| A Ghost of a Chance |
| By the time he got home, Mulder�s hands had finally stopped shaking. Skinner�s voice there at the end had been deadly. They had crossed a line and there was no going back. He really wasn�t so sure about going in to work tomorrow. If looks could kill, there was no doubt he�d be a dead man right now. But damn, it had been SOOOOOO good! And while it was happening, it seemed like Walter really enjoyed it, wanted it. Hell, he had ASKED for it! More than once. // Methinks he doth protest too much? // Could his post-coital anger be because he DID want it and didn�t want to admit that to himself? Or was it the genuine anger of a man who had been taken advantage of in what even Mulder had to admit was a fuckingly bizarre situation? More than anything, he wanted to call Scully. She was his rock when things got weird. But right at the moment, he just couldn�t handle her eternal skepticism. She�d never believe him, at least not at first. Eventually she�d come around, but right now his nerves were unsettled enough without having to argue with her. No, better to just ride this out alone for the moment. So what exactly WAS going on here? He'd told Skinner he thought the apartment was haunted. He tended to trust his instincts in these things. So why had he said that? He began a mental inventory of what he knew. 1. Nothing had happened all day while they were moving in. It wasn't until Scully left that things got � interesting. So, either whatever was causing this was somehow inhibited by the presence of a female, or something else had triggered things. 1a. Scully kissed Skinner right before she left. Prior to that point nobody had been thinking about sex. Could that have been the trigger instead? If she had stayed, would they have all three ended up together? Mulder chuckled at that thought. // Oh, she'd love that! // More than once, he'd really wished he could love her the way she so obviously wanted him to. But it just wasn't in the cards. OK, on with the list. 2. Once things had gotten started, they had gotten very intense. Six times in one night. He knew his body, knew that he hadn't been capable of anything like that 10 years ago, let alone now. And Skinner was older than he was. If he'd had that kind of stamina, Mulder doubted his marriage would have disintegrated like it had. That alone hinted strongly at a supernatural origin. Even if somebody had slipped some sex-enhancing drug in their drinks at lunch, he couldn't see it lasting THAT long. As he sat there remembering the previous night, he found himself getting hard again. God, had it been good! Too good, in fact. OK, make that item #3. Both quality AND quantity pointed to a supernatural cause. His hand slid over the now prominent bulge in his jeans as he indulged in the memories. When he realized what he was doing, he shook himself out of it. // Focus, Mulder, focus. // OK, so the facts pointed toward something supernatural, something that not only inflamed their arousal but actually enhanced their ability as well. Incubi and succubi were the standard suspects when sexual reactions were experienced, but this situation didn't fit anything he'd ever read about those phenomena. // Could a ghost MAKE him enjoy sex with me if he wasn�t already so inclined? // That was the key question in Mulder's mind. Time for some research; poring over his bookshelves, he pulled out the volumes he had on ghostly behavior and settled in for some reading. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, Mulder woke up on the couch. Obviously, he�d crashed out during his research. The remains of the pizza he�d absent-mindedly ordered for dinner were still on the coffee table. And he still didn�t have a lot of answers. After a quick shower he dressed and headed reluctantly into the office. Luckily, he avoided the big man�s path on his way to his little corner of the basement. He was eager to get access to his computer at work so he could do some research on former tenants of a certain apartment. If there was some sort of spirit present, former tenants were the likeliest source. He was hacking away when Scully arrived a little later. She seemed perplexed. �Mulder? Did something happen Saturday after I left? I just ran into AD Skinner up in the cafeteria and he gave me the oddest look!� Mulder bit his lip, thinking, then decided he might as well tell her. But first he got up and locked the door to make sure they wouldn�t be interrupted. Scully watched him with an expression of amused affection. Finally secure, Mulder parked it back in his chair and waved Scully into the other one. �Yeah, something happened Saturday after you left. A LOT happened, actually. And you�re NOT going to believe it.� He stopped to take a deep breath, trying to read her expression. �You knocked him for a loop with that kiss, Scully.� As expected, she blushed. Mulder couldn�t help grinning at her; it was SO easy sometimes to push her buttons. �Mulder, you know I didn�t mean anything by it � he just looked so lonely �� �Yeah, well, he just stood there with his jaw hanging open. I kinda teased him about it, and the next thing I know he�s feeling me up!� �What?!� �You heard me. It was like just talking about him having the hots for you set us both off. We were both so horny we couldn�t keep our hands off each other. It was the most amazing thing I�ve ever felt, Scully. I came, what, six, seven times before going home yesterday.� Her expression changed from surprise to annoyance. �Oh, come on, Mulder, that might work for a couple of horny teenagers, but two grown men? You don�t REALLY expect me to believe that?� Mulder shrugged. �Believe it or not, it happened. I think the apartment has a ghost. A very horny ghost. I�ve been reading up on hauntings. There have been reports of ghosts haunting buildings that used to be brothels that seemed to � �intensify� the sexual urges of the current residents. It's the only thing I can think of that explains all the facts." Scully raised an eyebrow. �Wait a minute. You said you were talking about how he had it bad for ME? So he turns around and starts playing with YOU? That doesn�t make any sense!� Mulder sighed. �Yeah, I know. I think the ghost picked up on his arousal from that little kiss, and once it had hold, it kicked his libido into high gear. I'm not sure if the ghost just wanted sex and I just happened to be the one still there, or if it was waiting for you to leave because it wanted us together." Scully shook her head in consternation. She knew Mulder was gay; they'd had a long talk about a year ago. She had been sorely disappointed, and yet somehow the very act of admitting his most private secret had brought them even closer. They had developed a close, affectionate friendship. Because of his position at the FBI, and because he wasn't someone who easily let others 'in,' he didn't have a lot of close relationships. He needed her companionship, their easy comfort together, almost like an old married couple. What was that song from the 70's? "I want you, I need you, but there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you." Mulder switched it around; he loved her and needed her, but he just couldn't WANT her. One thing that had amused her was that it had turned out they had similar tastes in men. One afternoon they'd sat on a park bench eyeing the passers-by, pointing out interesting-looking guys, giggling like a couple of teenaged girls. And she had to admit their boss was a good-looking man. She'd caught Mulder staring at his trim, muscular form more than once. So she wasn't at all surprised that he would be a willing participant in this. But Skinner had always struck her as the straightest man in the universe. And not just as in gay/straight, but as is pole-up-your-ass straight and narrow, no sense of humor. He'd been a bit more relaxed this weekend, and she had started to see more of the real person, but still it was hard to picture him breaking the rules by having sex with a subordinate. That alone was enough to make her skeptical soul seriously consider Mulder's ghost theory. "And you're telling me that he went along with this?" Mulder nodded. "As long as we stayed in the apartment, we were having one hell of a wild time. But Sunday morning when we went out for breakfast, our surly boss was back, and boy was he pissed �� The look on Mulder�s face said it all. �Oh, God!� Scully realized the implications. �So he really isn�t gay � not that I�d have believed it anyway. But he did �um � just how far did you go?� �The whole enchilada. Both ways. Several times.� Mulder was kind of surprised to feel his face getting red. Scully sat there with her jaw hanging open. The blush creeping up Mulder's neck finally convinced her that he wasn't just putting her on. Finally she found her voice. �And you�re still alive?� Mulder laughed at that. �Just barely. So you understand if I kind of just hide down here for a couple of days until he cools down?� Scully nodded. �Well, at least that explains the strange look he gave me this morning. Sort of. But you know, I almost got the impression he was undressing me with his eyes!� Mulder nodded. �Probably remembering that kiss, trying to convince himself he�s not gay.� �God, he must be miserable! Being forced to do something you abhor �� �Yeah, but I�m not so sure about that, Scully.� �What do you mean?� �I�ve been reading up on ghosts. They can influence the living to some extent. So like here, it could sense his sexual reaction to you, and mine to him, and fan the flames. But I don�t think a ghost could make him do everything we did if some part of him didn�t want it. I think he�s mad because he�s seeing a side of himself that�s always been there, but he doesn�t want to see.� �Mulder! You think he really is gay?� Mulder shook his head. �Hell no. You didn�t see the look in his eyes after you left. But bi, definitely. Our boy Walter is a switch hitter.� "So what do we do about all this?" Mulder sighed. "What I WANT to do is go back there next weekend and fuck him into a coma. It hits before the door even opens, Scully. All I'd have to do is knock, and we'd both be willing players. But I know it's not HIM, not his choice." The look on Mulder�s face went straight to her heart. Scully reached out to touch his cheek. �You really liked this, didn�t you?� He just shook his head. �Yeah. Scully, you can�t imagine what it was like. I think the ghost was augmenting our pleasure. I�ve never felt anything like it. And besides, that�s not all. I�ve � I�ve kind of had a thing for him for a while.� Scully managed a small smile. �I noticed. And I can kind of sympathize with that, Mulder. He is nice to look at � when he�s not scowling, that is �� Mulder laughed and raised an eyebrow. �You too, huh? There WAS something behind that kiss!� Scully blushed again. Yes, she had to admit there was something more. After all they'd been through the past couple of years, she had to admit she'd grown quite fond of AD Skinner. �Yeah, I guess �� She looked up at Mulder. "And it's not just lust, either, is it?" Mulder avoided her gaze; he hadn't actually planned to admit that part of it. Finally, he looked her in the eye. "No, it's not. He's really been there for us, so many times. We couldn't ask for a more loyal friend." Scully nodded and squeezed his hand. Mulder smiled at her. "I'm going to lay low for a while, but I think maybe you should go talk to him, Scully. He could probably use the reassurance. And as we saw this weekend, he doesn't seem to have a lot of friends these days." Scully sighed. Unfortunately, Mulder was right. Something occurred to her. "Mulder, if the ghost just wants sex, and I start talking about what happened, won't it co-opt me?" Mulder shrugged. "It might, but I have a feeling it won't, Scully. I can't explain it, it's just something I feel from the weekend. I think we've got one horny gay ghost on our hands. When you got here, I was starting to do some research on former tenants of that apartment. Let's see if anybody has an interesting history." He paused and grinned at her. "Besides, if I'm wrong, then you're in for one hell of a good time tonight!" "Mulder! He's our boss!" Scully's face was starting to turn red. Mulder egged her on. "Come on, you know you want it! And let me tell you, he's HUNG �" Now her face was redder than her hair. "Mulder!!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Skinner spent most of the day hiding in his office. He�d had a difficult moment that morning in the cafeteria when he�d spotted Scully. Hell, he�d had a difficult morning from the moment he stepped outside his apartment. As he jogged down the stairs, it felt like a veil was being pulled away from his eyes. He had come home last night and fantasized about Mulder. Then dreamed about him all night long. Woken up with a hard-on, which he�d nursed in the shower, still thinking about Mulder. He was beginning to hope there was something to this ghost thing after all � And then he�d seen Scully in the cafeteria. It was like his body was being yanked in two directions at once. The fantasy he�d had about HER yesterday came to the front of his mind. He couldn�t make himself stop staring at her. And worse, she�d seen him looking. Finally, he�d torn himself away, knowing she had to be confused but not even close to being able to explain. He�d taken refuge in the office, immersing himself in work. He didn�t even go down to the cafeteria for lunch, not wanting to take the chance of seeing either of them. A case, that�s what he needed. A case to send them on. Preferably somewhere out in the middle of nowhere that would take them days to just get there. The kind that he usually looked at the expense reports for and wondered why he put up with them. Yeah, that would be good. Couldn�t something weird happen somewhere far away? But aside from his apartment, the entire world seemed to be hell-bent on normality today. // Just as well, // he sighed. // Wouldn�t have liked approving the expenses anyway. // He chuckled. //Get a grip, Walter, // he told himself severely. Mulder and Scully were only a small part of his world here at the FBI. It was time he focused on some of the other parts. It was almost 8PM by the time he pulled his car out of the garage. He thought about going to a hotel. Anything but going home. If he went home, would he spend the night fantasizing about Mulder again? Another night of erotic dreams? // It could be worse � I could be having nightmares. // He had to admit that he enjoyed it while it was happening. His thoughts wandered back to Saturday night. He�d had more sex in the past week than in the previous decade. And it wasn�t just sex, it was amazingly GOOD sex. Was it remotely possible that he was gay? But what about Scully? He�d definitely responded to that fantasy too. At the moment, he just didn�t know what to think. Another car pulled into the lot behind the building shortly after his. Dana had been watching his office, waiting for him to leave. It hadn't surprised her that he worked late tonight; if what Mulder said was true, he probably wasn't looking forward to going home. But finally he'd left, and she'd rushed down to her car and headed towards his new apartment. Hesitantly, she climbed the stairs to the second floor. She really wasn't sure what kind of a welcome she'd get, but she took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Julian bristled. Walter had just come home from work and his mood was not at all amenable to Julian's desires. And now he felt the presence just outside. HER. The red-haired woman. When the doorbell rang, he tried to convince Walter to not answer it, but his 'roommate' was just not hearing him right now. Skinner was surprised to hear the doorbell. // Who the hell knows I'm here? Oh, shit, if it's Mulder, I'll kill him � // He peeked out the peep-hole and was stunned to see Scully standing there. // Did he send her? // Anger warred with lust as he stood there, frozen. She rang the bell again, this time calling out. "Sir? It's me, Scully. Please, I need to talk with you." He snatched the door open, his face contorted in his best 'angry-boss' scowl. "Agent Scully. What the hell are you doing here? It's late. See me at my office tomorrow." Uncharacteristically bold, Dana pushed past him into the room. "I don't think you want to discuss this at work, sir." Julian was NOT happy with this development. But Walter's hostility towards her was better than Julian had expected. He decided to watch and wait. That didn't sound good. He gave a heavy sigh and waved her toward the couch. He sat in one of the chairs next to it and glared at her, his eyes accusing. "Mulder sent you, didn't he?" She shrugged. "Not exactly. He did tell me what happened. I � I'm sorry, sir. I realize this must be terribly difficult for you. I thought maybe you could use somebody to talk to?" Her face was so full of compassion that he had to believe her. But Walter Skinner wasn't the sort of man who 'talked' about his problems. That was one of the reasons his marriage had failed, or so the shrinks said. Gruffly, he responded, "That won't be necessary, Scully." Dana could see the pain behind his eyes. If there was just some way she could get past his defenses. She realized that nothing 'supernaturally sexy' had happened yet. She wasn't sure whether she was relieved or not. But then they hadn't really talked about sex yet � or the ghost really was gay � or there really wasn't any ghost after all. "Please, sir, there is something we need to discuss; this isn't all about you and Mulder. He � he told me how you reacted when I kissed you on Saturday." Skinner groaned. // She knows! // Scully inched forward on the couch, moving closer to the side chair where he sat, close enough to reach out and touch his hand. "Sir, I didn't mean to upset you. You just looked so lonely, so � lost � I � it just happened. I just wanted you to know that somebody does care �" Her voice trailed off as their eyes met. He could feel the warmth of her small hand over his, and see the genuine affection in her eyes. This was what he wanted, if he could just find the way to tell her. Just seeing her here in his apartment was making him remember the fantasy he'd had about her. Was it possible that it could really happen? He felt himself beginning to get aroused. {Oh, no you don't!} Julian could feel Walter's lust for this woman. He was angry, and he enveloped Walter in his aura. Suddenly, Skinner felt his anger returning. She was his subordinate, she had no business sticking her nose into his personal life. He pulled his hand away brusquely. "Agent Scully, this is entirely inappropriate behavior. I think you'd better leave, now." His sudden change in demeanor startled Scully. She had been sure he'd been about to open up to her, and then suddenly the surly boss appeared out of nowhere. Shaken, she decided not to push things any further tonight, simply nodding and getting up from the couch, heading straight out the door. Pleased, Julian reached for the arousal that was still simmering beneath the anger. He coaxed it back into life, wrapping Walter in the memory of the first time Mulder had taken him. As Scully left, Walter sighed and sat back in his chair. Scully could be so annoying. If only her partner had come instead. Now THAT would have been good; he could use a good fuck right about now, to help him relax from the long day. Just thinking about it was getting him hard. He reached down and absently fondled himself through his pants, smiling as he pictured Mulder bent over him � Continue on to Chapter 5 send me some feedback Back to X-Home Back to Site Home Disclaimer: Chris Carter and company at Fox own them; I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit |
| Chapter 4 |