TITLE: Being Us AUTHOR: aRcaDIaNFall$ FEEDBACK: arcadianfalls@yahoo.com.au RATING: PG-13 SPOILERS: All Things CLASSIFICATION: MSR, A SUMMARY: post-All Things. Following on from the last scene. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't remember a timestamp for the teaser so if there was one and I'm wrong... well, it's all fiction anyway, right? This also works as a kinda prequel to my 'Blessing' trilogy. --> http://www.geocities.com/arcadianfalls/ Being Us by aRcaDIaNFall$ It's so still. I open my eyes, wondering when I fell asleep, why I'm alone. It's dark, still night. My neck is cramped and I cautiously stretch, kicking off the blanket he's covered me with. About to call his name, I pause to listen. A rattle and a splash from the kitchen. I check my watch. It's hours since I fell asleep. Why isn't he in bed? Still stretching as I stand, I pick up the blanket to fold it for him. But I stop, instead bringing it to my face and inhaling the scent. Mulder, and the faintest touch of my perfume. With a sigh I let it down on the couch. Mulder never folds things anyway. I find him in the kitchen, washing up. The teacups are drip drying, and the rhythmic drops like a tribal drumming. Drip drip. Drip drip drip. "Mulder?" He turns around, scourer in his hand. "Hey, Scully." Standing in the doorway, I hug myself sleepily. "Why aren't you in bed?" "Just washing up." He finishes and pulls the plug. The water rushes down the drain. "It took you two hours to wash up?" "I was watching you sleep." "Oh." I'm a little surprised by the admission. I mean, sure, I guess I knew he did that. I just didn't think he'd admit it so casually. He reaches for the lightswitch and flicks it off. The room goes dark, lit only by a few streaks of light coming in from outside. I wait for my eyes to adjust. Why does he want to be in the dark? He plays with the dishcloth, gazing at me. "How long were you and Daniel together?" Now I know. "Sleeping together? Less than a year. Seven or eight months. He taught me, before that, for a year. He was an intern, I was a resident." "You were young." Drip drip. Drip drip. "Twenty-three." "He was older." I nod. "Married with wife and kids. I didn't know, until just before... I broke it off, when I found out. I left. I never wanted to be the 'other woman'. I never meant to break up his marriage." "That must have been tough for you, being blamed." "It's been worse for him." I sigh, wistful as I remember Daniel's words. "He followed me here to Washington. All this time he's been living so close to me and I've never known." "Would it have made a difference?" "To us? I don't know. Maybe right now I'd be with him, instead of you." I draw a breath. "And to be honest, that thought scares me. I can't imagine not having you in my life. I can't imagine not being us." Mulder puts down the dishcloth and comes closer. He reaches out, strokes my cheek with the backs of his fingers. I sigh, and close my eyes as I relax against his touch. I reach up and clasp my hand over his. Mulder's fingers capture mine and I let him just play for a moment, let him trace my nails and knuckles and the creases of my palm. "Daniel took my hand, and he touched my face.." I remember quietly. "All I could think was what a long time it had been since anybody other than you had touched me in that way." "Is that a bad thing?" "No. I like belonging only to you. I don't know if I realised that before today." Drip drip. Drip drip. I watch as Mulder spreads my fingers and brings his hand to meet mine. His hand is bigger than mine. "I told him I didn't know what I have, but I was wrong. I have this." I grasp his hand. "I have you." "You'll always have me." "I know." The emotions creep up inside me and Mulder sees it. He draws me into a hug, strokes my hair. I feel so tired, so empty. I sigh. "I just can't believe all this time he was waiting, hoping, while I'd moved on. He moved here, just for me. He said that it was all for me, that I was all he lived for." "You're all I live for." "Don't say that, Mulder." If I had the energy I would have snapped the words. Instead, I feel only a sad, tired anger. I'm pleading with him. "Don't be like him. I don't want to be an obsession." "You're not my obsession," he said softly. "The truth is my obsession. You, Scully... you're my Scully, my love, my everything." I pull back, too tired to know how to respond. "It's late. I should go." He nods. His hand on my back, we walk in silence to the front door. I pause, hand on the doorknob, and then reach on tiptoes to kiss him goodbye, to say thanks. My lips gently brush his cheek but then I don't draw back. Our faces only inches apart, I gaze at him, seeing his angular, passionate face almost as if for the first time. It's a moment of curiosity, confusion, temptation. I want to kiss him. Should I? Will I? Can I? I can hear the wallclock keeping seconds. Tick tick. Tick tick. I touch the back of his neck, feeling his warm skin. He's watching me, waiting for me to act. It's intense. I lean in, my lips touching his only briefly before pulling away again, needing to read his eyes. It's okay, they reassure me. I lean closer again, my eyes fluttering closed. A deeper kiss, hesitant but trusting. It's extraordinary. A warmth washes through me, revives me, comforts me, arouses me. "Mulder..." "If you don't want to-" "No, I do." The bedroom is full of shadows. He leads me in there, every touch between us so intense, so tender, so exquisite. He takes me in his arms. The blinds clatter. Click click. Click click. I wake with his arms around me, so firm and strong. I feel surrounded by him, wrapped in his warmth and scent and strength. I look at the bedside clock. Four-thirty-four a.m. I can't stay until morning, I know. I can't look at him across a breakfast table, yet. He must know that. Another ten minutes, I promise myself with a sigh, listening to his breathing. I'll let myself have just ten minutes more of those perfect moment, this perfect night. This isn't the end or even a beginning... it's just another moment between us, of being us. I close my eyes, and I absorb the stillness. 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.