by HollyIlex
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Come here."
Alex Krycek managed to swagger a little as he moved obediently to stand in
front of his lover, seated at his desk.
"Shall we have a little lesson in customer service again?"
Krycek sighed.
"It gets so boring, Walter."
"You have books. I've put you a laptop with Internet access in there. And
sometimes you have customers. Which comes first?"
"Customers, Walter."
"Correct, Alex."
"But, Walter, the children were playing with the snow globes again."
Walter sighed. He had to agree, it was a problem.
"Okay," he conceded. "Move the snow globes. But you may not EVER tell
naughty children you lost your arm because you touched things you weren't
supposed to touch. You'll get us sued!"
"Relax, Walter, this is England. People don't sue each other like that."
"That is not the point."
"No, Walter."
Skinner glared at his lover, knowing the submission to be false.
"Why did you wear the plastic hook again?"
"I like it."
"It frightens the children."
"Yeah, that's why I like it."
"I've asked you before not to wear it."
"Look, I gave up wearing the Borg arm for you, please don't make me give up
my plastic hook as well."
Skinner shuddered. The Borg arm had given even him nightmares. A present
from Mulder—who else?
"No plastic hook," Skinner said firmly.
"Okay," Alex said, a little sulkily. "While we're on the subject of the
shop..." he added.
"Yes?"
"Can we talk about the name?"
"What's wrong with 'Look for America'?" Walter asked frostily, his AD
persona back in full force.
He'd thought of the name, being a closet Simon and Garfunkel fan, and he was
proud of it.
"It's... it's not very snappy."
"As you just said, this is England. The whole place is not very snappy."
Alex sighed.
"True."
"And the Piece Hall is an eighteenth century building, they weren't very
snappy back in the eighteenth century."
"Okay," Alex sighed.
"And don't think you're diverting me from the purpose of this discussion."
"No, Walter, I'd never think that."
Skinner frowned and Alex tried not to cringe.
"Come here," Skinner said.
Alex moved round to the side of Skinner's chair.
"Do you agree with me that you were wrong?" Skinner asked gently.
Alex nodded.
"It's only two days a week, Alex."
"And weekends."
"I'm there at weekends too."
"We only get one day a week off to be together."
"We'll talk about that later," Walter said. "It doesn't excuse your
behaviour, does it?"
Alex shook his head.
"You know what to do," Walter said softly.
His hand refused to cooperate as Alex tried to undo his jeans, and he looked
at Walter, mutely pleading for help.
Two strong hands reached across and undid the button. Alex managed the zip
and with a little help, he soon had his jeans and boxers pooled around his
ankles.
Those same strong hands guided Alex into position over Skinner's lap.
'A little warm-up first," Skinner said, and he brought his hand down on
Alex's buttocks firmly.
He paused to admire the perfect handprint now adorning the previously
unmarked white skin, then smacked the firm flesh again.
Alex wriggled a little but made no sound as his lover covered his buttocks
with firm smacks, turning the pale skin pink, then red.
"And now the main event," Skinner said.
He picked up a ruler.
"You do not frighten the children in the shop," Skinner said forcibly as he
brought the ruler down on Alex's unprotected rump, each smack punctuating
the words.
Alex squirmed.
"Customer service is important," Skinner said, again punctuating the words
with firm smacks of the ruler across Alex's bare buttocks.
"Yes, Walter," Alex said, as the tears started.
Skinner smacked him again and again, until Alex was crying freely and his
bottom felt as if it was on fire.
Then the punishment stopped.
"Stand up, now," Walter encouraged him. "That's it, come here."
Alex found himself enfolded in his lover's arms.
"That's it my love," Walter said. "Come on, you and I both know what this
was really about. Cry it all out."
So Alex did. All the frustration, all the pain of the past.
Walter understood better even than Alex that the past was always there,
always with you. And he understood that sometimes the only thing to do was
let your lover hold you while you cried.
Walter held on while Alex cried, knowing that the spanking had been
necessary both to maintain discipline and—more importantly—to allow Alex
the relief of tears.
And as he held the sobbing man tightly in his protective embrace, he allowed
himself a small smile at the way Alex dealt with problem children.
Not that he would ever admit that to Alex...
lex, I think we need to talk."
