Title: Younger Than Springtime Author: Tess E-mail: tnv099@aol.com Date: 5/13/00 Distribution: I would like to know where first Spoilers: Post Ep for HAD Rating: NC-17. Underage? Please don't read Content: SR Keywords: MSR Mulder POV Disclaimer: Don't own them. If I did, I'd give DD and GA whatever they needed to come back for one more season Summary: Maybe age is really just a state of mind Author Notes: Thanks to Teresa for taking an early look and encouraging me to finish it; and to Char for all that and beta and oh yeah, suggesting I use this song in the first place. I value the opinion of both of these ladies immensely! Younger Than Springtime I touch your hands and my arms grow strong Like a pair of birds that burst with song My eyes look down at your lovely face And I hold the world in my embrace Younger than springtime are you Softer than starlight are you Warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me Gayer than laughter are you Sweeter than music are you Angel and lover, heaven and earth are you to me And when your youth and joy invade my arms And fill my heart as now they do...then... Younger than springtime am I Gayer than laughter am I Angel and lover, heaven and earth Am I with you Rodgers and Hammerstein - South Pacific Younger Than Springtime By: Tess "Well, we're alive and we're relatively young..." I admit that I'm only half listening to her, preoccupied as I am with that pathetic excuse for a movie. But then she's laughing. I turn and really take a good look at her. And I remember that she *is* a young, beautiful woman. She's sitting next to me on the fake grass of the movie set, her arm linked through mine, waving a credit card back and forth. Her hair is held back from her face with some kind of velvet band. She's wearing a pretty little black dress that leaves her arms bared and I'm not altogether happy to see that she's donned a black jacket over said dress. The jacket reminds me too much of what I've come to think of as her uniform. White blouse, black suit jacket and matching pants or skirts, depending on her mood. But that bright, happy smile is definitely not part of the uniform. I've seen a quick grin cross her face when something amuses her. I've seen her smirk at my jokes and come-ons more times than not. I've seen her lips turn up in a tiny, satisfied smile as she lay beneath me after we've made love. And too often, I've seen a sad smile tug at her mouth. "Come on," she says, tugging me to my feet. ******* I sometimes forget how familiar Scully is with California. She drives our rental car to a marina and leads me along the docks to a restaurant. As we step inside, I'm surprised. The decor is casual - high backed booths ensuring privacy surround a bar that dominates the room. The patrons are dressed comfortably but not shabbily. Scully directs me toward the back of the restaurant to the tables set up outside on the dock. "I'll be right back," she whispers, veering off toward the bar, brandishing the credit card. I tug open my bow tie and lean back against the railing, watching her wind her way through the tables of the restaurant to where I am waiting. She's left her jacket in the car and with it, all traces of the professional Scully. She's carrying two bottles of Corona - with lime wedges - and the credit card. Handing me one bottle of beer, she slides her hand deep into my pocket. Startled, I jump and almost spit out the mouthful of beer I had just taken. "Sorry," she grins. "No purse." She lifts her arms out to her sides to indicate a lack of pockets on the sleek little dress. Pushing the lime wedge down through the neck of the bottle, she tilts it to her lips and takes an appreciative sip. She mimics my relaxed pose against the railing and we sip our beers in silence. Then she hands her beer to me and boosts herself up onto the wide railing. She wiggles a bit, tugging the skirt of her dress higher onto her thighs to give herself more freedom of movement. I turn and step between her spread legs, handing over her bottle of beer and band my arms around her, steadying her on her precarious perch. Scully wraps her arms around my neck and I can feel the cold wetness of the bottle against my neck. She leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead. "I'm a little surprised by your choice of celebratory establishments," I tell her. "Why's that?" she asks. I shrug. "A free night on the Bureau's dime? I thought we'd end up someplace more...elegant!" "You mean someplace more *expensive*, don't you?" I shrug again. "We could do that. But, I don't know...I just thought you would like this better." She pulls her lower lip between her teeth. A sure sign of an insecure Scully. "This is perfect," I reassure her; lifting my mouth towards hers, tugging her lip free of her gnawing teeth and recapturing it with my own. I can taste the slightly bitter flavor of the beer and the tartness of the lime as I swipe my tongue along the satiny lining of her lip. I step closer and hook my chin on her shoulder, watching the moonlight glimmer on the water beneath us. "Mulder?" she asks lazily. "Hmmm?" "Is that your flashlight..." Surprised, I pull back and a little snicker of laughter escapes her. Scully claps a hand over her mouth, but her eyes are dancing with glee. "I left my flashlight in D.C." "That's what I hoped." I shake my head, laughing. She gestures to a waiter and I watch her face as she speaks quietly to him. This side of Scully enchants me. Again, I realize that she is still a young woman. Our work, our lives because of our work, has aged us. Although I have not yet reached 40, I usually feel decades older. We've enjoyed an intimate relationship ever since I kissed her on New Year's Eve, but our lovemaking, while passionate, tends toward the frantic. Too often, we make love to reaffirm the fact that we have escaped yet another brush with death. Scully is smiling, her head turned to the side as she looks over the water. We watch the boats bobbing up and down in the harbor, listening to the creaks and moans of the boats against their moorings. The waiter brings dinner and I help Scully down from her perch. Her arms are still wrapped around my neck, and as she slides down the front of my body, she draws my head down and brushes her lips briefly across mine. We sit at the table and I'm presented with yet another surprise. Big juicy cheeseburgers and a basket of fries greet me. Apparently a happy Scully is a hungry Scully. The restaurant is not crowded so we take our time eating, discussing the movie and the events of the last few days. Scully laughs as I cringe every time I remember some embarrassing scene from the movie. We finish dinner and walk back to the railing. A light breeze is blowing and Scully shivers as the cool air caresses her bare flesh. I take off my tuxedo jacket and hold it out for her. She slips her arms into the sleeves, which hang about five inches below her hands. I smile at the sight. She looks like a little girl. My little girl. At that moment, all I want in this world is to hold her and keep her safe and happy. A strand of her hair has blown across her face and is clinging to her lips. She shakes back the sleeves of my jacket to brush it away and suddenly all my protective feelings for her are washed away with a sudden need to take her back to our hotel and peel my jacket and her dress from her body. Looking up at me with innocent eyes, Scully steps closer and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek against my chest. My hands settle on her hips and we sway to the sounds of the water lapping against the hulls of the boats. Scully takes a step back and reaches out for one of my hands, tugging me along behind her as she leads me from the restaurant. We step outside and instead of heading to the car, she pulls me down the sidewalk and up the stairs of a small inn. She rings the bell on the front desk. "Scully, we can't put this room on the bureau card!" I hiss. "We've got two rooms back in town!" She reaches into the inside pocket of my jacket that she is still wearing and triumphantly pulls out my wallet. "Voila!" she says gaily. "Is there something wrong with the rooms we already have?" I ask. "They're perfectly lovely." She turns to smile at the desk clerk who has finally shown up. "We'd like a room, please." I lean down to brush my lips against her ear. "I've been having fantasies all day of getting you into that sunken tub..." Scully slides a credit card out of my wallet and across the counter to the clerk. "It's too crowded at that hotel, Mulder." She turns her head and her lips brush over mine. "Haven't you been having a good time tonight?" I shudder as her teeth nip at my lower lip. "Yeah," I breathe against her mouth. "Well then, trust me." She holds out the credit slip and a pen to me. I scrawl my name hurriedly over the scrap of paper and Scully accepts a room key from the clerk. "Breakfast is served in the dining room from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. or you can have it delivered to your room," the clerk tells us. "Enjoy your stay." Scully smiles brilliantly at him and again reaches for my hand to lead e toward the stairs. I follow willingly. ******** The key opens the door to a room that has Scully sighing with pleasure. Although my attention is mainly focused on the four poster king sized bed that dominates the room, my peripheral vision takes in the wing- backed chairs on either side of the stone fireplace, the glossy armoire and bureau and the etched glass doors that lead to a balcony. I follow Scully into the bathroom where the sight of the clawfooted tub brings my bubble bath fantasy front and center. Scully, however, seems to have a different plan in mind and returns to the bedroom. She turns off the lights in the room, leaving only the glow of the Victorian lamp by the bedside to illuminate the room. Toeing off her shoes, she grasps the ends of my tie in her hands and pulls me down into her kiss. Her lips are soft at first; hesitant, but then her mood changes and her mouth begins to move hungrily over mine. I moan as her tongue invades my mouth; teasing and then retreating -- enticing me to follow. She presses her lips against the hollow of my throat, her teeth scraping over the tendons standing in taut relief and I fumble with the studs of my tuxedo shirt, trying to expose more skin to her wandering mouth. She gently knocks my hands out of the way. Her brow is knitted in concentration and the tip of her tongue is peeking out from between her lips as she removes each stud. I lower my lips to her hairline, breathing tiny kisses across her temple and down her cheek before running the tip of my tongue over hers. She pulls my shirt free of my pants and her hands slide up to my chest and then back down, where she rubs her knuckles over the quivering flesh of my belly. Moaning, I slide the zipper of her dress down and pull the bodice over her arms, baring her to the waist. I run the tip of my finger over the swell of one breast exposed by the lacy cup of her bra and then flick open the tiny fastening between her breasts. Scully shudders and steps back to sit down on the high edge of the bed. I kneel before her and lift her breasts in my hands, cupping them, testing their weight, running my thumbs over the tightening nipples. I lower my head to draw the tip of one breast into my mouth and she quivers, bowing her head over mine and running her hands inside the collar of my shirt, her nails scraping lightly up and down my spine in rhythm with the tugging of my mouth on her nipple. I release her breast and she hums with pleasure as I trail my lips up her breastbone and throat to nibble on the soft skin below her jaw. Grasping the edges of my shirt in her fists, she scrambles backward on the bed, lying down and pulling on my shirt until I am lying over her, my body pressing hers into the mattress. I slide my hands up her legs and under her dress, my fingers kneading the firm flesh of her thighs before cupping her ass and lifting her into the press of my hips. She rubs herself against me for a second or two and then braces her feet on the mattress, arching her hips even higher. I groan with satisfaction and thrust against her, closing my eyes. She's wiggling beneath me and muttering under her breath and I suddenly realize that she's trying to remove the rest of her clothes. I graciously tug her dress over her hips, dragging her panties and hose down her legs, tossing her remaining garments on the floor. She's sprawled out beneath me, naked, and I link my fingers with hers, drawing our arms up over her head. I lightly hold her wrists in one hand while the other sweeps down her body, over the curve of her waist and settling on the back of her thigh, urging her to curl her leg around my hip. Her mouth has latched onto my throat and she is alternating between licking, biting and sucking on the skin there. "You know, Mulder, I'm not an expert..." she murmurs against my throat, "but I'm pretty sure this would work better if you were naked too." I think about the logistics involved -- removing cufflinks, my shirt, trousers, boxers, socks and shoes and I briefly consider simply opening the zipper of my trousers to free myself, but I think better of that idea as Scully sighs and begins to push my shirt off my shoulders. I strip off my clothes under Scully's watchful gaze. She is tracing idle patterns on the soft skin of her stomach with one finger and I dive back onto the bed, kissing the slight swell of her belly and sucking her finger into my mouth before stretching my body over hers again. Her legs fall open naturally for me and I settle into the cradle of her hips. I close my eyes and a sigh breaks over my lips as I slide deeply into her in one, long stroke. Scully is shaking beneath me and I open my eyes to find her blue gaze locked on mine. She's laughing! "Something funny?" I ask, trying to sound indignant but not entirely succeeding. The sensations caused by her quivering body are doing exquisite things to me and I bite my lip trying to maintain an affronted expression. I pull back and then thrust forward again, slowly, deliberately. Her eyes flutter shut and she gasps. "Nnn...not funny..." Her eyes open again and she smiles joyfully. "I'm just happy." I grin and lower my mouth to hers. ********* In my bubble bath fantasy, we are much more *active*. But I have to admit, this is damn nice too. Scully is leaning against a couple of towels folded on the rim of the high back of the clawfooted tub. I am leaning against her, my head resting comfortably on her shoulder. Her legs are wrapped around me, the sole of one foot resting on my calf. She is idly lifting water in one cupped hand and is trickling it over my chest. Her other hand is tracing random patterns on my stomach. I twine my fingers with hers and draw them up to rest over my heart. After a few minutes, her hand slips free of mine and she returns to lightly scraping her nails over my stomach. Despite the fact that I am being lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of her chest and the rhythmic trickle of warm water over my chest, I feel the vague stirrings of desire. I crane my head back to look at her and offer my lips for her kiss. Scully's eyes smile at me and she accepts my offer, her mouth moving lightly over mine, her tongue darting out to tease the corner of my lips. I curl one hand around her neck and tug, trying to get closer. I am frustrated, unable to deepen our kiss from this awkward position. Sitting up, I begin to pull her around to face me. The water threatens to spill out of the tub as she finally straddles my lap. She loops her arms around my neck and leans forward, licking droplets of water from my collarbone. Turning her head, she rolls her cheek across my shoulder and buries her lips in my neck. "I have something to confess," she says in a lazy, drowsy voice. She pulls away from my shoulder and sits up. I stroke my hands down her spine and then up her ribs, my thumbs caressing the satiny skin on the sides of her breasts. "What's that?" Scully rises up on her knees and then sinks down onto me. She lets out a long breathy 'ooohh', temporarily losing her concentration as I fill and stretch her. "What's your confession?" I prompt, jerking my hips up slightly. We both gasp as I slide even deeper into her warmth. "Scully..." She blinks hazily. "Oh, my confession..." She pushes her hips down and I shudder, leaning forward and grazing my lips over her breast. She cradles my head in her hands, stroking the wet hair back and forcing me to meet her eyes. "I'm in love with Special Agent Fox Mulder." No fantasy can compare. ********* The early morning sun is casting a golden glow over the room. I've been awake for half an hour now, watching her sleep. Something is different about her, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Scully usually likes to sleep curled up in a tiny ball, the blankets wrapped protectively around her. This morning, however, she is sprawled out on her back. One arm is curled on the pillow over her head and the other hand is resting lightly on my thigh. The sheets are pushed down around her waist. She rolls her head toward me and I study her face. Devoid of makeup, I can see the light sprinkling of freckles over the bridge of her nose. Tiny, red abrasions mar the soft skin of her face and I remember her rubbing her cheek against mine like a cat, enjoying the roughness of my five o'clock shadow. Her hair is spread out over the pillow; the humidity of our bath leaving it a mass of waves and curls and I twist one auburn ringlet around my finger. A tiny smile curves her swollen lips and suddenly I realize what is so different this morning. She's...carefree. Maybe that isn't the right word, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. These few days in California, free of work and the stresses of our everyday lives have enhanced her beauty and restored her youth. Her lashes flutter against her cheeks and she peers at me with sleepy blue eyes. She rolls over and rests her head on my chest. "Good morning," she whispers huskily. I wrap my arms tightly around her, hugging her close. I can feel her body relax against mine as she falls back to sleep and a feeling of utter peace steals over me. We'll be back in D.C. in a couple of days and that will bring the return of chaos in our lives. But right now, I'm holding my whole world in my embrace. And I vow to remember this feeling. I'm young and I'm happy. I'm in love. The end Additional Author Notes: I know I've been staying in the shallow end of the pool with the PG and G rated stories, but I thought maybe I'd let them out to play this time. These stories are the hardest for me to write. I'm not used to writing a happy, angst-free Mulder and Scully. I hope I kept them in character and that you all didn't burst out laughing at inappropriate moments! I always love to hear from you at tnv099@aol.com