Undying thanks to Frankie for giving me the list, looking after the story and then sharing it. Thanks go to Frankie and Orithain, for beta of the best kind. Any mistakes that still remain are my own and should not be blamed on them.
Spoilers: The Red and The Black, Terma.
Disclaimer: Awww...it was Christmas... I did it for free...Don't hurt me.
Storm in a B-Cup
Items: for inclusion
Church - check
Skinner - check
Marita's black lacy bra - check
Frank Sinatra - check
Beef Wellington - check
M/K -check, check, check!
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The church was old, with high vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and carved wooden ornamentation curving in rich scrolls around an old fashioned wood screen. The choir was singing their heart out and candles flickered around the nave as the midnight service progressed. Assistant Director Skinner raised his voice in song. He had a fractured baritone that burst forth in a manner that had people for ten rows in each direction turning to look at him in disbelief. Oblivious, he sang on.
At the end of the row, in an attempt to disassociate himself from the vocal disaster in their midst, Alex Krycek searched manfully for a way out. He had been pressed into service, as had the other members of the party, by Special Agent Dana Scully, who had thought it might be nice to attend the service before experiencing the more secular delights of the office party. So far, the effects of all this heavenly celebration on the souls of the participants were mixed. Fox Mulder was unashamedly asleep. He lounged in the pew, head back, mouth open, and from time to time he snored. Alex would have liked to sleep too, but the noise was immense, and rather than finding God in the singing of the choir, he was discovering a headache. He tried to keep the hunted expression off his face and wished in vain that he had smuggled in his Walkman.
Skinner, as has been detailed, was having a fine old time. He had murdered "Away in a Manger" with great gusto and was now starting in on "Silent Night, Holy Night". Scully, whose idea it had been to attend the service, was currently looking a little hunted as she surveyed her companions. She hoped that she could get them into the Christmas spirit somehow. It spoiled things when they behaved like this.
Look at Mulder there. If he rolls over and sticks his thumb in his mouth, I'm going to knock him off his seat!
Watching Alex, she wondered just how much longer he would cope before he cut and run. It afforded her grim amusement to watch him wince each time Skinner hit a high note.
What a good job I made sure to keep Krycek and Mulder apart.
She had been sure that letting them sit together would be a recipe for disaster, so she had separated them. Mulder was annoying, but Alex, who she had been sure would cause trouble, was (for Alex) behaving himself perfectly, although he was looking somewhat haggard. The service was drawing to a close now, and the minister was saying a few words of benediction. Scully extended her elegantly booted foot and toed Mulder. Nothing happened at first, but as she poked him once more with her foot, he exploded in a blur of perfectly co-ordinated action, rising in a fluid motion, dropping to a crouch, two hands holding his gun in the manner approved by Quantico.
"Freeze, FBI!" he yelled. People squealed and moved away. Skinner stopped singing, and Krycek started laughing. Mulder, who by this time had realized that his performance was slightly inappropriate, lowered his gun and began to shrink in an attempt to become invisible. It failed. All about him in the packed church, folks were pointing and giggling. Scully dropped her head into her two hands, and Alex, purple faced with explosive merriment, sat down in the pew and held his sides as he laughed.
Skinner began to sing once more, but mercifully, with the final bars of "Oh Come all ye Faithful", the service came to an end. As the congregation began to file out of the church, Scully shook her head.
It should have been a pleasant hour at the start of a great Christmas Eve. She ought to have known that Mulder would do something to make it different. He was looking furtive now, and she knew that he would make himself scarce once they were out of the church if given the opportunity. She grabbed his arm as they moved out of the pew towards the door, where the minister was dispensing Christmas good wishes to the last straggling worshippers as they departed.
"Ah, Miss Scully. So nice to see you and your..er...friends." The minister was a large, shiny man, with a round face that beamed with transparent good nature. His hair was a colorless halo around his bald, shiny head, and the vestments he still wore were ornate and gleamed in the light of the many candles. Scully began to introduce her companions to him. Mulder was monosyllabic, encouraging no intimacies whatsoever. Skinner was cheerful, pumping the other man's hand enthusiastically, and commenting on how much he had enjoyed the singing. Alex, last in line, offered his right hand with a smile and then with great theatrical timing, pressed a black lacy brassiere into the minister's still outstretched hand.
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The ride back to HQ was full of meaningful silences. Scully was quiet, and although she hadn't yet said anything to Alex, it was obviously only a matter of time. Skinner was singing happily as he drove, and Mulder was surveying his beloved with a wondering gaze. Alex, sprawled back against the seat, appeared to be totally relaxed, thumb tucked into the waistband of his jeans, and booted leg flung high across his knee as he lounged.
"Alex, where on earth did you get it?" Mulder had watched in awe as Krycek had bestowed his gift to the minister. His mouth twitched in amusement as he surveyed his companions.
Alex gave his lover a bland look.
"I haven't worn this jacket for a while; it was still in the pocket. Funny how things take you back, isn't it?" His face was a study in deadpan attitude. "Last time I wore it, I was on a ship..."
Thick lashes veiled his sideways glance at Mulder. Mulder caught it, and his smile faded. There was still a lot about his Alex that he didn't know.
"Who does it belong to?" His question was out before he could bite it back. He wasn't sure that he really wanted to know. He was about to say something else when Scully interrupted.
"Mulder, don't encourage him. He's bad enough without that." She had been sitting quietly, debating the value of chewing Mulder and Krycek out, and had come to the conclusion that it was probably not worth her while. Having made a mental note to bake them some ex-lax cookies or something, she was now attempting to damp down any gloating that might occur, at least within her hearing.
Mulder was thinking hard. The more he thought about it, the uneasier he became. He had to know. Turning to face Alex, he could see that for all his apparently casual posture, the other man was wound tight, poised like a steel spring, ready for fight or flight.
"Who did you say it belonged to?" There was an edge now to Mulder's voice, and Alex stirred uneasily, his eyes flickering to Mulder's face and away.
"I didn't. I hate to kiss and tell, Mulder. I was raised to be a gentleman about these things." The sneer was unmistakable, and Mulder felt a cold punch to his gut as he digested it. He was confused. One minute he had been sharing in an easy camaraderie, and the next he felt as if he had been bruised. He looked at Alex, still sitting apparently unmoved by his last comment. The green eyes flickered back to his face and away again. Mulder swallowed his retort, not wanting to get into an argument in front of his other friends.
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Once back in the office, Scully had gotten the decorations together and was ordering the other agents around as she effected the transformation of the general office into a party venue. Someone had brought a portable stereo, and for the last half-hour Christmas music had been pouring from it. All at once the CD had been changed, and now the mellow sound of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" could be heard. Mulder started to sing it softly under his breath, looking around as he did so. He had been stringing tinsel around the tree, waiting for his opportunity to fade out and go in search of Alex. Glancing over his shoulder, he observed his delinquent love vanishing out of the door. Dropping his glittering burden, he took off after him. Scully saw him leave and was about to call him back when Skinner put a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Let them go, Agent Scully, let them go. They need to work that out really fast or their Christmas will be totally shot."
Scully smiled up at Skinner. She had been thinking the same thing but did not want to see a battle between Mulder and Krycek that would ruin the party. She was this year's organizer, and she wanted to have fun after all the work she had put in on the planning of it.
"You think they'll get over it quickly? I do hope they don't have a spat right now." Her blue eyes reflected fondness for her partner, and Skinner patted the arm he had been holding.
"I'm sure it will be OK. Those two love each other, but they still have a lot of baggage to clear. It's not easy being in the line of fire sometimes."
Scully looked up at Skinner and thought anew that he was one of the kindest men she had met. She patted his cheek and smiled. "It's OK, I'll leave them to it. I won't interfere unless they actually start having a fistfight amongst the potluck! Now where do you suppose we should lay out the food?" Turning away, she began to clear desks of their paraphernalia, prior to creating a buffet.
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Mulder saw the door closing at the other end of the corridor as he hurtled in pursuit of Krycek. He ran the length of the passageway to crash through just as Alex was summoning the elevator. Putting on a burst of speed, he caught the elevator just as the doors were closing. Alex stood, white-faced and determined, his finger still on the button. Glancing at the floor he had chosen, Mulder saw he was headed for the parking garage and that he had been intending to leave.
He fought his way clear of the doors and into the elevator.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? What are you doing?" His voice sounded furious, and Alex moved uneasily back against the wall.
"It's just a bad idea, Mulder. It's over. Go back to your party. Go back to Scully. You'll be fine in the morning." Alex's face still held the bland, sneering expression he had seen earlier in the car. Mulder shook his head, trying to decide how to proceed. He suddenly realized that he was fighting for his happiness.
"Alex, please... " His voice cracked as he held out his hand and stepped towards his lover. Alex moved suddenly, whipping out a pistol and shoving it into Mulder's neck as the other man moved towards him.
"I told you, it's over. Leave me alone, Agent Mulder." The words were spat out viciously. Mulder stood bewildered, not able to take in what was happening to him.
The elevator doors opened, and a chilly breeze blew in from the parking facility. Everything was quiet save for the sound of distant dripping somewhere in the gloom. Mulder stood in Alex's way.
"I won't let you do this, Alex. I don't know what it's all about, but you can't just leave me. You can't just vanish off out of my life now that I care about you."
Krycek stood taut, his gun unwavering. His face was now set in a grimace. His teeth were bared, and his eyes were hard, glittering marbles. Mulder shivered under his cold scrutiny.
"Alex! Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong? Please?"
"Let me past, Mulder. Let me through right now or I'll hurt you." Alex moved to pass Mulder and leave the elevator, but Mulder blocked his exit. The door closed.
"You're hurting me now. What's the difference?"
Alex shook his head. "Oh, no, no! You're not going to lay a guilt trip on me. Just chalk it up to experience and move on, why don't you?" His voice was harsh and strained. Mulder felt a cold flood of fear trickle like icy water down his spine. He cast about for something he could do or say to stop this from happening. He felt as if his life were unraveling before his eyes.
He put up his hand and began to unfasten his tie. Alex had jabbed the "door open" button on the control panel, and the door was letting in that cold blast of air again. Mulder dropped his tie onto the floor and slid out of his jacket. His hands flew to his collar, and he began doggedly to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. Krycek watched him for a moment.
"What are you doing? You'll catch cold." Alex's husky voice sounded cracked and strained. The elevator doors closed again. Mulder unfastened the cuffs of his shirt, and it followed his tie and jacket to the floor. He began to lift the hem of his white T-shirt. "Oh, fuck, Mulder. Don't do this, please." Mulder, listening avidly to Krycek's voice, heard the pain in it and hugged it to him. He began to unfasten his belt and opened the fly of his trousers, eyes fixed on his lover. He smiled, knife pain lancing his heart as he spoke. He put everything he was feeling into his next words.
"I love you, Alex." The zipper dropped, and his pants slipped to the ground, pooling around his ankles. Mulder began to slip off his boxers.
"Jesus, Fox! Let me go! I don't want to hurt like this." Alex licked his lips nervously as Mulder stepped out of his clothes, slipping off shoes and socks as he did. Standing before him quite naked, Mulder began to stroke his own skin. His hands passed over his arms, moving to his chest and down his flanks. He stroked his own thighs, then moved up to pinch a nipple. His eyes were fixed unwaveringly on his lover, and he drank in every little partially hidden emotion he could see crossing Alex's face.
"Alex, I love you." The words, repeated like a litany, hung in the air between the two of them.
Mulder's hands moved to his penis, already thickening as he stood, displaying himself to this man that he couldn't bear to lose. He licked his hand and slid it down to grasp hold of his cock, shivering slightly as the door opened once more, goose flesh starting on his arms and legs.
"This is yours, Alex, yours. There's nobody else in the whole of the world that I need the way I need you." His cock was now standing tall, and Alex swallowed, then moved to put his finger over the "stop" button on the elevator.
Mulder leaned against the door, his hand sliding, jerking up and down over his hardness as he stroked his own body. He opened his thighs, one hand moving between them to press behind his balls, searching for the gland that lay under the perineum, pressing it and groaning when he felt the heated rush of sensation.
"God, Alex, you do this so much better. I would so much rather it was you. I love you." The tip of his cock was now shiny with fluid, and his hand, still clasping the shaft, was moving faster now. Alex's eyes were wide, and the pupils were growing larger and larger as he watched Mulder's shameless display. He made a little sound that was midway between a sob and a moan, and his head turned from side to side as he appeared to look for a way out of the corner.
"Fox, I... " He returned his gaze to Mulder's dancing hands, and then, like a sleepwalker, he stumbled the couple of paces to where Mulder stood, dropped to his knees, and his hand went to Mulder's hip. Alex laid his head against Mulder's thigh and pressed his face against the standing man's penis. Mulder's hands moved to stroke Alex's hair very gently.
"I love you, Alex. I really do." Alex groaned and moved to close his mouth over the penis that was bobbing beside his cheek. His mouth was liquid fire, his tongue playing teasing music on the head of his cock, running around the ridge of it and dragging him closer and closer to orgasm with every moist slurp. Pushing his hand between Mulder's legs, Alex felt for his anus and circled the tight, puckered opening with his finger, gradually dipping in until he could hook it forward to massage his prostate gland. Mulder threw back his head and screamed as Alex sucked hard on his shaft. His legs grew wobbly and he felt his balls contract. He jerked his hips into Alex, plunging into his mouth as he arched his back and the tickling electric feel of his orgasm pulsed through him. Mulder gasped, and the elevator started to move upwards.
"Oh, shit!" There was a flurry of activity as Alex tried to stop the elevator, and Mulder tried to put on his pants. He had his boxers on, and was hopping comically around with one leg in and one leg out of his pants when the doors opened, and Assistant Director Skinner entered the elevator.
"Good evening boys, I see you're having fun!" Skinner grinned but said nothing more as he pushed the button to start the elevator down towards the basement again. Mulder shrugged to himself and sat down on the floor to put on his shoes and socks. Alex stood quietly, face a pale mask, waiting patiently for them to be alone again. As the elevator opened its doors once more on the drafty basement, Skinner felt for his car keys.
"I'll be back in about a half hour. I have to go home to get the Beef Wellington I made for the potluck. I had it baking on a timer, so it will just be ready about now. If you guys are going to play in the elevator for a while, may I remind you that public nudity is an arrestable offense. Agent Mulder, your shirt is on inside out. Krycek, you really need to wipe your chin." They could hear him laughing as he made his way over to his car.
Without any further conversation, the two men watched him out of sight and then wordlessly set the elevator to take them up one floor. First Alex, then Mulder emerged through the doors and headed for the door to the X-Files office. Mulder paused to lock the door behind him, and then, grabbing Alex by the shoulder, he threw him up against the wall, leaning in to hold him there with the weight of his body.
"What was all that about down there? You nearly killed me. What do you think you're doing?" His voice was quiet, but his words were sharp, and his face was as angry as Alex had ever seen it. Alex gulped.
"Fox, I can't stay with you. I'm no good for you, baby. The things I've done! You're better off to just leave me. Find someone else who can make you happy. With me, you're always going to be wondering. You're never going to trust me... " His voice trailed off as he saw the expression on Mulder's face. Mulder took him by the ears, and his mouth descended on Alex, kissing him hard, his tongue forcing its way inside Alex's mouth to tease and worry at him. Alex resisted for a second only, and then melted into that kiss, returning it, his hand tugging at Mulder's still inside-out shirt until he had made a space to slip his hand up under it. He stroked Mulder's back as they kissed. His groin thrust against Mulder's as he leaned on him, still holding him up against the wall. Fox reached with one hand down to feel for Alex's fly buttons, his mouth still working on Alex as he kissed, and licked, and nuzzled.
Finally, he drew his head away, drinking in Alex's face as his head lay cradled in the crook of his elbow, eyes closed, mouth red and lips puffy from the harshness of his kiss.
"You know I don't care about what you did before. I only care about now, Alex. Why were you suddenly so worried?" He pressed a tender little line of kisses from the corner of Alex's mouth up to his eye, gently tracing along his lashes with his tongue tip. Alex's eyes fluttered open, and he licked his lips before starting to speak.
"It was on the ship. After we docked in New York, I contacted the Consortium. I had brought a specimen of the virus back along with the antidote. Marita came to see me, and she and I... " Alex went silent, searching Mulder's face for clues as to how he was receiving this news. Mulder appeared grim.
"You mean you fucked her? You fucked Marita?"
Alex blushed, wincing at the words. "Yes. We went to bed, and then she cold cocked me and stole my ticket out. She kidnapped the virus specimen. I haven't worn the jacket since then, and I found the bra in there today. It was funny because I haven't thought about her for a long time. When I suddenly remembered, I felt sick." He looked at Fox, his lashes tangled and damp. "Now you'll go. You'll say you don't mind, but you do. You'll leave me."
Mulder was still looking grim. His hand came up to hold Alex by the throat, long clever fingers pressing against his Adam's apple, making the blood sing in Alex's ears.
"You stupid piece of shit! You prick! If you ever put me through that again, for whatever reason, I'll kill you. How dare you scare me like that? How dare you?" His voice had started quietly, but by the time he reached the end of his speech, he was bellowing at the top of his lungs. Alex, still being throttled, could not move.
Mulder suddenly released Alex, then grabbed his lapels and pulled him in for a fierce kiss. Alex moaned, and the two of them slowly sank down to the floor. Mulder, who was still angry, horny and desperately relieved all at the same time, tore at Alex's belt, reaching in to grab his cock and pump it fiercely. Alex moaned into Fox's mouth and threw back his head, offering his throat to Mulder as if he were a wolf. Like a wolf, Mulder received it, and bit gently at it, before moving down to lick at the head of the other man's cock. Finally, he closed his lips over it and sucked it into his mouth as far as he could, angling his head back to take in the last little millimeter, his tongue swirling along the vein on the back of it, as he sucked. Alex bit the back of his hand to prevent himself from screaming out loud as Mulder's rough technique made the warm tingles of his orgasm gather, then as he felt everything tighten, he buried his hand into the other man's hair, dragging his head down. Fox felt Alex's penis throb, and then the sharp salty taste of spurting semen filled his mouth as he felt his love buck under his mouth. Alex cried out wordlessly as he came, finally falling back, gasping.
Mulder released him and pulled up to embrace Alex, kissing him tenderly, and teasing him with the tongue that still retained the taste of Alex's ejaculate. Alex lost himself in that kiss, trying to eradicate his sense of self. He wanted to forget everything that had gone before and start again.
Mulder finally pulled back to look at his lover. Alex lay, head pillowed on Fox's arm, face alight with adoration as he looked up at the other man. Mulder smiled down at him tenderly.
"Wanna hear something really sick?"
Alex cocked one eyebrow at him inquiringly.
"I slept with her too."
Alex's jaw dropped. Then he started to laugh. His chuckles grew and grew until the tears were starting in his eyes, and he was holding his sides. Fox, who was a little astonished at his reaction, waited patiently through the outburst, a small grin on his face.
"Oh, Fox!" Alex gasped, when he could finally talk "Did you get some of her underwear too?" Mulder aimed a swat at Alex's butt.
"Dumb fuck!" he growled. "Come on, we're going to have to get ourselves straightened out here before we go and hit this party. Anyone would think we've been groveling all over the floor."
"Oh Christ, Fox, do we have to go? Can't we just go home and go to bed? I've had enough carols and shit to last me a lifetime." Alex sounded plaintive.
Mulder got to his knees and extended a hand to pull his partner up before starting to brush his suit down as best as he could.
"Not on your life. Have you forgotten? Skinner's bringing Beef Wellington. I wouldn't miss that for the world."
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