Title: "A Rather Strange First Encounter"
Chapter 5 "What Was That?"
Author: Jerome Mullins
Disclaimer, Summary and Rating: See previous chapters.
Author's Notes: I noticed some of you were caught on the edge of your seats at the end of the last chapter. I make no apologies for that, I simply want to state: Thank you for returning for this chapter. All of the sudden, I appear to have a lot of interested readers, I thank you very much. I love to see the number of reviews for my work steadily increase, gives me an incentive to continue writing more chapters.
In this chapter, love has struck Dana Scully, but what about Fox Mulder? Despite the awkwardness of their situation, things are going to get worse when some unexpected people show up. While there is some humor in this chapter, it does have a few serious things going on, especially towards the end. Now without further ado, I leave you with what you've all come for: Mulder's reaction.
* * *
It was a soft and tender kiss, nothing desperate or offense. Rather pleasant. Dana Scully kept her lips on his longer than she had intended to. Something was keeping her there, a soft gentle touch under her chin. It moved back and forth over her skin, a touch to keep her from moving away. She was happy at this moment and had no intention of moving. She communicated this desire to remain close by wrapping her arms around his upper body. Her left hand came up to his neck and she gently scratched the tiny hairs along his neck with her nails. This incited his reaction to move his fingers from her jaw line and under her chin to hold the side of her face in his palm. Dana wasn't the only one enjoying this moment.
The two of them only released from each other long enough to take a breath of air. Dana's first reaction was to inhale enough oxygen to stop her lungs from burning and go right back into another kiss. She took a deep breath and leaned forward but he stopped her with a gentle touch of his thumb on her plump, delicious lips. He smiled weakly. He was blushing and shyly looked away from her.
"I'm sorry," his voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't do this to you, despite how much I want to, it just wouldn't be fair to you."
Fox Mulder shook his head and got up from her side under the window. He took a few steps forward to distance himself from her before he turned back to give her another sheepish smile.
Dana shook her head in disbelief, had she missed something in that moment? _She_ had kissed him, when did he want in on the deal?
"I kissed you." Dana looked up at him, as if she were trying to confirm that the kiss had actually happened.
"Yes, you did." Fox nodded.
"_I_ kissed you." She was trying to prove a point now.
"Yes, and I kissed you back." He admitted freely.
Her heart fluttered as she suddenly understood what that meant, he wanted her _too_. At least enough to want to hold her and kiss her in return. _One step at a time_, Dana thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile, something had caught fire between the two of them that night. If only she could have the time to replay the evening's conversations in her mind, to pin point the exact moment when the sparks ignited, but at the moment she felt as if she had to win him back.
"I have to tell you, Dana," Dana suddenly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. "I wasn't expecting this to happen."
"Me neither." Dana said bluntly. "But something sure as hell happened."
"Yes it did." He nodded.
"I liked it." Dana said bravely.
"So did I." Fox returned the bluntness.
The silence that followed ignited a sudden flame of mutual want and craving for each other. When they linked eyes, Dana could feel him pulling her closer to him. She rose to her feet and took steps closer to him. Thinking she was in the clear to make another move on him, he took a step back. The moment of sexual tension suddenly vanished.
"It wouldn't be fair to you." He shook his head. "There's an entire ocean that's separating us, Dana."
Logic suddenly re-entered Dana's thoughts, he was right. Just hours before she had worked out an entire list of reasons of why a relationship between the two of them wouldn't work, it seemed funny to her that she couldn't recall a single reason when her lips were locked with his. An unexpected, and disappointingly honest, realization sprung from her lips.
"You're right, maybe this just isn't meant to be."
Dana felt like slapping herself for saying such a thing. She wanted this, she wanted _him_. But her rational mind was telling her that it just wasn't going to happen. She could have killed her rational mind at that very moment.
"It wouldn't be fair to you." He had mentioned this fact twice before, now it sounded as if he was trying to convince himself he was right. "When would we ever get to spend time with each other?"
"Right, you have class." Dana nodded. "And I'm only here for a few more days. It's not going to work for us."
"Exactly, and what about when you get back to the states?"
"Yeah, you have another year here and I've still got high school to finish."
Her list was starting to come back now.
"Right." He nodded. "Besides, there'll be lots of other guys next year. There'll be someone you can go to the prom with and see movies with, meanwhile I'd just be stuck here."
"And there are plenty of girls here too. There are those nice girls in the bar. There's Maggie and Grace. There are plenty of people here for you."
"You're right." He nodded.
Argument over, defense rests. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were not meant to be with each other.
They sat down on the sofa in silence for several moments, listening to the silence of the room. They then turned to staring at each other for several moments, occasionally giving the other a brief smile, when they suddenly both lunged forward and wrapped their arms around each other. They kissed hotly and passionately, their hands enclosing the other in a tight embrace. Dana refused to let go of his lips. Their tongues darted, teased and chased each other as Dana pulled him on top of her.
The sound of the door opening and Grace's gasp caused both Fox and Dana to pause and look at each other and then turn to look at the door.
Maggie stood speechless. She observed the room with the window wide open and the absence of all his text books. She then turned to Fox and Dana and smiled at them.
"Let me guess, this all started after you freed some text books?"
"Completely unplanned." Fox stated simply and looked down to Dana who nodded.
"Completely. We were not planning for this to happen." Her voice was calm.
Fox smacked his lips and then gently raised himself off of Dana. Dana sat up and straightened her shirt, then smoothed the back of his shirt from the wrinkles she had caused while working to remove it.
"I think we'll leave you two for now," Maggie said moving herself, and a very stunned Grace, towards the front door. "Goodnight all."
When they left the room, Fox turned and looked at Dana. "I think I should lock the door from now on. What do you think?"
"That might be a good idea," she nodded. "Make sure your roommate has a key though."
"Yes." He nodded and leaned towards her. He was about to give her another kiss when it was she who laid a thumb on his lips this time.
"I had a wonderful evening, but I think I should say goodnight."
Fox didn't argue, he simply kissed her cheek and walked her to his door. He opened the door for her and fiddled with the knob.
"Don't forget to lock it." She tapped his hand which rested on the knob.
"Maybe I'll start doing that tomorrow night," he paused. "Just in case you wanted to drop by later."
Dana reached up on her tip-toes and planted another kiss on his lips before turning down the hall to catch-up with Grace and Maggie.
Fox closed the door and left it unlocked. He then locked it and then unlocked it. Staring at the knob, knowing how simple it was to lock the door, he leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling and rushed his head forward to smack his forehead right into the closed door.
* * *
Dana's view:
"What the hell was that?" Grace demanded when Dana quietly entered the dorm room.
Maggie and Grace had been waiting for her right next to the door. Dana came in, closed the door, and stood in front of them as a prisoner before the firing squad.
"Just what the hell was going on between the two of you in there?" Grace was clearly unhappy about what she had seen. Maggie seemed to be alarmingly indifferent.
"Oh, please." Maggie approached Dana softly. "Leave her alone, she'll tell us when she's ready."
Maggie gently led Dana to her bed and sat down next to her.
"Leave her alone? How can I? After what I just saw-the two of them. _that_ way on the couch."
"It's really none of our business," Maggie scolded her roommate. "Besides, you were the one who went in without knocking. Where are your manners?"
"I didn't know I would have to knock! How could I have known? They just met!"
"We weren't planning on it." Dana said quietly. "It just happened." She shrugged shyly.
"How did it happen?" Grace demanded. "What did you say? What did he say? Omit no detail."
"Grace, why don't you take a walk around campus? Cool down a bit." Maggie suggested as she lead Grace to the door by her arm.
"I'm fine!" Grace shouted as she broke free from the hold.
Maggie gestured to the door and Grace reluctantly left them. She paused at the door before going out and then left them alone. Maggie sat down next to Dana and waited patiently.
"It wasn't planned," Dana repeated again. "It just happened."
"It was the book flying thing wasn't it?" She had a knowing smile on her face. Dana stared at her curiously and Maggie's smile broadened. "We saw the books in the court yard, saw his window open, not to mention the fact that both of you were absent at dinner."
"We went to the pub, we ate there."
"And then he taught you how to 'free' some books," Dana nodded. "Fun isn't it?"
Dana couldn't help but smile. It was rather fun, but not as half as enjoyable as kissing Fox Mulder.
"So. who kissed who first?"
"I kissed him." Dana said quietly.
"And then?"
"He kissed me back."
Maggie nodded and slumped her shoulders.
"He didn't kiss me." She said solemnly. "I kissed him, but there was nothing in return. I guess he just wasn't interested."
Dana stared at her for a minute and then suddenly understood.
"The same thing happened to you, didn't it?"
"Three months ago." Maggie nodded. "We were just hanging out in his dorm, listening to a new record he had just picked up from a record shop in London. We were chatting a bit then we started talking about textbooks. I was mentioning how much I hated my World History texts, he then lead me to the window and then told me to 'just let it _fly_.'" Dana couldn't help but smile upon recalling those same words. "We went through about six textbooks, some of mine, some of his. Each of them landed flat in the middle of the courtyard, I nearly hit one of my professors, and then we just sat and laughed at the whole thing. And for God knows what reason, I just leaned over and kissed him."
"That's exactly what happened to me." Dana sighed heavily. "I don't know what it was, the way he laughed, the way he smiled; I just had to kiss him. I felt like there was nothing else more important in the entire world. We were sitting under the window, I leaned forward and kissed him flush on the lips."
"And then he kissed you back," Maggie said probing. "You weren't under the window sill when we found the two of you, what lead you to the sofa?"
"The mutual realization that a long distance relationship would not work and only leave both of us hurt and without each other."
"And that's why you agreed to make-out with him? The realization that a relationship would do harm but not a one-night stand?"
Dana stared at her bewildered. "I don't think we were heading for his bed."
"That's not the way we saw it," Maggie said bluntly.
"No, we just. I don't know _what_ happened at that moment but I just had to hold him." She shrugged. "I still feel that way."
"You could run back up stairs," a calm voice came from behind her. Grace quietly came back in the room and had heard everything Dana had said.
"After that? How could I face him again? He probably wants nothing to do with me." Dana lied back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"That's assuming that he doesn't like you." Maggie warned her. "From what I saw, he likes you."
"Fox didn't make a move like that on Phoebe," Grace joined the two on the bed. "Not for a long while, and even then I'm sure it was she who instigated the whole thing."
"Are you telling me that he likes me more than Phoebe?"
"He kissed you back." Maggie nodded her head. "Get back up there."
Dana sat up and looked at the two of them. She then nodded and got off the bed and headed back towards Fox's room. She was half way down the hall when she found a petite woman, roughly Dana's height, perhaps a few inches taller, with short, dark hair standing in his doorway. The door was wide open; the two of them crowded the whole frame. Dana didn't have to take a step closer to realize that they were kissing. A heart broken sigh involuntarily escaped her lips and she turned away.
She felt as if the entire building was coming down on her, crushing her small frame under its weight. She already had an idea of who it was that was with him now, locked in an embrace that should have been addressed to her, but her suspicions were reaffirmed when she overheard Fox's roommate mention the woman to another resident.
"Might as well stay here tonight, Matt, looks like Phoebe's back."
* * *
Fox's view:
His head still on the door, a slight pain resounding in his scull, he lifted his head and returned to the window. He looked out into the night air and then down to the court yard. He couldn't see any of the books, but he knew they were there, he heard the pages flapping and turning in the cool night breeze. He sighed at the thought of the mess that the venture had probably left. He could see his professor's faces in his mind, each with a look of disapproval for his disrespect to his textbooks, even if they were rather dull. Still, he could always see a glimmer of amusement in some of his professor's faces, his psychology professors especially. Fox was simply letting off a bit of steam, a completely normal reaction to stress much like anyone involved in exercise and weightlifting after a hard working day.
He sighed as his thoughts wandered to Dana, the wonderful American who had come to stay for a week. Only a week, it was depressing to him. Here was this beautiful young girl, four years his junior is not _too_ young; she was intelligent, interesting, energetic, and just plain wonderful. There was nothing better to describe her, she was wonderful. At first glance, he knew that their meeting was going to remain with him for the rest of his life. He could only hope that he made a similar impact on her. But tonight, what had happened? Even he didn't know.
He turned to face the sofa and smiled as he recalled the evening's events. The chance meeting her in the library, taking her to dinner, freeing his textbooks, and the kiss. That wonderful, wet, deep, romantic kiss that lasted too brief a time. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He had just had the worst break-up he had ever experienced, he had left Phoebe, and now he was thinking about another woman less than a month later. What really perplexed him was the fact that he had been thinking about Dana all day long. After seeing the girls in the dinning hall at breakfast, her image remained with him through all his afternoon classes. He even caught himself thinking about her during a class lecture, causing him to miss half of the notes. Was it her smile? That shimmering auburn hair? Her sparkling blue eyes? Whatever it was, it was causing him to think about her more than he should. He had just met her the day before, how could one possibly feel this way for someone else after a single encounter? He had told Grace and Maggie both that he did not believe in love at first sight. Now he wasn't so sure.
As she ate with him, as they talked while walking back to his dorm, even while she was throwing his textbooks out the window, he was watching her. The way her eyes sparkled as she listened to him, she was hung on every word. The way her hair moved as her body wound back and then twisted forward, her arm releasing one of his texts. The way she laughed at his jokes, it was a girlish giggle, heavenly and comforting. He had been grateful for the lack of streetlamps on their walk back to his dorm room, he wanted to watch her but he didn't want her to know. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable.
His thoughts then wandered to the kiss they had shared. It was warm and sweet, what a first kiss should be. But above all else, it was brief. What was most amazing about it was the fact that _she_ had kissed _him_. Phoebe never kissed him, not like that. It felt as if the very touch of his lips upon hers was a gift bestowed upon her from heaven. He could literally feel her melt in his arms, as if her feelings for him went far beyond simple attraction. There was something much more to that kiss and he wanted nothing more than to find out what it was.
His thoughts were suddenly broken by a loud tapping at his door. Hoping that it was Dana he rushed for the knob. His heart dropped from its happy beating place in his chest to his stomach in the very instant that he recognized Phoebe Green's face.
"I saw the light on in your room and the books spread all over the court yard, though you might be in." Her eyes were too bright to have been planning just a simple visit, she wanted something.
"You promised you won't come over here anymore," he sighed heavily.
"I know." She nodded and looked down to her feet. "I just needed to see you."
"Me?" he laughed harshly. "Why not go to Jeffery? Or better yet, why not see Alex?"
"I know you're still hurting," she began but Fox cut her off sharply.
"No, I don't want to hear this. No more lies. No more excuses. You weren't happy and you took comfort with someone else. You don't belong here anymore." He shook his head.
"Don't belong?" the corners of her mouth turned up playfully.
"I don't want you here." He turned to close the door on her when she stopped it with her hand.
It was Phoebe's turn to be hurt.
"Don't _want_ me here? Fox, you've never turned me down."
"That was before." He said simply. "Things have changed now."
"In such a short time?" she snorted.
"You were able to find comfort with someone else after I left you," he said curtly. "It was the same evening from what I understand."
"Fox," she sighed. "That's all over and done with. They're gone now. Alex and Jeffery, and even Thomas, it's all over with each of them. I'm only here for you."
She placed her hands on his chest and moved them to his shoulders. He caught them sharply by the wrists and held her away from him harshly.
"No, no." He shook his head. "Not again, I told you when I left that I was not going to do this. I'm not going to take you back."
Deep confusion washed over her face. This was not the same man she had betrayed the week before, the one who left her. Something was startlingly different about him; there was no trace of the misery she had left him with in his eyes. Truth be told, there was no longer a glimmer of need for her. He was finished with her, their relationship and their friendship, everything meant nothing to him. There was someone else in his life.
"Who is she?" she asked harshly.
Fox snorted. "Leave, Phoebe. Just leave."
She crowded the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. She would do no such thing. "Who is _she_?" she demanded to know. Who dared to pull Fox Mulder out his heart's despair and give him hope again?
"You don't know her." Fox said firmly. "Why should this matter to you? I don't belong to you anymore. I don't have to answer to you."
"It's Grace isn't it?" she eyed him suspiciously. "Or is it Maggie? She's been after you for years."
"It's neither. That's all you're going to know, Phoebe, now leave. I've asked you twice now, don't make me ask you again."
Phoebe sighed heavily, she was furious. Not more than a month ago he had left her, he was furious. She had been caught with one of his classmates in her room. Forgetting that she had invited Fox to come over after his night class, her little tryst had apparently gone on longer than expected. He was beside himself with grief upon knowing that there had been others. He wouldn't tolerate the idea of her being unfaithful to him. He had always warned her that he would leave if she ever broke his heart. But she was all he had; she knew that he believed that he was actually in love with her. She took advantage of that. She would be his, but she would have others on the side, knowing full well that Fox would never actually leave her, believing that he wouldn't. Having her cake and eating it too, as the saying goes. All that changed when he left. Heart broken, tears collecting in his eyes, he left her and he promised not to come back. She had come to his dorm that night to see if a month had patched up his wounds, that she might be able to win him back.
Even before he left, she was beginning to suspect that Fox knew he was being made a fool of. Even worse, he may have been aware that he was not at all in love with her. Upon realizing this, it would have been only a matter of time before he left her for good. The realization that it was only a matter of time before she lost him, she decided to take comfort in the arms of another. She stupidly believed that a brief affair that night would help her to think clearly and find a way to keep Fox from leaving. She was locked in an intimate embrace when Fox entered the door. His books dropped to the floor. His eyes became two wide dark pools. Tears gathered in those pools but did not fall. His shoulders slumped forwards, his heart tore in two. He didn't say a word to either of them; he simply collected his books, bowed to them both and left the room. She collected herself in her bed sheet, leaving her bedmate to fend for himself in his nude state, and ran down the hall after him. She begged him not to go, but he turned to face her slowly. His voice was low, firm. "I've leaving, Phoebe." He said plainly. "And I will never take you back." He then left without another word.
It was not just a warning, it was a promise; one that he was holding now. There were no pools of tears in his eyes now, no rejoicing at her return, nor any hatred, simply nothing. And that is what frightened her the most. Fox Mulder felt nothing for Phoebe Green. She reached for his chest and he pulled away again.
"No, Phoebe, you had your chance. You betrayed me. Goodnight." He moved to close his door but she stuck her foot in the door jam.
He stared down at it blankly and looked back to her.
"Fox," she said slowly, genuinely hurt by his rejection. "We can't even talk about this?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Then can I at least say good-bye to you properly?"
Fox rolled his eyes. One last kiss, it always had to be _one last kiss_.
He quickly came forward and kissed her on the cheek and pulled back. Before he could make a clean escape she grabbed hold of his neck and planted a firm kiss on his lips. He cringed, refusing to give anything back. She could smell the perfume of another woman, even taste the lipstick that was clearly not her brand on his lips. She wasn't going to win him back. _But I can give you a taste of what you'll never have again_, she thought as the kiss went on longer than necessary.
Fox could sense there were others in the hallway watching them. He grew furious as she continued to linger on his lips, she was making him the fool once again. He heard approaching footsteps, then they stopped, he could hear something of a gasp and then the footsteps turn in the opposite direction. _Good idea, who wants to watch this freak show? Who the hell is she kidding?_ Fox then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. He broke any physical contact with her, spit on the ground in front of her and slammed the door shut.
* * *
Originally I had intended to end this chapter half way though with Dana's view and leave Fox's perspective for the next chapter. I decided again this for a couple of reasons: 1) I already did the cliffhanger thing to you last chapter and 2) I didn't want you to hate Mulder; I wanted you to hate Phoebe. Hope you'll stay tuned for the next chapter, please review and let me know what you think of this one.
An Answer to a Reader:
One of you asked me if I had ever participated in book flying, the answer is yes. I started doing this during my freshmen year of college and have gone on to get others, including my wife and best friends, to join me in this new college tradition. If you're afraid of hitting someone, here's my suggestion: get into your car or walk to a large field near your home with a few of your least favorite books in hand. Make sure no one else is present and let 'em fly. It's a great stress relief, you'll see. I encourage everyone to try it and then tell a friend. You'll be glad you did.
Chapter 5 "What Was That?"
Author: Jerome Mullins
Disclaimer, Summary and Rating: See previous chapters.
Author's Notes: I noticed some of you were caught on the edge of your seats at the end of the last chapter. I make no apologies for that, I simply want to state: Thank you for returning for this chapter. All of the sudden, I appear to have a lot of interested readers, I thank you very much. I love to see the number of reviews for my work steadily increase, gives me an incentive to continue writing more chapters.
In this chapter, love has struck Dana Scully, but what about Fox Mulder? Despite the awkwardness of their situation, things are going to get worse when some unexpected people show up. While there is some humor in this chapter, it does have a few serious things going on, especially towards the end. Now without further ado, I leave you with what you've all come for: Mulder's reaction.
* * *
It was a soft and tender kiss, nothing desperate or offense. Rather pleasant. Dana Scully kept her lips on his longer than she had intended to. Something was keeping her there, a soft gentle touch under her chin. It moved back and forth over her skin, a touch to keep her from moving away. She was happy at this moment and had no intention of moving. She communicated this desire to remain close by wrapping her arms around his upper body. Her left hand came up to his neck and she gently scratched the tiny hairs along his neck with her nails. This incited his reaction to move his fingers from her jaw line and under her chin to hold the side of her face in his palm. Dana wasn't the only one enjoying this moment.
The two of them only released from each other long enough to take a breath of air. Dana's first reaction was to inhale enough oxygen to stop her lungs from burning and go right back into another kiss. She took a deep breath and leaned forward but he stopped her with a gentle touch of his thumb on her plump, delicious lips. He smiled weakly. He was blushing and shyly looked away from her.
"I'm sorry," his voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't do this to you, despite how much I want to, it just wouldn't be fair to you."
Fox Mulder shook his head and got up from her side under the window. He took a few steps forward to distance himself from her before he turned back to give her another sheepish smile.
Dana shook her head in disbelief, had she missed something in that moment? _She_ had kissed him, when did he want in on the deal?
"I kissed you." Dana looked up at him, as if she were trying to confirm that the kiss had actually happened.
"Yes, you did." Fox nodded.
"_I_ kissed you." She was trying to prove a point now.
"Yes, and I kissed you back." He admitted freely.
Her heart fluttered as she suddenly understood what that meant, he wanted her _too_. At least enough to want to hold her and kiss her in return. _One step at a time_, Dana thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile, something had caught fire between the two of them that night. If only she could have the time to replay the evening's conversations in her mind, to pin point the exact moment when the sparks ignited, but at the moment she felt as if she had to win him back.
"I have to tell you, Dana," Dana suddenly snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. "I wasn't expecting this to happen."
"Me neither." Dana said bluntly. "But something sure as hell happened."
"Yes it did." He nodded.
"I liked it." Dana said bravely.
"So did I." Fox returned the bluntness.
The silence that followed ignited a sudden flame of mutual want and craving for each other. When they linked eyes, Dana could feel him pulling her closer to him. She rose to her feet and took steps closer to him. Thinking she was in the clear to make another move on him, he took a step back. The moment of sexual tension suddenly vanished.
"It wouldn't be fair to you." He shook his head. "There's an entire ocean that's separating us, Dana."
Logic suddenly re-entered Dana's thoughts, he was right. Just hours before she had worked out an entire list of reasons of why a relationship between the two of them wouldn't work, it seemed funny to her that she couldn't recall a single reason when her lips were locked with his. An unexpected, and disappointingly honest, realization sprung from her lips.
"You're right, maybe this just isn't meant to be."
Dana felt like slapping herself for saying such a thing. She wanted this, she wanted _him_. But her rational mind was telling her that it just wasn't going to happen. She could have killed her rational mind at that very moment.
"It wouldn't be fair to you." He had mentioned this fact twice before, now it sounded as if he was trying to convince himself he was right. "When would we ever get to spend time with each other?"
"Right, you have class." Dana nodded. "And I'm only here for a few more days. It's not going to work for us."
"Exactly, and what about when you get back to the states?"
"Yeah, you have another year here and I've still got high school to finish."
Her list was starting to come back now.
"Right." He nodded. "Besides, there'll be lots of other guys next year. There'll be someone you can go to the prom with and see movies with, meanwhile I'd just be stuck here."
"And there are plenty of girls here too. There are those nice girls in the bar. There's Maggie and Grace. There are plenty of people here for you."
"You're right." He nodded.
Argument over, defense rests. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were not meant to be with each other.
They sat down on the sofa in silence for several moments, listening to the silence of the room. They then turned to staring at each other for several moments, occasionally giving the other a brief smile, when they suddenly both lunged forward and wrapped their arms around each other. They kissed hotly and passionately, their hands enclosing the other in a tight embrace. Dana refused to let go of his lips. Their tongues darted, teased and chased each other as Dana pulled him on top of her.
The sound of the door opening and Grace's gasp caused both Fox and Dana to pause and look at each other and then turn to look at the door.
Maggie stood speechless. She observed the room with the window wide open and the absence of all his text books. She then turned to Fox and Dana and smiled at them.
"Let me guess, this all started after you freed some text books?"
"Completely unplanned." Fox stated simply and looked down to Dana who nodded.
"Completely. We were not planning for this to happen." Her voice was calm.
Fox smacked his lips and then gently raised himself off of Dana. Dana sat up and straightened her shirt, then smoothed the back of his shirt from the wrinkles she had caused while working to remove it.
"I think we'll leave you two for now," Maggie said moving herself, and a very stunned Grace, towards the front door. "Goodnight all."
When they left the room, Fox turned and looked at Dana. "I think I should lock the door from now on. What do you think?"
"That might be a good idea," she nodded. "Make sure your roommate has a key though."
"Yes." He nodded and leaned towards her. He was about to give her another kiss when it was she who laid a thumb on his lips this time.
"I had a wonderful evening, but I think I should say goodnight."
Fox didn't argue, he simply kissed her cheek and walked her to his door. He opened the door for her and fiddled with the knob.
"Don't forget to lock it." She tapped his hand which rested on the knob.
"Maybe I'll start doing that tomorrow night," he paused. "Just in case you wanted to drop by later."
Dana reached up on her tip-toes and planted another kiss on his lips before turning down the hall to catch-up with Grace and Maggie.
Fox closed the door and left it unlocked. He then locked it and then unlocked it. Staring at the knob, knowing how simple it was to lock the door, he leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling and rushed his head forward to smack his forehead right into the closed door.
* * *
Dana's view:
"What the hell was that?" Grace demanded when Dana quietly entered the dorm room.
Maggie and Grace had been waiting for her right next to the door. Dana came in, closed the door, and stood in front of them as a prisoner before the firing squad.
"Just what the hell was going on between the two of you in there?" Grace was clearly unhappy about what she had seen. Maggie seemed to be alarmingly indifferent.
"Oh, please." Maggie approached Dana softly. "Leave her alone, she'll tell us when she's ready."
Maggie gently led Dana to her bed and sat down next to her.
"Leave her alone? How can I? After what I just saw-the two of them. _that_ way on the couch."
"It's really none of our business," Maggie scolded her roommate. "Besides, you were the one who went in without knocking. Where are your manners?"
"I didn't know I would have to knock! How could I have known? They just met!"
"We weren't planning on it." Dana said quietly. "It just happened." She shrugged shyly.
"How did it happen?" Grace demanded. "What did you say? What did he say? Omit no detail."
"Grace, why don't you take a walk around campus? Cool down a bit." Maggie suggested as she lead Grace to the door by her arm.
"I'm fine!" Grace shouted as she broke free from the hold.
Maggie gestured to the door and Grace reluctantly left them. She paused at the door before going out and then left them alone. Maggie sat down next to Dana and waited patiently.
"It wasn't planned," Dana repeated again. "It just happened."
"It was the book flying thing wasn't it?" She had a knowing smile on her face. Dana stared at her curiously and Maggie's smile broadened. "We saw the books in the court yard, saw his window open, not to mention the fact that both of you were absent at dinner."
"We went to the pub, we ate there."
"And then he taught you how to 'free' some books," Dana nodded. "Fun isn't it?"
Dana couldn't help but smile. It was rather fun, but not as half as enjoyable as kissing Fox Mulder.
"So. who kissed who first?"
"I kissed him." Dana said quietly.
"And then?"
"He kissed me back."
Maggie nodded and slumped her shoulders.
"He didn't kiss me." She said solemnly. "I kissed him, but there was nothing in return. I guess he just wasn't interested."
Dana stared at her for a minute and then suddenly understood.
"The same thing happened to you, didn't it?"
"Three months ago." Maggie nodded. "We were just hanging out in his dorm, listening to a new record he had just picked up from a record shop in London. We were chatting a bit then we started talking about textbooks. I was mentioning how much I hated my World History texts, he then lead me to the window and then told me to 'just let it _fly_.'" Dana couldn't help but smile upon recalling those same words. "We went through about six textbooks, some of mine, some of his. Each of them landed flat in the middle of the courtyard, I nearly hit one of my professors, and then we just sat and laughed at the whole thing. And for God knows what reason, I just leaned over and kissed him."
"That's exactly what happened to me." Dana sighed heavily. "I don't know what it was, the way he laughed, the way he smiled; I just had to kiss him. I felt like there was nothing else more important in the entire world. We were sitting under the window, I leaned forward and kissed him flush on the lips."
"And then he kissed you back," Maggie said probing. "You weren't under the window sill when we found the two of you, what lead you to the sofa?"
"The mutual realization that a long distance relationship would not work and only leave both of us hurt and without each other."
"And that's why you agreed to make-out with him? The realization that a relationship would do harm but not a one-night stand?"
Dana stared at her bewildered. "I don't think we were heading for his bed."
"That's not the way we saw it," Maggie said bluntly.
"No, we just. I don't know _what_ happened at that moment but I just had to hold him." She shrugged. "I still feel that way."
"You could run back up stairs," a calm voice came from behind her. Grace quietly came back in the room and had heard everything Dana had said.
"After that? How could I face him again? He probably wants nothing to do with me." Dana lied back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"That's assuming that he doesn't like you." Maggie warned her. "From what I saw, he likes you."
"Fox didn't make a move like that on Phoebe," Grace joined the two on the bed. "Not for a long while, and even then I'm sure it was she who instigated the whole thing."
"Are you telling me that he likes me more than Phoebe?"
"He kissed you back." Maggie nodded her head. "Get back up there."
Dana sat up and looked at the two of them. She then nodded and got off the bed and headed back towards Fox's room. She was half way down the hall when she found a petite woman, roughly Dana's height, perhaps a few inches taller, with short, dark hair standing in his doorway. The door was wide open; the two of them crowded the whole frame. Dana didn't have to take a step closer to realize that they were kissing. A heart broken sigh involuntarily escaped her lips and she turned away.
She felt as if the entire building was coming down on her, crushing her small frame under its weight. She already had an idea of who it was that was with him now, locked in an embrace that should have been addressed to her, but her suspicions were reaffirmed when she overheard Fox's roommate mention the woman to another resident.
"Might as well stay here tonight, Matt, looks like Phoebe's back."
* * *
Fox's view:
His head still on the door, a slight pain resounding in his scull, he lifted his head and returned to the window. He looked out into the night air and then down to the court yard. He couldn't see any of the books, but he knew they were there, he heard the pages flapping and turning in the cool night breeze. He sighed at the thought of the mess that the venture had probably left. He could see his professor's faces in his mind, each with a look of disapproval for his disrespect to his textbooks, even if they were rather dull. Still, he could always see a glimmer of amusement in some of his professor's faces, his psychology professors especially. Fox was simply letting off a bit of steam, a completely normal reaction to stress much like anyone involved in exercise and weightlifting after a hard working day.
He sighed as his thoughts wandered to Dana, the wonderful American who had come to stay for a week. Only a week, it was depressing to him. Here was this beautiful young girl, four years his junior is not _too_ young; she was intelligent, interesting, energetic, and just plain wonderful. There was nothing better to describe her, she was wonderful. At first glance, he knew that their meeting was going to remain with him for the rest of his life. He could only hope that he made a similar impact on her. But tonight, what had happened? Even he didn't know.
He turned to face the sofa and smiled as he recalled the evening's events. The chance meeting her in the library, taking her to dinner, freeing his textbooks, and the kiss. That wonderful, wet, deep, romantic kiss that lasted too brief a time. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He had just had the worst break-up he had ever experienced, he had left Phoebe, and now he was thinking about another woman less than a month later. What really perplexed him was the fact that he had been thinking about Dana all day long. After seeing the girls in the dinning hall at breakfast, her image remained with him through all his afternoon classes. He even caught himself thinking about her during a class lecture, causing him to miss half of the notes. Was it her smile? That shimmering auburn hair? Her sparkling blue eyes? Whatever it was, it was causing him to think about her more than he should. He had just met her the day before, how could one possibly feel this way for someone else after a single encounter? He had told Grace and Maggie both that he did not believe in love at first sight. Now he wasn't so sure.
As she ate with him, as they talked while walking back to his dorm, even while she was throwing his textbooks out the window, he was watching her. The way her eyes sparkled as she listened to him, she was hung on every word. The way her hair moved as her body wound back and then twisted forward, her arm releasing one of his texts. The way she laughed at his jokes, it was a girlish giggle, heavenly and comforting. He had been grateful for the lack of streetlamps on their walk back to his dorm room, he wanted to watch her but he didn't want her to know. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable.
His thoughts then wandered to the kiss they had shared. It was warm and sweet, what a first kiss should be. But above all else, it was brief. What was most amazing about it was the fact that _she_ had kissed _him_. Phoebe never kissed him, not like that. It felt as if the very touch of his lips upon hers was a gift bestowed upon her from heaven. He could literally feel her melt in his arms, as if her feelings for him went far beyond simple attraction. There was something much more to that kiss and he wanted nothing more than to find out what it was.
His thoughts were suddenly broken by a loud tapping at his door. Hoping that it was Dana he rushed for the knob. His heart dropped from its happy beating place in his chest to his stomach in the very instant that he recognized Phoebe Green's face.
"I saw the light on in your room and the books spread all over the court yard, though you might be in." Her eyes were too bright to have been planning just a simple visit, she wanted something.
"You promised you won't come over here anymore," he sighed heavily.
"I know." She nodded and looked down to her feet. "I just needed to see you."
"Me?" he laughed harshly. "Why not go to Jeffery? Or better yet, why not see Alex?"
"I know you're still hurting," she began but Fox cut her off sharply.
"No, I don't want to hear this. No more lies. No more excuses. You weren't happy and you took comfort with someone else. You don't belong here anymore." He shook his head.
"Don't belong?" the corners of her mouth turned up playfully.
"I don't want you here." He turned to close the door on her when she stopped it with her hand.
It was Phoebe's turn to be hurt.
"Don't _want_ me here? Fox, you've never turned me down."
"That was before." He said simply. "Things have changed now."
"In such a short time?" she snorted.
"You were able to find comfort with someone else after I left you," he said curtly. "It was the same evening from what I understand."
"Fox," she sighed. "That's all over and done with. They're gone now. Alex and Jeffery, and even Thomas, it's all over with each of them. I'm only here for you."
She placed her hands on his chest and moved them to his shoulders. He caught them sharply by the wrists and held her away from him harshly.
"No, no." He shook his head. "Not again, I told you when I left that I was not going to do this. I'm not going to take you back."
Deep confusion washed over her face. This was not the same man she had betrayed the week before, the one who left her. Something was startlingly different about him; there was no trace of the misery she had left him with in his eyes. Truth be told, there was no longer a glimmer of need for her. He was finished with her, their relationship and their friendship, everything meant nothing to him. There was someone else in his life.
"Who is she?" she asked harshly.
Fox snorted. "Leave, Phoebe. Just leave."
She crowded the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. She would do no such thing. "Who is _she_?" she demanded to know. Who dared to pull Fox Mulder out his heart's despair and give him hope again?
"You don't know her." Fox said firmly. "Why should this matter to you? I don't belong to you anymore. I don't have to answer to you."
"It's Grace isn't it?" she eyed him suspiciously. "Or is it Maggie? She's been after you for years."
"It's neither. That's all you're going to know, Phoebe, now leave. I've asked you twice now, don't make me ask you again."
Phoebe sighed heavily, she was furious. Not more than a month ago he had left her, he was furious. She had been caught with one of his classmates in her room. Forgetting that she had invited Fox to come over after his night class, her little tryst had apparently gone on longer than expected. He was beside himself with grief upon knowing that there had been others. He wouldn't tolerate the idea of her being unfaithful to him. He had always warned her that he would leave if she ever broke his heart. But she was all he had; she knew that he believed that he was actually in love with her. She took advantage of that. She would be his, but she would have others on the side, knowing full well that Fox would never actually leave her, believing that he wouldn't. Having her cake and eating it too, as the saying goes. All that changed when he left. Heart broken, tears collecting in his eyes, he left her and he promised not to come back. She had come to his dorm that night to see if a month had patched up his wounds, that she might be able to win him back.
Even before he left, she was beginning to suspect that Fox knew he was being made a fool of. Even worse, he may have been aware that he was not at all in love with her. Upon realizing this, it would have been only a matter of time before he left her for good. The realization that it was only a matter of time before she lost him, she decided to take comfort in the arms of another. She stupidly believed that a brief affair that night would help her to think clearly and find a way to keep Fox from leaving. She was locked in an intimate embrace when Fox entered the door. His books dropped to the floor. His eyes became two wide dark pools. Tears gathered in those pools but did not fall. His shoulders slumped forwards, his heart tore in two. He didn't say a word to either of them; he simply collected his books, bowed to them both and left the room. She collected herself in her bed sheet, leaving her bedmate to fend for himself in his nude state, and ran down the hall after him. She begged him not to go, but he turned to face her slowly. His voice was low, firm. "I've leaving, Phoebe." He said plainly. "And I will never take you back." He then left without another word.
It was not just a warning, it was a promise; one that he was holding now. There were no pools of tears in his eyes now, no rejoicing at her return, nor any hatred, simply nothing. And that is what frightened her the most. Fox Mulder felt nothing for Phoebe Green. She reached for his chest and he pulled away again.
"No, Phoebe, you had your chance. You betrayed me. Goodnight." He moved to close his door but she stuck her foot in the door jam.
He stared down at it blankly and looked back to her.
"Fox," she said slowly, genuinely hurt by his rejection. "We can't even talk about this?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Then can I at least say good-bye to you properly?"
Fox rolled his eyes. One last kiss, it always had to be _one last kiss_.
He quickly came forward and kissed her on the cheek and pulled back. Before he could make a clean escape she grabbed hold of his neck and planted a firm kiss on his lips. He cringed, refusing to give anything back. She could smell the perfume of another woman, even taste the lipstick that was clearly not her brand on his lips. She wasn't going to win him back. _But I can give you a taste of what you'll never have again_, she thought as the kiss went on longer than necessary.
Fox could sense there were others in the hallway watching them. He grew furious as she continued to linger on his lips, she was making him the fool once again. He heard approaching footsteps, then they stopped, he could hear something of a gasp and then the footsteps turn in the opposite direction. _Good idea, who wants to watch this freak show? Who the hell is she kidding?_ Fox then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. He broke any physical contact with her, spit on the ground in front of her and slammed the door shut.
* * *
Originally I had intended to end this chapter half way though with Dana's view and leave Fox's perspective for the next chapter. I decided again this for a couple of reasons: 1) I already did the cliffhanger thing to you last chapter and 2) I didn't want you to hate Mulder; I wanted you to hate Phoebe. Hope you'll stay tuned for the next chapter, please review and let me know what you think of this one.
An Answer to a Reader:
One of you asked me if I had ever participated in book flying, the answer is yes. I started doing this during my freshmen year of college and have gone on to get others, including my wife and best friends, to join me in this new college tradition. If you're afraid of hitting someone, here's my suggestion: get into your car or walk to a large field near your home with a few of your least favorite books in hand. Make sure no one else is present and let 'em fly. It's a great stress relief, you'll see. I encourage everyone to try it and then tell a friend. You'll be glad you did.
