From: "Lacey Meschede" Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 12:37:32 -0500 Subject: Burned by refllace Source: direct Title: Burned Author: refllace Gossamer: Romance M/S, Humor Summary: What a woman will do... Rated: R (L, ST) Category: Story M/S UST Keywords: M/S romace/friendship Archive: Sure - anywhere - just tell me. Feedback: Any and all is welcome - refllace@hotmail.com Burned I reached for the phone very carefully. "Hello?" I said, wincing my eyes shut at the movement my arm had to make to pick up the handset. "Scully? Is that you? You sound like you're in pain." "No. Uh, mm, I'm fine." It took all of my strength to get those words out. My eyes are still closed - opening will reveal just how much pain I am in, but I can't let that show through. "I don't believe you. I'll be right over." Before I could protest, Mulder had already hung up. Damn. I really don't want him to see me like this. It's bad enough to be by myself and be miserable but it's even worse with Mulder around. And when he finds out what I have done, he's gonna kill me. He'll never trust my judgement again. If I just lay here, I won't be able to answer the door and he won't be able to come in and see what I've done. Wait - shit. He has a key. Damn me. He'll come in whether I answer the door or not. Well fuck. The damage has been done, I'll just continue to lay here. At least the fan is helping a bit. I can keep him out of the bedroom by telling him I'm naked. Mulder would never violate my privacy unless I was seriously in danger, like that time in Antartica. I bet he got an eyeful then. Luckily he's never brought it up. Or when I willfully allow him to see me, the true me, unhidden from those confing work suits. "Scully?" Oh great he's here. I yell from the bedroom, "Come in Mulder." I never realized yelling would hurt as much as it does. Even my cheeks and mouth hurt. My head is spinning. I hear him jiggle the key in the lock and come in. "Scully? Where are you?" "I'm in the bedroom but don't come in, I'm naked." I could hear him stop at the bedroom door. "I'm worried, you don't sound good. Is there anything I can do for you?" I want to answer and tell him to come in and run me a lukewarm bath and take care of me the way only he knows how. But the embarrasment. Oh the fucking embarrasment. I couldn't live with it. "Scully?" Oh shit I forgot to answer. "Yeah?" "what can I do?" "Uhmm. Mulder, could you go into the bathroom and run me a lukewarm bath?" "What?" "Lukewarm bath." All this talking is not doing well for my head. The room is like the view from the tilt-a-whirl. Oh God, if I close my eyes maybe it will stop. Nope. Still going. Focus, focus, find something to focus on. Cobweb. cobweb in the corner, just focus and breathe. It will pass. I can hear Mulder running the bath. Thank God he didn't ask me to explain anything. Not like I could. Focus, focus. Shit it's not working. I'm gonna puke. Over, roll over, off the bed. QUICK! I puke. "Scully?" Mulder comes rushing into the room. Oh God. "Oh God, Scully. What happened?" That sad sound is in his voice, like the time we were investigating Harold Spueler and the death preminitions. He comes to the side of the bed and grabs a tissue from my nightstand, wiping my mouth and pulling my hair back from my face. Embarrasment. Total and complete fucking humiliation. Say something quick. "I uh. Uh." Uh oh, gonna puke again. Luckily Mulder gets the trash can just in time. "Scully, your body. What happened?" He waits for me to catch my breath. He gets up and goes to the bathroom. I hear him turning off the bath and he returns with a wet washcloth. The coolness against my face and neck are relief. I muster up the strength to tell him what happened. "Tanning bed." "What? Why?" He's helping me up. Careful not to touch me with too much pressure anywhere because I am burned everywhere. Everything is red, make that lobster red. Even my scalp. He is walking me into the bathroom and helping me in the tub. The water feels so good. He sits at the edge of the tub using the washcloth to squeeze water over my singed scalp. "I uh. My mom called to say we are going to San Diego next week to visit Bill and Tara. I was sick of being the palest one in the bunch and feeling so out of place and getting burnt to a crisp after one day in the sun. So I thought I would get a head start." Talking is much easier when every inch of your flesh isn't on fire or feeling like it is tearing away from your body. "So I went to the tanning place." "But don't they have timers and starter beds?" Mulder got the alcohol out from the cabinet and began sponging my arms off. "Yeah, but I changed the setting thinking I could handle it. It wasn't that bad until I started driving home." "Scully, you did some major damage. You may need to go to the emergency room." "Mulder, I'll be fine. I just need to cool down a bit and then apply a heavy layer of noxema." "You should at least take your temperature. You feel like a million degrees even with the alcohol bath." He walks over to the cabinet again and pulls the thermometer out. "Open." Well at least now I have 120 seconds of silence. Mulder is still sponging but his head is hanging down. His foreahed is wrinkled. "What?" I mutter through the object portruding through my teeth. He is looking up at me with the biggest grin ever. "I was so scared when I called and heard your voice. When I saw your body, I didn't even want to think about the horrible things that might have been done to you to make you look like this. But to find out this was all a vanity project gone wrong - Well, it's kind of funny." I don't think this is funny at all. My skin hurts like hell. My head is still spinning. I have puke in my mouth. There is a mess in the bedroom and my partner, the love of my life, is giving me a sponge bath so my charred flesh doesn't fall right off, like I feel it will. He takes the thermometer out of my mouth. "101." He grabs the tylenol from the sink and hands me two. The water is still in his hands. I take the pills and he helps with the cup. I lay back and he continues the sponge bath. Boy if, this were a different situation, I might actually get some enjoyment out of this. After he finishes the job, he helps me out of the tub. Afraid to towel dry me, he hands it over. He goes into the bedroom and starts cleaning up the puke. Towelling off takes more time than I realize, because by the time I make it into the bedroom, there are clean sheets on the bed and no signs of puke. Mulder has the jar of noxema in his hand and waiting on the bed for me. We don't even need to speak. I sit down next to him and he begins to spread it over my shoulders. I can feel him smirking behind me but am too exhausted to dish out a clever quip in my defense. I let him continue down my back and over my arms. I am actually starting to cool down. My skin no longer feels like a cracked and dry, stretched too tight, 1000 degree piece of leather. He comes around to my front and hands me the jar. I look at him and lower my eyes. "You can finish." "Are you sure?" I nod. He begins stroking my clavicles and then moves to my breasts. It feels amazingly good. Not to rough, just the right amount of pressure to...uh...wait. Am I getting turned on by noxema? I think this is a physical first - being incredibly burned and turned on at the same time. My nipples perk up at this realization and Mulder notices. He stops rubbing and looks up. My eyes are still closed. "Scully, do you want me to stop?" "No. Keep going." He continues down my stomach, upper then lower. He rubs over my sides and hips in circles. He comes down to the top of my thighs and works his way down to my knees. This is amazing. How can this feel so good? He finishes off my calves and sets the jar on the nightstand. My eyes are still closed but I can feel him leaving the room. He returns almost instantly with a clean towel and lays it on the bed behind me. He slowly lowers me down. I am so relaxed and can feel myself slipping into sleep. My lips and one other part are the only ones sans-noxema. Mulder dips down and kisses me softly. "Sleep tight my little lobster." Author's Note: Okay so I have written a few fanfic and am still trying to get it down the way I want it. I have been reading fanfic since 1997. Big suprise I am a shipper. Duh. Anyway, I started tanning a month ago and thought it would be a great piece to a story, vignette, etc. Feedback welcome as always. Anyone up for beta testing - give a shout. refllace@hotmail.com