2Mulder lay quietly, listening to the crickets and the night animals around them, as Scully breathed deeply beside him. He ran his fingers softly through her hair as she slept with her head on his chest. He closed his eyes as he sighed deeply, many thoughts weighing on his mind.
Scully shifted with a deep sigh and he opened his eyes, his thoughts traveling back to a night in a motel room, the rain pouring down outside as they came back to one another.
Today marked a year since they had been living their lives as fugitives. A year.
At first, it had been… exciting was not exactly the correct word, but it had been. A nervous excitement, that made him cautious of anyone except Scully. By his way of thinking, everyone was out to get them.
It took some time for her to help change the mindset his nearly year long isolation, and subsequent capture and torture had done to him. He suffered from horrific nightmares which caused him to withdraw from her.
She was persistent, never letting him suffer alone, holding him when he would cry out in the night. Her voice soothed him, kept him grounded and brought him back when he was sure he could not make it.
He had of course, and it was due in large part to Scully and her stubbornness and determination.
Even as they pushed past the rough patches and settled into somewhat of a routine, the days and weeks became tedious. Cut off from everyone, it became only the two of them. Going from sporadic contact for nearly a year, to never being apart, there were times when they would grate on each other's nerves. He saw it on her face, felt it on his own.
He loved her, had ached for her when he was his own, but some days…
One of those days, he had pushed her buttons, spoiling for a fight, tired of the way they tiptoed around one another. While she remained calm, he tried once more, and it had been enough.
"What if something happened to your mother and you were here, with no way of finding out? Would you be able to forgive yourself?"
She had stared at him, her eyes cold, before she had left the cabin they were staying in, slamming the door behind her. He stood rooted to the spot, hating himself for his words and his attempt to push her away. If she left, he deserved it, he had been a terrible asshole to her.
He had paced the cabin, back and forth like a caged animal, his anger leaving with every step he took. Taking a deep breath, he walked outside, and found her sitting on the top step of the porch. Her knees were drawn up, her arms wrapped around them, her chin resting on top. She looked impossibly small and he felt even worse for what he had said. He had sat down beside her with a sigh, locking his fingers together as he rested his elbows on his knees.
"Do you want me to leave, Mulder? Is that what you really want?" she had asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Jesus Christ, Scully," he had sighed. "No that's not what I want."
"Then what the fuck?" she had said, raising her head and staring at him. "Do you think I don't think about something happening to my mother, or anyone in my family, as we're gone this way?" He sighed again and nodded his head.
"I know you do."
"Then I'll repeat the question: what the fuck?" She had stared at him and he exhaled a bitter laugh.
"I'm an asshole."
"Not good enough."
"No."
"This is a huge change for us, I understand that. I do." She had turned toward him, her eyes searching his face. "We are together all the time and it's not like we can go to our respected corners to have alone time. But, Mulder…" She shook her head and reached for his hand. "The alternative is not an option. I don't want to leave and…"
"I don't want that either. God, Scully, doing this on my own… I haven't wanted that for a long time, but this especially… no I don't want to be alone. I don't want you to leave."
"Then you need to stop being such an asshole," she had said sternly and he dropped his head with a smile. "Seriously, Mulder, I understand the frustration, but not you pushing me away. Not now. I will not tolerate it." She stared at him and he nodded. "Good. I don't want this to happen again. A fight, yes, but this… no, Mulder. Not again." He had nodded and put his arm around her, her arm wrapping around his thigh.
"I'm sorry."
"You should be," she had said, putting her head on his shoulder. He laughed and tightened his arm around her. "Apology accepted." He nodded and they sat on the porch, the late afternoon sun shining down on them.
That had been the last time they had reached the point of breaking. There were still fights, still disagreements and days when they were annoyed with one another. Through trial and error, they had learned how to live together as opposed to being together, while still living separately.
A warm breeze blew in through the screened windows of the pop up trailer they had purchased a few weeks ago. It was not something either of them would have considered living in in the past, and truth be told, she was only just beginning to tolerate it. However, it did afford more privacy than any of the out of the way motels they had stayed in previously.
At the Gunmen's suggestions, and considering his own paranoid ways, he had, with their help, set up several checking accounts under different names years ago. Scully had thought it was a step too far when he told her, earning him the Scully eye roll as she sighed. It had proved to be useful now, however, allowing them the ability to access money they would need, without alerting suspicions to their whereabouts.
Scully shifted and he waited, hoping she would stay asleep. There was no point in both of them being awake in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes and looked at him, then closed them as she moved closer to him.
"Why are you awake?" she asked, her voice raspy with sleep. He chuckled and ran his fingers in her hair, staring at the red strands as they slipped through his fingers.
She had recently visited an actual salon, feeling safe enough to change back to her original color, or as close as it could be, considering the amount of times she had dyed it in the past year. It was a bit lighter than her true color, but after seeing it so much darker for nearly a year, he was exceedingly happy to see it this way. She looked like her again and he had missed his Scully.
"Been thinking is all," he said quietly, as the warm wind blew through the trailer windows again, the thin sheet on their bed affording all the warmth and coverage they needed. Her leg ran across his and his heart rate doubled.
"What were you thinking about?" she asked with a tired sigh and a soft groan.
"It's been a year," he said, scratching lightly at her scalp. She froze and then let out a different type of sigh.
"Has it?" she asked quietly and he nodded against her head. They were quiet for a few minutes, until she moved, leaning up to look at him.
He smiled as he rubbed her neck and she sighed with a nod. She put her head back on his chest and ran her fingers over his heart.
"It's been quite a year," she whispered and he chuckled.
"Yes, it has."
She hummed and he kissed her head. Her leg moved a little higher and he cleared his throat in a mock warning. She laughed softly and scratched lightly at his chest, completely aware of what she was doing to him.
"We've been through a lot this year," she whispered and he hummed. "We've been to a lot of places, lived through some crazy weather, dealt with our fears, had some pretty memorable fights…" They both laughed and he closed his eyes briefly.
An owl hooted and he shifted until he was lying on top of her, her hand stroking his face. Leaning down he kissed her slowly and softly, his heart racing even further.
"Hmm, and that too. A lot of that,"!she breathed, with a low hum and a happy smile. "God, Mulder. How do you do that to me?"
"What is it I do to you?" he asked, knowing exactly what she meant, her confession from a rainy morning in his bed still one of his favorite memories.
"Oh, you know," she said with a smile, kissing him softly, her heels rubbing up his calves to his thighs. "I believe I've told you before."
"So, tell me again," he suggested. "I do like to be reminded of how my kiss affects you." She laughed, stroking his face again.
"That particular story, I know you know by heart," she teased.
"Hmmm, maybe. Hey, speak of the devil… there's one I haven't seen before," he said, touching her cheek softly with his thumb.
"What is it?" she asked, pushing into his hand and closing her eyes, her limbs wrapping loosely around him.
"A freckle. No, I haven't seen this one before. I'm gonna need to add it to the total tally. In fact, it might actually be best to start over."
"Are you implying that you forgot the total? You, Mulder?" she teased as she opened her eyes and he raised his eyebrows at her.
"Forgot? Me? Scully…" he whispered, moving his hand down and touching her left side. "46…" His hand trailed to her right hip and she grinned. "72…" He kissed his way down her naked body and touched her left knee. "102…" Down further, he pinched the big toe on her right foot. "135."
Coming back up, he kissed each spot and then her lips, slowly and deeply, causing her to moan into his mouth. Her legs wrapped around him and he deepened the kiss.
"Now, 136," he whispered against her lips. "I think I should do a recount. It's been a few years, and I would hate to know if there are new ones I've missed. You know how I hate to be mistaken."
"Yes, I do. I would hate that too," she grinned and he stared at her, his eyes roaming over her face.
"15," he said softly, tilting her head back and kissing along her throat. "21."
"Mulder, how about you do that after?"
"Shh," he whispered, kissing across her collarbone. "Or I'll have to start over."
"21, I'll remember. Just like I've always remembered the other stops along Freckle Highway. You're the only one who's taken the time to travel that highway, you know. It would be hard to forget something like that." He grinned at her and she smiled back. He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue running slowly across her lips, and she moaned again.
"Do you want to know what I like about this pop up trailer?" he asked quietly, rising up and over her, planting his hands on either side of her head.
"Do you need to tell me right now?" she groaned in exasperation, as she pushed her hips into his, and he chuckled.
"You'll enjoy hearing this, I promise," he whispered, kissing her again, her hands grasping at him. "You can be noisy without worrying."
"What?" she asked, blinking her eyes; dark with desire and confusion, and he grinned.
"You always seem quieter when we stay in motels. I understand, but," he said softly, rocking against her, causing them both to moan. "In places like this, where not many people are around… you're louder." He kissed her again and she arched into him, her hard nipples pressing into his chest.
"You… you like it when I'm louder?" she rasped out, as he reached down to guide himself inside of her, both of them exhaling a loud moan.
"I like you any and all ways, Scully," he whispered close to her ear, as he pushed in and pulled out slowly. "But yes, I love hearing you. Your cries… oh… mmm… I love it when you're less inhibited. It's beautiful."
"Oh… that's… that's good to know," she moaned, gripping his arms, her nails digging hard into his flesh, the feel of it exquisite. "Ohhhh my God, Mulder…"
"Yes, Scully."
The wind blew through the windows, as the thin sheet fell from their bodies and the trailer began rocking. Crickets chirped and an owl hooted again, as her cries of pleasure rose and were soon echoing through the dark night, his name shouted repeatedly as she reached her peak, crashing around him.
Sweaty, the sheet tangled at the foot of the bed, she lay astride him, surprising him at her ability to maneuver so efficiently in such a small space.
"Thank you," he whispered into her hair. She raised her head and looked at him with questions in her eyes. "Thank you for this year. For not giving up on me, despite my asshole ways." He pushed her damp hair back as she grinned.
"Well, if I had let that stop me, I would have been gone a loooooong time ago," she said with a wink and he laughed.
"I love you," he whispered, as he stroked her cheek and she smiled, laying her head in the crook of his neck.
"I love you too," she said, her fingers once more scratching softly at his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, and took a deep breath. As he listened to her steady breathing, he closed his eyes.
No longer would he worry about the past and what would happen in the future. It was out of his hands. Tomorrow was where he would focus, and his only thought at the moment, was to find a pen somewhere in the trailer. He had a beautiful befreckled highway to rechart and all the time in the world to make sure it was done right.
