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Disclaimers: Mulder, Skinner, and Scully belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions and not to me. I know this, I am not completely delusional. I'm sorry I'm writing smutty stories about them.

Other: Well, I'm kinda' sorry.

Author: annezo @ fastmail . fm

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Trapped. Walter shot a glance at the door to the hallway, then turned to face the woman who had just entered the room. "Mrs. Tyler." He nodded politely.

"Were you waiting for me, Mr. Skinner?" A tight smile worked its way across her face.

"Not at all," the AD explained smoothly. "Ms Edwardson," he nodded politely toward the young woman seated at the desk, "has been very helpful. I believe I have all of the information that I need at this time." He gathered up the two file folders in front of him and tried to edge his way casually toward the door.

A subtle shift and she was blocking his path. "If I could have a moment of your time, Mr. Skinner."

"Actually, Mrs. Tyler, " he glanced at his watch, "I'm rather busy today."

"Just a moment," she insisted.

He hesitated, then surrendered to the inevitable. It's a public place, he told himself firmly.

"My office is this way," she said with satisfaction. Before Walter could object, she led the way to the small office carved out of one corner of the large room. She held the door for him insistently. He couldn't suppress the quick stab of panic that shot though him as the door closed.

She waited until he took one of the hard chairs in front of her desk, then seated herself next to him quickly. "I'm glad we have this opportunity to chat, Mr. Skinner." She smiled and Walter fought the urge to lean away from her. "I've been wanting to ask you for you assistance."

"If you have a problem with your department, Mrs. Tyler," he said hastily, "I'm certain that your supervisor . . ."

"I can handle my department, Mr. Skinner," she said abruptly, then bit her lip. "It's a . . . rather personal problem."

Walter panicked. "Mrs. Tyler, I hardly think I am the one . . ."

"But you are," she assured him warmly. "You're exactly the person who can help me."

Walter could have sworn he felt sweat breaking out on his forehead. He hoped it was his imagination. "Really?" he asked weakly.

"Yes." She glanced away, then leaned toward him. "It's my son."

"Your son?"

"Yes." She nodded. "He's at a difficult age and I was hoping that another man," she smiled at him intimately, and Walter's stomach churned, "might be able to offer some me advice."

"I'm afraid I don't have any children, Mrs. Tyler," he said firmly. "However, I'm certain that the Personnel department has some excellent . . ."

"I don't want to bother them," she interrupted. "They're very busy up there, after all. And it is such a personal matter."

"Perhaps you should discuss the matter with a friend," Walter offered. "Someone who has children of their own."

"You and Jimmy have a great deal in common," she said fondly. "Both very strong men." She sighed. "He misses a father's influence."

To Walter's horror, she laid her hand over his wrist where it rested on the arm of the chair. "I was hoping that you might be willing to speak with him," she explained. "To give him some advice."

"Mrs. Tyler." Walter fought the impulse to pull his arm away from her touch. "I don't know how old your son is but I'm sure that he would justifiably resent any interference from a stranger in his personal life.

"He's just going through such a difficult stage," she said wistfully. "And there are some things . . ." She left the sentence unfinished and Walter tried not to speculate on what she might have been going to say.

"Possibly a school counselor," he offered weakly. How old is her son?

She laughed. 'Goodness no, Mr. Skinner," she said coyly. "Why my Jimmy is long out of school." She glowed with pleasure at the implied compliment to her age. "I assure you, he's quite grown up."

"In that case," and Walter finally managed to reclaim his arm when she lifted her hand to smooth her hair needlessly, "I am positive that there is no chance he would be willing to take advice from me. I'm a complete stranger to him."

"That could be easily remedied." Mrs. Tyler pounced on the idea. "Why don't you come over for dinner and I can introduce the two of you. I would really appreciate it. I've been so worried about him lately.

Walter marshaled his strength, determined to free himself from the awkward situation. "I don't think that would be at all appropriate, under the circumstances."

She ignored him, fumbling for something on her desk. "That's my Jimmy," she crooned, pointing at one of the photos in the double frame. "He's such a handsome boy, isn't he?"

Walter glanced down at the young man in the photo. Blonde, with a sulky, sensuous face. He was really quite stunning. How on earth . . . He looked at Mrs. Tyler's plain, angular face.

"He's the image of his father, isn't he?" She pointed at the second photo. It showed a man in his late twenties with a strong resemblance to the young man in the other photo. Especially the sulky expression.

"My husband." The woman stared at the picture expressionlessly. "He passed away some time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Walter mumbled uncomfortably.

"We were married for just six years," she explained unnecessarily. "We were," her fingers twitched, "very compatible. It isn't easy, Mr. Skinner, to find someone to replace a man like my husband." She stared at Walter intently and he looked back at her, trapped in the colorless, intense stare.

A light tap on the door interrupted the uncomfortable moment. A moment later the young woman who had been watching the front desk peeked and. Smiling apologetically, she said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Tyler, but Mr. Skinner's wanted urgently."

Walter stood up. "It's no problem, Ms. Edwardson," he said quickly. "Thank you . . . " He wasn't certain what to say to the older woman. Thanking her for her time didn't seem to be quite appropriate. "Mrs. Tyler." He nodded and left the room before anything else could be said.

In the large outer room, Agent Mulder leaned against the counter, leafing through the files piled in front of him. I should have known. That was another problem Walter had to deal with. So far there didn't seem to be any repercussions from that ill-fated dinner with the agent. In spite of the way the evening had ended up, Mulder's behavior in the office was exactly what it had always been. Adequately professional, frequently challenging, and almost impersonal.

"Agent Mulder?" The question in his voice was clear. Mulder and Scully didn't have any cases open at the moment that should have required an urgent visit with the AD.

"May I speak with you, sir?" Mulder gathered up the files, opened the door to the hallway and waited impatiently.

Walter smiled his gratitude at the young woman again and followed the agent into the hallway. "Is there a problem?" He glanced around. "Where is Agent Scully?"

"In the office," Mulder said coolly. He led the way down the hallway and pushed the button for the elevator.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

"Actually, it was more in the nature of a rescue." Mulder's lips twitched and he looked away.

Walter wanted to deny it, but honesty prevented him. It had to be Mulder, again, didn't it? "Thank you," he said awkwardly.

"Everything has a price, Walter."

The casual use of his first name warned Walter of what was about to happen. "What do you mean?"

The elevator chimed softly as the car reached the bottom floor. Mulder glanced at the door, then turned and headed back down the hallway. "7:15," he said over his shoulder. He smiled wickedly. "Wear something sexy." He sauntered off down the hallway, whistling an off-key rendition of On the Road Again.

Walter gritted his teeth in frustration. Unfortunately, the elevator door opened while he was still trying to formulate an objection. Another pair of agents stepped into the hallway and Mulder disappeared around a corner. Damn it. No way.

* * * *

For reasons he didn't want to investigate, Walter found himself watching the clock that afternoon. Kim left at 5:00 and the AD kept working at his desk, as was his habit. At 6:00, he found himself walking into the parking garage below the building, headed toward his car. Why am I doing this? Why am I letting 'him' do this?

He assumed that Mulder intended to pick him up. Or show up at his apartment for . . . whatever it was he had in mind. When the agent arrived, Walter would put a stop to it. He reassured himself of this fact several times as he showered and changed clothes. Whatever 'it' was that Mulder had in mind. He poured himself a quick drink, ignoring the sensation in his stomach that felt suspiciously like butterflies. I am 'not' nervous!

He dropped onto the couch and sipped his drink, watching the hands of the clock crawl past seven and toward the deadline. He may have been kidding, he realized. In fact, he probably had been. Mulder had a weird and warped sense of humor. Walter's fingers tightened around the glass in his hand. He probably laughed all the way back to his office, then forgot all about it. He glanced at the clock. It was ten past the hour. What the hell am I doing?

He stood up and dropped the glass onto the table. He'd change and get some work done. Shit. He hadn't brought home any of the work accumulated on his desk. It was the first time in months that he had walked out of the office without a stack of urgent reports to work his way through before morning. He hesitated, then shrugged. He'd watch television. There had to be a game on somewhere. It would make a nice change.

The doorbell rang. The noise washed over him, echoing in the empty apartment. It wasn't a joke. For a second he tried to pretend that it wasn't relief that poured through him, then he gave up the struggle and opened the door.

"Hey," the younger man said casually. He wandered into the room and glanced around. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Walter stared at him blankly.

"Dinner." Mulder shrugged off his coat and dropped it on a chair.

"Oh." I am not going to let him do this.

"Well?"

"Agent Mulder."

"There you go again." The other man shook his head. "I thought we worked this out last time."

"Why are you here?"

Mulder looked at him, eyes narrowed, then closed the space between them. Sliding his arms around the older man's waist, Mulder kissed him savagely. Heat flooded Walter's veins. The anticipation he had been trying to ignore flamed into passion and he locked Mulder's lean body against his and returned the kiss, devouring the mouth against his desperately.

"Fuck you, Walter," Mulder mumbled breathlessly when the kiss ended.

"What?" Walter refused to let go of his prize. "Didn't you want . . . ."

"What the hell have you been waiting for?" Mulder demanded. "I've been waiting for you to do something, or say something, or . . ." He bit his lip and glared at Walter. "I was beginning to think I'd dreamed the entire thing."

"Why didn't you say something?" Walter countered.

Mulder shrugged. "I figured if you hadn't changed your mind, you'd let me know."

"How could I change my mind when I wasn't given a choice in the first place?" Walter objected.

"Is that going to be your excuse?" Mulder narrowed his eyes. "Would you prefer the carnal delights of Mrs. Tyler's boudoir?"

"I'd prefer to leave Mrs. Tyler's boudoir out of this discussion."

"It's that head-in-the-sand attitude that got you into this situation," the agent remarked. "Maybe you'd like to reconsider your tactics."

Walter leaned back and stared at the younger man. "That's a very cold-blooded approach."

Mulder shrugged casually. "We tried romance, remember? You didn't seem to care for it."

"Romance? I must have missed that one. I remember something suspiciously like blackmail." Walter raised his eyebrows and waited politely.

"There were white tablecloths," Mulder defended. "And a basket of those little mints on the way out the door." He grinned. "Can't get much more romantic than that."

"You're talking too much again," Walter said critically.

"That's because no one is kissing me."

"Possibly because you forgot to fill me in on this evening's agenda."

"Did you have any doubts?"

"I wouldn't know," Walter told him coolly. "I've never been blackmailed before."

"You're doing a lot of bitching for a guy who hasn't taken his hands off of me since I came through the door," Mulder pointed out. "What's a little friendly blackmail between friends? Just relax and enjoy it."

"So, what is on the agenda?" Walter released the agent reluctantly and stepped away. It might be time to lay some ground rules. About how they couldn't make a habit of this, for one thing.

Mulder followed his example, wandering on into the living room and looking around quickly before he turned to face his boss again. "I don't know," he admitted. "I've never blackmailed anyone before."

"So this was more of a spur-of-the moment type of crime?"

"I'm the impulsive type." Mulder relaxed noticeably, shoving his hands into his pockets. A quick, almost shy smile invited Walter to move closer and he accepted the invitation unconsciously.

"Agent Mulder." Walter's quiet voice crossed the inches between them, bridging the suddenly tense atmosphere of the room.

"Yeah?" Their eyes locked and Mulder's searched his face for something.

"Why did you come here this evening?"

"I guess I just . . . ." The younger man licked his lips nervously. "I just thought it might be nice to be here," he hedged.

"Why?" Walter insisted, moving fractionally closer. He was close enough to feel the heat from the other man's skin, close enough to feel the caress of Mulder's breath when the other man almost whispered his response.

"You know why."

"I want to hear you say it, Agent Mulder."

"Basketball," Mulder blurted out.

Walter froze. "What?"

"Basketball." Mulder glared at him defiantly. "I thought you might like to get together and watch the game."

Walter stepped forward ominously and Mulder moved back a matching step. "You're full of shit, Agent Mulder."

"I warned you last time about that 'Agent' thing breaking the mood," Mulder said weakly.

"I've never known you to lack the courage of your convictions before." Walter moved forward another step and Mulder backed up, then found himself trapped against the back of a chair.

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me why you came here tonight."

Mulder stared at him, then gave in with another of those meltingly shy smiles. "I want you."

"Do you?" Walter pretended to consider the statement casually. "How interesting." He suppressed the surge of triumph and nodded.

"Well? Is the interrogation over?"

"Not quite." Now was the time for those ground rules Walter had wanted to introduce. Now, before Mulder's proximity robbed him of whatever little common sense he still retained. "I think we'd better come to an understanding."

"No," Mulder interrupted impatiently. Leaning back from the waist, he stripped off his sweater and dropped it onto the floor. He was in Walter's arms before the older man could react, their bodies pressed tightly together. Under his hands the skin of Mulder's back felt like silk. No, it felt better than silk. Warm and smooth and tight.

Walter stared into the hazel eyes, trying to organize his thoughts. "We need to . . . "

"We don't need to do anything. Walter," and Mulder took a deep breath. "Do you want me to be here?"

"Yes." The admission was out before he could stop it or temper it with caution.

"And I want to be here," Mulder said with relief. He buried his face in the older man's neck, muffling his next words. "And this would be a shitty time to tell me you don't want me to drop my socks on the floor, or to sing in the shower, or that you want me to get the hell out of here and never come back, or whatever the hell you were planning to say."

"It wasn't quite any of those." Walter ran his hands over Mulder's skin, relishing the sensation. His hands slid down to the rough denim of the tight jeans and continued down to cup the firm mounds of the younger man's ass.

"It was something like that," Mulder accused, "or you would have kissed me again by now."

"You mentioned that before," Walter said thoughtfully.

"Then why aren't you doing it?" Mulder growled in frustration.

Walter stared down at the sweet, sulky face, prolonging the anticipation. "You are a pushy bastard, aren't you, Mulder?"

"You haven't seen anything yet," the younger man threatened. He smiled up at Walter coaxingly. "Any time now would be good."

Walter's breath caught in his throat for a moment. "If you look at me like that again," he managed to say, "I'm going to rip your clothes off and fuck you right here on the living room floor."

"If you don't get on with it," Mulder threatened, "I'm going to knock you down, handcuff you, and rape you."

Walter froze, his mouth a bare half-inch from Mulder's lips, and contemplated the erotic possibilities of that scenario. "Is that what you had in mind?" The idea had a lot of appeal. Too much. He was getting in over his head and didn't know how to back down. "This is not a good idea."

"I thought we agreed not to go there?"

"Why me?"

"Because you were the one I wanted."

"Because I'm your boss?" That was a mistake. He knew it as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Absolutely. I'm bucking for promotion, you know."

"That's not exactly what I meant."

"I think you're stalling for time, hoping I'll change my mind."

"Is it working?"

"Jesus," Mulder swore softly. "And people think I talk too damned much!"

Walter laughed into the frustrated hazel eyes. He curved the fingers of one hand around the back of Mulder's neck and slid his other hand into the crevice at the back of Mulder's thighs. "You do." His mouth closed over Mulder's savagely, forcing the soft lips apart and plundering the moist interior.

Mulder's laugh of triumph was muffled by the kiss, as was his groan when strong fingers forced their way into the cleft of his ass, fingering him through the tight jeans.

Lack of oxygen forced them apart eventually. Mulder's hands pulled at the soft fabric of Walter's sweater, dragging it up until he revealed the expanse of his lover's bare chest. Walter ignored the younger man's attempt to undress him. The skin of Mulder's neck under his mouth was even softer than the warm flesh of his back. Walter licked it, tasting sweat and excitement, then bit the tender skin recklessly, sucking until the flesh turned red under his mouth. He was leaving an unmistakable mark but that would be Mulder's problem.

Not that Mulder seemed to care. One hand held Walter's sweater pushed up tightly under his armpits while the other stroked his back sensuously. His hips thrust against Walter's insistently, rubbing their erections together under the cloth that separated them.

When Walter's fingers probed his ass again, Mulder's body melted against him. Walter pushed the younger man to the floor abruptly. Mulder caught himself automatically, a noise of protest forced out of him when his back hit the floor. Walter dropped to his knees between Mulder's thighs, ignoring his complaints. He ripped the button and zipper open on the younger man's jeans, dragging them off his hips roughly. Mulder gasped and then laughed shakily, wincing when the tight fabric pulled his confined erection painfully. Walter shifted position, pulling off the interfering shoes and socks, then stripped off the jeans and threw them aside. He resumed his position between Mulder's outspread thighs, hot eyes devouring the exposed body laid out in front of him.

His attention was drawn by the erect cock, swollen and flushed with arousal. Walter slid his hands under Mulder's hips and pulled them up to meet his mouth, his lips sliding over and down the hardness of his lover's erection. Mulder cried out again and squirmed against his hands, unable to get his feet braced to thrust himself deeper into the hot wetness. His wriggling was all the encouragement Walter needed and he sucked the hard cock toward his throat, driving his mouth down the shaft until it filled his mouth completely.

Mulder's hands clawed the carpet as he begged and protested. "Shit . . . yes, Walter! Please . . . I'm going to . . . ."

Walter pulled his mouth free reluctantly, and dropped his head until he could reach the vulnerable balls tucked under the hard cock. He lavished the sensitive skin with wet kisses, hearing Mulder's moans of appreciation through the pounding of his own heart. He worked his way lower, across the tender skin and back into the cleft of the firm ass, using his hands to pull apart the mounds of Mulder's ass until his mouth rested against the puckered flesh that protected the opening. Walter probed the small area with his tongue, feeling Mulder's body go limp at the voluptuous sensation. He probed again, forcing his tongue inside the protected channel and Mulder whimpered, his body relaxing until the wet, slick probe moved in and out of him easily. Walter lapped at the flesh, tasting salt and sweat and heat. Noises of encouragement and pleasure spilled from Mulder.

Unwillingly, Walter pulled away, dropping one last kiss on the slick flesh. His hands loosened their grip on the smooth curves of Mulder's ass as he lowered the firm hips back to the floor. He stood up and started stripping himself out of his clothing, staring down at Mulder's prone body.

The younger man licked his lips, his eyes bright with passion and excitement. His hands roamed over his chest restlessly, stroking down along the planes of his stomach and across his thighs, but avoiding his cock.

"I'm ready now." Mulder's voice was husky and demanding.

Walter dropped back to his knees, forcing Mulder's thighs farther apart and lifting them to rest on his own thighs. He pushed Mulder's hands away from the smooth chest impatiently, running his own fingers over the satin flesh and tweaking the tiny nubs of the excited nipples. Bracing himself with a hand on either side of Mulder's head, he leaned over the outstretched body. Mulder clawed at the carpet again, then grabbed Walter's wrists in a strong grip. Teasing them both, Walter leaned forward until their erect cocks brushed against each other, twisting his hips to repeat the caress again and again. His mouth teased Mulder's in a similar rhythm, his tongue sliding into the soft warmth and disappearing again before his lover could respond. He kept the soft torture up until they were both trembling.

Walter pulled one hand free of Mulder's frenzied grip and cupped it around both erections. He stroked the tips, gathering the slick moisture seeping from the crowns and smoothing it down over his own flesh carefully.

Mulder watched him through half-closed eyes. His hair, damp with sweat, was rumpled from his squirming against the unyielding carpet. His mouth was swollen from the kisses and from where he had bitten his lips when his excitement threatened to overwhelm him. He made a tempting and erotic picture. Walter's cock throbbed dangerously. Now.

He positioned himself, then pushed slowly against the pucker of flesh, still wet from his mouth. Slowly, relentlessly, he forced himself deeper until he was almost buried in the hot warmth. The muscles surrounding his cock clenched tightly, then gradually relaxed as Mulder's body accepted the invasion. When he felt the snug warmth around him loosen, Walter pulled back until the head of his cock slipped outside the tight ring of muscle.

"No . . . ." Mulder protested and tried to reclaim the invader.

Lost in his own pleasure, Walter ignored the protest. He thrust forward again, re-sheathing his cock with agonizing slowness, feeling the tight hot channel slide across his flesh. It was almost too sweet. He pulled himself free and Mulder protested again.

"You still talk too much." Walter rolled Mulder onto his stomach and repositioned him, his thighs pulled apart, legs wrapped around Walter's thighs. Not the most comfortable position for Mulder, but the view from Walter's angle was superb. Grabbing a thick pillow from the chair, Walter stuffed it under Mulder's hips for support.

He captured Mulder's wrists and imprisoned them, one on each side of his neck. Walter leaned forward until his cock brushed against the exposed cleft of the firm ass. He rubbed his cock against the sweat and spit damp skin slowly, letting the sensation wash over him.

Mulder ignored his restrained hands, his entire concentration focused on Walter's erection probing his ass. When he felt the swollen head slide into the opening again, Mulder moaned approvingly. Walter paused, then with one brutal thrust he buried the length of his cock inside of his lover.

Mulder cried out in surprise. Walter gave the younger man a few seconds to readjust to the sensation, then turned his attention back to his own pleasure. The flesh around his cock was hot and tight. He fucked it slowly, feeling the incredible responsiveness, letting the approving noises from Mulder's throat encourage him for a few seconds. He wanted more.

Walter dropped his forehead down to rest between Mulder's shoulder blades and let his need set the pace. Faster. He could still taste the bittersweet flavor of Mulder on his tongue, he could smell the mingled odors of their excitement. Every hard thrust was met by an incoherent sound of pleasure from the man trapped under him. Harder.

He buried himself deeply where Mulder's body was soft and vulnerable. Every thrust into the hot warmth was met by a ripple of excitement from the surrounding muscles. Now. Walter abandoned thought, riding the mounting pleasure, fucking the helpless body beneath him until the sharp pleasure crested and poured out of him in hot bursts.

Walter let his body slide down until his weight rested against Mulder's back. Aftershocks of his climax shook his body and Walter rocked with them, letting the pleasure ebb slowly.

"Walter . . . Come on." Mulder's hoarse voice brought him back to himself. "Let me come." The agent wriggled urgently under the heavy weight of Walter's body.

"Shut up, Agent Mulder." Walter brushed a kiss against the back of Mulder's neck.

"I let you."

"It wasn't your option."

He pulled free slowly, his still-hard cock sliding out of the warm channel reluctantly. Little encouragement was needed to get Mulder onto his back, his legs still spread enticingly.

The younger man gasped when Walter's cock pushed back inside of him. His earlier urgency sated, Walter fucked his lover slowly and carefully. Bending over, he kissed Mulder's swollen mouth gently, then more deeply. "Touch yourself."

Mulder stared at him, hazel eyes blurred with arousal and incomprehension.

"I want to watch you. Do it."

Mulder slid his hand down his torso until it closed around his red and swollen cock. He stroked the organ firmly, timing his strokes to match the movement of Walter's cock inside of him.

Walter watched Mulder stroking himself, watched the strong grip slid up the length of Mulder's shaft and the fingers stop to tease and caress the slick crown. Mulder's fingers played in the moisture gathering on the head, spreading it over his cock and curling his hand around the shaft, pumping into the slick hot channel his fingers created.

Walter kissed his lover again, then nuzzled his neck, nipping at the flesh teasingly for a few moments, tasting the salt and sweat rolling across the stubbled skin. Eventually he worked his was back up across the firm jaw, recapturing the swollen, reddened lips. He thrust his tongue between Mulder's lips and fucked his mouth with it, staring into Mulder's eyes.

Mulder shuddered and Walter felt the muscles around his cock spasming. Mulder cried out sharply and creamy liquid spurted across his chest. The sight and smell of his lover's climax was enough to bring Walter to the brink a second time. A few more strokes inside the tight channel, Mulder's body clenching him urgently, and his own climax claimed him.

Mulder caught Walter in his arms and helped the older man collapse against his chest.

They rested together in silence for a few minutes. Walter's brain was already trying to tell him he'd made a mistake but he refused to listen. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. He couldn't remember the last time he'd come twice in one hour. Only Mulder.

"Damn," Mulder said with a breathless laugh. "When you offer to fuck a guy's brains out, you mean business, don't you?"

"Can I have a few minutes before we go back to fighting?"

"No rush. I'll be here."

Walter lay there comfortably, not really sleepy but certainly tired enough to need the respite. Eventually the air in the room became too cool for comfort as the sweat rolling across his back started to dry.

"The way I see it, you have two choices," he offered casually.

"And those would be?"

He ignored the wary note in Mulder's voice. "We can shower and go to bed, or you can leave if you'd prefer."

"What? No dinner?" Mulder stretched, rubbing his body against the weight of Walter's.

"I think there are some Fritos in the kitchen."

"Forget it. Chewing sounds like a lot of work." They untangled themselves slowly and headed toward the bathroom. "Let's conserve energy," Mulder suggested. "We can shower together and you can wash my back."

"Whose energy are you trying to conserve?"

"Mine." Mulder grinned. "If I'm spending the night with a sex maniac, I'm going to have to reserve my strength for more important things.

The warm water of the shower was relaxing. They washed each other, hands exploring the exposed territory, watching each other's reactions to each caress, finding and memorizing the most sensitive areas. Walter rubbed Mulder's neck with soap-slick fingers, feeling the last remnants of tension disappearing from the tight muscles. Mulder stroked his lover's arms, letting his fingers linger on the almost ticklish skin of the underarms, probing the hollow carved out under the deep muscles and stroking down the solid torso.

Walter pushed his lover back against the cool tile, laughing at Mulder's flinch of surprise. He kissed the still swollen mouth, rubbing more soap across the planes of Mulder's chest. His fingers found the hard nipples and tweaked the flesh, tugging it gently.

"You're going to get me all turned on again."

Walter kissed him again, slick hands sliding down and around over Mulder's cock, feeling it lengthen and expand under his touch. He played with the sensitive flesh until he was erect under his hands.

"Hey, I warned you." Mulder thrust against the soapy grip and smiled blissfully.

Walter cupped his hands, letting the warm water of the shower pool in his palms, then washed the soap from Mulder's skin. Kneeling, he leaned forward and took his lover's erection into his mouth, licking the swollen crown, then sliding his tongue down the length of underside until the head pressed against the back of his mouth. His hands curved around the mounds of Mulder's ass, massaging the slick flesh as he sucked.

Mulder sighed quietly and his hands wrapped around Walter's head. He thrust into the wet sucking, moaning his approval of the gentle caress. Walter pulled back and teased him for a few seconds, lapping his tongue across the moisture coating the crown, then sucking the length deeply into his throat. He held the position for as long as he could, listening with pleasure to Mulder's ragged breathing. The hands cupping his skull tightened as he pulled back far enough to catch his own breath. Mulder's hips thrust against him gently, then harder as the younger man found a satisfying rhythm.

The warm water cascading across his body felt sensuous and erotic but Walter wasn't interested in his own pleasure this time. He let Mulder establish the pace, letting the younger man fuck his mouth and throat and sucking eagerly at the hard cock.

Walter pressed into the cleft of Mulder's ass and slid one slick finger inside the tender channel. He searched for the pleasure spot, hearing Mulder's gasp of approval when he hit the buried gland. Walter moved his hand in time with his sucking, knowing the tightness of Mulder's body signaled his lover's approaching climax.

Mulder's grip on his head tightened again and his body stiffened. A moment later Walter felt the first hot burst against his throat. He pulled his head back a few inches, letting the rest of the salty liquid pour across his tongue, swallowing as the moisture filled his mouth.

He stayed where he was until the softening cock slipped from between his lips and Mulder's hands fell away from his head. Levering himself carefully to his feet, Walter leaned forward and kissed his lover again.

"I'd like to make some kind of a smart-ass remark," the younger man mumbled, "but I can't think of anything to complain about right now."

"That's a first." Walter gathered Mulder into his arms, letting the water pour across both of them, removing the evidence of their latest encounter.

Mulder pillowed his head on Walter's shoulder for a moment. "Yeah . . . well . . . ."

"Bed?"

"Carry me."

"Who's going to carry me?" Walter turned off the shower and they stepped into the steamy outer bathroom. A quick toweling and both of them headed for the large bed in the other room. They slid between the crisp sheets and Mulder reclaimed his place against Walter's shoulder. A few moments of careful adjustments and they both started to give in to the exhaustion claiming them.

Damn. Walter's original plan for the evening came back to him. Ground rules. He had intended to establish a few things. Things like his fixed intention of resisting Mulder's sexual advances.

"What was she up to this time?"

"Who?" Walter was confused.

"Dame Tyler." Mulder snickered.

Walter wondered where the nickname had come from, and if it was an invention of Mulder's or something in wider use. He decided not to ask. If he didn't know, he couldn't be expected to take any action to stop it. "Nothing."

"Had to be something," Mulder argued, his curiosity obviously roused. "Or did she entice you into her office with her sex appeal and feminine wiles?"

"Agent Mulder." From somewhere Walter found the energy to be annoyed. "It is inappropriate for you to talk about another member of the Bureau staff in those terms."

"Bullshit, Walter." Mulder yawned hugely. "We both know your opinion of her already. You're just not honest enough to admit it."

Walter couldn't let that pass. "If you plan to take advantage of . . . this," he wasn't sure how to refer to what had happened between them, so Walter hurried on, "in order to . . . ."

Whatever he might have said was lost in Mulder's laughter. "Don't tell me you were about to say that you're afraid I'm going to take advantage of sleeping with you to become a discipline problem."

Walter thought about Mulder's history at the Bureau. "Shut up, Mulder."

"What did she want?" The agent returned to his original question with the persistence of a bulldog.

"It was a personal problem."

"I'll bet." Mulder snickered again. "Tell me."

"Tomorrow." Walter knew he was going to have to do something about the woman's advances but he felt too comfortable right now to worry about it. His normally well-organized brain refused to focus on the matter.

"Tell her," Mulder suggested.

"What?"

"About us."

The fog of sleep cleared from Walter's mind abruptly. "You're insane."

"I didn't mean you should tell her you're shagging one of your agents," Mulder said with disgust. "Just tell her you're taken."

Shagging. For a man with a vocabulary large enough for any two ordinary people, Mulder was occasionally able to surprise his boss by his choice of slang. "Am I?"

Mulder lay very still for a moment. "From where I am," he said carefully, "it sure looks that way."

Walter smiled to himself. That certainly answered some of his questions about Mulder's intentions. "Really?"

"Walter . . . ." Mulder's voice was torn between irritation and concern.

"I suppose you're right." Walter pulled his lover's body against his own in a warm hug. "I'll just tell her I have a whole new set of problems to worry about."

"Tell her you have a jealous lover with a gun."

"I don't think so. I'll just tell her it's against my policy to become involved with anyone I work with."

Mulder nipped the smooth muscle near his mouth. "Is it your policy to lie to Bureau employees?"

Walter rolled Mulder over onto his back and draped himself across the warm body, pulling the blankets up around his shoulders. "It's not a lie. I was going to discuss the subject with you this evening."

"Before events overtook you," Mulder mocked. "I don't suppose you plan to make an exception in my favor?"

Walter closed his eyes. "I suppose I'll have to. You're the exception to every other damned rule the Bureau has."

"I appreciate it." Mulder's mouth brushed his forehead lightly. "And, just to prove it, I promise I won't drag her into the nearest storage closet and favor her with the steamy details of tonight's tete a tete."

"You aren't likely to do that." Walter stroked the smooth planes of Mulder's chest and wondered if the younger man was planning to sleep at all.

Mulder chuckled. "Running out of steam?"

A thick, black fog was stealing over Walter's brain. "What does it take to put you to sleep?"

"Besides a two-by-four?" Mulder's hand cupped his chin. "Kiss me and I'll let you sleep."

Walter raised his head and managed to reach Mulder's mouth for a quick, warm kiss. "You go to sleep, Mulder. We'll finish this later."

Another huge yawn shook Mulder's body. "Remember where we left off," he said indistinctly. "You're mine, Tyler's out of luck, and you were about to tell me how she lured your into her office." Seconds later his breathing evened out and Walter realized his lover was asleep.

How the hell does he do that? He shifted some of his weight off of Mulder's chest and relaxed into his own exhaustion. Mulder said something quietly and his arm tightened across Walter's shoulders.

The cloud of sleep that he had been holding off by main force descended on Walter's brain again. He'd probably just made the biggest mistake of his life and he was going to need all the sleep he could get to deal with the situation in the morning.

****

The End