Disclaimers in Part One.
Mulder kneeled beside the covered body, lifting the sheet. A young man, approximately 17-20 years of age, lay face down.
"So what do you think?" He glanced up toward Scully.
"It looks like he froze to death, but I can't be sure until the autopsy."
Mulder rose, taking the latex gloves off and facing the agent who had called him there.
"Who found him?"
"A woman walking her dog. I guess he's been here a day or two. I appreciate your help on this."
Scully smiled at him, assuring him it was no problem. She also noted the way he looked at her and found herself feeling uncomfortable. A soon as she and Mulder were alone in the car, she asked, "Do you know the guy?"
"Not really. I met him last night," he said with a laugh at the memory of the conversation.
"What?" Scully wanted to know.
"His hormones starts a riot every time a woman walks past him."
"No wonder he couldn't stop staring," he heard her mutter and just had to reply to that.
"Don't take what I said the wrong way, Scully, you're a very beautiful woman."
He caused her a very serious case of blush.
*************************
Leaving her with the forensic evidence, he took the elevator up to see the assistant director, in whom he had for the first time in a very long while failed to cause a bad mood and a long lecture of bureau rules. After the initial shock and the short meeting was over, waiting for Scully to finish the autopsy, he grabbed a quick lunch with Krycek in the cafeteria.
"How's your day?" Krycek asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Nothing but a dead guy."
"Interesting?"
"Dunno yet." He hesitated. "What are you doing after work?"
"Why? You want to impose on my cooking experiences?"
"Actually -- yes, I do."
"I'll be home after six."
Mulder nodded, promising he would show up sometime after that. He realized he'd spent a lot of time with Krycek lately; it actually felt as if he were giving in to a habit every time he met him. The same thing happened every time he was away from Scully, but he had thought it was just a side effect of her abduction, a psychological reason. When the same feeling came over him with Krycek, he had spent nights of restless sleep thinking about it, trying to come to a conclusion. The one that seemed to be the most reasonable scared him.
*************************
She had just finished when he came in.
"Hey, doc, what's up?"
"Well -- " she began, ignoring his attempt to be funny. "Nothing indicates that he didn't freeze to death."
"What about alcohol or drugs?"
"There were no traces of either, though I did find some traces of cardiobenzene."
"Cardiobenzene? What's that?"
"It's used to slow the heart -- too much of it and it kills you, but that's not the cause here."
"So the cause of death was exposure?"
"Yeah."
"Intriguing."
Scully knew how he felt. She had hoped for some excitement too; their latest cases had been ridiculously easy and boring, and it was almost starting to feel as though they were getting other agents' leftovers.
Mulder was disappointed; he had been looking forward to a mindtwister. Their last cases had been meaningless stakeouts and homicides that turned out to be death by natural causes. The rest of the day he had tried so hard to find something to occupy his mind, and he had made Scully promise she would do the same.
*************************
Coming home to a well-lit apartment, Krycek realized just how empty it was. The silence was almost scary, and it reminded him of a boyhood experience when his brother had left him alone one night. He had been so afraid of the darkness and the silence that he had crawled under the bed to hide from the monsters that always came out when it was dark.
To escape them this time, he decided to turn on the TV. The voice of the news anchor echoed in the room.
He gave the phone a hopeful glance, knowing that Mulder had promised to give him a call later that night. Wishing for his company, though knowing he was in Pikeville, West Virginia, with Scully.
Rummaging around in the kitchen to find something edible, he made himself a couple of sandwiches and some tea. Tea, the only thing Mulder can make in the kitchen without burning it, he thought, smiling to himself. Even though the television was on, he grabbed a book from the bookshelf but found himself unable to concentrate. His thoughts wandered to Mulder in the swimming pool, wearing nothing but a pair of tight Speedos, exposing a beautiful body he would not mind exploring in every possible way. The thought was almost painful, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself for falling in love with a "straight" guy.
*************************
He must have dozed off, because the phone's trilling woke him. Reaching for the phone, he answered sleepily.
"Yeah?"
"It's me. Did I wake you?"
"Mulder?" he straightened up. "No… no, you didn't wake me. So how are things in Pikeville?"
"It's coming along. I think we'll be home the day after tomorrow."
"Great," he said, trying to keep his exhilaration down. "How's Scully? Is she glad for the sudden excitement in the case?"
"She should be, since she's been getting her fair share of dead guys," Mulder joked, receiving a laugh from his former partner. He missed him, though he was glad to spend some time with Scully. "Can we do something when I get back?" Mulder continued.
Krycek smiled. "Sure, as long as it's not running."
"I promise."
After talking to Krycek, he decided to impose on Scully. Seeing her in jeans and a tight T-shirt made him look at her twice. She was acting so casual and relaxed that it almost made him a little uncomfortable. As she spoke about the progress on the case, he found himself occupied with her hands, imagining what it would feel like to have them touch his body.
She noticed how he kept on staring. She hoped he didn't see her blush. Instead, she kept on talking, hoping he would notice how she stared at his body as he was stretched out on her bed, resting his head in the palm of his hand. His long legs were dressed in the Armani suit pants that he had worn all day. The white shirt he was wearing had the first three buttons undone, exposing his throat and chest, leaving the rest for her to imagine. As her gaze wandered up and met his, his eyes enchanted hers, imprisoning her in the hazel dimension that recklessly stole what little dignity she had left.
She remembered their shared gaze after they returned from West Virginia and he had dropped her off. Reaching his answering machine for the 10th time, she was starting to give up hope. Where the hell was he? She knew him well enough to know that he would bring his cell phone if he were out on a lead. Because he needs me to save his ass, she thought as she stared at her clock. Why do I care?
She sat down. Yeah, why do you care? The little voice inside her head said. Moaning out loud, she rubbed her face. Because I do care, don't I?
The time hadn't moved. Stop caring so much, it's none of your business. He's a good-looking man; he probably has a lot of women lined up for him. You don't stand a chance.
The phone rang.
"Mulder?"
"No, Dana, it's me," her mother said. "Is it a bad time? Has something happened to Fox?"
Scully leaned back, feeling how the tension left her body. Great, now she was going to draw the conclusions. The last thing she needed was to be confronted by her mother.
"No, I just -- I couldn't reach him," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind. How are you, mom?"
"I'm more worried about you. How are you, Dana? You haven't been yourself lately. Is it Fox?"
"I'm fine, mom, I'm fine. Really. It's just been -- hectic lately."
"Maybe you should take some time off from work, get --"
"No, I can't do that. I don't want to do that. I told you, I'm fine."
"Dana, you know that I didn't approve of you getting back to work so soon and if you're feeling stressed out, maybe you should step back from it for a couple of days. Go up to the cabin, it's empty for the following couple of months. It would do you good."
Scully rubbed her eyes.
"Mom, I know you just want what's best, but I need to work. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."
She went silent for a while.
"Thanks for caring, though," Scully said, smiling, hoping her mother would get over it.
Mrs. Scully knew it was no use to talk her into anything. Dana had always had a mind of her own and she would be foolish if she thought she could do anything about her decisions. It didn't keep her from worrying about her, it never would.
*************************
He swallowed the last of his beer before answering.
"I totally agree, De Luca should come down to earth with the rest of us."
Krycek laughed at his choice of words.
"No, hey, but listen. He stole the entire profile. I read the same profile a couple of years ago; the real writer, Agent Tunis, worked for four years on that case."
"But how couldn't Skinner have noticed?"
"I don't know, but it was a weird case -- Satanic murders, you know, typical stuff that ends up in the basement."
"I guess that could be a reason."
He noticed Mulder glance at his watch.
"It's getting late, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"If you want to, you can spend the night." Hold that thought! "I mean, you've been drinking --" for some reason, he felt that he had to explain himself.
"If it's no problem."
"No problem, so -- you can use my bed if --"
"The couch will do just fine," Mulder said, cutting him off, though almost tempted to take him up on the offer.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
*************************
Krycek didn't get any sleep at all that night. Knowing that Fox Mulder was sleeping on his couch caused his heart to speed up and keep him awake. How many times had he cursed himself for letting himself have feelings for a "straight" guy? He just hadn't been able to stop those feelings.
But sometimes, it felt as though his feelings were answered. Like last night. He had felt Mulder's gaze rest on him for quite a while, and sometimes, it felt very much like magic. Even if they were good friends, he hadn't told Mulder about his bisexuality; he was afraid.
Mulder woke up as Krycek walked past him. Just when he was about to say "good morning," he noticed that Krycek was only wearing a pair of boxers.
Stunned into silence, he devoured the view with appetite. The man's back exposed well-trained muscles that flexed and glided every time he reached for something. As the sight began to arouse him, he knew he had lost control over his reactions as many times before.
Taking control was the hard part. He forced himself to look away from his living painting of beauty, and meaningless thought choked his imagination as his voice betrayed him.
"You're up early."
At the sound of the voice, Krycek nearly jumped. He hadn't been prepared for it. Turning around, he had to gasp. The man was even sexier with that sleepy look.
"Good morning" was all he could manage to come up with. "I hoped you slept well."
"Yeah, it's a very comfortable couch."
Krycek laughed.
"Now that's a new one."
Mulder got up and stretched, ruffling his hair as he did so.
"Are you hungry?"
"I know my way around your kitchen, don't worry," Mulder said with a smile.
"I'm not worried. I just thought you might want to use the shower first and while you're showering, I can make some breakfast."
"Sounds great."
Mulder shuffled to the bathroom, not aware of Krycek's gaze following.
The shower felt great. As the soap and warm water coursed down his skin, however, images of Krycek flooded his mind. No! Not now He whined quietly, turning off the warm water and twisting the cold-water knob at the same time. As the cold water fell down over him, he shivered. What we've got to do, he mused as he gasped at the sensation of the icy water hitting his chest.
Coming back out, this time fully dressed; he smelled the scent of newly brewed coffee. Grabbing a mug, he accidentally bumped into Krycek, momentarily bringing to mind the erotic images that had occupied his shower. Mumbling something about being sorry, he hoped that Krycek wouldn't notice the blush he could feel spreading across his cheeks.
To occupy his mind with something else, he decided to give Scully a call.
As Krycek made his way to the bathroom, a sting of jealousy came over him as he overheard Mulder talk to Scully. Life's a bitch sometimes.
*************************
Coming out from Skinner's office, Mulder and Scully were both engrossed in a discussion about the profile that De Luca had presented to the group. Mulder had objected to almost everything, knowing the profile hadn't been the agent's own. If nothing else, his insistent questioning had raised some red flags.
They were still engaged in their discussion on their way to the elevator when someone behind them interrupted them.
"Excuse me, Mulder?"
Scully turned around, meeting Alex Krycek's eyes.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, his gaze shifting from one to the other.
"Don't worry," Mulder assured him. "You weren't. What's up?"
"You forgot your key when you left this morning."
Her jaw dropped as he handed Mulder a set of keys. What was that about Mulder leaving 'this morning'? A picture materialized in front of her mind, though it didn't stay long, since it had to leave room for her burgeoning jealousy. She wanted so much to ask him what he had been doing at Krycek's place that millions of questions started to pop up. Had he spent the night? Were they closer than she had realized? Why did that make her so extremely jealous?
*************************
"Mulder!"
"Hi, it's me."
"Krycek, what's on your mind?"
"I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight?" he asked. He sounded a little odd Mulder mused.
"Sure. Just tell me when."
"I was thinking around six, if that's okay with you."
"Yeah, that's great, I should be ready by then. Should I bring anything?"
"Uh, actually, I was thinking that you could ask Scully if she wants to come too."
Mulder was struck by a surprised silence. He wanted him to ask Scully to join them?
"If that's not a problem," Krycek continued, noting all too well the silence on the other end of the line.
"No, not at all," he managed. "I'll tell her when she comes back."
"See you tonight then."
Mulder kept staring out into space as he slowly replaced put the phone down. What the hell was this about?
*************************
She had been surprised that they'd asked her to join them. Knowing that they spend a lot of time together, she never thought she would be included.
Standing before Krycek's door, she felt a little awkward. Before she had left her apartment, she must have changed nearly a dozen times, and she still didn't know if her choice had been right.
How bad could it be? She rang the doorbell.
"Hi, Scully," Krycek smiled, stepping aside to let her in.
He wore jeans, same as she was; they were even as tight as hers, which did strange, unfamiliar, attractive things to her. To cover his own upper body, he had on a simple T-shirt that he was aware shaped his body perfectly. At his waistline was wrapped a towel, on which he now wiped his hands.
"Let me take your coat," he offered, making sure he didn't mess it up.
"Thanks," she said, smiling as she let him.
His hands brushed her sides and she felt herself shiver from delight by the simple act. Her cheeks flushed and suddenly she felt warm. Embarrassed by her reaction and determined to keep her cool, she hurried to speak.
"You're cooking?"
"Yeah," as if it was perfectly normal. "Actually, I love to cook."
Scully arched a brow, impressed. Who would have known?
"Need any help?"
"If you don't mind. Know how to do a salad?"
"I've mastered that," she said as she followed him into the kitchen.
Finding herself shamelessly admiring his butt, she didn't hear him speak. He turned around, thinking she hadn't caught up with him yet, but she was right there behind him. Startled, he met her eyes, waiting for her to say something.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said with a little cough, hoping her face didn't match her hair too much." Did you say something?"
He flashed her another one of those dazzling smiles of his and turned to open the fridge.
"I was just wondering if you know how to do a 'Greek salad,' " he explained, wondering where her head was at today. "That's if you don't have any other ideas, I mean, there's nothing wrong with being creative, right?"
"No, it's fine, I'll stick to the Greek version. Creativity was never my strong suit."
With an amused nod, he pulled out a plastic container of ingredients from the crisper and put it on the sink next to a chopping board.
"There," he told her. "Do you want an apron or something?"
"No, thanks," she said as she peered into the container. This guy really did have a sense for perfection. Everything was so neat.
Krycek walked back to the stove, checking in a pot. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she started preparing the salad. Was it just her, or was there something between them? In some strange way, she always felt so relaxed around him, so carefree. Smiling to herself, she noted how he was spicing the concoction, wondering what it would take for her to ever find someone like him.
"Seems like Mulder's running late," he observed, looking at the watch.
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," she said, glancing at him.
He muffled a laugh.
"He promised he'd be on time."
"Doesn't he always?" she said with a grin.
"He'll call if he…." they both trailed off, realizing that they had spoken in unison.
Quiet for a while, they tried hard not to look at each other, fighting not to give into it. Scully finished tossing the salad and cleaned out the sink as Krycek started working on the entree. After she was finished, Scully came up beside him.
"Smells good," she said, leaning forward and sniffing at the sizzling meat. "You really do know what you're doing."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a smile, the feel of her body so close to his making him almost dizzy. "Do you want to taste the gravy, see if it needs more seasoning?"
"Sure."
He gave her a spoon, which she dipped in the gravy. The way he kept watching her made her nervous and when she was about to put the spoon into her mouth, she managed to drip some gravy on her sweater, just above her breast, splashing a little on her exposed skin as well. Krycek tried to catch it before it landed, in the process accidentally placing his hand on her breast.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said with a blush, snatching his hand off. "I'll get that for you."
Tearing off a square of paper towel, he started to blot the gravy from her skin and her sweater, where it was starting to stain. Her flesh turned into goosebumps at his touch.
Mulder had let himself in. He figured Krycek was still in the kitchen working on the dinner. Some part of him hoped that Scully hadn't arrived yet. This evening would get interesting but so dangerous. Every time he saw them together, he felt as if his heart would burst. The feelings they provoked in him scared him more than he could explain. When he met one of them, he thought he knew where he stood, whom he wanted, but seeing them together always threw him into uncertainty.
He stepped into the kitchen just as Krycek was wiping Scully's cleavage. He couldn't help but notice the tension between them and their flustered expressions. Coughing in an attempt to let them know he was there, he saw Krycek withdraw his hand hastily, as if he had burnt himself, his cheeks reddening. Scully looked just as embarrassed.
"Are you sexually harassing my partner?" Mulder said, the humor in his voice clearly evident.
"Come on in, Mulder," Krycek said with a smile, fighting the awkward feeling.
" I used my key, I hope you don't mind," he said, walking into the kitchen.
My key? Scully reacted strongly to the fact that Mulder had his own key to Krycek's apartment. Sure, he had the key to hers but that was different, they were partners; it was convenient.
"What were you doing?" Mulder asked, looking at Scully, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Uh, I spilled some gravy on me," she explained, glancing at Krycek.
A silence filled the room.
"Do you want to borrow a T-shirt or something?" Krycek offered, still a little at unease.
"Yes, please," she said. "That would be great."
"I'll be right back," he said as he left the kitchen, leaving the two of them.
She wished he would stop looking like that; it made her nervous. It was an intense look she couldn't interpret. Usually she had some kind of an idea of what was going on inside his head, but now she found herself clueless.
"Did you follow up that lead?" she asked to break the silence.
He shook his head and continued to study her. She looked different. It was if she were another Scully from the one he saw every day. Her clothes, for one. Ordinarily, she wore a jacket over the sweater -- and come to think of it, the sweater had never looked quite as tight before -- and he couldn't remember her wearing such tight jeans, even out in the field. Even her face and hair seemed different -- not that she wasn't always beautiful, but now she looked… amazing.
Krycek returned with a T-shirt in hand, and Scully was glad to be able to get away for a while to change. Her hormones were at war and she didn't know what she was feeling anymore. They both had such a strong effect on her.
She went in to the bathroom to change. Before pulling it over her head she found herself brining the soft material to her face, taking a deep breath. It smelled wonderful, just like Krycek did… she held that thought. Already aware of how he smells like, are we? She couldn't keep from smiling, he did smell wonderful.
*************************
Dinner went by smoothly. She had never seen Mulder so relaxed before, so carefree. It was obvious that he enjoyed Krycek's company and frankly, she didn't blame him one bit. Why did they both have to be that amazing?
Krycek tried to keep himself from looking at them to intensely. It hadn't occurred to him how it would affect him to see her wearing his clothes. The white T-shirt was too big, obviously, but he was totally enchanted of the image it made on her body. It was a much bigger turn on than her tight sweater had been and even that had been a little to much for him.
"Scully, you do realize that we've postponed about three weeks of paperwork," Mulder smiled and gave her that "I really really don't feel like doing them" look.
"Yes, I do," she smiled back. "And we have to grab in to them soon."
He offered her a weak smile in return; knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere.
"Don't talk about paper work, please," Krycek moaned in pain. "I have a couple of piles too."
Mulder put his arm behind the back of Scully's chair and leaned in on her with a charming smile. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Luckily for me, I have Scully to do that for me," he informed Krycek, who seemed doubtful.
And for good reason. "In your dreams, Mulder," she shot at him, noting Krycek's grin widen. "But I do have a suggestion, though."
"Give them to Pendrell?" he deadpanned and leaned back in his chair.
"No," she said with a sigh, and glared at him.
"He would if you asked him," he teased and smiled at Krycek.
Scully turned to Krycek, ignoring Mulder's comment.
"My family has a vacation cabin that is empty for a couple of months. If you'd like, we can go up there and make a weekend out of it and get that paperwork out of the way."
"Sounds good," Krycek said and raised his glass.
"Why not," Mulder agreed, a little surprised over her suggestion but not having much against it.
"Then it's set," she said, asking her self what the hell she was doing.
*************************
There was a soft knock on the office door and the two agents looked up.
"Hi, Krycek," Mulder said, smiling, as he watched the younger agent enter the room. "How can I help you?"
Krycek smiled at Scully, who couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he walked up to Mulder. They both looked so great, so - she'd better go back to her reading.
"Skinner just told me that I could be included in a stakeout team tomorrow night," he said with a grin, happy to get away from the surveillance for a while. "That is, if I can get another agent to go with me."
Mulder looked up at him, understanding the unspoken question. He could hear Scully shift in her chair.
"Uh, I would, but I can't," he confessed, feeling guilty about it. "I have… Uh, plans," not wanting to tell neither of them that he had to go see his mother.
Krycek looked disappointed but tried not to show it. Even if he had been available to go, he knew that it would have been hard for him to go like that with a slew of other agents.
"Well, maybe I can get someone else," he tried, knowing that there wasn't anyone who would want to go with him.
Mulder bit his lower lip, understanding. Scully flipped a page.
"But maybe --" he turned around. "Scully? What are you doing tomorrow night?"
"Nothing special," she replied, knowing what he was about to ask, the mere thought making her heart pound.
"So are you interested?" he asked, wanting to hit him self for putting them together like that.
"I don't see why not." She looked over at Krycek, who was giving her that intense look again.
"Are you sure?" Krycek persisted, glad that Mulder had asked her. He would never have had the guts to do so himself.
"Yeah, just fill me in on the details, and I'll be there," she said with a nod, doing a good job of sounding casual.
"I could come down later and fill you in -- around six?"
"Well, I'm leaving at four." She tried to think of another solution.
"Maybe I could drop by your apartment -- if it's no problem, that is," he suggested, hoping she wouldn't be offended.
"No, it's fine. That would be great," she said with a smile, feeling how Mulder was listening intently to every word they spoke.
"Great, then I guess I'll see you." He turned to Mulder. "Bye, Mulder!"
Mulder looked up and gave him a quick nod, fighting to hide his jealousy. What the hell had he been thinking of, setting the two of them up like that? And now they were going to meet at Scully's apartment, alone. Clenching his jaws, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Scully smile.
*************************
"Damn," she mumbled under her breath as the doorbell rang
She hadn't decided on what to wear yet and as it was at the moment, she was only half wearing the sweater she had last decided to wear. Tugging it down over her breasts and stomach, she stole one quick look in the mirror before opening the door.
God he's beautiful
"Come in."
He regarded her carefully as he stepped inside and she found herself staring back at him. They smiled at each other and she could feel her face flush.
"Have a seat," she offered quickly; afraid he would hear in her voice exactly how glad she was to see him. "Do you want some coffee or anything?"
"No, thank you," he smiled, unable to stop looking at her. "I have to get home to grab something to eat after we're done."
She saw her chance.
"Uh, I was going to order some takeout. If you want to, you can eat with me." She trailed off, not knowing if she had made a fool out of herself. "I mean, if this is going to take some time, there's nothing worse than working on an empty stomach."
"If you don't mind," he nodded, even so knowing that the briefing wouldn't take that long.
"No problem," she assured and moved over to grab the phone. "What do you prefer? Italian? Chinese?"
"Whatever you're having."
She ordered and joined him on the couch. It hadn't escaped her attention that he was studying her closely and that the look on his face wasn't completely innocent as he did. Confused, she tried to ignore it as they started going over the basics.
An hour later, they were well over discussing the case. The plates lay empty on the table in front of them and the sound of their voices filled the room. Every now and then, they found themselves locked into each other's gazes.
"So, how come you don't believe?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side.
How can he be this cute?
"I don't really know," she mumbled and ran a finger along her thigh. "There is my science. And then maybe I'm afraid of the ramifications."
"And then there is more."
It was more of a statement than a question and she looked up at him, amazed of how well he could read her.
"Yes, then there is more," she said slowly, nodding. "But I can't define it. Sometimes it feels like I'm being skeptical just to prove a point, which is silly, because I know when I'm right. It's just that --" she shrugged.
"Mulder's outrageous stories sometimes happens to be right," he observed, knowing what she meant. "And your science can't prove it."
"Yeah," she smiled, realizing he really did know what she was feeling. "And that just happens a lot, doesn't it?"
He chuckled. It was so nice to talk to someone who didn't have a negative opinion about Mulder. Someone who actually liked him and knew his true nature. He only wondered in which way she liked him and if the feelings were mutual. Not that he could blame either of them.
"I don't understand," he began, seeking her attention. "How everybody can put him down like they do. He's so -- I don't really get it."
Scully nodded. She knew his frustration.
"I think they realize he has a great mind -- that they think he's wasting. I think it scares them," she spoke very softly. "That is part of his strength."
"Yeah." Krycek looked dreamy. "I guess so."
Not being aware of it, Scully mirrored his look, the thought of Mulder making her warm inside.
*************************
With the stakeout ahead of them, Scully and Krycek drove up to the nightclub, noting that the place was already crawling with police cars and unmarked, most likely FBI, cars. They looked at each other, a little surprised.
"Looks like they've already caught him," Krycek said, pulling over. "We should check it out."
They got out of the car and walked up to a fellow agent, who was talking loudly with one of the policemen.
"I'm Agent Krycek," he waved his badge. "This is Agent Scully, we were supposed to do a stakeout here but it seems as if you're done."
"Yeah, we just need to get all these fucking police cars out of here. Someone called 911 as our men caught Fjord in the middle of the dealing," the agent told them, giving Scully some extra attention. "Agent Scully?" he checked again. "Aren't you 'Spooky's' partner?"
"I usually work with Agent Mulder." She tried not to sound to offended on his behalf. "Will you be needing us anymore?"
"No," he said, turning back to Krycek. "You're free to go."
Krycek smiled at Scully. The nightclub was closing and the people started moving over to the one at the other side of the road. It was smaller and the music played loud out in the street; it looked like a place to be. The cars were starting to leave, and the sound of voices outside on the street were getting dimmer.
"You know if you don't feel like going home, we could always take a look inside," he suggested with caution. "If you feel up for it."
She turned to look at the entrance to the nightclub. It looked all right.
"Sure, why not," she said, surprised by herself. It wasn't every day she went out to a nightclub just like that, even if she had intended on being part of a stakeout.
The place was dark and smoky and they moved right over to the bar. Ordering two drinks, Krycek hoped that he wasn't pushing his luck. It wasn't his intention to get her out there and get her drunk. But Scully was a big girl; she could probably take care of herself pretty well.
After two drinks, Scully started feeling a little tipsy. Not too much, but enough for her to be aware that she had been pouring alcohol down her throat. She looked at him and smiled inside. He was so good-looking. Her heart skipped a beat as he met her gaze, letting it linger. She was starting to feel a little bolder.
"You want another drink?" he asked, draining the last of his.
"Uh, no thanks," she said, shaking her head. "But you know what? I just need to go to the ladies' room and then maybe we could do some tequila. What do you say?"
"Hey, that's a great idea," he said with a grin, not having been aware of the wild side of Dana Scully. Tequila, I'll say "I'll order."
"Yeah, go ahead, I'll be right back."
She hadn't been away for three minutes when his cellular phone rang.
"Hi, it's me."
"Mulder!" he wasn't aware that he was raising his voice.
"Where are you?"
"Oh, they'd already caught the guy, so we went into the club to have a drink instead. Where are you?"
"Is Scully there too?"
"Yeah, she just went to the ladies' room…. Uh, wait a minute," he said as he saw their tequilas coming. "No, I just ordered two of those," he told the bartender.
"No, you wanted four," the bartender insisted.
"No, I just ordered two tequilas, I know I did."
"Wow! You're plying my partner with tequilas?"
"Actually, it was her idea…. No, no, I don't want those two. Thank God, Scully, help me out here."
"What?" she sat down next to him.
"I didn't order four tequilas, make him understand that."
"Well, we'll just save those for later," she suggested, flashing the bartender a smile.
"What now?" Mulder wanted to know.
"What? Oh, we're taking all, or Scully's taking all of the extra drinks, or whatever."
"Who's that?" Scully inquired as she promptly started in on her first. She was going to be flying without a plane very, very soon.
"Mulder."
"Yeah?"
"No, I just told Scully… what did you want, by the way?"
"Uh, I just wanted to see how things were going," he managed, feeling the jealousy taking over. "I have to go now. Tell Scully hi."
"You don't want to talk to her?"
"No, just tell her I said hi."
"OK." He hung up and turned to Scully. "Mulder says hi."
"Where was he?"
"He actually didn't say," he said, realizing it was a little odd. He was sure he had asked.
"Was it something special?"
"Uh, no." Krycek sounded a little confused. "He, he just wanted to know how it was going."
Their eyes met and held, the same thought crossing their minds. In the moment of truth, both chickened out. Scully broke first.
"So, tequila?"
"Yes, ma'am."
After a couple, Scully knew that she had had enough. She wasn't drunk, like really drunk, just a little tipsy -- the Scullys were an alcohol-resistant lot -- but she felt how she was able to let go some. Krycek was being a great company and it felt almost too easy for her to relax with him. So when he asked her to dance, she couldn't find any other answer than yes.
He smelled good, too good. As he pulled her closer she realized that she never had been this close to Mulder, and a part of her felt as though she were betraying him. That was ridiculous -- they weren't together and she had all the right in the world to go out and dance with whoever she felt like. Maybe that just didn't include Mulder's former partner and close friend. Well, I can't leave him standing here, now can I?
Her small body fit perfectly in his arms, and he enjoyed the feel of her against him. This was the kind of feeling he had been fighting so desperately. It was bad enough that he had them for Mulder, but to yearn for Scully as well was just plain stupid. Maybe this had been a bad idea.
The dance ended and they decided to take a taxi home, exchanging few words on the way. It wasn't awkward; they both just needed to get some space. Soon they would be spending time alone, all three of them. If they weren't careful, the feelings could backfire, blow up in their faces and the consequences would be too much to even consider.
"Good night." Scully smiled up at him, the alcohol still in her system. "I'll call you… I mean, I'll see you Monday."
He smiled and nodded.
When she got into her apartment, she leaned heavily against the door and took a deep breath. She had been so close to telling him something… Anything. It was probably the liquor. Then again, maybe not. Pull yourself together. She closed her eyes and pictured him before her, the image changing back and forward between him and Mulder. You better behave now, Dana Katherine, you better behave.
*************************
A couple of days later.
Now, she lay on the fur, in front of the fire, the men on either side of her, and she was very glad she hadn't behaved. It was all too overwhelming; she still hadn't been able to come to grips with it yet.
This was so strange, but she was actually happy.
Mulder had fallen asleep, his face nuzzled against her neck. She could feel his soft breathing against her skin. Krycek, however, lay awake, staring at the fire, his mind deep in thought. It would take some time getting used to this for all of them, but she had a feeling they would make it. Smiling widely, she thought back a couple of hours, the memory clear enough to give her that tingling feeling back.
The following days after their talk had felt very strange for all three of them. Sometimes it had been awkward, while at other times they were just talking as if things had always been as they were. All they could do was to wait until the snow let up and let them leave. And in the meantime, they had food -- and time. Time to get to know each other better, time to think about how they felt.
They hadn't been physically intimate yet with each other, none of them. It was frustrating, but no one wanted to be the one who broke the ice. As the time closed in on them, this became more of a tension than the thought of being together.
"Skinner must think we're dead," Scully mused. "You've never taken a vacation voluntarily, Mulder, so either you're dead or up to no good."
"I think he'd just be relieved not to have us around for a while," Mulder shot back.
Scully sighed and rolled her eyes. She could feel him looking at her like *that* again, and it made her warm all over. Looking around the room, she realized that Krycek was nowhere to be seen.
She looked back at Mulder; his eyes were dark and tempting, very tempting. Suddenly, her breath seemed to get caught in her throat, her head pounding. He was getting closer.
Was it just him, or did the temperature rise with the speed of light? She looked as though she were scared, yet daring him to get closer. So he did. Little by little, until he could feel the heat radiating from her face and body. He was careful not to hurt her with his weight as he reached forward to touch her cheek with his index finger. She held her breath, feeling him slip one arm under her to slide her down into a more comfortable position. Why was she feeling so dizzy?
"Can I kiss you now?" he whispered, close to her now.
The sensation of his body against hers left her speechless. All she could do was nod, the mere thought of having Fox Mulder kiss her sent a flood of arousing thoughts to her mind.
He moved the last inch to feel her lips, warm and soft. First just feeling them against his satisfied him, knowing he was allowed, knowing that she was just as excited about this as he was, but in time he realized it wasn't enough. The sweet taste of her, the scent she indulged, the way she felt against him, everything about the moment woke his body. Meeting her tongue with his, he felt the need to hold her tighter, knowing that she could feel his erection against her, the very notion that it was okay, driving him further.
Krycek came back from his shower to find them on the couch. At first, he felt as if he were imposing on their privacy, but before he had time to realize that he hadn't, Mulder sensed his presence and looked up. Understanding Krycek's dilemma, he wanted him to know that it was all right, hoping that Scully really was up to this. He would never push her.
"Come over here, Alex," he pleaded, forcing his body away from Scully's.
Following suit, Scully turned around to offer Krycek a smile. He looked so left out, as if he thought he wasn't welcome.
"Come on," she said with a smile, reaching out toward him.
Wondering if they could hear his heart pounding, Krycek slowly moved to the couch. Scully took his hand and led him down onto the couch. She was glad to finally be able to break the ice, whatever that was left of it in that room.
Mulder started nuzzling her neck, his arms finding their way around her waist, taking a firm grip around her. She moaned and tilted her head back against his shoulder. He was having direct eye contact with Krycek all the while, giving him an encouraging smile.
In Mulder's arms, she could feel how in front of her, Krycek leaned forward and put his lips on her throat, placing his hands on top of Mulder's arms as he moved up, past her chin. She was in heaven.
Mulder started nibbling at her ear, his lips working magic. He put his mouth close against her ear, his breath uneven, teasing her before he spoke.
"Do you want us to make love to you, Scully?" he whispered hoarsely, hearing a low moan from the back of her throat, but no actual answer.
She was fully dressed, but totally aroused. It was a sensation that spread through her entire body, leaving her unable to speak.
"Just tell us if you feel uncomfortable and if you want to stop," he told her. "We won't do anything you're not up to."
Amazed that she managed to nod, she closed her eyes and felt her body relaxing. Krycek moved away from her for a while and she was swept up in Mulder's arms.
He took a couple of steps to place her on the fur in front of the fire, loving the color the fire created on her soft skin. Scully opened her eyes, finding on each side of her, the two men she was ready to give her body to. And she wasn't scared.
Mulder looked at Krycek, forcing his gaze from Scully. They knew she was watching them. Reaching out to place his hand under the line of Krycek's jaw, he could hear Scully draw her breath. Was she disgusted? Both men shifted their gaze toward her and they saw the desire there. Still a little unsure, Mulder arched a brow at her. She smiled and tried to control her breathing.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked.
"Are you sure you're not…" Mulder began, not wanting her to say that just to please them.
"… Yes," she hissed the excitement evident in her voice. "Enough with the torture."
Surprised and relieved, Mulder turned back to Krycek, for the first time feeling absolutely sure about kissing another man. It meant so much to him that she accepted it and that she was turned on by it he could never have dreamed.
As she watched their lips meet, she felt the heat spread between her legs again. It was amazing how it affected her to see them like that. She had never given it much thought, never felt the need. Now it was filling her mind, stealing all the space she could lend out that wasn't caught up in the moment. Disappointment hit her when they stopped but was soon replaced with other feelings as they turned to look at her again.
It didn't take long for them to strip her. Every inch of her, except those who most wanted attention, were blessed with the feel of lips or a tongue. Then she found herself lying there, naked before them, exposed. It was the most vulnerable she had ever been and yet she felt perfectly safe.
God, she's beautiful. Mulder couldn't stop staring at her. Her eyes were closed again, her taut nipples revealing her feelings. Gracing Krycek with a brief glance, he found him staring at her as well. He couldn't blame him.
She slowly opened her eyes. They were both studying her body, in detail. Desirous for a touch, she tried to get someone to pay her attention, shifting slowly, just to show what she wanted.
Mulder reacted first, running a hand from her shoulder, down by the side of her breast and all the way down to her thigh -- but still not where she wanted him to caress. Krycek followed suit by placing his lips on the tip of her other shoulder, trailing a row of kisses up to her neck.
Mulder moved away from her for a moment to take his shirt off. In the meantime, he watched Krycek smooth his hand down to her breast, teasing the nipple with his fingers. Scully moaned and couldn't keep herself from urging her body against his hand. When Mulder was ready to give her attention again, Krycek let him take over his activity so he could remove his shirt as well.
Two warm lips closed around her nipple and Scully thought she would explode from the pleasure. He moved his hand down to her abdomen, just above the triangle of red hair, feeling how she tried not to move in his direction.
When Krycek had removed his own shirt, he went to Mulder's side, wanting to feel his body against his own. He ran his hands down the hard muscles of his chest and pressed his erection against Mulder's ass through both their jeans. Mulder tilted back his head searching for his lips, feeling the other man nudge gently at his own all the while touching his front. They played like this for a while, very much aware of the fact that Scully was watching them intensely, enjoying what she saw. Teasing Krycek's erection by rubbing his ass gently against him, he could hear his reward against his lips deepening the kiss a little. Not wanting to take that any further, Krycek moved away shortly after to give Scully some attention again. He placed himself between her legs, parting them gently. First he blew out a gentle breeze in her most sensitive area, hearing her moan as her body reacted. Looking up at Mulder, he noticed that he was watching him, smiling, the desire in his eyes. Scully grew restless under them and both men went back to attending to her body.
Finally, Krycek lowered his face, letting his tongue dance gently over her clitoris. Scully's breathing was speeding up and she urged her body up toward him, only to learn that he wanted to be in control. He tasted her again, a little longer, but still just using the tip of his tongue, teasing her.
She moaned again, louder, and dug her fingers into Mulder's hair, as she couldn't reach Krycek. Mulder smiled and moved up to her face not getting any contact with the rest of her body. He kissed her parted lips, letting his tongue make love to her mouth. She grabbed hold of his head, feeling how Krycek started licking her in just the right way. Unaware of it, Scully was moaning violently into Mulder's mouth, wrapping her legs around Krycek's body as she felt how she was nearing the edge. Mulder let his hand go down to tease her nipple pleased over the reaction. She was at once very aware of what was going on with her body the very thought of it sent her head spinning. They both knew exactly how to touch her and the consciousness of that hey were in fact the ones who were making her feel this way, both of them, made the final touch. With a small squeeze of her hands that were wrapped around Mulder's neck, she came, moaning her pleasure in to Mulder's mouth.
Afterward, she loosened her grip around the both men, feeling how all the strength had left her body and left her limp. Amazing.
Mulder moved over to Krycek, wanting to taste Scully on his lips, taking as much as he could. Krycek moved his hands to work on Mulder's jeans, both men looking at each other in agreement. They wouldn't go all the way with each other this time; that would be too much for her, and them. Instead, they stripped each other's jeans and boxers, admiring each other's bodies. Mulder smoothed his hands on Krycek's shoulders, moving down his arms, and Krycek leaned forward to meet the other man in a kiss.
Scully was able to move again and had shifted to her side, watching them play their game. Still shaken from her own orgasm, she watched the two beautiful men and the sight of their bodies. Because they were, truly, beautiful.
They pressed their erections together, the feel overwhelming. Krycek moved one hand in between, stroking the shaft of Mulder's rock-hard cock and was rewarded with a low moan. He kissed down Mulder's chest until he reached down to the straining erection. First, he stroked it and moved a hand down to touch his balls, knowing just what torture this was from personal experience.
Mulder begged for more by pressing his body against Krycek's hand, surprised to get the response in the other man's mouth. When he had adjusted to what had happened, he started trusting his cock into the other man's mouth, down his throat. It was heaven and he increased the pace, at the same time grabbing hold of Krycek's hair.
After a while, he realized that this was going to end rapidly if he didn't stop. Gathering as much self-discipline as he could, Mulder slid out of Krycek's mouth, pulling him up in another breathtaking kiss.
She could hardly breath. When Krycek had started going down on him, she had prepared herself for what was about to happen. Still, as she watched him take him in to his mouth she had lost all notions of time and space. Her body aroused once more she wanted to touch her self but found that she was unable to make the slightest move.
"Hey, guys," she barely spoke, in need of more attention. "No offense, that was beautiful, but --"
Krycek smiled and moved over to her. He rolled her over onto her back and was about to start arousing her again when he realized she was still wet. Letting one finger enter her at the same time as he moved his other hand up to her face, he gave her a questioning look.
"I watched you two," she explained with a smile.
Mulder was filled with a warm feeling of completeness. Everything felt so right, so natural. Now she lay there, telling them that watching Krycek giving him a blow-job had turned her on. He felt like hugging her. That woman was just too amazing, she never had let him down in anything and he wondered how that still could surprise him.
Krycek smiled and kissed her, the finger working slowly inside her moist center. She reached down to touch him, moving her body in pace with his finger for a while. When she had been stroking his hardness long enough, she removed his hand and nodded to show that she was ready. He moved her legs up over her head and entered her body, slowly. She inhaled sharply.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, afraid he'd hurt her.
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling, and kissed his cheek. "But I have a feeling we both can feel better."
Getting the hint, he started moving inside of her, increasing the pace at her request. She threw her head back and released a low moan. He knew what he was doing.
Mulder watched them with astonishment. He couldn't remember ever having seen something this beautiful as the two of them, making love. Krycek grabbed her waist and pulled her closer so that he could control the speed easier and Scully bucked against him, her body amazing in the glow from the fire.
She reached up to place her hand behind his neck, showing him she wanted to tell him something. He leaned down and met her eyes close.
"Let Mulder give it to me," she whispered hoarsely. "Just let it go."
Increasing his speed, he thrust again and again, closer and closer to the edge, until he felt his erection explode inside her, filling her. It took a little while before he could manage to leave her body.
"Mulder," she said, reaching out, inviting him over.
He came over, starting to kiss up from her feet and along her leg. The feel of his warm hot lips made her shiver and he finally came to rest between her legs, spreading them wide to gain access with his tongue. He tasted her juice combined with Krycek's, hoping he would never forget it.
Suddenly, he felt her hands grab hold of his hair, prompting him to get up. Obeying, he moved up to kiss those beautiful lips, knowing that she was longing to feel him inside of her. He was too.
"Do you want me?" he dared her, his breathing uneven.
"Badly," she said with a smile, trailing her hands down his back.
And just as Krycek had he entered her slowly, one hand supporting her buttocks to keep in control. She felt how good he felt when he filled her, just as Krycek had done, and as he started moving inside her, she was relieved that she couldn't discern that one of them were better than the other. That didn't exactly come as a surprise to her.
Now it was Krycek's turn to watch them, and he devoured every minute of it. This was as new for them as it was for him and that reassured him. He realized then that it didn't hurt at all to see them make love. It made him warm with love for both of them.
Mulder felt her getting closer, giving all that he had left to give, pushing her over the edge. He followed her shortly after, knowing by the feel of her shudder that he had satisfied her. He collapsed on top of her, letting the strength come back to his body again slowly.
Later, he rolled to lay at her side, snuggling close to her. Krycek moved some quilts from the couch and came to lay on the other side of her, all three close together.
She moved closer to Krycek, feeling how Mulder followed her in his sleep. Krycek searched her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and kissed his back. This would be all right, it actually would.
The End
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