Precious by Piper

STORIES ON THIS SITE ARE INTENDED FOR ADULTS ONLY

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Never have, never will. Thanks to CC, 1013, GA, DD, blah blah blah (I don't want to write this anymore than you want to read it, but I don't want to be sued...heh.)

**WARNING*--nothing but a Mulder&Scully romance ahead...no X-Files, no strange mutants, no Bambi's to screw things up. Just lots of Mulder-angst (some Scully-angst, but not as much) as they finally admit their true feelings =). So, anti-romantics, TURN BACK NOW! I have warned you...

**There are no NC-17 parts in THIS one, so all you kiddies are free to read it. Not the sequel, though, which is still under construction. Stay away from that one, before the Smut Police come after me ;)

**This one's for Cheryl, who pestered me and pestered me until I finally broke down and wrote this. The 'strawberry-scented-hair' is for you, Pooky! (hehehehehe) =). Thanks for the title. And I'm WORKING on the sequel, so stop yelling at me!** Okay, enough of that....onto the story....

Precious by Piper

The pale moonlight filtered through the drawn blinds, illuminating the darkened room, sending long beams of light criss-crossing onto the floor. A small figure, curled snugly up in a blanket on an overstuffed armchair, was oblivious to the hushed television which droned softly from the corner. The glimmering moonshine caught upon the woman's hair, turning the bright strands to fire, the only spot of color in the otherwise obscured room

That was how he found her

Fox Mulder stood in the doorway, mesmerized by the scene laid out before him. His hungry soul, lonely for so long, drank in the precious sight, and he felt a surge of emotion flood through him, one that he had dared not define as of yet, but which existed nonetheless

The day had been a trying one, with short tempers and thinly-veiled insults prevalent in the cramped basement office where they had spent most of the afternoon. There was paperwork to be done that could no longer be postponed, piles and piles of unorganized files and papers and other miscellaneous odds and ends filling the room, forcing Dana Scully and Fox Mulder to spend their time sifting and sorting through all of them. Mulder had been especially impatient, itching to get started on a new case which had crossed his desk from unknown channels, and he saw this mundane task as an annoying obstacle in his path. And he was determined to make Scully as miserable as he was

Scully had woken up that morning in an unusually sunny mood, the gray clouds looming outside her window having no effect upon her. She had breezed into the office, bringing with her the clean scent of soap, fresh air, and flowers. Flashing a beaming smile at Mulder, who was engrossed in an open file that lay on his desk, she immediately headed over to a large stack of papers that prevented her from reaching her chair, beginning the arduous task of arranging them into some semblance of order. Mulder, for his part, scowled at his unsuspecting partner, sighing loudly as he closed the folder and stomped over to an adjoining pile. The rest of the day had promptly gone downhill for the both of them..

Standing now on the outskirts of the room, staring at his partner's slumbering form, Mulder felt a wave of shame sweep over him at his behavior. She didn't deserve a bad attitude, especially from him, who owed her so much, and he wondered for the millionth time why she stayed by his side. He knew how very much *he* needed her; how she was the very air he breathed, how she kept him alive and strong, and gave him the power to continue in a search that was not even hers. But his bewildered mind couldn't comprehend why she had remained...what *he* possibly gave to her. She had lost so much because of him--her illusions had been shattered, her sister ruthlessly murdered, and three months of her life remained shrouded in mystery. His mind, finely honed and brilliant, but used to being alone, couldn't begin to discern why she put up with him and all his crazy obsessions

Mulder's reverie was broken by a muffled sound, so faint that only his FBI-trained senses would have been able to catch it. His sharp eyes scanned the room, searching for hidden predators, sinking instinctively down into a tense crouch. The sound came again, and this time he was able to recognize it. But the realization was little comfort

The darkness of the night had hidden from his eyes the evidence of tear-tracks which glistened upon Scully's cheeks; his preoccupied mind had missed the tiny catches in her breathing and the way she was convulsively clutching the blanket to her chest. He found himself staring at her, his muddled psyche attempting to accept the notion that the indestructible Dana Scully was doing the unthinkable--she was slowly breaking down. Cautiously venturing farther into the room, his forehead crinkled slightly, he tentatively walked to the chair where she was huddled

He dropped hesitantly to his knees in front of her, his eyes searching her face, which was turned slightly towards him. Noting the dried tracks upon her flushed cheeks and the tears that continued to seep from underneath her dark lashes despite the fact that she was deep in sleep, he found himself anguished, wondering if he had caused this uncharacteristic response in his partner. He was afraid that he knew the answer already, but he was praying that he would be proved wrong

Scully's face was troubled, her sleep fitful and uneasy. Her fingers were clenching and unclenching uncontrollably; hiccuped sobs punctuated her ragged breathing. Mulder, kneeling at her side, felt his heart aching at her obviously fragile emotional state. Reaching out a trembling hand, he slid his fingers into her hair, and while cupping her face in his palms, he tenderly wiped her tears away with his thumbs

Scully surfaced from her slumber to the slightest of touches upon her skin, and her senses, ravaged by her raging emotions, only registered the gentleness of it, and she unthinkingly let her guard down

"Mulder..." she sighed, her eyelids fluttering. He smiled involuntarily in response, pleased by the implicit trust he heard in her voice. His gentle fingers lingered upon her face, an unexplained need within him kept them there, caressing the soft skin, tracing the delicate bone structure which lay just beneath the surface

Pressing her face slightly into the pressure of his palms, Scully slowly opened her tear-brightened eyes. Crystal blue locked onto warm hazel. They stared at each other for a long moment. Time was suspended. All the barriers that had existed between them for so long came tumbling down, revealing pent-up emotions and suppressed desires

As Scully's sleep-clouded mind cleared, her protective defenses took control. To Mulder's eyes, it was as if an inner shutter had suddenly slammed closed, shutting him out again. He had so very rarely been allowed entrance to that inner sanctuary where she kept her emotions tightly locked down, and he treasured those stolen times. He knew that on the rare occasions when she had lost her control, he was the one she turned to for comfort, even though she considered vulnerability, no matter how brief her descent into it was, to be a great weakness. Mulder was aware that she believed that he thought less of her in those infrequent moments, but he knew the truth--they only made him admire her more

Scully, disturbed by the touch of his hands, jerked her head back, out of his grasp, and dropped her gaze. Mulder's hands fell slowly back to his sides

"What are you doing here, Mulder?" she asked tiredly, flustered by the aching of loss she felt with the removal of his warmth. Twisting around in the chair, she swung her legs to the floor. He was forced to stand, to get out of the way, or else she probably would have hit him. Standing up, towering over her, he gazed down curiously at her small figure, which was struggling untangle itself from the constricting blanket

"I couldn't sleep," he answered simply. "And for some reason I found myself here."

Scully sighed, fully aware of his endless battle with insomnia, of the nightmares that plagued him, asleep or awake. She finally managed to extricate herself from the quilt, and standing upright, she pushed past him to head into the kitchen

"And you just let yourself in?" she threw the question over her shoulder as he followed her into the room, leaning against the door frame

"Well, you didn't answer your door. I was worried," Mulder studied her profile as she busied herself making coffee

"Did you ever consider that maybe I didn't answer the door," she paused, deliberately allowing the moment to stretch, "because I really didn't want to see *you* after today?"

A flicker of pain crossed his features, and her resolve melted at the lost-little-boy look that settled upon his face. "Oh, Mulder," Scully murmured wearily. "I didn't mean that. I'm just so exhausted, and it's been such a long day, and...I don't know. I'm just really tired."

Mulder studied her, noting the slight slump to her shoulders and they way her head was bowed, as if the weight of it had suddenly become too heavy for the slender slope of her neck to support. The temptation was too irresistible for him to avoid. He reached out his hand and brushed his fingers gently across her sensitive nape

Scully shivered at the contact, allowing his warmth to linger for a moment, savoring it, then, regaining her control, she shrugged his hand off of her

"Scully, what's wrong?" he whispered, the soft tone of concern doing funny things to her heartbeat

She stood silently for a moment, looking down at the coffee mugs in her hands, her hair acting as a curtain, shielding her expression from him. Then she shook her head slightly and sucked a deep, calming breath of air into her lungs

"Nothing," she answered decidedly, shoving a cup into his hands. "I'm fine, Mulder." With that, she pushed past him into the living room

He stood alone in the kitchen, a tense muscle in his jaw working angrily as he fought to hold onto his rapidly-dwindling patience. Placing his coffee cup down onto the table, he lost the battle

"Of course you're *fine*," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear him. "You're always *fine*. Wonder why I never believe you, though."

She was standing near the window now, her form bathed in the moonlight that reflected off her smooth skin, giving her an almost ethereal glow. Mulder felt his breath catch in his throat at her beauty, his heart constricting painfully in his chest. Gazing out over the street, she appeared angelic to his eyes, and in that surreal moment, he knew. All the feelings that he had denied for so long rushed to the surface, overwhelming his stunned senses, flooding him with their richness. He realized, without a doubt in his heart, how very much he loved this proud, independent, stubborn woman. How she filled the voids in his soul, empty for so long, and made his life worth all the pain he had endured. She was his reward.

Scully tilted her tiny chin defiantly in his direction, turning the slightest fraction towards him. "If you don't believe me," she began, "then that is *your* problem, and *you're* gonna have to deal with it."

"I have been dealing with it, Scully," he answered. "I've tried not to be too protective of you...but there's something in me that always tries to take care of you.'

"Why?" Scully challenged, not moving from her position beside the window, not looking at him. "I never asked you to. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that," Mulder replied. "It's just that..." his voice trailed off as he hesitated, not sure if he could tell her what he really wanted to say, if he would be able to take that irreversible leap, to bare his soul to her

"What?" Scully was quickly losing her patience as he dawdled

Staring at her profile, Mulder decided that he could no longer pretend that there was nothing between them, that they were simply partners, with nothing between them except friendship. He wanted more. He *needed* more

Scully, with her back turned to him, didn't notice as he crossed the room to stand close behind her. She didn't see the raw emotion that marked his face, or the way his eyes glittered down at her with suppressed longing

Mulder remained motionless for a moment, his warmth blending with hers. She stiffened a tiny bit as she realized where he was, how near he was, how he was invading her personal space, as he had done so often in the past. But this time was so different, for both of them. Silence reigned in the room, broken only by the harsh ragged sounds of their breathing

He lowered his face down into the curve of her shoulder, his warm breath tickling her cheek, at the same time reaching out and placing his hands on either side of her slender waist, resting just above her hips. She gasped at his touch, closing her eyes as a shiver ran down her spine

"Maybe, I try to take care of you...," Mulder whispered, his senses filled with the heady scent of her hair. Strawberries. God, how he loved the smell of strawberries. Especially on her. "...because you mean so much to me. Because I care about you."

Scully's breath began to come faster, and her heartbeat increased its already frantic pace.

"Mulder, I don't...I don't understand," she stammered nervously, trying to maintain her focus and composure

He inhaled deep into the depths of his soul. He had gone too far to back down now, and besides that, he was tired of the facade, of the denial, and he just wanted it all to end. It was time to move forward.

"Are you sure you don't understand, Scully?" Mulder whispered, his mouth close to her ear. She began to tremble in reaction. "Are you really so uncertain?"

"Mulder...," she murmured breathlessly. "What are you talking about? Uncertain about..."

His voice, lowered and husky, cut off her words. "Scully, look at me..." he paused, "Turn around and look at me."

She remained motionless, fighting against the inexorable, sensual pull of his tone, but she was defenseless against its power. Her head bowed, her position one of instinctive defense, she slowly turned in his loose embrace, his palms forming a ring around her waist as she moved. Not lifting her eyes from the wild brightness of his tie, she stood stiffly, avoiding the moment when she would have to meet his gaze.

Mulder allowed her this, aware that he couldn't press her too fast, for what they had was too delicate, too fragile, at risk of irreversible damaged that could be hastened by careless, impatient words. The emotions that existed at the core of their relationship were as strong as polished steel, but the feelings just below the surface were as brittle as the most valuable crystal, worn thin by the relentless scrutiny and the danger they faced if they admitted, even to themselves, the power and depth of their bond. So he knew he would have to tread lightly, fearful of scaring her away with his urgency.

"Scully..." he began, looking down at the crown of her head, her face tilted towards the floor, away from his sight. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk today...I was just impatient, and preoccupied, and I took it out on you," he hesitated, then whispered softly, "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve it."

"It's okay, Mulder," she answered slowly. "It's forgotten."

"Well, obviously it's not, because you were crying," he pressed.

Scully stiffened even more in his arms, though he had been convinced that she couldn't get any more rigid. "I wasn't crying," she challenged, lifting her head defiantly, daring him to contradict her.

He smiled gently, choosing not to fight her. "All right," he agreed. She looked at him suspiciously, not trusting that he would let it go that easily, but he just looked back at her innocently. A tiny answering smile quirked at the corner of her mouth.

"What do you want, Mulder?" Scully sighed, dropping her head again to stare at his tie.

"What do I want?" he repeated, considering how exactly he wanted to answer her. Gazing down at her, he decided that it was time to throw all caution to the wind. "Well, Scully, I want..." he let the seconds stretch as she fidgeted in his hold, before whispering the last word, "...*you*."

Time, which she had once archly told him was a 'universal invariant', stopped. Her blood was pounding in her ears as her eyes, drawn by some irresistible command, rose up to meet his gaze. He had leaned in slightly towards her, his breath warm on her face, a tender expression brightening his eyes, and as she stared at him, open-mouthed, she knew he had been telling the truth. All the ramifications came crashing down upon her, and she began to shake.

Mulder slowly closed the last remaining space between them, slipping his arms all the way around her trembling body, sheltering her in his warm embrace. Scully, all her strength drained, collapsed, boneless, against him, burying her face in his chest as her hands clutched a death-grip onto the lapels of his jacket. He lowered his face into the curve of her neck, breathing in her unique scent.

"I love you, Dana," he whispered against her throat.

At his words, the hold she had been keeping for so long on her emotions snapped, and she lost control, her tears spilling out and soaking the front of his shirt. Mulder only held her tighter, his eyes glistening as he waited for the storm to subside.

At last, her sobs quieted to small sniffles, and her hands loosened, sliding around him to return his comforting hug. Mulder raised his hands to her head, stroking her hair gently before entangling his fingers in the bright strands. With a soft tug, he pulled her head back slightly, so that he could look down into her tear-stained face.

Her face told him everything he needed to know. Her blue eyes were shining with yet unshed tears, but they were tears of happiness. She blinded him with the force of her smile, and he found himself drowning in the depths of her joy.

"Oh, Mulder..." Scully murmured. "I was not expecting *that*."

"Yeah, well.." he flashed his irrepressible boyish grin at her. "I always did know how to press your buttons."

She gave him her special patented Scully-look that she reserved specifically for him, in response to his humor, then her face grew serious. "What are we gonna do, Mulder?"

He sighed, resting his forehead on top of hers, his warm breath mingling with hers. "I don't know. What I do know is that I'm sick of hiding my feelings, of denying that you are everything that I have ever wanted, or needed, and how you've managed to drive all the darkness away...how you've become the most important thing in my whole twisted, demented, lonely life..." his voice trailed helplessly off.

Scully, no longer uncertain, slipped her hands up and ran her fingers into his rumpled hair before pulling his mouth down to hers. A shock of pleasure ran through his body at the first gentle touch of her lips, then his starved senses took over, and he crushed her body to his, his mouth slanting forcefully over hers.

Go to the sequel, "Precious Moments"