Part 11



"That was good," Alex set down his fork and picked up his glass, draining it of its contents.

"Really?" Fox asked. "I wouldn't have thought you'd noticed for as little as you've eaten."

"I wasn't starving, I guess," Alex answered, picking up his fork and swirling it through the remaining food in the plate. "But it is good." He looked up at his lover, giving him a casual smile. "Did you finish your report?"

"Yeah. Skinner accepted it, and we're done with it."

Alex nodded. "Anything else interesting coming up?"

Fox rested his head in his palm and, smirking, dropped his other hand beyond the edge of the table.

"I think you might find it interesting."

"What is it?" Alex asked, picking up Fox's plate and scraping his leavings into his own plate and stacking them together.

"Wanna see?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"You have to come over here," Fox instructed, amazed that Alex hadn't yet caught on.
Piling the utensils together on the stacked plates, Alex pushed himself away from the table and approached his seated lover. He closed his eyes and began to smile as Fox assumed a boneless sprawl, grasping his exposed cock by the base and waving it back and forth.

"You're a sick man, Fox."

"And you're just a little slow on the uptake tonight. You really didn't know why I wanted you to come over here, did you?"

"I admit I was way off."

"You feeling okay, babe? You can usually read nothing more than a simple leer at a distance of fifty feet. I was throwing hints the size of boulders, and you weren't catching any of them."

"Sorry," Alex apologized, sinking down into his lover's lap and draping his arms around his shoulders. "Guess everybody has an off night once in a while."

"I'll forgive you," Fox purred, sliding his arms around Alex's waist, "if we can go to bed early and play."

"Blackmail, Fox?" Alex asked, letting one hand slide down to gently stroke the velvety surface of his lover's cock.

"Noooo," Fox growled softly, staring hungrily at the younger man's mouth. "Would I do that to you?"

Before Alex could answer, Fox attacked, claiming his lover's mouth for a bone-jarring kiss.

His moans vibrating against the other man's lips, Alex submitted easily, opening to Fox, wanting, always needing to surrender himself completely.

This was definitely what he'd been waiting for...all that time, fucking and sucking anyone with the right amount of cash, yet unwilling to give up that last little bit of himself...

It was such a tiny thing, his kiss. Insignificant in the shadow of all he had given away. But that one little gift, he knew he could never surrender. Not to any but the one he had waited for. And if Fox hadn't come all those weeks ago, clear across the country to claim it, he was sure he'd save it still. And wait.

Fox fed ravenously on his lover's mouth, drinking in every sweet sound made just for him. His hands wandered the expanse of Alex's back...his hips...his thigh. And they yearned to touch flesh instead of fabric.
"Y'know what we need?"

"What do we need?" Alex breathed, tongue darting in and out of Fox's mouth, trying to coax him back into play.

"We need you naked."

"Just me?"

"For a start."

While Alex continued to lightly pet and tease his cock, Fox undid the first couple of buttons on his lover's black, short-sleeved shirt.

"I like this," the older man commented softly. "I've never seen you wear it before."

"You sure? It's nothing new."

"No, I think I'd remember it. I love the way it hugs you." Fox stopped undoing the buttons for a moment to run his hands over the silky soft material. "It really shows off your upper body. Very sexy. Tomorrow, we gotta go get some more like it in other colors."

Alex lowered his head, shaking it slightly from side to side.

Fox cocked his head, studying the pensive expression on the younger man's face.
"What is it?"

"I don't know, it's just...the way you take time in the middle of foreplay to complement me. I should be used to it by now, but it still makes me feel so..."
Fox smiled, waiting for Alex to finish. When no more words were spoken, he attempted to complete his lover's sentence.

"Good? ...Special?" He pulled the younger man's head down for a tender kiss then released him. "...Loved?"

Alex nodded, his lips trembling into a tiny smile.

"All of the above."

"I'm glad you feel all of those things. You always should. But I say what I say to you, Alex, because it's all true." Fox ran his hand over the younger man's shoulder then halfway down his arm, gently massaging his bicep. "You're beautiful." His hand left Alex's arm and moved to his chest, parting the open material of his shirt. "Not just to my eyes." His fingers danced over the smooth skin, raising tiny goosebumps. "To my hands..."

Sable eyelashes fluttered then finally dropped over Alex's eyes, and the younger man took in a long breath.
"My mouth…"

Alex whimpered softly as lips, soft a dandelion fluff brushed over one nipple, then Fox's tongue flicked over the very tip.

"Fox..."

"My ears...baby, your voice is...Jesus, it does some incredible things to me. You can get me hard as stone three seconds after I wake up just by saying good morning." He tilted his hips slightly upward and moaned as his cock pressed more firmly against Alex's hand. "Like I am right now."

Alex dropped his head to Fox's shoulder, nuzzling the curve at the base of his neck. He said nothing though his hand continued to caress the length of his lover's cock.

"Baby."

The whispered call brought Alex's head up, and he looked into stormy green eyes.

Fox undid the last two buttons on the younger man's shirt and stroked his chest.

"We really need to get you naked."

Alex's gaze turned smoky, and he slowly rose to his feet. His hands dropped to his jeans, undoing the button and zipper. He paused for a moment, holding Fox spellbound with nothing more than his eyes then worked his jeans down and off, taking his shoes and socks with them. Now standing before his lover wearing only the unbuttoned shirt, he slid one hand across his chest and over his shoulder, sweeping the material down his arm. With a slight shrug, the other arm slipped off, and the shirt dropped to the floor.

Fox lifted one hand and watched it travel over his lover's hip, down his thigh and back up, barely gazing the length of his aroused cock. The shaft jerked at his touch, and one corner of his mouth slanted upward.

"Beautiful."

He rose, now meeting Alex's eyes on an equal level.

"Let's go to bed."

Alex took the older man's hand and followed him into the bedroom, where Fox drew the blanket and sheet down to the end of the mattress and gently lay him down. He watched in the dim light as Fox removed all of his clothing then sat down at the edge of the bed.

Fox sat quietly as Alex pulled himself up, and the younger man's chest pressed lightly against his arm. Golden-brown eyelashes swept downward, and a soft breath hissed past his parted lips as Alex's hand stroked up and down his back, and perfectly bowed lips traveled over his shoulder.

"I wish there was a way..." He stopped, resting his cheek on Fox's shoulder and closed his eyes, but his hand kept moving soothingly over the older man's back. "...I wish you could know just how much I..."

"I know, Alex," Fox interrupted softly. "I've never felt anything so strong. I just hope you can feel my love as intensely as I can feel yours."

"I do," Alex promised, lifting his head. "God, how can I not? Your every look. Every action and touch overflow with it."

Fox laid a hand to the side of Alex's face, thumb gliding back and forth over the smooth skin, then it slipped into the younger man's hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. Seconds later, he lowered them both to the bed, his body sprawled over his lover's.

Alex closed his eyes, fighting the images that flooded his consciousness.

Those pictures. That asshole, whoever he was, fucking him. Right here in this room. In this bed...

"Alex?"

He snapped back, blinking up into worried eyes and said nothing.

"Baby," Fox croaked, "talk to me."

Alex shook his head and pulled Fox down for a voracious kiss, obliterating all of the other man's concerns and replacing them with an intense heat that quickly consumed him. His tongue plunged into the younger man's mouth, scouring the soft interior walls, his teeth; tangling with its mate until both men were squirming impatiently against each other.

Abruptly, Fox broke off the kiss and stared down at his lover, a pensive expression on his face.
Alex stared back, wondering what was going through Fox's mind, when the older man lifted himself and walked toward the closet. His silent question was answered, when Fox pulled out the bag he'd brought back from North Carolina. Suspended from the crook of two fingers, the bag swung back and forth, and the other man gave him a questioning tilt of his head.
"Okay?"

Alex writhed amid the rumpled sheets and nodded.

Withdrawing a pair of black leather cuffs lined with a soft, faux fur, Fox moved toward the prone man and climbed up on the bed, straddling his waist. He set the bag down by Alex's hip, and he positioned one of his lover's hands up above his head. He reached for the other hand and brought that one up to join the other, then gently snapped the cuffs in place. He leaned down and brushed the tip of Alex's nose with his own then kissed him softly.

"Don't move them."

Fixing a worshipful gaze on his lover, Alex shook his head and waited. His breath caught in his chest, and his cock throbbed as Fox withdrew the next item from the bag.

Stroking the leather strap against the side of Alex's cock, Fox smiled at the tiny whimpers the action generated.
"Will you wear this for me?"

"I'll do anything for you," Alex whispered, arching into his lover's touch.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive."

The deep glow in Alex's eyes spoke volumes to Fox, assuring him of his lover's absolute sincerity. Carefully, he fastened the restraint around the base of Alex's erection, and his own cock twitched at the guttural moans that met his ears.

"How's that feel?"

Alex emitted a hard breath and turned eyes, cloudy with lust up to the older man. Fox smiled down at him and stroked the side of his face.

"It's okay," he murmured. "You don't have to say anything. In fact, let's fix it so you don't say another word until I want you to."

Sable lashes fell over glazed eyes as the ball gag Fox had spoken of several days ago was fitted into his mouth. Fox secured the gag in place and groaned softly.

"God, baby, I think I could probably drills holes in stone with my dick right now. You look fucking incredible."

Alex's eyes opened halfway, and he stared up at Fox, whimpering as he writhed under his lover's scorching gaze.

"You want me to touch you, sweetheart?"

Alex bucked, groaning deep in his throat as Fox's fingers grazed the length of his bound cock.

"Feel good?" Fox leaned down and dragged his tongue across Alex's jaw then moved a bit lower to tease his convulsing throat. The younger man arched his neck, baring the vulnerable flesh, and he took full advantage, growling softly as his mouth closed over the thrashing pulse point.

The growl turned to a soft moan as Fox sucked at his lover's throat, the faint taste of salt and Alex filling his mouth. His teeth scraped over the tender skin, and Alex grunted, pushing upward, offering him more.

A muffled yelp cut the air as Fox bit down, simultaneously sucking harder, and Alex's body convulsed and twisted, seeking the impossible.

The need to be close to his love was an ever present ache, amplified by the simplest look or even the most innocent of kisses, but at times like this...when they were lying naked together, and he was drowning in the exquisite depths of Fox's love, the ache intensified to an unbearable degree. He wanted to melt into Fox; become part of him so he would never again have to bear the loneliness of separation. He wouldn't have to fear the night or what lay in wait for him on the other side of the door. And he would always feel warm and safe and deeply desired.

Always was such a very long time, and not meant for the likes of him it seemed. He'd begun to think that maybe it was possible, but for the second time since he and Fox had become lovers, Scully proved that it wasn't. She would never allow it to be...

Fox released his hold on Alex's throat and moved downward, now teasing a taut nipple as he withdrew an ostrich plume from the bag. The feather danced over Alex's sensitized flesh, and the younger man trembled with pleasure.

Fuck Scully and her plans. The best revenge against that jealous bitch was for he and Fox to be happy. And they would be.

And as for the asshole who'd helped her try to take what was his, he'd find out who that cocksucker was. And he'd track him down. And then he'd fucking kill him.

Later. Oh, God, later. Right now he just wanted to lie here, like he had much of a choice, and experience every moment of this sweet torture that his love saw fit to inflict upon him.

Fox lifted his head and smiled at the expression of dazed bliss on Alex's face as the feather whispered over his bare flesh.

"You like this, baby?" Fox moaned, passing the feather over the insides of Alex's thighs then flicking it around his deeply flushed cock.

Alex flinched and emitted a short, harsh grunt, and Fox chuckled softly.

"Not quite sure if that's a yes or a no."

Nodding, Alex arched against the dancing gray and white tendrils, whimpering for more.

"That, I understood."

Fox teased Alex endlessly it seemed to the man on the receiving end. Tickling, licking and nipping, making his cock pound and his balls ache, and the sensations he had wanted to feel forever just a short while ago had turned to pure torture. The need to come overwhelmed all else, and if he could have, he'd have opened his mouth and screamed. Cursed. Begged and promised Fox anything in the world if only he'd put an end to this torment.

Fox watched blackness swallow the remaining green of Alex's eyes, and his chest rise and fall frantically, and he knew that he couldn't ask the younger man to hold on much longer.

Laying several kisses along the inside of one thigh, Fox brushed the heavy sac that hung between his lover's legs with the tip of his nose, then he slid slowly up the length of Alex's body, making sure that they touched everywhere along the way. Settling himself on top of the other man's shuddering body, he looked down into what he was sure were the most beautiful eyes in the world, and he brushed the hair back from Alex's face.
"Can't take any more, can you?"

The gag was gently removed, and Alex moaned in partial relief. He looked up at Fox, eyes pleading.

"Can't," he whispered hoarsely. "M'sorry. Please..."

"Okay babe, okay. You know I won't make you."

Fox reached into their supply of condoms and lube, pulling out two packets and a tube. Carefully undoing the cock ring, he waited until Alex's breathing returned to near normal, then he rolled the condom on. He put his on next and spread a thick layer of gel over the entire latex-covered surface.

"Think we'll leave the cuffs on," he purred, "just to make things a little more interesting."
Lifting his lover into position, he pushed the slick head of his cock into him, relishing the long, gasping sob his action created.

"Fox," Alex choked, pushing against the other man. "Please. Oh...oh my God..."

"I know," Fox gasped. "I...know, sweetheart." He gripped the clenching muscles of his lover's rear, and he thrust forward, forcing two loud cries into the air. Not waiting for either of them to fully recover from the initial shock of his possession, Fox began to move, immediately establishing a steady rhythm.

Alex began to struggle within his wrist restraints, whimpering wildly as Fox rocked him back and forth.

"Want to touch...please...touch you."

"No."

"Foooox..."

Fox took Alex's mouth in a fierce kiss, muffling any further protest, and he quickened his thrusts even as one hand wrapped around his lover's tortured cock.

Alex's body fell into violent spasms, and he groaned harshly into Fox's mouth as his lover worked his cock in time to each increasingly powerful lunge. An uncontrollable coiling began in the pit of his stomach, winding tighter and tighter then snapping as he came. He wrenched his head away, breaking their kiss, and his mouth fell open on a piercing cry, that sound and the uncontrollable tensing of his muscles triggering Fox's own orgasm.

A series of hoarse sobs filled the room as Fox thrust erratically into his lover. He held tightly to the younger man, crying garbled, nonsensical words, and when his body had been drained completely, it fell, exhausted onto the one beneath.

The silence that followed lasted for more than half an hour as both men lay motionless, unable to speak or move so much as an eyelash.

Fox was first to stir as the sweat on his back evaporated, and he began to feel chilled. Lifting his head, he fixed a weary gaze on his seemingly comatose lover.

"Alex?" he called softly, brushing the kiss-swollen lower lip with the tip of his forefinger.

No answer.

As Fox began to lift himself off of Alex, the younger man frowned and issued a soft moan of protest.

"Nooo."

"I'll be right back," Fox promised, taking the time to remove both condoms before he left the bedroom.

Now feeling cold, Alex became more active. His eyes fluttered open, and he turned onto his side uttering a louder, more demanding complaint.

Silence answered him for the first few seconds, then Fox returned, carrying a washcloth with him.

"Cold," Alex grumbled, unable to wrap his restrained arms around himself.

"I know," Fox answered soothingly as he washed Alex's cock. Moments later he'd discarded the cloth and removed the cuffs, smiling as his moaning lover quickly sought the closeness of his body. He pulled the sheet up around them and wound his arms around Alex, kissing the sable head nestled to his chest.

Quiet prevailed for long minutes, then Fox stared up at the ceiling, a distinct wrinkle forming between his eyebrows.
"Alex?"

"....Hmm?"

"This is...okay, this is going to sound weird, but...the bed feels different."

Sable lashes lifted, and Alex stared across the room at the wall he was facing.

//You had to know he'd notice. You were going to tell him anyway, so what's the biggie?//

"Yeah." Alex lifted his head and forced himself to meet Fox's gaze. "I replaced the old one."

The wrinkle deepened. "You did? When?"

"Today."

"Oh. Uh...why?"

"Because I...the other one was pretty old. It sagged in spots, it was kind of lumpy, and that's no good for your back. I'm...I'm sorry, Fox, I guess I should have asked you first."

"Nooo, no. I told you to change anything you wanted to. I'm glad to see you listened to me."

Alex tightened his hold on his lover and again lowering his head to the warm chest, squeezed his eyes shut. He hated himself for the partial lie he'd just told, but the alternative scared him too goddamn much.

//Jesus Christ, how can you think that he'd not understand? He knows you'd never do to him what Scully was trying to make it look like you did.//

//Yeah. Okay. Even if he believes you, how hurt would he be knowing that the woman he thought was his best friend would go to such sickening extremes simply for a piece of your ass? I mean, who could forgive that? And how do you know for absolutely sure that he would be able to put aside the knowledge that some asshole fucked you in his bed and continue on as if it never happened? How much do you think he can swallow before he's had enough?//

He couldn't take that chance. He wanted to trust that Fox would handle this as well as he'd handled everything else, but...

All right, so he was a coward. Whatever. He wouldn't lose Fox. He wouldn't chance it. Not now. He'd fallen so deeply in love with the man that he couldn't think straight, and there was no way in hell he'd voluntarily give him up.

"You okay, babe?"

"...Fine."

//Make him believe it.//

Alex picked his head up and gave Fox a contented smile.

"Just tired. It's an exhausting thing, you know, coming that hard."

"Oh yeah?" Fox leered, sliding a hand over the younger man's ass. "That mean that a second round is out of the question?"

"I don't know," Alex purred, licking Fox's collarbone. "I might be able to. If..."
"If?"
Alex reached for the cuffs and swung them back and forth in front of his lover's face. He sounded an evil little chuckle and reached for Fox's wrists...

**********
Three weeks later
**********

Friday again.

Thank God. Now if only he could make it through this freakin' traffic.

Fox sat drumming impatiently on the wheel, thinking ahead to the moment he would walk in the door to the apartment he shared with Alex.

The thrill hadn't gone yet. Not one day had his heart not pounded with joy at the thought of returning home and finding Alex there waiting for him. Whether the younger man was cooking a big dinner or pounding away at the computer, lost in his on line investing...sprawled naked on their bed or staring pensively out the window, the elation at coming home to him was the same.

He was there. And with him, Fox was home.

Fox smiled as the traffic on the beltway began to move a little more smoothly.

They were going out tonight. Nothing big, just dinner and a movie, but he loved these occasional 'dates'. Something about being out with Alex. Sitting in public, doing the things that every other couple in the world did, made it more real. More normal and permanent.

Not that he wasn't sure without the shadow of a doubt that he and Alex were a forever thing, he just liked proving it to the world.

And to Scully.

With every day that passed without her hearing a 'you were right and I was wrong, Scully, and Alex and I are history', she grew more disgruntled. Not that she said anything, but he could read it all over her face and in her tone when she spoke to him. She was pissed. No doubt about it.
Oh well. She'd either get over it or she wouldn't. Frankly, he couldn't give a damn less if she never got over it.

His indifference should have bothered him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. If she couldn't be friend enough to care that he was happy, then...

Ah, screw it. He wasn't going to let Scully and her bullshit problems interfere with his weekend.
Finally making it home, he pulled into his parking spot and headed into the building. Before walking to the elevator, he checked his mailbox. Sometimes Alex wouldn't leave the apartment, or he would go out but completely forget to stop at the box, so, Fox always checked on his way in.

//Holy crap. What is all this stuff?//

Fox walked toward the elevator, shifting through the assortment of envelopes.

"Crap, crap, bill...shit, bill, crap, crap..."

He got into the elevator and turned over the last piece of mail. The large, square, handwritten envelope caught his interest, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Hmm. Not my birthday. Not that anyone would be sending me a card if it was..."

He reached the fourth floor and temporarily forgot about the mail as he strode toward the end of the hall and unlocked the door.

A huge grin lit his face as he looked across to the end of the living room and found Alex sitting at his desk, pulling a pair of eyeglasses off and putting them back on.

"Holy mackerel," the younger man said by way of greeting as he pulled Fox's glasses down to the tip of his nose and stared at whatever was on the desk in front of him, "how can you see through these things? Better yet, how can you see without them?"

Fox tossed the mail down onto the coffee table and rounded the desk, wrapping his arms around the seated man.

"They're reading glasses; I don't need them to walk around."

"Well, why aren't they in your pocket then, instead of in your desk drawer?"

"It was a miracle. I woke up one morning, and I could see perfectly."

"Really, Fox." Alex submitted to a long, tender kiss then resumed chastising his lover. "If you've got glasses, it's because you need them. You're not doing yourself any good by not using them."

"Yes, Mom."

"I'm serious," Alex replied.

"I know." Fox kissed him again. "And I love that you're so concerned about me."

"Yeah, well I'm not talking to hear myself talk," the younger man answered sternly. "You wear these to read if that's what you're supposed to do."

Fox stared at the other man for a moment then broke into another grin. He tightened his arms around Alex and pressed their cheeks together.

"I love you, baby."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not, I'm just...you don't love me?" Fox pouted at the younger man.

"Desperately. That's why I want you to take care of yourself the way you're supposed to."

"Okay." Fox nuzzled Alex's jaw then planted a soft kiss there. "I'll wear them from now on."

"Thank you. Now. Why don't you relax a little bit...check your email or something, and I'll go get dressed."

Fox nodded in agreement and sat down in the chair that Alex had just vacated. He picked the glasses up and raised them in salute to his lover, then put them on and turned his attention to the computer.

Alex smiled, blew Fox a kiss then retreated to the bedroom.

Scanning his email, Fox found pretty much nothing but junk. He deleted almost everything and shut the computer down, then remembered the mail he'd brought in.

Walking over to the sofa, he dropped down onto the soft leather and picked up the stack.

Throwing most of it back onto the table, he opened the bills first, perused them quickly, then opened the last envelope. He pulled a card out that read simply, 'Especially For You', and he flipped it open. Frowning, he adjusted his glasses and turned the stack of pictures right side up, and then all the air in the room disappeared.

Mechanically, his hands moved, shuffling the pictures, his disbelieving eyes looking at shot after shot of Alex in the bed he recognized as their own, lying beneath a man he didn't recognize.

Naked...eyes closed, mouth slightly open...on a gasp of pleasure perhaps...the man's cock up his ass...

"So, I was so busy giving you shit about your glasses, that I forgot to tell you how much we made on that..."

Alex stopped three steps out of the bedroom, frozen as he saw Fox sitting on the couch, staring blankly down at...no. Oh, Jesus God, no.

Clouded, amber eyes looked from the pictures up to the petrified man, but Fox said nothing.

The horrified look in his lover's eyes jarred Alex into motion.

"Fox..." He took several shaky steps toward the sofa. "What...where did you get those?"

Fox blinked for the first time since Alex had come into the room, and he looked back down at the photos in his hand.

A quick glance at the discarded envelope and card told Alex that that fucking dead bitch Scully had sent them in the mail. He lowered himself to his knees and gently wrestled the pictures from his stricken lover's grip.

"Don't...Fox, don't look at these. Listen to me, okay? Fox, please? It...it isn't how it looks. God, it isn't at all how it looks."

Fox looked up at the kneeling man with an expression that tore his heart and all hope for a long, happy life together to bits.

"I didn't know, Fox, I...I wasn't...aware, I..." Alex rambled, his rattled mind unable to put two coherent thoughts together. He stopped, took a hard, shaky breath and tried again.

"I did *not* bring that man here. I didn't even know he was..."

Fox reached past Alex and picked up the top picture, staring quietly at the image.

"*No*." Alex snatched the photo away. "I didn't...I wouldn't do this to you, Fox. I love you," he whispered desperately. "Say something. Christ, please, Fox, talk to me."

But he couldn't. The wild jumble in his brain refused to be sorted, and the pain in his heart spoke loudly above all else.

With no answer coming from his wounded lover, and a murderous rage building up inside of him, Alex stumbled to his feet and fled the apartment. He wouldn't later remember how he got to Scully's apartment, but soon after leaving Fox sitting nearly comatose on the sofa at home, he found himself at her door, splintering the wood in its frame as he kicked it in.

Scully leapt from her bedroom, gun held out in front of her, wide eyed. Her pounding heart doubled its pace when she realized who had just broken in.

"Krycek!" she screeched. "What the hell are you..."

Before she could finish her question, he was on her, the gun falling from her hand as he slammed her up against the nearest wall.

"You goddamn, fucking bitch!" he roared, "How could you do this to him? How could you do it!?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scully screamed, fighting against the enraged man's death grip on her.

"You made more copies of those fucking pictures, and you sent them to him!"
"What? I...no, I didn't!"

"You did!" Alex threw the woman across the room, sending her crashing into the buffet on the other side. Before she could regain her balance, he picked up her gun and was there, slamming her back into the glass door, shattering the pane all around her.

"I didn't think you'd do it!" he bellowed, his voice crackling with fury. "I know how you feel about me, but how can you hate him that much?"

"I...*don't*!" She grated, trying to lever herself away from the shards that clung to the doorframe. "I didn't do it! I couldn't!"

"Fucking liar!" Alex screamed, curling his fingers around the woman's throat and holding the gun point blank to her forehead. "You ruined it! We were happy, and you fucked it all up!"

"Step away from her, Krycek."

Wild green eyes flicked in the direction of the voice and found Skinner standing to Alex's left, holding his drawn weapon on him.

"Go ahead," Alex croaked, tightening his grip on Scully's throat. "My life is over anyway. This bitch has seen to that."

"It isn't over, Krycek," Skinner explained softly. "Let her go."

"Fuck you!" the stricken man bellowed. "Oh, wait. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Skinner answered, cautiously moving closer.

"No, Alex. I didn't know. I didn't want to see, but I do now..."

Scully shifted a shocked gaze from one man to the other but said nothing.

"I can help," Skinner said. "It's not over. You and Mulder can stay together. You will. It'll be all right, Alex, I swear to God, but not if you kill her. Let her go."

Alex eyed the older man for a second, looking as thought he might do as Skinner asked, but the fleeting scrap of sanity was lost in an instant.

"You're a fucking liar just like she is," he hissed, releasing the safety.

"Jesus Christ, Krycek," Skinner gasped. "Don't. Don't make me shoot you. Don't make Mulder have to live without you."

"He'll be better off," Alex answered, his words broken and tears blurring his vision.

"No, he won't. He loves you more than life. You can't do this to him."

"He might have loved me before this." Alex's hand began to waver as two tears fell. "But not now. Not after what she did."

"I didn't...do it," Scully whispered, trying to keep herself from shaking.

"Shut up!" Alex shouted. "You're a fucking vengeful, spiteful bitch, and you'd never have stopped until you tore us apart! Well, congratulations! Here's your reward..."

Taking a huge chance, Skinner tackled Alex, his momentum sending them both sprawling onto the sofa. He wrestled the gun away from the younger man and pinned him to the cushions as he vented his fury.

"Mother fucker! I'll kill you both!" Alex screamed, in too awkward a position to gain enough leverage to free himself. He put up a hell of a fight though, and Skinner had to use all his strength to keep him restrained.

"Krycek! Alex! Calm down and listen to me, dammit! I want to help you! I'm going to help you!"

"Nobody can help me!" Alex answered, each word a broken sob. "His face. Oh, my God...God. The look on his face."

"It'll be okay, Alex. Let me take you home, and we'll get it all straightened out."

Scully watched in horrified fascination as Skinner kneeled over the inconsolable man, attempting to calm him. There was almost a tenderness to his actions that Scully had rarely seen. And she wasn't sure what the hell to make of it.

"There's nothing to straighten out," the younger man whispered. "You didn't see...see his face."

Skinner's head snapped around, and he fixed a withering glare on the woman.

"You're going to fix this," he informed her, leaving no room for argument. "You're going to go to Mulder and explain it, or I..."

A new presence in the doorway caught Skinner's and Scully's attention, and both turned to see Fox glancing once more at the broken door before moving through it and entering the room.

Skinner rose from the sofa and moved to the side, making the miserable heap that was Fox's lover visible to him.

Glancing from Skinner to his obviously terrified partner, he moved to the sofa and dropped to his knees, touching Alex's hand.
"Alex?"

Tear drenched eyes snapped open, and Alex pulled himself up into a sitting position. He lowered his eyes and said nothing.

"Alex, I...baby, I figured it out. I'm so...God, I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did. But after the shock wore off, and my brain was able to function, I knew." He leveled a hateful glare on Scully. "She master minded it somehow, didn't she?"

"Mulder..."

"Shut the fuck up." He looked from Scully back to Alex, all traces of malevolence gone.
"Baby, just tell me. Is she behind this?"

Shuddering, Alex managed a slight nod.

Fox whirled to his feet and came to stand in front of Scully.

"Mulder, I...he...he tried to kill me. If Skinner hadn't come by..."

"We're through." Fox interrupted, not giving a damn about what she had to say. "I want you out of my office before Monday, and I don't want to see or hear from you again. Do you understand?"

"Mulder..."

"Shut up," the furious man roared, "before I fucking kill you myself!" He turned to Skinner, drawing a deep, stuttering breath.

"I don't know what you were doing here but thank you for keeping him out of trouble."

Skinner nodded then looked down at the quiet man.

"Take him home, Mulder. Make him understand that you're not over. He's so sure that you're all done."

Shaking his head, Fox mumbled something about it being his fault, and he sat down next to the younger man.

"Alex." He reached up, gently petting the sable head. "Come on, I'm going to take you home now."

Not lifting his gaze from his clasped hands, Alex displayed a bewildered frown.
"Home?"

"*Yes*. Baby, I want to know what happened, but before you say a word to me about it, we're going to be home, it's going to be calm and quiet, and you're going to understand that I love you, and that no matter what happened, nothing is going to change between us."

Slowly, unsteadily, an agonized, emerald gaze rose to Fox's face.

Fox cupped the other man's cheek in his palm, letting his thumb sweep the stubbled flesh.

"Let me take you home, sweetheart."

Slowly, Alex's eyes drifted shut, and he leaned forward, sinking into Fox's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry," the older man whispered into his lover's hair. "Jesus, Alex, I'm so sorry."

Skinner watched Alex cling to his lover, and a mixture of shame, longing and anger clashed inside of him.

While his body couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have the younger man wrapped around him like that, his heart admonished such yearnings. With Mulder was so obviously where Alex belonged. And it angered him that Scully would go to the lengths that she had to keep them apart...and it shamed him that he had sat back and allowed it to play out. He could have prevented what had happened here by going to Mulder a month ago, but he chose not to in the attempt to hide his own recklessness. But it was done now, everything was going to be fine in spite of Scully's efforts, and there was no reason now to further implicate himself.

With Alex still clutching his jacket, Fox rose to his feet, pulling the younger man up with him. Speaking not a word more to the two others in the room, he began the slow trek to the door. He moved Alex into the hall, and with the two left behind staring after them, they started for home.

"Well," Skinner murmured, casting his gaze to the floor after the two men had gone. "You'd better get someone over here to fix that door."

Scully watched the A.D. warily.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Skinner drew a long breath then let it out.

"No. No, Agent Scully, that isn't all. I'll also tell you that what you did was reprehensible, and you're getting off easy."
"What do you know about what I did?"

"I don't claim to know every last detail, but I know enough, and let's leave it at that. What I don't know is how you could be so heartless as to make sure that Mulder found out. I mean..." Skinner walked away, running his hand over his head then turned to face the woman. "...I understand that you wanted Krycek away from him. But damn. I...I gotta say, Scully, I'd never have thought it was in you to do something this cruel."

"I didn't," Scully swore. "I think it was...it had to be those men."

Skinner cocked his head. "The two you brought here?"

Scully emitted a long sigh. Closing her eyes, she answered.

"Yes. Krycek had permanently wounded one of them. He wanted revenge. Maybe he didn't trust me to actually send the pictures. He must have taken his own."

"Why would you have them take pictures if you had no intention of sending them?"

"I thought it would be enough that I had them. I thought that I could get Krycek to...that just the existence of those photos would be enough."

"Get Krycek to what? Leave?"

"...Yeah. Leave."

"Scully, I...dammit, I can see that Mulder and Krycek are truly in love. How is it that you can't?"

He thought about his own question for a moment then spoke again.

"You can see it, can't you? You know that Krycek isn't what we'd first thought."

"He's scum." Scully protested. "He's a lying, disgusting whore. Oh, and let's not forget a murderer. He would have killed me if you hadn't stopped him, and you know it."

"Scully, Mulder would have killed you. *I* would have killed you if I'd been in either one of their shoes."
"Well, that makes it all okay, doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't. If it was okay, I wouldn't have stopped him. But the man was out of his mind with grief. That much was very clear. I mean, let's face it. You talked two men into coming across the country to basically drug and rape him, and take pictures of it, and the end result saw Mulder incredibly hurt, and Krycek tormented in so many more ways than one.

"I'd take official action, but I think if Mulder had wanted to press charges, he would have said something. I don't believe he wants to put Krycek through any more than he has been already." He eyed the woman coldly. "But consider yourself put on notice. If you so much as breathe in their direction, I will act. Am I clear?"

"I don't understand," Scully said, shaking her head. "You didn't want to see Mulder with him any more than I did."

"I told you. I took my blinders off. Pity you weren't able to do the same. All this could have been avoided."

Skinner moved to the door and stopped just inside the frame.

"Don't forget to call someone about this."

Scully watched the A.D. disappear into the hall, and she turned in a circle, for the first time assessing the damage done.

Glass she'd be picking up well into next month. Some cracked dishes miraculously remained inside the buffet. Her gun on the floor next to the sofa where Krycek had dropped it when Skinner tackled him. Lock unseated from the door and bits of wood gone from the edge.

She walked over to the door and pushed, cursing as it resisted her attempts to shut it. Finally giving it one good shove, it groaned into place, and she snatched up her phone, calling for a repairman.

As she sat and waited, the realization of just how close she had come to having her brains blown out hit her like a hammer. Burying her face in violently shaking hands, she considered her next move.

Okay, one thing was for sure. Her partnership as well as her friendship with Mulder was over. He'd figured out for himself that Saint Alex couldn't possibly have been fucking anyone in his bed of his own will, and immediately, he'd pinned the blame on her.

//You're all done, Dana. You did shit that would have your mother shuttling between church and your prison cell for a good long time, and did it get you what you wanted? Did Krycek fall into bed with you and fuck you silly? Nope. He busted into your apartment, tried to kill you, and he and Mulder are still together. He's even got Skinner on his side now. Yeah, that's good. Your boss is threatening to press charges if you so much a sneeze in their direction, and all you have out of the deal is a mess to clean up here, no more friends, and probably a goddamn desk assignment. Good job, Dana. Goddamn, fucking good job.//

"All because of that lousy, two-bit, dirty..."

Straight out hatred and a thirst for revenge doused any remaining flames of lust that may have been left smoldering and all good sense along with it, and she began to plot.

"Okay...okay, there's..."

//Yeah. What is there? Spit it out. I'm dying to hear. You suck at planning dirty deeds, girl, face it. It just ain't your thing.//

"That's because I was out of my element. First of all, I depended on someone else to carry out the plan...which, I guess was a bad plan from the start because I couldn't execute it myself. So, okay. What did we learn from this?"

//Keep it simple.//

"Right. Simple is better. I plan it alone, I carry it out alone. No accomplices, no witnesses. Second, there can be no room for interpretation. He's got to be unable to weasel his way out of it."

//Yeah, okay, great. But what, Dana, what?//

"I don't know," she sighed aloud, slumping back against the cushions of her sofa. "I don't..." Her brow wrinkled, and she stared off into space.

"Hmm..."

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

Fox stole another glance at his silent lover as he drove them home.

Stress lines etched the corners of Alex's closed eyes, and his head hung low. He sat slouched so far down in his seat that despite his six-foot frame, he appeared to Fox quite small.

Reaching across the short distance, Fox touched his lover's head, gently stroking the glossy, dark strands of hair away from his face, only to watch them fall stubbornly back into place. He got no reaction...didn't expect one, but he maintained contact hoping that it would comfort Alex in some small way. When they finally made it back to the building, he pulled into his parking space and shut the engine off, then turned to look at the other man.

"We're home."

Alex raised his head to look around the parking garage then dropped his gaze to his lap.
Saying nothing more, Fox got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side. He opened the door and took Alex's hand.

"Come on, baby."

Tugging gently, he got Alex out of the car and headed toward the elevator. Once inside, he retained his hold on the younger man's hand, pulling it up to his mouth for a kiss then tilting his head to press his cheek to it.

Alex lifted his eyes to the older man's face and found the golden-brown lashes swept downward, and an expression at once so full of tenderness and remorse that his hand began to tremble against the shadowed flesh.

Fox's eyes opened and met those of his silent lover. Before he could say anything the doors opened, and he stepped out and led Alex down the hall.

Reaching apartment forty-two, he unlocked the door and preceded Alex inside. He turned and waited until the younger man had crossed the threshold, then he closed the door and removed his jacket. Again taking his lover's hand, Fox guided him to the sofa and coaxed him to sit on the middle cushion. He followed, seating himself sideways in the right corner of the sofa and held his arms out.

Alex hesitated for a moment then slowly leaned forward. An involuntary sigh escaped his lips as Fox's arms came around him, and he burrowed into the older man's warmth, again wishing for the kind of closeness he could never achieve. Fox stroked his back and scattering soft kisses in his hair, soothed his trembling.

He knew that Fox was waiting. And that he would continue to wait patiently for as long as he had to until Alex was ready. Finally, after nearly forty minutes of absolute silence, Alex cleared his throat and forced himself to speak.

"I tried to make myself believe...I let you convince me that it had just been a dream. Then S...Scully came with those pictures..."

He stopped and took a deep, shaky breath.

"What did she say to you?" Fox asked softly, rhythmically petting the sable head.

"Sh..." Alex paused again, trying to gather the courage to say it. "She wanted...you'd think that she wanted to get rid of me, but...she didn't. Not until she got tired of me, anyway."
Fox's brow creased. "What d'you mean?"

"She wanted...me. And those pictures were supposed to be insurance against my saying no."

Fox hadn't expected that one. He pulled the younger man far enough away to see his face.
"She what?"

Emerald eyes dropped to stare at the small space between them, and Alex said nothing.

"Alex, she..." Fox couldn't even say it. "She wanted to..."

"Fuck me," Alex said without emotion. "She said she wanted to know what it was I had that kept you so hot for me."

"I had no clue. I can't...I can't believe I didn't know."

"It wasn't hard for her to keep it from you. She simply buried it in the middle of her hatred for me."

"I can't believe this," Fox breathed, staring hard at Alex's knee.

"I know," Alex whispered flatly. "I had a hard time processing it too, when she showed up at my apartment and threw herself at me."

Fox's head snapped up. "She...you mean she came on to you back in California?"

Alex nodded.
"Jesus Alex, why am I just hearing about this now?"

"I couldn't tell you," Alex answered apologetically. "She was your best friend. I couldn't do it to you."

Fox pulled Alex back into his arms.

"Dammit, how blind could I be? That's why she told me where you were, isn't it? To get you back here where she could work on you."

Alex wound his arms around Fox's waist and closed his eyes. "You had no reason to think something like that about her. I...tried to talk her out of it. Make her see that she didn't want to hurt you like that. I thought she had come to her senses. Guess she was just regrouping."

"That brings us to this current shit. I remember talking to you that night from North Carolina. Your speech had started to slur, and you couldn't really think straight after a while. I thought you were just really tired."

"That's what I thought too, though no matter how tired I'd been in the past, I'd never felt like that before. But I didn't suspect. What reason did I have?"

Fox kissed the top of Alex's head. "So he drugged you somehow."

"Must've. And he had somebody take pictures while he..." He stopped, unable to say the words.

"Do you have any idea who he is?" Fox asked, his voice eerily calm.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Alex shook his head. "I don't recognize him."

Fox drew a deep breath. "Well...I never wanted to see Scully again, but I guess I'll have to."

"Why?

"She knows who he is."

Still, that soft, calm voice.

"You don't need to know, Fox."

"I do."

"No." Alex again lifted his head, turning a pleading gaze on his lover. "I just want to forget it. Please, can't we?"

"That man drugged you, Alex. He came into this apartment and raped you in our..." He stopped as the realization hit him. "And that's why you changed the mattress."

"Yeah. Once I found out, I couldn't...it's bad enough sleeping in the room where it happened, but the bed..." He shook his head. "I couldn't think of a reason to replace the whole thing, so I had to settle for just the mattress."

Fox covered his face with both hands and slowly dragged them upward, raking them through his hair again and again.

"I can't fucking believe this," he whispered more to himself than to Alex.

"I'm sorry Fox," the younger man croaked. "I know this is a hell of a lot more than you bargained for when you brought me back here."

"Don't you apologize," Fox hissed, suddenly grasping Alex's upper arms, furious not with his lover but the people who had physically and emotionally fucked him over. "You're not at fault in any way, do you understand me? This is Scully's shit. And those fuckers she got to do it. And it's mine."

Alex focused a confused stare on the older man.

Fox's hands gentled and slid down his lover's arms. "I never should have left you. I should have listened to my gut and stayed home." A bright glaze coated first one eye then the other. "I allowed it to happen. I made you a promise to take care of you, and I fucked it up in the worst possible way."

"No you didn't," Alex insisted, his own eyes welling up as he felt the brunt of his love's anguish. "You were doing your job. You had no way of knowing what she was up to. There was no reason for you to suspect. God Fox, please don't blame yourself."

"I failed," Fox insisted. "I was too arrogant. Too confident I think. I was sure that I could do it right. Do right by you. But I failed you." He looked up into his lover's face, the moisture in his eyes beginning to spill over.

"You've known about those pictures...you've known what had happened to you for weeks now. Why didn't you tell me?"

Alex blinked, releasing the moisture in his own eyes.

"I couldn't. How could I go to you and tell you what Scully had done?"
"Did you think I wouldn't believe you?"

"N-no, I...was pretty sure that you would. But I was still afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"That it would be too much for you. It's been one thing after another since California. You've been so incredible about all of it. But everyone has a limit, and I was afraid that you might finally have reached yours with this. And I would lose you."

Fox nodded. "You see? I failed to make you see that you could trust me to love you and stand by you no matter what. Nothing I did, nothing I said really drove it home."

"That's not true," Alex rasped. "I trust you with my life, Fox. And I know you love me. But everything has a limit."

"No. Not everything. There's no limit to my love for you. And there's no limit to what I'd do for you. But I couldn't make you see that. You kept this to yourself. You let it fester and eat holes in you when you should have come to me the second you found out. It's my fault that you felt you couldn't do that. I've done it all wrong. It's my fault that Scully was given the opportunity to hurt you. It's my fault you've suffered with it all this time." Fox drew a difficult breath and a fresh stream of tears ran down his cheeks. "And I don't...I don't know how to make it right."

Alex wrapped his arms around the older man, slumping against him.

"You don't need to do anything," he gasped, trying to fight back the sob that rose into his throat. "You believe me. You still want me. That's all I need."

"But how long will it be," Fox asked, watching his fingers lift the silky strands of the younger man's hair only to let them drop back to his head, "before you have more doubts? I need to know what to do to make them stop."

"There's nothing more that you can possibly do, Fox. You couldn't get any more perfect. Please stop blaming yourself. It's me." Alex's hand traveled back and forth between Fox's arm and his shoulder. "It's hard to...no one's ever given me anything without wanting plenty in return. It's not easy to change your mindset when it's been that way for more than half your life.

"You've proven yourself over and over again to me. I don't know why I continue to be afraid. All I can do is tell you how sorry I am and beg you not to..." Alex choked back his words and wrapped himself more tightly around the other man. "...to have a little more patience. I'm trying. I swear to God, Fox, I'm trying so hard."

Closing his eyes, Fox buried his face into the curve between Alex's neck and shoulder, and the two wept softly. Several minutes later, Fox lifted his head, sniffing and dragging the back of his hands across his eyes.

"I love you," he whispered to the younger man. "And it kills me to think about what was done to you in the one place you were supposed to be safe."

Alex kept his head tilted downward until Fox slipped a hand under his chin and lifted. He searched the watery, green depths, and the pain in his heart increased triple fold.

"He's going to pay."

A question began to form in Alex's eyes, but he answered it himself seconds later.

"You...Fox, no, please."

"I can't let this fucker walk around free and clear after what he did."

"Y-you don't even know who he is. *I* don't know who he is."

"Like I said, Scully knows. And she's going to tell me or I'll beat it out of her."

"No. Just leave her alone, okay? I want to forget about this. I don't...I don't want to think about it any more." He raised a hand to Fox's head, frantically stroking the older man's hair. "I want to go back to you and me. Can we do that? Please? No more Scully, no more..."

Fox's breath caught in his throat as Alex pitched forward, covering his lips in a sudden, desperate kiss. He submitted to the unexpected blitz, letting Alex pin him to the corner of the sofa, but as the younger man's movements became more agitated, he wedged his hands between them and gently pushed him a few inches away.

"It's okay, baby. Take it easy. I won't go to Scully."

"I wasn't trying to...I just..." Alex's eyes began to well up again. "I need you, Fox. I need to touch you and...and..."

Fox pulled his lover back into his arms, crushing him to his chest as he initiated the second kiss.

Whatever Alex needed. Anything he needed.

Alex whimpered into the soft mouth, feeling the transition occur. Fox was shifting from revenge-driven, guilt-ridden man to sweetly demanding, bone-meltingly hot lover. No gear grinding, no jerky stops and starts. Just a smooth conversion all within the time it would take to draw a good breath.

JesusChristalmighty, how could he ever think that he had failed Alex in any way? He was dead on, fucking god status per-fect.

Alex hung on to the older man as he was smoothly maneuvered onto his back, surrendering the whole of himself to his lover's desire. Fox settled over him, blanketing him in his warmth, and he gave Alex everything he could ask for and more.

Kisses that soothed his heart even as they seared his blood. Caresses so tender, brushing over satiny skin, giving rise to fine gooseflesh. His voice, so low and breathless, whispering words of overwhelming love.

Alex raked his fingers through Fox's hair, anchoring them in the thick, golden-brown strands at the back of his lover's head, and he opened his mouth, welcoming the coming invasion. His moans of pleasure as Fox's tongue lazily stroked the interior of his mouth turned to insistent whimpers when a wandering hand stroked over his chest and lingered on a hardening nipple.
Sucking delicately on Alex's tongue, Fox pinched the pebbled flesh beneath the soft material of his shirt, creating a contrast of sensation and pulling a hard gasp from the younger man. Tugging firmly on the nipple as he gently teased Alex's mouth, he drew the moment out, his body throbbing in response to the sensuous snarl his action prompted from the other man. He broke the kiss and looked down at Alex, holding him captive in the blistering heat of his gaze, then began to slowly unbutton the entranced man's shirt.

A pass of the incredibly talented tongue followed the pop of each button, and Alex arched into every caress, wanting to feel it forever. The glide of soft velvet over the trembling muscles of his abdomen scrambled his thoughts and set his nerves on edge, and as it reached the waistband of his jeans, his cock strained painfully against the denim.

Fox lifted his head in time to observe to pained grimace on his lover's face, and he understood. He kissed the solid mound then rested his cheek there and focused a look of sympathy on the younger man.
"Getting a little tight?"

Alex nodded silently.

"Let me fix that for you." Deftly, Fox undid Alex's jeans and pulled them down to his hips, receiving assistance from the other man for the second third of the journey. Together, they worked the Levi's down to Alex's knees, then Fox pushed them to the younger man's ankles, where they were kicked off and away.

Battling the urge to suck his lover's freed cock into his mouth, Fox traced the prominent veins along the shaft with the tips of his fingers, watching, entranced as it twitched and reached for him.

God, he needed to have that thick, rigid length sliding past his lips. Down his throat. Even if he couldn't taste Alex, he wanted to feel him. Hear the low, feral moans as his fingers clenched in that taut ass, pulling him forward. He needed to drive him crazy. Make him lose complete control. Then he'd know, for that little while at least, that nothing else was lurking in the corners of his love's tortured mind.

"Where are you..."

"I'll be right back," Fox answered the anxious question before Alex could finish it, then he pulled himself to his feet and disappeared from the living room.

Passing through the bedroom doorway, Fox was knocked back a step by the second realization of what had happened to Alex here. His knees turned to liquid, and he fought to catch his breath as images of his unconscious love, being touched and fucked, and posed for those goddamn pictures by that fucking scumbag, whoever he was, flooded his brain. And his ex best friend and partner had initiated the whole sordid event.

It was...son of a bitch! It was too fucking much to take.

He leaned against the door frame, panting heavily, trying to pull himself together before returning to Alex in the living room.

"Come on, Mulder," he whispered. "Come on, deal with this later."

He pushed himself away from the wall and wobbled to the nightstand, withdrawing some condoms and the lube.

//Come on. If you go back in there like this, he'll fall apart.//

Three deep breaths, a pause, and then two more, and he returned to the living room.
The sight of Alex lying stretched over the sofa, quivering and naked except for the open shirt he still wore, helped Fox regain control and his sight of what was important right now.

Forest-green eyes drifted open and focused on the face that hovered above, and Alex drew a deep breath as he watched Fox slowly undo the buttons on his shirt. He lay quietly as the garment dropped to the floor with a soft thud, and Fox began working on his pants.

His eyes never leaving Alex's face as he worked, Fox commanded the younger man's complete attention. And when everything but his slate-gray boxers lay next to the shirt, he moved closer, his smoldering green and gold stare beckoning Alex to touch him.

Still lingering in a mesmerized state, Alex sat up and traced the solid, silk-covered outline of his lover's cock with his fingers before leaning forward and nuzzling the same spot. His tongue inched out, licking the shaft through the material, and Fox moaned in pleasure at the sensation. Alex repeated the action, earning another moan, and his own cock throbbed painfully in response.

Again. More confidently. More aggressively.

Fox sobbed his lover's name, threading his fingers through the dark hair and holding his head in place.

So good. Jesus God, so fucking incredible.

Arousal building quickly to a level at which restraint would no longer be possible, Alex licked hungrily at his lover's thinly concealed cock, his breaths ending on tiny gasps and growls. His hands rose to grasp Fox's hips, but they strayed quickly, rounding the firm muscles of the older man's ass, stroking and squeezing as his teeth closed around the damp, silk-draped erection and pulled.

"Ah, fuck," Fox grated, his fingers tightening in the younger man's hair. As quickly as that, his control snapped, and he forced Alex onto his back then stripped off his boxers and ripped open one of the packages of condoms.

Alex waited breathlessly, anticipating a quick, hard possession, but he looked up at Fox with surprised eyes as the older man slipped the rubber onto him instead.

Kneeling over his speechless lover, Fox leaned down and bestowed a long, tender kiss on his flushed lips then proceeded to worship his upper body with his mouth and tongue. As he teased a sensitive nipple, he squeezed a good amount of lube into his hand and reached between them, applying the cool gel.

Alex bucked, whimpering his lover's name as the dual stimulation wound him a notch tighter. But the hand on his cock, stroking ever so gently, and the tongue flicking lightly over the tip of his nipple refused to relieve the tension, and so he gathered his frazzled wits and found the strength to take matters into his own hands.

Fox emitted a surprised grunt as, in an impressive move, Alex grasped a handful of his hair, wrapped his free arm around his waist, and spun him onto his back. As the younger man landed on top of him, he turned a smoky, adoring gaze on him. Writhing seductively against the body covering his, he slid Alex's shirt off and dropped it to the floor, then wrapped one leg around the trim waist as Alex's mouth covered his.

The two shared ravenous kisses as Alex lifted Fox's other leg and held it pinned to his side. Caressing the older man's thigh, he maneuvered himself into position and pushed the head of his cock between the smooth cheeks.

Breaking from Alex's demanding mouth, Fox released a harsh breath and pushed against his lover, whining his need. The whine abruptly turned to a shocked gasp as Alex buried the rest of his cock inside of him with one swift thrust. His eyes rolled up into his head, and the thick curtain of golden-brown lashes dropped over them as his fingers dug into the other's back.

"Alex," he whispered, arching against the man above him. "My baby, I love...love you. Don't stop. Please, I need...I...God, fuck me please, please..."

The rush of power that having Fox beneath him and begging brought was incomparable. It was here that he knew without a doubt that Fox needed him. And it was now that he was sure beyond all reservation that he could be exactly what his lover wanted and never suffer a thought of disappointing him.

A series of furious snarls rose up from Fox's throat as Alex repeatedly withdrew and slammed into him with all his strength. Raking his fingers down the length of his lover's back, his lust-crazed mind never gave thought to the welts that would later rise in their wake. Nor was he conscious of the fact that their partially open bedroom window allowed the sounds to be heard down on the third floor, where the neighbors directly below them listened from their own fire escape...

"I can't believe all the action this guy's been getting lately," the male of the pair said. "For years nothing, and then wham! He's gettin' it every friggin' day. Sometimes more than once a day."

"Yep," the woman answered. "Oh, and by the way? I hate to upset your fine, homophobic sensibilities, but...I was right. He *is* living with another man."

"What? Oh, come on Candace, he's an FBI agent for Christ's sake."

"I saw them, Ray. Today. They were coming into the building, and they were holding hands."
"Are you shittin' me?"

"Nope."

"Oh, God."

"I told you that other voice was way too deep to be a woman's. But do you ever listen to me? Noooo."

"So, you mean to tell me we're out here listening to two men go at it?"

The woman grinned. "Uh huh."

"Shit. Oh, shit." The man rose and started to climb back through the window. "I'm outta here."

"What's so different about it now? Just because it's two guys, it doesn't change the fact that it's erotic as hell."

The man stuck his head back out the window. "It's disgusting," he whispered.

"It is not. You haven't seen this other one. They're gorgeous together."

"What they look like is supposed to make a difference?"

"It helps," the woman sighed. "Makes for a much nicer image."

The man shuddered visibly.

"What if it was two women, huh Ray? Would you be in there, telling me how disgusting it was, or would you still be out here, straining to hear every sound?"

"That's different."

"Why?"

"It just is."

"Typical male bullshit answer. If you don't want to listen, go inside. But shut up now, so I can hear the rest of this..."

Fox gazed up at Alex, eyes shimmering a dreamy mix of blue, green and gold as the younger man moved slowly now inside of him. Alex stared back silently as he moved, his passion-heavy eyes saying so much more to Fox than words could have.

Unable to keep them open any longer, Alex let his eyes close for a moment as he sank back into luxurious, slick heat. His mouth fell open as he withdrew fraction by fraction, and a gasping breath tumbled out. He opened his eyes and pulled out almost all the way then again pushed home, the constricting warmth that surrounded his cock penetrating and spreading through the rest of his body.

Every nerve ending tingled, every taut muscle begged for relief, but the torture was just too good. Fox, just too beautiful. He had to hold on. Had to take the pleasure just a little bit farther...

"Nooo, no," Fox wailed as Alex pulled completely out of him, but the younger man shushed his protests as he kneeled between his legs and pulled him up into a sitting position. He watched, moving to give Alex the room he needed to maneuver himself onto his back, then he crawled forward at his lover's silent urging, and stopped when directed to. The other man arched upward, nudging Fox's ass with his cock, and the perfect mouth he'd been watching so attentively, opened to speak.

"Take it, baby."

Struggling to control his breath, Fox lifted himself slightly to grasp his lover's cock and guide it into his slick entrance. The head slid in, and he paused, savoring the sensation.
Alex allowed the small hiatus, stroking Fox's thighs and brushing his fingers through the dark hair that surrounded his swollen cock, and when Fox had relaxed, moaning softly at the pleasurable caresses, Alex grasped his hips and pulled him down as he thrust upward.
A loud, gasping sob broke past the older man's lips as he was suddenly, fully impaled on his lover's cock. His head fell back, and his eyes dropped shut as Alex's fingers closed around the base of his erection, and the younger man began stroking him gently.

"Look at me," Alex commanded softly. "I want to see your eyes."

Fox willed himself to open his eyes, and he looked down at the man who lay beneath him.

"Pretty eyes," Alex whispered, caressing the head of his lover's weeping cock. "So deep. So fucking sexy."

His sigh flowed over Fox's lips as the older man leaned down for a tender kiss. They began to move in unison, joining and separating, and his hand tightened slightly, working his lover's cock with more purpose.

Fox moaned into Alex's mouth, rocking faster against him, and the younger man issued no protest. His tongue entered the older man's mouth, tasting and teasing, and when he had him whimpering uncontrollably, he pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. He bucked hard, drawing a small cry from Fox, then bucked again, grunting as he did.

"Come on, baby...ride me...God, yeah. That's it," Alex encouraged breathlessly as Fox obediently began to thrash against him. "Harder, Fox. Ohhhh, yeah," he moaned deeply through his teeth, jerking Fox in a firm rhythm. "Look...at me," he rasped, quickly losing the tenuous grip he had on his control. "Want...want to watch you."

Keeping his eyes on his lover, Fox increased his speed, arching his back and clenching his muscles as he moved. The hand on his cock matched then exceeded his pace, and both men fell into a fit of frenzied convulsions, filling the room their cries.

When the sounds faded, Fox fell forward, his head pressed to Alex's shoulder as he gasped for breath. In the haze that surrounded him, he felt one hand touch his back, sliding up and down through the sheen of perspiration that covered it, and the other rest itself on his head, massaging his damp scalp. And the voice of his love, so soft and husky from spent passion, vowing unending devotion.

As Fox lifted his head, Alex opened his eyes and looked up into a sea of turquoise and amber, brimming with adoration.

"My love," the older man whispered. "God, Alex, what you do to me."

Alex blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the sudden heat that pricked at his eyes, but he could feel himself losing the battle. Before the tears fell, he pulled Fox back down, wrapping him in a fierce embrace.

Fox felt the slight tremble of his lover's body, and he attempted to pull away, but Alex held him in place, releasing a soft sob as his arms tightened a bit more.

"Alex?" he called softly, caressing the younger man's arm. "Baby, why are you crying?"

Alex buried his face in the other man's hair and shook his head.

Fox lay quietly in his lover's arms, knowing not to push the issue. If Alex wanted to talk about it, he would do so in good time. In the meantime, he continued to stroke the younger man's cooling skin and drop tender kisses over his shoulder and throat.

Finally composed enough to speak, Alex took a steadying breath and kissed the top of Fox's head.

"I couldn't dream up a man more perfect than you."

"Alex," Fox moaned. "I'm not..."

"No one else in the world would let themselves be subjected to the crap you've been through because of me and still want to have anything to do with me."

"No one else in the world could love you the way I do," Fox answered softly then wriggled out of the younger man's embrace and looked down at him, his expression serious. "You're the center of my universe. If I didn't have you, everything else would be pointless. You have to understand that."

"I do understand," Alex countered, sniffing again. "But what if..."

"There is no what if."

"There's always a what if," the younger man murmured.

"Alex, would you do anything to purposely screw this up?"

Alex looked at Fox as if he had two heads.

"Never. But it doesn't mean you'll never be hurt. I saw what those pictures did to you."

"Of course it doesn't mean that. You love, you hurt. It's a fact of life. There might be times when I hurt you. But you know I'd never do it purposely, right?"

Alex nodded.

"Just like I know you never would. Yes, those pictures knocked me on my ass," Fox continued. "But they didn't blind me forever to the facts. After the initial shock, I was able to rationalize everything and figure it out." He kissed the tip of his lover's nose. "You have to trust me to be able to do that, sweetheart. Do you understand? You need to trust me to trust you.

"I'm not pushing you," Fox assured the younger man. "I know you're trying. And that's all I can ask of you."

"You can ask anything of me," Alex replied. "I want to give you everything you need...be everything you need. I'm...I've tried so hard to make you happy, Fox, but..."

"You do make me happy, Alex," Fox interrupted. "I've found a heaven with you I never knew existed. You're everything in the world I could ever need or want, and I'll love you till I die. Period."

Alex fell silent, knowing that there was nothing more to say. He reached out, winding his arms around the older man and coaxing him back into his embrace.

Fox sighed softly, luxuriating in Alex's warmth. Long minutes later, he felt a faint tugging between them.

"Ah, damn." He lifted his head and looked down into still slightly cloudy eyes. "Baby, I think we're stuck together."

Alex groaned softly and shifted, testing Fox's claim.

"Oww. Oww, oww...you're right."

Fox giggled even as he gasped, trying to gently lift himself away.

"Okay. We gotta do this fast or we're just going to drag out the pain. You ready?"

"No, but go ahead. On your count."

"All right. One. Two. Three"

Both men groaned at the pain of their sudden separation, and Alex lay wincing, gently drawing his hand up and down his abdomen as Fox kneeled above him.

"If you think that hurt, wait till you try and take your rubber off."

"God." Alex looked down at his spent cock and lightly fingered the hardening latex. "Maybe it won't be that bad."

"I got an idea," Fox announced. "Let's go take a warm shower. Then it'll slide right off."

Alex smiled at the offer and nodded. He watched the older man get to his feet, then he took the outstretched hand and let Fox pull him up and lead him into the bathroom.

Go to Part 12

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