--------

Please forward to A.T.X.C.

Please Archive

This little story is in response to Lindsay's ice-skating
challenge. Any and all feedback always welcome at
gkingsley@hotmail.com

Disclaimer:  Okay, okay.  You know the deal.  Fox, 10-13 and CC
own the X-Files and of course our beloved Mulder and Scully.
I'm just playing with them for a bit.  Actually, I think they're
playing with each other ;)  Please don't sue me - no, of course
I didn't get permission, but no copyright infringement
intended anyway - I'm not making any money out of this and
you wouldn't get much anyway - I'm just a poor Aussie Uni
student.

BTW, I stole some of the bathroom scene from a now defunct Aussie
TV show called E-Street.  I don't think they're going to sue me
for that, but just in case - sorry, I didn't mean to.

Rating: R (I think)

Classification: Story, MSR

Spoilers: None (NB in my alternate universe, Memento Mori never
happened)

Summary: Mulder teaches Scully to ice skate and Scully, um,
rewards him ;)


"Check-skate" by Gemma Kingsley (gkingsley@hotmail.com)


******************

Scully's apartment

     Mulder made his final move.
     "Check, and mate."  He raised one eyebrow suggestively at his
partner.  She ignored him, pondering the chessboard intently,
a little frown forming on her forehead.  Finally she gave up,
acknowledging defeat.
     "I'm going to beat you one of these days, Mulder." she
insisted.
     He was about to point out that she said that every time but
hadn't won yet, when the doorbell rang, interrupting him.
     "Expecting company, Scully?"  She shook her head, and
reluctantly got up to see who it was.
     A slightly awkward-looking teenage boy stood at the door,
trying to balance a package and a clipboard.
     "Um, delivery for, er, Miss Dana Scully." he said,
consulting the list in his hand.  "Sign here please."
     Scully quickly inscribed her name, and Mulder, who had come
up behind her, took the package from the boy.
     "Do you know who this is from?" Mulder asked him.
     "Sorry, Mister, I just deliver 'em." he replied.
     Mulder and Scully returned to the living room.
     "Scully, I don't like this.  An unmarked package, delivered
to your door.  It could be anything."
     "Mulderrrr," she signed in exasperation, "You can't be
paranoid all the time."  Mulder held his hands over his head in
mock fear as Scully opened the box.  Scully began to laugh as she
pulled out a pair of ice-skates.
     "Very deadly, Mulder."  He shrugged his shoulders at her.
     "Who are they from?" he asked.
     "I don't know.  Oh, hang on, there's a note here. Listen:

Dear Dana,
     I don't know if your mother mentioned it to you, but Dave's
been transferred to Malaysia.  Since I really won't be needing
these there, I thought you might like to have them.  Drop us
a line if you get the chance,

                   Love Louise."

     "She's my cousin." Scully added in explanation.  Taking
the skates out of the box, she contemplated them with interest.
     "Hey, Mulder, you ever been ice-skating before?"
     "Yeah, we used to go in Oxford all the time."  Scully
clamped down hard on the jealous little voice in her head which
was saying that he probably used to go skating with Phoebe.
But Mulder was ahead of her.
     "I remember Phoebe hated skating.  She absolutely refused
to go, and complained whenever I did.  I used to love it, but
I haven't been in years now."
     "Let's go, then." Scully said impulsively.
     "Go where?" Mulder asked in confusion.
     "Skating."

*******************

Mulder's apartment

     An hour later, Scully tapped her foot impatiently as
Mulder dug around in his closet.
     "I know they're here somewhere, Scully."  With mild
irritation she went into the bedroom to help him look.
     "Here, pass some of that junk out here."
     "Um, no, that's alright, Scully.  I can manage."
     "Don't be silly, Mulder."  She grabbed the nearest box
and ripped off the tape that was sealing it.  Mulder closed
his eyes, anticipating her reaction.  Scully picked the
first tape out of the box.  The picture on the cover was of
a buxom blonde, dressed in black leather and brandishing a
long whip.  The title read 'Belinda does Bondage'.  Scully
regarded Mulder speculatively.  He gave her an apologetic
look, but she continued to watch him.
     "What?" he finally asked.
     "I was just wondering why you'd packed all your videos
away in the back of the cupboard." Scully replied, and was
amazed to see a blush creeping its way up Mulder's cheeks.
     "I, uh, well, never mind." he said, turning away from
her.  He wondered how Scully would react if he told her it
was because his fantasties about her were better than any
of the videos.
     A few minutes later, Mulder's shout of triumph
proclaimed that he had found the elusive skates, and they
set off for the nearest ice rink.

******************

Ice rink

     Mulder finished lacing up his skates and watched
Scully struggling for a few moments, before he took hers
out of her hands and laced them up for her himself.  She
shivered.
     "I didn't think it would be this cold." she told him.
     "You didn't think it..."  He suddenly stopped as he
realised what she had said.  Mulder looked at her in
amazement.  "Scully, haven't you ever been ice-skating
before?"  She shook her head.
     "I always wanted to, but I just never got round to
it.  Besides, how hard can it be?"
     Mulder laughed uproariously.
     "I guess you're about to find out." he told her.
He pulled her to her feet, and Scully balanced shakily.
But when she tried to take a step forward, she suddenly
found herself pitched into Mulder's arms.  He grasped her
tightly.
     "Um, sorry." she said, leaning on the railing for
balance.
     "That's alright." Mulder replied.  Suddenly his day
was looking up.  Scully inched her way along the railing
to the edge of the rink.
     "You go first." she told Mulder. He skated onto
the ice, executed a precision turn, then returned to
Scully's side.
     "Come on, then." he insisted.  Scully stepped warily
onto the ice, grabbing Mulder's arm.
     "Okay, good.  Now watch.  Move first one leg, then
the other, just sliding them along like this."  He let
go of Scully and demonstrated.  But when Scully tried to
copy him, she found herself flat on her back, legs in the
air.  Mulder skated back to her quickly.
     "Scully, you alright?" he asked concernedly.  She
gazed up at him.
     "I'm fine, but I'm not quite sure how to get up."
Mulder smiled and bracing himself on the railing, tried
to pull her up.  Scully managed to get herself into a
sitting position, and pulled on Mulder's jeans to get
herself back upright.
     He grinned at her.  "Why Scully, if you wanted to
get my pants off you should have said something
earlier."  She ignored this comment, and holding his
arm tightly, tried again.  Her feet slid back and
forth, but she wasn't moving anywhere.  She frowned.
     "What am I doing wrong?" she asked Mulder.
     "Hang on, I have an idea."  He removed Scully's
fingers from the death grip they had on his arm, and
placed his arm around her waist, supporting her.  He
felt her stiffen slightly but was relieved when she
didn't pull away.
     "Okay, now move your feet like you were before,
and I'll pull you along." he told her.  In this way,
they managed to do a couple of slow circuits of the
rink.
     By the time they came back to where they had
started the second time, Scully was beginning to be
more stable on her skates.  Mulder loosened his grip on
her and she was just about to try striking out on her own
when a group of small children collided into her from
the side.  Scully grabbed for Mulder in panic and they
both fell, Mulder landing on top of Scully and knocking
all the air out of her.  When she finally recovered her
breath, she looked up to see Mulder's face only inches
from her own.  Her breathing became more shallow and it
had nothing to with the fact that she'd fallen over, and
everything to do with Mulder being so close.
     Mulder saw her reaction because he was feeling much
the same way.  Trying to cover his body's  response to
their proximity, he joked, "Now this position presents
some interesting possiblities."  Scully's eyes widened,
both in shock and arousal.
     "Mulder, get off me."
     "Hmmm, I don't think so.  Finally I have you right
where I want you."  Scully was too surprised to do more
than stare as his mouth moved agonisingly slowly to
cover hers.  But as their lips met she instinctively
opened her mouth to allow access to Mulder's questing
tongue, and was soon kissing him back with just as
much passion and enthusiasm.  The cold and wet feeling
of ice at her back, the noisy screams of excited
children all seemed to fade away and all Scully could
feel was Mulder's body pressed hard against hers, and
the ecstasy of finally having his mouth on hers.
     Mulder's grunt as a passing skater fell over them
registered in the back of her mind, but she made no move
until Mulder pulled backwards off her.  Scully almost
whimpered as the heat between them was replaced by the
freezing air swirling around her, but she caught herself
before Mulder could see her reponse to the loss of his
mouth on hers.  Mulder awkwardly got up and helped her
to her feet, neither of them able to meet the other's
eyes.  They moved forwards, and Mulder smiled happily
at Scully when he realised she was skating by herself.
She looked up at that instant and was lost in his eyes.
They looked deep into each other's souls and both saw
what they'd been hiding for years.
     Unfortunately, Scully was paying more attention
to the love and desire that she saw in Mulder's eyes
that to what she was doing with her feet, and she
slipped again.  Mulder reached for her as she fell,
and she landed on him this time.
     "Scully, if you wanted to be on top, all you had to
do was say something."  She grinned, enjoying his
teasing all the more now that she knew it was more than
just a joke.  They got to their feet again.
     "Scull...Dana, do you want to go home now?"  Their
silent means of communication through eye contact had been
perfected over the years, and Scully knew exactly what he
was asking.
     "Yes, I think we should definitely get out of these
wet clothes."  Mulder understood the double-meaning of
her reply and felt his body react instinctively.
     "Let's do it, then."
     Scully grinned up at him as she took in his choice of
words.

***********************

Scully's apartment

     What had seemed so easy and straightforward when they
were laughing and joking at the ice rink was no longer so
simple.  The silence between the two of them as they
entered Scully's apartment was strained and awkward, and
the tension was palpable.  Scully glanced at Mulder
nervously, gesturing towards the bathroom.
     "Why don't you use the bathroom first, while I see if
I can find us something to eat."  Mulder just nodded and
followed her suggestion.

     With the chicken baking in the oven and vegetables
simmering away nicely on the stove top, Scully curled up on
the couch to consider her next move.  'What was I thinking?'
she admonished herself.  'Was I just going to drag him back
here and jump into bed with him?  This is Mulder for god's
sake.  He's my friend, my partner, not my...' Scully gulped.
'Not my lover.'  Her imagination immediately played traitor,
picturing her and Mulder in exactly that position.  A little
voice in her head was telling her to go for it.  She
admitted to herself that she'd wanted this for a long time,
and now she knew that Mulder did too.  Suddenly all the
excuses and reasons for this not to happen flew out of her
head.  Scully conceded that maybe the little voice in her
head had a point, and hurrying to her bedroom, decided to make
a move before she lost her nerve.

*********************

     Mulder was lying back in the bathtub, his head resting on
the edge, with his eyes closed, and so he didn't hear when
Scully pushed the door open and walked in.  She looked at him
for a moment, noticing how much younger he looked when relaxed,
the lines on his face smoothed out, his mouth twitching with
just the hint of a smile.  Scully wondered absently what he was
thinking about.  He looked almost child-like she thought
momentarily, but changed her mind as she allowed her gaze to
drop to his chest with its sprinkling of dark hair.  She felt
her breath tighten in her throat, and the little noise she made
as she swallowed convulsively, caused Mulder to open his eyes.
He regarded her quizzically, his eyes opening wide as he took
in the robe she was wearing which both concealed and enhanced
the curves of her body.  Scully took in his stunned and
appreciative gaze and moved to perch precariously on the edge
of the bathtub.  Trailing one hand in the water, she suddenly
flicked water into his face.  Mulder reacted fast, splashing her
back until Scully lost her balance and slipped into the bath.
Mulder pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her
back and kissing her with a barely restrained passion.  Scully's
fingers tangled in his hair and their bodies pressed closely up
together with only the barrier of Scully's wet robe between them.
After a couple of minutes, Scully drew back.  Confusion showed in
Mulder's expression.
     "What is it, Scully?  Don't you want this?" he asked,
disappointed.
     Scully smiled at him, waiting a moment before she replied.
     "Of course I do.  It's just that I usually undress before
I bathe."  She slipped the robe off her shoulders as Mulder
watched, entranced, and then slid back into the circle of his
arms.  There was nothing to come between them now, and there
never would be.

*****************


     Mulder and Scully lay together on her bed, their legs
entwined, relaxed and satiated in the aftermath of their
love-making.  Mulder was thinking that he'd be content
to remain just where he was for the rest of his life, but
he sensed something intruding at the edge of his restfulness.
Starting suddenly and pulling the quilt up, he sniffed
the air.  Alarm registered in his eyes as he roughly
shook Scully awake.
     "Mmmm, please Mulder, do it again."
     "Scully, wake up, wake up."  He shook her again.
"Something's on fire."  She woke completely with this.
     "Oh my God, the chicken!"  Scully leapt out of bed and
raced for the kitchen.  Mulder's fears were relieved and he lay
on the bed, waiting for Scully's return.
     Soon she walked back into the bedroom. "Well, I hope you
like your chicken *very* well done." she told Mulder.  He smiled
at her, taking in her full, swollen lips, the soft curves of her
body, and the flush which was gradually spreading as she saw
his appreciative scrutiny.  Mulder felt his body reacting
instinctively, his groin tightening pleasurably.  He grinned
wickedly at her.
     "S'okay, I'm not hungry." he told her. "Well, not for food
anyway." he amended, pulling her back down onto the bed with him.
Scully grinned back at him.  He was right.  This was better than
food anyday.


The End.