Date sent: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 14:24:27 -0600 From: Lydia Bower Subject: A Better Fate Than Wisdom 1/1 by Lydia Bower PG-13 Title: A Better Fate Than Wisdom 1/1 Author: Lydia Bower Distribution: Anywhere, as long as it's archived in its entirety and my name stays put. Classification: V, H, MSR. Heavy UST alert. Rating: PG-13 for sexual content. Spoilers: Early Season Five, up to and including Detour. Timeline: Occurs after Detour but before Christmas Carol. What we have here are Happy!MulderandScully. Summary: Mulder and Scully drink some wine, do some star- gazing, and talk. Imagine that! Oh, and they do a little exploring too. Of the oral kind. Author's Notes: For all my faithful readers who've probably wondered if I'd ever write anything light-hearted again. I know it's been a while, and I appreciate your patience. See, I can *too* write something mushy and without angst! For Lisa and all the rest of the mush-puppies. Don't say I never did nothin' fer ya. Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully belong to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, but I'm supposed to give credit here to Chris Carter, so I will. Thanks, Chris, for creating them. They're my favorite toys and I promise to take good care of them. Will you do the same? A Better Fate Than Wisdom by Lydia Bower "Mulder, run it past me one more time. Why are we sitting out here in the middle of nowhere?" "It's not the middle of nowhere, Scully. It's the middle of a field." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the hood of the car, shooting him a dead-pan look. Mulder returned it, fighting back a smile. "I told you," he reminded her. "Reported sightings of strange lights in the sky. The last two nights in a row." "Uh-huh." "Why're you looking at me like that, Scully?" "Forgive my suspicions, Mulder, but I find it hard to believe you brought me out here just to look for UFOs." He put on his best adorably confused face and asked, "Why do you say that?" "Oh, I don't know," she drawled. "It might have something to do with the wine and the blanket you pulled out of the trunk." Mulder followed her line of sight to the aforementioned items he'd just placed on the hood and then back up to her gloriously blue eyes. "Standard UFO sighting equipment, Scully. It even carries the NICAP Seal of Approval." The eyebrow lifted. "Does it?" "Yep. Fully warranted and satisfaction guaranteed." The air around them began to dance in shimmering waves, stirred by the fundamental recognition waking between them. "That's an awfully confident claim, Mulder. Are you sure you can back it up?" He leaned in close. "Why don't you find out?" Mulder was unabashedly blatant in his approach. He'd been that way a lot lately. So had Scully, to a lesser degree. Ever since the shadow of her cancer had been lifted from their lives. It was almost like returning to their first quirky and playful year together, except different. Now their feelings ran deeper. Their commitment to each other was even stronger. Mulder had quickly found himself craving the times they'd take up their little games of verbal seduction. Missed those moments terribly when they necessarily took a backseat to the work. He spent large chunks of time concocting ways to get them off by themselves for some downtime. The mild November they were experiencing had given him the perfect excuse to escape the city with her. To avoid the still-uncomfortable confines of their respective apartments; where the ghosts of caution remained, whispering worries and anxieties into ears that now preferred to be deaf. Scully met his eyes squarely. "Why don't you pour me some wine instead?" Mulder easily shrugged off her temporary deflection and handed her the paper cups. He screwed the top off the jug of cabernet and filled them. Scully held on to them as he shook out the blanket and covered the hood of the car. He scrambled up and took the cups from her hand. Scully hiked herself up onto the hood and settled back against the windshield before taking the cup Mulder offered. They sat close together, shoulders rubbing, hips touching. They sipped wine and looked up into the starry sky. A comfortable silence enfolded them. Mulder could see her from the corner of his eye. Her pale skin shown in the unearthly light of the full moon. He didn't turn to look at her fully. It was enough right now to just sit and feel her beside him. To soak up her presence and be bathed in her calm. Several minutes passed before he felt Scully's head come to rest on his shoulder. He moved a contented sigh through his lungs. "You warm enough, Scully?" "Mmm. I'm fine." It was so nice to hear that and believe her. Mulder smiled. "So where did you go to make out when you were in high school?" He sat up and refilled their cups, returning the bottle to the roof of the car. She mouthed a thank you and studied him. "What makes you think I ever went anywhere and made out?" "Aw, c'mon, Scully. I bet you had to fight 'em off in high school. The guys were probably lined up at your door." "Just because I didn't have to worry about a date on Friday nights doesn't mean I was in the habit of necking with every guy I went out with." "Of course it doesn't," he quickly assured her. He snorted a laugh. "'Necking'. Now there's a word. As I recall, necks didn't have a whole lot to do with it. They were just a nice way of getting from one place to another." "From one place to another?" "Yeah. Y'know, from the mouth to the, um...chest area." He glanced over at her and was rewarded with a knowing grin. "You're a breast man, aren't you, Mulder?" His eyebrows rose. "You really need to learn to be more direct, Scully. The way you beat around the bush is shameful." She showed him some teeth this time and said, "So...what? I'm wrong?" "I'm an everything man. I like it all." "But what's your favorite part of a woman's anatomy?" "How did we get from making out to favorite parts?" "Well, it all leads to the same thing, doesn't it?" They traded grins. Mulder tipped his head back and let his eyes slip shut, enjoying the quiet that surrounded them. Scully's voice pulled him from the threat of sleep some minutes later. "Do you like my breasts, Mulder?" Every nerve in his body sprung to life as his mind went on red alert. He'd never expected that. And maybe that's why she'd done it. He forced himself to relax, his eyes still clamped shut. "Scully, there is absolutely no way I can answer that question without getting myself into trouble." There was a long silence. And then, "Try." Mulder turned his head and looked over at her. Scully was watching him, a very serious expression on her face. He scrubbed a hand along his chin. "Jesus. How do I say this without sounding like a pervert?" He ducked his head and murmured, "Yeah. I like 'em. They're very nice. What I've seen of them." He glanced up and caught her nodding thoughtfully. "They're not too small?" "More than a handful's a waste," he quipped. "Really?" She sounded so damned sincere. Mulder found himself wanting to reassure her. "That's what I think. I mean, big breasts are fun to look at and all, but small and shapely has always done it for me." She frowned at him. "Most of your magazines and tapes would prove you a liar, Mulder." He squirmed uncomfortably. They were moving from serious flirting to something else entirely. He wasn't sure he wanted to go there. Not yet, anyway. "That's different, Scully," he mumbled. "They're just a means to an end." He chewed his bottom lip and forced out the rest of his words. "I get lonely sometimes, y'know? Don't you? I mean, don't you ever... Never mind." Mulder slipped off his leather jacket, suddenly warmer than he should have been. He sat up and folded his legs in front of him. "Yes, I do." Her words were pitched low and somehow managed to shoot a high-voltage current of desire clean through him. "I get that way, too. And it seems silly when you think about it." He caught her eye. "What does?" "The fact that we spend almost all our time together but we're still lonely." The irony hadn't escaped him. In fact, it'd kept him up many a long night. They were everything to each other, gave everything to each other but that one thing. The flirting was easy. And relatively safe. Or at least it had been. But actually stepping over that last line was a frightening thing to contemplate. Mulder didn't know why. He only knew it was so. "It's not everything, Scully. In the grand scheme of things, it's not very important at all." He didn't have to explain what he was alluding to. "Unless you're talking about assuring the propagation of the species, and in that case, people will always do what comes naturally." Mulder set his cup on the hood and hopped off the car, turning to face her. His actions consequently sent the blanket they'd been sitting on slipping down the slick surface of the hood. Scully's small weight wasn't enough to anchor it down, as Mulder's bulk had. Her eyes shot level with his and she let out a little whoop and a warning, lifting her arms. "Watch out, Mulder, here I come." It was by no means a swift journey. Mulder had time to place himself directly in front of her and open his arms before she reached the end of the hood. His hands grabbed her waist as she dropped her feet and braced them on the bumper. Mulder ended up standing flat-footed with his hips trapped snugly between her thighs. And then they spent a good long time just looking at each other. Seeing the playful grins evaporate. Unconsciously noting the dilation of pupils, the slight parting of lips. They both held their breath, waiting to see what would happen. Mulder began to believe the world stopped and started in Scully's eyes. And she pulled her bottom lip just slightly into her mouth, her teeth sliding across it, and whispered, "Hi." Her tiny hands curled around his biceps, her paper cup falling to the ground unnoticed. "Hi," he echoed. She blinked at him twice and then reminded him, "You, um, you were saying something about doing what comes naturally." Mulder was waging an internal war. The impulsive side screamed at him to just do it already. Just kiss the woman. The rational part--the one he'd come to think of his Scully side-- begged him to give it some more thought. The rational side knew if he kissed her there'd be no going back. They couldn't kiss and then just act like it had never happened. In the end, Mulder compromised. Or wimped out, depending on how he would choose to look at it later. He decided to let Scully decide. "You know, Scully, most men would see this as the perfect opportunity to kiss you." Her hands squeezed his arms lightly. Her response was low and shamelessly seductive. "Would they?" He did his best to match her. "Oh, yeah." "So what are you waiting for, Mulder?" What indeed? he wondered. And so he threw all caution and good sense to the wind and leaned in to close the distance. So did Scully, her eyes sliding shut. Mulder followed suit. Probably not a good idea, since then he couldn't see where he was going and zigged when he should have zagged. Their noses bumped painfully and their eyes flew open, Scully drawing away a little. "Ow." She pouted and rubbed her nose gently. Mulder chuckled to cover his embarrassment. "Oops. Sorry about that, Scully." "S'okay," she mumbled, and gave her nose a final pat. Mulder recklessly blurted, "So...should we try that again, or did I completely ruin the moment?" She smiled then, a shy smile. "We could try again." "Yeah? All right." Mulder brought his hands up to carefully cup her face. Her skin felt like velvet under his thumbs. "You stay right there," he told her. "Don't move." "Okay." This time her eyes stayed open, as did his. Mulder slowly dipped his head and brought his lips against hers. Only then did his eyes slip shut. It was, by any measure, a chaste kiss. Very soft and very tentative. In fact, Mulder spent most of the time worrying that Scully would change her mind mid-kiss and push him away. But she didn't. He forced himself to pull back and wait until she opened her eyes. It took a while. Which meant Scully was greeted by the sight of a smiling Mulder. "Wow," he said. "Do it again," she said. Contrary to popular belief, Mulder had no trouble following orders. Especially when they were issued by a certain petite fellow agent with flaming red hair and unbelievable eyes. The lush mouth mere inches from his didn't hurt her chances either. He leaned in again, and as much as he loved the feel of her silky hair under his hands, his arms felt empty. As his lips made contact with hers, Mulder decided Scully probably wouldn't mind if he drew her in a little closer. And so he did. She didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she seemed to really like it. Her arms slid around him just like that. The second kiss lasted longer. They were both a little breathless when Mulder finally ended it, moving up to plant a kiss on her forehead. They both tightened their arms around each other. It was as Mulder was marveling (yet again) at how perfectly Scully molded to him, that he realized how happy he was. Utterly, unabashedly happy. Somehow he'd just known that Scully's kisses would be a balm to his soul. Mulder was by no means a religious man, but he nonetheless found himself thanking God for her. He decided he should probably keep that little tidbit to himself. Scully's words were muffled by his shirt when she finally broke the easy silence. 'Well, I guess that settles that." "Settles what?" He asked, dipping his head to nuzzle the crown of her head. She smelled like sunshine. Corny, yeah, but true. "It looks like we're gonna be just as good at this as we are at everything else we do together." Mulder chuckled. "And that surprises you?" It was a few seconds before she answered. "I suppose it shouldn't, but I've wondered for the longest time." She fell silent, but Mulder didn't feel the need to urge her on. He read her silence as a gathering of thoughts. She wasn't done yet. "Sometimes I wondered if it wasn't just the deprivation that increased the expectation. Y'know, convincing yourself that you were really missing out on something great? And having no way of finding out for certain? Am I making any sense, Mulder?" "Frighteningly enough, yes." He snickered when she gave him a half-hearted poke in the ribs. She started to pull away but he stopped her by tightening his hold. "No, not yet. Just stay here a minute." Scully relaxed in his arms without hesitation. And that felt really good. Could it get any better than this? Caveman Mulder certainly thought so. Caveman Mulder wanted him to shift the pressure of his lower body against hers just a little. Caveman Mulder was acutely aware of how soft she was, how good she smelled, how warm she was. Caveman Mulder was on the verge of a very uncivilized grunt; one that would roughly translate to "Woman. Good. Mine." "Uh, Scully?" "Yeah?" She sounded sleepy and content. "This feels really good." "Yes, it does." "No. I mean, *really* good." "Yeah," she agreed, and then wiggled around a little, getting more comfortable. Mulder couldn't stop his sharp intake of breath as she rubbed against him just so. And Scully suddenly went still. Shit. Busted. She leaned back and tipped her face up. He thought he saw amusement there. And maybe a little shock. But the tiny grin on her face was nothing but smug. "Oh," she said, "I see. Too good, Mulder?" His face was hot and he knew he was blushing like a kid. There had remained the remote possibility they could put these kisses behind them, if need be. His obvious erection, however, was a different matter entirely. In for a penny, in for a pound. "That all depends on how you want this evening to end, Scully." It was forever before she answered him. "Are you propositioning me, Mulder?" It had worked for the kiss; Mulder figured he'd try it again. "That's completely up to you, Scully." She thought about it for a few seconds. "So let me get this straight. You're leaving it up to me to decide whether or not we follow this to its logical end?" He nodded slowly, his most sincere expression in place. "That's what I'm saying." Mulder watched, with a fascinated thrill, as her eyes began to glitter hotly. The pink tip of her tongue darted out to sweep across her upper lip. And then she worked free of his arms and hopped off the hood of the car. Stepping to the passenger side, she opened her door, turning back to him. "Take me home, Mulder. I'll think about it on the way there." He propped his hands on his hips, rooted to the spot, staring at her open-mouthed. "Th...th...that's it? 'I'll think about it on the way there.' It's an hour's drive, Scully. That's cruel," he whined. She responded first by glancing at her watch. Then: "Time's a'wasting." "Oh, you're enjoying this way too much," he unnecessarily pointed out. "You bet I am. Are you going to take me home or not, Mulder?" He stood his ground for a few seconds before doing the inevitable. He gathered the blanket, cups and wine, and walked around to the open trunk, tossing them in carelessly. Scully was still standing outside her door when he opened his and slid behind the wheel. He buckled up and waited for her to join him. "You coming, Scully?" He didn't know if it was wishful thinking or not, but he could have sworn he heard her whisper "I certainly hope so," as she took her place beside him. It was going to be a long ride home. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* THE END Feedback to Don't bother asking for a sequel--you're not going to get one. Use your imagination instead. :-)