From: colbysgurl@shaw.ca   
      
   Authors: Sassy and Jacquie   
      
   Category: MSR Romance   
      
      
      
   Summary: A post episode fic for "Arcadia"   
      
   Rating: M   
      
      
      
   ....................................   
      
      
      
   Scully's eyes registered surprise for a moment before she said in his ear   
   "We'll talk about it later when it's not so noisy, okay?"   
      
   Mulder put her back on her feet. "Sure." He watched the rest of the game.   
   Now it was Scully's turn to wonder if she did something wrong. She sighed   
   softly to herself as she kept her hand in Mulder's for the rest of the game.   
   The Knicks won, but only by one basket.   
      
   "So did you have fun?" Mulder asked as they walked to the car from the   
   stadium.   
      
   "Yeah. It was great." Scully smiled. "Did you?"   
      
   "Mhm," he said, unlocking her door and helping her in.   
      
   "So we have about forty five minutes before our reservation," Scully told   
   him as he got into the driver's seat again.   
      
   "So back home then?" Mulder inquired.   
      
   "You got it. I wouldn't mind a shower or a bath. I'm sweating like a pig."   
   That little voice in Scully's head inquired 'Are you sure that's not because   
   you're with Mulder?' Scully visibly shook the thought away as she turned her   
   attention to the window.   
      
   "I'm sure you can squeeze that in." Mulder laid his hand on her knee.   
      
   "I'm not like some people." Scully managed a teasing grin. They got back to   
   his apartment. She smiled as he opened the door for her. She went to shower   
   and change. He went to the living room.   
   He turned on the TV and flipped the channels till he found the local news   
   station.   
      
   Fifteen minutes later, Scully called as she walked into the bedroom, "I'm   
   done with the shower if you need it."   
      
   Mulder, however, was already changed. "We don't have time." He handed her a   
   deep red rose.   
      
   "What's this for?"   
      
   "Because I love you."   
      
   "Sorry. Stupid question." Scully leaned up to kiss his lips. "Thank you."   
      
   Scully's eyes lingered on Mulder's long enough for him to be able to see   
   what she had been thinking about in the shower; how she didn't want to   
   leave. Then she forced herself to smile. "I'll just be a minute."   
      
   Mulder stood at the bedroom door, watching her. "You wouldn't have to go   
   back...if you'd...never mind."   
      
   Scully put her hairbrush down, looking over at him. "What were you going to   
   say?" She walked back over to him.   
      
   "Marry me...but that's fine if you're not ready..let's just live   
   together...under one roof." He got it out all in one breath.   
      
   Scully's eyes filled with tears. "Are you ready for marriage?" was the   
   predictable question.   
      
   "Since the day I fell in love with you."   
      
   Scully searched Mulder's face before agreeing. "We fight like we're married   
   already," she teased.   
      
   Mulder grinned. "That we do."   
      
   "Well at the risk of sounding like a wife, we gotta go. I just gotta grab my   
   shoes."   
      
   Mulder pulled her back. "Be my wife."   
      
   Scully pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him softly as tears ran between   
   them. "Yes," she whispered. Mulder picked her up slowly and spun her around,   
   all the while kissing her deeper.   
      
   "I love you so much. Forgive me for not saying it sooner?" Scully whispered   
   in his ear when the kiss broke.   
      
   "Forgiven. Let's go, we don't want to be late." Mulder took her hand and   
   kissed it. He slid an antique ring upon her finger.   
      
   Right." Scully sighed reluctantly and put her shoes on. As she brought her   
   hand back up, the glint of her ring caught her eye, making her smile. "It's   
   beautiful."   
      
   "Not as beautiful as you." Mulder took her hand and lead her to the car.   
      
   Scully didn't know why, but she had the sudden urge to climb on top of   
   Mulder's apartment building and shot form the roof top that she was engaged.   
      
   The restaurant was romantic...dim lights, soft music, everything just   
   perfect.   
      
   "You planned all this?" Mulder was in awe.   
      
   "You sound surprised, baby" Scully tentatively tried out the name on her   
   lips.   
      
   The maitre'd greeted them with a polite smile. "Reservations for two. Under   
   Dana Scully," Scully told him.   
      
   "Soon to be Mulder," Mulder added while smiling. "That is if she doesn't   
   want me to become Fox Scully. Because I'd do it for her if she asked."   
      
   "Maybe we better stick with Dana Mulder" Scully got tingles down her spine   
   thinking bout it. The maitre'd only smiled and led them to their seats.   
      
   "Think he is bored with us?"   
      
   "I hope not." I'm not even drunk and I'm already babbling, Scully chastised   
   herself. Then she sighed contentedly as she added, 'Too deliriously happy."   
      
   "I like seeing you this way," Mulder said softly.   
      
   "What way? Relaxed?"   
      
   "So happy, I can tell you're losing control...God, Dana, I want to be the   
   one that makes you lose control." Mulder's breath was on her neck.   
      
   "When we get home," she promised, feeling Mulder shudder.   
      
   Scully and Mulder were ushered to their table. A waiter was pouring wine   
   into glasses. He offered Mulder one to taste. Mulder tasted it and smiled.   
   "Good." The waiter nodded and poured more. The maitre'd helped Scully with   
   her chair.   
      
   Mulder sat once Scully was comfortable. "It's nice here, isn't it?"   
      
   Scully nodded agreement. He reached across the table to take her hand. He   
   ran his finger across the ring on her finger. He liked the way it looked on   
   her. "Angel Eyes" by the Jeff Healey band began to play. Mulder got up.   
      
   "Dance with me?"   
      
   Scully took his hand and they went to the dance floor. Mulder pulled her   
   close and she rested her head against his chest. Mulder laid his cheek   
   against her head. "I love you, Dana," he whispered, unsure if she heard him   
   or not.   
      
   "I know," Scully whispered back. "I love you too."   
      
   Scully leaned into him as the words of the song floated down to them. Their   
   eyes met. Mulder lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss stopped them in the   
   middle of the dance floor with everyone in the restaurant watching them.   
      
   "Don't worry about them. Just look at me," Scully whispered in his ear.   
      
   Mulder looked deep into her eyes. "Okay, I won't." When the song was over,   
   he dipped her slowly and kissed her mouth gently.   
      
   Scully wrapped her arm around his waist and they went back to their table   
   where their order was waiting. He helped her with her chair this time.   
      
   "You are the most beautiful woman in the world," Mulder whispered in her   
   ear.   
      
   Scully smiled at him as he sat down across from her. She reached over for   
   his hand. "Eat up, baby." Then she released his hand and began eating her   
   shrimp and pasta.   
      
   Mulder finished eating before she did. He watched her eat. "What else do you   
   have planned for my birthday?"   
      
   Scully's soft eyes looked up at him. "I thought I might give you your other   
   present."   
      
   "I didn't mean..." Mulder blushed slightly.   
      
   Scully took his hand. "What did you mean?" She needed to make sure they were   
   on the same wavelength.   
      
   "I don't expect you to go to bed with me until you're ready."   
      
   "I am." The response was soft and honest. His eyes found hers across the   
   candle on the table. Her eyes danced in the candlelight.   
      
   "I'm ready to get out of here. Are you?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)