III.

"Scully, your reunion thing is on Friday, right?"

"Uh, yes. I can still cancel."

"Why would you do that? I'm gonna pick you up at seven, OK?"

"Uh … OK."

X

"Hey, Dana!"

"Lauren, nice to see you. This is Mulder, my partner."

"Hi Mulder. Oh, look, there's Vince."

It had been like that for the past thirty minutes, a blur of faces and names. It was eightish on a Friday night, and the place was already crowded; which was probably why she had taken his hand five minutes into this. Leaning down, he grazed her ear with his lips, catching a whiff of her scent in the process.

"Fancy a drink?"

She nodded, turning her head and meeting his eyes.

"Red wine, please."

His hand squeezed hers briefly before letting go of it.

"I'll be back soon."

She watched his retreating form, enjoying how he filled his jeans so nicely, before she was interrupted by another woman.

"Oh my God, Dana, how did you meet?"

"At work."

"He is so hot."

Blinking once, twice, Scully found out that she didn't really want to inform her former roommate about their platonic status, so she just smiled.

"Yes, he is."

"And that mouth! Please tell me he kisses as good as he looks."

"As a matter of fact, he does."

The topic shifted to small talk shortly after, and when Mulder returned with a bottle of beer and a glass of red wine, he caught the end of the story how the same Matt who had once accidentally set the lab on fire was now a well-renowned plastic surgeon in California. Smiling politely, he handed the glass to his partner, once more admiring her look while the conversation beside him rippled on before ebbing away. She wore a dress, which was a sensation in itself, but she had also pinned up her hair, and the unruly curls trying to free themselves drove him crazy.

They whispered around her neck, as she took a sip of her drink, and he couldn't help noticing the contrast between her red hair and her creamy skin; couldn't help wondering why it even mattered so much tonight.

He registered the other woman saying goodbye before moving away, registered how Scully's body turned slightly into his. Absentmindedly, he lifted a hand, curling one silken strand around his finger.

"It's a mess already, isn't it?" she asked, and he puckered his lower lip as he pondered her words.

"A mess? No. Just … untamed?"

"Untamed? You really know how to make a compliment, Mulder."

She looked at him with that expression that was half a smile and half annoyance, the one he had seen so often over dia slides of deceased cows and gritty satellite photos. His lips curved up, and he shook his head ever so slightly.

"I really like your hair tonight. I mean, I always like your hair and, well, the rest of you for that matter, but, Scully, your hair looks really lovely tonight."

Her mouth opened and closed again, and Mulder reveled in the fact that he had, in fact, rendered Dana Scully speechless. If only for a moment.

"Mulder, I have a confession to make."

He took a sip of beer before wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm all ears."

"Marcia, my former roommate? She thinks we're a couple. And the weird thing is," she scrunched up her nose, "I didn't even lie to her."

"Isn't that what I'm here for? For you to show off your significant other?"

His question hung in the air and remained unanswered as another person from Scully's past greeted her with a happy scream and a hug.

X

He went to the bar two more times for beer and red wine. She danced to the Macarena. At one point, even he danced to the Macarena. He was introduced as her partner many more times, but the assumption always went from partner to partner and she never corrected it. She stayed close to him, so close that he could smell her perfume; so close that he could wrap his arm loosely around her hip. As the night went on, more and more curls managed to free themselves from the pins, and he celebrated each and every one of them.

Still, they never lied to anybody, at least not by more than omission, and his own question from earlier came back to haunt him. This, this didn't feel like an act at all. Was it an act, nothing more than a lie? Or was it them, Mulder and Scully, just altered?

Conducting an experiment, he lifted his hand, stroking her bare arm from shoulder to wrist. She shivered, and goosebumps appeared in the wake of his touch, covering her fair skin, telling him that he was not the only one feeling the sensations. Lowering his head, Mulder buried his nose in her curls, inhaling deeply.

"The way you look tonight, Scully? Blows my mind," he confessed, and she shivered once more before placing her head on his chest.

"Mulder," she murmured, "you're the best significant other I cold have hoped for."

And in the vague land of extreme possibilities they were living in, this was probably the biggest truth.

X

He drove her home, holding his two bottles of beer better than she was holding her three glasses of wine. Every once in a while, he cast a glance at his partner dozing on and off on the passenger seat. The pins had given up controlling her hair some time ago, but her make-up was still perfect. He realized that he wanted to smudge it and shook his head ever so slowly.

She was Scully, was the Yin to his Yang, but off late, she was even more than she used to be and Mulder found it hard to wrap his head, wrap his heart around it. She had been in his fantasies for the longest time, but the fine line between dreams and reality had gotten blurry and suddenly, everything seemed so damn possible.

Using his knuckles, he grazed her cheek to wake her up like so often before during cold stakeout nights. Only, this wasn't a stakeout night, this was him taking her home after an evening out with old friends.

Her eyes opened, pulling him deep into their crystal blue, and his chest ached with tenderness.

"Hey," she murmured.

"You're home."

"Hmm."

"Come on, I'll walk you up."

She didn't protest and, once more tonight, he wrapped his arm around her, as he walked her to her apartment.

"Thank you, Mulder. I had a lovely evening and that was unexpected somehow."

"Feel free to use me again for your next reunion."

She fell silent for a while and only upon reaching her door, did she speak again.

"Do you feel used?"

He weighed in on her question. After all, that was the big riddle of the night, wasn't it?

"No," he confessed. "Truth be told, Scully, it didn't really feel like an act."

"Hmm, I know what you mean."

Then she surprised him by slipping her arms under his jacket and pulling him close. Lifting herself onto her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek.

With a sigh, his eyes fell shut, and he took her into his arms as well, and then he shifted his head a few inches, or maybe she shifted hers, but suddenly, they were kissing again. She tasted like wine and night and everything true, and for the first time, they kissed without fear.

This, this wasn't about dying or losing someone, it was only about living.

They kissed until his body ached for her in ways it had never done before, and with a desperate gasp, he stopped kissing her and buried his head in her shoulder, wrapping himself around her completely.

"Scully," he muttered, "oh Scully."

"Yes, I know," came her reply, and if he had not already loved her so damn much, he would have fallen for her right then and now.

She was dizzy somehow, but didn't know if it was due to the wine or his proximity.

Mulder was her best friend. Her work partner. Her emergency contact. Her dry cleaning buddy. He was already so many things at once and the prospect of him becoming everything to her was daunting. Even more terrifying was just the idea of letting him go.

Eight o'clock Scully would offer him a drink. Ten o'clock Scully might curl up against his side while the credits of the movie rolled. This Scully just shy of midnight was one she had not encountered before, at least not with him.

"Do you wanna come in?"

She held her breath, trying not to think, but then she got her answer when he lifted her up, pinning her to the wall right there in the hallway. A mad giggle left her throat, but it was silenced efficiently by his lips back on hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth, exploring her deeply, and the dizziness inside of her gave way to heat. Old heat. New heat.

Her legs were wrapped around him, her dress ridden up, exposing a good part of her thighs, and right between them, so intimately against her, she could feel the exquisite kind of pressure from an aroused man; only that it was Mulder, had never ever been him before and that made all the difference.

Somewhere, a door feel shut, and the sound cleared her head a bit. She wiggled out of his arms, breathing heavily, and he knew that he would never forget the sight of her so utterly disheveled and full of unspoken promises. Her hands were a tad unsteady, as she opened her purse to search for the key, and just as she pushed the little piece of metal into its lock, he enveloped her from behind, lowering his mouth to her ear.

"Yeah, I'd like to come in, Scully. I'd like to come in very much."

His words were followed by his teeth, nipping ever so gently at the shell of her ear, and she shivered almost violently. A soft curse fell from her lips, and he chuckled, but then the lock finally gave way and they stumbled inside.

He kicked the door shut, and then he was the one pinned against a wall and she was right in front of him. Pushing his jacket down his arms, mapping his chest with her hands, finding the hem of his shirt.

"Can I take that off?"

He nodded, his ability to speak trying to catch up with her urgency, and then the shirt had hit the floor. Before he could blink, her lips and hands were all over him; relearning the body she already knew as a doctor, relearning it as Dana. A soft kiss was placed over the puckered scar, the scar she had put there, but then softness was set aside, and she sucked one flat nipple into her mouth, grazing it with her teeth. He gasped, his hand darting to her hips, pulling her hard against his midsection, and her head flew back, her lips parting in wonder.

Time changes in moments. This was a moment as exciting as they come, exquisite and arousing. Two people, firmly rooted in trust and friendship, about to cross a line that could never be uncrossed again; about to learn things one could never unlearn.

And over the spark of electricity, their eyes met, speaking volumes without needing words, confirming that they were, in fact, doing this.

Then the air crackled, and they crashed into each other. His hand moved from her hips around her back, aiming for the zipper of her dress. He had noticed it hours ago, right between her shoulder blades, had been hyper aware of the fact that her dress could be opened with a simple pull, but while he was still inching towards his aim, her busy fingers had already found the buttons of his jeans, unfastening them one by one. He groaned, unwilling to be outpaced once again, and the zipper was down, the fabric of her dress parted before she had reached the last button. Beneath his palm, he could feel the silken expanse of her skin, only interrupted by the clasp of her bra, but just as he was deciding how to proceed, each and every blood cell in his body rushed to his abdomen, when she pushed her hand into his open fly, cupping him through his boxers.

His head fell onto her shoulder, and he was panting hotly against her skin.

It was familiar, the weight of him leaning into her, his big frame finding something to hold onto in her, but usually, the situation was mingled with fear or despair. She had never felt him needing her like this, had never heard his moan in her ear, had never experienced him so hard and hot beneath her palm. Overcoming the last barrier, she slipped her hand into his boxers, wrapping it fully around his length, and then the sharpness of his teeth sunk into her shoulder. Fireworks exploded on her skin, as pain mixed with pleasure. Never one to back down from a challenge, she tightened her hold on him, experimentally pumping up and down, and his fists clutched the fabric of her dress.

"Scully," he gasped, and then his mouth was on her neck, kissing and licking a trail to her ear, pulling the sensitive lobe between his lips before releasing it again. "Scully? I love what you're, holy shit, what you're doing there, but, ah, you have to stop for a moment."

She dismissed him with a grunt, resuming her caresses, but, eventually, he remembered his strength and turned them around. Suddenly, she found her forefront pressed against the wall, found him at her back, found his big hands finally parting her dress for real and pulling it down her body. He made noises of satisfaction and she lifted foot after foot to step out of the garment. Her heels were next, and then he was rolling the stockings down her legs.

"Oh God," he whispered, marveling at her moonlit beauty in nothing but underwear. The snake on her lower back was calling out to him, and before he could think about it, he was on his knees again, drawing the circle of the ouroboros with his tongue. It was a tattoo born out of defiance, and he could taste a lingering trace of recklessness. His hands joined in, following the curve of her hips to her ass, feeling silky skin and firm muscles. Above him, she moaned quietly. Suddenly, he could smell her, and in a bold move, he cupped her from behind; meeting heat and dampness.

"Oh God, yes please," she murmured, and his fingers crept under the hem of her underwear, touching her so very intimately for the first time, finding her impossibly soft and impossibly wet.

She whimpered and the little sound went straight to his groins. Turning around on the floor, he settled against the wall, aligning his mouth with the junction of her legs.

"Scully, do you like this?"

His eyes were burning into her from below, his voice darker than ever, and wetness pooled between her thighs at the sight of him down there.

She simply nodded, and in the fraction of a moment, the crotch of her underwear was pushed aside and his mouth was on her, licking a long line once, twice before pushing his tongue into her; giving her a preview of what was about to come and satisfying oh so many fantasies at once.

He moaned against her flesh at the first taste of her, clutching her hips in his hands, pulling her right onto his face, right onto his working mouth and she thanked every deity in this world and beyond for sunflower seeds. Then his lips closed around her clit, sucking with determination, and she didn't think anything anymore. Her forehead fell against the wall, as mighty waves rolled through her body, sensations as old as womankind itself, and she gyrated her hips, trying to increase the pressure.

Need was building quickly, and the sight of his dark head between her legs, the feeling of his intimate ministrations was almost too much to bear. Dizziness overwhelmed her.

Her knees must have given way, because suddenly, she found herself on the floor, her legs wide open for him, and still he was devouring her so intimately. Her body was aching for him, an ache she had never know before in this intensity, and every second brought her closer, heightened her awareness, and just when she could hardly take it anymore, he pushed one long finger into her body, and she exploded from the inside out.

Stardust and lights and Mulder.

Only Mulder.

She was trembling on the floor, and he crawled right on top of her, gathering her in his arms and turning them until she was nestled comfortably in his embrace. She was breathing heavily, but so was he. The pressure in his pants was almost unbearable, but he was so full of emotions and her taste was still on his lips and this was Scully! Scully lying in his arms smelling like sex, Scully coming apart under his mouth, Scully trusting him so intimately.

Then her eyes flew open, and he had never seen that shade of blue. His heart clenched almost painfully.

"Thank you," he whispered, and she almost laughed out because she should be the one writing thank you notes all over his skin. "I've been wondering for a while, you know?"

"Me too," she confessed, feeling empowered and vulnerable at the same time.

Lifting her hand, she touched his chin, and a slight blush colored her cheeks.

"I'm all over your face."

"Yeah," he whispered, his smile brightening up the night. "Scully, I made you come."

The blush on her cheeks intensified, and she tucked her face into his side.

"Please, don't hide. Not from me. Never. You're incredible. So beautiful, soft, strong. I … I'm in awe of you."

Lifting her head, she took him all in, his unguarded openness, and she saw something in his eyes she had rarely found in them before. Peace. Scully was helpless for a moment, as everything she felt for Mulder rolled through her.

Suddenly, the need for him was right there again, only intensified because it was an emotional kind of need, and she sat up in his arms, taking off her underwear. He inhaled deeply, as she was finally bare in front of him, allowing him to see her.

"You too," she murmured, and he hurried to push jeans and boxers down his legs while his gaze roamed over her body.

And then it was her turn to stare, as he was in front of her in all his naked strength. She had touched him before, she wanted to touch him again, but just as she reached out, he was already moving, aiming for her breasts with lips and hands. Her arm fell down again, as a sigh left her mouth. He was so gentle with her, so reverent. He had said he was in awe, and she could feel it in his caress, could feel it in the way he suckled her.

Words were whispered against her skin, but she didn't understand all of them, was too busy feeling things, and then he was back at her mouth, reconnecting with her in a kiss that went from awestruck to fiery in the matter of seconds. Using her hands, she pushed him backwards until he was flat on his back, and then she crawled on top of him. There was friction where she moved over him, sweet and wonderful friction, and his mouth fell open on a gasp. His hands cupped her hips, and in unison with his wishes, she lifted herself, rubbing the tip of him against her entrance.

"Look at me," she demanded, and his eyes flew open, widening impossibly as she took him into her body, as she sunk down until they were joined in the last and final way.

And it was significant that he filled her so perfectly, significant that this was the warmest he had ever felt in his life. It was significant that, when they finally started to move, there was no fumbling, only one rhythm. She held him with her body, held him with her gaze, and he had never seen something more beautiful than the vision of her moving above him.

A tightening sensation was starting low in his belly, and, desperate to make this last, the pulled her into his arms, rolling them around until she was spread out beneath him.

"Scully, it's been a while," he uttered between pressed teeth, droplets of sweat forming on his forehead.

Lifting her hand, she cupped his face.

"You don't have to prove anything, Mulder. Come for me."

Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head.

"No, you, you ..."

He brought one hand between them, rubbing the callous pad of his thumb over her sensitive little nub, all the while moving in and out of her in long strokes. Her inner walls fluttered around him, briefly, and he almost lost it.

"Oh God, Scully, you feel ...Dana, I ..."

She sucked in a breath and his eyes opened, finding hers anew.

"Dana," he whispered once more, and he could feel the moment she was pushed over the edge, could feel her pulsating and contracting all around him. Burying his face into her hair, he chanted her name over and over again, both of them, before spilling himself into her.

And significant was how the world stood still as a man and a woman lay breathlessly on a floor in Georgetown, Washington.

X

The gathered themselves, their clothes and feelings up from the floor, migrating to her bedroom. Little was said, a lot was processed as they brushed teeth side by side, as she invited him into her bed.

Sleep pulled at him, pulled at them both, but he was afraid to succumb to it, afraid to wake up and finding out it had been nothing but a dream. Suddenly, a new thought occurred to him.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you drunk?"

"Yeah, I probably won't remember this tomorrow."

He froze beside her, and she started to giggle.

"I had you big time, Mulder."

"That's just evil."

She giggled even louder.

"Scully, seriously, are you drunk?"

Sensing his need for honesty, she sobered up, reaching for his hand.

"Intoxicated? Yes. Drunk? No. Did the alcohol lower my inhibitions? Probably. Definitely. Did I sleep with you because of the alcohol? No. Would I do it again?" There was a vulnerable gap, but she filled it with courage. "Yes."

A sudden lump tightened his throat.

"I'm glad," he finally managed to say. "Scully, this is us. This is as much us as the little basement office, pizza nights and dusty motel rooms."

"I don't want things to change, Mulder. But … I want this."

Warmth spread out in his chest at her words, and he turned around, looking at her with a full smile.

"What could possibly change? I already went to the end of the earth for you. There's nothing, nothing I wouldn't do for you. That's a fact and everybody knows it."

"Mulder," she worried her lip between her teeth, "do you think that maybe, just maybe you might be in love with me a little bit?"

He inched closer to her, pulling her hand to his lips, kissing her phalanges.

"I've been in love with you a little bit five minutes after you introduced yourself to me back then. Nowadays, there's nothing little about my feelings for you, nothing. You're the only one I trust and the only one I need in my life. I named a fish after you. Well, it died, so that's probably not the most romantic gesture, but I think about you all the time. I want to be with you all the time. You're my inspiration, Dana Katherine Scully, have been for years. I love you so freaking much that it scares me sometimes."

She looked at him with wide eyes, trying to memorize his words for eternity, knowing without a doubt that this was where she belonged.

"Mulder ..."

He silenced her with a feather-light kiss.

"You don't have to say anything, Scully. Just being with you like this is enough."

Her brow furrowed, as she pulled back to look at him.

"Mulder, sometimes you're awfully dense for someone so smart. How could you possibly think that I don't feel the same about you? How could you even doubt that you're the love of my life? You're the only one for me as well, the only one I can't lose. I love you, I love you, God, I love you."

She was in his arms after the first "I love you", and to her utter surprise, she could feel little sobs shaking his body. Wrapping herself around him, she stroked his back in soothing circles.

"I love you," she whispered once more, feeling her own eyes getting moist as well, and he laughed out between tears.

"I had no idea, Scully."

"Yeah, you're probably the only one."

He found her lips, reaffirming everything that had been said with the universal gesture of lovers. Then a yawn, followed by another little peck, followed by a content sigh. Eyelids fluttered shut, minds relaxed.

Until, finally, they slept.

To be continued ...