movement, Mulder reached over and grabbed her cone-laden hand, pulled it toward him, and ran his hot, moist tongue up her forearm, over her wrist, to the edge of the cone. And then he sat back and acted as if nothing had happened.
Scully was left speechless, staring at him with her mouth agape. But Mulder remained unruffled by the incident. With a nonchalant shrug and a twinkle in his eye, he stated simply, "You were dripping."
*Well, I certainly am now.*
The audacious tongue was occupied once again with his melting dessert. Scully finally closed her mouth and swallowed hard, reminding herself to pay more attention to her own frozen treat before they had not one, but two puddles of goo on the sidewalk.
The pair continued eating in silence, Mulder making quick work of his cone. Scully was almost disappointed when he reached for a napkin to clean his hands.
"So, you want to do this again sometime?"
In light of the teasing mood he had sported all evening, she approached his question with a bit of trepidation. "Which part?"
"All of it."
She hesitated a beat and then volleyed, "Do I have to wait until my next birthday?"
He leaned in across the table, his warm smile and intimate tone melting what was left her gelato. "A birthday isn't just a specific day, Scully. It's a state of mind."
***
End
***
Notes: In my arduous research (i.e. Google), I discovered that Tofutti does not actually make nonfat rice dreamsicles (at least not that I could find evidence of). However, they do have a product called
Marry Me Bars. For Scully's next birthday, I think Mulder should buy her a box. :)
