The Best Laid Plans
The snow is in the north
From deep into the night
Rain on my face is like a river
If you don't come back to me
You're Losing Me—Zucchero
Attached to his side, arm wound through his, the young man scanned the room,
noting that there were several others like him. Pampered-looking and well
dressed. Alert and anxious. Ready to jump, with nothing more than a word or a
tiny crook of the finger of the men they were with.
He observed them, curious about their situations. Were they happy? Here by
choice, or were they like him? Prisoners, playing along with the game, because
it's all they could do...
One thing that he did notice that was different about most of them, was that
they were apparently able to talk and mingle with others. He'd never been
allowed.
A light tug brought his attention back to where it belonged.
Cold, gray eyes searched the room as the two men continued to move. A delighted
smile curved the older man's lips as he found who he'd been looking for.
"Morgan!"
A short, snub-nosed, and altogether unpleasant looking man rose to his feet,
smiling.
"Justin, old man! How the hell are you?"
"Quite well. How was France?"
"Wonderful. Six months on the Riviera should be a requirement for everyone."
"Well," Justin chuckled, "Some of us do have businesses to run, you
know... did you uh... bring back anything interesting?"
"Sadly, no. I indulged in a couple of lovely dalliances, but none were looking
for anything beyond that." He eyed his friend's silent companion and grinned.
"I see you have a new one."
"Ah, yes. Matthew has been with me for about six months, now."
"Looks young."
"Twenty-four," Justin announced proudly.
The other man moved in for closer inspection. He cast a lascivious grin at his
friend. "May I?"
"Certainly."
The young man flinched as one pudgy hand rose to stroke his face.
"Soft."
Justin cocked one gray eyebrow. "Would you care to give him a try?"
The young man's head snapped around toward the sound of Justin's voice. He
stared in mute shock.
"That would be lovely. You really wouldn't mind?"
"Certainly not. Consider it my welcome home gift. Just remember my rules about
the face."
"I will." He leaned in and lightly nuzzled Matthew's ear. "You and I dear boy,
are going to have a marvelous time." He then turned his attention back to the
other man. "I really must run, now."
"Already? But the entertainment will be beginning soon."
"I know. I wish I could stay, but Malcolm Lang will have my head if I don't get
over to his place, tonight. I've been promising since I got back."
"All right then," Justin's voice oozed disappointment. "Call me this week and
we'll make arrangements for Matthew."
"Oh, I'll certainly do that. Goodnight, Justin."
"Goodnight."
The moment the other man was gone, Matthew turned wide, frightened eyes to his
companion.
"Justin... I don't... I don't want to... please..."
"I'm sorry, Matthew, did you say something?"
"I don't want to go with him. Please don't make me."
"Oh now darling," Justin cooed, stroking the younger man's hair, "Don't be
afraid. Just do what he says and everything will be fine. It's only for one
night."
"I can't, Justin. Please."
The older man curled his fingers in Matthew's hair, pulling to the point of
discomfort. His voice remained smooth and calm as ever. "You can and you will.
There will be no more discussion."
Matthew fell silent, letting the fear in his aqua eyes, do all the talking.
Justin changed the subject. "Now. It's time to prepare for the entertainment
portion of our evening."
"Pre... prepare?"
"Yes... oh, didn't I tell you?" The older man sighed. "Forgive me darling, it
would seem that old Justin is getting quite forgetful in his old age. You are
this evening's entertainment..."
Fox opened his eyes upon hearing the sound of the front door. Before he could
utter a word of greeting, he found himself pinned under ninety pounds of
whining, wagging, excited, German Shepherd.
"Christ! Clyde, you are not a Pomeranian!" he complained, making a
half-hearted attempt at pushing the thirteen month old puppy off of his
chest.
An amused voice came from somewhere above his head. "He's glad you're home."
"Yeah, well, his enthusiasm is going to collapse a lung!"
Alex clapped his hands. "Okay, Clyde. You've had him long enough. My turn."
The dog hopped down, and just as Fox was trying to draw some air back into his
lungs, Alex pounced on him.
"Shit!"
"I'm glad you're home, too," the smoky voice purred just before Alex covered
his mouth in a long, hungry kiss.
Fox growled up at his lover after he was finally released. "I'm glad that
you're glad."
Alex planted another quick kiss on his lips, then lowered his head to Fox's
chest. "How was Detroit?"
"Dirty... and a colossal waste of time. Scully was pissed."
"Well, you couldn't know that until you got there."
"She kept saying even before we left, that she had a feeling that it'd turn out
to be a waste. Now I owe her a dinner."
Alex shook with silent laughter, but said nothing.
"...A home cooked dinner..."
The dark head lifted. "Oh, I get it. You get yourself into trouble with
Scully, and I have to bail you out."
Fox grinned up at him.
"You know, I remember you telling me once that you were going to learn to cook,
or was that just bullshit?"
Fox shrugged. "That was just bullshit."
"Yeah? Well guess what? You're going to make her dinner. You. By
yourself."
"Alex..."
"I don't care if it's grilled cheese..."
"Alexei..."
"On paper plates..."
"I love you..."
"Forget it. You're not going to get me with that, this time."
Fox slid one hand down his lover's back a brought it to rest on the curve of
his ass. Holding Alex steady, he pushed up with his hips, grinding their
hardening cocks together. "Baby..." he moaned into the other man's ear.
Alex groaned softly, writhing slowly against him. "Shit... is baked stuffed
shrimp, okay?"
The young man lay in a miserable heap on his bed. He'd only recently returned
from Morgan's house, and all he could think to do, was collapse onto his bed
and try to shut out the horrible memory of the man's touch, the sickening smell
of his aftershave... his hot, stale breath...
Matthew rolled over onto his back and winced. He immediately moved onto his
side, breathing deeply to try and quell the wave of nausea that accompanied the
rush of pain. His eyes welled with tears as he relived the whipping and
humiliation he'd been subjected to.
What was it with these men and beatings? Justin had him whipped on the odd
occasion as well, not so much for discipline, he'd learned long ago to
behave. It was more a reminder, Justin said. In case he'd ever entertained
any thoughts of rebellion.
The perverted bastard would sit there, stroking himself through his pants,
while the beating took place. Then, when it was over, he'd make Matthew get
down on his knees and suck him off, right then and there. Only after he'd
performed, was he allowed to clean up and have his wounds attended to.
Sometimes Justin himself, would bathe him and apply salve to the nasty red
welts on his back, all the while, cooing and purring at him, making the agony
ten times worse.
Morgan had him whipped last night, for the sheer pleasure of it. He made
Matthew get down on his hands and knees, and while he took him from behind,
another man kneeled in front of him, shoving his cock again and again down his
throat. Everytime he gagged, a third man would give him one lash with a thick,
leather belt. Eight lashes in all. Each one harder than the last. His muffled
screams only served to excite Morgan further. The man pounded relentlessly into
him, groaning heavily as he emptied himself into the young man's trembling
body. The man in front of him came seconds later, spurting into his mouth and
over part of his cheek and chin.
When they'd finished with him, Morgan ordered that he be cleaned up and
returned to Justin in the morning, along with a large fruit basket and a note
of thanks.
Matthew wept bitter tears of regret, wishing with all his heart that he had not
taken Justin up on his offer so many months ago. But the man was so poised and
elegant. And convincing. He'd wined and dined Matthew several times. Bought him
expensive gifts, promised travel and adventure...
Oh, it was an adventure, all right. One he'd never have wished on his worst
enemy. Now he was trapped, with no way that he could see, out of it.
He'd had opportunities. They were alone, plenty of times. He was young. At
least thirty years younger than Justin... he could probably easily overpower the
man... kill him if he needed to, but... he was weak. Not physically weak, Justin
saw to it that he was kept in shape. Made for a prettier picture, when they
went out together. His weakness lay in the mind. Justin had broken him down so
completely, it was impossible for him to even consider such action.
So, this was it. This was his life. He was a toy. To be used and abused on the
whim of a rich man, who was apparently not unwilling to lend him out to his
friends. And when he was used up... when he'd served his purpose and was no
longer good looking and young... which at this rate, wouldn't be long at all,
he'd probably be disposed of and a new young, unsuspecting man would take his
place.
Matthew closed his eyes, wishing that he would never open them again.
"Alex, why do you let him get away with this stuff?" Scully asked between
mouthfuls of the succulent shrimp. "He dragged me down to Detroit," she
complained, jabbing her fork in Fox's direction, "after I told him that it
was going to be a waste of time, from the word go. He owed me the dinner,
not you. How does he do it?"
Alex looked from Scully to his lover, who was resting his head on one hand, and
doing one of those irresistible, pouty things with his mouth. He shook his head
and replied, voice filled with adoration, "He plays dirty."
Three hours later, Scully thanked Alex for a wonderful meal, gave Fox a
disgusted grunt, and left.
The two men watched her pull away from the house, then closed the door. Fox
immediately wound his arms around Alex.
"Thanks, baby."
Alex locked his arms around Fox's waist. "You really want to thank me?"
A slow smile curved his lover's full mouth. "What, saying it wasn't enough?"
Alex displayed a flash of white teeth. "Did you think it would be?"
Fox leaned forward, and gently ran his tongue along Alex's lower lip. He
stopped, and turned gold-splashed eyes up to deep green. The gold disappeared
behind heavily-fringed lids, as he tenderly covered Alex's lips with his own.
Their tongues mated, stroking and tasting the faint flavor of shrimp and wine.
Fox swept the interior of Alex's mouth once more, then broke the kiss. He gave
the younger man a knowing smirk. "Thanks, enough?"
Alex brought his hands around to the front of Fox's shirt and began to undo the
buttons, and back him toward the sofa. "Oh no, lisa... I'll let you know when
it's enough..."
"Matthew! Darling, you're back." Justin swept into the young man's room and
seated himself at the edge of the bed. He reached out to stroke the light brown
head. "How was your evening?"
The young man shuddered at the question. Tormented, bloodshot eyes turned up
to look into he older man's face. "It hurts," he said in a small, unsteady
voice.
"Hmm? What hurts?"
"My... my back. He had... he had me... me... beaten."
Justin's expression turned faintly disapproving. "Did you misbehave,
Matthew?"
"No! No, I swear... I swear, I didn't. He just did it for... for fun. Please,
Justin. Please say you'll never make me go back there. He's terrible..."
"Now, now, Matthew. Calm yourself. It's all right. Morgan meant you no real
harm. He's just a bit frustrated, I think. He hasn't had a steady relationship
for quite some time." He leaned in to speak into the prone man's ear. "You
see... just between you and me, Morgan isn't the most attractive of men in his
older years. He can't even buy steady companionship, and it's very upsetting
for him. That story about his encounters on the Riviera were just that.
Stories. I happen to know that he spent those six months very much alone. He's
my friend, and I feel sorry for him. That's why I sent you to him. To see if
maybe you couldn't cheer him up a bit. I am sorry that you didn't enjoy the
evening." Justin eyed Matthew intently. "It wasn't anything like you and I, was
it?"
Matthew closed his eyes and fought to control the trembling of his lip. "N-no."
"You love being in my bed, don't you, darling?"
"Yes... yes, Justin."
Justin smiled coldly and whispered, "Of course you do. I'd take you there now,
my love, but I have to be out of town for a few days."
"A few days?" Matthew didn't know whether to be relieved or hurt, that Justin
would leave him after what he'd been through.
"Yes, love. But don't worry, I shall leave explicit instructions with the
staff. As always, they will take excellent care of you in my absence. And when
I return, we'll have some time alone together. You would like that, yes?"
Weary eyes flitted away. "Yes."
"Tres bien. Now, I must go." Justin planted a soft kiss on unresponsive lips,
then rose from the bed. He called over his shoulder, as he walked to the door.
"I'll bring back something nice for you." And then he was gone.
"Have you got everything?"
"Yeah."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Mother."
Alex gave his lover a playful swat on the ass. "One day, I'm just going to let
you leave without something important. Then you'll appreciate my double
checks."
"I managed just fine for years, Alex."
"Oh, okay. So you don't need me..."
"You know I didn't mean it that way."
Alex turned away and waited. Any second now...
He smiled as he felt Fox's arms come around his chest.
"You know I need you, baby..."
Unable to resist, Fox nuzzled the ear by his mouth, tickling the interior with
the tip of his tongue.
Alex giggled and shrugged away. "No, no. You're gonna be late if you start
that. If Scully's gotta wait for you one more time, she'll kill us both." He
picked up Fox's garment bag and headed for the door. "Let's go."
Fox followed the younger man out to the driveway, grumbling the entire time.
Alex popped the trunk, and he lifted his suitcase into the compartment.
As was their custom, they said their good-byes at home. Alex closed the trunk
and leaned against it, as Fox pressed into him.
"I'll call you when I get there," Fox promised, just before bestowing a brief
kiss on Alex's lips.
Alex nodded. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
Mischievous smirk. "Even though you don't need me?"
Fox grasped a handful of dark hair and tilted Alex's head back, a bit. "What
did I tell you about that?"
"I don't know," Alex purred. "Remind me."
Fox's mouth came down hard on his, drinking in all the sweetness he could, in
the few seconds they had.
When they separated, Alex grinned at him, and rocked against his very
noticeable erection. "Better put your jacket on."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Any time."
Fox turned to Clyde, who had followed them out of the house, and was standing
at his feet. He scratched the dog's head. "Later, Clyde. Keep him out of
trouble, okay?"
The dog's tail swept back and forth in a wide, lazy arc, and he whined softly.
"Okay, Clyde," Alex clapped his hands. "In the house. We gotta go."
The dog followed him to the house, and trotted inside. Alex closed the door
behind him, and when he returned to the car, Fox was waiting for him in the
passenger's seat. One more long kiss, and Alex pulled out of the driveway.
Scully was waiting outside of her building, when they arrived. She glanced down
at her watch, then gave Fox a scowl.
"What? Come on, Scully, we're not more than a few minutes late."
"It was his fault," Alex offered as he took Scully's bags from her and laid
them in the trunk.
"That's nice," Fox said, opening the rear door for Scully. "One little look
from her, and you just roll over on me..."
"As far as I'm concerned, one of you is just as guilty as the other," Scully
interrupted, as they all got into the car. "Let's just get going before we miss
our flight."
They arrived at the airport with time to spare. Alex stopped in front of the
terminal, and popped the trunk. As they removed the bags, Alex snuck a pinch at
his lover's ass, insuring that his flagging erection was revived. Fox flinched
and gave him a lustful glare. Alex smiled sweetly at him.
"Have a good trip. Be careful, both of you."
"I'll call you tonight," Fox said softly.
Alex nodded.
Scully tugged on Fox's arm and started to walk inside. "Thanks for the ride,
Alex. See you in a few days."
"Bye, Scully," Alex called, never taking his eyes off of his retreating lover.
Fox stopped at the doors, and glanced back once more. Alex puckered his lips in
a tiny trace of a kiss, and his lover smiled, before disappearing inside the
terminal.
The elegantly dressed man stood at the wall-length window of his hotel room,
looking out at the panoramic view of the city, but not really seeing a thing.
He held the phone to his ear, listening to the profuse apologies of the man on
the other end.
"Mr. Saint James, please. I beg you to reconsider. Don't pull your accounts. It
was an honest error. One I guarantee you, will never be repeated. The team at
fault has been fired. Every last one of them..."
"It will take more than that, Mr. Phillips. Much more than that, before I would
even consider resuming our association."
"Give me your conditions, Mr. Saint James. I'll do everything in my power to
accommodate you."
Justin smiled. "I'll have to think on that, Mr. Phillips. I'll be in touch."
Before the voice on the other end could reply, Justin disconnected and
called to his assistant. "Frank?"
A good looking, middle-aged man of medium height and build, appeared from the
other room. "Yes, sir?"
"Call the club and tell Jerome that I'm in town, and that I'd like to drop in
this evening."
"Very good, sir." The man retreated into the room from which he had come,
leaving Justin to turn back to the view. One side of his mouth turned upward,
as he anticipated an amusing evening.
New York City was one of his favorite places to be.
"I'm sorry Mulder, I just don't see the correlation." Even at this slower pace,
Scully had to walk twice as fast to keep up with her partner's long strides.
"What have three eviscerated transients got to do with a blackout? This is
New York. Both, I would guess, are fairly common."
"Three blackouts, Scully, all occurring at the same time as each of the
deaths. You don't find that just a little bit suspect?"
"No! When better to commit a crime? It's dark. Less chance of being
seen..."
"June ninth, twelfth, seventeenth, and twenty-second, nineteen ninety. Same
thing happened in Chicago. No killer was ever found. M.E. never could determine
what kind of weapon was used, either."
"Well, let's just wait until all the reports come back, okay? Then you can
start speculating."
Fox smiled and changed the subject. "The restaurant was great, wasn't it? I'd
like to take Alex there, sometime. He'd love it."
Scully observed her partner's wistful expression and shook her head. "It's only
been a day, Mulder."
"I know. I miss him, what can I say?"
They walked up to the entrance to their hotel, and stepped inside.
"You're going to call him the second you get in your room, aren't you?"
"No..." Fox grinned. "I'm going to take my jacket off, first."
They boarded the elevator, and traveled in silence, up to the third floor. They
stopped at Scully's door, and said goodnight. Once she was safely inside, Fox
unlocked the door to his adjoining room, and entered.
He removed his jacket and tie, flinging them across the back of a chair, then
fell onto the bed, and picked up the phone. He punched in his home number, and
waited only two rings before hearing the soft hello.
"It's me," he said in an equally soft tone.
"Have a good day?"
"Depends on what you call good, I guess."
"Good, is you having cracked this case, and calling to tell me that your pretty
ass is on a plane back home, tomorrow."
"It sucked."
"Damn."
Fox sighed into the phone. "I miss you, baby."
Brief silence, then, "What are you doing?"
"Talking to you."
"Lonely?"
"Very. You?"
"You know I am. We are you?"
"On the bed. Where are you?"
"Couch."
"Going to bed, soon?"
"I guess. Nothing else to do."
"Why don't you go, right now?"
"You don't want to talk to me anymore?"
"Of course I do. I just want to talk to you while you're in bed."
Silence.
"Are you going?"
"On my way... okay, I'm here."
Fox unbuttoned and removed his shirt, then started to unbuckle his belt. "Get
undressed and lie down."
More silence, then, "Okay."
"All your clothes are off?"
"Uh-huh. What about you?"
"Just... yeah. You haven't changed the sheets, have you?"
"No."
"You want to be able to smell me..."
"Yeah..."
"I can smell you if I close my eyes and concentrate..." Fox sighed softly. "I
can taste you..."
"Mmmmm..."
"What are you doing?"
"Suffering like you wouldn't believe."
"Why?"
Hoarse moan. "I need you."
"Close your eyes."
"They're already closed."
"Good. Think of us together. I'm there with you, baby. Right beside you,
kissing those lips. Can you feel my tongue inside your mouth?
"Yes..."
"What does it taste like?"
"Spaghetti sauce... Mountain Dew... double chocolate brownies..."
Fox laughed softly. "All that?"
"You asked..."
Another chuckle. "Can you feel my hand on your chest?"
"Yeah."
"Touch your chest, Alex. Skim your fingertips over the skin." Fox continued to
speak while he touched himself in the same manner. "Brush them over your
nipples." Alex's soft moan hardened his already solid erection, even more. "Do
you like that?"
"Yes," Alex breathed into the phone.
"It's my hand baby. Those are my fingers teasing you." Fox grasped his own
nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and pulled gently. "Pinch your nipple,
Alex." The soft gasp told him that his instructions were being followed. "A
little harder... twist it... that's right. I can hear you panting. Is it good?"
"So good," the voice on the other end whimpered.
"I know. Do you want me to touch your cock?"
"Yes."
"Tell me."
"Touch my cock."
"Beg me for it."
"Fox, please. Please touch me. I need it so much."
"All right, baby." Fox moved his hand down to his own cock. "I need you to
touch me too. Easy though, okay?"
"Okay."
Fox's fingers moved slowly and gently over the length of his erection. "That's
it. Oh yeah, Alex. That's it. Nice and slow." A long, low moan reached his ear,
triggering an almost identical reaction. He circled the head, spreading over
it, the bead of fluid at the tip. "Play with the head... is it slick?"
"Yes..."
"Taste it, Alex." Fox raised his fingers to his own mouth, and sucked on them.
"What does it taste like?"
"You."
Fox smiled into the phone. "I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to
explode. Will you come with me?"
"Yes, lisa. Please..."
"Wrap your hand around your cock." Fox did the same to himself. "It's me
squeezing you. I'm stroking you baby, loving you. I love your cock, Alex. It's
so beautiful."
The breathing on the other end grew erratic. "Fox..."
"My beautiful baby..." Fox's hand moved faster, and his clipped grunts prompted
Alex to quicken his pace. "Faster, Alex. Faster. Are you with me? Come with
me..."
"I'm with you... oh God, I'm..."
Alex's harsh cries were almost immediately followed by those of his lover. They
faded away, and all that was left were soft whimpers and heavy, rasping
struggles for breath. Alex was the first to recover enough to speak.
"You ever think of becoming a one-nine hundred operator? You'd make a fortune."
Fox laughed softly into the phone. "You wouldn't really appreciate that much,
would you?"
"Actually, no. I don't want you talking dirty to anyone but me."
"Didn't think so."
"What time is it?"
"Uh... ten fifteen."
"I've got an early day. I should probably get some sleep."
"Yeah, okay."
"Hey."
"What?"
"That was nice. Very nice, but..."
"But what?"
"I want to fall asleep with my arms around you."
"I know. Soon, lisa. Just hurry up and get the damn case solved, okay?"
"I'll move it along as fast as I can."
"Okay. Go to sleep, now."
"Night, Alex."
"Goodnight."
Alex dropped the cordless phone onto the nightstand, and rolled out of bed. He
walked to the bathroom, washed the semen from his hand and stomach, then fell
back into bed, pulling one of Fox's pillows to his chest. He buried his face in
the soft cotton, inhaling the faint scent of his lover. His eyes drifted shut,
and he fell asleep, soon afterward.
"Those are the conditions, Mr. Phillips. Take them or leave them."
"Well... um..." Phillips looked over the four page document. "I'll um... I'll see
what I can do. I'll let you know tomorrow..."
"You'll let me know, today. By four o'clock."
"But that's only three hours from now."
"Not exactly the can-do attitude I expect, Mr. Phillips. Maybe your company is
not the place for my accounts, after all..."
Justin rose to leave, but Phillips' pleading tone stopped him.
"No. Please. I'll make it happen, Mr. Saint James, I promise you."
"Now, that's an attitude I can respect. Very well, Mr. Phillips. You have until
four. Now, let's finish our lunch. This trout is too good to waste."
As Phillips dug into his lunch, Justin's attention was suddenly distracted by
the tall man in the dark blue suit, who had just passed them. His eyes flicked
over to the petite red-head walking beside him.
So familiar.
The couple was seated only two tables away, and when the hostess moved from his
line of sight, his eyes narrowed.
It couldn't be. But it is. I would never forget one so beautiful. Imagine,
after all this time, seeing him again.
He watched the man and woman for a few seconds, before another man approached
their table.
"Agent Mulder!" The short, skinny man reached the table. "I'm sorry, I almost
forgot. Are you going back to the M.E.'s office?"
"Yeah. After lunch."
"All right, then. Chief Evans said he'd meet you there."
"Okay, Cassidy. We'll be there in an hour or so."
"I'll let the chief know. Enjoy your lunch."
The man in the cheap suit retreated, leaving the couple alone.
Mulder, Mulder. Agent Mulder.
"FBI?"
"I'm sorry?"
Justin looked to Phillips, realizing that he'd said that out loud. "Nothing."
His eyes refocused on their target. "I must cut our lunch short, Phillips. I
just remembered a prior engagement. I'll expect to hear from you at four."
Before the other man could respond, Justin rose from the table and walked
toward the entrance.
Fox talked softly with Scully, all the while, casting glances around the nearly
deserted restaurant. The man who had just risen from the table a few feet away,
caught his eye, and he stopped conversation.
"Mulder? Mulder, what's up? Why'd you stop in mid-sentence?"
Fox ignored his partner's questions, as he watched the man speaking to the
hostess.
"Mulder!"
"Scully, look at that man."
"What man?" By the time Scully turned around, she could only see the retreating
back. "The man leaving?"
"Yeah."
"What about him?"
"Remember that jerk at the club on Andros?"
Scully shook her head. "I remember the encounter, but I couldn't say as I'd
remember what he looked like, exactly. That was a long time ago, Mulder."
"I know, but I remember well, and I think it's him. In fact, I'd stake my life
on it."
Scully shrugged. "Okay... some coincidence, huh?"
"Yeah."
The appearance of the waiter in front of them, brought the conversation to an
end.
"Justin! How are you, old friend?"
"Fine, Paul. Thank you for making time for me."
"Hey, all you ever have to do is ask. What is it I can do for you?"
"I would like some information on someone. Unfortunately, all I have is a
last name. But, I believe I know what his line of work is."
Paul smirked. "New prospect?"
Justin merely smiled. "Just see what you can find out, all right?"
"All right. What is the name?"
"Mulder."
"Uh huh. And what is it you think he does?"
"I believe he may be an FBI agent."
Paul's head snapped up. "Really."
"Can you find out for sure?"
"Well... yes..."
"I'll make it worth your while."
The other man nodded and began to tap at his computer. A few moments later, he
hit paydirt.
"I've come up with a Fox William Mulder..."
Justin turned from the window he'd been looking out of.
"Born October thirteen, ninety sixty-one, six feet tall, brown hair, hazel
eyes... there's a picture."
Justin leaned over his friend and looked into the eyes of the man he'd seen
earlier at the restaurant.
"Very nice."
"The picture does him no justice, Paul, trust me. So he is a government agent."
Paul hit a few more keys. "Oh, yeah. Look at this stuff. This guy's really
something."
Justin read the information. "Yes, it would appear that he is, indeed.
Brilliant and beautiful."
"I hate to say it my friend, but I think you may be wasting your time with this
one."
Justin cocked his head.
"Federal agent, Justin. Even if he wasn't straight as an arrow, he would
appear to be rather high profile."
Justin thought on the other man's words. "True, true..." A faint smile touched
his lips. "I wonder..."
"Wonder what?"
"Nothing, I just had a thought. Can you print this information for me?"
Minutes later, Justin was holding what he'd asked for.
"Thank you, Paul. I trust you'll be discreet about this meeting?"
"Of course."
"Very good. I'll see you soon."
"Enjoy your stay in New York."
"My friend, it just got a terrible lot more enjoyable."
The agents read the medical examiner's report together. When he was through,
Fox looked over at Scully and smiled.
"Now what?"
"Mulder, this is impossible."
"Just like Chicago..." Mulder sang under his breath.
"Come on, Mulder, there's something they overlooked. There's got to be a
discernable method..."
Fox leaned toward his partner and murmured in her ear, "Not if the method is
extra terrestrial."
"Oh, for the love of..."
"Hey, we've got nothing else, Scully."
Scully closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
"I'd like to bring one of the bodies back to D.C."
"For?"
"Have another exam conducted."
"Mulder..."
"I'm going to talk to Chief Evans." Fox gathered up the reports and headed for
the door. He turned to his partner and tossed her a grin. "You coming?"
Scully groaned and turned to follow him. "Oh, yeah. Right behind you."
Justin Saint James stood at the window of his room, perusing the printout on
Fox Mulder for the fifth time. He closed his eyes and thought back to the club
on Andros. The exquisite man with the ever changing, green-gold eyes and
luscious mouth... his equally exquisite mate with the turbulent green eyes, and
a disposition that was downright feral. He recalled watching them in their
corner booth, Fox... unbelievably fitting name, Fox... pressed into his lover's
side, basking in the glow of his loving attention. The other, Alex, he believed
he heard Fox call him... fiercely protective... dangerously so, yet infinitely
tender with the man at his side. They were the most beautiful thing to watch.
Their devotion to each other fascinated Justin. It still did.
He opened his eyes and released a long, silent breath.
He'd like to know what that felt like. That kind of unwavering adoration.
He laughed to himself.
Didn't exist.
In fact, he'd be willing to bet that the lovely Fox had already been through
another two or three men, since then. Justin had been far and seen much, and
he'd never seen it fail to happen.
Love. Dies.
The brighter it burned, the faster it faded.
Unless it was bought and paid for.
Unless it was... taught.
"Hello?"
"What are you wearing?"
"I told you to stop calling me here. If my boyfriend finds out..."
"Fuck your boyfriend."
Alex uttered a needy moan. "I'd love to, but he isn't here."
Fox laughed softly. "How 'bout tomorrow?"
"Mmmm... you're not teasing me, are you?"
"No, we'll be home tomorrow. Bringing a body back with me."
"Interesting souvenir, Fox. A t-shirt would have been fine, really..."
"Gee, and I was trying so hard to be original... anyway, nobody here can
determine what killed these people. I want to have one of them checked out by a
friend of mine in Baltimore. I'll tell you all about it when I get there."
"Okay... you got your flight information?"
"Yeah. Flight sixty-one, at seven-twenty."
"A.M.?"
"No, p.m."
Mildly irritated sigh. "Figures."
"Sorry, it's the earliest one we could get."
"I'll live till then, I guess."
Fox's tone turned smoky. "You gonna save it for me?"
"You gonna make it worth my while?"
"Don't I always?"
"Yes, you do."
Brief silence, then, "It's late. I have a lot of red tape to go through yet
tomorrow, before I take the body."
"Okay. Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow night."
"I'll call you before we leave."
"All right. Goodnight, lisa."
"Goodnight."
Fox set the phone in the cradle and leaned back into the pillows, smiling at
the thought that this time tomorrow, Alex would be next to him... or on top of
him... possibly under him... he might be behind him. Hell, wherever he'd be,
it'd feel damn good. Fox drifted into sleep with a smile on his face.
"Is the jet ready to go?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very good... oh, and Frank?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Please send Lieutenant Cassidy my usual token of thanks and a note to read,
'Thank you for supplying me with the much needed information. I will not forget
your kindness. JSJ.'"
"Right away, sir."
"When you've taken care of that, you may arrange to have my bags brought down."
The assistant executed a shallow bow, and exited the room.
Justin seated himself at the dining table, and read the information he had on
Fox Mulder for the eighth time.
Fox paced the sidewalk outside of the terminal.
"He's never late, Scully."
Scully sat on her bag, chin resting on her fist. "There's a first time for
everything, Mulder," she said blandly, suppressing a yawn.
Fox pulled out his cell phone and punched in Alex's number.
"How many times are you going to call him?"
"Until I..." Fox disconnected and shoved the phone back into his pocket. The
look of relief that washed over his face, brought Scully's attention to the
curb, where Alex was just pulling up.
Alex jumped out of the car and came toward them.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he began immediately. "I left in plenty of time, but I
got stuck in unbelievable traffic. There was a plane down on the highway..."
Scully arched an eyebrow. "A plane?"
"Yeah. Two seater. Wasn't pretty." He looked to his anxious partner. "Anyway, I
forgot my damn phone at home, so I couldn't call you. I'm sorry, lisa, I know
you must've been worried..."
Alex was cut off in mid apology by his lover's arms clamping around him, and
his mouth, muffling the words.
Scully looked around nervously, but it didn't appear that anyone was watching.
Fox broke the kiss when he was damn good and ready, but refused to let go of
the man in his arms. He buried his face in the side of Alex's neck, and
tightened his arms around him.
Alex stroked his back and whispered into his ear, "Fox... baby... this isn't..."
Fox lifted his head and looked directly into his lover's eyes. "I don't care,"
he murmured softly.
Alex searched the warm, golden depths of his Fox's eyes. "Let's go home."
Fox nodded, and Alex moved away to open the trunk. Fox lifted both bags and
stored them inside.
Scully dropped gratefully into the back seat, and the two men slid into their
seats in the front. Alex pulled away from the curb, and called back to Scully.
"So, I hear you two brought a friend back with you."
"He's no friend of mine," came the salty voice from the back seat.
Fox reached over and stroked Alex's hair, saying nothing.
Alex glanced over to his lover, offering a tiny smile. Fox just continued to
pet him, staring intently.
"What is it?" Alex asked softly.
Fox shook his head slowly, comforting himself with the feel of dark silk,
beneath his fingers.
They rode most of the way in silence, with the exception of a few words passed
between Alex and Scully. As soon as Fox had seen her safely into her apartment,
he and Alex were on their way home. Alex chose to save the questions until
then.
Clyde greeted them enthusiastically, then Alex let him out into the yard. When
he came into the bedroom, Fox was unpacking. Alex came up behind him and
slipped his arms around his waist. Fox dropped the shirt he was holding, and
turned in the younger man's arms. He immediately sought Alex's mouth, kissing
him as though he never would again.
Alex pulled away after long seconds, gasping for breath. "Fox... lisa... what
is it? What's the matter?"
"I missed you," Fox replied, coming in for another kiss.
After a while, Alex pulled away again... "That's not all there is to it. You've
been gone much longer than this, and haven't acted this way."
"What way?"
"I don't know, you seem almost... scared."
Fox's eyes lowered to the floor. "I... I don't know... I can't explain it, Alex."
He looked back up into concerned, green eyes. You weren't even that late,
but... for some reason, I was scared to death."
Alex shrugged. "I would have been worried too, if the situations were
reversed."
"No, Alex. Not worried. Scared out of my mind. I can't explain why. I don't
know..."
Alex pulled his lover into his arms. Fox rested his head on the shoulder in
front of him and let himself be stroked and comforted.
"It's all right, lisa. Whatever it is that had you so scared, you can see now,
that everything's okay."
Fox tightened his fingers in the back of Alex's shirt. "I need you," he
whispered into the curve of his shoulder. "Please."
Alex threaded his fingers through the golden-brown hair and lifted Fox's head.
He bestowed a tender kiss on the lips he so loved, then backed Fox to the bed.
They undressed each other quickly, then fell back together onto the mattress.
Alex draped himself over Fox, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of the body he
never tired of. He writhed against Fox, pulling a low moan from him as their
cocks rubbed together. He stifled the sound with a soft kiss.
Fox melted into the sensation, stroking his palms up and down the muscles of
Alex's back. His tongue swept inside Alex's mouth, seeking its mate, stroking
and teasing, then retreating to its own home, waiting to be found and coaxed
into another duel.
Alex finally left Fox's mouth, noting the disappointed moan, and kissed and
nipped his way south, trailing down his chin, to the sensitive skin of his
throat. He opened his mouth wide, and closed his teeth on the flesh, just above
the base. Fox arched upward, submitting to the sensual attack. Alex sucked
lightly, growling deep in his throat. The urge to increase the pressure was
great, but he kept in mind, the fact that he was in much too exposed an area to
leave any marks. He released Fox's throat, and moved to his chest. The man
beneath him winced and emitted a low whine as Alex's mouth covered his right
nipple and a good bit of flesh surrounding it. As he sucked, his tongue grazed
the sensitive peak again and again, sending jolts of electricity shooting
through his Fox's body.
"Alex," Fox hummed, raking his fingers through the sable hair, leaving a riot
of spikes standing on end. His lips moved, but no more intelligible sound came
past them. Only soft sounds of desperation filled the air.
Alex moved from one nipple to other, inflicting the same kind of torture, then
continued on down, following the sparse line of fine hairs until they began to
thicken and curl. He stopped then, avoiding the rigid length of muscle dancing
so temptingly before his mouth. As much as Fox writhed and moaned, he refused
to touch his lover's cock.
"Come on, Alex..."
"Shhh." Alex nibbled on the inside of Fox's thigh, then let his tongue dance
over his balls. He smiled to himself as the man he was teasing, groaned aloud
and arched off the bed, twisting the sheets in his clenched hands. "Take it
easy, lisa." Alex kissed the base of his lover's cock. "Not just yet, okay?"
"Suck me, Alex..." Fox wasn't listening. He was already too far gone for
reason. He bucked against Alex's mouth. "Please."
A gentle swipe of the tongue. "But I want you to come with me."
"Then fuck me. Now."
Alex couldn't tease Fox anymore, and he knew it. One wrong touch, and it'd be
all over.
"All right, baby, all right. Just relax." Alex lifted himself off of his lover,
prompting a disapproving growl. He leaned in the direction of the nightstand,
withdrew the tube of lubricant and kneeled, straddling Fox's waist. He skimmed
the tube across Fox's bottom lips and smiled. "Put it on for me."
Fox snatched the tube from Alex's hand and unscrewed the cap. He squeezed some
of the contents into his hand, and reached for his lover's cock, quickly
stroking it on.
Alex breathed deeply, enduring Fox's touch in silence. When the task was
accomplished, he bent over and took his lover's mouth in a brief but intense
kiss, then stretched out over his body. Fox's legs automatically wrapped around
his waist, and he guided his cock between the tight muscles of his lover's ass,
to the small opening.
Difficult as it was, Fox lay still, waiting to feel the thrill of that initial
thrust. He loved the sensation of being opened and stretched, full of his
beautiful Alex.
Alex tucked one hand under the small of Fox's back, gripped his shoulder with
the other, and pushed slowly into him. He focused on the glazed amber eyes in
front of him, and began to rock gently. An almost inaudible gasp tumbled from
his lover's lips, and he swooped down to capture it before it was gone.
Fox moaned into Alex's mouth, his fingers digging into his back. Involuntarily,
his muscles clenched, squeezing his lover's cock in a firm grip, taking him
perilously close to the edge.
"Lisa," Alex stopped moving, and rasped in his ear. "Easy, baby. Relax, or..."
"No," Fox protested, "no, no..." He rocked against Alex. I can't... don't
stop, please don't."
"All right," Alex soothed him, kissing his cheek, then his mouth. "I won't
stop..." He started to rock again, this time also wrapping his hand around
Fox's cock. He began to milk it in time to his thrusts, driving his lover and
himself closer to completion.
Fox's harsh groans resonated in the growing darkness of the room, as the
tension coiled in the pit of his stomach, tighter and tighter, until it broke,
and he drowned in the explosive pleasure.
The tightening of his lover's body around him, and his desperate cries, broke
Alex's control. He let go, and came violently, pumping into his lover until he
was dry.
Soft purrs of contentment filled the air, as they lay locked together for
endless minutes. Finally, Alex disengaged himself, and draped himself back down
over Fox's chest. A gentle hand came up to stroke the dampened strands of hair.
"Good to be home."
"Mmm-hmm." Alex kissed the curve of Fox's throat, and closed his eyes.
"I love you, Alex."
No answer.
Fox listened to the soft, steady breaths, and knew that Alex was asleep. He
kissed the top of his lover's head, and tightened his arms around him. He lay
there, staring into the darkness for a good long time, before finally falling
asleep.
Part Two
The Mercedes idled silently, a few yards away from Fox Mulder's home. Alert
gray eyes narrowed, as the front door opened and the man he'd seen in New York,
stepped out of it. The eyes widened in surprise, when the man was immediately
followed by another... the same one who had been his companion on Andros.
Amazing.
How long had it been? And they were still together.
The other man. Alex. Every bit as handsome as he remembered. He recalled the
turbulent green eyes and dazzling white teeth... the low rumble of his voice, as
he warned Justin against getting anywhere near his lover.
He watched the two men move together to the car in the driveway, then noticed
the large dog that followed close behind.
Justin wasn't much on pets... the four-legged kind anyway, but he was pretty
sure that the animal was a German Shepherd. Not exactly the type breed that
would stand idly by and allow its master to be taken against his will.
Mental note. Take dog into consideration and plan accordingly.
His attention came back to the man kissing the other's jaw.
Alex.
As protective as that dog. And, he bet, every bit as vicious when provoked.
One silver eyebrow arched upward.
A challenge.
But the rewards for his patience would be infinite and sweeter than he could
ever imagine.
He glanced around, revising his plan in his head, when he spied a 'for sale'
sign staked on the front lawn of the house next door. He rubbed his chin
thoughtfully, then an idea came to him. A small grin curved his mouth. "Yes,
yes." He watched Fox Mulder get into his car and Alex jog off down the street
with the dog. "A most interesting challenge."
"So, John," Fox asked impatiently. "What do you think?"
"These incisions weren't made by any tool I recognize."
Fox nudged Scully and nodded. His partner just rolled her eyes.
John continued. "This residue I found in and around the wound... I've done every
test on it I can think of, and it's completely unrecognizable."
Scully held up a hand before Fox could say a word. "All these tests prove,
Mulder, is what didn't kill these people. The most we can get out of this is
an unsolved."
"Come on, Scully. If they weren't killed with anything known to our science,
what's left?"
"We can't exactly put that in our report."
The two lingered a while longer, speaking with Fox's friend, then left the
lab.
"What time is it?"
Fox looked at his watch. "Four-twenty eight."
"By the time we get back to the office, it'll be late. What do you say we
just head for home?"
"Sounds good to me."
Fox pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and dialed his home number. It
rang four times, then the machine picked up. He frowned, waited for the beep,
then left a brief message.
"Alex, it's me. It's four-thirty and I'm on my way home. If you get this
message before I get there, call my cell."
He hung up and dropped the phone of the seat beside him.
"What's the matter?" Scully asked. "You look a little weird.
"Nothing. Just a little strange that he isn't answering at this time of
day."
"God, Mulder, I never noticed before. Do you always get so wacky if Alex
isn't where you think he should be?"
"No, of course not. I don't know, Scully, I can't explain this feeling I've had
since yesterday."
"Feeling?"
"Yeah. Just an uneasiness that won't go away. I'll feel better once I get
home."
Scully nodded, and said nothing more until Fox dropped her at her door. "Don't
forget you have to pick me up in the morning."
"I know. I'll see you later."
"Tell Alex I said hi."
Fox nodded impatiently.
Scully waved him on. "Go, go."
Her partner tossed her a quick smile, and headed for home.
Justin Saint James lounged in the luxury of his hotel room, considering his
newest acquisition. He smirked, recalling the look on the faces of the
middle-aged couple, when he knocked on their door this afternoon, and offered
them double what they were asking for their house. Cash.
The Andersons stood slack-jawed, staring at the impeccably dressed man,
standing in their kitchen.
"I imagine you think I'm a tad deranged," he told them.
"Well, yeah. Now that you mentioned it," Stanley Anderson agreed. He winced as
his wife elbowed him in the ribs.
Justin chuckled. "It's quite all right, Mrs. Anderson. If someone knocked on my
door and offered me a quarter of a million dollars for my modest little home,
I'd be suspicious, as well. But I assure you, I'm quite sane. You see, I'm a
businessman. My life is extremely hectic, and my doctor told me that if I want
to live to see my grandchildren grow up, I need to make a few changes in my
life. I thought I could start with a change in scenery. This is a lovely little
neighborhood. I think I could relax here."
Mrs. Anderson shrugged. "Well, it's not a noisy area, though there are some
children around. A few dogs..."
"Ah. Yes. I noticed a large dog... a German Shepherd, when I drove through
earlier. Not a nuisance, is he?"
"Oh, no. He's well behaved. And Alex is very meticulous with him. If it wasn't
because we see him and hear him once in a while, we..."
"Alex?"
"Oh. Yes. Alex Krycek. He's one of the guys who live next door."
"One of the guys..."
"Oh... uh, yeah. He and his partner, Fox. We've never known a male couple
before, but we actually like them quite a lot. They're good people. Quiet.
Immaculate... no wild parties or that kind of stuff..."
Justin held his hands up. "Oh, it's all right. I have no problem with that." He
smiled indulgently. "No problem whatsoever."
"So," Mr. Anderson prodded. "You're still interested?"
"Absolutely."
Justin promised the couple that they'd have the money by tomorrow, but in turn,
they needed to promise to be out of the house as soon as possible. To insure
that it happened, he offered a crew to help with the packing and moving.
Secondly, it was to be a transaction between the two parties. The Andersons
were to call the realtor and take the house off the market, immediately. As a
gesture of good faith, he handed them an envelope containing ten thousand
dollars. Stanley Anderson counted the money, and immediately picked up the
phone and made the call.
Lovely, what a paltry few thousand can get you. By tomorrow they'll be gone,
and the game can begin.
Fox pulled into the garage, next to Alex's Porsche. He unfolded himself from
the driver's seat, and felt the hood of the car. Cold. His brows drew down into
a frown, as he turned and exited the garage. He closed the door and went into
the house. After a quick search of the house and yard, he determined that
neither Alex nor Clyde was there. He walked out the front door, down to the
sidewalk and looked around. A young voice sounded behind him, startling him a
bit
"Hey, Mulder!"
He turned around and smiled down at ten year old Larry Mitchell. "Hey,
Mitchell. Any interesting cases, today?"
"Nah, nothin'. Been boring."
Mulder nodded. "Sometimes it happens that way, Mitchell."
Ever since the little boy found out that Fox was a federal agent, he'd been
fascinated with the FBI, reading everything he could about it, and often
pretending that he was 'on a case'. Fox and Alex had taken to calling him
'junior G-man', and with the permission of the parents, Fox had arranged a tour
of the Hoover Building for Larry and a group of his friends. As a result, the
boy was now, his pal for life.
"Hey Mitchell, you haven't seen Alex, have you?"
"Nope. Somethin' up?"
"No, I was just wondering."
"Want to put out an APB?"
Fox chuckled. "I don't think that's necessary just yet."
"Okay... I'll keep an eye out for him, though."
"Thanks, Mitchell. I'll..."
Before Fox could finish his sentence, Clyde came barreling in from his right,
and just about knocked him over. He greeted the dog, scratching behind his ear.
Looking up, he saw Alex coming down the street toward him. He breathed a sigh
of relief, and waited for his lover to reach him.
"Hi."
Alex smiled. "Hi." He looked down at the little boy. "Hey, Mitchell."
"Good thing you got back when you did. We were gonna put an APB out on you,
soon."
One dark eyebrow arched upward. "Oh, really?" Alex turned amused eyes to Fox,
who camouflaged a grin, and dismissed the boy.
"Okay, Mitchell. We gotta go now. See you later, okay?"
"Okay. Later, guys."
They watched the boy move off toward his house, then walked to their own front
door.
"Out for a walk?"
"Yeah. Clyde has been really wound up today for some reason. I thought a long
walk and a run in the park, would tire him out a little."
Fox nodded. "I tried calling to let you know I was on my way home from the lab.
I couldn't imagine where you'd be."
"Well, I figured since we'd decided to have Chinese tonight, I'd have time to
take him out... is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing. Why would you ask that?"
"I don't know. You just look kinds of funny."
Fox shrugged and said nothing.
"Are you still feeling like you did last night?"
"Yeah." Fox made an uncomfortable face. "I guess... a little."
They walked into the house and as soon as Fox had the door closed, Alex moved
forward and wrapped him in his arms.
"There must be something, lisa... something that happened to be making you feel
so uneasy."
Fox shrugged and shook his head.
"Is the feeling still there?"
"Yeah, but it's not so bad. It seems worse when I'm away from you and
especially if I don't know where you are, like yesterday, before you got to the
airport... and today, when I called home and got no answer."
"Well... .. you could quit the Bureau and follow me everywhere I go," Alex smiled
and kissed his lover's nose.
Fox bit into Alex's lower lip, and pulled. He released it, then ran his tongue
across it. "You're a funny guy. Let's order dinner. I'm starving."
"Justin. It's Paul."
"Yes, Paul. Have you got anything for me?"
"A little. This Krycek guy is not an easy man to get information on."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm really not sure. I mean, I got the usual stuff. Height weight, place of
residence, blah, blah, blah... I couldn't find any place of employment though,
so I started thinking about how he and Fox Mulder may have met, and I figured,
where do most people meet? At work, right? So just for the hell of it, I
checked back with the FBI database, and found that Alex Krycek was a fibbie."
"Was?"
"Yeah, was. As in, isn't any more."
"He quit?"
"I don't know. His service record is sealed. And Justin, before you say it, I
may be good, but I'm not that good. There's no way for me to unseal it."
"Hmm. Interesting. Is that all you've got?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you more. I'll fax over this
information, right away."
"No, that's fine, Paul. I thank you very much."
"You're welcome. Good night, Justin."
Justin terminated the connection, and waited for the fax. It came seconds
later. He ripped the single page from the machine and read the information he'd
just been given.
"Not only beautiful, but mysterious as well. Oh, this just gets better and
better."
"Hey, babe." Fox kissed Alex and dropped onto the sofa.
Alex smiled up at the other man, from the computer. "Hi. How do you feel,
today?"
"Not bad." He changed the subject. "How was your day?"
"Okay... hey, guess what?"
"What?"
"The Andersons are gone."
"Huh?"
"Yep. A big moving truck came early this morning, and by noon, they were gone."
"I didn't even know they'd sold the house."
"Me either. I saw Stanley outside, and asked him about it. He said that some
business man came yesterday and made them an offer they couldn't refuse."
Fox grinned. "Sounds like a Mafia movie."
Alex shrugged. "It's exactly what Stanley said, though. Anyway, the man needed
the house right away, and he paid for the movers and everything."
"Hmm."
"They told me to say goodbye to you."
"So, have you seen our new neighbor yet?"
"No, I haven't seen anyone over there, since noon."
Fox sat in silence for a few moments, then rose from the sofa. "I'm going to go
change."
"Okay, I'll finish paying these few bills, then we can have dinner?"
Fox dropped a kiss on his lover's head. "Sure."
Justin's assistant entered the room and waited patiently, while his employer
spoke on the telephone.
"Yes, Lester. I think twenty by twenty will do... yes, I know it's an odd
request, just do it..." Justin looked up, taking notice of the man hovering
just inside the doorway. "One moment, Lester. Yes, Frank?"
"The car is ready sir, anytime you want to leave."
"Thank you, Frank. I'll finish this call, then I'll be leaving."
Frank bowed his head an exited the room, leaving Justin to his call.
"All right, Lester. Yes. I want them on it as soon as possible. A week. In less
time would be splendid, but certainly no longer. Right. The room in the
northeast corner. I'll call you tomorrow morning. All right. Goodbye."
Justin dropped the phone into the cradle, and left the room, humming.
"Really strange isn't it, how the Anderson's just picked up and left like
that?" Alex asked his lover, walking in from the bathroom, rubbing a towel
through his hair.
Fox looked up from the case file he'd been sitting by the windows, reading. The
light from the lamp beside the armless chair, glinted off of his glasses,
making his eyes nearly invisible to Alex.
"Hell, if some guy offered us double what this joint is worth, and one of his
stipulations was that we move a.s.a.p., you wouldn't be in a rush to get the
hell out?"
Alex displayed an almost hurt look. "You'd want to sell our house... just
like that?"
"No. I was just... it was just a general question..."
"I wouldn't want to sell this house. Not for triple what we paid for it. It's
our home."
Fox removed his glasses and set them down on the nearest windowsill. "I know,
babe. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way... ah, hell." He reached out with one
hand. "C'mere."
Alex hesitated, sulking.
Fox looked at him and smiled.
Let the games begin.
"Alexei..."
"What?"
"I didn't mean that I'd want to sell our house. It means as much to me as it
does to you."
Alex drew designs on the bedpost with one finger. "Didn't sound like it."
"I'm sorry, baby. Really, I am. Come over here. Please?"
Alex dropped the towel down at the foot of the bed and walked slowly over to
where Fox sat. The older man reached up and caressed his bare arm. "I love
you..."
Alex quirked one corner of his mouth and cast a sideways glance down at his
lover.
Fox's hand skimmed up and down the arm a couple of times, then moved downward,
to the cotton covered thigh. His hand slid down over Alex's boxer-briefs, then
back up, under the hem, stroking more bare skin. He smiled at the soft intake
of breath. "You're right," he said softly. "This is our home." His hand moved
higher, until it was parallel with Alex's crotch. "No amount of money in the
world could make me want to give it up." The motion of his hand, combined with
the seductive tone of his voice, put Alex in an almost trance-like state. The
younger man stood quietly, looking down at Fox, through a thick veil of sable
lashes. Fox smiled up at him, and moved his hand over, a fraction to the left.
Alex sucked in a shallow breath, and let it out slowly.
Fox maintained eye contact, as his hand wandered over the slightly damp, warmth
of Alex's cock. He stroked it, over and over, feeling it come to life, in his
palm.
Alex emitted a long, stuttering sigh, and closed his eyes.
"Still upset with me?"
Slow shake of the sable head.
Alex heard the soft click, and the reddish-blackness that he saw before his
closed eye lids, went dark. The hand gently fondled him for a few seconds more,
then released him.
Fox shushed the soft groan of protest, then pulled Alex's shorts down and off.
He spread his legs, and directed Alex to stand between them. The younger man's
hands automatically went to his hair, as he leaned forward, and kissed the tip
of his now, full-blown erection...
Justin stood in the second story window of his empty house, playing with his
new night-vision binoculars. Amazing how they just turned pitch blackness to
day. His head pivoted this way and that, focusing in on Fox and Alex's
yard... .. the lawn furniture... the garden pond... the gas grill...
How sweetly domestic.
He raised his head, and stopped, dead still.
What's this? Ohhhh, my. My, my, my, my.
Justin watched, utterly entranced, the scene in the darkened room of the house
next door.
Fox Mulder. Sitting, with a very naked, very aroused Alex Krycek, standing
between his legs. The seated man leaned forward, kissed his lover's cock, then
ran the tip of his tongue up the length of it. The recipient of his attention
stood, eyes closed, head thrown back, completely enraptured.
Justin stood frozen, hands tightening on the binoculars.
Too beautiful.
He moaned softly, as Fox Mulder opened his mouth and swallowed his lover's cock
to the base. His attention quickly focused on the other man's face, not wanting
to miss the look of sheer bliss that washed over his dark features. He was
saying something. Some words were tumbling from his lips, between the obvious
pants and gasps. Justin wished he could hear. God, how he wished he could hear.
But unfortunately, he had to settle on using his imagination.
From the little bit he'd seen of Alex Krycek those two nights in that club, he
imagined that the man would be a very intense lover, and the words now
streaming from his lips, would be fairly harsh and demanding, and liberally
peppered with curses. Yes, Alex Krycek was definitely a top...
He smiled and waited. Waited for Alex to turn it around. When Fox pulled away
and rose to his feet, he held his breath, positive that Alex would now take
control. His hands shook in anticipation. When his lover moved behind him and
pushed him to his knees in front of the chair, Justin's brows drew down into a
confused frown. He continued to watch, as Fox made Alex rest his upper body on
the chair and wait while he undressed. When all of his clothes lay in a pile,
Fox got to his knees behind his motionless lover, and caressed the length of
his back with both hands. He lowered his head and followed his hands with his
mouth, kissing and licking. When he made it up to Alex's neck, he rose to his
feet and walked over to the nightstand beside the bed. Within seconds, he was
back, squeezing the contents of a small tube into his hand.
Justin wet his bottom lip as he watched the man who was still standing,
grasp his cock, and slide his hand up and down, along its length. He once again
sank to his knees, and stroked the sides of Alex's thighs, up to his hips, then
over the taut muscles of his ass. His hands lovingly caressed his lover's ass
for a brief moment, then separated the cheeks, and lowered his face between
them. Justin's knuckles went white and a soft gasp escaped his throat, as he
saw Alex's body jerk violently, in response. It wasn't long at all before Fox
withdrew and moved closer, pressing his groin against his lover's ass. He
rocked slowly, obviously teasing Alex. The younger man arched backward and his
mouth fell open. Fox wrapped his arm around Alex's heaving chest, and grasped
his cock by the base, working it into the trembling man's ass. He kissed Alex's
shoulder, then pushed him back down to the seat cushion. He grasped his lover's
hips, and pushed forward, as far as he could go. Justin saw his eyes close and
his head tip at a slight backward angle, as he established a moderate rhythm.
He couldn't see Alex's face. It was turned away from the windows, but his body
communicated his excitement as well as any facial expression could. It jerked
backward every time Fox surged forward, dictating the ever-quickening pace.
Justin's respiration increased as he sensed Fox's coming explosion. The older
man's hands tightened on Alex's hips, and he moved faster, now slamming into
him. His teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut as he continued to plunge
deeply into his lover's heat. Suddenly he began to shudder uncontrollably. His
head fell back, and his mouth opened on what Justin felt sure, was a
bone-jarring scream. When he finished, he slumped forward, resting his upper
body on top of Alex's back.
Justin continued to watch, hands shaking. This couldn't be all. Alex hadn't
come yet, and he didn't believe that there was any way in hell that situation
would remain unresolved. A number of seconds later, Fox Mulder pulled himself
up. His chest rose and fell as he took long, slow breaths.
Alex rose as well, and as Fox draped an arm across his chest, he reached behind
and plunged his fingers into the other man's hair. He held tightly, and said
something to Fox, past gritted teeth. His lover drew back, allowing him to pull
himself up. He grabbed some clothing from the floor, threw it down on the
chair, Justin assumed, so the seat would not be stained, then dropped down onto
the pile. He said something to Fox, who crept forward, kissing and licking his
thighs. The dark head pressed into the back of the chair, and one hand went
down to the golden-brown silk moving steadily up toward his crotch. His fingers
clenched in Fox's hair, and he pulled his head up and over his cock. He said
something else, and Fox's mouth opened, allowing his tongue to slither over the
blunt head of his cock. Alex's head rolled back and forth, and his hips began
to jerk upward, looking to bury his cock deeper into the moist warmth of Fox's
mouth.
"Make him take it, Alex," Justin whispered breathlessly. "Give it to him. Look
at the way he's squirming, even after he just finished coming inside you. He
wants it so much." He concentrated on the man who was now sucking voraciously
on Alex's cock. "You're insatiable, aren't you, lovely Fox? The deeper he is
down your throat, the better you like it, don't you? Oh yes," Justin hissed,
"you do love it..."
Alex's hips lurched up off the chair in an erratic rhythm, pumping his cock
into his lover's eager mouth, until he erupted, looking as though he was making
every bit as much noise as Fox had.
The kneeling man remained as he was, sucking and swallowing, until Alex slumped
into a boneless heap in the chair. He then released his lover's exhausted cock,
and gently licked it clean.
Alex smiled weakly, as Fox lifted his head and said something to him. He raised
a hand to the other man's cheek, and rubbed at the corner of his mouth with his
thumb. Fox grasped the hand, pressing a kiss into the palm, then rose to his
feet, displaying a half-hard erection. He pulled Alex up after him, and after
embracing and nuzzling each other for a bit, Alex wrapped his hand around his
lover's cock, and led him into what looked like the bathroom.
Justin lowered the glasses and breathed deeply.
These two.
How wonderfully entertaining they would both be.
But as sweet as that thought was, it was an impossibility. He would just have
to settle for the one.
The two men exited the bathroom, and fell into bed together. Fox snuggled up
against Alex, draping a leg and an arm over him. Alex dropped a number of
kisses in his hair, then both drifted into a deep sleep.
Hours later, Fox awoke, startled. The warmth of the body wrapped around him,
calmed the pounding of his heart, but the uneasiness remained. He turned to
face his lover, and pulled him into his arms. Alex stirred and moaned softly.
"Hmm? What?"
"Nothing," Fox whispered into his hair. "Go back to sleep."
Alex lapsed back into unconsciousness, while his lover stroked his hair, and
stared into the darkness.
"Lester... .. Lester, I don't want to hear that... .. two weeks is
unacceptable... .. then get more men on it... I don't care how many, just get it
done. In fact Lester, I'm just a bit more impatient this morning than I was
last night. I want it done by Wednesday... .. there's that word again. I really
dislike that word... .. .that's better. I'll check in with you tomorrow. Right."
Justin hung up, and reviewed his plan over breakfast. He smiled, thinking
months ahead, to the all the envious looks he was sure to encounter, when he
turned up at parties with his new companion on his arm. As young and
good-looking as Matthew was, he didn't radiate sensuality like this one did.
He breathed deeply, thinking about the time when he'd be tame enough to bring
into his bed. The idea of touching that young, strong body... the two of them
doing the things he'd seen him do with his soon-to-be former mate, last
night...
Justin shook off the thought.
One thing at a time, old man. He's a long way from that. You're going to
have to call up patience you never dreamed you had, for this one. He will not
be easy by any means. Kindess combined with the right amount of discipline,
and someday, he'll come to realize that he was meant to be yours.
"Oh, shit."
Fox pulled three mint green undershirts out of the washer, then dug through
the rest of the formerly white laundry, and yanked one of their new forest
green bathtowels out of the bottom of the tub.
"Shit, shit."
"What are you doing?"
Fox dropped the towel back into the washer and his head jerked up.
"Uh... laundry... did you find the saw blade you wanted?"
"Yeah... four hardware stores later... did you remember to wash those new towels
by themselves?"
"Yeah, yeah, I did. But um... I guess I missed one when I took them out."
One dark eyebrow arched. "Oh? So what happened?"
"You like green, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's why I bought green towels."
"How about green underwear?"
"Only when it's already green when I buy it... did you turn my white stuff
green?"
"Mine too..."
"How much?"
"I'd say about half of all the whites we own."
Alex let out a long sigh. "Well, I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow
while you're at work."
Fox approached and laid a brief kiss on his lover's mouth. "You were looking
for something to do anyway, weren't you?"
"Oh, yeah." Alex came back with another quick kiss. "Why don't you get rid of
this stuff, and I'll go get the steaks on the grill."
"You mean you don't want to keep any of it?"
"Uh... no."
"Not even one t-shirt? It kinda goes nice with your eyes... hey!"
Alex started out of the room, then backed up. He brought his hand back up to
his lover's ass, rubbing gently, where he'd just inflicted a hard smack. "That
hurt?"
"It didn't tickle."
Alex bit at the skin just below Fox's ear, then licked it. "I'll kiss it better
for you, later."
Fox moaned under his breath. "Damn right, you will."
A little more than an hour later, they were sitting down to dinner in the
backyard. Clyde lay in the space between their chairs, looking hopefully from
one of his masters, to the other. The two men made conversation, trying to
ignore the dog's pathetic stares.
"So you're sending the body back tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I can't come up with conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial
involvement, so we've got to stamp it unsolved, just like Scully said we would.
Ticks me off. I mean, no one can figure out what made those incisions. What
else could it be?"
Alex shook his head while he popped a slice of his own steak into his lover's
mouth. "I don't know, babe. You know I believe you, but unfortunately, that
does you no good."
Fox chewed and swallowed. "I know. I just..." He stopped in mid sentence and
both men looked down at the dog, who had since risen to a sitting position, and
was sounding a low, whining growl.
"What the heck's the matter with him?" Fox asked, knowing that Alex was a
little more in tune to Clyde's moods than he was.
Alex shrugged. "Something's got his attention." He looked over in the direction
of the house they'd yet to see anyone move in to. "I don't see anything, do
you?"
Fox scanned what he could see of the property. "No... what's up, Clyde?"
The dog looked up, hearing his name, and took the opportunity to swipe at Fox's
face with his tongue. He settled down again between Fox and Alex, his previous
interest in whatever he'd seen next door, forgotten.
"Must've been a cat or a rabbit or something," Fox reasoned, still looking
around.
"Guess so." Alex drew his lover's attention back, with a hand on his arm.
"Hey."
"Hmm?"
"Your ass still hurt?"
Fox broke into laughter. "What made you think of that?"
"Doesn't happen very often that I'm not thinking about your ass."
Fox shook with silent giggles. "Okay, so that was a stupid question. Umm, yeah.
It's still a little sore. You gonna keep your promise?"
Alex gave him a devious grin. "As soon as it gets dark."
"Why when it... .. " Then he understood. "Nice warm night, isn't it?"
"Uh-huh."
Justin Saint James stood a safe distance from the window, watching the two
having dinner, below. He had been standing closer, but at one point he
accidentally dropped his binoculars, and the blasted dog heard, calling his
master's attention to the direction of the house. He stepped away quickly and
was not discovered, thankfully.
No thanks to you, you hairy beast...
The dishes were cleared away and stacked in the dishwasher, and the dog was
inside. Alex grabbed a blanket and lead his Fox back into the yard. He spread
the blanket on the ground and sat, pulling his lover down with him.
Simultaneously, they lay on their backs, content, for a while anyway, with
looking up into the dusky sky.
Fox closed his eyes, listening to the fading twitter of the birds, as they made
their way home to settle in for the night. As the other day sounds dissipated,
the gurgle of the fountain in the garden pond became more prevalent. A soft
smile curved Fox's mouth.
"Talk to me Alex, or the sound of that water is going to put me right out."
Alex turned sideways, propped his head up in his hand, and stared down at the
man on his back. "What do you want me to talk to you about?"
"I don't know. Pick a topic."
"Okay." Alex nuzzled Fox's throat. "Let me tell you how completely gorgeous you
are right now, with all these night shadows falling across your face."
"Cut it out."
"You said to pick a topic, so I chose my favorite."
"I'm not a chick you know, you don't have to tell me this stuff."
"Yes my love, I'm very well aware of that. The fact of the matter is, I love
telling you how beautiful you are."
Fox opened his eyes and looked up in an ocean of sincerest green. Alex gazed
down at him, unsmiling. He traced a line down the side of Fox's face with his
knuckles, then across his mouth, with the tips of two fingers. "I never get
tired of looking at you. And I'm still amazed sometimes when I do, that you're
looking back at me... and loving me."
Fox's eyes sparkled in the little remaining light. "Do you realize it's been
almost three years?"
"Give me a couple of seconds, and I can tell you exactly how long, right down
to the minute."
Fox laughed softly. "In some respects, it doesn't seem that long, but in
others, it seems like a lifetime. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"I mean... a lifetime in the sense that, I can hardly remember the animosity and
the violence." Fox reached up and raked the fingers of one hand through Alex's
hair. "It seems like I've always loved you."
Alex nodded. Their eyes met and held for a number of seconds, then he broke
contact, and looked up at the sky. "It's dark, now," he said softly.
"So it is," came the equally soft response.
Alex returned his attention to Fox, who was staring up at him, a mixture of
love and lust gleaming in his dark eyes. He brushed his lips back and forth
across his lover's with all deliberate tenderness, then raised his head far
enough to see his eyes. They'd grown darker still, appearing almost black in
the scarce light of the half moon.
Fox reached up, cupping the back of Alex's neck, and pulled him down for
another teasing kiss. His tongue danced across the soft surface of the younger
man's lower lip, then he drew it into his mouth, sucking gently.
Alex groaned softly, and opened his mouth, inviting his lover inside.
Fox's tongue slithered along the inside edge of Alex's top lip, then the
bottom, fluttering into the dark interior, only to quickly withdraw when
touched by its mate.
Alex played the game, allowing himself to be taunted... feeling his heart beat a
little faster with every unfulfilled promise. One of his hands that had until
now, been resting patiently on Fox's thigh, began to flex gently. His
increasingly unsteady breaths moved toward erratic, when Fox's free hand joined
the other at his head, and pulled him down into a full, passionate kiss. His
surprised moan vibrated inside of his lover's mouth, prompting a soft, throaty
answer.
The kiss continued with only fleeting intermissions, as one of Fox's hands left
Alex's head to shift down to the middle of his back. He gathered a fistful of
material and pulled, working it loose from the waistband of the other man's
jeans. Ever helpful, Alex wiggled free of the black cotton, and watched it sail
over his head. He had only enough time for a quick grin, before he was pulled
back to Fox's hungry mouth. The now bare skin of his back and arms tingled and
burned everywhere those beautifully skilled hands touched him. Unable to wait
for Fox to decide that the pants had to go, Alex took the initiative, undoing
the top button, then starting to work the zipper down.
Fox broke the kiss, and looked down to see what his lover was up to. "Can't
wait for me to do it?" he teased, softly.
"No. And after I'm done, you're next."
Alex kicked his sneakers off, then peeled his jeans and underwear away. He
allowed Fox an appreciative glance, before going to work on him, efficiently
stripping off every scrap of clothing. Within seconds, the older man was
completely naked, squirming under the heated gaze of his lover.
"Much better," Alex whispered, then lifted his body, and settled it down on top
of Fox. "Mmmm..." He writhed against the hardness under him. "Much, much
better."
Fox hooked a long leg over Alex's hip, and pushed up against him, pressing
their cocks together.
Alex sucked in a hard breath. "Careful, now."
Fox gave him a purely evil smile, then repeated the action. "Why? Can't take
it?"
Strong, white teeth gritted. "I can take it..." He reached between them,
grasping Fox's nipple, and giving a not-so-gentle tug. He smiled at the gasp it
brought. "And you know I can dish it out."
"I know." Fox's throat arched, presenting a much too tempting target for his
lover's teeth. His mouth fell open on a long, whimpering moan.
Alex finished nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin, then moved on. Fox's
head rolled to one side, and his body relaxed, surrendering to the sweet caress
of his lover's mouth. Alex moved slowly, savoring the taste of his Fox,
traveling the same swells and hollows he'd traveled thousands of times before,
yet never grew weary of. Never wished for anything different or new. This was
his own private slice of heaven, and he'd be thankful every day of his life for
it.
Fox's body tensed just a bit, and he inhaled audibly, as Alex's tongue flicked
over the nipple he'd previously been tugging at. His lips covered the hard peak
and sucked gingerly, while he skimmed over the other nipple again and again,
with his palm.
"Mmmmmmph... .. Alex... .. ." Fox's respiration grew heavy, and his hips rolled
upward, rubbing his rock-hard erection again Alex's stomach.
Alex lifted his head and shook it at his impatient Fox. "Don't do that."
"But..."
"Not yet, lisa. I'm not through with you."
The sable head dipped back down, this time switching to the other nipple.
"Christ..."
Alex's teeth closed around the tight bud and pulled gently, loving the sound of
Fox's desperate whimpers. Fox groaned through gritted teeth and arched toward
Alex's mouth, trying to relieve some of the tension, but Alex backed away,
nipple still between his teeth. He gave a little shake of his head, sending a
shiver of painful pleasure coursing through Fox's body. Satisfied with the
choked sobs that now broke from his lover's lips, Alex finally released him and
moved on, slowly licking his way over the flexing muscles of Fox's abdomen.
The air rang out with Fox's frustrated groans as Alex made it down to his
swollen cock, and flicked at the glistening tip with his tongue.
"Take it..." he begged, arching up toward Alex's mouth. "Please, baby, don't
tease me."
"You like it when I tease you," Alex mumbled against the smooth shaft.
"Yeah but, I can't... I... shit!" Fox bucked against Alex's mouth, as the younger
man sucked him in halfway. His tongue fluttered against the velvety underside
as he drew up toward the head, then away. The cool night air hit the moist
surface, and Fox sucked in a sharp breath. "Alex," he whined, reaching out for
his lover. "For Christ's sake, I'm begging you..."
Alex nuzzled his lover's cock, lapping at the ridge just below the head. "It
drives me crazy when you beg. Go on," he demanded softly, "beg me."
"Please... please, Alex. I need you so much." Fox writhed against him. "Don't
make me wait any more. I can't wait..."
"Mmmm... so fucking pretty... all right, lisa." He reached for his discarded
pants, and pulled out the lube he'd placed in the pocket, earlier. "You want to
put it on for me?"
Fox nodded silently, and Alex crawled forward until he was straddling his
lover's chest.
Fox's respiration quickened, having Alex's cock so close. His tongue inched
out, absently licking his lower lip, as he watched it twitch and bob before his
eyes.
Alex noticed his expression and smiled. "What, baby? You want it?"
The older man nodded again, now gasping for breath.
Alex moved up a bit further. "Here you go, love." He supported Fox's head and
allowed him to take his cock into his mouth. His eyes slipped closed, and he
began to pant softly. "Ohhhh, yeah. God, baby, you're so good..."
Fox sucked hungrily at his lover's cock, working it just the way he knew would
drive Alex insane.
The younger man clenched his teeth, fighting to keep from crying out. He needed
to pull away, and do it now, or it would be too late...
"Lisa," he gasped, "let go. Stop, baby... .. stop..." He wrenched himself away,
falling back away from Fox's chest.
"No, Alex. Let me. Please, baby." Fox grasped at Alex's wrist, trying to pull
him back.
"No... no. I want to come in your ass..." He bent over Fox, handing him the
tube. "Then you can come in mine."
Fox's eyes dilated to near blackness as he considered the thought, then
snatched the tube from Alex's hand. He quickly squeezed out a measure of the
contents, and applied it. Alex breathed deeply, keeping himself under tight
control, until Fox completed his task. The moment he was done, Alex leapt on
him, pulling him into position. He guided his cock to the tight opening, and
then he surged forward, burying himself in his lover's heat with one hard
stroke. He covered Fox's mouth with his hand, to stifle the cries that he knew
would surely come.
"Shhh," was the only warning he could utter, as he immediately established a
driving rhythm.
Fox whimpered into the hand clamped over his mouth, the sound cut short, every
time Alex's body slammed up against his. His hands twisted in the blanket, and
his eyes squeezed shut, but it was impossible to block out the devastating
sensations of Alex's cock hitting his prostate, time and again. That, combined
with the slight pressure of his lover's body brushing his own throbbing
erection, was enough to take him over the edge.
He screamed into Alex's hand, arching violently off the blanket. His muscles
convulsed, squeezing Alex's cock, and taking him along into the darkness.
Alex buried his face in the curve of Fox's shoulder, to muffle his own screams.
His body shuddered deeply, then collapsed.
The two men lay together, severely weakened and too exhausted to move.
"Jesus Christ," Alex moaned into Fox's shoulder.
"Sorry," Fox panted into his hair.
"What for?"
"I couldn't hold it. I had to come."
Alex lifted his head and smiled weakly. "It's okay. You'll just owe me one."
"Just one?"
"We'll discuss it."
Alex pulled gently out of his lover, then dropped his head back to his
shoulder. Fox draped his arms around Alex's back, then closed his eyes. Before
either man knew it, they were both asleep.
"Bravo." Justin lowered the binoculars to his chest and clapped softly.
"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Oh, my darling. I cannot wait to get you
home..."
"Hey, Mulder."
"Hey, Mitchell."
"Going to work?"
"Yeah. You're up and out early, aren't ya?"
"Yeah, I'm on a stakeout."
Fox stifled a chuckle. "Stakeout, huh?"
"Yeah."
"What are you staking out?"
Mitchell motioned to the house next door, with a quick twitch of his head. "I
think your new neighbor is up to somethin'."
"What new neighbor? We haven't seen anybody yet."
The boy moved closer, speaking softly. "That cause he's only there at night. Or
at least I think he is."
Fox grinned. "Ohhh. And how do you know that?"
"I watch from my house," he whispered, nodding toward the white colonial across
the street. "My bedroom faces the street. He comes at night. Get's dropped off
down the street, and walks to the house, so nobody'll hear a car."
"Hmm. So, uh... .. what d'you think he's up to?"
"Not sure. I'll keep up surveillance and let you know."
"Okay." Fox patted the boy on the shoulder. "You do that."
"I'll check in with you later."
"Good man. See ya, Mitchell."
Fox walked grinning to his car, and drove away.
"What do you mean it's not going as well as you'd hoped?"
"It's just not, sir. I'm sorry. We'd run into a few glitches with the plumbing
and..."
"Lester, are you trying to tell me that this project will not be finished by
Thursday?"
"It's looking more and more unlikely, sir."
"Unacceptable."
"I don't know what else to do, Mr. Saint James. The crew is working fifteen
hour days. They worked all weekend. They're exhausted..."
"Get a second crew. Work them in two twelve hour shifts."
"Mr. Saint James, do you realize what this little project of yours is going to
end up costing? The figures are already astronomical."
"Cost is the least of my concerns. Get on it. You have precious little time
left."
"Y-yes, sir."
"Are the other arrangements made?"
"Yes sir, they'll be there tonight."
"Very good. Now. Back to work. You're wasting valuable time."
Soft sigh. "Yes, sir."
Justin hung up and paced the considerable length of the room.
This will happen. And it will happen exactly the way I've planned it.
Everything does...
"Hi, babe."
"Hi."
"Want to go out for dinner, tonight with Scully?"
"Uh... sure. What are you going to be doing?"
"I meant you me and Scully."
"Oh."
"Don't sound so disappointed."
"I just thought I was finally going to get my big chance to make a move on
her."
"Kiss my ass."
Alex laughed into the phone. "Is that a request?"
"You want to, or not?"
"What time?"
"Six o'clock at Endicott's?"
"Okay, I'll meet you there... oh, by the way, I got your damn underwear."
"Thanks."
"Hope you like it..."
"What do you... .. Alex, what did you do?"
"Relax, I got the whites... I just picked up a few little extras, that's all..."
"Extras?"
"Yeah, you'll like em."
"What if I don't?"
"Who gives a shit? I like em..."
"Goodbye, Alex."
Alex grinned into the phone. "Bye." He hung up and pulled one of the extras
out of the bag. He held the black fishnet thong up, and chuckled. "Oh, yeah.
I like it..."
"Sir, the men are here."
Justin rose from the sofa and watched the three men enter the room.
"Come in gentlemen. Have a seat."
As soon as everyone was seated, he began. "You all know why you're here.
I've paid you very well to insure your utmost discretion in this matter. You've
been briefed already, but please indulge me while I go over the plan once more.
I need to stress to you how important timing is. You'll get one chance at this,
and you must be precise. The target must be taken by complete surprise, or it
will be infinitely more difficult to acquire him. Naturally, we want as little
disruption as possible, so if you can catch him outside of but close to the
home, it would be better. In fact, it's probably necessary. They've got a large
dog. You'll have to catch him when the dog isn't around. If you find it
impossible to do so, do what you must to get the animal out of the way.
Now... I've procured a house next door. You'll be transported there tonight and
will spend this evening, and all day and night tomorrow, watching his comings
and goings. Thursday, you will take him when the time is right. Your cover is
all set, and the house is stocked with everything you'll need for a couple of
days. Are there any questions?"
The men looked from one to another. One of them cleared his throat. "What if on
Thursday, we don't find a window of opportunity to take him?"
"You gentlemen are the experts. Create one. But do not fail. Failure is
not an option. Is that understood?"
The three men nodded.
"Very good. You're dismissed until nine o'clock."
"God, I'm starved."
"After all that stuff you had for lunch?"
"I didn't eat that much."
"Oh, no. A pastrami sandwich that I'd have a hard time getting my hands
around, a salad, two cups of coffee, and a brownie. Not too much..."
"Shut up, Mulder."
Scully's partner unlocked the car doors and frowned at the small package he saw
sitting on the front seat.
"Wait a second, Scully. Don't get in." He carefully opened the door, and
detached the card that was taped to the box.
"What the hell is it, Mulder?"
A wide grin spread across Fox's face, and he shook his head.
"I guess it's not a bomb or anything."
The two got into the car, and Fox opened the box, peeking inside. "Oh, shit."
"Dare I ask?"
"Uh... you probably don't want to know."
"Must be something kinky."
Fox muttered to himself as he recovered the box. "You're killin' me, Alex.
Uh... I'll be right back, okay Scully?"
"Where the hell are you going?"
"Two minutes. I'll be back in two minutes." Fox took the box, and exited the
car, heading for the nearest bathroom.
Fortunately, the men's room on the first floor was virtually deserted, except
for one person who was just washing his hands as Fox came in. He nodded
politely to the other man, then walked into a stall. He opened the box, pulling
the black, extremely skimpy fishnet thong from the white paper. "Where the hell
did you find this?" he whispered to himself. He struggled in the narrow
stall, to get his pants and underwear off, once losing his balance and thumping
against the door. Luckily, the only other occupant of the men's room had left a
moment before. Fox regained his balance, and pulled the thong on. He looked
down at himself, his already hardening cock and balls, very visible through the
silky netting.
"Christ."
He threw his previously worn underwear into the box, then finished dressing.
Scully eyed her partner suspiciously as he got back into the car.
"Okay, let's go."
"Mulder, what did you go do?"
"You really don't want to know."
Fox started the car, and they headed off to the restaurant.
Alex looked at his watch, then around the restaurant. It was only fifteen
minutes after six, but he found himself starting to wonder if he hadn't been
stood up. Just as his eyes were sweeping the room for a second time, he caught
sight of the beautiful man who had just entered the restaurant. Golden-brown
hair tousled by the early summer breeze, tie loosely hanging from his
neck... those lips... rosy pink, and twisted into one of those magnificent,
patented Mulder-pouts. A tiny smile touched Alex's lips.
Mine, mine, mine, mine...
The diminutive redhead who was with him, saw Alex first. She waved, and tugged
on her partner's arm, pointing toward the back of the restaurant.
Their eyes connected and held, as the two new arrivals made their way through
the maze of tables. Alex stood, waiting patiently for Fox to reach him. When he
did, they stood toe to toe, exchanging sly grins.
"Hi honey, how was your day?" Alex asked softly.
"Interesting."
"Oh?"
"Found a little package on the front seat of my car, just before I left work."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? What was in it?"
"I'll just say two things... first, you're one sick bastard."
Alex smirked at the compliment. "You said there were two things."
Fox nodded. "Number two... .. I'm wearing it."
Silent chuckle. "How's it feel?"
"I could get used to it."
"I knew it was you as soon as I saw it..."
"Uh... .. hello!"
Both men turned in the direction of the mildly irritated voice. Scully was
already sitting at the table, menu in her hands, glaring at them.
"Could you two finish teasing each other after we order? I'd like to eat
sometime tonight."
The two men seated themselves, and picked up their menus.
"What looks good?" Fox asked his lover, perusing the menu.
"Well..." Alex shielded his face with the menu, blatantly staring at his
lover's crotch, licking his lips."
Fox tossed his head back and closed his eyes for a brief moment, before showing
his menu to Alex, and tapping at it with one finger.
"Oh. Uh... I don't know. The stuffed manicotti, I guess."
"You didn't even look at the menu," Scully piped up.
"Sure, I did. I was here for about fifteen minutes before you two showed up.
I've got it memorized, front to back."
"Well, we don't, so leave Mulder alone, so he can order!"
"Jeez, Scully, you sure get cranky when you're hungry."
"And you just noticed this? You!" She snapped her head in the direction of the
soft snicker. "Read that menu! If you're not ready by the time the server gets
here, I'm ordering without you."
"You heard what she said, Alex," Fox repeated, feeling his lover's leg pressing
against his. "Leave me alone!"
"I'm not doing anything..."
"Yes, you are... yes he is," he mock-complained to Scully, who was already about
at the end of her rope with them.
"Am I going to have to separate you two? You know, I don't know why I do this
to myself."
"Do what?" her partner asked, a touch of indignance seeping into his tone.
"This. Go out with you two. You never behave yourselves."
"We're not doing anything," Alex objected, "... much..."
"Just... .. let's order dinner, okay?"
Scully turned to the server, who had just come to stand beside her. She ordered
her meal, followed by Alex, then Fox. While they waited, Alex and Fox did their
best to keep the taunts to a minimum, and actually settled into a conversation
with Scully.
"So, I heard that you and your mother are going to California next week," Alex
said after a sip of water.
"Yeah. It's been a while since we've seen my brother. He's been asking for us
to come out for months, now."
"It'll be nice for you to get away for a while."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Mulder, don't forget you're taking me to the
airport on Monday morning."
"I know, I know, eight thirty-five."
Fox's eyes flicked to his left, feeling Alex's eyes on him. His brows drew down
into a frown and he nodded once at the younger man, as if to ask, "What?"
Alex only continued to stare, a tiny smile twitching at the corner of his
mouth.
Fox felt his cock stir within the confines of the fishnet. He closed his eyes
and turned his head away. It did no good. The heat of Alex's stare burned right
past his closed lids. "Umm... s'cuse me for a second, I gotta go wash my hands."
Fox rose from the table, giving Alex a quick glare, then went off toward the
men's room.
Alex shook with restrained laughter.
"What the hell are you doing to him?"
"Nothing! Did you see me do anything?"
"No, but that doesn't mean you didn't."
Alex smiled and shook his head. "Listen, I'm going to go wash my hands, too. I
was petting Clyde just before I left the house, so..."
Scully turned a narrowed gaze on him. "Uh-huh."
Alex gave her a dazzling grin. "Be right back."
He left the table and wandered into the bathroom, where Fox was just drying his
hands.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I needed to wash my hands too."
"Right."
"Really! Why does everybody think I've always got some ulterior motive?"
"Because you usually do."
Alex snorted and turned on the tap. As Fox turned to leave, he asked, "Hey,
where are you going?"
"Back to the table."
"You can't wait for me?"
Fox sighed and leaned against the wall.
Alex smiled and squirted some liquid soap into his hands. "So... you like
your present?"
"Yeah, I've always wanted to walk around with a piece of string stuck up my
ass."
"Can I see it?"
"What? Now?"
"Yeah. Nobody's here."
"It's a public restroom, Alex. Somebody could walk in."
"So, lets go in the stall."
"Al-ex..."
"What?"
"Scully's waiting."
"It'll take two seconds."
Fox leaned his head back against the wall. "Why do I let you do this to me?"
Alex grinned, and grabbed Fox by the wrist. He pulled him into a stall and
locked the door.
"Alex, this is the handicapped stall."
"I know, it's bigger."
"We shouldn't be in here."
"Oh, for God's sake, shut up and drop your pants."
Fox mumbled soft, unintelligible words, as he unbuttoned, unzipped, then
dropped his pants. He watched the green in Alex's eyes all but disappear, and
he knew he was in trouble. "Okay. Seen enough?" He started to pull his pants
back up, but a hand on his arm, stopped him.
Shit, shit, shit. I knew this was a bad idea...
"Wait."
"Alex..."
Alex wasn't listening. He lowered himself to his knees, and stroked the outside
of Fox's thighs, while he studied his lover's black, fishnet bound cock and
balls. He leaned in slowly, and planted a soft kiss on the shaft. "I like
this." His tongue slithered out, stroking the hard length. Fox's breathing
automatically shallowed.
"Alex, don't..."
"Don't worry." He continued to caress Fox's thighs. "I won't do anything else.
I want to see this at home... without all these clothes." He rubbed his
lightly-stubbled cheek along the hard warmth, then pulled Fox's pants back up.
"Great," Fox readjusted his clothing. "Now I gotta walk out there with a raging
hard-on."
"Your jacket'll cover most of it."
Fox's eyes flicked down to his lover's crotch. "What about you?"
"I'll walk close behind you until we sit down."
Fox moaned, and made for the door, but again, Alex's hand stopped him. It
clamped around his wrist, and pulled him in close.
"You look so fucking hot in that thing," the younger man rasped through his
teeth. "I can't wait to get you home."
"Well," Fox purred against his mouth, "it's your fault. If you had just waited
until I got home to give it to me, we wouldn't be going through this, now,
would we?"
"A little torture is good for the soul," Alex moaned, just before he covered
those sinfully beautiful lips in a deep kiss. He released Fox after a few brief
moments, then turned toward the door. "Let's go," he said softly, "before
Scully comes in after us..."
"About damn time, I was about to come in after you!"
Alex cast a knowing smirk in his lover's direction, as they returned to the
table and took their seats. "You wouldn't believe all the people in there,
wanting to wash their hands."
"Yeah. Right."
"Fine. Don't believe me." Alex turned toward Fox and tapped the table in front
of him. "Oh. I almost forgot. Langly called earlier this afternoon, lisa. He
says that Frohike broke their copy of the Montana and Wyoming UFO sightings,
and he wants to know if they can borrow yours to make another copy."
"I'll uh..." Fox cleared his throat and started again. "I'll call him when we
get home." He tried to look away from the pools of turbulent green, but found
himself having great difficulty. His cock throbbed impatiently, sending tiny
tendrils of sensation curling through every nerve in his lower body, as his
eyes conversed with Alex's.
One corner of Alex's mouth slanted upward, as his eyes flicked between Fox's
face and his crotch.
The older man's eyes left his lover's, scanning the room. Seeing that the
angling and location of their table afforded him a good amount of shielding
from view, he engaged Scully in conversation, while his hand slid up his own
thigh, and came to rest on the bulge in his pants.
Alex's lashes drooped, and he sucked in a long breath. He held the breath,
waiting. Fox's hand began to move, lightly caressing himself, all the while
carrying on his conversation with his oblivious partner. Alex released the
breath slowly, then sucked it right back in through his nose, as his lover's
hand began to gently squeeze himself.
God, baby, I love you, I... no... no, don't stop, dammit...
Alex blinked and whipped his head around to his left. The server stood beside
him, smiling.
"And I believe you were the stuffed manicotti."
"Oh. Uh, yeah." Alex let the girl place the plate in front of him, then glanced
back at Fox. The older man's eyes left his for a brief instant to thank the
server, then fell directly back to him. He gave Alex a sweet, seductive smile,
then resumed his conversation with Scully.
Dinner went slowly, or at least it seemed that way to Alex, who was dying to
get the bloody hell out of the damned restaurant, and get his lover home. When
the server finally came over to clear the dishes away, she asked if anyone was
up for desert. Before anyone could answer, Alex practically shouted, "No!" He
looked over at his dinner companions, one of which wasn't the least bit
surprised, and shrugged. "Come on, you gotta be stuffed, right?"
Scully rolled her eyes and turned to the server. "Actually, he's right. I
couldn't eat another bite."
The girl looked to Fox. "How about you, sir?"
"I don't know... you might be able to tempt me. What have you got?" He glanced
over into Alex's astonished eyes, and smirked.
The server ran down the list, and to Alex's absolute irritation, Fox ordered a
strawberry tallcake. While they waited, he again struck up a conversation with
Scully, while his hand dropped back into his lap. While Scully was replying to
a statement he'd made, he snuck a peek over at Alex, who looked him directly in
the eye, and mouthed "I hate you", at him. He nodded, and returned his focus on
the woman across from him.
When the desert came, Scully's eyes brightened. "Oh God, that looks good."
"Thought you didn't want any desert?"
"I didn't, but now I do."
"Well, grab a spoon. There's plenty here for all three of us," Fox answered,
viewing the layers of biscuit, strawberries and whipped cream, from all angles.
Alex watched, head in his hand, drumming his fingers slowly on the table, as
the two enjoyed their desert. Fox looked over at him, sliced off a large piece,
and held it in front of him. "Have some, baby," he coaxed softly. "It's really
good."
"No thanks," he said flatly, his eyes never leaving his lover's face.
Fox put his fork down, finally deciding that they'd both had enough. "That's
it, I'm done. Scully, you can kill the rest if you want to."
"Nah." Scully took two more bites. "I've had it, too. Any more, and you two
will have to roll me up my front steps. Let's get the check before I fall
asleep."
The bill was paid, and the three walked out the door, and into the parking lot.
Fox was the first one to speak. "See you tomorrow, Scully."
"Goodnight, Mulder. See you later, Alex."
Alex stood behind Fox, their bodies touching. His hand brushed up and down the
older man's sleeve. "Bye, Scully."
They watched Scully get into her car, before either one spoke. Alex leaned in
close to his lover's ear, and whispered into it, "See you at home."
Fox closed his eyes, absorbing the vibration of Alex's words, and nodded.
As Alex walked to his car, the low utterance of his name reached his ears. He
turned to find Fox standing at the open door of his car, staring at him. He
groaned softly, as the other discreetly pulled the zipper of his pants down,
and slipped his hand inside. He gave Fox a long, smoldering look, and ducked
inside his car. His lover did the same, and both pulled out of the parking lot,
and headed west. Not more than a minute later, Alex's cell phone rang. He
pulled the phone out of his pocket and raised it to his ear.
"What?"
"Guess what I'm doing?"
"Do I have to?"
"No. I can just tell you that my pants are undone and that I'm playing with
myself..."
"No, you're not."
Soft moan. "Yes, I am." I've got the phone on hands free... and my free hand
is squeezing my cock."
"Christ. Don't you dare come, Fox."
Alex's only response was a loud gasp.
"Fox!"
"Yeah?"
"Knock it off."
"I can't, Alex. You did this to me. You started this when you left me this
damned thing."
"Thong."
"What?"
"It's not a thing, it's a thong. Get your descriptions straight."
"Whatever. You gave it to me, you teased me in bathroom... it's your fault
now, that I'm so horny... and hard." Fox's moans and whimpers echoed in Alex's
ear. "God, Alex, I'm so hard. I don't know if I can wait..."
"Dammit, Fox, stop it. Stop touching yourself, and zipper your pants."
"I can't. You know what little control I have... oh, God... .. "
"Fox..."
"Ohhhhh... .. mmmmm... .. ."
Alex's cock screamed at him from within the confines of his jeans. The palms of
his hands were sweaty, and his head was beginning to pound.
"Baby... .. please. We're almost there."
"I am almost there, Alex..."
"No! No, baby, we're almost home. Please, stop. I promise you, I'll fuck you
into next week, if you'll just wait a few minutes."
"Mmmm, you promise?"
"Of course I do. Now please, stop... okay?"
Brief silence, then, "Okay."
"Alex?" "What?"
Fox's car pulled farther ahead. "Step on it."
Less than five minutes later, both cars screeched into the garage. The
automatic doors closed, and they were out of their cars, and all over each
other, tearing at each other's clothing. Alex backed his lover into the house,
making it only as far as the living room, when the next to the last item of
clothing hit the floor. Alex pushed Fox away, taking a moment to appreciate the
sight of his lover, naked except for the bit of black fishnet, stretched tight
by his swollen cock and the heavy sac below.
"Goddamn, you're the fucking sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Alex reached out, grabbing Fox's arm, and jerking him against his chest. Their
mouths came together in a brutal kiss, each man doing his utmost to swallow the
other, whole. Alex grasped the waistband of the thong, and pulled up on it,
wedging the vertical string of material tighter between the muscles of Fox's
ass. The older man grunted, scratching at Alex's back.
"Fuck me, Alex," Fox demanded against his lover's mouth. "You promised."
"So, I did," Alex breathed, yanking up on the band again.
"Ah... oh, shit! Alex, please..."
Alex dragged Fox down to the floor, pushing him onto his back. Without warning,
he attacked both nipples, sucking and biting one, while plucking at the other
with his fingers. The object of his passion writhed beneath him, cursing, and
pleading for mercy. Alex released his nipples, then quickly worked his way down
to his still scantily covered cock. Once there, he pressed his face to the
barely-contained bulge, drowning in the intoxicating scent of his lover's
desire. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest, and he closed his teeth over
solid muscle.
Fox hissed through gritted teeth, as Alex bit down on him and pulled. Fuck, it
felt good. That devastating pleasure tinged with just the right amount of
pain... it drove him insane.
"Alex... oh God, please... Alex, please, please!"
His lover's frantic pleas broke what was left of Alex's control. His teeth
clamped down on the flimsy bit of netting, and tore at it, until it was left
hanging from the band by a few threads. Fox's liberated cock sprang forward,
and Alex fell on it, immediately sucking the entire length of it down his
throat.
"Shit... oh, fuck!" Fox arched violently, trying in vain to get deeper into
Alex's mouth.
Alex pulled up slowly, maintaining a steady suction, while his tongue fluttered
along the underside of his tortured lover's cock. Fox tangled his fingers in
Alex's hair, trying to push him back down, but the younger man would not be
dissuaded. With one last hard suck on the head, he released Fox from his mouth.
"Noooo, baby, please..." Fox panted, unmistakable desperation in his cries.
Alex slithered up his body, stopping only when they were face to face. He
took Fox's mouth in another ferocious kiss, and ground their erections
together. He pulled out of the kiss and yanked what was left of the thong, down
and off. "Spread your legs," he snarled. Fox obeyed without delay, and he
kneeled between his parted thighs. He reached over, pulling a small tube out of
his pants pocket, and sneered down at Fox. "I've learned with you, never to be
unprepared."
"Have you, really?" Fox rasped. "Why's that?"
"Because..." Alex guided his cock to the ring of muscle, and pushed the head
in. "You're such a goddamn unpredictable..." he thrust in a bit more,
"... insatiable..." and a bit more, "... fucking slut." He emphasized the word
with one last vicious thrust.
A low mewling sound escaped Fox's throat, as his upper body arched and twisted.
"Aren't you?" Alex grasped his lover's cock and settled into a quick, hard
rhythm. "Aren't you my beautiful, insatiable slut?"
"Yes," Fox gasped. He was right there. One more second. One more stroke...
And there it was.
The light exploded, shattering into a million pieces, leaving only dark and the
sounds of two men's screams of pleasure. Alex collapsed on top of Fox's chest,
and both men clung to each other, struggling to breathe. Long minutes passed
before either of them was able to move.
Alex lifted his head, and fixed a droopy-lidded, glassy-eyed stare on his
exhausted Fox.
Fox gave him a weary, half-smile. "What the hell do you mean, slut?"
Alex's head fell to his shoulder, and he issued a weak laugh. "Hey, it isn't
like you never that from me, before. Come on, ya slut, let's go take a nice
warm shower, what d'you say?"
"Sounds good."
Alex rose to his feet and pulled Fox up after him. The older man looked back at
the mangled bit of black fishnet on the floor.
"You liked that thing so much, you ripped it to shreds..."
Alex laughed, pulling his lover toward the bedroom. "Don't worry, you've got
more..."
"There they are." Justin called the attention of the head of his team. The man
walked up beside him, and put the binoculars up to his eyes.
"Which one?"
"The one on the right." He stood silently, watching the naked, tired-looking
men walk into the bathroom. He closed his eyes momentarily, then reopened them.
"I want him, gentlemen. Do not fail me."
Part Three
Mulder lay back against the fluffy while pillows. He smiled, immediately
finding himself with an armful of warm, sleepy Alex. He kissed the
shower-dampened head, and gently shook the younger man's shoulder.
"Hey."
"Hmm?"
"What else did you buy me?"
"What?"
"What else did you buy me? I know you bought more of those thong
things... anything else?"
"Oh... uh-huh."
"What?"
"Mmm... flavored lube... studded cock ring..."
"Ooooh..."
"Ostrich feathers... a few butt plugs..."
Fox broke into laughter. "Are you shitting me?"
"Nope. Did I mention the studded collar to match the cock ring?"
"God, I'm sorry I asked."
"No, you're not."
"Oh yeah, I forgot. I'm a slut."
Alex chuckled softly, kissing Fox's chin. "My slut. And I wouldn't have you
any other way."
Fox tightened his arms around his lover, and nuzzled the top of his head. "Go
to sleep, dammit."
"Yes, Mr. Saint James."
"We'll be home tomorrow evening, Lester. Tell me you'll be ready."
"Yes sir, I think we will be."
"You think."
"We'll be out of here by tonight."
"See that you are. Tell your men, I'll add a generous bonus to their pay, if
they come through."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll check back in with you in the morning."
Justin disconnected and sat down to breakfast. "Tomorrow, beautiful one," he
murmured as he spread orange marmalade on his muffin. "Tomorrow, you're mine."
"Guess who?"
Alex smiled into the phone. "Mel Gibson?"
"What a comedian. You really should have your own show, you know that?"
"What can I do for you?"
"Ask me that question again, when I get home."
"You got it."
"Whenever I get home..."
"This doesn't sound good."
"Not really. Damn computer swallowed three reports."
"Didn't you back them up?"
"Yeah. Ask me where they are."
"Where are they?"
"Who the hell knows?"
"God."
"I'll be home as soon as I can, but you shouldn't wait up."
Alex sighed into the phone. "Guess I can put the toys away, huh?"
"I'm sorry." Fox's voice lowered to a soft, seductive purr. "We'll play all
weekend, okay?"
Alex brightened at the prospect of a marathon session. "Okay. Wake me up if I'm
asleep when you come in."
"If it isn't too late. See you later."
Alex disconnected, and looked over at Clyde, who was snoring by the patio
doors. "Can't even count on you for company, tonight." He stretched and
headed down the hall, toward the bedroom.
"Alone tonight, Alex?" Justin watched the man crawl into bed and turn the
television on. "Where's the lovely Fox? Goodness, and I was so looking forward
to one last night of entertainment." Gray eyes continued to watch as Alex
drifted into sleep. "Too bad. Tonight would have been perfect, if only I could
have been sure of Fox's whereabouts. Oh well. We'll just stick to the plan.
It's only one more day."
Fox crept silently into the bedroom. He moved toward the bed and looked down at
the sleeping figure. A gentle smile touched his lips, as he shed his shirt and
tie. Pants, shoes and underwear followed, then he was sliding under the sheet,
moving toward his slumbering lover. He wrapped an arm around Alex's chest, and
felt the younger man stir.
Aware of his lover's warmth, but not fully awake, Alex nestled back into the
heated cradle of Fox's body, and slipped back into unconsciousness. Fox kissed
the back of the sable head, then rested his cheek against Alex's shoulder, and
joined him in sleep.
Fox's eyes opened at four forty-seven. His eyes darted about frantically, and
his heart pounded against his chest. The feel of the warm body tucked against
him, brought him to reality. He took several steadying breaths, and secured his
hold on the man in his arms. He dropped a few tender kisses in the wild hair,
and closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, the anxiety returned.
Dark eyelashes fluttered, then swept upward as Alex felt the tension in the
body behind him. Still enfolded in his lover's arms, he wiggled onto his back
and turned his head toward Fox's. His voice was soft and husky from sleep.
"You okay?"
"Yeah..." Fox pulled Alex tighter against him and buried his face in the
younger man's throat. "... yeah."
"Then why is your heart racing? Were you dreaming?"
"No."
"Then, what?"
"I don't... I..." Fox raised his head, meeting Alex's eye. "I'm going to stay
home, today," he said impetuously.
"Huh? Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah."
"What time did you get home?"
"A little after twelve."
"Did you find the files?"
"Two of them. Got a few more places to look, but we were too tired."
"So, you've got work to do, but you've decided to stay home... for no
reason."
"Yeah."
"Fox, you never just take a day out of work for the hell of it."
"I am, today."
Alex studied him for a moment, then began to shake his head. "Talk to me,
lisa."
He wasn't going to let it drop and Fox knew it. Might as well just tell him. "I
just... I don't feel right. I'm not sick or anything, it's just this..this
feeling like I should be here."
"Is this anything like those other episodes you've had lately?"
"I guess so... yeah."
Alex smiled indulgently. "Close your eyes, Fox. I'll set the clock for seven.
If you go to sleep now, you can catch almost two more hours. When you wake up,
you'll feel better, and you'll go to work."
"You're trying to get rid of me?"
Alex stroked his lover's stubbled jaw. "Never. I don't know why you keep
getting these anxiety attacks, but everything is fine, and there's no need for
you to miss work. Tell you what. You can call home every hour to check in,
okay?"
No answering smile. Not even a trace.
Alex twisted free of Fox's grasp, and propped himself against the pillows.
"C'mere."
Fox slipped into his lover's arms, feeling them close securely around him. He
rested his head against Alex's chest, allowing himself to be soothed by the
strong, steady beat of his heart.
"Go back to sleep," Alex coaxed softly, all the while, smoothing his palm over
the tense muscles of Fox's back and shoulders. "You'll feel better in a couple
of hours."
Some twenty minutes later, both men were again, asleep.
"So... Lester."
"Yes, Mr. Saint James, we're getting ready to do the cleanup, now. We'll be
gone in a few hours."
"Thank you, Lester. I knew I could count on you. Convey my gratitude to the
crew, would you?"
"Yes, sir."
Justin tossed the phone onto the bed and chuckled into his tented hands. "Oh,
yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes." He spun around, shouting in the direction of the
door. "Frank!"
Seconds later, Frank appeared. "Yes, sir?"
"Are we all packed?"
"Yes, sir."
"The jet is ready?"
"It is."
"My special instructions have been followed?"
"They have."
"To the letter, Frank, this is precious cargo, we take back with us."
"To the letter, Mr. Saint James."
"Excellent. Now leave me."
The other man exited quietly, leaving Justin to enjoy his anticipated victory.
"Come on, Clyde, what the heck is wrong with you?"
The dog whined softly, following Alex around from room to room, bumping him
with his head, stopping only when Alex reached down to pet him.
"We've been for a run, a walk... what more do you want?"
The dog looked up at him with soulful brown eyes, cocking his head from side to
side.
"Why don't you go take a nap or something?"
The dog sat and continued to stare up at his master.
"Between you and Fox, I don't know which of you has been acting weirder
lately." Alex turned toward the kitchen with Clyde right on his heels. He
opened the back door, and just as the dog was about to follow him into the
yard, he turned, placing his knee between him and the partially open door. "No,
you don't. I love you buddy, but I need just a little breathing space, okay?
Fifteen minutes is all I ask." He closed the door, and went to fetch the garden
hose. The frantic barks of the dog made him turn in the direction of the house,
frowning. Clyde was now in the living room, pacing back and forth in front of
the glass doors, barking continuously. Alex figured it was best to just ignore
him, and set about watering the plants. A loud scratching joined the barking,
had regained his attention. "Shit! Clyde, cut that out!"
The dog was now leaping at the glass, his claws banging sharply at the pane.
Alex threw the hose down and started toward the house, when something clamped
around him from behind. Before he had a split second to react, a piece of
material was forced over his mouth and nose, then the world went dark.
Fox stood in his office drumming impatiently on his desk, phone wedged between
his shoulder and ear, looking at his watch.
"Alex, it's me. I've been calling you for... well, when you get the first
message, you'll know how long I've been calling. Listen... I'm heading home. I
know it's a little early, but Scully and I found that last disk, and there's
really nothing here that's pressing, so, I'll see you soon. Don't worry about
dinner, we can order a pizza or something."
"Feel better?" Scully asked from her own desk.
"Not until I get home." Fox filed the folders from his desk, and plucked his
jacket from the back of his chair. "You going home, too?"
"Yeah, I guess. Actually, this is perfect. I can start on that new novel I
bought the other day."
"Well, let's go," Fox called as he passed through the door into the hall.
"Sheesh! Mulder, slow down, would you?" Scully practically ran to keep up with
her partner's long strides.
Fox ignored her request, and strode out into the parking garage. Only when he
reached his car, did he look up at her. "Night, Scully. See you tomorrow."
Before she could respond, he was in the car, and pulling out of the space.
"Goodnight, Mulder," she called flatly after the departing car. A long,
exasperated sigh blew past Scully's lips, and she opened her own car door.
"Yes?"
"Mission accomplished, Mr. Saint James."
Justin grinned. "Wonderful! Did you have any trouble? He wasn't injured, was
he?"
"No. We took him by surprise, just like you said. I gotta tell you though, I'm
glad we didn't have to tangle with that dog. He was going insane at the glass
doors. He looked like he wanted to tear us to ribbons."
Justin ignored the remark. "Are you on your way to the airport?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'm on my way."
Justin slammed the phone down and picked up his jacket. "Frank! It's time to
leave!" He moved out of the room, humming to himself.
Fox pulled into the garage beside Alex's car, and went directly into the house.
Clyde met him at the door, barking non stop.
"Clyde... Clyde! Quiet!"
He swept through the house calling Alex's name, but there was no answer. The
dog trotted beside him, barking and yapping.
"What the hell's the matter with you?"
Clyde ran to the patio doors, and leapt up at them. Fox followed him, and
looked out into the yard. Seeing nothing, he slid the door open, and walked
into the yard. Clyde bolted out ahead of him, and dashed back and forth across
the sprawling backyard, sniffing and barking.
Fox looked around. "Alex?"
Nothing.
He called again.
"Alex!"
Still, nothing.
Fox was about to call once more, when the sound of water stopped him. He
stooped and picked up the hose, then looked around again. Alex never left the
hose just lying around. Alex never left anything just lying around. He was
just too damned neat.
Fox walked over to the spicket and turned the water off.
Okay. There's a reasonable explanation for this. There is.
He took a few deep breaths, and went over to where Clyde was sniffing around.
He covered every inch of the area, and found nothing. Still, the dog dashed
back and forth, barking wildly. Something was wrong. He knew it.
"Fuck!"
Why the hell did I let him talk me into going to work?
He ran back into the house, and picked up the phone. Shaking hands punched in
his partner's number.
"Scully."
"It's me. I need help."
"What... Mulder, what's wrong?"
"He's gone, Scully..."
"Gone? Who's gone? What are you talking..."
"Alex! He's gone, he's not here, he's not..."
"Calm down, Mulder. What are you talking about?"
"He'd never leave the hose uncoiled on the ground and the water running... I
knew... I knew... I shouldn't have let him... I should have stayed..."
"The what? Mulder, I need you to pull yourself together. You're not making
any sense."
"Clyde... he's trying to tell me, but I can't... I don't..."
"Maybe he just went to the store."
"His car is here."
"Or a walk..."
"Not without Clyde. And he wouldn't leave the water running!"
"All right. Look, Mulder. Stay there. Don't you move. I'll be right over."
Fox dropped the phone, and went through room after room, double-checking. He
returned to the living room, and fell onto the sofa. Clyde had finally stopped
barking, and came to sit by his side. The dog rested his chin on Fox's knee,
whining softly.
"Where is he, Clyde? God, why the hell didn't I stay home like I wanted to?" He
dropped his head into his hands, and rocked back and forth. "Oh God... oh God,
oh God, oh God..."
The jet lifted off, and Justin breathed a sigh of relief.
It all went off without a hitch. They'd be home in a few hours, and then he
could begin.
When it was permissible for him to do so, Justin moved to the back of the
plane. He squatted in front of the six and a half by two and a half, covered
object. Pulling the covering off, he observed the unconscious, shackled man.
Almost two years later, he was just as beautiful as he was when Justin first
saw him. He reached between the black iron bars of the cage, and gently ran one
manicured finger across the edge of the sable lashes. He withdrew his hand,
then inserted it between another two bars, stroking Alex's thigh. "Very nice,"
he whispered. "You, my lovely, will be my crowning achievement." He continued
to caress Alex's leg for a few moments more. "Sleep well, Alexei. When you
wake, you'll be home."
Scully pulled up in the driveway, and Fox was there, practically ripping her
out of her car.
"I've looked everywhere I could think to look, Scully. I can't find him
anywhere..."
"Mulder, are you sure that he just hasn't walked to the store or
something?"
"I'm sure, Scully. Something happened to him, I'd stake my life on it. This
is why I've been feeling the way I have. Dammit, why did I let him talk me
into going to work?"
"You two haven't had an argument or anything?"
"What? No! He didn't leave here of his own free will, Scully, I know it."
"Okay. Look, I called the guys on my way over here. They're coming. Since we
don't want the Bureau involved in this, they're going to dust for prints and
all that, okay?"
"Yeah... yeah. I have to find him, Scully, I have to..."
"Hey, Mulder!" Young Larry Mitchell ran up. "Guess what surveillance turned
up?"
"A little later, okay, Mitchell? Have... have you seen Alex?"
"Nope. Not today."
"Not at all?"
"Uh-huh. Are you sure you don't want to hear about..."
"I'm sorry, Mitchell, but I'm in the middle of a really big problem, right now.
Later, okay buddy?"
Fox sprinted toward the van that had just pulled up into the driveway. The
three men piled out, and then all five went into the house. The little boy
watched them, then threw up his arms and walked away.
"Okay Mulder, where do you want us to start?"
"What?"
Frohike opened up a black leather bag. "Where do you want to start?"
"I don't... I don't know how much good this is going to do, Frohike. Nothing was
upset inside the house and... you can check the furniture and the
fence... I... don't know..."
"Okay buddy, just take it easy," Langly tried to reassure him. "We'll see
what we can turn up."
Fox turned to Scully. "We gotta go to the neighbors. Maybe one of them saw
something, or heard something..."
"Okay. But Mulder, you can't do this if you don't calm down."
"I'm okay."
"No, you're not. Your hands are shaking like crazy. You need to be focused,
Mulder. You need to be here, or you'll be no help to Alex. Okay?"
Fox closed his eyes an made an attempt at breathing normally. "All
right... all right." He opened his eyes. They looked just as desperate as they
did when he closed them, but Scully knew that there was no way in hell he
wasn't going to go with her to question the neighbors, so she placed a
steadying hand on his back, and walked with him to the door.
"Carefully... easy..." Justin instructed the men who carried the cage into the
house. They brought it to the indicated room, and placed it inside of a larger
enclosure, constructed of iron bars. The men unlocked the cage, removed the
shackles, and placed the unconscious man on the bed at one end of the larger
cage.
Justin checked his watch, and leaned over Alex. "We still have about half an
hour before you wake, Alexei..." He stroked Alex's forehead, then his cheeks.
"Nice facial structure." He pulled the bow shaped lips back, examining his
teeth. "Very nice. Straight. Strong." His hand traveled lower, undoing three
buttons of the sage green shirt. "Not especially hairy. Good." His eyes flicked
down to the denim covered crotch. "Let's see this treasure..."
"Justin!"
Justin paused, hand at Alex's zipper. "Morgan! Glad you could make it so
quickly. I'm sorry old man, but I just couldn't wait for you to see this." The
man on the bed sighed softly. "Hmm. Looks like I may have overestimated on the
time." Justin rose from the edge of the bed, and exited the enclosure. He
closed and locked the door behind him.
Morgan looked around, frowning. "Justin... what is all this?"
"Well, my newest companion is going to need some time to get used to his new
home, and I don't want him to be injured in the interim."
"Justin... you kidnapped this man?"
"I prefer to think of it as improving his life."
"Does he have a family?"
"Yes. I am his family."
"I mean before. "
"It's irrelevant."
Morgan cut his eyes from his friend, back to the man in the cage. He was coming
to.
"Look at him," Justin whispered. "He's magnificent, isn't he?"
"Yes, he certainly is. But Justin..."
The sound coming from the inside of the cage, held the attention of both men.
The man on the bed began to moan, and his body shifted and stretched.
"Shit. God, my..." Alex's eyes began to open, and he realized that something
was very wrong. "What the hell..." He struggled to sit up, wincing at the
throbbing headache and... God, his scalp was sore. He blinked, trying to focus
on his surroundings. This first thing that he noticed when the room stopped
spinning, were the bars.
"What the fuck?"
The second thing was a pair of gray eyes, studying him intently, from beyond
the bars.
Recognition hit him like a hammer.
"You."
"Hello, Alex."
"What..." Alex shook his head and refocused. "What the fuck is this?"
Justin looked around proudly. "This is your new home."
Alex's heart started to pound as painfully as his head. "The fuck it is!"
In an instant, he was off the bed, and at the bars. "Let me out of here!"
Morgan backed away, frightened by the infuriated gleam in the young man's eyes.
Alex gripped the bars, shaking them with all his strength. "I'll kill you, you
motherfucker! Open the door!"
Justin virtually sparkled with admiration. "Exquisite."
"Justin." Morgan touched his friend's arm and led him away. "Justin, are you
sure you know what you're doing?"
Justin cocked his head, then looked over at Alex, who was pacing the length of
the cage, hurling curses and threats in their direction. "Yes, of course I do."
"He's furious. "
"I know. Look at his eyes. Look at the glint. A beautiful, ferocious
animal."
"An animal you may not be able to tame."
"It'll take some time," Justin allowed, "but he will come around. Can you see
it, Morgan? Can you see the envy on our friends' faces when they see me with
him on my arm?"
Alex stopped railing long enough to hear some of what was being said.
Oh, this has got to be a dream. Fox'll wake me up any second now...
He closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. Nothing had changed. No
comfortable bed. No warm Fox beside him...
Fox.
Oh, God, he must going crazy.
Alex looked at his wrist for the time, and his blood pressure soared. His watch
had been taken. The watch that Fox had given him that Christmas on Andros...
Shit, shit, fuck, shit... oh, this guy is so dead...
Alex raised his right hand to his temple in an attempt to massage away some of
the pain, when he noticed something else was missing. He looked down at his
hand. The silver band that Fox had given him not long after they'd returned
home from the Bahamas, was gone. He exploded into a blind rage, throwing
himself against the bars.
"You motherfucker! You sick, demented, son-of-a-bitch! Let me out of here!"
"Justin," Morgan whispered nervously, "Justin, he's going to rip those bars
right off."
Justin sighed impatiently. "Don't be ridiculous, Morgan. Those bars are solid
steel. He's not going to break them, I don't care how upset he gets." Justin
approached the cage, taking care remain at a safe distance. "You really should
calm down, Alexei..."
The sound of the name that only Fox used, on this bastard's lips, made Alex
shudder with disgust.
"You're going to wear yourself out. And on this, your first day home..."
"This isn't my home," Alex spat out.
"It is, now. The sooner you learn and accept that, the easier your life will
become."
"Look, you sick fuck. I'm going to kill you anyway, but if you let me out of
here now, I promise you, I'll make it quick and painless."
"Darling," Justin began in his most condescending tone, " I understand you're
upset. You've been taken from familiar surroundings... you'll never see your
mate again... of course it's a bit disconcerting. I would have loved to have you
both here with me, really I would have. Fox is so very beautiful, and seeing
you two together was such a treat. I would have given a fortune to have the two
of you here to entertain me as you had for those few days..."
Alex began to pace again. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I was your new neighbor."
"Oh... Jesus.
"I was at a perfect angle to see right into your bedroom. And your yard..."
"You watched us?"
"Oh, yes. And I must admit, I've never seen anything quite so erotic. You
actually made me blush, and that isn't an easy thing to do."
Alex turned his back and covered his eyes with his hands. "This isn't
happening. This is not happening..." He whirled back to face his jailer.
"Have you been planning this for almost two fucking years?"
"Oh, no. Truthfully, I'd really given up on you, that last night on Andros.
But as fate would have it, I was in New York on business recently, and saw your
lovely Fox in a restaurant with his little partner. I heard a policman call him
Agent Mulder, and my interest was piqued. So, I did a little poking around, and
discovered that he was a federal agent. A little more investigation revealed
his home office, and from there, it was easy to find out where he lived.
Imagine my surprise when I saw you step out of the house with him, one day. I
really thought that you two would have been long separated. You were so
intense, I thought your affair would have burned itself out long ago."
Alex snorted. "Apparently, asshole, you've got a lot to learn."
"Quite so. Perhaps we could teach each other, yes?"
"Oh, I got your lesson, motherfucker."
One corner of Justin's mouth slanted upward.
"What did you do with my watch and ring?"
"Oh, don't worry about those."
"Where are they?" Alex ground from between clenched teeth.
"Now, it really wouldn't do for you to be wearing another man's gifts, would
it?"
"Another man?"
"Well... after all, you are mine..."
"What the fuck world do you live in?!? I'm not now, nor will I ever be
yours!"
Morgan watched the exchange from across the room, shaking his head in
disbelief.
"But you are, my beautiful one," Justin replied matter of factly. "In time,
you'll come to accept that fact. And the name Fox Mulder will come to mean
nothing to you."
Alex hurled himself at the bars again, reaching through them, trying in vain to
grab a sleeve, a collar, anything to drag Justin toward him... and kill him.
"I'm going to rip your heart out and feed it to you, you goddamn, fucking
shit!"
Justin laughed in the face of Alex's rage, and turned toward his friend, who
was still cowering near the door.
"Isn't he wonderful?" he asked, as he reached Morgan.
"Wonderful? Justin, I don't know about you, but I believe he means every word
he said."
"I believe him, too. That's why he's in there, and we're out here."
"How can you not be afraid? If he ever gets out of there..."
"He won't. Not until the time is right."
"I don't think either of us will live long enough to see that time."
Justin grunted disdainfully. "Such negativity. Would you care to put a little
wager on it?"
Not being one to pass up a good bet, Morgan nodded. "All right. How much?"
"Ten grand?"
"You're on. There's got to be a time frame, now. How long do you say it'll
take?"
"Two months."
Morgan laughed. "You are confident. Two months it is."
"It's a sucker bet, Morgan," Alex rumbled from the other side of the room.
Justin turned amused eyes to his prisoner. "Oh?"
"Yeah." Alex fixed him with a cold stare. "He can't collect from a dead man."
Justin flinched inwardly at the young man's tone. All the ranting and screamed
threats combined, didn't have the effect that these few words, so quietly, so
coldy uttered, delivered. He raised his chin a fraction, and smiled at Alex.
"You're overwrought. Why don't you try to get some rest? I'll have some fresh
clothes and some food brought in to you." He looked to his portly companion.
"Morgan? Let's leave him alone, shall we?"
The two men exited, leaving Alex alone. His hands gripped the bars so tightly,
his knuckles had gone past white and were on their way to blue. His eyes
closed, and his head dropped forward against the cold steel.
"The neighbors see anything?"
"Nothing," Scully answered Byers' question as she and her partner came through
the door. "Three hours and we turned up nothing. What about you guys?"
"Not a clue. We picked up some prints here and there. If they don't match
Mulder's or Krycek's, we may be in business."
Mulder stumbled over to the sofa and fell onto it. He lowered his head into his
still-shaking hands.
"Alex..."
No one heard the whispered moan. No one saw the look of utter grief that lined
his features. No one needed to see it, to know the excruciating pain he was
suffering.
Scully sat beside him and placed an understanding hand on his shoulder.
"Mulder," she whispered, "We'll find him... Mulder?"
Fox raised his head suddenly, startling his partner. His eyes stared vacantly.
In the last few hours, he looked like he'd aged ten years.
"I can't sit around here, Scully. I gotta do something. I gotta..."
"What, Mulder? What are you going to do? Where do we start?"
Fox leapt to his feet and began to pace. "I don't know. I don't..." He
stopped in his tracks. "Cancerman."
"You think it was him? After all this time, why would he rock the boat?"
"I don't know. But it's the only place I can think of to start."
"But how do we find him?"
He began to pace again. "Alex knew where to find him, but he thought is was
safer for me if I didn't know..." Another thought came to him. "Skinner. He
knows."
"But Mulder... how are you going to..."
"I don't know. But I have to ask him."
"You're taking a chance, Mulder."
"I have no choice. I can't worry about what he might find out. Alex is all
I care about." He looked around. "Where are the guys?"
"They went back outside for another sweep of the property. If there's anything
out there, Mulder, they'll find it. I think they've brought every piece of
equipment with them that they own."
Fox nodded. "I'm going to Skinner's."
"I'll come with you."
"No, stay here and call me if anything comes up."
"Are you going to be all right?"
"I'll be fine."
"You need to be, Mulder. I don't want any calls from the hospital saying that
you've been in an accident."
"I'm all right."
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
Fox snatched his keys off of the table, and dashed out of the house. He jumped
into his car, and roared out of the garage, and down the driveway. As he turned
onto the street, he forced himself to concentrate on the drive and not his
missing lover, or what might be happening to him... or the fact that there was
no way in hell that he could go to sleep tonight, or any night, if Alex wasn't
there beside him...
Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of Skinner's building. He took a
deep breath and entered through the front doors. he spent the elevator ride up
reviewing in his head, what it was he was going to say once he got there, but
when he was standing at the door, ringing the bell, it all went right out of
his head.
The door opened and the AD appeared, clad in faded jeans and a t-shirt, peering
over his glasses at his frazzled agent.
"Agent Mulder. What can I do for you?"
"I need... I need your... your help, sir."
Skinner stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "What's going on? You look like
hell."
"I need a favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"I need to find Cancerman."
Skinner squinted. "What?"
"Please, sir. You know how to reach him."
"What's this about, Mulder?"
"I can't... I... it's personal, sir. Very personal."
Skinner cast a dubious stare in Fox's direction. "Is Scully all right?"
"She's fine. This has nothing to do with her."
"Then..."
Fox closed his eyes. "Please, sir. I don't have time."
Skinner studied his agent, noting the desperation in his tone and in his eyes.
"All right, look. I'll see if I can get you a meeting, all right?"
Fox nodded. "Now... please."
"Go home, Mulder. Wait for a call."
"Thank you." Fox turned to leave, and was stopped by the rumbling baritone.
"After this... whatever it is, is over, will you be able to tell me about it?"
Fox glanced over his shoulder. "I don't think... I don't know. Thanks again,
sir."
Then he was gone, leaving the AD deeply curious, and more than a little bit
worried.
"Jesus Christ, would you look at this?"
"Oh man, we don't get paid enough to deal with this kind of shit."
Alex's two assigned 'chaperones' entered the room to find that their charge had
completely destroyed his 'room'. Everything that wasn't bolted down was torn or
smashed, and the food that had been brought to him, now decorated the bars and
floor on one side. The clothing he'd been supplied with, was ripped to shreds
and lay scattered all over the enclosure.
The two men eyed the one in the cage, who prowled restlessly from side to side.
He stopped, realizing that he was not alone, and stood staring at them.
"You son of a bitch," the taller of them hissed. Don't you know he's going to
make us clean this up?"
The caged man stood quietly watching, making not a move, except for the erratic
rise and fall of his chest.
The taller man hit the other's arm. "Bobby, go get Paul and Tim."
The other man disappeared from the room, then returned minutes later, to find
his companion and the new arrival still staring at each other.
"What are we going to do, Rich?"
"What do you mean, what are we going to do? We're going to clean that mess up."
"Shouldn't we ask Mr. Saint James before we go in there?"
"What the hell for? You think he's gonna clean it up?"
"No, but..."
"But what? Don't tell me you're afraid to go in there..."
"No..."
"Then, let's go."
Rich moved toward the door first, and pointed to a corner of the cage. "Okay,
pretty boy. Over there."
Alex didn't move.
"I said, over there.
Still, he didn't budge.
"Don't test me, pal. Move."
Rich missed the tiny glint in Alex's eye as he slowly moved to the designated
spot. He smiled, feeling a rush of superiority. "Tim, you stay out here. Hold
onto the key." He passed the key to the short, stalky man with the sandy-brown
hair, after he unlocked the door. "After we're in, lock it."
Bobby's eyes widened. "Lock it? Are you nuts?"
"You want to be the one to tell Mr. Saint James that he escaped?"
Bobby let out a long sigh, then followed the other two men into the cage.
"Paul, you watch him while we start picking this shit up." Rich and Bobby
replaced the boxspring and mattress, then Rich shoved Alex down onto it. "Don't
move. Don't you even fucking breathe, do you hear me?" He couldn't resist
slapping the side of Alex's head before he started to walk away.
"You die first."
He turned around and glared at the seated man. "What the fuck did you say?"
Alex looked up at him silently.
Rich approached and leaned over him. "Did you say something to me, pretty boy?"
"Rich..."
"Shut up, Bobby... what did you say to me, asshole?"
Alex gave him an acid stare. "I said," he repeated softly, "you die first."
Before anyone knew what was going on, Alex was off the bed and on the slightly
larger man. There was a sickening crack, and Rich fell to the floor, quite
obviously dead.
"Oh, shit!" Paul screamed at the man on the other side of the cage. "Tim! Open
the door! Open the..."
He choked on his last words, as a strip of material wrapped around his throat.
"Tim! Goddamn it, open the fucking door!" Bobby rattled the steel bars, as the
second man struggled and gasped his last breaths.
Tim fumbled with the keys, but finally got the door open just as Alex let Paul
drop to the floor. Bobby stumbled out and slammed the door behind him, locking
it just in time. The two survivors watched, horrified as Alex kicked Paul's
body to the side and spit on it. His eyes glittered with rage as he address the
men.
"You two are going to be next."
Fox checked his watch for the millionth time.
Ten twenty-eight.
"Mulder, please sit down. You have to try to relax."
"Why hasn't he called? Come on," he pleaded with the phone, "ring."
As if on cue, the phone rang, nearly startling Scully off the edge of her
chair. Fox snatched it up before it could ring a second time.
"Hello?"
"I hear you'd like to see me, Mr. Mulder. It's been a while. Do you miss me?"
Fox ignored the dig. "I need to talk to you."
"Goodness. So abrupt. How's Alex?"
Fox's patience snapped. "Where is he, you son of a bitch?"
"I'm sorry?"
"What did you do with him?"
"I beg your pardon, Fox, but if your lover is missing, it's not our doing. Have
you forgotten our arrangement? I can assure you that we have not."
Fox went silent, his head spinning.
"Mr. Mulder? Are you there?"
"Yeah... .yeah. You know nothing about this..."
"I realize my word may not be worth much to you, but you have it nevertheless."
"If I find out that you're lying to me... if you've done something to him..."
"Yes?"
"It'd make me a man with nothing to lose. Remember that."
"That fact never leaves our minds... Mr. Mulder?"
"What?"
"Our resources are at your disposal should you need them."
Fox hesitated for a moment, then hung up.
"He claimed innocence, of course," Scully said to him.
Fox closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. "I think I believe him.
Leaving Alex alone was in their very best interest. He's too smart to risk
screwing with that."
"So now what?"
The phone rang again. Fox snatched it up.
"Yeah?"
"Mulder, it's Langly."
"You have anything?"
"Umm... yeah. Sort of."
"You either do or you don't, Langly."
"The prints we lifted are yours and Krycek's. But we picked up something during
that second sweep of the area. We didn't say anything to you, in case it turned
out to be nothing."
Fox's heart pounded in his ears. "What?"
"At the curb in front of your house, we found a piece of material... like a
handkerchief. Mulder, it had traces of chloroform on it."
Fox bent at waist, phone still to his ear, trying to catch his breath. Scully
approached and pulled the phone from his grip.
"It's Scully."
"Scully, is he okay?"
Scully led her devastated partner over to the sofa and made him sit. "Langly,
what did you tell him? Breathe, Mulder. Come on, relax... Langly?"
"I told him that we found a handkerchief with chloroform on it at the curb."
"Oh, my God. Is that all?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry, Scully."
"Thanks, Langly. I gotta go. I'll be in touch." Scully put the phone down and
sat beside Fox. "Mulder..."
"Who would do this, Scully? Why?"
"I don't know, Mulder, but we'll find him. Somehow, we'll get him back."
Fox buried his face in his hands and rocked back and forth. "Alex, where are
you? God... what if he's hurt, Scully? What if..."
"Come on, Mulder. You have to keep it together. Alex needs you in one piece,
okay?"
"I know." He continued to rock. "I know..."
Scully rubbed her partner's back slowly. "I know what your answer is going to
be, Mulder, but you really need to try to get some rest."
"I can't, Scully, I..."
"Mulder, you'll be no good to anyone if you drop from exhaustion."
"I can't spend time sleeping when I could be..."
"Could be what? We don't even know where to start. It's too late to question
those few neighbors who weren't home, so there's nothing you can do until
tomorrow. Please go into your bedroom and lie down. I'll be right out here if
anything happens."
Fox shook his head.
"Mulder, I know what this is doing to you. I understand. I promise you I'm
going to do everything I can to help you find him. But I need you to rest.
Now come on, I'm taking you to your room."
Fox allowed Scully to pull him into his bedroom. He looked down at the bed, and
his eyes glazed over. He lowered himself slowly to one knee, then pivoted and
lay on his side, pulling Alex's pillows to his chest. He inhaled deeply, then
rested his cheek against against the pillow closest to his face. "They smell
like him..." He closed his eyes and buried his face in the soft cushion.
Scully sat at the edge of the bed and stroked her partner's shoulder. "He'll be
back," she whispered.
Fox nodded slowly, acknowledging his partner's assurance.
"I'll be in the living room, okay?"
Another barely discernible nod.
Scully left the room, leaving the door partially open.
Now alone, Fox squeezed the pillows tighter to himself, whispering his absent
lover's name. "Alex... ..Alex, Alex... Alex... I'm so scared, I'm... please be
all right... please, please...
"Matthew... wake up, love."
The young man blinked slowly and moaned.
"Come on, Matthew. Justin is home."
Matthew opened his eyes and looked up at the man sitting at the edge of his
bed, smiling.
"I'm sorry I was away so long. I really hadn't intended to be, but something
came up. I've got a surprise for you..."
The prone man eyed him cautiously but said nothing.
"Get up and I'll show you..."
"Mr. Saint James!" Bobby burst into the room. "I'm sorry to bother you sir,
but..."
"Calm down, Bobby. What is the problem?"
"He is! He... oh my God, he..."
"Spit it out, Bob."
"Rich and Paul... they're dead, sir!"
Matthew lifted himself into a sitting position. What the hell was Bobby talking
about?
"What? How?"
"He killed them, sir! Like lightning! We couldn't do anything..."
"What were they doing in there?"
"I'll explain on the way, sir. Please, come. I don't know what to do.."
Justin turned disturbed eyes to Matthew. "I'm sorry, darling. Stay here. I have
to go see about this matter. I'll see you in the morning."
Matthew watched Justin hurry from the room and close the door behind him. He
propped his pillows against the headboard and settled back into them.
Who is he? And did he really kill two men? What is going on, here?
Matthew shrank into the protective covering of his blankets. He had a bad
feeling. A really, really bad feeling...
Justin burst into the room, followed by six men. He looked around at the
carnage, then over at the cause of it.
"Alexei... ."
"Don't call me that."
"What have you done here?"
"A little redecorating."
"Alexei, I can't have you killing my men."
"You brought it down on yourself. If you don't let me the fuck out of here, the
body count will increase..."
"Darling, please understand that this is your home now. I'd love nothing more
than to have you released from your enclosure. But I can't do that until I know
I can trust you."
"And what if you thought you could trust me? Then what?"
Justin took two steps forward and whispered, "Then you become my treasured
companion. My number one. You move from this cage to my bed." Gray eyelashes
lowered to half-mast as he said those last words. "You'd be so pampered,
darling. Servants at your beck and call... expensive clothes..cars... anything
your heart desired would be yours."
The more Justin spoke, the more nauseated Alex became.
"Listen to me," he said to the older man in a tone that left no room for
misinterpretation. "There's only one thing I'll ever want in my life. And you
took it away from me. And for that, you need to pay." He cast a hard glance
down at the body at his feet, then around the room at the others standing
there. "All of you."
Justin shook his head and gave Alex a saccharine smile. "No, darling. You
will come to accept me as your lover. Ty budesh moyo."
"Nikogda" Alex spat back.
"We shall see about that." Justin turned to the group assembled behind him.
"Please pick that mess up."
Bobby stepped forward. "But, Mr. Saint James... you didn't see him... he's
extremely dangerous, sir."
"There are six of you, are there not?"
"Yes, sir."
"If you six men cannot contain one, I fear I'll have to have you all
replaced."
Bobby looked down at the floor. "But he said... he said Tim and I were next..."
"Oh, for goodness sake. Of course, he'd say that." Justin turned to the three
largest men and motioned toward the cage. Do what you have to do to restrain
him, but do not harm him. The other three can pick up."
"What about the bodies, sir?"
"Dispose of them."
The door was unlocked, and the three men advanced toward Alex from different
angles, backing him into a corner. When they were close enough, he sprang. In
the mele' that followed, he managed to break one man's jaw with a well-landed
right cross, and ripped open another man's chest with a jagged piece of
plastic, he'd hidden in the cuff of his shirt. With two men severely
incapacitated, the other four had no choice but to jump in, finally subduing
and restraining him.
As Alex lay pinned to the floor by three of the four men, screaming with rage,
Justin approached.
"You know..." he pulled a small syringe from the breast pocket of his jacket
and squatted beside the pile of men. "I had truly hoped this wouldn't be
neccessary, but I cannot have you misbehaving like this."
Alex struggled for all he was worth, hurling threats at Justin and the men who
held him down, but exhaustion was beginning to get the better of him.
"Relax, darling. This won't hurt a bit..." Justin injected the fluid into the
still-struggling man, and waited. Seconds later, Alex's muscles gave out on
him. He lay softly whimpering curses beneath the hands that held him.
The world was closing in on Alex. His body was betraying him, shutting down
when he needed it most, and as the blackness came to claim him, all thoughts,
hazy though they were, turned inward to that one safe place. The place where
his love waited for him.
"What's he saying?" Bobby cautiously bent down to try and make out the barely
audible, sluggishly uttered word, repeated over and over.
Justin rose to his feet, looking down at the scarcely conscious man. His eyes
turned an icier shade of gray as he listened. He knew exactly what Alex was
saying.
"Fox... Fox...... Fox......."
Fox sat up, staring wide-eyed into the darkness of the room.
It had been roughly two hours since Scully had made him come in to rest, and
now, he'd been startled awake by... what? A dream? If it was a dream, he
couldn't recall it. He only knew that he could hear Alex's voice. Pained and
pleading. Calling to him.
His body began to shake and he gulped in large quantities of air, as he fought
back the sobs that threatened to overtake him.
You can't. You can't. Alex needs you. Come on, pull it together.
He pulled himself into an upright position, clutching one of Alex's pillows to
his chest.
Think. Think. Who would do this? Who would have anything to gain?
Fox searched his memory, trying to come up with an answer. The sun came up, and
he was still sitting in the same position, driving himself crazy. Finally, he
could take no more. He leapt out of bed and went into the living room.
Scully jumped at the sound of footsteps. She swiveled into a sitting position
and blinked up at her partner.
"Mulder... what..."
"I didn't mean to wake you. I just... I couldn't stay in there any longer."
"You look worse now than you did when you went to bed. Did you sleep at
all?"
"Couple of hours."
"A couple of hours is going to do it, Mulder."
"We need to question the other neighbors."
Scully looked at her watch. "A bit early for that."
"The neighbors inconvenience is the least of my worries right now, Scully. I'll
send them all gift baskets and a note of apology later."
"Mulder, it's only six-twenty. Go take a shower. Shave. Maybe you'll wake up a
little."
"I'm awake."
"Mulder..."
Fox closed his eyes and turned back in the direction of the hall. "All right.
If that phone rings..."
"I'll drag you out of the shower."
Twenty minutes, Fox reappeared, showered, changed, but unshaven. He just
couldn't work up the interest.
Scully looked him up and down, not at all happy with what she saw, but she knew
that under the circumstances, she couldn't ask for very much more.
"Okay, Mulder, look... I'm going to run home and change. You stay put until I
get back, okay?"
Fox emitted an impatient sigh.
"I'll be quick, I promise."
Fox nodded his agreement, then dropped onto the sofa, covering his eyes with
his hands.
Scully departed, leaving him alone again, with his thoughts.
Eveybody I've ever put away is still away... scratch revenge... we've made
no enemies since moving here... I don't..."
A soft whining interrupted him.
"Clyde." Fox looked down at the dog who had come to sit at his feet. "God, I'm
sorry. I didn't feed you last night, did I? And I guess you need to go out."
The dog perked up at the words. He knew the words very well. Alex had taught
him to retrieve his leash when he asked if he wanted to go out. He ran from the
room and returned seconds later, dragging the lead behind him. He dropped the
three foot strip of leather, and looked around.
Jesus, dogs are smart.
"Clyde, come here."
The dog walked slowly over to Fox, beginning to whine again.
"Alex can't take you for your walk this morning." He hugged the dog. "Maybe
tomorrow, huh?" He rose to his feet. "Come on, I'll take you around the block,
then give you some breakfast." He hooked the leash onto the dog's collar and
making sure he had his cell phone with him, walked him out the front door.
"Ah. Matthew. You're up."
"Yes. Justin?"
"Yes, darling?"
"What... what was Bobby talking about last night?"
"Nothing for you to be concerned with. Nothing at all." Justin clapped his
hands together. Well... since you're up, why don't you come have breakfast with
me, and I'll show you that surprise."
Not entirely sure that he wanted to see whatever it was that Justin wanted to
show him, but too afraid to refuse, Matthew let himself be led to the other
side of the house.
"Now", Justin stopped in front of the door, eyes sparkling, "are you ready?"
Matthew nodded warily.
With a grand sweep of his arm, Justin threw the door open and beckoned the
young man into the room.
Matthew looked wide-eyed, at the large steel cage that took up half the room.
His eyes got wider still, when they fell on the man shackled to the bed inside
the enclosure. He turned to Justin, a million questions swirling through his
mind.
"Come closer, love. He won't bite you." Justin smirked at his own comment.
"Come, now."
Matthew inched closer, to get a better look at the unconscious man. He'd been
stripped to his underwear, so Matthew was able to get a good look at "his
surprise"...
My surprise?
His eyes wandered over the body on the bed.
Long. Strong, graceful lines. Muscular. Well defined, but not overly so.
He studied the face.
Handsome. Very.
Perfectly bowed lips... nice nose... dark silky hair... long, thick eyelashes
that swept his cheeks. Matthew found himself wondering what color eyes those
thick fringes concealed.
"Isn't he exquisite?"
Matthew blinked and his gaze fell away from the man on the bed.
"Matthew? You don't think he's beautiful?"
Matthew shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say.
"I thought you'd like him. I'm away so much, and even when I'm here... I'm not a
stupid man, darling. We're very far apart in age. I thought someone younger
would be good company for you."
"For me?"
"Well... yes..." Justin grinned smugly. "And for me. You two will be so lovely.
One on each arm..."
Matthew hoped Justin didn't see the shudder. "Why is he chained and caged?"
"He's a bit of a wild one. Not to worry though, he'll be broken in soon
enough."
Jesus Christ, he kidnapped this man.
Justin broke in on his thoughts. "He's going to have his first lesson this
morning. Would you care to stay and watch?"
Matthew wasn't exactly sure what Justin meant by "lesson" but of this much he
was sure. He didn't want to be anywhere around to see it.
"I don't... I'd rather not, please."
The corner of the older man's mouth twitched. "Very well. Let's have some
breakfast, hmm?"
With one last look at the man in the cage, Matthew let Justin lead him from the
room.
"Mulder!"
Fox spun around at the sound of his name.
"Mitchell... what are you doing out so early?"
The little boy ran up. "Hi, Clyde." He scratched the dog's head, and looked up.
"Just woke up early. I thought I could see if anything else funny was goin' on
in that house."
"Mitchell, I..." Fox stopped in mid-sentence. He frowned, looking down at the
boy. "Mitchell, listen to me. This is important, okay? Is this a game? Are you
making all the stuff up that you've talked about?"
"No."
Fox's heart began to pound. "Mitchell, come with me." He walked the little boy
up to the house and seated him on the front steps. "Tell everything funny
that's been going on next door, okay?"
The child brightened. "Sure. You think something's fishy?"
Fox took a deep breath. "Remember when I asked you yesterday if you'd seen
Alex?"
"Yeah..."
"He's disappeared, Mitchell. He's been missing since yesterday."
The little boy's eyes widened.
"Maybe you can help me find him."
"Sure... sure, Mulder. Gee, I hope he's okay. I like Alex. He doesn' talk to me
like I'm a baby like a lot of people do."
"I know, Mitchell, I like him too. Now tell me what's been going on next door."
"Well, like I told you before, there's this guy. He only comes at night.
Least, that's the only time I ever saw him. He comes in a big car. It drops
him off down there," the boy pointed down the street, "and he walks to the
house. The first day I saw him, he was carrying this big bag."
"Just the first day?"
"Yeah."
"How many times have you seen him, Mitchell?"
"I don't know... three or four."
"I know you said he comes at night, but do you think you can describe him?"
"Well... he wears a suit. He walks real straight... you know, like my mother is
always tellin' me to do... I don't think he's as tall as you, but he's not real
short, either. Not real skinny, but thin, I guess I'd say. I think he had
white or blonde hair. Hard to tell in the dark. Real neat."
Fox's squinted down at the boy. "When's the last time you saw him?"
The boy shook his head. "Not last night... Tuesday. And I thought I saw more
than one person go inside the house that night. But they were all wearing dark
clothes and they moved so fast, I couldn't really tell how many."
Shit... shit, shit... what the hell is going on, here?
"Is there anything else you can tell me? Have you seen anything else?
Anybody on the street that didn't look familiar... a face... a car..."
"The only people I saw around here all day, were the guys who came to get your
rug."
"My... what?"
"There was a carpet truck outside of your house yesterday, and they carried a
rolled-up carpet out from the back."
Fox's head started to pound. "Mitchell, I didn't have any carpets taken out.
Are you sure they were coming from my house?"
"Yeah. Positive. They didn't come from the front, though, " he insisted. "They
came from the back."
"God... oh, Jesus... Mitchell, think. Were there any words on the truck? A
company name?"
"I guess there was, but I don't remember what it said."
"Please, Mitchell. This is so important. Please, think."
The little boy closed his eyes, concentrating, then opened them. There was deep
frustration in his tone. "I don't know, I can't remember."
Fox buried his face in his hands. "God... God..."
"It was green, though! That I remember. A dark green."
Fox raised his head, hope sparkling in his eyes. "Okay, that's good. That's
great. Is there anything else? Anything at all?"
The boy shook his head. "No, sorry. If anything else comes to me, I'll let you
know right away."
Fox hugged the little boy to his side. "Thank you, Mitchell. You've been a huge
help."
Fox jumped to his feet, seeing Scully's car pull up into the driveway. He sent
the little boy on his way, and ran to meet her. He threw her door open and
pulled her from the car. "We may have just gotten the break we needed."
"What happened?"
Fox hurried her into the house, explaining what Mitchell had just told him.
"And you're sure he's not making this up? Little boys are notorious for
creating their own adventures."
"I know. But I explained it to him, Scully. He knows how important this is. He
isn't making it up." He didn't tell her what he was thinking. Not yet.
"Well, okay. First thing we have to do is compile a list of all the carpet
places in the area. Then see which of them has a green truck. I'll call the
guys. The more people on this, the better."
"All right, listen, while you're doing this, I'll go see the other neighbors.
Maybe there's something somebody can add."
Before Scully had a chance to respond, her partner was out the door. She picked
up the phone and dialed their friends.
Alex blinked again and again, unable to totally clear his vision. His head felt
like it weighed a ton, and his mouth felt like it was lined in cotton. A smooth
voice loomed somewhere in the distance, curling around his nerves and squeezing
like a python.
"Have a restful night, Alexei?"
Fuck you.
He wanted to say it out loud; tried to, but his mouth would not form the words.
He heard the door unlock and the sound of footsteps. There was a gentle
depression of the mattress, then a hand... light... delicate... stroking his
cheek.
"Wes is dead," the soft voice stated. "I'm sorry, you don't know him by name,
do you? He's the man you cut open last night. He died early this morning. The
blood loss was just too great. So, that's three." Fingers whispered across his
lips, then down his chin. Alex's throat worked convulsively as the fingers made
their way down his neck, then to his chest. "You are lovely, Alexei.
Exquisitely beautiful, but we simply cannot have this. You need to learn,
darling. And there's no sense in putting off your first lesson."
Alex gritted his teeth and forced himself to say the words.
"I'll kill you."
"You're in no position to be doing anything of the kind, love..."
"Then if... I don't... Fox will..."
"Fox. You think he's going to be able to find you? Oh yes, I know he's a
brilliant man, read all about him, but I was very careful. Believe me,
beautiful one, he has no idea what happened to you."
"He'll figure it out."
"How? I was nothing more than a minor annoyance to you two years ago. Do you
really think that he'll pull that up out of his memories and say, 'Oh yes, that
man. He's the one.' What do you think the odds are on that? Pretty slim, I'll
wager."
Alex's voice strengthened. "You have no... fucking idea who you're dealing
with."
"Hmm? Are you talking about the lovely Fox? He hardly seems the violent type,
despite his line of work. He seems very much more the thinking man. And being a
thinking man, he'll be smart enough to know that he can't rely upon his FBI
resouces to find you. Not without losing everything he's worked for all these
years."
"What makes you think our relationship is a secret?"
Justin brushed his fingertips lightly across one nipple, drawing a low snarl
from his captive. "Call it a hunch. No, my darling, I don't think he'll be
willing to risk his career... no matter how good you are in bed..."
"Fuck you and your mother."
Justin tweaked the nipple, then moved to the other. "And that's another thing.
One as beautiful as you should not speak in such a vulgar manner. It's
unbecoming." He pulled on the other nipple, encouraging yet more curses. "No
matter. We'll break you of that as well."
Alex looked up at the slightly fuzzy figure in front of him. "You'll have to
kill me."
"Well now, I'm certainly hoping that isn't necessary. It isn't at all why I
brought you here." Justin rose from the bed. "Gentlemen?"
A few pairs of hand grasped Alex tightly. The shackles were unlocked, and he
was flipped, not without a fierce struggle, onto his stomach. The shackles were
re-attached, and then he felt the cold, smooth caress of leather, sliding
across his bare back.
"Pull his underwear down."
Alex tensed as more hands wrestled his underwear down his legs.
"Oh, my. What a lovely rear you have, darling. So smooth. So muscular..."
There was a quick whistling sound, then pain, as the belt crossed his back.
Alex gritted his teeth, refusing to give Justin the satisfaction of hearing him
cry out.
Another. This one lower. Alex sank his teeth into his lip, making a small hurt,
to try and ease the bigger one.
One more, landing straight across his ass. His muscles seized at the searing
pain, but still he held it in.
The attack was quickly broken off after that third smack, and Justin squatted
beside the bed, running his fingers over the welts that had already begun to
form on Alex's skin. "You are a tough one, Alexei. Matthew begins whimpering
before I even touch him."
Alex tried to focus through the screaming pain.
Matthew?
"I'm going to go easy on you today. Give you a chance to think about
cooperating. If you choose more rebellion, the next lesson will seem extremely
mild by comparison, I promise you." The older man rose to his feet and handed
the belt to one of the men. He nodded in Alex's direction. "See to his wounds.
And... treat him gently." He redirected his conversation to the man lying face
down on the bed. "Alexei? I must leave you now. You will be taken very good
care of, then someone will see to your breakfast. Please eat, darling, you
haven't had anything since early yesterday, I would assume."
Alex lay quietly dealing with the pain, as Justin waltzed out the door,
humming.
Fox came back in after an hour of questioning the remaining neighbors and
checking out the house next door. No one had seen or heard anything suspicious
in the area, but turning up nothing, did not put a damper on his energy.
"Got that list?"
"Yeah. God, Mulder, I didn't know how many carpet stores and cleaners there
were around here. The fellas are on their way. They should be here shortly. I
figure there are five of us, and..." she looked at the list, "thirty places to
check out..."
"Thirty?"
"Yeah. So, that's six apiece. We can break the city up into sections and cover
it that way."
Fox dug out a map of the city, and they plotted their course while waiting for
the Gunmen to arrive. They were set and ready to go, forty minutes later.
"Okay, guys," Fox directed them. We're looking for a dark green van. As soon as
you find a store with a van fitting that description, call me."
"There's one small problem," Langly called, stopping Fox before he reached the
door. "What?"
"We came in the two vehicles we have, but that still leaves us short one."
"Uh..." Fox ran his hand through his hair. He threw his keys at Byers. "Take my
car." He walked into the kitchen and came back with another set of keys. "Okay,
let's go."
The other four departed, leaving Fox at the garage. He opened the door and
walked in, running his hand over the gleaming black metal of Alex's Porsche.
Alex loved this car. Not long after they got back from Andros, he dragged Fox
car shopping with him. After three dealers and countless cars, he finally found
this one. They took it for a long test drive, and when Alex pulled off the road
and parked in a secluded spot, Fox looked at him suspiciously.
"Alex, what are you doing?"
"Nothing," Alex purred, even while dragging him into the back seat.
Alex unceremoniously yanked his zipper down and sucked him off there in the
middle of nowhere. Fox came quickly and violently, his harsh groans of pleasure
vibrating through the small compartment. He collapsed against the seat, trying
to get his breathing under control, while his lover licked him clean.
"Well," Alex giggled when he'd finished, "I guess we gotta get it now..."
Fox rested his forehead on the roof, taking a few deep breaths, then opened the
door and got inside. A turn of the key, and the car rumbled to life. He backed
out of the garage, and drove off toward his first destination.
Late afternoon.
Not that there was a clock in the room or a window to see out of, but Alex
knew. His internal clock never seemed to shut down.
He'd been held down after Justin left, whacked up again with whatever the hell
they had in those syringes, cleaned up, released from the shackles, and left
alone. Now, hours later, he awoke in a largely empty cage. Only the bed
remained. No sheets, no blankets. The tables, the lamp and everything else he'd
smashed, ripped, or crushed, were gone. He sat up slowly, fighting the
dizziness, then stood on shaky legs and moved toward the small enclosure within
the enclosure that housed the toilet and shower. The towels and toiletries were
all removed. Only a single roll of bathroom tissue remained. Justin was taking
not chances.
Fucking sonofabitch.
He stumbled back to the bed, fighting the wave of nausea that threatened to
overtake him.
"God... oh, God..."
Alex lay carefully back onto the mattress, face down, closing his eyes against
the crippling after effects of the shot. He wrapped his arms around himself,
and withdrew. It had been a long while since he'd had to do this, but it didn't
take him very long to transport himself away from this place.
Fox... where are you? I need you so much, baby. Please...
Here I am, Alex.
Fox... take me out of here. I'm cold, and I miss you, and I hurt so much.
I know, baby. Hang tight. Don't let him win. I love you, sweetheart... I love
you...
Hold me, Fox. I'm so damn cold.
Alex's mind brought his lover closer, until he could actually feel the warmth
of his Fox's arms around him.
Go to sleep, love. I've got you. I won't let go. Sleep...
Alex slipped into comforting darkness.
"Mulder."
"Yeah, Frohike, you got something for me?"
"Next to the last store. Small place on Mill."
"Dark green van?"
"Yep."
"Where on Mill?"
"Uh... six twenty-eight."
"I'll be there in fifteen."
The tires screeched as Fox made a fast right, and headed north. He punched the
number two on his speed dial, and connected with Scully on the first ring.
"Scully."
"It's me. Frohike thinks they found the van."
"Thank God, because I just left the last store with absolutely nothing. I was
almost afraid to call you with the news. Where am I heading?"
"Six twenty-eight Mill."
"I'll meet you there."
Fox disconnected and sped up, all the while praying that this was what they
were looking for.
Five minutes sooner than he said he'd be there, he arrived in front of Phil's
Carpet Emporium. Not waiting for Scully, he tore into the building, followed by
his three friends.
"Hey, guys," a short, rotund man came from around the counter to greet them.
"What can I do you for?"
"I need to see Phil," Fox answered curtly.
The man held his arms out. "You got 'im."
"Phil, I need to ask you a few questions..."
"Sure," the man interrupted. "Any question you got about carpeting, I can
answer. You lookin' for indoor/outdoor, throw, wall to wall..."
"I'm not here to ask you about carpeting." Fox reached into his back pocket and
produced his badge and ID."
"FBI... shit." Phil backed off a few steps. "What do you want with me?"
"I told you. I want to ask you a few questions."
Phil shrugged nervously. "Okay..."
"Where was your van yesterday?"
"Uh... out on jobs... I don't... I don't understand..."
"There's reason to believe that your van was used in a kidnapping."
"Wh... what? I can't... that's not..." The man fell silent, glancing around the
shop. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."
Fox's eyes narrowed. "You won't mind if I search the van?"
"This is dumb. Listen, guy, I don't know what the hell... hey!" Phil followed
the agent outside. "Hey, you can't do that!"
Fox ignored the man, throwing the sliding door open, and hopping up into the
van. He opened the back door for more light, and proceeded to search the
vehicle top to bottom. He squatted , checking every inch of the floor. Frohike
watched his expression change when he reached down to pull out something that
was wedged in a raised piece of metal. He held the roughly thirty-odd strands
of sable hairs clenched tightly in his hand, and jumped out of the van. He
grabbed Phil by the collar, spinning and slamming him into the side of the van.
"Where is he?"
"Who? I don't... I swear, I don't know who you're talking about!"
"Mulder!" Scully got out of her car and ran up to the group of men by the van.
"Mulder, what are you doing?"
Fox didn't answer. He was too intent on getting the truth out of the man he was
choking.
"Do you know what the penalty is for kidnapping, you fucking piece of..."
"Mulder!"
"You're nuts! I didn't kidnap anybody, I swear!"
"Mulder, let him go!"
"He knows something, Scully, I know he does!" Fox tightened his grip on the
man's collar. "Say goodbye to your life, Phil..."
"Shit! Wait! Wait..."
Fox paused, then loosened his grip. "Got something to tell me, Phil?"
"Yeah... listen... I didn't kidnap anybody, I swear to Christ, but... there was
this guy. He walked in to the store a few days ago, right at closing time, and
asked to rent my van. I told... I told him that I didn't rent my van out. He
dropped twenty-five grand on the counter and said it was mine if I let him use
it for an afternoon. He said all I had to do was keep my mouth shut and forget
I ever saw him..."
Fox stared at him in dismay. "Didn't it ever occur to you that he must have
been up to no good?"
"No! Well... yeah, but... twenty-five grand, man... I'm a small businessman. I
barely turn a profit. I got a wife and two kids. Do you know what I could do
with that kind of cash? So yeah, the thought crossed my mind, but I let it
slide right out."
"Your greed makes you an accessory..."
"Oh, shit, please. Please, sir. I'm sorry. I'm... please don't arrest me. I've
never even had a parking ticket..."
Fox ignored his plea. "Tell me what he looked like."
"Umm... .he was rich. It wasn't just the green on my counter that tipped me
off, it was also the way he moved. The way he talked. The way he was
dressed..."
Fox's mind raced. "Give me a physical description."
Five-ten, maybe... medium build. Thin lips. Soft spoken. Uh... gray hair... his
eyes... I wouldn't call them blue. They were sort of a grayish, too..."
The description knocked Fox back a few steps.
The same man he was sure he'd seen in New York. The same description that the
boy gave him this morning.
The asshole at the bar on Andros.
Gray hair and eyes. Impeccably dressed. Cultured. Polite.
Devouring them both with his eyes...
"God."
Scully stepped forward. "What is it, Mulder? Do you know who he's talking
about?"
He turned toward his partner. "I think I do. Oh, God." His snapped back around
to Phil. "He didn't give you his name?"
"No. But... hey... I probably got him on tape!"
Fox cocked his head.
"Yeah! Oh shit, why didn't I think of it? I got a security camera inside. This
isn't the best neighborhood in the world, you know? So I had a camera installed
about six months ago. I haven't taken the tape out of it yet this week, so it
must still be in there."
Fox shoved him toward the door. "Let's go see."
The six people entered the store, and Phil set about retrieving the tape from
the camera. They went into the back room, and he set it up.
Fox chewed his lip impatiently, while Phil forwarded through yard after yard of
tape. Finally, he stopped it.
"Here. Here's Monday's footage."
They watched customer after customer enter and leave the store. Then Fox walked
toward the television and leaned in front of it.
"Jesus Christ. Freeze it there."
Scully moved in for a closer look. "That man looks familiar, Mulder. Where do I
know him from?"
"The club on Andros," Fox replied softly.
"Oh... oh, you're kidding."
"Oh my God, Scully. This bastard has Alex."
The Gunmen looked from one to the other, then finally at Fox. Byers spoke up
first.
"Do you know his name?"
Fox turned bloodshot eyes on his companions. "No."
"I know his last name, if it's any help."
Six sets of eyes turned toward the door.
"How do you know, Andy? Uh... this is Andy. He's one of my installers."
Fox strode over to the man. "How do you know?"
"As they were leaving, I was coming out the side door. I heard one of the guys
he was with call him Mr. Saint James."
Fox closed his eyes. "Thank you Andy, you just made this a lot easier." He
faced his friends. "You guys think you can track this asshole down on a still
from this camera and a last name?"
Frohike snorted. "What are we, amateurs?"
"Let's go."
"Hey!" Phil called to the retreating group. "Uh... am I off the hook?"
Fox stared vacantly for a moment. "Only if I get him back."
Phil watched, competely bewildered, as the door closed behind the last man out.
Justin watched his captive pass from sleep to consciousness.
"Good morning, Alexei."
Alex shuddered as the soft voice shocked him into reality.
Fox, don't leave me... .Fox?
"Alexei... darling... .wakey wakey..."
"Go to hell, cocksucker," he managed softly, turning his back to Justin.
Justin shook his head. "Did you learn nothing, yesterday?"
"Did you expect I would?"
"I hoped." Justin looked at the untouched food from the previous evening.
"Alex, you must eat."
"I don't have to do a goddamn thing for you."
"Yes, my beautiful, rebellious Alexei... you do."
"Fuck you!"
Shit, that hurt. Alex gritted his teeth against the throbbing of his head.
"I'll have breakfast sent in. Now, if I have to have someone tie you down and
force feed you, I will."
"Bring em on, bitch."
Justin closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. "I'll be in later to check
on you."
Alex listened to the door open and close. A few minutes later, the door opened
again and he spun unsteadily to his feet, hearing multiple, heavy footsteps.
"Have a seat, sweetie pie," one of the men sneered, "We're here to serve you
breakfast."
Alex shook the fog off, preparing himself.
Seven men entered the cage, leaving one outside. In the ensuing struggle, Alex
broke one man's nose, fractured another's arm, and knocked three teeth from
another's mouth. Those men fled the cage in search of medical assistance, while
the remaining four wrestled him to the bed and held him there.
"Come on now, you bastard," the man closest to his face, grated. "Eat this
fucking oatmeal." He held Alex's nose, then forced the spoon into his mouth. He
kept the stuggling man's nose pinched, until he had no choice but to swallow.
"There, was that so bad?"
Another spoonful.
This one came back in his face.
"Shit! I swear to God, I'd beat the shit out of you, fucker, if Mr. Saint James
wouldn't bust my chops. Now eat this shit!"
The man tried again.
Alex found the grip on one of his arms slackening just a bit, as the man who
held it, laughed at the other with oatmeal on his face. He slackened his body
and let his mouth drop open just a little.
"That's better."
The idiot thought he'd won.
Alex allowed him to place the spoon in his mouth, then clamped his teeth down
on the metal, and twisted his head away, ripping the handle from the surprised
man's hand. He quickly wrenched his arm from the other's grasp, and took the
spoon. Before anyone could blink, the sharp handled end of the spoon was in the
man's throat.
Alex watched, cold satisfaction in his eyes, as the man fell off of him,
gurling and gasping.
The other men scrambled, two fighting to get Alex shackled while the other one
tried drag the dying man out of the cage. The last man who until now had been
on the outside of the cage, burst in to help the two struggling with the man
who fought wildly against them. Finally, they managed to get him restrained and
get themselves out of the cage.
"This is bullshit," one of them gasped, as the men hauled their wounded
friend out of the room. "I don't know about you guys, but there's no amount of
money in the world that'll make me go back in there..."
"Hey... hey!" Bob came running down the hall. He looked down at the man with
the spoon protruding from his throat, and jumped out of the way. He followed
the men into an east room, where they placed the other down on the floor.
"Shit! What the hell happened?"
"What the fuck do you think happened? That asshole that Mr. Saint James
brought here. He's insane... fuck! I think Gene's dead."
Bobby checked for vitals. Finding none, he lowered his head. "We gotta convince
Mr. Saint James to get rid of this guy," he said softly, "if we don't, he's
gonna go through us all until there's nobody left."
"Yeah, well, not me. I quit. Look how many of us he's killed in what? Two
days? Fuck this!"
Bob rose to his feet. "I gotta call him. Let him know what's happened."
"Yeah, you do that, so I can tell him to his face that I'm out."
"What about him?"
"What about him?"
"What did you do to him?"
"We restrained him and got the hell out of there."
"You didn't do anything else?"
"We didn't beat the shit out of him if that's what you want to know, although
I'm tempted as all hell to go back in there and do just that."
"Just don't, okay? It'll only make things worse."
"How? He's chained up."
"Listen, Alan, don't piss him off. Like you said, this guy is insane. Just let
Saint James decide how to deal with him." Bob went to the house phone and
called for their employer. He raked his fingers through his hair, trying to
decide how best to approach the man when the phone was answered. "Get Mr. Saint
James........... sir? It's Bob. Sir, we've got another situation down here..."
Fox rubbed at his eyes and tried to blink away the stinging, sandy feel.
The search for this Saint James asshole proved to be a little tougher than
they'd hoped.
The man had money. That much was obvious.
Okay, so they had that much to go on, but where to look from there? Nothing
to do but start at the beginning and work their way through.
All night long, they hacked into DMV mainframes, checked into business listings
and social registers. Drawing on his eidetic memory, Fox could recall no real
discernible accent, so they started in their own backyard, checking the
northern states. And since Fox had seen him in New York, that was the first
state searched.
Five states later, it was six twenty-five a.m.
Langly and Scully had just awakened from a four hour nap, and attempted to
relieve Fox.
"Come on, buddy," Langly tapped his shoulder. "We'll take over. You guys get
some rest."
Frohike and Byers were exhausted and more than willing to finally get some
shuteye. But Fox refused.
"No. I can't. You two go ahead. I'm fine."
"Mulder, you're not fine. You can't keep this up, you're going to drop. Now,
come on. Langly and I will wake you the minute we find anything. Please."
Fox shook his head and refused to move.
"Mulder..."
"Nevermind, Byers." Scully looked at her intensely focused partner. "Nobody but
Alex has a shot at making him do what he doesn't want to do.
Fox's eyes dropped shut at the mention of his lover's name.
"Mulder?"
Heavy lids lifted. "Yeah."
"You okay?"
"Fine. We were just about to do Rhode Island..."
"Alexei..."
No answer from the man chained face down to the bed.
"What have you done, now?"
More silence.
"You've killed another of my staff. That's four in all. Not to mention those
you've incapacitated."
Finally, an answer. "Gee, I'm really sorry."
"I've also had three quit after this most recent encounter." Justin looked
around at the remaining men standing behind him. "I have a very large property,
which dictates that I have a very large security staff. In just a few days,
you've managed to single-handedly whittle that staff down from twenty to nine.
This must stop."
"Well hell, why didn't you just say so? Okay, bitch, I won't take away any more
of your staff. Scout's honor."
Justin sighed. "I so hoped that a more severe lesson would not be
necessary." He held his hand out, and accepted the leather belt. He advanced,
unlocking the door and stepping inside the enclosure.
Alex's eyes squeezed shut and he fought to control his body's reaction as it
absorbed the first blow.
"Say you're sorry, Alexei..."
Nothing.
Another blow.
"Apologize, and I'll stop."
"Fuck you."
Another.
Alex gritted his teeth against the searing pain. Still, he said nothing.
"The next one will be twice as hard, darling, if you don't say it now."
"All right. I'm sorry."
Justin smiled. "That's..."
"I'm sorry I didn't kill you two years ago, you sick, fucking hag."
Alex bit back a sob as the next strike drew blood.
Justin raised his arm, prepared to inflict another blow, then stopped. He
lowered the belt and let it hang at his side. "You are a puzzle, dear Alexei.
Another man would have crumbled by now. How did you become so hard?"
Alex didn't hear him. He'd made it to that place deep within himself where his
Fox held and stroked him and promised him that everything would be all right.
Justin studied Alex, tapping the belt against the side of his leg.
All right, let's try another approach...
Greenwich, Connecticut.
Blake Industries.
Name of C.E.O., Justin Saint James.
There was no picture or home address, but reading all the available
information, Fox felt sure that this was who they were looking for.
"Mulder," Scully raked her fingers through her hair, "are you sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Look at all this stuff, Scully. Look at all he's into... all
the companies he's acquired. This is a hungry man. He wants it all and he
doesn't stop until he gets it." Fox closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yeah,
this is him. Let's go."
"Do I have to, Justin?"
"Yes."
"But..."
"Don't worry, Matthew. He's restrained. He can't hurt you." Justin caressed the
young man's cheek. "I think you may do him some good. He's so terribly upset.
The presence of someone more his age may help."
Matthew bowed his head. "If... if he's so upset, maybe... m-maybe you could just
let him go..."
Justin chuckled softly. "After all the trouble I went through to bring him
here? Now darling, that just would not do. Alexei must learn... and he
will... that this is his home, now. But it may be eaier on him if he didn't feel
so alone. You've got a gentleness about you that may be soothing to him."
Justin draped an arm around Matthew's shoulders and walked him to the door.
"See to his wounds. Take care of him. Talk to him. See what you can do to make
him a little more comfortable."
"I don't know if I can."
"Of course you can. I have the utmost confidence in you." The two men walked
through the house, heading slowly toward the northeast room. "Just be your
sweet self and everything will be fine."
Matthew blanched when they entered the room and he saw the man in the cage.
"Justin..."
"Yes?"
"His back... there's blood..."
"I didn't want to, Matthew, but our Alexei is a most stubborn man. He must be
taught. Now, go on. I had Ron get the things you'll need to take care of him."
Matthew looked from the motionless man back to Justin, who unlocked the door
and shooed him in. Seeing no other choice, he walked through the open door. He
flinched as he heard the bars clank shut.
"I'll check in with you later, darling."
"Y-you're not staying?"
Justin shook his head. "I don't think that would be such a good idea. My
presence upsets him, still. You'd do better, I believe, if I was not present.
Not to worry, though, Ron will be right outside the room should you need him."
Matthew watched in terrified silence as Justin exited the room, followed by the
guard. He hesitated, then slowly turned and faced the still figure on the bed.
Silently, he crept around to the stand on the other side of the bed, and
without looking at Alex, took the small wash basin into the bathroom and filled
it with warm water. When he returned, he risked a glance and almost jumped out
of his skin when he found himself fixed with a watery green stare. The eyes
followed him as he composed himself and moved tentatively toward the bed. He
willed his knees to bend, and sank down to the floor.
"I'm..." he cleared his throat and tried again, "I-I'm not here to hurt y-you."
Alex finished with his assessment of the younger man, then spoke. "You're
Matthew," the soft, raspy voice said.
"How... how did you know?"
Alex gave no answer. He only continued to stare.
Matthew heaved a deep breath and dipped a fluffy terry cloth into the water.
"This might sting a little, but I have to clean you up, okay?"
The green eyes closed.
Matthew wrung out the cloth, and touched it to the blood-encrusted cut.
Alex's muscles tightened, but he didn't make a sound, while the frightened man
gently cleaned and treated his wounds. When he was finished, he took the basin
and other items into the bathroom, then returned. He squatted again by the bed,
and curiously studied the retrained man. Heavy sable lashes lifted, and Matthew
looked away.
"You know he's crazy," the pain-edged voice reached his ear.
"The cut on your back isn't as bad as it first seemed," Matthew looked
everywhere but into the other man's eyes. "It shouldn't leave too bad a
scar..."
"You don't want to be here any more than I do... do you?"
"Are you hungry? I could get you something."
Jesus, this kid was scared to death. Alex backed off a little. "No."
"But you haven't... you haven't eaten anything since you got here. It's going to
make you weak."
"The only thing I want from that asshole is his head on a plate."
Matthew flinched, then whispered, "you shouldn't say things like that."
"Why not?"
"He'll hear you. You don't want to be whipped again, do you?"
Alex observed the young man curiously. "He's really got you scared, hasn't he?"
No answer.
"How long have you been here?"
"Almost seven months."
"Did that fucker take you from your family, like he did to me?"
"No... no, I came to Justin on my own."
"I don't believe you. He kidnapped you, didn't he?"
"No. No, really..."
Alex went quiet, thinking back to the first time he and Fox had encountered
Justin. He was smooth. Charming. Polite, even. He offered them everything under
the sun. Everything a young, impressionable, lonely young person could want...
His gaze snapped back up to wary, aqua eyes. "He tricked you. And now you're
trapped."
Matthew looked down, watching the thumb of one hand, rhythmically rub back and
forth across the knuckles of the other.
"Matthew."
The young man stopped and looked up at Alex.
"I really gotta take a piss."
"Oh... uh... wait... wait a minute. I'll see..." Matthew rose to his feet and
went to the door. "Ron..Ron, you there?"
The door swung open and the guard poked his head in. "What?"
"Could you... can you unchain him so he can use to bathroom?"
The guard looked from Matthew to the man who still lay with his head turned in
the other direction. "I don't know. I'll call Mr. Saint James." He closed the
door, and a couple of minutes later, entered the room. "He said okay, but I
gotta watch him." The man unlocked the cage door, then released Alex from the
bed. He arranged the shackles so that Alex's hands were cuffed in front of his
body, and attached to a chain that ran up from the ankle restaints. He walked
him into the bathroom and stood in the doorway. "No funny shit, now."
Alex jerked his hands back and forth only as far as the restraints allowed,
then reached into the fold of his underwear. "What do you think I'm gonna do,
beat you to death with my dick?"
The guard folded his arms across his chest and snorted. As soon as Alex was
finished, he took him back to the bed and pushed him down. "Get comfortable."
Alex looked up at him, then searched for a good position. Finally, he settled
on his right side, and the guard attached a chain to one of the five links
between the ankle cuffs, then to the foot of the bed. When he was satisfied
Alex wasn't going anywhere, he left the cage and the room.
Matthew approached cautiously. "Feel better?"
"I don't feel like my bladder is going to explode, if that's what you want to
know."
"How about your back?"
"Still hurts, but I'll live."
Matthew nodded. "Would you like anything else? Some water, maybe?"
Alex eyed him doubtfully.
Matthew picked up the styrofoam cup Justin had provided along with the other
items. "I'll get it right out of the tap in the bathroom. I promise you, no
drugs."
Alex studied him for a moment, then nodded.
Matthew disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared seconds later, with a half
cup full of cold water. "Can you... can you sort of... lift yourself up on your
elbow?"
Alex struggled into the recommended postion, and accepted the contents of the
cup raised to his lips. When he drained the cup, Matthew moved it away.
"More?"
Alex shook his head, and lowered himself back to the mattress. Matthew sat on
the floor, a few feet from the bed.
"You... you mentioned family..."
"Yeah."
"Parents?"
Alex closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. He hadn't planned to answer,
but then had a thought. Justin was listening... probably watching as well, and
he figured nothing would irritate the bastard more, than to hear Fox's name
over and over. Far be it from him to pass up an oportunity to piss him off. He
opened his eyes and looked over at Matthew.
"No parents. Fox is my family."
"Fox?"
"My lover. For three years, he's been my family. We have a home together... a
dog... friends. I have a life, Matthew, do you understand that? And I want it
back. I want my Fox back. I love him so much. He's looking for me, I know he
is. And he won't rest until he finds me. And there's going to be hell to pay."
Hope flashed in Matthews eyes for a brief second, then extinguished. "He won't
find you."
"You don't know my Fox," Alex rasped confidently. "Apparently, neither does
that asshole Justin."
"Justin leaves nothing to chance," Matthew replied sadly. "He covers all the
angles. You're here to stay."
"Not a chance in hell," Alex smiled, a bright gleam coating one eye. "Even if
I'm wrong about Fox being able to find me, which I'm not... I will not stay
here. I'll die first."
"You... you'd kill yourself?"
An exitstence without my Fox is the equivalent of a stay on death row. I will
not live with that." Alex turned his head and spoke into the air. "You hear
that, motherfucker? Any way you cut it, you will not have me."
Matthew watched the man, fascinated. His strength was was astounding. His
conviction... his obstinance... he could almost believe... His eyes fell away
from Alex, and closed.
Justin would break him.
He stayed with Alex the entire day, sometimes talking quietly, sometimes not
saying a word for more than an hour. When the door opened at seven o'clock, he
unfolded himself from the floor, and looked down at the man who he had come to
like, and even fear just a little bit less.
"Alex?"
Tired green eyes blinked up at him.
"Can't I bring you something to eat?"
Alex shook his head and turned away.
"You've had two glasses of water all day. You need food..."
Silence.
Matthew sighed and walked out the open door.
Part Four
"I can't believe we're in here, Mulder," Scully whispered. "What if this isn't
even the man we're looking for? We would have broken into a completely innocent
man's office and computer system."
"I'll just add him to the list of people I'm going to have to apologize to
after all this." He checked his watch as he pulled out the chair and motioned
for Langly to sit. "I hope Frohike remembers to let Clyde out."
Twenty minutes later, Langly was in.
"Yes! Okay baby, give daddy what he needs..."
Fox leaned over the desk, trembling with anticipation. "Come on, come on..."
"Look," Scully pointed to the screen. "Picture files."
Langly opened the first one, revealing a group of men that Fox didn't
recognize. The second, a smaller group of men. Again, none of them
recognizable.
A furious gasp fell from Fox's lips as Langly opened the third picture.
"That's him. That's him. I knew it." He whirled around and began to pace in a
short line. "Find his address, Langly."
"Mulder," Scully called, following her partner with her eyes. "Mulder, calm
down. We have no concrete proof that this man took Alex..."
Fox stopped in his tracks, giving the redhead an incredulous stare. "Are you
kidding? "He bought the house next door to us... cash... at twice the
price... he only came at night... he rented a carpeting van that just happened
to be outside of my house on the day that Alex disappeared."
"I know, Mulder. I know all of that, but the fact is, no one actually saw him
take Alex. We can't go storming into the man's house to look for him."
"The fuck we can't."
"Mulder..."
"Look, Scully... you don't want to come with me, you don't have to. But I am
going to his house. And I'm not leaving there until I find Alex. Langly, you
got that address?"
Langly threw up his hands momentarily, then went back to typing. "I'm looking,
but...... I can't.... I don't see it anywhere."
"It has to be there." Fox turned and started throwing drawers open, tearing
through the contents of each.
"Mulder!" Scully's eyes darted between her increasingly unmanageable partner
and the mess he was making of the office. "Mulder, you can't do this..."
"I can't?" Fox pulled out another drawer and inverted it. "Whoops. Too late."
"Oh, my God... God......" Scully threw up her hands and joined the man pawing
through the mountain of papers. "Ah hell, we can only be fired once, right?"
"You see, Matthew?" Justin took a sip of his wine, then placed the glass back
on the table. "I told you that you'd be able to communicate with him."
Matthew picked at the food in his plate. "He's so..."
"So what?"
"He's so unhappy."
Justin remained silent.
Matthew glanced up at the benign expression on the older man's face, then
continued. "He won't eat. I got him to drink a little water, but he needs to
eat."
"He will."
"I don't know. He doesn't want to be here..."
Justin drummed his fingers on the table. "I heard."
"He wants to go home... to Fox."
The crash of the china frightened Matthew out of his chair. He shrank into a
corner of the room, watching wide-eyed as Justin stalked back and forth.
"You're on my side, Matthew, not his!"
"I... I'm not... I'm just... I'm..I'm just telling you..."
"You feel sorry for him. You are such a weakling, do you know that?"
Justin approached, stopping when they were face to face. "He's mine. As are
you. Remember your place Matthew, or I'll have to remind you." He lifted a
hand to the shaking man's face, and gently drew his fingertips down his cheek.
"And I promise you," he purred, "it will not be pleasant. Understood?"
Matthew closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "Yes... yes, Justin."
The older man gave him a dazzling smile. "That's my good Matthew. Now, come.
Let's finish dinner, shall we?"
Matthew followed Justin back to the table on wobbly legs. Justin slid the chair
in while he sat, then planted a light kiss in his hair, before returning to his
own seat.
"Now..." Justin picked up his napkin and smoothed it over his lap. "Let me tell
you about this little plan I've concocted to encourage our
Alexei's... acquiescence..."
"What the hell took you so long?" Byers asked as the three piled into the car
he'd been waiting in." He looked to Fox, who rested his elbow against the door
and had his face buried in his hand. "Didn't find anything?"
"Yes," Scully answered, "we did find out that we're definitely on the right
track. "We found some pictures of him, but no address."
"You're kidding. That's impossible."
"Not neccessarily. If the man wants to insure the anonimity of his residence,
it wouldn't be so unusual for him to keep it out any office records..."
"But somebody knows. Somebody who works there."
"But tomorrow is Saturday... correction," he said, looking at his watch,
"today is Saturday. Offices aren't generally open on Saturdays, so..."
"So we got a few addresses of the employees."
Byers shook his head. "What makes you think that any of them are going to tell
you where he lives?"
"Somebody's going to tell me," Fox vowed. "Let's find this first address."
"Mulder," Scully pleaded softly, knowing it would do her no good, "it's after
one o'clock. Why don't we go back to the motel and try to get a few hours
sleep? We'll start out early..."
"And waste another few hours?"
"You've had no sleep, Mulder."
"And I won't sleep until Alex is back home." If you three want to go back to
the motel, go. I'll do this alone."
"Mulder, listen to me," Scully leaned over the seat and drew her partner's head
back against hers. She spoke softly into his ear, while stroking her thumb
across the three-day growth of beard. "I love Alex. I do..." Fox grunted and
tried to twist away, but she wouldn't let him. "How could I not love someone
who makes my best friend so happy? You've got to know how much I want to find
him. But Mulder, you're operating on sheer adrenaline. I've got to think for
the both of us, and I really think that you need some rest. You're starting to
scare me."
"Not until I find him."
"Mulder..."
"No.... I... I can't, Scully." The look in Fox's eyes almost brought his
partner to tears. He brought a hand up to his chest, clenching his fingers in
the material. "I've only felt an ache like this one other time in my life. I
hope... I hope you never find out first hand what it feels like."
Scully's eyes dropped shut, and she brought her lips to the side of Fox's face.
"Okay, Mulder. I'm with you to the end of this." She turned to the two men who
sat quietly watching. "We can drop you guys off at the motel..."
"No way," Langly spoke up. "I didn't come this far to crash in a motel room."
"Me either," Byers agreed. He looked into the exhausted, red-rimmed eyes of his
friend. "We go together."
Byers started the car and pulled away from the curb. Seconds later, another
car quietly followed.
"Justin, please. It's not right, it's not... don't make me do this."
"Go on, Matthew. It's all right, he's been injected with a light sedative."
"It'll devastate him."
"You know this from one afternoon with the man, hmm?"
"I don't need a month with him to know that he's absolutely devoted to..."
"Don't say it." Justin caressed the back of Matthew's head. "Don't you
understand, darling, that our lovely Alexei needs to be taken down a few pegs?
And as he is so faithful to... him, this will be a very good way to
accomplish that. It's only been a few days, and while I have no doubt that he
will learn, I fear he may not do so within the two months time that Morgan
and I set for our bet."
"Bet?"
"Yes, darling, ten thousand dollars is not an outrageous amount of money, but
nonetheless, you know how I do hate to lose. So... in you go."
The tone in Justin's voice told Matthew that he meant business. He slowly
walked into the room and paused while Justin unlocked the barred entrance to
the cage. The door closed and locked behind him, and he turned to try one more
time, to change Justin's mind.
"Please, Justin. Isn't there any other way?"
Justin seated himself and turned on a single lamp, casting a faint glow around
the room. He smiled sweetly at the young man. "Make it good, Matthew."
Matthew blinked back the sudden sting of tears as he moved to the bed and
looked down at the unconscious man. He'd been turned onto his back and his
wrists and ankles cuffed to the four points of the bed. Matthew hoped that the
sedative had taken effect quickly, or he feared Alex would have been in a
moderate amount of pain, lying on his wounds like this.
He kneeled beside the bed and bowed his head. "Please, forgive me," he
whispered too softly for Justin to hear. Then he did as he'd been commanded.
Alex drifted in the silent blackness, aware of nothing.
But now... a gentle warmth seemed to be invading his body. Lovely little
tingles, radiating from the vicinity of his groin, spreading to his
extremities, growing slowly in intensity. He floated upward, toward
consciousness, but it seemed just beyond his grasp. The moist heat enveloping
his cock was now recognizable as a mouth, but he couldn't open his eyes.
Couldn't sigh or gasp... nothing to let his Fox know how good it felt.
He struggled with the dark fog that gripped him, gaining a bit of ground with
every stroke of the tongue over his rigid length. And every little piece of
consciousness that came back to him brought with it a slice of reality, until
he had enough to realize.
Finally, a sound escaped his throat, but not one of pleasure.
"No....." He fought to open his eyes. "No.....no! S-stop... no, please!"
Matthew paused, Alex's frantic pleas ripping into his gut.
"Don't stop, Matthew," the soft, slightly out of breath voice sounded from
outside the cage. "Remember, he's restrained.....I am not."
Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, and continued working Alex's cock with his
mouth, sucking and swallowing, trying desperately to block out the anguished
cries that sounded above his head.
Alex screamed his rage, knowing that he was too far gone to stop the inevitable
climax, but still, he tried. When he felt the familiar tightening of his body,
he gritted his teeth, pressing his lips together over them, and came silently
down Matthew's throat. When it was done, the tears came. They rolled freely
down his cheeks, leaving a scalding path of dampness in their wake. Cool air
replaced the warm mouth, and his emotions came crashing down on him. His chest
heaved as loud sobs wracked his body.
Matthew fell back against against the bars, crying quietly into his hands.
"Lovely." The voice came closer, and Alex choked back his cries. "How do you
feel, Alexei? Matthew isn't bad, is he? Oh, not as good as you've been used to,
I suppose... he doesn't throw his whole heart and soul into it, but I believe
you can teach him how, and he could be just as good as your... Fox.
Hmmm.... Fox. Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox, Fox... do you think he'd enjoy a copy of this?"
Alex suppressed another sob.
"I know you realize that I observe you. Surely you know I've got you
videotaped. I think the lovely Fox would so appreciate knowing that you were
all right. This would be a good way to let him know, don't you think?"
No answer.
"Oh, but where is my head? You must be tired, darling. Matthew and I will leave
you alone now. Matthew? Come, love. Let's allow Alexei to get some rest."
The young man rose unsteadily to his feet and stumbled from the cage and out
of the room. Justin locked the door and pressed his face against the bars.
"I'll see about getting a copy of that tape off to Fox by Monday, all right?"
An infuriated roar sounded from Alex's throat, and he thrashed wildly
against his restraints. "You fucking bastard! You're going to die, I swear to
God! You goddamn fucking faggot!"
Justin heaved a disbelieving sigh. If Alex continued to thrash like that, those
restraints would begin to cut into his wrists and ankles. He unlocked the door
an advanced toward the bed. He pulled a syringe from his pocket, cooing softly
to irritated man.
"Now now darling, keep still..." He managed to jab Alex with the needle, then
watched satisfied, as the younger man's wild movements slowed. "That's better,"
he stroked the sweaty forehead. "You were going to wear yourself out, and we
can't have that."
Alex's head rolled back and forth across the flat pillow, as he began to
whimper and sob. Soon, all sounds faded, and he was alseep.
Justin inspected his wrists, then his ankles. Bruises were already starting to
form. If swelling occured, the restraints would become extremely painful. He
reached into his pocket for the key and unlocked the cuffs. Dropping the key
back into its place, he checked his watch. Almost three o'clock. He'd have
someone come in at eight and put them back on. By then, any swelling would have
happened already, and the restraints could be adjusted accordingly.
Justin leaned over and drew his tongue along the line of Alex's jaw. "Sleep
well, darling. I hope you wake up with a better outlook on things." He stifled
a yawn as he moved out of the enclosure, and then the room.
"I still can't believe the look on that guy's face when you threw him against
his kitchen counter and drew your gun on him," Langly snickered at Fox, as he
drove toward Darien. A glare from Scully put him in check.
Fox glanced over at his partner, then back to the early morning sky. "I got the
answers I wanted, didn't I?"
Scully dropped her head into her hand and closed her eyes. "Yes, Mulder. Yes,
you did. God, I hope you're right about this."
Fox gave no answer. He sat with his eyes now closed, praying silently, and
trying to connect with Alex. He'd felt him so strongly on Thursday morning. It
was no dream. He heard him. He knew he did...
"We should be coming to the exit, soon."
Langly's comment startled him out of his thoughts. He nodded, then looked back
at Scully and Byers. Both gave him an encouraging smile. He turned back to the
front, and again closed his eyes.
Alex's eyes fluttered and he groaned softly.
Something wrapped around him.
Arms... his own.
Realizing that he was no longer restrained, he struggled to sit up, but could
not call up the strength. Instead, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and
let himself drop to the floor. He made it about a foot and a half from the bed,
then again lapsed into unconsciousness.
The car hadn't even rolled to a complete stop, and Fox was throwing the door
open. He ejected the clip from his gun, checked it, and slammed it back in, as
he approached the guardhouse. Scully ran after him, motioning for Langly and
Byers to keep back.
"Can I help you?" The rather large man asked, as he exited the structure.
Fox whipped his badge out, shoving it in the man's face. "Special Agent Mulder.
FBI. This is the residence of Justin Saint James." It was an accusation, not a
question.
"Yeah. So?"
"He's wanted on suspicion of kidnapping. Let us in."
"You got a warrant?"
"Yeah." Faster than anyone could blink, Fox hurled the man against the house
and pointed his Sig between his eyes. "Can you read that?"
"Hey... come on, man. You can't shoot me. You're a federal agent."
"And?" Fox rumbled close to his face.
The man drew a shaky breath and said nothing else.
"You got him, Scully?"
"Yeah." Scully fixed her weapon on the guard, while Fox spun him around and
dragged him over to the controls.
"Open the gate. One wrong move and I swear to God, I'll splatter your fucking
brains."
The gate slid open, and Langly drove the car in. Fox pulled the man over to a
section of the gate where he could reach nothing, and cuffed him to it. "Are
there any more obstacles between here and the house?"
"No... no. None."
"There'd better not be."
"No. I swear."
Fox nodded. "If I find him and he's all right, I'll think about not coming back
here to kill you." He tapped the guard's cheek twice... hard, then fell in
behind the wheel of the car. The other three were just about inside, when the
tires spun on the pavement, and the car sped forward, toward the house.
A minute later, the car was screeching to a stop in front of the doors. Fox
leapt from the car, encountering two unfortunate, early risers. They'd heard
the squeal of the tires, and came running from around the side of the house,
guns drawn. Fox took one, Scully, the other.
"FBI! Drop it!"
One man aimed to shoot, and Fox dropped him with a clean shot to the head.
With his companion dead, the other man quickly dropped his weapon. Fox grabbed
him and slammed him face first into the stone wall of the house. "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"The man Saint James kidnapped and brought here!"
"Hey, man, I don't know what the fuck..." Fox pulled him back and slammed him
harder into the wall. Shit! Look... I'm... I'm not house help, okay? I cover
the grounds. I heard... I heard something about it, but I swear to Christ, I
never actually seen him, okay?"
"So, he is here."
"Yeah... yeah, that's what I heard."
"And it's just fine with you that your employer is a heartless bastard who
snatches people from their homes against their will..." Fox smashed the man's
head into the wall once more, and letting him drop into a senseless heap on the
ground. "Piece of shit."
"Mulder... Mulder, come on. You're losing it, here..."
Fox gave no indication that he'd heard his partner. He whirled around and
headed for the front door, jumping back in surprise, when the heavy wood
yielded to his push. He stormed into the house, gun drawn, and began to shout
Alex's name.
Scully cast a frightened look in the direction of their two companions. "God,
if no one was awake before, they soon will be."
The three followed Fox through the house, encountering no resistance until the
second floor.
"Hey. Hey! A man ran toward them, preparing to draw a gun from the waistband of
his pants. Fox turned and met him the rest of the way, inflicting on the man, a
fast and merciless beating. Scully shot the second man who'd appeared from down
the hall and had taken a wild shot at her partner. Fox merely stepped over both
men and resumed his search.
"Alex!"
"Mulder..."
"Aleeeex!"
"Mulder!" Scully caught up to him. "You're going to get yourself, and maybe us,
killed, doing it this way." She grabbed his arm, trying to bring him to a halt.
"Mulder, are you listening?"
He wasn't. He wrenched her hand away and continued on, searching room after
room, roaring Alex's name. Fifteen minutes and two more dead guards later, they
came to a locked door in the northeast corner of the third floor. Fox backed
off a couple of steps, then kicked the door in. He froze for a split second,
taking in the sight of the steel cage, then his gaze fell to the motionless
figure on the floor. The sight of the angry red marks on the back, which was
turned to him, hit him with the force of an oncoming train.
"Alex."
Half sobbed, half whispered.
Fox moved to the bars, calling to his unconscious lover. When Alex still showed
no sign of movement, he went wild, throwing himself against the door, and
shaking the bars with all his strength. When the steel did not give, he began
to pick up objects... anything he could lift, smashing them against the bars
while Scully, Byers and Langly turned the room upside down, looking for a key.
Another presence in the room stopped them cold. Justin Saint James stood in the
doorway, shock registering on his face. By the time it occured to him to turn
and flee, Fox had him by the throat, against the door. "Open the door," he
ground softly from between clenched teeth.
Justin coughed, then regained some of his composure. "Well... if it isn't the
lovely Fox. I suppose I should have taken Alexei's faith in you more to heart.
My mistake."
"One of many, you dirty, fucking son of a bitch. Open the goddamn door."
"I heard that there were intruders in the house. Naturally, I didn't quite
believe it, but just to be cautious, I left the key in a safe place."
"Where is it?"
"You think I'd tell you?" Justin began to laugh. "Not likely. You know, Fox,
you had your chance. Two years ago, remember? We could have all three been a
happy family by now."
"You're out of your mind."
"Well..." Justin coughed, "..be that as it may, Alexei is mine. And I will not
give him up."
Fox went berserk. He slammed his fist into the older man's face, landing a
crunching blow to his cheek. He drew his fist back and connected again and
again. Scully came up from behind and tried to pull him off of the man who had
now slumped to the floor, back against the doorframe. He spun around, shoving
his partner away, then turned his attention back to the severely beaten man,
punching him a few more times, then tearing at his clothing, looking for the
key. When nothing turned up, he released an enraged cry, and attempted to
resume his assault. Langly and Byers jumped into action, and with Scully's
help, dragged Fox away.
"He hasn't got the key," Scully screamed at him, trying to reason through his
fury. "Beating him to death is not going to help you find it!"
Fox wrenched himself away and made it back to the man, knocking his limp body
over onto its side with a vicious kick. A sickening crack could be heard
throughout the room with the second kick to the man's ribs.
"Mulder!" Scully placed herself between her crazed partner and the battered
body. "Mulder, please!"
The manic gleam faded a bit from his eyes, and he turned, staggering toward the
cage. Alex still lay in the same position they'd found him in, unmoving.
"Alex..."
No response.
"Baby... please.... please wake up..."
Scully stooped to check on the man at her feet. She bowed her head, took a deep
breath, then rose up. "He's dead," she said softly, to no one in particular.
She turned her head just in time to watch her partner sink to the floor,
reaching as far as he could into the cage, trying in vain to touch his lover.
She turned to Langly and Byers, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "We have to
find that key, guys. I don't care..."
"Agent Mulder.... Agent Scully?"
"Who the hell is that?"
Scully stalked out of the room and almost collided with two other agents.
"Walker! Ashcroft? What the hell are you doing here?"
"A.D. Skinner had us follow Agent Mulder out of D.C."
"Why?"
"I don't know. He didn't give us any explanations. We were just supposed to
follow Mulder and keep him apprised of whatever situation he thought might be
developing. We lost you on the exit, that's what took us so long to get here."
Ashcroft looked beyond Scully to the body in the doorway, and into the room.
"What the bloody hell is going on, here?"
"Look, I don't have time to explain. I need to get that cage door open. Get
some steel cutters up here... now."
Ashcroft nodded. "Will do."
As he went off to call for help, Scully came into the room and squatted
beside her partner.
"Mulder.... Mulder, listen to me. The cavalry is here, okay? We're going to get
some cutters and get Alex out of there."
Fox sat quietly, his head leaning against the bars. His hand rested on the
floor inside the cage, just inches from Alex's shoulder. "I can't touch him,
Scully," he whispered hoarsely. "I need..." he inhaled a sob. "I need to touch
him..."
"You will, Mulder. Just hang on a few minutes more, okay?"
"He's so still. So quiet. I can't see..." he began to panic, "I can't see him
breathing..."
"Yes he is. I can see. Focus about mid point on his upper arm. You'll be able
to see it moving up and down... you see?" Scully rubbed his back. "He's alive,
Mulder. Talk to him. Keep talking to him. Let him know you're here."
The touch of a hand on her shoulder, snapped Scully's head around. Walker stood
behind her, casting confused glances from man to man.
"Can I uh... can I talk to you a minute?"
Scully nodded and spoke again to her partner. "I'll be right back, Mulder." She
stood up and moved away, leaving Byers and Langly to keep an eye on Fox. "What
is it, Walker?"
"There were three other men we found before we got up here. Two of them, I
believe are staff, but the third... he's... he's just a kid. Mid twenties at the
most. We found him hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. When we showed him our
badges, he started to cry. He kept saying he was sorry. That he didn't want to
do it, whatever the hell it was. He begged us to help Alex and directed us
up to this room." He threw a glance over in the direction of the cage. "That
Alex?"
Scully nodded.
Walker looked back at the man sitting on the other side of the cage, murmuring
and whispering to the unconscious figure. "What's the deal with Mulder?"
Scully shook her head and opened her mouth to answer, but Ashcroft interrupted
her before she could form a word.
"We'll have help in ten minutes."
Scully acknowledged Walker, then went back to Fox. "Mulder... Mulder."
Fox turned his head a fraction to the left.
"Ten minutes, okay?"
He nodded once, and returned his attention to his lover. "Baby," he called
softly to Alex. "Just a few minutes more. Just a few... please, Alex... stay with
me... don't leave me. A few minutes more and I'll be there."
Fox stayed where he was, refusing to move away from Alex until the men came
with the steel cutters. Then, Scully coaxed him away from the bars while they
went to work. An eternity later, the door was opened and Fox flew into the
cage, falling to the floor beside Alex.
"I'm here," he whispered, peppering his lover's warm face with kisses, and
tenderly stroking his hair. "I'm here, baby. We're going to get you out of here
and into a hospital, okay?"
Scully kneeled beside the two men, checking Alex's vitals. "His pulse is just a
little weak, Mulder..." she gently lifted one eyelid, then the other. "I think
he may be sedated."
"But his back, Scully. The son of a bitch whipped him," Fox muttered against
Alex's forehead.
"I know," Scully answered, thinking to herself that the bastard got what he
deserved. She studied the marks, most of which were severe welts. "He'll be
okay. A few scars maybe, but none the worse for wear." She felt his arms and
legs, and ran her hands over his chest and back. "Nothing seems to be broken.
Of course, we'll know all this for sure when we get him checked into a
hospital."
Minutes later, the EMTs arrived, and Alex was taken out to the ambulance,
with Fox right by his side. Scully sent Byers and Langly on to the hospital,
while she stayed behind to help clear up the mess.
Fox sat quietly in the ambulance, Alex's hand enfolded in his, held gently
to his cheek. So focused on his lover was he, that he took no notice of the
looks passed between the EMTs.
As soon as they reached the hospital, Alex was wheeled into the emergency room.
Fox paced outside for over an hour and a half, clearly agitated at having to be
separarted from his lover for so long. Langly and Byers watched him stalk back
and forth, too afraid to utter a peep.
As soon as the doctor emerged, he cornered the man.
"Well? How is he?"
"He'll be all right. He was dehydrated, and running a slight temp. His blood
sugar is pretty low, and those wounds on his back are going to be a bit
uncomfortable for a while. We found traces of a sedative in his blood. He
should be coming out of it pretty soon. I don't anticipate any ill effects. I
would like to admit him for a couple of days. Get him back to normal, then he
can go home."
Fox closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Okay. Thank you."
"He's being taken up to his room now. Fourth floor, room four twenty-eight."
Fox nodded. "Thank you."
The doctor gave him a smile. "You're very welcome."
Fox turned and started toward the signs pointing to the elevators. Langly and
Byers followed. The three men boarded the lift, and Fox turned to his friends.
"Guys.... thank you..."
"Not a problem, man," Langly patted his shoulder. "I'm just glad we got him out
of there before you turned on us."
Fox hung his head. "I'm... God, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Byers reassured him. "If someone had done that to someone I
love, I might have reacted the same way. Well... you know.... sort of."
The elevator door opened, and the three men swept down the hall, and toward
Alex's room. The nurse and orderly were just leaving as Fox came through the
door. She gave him a polite if unnoticed smile, then left him alone with his
still unconscious lover.
Langly and Byers stood by the door, watching as Fox pulled a chair up to the
bed and lowered himself into it. He looked at Alex for a moment, noting how the
nurse had him turned onto his side, then checked out the I.V. in his left hand.
He lifted the limp right hand to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss into the
palm.
"Baby." Another kiss. "Alexei, wake up. It's me. He's gone, he'll never hurt
you again." Fox waited. Seeing no reaction, he continued to speak. "Alex, talk
to me." He rubbed the hand he held between his own. "I'm here, baby. Please
open your eyes."
Still receiving no response, Fox lowered his head to the mattress alongside
Alex's, and closed his eyes.
The damned fog was lifting again. Soon, his protection would be gone and he'd
have to face another day of God only knew what.
No... don't want to. Sleep... just want to sleep...
But he was waking, and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop it.
He rose a little closer to the surface and it was... different.
Warm. Safe.
Fox.
God, it even smelled like him.
He wasn't waking, just passing into a dream. But his eyes were
opening... unless he was dreaming this, too...
Fox heard the soft sigh and picked his head up.
Frightened, uncertain green eyes blinked sluggishly and found exhausted,
glittering hazel.
Alex still wasn't sure that he wasn't dreaming. Not until the eyes welled up
and spilled over, and he heard his Fox's hoarse voice, saying his name.
"Fox?"
"Yeah, baby. It's me. Everything's fine."
Alex raised a hand to Fox's cheek, sliding his knuckles through the dampness
there. "Where am I?"
"Hospital in Connecticut."
"You found me?"
Fox nodded. "With a little help."
"I knew you would... what about Saint James?"
"He's not a problem any more."
Alex searched his eyes, and knew. "I told him if I didn't get him, then you
would. He didn't believe me."
Fox gave no answer. He simply lowered his head and covered Alex's lips in a
long, tender kiss.
Alex threaded a hand through Fox's hair, losing himself in the comfort of his
lover's kiss. God, it felt so good. How did he know? How did he know this was
exactly what he needed right now... the reassurance... the reality...
The reality.
Alex pulled away, gasping and trembling.
"Alex?" Fox cupped his heavily-stubbled cheek. "Baby, what is it?"
"N-nothing. Nothing, I'm just... I'm just a little shaky."
Fox knew better than that. "What did he do to you?"
Alex shook his head.
"Alex?"
"I just... I want to forget about it right now... all of it. I don't want to
think about it, okay?"
"You'll tell me soon?"
"Yeah... yeah. Soon." Alex moved to the edge of the bed, trying to get closer to
Fox's warmth. Hoping it would act as a shield between him and the memory that
he knew would plague him still, when all the others faded.
Fox lifted his arm over Alex, resting it on the other side, effectively tenting
his lover's upper body. He rested his forehead lightly against Alex's temple,
and kissed his cheek. "Tired?"
Alex nodded, eyes already closed.
"Okay. Go to sleep."
Alex reached blindly for his hand, clasping it tightly when he did. "I thought
I was dreaming when I first woke up. I thought..." His eyes opened and he
glanced down at their entwined fingers, remembering.
Fox felt his body body go slack, and saw his eyes glaze over.
"What?"
"My watch..." he swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, "... my ring. He
took them," he said, voice crackling with restrained anguish.
"Baby....I hadn't even noticed. God. I'll have the house turned upside down."
"What if they're not there? He might have just gotten rid of them."
"Then I'll replace them."
"It isn't the same," Alex said barely above a whisper.
"I know." Fox kissed him gently. "But the love is."
Alex pressed their hands against his chest, and closed his eyes.
"You'll be here when I wake up?"
"Of course." Fox kissed the roughened cheek once more, then whispered softly
into Alex's ear, "I love you, baby." He lowered his his head to the bed, and
closed his eyes. The hand that was not enclosed in Alex's, moved rhythmically
along the length of the younger man's arm.
Minutes later, the movement slowed, then stopped. Both men were now, asleep.
An agitated baritone startled Fox awake.
"What... what the hell is going on, here?"
Fox lifted his head, first checking on Alex, hoping that the commotion wouldn't
wake him. Unfortunately, he was beginning to stir. Fox looked up at the red
faced A.D.
"Mulder," Skinner growled through a clenched jaw, "would you care to tell me
what this is all about?"
Fox looked from his boss to his two friends.
"Sorry, Mulder," Byers said softly. "We couldn't stop him from coming in."
"S'okay."
"Fox?" Alex's sleepy voice immediately drew his attention.
"I'm here, baby."
Skinner's eyes widened in disbelief. "This is the 'personal matter'?"
Fox kissed the side of Alex's head and rose from his seat. "Yes."
Alex recognized the voice, and struggled onto his back, wincing. "Fox..."
"It's okay," Fox reassured him softly. I was going to tell him about us
anyway, after this was over."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"No, sir. For the first time in my life, I'm truly sane."
"You're a federal agent. And this son of a bitch is..."
"My lover. For the last three years."
"What?"
"Three years..." Fox's eyes flicked down to Alex, who still on his back,
looking up into his face. His expression softened immediately as he bent over
the younger man. "You're supposed to be on your side," he said gently, helping
his lover change position.
"But, Fox..."
"Stop. The only thing I want you worrying about is feeling better."
"Oh, he's going to worry about a lot more than that..."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yeah. There are no charges against him, of any kind. And you know as well as I
do, there's nothing you can charge him with."
Skinner grimaced. He was right. He had absolutely nothing on this man. Sheer
hatred was not grounds for arrest.
"I can't believe this. I cannot believe this. You're a federal agent."
"You already said that."
"Apparently, you need reminding... for all the difference it'll make, now."
"Are you telling me that I'm in danger of losing my job?"
"Because of your involvement with this scum? Who happens to be a man? Yes,
yes I believe it would be, but that's not the only reason your ass is in a
sling."
"Well....I'll tell you what." Fox reached into his holster, removing gun. "I'll
save you the trouble of all that paperwork." He removed the clip, and handed
the weapon over.
Alex watched the proceedings, horrified. "Fox... Fox, don't..."
"And..." he pulled his badge out of its enclosure, and slammed it down on the
tray at the foot of the bed. "There you go."
Scully came through the door, just in time to catch the last part of the
exchange.
"Sir?" She placed a small overnight bag down by the door. "What are
you... Mulder..."
Fox stood straight and tall, red eyes staring defiantly at his superior. "Take
it. I quit."
"What? Mulder, what the hell are you doing?"
"I don't have the time or the inclination to go through a bunch of shit with
him. I've got much more important things to deal with." Fox reclaimed his seat
beside Alex.
"Fox... Fox, don't quit. You'll regret it. Don't do this because of me.."
"Shh, shh, shh." Fox petted the sable head. "I came much too damn close to
losing you. You are what's important in my life. None of the rest of it
means a goddamn thing if I don't have you. Baby, you know that."
"Sir... Sir?"
Skinner glanced from the shocking sight of his agent kissing Alex Krycek, to
his partner.
"Sir, can I talk to you in the hall, please?"
Skinner strode into the hall, followed by Scully.
"What is it?"
"Sir, are you really going to allow him to quit?"
The A.D turned his face away.
"Don't think he's bluffing, sir. I know he's not."
"How... why.... how the hell did this get started?"
"It's really not important, sir. What matters here is that Mulder is serious.
He loves Alex with his whole heart and soul, and if you push him to choose, he
will quit."
"He has quit."
"You haven't accepted his badge." "If he wants out, who am I stop him?
Although, this may all be pointless. I heard the initial report on what went
down at that house. Agent Mulder could be in a world of shit if those reports
are true. And you're not exactly free and clear, either."
"Well, sir, that's another matter..."
Skinner's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"The bodies, sir... all the wounded guards... they're gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"That's why I'm so late getting here. "None of them ever made it to their
destinations."
"That's impossible."
"That's my response as well. But they've disappeared, sir, without a trace.
I've checked it out."
"Well," Skinner grated. "No bodies, no case." He shook his head. "You know,
when Agent Mulder is involved, nothing should surprise me."
"Besides Alex, only one person made it out of that house, and I think that's
only because he was with me."
"Who?"
A young man. He seems to have been another captive of sorts. They'd found him
hiding in a bedroom, scared to death. They tried to question him, but he shut
down. When I showed up and started to question him, he just kind of took to me.
He has healed marks on his back, very similar to Alex's..."
"Marks?"
"You didn't notice?"
"I guess not. I was concentrated on other matters."
"He's been beaten, sir. Both of them."
"Why? What did this man want with them?"
"That, sir, is a very long, very complicated story."
Skinner folded his arms across the expanse of his chest. "I've got plently of
time."
"All right... over coffee? I'm dying."
The A.D nodded.
"Just let me say hello to Alex..."
"Is this," he waved a hand back and forth at the door, "all part of the
explanation?"
"Yes, it is."
Scully pushed the door open and walked back inside. Skinner slipped in after
her, standing by the door, locking eyes with Fox.
"Hey! Sorry I didn't get to say something to you the first time I was in here,"
Scully perched on the edge of Alex's bed, and planted a light kiss on his jaw.
"How do you feel?"
"Tired. Kinda weak."
"That's normal for the things that were wrong with you when you were brought
in, but you'll be fine. How about your back?"
At the sound of the question, Skinner's eyes left Fox's and dropped down to
Alex's back, and registering for the first time, what had been done to the man.
Alex shrugged. "Hurts. Nothing I can't deal with. When can I go home?"
"The doctor wants to keep you a day or two. Get your fluids and blood sugar
back where they belong," Fox answered softly.
"Mulder? Can I see you outside for second?'
Fox nodded at his partner. He grasped Alex's hand, and brushed his lips across
the knuckles. "Be right back."
Before Scully left the room, she dropped another kiss on Alex's head. "I'll see
you a little later, okay?"
Alex nodded, glancing over at the man glaring at him from the corner. "Thanks,
Scully."
She gave him a reassuring pat, and preceeded Fox, then Skinner out of the room.
Once in the hall, Fox glanced quickly at the A.D., then looked to Scully. "What
did you want to see me about?"
"A few things, actually."
"Yeah?"
"Every member of the Saint James household is gone... well... almost every
member..."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"I mean, gone. Disappeared. Dead, alive or otherwise... all of them."
"Except for one."
"Right."
"Scully, how can all those people just disappear?"
"I'm sure I have no idea."
Fox ran his fingers through his hair. "This doesn't make any sense, it
doesn't... who is the one?"
"A young man. Another unwilling companion
"Kidnapped?"
"No. Tempted. Lured. Once he had him, Saint James just broke him down to the
point where he couldn't leave. Mulder, this kid is a mess. It's going to take
some doing to de-program him."
"Family?"
"We did manage to get that information out of him. We're trying to contact
them, now. He uh... he's asked about Alex several times. He seems very concerned
about him. I've had him admitted so he can be checked out. If you'd like to
talk to him, he's on this floor. Room four-ten."
Fox nodded. "Thanks. Anything else?"
"Yep. One more thing." Scully reached into her purse and produced two silver
objects. "I believe these belong to Alex."
A wide smile spread over Fox's face as he took the watch and ring from her.
"Where were they?"
"The detectives found them in Saint James' desk drawer. I happened to be in the
room when they did."
"Thank you, Scully. He was so upset about it."
Skinner stared at the jewelry, concentrating on the simple silver band, and
suddenly realizing the significance of the gold band that Fox wore on his right
hand. He grimaced and turned away.
"Mulder... one more thing." Scully looked from her partner to her boss, then
back again. "Don't quit."
"It's not something I want to do, Scully. But if I can't have Alex and my
work..."
Scully threw Skinner an 'I told you so' look. He turned away and said nothing.
Fox glanced from Skinner to Scully and shrugged. "I'm going back to Alex. I'll
see you later. Thanks again, Scully."
Scully nodded, then casting a long glare in the A.D's direction, walked off
toward the elevators.
Skinner rubbed his hand over the top of his head, then followed Scully.
Fox re-entered the room, moving silently to the bed. He smiled softly, watching
his lover sleep.
Langly crept to his side and whispered in his ear.
"Listen, bud, Byers and I are going to head back to the motel. If you don't
need us anymore, we'll probably hop a flight back to D.C."
"Yeah, uh... good idea. Thanks, guys. If it weren't for you, I might not have
him back, now."
"No problem, man. You know we're always here for ya."
The two men left, leaving Fox alone with Alex for the first time since they'd
found him. He took his place by the bed and watched as the thick fringe of
sable lashes fluttered and rose. Alex's hand slid over the mattress, seeking
and finding his lover's.
"What woke you up?"
Small shrug. "Well... since you're awake... guess what I've got?"
Sleepy green eyes blinked up at him. "What?"
Fox produced Alex's watch and ring from his pocket and held them in front of
his face. "You happen to know who these belong to?"
Alex's eyes lit up. "Where..."
"Scully. The detectives found them at the house and she brought them here."
Not waiting for a response, Fox pulled Alex's hand forward, and slipped the
ring back onto his finger. "There," he smiled into his lover's watery gaze.
"Right back where it belongs."
Alex looked down at his hand, now curled into a loose fist. His eyes dropped
shut and the fist tightened, as unwanted memories pushed their way to the fore.
No... stop... please, stop... no...
"Alex... Alex!" Fox moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, stroking Alex's
forehead. "What is it? Come on, baby, talk to me."
Alex took a sudden, shuddering breath, held it, then let it out in the same
manner. He tried again, but the second attempt was worse than the first.
"Take it easy, babe. Easy. Relax..." Fox kept his voice low and even, for
Alex's sake, masking the panic that had risen in his own chest. "Breathe,
Alex... deep, slow breaths..." Fox reached for the call button and pressed it
several times. A nurse appeared quickly in the doorway.
"Can I get you something, honey?"
"He's having some kind of panic attack."
"I'm... all right," Alex said, between breaths.
"All right, huh? The nurse bustled into the room. "You're as white as a sheet.
Give me your arm, hon. Let's check your pressure." Seconds later, she removed
the cuff from his arm. "Well, darlin', you're definitely worked up about
something." She turned to Fox. "The doctor approved a mild sedative for him,
should he need it..."
"No!" Alex struggled into a sitting position. "No drugs!"
"Alex..." Fox cupped his cheek. "It's just to help you relax."
"No, Fox," Alex pleaded. "Don't let them knock me out."
"Okay, baby, okay. But you have to calm down, all right?"
Alex nodded, fighting to control his erratic breathing. A few minutes later, he
was calm enough that Fox was able to dismiss the nurse.
"Better, now?" Fox rubbed the hand he'd enclosed in his own.
"Yeah." Alex took a slow, deep breath, and released it. "I'm okay."
"Can you slide forward a little?"
Alex did as he was asked, and Fox moved behind him, leaning back against the
pillows, legs straddling his body. He held his arms out, and Alex pushed back,
turning sideways to lie against his chest.
Fox wrapped one arm around Alex's shoulders, and other came up to rest gently
on his hip. Alex lay rigidly against him for a few moments, then slowly, he
worked his arms around Fox's waist, and buried his face in his chest.
Fox wanted desperately to ask Alex again to tell him about what had happened to
him, but he was afraid of bringing on another anxiety attack. So instead, he
sat gently caressing his hip, and scattering tiny kisses in the wild, sable
hair.
Alex clung silently to the man he loved more than life... sickened, terrified,
and completely at a loss as to how it was he was supposed to tell him about
what had happened. The beatings would be easy enough to talk about. The
physical wounds would heal and he'd get past it... it wasn't any worse than
anything he'd ever been through in his life, but... this. Saint James, that
bastard... he knew what he was doing. In another time and another place, he
could have almost admired the man's brilliantly warped mind, but...
"I love you, sweetheart."
The four words, whispered so tenderly above his head, brought a sting of tears
to his eyes. He blinked rapidly, holding holding them back. His arms tightened
around Fox, as he tried to get closer.
"I love you... lisa..."
He was good.
No one would have noticed the grief in his voice...
No one but Fox.
God. Oh, Jesus, Alex. What did he do to you?
The prospect of Alex finally answering that question was beginning to scare the
hell out of him... more and more. The arm around Alex's shoulder, pulled him in
closer.
"Go to sleep, baby."
"Don't let me go, Fox."
"I won't. I promise, I won't let you go."
Close to half an hour later, Alex was asleep. And Fox sat wide awake, terrified
that if he closed his eyes, someone would come and tear his love away. He was
still sane enough to realize that the fear was completely irrational, yet he
couldn't help it.
A long while later, Scully slipped back into the room, smiling at the sight of
the two men wrapped in each other's arms. The smile faded a bit, as her
partner's eyelids lifted, and he turned bloodshot eyes to her.
"I thought maybe you were asleep."
Fox shook his head, and lay his cheek on the top of Alex's head.
"The nurse'll have a fit if she finds you in his bed," she warned as softly as
she could.
"She's already been in."
"And she didn't say anything?"
"Just checked his IV, smiled, and left."
"Wow."
"Anything else on the disappearances?"
"Nothing. It's like they never existed."
"Makes no sense."
"I know. But you know, in this case, it might not be such a bad thing. You and
I were in hot water up to our necks... you especially."
Another tiny nod. "Thank you, Scully, for your help."
"You'd have done the same for me... have you re-thought your decision to quit?"
"I haven't really thought about anything but Alex."
"I talked to Skinner. Explained it to him from beginning to end."
"And?"
"He's not happy, Mulder. You knew he wouldn't be. But he's a fair man. I think
I was able to make him understand the extenuating circumstances here."
"You think?"
"He said he didn't want to see you leave the Bureau. I take that to mean that
anything he's learned today will be kept off the record." Scully took a seat by
the bed. "He went out to the scene to see what was going on. You'll probably
see him a little later."
"Can't wait. Scully... is that Matthew kid still here?"
"Yeah, he'll be here till tomorrow at least. You going to go see him?"
"I'd like to, yeah. What room was it? Four-ten?"
"Right."
"I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind."
"Actually, I'd appreciate it if you'd stay with Alex while I'm gone."
"Mulder... he's safe here."
"I know, I just... it'd make me feel better, okay?"
"Okay. When are you going to go see him?"
"After Alex wakes up."
Already awake, Alex listened to the conversation, trying hard to keep his body
from quaking.
He was here.
Matthew.
The spineless little son of a bitch who helped to ruin his life.
Room four-ten.
Fox shifted, ducking his head to look down at the open, glazed eyes of his
lover.
"Hey. I thought I heard a sound."
Alex's eyes darted up to his, then back down.
"Babe? You okay?"
"Yeah... yeah, fine. I uh... my arm is asleep, I gotta move." He pulled away from
the circle of Fox's arms, allowing the older man to move off of the bed.
Shifting onto his right side, he came face to face with Scully.
"Hi, Alex. Feeling any better?"
"Um... y-yeah, I guess." He turned his eyes up to Fox, who was still hovering
nearby. "I really am better, Fox. Why don't you go find a motel room and get
some sleep?"
"I'm not leaving this hospital, Alex. Not until you do."
"Then at least go get something to eat. Scully, take him to the cafeteria and
put some food in him."
"He's right, Mulder. You need to eat... and sleep."
Mulder looked from his lover to his partner. "How about this? Scully, you stay
here for a minute, and I'll go get us something and bring it back."
"God, Mulder you really are a pain in the ass. Listen, you stay here, and
I'll go down." Scully rose from her chair and had a quick look at Alex's
chart. "Alex, I can get you some soup or something light like that."
Alex shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Some soup would be fine."
"Okay. I'll be back in little bit."
Fox sat on the edge of the bed, watching Scully retreat from the room. When she
was gone, he reached over and took Alex's hand in his, bringing it to his lips.
"Be back in a couple of minutes, okay? I gotta take some of this off. It's
driving me crazy," he said, rubbing the heavy stubble. "I'll shave you too
afterward, if you like." Receiving only a tiny smile as an answer, he rose from
the bed, picked up the small bag Scully had carried in for him earlier, and
disappeared into the bathroom.
The moment he was gone, Alex yanked the IV out of his arm, and slipped out of
bed. He held on to the nearby table, taking a few seconds to steady himself,
then donned the robe at the end of the bed, and quietly left the room.
Matthew lay awake in his bed... alone in the empty room, thinking. Wondering if
what he'd heard was true.
Was Justin really dead?
If it was true, he didn't know what to feel about that. Relief should have been
tops on the list, but he wasn't sure. Jesus, why should he be? He should be
relieved, and thrilled, and happy as hell that the sadistic bastard was gone,
and that's all he should be, but he wasn't.
His thoughts turned to the man in the cage.
Alex.
His closed his eyes and brought his hands up to them, as the man's anguished
screams filled his brain.
God, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
He hoped that Alex would be okay. He hoped that if he hadn't been already, he
would soon be reunited with his lover, and he could forget the terrible thing
he'd done to him.
The quiet swish of the door startled him, and as he took his hands away from
his face, there in front of him was a pair of hard, glittering green eyes.
"Why?"
Matthew shrank back against the pillows. "I'm... I'm..."
Before he could say anything more, Alex was on him, hands wrapped around his
neck. "Why did you do that to me?" he screamed with rage. "You fucking son of a
bitch! I'll kill you, you goddamn shit!"
Matthew's arms swung wildly in the air, and he gasped for breath. Through the
high pitched ringing in his ears, he could hear more sound. A nurse had heard
the screaming, and came to see what the problem was. As soon as she came
through the door, she stared wide-eyed at the scene, then raced back out,
shouting for help.
Back in Alex's room, Fox turned the water off and listened.
What the hell is that?
He cleaned his face, and pushed the door open. "Alex, do you..." His eyes fell
on the empty bed. "Shit!" He ran out of the room, and out toward the comotion
at the end of the hall. He pushed his way through the small crowd outside of
room four-ten, and found two orderlies trying to pull Alex off of the young man
in the bed. "Alex!" He leapt between the men and his lover. "Let go of him!"
"Are you nuts? He's gonna kill this kid!"
"I'll get him off of him, now back off!"
The two men backed away, and Fox came up behind Alex, wrapping his arms around
him. "Alex, stop! Let go of him! Come on, baby, you can't do this..."
Alex's grip loosened a bit as he began to sob. "You bastard... you little
fucking shit..."
Fox took the opportunity to pry Alex's hands away. "Let him go, baby. Whatever
he did to you, we'll work through it, okay? Let him go."
Matthew coughed and sputtered, trying to drag air back into his lungs, as Fox
pulled Alex away from him.
Alex collasped into Fox's arms, clinging tightly to him. "I'm sorry, Fox,
I'm... I didn't want... I didn't... God... oh, God..."
"Easy, Alex. It's okay." He looked to the young, terrified man. "Are you all
right?"
He nodded, coughing some more. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to Fox, then to
Alex. "Please believe me."
Fox studied him, wondering what the hell was going on. He rose from the bed,
pulling Alex up after him. "Come on, baby. Let's get you back to your room."
Alex's nurse and the two orderlies followed them back, and once Fox had Alex
settled into his bed, the nurse suggested restraining him.
Fox shook his head. "No. He'll be fine. He won't leave his room again."
"Mr. Mulder, we can't be sure of that."
"Yes we can," he snapped. "Whatever he's been through the last few days has got
him a little bent out of shape, but he doesn't need to be restrained."
"A little bent out of shape... he tried to strangle that boy."
"Something terrible was done to him, and that boy was a part of it."
Well, hon, I sympathize, I really do, but please understand that I've got to
report this episode to his doctor."
"I understand. Just get him up here, and I'll talk to him."
"All right. I'll find him and send him up as soon as possible."
When she had fixed Alex's IV and the room was cleared, Fox turned his full
attention back to Alex. "Baby," he whispered, stroking his lover's perspiration
dampened hair, "you gotta tell me what happened. Who is that man and why did
you want to hurt him?"
Alex grasped his hand and turned tormented eyes up to his. "I love you, Fox. I
didn't... I... I..." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away.
"Alex... Alex, please."
Scully walked in, and placed the food down on the bed tray. "What's going on?"
"I don't know," Fox answered flatly. "But I'm going to find out. Stay with
him." He gently pulled his hand out of Alex's grip. "Baby, I'll be back. Scully
is going to stay with you while I'm gone okay?"
No answer.
Fox kissed him once, and left the room.
All was quiet now, as he walked down the hall to room four-ten. He pushed the
door open and stood in the doorway looking at the still very shaken young man
in the bed. Remorseful aqua eyes gazed up at him as he approached.
"Is..." he swallowed painfully, "is he all right?"
Fox studied the beginning bruises on the man's throat. "No. No, he isn't all
right. That's why I'm here. I want to know what happened to him, and I want to
know what you had to do with it."
Matthew shook his head. His eyes filled with tears, and he tried to speak. "I'm
so, so sorry. You have to know that. I begged Justin. I pleaded with him, but
he wouldn't listen to me. His mind was made up. I was so scared... he... is he
dead?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"How?"
Fox paused for a moment, then answered simply, "I killed him."
Matthew closed his eyes and nodded. "Alex said you'd find him."
Fox moved closer to the bed. "Tell me what happened."
"J-Justin... he was a man who always had things his way. Always. He decided he
wanted Alex... so he took him. He said he knew it would be difficult, but he was
determined to break Alex down. But Alex," Matthew shook his head, almost
smiling, "he proved to be a much bigger challenge than Justin ever expected. He
killed and wounded a lot of Justin's men. He fought Justin at every turn, and
Justin could see that he was beginning to lose ground, so he really decided to
play dirty."
"What did he do?"
"Well... the beatings didn't work... Alex just became harder to handle. So
he... he..."
"He what?"
"He... he knew you were Alex's weakness as well as his strength. And he thought
of a way to use it against him..."
Fox took a deep breath and waited.
"He uh... he sedated Alex... had him shackled to the bed, and he made... oh, God,
you have to believe that I wanted no part of this..."
"Tell me."
"He made me go into the cage and I had to... he made me perform..." Matthew
buried his face in his hands. "... oral sex. I didn't want to, I swear I
didn't."
Fox pitched forward, grasping the edge of a nearby table for support, as the
room did an abrupt spin.
"I'm sorry," Matthew whined, "I'm sorry..."
Fox straightened up and inhaled deeply. "Finish, he hissed between gritted
teeth.
Matthew hesitated a few seconds, then continued. "Like I said, Alex had been
lightly sedated. It took a little while, but he started to... to respond. He was
still pretty much out of it, but I could... Jesus, I'm sorry. I could feel him
getting hard."
Fox's hands clenched into fists.
"He start..started to moan... he was out of it... I know he thought it was you. I
know that because as he woke up, he started to struggle. He screamed and he
threatened and he begged for it to stop, and I wanted to, I swear, but Justin
was right outside. And he threatened me and told me not to stop. Please,
please understand... I was afraid. The beatings were bad enough when he
wasn't angry. If I stopped, he probably would have killed me."
Fox stood quietly, eyes closed, fighting to maintain a steady breath.
"Anyway... uh... by the time he'd come around, it had gone too far for him to
stop it, if you know what I mean. He... he... he came and then he... he cried.
God, he cried so hard. I cried too. Then Justin started to taunt him. Told him
he was going to take a copy of the video tape he'd made of it, and send it to
you. Alex went crazy. He thrashed and fought against the restraints so much
that Justin had to sedate him again. That was the last... last time I saw him
till today. I can't stop saying how sorry I am... it sickened me to do that to
him." Matthew turned watery eyes to the man who stood over him, fighting
against every instinct that screamed for him to beat this man to death. "He
loves you so much and Justin used it to destroy him." Matthew suddenly found
his anger. "He's dead, but if Alex doesn't come through this... he still wins.
Don't let the son of a bitch win. Please."
Fox listened to the words spoken so sincerely.
"He won't win. Alex will get through this. I'll see to it."
"I know." Tears pooled, then flowed over. "Because you love him."
"That's right."
Fox turned and left the young man alone with his misery.
Scully looked up as her partner came through the door. His tortured expression
spoke volumes.
"Mulder?"
Fox walked by her, all his concentration focused on the man who lay almost
catatonic in the bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, and leaned over
Alex's still body. He stroked his lover's hair gently, staring silently down at
him. Slowly, Alex's eyes shifted up to his.
"I talk... I talked to Matthew," Fox said softly. "Baby, I know what happened to
you."
Alex buried his face into the pillow.
"Alex..." Fox slipped a hand under his cheek and turned his face back up so
that their eyes met. "We'll get through it, okay? You and me."
Alex's lips moved, but no sound would come past them.
"What, Alex? What is it?"
"I... I didn't want it... I tried, I... tried... I wanted to kill him... I
wanted... I wanted to die..."
Fox lowered himself to the mattress, gathering Alex into his arms. "It's all
right. It'll be all right..."
Alex lay passively in Fox's arms, staring over his shoulder, up at the ceiling.
"I didn't want to," he whispered almost inaudibly.
"I know you didn't. I know..."
"I came... came in his m... mouth, Fox..."
"I know..."
"He wouldn't stop... but I wanted him to, I swear... swear to you I wanted him
to..."
"Alex... I know that. Come on, babe, stop this. Don't torture yourself. It isn't
worth it. When all of this is done, it'll still be just me and you."
"You could... could still touch me after..."
Fox drew away far enough to meet Alex's eyes. "Listen to me. What happened to
you changes nothing between us. I love you, Alexei..."
Alex shuddered and looked away. "He called me that. It sounded so... obscene."
"Baby, look at me."
Weary green eyes turned up to Fox's face.
"He's gone. You never have to see his face, you never have to hear his voice
again. I know you won't ever forget what happened, and neither will I. If I
could kill him over and over again for what he did to you, I would. But wanting
and wishing won't change anything. As impossible as it sounds at this precise
moment, we will pick up and go on. In a day or two, we're going to go
home..." Fox cupped Alex's face, rubbing his thumb across the stubbled
cheekbone. "I'll take care of you... those wounds on your back will heal. We'll
have dinner in our dining room... we'll go for walks around the
neighborhood... Clyde misses you... we'll go to sleep in our bed..." He kissed
the outside curve of Alex's ear, then whispered into it, "I'll hold you all
night long... I'll do the laundry... I'll turn the whites a nice shade of purple
just for you..."
A tiny smile formed at the corner's of Alex's mouth. "God, no. That's all
right, I think I can manage to do the laundry, thank you."
Fox laughed softly, his tired eyes beginnng to shine. "There he is."
"There who is?"
"My Alex. I saw him for just a second, there."
Alex raised a slightly shaking hand to Fox's cheek. "I love you, lisa."
Fox lowered his head, taking Alex's mouth in a long, sweet kiss. When he pulled
away, he frowned, licking at the edges of his lips. "Oh man, we gotta do
something about this beard. How 'bout it? You ready for that shave?"
"Sure."
Fox gave him a heart melting smile. "Be right back."
Alex watched his lover retreat into the bathroom, then looked over at Scully.
"I don't know how it is this happened. I've never done anything good enough in
my life to deserve him."
Scully walked over to the bed, and sat down. She covered Alex's hand with her
own, squeezing it gently. "You fell in love with him, didn't you?"
"Yeah..."
She smiled, shaking her head. "You could never have done anything better than
that. Alex, your love has saved him a hundred times over."
A knock sounded at the door, and it inched open. "S'cuse me, four twenty-eight,
right?"
Scully answered. "That's what it says on the door..."
The door swung open and the man walked in, carrying in each arm, a vase
arrangement of two dozen Sterling Silver roses. Alex watched, surprised and a
bit confused, as the man set the vases down and started for the door.
"Uh... hey... you sure those are for me?"
"You Alex Krycek?"
"Yeah..."
"Then these are for you. Be right back."
The man disappeared for a moment, then returned, carrying two more
arrangements; mixed flowers, both in baskets. "You're one popular guy."
Alex looked from the man to Scully, then back again. He remained silent, not
knowing what to say.
"That ain't all, friend, you got one more..."
Fox walked out of the bathroom, carrying a basin of warm water and the shaving
equipment. His eyes met Alex's and saw the confusion. "Hey, he grinned. They're
not all from me..."
The man walked in with one more large mixed vase arrangement and cleared a spot
on a table in the corner for it. "Okay, that's it. You got it all."
Fox stopped him at the door and handed him a bill. He thanked the man, then
moved over to the bed, looking down into questioning green eyes. "I'm telling
you, I don't know where some of these flowers came from."
Scully rose from her chair. "Well, let's see... there's no card on one of
these rose arrangements, so I'll assume they're from the same sender." She
handed the card to Alex, who gingerly pulled the flap up on the envelope, and
read. His eyes closed for a moment, then rose to meet those of his lover. He
mouthed the words 'I love you', and Fox sent him a soft smile and a wink.
Scully handed him the card from one of the baskets.
Alex's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "The Gunmen?"
Fox chuckled softly. "Told you they liked you."
Alex read the card from the next basket, and reached out to take Scully's hand.
"Thanks, Scully."
Scully rubbed the back of his hand. "It's such a relief to have you back." She
released his hand and moved to the the last arrangement. "Here you go."
Alex looked up to Fox. "I don't... there's nobody else."
Fox motioned to the envelope. "There's obviously somebody else... hey... you
don't think it's from Skinner, do you?"
Scully snorted. "Yeah, right, Mulder."
Fox shrugged, smiling, then waited for Alex to open the envelope.
The younger man's brows knitted into a distinct frown. He shook his head, not
knowing what to make of the cryptic message.
"What is it, babe?"
Alex handed the card up to Fox, who read it aloud.
"Feel better soon. No thanks necessary. From your friends."
Fox turned to his petite partner. "Scully..."
She shook her head in confusion for a moment, then understanding dawned. "Oh,
you don't think..."
"What else could it mean?"
Alex looked from one to the other. "What could what mean? Fox, do you
understand that?"
"Yeah, I uh... I think so. The night you went missing, I went to Skinner and
asked for contact with Cancerman. I thought he might know something. It was a
shot in the dark, but I didn't know what else to do. He promised me that he had
no idea and reminded me of your arrangement with him. Before I hung up, he
offered his assistance should I need it."
"And?"
"Alex..." Scully took over. "We racked up quite a body count on our way to you.
And those who weren't dead, Mulder did a pretty good number on. On their way to
their assorted destinations, they all disappeared. Every one of them. There's
no evidence. No witnesses. Nothing. It's all gone. We had no idea why or
how... till now."
"It makes sense," Fox added. "Who else has the resources to pull something like
that off?"
"But... why?"
"Because," Alex rasped, "keeping Fox and me alive and healthy and together, is
in their best interests." He looked up to his lover, and grasped his hand. "I
hate the idea of him being involved in our life, but in this case, I have to
say that I'm glad. Fox..." he squeezed the older man's hand. "... you could have
been in so much trouble..."
Fox kissed Alex's hand, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Forget about that.
Everything's okay. I don't want to think about how or who... come on, now. You
got a date here with Mr. Razor."
Carefully, Fox lathered and scraped away the thick whiskers, revealing the soft
skin that hid underneath. When he was through, Alex raised a hand to his face,
rubbing along his cheek and throat.
"Thank you... better?"
Fox cocked his head to one side. "Looks better. Now for the real test..." He
leaned across the short distance, and covered Alex's mouth with his own.
Alex pulled a fraction away from his lips, and mumbled against them, "Okay?"
"Can't decide." Fox wove his fingers through Alex's hair, and pulled him back
against his mouth.
Alex sighed into Fox's open mouth, for the first time in days, feeling almost
normal. His tongue inched forward, tangling with the other. His hands came up
to Fox's shoulders then around his back. He closed his fingers in the material
of Fox's shirt, clinging to him as they kissed with growing passion.
"Oh, God," Scully grinned, checking her watch and speaking to no one in
particular, "didn't take them very long, did it?"
Fox shifted, trying to accomodate the growing bulge in his pants. God, it felt
so good to have Alex's mouth on his...
A day or two.
Shit, it was too long. He wanted to take him home now. He wanted to put him
into his own bed. Hold him close. Make love to him...
Alex tilted his head from side to side, sucking on Fox's lips. His tongue.
Voraciously feeding on him... drowning himself in his lover's taste and texture,
trying desperately to blot out the images and sounds that continually danced in
his mind.
But they were there.
Justin.
Smiling at him.
Touching him.
The unbearable pain of that belt.
The feel of Matthew's mouth around him, sucking and swallowing, even as he
begged him to stop...
The sound of his own anguished cries after he came...
"Alex? Hey... come on, breathe.."
Scully leapt from her chair, joining the men on the bed. "Alex? Listen to me.
Calm down, okay? Take a deep, slow breath... Mulder what happened?"
"I don't know. All of a sudden, he just started to hyperventilate. Alex, it's
all right. Easy, baby." Fox cupped Alex's face in his hands. "Look at me. See?
It's me. I'm here." He stroked his lover's cheeks with his thumbs. "Breathe,
baby..."
Alex's respiration slowed a bit, as he concentrated on the beautiful sea of
amber in front of him. The soft, soothing voice of his lover drifted through
the noise in his head.
"That's it. That's better." He moved a hand to the back to Alex's head,
massaging lightly. "Tell me what happened, Alex. What brought this on?"
"I'm... it won't... I'm sorry, Fox."
"Don't be sorry... lie back."
Alex shifted onto his side, against the pillows.
"Try to rest, okay?"
A deep, shuddering breath. "Okay... Fox?"
"Hmm?"
"You... you rest too."
"I will."
"Go."
"Where?"
"To a motel room or... wherever..."
"I told you, Alex, I'm not leaving here till you do."
Scully spoke up. "Mulder, you're exhausted. You need sleep as much as he
does."
"Who says I'm not going to sleep?"
"Where? In that chair?"
"A pillow and a blanket, and it'll be just fine."
"Fox, please... go sleep in a bed. I'll be all right."
"I'm not leaving."
"Forget it, Alex. He won't budge." She directed her next statement to her
partner. "I'll go see what I can do about making you a little more
comfortable... and while I'm gone, how about I get us some more food?" She
looked to the long-cold food on the tray. "That stuff must be long past edible
by now."
"Okay, Scully. Thanks."
When she was gone, Fox pulled a chair up to the bed, and sat, resting his arms
and chin on the bed. He and Alex stared at each other for a few moments before
he spoke.
"There was no way you could stop it," he murmured softly. "I know you would
have if you could."
Alex's eyes fell away from Fox's face. "When... when I was a kid... and those
guys raped me... it was bad, but... not like this. Not... I don't... as far as
actual, physical pain went, it was much worse, but..I'd rather go back and live
that night a dozen times over, than go through this again. I feel so..." He
broke off his words and closed his eyes.
"I know what you feel," Fox whispered. "There's no need for you to feel that
way. I know those aren't some magic words that'll take it all away, Alex,
but... you've done nothing wrong. Nothing that's happened has hurt us. How
could it?"
"I don't know, I... I tried so hard... I fought it, but..."
"Alex, Matthew told me that you were sedated when Saint James sent him in
there. You could feel long before you'd regained the ability to reason. You
were being stimulated and it was only natural for your body to respond. By the
time you'd become conscious, it had gone too far. Baby, you know that there's a
point that you reach where there's just no stopping it. It doesn't mean you
enjoyed it, and it in no way means that you've somehow betrayed me. There's no
reason for you to feel guilty."
Alex lay quietly, taking in what his lover had just said to him. Sometime
later, his hand inched across the sheet, the backs of his fingers tentatively
brushing Fox's.
Fox watched almost hypnotized, as Alex's fingers moved over his. Slowly he
responded, arching his fingers, letting them whisper over his lover's knuckles,
tracing disjointed little designs across the skin. His eyes rose to Alex's
face, and found himself the focus of a glassy green stare. His hand lifted
slightly, covering the other's, lacing their fingers together, and bringing the
hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. As he pulled their hands away from his
mouth, his head moved closer to Alex's, nuzzling first his jaw, then his cheek.
Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His head began to move fraction by
fraction, now imitating his lover's motions. He shifted toward Fox, seeking
greater contact; rubbing his freshly-shaven cheek against the one beside it.
The soft hiss of breath close to his ear, sent a hard shudder through his body.
All at once, raw need overpowered everything else he'd been feeling, coursing
through him so strongly, that his entire body ached with it. His fingers
untangled from the ones that had still held them, and plunged into Fox's hair,
holding his head still for an all-out assault on his mouth.
Alex's sudden aggression startled Fox at first, but he quickly gave himself up
to it, allowing the younger man free rein. He had no idea how long the passion
would last... if at all, but he'd be damned if he was going to do anything to
rock the boat.
Just as he was working up to a good solid erection, Alex pulled away.
"Fox..."
Damn, damn, damn
"Hmm?"
Alex's eyes opened and Fox knew this wasn't the beginning of any anxiety
attack.
"I need you."
Whispered softly, but plainly heard by the man for whom it was intended.
"Alex..." Fox licked at his lower lip. "We'll be home tomorrow... Tuesday at
the latest..."
Alex bit down gently on Fox's lower lip and tugged. He let it go, licking the
spot where his teeth had just been. "Don't make me wait until Tuesday."
"Baby, we're in a hospital."
Alex turned his head, rubbing the sable silk against Fox's face. "Please."
"God... listen..." Fox pulled Alex's head back up. "Scully'll be back soon.
When she leaves... I'll take care of you. Okay?"
Alex nodded silently as he moved in again for another kiss. That kiss led to
another. And another still, until the two were so completely immersed in each
other, that neither noticed Scully enter the room.
"A-hem... I said, a-hem."
Fox tore himself away from his lover's mouth and looked up in the direction of
the door. "Oh... hi."
"Yeah. Hi." Scully glanced from Fox to Alex, who had turned partially onto his
back. "Feeling better, Alex?"
"A little."
"A little," Scully repeated, her voice dripping with good-natured sarcasm.
"Well, come on, I brought more food. What do you say we actually eat it this
time?"
Fox moved up to the bed, sitting side by side with Alex against the pillows,
and Scully took his chair. They stuck to light discussion while eating and when
they were through, Scully gathered up the empty containers and disposed of
them. While she did that, Alex wiggled closer to Fox, dropping his head down
onto his shoulder. Fox kissed his temple.
"Tired?"
Alex's hand slid up and down his thigh. "No."
If Scully was aware of the rise in temperature in the room, she gave no
indication. She walked back to the chair, standing beside it. "Well," she said,
looking at her watch, "I guess Skinner isn't coming back tonight. Mulder, your
pillow and blanket are over there," she n odded toward the wooden chair in the
corner. "Promise me you'll get some rest."
"I will, I promise," Fox answered, absently petting the head tucked against his
throat.
"Goodnight, Scully," Alex called softly. "Thanks again."
"No problem. See you tomorrow."
As soon as she was gone, Fox slipped a hand under Alex's chin, tilting his face
up. His thumb rasped over the swell of his lover's lips, stroking the tip of
his tongue as it inched out to meet him. He lowered his head, his own tongue
taking the place of his thumb, caressing, tasting... giving teasing hints of the
pleasure that was yet to come.
Alex moaned softly into his Fox's mouth, desperately grateful for the love he
hadn't been sure he'd ever know again; needing to drown himself in his lover's
touch and smell. He leaned into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Fox's waist,
then dragging one leg over his thighs. As he raised himself up, preparing to
straddle Fox's hips, the other man's hands came up to push him back.
"Uh-uh."
"But you said..."
"I know what I said." Fox kissed the tip of his nose. "This is for you."
Fox slipped off of the bed and motioned to Alex to move closer. Just as he was
about to lean over him, the door swung open and the on-call doctor walked in.
"Mr... " he looked at the chart, "..Krycek. I'm Dr. Harrison. I see here that
you're a kidnap and beating victim? Quite an ordeal I'm sure, yet I get on the
floor and hear that you've been roaming the halls, strangling other patients.
Not exactly what I'd expect from a man who'd just been through what you
supposedly have..."
"Is that how you greet all your patients, doctor?"
Alex and the doctor looked up at Fox, who stood beside the bed, jaw clenching.
"When they may prove to be a danger to other patients and my staff, yes."
Fox slowly approached the man, stopping only inches away, forcing him to look
up. "Before you breeze into someone's room, giving off attitude all over the
place, do that person the courtesy of first getting all the facts... Doctor..."
Alex's eyes glowed softly as he watched Fox let the man have it in his own
quiet, inimitable way.
"This man is a patient in your hospital. And as such, he should expect no less
courtesy than any other patient. Now if sarcasm and verbal abuse is part of
your standard practice, sir, I suggest you re-evaluate your bedside manner."
The doctor shrank back from the sharp amber stare. "Who... who are you?"
"My name is Fox Mulder..."
"Is there a problem here, Agent Mulder?"
Three pairs of eyes followed the sound of the voice. Skinner stood in the
doorway, looking at the two who were standing by the foot of the bed.
Fox stared at the AD for a moment, then cut his eyes back to the man in front
of him. "Nothing that can't be remedied. Correct, Doctor?"
Harrison inhaled deeply, then moved around Fox and over to the bed. "Mr.
Krycek... I am sorry. My behavior may have been a bit harsh..."
Alex nodded his acknowledgment.
"But I uh..." he looked to Fox, then back again, "I do have to get to the
bottom of what went on. Did you... did you try to strangle Mr. Owens in room
four-ten?"
From the corner of his eye, Fox saw Skinner's head snap toward him.
"Yeah."
"May I ask why?"
"He..." Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "He was part of... it. He
had nothing to do with the actual kidnapping, but he..."
Fox moved forward, taking his place by Alex's side. "He was an accessory to the
abuse that was inflicted on Mr. Krycek. Under the circumstances, I'm sure you
can understand how the stress he's endured over the last few days could have
manifested itself in such an act."
"Yes, I... I suppose. But if he's suffering from post-traumatic stress, what's
to say he won't act out again?"
"Doctor..." Skinner stepped forward. "I'm Assistant Director Skinner with the
FBI. This is Special Agent Mulder. You have my personal guarantee that he will
keep a close watch on Mr... Krycek, and no further problems will arise."
"Well... all right. Mr. Owens did say that he had no intention to press
charges, so..." The doctor turned his attention to the examination, then
looked to Fox. "A nurse will be in soon to take a couple of samples. Depending
on how they turn out, he may be able to go home tomorrow."
"Thank you."
"You uh... you mentioned that Mr. Owens was an accessory..."
Alex spoke up. "He's no danger to anyone. He's a scared kid who was forced into
a very bad situation. He means no harm to anyone."
"That's very generous of you, considering what Agent Mulder just told
me..and taking into account the fact that not more than a few hours ago, you
tried to kill him."
"I can think a little more clearly now than I could this afternoon. All I want
is to go home and erase him and everything that's happened, from my life."
Fox reached out, stroking his fingertips over the surface of Alex's hair.
Skinner grimaced, turning his face away, even as the doctor stared in surprise.
"Well... uh... I'll see you in the morning before I go off duty. Again, I
apologize for my earlier abruptness. Goodnight."
And then there were three.
"Scully said you may be back, but I didn't think you would come at this hour."
"I hadn't planned to, but I want this settled." Skinner threw a quick glance in
Alex's direction. "I don't accept your resignation." He reached behind his back
and pulled Fox's Sig out of the waistband of his pants. "Take your weapon
back."
Fox looked down at the offering, but his hand continued to pet Alex's hair.
"There's no room for bargaining. I stay with the Bureau on my terms or not
at all."
"Fox," Alex murmured, "listen to him before you close the door..."
Fox took a seat at the edge of the bed, and leaned forward, kissing Alex's
forehead. "Okay." He turned back to Skinner, who was standing quietly, with his
head down; the muscle in his jaw twitching a mile a minute. "All right, what
are your terms?"
"They're simple. I don't like this," he said plainly. "I don't like him. I
don't know that I ever will. But Scully gave me the rundown on what's gone on
between you, and I can't deny that it looks as though he may be sincere in his
feelings. Scully certainly is convinced. And as I have the utmost respect for
her opinion, and knowing that she'd never approve of anything that she thought
would hurt you, I don't see where I've got any choice in this. Everything I
know involving the two of you stays off the record." He fell silent, and
re-issued his offer of the gun.
Fox looked to Alex, who smiled and nodded, then took the gun back.
"Good. I never took your badge. Where is it?"
"Where I left it, I suppose." Fox left the bed and checked the tray. "Yeah,
it's here." He replaced the badge in its enclosure, and shoved it into his back
pocket.
Satisfied, Skinner headed for the door. Fox followed, stopping just inside
the doorway. Skinner studied him from the hall.
"What happened to him?"
"I thought Scully told you everything."
"She told me who the man was that took Krycek. She told me why he took him. I
know he was at least whipped while he was in the man's house, but is that all
that happened to him?"
"Does it matter to you?"
Skinner opened and closed his mouth. He composed his thoughts and started
again. "I just get the feeling that there's more." He observed the cold glint
in Fox's eyes as he whispered his answer.
"Let me just say that the sadistic son of a bitch got off too easy. He needed
to die slowly and painfully for what he did."
Skinner nodded, sure that somehow, he was better off not knowing the details.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, sir... sir?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Another curt nod, and Skinner was gone.
Fox closed the door and returned to Alex, who'd tuned onto his side, head
propped up in his hand.
"Are you as shocked as I am?"
"Yeah."
"Well..." he moved toward the bed, grinning, "where were we?"
"I believe you were just about..."
"Hi, hon."
Alex's head dropped into his pillow, and he groaned softly.
"I got orders to get some samples from you."
Fox stumbled over to the chair and sat heavily into it, while the nurse went
about her business. When she finally finished, he ushered her to the door.
"He's very tired," Fox explained as he opened the door. "All that
excitement... you know... uh... will anyone be bothering him again tonight?"
"Nope. He'll be able to sleep right through to about six-thirty."
"That's great. That's wonderful. Thank you."
He nearly shoved the woman into the hall, and closed the door.
"Now..."
Alex squirmed in anticipation as his lover slowly approached. Fox leaned over,
releasing a flurry of soft kisses all over his face. The kisses moved lower,
trailing down Alex's throat, and across the expanse of his bare chest. He
smiled, listening to the sharp intake of breath, as his tongue flicked across
one rapidly hardening nipple.
"Shhhh. You want them to kick me out of here?"
Alex gritted his teeth as Fox closed his lips around the nipple, sucking
lightly, while still teasing the tip with his tongue. Not wishing to ignore its
twin, he brushed his fingers lightly back and forth over it, sending tiny
ripples of pleasure through Alex's body.
Alex couldn't control the soft whimpers as they fell from his lips. It was so
good, so... sweet...
Not able to think of a better way to silence him, Fox slid his hand up to
Alex's mouth, slipping two fingers inside. The younger man closed his lips
around the welcome intruders, and began to suck hungrily on them. Satisfied,
Fox went back to work, licking and nipping ever so gently at the sensitive
peaks.
Fox's tactic had worked for a short while, but as soon as Alex felt his teeth
close around his nipple, the sounds started again. But this time they were
louder and more desperate. Fox pulled away, and moved up to face Alex. He
pulled his fingers out of the younger man's mouth, incurring a loud groan of
protest.
"Baby... shhh. You have to be quiet."
"You know... you know how hard that is for me."
Fox stroked his jaw. "I know. But unless you want to have the nurse in here,
you have to try, okay?"
Alex nodded impatiently, pushing Fox's head back to where it had been.
Fox teased for a bit longer, then moved on south, lapping and sucking, leaving
gentle little marks of ownership along the way. As Alex fought to remain
silent, Fox pulled the loose pajama bottoms down, and licked a path down the
inside of his thigh, then back up, stopping halfway, and inflicting another
small wound.
Alex shuddered, clenching his hands in his pillow. His cock throbbed in
anticipation of that first touch, that... outrageously beautiful mouth
surrounding him in wet heat... taking him to the place that only together, they
knew existed.
Fox moved higher, feeling the tremors increase, the closer he got to Alex's
cock. His tongue slithered along the fuzzy surface of the sac that hung heavily
beneath, then up to the base of his lover's engorged shaft.
Alex twisted and writhed, trying for all he was worth to remain silent, but the
feel of his Fox licking up and down the length of his cock was just too much to
take. Soft, unintelligible sounds squeezed past his contricted throat, and his
fingers tightened in the pillow, as if doing so would give him the strength to
keep from screaming.
Fox lapped his way up to the velvety smooth head, and flicked at the drop of
fluid at the tip. Before Alex could utter the plea that he knew would be
coming, Fox opened his mouth, and swallowed him to the root.
Alex's hips bucked off the bed, and a loud gasp pierced the air.
Oh, thank you, God, thank you...
No... stop... please, stop...
Fox felt Alex stiffen suddenly, and he pulled away, stroking his distressed
lover's hip.
"Alex... baby, open your eyes."
Alex took a number of steadying breaths, then did as he was asked. Fox had
moved higher, so that they were face to face.
"It's me," he said softly. "No one will ever touch you again. No one but me."
He kissed Alex tenderly. "It's my mouth." Another kiss. "Watch me. Don't close
your eyes. Watch, and see that it's me loving you..."
Fox descended again, gently taking Alex's cock back into his mouth. Alex looked
down at the golden brown head moving so slowly over him.
Fox.
It was his Fox... his lisa doing this to him. The pleasure, the unbearable
pleasure... it was good... it was wonderful, and so, so right.
Fox listened to the blissful moans, and knew that Alex understood. He increased
the pressure, sucking harder, and now bobbing his head up and down on the long
shaft.
Alex folded his pillow over his face, biting into it to keep from crying
out. He was ready. Oh God, was he ready.
Fox increased the pace, moving from quick to frenetic, driving Alex to the
brink in a matter of seconds. The younger man screamed into the pillow as he
came, emptying a seemingly endless river of fluid down his lover's throat.
Not until Alex had stopped thrashing, did Fox let him go. His body went slack,
and his eyes dropped shut, showing no signs of life, other than the heavy rise
and fall of his chest. Fox kissed and licked his spent cock, now satisfied that
his lover had been reclaimed. He moved up and onto the bed, stretching out
alongside Alex, resting his head against his chest, and wrapping one arm around
his waist. They lay quietly together for a time, until Fox thought Alex was
asleep. He kissed the damp chest, then carefully attempted to move off of the
bed. As he he did so, Alex's arms wound around him, and held him in place.
"Don't," the soft, hoarse voice pleaded.
"Baby, this bed isn't big enough for the two of us to sleep in all night."
Alex held him tighter. "Yes it is." He shifted around, turning Fox onto his
back, then draped himself over the older man's chest. "Please stay here."
"I'll only be three feet away..."
Alex shook his head, giving Fox a most irresistable pout. "Too far."
"You know, whether you're ready or not, they're gonna kick us the hell out of
here tomorrow."
Alex snuggled against Fox's warmth. "Fine with me. I can't wait to get out of
here."
Fox pressed a kiss into his hair. "You okay?"
"Yeah... now."
"It's over, Alex. It's all over..."
"He said you wouldn't come looking for me."
"... What?"
"He didn't think you'd risk your career for me."
"Well, he was fucking idiot, wasn't he?"
Alex nodded. "I told him that if that's what he thought, he was crazy. I knew
you'd find me, and I told him when you did, he'd be in a world of shit. He
laughed it off."
"Yeah, well he's not laughing any more... I'd never have stopped, Alex. I'd have
found you or died looking."
"I know... what was your first lead?"
Fox smiled into Alex's hair. "Mitchell."
"Mitchell?"
"Yeah. We gotta buy him a bike or a Playstation or something."
"What did he know?"
"He saw some men carrying a carpet out of our yard. He didn't see that they had
you in it, he just thought that we were having a carpet removed or something.
He couldn't remember the name on the side of the van, but he told me it was
dark green. So, Scully, the Gunmen and I split up and checked every carpet
store in town. The guys found the right place, and I went over there and
uh... convinced the owner that he needed to give me all the information he had.
He said that some guy walked in a couple of days before, threw down a wad of
cash, and asked to rent the van for a few hours. Fortunately, he had
surveillance video of the guy and I recognized him right away. I thought I'd
seen him when Scully and I were in New York, but I hadn't been sure up until
that point. One of the employees at the carpet place had heard someone call the
asshole Mr. Saint James, the day he was there. So we took the tape and the
name, did a little deductive reasoning, and started to search."
"Didn't take you too long."
"Didn't take too long? Are you kidding? Every second you were missing was an
eternity."
"I know... God knows it felt that way for me too, but you know, in reality, you
found me very quickly. You know how long some kidnappings can drag on before
the missing person is found... if ever..."
"I know. I couldn't think about that, though. It wasn't an option... you
know... I thought I heard you. The next morning. I'd been up all night, and
Scully insisted I lie down until I could go to the neighbors. At one point my
eyes did close, but I heard you calling me, and I sat up. It was so clear. Did
you call my name?"
Alex kissed Fox's chin, then tucked his head under it. "So many times, I lost
count."
Fox heard the fatigue in his lover's tone. He kissed the top of Alex's head,
and lightly massaged his temple. "Go to sleep."
"Okay." Alex's arms tightened around Fox. "You too."
Fox nodded and closed his eyes. Moments later, both men were asleep.
"Mr. Mulder."
Fox jumped, startling himself and Alex awake.
"I'm sorry," the nurse whispered. "I hated to wake you, but..."
"I know," Fox interrupted her. "It's okay."
"The doctor does rounds very early, so I have to take his temp, blood pressure,
and so forth."
Alex shifted, then lifted himself away from Fox's chest. He stretched,
grimaced, then smiled sleepily down at his lover. "Morning."
Fox moved off of the bed, and helped Alex sit back against the pillows. He
kissed the tip of the younger man's nose, then sat at the edge of the bed
beside him. "How do you feel?"
"Okay. A little sore. I want to go home."
The nurse stepped forward with the thermometer. "Well, love, let's get this
stuff out of the way then we'll see what the doctor has to say, hmm?" When she
was through, she smiled and patted Alex's hand. "So far, so good. The doc
should be in within a half hour or so, okay?"
"Okay."
After the door swished shut, Fox grasped Alex's hand, and brought it up to his
lips. "Sleep okay?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Mmm hmm. Felt good."
"It'll feel better in our own bed. I'm serious, Fox, I want to go home today.
If they don't release me, I'm going to sign myself out..."
Before Fox could answer, the door opened and Doctor Harrison walked in. "No
need for that. Your admitting doctor is on in a few minutes, and I'm going
recommend to him that you be released. Everything checks out fine, and I see no
reason to keep you."
"Good."
"Take care, Mr. Krycek, and again, I apologize for last night. I'm just coming
off of a double shift, and while I know it's no excuse, it is my reason."
"It's okay."a
The doctor nodded to Fox, then exited the room.
Alex squeezed Fox's hand, and breathed deeply. He released the breath, and
grinned at his lover. "Home."
"Yep." Fox pulled his cell phone out and hit two. "... . ..Scully. Yeah... he's
good. Yes, I slept. We both did. Listen, he's going to be released today, so
could you... yeah. Thanks. Okay, see you soon." Fox disconnected and tucked the
phone back into his pocket. "She's going to get us a flight."
"Okay. God, I can't wait. I just want to get it all behind me."
Fox smiled softly. "Soon, baby."
'Soon' came a few hours later, when Alex was wheeled, griping and moaning, out
of his room.
"I don't need a wheelchair."
"Yes, you do," the orderly countered. "Hospital rules."
"I feel like an idiot!"
Fox leaned over, pressing a kiss into Alex's hair. "I know, babe. I've ridden
in plenty of these things, and I hate 'em too."
"Then tell them to let me walk out of here," Alex begged.
"I can't. It is the rule."
Scully smirked at her partner. "Now you know what I go through."
Fox smiled back. "Sorry, I'll never give you a hard time again."
"Oh, sure you won't."
Fox turned his attention back to Alex. "It's just down to the doors, babe. Two
minutes, and we'll be on our way."
"All right, all right." Alex looked up at the orderly. "Hurry the hell up,
would you?"
"Hey, man, what do you..."
"Al... Alex?"
Four heads turned in the direction of the frightened voice. Matthew sat in an
identical chair, not more than eight feet away. Two women stood beside him,
observing warily. The tiny shudder that passed through Alex's body, vibrated
against the hand that Fox had laid on his shoulder. He stared at the young man,
saying nothing.
"How... how are you?"
Alex's fingers tightened around the stems of the two roses that he'd pulled
from one of the vases before they left. The muscle flexed in his jaw, but he
said nothing.
"He's okay," Scully answered. "How about you? I see you're leaving too."
"Yeah... uh... this is my mother," he motioned to the older woman, then to the
younger, "and this is my sister."
Scully nodded to the two women. "Glad to see that you've got family to go home
to."
"Yeah. Well... um... Alex, I... I know you hate me and I don't blame you a bit."
He looked to Fox. "Either of you... but I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you,
Alex."
Alex glared at him, but remained in his chair. "Yeah... well... too little, too
late, wouldn't you say? If you'd had any kind of backbone, you little wuss..."
"I know. I can't tell you how I wish I was like you. I really thought that
sooner or later he'd break you." Matthew shook his head. "It was stupid to
think that. You never wouldn't have given in. I admire you so much."
"Don't, okay? Don't admire me, don't think of me, just... don't."
"Listen, he just wants to apologize, for Christ's sake," the younger woman
finally spoke up in defense of her brother.
"Look, sister..."
"Okay, hold on." Fox held his hand up, stepping between his group and
Matthew's. "You've apologized. Whether or not Alex chooses to accept it, is his
call. Just go home now, and try to put your life back together, and we'll do
the same." He turned back to Alex who'd begun to brood again. "Come on, baby.
Let's go home." Fox motioned to the orderly with a flick of his head and they
moved on, leaving the next to the last tangible remnants of Alex's ordeal
behind.
The ride to the airport was a relatively quiet one. Alex sat close to Fox in
the back seat, head nestled against his lover's shoulder, allowing himself to
be stroked and comforted. Fox murmured softly to him, occasionally receiving a
one or two word response.
By the time they'd made it to the airport, things were pretty much the same.
Alex's mood remained pensive, and until Fox could get him home where he could
focus solely on him, it wasn't likely to change. All he could do was stick
close and keep up as much physical contact as possible.
As they waited for their flight, Scully spoke softly to Fox.
"I didn't have time to tell you earlier, Mulder, but Skinner is also booked on
this flight. He should be here any minute..."
"He's already here." The deep baritone turned two of the three heads to the
right. "I was getting a magazine." Skinner observed the two men sitting side by
side, one obviously in his own world. "He okay?"
Fox nodded, stroking the other's back. "Just a bit of a setback."
The corner of the AD's mouth crinkled, and he took a seat beside Scully. He
wasn't seated any longer than two minutes when the flight was called, and the
four boarded the plane.
Fox and Alex sat together, two rows up and across the aisle from Scully and
Skinner. Alex slumped into his seat and stared out the window, seemingly a
thousand miles away. A gentle hand at his cheek turned his face toward his
concerned lover's.
"We'll be home very soon."
Alex's eyes dropped to the space between them.
"Aren't you happy about that?"
The younger man nodded.
"Alex..." Fox caressed his cheek tenderly, waiting for a response. When none
was forthcoming, he eased Alex's head down onto his shoulder, and kissed he top
of his head. "Rest, baby."
Alex closed his eyes and relaxed against his lover.
Home.
God, he wished he was there right now, in bed, burrowed under the covers... safe
in Fox's arms...
Skinner's eyes kept wandering from his magazine to the couple in front. The
sound of Scully's voice startled him, bringing him back to himself.
"Inconceivable, isn't it?"
"Good word for it."
"It may be impossible to believe right now, but you will get used to it. I
never thought I would but now, it does my heart good to see them together."
Scully regarded the two men huddled together. "They truly love each other, and
really, sir, how can that be bad?"
"I don't know, Scully. This isn't just any man. This is Alex Krycek we're
talking about, here."
"Yes, I know that. The same Alex Krycek who took care of Mulder when he was
so sick... took him away for two months to recuperate... the same man who faced
Mulder's mother down when she beat him into the ground over the news of their
relationship... the man who makes him smile every day... turned him into a real
person... this is the same man who went out and got Mulder a puppy, because he'd
mentioned that he'd always wanted one as a boy. Sir... you only know Alex as one
person, but to a very, very large extent, that man doesn't exist any more."
"What about the small extent?"
"Alex is fiercely protective of Mulder. He only reacts violently out of that
sense of protectiveness... or self defense. He's a thoughtful, loving man, sir.
And he's very good for Mulder. They're good for each other."
Skinner listened to her words, studying the men intently. "It's like a car
accident, you know? It's grisly, but you just can't look away."
"Grisly, sir?"
"Sorry, that may be a bit harsh, but it was the best comparison I could come up
with." He turned his face to her. "You're really sold on them, aren't you?"
Bright blue eyes zeroed in on deep brown. "One hundred and ten percent sold."
Skinner studied the sober face, then looked up ahead and said nothing more.
Langly stood at the terminal-length window, looking into the sky. "Plane should
be landing soon."
"Uh-huh."
"Man, Frohike, you should've seen Mulder. He was like... crazed. Even Scully
couldn't hold him back."
"Unfreakinbelievable. Three years later, man, I gotta say it still amazes me
how tight they are. After all this time, it's gotta be more than good sex..."
The flight they'd been waiting for was called, and Frohike breathed a sigh of
relief. "Thank God. I was glad to help but you know, I really don't like the
way that dog looks at me..."
"Clyde? He's a great dog!"
Frohike shook his head. "Yeah... when there are other people around. When we're
alone, it's a different story. He just sits there at night... staring at me. You
ever see that movie... Devil Dog Hound of Hell? That's him."
"You're crazy."
"Think what you want. One night, you should watch him. I bet you'll say the
same thing."
"Yeah... okay, Frohike... whatever... hey." Langly tapped his companion's arm.
"Here they come."
Fox and Alex approached first, followed by Scully and Skinner.
"Hey, guys," Fox smiled at them. "Thanks for picking us up."
"No problem, man." Frohike eyed Alex cautiously. "Uh... hey, Krycek. How are
you?"
"Okay... thanks for the flowers, guys. It was nice of you."
"No problemo."
"And thanks for helping..."
Frohike shrugged. "We're glad you're safe."
Alex gave a slight nod of his head, and looked down at the floor.
"Come on, babe," Fox nuzzled the side of Alex's head. "Let's go home."
The group walked out to the parking lot, then split up.
"Scully, I'll give you a lift if you like," Skinner spoke up as they approached
Frohike's car. "I left my car here in the lot."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that." Scully turned to her partner and his lover.
"You two get some rest, okay?"
"We will. Scully, thank you again. And I apologize if I got out of line..."
"If?" Scully laughed softly. "It's okay, Mulder. I understand completely."
She turned to the man who stood by his side. "Alex, I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay."
Scully stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him and planting a soft kiss
on the lightly stubbled jaw. "Welcome home," she whispered.
"Thank you," Alex croaked, returning her embrace.
Skinner stepped forward, quickly glancing at Alex, then away. "Agent Mulder, I
think a few days off would do you good."
"Yes, sir. I appreciate that."
"I don't want to see you until next Monday."
Fox nodded, then looked quickly to Scully. "Jeez, Scully, I just remembered."
"What?"
"You're leaving tomorrow to go to your brother's. You're going to be exhausted.
One more reason for him to hate me... "
"I'm not going."
"Why not?"
"I just think I should hang out here..."
"Scully... I dont' want to be the cause of you missing yet another family get
together."
"You're not..." Scully gave him an affectionate scowl. "Alex is." The other
man gave her a quizzical stare. "I just wouldn't feel right, leaving so soon
after he got home."
"Scully," Alex argued softly. "Don't stay here because of me. I'm fine..."
"Forget it, Krycek. I'm staying, and I don't want to hear another word about
it."
Both men fell silent, knowing that once Dana Scully had her mind made up about
something, it was damn near impossible to change it.
"Now, don't worry, I don't intend to hang around your house, I just want to
be here in case you might need me. Now, go on. Get out of here."
The group split up, Scully leaving with the AD, and Fox and Alex with Langly
and Frohike.
The two men slid into the back seat of Frhike's car, sitting close together.
Fox kissed the side of his lover's head, and stroked his arm.
"How're you doing?"
"A little tired. Little sore."
"We'll be home in about twenty minutes."
Alex nodded, allowing himself to be pulled against Fox's chest. There he
stayed, not speaking, not moving, until the car pulled up into their driveway.
"Baby... we're home."
Alex raised his head, staring silently up at the house. He moved slowly away
from Fox, opening the door, and exiting the car. The older man swung his legs
out onto the driveway, and levered himself up behind Alex.
"Sometimes," Alex began softly, "I was afraid..."
"Afraid of what?"
"Of never seeing this house again. Never seeing you pull up into the driveway
after work... never taking Clyde for another walk..."
Fox wrapped an arm around Alex's waist and pulled him back into his warmth.
"But you're here. You're home and it's all over. Come on. Let's go in."
"Alex! Hey, Alex!" The small boy ran up into the driveway. "I told my mother
it was you. You're back!"
Alex managed a smile for his neighbor. "Yeah, Mitchell. I'm back. Thanks to
you, I hear."
The boy looked hopefully up at Fox. "Really?"
"Really. If you hadn't seen that van, Mitchell, Alex might not be here right
now. We both owe you a really big thank you."
"Wow."
"Listen, buddy, Alex is really tired. I need to get him into the house right
now, so he can get some rest, okay?"
"Oh, yeah, sure! You go rest, Alex. I'm really glad you're back."
"Thanks, Mitchell. We'll see you later."
As soon as the boy was gone, Frohike tapped Fox's shoulder. "Listen, we're
gonna take off now."
"Thanks, guys. I'll be in touch."
Their friends left, and Fox slipped an arm around Alex's waist, leading him up
to the door. As he put the key in the lock, the sound of excited whines could
be heard on the other side of the door.
"He knows it's you," Fox smiled as he turned the knob and pushed the door
open.
Before Alex could take two steps inside, the dog was on him, washing his face
with sloppy kisses.
"Clyde..."
"It's okay, Fox." Alex pushed the dog off, then squatted before he could leap
up again. Clyde dropped to the floor in front of him, wiggling and howling with
joy. Alex scratched the dog's chest and head. "I missed you too, pal. I
promise, from now on I'll listen to anything you have to say."
Finally, he stood up and looked around. Fox watched as he began to drift
about, followed closely by Clyde, occasionally straightening this and
re-adjusting that. When he was satisfied that everything was again how he'd
left it, he stopped. Feeling Fox's gaze on him, he turned around. Their eyes
met and held for several seconds before Alex broke contact.
"I uh... I think I'll go take a shower... get out of these clothes.
Fox gave him an amused grin. "Don't care for Scully's choice of attire?"
Alex shrugged. "It's... they're not mine..."
Fox nodded, understanding that what Alex needed most right now was familiarity.
"Don't say anything to Scully, okay? I really appreciate that she took the
time to go clothes shopping for me."
"She'd understand, but I won't tell her, okay?" Fox held his hand out to his
lover. "Come on."
Alex took the outstretched hand and let Fox lead him through the bedroom and
into the bathroom. "Want any help?" he asked, turning on the shower.
"No. Thanks, I'm okay."
"All right. Umm... I'll just... I'll leave you alone."
As Fox walked to the door, Alex's soft voice stopped him.
"Lisa..."
"Yeah?"
Alex walked to the older man and wrapped his arms around his waist, dropping
his head onto his shoulder. Fox hugged Alex to him, and brushed his lips across
the back of his neck.
"Go ahead. Go take your shower."
Alex pulled reluctantly from the warmth of his lover's arms, allowing him to
leave the bathroom. Once Fox was gone, he undressed, tossing every scrap of
clothing into a pile on the floor, then stepped under the spray, sighing as the
water pounded into his flesh. He turned around, gritting his teeth as the spray
stung his back. Enduring the discomfort, he washed as quickly as he could, then
stepped out of the tub. He pulled the bathtowel off of the counter and began to
dry himself. When he got to his back, he attempted to dry himself in the usual
manner, but the pain of the cotton rubbing back and forth across the wounds
stopped him. He finished drying the rest of his body, then inched the door
open.
"Fox?"
No answer.
He called a little louder.
"Fox?"
Seconds later, Fox appeared in the hall. "Yeah? You okay?"
"Yeah, but... can you help me for a second?"
Fox moved into the room, backing Alex into the middle of the floor. "Sure. What
do you need?"
"I can't dry my back right. The fricition of the towel..."
Fox moved closer, kissing the damp head. He took the towel from Alex's hands,
and began to gently pat his back dry. That accomplished, he gathered up the
clothes and the towel, and tossed them into the laundry basket.
"Thank you," Alex said quietly, wrapping another towel around his waist, and
moving to the sink.
Fox stood behind him while he brushed his teeth, making small talk.
"Mrs. Mitchell was here a few minutes ago. She just came over to say that she
was glad that you're back and you're okay."
Alex finished up, then turned to face his lover. "That was nice of her."
"Yeah, I thought so." Fox fell silent, observing the younger man. "What's the
matter, baby?"
"Nothing, I'm just... I don't know why I'm so tired all the time."
"I do. You've been under a tremendous amount of stress. You know how exhausting
that is."
"But it seems like all I've done lately is sleep."
"You can sleep, Alex, and not be at rest." Fox took his hand and led him into
the bedroom. He pulled the light blanket and sheet back, then turned to face
Alex. His hands rose to the towel, working it loose, then pulled the cotton
sheet away.
Alex stood silently, allowing himself to be stripped of his only covering. He
accepted a gentle kiss, then crawled into bed. He settled back against the
mound of pillows, emitting an audible sigh as Fox drew the sheet up over his
chest. The older man sat at the edge of the bed, tenderly caressing his
forehead.
"Go to sleep, baby."
Alex's eyes drifted shut, then opened again. "Fox?"
"Hmm?"
"S... nothing."
"What?"
Alex shook his head. "It's stupid."
"What is?"
No response.
"Alex... tell me."
"Stay with me a while?"
"Of course I'll stay with you. What's so stupid about that?"
"I'm a big boy. I should be able to go to sleep by myself."
"But you don't have to. I'm here, and I'll stay here for as long as you want
me to." Fox lifted Alex's hand to his lips. "You want me to be here when you
wake up? I won't move."
Alex curled his fingers around Fox's hand and squeezed. "No... unless you're
planning on taking a nap with me."
"That's sounds good, baby, but there are a few things that I need to take care
of."
Alex nodded. "Just stay then until I fall asleep?"
Fox dropped a kiss on his lover's mouth. "Okay. Now, come on. Close your eyes."
Alex did as he was told, arching into his Fox's comforting touch... luxuriating
in loving warmth until sleep came to take him.
Fox watched Alex's respiration slow, and even out. Saw the periodic flutter of
his lashes cease, and knew he was finally asleep. He sat for long minutes
afterward, listening to the soft exchange of air, contenting himself with the
feel of his love's warm skin beneath his wandering fingertips. Reluctantly, he
withdrew his hand, and rose to his feet. A wave of emotion crashed over him as
he looked down at the man he so dearly loved.
So much pain in one brief lifetime.
Only over the last three years had Alex begun to feel like a real person worthy
of a normal life, and now this.
Stalked and trapped. Beaten and caged like an animal. Having things done to his
body so competely against his will...
It wasn't fair that the peace he'd finally found should be so cruelly torn from
him.
Fox shook as rage crept in, mingling with the hurt. He needed something more to
do. Someone to hurt as they'd hurt Alex, but that someone was dead. Beaten to
death by his own hand, yet it wasn't enough. The son of a bitch died too
easily. He needed to suffer. To be tortured... to have his heart torn out the
way he'd tried to tear away Alex's soul...
Fucker got a hell of a surprise though, didn't he baby? He didn't know what
he was getting himself into when he decided to mess with us.
Fox brushed his fingers through Alex's hair, needing to touch him one more
time, before quietly leaving the room.
Alex's eyes snapped open and darted around the room. His heart pounded in his
chest as confusion clouded his first waking moments. But reality began to take
hold, and the fear faded and fell away.
Home.
He turned his face into his pillow, inhaling the familiar scent.
"I'm home," he whispered to himself, needing to say the words. To make it real.
He shifted, pulling one of Fox's pillows to him, and lay his head on it. His
eyes closed, and he listened to the chatter of the sparrows that always came
around in the very late afternoon, looking for their last meal of the
evening...
Damn.
Alex sat up and threw the sheet off. At the sound, a pair of ears rose above
the mattress on the other side of the bed. Clyde pulled himself up on his
haunches and watched as his master got out of bed and pulled some clothing out
of his drawer and closet. Once dressed in his favorite faded jeans and a soft,
comfortable t-shirt, Alex whistled softly to the dog, and walked out toward the
kitchen.
As he got closer, the smell of something cooking reached his nose.
Couldn't be.
Best Fox could manage was scrambled eggs and the occasional steak.
Alex wondered for a brief moment if Fox might not have had something
delievered, but as he came through the door, the sights accompanying the smells
told him that he was bearing witness to some sort of miracle. There Fox stood,
amongst a plethora of pots and pans, cookbooks and mixing bowls, and he
was... cooking.
Food.
And it smelled good.
Okay, the kitchen looked like a bomb went off in it, but...
Fox turned, sensing Alex's presence. He smiled at the younger man, and
laughed softly, noting the look of confusion.
"Dinner'll be ready in about half an hour."
"You... you're cooking."
"Yeah..."
"You don't cook."
Fox shrugged. "No better time to learn. Sorry, but you're my guinea pig."
"Oh, boy."
"How'd you sleep?"
"Fine, I guess."
"I checked in on you a couple of times, and you seemed to be pretty well out of
it... shit!" He spun quickly back to the stove, turning the flame down on a
boiling kettle.
"Let me help you, lisa..." Alex moved toward the stove, but Fox caught him by
the shoulders and turned him around.
"No, you don't. Go do... something... I'll be fine."
"You sure?" Alex asked, eyebrows drawn together, prematurely mourning the
destruction of his kitchen.
"Positive. Now get out of here. You're distracting me." Fox kissed the back of
Alex's head and returned to work.
"Okay, well, I was going to go out and fill the feeders, anyway."
"Oh yeah, they must be wondering what the hell happened to the food."
Alex picked up the bucket he kept the seed mix in, and opened up the back door.
He allowed to Clyde to bound out ahead of him, then he turned, meeting Fox's
gaze. He offered a crooked smile, immediately receiving a similar response. He
closed the door behind him, and walked out into the yard.
The sun hung very low in the sky, painting the clouds with several different
shades of burgundy and pink. Alex stood at the door, drinking in the beauty of
the moment. He thought to call Fox out to see, but considered the consequences
of him leaving things cooking on the stove, and decided against it.
When he'd seen enough, Alex set about the task of filling the four feeders.
Clyde wandered the span of the large yard sniffing under bushes, yapping at the
occasional low-flying bird, but always vigilant, watching Alex's every move.
Alex filled the last feeder, then looked around the yard. He turned in a
slow arc, looking at the fences, searching...
Done.
Damn, and it looked good.
Unbelievable.
Better get Alex before it gets cold... or hard... or something...
Fox opened the door and looked out into the yard. He scanned the area, becoming
a bit worried when he didn't see Alex right away. But he remembered that Clyde
was with him, and relaxed. He stepped outside and began walking to the far end
of the yard.
"Alex... hey... Alex?"
Alex emerged from a large group of hydrangeas, violently shoving the branches
aside as he did.
"What the heck are you doing?" Fox's smiled faded when he saw the look in
Alex's eyes. "Baby... what is it? What's wrong?"
Alex's head snapped from left to right, then front, focusing on the other man.
"I don't... how did they get in here without me knowing? Where did they come
from?"
Before Fox could answer, Alex was striding toward the other end of the yard.
The older man followed at a safe distance, allowing his lover much headway.
Alex opened and closed the wooden gate, checking for squeaks.
"Why didn't I hear them? Yeah, I had the hose on, but still..."
"I don't know, Alex," Fox said calmly. "It doesn't matter any more. It's over."
"It does matter. I let some fucking amateurs get the drop on me. How the
hell did that happen? What's happened to me?" He answered his own question.
"My instincts... my senses have gone to hell. This never would have happened
three years ago."
"No, probably not. But your life is much different now than it was then. You've
got no reason to be so defensive. Your guard has come down..."
"Yeah, and look what it got me. The rewards of soft living... beautiful..."
Fox's eyes fell away from Alex's face.
The anger was coming out. He knew it would. He didn't know how or what, he only
knew that it would happen, and that it wouldn't be pretty.
"... I was... caged, for Christ's sake..." He began to pace. "... and
restrained... he... touched me, that fucking son of a bitch... and his
words... the things he said made me sicker than his touch. And I couldn't do
anything, I couldn't... I killed a lot of them... I used every opportunity I
had, but it was him... it was him I wanted and I couldn't... he drugged me, did
you know that?"
"I know..."
"And all this shit happened, why? Because I've gone fucking soft."
"Alex... " Fox approached slowly. "You haven't gone soft. It's just
that... your lifestyle has changed... for the better, I thought..."
"Oh, yeah, better," Alex ranted blindly, "being beaten and shackled to a bed
for a few days is definitely better." He laughed harshly. "Well, hey... at least
I got my cock sucked, right? That's something. The kid wasn't great, but
apparently he was good enough to make me come down his throat, so it wasn't a
total loss, I guess..."
Fox flinched and closed his eyes.
Alex turned around and fell onto the ground. He sat with his back to his lover,
his fingers raking again and again through his hair. A few minutes went by
before his hand stopped and his body began to rock back and forth.
"Jesus... oh, Jesus... Fox..."
No answer.
Alex pivoted, looking around the yard. Only Clyde remained, lying a few feet
away, looking anxiously from Alex to the kitchen door. Alex turned back,
burying his face in trembling hands. He sat that way until the sun had
completely disappeared, then rose and walked into the house.
All was quiet.
Alex walked through the kitchen, noting that all the pans and bowls were
covered and the room was semi-clean. He made his way through the house, finally
finding Fox sitting in the dining room, staring down into an empty glass. He
stood silently in the doorway, not knowing what to say. The table had been
completely set. Flowers, taper candles now burned to half their original
length. China... silver... wine...
Alex spoke Fox's name, barely above a hoarse whisper.
Fox rose from the table and walked toward the door. "Are you hungry now? I'll
reheat everything. I don't know how good it's going to be..."
"Lisa... I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You needed to get it out."
"I hurt you... I didn't mean to."
"It's all right, Alex. Don't worry about it." Fox tried to move past Alex, but
he wouldn't allow it.
"I love you, Fox, and I love our life. I wouldn't trade my life with you for
anything in the world. I was just... I was lashing out." His eyes glazed over
with unshed tears. "I owe you my life, and look what I'm doing to you..."
"You don't owe me anything," Fox said, eyes downcast.
"Lisa," Alex choked. "Please... I love you. I can't tell you how grateful I am
to be home. Every minute of every day, I prayed for this." He stepped forward,
wrapping his arms around his lover's neck, and burying his face in his shoulder
"Please believe me..."
Fox felt Alex struggling to hold himself together. The warm dampness spreading
down the front of his shirt told him that the distraut man had quickly lost
that battle. He wound his arms around Alex and cried with him.
When the quiet sobs had finished, they remained clinging to each other.
"I believe you," Fox whispered into Alex's hair. "It was a terrible thing that
happened to you, and no matter how I reacted a little while ago, I do
understand. Promise me you'll say and do whatever you feel, okay? You need to
get it all out. It's important that you do."
"I can't feel better if I hurt you."
"This isn't about me."
"It happened to you too. I know you, Fox, and I know how crazy this made you.
You're probably every bit as stressed as I am, even if it's in a little
different way. At least I've slept. You've had no real rest to speak of. Yet
here you are taking care of me, cooking for me... and look what I'm doing."
"Alex, it would have been far worse if you'd kept it inside and let it
fester. I should... I should have been better prepared. By turning away, I made
you feel that it was wrong for you to let it out, and I'm sorry. You did
exactly the right thing. Please don't feel bad about that. Let go of the guilt.
If you hold on to it, it's going to be much harder for you to heal."
"I can't not think about your feelings, lisa."
I know that. But I'll be all right. In my heart I knew that you didn't really
mean what you were saying. I knew you just needed to blow off some steam. I
shouldn't have let it get to me. Guess my emotions are still pretty raw, too."
Alex rested his cheek against the other man's shoulder. "I know how wild I
would have been if our situations were reversed and it was you who were
missing. And I think I'd be pretty exhausted right now. Why don't you sit down
and relax, and let me go see if dinner can be saved..."
"No. No, no. Listen, baby. You said you couldn't not worry about my
feelings, right? Well right now, nothing would make me feel better than taking
care of you. As determined as I was to find you, and though I'd never say it,
the thought that I may never see you again was always in the back of my mind,
and it terrified me." Fox hugged the younger man gently, ever-mindful of the
sensitivity of his back. "I've got you back, and all I want to do is touch you
and kiss you and show you how much I love you."
Alex tightened his arms around Fox, pressing himself closer. Fox scattered a
number of tiny kisses in his hair.
"Let me baby you for just a little while, okay?"
Alex raised his head, meeting his lover's eye. Fox smiled softly at him,
brushing at the dampness on his cheek with the back of his hand. Alex covered
the hand with his own, holding it against his skin.
"I love you."
"Was that a yes?"
"Can I ever say no to you?"
Fox leaned in and kissed the side of Alex's mouth. He drew back slightly, then
moved in again, planting another soft kiss on his chin. Then his cheek...
Alex's eyes drfted shut and he took in a deep breath. His lips parted slightly
to release it, and found Fox's tongue slipping between them. He groaned softly,
opening his mouth, allowing his lover further exploration.
Fox immediately took Alex up on his offer, stroking his tongue over the smooth,
hard surface of his teeth, and the soft walls of his mouth, before making
contact with it's mate.
Alex's hands wandered over Fox's back and shoulders as the older man's fingers
tangled in his hair, holding his head still, and their tongues slithered and
twisted around each other in blissful reunion. Alex's jeans became more and
more uncomfortable as his cock swelled within the denim, begging for release.
He writhed against Fox, whimpering into his mouth, but the older man pulled
away. Alex stood in silent frustration as Fox took both of his hands and raised
them to his lips.
"Sit down and relax," he said softly. "I'm going to go see what I can do about
salvaging our dinner."
Relax? Is he fucking kidding?
Alex kept his thoughts to himself, and sat at the table, shifting several
times before he found a not-so-uncomfortable position.
Fox smiled down at him. "Be back in a few."
When he was gone, Alex bowed his head.
"God."
He raised his head and looked over a the wine bottle. He pulled it out of the
ice bucket, wiped the water away, and held the icy coolness against his crotch.
A few minutes later, the cold had saturated through the worn material enough to
bring him some relief. He replaced the bottle, then leaned his head back
against the chair and closed his eyes. Sometime later, a soft tickling
sensation on his lips brought him to full consciousness. His eyes opened to
find Fox tracing the outline of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. He moaned
as his cock leapt to attention.
"Dinner is served."
Alex pulled himself upright, his frustration temporarily put aside as his
stomach rumbled in response to the aromas wafting up from the table.
"Smells as good as it did earlier." He smirked at his lover. "Of course, I'm
starving now..."
"Try it, wiseass." Fox took his place across from Alex and waited for him to
have the first taste. "Well?" The pleasantly surprised expression told him what
he wanted to know.
Alex swallowed the first bite and dug in for another. "You got no more excuses,
baby. This is great."
"Do you really think so? Or are you just saying that to make me feel good?"
"Would I lie to you and purposely open myself up to more culinary torture? Of
course, not. It really is good." Alex glanced down into his plate. "Sorry we
didn't get to eat it when it was hot the first time."
Fox shrugged. "Sometimes stuff tastes better reheated."
The two men ate in silence, genuinely enjoying the meal. When they were
finished, Fox slumped against the back of his chair, staring at Alex. The
younger man immediately felt that familiar warmth spread through his body, and
his gaze fell away from his lover's face.
"So... dessert?"
Alex shook his head. "I'm stuffed."
"Okay, well..." Fox pushed away from the table. "... I'll just clean this
up..."
Alex rose as well, beginning to gather the dishes.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping you clear the table?"
"Didn't we settle this?"
"Fox, come on..."
"Out."
"But it'll be done faster if I help you."
Fox suppressed a smirk. "What's the big rush?"
Alex approached, rubbing his head against Fox's cheek. "We haven't really spent
any time together since we got home."
"Oh. Well... be that as it may, I want you to turn around and take your pretty
ass into the living room..." he tapped the underside of Alex's chin with one
finger, "... or the bedroom... and I'll be with you soon."
Alex let out an audible sigh. "Just hurry up, okay?"
Fox pressed a hand to his ass and pulled him forward, then rocked their hips
back and forth. His mouth swept down for a long, thorough kiss. When he pulled
away, they were both breathing a little heavier. "I will. Now go on."
Alex trudged out of the dining room and into the bedroom where he flopped
down on the bed, reaching for the remote, and gathering a couple of pillows
under his chest. He turned the televison on, restlessly flipping through
channel after channel. Three times around, he gave up and settled on yet
another in an endless stream of 'buddy' comedies, laden with tired jokes,
sexual inudendo and canned laughter.
"Jesus, who keeps thinking this crap up?"
Fifteen minutes into the program, Alex's eyes began to close. He shook his
head, trying to ward off his body's attempt at shutting down, but to no avail.
Minutes later, he was sound asleep.
"Hmm?"
"Shh."
Alex shifted, still more than half asleep. He lay limply while his t-shirt was
gently pulled from his body. He felt the pressure of the button on his jeans
being pulled at, then felt the soft grind of the zipper being pulled down. From
somewhere above his head, his love's soft montone sounded.
"Help me out here, baby."
He lifted his hips just far enough off the mattress so that Fox could work them
down and off. When he'd been stripped naked, he turned onto his side, again
drifting toward sleep. A brief time later, he felt the warmth of Fox's body
pressed against his back. Instinctively, he pushed back, wedging the solid
length of Fox's erection against his ass. The whispering moan that came from
behind encouraged a small, teasing wiggle, and then Fox's arms were wrapping
around him.
Gently, Fox caressed his lover's chest and arms, kissing the sensitive skin at
the back of his neck, and tickling the fine hairs there with the tip of his
tongue.
"Mmmmm." Alex's left hand rose to stroke the leg that had draped itself over
his hip, but it was stopped by Fox's hand and returned to its resting place on
the mattress in front of his chest. His head turned and his eyes began to open.
Before he could question or protest, Fox's lips grazed his ear, and he
whispered into it.
"Relax, baby. Just lie still, close your eyes, and let me take care of you."
The sable lashes swept downward again, and Alex turned his head back into the
pillow.
"That's good..." Fox's tongue passed once over his ear before he moved to his
shoulder, dropping tender kisses along the way. His hand crept up and down
Alex's chest, stopping to play for a moment in the light scattering of dark
hairs before moving to one already tight nipple. He circled it gently with the
tips of his fingers, and heard the soft gasp. He nuzzled the back of Alex's
head, then kissed his neck and shoulders while still teasing the nipple.
Pretty well awake now, Alex whimpered into the pillow.
Ohhhhhh, God...
Maybe it was the joy of being back home. Maybe it was the fact that he
hadn't actually made love with Fox for almost five days. Could have been the
relief of Fox still wanting him like this after what had happened. He didn't
know. But Jesus, the sensations were incredible. The hospital was wonderful.
God knows he really needed that, but this was different. They were home. Naked
together in their own bed, Fox wrapped around him, loving him so sweetly. Life
was good again.
Alex twisted and groaned as Fox's tongue flattened against the skin on the back
of his neck, and he gently licked the entire area. He knew that patch of skin
was sensitive to his touch, and he milked it for all it was worth, reveling in
his lover's soft sounds of pleasure. His hand left Alex's nipple and traveled
downward, lightly skimming the heated surface of skin and contracting muscle.
As his hand approached the twitching cock, it veered left, stroking down Alex's
thigh, then back up. He felt the younger man's body tighten, and he ceased
movement.
"Are you okay?"
The concerned tone in Fox's voice filtered through the fog in Alex's brain,
and he responded, nodding slowly. "Okay... please, Fox," he sighed into the
pillow, "please... touch... touch me."
Fox moved his hand downward, covering and lightly caressing Alex's cock with
the palm of his hand. "Like this?"
"Yes. Oh God, Fox, like that." Alex tried to open his eyes. He wanted to
look at Fox... to get lost in his eyes, but it felt as though someone had
weighted his eyelids. "I love you so much. So... much... "
Fox wrapped his hand around Alex's cock, loving the feel of velvet-sheathed
steel in his palm. Alex's head fell back against his shoulder and a long gasp
tumbled from his lips. Fox merely held him, refusing to move his hand, even as
Alex begged him to proceed.
"Soon, baby, but not yet. Just relax and enjoy the feel of my hand around you."
Fox's thumb moved ever so slightly in an up and down motion. He teased the
interior of Alex's ear with the tip of his tongue. "Doesn't that feel good?"
Alex whimpered and nodded his head.
"Yeah... who do you belong to, Alexei?"
A choked cry escaped Alex's throat, then he answered.
"You."
"That's right," Fox rasped into his ear, and gently squeezed his cock for
emphasis. "All of you." Fox released the throbbing shaft and wrapped his arm
around Alex's chest. "Mine. This body belongs to me... your mind... every
thought, every idea revolves around me..."
In another time and place, Alex would have given him a hard time about that
statement, citing an ego as big as all outdoors, but he was in no condition,
and besides, fuck it all, it was true.
"... your heart and your soul..."
"Yours."
Fox rolled away from Alex briefly, leaving the younger man drowning in
frustration until he returned only seconds later. He worked his arm under Alex,
wrapping it around his chest and pulling him securely against his body. He then
slipped the lubed fingers of his free hand between the muscles of Alex's ass,
stroking and gently probing the tightly clenched ring of muscle.
"Don't you want me inside you, baby?"
"You know... know I do..."
Fox kissed his shoulder. "But you're so tight."
"I'm sorry. I can't... can't relax."
"Why not?"
"Your fault."
"Mine?"
Alex nodded. "You did... did this to... me..."
"What did I do?"
"Drove me crazy... can't stop... stop shaking..."
"But baby," Fox nipped at the skin on the side of Alex's neck, "don't you want
to feel my cock deep inside you?"
"Oh, God, yes. Please, Fox, please... right now."
"You're too tight. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me. Please... please."
"Jesus Christ, Alex, you're so beautiful when you're desperate." Unable to wait
any more, Fox grasped his cock by the base and worked it slowly to the
contstricing opening. "Tell me if it hurts too much."
Inch by painstaking inch Fox thrust inside, pausing often to allow them both a
little time before continuing. When he was finally, completely buried inside
his lover, he stopped again, gasping for breath. "Don't move," he whispered
urgently, "don't... God, don't move."
Alex lay perfectly still, afraid to speak or even breathe. His mind and his
body were screaming for release, but at the same time, he wanted to... he
needed to feel his Fox thrusting into him; possessing him. He needed to be
shown that even after all the talking, all the assurances, Fox truly wanted
him.
Fox struggled to regulate his breathing, and calm the erratic pounding of his
heart. As he began to settle down, he nuzzled the back of Alex's head, then
slipped his hand under the younger man's cheek.
"Baby."
Alex fought to open his eyes as Fox turned his face away from the pillow.
Fox stroked the stubbled cheek, waiting. When the sea of glittering green
focused on his face, he moved in for a long, tender kiss. As his tongue
explored the dark recesses of Alex's mouth, his hand dropped down to his
lover's cock, stroking and teasing him back to that state of insanity he'd just
brought him down from. In response, Alex began to rock frantically against him,
but was immediately stopped by a simple 'no' mumbled against his mouth.
"Fox..."
"Are you ready?" Fox circled the flared head with his thumb.
"Yes. Please, lisa."
"All right. Easy, now. Relax, and I'll do it all." His mouth covered Alex's
once more, and he began to move, using long, agonizingly slow strokes.
Alex lay still, moaning into Fox's mouth, allowing himself to be made love to.
The pressure mounted slowly, rising to an intolerable level, as Fox picked up
the pace just a bit. He refused to move any faster, though both bodies begged
him to bring them to a quick, and furious finish.
Not this time. Not tonight.
"My beautiful, beautiful baby," he moaned against Alex's mouth, "you feel so
good, so... let it go, Alexei. Come for me..."
An electrical surge shot through Alex. Fox's words always had as much of an
effect on him as what he was doing to him physically.
"God... oh, sh... Fox..."
"That's it," Fox panted, pumping Alex's cock in time to his thrusts. "I want to
hear you. Let me know how good it feels..."
The moment took Alex over, not in a blinding, violent crash of thunder and
lightning, but rather in a slow but very intense rumble that rolled through him
again and again, shaking his body to its very core. His body tightened around
Fox, forcing him to join him in the abyss.
Through his own blinding pleasure, Fox tried to give Alex every bit of
satisfaction he could. He worked the twitching man's cock steadily, even as his
body began to give out and, he collapsed against Alex's back.When the cries of
both men faded into soft whimpers, Fox ceased the movement of his hand, and
released his lover's now depleted cock. He started to move away, but Alex's
soft plea stopped him.
"Please don't," the younger man breathed softly. "Don't move. I want to fall
asleep with you inside me."
Fox wrapped both arms around him, and kissed his neck and face. He pressed
closer, pushing his softening cock deeper into his exhausted lover.
"So good," he whispered into Alex's ear.
The other man virtually purred with contentment and curled into Fox's warmth.
He murmured something into the pillow that sounded like it might have been 'I
love you', but Fox was too far gone to hear or respond. Minutes later, the room
was silent except for the soft sounds made by two deeply satisfied men, asleep.
Alex burrowed into the pillows, listening to the crash of the rain on the roof
and windows. He blinked sluggishly and opened his eyes.
Dark, but not nighttime dark.
Faint rumble of thunder.
He loved rainstorms. Nothing he enjoyed more than cuddling safe and warm in bed
with Fox, while the elements raged outside.
Fox.
Alex hadn't yet turned around, but he knew that his lover wasn't in bed with
him.
He pulled himself up, and glanced down at the clock, frowning.
Eleven-twelve.
Damn, he'd slept a long time. Fox should have been sleeping, too. Just as he
was about to go off in search of him, the door opened and Fox entered. He gave
Alex a brilliant smile.
"I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all afternoon, too."
"How long have you been up?"
"Little while."
"What's a little while?"
"Two hours, maybe."
Alex tossed a hurt pout his way. "Why didn't you stay in bed with me?"
"Because," Fox explained, approaching the bed and dropping down beside his
lover, "I thought it might be nice to have some breakfast when you got up. And
since I didn't know when that was..."
"I can't believe I slept so long."
"You needed it. How do you feel?"
Alex smiled in his direction. "Pretty good."
Fox inched closer, murmuring, "Can you still feel me?"
The thick eyelashes drooped at the question. "Yeah," he whispered.
"I woke up for a few minutes at around two, and we were still in the exact same
position."
Alex laughed softly. "Did you pull out?"
"Hell no. I just went back to sleep. We must have separated sometime after
that."
Alex's hand slid across the short distance, his index and middle fingers
skimming across Fox's lower lip. "You weren't uncomfortable after all that
time?"
With a flick of his head, Fox caught the fingers between his lips, stroking his
tongue over them. He released them, giving Alex one of those patented
smoldering stares that turned the younger man's insides to hot liquid. "How
could I be uncomfortable?" He crept closer, working a hand under the sheet.
"There's no more comfortable place in the world for me to be than in this sweet
ass." Fox stroked the firm muscle.
Alex squirmed under his touch. "Uh... didn't you say something about breakfast?"
"Mmm hmm. I'm about to have mine..."
"What are you... oh, God... " Alex's hands clenched in the pillow, as Fox
slipped beneath the sheet and unceremoniously sucked his hardening cock into
his mouth. "Fox," his head rolled restlessly from side to side, "oh, my... oh,
shit."
Fox cupped Alex's ass gently, sucking and lapping at the rigid shaft, his head
moving forward and back, driving his lover quickly toward a violent erruption.
Alex turned his face into the pillow then away, letting his hoarse cries echo
through the room ad he emptied himself into his lover's mouth.
When Fox had milked Alex of every last drop, he released his cock then slid up
to kiss him. "Best breakfast I've had in ages... uh... your French toast not
withstanding..."
Alex laughed weakly. "Gee, thanks."
"You getting up, now?"
"After what you just did to me? I know I've got some pretty amazing
recuperative powers, but..."
"I meant, are you getting out of bed?"
"Oh." Alex smirked at him. "I guess so." He moaned into Fox's mouth as the
older man kissed him again, and yet again.
Fox pulled away and looked down at the younger man, eyes sparkling. "Now. About
breakfast... if you want to stay here, I'll bring it to you."
"Ah. I'm still being pampered?"
"Yes, you are. Any objections?"
"No, but you might have some soon. Keep this up and you're liable to turn me
into a spoiled monster."
"I'll risk it."
Alex smiled at his lover. "That's sweet, but..." he sat up and stretched. "I
really gotta get up."
"Okay. Well, let me go get it going." Fox swung off the bed and headed for the
door. "Call when you want me to come dry your back."
Before Alex could answer, he was gone. The man left behind rolled to his feet
and wandered into the bathroom, wearing a soft, satisfied smile.
Part Five
"Hello?"
"Hey. How's the patient?"
Fox smiled into the phone. "Pretty good, I think. Last night was a little rough
but things are better now."
"What happened? Can you talk about it?"
"Yeah, he's in the shower. Mm...he was a little uneasy at first. Walked around
moving things. You know, stuff that was out of place, I guess..."
"Well, you know what that's all about..."
"I know. Anyway, he had a shower and I put him to bed, and he seemed to
relax a bit, though he didn't want me to leave him until he went to sleep. I
went and got ready to start dinner, and he came out a couple of hours later. He
smiled and joked with me about cooking, and he seemed in a much better state of
mind. He went outside to fill the bird feeders...I finished cooking, and went
out to call him. In that little bit of time, he'd done a complete turn around.
He was pacing around, checking the perimeter of the yard, searching the bushes
and the fences, looking for the way the men who took him could have gotten into
the yard. The fact that someone got in here and nabbed him was really eating at
him."
"He's feeling vulnerable."
"Yeah, and he had no idea what to do with the way he felt about it, so he
just...he lashed out."
"And since there was no one else around to bear the brunt of it..."
"You got it. I caught it full force."
"Aww, Mulder..."
"I'm so pissed with myself, Scully. I reacted all wrong."
"What'd you do, get into it with him?"
"No. In some respects, that may have been better. My guard was down. I let
myself get hurt..."
"Did he slug you?"
Fox emitted a short laugh. "No, not that kind of hurt."
"Oh."
"He said a bunch of stuff I knew he'd regret as soon as he calmed down, but I
let it get to me anyway. I left him out there in the yard and came inside. I
brooded in the dining room while he brooded outside. He came in a while later,
feeling just like I knew he would, apologizing, telling me he didn't mean any
of what he said. He was so upset. We talked it out, made up and had dinner. The
rest of the night went fine. This morning, no problems...I'd be stupid to think
that it'll be smooth from here on out, but the worst of it may be over...I
thought it might have taken him a little longer to get the anger out,
but...wait, hang on...okay, coming..." Fox moved toward the bathroom, phone
between his shoulder and ear. "You want to say hi to him?"
"Thought he was in the shower?"
"He was. I'm on my way to dry his back. Those damn welts and that cut are still
a bit tender...here, talk to Scully."
Fox handed the phone to Alex, and took the towel from him.
"Hi, Scully."
"Hi! You sound a lot more chipper today."
"Yeah, well, amazing what a good....uh...night's sleep'll do for you." He cut
his eyes in the direction of the muffled snicker.
"I'm glad you're feeling better. Is there anything you guys need?"
"No, I don't....Fox, Scully wants to know if there's anything we need...he said
no, but thanks for asking. You know, Scully, you really should go to your
brother's."
"There'll be other visits, Alex. This was some serious stuff that went on here.
I wouldn't be comfortable the whole time I was away."
"What, do you think something's going to happen?"
"No," she answered too quickly, "not at all. It's just for my own peace of
mind, okay? Humor me."
"Yeah...uh...here's Fox. Thanks again, Scully."
Fox noted the troubled expression on his lover's face as he exchanged the
towel for the phone. He kissed the younger man's shoulder and moved toward the
door. "Breakfast in five minutes, okay?"
Alex nodded and went in to get dressed. The minute he was gone, Fox spun out
of the doorway and moved through the hall.
"He's got that look again, Scully. What'd I miss?"
"I'm sorry, Mulder. I think he thinks I'm staying because I'm afraid of
something happening."
"Are you?"
"He could go off the deep end. I just want to be around in case you need some
backup."
"Backup? Scully, this isn't a warehouse drug bust."
"I know that. Okay, maybe backup wasn't the right word. How about support?"
Fox sighed into the phone. "I appreciate your concern but I really think the
worst of it came yesterday."
"Sounds like you may be right, but I'm still going to pass on Bill's this
time."
"Did you tell him you weren't coming?"
"Yeah."
"What excuse did you give him?"
"I told him the truth...well, you know, as much of it as he needed to know."
"Just when he thought he couldn't loathe me any more..."
"Bill will get over it. And if he doesn't, it's his problem. You and Alex are
my extended family. I'll be here if you need me, just like I'd be there if he
needed me."
"What about your mother? Is she very upset?"
"She's disappointed, but she understands. She said to give you both her
best."
Silence.
"Now, are you sure there's nothing you need?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, think about it and give me a call if you think of something."
"Thank you, Scully."
"No problem. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. Bye."
Fox hung up and pulled two dishes down from the cupboard. Minutes later, Alex
entered the kitchen and stood quietly by while Fox placed the full plates on
the table.
"She thinks I'm gonna flip out on you, doesn't she?"
Fox paused in the middle of pouring a glass of orange juice. "Why do you say
that?"
"Just the impression I got."
Fox motioned to Alex to sit. "She's just concerned."
"I feel much better," Alex protested mildly
"I told her that." Fox pulled out a chair and sat down. "What can I say?
Scully's Scully and she's not going to stop worrying just because you or I tell
her she should. Come on, let's eat before it gets cold."
The rain had stopped, and after breakfast, Alex suggested taking Clyde out for
a walk.
"Yeah?" Fox smiled his approval. "Sure, if you're up to it."
"Yeah, I need to get some excercise."
"Great. Let's go."
Alex called to the dog who was lying a short distance away. "Hey, Clyde. Wanna
go for a walk?"
Clyde's head lifted and tilted from side to side.
"Well?"
Clyde jumped up and bounded over to retrieve his leash, wiggling and twisting
while Alex tried to attach it to his collar.
"Dog, would you please stand still?"
Fox stood leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest, an
amused grin on his face. "He'll calm down when he gets older," he mimicked
Alex's voice, throwing the words he'd said a thousand times, back at him.
"Come on, he's better than he used to be."
"Yeah. Right. Whatever you say. Let's go."
The excercise had begun to do its job. Alex was starting to relax. Conversation
picked up and an easy smile now curved his mouth. Being approached with
greetings and good wishes from at least four of the neighbors helped.
"How do all these people know?" Alex asked when the last well wisher crossed
back over into her own yard.
"I questioned all of them," Fox answered. "I'm surprised they're all still
talking to me."
"Questioned or interrogated?"
"Let's just say I'm surprised that that they haven't come for me yet with
pitchforks and torches."
"God, Fox..."
Fox shrugged. "I may have been a little overzealous, but I was desperate."
"Well," Alex drew his knuckles down his lover's arm, "maybe they understand
that."
They finished their walk and spent the rest of the day, and in fact the next
couple of days, doing not much of anything at all. Alex seemed in good humor
most of the time, only occasionally falling into a pensive mood, but snapping
out of it quickly under Fox's loving attention.
Tonight, after Fox wore them both out, Alex propped himself against the
pillows, turning the t.v. on, and flipping idly through the channels. His lover
lay sprawled across his thighs, slowly and thoroughly licking his cock clean.
Alex lovingly combed his fingers through Fox's golden brown hair with his free
hand while he continued to search for something worth watching. Finally, a
prison riot caught his eye and he stopped, dropping the remote to the mattress.
His eyes shifted down to Fox, joyfully immersed in his task, eyes closed,
outrageously talented tongue executing long, gentle strokes over his cock. The
sight sent a twinge through his lower regions.
Oh, God.
"Hey."
Fox rested his cheek on top of his lover's cock. Golden brown lashes swept
upward and a soft green-gray gaze fell on Alex's face.
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him as he looked down at his
beautiful Fox.
The eyes stared intently for a while, then closed as Fox nuzzled him gently. A
single kiss bestowed on the tip of Alex's exhausted cock, and he slid up,
manuevering himself behind his lover, pulling him back against his chest and
wrapping his arms around him.
Alex rested his head back against Fox's shoulder, allowing the other man to
string a trail of kisses along his cheek and jaw.
"Have I told you today that I love you?"
Fox laughed softly in his ear. "You were just screaming it about twenty minutes
ago."
"Oh. Was I?"
"Yeah....what the hell are we watching?"
"Beats me. Something on one of the pay channels. I just stopped cause I saw
some action."
Both men turned their attention to the screen, watching as the revolt was
finally put down, and the ringleaders were dragged into the warden's office. He
had two of the men thrown into solitary, but the third, he kept in his office.
The two men stood glaring at each other, radiating hatred, then the warden
ordered the man stripped of his shirt, and cuffed to the barred window to the
right of his desk.
Fox felt Alex's body tighten then jump, as the first blow of a leather belt was
delivered. His eyes snapped shut and his head jerked to the side on the second
blow. Fox groped for the remote, found it, and quickly shut the television off.
He hugged Alex to him as the other man lay silently in his arms, staring
sightlessly toward the window.
"Do you want to talk?"
Alex shook his head and said nothing.
"Okay." Fox sat there for how long, he did not know, stroking Alex's back,
offering silent comfort. Finally, the younger man shifted, but did not meet
Fox's eye.
"Can we turn the lights out?"
"Yeah," Fox answered quickly, leaning over to turn off the lamp, "sure....that
better?"
Alex nodded and fell silent again.
Fox waited patiently, hoping that he would begin to speak, but he merely
burrowed into Fox's warmth and said nothing. Nearly half an hour later, he was
asleep. Fox emitted a long sigh, kissed the top of his head, and closed his
eyes.
Whistle.
Crack.
Fuck you.
Crack.
You belong to me, Alexei.
Never.
Crack.
I will not make a sound...I won't give you the satisfaction.
Crack.
God....Fox...
The lovely Fox can't help you.
Fox.
Crack.
I'm here, baby.
Fox, help me. Take me out of here.
He's not taking you anywhere.
Crack
It hurts, Fox...please....oh....oh, God, yes....thank you....oh, baby, that
feels so good, so.....no.....no.....don't touch me....don't....no!
"Alex.....Alex..." Fox shook Alex gently. "Baby, wake up. Come on..."
Alex's eyes snapped open and he stared up at the man hovering over him...
Something wasn't right. That look in his eyes. Pure, wild hatred.
"Fucking..."
Before Fox had a second to react, Alex was on him, spinning him onto his back,
pinning Fox's arms under his knees, hands around his throat.
Fox struggled under Alex's weight, trying to rasp his name, but there was no
air, and it wasn't long before he was too weak to fight anymore. He lay beneath
Alex, a deafening roar in his head, and his limbs going slack.
Alex tightened his grip, eyes still blazing.
Fox stared wide-eyed up at Alex, silently begging for intervention.
Please...wake him up now....if I die, he won't be able to live with
it...
The bedroom door swung open as Clyde pushed his way in. He'd heard the
commotion, and had come to investigate. He stood a few feet from the bed and
began to bark and yap incessantly.
The sound woke Alex, and he stared down at his hands squeezing the throat of
his almost unconscious lover. He cried out in horror, falling away from Fox.
The air came back to Fox in a rush, choking and gagging him. He turned onto his
side, overwhelmed by fits of coughing.
Alex stared, mortified. "Fox...oh, God, Fox?" The continuous hacking
frightened the younger man. He reached out to touch his distressed lover, but
drew away quickly. "What did I do?" he whispered, "What the hell did I do?"
Every gasp for air brought a fresh round of coughing, and Alex inched closer.
He reached out, rubbing the older man's back. "I didn't....Fox, I don't...."
Fox struggled for air while trying to speak. "Water..."
Alex stared confused for a moment, then slid off the bed and quickly retrieved
a glass of water. He kneeled next to Fox, trying to hold the glass to his lips,
but his hands were shaking too badly. Still coughing, Fox took the water from
him and managed three sips without choking on it.
"I'm..." more coughing, "I'm okay."
He handed the glass back to Alex, who placed it on the nightstand, then
retreated to the end of the bed, huddling there in a miserable heap.
Fox took a few deeper, though still unsteady breaths. "Alex...it.....was a
dream..."
Alex shook his head, staring wide-eyed into space. "I could've killed you."
"I'm all right."
The younger man's eyes welled up with tears. "I could....could've killed you."
More coughing. "But...you didn't."
"Because of Clyde. What if....oh, God, what if he hadn't come in?"
"You wouldn't....have killed me, Alex..."
"I could have...I...didn't mean it, Fox, I don't...God...oh, God, I could've
killed you."
Fox gathered enough strength to move to the end of the bed and wrestle Alex's
arms away from his body. He spun him to the mattress, pinning his wrists down
beside his head. "Stop it. Listen to me...I'm all right. I'll be all right,"
he wheezed. "It was just a dream. You would have come out of it."
A few tears chased each other from the corner of Alex's eye, and down into his
ear. "How do you know that?"
"I just do." Fox stopped for a few breaths then said in his most convincing
tone, "You would never have killed me."
Alex's body began to tremble, and he started to sob. "I don't know...I
didn't..."
Fox released Alex's wrists and tucked his arms under his back. He rested his
head on the younger man's shoulder and hugged him tightly. "I know, baby. I
know you didn't mean it. You were dreaming....it's okay..."
Alex's arms wrapped around Fox and he cried harder. "I love you, Fox....I....I
love you..."
"I know. I know."
"I'm sorry..."
"Nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know." Fox kissed and stroked Alex until
his sobs abated. He raised his head and looked down at red-streaked eyes.
"Let's get some sleep. You wore yourself out."
Alex shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
"What if I dream again? I don't want to hurt you."
"So you're never going to sleep again?"
"No, I'll...I'll go sleep in the guestroom..."
Alex started to get up, but Fox pushed him back to the mattress. "Like hell,
you will."
"Please, Fox, I don't..."
"You're not going anywhere. There's no reason to believe that tonight will be
repeated."
"What if it is?"
"Then we'll deal with it when and if it happens."
"What if next time I succeed. I'd sooner die than hurt you."
"I will not be in the same house with you and sleep in different beds." Fox
stroked his lover's hair. "Baby, we were separated for almost a week, and the
thought that I might never sleep next to you again, was enough to make me want
to put a bullet through my head. I can't and I won't be separated from you
purposely." Fox pulled himself up against the pillows, dragging Alex to his
chest. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. Just hang on to me and go to sleep.
It'll be all right, I promise."
Alex lay shaking against Fox's chest, cringing every time the older man
coughed. Fox held him tightly, croaking words of comfort.
"It's okay, baby. Just relax. I love you..."
Alex's eyes squeezed shut.
"Do you want to talk to me?"
Silence.
"Might help you to feel better..."
Alex took a long hard breath, then began to speak just above a whisper. "....I
couldn't see his face, but...his voice. I could....he was beating me. The pain,
it was..."
Fox listened, unsure whether or not he was hearing Alex's memory of the dream
or the actual event.
"It hurt so much...I'd die before I let him know that..."
Fox's eyes filled with tears at the thought of his love, restrained and
mentally and physically abused.
"But you were there..."
Fox closed his eyes, creating a stream of moisture down both cheeks.
"You came to me and held me. Protected me against the worst of the pain. You
helped me sleep." Alex took a deep, stuttering breath and continued. "You were
there tonight, too. In the dream. Comforting me. Making love to me...but
then....then all of a sudden, it wasn't you....it was...and I was screaming for
him to stop, but he wouldn't, and...and then Justin was in front of me. And I
was able to move. I wanted him dead, Fox. God, I wanted him dead..."
"He is dead, Alex. I couldn't let him get away with what he did to you. He'll
never hurt you or anyone else again."
"But he has. Even now. Look what I just did to you because of him."
"He can't touch us anymore, baby. We're stronger than him. "You're stronger."
"I thought I was. But I...I can't shake this."
"It's only been a few days. Don't be so hard on yourself. You need time. And
patience..." Fox smiled into Alex's hair, ignoring his own discomfort. "...and
love, which fortunately for you, I've got tons of."
Alex remained quiet for a while, then just when Fox thought he might be
falling asleep, he spoke, again whispering. "You killed him for me."
Fox tightened his hold on the man in his arms. "You're my whole life, Alex, and
I'll kill or die to protect you." He went quiet for a moment, then continued.
"When I walked into that room and saw you on the floor of that cage...you were
so still...I lost my mind. At that point I only wanted two things. To get to
you, and to kill that motherfucker..."
"You...did you think I was dead?"
"I didn't know. I couldn't see you breathing." He kissed the crown of his
lover's head. "I was so scared. I couldn't live the rest of my life without
you, baby. I wouldn't want to."
Alex raised his head, for the first time meeting Fox's eye. "I guess we're in
it for the long haul, then?"
"You ask me this after three years?"
Alex gave him a tiny smile.
"You sure you'll be able to stand me for the next forty or fifty years?"
Alex raised himself up, lips hovering close to Fox's. "Absolutely."
Fox's mouth descended, tenderly capturing his lover's in a long, sweet kiss.
When they parted, Fox stroked Alex's cheek and smiled down at him. "It's late,"
he rasped, "go to sleep."
The light faded from Alex's eyes, and he looked away.
"It's all right," Fox reassured him. "Close your eyes." He kissed and petted
Alex's head. "No more dreams. I promise."
How the hell can you make a promise like that?
Alex believed him. He snuggled closer, closed his eyes, and in no time at all
was peacefully sleeping.
Fox listened to the slowing respiration; felt the loosening of Alex's muscles,
and closed his eyes, offering up a prayer for a peaceful remainder of the
night.
Fox rolled onto his side, wincing at the soreness in his throat. He opened his
eyes to find himself alone in bed, though he could feel Alex's presence nearby.
He looked around, finding the other man standing by the windows, staring out
into the yard.
"Al..." he stopped to clear his throat, "Alex?"
Alex's eyes shifted in the direction of the uneven voice.
"You okay?"
The younger man hesitated, then walked over to the bed and sat down. "I need
to be asking you that."
Fox noted the look of misery on his lover's face. He smiled reassuringly, and
answered, "Throat's a little sore, but that's all."
"Your neck is all bruised," Alex said softly.
Fox's hand went to his throat. "It is?"
Slight nod.
"They'll go away. I'm fine, Alex, really."
Alex sat quietly, head bowed.
"Baby..."
The younger man looked up through the sweep of his lashes. Fox reached out to
skim the line of his jaw, and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against
his lover's shoulder.
"How did you sleep?"
"Okay," came the soft reply.
"No more dreams?"
Slow shake of the sable head.
Shit, you were lucky.
"Didn't I promise?"
"Yeah."
Fox kissed the side of his head. "It's early. Come back to bed."
"It's not that early."
"It is when you got nothing else to do all day..."
"You want to go back to work?"
"No. No, I didn't mean it like that. I love being home with you." He reached
out, tugging at the belt on Alex's robe. "I just want you to come back to bed."
Alex let the older man pull the robe off and coax him back under the sheet. He
settled on his side and Fox moved closer, lying on his back, tucked between
Alex and the mattress. One arm snaked around Alex's back, and pulled him down
on top of him.
Alex shifted, immediately feeling the slow stiffening of his cock. For days
now, Fox had taken care of him, giving him all he had and more, and he'd
accepted the attention gratefully. Now Fox was looking up at him, his eyes
sparkling with need, and Alex didn't quite know what to do.
What do you mean, you don't know what to do? Make love to him, stupid.
You've done it a thousand times.
Alex lowered his head, covering Fox's mouth slowly and tenderly, letting his
lover's muffled moans seep into his senses, setting them all on edge. One hand
slid up through Fox's hair, holding his head still while he deepened the kiss.
His tongue slipped between Fox's parted lips, stroking over the hard surface of
his teeth, then the contrasting softness of the interior walls of his cheeks.
So good.
Even first thing in the morning, Alex loved the taste of his lover's mouth. His
tongue searched every inch of the dark interior, finally finding its
counterpart and initiating a slow, easy seduction.
Fox clung to his shoulders, blissfully immersed in ever-growing passion. He
squirmed under his lover's weight, pressing upward against his thigh. He broke
from Alex's kiss, making eye contact, letting the turbulent mix of green and
gold speak for him..
Alex cupped Fox's cheek, thumb sliding back and forth across the morning
stubble. The other man's hands slid forward from his shoulders, flattening on
his upper chest. His head tilted back, arching and baring his throat to Alex.
Fox could be an aggressive lover, as comfortable with controlling any sexual
situation as he was with their usual give and take, but when he was in the mood
to be submissive, that's what he was. Alex loved this chameleon-like quality
about him. And as Fox could so easily move from one personality to the other,
he supposed he possessed the ability as well.
This morning, Fox obviously wanted to be the bottom, and more than anything,
Alex wanted to give him what he was asking for. He slid one hand along Fox's
arm, grasping his wrist and pulling it away from his chest. He pinned that hand
beside Fox's head, then reached for the other, repeating the action. He lowered
his head to the exposed throat, closing his eyes to block out the evidence of
what he'd done the night before. But he couldn't close his mind to it, and
images of his Fox lying ashen and motionless, sent violent shudders through his
body, and stopped him cold.
Lustful anticipation turned to cold dread as Fox looked up at his frozen lover.
"Alex? What? What is it?"
The younger man gave no answer as he rolled off of Fox and sat up, head resting
on his bent knees. "I'm okay," he said, then took a deep breath. "Just...gimme
a minute..."
Fox sat up beside him. "You're not okay. Take a few deep breaths before you
hyperventilate." He waited as Alex did as he'd instructed. "Better?"
Alex nodded, head still on his knees.
"Alex....look at me."
Long seconds passed before Alex lifted his head and looked in Fox's direction.
"What happened?"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just tell me what's got you upset."
Alex's gaze slid down to Fox's throat, then flitted away.
Fox sighed heavily, realizing what the problem was. He got out of bed and
walked over to the mirrored dresser to see what the big deal was. He observed
the moderate bruising around his throat, and moved calmly back to the bed. "It
isn't that bad, baby." He smirked at Alex, trying to lighten the moment. "Want
me to wear a scarf until they go away?"
"That's not funny."
"Come on, Alex. I'm the guy who almost didn't wake up this morning. If I can
smile about it..."
"You're really not making me feel any better, you know? "
The smile fell away from Fox's lips on hearing the miserable tone in his
lover's voice. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it worse." He reached
out to caress the younger man's shoulder. "I don't know what to say to you,
Alex, other than to repeat what I told you last night. It wasn't your fault. I
know that you would never knowingly hurt me."
"That's not the point. The point is I did hurt you. And I could easily have
killed you. Do you know how that makes me feel?"
"I know. But you can't hold onto it, you understand? You can't feel guilty
everytime you look at me."
"Yeah, well, maybe you can tell me how to stop it."
"Think about something else."
"Gee, that's easy, why didn't I think of that? What am I supposed to think
about?"
"I don't know..." Fox inched closer, fanning Alex's ear with his breath. "Maybe
you could think about how damn sexy I am..."
The beginnings of a smile teased the corners of Alex's mouth.
"...how the sound of my voice sends tingles through your body..." Fox tickled
the exterior of his lover's ear with the tip of his tongue. "...how my touch
makes you shiver..." He gently pushed Alex back against the pillows and swung
himself over the younger man's body, straddling him on his hands and knees.
"Maybe you could think about how good it'd feel to be inside me..."
Alex's head fell to one side, and he groaned softly.
Fox studied him closely. "You want to be inside me, baby?"
Alex nodded, exhaling heavily.
"Close your eyes....good. Now keep them closed and just feel me, okay?"
The younger man let out a faint whimper, but complied with his lover's request.
Fox brushed Alex's mouth with his own, letting his tongue whisper across his
lower lip. He moved downward, kissing and licking the warm flesh of Alex's neck
and chest, pausing at one nipple. He flicked at it gently, and Alex arched off
the bed.
"Fox," he panted, "oh, please..."
Fox moved to the other nipple, treating it to the same wonderful torment as the
first.
"I...Fox, I...I need you..."
The older man nipped at the sensitive peak, drawing a frustrated whine from his
lover, then moved on. He slid downward, enjoying the feel of Alex's stomach
muscles rippling beneath his lips. He reached Alex's aching cock, grasping it
at the base, and lapping delicately at the glistening tip.
Alex's head rolled back and forth on the pillow, and he gathered up fistfuls of
sheet. "Mmm....ah....please...oh, please..."
Fox sucked the entire length of Alex's cock down his throat, pulling a loud
gasp from the man under him. He sucked steadily, letting his tongue flutter
along the length of his lover's rock-hard erection. The stiffening of Alex's
body suggested that the younger man might be closer to the edge than he
thought. He pulled away, listening to the loud groans of protest.
"Hang on for just a second, baby..." Fox reached over into the nightstand
drawer, withdrawing the lube. He squeezed a generous amount into his palm, and
applied it quickly to Alex's cock. He inched forward, positioning himself,
letting his ass brush the bobbing shaft. "Hold it for me, baby."
Alex wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, holding it upright and
steady, while Fox lowered himself onto it. Both men whimpered impatiently as
Fox slowly impaled himself on his lover. When Alex was inside him as deep as he
could go, Fox began to move, rising up and sinking slowly back down. The other
man's head pressed back into the pillows and he let out a long sob as Fox's
muscles contracted on every upstroke.
"Fox...baby, I can't....I...."
Eyes still closed, Alex clutched at his lover's cock, jerking it convulsively.
"It's all right, baby...neither can I...come on...take...take me with you..."
Alex pumped Fox's erection harder as the man on top of him moved faster. They
reached the end almost simultaneously, Fox's frantic cries joining Alex's, and
they collapsed together, panting heavily.
The pounding in Fox's head subsided, and he felt Alex's hand tenderly caressing
his slick back. He picked his head up and kissed his lover softly. "God, that
was good."
"I'm sorry it wasn't what you had in mind."
"S'all right," Fox licked Alex's shoulder. "It was still hot."
Alex said nothing, silently appreciating his lover's attempt to reassure him.
"Baby?"
"Yeah? Wait. Let me guess. You're hungry."
"Uh-huh." Fox lifted himself off of Alex's chest and bounded out of bed. "I'm
gonna go take a shower, then get breakfast started."
Alex squinted up at his face. "You pull me back into bed, now you want to get
up?"
Fox shrugged, grinning down at his lover. "I got what I wanted."
"So you were just using me. Well isn't that nice? I'm insulted, I'm....I'm
hurt..."
"You're full of shit." Amusement filled Fox's tone. He approached the bed and
placed a soft kiss on Alex's mouth. "But I love you." He grasped the younger
man's hand and pulled. "Come on. Let's do our part for water conservation..."
"I got it," Fox called to Alex who was elsewhere in the house, as he went to
answer the doorbell. He swung the door open and smiled down at his partner.
"Hey."
"Hi." Scully walked past her partner and stopped halfway into the living room.
"Am I early?"
"A little. But you know how anal Alex is about punctuality. Dinner is almost
done."
"Yeah, I know. How is he...Mulder....what's that?"
"What?"
Scully moved closer, investigating the marks on his neck. "Are
those...bruises?"
Mulder closed his eyes momentarily, emitting a soft sigh. "Yeah," he answered
softly.
"What the hell happened? Looks like somebody tried to
strangle......you.....Mulder?" Scully asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Fox's silence said more to her than any words could. "What the hell went on
here?"
Fox opened his mouth to speak, stopped, and started again. "Alex had a
nightmare last night. He was asleep. He didn't know what he was doing..."
Scully's eyes widened in shock. "Alex did that to you? Mulder..."
"Please, Scully, don't make a big thing out of this. He was miserable enough."
"Mulder, you don't get bruises like that unless someone was really trying to
choke the hell out of you. And you know, come to think of it, your voice is a
little raspy. Your larynx might be injured."
"I'm okay."
"If Alex is acting out his dreams like this, it could be a real problem. Maybe
he should see someone...a professional..."
Fox held his hands out a few inches from his sides, palms upturned, raising his
eyebrows.
"You're too close, Mulder. Your emotions are bound to get in the way. And
things could get worse."
"It'll be all right, Scully. I'll take care of him. We'll work through it."
"This isn't just any garden variety psychological problem. He tried to
strangle you."
"Not me. Saint James....anyway, I'm okay."
"This time. What if it happens again? Mulder, he could have..."
"Killed him."
Two heads turned in Alex's direction. He stood in the doorway, looking utterly
miserable.
"See, Fox? Even Scully thinks I could be a danger to you." Alex's eyes slid
away and he drifted quietly out of the room.
"Shit."
"Damn," Scully whispered. I didn't know he was there."
"I know. It's not your fault. If it hadn't been you, something else probably
would have set him back. I gotta go find him."
Fox went after Alex with Scully close behind. They found him in the kitchen,
sitting at the table, hands clasped loosely in his lap, head hanging. Fox
started to move toward him, but Scully stopped him with a hand on his chest.
She stepped forward and pulled a chair up facing Alex. Lowering herself into
the seat, she placed a hand gently on his knee.
"Alex? I'm sorry. I know how upset you must be about this. I didn't mean to
make it any worse. I'm just concerned...about both of you."
"It hurts so much to think about what I did to him...to see..."
"You didn't mean it."
"Of course I didn't mean it, but intention isn't worth shit when something else
is in control."
"Don't let anything else be in control. I've seen first hand the strength of
your love for Mulder. Just stop trying so hard to fight all the bad stuff, and
let your love take over. And...maybe you might want to consider seeing
someone..."
"You mean like a psychiatrist?"
"An analyst. Someone to help you with your problems if you feel you can't
handle them yourself."
Alex looked up to Fox. "Do you think I should?"
"It's up to you, Alex, but I was hoping that we could deal with this ourselves.
I know you wouldn't feel comfortable talking with anyone else about it."
"I really don't want to, but more than that, I don't want to hurt you again."
Fox squatted in front of the sitting man, laying his hand on the unoccupied
knee. "It'll be all right. Just trust me. More importantly, trust yourself."
Alex covered Fox's hand with his own. "I trust you with my life, Fox. You know
that. But..." He shook his head and lowered his eyes.
"Listen to me, baby. I trust you. Now if you believe in me the way you say
you do, you've got to know that I'm right to trust you."
Fox waited quietly while Alex considered his words. Finally his lashes lifted
and he looked into his lover's eyes. He leaned forward slowly, and rested his
forehead against Fox's shoulder. The other man's arms wound around him, hand
rubbing his back while he kissed the side of the sable head.
Scully watched, always warmed by the affection between the two men, but still a
bit apprehensive about this latest develpment. She swallowed her concerns, and
patted Alex's knee and Fox's back. "Okay, break it up. I'm hungry."
Alex pulled away from Fox, and kept his head downturned until Fox raised it
with two fingers under his chin.
"Okay?" the older man asked softly.
Alex nodded then sat motionless as his lover moved in for a long, gentle kiss.
Scully shook her head, smiling, and rose from her chair to check on dinner.
Fox backed off just far enough to see Alex's eyes for a moment, then pitched
forward again, kissing him once more.
"Wow, this smells great," Scully said loudly, trying to get the attention of
at least one of the men. "Alex, you must have done the cooking."
Fox broke the second kiss, smiling at his lover. "I think she's trying to tell
us something."
Alex smiled back and looked over Fox's shoulder at the redhead drumming her
fingernails on the counter. "Actually, I just helped. Fox did ninety percent of
it."
"No way."
"Why don't you believe it?"
"This smells too good."
Alex rose from his chair, pulling Fox up with him. "He's been doing the cooking
since I got home. And it's good."
"Really? Well...you're still walking and talking, so I guess it must be okay."
"It's better than okay, I'm telling you. You're gonna be shocked."
Fox turned to Alex, raising one eyebrow. "Shocked?"
"Oh...uh...well...."
"What's wrong with pleasantly surprised?"
"N-nothing...um...I didn't exactly mean it like...shocked...it's more
like..."
Fox nodded, waiting for Alex to explain himself out of this spot.
"Come on, lisa, you know I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that she'll
be amazed..."
Fox's eyes widened as he continued to stare at his floundering lover.
"No! Not amazed, uh...."
"You're sinking fast, Krycek."
Alex lowered his gaze, and siddled over to Fox, draping his arms around his
waist, and rubbing his head against his cheek. "I'm sorry, lisa...I love
you...."
"Yeah?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Well..." Fox petted Alex's hair. "You can prove it to me later, okay?"
"Hey, I got an idea," Scully interrupted, "Why doesn't somebody prove to me how
good this damn food is?"
Fox kissed his lover's head, then moved them both in Scully's direction. "All
right, all right. Don't work yourself into a state."
Three hours and half a dozen compliments later, Scully was on her way home, and
the men settled in for the night. They started off watching television in bed,
but soon ended up making love. At Fox's silent insistence, Alex took the lead,
though somewhat timidly. It was wonderful, and it was sweet, and though it was
often that way between them, there was a difference this time. Alex wasn't
holding back because he wanted tenderness. Something else was tempering his
actions. Something Fox would almost describe as fear. He had to get Alex over
this. He missed his aggressive, confident lover, and he was willing to bet that
Alex was missing him too. After all, it was part of him, and he knew no one
with a stronger sense of self than Alex.
The two men curled together, physically satisfied, and slipped into
unconsciousness.
Over the next few days, Alex had one more nightmare, but Fox was better
prepared, and lightly restrained him before he woke him...just in case. Alex
woke quickly though, and without incident. Fox gathered him into his arms,
stroking, and petting, and reassuring, as Alex clung to him, afraid to go back
to sleep. He did, finally, but not until very early in the morning.
Fox went back to work that morning, dragging into the office, looking just a
little bit rough around the edges.
"Hey, welcome back!" Scully greeted him as he walked into the office.
"Uh...damn, Mulder, you look like hell."
"Didn't sleep last night."
"Now what?"
"Alex had another nightmare."
"He didn't try to kill you again, did he?"
"No...but he didn't get back to sleep till around three-thirty."
"What about you?"
"I remember seeing five thirty-eight....about twenty minutes before the alarm
went off."
"God, Mulder. You should have taken one more day off and gotten some sleep."
"I'll be okay. I'll go to bed early tonight."
"You'd better. I ran into Skinner in the hall on the way down here. He wants us
in Tampa on Wednesday."
"What for?"
"Don't know yet. We have a nine-thirty meeting in his office though, to get
the details."
"Shit."
"What?"
Fox shook his head, looking more than a little disturbed.
"You're worried about Alex."
"Well....yeah."
"Mulder, you knew you'd have to come back to work sooner or later...how is he
aside from the nightmare?"
"Pretty good most of the time. There are some ways in which he's not quite
himself, but I've got a few ideas about how to deal with that...I just hate to
have to leave him alone. I think he's still too vulnerable. Of course, he'll
tell me to go and not worry about him."
"You have to get back into the swing of things sooner or later, Mulder."
"I know. It's just that this first time away from him is going to be hard on us
both."
"I'm sure it will. But if I know you, you'll check in with him fifteen times a
day. And Florida really isn't all that far..."
Fox nodded absently. "Yeah..yeah, I know. It'll be fine, I'm sure. We just have
to make it over this first hump."
"Right...so...what have you got planned to bring Alex back to himself?" Scully
cocked her head, noting the devious little smile that spread across her
partner's face. "Or shouldn't I ask?"
Fox's hand slid around his back of his neck, then back to the front, moving
down his chest, then away, distributing the fragrant, silvery liquid. He
watched his hands as they moved from one button to the next, slipping each disk
through its corresponding hole. He stopped at the third button from the top,
then looked up at himself in the mirror. Deciding to leave it undone, he took
his hands away, and studied himself.
Just the way Alex liked him.
Softly pleated black pants and black silk shirt. Day's growth of beard. Sexy
wisp of golden brown hair falling over one eyebrow. Mouth drawn into an
incredibly delicious pout.
Satisfied, Fox walked into the bathroom where Alex was preparing to slip his
silver hoop through the hole in his earlobe. He moved behind the younger man,
who when he caught sight of his lover in the mirror, froze, eyes sliding over
the vision in black. Fox reached for the object in Alex's hand.
"Let me."
Alex turned slowly, and Fox moved forward, letting their bodies touch as he
carefully inserted the post. He secured the earring and stepped back a few
inches, eyes raking over his lover's form. He was beautiful in a dolphin-gray
jacket and pants, and a dusty periwinkle blue-lavender shirt that set off his
magnificent eyes.
"Very nice," Fox, commented softly.
One corner of Alex's mouth tilted upward. "You too."
Fox nuzzled the younger man's throat. "Ready?"
"Yeah." Alex took his lover's hand and the two walked out to the garage. "Yours
or mine?" he asked as they moved between the two cars.
Fox glided over to Alex's Porsche, running his hand over the smooth black hood.
His eyes locked on his lover's. "You drive."
Fox's words sent a twinge of electricity shooting through Alex's body. He
paused, needing a moment to compose himself then stepped forward, opening Fox's
door and shutting it after he was tucked inside. He slid into the driver's
seat, and not daring to look again at the other man, started the car and pulled
out of the garage.
Fox watched Alex quietly, waiting a few minutes before sliding as far over to
the left as he could go, and laying his head on the younger man's shoulder.
"Been a long time since we've been out anyplace nice," he said, tracing the
tight muscles of his lover's thigh with his fingertips.
Alex blinked several times, trying to concentrate on the road rather than
the rapid swelling in his pants. A weak "Yeah," was all he could muster.
"Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you like what I'm wearing?"
"Yeah. Of course...you..you know I love you in black."
"I wore something special for you..." Fox whispered.
Before Alex could ask, Fox grasped his hand and placed it down over his crotch.
The younger man groaned deeply as his fingers recognized the leather strapping
bound snuggly around Fox's rigid cock. He fought to keep his eyes open as
raging hunger crashed over him. It had been a good many months since Fox had
worn this for him. The last time he had, Alex had fucked him against a filthy
wall in an alley behind the club they'd been at, unable to wait until they got
home...
Fox squirmed, whimpering softly as his lover massaged his restrained cock.
"Baby..."
Alex's hand left Fox's lap, receiving a low groan of protest. He cupped the
side of the other man's head with his palm and pressed a few kisses into his
hair. "I love you," he murmured just above the sound of the motor.
Fox molded himself to Alex's side, happily drowning in the pleasure of the
other man's attention.
When they reached their destination, Alex covered Fox's mouth in a deep,
ravenous kiss, then exited the car. By the time he'd come around to the
passenger's side, Fox had already emerged and was standing, waiting for him. As
soon as Alex reached him, their fingers twined together and they kissed briefly
but thoroughly, then Fox let Alex lead him to the door of the dinner club.
The host smiled as the two men entered. "Good evening, gentlemen.
Reservations?"
Alex released Fox's hand and slid his arm around the older man's waist.
"Krycek."
"Ah, yes. Here we are. You requested a corner booth?"
Alex glanced quickly at his lover who was looking innocently around the
establishment, then back at the host. "Yes."
They were led to a quiet corner of the club, Alex noting the position of the
booth and many plants along the sides.
Very private. Perfect for those who wanted to see but not be seen.
Alex thanked the host and moved aside, letting Fox sit first. He slid in beside
him, intently studying the devious glint in his eyes.
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing..." Fox slid closer, resting his head on Alex's shoulder. "What makes
you think I'm up to something?"
"You have a really hard time trying to look innocent when you're not."
Fox shook with silent laughter. "Really Alex, all I want to do is have a nice
night out with the man I love. Do you see anything underhanded in that?"
"You're up to no good, I can feel it."
"You can? He covered Alex's hand with his own, and moved it into his lap. "How
about this? Can you feel that?"
Alex let out a small sigh, and gently carressed the solid column of flesh and
leather just beneath the lightweight black material. "Oh yeah, I can feel
that....God, you're so hard. Is it uncomfortable?"
He was starting to get into it.
Good.
"Yeah," Fox squirmed beside Alex.
Alex kissed his head, then murmured into his ear, "Would you do something for
me?"
Soft groan. "You know I'll do anything for you."
Alex gently pushed him away, putting a few inches distance between them. "I
want you to sit there, behave yourself, and talk to me."
Fox tilted his head to one side. "You...what do you want me to talk to you
about?"
Alex shrugged. "Tell me why you wanted to come out tonight, when I know you
couldn't have had more than couple hours sleep last night."
Fox looked directly into the smoldering green pools. "I felt like going out. Is
that a bad thing?"
"No..." Alex's gaze grew hotter and more intense. "...How was your day?"
"Long. I missed not being able to touch you or look at you whenever I wanted."
Before Alex could respond, a waiter approached. Early to mid thirties.
Beautiful light mocha complexion, with dark wavy hair and the blackest eyes
framed by lashes almost as long as Alex's. He smiled, and their dark corner lit
up.
"Good evening gentlemen. My name is Mark, and I'll be your server tonight.
Would you like to hear the chef's specials?"
"Sure," Alex turned an equally dazzling smile on the man.
The waiter recited the specials, every so often smiling in Fox's direction.
When he finished, Alex turned his attention to his lover, stroking his jaw.
"Does any of that sound good to you, baby?"
The corner of Fox's mouth twitched upward. "The Cajun shrimp and tenderloin
sounds interesting. I think I'll have that. Medium well on the steak, please."
"Very good." The waiter looked to Alex. "And you, sir?"
"I'll have the Pasta Primavera."
"Certainly. Would you like an appetizer?"
Alex's eyes flicked up and down his lover's body, turning the heat up a couple
of notches. "I'm...all set. How about you, lisa?"
Fox stared back, shaking his head.
"How about some wine?"
"Yeah, I'd like that."
Alex indicated his selection to the waiter, then dismissed him. He watched the
man walk away, and turned back to Fox. "He'd do you in a second, if he could."
"What? The way he was smiling at you?"
"That was admiration...and envy. He was saying, 'Holy shit man, you're one
lucky dog. If you'd let me watch, I wouldn't say a word if you wanted to lay
that sweet thing down right here in this booth and fuck him raw."
Fox laughed softly. "You got all that from a few smiles, huh?"
"Yes, I did. And he was wondering if I might be willing to share."
"Uh huh. And what was your reply?"
"Number one, he'd never be able to handle you, and number two...no way in
hell." Alex's fingers swept across the swell of Fox's lower lip. "You're mine."
Fox smiled, capturing one fingertip between his teeth.
"Ah ah ah...remember what I said about you behaving."
"You started it," Fox pouted, releasing the finger from his mouth.
"What where we talking about before he showed up?"
"I believe you were telling me how much fun it would be to let me unzip your
pants and play with your cock while we had dinner..."
Alex shook his head, grinning. "Noooo, no. I know. I was asking you how work
was."
Fox shrugged. "Nothing new, really. Followed up on a few cases, pissed some
people off...oh. Oh, oh...Skinner wanted to see us this morning. He wants us in
on a case...four women in Florida...on-line friends apparently, all found dead
in front of their computers. They all seemed to be involved in the same fan
fiction writing group."
"Fan fiction?"
"Yeah. They write their own stories revolving around the characters in their
favorite television shows. This one in particular happened to be about a very
unlikely sexual relationship between two characters. They were all
participating in the same story at the same time...like a round robin.
"Uh....okaaaay.....and how is this an x-file?"
"Well...don't you find it strange that four women are all dead at the same time
in front of their computers while writing the same story?"
"I guess...wait...um....Florida?"
"Yeah. I gotta go out there day after tomorrow."
The temperature plunged.
"Oh."
Shit.
"I'm sorry, baby. I .."
"What for?" Alex forced his tone to be light. "This is nothing new. It's what
you do."
"I know, but I hadn't expected to have to go away so soon after..."
"Don't worry about me, lisa. I'll be fine." Alex pressed his lips together and
looked down at the table.
Way to fuck up an evening, Mulder.
"Alex..."
Before he could finish, Mark was back with the wine. He poured for Alex, waited
for his approval, then with another flash of white teeth, disappeared from
sight.
Alex picked up the bottle, filled Fox's glass, and topped his off. He returned
the bottle to the bucket, and stared down into his glass, absorbed in whatever
emotions were rolling through him.
Fox slid along the seat until their thighs touched. "Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"Cut it out, Fox. You have no reason to be sorry."
"I completely ruined the mood here..."
"I asked you about work, remember?" Alex lifted his own glass to Fox's lips,
letting him drink from it, then kissing him tenderly. I'm fine. I promise."
Alex put on a damn good show. No one watching would ever have guessed that
there was another thought in his mind other than having a wonderful evening
with his lover, but Fox knew better. Though Alex was sweet and attentive, the
mood that had been set earlier, had never been recaptured after the Florida
talk.
In the middle of their meal, the band for the evening took the stage and began
to play. Almost an hour later, Alex took Fox by the hand and tugged him up on
the dance floor.
Fox looked around on the way to their destination. The floor was already
three-quarters full, and while some of the couples were female, and even fewer
male-female, the majority was male. They found a space, and Alex drew Fox into
his arms. They rocked slowly together, arms wound around each other. Fox let
his head drop, resting his cheek on Alex's shoulder as the younger man slowly
caressed his back. He slid a hand down to the small of Alex's back, and rubbed
himself against the younger man's crotch, feeling the solid heat there. Alex
held him tighter, moaning into his hair. Fox raised his head and whispered into
his lover's ear.
"Alexei..."
Alex shuddered at the warm tickle. "Yeah, baby?"
"I need you." Fox licked a path around the outside curve of his ear.
"Please...take me home."
"N-now?"
"Right now," Fox whimpered, squirming against him.
Alex was dying. His cock was pounding. His head was pounding. The palms of
his hands were moist from sweat. Images of him ripping Fox's clothes off and
taking him in the back seat of the car flashed through his mind...then driving
home while Fox still lay in the back seat, naked except for the leather
strapping, and insane with frustration...dragging him through the
house...throwing him down on the bed and fucking him again, while he screamed
for mercy...it's what Fox had been wanting...what he'd all but got down on his
knees and begged for. Alex wanted it too. God, he wanted it so much.
Tonight.
Fox would still be feeling him all the way to Florida and back...
Wonder how long he'll have to be gone. Maybe Clyde and I could go with him.
Couple of days away would be nice.
A couple of days away? Away from what? You were dying to be home. Now you
want to go away? Come on, it's got nothing to do with getting away. You're
scared to be alone. Oh, you gotta be kidding me, you goddamn puss. Knock this
shit off. Nobody's gonna sneak in, in the middle of the night and abduct you.
What if I have the nightmare again and he isn't there?
Well then you can't kill him, can you?
Fox felt the tension drain from Alex's body, and it wasn't a good thing.
Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Now what?
"Baby?"
Alex drew back, giving Fox a tiny smile. "Come on," he said softly, "let's go
home."
The ride home was a relatively silent one. Fox sat close to Alex, touching
and nuzzling him, but was unable to re-ignite the fire he'd started earlier.
Alex pulled into the garage and both men alighted from the car. Instead of
stumbling into the house, tearing each other's clothes off, they walked slowly,
holding hands all the way into the bedroom. Clyde followed close behind,
wagging and whining.
"He must need to go out." Fox turned and walked back toward the door. "I'll be
right back. Come on, Clyde."
Alex nodded, watched Fox disappear into the hall, then removed his jacket and
the rest of his clothing. He walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on,
waiting until the water was warm enough, then stepped inside. He poured a
generous amount of bath gel into the sponge, and began to wash. His eyes closed
as he rubbed the sponge across his chest, brushing the tight nipples. His body
was still sensitive from his earlier arousal, and the sponge on his skin felt
like...Fox's tongue. No....not true. Nothing felt like his Fox's tongue...
Fox walked back into the bedroom, hearing the shower. He stood quietly
listening, not sure what he should do now. Seconds later, he sat heavily in one
of the two chairs by the window. He closed his eyes, focusing on the throbbing
of his cock beneath the black material of his pants.
Jesus...well, this didn't exactly turn out the way you expected, did it?
Alex turned the shower off and dried himself. He groaned softly as the towel
grazed his still rigid cock. He glanced toward the door, hoping that Fox would
have joined him in the shower, but wasn't exactly shocked when he didn't. God,
he hated himself. Fox had gone to so much trouble to make this evening special,
and he just fucked it all up. He had to fix it, he had to make it better,
somehow. He finished drying off and walked naked into the bedroom. He looked
around, frowning until he found what he was looking for.
Fox. Slouched in the chair by the window...asleep.
Alex crouched beside the chair, and his presence startled the other man awake.
He laid a hand on Fox's knee and rubbed it gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered
his apology.
Fox blinked down at him, not missing the fact that he was very much naked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"You're tired."
"I'm okay." Fox stared at him hopefully.
Alex studied him, reading the expression in his eyes. He shifted to his knees,
leaned forward, and touched his fingers to the front of Fox's shirt.
Fox's eyes remained glued to his lover's face as he felt the first button give.
The breath escaped past his lips in a soft hiss as the second button was
undone, and his cock came back to rigid attention.
Alex saw Fox's eyes go smoky, and his hand slipped inside the partially
unbuttoned shirt, caressing his heated skin. His fingertips brushed over a
hardening nipple, sending a tiny shudder through Fox's body. His other hand
joined the first, now teasing both nipples simultaneously.
Fox's neck arched, pushing his head back into the chair's cushion, and he
was breathing heavily now, laboring for each breath. Unable to get any
intelligible sound from his throat, he mouthed Alex's name, making a silent
plea to his lover. But if only Alex would listen, he'd be able to hear his cock
screaming it loud and clear.
Alex's hands left Fox's chest, and slid down the open edges of his shirt. When
he'd reached the part where the material was still joined by buttons, his eyes
rose to meet those of his suffering lover. His fingers tightened in the
material and he wrenched the shirt open, popping the last few buttons, and
yanking the shirt out of the waistband of Fox's pants.
The older man's hands tightened on the arms of the chair, and he gasped loudly,
involuntarily arching up a few inches off of the seat.
Alex gripped Fox's hips, pushing him back down, then went to work on his pants.
Once he had the zipper down, he pulled the pants off, flinging them over the
other chair. He continued to remove each article of clothing until Fox sat,
sprawled naked before him with only the cock straps and chain in place.
"Beautiful," he murmured, bending to place a soft kiss at the swollen tip. He
unhooked the chain, and slid it through the ring on the first strap. He wrapped
the fine metal around his hand, then drew it down Fox's chest, scraping it over
his already sensitive nipples. The older man's body convulsed, and an
abbreviated groan rose into the air. His eyes rose to Fox's face just in time
to see that he was mouthing something else. "What? What is it, lisa?" he
whispered.
"H..hard...harder..."
Alex complied, pressing he chain-wrapped hand down on Fox's chest, and dragging
it slowly over and around both nipples. Fox twisted and moaned in his chair,
incredibly aroused by the simple action.
"You like that, baby?" Alex gasped, now rising to meet Fox's level of
excitement.
The older man nodded, still writhing from the continuous contact.
Alex loosened his grasp on the chain, letting it uncoil. He drew it up Fox's
chest, and around his neck, securing the clasp to one of the links, effectively
forming a collar. He rose to his feet, tugging on the chain. Fox got up and
Alex led him over to the bed. Just as he was about to give his first verbal
order, a muffled ringing pierced the air. It was Fox's phone, meaning that it
was business, and couldn't be ignored.
"No," Fox whimpered, "No, no, no, no..."
Alex tilted his head back, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He snatched Fox's
pants up off of the chair, pulled the phone out, and handed it to him. Fox took
the phone and jerked it to his ear.
"What?"
"Jeez, Mulder, what if it wasn't me?"
"Scully," he rasped through gritted teeth. "What is it?"
"Are you busy?"
"Very."
"God, Mulder, I'm sorry. Listen, don't kill the messenger, but Skinner couldn't
get in touch with you, so he called me a little while ago. There's been an
unexpected development on that case in Florida. He wants us out there, asap."
"Scully..." Fox glanced quickly at Alex then away. "...tell me you're
kidding..."
Alex let the chain drop from his hand and he fell onto the bed, pulling himself
back against the pillows. He waited quietly for the bad news.
"I'm sorry, I wish I were. I've booked us a couple of tickets. Our flight
leaves in two hours."
"All right," he said softly. "I'll uh...I'll pick you up in an hour."
"Mulder, I really am sorry."
"Not your fault."
Fox disconnected, and let the phone drop from his limp hand, onto the bed. The
other hand unhooked the chain, and let that too, drop. "Alex..."
"I know," The subdued voice came from the head of the bed, "you have to go."
Fox nodded, gazing sightlessly at the window. "I'm..." He paused, attempting to
control his breathing. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right," the voice sounded again, this time closer. Fox turned into
it. Alex began to gently unbuckle the straps still secured around his cock.
"I'd repacked your bag after the last time. All you have to do is throw your
suits and shoes into the garment bag, and you're off."
Fox closed his eyes, battling the buildup of frustration, and at the same time,
losing himself in the sensation of Alex's fingers moving over his swollen cock.
"Takes twenty minutes to drive from here to Scully's. Five minutes to pack the
garment bag, ten minutes to shower and dress...." His eyes opened and focused
on Alex. "That still gives us twenty-five minutes."
Alex unbuckled the last strap, and removed it. He dropped the leather down next
to Fox's cell phone, and stared at the older man.
Fox wrapped an arm around his kneeling lover's waist, and pulled him forward.
His mouth clamped down on Alex's, and he lowered them both to the mattress.
Alex clung desperately to his lover, never wanting to let him go, though he
knew he must. He opened his mouth to Fox, offering the warm interior.
Fox immediately accepted the overture plunged inside, scouring the moist
recesses, and provoking Alex's tongue into a sensuous duel. He manuevered Alex
over to the right, never releasing his mouth while he rumaged in the nightstand
drawer for the lube. He quickly produced the tube, slicked up his cock, and
pulled Alex's legs up and back. He positioned his cock and pushed in gently,
pulling a long moan from his lover. Once he was deeply embedded in Alex's ass,
he began to move, thrusting slowly as he wrapped his hand around his cock.
"God, baby, you feel so good," Fox whispered as he continued to move. "I
don't...I..." His words faded into a harsh groan as Alex's muscles contracted
around him. He tightened his grip, pumping his lover's cock harder and faster,
his hips adhering to the same rhythm as Alex whimpered and dug his fingers into
his back.
Harder...oh God, baby, make me feel it.
Alex had no right to ask it out loud. This was supposed to be Fox's night...
"Ah...oh...Fox...." Alex bucked beneath his lover as he increased the
strength of his thrusts, now slamming steadily into him. He gritted his teeth,
growling deep in his throat as the friction on his cock also increased.
"Come on, baby," Fox grated into his ear, "I can't hold it..."
And he couldn't.
Seconds later, Fox threw his head back and his harsh sobs echoed through the
room. Alex immediately followed, shaking violently with the effort it took to
choke back his screams of pleasure.
Fox fell onto Alex's heaving chest, feeling the slick evidence of his lover's
explosion now coat his own skin. He tucked his hands under Alex's back, hugging
the younger man to him. "I don't want to leave you," he murmured into the
shoulder beneath his cheek.
Alex stroked the damp skin, loving the feel of Fox's muscles contract and relax
under his touch. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back,
not wanting Fox to leave thinking that he was upset. He took a deep breath,
kissed the golden-brown head, and suggested that Fox get into the shower before
time ran out.
Fox nodded, gently disengaged himself, and pulled himself to his feet. Alex
shooed him off in the direction of the bathroom, then went to the closet to
pull out the suits and shoes. Less than ten minutes later, Fox emerged from the
shower, and changed into the clothes that Alex had laid out for him.
"Are you all right? Maybe I should drive you," Alex suggested, thinking about
the fact that Fox had had next to nothing for sleep the night before.
"I'm fine," Fox promised. "I'll let Scully drive to the airport, okay?"
"Okay."
The older man approached, threading his fingers through Alex's hair. "What
about you?"
"Me?"
"You gonna be okay?"
"Fine. Just go and do what you have to do."
Fox hesitated, massaging the back of his lover's head. "You don't know how I
hate this."
"This is no different than any other time you've had to go out of town. Just
kiss me, tell me you'll miss me, and go."
He was trying to make it easier. Fox knew he was unhappy, and though it showed
all over his face, he'd be damned if he'd admit to it.
"I love you."
Alex smiled and leaned forward for a kiss. "I love you, lisa. Call me as soon
as you get there, okay?"
"It'll be late..."
"I don't care. You call me."
"Okay."
"Now go on. You're all packed and ready."
Fox nodded and hesitated. His eyes searched his lover's, then pulled him in for
one more long kiss. When they finally parted, Fox picked up his two bags and
left he bedroom without looking back.
Alex stood motionless until he heard the door open and close, then Fox's car
start and drive up the street. When silence descended again, he glanced warily
around the room, then crawled into bed. He pulled the sheet up around his
chest, drew Fox's pillow under his head, and closed his eyes.
Scully looked into the miserable face of her partner as he unlocked the trunk
for her bag.
"Maybe you should have taken some more time off, Mulder. You're apparently not
ready..."
"I'm okay."
"You sure as hell don't look okay. And I'm willing to bet that if you're not
okay, Alex isn't okay."
"Things are just a bit tense because this is my first time away after all that
shit. Things will get back to normal, soon."
"Give me the keys. I'll drive."
"I was going to ask you to, anyway. I promised Alex."
"Haven't you been sleeping?"
"Not much last night."
They got into the car, and headed for the airport. A few minutes into the
drive, Scully glanced over at her partner who was staring out the window,
instead of resting.
"So, what were you so agitated about when I called?"
Fox sighed heavily. "It was just a really bad time for interruptions."
Scully wrinkled her nose. "Oh. I gotcha. God, Mulder, I'm really sorry."
Fox nodded, still staring out the window, watching what should have been an
earthshattering night pass him by...
Alex's eyes snapped open, and darted frantically around the dark room. His
breath rushed back into his lungs as he realized that he was home in his own
bed.
Alone.
Stop it. The world isn't going to come to a screeching halt because you've
got a problem.
Alex checked the clock, did some quick calculating, and figured it would be
at least another hour before Fox called him.
Go to sleep.
He closed his eyes, but opened them again, minutes later when he thought he
heard something. He sat up, peering into the darkness. Clyde's head came up
too, but only after his had. The dog looked at him for a few seconds, then
lowered his head again to the floor.
Okay....Clyde didn't hear anything, so there's nothing there.
But still, he got up.
He walked around the house, looking out windows, checking locks, and on his way
back to the bed, he stopped.
Oh, come on. You're not.
Sure he was.
Alex turned in the direction of the closet, and pulled a small metal box down
off the top shelf. He unlocked the box, and pulled his gun out. He stared at
the weapon for what seemed like an eternity, then, loaded in the clip, took the
gun back to bed with him, and shoved it under his pillow. He closed his eyes
and soon after, drifted into sleep.
Fox trudged into his motel room and looked around.
Fuck.
"How much does this suck?"
He dropped his suitcase down beside the room's only chair, hung up his
garment bag, and flopped down across the bed. He picked up the phone and dialed
home. The phone rang only twice before it was picked up and a husky voice said
hello.
"Hi," Fox said softly.
"Hi."
"Sorry I woke you."
"S'okay. I wanted you to call, remember? What time is it?"
"Two-twelve."
"Mmm...just get in?"
"Just this minute."
"You'd better get to sleep..."
"Alex."
"Yeah?"
"I'm...you okay?"
"...Yeah....I..."
"You what?"
"Nothing."
"Baby...tell me."
Don't do this to him. Don't make him afraid to go out and do his job.
"Nothing. I was just going to say that I was fine. Everything is fine."
"You don't sound fine. Are you sure?"
Don't you fucking do it.
"Positive. It's just that I've been asleep. Now go on. You need some rest."
"All right. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah....love you."
"I love you, Alexei. Goodnight."
"...Goodnight."
Fox dropped the phone into the cradle, and rolled onto his back. "God," he
whispered into the still air, "please don't let this case drag on and on."
Alex walked slowly, breathing in the fresh, summer air, turning his face up
to the sun every now and again. It felt good. Alex likened the sensation to the
warmth he felt when his Fox smiled at him.
Christ, he missed him.
Not even a full day yet, and...
"Hi, Alex!"
Alex jerked himself back from his musings. "Hi, Mitchell. How you been?"
"Good."
Clyde bounded up, and the boy scratched his head and under his chin. "Hi
Clyde." He turned his attention back to Alex. "How 'bout you? I haven't seen
you around. I was hopin' you weren't sick or anything."
"No, I'm fine. Just been hanging around the house a lot...resting..."
"Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"They didn't hurt you, did they? I heard my mother talkin' to Robbie's mother
on the phone. And she said that Mrs. Kilgore down the street said that you were
in the hospital."
Alex released a long sigh. "Umm...yeah, Mitchell. I was in he hospital...but
just for a very little while."
"S-so they did hurt you?"
"...Yeah." He held out his arms, turning around and around as they walked. "But
I'm fine. See?"
The little boy nodded, then jumped on to the next subject. "Mulder at work?"
"Yeah, he's working."
"You guys gonna be around later? I heard Mom say that she wanted to let a week
or so go by before she came to see you...let you rest, I guess, and she was
thinkin' about callin' you tonight."
"Well, I'll be home, but Mulder is working out of town."
The boy's eyes widened. "On a case?"
"Yeah."
"Cool. How long?"
"Don't know. I'm hoping he'll be able to tell me that when he calls tonight."
"Tell him I said hi when you talk to him, okay?"
"Will do."
"'Kay, I gotta go. Mom told me to be home at four-thirty."
Alex checked his watch. "It's uh....four-fortyeight."
"Okay, I gotta go. I'll see you later!"
Alex waved to the boy as he ran off toward his house. He walked up to the
house, opened the door, and he and Clyde disappeared inside.
"Hey, baby."
"Hi."
Fox stretched out on the bed, loosening his tie. "I've been thinking about you
all day."
"Makes two of us, cause I've been thinking about you all day. How's it
going?"
"Not as well as I'd like it to."
Soft sigh. "I know what that means."
"You know I'll be home just as soon as I can."
"I know."
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Just missing you....uh... Anne Mitchell stopped by today."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, she said she didn't want to come rushing right over here when I first
got home, but she wanted me to know that she was glad I was back and that I was
okay. And she heard I was alone for a few days, so she brought over some
food...actually, a lot of food. She didn't want me to have to cook for myself."
"That was nice of her. We've got some good neighbors."
"We do."
A brief silence descended, then Fox asked what he'd been dreading to ask. "How
did you sleep last night?"
"Okay."
"No dreams or anything?"
"No. Took me a little while to get back to sleep after you called, but when I
did, I was out until eight this morning."
"Not that long."
"Longer than you."
"True."
"Are you in for the night?"
"Unless I get called out, yeah."
"Then get some sleep."
"You don't want to talk to me anymore?"
Alex closed his eyes and whispered into the phone, "Of course I do. But I don't
want you stumbling around, exhausted. Not in the field. Promise me you'll go to
sleep right now."
"Okay, I promise."
"All right. Love you."
"Love you, too."
"Goodnight, lisa."
"Goodnight, babe."
Alex hung up then toured the house, checking the windows and doors. After a
warm, relaxing shower, he dropped into bed, and fell asleep less than fifteen
minutes later.
Mmmmmm.....
That good, baby?
Yes, oh, yes, Fox...more...
Crack
Shit...no...
Yes.
Fox, he's here. Come back!
Crack
You're mine, Alexei.
Stop it. You're dead.
Am I? I'm here, aren't I?
No. It's just a dream.
Crack
Ah...stop..God, stop...
Hurts an awful lot for a dream, doesn't it?
I'll kill you, motherfucker.
Oh, please, darling. You tried and failed.
Not this time. I'll shoot you right between your eyes.
You can try...
Alex sat bolt upright, gun pulled from beneath his pillow, poised for use. He
blinked, trying to focus in the darkness.
Nothing.
He was dreaming.
Shit.
He sat, head resting on bent knees for a brief time. When he was breathing
easier, he tucked his weapon back under the pillow, and lowered himself to the
mattress. He stared up at the ceiling for two hours before sleep returned for
him.
"You figure out what it is, yet?"
Scully looked up at her partner who was just coming through the lab doors.
"I've just completed the second autopsy, Mulder, and I can't find anything
amiss so far. No wounds, no toxins in the blood...no evidence of trauma of any
kind. I'm baffled."
"Keep looking. There's got to be something."
"Yes, but what?"
"I don't know. Something killed these women. Call me if you come up with
anything."
"Where are you going?"
"Going to try and find out who or what...if anything, these four women had in
common...I'll see you later."
"Hello?"
"Hey."
One corner of Alex's mouth slanted upward. "Didn't expect to hear from you so
early."
"Oh....sorry...am I interrupting something? Your boyfriend over?"
Alex grunted. "Yeah, I was just getting ready to lick the grape jelly off of
him when you rang."
Fox laughed softly. "Want me to let you get back to it?"
"Nah, that's okay, he can wait....so...how come you're calling me in the middle
of the day?"
"I'm on my way back to the lab to find Scully, and I thought I'd call. I wanted
to hear your voice."
Alex's jaw tightened. "Doesn't sound like you're coming home today..."
"No. I'm sorry, babe."
"You haven't found anything at all?"
"Not yet. I've visited their jobs, their families and friends...I can't find
anything in common."
"Aside from the fact that they all had the same hobby."
"Right."
"Autopsies show nothing?"
"Not that Scully can see, so far."
Alex sighed. "Nothing is ever easy, is it?"
"I'm easy..."
The younger man couldn't stifle the laugh. "That, I knew."
"Only for you, baby."
Alex groaned softly. "Always a good thing to hear."
"Listen, I gotta get going, but before I do...how are you? Did you sleep okay?"
"I'm all right. I only woke up once."
"Nightmare?"
"No." Too quick.
"Alex..."
"What?"
Fox released a soft breath. "I'll...I'll talk to you tonight."
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
"Bye, babe." Fox hung up and headed back out to the lab. He drove the six mile
distance, willing himself to concentrate on the case at hand rather than the
beautiful, Green Eyed bundle of confusion that he loved more than life.
An impossible task.
He'd bet a week's pay that Alex had had another dream last night. He knew
that tone...had spent three years now, learning to decipher all the different
pitches, pauses and inflections, and he was damn good at it. Maybe he'd be able
to get him to talk about it, tonight.
And maybe Cancerman would become a Boy Scout troup leader.
If he was home, he'd be able to get him to talk, but not from this far away.
Alex wouldn't want to worry him, especially while he was on a case. Fox
resigned himself to that fact, and pulled into the parking lot.
Scully was in the middle of the last autopsy when he walked in.
"Any leads?"
"Nada."
"Well, I may have one...or maybe I'm grasping at straws...I don't know."
Fox stepped closer. "What is it?"
"It would seem that the endorphin levels in all three of the previous bodies
was higher than normal."
"Doesn't the body release endorphins in reponse to pain?"
"Yes."
"Yet you found no evidence of stress or trauma."
"None. But when I say higher than normal, Mulder, I'm talking off the scale.
I've never seen anything like it."
"So you're saying these women, what? OD'ed? Is that possible?"
"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?."
"Okay, assuming this is what happened...what caused such a massive chemical
release?"
"I don't know."
"Want to hear my idea?"
"God, not really, but I'm sure that won't stop you. Listen, I'm just about done
with this examination. Why don't we get out of here and get something to eat? I
need a break. You can entertain me while we eat."
"You're coming back?"
"Yeah, there are a few more tests I'd like to run."
"Oh....all right." Fox prowled around the room for a short while, then took a
seat and waited quietly for his partner to finish. Finally, she pulled her
gloves and cap off, and turned to him.
"No different than the rest."
Fox rolled his eyes up into his head and his lids dropped over them.
"Come on," Scully tapped his shoulder as she passed him. "Let eat. I'm
starved."
Alex picked up the phone on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Me, again."
"Done for the day?"
"Yeah. Scully is back at the lab, running a few more tests before we throw it
in."
"You mean you'll be home tomorrow?"
"I don't see why not, unless these tests show us something new. I don't think
she expects to find anything more, though...just being thorough."
"So the case isn't solved?"
"For the record, no."
"What do you think?"
"They may all have been abducted at one time. Their systems manipulated
somehow...programmed to release an excess of endorphins at a certain time..."
"An excess of endorphins killed them?"
"So it would appear. It's all we've got."
"For what purpose?"
"I don't know. Some type of experiment. One among the many these assholes
conduct." Fox stretched out on the twin bed. "Forget about that. It'll never
make it into any report, so....how are you today?"
"I'm all right. You?"
"Lonely. The bed is so cold..."
"You're in Florida."
"Work with me, Alex."
"Oh. Sorry. Yeah? My poor baby. It's lonely here, too. I miss feeling your
arms around me. And the taste of your mouth..."
Fox breathed audibly into the phone. "What else?"
"You know that sound you just made? It feels so good when you do that in my
ear. Sometimes I think that if you did it long enough, I could come from that
alone."
"Remind me to try it sometime."
"I'll do that....what are you doing?"
"Lying on the bed...talking to you...getting incredibly turned on."
There was a brief silence, then Alex's voice wafted over the line toward Fox's
ear, blanketing him like a fine summer mist.
"Get undressed, lisa."
Fox grinned lazily. "Why?"
"Because I want you to."
Fox reached for his tie, loosening the knot, and slipping it over his head.
He then went to work on his shirt, methodically undoing button after button.
"Are you undressing?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"Already am."
"Oh?"
"Been in bed for about half an hour."
"Why so early?"
"I was waiting for you to call."
"Oh, so you planned to seduce me tonight."
"Is that all right?"
"You need to ask?"
"....Are all your clothes off, yet?"
"Yeah."
"Are you hard?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Good. Close your eyes."
"Way ahead of you."
"Kiss me, Fox....your mouth is so soft. And it's sweet, and beautiful, and
your tongue...oh, God, it's sliding in and out...like you're fucking my mouth
with it."
"I am. I'm showing you what I want to do to your ass...what I want you to do to
mine...do you want to fuck me, Alex?"
"More than I want to breathe."
"Put your hand on my chest. You feel that?"
"Your heart is pounding."
"Yeah. I want you so much, Alex. "
"Mmm...tilt your head, baby. I want to find the pulse in your throat..." Alex
fought to suppress the sudden image of seeing his hands wrapped around his
lover's neck. "It..." he took a deep breath and continued, "...it feels so
strong against my tongue. There's a faint taste of salt on your skin..."
Fox writhed on his bed, absently stroking his own chest. "Because you make me
sweat."
"I want to bite you, baby. I want to suck your skin into my mouth and mark
you."
"Do it."
"But it's hard to control myself sometimes. I'm afraid I'll hurt you...but you
just make me so crazy..."
"I don't want you in control, baby. I want to feel you everywhere. Come on,
hurt me..."
Alex growled into the phone. "Fox..."
Fox continued, intentionally working his lover into a frenzy. "Do it, Alex.
Bite me harder...leave bruises wherever you touch me. I'm yours, baby. Never
let me forget it..."
Alex arched and twisted, one hand clenched tightly in his hair. "Lisa...oh,
God, I wish you were here."
"Would you love me the way I'm asking you to?"
Soft hiss. "Yes..."
"Would you fuck me until I scream, and then fuck me some more?"
"Christ, baby, I'll fuck you right through the mattress," Alex gasped, "I'll
fuck you until you can't scream...until you can't walk..."
"Promise me."
"Promise...I promise. Oh God, Fox, I can't stand it."
"I feel the same way, but this is too good. Lick the sweat off my chest,
Alex...God, your tongue is so soft. I can...I can feel it moving down...so
slow...I'm waiting...please, baby..."
Alex took two deep breaths before he spoke. "Your nipples are conracting. Every
time my tongue passes a little closer, they tighten more..."
"Touch them, Alex..." Fox's fingers brushed the tip of one brown peak. "Oh,
that's good..."
"I love the feel of them on my tongue...so hard...I want to suck them..."
"Oh yeah, baby. Suck them....harder...m-mmm....bite them, Alex.." Fox pinched
his nipples, twisting and pulling them, crying out into the phone.
"That hurt, baby?"
"Yes," Fox gasped softly.
"Good. Now, if you want me to continue, you've got to earn it. Touch me,
baby...show me how much you want me."
Fox released his reddened nipples, stroking and soothing them, bringing his
excitement down a notch. "I'm...I'm lifting my head from the pillow...trying to
reach you...my tongue finds the hollow at the base of your throat. You taste so
good. I want to lick every inch of you..."
"I'll hold you to that when you get home. But for now, there's only about seven
inches of me I want you to lick...right now. And make it good, or this is
done."
Fox whimpered. "No....I...I'm rolling over...on top of you, now, kissing
you...kissing you...your mouth, it's so...but you're pulling away..."
"I told you where I want your mouth, Fox."
"I'm moving down...licking your throat, nipping at the skin. I can feel your
heart as I move over your chest. I feel it pounding before my mouth ever
touches the skin there. My tongue is sliding back and forth between your
nipples, licking them, first one, then the other. I'm nipping at them..."
Alex blew out an unsteady breath.
"Is that good?"
"You know I like that, baby. But my cock needs some attention, now."
"I'm moving again, down...I'm rubbing against your cock as I go. It feels so
hot against my skin. I'm sliding lower, kissing and licking...I can smell you
now, and it's making me so hard. I can feel the tip brushing against my
chin..."
"Kiss it, Fox."
"I'm wrapping my hand around the base to keep you steady, and kissing gently
along the shaft, up to the head. Your skin is like warm velvet on my mouth..."
Alex lay sprawled on their bed, lazily stroking himself, catching the bead of
fluid at the tip of his cock with his finger, and spreading it over the head.
"I love the feel of your lips on me, lisa..I love...love to see your face when
you're sucking my cock. You enjoy it so much..."
"I do. I can't get enough of you. I'm licking the head. The tip...it's salty
and bitter...I want more."
"Yeah?"
"Oh, yeah...please..."
"Work for it, baby."
"I'm sucking your cock into my mouth. I can feel it hit the back of my throat,
just before I draw back and stop. Just the head is in my mouth now. My tongue
is sliding over it...searching the slit..."
Alex arched his back, continuing to caress his cock gently. "Come on, baby.
Suck me..."
Four states away, his lover did the same. "I'm...God, I'm sliding back down
over you...relaxing my throat...I want you in as deep as you can go...I'm
sucking...easy at first, then harder. You're moaning and twisting under me. I
can feel your fingers closing in my hair, holding me still, and you start to
move..."
"Oh Jesus, Fox, I don't...I'm...bucking into your mouth. Harder and faster,
and...shit...oh, God."
"You need...need to come, don't you?" Fox panted.
"Yes."
"Me too. Let's come, baby. Wrap your hand around your cock and think about
being in my ass."
Alex followed Fox's instructions, and gritted his teeth while he began to work
his cock, slowly at first, then with increased fervor. "I pull you off of me by
your hair and drag you up to my chest. My mouth finds yours and I'm kissing you
hard. I taste myself in your mouth. It's about all I can take. Come on, baby,
ride me. Oh, that's it. I can...can feel you, lisa...sliding down over me until
I'm buried so deep inside you. I need to feel you under me...I'm...rolling you
onto your back. I slip halfway out, but I push back in as far as I can. Pull
out, then right back in..."
"I'm squeezing you, Alex, every time you pull back. You feel so good...so good
inside me..."
"Oh, yeah, squeeze me...you're so warm and silky..."
Fox moved his fist rapidly, up and down his swollen shaft, unable to hold back
anymore. His desperately whispered words set the pace. "You're slamming into me
now, so hard that the bed is shaking. It hurts, baby...Jesus, it hurts,
and...and it feels so good, and I never..never want you to stop."
"My beautiful....Fox....look at me...want to see...see your eyes when
you...ah...shit...Fox, I'm..."
Alex's hoarse cries resonated in Fox's ear, and then Fox let go, emitting loud,
choking sobs as he came over his fist and stomach.
Aside from the double effort to control their insurgent breathing, the two men
were now silent.
Alex grimaced, removing his sticky hand from his spent cock. He let it drop to
his side on the mattress, and sighed into the phone. "Tomorrow's such a long
way off."
Fox's lips trembled into a partial smile. "You mean that won't hold you till
then? A very soft laugh was his only reply. His body wiggled slightly, making
itself more comfortable, and his fingers unwound from his shrinking cock.
"Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"That was good, baby."
"But?"
"But...when I get home, I need..." Fox broke off in mid-sentence, hating how
selfish he sounded. Alex was still recovering, and... "I'm sorry," he murmured.
"I shouldn't..."
"Shouldn't what? Tell me that you've got needs? You've been so good to me,
lisa. So patient. Come home to me and let me make you happy."
"I don't want repayment, Alex. I love you, and the only thing I want from you
is for you to be okay."
"I'm fine. And believe me, it's as much for me as it is for you." A smile crept
into his voice. "You can't possibly think I'm that unselfish."
Fox grinned. "Silly me. What was I thinking?"
"It's okay, baby, I understand. You're tired."
"Yeah. Listen, speaking of which, why don't you get some sleep, now? I'm going
to check in with Scully, then turn in, myself. Sooner we get to sleep, the
sooner tomorrow will come."
"All right. Call me as soon as you have your flight information."
"I will. See you soon."
"I love you, lisa."
"I love you. Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Goodnight."
Alex disconnected and dropped the phone onto the nightstand. He lay there
for a few minutes, then got up and went into the bathroom. When he'd finished
cleaning himself up, he got back into bed, and curled up with Fox's pillows,
smiling contentedly.
In his motel room, Fox had just completed the same ritual that Alex had done.
He dropped onto his bed, and picked up the phone. Punching in Scully's number,
he waited for only two rings before she answered.
"Good timing, Mulder," his partner offered. "I was just on my way out the
door."
"Did those tests show anything?"
"Nothing. Which is really what I expected. Those four women were perfectly
fine...before they bought it, that is. We've gone as far as we can go with this
case. All that's left is to wrap it up with Chief Lopez, and I can do that."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not that late, Mulder. Why don't you see if you can get a flight out. Go
home. Surprise Alex. I can finish this up."
The thought of surprising Alex in bed sent a little thrill through Fox's body,
and even though he'd borught himself to orgasm not more than twenty minutes
ago, his cock began to stir.
"Really?"
"Absolutely. Call me back and let me know if you're leaving."
"I will. Give me a few minutes, okay?"
"All right, well, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes, so actually, you
could just wait until then."
"Right. See you in a few. Scully?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"No problem. I just know you're dying to get back to him."
"You know me well."
Fox hung up and immediately called out to the airport.
No...no, stop. Let me go.
Why, Alexei? Don't you like it?
No!
Oh, darling, give Matthew a chance. He so wants to please you...
Noooo....Fox...I want my Fox...
Forget about your Fox. You'll never see him again.
He'll come for me...no! God, stop, please, stop...I'm going to kill you, you
dirty son of a bitch!
Now, now, darling. Am I going to have to give you yet another lesson?
Don't touch me with that thing...
Fox pulled into the garage, smiling as he exited the car and walked into the
house. Clyde met him at the door, whining his usual greeting. He patted the
dog's head, and moved deftly through the dark house toward the bedroom. He
reached the door, and the smile fell from his face.
He heard Alex before he saw him...whimpering and crying out with rage,
struggling against a tormentor who no longer existed except in his dreams. He
dropped his bag by the door and rushed into the room, falling onto the bed
beside his stricken lover.
"Alex...baby...come on, wake up. You're dreaming..."
I'll kill...kill you, motherfucker.
Take your best shot, Alexei...
Fox froze as glassy dark eyes snapped open, and in an eyeblink, he was staring
down the barrel of a gun.
"Alex...wake up, baby..." He spoke slowly and softly, hoping to awake but not
agitate the sleeping man. "Justin Saint James is dead and gone. It's me you're
holding your gun on."
Fox? Where are you?
Fox isn't here. It's just you and me. Now aren't you going to try to kill me
again? Or should I say...him...
Fox searched Alex's eyes for some sign of recognition. Only blackness stared
back.
"Baby...it's me. It's Fox. I'm home. I came home because I missed you, and
I...and I love you. Please wake up and talk to me."
No...he understands. He knows I didn't mean to hurt him.
Oh, darling, of course he does.
Shut up.
He'll never want you back anyway, you know. Not after he sees the tape..not
after he sees how you came in Matthew's mouth...
He knows...he knows I didn't want it to happen. He knows I didn't mean...
Will he? I think not. But we shall see, shan't we? Unless of course, you kill
me first...
"Sweetheart, please..."
Fox?
I told you, he isn't here.
Fucking liar, I heard him. Fox? I'm s-sorry...I'm...I didn't mean it...
"I love you, Alex."
Forgive me, lisa. I love you so much.
"Please wake up and put the gun down..."
Come on, Alexei...kill me.
No.
No? And why not?
You're already dead. Fox killed you.
Haven't we already had a similar discussion?
Fox issued another soft, shaky plea. "Alex. Please..."
Do it, Alexei...
No.
After all I've done to you, you don't want revenge?
I've got my revenge. You're burning in hell, you sick bastard, and you won't
take me there with you.
Why not?
Because I love him more than I hate you.
Fox watched Alex's eyes close, then open part way. His gun hand began to
tremble, and Fox gently covered it with his own. He took the gun away with his
other hand, then pressed a kiss into Alex's perspiration-coated palm. "It's
okay," he whispered. "It's all right."
"Fox? What..." Alex blinked slowly, looking at his surroundings. "You're here."
"Yeah. I'm home."
"I..." he looked down at the gun. "God, what did I do. I almost shot you..."
"But you didn't." Fox stroked his damp brow. "Everything's fine."
"How...how can you say that? I almost killed you twice." Alex's chest heaved
as his respiration quickened to an alarming rate.
"Easy, baby." Fox moved over Alex, half covering the younger man's body with
his own. He pulled the sable head into his shoulder, and held Alex tightly.
Alex's hands clenched in his lover's shirt, gasping and shaking violently. "You
shouldn't...shouldn't be here."
"Scully suggested I catch a flight out tonight. She knew how much I missed
you..."
"No...you shouldn't...be here...."
"You're afraid you're going to hurt me."
Alex nodded. "I don't want to. I could've shot you, Fox. Oh, my God. Oh,
God..."
"Baby, stop. You're going to make yourself sick."
Alex attempted to push Fox away. "Get off me."
"Why?"
"If you won't go..."
"What? You're going to? Oh, hell no." Fox tightened his grip on the
tormented man. "Neither one of us is going anywhere. Just relax, okay? Then
we'll talk."
"How can you be so calm? I almost killed you...again."
"We'll talk about it when you're more rational. Now, breathe." Fox kissed
Alex's jaw, then his neck. He spoke in soft, soothing tones. "Slowly...in and
out...that's it, baby..."
Alex's body slumped, and his muscles began to unknot. His fingers again closed
in the front of Fox's shirt, gently this time, and he sighed into the material.
The trembling subsided, and his breathing began to return to normal.
"What are we going to do?"
"I think you did it."
"What d'you mean?"
"I don't think I woke you up, Alex. I think you did it yourself. Can you recall
any of the dream?"
Alex shuddered. "Every word."
"Can you summarize it for me?"
"Do I have to?"
"Please?"
"He..he was taunting me again. Doing the same things he did when I was at his
house, but..."
"But, what?"
"He kept trying to provoke me into killing him, but....he knew..he knew it was
you..I can't explain it..."
"I think I understand." Fox drew back a bit, and looked down into
glistening, dark eyes. "You said he provoked you?"
Alex nodded. "He just...he came right out and said it. He wanted me to kill
him...you..."
"What stopped you?"
Alex blinked, then turned his eyes back up to meet his lover's. "You did."
"Me? Did you hear me talking to you?"
"I could hear your voice, faintly. He kept saying that it wasn't you...that
you'd never want me again after...after..."
"It's all right," Fox murmured. "You know that isn't true."
"I know. Umm....wh-when I say it was you, I don't mean because I heard your
voice. I just...I guess what Scully said to me the other day must have
registered on some level. I stopped fighting him and thought about how much I
love you. Next thing I knew, I was looking up at you."
Fox smiled down at him. "See that? You did it all yourself. I think it's going
to be okay, sweetheart."
Alex hesitated, then raised a still shaky hand to his lover's face. "You
really think so?"
"Yeah, I do."
The younger man displayed a weak smile. "Why didn't you just take the gun from
me?"
Fox laughed softly. "We were this close. I didn't really want to risk a
struggle, you know?"
Alex closed his eyes and nodded.
"Umm...one other thing...why did you have your gun in bed with you?"
Alex shrugged. "Just felt better. More secure."
Fox opened the nightstand drawer, and placed the weapon inside. He returned his
attention to Alex, tilted his head up and grinned when his eyes reopened.
"So....aside from all that, aren't you glad to see me?"
Alex wrapped his arms around Fox's back and pulled him down. "God, you know I
am. Hurry up and get undressed and get under the sheet. I need to feel you
against me."
Fox pulled away from his lover, quickly shedding his clothes, and slipping
under the sheet. He wrapped Alex in his arms, kissing him again and again.
"What, no complaints about me throwing my clothes on the floor?"
"Not this time. Don't think you're gonna get away with it tomorrow, though."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Fox nuzzled the sable head tucked under his chin. "How
about you try to go back to sleep, now?"
Alex would have liked nothing better than to stay up and make love with Fox for
the rest of the night, but the stress of that nightmare and all that came
afterward, really had taken a lot out of him. He snuggled against Fox,
stringing tender kisses across his chest and shoulder. Within a short time,
silence descended on the room.
The feeling that he was being watched struck Fox long before he opened his
eyes. His lashes lifted, and the fuzzy visage of his lover appeared before him.
Alex lifted a hand to Fox's head, stroking over the surface of his hair. His
eyes wandered over the sleep softened features, taking in the temporary
blue-green shade of the half closed eyes, the flushed complexion...those
exquisitely swollen lips...and he smiled, feeling right for the first time in
over two weeks.
Fox blinked up at Alex, giving him a sleepy grin. "I'm still alive?"
"Shut up."
The older man rolled onto his back, executing a lazy stretch, and issuing a
challenge. "Shut me up."
Alex pounced on him in an instant, growling as he took Fox's mouth in
ravenous kiss. Seconds later his lips gentled, now merely whispering across his
lover's, raising more than a few sighs. Fox arched up against him, pressing his
rapidly swelling erection into Alex's, and finding that his partner was in the
same condition.
"Alexei..."
Alex lifted his head, kissed the tip of Fox's nose, then rested his head in his
hand. "Don't kill me, okay?"
Fox's eyebrows drew down into a frown, but he said nothing, allowing Alex to
continue.
"Even though you're lounging around here like a man with nothing to do, I'm
willing to bet that you're going to be going in to the office at some point
today."
"Well, yeah, I should."
"Right. But...tomorrow's Saturday."
"Yeah..."
"That means today is Friday."
"Very good, Alex."
Alex shifted, gently smacking his lover's forehead with the tips of his
fingers. "Would you listen?"
"It's hard to concentrate on what you're saying when your cock is digging into
my stomach..."
"Fine, I'll just..." Alex attempted to lift himself off of Fox's chest, but
the other man held him in place.
"Come on, I'll behave. What were you going to say?"
"I was going to say, that I'd really like to wait until tonight...give me a
little time to plan something..." The left corner of his mouth twitched.
"...special."
Fox chewed on his lower lip. "Special?"
Alex rubbed the tips of their noses together. "Yeah."
"I uh..." he stopped to clear his throat, "I guess I could wait for that."
"You know, I sorta figured you could. Come on, let's get up."
"I'm about as up as I can get. What do you think about..." Fox's hand
slipped between their bodies, and stroked Alex's stony erection. "..taking a
little bit of that edge off..."
Alex reached down, grasping his wrist, and pulling it away. "Oh, no. I want
that edge."
Fox's eyes darkened, and a lascivious grin curved his lips. "All right," he
said softly, "it's your show."
Alex teased his lips once more before rising to his feet, and pulling him along
into the bathroom. He released Fox's hand to reach into the shower and turn on
the water. When it was warm enough, he stepped inside, pulling Fox after him.
He handed the loofah and the shower wash to the other man.
"Wash me."
As Fox moved to do as he asked, Alex flattened a hand on his chest, momentarily
stopping him. "No teasing."
Fox gave him his most tantalizing pout. "Not even a little?"
Alex shook his head slowly.
"Alex..."
"My show."
Grudgingly, Fox followed his instructions, and even though he kept his touches
as innocent as possible, he noticed Alex becoming more and more aroused. When
he'd finally washed everything he could, and could no longer avoid the
inevitable, his hand moved to Alex's groin. He carefully washed the area,
drawing his hand slowly down the shaft, gripping it at the base, and gently
pulling his fist up to the head, and away. His eyes rose to Alex's face,
observing look of rapture that had washed over it. He moved to repeat the
action, but the younger man's hand clamped around his, and wrenched it away.
The dark lashes lifted, and a forest green gaze was leveled on him.
"Your turn."
Alex took the loofah from Fox, squeezing a generous amount of the thick, silky
liquid into it. The older man's eyes drifted shut as Alex worked the sponge
across his chest and shoulders, building a rich lather. When he'd finished with
the front upper half of Fox's body, Alex turned him around and started on his
back. His hand moved purposefully in smooth, firm strokes, massaging and
cleansing.
Fox's soft sigh was drowned out by the running water, but the tightening of
his body was not overlooked by his lover. Alex moved closer, pressing himself
into Fox's back, and caressing his lower body with the sponge.
"Baby," Fox grated, his hips jerking into Alex's hand, "please..."
Alex said nothing. He only took his hand away, sliding it around to Fox's ass,
sliding the sponge back and forth between the muscular cheeks.
"Alex..."
"Mmmm. There you go, lisa. Nice and clean." He ignored the older man's harsh
groan, turning him around. He met the glazed, hazel eyes, smiling sweetly. "You
rinse off now. I'll wait for you in the bedroom." Alex gave his ass a quick
squeeze, and stepped out of the tub.
"God," Fox moaned, turning the temperature control a bit to the left, making
the water a bit cooler. He rinsed off, dried himself, and entered the bedroom
where Alex was indeed waiting for him. The younger man was dressed in his
customary worn jeans, and a sage green shirt, and he wore a most devious little
grin.
"Got your suit all ready for you."
Fox eyed him suspicously. "Yeah....thanks."
Alex tucked his hand inside the towel that Fox had wrapped around his waist,
and pulled him toward the bed. "I'll dress you."
"That's...real sweet, but...I think I can handle that myself."
One dark eyebrow arched upward. "My show."
"Sorry...forgot. But baby, you're killing me..."
Alex leaned in close, brushing Fox's mouth with his own. "It'll be worth the
torture. I promise. Here," he reached down to the bed, picking up the white
undershirt and pulling it over Fox's head. Next, he held the gray shirt while
Fox slipped into it. "And..."
Fox's eyes narrowed.
Oh, God. Here it comes...
Alex pulled his favorite piece of attire out from under the perfectly pressed
trousers, letting it swing from his index finger.
"Alex...you don't expect me to wear that to work."
"I don't?"
"You can't! I can't walk around the Hoover Building with this thing on..."
"Who's going to know?"
"Me!"
"And this is a bad thing?"
"For me, yeah!"
Alex drew his tongue along the older man's jaw. "How bad?"
"Really bad. Alex, please. You can't do this to me."
Alex hesitated, pretending to be thinking about it. His eyes dropped back to
Fox's face, and the other man knew he was trouble.
"Yeah...yeah, I can." He pulled the towel from around Fox's waist, revealing a
very impressive hard-on. He offered his lover a cocky smirk. "Oooh. Nice." He
wrapped his hand around Fox's erection, holding him steady, while he fastened
on the leather strapping.
Fox twitched and moaned while Alex worked, and when he was done, pleaded once
more with the younger man for mercy.
"Baby, please. I'll do anything for you. Anything. Just please, don't make
me wear this to work."
Alex slipped the chain through the ring on the first strap, and secured it
around Fox's waist. "You are going to do anything I want. Starting with
this." He finished dressing Fox, then kissed him softly. "Now. Let's go have
some breakfast, then you can go to work."
Fifteen minutes later, Fox sat at the kitchen table, enduring more torture
as Alex teased him through breakfast. He crumbled his muffin to bits while Alex
sat across from him, jeans unzipped, stroking himself as he licked the cream
cheese from his cinnamon bagel. The younger man looked up at him and smiled. He
picked up the plastic cup containing the cream cheese, and walked over to Fox.
"Want some?"
All Fox could do was look from Alex's face to his cock which was now bobbing
invitingly in front of his mouth, and nod.
Alex dipped two fingers into the container, scooping up some of the contents,
and smearing it over the length of his cock. He brought his fingers up to his
mouth, licking and sucking the residual cream cheese away. That done, the same
hand came around to the back of Fox's head, petting the golden-brown silk. "Go
ahead, lisa," he coaxed, "have a little taste."
Fox gasped as he leaned forward, touching his tongue to the solid length of
muscle. Slowly, he licked away the creamy substance, thoroughly cleaning his
lover's cock, while Alex stuggled to hold himself in check. When no trace of
the cream cheese remained, Alex pulled him away by his hair.
"Was..." The younger man drew in a deep breath and released it. "...was that
good?"
"Mmm, yeah. Alex...let me finish you..."
"No."
"You mean you're going to drive yourself crazy right along with me?"
Alex tucked himself back into his jeans and drew the zipper back up. He leaned
down, laying his cheek against his lover's and whispering in his ear. "I want
us both as close to the edge as we can get."
Fox met his gaze and gave him a shaky smile. "I think I should be scared."
"Maybe you should be." Alex looked down at his watch. "You should be getting to
work now." He backed away, allowing Fox to rise from his seat.
"Oh, God. How am I going to walk around like this all day?"
"I have faith in you. Come on." Alex led Fox out to the garage and pinned him
against the car, engaging in a fierce kiss before letting him go. "Think of me
today, baby."
Fox tilted his head up, closing his eyes. "How can I not? There's a little
reminder of you wrapped around my cock, remember?"
"And I know you're not going to take it off, right?"
"How do you know?"
Alex's knuckles skimmed down the front of Fox's pants. "Because I told you not
to."
Fox lowered his eyes knowing full well that he'd obey Alex, even though his
lover would have no way of knowing for sure if he had.
"Go to work."
Fox got into his car and with one last long look at Alex, pulled out of the
garage, and drove away. He squirmed in his seat as he drove, thinking about the
morning's events and whatever lay ahead. Whatever it was Alex had planned, he
was sure it was evil.
God, that was nice to say.
Alex seemed more himself this morning than he had in over two weeks, and for
that Fox was eternally grateful...even if he was presently dying a thousand
deaths, and his tormentor seemed to be enjoying every second of his agony.
And oh God, he was in agony. His cock throbbed against the restraints,
begging to be freed, and though he couldn't ignore it, he did deny his
insistent organ's constant pleas.
He made it to work, but not his office, before he was stopped in the hall.
"Agent Mulder?"
Shit, shit, shit...
Fox inhaled deeply, and turned around. "Yes, sir?"
The AD eyed him briefly, then looked around the busy corridor. "Where's
Scully?"
"She's still in Florida."
The older man approached him, stopping about a foot away. "Why are you here,
then?"
"We arrived at a dead end...more or less."
"More or less?"
"Yeah, uh...she believes she's determined the cause of death of those women,
but was unable to compile enough evidence to support any one theory on how it
is they all died from the same thing. She just needed to speak to the Tampa
M.E. today, and we'd be out of it. There was no need for me to stay, so I
caught a flight back last night."
One dark eyebrow rose above the top edge of Skinner's eyeglasses. "Is there a
problem?"
"Sir?"
Skinner's eyes surveyed the hall. "At home..."
"Oh. Uh..n-no. Everything's okay."
"How is he doing?"
The question shocked him. "He'd hit a few rough patches," he answered softly,
"had me worried, but he's much better now."
The other man nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable with the conversation he'd
started. "All right, well...when Agent Scully gets back, I'll expect a full
report."
Fox nodded his acknowledgment, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Is something wrong, Agent Mulder?"
"Hmm? No. Nothing. I'm just...I...I have some work to do, so if you'll excuse
me..."
Skinner let his agent pass, watching him disappear down the hall and around the
corner. He rubbed a hand across his broad forehead. He'd tried to keep the
thoughts...the images out of his mind, but every time he saw Mulder, they
popped back into his head, and some of those images made him flush.
Mulder and Alex Krycek...Jesus...
Fox made it to his basement office, removing his jacket and throwing it across
the chair in front of his desk. His own chair creaked its complaint as he
dropped heavily into it. He tilted his head back, breathing deeply and trying
not to concentrate on the dull throb behind his zipper. But of course, the more
he tried not to think about it, the more he did.
Alex.
Goddamn beautiful, sadistic son of a bitch. Eyes blazing with carefully checked
hunger. Teasing mercilessly. So easily decimating his capacity for rational
thought. Radiating pure animal joy at his accomplishment.
Christ, and he loved him.
Fox closed his eyes and let the heat penetrate him to the core. His body
shuddered at the thought of what Alex would be doing to him just a few hours
from now.
Why am I here being tortured when I can be home with him....being
tortured...
The sound of his own frustrated whimpers and cries were pushed to the back
of his mind by the curious tone of his partner.
"Mulder? You in there?"
"Hmm? Yeah...uh...what are you doing here?"
"I came right in from the airport so we could get going on our report."
"Why didn't you call? I would have picked you up."
Scully shrugged. "It was quicker to just get a car at the airport. What have
you been doing?"
"Nothing, I just got in myself."
"From..."
"Home."
At twelve fifty-nine in the afternoon? Is everything okay?"
Fox smiled. "Yeah," he said softly. "Everything is fine."
Scully rolled her eyes up into her head and closed her lids over them.
"Okay, say no more. You get in here at almost one o'clock, I walk in to find
you on another planet, and you're smiling that goofy smile of yours. I think
that pretty much tells me all I need to know."
"So, everything all wrapped up in Tampa?" Fox crossed his legs and winced
slightly.
Wrapped up...interesting choice of words...
"Yeah, I...you okay, Mulder?"
"Fine. Why do you ask?"
"You just got this funny look on your face."
Fox uncrossed his legs and tried sitting on his hip. Not much better.
"No. I..I don't know what you mean..."
"Mulder..." Scully studied the expression on her partner's face, then held
up her hand. "You know what? Never mind. Umm....everything is as wrapped up as
it's going to be from our end. It's the Tampa P.D.'s show, now..."
It's my show.
Fox's eyes closed and a tiny, helpless whimper escaped past his lips. Scully
stopped speaking, watching the almost unnoticeable wiggle of his hips.
What the hell...don't ask, Dana. Don't. Ask...
"What the hell is your problem, Mulder?"
Fox ran a hand through his hair, and drew a shaky breath. He turned a
heavy-lidded gaze on her. "Nothing. Come on, we gotta get this report straight.
Skinner said he wanted to see us when you got in."
"Well, I suggest that you douse that flame, Mulder, before we walk into his
office."
He gave her a weak smile. "Flame?"
"What am I, stupid? Alex has apparently got you all fired up this afternoon."
She displayed a knowing smirk. "As glad as I am to see that he's feeling more
like himself, I'd really appreciate not being embarassed when we go to see
Skinner."
"Don't worry, Scully, I'll be..." The ringing cell phone interrupted his
sentence. "Mulder....what? You what?" He turned his chair around, murmuring
into the phone. "Don't...come on, cut it.....oh, shit.........baby,
please....baby..............hello?" He let the hand holding the phone drop,
dangling over the arm of the chair, while he attempted to drag some air into
his lungs.
Scully stifled a giggle, then spoke. "Mulder...Mulder?" She barely heard the
choked 'what?' that came from the direction of Fox's chair. "Why don't you take
a minute, then we can go see Skinner, and you can go home."
"Can't."
"Can't what?"
"Go home."
"Why not?"
"Not till at least five. Alex told me not to."
"And... since when do you do what Alex tells you to?"
Fox swiveled his chair around to face her. He shook his head. "You
wouldn't...I...I promised..." He attempted another smile. "It's his show."
"Uh huh. Okay, look. I'm going to take care of a few things, and I'll be
back. Could you please cool yourself off enough to speak coherently to our boss
by then?"
Scully exited the room, leaving Fox alone to pull himself together. He
jerked himself out of his chair and prowled the length of the room, mumbling to
himself.
"Okay, come on. You can do this. You've got more self control than he
apparently gives you credit for..."
His cock was whispering something else.
He's got you. The more you fight it, the harder you'll fall.
Fox stopped pacing, and clasped his hands behind his head. "And he knows it,
and he knows you know it, and he knows you can't do anything about
it.....sadistic prick." He dropped back into his chair, letting his head fall
onto the desk. "God, I love him..."
Alex sat slouched on the sofa, one long leg hooked over the arm, and the other
stretched out before him. A lazy grin played at his lips as he imagined his
Fox, so goddamn pretty when he was turned on, trying to maintain some semblance
of composure, but not quite succeeding. His eyelids drooped as he thought about
his lover, going about his daily business, speaking to this person and
that...sitting in Skinner's office...packed into the elevator...paranoid that
everyone had suddenly developed x-ray vision and could see through his gray
Armani to what he wore beneath. He laughed softly, hearing the curses and vows
of revenge in his head. He moaned to himself, thinking ahead a few hours to
tonight. By then, Fox would be more than ready...and willing...and
desperate...like he already was. His eyes closed and he absently stroked the
bulge in his jeans.
"Gonna be a long night, Fox baby." He opened his eyes and lifted himself from
the couch. Time to start getting ready.
Scully sat on the sofa in Skinner's outside office, while Fox paced slowly,
from side to side.
"Mulder, sit down, would you? You're driving me crazy."
Fox glanced at his partner, but continued to pace.
"You know, if it makes you feel any better, it's three-forty eight. You can
go home in a little over an hour..."
Scully's words went straight to Fox's crotch, sending unbearable jolts of
painful pleasure directly to its center. He stopped in his tracks, shuddering
delicately.
"Mul-der....you promised..."
The door opened and Skinner filled the emptied space. He looked from the
diminutive red head to her restless partner. His eyes narrowed on the man, then
looked back to Scully. "Come in, agents." He retreated into the office and sat
down at his desk, waiting for the two to assume their usual seats. He watched
the male half of the pair sit stiffly, and frowned.
"Agent Mulder, are you all right?"
"Yes, sir."
"You look like you might in pain."
Pain. That's a hot one. Try writhing agony.
"No, sir, I'm fine."
"Well...then...shall we get on with this?"
Scully handed him the report and she sat quietly, glancing from time to time at
her partner who was rapidly descending back into his pit of lust. It irritated
her at this precise moment, but she had to admit to herself as she always did,
that she envied the two men. Three years later, their passion had only grown.
They never seemed to be able to get enough of each other, and what made it even
more wonderful was that fueling all that lust was a deep, abiding love that no
matter what happened, could never be extinguished.
Fox shifted impatiently in his seat, unable to find a comfortable position. The
jostling drew Skinner's attention, who of course looked up just in time to see
his agent slouched in his seat, head thrown to the side, eyes closed, and a
pained frown wrinkling his brow. He cocked his head, studying the man. Somehow,
the expression still managed to have an erotic quality to it. Or maybe that was
just his imagination...Christ, he hoped his imagination wasn't capable of
conjuring up such ideas...
Fox sat gritting his teeth, very well aware that he needed to knock this shit
off, but thoughts of Alex naked, on his knees, in front of this very chair,
sucking him off while he tried to discuss the case with Skinner, had suddenly
popped into his head, and he couldn't rid himself of it.
Scully glanced from her partner to their boss, beginning to squirm a bit
herself.
Damn, damn, damn...
She couldn't kick him, she was too far away. There was no way to get his
attention without drawing Skinner's...which appeared to be glued on Mulder at
the moment....
Both men snapped out of their own private thoughts, and turned attention on the
woman who appeared to be trying to cough up a lung.
"Scully? You..."
"Are you all right, Agent Scully?"
"Yes," Scully said between coughs. "I umm...strange, it just...hit me all of a
sudden. I just need some water."
Before Fox could react, Skinner was out of his chair. "I'll get you some," he
offered, already halfway to the door, grateful for the interruption.
Scully abruptly ceased her hacking and turned to her partner, whispering
urgently. "Would you knock it off? He's watching you, you know!"
"I'm sorry," Fox moaned. "God, I'm going to kill Alex..."
"What the hell did he..." She cut off her inquiry as the A.D. re-entered the
room, and handed her a small glass. "Thank you." She took a couple of sips, and
put the glass down. "It seems to have stopped." She shot a hard glance at her
partner, then drew Skinner into conversation.
Fox sat quietly, putting all his effort into pulling himself together, while
his partner summarized their trip for the A.D.
"So, what you're telling me is, four women are dead, presumably by a natural
occurence in the body that had run amok?"
"Yes, sir."
"No clue on what caused this phenomenon..."
"No, sir."
"Just a little curious, wouldn't you say, Agent Mulder?"
Fox nodded. "Yes...yes it is."
"And you have no opinions on this case?"
"Of course I have opinions, sir, but nothing, as Agent Scully has pointed out
to me, that can be supported by evidence."
Hey! You got out a whole intelligent sentence! Mul-der, Mul-der,
Mul-der...
"So you have nothing to add."
"No, sir."
The A.D. stared in amazement. "All right, then." All three occupants of the
room rose from their seats. One, slowly. "That'll be all. Have a good weekend."
Skinner's eyes fell involuntarily on Fox Mulder as he followed his partner out
of the office, and didn't leave him until he closed the door quietly behind
him. He walked back to his desk, and lowered himself into the chair. The
wire-framed glasses hit the desk with a dull clank, and one square hand
attempted to gently massage away the beginnings of a very large headache.
Alex lay sprawled on the bed, the light of dozens of flickering candles
illuminating his bare skin. He teased himself with a long strip of black silk,
stroking it over his thighs, lingering on his cock and balls, then drawing it
up his chest, over his face, and back down. He looked over at the clock by the
bed, lifted the phone, and dialed.
"I want to thank you again, Mulder, for the most uncomfortable fifteen minutes
of my life."
Fox sat at his desk, upper half of his body draped over the flat surface. "I
heard you the first five times, Scully...'
"Did you see Skinner? Mulder, the man was actually embarrassed. He didn't
know where to look!"
Fox's response was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. His eyes dropped
shut as he pulled it out of his pocket and brought it up to his ear.
"Mulder."
"Hey, baby doll."
"Hi."
"Miss me?"
"Of course."
"How's your day going?"
"About the way you expected it to."
Soft chuckle.
"Scully wants your head."
"And you? What do you want?"
Fox glanced up at Scully who was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye,
and whispered into the phone. "I got some company here, Alex."
"Scully?"
"Yeah."
"So?"
"What do you mean, so?"
"Scully's far from innocent, lisa. She knows what's up. Tell me what you want."
"Come on, Alex."
"Tell me."
Fox sighed, and lowered his voice even further. "I want your cock in my
mouth..."
Scully rattled the contents in one of her drawers, purposely making noise so
she wouldn't hear any of her partner's conversation.
"Is that the only place you want it?"
"No." Fox's eyes closed and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I want it in
my ass. Hard and deep."
Alex growled softly into the phone. "Soon, baby. You'll be leaving in about
twenty minutes, right?"
"Can't I leave now?"
"Not five o'clock yet."
"Why can't I leave until five?"
"Because I said you can't. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Is your cock still hard?"
"Painfully so."
"You okay?"
"I'll be better after I get home."
"Well..." the amused voice purred, "I wouldn't be so sure about that..."
"Christ."
"I'll see you soon."
Fox disconnected and dropped the phone on the desk. His head followed with a
loud thud.
"Go home, Mulder."
"Can't yet."
"You two are nuts, you know it?" Receiving no answer, Scully went about the
business of filing forensics reports and returning her calls. At five o'clock,
she walked over to her partner and tapped the back of his head with her
knuckles. "Now. Get the hell out."
Fox lifted his head and looked at his watch. He took a few deep breaths and
rose from his seat.
"Are you going to make it through the weekend?"
Fox raised and lowered his eyebrows. "If I'm not in on Monday, you won't need
to ask any questions." He picked up his jacket and walked to the door.
"Have fun and tell Alex that I'm going to kill him."
"Right. You leaving?"
"Yeah. One more call to make, and I'm out of here."
"Okay. See ya."
Fox walked to his car, every footstep sending a vibration up his legs, and
ending at the tip of his cock. He reached his vehicle, threw his jacket across
the back seat, then slid in behind the wheel. He sat for a moment, trying to
quell the dizzying thud in his pants, then took a deep breath, started the car,
and headed for home.
Naturally, everone and his brother was on the Beltway at this time of day,
which was irrtating enough, but when the slow crawl turned into a dead stop, he
had to beat down the urge to climb out onto the roof of his car, and start
firing.
Ten minutes later, he was still sitting in the same spot.
"Shit." Somehow, the length of chain that hung down his back had become wedged
between his ass cheeks, and it was getting more uncomfortable by the minute.
"Shit." And the more uncomfortable it got, the harder his cock throbbed.
And then the phone rang.
He considered not answering it, but...
"Mulder."
"You sound tense."
"You could say that."
"Are you on your way home?"
"Yes and no." "What does that mean?"
"Stuck in traffic."
"Oh, it is rush hour, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Like you didn't know, you bastard.
"Well...I guess you'll get here when you get here, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Want to talk to me for a while?"
"Alex..."
"What? I just want to occupy your mind for a little while. You know, help
the time go by faster..."
No response.
"So...get a lot done today?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"I was a bit distracted."
"Really? With what?"
"Some sadistic son of a bitch cinched up my cock and balls and made me walk
around at work like that all afternoon."
"What kind of a perverted sicko would do a thing like that? I mean, my God,
what is this world coming to? So, did you do it?"
"Yeah, I did it."
"Obedient....aren't you?"
"I can be...when I want to be..."
"And you want to be?"
"I really do..."
"You still at a stand still?"
"Yes."
"Where are your hands?"
"One is on the wheel and the other is holding the phone."
"You don't need to have your hand on the wheel if you're not moving. Drop it
down to your lap...did you do it?"
"Yes..."
"Play with yourself until traffic starts moving."
Fox's hand began to move over his crotch, teasing his bound cock. "Mmmmm.
God...what are you doing?"
"Waiting for you."
The click startled him. "Hello? Alex?"
Son of a bitch.
He got him going, then he hung up.
Fox sat there, cursing Alex to hell while he rubbed himself through his pants,
increasing his own torture with every caress.
By the time traffic had started moving again, beads of sweat were trickling
down Fox's back, and soaking his shirt straight through. By the time he pulled
into his driveway, he felt as though he'd gone swimming in his clothes.
Fox pulled into the garage beside Alex's Porsche, not knowing whether to be
more afraid or grateful now that he was finally home. He grabbed his jacket and
exited the car, and just as he was walking around the front of it, he was
grabbed from behind and thrown forward over the hood. His immediate reaction
was to straighten up, but a hand on his back held him down.
"Don't move."
Fox trembled, his upper body still draped over the hood of his car, as his
pants were undone and yanked down around his ankles. There was more activity,
then he felt his ass cheeks being spread, and a hard, velvet-sheathed object
being pressed into the small opening. His screams bounced off the walls of the
garage as Alex slammed into him, forcing his hips against the warm metal, again
and again.
"Jesus! Alex, oh God...please..."
His only answer came in the form of a series of clipped grunts that seemed to
get louder with each thrust.
"Baby...oh...shit! Don't....don't....I need...please..."
His broken pleas were drowned out as Alex came, his choked cries filling the
enclosed space.
The younger man collapsed onto his lover's back, fighting to draw breath.
Seconds later, his spent cock slipped out of Fox's ass, and he stood up,
pulling the shaking man with him. He turned Fox around, kissing him sweetly.
"Thank you, lisa. I needed that."
Fox clung to the front of Alex's shirt, and whimpered frantically while rubbing
against him.
Alex pushed his lover away, then bent to pull his jeans up. Refastening the
zipper and button, he looked Fox up and down.
Oh, yeah. He's dying.
"Unbutton your shirt."
Fox did as he was asked without question.
Alex frowned, looking at the undershirt he wore beneath. He approached,
brushing the older man's lips with his own. "I always hated these things." He
grasped the neck with both hands, and ripped the undershirt down the middle. He
smiled, flicking his finger across one hard nipple. "That's better." His hands
went down to the chain around Fox's waist, and unfastening it. "I believe," he
said softly, pulling the chain through the ring, then fastening it around Fox's
neck, "that we were interrupted the last time we tried this." He gave the chain
a gentle tug. "Pull your pants up so you don't break your neck."
Fox obeyed, then quietly followed as Alex led him into the house.
"You hungry, Fox?" Alex asked as they moved through the kitchen. "I cooked us a
nice dinner." Not waiting for the other man to answer, he continued. "Let's get
washed up, then we can eat."
The two men walked into the bathroom, where Alex turned the shower on, and
instructed Fox to undress. When the older man had taken everything off but the
cock restraints, he looked over at his lover.
"Probably shouldn't get this wet..."
"Yeah, it'll take forever to dry, and since we're not through with it for the
evening...but..." he pointed a warning finger, "you will not come.
Understand?"
Fox nodded meekly.
It took five minutes for Alex to remove the leather strapping. Fox writhed and
squirmed with the loosening of each strap, and he needed a little extra time
and care to insure that orgasm remained safely out of his reach.
Alex tossed the restraints aside and turned back to his long-suffering lover.
He stood quietly, eyeing the naked man, noting the full body flush, and the
solid length of flesh, straining toward him. He looked into Fox's eyes, one
corner of his mouth slanting upward. The expression gave the older man all the
instruction he needed.
Fox stepped tentatively forward, silding one hand up Alex's chest and around
his neck. He pressed himself into the younger man's body, resting his head on
the ivory cotton covered shoulder while his other hand went to work on the
buttons of the shirt.
Alex kissed the side of Fox's head and stroked his hand down the length of his
back, over the hard curve of his ass, then back up. He repeated the action over
and over again until Fox had his shirt finally, and completely removed.
Fox's mouth wandered over Alex's bared chest, worshipping the bronzed flesh in
the way only he knew how. Alternating between teeth and tongue, he made his way
down and across, zig zagging between nipples, pulling gently on the sparse,
dark hairs, and following the downward path they created until the waistband of
Alex's jeans stopped him.
Alex's fingers plunged into the hair of the man who was now on his knees before
him. He'd only just come minutes ago, but seeing his Fox this way sent a
succession of tingles through his body, and he he knew that in no time at all,
he'd be ready again.
Fox's fingers crept up and down Alex's thighs, skimming along the sides and
back, then splaying over his denim covered ass, caressing and kneading while he
teased the younger man's navel. When he heard the deepening of Alex's
respiration, his hands moved around to the front, undoing the button and
drawing the zipper down.
Alex, thoughtful man that he was, had worn no underwear tonight, making his
lover's job that much easier. His jaw repeatedly tightened and relaxed as Fox
pulled his jeans off, then wrapped his hand around his not-so-flaccid cock, and
began to gently stroke it. Alex petted the golden-brown head lovingly.
"Mmmm, that's nice. Very nice, but dinner's waiting. Come on, let's get cleaned
up."
Fox rose to his feet, accepting the hand that was held out to him, and followed
Alex into the shower. They washed each other slowly, Alex taking every
opportunity to tease Fox. By the time they finished, Fox was completely
wrecked, just barely making it over the edge of the tub and stumbling into the
middle of the bathroom where Alex wrapped a bath towel around him, drying him
thoroughly.
"You okay, lisa?" Alex whispered softly against his cheek as he finished drying
Fox's back.
"No," came the older man's shaky reply.
"You just need some rest. Why don't you get dressed while I dry off, then we'll
have a nice dinner?"
Fox began to move away, but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him.
"Don't forget this."
Fox turned slowly, spotting the leather strapping hanging from Alex's hand.
Chewing on his lower lip, he took the object from his lover.
"Put it on."
Fox obeyed the soft command, hands shaking as he refastened the straps around
his cock and balls, then moved toward Alex. He wrapped himself around the
younger man, rubbing his damp head along the line of his jaw.
Alex wound and arm around Fox, hugging him tightly. "Okay, baby," he murmured,
"go on, now. Get dressed." He released the other man, and watched as he moved
silently into the bedroom. Smiling broadly, he rubbed himself dry, then entered
the bedroom where Fox was just beginning to button his shirt.
"Umm....no. No. Leave it unbuttoned."
Fox's hands fell away from the shirt and hung down by his sides.
"Yeah," Alex said looking him up and down. "Very nice. Give me two minutes,
okay?"
Fox shifted uneasily, while Alex pulled on a shirt and another pair of jeans.
When he was through, he held his arm out, coaxing his lover to his side. He
wrapped the extended arm around Fox's waist, and the two men moved together out
of the room.
Alex lifted his wine glass to his lips, watching his lover pick at his food. He
didn't need to ask what the problem was, he could see it all over Fox's
beautifully tortured face. He rose without a word from his chair, and took a
seat beside Fox. The older man's eyes focused on him, and he unconsciously
licked his lower lip. Alex leaned over and kissed him gently, then lifted his
fork to Fox's lips. Fox took the offered food, his eyes never leaving Alex's.
They ate their entire meal that way, Alex jumping back and forth from his plate
to Fox's, feeding them both.
When the last bite was eaten, Alex put his fork down and threaded his hand
through Fox's hair. The older man leaned into the touch, rumbling softly as
Alex massaged the side of his head.
"How about some dessert?"
Heavy, golden-brown eyelashes lifted, and a golden-flecked stare was leveled on
Alex. The younger man grinned.
"I'm going to clear the table. I want you to go into the bedroom, get
undressed, and wait for me. I'll be in soon."
Before Fox rose from his seat, Alex pulled him in for a long, teasing kiss.
When he was released, he moved quietly from the table and into the bedroom,
where he removed all of his clothing. He left the restraints in place, knowing
that Alex had inteded for him to keep it on.
He settled onto his side, drawing his knees up a bit, and hugging a pillow
against his chest. His eyes drifted shut as he tried to shift his concentration
off of his aching cock and onto something else.
Like his aching balls.
And his aching jaw...it had been clenched in frustration for most of the day.
Hell, when he really thought about it, most of his body ached. Every muscle was
like a watchspring being wound tighter than was really bearable. And if he'd
read that gleam in Alex's eyes correctly, the torment wasn't over yet. Not by a
long shot.
Fox groaned softly and flipped onto his back. The next thing he knew, his eyes
were opening...
Opening?
When had he closed them?
And Alex was kneeling over him, awash in candlelight. Smiling that smile.
"Time for dessert."
He stretched out on the bed beside Fox, propping himself against two pillows,
and reached over to the nightstand, producing a glass bowl full of chocolate
covered strawberries. Fox moved to his side, molding himself against the
fully-clothed body. Alex wrapped one arm around his lover as he plucked a
strawberry from the bowl.
Fox watched the liquid ooze from the fruit as strong white teeth sank into it.
The juice left Alex's lips glistening with moisture, and he stretched up to
lick it away.
Alex moaned softly, allowing his lover to lap gently at his mouth. When Fox was
through, he took another bite, but instead of chewing, he lowered his head,
transferring the piece from his mouth to Fox's. He ate the remaining portion,
and again allowed Fox to lick away any remaining moisture from his lips.
"Sweet, aren't they?"
Fox nodded, busily nuzzling and kissing Alex's throat.
Alex lifted another strawberry and inspected it. "I picked them up at George's
Farm down on Slocum Road. Who the hell knew these things got this big?"
Fox stopped kissing his neck and looked up at him. Alex turned his attention
back in his lover's direction. He held the strawberry to Fox's lips and smiled
when he refused it. He bit into the fruit and brought his mouth down on Fox's,
letting the older man feed from him. When the strawberry was gone, they kissed
madly, Alex allowing Fox to scour the sweet interior of his mouth, and suck
hungrily on his tongue.
They went through six strawberries that way, and by the time Alex set the bowl
on the nightstand, Fox was in a near state of delirium, fidgeting and rubbing
himself against his lover's thigh.
"I got something else for you," Alex whispered against Fox's mouth as he
caressed the bare hip and upper thigh. His hand slipped away from Fox's body
and dropped to the waistband of his jeans.
Fox whimpered in anticipation as he felt movement, then heard the faint
grind of the zipper being drawn down. Alex's fingers clenched in his hair and
gently pulled his head back until their eyes met.
"All yours."
Fox slid down Alex's body, stopping when his head was parallel to his lover's
crotch. He parted the material, allowing Alex's cock to rise toward his mouth.
He lowered his head and flicked delicately at the flared head with the tip of
his tongue.
Alex inhaled deeply and tried to relax as Fox paid loving attention to his
cock. One hand came up to his shirt, slowly undoing the buttons, cueing Fox to
pull his jeans down and off. When he was completely stripped of his clothing,
Fox returned to his cock, licking and lightly sucking the tip.
Fox hooked one leg around Alex's thigh and rested his head on his hip as he
continued to worship his lover's swollen cock. One hand cupped the heavy sac
that hung below, caressing and squeezing gently.
Alex's back arched, and a deep moan rolled past his lips.
"Mmmm....oh God, baby...God, I could die happy in that mouth..."
Alex's words felt like that first swallow of Coke, fizzing and burning down the
throat, past the chest, and into the stomach. Only, it didn't stop there. It
worked its way lower, pooling in Fox's groin, causing further agony to his
already tortured cock. He released a hard breath and swallowed Alex's entire
length in one fluid movement.
"Aww, fuck! Jesus, baby...ah...oh, yeah..." Alex's head rolled back and forth
on the pillows, and his hands twisted in the sheets as Fox's greedy mouth
worked him continuously.
It's now or never, Alex. Pull him away or come down his throat and continue
the torture until you're hard again...
Alex's cock made the decision for him.
Fox felt that first rush of hot fluid hit the back of his throat, and he
swallowed that and more as he bucked in vain into the mattress.
When harsh cries faded to soft purrs, Alex's eyes blinked open to find those of
his distressed lover looking back at him. "Alex," Fox whimpered, "please..."
Alex pulled Fox up onto his chest, kissing him soundly, and tasting himself in
his lover's mouth. "I'm sorry, lisa," he panted, "not quite yet."
"Alex," Fox pleaded, squirming against him, "I don't think...I can't take
it..."
Alex brushed the hair away from Fox's forehead. "Yes you can, baby," he
encouraged softly. I know you can."
And he did. He always knew unerringly, the precise moment that Fox had reached
his limit, and in typical Alex fashion, would always push him just a hair
beyond it.
"No..."
"Fox." Alex grasped a handful of hair at the back of the older man's head. "Do
you love me?"
Fox grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut, but opened them quickly as he felt the
grip tighten.
"Do you love me?"
Glazed hazel eyes met sober green, and Fox nodded as much as the tension on his
hair would allow.
Alex unclenched his fingers. He smiled softly at Fox, stroking and smoothing
the golden-brown strands. "And you'll give me what I want?"
Fox nodded again, hypnotized by the unblinking pools of deep green.
"Any...anything you want."
The thing was, he wasn't just saying it in the hopes of getting laid quicker.
He meant those words.
Anything Alex wanted.
Always.
His precious love had been returned to him, and he could never be grateful
enough.
Alex had been forever changed by the events of the past few weeks. To be
utterly unfazed was an impossibility, even for him. But despite his captor's
best efforts, he emerged from the eternal hell intended for him, his strength
and his will, fully intact.
And he chose today to excercise both.
Fox grunted softly as Alex propelled him onto his back and devoured his mouth.
He wound his arms around the younger man's neck, only to have them pulled away
and pinned above his head.
"Don't move."
Alex rose from the bed and disappeared into the closet, leaving Fox to
contemplate his fate. He writhed and moaned softly to himself as he considered
the possibilities.
"Come on, now, quit squirming so I can..." Alex had returned and straddling
Fox's chest, attempted to get his wrists cuffed to the headboard. Mission
finally accomplished, he blindfolded his lover with the strip of black silk
that he'd been teasing himself with earlier. "So, so pretty..." Alex covered
Fox's mouth with his own, muffling the frantic whimpers. His tongue plunged
inside, invading the darkness, still tasting remnants of his most recent
orgasm.
Fox strained against the fleece-lined cuffs, arching against Alex's body as
he sucked voraciously on the tongue probing his mouth.
Alex pulled away suddenly, kissing the tip of Fox's nose. "Want me to fuck
you?"
"Yes..."
"You want to come?"
"Yes...please!"
"You gotta get me hard again, first. Can you do that?"
"How? You've got me cuffed..."
"I'll show you how, baby."
Silence descended but there was movement, and Fox felt an object of medium
width and length being slowly inserted into his ass. He gritted his teeth,
taking the entire length of the vibrator, and shuddering deeply as it was
turned on.
"Oh, God," he whined. "Aleeeex...."
"You like that, baby?"
"Please...help...help me..."
More movement. "I am helping you..." A hand at Fox's head turned it to the
side, there was more shifting, and then his mouth was teased open by the
velvety head of his lover's semi-erect cock. "I'm helping us both," Alex sighed
softly from somewhere in the vicinity of the older man's bound cock. He grasped
the end of the vibrator, and rotated it gently as he worked it in and out of
Fox's ass.
Fox screamed in agony, letting Alex's cock drop from his mouth. He bucked
against the vibrator, feeling the explosion rolling in so close, but never
close enough to actually detonate.
"Please," he sobbed, a single tear of frustration forming in the corner of
his eye.
Alex slid the vibrator out, almost to the end, then plunged it back in as he
lapped at the head of Fox's throbbing erection.
"No!" the older man shrieked, thrashing wildly. "I can't...can't....Alex,
please, stop!"
Aside from turning him on incredibly, 'stop' meant nothing to Alex. Unless Fox
used the safe word they'd agreed on long ago...and he never did...Alex would
continue.
He released the darkly flushed head from his mouth, and lovingly kissed the
tip. "I'll fuck you, baby, when I'm hard. I'm almost there. Come on, lisa. Suck
me."
Fox's head shifted around, his mouth searching for and finding his lover's
nicely thickening cock. He sucked it into his mouth, growling as he furiously
worked Alex into a similar frenzy.
Alex resumed thrusting the vibrator into Fox's ass, maintaining an erratic
rhythm, while his teeth lightly scraped over the head of his cock.
A heavy sweat broke out on both men as each fought their separate battles. As
Alex began to lose his, he pulled out of Fox's mouth and withdrew the vibrator.
He lay panting heavily for a few moments while beside him, Fox twisted and
begged for release.
"Fox" he panted. "...Fox...listen to me. I'm going to take the straps off..."
Fox whimpered his approval.
"...take a few deep breaths. Relax as much as you can. Do not come. If you
do, I won't fuck you again for a month, do you understand?"
Fox nodded, doing his best to draw deep, steady breaths.
The removal of each strap was greeted by a long, guttural moan, and plenty of
squirming, but the thought of Alex's promise helped Fox hold himself in check
until the device was completely removed.
"That's my good baby," Alex whispered, dropping a number of tiny kisses along
the quivering length of his lover's cock. He kissed and nibbled his way upward,
settling his body on top of Fox's, and issuing a clipped grunt when their
erections pressed together.
Fox's jaw clenched until he thought his teeth would crack. Suffering like this
had only existed in a world long ago and far away, and then, as now, it was
Alex who had finally pulled him through, and rescued him from the unbearable
agony. So, okay, this time around Alex was enjoying the hell out of his
torment, but...
Alex groped around in the tangle of sheets for the lube. His fingers finally
wrapped around the tube, and he placed it down within his line of sight.
"Baby, I'm going to uncuff you, okay? I want to feel you wrapped around me
while I fuck you."
Fox lay still while Alex inserted the key into the lock and freed his hands. As
soon as he could move, he wound his arms around his lover's back. He blinked up
at Alex, trying to focus his fuzzy amber gaze as the blindfold was also
removed. "Alex," he rasped, clenching his fingers in the taut muscles of his
lover's back, "I need you. Please...I've been good....don't make me wait
anymore."
Alex stroked Fox's cheek as his mouth trembled into a smile. "Yes, you have
been good, baby. You've done everything I've asked you to."
Fox nodded, spreading his legs and winding them around Alex's hips. He pushed
upward, whimpering wildly.
Alex pulled away, forcing himself from Fox's strong grip. "Wait,
lisa...wait..." He grabbed the tube that he'd dropped down beside Fox's leg,
and flipped the top up.
Fox's eyes dilated until only slivers of green and gold could be seen, as he
watched his lover carefully apply a generous coating of lube to his cock.
"Hurry, baby," he whispered breathlessly. "I need you so much."
Alex completed his task, then once again lowered himself to Fox's overheated
body. Immediately, he again found himself wrapped in the strong circle of Fox's
arms and legs. He grasped his cock at the base and guided it to his lover's
ass. "You gonna come good and hard for me, baby?"
Fox nodded, unable to get any intelligible words past his lips.
Alex pushed forward, teasing the clenching anal muscles with the slick head of
his cock. He watched through slitted eyes as Fox's mouth dropped open, and a
hard, stuttering breath tumbled from it. The head disappeared inside the tight
opening, and Fox's teeth gritted on the inhale, creating a loud, hissing sound.
"You promise?" Alex asked, inching in a tiny bit more.
"Promise," Fox croaked, finding his voice. "I promise...please, Alexei..."
The breath died in Fox's throat as he felt himself filled with his lover's
heat. It returned as Alex withdrew, only to be forced out again by a hard
thrust.
He could feel it. The storm. It was coming, and this time nothing would stop
it. An entire day of torture...wonderful, agonizing torture at the hands of his
deliciously sadistic, amazingly beautiful Alex, and it all came down to this.
Seconds of indescribable bliss. Screaming, clutching, sweating rapture.
Seconds. A matter of seconds, and it would be over. After hours of suffering.
Worth it?
Fuck, yeah.
Would he allow Alex to do it to him again?
Damn skippy.
Alex thrust a hand under Fox's head and grabbed a handful of hair, holding his
head still as his mouth came down hard on the lush, full lips. His free hand
wrapped around his lover's cock, and matched the rhythm of his thrusting hips.
Fox wrenched himself away from Alex's mouth, wailing obscenities into the air.
His fingers dug into the younger man's back, his short nails still managing to
leave red marks that criss-crossed the healed wounds of only a few weeks ago.
Alex winced, the small pain feeding his excitement. He firmed his grip on his
lover's cock, and began to pump it mercilessly as he drove deeper.
The wailing turned to all out screams, and Fox thrashed beneath Alex as the
world shattered into tiny shards of light.
"Oh, yeah..." Alex gasped, pounding furiously into Fox's ass as his lover shot
slick, opaque fluid over his chest and Alex's fist. "Let it...let it go,
baby..."
The screams switched to frantic, choking sobs as Alex continued without
abatement, ramming again and again into Fox. He kept working his lover's cock,
refusing to let go...unable to.
As Alex proceeded to drive his body into the mattress, mini waves of escatsy
continued to wash over Fox, and he lay limply beneath the younger man,
shuddering with each vibration.
Alex finally felt his own orgasm approaching...slower due to the fact that
he'd already come twice this evening, but no less powerful. When it hit, his
body tensed, then began a series of erratic spasms as he emptied himself into
his lover.
Fox's fingers closed weakly in Alex's hair as the younger man shuddered and
groaned harshly, falling onto his chest. They lay together, whimpering almost
inaudibly as the blood once again flowed freely through their veins. When he
was able to, Alex lifted his head a fraction, and smiled down at Fox.
Exhausted, amber eyes glowed softly as the older man stared back, and full,
rosy lips curled slightly upward, too weak to give Alex a full smile. His eyes
closed and he attempted to concentrate on speaking a few words, but no sound
would come forth.
Alex brushed his knuckles down the side of Fox's face, and across the swell of
his lower lip. "What do you want to say, lisa?"
The golden-brown eyelashes fluttered once then ceased, and Fox's respiration
evened out and deepened. Alex studied him for a moment, and smiled. He was
asleep. He dropped a tender kiss on Fox's mouth, then moved lower on his chest,
gently cleaning away all traces of residual semen with his tongue. The action
roused Fox, and his eyes opened a sliver.
"Mmmmm....."
"Shhhhh." Alex kissed the spot he'd just finished bathing. "Go back to
sleep."
"No....sorry, didn't mean to..." Fox blinked sluggishly, struggling to wake
up. "Don't want to sleep yet."
"No?"
The other man shook his head.
"Why not?"
"Just...want to be with you..." Fox combed his fingers through Alex's hair.
"...kiss...talk..."
The younger man rested his cheek on Fox's chest and grinned up at him. "You
still want to talk to me?"
"Shouldn't." Fox attempted a pout but didn't quite pull it off. "After what you
did to me...."
"Awww. I'm sorry, baby."
"No you're not."
Alex slid up Fox's chest, stopping when they were eye to eye. "Neither are
you."
More awake now, Fox grinned up at his lover. "You're an evil, evil man."
"And you love it."
"I shouldn't make it so easy for you."
A michievous glint came to Alex's eyes. "That could be fun, too."
The humor faded from Fox's eyes and was immediately replaced by boundless
adoration. He brought a hand up to Alex's mouth, tracing the line of his lower
lip. "I love you."
In answer, Alex lowered his head and took Fox's mouth in a soft kiss, gently
coaxing his lips apart. His tongue slipped in past the row of teeth, finding
and engaging his lover's tongue in a playful duel.
Fox sighed into Alex's mouth, his tongue stroking and teasing its mate. His
hands slid up his lover's back, traveling over the weeks-old scars, and
encountering the fresh welts he'd inflicted. He pulled away from the kiss and
pressed Alex's head down onto his shoulder so he could look at the younger
man's back. His fingers traced the new marks, then his arms encircled Alex
gently.
"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't...I didn't realize I'd..."
Alex kissed Fox's collarbone. "It's all right, lisa. It doesn't hurt."
"I didn't mean to..."
Alex lifted his head and met Fox's eye. "Come on, it's okay. It's not the first
time one of us has scratched the other up, and..." he inclined his head and
nipped gently at Fox's nipple, "considering how rough we play sometimes, I'm
sure it won't be the last."
"Yeah, but..."
"I'm fine," Alex interrupted. "He didn't screw me up so much that I can't make
the distinction between his twisted actions and my baby's passion."
Fox lay silently, his fingertips whispering over Alex's back.
"Hey," Alex nuzzled his jaw. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I j...I just ...I keep thinking about what it must have been like for
you, not knowing where you were...being beaten and..." he couldn't finish the
sentence. "...and I can't...I can't stand it. I want to kill him over and..."
he gritted his teeth "...over..."
Alex kissed his chin, then his mouth. "Lisa..."
"I shouldn't have left you. I'd been feeling uneasy for days, and yet, against
every instinct, I let you talk me into going to work."
"You can't shoulder the blame for that, Fox. It isn't right. You know, if it
weren't for your persistence, I might still be there...and God knows how much
worse things would have been. You saved me from a whole lot more shit, baby."
Fox raised his eyes to Alex's face.
Alex rested his forehead against his lover's, and grinned down at him. "My
hero." When his only response was the same somber expression, he growled
softly, capturing Fox's bottom lip between his teeth, and giving a little shake
of his head. Receiving a smile and a soft laugh from the older man, he released
his lip, then passed his tongue across the tiny indentations that his teeth had
left.
"That tickles."
"Yeah?" Alex swiped at Fox's mouth again.
"Come on, cut it out..."
"You weren't saying that half an hour ago."
"That was then, this is now."
"I could have you begging to be fucked in less than twenty minutes."
"You think so, huh?"
"I know so."
"What makes you so damn sure?"
"Cause I'm good."
"Conceited prick."
The rich, satiny sound of Alex's chuckle filled the room. "You say the
sweetest things."
Fox's hand traveled down Alex's back to the curve of his ass. He lightly
caressed the smooth muscles, occasionally giving a gentle squeeze. "Question."
"What?"
"If I hadn't been able to hold it...would you really not fuck me for a whole
month?"
Alex closed one eye and grimaced. "I don't know. I'd try real hard..."
Fox gave him that patented heart-melting, cock-hardening pout. "You would?"
"I said I wouldn't fuck you. I said nothing about jerking..."
Fox smiled.
"And sucking..."
"Mmmm..."
"And then I could always sit back and watch you get yourself off. That's
always big fun."
Fox gave his ass a hard smack.
"Shit! What was that for?"
"Because I felt like it."
"Fresh."
"I'd give you three days and then you'd be all over me."
"Oh, really? Are you trying to say I have no self-control?"
"That's what I'm sayin'."
"I have plenty of self-control, thank you. Just...not with you, ya slut."
"Wait...gimme a minute, and I'll try to look sorry."
"Ah, don't bother."
Fox smirked and pulled Alex down for a long kiss. He released the younger man's
mouth, and hugged him to his chest.
Ales sprawled comfortably over Fox's body, tucking his head under the lightly
stubbled chin. "Know what?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm tired all of a sudden."
"I know," Fox murmured, idly combing his fingers through the fringe of sable
hair at the base of Alex's neck. "Me too."
Alex kissed the warm skin beneath his mouth, tasting the faint flavor of sweat
and the remnants of his lover's recent climax. "I love you, baby," he whispered
as he gave himself up to the lethargy that had come to claim him.
"I love you. Goodnight, sweetheart."
In the fuzzy remains of consciousness, Alex heard the comforting tone of his
lover's voice. Felt the warmth of his embrace, and sank contentedly into sleep,
knowing that when he woke in the morning, he'd do so in the loving circle of
his Fox's arms. He'd open his eyes and he'd be home.
END
Admission
by Aries
Part One
An icy wind is blowin'
He sees that I don't know
You're losin' me babe
My eyes are filled with cryin'
For seven days now
If you don't come back to me
I fear the flood is comin'
You're losin' me
You're losin' me
You're losin'... me
He sees that I don't know
A hurricane is ragin' in my emotions
The mist against the rise
You're losin' me babe
My heart is ever changin'
For seven days now
If you don't come back to me
I say the flood is comin'
You're losin'... me
You're losin' me
You're losin'... me
All I can do is let it run
Ice in my blood that makes me shiver
I need your smile to bring me back the sun
I see the flood is comin'
You're losin' me
You're losin' me
You're losin' me
You're losin' me... .
The man moved smoothly through the crowd. The picture of serene elegance. He nodded his greeting to several others as he passed them by, but never stopped for conversation.
