TITLE: First Kiss Challenge: The Bunt AUTHOR: coolbyrne < fugitive@ihateclowns.com > CLASSIFICATION: DSR RATING: Probably a PG DISCLAIMER: Yeah, right. FEEDBACK: fugitive@ihateclowns.com AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was in response to a challenge on the SHODDS forum, which was to write Doggett and Scully's first kiss. No beta was used in this fic, as I just sorta whipped it up in a sitting. We're strange allies with warring hearts. -Dave Matthews Band, "The Space Between" The small car of the elevator jerked slightly and came to an abrupt halt. Its 2 occupants, Agents Dana Scully and John Doggett looked up at the ceiling as if an answer was written on the tiles, and when none was to be found, they looked at each other. In the newfound dimness of the elevator, Doggett reached for the emergency phone. "Hello?" he spoke into the only connection to the world outside the 4 walls. When he heard a responding voice, he smiled and continued, "Hey, I'm sure this is gonna come as no surprise to you, but somethin's wrong with one of your elevators." He waited for a reply, nodded at all the moments that called for it. "Forty minutes to an hour?" Pause. "Ok." Pause. "No, we're ok here. Wouldn't make much difference anyway, would it?" Pause. "No problem. Thanks." He hung up the phone and looked over at Scully who had brought up her hand to cover her eyes. It had only taken her to catch his end of the conversation to get the gist of their predicament. "I don't believe this, Mulder." Silence. Her hand moved down to cover her open mouth, only to reveal eyes as wide as saucers. Well, there goes 18 months of a fragile friendship she thought. Out loud, she whispered, "I can't believe I just said that. I am so sorry." He smiled, but she noticed it didn't reach his eyes. "It's ok." "No, no it's not," Scully shook her head. "I can't believe I said that," she repeated. This time his smile was sincere. "And here all this time I thought my problem was gonna be not havin' anything in common with Agent Mulder." He reached up to tug his tie loose. "You don't, and I mean that in a good way," she reassured. Doggett gave a small, amused shake of his head and proceeded to slip his jacket off. He laid it softly to the floor and then started to unbutton his cuffs. Scully watched inch by inch of forearm being revealed as he rolled up the sleeve until he repeated the action on his other arm. Her fingers tingled at the thought of running her hands up those forearms. Doggett took that moment to look up. Fortunately, the dimness did well to cover her sudden blush, and he seemed to misinterpret her look anyway. "The man said up to an hour. Might as well get comfortable, no?" he sensibly surmised. When she nodded her reply, he returned to rolling up his sleeve. And like an epiphany, he was suddenly revealed to her. She couldn't explain why it took this moment for her to acquire clarity, but there it was. And there he was. All angles and edges. Lean and laconic. Clear and true. "Do you remember when you kissed the object of your affection?" Doggett raised his eyes from his sleeve. He paused momentarily, but carried on. He wasn't sure where this question was leading, but thought he'd go with it. Finishing his task, he leaned back against the elevator wall and rested his hands on the metal rail. Closing his eyes, he finally answered, "Yep. Sarah Corbin. February 14th, 1969. I was in 4th grade, she was in the 6th..." he trailed off wistfully, while opening one eye to take a glance at Scully. She caught his look and teasing tone. She leaned across the space between them and slapped his arm. "You know what I meant, LadyKiller. I'm serious." He laughed at her reaction and decided on the truth she was looking for. "Ok, ok." Rubbing his arm in mock-pain, he continued, "We were seniors in high school. I had my eye on her since junior year, but I didn't know how to approach her. She seemed so far outta my league, ya know?" He glanced over to Scully to see if she was smiling, but she was listening intently. Encouraged by her interest, he went on, "It was at the Christmas dance in my senior year. December 23rd, 1977. I finally got the courage to ask her to dance. While I was tryin' not to step on her toes, I manoeuvered her near a mistletoe." Now Scully did smile. "Score!" she mouthed. He laughed again at her response and smiled, "Yep." "Did you ever get to kiss her again?" she asked. "I did better than that," he answered. Taking in her raised eyebrow as a sign to continue, he added, "I married her." Scully's head jerked back, startled at his answer. "Wow," was all she could think to say. He nodded at the memory. "My only regret is not doin' somethin' about it sooner. But like most things, you learn. I learned not to waste a moment. Sometimes you don't have all the time you think you do." She tilted her head at this frank admission. Now it was his turn to hide his embarrassment in the shadows. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so philosophical." "No," she admonished, "don't ever apologize for speaking your mind. It's one of the things I admire about you." A comfortable silence descended upon them as each got lost in their thoughts. It was Scully again who spoke first. "December 31st, 1999." Summoned back to the here and now, torn away from broken dreams and unfulfilled promises, Doggett asked, "Pardon?" "December 31st, 1999," she repeated. "The first time Mulder kissed me." She could almost see Doggett doing the math in his head. She was assigned to the X-Files in '92. Mulder kissed her in '99. That means.. "Rumours of our relationship are greatly exaggerated," she finished for him. Doggett's brow raised at the implication. "I should say so. And there's gonna be a lot of pissed off people in a certain betting pool if this ever gets out." He held up his hands as a reassurance, "Not that they'll hear it from me." "I know," she said. "Wouldn't matter anyway- if nothing else, the X- Files have taught me to give very little weight to popular opinion. Another short silence. "Seven years, huh?" Doggett asked. Scully nodded her reply. "That's a long time to wait." This time she didn't nod. She just whispered a quiet, "Yeah." Doggett looked across the short distance between them to the woman he had given his heart, and she didn't even know; the woman who was the reason he was breaking his own rule. Don't waste a moment, his inner voice reminded him. Yeah well, there's more goin' on here than just me and her, he answered back. And yet, at this very moment it seemed as if they were the only ones. Beyond the reality of where they were- 2 people alone in an elevator- something settled comfortably around them, embracing them. Doggett waited for her to be the first to break eye contact. But she didn't. In fact, even in the half light of their temporary confines, he could see something in her eyes. A fire that warmed him, a force that pulled him. He lowered his voice to a smooth baritone. "I guess I'm not like Agent Mulder after all." "What do you mean?" Doggett shrugged, "I mean, it wouldn't take me 7 years to lay down the bunt and make a play for first base." Scully smiled at his analogy. "Oh really? And just how long would it ta.." His lips are softer than I expected, she thought to herself. Then she noted how her first thought as his mouth fell on hers wasn't Get back or Stop or Don't. In fact, all her thoughts were in contradiction to those 3 phrases. His opening gambit was a rather chaste one, as he waited to gauge her reaction. When it seemed nothing but encouraging, he moved closer. He rested his hands on her hips and in automatic response, her hands came up to those forearms she had been transfixed with only moments ago. The feel of his skin under her fingertips emitted a moan from her throat and parted her teeth. Doggett lazily ran his tongue along the top row before seeking out her counterpart. He hesitated until he felt her hands tighten around his arms. Taking this as his cue, his tongue boldly brushed across hers. Now the moan came from him. He brushed across again, and the dance began. Darting and touching and retreating and caressing until they recognized their rhythm, as if it had been waiting to be rediscovered all this time. What started as a tender admission of their feelings turned into a confession of their physical needs. His mouth covered hers completely as the kiss became one of want and desire. Her hands slid up to his chest, his heartbeat pounding under her right palm. She felt his hands tugging her blouse from her pants. Pushing him back, she looked up into his eyes, normally so clear and blue, now cloudy and unfocussed. With a smirk that defeated her mock- serious tone, she said, "I've never seen a bunt turn into an in-the- park homerun." Doggett gave her a sly smile. "I'm just waitin' for the 3rd base coach to wave me in." And there was her chance, her exit if she wanted it. What ever happened from here on out would be because of the choice she would make right now. He had taken that first chance on her, on them. Now he would leave the rest up to her. Sliding a hand from his chest to his tie, she yanked him back to her mouth. He responded by pressing his thankful body against hers. So this is what it's like being caught between a rock and a hard place, she thought wryly. Except she liked this. And they still had at least 30 minutes to spare.