Skinner needs Mulder and Scully to test a truth serum post "Fight the Future," what could go wrong?
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Mulder stopped by his house, changed into some basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and got an overnight bag. He secured a bag of tacos and found himself at Scully’s door. He knocked twice and she answered with a smile, looking adorable in sweatpants and a light purple tank top.
Damn and I have to play truth games with her all night looking like that, he thought smiling like an idiot as she waved him inside.
“So, here is the serum,” she said, holding two vials of liquid up for him to see. “Should we just drink it, or did you want to eat first?”
“You tell me, doc,” as if it wouldn’t be hard enough to take a truth serum with his partner of five plus years, doing this in her apartment while she was dressed so casually felt incredibly intimate. But she seemed very comfortable, and her relaxed affect eased his mood too.
“Let me have a taco and then I’ll drink it. I’m so hungry and it smells so good,” she giggled, grabbing into the bag. He loved that she wasn’t ever afraid to eat in front of him like so many women he’d spent time with previously.
The tacos hit the spot, they were crunchy, hot, and delicious. As Mulder bit into his, some of the greasy taco meat shot out dribbled down his chin and landed on his Knicks t-shirt.
“Damn,” he chuckled and before he could do anything about it, Scully had grabbed a napkin and was tenderly wiping at the corner of his mouth.
“Mulder, let me put your shirt in the washer so the grease doesn’t stain it.”
He appreciated her concern but grew worried realizing he’d brought his dopp kit and his Navajo blanket but not an extra shirt.
“I don’t have an extra shirt, Scully.” He said, tentatively.
“Oh,” she paused for a moment, he caught her eyes on his chest, “It’s fine, I’ve seen it all before, Mulder.”
She had; they’d seen each other naked during cases, but the thought of hanging around her apartment sans shirt was a whole new concept. Nonetheless, if she was okay with it, he was too. He pulled his shirt over his head and handed it to her with a smile. He thought he caught her blushing as she turned to head towards her washing machine.
She returned a moment later, “All set,” she smiled.
“Thanks,” he grinned back. Taking this truth serum tonight could go really well or horribly wrong, he thought as he stared into her blue eyes. There is so much he wanted to know and so much he was terrified to share.
She discarded their taco mess and held the vials up again. “Mulder…” she started to say, and he could tell she was collecting her thoughts. “…I just want to say, no matter what happens tonight with this ‘truth serum’” she did air quotes to demonstrate her questioning whether this would actually do anything at all, “I promise it won’t change how I feel about our partnership…about you.”
She was staring at her bare feet a bit nervously; she looked beautiful, and he thought how he may be in love with her, at this very moment. “Scully me too, I trust you…us…together. This will be fine. No secrets, right?” he said nervously, realizing immediately how stupid it was to refer back to their game of chicken from earlier, but it felt right in the moment like some kind of odd camaraderie.
They moved to her couch and sat at opposing corners, each with one knee propped up to face each other.
“Okay well…” she handed him a vial, “bottoms up.”
He took the truth serum like a shot of whisky, and it burned a bit just the same. “9:02, Scully. We should probably make a note of that; note when we took it and when or if it takes effect, and when or if it wears off.”
“Already on it Mulder,” she giggled as she held up a sheet with columns and times she’d prepared.
“Of course, you are,” he chuckled.
“I think we should start to ask each other to disclose our ‘Skinner secret’ once every minute? Until something happens,” she suggested.
“What’s your Skinner secret, Scully?” he said. She shook her head no.
It seemed like this serum might not actually work; both of them easily resisting their tell. But after just seven minutes, after she’d vehemently denied the serum having any effect just the previous time he’d asked, Scully let the cat out of the bag.
“What’s your Skinner secret, Scully?” he’d said at minute seven.
“Skinner had a pony named Buttercup as a kid,” as she said it her hand flew to her mouth to cover the secret. Clearly some part of her brain knew she should resist, but another part forced the secret to tumble right out of her mouth. “Oh my God! It’s like I had no control whatsoever of that thought coming out,” she exclaimed.
Mulder was amused at how cute she looked, embarrassed that she couldn’t hold this secret in any longer.
“Ask me then,” Mulder said.
“What’s you Skinner secret, Mulder?” He shook his head no. The serum wasn’t affecting him.
“Maybe it only works on women,” Mulder wondered.
Three minutes later, Scully barely had to ask him; mid question his answer spewed out of his mouth like a volcano erupting, “Skinner took tap dancing classes in college. Remind me- we need to make him show us some moves,” like a mirror to Scully’s earlier reaction, his hand also shot up to cover his mouth.
“Oh shit, Scully. You are right, I had no control over that, you asked, and I couldn’t keep from answering, and honestly couldn’t even get control of how I said it, it was like my inner monologue just came out,” he shook his head. “I wonder why it took longer to work on me.”
“Probably has something to do with metabolism or body weight,” she said, scientist Scully coming in full effect. While this version of her sometimes shot down his ideas, he couldn’t help but admit to himself how cute she was when she turned into a lab rat. “So, on average 8.5 minutes,” she continued, “Let’s try to determine a little more about how it works.” He nodded and she continued her scientific examination. “I wonder if you need to be asked a question directly or if the serum can just make you blurt something out that you don’t want to say?”
“Well, why don’t we each think of something we really don’t want to tell each other and see if we can just stare at each other and make it come out,” Mulder suggested.
“Okay,” she said. He thought about what he would be embarrassed to tell her; so many things , he thought. But he landed on how he’d secretly placed tracking devices on her phone and in her purse once she had been returned from her abduction.
Scully nodded at him, indicating she’d thought of something. They stared at each other intensely, trying to see if the secret would jump out of their mouths. But nothing happened.
“I’m sticking with my theory that a question needs to be asked. So, what are you thinking about that you don’t want me to know Mulder?”
Just as Mulder felt himself willing the secret to stay within him, he caught his mouth moving and the words already coming out, “Scully I’ve been low jacking you since after your abduction. The Gunmen helped me place tracking devices in your cell phone and the lining of your purse. I can find where you are at any time. I should have told you, but I thought you’d say no and it’s only because I worry about you so much.” He paused and cringed. “Are you mad?”
She gasped, “Mulder! I should be. That’s so invasive. But Mulder that’s so incredibly sweet…no invasive!” Mulder had asked her if she was mad, and it was clear the truth serum was battling her thoughts for the right answer.
“I’m sorry Scully, truly, but I feel like it’s the right thing to do, to keep you safe.”
“How often do you check on my location, Mulder?”
“I only do if I’m worried you are in danger,” his answer, “or if I’m bored and thinking of you,” the truth serum’s answer. “Shit, I’m sorry Scully,” he said, hanging his head.
“It’s okay Mulder. I think we should try not to get mad at each other while this thing is still in effect.”
“Okay, Scully.” He was distracted, feeling bad and almost forgot he could ask her what she didn’t want to tell him. “Scully, what were you thinking about that you didn't want me to know?”
“Mulder, I don’t think your mom treats you well. Actually she is just mean. My mom loves you so much, she asks me if we are getting married everytime I talk to her.”
His eyes felt like they were bulging out of his head in surprise. “She asks about us getting married? That’s kind of cute,” he laughed. “But I’m surprised she’d jump to that since we aren’t even together . Is that something you’ve talked to her about or thought about Scully?” Mulder asked, shocked.
“I guess I’ve thought about it…maybe someday. Shit, Mulder, you asked me a question back. I can’t help it. Has the thought ever crossed your mind?”
He felt an unintelligible babble leave his lips as he struggled to fight what was coming out of his mouth, “Yeah, Scully it has. You are my best friend, and we are single. Maybe someday,” he smiled awkwardly and shrugged.
“Yeah. Wow,” he agreed. That they both thought about being married someday, implied that they both thought they’d eventually end up in a relationship and he was mind blown.
She smiled and paused for a beat, ignoring the awkwardness by returning to the lab rat version of herself, “So I guess we know a question needs to be asked to prompt the sharing, but once asked, we have no control over spewing out our thoughts, and no regard for how they are shared either; it comes out a little raw. The only other thing we don’t know is how long it lasts.”
He nodded and they sat in silence for a while, stealing glances at each other. Skinner had told them the effect could last for hours and the experiment part of this little mission was just about complete after less than twenty minutes.
“So, what should we do now, Dr. Scully?” Mulder teased.
“I want to ask you all the things I’ve always wanted to know, but couldn’t ask,” Scully smirked, he could tell that was the serum talking, she hadn’t wanted to say that thought out loud. He chuckled.
“That sounds horrifying, Scully. Are there things you really want to know?” He replied.
“Yes! Aren’t there things you want to know, Mulder?”
He shook his head no while his mouth said, “There are things I really, really want to know.” He had no control over his response to her request.
She was staring at him hard. He wondered what she was thinking. He could just ask, but he chose another question that had been plaguing him for weeks.
“Scully, did you see the spaceship in Antarctica? Do you believe in aliens now?”
“Of course I did, and of course I do, Mulder!” Her eyes shot wide.
Mulder jumped off the couch and pumped his first in the air, “HA! I knew it. Why are you always denying it?”
“Because the science doesn’t make sense. But aliens are real, you are right,” she said, burying her face in her palm in embarrassment.
“Scully, this is a breakthrough; we can go to Roswell together or Area 51, and you can help me break down the physics of spaceships…”
“Mulder, sit!” she yelled. “I admit to what I saw, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I am not joining MUFON!”
“Okay, Scully.” he said, grinning like the cat that got the canary as he reclaimed his side of the couch. I knew she saw the spaceship!
He saw her close her eyes and take a deep breath. Without even opening her eyes and without warning, she fired a question back at him.
“What’s the nature of your relationship with Diana Fowley?”
“Colleagues. Just colleagues. We used to date and work together. Don’t worry about her Scully. She’s nothing compared to you.”
She was quiet for a beat. Mulder didn’t feel reluctant to answer questions for her at the moment; he didn’t feel the answer about Diana struggle to come out; it was the truth, and he wasn’t ashamed to say it. Apparently, Scully had been reluctant to ask. “Scully, Is that all you want to ask me?”
“Mulder this seems dangerous,” she giggled at her own apparent mischievousness. “But I don’t want to stop asking you questions. Should we take a break? Physically separate from each other so we don’t say something we regret?”
“Scully, no,” he whined. “I don’t like to be apart from you, it makes me sad. That’s why I call you so much.” Fuck, the serum has me acting like a sad puppy , he thought.
He saw her immediately blush; he was sure he was blushing too. She scooted toward the middle of the couch and touched his shoulder, seeming to calm his embarrassment.
He took a deep breath and focused on her. “Okay. Maybe one more question each for now, Mulder I’ve been wondering,” she leaned her shoulder against his, giving him a playful little bump as she asked, “All you said to me in the hallway, how I kept you honest, made you a whole person. Did you mean that or was that just an attempt to have me stay?”
“Oh Scully, I meant every word,” he sighed. “I’m sorry that you had to ask me that while I’m taking truth serum. I guess I’m not so good at sharing my feelings sometimes. You are the best, most incredible partner.” He stared into her ocean blue eyes, “I love you.”
Mulder closed his eyes, not wanting to see the reaction on her face. He knew she’d assume he meant platonic love and that’s probably for the best. Hopefully she wouldn’t ask him what he meant by saying he loved her, because if she did, he’s sure the serum would have him saying something ridiculous like I’m so in love with you I can’t concentrate sometimes .
He heard her sniffle a bit and opened his eyes, finding her softly crying, overcome with emotion. He wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged back into his bare chest.
After a beat, Mulder realized he still had a turn. He realized he might cross a line by asking this, but he couldn’t help himself, especially while her face was pressed into his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking about how close they had gotten to a shift in their relationship. “Scully,” he whispered into ear, “what if you weren’t stung by the bee? What would have happened in the hallway?”
“I would have kissed you until we were out of breath, and then I think we might have had sex.” He realized she had closed her eyes in embarrassment, but the truth kept coming out, “God, I wanted to. I love sex but I can’t imagine doing it with anyone other than you, so I’ve been a little lonely for years.” She gasped and nuzzled her head deeper into his chest. “Mulder this is so embarrassing, that’s probably not what you were thinking in the hallway, was it?” she whined.
“Are you crazy, Scully? I imagined you being reassigned and how I’d never kissed you or gotten to show you how much I need you; how badly I wanted to make you come.”
She giggled against his chest, “I guess I’m not crazy, because I thought about how good you would look naked and aroused. You look so hot right now with your shirt off. Are you even attracted to me, Mulder?” she pulled her face back to find his and winced in embarrassment.
“Scully, you are so hot. I don’t even watch my tapes anymore, I just think of you, your perfect little ass, and your perky breasts. God Scully, I’m so sorry for being so blunt…it’s the serum. Do you think I’m an asshole?” Mulder rolled his eyes, betrayed by his own mouth.
She hugged him, consoling, but her sweet gesture was a contradiction to what the truth serum forced her to say, “Mulder you aren’t an asshole. You sound like a healthy man, with a good sexual appetite and a big dick too, I just wonder if I’ll ever get to see it aroused?” she slammed her head back against the couch, incredulous.
“I want to show it to you, Scully. I want to feel you. I bet your pussy is so tight and warm. Don’t you think about it…us?” He growled, his erection growing by the second.
“Yes, but aren’t you scared, Mulder? What if having sex messes up our partnership?” That was some truth coming out of her, for sure , he thought.
“I’m scared too,” he said, as he tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear so he could see her face still mostly buried in his chest. “But I can’t imagine being with anyone else and I’m so lonely sometimes, please can we try? I’m begging,” he growled in frustration, “Fuck this truth serum is making me sound pathetic.”
She pushed herself away from him, not in anger but in desperation. “I want to kiss you, but we can’t,” she started marching towards her bedroom and appeared to him like a person being physically pulled somehow forward and backward at the same time. She struggled but made it to her doorway. “Let’s separate for thirty minutes and then we will see how things are. I really want to jump in your lap and ride you, but it will be for the best if we separate, okay?”
Mulder stood from where he was watching her on the couch. “Scully, you want to ride me? Come back, don’t leave. Are you mad at me?” he said, sounding like a little kid who was having his toy taken away.
“FUCK!” she exclaimed. “We are fine, I’m not mad. We have to stop asking each other questions! I’ll come out in a bit,” she said as she slammed her bedroom door.
Mulder laid back on the couch; a full gamut of confusing emotions running through his head. He was so embarrassed for confessing how badly he wanted her, but she wanted him just as much. Despite that realization coming to surface, he remained completely unsure about what might actually happen with them. The truth serum was forcing confessions but forcing them in an awkward and overly blunt way. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind when he heard her door creak open.
“Yeah, Scully. What’s on your mind?”
“Come in here so we can talk; so we can have sex.”
He looked up in time to see her hand fly over her mouth again, embarrassed. She motioned for him to join her in her bedroom, and he did.
He sat on the side of the bed and looked at her, she was standing several feet away, looking a bit guarded.
“Mulder, why haven’t you told me how you felt before?”
“I was scared it would ruin things and I didn’t think you felt the same way. Scully, why haven’t you told me what you wanted?”
“I really didn’t think you felt the same way, in fact I thought you were sleeping with Diana again. You are positive nothing’s happening with her, Mulder?”
“No. I could fuck her though, she’d let me in a heartbeat,” he winced, the serum still had the controls. “But I just want you. I want you so much.”
Scully smiled and took a step toward him but put her arm out to prevent him from grabbing her, she wasn’t finished talking, “Here’s how I see it Mulder, we are both interested in exploring a physical relationship. The truth serum has brought that to life, but it isn’t affecting our judgment. I feel well with in my abilities to consent to sex, in fact, the truth serum will actually force us to give full and truthful consent if we just ask each other.”
“Okay Scully, do you want to have sex with me tonight?”
“I want to have sex with you right now more than anything. You are so hot, it’s so distracting, sometimes I think it would help me focus better at work if we were doing it,” she mused. “What about you, Mulder, do you want to have sex with me tonight?”
Mulder grinned, bigger than he’d grinned in years. “Scully, the answer Is yes. I want to give you pleasure; I want to explore all of you…can we?” he reached for her, and she stepped closer allowing him to graze her hip with his knuckles.
“Okay, one thing though,” she paused. “We need to avoid asking each other anything else, the truth serum might make it awkward, like imagine you stick it in and ask me how it feels, and it hurts because…you are big.”
He chuckled. He was big and he didn’t have any issues with that bit of truth.
She shook her head again so embarrassed, “And normally maybe I’d just work through it, but if you ask me how I feel, I’d probably say ‘it hurts’, I don’t want to mess up our first time with those kind of awkward truths. Can we just stay quiet?”
“Quiet sex…I’ll try. I know you’ve noticed over the last five years I don’t shut up much. Can I kiss you now?”
She laughed at his bluntness, realizing he was still forced into the truth too. “You have to kiss me now, or I feel like I might hyperventilate,” she said.
