From: BVallianos Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 02:52:43 EST Subject: Three Months II- Reverance and Reconstruction Title: Three Months II-Reverance and Reconstruction Author: Rachel Anton Rating: NC-17 Category: S,R Keywords: MSR, Angst Summary: Mulder faces the consequences of his actions and they are not what he expects E-Mail: Please tell me what you think. My e-mail is BVallianos@aol.com Disclaimer: Scully doesn't belong to me. But this Mulder is MINE! Well, actually they both belong to Chris Carter. Don't sue me Chris. I'm begging ya. Author's note: This is a sequel to Three Months. If you haven't read it this might not make much sense. It's at Gossamer. Thanks to everyone who sent me feedback about Three Months. Special thanks to the shipper bimbos over at Gertie's. You know who you are! Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He'd lied to her. Of that much she was now certain. She'd begun to suspect as much as soon as she'd hung up the phone. He'd told her he had unplugged the phone. If this were true she wouldn't have gotten the answering machine. His machine was part of his phone. If the phone was unplugged the answering machine was unplugged. She would have let it go, might not have even thought about it, if it hadn't been for his tone. He'd been nervous and strange. He'd sounded miserable and...something else. Guilty almost. Then the topper. She'd tried to call him back and had gotten no answer on his cell phone. He'd obviously turned off the ringer immediately following her call. Something was up. Something was wrong. The apartment was quiet as a tomb. It looked as if he hadn't been here since this morning. His dirty morning jogging sweats were bunched in a ball on the couch. A mug half full of cold coffee sat on the kitchen table. A newspaper lay next to it, open to the sports page. She walked to the answering machine just to make sure she wasn't losing her mind. She pressed play. Sure enough her voice filled the empty space. "Mulder it's me. Are you there? I hope you aren't still on the road. It's getting really bad out there. Call me when you get in OK." No she hadn't been hallucinating. It was real and he had lied. Why? For the life of her she couldn't remember him ever having lied to her. He'd been evasive, he'd run off without telling her where he was going but he'd never out and out lied to her. Even about something so small. He just didn't believe in it. It was one of the things she loved about him. She hadn't been wrong about the roads. Her drive to his apartment had been treacherous and ill-advised. But once she'd spoken to him she couldn't shake the feeling that he was in trouble. That he needed her but, for some reason, couldn't tell her that. *So what else is new?* she though as she sank down on the couch. She'd been trying. Lord how she had been trying to get through that thick skull of his. She'd thought, really assumed, that after her cancer had gone into remission that they were going to finally deal with the feelings between them. It didn't really have to be that difficult anymore. Not like before. The feelings were there. They both knew it. If she'd had any doubts they were erased during her time in the hospital. The way they'd been with each other...they were lovers, if not of the flesh, certainly of the soul. The words weren't necessary. They were always there, unspoken but acknowledged in both their hearts. All that was left was the fun part. The easy part. Well, it was supposed to be easy anyway. Getting Mulder into her bed was proving to be more difficult than deflowering a chastity belt wearing medieval virgin. Every time she made the slightest serious advance or even suggestion of an advance he changed the subject, made a joke, or fled the scene entirely. She knew his fear was holding him back, as it had been from so many things for so many years. She knew it and understood it because until she'd gotten sick herself she'd let her own fear hold her back. She'd been afraid to feel, to let anyone get to close. If she let people into her heart she had assumed it would only lead to pain when they were gone. She knew he needed more time and was willing to give it to him, despite her ever-mounting sexual frustration. And it was true he had been opening up to her at least a little more lately. Which was why this evening's events seemed so strange. Why would he completely shut her out now? Three years ago this kind of thing wouldn't have suprised her in the least. Now it seemed almost incomprehensible. Didn't he realize his behavior would cause her to worry? Should she be worried? Maybe he was trying to protect her. Maybe he'd run of on some half-baked quest and gotten himself in danger. Maybe he didn't want her to know where he was because he knew she'd come after him and possibly get hurt. Maybe he was hurt right now and that's why he wasn't answering his cell phone. "Dammit Mulder. Where are you?" Her imagination was beginning to concoct some truly horrific scenarios. She checked her watch. 2:45 am. Still early for Mulder. He rarely slept until at least 4. *Maybe he's just out having fun and he didn't want you along* The insecure part of her brain began doing battle with the paranoid fearful part and she began to realize how frighteningly similar she and Mulder had become. She was actually more like him than he was nowadays. Desperately needing a distraction she flipped on the television. Soylent Green. Figures. She wondered if Mulder's television was capable of receiving broadcast waves from anything other than cheesy sci-fi and porn. He was such an arrested adolescent in so many ways. Some endearing, some just irritating. She flipped to CNN. Maybe there was news of some unexplained horror that might give her a clue about where he had wandered off to. Twenty minutes of weather reports later Scully gave up and put Soylent Green back on. She wondered briefly if she should call the Gunmen. No, the situation wasn't that desperate yet. They probably didn't know where he was and the last thing she needed was their paranoid theories fueling her anxiety. She also had to acknowledge that she was somewhat embarrassed by her concern. He wasn't exactly a missing person yet. No she'd at least wait until the morning for that. If he wasn't home by morning she'd have justification for this panic. She stretched out on the couch resting her head on his dirty clothes. She inhaled the scent of him deeply. Much as she was loath to admit it she always found the smell of his sweat extremely arousing. Tonight she found it comforting. It was a connection, something to hold onto. As soon as she lay down she realized how exhausted she was. She'd been up most of the night before, kept from sleep by her merciless hormones, and it had been a long day. Her mind was wired and tense but her body was ready for collapse. *I'll close my eyes for one minute, just to rest* Those were her last thoughts as she drifted into a deep dreamless sleep. XXX "Well folks the sun's coming up on what promises to be a beautiful morning in the DC metropolitan area. The sun's gonna be melting a lot of last night's snow so get ready for some heavy slush." "Tell me about it" Mulder muttered at the radio announcer. He flipped the dial angrily. The guy just sounded too cheery. He was right about the slush though. Driving in it was no picnic but it was easier than digging his car out earlier this morning had been. That had been a royal pain in the ass. He was driving slowly. Slower than usual. Not because of the weather but because he was actually frightened to reach his ultimate destination. First his apartment to change clothes and then work. He cringed at the thought of it. How in the hell was he supposed to walk into that office, to look Scully in the face with the knowledge of what he'd done lingering fresh in his mind. Honestly he didn't know how he could look any woman in the eye after last night. He was sick, deeply and truly mentally ill. There was no getting around it any more. Even that poor, lost little girl he'd used so thoughtlessly had been able to see how fucked up he was. She'd felt sorry for him. He didn't think it could get any more pathetic than that. There was no way he could have sunk any lower. She'd know. She'd be able to tell immediately he was sure. She'd sense the guilt and horror permeating his being the moment she saw him. She could read him like a cheap paperback and there was no way he'd be able to hide from her. She'd know he'd done something terribly wrong but she wouldn't know what. It was something so dark, so disturbed that he knew her sweet angelic mind would never even conceive of something like it. Never mind think he would commit such an act. She thought more highly of him than that. He was certain of that. If she didn't she never would have come near him with a ten foot pole. If she knew what he was capable of she would have run screaming from his office the day he'd met her. He knew she would have been better off that way. If she'd left that day she would have had a normal life. She'd probably be married by now. With kids. God. Kids. He should have told her that very first day. He should have let her know just what a twisted individual he was. He should have warned her what kind of pain she was in store for being associated with him. Then she'd have gone away. She'd be happy and he'd be alone. That was as it should be. But he was selfish. He could never let her go. From the first day he'd been hooked on the drug that is Dana Scully. He needed her like air. But now...what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't keep this from her forever. She'd want to know what was wrong. She'd probably even be worried about him. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn't put her off forever. She'd become angry with him if he refused to tell her anything. But if he told her the truth he'd never see her again. He had to make something up. He had to lie. Again. It was the only way. He was almost to his building now. Only an hour or so until he'd be at work. An hour to think of the lie to end all lies. Not a lie to find the truth this time but a lie to save his ass. A lie to Scully. His throat tightened and he felt moisture welling in his eyes as he thought of it. How could he lie to her? How could he not? What could he possibly tell her that would be the slightest bit believable? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she wouldn't notice that anything was wrong at all. Maybe he could manage to cover up his mental state and they could just go back to normal (whatever that was). It was a possibility. A teeny tiny chance. Much more likely that she would start questioning him the minute she saw him. He pulled up to his building and walked to the front door. Once in the elevator to his floor he noticed that he could still smell the girl's cheap perfume all over him. He couldn't wait to get to the shower and try to wipe clean some of the dirtiness on his body and soul. Perhaps in the shower he'd think of a convincing, appropriate story. He was very creative in the shower for some reason. Or maybe over his morning coffee. *Ding* The elevator door opened and Mulder reluctantly walked towards his apartment. He didn't want to be there. He didn't want to be anywhere. He realized with alarm that for the first time since before Scully's recovery, he wanted to be dead. As he slipped the key into the latch he had a morbid hope that his executioner would be waiting on the other side. He was greeted by the chipper voice of a woman describing a new and exciting model of juicemakers. An infomercial. *Ahh, early morning television. Television. Television?!! He was certain he hadn't left that on when he'd left. He reached for his weapon and crept quietly into the living room. It was empty. How strange. He leaned over and switched the set off. "Late night Agent Mulder?" He jumped. He actually jumped. He almost screamed. Scully. Standing in the doorway of his bathroom. Scully. Looking at him with accusing eyes. Scully. In his fucking goddamn apartment!!! XXX He was frozen. A deer in the headlights. He wasn't moving, wasn't speaking. His mouth was opening and closing wordlessly. Scully thought she'd never seen him look more terrified. What the hell was going on? She walked closer to him and touched his shoulder. He backed away from her touch so fast he nearly tripped over the coffee table. "Mulder what is it?" "What are you doing in my apartment?" he was angry. He didn't want her here. "I was worried. Why did you lie to me Mulder?" "What do you mean I lied? Why were you worried? What the hell are you doing here?" he was shouting now. And rambling. She couldn't remember ever seeing him in such a state. So defensive. But why? "Mulder you told me you were home and you obviously weren't. I got worried. I though maybe you were in some kind of trouble. I..." "Jesus Scully do I have to tell you everywhere I go every minute of the goddamn day? I already have a fucking mother Scully!" Now she was the one backing away. He was furious with her. She was actually a little frightened. "Look Mulder. I don't need to know where you were OK. I just wanted to know that you were safe. Now I do so I'll just go. I don't understand why you're acting this way though. I think you'd feel the same way if the situations were reversed." She grabbed her coat and headed for the door. There was no reason for her to stand there and be yelled at anymore. She turned the knob and heard a strange sound from behind her. It was almost a whimper. Then a plea. "God, Scully. I'm sorry. I'm really so sorry. Please, don't be angry with me." she turned around. He was crumpled up on the couch now and looking at her with an inscrutable expression. "I understand why you were worried. I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm sorry OK?" She walked back towards him and sat in the chair next to the couch. "Mulder, I'm still worried about you. What the heck is wrong with you?" Then she noticed it. The scent. Unfamiliar and nauseating. He was covered with it. It was perfume. Not hers. Someone else's. All at once she understood. He'd been with another woman last night. He was defensive because he felt guilty about it. He probably figured, rightly so, that she would be hurt by it. It all made perfect sense. "Nothing's wrong Scully. Everything's fine. Really just...absolutely fine. I was suprised to see you but, you know, it's OK. I um.. do you want some breakfast or something?" "Who is she?" Damn. She hated the way that had come out. Jealous and accusatory. And such a clich‚. He had a right to live his life. If he couldn't deal with being with her he could be with whoever he wanted. She wasn't his wife. For God's sake, she had just been with another man less than a year ago herself. *But things were different then* Her mind screamed at her. And she knew that was true. Everything was different now. She had a right to be hurt dammit! She could accept his reluctance to be intimate with her. But to go to someone else, it was such a painful thought. The way he looked at her erased any questions about the validity of her theory. Their eyes locked and a lone tear slid down his cheek. He shook his head. "Nobody Scully. Nobody. Can we just forget about it? Please?" She shrugged. She really didn't have the right to demand anything from him. He didn't have to tell her. It was really none of her business. Was it? He seemed so upset though, so damaged by whatever his encounter had been. Perhaps it wasn't as simple as she'd first assumed. "Mulder something's obviously very wrong here. Please don't shut me out. Whatever it is you can tell me. I promise I won't be angry." And that was true. She wasn't angry. Just hurt and confused. "There's nothing to tell. So um..omlettes? I make a mean omelet Scully." He stood up and started heading for the kitchen. "Mulder sit down. I don't want an omelet. I want you to talk to me." He slunk back to the couch and a terrifying thought popped into her head. She had to ask. She had to know. Quietly, full of fear she asked "Do you love her?" He shook his head and laughed bitterly "God Scully, what a question. I don't even know how to answer that." "How about the truth." She could see a struggle forming in his features. She got the sense part of him wanted to tell her about it but something was holding him back. "There is no her for me to love or not love." Another obvious lie. "Mulder you've been out all night and won't offer another explanation. You lied to me about where you were and you smell like a freaking brothel. If there is no her then what the hell is going on? Have you started a secret life as a drag queen?" He cringed at her words. So did she. She hadn't meant to sound like such a shrew. She took a deep cleansing breath and let it out, hoping to expel some of her frustration along with it. "I'm sorry. It's really not my business. But you just seem so upset. I want to help Mulder." Her voice softened and she leaned over to put a hand gently on his knee. "If you'll let me that is." He looked up and met her eyes again. There was such pain evident in the unfathomable depths of his suddenly black eyes. More than she'd ever seen there. And she'd seen a lot. She squeezed his knee lightly and implored him "Please don't shut me out Mulder. Let me help you." For a millisecond his face softened and he looked ready to crumble into her arms. Then suddenly, something in him changed, snapped. He shook his head violently and jerked away from her hand. He looked at her with anger once more. Near fury. "You really think you can help me don't you? Fucking mother Teresa over there." His voice was full of contempt. The likes of which she had never heard from him. Even when he'd been drugged and paranoid. Even when he'd though she was a spy, working against him. "Well, I've got something to tell you Saint Scully, you're wrong. Dead wrong. The ego on you. Thinking you can change someone so intrinsically sick, so fundamentally fucked up." He stood up and stalked to the window turning his back to her. She wanted to go to him but she was terribly scared. "Mulder, you're not..." She was cut off by the sound of the contents of Mulder's desk being hurled to the floor. Her heart lept into her throat. He turned to her full of rage. "Shut up! Scully dammit for once in your life just shut the fuck up and accept who I am. What I am. You wanna know where I was last night?" He moved towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. She was reminded how much larger he was. Twice her size. Could she outmaneuver him if he tried to hurt her? No this was Mulder. He wouldn't. Would he? He shook harder. "Do you? Answer me!" She nodded, trying not to show her fear. If she spoke she was sure her voice would betray her. He let go and began pacing around the apartment in a frenzy. "OK, let's see what you think of this one divine healer. I smell like a brothel huh? Well, you wanna know why Scully?" He stood behind her chair and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Because I was with a hooker Scully. And not just any hooker. No this was a very special hooker Scully. Special because she had a striking resemblance to someone we both know. Can you guess who that was Scully?" She shook her head trying to keep any and all reaction to what he was saying from showing on her face. He moved to face her, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. He put his hands on his knees and leaned in almost conversationally. "No huh. Well, I'll tell you then. It was you sweetness. She looked just like you. Except for the fact that she was about 16 years old of course." Scully sucked in a breath despite herself. "Yeah well, you always did look young for your age Scully. So you want to know what I did? Probably not but I'm gonna tell you anyway. I fucked her Scully. I fucked her and I pretended she was you. I called her Scully and I told her I loved her and I fucked her brains out and then I paid her. And you know what Scully? Even that poor pathetic child could see me for what I am. So why the fuck can't you?" He closed his eyes for a long moment then got up and moved back to the couch. The other side this time, far away from her. He sank down into the cushions and buried his head in his hands. She felt paralyzed. Overwhelmed by what he had just told her and unable to respond at all. Her first instinct was anger. How could he do such a stupid, boneheaded thing? How could he share what was supposed to be their's with a stranger? How could he have been so irresponsible? How could he have said "I love you Scully" to someone else when he hadn't even said it to her yet? Then in a moment of blinding clarity she realized that he just had. In his own bizarre way he had just told her that he loved her. And how very much that frightened him. She stood on shaky legs and moved to stand before him. "Mulder?" No response. He sat silently with his face hidden from her. She kneeled on the floor between his legs and pulled his hands away from his face. His eyes were closed. "Look at me Mulder." His eyes opened but wouldn't meet her gaze. He stared at the blank television screen beyond her. "Why are you still here?" His voice was quiet now. And devoid of emotion. "Because I love you too." He grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut again. It looked like that was the worst news he'd ever heard. "What is that a suprise? Are you really too wrapped up in your self-reproach to notice that? Or did you just figure I'd never actually say it? Well in any case it's the truth Mulder. I love you and I know why you did this. You did it because you're scared and lonely and frustrated and I understand that because I am too. And now you're using it as an excuse. To me and yourself. You're using it as proof that you don't deserve to be loved. That you don't deserve me. So that you can push me out of your life and go back to being alone where it's safe. And I'm not gonna let you get away with that." His eyes opened again and Scully saw that tears had begun to form in them. He shook his head remorsefully. "Why won't you go away?" He was pleading. "Don't you know I've got your number G-man? And that you can't get rid of me this easily? You think you can hide from me, from this, behind your wall of insecurity? You think I'm gonna let you off that easy? Before we've even given this a chance?" Something about the absurdity of the situation gave her a courage she'd never had before. She leaned in, still holding his hands in his lap, and gently touched her lips to his. He was completely rigid and still against her. It was like kissing a doll. No response. His eyes stayed open watching her with dismay. She started moving her mouth more demandingly, trying to pry his tightly sealed lips apart. "Scully stop." he whispered against her mouth. "Please just stop." She took the opportunity to slip her tongue inside his mouth quickly and dart it out again to moisten his lower lip. His breath was quickening though he still wasn't kissing her back. "You don't want this Scully. Not really. You'll be sorry." he was gasping now, sounding more and more desperate. His words annoyed her. She was a grown up. And she knew exactly what she wanted. She stopped kissing him long enough to tell him "You don't have to protect me from this Mulder. I need this. Make us both happy and give it to me." XXX The tension was enough to break him in two. He held his body perfectly still but inside he felt as though his every bone was trembling. She was kissing him! He'd told her his most horrible, depraved secret and she was still here, kissing him. She was obviously in shock from what he'd told her. This couldn't be her real response. Could it? She started stroking his legs and found his mouth with her own once more. Her sweet smell and taste were everywhere. All his senses were achingly aware of her. He'd never wanted anything more. *Don't hurt her* he repeated it like a mantra in his head. Her little body moved against him. She was so close. So close to touching him. Her hands. God *Don't hurt her Don't hurt her* Her teeth gripped his bottom lip and she sucked at it. *Don't hurt her* Her hands crept further up his thighs. *donthurtherdonthurtherdonthurther* Her hands slid from his legs to his stomach, slipping under his shirt. Her mouth opened completely and covered his, her tongue probing between his lips. He let out a primal animalistic cry and finally, unable to resist, to deny her anything, grabbed her shoulders and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth. Before he knew what was happening he had shoved her to the floor with an ape-like grunt and was on writhing on top of her. All the love, all the frustration, all the passion and the fury inside him for so long were coming out in a deafening explosion. He felt drugged, deranged, completely out of control. It felt wonderful. He grabbed her hands and held them over her head as he kissed and bit his way down her neck. She had spread her legs and taken him between them and was thrusting her hips up to meet his. He was losing his mind. That had to be it. This was all a big hallucination or a dream and he was going to wake up alone and humping his carpet. His carpet never smelled like that though. And it never moaned like that. God she was moaning. The sound traveled from his ear directly to his groin. He let go of her hands and began tugging roughly at her blouse. He needed more of her. More skin. More to devour. More to try to crawl into. He pulled and the delicate silk tore in his demanding hands. He attacked her collarbone with his mouth. She was saying something but he couldn't hear. All he could hear was the roar in his ears. Like the sound of a seashell. She jerked up against him and the friction with his crotch was enough to send him over the edge. He would have come right there if he hadn't stopped himself. Suddenly he felt something different. Some resistance. Her hands were on his chest. Not pulling him to her but pushing him off. Shitshitshit. Realizing what was happening, what had been happening, he rolled off her quickly and scurried to sit on the floor far away from her. She stood and dusted herself off. She was so beautiful. Messy and flushed with her ripped blouse. He couldn't even look at her. He'd screwed it up. Again. She had been trying to give him an innocent sweet kiss and he'd jumped her like some kind of animal. Worst of all he was still aroused. He couldn't stop panting and his damn annoying dick refused to settle down. Would he ever stop being such a dumb fuck? Then she did something so strange. She laughed. Almost giggled. Was she laughing at him. God he could handle her anger, which he was sure he was going to get, but laughing at him? He couldn't live with that. "Little eager there Mulder?" her voice was light and full of mirth. What was that about? "God, I'm so sorry Scully." he muttered with his head hung low. She walked to him and held out her hand. He looked up into her face and saw no anger or ridicule. Only desire. "Don't be. Please. I like it. Come here." He looked at her hand then back up into her eyes. She still wanted him. After all this she still wanted him. She liked it. He took her hand and rose to his feet vaguely embarrassed about the evidence of his body's reaction to her. These damn pants never hid anything. She started walking, leading him out of the living room. "Where are we going?" he didn't have a bedroom. There were only so many places to go in his apartment. "To get you cleaned up. I don't care much for your new perfume Mulder." She was leading him to the bathroom. The shower. Jesus. He swallowed the golf ball sized lump in his throat and asked, in what he prayed would be a low, sexy tone "You gonna wash my back Scully?" He did fine until "back". Then his voice betrayed him by turning into a high pitched squeak. *Nice going puberty boy* She didn't seem to notice. She just turned back to him and smiled that little smile of hers that made his stomach twist into a knot, said "Maybe", and pulled him along behind her. God his bathroom was a pigsty. He was worried it would disgust her and ruin the mood but she didn't seem to notice that either. She led him in and turned on the water in the shower. Then she moved to face him again and gazed into his eyes. "I love it when you look at me like that." Oh God. He couldn't even imagine how he must be looking at her. But he wanted to know. To see himself through her eyes. "How's that Scully?" "The way you were looking at me in the office yesterday, the way you looked at me that night in Florida when my poor little fire went out, the way you're looking at me right now. You make me feel beautiful Mulder, and wanted. Do I ever do that for you?" He'd never really though of it that way before but he had to admit that yes, sometimes she did make him feel like that and that once in a blue moon that feeling from her was enough to overwhelm his doubts and insecurities if only for an instant and that those moments were the best in his life. "Yes, you...you're doing it right now." She smiled and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Good. I want to do that Mulder. I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel." God her voice was like silk. Husky and breathless. He couldn't remember ever being so turned on in his life. "I want you to see yourself the way I see you. I want you to see the beautiful, brilliant, gentle, passionate man that I see every day." Was that how she saw him? Was that how he was? "Scully um...you're not just doing this to make me feel better are you?" "I'm doing this to make us both feel better." She pulled his shirt from his chest and tossed it into the pile of dirty laundry in the corner. He hoped she wouldn't notice that his skin was completely covered with goose bumps. The hair on his chest was practically standing on end. When her tiny hands started working on his belt buckle he almost squealed with delight. Then he felt her fingers pulling his fly down and brushing against his crotch and he couldn't help but moan. He started to jerk into her hand but pulled back, trying desperately to restrain himself. She looked up at him. "Don't do that Mulder. Don't hold back. Not with me. I want to feel you want me. I want you to give me everything you've got." She pulled his pants down and then slid his boxers gently away from his throbbing erection. Her work done she backed up a step to look at him. She smiled. And then she smirked. And then she started giggling again. The same way as before. And he was alarmed, the same way he'd been before. Was it his body? Was she actually laughing at his body? "Fox in socks." She managed to get out between giggles. He looked down. He was indeed wearing socks. Socks with a hideous paisley pattern on them. And nothing else. And then he smiled. And then he actually laughed because it was pretty damn funny. He pulled them off and tossed them into the pile and then moved menacingly towards her. "You're gonna get it for that." She smiled coyly at him "I hope so". He grabbed her arms and looked down at her. She was still laughing a little bit. She seemed almost giddy. Almost drunk. Was she actually as anxious for this as he was? It was starting to seem that way. "You look so pretty when you laugh Scully. I have fantasies sometimes just about seeing you laugh." She caught his eyes and he saw tears starting to well in hers. "Mulder take off my clothes." Her tone was suddenly serious again. He let go of her arms and started to unbutton her blouse. His hands were trembling quite noticeably and he had to remind himself to go slowly this time. To savor this. One, two, three buttons came undone with ease. He was proud. No ripping his time. He pulled the blouse from her and she was standing before him in faded jeans and a simple purple bra. How had this happened? How had he ended up here? With this vision in front of him. With Dana Scully half naked in his steam filled bathroom about to take a shower with him. He didn't know and he was beyond caring. He was about to get a view of paradise. "Front or back?" he asked anxiously. She raised that damn perfect eyebrow and fixed him with a killer grin. "What exactly are you referring to Mulder?" God he was such a doof. "Front." She laughed and pointed to a small clasp between her breasts. Between her breasts. He was about to reach between her breasts. He ran his trembling finger down the smooth surface of the strap and then across the top of where the fabric covered her and finally dipped into her cleavage. He pulled open the clasp and the thing just popped right off. He was stunned. He was bowled over. He'd never seen anything as awe inspiring as her naked chest in his life. He was so captivated all he could do was stare for a long time. He studied every curve, every subtlety, everything that made them Scully's breasts and noone else's. He noticed a small birth mark in the curve under her left one and for some reason this completely did him in. He fell to his knees before her and buried his face between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his lips over that beautiful birthmark. >From there he slowly moved up covering her entire breast with kisses. She moaned and pulled his head closer to her. Encouraged he flicked his tongue lightly over her hardened nipple. "Oh God Mulder" Did she just say that? How many times he'd fantasized about hearing her say that he did not know. But he wanted to make her say it again. And again and again. He slid his hands down to cup her wonderful little ass that he couldn't quite believe he was touching and squeezed her tight. God it was getting hot in here. The steam from the running shower and Scully's writhing body were combining to bring his body temperature to a roaring boil. He moved his hands around to the front of her jeans and started with the buttons. More buttons. Why did she have to wear button flies? He pulled at them frustrated and finally they gave. He slid the denim down her legs and took the opportunity to admire those from close up as well. Beautiful, strong, freckle covered legs. So much Scully skin everywhere. It was overwhelming. Then he looked up and saw her pretty purple panties staring him in the face and just about died. She wanted him! He could smell her arousal, he could see it staining the cloth. God she was wet. For him. He needed to be closer to that. Aroused almost to the point of insanity he tore the panties from her body, unconcerned at this point with finesse. He heard the now familiar sound of tearing silk but barely even noticed it. And then she was completely naked. Standing in front of him. In his bathroom. XXX Scully was never really into drugs. She'd tried a little pot in college, liked a drink now and again, but she'd never tried anything else. Heroin, ecstasy, she'd avoided the whole shebang. She knew the dangers they held but she'd always been curious what it actually felt like to be so completely gone. To be so lost in sensation that you completely lose yourself. As she stood there with Mulder's hands and mouth frantically stroking her naked body, as she looked down and saw him kneeling before her, his huge gorgeous cock twitching anxiously between his legs, his face full of wonder and such raw open lust, she thought that maybe she had a taste of that feeling for the first time in her life. But he still smelled like that girl and she needed to smell him. Besides they were going to run out of hot water soon. She pulled him to his feet and led him into the shower. It was a tiny little cubicle, barely enough room for one person, which was perfect in her eyes. She needed desperately to be close to him, to feel that hard, hot body pressing against her. She took the soap from its dish and told him to turn around. "How come?" "I'm gonna wash your back silly." He swallowed and did as she asked. He stood facing the hot spray from the shower head and she stood behind him, wedged between his body and the cold tile wall, and started lathering up his back. It was a beautiful back. Scully had a thing for backs. Her own was extremely sensitive. That was one of her little secrets from Mulder. If he knew how turned on she got every time he put his hand on the small of her back, he'd be doing it every single day. Mulder's back was smooth and muscular and, thank goodness, hairless. She ran her fingers through the suds and lightly massaged his shoulders. He sighed contentedly and leaned into her stroking. Slowly she worked her way down, kneading the muscles in her hands, washing away the tension and fatigue in his form. Eventually she reached his ass. God that ass. There were days when she had to physically restrain herself from reaching out and grabbing that amazing thing. Not anymore. Not today. She moved the soap down and gave it the same treatment she'd given his back. It felt wonderful in her grasp. "Mmmmm Scully. That feels really good." Inspired and hungry for more she reached her soapy hands around to his front and grabbed his hardness. He gasped and thrust involuntarily into her palm. "How does that feel?" With one hand she soaped up his balls and with the other slowly stroked his throbbing erection. "Jesus Scully. I ahhhh oh my GOD." She smiled, pleased and aroused by his reaction. It actually felt like it was getting bigger. Growing in her hand to an impossible size. She sped up her movements a bit wanting to see just how gigantic and engorged it would get before he finally exploded. He let out a sound that could only be described as a growl and grabbed her wrist. Then, before she knew what was happening, he'd spun around and had her off her feet and pinned against the wall. Her ass was in his hands and her crotch and face were level with his. His mouth crushed against hers for the first time since they'd left the living room. His kiss was crazed and completely out of control. She was glad. Their tongues met and twined around each other like mating snakes. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against his sudsy hardness. God it felt good. His mouth traveled across her face and down her neck. Licking, biting, sucking everywhere. He thrust against her and she cried out. It felt so so good. "You like that?" he whispered breathlessly in her ear. And then he did it again. And then again. She dug her nails into his shoulder blades and simply moaned "yes" in response. She was close. God she was about to come. Already. He ran his tongue back and forth over a particularly sensitive area behind her ear and rubbed himself against her faster and faster. Her whole body was trembling. The pressure inside her was reaching the breaking point. She grabbed a chunk of his hair and pulled on it. Hard. It had the desired effect. He lifted his head from the cradle of her neck and looked her in the eye. She wanted him to see her when he made her come. Wanted him to know the effect he had on her. He was rapt. She'd never seen him look at anything with such intensity and fascination. His passion, his desire, it was hers. It was all directed at her. Had it always been that way? Perhaps it had but in that moment it filled her in a completely unique way. It was dizzying. And it was just enough to push her over that one final edge into oblivion. "Oh Mulder...Mulder YES!" She convulsed, pumping furiously against his cock. Her eyes closed and she threw her head against the wall. Somewhere in the back of her mind the pain of the impact registered but it was completely overwhelmed by the pleasure she felt in every other part of her body. As she slowly made her way back to the land of the living he stroked her body and placed light, soft kisses over her face. She opened her eyes and for a moment everything looked blurry. Then he was there. Clear and grinning at her like a Cheshire cat, his hair wet and messy, water dripping down his beautiful face. "That was amazing Scully. I wanna make you come every day for the rest of my life." She laughed. "What about the rest of today tiger?" "That too." She reached between them and took his sex in her hand placing it at her entrance. "I want you inside me Mulder." Suddenly his face was awash with panic and uncertainty again. "Really?" "Really Mulder." She nodded enthusiastically for emphasis. "Really really. Make love to me Mulder. Now." He took a deep breath and slowly with gentle care, he slid inside her. He got half way inside and she couldn't help but gasp slightly from the pain. His eyes flew open and he stopped moving completely. "God, I'm hurting you aren't I?" He looked absolutely horrified. It did hurt a bit but that was only natural given the circumstances. She shook her head, "Mulder it doesn't matter. I..." "Of course it matters! How can you say it doesn't? It's not..I can't...Scully I'm too big. I'm sorry." *Jesus H Christ Mulder!* He had to be the only man on the face of the planet who would be insecure about his penis being "too big"! The man even managed to turn his assets into faults. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I love you Mulder. All of you." She looked pointedly downwards. "It hurts a tiny bit because I haven't had anything down there in a long time. And what has been there has not been nearly as impressive as what's there now." He smiled a little at that. "It feels good though Mulder. I like it. And if you keep going it will stop hurting and feel even better." "So you...you want me to keep going?" She smiled "Would you please?" He nodded nervously and moved a little deeper. Then deeper still. Finally he was in her up to the hilt. She felt full, complete. Like the missing piece of a puzzle had been put into place finally. It felt like he was everywhere. Like he reached every part of her. Slowly, so slowly he started thrusting inside her. He moaned and brought his lips to hers. His tongue, another suprisingly long Mulder-appendage, moved in and out of her mouth in rhythm with his lower body. The slow thing felt wonderful but after a few moments she was completely stretched out, completely used to him, and needed to feel more. He was being so gentle. She almost couldn't feel him there anymore. Soon his entire body was trembling with the effort to keep the pace like this. He was doing it for her. Restraining himself again to avoid hurting her. "Harder Mulder" she begged him breathlessly. He searched her eyes for any sign of insincerity. "Are you sure?" "I'm not gonna break Mulder. Please. Please fuck me the way you really want to." "Scully I..." she tightened her vaginal muscles around him pulling him deeper inside. "Scuuuulyyy. don't. want. to. hurt. you." "You're not. Give it to me Mulder. Take me. PLEASE" He cried out, seemingly unable to control himself anymore, and started slamming into her. First a slow almost complete withdrawal then a hard fast slam. Retreat and advance. Their tongues met in the open air and danced lewdly. She felt obscenely good. She'd never been kissed like that. She'd never been fucked like that. How could he have thought she wouldn't want this? Who the hell wouldn't want this?! XXX He had to be in heaven. Hot, wet, tight heaven. Home. Finally, finally home. He wanted to ask her if she liked it. If it felt as good to her as it did to him. But he was beyond words. Lost completely in the sensation of consuming her, being consumed. Besides, the sight of her, head thrown back, mouth open and eyes closed in ecstasy, was enough of an answer for him. She was amazing. Wild and free and filled with passion. Better than his wettest wet dream. For him. All for him. She'd come. He had actually made her come. He was still reeling from it. She'd been so gorgeous. Something inside him had changed. Something about hearing her beg for him to give himself to her had caused a dim little lightbulb to go on inside his brain. When she implored him to take her, to fuck her the way he wanted to, he'd come to a stunning realization. He'd been holding back so as not to hurt her. But it was having the reverse effect. His reluctance to give himself to her completely was actually the only thing he was doing to hurt her. She wanted it. She wanted him. And not an idealized version of him she might have had in her head before today. She'd seen the worst of him. He'd bared it to her and she was still here. After that, after all she'd given up for him in the past, how could he refuse her the one thing she'd ever asked of him. He'd surrendered his control for her. It was all he could give her, all she wanted from him and it was the most difficult thing she could have asked for. But now that he had he realized there were plenty of selfish advantages to it. He'd never felt so uninhibited while making love before. Most of his sexual experiences had been one night stands. He could never lose himself like this with a stranger. There just wasn't enough level of comfort there. The few times he'd tried to mix sex and feelings had been horrifying disasters so he'd pretty much learned to separate the act from the feelings even with people he cared for. This was different. He'd never been so thoroughly there yet so completely gone before. He couldn't think. Didn't want to. All he could do was surrender to the pleasure she was sharing with him. And the feelings. God they were there. Stronger than he'd ever felt them. It was a completely new sensation. It was better than anything he'd ever experienced. Sudden pain. Fingernails digging into his back. Her body trembling in his hands. Her voice in his ear. "Faster Mulder. God faster." He sped up his movements, pumping furiously, increasing his own pleasure. He was teetering on the brink. If she didn't come soon he was gonna be in trouble. He didn't have to wait long. "ohgodohgodohgod MULDER" Her nails dug even deeper into his flesh, most certainly drawing blood. Her legs pulled him closer. She contracted around him pulling him deeper, tighter. It was too much. He was dying. Or dreaming. Maybe he was already dead. "Come for me Mulder. Come into me." God. Not yet. Not yet. He still hadn't told her. She still didn't know. Not really. He had to find language. Before it was too late. "SSS...Scullllly. L..L..Love you. Love you. Love you." he came so hard it was almost painful. Slamming her against the wall, shooting into her body. And he screamed. He actually screamed. The sound reverberated off the tile walls and some dim part of his brain registered that it had come from him. He couldn't believe it. The neighbors would think he was being murdered. Finally his legs gave out and he sank, still inside her, to his knees on the floor of the shower. She sat on his lap, still wrapped around him. She stroked his hair and kissed his face and wiped away tears he hadn't realized he'd been shedding. They held each other like that for a long time and he relished the feeling of her body draped over him. It was so warm here, so safe and good. He understood, for the first time, why Freud had believed men sought out women to make love to in an attempt to return to the womb. He didn't have any recollection from his waking life similar to the experience of sitting on the shower floor still inside Scully's body but he assumed it was somehow related to a fetal state. So so warm. Then suddenly cold. Very very cold. Shit. Scully shrieked in a truly adorable way and jumped off him to turn off the water. He supposed it was lucky the hot water had lasted this long. But he was sad that it had run out. It meant they had to leave the shower and Mulder was afraid of life outside of the shower. He reluctantly rose to his feet and Scully turned to face him again. "So much for that." She was smiling. She obviously had no fear of post-shower life. "So do you have any towels in this place Mulder?" Towels. Yes towels. That's a good idea. Why hadn't he thought of it? Why was he still making no move to get them? Why was he just standing there watching her naked shivering body like a moron? "Mulder?" "Right towels. Sorry. Kinda zoned out there for a sec. Um..wait right there." He went to the bathroom closet and pulled out a small towel for himself and a ridiculously huge one for her. He went back to the shower and wrapped it around her. She laughed. "This could be a blanket Mulder." He smiled and wrapped his towel around his waist. "You looked cold." She started to leave the shower and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "What is it?" "I dunno. Just...don't go out there yet. Stay in here with me for a while They'd done it. They'd finally actually done it and she was here. Still alive, still with him. No mysterious forces had come and taken her away from him. The world hadn't stopped spinning on its axis. None of the things he'd imagined when he'd thought of this moment had occurred. Where did they go now? What did it mean? Was that it? Was she going to leave him now and just pretend it had never happened? She stood on her toes and gently kissed him. "Mulder we can't stay in here forever. We have to go to work soon. We're already late." Work? WORK? They had to go to work. He'd forgotten work existed. He'd forgotten anything existed. "You want to go to work now?" He was whining. The tone of his voice was annoying even to him. He sounded like a petulant child asking mommy why he had to go to school. "No Mulder. What I want to do is stay here and make love to you until we collapse from exhaustion but I think that's gonna have to wait till tonight." Tonight. There was going to be a tonight? Thank you Jesus there was going to be a tonight. He had made love to her and she hadn't run away. She wanted more. She was his lover. He was going to spend tonight with his lover Dana Scully. But how? How could it be that simple? But somehow it was. Somehow she was with him, the way she'd always been and they were connected the way they'd always been and things really weren't that different. Just better. Better than things had been with her or anyone else in his entire life. The image of where he'd been just a few hours before passed through his mind and he cringed. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have thought some cheap substitute could ever come close to the real thing? He was such a royal ass-hole. To have done something so potentially damaging to his relationship with Scully, he had to be out of his mind. Then he remembered. He was out of his mind. She was in danger being in a relationship with him. What if he did something else to hurt her? She seemed to read the sudden terror on his face. "Mulder I know you're scared. I am too. We're both so terrified of caring too much, of losing the people we love. But I refuse to let that fear rule my life anymore. I want this. I don't want to waste any more time. I'm ready for this. I'm tired of my fear of death and loss making me afraid to live. I want to live Mulder. I want to love and be loved and I want you to be a part of that." "But why Scully? Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you? I mean now that you know what I'm ...I mean the way I.." "Mulder you did something terrifically stupid OK. I think we can both acknowledge that." Sometimes Scully had a knack for understatement. "And if you ever do something so idiotic, so mind-bendingly self destructive and infuriating again I will kick your ass. And you better believe that." He did. Lord how he did. "But I don't think you will Mulder because I'm going to prove to you that you deserve to be happy and loved. And I'm not going to let you get away with this pushing me away bullshit anymore. No more crap Mulder. I want to be there for you but I need you to be with me on this. You can't hold back from me anymore and I need to know that you want this as much as I do." How could she not know that? He thought it had to be the most obvious thing in the world. "Scully I want this more than anything. You have to know that. But I can't promise you that this is gonna be perfect. I can't tell you that I'm going to be everything you need me to be." "All I need you to be is honest. I just need you to be yourself. To be the man I'm in love with. And to let yourself be loved." XXX He seemed to believe her. Almost. She knew it was going to take more than words to convince this man that he was worthy of love. She knew her actions would have to speak to him as well. And she knew she had her own fears to deal with too. It was going to be a lot of work. But her relationship with Mulder had always been a lot of work. And the rewards of being able to make love to him were enough to make it worth it. His love was a terrifying thing. But it was also a beautiful, life-affirming, astonishing thing. Those few moments when he'd actually let her see his overwhelming passion and desire had been the most gratifying moments of her life. If he'd been anyone else she would have been frightened by the strength and power of his lust. But it had been Mulder and feeling Mulder pounding into her like a maniac and screaming bloody murder in her ear as he came had filled her not with fear but with joy. And comfort. He was hers. And she was his. That was really the essential thing. It seemed funny to her that two people who'd faced so many terrifying nightmares, so many monsters human and otherwise, would be more afraid of their own love than anything else. But in a way it made sense. Love they couldn't control. Their guns and FBI training, their immunity to violence and terror were of no use to them here. They had nothing to fall back on but their own feelings. That was a scary thing. But they'd made it this far. And she knew they'd find a way to make this work. The way they made everything work. Together. -- End --