FIC: Starfall

[dryadinthegrove]

Title: Starfall
Author: Dryad
Rating: PG13
Spoilers: Fallen Angel
Archive: Sho'. A note where would be nice.
Summary: none



~*~

God, she was tired. She wanted to sleep for a million years, take a
million hot baths, sip a thousand glasses of a good strong red. And she
didn't want to argue about it anymore. "Okay, you pack. I'll take a look
at Max...on the way to the airport."

Mulder nodded and started putting the papers he was reading back
into their folders. He shut down his laptop, put it into its case.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

Scully stepped closer, stared at him until he stopped placing stuff in
his travel case, idly wondered if she should tell him that shade of
purple black was really not his color.

"Scully, what is it?"

Scully stood on her toes, reached up with both hands, held his head
steady and kissed him for all she was worth.

After a second he pushed her away, clearly shocked. "Scully!"

Confused, desperate, exhausted above all, she covered her face with
her hands. "God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"What was that all about?"

"I'm, I'm sorry - I can't lose you, Mulder."

"Scully - Scully! Look at me, will you?"

Face flushed with the heat of shame and embarrassment, she sucked
in a shaky breath and did as he asked. He was, of course, looming over
her with great concern. "Can we just forget that ever happened?" She
murmured. "Please?"

He shook his head. "What did you mean that you can't lose me?"

How could she explain? Maybe she could have come up with some
half-assed acceptable nonsense that could have foisted him off if he
hadn't touched her. One hand on her shoulder, the other brushing
back hair that had escaped from her pony-tail. "This hearing...what're
we going to do if they close the X Files? I can't go back to teaching,
Mulder. I can't."

"Of course you can," he said, sitting down once more, hands sliding
down to take her own, his grip dry and warm. "I'm not going
anywhere, Scully. I might end up back at the BSU, but I'll still be
around. I have a few favors owed to me, I'm sure I can finagle
something for us to continue working together."

She stared at their joined hands, unable to look him the eye. He was so
earnest, she had no doubt he meant every word he said. On the verge
of tears, she choked out, "I don't want to go back."

"You'll be fine."

Scully shook her head. "It's not enough for me any more, Mulder. I
need to know the whys, not just the hows."

He squeezed her hands lightly, rubbed the back of them with his
thumbs. "We'll figure it out, Scully. And any time you want to kiss me,
feel free."

"Oh please," she said with a sniffle. Taking a deep breath, she collected
herself, pushed her treacherous emotions away. "Come on, get your
things together so we can get out of here."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a texture. The blackness was so intense.
- Charles Duke, Astronaut
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: You know those times when you have a great idea for a story
and you start to write it and you're all excited and woohoo! and then you get
sick from your child and then somehow it all just peters out?  Yeah, that's
what happened here.

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