42 Flavors
(translated into Canadian: 42 Flavours)

By bellefleur
bellefleur1013@yahoo.com


DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: sure
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.
SUMMARY: Mulder gets in his licks.

* * *

(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"
(http://www.tofutti.com/sticks.0.asp).  For Scully's next
birthday, I think Mulder should buy her a box.  :)


Send feedback (and gelato) to:
bellefleur1013@yahoo.com

Find this and other madness at:
www.geocities.com/bellefleur1013