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Title: Red Bows and Mistletoe Summary: Mulder, Scully and William's first Christmas. And Christmas nooky, of course. Notes: This Christmas story takes place in The Eyes of a Child universe, but you do not have to have read that story to follow this one. Just know that Mulder and Scully are together, and William is their son. Thanks: Nancy and Traci...for inspiration and support. (N, the butt grab is for you!) Mulder/Scully Residence Mulder was wearing a Santa hat. Just the hat. Scully stood frozen just inside the open door, keys in one hand and briefcase in the other. She was unable to draw her eyes away from where they had naturally fallen after realizing that Mulder wore not a stitch of clothing, except for the hat. And a Christmas bow. Strategically placed, of course. A bright red bow tied artfully around his assets. "Hey, Scully," he said suavely then, strutting a little closer to her. "Wanna open an early Christmas present?" His eyebrows waggled comically, while down below something else waggled hopefully. A goofy yet lustful smile completed the picture. She swallowed thickly. Thud. Clunk. The loud sounds of her belongings hitting the hardwood floor awoke her from her stunned state. Kicking the leather briefcase out of her way, she moved further inside to shut the door. Keeping her gaze trained on Mulder the entire time. His sudden grin was cocky, and confident. Torn between wanting to kiss that grin right off his face and. . . Scully blinked rapidly, took a deep, slightly unsteady breath, and began shrugging out of her coat. Mulder's grin widened. It faltered however when she tossed the trench on the floor in front of him, and he actually wavered in his sexily posed stance. "Scuh...?" Quirking an eyebrow at him, Scully kicked off her heels and shed her blazer. Tossing it aside, she then gracefully lowered herself to her knees, on top of the coat. Tilting her head back to meet his eyes, staring down at her with mingled arousal and surprise, she purred, "I like to savor my presents, Mulder." She was fairly certain he gulped, and a thrill of feminine, triumphant power surged through her. Inching forward a little, she placed her hands on his bare legs, just above his dimpled knees, the ones he hotly denied having. She felt the gooseflesh pebble Mulder's skin, felt the slight tremor that went through his body at her touch. But he just couldn't let her have the last word. "No hands, Scully." He was kidding, she knew. Yet the thought intrigued her. Laughing, she agreeably dropped her hands, and brought her face closer to him, her eyes fluttering shut as she inhaled Mulder's unique scent. She nuzzled her cheek along the inside of one lightly furred thigh, and this time it was she who was hit with a wave of goosebumps. Her nipples hardened almost painfully, the friction from the satin of her bra a teasing torment. She was also feeling quite warm. Flushed. Mulder had obviously cranked the heat up, in order to parade around nude, with it being rather cold outside. Then of course there was the fact that she was incredibly aroused. Had been from the moment she had seen him in all his Christmas glory. Amazing that all it had taken was seeing her man scantily dressed, to loosely coin a phrase. Though the red bow had certainly done something to her libido, including a few interesting thoughts about just how to remove that festive decoration. Well, he *had* stipulated no hands... But first, her blouse had to go. While continuing to stroke her cheek along his thigh, Scully brought her hands up and swiftly unbuttoned her shirt, hearing Mulder's harsh inhalation and subsequent deepened breathing. Letting the halves of the garment fall open, she slowly undid each cuff, before dipping her shoulders one at a time to let the silky material shimmy off her body and pool on the floor. She had intended to remove her bra as well, but recalled how her cleavage in the lacy push-up had fascinated Mulder that morning. So instead, she lowered her arms to let her hands rest on her own thighs, and rounded her shoulders in to further emphasized her enhanced curves. She was rewarded by his husky groan. Tilting her head back again, she met his eyes and seductively licked her lips. His next groan was louder. With a pleased smile, she rose up on her knees so that her face was level with his jutting cock, and leaned into him, finally dropping her gaze from his. Carefully maintaining her balance, she nuzzled her face against his inner thigh, rubbing her cheek on his warm skin several times. The satin of the Christmas bow tickled her other cheek, reminding Scully of her plan to remove it. But not yet - she wanted to tease Mulder first. Letting her tongue slip out between her lips, she licked a long, slow, wet path along his inner thigh from just above his knee to the crease where leg met groin. She lingered there, giving the tender flesh a sucking kiss before turning her head slightly to tease his hardness with her nose and then a swipe of her tongue. Mulder shuddered, and Scully felt her inner walls pulsate with desire. After a few minutes of such play, she leaned back again to check her progress, using the expression on his face as a gauge. His passion-darkened eyes were glittering down at her, and he was biting his lip, his cheeks already flushed with his arousal. She winked at him, and then shifted her eyes to her target. When she opened her mouth, Mulder husked her name. Bringing her face in even closer, she delicately closed her teeth on... ...one end of the tied bow. Tugging gently, she felt only the tiniest of give. She was going to have to break the unofficial 'no hands' rule. Bringing her hands up, she first cupped them around the backs of his legs and squeezed, before slowly gliding her fingers up until she was cupping his firm ass. Another squeeze, and then she tugged harder on the bow. Holding his ass gave her better leverage, and the red satin unraveled from his hard cock. Mulder groaned, and rocked forward on his toes, thrusting his hips once. A second later his hands encircled her upper arms and he pulled her to her feet. The bow fell from her teeth to be trapped between their bodies as she was hauled tightly against his chest, and then his mouth swooped down to cover hers in a fiercely passionate kiss. One of his hands slid up her back to tangle in her hair and cradle her skull, while the other traveled downwards to roughly palm her ass. He squeezed her flesh as she had squeezed his, and Scully moaned into their kiss, her own hands busy running up and down his smooth, bare back. On one such pass, she kept going until she was clutching at his hair, knocking off the Santa hat that had surprisingly not fallen with their activities thus far. It fell to the ground and was forgotten. The bow was not the only thing trapped between them, and Scully came up on her toes to press herself against his hard length, starting a near frantic rubbing. Mulder managed to maneuver them over to the closest wall without breaking their lip lock, but her back hit it with a gentle thud. He pulled away to harshly whisper, "Sorry, baby," after her breath whooshed out in a shaky exhalation, before burying his lips in her neck as she panted for much needed air. At the same time, his hands got busy, removing her bra and tossing it over his shoulder, to quickly come back and pay homage to her bare breasts for long moments, kneading and stroking. He then moved downward, and worked on opening the button and zipper of her trousers. When the linen pooled around her ankles, Scully shifted from one foot to the other, finally kicking the pants away without a care about their dry-clean only instructions. Her delicate French-cut lace panties followed thereafter, thrown over Mulder's shoulder as her bra had been. His strong hand cupped the back of her left thigh, lifting her leg and hitching it up over his hip as he bent his knees and insinuated himself closer to her body. They both moaned as he entered her. Their coupling was fast and hot and furious, and when it was over, as they came down from their incredible high, they began to kiss again. Slow, nibbling kisses interspersed with sighs and love talk. The first knock on the door barely registered, but the second one had them scrambling. "Your mother and William!" Mulder hissed with alarm, snatching her panties from atop the answering machine they had apparently landed upon and thrusting them at her. "She has her own key!" Scully hissed back, grabbing the lacy scrap before bending to scoop her pants up, feeling ridiculous in only a pair of trouser socks, eyes frantically scanning the room for her blouse. Almost absently, she smoothed one hand through her hair, attempting to neaten the mussed tresses. "She does?" Mulder squawked, seeming confused. Then remembrance dawned on his exertion-flushed face, and he added, "Oh, shit, she does!" Moving to the couch, he plucked at something, as she noted his hair was also somewhat rumpled-looking. He had picked up his robe. Scully realized he had probably been sitting on the couch in his robe waiting for her to come home and surprise her with his nude rendition of Santa Claus. Had probably only shed it when he had heard her key scraping in the lock. She wished he had thought to bring her robe too. Finally spying her blouse, lying on the floor beside her coat, which had served duty as a knee pillow, she moved over to stand next to Mulder, who fingers fumbled as he attempted to tie his robe closed. She grabbed up both articles of her clothing, first tossing the coat on the arm of the couch, and then saying, "You let them in while I get dressed." Turning to go, she stopped and softly called out, "Mulder." When he looked at her, she pointed at her hair, mouthing 'fix yours'. He nodded, already moving towards the door. As she hurried to their bedroom, she heard Mulder opening the door, realizing with a gulp and a red-hot blush that it had been unlocked the entire time. Scully briefly glanced heavenward as she mused how thankful she was that her mother hadn't walked in - most likely because her hands had been full of William and baby paraphernalia. She would certainly have gotten an eyeful. The sash of his robe finally allowed itself to be tied, and after smoothing the robe down, and scrubbing one hand hastily through his hair, Mulder opened the door, a wide smile of greeting plastered on his face. "Hi, Maggie!" he chirped, meeting Scully's mom's mildly questioning eyes first, then skipping over to the wide-awake baby in her arms. "Hey, buddy," he cooed much more softly. "Hello, Fox," she replied, shifting in order to hold William out to Mulder. The baby was waving his fists excitedly, leaning towards his father, almost bouncing with excitement. Her eyes dipped down, taking in his robe and his bare legs and feet. Oops. He felt very exposed, despite the thick terry-cloth robe. "Da!" William babbled loudly. Pulling attention away from his father. What a good boy. "Yeah, buddy, right here," Mulder said, taking William from her and cuddling the boy into his chest. He pulled William's little hat off, and then bent his head and nuzzled his nose against his son's downy soft head - which was still kind of sparse in the hair department, and showing no signs yet of darkening from it's light reddish-blonde shade. William had only been gone since just after lunchtime, but he had missed him anyway. Holding his son capably with one hand, he unzipped his snowsuit with the other and got it off with only a little baby juggling. Realizing suddenly that he was blocking Maggie from entering, Mulder smiled sheepishly at her, and stepped back, saying, "Come on in." "Thank-you, Fox," Maggie said, and entered, carrying William's bulging diaper bag. Once inside, she shut the door behind her and moved to put the bag down near the sofa. Mulder followed, still cuddling William, who already had one hand fisted in his father's hair, a favorite pastime, and the other gripping the collar of the robe. Mulder saw Scully's blazer puddled on the floor at the same time Maggie seemed to, as she was staring down at it with her head tilted slightly to one side. Then his eyes took in Scully's shoes, lying haphazardly a few feet away, seeing Maggie note their presence as well. And then, like it was a beacon, they both saw Scully's bra, hanging from the shade of the corner lamp. He coughed, knowing his ears were turning red, and said, "Uh, Scully had a rough day." "I see," Maggie replied, her voice a little choked, and then she smiled at him, her eyes shining with suppressed, or maybe not so suppressed laughter. Oh, man. How embarrassing. Caught in the afterglow of early evening nooky by the mom-in-law. So he did what any red-blooded male who was talking to the woman whose daughter he had just finished doing the wild thing with did. He tried to pretend it hadn't happened, and fervently hoped said daughter would reappear. Like right then. When Scully did not magically appear to distract her mother, he offered up his son as a sacrifice instead. "Ewww, buddy!" he exclaimed, holding William up and out in front of him, his face screwed in an expression of mock-disgust. "Did you drop a load?" Maggie hurried over, a look of dismay appearing on her face. "I changed his diaper just before we left. He didn't go again, did he?" She held her arms out to take her grandson. "I'll check his diaper." Mulder handed William over, mentally giving himself a high-five for a nicely averted situation. He watched Maggie move over to the couch and lay William down length-wise. She knelt on the floor and her hands quickly and efficiently opened the snaps of his overalls around his diaper area. Peeking under the edge of one leg of the diaper, she sniffed delicately. "All clear," she reported. "Maybe he just passed wind." "Must have," Mulder agreed, big cheesy smile in place once again, and observed as she refastened the snaps and straightened up William's clothes. His son had one fist happily crammed in his mouth and was drooling to beat the band. When his grandmother lifted the baby up, her hands around his waist, he stood with his legs stiffly straight, babbling excitedly again, his fists now waving in the air. He loved to stand while being held, particularly on laps. "There's my big boy!" came Scully's cooing, happy voice from behind them. If Maggie hadn't been there, Mulder would have turned and parted his robe, flashing Scully his 'big boy', cooing back some smarmy come-on line. Instead he just smiled, seeing the joy light up her makeup-less, beautiful face. She stroked her hand fleetingly down his arm as she passed him to head right for their son. Maggie had stood when she heard her daughter's voice, scooping a very excited William up. She held the bouncing boy out to his mother, who took him and cuddled him to her breast, murmuring sweet baby talk to him. "Hello, Dana," Maggie said, touching Scully's back lightly. "Hi, Mom," Scully replied, lifting her face from William's to press a kiss on her mother's cheek. "Thank-you for watching William this afternoon while Mulder did his 'secret Christmas shopping'." Mulder only grinned at her when he heard the emphasis she put on the last words. He hadn't caught her in the act yet, but he knew she had been snooping around their place for the last couple days, trying to find his hiding spot. No chance of that, he'd asked the Gunmen to stash his gifts at their place, with a stern admonition for Frohike to keep his paws off the Victoria's Secret bag. "Oh, it's no trouble at all, dear," Maggie replied. "You know I love watching this little guy. I take him over to the church, and the women just eat him up. He's definitely a ladies man, this one." "Just like his old man," Mulder crowed, and made a silly face at William, who chortled and blew spit bubbles. Both Scully women gave him droll looks, and Maggie continued talking as if he hadn't interrupted. "Oh, that reminds me, Mrs. McIntyre...do you remember her, Dana?" At Scully's nod, she said, "Well, she knitted William the cutest little hat. I have it right here in his diaper bag." She moved over to pick up the bag, Scully with William following. Well one out of three wasn't the best of odds, Mulder mused. But at least his son thought he was amusing. "No appreciation," he announced, and was ignored by the women again, who were oohing and aahing over a red knit hat with a white wool pom-pom on the top. "Here, let's try it on," Maggie said, and Scully turned William around in her arms so that his front faced forwards. He agreeably allowed his grandmother to put the hat on, with nary a fuss. "Oh, that is so cute!" Scully carried William over to the small mirror on one wall - not the wall they had done the naked pretzel against - to show him how he looked in his hat. As soon as William saw it, he took it off and tried to eat it. "Oh!" Maggie exclaimed, and Mulder turned from staring fondly at William's antics with the wool hat to see that Scully's mom had found his own Santa Hat, lying on the floor. "Was this William's?" she asked then, holding it out. "Uh, no," he replied. "That's…um, mine." He smiled nervously and scratched at his head, avoiding Maggie's eyes - as if she would somehow be able to divine that he had worn only the hat, well, the hat and a Christmas bow. Which had led to things against a wall, things she really didn't need to know about. He looked over at Scully instead, who had turned around and was watching him with a knowing smirk on her face. The smirk disappeared when Maggie found the long red bow that had not so long ago been decorating his Yule log. Maggie held it up by one hand, and before she could say anything, Scully had come and taken it from her, stuffing it into the pocket of the khaki pants she had put on. "Um...Mulder was unwrapping...I mean he was wrapping presents!" she blurted out. Oh, good one, Scully, Mulder thought. He rolled his eyes at her, trying not to laugh. Maggie looked from Scully to him, and back again, clearly puzzled. A light appeared in her eyes and finally she just said, "Mm-hmmm." She chucked William under the chin and gently extracted the now wet wool hat from his mouth, moving to lay it down on the arm of the couch. "I've got some errands to run, so I'll be going now." She accepted a kiss from Scully, then an open-mouthed, wet buss from William before turning to receive one from Mulder. After opening the door, she looked back at them and with amazingly deadpan delivery, said, "If you need more time to," meaningful pause, " wrap, I'm always available." Ba-da-bum. The door closed, Maggie's receding laughter audible through its wood surface, and Scully turned to him, her cheeks blazing red. "My mother the comedian, ladies and gentlemen." "Gotta love them Scullys," Mulder quipped. Then 'oofed' dramatically at the elbow to the gut he immediately received. To the delight of William, who rocked and bounced in his mother's arms, giggling that baby giggle that turned many a grown man into mush. Namely the three men known as the Gunmen, and a certain normally staid and stern Assistant Director of the F.B.I., Walter Skinner. "Nice jab, Scully," he told her, then leaned in to press a smacking kiss on her slightly parted lips. Pulling away so that his lips grazed hers when he spoke, he whispered, "And I do love *my* Scully." She tipped her chin up to keep the contact of their lips, and smiled before her tongue came out to trace his lips. "Nice recovery, Mulder." Then she kissed him. "Ba ba, DA!" William offered, and clonked Mulder on the head. They broke apart, both of them laughing. "Pizza?" Mulder asked. "Oh, honey, you cooked?" Scully cooed, and picked up the portable phone. Christmas Tree Farm Their boots made crunching noises in the snow that remained from the previous night's surprise snowfall, reminding Scully of winters with her siblings. Tromping through huge drifts of snow with their toboggans trailing behind them to get to the Hill, making snow angels with Missy, having snowball fights with Bill and Charlie, determined not to surrender to her brothers, no matter the cost. She hadn't realized she had come to a stop in the middle of the path they were walking upon in their search for the perfect tree until she felt a gentle nudge. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Scully?" Mulder leaned over to say into her ear. He was holding a well-bundled William in his bucket car seat easily in one hand. The motion of leaning over caused the extra long tail of Mulder's stocking cap, complete with little ball of wool at the end, to flop forward and start a gentle swinging motion. It made her smile. William, whose two hands were smothered in mittens called Hot Paws, was also drawn to the hypnotic motion of the hat's tail. He watched the alluring object that was beyond his grasp with avid eyes. Yet he voiced no complaint, happy enough to be outside in the world. He was, and thus far in his seven months of life had been, a remarkably content baby. "Snowball fights and toboggan rides," she answered finally, a little wistfully. "I could push you in that snow bank over there," was Mulder's helpful comment, accompanied by another nudge and a teasing grin. It had to be a big brother thing. She briefly mourned for Mulder's lost chance to continue being a big brother, and wondered if William would ever have that chance at all. But she didn't want to slip into melancholy, so she tucked those thoughts away. For now. "I'll pass, thank-you," she retorted, and brought her hand up to bat at the tail of his hat, sending it flying over his shoulder. "Well then get moving, woman!" he mock-ordered. "We have a tree to find!" With that, Mulder trudged off with exaggerated stomping steps, making both she and William laugh, the mingled sounds high and sweet in the crisp, still, morning air. They wandered for over forty-five minutes before finding the perfect tree, sometimes in companionable silence, other times playfully fighting/discussing the merits or detractors of one tree or another. It started to snow as they stood contemplating the tree that Scully was certain was the one. Big, fat, fluffy flakes easily the size of half-dollars. William watched with absolute and utter intense concentration, his blue eyes enormous, barely blinking. Until one such snowflake landed on his nose because he had tilted his head back to see what was falling from the sky. The surprised expression on his face had both she and Mulder laughing loudly, had her wishing she had brought her camera. Once they had calmed their mirth, Mulder handed the bucket over to her, and walked around the tree several times - starting out in a wide circle and finally end ing up as close to it as he could get. Scully watched him sniff the branches, shake them, inspect the tree from the bottom up - or as far up as he could anyway, it was at least a foot taller than Mulder himself. What exactly he was looking or checking for, she did not know. She suspected he did not as well. He backed up a few steps, still eyeballing the tree, then looked at her at last, his face impassive. "I don't know, Scully," he remarked, drawing his words out slowly, bringing one hand up to tap at his chin, as if he were in the midst of a great debate. "There's something..." his voice trailed off. If her hands hadn't been full of William, Mulder would be getting a face-full of snow right about now. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the tree - it was perfect. So instead, she futilely kicked a snowdrift in his direction, hoping to get at least some on him. No such luck. "Oh, Scully," he sighed, with that 'tsk tsk' tone, smirking at her. "Is that the best you can do?" He shook his head sadly. "You're such a girl." "Them's fighting words, Mulder," she told him, even as she was already turning to one side and bending to put William's bucket seat down beside an out of the way pile of snow. With his snowsuit and the layers of clothing he wore, not to mention the knitted blanket tucked around his legs, he was well insulated, and she wouldn't be that long anyway. Just long enough to give Mulder his comeuppance. While Mulder was still assimilating the fact that she was no longer holding their son, she dove at him, tucking her shoulder in and aiming for his middle. Her momentum carried them both forward, into a conveniently located snow bank, Mulder sprawled on his back, legs akimbo, arms wrapped around her shoulders instinctively. Which placed her squarely between his legs. She planted her mittened hands on either side of him and tried to get up. Only succeeding in thrusting her lower body more firmly against his lower body. And Mulder didn't seem to mind in the least. "Is that an icicle in your pocket, Mulder, or are you just glad to see me?" she quipped, smiling down at his red-cheeked face. "Very glad," he husked, and a moment later Scully felt her world spin. For Mulder had flipped them until their positions were reversed and she was the one laying in the cold snow, with his weight comfortably over hers. His 'icicle' was pressing quite insistently into her lower belly. He wiggled slightly and then bent to whisper in her ear, "Wanna melt it, baby?" "Mmmmm," she purred and bucked her hips up. "I do." She bucked again, adding a little grind. "If we were alone, Mulder, I'd already be tearing your clothes off!" He laughed and reared back to stare into her eyes, his dark with passion and a hint of surprise. "Why, Scully, I never pegged you for an all-weather kind of girl." Of course he didn't mean it innocently - she knew that. "Mulder, the things you can do to me," she said with all honesty, her voice husky, "I'm willing to do anything." It was true; he brought out every wild fiber in her body, including some she hadn't known she had. An expression of wonder and reverence spread over his face. "I love you, Scully," he whispered, and leaned in to kiss her. Cold lips grew warm with the prolonged contact, and they just might have done more than make angels in the snow if it hadn't been for a little voice calling out with imperious demand. "DA!" They broke apart, identical smiles slowly wreathing their faces, and then Mulder extricated himself off of her, standing and extending a hand to help her up. Just as she regained her feet, but not her balance, he let go. She fell back into the snow with a loud 'oomph' to the accompaniment of Mulder's laughter as he went to fetch their indignant son. Struggling out of the snow bank, she brushed the wet, slightly melting snow from her rear end and the backs of her legs before meeting Mulder's very amused eyes. "Just you remember, Mister. Payback's a-" He cut her off. "Whoa there, little lady. Not in front of the peanut gallery here." She narrowed her eyes at him and instead said, "You've been warned." "Duly noted," he replied with a quick nod. Then he gestured at her tree. "Let's say we get ourselves a tree, huh?" "It's about time," she muttered, and dug the bright red tag out of her pocket. Marching over to the tree, she affixed it carefully, making certain it was clearly visible, the name MULDER in black marker block letters. That done, she gave it one last look then tromped through the snow to where Mulder stood waiting with William's carrier easily held in one hand. He held out his other one, into which she slipped her hand, and they headed back to the tree station where they would inform an attendant, amusingly attired in an elf's costume, of their choice of tree. The proprietress of the farm, a middle-aged woman who introduced herself Anne Tyler, offered them hot chocolate as they waited, which they accepted with gratitude. While it wasn't exactly freezing, there was a definite chill in the air. Perhaps fifteen minutes after that, their elf came along, with an elf assistant, the now neatly bundled tree over the two young men's shoulders. After paying for the tree and thanking Anne, Mulder led the way to their SUV, with Scully in the middle toting William. The drive home was fun-filled. They popped in a CD of children's Christmas songs, and Mulder demonstrated his sing-a-long skills with fine form. Mulder/Scully Residence Scully's commands were muffled, what with him being surrounded by several feet of real pine tree, but he was able to make them out, and attempt to obey. The key word was 'attempt'. "No, no. I said to the left just a little bit," she said then. Mulder dutifully shuffled with baby steps to *her* left - also known as *his* right he found out after the first mess-up - and imagined a giant tree shimmying its way across the floor, grinning to himself. A shower of pine needles answered his every movement. He didn't worry about them - Scully had cleanup duty. She insisted on it, and who was he to argue? "Stop!" she called out then. He stopped, and waited. Sensing that she was checking the tree from every conceivable angle. He found it amusing how into this tree decorating business she was - how into the entire Christmas experience actually. But he had to admit he had gotten caught up in her excitement. It was infectious. If one did not count drinking heavily spiked egg nog with three other lonely guys, the Gunmen, or the year he and Scully had shot each other while ghostbusting on Christmas Eve, the holidays were usually something he would avoid by hiding in his office looking for an X-File to investigate. For the first time in a very long time, that was not the case. For the first time in a very long time, he was looking forward to Christmas. Looking forward to seeing it through Scully's eyes, and in a way, through William's eyes. "Okay, Mulder, just come forward a tiny bit," she said next, and when he had moved forward infinitesimally, she called out with more excitement, "Oh yeah, right there, STOP!" Did it make him a pig because he thought her words were vaguely sexual? "That's perfect, Mulder," Scully said, interrupting his wayward train of thought. "Come on out." With some difficulty he extracted himself from the large tree, stopping just before her to brush pines needles from his chest and belly. It was then that he realized his hands were filthy, and sticky with tree sap. Scully leaned in to kiss him, but halted in mid-pucker, having apparently noted his appearance. "Hmmm...I'll hold that thought," she murmured, lightly tracing his lips with her index finger instead. "Why don't you have a shower while I string the lights? We can decorate the tree together after." He couldn't resist the opportunities she continually fed him. "Or..." he drawled, putting a leer on his face. "We could shower together and you could string *my* lights." Not a flicker on her face. Then a slow smile curved her lips, one he might describe as sexily evil. "You sure your light bulb isn't burnt out, Mulder?" she queried, one eyebrow arching delicately. Damn! She was quick. Well, she'd learned from the Master. Who currently wanted nothing more than to grab her and toss her over his shoulder, haul her off to his cave…bed…whatever. But not with his sapslimed hands - she was wearing a pretty sweater he knew better than to touch. Still, he had his glib tongue. "Oh, baby," he crooned back to her. "Don't you worry about my light bulb. It's got an extended life. Just for you." With lips pressed firmly together, she pointed in the direction of their bathroom. Yet there was laughter lurking in her eyes, he could see them sparkling with her contained mirth. And if he was not mistaken, a glimmer of interest. But sadly she did not act upon it, instead saying, "Shower, Mulder." It was as he was walking away that she called after him, "I'll put that light bulb to good use later." Oh, yeah, baby. Mulder stopped in his tracks, about to turn around, when the other baby in his life made his presence known through the baby monitor, babbling happily away to himself. "Shower, Mulder," he repeated soulfully, and trudged onward. Behind him, Scully giggled. By the time he had re-showered, and gotten dressed in a clean pair of jeans and tee shirt, and returned to the family room, Scully had the lights on the tree, twinkling merrily. William sat in his Exersaucer about two feet from the tree, watching the proceedings with extreme interest, the rounded base of the play seat rocking with each excited motion he made. Several blocks and rattles adorned the circular tray, and the floor around him. Mulder bent and kissed William on the top of the head, then moved to stand beside and slightly behind Scully, one hand curving around her waist, drawing her back against his body. He kissed the side of her neck after nosing her hair aside, and smiled when she shivered. "Looks good," he mumbled into her skin. "I'm pretty pleased with the tree myself," she replied, squirming a little. "Talking 'bout you, Scully, talking 'bout you," he crooned into her skin, wondering if she would remember a long-ago, late-night batting session in a park. When she shifted to push her rear into his groin and shimmied a little, he was pretty sure she had remembered. Her words confirmed it. "Nice piece of ash, Mulder," she retorted, giggling. He had decided in the last few months of blissful togetherness, that Scully's giggle and William's laugh were the two most incredible sounds in the world. Well, those and the swoosh of a basketball sinking into a net. "Love you," he murmured into her neck, and heard her happy sigh. She spun around, her arms coming up to wrap around his shoulders, and pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tightly. "I love you, Mulder." They rocked in place for long seconds, wrapped in each other's arms, before Mulder reluctantly released her. "Guess we should get this tree decorated, huh?" he asked her. "The boss," he jerked his thumb at William, who was currently and unsuccessfully attempting to cram a large block in his mouth, "will want his lunch soon, won't he?" "He will," she nodded, and stretching on tiptoes, pressed a quick kiss on his lips before releasing him. Stepping back she nodded towards several boxes on the floor a foot or so away from them. "The decorations are there," she told him, and then looked like she was thinking about something. "Oh!" she said a moment later. "I bought some small red velvet bows yesterday to tie on the ends of the branches, I think the bag is in the bedroom. I'll be right back." With that, she hurried from the room. Mulder smiled at their son, drooling contentedly on his blocks. "Daddy's going to make Mommy laugh again," he told William, in a loud whisper. "You watch and see." William gave him a big gummy smile, and continued his quest to eat blocks. Scully came back a few minutes later, a box of red velvet ribbons in one hand. "Found the bows for the branches," she announced, waggling the box a little. "I found something too," Mulder told her, reaching into his back jeans pocket, where he had stuffed the red bow that he had tied around himself the other day. He pulled it out and brought it around, letting it unroll from his hand and dangle. Delighting at the way Scully's eyes immediately dropped to his groin area, and her cheeks tinged pink. "The bow for my...big branch," he leered. And laugh she did. Much later that night, she paid homage to his big branch, his extended life light bulb, his Yule Log... Mulder/Scully Residence Mulder moved into the kitchen, scanning the finger foods Scully and her mother had prepared and laid out for their coming guests. It was something he'd never before imagined he would do - throw a Christmas Eve party. Was he domesticated or what? Yes. Did he mind? Not in the least. Which surprised the hell out of more than just him. Scully, though she seemed to accept it with ease, still often wore a look of puzzlement she could not disguise, though she tried to hide it. Skinner, the Gunmen, too, watched him with curious eyes. It was difficult to explain how events in the past year or two had changed him, to anyone other than Scully, and even she could never fully comprehend the sheer enormity of it all. Difficult to explain how the knowledge of having been abducted, despite the fact that he had no memories of it, and learning of what had happened to him when he had returned had been and was still a life-altering experience. To explain how watching his child being born, and spending time with William since leaving the F.B.I. for consulting work had shown him there was more to life than looking for what he believed he now already knew about - the existence of aliens. Shrugging off the mood-sinking thoughts, he went back to business. Scoping out some of the food. Non-alcoholic Eggnog, pass. Vegetables and dip, maybe. Fancy cheeses and crackers, possibly. Interesting yet also scary-looking pate with more fancy crackers, fat chance. Chips, pretzels and cheesies - his contributions - check, check and check. He had to sample some of each, of course. Wouldn't you know it the minute he dipped his hand in the first bowl, Scully walked into the kitchen? One of the few times his Scully-radar failed. "Mulder!" He jumped, whirling around in surprise. "Scuh-LEEE!" His voice rose and cracked like an adolescent schoolboy's, and he felt his ears redden. Putting his hands on his hips, he tried for innocent indignation. "What?" "No snacking," she told him, coming over to waggle her finger in his face. Then she had the audacity to pat him on the belly and turn away, teasingly calling back over her shoulder as she moved to the fridge, "I wouldn't want you to lose that fine figure of yours." Sucking in his gut exaggeratedly, he swaggered after her. "Ah, but Scully," he crooned as he draped himself over her slightly bent figure while she reached into one of the fridge's lower shelves. "I know I have you to help me…work it off." Adding a little thrust of his hips to punctuate his come-on. Scully responded by wiggling her ass and remarking in a sex-kittenish voice that was totally ruined for him by the sarcasm he realized it contained, "Oh, baby, take me right here, right now." She then straightened and stepped back, using her not-inconsiderable strength to push him out of her way, turning to face him. Her eyebrow arched, and she continued in a droll voice, "With our guests due to arrive in 15 minutes, and my mother upstairs with William." "Where's your sense of adventure, Scully?" he teasingly pouted. "Taking a break," was her quick and slightly muffled response, tossed over her shoulder as she had turned back to reach into the fridge. A second later she had turned to face him again, thrusting a jar of pickles into his mid-section. "Open this and put some in that pickle tray on the counter, please," she requested. "Yes, dear." Pickle jar in hand, he moved over to the counter and began to do her bidding. Behind him, he heard rustling noises as Scully removed something else from the fridge. He glanced over his shoulder to see her carrying a large platter of what looked like deli meats. Now that was something he could eat. Cellophane crinkled as she apparently uncovered the tray. By the time he turned around with the pickles and sweet onions artfully arranged, if he did say so himself, the other trays and platters on the table had been shifted about, with the meat platter at one end , near a basket of rolls and a dish of butter pats. His stomach rumbled. "Looks great, Scully," he told her honestly, watching her nod absently, the curls of her hair bobbing. Her hair. She had styled it differently, with some of it pinned up, and the rest curling to dangle around her ears and neck. It looked good. Really, really good. Sexy. Hot. He realized with a start that he had not complimented her on her appearance at all, that he hadn't even really looked at her outfit. His eyes slowly traveled appreciatively over her figure, from her highheeled clad feet to the diamond studs in her ears. A long, silky, ankle-length black skirt that hugged her hips and ass, and flared just a little at the hem, and an equally feature-hugging, clingy, short-sleeved top in a dark purple accentuated her trim, sexy shape. The neckline of the top, square and a bit low, garnered an extra bit of attention, of course. She looked ravishing. And sadly, there was no time for him to do a bit of ravishing. "Scully," he said softly, and when she turned her head to look at him, he continued, "You look incredible." She flashed him a dazzling smile, her cheeks pinking charmingly, and said, "Thank-you, Mulder." Her head cocked to one side. "You're looking rather handsome yourself, you know." He dipped his head in a nod of thanks, and rocked back on his heels a bit, holding his hands out in front of himself, gesturing at his attire. "What, this old thing?" he joked. This old thing was the khaki pants hunter green v-sweater she had requested that he wear. "It looks sexy," she murmured, her lids lowering as she eyed him from head to toe, and set his heart a-thumping. "But we've no time for that," she said a bit wistfully, and looked away. Mulder sighed. Later. Much, much later. Stepping back a little then, Scully instead eyed the table. "It does look good, doesn't it?" Her voice was filled with pride. A second later she murmured, "Except we're missing the napkins, plates and utensils. I wonder where I-" The doorbell rang, halting her in mid-sentence, and they glanced at each other and then the clock on the wall. 4:30 on the dot. Punctual. He wondered if it was Skinner, Doggett and Reyes, or the Gunmen. Guess he'd find out soon enough. "Why don't you get that, and I'll find the plates and napkins?" Mulder suggested. He was fairly certain he knew where everything was, not to mention that this way he could filch a few bites of various goodies without witnesses. Scully nodded, and brushed a fleeting kiss in the vicinity of his cheek as she moved past him to go answer the door. Pausing at the mirror on the wall in the front alcove, Scully gave herself a quick once-over, then moved over to peer through the peephole, rising on her toes. Skinner's large, oft-times imposing figure was easily recognizable, if somewhat distorted through the lens, as was Monica Reyes' dark hair. Other blurry shapes that she recognized as John Doggett and the Gunmen milled around the two. Smiling, Scully unlocked the door and twisted the knob, letting the heavy wood swing open wide. Before she could say anything, Monica leapt forward, pulling Scully into her arms for a hug, exuberantly chirping, "Ho ho ho!" Startled, Scully did not immediately react, her hands hanging limply at her sides for a moment, before she responded. Giving Monica a hug in return, she murmured, "Merry Christmas, Monica." After Monica had released her and stepped back, Skinner then embraced Scully, somewhat awkwardly, one arm extended outward, laden with gaily decorated Christmas gift bags. Scully noted with inward amusement as she was pulled against his chest for a one-armed hug that the AD's ears were the same end earingly red color Mulder's had been when she had caught him attempting to snack on the food in the kitchen. Something she was positive Mulder was doing right that minute. "Good to see you, Ag--, ah... Dana," Skinner said, his hand squeezing her shoulder as he let her go. "You too, Sir," she replied, and then laughed. "I mean, Walter." They exchanged smiles before he stepped aside. Seeing John and the Gunmen apparently lined up for hugs as well, their arms likewise-burdened with Christmas gifts, she said, "Why don't you guys come inside first? It's chilly out there!" Everyone shuffled in agreeably once she had stepped back inside the house, one hand on the edge of the door, the other gesturing them in. Boots and coats were removed, to be placed in the shoe tray or hung up in the closet, more greetings and hugs exchanged, and then they moved en masse to the family room where their Christmas tree had been set up. William was there with his Grandma, wearing an outfit she had bought for her grandson for this occasion - dark green corduroy overalls, red Christmas socks with candy canes all over them, and a red turtleneck. He babbled excitedly when he saw everyone, particularly Frohike, who got a loud, "BA BA BA!" when the little man moved over to chuck William's chin. Mulder walked in a few seconds later, suspicious cheesie-like crumbs dotting his sweater, his right hand brushing over his face quickly. Scully moved over to wrap one arm around his waist, her other hand brushing the crumbs away from his chest before she brought it up to swipe at his lips with her thumb. "You missed some, Mulder," she told him. He merely grinned unrepentantly at her, before pecking her cheek quickly and pulling free of her embrace to go shake the men's hands and to press a kiss of welcome on Monica's cheek. Once everyone had said hello to all, for it seemed their arrival at their front door had been a coincidence, with Doggett and Reyes having come together, and Skinner and the Gunmen in their own vehicles just minutes after, they sat down to do a gift exchange. William, of course, made out like a bandit. Toys, clothes, books, computer software. And that was just from the Gunmen. John and Monica had gone in on a gift together, and gotten William several Walt Disney movies. Skinner had purchased his godson a savings bond and a rather elaborate train set. The adults were next, gifts shared with much laughter, before they moved into the kitchen to partake of the buffet-style food. While her mother happily dealt with William and his dinner, Scully began to fill her plate. A warm familiar hand slid over her lower back, fingertips grazing the top of her ass, to cup her hip, and Mulder's rangy body pressed up against her backside. His voice whispered in her ear, sending tingles along her spine as his mouth just touched her lobe. "I just had to tell you again how incredible you look." He paused, breathing softly, and then added, "Sexy. Mouth-watering. Delectable." Her head fell back, helplessly, revealing more of her neck to him, and she swayed in place. His voice had amazing power over her. As did his hands, now cupping both her hips, and his lips, gently nibbling on her skin. Frohike grumblingly interrupted their moment with a comment. "Hey, take the love-fest elsewhere. Some of us are hungry." Oh, I hunger, Scully thought, and felt the blush bloom on her cheeks. "Sorry," she coughed, straightening up, hearing Mulder's unabashed chuckle, followed by his retort to Frohike. "Jealousy'll get you nowhere, little man." Mulder's tone, light and teasing, took away the sting of the words, and both men laughed after Frohike flipped Mulder the bird. As did everyone else. The meal was as enjoyable an affair as the gift exchange, everyone finding somewhere to sit in the family room - the floor, sharing the ottoman, hunched over a filled plate on the couch. Later, Skinner set-up the train set, and sprawled unconcernedly on the floor in front of it. William was sitting with his back resting against Skinner's middle, the man and the baby watching the train go around the track over and over again. They all laughed each time William squealed with delight. Scully announced she was going to put on coffee, and Frohike sprang to his feet, offering his assistance, an odd, and perhaps anticipatory smile on his face. She thanked him and they headed to the kitchen. There really wasn't much for him to do as she filled the carafe with water and set the ground beans to percolating, so they chatted about their plans for the following day. Mulder, William and she were going to her mother's house for Christmas dinner, and Byers was going to be cooking the Gunmen's turkey, complete with all the trimmings. It was while she was reaching up in the cupboard for the coffee mugs that she heard Frohike cough, followed by a rustling noise. When she turned around to see if he was all right, after putting the mugs in her hands on the counter, she saw that he was standing less than a foot away, a sprig of mistletoe held above his head. Oh, dear. His expression was part leer, part hopefulness. The little man waggled his eyebrows then exaggeratedly looked upwards. "Oh, look, it's mistletoe!" he exclaimed. Scully had to laugh at his antics, and he grinned in response. "So, whaddya say?" he asked then, giving the mistletoe a little shake. There was movement beyond Frohike, at the doorway, and her eyes flicked from the little man to see Mulder standing there, looking amused. She opened her mouth, and Mulder shook his head, bringing his finger to his lips, presumably asking her to be silent about his presence. He started to creep forward. Shifting her eyes back to Frohike, she nodded and murmured, "Close your eyes, Frohike." They immediately closed, and her smile widened. What a sweetheart he was. A pseudo-pervert, but a sweetheart nonetheless. She moved to his side, just as Mulder silently reached Frohike's other side. Her brows creasing, she sent him a look, one that asked 'what are you up to?' He grinned and pursed his lips at her, jutting his chin towards Frohike, and held up one hand, showing her three fingers. Understanding dawned. On the count of three, they would act together. She nodded and watched his hand, watched him count to three. When he reached it, they simultaneously kissed Frohike on his cheeks. His anticipatory smile turned to a frown, and Scully knew his mind had registered two different sets of lips kissing him. His eyes popped open wide. The expression on his face when he saw both her and Mulder was priceless still leaning towards him. Their combined laughter drew everyone else's attention, and Scully let Mulder tell the tale. To Frohike's chagrin. Christmas Eve Mulder watched Scully approach, admiring the gentle sway of her hips, and the way her clingy top hugged her breasts. His cock stirred. "William asleep?" he asked softly when she had sank down onto the couch beside him, leaning slightly into him, their bodies in contact from hip to shoulder. She nodded. "Yep. Out like a light, and I do believe down for the count." "That's good." He lifted his left arm and draped it around her, his hand cupping her shoulder briefly before he started stroking his fingers gently up and down. "We had a nice time today, didn't we?" "That we did," she agreed, turning slightly towards him and snuggling into him, her head lying back to rest on his arm. "Mistletoe and all." She rolled her head to look at him, and they shared a grin at the memory of Frohike's pained comment of mock-disgust after he had realized Mulder had kissed him as well. Settling back down, a moment or two later she murmured, "The Gunmen are going to spoil William rotten. They got him some wonderful gifts." "Mm-hmmm," he hummed, thinking both about the Fisher Price Baby Smartronics Computer Learning System, and the heat of her body aligned against his. The stirring intensified. "Speaking of gifts," he said after a moment or two of comfortable silence, deliberately letting his voice trail off. Scully waited a second before responding, waiting for him to continue, he knew. "What about them?" she asked, sounding drowsy and only half-interested. He turned his head so he could nuzzle his face into her hair. Letting his voice become teasing, and hopefully intriguing enough to rouse her interest further, he murmured, "I've got another early Christmas present for you." Her body twitched, and he heard her quick inhalation. She cleared her throat, and replied, trying desperately to not sound eager, "You do?" "Yup," was all he said, counting silently in his head. One, two, three- "Where is it?" she demanded, sitting up and twisting her body so that she faced him, one hand coming to rest on his chest. When it came to presents, she was so predictable. Smiling, he covered her hand with his, squeezed her fingers. "In the bedroom," he told her, having snuck in there while she was putting William to bed. He had gambled that she wouldn't go to their room when finished, but instead seek him out, knowing he had been sitting on the couch before. Fortunately he had won the gamble. Though it wouldn't have been a big deal if she had found it first, other than perhaps spoiling - just a little - the activity he had planned to go with the present. He felt her fingers flex, and his smile deepened. She was holding back, barely. "Why don't you go open it, then meet me back here?" he said. Hopefully wearing it, he added silently. An eyebrow arched, and a smile curved her lips, curiosity rampant in her eyes. "O-kay," she said slowly. "I'll do that." Leaning forward, she pecked him on the cheek, before using her hand on his chest to lever herself off the couch, laughing at his grunt of surprise. "Be back in a few," she promised, and made him smile again at her attempt at nonchalance as she headed quickly to their bedroom. Once she had cleared the room, Mulder was off the couch in a flash. He turned the two table lamps off, so that the room was lit now only by the lights of the Christmas tree, and then reached behind the sofa for the blanket he had stashed there earlier, taking it over to the tree. After spreading it out to his satisfaction, he stripped down to the red silk boxers he had changed into during his mission to deposit Scully's present, elegantly wrapped and decorated with a pretty red bow, on the middle of their bed. In an obvious attempt to display it so that there would be no way she could miss the rather large box. He paused, imagining her approaching the bed, quivering with excitement as she entered the room, and then spying the present. She had two styles of gift opening, and he wondered which one it would be this time. There was the method she usually used with company, carefully peeling each piece of tape off with her fingernails, so as not to tear the paper. Taking her time. Then there was the uncontrollable ripping that sometimes occurred when he surprised her with presents as he was want to do, tissue paper and scraps of Christmas wrapping flying everywhere as she strove to get to the gift as quickly as possible. His mind then moved on to her reaction when she opened the box and the tissue paper inside. Was she laughing right now, already changing into it? God, he hoped so. Picturing her in it, his cock became semi-hard, the silk of his boxers an exquisite torment on his sensitized flesh. "Slow down there," he said quietly to himself. "Slow and easy." He gathered up his discarded clothes and laid them in a messy pile on one corner of the couch and retrieved one last item before returning to the blanket. He knelt down, fixed the one corner that was under the tree, fixed the Santa Hat atop his head, and then arranged himself so that he lay on his side along the blanket. Propped on one elbow with his ankles crossed negligently. Waiting, while his heart pounded furiously. He sensed her nearing even before he heard the quiet click of her heels. As he'd always been able to, for years. How, he'd never questioned. He'd just accepted it. Appreciated it. Treasured it. Excitement and anticipation had his breath stuttering in his lungs. He stared at the doorway, and could not blink when the vision of sexy loveliness filled his eyes, and his heart. Scully stood poised, posed, her arm up so that her hand rested high on the jamb, supporting her weight as she leaned into it. Along with the nearly sheer, red teddy trimmed with imitation white fur and the sheer white stockings and red garters he had bought at Victoria's Secret, she was wearing red stiletto heels he hadn't known she owned. His eyes didn't know where to start or to stay. They moved from her breasts, where her hard nipples were clearly visible, to the shadowy triangle of her mound, making him squint as he tried to figure out if she was wearing any panties or not. Not, he decided happily after several pleasurable seconds. The garters around her thighs had him swallowing thickly, had his cock twitching. And the shoes, God the wonderful things those shoes did to her already incredible legs. It took him a long moment to find his voice. Even then he was only capable of uttering her name in a low, guttural tone. "Scuh-leee." "Mm-mmm," she murmured, shaking her head playfully. "Mrs. Claus." Striding forward in this graceful, leopard-like way, her hand trailing slowly and seductively down the wood of the doorjamb as she left its support, she purred, "Has Santa been naughty or nice?" God, he loved her. "He...he's been naughty," he rasped. "But he's going to be really, really nice now." He held a hand out to her, which she took after toeing her shoes off and nudging them aside, and helped her to kneel down on the blanket before him. "Does...does Mrs. Claus like her present?" he got out next. The Mrs. Claus lingerie outfit had been partly a gag gift, partly a secret fantasy/wish, one he had not been entirely certain she would appreciate. Even though she had surprised him in the past with the get-ups she would wear to spice up their sex life. Or the get-ups she had asked *him* to wear. "Yes, she does," she murmured, one hand coming up to toy with the neckline of the negligee, drawing his eyes there immediately. "Very, very much." "Santa's glad," he told her. Then semi-echoed her words, "Very, very glad." With a seductive move and whisper of sound, Scully shifted to lie as he was, facing him, only inches separating their bodies. "This is...well, this is wonderful, Mulder," she said, breaking their Santa/Mrs. Claus play. He grinned - he had to be him. "It will be." Bringing his free hand up, he cupped the back of her neck and applied gentle pressure to urge her face closer to his, leaning his into her at the same time. Their mouths met in a gentle, closed-lipped kiss. That grew into more as they opened to one another, breathed in each other's breath, and each other's love. Tongues touched delicately, almost tentatively, before becoming bolder, stabbing at and sliding against each other. They broke for air briefly, and immediately dived back in. Their passion intensified. Hands fisted in hair, breasts pushed urgently against muscled chest, legs twined together. Pelvis met pelvis, rocking and thrusting. Unable to hold himself up any longer, and desperate to feel her body beneath his, Mulder rolled Scully onto her back, settling his weight partly on top of her. In doing so, their mouths were separated. He compensated by burying his face in her neck, by sucking on the tendon that stood in sharp relief as she arched into his embrace. Her hands grew wild on his back - nails lightly scoring his flesh, fingers digging into muscle. Swooping down to clutch at his ass. Up again to fist once more in his hair. His own hands were equally busy. One was in her hair, while the other was occupied with cupping and shaping each of her breasts through the negligee, then inching the sheer material slowly upwards to confirm that she was indeed panty-less, fingers now dipping down to toy with one garter. Retracing the same route, over and over. On the next path, his hand slid down past the garter, to stroke over her stocking-covered thigh. Lifting his head to stare into her eyes, he nudged the garter up, his fingers next sliding under the hem of her stocking to begin tugging it gently downward. "And the stockings were undone by the chimney with care," he intoned in his best storybook voice. Scully laughed - a deep, full, body-shaking laugh that *he* felt clear to his toes. "Mulder!" she spluttered in between lingering giggles. "That's not how the story goes!" "It does the way I tell it," he crooned, and then successfully removed the first stocking with dexterous one-handed maneuvering. Shifting once again, he trailed his lips upwards along her smooth, bare calf, his tongue coming out to circle her kneecap before he looked up again, blinking lazily at her. "It's much more fun my way, Scully." With that, he moved his hand to her other stocking, this time using his nose to push that garter out of his way. Smiling to himself when she shivered and her legs moved restlessly. He took his time skimming it down her leg, his mouth following behind his fingers, nibbling and licking at her soft, fragrant skin. After pulling it free of her sexily painted toes and tossing the thin bit of gossamer silk over his shoulder, he cupped his palm around her heel, lifting her foot up to his mouth. He traced the knob of her anklebone with the tip of his tongue before drawing it into his mouth and sucking on it. Her foot twitched in his hand, and she moaned. Releasing her foot, he laid it back down on the blanket so that her leg was stretched out once more, and then traveled up her leg thusly, meandering and sometimes backtracking - kissing, licking and sucking. No rhyme or reason to his path, no way for her to anticipate where he might go next. Keeping her on the edge, feeding her arousal. And his. When he reached the obstacle of the garter, he nipped at it with his teeth, making sure he scraped at her tender flesh as he did so, pulling it away from her thigh. He tugged gently, looking up to meet Scully's smoldering gaze while making a playful growling noise low in his throat, and then he released it, letting the elastic snap back. Scully jumped at the erotic pain, her back arching briefly. "God, Mulder." He flashed her a toothy smile, and resumed his garter-play. Once he had both garters off, also tossed somewhere over his shoulder like her stocking, he slid up until they were face-to-face, propped on his elbows and laying in the cradle of her legs. "I've been remiss again," he said softly, shifting to lean on one elbow so that he could bring his other hand to her face and skim his fingertips along her cheekbone to her jaw and back. Again and again. "How's that?" Scully whispered back. "I didn't tell you how beautiful you look in this." His hand slid down her neck to toy with a negligee strap, his finger absently following the neckline, dipping into the vee of her breasts and up to the other strap. "Yes, you did," she assured him. When he drew his eyebrows down in a silent question, she explained, "You told me by the way you looked at me. By the way your eyes caressed me. By the way your breath came faster and your hands trembled. You told me with every action of your body, instead of with your voice." Her words enflamed his passion, his soul, and he preceded to show her without words how very much he loved her. Wanted her. Needed her. Afterwards, they snuggled together, partially wrapped in the blanket, lying beneath their Christmas tree. And when the mantel clock quietly bonged midnight, he awoke his sleeping beauty with a tender kiss, smiling when her eyelashes fluttered opened and closed. "Merry Christmas, Scully," he whispered. "Merry Christmas, Mulder." The end Merry Christmas everybody.
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