From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 23:23:33 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Brother, Find the Key by Ziggy
Source: direct

Reply To: ziggyfic@aol.com

Title: Brother, Find the Key
By: Ziggy (ziggyfic@aol.com)
Rating: R
Pairing: Mulder/Krycek
Notes: Prompt for xfilesfics.tumblr.com 
The prompt was Mulder and Krycek locked 
in a small closet.  I set it somewhere in the 6th 
season when things seemed a lot more hopeless 
in regards to colonization.
Disclaimer: Chris Carter, blah, blah, blah.

XxX

"I'm just saying that jiggling it violently isn't going to work."

"Oh, God," Mulder said, his death grip on the door knob only 
getting tighter as he shook it angrily.  It'd been a long day and he 
was at his wits' end, "Krycek! Just shut up! Don't say another word!"

Mulder struggled for a few more moments in vain before 
he gave up, heaving a sigh and resting his forehead 
against the jammed door.  He couldn't believe this 
was happening; they were stuck.  Krycek was pressed 
against his back, the two men crammed into the small closet. 

It had started with a tip, as it always did.  The Gunmen 
had a little information on some encrypted file Mulder 
had gotten a few weeks ago.  It'd come in the mail, no address.  
Mulder had given it to the Gunmen in the hopes they could shed 
some light.  None of them could read it but they knew someone who 
could.  In fact, this particular 
computer nerd didn't live too far from 
Arlington, VA.  Mulder had taken the next 
available day to talk to this new ally.   
Of course, things had not gone as smoothly as he'd hoped.  When he 
arrived, he'd been greeted by a pale, plump
fellow who said he could help him. 
Then they'd both learned they weren't alone.   

Krycek had found the same file Mulder currently had a copy of.  He'd 
been snooping around some syndicate archives and come 
across it.  It seemed useful and Krycek had spent the better 
part of 3 months trying to find someone who could decode it. 

Mulder was, of course, enraged at the sight of this unwelcome foe 
and Krycek had responded flippantly, that smug look on his face.  
They were in the middle of their typical aggressive banter when 
Krycek had frozen.  Before Mulder knew what was happening, he 
Russian had shoved him - as if they were 
children playground but with enough force to 
send Mulder back into... coats.  Mulder had reached 
out for his informant but the man had grabbed a hard 
drive from his desk and dashed away in a fit of panic.  
Krycek was ontop of him a moment later, a darkness enclosing them.

"Get off of me, Kry-!" Mulder's mouth was covered with a strong 
palm.  Krycek face seemed genuinely worried and one look at it 
shut Mulder up. 

"Mulder," he whispered, so light, "Shhh... Syndicate."

Krycek's hand didn't move from his mouth, crushed against him.  
Mulder didn't dare move, staring back at Krycek.  He'd seemed 
to go into trance.  The black haired man's eyes had glanced off to 
the side, glazed over.  He was 
so still, it made Mulder nervous.  It was 
as if Krycek had shut down everything and was
just listening.  It was 
clear to Mulder that Krycek was a man who was use to hiding.

There had been some noises outside the door - the sounds of men 
searching the house; footsteps.  There had been a tussle at one 
point but then all the sounds ceased.  The two had remained quite 
nonetheless, waiting almost an hour before they were sure 
the coast was clear.

When Mulder had gone for the knob, it wouldn't turn.  They'd 
been trapped almost a half an hour and Mulder was getting 
twitchy.  They'd thought to break it down but the confined space 
didn't give them enough room to put enough force behind a blow 
to jar it.  Then Mulder had just tried good, 
old fashioned jiggling.  Now he was out of options.

"Fine," he huffed, attempting to turn towards Krycek.  
When Mulder faced him, he said, "Then 
what's your plan, Krycek? You got us into this in the first place."

Krycek looked at the brunette with a sharp glance.  He'd remained 
relatively calm about all this.  Hell, locked in a closet 
with Mulder.  Not terrible.  
Even if he couldn't get a dry hump out of it, he could enjoy 
watching Fox get his tail all bushy.  Though, Mulder's 
constant complaining was wearing thin, 
"Saving your life!" he snapped.

Mulder scoffed, "Dumb luck.  A closet is a terrible 
hiding place, Krycek."

"We're alive, aren't we?" Krycek bit back, clenched jaw, "I should 
have just left you out there.  You could've ended up 
like that poor sap out there, at least, 
I'm assuming.  I don't know how he 
could've gotten away.  
They were pretty quick."

Mulder had forgotten about his informant.  
This new information didn't 
settle him.  He looked at Krycek, "What are they
going to do? What did they do?"

Krycek sighed, avoiding Mulder's gaze 
for a moment before looking at the 
other, "The rebels aren't the only ones who 
burn people alive, Mulder."

The words struck Mulder in a way he couldn't imagined.  
He felt a knot in his 
stomach, tightening as he stood there.  He looked 
at Krycek, "Why would they 
do that?  What could that possibly serve!?"

Mulder stood straighter against Krycek,
more aggression than anything else.  Despite 
the fact that Krycek had long ago disconnected 
from that group, he would always be part of them to Mulder.  
Krycek leaned into Mulder's stance.  As usual, they were 
locked in a battle of dominance and Krycek refused to back 
down. Not this time.

"Burning hides evidence and it doesn't connect them to it since 
that's the rebels's calling card. And trust me, they would have 
none of your 'Freeze, FBI!' bullshit.  There is a lot of shit going 
down, Mulder.  More than your pretty head can even conceive of.  
The syndicate is splitting and those men aren't like your daddy.  
They have no qualms about keeping the Sainted Fox Mulder alive!"

Mulder winced so slightly as Krycek's raised.  
He felt... shame.  Just a 
little.  Certainly more than that rat bastard 
deserved but he did feel just a 
bit of it at his treatment of Krycek for the last 2 hours.  
He had saved his life. 
He was quiet after Krycek finished.

"And why did you?" he asked suddenly.  His brown eyes made their 
way to meet green.  Krycek didn't say anything, 
he just looked back at Mulder.  
Mulder continued, his voice calm and curious, "You 
could've just left me, like you said.  Why didn't you? Why do you 
want to keep St. Mulder alive?"

Krycek just took a deep breath.  When he exhaled, his lips turned 
up ever so slightly, "I couldn't live without you, Mulder."

Mulder looked like he'd been hit with a 
frying pan, "What!?" he gapped.

"I didn't mean it that way," Krycek chuckled.  He 
blinked slowly, enjoying Mulder's confusion for a moment before 
he clarified, "Do you believe in ying and yang?"

Mulder raised his eyebrow, unsure of the direction of this
interaction, "Ying and yang? I know of the concept.  I can't say I 
believe in it, per say. But I'm open to the idea of positive and 
negative energy, yes."

Nodding his head as Mulder spoke, Krycek then said, "Good.  
So positive and negative energy.  
Once can't be without the other can it?"

Feeling like he was getting the 
drift, he said, hesitantly, "In theory, no.... 
in theory," he said again.

Krycek watched the ruffled agent, "Well, I'm the negative and you're 
the postive.  You and me, Mulder... 
we're different sides to the same 
coin," Krycek shifted some and Mulder 
felt flushed at the feel of Krycek's 
body against his own.  It suddenly felt so much 
smaller in here, Mulder couldn't figure it out,
 "And I need you to function. My very 
existence depends on the existence of you.  You're my other half."

Krycek took a small step but it was enough to get Mulder's
back firmly against the door.  Pressed into him, Krycek 
lowered his head closer, whispering, "And I'm yours..."

Mulder couldn't breathe, he couldn't move.  Trembling 
hands moved between them to rest on Krycek's chest, as if 
to push him away but Mulder put no force behind it,

"Scully's my other half," he squeaked out, lowering himself 
slowly against the door to avoid Krycek's lips.  

Krycek stopped just to laugh softly, still so close, "Scully's your 
grounding.  She keeps you out of a mental hospital and living 
among the normal people.  Me, Mulder? I know you.  You aren't 
crazy and you aren't normal.  I understand because neither am I..."

Krycek's hand came up to take Mulder's face, pulling him 
gently back towards himself.

"The pain, the suffering, the obsession.  I understand it, Mulder.  
I understand it better than anyone.  Scully... she's an unfortunate 
bystander.  She got sucked into this crazy world.  You and me, 
Mulder? Born into it.  
We're the real deal.  We're brothers in this.  
When I fight this hopeless battle, I'm fighting for you.  
I'm fighting with the knowledge you're fighting, too.  I'm 
your other half, Mulder. Me."

Mulder let out a choked, "Yes..." and he let Krycek move in, 
taking Mulder's lips in his own.  His body pinned between 
the door and Krycek's strong body, Mulder felt himself weaken 
into the kiss.  If Krycek hadn't been there, he worried he'd fall.  
He couldn't focus on anything else.  
All Mulder could do was enjoy this; 
being held by Krycek's scarred body, smelling his sweat 
and the masculine musk that lingered on his skin, the 
feel of his unshaved skin as he ravaged Mulder's mouth 
with his kiss. Mulder closed his eyes under the attention, 
opening his mouth under Krycek's.

With a sudden jerk, Krycek ground his crotch into Mulder 
and the other man left out a surprised gasp around Krycek's 
lips.  He could feel his Krycek's dick through the denim as 
he grinded against Mulder.  Mulder's dress pants didn't protect 
him from the pleasurable rub and soon he found himself aching 
against Krycek, pushing his own erection 
back into Krycek's leisurely grind. 

The two men stayed that way.  Who knows how long? Neither one 
of them counted the minutes.  It was Krycek who broke the kiss 
first with a loud smack as their lips came apart.  His hips 
stopped working so diligently and he relaxed against Mulder. 
Mulder's hands suddenly curled to grab Krycek's 
shirt in a fistful of cloth,

"No," he breathed out as Krycek stopped the onslaught.  
Krycek wouldn't kiss him again, despite Mulder's attempts 
to catch his lips.  Krycek raised his hands to Mulder's hair, 
stroking it on either sides, as if to settle him.  When he did, 
Krycek brushed his nose against Mulder's in an intimate act.  
When they had each caught their breath, Mulder looked to
Krycek.  His eyes wide and dark.  Mulder stood on his own now, 
away from the door.  His voice was still quiet, as 
if someone may hear,

"Why did you stop?"

Krycek shook his head, glancing at Mulder.  He 
shook his head, without saying anything.  He just 
leaned in once more, giving Mulder a quick kiss, 
pulling away before Mulder could drag him back into 
their heated session... and he new that if anyone could
do that, it'd be Mulder.

Reaching around Mulder, Krycek hand went to the door 
knob.  There was a few moments of jiggling until his thumb 
found the small lock under the handle.  He flick it and slowly 
opened the door.  Mulder turned towards the open door, eyes 
squinting from the light.  Krycek stepped around Mulder and 
looked back at him with an expectant look.  Mulder stepped out 
afterwards, looking at Krycek,

"You knew how to get the door open?"

Krycek smiled slightly, "You didn't think I'd put us 
in there without an exit plan, do you?" he joked.  Mulder 
stared back at him. His face turned from one of dazed lust, to 
confusion and then quickly to anger.

"You knew how to get the door open? You knew, you son 
of a bitch!? You're such a rat, Krycek!"

He felt embarrassed and ashamed.  Mulder had never felt so 
foolish in his entire life.  So much for trusting, so much for 
compassion!  Mulder wasn't sure what he should do.  He wanted 
to go home.  He also wanted to shoot Krycek immediately.

Krycek looked to Mulder, "What did I say, Mulder?' he said, 
stepping over to him, "We're two sides of the same person.  
You certainly weren't going to make any moves my way and 
I wanted to speed this thing up.  Everyday could be my last, 
I wanted to die knowing I did that."

If looks could kill, Krycek would have dropped dead. 
Mulder clenched his jaw, "What? Humiliate me?"

"Kiss you," Krycek deadpanned, his eyes on Mulder.  
Mulder was taken back by the answer but quickly recovered.  He 
stared back at Krycek, trying to gauge if he was honest.  
Mulder didn't know for sure but he knew 
that he hoped he was.  He prayed 
Krycek was being genuine this time.

Krycek gave Mulder's face one last look, taking in everything he 
could.  He blinked and finally said, "Don't give up, Mulder.  
We're all gonna' die but we'll die trying..."

With that, Krycek gave him one last look and quietly left the 
abandoned home.  Mulder had just watched him, feeling 
something he'd never felt before.  A warm kind of sadness that 
washed over him as he stared at the empty doorway.  

Mulder had examined the place, found no evidence of his 
informant and gone home to his still apartment in Arlington.  
A few weeks later, Mulder had gotten an envelope in the mail.  
No address, nothing.   Inside he'd found the 
encrypted file - completely
decoded. Mulder had found himself filled 
with that warm sadness again
but took a deep breath and sent his brother of the fight a 
vibe.  A little positive energy to keep 
his existence necessary.  A mental 
encouragement to keep fighting and know that they're 
someone fighting at his side.

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