From: "Alanna Baker" Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 12:03:32 -0500 Subject: One (1/1), by alanna apologies if the formatting is off -- my computer refuses to cooperate today. DISCLAIMER: The characters herein are the property of Fox Broadcasting and 1013 Productions. The situations in which I have placed them are of my own creation. All the cards excepting the last are courtesy of www.Hallmark.com. CATEGORY: VRH RATING: R ARCHIVAL: Gossamer, yes. All others, please let me know first. SPOILERS: None. SUMMARY: A celebration of a year together. A year ago today, I posted my first vignette, "Burn", which remains very special to me. The past year of writing fanfiction has changed my life in very profound ways, and I am eternally grateful to the muse, and especially to everyone who has supported me in this journey, both through sending feedback or just reading my stories. Thank you. This story is for every dear friend I have made in the last year, and especially for Kirsten, a cherished editor and friend. This is also for Chris -- the laughs are for you. ONE By Alanna Rabun. +++++ Another quiet evening at home. We've spent countless nights together since we became lovers a year ago,= but they have seldom been quiet. I love these evenings when we can allow ourselves to be just a little bit domestic, but a great deal can be said about passion spent in bed. A year ago. Tonight, this October evening, is our first anniversary. I wonder if she knows? If she does, she doesn't say anything. I hear her bustling around in her kitchen, though every time I offer to help her out, she merely murmurs, "No, that's okay, you just relax. You've earned it." When did Scully become so domestic? I stretch out on the sofa and the stretch slowly becomes a recline. A year. Twelve months, three hundred and sixty-five days. Such strange,= irregular numbers. Ten is a number I prefer. It has a measured cadence,= like a heartbeat. Ten months of thirty-six days each have passed since I first kissed her lips. "You want to turn on the TV or something?" Her voice carries over the sound of a cabinet closing. I'm too content lying down on this sofa to move even my hand to the coffee table for the remote. "No, that's okay." But then I remember, "Unless you want it on?" "Nope. Just thought you might like the diversion. It'll keep you awake until I'm done, lazy man." I imagine she sees me lying here, and I have to smile. My right arm drapes over my body and hangs down the side of the sofa, my fingertips brushing against the bag resting there. I haven't seen her since I let myself into her apartment, so she didn't see me bring the bag with me. In it rests the present I bought her to commemorate the occasion. I had to go to nine different places to find just what I wanted and spent a small fortune on it, but she's worth every penny. Besides, I had ulterior motives -- this one's for both of us. Just as my eyelids begin to dip closed, I hear, "Close your eyes, Mulder."= I obey, of course. After hearing footfalls on the wood floor, she says,= "You can open them now." I expect to see her in front of me, but instead I hear another door shutting and discover she's ensconced herself in her bedroom. Well. I push myself up to a sitting position and stand on weary legs. Fine,= Scully, if you want to play coy, then don't expect me to play along.= Intriguing, unusual smells propel me into the kitchen, and I discover a steaming bowl of something on the counter. Upon further inspection, it reveals itself as risotto. Ah, that's my Scully. She knows what I like. Stealing a glance behind me to make sure she hasn't emerged from the bedroom, I pull a spoon from the cutlery drawer and take a quick bite of the rice. Good Lord. It has a rich, smoky, tart flavor which seems familiar, but I can't place it until I realize -- it tastes like sex. Whoa, leave it to Scully to serve me sex for dinner. I can't resist laughing at how absurd the thought really is. I look over and notice that the table hasn't yet been set, so I begin pulling dishes out of the cupboard and carrying them over to the table. Fortunately, it's clear, so my job is lighter. Two placemats, two shallow bowls, two large spoons, and two wine glasses complete the setting. Glancing over at the living room, I spy a large candle still in a cellophane wrapper. The sticker on the wrapper says,= "Aromatherapy: Sensual Delights". How completely appropriate. With one flick of a Bic, it's lit and placed on a saucer in the middle of the table. "Mulder, what are you doing?" I spin around, ready with excuses, when I catch my breath. She's gorgeous. Scully is a vision in a cream colored dress with a satiny sheen, which I suspect is really a slip. High heels and shimmering stockings complete the picture, and her hair is brushed away from her face. She seems to glow. She must have seen the panicked look on my face because she smiles and murmurs, "I see that you found the risotto." Yes ma'am, I want to say, but I can't seem to speak. Eight steps, eight long strides with her breasts swaying slightly under the satin, and she's beside me. Scully runs her fingertips down my arm, and I suddenly feel ridiculously underdressed in my jeans and long-sleeved polo shirt. "Mmm.... you look good tonight, Mulder." She always knows the right thing to say. "Can we skip dinner altogether and move to the bedroom? I want to run my hands all over that dress, woman." My voice is nearly a growl and she grins at it. Moving over to one chair, she sits down and chides, "No. We're going to eat.... first." I match her grin. 'First' is definitely a good word. "Since you're still up, could you get the wine out of the refrigerator?"= she asks, and I comply. The chill of the bottle agianst my warm hands is startling. A turn of the corkscrew and the bottle is opened, and I take my seat across from her. Picking up her glass, I pour her some Riesling then do the same with my own glass. The expanse of the table separates us. I want to be closer to her, so I move my place setting and chair over to the side, so that we're almost next to one another. She smiles her approval. After taking a sip of my wine, I ask, "Do you know what today is?" She does the same and answers, "Yes, our first anniversary together. See,= Mulder, I didn't forget." "Of course you wouldn't forget," I reply, conveniently forgetting my earlier doubts. I take a few bites of the risotto and can't help but moan.= That earns me another smile. "I plan on celebrating in style tonight,= and this dinner is definitely putting me in the mood. Excellent job,= Agent Scully." "Thank you very much, Agent Mulder." We eat in silence for a few minutes,= yet never break eye contact. Over the past year, we've become good at that. She is almost finished with her risotto when she speaks again. "I have to tell you -- after spending seven days at that consult in Mississippi, I needed this." "Anything for you. I missed you." I finish my own dinner and set my fork down on the table. I wish I weren't wearing these shoes with laces, or I'd slip one off and run my foot up her calf. But she seems to read my mind, and before I know it, her toes are tickling my ankle. As I feel my body rising to the occasion and my breathing becomes shallow,= I remember the gift. Pushing my chair away from the table, I stand. "I have something for you." "Oh?" She says, surprised. "I don't --" "It's okay," I call over my shoulder as I make my way into the living room and pick up the shopping bag. Returning to the dining room, she meets me with a surprised look, as I notice the plates have been pushed to the other end of the table, leaving only our wine glasses, which have been refilled. I present the bag to her with the giddiness of a schoolboy giving his favorite teacher a shiny red apple. "What is...?" "Just open it, love." I test the endearment on her, and am pleased when she merely smiles. My scientist pulls out the gift-wrapped box first, but instead of opening it as I'd feared, she reaches into the bag once again and pulls out envelope after envelope. "Six of them, Scully." "One for every year we've been together," she finishes. Yes, Scully has turned me into a romantic fool. I've written numbers on each one, and she presciently chooses the envelope labeled "1". I hold my breath as she opens it. She grins. The cover has a cartoon of a pumpkin with its tongue sticking out, and inside, the words, "I don't know if it's you or this candle in my head, but something's making me HOT! Happy Halloween! Love, Mulder." Scully throws her head back and laughs. "A little early for that, isn't it?" "Too early for you to make me hot? I don't think so," I quip back. She places a kiss on my cheek, then reaches for card #2. I hold my breath,= waiting for her to open it. The front flap has a bizarre cartoon of a ton of verdant green leaves, with a little caterpillar poking through them.= Inside it says, "Turns out the soybean looper caterpillar may control the spread of the Kudzu weed in South Carolina. You don't have any idea what I'm talking about, do you?" I signed it, "Do you remember the kudzu, Scully?" Scully simply throws her head back and laughs. "Yes, I remember the kudzu." Her eyes take on a mischievous glint and she half-whispers,= "That's where we first made love." I must be beaming by now. The third card features a drawing of Pooh looking out the window, and the words inside say, "It was a Ho-Hum Day, so I hoed and hummed to myself.= Then I thought of you, and Ho-Hum turned into Happy." I signed it, "You make me very happy. Love, Mulder." This time she places a kiss on the side of my neck, and I wrap my hand around the back of her head. Nuzzling my neck just a bit, she murmurs, "I never would have expected you to become a sentimental fool, Mulder." Smiling slightly, I tell her, "It's your fault." If I had know she would love this so much, I would have bought stock in Hallmark a long time ago. She reaches for the fourth card. The envelope is slightly heavier, and she raises her brows as she slides her finger under the flap. Inside is a card containing a packet of bath salts and the card says, "The mystery of the sea has provided solace to the soul since time began. Its effect is so powerful that the mere scent of sea spray conjures up images of the constant yet changing energy of the ocean,= reminding us that while life is never the same from day to day, there is always a place we can go to find our own private peace. Imagine yourself basking in the warm sunlight of happiness, and remember how much you're cared for." I simply signed my name to this, and included as a postscript, "Shall we try these out sometime?" She carefully removes the packet of salts from the card and places them on the table. "Yes, I think we will." I can already see tears glistening in her eyes. The fifth card is much more serious, and I watch her face become sober and thoughtful as she reads the front. It has a beautiful drawing of a flower and the words, "You are more than a friend. You are a soul mate. We share a deep understanding and connectedness that seem miraculous... and that are very precious to me." She looks up at me, tears slowly beginning to fall. I hold my breath as she opens the card and continues to read. "You hear the words I don't say, feel the joys and fears I can't voice, know the very heart of me. I can't imagine life without the comforting closeness of you." I simply signed this one, "I love you. --Mulder." Scully gently places the card on the table and then turns to face me. Her arms slowly, gently, embrace me and she kisses my lips. Quiet at first,= then with a profound passion. Her tears slide over my cheeks and I find myself blinking back my own. We sit there, kissing, then just holding one another, as I thank the stars for this woman. Then, just as I imagine she'll hold me all night, I remember the final card. The most important one. I whisper in her ear, "There's one more, Scully." After another kiss, she pulls away but instead of returning to her chair,= she settles herself in my lap. I can already feel myself growing hard as her soft, round bottom presses down into me. Reaching for the last card with a slightly trembling hand, she opens it and I hold my breath. I chose this card carefully, and had been surprised to find exactly what I wanted in that card store. Two strands of DNA wind around one another against a bed of flowers. She looks up at me, intrigued, and I whisper,= "Open it." She does. Inside, she finds the words I wrote for her only. "My beloved Scully, Though we have only known each other for six years, we have already lived a lifetime together. No matter what truths we might find in the future, I will never be happier than simply knowing that you are in my arms, in my bed, in my life, and in my heart. Thank you for becoming my lover, and for the life you have given me. "And always remember -- you are cherished. Love, Mulder." I never imagined that another person could validate my life, but I feel that as she looks at me, a soft smile on her face. Though she is speechless, I can tell that I have given her the world, and feel a surge of power and worthiness with this knowledge. "Thank you," she whispers, and I smile. I don't want to break the moment, but she still hasn't opened her gift. I shift in the chair and reach out for the box, and she takes it in her hands. "This is heavy," she says, as she unwraps the box too slowly for my liking. I hold my breath as she finally removes the paper, then smile as she looks at it, puzzled. "A camera?" The kid-in-the-candy-store feeling has returned. "Not just any camera.= It's a digital camera. I've already got it set up -- you can take pictures and turn them into computer images, which comes in handy when you don't want to be embarrassed by taking the film to be developed." "Wait," she quirks an eyebrow, "You don't mean...." "Yup!," I reply, a devilish grin spreading over my face. A similar grin paints her face. She stands, the camera in one hand, and rolls her shoulders. I watch, delighted, as the creamy slip moves over her skin. "Can I try it out?" I nod eagerly, and just as I'm about to show her how to turn it on, I find she's already figured it out. Raising it up to her face, she gasps,= startled, as she notices the LCD video screen on the back. "Good Lord, is this video or still pictures?" "Still pictures. You watch the video screen to figure out what you want to take a picture of." "Ah," she replies, then positions the lens on me, and I see her grin as she presses the button to take the picture. Scully smiles again, and I hold out my hand so I can see what has captured her fancy. Oh, no. The photo she has taken has me with a decidedly ridiculous look on my face. "Erase it!" I protest, but she shakes her head. I wonder if she'll choose to use it as blackmail later. Turnabout is fair play, and I move the camera until I have it just where I want it, then press the button. At the sight of my smile, she reaches out for the camera and peers at the screen. "Mulder!" I can't help but laugh at the look on her face as she sees the image of her breasts, nipples already hard underneath the satin and pointing at the camera. "Now you see why I wanted it," I inform her. "I guess I do." The dinner is forgotten as she takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom. Scully stands in the center of the floor and motions toward the bed. "There," she orders. "Take off your clothes." Of course I comply. Feeling slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed, I remove my shirt and jeans, then sit on the bed. "ALL your clothes, Mulder." A bit intimidated but also incredibly aroused, I pull off my boxers. I'm already hard and ready for her, but I see she wants to play first.= Leaning back with my hands behind me, I wait for her to do what she will.= She watches me on the LCD screen with delight on her face, her brows furrowed as she searches for just the right image. The sound of the image being captured echoes through the bedroom and she lowers the camera, a smile on her face. I can already tell this will be fun. Happy anniversary, Scully. +++++ END.