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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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1,281
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1/1
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13
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992

Uncomfortable

Summary:

Alex wants to know why Walter is so jumpy around him.

Work Text:

Uncomfortable
by Amazon X

 

"Do I make you uncomfortable, Assistant Director?" he asked, watching the man who sat in the steam room across the bench, arms folded, legs together.  He didn't look like the steam was going to do his worked-out muscles any good.

"Agent Krycek, I'm perfectly fine, thank you," he ground out.

"Sir, if you wrap yourself up any tighter, you'll end up completely cramping yourself.  Relax, I won't bite."

Alex let the smile enter his eyes, hopeful that the big Assistant Director he'd been trying to become friendly with would finally see him as more of a...peer than a subordinate.  The older man didn't join in the weekly department pick up basketball games, nor was he part of last spring's softball season.  Agent Fox Mulder, who was known to be a virtuoso in both sports, didn't join in either, but he was usually up to his ears in his work.  And some of the agents preferred it that way.  Alex didn't care.  He liked "Spooky" Mulder, at least from afar.  The guy was wildly intelligent, quite witty and not bad to look at.  Too bad he was sweet on his partner.  Straight men were...complicated, as was Skinner.

"Agent Krycek, don't you have to be back at your desk finishing three reports you owe me?" he asked, so casual, yet controlled and faintly annoyed.

"They are finished, sir.  I left them with your assistant this morning.  That Kim woman, the blonde?  I tell you, she keeps losing mine and two other agents' reports, requests and messages.  You know, there's a really up to the minute assistant, great with details.  Her name is  Arlene... something.  She's in VCU, dying to get out.  The file photos are starting to get to her."

He took a deep breath and stated, "I'll look into it, thank you.  If you'll excuse me, Agent Krycek, I should be getting back to my office."

Skinner stood and strode to the door.  In his haste to get out, his towel slipped and fluttered to the floor.  Alex stared in fascination as the man scrambled to bend over and get it.  He was treated to a clear view of Skinner ass, and the dark pucker in the center.  His mouth started to water.  And the heat of the steam room did him no good.

After he realized that he was alone, he pulled off his towel and covered his face with it.  "Fuck!" he shouted.  "What the fuck is wrong with me?  I can't get hung up on my boss!"

He stomped out of the steam room to almost walk into a still-toweled Skinner, carrying his soap-on-a-rope and extra towel.  He looked at Alex, and he knew the man had heard him.  The door hadn't been fully closed.  "Excuse me, sir," he said as he darted past the man to the lockers.

Realizing the lockers were too small to crawl into, Alex pulled his soap holder and shampoo bottle out to take his own shower.  He was thankful the showers were individual stalls with tall curtains so he could hide and take his time, which he did.  When he was finished, he was thankful that Skinner had dressed and left the gym locker room area completely.  With a sigh of relief, Alex donned his horrible suit again, and made his way back to his desk.

He hated the way he dressed, but it couldn't be helped.  Mama didn't have much money, so what he made mostly went to help her.  His studio apartment in Falls Church was cheap, not in the greatest building in the world, but he kept his place clean, had used silicone and steel wool to plug the vermin holes and lived a pretty quiet life.  Except when he wanted company.  And the company he wanted, he could never tell Mama.

And what he wanted was his boss.  It wasn't prohibited to be gay in the bureau, but it was more conducive to staying alive if one kept it to oneself.  He could, however, look all he liked.  He just had to remember to keep his mouth shut.

When he looked closely at his desk phone, he noticed the voicemail light blinking.  Oh, God, what now, he thought.  He listened to Skinner's assistant Kim prattle on about Skinner needed to see him at lunch in his office.  "Great," he muttered.  

Ramsey, the tall agent at the desk next to his looked up at him.  "What's wrong?  Stoneface call you in for a meeting?"

"Yeah.  Great, I'm gonna get fired, I know it."

Ramsey laughed.  "What did you do, man?  You're, like, the straightest agent here.  You'd have to, like, check him out in the shower or something."

"Actually, it was the stream room."

Both agents laughed heartily.  "You're a riot, Krycek, you know that?  Fucking, get up there already!"

Laughing off his fear, he turned and headed for the elevators up to the fourth floor.  Alex walked into Skinner's assistant's office and she just waved him in.  Alex waited at the door until Skinner
finished his phone call and then smiled gently at his new, young agent.  "Agent Krycek, I'm sorry.  I was just about to step out to lunch.  I want to talk to you about a case, but I have a meeting at one.  Would you talk with me while I eat?"

"Uh, yeah.  I guess..."  Alex was speechless.  He didn't know if he agree or reschedule.  He *was* hungry himself.

"Good, I know a great little place that makes the tastiest cheese steaks.  Do you like cheese steaks?" Skinner asked.  Alex smiled widely.

"I love cheese steaks, sir.  Thanks."

They left together and ended up at a small diner where the waitress flirted with Skinner and the bus boy made eyes at Alex.  When their food arrived, Alex dug in but Skinner waited a moment.  Wiping his mouth, Alex asked, "Sir, is there something wrong with your sandwich?"

Skinner smiled.  "No, I'm just watching you.  You look like a little boy when you eat, you know."

Alex was taken aback.  What was this?  A whole new side of Stone Face, obviously.  Still, Alex needed more information.  "Sir, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I did.  I think that what you said in the steam room about being...hung up...should be kept to yourself," he stated smoothly.

Alex blanched.  He'd never done that before, he didn't think.  But looking in the mirror behind their booth, he definitely noticed a lack of color in his face.  "Sir, I...um...sir..."

"I thought that anything that may...occur...based on those statements should be kept expressly out of the office.  And anything that may occur will surely be welcome."

The color was slammed back into his face as the blush threatened to consume him completely.  He knew his face was hotter than hell, in more than once sense.  Skinner began eating his sandwich, drinking his bottle of seltzer.  Krycek went back to eating, enjoying the sandwich greatly.  When both men had finished, Skinner nodded at Krycek and they both stood.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Skinner turned back to Krycek and said, "No, Agent Krycek, you don't make me uncomfortable.  Not in the least."

They took a few steps back toward the Hoover Building when Skinner turned back to the fairly stunned Alex.  "I would, however, like to make it uncomfortable for you to sit, if you get my meaning.  I'll contact you at home to arrange a more informative meeting."

Alex watched the tall, broad man walk away, all the while planning on how in the future he'd explain to his coworkers why he was fidgeting in his chair.

 


The End
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