Title: I Want To Dance With You
Author: Lark
E-mail: theagents1013@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Category: MSR
Spoilers: None
Distribution: I'd be honored...just please ask first! :)
Feedback: Always.
Disclaimer: The X-Files, Mulder, and Scully, as well as several other characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and the FOX Networks. The song "Dance With You" is written and owned by LIVE, and the song "#40" is written and owned by David J. Matthews.
Summary: It's the Annual Ball...again
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I Want To Dance With You (1/1)
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The entire building was quiet. Just about everyone had left for the day to prepare for the evening's events- The Annual Ball. She had received her invitation, as she did every year, and also like every other year, she had carelessly tossed it into the wastebasket. Now, as she recalled certain moments during the day, she sort of wished she were going. When she had made a visit to the ladies' room, there had been two women there, chattering away about tonight. They had been discussing hair styles and the finer points of how to keep static out of one's gown, and Scully had felt a pang of jealousy overcome her. Then she had tucked the feeling down deep, thinking that she felt better avoiding these things anyway.
She knew that Mulder had most likely done the same thing with his invitation, but she soon found herself wishing that he had asked her about it, just to give an opening to the conversation that she hoped would lead to an invite from him. Again, she had mentally berated herself, knowing that he would never go, and thinking how foolish she was just for entertaining the thought.
She had made her way back through the now-silent building, into their basement office, and sat down with a huff, where she had remained until the present moment, where she found her thoughts returning to the previous ones. As she looked across the office, she saw her partner staring in her direction, and she quickly looked down and picked up the file she had been reading.
"Scully, are you all right?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Are you sure? That's the third time you've looked over the same page in that file."
"How'd you know?"
"You haven't flipped the page at all in the past hour. What's on your mind?"
"Nothing really."
"It's about the ball, isn't it?"
She glanced up, startled. "No...well, not exactly...okay, yeah, I've been thinking about the ball."
"Well, if you're going, there's no reason to stay here...everyone's already left." The tone of his voice made her look hard at him. He seemed uneasy, and maybe more than a little disappointed.
"I'm not going, Mulder," she said quietly.
"Why not? I thought you got several invitations."
"I did, but I turned them down. I never go to these things."
"Then what's wrong?"
"I don't know. Maybe I want to go now."
He was quiet for a moment. "Well, then, let's go."
She gaped at him, not believing what she had just heard. "What? Are you kidding?"
"No, I'm not kidding. You want to go, and I'm thinking that it might actually be fun. Besides, wouldn't you like to go at least once?"
A slow smile spread over her face. "Yeah...actually, I would. Maybe it will be fun, after all." She raised an eyebrow and her smile became a bit more sly. "Besides, I'd love to have the chance to see you in a tux...Are you sure about this?"
"Of course I'm sure. In fact, the more I think about it, the better it sounds. Pick you up at 7?"
"Sure. I'll see you then." She excused herself for the evening, and promptly realized that she had nothing to wear. Instead of heading for her apartment, she instead headed for downtown to find a boutique. When she finally arrived, she ran into the first decent-looking place she saw, and immediately sought the help of one of the salesgirls.
Twenty minutes later, she was walking out the door with a beautiful gown and the shoes to match. It was black satin, floor-length, with a deep v. She would most definitely *not* be able to wear a bra, but it didn't bother her in the least. The thought of the dress being a bit too racy for an FBI ball had crossed her mind, but she figured she could make it elegant enough and pull it off. Besides, Mulder would love it, and that was her only real concern. She wanted to look beautiful for him, as well as impress everyone who would be there, and the weight of the gown on her arm gave her confidence. Thinking of Mulder again had made her ponder the fact that she was going with him at all. It confused her that, all of a sudden, he wanted to go. Maybe he always had, but couldn't bring himself to broach the topic with her. But still, he could have gone with anyone else. He'd have to be blind not to see the stares he got from many of the women at the bureau. Then a new thought struck her. Maybe he didn't really want to go with anyone but her...no, that couldn't be possible. But still, it was something to wonder about. She hurried home, not paying too much attention to the speed limit. She only had an hour and a half to be perfect, and yet she wasn't entirely worried. She felt like a teenager on her way to her very first prom.
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Mulder, while having a considerably easier time figuring out what to wear, was feeling the same amount of stress his partner was. He had made a mad dash from the office, as soon as she had left, to find a place that rented tuxes. He had no idea where his own was, and seriously doubted that it was hanging in his closet, dry cleaned and ready to go.
He finally found a perfect fit, paid the rental, and took off in the direction of his apartment. He had no idea if Scully was really taking this seriously as a date, but he wasn't taking any chances. And besides, she *did* say that she wanted to see him in a tux, didn't she? He grinned at the thought of her reaction and made a mental rundown of what he still needed to do as he sped along the highway. He only had about an hour before he left for her place.
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She was just putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she dared to glance at the clock. Twenty minutes before he arrived. She pulled off her towel and stepped into the beautiful gown, then put on the shoes, and took a glance in the mirror. She was taken aback at the transformation the gown created, and even though it wasn't exactly tame, the look was still classy. She smoothed her hair once more, checked the contents of her purse again, grabbed her coat and the flower for his lapel that she had picked out, and sat down to wait. She still had about five minutes, and quickly realized that patience was not her strong point. She walked back to the bathroom to check her makeup once more, decided that it was fine, and was heading back to wait when she heard the knock on her door. She sighed and smiled, forced herself to wait half a minute, and then went to open the door.
There he stood, looking wonderful in his tux. All she could do was smile at him, wide-eyed, before she shook herself, and gestured for him to come in.
"Scully...you look amazing..."
He couldn't stop gaping at her, completely mesmerized by this sudden transformation.
"Thank you...so do you." She blushed a light pink at his compliment and silently handed him the flower.
"Thanks. I have yours out in the car..." he started trying to pin the rose to his lapel, but couldn't get it to sit straight, so she leaned over, saying "Here, let me..." and pinned it on for him. Neither was aware of the picture they presented, or how well they complimented each other. They gazed at one another for a long moment, Scully's hands still resting on his coat lapels, a slight smile playing over her lips. She was the first to break away as she walked to the couch to retrieve her things. She stepped into the hallway, where he was waiting, locked her door, and took the arm he offered as they walked out to the car.
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Mulder behaved like a perfect gentleman the entire evening, placing her corsage around her wrist, opening doors for her and pulling her chair out before she sat. When they had first arrived, she had drawn in a shaky breath, nervous and excited. Mulder handed his keys over to the valet, took his ticket, and offered her his arm again as they made their way into the ballroom. She had no idea what to expect.
Walking in, there had been a slight but noticeable hush in the talking going on between their colleagues as several people glanced up, but they continued on, taking no notice, saying hello to those who said hello to them. At first she felt awkward, but when Skinner came up to say hello and invited them to sit at his table, she felt relieved, and soon began to enjoy herself.
They followed Skinner to his table, where a few other agents and one other AD were already seated. They all looked up and said good evening, then resumed their talking. Skinner gave the two an appraising look before he spoke again.
"I'm glad to see you two here this year. It looks good for the department to be represented."
"Sir, we *are* the department," Mulder joked, and everyone at the table laughed.
They took their places at the table and joined in the conversation. Several times, the entire group quieted down to hear what Mulder had to say, and seemed impressed with his knowledgable views on several subjects.
By the time dinner was over, Scully had completely forgotten her previous feelings of awkwardness, and was pleased with the way the entire evening had gone so far. As the group continued their small talk, the floor was being cleared off for dancing. She was becoming more and more impressed with the way the evening was going, and was even more pleased when the music began and Mulder stood up, and formally asked her to dance. With a surprised smile, she agreed, and as he led her away to the floor, several of the men at their table called that they wanted the next dance.
As he wrapped his arms around her, he whispered, "Not a chance," in her ear, and she smiled again, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. They moved fluidly together on the dance floor and received more than a few admiring gazes before the floor slowly filled up.
"So, are you having any fun?" he asked her playfully.
She grinned. "Why yes I am. How about you?"
"More fun than you..."
"Care to bet on that?"
He smiled. Then, as Walking In Memphis suddenly began, his grip tightened around her waist, and she looked up at him, pleasantly surprised that the DJ had chosen this song.
"Well, this evening keeps getting better and better," he said, as he drew her even closer.
Watching from the table, Skinner smiled to himself. He knew all about the concert that the two had taken the "Great Mutato" to see. Another agent had been at the same concert, and had told a few people about what he had seen, so Skinner understood the potential significance of this particular song. A few other agents were watching the couples dance, and were chatting about Mulder and Scully, and how close they seemed.
"God...they look like they're so in love, but I don't think either of them realizes that..." the woman said.
"Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't try to cut in...Mulder might try to kick my ass..." the man joked.
"Or I will," his date said sweetly.
"Care to dance?"
She smiled and accepted, leaving the other two agents to continue talking.
"They really do look nice together, don't they?"
"Yeah. And they're actually a lot nicer than I originally thought. They're so removed from everything else in the bureau, and I never really thought to talk to either of them before."
"Me neither. Dana doesn't seem like the Ice Queen anymore, and Mulder is great to talk with. I never realized."
As the other agents were talking, the song ended, and a new one began:
"Sittin' on the beach
the Island-King of Love
Deep in Fijian seas
Deep in some blissful dream
Where the Goddess finally sleeps
In the lap of her lover
Subdued in all her Rage
And I am aglow with the taste
Of the Demons driven out
And happily replaced
With the presence of real Love
The only one who saves
I wanna dance with You
I see a world where people live and die with Grace
The Karmic Ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with You
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face
The stillness in your eyes
Convinces me that I
I don't know a thing
And I've been around the world and I've
Tasted all the wines
A half a billion times
Came sickened to your shores
You show me what this Life is for
I wanna dance with You
I see a world where people live and die with Grace
The Karmic Ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with You
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face
In this altered State
Full of so much Pain and Rage
You know we've got to find a way to let it go..."
"Mulder...?"
"Hmm...?"
"Thank you," she whispered.
"What for, Scully? I'm thankful to *you* for dragging me out of my stupidity for the millionth time..."
She smiled. "What else am I here for? I'm glad you're having a good time, though."
"The point is," he whispered, "I'm having a good time because you're here."
She held her breath for a second, not sure if she had heard him right. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else."
"Neither would I, Mulder..."
"Sittin' on the beach
The Island-King of Love
Deep in Fijian seas
Deep in the heart of it all
Where the Goddess finally sleeps
After eons of war and lifetimes
She's smilin' and free, nothin' left
But a cracking voice and song of Love
I wanna dance with You
I see a world where people live and die with Grace
The Karmic Ocean dried up and leave no trace
I wanna dance with You
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
And lead us back to a world we would not face..."
The song ended, and Mulder leaned down to whisper in her ear again.
"Do you want to take a walk for a bit?"
"Sure."
They started out, toward the terrace, arm-in-arm. Skinner watched them go, thinking that they looked so wonderful together, and wondering how Scully had convinced Mulder to go. Then again, it was obvious that he'd do anything for her, and it was also obvious that he was enjoying himself quite a bit. He had never seen the man smile as much as he had tonight, and it was no wonder- Scully looked beautiful. Mulder was a goner.
The two stood at the edge, leaning on the guard rail, looking down at the beach. Mulder moved closer to her.
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look?"
"Thank you." She smiled. "You look pretty good in a tux there, yourself."
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Both of them stood there, staring out at the ocean, neither moving for several moments. Then he looked down into her face, and instead of staring at the water, they instead began staring at one another. He reached up with his free hand, caressing her face, as she shuddered and closed her eyes lightly. He slowly leaned his face closer and closer to hers, and touched his lips lightly to her mouth.
A thrill went through her as she realized that they were sharing their first kiss together, and on this most magically night, it felt more right than it ever could. She sighed and kissed him back with fervour, bringing her hand up to his face, caressing it much as he had been caressing hers.
*God, what are we doing* was his only thought. He felt high, soaring above the waves, and then torn back to earth as he realized who he was kissing. Dana Katherine Scully was kissing him back with more passion than he had ever dreamed she was capable of, devouring his mouth, making him want her more than ever.
She slowly broke away and smiled up into his eyes. "Mulder, that was amazing..."
"You're a really incredible kisser, G-woman."
"Mulder...?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
She said it so quietly that he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. This latest revelation from her had his head spinning more than their kiss, and he didn't know what to say to her except the bare truth...
"I love you too."
"Don't say it because you feel obligated...I want you to mean it."
"I do, Scully. I've told you before, and I'll tell you forever. I love you so much, and I've loved you for so long."
"I trust you."
"I know."
They walked slowly back into the dance hall. Mulder knew exactly what she she meant; she was trusting him with her heart and with her feelings, and it was up to him to keep them safe and close to his own heart. But he had no intentions of hurting her. He truly did love her, and she knew that he would never hurt her purposely.
"One more dance before we call it a night?"
"Definitely."
It was getting toward midnight, and the dance would soon be over. The DJ spoke over the microphone and announced that the last dance would be in about five minutes. Scully excused herself to make a stop at the ladies' room, and as she walked in, several women turned her way.
"Dana!"
"Hello!"
"Hi," she replied, a bit taken aback at their genuine happiness to see her.
"I love your dress..."
"You are so lucky..."
"Oh my gosh...Fox Mulder..."
She blushed slightly, as they continued asking her questions about the evening and complimenting her, even going so far as to say that she and Mulder looked so good together, and what was going on between them?
She thanked them for the compliments and gracefully guided their questions away from her and Mulder, without offending them in any way. She just wasn't used to talking about her personal life, and had no intentions of doing so now.
When she bid them goodbye, reminding them that the last dance was about to go on, she took one last glance in the mirror, smiled, and left to find Mulder.
He was waiting for her at their table, as the DJ was announcing the last song for the evening. He took her hand and led her back out onto the dance floor as the first chords of the song began...
The evening had been so magical, and now, leaning into his arms as they danced, she felt more complete and happy than she had for a long time.
"Share the time again
I spend with you
A friend is always good to have
But a lover's kiss is better than angels raining down on me
I dream of you at times when you're by my side
Dream you're not just like you are
So troubled and doubling my pain
Just would've been one more tear
You shed for me
I wish that I could climb inside your mind
And spend some time in there, hug and hold you
And mold you into what I'd like
But no I can't do this
Just a kiss to spend a while by you
And your familiar smile and voice
I lay awake
Then you lean back and smiling
On you
Most everything you do for me, I say
And the while let's make our way
And feel warm
In the middle of this storm with you
Like an angel
Oh well
Oh, what the friends say is she's good and she's right
I say
When you were again
And you were my friend
Before the lie
This one
Say yes I do
And with you
Sometimes
But while I do my best
With all the rest I leave to you
Can't wait for the hour
And when two things become this
All this trouble for a kiss from you, I'll do it
And then you come up smiling
And I'm thrown
Until I get into a little storm with you, I'll do it
Always
Lover, line up and yeah
The road to you is long and I've been on it for a while
And a need a warm embrace
I'll take a break
And say I want to leave you awake
Always
I feel tired..."
The song ended, finally, but at the same time too soon, and they stood staring at one another for a long moment before they left the floor and headed to their table. The lyrics of the song had gotten to her, and she thought about how well they fit her and Mulder's situation.
They arrived at the table, gathered up their belongings, and said goodnight to everyone they had spoken with during the evening. They received several invitations for upcoming dinner parties and other gatherings, and by the time Mulder had gotten his car from the valet, it was nearing one in the morning.
They drove slowly, in silence, toward her apartment, holding hands all the way there. When they arrived, Mulder got out to open her door for her and helped her out. They stood gazing at each other again, both flashing back to the scene on the terrace, and what they had discovered in one another.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too..." she trailed off as he lowered his lips to hers again, possessing her once more, and hopefully forever. Their kiss deepened as he sought to taste her very essence, wanting to know her in every way, but restraining himself until she said it was time.
"Mulder..." she said breathlessly, as he began kissing her neck.
"Yeah...?"
"I want you to stay with me tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes...the whole night..."
He grinned and swallowed her up in another kiss. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"You tell me!" she laughed, as they raced toward the front door of the apartment building, and up the stairs to her apartment.
The End!!
And Happiness abounds!!
"Oh, and in your eyes, I see what's on my mind..."
~Say Goodbye, Dave Matthews Band~
"Till We Dance Away..."
