***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. ARCHIVING: Link only, please! ========== Gifted by shannono shannono@iname.com Vignette, Mulder/Scully Romance, *very* minor angst Rated PG Spoilers through "The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas" (or whatever the hell the name of it was) Summary: Post-ep. Mulder asks Scully a loaded question. Author's note: This started out as GiftFic, and I did get that part in there, but that's not the main point now (despite the title). Sure it's a little on the mushy side, but hey, it's Christmas; what can I say? Thanks: To Kris PHILLIPS!!, for beta-reading, despite having just returned from her honeymoon. Everyone give Katwoman a rousing "welcome back!" Dedication: For poor, depressed Brandon, who always brightens my day with his stories, even when they're particularly angsty. I keep the angst quotient in this one next to nonexistent, just for you -- but watch out for the sap quotient. . Sorry it's not NC-17, although I guess Sheryl took care of *that* for you, didn't she?? ========== Disclaimer (with apologies to Gene Autry): Scully, the red-haired agent, And her partner, "Spooky" M., Still belong to Fox and others, Even though I borrow them. They and the "X-Files" stories Are their owners' property, And I can make no money So I write these things for free. But if one foggy Christmas Eve, Carter came to say, "Shannon with your stories fine, Won't you sign on the dotted line?" Then I'd be glad to join them And I'd shout it out with glee, "Scully, the red-haired agent, Now you do belong to me!" (Okay, I'll go away and let you read now ...) ========== Gifted by shannono They were silent as they sat on the couch, slumped in exhaustion against the cushions, Mulder with one long arm draped across the back and the other extended toward the television. Each was only partly aware of the soft *click, click* from the remote as Mulder flipped channels, muted scenes of Christmas cheer flashing across the screen, illuminating the room with bursts of multicolored light. It was Mulder who finally broke the stalemate. His restless fingers settled on "The Nightmare Before Christmas," and he balanced the remote on the arm of the sofa and sat back. He watched the surreal pictures unfold for a few minutes before his gaze roamed, drifting across the remains of wrapping paper and the two gifts sitting on the coffee table -- his video, Elvis' "Love Me Tender," and her Tootsie Roll bank, sitting open and with a handful of discarded wrappers next to it. The gift had gotten the reaction he wanted -- a delighted grin and laugh, and a few bits of chocolate as well. Neither of them had made any attempt at interepreting hers, Mulder simply flashing a passable imitation of an Elvis sneer and a gravelly "thank you, thank you very much." He stared at the gift, then let his eyes wander to the window, where a light snow continued to fall against the early morning light. And finally, he spoke. "Scully?" "Mmm," she answered, her voice only slightly quizzical, and he turned his head back from the window to look at her. She had dropped her head against the top edge of the sofa back, and her eyes had fallen shut. Mulder almost smiled at the sight, but his mind was several steps ahead of the rest of him at that point, and he found himself asking the question he'd been ruminating for several weeks. "What would you say if I said I wanted to stop the car?" Scully didn't move, but her face creased minutely as she considered his question. Even in the dim light, Mulder knew the instant realization dawned, as Scully's entire body jerked infinitesimally a split second before her head flew up and her eyes opened. She found his gaze almost immediately, all traces of fatigue gone from her face. "What ... what did you say, Mulder?" she asked, knowing the answer but still needing to voice the question. Mulder shifted closer to her, watching the glow from the television and the window play a pattern of shadow-and-light across Scully's pale skin. "I said," he repeated carefully, "what would you say if I told you I wanted to stop the car?" He paused briefly, then elaborated. "'Get out of the damn car. Settle down and live something approaching a normal life,'" he said, quoting her own words back at her. Scully blinked, then blinked again. "Mulder," she managed, then fell silent once more. Mulder offered a small smile and leaned in nearer to her. "I didn't mean to leave you speechless, Scully," he said gently. "I just wanted ... needed to know how you'd react." The smile widened. "I guess I got that answer ... but I still want to know what you have to say about it." Scully pulled her chin in toward her chest a fraction. "Mulder, this is so ... sudden," she said, haltingly. "I don't know *what* to say." She looked up at him curiously. "What prompted you to ask that, anyway?" Mulder leaned back a few inches, then shrugged, his eyes dropping to the cushions between them. "I don't know, I guess it just seemed ... right," he said, his fingers picking at a small crack in the black leather. "I've been thinking about it -- what you said -- ever since you said it. Thinking about what you meant, really. I know it was about more than this crazy life we've been leading. And I've been asking myself the same question ever since: Is it time? Is *now* the right time?" He didn't continue, and Scully hesitated before forging ahead. "Time for what, exactly, Mulder?" she asked softly. His face rose slowly, and Scully found herself holding her breath until their eyes met. And then all the air left her lungs in a rush. She'd seen the look in his eyes a handful of times before, but never when they were both safe and healthy and relatively happy. She knew before he moved just what he thought it was time for. And so she allowed her mind to fast-forward through all the possible reasons for her to rebuff him -- so she could reject every one of them now and get that out of the way. She had only seconds, and she achieved her goal. By the time Mulder's hands had cupped her face and his lips approached hers, she could move without reservations to bridge that final gap between them. Their first true kiss was everything they'd dreamed, and more than they'd ever hoped. Their lips brushed and parted, heads tilting and moving in a teasing dance, never quite falling fully together -- not as if exploring new territory, but as if rediscovering old. And then Scully's tongue came out to run across Mulder's upper lip, and he succumbed with a groan. One hand slid to grip the back of her neck, and he sealed their mouths together. Scully responded immediately, opening her mouth to his questing tongue and welcoming its heavy warmth against hers as her arms wrapped around his neck and held him to her. The formerly silent room was filling with sound, from the soft smacks of parting lips to low moans and whimpers as their kisses grew in intensity. Mulder twisted on the cushions, never breaking contact with Scully's mouth as he sat back and pulled her sideways into his lap. One hand slid to the small of her back, pressing her closer, as the other roamed, smoothing across her hair, then down her side, across her hip and to the back of her knee. He brushed small circles there with his fingers, feeling her shivers through his entire body. Scully responded in kind, keeping one arm wrapped around his shoulders as the other drifted down across his chest, then snaked around his waist and brushed along the edge of his hip. And then, to Mulder's absolute surprise, her hand moved again, toward the center of his body, and he tore his mouth away from hers with a gasp, his own hand darting to stop the progression of hers. "Scully," he forced out, his voice hoarse and his breathing ragged as he met her gaze. Her eyes were wide and bright, the pupils dilated, and she was wearing possibly the biggest grin he'd ever seen on her face. "What's the matter, Mulder?" she asked, her tone tartly sweet but betrayed by a slight quiver. "Did I shock you there?" He stared, then felt a grin spreading across his own face in response. "Yeah, I think you did," he said, his free hand moving to brush a strand of hair back from her face. "I wasn't ... I didn't ..." He stopped, then blew out a breath. "Let's just say I wasn't expecting such an ... *enthusiastic* response to my question." Scully laughed then, a joyous sound that affected Mulder's body nearly as much as her kisses had. "Mulder, Mulder," she said, her voice dropping to a purr. "Always the pessimist. Guess I'll just have to break you of that, won't I?" Mulder had to laugh himself, and once he started, it felt so good he didn't want to stop. So they sat there, Scully still on Mulder's lap, and they laughed together, peppering each other with kisses between chuckles. "Mmm," Mulder finally managed. "Best gift I've ever gotten." And he kissed her again. Then they fed each other more Tootsie Rolls, before bundling up and going outside to build a snowman together. ==========END========== Merry Christmas (and various other holidays), everybody!!