TITLE: All Part Of The Game AUTHOR: aRcaDIaNFall$ FEEDBACK: arcadianfalls@yahoo.com.au RATING: PG SPOILERS: The Unnatural CLASSIFICATION: UST SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully play one-on-one. Mulder's perspective. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another fic published previously under a different pseudonym. Companion piece to All Part Of The Game II - it doesn't really matter which order you read 'em in, though it probably works out better if you read the original first. Enjoy! --> http://www.geocities.com/arcadianfalls/ All Part of The Game by aRcaDIaNFall$ Lately, she's been wearing skirts more than pantsuits. Makes sense, really, given the summer heat we cooked in down in the basement. And while the skirts had intrigued me, I craved more. The demure knee-length hem, while allowing me the opportunity to unashamedly check out her legs, still covered too much. What I saw, I liked, and I wanted to see more. That was why when she turned up today in a pair of gym shorts, just peeking out from under the oversized basketball shirt, I was shocked. Shocked, and very, very happy. Not that I showed her, of course. Just the customary glance over her as she approached me, basketball under one arm. In all the years I'd known her, I'd never seen her looking so casual. Or so sexy. The teasing grin that lit up her face as she tossed the ball between her hands was indescribable. She moved with an ease that far surpassed any confidence she'd ever displayed in my presence, and I soon discovered why. She was incredible. She scored three baskets before I even got my hands on the ball. I was a little stunned at first, and even once I found my feet and scored a few baskets, she put up a fight. When I'd discovered that Scully had never played baseball I hadn't been able to believe it, but now it made more sense. Despite her diminutive height, she had the quick feet and deft movements of a basketball player. After twenty minutes we took a break. I hadn't been keeping count, but I knew it had been pretty even. "You're down by one," she remarked. Obviously she *had* been keeping count. We were sitting down on the bleachers at the side and she was gulping from a water bottle. "I always get off to a slow start," I lied, grinning at her. "Means I've got the energy to play team hero and shoot the winning basket." She snorted. It wasn't a sound I'd ever heard from her before, and I looked at her curiously. She was swinging the bottled water between her fingers, staring straight ahead. Feet planted wider apart than normal, her legs looked as though she'd shaved this morning, smooth and shiny with sweat. From her calves to her thighs the muscle was toned, a milky white from lack of sun exposure. The oversized singlet was gaping everywhere, revealing sweaty flesh and a black Adidas crop top which dipped low enough for me to trace the curves of her breasts with my eyes. I was furiously memorising every detail, locking it away for safekeeping. She reached up to brush a strand of hair away from her face and I followed the movement. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail, but the layered hairstyle meant that strands were escaping everywhere. This was an unkempt, sweaty, casual Scully I'd never seen before, and I loved her. She took another swig of water and offered me the bottle, her fingers slippery with sweat as they brushed mine. I gulped down almost all the rest of the bottle, letting the refreshing coolness flood through me. As I tossed the near empty bottle back to her, she raised her eyebrows, but made no comment. She stood, tossing the ball between two hands again. "I guess you want a rematch, huh?" I grinned. "Definitely." I snatched the ball from her and dribbled it up, shooting and scoring. Contrary to what I'd said before, I'd used up most of my energy already and it seemed Scully still had it in excess. She was playing like a madwoman, letting out small whoops when she scored, dashing past me in every which way. I'd thought I was fit, that I spent far more time working out than she did, but it seemed I was mistaken. Her energy was boundless. And with mine almost exhausted, there was only one way to save myself from certain disgrace. I was going to play dirty. It all happened in a split second after I made that decision. I was blocking her and she kept trying to dodge around me to shoot. She confused me, and somehow got free. She had arms half-raised to shoot and I instinctively closed my arms around her from behind, batting the ball from her hands. It was only when the ball fell to the ground and Scully made no attempt to move that I realised I was practically embracing her. Just three seconds ago we had both been in a flurry of movement, arms flailing and grabbing and batting, feet pounding, spinning. Now we were as still and quiet as anything, the bouncing of the ball as it rolled away echoing in the gymnasium. I felt Scully trembling a little in my arms, as though shivering in a sudden cold breeze. She made an uncertain attempt to turn around to face me, but, out of some sudden urge I couldn't explain - nor did I want to - I tightened my grip on her. My left hand was pinning her across the stomach, my right on her right arm. "Don't move." Very, very hesitatingly, I bent my head down, placing a small kiss on top of her hair, damp with sweat. I felt her fingers closing over both of my arms and I brought my hands together over her stomach, pressing against it lightly. There was only the light, thin fabric of the basketball singlet between my hands and her bare stomach, but I didn't lift it. Instead, keeping my hands in place, I nuzzled the back of her neck, pressing my lips against the sweat-coated skin oh-so lightly. I heard a small gasp from her, and, encouraged, I nuzzled against her more, kissing behind her right ear. I don't know if the reaction was conscious or a subconscious reaction, but she turned her head a little, exposing more of her smooth neck. I barely realised that my hands had slipped under the singlet and were rubbing her toned stomach as I kissed behind her ear again, then along her neck, and again and again until I reached her shoulder. She was responding, with quiet, sighing moans. A cat purring, I realised that she reminded me of as I slipped my right hand from her stomach to knead her muscular shoulders, my lips still travelling along her collarbone. She was like the cat with the cream, finally given all the attention and love it could ever want. I heard the echo of a door slammed shut in the distance, and I let my lips linger over her bare shoulders for a few more seconds before I reluctantly pulled away. I released my grip on her entirely, and she began to turn to face me. But again, I stopped her, this time with only a hand on her shoulder. Already, the flesh was cooler to touch. I kept my hand there long enough for her to realise, then I let it drop to my side. She didn't turn toward me once as I took a step back, but instead she headed toward the ball where it had ended up in a corner. I watched her as she walked away from me. She held herself errect as she walked, but whether that was from stiff discomfort or confidence I couldn't be sure. It was only the slight spring in her step that reassured me on that point. By the time she returned to me, basketball under the arm just like we'd begun, we had both returned to the planet. Already, the scene that had just transpired seemed like a dream, a fantasy. I held out her empty water bottle to her and took the ball from her grip. We walked together down the corridor to the locker rooms. "Good game, partner." She held out a hand and I grasped it, somehow ending up as more of a handhold than a handshake. Not that I minded. "Not so bad yourself, shortie," I returned. I leant in and kissed her gently on the cheek, allowing my face to hover near hers for an extra second before I pulled away. Then I wrinkled my nose in mock-disgust, loving this amazing, vibrant woman. "Go have a shower, Scully. You smell terrible." fin. ===== : VISIT aRcaDIaNFall$' X-FILES FANFIC : http://www.geocities.com/arcadianfalls/ > check out the new images!! < http://briefcase.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Briefcase - Manage your files online.