#3x4x5

Nails scratch the skin of his abdomen raw, aiming towards his chest, as another hand cups his face to leave him gasping, breathless. His hair is loosened from its ponytail and pulled back and away from his face, while fingers trail over the zipper of his slacks, coaxing them open.

His brain rots and spills out of his ears. He’s too sensitive, too aroused. He asked for this. For years he begged for this, and still—he never thought he’d actually have it, have them, both of them, teasing him. Touching him.

In the pursuit, Scully had to relieve herself of her hiking pack. Mulder, damn his lanky form, hadn’t been terribly hindered by his pack and still had his supplies. Scully wanted to sulk at his fortune, but how this night was going, the supplies he still carried would be their only shared fortune.

Scully had been carrying the tent, but Mulder had the majority of the tarps. He also had plenty of water and had been insisting Scully drink more than he, but Scully was compelled to remind him his dehydration had nearly cost him big time on multiple occasions and that she’d be fine longer than him.

They began working in silence, tying a tarp level between some trees as a makeshift shelter from potential further downpour. Scully laid another tarp on the grass for them to sleep on and avoid lying directly on the soggy ground. Not that it would make a ton of difference at this point, Scully lamented. They both were soaked to the bone.

Scully shivered as she worked, setting her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

“Hey,” Mulder called suddenly.

Scully looked to him.

“Could be worse,” he informed her, “It could be raining.”

Scully’s eyes hooded, but a boyish grin slowly spread across Mulder’s features.

“Do you delight in bringing us bad luck?” Scully deadpanned.

“Oh come on, Scully,” Mulder chuckled, “I didn’t think you believed in that kind of thing.”

“I believe in it when it’s your fault,” Scully huffed, not able to keep the slight tinge of amusement out of her voice.

Mulder snorted, “Well, maybe you’ll win the white t-shirt contest.”

Scully shot him a look, “I’m not wearing white.”

“Well I am. Avert your eyes,” Mulder replied, beginning to shed his outer layers.

Scully caught a glance of his midriff as he yanked his sweatshirt off over his head and slung it over the branch of a tree. He was left in a white cotton t-shirt that clung tightly to his skin. Scully’s eyes lingered, then as Mulder turned to face her, her gaze snapped to the tarp as she pretended to flatten it out.

Mulder grimaced apologetically, “I’ve got some bad news.”

“And things were going so well,” Scully sighed.

“Only one sleeping bag.”

“Oh,” Scully said blankly, standing back up and thinking.

She was shivering cold. She’d need to shed most of her layers to not stay soaked. Her outer jacket would dry the fastest of her things, but she wouldn’t wear it and risk soaking the inside of the bag. She thought to offer the sleeping bag to Mulder, but frankly she didn’t think she’d be able to endure how cold she felt. Mulder might offer it to her, but she couldn’t accept the thought of him going without the warmth of the sleeping bag. Not when he stood there hunched in his very wet t-shirt.

Scully’s eyes went to Mulder’s face, holding his gaze to keep from looking anywhere else.

“We’ll share it,” Scully decided, “No sense doing anything else. We’ll freeze.”

Mulder seemed to be considering this as if it was a trick.

“Come on,” Scully prompted, circling their tarp shelter to grab the bag and unroll it. Not only was it a single sleeping bag, it didn’t look very large.

Scully considered the best way to do this. They could unzip it and basically use it as one large blanket, but with only the tarp beneath them and the chill hanging in the air, the more closed the bag was the better. This was going to be a tight squeeze.

Scully unrolled the bag and stood back up, shedding her layers until she was only in her underwear. Everything more was soaked through. Frankly, all she had left was soaked through, but anything less was…simply not an option.

Mulder shed down to his boxers and shirt and began to unzip the bag.

“Big spoon or little spoon?” Mulder teased.

“I think back-to-back will do fine,” Scully replied, gesturing for him to climb in and get settled.

“Suit yourself,” Mulder shrugged, “I make a great little spoon.”

“It’d be like a backpack or a baby koala,” Scully snorted, watching Mulder slide in then stop. He looked back to Scully nervously.

“Uh,” he began, “My shirt is dripping inside the bag…” he paused, “Do you mind?”

Scully felt her pulse quicken, but outwardly her face remained unchanged, “Go ahead,” she told him.

Mulder pulled the shirt off and tossed it onto where he left his boots before wriggling into the bag. Once he was settled, he rolled over, showing Scully his back. Scully took a steadying breath and slid into the bag, feeling the skin of his back touch hers and send goosebumps up her spine. 

It was the chill, Scully decided, nothing more.

Silence began to blanket them, then Mulder broke the silence.

“Do you remember…”

Scully could feel her face heat as she smiled, “The mothmen?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“And the sleeping bag?” Scully pressed.

“Yeah.”

“No, I don’t.”

Scully snorted a laugh and Mulder followed suit. Mulder’s back continued to tremble after the sound of his laughter died out, and Scully realized he was shivering.

“Are you cold?” Scully asked, staring out into the dark of the woods.

“Nah, it’s cozy.”

“I’m serious.”

“I’m okay.”

“Turn around,” Scully ordered, wriggling under the confines of the bag to try to face Mulder.

Mulder didn’t move.

“What are you doing?” he laughed.

“Turn around!” Scully insisted, facing his back.

Mulder twisted, trying to turn around without jostling Scully.

When they were face to face Scully realized how close they were pressed together. Mulder’s breath was hot on her forehead and she tingled at the sensation.

“You need to heat your core,” Scully informed him, “If your chest stays warm, the rest of you will stay warmer.”

“How do I do that?”

“Well,” Scully explained, aware how the breath of each word from Mulder hit her. She imagined each breath of hers, hit him back, “You could rub your chest.”

“If you want me to play with my tits Scully, you just have to ask.”

Scully snorted and rolled her eyes, “I’m serious.”

“Me too, though it’s not much of a peep show in this light. Which is a shame because I think my nipples could cut down a tree right now.”

Scully sighed, “If you promise not to poke my eye out, I could settle closer to you. Give you some of my heat.”

Mulder seemed to be deciding something. Perhaps between action and a joke. But before long, he shuffled closer, making space for Scully to do the same.

Scully pulled herself closer, settling against Mulder’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

His heartbeat thudded in his chest against Scully’s ear and suddenly she could tell that for all his jokes, this made him as nervous as it made her.

Taking a leaf out of Mulder’s book, Scully opened her mouth to crack a joke, “Think we’ll get lucky?”

“Maybe if rangers find us we can tell them we were testing a longstanding theory.”

“And if the cultists find us first?”

“I don’t know that there’s still room in the bag.”

Scully smiled against Mulder’s chest. He was beginning to feel warm. Scully felt a bit triumphant. That and…something else. She snuggled closer. Slowly feeling comfortable enough to relax a bit.

“Who should sleep first?” Scully asked.

“You go ahead. I’ll watch first.”

“Wake me when you’re tired?”

“Promise.”

Scully snuggled closer.

“I can’t believe today turned out like this,” Scully sighed, shaking her head a little at their misfortune.

“Yeah,” Mulder agreed, “Me either.”

Scully could practically see the contented smile on his face and she couldn’t help a smile of her own.

“Let me–”

Keyleth slapped his hand as Vax tried to pry the fabric of his tunic from her hands, and the look she gave him was enough to discourage him from stopping her, so Vax just raised his arms in surrender, allowing her to remove his clothes.

“No offense, but you look like shit,” Keyleth said seriously as the soft tips of her fingers traced the bruises on his torso, making Vax wince as she touched a particular large bruise. “Sorry, does it hurt?” She asked, taking her hand away as if she had burned herself.

“No,” Vax blushed. “It tickles.” 

Keyleth chuckled at his red face and turned to the large tub, dipping her hand in to check the temperature. Thankfully, Scanlan’s spectral servants had already warmed it for them, and Vax let out a hiss of pleasure as he submerged himself.

“Join me?” Vax pouted, tugging at the cords of her tunic.

“You know I can’t say no to that face,” Keyleth bowed to press a kiss on his lips before she stepped away and started removing her clothes.

Keyleth settled in the tub with Vax sitting between her legs, and she began washing his hair for him while telling him about all the different properties of lavender. Vax loved how her nails scraped against his scalp and how it always helped him relax, and he needed a lot of that after such a long day. Once Keyleth finished washing his hair, she used a soft washcloth to scrub his back and shoulders, still rambling about flowers and their uses.

“I have some aloe. I can make you a balm for your scars. Turn around.” Keyleth tapped his shoulder, and Vax turned slowly, trying not to wince at how sore his muscles were. Once he was facing Keyleth, he saw her smile disappear as she scanned the bruises on his torso again. “I can make a mixed balm for these too, and if you’re in a lot of pain, I can make you some chamomile and lavender tea to help you sleep.” She continued as she softly scrubbed his chest.

“Keyleth,” Vax cupped Keyleth’s face between his hands and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m sorry I was reckless–”

“Again,” Keyleth scolded.

“Again…” Vax chuckled. “I can’t promise I won’t do it again, but I promise I will try to be more careful next time.”

“You better,” Keyleth whispered, dropping the washcloth in the murky water.

“Are you satisfied with my cleanliness, my lady?” Vax teased with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not a lady. And yes, you are decently clean now.” Keyleth eyed him hungrily.

“Your turn. Before you get any ideas...” 

The vendor handed Mulder his corndog and the tall agent grinned widely at his food before turning back to his partner.

Scully shrugged. “I hadn’t put much thought into it. Probably something simple. You know, wear an orange sweater and you’re a pumpkin or something.”

“A pumpkin?” Mulder quirked a brow.

“Or something,” Scully countered, “It’s a Bureau event, I’m not gonna go as something outlandish.”

Mulder honked out a sound like a game show buzzer, “Boring.”

“That’s the bureau for you,” Scully sighed before taking a bite of her corndog.

“Imagine for a moment, if you will, it’s not a stuffy-ass Bureau party,” Mulder began, “What would you go as? If you could go as anything in the world–any character, any creature, any reference to your favorite historical icons–what would you pick?”

Scully pursed her lips in thought, “Grace Hopper.”

“The mathematician?”

Scully nodded, “She was initially a professor after she earned her PhD, then while in the Navy invented coding languages, climbing military ranks during her time in the reserves and then again in active duty.”

“Quite the go-getter,” Mulder agreed.

“Her methods are still greatly impacting the field,” Scully shrugged, “I attended her memorial service.”

“She climbed to a high rank?”

Scully nodded, “Rear Admiral before the end of her career.”

“You’d look good in Navy blues,” Mulder nodded, a smirk spreading across his features.

Scully shook her head, rolling her eyes, “It’d be wildly disrespectful to her memory to attempt to replicate her uniform to wear to a costume party.”

Mulder shrugged.

“What about you?” Scully pressed as they walked, “What would you go as?”

“Oh, Grace Hopper also,” Mulder deadpanned, “Good thing we had this talk or one of us would have had to go home and change.”

Scully snorted a laugh, “Forget I even asked.”

“Nah,” Mulder shrugged, taking a bite of his corndog, “I don’t think I’m gonna go.”

Scully stopped walking, shooting Mulder an incredulous look, “Why the hell not?”

“Aw c’mon, Scully,” Mulder laughed, “You think I’d be a welcome sight at a Bureau party? You think I want to go to a Bureau party?”

“You think I want to go?”

“I do,” Mulder reasoned, “You enjoy the schmoozing, don’t lie.”

Scully rolled her eyes, “I do not, but sometimes it is necessary.”

“Try building bridges and shaking hands when you’re Spooky Mulder.”

“Try getting a seat at a table at the boys’ club when you’re a woman,” Scully shot back.

Mulder’s eyes narrowed and his lips pursed in thought.

Scully eyed him suspiciously before finishing off her corndog and tossing the remnants into a nearby trash can.

“That’s it,” Mulder announced.

“That’s what?”

“We’ll go as each other.”

Scully sputtered a laugh, “What?”

“You heard me,” Mulder replied, grin growing, “I’ll be you and you be me.”

Scully snorted, “You want to go as each other?”

“Yeah. I’ll go to this thing if we do, that would actually be fun.”

Scully’s eyes narrowed, “Okay, you would be easy to go as, but what about me?”

A guffaw escaped Mulder, “Oh I would be easy? Please, I’d nail you.”

Scully audibly swallowed and looked away, biting her lip, “Can I borrow a tie?”

“Know anywhere that sells suits with boisterous shoulder pads in my size?”

“Figure out your own costume,” Scully huffed.

—

Scully milled around nervously, eyes scanning for Mulder. She could have managed the party fine without him, but now that they had planned to dress as one another, the comedy of the idea would be lost without the other half of her joke. 

Scully found an oversized men’s blazer, suddenly feeling like a kid wearing her dad’s coat. Under the jacket, a white dress shirt was tucked into slacks and the gaudiest cheapest tie she could find was tied expertly around her neck. She had lamented the knot was probably too neat for Mulder and had loosened it before she arrived.

Her hair was slicked back at the sides and in the back, practically pasted to her head with the amount of gel it required. Her bangs however were rolled into a coif rivaling Mulder’s volume. She looked ridiculous, but next to Mulder, she would look hilarious.

If Mulder even showed up.

When she was beginning to lose hope, a lanky figure cut across the room and pulled a mix of amusement and mortification from her.

Mulder was in a deep blue suit, much too bold of a shade for him, the most exaggerated lapeled shirt, and atop his head was a very cheap, overly-styled much-too-bright red wig.

“Oh so there’s a Mrs. Ronald McDonald,” Scully shot.

“You look like you’ll make a woman very happy as her lady-husband,” Mulder replied.

Scully snorted loudly, shaking her head a bit in disbelief, “You came.”

“Said I would,” Mulder shrugged.

“Yeah, well,” Scully grimaced, “I was beginning to think you were gonna be a no-show.”

“Had a hard time driving here with my girl brain.”

Scully’s eyes hooded as she nodded, “See, I didn’t even need to press the gas to get here, I simply got in the car like it owed me a favor and suddenly the world warped around me and I ended up here.”

“Happens to me all the time.”

Scully huffed a laugh, “Do you want a drink?”

“I’d love one.”

Scully began to lead the way and Mulder caught her arm. Scully stopped and Mulder leaned in close, enough to whisper in her ear, “What do you say to a little friendly competition?”

Scully’s eyes gleamed when she leaned back to look up at him, “I’m game.”

“What if we try to network as each other? See who gets the most cards at the end of the night?”

“Rules?”

“Don’t be a dick about the other?” Mulder shrugged.

“Done. Winner gets what?”

Mulder laughed, “Bragging rights?”

“Lame. How about winner gets the good office chair?” Scully offered.

Mulder pretended to gasp, “Now, Scully, I didn’t say life or death stakes.”

“I’m not Scully, I’m Fox Mulder,” Scully replied with a challenging waggle of her brow, “Too scared?”

“Not at all, Mulder,” Mulder countered, leaning in close, “I’ve faced far worse as a 4 '8” woman.”

“Hmm, that’s not the lowest you’ll get tonight, I’m sure.”

“Well, you are the expert.”

“ThreetwooneGO,” Scully announced, turning away from Mulder and making a beeline for a trio speaking animatedly.

Mulder turned and rushed in the opposite direction, smiling brightly at a large group congregating by the food table.

—

Scully stretched languidly in her comfortable office chair, making a big show of yawning and reclining.

Mulder shot her a look, “Yeah, yeah, we get it.”

“Do you?” Scully countered, “I’m not sure you’ve sulked noticeably enough.”

Mulder’s lip curled in a pout, “If I would have bought a better wig I would have won.”

“Mhm, sure, blame it on the equipment and not the player,” Scully snorted, “How classically Mulder.”

“It’s good to be back,” Mulder smirked.

“I don’t know,” Scully shrugged, “I could get used to it.”

“You missed the mark at least a little,” Mulder countered, “My ties aren’t that ugly.”

Scully's eyes widened dramatically and she tilted her head to the side, clearly biting back words.

“They’re not,” Mulder insisted.

“Sure. Okay, let’s go with that.”

“Incredible,” Mulder huffed, “Way to kick a man when he’s down.”

“Oh, how you suffer.”

“Truly. No one appreciates it.”

“Not at all.”

Mulder smirked and Scully’s face began to curl into a smirk of her own.

“Maybe spooky Mulder’s not a lost cause after all,” Scully offered.

“Well, you know what they say,” Mulder shrugged, “Inside every successful man is a successful-er woman with hair gel–or something.”

“Pretty sure you nailed it,” Scully nodded, smirk spreading into a grin.

“Well, I tip my hat to you,” Mulder added, miming removing a hat and giving a half bow from his seat. “Next year I’ll get you back.”

“No, next year we should both go as Skinner.”

Mulder sputtered a laugh, “Oh god.”

“Saw a bald cap that looked strikingly like him,” Scully explained.

“Genius. Why didn’t I think of this?”

“We can sneak up on people.”

“Johnson would actually crap himself.”

“He would.”

“Next year,” Mulder agreed, beaming with enthusiasm.

4 themed weeks of March

5 prompts each week. You can do one per week or up to all 5. A bit less commitment than a daily prompt, and you can do the 5 in any order on any day within the 7 days of that week.

Any fandom

Any Characters/OCs

Any medium: fic, art, videos, etc!

If you suggested anything that didn't make the list, feel free to still do those. I still may do some that didn't make the list after this event!

No pressure to commit to anything more than you want to! Low stakes, low commitment. Jump in or jump out whenever.