From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: 28 Aug 2007 05:05:15 -0000
Subject: Sweet and Low by Ericka D
Source: direct

Reply To: gilliansbabybook@yahoo.com


Title:  Sweet and Low
Author:  Ericka D
Rating:  NC-17
Classification:  MSR, Post Series

Disclaimer - Yeah, yeah, we all know who they belong to on paper, 
but in every sense that is real, they belong to us. We keep them 
alive, we feed them, give them shelter, torture them, rescue 
them, and let them have lots of soul shattering sex. I wouldn't 
want to make money off of them anyway - it's when money gets 
involved that characters often get compromised. 

Author's Note - I have not posted a story in several years. I 
have never stopped writing though. It was only in a conversation 
with some online people that I realized that maybe, just maybe, 
I'd do it one more time. This is not my favorite story, or even 
one I'm particularly proud of. But it's the one that was closest 
to being 'post worthy', so here it is.

For Beckyc, and my other Havenite friends. 


I wake when I hear the door shut. I open one eye to peek at the 
clock - 7:48am. I groan, and roll over. The bed seems so huge 
without Scully in it. Her pillow is still warm, and I contemplate 
snuggling in and going back to sleep, but, no, I'm awake. I rise, 
and pull on my boxers and a t shirt.

Coffee. I need coffee. Maybe Scully went to the diner in the 
parking lot to get some coffee. Right. That's my job. That's my 
morning routine, and Scully has her own. 

I step into my jeans and sneakers and grab my wallet. It's 
incredibly sunny and warm out, as I discover when I open the 
door. And there is Scully, sitting on a plastic chair, smoking a 
cigarette. Her second, I notice from the ashtray on the small 
table beside her. 

"I really wish you wouldn't do that."  Good morning, Scully.
She rolls her eyes and makes a show of being annoyed by my 
comment. Then she blows smoke in my face. Cute. "Kiss me, 
Mulder."

I smirk. "Going to get a coffee."

"Black, please," she calls to me as I walk away.

I raise a hand to her order and head over to the diner. Black 
coffee and cigarettes. I swear, I don't recognize her sometimes.  
Any time, really.  She doesn't even smell the same. She used to 
be all flowery and sweet, and, well, Scully.  Now she smells of 
cheap motel soap and cigarette smoke.  She kissed me once after 
smoking. I told her it was like sticking my tongue in an ashtray. 
Very cliche, but true. She never did it again. And she never 
smokes in hotel rooms or our car. Never asks to stop for a smoke 
when we're on the road, either.

And something else about this other Scully. She likes to fuck. In 
the beginning, it was all hearts and flowers and soft sighs. I'm 
a grown man, and it made me weep. But since we've been on the 
run, she'll have none of that.  It's always, 'Fuck me, Mulder.', 
or 'Do it harder, Mulder.'  Okay, not that that's the problem, 
but hey, a guy needs love too.  She won't even cuddle afterwards.  
I tried the other night and she rolled her eyes and said, 'I need 
a cigarette. Don't worry, Mulder. It's a compliment.'

I keep telling myself it's just stress, and things will return to 
normal. But what if this is normal? I have to do something to 
break through the rough edges. 

As I get my coffee order and bring it to the side bar, I take a 
sip of the black. I want to purge all over the Sweet and Low.  
Yuck. I pour sugar into mine and snap the lid on.  That's just 
what Scully needs. A little sugar.  Albeit, not in her coffee.
She is no longer outside when I return to the room. I fumble with 
the coffees and the key to navigate the doorway. 'Scully?' I 
call. And then I hear the shower running. I get the drinks down 
on the tiny table by the bed, and as I reach to take my wallet 
from my pants, I feel a stirring in my groin. I smile. What's the 
best method of attack? Surprise. I strip off my clothes and open 
the bathroom door.

'Mulder?'

'Yeah?'

'Don't flush, okay?'

Oh, jeez. One mistake, one time, and she never lets me forget it. 
I can see her silhouette through the steamed up shower door, and 
that puts me over the edge.  I slide the door open, and she whips 
around to face me. 

'What are you doing?' she asks in surprise.

Her body is amazing. The water hits her in just the right places 
and I feel my breathing quicken.  I cannot believe we've never 
done this.  I step in all the way and close the door. 
'Mulder! What are you doing?'

'Conserving water, expending energy.' I step toward her.

'Mulder, this isn't the place for this.' 

'Oh, you think so, huh?' I grab her by the back of the neck and 
kiss her hard. She does not reciprocate. I break away from her 
and push her under the spray, kissing her hard once again. I feel 
her fighting for breath and I stop. 'You want it hard and fast 
this time, Scully?'

Her breasts rise and fall quickly with her heavy breathing. The 
water glides over her face, her lips, as she breathes through her 
mouth. I hold her there, content to watch her and wait for an 
answer. 'Come on, Scully. Cat got your tongue?'

I leave one hand on her neck and grasp her left breast with the 
other. I bend down to kiss it, running my tongue along her smooth 
skin, showing a reverence she hasn't allowed me to show her in a 
long time.  Her body jerks upwards in response, and she coughs. I 
raise my head to see her shaking and sputtering water from her 
mouth.  'Want it like that, Scully?' I ask as I roll her nipple 
between my fingers gently. She wants to close her eyes and 
surrender to it, I can feel it. But she won't allow herself. I 
reach for her right breast, grabbing it hard like she often 
instructs me to. I squeeze it, taking it into my mouth and 
letting my teeth graze her skin. Her hands are on me now, pushing 
and pulling. I break away from her once more, and look at her.  
The water runs through her hair and down the sides of her face. 

'Decide yet, Scully?'

She nods, looking at my lips. She leans into me, out of the 
spray, and I let her take the lead.  She kisses me slow, her 
hands finding their way onto my chest and up to my neck. The kiss 
deepens, but remains soft, delicate, loving.  I cradle her head 
in my hand, and turn her back to the wall. As I push her back, 
she pulls her lips from mine. 'Like that, Mulder.' She whispers.
I nod and smile. As I lift her feet off the tile, and guide her 
legs around my waist, I realize I haven't done this in a long 
time. If we fall now, we might be talking broken hip territory.  
Ah, well. What's life without risks?

She manages to get one tiny hand in between us to guide me in. I 
kiss her as I enter her, and I swear, she feels different - soft- 
like home.  She moans into my ear, planting soft kisses on my 
face and neck. 'Slow, ok?' she says softly.

Jesus, she's so tiny, and when she whispers like that it makes 
her seem even smaller. I nod, and begin to move inside of her. 
Slow. There isn't much room for gymnastics in here, so I do my 
best not to pull out too far. She likes it when I grind into her, 
or well, she used to, so I try that. Judging from the look on her 
face, I'd say it's still a winner.

After several minutes of grinding, and her sighing and kissing 
me, I realize this isn't going to last much longer.  I slide one 
hand underneath her, and find her clit with the other. She arches 
her back into the wall and starts to moan as I make tiny circles 
with my fingers. Her hands struggle for purchase at my shoulders. 
'Let go, got you, Scully. I've got you.' I mumble as I pump 
faster into her. She's so close, I can see it, I can feel it in 
her. 'That's it, Scully. Like that. Come for me.' She opens her 
eyes and looks at me, her eyes locking with mine as she falls 
over the edge. I feel her tense around me, her legs gripping me 
tighter and her moans and sighs.and that's all I need to follow 
her. I slide into her once more and feel my breath catch as I 
empty myself inside her, my world exploding and my legs buckling 
beneath me. I lean further into her to steady myself as my body 
involuntarily thrusts once, twice more. I rest my head on her 
shoulder, and her tiny kisses slowly bring me back to the moment. 
I raise my head to kiss her and see a look in her eyes I haven't 
seen in years.

'Hey,' I whisper, planting soft, feather light kisses on her 
lips. 

She smiles a sleepy, sated smile. 'I love you.'

My heart fills to bursting at her words; I haven't heard them in 
so long. 'I love you, too. '

She slides her legs from around my waist and kisses my chest. I 
run my hands through her wet hair, kissing her forehead, her 
nose, her lips. I can't keep my hands off her, now that she's 
actually letting me touch her like this. 'Wanna take you to bed.' 
I whisper in her ear. I can feel her smile as she nods against my 
chest. I break away from her and turn off the water. I grab a 
towel outside the shower and wrap it around my waist, and then 
reach for another as Scully follows me out. She tries to take it 
from me, but I shake my head. 'Let me.'

She nods sheepishly and indulges me, watching me as I run the 
towel softly over her skin. I purposely miss a few spots so I can 
lick the droplets.  She makes a sweet noise, something between a 
sigh and a giggle. Her hair is dripping wet, so I take the towel 
and rub it gently.  She leans into my touch and sighs. 'Thank 
you, Mulder.'

I stop. 'For what?'

She smiles as she grabs the towel from me and tosses it to the 
floor. 'For loving me.'

"Always, Scully.'

She takes my hand and leads me to the bed, shutting off the 
bathroom light. Despite the hour, its still fairly dark in our 
room, thanks to the heavy drapes.  She gets on the bed and I 
follow, reaching for her. 'Hold me, Mulder, okay? Let's just stay 
right here.' I lay on my back, and she nestles her head into my 
shoulder. 

It's awfully quiet, save for our breathing.  I don't want to 
break the moment, but I have to ask. 'Why, Scully?'

She does not move. 'Why what?'

I make small circles on her arm as I answer. 'You have been so 
distant. So hard. Why?'

I don't hear her sigh, but I can feel it. 'I don't know. 
Honestly, Mulder, I don't. Pain. Fear.' She lifts her head to 
look at me. 'I'm sorry. I'm trying, I really am. This is so 
hard.' her voice trails off, and I now she is thinking that I 
have been through this before, but alone. 

'I know, Scully. Believe me, I do. And maybe it's easier for me. 
The only thing I've got to lose anymore is you, and you're here 
with me. We've got each other, Scully. We've got to hold onto 
that if we're going to get through this.'

She nods, running her nails lightly across my chest.  'I'm glad 
you surprised me the way you did, Mulder.'

I smile. 'You do, huh? I'll have to remember that one.'

She hums softly as she rests her head back on my chest.  I kiss 
her head. 'I'd do anything for you, Scully. I'd go to the ends of 
the earth.'

She lets out a soft chuckle. 'You already have, you know.'

And I remember the cold harsh air of Antarctica as I hug her 
closer to me. 'Yeah, I guess I have.'