"That's all? Easy."
On day 22 of Fictober Mulder and Pendrell are having a drink when they spot Scully with another man. Hopefully it's a little fun and a little silly.
Prompt #29 - "That's all? Easy."
Find my other mediocre, mostly MSR fic here.
Pendrell slammed his glass down in frustration.
“Don’t take it so hard, buddy,” Mulder said.
“Oh, sure. Easy for you to say,” Pendrell grumbled.
Mulder was taken aback. “What does that mean?”
The scientist shot him an incredulous look. “You’re kidding. Mulder, you’re tall, traditionally handsome, mysterious,” he replied, eyeing Mulder and taking a long drink from his glass. “Women love that.”
Mulder chuckled and gave him a wry smile. “It doesn’t get you as far as you’d think, my friend,” he said, slapping Penrell on the back.
“Oh, come on.” Pendrell, tipsy and loose, rolled his eyes. “Women love a brooding man. Just look at Angel.” Off Mulder’s puzzled look, he added, “From Buffy.”
Mulder nodded, not quite understanding. He didn’t want to argue with his friend, who was clearly heartbroken at the coincidence of seeing Scully drinking with another man. It’s not what Mulder had expected to see either when he invited Pendrell out for drinks. Now they were commiserating their unspoken affection for a certain redhead.
“Besides, once Scully told me that ‘smart is sexy.’ She likes a brainy man,” Mulder replied, and hoped his friend would leave it at that.
They sat for a long moment, sipping their whiskeys.
“Yeah?” asked Pendrell.
Mulder nodded.
“Who is that guy, anyway?” Pendrell wondered.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him at the F.B.I. Maybe an old friend from Quantico,” Mulder offered.
“Boyfriend?”
“Maybe,” Mulder agreed. “Or date.”
They continued to watch Scully and her mystery man as they drank. They watched the man pay the bill. They watched him get up and put on his coat. They watched him give Scully a friendly peck on the cheek. And then, they watched him walk out of the bar, while Scully remained.
“Maybe not a boyfriend or date!” Pendrell said, excitedly.
“I guess not. Unless it didn’t go well,” suggested Mulder.
“As odd as it sounds, I would feel bad if that were the case.”
“Same,” Mulder agreed.
“You should go ask her out for a drink,” Pendrell said with determination.
“What?” Mulder asked.
“You think I don’t see the way you look at her, Mulder? Takes one to know one. You need to go over there and ask her to have a drink with you. And when you’re done, you ask her out for another drink this weekend.”
“That’s all? Easy,” Mulder scoffed, and leaned back in his seat.
“Your loss, Mulder. Because one of these days… One of these days…