"Goodnight, William" Scully whispered, as she tucked the blankets around William so he was all snug and comfy, kissed his forehead.
"Mm..." William giggled, sleepily, wrapping his tiny arms around Scully's neck, and kissing her cheek "Goodnight, Mommy"
Ishmael was curled up, asleep, on the floor next to the bed; protecting his best friend. Scully turned around and smiled at the image before her, dimming the lights in the bedroom on her way out. Very occassionally, she couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten with Mulder and William in her life.
Mulder was standing at the end of the hallway, waiting, as Scully walked out of William's bedroom and right into him and his firm, broad chest. She huffed, looked up at him and saw something in his eyes, she wasn't sure what it was but expected it to be revealed soon.
"He's becoming more and more like you every day, Mulder" She sighed, slipping her arms around his waist, and running her hands up and down his sides. Scully always felt cozy and safe in Mulder's embrace.
"I'll take that as a compliment. Soo..." He turned Scully around in his arms, and carefully walked her down the stairs.
"Yes?" Scully said, questioningly, looking back over her shoulder.
"I wanna show you something, but I'm going to need you to relinqiush a tiny bit of that control you love so much. Is that okay?"
"It depends"
"Depends on what, exactly?" Mulder smiled.
It had always amused Mulder what excuses the controlling side of Scully could come up with. And there had been some doozies over the years; from needing to be home for the online release of a new issue of the American Medical Journal, to forgetting a sweater, to making sure William wasn't coming down with a chest infection (it was a minor cough, but they had missed out on a rare date night he'd planned weeks in advance). But this was too important and no amount of "but we can't" and "what if something happens" was going to stop Mulder from getting Scully to where he wanted her tonight.
"Well, on..." Scully said pointedly, and then continued "whether or not I need - where are you taking me, Mulder?"
"Trust me, Scully. You don't need anything, and we're not going far. So, just breathe and let me lead... just for tonight, then you can have all of that control back"
Mulder walked Scully, by the hand, down the stairs through the kitchen and out into the backyard; there were twinkling candle lanterns hung along both sides of the stone pathway, lighting their way down to the edge of the property overlooking the beach.
Mulder came to a sudden stop and Scully stumbled forward, because he insisted that she keep her eyes closed once they left the house and to make sure she did he covered them with his own large right hand, his left hand resting on her hip and his chin ghosting the top of her head, as he stood behind her.
"You can open your eyes now!" Mulder removed his hand from her eyes with a flourish, beaming like an idiot.
"Yeah, thanks. Might of been more helpful-"
Scully was stunned into silence because there were at least a hundred tea light candles arranged in the shape of a heart on the white sandy beach just below them, and a large picnic blanket spread out in the middle underneath their giant rainbow beach umbrella.
"So? What do you think?"
"Mulder, it's beautiful. You did this for me?"
"Just like you..." Mulder whispered in her ear, and kissed her temple "Scully, I would do anything for you"
Mulder put his arm around her waist, turning her around slightly and Scully threw her left arm over his shoulder, hugging him tightly.
"You didn't have to do this. I mean, it's gorgeous and we're definitely going to enjoy it but you didn't have to go through all of this trouble... for me"
"I know. I wanted to do this for you. You deserve it! You do so much for me and Will... every single day. We're on vacation and you're still doing everything for us. So, I thought you deserved a-"
Scully rose up on her tiptoes, kissing Mulder (to shut him up) and his hands instinctively fell to her waist pulling her body close to his. She looked over his shoulder up at the house, somewhat concerned, and he followed her gaze.
"I'm not sure about-"
"Scully, don't"
"It's just... Is Will safe in the house alone?"
"Of course he is. The house is locked, Ishy is up there with him and we'll just be down there...
Mulder pointed to the beach. It wasn't that far, the house would be in view the whole time and Ishmael would alert them if anything was wrong. He rubbed her back, reassuringly.
... he'll be fine, Scully. I promise. Just relax. This is all for you!"
Mulder turned Scully around, to look at the gorgeous view on the beach again. Scully shivered against him. So, he wrapped his arms around her tiny body from behind and ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to keep her warm. Scully sighed. It was impressive, and she wanted to take this time for her, and them.. without worrying about William.
"It's beautiful, Mulder. Really"
"Come on, let's go... and enjoy it then, shall we?"
"We shall"
They were snuggling together, on the picnic blanket. The sky was a midnight blue color, with silver stars dotting the darkness and there was a gentle cool sea breeze wafting around them. The full moon was reflecting off of the ocean, and the candles lit up the heart shaped area they were cocooned in.
"I can't believe that you put this together without me knowing. I'm impressed"
"It actually wasn't all that difficult, once I convinced you to let me go to store without you" Mulder grinned.
It suddenly hit Scully, that he had manipulated her so well throughout the day and it made the whole thing even more impressive because it hadn't occurred to her that that was what he was doing.
Apparently, you can take the man out of the FBI but not the FBI out of the man.
"I don't know whether to be thankful or terrified at this turn of events"
"Thankful, works for me"
"Thankful it is" Scully giggled.
Mulder had managed to put together a great looking spread for them; there were his ubiquitous sunflower seeds, a wooden board with a variety of cheese and crackers, bits of fruit and pieces of dark chocolate (her favourite). He poured (what she noted was expensive) champagne into two cheap plastic flutes (it was so Mulder, that it almost made her laugh out loud) and handed one carefully to Scully.
"It's a nice night, don't you think?" Mulder asked, tenatively.
"Mmm..." Scully mumbled, while taking a sip of her champagne and looking around the deserted beach.
It was just after 9PM, so it was quiet and peaceful on this stretch of the beach.
Mulder popped a couple of sunflower seeds, and Scully delicately placed a piece of dark chocolate into her mouth (which caused him to choke on his champagne). He leaned over and gently brushed a bit of her unruly, long wavy red hair from off of her pale freckled shoulder. She sucked in a deep breath at his touch, and he took the opportunity to lean in closer... kissing her neck, softly.
"I love you" Mulder ran his pouty bottom lip up her neck, past her jawline and breathed his confession against the corner of her lips (that were wet with expensive champagne) teasingly before pulling back and munching down on a cracker with two different cheeses on it.
"I love you, too"
They fell into a comfortable silence, there on the blanket... occasionally sipping their champagne and eating cut up bits of fruit, just enjoying their time together.
"Do you remember when I gave you that ring?" Mulder said, breaking the silence and looking down at the silver band, sapphire (with two diamonds either side of it) ring on her finger.
"Of course" Scully smiled fondly, at the memory. It was a lovely surprise at the time.
It happened three years ago on her 40th birthday, and came as quiet a surprise... actually, a lot about that morning came as a surprise. William had toddled in on Mulder giving Scully a very different gift before he gave her the ring.
"Scully..." he carefully took her left hand in both of his larger ones, running his left thumb in figure eights on the top of her soft, delicate tiny hand "marry me?"
"I'm sorry... what? Please, tell me you're kidding!?"
"Um, only if you're about to say no" Mulder smiled nervously and squeezed Scully's hands, lightly.
"No..."
"Huh?"
"Oh, Mulder. I don't mean no to your question... I'm just shocked. I didn't think this was something we would ever find ourselves doing. It never felt like us, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I think so? Jesus. I fucked up, didn't I?"
"No, you didn't fuck up! This is lovely, and I am saying yes" Scully nodded, with a grin on her ruby red lips.
"Really? Scully, I never wanted you to feel like this wasn't an option for us. It was always something I had planned on asking you, I just wanted it to be a surprise and for us to be solid, and far away from the darkness of our past"
"Yes, really. You've really given this some thought, haven't you?"
"Well, I've only been thinking about it for the last seven years or so"
"Wow! That's a long time, Mulder"
"Is it?"
"Kinda... and I love you for it"
"Good"
"So, we're really going to do the whole wedding thing?" Scully exhaled.
She sighed happily at the new meaning bestowed upon the ring she hadn't taken off since he had gifted her with it years ago, before removing her right hand from his grasp and resting it on his stubbly cheek, leaning forward and pressing her lips, softly to his pouty bottom lip.
"You said yes, so yes... we're doing the wedding thing. Sooner, rather than later... if that's OK with you"
"It's more than OK with me. Thank you, Mulder. For everything"
His hands fell to her hips, gripping them tightly for a moment and then letting them slip around her waist, pulling her to him in a comfortable embrace... hands clasped and resting on the small of her back, where her rebelous Ourobors tattoo called home.
"Wanna go for a swim?" Mulder asked, after giving Scully a moment to aborb what had just happened, and how big of a step they were both about to take in their relationship.
"Won't it be cold?"
"I'm not sure, it was the one thing I couldn't control about tonight but if it is... I'll keep you warm, Scully. Always!"
"And I'm the control freak?"
"Yes, you're still the control freak in this family" Mulder laughed, as he scooped Scully up and carried her to the waters edge, she squealed and wriggled in his strong arms.
He tried to dip her backwards into the ocean, but she hooked her arms around his shoulders and neck, pushing her body up and flush against his... it reminded him of when William was a baby, fussing and didn't want to be put down. Mulder thought about how happy Will was going to be when they told him the news. This was the final piece of the puzzle, for Mulder. And their little family.
"Mulder. Stop, please! It's late and I don't want to get wet-" Scully pleaded, to no avail.
"Hey, we're celebrating! And I'm getting you wet one way or another tonight, gorgeous"
Mulder slowly lowered himself into the lukewarm water, finding a loophole in Scully's plan to stay dry (she realized in that moment that she had made a mistake in clinging to him harder, because it just made it easier for him to get her wet) and bounced up and down, carefully dipping them both down into the ocean further each time.
"Dammit"
"Surrender, Scully" Mulder winked, suggestively.
Scully's long, wavy red hair started to get progressively wetter and stuck to her pale, lithe back and shoulders.
"Oh, really? Is that really how you wanna play this?" Scully laughed from deep within her belly, peircing the calm silence as she splashed sea water up into Mulder's face, with a massive grin on her face.
"I knew you'd come around. Ready to go deeper?" Mulder smirked and bounced up once, preparing them to go deeper.
"No! No no no!"
"Wrong answer..."
"Yes" Scully answered, grinning cheekily.
She knew this game well, and there was no reason to drag it out longer than nessecary... especially since she wanted it to happen too.
"Good girl"
He began to take steps towards the darkness of the sky, the moon and stars above them creating a halo around her head and making the ring on her finger sparkly. The salty air from the ocean encircling them, in it's bitterness. Scully was beyond thrilled, about how the night had gone.. and was still going.
Scully rolled her hips against Mulder's causing him to buck into her core roughly, eliciting a deep throaty moan in response. He brushed her wet, tangled hair from off of her shoulder and kissed behind her ear, down her neck (marking her clavicle with a hickey) and bit her pale freckled shoulder gently. He undid the strings of her teal bikini top, around her neck leaving the tie around her ribs and letting it fall from her chest revealing her to him.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Mulder asked, while kissing down her bare chest.
"Mm.. absolutely. Thank god, the water is warm-ish..." Scully said, as she ran her manicured nails up and down his back, digging them into his shoulder blades "otherwise this wouldn't be turning me on so much"
"Yeah. Cold water would've benched us both, I think"
Mulder rubbed his thumb across the front of Scully's teal bikini bottoms, slipping his index and middle finger underneath the material and then slowly and teasingly inside of her. He could feel how warm and wet... and excited she was, right now and it made him harder.
She lifted herself up, arms still looped around his neck (breast pressed to his bare chest), so he could get a better angle. Mulder buried his face in Scully's chest again, devouring the freckles dotting her upper chest, his fingers frantic but precisely pumping in and out of her, while she bit back a moan and moved her hips to his rhythm.
Scully ran her fingers through his hair, breathing heavily against his ear and came undone in a burst of light. Mulder rested his chin on her shoulder and she shuddered around his fingers and lowered herself back down, legs turning to jelly around his hips.
"Scully?"
"Mhmm... yes?" Scully breathed out, as she regained her composure.
"Thank you-"
"For what?"
"For being mine" Mulder said, honestly.
Mulder let go of Scully so she could slip down his body, to stand on her own two feet and retie her bikini top. She leaned forward giving him a sloppy, passionate kiss for making this night all about her even though he clearly wanted a release as well. He pulled her close again, his hard on caught between them and squeezed her arse roughly.
"Did you enjoy your time off from babysitting us?"
"It was unbelievable and just what I needed, Mulder" Scully smiled, gratefully.
"I'm glad. Let's get you out of here before you catch a chill, and all my hard work getting you relaxed... is ruined"
"Sounds good"
Mulder blew out all of the candles, while Scully dumped everything into the middle of the large picnic blanket and tugged it into one of those movie-style hobo sacks minus the stick to carry it with. As she struggled with it, he hugged her to keep the chill of the air away from her wet skin and grabbed the full blanket from her to carry. Scully pulled her denim short shorts back on and her long sleeved, sweater and followed Mulder back up to their vacation home. Mulder left the tied up blanket inside, near the glass sliding backdoor, watching as Scully turned the kitchen tap on, to fill a plastic tumbler up with water and then down it immediately (like their activities had dehydrated her). She looked stunning, the moonlight streaming through the kitchen window and landing on her.
"God, Scully. You're absolutely stunning, and I really don't deserve you"
"Shut up, Mulder. Of course you do!"
They walked upstairs. Scully tiptoed further down the hallway still kind of wet and sandy, a towel clutched to her bikini clad body and Mulder thought about how she didn't seem to care about getting sand all over the house now and stifled a chuckle. Mulder was completely naked, his wet basketball shorts pressed to his crotch.
Scully checked in on William who was fast asleep (and unharmed, even though they had left him alone for nearly two hours), and tangled in his bedspread and sheets.
"Sweet dreams, my little bullfrog" Scully whispered into the room, turning the light off completely and turned back around to leave but was stopped by Mulder who was still staring at their little miracle.
"Let's go to bed, Scully. We can tell him the good news in the morning"