TITLE: "The Sound of Bat Meeting Ball" (1/1) BY: Ten E-MAIL ADDRESS: kristena@ocean.com.au CATEGORY: V; Fluff; MSR; Mind candy; Plot - what plot? RATING: High R for consensual sexual situations. All is innuendo and talk, otherwise I'd label it NC-17. If it isn't your thing or you're underage, bail now! SUMMARY: "You know the sound the ball makes when it hits the bat? It was like music to me. I fell in love. I didn't know the unnecessary could feel so good." Finally, thanks to a baseball game, Mulder and Scully revel in the unnecessary and decide it's time for the necessary. TIMESPAN/SPOILER WARNING: "The Unnatural". NOTE: This is what happened when I decided I wanted to write a vignette using only selected sounds and dialogue (especially quotes from the ep) as an experiment. About a year ago Frogdoggie and I discussed verbal love scenes, which led him to write "My Cellular One And Only", and finally inspiration hit me during a recent run of 12 hour nightshift. That's my excuse anyway for the way it turned out. ARCHIVE INFO: It goes to Gossamer through xff. Can be archived anywhere as long as my name, addy and disclaimer stay intact. FEEDBACK: Love it. Brings joy to my world! THANKS TO: Mac, Gerry, Debbie, Frog, and Crash. And to Lisa for taking the time to find and send me the transcript of the ep. DEDICATION: To Crash: for being there for the last few years as a friend and editor and adviser and for great girl talk and for that cool map of D.C. and especially for all those wonderful stories you've written. Thank you! My website for all my X-Files fanfiction, thanks to the wonderful Skyfox, is at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Keep/1351 DISCLAIMER: The X-Files, the episodes referred to, Mulder and Scully and all other characters from the show belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting, and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be gained. Characters not recognised from the show are mine. The X-Files: "The Sound of Bat Meeting Ball" (1/1) By Ten, June/July 1999 Dana Scully's Apartment Sitting room Night Post-batting practice "Well...that's quite a story, Mulder." "Sorry for all the detail, Scully. I know you don't believe it, but what Arthur Dales told me... I just had to tell you." "Even if there are some aspects that are a little...hard to believe without having been there, it doesn't mean that there aren't some universal truths in the story." "Exactly my thinking too. That's what I really wanted to talk to you about tonight, why I sort of invited myself over after we finished shagging balls and told you all that. I know you might be thoroughly sick of my company though -" "Don't worry, Mulder. You've given me a wonderful early/late birthday present that was more fun than I'd had in ages, and told me a sad but uplifting bedtime story - so I'm curious about what's next..." "Laughter. Or lack thereof." "Huh?" "One thing I keep coming back to is how Exley said the greys have small mouths, and they don't laugh or smile. Dales said that Exley was always smiling because he finally could. I have a large mouth, but damned if I use it much to smile or laugh. I'm so tired of that." Deep breath. "Here I go. The pitch. It may be a fastball or a wild pitch, but if I don't say it now, I won't be able to until I'm half-drowned again..." Two lots of nervous shifting noises on the sofa. "I'm tired of guarding my privacy and not laughing and keeping my distance from you. Exley may have fallen in love with baseball, but I fell in love with an earth woman." Silence. More silence. "Scully?" A quiet reply. "He said he fell in love with an unnecessary thing. Useless, but perfect." "Then aren't I lucky, or smart, that the one thing I fell so deeply for is so necessary to me. And anything but useless." Uncertain silence. Fingers plucking at loose threads on the sofa. "I'm going to keep running until I'm out of bases here, partner. Arthur Dales said that love can make a man shapeshift. I agree. You've certainly affected me, Scully. I'm tired of chasing after the heart of the mystery. I want to get to the mystery of the heart. Before it's too late." Voice shaking slightly. "Are you sure? Someone has to ask these questions, after all. Find the answers. Save the day and be the hero." "I don't want to be a famous man, Scully. I just want to be a man. I don't want to end up as a sad and lonely old drunk like the Dales boys thanks to the burden of the truth. Eddie Van Blundht warned me about being a loser two years ago, and what have I done about it?" "So, you just want to score? Is that it? To reassure yourself that you've still got it?" Hurt silence. A quiet: "Haven't you heard what I've been saying? This isn't about scoring. I'm telling you that I -" "I'm sorry, Mulder. It's just that this is all very...sudden." "Six years of sudden." "I - I guess this is a curveball. I'm hearing you saying all these things that I've wanted to hear, or to say myself - but they're not in your words. A rose by any other name and all that, but I want to hear it in YOUR words. So I know for sure, instead of you hiding behind quotes and cliches. Does that...does that make any sense?" Sound of a body shifting closer on the sofa, the other remaining unnaturally still apart from quickened breathing. A hand being taken and held, then clasping in return. "I'll try. Scully, I love you in every sense of the word. I want a normal life. With you. But you're such a mystery to me. I just wanted to use baseball to try to...I don't know...unlock you? Give you some fun for once. Bring us closer together. I wanted to know the real you. To show you the real me." "Baseball is the answer to everything, is it? What does it tell you about us, Mulder?" "That we go through life together, same team, winning some, losing some, but how together are we really? Tonight...we really were together - synchronised, perfect, just like the sound the ball makes when it hits the bat just right. Dana - do you want to have more moments like that?" Nervous laugh. Words coming quickly. "You're saying a lot that I want to hear, that I want to believe is the truth..." "You take a lot of convincing. I know you're scared -" Noise of denial. "No, Scully - I am too. This is a completely different situation to hunting down a mutant, but it has bigger repercussions. Now, as for truth... That which fascinates us is by definition true. So you must be the truest thing I can hope to aspire to. Sorry, I'm lapsing back into what Dales said again, but I need to tell you this and he summed it up so well. Dales said that I keep going for the bigger picture instead of focusing. Said I kept building cathedrals when all that was needed was cabinets." "Oh." "Well, in our case, in our relationship, I think I saw the potential for a cathedral, but it scared me so much that I kept downgrading us to the cabinet instead. Which do you want, Scully? I won't be offended. I just wanted to let you know, and to find out where I stand with you. It doesn't have to lead to anything. Friend or more than friend - I promise I'll put more work into them from now on. Exley and Dales finally got that through to me. Appreciate the necessary and the unnecessary. Live." Long pause. Sound of a gulp. "There's no going back from this, Scully. I've burnt all my bases behind me. Please say something." "Mulder, it's such a gorgeous night. Have you ever entertained the idea of trying to find life on this planet?" Uncertain. "Life on this planet?" Voice growing more assured. "Such as a sex life?" Thud of jaw hitting the floor then slowly creaking back up to rejoin the mouth. "And I thought that *I'd* pitched a fastball... A sex life? Um, where could I look to find that?" "In my bed. Stop looking elsewhere." Long pause. A giggle. "Mulder, you still with me?" "Lemme get this straight. I just said all that and you hardly said anything and instead of us now having a long and meaningful talk about life and us and our misunderstandings and will we keep our relationship secret and the whole shebang, you're saying we should just skip to the bang?" "Well, she is HOPING very much that she WILL go 'bang' very soon. And 'boom' too. We can have that conversation about our deep inner thoughts tomorrow. But for now, I love you, Mulder, and instead of deep inner thoughts I want something deep inside ME. After all, we can spend the rest of our lives talking. Between bouts of mad, passionate lovemaking, of course. So why wait for the fun stuff? I believe you. And I agree with you." "Why, Scully, you're staring at me like I'm a nonfat tofutti rice dreamsicle..." "I'm tired of dieting... Ice cream is supposed to be a good substitute for sex. Some nights after seeing you I'd go home and eat my way through a whole... so I had an ulterior motive tonight too. I KNOW how to hit a baseball - I have two brothers and I was a tomboy. But I wanted some private lessons. I loved those private lessons you gave me. I want more. I've been waiting for so long to hear you say those things to me. For us to just have some fun. I should have said something myself. So let's get to first base then aim for home plate." Sound of smaller body sliding to and onto larger body. Sounds of smaller body settling into lap of larger body, which began to get larger. "Hmmm, batter up..." Sounds of hands running up and down, over clothes and through hair. One finger tracing along a jawline, up along lips. "Yeah, you're right - you don't smile much. What a waste of a perfectly good mouth..." "What other use could I put it to, Sc-mmmmph!" There came the sound that can only be reproduced by the entire back row of necking teenagers in a movie theatre. After a while, lips parted company with the smack of heavy suction. "Mulder, the air in your mouth DOES taste better than the ice cream. I can't get enough of it... I want to devour you." "No sharing this with the rest of the class. Are you sure this is what you want?" "Yes. I'm tired of us only holding each other when there's some tragedy." "Well, a sex life is jumping a few plates..." "True. Just how much will it cost me to shag some of your balls?" "Forever." "Hmmmm. Deal. Let's shag!" "You start talking like Austin Powers and I'll deck you." "Come on!" Movement into bedroom. Click of light going on. "Get over here, Scully." Chuckling. Sound of bedsprings. Lips mating. Clothes rustling together. "Well, I think we're both ripe enough - time to peel off some layers and dig in." Fumbling. "You got these buttons welded shut or what?" "Having trouble, there, Agent Mulder?" "Just trying to have YOU, Agent Scully. How the hell am I supposed to...waitaminute... This worked in the basement... Ah...CHOO!" The rip of cloth. Giggling. A victory "Yes!" Shirt landing on the carpet. A bra hit the wall. "Take to the field!" The bed creaked vigorously. Sucking. Licking. "Mulder, that feels soooooooo good. Does it feel good for you too?" "Moam taughlg mae n-" Laughter. "You going Scots or Gaelic on me?" "Mom taught me not to talk with my mouth full." "Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh..." One pair of pants were unbuttoned and unzipped and sent sailing. Socks were toed off. Shoes had already been left under the coffee table an hour before. "Mulder, let's get that shirt off you -" "No rush. Let's see what we have here first." Cotton panties hit the carpet even as their elastic was still snapping back into position. "Can I ask you a personal question?" "I think you've earned the right." "Show me where home plate is, Scully." Sound of an eyebrow rising. "I was under the impression that this isn't the first time you've played ball - has it been so long that you've forgotten the placement of the field?" A laugh. "No, no. I just want...I just want YOU to..." Voice going softer and softer, almost inaudible. "So I know that you...want...trust..." "Ahh. Always, partner. Especially in this. I'm sure." Skin sliding across sheets. "Here, Mulder... Right here." "Oh wow... The heart of your mystery." "Unlock it. Unlock me. Please. Ohhhhhhhhhh... Nice key!" ************************ "Muldaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Jolting noises. Arms sliding around a body. Stroking up and down. Cloth against skin. Hushing soothing noises. Silence. Then little gasping breaths, as if the breather suddenly realised they were still alive. "You okay?" Panting in earnest now as the shockwaves subsided and the brain regained capacity to wrap around the experience. "Touchdown..." "You switching games, Scully?" "Touch *down*, Mulder, put your touch back DOWN there! Oh, yeah... You can set up house there..." "Oh, I have grand plans to move in presently. So, are you unlocked now?" "Mulder, I'm so unlocked that I may never be able to cross my legs again!" "So...um...do I...you know?" "Yes, Mulder. You have my heart. But I got the orgasm! And it was...so...good... Mmmmmm... Perfect..." "You sound tired, Scully." "It's been a long, but perfect day. I just need a minute. Can you - can you hold me like when we were holding the bat?" "Sure. Don't sound so worried - I don't mind." Bodies shifting. Settling. "Thanks... Just for a minute... This is so nice... Just for a minute..." ************************ "Mmmm?" "Hello, beautiful." "Mulder!" Body jolting into sitting position, a muffled squeal of shock, fingers snatching a sheet to press to naked skin. "What the hell are you doing in my - oh... Oh God, Mulder, I fell asleep!" "I noticed. Don't worry, you looked beautiful." "But I...you gave me...and I just crashed without..." "Returning the favour? Well, I would have been a bit put out, so to speak, if you'd fallen asleep in the middle of things, specifically with ME in the middle of things, but Scully, it's okay. I'm kinda flattered that I wore you out." "Oh my God, this is so embarrassing. To flake out after only third base - though there were exonerating circumstances, Mulder: it was a long day and we spent ages hitting balls and even when we'd been hitting for ages I didn't want to stop because I wanted to keep your arms around me, and that orgasm was so strong..." Amusement. "Scully, it's fine." "Yes, but it's one thing to fall asleep on your shoulder during a stakeout and drool, it's another thing to be naked and leave your still-fully-dressed partner in the lurch!" "This time I was the one drooling. Relax. I watched you. I held you. I had memories to sustain me. I had you naked to gaze at. And although I admit getting some myself would have been nice, I wasn't going to shake you awake to tell you it was my turn at bat." Sound of fingers letting go of sheet. "Well, it's your turn NOW. And damned if I can't feel a major hayfever attack coming on....AH-CHOO!" Rip. Rip. Riiiii- A growl of frustration. "Get that damn ankle holster off! It's causing a delay of game!" "Yes'm. Right away, ma'am." RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP. Silk Tweety boxers hit the floor. [Note: These make a different sound to cotton panties and to silk Marvin the Martian boxers, so are easy to differentiate.] An appreciative hiss of breath. "Turn round; let me look. Well, Mulder, if you're a horse's ass, then I gotta start ogling more horses. Now come over here; I wanna play ball..." "Just one ball? Cause I got two, you know." "Why, Mulder, don't tell me you actually come prepared enough to carry a spare?" "Double-barrelled. Two guns, two balls... whooooo!" "Just seizing life by the testes... And I'm glad that my treatment of them earlier didn't make them blue balls. Right, let's go back to our inventory. Gotta see if we've got everything we need to play a full game. Okay, where was I? Balls, check, mmmmm, and this is a nice piece of ash. And yes, Mulder, I am talking about your bat." A very girly scream rent the air. Scully laughed. "Hello, Mr Bat. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." "Pleasure's...all...mine.. Good...grip..." Mulder wheezed. "Don't strangle it." "Handshakes must be firm. It's only polite. Ooo, I HAVE affected you, Mulder. That has certainly...shapeshifted... since we started!" "And I can tell you for sure that I'm very a red-blooded male. Not green." "I dunno, that kinda looks...purple..." "You got a problem with that, Scully?" "You look like the one with the problem. Now come inside and play, Mulder." "Getting there. Preparation is the father of inspiration." "If the catcher is all suited up, I want to cross the plate. NOW." "Hips before hands... Eye on the ball...make contact..." Noises. "I'm in the middle." Sounds of adjustment. Simultaneous gasps of wonder and pleasure. "Nice, hard piece of ash...mmmmm..." The voice was much more deep and throaty than usual, coming in breathy puffs. Mattress springs rocked. The bedside table rattled. The game had begun. Anticipation building. "You're...more filling...than the ice cream..." the voice continued, tumbling words out in a rush. "Nice...screwball...Mulder. VERY nice." "As long as...not a screw-LOOSE. Gee, Scully...you're chatty...during sex..." "I need to talk - what I'm feeling, I just can't keep quiet... I can't..." Words streaming out. The thud of a headboard against a wall. Like a bat striking a ball. Hesitant at first, slow, then as each successive ball was pitched and found its mark, the thuds became louder and quicker and fell into a steady cadence. "We got rhythm!" Each word was a pant of breath. "Shut up, Mulder, and play ball... I'll keep up the commentary - you just keep it up!" "I aim...to please..." Skin against skin, hands exploring, seizing, encouraging. Sheets twisting. Feet scrambling for purchase. Pillows being knocked uncaringly to the floor. Nails dragging down wood. A voice among the unanimated noises and very animated moans. "Mulder, you're pitching faster than the ball machine!" "Good thing? Bad thing?" "It feels to me...to be a VERY good thing. Keep swinging it! As fast as you can pitch, hit, whatever, I- can-keep- up!" "The world just fades away..." Tight voice. "What world...?" Bodies slapped together. Muscles clenched and rippled. Team-mates, yet pitcher catcher batter runner fielder, all in one. Finally fully together, egging each other on, yelling encouragement and coaching tips and the sheer joy of finally playing the game. The friction of the bat meeting the ball was becoming white hot. The game was reaching its climax. "Bases are loaded... Head for home, head for home," On her instructions, Mulder touched home plate while keeping up his batting. "Oooooo, Mulder, you rebellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll." The last word became a deep and throaty growl. The lamp fell off the bedside table and shattered. Then Scully screamed. [Though not for loss of the lamp.] "I scream, you scream..." Mulder said breathlessly. Ball met bat in a perfect strike, the sound reverberating through everything. The ball was ripped; going going gone out of the ballpark HOME RUN!!!!!!!!! Major-league, indeed. The crowd went wild, pleasure ripping through them from the centre of the field right up into the topmost bleachers. The team-mates clung joyfully to each other in flush of celebration. The sound of two players scrambling for oxygen for a long while. Then, gradually... "Well, I think you squeezed every last drop out of THIS sweet life, Scully." "And you just defaced property of the US government." "Hey, I didn't MEAN to bite you!" "'Tis okay. I like this birthday present. It's the gift that keeps giving and giving. I think I'll have more very soon." "The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Scully. Though I think your ankles have left gouge marks in my rear." "I was just marking the beat with them. Just be glad I didn't have cleats on! I was surprised I could get my legs up there after your great job of unlocking me before." "Trust me - You had me locked up all right. Those thigh muscles of yours... Well, all this guarantees that I'll never have to worry about another overdue triple-X bill." Moving, adjusting, resettling. Silence again. Eventually a laugh. "Baseball certainly has changed since I was a kid." "Well, I certainly hope it wasn't like that with your brothers!" "It's NEVER been like that. But from now on it is a very necessary thing. We're going to have more fun from now on. You said that Dales said all the greats were aliens because they never fitted in. Well, Mulder, you fitted in just fine." "The way you were gripping those headboard slats makes me glad that it wasn't my stick of wood... And how the heck are you gonna explain those nail marks on the headboard?" Sound of an eyebrow raising. "And just who else do I have to explain that TO, may I ask? I don't intend on inviting any other pitchers in here." "Well, I mean, your mom..." "I'll place a few cushions up high, or say that Queequeg gnawed there ages ago. But we'll break these slats sooner or later, probably sooner - and I don't think this bed will outlast the month. Problem solved." "Looks like a few things'll need replacing. Sorry about your lamp, Scully." "That's okay; I got illumination anyway. Mulder, I can't think of any more baseball metaphors to sum up how I feel. That was a very nice cathedral we built there. A Taj Mahal even. I wanna become a devoted worshipper. This will be your very early or very late birthday present." "Well, if the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom, I might finally get some smarts." "Lots and lots of smarts." "You hungry, Scully?" "What's on the menu?" "You can slather me in ice cream or bee-pollen yogurt later on, but do you want some breakfast?" "Yeah. Catching your pitches and all that batting really works up an appetite." "Okay, I'll make us a huge plate of scrambled eggs. You just relax and enjoy and lay there looking sexy and beautiful and stark naked. I'll bring it in." "My my, Mulder, have you actually shapeshifted into a domesticated man?" "Amazing what the love of an Earth woman will do." "I thought we were from Venus. Mulder, when I woke up yesterday morning, it was a beautiful day. Well, it just kept getting better and better. And as for the night... Quite a game of discovery." "My discovery was how much I love your laugh, Scully. It's something so necessary. And it's just as good as bat meeting ball. Or sex. I'm going to make you laugh every day from now on." "You can get lucky that often too." Sound of kissing. "Mulder, you stole home base and stole my heart - but you're NOT stealing all the hot water. I'm going to go shower while you cook." "Deal." ************************ An hour later: The sound of eggs and pieces of china being scraped off the kitchen floor and dumped in the trash on top of the lamp, because impromptu batting practice broke out on the dining room table. THE END. Okay, they were very chatty during sex, but I would have had to have worked another week of nightshift to be in the correct frame of brain to capture it all in sounds instead! And with the correct spelling .