A oneshot written as a Secret Santa present on Tumblr. It's far from amazing, but I tried lmao. I'm out of shape. I hope you enjoy it anyway, though.

The mandatory disclaimer: I don't own Mulder or Scully. Chris Carter does.

The room was filled with the smell of cinnamon and pine needles, and in the background you could hear the cozy sound of the crackling of the fireplace. It was Christmas Eve, and Dana Scully was wrapping her last presents before the big day tomorrow. She couldn't wait to see her family again. The whole family getting together was her favorite part of Christmas. A wave of sleepiness washed over her, probably the result of a day full of Christmas preparations and a glass of wine.

All of a sudden she was awakened by a knock of the door. Who would visit at this late hour and on Christmas Eve? She grabbed her gun to be sure and went out into the hallway. Peeking out of the peephole, she realized it was Fox Mulder, her partner.

"Mulder, what are you doing here?" she asked as she opened the door for him.

"Merry Christmas to you too", he joked as he entered her apartment.

"No, but really" he continued, "I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas. And to give you this." He handed her a rectangular box wrapped in red and white paper and with a ribbon on top. A wide smile spread across her face as she accepted it.

"That's so sweet of you, Mulder. I have something for you too." She disappeared into her living room for a moment, only to emerge again with a beautifully wrapped present.

"What's this? A science book?" he grinned, unable to mask his delight.

"No, Mulder, even a Christmas miracle wouldn't be enough to save you" she smirked.

"Do you want a cup of coffee? A glass of wine?" A hint of hope could be detected in her voice. She wanted him to stay a little while. Some company would be nice, and they didn't see each other outside of work a lot. Then again, work was their life, so they spent quite a lot of time together. She wanted to talk about something else than aliens and conspiracies, though.

"Wine sounds nice". She smiled and gestured for him to take a seat in the sofa. Then she went and retrieved two glasses and the bottle of red she'd opened earlier that evening.

They talked and laughed for hours. They smalltalked and told each other about future dreams and fears and expectations. They shared vivid childhood memories and stories about first kisses and embarrassing parents and teenage rebellion. They spoke of work and family and love. It was past midnight and the bottle of wine was long gone when it occurred to them what time it was.

"Damn Scully, it's almost 1AM. I better get home so we can both get some sleep." She followed him to the door.

"Thanks for coming over. I've had a great time." The dim light of the hallway really brought out his best features. His almond-shaped hazel eyes. His cheekbones. His jaw. And God, those pouty lips.

"So did I. Thanks for not slamming the door on me." The amused look on his face became more serious.

"Scully, can I… Can I give you a goodnight kiss?" The redheaded woman felt butterflies in her stomach, just as when she'd been a teen. She nodded and raised herself on her toes to lessen the height gap. He gently took her face in his hands and closed the distance between their lips.

The kiss was short and sweet, yet devastatingly passionate. It felt like it lasted years yet as if it was over in a second. It was full of love and lust. It was perfect.

"Goodnight, Scully." And then he was gone.

When Dana woke up the next morning, she had a killer headache. Too much wine never was a good idea. As she was getting up, she was wondering if last night had been a dream. That breathtaking kiss with Mulder. It had to have been a dream. But then she noticed the present on her coffee table. Christmas really was the most wonderful time of the year.