Part 6



Three weeks later

A shadow fell across the open doorway of the basement office, and Walt Skinner stood watching the obviously agitated redhead pace the length of the room.

"Not here yet, I take it."

Scully stopped abruptly and turned to face in the direction of the soft voice.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there. No, he isn't here."

Skinner looked down at his watch. "He isn't late yet. I guess we're both pretty early."

"There was a time when I could never beat him in to work." She turned and stared at the poster on the wall behind her partner's desk. "Maybe he's not coming back."

"He would have given notice."

"Not so sure about that. Krycek has got him so twisted, he sees me as the enemy."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you and I are pretty much in the same boat." Skinner folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. "But I meant that he hasn't called me and given notice. I'm sure he'll be here."

Scully nodded her acknowledgment. "I wonder how much more hostile he's going to be."
"What makes you think he'll be hostile?"

"Three weeks with no one but Krycek?" she asked sharply.

"You haven't seen him at all since he left three weeks ago?"

"I tried to see him the same day you suspended him. Went to his apartment. I had just walked into the building and found him and Krycek getting cozy by the elevator. He was angry with me. He didn't care why I was there, he just said he didn't want to see me until it was time for him to come back."

Brown eyes left the woman's face and dropped their gaze to the floor.

"I see. Well, in any case, if Agent Mulder is returning, I'm sure he's found a way to maintain his professionalism." Skinner backed up a step. "I'll see you both later on."

He departed as quietly as he had come, leaving Scully alone once more.

"Professionalism," she whispered, picking up a folder and tossing it back onto her desk. "Very politically correct way of saying he's frozen me out of his life."

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

"...And you promise not to antagonize her?"

Fox rolled his eyes as Alex helped him on with his jacket and straightened his tie.

"I promise not to bite unless she pokes me with a stick or something."

Fox wound his arms around the younger man's waist and pulled him in close.

"I can't believe how fast these three weeks have gone by." He tilted his head and nuzzled the other's jaw. "I'm going to miss not being with you all day."

"I know." Alex wrapped his arms around his lover's neck, enjoying the closeness for a bit longer before he had to let him go. "I'm not going to know what to do with myself all day."

Fox pulled away and cast an apologetic stare on the younger man.

"I didn't even think about that. I'm sorry, Alex, I...what are you going to do?"

The other shrugged and smiled. "Besides miss you? I'll find something to keep myself busy."

"Damn. All of a sudden I feel like shit. I go and drag you back here, and I don't even think about what it is you're going to do while I'm at work all day."

"Don't worry about me, babe. I'll be fine."

"But you can't just hang around all day, every day. You'll be bored out of your mind."

Alex dropped a kiss on the older man's shoulder then the side of his neck.

"We can talk about it when you get home later, okay? You're going to be late."

"All right. Hey, speaking of later, what d'you want to do for dinner?"

"Fox."

"What?"

"You're stalling."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Uh uh."

Alex gently pushed the older man away and turned him in the direction of the door.

"Get out."
"You're throwing me out?"

"Yep. Go to work. Do what you have to do, behave yourself..." He led Fox to the door then spun him around and pulled him forward. "...then come home to me."

Rubbing against the hardening length of his lover's body, Fox purred into his ear, "Why don't I just stay home with you?"

"Fox..."

"Okay, okay."

Pouting, Fox opened the door and trudged into the hall.

"Bye," he mumbled, assuming a posture meant to induce guilt, and began to move away from the door.
"What, no kiss?"

Fox backed up and stood before the smirking man. Eyes lowered to the floor, he leaned forward and dropped a kiss on the corner of Alex's mouth then began to turn again to leave.

Alex's finger's clamped around the older man's wrist and held him in place while he stepped in front of him.
"What kind of kiss was that?"

Still sulking, Fox remained silent.

"You gonna pout all day? 'Cause I gotta tell ya, I don't think Scully's gonna find it half as irresistible as I do."

He waited for a response, and when none came forth, he pulled the other man into his arms and laid a long, tender kiss on his mouth. Moaning softly, he pulled away, putting a few inches distance between them.

"Go to work," he whispered, "and when you come home, I'll have a nice dinner waiting for you. And after that, a warm bath...maybe a massage..."

A smile replaced the pout, and Fox kissed the younger man once more.

"You're too good to me."

The smile faded from Alex's lips.

"I could never be too good to you." He forced another half smile. "Now, go on."

Alex watched Fox turn and walk down the hall, wishing with all his heart that he didn't have to send him off to that harpy who had the nerve to call herself his best friend.

The last few weeks had been important in helping Alex to feel the security that Fox had worked so hard to promote. He went to sleep every night and woke every morning wrapped in love, and every day together bound them more tightly to each other. And he believed more than he ever had, that nothing could separate them.

Even so, this morning he couldn't help feel that familiar twinge of uncertainty as the thought of having to deal with Scully again became reality.

//Don't worry about it. There's nothing she can do to you, and there's nothing she can say to Fox to turn him away from you. You know that.//

He stood chewing on his lower lip, staring at nothing.

//You know that.//

Shutting the door quietly, he set about beginning the work he had planned for the day.

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

Cerulean eyes watched warily as the office door opened and Fox stepped inside.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

"Good to have you back."

No answer.

"So," Scully breathed lightly. "Enjoy your time off?"

"I did, yes. It was very good for Alex and me."

Scully paused, gathering her cool. When she thought she could speak without showing the emotion that had so easily flared in her at the mention of Alex's name, she cleared her throat and looked up at her partner.

"He all settled?"

"Yeah."

"You get him tested?"

His back turned to the woman, Fox dropped his arms to his side and tipped his face up to the ceiling.

"What is he, Scully, a dog with rabies?"

"No, I...I didn't mean..."

Fox spun around, fixing a hard glare on his partner.

"Yeah, Scully, you meant." His eyes glittered an angry amber. "It just comes that naturally to you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, searching for a way to smooth things over. "Mulder, you have to know that my concern for your safety takes precedence above all else. If I'm less than diplomatic in my approach..."

"Your approach, Scully, is like that of an oncoming train."

"I said I was sorry," the redhead responded softly. When Fox gave no response, she shifted uneasily in her chair.
"But uh...*did* Krycek get tested?"

"He'll do it in a couple of months," Fox surprised Scully by answering. "There's no point right now."

"No," she murmured. "No, I suppose there isn't, is there? Please be careful, Mulder, okay? Please protect yourself."

"I do," Fox answered flatly, then added, "and Alex protects me. He goes overboard making sure that I'm safe."

Scully nodded. "S-so what's he going to do?"

"About what?"

"I just mean in general. You're back to work. I don't see Krycek contenting himself with playing the happy homemaker for any length of time."

"I don't know. It's something we have to discuss. But he can do anything he wants to do."

Fox's eyes narrowed as he watched his partner swallow her next words.

"What?"

"Hmm?"

"You wanted to say something."

"No, I..."

"It was all over your face, Scully. You had to fight the words back."

"If that's what you think, then why do you want to hear it?"

"...I don't know. I guess I can't help hoping that something I say...some answer I give will make you see him differently."

Scully lowered her head.

"I was just going to ask if you'd be bankrolling anything he might decide to pursue."

Fox shook his head, giving the woman a caustic smile.

"You need to get over this notion that I'm his sugar daddy, Scully. Alex does not need my money."
"Made a good living on his back, did he?"

"God *damn* it, Scully!" Fox pounded on his desk, startling the woman. "You can't stop, can you?"

"What'd I say? That is how he made whatever money he's got, isn't it? "

Fox shook his head, even as his body shook with restrained rage.

"I can't do this. I can't...I can't work with you. I'd appreciate it if you put in for a transfer. Immediately."

"Mulder..." Scully stopped, gathering herself together, then started again.

"Mulder, I...I'm s..."

"Don't say it. I've heard enough. You're not sorry."

"I am, Mulder, I swear. I can't help...I tell you what. No more mention of Krycek, okay? I won't ask you any questions, I won't make another comment. I'll pretend none of this exists, okay? Work. That's all we'll discuss."

"You can't do it. It's impossible."

"No it isn't. I promise. If I say one more word against Krycek, I'll transfer."

Scully waited hopefully while Fox considered her offer.

Moving slowly to his chair, Fox seated himself then looked down at his desk. Long minutes later, he took a deep, even breath and spoke.

"I hate this rift between us. I want you to know that. We've been the best of friends for years, and now...it's impossible for our friendship to continue, Scully, if you insist on beating Alex down every chance you get. I won't stand for it. He's first in my life, and if you can't or won't accept that, we're done. Completely. No friendship. No nothing."

"I understand."

"Do you really? Because this is it. No more chances."

"I've got it, Mulder. Believe me, I've got it."

"All right." Fox removed his jacket and tipped his chair back. "Why don't you bring me up to speed on whatever's been happening around here..."

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

"Good God, when was the last time he washed these windows?"

Alex wrung the gray water into the bucket and began to again scrub at the glass behind Fox's desk. When he could clearly see down into the street, he grabbed the bottle of Windex and began to spray.

When Fox got home, he'd probably walk back out and check the numbers on the door to make sure he was in the right place.

Alex had started cleaning in the kitchen this morning after his lover had left. It had taken him almost three hours, but he was quite satisfied with the results. Everything from the countertops to the utensils now sparkled. Fox would be shocked, no doubt.

After a quick break, he started in on the dining area, and had since moved to the living room.

Newspapers from nineteen ninety-one, case files that were old enough to vote, and a trash barrel that he truly wondered if Fox had ever seen the bottom of were but a few of the treasures waiting for him as he started in on the other man's work area.

Afraid to throw any of it away, he carefully stacked the items in a box and stored them out of sight, then set about washing and waxing the furniture and floor. That done, he took the blinds down, washed those, and then began on the window.

As the clear blue cleanser made its way down the pane, a knock sounded at the door, and a feeling of dread washed over Alex.

"Shit. Who the hell's this?"

He picked his way to the door and looked the peephole.

"Oh, are you kidding me?"

//Don't answer it.//

//Okay, and he'll just come back another day. Get it over with.//

Alex took two deep breaths and turned the knob. As the door swung open, a severe brown gaze fell on him.
"What're you doing here?"

"I'd like a few words with you."

Not waiting for a response, Skinner brushed past the younger man and stepped into the apartment.

"Funny you waited until Fox went back to work to have them."

"He wouldn't let me within half a mile of you." Skinner spun around glaring at the other man. "What've you done to him?"

Alex closed the door but didn't advance an inch.

"I've been through this with Scully. Can't you just ask her for the transcripts of our conversations or something?"

"I didn't come here to listen to your sarcasm, Krycek. I want to know what it is you want with Mulder."

"I'm sorry, Skinner, but I don't see how my relationship with Fox is any of your business."

"I consider Mulder a friend."

"*Really*. A friend you suspended without pay."

"That was work. I take my job very seriously."

"Uh huh."

Skinner stood in the middle of the living room, arms folded across his chest, and looked around.

"What the hell is this?" he mumbled.

"What the hell's what?"

"You're playing Suzy Homemaker?"

"I'm cleaning the apartment. You find something suspicious in that?"

"Just hard to believe that someone with as colorful a past as yours has been domesticated."

No answer.

"And it's twice as hard to believe that you could possibly know the first thing about being in a committed relationship."

Still nothing.

"Why are you doing this, Krycek? Why are you trying to destroy Mulder?"

"I love Fox," Alex finally shot back. "I'd never do anything to hurt him."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."

"I'd be shocked if you did."

"You were selling your body, Krycek. Just when I thought you couldn't possibly get any lower..."

"You know..." Alex opened the door and pushed himself away from the wall. "...whatever. Get out."

"I'm not through with you."

"Yeah, you are."

"No..." Skinner walked over to the younger man, stared him in the eye, and slammed the door shut. "I'm not."

Alex cocked his head, refusing to look away.

"No?"

"No."

The word oozed out between gritted teeth, the heavy breath it was carried on, flowing over Alex's face.

Inside he was cringing, knowing what that look meant. He'd seen it often enough, and Skinner, obviously, was no different than any other horny bastard he'd dealt with. But he refused to give his anxiety away.

"What the fuck do you want, Skinner?" he hissed, displaying all the attitude he could muster.

"It would be best for all concerned," Skinner rumbled, too close to Alex's face for comfort, "if you would just gather up whatever trash you brought with you and get the hell out of here."

"Sorry Wally, but you've got it all wrong. It wouldn't be best for me..."

"Oh, I'm crying."

"...And it wouldn't be best for Fox."

"I know Mulder doesn't think that right now. I know you've got him brainwashed into thinking you're exactly what he needs. But sooner or later he's going to snap out of it."

"And you're going to help him?"

"Whenever I can."

"What about yourself?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You didn't come here for the simple purpose of trying to run me out. Did you?"

Skinner glared at the younger man, refusing to answer.

"I know why you're here," Alex rasped. "I can see it all over your face."

"You see nothing."

"Why'd you do it, Skinner?"

"Do what?"

"You know what. The same thing you're thinking about doing right now. Only maybe this time with a lot less material between us."

Alex watched the brown eyes go almost black, and the older man's expression change into something more ominous.

"You're crazy."

"Possibly. But I'm right." Hard, green eyes glared at the older man. "Tell me I'm not."

"Get over yourself, Krycek. The whole world doesn't want your ass."

"But you do. News flash, Wally. You'll never do to me again what you did that night. Much as you might want to."

Skinner snorted. "What the hell would I want with a used up, filthy, low life whore?"

"Only you can answer that question, Walt." Alex began to move away. "Get the fuck out."

God, he was so arrogant. So...

Alex felt a strong grip form around his throat and before he could react, he was spun around and thrown against the wall, pinned there by the irate larger man.

"That's some ego you've got there, whore," Skinner ground into the younger man's ear. Maybe you need to be taken down a peg or two."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Alex gasped through gritted teeth.

"I can think of a couple of ways."

Alex flinched as the older man pressed against his back. The hardness wedged between Skinner and his ass made him want to scream, but he held himself together, refusing to give the older man the satisfaction.

"I'll fucking kill you."

"That'd be a neat trick, given your position."

"If I can't," Alex panted, "Fox will."

"Your white knight? Very sweet."

"Call it what you want. But doubting his reaction will prove hazardous to your health."

Though he snorted at the younger man's declaration, he recalled his encounter with Mulder in his office.

The hard expression. Eyes glittering with anger. Tone low and icy. Skinner had to truly wonder if Mulder might not really attempt to kill him or anyone else who fucked with this piece of filth he'd claimed as his.

The grip relaxed, and Alex shoved hard away from the wall, almost stumbling in his effort to put distance between him and the other man.

"I'll say it again, Skinner. Get out."

"You really think you've got him, don't you?"

Silence.

"On the day he throws your sorry ass out of here, I'm going to be standing out there on the curb to watch you fall face down into the gutter."

With that, the older man turned and walked out, leaving Alex in deafening silence.

How long he stood there, he couldn't say. But when lack of oxygen finally made him take a breath, he shuddered with the exertion. After slowly letting the breath out, he turned and walked back to the window to complete his unfinished task.

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

A thick, warm vapor filled the bathroom, coating the mirror and clinging to the fixtures to form tiny beads of moisture. The closed shower curtain silhouetted the form of the man behind it.

Hands everywhere, moving slowly over the firm planes of the shadowed body. Head tilted back, turned up to the hard spray.

Gorgeous.

Fox advanced toward the tub and reached through the opening, letting one hand glide over the soapy flesh.

The alarmed gasp knocked him back a step, and then he moved in again, studying the wide, almost frightened eyes as they blinked out at him.

"S...I'm sorry, babe," he said by way of apology. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Alex breathed a heavy sigh and extended a shaking hand to turn the water off.

"I just didn't hear you. You surprised me."

"Yeah, but...Jeez, Alex, you're...you look scared."

"No. No, I..." Alex reached for the towel Fox held out to him. "...I'm okay."

Under his lover's watchful eye, Alex dried off then moved into the bedroom to get dressed.

Fox stood in the doorway, reading the younger man's posture and movement, not at all sure he liked what he saw. Something was up. The question was, what?

//Okay, work around it.//

"You've been busy today. I don't know how you managed it, but the place looks bigger. Not to mention brighter and a hell of a lot cleaner."

"Yeah, I...don't worry, I didn't throw any of your stuff away. I didn't know what might have been important and what wasn't. I just put it all together in a box and stuck it in the closet. Maybe when you've got time you can go through it."

"Sure."

Alex finished dressing and approached the older man. Not looking directly into Fox's eyes, he forced a smile.

"So. You made it through your day."

"Yeah. Started off a little rough, but it straightened out...mostly."
"Mostly?"

"Yeah, well, Scully started as soon as I got there. I got that taken care of, things went okay for a while, then we met with Skinner a little later in the day."

Alex's gaze dropped to the floor.

Fox hesitated, studying his lover's reaction, then continued.

"The temperature in his office probably dropped about twenty degrees when I walked in, and it got no better from there out. We squared off in opposite corners of the office and had a glaring contest while he said what he had to say, and then I left." Fox shrugged. "I guess it was probably me."
Alex's eyes rose to focus on Fox's chest. "You?"

"Yeah, I...I'm not upset about him suspending me. God knows he could've and probably should've done a lot worse. It's...I can't look at him now, Alex, without thinking about what he did to you. I know it was a long time ago. I know that nothing has happened since..."

The younger man's gaze again dropped to the floor.

"...But it meant something, you know? I mean, why would he do something like that to you?"

"All it meant was that he thought I was more worthless than dirt, and he wanted to humiliate me."

"There are lots more ways to humiliate a person. That he would choose to get sexual..." Fox shook his head and fell silent.

"You have to work with him," Alex said softly. "Forget about it."

"I can't."

"Fox, it was a period in our lives where everybody despised me, including you. What would your reaction have been if you'd found out back then?"

"I don't know that it would have been as indifferent as you might think it would. Maybe I wouldn't have felt the burning need to bash his head in, but..."

"Okay, but still. It's...it's over. He's your boss. And no matter what he feels about me, he's your friend."

A smile tilted Fox's lips upward.

"This is a familiar conversation."

"Well," Alex whispered, meaning so much more than Fox understood, "he and Scully are a lot alike. Now let's not rehash ancient history, okay? It's over and done with."

"Okay, fine. Let's discuss another subject." Fox slid his hand under the younger man's chin and lifted. "Let's talk about why my touching your arm scared five years off your life, and why it is you can't seem to look me in the eye."

Alex shook his head, trying for all the world to look unaware.

"I don't know. I didn't hear you come in, and then all of a sudden there you were."

"Mmm hmm. And has that got anything to do with the fact that you won't look at me?"

"No. No, I..." Alex made himself look up into softly glowing, patient eyes. "I'm still just a little jumpy I guess."

"...I see. I'm sorry baby, I really didn't mean to scare you."

"I know."

Fox slipped an arm around the other man's waist and led him out of the room.
"So, what would you like for dinner?"

"I was going to ask you that same question."

Fox shrugged. "I don't know. You decide. Whatever it is, I'll cook it." He gave Alex a sheepish grin. "Or try to."

"No," Alex argued as the two passed into the kitchen. "I'll take care of it."

"Uh uh. I know it was no walk in the park, getting this place this clean. You must've busted your ass all day. "*I'll* cook."
"So, what am I supposed to do?"

Fox pulled Alex into a snug embrace and kissed the tip of the slightly upturned nose.

"Go relax. Watch t.v. or something."

"I can't help?"

"Nope. Tell me what you want so I can get started."

Alex smiled and rested his head on the older man's shoulder.

"Surprise me. Just do me one favor, okay?"

"Sure. What?"

"Don't mess up my nice, clean kitchen."

Fox laughed softly and swatted the other man's ass, then turned him around and gently shoved him toward the door.

"Get the hell out of here so I can get to work."

Once Alex had gone, Fox set about poking through the cupboards and refrigerator, gathering the items he'd need. All the while, his mind was working. Trying to decipher his lover's odd mood and the possible cause.

//First he almost jumps out of his skin when I touch him. Okay, he didn't hear me come in, but God, he looked almost terrified. Then...I mention my meeting with Skinner, and he reacts to that. And tries to blow off my attempts to discuss what Skinner had done to him.//

"Well, if somebody had done that to you years ago," he murmured, opening up a package of chicken, "would you want to review it again?"

//He's right, though. You have to get over it. A hostile attitude is only going to make working with Skinner a whole lot more difficult. And God knows you've got enough problems without tangling with him at every turn.//

It was going to be damn tough, though. Every time he thought about Skinner touching Alex...hurting and humiliating him...

Alex sat up quickly, bolting off of the sofa as a loud banging sounded in the kitchen. He flew through the door just as Fox once again laid into the chicken breast on the counter.
"What're you doing?"

The older man spun around, metal meat tenderizer in hand.
"I'm sorry, did I scare you again?"

"You just startled me. Sounded like you were killing something in here."

"No, just..." Fox held up the utensil. "...preparing the chicken."

Sable eyebrows arched as Alex observed the older man's white-knuckled grip, and he nodded.

"Okay..."

"Go on. Go back and lie down. I won't make any more noise."

Alex hesitated a moment then turned from the room, leaving Fox to compose himself and return his attention to dinner.

//Come on, Mulder, snap out of it. It's in the past. Done. Never to be repeated. Now forget this shit and get the man's dinner done. He's spent the entire day doing battle with years worth of your dirt, and the least you can do is give him a nice meal and no anxiety.//

An hour and a half later, Fox entered smiling into the living room and leaned over the sleeping man.

"Alex," he whispered, gently nuzzling the younger man's cheek. "Wake up, baby."

The dense sweep of sable lashes lifted, and deep green eyes looked up at the figure that loomed above.

"Hmm?"

"Dinner's ready."

"Oh." Alex sat up rubbing at one eye. "Okay."

"I actually think I did a good job."

"Not really much of a cook, are you?"

"Not really." Fox smirked down at the other. "So, if you hate it, be kind."

"Smells good," Alex countered and rose to his feet. He walked into the dining area and gave Fox a sleepy smile.

"Nice."

Fox looked proudly at the set table. "Yeah? It's really okay? It isn't the Regent but..."

"It's better," Alex argued softly, wrapping his arms around his lover's neck. "You did it yourself. For me."

Fox gave in to the irresistible urge to kiss the smiling mouth, then he led Alex to the table and sat him down. Less than five minutes later, the food was on the table, and Fox was seated next to Alex, eyes glued on the younger man, waiting for him to take the first bite. He breathed a sigh of relief when he received a smile.

"It's really good."

"You're not just saying that? I know I told you to be kind, but..."

"I'm not just saying it," Alex assured the older man. "It really is very good."

Satisfied, Fox dug into his own food. Halfway into the meal, he looked around, shaking his head.

"I still can't believe what you've done with this place. It's cleaner than when I first moved in."

"I'm not done; still have the bathroom and bedroom to do, but I didn't want everything to be upside down when you got home. I'll get on it tomorrow."

Fox stared at Alex for more than a few seconds, then reached for his lover's hand.

"You know, I told you that this is not your responsibility. I don't expect you to..."

"I know that." Alex gave the older man a grin. "But if I'm going to live here too, I'd like not to be tripping over stuff in the middle of the floor or be attacked by giant, killer dust bunnies."

"They were big but harmless," Fox countered softly, kissing the back of Alex's hand.

"Sorry, I didn't know they were friends of yours."

"It's okay. I got a new friend. And he's much more uh...friendly."

Laughing softly, Alex returned his attention to his meal.

"So...when you've got the apartment the way you want it," Fox asked, "have you thought about what it is you want to do?"

"I don't know," Alex answered, smoothing the hair at the back of his neck and looking past Fox. "I was thinking that...well, I think I sorta have a knack for investing. I mean, I did make quite a bit."

"Yeah, you did," Fox cut in then dropped his head and began to laugh.

"What's so funny? Alex asked, smiling at his lover's amusement.

"Part of a conversation that I had with Scully this morning just came back to me. She thought you were...how do I say this? ...A kept man."

Alex snorted softly. "Yeah, she would think that."

Fox left his seat and promptly dropped down into Alex's lap.

"As has become habit lately, she has no idea what the hell she's talking about. I could quit the Bureau and let you keep *me*."

"I'd love to spoil you rotten," Alex murmured, kissing the line of Fox's jaw. But I don't think you'd really be happy being a man of leisure. Your job is a big part of your life."

"Not nearly as big as it used to be, and getting smaller all the time."

Alex studied the older man, reading the sincerity in his eyes.

"Tell you what." He pulled Fox's head down to his shoulder and ran his hand lightly up and down his back. "How about we give it a year? That should be an adequate amount of time for you to really think about what it is you want to do. If you still want to quit, you can do it with no regrets. During that time I can keep investing, hopefully make us some more money, and we can live comfortably, anywhere we want."

Fox lifted his head and looked into his lover's eyes.

"A year, huh?"

"It's not so long."

"No." Fox hugged the younger man. "As long as we're together."

Alex held his lover in a firm embrace, fighting to push away thoughts of those who sought to separate them.

//Fuck 'em both. He loves me. They can't...there's nothing they can do.//

He tightened his hold and buried his face in Fox's hair.

//He loves me.//

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

A harsh curse pierced the darkness as a blanket flew into the air and landed in a rumpled heap at the end of Water Skinner's bed. Repeatedly, Skinner shifted position but was unable to get comfortable. He flipped onto his back and kicked the sheet off, then peeled his t-shirt away.

"*Jesus*."

He didn't bother checking the temperature in the apartment; he knew the heat he felt had nothing to do with the thermostat setting. The source of his discomfort was miles away. Wrapped in th arms of the man Skinner claimed he was a friend to.

Asleep. Perhaps.

Or maybe...

Christ, maybe awake. Writhing. Panting. Screaming his pleasure as Mulder fucked him.

Oh yeah, he was loud, Skinner would bet the house on it. And every imagined yelp, every sob and moan reverberated in his body, maintaining the painful level of arousal he'd suffered for over an hour now.

"*Why*? What the hell it is that makes him so fucking tempting?"

It was an x-file.

One that Mulder was investigating most meticulously, he was sure.

//That's right, Walt. And while he's buried up to his nuts in that gorgeous bastard's ass, you're lying here with a raging hard-on, with nothing but your demented fantasies to keep you warm.//

The desire to rip Krycek's clothes off and fuck him against that wall had burned so strongly today. As strongly as the flames of hatred, and he couldn't figure it out. How the hell could he despise the low life scum so intensely yet want to feel himself deeply entrenched in his ass?

One hand slipped beneath his underwear and closed around his cock, and his eyes closed as he began to pump it's sturdy length.

He saw it clearly. Krycek. Cuffed and lying face down on the floor where Skinner had thrown him. Clothing ripped and hanging by it's remaining threads from his body. Flashes of sweaty, bronzed skin, stretched over tensing muscles. That voice, ordinarily low and smoky, trembling with anxiety and pain, cursing and begging for Skinner to stop.

But he wouldn't. And nothing could make him.

//How d'you like it, bitch? Huh? Is that good?//

In his mind, he slammed into the wailing man, inflicting blow after punishing blow.

//This is all you deserve. It's all you're good for. Scream all you want, but you know you love it.//

"Love it," Skinner grated as he furiously pumped his cock. "*Christ*. Oh, God, you know you want it..."

The victim of his imagined assault screamed and twisted beneath him as he wedged his hand between the floor and Krycek's hips. Squeezing the younger man's cock, he laughed as the sounds of protest turned to strained mewls of pleasure.

//Fucking slut. You don't love him. You don't love anybody. The only thing you love is a good fuck. You don't give a shit where you get it. Isn't that right? Isn't it?//

The square jaw clenched and Skinner doubled his efforts as his climax approached. The participant in his illusion screamed wildly in concert with his own groans of completion, and the vision faded.

Sticky and spent, he lay panting for a good long while before reality clamped down on him.

"*Shit*!"

He rolled out of bed and stomped into the bathroom where, with one violent twist of the shower knob, he activated a hard spray. He quickly stepped out of his damp underwear and under the water, washing the away the last remnants of his fantasy. But the disturbing contents endured, ingrained in his thoughts.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" he whispered, bowing his head and letting the water flow over it. "Stop. Just stop."

//You're more disciplined than this. You're smarter than this. He's nothing but trouble. It's bad enough he's got Mulder panting after him. Christ, one of you has got to stay sane.//

Washing quickly, he turned the water off then dried himself and trudged back to bed.

"Just stay away from him," he murmured, staring up at the ceiling. "Soon enough he'll be gone, and then you can forget about him again."

//And in the meantime? What if it takes Mulder six months...a year to realize the mess he's in and do something about it? Jesus, he could be there all that time. And when Mulder goes out of town on a case? Temptation so well within your reach.//

//Right. And you think he wouldn't find out? Shit, for that matter, how do you know Krycek hasn't told him about today?//

//He hasn't. You'd have known about it by now, believe that.//

"So," Skinner whispered on a soft breath. "He kept it to himself."

He took a deep breath and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about future possibilities.

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

The dream faded and wide, frightened eyes searched the darkness. The anxious man's chest heaved with the effort it took to stabilize his breathing, and before he could fully comprehend that none of what he'd experienced was real, an arm came around him and a soft voice sounded in his ear.

"Alex. Wake up, baby."

Alex drew in a deep, shaky breath and released it.

"God."

Fox raised himself up on one elbow and looked down into glittering, dark eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I uh...I'm all right."

"Bad dream, huh?"

Silent nod.

Fox reached out and stroked Alex's hair away from his face.
"Wanna tell me about it?"

Alex hesitated, looking for a moment like he might possibly want to discuss it, but in the end, he simply turned into Fox's chest, seeking the comfort he needed.

Enfolding Alex in the warmth of his arms, Fox kissed the sable head and lay quietly for a while, gathering his thoughts. Minutes later, he tilted the younger man's head up and planted a tender kiss on his lips.

"You know that if and when you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

"It's nothing," Alex whispered. "Everybody has nightmares once in a while."

"I know that. And the best thing to do is talk about them. So, if you decide you want to, tell me, okay?"

//Yeah, I'll tell you that I'm dreaming about being the filling in a Skinner/Scully sandwich.//
"Babe?"

Alex wound his arms around the other man and buried his face in his chest.

"Okay."

Quiet descended on the room, and just as Fox had begun to believe that Alex was asleep, the younger man called his name.
"Fox?"
"Yeah?"

Alex floundered for a moment, not sure whether or not he should ask. But need overcame uncertainty, and nuzzled the older man's chest.

"I kn-know it's late..."

Fox peered over Alex's head at the clock. Silently reading two-twelve, he again lowered his head to the pillow and waited for the younger man to complete his sentence.

"But I...say no if you don't want to..."

Fox needed to hear no more than that to know what Alex was asking of him.

Alex's sigh was muffled by his lover's mouth, moving so sweetly over his, and as Fox shifted to lie on top of him, his concern that the other man was only doing this to patronize him, lessened considerably. The swiftly growing evidence of Fox's passion pressed into his hip and reinforced his own desire.

"I could never say no to you," Fox whispered, letting his tongue dance across the younger man's lips. "I could never not want you."

Alex's soft whimper was muffled further by Fox's mouth as it came down on his, and his arms twined around the older man's neck, seeking to pull him closer and insulate his chilled body. He was attempting to hide from whatever demons had tormented him while he'd slept, and Fox was his shield.

"M'sorry," he whispered haltingly against his lover's mouth. "But I..." He arched against Fox, prompting a deep sigh from the other. "...I'm cold, Fox."

"I know," Fox murmured, kissing Alex's cheek and jaw. "I can feel it. Don't worry baby, I'll warm you."

Fox slithered out of his underwear then lifted himself to his knees watching Alex begin to shiver the moment he did. He pulled the younger man's boxer briefs off and, removing two condoms and lube from the nightstand drawer, he quickly sheathed Alex's cock and coaxed him onto this stomach. He rolled his own condom on, applied the lube then stretched out over the length of his lover's back.

Alex moaned into the pillows as Fox's mouth teased the back of his neck and shoulders, and he instinctively pushed back against the hardness nestled against his ass.

"I need you," he croaked, rocking his hips. "Please, Fox. Need it to be you."

Golden-brown eyebrows drew down into a frown as Fox listened to his lover's cryptic plea.

"It's me," he whispered into Alex's ear as he gripped his cock at the base and worked the head into the tight opening. "Just me."

Alex's head lifted from the pillows, and a sharp gasp broke past his lips as Fox pushed inside him. He began to buck impatiently, but Fox's weight held him to the mattress.

"Let me."

Go to Part 7

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