Part 9



"Why didn't you tell her about that guy?" Howie asked his friend as they checked their room for anything they'd left behind.

"Hey, whoever he is, he's her fucking problem. Besides, if I mentioned him, maybe she wouldn't use those pictures. She ain't fuckin' up my revenge."

"What if she decides not to use em anyway?"

"That's why I had you use two cameras, dope. She's got her pics, and I've got mine. I'll give her two weeks to do her thing, and just in case she doesn't, I'll be mailing my pictures to lover boy."

"So then it really doesn't matter if she uses hers or not."

"Well, no, not really." A.J. grinned. "It'll just be so much more fun to stick it to him twice."

The two men broke into laughter as they continued to pack.

**********
two days later
**********
Sable eyelashes lifted sluggishly, and dull, dark eyes looked around the dimmed room.

Alex had never opened the blinds, so he couldn't really tell from the amount of light in the room whether it was broad daylight or not.

He glanced at the clock and moaned, lifting himself into a sitting position. It was ten-twenty, and he had to get up today. Fox would be home at four, and he needed to get the place in order before he arrived.

He'd spent the last three days in bed, sleeping round the clock and not eating much at all, and the joy that he should have felt at his lover's impending arrival simply was not there.

All he could feel was fear and a sort of morbid resolution. Try as he did, he could come up with no plausible excuse for the now fading hickey on his neck, and there was no way in hell that Fox wouldn't look into his shadowed eyes and know that something was up.

And he couldn't look into those beautiful, gilded eyes and lie.

Alex buried his face in his hands.

There was a time...once upon a distant age when he could look the Pope himself dead in the eye and lie his ass off, but not now. He loved Fox with his whole heart and soul, and though he'd managed to cover pretty well over the phone, he knew with all certainty that once he looked into his eyes, it'd be all over.

He dragged himself out of bed and pulled the closet door open. With trembling hands, he dug his bag out of the back and placed it on the bed. He then gathered all of his belongings and began to pack them, stopping halfway through. He sank down next to the bag and lowered his head, clasping his hands together in an effort to stop their quaking.

"I can't,' he gasped, his fingers turning white. "Can't, I..."

//What choice have you got? You can't explain it...you can't lie...hell of a time to discover integrity, Alex, you know? So, that's it. That's all. Pack it up, kid.//
"Alex?"

The sable head snapped up, and Alex cast a petrified gaze at the doorway.
Fox? Home already? Had he gotten the time wrong? He wasn't ready. Christ, he wasn't...

The smile fell from Fox's face as he came through the bedroom door and found his lover, pale and red-eyed, sitting on a rumpled bed, next to his bag and a pile of clothes?

He dropped his bags where he stood and rushed to the bed, falling to his knees in front of the frozen man.
"Alex, what...baby, what's going on, here?"

"You're early," Alex whispered, unable to get his voice to work properly or meet the older man's eye. "I didn't think..."

"Alex," Fox interrupted, going from worried to terrified in nothing flat. "Alex, tell me what's going on. Why are your clothes and your bag out? Why do you look like you haven't slept since I left?"

//And why the fuck over the course of three days, couldn't you tell that he was in trouble?//

He'd kick himself in the ass later. Right now he had a big problem to deal with.

"I'm sorry, Fox," Alex droned, his voice dropping back to that nearly inaudible level. "I don't know..." he shrugged, looking at the floor, "...what ha...happened..."

"Baby, please," Fox begged, feeling a cold dread creep in and clamp around his heart. "Please tell me. It's all right..."

"No. It isn't."

"It is. It's all right. Tell me what's got you so upset. I'll take care of it."

Alex laughed softly, and Fox began to tremble.

"Yeah. You will."

"Then tell me."

"The other morning when I...I called you. Something happened."

"Dammit, I knew it," Fox said more to himself than to the younger man. "What happened, Alex?"

"I was tired..."

"I know. I remember. I told you to go to bed."

Alex nodded. "I did. And I fell asleep. Deep. Really deep. And when I woke up, I..." He stopped and dropped his head lower.

"You what? Come on, Alex, you're doing fine."

"Someone was here. I don't know who or when..."

Fox squinted at the other man. "What? Wait, Alex, you're losing me. Someone came here but you don't know who?"

"I was asleep," Alex repeated. "Fell asleep wearing underwear and the shirt you wore the night before. When I woke up, I was naked. And sore. Like someone'd been..." he shuddered. "I thought you'd come home. And maybe I fell asleep and just didn't remember, but you weren't there. That's why I called you..."

Fox understood, and slow relief replaced the fear.

"Alex, you were dreaming."

"No. No, I wasn't, I...I went to sleep wearing clothes and woke up naked. I was sore."

"Don't you remember that morning?" Fox asked gently. "Remember I told you that you were going to feel me until I got back?"

"Yeah, but that was different. I felt much different when I woke up than when I went to sleep."

"Everyone wakes up with more aches than when they went to bed. You're at rest, your muscles aren't in use, and they stiffen up. You know that. As for the clothes, if your dream was as vivid as that, you probably took them off yourself."

Cloudy, green eyes rose to meet glassy hazel. Alex lifted his head a bit more and turned it to the left, giving Fox a glimpse of the partially faded bruise on his neck.

"You didn't do this."

Fox blinked, then moved forward and investigated the mark. He leaned back, drawing Alex's eyes to his again and smiled.

"If you were able to undress yourself in your sleep, you were certainly able to bruise yourself. A mouth isn't the only thing that can leave a mark like that."
Alex looked at Fox with an expression that spoke deeply to the torment he'd suffered over the last few days. Fox stared back, his own eyes willing his tortured love to believe him.

"No one was here, Alex. It was just a dream."

Such conviction. So much understanding and love in those exquisite eyes. Alex wanted to believe. He needed so much to.

"....Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It's all right. Nothing happened."

Alex's eyes darted randomly around the room as his overwrought mind tried to absorb what Fox had said to him. Finally, they came back to rest on the face he loved so dearly. His mouth opened, but no words would come.

Fox rose from his knees and sat down on the bed, taking Alex into his arms. The younger man leaned into his embrace, clinging to him as though he'd surely drown if he didn't.

"It was too soon," Fox whispered into his lover's hair. "I shouldn't have left you. I should have known."

Alex squeezed his eyes shut and pressed closer, unable at the moment to argue.

"No more," Fox promised. "If I have to go away, you come with me, or I don't go." He looked at the bag and clothes beside them. "Speaking of going...can you tell me why you've got this stuff out?"

Alex slowly sat up but kept his eyes cast downward.

"I didn't think it would turn out like this. I was...was sure you wouldn't believe me and..."

"God. Alex...baby, look at me."

Alex hesitated for long seconds then lifted his gaze to Fox's.

"I'll never send you away." He caressed the younger man's heavily stubbled cheek and gave him a tender smile. "I fought too hard to get you here." He lifted the head that had again dropped. "You and me. Remember?"

Alex nodded then again melted into his lover's arms.

"I'm sorry, Fox. I'm so..."

"It's all right. Please don't apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. I never should have left you."

"But you..."

"No," Fox said simply, leaving no room for argument. "I screwed up. And look what happened." He tightened his arms around the younger man. "I won't screw up again." He rose to his feet, pulling Alex up with him. "Come on."

"Where?"

"We're gonna have a nice, warm shower. I love you baby, but I really gotta say, you could use one..."

The affectionately stated insult brought a tiny smile to Alex's face.

Fox took his lover's hand and led him into the bathroom, where he ran the water and undressed Alex then himself. The two stepped under the warm spray, and Fox gently washed the younger man, shampooed his hair, then quickly took care of himself before shutting the water off. He wrapped a huge towel around Alex, instructing him to stay put, then dried himself. When he finished, he rubbed the other man dry then led him back into the bedroom, where he sat him down in the room's only chair and pulled out some fresh sheets. He wrapped the top sheet around Alex, and then began to strip and re-make the bed.

Alex watched from his crisp, eggshell cocoon as a very naked Fox removed his bag and clothing from the bed and then pulled the old sheets and pillowcases off. As quickly as he could, he replaced them with the fresh linens then walked over to the chair.

"C'mon."

Alex took the outstretched hand and let himself be put to bed, snuggling down into the pillows as Fox tucked the top sheet in around him.

"Have you eaten?" Fox asked, stroking the damp hair away from the other man's face.

Alex shrugged.

"I'll take that as a no. I'm going to go get you something, and you're going to eat it."

Twenty minutes after he left the room, he was back, carrying a bed tray containing a bowl of tomato soup, some saltine crackers, and a glass of ice water.

"Here you go," Fox announced, setting the tray down over Alex's legs. "Eat up."
Chewing on his lower lip, Alex looked down at the tray but made no move to eat.

"What?" Fox asked. "You don't like tomato soup? You're the one who bought it..."

"No. No, I..." Distressed green eyes stared up at the older man. "Not really the welcome home I had in mind."

Fox smiled and sat down next to his sorrowful lover, picking up the spoon and dipping it into the soup. "Don't worry about it," he whispered, feeding Alex the first spoonful then allowing the younger man to take the utensil from him. When most of the food was gone, he took the tray away and slid under the sheet. Alex immediately gravitated toward him, and he wound his arms around the warm back.

"I wish I could tell you how much I missed you," he murmured into his lover's hair before pressing a soft kiss into it. "Hey, how are the fish getting along?"

"I don't know," Alex murmured. "Haven't fed them in...two days, I think. Damn. I should go..."

Fox stopped him from getting out of bed. "No, I'll do it." He started to chuckle. "And now we'll see how much he really liked the new fish."

Alex sighed softly as Fox rose from the bed and retreated to the living room. He closed his eyes and pulled the sheet up to his nose trembling at the loss of his lover's heat. Then his mind began to work. He thought back to a few nights prior, and he weighed what he'd been so sure about against Fox's rational explanation.

//It could have happened the way he said. You know how vivid dreams can be. You could have pulled your own clothes off...injured yourself...it could have happened that way...//

"I'll be damned."

Alex pulled himself out of his thoughts and watched Fox walk back to the bed, shaking his head.

"He's okay. They were swimming around together, happy as clams. They're eating now."

Alex uttered a relieved sigh as he was pulled back into Fox's arms and mumbled into the older man's chest.

"Told you."

"Yeah, you told me." His hand slowly wandered up and down Alex's back, feeling the quivering of the younger man's muscles. "Feel any better?"

"A little."

"You'll feel much better after you've had some sleep."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"It's only eleven-thirty in the morning. You don't need to be at work?"

"Screw work," Fox rumbled, tightening his embrace. "I'm not going anywhere today."

Right on cue, his cell phone rang, and a stream of soft curses tumbled from his lips as he reached for it.

"Mulder."

"Mulder, it's me."

"I figured."

"I just wanted to know what time you were coming in to the office."

"I'm not."

On her end, Scully held her breath.

"Oh. Uh...everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I'm just staying home for the rest of the day. I'll be in tomorrow morning."

"All right then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. You sure everything's all right?"

"Scully..."

"Yeah?"

"Let's not do this."

"Do what?"

"The phony concern bit. At the very least, you don't give a damn how things are. At the very most, you hope they're lousy. So. Goodbye, Scully, I'll see you in the morning."

Before Scully could respond, she heard the click signaling her partner's disconnection, and she set the phone down slowly on the table by her sofa. She stared at it for a good long while, then picked it back up and hurled it at the wall.

"Prick!" she screamed then immediately covered her face with one hand. She drew the hand down and anchored it in the lapels of her jacket.

"Stop it," she whispered to herself. "What do you expect from him? That snake's got him so mesmerized he can't see his own hand in front of his face. It's not his fault..."

//And even after that little speech, you can't help being pissed at him, can you? Why? Because he's got what you want, right? That's right. Look at yourself. You've become a jealous, spiteful bitch. And why? Because the desire for a roll in the hay with that bastard has overtaken all good sense. Think about what the hell it is you've done!//

//Here we go again. Over thinking everything. Shut up. Just shut the fuck up and do what you want to do for once before you die.//

Taking a fortifying breath, she lifted the pouch that she'd picked up on her way home, and she unzipped it, pulling out the item that would change everything.
Gently, she tapped on the roll of film with one fingernail then pressed it to her lips. Closing her eyes, she muttered to herself some senseless mantra, then spun around and left the apartment.

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

Alex awoke with a violent start, sitting up suddenly and scaring Fox into consciousness.

"Alex..."

Wild eyes darted around the room then came to rest on the man who had pulled himself up beside his frightened lover.

"It's okay," Fox soothed, rubbing his hand over Alex's back. "You must have been dreaming."

Alex scanned the room again and brought his eyes back to Fox.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was," he gasped.
"Wanna talk about it?"

"Don't remember much." It just...it felt like someone was standing over me."

"And it scared you that much?"

Alex nodded. "I couldn't move. And they hadn't...they hadn't touched me, but I knew what they wanted...Fox?"

The older man wrapped his arms around Alex and kissed his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"It was..." Alex stopped, staring straight ahead.

Fox waited him out silently, allowing the warmth of his body to provide the younger man's comfort.

"...Are...are you sure? Do you really think that...that what you said is what happened to me?"

A gentle hand at Alex's jaw turned his face to Fox's.

"Yes, I really think that's what happened. It's the only logical explanation." He smiled. "Listen to me, I sound like Scully."

No response from the preoccupied man to his right.

"Alex..."

"It was such a strong feeling," the younger man cut in, frowning. "But only after I woke up, which is so strange."

"Don't you think that if it had really happened you would have awakened sooner? A lot sooner?"

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but I can't...I can't shake this feeling."

Fox stroked the other man's cheek, holding his attention with a glittering gaze.
"Can I help?"

Alex stared, hypnotized by his lover's eyes and his low, seductive tone.

Fox inched closer, moving so slowly that only the brush of his mouth on Alex's convinced the younger man that he had moved at all. He felt the faint tremble of his lover's body and heard the involuntary moan, and his tongue slid delicately over the slightly parted lips, coaxing them to open to him. The instant they did, he was there, gently exploring the warm interior as he lowered Alex back to the mattress.

Alex wrapped himself around Fox, wanting to feel him closer than he ever possibly could. His lover's absence combined with thinking for the last few days that he'd been touched yet again by someone other than Fox left him wide open to the kind of pain he thought he was finally through with. And again he needed all the comfort that only Fox could provide.

Fox's mouth left Alex's, traveling at a leisurely pace down his chin and lingering at his throat, taking care to leave a mark directly over the one that was already beginning to break up and fade away. Of their own will, Alex's fingers clenched in Fox's hair, and he sobbed his lover's name, always amazed and forever grateful that Fox always knew precisely what to do to ease his troubled heart.

His lashes fluttered madly then dropped over nearly black eyes as Fox left his throat and worked his way down to his chest, kissing and licking the satiny skin. His breath caught suddenly then left his lungs in a shallow pant when the older man reached his left nipple and pulled it into his mouth.

"Fox..."

The older man's tongue flicked quickly back and forth over the tip, and Alex arched, gasping his intense pleasure.

Correctly determining the extent of his lover's pronounced sensitivity, Fox released the nipple and moved on. He skimmed the quaking muscles of the younger man's stomach, nipping at the heated flesh before soothing the small wounds with his tongue, then moved lower still.

Alex whimpered uncontrollably as his lover's roughened cheek brushed the stony length of his cock, and he plunged one hand into Fox's hair in a weak attempt to pull the other man away.

"Don't worry," Fox whispered, tenderly kissing the base.

"But..."

"Shhh."

Alex shuddered as Fox continued to deposit soft kisses along the velvety shaft, and for those few moments, good sense abandoned him.

Just once. God, please, just once he wanted to...

The feel of Fox's tongue on him shook the insane thought from his head.

"*No*."

Somewhere he found the strength to push Fox away. Head turned to the side, he squeezed his eyes shut, panting heavily.

"Can't...God, I'm s-sorry..."

The next thing he knew, he was staring up into eyes as green as his own, splashed with gold.

"It's all right," Fox murmured. "I'll be careful."

"You can't be careful enough," Alex choked. "Do you know how much the thought of making you sick terrifies me?"

"I know, baby," Fox crooned. "And I love you for worrying so much about me. But I wouldn't do anything stupid."

Alex looked up at Fox, wanting to believe, to give in, but he couldn't. Not on this.

"It's easy to say. And I know you mean it, but it's easier to get carried away and go too far. It almost happened to me just now. Please understand that I can't take that chance with you."

Fox lowered his head and said nothing.

"Fox?" Alex called, distress creasing his brow. "Fox, I...please don't...I love you so much; don't be mad at me. I need to keep you safe..."

Fox lifted his head and stared into beautiful, tormented eyes of green. He shook his head as he stroked Alex's hair.

"How could I be mad at you for wanting to protect me?" He kissed the younger man's forehead. "I had it under control, but if it makes you that uneasy, I won't do it again."

"I'm sorry," Alex breathed, fighting to control the tremors that ran through him. "I hate that I'm putting you through this."

"You're not putting me through anything," Fox told the distraught man in his most calming tone. "I love you, and my first concern is doing what's right for you."

"*No*," Alex moaned. "Not what's right for me. For you. It's you who needs protecting."

Fox laid his head on the younger man's chest. "It's going to be all right," he promised softly. "Everything's going to be fine, and someday, when we're old and gray, we'll laugh about this."

Alex wound his arms around Fox and closed his eyes, trapping the moisture that shimmered there.

"I want to get old with you."

"We will." Fox lifted his head and smiled down at his lover. "By then you'll be dying to get rid of me."

Alex shook his head.

"Never."

Fox came in for a chaste kiss then backed off and waited.

Alex lifted a slightly shaky hand to the older man's head, gently petting the golden-brown hair.

"Guess I kind of put a damper on things."

Though it was spoken as a statement, there was a question in Alex's eyes. One Fox answered with a soft but unmistakably passionate kiss.

Desire rekindled instantly, and the two soon found themselves completely lost in each other once again.

Gentle kisses gave way to ravenous ones, and tentative touches turned demanding as the lovers writhed together, driving each other to that amazing level of insanity that one could never find without the other.

Reaching for the condoms and lube, Fox cursed as the tube fell from his grip. He shifted, leaning over the edge of the bed to reach for it, and Alex began to squirm and whine impatiently.

"Okay, okay," Fox whispered, grabbing the tube then lifting himself back up onto the bed.

"Fox," Alex whimpered, his hands wandering frantically over the older man.

"Please. I need you..."

"I know, baby," Fox answered, ripping the first packet open. "Okay..." He emitted a pained laugh as he struggled to put the condom on the younger man. "C'mon, Alex, hold still."

Alex groaned deep in his throat as Fox rolled the condom down over his cock, and both hands clutched at the twisted sheets as he searched for a way to divert his frustration.

Fox quickly put his own condom on and slathered it with lube. He lowered himself to Alex's waiting arms, and the weight of him against his lover's aching cock nearly sent the younger man into orbit. He hastily lifted himself, not touching Alex at all until the younger man's panting subsided, then he came in for a lingering kiss.

"You're so sensitive," he whispered, dragging his tongue over the other's lower lip.

"I'm sorry," Alex offered shakily, caressing Fox's upper arms. "But it's been three days, and I...you make me crazy."

"That's nothing to apologize for," Fox said, gently coming back down to lie on top of the other man. "That all right?"
Alex nodded. "Just don't move yet, okay?"

Fox smiled and nodded. "But you know, I've got a feeling that I could wait another half hour, and it wouldn't help." He gave his lover a mock pout. "And I was so looking forward to playing with our new toys."

Alex let out a breathy laugh. "How about later? I just can't...I can't give you nearly enough time for that right now."

The smile grew wider. "No kidding. That's okay." Fox's hands slid along the underside of his lover's thighs and lifted. "We've got the rest of the day and all night."

Alex's eyes slipped closed, and a long gasp escaped past his lips as Fox pushed gently inside him. The hell of previous days faded from his mind, and all that remained was this.

Perfect love. Sweet and pure and everything in world he'd always been convinced that he could never have. It lay here with him, warming and soothing him, giving him the most extraordinary pleasure. And when the pleasure peaked and melted away, still, it would remain as ever, radiant and strong and his alone...

Fox moved slowly, enjoying the long glide into Alex's slick heat and the comforting shelter of his body as he lingered there before withdrawing. He repeated the action, forcing his eyes to open, and he focused a hazy gaze on his lover.

The word beautiful did Alex no justice. Perfect lips, parted to allow labored breath to pass through his clenched teeth. Greenest eyes, hidden and revealed by a fluttering veil of sable lashes...long, hard body, lifting into his, pushing, demanding more...those soft, gasping sobs of joy as Fox filled his body and his heart...

No, not beautiful. Exquisite was a far more fitting description, though it still failed to completely capture his true essence. How such a perfect jewel could exist for so long, unnoticed by so many blind eyes was truly a wonder to Fox.

Lost in the hypnotic green of his lover's eyes, he shifted slightly and nudged Alex's prostate, reveling in the rapturous cries his action produced.

"I know," Fox hummed, pulling back and again sliding home.

Another sob, wilder than the first.

"Come for me, baby," the older man pleaded, his words moaned softly into his lover's ear.

Alex clutched at Fox's back, rocking frantically against him as Fox plunged steadily into his heat. The older man hadn't touched his cock, but the overwhelming sensations welling up inside him burst anyway, and he tipped his head back and released a bone-rattling, sobbing groan.

Fox's ecstatic cries joined those of his lover as he found his own explosive release. He fell into Alex's arms, gasping for breath and unable to move for what seemed like an eternity, and then his strength began to return slowly. He carefully disengaged, peeled off his condom then Alex's, and settled again on top of his lover. He cast a hazy gaze down on the other, who still lay in a semi-conscious state, then nuzzled Alex's jaw, prompting a soft sigh.

"I love you," he whispered, and the fringe of dark lashes fluttered then slowly lifted. Alex looked up at him in such utter worship that what was left of his insides melted into his stomach, and hot moisture pricked his eyes.

Trembling fingers whispered over the older man's cheekbone then slid through the hair at the back of his head, massaging gently.

"It's so incredible," Alex rasped.

Fox blinked back his tears and gave the younger man a tiny smile. "What is?"

"That you can do what you do to me...that one man can completely own me, and make me want so desperately to belong to him." Alex let out a soft sigh. "And it's incredible that in spite of everything, I can look into those beautiful eyes and believe it absolutely when you tell me you love me."

"Always believe," Fox insisted softly.

"I believe in you..." Alex countered, giving Fox a sweet smile. "...your magic."

"What magic?" Fox asked, kissing the younger man's shoulder.

"I haven't felt human in years...too many years. No one but you stood a snowball's chance in hell of bringing me back...not that anyone would have wanted to. You made me feel again, Fox. You showed me how to love. As far gone as I was, that's no mortal feat."

"Oh."

The word came out in a faint breath as Fox came in for a tender kiss. When he finally pulled away, it was only far enough to be able to look down into eyes brimming with profound love. Alex stroked his hair away from his face and gave him another beautiful smile.

"My magic man."

Fox rested his cheek in one hand and stared down at the younger man.
"Magic, huh?"

The smile faded from Alex's lips, and he nodded.

"Sounds like I should be investigating myself," Fox murmured. "I don't think I'm anything mystical, Alex, though I do like that you see me that way." He shook his head and smiled softly down at his lover. "I'm just a man insanely in love."

"With me," Alex answered. "That you could be is a miracle in itself."

"No miracle. You're easy to love."

"Only you would feel that way."

"I know you tried to make it hard for me." Fox placed a brief kiss on the younger man's mouth. "But I could see right through it. I don't know how, but I saw what was truly in your heart."

Alex nodded in agreement. "And you pulled off what no one else in the world could have." He pulled Fox down, brushing the older man's lips with his own. "Magic," he whispered before claiming a soul-deep kiss.

Refusing to release his lover's mouth, Fox rolled them so that Alex was now the one on top. His hands wandered over the length and breadth of Alex's back, kneading and massaging the flexing muscles, and then they moved lower, skimming the rounded curves of his rear.

"Baby," he murmured, breaking from his lover's mouth only long enough to speak.

"Hmmmm."

Fox broke the kiss again and focused a smoldering stare on the man above him.
"Make love to me."

Alex stared down at his lover for all of ten seconds before he came back down for a hungry kiss. With four simple words Fox had turned control over to him, and he accepted it readily, knowing that this was his time to give back. To mesmerize his love...dazzle him...make Fox need him to the point where he couldn't live without him...

Fox's muffled moans vibrated throughout Alex's body as the younger man's tongue insistently searched the warm recesses of his mouth. He caressed and squeezed the muscles of his lover's ass, enjoying the way they tightened and relaxed beneath his hands, and Alex's steadily swelling cock, pressing into his thigh told him that the younger man was just as ready as he was for more.

Alex pulled himself away from Fox's mouth and went for his throat, sucking at the vulnerable flesh before dragging his tongue over it in a soothing gesture. When he had the older man sufficiently squirming, he worked his way down, paying homage to his lover's chest. Not an inch of skin was ignored as Alex bathed Fox's upper body, and he took special care to give plenty of attention to the nipples that had gone rigid hours ago as Fox sat on the plane thinking about having Alex naked and in his arms...

Fox sucked in a shuddering breath, and he arched against his lover's mouth, silently asking for more.

Alex suckled the brown peak harder, and his tongue flicked rapidly over the tip, pulling a demanding moan from the older man. He released that nipple then teased the other, gently nipping and pulling at it with his teeth while he reached into the open nightstand drawer for more condoms.

While tearing open the first packet, Alex traced a moist trail down his lover's quivering abs, lingering at his navel to tease the indentation. Then he placed the rubber over the tip of Fox's straining cock and began to roll it down the rest of the way with his mouth.

"God," Fox gasped. "Oh, Jesus...Alex...baby, please..."

Slowly, Alex moved downward, taking more and more of Fox's ample length down his throat, not stopping until his nose was buried in the crisp hair that surrounded the base. As Fox whimpered his pleasure, Alex began to lift his head, sucking gently as his tongue slithered over the latex-sheathed surface.
Fox's head rolled from side to side on the pillow, and as one hand clenched tightly in the pillow beneath his head, the other curled around the sable strands of his lover's hair.

"Oh, my...ah, shhhh..." He held tightly to the silk between his fingers and thrust upward, trying to sink back into the warmth that had enveloped him just seconds before. "Suck me, baby. Come on, please. Feels so..."

Fox's mouth fell open and a deep, mewling sound pushed up from his throat as Alex sank back down, swallowing his entire length.

"God, I love you," he panted. "Love you...love you so..."

Fox's words died on a desperate cry as Alex released him and turned dark eyes up to his face.

"Don't stop," the older man begged. Please, don't..."

"But you won't last another two minutes if I don't," Alex argued softly, stroking his lover's thighs. "Will you?"

Fox hesitated then shook his head. "But I...I have to come." He opened his eyes and gave Alex his most desperate look. "Please, Alex."

"Soon," Alex whispered, leaning down and brushing his lips over his lover's cock. The shaft jumped as Fox whined softly, but Alex moved away, licking the sensitive flesh of his inner thigh.

Fox hissed between gritted teeth, and he writhed uncontrollably at his lover's caress.

"Easy," Alex murmured, planting his hands on Fox's hips to hold him still. He picked a spot and fastened his mouth to it, marking his lover as he had been marked. His grip on Fox's hips firmed as the older man began to thrash, and he maintained pressure, releasing his lover only when he was ready.

Fox lay gasping softly as Alex bathed the wounded area, and emitted a surprised grunt when he was turned over and now lay face down on the mattress. Gentle hands moved over him, stroking and massaging, and he relaxed a bit.

Alex listened to the faint moan, and he smiled.
"Good?"

The golden-brown head moved up and down in an affirmative nod, and matching eyelashes swept down over dilated eyes.

"I could touch you forever. Such soft skin. Flawless," Alex mused, letting his hands glide again and again over Fox's back. "Strong," he croaked, skipping to the long, runner's legs. "Beautiful," he gasped, letting his hands now wander up over the perfect, taut ass. He bent and followed the path his hands had taken with his mouth, kissing and licking a wide path downward.

Fox flinched every so often as Alex hit on a sensitive spot, moaning his pleasure. As the younger man moved lower, he became restless, anticipating his body's reaction when Alex reached his...

The younger man's mouth grazed the curve of his ass, and his hips bucked once before Alex's hands again steadied them.

"God...ohhhh, God..."

Alex's mouth and hands worked in unison, worshipping the twin mounds of flesh. Fox quivered beneath him, the older man's fingers clutching the sheets and pulling them away from the mattress.

He wanted to speak. Wanted to beg and plead for more, but his voice wouldn't work. And dammit, he knew he'd be asking for something he couldn't have. But Jesus, the thought of it...

A purely feral groan arose from the older man's throat as Alex marked him again, and when it was done, he began to whimper frantically.

Gently shushing his lover, Alex rose into a kneeling position and put his own condom on. After applying the lube, he leaned over Fox and delicately licked the back of his neck.

"Let me in, baby," he grated against the soft skin. "Let me make love to you."

Fox bent his knees slightly, raising his ass in offering to his lover, and Alex lay over him, gently guiding his cock in past the tight opening. To his eternal frustration, when Alex was finally buried as deeply as he could be, he simply relaxed, kissing the back of Fox's neck and shoulders.

"Alex," Fox moaned breathily, pushing against the younger man.

"Take it easy," Alex purred against Fox's cheek, withdrawing almost all the way, then performing a series of slow, shallow thrusts.

Fox pressed his face into the pillows, sounding a low, sobbing hum, and only when Alex pushed all the way home in one firm thrust did he lift his head. His mouth fell open on a rapturous cry as his lover unerringly hit his prostate, and his cock throbbed terribly at the indirect stimulation.

"My beautiful Fox."

More teasing thrusts as Alex nipped at the side of Fox's neck then pressed his cheek to his lover's.

"I love you so much..."

Another hard thrust, and another loud cry.

"Need you to know. Please know that it's true..."

Fox knew. Though there was no way he could articulate that at the moment, he was as sure of Alex's love as he was of his own.

Using the only reliable method of response currently at his disposal, he turned his head, his lips making contact with the younger man's.

Alex accepted the kiss, immediately taking charge and feeding ravenously on Fox's mouth while his hips moved in flawless rhythm. He swallowed every moan, every sob, gauging each, and when he was sure that Fox had had more than enough, his own body screamed in agreement. He broke the kiss, incurring a torrent of whimpered protests, but the older man's objections faded into a succession of desperate pleas as he slipped his hand between Fox and the bed and grasped his tortured cock gently.

"Yes, Alex...oh God, I need you. Don't tease...please, no more," Fox sobbed, finding his voice as he began to buck against his lover.

"No more," Alex repeated, reassuring the desperate man just before beginning to milk Fox in time to his increasingly more powerful thrusts.

Fox's loud, frantic cries flooded the room, immediately followed by those of the younger man. He collapsed to the bed, gasping for breath as Alex fell, sprawling bonelessly over his spent body. They lay that way for longer than either would be able to remember, then Alex stirred.

Having already slipped out of his lover, he peeled the condom off of his spent cock and dropped it into the small waste paper basket that they'd taken to leaving beside the bed. Fox began to move then, moaning softly and wiggling onto his back. Alex removed his condom as well and discarded it, then sank into his arms, purring softly as Fox lovingly stroked his back.

"Jesus, you know how to drain me dry," Fox whispered, kissing the top of Alex's head. "Still can't feel parts of me."

In answer, Alex hugged him tightly, rubbing his head against the underside of the stubble-roughened chin.

Fox tilted his head, resting his cheek in the glossy, sable hair and closed his eyes.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"'M so tired now..."

Alex shifted onto his back, pulling Fox into his arms. He tenderly stroked the golden-brown hair brushing the underside of his chin with one hand while the other caressed Fox's back.

"Sleep," he commanded softly.

The older man sighed, nestling comfortably against his chest. "How you feel?" he asked, already on his way to slumber.

"I'm okay," Alex assured his weary lover, kissing his head. "You made sense of everything, and I'm fine."

Fox uttered a satisfied moan and drifted quietly into sleep.

Alex lay listening to the silence that was broken only every so often by a soft sigh or the rustle of sheets as Fox shifted. His hand continuously moved in a rhythmic sweep up and down the older man's back, and he stared unblinking up at the ceiling

"It all makes sense," he whispered almost inaudibly. "Everything's fine."

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

The petite redhead walked into the office and stood in front of the desk, blue eyes boring into the back of the man's head.

"Good afternoon, sir."

Skinner spun around from his spot at the window, genuinely surprised to see Scully standing there.

"Agent Scully." He looked to the door then back at the woman.
"Where's Mulder?"

"He stayed at home, sir, after dropping off his things. He'll be in tomorrow."

"...Is he not well?"

//I'll say.//

"He's all right, he...he just said he'd see me tomorrow. I'm not exactly sure what his reasons were for staying home."

There was a brief stretch of silence before Skinner responded.

"But you have some idea."

No answer.

"It's got something to do with Krycek, you think."

"I..." Scully shrugged, glancing down at the floor before returning her gaze to the A.D. "...I really don't know. Could be. I know Mulder was far from happy about leaving Krycek to go to North Carolina."

"I don't understand that. Krycek's a big boy. When did he suddenly become unable to look after himself?"

Scully shook her head, an angry light coming into her eyes. "It's Mulder, sir. He's built this whole big fantasy around Krycek."

"Fantasy?" Skinner prodded, hoping for some clue. An understanding of Scully's recent actions.
"Yes, sir. He's made Krycek out to be this poor, misunderstood, used and abused baby, who prostitutes himself not because he's a filthy low life, but because circumstances forced him into it."

The man's eyes narrowed on his agent.

"You said he prostitutes. Are you saying that you think he still..."

"I'm not saying anything definitely," Scully interrupted. "I just wouldn't put anything past him."

Skinner nodded then changed the subject.
"Are you going to get started on the report?"

"I suppose so. There's nothing else to do until Mulder gets in tomorrow."

"I won't keep you then."

Scully nodded and exited the office, leaving Skinner staring after her.

"And, Agent Scully, I suppose I'd better not put anything past you, either."

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

Six-thirty.

Scully walked into her apartment, tossing her keys and purse down onto the dining table.

Carrying the large manilla folder with her, she rounded the table and walked into the kitchen, where she flipped a switch and turned on the lights under the cabinets. Moving the coffee maker out of the way, she opened up the folder and pulled out almost two dozen pictures, spreading them out along the counter top. She studied the photos, some good quality, some grainy. A few didn't come out at all, and she cursed the morons she'd asked to do the job for her.

Oh, well. No matter. She had enough pictures here to sufficiently do the damage she needed them to do.

She picked up a good, clear shot and a cold sweat broke out over her upper lip.

//Are you really prepared to show these to him? You know how devastated Mulder'll be when he sees some strange man fucking Krycek in his apartment? In his bed?//

//Don't worry about that. Don't even think it. Just look at that body. Think about what you want. There's no way in hell Krycek will want Mulder to see these, and he'll do anything you tell him.//

Talking herself into a more positive state of mind, she gathered the pictures and put them away, then went to find herself some dinner.

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

Alex opened his eyes and squinted around the room.

Had he really fallen asleep?

His wandering gaze fell on the alarm clock, and he read the numbers.

Seven thirty-two.

He shook himself awake and arose, grabbing some underwear and a t-shirt out of his dresser. Quickly slipping into the garments, he padded into the living room and looked around.

No Fox.

Just as he was about to call out, the sound of cookware hitting the stove drew his attention to the kitchen. He moved in that direction and found Fox in front of the counter, opening a box of pasta. The older man detected his presence and turned around, smiling broadly.

"You were so out of it, I didn't expect you to wake up for quite some time."

Alex ran a hand through his hair and approached his lover.

"I don't even remember falling asleep."

He reached Fox and wound his arms around the other man's waist as he was pulled into a tender embrace.

"Hungry?" Fox asked, dropping a few kisses into Alex's hair.

"A little," he answered, lifting the lid to the larger pot on the stove and sniffing at the sauce that had only just begun to simmer. "Smells good." He replaced the lid and returned his attention to Fox. "How long have you been up?"

"'Bout an hour. I hadn't had much of an appetite in North Carolina, and I'd only just then realized that I was starving. I thought you might be hungry too, whenever you woke up, so I decided to get some dinner made."

"Thank you," Alex croaked, lowering his head to his lover's shoulder.
"How d'you feel?"

"Fine."

Fox slipped a hand under Alex's cheek and lifted his head. He stared intently at the younger man, then asked, "Are you sure?"

Alex gave his lover a soft smile. "You're home. Of course I'm fine."

The two men shared a gentle kiss before Alex looked at the boiling water.
"Need some help?"

"Sure, if you don't mind. That way we can eat sooner and just relax the rest of the night. You want a salad with this?"

"Uh..." Alex looked at the pots then the refrigerator. "Yeah. I guess so." He retreated to the bathroom for a few minutes then returned and set about preparing the salad while Fox wrapped some Italian bread in foil and stuck it in the oven. The two worked quietly together, one every so often offering the other a soft smile or loving touch. When everything was finished, they carried it all out to the dining room and sat together, enjoying the meal and each other's company.

"You never told me how come you got home early," Alex said after a long silence. "Did I misunderstand?"

"No, I was able to get an earlier flight, so I did."

"You? What about Scully."

"Yeah, her too."

"Oh. I was so surprised to see you."

"I couldn't wait to get home," Fox explained, skimming the underside of the younger man's jaw with two fingers. You sounded so bad that night you called me. I should've hung up and got the first available flight out right then. Never again," he promised the younger man.

"Don't say that, Fox," Alex pleaded softly. "You can't just flush a case because I've had a nightmare. If it happens again, I'll know how to handle it."

"But you shouldn't have to handle it alone." Fox stopped and smiled. "I can see that we're just going to go round and round with this. What d'you say we just agree to disagree, huh?"

"That means that you're not going to listen to a word I say on the subject, right? You're just going to go ahead and do exactly what you want to do?"

Fox grinned, and popped a piece of bread into his mouth.

"You got it, baby."

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

"I should be mad at you."

"But?"

The sable head lifted, and Alex trained a loving gaze on the other man.

"You're so damn sweet to me. Makes it impossible to stay rational."

"So, stop arguing with me, and just go with it."

The younger man emitted a soft breath and turned his attention back to his food.

Fox raised and dropped his eyebrows, grinning at how easy that was, and dug into his pasta. Two hours later, the kitchen was cleaned up, everything put away, and the men retreated to the bedroom, where they made love for a relatively brief amount of time before Alex began to show signs of extreme fatigue.

"God," he sighed from the shelter of Fox's arms, "I can't believe how tired I am."

"How much sleep did you get over the course of three days?"

"Don't know. I never really got out of bed, so I lost track of time. But I'd keep sleeping and waking up.

"And you wonder why? Interrupted sleep isn't good."

"Used to get a lot less sleep, and for longer periods than this," Alex murmured, brushing his fingers through the light scattering of hair, "and I never felt this tired."
"You were never able to really relax, were you?"

"Not like this. There were times when I'd just hang around the apartment and do nothing all day, but I don't think I can truthfully say that my mind and body were at rest." He brushed a kiss over Fox's chest. "This is so different from what I've known for most of my life. No 'jobs' to do. Nobody to double cross...no blaring horns and dingy motel rooms..." He wrapped his arms around Fox, an turned his face into the older man's chest. "I have a home. Someplace safe and clean. And someone who loves me in spite of who I was...I'll never make you sorry, Fox."

"I know that," Fox assured the younger man, hearing the anguish that rarely completely left his voice. He said nothing more, hoping that the silence and the caress of his hand up and down Alex's back would lull him into sleep. A short time later, it did just that.

Fox lay listening to the soft exchange of breath and felt Alex's muscles relax beneath his wandering hand, and he knew he was asleep. A long sigh hissed out between his parted lips, and he began to think again about the last few days, mentally kicking himself in the ass for not being here for Alex when he needed him.

He'd heard the argument from Alex, time and time again, and he was sure that he'd hear it again...several more times...'I'm all right, Fox. I'm a big boy, I can handle it, you have a job to do...' Blah, blah, blah. But the job didn't mean jack shit to him if Alex wasn't emotionally secure. Fox wouldn't let him go through another few days like he just had again.

He kissed the silky sable head and closed his eyes.

Not a chance in hell.

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

Go to Part 10

Back to Index