Slow Burn | NC17 | The X Files
Title: Slow Burn
Prompt: "A Christmas to Remember" by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Fandom: Mulder/Scully, The X Files
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 5360
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Wow. So….I know this is not exactly on my 100 fic prompt list, but this has been a longstanding request that I really wanted to fulfill in time for Christmas. Armed with the fluffy Christmas music of Parton and Rogers, I set to work. But…I had no idea what to do with the prompt. If you know the song well, you'll see bits and pieces of it scattered throughout the beginning, but that's about it. I guess my muse decided to be loose in its interpretation of the prompt. But, difficult prompt aside, I had an even greater challenge: I had never written Mulder/Scully fic before. I've written fics about them through someone else's POV, or have mentioned them, but nothing that focused directly on them as a couple. And, because they are my original OTP and because TXF began my love affair with fan fiction at a tender young age, I felt that I couldn't half-ass this one. That's why it's a few days late. Special thanks to dragonwine for kicking me in the ass when I needed it. ANYWAY -- I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. All errors are my own. Do let me know what you think! Happy New Year!
-
With a frustrated sigh, Dana Scully shrugged her blazer off and draped it over the end of her bed. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the tension pinch and pull at her strained muscles. She rubbed the nape of her neck and pressed her fingers into the sore flesh, kneading it but not quite able to issue enough pressure to release the knots. She gave up with a long, slow sigh, hoping that she'd be able to get the shower of her hotel room hot enough to do the trick.
She began to remove the rest of her clothes, littering them across the bed until she stood in nothing but her underwear. She walked into the bathroom, pushing back the curtain of the fairly clean shower and turned the faucets. Within seconds a few curls of steam began to rise and she smiled, thankful for small mercies.
As she hooked her thumbs in the elastic band of her cotton panties, she heard a distant knock at the door.
Scully rolled her eyes.
Mulder.
She quickly wrapped a towel around her torso and padded to the door of her hotel room. As she swung the door open, she spoke. "You have a minute and thirty seconds, Mulder."
He raised an eyebrow, slinking his long body to lean against the doorframe. "Well hello to you too, Scully. I'm fine, thank you for asking."
Scully narrowly avoided rolling her eyes and instead let out a slow exhale through her nose. A knot in her shoulder screamed in pain. "What do you want, Mulder?" She considered the weight of her question, given that she was standing scantily clad, and swallowed heavily.
Mulder seemed to pay no mind to the unintentional double meaning to her words. His mind, as usual, was focused singularly on the task at hand. "I was thinking maybe we could get some grub and talk about the interviews we did today. I'm pretty sure we have a solid lead with Mrs. Plan--"
Scully held up her hand. "No, Mulder. I'm not doing this right now." The knot throbbed in her back as she grinded her teeth together.
"Shall I come back after your shower?" His eyes quickly dropped from her face, taking in the sight of her petite frame encased in its cotton towel. His eyes lingered on the shadow between her breasts.
Scully felt naked and shivered. "No. I'm done working tonight. We shouldn't even be out here."
"Au contraire, Agent Scully. It is our job and this is an X file."
"It is not an X file. There is no abominable snowman wandering the ski slopes of Tahoe. This is our Christmas vacation, Mulder. There are two days until the holiday and instead of spending it with my family, I'm cooped up in a ski lodge with--"
"With me." Mulder pushed off the doorframe with his shoulder and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I get it."
Scully felt the pang of his hurt expression like a knife to the stomach. "Mulder, I--"
"No no; you've said enough. I'll book you a flight to DC for the morning and stay out of your hair until then." He turned on his heel and walked down the hall, letting himself into his own hotel room.
Scully shut the door and banged her head against the wood. "Fuck," she whispered. When she got back to the shower, the water was cold.
-
Scully stood in front of the large, imposing wooden door, her hand raised to knock. She stared at the pale, trembling fist before flexing her fingers and bringing it to rest on her hip. She chewed on her lip.
She'd been standing in front of his door for five minutes.
It wasn't that it was difficult to apologize to him for hurting his feelings. She was not so small of a person that she couldn't admit when she was wrong or unnecessarily hurtful. It was the fact that she'd hurt him at all, that she had to witness the wounded expression on his face that made her stomach clench tightly and coil in anguish.
She knocked.
Scully held her breath as she waited for an answer. She considered the possibility that he had in fact gone out for dinner after all, or had gone for a run. She'd let an hour pass before she could muster the courage to face him and she cursed herself for waiting so long.
As she turned to go, she heard the snick of the lock before the door was pulled open.
Scully found herself rendered momentarily breathless when she was faced with her shirtless, slightly damp partner. The hotel issued towel hung around his neck. He wore a pair of jeans that, while zipped, were unbuttoned. Scully forced a swallow, blinked, and looked at his eyes.
"We've got some excellent timing, don't we?" he asked, a bemused expression on his face.
She cleared her throat. "Mulder, I--"
"If you came by to apologize, I'll forgive you in the spirit of Christmas." He stepped aside, swinging his arm to motion towards the empty hotel room. "Come on in."
Scully quickly stepped past him, trying to avoid glancing at the bared chest she'd come to know so well. She'd taken care of him countless times, seen him at his weakest and most vulnerable, but she still found herself dismantled at the sight of him. It was not the first time she'd seem him shirtless, but she realized that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to resist staring. She glanced around the room instead, taking note of the double bed, desk, and chair. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed but reconsidered, leaning instead against the desk. She folded her arms in front of her chest, hugging them tightly to her as she regarded him.
"I'm sorry, Mulder."
He shrugged, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "I know this isn't an ideal situation…"
"It's not even that." Scully frowned, running her hand through her slightly mussed hair. "I become a different person during the holidays. I think…it becomes worse every year. So much has happened that I don't even recognize myself sometimes." She could feel her face grow hot, impending tears threatening to fall. She told herself that she would not shed a tear and so she blinked them back, taking a bracing breath. "I'm a relative stranger at times."
Mulder watched her, his dark eyes searching her face. He scooted closer to where she stood, extending his hand. "Fox Mulder. Nice to meet you."
Scully couldn't help but laugh. She clasped her hand in his. "Dana Scully. I think."
His grip tightened around her hand. "You are Dana Scully. For what it's worth, I see you."
Scully gave a sad little smile. Of course he saw her. He'd seen her at her best, at her worst, at her most damaged and broken. He saw through her skepticism and her bullshit. Of all the people she cursed spending time with out of sheer holiday melancholy, it had foolishly been the one man who knew her best of all. "Thank you, Mulder."
He released her hand after giving it another squeeze and bounced himself off the bed, flinging the towel in the direction of the bathroom. "You didn't see that," he said, raising an eyebrow and pointing a finger at her. Reaching into his small travel bag, he pulled out a gray t-shirt.
Scully watched the sinewy muscles of his back stretch and pull as he covered his chest and darted her tongue to re-wet her lips.
"Now, I know this is hardly the most ideal of circumstances to get you out of your moody Christmas blues, but I offer…" He paused, stowing a hand inside the leather jacket that was draped around the chair. When he removed his hand, a small bottle of Jack Daniels was within his curled fingers. "Not exactly wine or eggnog, but it's tempting, isn't it?"
Scully laughed.
"I also have a half-eaten bag of potato chips and, in the spirit of Christmas…" He snuck a hand into the other inside pocket of his coat and procured a bag of red and green colored seeds. "De-shelled, chocolate coated, festively colored sunflower seeds. Not even you can deny their mouth-watering pull." He tossed the bag in her direction and she caught it, inspecting the nutrition label. "Uh uh, Scully," he said, his tone light, "Tis the season to ignore the calorie counting and indulge in your wildest fantasies."
"Really, Mulder? Chocolate covered sunflower seeds are my wildest fantasy?" She raised an eyebrow.
"If you'd rather illuminate me as to the true nature of your baser desires, I'd be more than happy to partake in story time."
Scully was unable to suppress a blush. "Maybe after some of that," Scully responded, gesturing to the bottle of whiskey in his hand.
"Well in that case, let me set the proper mood." He reached for the remote.
"I'm not watching porn with you, Mulder. No matter how drunk you get me."
"Your faith in me knows no bounds," he deadpanned, hitting the round red button at the top of the controller. "Prepare to have your mind blown."
Scully watched as the small television faded from black, focusing on the image of logs burning in a fireplace. "Tell me it's not…"
Mulder disappeared into the bathroom. "Oh, it is. I checked it earlier…that's all this station plays."
"I feel warmer already," Scully replied dryly, her fingers absently pulling at the twist curled around the plastic bag. She opened it, dropping the twisty tie to the desktop before taking a small pile of seeds into her palm. Mulder returned to the room as Scully was emptying her cupped palm into her mouth.
"I knew you couldn't resist."
Scully blushed. "So you did."
"See? I know you too well." He set two paper cups on the nightstand and poured two generous shots of whiskey. He handed one to Scully. "To making this a Christmas to remember."
Scully smiled, her heart pounding faster as she watched his wide smile brighten his dark, brooding features. She tapped her cup against his.
-
Scully peered at the bottle of Jack Daniels sitting atop the nightstand, narrowing her eyes at the three-quarters of alcohol still remaining in the bottle. It didn't add up. They'd had no more than two shots apiece and yet…
She felt dizzy.
Perhaps, she considered, it had little to do with the alcohol. It was far more likely that it had everything to do with the length of Mulder's body as it pressed against hers.
They lay side by side on the double bed, their sides touching as they stared at the cracked, stained ceiling. She giggled at a joke he made about Skinner and relished the feeling of his body as it shook beside hers in laughter.
She had no idea what happened to the disgruntled, irritated, annoyed woman of earlier that evening. She had no idea what happened to her rational self either. She should have been hearing warning bells, should have resurrected her barriers as she'd done in the past when he came too close.
Something was different and Scully didn't quite feel like questioning it.
"I'm telling you," Mulder said, "if there's a snow monster out there, imagine how well it must blend in. Imagine skiing right into that sonofabitch and getting your head chewed off."
Scully laughed effortlessly. "If there were a snow monster, which there isn't, don't you think the high flow of traffic in this particular ski lodge would result in a higher number of reported sightings?"
"Not necessarily," he argued.
"Yes necessarily, Mulder. No heads have been chewed off and there are only three coincidental "sightings" in the greater Tahoe area because there is no monster."
"Y'always gotta bust my balls, don't ya, Scully?"
"That's what they pay me for," she replied with a grin.
"Admit it…you enjoy it."
"Busting your balls or working with you?"
He considered her question and replied, "Both."
She chuckled. "Yes…to both."
"Aha! I knew it!"
"As if you weren't already aware."
"It doesn't hurt to have your suspicions confirmed every once in a while."
"Any other suspicions I can help you with, Mulder?"
He stared at her then, his mouth open as if to respond. He didn't, staring instead at her face. There was something in his eyes, an intensity, a slow burn that wasn't there before. Scully suppressed a shiver.
"I should go."
Mulder closed his mouth then. "Sure you're ready to leave the cozy fire in favor of a cold, empty room of your own?"
Scully's stomach clenched. She could feel her body responding to the double meaning behind his words. Her head spun. Was it the whiskey? Or was it something singularly Mulder? "I've got a theory to debunk in the morning. I'd better get my rest."
"Just you wait, Scully. You'll come face to face with the abominable snowman himself and rethink your skepticism."
"And just why does your snow monster automatically have to be a male?"
"Ah, but by that statement you admit that the possibility that a snow monster, whether it be male or female, may exist."
She laughed again. "Believe what you will, Mulder."
"I always will. Ain't no G-woman gonna get me down." He looked at her curiously. "I thought you were leaving?"
Scully sat up then with a sigh. "I suppose I really should, shouldn't I?" She spun the half-eaten bag of sunflower seeds and formed a loose knot in the plastic, knowing full-well that he would simply rip open a new hole once she left.
"You don't have to go," Mulder conceded. He leaned onto his side, propping himself up on his arm.
"Are you trying to seduce me, Agent Mulder?" Scully teased, delighting in the way his eyebrows shot up his forehead.
"What? No," he stammered, sitting upright and ruffling his hair. "I didn't-- I only meant--"
"I'm kidding, Mulder. I have been known to do that from time to time, you know."
He cleared his throat. "Right. I knew that."
"You're so easy."
His cheeks colored slightly. "Give a guy a break."
She nudged her shoulder playfully against his, enjoying the momentary warmth against her body. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."
"I hope I succeeded."
She smiled. "You did. I get into that holiday funk sometimes and I tend to forget what's most important."
"And what's that?"
The words were there on her tongue. You, Mulder. You're most important to me. Without you I can't breathe. "Friends. Family. Loved ones…the people who love me and who'd do anything for me."
"Any room in there for partners?"
"What makes you think you're not already included in that list?"
"I didn't want to be presumptuous. You did sort of imply earlier…"
She rested her arm on his shoulder, gently stroking her thumb against him as had become habitual over the years. "That was a stranger, remember?"
"It's still you…"
Scully frowned up at him.
"But it's not all of you. Just part of the big picture, which I like."
"Promise you're not going to get so annoyed with me that you feed me to the snow monster?"
Mulder threw back his head and laughed before leaning forward and impulsively kissing her on the forehead. "I promise."
Scully felt heat and color blossom upon her face at the contact of his lips to her forehead. She could feel her body responding in the way it always had when he was near, when he touched her.
How much longer can we do this dance?
Scully stood up. "I'll see you in the morning then."
"Right you are. Bright and early."
Scully smiled tightly and left.
She cursed herself immediately as the door clicked shut behind her. She knew why she was tense, why she was irritable and abrasive, why she fought with him so often. It was the force of her feelings for him--the same feelings they both kept strictly at bay.
By the time she reached her door, she could barely breathe. She patted her hand across her back pockets and, upon not feeling the impression of her key card, searched inside of them. She checked her front pockets and then her back again before checking to see if her shirt had pockets.
She sighed and walked back down the hall.
Mulder answered after only a brief knock. "Couldn't stay away, could ya?"
She held out her hand.
"Uuh…are you waiting for me to slap you five?"
"My key, Mulder."
He looked behind him and then back at her. "Did you leave it?"
"You didn't find it?" she asked.
"I didn't see it, no."
Scully brushed past him, scanning the floor, bed, and desk with her eyes. She checked beneath the pillows and looked under the bed. "Mulder, did you hide it?"
He laughed. "Why would I do that?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Wha--Scully--I'm not five! I'm not fucking with you. I really don't have it."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"You're welcome to frisk me if you'd like."
Rolling her eyes, Scully stepped forward and slipped her hand into his back pocket. She immediately regretted it as her palm found itself separated from Mulder's firm backside by only a thin layer of denim.
"Three more to go."
Scully pulled her hand out as if it had been burned. "Mulder, where is my damn key?"
"I. Don't. Have. It."
Scully let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I'll call down to the front desk to let me in."
Mulder grabbed her arm before she reached the phone, his long fingers encircling her wrist. His grasp was warm. "Scully…I think subconsciously you wanted a reason to stay in my room."
Scully stopped and stared at the carpet. It was dark green with flecks of maroon and beige. It was hideous, but Scully couldn't look up. "What are you saying?" Please say what I think you're saying.
He stepped closer, not letting go of her arm. "I think you forgot your key on purpose," he replied, his voice low, deep, rumbling in that way that made Scully's knees weak. "Maybe not consciously but…Jesus, Scully, aren't you sick of this too?"
She looked up at him then, her eyes focusing on his. "Sick of what?" she pleaded. She knew if she tugged her arm he would release it, but she couldn't muster the strength.
He exhaled and she was so close now that she could feel the warmth of it on her face. She could see his eyes darken and his tongue gently wet his lips. She could see the words form on his mouth before being rejected. This was not the Mulder she knew; her Mulder was thoughtful but direct. Something clenched within her to see him so lost.
Scully was not sure who moved first, but both partners were of a singular mind. Their lips met, his head bent low, hers extended by the elongation of her body by the tips of her toes. His lips, so full and pliant, were soft against her own. He moved gently against her, letting go of her arm so that his were free to circle around her torso.
She could feel something depart her then. It was as if the bindings that had been holding her back were released. She was free. She was giving to herself the one thing she had been resisting. She no longer felt as though she were drowning under the weight of her denial.
Even so, Scully knew she should stop. She knew they were entering more complicated waters. They weren't partners who crossed this line, and they certainly weren't friends who kissed. This passed friendly affection and, as Mulder's tongue pressed against her lips, Scully was powerless to do little more than acquiesce. His tongue in her mouth felt foreign and strange, stroking languidly against her own as if it belonged, as if it had plenty of time to taste every corner of her.
Perhaps it did.
Scully brought her hands to his chest. Push him away. Walk away. She could feel her fingers begin to tense against him, could feel them readying to disengage.
The knot flared in her shoulder. Scully dropped her hands to the hem of his t-shirt and slipped beneath. The wiry curls of his chest hair scratched against her palms as they slid higher. His stomach tensed beneath her hands, his entire body shuddering as she learned the curves of his torso. She scratched his chest gently, raking her nails in dizzying patterns that left him shivering under her touch. She felt drunk with power in this moment, unable to believe that she was finally touching him and that she, out of all the women in the world, was the one to render him a quivering mess with just a caress.
His large hands were splayed against her back, stroking in broad circles. She could tell he was afraid to touch her, afraid to seek more for fear of being denied. When his fingers dipped to the small of her back and brushed against the hem of her jeans, she arched forward, brushing against his body.
Scully gasped at the feel of his hardness against her. The stiff evidence of his arousal hit her like a freight train; her face exploded with heat and she involuntarily shifted against him.
Mulder groaned before attempting to angle his hips away from hers. He was unwilling to pull away and so he remained flush against her, his bodying swaying against hers. They moved as if they'd been in this position a hundred times, though each touch was entirely new. Mulder, who Scully knew so intimately and so explicitly, had been given to her in a completely undiscovered way.
When they broke away, both agents were panting for air. Mulder tipped his forehead against hers, bringing his hands to cup her face. It was as if he were trying to keep her there, as if he were afraid that the end of their kiss would mean that she would leave.
She should leave. She knew she should.
But she didn't.
Tilting her head forward, Scully pressed her lips to his neck. She delighted in the sound of his gasp and so she did it again, this time opening her mouth to gently lave her tongue at the warm flesh. His fingers threaded in her hair, weaving in and out, curling strands of auburn silk around his roughened hands. He scratched at the nape of her neck and, as was inevitable, his fingers brushed over the spot on her neck where the implant once resided.
Both stilled, though Mulder had gone rigid and almost cold. She had lived with the fact of its existence, had reconciled herself with the scar left in its removal. But Mulder…
He stepped back, his knees hitting the bed. He held onto her, pulling her with him as he sat. Scully stepped between his opened legs, gazing down into his impossibly dark eyes as they pleased for permission and forgiveness.
"It's all right, Mulder," Scully whispered. Her lip trembled. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him that he saved her, that he continued to save her every day. But she could not speak, and so instead she kissed him.
Amongst the bitter, co-mingled flavors of whiskey, salt, and chocolate, Scully could taste in this kiss that something had changed. She knew in that moment that she would deny him nothing.
His hands slid beneath her shirt, caressing the sides of her ribs and palming the flat expanse of her belly. She shivered beneath his touch and when his fingers teased at the edges of her bra, she gasped into his mouth. She pulled back slightly, looking down at him with what she hoped was unadulterated desire. He stared up at her, his lips wet and full, and she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it behind her to the floor.
She could hear his breath as it escaped his lungs. It was as though he had never seen her in this partially dressed state before, but perhaps he had simply never looked at her with such intensity and intent.
She was trembling when he pulled her in, his lips just barely grazing her breasts as they filled the white cups of her bra. He kissed along the line of satin down to the little bow between her breasts. Her heart pounded more quickly as his hands reached behind her and deftly unclasped her bra.
He did not immediately remove it. She could see the wheels turning in his mind. She could hear everything he didn't say. I want to take this slow. I want to savor it. I don't think I can. I want. I want. I want. I need. I need. I need.
Scully could feel her resolve beginning to shift. She'd always imagined what this moment would be like, the moment where they made slow, passionate love until the sun rose. In her head it was ideal, all candlelight and rose petals. She considered the facts: they had spent too long being careful and slow. They'd been not-fucking for years.
There was no need to make this "perfect." It already was simply because they were finally there.
Before Mulder could draw her bra straps over her shoulders, she grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. The move startled him and he blinked at her, surprised by her forwardness, and blinked further when she shrugged her bra off on her own. His face burned at the sight of her bared for him and, straddling his hips, she offered herself to him.
He feasted on her breasts, kissing and licking and touching his way between them both. Scully alternated between watching and closing her eyes when the sight of it became too overwhelming. She moaned as he took one dusky, taut nipple between his teeth and pulled, and she groaned when he then began to suck.
Her hips moved against his and they moaned together when her center connected with his through layers of denim. She knew she was wetter than she'd ever been and she ached to be free of the constricting barrier of clothing that separated her from him. She reached between them, her knuckles grazing against his firm stomach, and made swift work of unbuttoning his jeans. Her trembling fingers grasped at the zipper, slowing tugging it down. The metallic grind of teeth rang loudly in her ears and when she reached the point where the zipper would go no further, she parted the halves of denim and reached beneath to free him.
Mulder shuddered and groaned when her small fist curled around the length of him, and he began to suck harder at her nipple. He pinched and rolled the other between his fingers and she cried out and began to pump her hand along his shaft. She was surprised by the size of him. She bit her lip.
"Please, Mulder…" she whimpered, gripping him more tightly. His hips jerked into her hand. "Please…"
With incredible ease Mulder flipped them, easing her back against the scratchy comforter. She watched him, her swollen lips parted to emit shallow breaths, while he removed her shoes, socks, and began to undo her jeans. The feel of his hands so close to where she so desperately wanted him made her cry out. She gazed at his form, at his erection pressed up against his abdomen, and licked her lips.
He pulled at her pants, tugging them over her hips and down her legs. "Jesus, Scully…" he said at the sight of her white satin panties. She pressed her parted thighs together as she watched him remove his own jeans, her sex clenching tightly. She wanted him so badly she felt she might stop breathing, and when he began to draw her panties down her legs she let out a strangled sob, begging for something she was unable to vocalize.
Mulder hovered over her and she welcomed him, parting her legs and coiling them around his hips. She pulled him down for a searing kiss as she arched against him. He poised himself above her, his erection pressed against her thigh. She was open completely to him, splayed beneath him like a vulnerable flower ready to be plucked. She usually hated this part, fearing the submissive role it forced upon her. But Mulder would not take anything she was not willing to give, and he would not put himself in a position of power over her. He waited until her legs drew him in and still did not enter her when he was at her opening. Her hand came between them, encircling his shaft once more before guiding him inside.
He was slow as entered her, his eyes wrenched tightly shut as he sheathed himself within her. She let out a long, quiet sigh as he filled her and when he could slide no further, he opened his eyes to stare at her.
The force of his gaze shocked her. She saw everything there within the blackened orbs. She kissed him and began to move her hips. He did the same.
He began to thrust against her, moving his hips at an agonizingly slow pace back and forth. Her hands gripped his hips, feeling his muscles as they moved beneath his flesh. She felt dizzy, wanting nothing more than to feel this impossible breach of pleasure for the rest of her life. She was tight, she knew, but her copious wetness allowed him to move within her with delicious friction that caused them both to moan in conjoined bliss.
She did not need to ask him for more. His hips moved of their own accord, withdrawing and pistoning forward hard and quick. She spread her legs wider, crying out as his body grinded against her clit with each downward thrust.
She could not last. She could not even try. Mulder was inside of her, fucking her, making love to her, making her feel everything she had been missing without even knowing it. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she kissed him briefly before tilting her head back and wailing through her release. She clenched around him, her spasms wracking her entire body. He groaned at the feel of her climax and as little flashes of light pinpricked behind her eyelids, he drove into her with several hard, rough thrusts before following her into the abyss.
When Mulder rolled his sweat-slick body off of hers, he tugged her with him, curling her petite frame against him. He kissed the top of her head and laughed. "I'm really glad you forgot your key," he muttered, shifting their bodies until they were lying beneath the duvet.
"I did not!" Scully said, unable to hide her satisfied smile. She hit him playfully. "Really Mulder, what did you do with it?"
"Maybe goblins stole it."
"Goblins stole my key for the purpose of…" Scully blushed.
"My kind of goblins."
Scully kissed his chest. She looked at the television and laughed at the sight of the televised fire. "You really did set the proper mood."
His chuckle rumbled low in his chest. "Maybe the abominable snowman moonlights as cupid. We should send him a card."
Scully smiled. "Or we could send her flowers."
Mulder's grin was wide and toothy, and he pulled her in for a kiss. "Not a bad way to get into the Christmas spirit, huh?"
"Not bad at all." She nestled into the crook of her shoulder, settling her body fully against his. As she rolled her neck in order to kiss him again, she was pleased to realize that the knot had dissipated.
She knew that things would not always be as easy as they were now, that complications would arise as soon as they left the little room in Tahoe and got back to work. As Mulder brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, Scully decided that everything could wait -- at least until after Christmas.
---
Prompt: "A Christmas to Remember" by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Fandom: Mulder/Scully, The X Files
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 5360
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Wow. So….I know this is not exactly on my 100 fic prompt list, but this has been a longstanding request that I really wanted to fulfill in time for Christmas. Armed with the fluffy Christmas music of Parton and Rogers, I set to work. But…I had no idea what to do with the prompt. If you know the song well, you'll see bits and pieces of it scattered throughout the beginning, but that's about it. I guess my muse decided to be loose in its interpretation of the prompt. But, difficult prompt aside, I had an even greater challenge: I had never written Mulder/Scully fic before. I've written fics about them through someone else's POV, or have mentioned them, but nothing that focused directly on them as a couple. And, because they are my original OTP and because TXF began my love affair with fan fiction at a tender young age, I felt that I couldn't half-ass this one. That's why it's a few days late. Special thanks to dragonwine for kicking me in the ass when I needed it. ANYWAY -- I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. All errors are my own. Do let me know what you think! Happy New Year!
-
With a frustrated sigh, Dana Scully shrugged her blazer off and draped it over the end of her bed. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the tension pinch and pull at her strained muscles. She rubbed the nape of her neck and pressed her fingers into the sore flesh, kneading it but not quite able to issue enough pressure to release the knots. She gave up with a long, slow sigh, hoping that she'd be able to get the shower of her hotel room hot enough to do the trick.
She began to remove the rest of her clothes, littering them across the bed until she stood in nothing but her underwear. She walked into the bathroom, pushing back the curtain of the fairly clean shower and turned the faucets. Within seconds a few curls of steam began to rise and she smiled, thankful for small mercies.
As she hooked her thumbs in the elastic band of her cotton panties, she heard a distant knock at the door.
Scully rolled her eyes.
Mulder.
She quickly wrapped a towel around her torso and padded to the door of her hotel room. As she swung the door open, she spoke. "You have a minute and thirty seconds, Mulder."
He raised an eyebrow, slinking his long body to lean against the doorframe. "Well hello to you too, Scully. I'm fine, thank you for asking."
Scully narrowly avoided rolling her eyes and instead let out a slow exhale through her nose. A knot in her shoulder screamed in pain. "What do you want, Mulder?" She considered the weight of her question, given that she was standing scantily clad, and swallowed heavily.
Mulder seemed to pay no mind to the unintentional double meaning to her words. His mind, as usual, was focused singularly on the task at hand. "I was thinking maybe we could get some grub and talk about the interviews we did today. I'm pretty sure we have a solid lead with Mrs. Plan--"
Scully held up her hand. "No, Mulder. I'm not doing this right now." The knot throbbed in her back as she grinded her teeth together.
"Shall I come back after your shower?" His eyes quickly dropped from her face, taking in the sight of her petite frame encased in its cotton towel. His eyes lingered on the shadow between her breasts.
Scully felt naked and shivered. "No. I'm done working tonight. We shouldn't even be out here."
"Au contraire, Agent Scully. It is our job and this is an X file."
"It is not an X file. There is no abominable snowman wandering the ski slopes of Tahoe. This is our Christmas vacation, Mulder. There are two days until the holiday and instead of spending it with my family, I'm cooped up in a ski lodge with--"
"With me." Mulder pushed off the doorframe with his shoulder and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I get it."
Scully felt the pang of his hurt expression like a knife to the stomach. "Mulder, I--"
"No no; you've said enough. I'll book you a flight to DC for the morning and stay out of your hair until then." He turned on his heel and walked down the hall, letting himself into his own hotel room.
Scully shut the door and banged her head against the wood. "Fuck," she whispered. When she got back to the shower, the water was cold.
-
Scully stood in front of the large, imposing wooden door, her hand raised to knock. She stared at the pale, trembling fist before flexing her fingers and bringing it to rest on her hip. She chewed on her lip.
She'd been standing in front of his door for five minutes.
It wasn't that it was difficult to apologize to him for hurting his feelings. She was not so small of a person that she couldn't admit when she was wrong or unnecessarily hurtful. It was the fact that she'd hurt him at all, that she had to witness the wounded expression on his face that made her stomach clench tightly and coil in anguish.
She knocked.
Scully held her breath as she waited for an answer. She considered the possibility that he had in fact gone out for dinner after all, or had gone for a run. She'd let an hour pass before she could muster the courage to face him and she cursed herself for waiting so long.
As she turned to go, she heard the snick of the lock before the door was pulled open.
Scully found herself rendered momentarily breathless when she was faced with her shirtless, slightly damp partner. The hotel issued towel hung around his neck. He wore a pair of jeans that, while zipped, were unbuttoned. Scully forced a swallow, blinked, and looked at his eyes.
"We've got some excellent timing, don't we?" he asked, a bemused expression on his face.
She cleared her throat. "Mulder, I--"
"If you came by to apologize, I'll forgive you in the spirit of Christmas." He stepped aside, swinging his arm to motion towards the empty hotel room. "Come on in."
Scully quickly stepped past him, trying to avoid glancing at the bared chest she'd come to know so well. She'd taken care of him countless times, seen him at his weakest and most vulnerable, but she still found herself dismantled at the sight of him. It was not the first time she'd seem him shirtless, but she realized that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to resist staring. She glanced around the room instead, taking note of the double bed, desk, and chair. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed but reconsidered, leaning instead against the desk. She folded her arms in front of her chest, hugging them tightly to her as she regarded him.
"I'm sorry, Mulder."
He shrugged, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "I know this isn't an ideal situation…"
"It's not even that." Scully frowned, running her hand through her slightly mussed hair. "I become a different person during the holidays. I think…it becomes worse every year. So much has happened that I don't even recognize myself sometimes." She could feel her face grow hot, impending tears threatening to fall. She told herself that she would not shed a tear and so she blinked them back, taking a bracing breath. "I'm a relative stranger at times."
Mulder watched her, his dark eyes searching her face. He scooted closer to where she stood, extending his hand. "Fox Mulder. Nice to meet you."
Scully couldn't help but laugh. She clasped her hand in his. "Dana Scully. I think."
His grip tightened around her hand. "You are Dana Scully. For what it's worth, I see you."
Scully gave a sad little smile. Of course he saw her. He'd seen her at her best, at her worst, at her most damaged and broken. He saw through her skepticism and her bullshit. Of all the people she cursed spending time with out of sheer holiday melancholy, it had foolishly been the one man who knew her best of all. "Thank you, Mulder."
He released her hand after giving it another squeeze and bounced himself off the bed, flinging the towel in the direction of the bathroom. "You didn't see that," he said, raising an eyebrow and pointing a finger at her. Reaching into his small travel bag, he pulled out a gray t-shirt.
Scully watched the sinewy muscles of his back stretch and pull as he covered his chest and darted her tongue to re-wet her lips.
"Now, I know this is hardly the most ideal of circumstances to get you out of your moody Christmas blues, but I offer…" He paused, stowing a hand inside the leather jacket that was draped around the chair. When he removed his hand, a small bottle of Jack Daniels was within his curled fingers. "Not exactly wine or eggnog, but it's tempting, isn't it?"
Scully laughed.
"I also have a half-eaten bag of potato chips and, in the spirit of Christmas…" He snuck a hand into the other inside pocket of his coat and procured a bag of red and green colored seeds. "De-shelled, chocolate coated, festively colored sunflower seeds. Not even you can deny their mouth-watering pull." He tossed the bag in her direction and she caught it, inspecting the nutrition label. "Uh uh, Scully," he said, his tone light, "Tis the season to ignore the calorie counting and indulge in your wildest fantasies."
"Really, Mulder? Chocolate covered sunflower seeds are my wildest fantasy?" She raised an eyebrow.
"If you'd rather illuminate me as to the true nature of your baser desires, I'd be more than happy to partake in story time."
Scully was unable to suppress a blush. "Maybe after some of that," Scully responded, gesturing to the bottle of whiskey in his hand.
"Well in that case, let me set the proper mood." He reached for the remote.
"I'm not watching porn with you, Mulder. No matter how drunk you get me."
"Your faith in me knows no bounds," he deadpanned, hitting the round red button at the top of the controller. "Prepare to have your mind blown."
Scully watched as the small television faded from black, focusing on the image of logs burning in a fireplace. "Tell me it's not…"
Mulder disappeared into the bathroom. "Oh, it is. I checked it earlier…that's all this station plays."
"I feel warmer already," Scully replied dryly, her fingers absently pulling at the twist curled around the plastic bag. She opened it, dropping the twisty tie to the desktop before taking a small pile of seeds into her palm. Mulder returned to the room as Scully was emptying her cupped palm into her mouth.
"I knew you couldn't resist."
Scully blushed. "So you did."
"See? I know you too well." He set two paper cups on the nightstand and poured two generous shots of whiskey. He handed one to Scully. "To making this a Christmas to remember."
Scully smiled, her heart pounding faster as she watched his wide smile brighten his dark, brooding features. She tapped her cup against his.
-
Scully peered at the bottle of Jack Daniels sitting atop the nightstand, narrowing her eyes at the three-quarters of alcohol still remaining in the bottle. It didn't add up. They'd had no more than two shots apiece and yet…
She felt dizzy.
Perhaps, she considered, it had little to do with the alcohol. It was far more likely that it had everything to do with the length of Mulder's body as it pressed against hers.
They lay side by side on the double bed, their sides touching as they stared at the cracked, stained ceiling. She giggled at a joke he made about Skinner and relished the feeling of his body as it shook beside hers in laughter.
She had no idea what happened to the disgruntled, irritated, annoyed woman of earlier that evening. She had no idea what happened to her rational self either. She should have been hearing warning bells, should have resurrected her barriers as she'd done in the past when he came too close.
Something was different and Scully didn't quite feel like questioning it.
"I'm telling you," Mulder said, "if there's a snow monster out there, imagine how well it must blend in. Imagine skiing right into that sonofabitch and getting your head chewed off."
Scully laughed effortlessly. "If there were a snow monster, which there isn't, don't you think the high flow of traffic in this particular ski lodge would result in a higher number of reported sightings?"
"Not necessarily," he argued.
"Yes necessarily, Mulder. No heads have been chewed off and there are only three coincidental "sightings" in the greater Tahoe area because there is no monster."
"Y'always gotta bust my balls, don't ya, Scully?"
"That's what they pay me for," she replied with a grin.
"Admit it…you enjoy it."
"Busting your balls or working with you?"
He considered her question and replied, "Both."
She chuckled. "Yes…to both."
"Aha! I knew it!"
"As if you weren't already aware."
"It doesn't hurt to have your suspicions confirmed every once in a while."
"Any other suspicions I can help you with, Mulder?"
He stared at her then, his mouth open as if to respond. He didn't, staring instead at her face. There was something in his eyes, an intensity, a slow burn that wasn't there before. Scully suppressed a shiver.
"I should go."
Mulder closed his mouth then. "Sure you're ready to leave the cozy fire in favor of a cold, empty room of your own?"
Scully's stomach clenched. She could feel her body responding to the double meaning behind his words. Her head spun. Was it the whiskey? Or was it something singularly Mulder? "I've got a theory to debunk in the morning. I'd better get my rest."
"Just you wait, Scully. You'll come face to face with the abominable snowman himself and rethink your skepticism."
"And just why does your snow monster automatically have to be a male?"
"Ah, but by that statement you admit that the possibility that a snow monster, whether it be male or female, may exist."
She laughed again. "Believe what you will, Mulder."
"I always will. Ain't no G-woman gonna get me down." He looked at her curiously. "I thought you were leaving?"
Scully sat up then with a sigh. "I suppose I really should, shouldn't I?" She spun the half-eaten bag of sunflower seeds and formed a loose knot in the plastic, knowing full-well that he would simply rip open a new hole once she left.
"You don't have to go," Mulder conceded. He leaned onto his side, propping himself up on his arm.
"Are you trying to seduce me, Agent Mulder?" Scully teased, delighting in the way his eyebrows shot up his forehead.
"What? No," he stammered, sitting upright and ruffling his hair. "I didn't-- I only meant--"
"I'm kidding, Mulder. I have been known to do that from time to time, you know."
He cleared his throat. "Right. I knew that."
"You're so easy."
His cheeks colored slightly. "Give a guy a break."
She nudged her shoulder playfully against his, enjoying the momentary warmth against her body. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."
"I hope I succeeded."
She smiled. "You did. I get into that holiday funk sometimes and I tend to forget what's most important."
"And what's that?"
The words were there on her tongue. You, Mulder. You're most important to me. Without you I can't breathe. "Friends. Family. Loved ones…the people who love me and who'd do anything for me."
"Any room in there for partners?"
"What makes you think you're not already included in that list?"
"I didn't want to be presumptuous. You did sort of imply earlier…"
She rested her arm on his shoulder, gently stroking her thumb against him as had become habitual over the years. "That was a stranger, remember?"
"It's still you…"
Scully frowned up at him.
"But it's not all of you. Just part of the big picture, which I like."
"Promise you're not going to get so annoyed with me that you feed me to the snow monster?"
Mulder threw back his head and laughed before leaning forward and impulsively kissing her on the forehead. "I promise."
Scully felt heat and color blossom upon her face at the contact of his lips to her forehead. She could feel her body responding in the way it always had when he was near, when he touched her.
How much longer can we do this dance?
Scully stood up. "I'll see you in the morning then."
"Right you are. Bright and early."
Scully smiled tightly and left.
She cursed herself immediately as the door clicked shut behind her. She knew why she was tense, why she was irritable and abrasive, why she fought with him so often. It was the force of her feelings for him--the same feelings they both kept strictly at bay.
By the time she reached her door, she could barely breathe. She patted her hand across her back pockets and, upon not feeling the impression of her key card, searched inside of them. She checked her front pockets and then her back again before checking to see if her shirt had pockets.
She sighed and walked back down the hall.
Mulder answered after only a brief knock. "Couldn't stay away, could ya?"
She held out her hand.
"Uuh…are you waiting for me to slap you five?"
"My key, Mulder."
He looked behind him and then back at her. "Did you leave it?"
"You didn't find it?" she asked.
"I didn't see it, no."
Scully brushed past him, scanning the floor, bed, and desk with her eyes. She checked beneath the pillows and looked under the bed. "Mulder, did you hide it?"
He laughed. "Why would I do that?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Wha--Scully--I'm not five! I'm not fucking with you. I really don't have it."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"You're welcome to frisk me if you'd like."
Rolling her eyes, Scully stepped forward and slipped her hand into his back pocket. She immediately regretted it as her palm found itself separated from Mulder's firm backside by only a thin layer of denim.
"Three more to go."
Scully pulled her hand out as if it had been burned. "Mulder, where is my damn key?"
"I. Don't. Have. It."
Scully let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I'll call down to the front desk to let me in."
Mulder grabbed her arm before she reached the phone, his long fingers encircling her wrist. His grasp was warm. "Scully…I think subconsciously you wanted a reason to stay in my room."
Scully stopped and stared at the carpet. It was dark green with flecks of maroon and beige. It was hideous, but Scully couldn't look up. "What are you saying?" Please say what I think you're saying.
He stepped closer, not letting go of her arm. "I think you forgot your key on purpose," he replied, his voice low, deep, rumbling in that way that made Scully's knees weak. "Maybe not consciously but…Jesus, Scully, aren't you sick of this too?"
She looked up at him then, her eyes focusing on his. "Sick of what?" she pleaded. She knew if she tugged her arm he would release it, but she couldn't muster the strength.
He exhaled and she was so close now that she could feel the warmth of it on her face. She could see his eyes darken and his tongue gently wet his lips. She could see the words form on his mouth before being rejected. This was not the Mulder she knew; her Mulder was thoughtful but direct. Something clenched within her to see him so lost.
Scully was not sure who moved first, but both partners were of a singular mind. Their lips met, his head bent low, hers extended by the elongation of her body by the tips of her toes. His lips, so full and pliant, were soft against her own. He moved gently against her, letting go of her arm so that his were free to circle around her torso.
She could feel something depart her then. It was as if the bindings that had been holding her back were released. She was free. She was giving to herself the one thing she had been resisting. She no longer felt as though she were drowning under the weight of her denial.
Even so, Scully knew she should stop. She knew they were entering more complicated waters. They weren't partners who crossed this line, and they certainly weren't friends who kissed. This passed friendly affection and, as Mulder's tongue pressed against her lips, Scully was powerless to do little more than acquiesce. His tongue in her mouth felt foreign and strange, stroking languidly against her own as if it belonged, as if it had plenty of time to taste every corner of her.
Perhaps it did.
Scully brought her hands to his chest. Push him away. Walk away. She could feel her fingers begin to tense against him, could feel them readying to disengage.
The knot flared in her shoulder. Scully dropped her hands to the hem of his t-shirt and slipped beneath. The wiry curls of his chest hair scratched against her palms as they slid higher. His stomach tensed beneath her hands, his entire body shuddering as she learned the curves of his torso. She scratched his chest gently, raking her nails in dizzying patterns that left him shivering under her touch. She felt drunk with power in this moment, unable to believe that she was finally touching him and that she, out of all the women in the world, was the one to render him a quivering mess with just a caress.
His large hands were splayed against her back, stroking in broad circles. She could tell he was afraid to touch her, afraid to seek more for fear of being denied. When his fingers dipped to the small of her back and brushed against the hem of her jeans, she arched forward, brushing against his body.
Scully gasped at the feel of his hardness against her. The stiff evidence of his arousal hit her like a freight train; her face exploded with heat and she involuntarily shifted against him.
Mulder groaned before attempting to angle his hips away from hers. He was unwilling to pull away and so he remained flush against her, his bodying swaying against hers. They moved as if they'd been in this position a hundred times, though each touch was entirely new. Mulder, who Scully knew so intimately and so explicitly, had been given to her in a completely undiscovered way.
When they broke away, both agents were panting for air. Mulder tipped his forehead against hers, bringing his hands to cup her face. It was as if he were trying to keep her there, as if he were afraid that the end of their kiss would mean that she would leave.
She should leave. She knew she should.
But she didn't.
Tilting her head forward, Scully pressed her lips to his neck. She delighted in the sound of his gasp and so she did it again, this time opening her mouth to gently lave her tongue at the warm flesh. His fingers threaded in her hair, weaving in and out, curling strands of auburn silk around his roughened hands. He scratched at the nape of her neck and, as was inevitable, his fingers brushed over the spot on her neck where the implant once resided.
Both stilled, though Mulder had gone rigid and almost cold. She had lived with the fact of its existence, had reconciled herself with the scar left in its removal. But Mulder…
He stepped back, his knees hitting the bed. He held onto her, pulling her with him as he sat. Scully stepped between his opened legs, gazing down into his impossibly dark eyes as they pleased for permission and forgiveness.
"It's all right, Mulder," Scully whispered. Her lip trembled. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him that he saved her, that he continued to save her every day. But she could not speak, and so instead she kissed him.
Amongst the bitter, co-mingled flavors of whiskey, salt, and chocolate, Scully could taste in this kiss that something had changed. She knew in that moment that she would deny him nothing.
His hands slid beneath her shirt, caressing the sides of her ribs and palming the flat expanse of her belly. She shivered beneath his touch and when his fingers teased at the edges of her bra, she gasped into his mouth. She pulled back slightly, looking down at him with what she hoped was unadulterated desire. He stared up at her, his lips wet and full, and she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it behind her to the floor.
She could hear his breath as it escaped his lungs. It was as though he had never seen her in this partially dressed state before, but perhaps he had simply never looked at her with such intensity and intent.
She was trembling when he pulled her in, his lips just barely grazing her breasts as they filled the white cups of her bra. He kissed along the line of satin down to the little bow between her breasts. Her heart pounded more quickly as his hands reached behind her and deftly unclasped her bra.
He did not immediately remove it. She could see the wheels turning in his mind. She could hear everything he didn't say. I want to take this slow. I want to savor it. I don't think I can. I want. I want. I want. I need. I need. I need.
Scully could feel her resolve beginning to shift. She'd always imagined what this moment would be like, the moment where they made slow, passionate love until the sun rose. In her head it was ideal, all candlelight and rose petals. She considered the facts: they had spent too long being careful and slow. They'd been not-fucking for years.
There was no need to make this "perfect." It already was simply because they were finally there.
Before Mulder could draw her bra straps over her shoulders, she grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. The move startled him and he blinked at her, surprised by her forwardness, and blinked further when she shrugged her bra off on her own. His face burned at the sight of her bared for him and, straddling his hips, she offered herself to him.
He feasted on her breasts, kissing and licking and touching his way between them both. Scully alternated between watching and closing her eyes when the sight of it became too overwhelming. She moaned as he took one dusky, taut nipple between his teeth and pulled, and she groaned when he then began to suck.
Her hips moved against his and they moaned together when her center connected with his through layers of denim. She knew she was wetter than she'd ever been and she ached to be free of the constricting barrier of clothing that separated her from him. She reached between them, her knuckles grazing against his firm stomach, and made swift work of unbuttoning his jeans. Her trembling fingers grasped at the zipper, slowing tugging it down. The metallic grind of teeth rang loudly in her ears and when she reached the point where the zipper would go no further, she parted the halves of denim and reached beneath to free him.
Mulder shuddered and groaned when her small fist curled around the length of him, and he began to suck harder at her nipple. He pinched and rolled the other between his fingers and she cried out and began to pump her hand along his shaft. She was surprised by the size of him. She bit her lip.
"Please, Mulder…" she whimpered, gripping him more tightly. His hips jerked into her hand. "Please…"
With incredible ease Mulder flipped them, easing her back against the scratchy comforter. She watched him, her swollen lips parted to emit shallow breaths, while he removed her shoes, socks, and began to undo her jeans. The feel of his hands so close to where she so desperately wanted him made her cry out. She gazed at his form, at his erection pressed up against his abdomen, and licked her lips.
He pulled at her pants, tugging them over her hips and down her legs. "Jesus, Scully…" he said at the sight of her white satin panties. She pressed her parted thighs together as she watched him remove his own jeans, her sex clenching tightly. She wanted him so badly she felt she might stop breathing, and when he began to draw her panties down her legs she let out a strangled sob, begging for something she was unable to vocalize.
Mulder hovered over her and she welcomed him, parting her legs and coiling them around his hips. She pulled him down for a searing kiss as she arched against him. He poised himself above her, his erection pressed against her thigh. She was open completely to him, splayed beneath him like a vulnerable flower ready to be plucked. She usually hated this part, fearing the submissive role it forced upon her. But Mulder would not take anything she was not willing to give, and he would not put himself in a position of power over her. He waited until her legs drew him in and still did not enter her when he was at her opening. Her hand came between them, encircling his shaft once more before guiding him inside.
He was slow as entered her, his eyes wrenched tightly shut as he sheathed himself within her. She let out a long, quiet sigh as he filled her and when he could slide no further, he opened his eyes to stare at her.
The force of his gaze shocked her. She saw everything there within the blackened orbs. She kissed him and began to move her hips. He did the same.
He began to thrust against her, moving his hips at an agonizingly slow pace back and forth. Her hands gripped his hips, feeling his muscles as they moved beneath his flesh. She felt dizzy, wanting nothing more than to feel this impossible breach of pleasure for the rest of her life. She was tight, she knew, but her copious wetness allowed him to move within her with delicious friction that caused them both to moan in conjoined bliss.
She did not need to ask him for more. His hips moved of their own accord, withdrawing and pistoning forward hard and quick. She spread her legs wider, crying out as his body grinded against her clit with each downward thrust.
She could not last. She could not even try. Mulder was inside of her, fucking her, making love to her, making her feel everything she had been missing without even knowing it. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she kissed him briefly before tilting her head back and wailing through her release. She clenched around him, her spasms wracking her entire body. He groaned at the feel of her climax and as little flashes of light pinpricked behind her eyelids, he drove into her with several hard, rough thrusts before following her into the abyss.
When Mulder rolled his sweat-slick body off of hers, he tugged her with him, curling her petite frame against him. He kissed the top of her head and laughed. "I'm really glad you forgot your key," he muttered, shifting their bodies until they were lying beneath the duvet.
"I did not!" Scully said, unable to hide her satisfied smile. She hit him playfully. "Really Mulder, what did you do with it?"
"Maybe goblins stole it."
"Goblins stole my key for the purpose of…" Scully blushed.
"My kind of goblins."
Scully kissed his chest. She looked at the television and laughed at the sight of the televised fire. "You really did set the proper mood."
His chuckle rumbled low in his chest. "Maybe the abominable snowman moonlights as cupid. We should send him a card."
Scully smiled. "Or we could send her flowers."
Mulder's grin was wide and toothy, and he pulled her in for a kiss. "Not a bad way to get into the Christmas spirit, huh?"
"Not bad at all." She nestled into the crook of her shoulder, settling her body fully against his. As she rolled her neck in order to kiss him again, she was pleased to realize that the knot had dissipated.
She knew that things would not always be as easy as they were now, that complications would arise as soon as they left the little room in Tahoe and got back to work. As Mulder brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, Scully decided that everything could wait -- at least until after Christmas.
---