5:30am, Christmas Eve
A thump from upstairs jolted Scully awake and, being still half-asleep, she was momentarily confused to find herself downstairs and sleeping on a warm body. Warmth spread through her as she remembered where she was and she snuggled closer to Mulder, unwilling to get up and leave him. She felt his strong hands stroking her hair gently and lifted her head so that her chin was resting on his chest. Finding herself looking into his open eyes, she smiled a sleepy smile at him and then settled back down to go back to sleep.
"Scully?"
"Mulder sleep. It's too early"
"Do you not want to go to your bed? It'll be more comfy up there."
"I'm perfectly snug right here Mulder. Thanks. ... Mulder, do you want me to go up? Are you not comfortable here?"
"No. I've never been better. I was just making sure you didn't want to move. I didn't want to presume anything."
"Presume away G-man. I'm not going anywhere."
As Scully said her last statement, she raised her head back off Mulder's chest and looked him straight in the eye so that he would know how much she meant it. He lifted his head off the couch and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, lingering longer than he usually did. When he pulled away, he found Scully staring at him with eyes so full of love that it stole his breath away for a moment. Bringing her hand up to caress his cheek, Scully tilted his mouth up toward hers and urged him closer so that they could finally kiss.
Before their lips met, Jessica padded into the room in her slippers holding a sniffling Peter in her arms. Scully pushed her upper body off Mulder, squinting in the darkened room to see who was there. Mulder's head flopped back down onto the couch, frustrated that, once again, they had been interrupted before they could finish what they had started out in the snow the previous day.
"Hey you two. Sorry, did I wake you? I didn't realise you guys were still down here."
"No, you didn't wake us. What's up?"
"Peter had a bit of an accident and I couldn't find any spare sheets to remake his bed. Then he started crying and I didn't want him to wake the twins so I thought I'd come down here until he settled."
"I'll go get the sheets Jess, I know where my mom keeps them."
"It's okay Dana. I didn't mean for you to have to get up."
"I don't mind Jess. I'll go change the bed and you can go get Peter cleaned up and changed into dry pyjamas."
"Thanks Dana. That would be great"
Scully got up off the couch to go upstairs but a hand gripping her wrist halted her progress. Mulder brought her hand up to his mouth and lovingly pressed a kiss to the tip of each finger, then into the palm of her hand. Her skin tingled where he touched her and she wished desperately that they'd been able to complete their kiss. She realized that Jess was watching them and so she resumed walking, trailing her hand behind so that their hands kept touching until he could no longer reach. When they had to let go she paused again and looked back at him, once more disappointed that Jessica had interrupted them. Feeling Jess's eyes on her once more, she swiftly made her way up the stairs and into the linen closet in her room to get new covers.
She came down from changing Peter's sheets, confused to find that the couch was unoccupied and Mulder was not in the lounge. Disappointed, she turned to go back up the stairs, thinking that maybe he had gone up to help her and they'd missed each other. As she walked up the stairs, she remembered her mother telling them earlier that she'd set up the sofa bed in the den for Mulder to sleep in. Changing direction once more, she headed for the den and was delighted to find him lying there. He had removed his t-shirt and jeans and laid them on the seat of the chair by the door, his shoes and socks arranged neatly underneath it.
Debating whether or not she should join him, Scully decided that she would and also that she would change into more comfortable sleepwear as he had done. Not wanting to go back upstairs to get her pyjamas, she took his t-shirt off the chair and slipped it over her head, removing her jumper and bra from underneath it. Pushing her arms through the sleeves, she undid her pants and took them off, folding them on top of Mulder's jeans. Dressed now only in Mulder's T-shirt and her panties, she crawled onto the sofa bed beside him and pulled the covers over her. She moved as near to Mulder as she dared without causing him to wake and placed a very light kiss on his jaw. Laying down flat, she sighed contentedly as she thought how well the day had ended considering its beginning. She jumped slightly as his arm snaked around her, pulling her closer to him, as she had thought he was asleep. Mistaking her reaction for rejection, Mulder started to pull his arm away from her but was stopped by her hand holding it tightly in place.
"I thought you were asleep Mulder."
"No, I was waiting for you to come back. Why did you jump?"
"You startled me, that's all."
"Oh...good. I thought maybe you..."
"Mulder relax, it's perfectly fine. In fact it's just perfect."
They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, each holding tightly to the other. They both thought about the events of the day, shuddering when they thought about how badly wrong it could have gone. Cuddling closer, they recognised how lucky they were to have the other there with them, all things considered. Mulder's thoughts then turned to the precious moments during the day when they had come so close to kissing. He realized how near they'd been to finally taking the jump from friendship to something so much more.
"I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy you know."
"What are you talking about Mulder?"
"First Adele, then Charlie, then your mother and finally Jessica. I'm starting to think your family is out to get us."
"Oh, right. I see what you mean. We're staying in a house with nine other people though, it's not exactly very easy to have any privacy."
"Well, I don't see anyone about now. You?"
"Nope, I'd say the coast was clear."
"So..."
"So..."
Just then two pairs of little feet came thundering down the stairs, through the kitchen and burst through the door to the den. Mulder and Scully rolled away from each other onto their backs as they watched the two excited twins run across the room and fling themselves onto the bed. One twin landed on each of their chests, much like Adele had done in the snow to Mulder. Mulder and Scully both groaned as they realized that, not only were they not going to get to kiss, but also that they were unlikely to be getting any more sleep.
"It's Chissmas eve. It's Chissmas Eve!"
"It's not even 6:30 why are you guys up?"
"Daddy said we should come and wake you up. We want to play in the snow."
"Daddy sent you?"
"Uh huh."
"I'm going to kill him. What did I ever do to him?"
"Bet you're rethinking the legitimacy of my conspiracy theory now. Aren't you Scully?"
"Snow! Snow! Get up."
"Later Abby, we're too tired to get up yet. It's too early."
"No, auntie Day, Snow!"
"Yes go on Scully - out in the snow."
"You come too Mistah Fox."
"Ha - who's laughing now, eh Mulder?"
"How about we make pancakes for your auntie Day instead huh girls? Let her get some more sleep and we can play in the snow later, okay?"
"Pancakes? Otay Mistah Fox. We help you."
"Mulder you don't have to do that. I'll get up."
"No Scully, stay there. I don't mind. I'll take a long time making the pancakes so you can get some more sleep and then I'll bring you breakfast in bed."
"Thanks Mulder - you're so sweet."
"Anything for you m'lady."
"Hey, maybe you can make some for Charlie first and just happen to tell the girls to go wake him up so he can eat them."
Mulder got out of bed laughing, kissing her lightly on the cheek before he picked up his jeans from the chair and pulled them on. He realized his t-shirt wasn't there and, looking around for it, he saw Scully giggling shyly whilst pointing to the shirt she was wearing. He grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders, showing her that he didn't mind her borrowing it. Picking up both of the twins, he carted them off to the kitchen to make pancakes.
A thump from upstairs jolted Scully awake and, being still half-asleep, she was momentarily confused to find herself downstairs and sleeping on a warm body. Warmth spread through her as she remembered where she was and she snuggled closer to Mulder, unwilling to get up and leave him. She felt his strong hands stroking her hair gently and lifted her head so that her chin was resting on his chest. Finding herself looking into his open eyes, she smiled a sleepy smile at him and then settled back down to go back to sleep.
"Scully?"
"Mulder sleep. It's too early"
"Do you not want to go to your bed? It'll be more comfy up there."
"I'm perfectly snug right here Mulder. Thanks. ... Mulder, do you want me to go up? Are you not comfortable here?"
"No. I've never been better. I was just making sure you didn't want to move. I didn't want to presume anything."
"Presume away G-man. I'm not going anywhere."
As Scully said her last statement, she raised her head back off Mulder's chest and looked him straight in the eye so that he would know how much she meant it. He lifted his head off the couch and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, lingering longer than he usually did. When he pulled away, he found Scully staring at him with eyes so full of love that it stole his breath away for a moment. Bringing her hand up to caress his cheek, Scully tilted his mouth up toward hers and urged him closer so that they could finally kiss.
Before their lips met, Jessica padded into the room in her slippers holding a sniffling Peter in her arms. Scully pushed her upper body off Mulder, squinting in the darkened room to see who was there. Mulder's head flopped back down onto the couch, frustrated that, once again, they had been interrupted before they could finish what they had started out in the snow the previous day.
"Hey you two. Sorry, did I wake you? I didn't realise you guys were still down here."
"No, you didn't wake us. What's up?"
"Peter had a bit of an accident and I couldn't find any spare sheets to remake his bed. Then he started crying and I didn't want him to wake the twins so I thought I'd come down here until he settled."
"I'll go get the sheets Jess, I know where my mom keeps them."
"It's okay Dana. I didn't mean for you to have to get up."
"I don't mind Jess. I'll go change the bed and you can go get Peter cleaned up and changed into dry pyjamas."
"Thanks Dana. That would be great"
Scully got up off the couch to go upstairs but a hand gripping her wrist halted her progress. Mulder brought her hand up to his mouth and lovingly pressed a kiss to the tip of each finger, then into the palm of her hand. Her skin tingled where he touched her and she wished desperately that they'd been able to complete their kiss. She realized that Jess was watching them and so she resumed walking, trailing her hand behind so that their hands kept touching until he could no longer reach. When they had to let go she paused again and looked back at him, once more disappointed that Jessica had interrupted them. Feeling Jess's eyes on her once more, she swiftly made her way up the stairs and into the linen closet in her room to get new covers.
She came down from changing Peter's sheets, confused to find that the couch was unoccupied and Mulder was not in the lounge. Disappointed, she turned to go back up the stairs, thinking that maybe he had gone up to help her and they'd missed each other. As she walked up the stairs, she remembered her mother telling them earlier that she'd set up the sofa bed in the den for Mulder to sleep in. Changing direction once more, she headed for the den and was delighted to find him lying there. He had removed his t-shirt and jeans and laid them on the seat of the chair by the door, his shoes and socks arranged neatly underneath it.
Debating whether or not she should join him, Scully decided that she would and also that she would change into more comfortable sleepwear as he had done. Not wanting to go back upstairs to get her pyjamas, she took his t-shirt off the chair and slipped it over her head, removing her jumper and bra from underneath it. Pushing her arms through the sleeves, she undid her pants and took them off, folding them on top of Mulder's jeans. Dressed now only in Mulder's T-shirt and her panties, she crawled onto the sofa bed beside him and pulled the covers over her. She moved as near to Mulder as she dared without causing him to wake and placed a very light kiss on his jaw. Laying down flat, she sighed contentedly as she thought how well the day had ended considering its beginning. She jumped slightly as his arm snaked around her, pulling her closer to him, as she had thought he was asleep. Mistaking her reaction for rejection, Mulder started to pull his arm away from her but was stopped by her hand holding it tightly in place.
"I thought you were asleep Mulder."
"No, I was waiting for you to come back. Why did you jump?"
"You startled me, that's all."
"Oh...good. I thought maybe you..."
"Mulder relax, it's perfectly fine. In fact it's just perfect."
They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, each holding tightly to the other. They both thought about the events of the day, shuddering when they thought about how badly wrong it could have gone. Cuddling closer, they recognised how lucky they were to have the other there with them, all things considered. Mulder's thoughts then turned to the precious moments during the day when they had come so close to kissing. He realized how near they'd been to finally taking the jump from friendship to something so much more.
"I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy you know."
"What are you talking about Mulder?"
"First Adele, then Charlie, then your mother and finally Jessica. I'm starting to think your family is out to get us."
"Oh, right. I see what you mean. We're staying in a house with nine other people though, it's not exactly very easy to have any privacy."
"Well, I don't see anyone about now. You?"
"Nope, I'd say the coast was clear."
"So..."
"So..."
Just then two pairs of little feet came thundering down the stairs, through the kitchen and burst through the door to the den. Mulder and Scully rolled away from each other onto their backs as they watched the two excited twins run across the room and fling themselves onto the bed. One twin landed on each of their chests, much like Adele had done in the snow to Mulder. Mulder and Scully both groaned as they realized that, not only were they not going to get to kiss, but also that they were unlikely to be getting any more sleep.
"It's Chissmas eve. It's Chissmas Eve!"
"It's not even 6:30 why are you guys up?"
"Daddy said we should come and wake you up. We want to play in the snow."
"Daddy sent you?"
"Uh huh."
"I'm going to kill him. What did I ever do to him?"
"Bet you're rethinking the legitimacy of my conspiracy theory now. Aren't you Scully?"
"Snow! Snow! Get up."
"Later Abby, we're too tired to get up yet. It's too early."
"No, auntie Day, Snow!"
"Yes go on Scully - out in the snow."
"You come too Mistah Fox."
"Ha - who's laughing now, eh Mulder?"
"How about we make pancakes for your auntie Day instead huh girls? Let her get some more sleep and we can play in the snow later, okay?"
"Pancakes? Otay Mistah Fox. We help you."
"Mulder you don't have to do that. I'll get up."
"No Scully, stay there. I don't mind. I'll take a long time making the pancakes so you can get some more sleep and then I'll bring you breakfast in bed."
"Thanks Mulder - you're so sweet."
"Anything for you m'lady."
"Hey, maybe you can make some for Charlie first and just happen to tell the girls to go wake him up so he can eat them."
Mulder got out of bed laughing, kissing her lightly on the cheek before he picked up his jeans from the chair and pulled them on. He realized his t-shirt wasn't there and, looking around for it, he saw Scully giggling shyly whilst pointing to the shirt she was wearing. He grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders, showing her that he didn't mind her borrowing it. Picking up both of the twins, he carted them off to the kitchen to make pancakes.
