Chapter 7

Scully couldn't help laughing. She gently pulled Mulder's head down to kiss his forehead. "We'll see."

"What am I some little kid who has an owie?" He didn't give her time to reply when his mouth found her and he pushed her naked flesh against the shower wall.

When he pulled back, he smiled and said, "That is how you kiss your boyfriend."

Her head was still spinning a little. It took her a moment to find her voice again.

"Why don't you finish your shower and I'll turn the sheets down?" she got out of the shower again and wrapped a towel around her.

He immediately was giving his ass a mental kick. He laid his head against the shower and groaned. "Way to go, Mr. Mulder." He finished his shower and pulled on some sweats. He didn't see her in the bedroom. "Scully?"

She came in again, changed. Instead of the silk nightgown she had worn the previous night, she wore an old t-shirt and sweatpants.

He gave himself another mental ass kicking. "Ready for bed?" He said smiling at her.

"If you are."

See? You scared him joining him in the shower. Hope you're happy, the mental voice in her head nagged. He watched as she slipped off her sweat pants and slid under the covers. He walked to the side of the bed where she was and nudged her, "My side, scoot over." He teased.

She scooted over. "Sorry," she mumbled.

He sat down on the edge of the bed facing away from her. He put his head in his hands.

She slid over and gently pulled him down next to her.

"I don't know what I did, Scully, but I'm sorry." His eyes showed the confusion he felt.

Scully sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong, Mulder. It's all me. I..."she blinked her eyes in frustration. "I think I scared you just now..."

"Why is this different than the way we work together?" He said as he ran his fingers across her back.

Scully looked deep into his eyes. Then she sighed softly. "It could be because we're taking that next step and we're both terrified."

"I'm not scared of 'us'. I'm scared of screwing it all up."

"Me too," Scully softly admitted.

"I know I can't live without you. I'll do anything I have to to make this work. Anything." He softly kissed her hair. Scully gently tilted Mulder's face up so he was looking her in the eyes.

She shivered for a moment when their eyes locked. Focus, Scully, she commanded herself.

His mouth lowered to hers. The kiss was gentle, soft, and slow. Her eyes were still closed when the kiss broke. Slowly she opened her eyes and smiled softly at him. "It's going to be okay," she promised.

He snuggled her down beside him and wrapped his arms around. "You tired?"

"Mhm," was her muffled response.

"Sweet dreams, Dana." He kissed her head.

"Sorry, can't stay awake," she pressed a soft kiss to his chest.

He gently caressed her back. "Just sleep, beautiful."

A bewildered Mulder awoke the following morning after he dreamt that Gogliaks's monster was after Scully. He woke up drenched in sweat. He looked over to where she lay sleeping peacefully beside him. He lay back down and gently moved a strand of hair out of her face. He could lie all day and watch her sleep. "I love you so much," he whispered.

It was almost as if Scully knew in her subconscious that Mulder had had a nightmare. Her eyes opened and she wordlessly wrapped her arms around him.

"Why have you put up with me this long?"

Scully smiled sleepily. "Because I'm more miserable without you."

"Me too." He thought back to her cancer. He'd been so torn up inside because he couldn't help her...not the way she needed.

Scully slowly shifted so that she was completely in Mulder's arms even as she wondered in the back of her mind if this was what he wanted.

He lay back against the pillow, pulling her with him. "I like this, Scully. I don't know if I'll ever be able to let you go back to your place...or I might just go with you."

"I called my landlord earlier. He said it's going to be at least a week." She looked up at him. "Can you put up with me for that long?"

"It's not long enough." He was starting to drift back off.

Scully watched him drift off again. She held him until she was sure he was asleep again before carefully getting up and getting dressed. He woke a while later and reached for her. He felt the cold bed. He sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He rubbed a hand down his face. "Scully?"

No response.

He walked sleepily into the kitchen where he found her note. "Gone shopping...be back later." He read aloud. He picked up his cell phone and hit speed dial 1. "Hey, Beautiful...where'd you sneak off to?" He said the moment she picked up.

"Hey.." In the background he thought he could hear beeps…like a tow truck.

"Seriously, Scully, where are you?"

"I...flat tire..." She was fading out.