Birdy
by Gaby
It was funny, really. That man had been shot, stabbed, badly beaten up, had his
arm hacked off. All of this he had taken in stride, more or less. But the flu he
was currently fighting had left him whining and throwing tantrums like a
five-year old.
Maybe, Skinner reasoned while he climbed the stairs to the master bedroom, it
was the fact that now Alex finally had someone to take care of him. He didn't
have to hide away in some dark hole and lick his wounds all alone. He had two
men who loved and cared for him deeply. Two men who had endured a very bratty
Alex Krycek over the last few days.
Skinner couldn't help but grin. He had just driven to the house of an old army
buddy's mother, more than an hour away if traffic was light—which it wasn't—just to get that special thick chicken broth which was able to revive the dead
if need be.
Damn, I must have it bad, Skinner decided, blowing on the steamy bowl of broth
which he had quickly reheated in the microwave for his lover and sub. But, he
added to himself, Alex definitely was worth it.
The first thing Skinner saw when he entered the master bedroom, was Elvis, their
black puppy, lying on the bed, warming Krycek's feet and watching out for any
and all enemies that might want to do his beloved sub-master any harm. The pup
looked up when his master-master came near, wagging his tail excitedly.
"You're not allowed on the bed, Elvis," Skinner informed the dog, pointing a
stern finger in his direction. Elvis stopped wagging his tail, and decided to
growl warningly instead. Nobody, and that included master-masters, was going to
get him away from his sick Alex, and that was the end of it. Skinner looked a
bit uncertain for a second before he decided that the dog wasn't really doing
any harm. Maybe he was even helping Krycek getting better just by staying close
to him. Skinner shrugged mentally. "Okay, you can stay. But only while Alex is
sick."
Elvis yelped once, and then snuggled deeper into the blankets, head on front
paws, deciding that his master-master was a rather intelligent man who could be
reasoned with if need be.
Mulder, on the other hand, gave his Dom a cheeky grin. "Elvis sure knows his
place, huh?" he chuckled. "Good to know who's the boss around here." His smirk
faltered slightly when Skinner gave him a stern glare, and he decided that
changing the subject was a good idea. Skinner grinned inwardly when he watched
Mulder scrambling to reanimate Krycek. So he had not lost his touch, pup be
damned!
"Look, Alex, catering's here," Mulder announced, using a cold washcloth to wipe
his patient's sweaty brow. Krycek looked up from his nest of pillows and
blankets, shooing away Mulder and his damp towel which was supposed to help keep
the fever at bay.
"Don't wanna," the patient croaked, huddling deeper into his nest.
"Well, this isn't open to discussion, Alex," Skinner told his sick sub. "This is
good for you. And you have to eat," he added more softly, remembering that a
sick Alex couldn't easily be threatened into obeying. Wheedling was more
Mulder's forte though, so he looked helplessly at his other sub. Mulder nodded
knowingly, threw the damp washcloth into the bowl with cold water on the
nightstand, and held his hand out for the soup.
"Come on, Alex, cuddle time," he announced.
Krycek, at the best of times, tolerated cuddling with something close to good
grace when they were in bed or during playtime. Now that he was sick, however,
he had surprisingly turned into a regular snuggler. Skinner grinned,
understanding of what Mulder was trying to do dawning.
One green eye, slightly glassy from high fever, opened and peeked out of the
folds of blankets. "Cuddling?" he whispered hoarsely, receiving nods from both
his lovers. "Only cuddling?" he asked suspiciously, slowly pulling back the
blankets from his face.
"Yes. Walter's back, and you know he's really just a big teddy bear, so he'll
just cuddle with you. Won't you, Walter?"
"Scout's honor," Skinner agreed, crossing his heart with his finger.
Krycek narrowed his eyes, instinctly knowing he was being led on but not able to
see the catch. The need for some serious cuddling was too strong though, so he
scooted down the bed a little, making room for Skinner.
The big man climbed in, sitting up against the headboard, both legs at either
side of his patient. Krycek readily leaned back, snuggling against the broad
chest, sighing contentedly, and closed his eyes with a small smile on his lips.
Skinner brushed his mouth against the other man's temple, feeling his
temperature that way, and raising a worried eyebrow at Mulder when he realized
it was still high. Too high.
Mulder shrugged helplessly. He had spent the last couple of hours trying to cool
Krycek off with damp towels wrapped around his calves, his neck, around his
forehead. It had helped a little, but it wasn't enough. Mulder knew that and so
did Skinner. They guessed Krycek did as well, though their patient was too
cranky to care either way.
Skinner wrapped his strong arms around the man in front of him, causing Krycek
to snuggle up even closer. Once he had a firm grip on his sub, Skinner gave
Mulder a nod to proceed. Mulder grimaced, knowing this wouldn't be pretty, and
grabbed the spoon in the bowl.
"Open up, Alex," he said cheerfully, holding the spoon under Krycek's nose.
Green eyes flew open and looked at Mulder, betrayal evident in the glare. "You
have to eat, baby," Mulder crooned. "Your body needs the energy to fight the
flu, and this will help. I know that swallowing hurts right now, but I promise
this is as good as it gets. Come on." He waved the spoon around a little,
without any success. Krycek clamped his mouth shut.
"Alex, eat," Skinner growled. "I haven't spent two hours in a traffic jam for
nothing. Believe me, this soup works miracles. I remember I once had the worst
case of a cold, bronchitis, larynchitis, the works. After two weeks of taking
every medication known to mankind, I wasn't the least bit feeling better. My
buddy brought some of that soup over, said his mother told me to eat it. I
really didn't want to, but I took it like a man and ate every last drop. Two
days later, I was as good as new."
Krycek shook his head adamantly. Just the thought of something hot going down
his raw throat made him want to scream. Swallowing was torture. Even ice water
hurt like hell!
"Alex, I've tried to be supportive, but you're really trying my patience here.
You're not getting better, my sick little sub, so you'd better try some of that
miracle soup. And I mean, right now!" Krycek flinched a little, not used to
Skinner using his most authorative Dom voice while he was feeling like crap, but
he realized that the older man was really close to losing it. He pouted a little
for good measure before he reluctantly opened his mouth just enough to let
Mulder slip the spoon inside.
Swallowing did hurt, but Krycek had to admit that the soup wasn't all that bad.
In fact, it was rather good. Heck, his stomach had woken up and expressed its
interest as soon as he had smelled it. Mulder was lovingly spoon-feeding him,
making sure the soup wasn't too hot before he offered it to his lover, keeping
up a steady and slightly irritating chatter of, "One for Alex, one for Fox, one
for Walter, one for Elvis," while Skinner hugged the sick man reassuringly,
giving him an encouraging squeeze everytime he swallowed a spoonful of soup.
Finally, when the bowl was empty, Mulder beamed at Krycek approvingly while
Skinner gave the dark head on his chest a proud kiss. "Well done, Alex," the
bald man praised him, relieved that they had managed to get food into their
troublesome patient.
Krycek turned in Skinner's arms, angling his face up for a kiss which the bigger
man was happy to give his lover. "Good boy," he whispered into one elfin ear.
"I'm proud of you. I know this hurt your throat." Skinner gave the throat in
question a gentle kiss before he slowly pushed Krycek away from him. "And now I
think a cool shower is called for."
Krycek immediately pouted again, and shook his head adamantly.
"Yes, Alex," Skinner told his sub sternly, getting out of the bed and reaching
for the sick man. "Fox, will you strip the bed and put clean sheets on while I'm
taking care of Alex?" Mulder nodded, walking to the door to get new linen from
the hallway closet. "Up you go," Skinner announced, lifting Krycek up into his
arms. "Stop struggling, brat, or I will spank you. I've just about had it with
your fussing. You have high fever, Alex, and you're sweaty. Eating hot soup has
made that worse, of course, but that's a good thing. Sweating means your body is
fighting the infection. Still, the fever needs to come down, and a cool shower
will help." Skinner gave the younger man a reassuring kiss on the forehead, and
wrinkled his nose dramatically. "Not to mention refresh you a little."
Skinner put Krycek on his feet inside the bathroom, ordering him to strip while
he started the shower and made sure the water was cool enough to have a positive
effect yet not cold enough to harm his lover or hurt the fever-sensitized skin.
"In you go," he announced, gently pushing Krycek into the spacious cubicle,
realizing at the same time that he would have to get in as well if he wanted
Krycek to get clean and refreshed. Sighing, he undressed himself and then joined
a pouting sub in the shower.
Skinner wasn't entirely sure whether Krycek was trembling due to the cold water
or exhaustion. But when he reached over to adjust the temperature a little, his
lover grabbed his wrist to stop him. "No, it's fine, Walter, really," he
mumbled, leaning back against the broad chest. Skinner wrapped one arm around
the slender waist in front of him, and kissed Krycek's neck reassuringly.
"Let's get you cleaned up a little, hmm? You're all sticky," the big man said
softly, reaching over to grab the shower gel. He worked up a good lather and
started to wash his lover. Krycek closed his eyes and purred happily, spreading
his legs a little for better balance.
The big man grabbed a soft sponge and used it to clean the lather from the
feverish body in front of him. He knelt down and took special care of his
lover's feet, gently cleaning his soles, holding the ankles tightly when Krycek
giggled and tried to pull his foot away because the sponge was tickling him.
"Turn around, Alex," Skinner said softly, steadying his lover with hands on slim
hips, and then proceeded to clean the younger man's genitals. Skinner gently
pulled back Krycek's foreskin and washed the sensitive glans. Carefully lifting
the penis, he washed the scrotum, and then used the sponge to wash behind the
sac. Despite the cool water, Krycek's cock slowly began to grow and rise.
Skinner chuckled when he saw that, and gave the cockhead a quick kiss before he
turned his lover around and washed the shapely butt, carefully forcing the
sponge in the crack and making sure that every nook and cranny was clean.
Skinner gave each butt cheek a kiss before he slowly stood up, his tongue
lapping up the water along Krycek's spine and ending up with another kiss to his
lover's neck. He wrapped his left arm around Krycek's waist and rested his chin
on the other man's shoulder. "Feeling better?"
Krycek was breathing heavily, and leaned against the broad chest behind him,
wiggling his butt until Skinner's mostly flaccid cock was safely nestled in
between the cheeks. "Please, Walter," he whispered.
"Please what, baby?" Skinner looked down at Krycek's straining erection, knowing
full well what his lover wanted.
"It's been so long," the younger man whined desperately, pushing his bottom
further back. "Please."
Skinner used some shower gel as lube and wrapped his right hand around his
lover's cock. "Okay, but only a handjob, Alex. I'm not sure this is such a good
idea in the first place, but I guess you deserve a little reward, hmm?" Krycek
could only nod jerkily, the pleasure running through his body letting him forget
the fever, the aching bones, the congested chest for a moment. Skinner brought
his lover to climax with firm strokes, holding him up with his strong left arm
wrapped around the waist, his shoulder supporting the dark head which was flung
backwards in ecstacy.
The big man gave the temple next to him a loving kiss, his tongue darting out
and licking it a little. The droplets of water he encountered there tasted
salty. Skinner turned them around so Krycek stood under the cool spray once
more. "You're all sweaty again, baby," he said softly, using the sponge to
quickly clean his lover again. "That sure wasn't the way to cool you off, hmm?"
Krycek gave a tired chuckle which immediately turned into a hacking cough.
Skinner wrapped his arms around the trembling body in front of him, desperately
trying to ease the pain his lover was going through. Slowly, the coughing fit
stopped, and Krycek fell exhaustedly into the warm embrace.
He realized that Skinner had goosebumps all over his body. Must have had them
since he stepped into the shower with his lover. The cool water was refreshing
for Krycek, but then again, Skinner didn't have his feverish skin. Krycek
remembered that Mulder, who had a deadline for his novel, had spent the last few
days at his sick lover's side, taking care of him, not wasting a second thought
on his book. He saw that Skinner was going out of his way to get him something
to eat, that he took a freezing shower which would probably give him a cold.
And he had repaid them with bratty behavior, which they had endured patiently.
Krycek sighed, and let his head drop against Skinner's furry chest.
"Sorry I've been such a pain in the ass lately," he mumbled, contrite.
Skinner chuckled knowingly. "Yeah, well, but you're still my pain in the ass,"
he replied, squeezing his lover's butt possessively. Krycek chuckled a little,
and gave a tentative nod. "And I can still turn that into pain in your ass if
you don't shape up, boy," Skinner added with a mock growl, causing Krycek to
smile tiredly. It was good to have someone who cared, he decided.
"Yes, sir," he mumbled, wrapping his arm around Skinner's broad back.
"Good. Now, come on, let's get you out and dried. I think it's time for a nap,
hmm?" Skinner watched Krycek's eyelids grow heavy when they climbed out of the
shower. The entire bowl of soup had been more food than what the younger man had
eaten in days, and it started to make him tired.
Skinner gently patted Krycek dry, careful not to irritate the sensitive skin too
much. Then he rubbed the mop of hair as dry as possible, not wanting to use a
blowdryer but wary of letting his lover lie in bed with wet hair. Then he
squeezed some tooth paste on his lover's tooth brush and gave it to him. "Guess
you'll be glad to get rid of that sick taste in your mouth, right, Alex?"
Krycek gave the older man a grateful smile and bend over the sink to brush his
teeth while Skinner dried himself off.
A few minutes later, they entered the bedroom again to watch Mulder fluff the
last of many pillows on a freshly made bed.
"You've had too much fun in there," Mulder accused his lovers with a smile,
seeing a flush on Krycek's face that wasn't caused by fever. The sick man
blushed a deeper shade of red, causing his lovers to laugh out loud.
While Skinner dressed himself in some old sweats, Mulder helped Krycek into a
fresh pair of boxers and a new tee shirt, finishing with a kiss to the tip of
the younger man's nose.
"Okay, nap time, Alex," Skinner announced, holding up the covers. And even
though Krycek was exhausted and was looking forward to the cool sheets against
his fevered skin, he suddenly baulked.
"You will hold me, won't you?" he asked hesitantly, shyly, not daring to look at
Skinner.
The big man sighed, and shook his head. "Of course I will, baby," he replied,
crooning. "I wouldn't want it any other way. Now, hop in."
Krycek gave a tentative, slightly sheepish smile, and climbed into the bed,
making room for his lover. Skinner followed him in, and helped his sub move on
top of him, until Krycek was completely covering the big man.
Since the first day Krycek had been seriously sick, this had been the only way
he would really fall asleep. It had taken him a while to admit it, and he was
still a little embarrassed about it, somehow convinced his lovers would laugh at
him sooner or later, but Skinner gladly wrapped his arms around the sick man,
making him feel safe and loved.
Krycek grabbed the giant stuffed rat Mulder had given him as a gag gift a few
months ago, and held it close to his side. It was probably actually a mouse, but
Mulder had argued it was so cute it had to be a rat. Krycek had rolled his
eyes when he had received the present, and had rolled them again when Mulder
insisted that the stuffed animal would have a permanent home on top of their
bed's headrest, watching over them, but now he was glad that he had something
soft to cuddle up to.
Lying on top of Skinner, ear over the big man's heart, listening to the steady
thump-thump, feeling strong arms holding him tight, and his stuffed rat snuggled
under his chin, Krycek slowly fell asleep.
Mulder smiled down at his two lovers. "I'll go downstairs and make a few
sandwiches for us," he told Skinner who motioned him close and gave him a kiss.
"Thanks, Fox. You've been a great help."
"You're kidding, right? We're here for each other, Walter. In sickness and in
health." Mulder gave his Dom a cheeky grin. "In cockrings and in handcuffs," he
added, jumping out of immediate danger when he sensed that Skinner was going to
swat his butt. He then bent low and brushed a kiss on Krycek's temple. "Sweet
dreams, Alex," he murmured to the sleeping man. "Get better soon."
Skinner smiled again. More often than not, his two subs were acting like jealous
siblings, but right now Mulder would hardly leave Krycek's side.
"Come on, Elvis, let's go. You can help me make the sandwiches." Mulder opened
the bedroom door expectantly, but the pup wouldn't move from his perch next to
the bed. "Elvis, move that furry butt of yours. You can come back up later on
and watch over Alex. Now let Walter take care of him. Come on!" He snapped his
fingers and pointed into the hallway. Elvis didn't budge. Mulder sighed. "It's
time for you to go outside anyway, El. We don't want any messes in the house.
Come on. You can run into the backyard and play a little with Alex's new
friends." Mulder smirked knowingly, ignoring Skinner's stern look.
Elvis looked up, trying to decide what was more important—watching over Alex,
or go outside and play a little. Well, their master-master was taking care of
Alex right now, so he guessed he could take a five-minute break and enjoy some
frolicking around with his feathered friends, before he would come back upstairs
and take over the duty of taking care of Alex again. With a final yelp, he
scrambled after Mulder, almost tripping over his still too big paws.
Skinner chuckled again, before he concentrated on caressing the man in his arms
soothingly. Mulder's off-hand remark about Krycek's "new friends" made him
remember the way the younger man had gotten so sick in the first place, and he
sighed, shaking his head, still not believing that something so stupid could
actually happen.
Alex Krycek had been bored ever since he had moved in with his lovers. Skinner
was still working for the FBI though he constantly asked himself why he didn't
quit. Mulder called himself author and spent most of the time thinking up
outrageous plot lines. Krycek was—there. He managed the household, did most of
the grocery shopping, took care of their laundry, and made sure that the garden
was in top shape. Not that he minded. He loved to give his lovers a home they
felt comfortable in. But he wanted to do more.
Trouble was, he had no real desire to get a job. He wanted nothing that forced
him to spent any amount of time away from home. He didn't want to work in a job
that had to do with anything he had been forced to do all his life—guns,
computers, or alien hybrids. He could've made a fortune as security consultant
or computer specialist, but all he wanted was something mundane that was fun at
the same time.
When Elvis had been added to their household, Krycek was the one who took care
of him most of the time, feeding him, grooming him, taking long walks with him.
He remembered how much fun he had had as a kid with his dog. It was a mongrel,
and Alex the Child had felt he had found a soul mate when he had met his new
foster family's dog. The mutt had become his best friend, and Elvis reminded him
of the close bond between man and dog.
So, naturally, he decided to volunteer at the animal shelter where they had
found Elvis. Krycek remembered all the poor souls they had encountered there,
and, knowing that shelters were always short on money and supplies, he decided
that his help would be greatly appreciated. He was right. So, he spent a couple
of hours pretty much every day at the shelter, walking the dogs, cleaning the
cages, grooming the animals, feeding them. He usually took Elvis with him who
happily played with the other dogs—and quite a few other animals—until it
was time to go home.
His volunteer work opened Krycek's eyes—he wasn't only fond of dogs, but of
all kinds of animals. He loved sitting in their backyard watching the squirrels
hop from one branch to the next, and to listen to the birds singing in the
trees. Since they were living in a very rural area, there was a variety of
different breeds of birds, which usually woke the three men up with a beautiful
symphony in the morning. Once, a flock of ducks had landed in their backyard,
making the men's swimming pool their home for a few days. Krycek had been
enthralled beyond words, spending hours just watching the elegant animals.
Krycek decided to learn everything about birds, turning into a regular bird
fanatic. He read books, surfed the internet, watched documentaries. Skinner
indulged him, Mulder made fun of him in a round-about good-natured way.
At the animal shelter, Krycek met two fellow bird lovers, an older woman called
Eliza who lived in a tiny little run-down house with about thirty cats somewhere
in the middle of the woods, and Rufus, a guy who looked frightingly like
Frohike's older brother. They were an odd pair, but Krycek felt right at home
with them—a fact Skinner applauded because the younger man generally didn't
play well with others.
The three of them often met at Eliza's house—or, as Mulder called it, "the
cuckoo's nest"—and then went off for some serious bird watching. Krycek loved
sitting somewhere, silent, for hours, just intently listening to a certain bird
song, using his binoculars to look for one special feathered animal.
Sometimes he took Elvis with him, and instinctly the pup—exuberant as he
usually was—knew that he had to be quiet and still during those times. Elvis
loved birds, loved to play with them, but made sure that they were never harmed.
To him, they were small puppies with feathers, buddies to have a good time with.
That's why he was personally affronted when a duck which obviously thought the
playful pup meant harm, bit him on the nose when his Alex brought him to the
town's pond once. Elvis decided then and there that ducks weren't animals and
therefore his natural enemy. Krycek never took him to the pond again.
When Rufus asked his friends to accompany him one night to watch some rare owl
that was rumored to be in the woods close by, Eliza and Krycek readily agreed.
Skinner allowed his sub to spend the night away from home, making it clear
however that he had to take care of himself. Krycek had been battling a slight
cold for a couple of days, not really getting sick but always on the verge of
it, and the nights had turned rather chilly. So, Skinner had wrapped his lover
into some warm clothing, given him a thermos full of hot coffee, a kiss good-bye
and wished him fun.
Sometime during that night, it started to drizzle. The type of slight misty rain
you don't really feel until it is too late and you are drenched, soaked to the
bone. Krycek and his friends huddled together, trying to stay warm and dry, and
failing miserably on both accounts. Not one of the owls that were supposed to
have been sighted in that part of the woods had shown up either, so after
several hours they decided to literally call it a night and go home.
Krycek tried his luck one last time, and gave the plaintative hoot that the owl
was known to utter. Nobody was more surprised than he was when there was a
reply. Eliza slapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a gleeful shriek, and
Rufus almost strangled himself when he tried to untangle the binoculars from
around his neck. Krycek looked around frantically, trying to find the elusive
owl, but came up empty.
Interest now peaked, the three bird lovers slowly, silently inched away from
their perch next to a tall tree, and out into the open where they would be
better able to see. Krycek tried another hoot which was promptly answered. He
grinned at his friends who gave him a thumbs up sign. Damn, if it wasn't so
dark! But owls were night creatures, so chances of finding them in the dark were
greater.
Over the next half hour, Krycek hooted on occasion, and then moved in the
direction the replies were coming from, followed by his friends. Rufus had a
camera in one hand and a tape recorder in the other, desperately trying to find
the shy bird. But even with Eliza's still excellent sight they were unable to
discover where the owl was hiding.
Slowly making their way over a slope, thinking the bird was sitting in a tree on
the other side, Krycek gave one last plaintative hoot, hoping he'd be able to
trick the owl into coming out of hiding. The answering hoots were most
definitely getting louder the closer the group came to the slope. Krycek didn't
even want to think about what his lovers would say if they could see him now,
crawling over the muddy ground, making funny noises. Then again, Mulder had done
a lot of way more ridiculous stuff in his lifetime, so he should better not open
his big mouth anyway. Once they had a photo of that bird, Krycek just knew that
his lovers would be proud of him.
A tickling in his nose warned him of an impending sneeze attack which he was
able to stifle at the last second by burying his face in his arm, but he
realized with a shock that he was cold and wet—and feeling quite miserable.
Skinner would probably have his hide... but they were that close to finding
the rare bird, and he'd be damned if they gave up now!
Creeping closer still, giving one last hoot, Krycek gave his friends a
triumphant grin when they realized that the answering owl must be really close
now. They turned quickly around when they heard some rustling in the underbrush
close-by, and stared in shock at a group of people, one rather distinguished
looking man and a small group of younger adults, who were regarding Krycek and
his friends with the same shocked expression on their faces.
Without realizing what he was doing, the elder gentleman gave one last, mournful
hoot, as if trying to make sure that the odd group in front of him was the owl
he had been wooing for the better part of the last hour.
Krycek had driven home with a serious pout on his face, one that Mulder would've
been proud of. Who would have thought that a biology professor and his class
from the local college was conducting a field trip in that weather, anyway?
His fever had started before he even made it to their house. And from then on,
it had gone downhill. Fast.
Skinner had read him the riot act, wondering why he had a brilliant sub who
could be so dense that he'd prefer staying outdoors, in the pouring chilly rain
while he was already not feeling too well, instead of just giving up and going
home. Mulder had smirked throughout, happy that he wasn't at the end of one of
those famous tongue lashings for a change.
Still, both men were lovingly taking care of Krycek, making sure he was taking
his pills, that he drank enough, slept enough, and generally felt a little
better. Elvis hardly ever left his side, trying to cheer him up by performing
little tricks Mulder had taught him. Krycek really loved the one where Elvis
grabbed one of Skinner's nasty punishment paddles and hid it in the closet,
under the bed, or behind the potted plant in the corner. Skinner didn't think it
was funny. Mulder, as usual, feigned innocence.
But Krycek was still not getting better, even though the hooting incident had
happened almost two weeks ago. The bowl of soup had given him a surge of energy
though, and the deep sleep he had fallen into lying on top of Skinner was also
helping.
Elvis came stumbling into the master bedroom, startling Skinner out of his
reverie. He gave a soft yelp, knowing that he had to be quiet as not to disrupt
the much needed sleep his sub-master was lucky enough to grab. The big man
smiled at the eager pup, and began to disentangle himself from his lover. "Ready
to take over, Elvis?" The pup yelped softly again, and wagged his tail
excitedly. "Okay, I know you're taking good care of Alex." Skinner chuckled at
the serious look the pup gave him, and got up.
Krycek didn't move a muscle. He merely rolled over, the stuffed rat clutched to
his chest, and began to snore softly. Elvis jumped on the bed and wiggled his
way under Krycek's arm, deftly removing the stuffed animal. As if that silly rat
would be able to defend his Alex from harm if push ever came to shove!
Skinner chuckled again, and decided not to force Elvis off the bed because
Krycek looked so peaceful in his sleep, cuddling the pup whose head rested on
the sick man's shoulder, eyes solemn and alert. "Good boy," Skinner whispered,
patting the pup's head. "Watch him for us, okay?" He gave Krycek a kiss on the
cheek, causing the younger man to snuffle adorably.
Mulder looked up from his sandwich when he saw Skinner enter the living room, a
huge smile still plastered on his face. The younger man grinned. "Let me guess.
He snuffled."
Skinner laughed out loud, and threw himself down on the couch, hugging his sub
to his chest. "Yup," he replied. "And Elvis gave me the evil eye again. I really
think he's convinced that only he is capable of watching Alex."
Mulder grinned. Elvis had once chased him out of the bedroom when he had tried
to give Krycek his medicine, and the sick man had adamantly refused. That dog
was a bodyguard to be reckoned with. "Well, at least we'll have some time to
ourselves," he mumbled, snuggling closer. "Elvis will tell us when Alex needs
us."
Skinner raised an eyebrow. So, Mulder felt a little ignored, huh? Okay, he had
to admit that the last two weeks had mostly revolved around Krycek, and Mulder
usually needed his daily dose of cuddling. Well, he'd just make sure that the
sub currently in his arms would get a snuggle session he would remember for a
long time.
One thing was true, though. Elvis was a great help. Usually, Skinner liked to
have someone close to his patients, just to make sure they would get anything
they needed. Their house was so big that it was nearly impossible to hear a
hoarse person yell for help, or for a mere glass of water. Elvis would dash off
and get that help within seconds.
Skinner still remembered how they had tried to solve that particular problem a
few months earlier, when Mulder had suffered from a bad case of laryngitis. He
had had absolutely no voice left, so they had given him a bell he could use to
summon one of his lovers with if need be.
Krycek had personally used a sledge hammer at the end of the second day to
ensure that particular bell would never again jingle merrily before he threw it
into the trash.
Back then, Skinner had thought Mulder was the worst case scenario. Now he knew
Krycek was an even worse patient. But at least they had Elvis to watch over
their patient if they did indeed spend an hour or two outside the bedroom.
Skinner had to admit that a few hours spent on the couch, just cuddling with
Mulder, eating a couple of sandwiches and watching mundane TV shows, did him a
world of good.
The few hours of sleep seemed to have revived Krycek quite a bit as well because
he accepted another bowl of the miracle soup for dinner without putting up too
much fuss, and even took his medicine. Falling asleep on top of the big man,
stuffed rat close by, hand clutching Mulder's, with Elvis at his feet, Krycek
was definitely on the road of recovery.
Even though sleeping in that position was awkward for both Skinner and Mulder,
they wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
When Krycek woke up the next morning, safely held in Skinner's strong arms,
spooned in front of him, he felt a lot better. He smiled, and stretched a
little, curling his tongue catlike when a big yawn overtook him. Then he
frowned. Mulder wasn't in bed. Or the bedroom.
A movement behind him told Krycek that Skinner was awake as well. "How are you
feeling this morning, baby?" the big man asked with a voice still rough from
sleep. Krycek thought it sounded incredibly sexy.
"Much better," he croaked thruthfully. "I guess you were right. That soup is a
miracle cure." He turned around in Skinner's arms and received his "good
morning" kiss.
Skinner chuckled. "So, soup for breakfast it is?" he teased, causing Krycek to
wrinkle his nose. "Where's Fox?" the big man suddenly asked, realizing someone
was missing.
Before Krycek could reply, the door was opened and the man in question entered,
holding a tray. Two cups of coffee, two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice
and one with watered down juice for the patient with the raw throat, a basket of
bagels and muffins, as well as a pitcher with ice water were all balanced on the
tray.
Skinner and Krycek eyed their lover wearily, knowing that he had a bad record of
tripping over his own feet and dropping things. This time, however, Mulder
safely put the tray down on the nightstand and bent over to give each of the men
in the bed a sloppy kiss. "Morning," he said cheerfully. "You look much better
today, Alex."
"I feel better," Krycek nodded, green eyes drawn to a square package Mulder had
kept tugged under one of his arms. "What's that?" he asked curiously, pointing
at the package.
"That, my dear Alex, is your get-well-present. Found it on the internet. When I
saw it, I just had to buy it." Mulder gave his younger lover a wide grin which
didn't bode well in Krycek's opinion, and climbed into bed.
"I already have a stuffed rat, Fox," Krycek pointed out cautiously.
"Does that look like a stuffed rat to you?" Mulder countered, waving the package
around. It was obviously heavy. He started to unwrap the package, a serious pout
of the misunderstood adorning his face.
Krycek was still not convinced. He had endured too many childish jokes,
especially since he had picked up his new hobby. He liked bird watching, dammit,
and he didn't care that most people who liked to do that were considered nerds.
He knew that Mulder didn't mean any of his stupid remarks, but they were
irritating. The fact that there had been no stupid one-liners since he had
become sick really made Krycek weary. There had been no comments about Krycek
and his friends being birds of a feather, no seemingly innocent inqueries if
Krycek wasn't really looking for hot chicks—or roosters, for that matter—, no
mutterings about building a bird house for his lover. All of this was like an
accident waiting to happen. Mulder couldn't hold all of his adolescent babbling
bottled up forever, and Krycek was scared that, once he started, Mulder wouldn't
be able to stop. The gleam in his lover's eyes when he had shown Krycek the
package meant that maybe all those silly jokes had manifested themselves in
another really stupid gag gift.
"I'll have you know that this is, at least according to the website I was on, is
the latest in birdology," Mulder announced to the room in general, not in the
least perturbed when Skinner pointed out that there was no such thing as
"birdology." Instead, he removed the wrapping paper from a big hardcover book,
and held it up for Krycek to see.
"The ultimate book about owls, Alex. 360 pages, with almost 500 pictures and
illustrations. I'm sure there's also a chapter on that owl you were trying to
find. Spotted or checkered or striped or whatever it looked like." Mulder
smiled, and held it out for Krycek to take.
His lover was at a loss for words, a lump rising in his throat. Eliza had told
him about that book. It was the best on the market, but up till now he had
been too much of a scrooge to buy it. He knew how much it cost, and knowing that
Mulder had bought it for him just for the heck of it, to make him happy, even
though he regarded Krycek's hobby as nothing more than a really silly pastime,
touched the younger man. And, to top it off, there had been no stupid comments
accompanying the gift! "Thank you, Fox. This is...it's great. Really. Thank
you."
"Anytime, Alex," Mulder replied, an innocent smile splitting his face in two.
"Have a hoot!"
alter Skinner didn't know a whole lot about children. He knew even less about
sick children, a fact he was quite relieved about, but of one thing he was sure:
they could not be worse than an Alex Krycek battling a bad case of the flu.
