Curiosity...  
by Sheryl Martin sheryl_martin@daystorm.com

"Damn!" The broken pencil flew across the room, landing at the top of
a pile of unfiled folders. Dana Scully stood up from her desk,
searching the immediate area for a replacement. Finding none, she
stomped over to the disaster that was Fox Mulder's desk.

"Got to be a pencil in here somewhere..." She muttered under her
breath. The bottom left drawer was the last one she checked.

"Aha!" Clutching an unopened box of pencils, her gaze caught the glint
of metal further back in the drawer. "What the...?" She pulled out a
pair of handcuffs, the inside edges lovingly covered in plush red fur.

"Mulder." Scully sighed. He was such a juvenile...she ran her fingers
over the fur, a part of her enjoying the soft feel. She shot a fast
glance at the door. He wouldn't be back that soon..

Taking the key out of the drawer and placing it on the desktop, she
sat down in his chair. Carefully she snapped the cuff around her left
wrist, tightening it just enough that the fur lay snug against the
skin.

Dana sat back in the office chair, her eyes closed. Her right hand
played with the open cuff, rotating the locked one around her wrist
slowly and seductively. Her imagination began to wander...

"Can I do something for you?" A familiar voice purred close to her
ear. Her eyes snapped open as she jerked forward in the chair, her
hands slamming down on the top of the desk. She turned to meet Fox's
face, inches from her own, his eyes laughing in delight.

"I was just... ah, looking..." Dana scrambled for the box of pencils.
"For some pencils." Holding up the box in her left hand, she saw the
empty cuff dangling from her wrist. Fox sat on the edge of the desk, a
wide grin on his face. Feeling the heat beginning to rise in her face,
Dana reached for the key...that wasn't there.

"Looking for this, I guess." He held it up, just out of reach. "But
you know, they don't really work that well." He leaned forward,
placing his hand on her other wrist. "Unless you use the other one."
Fox reached for the other cuff.

"Mulder!" She swung her left hand down by her side, hearing the clank
against the chair. "Give me the key."

"You know, Scully, I never thought you had it in you." He locked eyes
with her. "It's a whole new side worth exploring, don't you think?"
His eyes twinkled mischeviously.

"The key, please." She could feel the blush spreading down her neck as
she tried to avoid his eyes.

"So you aren't interested?" A manufactured hurt came into his voice,
conflicting with a chuckle. He handed the key to her.

She hurredly unlocked them, dropping the cuffs back into the drawer
and slamming it shut. Getting to her feet, Dana walked back to her
desk, clutching the box of pencils tightly. Grabbing her purse she
left the office, but stopped just outside the door as it closed behind
her.

"Maybe I am." She whispered before heading for the cafeteria.

"Maybe you are." Mulder said softly, holding the cuffs in his hand.
Smilng to himself, he put them in his pocket.

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