From: akelleynolan@yahoo.com   
      
   TITLE:  Caving (1/2)   
   AUTHOR:  A. Kelley Nolan   
   EMAIL:  akelleynolan@yahoo.com   
   DISTRIBUTION:  I'll take care of Gossamer and Ephemeral.  Anywhere else   
   would tickle me to pieces.  Just let me know.   
      
   RATING:  R   
   CATEGORIES:  SR   
   KEYWORDS:  Mulder/Scully romance   
   SPOILERS:  Tiny one for "Pusher," but then again the show's been over   
   for years.   
      
   SUMMARY:  She looked at him a long moment, a wicked plan hatching in her   
   mind.  "Care to make this interesting?"   
   Mulder caught her tone and smiled to himself.  Scully wanted to play.   
   "What'd you have in mind?"   
      
   Disclaimer:  If I owned them, I'd live in Malibu.  Which I don't.   
   Mulder, Scully, Skinner, etc., belong to some combination of Chris   
   Carter, Ten Thirteen, Fox, and The Man.  Gerald Westover belongs to me,   
   I suppose, but I'm more than willing to loan him out if anybody wants   
   him.   
      
   Author's Note:  There's no specific timeframe for this story, but I'd   
   say it feels seventh seasonish.  Complete notes at the end of part 2.   
      
   ----------------------   
      
   "Hey, Scully, I think I found a new X-file."  She lifted an eyebrow   
   obligingly to show she was listening.  "This couple in Fairfax gave up   
   sex for Lent."   
      
   She considered her possible responses and settled on, "That was very   
   devoted of them."   
      
   "I think they missed the whole point.  Everyone knows you give up   
   brussel sprouts for Lent.  Maybe..." he struggled to think of anything   
   worth giving up for that long, "I don't know, NASCAR or something."   
      
   "Yeah, *they* missed the point," she smiled.   
      
   He looked thoughtful.  "I bet I could do it, though."   
      
   "What, give up sex for Lent?"   
      
   "Sure.  I could manage."   
      
   She grinned at him.  "If Lent was 24 hours long."   
      
   "I can be a very patient man, Scully.  Obviously."   
      
   "I don't know, Mulder.  You know what they say."  Her voice dropped into   
   a husky, teasing tone that made the hair stand up on the back of his   
   neck.  "Once you've had red, you can't stay out of bed."   
      
   "Well, *you* know what they say.  Once you've had Fox, all you think of   
   is..."  He laughed with delight at her genuinely shocked expression, and   
   she thought it was the best sound she had ever heard.  "I'm just saying,   
   I could totally outlast *you*, G-woman."   
      
   She looked at him a long moment, a wicked plan hatching in her mind.   
   "Care to make this interesting?"   
      
   Mulder caught her tone and smiled to himself.  Scully wanted to play.   
   "What'd you have in mind?"   
      
   "A little bet.  To see who lasts longest."   
      
   "Without sex?"  She nodded.  He had absolutely no interest in not having   
   sex with her, but she had a twinkle in her eye that hinted it might be   
   worth his while to play along.  "Interesting," he conceded.  "What's the   
   bet?"   
      
   "Well...how about *he* who caves first has to be the other's love slave   
   for a weekend?"   
      
   He grinned.  "Okay, I cave."   
      
   "You're right.  You'd just give up immediately.  Or maybe I would...   
   How about this?  If you cave first, you spend a weekend with me doing   
   exactly what I want."   
      
   "Sounds promising."   
      
   "I'm thinking shopping, art museum, maybe botanical garden, and a little   
   'Steel Magnolias' thrown in for good measure."   
      
   "I think I saw that advertised -- 'Eunuchfair,' wasn't it?"  She   
   twinkled at him a little smugly.  Man, she was cute.  "And what if you   
   cave first, Scully?  What do I get?"   
      
   "Well, I don't really see that as a statistical likelihood.  I've got a   
   biological advantage."   
      
   "Humor me."   
      
   Her eyes took on a sultry, come-hither look, and she stepped a little   
   closer, trailing a finger down his chest playfully.  "Whatever you want,   
   Mulder."   
      
   "Hmm."  He bent and kissed her lightly, just because he could.  "All   
   right, I've got it.  You will go with me to an Orioles game."   
      
   "An Orioles game."  She studied his face, looking for clues.  That   
   didn't sound too bad.  And it almost certainly wasn't all he had in   
   mind.  "What's the catch?"   
      
   Now his eyes twinkled at her playfully.  "You will wear a baseball hat   
   and a giant foam finger."  She groaned, but he put a finger to her lips   
   to let her know he wasn't through.  "You will eat a ball park hot dog   
   and drink ball park beer."   
      
   Ooh, he'd thrown down the gauntlet.  She straightened, trying to feel a   
   little less like a horny adolescent and more like a professional FBI   
   agent.  "It's a bet."   
      
   "Great.  Starting tomorrow?"   
      
   "No, starting right now."   
      
   "Whoa, whoa, whoa!  I've got plans for tonight," he said, catching her   
   around the waist and drawing her against him.  "Involving you, me, and   
   some Cool Whip."   
      
   "Guess you'll have to rethink them," she smiled.  "Maybe you and a nice   
   warm sock..."   
      
   Now he was slightly shocked.  He didn't know women knew about the sock   
   thing.  "Okay, Scully, I want an amendment to the deal."   
      
   "Are you caving already?"   
      
   "No, nor will I.  But I want a time limit on this.  I've waited my whole   
   life for you, and I don't want to be without you now that I've finally   
   got you."   
      
   She considered an amendment of her own, that appealing to the other's   
   overwhelming adoration of you was totally unfair.  She reached up and   
   kissed him, very softly and tenderly.  "I love you," she murmured.   
      
   "I love you, too.  That's what I'm saying."   
      
   "Okay, I concede the time limit.  How long?"   
      
   He considered.  An entire day seemed like too long not to wrap her in   
   his arms, two days seemed like torture, but he knew that for whatever   
   reason she wanted to do this.  He picked the biggest number he could   
   think of without feeling his heart contract.  "Two weeks?"   
      
   Two weeks? she thought frantically.  Shit!  She was sure he'd say a   
   week, and that within three days they'd be rolling around on her living   
   room floor.  Or maybe the dining room table.  This bet was less than   
   five minutes old, and it had already totally lost its appeal.  This   
   would be the time to call it off, to laugh and tell him to forget it,   
   which was all she wanted to do.  What was she thinking?  She had known   
   that sex with Mulder was good.  But making love to Mulder and being made   
   love to by him...lying facing each other with their legs tangled   
   together, teasing and laughing...or laying silently in bed afterward,   
   tracing their fingertips over each other's skin...catching each other up   
   in a firestorm of passion...well, that was way better.  She thought   
   about last night and the way his eyes had burned as he looked up at her,   
   the way he tossed his head back and she had bent to kiss his exposed   
   throat as he came inside her --   
      
   "What's the matter, Scully?  Having second thoughts?"   
      
   She looked up at him, her throat feeling suddenly dry.  "You really   
   think you can last two weeks?"   
      
   He shrugged.  "If I have to."  His hand found hers, and his face turned   
   serious and soft.  "There's no reason for us to do this, you know.  You   
   can change your mind.  I won't even hold you to the ball game."   
      
   She thought about it.  "Thanks for the offer," she said at last,   
   squeezing his hand.  "I appreciate it.  But I'm kind of curious."   
      
   "So this is by way of an experiment?"   
      
   "I guess so."  She looked up at him, saw a distinct lack of enthusiasm   
   on his face.  "Aren't you the least bit curious?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)