TITLE: Cincinnati Sunlight
AUTHOR: Denise Morgen
EMAIL: meadora@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: MSR, V
SUMMARY: When a partnership changes, how do you get used to the latest 
developments?
SPOILERS: Millennium, The Unnatural
ARCHIVE: Sure. Just drop me a line so I can come visit!
RATING: PG
FEEDBACK: The quick and easy way to have a shrine erected in your 
honor!
DISCLAIMER: The characters of Mulder and Scully belong to the great
god Chris himself, as well as his compatriots Fox and 1013 Productions. 
I don't have permission to use these characters and no one's paying me 
to do this. It's strictly a labor of love! ;-)

Visit my fanfiction; it gets lonely!
http://DennysX.cjb.net 

Cincinnati Sunlight
by Denise Morgen

Far below, the winding ribbon of the Ohio River shone mirror-like
in the soft winter light. Scully sighed and leaned back in her seat
as their plane began it's lazy decent into Cincinnati. Mulder looked
up from his case file at the small sound. The tiny plane rattled with
the minor turbulence of landing and Mulder pried her hand off of the 
armrest and laced her unresisting fingers with his own. Scully gave 
another small sigh in relief at the welcome distraction and he 
returned her smile with the light brush of his lips across her 
knuckles. Feeling the blush rising to her cheeks, Scully turned her 
attention back to the window. She still wasn't used to these casual
displays of emotion her normally stoic partner had taken to indulging 
in recently. The Millennium case had been a turning point for them and
an innocent New Year's kiss had opened avenues of possibilities that
she had thought long since closed. And even though she welcomed the
change, to say she was uncomfortable with the latest developments in 
their unusual relationship would have been an understatement. Mulder
had been flirting with her for years, so she was an old hand at the 
fine arts of ignoring pointed leers and deflecting bad innuendo, but
his new tactic of sincere appreciation tempered with open admiration
had her rattled.

"Hey Scully..." the soft huff of the her partner's breath whispering 
in her ear sent shivers up her spine. "Want to get some ice cream
when we land?"

She repressed a shudder at the thought of the biting chill of the 
Ohio wind, but smiled at the wayward image of the mess he inevitably
made of any ice cream cone.

"You're not going to steal mine again, are you?" She whispered back
as she moved away from the window to face him, surprised to find him 
so close their noses almost bumped when she turned. Mulder smiled at
her unintentional reaction to his proximity and reached up to brush 
an unruly strand of hair back behind her ear before leaning in so 
close his lips brushed the outer shell of her ear as he spoke.

"But yours always tastes better, Scully. If I promise to be good, 
will you share?" She pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes and
couldn't help but laugh out loud at his pleading puppy expression.
His smile widened and he bask in the warmth of her amusement.

"Don't behave, Mulder! I don't think I'd recognize you!"

He pouted in mock outrage until she indulged in a little emotional
display of her own by leaning forward and brushing a soft kiss across 
his pursed lips. The dancing green of his eyes warmed to a mellow 
gold as she pulled away and the easy smile they shared lit up the 
cabin. As she burrowed down into the arm her partner had 'casually'
thrown across the back of her seat, she decided that maybe she could
get used to these latest developments after all...

Fini.

Lisa, honey, this one's for you! Pure schmappy fluff, as promised!