Completed September 2003
Fandom: XF
Pairing: M/K
Rated: NC for language and m/m sexual situations
Spoilers: pffffft
Summary: We're havin' a wedding! If we can ever get past all the drama…
The usual schmoop warning applies
Thanks to Carol for her unwavering enthusiasm, and to all of the very nice people who keep dropping me lines to let me know that they still think of me.
Feedback: Everybody loves a kind word. You can reach me at MMCUSN@aol.com
Archive: All the usual places. Anyone else wants it, just let me know.
Ter/ma Den of Sin


********************

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me."

The woman sat up, coming fully awake in an instant.

"Alex. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Alex whispered, grinning like a fool. "Sorry, I know it's late."

Scully peered through the darkness at the glowing red numbers on her alarm clock.

"Yeah, Alex, I'd call three twenty-three late. What the hell couldn't wait until a more reasonable hour?"

"I'm gonna do it."

"You're gonna do it."

"Yeah," Alex breathed and said nothing more.

"Okay." Scully closed her eyes and rubbed at the lids. "Good. Wonderful. Alex, you'd better look like giving me a little more information than that if you want to avoid serious injury the next time I see you."

Alex laughed softly. "Sorry, I…God, I'm so excited…I'm going to ask Fox to marry me."

"You…seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Alex, have…you've really given this a lot of thought? You're not just doing it because…"

Alex interrupted Scully's question.

"I've done nothing *but* think about it since Chuck and Vicki's wedding and no, I'm not just doing it because I think it's what he wants. I *want* to marry him. God, I really do."

"That's wonderful, Alex," Scully said, genuine joy in her voice. "I'm so happy for you guys. What made you decide to ask him?"

"Everything," Alex laughed. "Nothing."

"Don't confuse me, Krycek. It's too damned early."

"Sorry, it's just that…it wasn't any big bombshell, you know? It's just a combination of all the stuff that's been in front of my face for all these years. How could I have not seen?"

"I don't know. But Mulder's going to be pretty happy."

"Yeah, I think he will be."

"You know, Alex," Scully began, "A few years ago when you gave Mulder that ring, I was really relieved that marriage wasn't on your minds. But now I gotta say that I can't think of anything more natural."

"I'm glad you're happy about it," Alex murmured. "There'll be few enough guests at the ceremony."

"Small and intimate is nice."

"It'll definitely be that."

"So, when are you gonna pop the question?"

"As soon as I can find the right place and words."

"I got an idea."

"Yeah?"

"How about you hang up right now, go wake him, and ask him?"

"Where's the romance in that?"

"I think it's *very* romantic. Plus I can't wait!"

"You're going to have to."

Scully groaned in protest, and Alex laughed.

"Things sure *have* changed from a few years ago. I remember the look on your face when you saw Fox's ring like it was yesterday."

"I have to admit that as sure as I was that you really loved Mulder, I was still a little worried that it might not be a forever thing."

"And now?"

Now I'm a thousand percent positive that nothing short of death will separate you."

"That's the truth, Scully," Alex answered earnestly.

"I know. Now, since you won't wake him up, why don't you go get some sleep?"

"I'm too excited to sleep."

"*I'm* not."

"Oh," Alex laughed. "Sorry. Okay, go back to bed. I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow."

"After you've proposed to Mulder?"

"You're going to be on my back all the time about this now, aren't you?"

"Serves you right for calling me at this hour to tell me." Scully smiled into the phone. "Good night, Alex. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Scully. G'night."

Alex hung up and sat grinning in the dark of the living room for a long while before picking himself up and returning to the bedroom.

Cautiously, he pushed the door open, listening to the soft swish as it glided over the carpeting. Pausing, he turned an attentive ear to his lover, listening for any signs that Fox's sleep had been disturbed.

Soft and steady respiration filled the otherwise still air.

Alex crept quietly into the room and carefully lifted the blanket. He slipped into bed beside the unconscious man and propped his head up in one hand, looking at the dark outline of his lover's form.

His lover. Whoa. Guess that'd change…sort of…

//Do you Alex Krycek take Fox Mulder to be your lawfully wedded…//

He stopped and closed his eyes and said the word to himself.

Husband.

He opened his eyes and frowned.

Was that even how men referred to each other? Husband and wife, husband and…husband? Was that right?

And what about names?

Would it be expected for one of them to change their last name like het couples did?

//Alex Mulder.//

He wrinkled his nose.

//Fox Krycek.//

He snickered silently.

//That sounds better.//

Though he suspected that Fox wouldn't think so.

//Well…guess nobody *has* to change his name. Anyway, never mind all that. First thing's first. How the hell are you going to do this? Intimate dinner? Candles…music…//

Another frown appeared, and Alex emitted a soft breath.

//No. Too ordinary. He deserves more.//

//Sky writer? Ad in the newspaper? Oh, God. Why don't you just hire a carload of clowns and…heyyy!//

//Oh, jeez. You're losing it, Alex. Get some sleep.//

Alex lowered his head to the pillows and snuggled up to Fox. Placing a tender kiss on the sleeping man's bare shoulder, he closed his eyes and eventually fell into a heavy slumber.

********************

Fox opened his eyes halfway and listened for the sound that had roused him out of sleep.

Silence.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, a soft snuffling drew his attention to the side of the bed.

"Can I help you?" he croaked, scratching the broad head of his four-legged alarm clock.

At that Clyde began to whine and stretched forward to wash Fox's face with sloppy kisses.

"All right, I'm up, I'm up."

Fox turned his head to face the empty side of the bed and ran his hand over the rumpled sheets.

Cold.

Frowning slightly, he then looked at the clock.

"Where the heck is he at six-fifteen?" He looked back to the dog, who was now resting his chin on the mattress and displaying his best pathetic look. "And why aren't you wherever he is, aggravating *him*?"

Groaning, Fox threw the blanket off and rose to his feet, stretching lazily.

"Gimme a couple of minutes, okay?" he asked the dog as he trudged toward the bathroom.

Clyde followed, plunking himself down outside the door as Fox entered the bathroom and closed it behind him. Not moving an inch, the dog waited patiently, staring at the door until some twenty minutes later, Fox emerged. The moment the door swung open, he leapt to his feet, tail swinging wildly, and he started to howl and moan.

"I can't believe you haven't been out," Fox mumbled as he and Clyde moved out of the bedroom and through the house.

All was quiet, there were no smells of breakfast, and Fox had begun to wonder if Alex was even in the house when he passed the den and heard the clacking of keys. Smiling, he figured that Alex's writer's block had lifted early this morning, and he'd wanted to get down whatever he'd thought of before it disappeared from his mind. Opening the door, he entered the room, smiling.

Alex heard the swish of the door and quickly closed the window he had open on the monitor. Spinning around in the chair, he grinned at his lover.

"Hey."

Fox looked from Alex to the monitor and back again.

"Morning. I thought maybe you were up early writing."

"Uh…no. No, I just woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I came in here and started fooling around online."

Fox nodded and approached slowly.

"You could've stayed in bed and fooled around with me if you wanted."

Alex reached out for Fox's hand, capturing it and pulling the older man to him.

"You were sound asleep."

"I wouldn't have minded you waking me up."

Alex gave the older man a soft smile.

"But you were so cute with the pillow half over your face, and your mouth hanging open. "

One corner of Fox's mouth stretched into a grimace.

"Cute, huh?"

Alex nodded and pulled Fox down for a gentle kiss. Before he could even think about turning it into anything more, an impatient Clyde began to bark.

Fox pulled away and straightened his back.

"Yeah, yeah." He looked from the dog to his lover. "Has he been out since you've been up?"

"No. Sorry. He wasn't interested when I got up, and then I got on the computer and…did he go wake you up?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, lisa. If I hadn't closed the door, he wouldn't have gone and bothered you." Alex rose from his chair and turned to sign off. "I'll go let him out."

"I can do it if you're not done here," Fox argued already heading for the door.

"I'm done," Alex insisted, shutting the computer down and following Fox. "It wasn't anything important."

"Okay, well…" Fox took the younger man's hand and headed for the kitchen with Clyde leading the way. "…how about some breakfast? I'm cooking."

"You sure you wouldn't rather go back to bed?" Alex asked, unlocking the back door and letting the dog bound out into the yard. "You might have still been asleep if it weren't for Clyde."

"Nah, I'm wide awake now." Fox walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged around. "How about eggs Florentine?"

"Man, you're feeling adventurous," Alex laughed. "Do we have spinach?"

"…Yeah."

"And you're actually going to do this."

Fox turned to face the other man, hands on hips, head cocked at a slight angle.

"Okay, okay," Alex chuckled, hands raised in surrender. "You want some help?"

"No, I got it."

"You sure?"

"Alex," Fox said sternly. "Go do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Write. Vacuum. Watch Rug Rats. Just get out of the kitchen. I'll call you when it's done."

"'Kay." Alex moved slowly toward the door then turned around. "Uh…be sure to use enough spray or the eggs'll stick to the muffin pan, and it'll be a bitch to get off."

"I know."

"And don't forget to stir the sauce frequently."

"Alex…"

"All right, I'm going."

Alex left the kitchen trying not to worry too much about the potential mess. On the bright side, though, he had a little time to go back and check out those web sites. He'd just leave the door open this time so he could hear better…

********************

"Oh, you're good," Fox bragged to himself, removing the baking dish from the oven. The eggs were broiled to perfection, surprising even him. Quickly, he set the dish down on the counter and rushed to find Alex.

Calling his lover's name as he walked through the house, he heard a faint 'uh huh' coming from the direction of the den.

"They're done," he crowed, entering the room just in time to find Alex shutting the computer down. "And they're a damn masterpiece. Let's go."

Grinning broadly, Alex shook his head and followed the older man to the kitchen.

"Smells good," he offered as he came through the door. Looking down at the eggs, he nodded. "They *look* good."

"That's *right*. Sit."

Alex took his seat and let Fox serve him. Waiting until the other man had joined him at the table, he dug into the eggs.

"Holy mackerel, Fox, this is *good*."

"You don't have to sound so surprised."

"Sorry lisa, but," Alex said between mouthfuls, "you gotta admit that aside from scrambled, you and eggs don't really get along."

"So, are you telling me you think this is just dumb luck?"

"Nooo. Of course not," Alex soothed. "You did an excellent job. I'm very proud of you."

There were a few more minutes of silence as a smiling Fox watched Alex eat with real enjoyment, and then he spoke.

"You want to do anything today?"

"Yeah, uh…actually I was thinking that since it looks like such a nice day, it might be a good idea to get started on the yard. You know, clean the leaves out from under the bushes, get the fence ready to be re-stained…"

Fox bounced up and down in his chair.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy."

"Wise ass."

Fox rolled his eyes and went back to his eggs.

"Hey, better we do it now than wait until it gets warmer. Then you'll be complaining about it being too hot."

"All right, so we'll clean the yard," Fox moaned.

"You'll feel a lot better when it's done," Alex promised. "It'll give you a great sense of accomplishment."

"If you say so," the other man mumbled, resting his head in one hand.

"Fox, are you pouting?"

"Is it going to get me out of raking leaves?"

"No. Might get you bent over that chair…"

"Then we'd need a nap," Fox threw back. "A nice long one."

"Forget it, Mulder."

The pout grew more exaggerated.

"Don't even try it." Alex warned, chewing on his bottom lip as Fox used his most effective weapon. "Fox…"

Fox lowered his eyes, playing with the remainder of his breakfast and said nothing.

"God, you are *such* a pain in my ass," Alex growled, pushing himself out of his chair. Stalking over to where Fox sat, he reached down, grasping the other man's wrist and pulled him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" Fox asked as he was dragged out of the kitchen.

Alex gave no answer except to haul his lover up to the bedroom and shove him down to the still unmade mattress. Tearing off the other man's clothes, he then removed his own and jumped the warm body sprawled in front of him.

"And just so you know," he murmured, grinding his hips against Fox's, "not only are you going to help me clean the yard, but that messy kitchen'll be waiting for you too, and it's *all* yours."

Fox laughed and engaged Alex in a ravenous kiss, quickly obliterating thoughts of dishwashing and yard raking.

//We'll see about that…//

********************

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"Are these late night phone calls going to become a habit?"

"It's not that late,"

"It's almost *midnight*."

"But it's Saturday."

"In four minutes it'll be Sunday," Scully yawned. "And what's your point?"

"My point is," Alex murmured, "it's the weekend. Why would you be in bed early?"

"It's called lack of a life, Alex. Now, what's up? You ask Mulder to marry you yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We spent most of the day cleaning the yard, and I didn't think getting on my knees, all sweaty and grimy, in a pile of leaves was such a great idea."

"Like you haven't done that before?"

"You're a real comedian, Scully."

"Okay, so why are you calling me at this time of night if you haven't asked him?"

"I couldn't talk to you during the day with him around. He's asleep now."

"Glad one of us is."

"Quit yer bitchin'."

"You going to answer my question?"

Alex sighed softly. "I can't think of a good way to ask him."

"I got one."

"Yeah?"

"How about…Fox, will you marry me?"

"Good. Thanks, Scully. Why didn't I think of that?"

"I don't know; it couldn't get much simpler."

"The words are simple, but I need the right time. The right place."

"So take him out to a nice dinner. Maybe some dancing."

"It's been done to death."

"Picnic in the country?"

"Ehh."

"I got it. You hire a skywriter, okay? Then…"

"Okay, now I *know* it's a crappy idea."

"What d'you mean?

"It's crossed through my mind too."

"So because we both thought of it, that makes it crappy?"

"Too common."

"Oh, for God's sake."

"It's gotta be special, Scully. Something he'll always remember."

"He's got an eidetic memory, Alex," Scully reminded the caller. "He'll remember every last detail…*forever*."

"I don't mean something he'll keep in his head."

An understanding silence followed then Scully spoke up.

"So, how long are you going to drive yourself crazy with this?"

"Don't know. I realize I can't mull it over forever. But I just want it to be perfect, you know?"

"I know. But Alex, *you've* got to know that you could propose to Mulder in the middle of a locust infestation, and it'd be perfect to him."

Alex smiled at the assurance and said nothing.

"How's he been, by the way?"

"Ironically enough," Alex answered, "I haven't seen any mood swings since around the same time I realized that I wanted to marry him. Maybe he senses it somehow."

"The way you seem to be able to read each other, I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well, if he's reading me, I wish he'd give me some sort of clue as to how I should do this."

Scully laughed. "I don't think he knows *exactly* what's going on, Alex. I think if he did, he'd say something about it to you."

Soft sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

"You're starting to sound pretty tired," Scully yawned loudly. "I know *I* am. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

"Yeah, okay…"

"Don't worry, Alex," Scully reassured the troubled man. "It'll come to you soon."

"I hope so," Alex murmured. "It's getting harder to keep it to myself."

Saying goodnight, Scully hung up and flung an arm across her face, groaning loudly.

//Please let him come up with something soon//, she thought silently, //or I'm never going to get a full night's sleep again.//

********************

Fox's eyelashes fluttered briefly then dropped down over his eyes as he awakened.

Morning already?

And good God, what was that? Birds? But he'd only closed his eyes a few minutes ago.

Thank God it was still the weekend, and he didn't have to get up early or he'd have to kill Alex for working him so hard yesterday.

Turning his head, he squinted at his still unconscious lover. An uncontrollable smile formed on his lips as he studied the sleep-softened features of the face he never tired of looking at.

So peaceful. So beautiful.

Alex moaned deeply, and he snuggled down into his pillow, and Fox's cock began to rise.

So damned sexy, even out cold.

Okay, so maybe he'd just fuck him senseless instead…after he got a little more sleep.

Too bad Clyde had other ideas.

The dog entered the bedroom just as Fox closed his eyes, and he promptly dropped his chin onto the mattress and sighed heavily.

Fox kept his eyes closed, hoping that Clyde would just go away at least for a little while, but the persistent Shepherd would not be ignored. He began to whine softly. When Fox still didn't respond, he decided to use another weapon in his considerable arsenal.

Fox's jaw clenched as hot puffs of air fanned his face. He hated it when Clyde began that infernal panting, and the damn dog knew it. He endured it for as long as he could, then he turned his head and looked into a pair of big, soulful brown eyes.

"Why can't you let me sleep just *one* weekend?"

The barely audible words were enough to spur the dog into action. Placing two paws on the bed, he began to lap excitedly at Fox's face.

"No…Clyde, c'mon…all right. All *right*."

Fox sat up and looked down at Alex, shocked that the younger man could sleep through the minor commotion. As quietly as Clyde would allow, he slipped out of bed and threw a pair of jeans on, then led the dog out of the room and down to the kitchen. He let Clyde out into the yard then turned to get his breakfast, waiting a few minutes before letting him back in.

"Jeez, run me over why don't you?" he mumbled at Clyde, who romped past him and went straight for the food. While the dog ate, he snuck out of the kitchen and returned to the bedroom, where he found Alex still asleep.

As quietly as he could, he approached the bed, removed his jeans and slipped back under the covers. Seconds later, Alex moaned and wound an arm around him, pulling him close.

"Where you been?"

"Thought you were asleep."

"Was. Woke up a couple of minutes ago. Where were you?"

"Your animal was bugging me to go out."

"Oh," Alex sighed softly.

"Gave him breakfast too, so he should leave us alone for a little while."

Alex draped one leg over Fox's hip and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Leave us alone for what?"

"That's up to you," Fox murmured, kissing his lover's closed eyelids.

"Soooo. You mean if I wanted to get up right now and go outside and clean the gutters, that'd be okay with you?"

"No."

"You said it was up to me," Alex reminded the other man.

"It is," Fox assured, brushing a couple of stray hairs away from Alex's forehead. "As long as I agree to it."

"Uh huh. And you don't think that cleaning the gutters is a good idea?"

"Not right now."

"Okay, so what *is* a good idea right now?"

Smiling, Fox wrapped his arms around Alex and rolled the younger man on top of him. Pushing upward, he ground his hips against his lover's.

"Guess," he hissed in Alex's ear as he writhed against him.

Following his cock to full wakefulness, Alex inclined his head and closed his teeth over the exposed flesh of his lover's throat.

Fox's eyes rolled upward, and his lashes fluttered closed as he gave himself up to the pleasure of the possessive act.

"We're cleaning those gutters," Alex growled, releasing his grip. "And we're doing it this morning. When we're done, we can spend the whole rest of the day in bed if you want."

Grumbling, Fox let Alex up and followed the younger man into the bathroom for a quick shower and some merciless teasing. By the time they made it down to the kitchen for a light breakfast, he'd stopped pouting. In fact, a tiny smirk curved his mouth, and Alex squinted warily in his direction.

"Okay, what's that all about?"

"What?" Fox asked innocently.

"That look."

"Look?"

"Yeah. The one that tells me you're up to something."

"What could I be up to?" Fox asked around a mouthful of blueberry muffin. "I'm sitting here having breakfast just like you are."

"Mmm hmm, but your mind is working. I can hear it clicking from here."

"So suspicious. I'm just thinking about my reward when we finish cleaning the gutters."

"Uh huh. And that's it."

Fox shrugged. "That's it."

"Okay, Fox," Alex sighed, returning to his own breakfast. Watching his lover's smirk grow broader beneath the curtain of his lashes, Alex began to smile as well, knowing full well that there was more to it than what Fox had just admitted, and he was quite sure he'd find out what it was very soon.

When breakfast was finished, the two removed the ladders from the garage and got to work on opposite sides of the house. Three quarters of the way through his job, Alex heard a soft scratching coming from somewhere above his head. The scratching became louder, and just as he recognized the sound, Fox appeared. He watched the older man slide slowly down to his side of the roof, and he cocked his head, frowning at the smiling man.

"Fox, what are you…are you nuts? Get down from there."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous, that's why! I can believe you climbed over here from the other side of the house."

"This is nothing. Remember Skyland Mountain?"

"I'd rather not, thanks. Now, get down!"

"Nope."

"Fox, I'm not kidding."

Fox laughed softly and moved into a sitting position.

"Come and get me."

"I am *not* getting on the roof."

"No?" Fox asked, leaning back on one elbow and turning his face up to the sun. "Gee, that's too bad. Guess I'll have to do it all by myself."

"Do…" Alex's eyes widened as the other man's free hand slipped down to the waistband of his jeans. "Hey…Fox, cut it out. You're not going to…shit, you are."

Fox undid the button then slid the zipper down and reached in past the denim to caress the bulge hidden in his underwear.

"C'mon, Alex," he cooed, eyes closing. "It's nice up here. Sun's so warm…"

"Your *ass* is going to be warm when I get my hands on you," Alex warned.

Fox moaned and arched his hips as his hand continued to work over his covered cock.

"Come on up and warm it for me right now."

"I knew that little smirk on your face at breakfast meant trouble."

"You know me well."

"Yeah. Now zip up your pants and get *down* from there."

Grinning, Fox shook his head and continued to stroke himself.

"You come up."

Groaning softly, Alex knew that it was the only way he'd get the pain in the ass down.

"You're dead meat," he muttered to himself as he carefully made his way up onto the roof and crawled over to where Fox lay. The older man opened his eyes and smiled up at him.

"Hi."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"Lie down with me."

"I'm not lying down, Fox, and you're getting off this roof right now."

"You're not afraid to be up here, are you Alex?"

"*No*."

"Then lie down with me. Look at the sky."

"Then will you get down?"

Fox's only answer was another lazy smile.

Sighing loudly, Alex flipped onto his back.

"It's so blue."

"What is?"

"The *sky*," Fox answered, still idly caressing himself.

"How can I concentrate on the sky when you're lying here on our roof with your hand down your pants?"

"Okay, okay." Fox pulled his hand out and moved it to Alex's jeans. The younger man snapped up into a semi-sitting position and stared down at the other.

"What're you doing?"

"You said you couldn't concentrate with my hand down my pants," Fox reasoned, pushing Alex back down. "You didn't say anything about it being down *your* pants."

"Fox…*ah*…*Fox*…"

Making quick work of the fastenings on Alex's jeans, Fox plunged his hand inside the denim and gripped his lover's swelling cock.

Moaning softly, Alex quickly and completely fell under Fox's spell.

"It's nice up here," Fox murmured, teasing the now rigid length of his lover's cock. "Sunny and warm…quiet…nobody can see us."

"'Cept maybe for bird watchers and the occasional nosy neighbor with a pair of binoculars," Alex rasped.

"No more risky than an alley," Fox answered, reminding Alex of a recent encounter. "Or the back seat of the car, or the men's room of a club…"

A tiny smirk slanted Alex's mouth, and he closed his eyes briefly before opening them and looking at the sky.

"It's a nice clear blue, isn't it?"

Pushing Alex's jeans farther down, Fox shifted and brought his mouth down on the younger man's cock.
Flicking his tongue over the velvety surface, he reveled in the sounds of his lover's enjoyment then slowly he opened his mouth and sank down on the hard shaft.

Alex's vision clouded as he was engulfed in wet warmth. "Lisa," he whispered, threading his fingers through his lover's hair, "Mmmmm…"

Slowly, Fox worked the thick muscle, doing all the things he knew Alex liked, and the younger man let himself relax, caught between the warmth of the roof and his lover's mouth. The hazy blue of the sky was replaced by a dull reddish-black as his eyes closed, and the faint singing of birds faded into a dull hum as all of his concentration fell on that insistent sucking heat at his groin. Sounds formed in his throat, rolling and gurgling there, but never made it past his lips. His body, limp and boneless just moments ago, began to tighten as Fox showered him in relentless pleasure.

Fox smiled around his mouthful, listening to Alex's increasingly uncontrolled groans and whimpers. The thought crossed his mind to reach up and clamp a hand over the younger man's mouth as he finished him, but just as quickly, it left. So what if the neighbors heard? Who'd ever think to look up?

Using one hand to grip Alex's hip and the other to toy with his balls, Fox quickened his movements, his head now steadily rising and falling on the rigid shaft. Alex bucked upward to meet him, making no efforts to soften his cries as his climax rumbled through him. The explosion that soon followed sent a gushing stream of semen down Fox's throat, and the older man swallowed it all, sucking and lapping at the head to insure that no traces of fluid were left behind.

Completely sapped of his strength, Alex lay motionless, moaning softly. A light flutter of lips along his jaw then across his mouth opened his eyes halfway.

"Think the neighbors've called the police yet?"

Grinning, Fox kissed his lover again.

"Why would they?"

"Wouldn't you if you heard a man screaming? They probably think someone was being killed or something."

Fox looked around below. "Nobody's even outside yet. Know why?" He answered his own question. "'Cause it's Sunday. They're all still in bed, where we should be."

Alex raised an arm, groaning at the effort it took, and looked at his watch.

"Nobody's in bed at this time of day."

"Just because *you're* up and out at the crack of dawn on Sundays doesn't mean other people don't sleep in."

"I'd hardly call ten-thirty the crack of dawn," Alex droned. "And *listen* to you. I seem to remember a time not all that long ago when a good night's sleep to you meant no more than five hours."

Fox shrugged and smiled. Alex continued.

"You used to go running at four o'friggin' clock in the morning. Remember that?"

"Obviously you were up too, if you knew what time in the morning I was going running," Fox countered.

"'Course I was. It was my *job* to know where you were at every minute of the day."

"That's not why you followed me," Fox grinned, helping Alex re-fasten his jeans.

"No?"

The golden-brown head shook back and forth, catching the mid-morning sun.

"Okay, so why'd I follow you?"

"You liked watching my ass."

"Well, *yeah*, but..."

The grin grew wider. "And you were wildly in love with me even then."

Alex was silent for a moment then reached up to stroke his lover's hair.

"Yeah, I think I was. And I was looking out for you."

Fox's smile faded. "I know." Then it was back. "Now…we gonna hurry up and finish cleaning these gutters? I got a hard-on here the size of all outdoors, and I'd really like to have it taken care of sometime today."

"I can take care of it for you right now," Alex offered, letting a hand drift down over the bulge in Fox's jeans, but the older man shook his head and lifted himself away.

"Later. After we finish this."

Alex sat up, fixing a puzzled gaze on Fox.

"You're going to finish cleaning the gutters with that?" he asked, pointing at his lover's crotch.

"No, I'm going to use my hands," Fox said blandly, leaning in to nuzzle Alex's cheek. "I'll use *that* when we get back into the house."

"Yeah?" Alex chuckled softly. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to shove it so far up your ass, you're going to feel it in your throat."

"That's romantic."

"Damn right. Now let's get these stupid gutters finished."

Rising to their feet, the two men carefully picked their way to their respective ladders and completed their job. Less than an hour and a half later, they were writhing naked and damp together in bed, Fox, as promised, driving deep into his lover's ass.

Having pulled the sheets away from the mattress, Alex clawed at the bare cushion as Fox took him violently from behind. Loud growls vibrated past his clenched teeth as he was continuously pummeled, and when Fox began milking his cock, he blew, sobbing and gasping into the pillow he'd buried his face in. Fox came quickly afterward, his hoarse groans filling the air. They collapsed seconds later, Fox's weight pinning him to the mattress. His chest heaved in a strained effort to drag air into his lungs, and he attempted to lift his head, but his strength had left him for the moment at least, and he let it drop again to the pillow.

"Jesus."

Eyes closed, Fox smiled at the breathless whisper.

"You okay?"

"…Almost killed me."

Fox licked the edge of his lover's ear. "That a complaint?"

"Mmm mm. Love it when you're bad."

The grin grew wider. "Enough to let me do it again?"

"Even though I won't be able to sit down tomorrow, yes. I'll let you do it again." Alex squirmed under the older man's weight. "And again."

"I will," Fox whispered, sending a tiny shiver through the younger man's weakened body. "After lunch. I seem to have worked up a hell of an appetite." Rising up, he ignored Alex's whines of protest and hauled the other man up after him. "C'mon. Let's get cleaned up then go get something to eat."

A little more than half an hour later the two were back in bed, Fox having a little Alex with his lunch. And so it went for the rest of the day. Fox only allowed breaks to eat and take care of Clyde, and it wasn't until sometime after nine p.m. when he finally dropped from exhaustion, at last giving Alex a chance to breathe.

From his position beside his unconscious lover, Alex watched the slow rise and fall of the perspiration dotted chest, and he laughed softly, wincing at the discomfort the small action brought. Christ, they were both going to be sore tomorrow.

His attention fell back to Fox.

Damn, but it was worth every kink and every pulled muscle.

Alex leaned in and brushed a soft kiss into the older man's hair.

//Animal.//

Grimacing, he eased the sheet aside and got out of bed. Checking to make sure that Fox was still asleep, he quickly slipped on a pair of underwear and left the room. He made his way to the den, joined there by Clyde. Not bothering to turn any lights on, he booted up the computer and started to do a little research.

********************
three days later
********************
Ring.

"Mmmmm….."

Ring.

"Ah, shhhhhh…*what*, Alex?"

"What if it wasn't me?"

"It's *always* you," Scully grumbled into her phone.

"Scully, if you *don't* want to be updated, I won't…"

"Updated," Scully interrupted. "You gonna tell me you finally asked him?"

"Uhhh. No."

Long sigh. "So. What is there to update?"

"I've been reading."

"And you felt the burning need to call me at…eleven-ten to tell me this?"

"Yeah. Listen, did you know that Fox and I getting married in Vermont isn't really what we'd be doing?"

"Whaa?"

"No. It's termed as a civil union. And unless I'm reading this wrong, it's only really legal there in Vermont. We wouldn't have any rights as a married couple here in Virginia. What kind of shit is that?"

"You don't remember me saying that at Chuck and Vicki's reception?"

"*No*…"

"Because as so often happens with you and Mulder, you weren't listening to me. It *wouldn't* be a traditional marriage."

"*Why* wouldn't it be?" Alex asked, clearly irritated.

"Don't know. Guess the world just isn't ready to take it that far yet. Legally, a civil union is the closest thing you're going to get right now. And I believe you're right about it probably only being recognized in Vermont."

"Well, this *sucks*."

"Calm down, Alex. It's just a document. To you and Fox and anyone else there with you, it'll be a marriage."

Alex heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Just not to the state where we live and most of the rest of the United States. Jesus, what's the damn point?"

"The point is you and Mulder, Alex."

Alex expected her to say more, but Scully ended her argument right there. She didn't really need to go any further.

"I gotcha," he said quietly. "Sorry 'bout that. Finding that stuff out just kind of made me mad. I lost focus for a little while."

"It's okay. As long as you're back on track."

"Yeah." Alex smiled into the phone. "We're getting married, Scully."

"Not if you don't hurry the hell up and ask him, you're not."

"I *know*, I know. I had a thought about that this morning, actually."

"Great. Go with it."

"Don't you even want to hear it?"

"I'm sure it's wonderful and sweet and romantic," Scully assured Alex. "Do it."

"C'mon, Scully," Alex whined softly. "I need an opinion."

"Okay," Scully sighed. "What is it?"

"I want to fly him to Andros for one night. Back to the same house we stayed in before. Have an elaborate dinner set up on the beach. Champagne, an orchestra, candles…"

"Ohhhhhh."

"What? That bad?"

"No, Alex. It's *not* bad. It's…oh, God, it's beautiful. You'd go through all that just to ask Mulder to marry you?"

"Told you I wanted it to be something he'd remember."

"I think you'll have achieved that. Geez, Alex, that's so perfect. But what if the house is booked? I mean it's so gorgeous. They've probably got a waiting list a mile long for it."

"They're actually very picky about who they rent to…"

"And they rented it to the likes of *you*?"

"You're funny, Scully. So anyway, it's only occupied a few months out of the year. Right now, it's empty."

"How d'you know?"

"I called this morning after I got the idea."

"Did you book it?"

"No. I said I'd call back if I decided I wanted to do it. The guy remembered me and said it'd be his pleasure to help me out."

"That's great! You gonna call him back?"

"Yeah. I think I will. I just wanted to get your opinion first."

Scully laughed softly. "What if I had told you that I thought it was a crappy idea?"

"I would have ignored you."

"That's what I thought. Okay, Alex. Go get some sleep. It should be easy now that you've got at least this part settled in your mind."

"Not really, but I'll try."

"And you'll book your house tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Okay, goodnight."

"'Night, Scully."

Alex hung up and, grinning broadly, he went in to bed.

********************

Fox pulled into the garage and stepped out of the Lincoln, a half eaten bag of sunflower seeds dangling from his teeth as he tried to balance an armload of files. He made his way to the door that opened up into the house and tried to turn to knob, but the files began to slip from his arms. Regaining control over his armful, he began to kick lightly at the door with his foot. Waiting several seconds, he kicked again.

Nothing.

//Dammit.//

Dropping the bag from his mouth, he was unable to stop it as it hit the top file and slid right over the edge, scattering seeds all over the floor.

"Shit. Alex…..*Aleeex*."

No answer. Not even a peep from Clyde.

//Maybe they're out for a walk.//

Fox squatted, attempting to place the stack neatly on the floor, but several of the polished cardboard folders slipped from his grasp and slid from the top of the pile in a soft whoosh, distributing some of their contents to the cement floor.

"*Shit*."

Stamping down the urge to kick the remaining folders over, Fox opened the door. He gathered up his scattered files, ignoring the sunflower seeds for the time being and walked into the house. All wasn't as quiet as he would have expected. The muffled sounds of Alex's voice came from the direction of the den, and as he made his way toward that room, his eyes turned toward the glass doors in the living room. Clyde stood on the other side, tail swinging back and forth in silent welcome.

"Hey buddy," he mumbled as he passed through the room. "Thought you were out for a walk."

Fox approached the den, listening to the soft sounds of his lover's voice. The closer he got, the more audible the sounds became.

"…That'd be perfect. Yeah…what's that? It hasn't been easy keeping it from him, no. When you live in the same house as the person whose back you're sneaking around behind…fortunately, though, he's at work all day, so I've got at least eight hours alone to do my thing…"

Fox slumped against the wall as he listened to Alex's end of the conversation. He had to be hearing it wrong, he *had* to be.

Alex's laughter brought his attention back.

"…You're right. One night isn't nearly enough, but I promise you, there'll be more…no, I don't think he has any idea. I've been really careful…"

Fox's arms lost their strength, and the files tumbled to the floor, startling Alex.

"Listen, I gotta go. I'll call you back when I can."

Alex hung up and hurried to the entrance where he found Fox, pale and shaken, leaning back against the wall.

"Fox, what…how long have you been here?"

Blinking dumbly, Fox stared at the younger man.

"Lisa, are you all right?"

Alex reached out to touch Fox, but the stricken man stumbled away, still staring wide-eyed at him.

"I don't…don't under…stand," Fox stammered. "I don't…why? Why are you…"

"Fox, breathe. You're not making any sense. Why am I…"

//Shit. He heard. He heard, and he thinks…ah, *Christ*.//

"Fox, I don't know what you think you heard, but listen to me. I think you've got it wrong."

At that, anger began to seep in.

"What've I got wrong?" he asked incredulously. "You're not s-sneaking around behind my back? Y-you're not promising someone more nights together? What're you doing while I'm away?"

"*Nothing*."

"I want to know what's going on," Fox demanded. "What've you been doing at night in here when you think I'm asleep?"

Alex just stared.

"I knew you thought I was sleeping. But I heard you get up every time. And I know it was hours sometimes before you came back to bed. I told myself you must have been writing all that time, but now…"

"I wasn't doing anything that would hurt you. Baby, listen…"

"I can't believe this," Fox moaned. "How could you…I don't…I…" The pain returned. "I thought…God…oh, God."

"Fox. *Stop*. I guess that conversation must have sounded bad from this end, but if you'll just listen to me…"

"I don't want to listen." Fox pushed himself away from the wall and staggered away. "I can't. I…"

Alex grabbed Fox by his arm and swung him around.

"Dammit, *listen* to me. You got it all *wrong*. I…sonofabitfch! I can't even believe you'd think this of me!"

"What am I supposed to think?" Fox asked, voice cracking.

"You're *supposed* to think that there's a logical explanation for what you heard!"

"Fine," Fox whispered, not meeting Alex's eyes. "What is it?"

"Give me a few days," Alex pleaded. "Then you'll…"

Shaking his head, Fox turned again to leave.

"*Fuck*!" Alex roared, not seeing any way out of this rapidly deteriorating situation but one. "I was trying to surprise you!"

"You did that," Fox croaked, still walking.

"I wanted to take you back to Andros! I was going to ask you to marry me, you fucking lunatic!"

The words stopped Fox cold, and he slowly turned around, casting a disbelieving stare at the other man.

"You what?"

Growling loudly, Alex kicked the wall a few times before punching it once. Fox stood his ground, still staring. Alex released a hard, exasperated sigh then turned back to the older man.

"I wanted it to be special. A night you'd always remember," he croaked, a note of defeat in his tone.
"Now it's all shot to hell."

"You…" Fox began and stopped, swallowing the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. "…want to…marry me?"

Alex lowered his head, gently massaging his temple.

"I…" Fox stopped, not knowing what to say. In a matter of minutes his universe had been violently shaken, turned upside down and spun around three hundred and sixty degrees. What to say? What the hell to say?

"How could you think that I'd be sneaking around with somebody behind your back?" Alex asked, bringing Fox's attention back to his face. "How…I don't…all the shit we've been through together. How could you doubt even for a *second*, that I love *only* you?"

Fox remained silent for a few moments, shaking his head. "I…I didn't, I…" He looked up at the other man, eyes brimming with sorrow. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Alex whispered. "I'm sorry to find out that after all these years you really don't trust me."

"I trust you with my life. You know that."

"I thought I did. But what just happened here? You heard an odd conversation and immediately jumped to the worst kind of conclusion."

Fox's mouth opened and closed several times but formed no immediate words. Finally, he found his voice.

"I didn't know what else to think. All those times you got up in the middle of the night…that time I walked in while you were on the computer, and you scrambled to close the window. I was curious, but I didn't suspect…I *never* would have suspected anything like…Alex…you didn't…if the situations were reversed, and it was you out here listening to the same things I heard…"

"I can see how it must have sounded. But I think I would have trusted you enough not to jump to such extreme conclusions."

"I'm sorry, Alex." Fox took a few tentative steps forward and reached out for the younger man. His hand dropped limply to his side as Alex moved away.

"Alex?"

"I can't…I can't talk to you any more right now," Alex murmured. "I got some thinking to do."

Fox's breath caught in his throat. "About what?"

"A lot of stuff."

Gold -flecked eyes lowered to the floor. "Have you changed your mind?"

"About what?"

"W…wanting to get married."

"I don't know," Alex answered softly.

Alex closed his eyes against the expression of absolute pain that washed his lover's face, and he turned away. Jesus, how did something that was supposed to be so beautiful and joyous degenerate to what it just had?

"I'm," he rasped, cleared his throat then continued, "I'm going to go out for a little while. Get some air."

Fox kept his head lowered as the younger man passed him and didn't lift it until he heard the garage door open. The next sound was that of Alex's car roaring to life and backing out into the driveway. It wasn't until the sound faded and disappeared that he picked up his scattered files and moved out of the hall and into the living room, where he sat heavily on the couch and stared blankly at nothing.

********************
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