Nobody Has to Know by Aries Part One "Ah, shhhhhhit." Mulder blinked and squinted, trying to turn the multiple images dancing in front of his eyes back into single ones. As he sat up, the rooms began to spin, and he groaned and lowered himself slowly back to the sofa. "Bad. Oh, bad, bad." Breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, he attempted to quell the rush of nausea that accompanied the dizziness. "What the hell..." As he lay panting softly, his grizzled brain tried to sort out the riot of images crashing around in his head. Wildly flashing light. A tangle of sweaty bodies, thrashing against each other. A hulking figure in a black mask... //Christ. Okay, think. Think.// He closed his eyes and tried to remember exactly what the hell had happened last night, but as the friggin' dots kept moving around, there was no way he could connect them. Sliding an arm over his eyes to blot out the brightness of the morning, he lay motionless, barely breathing until he drifted back into sleep. Mulder rubbed at his eyes, loosening the crust, and his lashes lifted. He looked around the room, which was now in shadow, and he breathed a cautious sigh of relief. He had one t.v. again. One coffee table, and one dining room. Grunting, he lifted himself into a sitting position then moaned at the terrible discomfort as he settled his weight fully on his ass. "Shit." Shifting to his hip, he frowned. Damn, that hurt. Why did... That same masked figure. A heavy belt. Shackles... He opened his eyes wide and pressed the heels of his hands to his temples. //What the fuck?// He shifted again and winced. That ache was no hallucination. He drew himself up carefully, taking several seconds to get his balance, then he tottered into the bathroom and turned on the shower. //Think hard, Mulder. What'd you do last night? Okay. You went out. Downtown...for a drink...// And he'd wandered into a bar he'd never been in before. He hadn't known why, but the thump of the music and the crowds of people...men...going in, had just drawn him to the place. It hadn't taken him long to realize that he'd walked into an S&M club. Why he hadn't turned around and left immediately was a mystery. Instead, he'd wandered deeper into the club, squeezing past leather-clad, musclebound men, who looked at him as though he were a steak dinner. He'd made his way to the bar and got out a drink order just before two men had approached him. "Hey, pretty," one had said, daring to reach out and stroke his hair. The other had crossed over to his left side and crowded in next to him. He should have high-tailed it out of there then, but something had made him stay. "Hey," he'd said, glancing at the silent man before turning his gaze to the touchy-feely one on his right. "You're new." "Yeah, I...I uh...just came in for a drink." "There are lots of places to just go in for a drink. Why here?" "Don't know." The man shrugged. "What're you drinking?" "Nothing yet. I just ordered." The other flashed him a grin. "You're a bit overdressed for this place." Mulder had looked from the two men in their scanty leather accoutrements then down at his jeans and button down shirt. "Well, like I said, I just came in for a drink." "So, you haven't really noticed what's going on around here?" Haven't had time. As soon as I stopped, you two showed up." Another smirk. "Have a look around." Mulder had looked, and what he'd seen had made his jaw drop. Nearly naked men being led around on leashes. Some in restraints, being flogged by men in masks and hoods. Others still, on their hands and knees, servicing several men at once. The man had slithered closer and whispered in his ear. "You like?" Mulder swallowed hard, shocked by the scene and by the rush of heat he felt. "I sh...I should go. This isn't..." "Isn't what?" the man purred. "Stay, pretty. Watch a while. You might find that you like it." Mulder finally got his drink, and he slammed it back to the other's delight. "A man after my own heart. Hey. Look over there." Mulder had followed the man's direction and found a beautiful, dark-haired man on his knees with four men around him. One man had stood behind him, hand in his hair, holding his head still while the three others stood close, stroking their cocks, pointing them at his face. The man had seen Mulder's shocked expression, and he'd moved closer still, murmuring in his ear. "He's loving it, don't worry. He's a willing slave. They all are." Mulder's eyes had closed, and he'd inhaled slowly. It had been appalling, and it had been perverse, and damn, it'd made him hard as a rock. The man had noticed the bulge forming at the front of Mulder's jeans, and he'd blatantly brushed his fingers over it. Mulder jerked away, and his eyes had flown open, gaping at the other. "Don't...I...don't." "You look like you could use a little relief." "No. No, I..." "Maybe another drink." Before Mulder could protest, the man waved the bartender over and ordered another. "And keep 'em coming," he'd said softly then smiled at Mulder. "Want to sit down?" "No, I don't think so." "C'mon," the man coaxed. "Enjoy the show." He should have walked out. Had every intention to do just that, but the man had taken his drink from the bartender, pushed it into his hand, and then he'd found himself following the man to an open table. The silent third had walked behind him, and they'd all sat down at a small table. "Does your friend here talk?" "Not here," the man had answered. "Everyone who walks through that door assumes a different persona than the one they have on the outside. This is his." "Does he have a name?" Mulder had asked. "Do you?" "Yes, we do," the man had replied and had said no more. "Okay," Mulder had muttered, starting on his drink. Soon, it had disappeared only to be replaced by another, and then another. Sometime after his fifth drink, his memory had faded out all together. "What did I do?" he asked himself, raking his fingers through sticky hair then stripped and stepped gingerly into the tub. "Oww. God...oww." Everything hurt, he discovered as he washed, and sill he couldn't remember how the bloody hell he got into this condition. Done washing, he rinsed off and stepped out of the tub then grabbed a towel and shuffled over to the mirror to look himself over. He gasped, taking notice of the light bruising around his neck and red welts on his ass. Upon further inspection, he found bruises also on his wrists and ankles. "Ohhh, my God," he moaned, still unable to remember but beginning to piece the evidence together. "Oh, my God." He wrapped the towel around himself and stumbled out of the bathroom. //Okay. Calm down. Just calm down. Whatever it was, it was just a one time thing. The bruises aren't anyplace where anyone will really notice, and they'll be gone in a few days. Nobody has to know.// Repeating the mantra to himself, he walked toward the kitchen for some water. On the way back out, he noticed an envelope on the dining room table. Picking the envelope up, he turned it over in his hands. It was blank. Frowning, he tore it open and pulled out a small slip of paper out. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart began to pound as he read the simple message. "I saw what you did last night." //Somebody saw. Oh shit, somebody saw.// "Saw what?" he asked out loud. One hand clenching in his hair, he made his way over to the sofa and sank down onto the leather cushions. "Ah.." He shifted to take the pressure off of his ass then studied the handwritten note. "Saw what?" he whispered again, his voice filled with anxiety. "Dammit, who saw what?" Part Two The numbers on the cable box changed to one fifty three, and Mulder groaned as he shifted position on the sofa for the umpteenth time. He'd spent all day doing anything that didn't require any large amount of sitting, but his mind couldn't let go of the things he did and didn't remember about Saturday night. And he couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious note he'd found on his dining room table. How did it get there? Who the hell wrote it? He closed his eyes and tried to sleep so that he wouldn't look like the walking dead tomorrow and get hit by the barrage of questions that Scully was sure to ask. Ten minutes later, his eyes opened again. Cursing softly, he reached for the remote and turned the t.v. on. For sound he supposed, since he didn't watch whatever the hell was on. His gaze fell on the slip of paper he'd dropped on the coffee table. He picked it up and stared at it as if sheer will could get it to reveal the identity of the person who'd left it. "Son of a bitch," he whispered. "You must want something. If you didn't, you wouldn't have gone through the trouble of breaking in here to leave this." He thought a minute. But no one had broken in. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. Nothing was actually broken or disturbed. It was like someone had just put a key in the lock and... He sat up, wincing at the pain. Maybe that's exactly what someone did. "How did I get home?" he finally asked himself. //I was so blitzed, I can't remember anything that happened after that fifth drink. I couldn't have driven myself.// He got up and checked his wallet. Everything was there. License, money, credit cards... He looked for his keys. All six were there. It appeared that his unknown benefactor hadn't rolled him before leaving. Scowling, he went back to the sofa and lay back, tapping the paper against his forehead. So...a friend? //In that place? Come on.// He looked at the handwriting again. Nothing. No clues, no... He sat up again quickly and grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet. Stalking to the desk, he yanked the bottom drawer open and dug through it. Pulling a folder from the bottom, he shook out a single piece of paper. He set it down next to the other and compared the handwriting. "No." He looked harder. 'I saw what you did last night'...............'Things are looking up' "No." He pressed both fists into his eyes. "Ah, shit!" He whirled around and looked wildly from side to side. "Are you listening to me? Can you see me, you miserable fucker? You've been following me, haven't you? Haven't you? What do you want? What game are you playing now?" The ringing phone startled him into silence. Slowly, he walked toward his desk and lifted the receiver to his ear. He said nothing. He didn't have to. He knew who it was on the other end. "I'm not playing any games with you." "No? What do you call that note? What about the surveillance shit you've obviously got hooked up somewhere in this apartment?" "I'm just keeping an eye on you, Mulder. You should be happy that I am." Mulder laughed bitterly. "Oh, really? And why's that?" "How much do you remember about the other night?" Silence met his question. "My guess is not very much. True?" Again, nothing. "Do you know what they were getting ready to do to you?" More silence. "You want me to tell you?" "Pay attention," Mulder grated. "I'm ignoring you." "You can hang up at any time." "...What the fuck do you know?" "If I'm watching you, someone else might be too. Sure you want to talk about this on the phone?" "What? Would you rather meets for drinks?" "You've had enough alchohol for one weekend. I'll be there soon. I'll do a sweep to make sure we don't have any other company." Before Mulder could say anything, the line went dead. He dropped the phone back into the cradle and began to pace. "What am I doing? What the hell am I doing?" Less than fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Mulder stomped to the front of the apartment and threw the door open. "You look like shit." "Fuck you, Krycek. Say what you came to say, and get the fuck out of my sight." Krycek shook his head, a humorless smile tilting his lips. Mulder followed him around while he swept the apartment. "Wow. Nothing." "What about yours?" Krycek tossed him a look and advanced into the living room, where he dropped into the chair facing the sofa. "What the hell were you doing in that place, Mulder?" "I'm the one asking the questions," Mulder spat, standing in front of the seated man. "What the hell were you doing following me?" "Like I said on the phone, you're lucky I did." Krycek's eyes glittered in the spare light. "You've never gone any place like that before. Why'd you do it this time?" "I wanted a drink," Mulder huffed. "Is it a crime to want a drink?" "There are plenty of places to get a drink. Why there?" "You sound just like..." "Like who?" "Somebody I met." "There? At the club? Was it one of your playmates?" Mulder said nothing. "So, are you always that kinky, Mulder, or just when you get that lousy, stinking drunk?" Mulder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What'd I do?" he asked softly. "Maybe you ought to sit down." "Jesus." Mulder dropped onto the sofa and waited. "Those two assholes you were with...they got you drunk." "That much I know." "When you were pretty well toasted, they picked you up, sandwiched you between them and started dancing." Krycek's jaw tightened. "They were all over you." "If you knew I was drunk, why didn't you step in then?" Mulder asked. "Because part of me wanted to see how far you'd let it go," Krycek hissed, making no effort to hide his ire. "Pretty soon, a few more guys joined in. They passed you around like a bottle of Boone's Farm, and you just let them. "I couldn't see for a little while after that because they were all around you. Next thing I knew, you were half naked and being collared and shackled, and some goon in a mask had picked up a belt. He held it in front of your face, and you started licking it." A muscle in Krycek's jaw twitched. "One of the original two fuckers took hold of the leash and pulled your head back, and the one with the belt walked around behind you and let loose on you. By the time I made it through the mob, some of them were undoing their pants and practically drooling. I heard one of them say how much he loved sticking his dick in a fresh, pink ass. The one he was talking to said you had a mouth made to suck cock, and that was all I heard before I reached you. You were..." Krycek lowered his head and clasped his hands together, trying to maintain his cool. "Whimpering and squirming." He lifted his head. "Like a bitch in heat." Mulder flinched and said nothing. "I should have left you there, but I..." "But you what?" Mulder asked the floor. Krycek gave no answer. "What...how'd you get me out?" "I went in ranting and raving and made it look like we were a couple. Most of them backed off, but I did have a little trouble with the other one of the first pair." "The real big one?" Krycek nodded. "What'd you do?" "Taught him a little respect. His buddies scraped him up off the floor while I got you loose and got you the hell out of there. You were out of it. I practically had to carry you to your car. I drove you home, dumped you on the couch, and I left." Mulder sat quietly for a moment then spoke. "But not before you wrote that note. Why?" "...Couldn't let you think you'd gotten away with it scott free." "Why not? What's in it for you?" Krycek shook his head. "Not much. Just wanted you to know that I knew." "What do you plan to do with the information?" "You think this is about blackmail?" "Isn't it?" "Not hardly. It's about you being someone I never dreamed you were." "You sound disappointed, Krycek." Krycek thought a minute. "I wouldn't say disappointed. Surprised. Shocked. Pissed." "What're you pissed about?" Mulder asked. "Pissed that I didn't know this about you, I suppose. Pissed that...you would be that fucking easy for..." Mulder stared. "For what?" "For total strangers." "So it'd be okay for me to be easy for people I know." No response. "I don't know if the Gunmen would survive it." "Where'd this come from?" "Where'd what come from?" "This...side...of you." Mulder got and paced a bit before stopping in front of Krycek's chair. "You don't know everything about me, Krycek, clearly. And what the fuck do you care? I...I...I don't understand why you give a rat's ass what I do in my off time. Would you care to explain it to me?" Krycek rose slowly to his feet and faced the other man. Mulder's pulse raced as they stared at each other, and he told himself over and over again that this was not a good thing to do. But like on the night that had started all this, something else was in control. And he had no desire to fight it. "I think I know." Krycek waited. Mulder moved closer. They were only inches apart now, and he could feel Mulder's warm breath fanning his mouth. Everything in him screamed for him to drag Mulder into his bedroom and show him how it was supposed to be done. //Show him.// His tongue inched out and licked at his lower lip before disappearing back inside. //Look at him. He wants it so fucking bad. Show him.// Mulder watched, stunned as the predatory gleam in Krycek's eyes faded, and he backed off a step and then another. "This conversation is over. I'm going home." He turned and, leaving Mulder gaping, started toward the door. "If you can't sleep, why don't you head on down to that club? You might be able to make last call." Krycek opened the door and stepped through it. With a badly shaking hand, he softly shut the door and walked away. Part Three "Have a good weekend, Mulder." "Yeah, you too." Mulder loosened his tie as he walked to his car. Sighing loudly, he unlocked the door, threw his jacket inside and fell into the driver's seat. He sat staring at nothing in particular for a long while then started the car and headed for home. The drive was long and frustrating as were most Friday night drives on the Beltway, and by the time Mulder made it home, he was in no mood to make anything for dinner. Instead, he called out for a pizza. Showering and changing, he grabbed a beer out of the nearly empty refrigerator and settled down with the newspaper. After page three he grew bored and grabbed for the remote. He'd only just turned the t.v. on when the buzzer sounded. The acne-faced kid smiled as the door opened, and his favorite customer greeted him. "Hey, Kenny." "Hey, Mr. Mulder. Gearin' up for another exciting Friday?" "Yup," Mulder answered, giving the kid a hint of a smile. He paid the boy, tipped him well, then carried his pizza into the living room. Dropping the box onto the coffee table, he flipped the cover and pulled out a cheese-laden slice. He piled the dripping cheese back onto the slice then stuffed it into his mouth, biting off at least a third. While he ate, he raced through the channels and settled on Wheel of Fortune. Usually Mulder yelled at the t.v., calling the contestants names when they couldn't solve what he deemed to be easy puzzles, but tonight, as with every night for the past three weeks, he sat quietly, watching but not really paying attention. He dropped the fourth, half-eaten slice back into the box and folded his hands behind his head as he slouched back against the sofa. "....Son of a bitch." Three weeks. Three fucking weeks since Krycek had been there. Three weeks of reliving that night over and over and fucking over. Three weeks of second guessing himself. He was doing it again tonight. //What were you expecting to happen...what did you want to happen?// //Nothing. Dammit, nothing.// //Nothing. That's why your heart sank down to your feet when he turned around and left. That's why you can't stop thinking about how your body reacted when he got out of that chair, and you thought...// Mulder shook his head, trying to rid his mind of such useless thoughts. Nothing had happened. Krycek had turned and left. There was no point in thinking about it...any of it. But he couldn't stop. And he hadn't stopped. Not for three long, goddamn weeks. There was something he'd wanted to do. Until now, pride and whatever good sense he'd had, had kept him from it. But tonight, as he watched some Kansas City housewife and mother of four win a trip to Paris, he snapped, and he gave in his unreasonable, potentially dangerous desire. Mulder got to his feet and walked around the living room. "Krycek. You still there? Are you listening? I...I'd like to talk. Don't you think we should talk?" He waited for the phone to ring. It didn't. "Krycek...I...I don't know why I went to that club. I didn't go there with the intention of doing what you said I did. I guess it just...it happened." He couldn't believe he was pacing the length of his living room, trying to explain himself to thin air. Not that thin air was answering. "Are you still upset with me, Alex?" Maybe the use of his first name would grab his attention. Mulder paused and waited, but the phone didn't ring. "Do still think I'm an easy slut? It bothered you, didn't it? Why, Alex? Because you wanted me for yourself?" Mulder licked his lips and plunged on recklessly. "What if I told you that you could've had me that night?" Nothing. "What if I told you that you still can?" He stopped again, hearing nothing but the silence. An inexplicable, dangerous combination of anger and hurt flooded in until Mulder could feel it in his throat. Whirling around, he headed into his bedroom and came out nearly half an hour later, dressed in the tightest pair of jeans he owned and a black tank top. Grabbing his keys, he stalked out the door, slamming it behind him. "So you think you want a piece of this?" the smirking man murmured to the young blonde as he looked around the club. "You might want some time to re-think it." The kid who couldn't have been any more than twenty-three took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. "Yeah. I..." He winced at the nearby crack of a belt. "I want to..." The rest of his words were lost on the man as he caught sight of the tall babe he recognized from a few weeks ago entering the club. "Yeah. Yeah, uh...okay. We'll start right now. You stay here. Don't move, don't talk to anyone until I come back." He started to move away then turned back to the befuddled man. "Say, yes sir." "Y-yes sir." "Good boy." Looking around for the babe's psycho boyfriend and deciding the coast was clear, he approached quietly from behind. "Look who's here." Mulder turned with a start and stared into sharp, brown eyes. "You skip out again?" Mulder frowned. "Huh?" "I don't see your man anywhere. You sneak out on him again?" He shook his head, tsk tsking. "You're a bad boy." Mulder gave no response. Instead he asked where the man's companion was. The other shrugged. "Haven't seen him since your boyfriend mopped the floor with him that night." He moved a bit closer. "What'd he do to you?" "Do to me?" "Yeah." Mulder's gaze slipped away from the man's face. "Nothing." "You expect me to believe that?" "It's true. He didn't do anything to me." The man gave him an odd stare. "So, tell me what you're doing back here." "Been thinking about this place," Mulder said, leaning back against the bar and looking around. "What I saw." And in a much softer tone. "What I did." "You seemed to enjoy yourself." "I was drunk." "Yeah, you were a bit tipsy." "I was drunk. You and your friends took advantage of that." The man wrinkled his nose. "Took advantage? Nooo. We just gave you what you wanted." "What I wanted? I asked for it?" "Pretty baby, you begged for it." Mulder lowered his head. A few seconds passed, then he picked his head up and looked directly into the other man's eyes. "I'm not drunk now." The other cocked his head. "No, you're not." He licked his lips. "What're you after?" "I don't remember any of it," Mulder said in a steady voice. "I want to know." The man grinned broadly. He opened his mouth to answer then closed it and shut his eyes. "Ah, shit." Mulder was about to ask him what was wrong, when he felt a presence at his back. A mouth, milimeters from his right ear, growled softly into it. "What do you want to know?" Mulder lost his breath and turned slowly as the other man slunk away. Coming face to face with the man belonging to the voice, Mulder stared into blazing green eyes. "I..." he rasped softly. His gaze went from Krycek's eyes to the hard set of his mouth. "...What're you doing here?" Krycek stared for a moment then reached into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew a thick black strap with a silver buckle and... Mulder's eyes flew to the other man's face. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Mulder's eyes followed the line of Krycek's arm, hanging loosely at his side and stopped on the object dangling from his fingers. He paused a while longer then took a tentative step forward. His gaze rose to meet Krycek's briefly before he lowered his head. Long seconds later, he felt gentle fingers under his chin, lifting. Alex searched twin pools of gray-green, lit with tiny sparks of amber before he lifted the collar and securely fastened it around Mulder's neck. That accomplished, he reached into his other pocket and withdrew a black leather leash. He snapped the clasp on the heavy silver loop and, holding Mulder in a mesmerizing gaze, backed up slowly. The slight tension on the leash jostled Mulder out of the haze he was in, and he followed, never breaking eye contact with the other man. Once satisfied that Mulder was with him, Krycek turned around and began to make his way through the crowd. Only then did Mulder really notice his attire. His cock noticed too, and stiffened in intense appreciation. In place of the usual jacket, Krycek was wearing another one. Black leather, but fitted. Much newer looking than the comfortable, worn one Mulder was so used to. It creaked softly when he moved. Black leather gloves. And his pants. Christ almighty, they were second-skin black leather pants that showed off the delicious curve of his ass to fucking perfection. Krycek stopped walking and siddled up to the man he'd twice scared away from Mulder. "I'd like a word with you." The man turned and paled a bit when he saw who was standing beside him. "Don't worry, I'm not here to start anything." Krycek assumed a loose stance, draping the leash over his shoulder. "I just want to clear a few things up." He tossed his head in the direction of the man standing quietly behind him. "This is Fox. He's mine. No matter where you see him...what he says, who he's with. I trust you and your friends will all remember that, yes?" "Yeah, uh...yeah. Sorry, man. It was an honest mistake. He didn't look like...he wasn't..." "I know," Krycek said in an understanding tone. "And I apologize for the confusion. How about you, Fox? You want to apologize to the nice man for giving him the wrong impression?" Deeply embarassed but aroused beyond all reason, Mulder lifted his head and looked at the man. "I'm sorry," he said in a small voice. Krycek used the leash to pull Mulder in close. "Very good," he purred, reaching back to pet the other man's head. "Let's go, now. I feel like a drink." Krycek sauntered off, leading Mulder to the bar. Ordering his drink, he turned around and leaned back against the highly polished surface. His eyes traveled the length of Mulder's body then came back up to rest on the older man's face. "You look good. But uh..." His gaze lowered and rested on Mulder's chest. "...Lose the shirt." Mulder stared as if he didn't understand. Krycek flicked one finger at him. "Let's go." "Krycek..." Krycek held one gloved hand up. "Alex." "Alex?" "Yeah. I'm not into that 'sir' or 'master' bullshit. Not with you, anyway." His eyes caressed the other man. "No. Call me Alex. Say it the way you did earlier. You know, when you were trying to turn me on and draw me out." "...Alex..." "Better." "Alex, I don't think I'd be comforatble with my shirt off." "You accepted the collar," Krycek said softly. "You're mine." Mulder opened his mouth to argue, but the look in Krycek's eyes stopped him. He swallowed hard then slowly peeled his shirt off. Krycek let go of the leash long enough for him to completely remove the tank then caught the swinging end. "Very nice," Krycek whispered roughly. "Come here." Mulder moved forward, stopping when they were only a breath apart. His lashes drifted down over his eyes as Krycek reached around and placed a hand on his ass. "You were very upset tonight," Krycek rumbled, gently squeezing Mulder' ass. "Why?" "I..." Mulder fought to keep his thoughts together. "I'd been thinking about you since you left my apartment that night. And..." Krycek just barely brushed his lips over Mulder's. "And...tell me." "I...I wanted you to stay." Krycek's breath flowed over Mulder's lips. "...Why?" "I w-wanted you to..." Krycek's hand tightened on Mulder's ass and jerked him into the hard cradle of his hips. "To what?" Mulder gasped a few ragged breaths, and he got the words out in a sobbing whisper. "To fuck me." The next thing he knew, Krycek's mouth was on his, sucking, devouring, demading for no less than his total surrender. Before he had a complete meltdown, Krycek released him and turned to pay the bartender and pick up his drink. His head spinning, Mulder watched Krycek take a long swallow. He waited to have his attention again, and when he did, he moved in to brush his lips over Krycek's, silently asking for another kiss. Krycek's fingers tangled in his hair and pulled his head away. "You do nothing without my permission." Mulder blinked and stepped back, lowering his head. //Think about this, Mulder,// he said to himself. //What are you doing? What the hell are doing in this place half naked, being led around on a leash held by Alex fucking Krycek?// If his mind couldn't answer that question, his body sure as shit could. And it was in control. "Let's go for a walk." Did he have to put it that way? Sounded like he was talking to a goddamn dog. Mulder followed Krycek throught the sweaty, thrashing mob through a doorway and down a flight of stairs to a... He looked around, eyes growing wide. A dungeon? He didn't know this was here. How did Krycek know that this was here? The sound of leather slapping bare flesh and cries of pain rose from all sides of the huge underground complex, making Mulder more than a bit nervous even as his cock throbbed in response . "The amatuers stay upstairs," Krycek murmured. "Down here is where the serious players come." Mulder stared at him. He'd obviously been here before. Mulder held a wave of unexplainable jealousy in check and looked around. His gaze fell on a man shackled hand and foot to a wall. His cock and balls were bound by an evil-looking contraption, his head covered by a latex mask, completely sealed except for the air holes in the nose, and another man, wearing nothing but leather pants was in the process of attaching silver clamps to his nipples. The shackled man's head jerked back and forth as his chest arched away from the wall. The veins stood out on his neck, and a low, guttural sound gurgled in his throat. "He's in pain," Mulder whispered more to himself than anyone else, but Krycek heard. "Of course he is," he purred. "It's what he wants. It's what he craves. That's why he's here." He moved toward Mulder then stepped behind him, letting their bodies just barely touch. His voice sounded again, in Mulder's ear, soft and smoky. "Pain is just pain, Fox. If delivered and recieved for the wrong reasons. But in a sexual context, it's a whole different world. And pain between lovers is...exquisite." Mulder's eyelashes fluttered, and his chest rose and fell heavily. "In my mind that's what we were," Krycek said, lightly stroking Mulder's chest. "All those times you beat on me. You had no idea, did you, that I actually got off on it?" Even as Krycek's hand gently caressed Mulder's chest, the tension on the leash increased, forcing Mulder's head back. "I came in my pants, once," he whispered, his cock throbbing at the sound of Mulder's labored breathing. While you were hitting me. You'd always struck me as such a dominant force, Fox. Imagine my surprise when you showed up here a few weeks ago." He tightened his hold a bit more and let his hand drop to the hard ridge in Mulder's jeans. I drove myself crazy the last few weeks thinking about it." Mulder's eyes closed, and he tried to breathe through his nose. "Don't fight it," Krycek whispered, feeling the panic rise in the older man. He squeezed the bulge harder. "Just feel it." Mulder's body jerked as the lack of air and control increased Krycek's stimulation of his cock tenfold. An explosive orgasm loomed, tickling every raw nerve, and he'd quickly reached the point where he didn't give a fuck if he was found dead here in this dark, forbidding place wearing a collar and leash and no shirt, as long as he came first. Krycek smirked, knowing that the dam was about to burst. He removed his hand from Mulder's crotch and released the tension on the leash, and Mulder nearly collapsed at his feet. Gasping and panting, Mulder managed a pained whimper as Krycek held him up tightly against his chest. A sound gurgled in his throat, and Krycek strained to hear. "What is it?" Krycek asked, kissing the other man's flushed cheek. "Please." The smirk returned. "Please what?" Mulder turned slowly and lowered his head to Krycek's shoulder as he draped his arms around the younger man's waist. "Finish." The smirk turned into a smile. "No." More whimpering. "Not yet," Krycek soothed, petting the back of the golden-brown head. "You have some things to prove to me before I can reward you." He moved away and pulled gently on the leash. "Come with me." Mulder followed Krycek to a door at the end of a long hall and came to a halt a few steps behind the other man. Krycek knocked twice on the door, and a bald man with hard chiseled muscles and facial features to match stepped out to greet them. "Hey, Alex." "C.J." Fathomless, ice blue eyes slid past Krycek's face to the man who stood behind him. "This has got to be him." "Yeah." "You weren't shittin'." One corner of Krycek's mouth tilted upward. "We ready?" //We?// Mulder let out an audible gasp. //We?// "All set," the man called C.J. said, stepping aside and letting the two men enter. Krycek felt Mulder hang back a bit, and he sensed the other man's growing apprehension. "Come on, Fox," he said softly but still making sure that Mulder heard the authority in his voice. Mulder's gaze flicked back and forth between the two, then he moved forward. "Sit there." Mulder walked over to the corner indicated and sank to the floor. He stared hard as the two men moved a few feet away and began a conversation which he could not hear. They were turned at such an angle that, even if he'd been proficient at it, Mulder would not be able to read their lips. His eyes flicked back and forth between the two then began to wander around the room, taking in for the first time exactly what was in there. A wooden table shaped like an X with restraints attached at each end. A supply of paddles, whips, floggers and the like hanging neatly by size. Masks, hoods, gags...clamps and chains, strappings of assorted degrees of difficulty... His head turned to the opposite wall, and he found a large glass case display, containing dildos and vibrators of every length and thickness and texture. Movement to his left drew his gaze away from the leather and chains...thing...suspended from the ceiling, and he focused on the man who was smiling at Krycek and donning a pair of long, heavy, black rubber gloves. "No." Krycek heard the soft gasp and turned to face Mulder. "Did you say something, Fox?" Mulder rose to his feet, casting a frightened stare on the two. Why? Why did he have to bring someone else into it? If it had been just Krycek...just Alex, he would have. He wanted to. But... "No," he rasped. "I can't, I..." Krycek cocked his head and moved toward the panicked man. "Fox...it's okay." Mulder shook his head, looking from Krycek to the other man. "Fox." Almost brown eyes flicked back to Krycek's face. "This is pointless if I have to force you," Krycek said. "I mean truly force you. If this isn't what you want, take the collar off and walk away. But remember one thing. Once you do, it's over. Done. Not just for tonight." Trembling, Mulder stared wide-eyed at the man he wanted more than he could express. Then he looked to the other, waiting quietly and patiently. He wanted to tell Alex...beg him to make the other man leave, and he'd stay. But that wasn't part of the game. His duty, if he had chosen to accept it, was to obey Alex without question. And he couldn't do this. He couldn't. And it hurt that Alex would want someone else to to part in something he considered to be a deeply intimate experience. //Hurt. That's just a bit unreasonable, isn't it?// Whatever his feelings were, he had neither the time nor the desire to analyze them now. His eyes pleaded with Krycek even as he lifted his hand to the buckle. Krycek's face remained impassive, but there was something in his eyes. Some indistinguishable something. Or maybe it was just Mulder's imagination. He undid the buckle and removed the collar, holding it out to Krycek. "Keep it as a souvenir," Krycek said softly then turned and began walking away. Mulder felt a sickening pain stab at his stomach, and he took a deep breath before calling to the retreating man. "Alex." Krycek let the other man pass through the door before stopping and looking back at Mulder. He stared for a full five seconds before turning and walking away. Part Four "...And furthermore, I want to know what the hell is going on with you that's got you so distracted. It's bad, and in the context of our work, it's dangerous, and it's...it's bad. Mulder. Mulder, are you listening to me?" Mulder sighed softly and rubbed at the inside corners of his eyes. "I hear you, Scully." "So, answer me. What's going on?" "...Nothing." "And if I believe that baloney..." "I'm sorry, Scully, but it's true." "Fine, Mulder. Fine. Obviously, you don't want to tell me. If you ever decide that you want to talk about it, you know where I am." "Good night, Scully." "Night." Mulder hung up and buried his face in his hands. He sat that way until the back of his neck began to protest, then he got up and slowly paced the living room. It had been four days since he'd left the club alone, his mind and body screaming for what he'd lost. Actually, for what he'd given up. That's what he'd done. Alex had offered him what he wanted, and he'd turned it down. Well...in fairness to himself, it wasn't really what he'd wanted. He'd never wanted another man to have any part in what he and Alex had been about to engage in. How could Alex have thought that it would be okay with him? //How? Are you shitting me? How? How about that little group thing that had almost turned into a gang bang,// he hissed at himself. //How about that? Why wouldn't he think it was okay with you?// Mulder turned and banged his head against the nearest wall. //Did you think you were soooo fucking special that he wouldn't want to share you with anyone else?// //But he said that he was pissed at what I'd done with those men.// //Maybe he changed his mind. Or maybe it was bullshit right from the jump. This is Alex Krycek we're talking about.// //Yeah, it is. Which is why you shouldn't be agonizing over this even for a second.// Mulder let out a hard breath and wheeled around, heading for the kitchen. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, and he decided that he really should cook something. Opening cabinet doors seemingly at random, he began to pull all manner of pots and pans, not stopping until he had enough cookware on the counter to make dinner for a party of ten. Slamming the frying pan down on the stove, he turned around and gripped the counter, eyes tightly shut. "Damn," he whispered. "Damn, damn, damn, damn." He opened his eyes and, looking down at his watch, he pushed away from the counter and shuffled out of the room. The club was jumping despite the fact that it was the middle of the week. Mulder wound his way through the crowd and stopped at the bar, summoning the bartender. "Hey. Getting to be a regular, aren't ya?" "No, I...I'm looking for someone." "Everybody here is, friend." "No, I mean...I'm looking for C.J." The bartender lifted one eyebrow. "Oh?" "Yeah. I need to talk to him." "Yeah, sure, you do." "I do. Please. Is he here?" "Maybe. Does he know you?" "Tell him Fox is here. Remind him that I was downstairs with Alex last weekend." The man studied him for a moment then held up a hand. "Hang on." Mulder turned around and watched the goings on for a while until the bartender returned. "He's downstairs. Said he'll meet you in room C. That one's empty." Mulder nodded. "Thank you." Spinning slowly away from the bar, he took a deep breath and found his way to the door that led to the dungeon. As he descended deeper into the darkness, his heart pounded harder. //What the hell are you doing here? What are you doing?// He'd been asking himself that question a lot in the last several weeks it seemed. He tried to tune out the sounds of pain and sex as he walked to the door, but there was no way to block them out all together. His cock began to twitch at the thought of Alex and himself in one of those rooms...alone... Before he could plunge headlong into fantasy, the door opened, and C.J. stared out at him. Had he knocked? He didn't recall knocking. "Hey. What can I do for you?" "I uh..." Mulder started, looking warily at the other man. "...I need to talk to you." C.J. waved him in. "What do you want to talk about?" "....Alex." C.J. pursed his lips. "What about him?" "He's obviously somewhat of a regular here. I need to know if you know where I can find him." "Uhhh....I can't tell you that." Mulder closed his eyes. "Please...please, C.J. I need to talk to him." "I'm sorry." C.J. sounded genuinely sympathetic. "I'm not supposed to give out anyone's address or phone numbers to customers." Mulder shook his head. "He'd obviously said something to you about me before that night we were here. You know I'm not just a customer." C.J. sighed. "You sure as hell aren't." Mulder's heart skipped two beats. "Then please tell me where I can find him." C.J. thought a long while then groaned. "I'm taking my life in my hands, you know. If he doesn't want to see you, he might kill me." "You haven't seen him since that night?" "No. He doesn't come around nearly as often as you think." "It sounded like you knew each other well." "We're not best buddies or anything. I don't think Alex has that kind of closeness with anyone. He's just such an intense presence, he's..." C.J. shrugged. "...unforgettable." Mulder bowed his head and nodded in agreement. C.J. studied him for a while then looked around for something to write on. "Shit. I uh...I gotta go get some paper and a pen." "No." Mulder lifted his head. "Just tell it to me." "You gonna remember it?" Mulder nodded. "Okay. Well...good luck, and maybe I'll see you again sometime." "Yeah, uh...thanks." Mulder made his way to the door. "I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing." He slipped quickly out the door and as quickly as he could, exited the building. Once in his car, Mulder sat back and closed his eyes //Okay, you've got his address. What're you going to do with it?// "One more time." He opened his eyes and started the car. "One more try." The black silk sheets glided sensuously over Krycek's naked skin as he changed position for the tenth time in as many minutes. He turned his head to glance at the clock and groaned. One-fifty eight. He'd been trying to sleep for almost an hour and a half now, and no luck. So he did what he'd done all of those several nights before. Rising from the bed, he tread naked to the kitchen and pulled a bottle down from a stainless cabinet. Foregoing a glass, he carried the bottle back to the bedroom and removed the cap. He took a long drink. And then another. And another until the bottle was empty. It wasn't enough to get him drunk but enough to put him in a mellow, sleepy state. He settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. In less than ten minutes, he was asleep. He awoke before dawn, cursing softly. No matter how tired he was, no matter how late he got to sleep, he could never keep his eyes closed past four-thirty. Probably because he had himself trained to get up when Mulder did. But he hadn't watched Mulder this week. He couldn't. Looking at him...listening to him only made things worse. As if they hadn't been bad enough. Moaning softly, he turned over and stopped. Something was...off. He lay frozen except for the hand that reached slowly under his pillow. Closing his fingers around the Glock he kept there, he jerked into a sitting position, and what he saw in the grayness of the near dawn nearly made him drop his gun. Quickly, he composed himself and lowered the Glock to the mattress. He made his face into the cool mask he was used to showing everyone, and he willed his voice to be soft and steady. "You're as good at breaking in to places as I am. I never heard you." Not a sound came from the figure sitting on the floor by the chair. "What are you doing here, Mulder?" Mulder winced at the sound of his last name, but it went unnoticed in the darkness. "I needed to talk to you." "...About what?" "The other night. I...I haven't been able to stop thinking about it." "No? Why?" "Because I...I didn't want it to go that way. I didn't...but I couldn't..." "You couldn't what?" "That other guy...C.J. I thought ...I...I...I didn't want him. I wanted it to be just you, and..." Krycek stopped him. "What makes you think he was going to join us?" "He...you were talking and...he was putting on those gloves..." Krycek opened his mouth but nothing but a soft click came out. "I know what you said about me being a slut, and I could see why you might think that I'd...but I couldn't. I just wanted it to be you." His voice dropped to a pained whisper. "Just you." Krycek sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, then he reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. Both men blinked in the sudden flood of light. When Krycek was able to see clearly, he gasped at what met his gaze. Huddled there on the floor, Mulder presented to him the perfect picture of his wildest wet dream. Low riding, tighter than tight black leather pants that laced up on the sides, a sheer black, body hugging shirt, and the collar that Krycek had given him last weekend. Mulder had come with more on his mind than just talking. Krycek stared, stunned at the awesome beauty of the man. Beneath the sheet, his cock rose and stiffened to ridiculous proportions. "Fox." Mulder barely heard the whisper of his name. He lifted his head and looked up into glittering dark eyes. Krycek pointed to the floor beside the bed, and Mulder lifted himself to his hands and knees and crawled over to the indicated spot. Head down, he kneeled beside the bed and waited on seconds before he felt Krycek's hand in his hair, petting and smoothing the strands. "C.J. wasn't going to join us. He was getting ready to meet with someone in another room. I wouldn't have had anyone else there. I wouldn't have let him touch you. I don't ever want any one else to touch you." Mulder lifted his head but didn't meet Krycek's eyes. "I'm sorry, Alex. I...I didn't know." "You would have if you'd have trusted me." "I..." Mulder fell silent. "I know how hard that is for you with me of all people. But understand me, Fox. There needs to be unquestioning trust between us or this can't work." Mulder stared at Krycek's left peck and said nothing, but the other man could read the turmoil in his eyes. "I think you need some time to think about what it is I'm asking of you." Mulder frowned, looking at once sad and confused. Krycek slipped a hand beneath his chin and lifted his head, making contact with his eyes. "I want you." The words sent a bolt of lightning shooting through Mulder's body, and he doubled over, grunting at the intensity of the sensation. "I want you too much, Fox, to have to let you go if you decide you can't give yourself to me one thousand percent. So, go home and think about it. I'll give you a week to decide." Mulder shook his head. "No. No, I can't." Krycek cocked his head. "Don't make me go," Mulder pleaded, his voice ringing with desperation. "I don't want to go." Krycek closed his hand into a fist to keep it from shaking. This was a Mulder he never dreamed he'd see, and it knocked him flat on his ass. "Fox, don't. It needs to be this way. For both of us." Mulder shook his head, not wanting to hear it. "Please, Alex. I'll do anything. I promise. Just please..." Krycek closed his eyes and fought the steady disintergration of his will. Then a thought came to him. "Fox..." //What the hell are you doing?// "Listen to me. I have one more option for you." Mulder listened hopefully. "I still want you to have that week to think, but you can do it here. During that time, you'll have a taste of what things will be like if you accept the relationship I'm offering you. There'll be no sexual contact, but in every other way, you'll be mine. You'll do what I ask, any time I ask, without question or hesitation. You'll wear that collar every minute in the apartment, and probably little else. Outside, of course, you'll wear your normal clothes unless I decide I want to go to the club. When we're out together, your place is beside me, and you wont' speak unless I allow it. If I sit, you sit on the floor by my chair. If there isn't room for you to do that, you stand beside it. Same goes for at home. You sit on the floor at my feet unless I say otherwise. At bedtime, you'll sleep on the floor beside my bed." He studied the other man, looking for signs of revulsion and refusal. "Do you agree?" Mulder swallowed once and nodded. "I want to hear you say it." "Yes." "All right. At the end of the week, we'll sit down and talk. Not before. Okay?" "Yes." As much as Mulder's appearance had excited him, Krycek couldn't believe that he actually, suddenly felt sleepy. Yawning, he rubbed his hand over his face. "I can't believe that I might be able to actually sleep." He shook his head. "Wow." Ruffling his fingers through Mulder's hair, he nodded toward the closet at the other side of the room. "There are blankets and pillows in there. If you're tired, you can try to sleep. What time have you got to be at work?" Mulder looked down at his watch. "Not until eight-thirty." "You can catch a couple of hours. You look like you could use them about as much as I can." Nodding, Mulder got up and walked over to the closet. Pulling the desired items from a shelf, he spread the blanket out on the floor and dropped the pillow down. He lay at one end of the blanket then pulled the other end up over himself and snuggled down in the pillow. Krycek watched him for a moment then took a deep breath and sank down into his own pillows. He lay staring up at the ceiling for a few moments then drifted into sleep. Krycek blinked in the bright light of morning and craned his neck to look at his alarm clock. Seeing that it was after seven-thirty, the first thing he did was look down to the floor. Mulder was gone. The blanket and pillow were put away, and the apartment was quiet. Krycek sat in bed for a while, wondering if Mulder would come back tonight, then he got up and trudged through the spacious apartment looking for signs that the other man had been there. Nothing was out of place, there were no dishes in the sink...nothing missing from the refrigerator. He was beginning to think he'd dreamed the whole thing when on his way back through the living room, he spotted Mulder's collar on the hall table by the door. Walking to the table, Krycek picked up the strap of leather, cradling it in one hand while he caressed it with the other. Did Fox leave it here by the door so that he could put it back on as soon as he arrived after work, or, after a few hours on Krycek's floor, did he decide that he couldn't do what Krycek was asking of him, and this was his goodbye? "Guess I'll find out tonight." Letting his fingers drift over the leather once more, he set it down gently and left the room. Part Five The apartment was dark with the exception of a single lamp in the corner of the room. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played softly as Alex Krycek sat sipping a glass of '85 Bordeaux. Buttery soft black leather enveloped him, cradling his body as it reclined against the sofa, and he stared intently into the deep ruby liquid before taking another drink. It was after eight, and Mulder's collar sat untouched on the table by the door. Krycek had come to the conclusion that either Mulder had thought about it and decided that Krycek could kiss his ass, or he was off somewhere, struggling with the decision to give himself to the last person in the world he should trust. He could understand that. And he would forgive it. One, because Mulder wouldn't be Mulder if he simply gave in without a fight...even if it was only with himself, and two, because he wanted the man. As desperately as he'd ever wanted anything. More. The mere thought of Fox Mulder in his bed...eventually...was enough to devastate his senses and completely ruin his concentration and his will. And so he sat, listening to the music he always listened to when he needed centering, and he waited. An empty bag sat on the bed, a week's worth of clothes laid out neatly beside it. Fox Mulder stood at the far end of the room, leaning against the wall, hands in the pockets of his jeans. He kept telling himself that he needed to stop staring at the stuff and either pack the bag or put it all away. It was getting late, and he had to decide now what he was going to do. He looked at his watch. Even if he decided to go to Krycek at this time of night, he wasn't even sure that he'd be welcome. Closing his eyes, he tried once more to sort out the situation. //Alex Krycek, murdering, duplicitous, sneaky son of a bitch wants you. Worse, and even more insane, you want him. You let him slap a collar and leash on you and have almost total control. You let him talk to you and touch you in ways no one else ever has. And you'd never wanted anything more. Now he wants to 'own' you for the week, and you're actually considering letting him. What the fuck is wrong with you?// //See above statement, Mulder. You. Want. Him. As unreasonable as that sounds, it's the truth. And aren't you a big-ass proponent of the truth? Well, there you go. Now. Are you gonna throw this shit in that bag and get over there so you can put on a dog collar and sleep on the floor, or are you not?// Taking three long, deep breaths, Mulder moved toward the bed, packed his things into the garment bag and left the apartment. Krycek set the long empty goblet down on the coffee table and sat back as the sound of the doorbell echoed then faded. //Well.// Almost nine-thirty, but he was here. Krycek continued to sit long after the bell had rung a second time. The calming effects of the wine and the music dissipated almost instantly, and he refused to answer the door until he got his erratically beating heart under control. //He might have turned around and left by then, Alex, so hurry the hell up about it.// Two more breaths, and he got up and walked slowly to the door. Checking the mirror, he made sure that his game face was in place before swinging the door open. There was silence as the two men stared at each other, then Krycek stepped back and motioned for Mulder to enter. "Unpack your clothes so they won't wrinkle," Krycek said softly by way of greeting. "There's room in the closet in the other bedroom." Mulder moved to do what he was told then remembered one thing. Coming back to the table by the door, he set his bag down and picked up the collar. He looked down at it for a brief moment before lifting it to his neck. Krycek watched as Mulder fastened the buckle, then he reached out and stroked the other man's cheek. Dropping his hand, he nodded toward the hall, and Mulder picked up his bag and set out for the spare room. Krycek waited a while then followed Mulder, leaning in the doorway, watching as the older man hung his clothes up. //He came. Holy shit, he came. And for a week at least, he's yours.// The trick now was to keep him. Mesmerize him. Rock him so hard, he wouldn't know what hit him. Mulder hung up his last suit and, feeling another presence in the room, he turned around. "Have you eaten?" "I..." Mulder stopped to clear his throat. "I had something at around two." "Are you hungry?" "A...a little." "I made dinner. Take off your clothes and come into the dining room." Krycek pushed away from the wall and walked away, leaving Mulder to deal with what he was just asked to do. Biting on his lower lip, he looked around at the room, taking in the tasteful, clearly expensive furnishings, and he wondered as he had when he drove up to this building last night, who Alex Krycek really was. //Wonder later. Get on with it.// Slowly, he stripped off his clothing, folding everything neatly and leaving it on the bed, then stepped in front of the room's full length mirror. The sight of himself naked and fully aroused with that collar around his neck hit him hard, and he lost his breath. //God. Oh, Jeez. You're gonna walk out there like this?// //That's what he wants. It's what you want too, or you wouldn't be so damn hard right now.// Mulder turned and walked out, finding the dining room easily enough. Krycek was waiting for him there, sitting at the head of a gleaming mahogany table. His eyes went almost black as they slid over the length of Mulder's body, and it took everything he had not to clear the table, throw Mulder up on it, and fuck the hell out of him. Instead, he pointed to a spot to the immediate right of his chair. Mulder took a steadying breath and moved forward, stopping in the indicated area. Krycek pulled out the chair on his left and lifted an object from it. Mulder bit back a sob as Krycek began to attach a series of bindings to his cock and balls. He'd never worn one of these things before, and the fact that it was Krycek putting it on him...holy shit. "Turn around." Eyes closed, Mulder obeyed. "Hands behind your back." An audible sigh shuddered past Mulder's lips as he complied, and Krycek fastened a pair of leather cuffs to his wrists. He rose from his chair and turned the collar so that the ring was in the back, then he fastened a clip to it. Mulder thought it was the leash, but Krycek lifted his arms a bit, and there was another metallic clink as he attached what turned out to be the other end of the strap to the cuffs. "What is this for?" He couldn't not ask. "Don't question me, Fox," was all Krycek said before turning the older man around and pushing him down into the chair to his right. But how the hell was he supposed to eat? And as soon as his mind had asked the question, he found out. Krycek moved Mulder's dish between them, and he began to feed him. "How is it?" Mulder eyed the other man warily. "It...it's good." "It's only the second time I've ever attempted to make a lasagna. Some wine?" Without waiting for an answer, Krycek poured a glass and held it to Mulder's lips. "You've got the most beautiful mouth I've ever seen," he murmured as Mulder drank. "I never told you that. It was never a good time, I guess." He took the goblet away and traced the outline of Mulder's damp lips. "So beautiful." He looked down at the exceptional length of cock, making no secret of the fact that he was doing so, and he smiled softly. "You remember that day at the pool when I came down to tell you about Duane Barry? I had all I could do to keep my eyes off the outline of your dick in those speedos. I had dreams of dropping down on my knees and sucking you down my throat. I wanted to hear your screams echoing across the pool as you came in my mouth. Did you know that?" Mulder cut off a moan. "No, of course you didn't. I kept that and a lot of other little secrets to myself." He fed Mulder another bite. "Did you have any secrets, Fox? Any thoughts about me you thought were better kept to yourself?" Mulder closed his eyes. "M-maybe one or two." "When we were partners or after?" "Both." "Tell me." "I used to...to watch you from behind when we were walking. I l-liked your ass. I always wondered what you'd do one day if I pulled the car over someplace secluded and..." Another sip of wine. "Did you think I was gay?" "I didn't know. I would just imagine that you were." "What about later? All the times you were trying to kill me? Did you want me then?" "Yes. M-maybe that's why I went at you so hard. To keep myself from having to admit to what I really wanted. But even as I was beating you, I wanted to rip your clothes off and...fuck you," he answered honestly. "When did it turn around?" Krycek asked, feeding Mulder the last of the lasagna. "How did we get to where we are right now?" "I..." Mulder thought on the question. "I'm not sure. I don't know why, but I rented a gay S&M video one night, and it fascinated me. I thought about it a lot. Then I rented some more. And I started to do research on the S&M culture. Looking back, maybe it wasn't such a coincidence that I walked into that club that night. I don't know. "Anyway, I uh...I started connecting you to this new interest. To my mind it was a perfect fit. The mysterious, dangerous man in black leather. It seemed natural that you would be a top. And the more I thought about it, the more aroused I got. And the more obsessed I was. And when you showed up at that club, I..." "If you hadn't thought that C.J. was going to stay," Krycek asked softly, "you would have gone through with it, wouldn't you? You wanted to so much." Mulder bowed his head. "Yes." "Look at me, Fox." Amber splashed eyes lifted and focused on glittering green. "Stand up." Mulder got to his feet and waited as Krycek rose as well. "Come with me." The restrained man followed the other into the living room. Krycek took a seat on the sofa then looked up at him and patted his legs. "Down. Over my knees." Mulder's cock jumped, and he stood frozen. "I'm going to tack five more on if I have to tell you again." Less than gracefully, Mulder bent his knees and draped himself over Krycek's legs. Krycek could feel his body trembling, and he stroked the older man's back soothingly. "Relax, Fox. It's all right." Before Mulder could completely settle down, a hard slap landed on his ass. He yelped in surprise and pain, and Krycek gave him another. "This is for letting all those men touch you that night. Not because you were mine when it happened, because you weren't. You're being punished because you allowed them to touch you when it wasn't something you truly wanted. By getting drunk, you allowed yourself to be put in a vulnerable position. You're better than that, Fox. Much better than that." Mulder cried out as the next whack was delivered. It hurt. And it was humiliating...so why was his whole body throbbing with pleasure? Three more came in rapid succession, and it was over. Mulder whimpered softly as Alex pushed me to his knees and stroked his head. "That's it. Your punishment is over. We won't talk about that night again." Mulder bent over, laying his head in Alex's lap, still whimpering as he nuzzled the younger man's legs. "Maybe it wasn't so much of a punishment after all, huh?" Krycek asked softly, sifting his fingers through Mulder's hair. "You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered. Practically purring under Krycek's attentions, Mulder's head moved a bit higher. "Alex?" "Yes?" "Let me....can I...suck you?" Krycek's nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth and took a deep, steadying breath. "No, Fox," he said gently. "No sexual contact, remember?" "But..." Krycek's fingers tightened in Mulder's hair. "No arguments or you'll sleep in these cuffs and cock ring. Do you understand?" Mulder nodded, and Krycek released the almost painful grip on his hair. "Good. Do you like classical music, Fox? I was listening to Beethoven before you got here." "I like classical," Mulder said, trying to shift into a more comfortable position. Krycek picked up a small remote and restarted the CD then pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked Mulder's cuffs. The cock ring went next, and he spread his legs, encouraging Mulder to snuggle in between them. They sat quietly, Krycek stroking Mulder's hair as they listened to the entire disk. When it finished, Krycek looked down at the golden-brown head nestled against his leg, and his flesh tingled. "Fox?" No answer. He smiled and leaned down to kiss the side other man's head. "Fox." "Hmm?" "You fell asleep." Mulder straightened up and rubbed at his eyes. "Oh. S-sorry." "No need to be sorry about being tired. It's late, and you've got work tomorrow. So. Let's go. Bed." Mulder pushed himself to his feet, blushing suddenly as he remembered his state of undress. Looking away, he waited for Krycek to get up, then he followed him into the bedroom. "You know where the blankets and pillows are." Mulder shuffled over and pulled out the same pillow and blanket he'd used earlier that morning, and Alex stopped him before he could return to his spot by the bed. "Why don't you use two blankets so you won't have to wrap yourself all up?" Mulder nodded and grabbed another blanket then proceeded to lay it out on the floor. "If you need to use the bathroom, use mine," Alex said, unbuttoning his shirt. "You can shower in there in the morning, too." Mulder was surprised at that but said nothing. He laid down on the blanket and pulled the other one up over himself and watched through his lashes as Krycek got undressed. His heart pounded, and his cock, which had gone to sleep earlier when he had, awoke and strained against the blanket. Krycek had called him beautiful, but damn. The man was fucking incredible. Well muscled, perfectly proportioned body. Strong arms and legs, broad, powerful back tapering to a lean waist. Hard, round ass...thick, mouth watering cock as hard as his own... Alex disappeared into the bathroom and a few minutes later, reappeared, walking by Mulder and climbing up onto the huge bed. Slipping between the sheets, he sighed softly as the silk brushed over his rigid cock. Wishing it was Mulder's tongue, he contented himself to reach down and pet the older man's head. "Goodnight, Fox." Mulder's eyes closed as Krycek's fingers repeatedly passing through his hair, soothed him. "...Goodnight." Krycek lay on the edge of his bed, looking at Mulder as he continued to stroke his hair. Day one, short as it was, was over. A little light bondage tonight. A little light spanking just to see how he'd take it. Tomorrow was Friday. The start of the weekend. Tomorrow night they'd get a little more serious. Part Six Mulder's watch alarm went off at five o'clock, and he shut it off quickly before it woke Krycek. Stretching first, he sat up and looked over at the bed. The alarm hadn't disturbed the sleeping man. Rising silently, Mulder put the blankets and pillow away then shuffled into the bathroom. Like everything else in the apartment, this room was impressively appointed and pristine clean. So much so, he almost hated to touch anything. But as he'd been instructed to use this bathroom, he supposed he had to. Mulder relieved himself first, then brushed his teeth and turned the shower on. He located the towels, pulled one sinfully plush sheet from the stack then removed the collar and stepped into the shower. A pleasurable groan rose from his throat as he lathered one of two sponges and began to wash. He closed his eyes and turned his face up to the warm spray as his hands traveled over his body, distributing the thick lather everywhere. His mind started to wander as he washed, and he went back to last night. He remembered the way his cock throbbed so exquisitely in that little torture device as Alex cuffed then spanked him. God, he'd wanted so badly to ask for more when Alex had stopped, but what little pride he'd had left after being bent naked over Alex's knee and slapped on the ass had kept him quiet. Of course, then he went and blew that by begging to suck Alex's cock. //And what if he'd said yes? Where you actually prepared to take another man's kick in your mouth and let him come down your throat?// His cock screamed at the thought //Yes. Oh, fuck, yes.// One soapy hand slid down to the rigid shaft, and before he could begin to stroke himself, the shower door slid open and Krycek stepped inside. //God. Oh, God.// Mulder blinked, stunned speechless as the other man faced him. "Morning." "I...did my alarm wake you?" Mulder asked, trying to maintain his composure as he looked at Krycek's wet chest. "No. I was actually awake before that. Were you finished?" "Uh...almost. Gotta wash my hair." Krycek looked Mulder straight in the eye. "When you're done, you can wash me." Mulder's mouth fell open, and he closed it quickly, lowering his head as he nodded his acknowledgment. Turning away from Krycek, he washed and rinsed his hair then grabbed the other sponge and squirted a generous amount of bath wash into it. He paused, not knowing where the hell to start. //Just...wash him. What the hell's so hard about it?// His gaze roved over the front of the man who stood only inches away from him. //Are you kidding?// While he struggled with himself, Krycek gently grasped the hand holding the sponge and touched it to his chest. That got Mulder moving. Making small, light circles, he covered the younger man's chest in lather. Then he moved on to Krycek's shoulders and arms. "How did you sleep?" Trying hard to concentrate on his task and not the intense arousal it provoked, Mulder nodded. "Okay." "Were you planning on being at work early?" "I...I'm usually there by seven." "Not yesterday." "No. No, I..." "Not this morning." Okay, he was going somewhere with this "I have to be there no later than eight-thirty. S-so if you have something in mind..." "Breakfast." "Breakfast?" "Yeah. I'm taking you out for breakfast." "Oh." "Would you like that?" "Yes." Krycek looked down to find Mulder's cock as erect as his own. "Gonna be a tough week." Mulder looked up from his task, his eyes full of curiosity. "I want so much to push you up against that wall and shove my dick up your ass." Mulder's lashes dropped over glittering eyes, and he took a deep breath. "You do too. Don't you?" Licking his lips, Mulder nodded. "Think how explosive it'll be if at the end of the week you decide to stay with me. I don't mean that to sound like coercion, Fox. Don't choose to stay just because you want me to fuck you. Sex isn't the end all, be all. It's just a part of it. I want to give you so much more than just sex." Alex smiled. "But it's a good start, yes?" Mulder listened, mesmerized by the low, honey and gravel voice. "Come on. Finish, then we'll go have breakfast." With trembling hands, Mulder continued to move the sponge, avoiding the areas he knew would be trouble for him. When he could put it off no longer, he looked up into forest-green eyes. "I don't...do you want me to..." "It won't be easy for either of us, but, yeah. I want you to." Mulder reached for Krycek's cock, averting his gaze as he did. Touching it was bad enough, but watching himself touch it...he didn't think he could handle it. He tried hard to keep contact with only the sponge and succeeded for the most part. Only once did the side of his hand actually brush the head, and both men gasped softly but otherwise ignored the incident. Congratulating himself for making it through, Mulder prepped himself for the final hurdle. Slowly, he moved behind Krycek and began to wash his ass. This time he allowed himself the luxury of watching his hand stroke the sponge over the firm, rounded muscles. When he slid the sponge into the valley between them, he felt Krycek's muscles clench. "S-sorry. I thought you wanted me to wash everywhere." "I do," Krycek whispered. "Continue." Mulder finished up quickly then reached for the shampoo. "Do you want me to wash your hair?" Still in a bit of a daze after Mulder's gentle stimulation of his cock and ass, Krycek nodded. Drizzling the thick liquid onto Krycek's head, Mulder set the bottle down and began to massage it into his hair. "Mmmm. That's good." Alex stood perfectly still, only tilting his head as Mulder directed him. He moaned again, long and low, and the sound of it vibrated straight through Mulder's middle and conjured up visions of them in bed together, Alex moaning like that in his ear as they made love. Fucked. "Rinse." Krycek ducked his head under the water, rinsing away all traces of the shampoo, and Mulder applied the conditioner, rubbing it in for far longer than was necessary. Thoroughly enjoying the attention, Alex said nothing. When Mulder finally forced himself to stop, he instructed the younger man again to rinse, and then they were done. Both men stepped out of the stall, and Alex wrapped a towel around his waist, waiting as Mulder dried himself. When he finished, he automatically unwrapped Krycek's towel, understanding that it was Krycek's intention to torture them both further by having Mulder dry him. He completed the task quickly and efficiently, trying to remain as blase' about it as possible, then they parted company, Krycek moving into his own bedroom while Mulder made his way to the spare room. Mulder met Krycek in the living room, and the two left to have breakfast. When Mulder left for work, it was with a long, cock-stiffening look from Krycek, and a low, smoky promise of an 'interesting' night. "So. I know this is a stupid question but..." Scully stopped to finish the sentence she was typing. "...What've you got planned this weekend?" Mulder lifted his head out of the file he was studying. "Huh?" "Plans, Mulder. Got any?" "Uh. N-no," he lied. "Not really." "Like I thought. You live a damn boring life, you know that?" Mulder said nothing. "Of course, I've got no business talking about you," Scully mused. "I'm almost as bad." Mulder nodded and returned his attention to the file. Scully studied him a moment then shrugged and went back to her report. Mulder stood alone in the elevator as it lifted him to Krycek's floor. Friday night. Alex hadn't said a whole lot about this interesting evening, but Mulder couldn't stop thinking about it. His skin tingled every time he imagined what they'd be doing. And he wondered if he should be scared. The door opened, and he stepped into the hall and turned left, walking to the apartment at the end. Using the key that Krycek had given him at breakfast, he unlocked the door and stepped in. All was quiet. So quiet that he thought Krycek might have been out. Until he walked into the bedroom. Standing in front of his bed, Krycek studied the objects laid out on it. He never turned around, but he felt Mulder's presence. "Come here, Fox." Mulder moved to Krycek's side, and his eyes widened as he took in the various objects on the bed. "We're going out tonight. I'm trying to decide what you should wear. Any opinions?" Mulder's mouth opened, and a small sound escaped. Krycek turned to him finally and smiled. "I went shopping this afternoon." Mulder's wary gaze went from the younger man to the bed. Krycek reached down and picked up a leather thong. "I'm kind of partial to this, but you'll have to try it all on so we can see what we like best." //We?// "There's time, though. Go have yourself a nice warm shower. Unwind. Then we'll see about all this." Mulder obeyed quickly, glad to have a reason not to look at the assortment of barely there clothing and harnesses and ball gags and dildos. He stripped, wrestling his underwear over the erection that had blossomed the moment he got a load of all that stuff, then he got into the shower, taking as long as he could without prompting a visit from Krycek. He dried himself, towel dried his hair, then headed naked for the bedroom, as he was sure that was how Alex wanted him. Before he could turn the knob, he remembered the collar. Looking around the bathroom, he frowned. //I know I left it here. It was there on the counter by the sink.// "Shit." He looked under and around everything but found nothing. Alex must have moved it. He stepped out of the bathroom and cleared his throat softly. "Alex?" "Yes?" "I...I was looking for the uh...collar. Do you know where it is?" Krycek turned around, fixing a steady gaze on the older man. "Yes, I do." Krycek moved to the dresser and picked up the leather strap. "We never discussed this, so I won't punish you this time. But from now on, if you're not wearing this, you're to put it here on my dresser. All right?" Mulder nodded as Krycek approached and fastened the collar around his neck. Then he picked the thong up and held it out to Mulder. He groaned softly as Mulder slipped it on and stood before him. "Very nice. Fox?" Mulder lifted his bowed head. "How does it make you feel?" Mulder started to speak but words failed him, and he closed his mouth. "You seem...embarrassed." "I...I'm not used to wearing things like this." "Things that identify you as a sexual being?" Mulder shrugged and looked away. "You've been so involved in other things that you've completely deprived yoursef of any pleasure. You need to get in touch with your other side, Fox. It's there. And it's dying to come out. I can see it in your eyes. I can help you. I'm going to. Just give yourself to me. Trust me. I promise you, you'll never regret it." Slowly, Mulder lifted his head and made himself meet Krycek's gaze. "I'm..." "What?" Krycek asked softly. "...Afraid....of ....you" He couldn't believe he was saying it. "I'm afraid of me." "I know." Krycek approached slowly. "But you're no coward. You want to learn. You want me to teach you. Don't you?" Mulder nodded. "Then let go," Krycek whispered. "Just let go. Listen to your body." "I got in trouble listening to my body a few weeks ago," Mulder said. "Because it was under the influence," Krycek answered as he grazed Mulder's jaw with his fingertips. "No more getting drunk." "Unless I'm with you?" Mulder asked, half joking. Krycek shook his head. "No. When you're with me, I want you to feel and remember everything." Mulder stared for a long moment, then he nodded once. "Let's go see about dinner," Krycek said. "Then we'll get dressed and go out." The music was thumping when the couple arrived. Many a head turned as the striking green eyed man in black leather slithered through the crowd. At the end of the black leather leash he held, walked a drop dead gorgeous bitch in crotchless leather pants and a tiny scrap of a leather thong, barely concealing his balls and a clearly generous cock. The golden-brown hairs on his shirtless chest glistened in the flashing lights from the dance floor, and murmurs and moans of approval could be heard from the other patrons as they passed. "Goddamn..." "...seen him here before." "That's Alex..." "...not too often, but..." "Holy shit..." "Man, I'd like to..." "...not unless you wanna lose a hand..." The pair approached the bar, and Krycek ordered a drink while Mulder stood quietly behind him, gaze cast to the floor. When he received his drink, Krycek led Mulder to a couch away from heavy traffic and took a seat. Mulder sank to the floor beside him, and Krycek's hand automatically went to his hair, rewarding him with gentle strokes. "You're a hit," Krycek said softly, leaning over to make sure that Mulder heard him over the pounding music. "Every dick in the joint went up when you walked in." Mulder bowed his head. "Does that embarrass you?" Mulder shrugged. "It shouldn't," Krycek murmured. "Sex is power, Fox. And you're sexy as hell." Mulder lifted his eyes to Krycek's, reading the sincerity there. "Take control of it. Learn to use it well, and you'll be amazed at the results." Eyes again cast downward, Mulder nodded slightly. "You don't believe me." "I..." Before Mulder could finish, the approach of another stopped him and took his attention. A slightly built blonde wearing sheer, fine mesh pants and a shredded cut off shirt lowered himself to his knees in front of Krycek and gave him a long look through his lashes before lowering his eyes to the floor. "I'm Derek. May I get you a drink, sir?" Mulder stared, speechless. One sable eyebrow arched, and Krycek nodded at the young man. "Sure," he answered carelessly then drained the remainder of his drink and handed it to the new arrival. "Rum and coke." The blonde smiled and took the glass then got to his feet and hurried off to the bar. Krycek glanced down at Mulder and smirked at the combination of jealousy and rage he saw swirling in the amber-flecked depths of his eyes. "That was kind of him, wasn't it?" he asked, waiting to see what Mulder's answer would be. "Yeah. Uh..." Mulder closed his mouth and contented himself to grind his teeth until the other man returned, which he did in very short order. Again, the blonde dropped to his knees and handed Krycek his drink. He smiled when Krycek took the glass from him, then again lowered his head. "May I sit a while?" Krycek shrugged. "No master?" The blonde shook his head. "No, sir." "I take it you're looking for one." "Yes." The young man inched closer to Krycek's leg, and Mulder felt his blood pressure rise. "I need a strong master to serve and love." "You see I already have a slave." Mulder couldn't believe it, but his heart swelled with relief and pride. "Tell me why I should consider keeping two." Then it dropped to his feet. How could Alex even think about... "Because," the young man answered, "I'm obedient, loyal, and I never question my master. My only job...my only desire is please him in every way." Krycek thought he heard Mulder growl. "How good are you at your job?" "Excellent." "Do you mind being disciplined?" The young man squirmed. "Not at all, sir. In fact, I enjoy it." "You like sucking cock?" Mulder's head snapped around, and he stared at Krycek, stricken. "I love sucking cock," the blonde said, his voice dropping to a low moan. "Let me show you." His hand drifted to Alex's knee and was instantly snatched away and held in Mulder's tight grip. "Fuck off." "Let him go, Fox." The soft order was accompanied by the tightening of the collar as Krycek shortened his hold on the leash and pulled back. Mulder silently refused, and the tension was increased. "I said...let him go." Mulder snatched his hand away with a grunt, and despite the increasingly uncomfortable grip Krycek had on his leash, still managed to give the blonde a withering glare. Confused and frightened, the youngster back off and cast a wide-eyed stare on Krycek. "As you can see," Krycek explained jovially, "I've got my hands full with Fox. He'll be in training a while, I think, and while he is, I don't think I'll have the time to take anyone else." The blonde glanced from Krycek to Mulder, blinking twice before rising to his feet and hurrying away. "We really do have a lot of training to do," Krycek murmured softly into Mulder's ear. "And there's no time like the present." Standing up, Krycek pulled Mulder to his feet less than gently then led him through the crowd and toward the door that led to the lower level. Striding purposefully toward the next to the last room on the right, Krycek blew through the door and shut it behind him then let go of the leash. Mulder watched warily as Krycek quietly set about getting things prepared. "You would've let him suck your cock?" he asked, finally unable to stand the silence any longer. "You wouldn't let me do it!" "You don't understand what obedience means, Fox," Krycek answered evenly. "It's time to teach you. Step against that wall." Mulder looked from Krycek to the indicated wall. Noting the shackles, he turned and glared at the other man. "Fuck you." Krycek cocked his head. "Does that mean you're breaking our agreement, Fox? Are you telling me that we're through?" Mulder stopped, his anger quickly dissolving into regret. "No. N-no, I..." "You what?" "I just...would you really have taken him if I hadn't reacted?" "This is what you don't seem to understand, Fox. It isn't for you to question. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is pleasing me." "Oh, like Derek said he could do?" Mulder asked in a mocking tone, his anger returning. Krycek stared for a moment then walked toward the other man. Mulder stood his ground and looked directly into unreadable, dark eyes. "Accept your punishment, Fox, or leave now and never come back." Mulder stared for a few seconds more while he thought about his options. Stay and place himself at Krycek's mercy, which frankly made his cock scream it's vote for option number one, or leave and never know what it was like to be possessed by the only man he would ever want. "I..." Krycek waited quietly. "I'm sorry, Alex," Mulder whispered, lowering his head. "I just...I couldn't stand to think that you'd...that'd he'd..." "I understand jealousy," Alex said softly without going into detail. "I'm not upset about that. What does upset me is that you continue, in one way or another, to display your complete distrust of me." "What was I supposed to think when you asked that guy if he liked to suck cock?" "This is where the line blurs for you," Krycek said. "You can think or feel whatever you want. It's the way you act on those thoughts and feelings that will get you into trouble. Now. I'll ask you one more time, and one more time only. Move over to the wall or leave." Releasing a shaky breath, Mulder hesitated for a moment before walking over to the wall. He stood head down, eyes closed, facing the wall for what seemed like an eternity. In time he felt Krycek's hand on his arm, turning him gently around. Deepest green eyes gazed into his, and he felt the vibration of Krycek's words on his mouth. "Do you trust me, Fox?" Mulder swallowed once and whispered a broken 'yes'. Krycek lifted his hands and pulled a leather mask down over Mulder's head and secured it at the back, depriving the whimpering man of sight and speech, and severely hampering his hearing. He checked to make sure the nose holes were in place, then he lifted Mulder's arms, one at a time and snapped the shackles around his wrists. He adjusted the chains, making sure that Mulder would be only mildly uncomfortable, then his hands went to Mulder's pants, undoing them but not pulling them down. He pulled the scrap of leather aside and bound the older man's cock and balls in some soft, stretchy type material, and then he stepped away to admire his work. "Beautiful," Krycek sighed, picking up a soft cloth flogger and moving closer. He lifted his arm and struck a firm blow, landing it across Mulder's chest and shoulder. Mulder flinched and inhaled sharply, more surprised than injured. The second blow drew a soft whine, and Mulder's head shifted from one side to the other. One corner of Krycek's mouth turned upward, and he aimed lower, striking Mulder's middle and just barely hitting the head of his bound cock. Mulder bucked, and a frustrated groan rolled in his constricted throat. No sexual contact. Isn't that what Alex had said? Well, what the fuck did he call this? Were it not for that God forsaken cock...thing...he'd blow like Vesuvius. Jesus, what the hell was Alex trying to do to him? As he mulled that question over, one more blow was delivered, this time directly over his cock, and he screamed. It reverberated loudly in his own head but went not much further than the confines of the mask. His hips jerked forward, and he whimpered frantically, waiting for more, but nothing happened. //Alex? Alex, please. Don't stop. Not now. I need...need more. Need you to...// His jumbled thoughts were interrupted as he felt Krycek's hands on his wrists, releasing him from the cuffs. The other man turned him around and pulled his pants down then refastened the cuffs to his wrists. //God. Oh, God. Yes. Yes.// Krycek put the flogger down and picked up a leather belt, shocking Mulder with the first strike of the heavy leather. Then he spoke. "You'll obey me, Fox. You'll ask me no more questions. You won't challenge me or fight me on anything. Your body belongs to me. But that's not enough. I want all of you. You don't understand what that means, but you're going to learn. You'll learn." Fox cried out as the next blow landed square across his ass. His knees buckled, and his cock swelled in its bindings. He thought he'd pass out from the pain, but the twinge of pleasure he got from it kept him lingering in consciousness, held up by the shackles around his wrists. One more strike, harder than the last two, and his head snapped back, a muffled, pathetic sob gurgling in his throat. Krycek set the belt down and approached Mulder's limp body, wrapping one arm around the older man's waist as he efficiently released his wrists from the bindings with the other. Tenderly kissing the curve of Mulder's shoulder, he slowly led the other man over to a padded, slanted table and laid him face down upon it. Mulder let out a pained moan when Krycek began smoothing a cool, slick gel over the rising welts. "This was necessary, Fox," Krycek said, finishing his task. "It wasn't meant for your pleasure. It was meant as a lesson. One I hope I won't have to repeat." His hand stroked over the older man's back before moving to the mask and unlacing the back. He pulled the leather off, and Mulder blinked in the gloomy light. "Turn over, and I'll take the cock ring off." Slowly and painfully, Mulder turned onto his back. He winced but remained silent as he settled his weight on his rear. Gingerly, Krycek removed the strapping, listening to the tiny sob it produced. "All right, now. Let's go home. You've had enough for one night." He helped Mulder off of the table and assisted him in pulling up his pants. Once his clothing was straightened, Krycek took the leash in hand and led him from the room. He walked Mulder slowly down the hall, and before they reached the stairs, a voice sounded, calling Krycek's name. "Alex. Hey, Alex." Krycek turned and saw C.J. coming toward him. "What's up, C.J.?" "Nothing much. Just wanted to say hey." C.J. stopped and looked the subdued man over as he stood quietly behind Krycek. He smiled. "I didn't expect to see you down here today. Unexpected session?" Krycek nodded. "Fox was misbehaving, so..." C.J.'s eyebrows rose. "Ohhhhh, I see." "I think we've reached an understanding now, though." He pulled Mulder to his side and, wrapping an arm around the older man's waist, kissed his temple. "Haven't we, Fox?" Mulder dropped his head to Krycek's shoulder and uttered a barely audible 'yes, Alex'. C.J. smirked. "Got a feisty one here, huh?" "Yeah." "I don't know, Alex," C.J. offered. "Something tells me it's gonna take more than one session to tame this one." Grinning, Krycek shrugged. "I enjoy a challenge. Goodnight, C.J." "Later." Krycek turned and led Mulder up the stairs and through the club, walking by the blonde who'd been the cause of Mulder's pain. Krycek saw the young man and purposely reached out to stroke his face. Mulder never lifted his gaze, but he did see out of the corner of his eye what Krycek had done. He gave no reaction, and Krycek smiled, walking him out of the club and into the parking lot. Krycek unlocked the doors, and both men got into the car, Mulder grimacing as he tried to settle comfortably into the passenger's seat. "Lie on your side. Put your head in my lap," Krycek commanded softly, and Mulder obeyed. "Better?" Mulder nodded, grateful that the pressure was off his ass, but incredibly tense at the thought of being so close to Krycek's cock and not being able to touch it. "We'll be home soon," Krycek said, dropping a hand to Mulder's head and petting the golden-brown strands. He turned his attention to the road and tried not to think about how much he wanted to unzip his pants and make Mulder take him down his throat. Some twenty-five minutes later, they were back at Krycek's apartment, and he was helping Mulder undress. He directed Mulder to put the clothing away then join him in the living room, and he disappeared into the kitchen. Mulder left to do as he was told, and when he returned, Krycek was lounging shirtless on the sofa with a glass of wine. There was a second glass on the gleaming coffee table, and Mulder gave it a fleeting glance as he came to Krycek's side and took his place on the floor. Krycek waited for him to find a comfortable position, then he motioned to the glass. "Have some wine, Fox." Mulder glanced at Krycek then leaned forward to lift the glass from the table. He took a small sip then stared into the dark liquid. "Fox." Nearly brown eyes looked up into sparkling green. "Are you thinking about leaving?" Mulder shook his head. "No." "Is that the truth?" "Yes." Krycek studied the older man for a moment then leaned in and brushed the hair away from his forehead. "Tomorrow we'll stay in. And we'll have another lesson." Mulder pulled one corner of his lip into his mouth and said nothing. Krycek could have offered some comfort, but he opted not to. "Let's finish our wine, then we'll go to bed." Mulder did as he was told, then half an hour later took his glass and Krycek's and took them into the kitchen. When he came out, Krycek was waiting for him, smiling. "Very good. Now, let's go." The two entered the bedroom, and Mulder waited until Krycek was in bed before settling into his place on the floor. As he had the previous nights, Krycek reached down and stroked the top of Mulder's head. He smiled softly as he watched Mulder's eyes slowly close. "Sleep well, Fox. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." Part Seven Mulder picked up his head, blinking sluggishly as he looked around the barely light bedroom. He shifted and winced as the downy soft blanket rubbed across his tender ass. "Damn." Carefully, he moved onto his side and looked up at the bed. Krycek was still soundly asleep. Propping himself up on one elbow, Mulder took the opportunity to study his face. There was an entirely different beauty to this sleeping Krycek. Innocent.. Peaceful. Almost...sweet. He could say that to himself. So long as no one else heard, it was okay. Krycek sighed softly and changed position and Mulder froze, wondering if he was beginning to wake. When Krycek settled down again and resumed his deep, steady breathing, Mulder relaxed and studied him now in profile. Everything matched. Everything was perfect. From the cute, slightly upturned nose to the pretty, bowed lips, to the gently pointed ears, to those criminally long, lush eyelashes. Just the sight of him made Mulder's pulse pound. It always had. It did right now. And that wasn't all. Carefully, Mulder slipped a hand beneath the blanket and trailed his fingers along the length of his awakening cock. Days of arousal, frustration and abstinence. He didn't know how much more he could take. He needed some relief. His hand gripped his cock and pulled gently. //Just a little quickie. It'll be better this way. I'll be able to take more if I can just...// //And what're you gonna do? Come all over his blanket? That might not go over real well.// Cursing to himself, Mulder released his cock and, as cautiously as he could, he moved the blanket aside and got to his feet. Stealthily, he crossed the room and made it to the bathroom door. He had it almost all the way open before Krycek's voice, soft and rough from sleep reached him. "When you come out of there, I want to see you as hard as you were when you went in." //Fucking...// Mulder paused for just an instant then stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. //Wonderful. So what d'you do now?// He leaned against the door and closed his eyes. //Well, you're here. Might as well take a piss.// Attending to his business, Mulder washed his hands and returned to the bedroom, where Krycek was lying, propped up against a few pillows. "Do you want to go back to sleep?" //Don't know. Do I?// "I don't know. I...I'm pretty wide awake." "Me too," Krycek answered softly. "Want to go for a run?" //Now, there's thought. Maybe I can relieve some tension.// "I'd like to, but I didn't bring anything." "I've got stuff you can wear. What size are your shoes?" "Eleven and a half." Krycek nodded and tossed the blankets off. Crossing over to the dresser, he pulled two pairs of...was everything the man owned black? Mulder took what looked like a very expensive running outfit and changed into it as Alex pulled on his own. As Mulder put the socks on, the younger man went to the closet and pulled down two pairs of sneakers. He took one, and while he put them on, he began to wonder if he should ask about taking the collar off, but when Krycek picked up the leash and snapped it on, he trashed that idea. "Okay, let's go." He wanted to ask Alex, beg him to take it off, but he held his tongue. The couple left the building, Mulder scanning his surroundings and praying that no one else was out this early in the morning. They crossed the street and started out at a slow jog then picked up the pace a few blocks later, but Mulder was unable to find his rhythm, and he kept falling behind. Finally, Krycek slowed to a walk. "What's wrong, Fox? You okay?" "No...yeah, I...I just..." "The leash throwing you off?" Mulder nodded, trying hard not to look as pathetic as he felt. Krycek unsnapped the clasp and draped the leash around his neck then began to run again. Mulder kept up easily this time, and the two ran three miles before returning to Krycek's building. Sweaty and flushed, the pair boarded the elevator and stood side by side as it conveyed them upward. Moments later, the elevator came to a smooth stop, and the doors issued a soft swish as they opened. Krycek stepped out first, nodding casually at a departing neighbor. Mulder moved quickly by, mortified as the impeccably suited man stared at him. He tried to turn so that the collar couldn't be seen, but from the expression on the neighbor's face, he hadn't succeeded. //Christ. Well, that's just wonderful.// He glanced at Krycek. Not a sliver of embarrassment showed on the relaxed face...of course it wasn't him wearing a fucking dog collar now, was it? They stopped in front of the door, and Krycek let them in, preceding Mulder into the apartment. "Let's go have a shower, then we can think about breakfast." Mulder followed the other man into the bathroom and, at Krycek's request, undressed him before stripping his own sweats off. They showered the way they had the morning before, Mulder washing Krycek and drying him off, then they retreated to the kitchen for a light breakfast. "I was very pleased earlier," Krycek said over his coffee mug. "You didn't complain abut the leash." He smirked. "Out loud..." "I wasn't...I didn't mean to..." Mulder lowered his head and went quiet. "I know it wasn't just a ploy to get me to take it off," Krycek said softly. "If I thought it was, you would have worn it the whole way." Mulder lifted his head and met the other man's eyes. "Are you finished with your breakfast?" Mulder looked down into his half empty coffee cup and nodded. "Clear the table please, then go lie on my bed." Mulder's cock perked up at that, and he rose to put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. When he was finished, he gave Krycek a fast glance. Seeing that the other man was presently engrossed in a newspaper article, he said nothing before turning and leaving the room. Walking slowly into the bedroom, Mulder stopped in the middle of the floor and looked at the bed. Wondering why Alex would ask him to lie on it after he'd only been allowed to sleep on the floor, he climbed up on the enormous mattress and lay back against the pillows, moaning as the sheets caressed his bare skin. Basking in the sheer luxury of it, he didn't even mind that his ass still stung quite a bit from the beating he received the night before.. Moaning again, Mulder writhed against the sheets and snuggled down into the pillows. He closed his eyes, telling himself that he wouldn't fall asleep, but apparently he did just that, since the next thing he knew, he was blinking up into Krycek's eyes. "Have a nice nap?" Mulder pulled himself up a bit and looked around. "How long have I been asleep?" "About an hour." Mulder rubbed at one eye. "Oh, I...I didn't mean to...I just wanted to close my eyes for a minute." "It's all right. I always wanted to watch you up close when you slept." Mulder's eyebrows drew down into a curious frown. "I know you're a very restless sleeper," Krycek murmured. "But your face....hard to see on camera...all the little nuances. You're very expressive, even in sleep. I learned a lot." The frown grew deeper. //You gonna ask?// //Why not? What's the worst that can happen?// His body tingled at the possibilities. "What did you learn?" Krycek made himself more comfortable. Looking down at Mulder, he sighed softly and stroked the tips of his fingers over the other man's mouth. "For one thing, you're very oral." More frowning. "I touched your mouth," Krycek murmured. "Like this. I can't seem to resist it. You've got a mouth that makes dicks stand up and take notice." Satisfied that he'd made Mulder blush, he went on. "They parted. Ever so slightly.." He continued to indulge himself in his tactile exploration of Mulder's lips. "I put the tip of my finger between them, and you started to suck on it." Mulder fought the overwhelming urge to run his tongue over his lips, but the light tickle of Krycek's fingers was slowly winning the battle. His mouth twitched, and his tongue flicked quickly over them. Krycek smirked. "Tickle?" Mulder nodded. The fingers didn't stop their lazy path, but Krycek increased the pressure then pressed them against the center of Mulder's bottom lip and pulled it down. "Anyway...you moaned. Real soft. And your hips lifted off the bed a little." His lashes lowered and so did his voice. "Even asleep, you're a slut." Mulder swallowed hard around the lump that formed in his throat. "What else did you learn?" Holy shit, was that husky rasp his? Krycek let his finger drag down over Mulder's lip and down his chin. "I also learned that you are a truly troubled man. Your expression switched from seductive to fearful to angry to guilty and a dozen other expressions all in between, in such a short time. Your body tenses then relaxes...it jerks and writhes. What do you dream about, Fox?" "I..." Mulder stopped to clear his throat. "I don't remember many of my dreams." "What about the ones that you do remember? What are they about?" Krycek caressed Mulder's convulsing throat. "Don't lie to me." Mulder closed his eyes and let out a stuttering breath. "Open your eyes, Fox. Look at me." Mulder obeyed and looked up into Krycek's eyes, losing himself in an ocean of green intensity. "Tell me about your dreams." "I dream about my sister sometimes," Mulder started, his voice very soft.. "About her abduction." He paused a moment then continued. "I...dream about my parents arguments. Screaming. Slamming doors. The coldness afterward. The silence." Krycek listened attentively, his expression unreadable. "I've had this one dream for years," Mulder went on, "where my sister is being carried away, and I get to my father's gun. But instead of being frozen, I'm able to move. I fire the gun, and whoever's got Samantha disappears. She runs to me, and then my parents are there. I don't know how they got there, they're just...there. And everyone is happy and smiling and..." "And what?" "I'm a hero. I saved my sister, and everybody loves me." Krycek's only reaction was a flutter of his lashes. "I dream about fire falling from black skies. People screaming, running. I want to do what they're doing. But I can't. I'm too busy trying to save them. Too busy fighting the things trying to take our world from us. I'm tired and I know that it's all in vain, but I can't stop. I keep fighting. And it never ends. It doesn't end." Krycek watched the other man as he spoke. He listened to the flat, almost emotionless voice, and he knew it masked a huge amount of frustration and guilt. And he'd never be able to let it go. Not unless someone made him. He also knew without conceit, that he was that someone. "And I dream about you." Krycek stared. "When I was sure I still hated you, I used to dream about having you at my mercy. Bruised and beaten...afraid and begging for your life. Now it's me on my knees. And I'm begging for something completely different." "What are you begging for?" Krycek asked, his tone soft and raspy. "I want..." Mulder stopped to lick at his dry lips. "...to be yours. To give up everything I am, and everything I feel and...I need you. You're the only one I can give it to. I don't know why." He stared up at the other man, his eyes glittering brightly. "Yet, I can't let it go. I don't know how. Please, Alex. Show me how." Krycek lowered his head slowly, stopping when their lips were mere millimeters apart. "I will. Let me. Accept me, Fox. Completely. Recognize and accept your desires and let me take you beyond the narrowness of your life." "I'm trying, I..." Mulder blinked rapidly. "Don't you think I'm trying?" Krycek smiled at him. "Yeah, I think you're trying." "But you're disappointed. I haven't conformed the way you'd like." Krycek shook his head as he brushed Mulder's hair back. "I'd be disappointed if I didn't get a fight. Like I said to C.J., I like a challenge." He smirked down at the older man. "As long as I get to win." Mulder couldn't help smiling at that. "Now I want you to do something for me. I want to watch you come." Mulder's jaw dropped, and his heart began to pound. "But...y-you said there wouldn't be any sexual contact." "I'm not going to touch you," Krycek purred. "You're going to do it all, and I'm going to watch." Mulder stared, stricken. "I..." He cut off the next word before he could speak it. "I have some things for you." A choked gasp left Mulder's lips as Krycek reached down to the floor and pulled up a bag and emptied it onto the bed between them. He looked at the dildo, lube, penis shaped gag and nipple clamps, and his eyes flew up to Krycek's. "You saw these things earlier. Who did you think they were for?" Mulder looked back at the items between them. "I...I guess I thought you'd be using them." "I will. But not today." Mulder's eyes closed momentarily as he attempted to steady his wild respiration. When his lashes lifted, Krycek was watching him intently, waiting. "You want to please me, don't you, Fox?" Mulder fought to keep his heavy eyelids from dropping down over his eyes completely. He nodded as a stuttering breath left his lips. "Then show me what a slut you really are." Mulder's trembling hand reached down for the gag and drew it to his mouth. Forcing himself to keep his eyes on Krycek, he extended his tongue and licked delicately at the head. He watched the younger man's eyes darken, and he slipped it into his mouth. "Good," Krycek whispered. "Suck it, Fox. That's good. Soon it'll be me in your mouth. Would you like that?" Mulder whimpered and nodded, sucking harder. "Yeah," Krycek sighed. "Soon, Fox. Whenever and wherever I tell you to, you'll get on your knees and suck my dick. And when I come, you'll swallow every drop, won't you?" Mulder's muffled sob made Krycek's already erect cock jerk. He fastened the velcro behind the older man's head and watched as he lay panting for a few moments before picking up the nipple clamps. "They're not as tight as they could be," Krycek said, offering some bit of reassurance as he handed the silver clamps to Mulder and watched him attach them to his nipples. And they weren't. The tension was certainly enough to make Mulder squirm, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he was sure that it could be. Krycek moaned deeply, unable to resist tugging on the chain connecting the clamps. Mulder groaned around the gag, his eyes squeezing shut as his back arched off the bed. "God, you're fucking gorgeous. "Fuck yourself, Fox. Fuck yourself like you want me to fuck you." It never occurred to Mulder until this moment that he'd never had anything in his ass other than a doctor's finger and the thermometer his mother used to use when he was a kid. He lifted the dildo and lube and, watching his hands, he smoothed the gel onto the shaft. Krycek watched, barely breathing as Mulder spread his legs, bent his knees and pressed the dildo between his ass cheeks. The older man's clipped moan brought Krycek's eyes to his face, and he saw Mulder's discomfort as he continued to push the dildo in. "Fox. Stop," he whispered when it became clear to him that Mulder was inexperienced. He laid a gentle hand on the other man's cheek and turned Mulder's face to his. "Look at me." Mulder's lashes fluttered open, and he looked up into concerned eyes. "You've never done this before." Mulder's gaze fell away. Krycek took the gag off, and Mulder looked back at him, eyes wide. "I should have asked you," Krycek said softly. "But I guess I was just so sure you had. The way you acted, the things you said. Why would you do this, Fox?" He took the thick dildo from the other man and waited for an answer.. "Because you asked me to," Mulder rasped and left it at that. "I appreciate your obedience," Krycek said, stroking Mulder's cheek. "But I would never ask you to do anything that would seriously hurt you. Plus, your first time isn't going to be with a piece of plastic." He lowered his head until their lips were almost touching. "That pleasure belongs to me." Mulder whimpered softly and arched toward Krycek. "Just a few days," Krycek murmured. "Then you'll be mine." "I'm already yours," Mulder gasped. "It makes me happy to hear you say that, but," Krycek paused to kiss the tip of Mulder's nose. "you're not mine completely. Not yet." "I want to be," Mulder almost sobbed. "I never wanted anything as much as I want to belong to you." "Then show me," Krycek answered. "Come for me, Fox." Casting a dreamy stare on the other man, Mulder let a hand slip downward, brushing over his almost painfully erect cock. His eyes snapped shut for a moment, then he forced them open, determined to let Alex see how he felt. His fingers closed around his cock, and he began to pump gently. He moistened his parted lips as he looked into black-green eyes not more than six inches from his own. "I've seen you jerk off," Krycek purred. "There were plenty of nights that I sat in front of my monitor with my hand down my pants, imagining that you were doing it just for me. Now you are. Come on, beautiful. Give it up. Let me see." Mulder's mouth opened more fully on a choked moan as he tightened his grip and jerked harder. His free hand roamed the expanse of his chest, grasping then tugging at the chain, and he cried out at the sharp jolt the action sent through his body. Jaw clenched tightly, Krycek kept his hands to himself, though all he could think about was dropping down on top of Fox and devouring him whole. His cock screamed at him to forget the bullshit and just do it, but he couldn't go back on their agreement. He couldn't cave right now. There would be plenty of giving in to those persuasive, pleading eyes, that sinful mouth...later. Now, Fox needed to learn what it was to let go and trust him enough to give all control up to him. He needed to get in touch with his sexuality...learn the power of it so that he could enjoy all the pleasures it would bring. "Jesus, Fox," Krycek whispered as Mulder's fingers slid through the pearl of fluid that had appeared at the tip of his cock then carried it to his lips. Eyes on Krycek, he licked it away, and the younger man's eyes drifted closed. A deep breath later, they opened, and Krycek refocused on Mulder. "Have you ever tasted yourself before?" Eyes half closed but still trained on Krycek, Mulder drew his middle finger into his mouth and slowly shook his head. He withdrew the finger with a small sucking sound. "Just for you." Krycek smirked despite the torturous pain of his arousal. "Is that right?" he asked softly. Mulder arched off the bed, catlike in his movements, and he resumed stimulating his cock. "I'll do anything for you." The throaty purr made Krycek's cock jump. "No, you won't," he murmured back. "Not yet. But you want to. I know how much you do. And in time you will.." Mulder wanted to argue the point, but he left it alone, preferring to show Alex that he meant what he said. His hand went back to his cock, stroking it harder and faster. His other hand pulled at the chain, and he squirmed lewdly as he pushed himself toward orgasm. Krycek couldn't look away if he wanted to. He was lost in Fox's eyes, mesmerized by his raw sexuality. Damn, he was so beautiful, so fucking hot, whimpering and sobbing Alex's name as he came all over his fist and stomach. "Ohhhhh, God. Oh yeah, baby. Beautiful," Alex groaned. "You're so good." As Mulder stopped twitching and lay quietly moaning, Krycek reached out to pet and praise him. "You've made me very happy, Fox. So happy," he whispered. "Stay here and rest, and I'll be back soon." Kissing Mulder's flushed cheek, Krycek rose and walked out of the room, proceeding down the hall to the guest room, where he fell into a chair and undid his pants. Plunging his hand in past the band of his underwear, he grabbed his cock and jerked it quickly. He gritted his teeth and grunted softly as he came almost immediately, and when he was done, he sat sprawled and panting in the chair. "You're gonna kill me, Fox," he whispered to the absent man. "You're gonna fuckin' kill me." He sat a while longer then rose on wobbly legs and made his way to the second bathroom to clean up. When he was finished, he headed back to his bedroom and came to an abrupt halt in the doorway. The bed was made, and Fox lay beside it, on his blanket on the floor, asleep again. Krycek's heart thudded heavily, and he approached the silent man. Squatting beside the still figure, he reached down and lightly caressed his arm. He was trying. Krycek smiled softly and leaned in to plant a tender kiss in the golden-brown hair, then he rose and left the room. Mulder crept into the living room, glancing warily around. He'd been asleep for about two hours, and he wondered if Alex would be angry with him. He hadn't meant to sleep that long, but he was more tired, he supposed, than he'd thought. "Alex?" There was no answer, but he'd called out so softly, Alex might have been in another room and not heard. He turned and walked back down the hall, carefully checking the other rooms. Concluding that Alex was not in the apartment, Mulder began searching for a note. When he'd found nothing, he stood uncertainly in the middle of the living room, wondering what he should do. //He can't have gone far//, he told himself, //or he would have left a note or instructions or something.// So, he'd wait. Taking a seat on the sofa, he thought better of that idea and slid down to the floor. //Well, this is fucking ridiculous. He's not here. Why the hell should you sit on the damn floor?// //What if he comes home and you're on the furniture? What'll happen?// //Did you just hear yourself? Did you just fucking hear yourself? You're not his dog! You're a man, for Chrissakes! Why are you doing this? Why the fuck are you doing this!?// Mulder lowered his head to his knees and, clenching his fingers in his hair, he debated that question. Krycek came home three hours after he'd left, wondering how Fox had fared by himself...assuming he'd awakened. He unlocked the door and walked in, setting his bags down by the door. The apartment was quiet except for some sounds coming from the kitchen. He headed in that direction and found Fox emptying the dishwasher. Feeling his presence, the older man looked up at him then down at the cups he held. "I...I hope I put everything where it should be. If you find anything out of place, tell me where it goes, and I'll..." "I'm sure you were able to figure it out," Krycek said softly. "How long have you been awake?" "About an hour and a half." "What've you been doing with yourself?" "S-some laundry. And I vacuumed and dusted." Krycek cocked his head. "You did?" "Yeah, I...I didn't know what else to do. Is that okay?" "That's fine," Krycek said in that same quiet tone. But you didn't have to. You could have read or watched t.v." "I didn't know if I was...if that'd be allowed." He really was trying. Damn. Krycek nodded his understanding then motioned to the other man. "You almost done?" "Yeah." "Meet me in the living room when you are." He left Mulder to complete his task and retreated into the other room, where he picked up his bags and carried them over to the sofa. When Mulder joined him, he was seated in front of the coffee table, laying out different articles of clothing...all of them skimpy and black. "Didn't get you a whole lot in the way of clothing last time. I thought you could use a few more things." He held up a pair of extremely short shorts, made of a filmy, very see through material. "I couldn't resist these. Try them on for me?" Mulder took the shorts from Krycek and stepped into them. "Very nice," Krycek breathed, watching Mulder arrange his cock and balls inside the snug garment. "Turn around." Mulder turned and heard Krycek's low moan as the younger man caught sight of his rear, covered in the sheer material. "It's a crime for you to ever wear anything that isn't incredibly sexy." Krycek lifted another pair of shorts, shorter than the first, if that was possible, and he told Mulder to put them on. Mulder turned around and removed the first pair of shorts, took the incredibly soft leather, and worked it up past his legs and over his ass. He laced them up and stood quietly while Krycek looked his fill. "How do they feel?" "I wouldn't think they were leather," Mulder said. "They're so soft." Krycek nodded, smiling. "I want to be able to see the outline of your cock through them." Mulder felt himself go a little harder than he already was. "These, you can wear out to the club. The sheer ones we'll keep for home.." He reached into the bag and pulled out a matching shirt. "Try this." Mulder took the shirt and wriggled into it. As he began to button it, Krycek stopped him. "Just the three at the bottom." Mulder obeyed then modeled the skin tight outfit for the other man. "Damn. You'll have men dropping like flies tonight." He looked into the bags. "I've got some other stuff in here, but if you try it all on, I know I probably won't be able to decide what I want you to wear tonight, so we'll stop here. You can take those things off and hang them in my closet." He handed the other bags to Mulder. "Hang this stuff up too. The shorts and other things can go in the bottom drawer of the chest. When you finish, come back in here and join me." Quietly, Mulder took the bags and retreated to the bedroom to do as Krycek asked. When he finished, he returned to the living room and took his place on the floor by Krycek's left leg. "What do you think of all the things I bought you?" Krycek asked, absently petting Mulder's head. Mulder shrugged. "I don't...I-I've never worn anything like this stuff before. I don't..." "You look so pretty dressed that way," Krycek whispered. "So pretty. Now uh...we're going out again tonight. I'm hoping we can spend a little more time at the club than we did last night. A little drinking, a little dancing....maybe play a little." Mulder closed his eyes and lowered his head to Krycek's leg, nuzzling it gently. "Would you like that, Fox?" "...Yes." "And you're going to behave yourself tonight, right? No scaring the life out of poor little blonde boys?" Frowning, Mulder hesitated before shaking his head. "Good," Krycek said softly. "We'll have a nice night, Fox. You'll enjoy yourself." Cheek resting on Krycek's knee, Mulder stared at nothing while Krycek continued to stroke him. A big man in a black leather harness and leather pants stood against the wall near the entrance of the club, moaning softly as two smaller men, kneeling in front of him, worked in unison on his cock and balls. People came and went with little more than a second glance. But as one couple walked by, the one attached to the leash watched in silent interest. The man being serviced met his gaze and gave him an appraising, smoldering stare. Quickly averting his eyes, he followed his master, who hadn't missed a step as he made his way through the crowd. "Crowded tonight," Krycek said to Mulder, who followed close behind. "More than usual, and that's saying a lot." He flashed the other man a grin. "Wanna dance?" Mulder gave no answer, simply following Krycek to the overflowing dance floor. The two began to move in time to the pounding music, and Krycek smiled. "I had a feeling that you were a good dancer," he said. "Very hot." Mulder slithered closer, stopping when their bodies were almost touching and looked up through his lashes at the other man. "You make me hot." A sly grin was Mulder's only answer. The pair danced to two more songs then found a spot to sit. As Krycek dropped into one of three chairs at a small table, he stopped Mulder from sinking down to the floor. "You thirsty, Fox? I am." "You want me to go get you a drink?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, I'd like that." Krycek reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Pulling out a few bills, he handed them to the other man. "Get whatever you want for yourself, and get me a rum and coke." Nodding, Mulder took the money and headed off toward the bar. In the roughly fifteen minutes it took him to purchase the drinks, he had to turn down three offers for blow jobs and two spankings. Shaking his head, he made his way back to the table. As Krycek came into view, Mulder stopped cold. Jaw clenching, he watched as two men sat at Krycek's feet, fawning all over him. //Son of a fucking...// One of the men stretched up and said something in Alex's ear, and he smiled, reaching down to stroke the man's hair. A sharp pain stabbed at Mulder's chest, and his first, strongest instinct was to drop the drinks and walk the hell out, but... Emerald eyes lifted as Mulder approached. Krycek observed the stony expression and firm set of the usually lush lips, and he smiled up at Mulder. "Well, that didn't take you too long." "Yeah. Sorry." "Hmm?" "Nothing." Mulder looked at each of the two men, who acted as though he wasn't even there, then he looked back to Krycek. "Here's your drink." Krycek took the glass from Mulder's hand then turned his attention on the others. "Okay, boys. Off you go." The one who had whispered in Krycek's ear, pouted up at him. "Can't I stay? Please?" Krycek slipped a glance at Mulder and smiled ever so slightly. "No, I'm afraid not. I appreciate your keeping me company though, while my Fox was gone." The two got up, still ignoring Mulder. "If you change your mind, I'm Jeff." "And I'm Dusty," the other said, and with that, the two brushed past Mulder, who turned to stare coldly after them. "Sit down, Fox," Krycek coaxed sweetly. "Have your drink." Mulder turned around, hesitating for a moment before slowly sinking down to the floor. He stared into his drink for so long that Krycek took notice. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "I don't believe that." Krycek reached out to pet Mulder's head, and the older man twitched away from his touch. "Just don't feel like the drink any more." Krycek let his hand drop. "Why not?" Mulder shrugged. "Are you upset because those boys were keeping me company while you were gone?" "I didn't touch either of them," Mulder said flatly. "Didn't say anything to them." "No, you didn't. But you're still upset." Krycek's fingers slid into Mulder's hair and gently pulled his head back. "Aren't you?" "I have no right to be upset," Mulder mumbled, not fighting Krycek's grip and not meeting his eyes. "No right." Squinting down at Mulder, Krycek let go of his hair and smoothed it back into place. "Have your drink, Fox. Then we'll dance some more." Mulder slammed down his drink then, as Krycek had promised, they had a few more dances. During a slow song, Mulder looked over Krycek's shoulder to find the man he'd seen earlier by the entrance, staring at him. Instead of looking away, he continued to stare. The man's mouth opened, and his tongue extended, licking the air. Mulder should have looked away immediately. What he did instead was give the man a smoky stare and slowly lick the corner of his mouth. When Krycek had danced enough, he took Mulder's leash in hand and led him back to their table. "You want another drink? Mulder asked. "Yeah, I would." Krycek smiled at Mulder. Thank you." He gave Mulder more money, unhitched the leash, and watched as the other man disappeared into the crowd. Well, so far so good. Aside from a little pouting because of the unexpected company, Fox was doing okay. Satisfied, Krycek slouched bak in his chair and watched the activities going on around him. Mulder moved slowly through the crowd, looking around. Up ahead, he caught sight of the man he'd been flirting with while dancing with Alex. He sashayed by the man, giving him a lingering, sideways glance and continued on to the bar. Almost as soon as he arrived at his destination, he felt a large, warm presence behind him. "You got a damn sexy mouth." Mulder smirked but didn't turn around. "I'll bet you suck cock like nobody's business." Mulder turned his head and looked at the other man out of the corner of his eye. "Your boyfriend's one lucky bastard." "He's not my boyfriend." "No? So, what're you doing? Just experimenting to see if you like the lifestyle?" Mulder looked back to the bar, waiting to place his order. "Pretty thing like you should belong to someone." "Who says I don't?" "Do you?" "Why do you want to know?" Aren't two enough for you?" Mulder looked around. "Where are they, anyway?" "Waiting for me at my table. And no, two aren't enough. Not if I want a third...or a ninth." "Wouldn't they be a little upset if you trotted another man up without a heads up?" "No, they wouldn't. They're slaves. They have no say in anything I do." "So, they'd accept me or anyone else with no reservation?" "Exactly." "What if they're unhappy about it? How would you know?" "If they were unhappy with any aspect of our relationship, they're free to leave. They can, you know. Any time they want. But they won't. They love me. I treat them well. Would you like to speak to them? They'll tell you. Then maybe you'll change your mind and join us." Krycek looked at his watch for the second time. It had been almost twenty minutes since Fox had left, and there was no sign of him returning. He drummed his finger on the table and looked around. Five more minutes, then he'd go looking for him. The bartender finally made his way over to the end of the bar, and Mulder placed his order. "Well?" "I have to be getting back." "Are you sure? I mean, if you don't belong to anyone, there's no reason why you can't come spend some time with me and my boys." "I told you, I never said I didn't belong to anyone." "But you never said you did. So, you must not. If you did, and you were at least content, you'd be proud to tell me." He reached out and stroked the side of Mulder's face. "Come on, beautiful. Come with me." "He's not going anywhere." The man turned around to find Krycek right behind him. Krycek ignored him for the moment, staring intently at Mulder. "What are you doing, Fox?" Mulder stared back at Krycek for a moment before smiling up at the other man, who had turned to look back at him. "I'm talking." The man, who had at least three inches on them, turned again to look down at Krycek. "Yeah. We're talking. That okay with you?" Not the least bit intimidated by the man's size, Krycek cast an icy gaze on him. "No, it isn't. Not by a long shot. Especially when you're touching him." "He was just being friendly," Mulder said coolly. "You know, kinda the way you were just being friendly with those men earlier." He should have known that Mulder wasn't going to just 'get over' that. "Let's go back to our table, Fox." As Krycek reached out to snap the leash onto Mulder's collar, the man brushed his hand away. "He'll go sit down if and when he's..." He didn't get to finish his sentence. The next thing he knew, he was being slammed face first onto the bar, and his arm was being wrenched up behind his back. "You listen to me," Krycek hissed. "You don't touch me or what's mine...ever." "All right. All right," the man gasped as sweat broke out on his forehead, and he winced at the pain. "Come on, man. Let me go." Krycek released him, and he backed away, rubbing his injured arm. "Get the fuck out of my sight," Krycek commanded. "If I see you again, I'll rip that arm off and feed it to you." The man slunk away quickly, then Krycek turned his full attention on Mulder. Furious green eyes clashed with equally agitated hazel. "We're leaving." Mulder stood his ground, staring daggers at him. Krycek's tone went from merely incensed to quietly menacing. "Fox. Let's. Go." "Why?" Mulder taunted. "So you can punish me for doing the same thing that you just did?" "The same...what?" "I know what this is, okay?" Mulder spat, drawing the attention of a few people around the bar. "I'm yours. I do what you want, when you want, however you fucking want, but I have no claim on you. You can flirt with anyone else, you can touch...hell, you can fuck 'em right in front of me, and I'm not supposed to say shit about it. Well, you know what? Fuck that." His hands rose to his neck, tugging at the fastening of the collar and ripping it off. He threw it at Krycek. "And fuck you." Krycek caught the collar as it hit him in the chest and stood quietly as Mulder stormed past him. Mere seconds went by before a voice sounded behind him. "Still enjoying the challenge?" Krycek closed his eyes for a moment then turned in the direction of the amused voice, glaring at C.J. "He sure is a feisty one. But uh...worth it?" Krycek stared for a moment then heaved a long, hard sigh. He pocketed. the collar, whirled around and walked out. Part Eight: Restructuring Mulder stood in the shadowed doorway on the side of the club, arms crossed tightly over his chest, gaze cast to the ground. He'd stormed out of the club without a thought to his state of undress or how he was going to get home, penniless and dressed the way he was. All he could think about at the time was how hurt he'd been to find Alex with those two little...bitches, smiling and whispering, and...and... //Forget it, Mulder. Fuck him. How're you going to get out of here? Your only option would be to walk, and that isn't much of one. Not dressed like this.// Then he had a thought. //C.J. Maybe C.J.'s downstairs. He seems like a decent guy. Well...you know...all things considered. Maybe he'll help you.// Good idea. Now all he had to do was find a way to sneak back inside without Alex seeing. Assuming Alex was still there Krycek walked around the front of the club, eyes peeled for Mulder. //He's gotta be around here somewhere. He had no money and he wouldn't havewalked home.// //You sure about that? Upset as he was, he just might have.// Krycek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to find him. If Fox was walking dressed like he was, he was bound to run into trouble. Not that he couldn't take care of himself with one or even two men, but if some group of homophobes found him... "Fuck. Ah, fuck." Krycek kept searching. "Hey, C.J. Somebody here to see you. Says it's important." C.J. finished cleaning the vibrator he held and put it back into its case. "You know who it is?" "Seen him here with Alex. But he's alone today." Frowning, C.J. waved at the other. "Tell him to come in." The man disappeared for a moment then returned, waving Mulder into the room. "Thought you left." Mulder paused, studying the other man curiously. "You knew I was here? I didn't see you." "Well, I didn't know until I came up for a drink a little while ago, and saw you screaming at Alex. When you stomped out, I figured you'd gone home." "Yeah, well I...that's my intention, but..." "But what?" Mulder's face colored up, and he directed his gaze to the floor. "No place to keep any cab money in this get up, you know?" "Ah. Gotcha. Have you seen Alex?" "Not since I left." C. J. studied the other man quietly. "You haven't really got the hang of this sub stuff, have you?" "Guess not. Guess I never will." "You mind me asking what happened?" "I really don't want to talk about it," Mulder murmured. "I actually came to look for you to ask a favor." "Oh?" "Well, like I said, I've got no money, and I can't walk home like this, so...do you think you could maybe float me a loan? I'll get it back to you tomorrow." C.J. sat for a moment, staring at the other man, then he nodded. "Sure. Let me go get my wallet out of the office. Be right back." Left alone, Mulder stood at the edge of the room, looking around at the forbidding contraptions, and he felt a slow tingle begin in his nether regions. He closed his eyes and imagined himself alone in this room or one like it, with Alex. Bound, gagged and blindfolded. Helpless and completely at Alex's mercy. Groaning miserably, he dropped his head and tried to clear his mind. //Give it up, Mulder. It ain't gonna happen. Not ever.// C.J. entered the semi-dark office and closed the door behind him. Digging his cell phone out of the jeans that were hanging on a hook by the bathroom, he searched for Alex's number. He hit send and waited only two rings before Alex's soft, gruff voice answered. "Alex. It's C.J." "I'm kinda busy, C.J. What is it?" "You looking for him?" Soft sigh. "Yeah." "I can help you with that...he's downstairs." "Down...in the club?" "Yeah. He came looking for me to ask if he could borrow a few bucks for a cab." Alex closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "You want me to hold him for you?" "...Yeah. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." "Okay, good." C.J. hung up and headed back to the room. Mulder paced the floor, trying hard not to look at anything while we waited for C.J. to return. Minutes went by, and though Mulder wore no watch, he knew that more than enough time had passed. //Maybe he got detoured.// He decided to go out into the hall to look for C.J., but when he tried to open the door, it wouldn't give. Frowning, he tried again. Locked. "What the hell? C.J.? C.J.!" Mulder yelled, pounding on the door. "C.J., why's the door locked?" Silence. "Shit!" He pounded again. When there was still no answer, he lost it. "Son of a bitch! C.J., open this fucking door, now!" Still nothing. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you're really pissing me off! ...C.J.!" He heard the soft snick of the lock, and he stepped back to allow the door to open. When it did, his mouth fell open. Krycek stepped into the room, and Mulder heard the door lock behind him. His eyes flew from Krycek to the door then back again. "What are you doing? Tell C.J. to unlock that door, right now." "No." "N....what the fuck do you mean, no? Listen, Krycek, I'm done with this! I don't want to play any more!" Krycek studied Mulder for a moment, then he pushed away from the door and walked over to a chair and sat down. "I don't believe you," Mulder hissed. "I don't fucking believe you!" "I don't believe you." "What?" "I don't believe that you're done with this." "Oh, you don't, huh? And why would that be?" "Because your eyes tell me an entirely different story. You want to be mine, Fox. That hasn't changed." Mulder laughed bitterly. "Did. I did want to be yours." His voice cracked on the last word. "You do. You need to. Your own words, I believe." "That was before." "Before what?" "Before that cute little scene I walked up on earlier." "Do you remember what I told you about jealousy?" "Don't take that fucking tone with me," Mulder warned. "I'm not your dog any more." "You were never my dog." "No, I only wore a collar and slept on the floor like one. I'm surprised you didn't want me to eat out of a bowl on the kitchen floor." "You said you wanted to understand, Fox," Krycek said softly. "You said you wanted me to teach you." "Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I don't like the lessons." Krycek sighed. "This is my fault, Fox..." "Yeah, it is." "Listen to me," Krycek said, an edge of impatience in his voice. When Mulder fell into a scowling silence, he continued. "I moved too quickly. I knew you had trust issues, and yet I took you out. That was a mistake. We should have spent much more time alone together before trying the club." Mulder laughed harshly. "Do you really think that a few weeks of brainwashing would have done the trick? You think then I would have tripped along happily behind you and just looked the other way while you had your fun with those guys? If I had, what would you have done? Tell me, Alex, I really want to know. Would you have let them stay? Would you have brought them home with us and fucked them in front of me?" Alex rubbed at the corners of his eyes. "Come on, Fox. Let's get out of here." "I'm not going a fucking place with you," Fox rasped, hurt all over again that Alex wouldn't immediately say that no, he wouldn't have fucked those men. "Just...give me some money, and I'll take a cab home. I'll mail you a check tomorrow." "You're not taking a cab. I'll drive you." "Home," Mulder said, rethinking sitting in a taxi dressed as he was. "My home." "Fine," Alex sighed. "But we have to go by my place unless you want to knock on the building super's door at this time of night, dressed like that, and ask him to let you in." Mulder gave him a blank stare. "Your keys are at my place." //Fuck.// Mulder stomped toward the door then stopped and waited. "Tell your buddy to open up and let me the hell out of here." Krycek rose slowly from the chair and moved to the door, knocking softly. "C.J. Open the door." Seconds later, the lock clicked, and the door swung open. C.J. stood in the hall, watching warily as the men emerged looking as unhappy as they had before. Krycek passed him without a word, as did Mulder, but the older man tossed a spiteful glare at him and kept walking. Sighing softly, C.J. shut the door and walked away. Silence filled the small compartment of Krycek's sports car as he drove. The man seated beside him stared straight ahead, his face taut with intense emotion. As they pulled up to the building, Mulder's heart began to thud. He didn't want to go in, he didn't... Krycek shut the engine off and got out of the car. Rounding the front of the vehicle, he stopped at the passenger's side and waited. When Mulder just sat there, he opened the door. "Don't worry, I won't lock you in or anything." Mulder looked down at his hands, folded across his bare legs, and he inhaled deeply. Letting the air out slowly, he got out of the car and began to walk, not waiting for Krycek to shut the car door. Krycek turned and followed, not attempting to keep up with Mulder's long strides. He reached the elevator several seconds after Mulder had, and pushed the button. The doors opened almost immediately, and the two boarded, taking up position on opposite sides of the car. Krycek watched Mulder as the older man stared down at the floor. The urge to stop the elevator and lay a long, hard kiss on the man gnawed at him, but he made no such move, figuring it would only serve to agitate Mulder more. When the elevator stopped, Mulder walked out into the hall and started toward the apartment, again, not waiting for Krycek. He reached the door first and waited quietly as Krycek unlocked it, then he forced himself to step into the large, pristine space. Krycek watched Mulder walk toward the spare bedroom but did not follow. Instead, he trudged over to the sofa and dropped down onto the leather cushion and sat in silence. In the bedroom, Mulder gathered his belongings, his heart doing a slow, hard thump in his constricted chest. He hadn't wanted it to end this way. He hadn't wanted it to end, period. He'd needed so badly to find out who it was that lived in the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind and body. And he'd known that this was the only place...this was the only man he could do that with. But now, it was done. Ended by his inability to let go of the man he'd always been. The impulsive, stubborn, self-centered... Mulder stopped in the middle of his ego bashing as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Still dressed in his 'going out clothes', he studied his reflection. If he didn't know the face looking back at him, he wouldn't have recognized himself. The only leather that had ever touched his body was his jacket. Now, here he was in this painted on outfit that had made him feel so good when he put it on, his cock had come to rigid attention and remained that way the whole night, even after things had gone so sour. He was hard still. He wondered if Alex had noticed. His hand wandered lightly over the lengthy bulge. Of course, Alex had noticed. For all the goddamn impact it had had. He snatched his hand away and whirled to finish gathering up his things. When he finished, he changed into his own clothes and carried the shorts and shirt into Alex's room. He tossed them onto the bed and stopped. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to block out images of him lying beside Alex's bed, virtually purring with contentment as the other man petted and stroked him. His next image was that of Alex at the club tonight, touching that little shit in the very same way. The pain returned, stabbing sharply at his heart, and he chuffed out a soft, bitter laugh. //Asshole. What the hell were you thinking? You're nothing special to him. He just wants you for the challenge. He basically said it to you. Go home. Go home and forget all the shit you did and said and felt these last few days.// Krycek sat in the corner of the sofa, eyes closed, listening to the soft music. He felt more than heard Mulder's returning presence, and his lashes lifted slowly. Dark eyes rose to Mulder's face, and he found that the other man was not looking at him. "Got everything?" "Yeah." Krycek nodded, pausing for a moment before rising to his feet. "Where are you going?" Mulder asked, backing up a step. "Walking you to the door." "Why?" "I don't know. Why not?" "There's no need." "Fox..." "Don't, Alex." Mulder closed his eyes and shook his head. " I don't want you to." Krycek bit down lightly on his bottom lip and crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze went to the floor, and he said nothing. Mulder turned slowly and headed for the door. He didn't hesitate as he opened it and walked out. Krycek listened to the door close, standing in the middle of the floor for much longer than he'd be able to remember. Finally, he turned and walked slowly back to the sofa. Dropping down, he picked up the remote and turned the music up. Mulder walked into his apartment, dark except for the small light from the fish tank. Letting his bag drop to the floor by the sofa, he sank down to the cushions, resting his head on the arm. He stared straight ahead into the darkness, trying not to think or feel until he fell asleep at dawn. He awoke only two hours later with a start, jackknifing into a sitting position and looking around the room, now alight with filtered sunshine. Groaning, he lay down again, wrapping his arms around himself and closing his eyes. Bad idea. Consciousness and a couple of winks of sleep allowed him to begin reviewing the events of the past few days, and especially last night. He didn't want to think about it. If he thought about it, he'd begin to have doubts, and he couldn't do that. He couldn't let himself believe for even an instant that it might not have been the best thing for him to leave. //But if it was so right, why do I feel like such shit? Why do I miss being with him?// //That's just your dick talking. You have no emotional ties to him. none// "None," Mulder whispered, frown lines deeply creasing his forehead. //Then what was with the big scene at the club? Why did you care so much that he was flirting with those guys? Where exactly did you see your relationship going? And why?// He flipped over onto his side, facing he back of the sofa. "Stop," he said softly. Then louder. "Stop." He closed his eyes, hoping to go back to sleep, but the relentless thoughts that littered his mind refused to let him. Monday morning "Rough weekend, Mulder? You look like hell." "Haven't slept much," Mulder answered gruffly as he dropped into the chair behind his desk. "Are you feeling okay?" "I'm not sick or anything, I...just haven't slept." "Something on your mind?" "...No." "Not a very convincing no." Mulder looked down at his hands resting on the desk. "Scully, do...do you ever feel that there may be more to you than just the person who comes in here every day?" Scully sat down, studying her partner. "Where's this coming from, Mulder?" "Just been thinking about it is all." "Everyone's got another side to them, I suppose," Scully answered. "A side people may not often see. Sometimes it just takes the right situation to bring it out." "Have you ever seen your other side?" "On occasion, I guess," Scully shrugged. "Is it a good change or a bad one?" "I...I don't know, Mulder. I guess not really better or worse. It's just...different. Now really Mulder, what's this about?" "I told you, Scully, I was just thinking." "But something's got you thinking. What is it?" "I just...I've seen a side of myself recently that I don't know what to do about." "Why do you need to do something about it? Is it bad?" "I don't know. I didn't think so, but..." "But now you do?" "I don't know." "Mulder, you're really confusing me." "Sorry." "Why don't you explain this to me? If I can understand what you're talking about, maybe I can be of some help." "I can't." "You can't. Why not?" "You wouldn't understand. I don't understand." Scully closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Okay," she said softly. "Will you explain it to me when you figure it out?" "I...I...don't know." "I'm getting awfully tired of that phrase, Mulder. Look. We're friends. I feel closer to you than just about anyone. I thought you felt the same about me." "I do." "But?" "Look, Scully, I...let's drop it, okay? I'm sorry. Forget I said anything, okay?" Scully stared. "You're kidding, right? You drag in here looking like crap, you tell me you haven't been sleeping, then you begin this mysterious, confusing conversation about alter egos, and now you want to just drop it?" "Yeah. Please?" Scully lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "...Sure, Mulder. Okay. Consider it dropped." "Thanks. Now, let's get this expense report done and up to Skinner before he comes looking for it." Mulder turned his attention to the report in question while Scully sat and stared at him. Two weeks later "I'm not here. Leave a message." Beep. "Alex? Hey, it's C.J. Listen, man. I haven't seen you around since that night, and I've kinda been wondering if everything is okay. Gimme a shout when you get this." Krycek listened for any other messages. When he found none, he erased the one from C.J. and walked out. three days later "Yeah, Mulder. No, I didn't forget to send the report to you, but I'm telling you, there's absolutely nothing remarkable about the way that man died. What'd his sister have to say? Well, you can hardly blame her...yeah, I'm feeding your fish. As a matter of fact, I'm walking toward your apartment right now. Yeah. Okay, talk to you later." Scully disconnected just as she reached Mulder's door. Letting herself in, she went straight to the tank and fed the fish. As she turned to leave, she spotted a cup of two day old coffee sitting on the desk. Shaking her head, she picked up the cup and took it into the kitchen, dumping it in the sink. She ran some water into the cup, left it in the sink, then exited the kitchen. As she entered the dining room, she jumped, letting out a surprised squeal as she saw a man standing uncertainly in the doorway. "Sorry," the man said. "I'm sorry. The door was open, and I...I guess I have the wrong apartment." Scully looked the man over, taking in the large frame, chiseled features and gleaming bald head, and something made her ask. "Who're you looking for?" 'Uh...Fox." "Fox." "Yeah. Don't know his last name. Sorry, I know that sounds weird." "What's weird is that you know his first name. You a uh...a friend of his?" "So, you know him? I have the right place?" "I'm his partner," Scully answered vaguely. "Is there something I can help you with?" "His partner?" When it became obvious that the woman wasn't going to respond, he cleared his throat and went on. "Umm...do you know where I can find him?" "He's out of town. Is there a message?" "Can you tell him to contact C.J.? He knows where to find me." "C.J. Yeah. Okay. I'll tell him." "Thank you." Scully leaned in the doorway, watching the man walk away, and she wondered just what the hell was going on. Who was this man, and how the hell did Mulder know him? Concluding that Mulder wasn't going to give her any answers, she decided to get her own. "Hey, C.J. Where you been?" "Had to do an errand. The councilman waiting?" "Impatiently. He keeps babbling about some fundraiser he's gotta get to at some point tonight, or his wife is gonna make his life a living hell for weeks to come." "Ah, I'll use the ten inch on him tonight. That'll make him happy." C.J. made his way to the back of the club, unseen by the woman who had just entered. Slack-jawed, Scully gaped at the scene around her. "What the hell..." There had been no mistake. She'd definitely seen the man named C.J. enter this place. The huge question on her mind now was, what connection did he have to Mulder? The talk they'd had a couple of weeks ago came back to her vividly, and she started putting two and two together. No. Oh...Mulder couldn't be involved in this kind of stuff...could he? It'd sure as hell explain that conversation, though. Taking a deep breath, she picked her way through the crowd, eyes scanning everything around her. //Oh, my God.// She'd heard about this stuff, this...lifestyle, but she'd never seen it up close and personal. Men, scantily dressed in leather, chains, rubber. Some shackled to walls, others being led around on leashes, while others still were draped over objects being whipped or paddled. Suppressing a shiver, she found the bar and called to the man behind it. Grinning, the bartender walked over to her. "Now, this is different. Never saw such a well dressed lady in here before. "I'm looking for someone." "Isn't everybody." "I'm looking for C.J." The bartender's eyebrows lifted. "Really. He expecting you?" "I'm sure he isn't." "What's your name? I'll see if he's here." Scully reached into her pocket. "I know he is. Call him." She shoved her badge in the man's face. "Tell him Special Agent Scully of the FBI would like a word with him." "Shit. Uh...okay. Hang on" The bartender rushed away and picked up a phone. He said a few terse words into it then returned to Scully. "He'll be right up. You can wait here if you want." Scully nodded and looked around again. "Oh, God." Quickly, she turned away from the sight of two men on leashes with their faces buried in the crotch of the man at the other end of the leads. Not knowing where else to look, she stared down at the bar. Only a few seconds passed before C.J. appeared, looking curious and confused as he spoke with the bartender. The other man pointed him in Scully's direction, and confusing was replaced by dread. Slowly he walked over to the where the woman stood and cleared his throat. "You...why'd you follow me?" "You know my friend, Mr....C.J. I want to know how." "Not well. We just...we talked a couple of times. That's all." "And a couple of conversations were all it took to make you come looking for him. Okay. How did you know where he lived?" "Saw him at a gas station one day last week. I followed him." "Those must've been some conversations. Why don't you tell me about them?" "Not to be rude or anything, but I really don't think it's any of your business." "Look, C.J. My friend has not been himself the last few weeks, and I think it has something to do with you. Now start talking." "It's not my place to say. If he wanted you to know what was going on with him, he would have told you himself." Scully looked around then turned a hard glare on the man. "I don't think you understand, something, C.J. I'm not asking you to tell me. I'm demanding. And if you don't start talking, I promise you, I'll make your life a living hell. And I can do it, too." C.J. closed his eyes and tipped his head back. "Why did I go there? Why didn't I just mind my own business?" "Shoulda, woulda, coulda, C.J. What'll it be?" A long hard sigh, and C.J. began to talk. "He was someone's sub. But he couldn't get the hang of it..." "Wait. Wait. Sub?" "Sub. Submissive?" Scully stared blankly. C.J. made it plainer. "Slave." "Slave. Mulder?" "If you mean Fox, yeah. He wanted to do it...I think he needed to. But there were some aspects of it that he had trouble with. He gave his dom...master...a lot of trouble. Last time they were here, he blew up, made a scene and took off." "Slave. Master. I...I'm sorry, I don't...what exactly does that mean?" "Just what you think." "I'm not sure what I think." C.J. looked around and, finding what he was looking for, pointed Scully in that direction. "See them?" Scully followed C.J.'s direction, and she breathed deeply as her gaze fell on a man in tight black leather, sitting at a table, talking to another man, similarly dressed. At his feet, a barely dressed man sat quietly, wearing a collar and leash. His blonde head rested on the seated man's thigh as the other man absently petted it. Scully's attention snapped back to C.J. "Do you really expect me to believe that Mulder..." She stopped, noting the man's dead serious expression. "...Mulder. Fox Mulder. About six feet tall, medium length brown hair. Hazel eyes...prominent nose..." C.J. nodded. Scully blinked and backed up until she fell into a stool. Looking dazedly to the man, she finally asked. "Who? Who is he doing this with?" "I can't answer that." "You can't because you don't know the guy, or you won't?" "Guess I won't." "I have to know. I have to..." "You have to what? Fox...Mulder...whatever you call him, is a big boy. If this is the life he wants to live, there's nothing you can do about. It's his business." "This isn't him," Scully argued. "There's gotta be something wrong. Something...I need to know who this...this dom is." "Lady, you don't." "Remember what I told you about your life being hell?" Scully threatened. "It still applies." "I guess I'll have to take my chances. I'd rather be tormented than dead." "If this person is a threat to you, I can..." "You can nothing. Listen, I don't know him all that well, but certainly well enough to know that there are some lines no one should ever cross with him. If he's got any friends, I want to be counted among them." Scully tapped her fingers on the bar, staring hard at the man, but he wouldn't budge. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this," she promised. "With or without you." "It'll be without me. I've probably already said too much." Tossing C.J. another glare, Scully slid down off the stool and stormed out, picking her way through the maze of patrons. Once outside, she stopped and drew a few steadying breaths. "Mulder," she whispered as she started walking slowly toward her car. "Mulder, what the hell are you doing?" She had to talk to him. She had to know why he was doing this. As she sat in her car, another pulled into a nearby spot. Expensive-looking sports car. Sleek and black. It was the perfect compliment to the man who emerged from it. She watched him shut the door and set the alarm, and it wasn't until he passed by her passenger's side that she recognized him. Suddenly, everything came down on her like a ton of bricks. "No. Oh, hell no. No, no, no... "Alex. Jeez man, where've you been?" "Around." The dark man picked up the drink that had just been placed in front of him. Nodding at the bartender, he tossed the liquor back. "You called me?" "Yeah. Is everything okay? I mean, I know we don't keep in touch or anything, but ever since that night, I've just had the feeling that things haven't been good. Did you get stuff straightened out with Fox?" "As straight as it'll ever be." "That doesn't sound good." Krycek said nothing. "I'm sorry, Alex. If you don't mind me saying so, I could see that he was special to you." "Problem is, he couldn't see it. Guess I should've expected that." Krycek took a deep breath and looked around. "So. What's going on around here?" "Glad you asked. Listen, Alex...uh...don't get mad at me, but I tracked Fox down and went to see him." The green eyes went dark, and Krycek's voice lowered even more than usual. "You what?" "I hadn't seen or heard from you, and I'd seen Fox one day about a week ago at the gas station, so I followed him to see where he lived. I didn't visit him then. I was still hoping to make contact with you. When I wasn't able to do that today, I went to his place. He wasn't there. But uh..." "But uh...what?" "Someone else was." Krycek's eyes narrowed. "Who?" "A woman." Krycek breathed a silent breath of relief. "Short red head with blue eyes?" "Yeah." "And?" "She asked who I was and what I was doing there. I didn't give her much. I just asked her to have him contact me. She apparently tailed me here, and she shook me down for more information." "What'd you tell her?" "More than I should have, but she was threatening me, and something told me that she'd make good on her promises. I drew the line at any info on you, though. But she was dying to know who the guy was that Fox was involved with. I'm sorry, Alex, but I'm sure she'll keep digging until she...oh, shit." Krycek didn't have to turn around to know that someone he probably didn't want to see was now standing behind him. Krycek didn't have to turn around to know that someone he probably didn't want to see was now standing behind him. "Hey, Scully." "So, it is you," Scully hissed as Krycek turned to face her. "What the hell's going on, Krycek? What are you doing to Mulder?" "I'm not doing anything to him." "You're a goddamn liar." "You're not going to believe me no matter what I tell you, so why are you wasting your time and mine?" "Because for the moment, you're all I've got." "Flattering. But the truth is, Scully, I'm not doing anything to Mulder. We were...involved, but that's over." "I don't get this. I just don't..." "Don't want to believe that your partner would get dressed up in leather and let me lead him around on a leash?" "No, I don't," Scully grated, cringing at the image Krycek's words produced. "Not unless you drugged him or something." "I assure you, I used no artificial means of coercion. Mulder actually came to me. He wanted what I had to offer him." "You're full of shit." "Am I?" "He hates you." "That part may still be true." "He doesn't trust you as far as he can throw you." "That part's definitely true. Which is why he ended our...association." "According to your friend there, he was your...God, I can't even say it." "My slave? Yes." "So, how could he just walk away if that were true?" "Like Mulder, you don't understand. Well, he was starting to get some of it, but..." Krycek shook his head. "Just because he was my slave, that didn't mean that he wasn't free to leave any time he wanted. He decided to exercise that option a couple of weeks ago." "What did you do to him?" "Nothing that he didn't want me to do." "Yet, he blew up at you one night and ended...things." "Like you said, he didn't trust me." "At least I know he hasn't lost his mind completely," Scully muttered. "He wanted to," Krycek said. "I truly believe he wanted to. He just couldn't." "Why would Mulder even want to trust you?" "You'd have to ask him that. I just know that it was something he really needed...among other things." Scully shuddered at the thought of what 'other things' might be. "How's he been?" The softness in Krycek's tone took Scully by surprise. "None of your business." Krycek looked down at the floor between them. "No, I suppose it isn't." He pushed away from the bar. "If you're through asking questions, I'm going to go. Have a nice night, Scully." There were a million more questions speeding through her brain, but as she wasn't entirely sure that she was well enough equipped to handle the answers, she let Krycek walk away. "I'm really sorry about that, Alex," C.J. said as he followed the other man downstairs. "I never meant for all this to happen. I just...I sensed that there was more between you than either of you realized, and I just hated that you were letting it go to hell. Guess I'm just a big, romantic sap at heart." "There's nothing I can do about what happened," Krycek said, moving through the hall and toward the office. "He left, and I had to let him. As much as I wanted him, I couldn't hold him to me against his will." "Wanted." "What?" "You said, as much as you wanted him. You still want him." "It doesn't matter," Krycek said flatly. "It doesn't make a damn bit of difference." "I don't believe that," C.J. argued. "I think he's just scared. He's fighting his feelings because he's afraid you don't feel the same way." He stared at the other man. "I know it's kind of unconventional, but would it hurt to sort of treat him with kid gloves for a while? Maybe he just needs to feel a little more secure." "I'd come to that conclusion. I'd offered that to him. He left anyway. There's nothing more I can do, C.J. Now let's drop it." Krycek picked up the appointment book and thumbed through it. "You got someone coming in, in about half an hour." "Yeah." "I'll take it." "Alex..." "Is it a repeat client of yours?" "No..." "Then you won't mind, will you?" "No. That's not it." "So, what is it?" "It's just...I don't think your heart's really in it. You've been away from here for two weeks because of him." "Who said it was because of Fox?" "Tell me it wasn't." "It wasn't." "I don't believe that." "You don't have to." Krycek removed his jacket and went to the desk, taking the key for room three. "I'm gonna go get ready. Call me when he gets here." Krycek left, and C.J. dropped heavily into the burgundy leather chair, sighing loudly. //You heard him. It's over. Leave it alone.// He sat, tapping his fingers on the desk. //Leave it alone, C.J.// the next day "So, how'd it go?" "Stamp another one unsolved." "Surprise, surprise." Scully stopped at the corner, looking both ways before turning out of the airport parking lot. "What's been going on around here? Anything interesting?" "That, Mulder, is the sixty-four thousand dollar question." "Really?" "Oh, yes." "So, what's up?" "You tell me." Mulder's brow creased. "Huh?" "While I was at your apartment yesterday, you had a visitor." The frown deepened. "Who?" "C.J." Mulder froze. "You've been keeping some pretty odd company, Mulder." "Scully...wh...what did he want?" "Wanted you to contact him when you got home. I tried to ask him some questions, but he wouldn't give me any straight answers. So, I followed him when he left. Guess where he went." Mulder swallowed hard. "Uh..." "Mulder, was that what all that talk about your other side was, that day?" Mulder lowered his head. "Told you, you wouldn't understand." "You were damn right about that. I don't understand at all. Guess who I saw while I was there?" //Oh, Christ.// "Mulder, what's wrong with you? Alex Krycek?" Her voice took on a shrill tone. "You were Alex Krycek's..." She searched for a word. "...pet? I'm saying it, and I still can't wrap my mind around it." "Scully, I..." "Why, Mulder? I can't...why?" "I don't know!" Mulder shouted back. "If I could explain it, I would, okay?" Scully emitted a frustrated sigh. "It's over?" "Yes." "Why?" Mulder turned his head to the window. "Can't you just be happy that it is? Do you have to twist the knife?" "Twist the...Mulder, does it bother you that it's done?" No answer. Which was answer enough. "Oh, my God. What the hell has that bastard done to you?" "He hasn't done anything to me." "That's what he said." Mulder's head whipped around. "You talked to him?" "Yes." "What about?" "What do you think?" His gaze went back to the window. "Stay out of it, Scully. Please." "How do you expect me to do that, Mulder? You're my best friend, and you're...you're..." "A freak? A slut?" "That isn't what I was going to say. But something is terribly wrong if you're letting someone like Alex Krycek degrade and humiliate you." "What if it was someone else? Could you accept it then?" "Of course not. But the fact that it was that son of a bitch makes this about a million time worse." Mulder shook his head and went quiet. Not knowing what else to say, Scully stopped talking as well. The two rode in frustrated silence for a while, then Mulder spoke again, softly. "For the record, it wasn't degrading or humiliating." "Mulder, that just worries me more. How could walking around in front of a mob of people, wearing next to nothing, in a collar and attached to a leash, not be degrading?" "In my mind, I knew it should be. But I...I...wanted so much to please him. And when I did, it felt so good. I wanted to give him..." "Give him what?" "Everything." "Mulder, what did you do? Did you give him access to your computer or bank account or..." "That's not what I mean when I say everything," Mulder said. "I'm talking about everything else. My mind. My body, my will...my pain." "Why him?" Scully asked in a hushed voice, feeling the change in her partner's mood. "I don't need to understand the rest of it right now, I guess, but Mulder...why Krycek?" "It just...it felt...right. I don't know how else to explain it." Another sigh. "What changed it?" "Just...some stuff I couldn't get past." "You couldn't trust him." "I tried." "You were right not to." "...I miss him." "God, Mulder, no." "You want to know about it, Scully. You might as well know it all. I slept on a blanket on the floor by his bed." "Christ." "While I was in his apartment, I wore basically nothing except for the collar he had given me." "Mulder....stop." "He punished me the first night for getting drunk and letting some guys do some stuff to me" "I don't want to hear this." "Then he punished me another night because I disobeyed him at the club. And I liked it, Scully. I needed it." "Mulder, shut up!" Mulder sank down slightly in his seat and fell silent. Not another word was said until Scully pulled up in front of Mulder building. "Will you be in tomorrow?" "Why wouldn't I be?" "I don't know. Just...goodnight, Mulder." Grabbing his bag out of the back seat, Mulder got out of the car. Without any parting words, he shut the door and walked away, leaving his partner confused and shaken as hell. "What's wrong with you, Mulder?" She asked her partner as he disappeared into the building. "What the hell's wrong with you?" The man lay face down on the table, drenched in sweat as the one who had finishing working him over began to clean his tools. "Oh, Christ," the man whispered. "Christ, thank you." Dispassionate, green eyes flicked up to the man's face then back down to the other's task. "I'd like to see you again," the man said, wincing as he turned onto his side. "When are you here?" "Not too often." "I'd make it worth your while if you could make yourself available like, every two weeks." "I'll think about it. Check with C.J. next week." "Okay." The man got off the table, dressed slowly, and left Krycek alone in the room. In the middle of sterilizing a dildo, he began to think about Fox, laid out naked on his bed, pushing that thick dildo into his virgin ass, just to please him. Krycek sank down into the closest chair, whispering Fox's name into the darkened room. "God, I fucked up good, didn't I?" Slowly, he lifted himself from the chair, finished his task, then locked up and went home. The apartment was quiet except for the low drone of the television. Mulder lay on his back on the sofa, watching but not seeing what was on the screen. He hadn't expected to ever have to have that conversation with Scully, and the shock of it had hit him smack between the eyes. Well, it was done, and there was nothing he could do about it. Scully would either accept it or she wouldn't. It wasn't as if Krycek was still in his life, anyway. He closed his eyes, hugging himself tightly. It wasn't like that at all. Krycek paced the perimeter of his living room slowly, his favorite classical CD playing softly as he walked. The music did nothing to soothe him tonight, and soon he shut off the player and went in to bed. Tossing restlessly for a while, he threw off the sheet and went to his closet. He opened a panel at the back of the space, and he looked down at the surveillance equipment he'd stored there when Fox had come to stay with him. He hadn't used it since, unable to bring himself to lay eyes on the man he still wanted so very badly. But tonight, the urge was overwhelming. And he decided to give in to it. Mulder peeked out from beneath the arm crossed over his face, glaring at the phone as it rang. He had no desire to answer it, but he got up anyway, trudging over to the desk and lifting the receiver to his ear. "...Hello?" "Fox?" He didn't immediately recognize the voice, but his mind started running through the very short list of men who called him by his first name. His father - dead. Alex - Yeah, right. Besides, he'd know Alex's voice in his sleep. Uh... "C.J.?" "Yeah. I'm glad I caught you home. How're you doing?" "Okay. What d'you want?" "You got time to talk?" "I suppose. What do you want to talk about?" "You and Alex." "Haven't you heard, C.J.? There is no me and Alex." "You can't tell me that that's the way you want it." "Does it matter?" "Yes." "I walked out on him, C.J. I threw his collar at him and walked the hell out." "You can go back." "I can't." "Why not?" "I can't...I can't deal with it." "With what?" "With being the obedient little slave. I tried, but...I couldn't sit there while he let those others throw themselves at him. He said he didn't want to share me with anyone...why should I have to share him?" "Fox...you don't understand." "No, I guess I don't. And you know what?" I don't want to. Not if it means feeling like I did. I would've done anything," Mulder rambled. "Anything he asked. All I wanted from him was to know that I meant more to him than I apparently did. I wanted to be all he wanted. Was that too much to ask?" "Why do you think you weren't?" Mulder laughed bitterly. "I went for a drink, C.J. No more than a few minutes. When I got back, he had two men sitting on either side of him, fawning all over him, and he was sucking it up. He made it pretty fucking clear that I meant nothing to him." "No, Fox. You're wrong. Alex knew about your trust issues. Trust means everything in our circle. He was just testing you. That's all." "Guess I failed," Mulder murmured. "Too bad for me." "It doesn't have to be. Come on, Fox. You're unhappy, Alex is unhappy. Don't let this stand. Go to him. Work it out." "I tried that once, C.J. It didn't work." "Try again." "I can't." "What're you so afraid of?" "...Alex knows." "Well, tell me." "Listen, C.J. Thank you for trying, okay? It just...it wasn't mean to be." "That's bullshit." "Call it what you want." "You want to be with him, Fox. You need him. I can hear it in your voice." "I want a lot of things. I need a lot of things. I don't have them, though." "You can have this." "I can't." Mulder sounded tired and so very sad. "I can't, C.J. Please leave me alone." Mulder hung up and placed the phone gently on the coffee table before turning onto his side and burying his face in the back cushion. In the quiet of his bedroom, Krycek listened to Mulder's soft, agonizing whimpers, and he covered his face with his hands. He sat that way until all sound stopped, then he rose to his feet and walked out of the room. "Let's play, Fox." Mulder opened his eyes to find himself shackled to an inclined bed. Naked except for his collar and a cock ring, and Alex was standing over him, dark and delicious in tight black leather. His eyes sparkled a luminescent green as he drew a leather riding crop over Fox's mouth, down his chin then over his chest. Mulder flinched and cried out as the crop quickly flicked over one of his nipples. "You've been bad lately, Fox. Very, very bad." "I'm sorry," Mulder whispered. I didn't mean to. It's just that..." "No excuses. You promised to be mine. You promised to obey me. And have you?" "...No." "No. And so you should be punished. Shouldn't you?" "Yes. Yes, I sh...I should be punished." He watched as the two young men from the club entered and came to stand on either side of Krycek, caressing and nuzzling him. "This is your punishment, Fox. If you take it well, I may forgive you." Wide, panic-stricken eyes watched as Alex sat in a chair, assuming a careless sprawl as the two immediately fell on him, pulling at his clothing. "No. No, Alex, please. Don't let them. Please." Krycek's eyes closed as the two licked and sucked at him, taking turns deep-throating his cock. "Alex," Mulder cried piteously. "Please. Punish me another way. Starve me. Lock me in a closet. Beat me til I bleed, but please make them stop!" One of the pair climbed onto Krycek's lap and, while the other held his cock, he lowered himself onto the rigid shaft, and Fox screamed. "Nooo! No, no, no..." Strong but gentle hands held him as he thrashed, and a low voice cooed softly to him, asking him to wake up. His eyes blinked open, and he stared up into an all too familiar face. He was still dreaming. He'd just passed into another fucking dream. "Fox." A dream more real than the last. //Fuck.// "Fox, wake up." Jesus, it even smelled like Alex. Did one have a sense of smell in dreams? Mulder concentrated on the man leaning over him, and his heart began to skip already erratic beats. "What are you doing here?" He was about to ask how Krycek got in, but that would have been just stupid. "I'm here to drag you back to my apartment, bound and gagged if necessary, and make you finish out the week that you had promised to spend with me." Anger gave way to confusion. "Over two weeks later? What happened, Krycek? Did you take the scenic route?" "It's Alex, and no. It just took a couple of weeks of brooding to realize that if I wanted you back, I'd have to come get you." "I'm not going anywhere with you." "I brought the gag and shackles, Fox; don't think I was bullshitting about that. I'd rather not have to use them, though." "Don't you get it? Mulder shouted as he started to sit up. "I don't want to play any more!" Krycek shoved him back down to the mattress and held him there with his upper body. He cut off the coming tirade with a bruising kiss. Mulder's mind screamed for him to fight, and he did for a few brief seconds then his traitorous body took over, and he relaxed under the sensual assault. Slowly, his hands crept up Krycek's arms then his arms wound around the younger man's neck, and he returned the kiss, which had gentled considerably. Moaning softly, Krycek pulled away only to come right back in for more. //Yes,// Mulder cried to himself. //Oh, God, y...no. No, don't You can't let him do this to you.// He started to fight again, and when Krycek refused to let him go, he did the first thing that came to mind. "Ah! Shit!" Krycek jerked away and touched his fingers to his bloody lower lip. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that." Mulder glared up at him and said nothing. "You can save the evil looks, too," Krycek informed him. "I can see right through them." "You can't see shit." "No? One thing you haven't got, Fox, is a poker face. I can read you like a book. If I were to get up and leave right now, you'd be as disappointed as hell. You want me here. You want to go with me. You might fight it, but that's just for show...to make yourself feel better about waking up in my bed tomorrow morning." "Don't you mean beside your bed?" "I said what I meant." Mulder stared. Krycek moved closer. "I did it wrong the first time," Krycek murmured, his words humming against Mulder's lips. "Come with me and let me fix it." "...You can't." "I can," Krycek moaned, brushing his mouth over Mulder's. When he pulled away, Mulder inadvertently licked at some of the blood Krycek's kiss had deposited there. He withdrew his tongue quickly, and he looked up at the other man, almost frightened at what he'd done and his body's reaction to it. "Go ahead," Krycek whispered, mesmerizing Mulder with his eyes and voice. "You want to." Unable to tear his gaze away from Krycek's, Mulder slowly licked the blood away from his own lips. When he finished, Krycek lowered his head, and Mulder tentatively stretched up the rest of the way and cleaned the blood from his mouth as well. He lowered his head back to the cushion, and he stared up at Krycek, his chest heaving with excitement. Pressing his slight advantage, Krycek leaned in for another kiss, which Mulder succumbed to willingly this time, and he began to undo the older man's shirt. Brushing the material aside, Krycek kissed his way down Mulder's throat and chest, stopping to thoroughly tease his nipples, and by the time he'd finished doing that, Mulder was his. He finished undressing the older man, slipped out of his own clothing, then lay down on top of him. "You feel so good against me," he whispered in Mulder's ear as he slowly rubbed against him. "I knew you would." Nodding, Fox wriggled beneath Krycek, sobbing softly every time their cocks made contact. "Please...Alex, please..." "Please what, beautiful?" Krycek asked, his hands and mouth everywhere on Mulder's body that they could reach. "Fuck...m—me..." "Is that what you really want?" "Yes. Krycek reached for the pants that he'd dropped on the floor by the sofa, and he withdrew a tube of lubricant. Mulder wondered fleetingly what Krycek was doing with lube in his pocket, but the thought flitted out as quickly as it had entered. "All right, Fox. Relax, okay? I need you to relax." Krycek applied some gel to one finger. "Spread you legs, baby. Yeah, like that." Gently, he teased the valley between Mulder's cheeks, working his way into the small opening. He felt Mulder's muscles contract in natural response, and he kissed first the tip of Mulder's nose, then his mouth. "It's all right, Fox. It's all right." As gently as he could, he eased his finger inside. "See?" he said as he went in as far as he could then stopped. "Just lie still and breathe easy." Mulder obeyed, and soon he was whimpering with pleasure as Alex slid the finger in and out of him. The addition of a second finger brought little discomfort, but a third made him suck in his breath and tighten up. "Breathe, Fox," Krycek instructed softly. "Breathe, baby." Mulder took breath after shaky breath, and only when Krycek was sure he'd adjusted to the invasion, did he begin to move them slowly in and out. "God," Mulder gasped, moving every so slightly against Krycek's hand. "Oh, God, Alex." "Is it all right now?" Krycek asked. "Yes," Mulder sighed. "Oh, yes. More. Please, more." Smirking, Krycek moved a bit faster. When he had Mulder whining and begging loudly for more, he withdrew his fingers. "Nooo," Mulder cried, tossing his head back and forth and the cushion. "No, please." "Shhh." Krycek stroked the hair back from Mulder's forehead. "You're going to like this better." Lifting Mulder's legs, he positioned himself and pressed slowly inside the older man. Mulder's mouth fell open, and a harsh gurgle erupted from his throat as Krycek's cock entered his body. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he clawed at the younger man's back. "Alex....mmmh...Alex..." Krycek answered Mulder's joyful sobs with a gentle thrust of his hips, forcing himself even deeper. Mulder threw his head back and cried out, lost in the exquisite heat possessing him. He held tightly to Krycek, wrapping his legs high around the other man's waist, and he pushed against him, demanding more, faster, now. More than happy to oblige, Krycek increased the speed of his thrusts, and when he was sure that Mulder had gone far beyond the point of any returning sense, he grasped the older man's cock and began to stroke it as his hips moved in a sure, strong rhythm. No more than a clipped sob could make it past Mulder's constricted throat as a storm, both physical and emotional broke loose inside of him. Krycek lay over him, pounding furiously into his ass, his hand working almost as fast on his cock, and as he came explosively, he couldn't imagine for the life of him anything that he wouldn't do or say or give to always have this. Krycek's guttural, broken sobs brought him back to the moment, and as his own body twitched in the aftermath of his orgasm, Krycek's was just beginning. He held the younger man, feeling every contraction of every muscle, the flow of semen washing his insides...the rumble of Alex's cries against his open mouth... Krycek emptied himself into Mulder, shuddering in the ecstasy of it, then he went still, his body slumping heavily on top of the other man. Only his soft moans gave Mulder any indication that he was conscious. Long minutes passed, and he lifted his head to gaze into Mulder's eyes. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, brushing his knuckles over the older man's cheek. Staring up at Krycek, Mulder nodded slowly. His eyes drifted shut as the other man came in for a tender kiss. His fingers threaded through the plush, sable hair, and he sighed against the other's mouth as they broke the kiss. "We gotta get something straight, right now," Krycek announced, his voice still soft and sweet. "I don't want anyone else. For as long as we're together, I'll never touch another man." Mulder looked away from Krycek's eyes and said nothing. "I mean that, Fox. As much as you belong to me, I belong to you." Hope surged. "I want to believe that, Alex. I need to. Especially now." "You just gave me a precious, precious gift, Fox. I won't disrespect that." Mulder nuzzled Krycek's hand as it cupped his cheek. "C.J. said that you never intended to do anything with those guys at the club. Is that true?" "Yes." "Why didn't you just tell me that at the time?" "It was a mistake not to. I wanted you to trust me without question. Call it ego. Call it stupidity. I don't know. But I should've told you, Fox. I never would have done anything with any of them. I had you. I neither wanted nor needed anyone else." Mulder returned his gaze to Krycek's face. "I was dreaming...earlier. You woke me from it." Krycek waited. "You were punishing me. I mean, really punishing me. You had those two guys with you. And I was tied down. You made me watch while you let them suck your cock. Then you fucked one of them." Krycek moved to the sofa beside Mulder and pulled the older man against him. "It was just a dream." Mulder wrapped his arms around Krycek and snuggled into his warmth. "I don't understand this," he sighed. "I don't understand how or why I feel like this....I had it out with Scully earlier." Krycek moved back to look Mulder in the eye. "She told me that C.J. came here to see me the other day, and that she followed him to the club, and she said she talked to you." "Yeah. She wasn't happy." "She still isn't. I...told her some stuff. I...I couldn't stop myself...until she screamed at me to shut up. She was stunned. She was confused. I don't know what to do to make her understand and make her feel better." Mulder stopped and smiled humorlessly. "Who am I kidding? I'll never be able to make her feel better about any of this." "I'm sorry about that." Krycek stroked Mulder's back. "Are you going to let her be a disruption, though? Is she going to get in the way of what you want to do?" "No, I...I can't let her. I can't let anyone." He held tightly to Krycek. "For the first time I think that maybe I might be on the verge of knowing all of me. I need to know." "It's not going to be easy working with her." "I know," Mulder sighed. "I gotta do it, though. We gotta come to some sort of understanding." "Good luck." Mulder pulled back and looked up at the other man. His fingers traced over the other man's wounded lip. "I'm sorry about this." A slow smile curved Krycek's lips. "You're gonna be." Mulder lowered his eyes and said nothing. "Get some sleep," Krycek murmured in the golden-brown hair. "Tomorrow we do a little...restructuring." Mulder shivered deliciously at the implications, and he closed his eyes. MMCUSN@aol.com Go to Part 9

Nobody Has to Know By Aries for Peja's "I saw what you did last night" challenge X-Files M/? Rated NC-17 for m/m sexual situations Disclaimer: Mulder belongs to Chris Carter. Oh, EWW! Uh...you know what I mean Summary: Someone saw Mulder do something bad. But Mulder doesn't know what. Archive at all the usual places. If anyone else wants it, just ask! Feedback: I'm just getting over an allergic reaction to a sugar substitute that I tried this morning, so be nice to me! MMCUSN@aol.com http://denofsin.slashcity.net/aries/ariestitle.html https://www.squidge.org/terma/aries/aries.htm back to top

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