TITLE: CATALYST AUTHOR: LEA COLLINS E-MAIL: lea92596@earthlink.net RATING: NC17 ------------------------------------------------------------------- *** ROMANCE WARNING!!! *** This story contains M/S romance and descriptions of sexual situations (in Part 6).If this offends you or you are under the age of 18, BAIL OUT NOW... No "Spoilers" of any kind: "This ain't got nuthin' to do with no X-File...". This is only my second work of fiction, (the first, "Pulled Together", was ep-inspired, whereas this one is definitely *not*), so I await your comments with breathless antici....................pation! (now how did *that* reference get in there? ;-) Also, I admit freely and without reservation that I am *addicted* to email (friends or family may soon have to perform an intervention) so send 'em if you got 'em to: Lea Collins at: lea92596@earthlink.net Mulder, Scully and the X-Files are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and the FOX network. No infringement is intended. ################################################## June 1996 Part 1 (of 6) It was a confrontation that Scully had never anticipated, and she still couldn't get over it. She'd been in the office over the lunch hour, preparing for one of the occasional Quantico seminars she was asked to teach. Mulder had gone out to run errands, after unsuccessfully trying to talk her out of working on the seminar in order to have lunch with him, so the office was quiet and Scully was totally taken aback when Jill Connors burst through the doorway and started to give her a verbal lashing. Mulder had been seeing Jill for about 4 months. Scully didn't know her well, though the two women had made small talk on a few occasions when Jill had dropped by the office to see Mulder. She seemed intelligent, well-educated, professional, and, so Scully thought, emotionally well-balanced. At least that had been Scully's opinion of her before this latest encounter. Jill had rushed through the office doorway, tossed her purse on top of the first horizontal surface she saw, defiantly crossed her arms in front of her, and proclaimed "Agent Scully, we need to have a talk." Scully could see the woman was upset, not just from her "I'm standing my ground" body-language, but from her slightly flushed face and rapid breathing. Remaining calm, Scully stood up, made a pretense of straightening some papers on her desk, then looked up with a slightly arched eyebrow and replied in a deliberate, firm voice, "What's this about, Jill?". "It's about how many poor, unsuspecting *fools* you and Mulder have managed to make miserable with this little farce you have going on here!", Jill almost shouted. Scully was confused. What in the world was Jill trying to get at? "I beg your pardon?", she asked, both eyebrows lifted. Then the tirade began. "I'm just wondering how many times some idiot like me has been fooled into thinking she had a chance with your partner before discovering that his only *real* interest -- besides chasing little green men who don't *exist* -- is *you*! And how many times has the same thing happened to those sorry little guys down in the Lab who seem to be so entranced with you??? Plenty, I'll bet! Well, I've *had* it! I'm tired of his eyes wandering to every petite little redhead who crosses our path, I'm sick of having him sitting across the dinner table from me, staring out the window, and when I ask him what's distracting him, it's always something to do with *you*! I mean, if the two of you have something going, why not just come clean about it, and stop using the rest of us as cover-ups without our knowledge?!" Jill finally paused for breath, and Scully jumped in. "Jill, what are you talking about? There's nothing going on between Mulder and me -- you've got to be misinterpreting something here. We are partners and that is *it*, I can assure you." Scully tried her best to sound matter-of-fact, but she couldn't stop her mind from racing -- was it possible that Jill was right? Was Mulder really thinking about her in a way that was interfering with his personal relationships? And why wasn't he self-aware enough to catch himself before he hurt the woman he was with?... No, Jill had to be wrong about this. There had to be *some* other explanation.... Scully became aware that Jill was watching her, tapping her foot with impatience. "Come on, Dana, are you trying to tell me that you've been working with him for three years, and you're not the least bit attracted to him -- you don't have *any* feelings for him? -- you're not even *unconsciously* trying to get him to be interested in you? That's crap!" Scully decided to try her "let's-look-at-this-logically" tone of voice: "Look, Jill, you're not stupid -- Mulder's an attractive guy; I'm not going to insult your intelligence by suggesting I'm oblivious to that, but look around you -- there are plenty of attractive people working together everywhere -- you can't tell me that you think that means they're all involved with each other?" "No, I'm just suggesting that a woman who appears to have no discernible life outside of work probably has to resort to...". Just then, an icy male voice interrupted her. "Okay, Jill, that's enough. " Both women spun around to face the door where there stood a clearly enraged Mulder, hands on his hips, jaw clenched, face reddened, trying desperately to keep his cool. Before Scully could speak, Jill rushed past her toward the door, muttering to herself, "You're right -- that *is* enough, and I've *had* enough!". Mulder stepped out of the way, and Jill was out the door and halfway down the hall in what seemed like half a second. Mulder stood there, his hands still on his hips, his eyes closed, chewing on one side of his lower lip, obviously trying to compose himself, but before he could say anything, Scully broke the uncomfortable silence. "How long were you standing there?", she asked in a much softer voice than she'd been using a minute ago. She was looking at him out of the corner of her eye, feeling uneasy, not ready to face him full-on quite yet. By this time Mulder had opened his eyes, and he met her gaze cautiously. "Long enough to start questioning my good judgment when it comes to females...". Scully lifted an eyebrow at him in a gesture which he'd come to recognize as the "international Scully symbol" for the phrase "Oh, *really*?". "Present company excluded, of course", he said, trying half-heartedly to make light of the situation. Then his face turned totally serious, "Look, Scully, I'm really sorry about this. You shouldn't have to...", he paused uncertainly, then sighed and shook his head slightly. "I'm just really sorry." He'd been about to say, "You shouldn't have to put up with that.", and it was true, she shouldn't, but something had stopped him from revealing to his partner just how protective he felt towards her sometimes -- hell, *most* of the time, if he was really honest with himself... Scully's voice broke him out of his self-analysis. "Well, I'm sure it'll work itself out. Let's just forget about it.", she said casually, trying desperately to act as if she *could* forget about it, though she had the nagging feeling that that was not going to be the case. And she was right. As far as outward appearances were concerned, Mulder and Scully had gone back to "business as usual" and had worked on a few minor cases in the weeks since the incident with Jill, but something in the air between them had changed. Scully kept wondering just how much of the conversation Mulder had heard. , she kept worrying, . She was used to him being somewhat contemplative, and, being an analytical sort herself, she usually wasn't bothered by it, but he'd been downright withdrawn lately. And then there were the times she'd caught him studying her when he thought she wouldn't notice -- he'd hastily averted his gaze, as if he was afraid she'd read his mind or something. Scully was also surprised that, at least as far as she could tell, Mulder and Jill still seemed to be together. , she thought, mentally cataloging the situation as "resolved". Jill had stopped by the office to meet him once or twice more in the first few weeks after what Scully privately referred to as "The Blowup", but still, she could swear things appeared strained between them. , she questioned herself. More recently, the visits to the office had stopped, but he'd continued to be busy on Friday nights and the occasional weekday evening, and Scully just assumed that those occasions were spent with Jill, though she still had the distinct impression that something was different... Mulder, on the other hand, had been spending the last few weeks slowly coming to the realization that Jill had some valid points. At first, he'd dismissed Jill's accusations as preposterous, and had even managed to convince her that she was just imagining things. But then, just when he'd thought things were settling down, he'd blown it all to hell in a matter of seconds... He'd taken Jill out to dinner at a particularly nice restaurant, and they were about halfway through their meal when it happened. Jill had been recounting the details of a particularly harrowing day at work when a petite woman with shoulder-length auburn hair had passed by their table, her back to them as she walked past on the arm of a tall, good-looking man. Before Mulder even knew what he was doing, he'd turned his head away from Jill while she was in mid-sentence, and his eyes had followed the redhead until she'd turned around to say something to her date and Mulder had realized it wasn't Scully. Abruptly Mulder became aware that he was doing exactly what he'd just spent a week managing to convince Jill he *never* did. Simultaneously, he also became aware that Jill had fallen conspicuously silent. A blush creeping up his face and his eyes widening slightly, he felt the impact of what he knew was impending doom. He'd turned back around to face Jill as he muttered to himself "...oh, shit...". The evening had gone decidedly downhill from there, but Jill had handled their resulting breakup with a certain cynical resignation to which Mulder had to admit he related. He'd spent the next two weeks internally owning up to the fact that he'd been deliberately denying the way he felt about Scully, and if he examined objectively his behavior over the past couple of years, this probably wasn't the first time he'd emotionally "shortchanged" one of his dates because he'd been comparing her to his partner. , he kept thinking, He pulled himself up short, realizing it wasn't such a simple thing. He was in love with Scully. Once he'd figured that out, Mulder found his eyes wandering over to her more and more as the days passed, and the impact of his admission to himself sunk in. He reluctantly came to the conclusion that he had to tell Scully how he felt. He didn't know how he was going to do it, or when -- he only knew that he had to get it out. It was starting to eat him up inside. He hadn't arrived at the decision lightly. He'd struggled with all the reasons he should keep it to himself, the most compelling of which had been his fear that Scully didn't feel the same way -- worse, that the possibility of them ever being more than just friends and partners had never even crossed her mind. But Mulder's gut instincts told him that she *had* thought about it, that she did feel something for him. Trying to be objective, he searched back over their shared experiences for some evidence to back up his instinct, some proof that it wasn't just his imagination or some form of projection that made him believe that she really did care for him. As he sorted through his memories, he began to doubt himself. There really was no one event that he could point to that would justify his conclusions. All he could come up with were little, inconsequential things -- the way she touched him sometimes, ruffling his hair, or letting her hand rest on his arm just a fraction of a second longer than was really proper. Hardly enough to even verify a claim of friendship, he thought... and then it occurred to him. It wasn't just the way Scully touched him -- it was the fact that she *didn't* touch many other people, either freely or often, that gave those brief contacts such special significance. And he realized that he'd probably been making an unconscious note of that fact on a regular basis since the moment he'd met her. From the beginning, he'd noticed how reserved she was, how she kept her emotions tightly in check, how she wasn't overly demonstrative with people. And though he wouldn't exactly say she was overly demonstrative with him, she did let her guard down with him now and again, and he came to the realization that he'd been mentally cataloging every one of those precious few incidents, and counting himself lucky. And so Mulder succeeded in convincing himself that there was at least a chance that Dana Scully wouldn't laugh him right out of the room if he told her how he felt about her. And if she did, he thought dismally, he'd put up a brave front and carry on somehow. Inside, his heart would be shattered, but he'd never let her or anyone else know. But for now, the problem was how to tell her... The slight awkwardness between them had continued in the intervening weeks, Mulder and Scully both lost in their thoughts, each of them replaying that weeks-old confrontation scene in their minds over and over again, doing what human nature led them to do: put the worst possible "spin" on the situation that they could imagine, mentally kicking themselves, and fearing the worst regarding the other's view of the situation. Until one day near quitting time they were finishing up paperwork, filing reports and organizing some things as they prepared to leave the office. Mulder spoke up, trying to sound nonchalant, "Uh...hey, Scully?", he said, standing at a file cabinet and glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. Scully looked up from the papers on her desk to see what he wanted. "Yeah, Mulder?" "Um, I need to ask you a big favor.", he said hesitantly. "What is it?", she asked, thinking, . "Well, I need to go to this awards ceremony at the university where I taught a couple of classes, and unfortunately, it's a black tie event, and, well, you've let me know on more than one occasion what you think of the tuxedos I pick out when I'm left to my own devices..." At this, Scully pursed her lips and gave him a wry smile, . "So I was just wondering, if you have time, could you maybe help me pick out something...respectable?", he finished up a little sheepishly. "Well, sure, Mulder", she replied, at the same time thinking, "Great," he responded, then continued, attempting to sound casual, "You wouldn't want to go with me to the award ceremony, too, would you? I mean, if you're going to go through all the trouble of helping me pick out a tux, you'll want to make sure I carry it off properly, right?", he said, as if trying desperately to come up with some reason she might actually want to go with him. thought Scully, . She lifted one eyebrow at him and hesitantly asked, "Um, Mulder? I know it's really none of my business, but don't you think Jill might have something to say about this?" His face turned serious, and he put his hands on his hips and stared at the floor while he tried to gather his thoughts. . Finally he raised his head and looked at her. "Well, Scully, I've been meaning to talk to you about that..." The change in Mulder's voice gave Scully a funny feeling that he was about to tell her something important, something personal, something that was going to affect them both, and she was aware that her mind had split into two parts, one that thought, fearfully, , while the other tried hard not to be almost giddy with hope, for reasons she didn't want to examine just now. "Jill and I aren't seeing each other anymore. Haven't been for several weeks, actually. I just didn't know how to bring it up". He was looking at her hesitantly, trying to judge her reaction. <*Hoping* for a reaction is more like it,> he thought. Scully's eyebrows knit together in concern. "It wasn't because of that...'conversation' you walked in on in here, is it?", she asked, unable tell whether he was upset, relieved, or indifferent regarding the fact that his relationship with the other woman was over. "Well...", he said in a tone which made Scully think it *was* "The Blowup" that had caused this... "Oh, no, you're kidding...", Scully said in a concerned tone, deciding to make a good faith effort to show she would help him repair things with Jill -- (if that was what he wanted, one part of her mind thought...). "Mulder, I'm really sorry -- if you want me to talk to her, I'll be glad to try to explain what..." Mulder cut her off quickly..."No, Scully, it's not like that. That... incident...might have been one of the last straws, but it wasn't the root of the problem. Things hadn't been working all along, and I was just too stubborn to admit it. And...", he hesitated, "Well, when it came right down to it, Jill was more insightful than I was about what was really going on...". Mulder had started pacing as he talked, gradually realizing that he was finally going to go through with this and just tell her what he'd been thinking. With that last revelation, he'd stopped a few feet from her desk, not wanting to crowd her by getting any nearer until he could gauge her reaction. It dawned on Scully where he was going with this, and she found herself suddenly unable to meet his eyes, in case she was wrong... or maybe in case she was right... "Mulder", she said hesitantly, "What are you trying to say...?", she asked, focusing her gaze on some neutral point beyond his desk. Slowly, he approached her desk. "That Jill kept insisting that what was wrong between us was that I had feelings for *you*...", he said gently. He crouched down next to Scully's desk, his face almost level with hers, willing her to look at him, "And that, in the end, I...well...", he looked down at the floor, pausing, then slowly raised his eyes to hers, " I couldn't lie to her and tell her she was wrong...", he confessed softly, in a tone of voice that made her face flush. Scully dropped her gaze nervously, looking somewhere in the vicinity of his throat, feeling an awkward shyness which prevented her from looking into his eyes... There was a silence in the room that, to Mulder, seemed to last an eternity. "Come on, Scully, say *something*", Mulder said, his voice husky, "At least tell me I'm not hangin' out on a limb all by myself here...". He paused uncertainly. "Am I?" Scully finally raised her eyes to his. Her common sense screamed at her to stop this before it changed everything, but the vulnerable, intense look in his eyes engulfed her, and she found herself unable to avoid answering him truthfully. Feeling like she was jumping off a cliff, Scully made a quick decision, and taking a deep breath, she replied quietly, "No... no, you're not." Mulder felt paralyzed for a split second, and then a smile broke out on his face. He reached out hesitantly and cradled the side of her jaw in his hand, brushing his thumb over her cheek so lightly she could barely feel it. "Really?", he said, his voice catching just a little at the end. "Really." She smiled back at him, trying to stop herself from shivering at his touch. "So....what should we do about this?" He didn't want to push too fast -- he wanted to give her whatever space she needed, and, in truth, he needed the space himself -- he still couldn't believe what she'd said... "Well...you wanna go pick out that tux?", she said wryly, one eyebrow arched in question. He felt a brief twinge of disappointment, but he understood her need to step back a little, do something "safe", and get used to the idea that things might be changing between them. After all, he guessed he wasn't going to just cavalierly kiss her right here in the office... as much as he was tempted to... He chuckled, reluctantly dropped his hand from her cheek and stood up. "Sure. That sounds like a good start." he thought, "So when is this awards ceremony, Mulder?", Scully asked as she put on her coat. "This weekend -- Friday, actually", he replied, thinking . Meanwhile, Scully's mind was doing the same calculations -- So they took his car and went to rent his tux. "Hey Scully, how about this one?", he'd teased, pointing to the most off-the-wall suit he could find, "I think it's really *me*". "Mulder, if that's really you, you need therapy", she'd said with mock seriousness, making him grin. Finally they settled on something traditional, and as he tried it on and presented himself for her final approval, (missing no opportunity to point out how uncomfortable "these monkey suits" are), she couldn't help being affected by how handsome he really was. she found herself musing, Mulder's voice snapped her out of her mental slide show, and she realized he was ready to leave. "So, you wanna grab something to eat?" "What did you have in mind, another Mulder drive-through special?", she joked. At that, he put his hand over his heart, trying to look offended. "Scully, I'm wounded -- I've admitted I have no taste in formal wear, and now you're criticizing my dining choices too?" She tried not to encourage him, and somehow kept herself from grinning at him like a fool, but it was tough -- he was really getting to her. She allowed him a half-smile, and attempted to sound stern, "Okay, just take me somewhere where we can actually sit down and be served, and you're off the hook..." He smiled at that, and they went off to dinner, both of them surprised at how easily they were joking around with each other and how comfortable they still were with each other, despite the undercurrent of awareness that flowed between them. After dinner, Mulder drove them back to the parking garage at headquarters, pulling up next to Scully's car, the only one left at this late hour. He hopped out of the car and was opening her door for her before she even knew what he was doing. As she got out, she joked with him, "Gee, Mulder, you're not gonna start getting all chivalrous on me, are you?" He grinned at her, leaning sideways against the back door of her car while she got her keys from the pocket of her coat and unlocked the driver's side. "Wellllll, maybe a little...", he bantered back, knowing what she was doing -- trying to lighten things up before either of them started to feel awkward. "Soooo... can I see you again?", he drawled, his grin getting wider now. Scully smirked at him good-naturedly. "I have a feeling you might...". Fully intending to continue the jesting nature of their exchange, Mulder was surprised to find that a snappy comeback just wasn't materializing in his mind. He found his mood turning more serious, the prospect of having to leave her tonight and not see her until tomorrow having a sobering effect on him. "Good...", he said seriously, and was struck by an urgent need to touch her. He reached out, tracing her cheek just as he had earlier in the day. His eyes were drawn to her mouth, and he let his thumb gently graze her lower lip, memorizing the softness of her, lightly stroking back and forth. Scully's lips parted slightly at his touch, and she stifled a gasp, feeling like a jolt of electricity had shot through her. She looked at him, and was drawn in by how intently he was staring at her lips, his eyes a darker green than she'd ever seen them. Mulder watched in awe as she reacted to him, taking in the slight trembling of her mouth, the color that flooded her cheeks, and he was amazed at the possibility that she might be as affected by this as he was. Finally he tore his gaze from her mouth, moved his thumb over to her cheek, and looked into her eyes. "Goodnight, Scully", he murmured, and stepped away to let her get into her car. He wasn't going to rush things, he kept telling himself. If she had any hesitation at all about this, he wanted her to be able to back out of it and know that, at least outwardly, things would still be okay between them. "Goodnight, Mulder", she managed to get out, watching him turn away and get back into his car. She exhaled suddenly, realizing she must have been holding her breath, and placed a hand on the frame of her car door to steady herself, her knees feeling weak. she thought . She pulled herself together, got into the car, and started it up, aware that he was still parked next to her. , she thought with affection, realizing he was waiting to make sure she at least got out of the garage safely. She glanced over at him as she started to pull the car out of its space, and he gave her a smile and a little "after you" flourish with his hand, accompanied by an exaggerated bow of his head. She smiled back at him and headed out of the garage, waving to him in what she hoped was an appropriately restrained gesture as they parted ways at the first intersection. she thought, And, in fact, neither of them slept much that night. Scully kept wondering what had made her plunge so recklessly into something that couldn't easily be undone at this point. She knew these feelings between them had been brewing for years, but still, now it felt sudden to her. After all, it had been within her power to just turn the issue aside after Mulder had made that little confession. She could have chosen to say something that would have returned things to normal, even made a joke of it, but he'd been so serious, and she'd seen the hesitation and fear in his eyes, as if he didn't know what he would do if she had told him he *was* all alone in his feelings for her. And when it came right down to it, just as he'd said he couldn't lie to Jill, Scully couldn't lie to him, either. So she tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts alternating between those last few seconds by her car and visions of walking into the office tomorrow, trying to maintain some sense of normalcy. And they *would* have to maintain that, she thought, for their own safety as well as sanity. She didn't think Mulder would disagree with her on this point -- in fact, she surmised he'd already arrived at the same conclusion, given that he'd shown what she thought was admirable (if somewhat frustrating) restraint so far. She finally drifted off to sleep a few hours before her alarm would ring, an almost-pleasant nervous sensation in her stomach that she couldn't remember having felt in years... Mulder himself was not exactly enjoying a peaceful night of rest. He still couldn't get over the day's events. He was amazed he'd survived that awful hollow ache in the pit of his stomach as he'd waited for her reaction to his admission. In truth, part of him was certain that he'd walk into the office tomorrow and Scully would calmly and logically explain to him that it had all been a horrible mistake -- that she'd had a momentary lapse of judgment, and that, if they both thought about it objectively, they'd agree that they should just forget it ever happened. As he finally fell asleep, he wondered if it was too late for him to take up religion so that he could pray that that wouldn't be the scenario... ------------------------------------------- Mulder was already at work when Scully arrived. She'd decided to launch right into a work-related discussion as soon as she walked in the door, and, in her typical "always-be-prepared" fashion, had even planned follow-up questions and other safe topics of discussion, just to get them over the initial tension she knew they'd both be feeling after last night. While she didn't want to give Mulder the impression that she was ignoring the new developments between them, she wanted to make it clear from the start that she didn't want the professional part of their partnership to change. "Hey", she greeted him casually as she walked in, settling herself at her desk. "Hey, yourself", Mulder replied, his eyes warm, the rest of his face trying desperately to contain what threatened to be a full-fledged smile. He was floored by how happy he was just to see her. Scully smiled back at him, doing her best not to chuckle at the sight the two of them must have made, both of them obviously feeling like nervous teenagers. "Did you leave me any coffee?" she teased, eyeing the almost-empty pot. "Are you kidding? I saved you the best part -- the last cup, otherwise known as the dregs", Mulder bantered back, feeling the awkwardness ease as they joked around as usual. "Mm, you are just *too* good to me..." she replied with good-natured sarcasm. She paused for a moment, then decided to abandon her plan to divert them both with "shop talk", concluding it would be better to just confront the situation head-on. "Look, Mulder, I think we need to talk...", she started. , he thought, his stomach getting a familiar sinking feeling, . Seeing the tension in his face, Scully immediately sensed that he was thinking the worst, and she corrected him as quickly as she could, "Mulder, it's not what you think -- I'm not about to tell you I was temporarily insane yesterday or anything like that..." At that, his face relaxed into a tentative half-smile, and he breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he'd actually been holding his breath. "Well, *that's* good", he replied, waiting for her to go on. Scully hesitated, staring down at her desk for a second to try and compose her thoughts. "I just think that we should agree that...well...", she wasn't exactly sure about how to phrase this, "Whatever does or... or... doesn't... change... between us, I think it's imperative that we not alter our professional relationship. I mean, I think we need to keep our work life separate from, well, you know...", she paused again, unsure of how to finish that thought without presuming too much. She rushed on, "I mean, we both have our careers to protect, and, well, I just think it would be better if --" "Scully...", Mulder interrupted. She stopped and looked up at him. "I'm rambling, aren't I?", she asked wryly, realizing Mulder was looking at her as if he was patiently waiting for a raving lunatic to run out of steam. She sat down wearily at her desk, feeling wrung out. "Well, maybe a little", Mulder teased, grinning at her. "Look, Scully, I think I know what you're getting at." He walked over to where she was sitting, and leaned down with his hands on the desk, his face inches from hers, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Would it help if I promised not to just come right out and kiss you within, say, 50 yards of this building?", he said softly, deliberately teasing her. Scully looked up at him, his nearness holding her captive, his words creating vivid images in her mind. She found herself unable to do anything but think of what would happen if he did kiss her -- what it would feel like -- what he would taste like. Her gaze was drawn to his mouth, so close to hers, and for a moment she thought her heart would stop beating... At the same time, Mulder was startled by his own reaction. He'd meant to tease *her*, but the way she was looking at his mouth... it was driving him crazy. It was turning him on. This was going to be tougher than he had thought... He leaned back a little, giving them both some space, and Scully snapped herself out of her thoughts to answer him. "Yeah", she finally got out, her voice sounding oddly throaty, even to her own ears. "That would be a good start", she continued, trying desperately to sound as if she was back in control. "Deal", Mulder proclaimed, offering her his hand to seal the agreement. "Deal", she agreed, shaking his hand firmly, and then snatching hers back as quickly as she could without being obvious, terrified that even that brief contact would have her doing something she'd regret later. And for a while, at least, the "deal" remained intact. Things seemed almost normal between them, though Scully found her gaze wandering over to Mulder more often than she wanted to admit. At odd times during the day she'd find herself thinking about the way his touch had lingered on her lower lip yesterday, and she couldn't help wanting, well,... more. Then she'd mentally shake herself out of her reverie, grateful that Mulder hadn't caught her staring. What Scully didn't realize was that Mulder was having as much trouble concentrating as she was. As they'd discussed their current case, he'd had to stop himself several times from reaching out to touch her hair or her cheek, feeling increasingly drawn to her, as if the floodgates of his attraction to her were now thrown wide open, and it was only sheer force of will that kept him in check. He suddenly wanted to spend every minute between now and Friday with her. As luck would have it, he was successful, though not in the way he'd planned. ------------------------------------------- They worked late the next two nights on some high-priority research, so there was no opportunity for him to talk her into another dinner, or even to convince her to do one of their "pizza-and-a-rented-movie" nights. He'd contented himself with walking her to her car Wednesday night, and in light of their agreement, he'd kept himself from even *trying* to kiss her goodnight before she'd climbed into her car to leave. But he couldn't keep himself from looking longingly at her as she did so, and from the way she blushed, he sensed she was aware of his thoughts. And, if anything, it was worse on Thursday, his mind straying more and more frequently to thoughts of Friday evening. He was dying to see her dressed up, dying to be alone with her -- at the same time, he was sure it would be hell on his self-control. Scully was in no better shape. She was stunned -- dismayed, really -- at her almost painful physical awareness of him. She'd thought she was too controlled to have this intense a reaction to someone, but now she felt as if her every nerve was humming whenever they were in the same room together. , she thought. Mulder walked her out of the building again that night. It was after midnight, but they'd finally made enough progress on their research that they were almost guaranteed to be able to leave work tomorrow in plenty of time for Mulder's awards dinner. As they approached Scully's car, Mulder felt his impulses getting the better of him, and he gently stopped her from getting into her car. "Scully...", he paused, uncertain how to proceed. She gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. I just..." He moved close to her and their eyes locked. Scully felt her breathing speed up, and her face began to feel hot... "I ... I know we're technically within 50 yards of the building", the corners of his mouth turned up in a sheepish half-grin, "And I know I promised, but..." Scully watched, mesmerized, as he leaned down haltingly, his mouth getting closer and closer, and she felt her eyelids drooping -- only to fly open again in surprise as she felt his lips brush -- not her mouth, but her cheek... and then her jawline. Mulder lingered, letting the scent of her skin wash over him, and it was only with great restraint that he managed not to abandon his good intentions and take her mouth with his. And then he was pulling back, his face serious again, his eyes on her lips. It was all she could do not to pull him back down to her and kiss him until he was as dazed and aching as she was ... Instead, she pulled herself together, drew a shaky breath, and took half a step backwards. "See you tomorrow, Mulder" "G'night, Scully" The workday on Friday actually passed much more quickly than either Mulder or Scully had anticipated, as they finished up their research, had a meeting with Skinner, and filed all of the required paperwork. Through it all, both of them were aware that the sexual tension between them was growing by leaps and bounds. Scully kept thinking about how Mulder had kissed her so chastely the night before, shivers running up and down her spine every time it crossed her mind. And as the day wore on, she came to the frustrated conclusion that, if he tried to leave her at her door tonight with just a brief peck on the lips in order to prolong the anticipation, she just might have to kill him... At that thought, she chuckled slightly, unintentionally catching Mulder's attention. "Is my report that amusing?", he queried, indicating the document she was supposed to be reviewing. "Uh...no, no, it's just...uh...it's nothing", Scully answered him, suppressing a smile. He grinned slightly, as if he knew what type of thought was distracting her. "Hey, Scully?", he said in a conspiratorial tone of voice. She raised her eyebrows at him in question. "I'm really looking forward to tonight", he said sincerely, looking straight at her from across the room. She blushed for what seemed to her to be the hundredth time in the last few days, and cleared her throat to answer him. "Me, too, Mulder. Me, too." Just then, the phone rang, and they were plunged back into the rat-race, preventing them from getting too distracted by each other... ------------------------------------------- Before they knew it, it was 5:00, and they were heading out the door. "So, I'll pick you up at 7:00, okay?", Mulder asked as they left the building. "Is that 7:00 "Mulder time", which means I have an extra half hour to get ready?" Scully teased. He grinned, playing along. "Uh-uh", he said, shaking his head, "Seven *sharp*. Scout's honor", he continued, raising his hand in a mock Boy Scout salute . "Ooookay", Scully responded, getting into her car, her tone of voice clearly indicating she'd believe it when she saw it. , Mulder thought as he started his car. , the voice in his head replied. ------------------------------------------- Scully's doorbell rang at 6:58, and she smiled to herself, Putting on her earrings as she walked, she checked through the peephole in the door to make sure it was Mulder, and then swung the door open to let him in, noting that he'd somehow managed to look even more handsome in the tux tonight than he had in the store a few days earlier. "Hi", she said, holding her hands behind her to stop them from shaking. "Hi", he said softly, stepping inside, momentarily speechless from taking in her appearance. She had on a simple, classic black evening dress. It didn't have a low-cut front. It didn't have a low-cut back. It wasn't slit up to the thigh. It even had long sleeves. It wasn't overtly provocative, and it couldn't even be considered the least little bit revealing. And, on Dana Scully, he thought it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. "You look... beautiful", Mulder said softly, looking into Scully's eyes. "Thank you", she responded, blushing yet again, "You look great", she returned. "I think we did a pretty good job picking out that tux, don't you?", trying to shift the topic of conversation away from herself. "Yeah" he grinned, "Not too bad, I guess. Ready to go?" "Ready" she replied, and they headed out the door. When they arrived at the dinner, Scully was amazed to find that Mulder was still relaxed and at ease. She'd seen him at other formal affairs, and she knew they made him feel awkward and out of place. But something about this one was different. As they talked to some of Mulder's acquaintances, she realized what it was. These people respected him. They were mostly academics, experts in a wide range of fields, and she noticed that for them, Mulder's theories and experiences were just part of the broad spectrum of phenomena that they were used to exploring on a daily basis. There wasn't a "Spooky" Mulder reference to be found, and she saw a side of Mulder that she had never known existed. She felt herself relaxing, not even having been aware that she had been tense in anticipation of what she had thought would be Mulder's uneasiness. Mulder was having trouble staying completely focused on anything but the incredible woman at his side. All he could think of was how beautiful Scully looked, and how right it felt to have her here with him. Even when he was engaged in conversation with other people, he'd catch her eye and have to force himself to look away and concentrate on the topic of discussion. And he just couldn't seem to move his hand away from the small of her back. He'd guided her into the room, much as he often did when they were working together, but even as they stood next to each other in a group of chattering people, he couldn't let her go, and, even more amazing to him, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was gradually getting closer and closer to him the longer they stood there. He thought he'd go out of his mind if this event wasn't over soon. Scully was putting up a good front as well. To an outsider, she appeared to be intensely interested in the conversations in which the group was engaged. But inside, she was thinking only of him, of the gentle way he was touching her. He made her feel... cherished... and she kept having visions of them together, imagining his hands wandering over her... Finally, they sat down to dinner, and they spent a comfortable hour and a half talking and laughing their way through it, still having trouble concentrating on anyone but each other, and then the awards presentation began. Mulder stepped up to receive an award for contributing to a project while he'd been teaching a class, and Scully found herself beaming with pride for him as the audience applauded. As he stepped back to their table with the award, she reached out and squeezed his hand, looking warmly into his eyes. "Congratulations, Mulder", she whispered. "Thanks, Scully", he answered, and she could have sworn she saw him blush. Finally the presentation was complete, and they quickly said their good-byes to their table mates and made their way out to the parking lot. They got into Mulder's car to leave, and he began to turn the key in the ignition, then paused. He turned halfway in his seat to face her, and Scully looked at him, waiting. "Thanks for being here with me tonight, Scully. It really meant a lot to me", he said quietly. Scully was so moved by his words that she was speechless for a moment, and then she reached out to touch his jaw affectionately. "It meant a lot to me too, Mulder. I'm glad you asked me." Mulder smiled, shivering inside at the feel of her fingers on his skin and at the warmth in her eyes and voice. , he thought, "Ready to head home?" he asked, just barely controlling the shaking of his voice. Scully just nodded, and they drove off into the night. They stood outside the door to Scully's apartment as she unlocked the door. She looked up at him hesitantly, feeling awkward. "You coming in?" He could only gaze at her mutely, nodding, his eyes never leaving hers. Scully opened the door, and Mulder followed her into her apartment, feeling nervous and out-of-place there for the first time he could ever remember. "Do you want some coffee?" Scully's voice broke him out of his pre-occupation with his own unease. "Sure", Mulder answered automatically, then as she turned to go into the kitchen, he stopped her, his hand on her arm. "Actually... no...", he hesitated. "Do you?" he asked, his voice low and unsteady, his thumb absently stroking the sensitive inside of her elbow. Scully looked at him, and was so startled by the heat in his eyes that she heard her own voice catch, and she whispered her answer, "No...". She couldn't take her eyes off of him as he slowly moved closer to her, and it seemed an eternity as he moved his fingers over her face, almost as if he were trying to memorize her features by touch alone. She felt her pulse pounding as he brushed his thumb over her lower lip, just as he'd done a few days ago. Scully thought she'd been sensitive to that touch then, but now...she felt like she was on fire, and she had to force herself not to groan in frustration. Mulder was fascinated by the heat suffusing her face at such an innocent caress. Every hair on his body stood on end as he touched her mouth, and when he felt her tremble, he couldn't wait a minute longer. He had to kiss her. Had to taste her. He leaned close and gently nibbled her lower lip, then drew back slightly and kissed her upper lip just as tenderly. Scully closed her eyes as he kissed her, every nerve in her body focused on the sensation of his lips on hers, warm and gentle. When she felt him pull back slightly, she was so bereft from the loss of him that she reacted instinctively, giving in to the urge she'd fought every time in the last few days that he'd touched her and then pulled away. Scully reached up and slid her hand behind his neck, feeling how hot his skin was, how soft his hair felt between her fingers. She pulled him back down to her, brushing her mouth back and forth across his, increasing the pressure each time, until she was rewarded with his mouth opening on a low groan, and his tongue sliding gently into her mouth. Their kisses deepened, becoming more urgent and demanding, and it was only the need to draw breath that pulled them apart, both of them breathing hard. Mulder buried his face in Scully's hair, unwilling to let her go, nuzzling her ear as he caught his breath, kissing her jaw and her earlobe, inhaling the scent of her. He tried desperately to focus his thoughts. He wanted her as he'd wanted no one else in his life, but he didn't want to rush her. Didn't want her to ever regret even a moment of their coming together. He finally moved back slightly and looked at her, his fingers still tracing her face. "I should probably go...", he said without conviction. "Mulder...", Scully hesitated, not knowing how to tell him how much she wanted him to stay. She lowered her gaze to his mouth, feeling awkward, her fingertips absently trailing over his jaw, her voice so soft he had to strain to hear it. "I know that technically I should send you home and make you take me out to dinner a few times and all that but..." She took a breath and raised her head, looking deep into his eyes, not wanting him to have any doubt that she knew exactly what she was doing, "I don't want you to go..." Scully watched as the softest, warmest smile she'd ever seen broke out on his face, and he pulled her into his arms, one hand tangling in her hair, the other pulling her possessively against him as he kissed her with undisguised hunger, his mouth slanting across hers, his tongue stroking deeply and deliberately against her. "Scully...", he murmured when he finally dragged his mouth from hers, raining kisses up and down her neck with excruciating slowness, "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted this?" He paused and looked at her, continuing softly, "....Wanted *you*?" Scully shook her head mutely, unable to form a coherent thought. "Forever", he whispered, and was drawn to her mouth again, gently biting her lower lip and then soothing it with his tongue. "It feels like forever...", and he bent his head again to take her mouth with his, his tongue urgently stroking hers with an increasingly insistent rhythm. Scully skimmed her hands up his chest, absorbing the heat of his skin through his shirt, feeling him shudder slightly as her fingers brushed over his nipples. She started to ease his jacket off his shoulders, and closed her eyes briefly as she was struck by how good he felt to her, even through his clothing. She'd wanted him for so long that even this small contact with him was wildly arousing to her, and she found herself moving deliberately slowly, her fingers and palms savoring the feel of his every muscle as she slid her hands down his arms. Pausing for breath, Mulder drew back slightly and met her gaze as she touched him, entranced by the feel of her hands on him, and taken in by the undisguised passion in her eyes. As his jacket dropped to the ground, he watched as she reached behind her to unzip her dress. "No, wait...", he stopped her, "let me...". Turning her around, he nuzzled the back of her neck as he slowly slid the zipper down, his fingers lingering over every inch of her back, his mouth following closely behind until he was crouched behind her, feeling her shiver as he kissed the warm, velvet-soft skin at the small of her back. Gradually making his way back up her spine, he kissed her neck as he slid the dress off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Scully started to turn in his arms, wanting his mouth again, wanting his warmth against her exposed skin, but again he stopped her, whispering in her ear, "Not yet...". And then he eased her back against him as his hands stroked her waist and her stomach, his mouth at the base of her neck, teasing her with his teeth and tongue. Slowly, Mulder's hands slid up her ribcage, his thumbs teasing the undersides of her breasts through the thin scrap of black lace she wore, and she moaned softly, lightly digging her nails into his forearms. He cupped her breasts gently, lifting them slightly so that they were almost spilling out of her bra, and then, just when she thought she'd die from the anticipation of his touch, his thumbs began to brush slowly over her nipples, already tightened with arousal. Again and again he stroked her, his touch becoming firmer with each caress, his mouth suckling and nibbling her neck in time with the movement of his hands. On and on he continued, and she thought she would go out of her mind with pleasure, her breath ragged now, her head turning restlessly from side to side. She was desperate to feel him, and she reached one hand back to twine her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp while her other hand slid up and down the side of his thigh, the only part of him she could reach. Mulder continued to tease her, instinctively returning to the touches that made her press herself against his hands and unconsciously grind her hips against his groin. She was so sensitive, so responsive -- never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she would react this way to him. And he was so aroused that the urge to just lower them both to the ground and slip inside her was almost unbearable, but he was enthralled by the little involuntary sounds she was making, her whimpers making him feel as if he could endure this sweet torture as long as they both could stand it. Finally, Scully could take no more, and she turned in his arms, pulling his mouth to hers and kissing him hungrily, groaning as she pulled his tongue into her mouth, her teeth grazing over it and then soothing it with her own tongue, her need for him barely leashed. Shaking with the force of his desire for her, Mulder started to move them toward the couch, but Scully resisted and pulled away, "Mulder...I want you...", she struggled for breath, fingers on his tie, coaxing him to follow her as she backed up toward her room, "I want you... in my bed...". She slowly unbuttoned his shirt as she led him down the hall, taking in the feel of his chest moving in and out as he tried to control his breathing, the wild, hungry look in his eyes as he watched her. She slid her hands down to his belt buckle, feeling his stomach muscles tighten at her touch. She slid his slacks off, barely brushing against the hardness of him, and he stepped out of the pants, still following her, still amazed at the sight of her before him. Entering the darkness of her room, Mulder raised his arms as she slid his undershirt off of him, kissing her as she backed up against the bed. He kept his mouth locked to hers and followed her with his body as she scooted backwards, her weight resting on her hands, until he was crouching over her, his knees straddling her hips. Reluctantly dragging his lips from hers, he leaned back until he was sitting on his heels. He trailed his fingers over her ankles, her calves, feeling her tremble as his hands moved slowly up the softness of her thighs. Amazing, he thought, these legs that he had tried so hard not to notice when she occasionally wore a skirt at the office. Legs he'd missed the sight of whenever she wore slacks, and now he knew he'd been noticing her for far longer than he had ever admitted, even to himself. He looked up at her, his gaze never wavering, as he reached forward and unclasped her bra, his fingers sliding the straps down her arms, slowly, teasing her -- teasing himself. He watched her shiver, her breath coming in short gasps, her lips parted, and he finally allowed his gaze to drift down over her. "Scully...", he said, his voice catching, and she watched as he lifted his eyes to hers, his pupils dilated with need, "Dana...", he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "You are so beautiful...". She felt his fingers drift lazily over her breast, touching her reverently, and then she felt his palms, so hot on her skin, his thumbs brushing over her nipples, and her head fell backwards, her eyes closing as she cried out at the feel of his hands on her naked flesh. Sliding his mouth across her jaw, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, pressing her down into the mattress with his weight. Interlacing his fingers with hers, he slid her hands up until they were alongside her shoulders, making her back arch slightly and the tips of her sensitized breasts drag erotically against his chest. Carefully holding her captive, he slowly slid his lips down her neck, between her breasts, and finally, nuzzling her, closed his mouth over the hardness of her nipple, suckling her gently. Scully moaned out loud as he continued his assault on her senses, his mouth moving from one breast to the other, licking her, grazing her with his teeth, sucking her into the hot wetness of his mouth. She clutched his hands convulsively, her fingers kneading his, the sensation of him imprisoning her, preventing her from touching him, adding to the erotic tension he was building in her until she could do nothing but surrender, whimpering, her body writhing uncontrollably beneath him, trying to get closer to him, needing him against her. Hearing the inarticulate sounds she was making and feeling how wild and frantic her movements were becoming, Mulder knew she was at the edge of her control. And so was he. Gradually, he moved back up to her mouth, kissing her tenderly, slowing them both down, and he felt her mouth forming his name. "Mulder...", she gasped into his mouth, her hands twisting in his, trying to escape, "Mulder, please...I...", she tried to catch her breath, "I...I want to touch you...please...". The urgency and need in her voice rocked him, and he felt the blood surge hotly through his veins, his heart pounding. Lifting up off of her, he released her hands and held her close, rolling them over so that she knelt astride him. Stroking her face tenderly, and struggling to calm his own arousal, he murmured to her, "You can touch me anytime you want Scully... any *way* you want...", and he forced himself to remain still as he watched the expression on her face as she began to explore him with her hands. Confining himself to stroking his hands up and down her spine, he watched in aroused fascination as she ran her hands over him, sliding her palms over his chest, skimming her fingertips over the muscles in his arms. Scully luxuriated in the feel of him, and leaned down to kiss him, enjoying seducing him with her mouth as she was with her hands. She drank in the sound of his groans as she raked her nails lightly over his nipples, feeling his muscles tense as she slid her hands down to his abdomen. Slowly she reached lower and stroked him through his shorts, subconsciously taking measure of his hardness pressing against her hands. Mulder felt his control slipping, and then she was pulling his shorts down and off of him, and he deliberately slid his hands over her hips, under the waistband of the thin wisp of silk between them, and he paused there, looking in her eyes, silently waiting for her final assent. Scully placed her hands on top of his and helped him slide the panties off of her, and then she was astride him again, lowering herself with aching slowness, and his eyes closed as he gasped at the sensation of feeling himself against her with no barriers at all between them. He thrust gently up against her, and he felt how ready she was for this. For him. Scully rubbed against him, moaning softly, her eyes closed, her body instinctively trying to draw him closer, draw him within herself. And then he felt her hands on him, and she was sliding him into her, and she was moving over him, faster and faster as she quickly began to lose control. "Scully", he gasped, "Dana, look at me". And as she opened her eyes, he saw how close she was. She was breathing hard now, her lips parted, and he slipped one hand between them, stroking her in time with her movements. She gasped his name as he touched her and he bit his lip, concentrating as hard as he could to keep from going over the edge as he watched her back arch, a shattering release overtaking her and making her cry out. He felt the pulses inside her gradually fade, and she slowly opened her eyes again and looked at him, her expression dazed as she locked eyes with him, struggling to control her breathing. "Come here", he whispered, pulling her mouth down to his, kissing her deeply, his own hunger for her overcoming him. He rolled her underneath him as he continued to kiss her, his tongue matching the thrusts of his body as he started to move deeper and harder inside her. He felt her deliberately tighten her muscles around him as she moved with him, and he groaned. "Ahhh...Scully...God, I can feel that...", he moaned, "Oh, god..." She watched him as a look of near-pain overtook his features, his eyes shut, his breath coming hard and fast and she thought she had never heard anything more arousing than the raw, wild sound he made against her throat as he came. She held him as his breathing slowed, and he finally lifted his head, kissing her languidly. "That was incredible", he gasped. "*You* are incredible." "I love you ", she answered him. "I love you, too, Scully", he replied, his voice hoarse, "You know I do...", and his mouth moved over hers again, his teeth nibbling at her. They lay there, touching, their hands moving restlessly over one another, and after a few minutes, Mulder nervously joked with her, "So, what's your policy on sleeping over -- you gonna let me make you my famous 'cold cereal and orange juice' breakfast in the morning, or are you going to toss me out on my ear?" Scully thought for a moment, unsure of how to answer him. Sighing audibly, she gently caressed his face, not meeting his eyes. "Wanna know a secret?", she asked softly, finally looking up at him shyly. "What?", he asked, smiling softly at her. "I haven't...", she hesitated. "That is...there hasn't been anyone since I moved in here.. " she finished, letting her index finger wander absently over his lower lip. He gazed at her, a look of wonder crossing his face. He didn't quite know what to say to that. "You know," he finally began, his voice low, "I wouldn't have thought that you could have made me feel any better than you already have tonight... but you just did...", he finished, his voice husky with emotion. He kissed her softly, "How do you manage to do that?", he murmured against her neck, nuzzling her ear. "Just a knack, I guess", she replied as she held him tighter, "Just a knack..." ##################################### That's all, folks! So how was it?? (I really do want to know...) Lea Collins at: lea92596@earthlink.net From: lea92596@earthlink.net Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: The Catalyst II: Morning Light (1/1) by Lea Collins NC-17 Date: Fri, 21 Jun 1996 05:48:04 -0500 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** SAPPY AND MUSHY ALERT!!! *** This story contains sappy and mushy M/S romance, which you are required to wade through before you get to the actual sex. ;-) This is what I consider to be a "throw-away piece" (pssssst....c'mere.....that means there's no plot and no redeeming social value...), intended as a reply to the one or two requests I received for a follow-up to "The Catalyst". *** This story is rated NC-17 for sexual content. *** If this offends you or you are under the age of 18, BAIL OUT NOW... E-Mail can be sent to Lea Collins at: lea92596@earthlink.net Mulder, Scully and the X-Files are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and the FOX network. No infringement is intended. ##################################### "The Catalyst II: Morning Light" by Lea Collins June 1996 Part 1 (of 1) Scully was enjoying just watching him sleep. She was propped up on one elbow, her hand supporting her head as she took advantage of the opportunity to study him unobserved. He looked so beautiful, just lying there -- the morning light playing over his back and shoulders as he lay on his stomach, his torso rising and falling softly with his breathing. Scully let her eyes drift downward over his waist and the curve of his hip, barely covered by the sheet. But it was his face she was drawn back to, as she always was. He was turned toward her, one hand tucked under his pillow, the other stretched out towards hers, as if, even in sleep, he was trying to reach her, to touch her. Images of the night before flowed through Scully's mind. She'd lost count of the number of times they'd awakened and made love to each other. She remembered waking the first time, basking in the warmth of his chest against her back, his arm possessively around her waist, his soft, even breathing against her neck. She'd lain there letting the feelings wash over her. Feeling safe. Warm. Loved. And then he'd stirred against her, nuzzling her neck in his sleep, tightening his hold on her waist, pulling her closer, and her mind had been flooded with memories of his body moving urgently against hers, his hands playing over her skin so teasingly. The images were so vivid that she'd become instantly aroused again. So aroused that her eyes had closed at the rush of sensation, and she'd arched instinctively in his embrace, letting out a soft, almost inaudible moan. Just enough of a sound to wake him. Just enough of a movement against his groin and a rise in the temperature of her body that he'd hardened against her. He'd kissed her neck, tenderly, tentatively, as if he still wasn't completely sure that she wouldn't change her mind about what had developed between them. But she'd quickly dispelled that notion, arching her neck in surrender to his touch, and raking her nails gently over his forearm as he held her. His mouth had explored her neck, her shoulders, his tongue gently tasting the saltiness of her skin, his hand sliding up and down her thigh and hip, and within minutes, they'd been joined again, aching for each other with a hunger that left them both breathless. Later in the night, Scully had awakened again, this time to the sensation of his fingers tracing lightly over her shoulder, her arm, her collarbone. She'd slowly opened her eyes and she watched him, bemused by the fact that his eyes were following his fingers -- he had no idea she was awake. "Hey, there," she'd said softly, and his gaze had flown to her face, his expression startled, then sheepish. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you, I..." He'd stopped, and looked with confusion in his eyes at his own hand, still grazing lightly over her skin. She smiled with gentle amusement -- he looked as if he hadn't actually meant to touch her -- as if he thought he had only been thinking about touching her, and was surprised that his body seemed to have independently carried out his mind's wishes. "I'm not sorry," she'd reassured him, and had turned his face towards her to kiss him gently, hearing him moan into her mouth as he felt her tongue mating with his. He'd pulled her on top of him, and they'd touched each other and tasted each other until neither could stand the torture any longer, and their cries had mingled together as they'd lost themselves in each other once again. Scully's thoughts slowly came back to the present, and her focus shifted again to the sight of this man she loved in her bed. She reached out, wanting to run her fingers through his hair, but reluctantly stopped herself. As much as she ached to touch him, she couldn't bear to wake him. In all the time that they'd spent together -- all the motel rooms, all the nights he'd sacked out on her couch -- she'd never seen Mulder sleep so soundly. So peacefully. And she felt such a rush of affection for him that it overwhelmed her. Gently, Scully eased herself out of bed, careful not to disturb him. She was sure that if she stayed there next to him even one minute longer, she wouldn't be able to resist waking him, and she wanted him to enjoy what, for him, was a luxury. She quietly opened the doors which led from her bedroom onto a small wooden deck. She slipped out, closing the doors behind her, and sat down on the steps, tucking her knees up under her long tee shirt for warmth, watching the colors of the sunrise change and mulling over the events of the last few days. Some time later, Mulder padded outside in his bare feet to join her, one hand combing sleepily through his tousled hair as he approached her. Scully looked up at him, her lips turning up slightly as she registered how good he looked to her in his rumpled tee shirt and boxers, his face stubbly and his eyes half-open. He settled himself on the deck behind her, his knees on either side of her, and he peered around the side of her face to catch her eye. "Was it something I said?" he asked with just a hint of genuine concern, his voice husky from sleep. "I didn't mean to drive you out of bed, let alone drive you out of the house completely..." he gently joked, his hands on her shoulders, stroking soothingly up and down her arms. Scully turned her head to answer him, their noses almost touching. "You didn't. I just didn't want to wake you. You looked so cute just lying there -" She stopped when she saw the look on his face. "Cute?" he asked, his lips curled in a grimace of such sheer distaste that Scully had to duck her head to keep from laughing out loud. "Okay," she relented, "Not cute." She turned so that she was kneeling between his legs. Slowly she leaned closer to him as she whispered near his ear, "How about handsome?" she asked, gently closing her teeth on his earlobe. "Mmmm," he considered as shivers ran up his spine at the seductive tone of her voice. "Or irresistible..." she said, allowing her tongue to trace lightly over his throat. As her fingers pulled the neck of his tee shirt down so that she could trail kisses along his collarbone, she felt his body's reaction against her thigh, and she didn't have to think twice before the next words escaped her mouth. "Or virile..." she murmured against his neck. "Now you're on the right path..." he breathed as he tried in vain to capture her roaming mouth with his. "Oh, am I?" Scully teased, evading him as she sucked gently on the skin at the base of his throat. She felt her own body reacting to his closeness, his voice, the heat of him, and she found herself confessing as she nibbled on his jaw, "Mmmm, Mulder you smell so -- " "I know," he cut her off, easing her gently away from him, "I need to go take a shower" he agreed. "Mm-mm," she corrected him, shaking her head as she smiled bewitchingly at him. "That wasn't what I was going to say," she whispered, pushing him back gently and leaning down over him to brush her mouth against his. "I was going to say that you smell . . . sleepy..." She let her tongue linger over the edge of his lower lip. "And sexy..." Her tongue slid slowly into his mouth, then retreated, teasing him. "And hot...," she breathed against his lips as her hands pushed the bottom of his tee shirt up and she began to kiss his chest, moving lower and lower. "You even taste good," she whispered as her tongue made circles on his tensed stomach. Mulder couldn't take much more. "Scully," he groaned, his fingers tangling in her hair, "Unless you want to get real familiar with your neighbors, we'd better take this inside..." Without a word, Scully got up, taking his hand and pulling him up beside her as she led him back inside. She backed him up against the edge of the bed, and reached up to kiss him deeply, her hands slowly moving down his sides, then easing his boxers down to the floor. She slowly pushed him back onto the bed until he was lying down, and watched the heated anticipation in his eyes blaze as she took his hands and raised them over his head, guiding his fingers around two of the headboard's vertical posts. Sliding sinuously back down over him so that her mouth was near his ear, she kissed him softly, then paused, letting him wonder what she was up to. Smiling in anticipation of his reaction, she whispered, "Hold on..." Mulder felt himself harden almost painfully at her words, his breath catching, turning ragged and uneven, his chest heaving as he tried to control his body's reactions. "Scully..." he gasped as he watched her tongue slowly approach one of his nipples, and he felt the heat of her mouth suckling him as her hands caressed his chest and stomach, her nails raking lightly against his skin. He moved restlessly under her, and bit his lip to keep from moaning as her mouth moved lower, her tongue sliding over his stomach, moving so slowly he thought he'd die. He wanted to touch her, was actually itching to touch her, but he knew that she wanted to be the one calling the shots on this one, and god, she was making him so crazy that he wasn't about to deny her anything she wanted at this point... She slid further down, her teeth gently testing the flesh of his inner thigh just before her tongue moved sensuously over the same spot. He felt her hands slide under his hips, clenching gently as she continued to tease him, her hair brushing tantalizingly against his arousal, and he gripped the rails of the headboard even harder, struggling not to reach out to her. Slowly, Scully slid her hands around to cup him gently as she brushed just her lips over the length of him. She marveled at how hard he was. For her. Because of her. She heard his breathing quicken, heard him moan behind clenched teeth, and she looked up at him, kissing his stomach as her fingers stroked him lightly, "Don't hold back," she breathed, "I want to hear you..." And then he felt her tongue, hot and wet, tasting him, her fingers teasing him, and he groaned out loud, unable to contain his reaction to the feel of her. "Scully... oh, god..." he gasped as she took him into her mouth, the teasing, licking, sucking driving him wild, and he felt all control slipping. "Scully, wait, I can't..." he protested, reaching down to touch her shoulder. But she stayed his hand, her fingers twining with his, preventing him from distracting her. She moved up and down over him, harder, faster, taking him deeper, loving the untamed sounds he was making. Her other hand stroked him, and she felt him go over the edge, arching up off the bed, jerking beneath her and exploding into her mouth as he cried out from the force of his release. Waiting until she felt his tremors subside, Scully gradually released him from her mouth, drawing another shiver from him as she did so. She rested her face on his stomach, his fingers still interlaced with hers, and she brushed her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand as she felt his breathing become slower. Mulder brought his other hand down to her face, urging her up so that he could reach her. "Dana..." he breathed just before he took her mouth with his, his tongue slowly sliding past her lips, stroking hungrily against hers. They kissed languidly, enjoying each other, until Mulder felt his heartbeat return to normal. Leaning back slightly, he asked her with a mischievous grin on his face, "Where did you ever learn - ", and then stopped himself, closing his eyes before he could even see the mock warning glance she shot him. "No -- never mind," he corrected himself, opening his eyes to smile at her. "I don't want to know," he finished. "Right answer, Mulder," she replied, smirking a little at him, then leaned in to kiss him tenderly. "Think I should take the advanced course?" she asked. He chuckled, shaking his head, "What do you wanna do, Scully, kill me?" he joked. "No," she replied, "but if it'll get you to make me breakfast..." He grinned, rolling her beneath him as he kissed his way down her neck. "Mmmm. Maybe later..." ##################################### (End) ##################################### Well, that's it -- a cheap and easy follow-up if ever I've seen one ;-) Was it worth posting? Lemme know... Lea Collins at: lea92596@earthlink.net