HEARTS DESIRE

Round 2 Part 1

Megaera@Megaera.demon.co.uk

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The old man could tell by the stillness in the night, and the quality of the darkness surrounding him that a crisis had come upon the forest. A spirit that had no place in this world. One that had long been banished to the Spirit World. A great evil had found its way back onto the Earth, and only a few frail human souls stood between it and a great and terrible slaughter.

He had seen the signs for days, in dreams and portents. The way the smoke swirled counter to the wind, the close feeling, as if a storm was coming.

There was little time left, but still a chance remained. A way to banish the evil. But only if the two men he sensed could work together against the evil. Already it had tried to take one of them, its hunger for life energy making it careless.

Too soon.

Its power could not yet ensnare a human fully.

Now the spirit was weakened, vulnerable. It had withdrawn from the living beast that had served as its host, and had chosen to manifest itself in a more physical form. But now it was easier for it to feed.

It would gain sustenance from the fear of the humans it fought, and grow stronger. And if it should taste of human blood, it would be all but unstoppable.

He began his preparations. He would call upon the greatest of his spirit ancestors and implore their aid. They had defeated the evil once before. And in the meantime, he willed strength to the two men, whose spirits had suffered so much.

If only they could defeat their hatred there might be a chance......

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I sagged forward onto the floor, my head spinning from the blow I'd taken. There was darkness at the edge of my vision, and for a moment, I just wanted to lie there and rest. But I was always strong. With a growl, I forced myself to ignore the ache at the back of my head. My survival instincts had switched on, and were screaming at me to move. There was danger.

It was the sound though that made me open my eyes and focus on the head of the bed. A face leered at me, more malevolent, more *evil* than anything I had ever seen before. It was humming to itself, sending shivers down my spine, and occasionally I heard a snatch of some foreign sounding words.

At first, it seemed to be just a pattern in the swirls of heartwood that made up the headboard. But then it began to take on a life of its own, bulging out from the surface like a swimmer surfacing after moving underwater. I had never seen anything remotely like it, and I could only lie there, frozen in horror as the wood rippled. A hand emerged, pushing out in slow motion, reaching towards life and its energy. And I knew intuitively that if it touched me, claimed me, I would die. And it would be no easy death.

But it wasn't reaching towards me. Those terrible eyes were focused on Mulder, who had collapsed face forwards onto the bed, and was moaning in distress. Mulder was too close to the thing. I had only seconds before it took him. With a strength born of desperation, I pushed myself to my feet, swaying alarmingly. Then I grabbed Mulder and began to drag him away from the thing that had already possessed him once, and wanted him again.

It seemed to notice me for the first time, and its face contorted in rage as it realised the threat I posed. The hand lunged outwards and caught at Mulder's ankle.

I was so dizzy by now, I could barely manage to lift Mulder. But it must have been weak too. With a strength I didn't know I possessed, I pulled his limp body towards me, screaming as I did so. I guess I tapped into the hysterical strength reserves we're all supposed to have. For a moment, I thought it wouldn't be enough. But then, with a howl of rage, the thing released Mulder. The eyes seemed to glow momentarily, then they closed, the thing seemed to sink back into the wood, and all movement ceased. And those same survival instincts told me we were safe for now.

I wondered if I was going mad, or still asleep.

Only I knew it wasn't a dream, because the low mumbling hum continued from the direction of the headboard.

Half-fainting now that the immediate crisis was over, I still had to do one thing before I could relax. Get as far away from the thing as the cabin allowed. The snow was still falling thickly, so my avenues of escape were closed. In the end I dragged Mulder into the main area of the cabin, put him near the big stove, piled on a heap of wood and sat to ponder my options. At least that was my intention, but somewhere along the line, I guess I passed out cold.

*******

Mulder felt sick. He had been having the most wonderful dream, drifting into it almost unnoticed. Curled in the warmth of the bed, dimly aware of the coolness of the air on his face, far removed from the warmth he felt under the blankets. The heat of a firm body half nestled against his, as unguarded, Alex moved closer. A trust he would never have shown if he had been aware of his actions. Quite when the dream had turned darker, he wasn't sure. But it had seemed so natural at first. To turn towards Krycek, and reach out his hand. To touch..........

It was then that he became aware of the Other. A presence in his mind that seemed to grow stronger every second. Urging him on, appealing to the darker part of him.

*Yesssss....... He feels so good, doesn't he.......... So sweet and defenceless. He wants you........ just reach out and take what you want..........."

Mulder couldn't seem to focus his thoughts any more. There was a heat in his body now, that the *Other* stirred. An aching hardness that longed to quench itself in the depths of Alex's body.

And though he would like to deny it, it wasn't quite the control of the *Other* that stroked a hand along Alex's body. He had done it himself. And part of him had thrilled at the response that Alex gave. The long sigh, the dreamy smile on Krycek's face, the way he stirred in his sleep and the small movements that signalled his gradual arousal.

*He wants it....... Can't you tell.....! Give it to him. ....*

Yes, one part of him had thought Alex beautiful and sensuous. And the dark predator that seemed to inhabit his mind had laughed cruelly, and descended on the younger man with every intention of brutally taking what he wanted and making Alex scream in *delicious* pain and distress. He had relished the idea in fact.

Yes..... He's ours....... Make him serve us!....... Make him scream......*

Alex had been bewildered at first, not quite sure what was happening to him as *He* started to violate that beautiful body. But then, like a wild animal, Alex had fought back, even pinned as he was beneath Mulder's body.

Mulder became aware of wrongness. But like a fly in amber, he had found himself a passenger in his own body, unable to stop. Unable to prevent himself from sliding inside the other man's so beautiful body. Aware for the first time that he was being controlled like a puppet.

Until Alex hit him hard in the face. A stunning agony that smashed into him, so that momentarily everything had gone red. Then he was *free*

He wasn't quite sure what had happened then. Only that his head hurt worse than it had ever hurt before, and that he was so disoriented he couldn't move. There was a brief stab of pain around his ankle, like a white hot wire sinking into his skin. Then a vague sense of movement and coolness surrounding him. And a merciful stillness.

He lay for a long time before he could find the strength to move. He didn't want to open his eyes. Because he was beginning to realise what he had just done.

He had tried to rape Alex Krycek.

He didn't want to face that.

He didn't want to admit to himself that he had desired Krycek.

In the end, it was a sound that roused him. A low moan he recognised as a sign of Alex's distress. Only that could have roused him from the self-pitying stupor. He wiped the blood from his face and stumbled towards the sound.

Alex lay still, unmoving, looking far more defenceless and vulnerable than Mulder had ever seen him. Without his prosthetic arm, and with skin whitening in the cold air, the sight of him made Mulder feel a stab of guilt. He had done this, reduced Alex to helplessness. Mulder gently wrapped Alex in a big blanket he retrieved hastily from the bedroom. There was a dark, brooding menace in the shadows there that made him hesitate before entering the room, and hasten to leave after his brief foray. And a quiet, wordless humming from the deepest shadows next to the bed that sent a shiver down his spine. He just stayed long enough to grab blankets and some clothes for the two of them. He knew instinctively that this was no place for humans to linger.

*******

I woke in terror, sitting bolt upright and screaming. I had been having a confused dream about chanting voices, eagles soaring and words whispered in some strange language, that I could almost understand. If only I could hear more.....

I wished almost immediately that I hadn't moved. My head was on fire, and I felt like I was going to spill my guts.

I did.

Someone was holding me steady, guiding my head, placing something cool on my forehead. I sank back, disoriented and it was only after long minutes that I could bear to open my eyes. Mulder was sitting next to me, I guess he was the one who had covered me over with a blanket, otherwise I would probably be freezing my balls off right now. He looked as shitty as I felt, his face spectacularly bruised around nose and eyes where I remembered I had head-butted him. At least his nose wasn't bleeding any more, though it was probably broken.

His eyes though looked haunted, more than I had ever seen before. I suppose I wasn't very quick on the uptake, because I remembered all the times he had been violent towards me before. And he wasn't too good at meeting my gaze.

"How do you feel?" he said softly. I had never heard his voice so gentle before. Not to me, Alex Krycek, traitor and murderer.

"My head hurts." I told him. A flicker of shame crossed his face. I got it almost immediately. Mulder was on a guilt trip, big time.

"I found some painkillers," he said. I nodded, and wished I hadn't, then he steadied me as I washed the pills down with some water. After that there was silence from him for a while. Then he indicated the bedroom.

"It's still there..... I could hear it! But it isn't moving any more!"

"Yeah..... You remember that do you?" I couldn't help sounding bitter. "Is that all you remember?"

For the first time he looked at me directly. "It was inside me before I knew what was happening. I thought it was a dream. Or a nightmare. It was controlling me, making me do what it wanted, and I couldn't stop it. You have to believe me! I wouldn't do that to you...... I wouldn't...... that is..... I'm not......" He began to sound a little frantic. Scared of what he might reveal about himself.

"I forgot. There are no gay FBI agents!" I knew I sounded sarcastic. "The tapes in your apartment are just for research, right? Cuddle bunny!" Somehow what had been amusing before was now abusive.

Yes! Mulder looked as though he had been shot between the eyes. He couldn't look at me any more.

"You've had me under surveillance? So how long have you suspected.....?"

I shrugged. Suspecting is one thing, but it doesn't really matter when the object of your erotic fantasies prefers to beat you up every time you meet him. I decided that it was time I tried to sit up. I felt at a disadvantage in this decidedly odd conversation. Whoever thought I would ever be questioning Mulder about his sexuality without a gun in my hand. Immediately, certain tender areas in my rear made themselves known. I let out a yelp. Mulder paled.

"Did I hurt you badly, that is...... is there anything I can do........?"

"You want to kiss it better?" I snapped. I could really do without a self-pitying Mulder.

The old Mulder spirit began to reassert itself.

"Would you like me to?" he said with a straight face. Now that was a loaded question, if ever I heard one. Answer yes and he knows I'm interested, answer no and forever hold your peace, as they say.

"I'll pass for now." I tried for neutrality. He looked momentarily surprised at the qualifier I used. Now I like an off balance Mulder, I have to admit. But the desire to clean myself up and check on our uninvited guest took precedence. Clothes would be nice too.

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Alex was looking at Mulder as if he was dirt. Mulder wasn't at all surprised. Well, how else did you categorise a rapist? Mulder wasn't surprised. After what he had done, it was all he deserved. That was the crazy thing. Mulder had never let his thoughts stray in *that* direction. Sex with Alex Krycek! Unthinkable! A rat-bastard murdering son of a bitch.

But wrapped only in a blanket, shivering, with his face so deathly pale...... All Mulder wanted to do was wrap his arms around the younger man and soothe away the hurt.

Crazy!

The blanket slipped to the floor, and he caught a glimpse of long limbs, and a firmly muscled torso. And the dusky penis lying quiescent against one pale thigh as Alex sat to pull on his jeans, a little unsteadily. He was quite deft in fastening them, even with only one hand. And no underwear.

Very crazy.

Alex glanced up and when he saw Mulder watching him, no, checking him out, he glared fiercely.

Making love to Alex Krycek would be like wrestling a mountain lion. You would be lucky to come out of it intact. At the very least, you would be maimed for life. Fiercely independent, wild and beautiful, Alex wouldn't sell himself cheaply. Not to a half-mad, violent FBI agent anyway.

He couldn't believe the thoughts that were going through his head. He wondered briefly if the thing was trying to influence his thoughts again. But no, he had always nourished a secret fantasy of himself and the younger man.

Cuddle bunny?

Yeah! Though this bunny had claws.

Yet, just for a moment when he had touched Alex, had he imagined a warm and sensual response, with Alex's legs opening wider to his questing touch, and sighing softly in pleasure?

He was *really* in trouble now!

*******

I figured that it had been about five hours since the thing attacked us. The sun was coming up, not that you could see it. But there was a perceptible lightening of the world around us, though snow continued to fall heavily. No hope for a long time of getting out of here. But we would live. Even if we had to camp out in the main room of the cabin until the weather became milder. I didn't know whether it was pleasure or torture, to have to live so close to Mulder like this. But I was sure of one thing. Neither of us wanted to go nearer to our uninvited guest.

And truth be told, I didn't quite trust Mulder any more. It had taken over his mind once, what would stop it trying again? We really *needed* to talk.

Mulder was sitting close to the stove, huddled in a blanket, his thoughts apparently distant. I levered myself to my feet, body protesting, and I made my way towards the bedroom door. I was a little ashamed that I moved like an old man, stiff and sore. But I had to know it wasn't sitting on the other side of the door, waiting for us to go to sleep, when it would creep in and pounce.........

I've always been paranoid. It keeps me alive.

Mulder realised my intention and raised an eyebrow in his best Spock manner. I scowled at him, then my hand touched the latch and I tried to raise it as silently as I could. No point in alerting the thing by being too careless.

I pushed open the door, cursing silently at the creaky sound the hinges made. Then I peered into the gloom. I could see nothing. I ventured one step into the room and paused, letting my eyes adjust to the light. A sudden touch on my shoulder made me jump. Mulder had come up close behind me, and he gripped my shoulder in what was meant to be reassurance. I shivered involuntarily, remembering the last time he had been behind me. My emotions must have been evident, for his face fell, and he looked curiously like a puppy I had kicked. He carefully removed his hand.

This wasn't the time. I had more pressing issues to deal with.

I crept closer to the bed, trying to make out the face I had seen before. Closer and closer.

I stopped. That instinct was prickling in warning again. The one I always, ALWAYS listen to.

I felt like a rat in a very big trap.

Something creaked. I froze, trying to identify the location of the sound. The door was slowly drifting shut, and the noise I heard was just the hinges again. I let out a soft sigh of relief. I was getting jumpy again. And then it struck me. What my subconscious had been trying to tell me. I could no longer hear the humming. Wherever the thing was, it was no longer in the bed head. It had moved.

"Let's get out of here!" I snarled at Mulder, paradoxically glad that he was with me. The two of us turned and ran towards the door.

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End of round 2 part 1

Your turn Tara.