Title: Step #10: The Beginning of Us
Author: Susan Frankovich
E-mail: sus...@ticnet.com or filesfa...@yahoo.com
Classification: vignette
Rating: R
Spoiler: post all things
Archive: No.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to each other,
not me.

Author's notes: This is the tenth in a series of
vignettes occurring late in season seven that
chronicle the start of Mulder and Scully's romantic
relationship.

**More author's notes at the end.**

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

Step #10: The Beginning of Us
by Susan Frankovich
~~~~~~

I'm awakened by the sensation of water in between
my legs.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I immediately turn
and look at Scully, whose attention is also focused
on the dampness between my thighs.

"That must have been some dream, Mulder," she teases,
the corners of her eyes crinkling with pleasure as
she leans forward and picks up the now completely
melted ice pack limply resting on my thigh.

Looking at the bag full of water in her hand, then
down at the big wet stain over my crotch, I suddenly
find myself laughing.

Not because I'm nervous or uncomfortable about her
seeing me this way, but because I'm happy.

Happy because I'm sitting on the couch with a woman
who, despite all my faults, likes me anyway.

Happy because I'm no longer afraid of what we can
be together.

Happy because I love her and because she loves me.

"Are you okay?" she asks, a puzzled look on her
face as she lays the plastic bag of water down on
the coffee table.

Leaning over, I cup my hand around the back of her
neck and quietly reply, "I've never been better."

And then I kiss her.

And she kisses me back.

I run my hand over her hair.

She slips her fingers under the collar of my t-shirt.

And that's all it takes.

The next thing I know she's unsnapping my wet jeans
and dropping them on the floor and in an instant I'm
doing the same with her pants, tossing them behind
me with one flick of the wrist.

And then we're kissing again.

"Maybe I should sprain my ankle more often," she
says breathlessly as I lower her onto her back and
nudge my way in between her thighs.

"And maybe I should always fall asleep with an ice
pack on my lap," I whisper, slowly easing my way
inside her.

She gasps.

I go deeper.

"And maybe we should just stop talking now," she says
with a groan, her hips rising, her thighs clenching.

A thrust.

"But I thought you wanted to talk," I grunt, pressing
her body even deeper into the cushions.

A moan.  Maybe mine, maybe hers.

"I did...I do...I just..." she stutters, her eyes
closing, her head tilting back.

Another thrust.

Another moan.  Definitely hers this time.

"You just... what?" I ask, kissing her shoulder,
her collarbone.

"Right now...I just want to feel you," she says,
her voice low and sexy as she pushes my head down
to her breast.

And I want to feel you too, Scully.

I don't want to talk anymore about how we came
together or why.  

I don't want to talk about taking things slowly
or about how complicated things might become.

Right now, I just want to feel.

I just want to feel...

One more thrust.  One more tilt of the hips. One
more moan from her. One more grunt from me.

And then we're there.

We're there, and it's passionate and it's messy.
It's smooth and it's rough and it's everything
we are and everything we've been.

But even more than that, it's the beginning of
something I thought we'd never be able to have.

It's the beginning of us.

~all steps now complete~

*Well folks, this is the end of the Steps Series, and
it is my hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I
enjoyed writing it.:) As far as what happens next, I'm
pondering the possibility of writing another series of
vignettes that explore Mulder and Scully's relationship
now that they've taken it to another level.:)  However,
if I did that, I can pretty much guarantee you that my
postings would be sporadic at best as I have a lot of
RL stuff going on right now as well as other things I'm
currently writing on. In other words, don't count on me
writing anything, and be pleasantly surprised if I do. <g>

That being said, I'd like to say a BIG thank you to
those of you who read this series, wrote letters to me
about it, and recommended it at Ephemeral and at the
Haven fanfic board. Your enthusiasm and encouragement
as I was writing each new step meant "a lot, a lot,
a lot...":)  

~~~~~~

Steps Series

#1: The Unexpected Curve Ball
#2: The Realness of Red Hair
#3: The Power of the Shower
#4: Lonely Man Walking
#5: A Bad Case of Jet Lag
#6: The Scent of a Man
#7: So Much for Spontaneity
#8: Working Out the Kinks
#9: Paging Dr. Mulder...
#10: The Beginning of Us