January, 2000

Scully watched Mulder as he spoke to the woman at the airport cafe counter. He laughed and nodded as he picked up the coffees and the small bag of whatever he had picked out to eat. Walking away from the counter, he glanced over at Scully with a smile, and took the few steps to the high top table she had chosen.

"Here we go. Coffee and a muffin each. Bran for you, cranberry orange for me and you're welcome to share mine when you're sick of eating something so… blah," he said and she smiled as she took her coffee from him. "Oh, I forgot napkins. Be right back."

"Cream and sugar, too," she said, taking the lid off her coffee.

"Oh sure. A muffin is too much sugar, but adding cream and sugar to your coffee is fine," he said, rolling his eyes even as his lips quirked.

"Yeah, it is," she said and his grin widened.

"Be right back."

Again she watched him, smiling as her eyes traveled over his body, lingering for a bit on his backside. He had opted out of a suit, instead wearing jeans and a sweater for their early afternoon flight home. As a result, her eyes had wandered quite a bit more than usual as they had walked through the airport.

God, but he was a good looking man.

Licking her lips, she watched him through her lashes as he turned around, trying to not appear so obvious as he walked back to the table and set the items down.

"Napkins. Cream and sugar. Stir stick. Think I got it all." He smiled as she looked up at him and her breath caught unexpectedly.

Such a handsome man.

"Thank you, Mulder," she said. Placing her hand on his forearm, she leaned forward and kissed him.

He pulled back slightly in surprise and she held back a laugh as she leaned toward him and kissed him again. He did not move this time, but held very still, his arm tense beneath her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered again, her lips ghosting over his as she pulled back and watched him.

His eyes opened slowly and he blinked a few times as he let out a breath. Nodding at her, he cleared his throat and licked his lips, biting the bottom one gently.

"You're… you're welcome, Scully," he said, clearing his throat again.

"You gonna sit down?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as she opened the cream packet and poured it into her cup.

"Yeah, I uh…" he said, nodding as he sat down, his eyes on the table.

She smiled and reached for the sugar packet, ripping the paper open and adding it to her cup. Stirring it with the stir stick, she took it out and then replaced the lid. Taking a drink, she smiled again as she watched him.

"Not hungry?" she asked from behind her cup and he looked up at her.

"Sorry. I just needed a second to be sure that actually happened and then once I knew it had, I needed to commit it to memory."

She snorted and took another sip of her coffee, her eyes holding his before he glanced down at her lips.

"It's not as though we haven't done that before," she stated, setting her cup down and reaching for the bag of muffins, as she thought of New Year's Eve. "Quite recently, in fact."

"Yes, I know. But there I was the one that kissed you," he said and she gave him a quizzical look.

"And?"

"I just wasn't expecting it. You caught me off guard."

"In a bad way?"

He laughed incredulously and rather loudly, causing her eyes to widen as she looked around at their fellow travelers, but no one seemed to notice or care.

"In a bad way," he repeated under his breath in the same incredulous tone, shaking his head as he stared at her. "No chance I would ever consider any form of that to be in a bad way."

"Good," she said, breaking off a piece of her bran muffin and putting it into her mouth. He watched her chewing and shook his head again. "To be fair though, should I warn you next time?"

"Next time?" he asked, his eyebrows raised and a smile tugging at his lips.

"Mmhmm," she said, chewing another bite and watching him. He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose.

"No. I don't need a warning."

"Okay," she said, trying and failing to hold back a smile. He continued staring at her until she pushed the bag toward him and raised an eyebrow.

He ate his muffin, offering some to her and smiling when she accepted it, and drank his coffee. His eyes flitted to hers often, as people rushed past on their way to their destination.

Waiting at the gate ten minutes later, she looked at him and he met her gaze, his eyes dropping to her lips as he swallowed. She smiled slightly and then stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips gently to his.

He kissed her agonizingly slowly. His hand went to the back of her neck to hold her steady as she moaned and pitched forward slightly, his kiss intoxicating her.

Boarding for their flight was announced, the words buzzing overly loudly in her ears, and they pulled apart, both of them breathing deeply. He rubbed her neck gently and she swallowed hard, her heart nearly racing out of her chest.

"Have dinner with me tonight," she whispered and he hummed quietly, his fingers pressing into her neck.

"Yes," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

"And then…" she trailed off, not able to voice what she desperately wanted.

"We… we could order in instead," he suggested hopefully and she laughed nervously.

"Yeah. That sounds better," she whispered as he shifted and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, her stomach churning with desire.

"All I know, this plane better fly at the fucking speed of light," he murmured and she laughed, pulling back and looking at him with a smile.

He kissed her again, stepped back with a deep exhale, and cleared his throat. She put her hand out and he took it, interlocking their fingers as they joined the queue.

"Fast as light," she echoed, anticipation for what the evening would bring, coursing through her.

"Goddamn right," he said, squeezing her hand and she laughed once more.