Title: King of the World Author: Caroline McKenna Spoilers: All Things, Detour, and Millennium Teaser: Post All Things... Mulder and Scully discover their true path by means of the bullfrog. Category: MSR Rating: PG-13, maybe? Email: JC_SizzlinSpike827@yahoo.com Feedback: I shamelessly beg for it... Also, I'm a newly emerging writer, and young at that, so I really appreciate any constructive criticism that can be provided. Disclaimer: I don't own them, I never will. They belong to Chris Carter, FOX, 1013 Productions and I like to think they belong to GA and DD. Gillian Anderson is a genius for writing such a phenomenal episode... Just thought I'd mention that. Archiving: Yes, just put my name and email address on it and let me know where it's going. Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance. Post episode. Author's notes: At the end MULDER POV I pulled the old Navajo blanket that had been my grandmothers' over her sleeping form and smiled at Scully. My Scully. She has gone through so much this weekend, always remaining strong, stronger than most would have been in her situation. I can't imagine how emotionally drained she must be after seeing her ex-lover again. When she told me her story tonight, Scully had explained everything in black and white, just like she always does. She and Daniel Waterson had met when she was in medical school. She was coming out of an abusive relationship, and he offered comfort. He had been her teacher, and nearly ten years older than the then twenty-four year old Dana Scully. She had turned to him for support when times got rough. It wasn't long before they became intimate, growing closer than she had ever dreamed possible. Then someone had tipped her off about his marriage and fifteen-year-old daughter. She had been heartbroken, but, still being young and nave, she continued the relationship despite Daniel's deceit Dana and Daniel met discreetly every week for a little over a year until her morals got the best of her. It was then that she made the decision to join the FBI as an excuse, a way to end it without causing as much hurt. So, she packed her bags and left for Quantico. And, somehow, she ended up snoozing on my couch. That in itself is enough to make me believe in God. Brushing the auburn tendrils of hair off her delicate face, I smiled and rose, letting her lie there in peace. My motives for leaving her there were slightly more selfish than that, however. If I had stayed with her on that couch, I don't think I could have stopped myself from kissing her. And, if I had done that, I would have been in deep shit with one Dana Scully. I like to think that she wouldn't mind if she were awake, but kissing her when she's not would be crossing the line. So, I retreated to my bedroom, my safe haven, which had only held an actual bed since New Years. Normally, I just fall asleep in my boxers on my leather couch, but I find a real bed to be on occasional comfort, especially now, after what I've heard. Don't get me wrong, I know it took a lot of courage on her part to share her past with me, and I respect that. But I know she has questions, and that scares me for some reason. I hate to admit it, but I know that she has a legitimate basis for that doubt. Scully has made so many life-altering choices that she's bound to wonder. The question I have, though, is what she would do, given another chance. Would she have chosen to practice medicine with Daniel, or the Bureau and me? Not that I can be put on the same platform as Daniel. After all, Scully and I aren't lover, not in the widely understood definition of the term. Hell, I've only kissed the woman once, on New Years Eve in a hospital waiting room as the clock struck midnight. I had hoped that we were finally ready to go the distance, take the plunge, but everything went back to normal. Yet, it was so different. I myself have wondered from time to time what life would have been like if things had been different. More specifically, if Samantha hadn't been taken, but I've had a hard time picturing it. If she had stayed with us, odds are, I wouldn't have joined the FBI and, consequentially, I never would have met Scully. Never had I been able to imagine the latter aspect, even if I wanted to, which I certainly don't. Simply speaking, Scully is my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. If I could do it all over again, starting from that fateful November night of 1973, when my quest began, I wouldn't change a thing, not if it meant having her with me. Lying in bed, staring at the white ceiling, I realize that she would be better off without me. I have known that for years, but only now do I fully comprehend its' impact. Easily, I can see her married in the suburbs, with 2.5 kids and a German Shepherd named Rufus. That would be her life if I hadn't come along. The problem is, I reluctantly admit, I see myself as her husband, the father of those 2.5 children, and Rufus's master. I sigh and close my eyes, preparing myself for yet another restless night of tossing and turning. * * * * * SCULLY POV I awoke to sudden warmth, and for a moment, I imagine it to be Mulder's arms, even though I know better. But, the scratchy blanket is no comparison, and I shrug it off my shoulders. Scanning the room with my eyes, I find everything to be the same as when I had fallen asleep. Except one thing. Mulder is no longer on the couch beside me. I rose, steadying myself on the arm of the couch. Where is Mulder anyway? Not knowing how long I have been dozing, I figure he's in bed, hopefully asleep. But, knowing Mulder, the self-proclaimed insomniac, he's probably in his room going over case files or whatnot. So much has happened, my mind is still reeling from it. When Daniel asked me to go back to him, I refused. Why is that? That was the one thing I didn't tell Mulder tonight, only because I wasn't quite sure of the reason. I loved Daniel, once upon a time, but do I still? Love is supposed to last forever, but did it? I may be many things, but I am not a liar, so I can't tell you I don't have feelings for this man. I do, and I was tempted by his offer, though only for a moment. Those feelings I have for Daniel, I realize, are not ones of love, but feelings of sympathy. Pity because he hasn't found what I have. He is still trapped in the past, while I have moved on. And I have, really and truly. I love my job, I support myself, and I am not lonely, like Daniel obviously is. While I may not be married or "involved" with someone, I have Mulder, a co-worker, my best friend, and a person with the potential to be absolutely everything. It really isn't fair to compare Daniel and Mulder. Mulder is so much more than Daniel could ever be. Let me clarify, I may have loved Daniel, been his lover, but I never trusted him. From the moment I found out about Barbara and Maggie, he lost whatever trust he had stolen from me. I have trusted Mulder from day one; I had to, it was my job. On that first case in Bellfleur, Oregon, I trusted him with my life, as I continue to do day in and day out. It wasn't until recently that I trusted him with my heart. New Years, I suppose. Anyway, I feel sorry for Daniel because he doesn't have someone like Mulder in his life. Somehow, while thinking, I made my way into Mulder's room, where he is indeed sleeping. The moonlight pours in from the window, engulfing him in its mighty waves. God, he's beautiful. He's always been handsome in my eyes, but right now he's especially gorgeous. Masculine beauty seeps from his every pore, radiating off him. So, I watch him sleep. I know he does it to me when I nod off on a plane ride or in the car. Sometimes, I only pretend to be asleep for his benefit. I hover over his bed, then kneel beside it. His face is near mine. He is so peaceful now, not a care in the world. All his worry lines disappear and he has a contented smile on his face. I wonder what he's dreaming of. I know what I want to do. Right now, I want to kiss him so badly that I've unconsciously leaned toward him ever so slightly. But I can't. I just can't. There are too many boundaries. Damn, I hate rules. Yet, I follow them. Don't ask me why, it's just part of who I am. Ever since I broke the rules with Daniel all those years ago and paid for it, I have always kept protocol for myself. Mulder, however, is a different case entirely. I don't think he even knows what rules are, let alone has he ever obeyed one. Our boss, AD Skinner, is always calling up to his office to rant about some rule Mulder ignore, and the ones I had broken while trying to save his ass. So, I'm not always Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes, at work. Personally, however, I never cross the line. And, for the most part, neither does Mulder. Sure, there's the occasional flying innuendo, or a tender moment in a hospital after one of us has once again escaped death's jaws. He even kissed me once, at the stroke of midnight as we rang in the new millennium. Right then, when his soft lips met mine, he put the ball in my court, so to speak. I have to move. So, the question is, play or pass? Looking at Mulder, bathed in moonlight, I make my decision. Play. * * * * * MULDER POV I wake, startled to feel her lips on mine. But pleasantly startled. Am I dreaming? I don't think so, she feels too real this time, to genuine to be just another figment of my dream world. Out of curiosity, I keep my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. I wonder what she's doing, 'cause it feels like she's kissing me, but that can't be right. Can it? I double check. Oh yeah, she's kissing me. Lightly, of course, as not to awaken me, but still the fact remains. Scully's lips- those full, rosy lips I have had countless fantasies about- were pressed to mine ever so slightly. It is much like the first time we locked lips; brief, platonic, even chaste. Yet, it is sweet and tender just the same. And all to short. Just as she is pulling away, I lift my head and begin to kiss her back. Shocked, she shot up, color rising in her cheeks immediately. "Next time, Scully," I say slyly, "wake me up first." She rises quickly with embarrassment, and hastily leaves my darkened bedroom. Throwing the covers off my body, I chase after her. "Scully," I call. She turns to me, her hair wild and in her face. Cheeks still tinged pink, she answers me. "Mulder, I..." She is at a loss for words and I know it, so I save her the trouble. "Sorry, Scully, I should have told you I was awake." "You were awake... Oh, God." Her face pales considerably and she resists all eye contact I try to make. "Ssh... It's okay, Scully..." I reach out and lightly touch her biceps reassuringly. She looks positively mortified by her actions and equally ashamed at my reaction. "NO, no, it's not," she argues. If she only knew how much I lover at this very moment... She's disagreeing only for arguments' sake, just like always. This woman never ceases to amaze me. I've told her that before, and I know I will many times over in the future. "Scully, Scully, it's okay." Her blue eyes finally meet my hazel one, only for a moment, but in that time frame, I look through a window to her soul. The emotions I see there are almost overwhelming. On the surface, lies fear, a paralyzing fear of the future, of the present. But, I also see something else. Something that would have been unrecognizable if I hadn't looked in the mirror and seen the same look in my eyes for the past seven years. It's an expression of hope, and trust, and yes, I see desire there too. What I see in her eyes that stuns me most is the undying love hidden there. It's the same looks she's given me every day since the events in my hallways two summers ago. Maybe even before that. Damn, I'm stupid. How could I have missed that? * * * * * SCULLY POV Oh God, oh God, oh God! This is not happening, this can't be happening. But he liked it. A smug smile crosses my face when I am able to get passed my embarrassment and comprehend this. I want nothing more than to rip his clothes off and ravish him right here and now. I won't, of course, I can't. It's going against the FBI's number one rule: NEVER TOUCH YOUR PARTNER. I've always hated that rule. Leave it to Mulder to shatter yet another law. He pulls me into his arms, pressing his body against mine, and he kisses me. This is not a New Years kiss, and is far from the kiss I just administered. His passion nearly engulfs me, swallowing me whole. Never have I felt like this; never has a kiss been so surreal. Then again, I've never kissed Mulder like this before either. At least not when I'm awake. I break away, "Mulder, is this a dream?" "So you dream about me, do you, Scully?" "Shut up, Mulder." And I pull his head back down to mine, our lips and tongues finding each other almost immediately. I feel his arousal pressing into my abdomen, and apparently, he notices it too. Pulling apart, he looks at me, a million questions in his eyes. I not my consent; I know where this is going, and there is no doubt in my mind that I have taken the right path. Any path that leads me to Mulder's arms has to be the correct one. He scoops me up and carries me to his bedroom, pausing at the door to look at me again. "I'm sure, Mulder. I love you." "I love you too, Dana." Ooooh! The first name thing... Bonus! "Mulder," I ask. "Yes, Dana?" "Sing to me." Why I request this, I really don't know. It's just something I want right now. "What? Scully, I never have imagined you as the kinky type." "Just sing, Mulder." He complies, although with a huskier voice than usual. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog," I smile It figures Mulder would pick this song. "Was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word her said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some might fine wine." "Chorus," I chime in. "Joy to the world, all the boys and girls. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me." He still hasn't put me down. His arms must be tiring. "Second verse." "If I were the king of the world, tell you what I'd do. I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war, and make sweet love to you." Then he did, and the world was indeed joyous. Authors Notes: After watching All Things again on FX the other day, I just had to write something, and I couldn't do any NC-17 since I'm not even supposed to read it yet. (I'm 13) so this will have to do. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Jc_Sizzlinspike827@yahoo.com