A/N: Someone (that being me) has been watching way too much X Files lately...this was the result of that. Just a dumb little Scully/Mulder thing set in the early years of the series (could be season one practically)

The X Files doesn't belong to me.

Her peaceful sleep is interrupted by a shrill cry of the telephone. She groans as she pulls herself out of bed, slipping into her robe and making her way to the kitchen. She's annoyed, but it's not like she knew this wasn't coming.

The first time this happened; these wee hours of the morning calls, she sprinted to the phone and answered with a breathless, "yes"? She thought someone had died, and instead she was greeted with her partner in crime's sleepy voice. A streak of annoyance and anger ran through her and she demanded he go to sleep. It happened again, about a month later. This had to be around the sixth time.

She rubs her eyes, a headache coming on as she picks up the phone. "Mmm?" she hums, not even having to say a word.

"Scully," a familiar voice drawls. "Hiiii, Scully."

Alright, something was off. She can nearly smell the alcohol on his breath through the phone. He's called her for every stupid question possible, but he's never called her while he was drunk.

"Oh, Mulder," she sighs. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I was just so tired...so tired, Scully, so I had a beer and then another beer and then another 'cause they help ya sleep, y'know? But I'm not tiiiired. And I started thinkin' of yoooou..." he draws out his vowels and she knows he's smiling like the dumb idiot he is. But for some reason, she can't be mad at him.

"I hope you didn't go out. I hope you didn't drive."

"Uh-uh," he replies. "I've been here aaaaall night. Thinking of Scuuuully...pretty Scuuuully."

She rolls her eyes. "If you think you deserve a thank you-" But she's cut off.

"You are so pretty, y'know that? Sooooo pretty. You just have such pretty hair...and eyes...wow. You have the prettiest eyes in the whole woooorld. And pretty, pretty lips. Uh-huh, pretty lips."

She bites those lips, her ears starting to feel hot. She should be disgusted, she should tell him to go to bed, but he's not hurting anyone, right? Best just let him talk, she thinks. Maybe it'll make him tired and he'll go to bed. "Scuuuuully?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you're pretty?"

"Um, I don't see why that matters, Mulder."

"Well, I hope you doooo. Y'know why?"

"Because you think I am?"

"Because I think you are the most beeeeautiful girl in the universe. The whole universe. I'm being serious. I wish you were here now so I could hug you. Do you like hugs?"

She shakes her head. "Sure."

"I wanna hug you awful baaaad."

"Well, hug me in your dreams, okay? It's three AM and you need some sleep."

He makes a little noise of displeasure. "Alriiiiight. Night-night Scully...pretty Scully."

"Goodnight, Mulder," and, though she can't believe it, she adds, "Handsome Mulder."

"Heeey, no one's ever called me handsome," he's grinning, she just knows it. "Goodnight..."

"Night," she replies, and hangs up the phone, blushing just a bit. "He's drunk," she mutters to herself. "He's drunk and tired, and you need some sleep." she rubs circles on her forehead, discards the robe on the floor, and crawls back under the sheets. "He doesn't mean anything." she assures herself one final time and falls asleep.

He shows up to work the next morning looking terribly disoriented. "Hey," he greets her sluggishly.

"Hi," she replies, trying not to smile.

"Did I call you last night? Everything's sorta...foggy."

"Yeah, you did," she chuckles a bit.

He sighs. "Oh, God, sorry. I just drank a little too much and one thing led to the other..."

"It's absolutely fine, Mulder."

"What did I say?"

She squeezes her lips together. "Er, something about me being pretty, that's about it." She watches as he runs his fingers through his hair, laughing nervously.

"Ah..."

"It was sweet, Mulder. You were drunk. It's all fine."

She flips through some paperwork, pretending to be invested when really her ears are on fire again. "It was sweet?"

"It kinda was. You said I had pretty eyes, and lips, and hair...and...well, you said you wanted to hug me, and...you were just babbling on. I had to shut you up."

"Oh," he replies, and leaves it at that for a second.

"I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's not a problem, Mulder. Okay? Let's drop it."

He looks up at her while she's looking down, and he smiles. "No, Scully...I meant it." he reaches out and touches her wrist, fingers brushing her skin just lightly. She looks up and withdrawals, shrinking into her chair.

"Mulder," she begins, but doesn't finish. She pushes her hair behind her ear and returned to the paperwork, but he sees that her ears are red.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

-Lulamae