BACCARAT FIGURINES III (1/3)
by Sean Spencer
seans13@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: SRA
RATING: NC-17 Slash (Sk/M)
WARNING: Explicit but always loving consensual sex between members
of the same sex.
SPOILERS: none
KEYWORDS: Skinner/Mulder, Slash
ATXC: no
ARCHIVE: yes
MSSS: yes
DISCLAIMER: Walter Skinner, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are the
intellectual property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions and FOX. No
infringement nor copyright is implied or should be inferred from their
use in this work of fiction. All other characters are mine.
SUMMARY: Deputy Director Skinner tries to maintain a low profile to
preserve harmony at home and at work. Relatives putter around in a
haunted house. Features "odd" and "even" days.
BACCARAT FIGURINES III (1/3)
by Sean Spencer
seans13@hotmail.com
CHAPTER ONE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR DRAWN OUT DAYS
It was already eleven o'clock and Skinner still wasn't home.
Mulder sighed and looked at the photograph Skinner had at his
nightstand. It was the picture taken on their fifth anniversary
three months ago. It was a wonderful study of both of them, in
black and white. No one would doubt that the two handsome men
in the picture were lovers. Mulder had chosen that particular
shot from the contact prints the photographer had submitted. It
showed both of them laughing, very relaxed, both in crisp white
shirts with an arm on each other. Mulder was looking in the
distance while Skinner was looking at him. Even Mrs. Jackson
had liked the picture and she'd been glad when Mulder presented
her with a copy. It turned out that the photographer was famous
with his craft and had wanted to include it in his next show.
Skinner however put an end to that stupid notion and even
secured the negatives. Fortunately, the man good naturedly
turned it over, sympathetic to the sensitive nature of those
negatives if it ever got into the wrong hands.
Mulder liked looking at the picture when he was missing Skinner
and he found that he was doing this with much more frequency
nowadays. Skinner was now Deputy Director for two months and it
seemed that he was never home. His job was taking up all of his
time and he'd promised that once he'd adjusted to his new
position, things would get better. It was just that these past few
weeks were painfully reminding him of his days in his old apartment when
he was alone. Only Taylor's occasional amusing antics kept him
occupied. Taylor likewise was quite happy with the turn of events
because Mulder always took him for long, long walks whatever the
weather.
Mulder was still with the X-files and fortunately, the new AD
wasn't Ashcraft so things were going relatively smoothly. But
he and Scully were still adjusting to the new AD. However,
because Mulder still had the same responsibilites, he still had
much of the same schedule.
A lot had changed in their personal lives, however. Skinner
rented another apartment in the same building, to solidify the
pretense that he was a bachelor living alone in his condo. He
now had a set of drivers cum bodyguards who made sure that he
reached his destinations safely. Fortunately, those drivers
were only for official work so they could still be free for the
occasional and now rare weekends in the cabin. The presence of
those drivers prevented Skinner's spontaneous phone calls to him
lest they be overheard. He called now only when absolutely
necessary and there was none of the comfortable small talk they
used to have.
Skinner likewise travelled a lot more, checking on the field
offices. There was even a whole two weeks when they didn't see
each other because of their hellish schedules. Their lovemaking
had been affected also. Skinner was so tired all the time that
Mulder felt guilty about asking for or even initiating sex. The
three times they had indulged in it had been less than ideal
because Skinner had been rougher and Mulder even got really
hurt once. It seemed to him that Skinner just wanted to get it
over with and wasn't taking his time like he used to.
But Mulder only had to feel the ring on his pinky and look at
the time when he would somehow feel better, because he hoped
that the Skinner he used to know would eventually resurface.
........................
Skinner tossed his briefcase on the chair out in the hallway.
He loosened his tie as he started undressing as he entered the
bedroom. As he was pulling out the shirt from his pants, he saw
red when he spied Taylor sleeping on their bed with Mulder's
arm over the dog.
"Off the bed," Skinner commanded the dog as he shook it awake.
The dog complied and followed Skinner's command to leave the
room. In the process of getting off the bed, the agent stirred.
"Fox, how many times do I have to tell you not to let Taylor
sleep on the bed?"
"Okay, okay, he's off the bed," Mulder muttered, irritable that
he was awakened. It was already midnight and he had a long trip
to California tomorrow.
Skinner had disappeared into the bathroom and was brushing his
teeth and washing up. By the time he returned, he saw that
Mulder was back to sleep on his side of the bed. He nudged the
younger man and Mulder sleepily stirred so Skinner had to nudge
him again. Mulder managed to move over groggily and Skinner got
under the covers. He turned off the lamp that Mulder had left
burning on his nightstand.
After a few minutes, Skinner was still awake and reached for
Mulder. Mulder didn't even move and when Skinner put a
practiced hand into the agent's shorts he was offended when
Mulder stiffened.
"I'd rather not, Walter."
"Why not?" Skinner persisted with his hand.
"I'm tired and I have a flight at seven," Mulder was still
trying to squirm away.
"Come on , Fox," Skinner continued. His hand was now insistent in
Mulder's crotch.
Mulder, in a fit of pique, had taken Skinner's hand and threw it
off him. He withdrew to the other side of the bed and was
enraged when Skinner continued to close the gap between them.
"I told you, I don't feel like it," Mulder repeated, trying to
be calm.
Skinner then came to his senses as he heard the break in timbre
of Mulder's voice. He turned on his bedside lamp and took a
deep breath.
"Are you mad at me for working late again?" Skinner paused when
he realized that he'd been through this before with his ex-wife.
Mulder, however, shook his head. He blinked at the harsh light.
"I just don't feel like it," Mulder said in a small voice. He
was still turned away from the older man.
"But we haven't made love in two and a half weeks already,"
Skinner said, his voice rising uncharacteristically. "Come on."
"Please, I don't feel like it." By now, Mulder was at the very
edge of the bed. Skinner put a hand on his shoulder and again
Mulder flinched. The older man got angrier when he felt that
Mulder was protectively holding his shorts in his hand.
"It hurt, it hurt last time," Mulder finally said in a rush and
the rest came tumbling out. "I told you it hurt and you kept on
going and everything's different."
Skinner listened and was appalled with Mulder's revelations. Skinner
tried to think of the last time they made love and he couldn't frankly
remember the exact circumstances, especially if Mulder had said that it
was painful.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Skinner was now fully alert and sat
up. "I told you that the last thing I want to do is hurt you.
What do you mean that everything's different?"
"You're always in hurry now and you rush through," Mulder
muttered reluctantly. "I know you have a lot on your mind, but
when you start doing it, you zone out. Once, I didn't even come
but you didn't even know. And when you hurry, it burns really
bad."
It was during times like these that Mulder often wondered if his lover
ever experienced anal intercourse firsthand. It was always difficult
asking about previous sexual encounters with other people, no matter how
many years one has been with one's partner. Obviously, Skinner was more
experienced than he ever was but that didn't mean that they traded
information on how knowledge like that was obtained. All he knew was
that the older man's male sexual partners were fleeting encounters in
his youth. Sometimes, he wondered if Skinner actually knew what it felt
like to be entered so roughly, how much different and unpleasant and
downright painful it could feel.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Skinner was contrite. He embraced Mulder
and was surprised when he bumped into something hard. Mulder
sheepishly took out their portrait from under him. He'd fallen
asleep clutching the picture and that made Skinner feel worse.
"I'm sorry; it won't happen again, honey."
Mulder finally sighed and relaxed with not a small amount of
relief when Skinner settled for cuddling.
Skinner removed his arm gingerly from under the head of Mulder,
who'd fallen asleep after a few minutes. The younger man was
now softly snoring and was dead to the world. Skinner was very
upset with what Mulder had told him and the photograph on his
bedside table had been staring back at him accusingly. He
couldn't forget how Mulder had been physically afraid of him,
with his hand securing the waistband of his shorts. It seemed
that the events of three months ago had been a lifetime ago. He
really was inundated at work and Mulder was being neglected in
the process. Not just neglected, but had been harmed. Skinner
fell asleep much later, after hours of soul searching.
CHAPTER TWO
APHRODISIAC CAREER
Things eventually improved as Skinner got the hang of the
workload and he only had Mulder to thank for being so patient
and understanding. His late nights were confined to times when
Mulder was in the field and he made it a point to be home
earlier when Mulder was in DC. Of course, there were still the
period of adjustment but things worked out.
Skinner only had to remember his failed marriage with Sharon to
prod him to make sure that he didn't commit the same mistakes
with Mulder this time around. By now, he was mature enough to know that
a committed partnership was actually a give and take affair, with each
partner not keeping track of his actual number of gives or takes.
Skinner took things slowly and had to admit that the only way
Mulder was ever going to regain confidence with the older man in
bed was for Skinner to woo him back. Not a few hours were spent
with just heavy petting and Mulder was finally able to relax
enough that things were back to normal in bed in no time.
Mulder for his part made it a point to initiate more of the sex,
because Skinner wanted to make sure that they were having their
lovemaking only when Mulder was ready.
So it was with a great measure of gratification for Skinner that
a few weeks later, he had Mulder under him bucking wildly
against him as he thrust powerfully into him. He knew that
Mulder was highly aroused from long experience by the flush and
dampness on every inch of his skin, the pitch in his voice at
every moan and grunt and the way his sphincters were fully
relaxed, providing just the perfect friction on Skinner's
straining engorged member. Skinner had a protective arm under
Mulder's sweaty stomach which tightened and heaved with each
thrust of his hips. When the timing was just right, Skinner's
hand went lower as he proceeded to his lover's penis and with
just the lightest of caresses on Mulder's frenulum, brought them
both to a breathless completion. Mulder gave that tight little
scream he usually made when he couldn't let go because the
neighbors might hear.
"Was it good, honey?" Skinner already knew the answer. He was anxious
to make it good for Mulder because of his previous claim that their
lovemaking hadn't been that good the past few months. They were still
connected by Skinner's already soft penis. Mulder moaned in assent as
he nodded, pressing close to Skinner. Reluctantly, Skinner dismounted,
feeling the warmth of his own semen and the remains of the lubricant
seeping out of Mulder's rectum as he withdrew. He knelt up on the bed
and reached over Mulder to his nightstand where he cleaned off both of
them with the damp washcloth.
Mulder, in one of the rare times he was awake after lovemaking,
turned impulsively to Skinner and kissed him fiercely, knocking
back the older man against the pillows. Skinner was caught by
surprise and laughed gladly.
"Hey, I didn't know I was that good."
"But you are," Mulder had to tell him, playing with the hairs on
the older man's chest. "All I could think about since this
afternoon's conference was that the big powerful Deputy Director
on the podium was all mine and no one else's. I had a hard on
the whole day since then and once I had you in me, I couldn't
get the image of you on that podium out of my mind. That of all
the people there, I'm the only one privileged to see you all hot
and sweaty like this."
As usual, Mulder's overactive imagination had come into play
again. That afternoon was one of the rare Bureau-wide meetings
held in the big auditorium of the Hoover. Skinner had a long
speech and had been nervous about it, because it had been his
first official task to preside over there as Deputy Director.
He was happy to avoid Mulder's eye in the crowd for he knew that
he would just get all flustered in case Mulder had it in him to
put a devilish grin on his face. He hadn't known how much of a
turn on it had been for Mulder until now.
Like a possessive child, Mulder was placing light pecks on his
chest, neck and face, muttering as if to himself "You're all
mine". Of course, that heated them both up and by the time
Mulder had changed his litany to "You're my big man," they were
ready for another bout. Mulder seemed to revel in the fact that
the Deputy Director was on him. For once, Skinner didn't mind
that Mulder kept calling him "sir". Skinner furiously penetrated
Mulder, the agent's anus already relaxed from his previous come.
It was times like these that Skinner didn't hurt him even when
he was in a hurry. Mulder sighed with contentment and growing
excitement as he felt himself culminating, followed shortly
thereafter by Skinner.
CHAPTER THREE
BAD LUCK BRIEFS
Agent Gutierrez impatiently looked at his watch he waited for
the DD at the back entrance of the Crystal City condo. It was
past nine thirty and DD Skinner still hadn't emerged. Gutierrez
already had verified that Skinner was still upstairs in his
apartment when the housekeeper had informed him that the DD had
just overslept. It was a freezing March day and there was no
question that Gutierrez would have to wait in the car. He hated
waiting in the car, even when it was the only oasis of warmth at
the moment.
Like the other eight agents provided with the responsibility for
the security of the Deputy Director, Gutierrez had come to know
Skinner quite well in the five months he was on the rotation.
Skinner commanded quite a lot of respect in the Bureau.
Gutierrez prided himself in being a good judge of character and
Skinner's hard working serious ex-Marine demeanor had made an
impression on him. Skinner's habits were regular and
predictable. He was considerate to his security personnel
and was aware that they were more than drivers. Skinner was usually in
the Hoover by seven thirty and sometimes stayed there until all hours.
So it was quite uncharacteristic that he was so late today.
Gutierrez had been cooling his heels in the car, in the lobby
then back in the car since seven o'clock. He knew that Skinner
had gotten home early last night at five thirty and he was
wondering what was taking so long. He sighed with relief when
he saw Skinner's broad shouldered form emerge from the double
doors and he pulled up the car and the DD got in.
"Good morning, Agent Gutierrez," Skinner said as he got into the back
seat. The agent looked at his boss from the rear view mirror, surprised
at the light tone in Skinner's voice. The Deputy Director was usually
terse and business-like. "Sorry about that. I overslept."
"That's okay, sir," Gutierrez answered as he put the car into gear and
drove from the apartment building.
What was unusual was that Skinner had ridden in the back. The DD almost
always rode in front. Gutierrez surreptitiously glanced at his boss
from the rear view mirror as he eased onto the expressway
and saw that Skinner was looking out the window with a far away
smile on his face. That was unusual, too. Most days, even out here in
the car, Skinner would already be going over some of his papers as soon
as the car was on its way to the Hoover. Gutierrez then did a double
take later when he saw the red mark on his boss' neck just above the
crisp white collar.
Gutierrez had to smile when he finally added up the evidence.
So the Deputy Director got some last night and the agent
wondered who the lucky woman was. The other eight agents
assigned to Skinner's security detail met about a month ago for
security debriefing by the most senior agent. It had been an
uneventful debriefing , almost boring because there was nothing
to talk about. Skinner's activities mainly was centered on the
Bureau and home. Of course, there were official functions that
he attended with appropriate dates, but Gutierrez knew that most of the
women were driven home.
Sometimes however, Skinner stayed over at the women's apartments but
that was rare. It had caused them no end in amusement at another
security debriefing about three months ago when they all realized that
Skinner didn't stay over in his date's apartment whenever Agent Parker
was his assigned bodyguard. They all concluded that because Parker was
a woman, the DD felt uncomfortable about doing that. They all thought
Skinner was so old fashioned, because Parker didn't make no bones about
her own dates to them and all knew that she had an adventurous streak of
her own. Since then, they agreed that if there was a scheduled evening
function it was better if Parker wasn't assigned for that night, to give
the DD more leeway on his dates.
But twice since Gutierrez knew him, Skinner had made calls in the car
and Gutierrez instinctively knew that Skinner seemed to have a
significant other. Skinner's voice had grown soft and murmuring into
the phone and Gutierrez distinctively heard him say "darling". Skinner
also called this particular "darling" when he sat in the back, but never
when he rode in the front.
Somehow, with Skinner seeing someone probably on a regular
basis, had made Gutierrez feel better. Scuttlebutt had it that
Skinner had an ex-wife. So when he finally deposited the Deputy
Director at the Hoover, Gutierrez felt he knew him enough to
tease him a little.
"Uhm , sir," Gutierrez said, just before Skinner got out from the
car. Skinner paused. Gutierrez pointed to his own neck. "The ladies
might get scandalized in the elevators."
He grinned when Skinner colored then the Deputy Director
chuckled good naturedly and rearranged the collar of his shirt.
He really did have a good time last night, Gutierrez said to
himself as he drove down to the Bureau car pool to return the
car. It was the first time Gutierrez ever heard him laugh
spontaneously.
It was a month later when Gutierrez was yawning on the way home.
Skinner had pulled another late night and it was midnight
already when Gutierrez was leaving the Crystal City apartment.
He glanced at the backseat.
"Jesus," Gutierrez moaned tiredly, when he saw that the DD
had inadvertently left his second briefcase in the car. He deccelarated
and turned the car around back to Skinner's building.
Skinner sometimes had two briefcases and this one was the important one,
the thicker and bigger one. Gutierrez grabbed the offending briefcase
and went over to the lobby and cursed again whe he saw that it was
empty, with no doorman in sight. He shrugged to himself and went up the
elevator.
Gutierrez knew that he couldn't have left the briefcase with the
doorman anyway because of the sensitive nature of the papers
that might be contained in it. He punched the seventeenth floor
and was glad that the elevator was fast. Gutierrez reached
Skinner's front door and rang the doorbell.
It was just that everyone was tired in that late hour when
Skinner opened the door.
"Good evening, sir, you left this in the car," Gutierrez explained. The
DD was in his shirtsleeves and had a drink in his hand. Skinner's
surprised expression at what Gutierrez held out for him told the agent
that Skinner hadn't even known that he'd inadvertently left the
briefcase in the car.
"Thanks, Gutierrez," Skinner said gratefully as large yellow dog was
frisking at Skinner's feet.
Gutierrez looked up at the blur of movement and saw a younger man in
briefs walking through the living room. Gutierrez' eyes widened
in shock, it was then that Skinner looked back and everyone
froze.
"Shit!" The man had released the curse and had run up the stairs.
"S-sorry, sir, I didn't mean to intrude," Gutierrez was stammering his
apologies. He aware that he might be babbling at that moment.
Skinner for once looked uncertain, then the hard expression
returned to his face as he pulled Gutierrez inside. Before he
knew it, Gutierrez found himself in a smaller room off the
living room. It was a den.
Gutierrez could hear two sets of furious heavy steps upstairs
as he sat down on the edge of the couch. The den was furnished
with modern furniture just like the rest of the living room and
to pass the time, Gutierrez went over to the bookcase. As he
was nervously scanning the titles of the books, he saw a small
framed picture on the shelf. Like a scab that shouldn't be
picked, Gutierrez just had to look and scrutinize the picture.
It was a blurred photograph of someone Gutierrez vaguely knew
but just couldn't place. The young man on the photo was
handsome, with a full lower lip, a rather big nose and sad eyes even
when he was grinning into the camera. Gutierrez gave a guilty start
when the door opened and Skinner came back.
"I'm sorry, sir," Gutierrez said even before Skinner closed the
door behind him. "I didn't mean to invade your privacy like
that."
Skinner tiredly motioned for him to sit and Gutierrez sat down
on the couch.
"Would you like a drink?" Skinner asked. Gutierrez had never seen him
so tense and the eyes behind the DD's glasses were unreadable.
"I can't, sir," Gutierrez declined, although he did want one bad by now.
"I'm driving home."
Skinner gave a heavy sigh and ran a hand over his bald head as he
gathered his thoughts. He sat down opposite Gutierrez.
"I know I would just look stupid if I told you that it isn't
what you think, Agent Gutierrez," Skinner began. "It is exactly
what you think."
"Sir, it's none of my business..." Gutierrez was about to rise
to leave but Skinner held up a hand.
"No, it is your business," Skinner finally snapped at him and drew
another deep breath to calm himself down. "I am currently in...in a
homosexual relationship with Agent Mulder."
So that was why the man was familiar, Gutierrez mused when
Skinner mentioned the name of the agent. Gutierrez had seen the
agent only a few times in the one year he'd been at the Hoover.
"All I want you to know is that my ability to stay in this
relationship is presently hinging on what you will reveal to
anyone else," Skinner said, his teeth clenched. "If it ever
comes down to me choosing my job and Agent Mulder, there is no
question that my job is something that I could give up just like
that. Before you get the wrong impression that I am in the
habit of seducing younger agents, I would like to tell you that
Agent Mulder and I have been in a monogamous relationship for
five years now."
"It's okay, sir," Gutierrez said, "I always keep my mouth shut
and if I can say so, sir, I could see that your personal life
has never interfered with your work."
Skinner seemed to visibly relax after that. He led his driver
out of the apartment and Gutierrez again apologized.
"I know Agent Mulder might be upset," Gutierrez said, just before he
left. "Please tell him I'm sorry and that he
shouldn't worry."
.................................................................
Skinner sighed heavily as he walked up the stairs. He found
Mulder sitting up tensely on the bed with Taylor's head on his
knee. Skinner smiled ironically to himself. Mulder had just
recently converted to Jockeys for his underwear and it now was
highly probable that he would go back to boxers by tomorrow.
"I'm sorry, Walter," Mulder stated in a low voice. " I know
you've always told me not to go walking around the house in my
underwear. What if OPC launches an investigation?"
"Then let OPC investigate," Skinner said. "I had a talk with
Gutierrez and he seems to be the type to keep his mouth shut.
But of course, only time will tell if he keeps his word. By the
way, he told me to tell you that you shouldn't worry."
"I am worried," Mulder declared miserably. "What if you lose
your job and be a laughingstock as Deputy Director? You know
that no matter how good you are in your job, everything would be
overshadowed by sensational news."
Skinner just shrugged.
"I know your fears are well-founded, Fox," Skinner said as
pragmatic as ever. "But at this time of night, there is nothing
more we can do. Plus if I so much as try to talk to Gutierrez
again, he might feel threatened that I am trying to fire him.
Come on, let's get into bed."
Both of them slept fitfully however. It was a sensation of deja
vu that Skinner and Mulder were extra vigilant the next few
days. Gutierrez was hard to gauge, because he maintained his
usual affable and bland self. Skinner felt uncomfortable with
him the first time he rode with him again after three days but
things went smoothly after that. He had no way of knowing that
Gutierrez was fairly embarrassed more because of his invasion of
the privacy of his boss than the revelation about his sexual
proclivities.
Mulder, too, was more than uncomfortable when he spied Gutierrez
in the Hoover two months later. Gutierrez smiled at him in
recognition, but Mulder had to fight down the urge to punch out
the guy in the hallway. That would only cause more trouble.
Mulder was feeling pretty down for the last two months. It was
one thing for Scully to know about his relationship with
Skinner. After all, she was his best friend and they've known
each other for a long time already. However, it was another
thing for other Bureau personnel, especially male personnel to
know about him and Skinner. But Gutierrez seemed true to his
word and no one was the wiser.
CHAPTER FOUR
NATURALISTIC PREMIER
Skinner was finally adjusted to the heavy responsibilities such
that they were able to go to the cabin regularly again. He
found that he was enjoying the new challenges his job offered.
He was feeling pretty potent the past few weeks with he and
Mulder having sex on a daily basis again. He was embarrassed by
the recent trend of what turned him on, that of dominating
Mulder more thoroughly than usual. But Mulder seemed not to
mind and also liked Skinner's reactivated libido. Skinner had
to admit that having the increased work load agreed with him.
So one weekend found Skinner and Mulder taking their regular
walk in the woods. Skinner left Taylor in the house, saying
that he didn't want the dog with them for once. They hiked a
while and Mulder wondered why Skinner was taking a circuitous
route, away from the usual path. But he made out a flash of red
through the trees and as they neared it, Mulder realized that it
was a large flannel blanket. Skinner's intentions were made
clear when he started kissing Mulder's neck.
"Come on, Fox, wouldn't it be great if we made love here?"
Skinner breathed as he kissed the skin of the younger man which
was covered with the light sweat of their exertions through the
woods. "We've never made love outside since Belize and it would
be nice to do it right here."
"I see you've had this planned in advance?" Mulder had to moan
as Skinner slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slipped a hand inside
to pet his chest. They sank to the blanket and Skinner
proceeded to make love to him. At first, Mulder thought that
Skinner would want it fast, but the DD was taking his time and
seemed to revel in having Mulder naked on the blanket; he had to
admit that Mulder's pale smooth skin overlying the bright red
textured pattern of the material made a satisfying sight.
For once, Mulder was fully taken up by the experience and gave
up any thoughts of discovery. Skinner had him in his mouth and
the wet hot mouth of Skinner contrasted sharply with the light
cool breeze.
"Look at you, baby, you're so hard and ready," Skinner sighed as
he smiled down at the totally mesmerized agent. "I want you to
come first for me, honey."
Skinner took out the tube of lubricant from his pocket and
generously smeared Mulder's pink parts with it.
"I want to see all of you, baby," Skinner said, "Can you squat
for me?"
Mulder dazedly complied and planted his feet on the blanket as
he carefully squatted. It was awkward but also arousing to have
his genitals dangling so freely. It also gave better access to
his nether parts. Skinner took Mulder's scrotum in his hand and
gently kneaded his testes. Then Skinner took out the anal
vibrator and carefully inserted it up the agent's rectum.
Mulder had to hold on to Skinner's powerful shoulders to keep
his balance.
"Deeper, Walter," Mulder gasped. Skinner had to be careful in
gauging the depth of the vibrator's penetration through his
lover's body. He'd asked their doctor about the usage of the
vibrator a few months ago and he had been warned that in the
squatting position, the vibrator had to be used judiciously.
Mulder's body was shuddering as Skinner varied the pattern of
the in and out motion with occasional rotation of the cylinder.
He didn't bother to turn on the vibrator because from
experience, he knew that Mulder would come in a hair trigger's
notice when the machine was on.
"You should see yourself, honey," Skinner encouraged lovingly.
"You're so beautiful...Oh, baby, come for me, baby."
Skinner's other hand concentrated on Mulder's penis and the
younger man was soon arching helplessly against him as his penis
squirted its seed. Skinner immediately withdrew the vibrator
lest Mulder impale himself with it as he collapsed. The older
man carressed the shudders away and when Mulder opened his eyes,
Skinner turned his face to him.
"Can I come in now?" Skinner asked, as he started unbuttoning
his fly front. Mulder nodded and turned on his front and
splayed his legs. Skinner gently reinserted the vibrator and
when Mulder's orifice was ready, he plunged in. Mulder was so
slick and soft and hot and smooth but Skinner consciously
restrained his thrusts, mindful of not hurting his Mulder. When
Mulder started to thrust back against him, Skinner knew that
Mulder was ready for the deeper penetration and he raised both
of them to their knees as his thrusts gained power.
"You're so big, Walter," Mulder managed to gasp. Skinner's
thick long member filled him up just right.
"Who's your big man, Fox?" Skinner growled as his hips continued.
"You, Walter!" Mulder howled. "Only you!"
Mulder came again and was followed by Skinner's copious
ejaculation into Mulder's gut.
Mulder's eyes finally came open after a few minutes. He liked
being completely nude under the still fully clothed Skinner; he
could feel the roughness of the denim and the softness of the
flannel shirt. Skinner was taking his time regaining his
breath, playing with Mulder's hair and breathing in his scent.
When Mulder started to wriggle from Skinner's weight, the DD
withdrew and he took out his handkerchief as he wiped off the
semen and lubricant from Mulder's creases. He threw off
the handkerchief once he'd wiped himself off as well and spent
the next few minutes kissing the nude Mulder under the trees.
Mulder au naturel was intoxicating.
"Oh, honey, I love you so," Skinner said, crushing the younger
man to him as Mulder just as uninhibitedly clung to him.
"You're so beautiful."
Eventually, they had to leave. They headed back to the cabin to the
joyful barks of Taylor, who thought they'd forgotten about him. Mulder
exhaustedly crashed on the couch as Skinner took a brief shower. When
he left to walk the dog, Mulder was still sound asleep.
By the time Skinner returned, it was getting dark. The kitchen
lights were on which meant that Mulder was now fully awake. He
found the agent cooking dinner at the stove. He had that post-coital
flush that Skinner thought suited him so well.
"I was getting worried, it's almost dark," Mulder kissed him deeply as
he stood by the kitchen door damp from his shower, with the sauce spoon
on one hand.
"So now you know how I felt on our first Thanksgiving here," Skinner
said ironically as he remembered his own frantic thoughts at the time
Mulder had left the cabin in a huff when they had fought about calling
his parents. Mulder grinned evilly at him then went back to the stove.
Skinner was struck at how domestic they seemed, especially with the dog
underfoot. There was nothing to beat going home to a happy sexually
fulfilled partner, eager to please him. A nice warm cabin by the lake
with the whiff of something good in the air just completed the picture
just fine. It just gave him a nice warm feeling inside, as if
everything was all right in the world.
Skinner was pleased with the way Mulder had adjusted to his new
AD. There was a conspicuous absence of incident reports and
official reprimands. Skinner made surreptitious inquiries and
found that Mulder was performing up to par in the last months.
One of his apprehensions about his climb up the ladder was that
Mulder would have a hard time with the new AD. But Mulder was
surprisingly more mature now and could handle authority figures
much better. Skinner didn't know if it was just due to the
passage of time or due to Mulder's enduring relationship to a
particular authority figure.
CHAPTER FIVE
MALL BULLDOG
A few days later found Skinner in the mall. He was able to
leave work early for once and was now shopping. Because it was
a weekday, his agent was following him around, trying to look
inconspicuous. Skinner needed some new shirts and other things.
Because of his larger than normal neck size, it was sometimes
difficult to buy shirts that fitted him. Then, out of habit, he
got some shirts for Mulder, too. Somehow, the agent had trashed
four shirts on his latest traveling foray. By this time, Skinner had
given up asking Mulder why he seemed to go through his shirts as if
these were disposable. Even the economical Mrs. Jackson had thrown up
her hands at being handed another set of shirts to darn. And the stains
on them were sometimes beyond belief. Popped buttons and torn pockets
were one thing, but bile stained, bloodied or green-acid-eaten-away-
shirts were something else.
Shirts for work was easy to buy for Mulder because they basically wore
the same type of dress shirt, although Mulder had more of the light blue
kind while Skinner confined himself to white shirts. After making the
purchase, Skinner wandered over to the more casual wear and got some
things for Mulder there as well. He could already accurately gauge
Mulder's tastes in casual clothes and it was rare that Mulder returned
any of the things he bought. Mulder hated shopping in the malls and had
gladly turned over the task to Skinner. The older man wryly noted that
as he did more and more of the clothes shopping, he had improved
Mulder's wardrobe surreptitiously.
As Skinner stood in the underwear section, he observed that most
if not all the men shopping in the men's section were
accompanied by their wives or girlfriends. He was guilty of
such a thing too when he was married to Sharon. It seemed that
women didn't trust men in their judgment in choosing their own
clothes. More than once, Skinner could remember fitting
something in the fitting room and going out so that Sharon would
approve the fit and style of the clothes. All around the country one
can find women clustering around the entrance of men's fitting rooms
waiting for their husbands or boyfriends to come out.
Skinner then picked out more tasteful boxers for Mulder. He was back to
wearing boxers these days, saying that briefs for him was bad luck.
Fortunately, Mulder's boxers were more streamlined because Skinner was
buying those for him too. There were less weird prints circulating in
Mulder's underwear drawer although sometimes, Skinner still bought
Mulder some of those if anything caught his eye.
A brief foray into the socks section replenished their socks
supply. Skinner's socks were mainly dress socks while Mulder
needed more of the cushioned athletic ones for his running.
Skinner could freely go around and shop for Mulder in the
department store because Gutierrez was the one with him. If it
had been another agent, Skinner knew that there would be talk
about Skinner buying clothes obviously so much smaller than his
size. He had come to appreciate Gutierrez' discretion. The
young agent was as tight-lipped as ever and had kept his word
about not blabbing.
Skinner was sorry that Gutierrez' tour of duty in his security team
would be over in two months. It was of course a waste of an agent's
training just to be a glorified bodyguard even if they were fresh agents
from regional Bureau offices who just needed to get used to the Main HQ
before starting in the various departments at the Hoover. It was also
more prudent to rotate agents because it kept them on their toes, with
less slip-ups because the longer one was responsible for the security of
one person, the more likely one could become lax.
When he got home, he found Mulder engrossed in front of the
television with the latest primetime science fiction serial.
Taylor was at his feet. Mulder absently returned his kiss and
nodded when Skinner showed him his new clothes. With his
attention no longer riveted at the television at the next
commercial, Mulder turned his attention to Skinner's purchases
and grinned appreciatively at the older man's choices.
"Do you like those, honey?" Skinner asked as he sipped his
scotch. "Are the shirts okay?"
"Yeah, these are just right," Mulder said. He pointed to one
T-shirt. "Did these come in different colors, too?"
Skinner leaned forward and saw that Mulder was referring to one
of the Ralph Lauren shirts. He shook his head and hitched up
his tails of his shirt from his trousers and Mulder knew that
the bigger man wanted his back scratched. As Mulder watched the
show, he scratched Skinner's back for him and Skinner sighed
with satisfaction as Mulder settled on a particularly itchy
spot. Once the show was over and Skinner's back was itch-free,
they heated up Mrs. Jackson's dinner and ate it companionably in
the kitchen.
Later that night, just before he turned off his lamp at the
nightstand, Skinner reflected that it had been a good weekday.
He started off with a good workout that morning on his machine.
The office was relatively stress free with none of the usual
meetings that got nowhere, the problems at work presented to him
had their solutions, he was able to squeeze a few minutes of
shopping, Mrs. Jackson's stew was particularly good, and he and
Mulder just made love, leaving him in just the right mood to
fall into a deep sleep.
END OF BACCARAT FIGURINES III (1/3)
BACCARAT FIGURINES III (2/3)
by Sean Spencer
seans13@hotmail.com
WARNING: Slash NC-17 Skinner/Mulder
DISCLAIMER IN PART ONE
CHAPTER SIX
URTICARIAL SCARE
It was three a.m. when Ray Cormier got to his clinic. Such
strange hours weren't unusual in his general practice because of
his clientele. But the last few days had been particularly
exhausting because of the seemingly endless requests from his
patients at all hours. He was barely awake now as he pulled up
the driveway. He wasn't surprised that there was a dark car, a
late model luxury one already waiting at the parking lot, near
the entrance door to his clinic.
Cormier saw the big bald bespectacled man with the bulbous nose
get out of the car. The look of anxiety and guilt was barely
suppressed. Cormier got out of the car and greeted the man with
just the right amount of concern and sobriety. He peered into
the car and saw the hunched figure inside.
"Good morning, Mr. Mulder," Cormier said as he was bending over.
"I'll just open the clinic and we'll have a look at you in a
jiffy."
He opened the double doors to his clinic with his key and set
about turning on the heat and lights. He let the couple in and
they patiently waited at the hall. Cormier knew these two
relatively well, although they had only appeared together once
or twice as a couple in all the years he'd been their doctor.
Cormier knew that they worked for the Bureau and that their
appointments were for the "even" days. His secretary knew what
that meant, though Cormier doubted that his patients ever caught
on with the way he scheduled them.
"Even" days meant that he confined his appointments to the closeted
ones while the "odd" days were for his patients who were out.
These two were definitely still in the closet, probably because they
were in law enforcement. He kept those "even" and "odd" days
mainly for patients like these, who would feel very uncomfortable
with sitting in the waiting room next to a drag queen or someone
with green hair. It also tended to increase compliance in their
keeping appointments.
Cormier tried to hurry up with opening up the various doors to
the examining rooms and the storage areas. He could see the
obvious discomfort of the younger man. Once he had the
examining room ready, he ushered the younger man into it and
told him to get into the paper gown.
Ray waited for the requisite few minutes and tried not to keep
his eyes from closing. He'd been in practice for fifteen years.
No, he wasn't gay but he confined his practice to these men for
the last ten years mainly because it was a vow he made since his
brother died of AIDS. His wife and kids complained about the
irregularity of his working hours, but they rightly agreed with
him that it was seasonal irregularity. He just wondered what it
was this past two weeks that had him taking calls at all hours.
It wasn't even a full moon and he'd been here almost every night
for emergencies such as this. Just last night, he had to
carefully extract an unusual gadget from a patient's rectum. He
already had a nasty collection of his extracted stuff, so that
he could orient new patients more clearly on the injudicious
insertion of materials up their asses or on their penises.
But this couple was a puzzle. Cormier knew that these two were
ultra conservative and had been particularly devoted to each
other, for years now. By what he remembered, for gay men they
even had very unexciting whitebread kind of sex. So he had
been confused an hour earlier when the older man had made a
frantic call.
Cormier finally called in the bigger man into his office. It
was his usual strategy to call in the partner and interview him
briefly for the description of the series of events and to
instill in him a bit of guilt so that this episode won't be
repeated.
"Mr. Skinner," Cormier said, indicating the bald man to sit
down. "I'd like you to make a brief rundown on what happened
before I examine Mr. Mulder."
As expected, Skinner blushed, turning his bald pate into an
interesting color. Then he stammered that they had wanted to
make love in the bathtub and had tried a new lubricant which was
supposed to work well in water and was flavored. Skinner
fortunately had the tube of lubricant in his pocket and had
given the offending material to Cormier. Cormier looked at it
dubiously and read the ingredients. Apparently, the lubricant
had worked and they had made love. However, after two hours,
the receptive partner started having the most severe case of
pruritus ani. Skinner himself denied any symptoms.
Of course, Cormier had to make sure that this wasn't an STD so
he asked about the number of sexual partners Skinner has had for
the past months. He was satisfied when the bespectacled man had
reared back as if in shock at the idea that he was unfaithful.
Cormier tried not to sigh as he got into the examining room and
saw the younger man trying not to scratch through his paper
gown. Cormier suddenly remembered him as the patient who was
always uncomfortable whenever he was examined. After confirming
Skinner's story with his partner, Cormier also asked about any
extracurricular sex the younger man was having, but Mulder
vigorously shook his head at the idea.
Cormier's cynical eye misted for a second and told himself that there
was love after all in a gay partnership. From his records, Cormier
remembered that this patient only had one male sexual partner all his
life, which was even a rarer feat, enough for Cormier to give him a
medal. Most of the patients he saw in his clinic were notoriously
promiscuous, notwithstanding the AIDS epidemic, whether they were in or
out. Monogamous couples like these were very few and far between.
"Would you like Mr. Skinner with you?" Cormier said, kindly.
Mulder nodded and Cormier ushered in Skinner. Just like an
obstetrician, Cormier confined the partner to the head of the
examining table and fortunately they held hands as he completed
his examination. These two really were sweet and Cormier didn't
miss the glint of the ring on Mulder's finger.
Fortunately, there were no systemic signs of severe allergy,
with blood pressure normal, heart rate understandably fast, no
rashes on the skin, no abdominal pain. The perineal exam
however was something else. The perianal skin was very
erythematous but no bullous formation was present which was a
good sign.
"Mr. Mulder, I'll just do a rectal, all right?" Cormier warned
and the younger man tensed up. This one really hated rectals,
unlike some of the patients he knew. Mulder hissed.
"It hurts," Mulder moaned. The distress on Skinner's face was
apparent, although he was trying to hide it.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Mulder, but this will only take a minute,"
Cormier through long practice and kind words was able to get the
examination done quickly. The anus was boggy in consistency
from the edema, the sphincters with the tone typical of an anal
receptive partner, and the anoscope revealed that there were no
hemorrhoids nor fissures which meant that Skinner must be really
careful. Presently, Cormier saw traces of fresh semen and the
offending lubricant in the rectal vault, which of course was not
unexpected. He took some swabs just for completion's sake.
"Mr. Mulder," Cormier said, "the surrounding skin is very
swollen and red and it most probably is due to severe contact
dermatitis. You're very allergic to the lubricant. I take it
that this is the first time you used it?"
Mulder nodded.
"There are still some left inside and if you pass it in your
stool, the allergy will just get worse. I'm going to have to
evacuate as much of the lubricant through the anoscope. It'll
be uncomfortable but only for a few minutes. Then you'll feel
better when I apply some Lidocaine ointment. This will provide
immediate, but temporary relief. You'll have to apply
hydrocortisone cream there twice a day and anytime after
defecation. You must keep yourself really clean for the next
five days. I'll also give you antihistamine tablets and
antibiotics. And hot sitz baths three times a day. You got all
that, Mr. Skinner?"
The older man nodded, and Cormier felt sorry for him because the
big man looked like he was close to tears. Cormier irrigated
Mulder quickly and efficiently being careful to suction the
liquid feces as much as possible to prevent any more of the
lubricant from getting onto the perineal skin. The Lidocaine
jelly provided seemingly magical relief.
Once Cormier got to his office, he saw that Skinner was the
shaky one. Just to complete everything, he examined Skinner's
genitals to make sure that he wasn't developing an allergy, too.
"Come on, Mr. Skinner," Cormier patted the broad shoulder as his
other patient was zipping himself up. "It's not that bad.
He'll have to stay at home for three days at the most, mainly
because I will be prescribing very powerful antihistamines that
might make him woozy. I've seen more cases like these since
those flavored lubricants came on the market. There won't be
any lasting physical effects."
"I really didn't want to use it, but he was insistent," Skinner
moaned into his hands. " He said he wanted to try it in the
tub, but the last time we made love in the water was a year ago
and he said it wasn't as smooth as he would like it."
"Hey," Cormier further reassured the older man. "You have a
normal active sex life with your partner. It's not against the
law to try something new once in a while. You just made a
mistake this time and I bet that this thing won't be repeated."
" I just don't want him getting sick so much," Skinner said.
"He's been in and out of the hospital so many times."
"You take very good care of him," Cormier admitted. "I could
see that you've been following the anal precautions we've
previously discussed. There is no sign of overt damage due to
carelessness in the area. It is quite evident you only want the
best for him."
Mulder shakily entered the room and Cormier repeated his
instructions. By the time they left, an itch-free Mulder was
smiling although Skinner was still grim. Mulder walked normally
to the car and got in. Skinner gave a grateful glance at
Cormier before they drove away. Cormier sighed again with
exhaustion. It was now five o'clock and there was no use going
home. He locked the clinic doors and ensconced himself onto one
of the examination rooms and took a nap on the table.
....................................................
Mulder tried to make light of the situation on the way back home
but kept quiet when he saw that Skinner was seething.
"I just wanted to try it," Mulder said in a small voice. "The
guy at the shop said it was supposed to be okay."
"It's not okay," Skinner almost spat out. "It's not okay when
you have to stay home for three days because of a few minutes of
fun. I'm sure you won't be so jolly once the effect of the
Lidocaine wears off."
Skinner became contrite after a few minutes. He drew Mulder to
him to make the younger man feel better.
"I think that next time we try anything new, we should discuss
it with Dr. Cormier first, the way I discussed the use of the
vibrator with him," Skinner said. "In light of your new found
allergy, I think it prudent that we avoid using stuff like that
until you have a test or something."
"I don't think that discussing our sex life to the minutest
detail and asking for permission for each new move in bed is a
good idea," Mulder frowned. It gave him the creeps that someone else,
even if he was a doctor, should know so much about them.
"I'm tired, Fox," Skinner said. "Let's talk about it some other
time once you're better. I have a meeting with Freeh in four
hours and I'd like to take an hour of shut eye before that."
"Okay," Mulder acquiesced. He leaned against the DD and slept
the whole way back to the apartment. It was six o'clock once
they got to the basement parking and the antihistamine had
kicked in. Mulder was mildly incoherent when Skinner guided him
to the elevator. He just barely made it to the bedroom and
Skinner dressed him into pajamas to decrease the scratching
opportunities.
Skinner was able to grab a couple of hours of sleep and hurried
through his morning routine, forgoing his workout. He talked
with Mrs. Jackson, telling her to remind Mulder to drink his
medications at the proper time. She was alarmed that Mulder was
sick again and Skinner didn't feel like elaborating on the exact
nature of his illness. She reassured him that she'd take care
of Mulder and that she would take Taylor for his morning walk.
She also told him that he would be the one to call Scully to
inform her that Mulder will be absent today. Skinner profusely
thanked her as he rushed out the door.
Mulder woke up that afternoon, totally disoriented but very
itchy. He went to the bathroom and gave a sigh of relief on
lying down in the tub in hip deep warm water. He almost fell
asleep in the tub again except for Taylor coming in and licking
his face awake. Mulder dried off and found out how difficult it
was to apply the hydrocortisone cream in that particular area.
He got into a fresh pair of Skinner's pajamas and got back in
bed.
Having heard his footfalls, Mrs. Jackson entered later with a
tray of lunch, which Mulder devoured. He wondered why she put a
hand on his forehead to check for fever and blushed as he
realized that Skinner hadn't briefed her on the nature of his
sickness. He allowed her to fuss over him, straightening the
bedclothes and fluffing his pillows. It was nice to be attended
to hand and foot. But Mulder was still glum because he knew
that Skinner might be annoyed with him. He was the one who had
wanted to make love in the tub and had gone to great lengths to
find that particular lubricant. Skinner, in fact, was dubious
and it had taken most of Mulder's power of persuasion to
convince the older man about its usage. Mulder just knew that
when Skinner got back home, he would be given the cold shoulder
probably for a few days. Mulder scratched himself as he watched
Oprah and Rosie, shifting channels every few minutes.
Mrs. Jackson returned to take away the tray and to make sure
that he downed the rest of his pills for that day. He took
another sitz bath. Mulder inevitably gave in to his heavy
eyelids. He subconsciously felt Skinner slip into bed a few
hours later. Skinner shook him awake.
"Let me see," Skinner said gruffly. Mulder was at first
confused but the older man was patting his buttocks. Mulder
turned on his side and loosened the drawstring of his pajamas
while Skinner turned back the bedclothes. The older man helped
Mulder lower his trousers to his knees and surveyed the damage.
He hissed.
"Is it bad?" Mulder contorted himself trying to look.
"It's very red," Skinner said impatiently as he grabbed the
hydrocortisone from Mulder's night stand and applied the
ointment himself. The cleft of the younger man's buttocks and
both cheeks were red while the actual perianal area was very
red. Mulder sighed with relief as he felt the hydrocortisone
starting to work. Skinner's finger was gentle as it even went
through the orifice to apply more of the substance up inside.
Once he finished, Skinner gave Mulder an affectionate slap on
the buttock and helped him back into his pajamas. At least,
Skinner wasn't giving him the cold shoulder he'd expected.
"Remind me to put more of the ointment before I go to work
tomorrow," Skinner said gruffly. Mulder recognized that Skinner
was in his short-tempered teddy bear mood and snuggled up to
the torso of the bigger man once he came back from the bathroom.
It was just a relief that he wasn't as mad as he thought he
would be. Mulder's suspicions on the teddy bear mood were
confirmed when Skinner grudgingly started kissing his hair. As
long as Mulder didn't say much and cuddled up to him, Skinner
would eventually be buttered up to. The younger man was
finally rewarded by long slow strokes on his back as Skinner
read some of the papers he occasionally took to bed
with him.
With the aid of the antihistamines, Mulder started drifting off
to sleep. It was nice also to spend quiet evenings like this,
just curled up in bed with Skinner, an arm flung over the broad
chest and his face in that special place that was his alone on
Skinner's neck. Skinner was still wearing his glasses as he
perused his papers.
"Honey, I need to move, my arm's numb," Skinner whispered
quietly as he gently pushed away the agent. Mulder mumbled and
refused to budge. It was too comfortable to move and Mulder
tried to gain a few more minutes. After two more requests from
Skinner, Mulder finally shifted and kissed Skinner's neck before
detaching himself.
Mulder was drooling into his pillow early the next morning and
groaned when he felt Skinner insistently patting his hip to
shake him awake. Skinner pulled down his pajama pants again and
with a wet washcloth, cleaned the area and then applied more of
the cream.
"Is it better?" Mulder mumbled.
"Maybe," Skinner answered. "But I'm not so sure."
Mulder heard Skinner take his morning shower. It was barely
dawn outside and the grayish cast in the room was interrupted by
the sharp beam of light from the bathroom. Since he had nothing
better to do, Mulder waited for Skinner to emerge from the
bathroom so that he could watch the older man in his morning
ablutions. It was rare that he did this because on most
weekdays, he had to get up at the same time as Skinner and most
weekends, he was out cold.
After a few minutes, the sound of water from the shower stopped
and Skinner got out. From Mulder's vantage point on the bed, he
had a clear view of Skinner through the half open bathroom door.
Like always, each of the movements of the ex-Marine were spare
and showed off his muscles beautifully. The only time Mulder
ever saw his partner's hair in a disheveled state was after his
shower and on waking up in the morning. Skinner was drying off
his hair, then his face and neck, his torso, between his legs
then his legs and feet. He tied the towel around his waist as
he faced the mirror and then meticulously combed his hair.
Mulder grinned when Skinner spied Mulder's sink area and
muttered darkly under his breath as he grudgingly straightened
out the haphazard toiletries for the nth time. Then Skinner
raised each arm to apply his deodorant. After which, he started
shaving.
There were no wasted movement in the way Skinner shaved. Just
the right amount of shaving cream was sprayed from the can onto
his hand then applied over the strong jaw and upper lip. He
even used a straight razor, expertly flicking the shaved cream
onto the sink with the barest wrist movement.
Within a few minutes, the shaving was done and Skinner wiped off
the excess cream with a towel, then aftershave was applied. All
his toiletries were stored back into the medicine cabinet then
the sink wiped off, leaving no trace that the sink and bathroom
had ever been used. He walked out of the bathroom and then
opened his closet. The underwear drawer was opened, the towel
around his waist discarded then he stepped into his briefs. The
white undershirt followed and dark socks were pulled on as he
sat on the chair beside the closet. And then he surveyed his
clothes, thinking for a brief second on what he would wear for
the day. As usual, the heavily starched inevitable white shirt
was taken out of the laundry plastic bag; after which he put on
the trousers of his charcoal grey suit. Belt followed then the
highly polished shoes. Tie in a Windsor knot and another
shuffle through a drawer and a handkerchief was put into his
right pocket. Wire rims last. Skinner then shrugged into his
suit jacket and was now officially the Deputy Director.
Skinner then bent over the bed as he shuffled the papers he'd
slept with into manila folders. He reached over to kiss Mulder
goodbye. He was surprised to find the younger man awake and was
yawning as he stood up.
"It's barely six, Fox," Skinner whispered. "Go back to bed."
"I've been in bed the whole day yesterday, Walter," Mulder
yawned again as he grabbed Skinner's briefcase and went down the
stairs. "The least I can do is eat breakfast with you. "
Skinner smiled as he followed Mulder, whose hair was standing on
end and having to hold the pajama trousers with one hand to keep
it from falling below his hips.
"It's low fat granola," Mulder said as he set out a bowl and
poured the cereal into two bowls.
"But you hate cold cereal," Skinner said as he started on his
own bowl. It truly was endearing of Mulder to wake up
early just to eat breakfast with him.
"As long as it's not cornflakes or anything that resembles it
like Wheaties, Total," Mulder said as he spooned the granola
into his mouth. "Granola looks like it's a different species
altogether. And the doctor said I should eat a lot of roughage."
Skinner regretted that he had to eat so quickly. He reminded
Mulder to confirm his doctor's appointment tomorrow and then
left after kissing Mulder a goodbye.
Once Skinner was out of the apartment, Mulder spewed out the
half-chewed granola from his mouth and threw away the rest into
the sink. He still hated cereal but he hadn't wanted Skinner to
leave without something resembling breakfast. The older man was
working so hard for the past months and Mulder wanted to make
sure that he was getting three meals a day. As far as he knew,
there were only two episodes of hypertension since Skinner had
been DD, but he didn't discount the possibility that Skinner
would hide the true state of his health.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ODD AND EVEN
Sitting in Cormier's waiting room sure made Mulder uncomfortable. He
didn't know that he was on an "odd" day. Cormier had rescheduled him on
the next available follow up instead of waiting for an "even" day. The
doctor rarely did this for the closeted patients except when a close
follow-up was required. The waiting room was full of the leather
bondage type of people with a smattering of effeminate types and one
with a serious love of piercing. Mulder couldn't keep his eyes from the
guy, taking in the nose ring, about five earrings per ear and the tongue
stud.
He'd never felt so out of place in the clinic before. He was
the only person in the waiting room in a Polo T-shirt and jeans.
There were two leather clad men who were giving him the eye,
causing Mulder to look away in nervousness. He was just glad
that he didn't come from the office or else he would have been
the only one there in a suit. That would make him really stand out.
Adding to his discomfort was the intense desire to scratch.
After twenty minutes of being squeezed between a drag queen and
a leather jacket, he almost gave a sigh of relief when the nurse
called him. The guy on his right had been pressing his knee to
him quite insistently. The nurse led him to a cubicle and told
him to put on the paper gown.
Dr. Cormier came in after a few minutes and apologized about
scheduling him with the irregular clientele. Hopefully he said,
it wouldn't be repeated. He briefly checked Mulder and saw that
the allergy was subsiding as expected and that there were no
side effects with the various drugs he was taking. Cormier gave
him a prescription for more medications including some bulk
laxatives and then dropped his bombshell. Mulder was supposed
to abstain from anal intercourse for a month.
Cormier had to refrain to keep from chuckling at the young man's
face, which had fallen quite noticeably.
"We want the area to completely heal," Cormier explained to
lessen Mulder's dismay. "The tissues down there would bleed and
eventually scar if you engage in vigorous activity . Scarring in turn
would cause a lot of problems in the future, especially if the passage
narrows."
Mulder left the clinic after checking to make sure that none of
the more interesting clientele of Cormier hadn't followed him to
his car. As he drove back home, the implications of Cormier's
warning began to sink in. Except for the time they were
separated for eight months so long ago, this was the first time
he and Skinner would have their lovemaking severely curtailed.
The times when either one of them were ill didn't count of
course. In some ways, the previous separation was easier because
they weren't living together then and were pointedly ignoring
each other except for the occasional meetings in Skinner's
office.
Of course, there were other ways of making love but for
the past two months, Skinner had been pretty ardent and had only
been satisfied with frequent actual intercourse between them.
He himself had been caught up in Skinner's renewed libido, too,
and to him, nothing could ever beat being as one with the older
man in the actual physical sense. Mulder had no choice and
glumly waited for Skinner in a blue funk. With the antihistamines
discontinued, Mulder meanwhile used up his energy running with Taylor in
tow. Tomorrow, he would be back to work and during his run, he was
thinking up plausible reasons for his absence that would pass muster
with Scully. After all, this latest escapade was indeed embarrassing
and there were things even Scully shouldn't know about him.
Skinner arrived that night relatively early for him at six
o'clock. Skinner wasn't as upset as he thought he would be
about the curtailment of their activities. He accepted the news
with grace and they spent the night playing gin rummy with
Skinner losing most of the time because Mulder could keep track
of the cards.
The next few days were occupied with work as Mulder readjusted
to going back to the grindstone. He had to endure a few minutes
at the Bureau clinic with a note from Dr. Cormier to Dr. Rivera
explaining his absence from work the last few days. Just like
always, Mulder couldn't meet Rivera's eyes as the astonished
doctor read the referral form. Thankfully, Rivera just gave him
a quick physical. It was the first time Mulder had ever been
incapacitated by something he'd done on a sexual whim. It
helped that he were on a case out of town again. The usual
three days were spent in a regional office, sifting for clues
that the locals missed. Once they were back in DC, Mulder
watched with envy as Scully left the airport with her husband.
Skinner was now too high profile to even fetch him from the
airport.
So it was with some temper that Mulder slammed his car shut when
he got out of it at the apartment parking basement. He angrily
wrestled with his bags through the double doors leading to the
elevators and impatiently waited for a ride up the building.
Once he got in, however, he was surprised when there was a
figure in the dark that caught him up in an embrace with the
familiar haze of aftershave. He was literally being ravished by
Skinner right there by the front door.
"Wal...Walter, I haven't even...showered," Mulder was trying to
push away from the intoxicating kisses of the older man.
"That's okay, I have," Skinner breathed. "Sometimes, I like you
like this."
Mulder felt his clothes being hastily peeled from him and he
couldn't believe it when he felt Skinner's mouth on him. They
were soon busily writhing on the floor, the living room filling
with their heavy sighs and gasps. Mulder arched his back as he
came in Skinner's mouth and then reciprocated. In a few minutes,
Skinner grunted happily when he ejaculated into Mulder's own
mouth.
"So, how was your trip?" Skinner laughed once they got their
breaths back. Mulder chuckled and nestled on the carpet with the
older man. They were both of various stages of undress, Mulder
still in his regulation suit although there was nothing
regulation about the way his shirt , belt and trousers were open
and twisted. Skinner's pajama trousers, in turn, were around
his knees. Once they found the floor too hard, they both stood
up, with Skinner putting his nightclothes to rights, while
Mulder shed his clothes right then and there and went up to take a
shower. Skinner shook his head as he gathered up Mulder's
discarded clothes and luggage and brought it up to the bedroom
to dispose of properly.
Once he came back from his shower, Mulder crawled into bed and
snuggled against Skinner as the older man watched the late news
while Mulder started to snore. He awakened when Skinner nudged
him insistently.
"I want to congratulate you, baby," Skinner said. "I just got
your efficiency rating from your AD. It's the highest in your
unit, even higher than Scully's. So you're a pretty damned good
agent even when I'm not your supervisor. It's just that you
haven't had objective feedback for the last five years. I just
wanted you to know."
Skinner very rarely if at all notified him of his actual status
in the Bureau because such data were classified from the
underlings.
"So is that why I got that particular homecoming?" It was good
to hear that another Bureau superior agreed to what Skinner
already knew about his skills as an agent.
"Agent Mulder, are you blushing about the news?" Skinner teased.
"Everyone seems to have noticed that it has been a long time
since you ditched your partner, no incident reports have been
filed against you, your paperwork is now superb and your
relations with the local law enforcement staff is agreeable to
all concerned. More importantly, you have not incurred any
injuries to your person and the insurance people are rejoicing.
You have been one good boy for the past months."
"So shouldn't I deserve a kiss?" Mulder pretended to pout.
Skinner chuckled and bestowed a quiet kiss of congratulations on
his forehead. Mulder grinned happily as he settled back under the
covers.
Mulder's next follow-up was on an "even" day three weeks later.
This time, the patients in the waiting room were all avoiding
each other's eyes and the room was quiet. Each was huddled
behind a magazine and Mulder had to settle for the Advocate
while the rest were reading Time, Newsweek and National
Geographic. Of course, he was much better with nary a trace of
the effects of the offending lubricant. But reading the graphic
descriptions on the proper technique of anal intercourse in
another magazine was making him uncomfortable this time. It had
been a difficult three weeks, only made tolerable by the fact
that he had to be frequently out in the field.
Cormier this time did a rectal on him, unlike his last follow
up. The physician was satisfied with the healing and gave him a
slight reprieve. Mulder blushed again when Cormier gave him
strict guidelines on what Skinner could stimulate him with, but
actual intercourse was still out until next week. Mulder
couldn't wait on going home.
Next week, of course, Skinner finally unleashed himself and
roared into Mulder like a freight train, to the agent's delight.
But Skinner was a gentle freight train and things were back to
normal.
"That was great, honey," Skinner moaned as he dismounted from
Mulder. He got up and went to the bathroom. After cleaning up
himself, Skinner went back to the bed where Mulder was still
lying down spread eagled on the bed. The older man cleaned off
the agent and gently checked that no harm had been done. With a
hand on Mulder's shoulder, he urged the agent to turn onto his
back as he wiped off the traces of semen from the bed and from
Mulder.
"Walter, thank you," Mulder said once Skinner got back to bed.
Skinner laughed and told him that after all these years, he
didn't need to be thanked.
"But it's the polite thing to do," Mulder said defensively. "I
always like the way you make love to me."
"Always?" Skinner teased.
"Well...when you're not in a hurry," Mulder clarified. He still
had sore memories of the time when Skinner just made Deputy
Director.
"What's the best parts of our lovemaking for you?" Skinner's
interest was peaked. He was surprised when Mulder blushed and
took his time in answering.
"When we're face to face...you're taking your time so slowly and
you're so big inside me...and you're so deep..." Mulder began, "And the
lube's just right, not too cold...then you ask me if my legs aren't
tired...I love that about you, Walter...when you're always
asking how I'm doing when we're in the middle of it...I also
know when you're trying to hold back in coming so that I would
come first."
"I'm glad you appreciate my technique," Skinner said drily as he
ran a hand through Mulder's hair. "What else?"
"I really love it sometimes when you forget to remove your
glasses and it's even better for me when you're in a white
shirt," Mulder revealed. "It always reminds me of my first time
with you when I thought you were the stern and gruff AD. I like
it too when you're close to coming and you make those small
sounds. What about you, Walter?"
"I like it when you're so aroused you're almost incoherent,"
Walter began. "It's great when we're face to face, but
sometimes when we do it with you lying on your front, I really
love it when I have a clear view of your buttocks and it gives
me a rush when I part it. Then once I'm in you, and we're going
at it really hot, you rise up on your knees and the feel of your
stomach under my hands when I'm supporting you. It has this
special feel when I come inside and when I withdraw. I love the
way you smell too. Then once we're finished, it isn't complete
for me until I clean you up. I'm glad you allow me to do that."
"Unlike you, I like it better when you're completely naked,"
Skinner added. They were feeling especially close to each
other. It was the first time they ever did these true
confessions thing and Mulder was feeling vulnerable again. He
was lying on top of Skinner under the covers, with his head on
Skinner's chest. Skinner was alternately rubbing his back and
running his hand through his hair. Then he felt Skinner's hand
straying to his buttock and Mulder sighed when Skinner
once again had his right index finger going in and out of
Mulder's anus. At first the younger man was still except for
parting his legs. But he found that he needed to move and his
squirming brought his hardening penis against Skinner's right
hip. Mulder couldn't help himself and found that he was
grinding against Skinner's hip with his right leg thrown
carelessly across the older man's leg.
"That's it, honey, you're so hot," Skinner encouraged him as he
continued the in and out motion of his right index finger.
Mulder had been deprived of his anal stimulation too long and
was now making up for lost time. Skinner maneuvered his hand
and managed to gently scrape against the younger man's prostate.
"Right there, Walter!" Mulder gasped and ejaculated after
Skinner pressed on his prostate again. This time Mulder was
limp after having come twice for the night.
"Good night, Fox," Skinner kissed the younger man and wiped him
clean.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AQUARIUM UNCLE
Mulder looked up with apprehension at the large Georgetown
townhouse. He tried to smile bravely at Skinner before they got
out of the car. He still couldn't believe it when Skinner's
Uncle Charles had invited them over for dinner. Mulder hadn't
wanted to come and had argued with Skinner for accepting the
invitation without telling him. For once, Skinner rightfully
got angry at him for whining about it. He probably wouldn't
have his job now if it hadn't been for Skinner's relatives.
So now, he stood with Skinner by the front door, feeling stupid
in his new blazer and tie. Skinner even told him what to wear.
He was surprised that the older man hadn't slicked down his hair
with water to make him presentable, just like what his mom did to him
when he was a little kid.
It was the first time that one of their own relatives was
meeting them as a couple.
A major part of Mulder's apprehension, however, had more to do
with unpleasant memories. For him, seeing relatives for dinner
meant reprimands and resentful silences. It didn't help matters
any that this Georgetown building had a glaring resemblance to
Bill Mulder's Boston townhouse.
"Relax," Skinner murmured as he gave Mulder's arm a squeeze.
Skinner rang the doorbell and was surprised when Uncle Charles
answered the door himself.
The old man greeted them warmly, saying that it was good that
Skinner looked well.
"So this is your...partner?" Uncle Charles asked as Skinner
thrust Mulder forward. The handsome younger man looked positively
nervous.
"You've met Fox Mulder before at the hospital, Uncle," Skinner
said.
"Pleased to meet your, sir," Mulder held out his hand but was
surprised when Skinner's uncle gave him an embrace just like
he'd done with Skinner.
"So I heard that you're the newest family member," Uncle Charles
smiled kindly.
The dinner went smoothly with the old man having an open mind
about their relationship. Mulder's resentment about Skinner
keeping him in the dark about his relatives evaporated when he
learned the whole story. It turned out that Skinner and Uncle
Charles were especially close and had known about his existence
since the MJ files fiasco. Uncle and nephew kept in touch with
calls at the office and not at home. They were only invited now
because Uncle Charles' wife wouldn't have understood, being the
very proper lady that she was. She'd even strongly disapproved
of Skinner's divorce so it was accurately predicted that it
would have been asking too much of her in her old age to
understand Skinner's new lifestyle. However, now that she was
dead, Uncle Charles felt it was time to renew seeing his
favorite nephew.
"You don't get to be my age and seen much of the world's
troubles without becoming tolerant over some things that would
have shocked me when I was younger," Uncle Charles explained.
He took it seriously when his dear sister had told him to keep a
close eye on her son at her deathbed.
The old man was genuinely curious about Mulder and about his
background. Skinner had to smile when he realized that Mulder
was being grilled much the same way Sharon had undergone the
same treatment when she'd met his mother for the first time.
Mulder initially stammered in response and was intensely
uncomfortable. It was always difficult talking about his family. It
was even more difficult talking about your relatives over a steak
dinner. The food was always getting stuck in his throat. Meeting one's
in-laws was hard enough without having to reveal that your father was
dead by an assassin and your sister kidnapped.
"Your mother doesn't know about you and Walter?" Uncle Charles
asked in surprise.
"Fox's mom is old fashioned, too, Uncle Charles," Skinner
smoothly interrupted when he saw that Mulder was getting
distressed at the line of questioning. "As of now, we feel that
she wouldn't understand."
"But you are her only child, aren't you?" Uncle Charles probed.
Mulder nodded and was relieved when Skinner skillfully steered
the conversation to a more general topic.
It helped immensely that Uncle Charles had an interest in the
paranormal and the old man and Mulder had a lively discussion
about ghosts. By the end of the evening, Uncle Charles had a
genuine affection for the agent and there was talk about seeing
both of them again.
"See, it wasn't so bad," Skinner said once he started the drive
home. Mulder slumped in his seat and loosened his tie. Skinner
felt the beginnings of a headache, something that meant that he
had been clenching his jaw too much throughout the evening.
They were both wrung out.
"I was just waiting for him to tell me to open my mouth to check
my teeth," Mulder said tiredly. "Do you think he liked me?"
"Yes, especially since you're the only one who ever took a
serious interest in his sighting of that ghost in his house,"
Skinner chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if he calls you for
all your ghost paraphernalia someday to check out the veracity
of his story."
Skinner's suspicions were right. Within the month, Uncle
Charles called up Mulder at home and they set up ghost hunting
nights. It wasn't unusual for Mulder to spend a night once a
month in the Georgetown house as the two vainly tried to
document the elusive ghost. Mulder inevitably became close to
the old man and Skinner looked on in benign amusement as Mulder
started treating Uncle Charles as a his own kind elderly uncle.
Mulder didn't have memories of his maternal grandfather while
his paternal grandfather had been a man to stay away from since
even Bill Mulder had feared him.
Things were getting serious between Uncle Charles and Mulder
when the agent set up an aquarium for the old man. Pretty soon,
dinner with Uncle Charles became an almost weekly affair for the
three of them, regularly set at Thursday nights if their
schedules matched. It came to the point that Mulder would even
come over even if Skinner wasn't available. It was nice having a
relative accept them for what they were and it was even nicer that
Uncle Charles had accepted Mulder so wholeheartedly.
Meanwhile, Mulder still continued to send Hallmark cards to his
mother on a regular basis, although none of them were ever
acknowledged. As far as Skinner knew, the last time Mulder ever
saw his mom was four years ago after the MJ files.
Now that four years had passed since he last saw her, Mulder was
missing his mother terribly but never talked about it with
Skinner. The agent saw it as his mother not wanting to see him
because he was a terrible son, instead of the other way around,
that Mrs. Mulder wasn't seeing him because she was a terrible
mother. His now infrequent nightmares centered on feelings of
abandonment, feelings engendered by his unfeeling mother.
These last few months, Mulder's old obsession of finding
Samantha was more acute, because to his mind, that was the only
way that his mother was ever going to acknowledge his existence
once again. Skinner rolled his eyes much like Scully would have
done once he learned that Uncle Charles was now Mulder's partner
in finding Samantha. Uncle Charles' more vast resources and
staff were recruited in sifting through endless data to look
for Samantha.
Apparently, the two were now fast friends and it just made
Skinner glad that Mulder had another friend to rely on. It was
just icing on the cake that Uncle Charles was his favorite
relative. Mulder made it his mission to check on Uncle Charles'
aquarium regularly as a way of keeping in constant touch with
the old man.
CHAPTER NINE
PERFUME ON MY SHIRT COURTESY OF THE GOOD LITTLE AGENT
It was another late night for Skinner. Mulder woke up groggily
on the bed as he heard Skinner come into their bedroom. It was
past midnight and he could see that Skinner didn't have a good
time at the dinner. Skinner had tiptoed into the room, trying
to avoid making noise as he undressed and washed.
Skinner seemed to take a long time in washing and when he
slipped into bed, he flinched when he realized that Mulder was
somewhat awake and was embracing him. Mulder sniffed and came
fully awake when he smelled the perfume on Skinner.
"Walter, that's perfume," Mulder sniffed again, trying to keep
the quaver from his voice.
"Well, the prim and proper lawyer from the DJ Scully set me up
with turned out to be not so prim and proper," Skinner groused.
"She couldn't keep her hands off me the whole night. Whatever
gave Scully the impression that I would be safe with that...that
hussy?"
"Hussy; Walter?" Mulder relaxed. From the genuine tone of his
voice and his honest indignation, Skinner was telling the truth. "No
one uses that word anymore."
"Slut then," Skinner said. "Once we were in the car, her hands
kept straying everywhere. I swear, Fox, that was an octopus if
I ever saw one. Even the presence of the driver didn't deter
her one bit. You should see all the lipstick on my shirt."
"Because I bet she found you so cute in your tuxedo," Mulder
said good naturedly. "You really are hard to resist in your tux,
Walter."
"I just wish that I could take you to these stupid benefit
dinners," Skinner sighed. "Aside from being so boring, I have
to have a blind date each time. It's getting to be a pain
having to deal with these blind dates. Maybe it would be a good
idea to try one of those escort services...after all they're
professionals and we could explain the situation..."
"Don't you dare!" Mulder said indignantly.
"She had her hands all over me," Skinner said in bemusement, "I
guess I haven't lost it with women, huh?'
"You haven't lost it with anyone, Walter," Mulder was starting
to get jealous. Skinner could see that and continued on with
his blow by blow account on how he had to fend off his date.
Mulder's frown just became darker. When Skinner finally smiled,
as his account got more elaborate, the younger man realized that
he was being teased and playfully punched him.
...............................................
Scully noticed a profound change in her partner since Skinner
was made Deputry Director. Mulder was a lot more serious in his
work and their closure rate just continued to climb. At first, with
AD Wilson, she thought that the adjustment period would mean
more reprimands just like when Skinner first became their AD the
first year she and Mulder were partners. But it seemed that
Mulder was being very careful with his work and was anxious to
show Scully that having Skinner for his lover didn't mean that
he would slack off.
Mulder was more settled now these last few months, compared to the time
when Skinner was first made DD. She had the distinct impression that
Mulder was unhappy for about a few months. But now, Scully could see
that Mulder was positively glowing, especially more so on Monday
mornings when she knew that they came from their weekend retreats.
"So, I guess sex with the DD has been good?" Scully had to
tease him as they sat down for lunch in a booth in their usual
Monday morning pub.
"Sculleee!" Mulder hissed, looking around the restaurant in
embarrassment. He could feel his face going hot and Scully was
smirking knowingly at him. He looked at her for a moment then
he had to ask. "Am I that transparent?"
"Yes, Mulder," Scully confirmed, patiently. "Every Monday
morning, you return to the basement like you've been recharged.
You're very cheerful and breezy and it's actually funny by the
way you try to look so nonchalant..."
"Breezy, Scully?"
"And you have this pink glow on your cheeks," Scully continued
unabated. "Mulder, I can even tell on weekdays when..."
"Scullee!"
"But Mulder I told you you're quite transparent," Scully stated.
"And for the past few weeks, it's almost everyday, hasn't it? Or
should I say every night?"
Mulder was too embarrassed to answer that. She was now such a
good little agent that she barely missed such details anymore.
"I guess he's insatiable," Scully said. "So I guess it's true about
what they say of bald men."
Mulder was now covering his reddened face with his hands.
Their burgers were promptly brought by the waitress and for
once, Mulder didn't wolf it down like the usual way. He was
desperately trying for a quick retort but for the life of him he
couldn't think of something in Scully that would indicate the
same thing for her. Up to now, her private life has been just
that, private. She was still enigmatic about her love life.
"I'm just thankful, Scully," Mulder opened up, looking at her
with earnestness. "We're going on our sixth year now and you
know how unusual that is for people like us."
Scully smiled kindly and her eyes grew wide when Mulder took off
his watch and showed the inscription to her. It wasn't lost on her
that the watch was so expensive.
"He's the romantic type," Scully was surprised. It was hard to
reconcile the stern and gruff and by-the-book DD with the
side that Mulder obviously loved so much. That was why she had
been so startled when she witnessed the stolen kiss between the
two men in the airport so many months ago.
"Well, he is," Mulder found that his voice had a defensive tone.
"But he's romantic only to me."
"And that's the way it should be," Scully said with finality.
They finished their burgers and they rose to leave. There were
a lot of other agents in the restaurants and Scully nodded and
smiled at some of the ones she knew. Both of them paid for
their bill at the door; it wasn't so unexpected when the machine
wouldn't accept Mulder's charge card. The double doors suddenly
flew open and a whole slew of Bureau personnel came in with
Walter Skinner in the midst of it.
Skinner almost lost it then, seeing Mulder arguing with the
cashier. Most likely he was overdrawn again and seeing the
younger man in such a typical Mulderish predicament almost
brought an affectionate but highly uncharacteristic grin on
Skinner's face. Only Scully was able to see ghost of a repressed smile
as Skinner schooled his features to its usual Bureau mode.
"Oh, Mulder," Scully said, trying not to grin herself. "Let me
pay for it. You owe me one for this."
It was completely surreal for Scully as Mulder and Skinner
nodded to each other, desperately holding on to the fiction that
this was just an encounter between an agent and his previous
boss at a Bureau watering hole.
"Good afternoon, sir," Scully said cheerfully as she signed for
Mulder's lunch She found that it was quite easy to be cheerful
to their old boss because of what Mulder had let slip during
lunch. Her partner had merely confirmed her suspicions that
Skinner must have been pretty horny for the past months. And
here was their old boss trying to maintain a semblance of decorum
between the three of them. Sometimes, life with these two was downright
bizarre.
Skinner nodded at her too before proceeding through the
restaurant with his party. Before they went through the doors,
Scully glanced behind her and saw that Skinner was working the
tables, greeting the people that he knew. Well, she must say that
Skinner has refined his networking abilities to a new high.
"That was close, Mulder," Scully said as she got into the car.
"He almost smiled at you in a not so professional way."
"Can I help it if I'm so irresistible?" Mulder deadpanned.
Scully hit him on the arm as he tweaked her nose.