**DO NOT ARCHIVE OR LINK TO THIS STORY WITHOUT PERMISSION**

**WARNING! NC-17 CONTENT AHEAD!**
**DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE OR OFFENDED BY SEXUAL CONTENT**

***DISCLAIMER***: All "X-Files" elements and references
in this story belong to Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter,
and 1013 Productions, and I am making no money from it.

==========

Inferno
by shannono
shannono@iname.com


Story, Erotica, Mulder/Scully Romance

Rated *NC-17*

Spoilers through "Folie A Deux"

Summary: Mysterious poems begin arriving at Scully's apartment.

==========

Scully's apartment
Friday, May 15, 1998
6:35 p.m.

Dana Scully shoved her apartment door open, dropping her briefcase
next to the entry and peeling off her trench coat. Springtime weather
along the mid-Atlantic coast was nothing if not unpredictable, and
she'd been glad she'd taken the coat along today when a cold front
blew through in the middle of the day, sending down a brief but
torrential downpour just before lunch and dropping the temperature
into the low 50s.

She hung the slightly damp coat on the coat rack in her living room,
then bent down to retrieve the mail she'd stuffed into the pocket
of her briefcase. She flipped through the envelopes as she headed
for her bedroom -- bills, junk mail, and one plain white envelope
with her name and address written in plain block letters.

Curious, she dropped the other mail on the desk in her bedroom
and looked closer at the envelope as she kicked off her shoes. No
return address, a Washington postmark, unrecognizable lettering.
Curiosity gave way to suspicion -- <been working with Mulder too
long,> she thought -- and she placed the letter on the desk for
more careful perusal.

She hurriedly stripped and slipped into old jeans, socks, and a
sweatshirt, then crossed into the bathroom and grabbed a pair of
latex gloves from her first aid kit. Snapping them on as she
returned to her desk, she picked up the letter and carefully slit
it open with a letter opener, extracting one small, plain white
sheet of paper with several lines of block lettering, matching
that on the envelope.

She started reading:

inferno
white hot
burning
aching inside
buried, so deep
the fire 
my fear
for you
do you know?

Scully's stomach turned slightly. <Oh, God, I hope this isn't
some weirdo,> she thought. Something deep inside her was telling
her it wasn't, but she'd never been one to trust her instincts.
So she went into her kitchen, grabbed a plastic bag, and zipped
the envelope and letter inside. She'd hold on to it, and if any
others showed up, she'd take them to the bureau for analysis.

==========

11:02 p.m.

Scully was walking to the door to double-check the lock before
going to bed when she saw the second envelope, same size and
shape as the previous one, this one marked with just one word:
"Dana." A chill went down her spine, and she retrieved another
pair of latex gloves before bending to pick it up.

She slit it open carefully and extracted a sheet of paper
looking much like the other. The heading was the same, but the
words were different:

inferno
flame red
your hair
your crowning glory
my dream
burning my fingers
with the strands
cooled by your touch
do you know?

And, in the lower right-hand corner, two more words: It's me.

Scully started as she read the familiar phrase, her standard
greeting for Mulder whenever they talked on the phone. Could
it be him?

She shook the thought off as she bagged the note. No, Mulder
would never ...

Or would he?

She thought back. She *had* caught him staring at her several
times during the day, as they sat in the basement catching up
on paperwork from their last few cases -- and from their most
recent hospital stays. They'd first had to clear up everything
from the episode at Wiekamp Air Force Base, the one that had
led to a brief suspension for each of them. One more write-up
to add to their already bulging personnel files -- although
his was certainly more bulging than hers.

In the weeks since their return, they'd had little time to
follow up on the mysterious events at Skyland Mountain and in
Pennsylvania. They'd investigated several X-files, but Skinner
had kept them too busy to gather any more information on the
mass killings. And Mulder's own hospitalization less than a
week ago, for psychiatric reasons this time, hadn't helped
matters much.

Oh, they knew the reasons behind Skinner's actions. They had
formed a sort of wary alliance with him, and they knew he was
trying to protect them from themselves while the fallout from
Wiekamp settled.

But two days ago, they'd finally been set free, with the
stipulation that they finish their reports and expense forms
before filing a request for a new case. That's what they'd
done today, and Scully expected to be off on a new case by
the end of the weekend. Surely Mulder already had something in
mind. Surely he wouldn't shove work aside for erotic poetry.

No matter how much she might wish he would.

==========

Saturday, May 16, 1998
6:32 a.m.

Scully hadn't slept well, the words from the two notes dancing
in her head most of the night. She finally gave up and slid
out of bed, wrapping her robe around her and heading into the
kitchen for coffee.

She took the mug into the bathroom with her, where she took a
longer-than-usual shower, staying in until the water started
to run cold. Drying off, she put her robe back on and crossed
back into her bedroom, where she slipped into a comfortable
pair of jeans and a V-neck T-shirt.

She was headed back toward the kitchen for breakfast when she
saw the flower -- a tulip, of all things. Fiery red, it sat on
the edge of her dining room table, with another envelope lying
next to it.

It had to be Mulder. At least, she now wished more desperately
than ever that it was Mulder. If it wasn't, someone *else* had
come into her apartment while she was in the shower.

Trying to keep her hands from shaking, she reached for the
envelope, not bothering with gloves this time:

inferno
blue eyes
ice on fire
clear and bright
sear my soul
will they burn
for me
my one desire
do you know?

She stared at the words for a few long moments, feeling the
heat rise in her. Oh, God, she thought. Please, please let
it be Mulder.

Then she heard him.

"Do you know?"

The voice was low and close to her ear, and she jumped slightly,
her heart suddenly racing out of control. She started to turn
her head, but he stopped her with a hand on the side of her
face, much as he had in a storage closet in the Arctic so long
ago.

"No," he said. "I have something I want to say first." His hands
moved to her wrists, cupping lightly around her arms, and then
moving slowly up as he spoke. "I have one more poem for you," he
continued, his voice a bit husky. "Would you like to hear it?"

Every nerve ending in her body was tingling, except those he had
touched, which were burning. She could only nod, jerkily.

"Good," he said, his hands still moving up her sides, curving
around her shoulders. "Because I really want you to hear it."

He leaned in even closer, his lips grazing her ear, and her
eyes slid shut. Then he recited:

"inferno
so long
holding back
smoldering
heat of love
the lightest touch
and sparks fly
between us
do you know?"

He paused, then repeated. "Do you know, Scully? Do you know how
long I've held back? Do you know how long I've wanted this? How
long I've wanted you?"

His hands were on her neck now, and her breath was coming in
short pants, but she managed to speak. "No," she rasped out.

"Forever," he replied instantly, lightly nipping her earlobe.
"It feels like forever."

"Mulder ..." she moaned, tilted her head to one side to allow
him better access to her ear.

"Do you want me to leave?" he returned, belying his words with
action as his mouth continued its movements along her jawline,
the opposite cheek cupped in one palm. His free hand slid down
her back to rest along her waist, and his thumb pushed up under
her shirt to caress the skin just above the waistband of her
jeans. "I will, you know. I'll go. I'd do anything for you,
Scully. No matter how much it hurts."

"No," she moaned again, almost writhing under his touch already.
"Don't go."

Mulder leaned forward, turning her face toward him with the hand
on the opposite cheek. "You know what I want, Scully," he said,
switching to an almost conversational tone. "Why don't you tell
me what you want?"

Scully finally willed her hands to move and lifted one to cup
the back of his head where he loomed over her. "Kiss me," she
whispered.

She saw a small smile cross his face at her words, and he obliged,
lightly kissed her upper lip before running his tongue along her
lower lip. She sighed, parting her lips slightly and turning more
toward him, and he covered her mouth with his.

Their first kiss was passionate but not forceful. Her mouth
opened to his tongue almost instantly, but their motions were
slow and sensuous. His hands moved to her stomach, sliding
along her waist, and she lifted her free hand to interlock her
fingers with his.

He pulled back slowly, a small smile crossing his face. "Is
that what you had in mind?" he asked, his voice a bit rougher
than before.

"It's a good start," she responded huskily, turning in his
embrace to face him, admiring the snug fit of the dark gray
mock turtleneck he wore. Then she stopped, lowering her face.
"Mulder," she said. "Why ..."

"Shhh," he interrupted, still using the low tone of voice that
sent shivers down her spine. "I told you why. I couldn't wait
any longer."

"But it's dangerous," she whispered back, lifting her eyes to
meet his again. "If anyone found out ..."

"C'mon, Dana," he said, a bit of his usual teasing tone back.
"Half the world thinks we've been together for years, and the
other half doesn't care." He lifted his hand to tuck a piece
of hair behind her ear. "And if you're worried about our
enemies, well, they've already used us against each other
more times than I can count. It can't possibly get any worse."
Then he grinned. "Besides, why should we put up with all the
disadvantages and none of the rewards?"

She couldn't help returning his smile. "For once, Mulder, I
agree with you entirely," she said. "Now, shut up and kiss
me again."

He obliged, and this time there was nothing gentle about it.
His mouth drove against hers, and some part of her mind told
her she'd likely end up sore from that one. But she didn't
care. She met him all the way, her hands tangling in his hair
to pull him more tightly to her.

She felt more than heard the groan deep in his throat as his
hands slipped to cup her buttocks, pulling her up on her
tiptoes and pressing her firmly against him. She felt him
there, hard against her stomach, and a matching groan rose
in her throat.

His lips broke from hers, moving to touch her cheek, her
eyelids, the top of her forehead. "God, Dana," he breathed
between kisses. "You feel so good ..."

"Mmm," she answered, flicking her tongue out to taste his
neck. "The feeling is mutual."

A low rumble rose in his chest as he chuckled. "Why, Agent
Scully," he said. "Could it be that my sense of humor is
rubbing off on you?"

"Could be," she answered, smiling against his throat. "Among
other things ..." She nipped at his skin, drawing another
moan, then ran her tongue over the spot to soothe it.

Mulder ran his hands back down her arms to grasp her hands.
Interlocking their fingers, he wrapped his arms around her
waist, pulling her arms behind her and brining his hands
together so that they rested at the small of her back.

Holding her hands in place against her back with his own,
he bent to taste her other ear, flicking his tongue against
the center. She arched against him, her head dropping to
the side, and he laughed again. "Ooh, you like that, huh?"
he murmured, continuing his work.

She moved restlessly against him, her arms straining against
his grasp. "Mulder ..." she started, the word cutting off on
a gasp as he blew into her ear, then closed his mouth around
her earlobe, sucking softly. "God, Mulder," she tried again.
"Please ..."

"Please, what?" Mulder asked, moving his mouth to nibble on
the skin along her neck. "Please stop? Please go?" His lips
landed on her collarbone, and she shivered. "Tell me, Scully.
What do you want?"

She pulled again on their hands, but he kept them solidly
pinned behind her. "I want ..." -- she gasped as he sucked
at her skin, alternately nipping with his teeth and laving
with his tongue -- "... to touch you."

Mulder lifted his head away, drawing a whimper as the heat of
his mouth left her. He leaned back, still holding her hands
behind her, then moved closer again until their foreheads
touched and their noses brushed together. Then he smiled,
slowly, wickedly. "Oh, you'll get your chance," he said,
darting his tongue out to brush against the curve of her
upper lip. "But I'm enjoying myself too much right now."

His mouth captured hers again as he shifted so that one of
his large hands kept both of hers in place against her back.
His newly freed hand moved to the curve of her hip, then
down the back of her thigh, and he pulled her leg up so
her ankle hooked behind his knee.

He took one step forward, and Scully felt the tops of her
legs touch the table behind her. Before she could react, his
free hand was back on her rear, lifting her from the floor
and setting her on the flat surface.

She took advantage of the new position to wrap her other
leg around him, pulling him between her legs until their
crotches touched, and they both groaned at the contact.
His free hand moved again, this time grasping the back of
her neck and pulling her head back as he slanted his
mouth across hers again.

There was nothing soft or innocent about this kiss. It was
the kiss of aroused lovers, two people so close already that
the sex they were headed toward was almost an afterthought.

Mulder leaned further forward until Scully was resting on the
tabletop, their hands trapped beneath her. She moved against
him, crossing her ankles behind him and pulling him even
closer, and he could only thrust against her as their kiss
impossibly deepened.

Long minutes later, much as they hated it, they had to break
apart, gasping. Breathing while kissing was relatively easy;
getting enough oxygen in the process wasn't.

Once he thought he could speak semi-coherently, Mulder grinned
down at Scully. "I think we may have set some kind of record,"
he said, his voice a bit shaky. "That one registered about 7.2
on my Richter scale; how about you?"

Scully returned his grin. "Oh, at least," she said, closing
her legs more tightly around him. "But this table's getting a
bit uncomfortable. You think we could find somewhere, uh,
*softer* to continue this?"

"I thought hard was good," he shot back, thrusting against her
again.

She groaned in response, arching her back to meet him. "Oh ...
it is ... in some cases," she growled as he continued moving.
"But ... oh ... this time ... mmm ... I think the bed might be
more appropriate."

The wicked grin appeared again as he pulled his hips back slightly
so he could speak. "Agent Scully, are you inviting me into your
bed?"

"Oh, most definitely, Agent Mulder," she replied, her eyes
latching onto his. "Most definitely."

"Hmmm," he replied dipping his head to nip at her jaw. "But I've
always kind of wanted you on a hard, flat surface. Preferably my
desk, but ..."

"Mmm, maybe later," she hissed back. "Right now I want you in my
bed."

"As you command, my lady," he replied, leaning forward to
capture her mouth again, then pulling her back onto her feet,
finally releasing her hands.

She took full advantage, working his shirt free of his jeans
as she backed toward her bedroom. His own hands moved beneath
her shirt, cupping her breasts, his thumbs circling her already
hard nipples through her satin bra. One hand moved between her
breasts to the clasp and flicked it open, and his hands were on
her bare flesh. All the time, their mouths danced against each
other, tongues dueling, soft moans and murmurs escaping around
the edges.

They paused inside her room, and Mulder pulled back for a moment,
his hands still under her shirt. Glancing around, he chuckled,
drawing a raised eyebrow from Scully. He only laughed harder,
shaking his head. Finally, he forced out, "Sorry, Scully, I was
just thinking of the other times I've been in here. It's nice to
come in healthy, and with an invitation from the owner."

Scully couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at
his words. "Well, Mulder, you don't feel sick, and I'm certainly
inviting," she said.

"Oh, you are inviting," he responded, still smiling as he bent
to brush her mouth with his again. "You are most definitely
inviting."

His hands moved up, taking the T-shirt and bra along, and she
lifted her arms to allow him to slip the garments off. He tossed
them to one side, then ran both hands down her arms and along
her sides, back to her waist. He stopped there, not moving, his
eyes on her body.

Scully lowered her hands to his shoulders, watching him look at
her. Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised his eyes back to hers,
and the intensity of his gaze stole her breath again.

"God, Dana," he breathed. "I knew you were beautiful, but this ...
I could die happy right now."

She raised one corner of her mouth. "You'd better not," she
said mockingly. "We're just getting started."

He smiled again as his face lowered to hers. "That we are,"
he agreed.

He captured her lips again as his hands covered her breasts.
She moaned against him, arching her back and grinding her
lower body against his. He shifted his feet to plant one
leg between hers, feeling her heat against his thigh.

By this time, Scully's hands had pushed his shirt up to his
neck, and she leaned forward to lick one of his nipples. He
gasped at the contact, and she used the momentary break in
their kiss to shove the cloth upward. He acquiesced, lifting
his hands from her just long enough to finish divesting
himself of the shirt.

They both paused again, each reveling in the expanse of bare
skin they had uncovered. Then they silently moved together,
their arms sliding around each other, simply feeling the
sensation of skin on skin.

"God," Mulder breathed. "Dana, do you know how much I love
you?"

Scully stiffened briefly at his words, and he froze. "I'm
sorry, I shouldn't ..."

"Shut up, Mulder," Scully said, lifting her head to look up
at him. "Of course I know you love me. I was just surprised
to hear you actually say the words." He relaxed visibly, and
she lifted one hand to brush her forefinger against his jaw.
"You know I love you too, don't you?"

His eyes slid shut, and she could tell he was fighting for
control of his emotions. "I hoped, God, I hoped," he managed.

Scully leaned up to kiss him again, then murmured, "Don't ever
doubt my love, Mulder."

"God, Scully, how could I?" he replied, bending to press his
lips against her temple.

Scully chuckled. "You know, Mulder, for someone who claims
not to believe in God, you sure are calling his name a lot."

She felt his smile against her skin. "Tonight, I believe," he
whispered. "He brought you to me."

Scully found herself blinking back tears as she pulled back to
look at him again, seeing the wetness in his eyes. She smiled
again, softly, and cupped his cheek with one hand. "Make love
to me, Mulder," she said.

A groan erupted from his mouth as his eyes slid shut again, and
he brushed their lips together. "With pleasure," he moaned,
before sealing their mouths.

They stepped gradually toward the bed, their tongues learning
each crevice of each other's mouths as they moved. Their hands
roamed freely, sending shock waves along nerve endings drawn
tight with years of longing.

Scully finally felt the firm edge of the mattress hit the side
of her knee, and she stopped there, bringing her hands together
at the front of his waist and pushing the button on his jeans
through its opening. Slowly, excruciatingly, she lowered the
zipper, drawing a long, deep, guttural groan from him as her
hand brushed against him through the cloth of his boxers.

She laughed softly at his reaction, bending to kiss a nipple
as she slid her hands between jeans and boxers and pushed the
pants down. Mulder shifted his feet to push off his shoes,
turning his back to the bed and reaching for the footboard to
steady himself as Scully's small hands moved ever so slowly
down his long legs. As his jeans reached his ankles, he lifted
his feet one at a time for her to pull off soft denim and socks
and toss them away.

He moved as if to pull her back up to him, but she shook off
his hands and stayed crouched at his feet. Her hands traveled
to the backs of his legs, sliding up slowly, her lips touching
here and there on his skin.

It was exquisite torture, and Mulder's eyes fell shut as
another groan welled up from his chest. He leaned more
heavily on his hand where it rested on the footboard as her
fingers circled lightly along the skin behind his knees and
her tongue whirled around his kneecap.

Then she tugged lightly on the backs of his kneeswith her
hands, and he sat down hard on the mattress, letting out a
surprised "oomph." She chuckled against his skin as her
mouth moved to the top of his thigh, the muscle dancing
under the skin as she kissed it. Her fingernails grazed
the outsides of his legs, then curled around the tops and
hooked between them, pulling them slightly apart.

She looked up at him, her eyes dark but sparkling. His eyes
were half closed, almost black under his thick lashes, and
his mouth hung open slightly, his breath coming in short
pants. But he was watching her, and that's what she wanted.

She dropped her eyes back to the task in front of her. She
slid a finger under the loose edge of the boxer-briefs he
wore, caressing the skin there, as she moved her other hand
around to the back of his waist and then further down, cupping
one cheek through the soft material. Her hand moved further up
his thigh as her face moved closer to him, and she puckered
her lips and blew, hard, on his crotch.

His erection jumped under the cloth, and he let out a sort of
yelp. She smiled. "You like that, huh?" she murmured, her eyes
still on the bulge in front of her. She blew again, getting
the same reaction.

"Uh ... Sc ... Scully?" Mulder managed, and she looked up
again to see his eyes squeezed shut, his lower lip caught
between his teeth.

"Yes, Mulder?" she said. She blew again, and this time he
growled and grabbed her by her upper arms, pulling her to
her feet and slamming their mouths together.

Despite the force of the kiss, Mulder's tongue moved softly
into her mouth, teasing the moist skin with the lightest of
touches. Mulder pulled his head back slightly, allowing their
lips to part, but his tongue kept up its probing movements
within her mouth.

Meanwhile, he set about divesting her of the remaining clothes
in his way. He slid his hands down her arms to her waist,
freeing her arms to tangle in the hair at the back of his
head as they kissed. His fingers quickly pushed the button
at the waistline of her jeans free of the buttonhole, then
grasped the pull and slowly released the teeth, moving the
zipper all the way open.

He planted his hands on Scully's hips and pushed her back
a bit, separating their still-questing mouths and drawing
unconscious moans from them both. He hooked his thumbs in
the waistband of the pants and drew them down, biting back
a whimper as she shimmied her hips to help him, sending her
breasts into an inviting jiggle right in front of his face.

He averted his eyes to her legs, where the jeans had pooled
at her ankles. She braced herself on his shoulder and lifted
one leg at a time for him to pull the pants off and throw
them across the room to land beside other various pieces of
their clothing.

Then he returned the favor. He moved slowly back up her
legs, his hands and mouth brushing lightly over her skin.
Her steadying grip on his shoulder tightened as her knees
weakened, and he glanced up to see her eyes closed and her
head dipping back, the red strands of her hair swinging
against her bare back.

She felt his smile against the skin on the front of her
thigh. "You like that too?" he murmured, his tongue dancing
over her flesh.

"Mmm-hmm," she answered, moving her head forward and
looking down into his laughing eyes. "I like that a lot."
She took a half-step forward, then planted her left knee
on the mattress beside him. "But I've got other things in
mind," she continued, giving him a shove.

He landed flat on his back as she pulled her other knee
up to straddle his hips, moving onto all fours above him.
As she crawled up his body, he lifted his hands up to
caress the backs of her thighs, then gripped her hips as
she brought their mouths together again.

He tried to pull her down against her, but she resisted,
keeping their bodies tantalizingly close but with their
mouths the only point of contact besides his hands on her
hips. She teased him mercilessly, dipping in for light
kisses, pulling back, thrusting her tongue against his,
pulling back again, her nipples grazing the hair on his
chest each time she moved closer.

Finally, he'd had enough. Without warning, he shifted
his hands slightly and shoved, flipping her onto her back
on the mattress, rolling to cover her body with his. As
she landed, her arms on either side of her face, he
grabbed for her hands and interlaced their fingers,
pinning her to the bed.

She let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a laugh
and a moan, and he immediately dove into the task he'd
set his mind on. Avoiding her mouth, he kissed every
other square centimeter of her face, from her half-closed
eyelids to her jawline to that spot at the center of her
forehead he'd tasted more than a year before. She murmured
incoherently the entire time, her head moving slowly from
side to side.

He gradually moved lower, nipping and sucking at the sides
of her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder, her breastbone.
Her moans increased as he kissed the swells of her breasts,
and she pressed herself upward, silently begging for him to
reach his goal.

When he finally closed his mouth around one hard nipple and
sucked, she cried out his name, her voice cracking on the
two syllables. He caught the point between his teeth and
pulled gently, then ran his tongue over the skin before
sucking again. She whimpered, struggled, twisted against
the sheets. He moved to the other breast and repeated his
actions, drawing more gasps and groans.

The sounds were music to his ears, and he had to tell her.
"God, Scully," he said against her swollen breast. "I love
hearing you like that."

"Mullll-derrrr," she sighed in response. "I love seeing you
do that."

He smiled and looked up at her. The flush on her face had
deepened, and her eyes were hanging nearly shut, her gaze
shielded by long eyelashes as she looked down at him. Her
rosy lips were full and half-open, her breath coming in
pants.

"Beautiful," he said, licking at her nipple again. "Just
beautiful."

He lowered his head again, pulling her hands down to her
waist but not releasing them, and began kissing a path from
her chest across her stomach, working his way down to the
waistband of her cotton panties. <Cotton,> his mind registered,
and he crooked another half-smile against her goose-bump-
covered skin. "Mmm, Scully, love your choice of underwear,"
he said.

A low laugh rumbled against his cheek. "Well, I wasn't
exactly expecting *this*, Mulder."

He smiled again. "Do you like surprises, Scully?" He thrust
his tongue into her navel.

"Oh!" she gasped, her shoulders and head jolting off the bed.
"Mmm ... I do now," she managed as she lowered back onto the
mattress.

Mulder kissed lower, over the cotton, moving across her hip
to her thigh, then across her pelvis to the other hip. She
twisted continuously, and Mulder finally released one hand
and laid his forearm across her hips to hold her relatively
still. Then, gently, he placed an open-mouthed kiss on the
crotch of her already soaked panties, and she instinctively
moved her legs apart to allow him access.

He put his tongue to work again, pressing the soft material
against her lips and rubbing it back and forth. Then he moved
to the elastic at the side and used his teeth to pull the
cloth aside. Lowering the arm still lying across her hips
so that he could hook his thumb on the material, he dipped
his head down and captured her clitoris softly between his
lips.

This time, her hips bucked off the mattress, and she cried
his name again. He lowered his face to draw the flat of his
tongue across her core from bottom to top, flicking his
tongue against the hardened nub, and nearly took a blow to
the face as she bucked harder. He released her other hand
and planted his other arm across her as well, not stopping
his ministrations but managing to soften her movements a
bit.

But he quickly tired of working around her panties and
lifted his head, drawing even more groans from her, this
time in protest. He looked up at her as he grabbed the
waistband of her panties and pulled, and she obligingly
lifted her hips to allow him to tug the cloth off and toss
it away.

Mulder looked back at her for a long moment. She lay naked
before him, her legs spread on either side of him, her
hands twisted into the sheets, her hair mussed, her eyes
only half-open and black with arousal. Her breathing was
ragged, and Mulder realized his was as well.

Finally, Scully regained enough strength to push herself
up and reach for his waist. "Off," she said huskily, and
he wasn't about to argue. He moved from the mattress and
quickly stripped the boxers away, throwing them toward
their other clothes. He raised his eyes to her face again
and was amazed to see her excitement grow as she looked
at him. He was fully erect, almost painfully so, and he
had a fleeting fear that he might hurt her.

But then she wrapped a small, capable hand around him, and
all thought fled. She stroked him twice, three times, pausing
at the root each time to run her fingers across his balls.
Now it was his turn to mumble incoherently, and it was all
he could do to remain standing.

And then he felt her tongue run across the tip, licking off
the drops of precum, and his knees gave out. Only by the
strongest force of will did he manage to hit the mattress
with his knees as he fell.

She laughed softly at his reaction, and his eyes flew open
to skewer hers. "Oh, you think that's funny, Agent Scully?"
he asked, moving one hand between her legs again.

She jerked but managed to respond "Mmm-*hmmmm*" as her eyes
slid shut again.

He reached for her waist with his free hand and gently
lowered them both onto the mattress, capturing her lips
with his again as they landed. Her arm snaked across his
back, traveling down to clutch at his bare ass.

They continued to stroke each other as they kissed, until
Mulder finally tore his hand away from her and clamped it
over her hand where it held him. "Scullllyyy," he breathed.
"God, I want to be in you ..."

She smiled and guided him down. "Then come on in," she
answered, brushing the tip of his penis against her opening.

Mulder grimaced, still holding back, then managed to squeeze
out, "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Mulllderrrr," she groaned. "I've *been* ready. God, just
do it, will you?"

So he did. Slowly, he pushed in, stopping every half-inch
or so to savor the feeling and allow her to adjust before
moving further. When his balls slapped against her ass, he
lowered his head to the crook of her neck and paused again.
Their ragged breathing rattled around the room as they
allowed themselves to etch the moment on their memories.

Finally, Mulder lifted his head, pulled out slightly, then
buried himself again, drawing a gasp from Scully. He waited
a moment, then repeated the motion. Then again. Scully's
gasps grew louder with each thrust, her eyes tightly shut.

Mulder paused a moment to gather his thoughts and his
breath. "Scully," he rasped in his ruined voice. "Scully,
look at me."

With an effort, Scully pulled her eyes open and locked
onto his. "Faster, Mulder," she begged. "Harder. Please."

"Just look at me," he repeated, then began his movements
again. He thrust a half-dozen times, a bit faster each time,
then stopped again fully buried in her and rotated his hips
a few times. He resumed his thrusting, interspersing the hip
movements, and Scully began to match his pattern, moving in
counterpoint to his rhythm.

Their gazes remained locked the entire time.

After a few eternal minutes, Mulder knew she was close, and
knew he couldn't last much longer. He disentangled one arm
and snaked it down between them, sliding his thumb over her
clitoris and brushing lightly across it. Scully cried out,
lifting her legs and crossing her ankles behind his thighs,
pulling him closer and opening herself to him even more.

Mulder thrust again, feeling the beginnings of her
contractions around him, as one hand held her by the small
of her back and the other kept up its movements between
her legs. Her nails dug into his upper arms as her eyes
widened, and, with a cry, she came.

The waves crashed over her as Mulder continued thrusting
and rubbing, and her inner muscles milked him to his own
climax. His hoarse yell rang in her ears, and he buried
himself in her one last time as they shuddered and gasped.

He lowered himself onto her, their panting breaths in
rhythm, and they lay there for a few long minutes, still
joined. Neither wanted to separate.

Finally, though, Scully found her voice. "Mulder," she
whispered, lifting a hand to push his sweat-soaked hair
back so she could kiss his temple. "God, Mulder ..."

Slowly, Mulder raised his head enough to meet her gaze,
then leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips.
"Scully," he whispered. His eyes roamed over her face, and
he reached up to brush a strand of hair back. "I don't want
to leave," he said.

She frowned slightly. "Did you think I was going to kick
you out, Mulder?"

"No," he said, still scanning her face as if he was
memorizing it. "I mean, I don't want to leave ... you."
He dipped his head, indicating where they were still
joined.

Scully half-smiled in realization. "Oh," she said knowingly.
"Well, I don't want you to leave, either, but I'm afraid
you'll have to eventually. It would be kind of hard to walk."

Mulder's eyes snapped up to meet hers, and then he laughed,
a joyous sound Scully was sure she'd never heard before.
"Oh, Scully," he said. "I love you so much."

"I know," she answered, leaning up to kiss him again. "But
not any more than I love you."

==========END==========