Story 71: "Waiting for Agent Right" by Kel
Jan. 8th, 2009 07:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wendelah1 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xf_book_clubWe have reached the last of the travel theme stories. Travel theme, you are thinking? Never mind.
We are just doing humor this week, as a change up from last week's very plotty, angst-laden offerings. This week's story was nominated by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hlbr. As I recall, in "Waiting for Agent Right," it is first season, Mulder and Scully are in the first class lounge of the "world's ugliest airport," waiting for a weather-delayed flight. Agent Mulder is getting high on free champagne; Agent Scully is not. Hi jinks ensue.
Waiting for Agent Right
For those of us with way too much time on our hands, I am arbitrarily introducing a new feature, to appear maybe every week, maybe not. I like to keep you guessing.
It's a Book Club Rerun: go check out our discussion on The Airport by the great Jess M. Have fun!
As always, go read, come back, we'll talk. If you have a suggestion for reading, you can let us know here. And remember, asdashakay is always telling us, feedback matters.
We are just doing humor this week, as a change up from last week's very plotty, angst-laden offerings. This week's story was nominated by
hlbr. As I recall, in "Waiting for Agent Right," it is first season, Mulder and Scully are in the first class lounge of the "world's ugliest airport," waiting for a weather-delayed flight. Agent Mulder is getting high on free champagne; Agent Scully is not. Hi jinks ensue. Waiting for Agent Right
For those of us with way too much time on our hands, I am arbitrarily introducing a new feature, to appear maybe every week, maybe not. I like to keep you guessing.
It's a Book Club Rerun: go check out our discussion on The Airport by the great Jess M. Have fun!
As always, go read, come back, we'll talk. If you have a suggestion for reading, you can let us know here. And remember, as
dashakay is always telling us, feedback matters.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 02:31 am (UTC)You're not a "shipper" Wendy, and I guess you're right that there's no actual ust here, but really I see relationship subtleties all through "Waiting for Agent Right."
Well, sure. Kel has their first season relationship nailed. They are as cute as buttons, both in the series and in the story. I giggle all the way through this passage:
Scully never bought this magazine, but she would peruse it whenever it
crossed her path. Now she tried to interest herself in an update on
the new technology in bubble baths and aromatherapy.
Who wrote this stuff, Scully wondered. Did anyone really talk like
that? Maybe she could contribute an article, something about the
special needs of FBI agents...
"Can I read it when you're done?" Mulder's voice was whiny with
boredom. He'd been staring at the cover, waiting for her to notice
him.
Scully lowered the magazine and met his eyes. They'd been working
together almost a year, and the awkwardness and mistrust of the early
months was gone.
"Mulder, they run an article like this every month, and it's always
the same six tips and the same secret spot," she said. She had to
give him credit, though. At least he'd stopped studying the cover
girl's cleavage long enough to read the copy.
"Not that one. Look. 'Stuck in a Time Warp?' Lost time, Scully!"
She closed the magazine to look.
"It says, 'Stuck in a FASHION Time Warp,'" she corrected him.
Mulder sniffed his lack of interest, but then he seemed to change his
mind.
"Scully, you could use a new look," he said.
This is all too true. Mulder knows it. Scully knows it. We all know it. But Gillian is pregnant, so those big coats aren't going anywhere for awhile.
Ouch. Scully had never been confident in the area of wardrobe or
hairstyle. Men had it so easy. Mulder, in particular, always looked
great. The bastard.
"*You* could use a new tie," she retorted feebly.
Their eyes met until Mulder turned away.
"I could use a new toaster," he mumbled.
Not for a moment did she interpret the shift in topic as the result of
drunken meandering. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, and he was
deliberately backing off.
Which is true. Mulder is drunk but he isn't cruel.
"They're not that expensive," she said, following his lead to a safer
subject. "The top-of-the-line toaster oven is around a hundred bucks,
and it'll even bake potatoes or frozen dinners."
"I don't want another toaster oven. They always burst into flames,"
Mulder said.
She would have to tell him about cleaning his toaster oven, Scully
decided. She would wait until he wasn't shitfaced.
Good plan, Sculls. I can so hear her thinking this.
"Okay, regular toaster. Let's see," she said. Reaching into the
pocket of her trench coast, she drew out a strip of paper. "Here's a
four-slice toaster for forty-five dollars."
Mulder was impressed and delighted.
Mulder is easily impressed when he's three sheets to the wind, isn't he?
"How about a microwave?" he asked.
Scully consulted her list.
"Well, here's one for two-ninety-nine, but I don't think you'd want
something that big," she said.
"A Glock thirty-two C?" he queried.
"What?"
"I tried one at the range and I like the feel," Mulder explained.
"I'm sorry, but they don't sell firearms at House-to-Home," she
answered.
Mulder is the straight man here, Scully gets to make the joke.
This comment was too long so I've broken it in half.