She woke up first, glancing around as she slowly opened her eyes. God, what a mess they would have to clean! Technically, it was Mulder's house, but it would be selfish of her to just not help. Besides, she'd been telling him lately that he needed to organize his home a little bit more, so this was the perfect opportunity to make sure he did.
She felt her muscles sting with the pain of all the effort from the past couple of days and she longed for a bath and hours and hours of sleep in her own bed. She watched him sleep for a while, his mouth slightly open, a light snore sound coming out of him, and she couldn't suppress a soft chuckle. He was always telling her he didn't snore, and she had said once that she would record it one day so that he would believe her. This would be a great opportunity if only she weren't so tired to get up and grab her phone. She did have to do something about the growl in her stomach, though.
After some minutes, she finally stood up and went to the kitchen to see what she could find. Would Mulder mind having breakfast food for dinner? She suddenly craved pancakes.
She was almost done preparing them when Mulder walked in groggily.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she said jokingly.
He walked towards her, rubbing his eyes.
"I had plans to sleep even more, but that smell woke me up. I'm starving."
He stopped right behind her and kissed the top of her head, resting his hands on her hips. He stayed there for about three seconds before walking away to grab them some plates, but her heart raced anyway. It was when he was at his most relaxed state of mind that he did things like this, as if nothing had ever happened and they were still together, still living under the same roof, still making each other breakfast every morning.
She finished putting the pancakes on a plate and took them to the table, which Mulder had already set for them.
She sat down and took one pancake, putting some syrup on it.
"I was going to record your snoring, but I was too tired to get up and get my phone."
She teased, while licking a small amount of syrup off her fingers.
He chuckled before answering.
"I do not snore, Scully."
"How would you know if you're sleeping?"
He shrugged, taking a bite of his food.
"I think I would wake up to the sound of it," he said, as he swallowed.
She laughed.
"It's not that loud, Mulder, it's just a quiet sound. Not loud enough to bother anyone, anyway. It's kind of cute, actually."
He smiled at her admission and she blushed. She was still a little confused about where they stood with each other and whether they should get back together or not, but some things for her were natural, as they had become usual throughout the years. It was why she couldn't really blame him for the top-of-the-head kiss a few minutes ago or the "adorbs" comment he had done previously that day.
She watched as he ate the pancakes in silence, lost somewhere inside his mind. Part of her wanted to call him back to Earth, but part of her wanted to just watch him in that reverie state. If there was one thing she liked to do was to watch him think, to observe all the facial expressions he made without noticing. It was absolutely beautiful.
"What are you staring at, Ms. Scully?"
He finally said when he got out of his trance.
She half-smiled while chewing her pancake, then she shook her head.
"It's nothing."
He looked at her suspiciously and then smirked, but he let her off the hook for the time being.
They finished eating in silence and then threw their plates into the sink. What was one extra dirty thing close to all the rest they would have to clean later?
Then they walked back to the living room, sitting side by side, looking at all the mess all around them.
"We'd better start cleaning up, don't you think?" She asked, yawning.
He laughed quietly as he saw her say something but mean another.
"I have a better idea: why don't we forget about cleaning for tonight and just get some rest? I haven't seen upstairs yet, but I think it is less messy than here and the bed is still big enough for both of us."
She bit her lower lip, considering his offer. She hoped he was only offering to really sleep, but with the sexual tension hovering over them, she couldn't be too sure.
Then she nodded, smiling a little, trying not to think too much of it.
"I need a shower first, but I agree with your plan."
So, she stood up and walked upstairs.
xxx
When she got out of the shower, he was lying in the bed, arms behind his head, watching TV. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and she could tell he was trying hard not to really look at her. It had been too long since he had seen her in her sleep clothes and in her most natural and relaxed state.
"I'm done, Mulder. Go have a shower, too."
He was forced to look at her now and she could see a sly smile on his face.
"Nice shirt, Scully. I happened to be looking all over for it a few months ago and I thought I had left it at the gym. Good to know it's being well taken care of."
She only smiled back, pleased that he had noticed and pleased with herself for having left an extra change of clothes at his place a couple of weeks ago.
He stood up and brushed past her towards the bathroom. She lay in bed and closed her eyes, hoping to sleep soon.
She focused on the sound of the shower, loving the familiarity of it. She almost wished she had invited him to take a shower with her, as she remembered how hot he felt against her skin, his tongue running along her neck as his soapy hands roamed over her body…
But imagining his naked body against hers now wasn't doing much in terms of helping her sleep, so she tried to think of something else. Think of all the appliances you will have to put back where they belong, Dana. Think of all the sweeping and dusting and the things you'll have to throw out tomorrow. But these thoughts weren't any better, for they brought back memories from when they first moved into this ordinary house and how it took them three times longer to put everything in place because they kept distracting each other and had to stop and make love from time to time.
She felt goosebumps all over her body just as she heard him turn off the shower. She tried to focus on her breathing and hoped to fall asleep before he came back in. She wasn't sure what would happen if she was still awake when he finally went to bed. Her thoughts had taken her too far.
She whimpered in frustration and opened her eyes, punching her pillow as she resigned to the fact that she wasn't getting any sleep if she kept trying so hard. Telling yourself to go to sleep can actually make you more anxious and, consequently, make you more awake. It wasn't medicine that had taught her that, but a couple of years of restless nights after she left that little unremarkable house that had been so remarkable at times.
A few moments later, he got out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, another one in his hand as he dried his hair. He stopped in front of the mirror and she watched intently as his arms muscles flexed, taking in the sight in front of her. She had always loved his abdomen, but it seemed it was even better now than she remembered. He had been working out, she knew it, and she wondered if he did it for himself or for her. She also wondered what it would be like to touch him now, to feel his muscles against her palms…
Oh god, don't go there, Dana, just don't.
Before she could shut her eyes close again, she heard his voice.
"Enjoying the view, doc?"
It turns out he had been watching her through the mirror. Damn you, Mulder!
"Maybe…" She replied coyly, her tongue darting out to wet her lips before she could stop it.
He smirked, leaving the towel he had been using to dry his hair on a chair.
The good thing about Mulder was that he liked to tease, but he could also be respectful and knew when to stop. It wasn't a surprise that he didn't reply after that, but she might have an idea of what was going on inside his head.
She closed her eyes to try and calm down, telling her heart rate to just chill. Surprisingly, as she felt the bed beside her sink a little, she felt her whole body relax, as if that was exactly what she needed. She hadn't realized it until that very moment, but she had missed the presence of another person in her bed. She had missed him in her bed.
Then she felt it. His hand brushing her side slightly and then resting there, as he got closer and spooned her. She sighed contently as she felt his touch. He had always known what she needed even when she herself didn't. She was glad nothing had changed in that sense.
"Is this okay?" He whispered in her ear.
She felt her whole body shiver, instantly reacting to his familiar tenderness and care.
"Yeah…"
She didn't have any strength left to say anything else without betraying herself.
He inhaled, and she knew he was taking in the smell of her, the way he always did when they were together. He had always said that her smell had the power to calm him down and, after the crazy days they'd just had, she realized he needed some calming down. They both did.
"I miss you so fucking much, Scully."
There it was, what she thought was in his head all along but that he hadn't had the courage to say aloud yet. She was glad he was saying it now. Her eyes welled in tandem with the warmth that suddenly took over her heart.
She moved her right hand to rest on top of his, tracing small circles at the back of it with her fingertips.
"I miss you too, Mulder." She whispered back.
She was never very vocal about her feelings, but sometimes they needed to be let out. He needed to know the feeling was mutual.
He kissed her neck as she laced their fingers together and she felt her heart race once again. She wanted him, there was no question about it, but were they ready for this? Was this the right time? She tried to refrain herself from sighing, but the tip of his tongue touching the erogenous zone in her neck was too much and she let a groan escape her throat.
He pulled her closer, making her body mold into his, her backside dangerously pressing against his erection, his hand on her stomach tentatively tracing very slow circles in there through the t-shirt she had made into pajamas.
If she was going to decide against it, it would be now or never. She tried to regain her composure, tried to pretend she wasn't feeling anything.
"Mulder, I hope you know I'm here to sleep."
Her voice was a little hoarser than usual and she hoped he hadn't noticed. Oh God, she wanted him so badly! Why was she trying to run away once again?
He kissed her ear and hearing his breath so close made all her walls crumble. Why did he have to know the way to her heart so well?
"Are you afraid I'm going to fall asleep on you?"
He joked, making her giggle, and she knew this was his way of giving her time, of giving her a chance of moving on or putting a stop to it.
She kept running her fingers along his lower arm, up and down, slowly, almost forgetting how erotic he had always thought that touch was for some reason. His breath tickled her neck when he spoke.
"You'd better stop doing that if you don't want this to go any further. You know what your touch does to me."
His hand on her stomach was now making its way up and she knew her time was almost up.
Damn you, Mulder, damn you!
His hand reached its destination and he palmed one of her breasts. She signed the deal with her gasp.
She couldn't hold herself back anymore. She needed him as much as she needed air. She turned quickly to face him and, before she knew it, her tongue was inside his mouth, her hands were running across his bare chest, and he was moaning inside her mouth as she pinched one of his nipples.
He ran his hand up her leg and under her tee and removed her panties, stopping a little to touch her center. She moaned when the pad of his thumb rubbed her clit and she wished he weren't so good at this because at least she would have a chance. No, no, let him be good at this. Let him be good at this and make her forget the stupid boundaries she set for herself.
She pushed his shoulder, making him lie on his back as she slowly straddled him. He was completely naked already, and she realized that he had gone to bed wearing only the towel he had gotten out of the bathroom with, and that at some point it had fallen off his waist after she gave him the green light.
"Aren't you a little presumptuous, Mulder?" She said smirking, as he reached for her breasts again and kneaded them through the shirt.
He smirked back at her.
"I just wanted to be comfortable. Besides, it's not like I was planning anything."
She chuckled.
"Liar," she whispered, lowering her head and pressing their lips together.
He grabbed her ass and positioned himself at her entrance, entering her just as she bit her lower lip. She had forgotten how easy sex was for them.
"Oh God," she cried out. It felt good to have him inside her again after so long. It felt like she was finally complete again. He slowly caressed her back, running his fingers up and down her spine under the tee, waiting for her to get accustomed to him before doing anything. She reached for the hem of her t-shirt and took it off in a second, sending it flying across the room. She knew he found it sexy when she wore his clothes and that it actually turned him on, but she knew that her nakedness would always turn him on more.
His eyes took a while roaming all over her body before he could say anything.
"Fuck, Scully, how do you get more beautiful by the day?"
She smiled, marveling at the sensation of his fingers tentatively playing between the cheeks of her ass and the thumb of his other hand touching her clit so lightly she thought she would die if he didn't put more pressure on it soon.
"Make love to me, Mulder," she pleaded, as she started moving.
And he did.
Xxx
When she woke up, the sun was shining directly on her face, and she wondered how long they might have been asleep. She didn't care though, she was still very tired and would sleep the whole day if she could. Her whole body ached and, although half of it was from all the fighting against bad guys in the past couple of days, the other half was a good kind of pain. It was the pain of having been fucked and made love to until her (and his) old body couldn't take anymore. She smiled as she remembered his mouth all over her the previous night, trying not to get too carried away by those thoughts. They had work to do and she should focus on that.
She rolled on her side, supporting her weight on one of her elbows, and she saw that he had been sleeping on his back, his mouth slightly open, a small sound coming out of it. He was snoring. She couldn't help laughing this time.
He woke up, a little startled, looking confused.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I'm sorry I woke you." She kissed his cheek and then tucked a strand of her own hair behind her ear. "You were snoring again."
"I was not." He said with mock annoyance. He pulled her in an embrace and gave her a peck on the lips. "Also, good morning."
She smiled weakly.
"Mulder, we have a whole house to clean and I feel like crap. I'd say it's not a very good morning."
He chuckled softly.
"You're here, it is a good morning."
She nuzzled into his neck.
"I just want to make one thing clear: next time there is only one bed available, I'll have to say no. You can't be trusted." She sighed before continuing. "And I guess I can't be trusted either."
He just chuckled as he caressed her arm.
"Ready to get up yet?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"Mulder, are you sure we have never encountered any house that cleaned itself in all these years working on the X-Files? There should be something, right?"
He chuckled again, and she realized she had missed making him laugh. She had also missed waking up with him and having this morning banter which was so common to them when they were on good terms.
He kissed the top of her head and lingered there for a moment.
"You can stay here a little longer. I'll make us breakfast first and then we'll focus on the mess, okay?"
She nodded as he kissed her forehead slowly before standing up.
She smiled to herself as she watched his naked figure walk to the bathroom. She had been worried for no reason, this was the right decision. It seemed like they were finally in the same page again. She couldn't wait for more.
