From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 03:10:39 -0500
Subject: NEW: Are You The One? (1 of 1) by The X-Pig
Source: direct

Reply To: thexpig@xfilesfan.com


TITLE: Are You The One?
AUTHOR: The X-Pig
WEBSITE: http://geocities.com/thexpig/
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. CC's. But I can dream.
SUMMARY: It's cleaning day for Mulder
CATEGORY: V, A, R,
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: Spoilers, we no need no stinkin' spoilers. This will fit
anywhere, I suppose
KEYWORDS: MSR, Minor Emotional MT, PWP
DISTRIBUTION: Sure to Spooky's, Ephemeral, Xemplary, ATXC,
MTA. In fact, sure to everyone else, just drop me a line.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was really a spur-of-the-moment fic. It just
wanted to be born. The songs are "(Are You) The One That I've Been
Waiting For?" and "The Weeping Song" both by Nick Cave and the
Bad Seeds.
THANKS: To Luc, for finding me the perfect "Mulder" song, you are
the best. To Denise to telling me to write this one tonight. To Kell for
thinking that it would work. And to The Crew for putting up with my
shit.
FEEDBACK: Yes, I want to know. I'm addicted to it.
TheXPig@xfilesfan.com
------
As you've been moving surely toward me
My soul has comforted and assured me
That in time my heart it will reward me
And that all will be revealed
So I've sat and I've watched an ice-age thaw
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
     -----"(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For"
     by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
------
Mulder pushed the door closed behind him, happy to finally be out of
traffic and home again. He took his coat off and tossed it on the back of
the couch, grimacing when it slid off and landed in a heap on the floor.
Shaking his head, he walked over and picked it up, pulling the small
bag out of the pocket as he put the coat back on the couch. Taking the
bag into his room, he kicked off his shoes as he removed the single item
from its plastic prison. Smiling, his fingers went to work on the
cellophane that covered the CD he had purchased on his way home. As
his hands worked, he turned over the CD to see which songs were on it.

It had been awhile since he had bought a new Nick Cave CD, but this
one had called to him while he was walking by on his way to the video
section to buy Scully a tape she had been hinting that she wanted. He
scanned the titles, committing them to memory. "Red Right Hand,"
"Nobody's Baby Now," "Into My Arms," "Are You The One That I've
Been Waiting For?" That one caught his eye. He immediately placed
the disc in the Bose player next to his bed and clicked forward to track
eight before hitting the shuffle button.

As the music started, Mulder allowed his eyes to slip shut, taking in the
full effect of the music. Once Nick's voice began filtering out of the
speakers, Mulder knew that this was a song that described he and
Scully's relationship, in his mind at least, to a tee.

<<I've felt you coming girl, as you drew near
    I knew you'd find me, cause I longed you here
    Are you my destiny? Is this how you'll appear?
    Wrapped in a coat with tears in your eyes?
    Well take that coat babe, and throw it on the floor
    Are you the one that I've been waiting for?>>

As the song continued to play, he felt the tears start welling in his eyes.
He shut them, hoping to hold them in. Despite his efforts, the moisture
began to run down his cheeks, dripping onto his shirt. His chest started
hitching, containing a soul-wrenching sob that he knew he could not
release, for doing so would be admitting to the world that he wanted
something that he didn't think he deserved.

As the next song began, Mulder was pulled from his thoughts by the
change of atmosphere provided by the music.

<<Go son, go down to the water
    And see the women weeping there
    Then go up into the mountains
    The men, they are weeping too

    Father, why are all the women weeping?
    They are weeping for their men
    Then why are all the men there weeping?
    They are weeping back at them

    This is a weeping song
    A song in which to weep
    While all the men and women sleep
    This is a weeping song
    But I won't be weeping long>>

"A little too appropriate, I think," Mulder muttered to himself as he
wiped his eyes. He stood as the song continued, stripping himself of his
work clothes and his work persona. As he removed his tie he stopped
being Fox Mulder, FBI Special Agent, and became Fox Mulder,
hopeless bachelor. His shirt was discarded next, along with Fox
Mulder, Profiling Golden Boy, to be replaced by Fox Mulder, man in
love.  With his pants went Fox Mulder, abnormal psychologist, and as
he donned his sweats he finally became Fox Mulder, martyr to the
cause that is Dana Scully.

As the CD played on, Mulder wandered around his apartment,
cleaning random things that caught his eye. He was working on
scrubbing the layer of mildew off the edge of his shower when he heard
the soft knock at his door. He was startled momentarily by the sound,
not expecting any visitors, when the knock came again, followed by a
soft "Mulder, it's me."

He struggled to his feet, his knees protesting the treatment they were
getting, and trudged to the door. As he disengaged the locks, a smile
began to spread across his face, his mind finally processing that the
woman he had been thinking about since he got home was standing on
the other side of the door, waiting to be granted admittance.

The locks undone, Mulder pulled the door open, taking in the view he
was given. Scully stood before him, arms drawn across her abdomen,
looking slightly annoyed at the amount of time it had taken him to
open the door. As their eyes finally connected, Scully registered the
smile on Mulder's face and her annoyance was replaced by something
that neither of them could identify. Scully's eyes shifted from Mulder to
his apartment then back to him. He willingly stepped aside, allowing
her entrance into his abode.

Scully stood just inside Mulder's door as he re-engaged the locks,
admiring the evidence of  his cleaning spree. She had rarely seen the
dark apartment in this state of tidiness. It usually looked as though it
had been hit by Typhoon Fox, the various collections of stuff organized
in a fashion that only Mulder would understand. Scully wondered what
the occasion was, hoped that she hadn't interrupted something or that
Mulder was expecting company.

As Scully stood gazing into his living room, Mulder took the
opportunity to gaze at Scully unnoticed. His eyes took in her curves
and planes, pausing longingly at the small of her back, the place that his
hand always came to rest as they walked. His eyes then drifted lower,
admiring her ass, wishing that his hands could rest there instead.
Having already undressed her with his eyes, Mulder now took in
Scully's casual attire and wondered, not for the first time, if her
skepticism and professionalism was removed along with her suit at the
end of the day. Previous experience was proving useless in this
situation, since normally she would have spoken by now.

Scully glanced back to find Mulder looking in her direction, his eyes
glassy in thought. She cleared her throat, hoping to draw Mulder back
to her. He blinked several times, clearing his thoughts. He smiled again
at her and stepped up to stand next to her, his hand falling to its
accustomed place.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. Mulder, I..."

"What is it, Scully? Is something wrong?"

"No, I... I just thought I should come over."

"Uh, okay. Do you want something to drink?"

"Mulder, you seem different tonight. Am I interrupting something?"

"Well, I was..."

"Okay then, I'll just go."

"Wait a minute, Scully. Just let me finish, okay?"

"Okay. But I really should go."

"No, you shouldn't. You didn't interrupt anything. I was just cleaning
up around here. Decided it might be time to get rid of the stuff that
could walk out on its own."

"Oh, okay."

"Why? What did you think you had interrupted?"

"Oh, nothing. It's nothing Mulder. I'm sorry I didn't call first."

Scully turned and headed to the couch, throwing herself down on it
with a sigh. Mulder shook his head and headed toward the kitchen to
get a drink.

"Hey Scully, you want anything from out here?"

"Is it safe?"

"I think so. Nothing smells too bad in the fridge."

"I'll just have water, unless you have some coffee made."

"Coffee it is. It'll be ready in a minute."

"Oh, Mulder, you don't have to make any just for me."

"Too bad. I'm making it. I think I might have some too, though."

Mulder rummaged around in the kitchen for a minute, locating his
coffee supplies. He hoped that the coffee maker was in usable order,
since he usually stopped on his way in to work to get his first cup in the
morning, getting up too late to make it at home. Once he got the coffee
started, he returned to the living room and was about to sit down when
he finally heard the CD player again. He had a sneaking suspicion that
he was about to embarrass himself and turned to head back into his
bedroom to turn it off when Scully grabbed his hand.

"Mulder, what are you listening to?"

"Nick Cave."

"I like it. Leave it on."

"Okay."

He turned and sank down into the couch next to Scully, content with
the sounds drifting out of his bedroom. His eyes slid shut, the workday
and his impromptu cleaning finally catching up with him. His mind
was trying to figure out what Scully was doing with him this evening
when he felt tears spring to his eyes again. He stopped thinking for a
moment and listened, instantly recognizing what had brought on the
tears.

<<As you've been moving surely toward me
    My soul has comforted and assured me
    That in time my heart it will reward me
    And that all will be revealed
    So I've sat and I've watched an ice-age thaw
    Are you the one that I've been waiting for?>>

He opened his eyes and he turned towards Scully, wondering if she
heard the words that were stirring his soul. As his gaze settled on her,
he realized that her eyes were closed, worry lines evident around her
mouth. He reached towards her, his hand straying towards her face,
her cheek. His fingertips made contact just as her eyes opened.

<<Out of sorrow entire worlds have been built
    Out of longing great wonders have been willed
    They're only little tears, darling, let them spill
    And lay your head upon my shoulder
    Outside my window the world has gone to war
    Are you the one that I've been waiting for?>>

Tears ran down Mulder's face as he caressed Scully's cheek, his eyes
drilling into hers. He was surprised to feel moisture on her cheek,
hadn't noticed that she was also crying. He turned on the couch, using
both hands to cup her face. As he stared at her in wonder, he felt her
hands come to his. He feared that she meant to pull them away, to
break contact with him.

<<O we will know, won't we?
    The stars will explode in the sky
    O but they don't, do they?
    Stars have their moment and then they die>>

Mulder exhaled sharply as he felt Scully shift on the couch, turning to
face him, her hands still on his. Her eyes had closed again, and he
could hear her breathing harshly, trying to control her tears. He shifted
his hands and began wiping the droplets away with his thumbs,
absorbing her pain. Abruptly, he felt her withdraw her hands from his,
fear welling up in him that she was going to leave. His eyes fluttered
closed, not wanting to see her run from him, and he did not see her
reach towards him. His eyes shot open as he felt her hands come to rest
on his cheeks, mirroring his own on hers. She began wiping his tears as
he had hers.

<<There's a man who spoke wonders though I've never met him
    He said, "He who seeks finds and who knocks will be let in"
     I think of you in motion and just how close you are getting
    And how every little thing anticipates you
    All down my veins my heart-strings call
    Are you the one that I've been waiting for?>>

Mulder applied pressure to Scully's cheeks, drawing her nearer to him.
He tilted his head and leaned into her, his lips touching hers for a brief
moment before withdrawing, ready to retreat completely if necessary.
He watched the emotion play across her face as the gravity of his
actions hit her. Her eyes opened and met his, her face offering an
invitation to him to take what he would. They both smiled longingly
before moving towards each other.

Their second kiss lasted longer than the first, containing years of want
and need. As they broke apart, Scully shifted, her head came to rest on
Mulder's chest, over his heart. Her hands came to rest on him as well,
one on his chest, the other on his stomach. His arms wrapped around
her, holding her to him.

"Mulder, I..."

"I know, Scully, I know."

Mulder brought his head to rest on top of hers, his eyes closing as he
felt Scully's breathing slow, her muscles relax into him. He knew that
their demons would not come to torment them this night.

They slept that way through the night.

------ 
The End