Chapter 6: Holy Grails and First Kisses
Their friendship grew, especially after sharing that special conversation they shared on Mulder's couch in November. Dana&Fox, as the gossips of the school referred to them, were never apart. Although much speculation spread around the school about their relationship…
"No, Bethany," Dana stressed the nosy prick's name caustically, "Fox and I are just friends."
Though they were not "involved," Dana always felt a little dishonest when she replied to these questions (that girls pounded her with several times a week) in such a simple manner. She knew that their relationship far exceeded "just friendship."
The girl rolled her eyes and huffed. Dana stared at her with little amusement as Brittany spun on her heel and walked away.
Dana walked to her second period class thoughtfully. Her relationship with Mulder (a pet name that they had decided through a nonverbal agreement to keep to themselves) was unexplainable. To call them a "couple" just cheapened their relationship. They just had this strange connection; they clicked.
Even after being at the school for about a month at this point, Dana had yet to make any girlfriends. Maybe it was because deep down the girls were jealous of Dana's connection with Mulder. Maybe because their initial treatment of Dana left a bad taste in her mouth. Maybe it was because Mulder filled any hole that would otherwise be empty; if she were content, there would be no need for more friends.
After school, Dana met Mulder at his car. As she walked to the car, she caught Mulder's eye. He was leaning against the side of his Chevy with his arms crossed across his chest and a lopsided grin slapped across his face.
"Hey you," Mulder said suggestively as he blatantly looked her up and down.
Scully giggled and allowed Mulder to open the passenger door for her. She tossed her backpack in the back seat as Mulder did the same.
"So what do you want to do tonight, pizza or Chinese?" Mulder asked, switching his glance from the road to Scully and back again.
"Let's do something different tonight. What's going on this weekend?"
"What do you mean?"
"Parties?"
"Scully, I'm shocked," Mulder replied, winking at her before returning his focus to the intersection ahead of them.
"I'm not completely antisocial. Besides, we spend every weekend together. There must have been someone you hung out with before I knew you. I would feel horrible if I kept you all to myself," she replied with a smile.
"Well, I used to spend time with Garrett, Jeff, and Aaron outside of school, you know, the guys from lunch," Mulder paused for her to nod before continuing, "but I don't know how well you'll like them."
Scully shrugged nonchalantly, "They can't be horrible, and I'm not that picky."
"Okay, but this is fair warning."
Mulder turned left at the intersection and headed towards what Scully would soon learn was Jeff's house. Mrs. Cummings greeted Fox at the door as he politely introduced Dana to Jeff's mother.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cummings," Dana said politely.
"Oh, it's my pleasure. It's nice to see a fellow woman in the house every once in a while. These boys tend to take over my home," Mrs. Cummings replied with a laugh.
Dana smiled, immediately liking Mrs. Cummings. Fox guided her down the rickety basement stairs, where a round of hollering greeted them.
"Fox, we thought you'd disappeared! We haven't seen you outside of school in ages!" Garrett exclaimed.
"We'd thought we'd lost you!" Jeff joined in.
"Well, a better offer came around," Fox replied in the same jovial tone as Jeff and Garrett. "You guys know Dana."
Garrett, who proved to be the flirt of the group, stood up and bowed humbly, sending Jeff and Aaron into another fit of laughter. In a Southern gentlemen accent, he continued his charade, "Why Miss Scully, it is an absolute PLEASURE to be in your presence on this fine," he paused to call attention to his hand as he motioned to an invisible skyline, "November evening."
Dana smiled quietly. She had been accepted as a friend outside the boundaries of the schoolyard. As the night wore on, though, she shed her shy exterior to yield a character even Mulder had not before witnessed. The true sailor shone through as she became louder and more laid back. Mulder, for one, loved it.
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Mulder and Scully practically burst out of the movie theatre at about quarter till midnight that night, still in a fit of laughter. Much to Mulder's surprise, and her own, Scully had thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Mulder's friends. They had just finished watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail. An absolutely ridiculous film.
They walked arm in arm down the sidewalk because Mulder had parked. As a sharp gust of wind attacked them, Scully clutched his arm tighter because she was cold. Or at least that was how she rationalized it. Mulder snaked his arm out of her grasp and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Cold?"
"Mmm."
When they reached the car, he opened the door for her before sliding into his own seat. They drove to her house in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts. When they pulled into her driveway, Mulder grabbed her bookbag out of the back seat and turned off the ignition. He walked her up to the front door. Instead of going inside like she usually did, Scully waited. For what, she did not exactly know at the time, though it was obvious.
Tentatively Mulder leaned down to kiss Scully. What started as an innocent good night kiss slowly evolved. "It was nothing pornographic," Dana would later write in her journal, "but it was definitely something I would not want Mom or Ahab to know about." It was deep, an expression of affection that two people rarely experienced at such a young age.
A/N: wow, I am horribly, frighteningly slow at updating this story. I promise to give you another chapter today, (well, actually tomorrow since it's 11:21 (ah! 11:21!) but you probably won't read this till Tuesday.) And it'll get better. I hope. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this. Well, I do, I just don't know how to get there.