Part I "Good morning, sir."
"You asked to see me, Agent Scully?" Straight to the point as usual...
Scully vaguely wondered if Skinner had ever smiled.
"Yes, sir... it's about Agent Krycek." Weary brown eyes met hers, and she
read barely disguised impatience in them. She supposed that it was
justified—this would not be the first she'd complained, and he couldn't be
ignorant of the constant bickering that Mulder pretended to be unaware of.
Was it her fault that he managed to push all her buttons?
"What now, Agent Scully? Is it any particular incident this time?" It was,
but Scully didn't think that her boss would react well to being told that
she no longer wanted to work with Alex Krycek because somehow he'd filled
her inbox with "slash" e-zines, and her mail box with back issues of "Holes"
and "Big Hard Cocks". Mulder had acted shocked and promised to have a word
with him, but she'd noticed the sparkle in his hazel eyes, and the barely
disguised shaking of his shoulders as he walked out.
But it wasn't just that... she wasn't petty. "His methods are hardly
orthodox, and the theories that he comes out with are often even more
ridiculous than Mulder's. Last night they were holed up at Mulder's and
wouldn't answer the phone because they were watching episodes of "Barney",
looking for subliminal messages planted by the CIA. They must have been at
it all night, because neither of them could keep their eyes open this
morning..." Skinner's snort interrupted her, but he covered quickly with a
coughing fit. She couldn't really be that naive...?
"So you're in essence complaining because they're ganging up against you?"
She frowned. Put like that, it sounded so damned childish. "That's not all,
sir. I'm not sure if you are aware how unorthodox Krycek's methods actually
are. Several times he has made extremely shady deals, and I cannot
guarantee that he hasn't broken the law..."
"And yet he provides results, Agent Scully. Agent Krycek seems to have
patrons higher up the chain of command than I had previously been aware of,
and because of that he is allowed a certain degree of autonomy."
"But what about Sean Murphy?" Skinner's eyes darkened as she mentioned the
killer's name. Mulder had been investigating a case a while ago, involving
the disappearance of several men over the previous months. One night, he had
left a message on Krycek's machine—a sign of trust that Scully had resented
at the time—and had mentioned some leads that he wanted to follow up.
It was the younger man that had eventually found him, almost a week after he
had disappeared—his body showing signs of horrific brutality. A few days
later, Murphy had been found, beaten severely and barely alive. The two
agents had been a lot closer since that incident, Krycek looking after
Mulder as he recovered.
Skinner replied to Scully's enquiry in a flat monotone. "Sean Murphy is
unwilling to name his assailant. And Krycek wasn't the only one with... bad
feelings toward the man, Agent Scully." He made a visible effort to relax,
then continued. "Unless any proof comes to light that he was involved, I
would appreciate you not mentioning your suspicions."
Despite feeling firmly put in her place, Scully ventured "weren't some blood
samples taken?"
Skinner didn't meet her eyes, seemingly absorbed in shuffling through some
paperwork on his desk as he answered. "Those samples unfortunately
disappeared from the lab. And why do I get the impression that if it were
anyone else that were involved you would be less concerned?" She flushed and
looked down.
Skinner buzzed through to his secretary and asked her to show Mulder and
Krycek in. Scully stared at him accusingly—she had been unaware that they
would be attending this meeting—so she missed the slight wince as Mulder
sat down, his uncomfortable shifting on the hard chair. Skinner noticed. And
he looked at Krycek to find the sardonic green eyes fixed on him, a
satisfied smile on the other man's lips.
Scully glared at Alex, infuriated by the smug smile she assumed was for her
benefit. He had been pulled in off a stake-out for this meeting, and she
eyed his figure-hugging black jeans, tight black t-shirt and battered
leather jacket. He looked dangerous, looked more like he belonged with the
people he fought against than with those currently in the room with him. He
managed to lounge and look relaxed even in the deliberately uncomfortable
seating available. As he glanced over and met her gaze, she looked away and
fought a flush. Even in his suits he exuded an air of dangerous sensuality,
and having him so close to her in these clothes was having a dangerous
effect on her equilibrium. Not that she found him attractive...
Her tastes ran more to golden-brown hair instead of sable, hazel eyes
instead of laser green. As she met the eyes of the man she had secretly
loved for years, he jerked his head toward Skinner. Turning her head, she
found the older man's eyes fixed on her expectantly.
"I...um... I'm sorry?" She sensed Krycek's smirk without even looking at the
other man, and heard Skinner sigh.
"I said, Agent Scully, that I would like you to attempt to sort this out
between yourselves. Despite the arguments—most of which seem to be
instigated by you, Krycek," the younger man grinned unrepentantly, "the
three of you seem to get results. I am reluctant to break up such a
successful team. However, I may be forced to do that if you can't settle
this matter. Now go and get some work done."
Scully headed off to talk to Agent Pendrell about some evidence she needed
analyzed, and Mulder and Krycek entered the elevator on their way down to
the—slightly larger—basement office they now shared. As soon as the doors
had closed, Krycek pushed mulder against the wall and kissed him hard.
Sensing the other man's reluctance, he growled and stopped the elevator. As
Mulder's eyes widened in shock, Krycek wrapped his arms around the older man
and placed a tender kiss on his lips.
"What's the matter, babe?"
"I... It just doesn't feel right, Alex. Not right now. I'm worried about
Scully. She won't tell me what's bothering her, and I'm afraid that I'm
going to lose her. And you're not helping."
"You really don't know what's bothering her?" Dark eyebrows raised as he
realised that Mulder really was totally clueless about how Scully felt.
"What's bothering her is that even though she won't admit it to herself, she
has realised that you are finally completely out of her reach. She's pissed
at me for taking "her" place, and pissed at you for letting me."
"But... I don't understand. Scully doesn't... she can't..."
"She can, and she does> But it's not your fault you're gorgeous, babe. Don't
worry about it. I'll sort it out." He only grinned when Mulder asked what he
meant, his innocent expression belied by the devilish twinkle in his eyes.
To take the other man's mind off it, he pressed himself against his lover's
body and kissed him again. Stroking his hand over the obvious bulge in the
front of Mulder's trousers, he looked into his eyes and said " you're sure
it doesn't feel right?"
"Krycek," Mulder ground out, "stop trying to change the subject."
"Krycek? What happened to Alex?" He smirked, his hands busily undoing
Mulder's trousers. His only response was a soft moan as he slipped his hand
inside. Then Mulder gasped loudly as the other man dropped to his knees in
front of him and sucked the entire length of his erection down his throat.
He closed his eyes and threw his head back as his lover started to move...
and despite the sexual marathon of the night before, it wasn't long before
he came, Alex taking everything he had to give before he tenderly licked him
clean and straightened his clothing.
Ignoring the discomfort of his own straining erection, he stood up and
kissed Mulder, sharing the salty, bitter taste with his lover. Then he
started the elevator again, smirking as he reflected on his skill at
manipulation. Not that he hadn't enjoyed it... but it had successfully
changed the subject.
In their office, Mulder jumped him, kissing Krycek fiercely. His hand roved
over the sculpted torso then moved a little lower, moulding his gorgeous
ass. He only realised he hadn't shut the door when a cleared throat caught
his attention. He turned to find Agent Pendrell in the doorway, his red face
clashing with the ginger hair and his eyes fixed firmly on the folder in his
hands.
"Um... Agent Scully left these with me by accident. I... could you see that
she gets them, please?"
Mulder glanced warningly at Krycek—who hated interruptions—staying any
remarks that the younger man might have made, and thanked the earnest young
agent. Despite Scully's obvious indifference, and Krycek's snide comments
about his likeness to a small puppy, Mulder liked Agent Pendrell. He just
wished that the guy had chosen someone slightly less indifferent to fall in
love with... or that there was some way that he could make her love him
back. That would solve a lot of problems.
The red-head left, and Krycek followed, saying he had some "business" to
take care of. That always spelt trouble for someone...
end Act 1...
Interval 1
No one noticed as the workman left the hoover building, but he still checked
around for a few minutes before disappearing into the basement carpark and
the dark blue van that waited there. He opened the back door silently, but
was disappointed. Only one of the other men was there, staring intently at a
computer screen.
"Surely one day they're going to sort it out," he muttered to himself.
Langly's head appeared around the driver's head rest and beamed as he
noticed the badly disguised bulge in the front of the other man's shirt.
"Killing two birds, do-hickey?" He opened the door beside him and jumped
out, groaning loudly as he stretched and walked around to the back of the
vehicle. "You wanna spend a little longer doing your thang next time, man?
cos I don't think I spend half enough time screwed up in a car seat."
"you could always sit in the back with Byers..."
"Nah. I'm afraid that he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off my beautiful
body, and then we'd never get work done." He grinned over at Byers, but
the man was still absorbed in whatever he was doing. The light from the
computer screen wasn't sufficient to show the other man's blush, so Langly
figured he hadn't heard.
He straightened out his "Sex Pistols" shirt, then jumped as Frohike suddenly
yelled "I knew it!"
"Knew what?"
"The funding for "Barney" has recently started coming from a certain company
that we all know was set up by the CIA... wait until Mulder hears about
this!" A quiet voice from inside the van interrupted his excitement,
bringing his mind back to the job.
"Everything's in working order. But I still don't understand why he wanted a
camera and microphone..." and then, off the other man's look, "he didn't,
did he. Frohike..."
"Why should he have all the fun? Oh, and we can change the muzak, too. Add
a little atmosphere..."
end, for now...
The Course of True Love...
by Beth
Act 1
