Fox Mulder's hand slid smoothly around the curve of his wife's waist, burrowing down between her hip and the mattress before tugging her up against his chest.
"Mulldd…" Her half protest was lost as she turned into the pillow, instead digging her fingers into his chest to grip the material of his shirt.
He grinned softly and tugged further, wondering how far his game would go before she woke.
"Stoppi'd" she mumbled and swatted at his hand, effectively stopping the ticklish invasion around her stomach that he was making.
"Sleep" she pronounced clearly and rapidly went about showing him what she meant, eyes fluttering shut once more as the smirk he wore spread.
"Dada?"
His hand paused as a little voice yelled out across the darkened room.
"Your son wants you" he mumbled into her shoulder and immediately pretended to have taken her advice from earlier.
"Mulder… last time I checked dada meant you" she mumbled, lips moving against his chest. She all but squealed as his hand slide down her stomach, pausing just above her hips as she grabbed at him under the covers.
"Want me to check?" he smirked cheekily and if it wasn't for the two year old at the door she would have made sure he knew just how painful being a male could be.
"Dadaaa"
His son's voice finally registered in Mulder's muddled brain and he shot up immediately, the slight hint of fear setting off alarm bells.
"W'as up little man?" he asked, hopping out from beneath the covers and tugging his sweats on.
"You okay?" he continued and reached out for the little boy, pulling him up into his arms swiftly.
The brown headed toddler moulded himself against his fathers body and let out a sniff.
"Monster"
Mulder's eyes grew wide and he nodded solemnly, jiggling the little boy in his arms to catch his sleep heavy gaze.
"I see" he breathed out slowly and stepped out of the bedroom, wandering down the hall towards his son's bedroom.
"What type of monster?" he asked, rocking his son back and forth, sleep already claiming him.
"Was it a little monster?" he asked, trying to coax a response.
"No y'ittle monster"
"It wasn't a little monster" Mulder translated softly "I see"
"No Elmo"
Mulder leaned tiredly against the wall and snuggled his son closer.
"No" he smiled softly, "Elmo's a good little monster" he agreed wholeheartedly.
"Like you" he added, grinning.
"Good y'ittle monster" agreed his son as tiny eyelashes fluttered shut.
"So it was a big monster?" continued Mulder, now quite sure that his monster hunting would be averted for the night in favour of sleep.
"Hmmmm"
He chuckled lightly, his own little monster now snoozing against his shoulder.
"Bed time" he smiled and walked the rest of the way down the hall.
---
Scully frowned slightly as two, not one, bodies shifted under the sheet.
"Mulder?" she questioned, rolling onto her side to face her husband.
Her sons hand immediately stuck out to press against her neck, his foot poking his fathers stomach uncomfortably as both parent arms settled around their little boy to find each other.
Scully's eyebrow rose silently in the dark as the child snuffled in his sleep and Mulder gripped her hand tightly.
He shrugged with a grin before closing his eyes softly.
"There were monsters"
Scully breathed out slowly.
"Of course"