Title: Just A Little Closer
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Fox Mulder
Fandom: Doctor Who/The X-Files
Rating: PG-13
Table: G3, 5_prompts
Prompt: 4, Just a little closer
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Fox Mulder, unfortunately. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor glanced up at the other side of the console, letting his gaze rest on Mulder for a few seconds before quickly looking down again. He didn't want to be caught staring; somehow, it seemed like a horribly childish think for him to be doing.

That idea was absolutely ridiculous, he scolded himself as he fixed his gaze on the console again. He couldn't be faulted for wanting to look at an attractive man, could he? There was nothing wrong with being able to appreciate beauty in a person.

But the glances he stole now and then weren't enough. He wanted to get closer to Mulder; just a little closer, just enough to give the other man more of a hint as to what he was feeling. Enough to let Mulder know that any advances wouldn't be turned away.

Why couldn't he make those advances himself? that annoying little voice in the back of his head inquired, making him wish that he could squelch it into oblivion. That voice had gotten him into trouble in the past; he was going to ignore it this time around.

If he made those advances, there was a very good chance that Mulder would tell him in no uncertain terms that while he was more than happy to be the Doctor's companion and travel with him, he wasn't interested in anything more than that.

He didn't develop this kind of an interest in his companions very often; there had been a few over the centuries, but the only recent one had been Jack. And he'd thought that after Jack, it would be a very long time before he felt this kind of interest stirring again.

Being this interested in Mulder probably wouldn't get him anywhere, that voice in his head piped up again. He'd thought that the other man felt the same -- well, he'd hoped so, anyway. But if he was, he hadn't let that interest show.

Mulder was maddeningly distant, even though the other man was open and friendly. But there was no flirtation; he was nothing like Jack, or like the female companions who'd made him shudder by throwing themselves at him. Mulder was a completely different breed.

The Doctor was sure that there was some spark between them; he could feel it at times when their eyes met, when they returned to the Tardis after time spent on a distant planet, or when they'd been through an experience that they hadn't expected.

But that spark never caught, never turned into a full-blown flame. He was always left feeling frustrated, knowing that if he'd only been able to get just a little closer to Mulder, both literally and figuratively, his questions about their mutual attraction would all be answered.

Something kept him from taking that irrevocable step that would bring him closer to the object of his desire, and would give him the answers he thought he was seeking. Some force that warned him away, made him feel that he should be cautious.

Why in the world should he feel like that? the Doctor asked himself, frowning down at the console. He hadn't been given any indication that Mulder would resent him trying to get closer. But then again, he'd given no indication that he would like it, either.

He was caught in a quandary, not knowing which way to turn. Should he take a few steps back and continue to assess the situation until he was sure of what the outcome would be? Or should be throw caution to the winds and rush in?

The Doctor looked up again -- just in time to see Mulder look quickly down at the console on the other side. His dark eyes widened in surprise; had the other man been watching him, too? It seemed so -- and he'd caught Mulder in the act.

Clearing his throat, he tried to think of something to say, something that would sound light and utterly nonchalant, that Mulder could take as a joke if he chose to. But words escaped him; he couldn't think of anything to say that sounded witty and unrehearsed.

"Why are we beating around the bush?" Mulder asked, his voice sounding far too loud in the quiet room. The Doctor raised his head again, his mouth opening and closing, speechless. Did Mulder mean what he thought he did? Or was he just imagining things?

"I-I don't know," the Doctor stammered, watching as Mulder moved around the console to stand beside him. He felt as though he was strangely detached from his body, watching as a film played out in slow motion -- a film that he was somehow living and watching at the same time.

"I've wanted to get closer to you for a while now," Mulder whispered, raising a hand to trace the outline of the Doctor's lips with the tip of one finger. "And unless I'm completely wrong and I've lost all my powers of observation, I think you feel the same way."

The Time Lord could do nothing but gulp and nod; he didn't trust himself to speak. If he did, he might break the spell that seemed to surround them; he was sure that this couldn't possibly be happening, that he was having a dream that would end all too soon.

"I've gotten just a little closer to you every day," Mulder continued, one arm sliding around the Doctor's slender waist. "I think you'd have put up walls to stop me if you didn't want that. So tell me now, Doctor. Get it out in the open. Do you want me?"

The Doctor raised his hands to place them on either side of Mulder's face, looking into the other man's eyes and letting his hearts speak for him. "You know I do. I have ever since those first few moments," he said, his voice hoarse with longing.

Mulder didn't say anything for long moments; his gaze was locked with the Doctor's, a small smile on his lips. After what seemed like an eternity to the Time Lord, Mulder leaned forward, brushing his lips across the Doctor's mouth.

That wasn't enough for the Time Lord. He needed more than that gentle kiss; he needed a firm pressure, an exploration that they both took part in. He wasn't going to let that barest touch of their lips suffice, not when he was opening his hearts to this man.

He wound his arms around Mulder's neck, pulling the other man close against his body, pressing his mouth to Mulder's in a kiss that seared his senses, snatching the breath from his throat and coursing through his veins like molten lava.

When they finally broke apart from the kiss, the Doctor had no doubt that they would make their way to his bedroom; the look in Mulder's eyes told him that the other man was thinking along those same lines, attuned to what he himself was feeling.

"I wanted to get a little closer to you tonight -- but I didn't count on that," Mulder murmured, his lips brushing across the Doctor's cheek. "Are you sure we're both ready for this? It's a big step for both of us. And it's been a long time since I was involved with anybody."

"I'm sure," the Doctor answered, his voice a breathy whisper. "I'm sure about myself, at any rate. If you don't feel the same -- then we can slow things down. But I know that I want to be with you, Fox. I'm not going to turn away from wherever this might lead."

"We don't have to jump right into this," Mulder told him, raising a hand to cup the Doctor's cheek. "And I don't mind you calling me Fox at a time like this -- just don't make a habit of it," he added, smiling at the Time Lord as he pulled back slightly from their embrace.

The Doctor nodded, reluctantly loosening his grip on the other man, relief making him feel weak. This wasn't going to move too quickly for either of them -- they wouldn't allow it to. "I don't intend to," he said softly, his own smile mirroring the other man's.

"Come on, then," Mulder said softly, twining his fingers through the Doctor's. "Let's go lay down and hold each other -- and figure out just how fast we want this to go. At least we're not doing that civilized ritual dance around each other any more."

"That was a bit annoying, wasn't it?" the Doctor laughed, feeling strangely at ease with this man. This was much easier than he'd thought it would be; there were no barriers between them, nothing that kept them from being together. "It's a good thing we're past that stage."

Mulder only nodded, slipping an arm around the Doctor as he followed the Time Lord down the hallway that led to his bedroom. They might not end up becoming lovers tonight, the Doctor told himself -- but they could get just a little closer, one small step at a time.

***