TITLE: Waking Up Is Hard To Do

DATE: May 11, 2001

AUTHOR: Cking

CATEGORY: A short bit of silliness, because I needed something light after working for hours on some dark scenes coming up in the next part of Victim of the Game.

I also felt I owed an apology to all the wonderful, kind people who have been so patient with me getting out the next part of Victim. It is a WIP, but it *will* be finished, I swear it! I know, I *know* it's been way too long. I feel very guilty about it. I am finishing it up now. Shawna has
been laying on the whip and won't let me get away with any more slacking. <g>

Dedicated to Ursula who has been very patient and helpful to me. And to Ned and Leny who have put up with my insanity graciously.

Beta by the always wonderful and talented Katy Deery.

DISCLAIMER: They don't belong to me. They belong to CC and Fox. But they wouldn't want this silliness. No money being made. Story is set in an AU when Mulder and Krycek were still in the FBI.

Waking Up Is Hard To Do
by Cking

Alex walked into the bedroom carrying a mug of coffee. He pulled the curtains open, then sat on the edge of the bed and waved the aromatic cup carefully near Mulder's face.

"Fox. . ." He leaned over, kissing his lover's cheek softly. Mulder didn't budge, other than a small smile coming to his face. He gave a soft breath of sated exhaustion and fell back to sleep.

Alex sighed, smiling fondly. "Okay. . .we'll go to stage one," he leaned forward, turning the radio that sat next to the bed on loudly. Heavy metal music blasted into the room.

Mulder grunted, flipped onto his stomach, and pulled Alex's pillow over and around his head.

"You said it was hypercritical that you get up. . ." Alex said firmly.

Mulder snuggled happily into the blankets.

"Those were your words. . ." Alex said, pulling the blankets off him.

"I was drunk," Mulder whined pitifully, pulling the blankets back up around him and shutting his eyes.

"You weren't drinking." Alex grinned.

"I must have been. . .how else could I feel like this?" Mulder moved around finding a comfortable spot, the blankets tucked firmly under his chin.

"You said. . ." Alex paused, frowning in irritation, and reached over to turn off the annoying radio. The music wasn't working on Mulder anyway, and it was setting Alex's teeth on edge.

"Mulder, get up!" He yanked the pillow off Mulder's head.

Mulder deliberately pulled his blankets more firmly around himself and burrowed into the mattress as if preparing to hibernate there.

Alex sighed regretfully, getting up and going into the bathroom to retrieve the big pitcher of ice water he'd readied earlier. With Mulder's face buried in a pillow, he didn't even try to hide the evil grin spreading over his face as he sat the pitcher on the bedside table.

"You said that you *had* to make the meeting this morning with Skinner and that you wouldn't make love to me tonight unless I got you up on time." He shrugged. "I'm really looking forward to spending the night fucking you senseless, Mulder."

Mulder made a noncommittal noise and curled up, hiding his face in the blankets.

Changing tactics, Alex reached out and ran a hand gently over the back of Mulder's head. "Fox. . .I need to talk to you. . ."

"Hmmm. . ."

"There are a lot of things going on at work. . .Talk is that there's something big coming down, and if it's what I think. . ." he looked down at Mulder. "Are you listening?" Alex asked quietly.

"Hmmm. . ." Mulder grumbled.

"Mulder, I think I should let you know some things about Skinner and Scully."

"Hmm. . ."

"I should have told you a long time ago. Did you know that they were both clones? Planted by the Consortium. It's true, I saw them in the labs before they were assigned to you. It was gruesome, I mean they were all slimy and floating in those tanks. . ."

"Hmm. . ."

Alex shook his head in exasperation. "You're not hearing a word I'm saying are you?"

"Hmm. . ."

"Things have been kind of boring lately, Mulder. I was planning on running off with a purple dragon. . .catching on fire, and then running through the court yard tarred and feathered, yodeling your name out loud for all the neighbors. Just for a little excitement . . . think that's a good idea?"

"Hmm hmm."

"Hypercritical. . ." Alex said, standing smoothly and plucking the pitcher of ice water off the bedside table. His mouth curved up in a wide, boyish grin of guilty anticipation. The water in the pitcher was so cold that condensation covered the smooth metal sides of the container.

His face softened, eyes going gentle as Alex looked down at Mulder curled so happily in the bed. Mulder looked so comfortable, so young and trusting. . .Alex almost relented. Almost.

"Think of this as an act of love." With a smart snap of his wrist Alex pulled the soft, warm blankets off before upending the icy contents of the pitcher over his sleeping lover.

"Aaaaah!!" Mulder gave a blood curdling scream, his upper body raising up in pure shock onto rigid arms.

Alex ran out of the room, grabbing his jacket on the way. "Got to go to work, Mulder!"

"ALEX!!" Mulder growled, floundering to get out of the bed. He knocked the alarm clock off the night stand and stared at the display.

"Seven o'clock!! Alex! Why didn't you wake me?" Mulder jumped up, heading for the bathroom.

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

"Hi, Mulder," Alex approached cautiously as Mulder was getting ready to climb into his car in the bureau parking lot. Mulder had been stuck in meetings all day, and this was the first time Alex had seen him since the incident early this morning.

Alex's smile wavered uncertainly as Mulder turned toward him with an expressionless face. Alex took a careful step toward him and held out a small bag of sunflower seeds in one hand. "You okay, Mulder?"

Mulder stared at him a moment, letting him sweat, before letting his own mouth curl into a welcoming smile. Alex let out a breath of relief as Mulder opened his arms and let Alex into his embrace.

Alex snuggled into Mulder's hold gratefully, and then yelped in surprise as Mulder bit the side of his jaw gently. "I. . .*finally* got warm this afternoon."

Alex laughed softly. "Sorry, Fox. I *did* try to get you up. . ."

Mulder growled and nipped him again playfully on the neck, sucking on the site to make a mark. Alex just wrapped his arms around him tighter.

They were interrupted as Mulder's cell phone rang. They pulled back from each other reluctantly as he answered it.

Alex looked down as Mulder hung up with an apologetic look.

"Duty calls?"

"I'm sorry, Alex. . ."

Alex smiled faintly and leaned back in to kiss him gently. "Not a problem, lover."

"It shouldn't take long. . ."

Alex's smile got brighter. "Where do you want to meet, your place or mine?"

Mulder grinned sheepishly. "Better be mine. . .there's a slight problem with your apartment . . . well, your bed anyway."

"What did you do to my bed?" Alex leaned back and then frowned as Mulder backed away, an evil grin spreading over his face.

"What did you do. . . ?" Alex's voice dropped, low and dangerous.

"I tarred and feathered it," Mulder laughed, blithely ignoring the obvious danger staring him in the face. "Well, . . .I used crackers and honey."

Alex lunged, capturing and holding his lover tight against him. "I can't believe you tarred and feathered. . .or rather cracker and honeyed my bed." He pulled Mulder tighter and nipped his earlobe carefully before soothing the minor hurt with a swipe of his tongue. "That is considered
grounds for war," he whispered hoarsely into the sensitive ear.

"You started it." Mulder laughed, trying to get away. Alex growled and moved his lips along Mulder's jaw in gentle caresses until he could cover those beautiful lips in a kiss.

They pulled apart again regretfully. "You'd better get going," Alex grated.

Mulder licked his lower lip dazedly and sighed. "Yeah. . ."

Alex grinned and stepped back. "And Fox. . ." his smile grew as he stepped further back into the shadows. "This isn't over, not by a long shot."

He disappeared behind a pillar. Mulder stood frozen beside his car for a minute, rubbing his fingers slowly over his lips and staring at the spot his lover had disappeared. A smile spread over his face as he turned back to climb into his car. No, it wasn't over, and the thought made him
absurdly happy.


The End.
Really! It *is* the end. I have no plans to continue. See? I *can* finish a story!! :-)) Thanks for putting up with my silliness.