Part 5



"You're here."

"Told you I would be." Fox walked into his basement office, passing his partner and setting a small bag down on his desk.

Investigating the items on top of the oak surface, he returned his attention to the bag, pulling out a styrofoam cup. He removed the cap and, blowing at the steaming contents, took a small sip.

"What, Krycek didn't whip you up a four course breakfast this morning?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she began to curse herself.

"Good, Scully, that's good. I've been here, what? Thirty seconds and already you're starting?"

Scully held both hands up and backed away. "Sorry. Reflex."

Fox snorted and took another sip of his coffee.

"When're you going to see Skinner?"

"When I finish my coffee."

Scully nodded and turned to pick up a file from her desk. She rifled through the pages for a number of seconds then cleared her throat and spoke again.
"How was your flight?"

"Fine."

"You got in pretty late. Couldn't have had much sleep."

"Enough."

"You must have some jet lag, though. Maybe you shouldn't put in a full day today. Maybe you should go home early and try to catch up on your sleep."

Fox turned and gave the woman a curious look.

"I've never stopped being concerned about you, Mulder. No matter what you think."

Fifteen minutes later, Fox tossed his empty cup into the trash, closed the file he'd been studying, and adjusted his tie.
"You going to see Skinner now?"

"Yeah."

Before Scully could wish him luck, Fox walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

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

Buzz.

Deep breath.

Buzz.

Skinner sat down and hit the intercom button.

"Yes, Kimberly?"

"Agent Mulder in to see you, sir."

"Send him in."

Seconds later, the door opened, and Fox strode in, looking a bit weary, but otherwise unchanged after his two month absence.

"Long vacation, Agent."

//And we're off.//

"I wouldn't exactly call it a trip to Disneyland," the agent answered. "Not all of it, anyway."

Skinner rose from his seat and came to lean against the front of his desk. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the other man, who had remained standing.

"Do you want to give me one reason, Agent Mulder, why I shouldn't can your ass?"

"I assumed you already had a reason," Fox deadpanned, "since you haven't done so already."

The A.D.'s top lip twitched, and he swallowed down the urge to strangle the younger man where he stood.

"You're awfully sarcastic for a man who's skating on some pretty damn thin ice."

The other man said nothing. He simply stared blankly into Skinner's eyes.
"What is this Scully's told me about Alex Krycek?"

"I'm sure Agent Scully was very precise in her report. Do you really want to hear it again?"

"There are some things Agent Scully does not have the answers to. I want to hear what you have to say. I want to hear from you how something like...*this* could possibly have happened."

Fox shrugged. "*How* is not an easy thing to explain. I'm still not sure myself. But I've stopped questioning it."
"Why?"

"Because..." Fox stopped, inhaling deeply then exhaling. "It's not important any more."

"You know, Agent Mulder, I guess you're right about that. It isn't important any more. What's important now, is why it's continued." His voice rose a few levels. "And why the hell you took over five weeks unauthorized leave to chase a man who's never been anything but trouble to you...to any of us!"

"That's personal, sir, and excuse me, but no business of yours."

"No?" Skinner growled. "You made it my business when you decided to go UA for weeks on end."

Fox displayed a wry grin. "I could give you your explanation. But you won't believe me any more than Scully does."

"Try me."

"Okay..." Fox moved to his usual chair and dropped into it. Clear, hazel eyes looked up at the man standing in front of him. "I love Alex."

Skinner's head snapped to one side, and he said nothing.

"But that's not news to you. Scully's already told you that crazy, off-his-rocker Mulder thinks he's in love with Alex Krycek."

"Yes, she did. But hearing it from you...Mulder, forget about all the things Krycek has done in the past. Think about what he is now. He had a chance to straighten his life out after everything was over, and what did he go and do? What did he choose as his next profession?"

Skinner pushed himself away from the desk and stalked back to the window. He spun around and, teeth clenched, continued his tirade.

"God almighty, Mulder, he's a prostitute. He sleeps with people for money..."

Fox sat quietly, watching as the older man ranted.
"Does this little fact really not bother you?"

"I hate what he was doing. He knows that. But he hated it too. Did Scully tell you why he was doing it?"

"Could there possibly be an acceptable reason?"

"Cancerman had drained him dry. He had no money left when the consortium went down. But he'd already agreed to leave, and so, per our agreement, he went. He took what little he had stashed, and he went as far away as he could afford to go.

"He'd wanted to disappear. Live alone in the mountains somewhere. Quiet, lonely life. He could have done that if he hadn't been cleaned out. So...he did what he felt he had to do to make up for the money he'd lost."

"And, what? They wouldn't let him wear his leather jacket over the Dunkin' Donuts uniform?"

Fox paused, staring daggers at the A.D. before continuing.

"He needed to make a lot of money in a short time if he was going to salvage what precious little was left of himself. To that end, he decided on something he knew he was good at, and didn't involve killing anyone."

"And he knew he was good as whoring? Was he doing it here too?"

"In a manner of speaking. He was the consortium's 'boy'."

One dark eyebrow arched over the rim of Skinner's glasses.

"Before he became a player, he was on call...for more than just your garden variety spy assignments. The old men had an itch, they made him scratch it."

A look of disgust crossed Skinner's face, but he remained silent.

"Pretty repulsive, huh?" Fox asked softly. "Well, if nothing else, the old bastards had good taste. He is pretty irresistible." He fixed a hard, amber stare on the other man. "Isn't he?"

Skinner blinked. "How would I know?"

"You know. And I know you know."

The older man stood frozen, holding his last breath.

"There's nothing I can do about things that happened in the past. Nothing can be changed or erased, but just so you know..." The stare grew more intense. "I won't stand by and let him be hurt in any way. I love him, and I'll protect him to my last breath."

Skinner's breath left him finally, in a hard snort.
"Since when does Krycek need protection?"

"Since he's grown too tired to do it for himself. Since he's finally allowed himself to be open and vulnerable. It's a new experience for him, and he doesn't quite know what to do with it. He's easily thrown off balance, easily hurt..."

"And a damn good actor. Of course, we always knew that about him. Some of us still know it."

"You know nothing," Fox hissed. "Neither does Scully. Leave him alone, Walter. Both of you."

Skinner stared at the other man, noting the determined, feral gleam in his eyes. His only defense was to assert his authority. He drew himself up to his full height, squaring his jaw, and stared directly at his angry agent.

"You're hardly in a position to issue warnings, Agent. You've put your job in serious danger because of this...man..."

"So you've said. Look, do me a favor, okay? Reprimand me, suspend me, fire me; do whatever you're going to do, and let's dispense with all this posturing."

"That's it? You've got nothing else to say for yourself?"

Fox shrugged. "Just this. I did what I had to do. I'm not sorry about it. Given the same circumstances, I wouldn't do it any differently. So...don't expect an apology. You're not going to get one."

Skinner stared in mute frustration.

His unrepentant agent stared back, not backing down an inch.

Then finally, "You're suspended. Three weeks without pay, and a formal reprimand will go on your record."

Fox nodded without expression and rose to leave, but Skinner's voice stopped him before he could open the door.

"Mulder."

Fox pivoted and cast a flat gaze at the older man.

"Scully and I, we...we're concerned about you."

"Thanks."

"This could end very badly for you."

Fox cocked his head and gave the other man a curious look.

"End?"

"It will end, Mulder. It's just a question of when."

Fox nodded. "I can give you an approximation if you'd like."

Skinner waited in silence.

"About forty, fifty years."

Sharp brown eyes squinted at the other. "Do you really believe that?"

"With all my heart."

"That scares me."

"Why?"

"Because..." Skinner stopped to draw a cleansing breath. "...if you truly believe that Krycek is going to spend decades with only you, you're in for some major league pain." His voice lowered to a hoarse whisper. "I don't want to see you hurt. Neither does Scully."

"Then leave us the hell alone," Fox droned, and before Skinner could respond, he opened the door and stepped into the outer office.

"See you in three weeks."

The door closed softly, and he was gone.

//Wonderful. That's just....that's wonderful.//

Skinner dropped heavily into his chair and brought his fingers to his temples in an attempt to head off what would surely turn out to be a very large headache.

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

"That didn't take too long."

"Oh, no?"

Scully rounded her desk and leaned against it .

"No, I actually thought he'd have you in there most of the morning."

"Sorry to disappoint you both."

"Mulder."

"There was nothing for us to discuss, Scully. I took weeks of unauthorized leave. Skinner took disciplinary action...it's done."

"He didn't..."

"Didn't what? Try to counsel me?"

"*Talk*, Mulder."

"Sure, he did. I told him what I told you. Stay out of my personal life. Leave Alex alone."

"He's concerned about you, Mulder. He considers you a friend."

"My friends would understand or at the very least respect my feelings."

"Your friends also would try to stop you from rushing headlong into disaster."

Fox opened his mouth to fire back, but Scully interrupted quickly.

"But...I've tried that. Several times already, and it's done absolutely no good. It's time to step back..."

"Oh, yeah, and let me figure out for myself what a skanky rat he is."

"I never said that, Mulder."

"Wasn't too hard to figure out." He shrugged. "That's okay. Just know that you're going to have one bitch of a long wait. Speaking of long waits..." He picked up his coat and keys and headed back toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. Skinner suspended me for three weeks."

Scully grimaced as her eyes dropped shut.

"Damn."

"Did you expect that he'd just shake his finger at me, pat me on the bum and send me on my way?"

"I...I don't know what I...I'm sorry, Mulder."

"Sorry that I got suspended, or sorry that Alex and I will have three long weeks together before I have to come back to work? 'Cause I gotta tell ya, that's definitely the shiny, bright side of this as far as I'm concerned."

Scully turned away and said nothing.

"Well, I'm going home, now," Fox announced, a smile in his voice. "Maybe take Alex out for a nice lunch."

Scully stood quietly until her whistling partner had departed, and then she released a loud growl, swiping her arm over her desk, knocking several items to the floor.

"Shit! Three weeks," she muttered, beginning to pace the length of the office. "Three goddamn weeks."

Not what she'd had in mind. Not at all what she'd had in mind.

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

"Honey, I'm home."

A grinning Fox walked in to the apartment, tossing his keys onto the dining table and began to remove his coat.
"Alex?"

Silence.

Frowning, he moved into the bedroom and looked around. The bed was neatly made, and all of the clothing had been picked up and put into the hamper beside the closet. Fox walked into the bathroom, noticing that his hairbrush sat on the counter alongside another. A smile replaced the frown, and he opened the medicine cabinet door.

Two toothbrushes.

Simple thing, yet it made his heart pound with happiness.

As he moved back out into the main room, he looked around, noting that nothing out there had really changed except for the addition of the mantle clock on his bookshelf, which had just begun to chime the quarter hour.

Another sappy grin lit his face as he walked over to the clock and fingered the old mahogany.

A valued possession, he was sure of it now. Family heirloom perhaps. He'd have to remember to ask Alex about it.

He looked around the empty room once more and sighed.

Speaking of Alex, where the hell was he?

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

"Sir, Agent Scully to see you."

Skinner groaned softly and nodded to his secretary, who stepped aside just as the petite redhead blew past her.

"Sir..."

"I know what you're going to say, Scully," the A.D. murmured. "I know that handing him over to Krycek for three weeks was not what we wanted to do."

"No, sir," Scully huffed, "it was not. I understand that you had to take disciplinary action but, suspension?"

"I thought about this all night, Agent Scully. I lost sleep over it. I went as easy as I could on him without abusing my authority."

"That may be so, sir, but these are extenuating circumstances."

"And would you like me to explain them to the Director when he asks why I went so easy on Mulder?"

No answer.

"I have to walk a fine line here, Agent Scully. I'm sure you can appreciate that."

"Yes sir, but this is Mulder's life we're talking about here. And whether he knows it or not, he needs our help."

"But he doesn't want it. He's made that abundantly clear. You know Mulder, and you know he hates to be pushed. I think the best thing we can do is leave him alone."

"I know how stubborn he gets. I know we should let this thing run its course; it's what I'd intended to do, but I don't know that I've got the patience. It's very hard to stand by and watch him fall deeper and deeper under that snake's spell. And three weeks with him...*alone*..."

"I'm very sorry, Scully. I wish there was more I could do."

Unable to give voice to her true frustration, Scully nodded and turned to leave.

"I'd be interested to know how things are going," Skinner called as the woman opened the door. She paused for a moment, then azure eyes turned his way.

"I can't imagine that Mulder's going to let me get close enough to find out. Guess we'll have to wait the three weeks to find out how much more damage has been done."

Skinner wanted to say something; opened his mouth to, but nothing would come out. Instead he lowered his head, keeping his gaze to the floor long after the door had opened and closed.

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

Fox exited the bedroom, pulling his t-shirt down over his head as he heard the key in the lock. The door opened, and Alex walked in, hauling seven plastic grocery bags with him. He blinked in surprise as Fox rushed forward to help him.

"I was wondering where you went."
"What're you doing here?"

Fox grinned in answer and took the bags out of Alex's left hand, allowing him to flex his cramped fingers.

"I missed you."

"So you left work before noon? Oh...wait...wait...Fox, tell me Skinner hasn't started dismissal proceedings."

"No, I just got suspended."

"Shit. For how long?"

"Three weeks without pay."

"*Shit*.

"Okay, you don't sound nearly as happy as I feel."

"Because I'm not. Fox, you were suspended. I...I didn't think he'd do that to you. Jesus. Is that it?"

"Formal reprimand."

"*Shit*."

"You said that already."

"Because I don't know what the hell else to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Fox turned and walked toward the kitchen, Alex a few steps behind. "So, what'd you get? And how'd you get it all back here?"

"Taxi. Fox, I..."

"You should've waited for me. I could've gone myself, or you could have taken the car..."

"Dammit, Fox."

The older man set the bags down on the counter and turned to face his distressed lover.

"Come on, babe, don't be so upset."

"How can I not be? This is serious. And it's because of me."

"No, it's because I disregarded Bureau policy."

"Because of me. Because you were chasing after me."

"Because Scully ran you off."

"Because she...she cares about you. And she's afraid for you."

"No, because she's a self righteous know it all who thinks I can't take care of myself."

Alex prepared to launch into his comeback, then stopped short.

"We're getting way off track, here. Fox, you were suspended and reprimanded..."

"Yeah, I was. What would you like me to do about it? I'm not real good at groveling, so..."

Alex lowered his head, emitting an exasperated sigh.

Taking the remaining bags from the younger man's hand, Fox put them down alongside the others. He reached out, grasping Alex's wrist and pulled him against his chest.

"It's all right, baby," Fox whispered, brushing Alex's lips with his own. "Please don't go and put all the blame on yourself."

"That's where it belongs," Alex replied just as softly.

Fox hugged the other tightly to him, feeling the pain in his voice.

"Cut it out, or I'm going to start thinking you don't want to spend three weeks alone with me."

//Cut it out, or he's going to get sick and tired of your whiny guilt trips.//

"M'sorry," Alex murmured, his face buried in the side of Fox's neck. "I give thanks for every second I can spend with you. I...I'm just..."

"I know," Fox interrupted softly. "I appreciate your concern, I really do." He smiled into the younger man's hair. "I know it's 'cause you love me."

"I do." Alex clutched the back of Fox's t-shirt, rubbing his face against the other man's shoulder. "Please don't ever forget it."

Gently, Fox grasped a handful of sable hair and pulled Alex's head up and back. Their eyes met, and Fox began to massage the back of the younger man's head.

"I won't."

Alex submitted to a tender kiss, then was pulled away and made the focus of a loving, amber-flecked stare.

"Let's put this stuff away and go somewhere for lunch."

"If you want...but, Fox, listen. I'm paying for lunch. And the groceries, and the rent..."

"Whoa, whoa."

"Please, Fox," Alex begged softly. "While I was out this morning, I opened a bank account, but I..." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, withdrawing the three thousand dollars he had originally taken from the other man. "This is yours. And God only knows how much you spent chasing me down. I need to give that back to you. I need to start..."

"Alex," Fox cut the younger man off. "I didn't ask..."

"I...I know you didn't. But I need...I...I need to feel like I'm not..." He stopped and heaved a deep breath.

"Hey." Fox pulled Alex back into his arms. "Come on, finish. You need to feel like you're not what?"

Alex looked up into his lover's eyes and momentarily lost track of his thoughts.

"Tell me."

"I...uh...I don't want to feel that I've taken advantage of you in any way."

Fox's first instinct was to argue the point, but common sense intervened and told him that this is what Alex needed, and it would be far from productive to deny him his wishes.

"All right. If it'll make you feel better."

"It will. How much do you think you went through during those five weeks?"

Fox shrugged. I don't know. We can work it out later, okay?" He gave the younger man a mischievous grin. "I need some time to pad my numbers."

The comment made Alex laugh, and the somber mood was broken.

"C'mon." Fox lightly slapped the other man's ass then released him and began to empty the first bag. "Let's get this stuff put away and get out of here."

Fox finished unloading one bag and went to work on the next, frowning as he did so.
"What's all this?"

Alex stored the milk carton and turned to see what Fox was talking about. He chuckled softly and walked over to where the other stood.

"They're called fruits and vegetables." He reached into the pile and held one up before Fox's eyes. "This is an orange. And this is a head of lettuce..."

Fox stared blankly as Alex continued to identify the produce.

"Here we have a tomato..."

"Funny. Why are they here?"

"We're going to eat them."

"You're not going to make me start eating healthy, are you?"
"Something wrong with that?"

"You were living in California too long."

"I'm not a complete health freak or anything, but I do enjoy fruits and salads. Even before I moved to California." Alex fished through the remaining bags and pulled out a bag of salt and vinegar chips then a box of chocolate chip cookies, presenting both to the relieved man.
"Feel better?"

"Yeah. For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to tape a line down the middle of the refrigerator."

Alex issued a soft grunt, and the two finished stocking the groceries. When they were finished, Fox led him into the living room, where he retrieved hid jacket from the hall closet.

"Where d'you want to go?"

"I don't know," Alex answered. You're the one who's starving; you pick a place...and remember, I'm paying."

"Right." That devilish grin appeared again, and Fox snatched up his keys as he led the way out of the apartment. "That's why wherever we go, it's gonna be someplace expensive."

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

Chicken salad.

On honey wheat bread.

Woo hoo.

//Wonder what Mulder's having for lunch right now.//

Scully sat slumped at her desk, her mind beginning to create the most unwelcome images.

Alex Krycek. That despicable, low life, gorgeous bastard. Sprawled over the sofa she'd sat on so many times...skin tight jeans pushed down past his hips, and Mulder, her delusional, love sick partner on his knees, sucking voraciously at the other man's cock.

She could hear his soft groans build to a ferocious roar as he exploded. She could see his body...the body she remembered so vividly from those few brief jarring moments in the cabin, spasming as he came...his eyes, those mesmerizing emerald eyes, glazed over with lust then hidden by the sinfully thick fringe of lashes as he hit his peak then came down.

And Mulder.

Immersed in bliss, tremendously self satisfied with his accomplishment. Head rested high on Krycek's thigh, eyes closed, a little smile curving his lips...

"Son of a bitch," she whispered through gritted teeth, slamming the remnants of her sandwich down on the desk.

She hated the thought of them together. And she hated her reasons for hating it.

Well, not all of them.

She did love Mulder. He was her best friend. For years they were closer than she and either of her brothers, and they'd trusted each other implicitly.

And now one man had taken their relationship and trashed it.

He'd hypnotized Mulder; twisted him so completely that he'd forgotten who he was and worse, forgotten that she was his best friend...someone who would always be on his side...who would do anything she had to, to make sure no one ever hurt him...

Who would never hurt him, herself.

Christ.

Yet she couldn't stop herself from thinking about doing the one thing that she knew would kill him. She couldn't stop the fantasizing, the wishing, the hoping.

She couldn't halt the ever-growing envy of her partner, and the antagonism she felt toward his lover...the object of her dangerously consuming lust.

"What the hell am I going to do?" she asked the walls.

//What do you want to do?//

"Can't."

//Yeah, you can.//

"He hates me."

//And your point would be? You hate him. Doesn't stop you from wanting to fuck him blind, does it?//

"God, no."

//Then for Christ's sake, go get him. Where there's a will there's a way. Mulder need never know...//

She sat repeatedly picking bits of crust from her sandwich, eyes tightly closed.

"He need never know..."


Green eyes watched longingly as the coffee cup rose to Fox's lips and was lowered back to the table. The older man gave his lunch partner an amused grin then spoke.

"What's with the look?"

"Look?"

"Yeah." Fox leaned in close, drawing Alex into the heat of his gaze. "*Look*."

Alex matched his smoky tone.

"What look is that?"

The other man paused a moment, drawing breath then releasing it on a soft moan.

"Predatory."

"Oh. Well...I guess I just like the way you drink coffee."

One golden-brown eyebrow arched upward.

"How's it any different from the way anyone else drinks their coffee?"

Alex shrugged. "It just is. It's so...sensuous."

Fox emitted a soft laugh. "You sound like a man who didn't get any this morning."

"I think I'd sound like this if I had gotten some half an hour ago. You do that to me."

"Can't say I'm sorry."

Before he had a chance to respond, lunch arrived, and Fox dug into his plate while Alex investigated his own lunch.

"Looks good."

"I've had that before. It is."

Silence descended for a while, then Alex initiated another conversation.

"So, what do you think it ran you for those five weeks?"

"...Thirty-five thousand."

"Okay."

"Alex, I was kidding. Jesus, you didn't even bat an eyelash."

"If that's what it was, that's what it was. I sure as hell wouldn't ask you to account for every penny."

"And so you'd let me bleed you dry?"

"I wouldn't be dry. Fox, I..."

//Just say it.//

"I didn't come cheap. Not by a long shot. I'd make thousands a night sometimes. I fooled around a little with some high yield stocks, and I did pretty well. Aside from rent, food and utilities, I had no bills." Alex shrugged, watching for a reaction. "I've got almost a half million."

"Oh."

Alex immediately dropped his gaze, wishing he had just shut the help up about it.

"So, in that case..."

The younger man warily lifted his eyes and waited.

"Can I have dessert?"

Relief washed over Alex's face, and he laughed softly.

"You can have anything you want."

"Gee, thanks," Fox answered, grinning.

"So, what'll you have?"

The grin faded, and the heat returned to the gilded eyes.

"I'll have you."

Alex's cock twitched.

"*Will* you?"

"Yeah."

"You think all these people would appreciate that?"

Fox's deep chuckle sent a thread of electricity crackling through Alex's middle.

"While I'd love nothing more than to throw you up on this table, I'll restrain myself until we get home. And then, Krycek..." Fox came to a dead stop, and his eyebrows turned down into a concerned frown as he watched Alex's expression go cloudy, and his breathing turn erratic.

"What is it? ...Alex, what's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Alex sighed heavily. "It's just..." He cast a sad smile at the older man.

"Until we get home. You say it so easily. Like it's always been that way." He lowered his gaze to his plate. "It's been your home for so many years, and that...that you would so readily accept me into it... It...it's just kind of...it sort of stops me cold, you know? It takes my breath away."

Slowly, Fox's hand inched across the table, stopping when it came in contact with Alex's. His fingertips caressed the younger man's knuckles then the back of his hand, and he looked directly into his lover's eyes.
"And makes you unhappy?"

"*No*. No, it...it's just..." He licked at suddenly too-dry lips and fell silent.

Fox rose from his chair and picked it up, placing it diagonally to Alex's, then sat back down. Now seated mere inches apart, he placed his hand on the table, palm side up, and looked to his lover.

Alex hesitated for a few long seconds then slid his hand into Fox's, his skin tingling at the smooth warmth. The other man closed his fingers, forming a secure grip as Alex looked around the restaurant.

"People are going to start looking..."

"Let them," was the older man's only reply as he picked up his fork with his free hand, and speared a red bliss potato. He held it up to Alex's lips, waiting until the younger man accepted his offering, then began to feed himself.

"Tell me about that clock of yours," he said sometime later when Alex seemed a bit more at ease.

"It was my grandmother's. I..." He looked up at Fox, eyes reflecting his uncertainty. "Do you mind that I put it up on your bookshelf? I can take it down if..."

"No, I don't mind. I told you to do whatever you wanted. I was just curious about it. I remember seeing it at both of your apartments."

"It's just about all I have left of my family."

"I figured it might be something like that."

Alex nodded. "I loved that clock. My mother used to tell me that when I was really, really little, I'd always want her to pick me up so I could watch the pendulum swing back and forth, and I'd get all excited when it chimed." He expelled a quick breath. "The things that entertain little kids...

"Anyway, when I was going off to the Academy, my mother gave it to me. A little piece of home, she'd called it." His gaze grew distant. "That, a few pictures, and my clothes are about all I've got that belong to me. Everything else was just temporary."

Fox lifted the hand he still held, to his lips.

"I belong to you," he informed the younger man softly then kissed the back of his hand.

Alex bit down on his lower lip to keep it from trembling and said nothing.

"Let's finish lunch," Fox whispered, that sultry tone back in his voice. "And then we'll go home, and I'll show you how much."

Not expecting any real response, Fox was caught by surprise when Alex threaded the fingers of one hand through his hair and pulled him in for a deep kiss. His half-erect cock went completely stiff, and when the younger man's tongue began to caress the inside of his mouth, it started to throb.

Reluctantly, he pulled away from his lover's mouth and looked into eyes glowing with a hunger that had nothing at all to do with food.

"We don't have to finish lunch," he whispered, brushing his lips against the others.

Alex shook his head and removed his hand from Fox's hair. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket for his wallet while Fox summoned the waitress, and less than ten minutes later, they were on their way home.

Alex sat quietly in the passenger's seat while Fox drove. Unable to keep his hands still, he gently stroked his lover's hair, his chest and arm, his flexing thigh. He watched a serene smile appear on the older man's face, and his heart raced.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his fingers massaging Fox's leg.
"Where'd that come from?"

"Nowhere, it's just...I'm looking at you, thinking how beautiful you are."

"Love really is blind."

"My vision is twenty-twenty."

"Haven't we had this discussion before?"

"Yeah, and I was right then, too."

Fox glanced over to the other side, meeting a serious, dark gaze.

"Okay, if you say so."

Inching over in Fox's direction, Alex pressed a soft kiss into the side of his neck.

"I do."

Alex spent the rest of the ride kissing and stroking Fox as the older man moaned and whimpered and tried desperately to keep his attention focused on getting them home alive.

Once they reached Hegal Place, the pair walked hand in hand into the building, and Fox rang for the elevator. As he leaned back against the wall, Alex stepped in front of him.

Now eye to eye, Alex skimmed Fox's cheekbone with two knuckles.

"My beautiful Fox."

//Mine. My Fox.//

Christ, it felt so good to say that. And right now...right here, it was true.

Golden-brown eyelashes swept downward, and Fox closed his fingers in his lover's jacket, pulling him forward. Their bodies touched, Alex's weight pressing into him, and he lay his head against the leather-clad shoulder.
As Alex wrapped his arms around the other man and dropped a soft kiss into his hair, the elevator door opened. At that exact moment, the outside door opened as well, and an all too familiar voice called out.

"Mulder..."

Fox lifted his head abruptly and glared at the woman, who was now quickly approaching them.

"*What*?"

"You don't need to sound so irritated, Mulder. I just came to see how you were doing. After Skinner suspended you, you blew out of the office without saying a whole lot."

"There was nothing else to say."

Scully glanced quickly at the man her partner refused to let go of, noting how he kept his gaze averted and his head down.

"It's got to be bugging you, Mulder." She looked back to Fox. "It's bugging me."

Fox wrapped his arms around Alex, pulling the younger man as tightly to him as he could.

"I'm sure it is."

"I'm upset for you, Mulder. I'd really hoped Skinner wouldn't be so tough on you."

"He wasn't as hard as he could've been, and you know it."

"Still..."

"Look. Scully. Forget about your disappointment, guilt, whatever you want to call it, and go back to work." He took Alex's hand and pressed the button to reopen the elevator door. "Now, take this any way you want, but I don't want to see or hear from you until I go back in three weeks."

Leaving his partner staring in silence, Fox stepped into the elevator, pulling Alex in after him.

As the door began to close, Alex looked up and caught the hateful glare Scully cast at him. Inching closer to the older man's warmth, he held her gaze until the door shut completely, then lowered his head.
"Like a bad penny, isn't she?"

Alex lifted his head, giving Fox a quick glance then looked away.

"Try not to let her get to you," Fox murmured, pressing a kiss to the other man's jaw.

"She's just...she's a reminder, you know? The way she looks at me. She doesn't have to say anything. The accusation...the contempt is there all over her face."

"That's not what you see when you look at me," Fox countered softly. "And whose opinion of you means more?"

Alex slumped into his lover's arms, trying to close his mind to the thoughts Scully's appearance brought forth.

"Yours."

The door opened, and the two stepped out, walking down the fourth floor hall to apartment forty-two. Fox unlocked the door and stepped inside, quietly followed by Alex, who shut the door behind him. He trailed the older man into the living room and stopped when Fox turned around and leaned against the front of his desk.

"C'mere."

Alex obeyed the soft command, drifting forward as Fox removed his jacket. The other man spread his legs, pulling Alex between them, and his hands wandered up under the leather jacket.
"Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Alex's tongue flicked over his lower lip, and he dropped his gaze to the point where their chests met.

"Alex."

Sable lashes fluttered then dropped over Alex's eyes as Fox's breath whispered over his cheek, and the other man's tongue slithered over the smooth skin.

"Please..."

The soft, needy moan re-ignited the younger man's simmering desire. He shrugged out of his jacket, letting it drop to the floor, and then he clamped his arms around Fox, pulling his lover in for a hungry kiss.

Fox whimpered into Alex's mouth, clinging tightly to his shirt as the other man slowly regained his composure and took control.

Unwilling to release Fox's mouth, Alex began to remove his shirt, going as far as he could before he had no choice but to break the kiss. The shirt landed with a soft thud on the computer monitor, and they were kissing again as Alex's hands wandered the expanse of Fox's back.

At length they moved lower, rounding the top curve of Fox's backside, and then...

Shit. Desk.

Fox grunted softly, losing then quickly regaining contact with Alex's mouth as the younger man stepped backward and jerked him back into his arms. The hand that had again found its way to his ass, stroked and massaged the taut muscles, holding him still as Alex pressed against him.

Through two layers of denim Alex felt the heat between them. And the hardness.

Rock hard. Pulsing. Insisting on release.

One hand moved between them, brushing the bulge in Fox's jeans and in his own, then Alex undid the other man's top button and began working the zipper down. His fingers skimmed the cotton-covered erection briefly, then undid his own jeans.

Writhing against his lover, Fox reached into the back of Alex's jeans, slipping in past his underwear, and caressed his rear. Over and over his palms glided over the smooth skin until Alex broke from his lips and backed toward the bedroom, pulling him along.

As soon as they reached their destination, Alex pulled his own shirt off, and Fox was there, hands and mouth moving reverently over his bared flesh.
He wanted to touch the older man...give back, but somewhere inside he knew that in just standing there, responding to Fox's loving attention, he *was* giving back.

A soft warmth touched one nipple, dancing over the very tip, leaving him shuddering, and when it slithered away, he fought the urge to pull Fox's head back and demand that he continue.

But Fox had no intention of moving on so quickly.

Moving a few inches to the left, he pulled the other nipple into his mouth, sucking lightly as his tongue lashed over the sensitive tip. And all at once Alex wished that he had moved on quickly.

The younger man's cock pounded against his underwear, begging to be buried to the root in his lover's slick heat. He ached to have that lush, sweet mouth on his, and his hands squeezing that tight ass, stroking that magnificent cock. He longed to hear Fox's voice, thick and crackling with desire, whimpering and sobbing for more as he fucked him into oblivion...

Panting, pleading, sweat-soaked Fox was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Too fucking gorgeous for words...too amazing for Alex to believe that he was his.
But he was. He was, dammit, and he always would be.

He had to be. Fox had told him so. Swore it, and Alex would believe. Fuck Scully. Let her do her worst. Fox knew who he was, and he loved him anyway. Nothing would come between them. Not Scully. Not Skinner. Not his past. Nothing.

Cool air replaced the warmth of Fox's mouth, and Alex shook himself back to semi-consciousness. Dazedly, he watched the other man move away from him and over to the side of the bed. He heard the opening and closing of a drawer, then Fox came back, initiating one more teasing kiss before he removed the rest of Alex's clothing then tore open the small package in his hand.

Removing the condom from the foil packet, Fox placed it over the head of Alex's cock then broke the kiss and sank to his knees.

Alex's breath left him in a rush as, using only his mouth, Fox rolled the rubber on the rest of the way.

"Ohhh, my God..."

Blindly, he reached down, threading his fingers through Fox's hair and closing them in the golden brown strands. As gently as he could, he pulled, bringing the other man to his feet.

Sparkling, gilded eyes met stormy green, and Fox backed Alex to the bed. He eased the younger man down onto the mattress, positioning him against the pillows then stood beside the bed, pulling off the rest of his own clothes.
The minute the last bit of clothing hit the floor, Alex reached out shackling Fox's wrist and pulled him forward. He brought his lover to a kneeling position, straddling his thighs, then leaned his head back against the pillows and looked up into passion-glazed eyes.

"Touch me, Fox, or I'm gonna go crazy."

Trembling fingers slid over Alex's shoulders and down his chest, brushing painfully tight nipples, and when the younger man released a soft, drawn-out gasp, Fox lightly pinched both, turning the gasp to a soft whine.

Forcing his eyes to stay open, Alex kept them trained on the older man's face, finding a mix of deep love and need reflecting in the beautiful, green-gold gaze. His own eyes mirrored the emotion as his hands rose to his lover's chest, stroking gently.

"I may go crazy anyway," he whispered roughly, letting his hands slide down over Fox's hips and thighs, and brush the length of his flushed cock, "if I don't feel myself deep inside your ass very soon."

Fox emitted a hard gasp and wiggled back against Alex's sheathed cock.

"You want that, don't you baby?" Alex cooed as he raised his hips. "You'd like a good, hard ride."

Unable to do much more than whimper, Fox nodded.

"Come on, then." He pushed again. "Come on, beautiful, don't make me wait."

Fox reached down beside Alex and picked up the tube he had put there when he'd taken the condom from the nightstand drawer. He unscrewed the cap and squeezed an adequate amount of gel onto his fingers then gingerly applied it to Alex's cock.

Wickedly thick, sable eyelashes fluttered in response then rose, and eyes black with lust seared Fox with their heat.

"Up."

Fox lifted himself far enough to allow Alex to grip his own cock at the base to hold it steady, and he sank back down. Fraction by fraction he opened up, surrendering himself to his lover's possession, and when Alex grasped his hips and forced him down, his teeth clamped together, and a harsh grunt escaped past them.

"No teasing," Alex hissed, clenching his fingers in the muscles of Fox's ass as he pulled the older man up then slammed him back down.

Fox's mouth fell open, and he cried out, permitting himself to feel every last bit of the pain-laced pleasure that his lover delivered. And in that same moment, with that same passionate reaction, he reminded Alex of the vow he had made to him at the restaurant.

Alex gritted his teeth and repeated the action, this time thrusting upward as he pulled Fox down, drawing another sob from the older man, and Fox simply submitted to it. No struggle, no protest.

His.

Fox Mulder, exclusive property of Alex Krycek. His, and his alone. Forever and ever, world without end...

A-fucking-men.

//And so, what? You're going to abuse him just to validate that fact?//

What abuse? Every bit of Fox wanted to be branded. That fact couldn't have been more clear. With every twitch, every obscene contortion, his body screamed that need.

//Scream. Yeah, make him scream. It's what he wants.//

"Come on, baby...my kracivaia suka..." Alex clutched at Fox's ass, spreading the smooth cheeks as he thrust upward again. Dual cries of pleasure blended, and in a matter of seconds, Fox was thrashing against him as he bucked violently into the older man.

"God...Je...sus...," Fox gasped, caught up in the fury of combined passion, and when Alex reached down between them and took his agonized cock in his hand and began to milk it at the same frenzied pace, his world exploded into a million shards of light.

"*Show* me," Alex growled, taking Fox closer and closer to total devastation. "Scream for me, baby. Just...just me."

A few more thrusts. A few more strokes, and Fox detonated, shaking the windows as he came. Alex followed seconds later, drowning out Fox's dying sobs, and then the older man collapsed into his arms, sheer exhaustion severely hampering his abilitly to speak or move.

Slowly, Alex raised a hand and wearily petted his lover's hair.

"You okay?" he whispered into Fox's ear.

"....Hmmm."

"Fox?" Alex lifted his head but could see nothing of the other man's face. Gently, he pulled out of his lover's relaxed body and discarded his condom.
"Fox?"

With great effort, the golden-brown head lifted, and cloudy, green-gray eyes blinked down at the younger man. A soft, satisfied smile touched the flushed lips, and Fox again nestled into Alex's warmth.

"M'fine. Just cold."

Alex wrapped his arms around Fox, brushing tender kisses into his hair.

"Better?"

Fox shifted a bit then sighed deeply.

"Mmm hmm."

"I didn't hurt you?"

"Hurt? Mmmm, yeah…"

Alex tightened his arms around the older man.

"I'm sorry, Fox. I…"

"No," Fox moaned, kissing Alex's shoulder. "Don't be."

"But I…you just...you make me crazy, you know?"

"Don't expect me to apologize," Fox countered, speaking finally in full sentences. "I love it when you get crazy."

Alex released a short, breathy burst of laughter and hugged Fox tightly.

"I love you, vozliublennii."

"Who?"

Another flurry of kisses.

"Sweetheart."

"Oh." Alex could hear the smile in Fox's voice. "What was that other thing you said before?"

//What other....ah, shit, shit.//

The younger man inhaled deeply. "It uh...was just...it was nothing. One of those heat of the moment things."

"But it meant something. I mean, it wasn't just gibberish, right?"

"No..."
"So, what'd you say?"

"Fox, I don't...I was so turned on...people say all kinds of things when they're hot..."

The older man lifted his head and smiled down at his lover.

"All you're succeeding in doing is making me very curious. C'mon, what was it?"

Alex averted his gaze.

Fox kissed the faintly stubbled chin. "Is it that embarrassing?"

"It's just...the same has been said to me, and it made my skin crawl. I don't know why I said it. Just...like I said, the heat of the moment, I guess."

Fox brought Alex's attention back to his face.

"Tell me."

The soft, loving tone lulled Alex into believing it'd be all right.

"I call...called you my..."

The older man gave his lover a reassuring smile.

"Your what?"

".....Pretty...bitch."

Fox closed his eyes and said nothing.

"I love you, Fox," Alex began, regret seeping into his tone. "I don't know why I..."

"I know that," the other man whispered finally and opened his eyes. "Anything we do to each other...anything we say to each other...it's not the same as with those men. Don't think that it is."

"But I can't help thinking about them," Alex murmured. "I don't want to treat you like a..." He swallowed hard. ...The way they treated me."

"You couldn't do that. There's such a huge difference, Alex. We love each other. You don't have to apologize or feel bad." A devilish smile lit Fox's face. "I actually got a bit of a buzz."

Alex cocked his head in question.

Fox lowered his head, brushing the younger man's mouth with his own.
"It turned me on."

Eyes filled with uncertainty stared up at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Fox croaked, dragging his tongue across Alex's lower lip. "I love your dominant side. Remember that night at the cabin?"

A tiny smile curved Alex's lips.

"Yeah."

"You were unbelievable that night, Alex. You were strong and confident and..." Fox grinned, nipping at the younger man's chin. "...wild. I saw my life flash before my eyes."

The smile faded and Alex looked away.


"Hey, where'd the smile go?" Fox asked, tapping the bridge of his lover's nose with a knuckle. "You got your very own luuuuv slave. How many people can claim that?"

No response.

"C'mon, babe." Fox kissed the younger man's unresponsive lips. "What's the matter?"

//If he asked me what isn't the matter, it'd be a lot shorter list.//

//Don't you start. He's happy. Don't you dare fucking screw it up with your bullshit.//

"Nothing. I...I just...I can't believe my luck."

Fox felt the tremble in Alex's fingers as the younger man raised his hand to his cheek.

"You're not the only one, you know." He covered Alex's hand with his own then drew it to his mouth, where he deposited a tender kiss in the palm.

Alex managed a half smile and said nothing.

"I know you don't believe that," Fox murmured, lowering his head to Alex's shoulder. "Not right now, anyway, but I promise baby, I won't give up until you do."

Alex lay quietly, petting the golden-brown head beneath his chin, and he cursed himself to hell and back.

//You shit. Goddamn fucking pussy. Make up your mind. You believe, you don't believe. You do everything you can to keep him happy, you brood and make him worry. Pick a freakin' program and stick with it, would you?//

Fox's breath left him as he was suddenly spun onto the mattress and pinned beneath the younger man's weight. Before he could speak, Alex's lips came down on his, claiming a deep but tender kiss. His arms slid up and around the younger man's neck as the interior of his mouth was gently probed, and the faint stirrings of arousal whispered through his body.

Alex released Fox's mouth but kept within just a few centimeters of contact.

"I didn't know it was possible to want someone this much," he breathed, brushing the older man's cheek with his thumb.

"I know," Fox answered, writhing against his lover. "I can't believe you can make me hot again so soon after..."

"No, I..." Alex interrupted, "...that isn't exactly what I meant."

Fox stopped squirming and looked up into eyes of sincerest green.

"You know I w-want you that way. God, I can't get enough, but...I m-meant that I want all of you. From that first day in your hotel room...*before* that. I..."

"You have all of me," Fox assured the younger man. "Always."

Silence filled the room as the two lost themselves in each other's gaze, then Alex lowered his head, taking another kiss, and another, and still another until passion swelled again, and the quiet gave way to waves of frenzied sound.

And then the quiet again.

Soft, satisfied quiet, filled with loving touches and unspoken pledges of faith and promises of forever after.

Go to Part 6

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