Title - Closet Secrets (1/1)
 Sequel TO: Sibbekunde Geheim
 Author - Katrinka
 E-mail address - Katrinka@flash.net
 Rating - PG
 Category - SRA - Story/Romance/Angst Humor
 Spoilers - NADA
 Keywords - MSR
 Summary - Scully reveals a secret she is extremely ashamed of! 
 Archiving-Send it anywhere, just credit me. Tell me if you put it on your page.
 Disclaimer- Yes, I own all of them. Sure, why not. Okay, if I was Chris Carter I would, but I really don't! I'm just borrowing them. I don't own Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Byers or Langly. 
 Sanrio owns Sanrio and characters 
 Gregorian Music sings Dear Daniel the song
 Feedback-Hug an author, give feedback. Any feedback will be answered.
 Authors Note: The angst monster got to Katrinka, and forced her to write something very strange. Honestly, it's that Sanrio addiction that I have.
 Dedication: This is dedicated to all those who love Sanrio :) and Kat's everywhere!

 Time: two weeks after Sibbekunde Geheim

 Fox Mulder felt good. For the first time in a long time he actually felt as if he could get up and go. Of course, Mulder was still stuck transcribing. So he couldn't go chasing off on a case, even if he wanted to. His chest tube was now gone. He had a thin scar to remind him of what he had gone through. Mulder wasn't cleared to play basketball yet. Mulder should have been upset, no basketball, and no case. The only thing that kept him from being down was the fact that he was now in love.

 Today was a wonderful day, because Dana Scully was moving into the apartment two doors down from Mulder's. The agent wished he his partner had could have been allowed to move into his apartment.

 //It's about the same thing.// Mulder thought.

 //Bet we won't spend many nights apart.//

 //If only the damned FBI would stay the hell out of our personal business. //

 Mulder stood in the doorway to Scully's new apartment. The movers had put the furniture in the right places, but any box that she brought had been dumped in the living room. The room was filled with boxes some that had HK written on them. Mulder wondered what the HK meant. He tapped on the open door. "Scully?"

 There was no answer. That meant that his partner must be in another part of the apartment. Mulder picked up a fairly large box that said "Bedroom, HK"; he went off in search of the bedroom. 

 Mulder found Scully making the bed. It seemed absurd that there was chaos everywhere outside the room, but this was an island of normality. The bed was being made; the curtains had been hung. It seemed like Scully had been living in this one room for weeks. 

  Scully was being domestic. It turned on Mulder in a strange primal way.  That, and the too tight T-shirt and jeans also helped, or was it the little kerchief she wore over her hair? Mulder wasn't sure what it was, only that he liked it. 

 Scully finally looked up to Mulder. "Hey there."

 "Like what you did to the bedroom." Mulder gave her a half-smile.

 "I know, I'm strange. When I move, I always unpack the bedroom first."

 "That's because your family moved a lot." Mulder guessed.

 "I would never know how long we stayed in one place, so I decorated my bedroom immediately." Scully fluffed up the pillows. "I hate moving."

 "I'm not too crazy about moving myself."

 For the first time, Scully noticed that Mulder was holding a box. She took it away from him. She opened her closet door, and put the box on the floor. Mulder couldn't help but notice the other boxes that had HK written on them in Scully's firm hand. 

 //What is HK, and why is Scully putting them in the closet? // Mulder wondered as his eyes spotted the open box that had HK written on it.

 Scully saw him looking. She went to the box and tried to fold the flap in. "Can you put this up for me?"

 "Sure, where?" 

 "Top shelf in the closet." 

 Mulder picked up the box. It was a fairly light box. Then Mulder went to the closet. The shelf was fairly high up, even standing on his toes; he had a hard time trying to reach the shelf. Not that he would tell Scully that. Instead, Mulder reached even more. He was able to get the corner on the shelf. 

 Then he pushed as hard as he could. Instead of the box going onto the shelf, the shelf collapsed onto him. As it fell, the box opened. Mulder found himself showered with stationary. Wallets, datebooks, pencils, pen. Then he was showered with stuffed animals, most of them a small round kitten without a mouth but dressed in various costumes. 

 After getting over the shock, Mulder began to pick up the items. Hello Kitty! All these items had Hello Kitty or other Sanrio characters on them. Cute, they were all adorable. It made Mulder smile at the thought of Scully's softer side.


 Scully rushed over to Mulder, she took the box away from him. Then she began to shove the items into the boxes. "I think I can handle this by myself." 

  "I'm sorry." Mulder moved to help, but his hands where slapped away. 

 "I said I can do this myself!" There was anger in Scully's eyes.

 "I didn't mean to spill your stuff."

 "You where born a klutz! Why don't you go home!"

 "I want to help."

 "You've helped enough, you ham-fisted oaf!" She shouted.

 "Scully..."

 "Get out of my apartment, or I'll call the police." There was ice in Scully's eyes. 

 Mulder got up. He knew he couldn't argue with Scully when she was in this type of mood. "Okay, I'm going."

 Mulder left the apartment. He couldn't figure out why Scully was so mad. Then he realized. Scully wanted to be seen as a rational person. A person who collected Sanrio items wouldn't be seen as rational, instead, they would be seen as overly sentimental. A person who couldn't let go of her childish side. He knew Dana Katherine Scully well enough to know she would never admit to that.

 Mulder had to let Scully realize he understood. But how? Then he remembered the tune he heard on the radio. A trip to the local mall was in order. It would probably only take him about an hour. It would give Scully some time to calm down. Then he could give her the thing that would make her realize he understood.

 *******************************

 Scully had felt ashamed a few minutes after Mulder had left. She couldn't believe that she had thrown him out of her apartment because of a small stuffed kitten. Scully went to Mulder's apartment and knocked. No one answered. She tried her key, but found no one inside. Mulder had left. He probably went for a walk. 

 //I hope.//


 //So every other man I had become involved with made fun of my obsession? That didn't mean Mulder would.// Scully thought. //Mulder never laughs at my interests. //

 Scully went back to her new apartment and busied herself with unpacking. Trying and not succeeding with getting her partner off her mind.


 Two hours later, the doorbell rang. When she answered it, she found it was Mulder, holding something behind his back. He smiled at her. "Can I come in?"

 "Sure." Scully moved to let him in. Mulder came in, and she locked the door.

 "Got a housewarming present for you," Mulder brought a bag out from behind his back. A Sanrio store bag. 

 "You went to the Sanrio store?" Scully raised an eyebrow.

 "Open it." 

 Scully opened the bag. Inside was a bright pink Hello Kitty boom box. She took it out of the package. As she did, Mulder took off his coat. 

 "I can't believe you got this for me," Scully gasped.

 "You didn't have one did you?" There trepidation in Mulder's voice.

 "No, I didn't," Scully said slowly. //This was a little too obvious for my closet addiction./. Scully put the new boom box on a box near an electric outlet. She knew that sooner or later, she would have to try it out.

 "Why didn't you tell me you liked Hello Kitty?"

 "I didn't think you'd understand. I got my first Hello Kitty when my father was stationed in Japan. She reminds me of an innocent me." Scully paused. "Before the terrible things happened."

 "I think we all have an innocent side." Mulder agreed. "Why do you keep all that stuff tucked away?"

 "Because I'm too old for them." She still couldn't believe her partner would understand.

  Mulder gave her a half-smile. "Age is a state of mind. If you buy the stuff, you might as well use them." 

 "That's childish. Everyone will think I've regressed."

 Mulder cocks an eyebrow. "So?"

 Something struck Scully, something that she should have realized a long time ago. "It's never mattered to you what people think, does it?"

 "I would have gone insane a long time ago, if I cared." Mulder looked into her eyes. "The only opinion I value is yours."

 "I wished you liked some of my collection." 

 "I like that Badtz Maru." Mulder tells her with a smile. "Frohike gave me one as a joke, and I ended up collecting him." He took something out of his pocket. He gave it to her. A small penguin beanie with a purple boa, it was holding a purple Easter egg. The creature did not look happy wearing the boa. "Open it."

 Mulder watched her as she opened the egg, hope was written in his eyes. There was a diamond ring in the egg; the setting seemed familiar to her, with the large diamond, and the smaller ones that looked like kitten's ears. She had seen this at the Sanrio store and had drooled over it. It was a very expensive ring. 
 Scully brought her hand to her mouth. "Mulder..." 

 Mulder took the ring from her. "I thought it was time I give you an engagement ring." Scully could only nod. He took the ring from her, and slipped it on her right ring finger. "I'd give anything to have you wear it on your left."

 "Thank you,"

 "I love you, what ever you love, I'll learn to love. I can't live without you." Mulder's eyes were truthful. Scully stood up on tiptoe and kissed Mulder. Her partner pulled away from her, stroking her cheek. "I brought something. I want us to dance to it."

 "All right," Scully wondered what on earth did Mulder find that.

 Mulder took a CD out of his jacket. He put it in the hot pink boom box. He plugged it in, and then he hit the start button. Mulder grabbed Scully, and pulled her close to him, putting her head on his chest. Scully could feel Mulder's heartbeat beneath his shirt.  The music began; Rock music played on traditional Japanese instruments. In his tenor, Mulder began to sing along with the song. 

 I think I'm in love,
  I met a girl, way across the world, 
 from a land far far away. 
 When we talk, I use my hands,
  Cause she don't understand
  A single word I say.

 You might think I'm crazy,
  Think I'm a dangerous Man,
 Well frankly that's okay, 
 I didn't think you'd understand.

 Strange as it seems I'm Dear Daniel in my dreams,
  Making love to Hello Kitty everyday. 
 She's soft and she's round, 
 And she doesn't make a sound, 
 But I know that she loves me anyway.

 You might think I'm crazy, 
 Think I've lost my mind. 
 Don't you know this girl has 
 Half the world, 
 Standing in a line?"

 Scully wanted to laugh at the song Mulder was singing. Mulder singing about the cat that was in love with Hello Kitty. Perhaps it was the way that Mulder rocked against her as he sang, his hardness brushing against her that made her not say anything. Perhaps it was the way he sang with all sincerity. 

 They needed to dance more, Scully thought. Mulder was a good dancer, a damn good dancer. She wondered were he learned to dance. Mulder's heartbeat grew more excited as they danced. His fingers tangled in her hair. 

 As the song ended, Mulder said. "I wish I was Dear Daniel sometimes."

 "You'd leave me for a cat?" Scully smiled.

 Mulder pulled away from her. "You're my Hello Kitty."

 Scully fought down the urge to say "Woo boy." to mock what Mulder told her. She would have had a hard time mocking him, what with his lips descending onto hers. 

 Then his lips left hers. "I want to be Dear Daniel simply because he was created to love Hello Kitty. He doesn't risk his job by loving her."

 "Are we risking our jobs?"

 "I don't know if I can survive forever just down the hallway from you. I want us to come home to our home, instead of two different apartments. I want to go out in public with you, telling everyone I'm yours. I want to date you, like a normal person. I want to walk with you through a mall simply holding hands. I want you to be able to show off your engagement ring." There were tears in Mulder's eyes. "As long as we work at the FBI we'll never be able to do that."

 Scully could see Mulder raise his inner walls, almost as it they where visible. He had revealed much to Scully-perhaps too much. His arms fell, and he moved away from Scully. He picked up his jacket, and headed towards the door. "I'll see you Monday morning."

 Scully realized if Mulder left now, their relationship would be destroyed forever. She went to the door, shutting it. "Where do you think your going?"

 "I'm going home."

 "Skinner said we had to have two different apartments."

 "I know that." Mulder got a pained look on his face. "Goodbye Dana."

 "Just listen to me for a moment." 

 "You have one minute." Mulder checked his watch.

 "Mulder, there is nothing in the code that says we can't get married. Nothing! There is nothing that says we can't be engaged! It's just tradition."

 "Forty five seconds."

 "We live only two doors away from each other. How would anyone know if we lived together?" 

 "Skinner would find out." Mulder pointed out.

 "If that happens, then I would fight him. If I was fired, I would hire a lawyer, and go to the Supreme Court if I had to." Scully said firmly. "I'm not going to let fear of repercussion tear us apart."

 "I'm not worth it."

 "Damn it Fox Mulder, you are!"  Scully took the engagement ring off her right finger, and placed it on her left. Mulder's mouth opened in shock. Before her partner could say anything, she smiled. "Don't worry. I'll take care of Skinner."

 "This is crazy," 

 "I must have gotten my insanity from you. You're the one that doesn't care what others think. I don't give a shit who know we live together." Scully paused. "Unless I'm not worth it."

 Mulder looked at Scully for a moment, and then he dropped his coat. At the same time, his walls crashed down.  He pushed her against the door. His hands found her hair, stroking it, caressing it. Then he kissed her, not hiding his passion. Then Mulder pulled away from Scully; he took the ring she had given him from his right ring finger to his left. "To hell with the FBI," 

 "You won't regret this," Scully smiled.

 "Damn right I won't." And with that, Mulder picked up Scully and took her to their bedroom.