What You Get For Loving Me

by Emily and Dr. Ruthless

Pairing: Alex Krycek/Dustin Yarma

Beta: by Sebastian, for which we thank her mightily

Rated: A- slash

Warning: Nasty things happen in this story.

Disclaimer: They belong to Fox, but we sneaked them out. We never make money, but we have fun.

Series: 1. For Services Rendered, 2. Future Perfect , 3. What You Get For Loving Me, 4. Out of the Frying Pan, 5. Into the Fire, 6. Present Tense, 7. Extremis

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Dustin opened his eyes to full blown daylight. The sun painted a patch of yellow across his face and made him want to sneeze. At first he couldn't work out whose arm was around him, and then the events of the previous night flooded in. He stiffened.

"Oh, God."

Alex Krycek lay spooned up against him, sleeping lightly. He woke after a fashion, stretched, and nuzzled in closer to Dustin's neck. "Morning, little cub," he said. Then he dozed off again.

His first thought was to escape, put the length of the room between himself and the other man, but as he attempted to move away, Alex gripped him tighter. Dustin sighed, and rolled to face him.

Alex opened an eye. "Mmm... Don't get up. Got something for you..." he mumbled. "Or can you get it for me?"

"Something for me?" Dustin was confused. "Where did you go to last night? I thought that you'd gone home."

"Go to...?" Alex was instantly awake. "No, pet. I told you about my work. Sometimes I keep... weird hours. That's all." He flashed a sexy grin. How many people had he charmed with that grin? How many times had he been ordered to charm them? Amazing how many people wanted to date a secret agent... He snorted. "You know. Working myself into the ground."

Dustin looked at his new lover. Something was just not ringing true in the other man's words. He frowned.

"You have something for me? What is it?" He would find out what Alex was hiding, but first, he needed coffee.

"It's... there's a briefcase by the door, there. Be a dear and go get it for me, would you? Set it open on the bed... tell me what you see." Alex stretched out languorously on the bed like a large cat. He pulled his muscles taut, trying to wake up. "We can talk about it... in the shower. When do you have to be at work, anyway?"

"I've got a lunch meeting at 12:30." Dustin slipped out of the bed and padded to the door, retrieving the briefcase that Alex had indicated. Flipping the catches, he laid it on the bed beside Alex, and stood looking down at him. "Can this wait until I get the coffee going? I'm in desperate need here."

Alex smiled. "Coffee... hmm. Sounds good, but I need to get this in you before you get dressed." Alex grinned mischievously. He knew Dustin would balk at what he intended, and he rather looked forward to it.

"I'll be right back," said Dustin as he made for the kitchen. It was only when he was busying himself, measuring the water for his coffee machine that Alex's words finally percolated through into his brain. "In me?" He frowned and retraced his footsteps to the bedroom. "What the hell do you mean, 'in me'?"

Alex smirked. "Open the briefcase, Dustin." It was all he could do not to giggle.

Sighing theatrically, Dustin flipped back the cover, and stared down at the contents of the case.

"Okay, you're the boss. Now what?"

"You should be an actor, Dustin. Take them out... What do you think I meant, in you? You'll need to... um... have one in your ass. Just a little one to start." His smirk widened at the look on Dustin's face as realization set in.. "I'll be gentle. Promise." A menacing tone edged into his voice.

Dustin's eyes widened, and he backed away. No! This couldn't be happening. The blowjobs had been fine, but this was different. A blowjob didn't mean that he was queer. Anyone could get a blowjob, but there was no way he was gonna take it up the ass. Hell, he'd seen Alex's dick, had it in his mouth. It was too big. He'd kill him.

"No," he said. "Oh, nononononono!"

Snake-quick, Alex reached out, grabbing Dustin and pulling him onto the bed beside him.

"Yes, pet, oh yes..." He stared into Dustin's eyes. "It's what you need to do... you said you'd be mine..." Putting his hand on Dustin's cock, he stroked it lightly, precome leaking out of his own cock at the thought. "Imagine, pet. It will stroke your soft nub all day... make you so hot. By the end of the day you will be so het up... you'll want it from hell to breakfast." Seeing fear in his love's eyes, Alex continued, drawing Dustin in for a kiss. "Not gonna do to you what they did to me..." he whispered almost sub-audibly into his ear. "Only to love you, never hurt..."

"What did they do to you, Alex?" Dustin pulled away. This was all moving too rapidly for him. Alex was touching him, making him lose sight of the fears that he had. A glance down at his sheet-covered body revealed that Alex was hard again, and there was a damp patch on the covers that betrayed his enthusiasm for the idea. Dustin sighed again as Alex caressed him. This seemed somehow inevitable, but it didn't mean that he had to like it. "Please, Alex, do I have to? Can't we just - do this?"

Krycek hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud. "Do to me... what did who do to me?" He stopped cold, staring at Dustin. "No, no one did... you must have misunderstood me, pet. Pet... yes, you do. It's... for the best. You'll come to crave it." He trailed a finger to Dustin's asshole and began slowly to circle it. "You'll want it, baby."

Dustin reared back. "Come on, Alex. You know what you said." He pulled away, returning to the kitchen and the coffee, which had just finished gurgling and was now sending out a delicious fragrance. He slammed a couple of mugs down on the counter and poured, angry and aroused. Damn him, he thought. Why is he lying to me? Growling to himself, he leant against the worktop and sipped his drink, feeling better as the life-giving liquid began to filter into his body.

Alex sat up, angrily. He hadn't given Dustin leave; yet he'd walked right out of the bedroom. Shoving the bedsheets aside, he stalked into the kitchen, naked aggression plain on his face and his body. Scowling, he walked up to Dustin, taking the coffee cup from his hands and shoving him back, twisting his arms behind him and spinning him around. "That how you talk to your master?" he hissed, catching Dustin's earlobe in his teeth. "That how you show respect in California?" He set the coffee cup on the counter, holding Dustin in the other arm. "No, it's not. You gotta listen to me now, pet. I'm all you need. Let go, and you'll be free."

He ground his hips harshly into Dustin's for emphasis.

Angrily, Dustin slammed his head back against Alex's chin.

"You want me to trust you, and you feed me BULLSHIT! You think that I'm some kind of subhuman who doesn't fight back? Well, excuse me. If you can't be honest, get out of my life. I don't need any more crap in it." As he finished speaking he was half terrified. A vision of Alex with his knife, stabbing the huge man of the previous evening floated foremost in his brain. He spoke again, quietly this time. "I don't need someone else fucking with me."

Alex stepped back automatically, and looked at Dustin as he erupted. His eyes darkened, but he realized that on some level Dustin was right. As Dustin's voice softened, he moved closer once more.

"You want the truth, Dustin? I'll tell you the truth. I... I want you to know me like no one else. I want to belong to you, and you alone. But I..." his voice faltered, and he looked into Dustin's eyes, hoping his expression would convey the words he daren't say. Stepping in, he wrapped his arms around his pet, holding him close, raw need close to the surface. "Please, Dustin... I need you to trust me." He realized he should give something.

He took up Dustin's coffee, handing it to him. "Let's go sit on the bed and talk, all right? We both know there are things I have to tell you." Gazing into those emerald eyes as if into a mirror, he offered, "You can ask me, and... I'll tell you what I - can."

Dustin stood for a minute, searching the face of the man standing before him. The man's face was locked down tight and no emotion was visible. He wondered if the feeling that had shown itself in the voice was real or assumed. He didn't know any more.

Slowly, he relaxed, and finally nodded, grabbing up the other mug and following Alex as he turned to go back into the bedroom. As Alex climbed onto the bed, Dustin handed him his mug and sat down on the edge.

"Okay, tell me what's going on." Inside, he held his breath, wondering if Alex would lie.

"Ask me a question - I'll tell you no lie." The twisted clich was spoken with the barest hint of a wry smile. Alex accepted his mug gratefully. He stared into its murky depths, and then looked up into the clear eyes of his pet. "Ask. What was it you wanted to know?"

"What did you mean when you said that you wouldn't do to me what was done to you?" Dustin went straight for the thing that was bothering him. He'd seen Alex's flinch when the topic had first been broached, and now he really needed to know just what the story might be. His eyes searched Alex, all his skill as a negotiator being employed as he tried to determine if what Alex said to him might be truth or more lies.

Alex looked away briefly, then back. He knew Dustin would be watching for any hint of deception, and would leave him at the first sign of it. Hell, he'd leave him if he knew the truth! He looked at Dustin, and sighed.

"Remember I told you ... mentioned about Sergei? He... wasn't kind to me. He was a hard master, and... treated me very cruelly. I know - as if you could find lube in a gulag." He spat the words out, bitter memories returning unbidden. He paused, looking at Dustin warily. "He hurt me, Dustin. Badly. I... need to break you in, not go straight from 0 to 60 like he did me."

"Break me in, Alex? You make me sound like a horse. I'm a man. Why do you have to break me?" Dustin had risen, and now he paced the carpet, trying to come to terms with the things that Alex was saying to him. He wheeled to face Alex again. "Where did you go last night?"

"Dustin... I have to... they just... to put it bluntly... took me. I wasn't used to having a dick in my ass, and... it... really hurt me. Still does. Put a ... darkness in me. Do you understand, Dustin?" He watched mutely as Dustin stood up, pacing.

God, this was so hard for him. Did Dustin not realize that? He'd never bared his soul before like this. Not to anyone. "Where did I... ? I told you. I had to meet with a ... business associate." Not a lie, that, but not the whole truth, either. Or was it? After all, Mackey was a business associate of both of theirs.

Dustin returned to the bed, sitting down so abruptly that the liquid in Alex's mug slopped over the side onto his chest.

"What makes you think that I want a dick in my ass?" he asked, his face still closed and mutinous.

Alex looked at Dustin sharply as his coffee spilled. He was surprised by the blankness in his eyes.

"I... you..." Alex fought to say something, anything. Though he knew Dustin's question was valid, he felt his anger swelling, but he would not, could not, hurt Dustin. Were he Mackey he'd be fucking him right now, without any lube, berating and humiliating him. How had Dustin gotten to him so fast? He stroked Dustin's cheek. "Because you do," he husked, hoping just because he said it, it was correct. And, as he did, he knew it to be so. "You do."

Dustin watched Alex bring himself under control. There were still nuances here that he didn't comprehend and that galled him. He swallowed. There were things that he needed to know, and he needed to know them now. He'd spotted the flaring of anger that Alex had so swiftly quelled, and knew that he needed to make sure that the rules were plain.

"I need to know what the rules are, Alex. There have to be rules."

"Of course there are rules!" Krycek spat. Softening his voice, he added, "Will you follow them if I tell you?"

"How do I know, until you tell them to me?" Dustin shook his head. "You must think I was born yesterday."

Krycek whipped his head around, then sighed. "I... I'm sorry babe. I just... lotta memories coming back, you know?" He put an arm around him and pulled him close. "I... I just need to know that you trust me. That you... need me too."

"If you want trust, you have to be honest. You promised to be honest." Dustin resisted the hug for a moment. "No more lies, Alex, please? Promise?"

"Dustin... there's... I'm... I need someone to believe in. Someone to trust totally, love completely."

Dustin's face softened. He wanted so much to be loved. He'd been a long time without love.

"Why me, Alex? What do you see in me? Just the narcissistic need to screw yourself? I'm not you." He laid his head on Alex's chest, still tense as he waited.

"I'm a bad man, Dustin. Don't wanna be bad anymore... just wanna love. I've screwed myself a thousand times over. I don't need you for that."

Dustin was still for a minute. Alex was being honest now, he could see sincerity in him, and it made him want to melt. Something about the way Alex looked tugged at his heart. For a brief second, Dustin had glimpsed old demons that still rode this strange look-alike of his.

"I want you to love me. You make me feel safe." Dustin put his arms around Alex, and together they lay, each lost in thought.

Alex snuggled in against Dustin. "You... make me feel safe too, Dustin. First... one to do that in a long time. First one I can trust." He nipped at the back of Dustin's neck, realization setting in. Dustin also needed love. The same kind of love Alex craved, love deeper than his soul?

He pulled Dustin even closer and said, "I don't ever want to lose you."

The coffee was kicking in, and Alex's arms were safe and comforting. Dustin felt the return of his erection as warmth suffused him. He turned to face Alex, offering his mouth in a kiss that felt wonderful, felt like trust.

Alex took Dustin's mouth tenderly, caressing his upper lip in both of his, opening to explore his mouth with his tongue. He cradled Dustin's head, wrapping his arm around it, pulling him in - hiding him from prying eyes. He moved his hand lower onto Dustin's chest, caressing the smooth skin.

Sighing, Dustin permitted the touches, returning them with growing confidence as he felt Alex's arousal. It was heaven to be needed in this way. He shuddered as he ran his hands over Alex, mapping out the smooth contours of muscle and skin, sensing the strength that lay beneath. His fingers skimmed Alex's nipples, and after a minute, he lowered his mouth to taste them, nibbling at them while Alex stroked his neck.

Alex moaned as Dustin took his nipple. The feel of his lips and tongue sent shivers thorough him that threatened to send him over the edge. The rawness and honesty of the moment, the need, the hunger. Alex kissed the top of Dustin's head, rubbing his neck and back. He reached down and caressed his hard cock, stroking it slowly. He arched against Dustin, bucking as the sensations increased.

It felt good to sense Alex losing control. Dustin smiled, and renewed his onslaught on the tightly budded nipples, nipping them, then flicking them with his tongue. His hand moved down to drop over Alex's cock, feeling it moist and hard to his touch. Slowly, he began to slide his hand over it, working the skin back and forth in a rhythm that was just a little too slow for the other man to come. Lifting his head, he waited for Alex to meet his eyes.

"You want to fuck me? How does that work?"

Alex gasped with pleasure and sweet surprise. as Dustin tongued his nipples; gradually forgetting himself in sensation as he skillfully worked Alex's cock, keeping him right on the edge. Dustin's words washed over him, and he wasn't sure he'd heard him right. His breath hitched in his throat.

"Wh what? Say it again, Dustin?"

"Oh," said Dustin with a smile that was half ingnue and half seduction. "I didn't think that I'd need to say it twice. Tell me what I'm in for. I need to know. Make me feel good about it, Alex." Dustin rolled away from Alex, stretching out on the bed as though he were posing. His body was a little slimmer and less muscled than Alex's, and his skin was an even, golden brown with a dusting of freckles. Slowly, he licked his lips and passed a hand down over his chest, and his flat stomach to trail over his cock. Stroking himself gently, Dustin looked at Alex as he waited for a reply.

Alex gasped. The man was beautiful... so damn beautiful. And all his, if he could say the right words. The coarse words this man was too good for, but must hear. "It's... they're ass plugs, Dustin. They'll gradually stretch your asshole so that when I fuck you it won't hurt as much." He paused, to see how Dustin reacted to his words. "The first is thinner than my finger."

"If it's going to hurt, why do you want to do it?" Dustin's voice was reasonable, and he was still smiling as he caught Alex's hand, pulling it towards him until he had placed the fingers at his anus. "It seemed to me to feel surprisingly good yesterday." He rotated his hips a little, looking at Alex from beneath long, thick lashes.

Alex gasped again. Was he dreaming? Was Dustin really --? He tentatively pushed his finger against Dustin's rosebud. "I... don't want it to hurt. Maybe it doesn't always hurt. All I know is it hurt me the first time, and... well... I wanted to make it easier for you." Alex pressed harder into Dustin, then withdrew his finger, pensive. Had he been answering the wrong question? "Do you... not want me to fuck you, Dustin?"

He felt exposed, saying it like that. He was top, always, except with... yeah. And now - now that he was supposed to be top, with a beautiful man, he found he didn't want to go against Dustin's wishes. Didn't want to, but almost inevitably... He forced his whirling thoughts to rest, and waited for Dustin's reply.

He's going to make me ask him, thought Dustin. He won't let me get away with hints, damn him. Dustin captured Alex's hand once more and dropped a kiss onto the knuckles, before returning it to his asshole.

"If you're going to do it, get it done and then I'll know." His gaze was full and direct as he pressed Alex's fingers into him. "Don't make me wait."

As Dustin guided his hand to his opening once more, Alex was suffused with a sudden dominant impulse - to flip Dustin over roughly and pound into him, nailing him to the bed as he raced towards climax. He took a deep breath, as he probed Dustin's asshole with a finger.

"You want me to ... try?" Alex gasped. He could scarcely believe it. "Got any lube - hand cream, something like that?"

The grin that spread over Dustin's face was wicked enough to stop Alex on his tracks for a moment.

"You think that only gay guys use Astroglide? I got news for you, my man. We all need a little lubrication now and again." Dustin reached up to the headboard, and slid the box of tissues to one side, revealing a small bottle, as well as lubricated condoms and a couple of toys that seemed to involve textured latex. He was still grinning at Alex's stunned expression as he passed the bottle over to him.

Alex took the bottle limply, staring at the condoms. Did Dustin want him to use one? He didn't want to... he wanted to make Dustin his, absolutely. He gently and liberally lubed up Dustin's asshole, after licking at it for a few moments. He was so tight... he couldn't believe he would allow him to take him like this. His breathing became ragged as he finished, putting some lube on his own cock. Then he looked at the toys. And the condoms. He arched a brow.

"Do it. Hurry up, do it to me before I run screaming out of this bedroom." Dustin's face was lightly dewed with sweat, and he was so keyed up now that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What am I supposed to do? You gotta help me out a little here. Come on, boss man, what next?" His dick was leaking now, and it was plain that he was very aroused even though there was apprehension on his face.

Alex put his fingers back into Dustin's ass, bending to kiss it lightly.

"I love you... God!" His cock twitched as he thought of fucking Dustin, and now it seemed he was about to... Scissoring his fingers to stretch him, he pulled out, putting the tip of his cock to Dustin's asshole. He took a deep breath. "Ready, pet?" he husked. "Little cub?"

Nodding without speaking, Dustin waited for the onslaught. He expected pain, and pain he got. It burned as Alex's cock, far wider than the fingers he had been using, pressed against him, forcing the muscle to open and admit it. Alex was holding him firmly, and he clenched himself tight against the pain as his ass was slowly but surely stretched into acceptance. There was a sudden lessening of pressure as the crown of his cock passed in, and then Alex gave a quick twist of his hips. All of a sudden, he was inside Dustin, and Dustin was stretched, more aroused than he had ever been. He growled and shifted against Alex.

"Come on. Do it," he snarled.

"All right, then," Alex growled huskily right back. But he just lay there for a second, enjoying the tight feel of Dustin's ass... warm and oh, so snug. He brushed his lips against his shoulder, hoping he'd remember to go easy, not tear Dustin's virgin ass. He pulled out slightly and began to thrust, slowly at first, then faster as he neared climax. He wanted to hold back as long as he could, but as his balls tightened he felt himself slamming harder against Dustin's hips, feeling his cock plunder that tight ass over and over.

"Oh, Dustin!" Alex yelped, biting his lip and drawing blood. "Oh, yes, boy..." He thought he felt Dustin arch towards him, and he moved with him, in time with him. He bit at Dustin' shoulder. "You okay?"

Panting and sweat-shiny, Dustin was feeling wonderful. The burn had given way to delicate thrills of sweet sensation, and now he felt as though his entire world was centered on the place where they were joined. Absently, he squeezed at his cock, knowing that he would come, and not wanting to do so quite yet. He nodded wordlessly at Alex, afraid to speak, knowing that he couldn't manage coherence just at that moment.

Alex drove in again, with a bit more ardor this time. He thrust in and out rapidly, feeling the telltale shivers along his spine.

"I'm gonna come, oh god..." he cried, biting his lip again. He grabbed Dustin's mouth in a kiss as he gasped, "I'm sorry, babe... can't hold back!" He came suddenly, kissing and biting at Dustin's mouth, running his hands over the man's back and flanks. "Ooh, moi Dustina..."

A strangled cry shook Dustin. He could feel Alex pumping white-hot fluid into his bowels, and the feel was unlike anything he'd known. He could see himself spread out beneath Alex like a like a slut, and his cock was so close. He grabbed for Alex's hand again, needing to finish, knowing that just a touch would do it. As Alex's hand closed on him, working him furiously, Dustin finally gave it up, screaming as his own emission poured out of him to anoint his chest and belly.

Alex fell onto Dustin, spent. "Oh, my baby, my pet..." he panted, exhausted, showering Dustin's body with kisses. Why was he so tired? He figured it was in part relief... relief that Dustin had not left, and partly elation... the stunning surprise of it all. He kissed him again, and then just lay there, breathing hard.

"Jesus, Alex. Tell me it's always like that," Dustin gasped. He'd never felt anything like that before. Lying back on the tumbled bed, he tried manfully to recapture his senses.

"Well... it could be," Alex smiled. "But are you sure all you want is vanilla sex, my pet?"

That brought Dustin back to reality. He struggled up onto his elbow as Alex's words hit home.

"For heaven's sakes, what the hell do you mean? That was vanilla? " He tried to bend his mind around to possible other ways of making love, but gave up, shaking his head. "I probably don't want to know just yet."

Alex chuckled. "Fair enough, pet. Fair enough. How about another kiss though?" Alex's head danced with Dustin's naivet.

Laughing in response, Dustin turned, offering his mouth to Alex, and losing himself in the sweetness of a kiss that seemed to place a seal on him.

"I'm yours now, aren't I?" he said, and his voice held a peculiar mix of hope, excitement and longing.

"Yeah... you're mine," Alex husked, drinking him in. "No one else can hurt you now... you're safe."

At last, Dustin was able to get up. He stumbled back into the kitchen, looking for more coffee, and peered in the fridge seeking something fast to eat. His refrigerator stared back, without so much as a slice of bread to offer?

"Are you hungry, Alex? We're gonna have to go out," he called. "The cupboard is bare."

Alex smiled, and got up. "I could use a small breakfast." He walked out behind Dustin. "I'm sure you'll have someplace in mind."

Dustin headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, waiting for the warm water to begin to flow. Stepping inside and feeling the tingle on his skin as the spray hit his shoulders, he began to soap himself absently. This was so strange. He'd never seen himself as loving another man, but he was rapidly beginning to think that this was to be his fate. As he soaped his tender ass, he wondered to what else he was going to be introduced by the strange man who professed to love him.

A few minutes later, Alex walked down to the bathroom doorway and paused, seeing the shadow of his lover behind the shower curtain as he soaped himself. Somehow, the obscurity of the image made him seem all the more beautiful, mysterious, and Alex just stood and watched for several minutes.

Dustin felt tender, as though he had been beaten, but his aches were somehow satisfying to him, badges of honor in a rite of passage that he had endured and from which he had emerged, made new and powerful. As he shampooed his hair, he heard a slight sound from beyond the curtain, and stuck his head around the corner to discover Alex.

He stepped to the shower, taking the room in two strides.

"Hey, Dustin, got room for two in there?" he smiled.

Dustin snickered softly.

"Sure," he said, suddenly shy. "Wanna wash my back for me?"

Alex smiled. "Love to." He peeled off his tee shirt and stepped inside. Taking the proffered soap, he began to lather Dustin's tan back, relishing every curve and plane of his body. His skin was so soft... he moved downward, into the small of Dustin's back. So smooth... so sexy. He ran the soap through Dustin's crack lightly, smiling as the soap disappeared so nicely between his cheeks. He gasped with the thought of... grasping Pet by the hips and turning him around, Krycek shoved Dustin against the wall of the shower, falling to his knees in a mock reverent attitude. He looked up at Dustin with lustful eyes, sticking out a tongue, making licking motions through a lustful grin. "Take this, baby..."

Gasping, Dustin leaned up against the tiles, watching Alex as he menaced him. He'd come once already that morning, and he was astonished when Alex's lewd display began to take effect on his dick, and it began to fill, bouncing slightly as it grew in little spurts.

"You're gonna wear me out, Alex," he said, plaintively, as Alex licked a swathe along his growing erection. "You'll strip the thread and I'll have to get it re-tooled." Then he shut up, silent as Alex sucked him into his mouth with practiced care. "Oh, yes."

Krycek licked along Dustin's cock, feeling the growing arousal of his love. He stroked his tongue along the veins and the ridge beneath, the place where head and shaft met. Running a hand up along Dustin's leg, he grabbed his balls and started playing with them, feeling them grow tight as he did so. Amused, he wondered whether he should finish him or leave him like this. Alex pulled back, looking teasingly at his love. "You want something, Little Cub? Hmm?"

Dustin didn't speak straight away. He stood, cock rampant, with the water running down over him, his chest heaving as he attempted to get his breathing under control. Turning glazed eyes on Alex, he tried to say something, and then gulped, trying again.

"Don't - don't leave me like this, Alex. God. You're like a drug. Please Suck me."

Alex laughed. "Maybe I should leave you like that. Oh, Dustin, you look so pretty. Go on, look at yourself. That's right. Don't you know you're beautiful?" He cocked his head. "Imagine... cock hard, butt plug up your ass all day... Oh, baby, you know *I* won't be getting much work done today."

As Alex's words sank in, Dustin's heart sank.

"Oh, lord, please, Alex." The plug didn't seem like a hardship any more, but he was so hard, dammit. He had to come. He put a hand down to touch Alex's face. "You won't leave me high and dry, will you? You couldn't do that to me."

In answer, Alex put his tongue out and began to lick Dustin slowly, like an ice cream cone. He smiled, and squeezed Dustin's balls again, passing his hand back to caress his love's asshole. "I can do whatever I want to you," Alex said softly.

With another groan, Dustin banged his head back against the tiles and parted his legs to permit Alex free access wherever he wanted.

"Alex? Please? I can be good. I can be really good for you - "

"Tell me how good you'll be," Alex said. "Show me, even."

Dustin arched his back, his dick rosy-tipped and bobbing, the clear fluid oozing in droplets that trickled down, leaving a glistening trail. His knees shook.

"What do you want me to do, Alex? Just tell me."

"Anything I want." Alex's eyes darkened as he mouthed the tip of Dustin's dick, unable to resist the clear honey at the tip. "Anything I say. That's all." He abruptly pushed his finger up into Dustin's ass, rather swiftly and sharply. "Wear the ass plug, for starters. And it'll be a medium one, I think... yeah..."

"God, yeah - " Dustin jerked his hips forward, his cock lifting sharply as Alex's finger invaded his ass. Please, I'll wear one, I promise, I promise." He was babbling now, hips bucking sharply as Alex worked his ass, fingering the little hot spot that was buried there.

Alex grinned, and took Dustin's dick into his mouth all the way, deepthroating him. He pulled Dustin close, still working his ass. He ran his tongue around the head of Dustin's cock, probing the eye lightly with his tongue and sucking in to create a vacuum. He wanted to suck Dustin dry...

It was heaven. Alex's mouth was sweet, hot, blissful pressure, and Dustin was lost, pumping hard now into that swirling, wonderful suction. His body tingled as the tension gathered at the base of his spine, little tendrils of prickling sweetness shot out, and his world gradually narrowed until his cock was a sunburst, wildfire, nova in the cradle of Alex's mouth. He screamed, and collapsed to lie against the cool tiles.

Alex swallowed every drop of ambrosia that his lover gave him, gulping as he kept up the suction to coax as much from Dustin as he possibly could. With all the enthusiasm of a man who has spent three days in a desert without water, Krycek licked and slurped as Dustin's hot juices filled his mouth. As Dustin fell, Alex wrapped his arms around him and held him tight. "That good, baby? Like that, hmm?"

He couldn't speak. Slowly, he fell to his knees under the still pouring water, and opened his lips to place them against Alex's, his arms sliding up to encircle the man who was both his tormentor and his master.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Dustin was deep in the reading of a script when the intercom sounded and Karl Mackey's voice came through, sounding a little irritated.

"Dustin, could you pop over to my office? I need to talk to you about the figures for July." Dustin sighed. He hated to be interrupted right now, just when he'd finally managed to make himself read through the stack of garbage that was sitting on his desk, but still, Mackey was the boss. He stood and moved out of the office, telling Suzanne to hold his calls.

"Hey, Karl. What can I do for you?" He plopped down into a chair and eyed the big man. Mackey was looking tired. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he seemed listless.

"Is there anything wrong, Karl?"

Mackey looked at Dustin, so like his beloved Alex, and yet so very different. He wanted to hurt the bastard for daring to wear the same face as Alex. He smiled, grimly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Alex drove to the studio in his standard issue dark sedan and found a parking space. Sliding in smoothly, he got out and quickly ran to the studio. He didn't go to Karl's office right away. He went to the records department instead. He wanted to see when the CSM had last been there. Bastard. He skimmed through Mackey's personnel file. Damn! The bastard had been there yesterday. He hadn't seen Mackey though. So what the hell had he been doing?

Swiftly, Alex ran up to the floor Mackey worked on, heading to Dustin's office first. He brushed past the startled Suzanne.

"That was - what happened to your clothes, Dustin?"

Ignoring her, Alex walked quickly towards Mackey's office. He'd nail that bastard right here and now. He was sure he'd seen CSM. He knew it.

"Dustin!" someone called. He turned, and saw a young actress approaching.

He rolled his eyes. "Not now, um, ah..."

"Sarah!" called the actress. "Sarah Wright. 'See No Evil', remember?"

Back in his office, Mackey was inserting the knife into Dustin, prior to turning it.

"I've decided to give Minnow a little more authority, more responsibility. I'm transferring, "See no Evil" from you over to him. Get the paperwork over to his office as soon as you can, would you?"

Dustin gasped. That was his project. He'd conceived it, built it, and now it was being taken from him to hand to a shiftless, blackmailing vagrant. In his outrage he forgot that Minnow was dead, and saw only the injustice of it.

"But - but Karl, that's my project. It always has been."

Dustin sprang to his feet as he tried to marshal the words that might make Mackey reconsider. He knew that his voice had risen to a shout, but he didn't seem to be able to stop it.

"Karl, do you know how much work I've put into that damned show? It's mine. You know it is."

Outside the door, Alex started to answer the actress, but they both turned as the sound of Dustin's voice emerged from Karl Mackey's office through the partly opened door.

"Come on, Karl. Don't do this to me."

Alex sighed. "Ventriloquism," he said, quickly sliding through Mackey's door and shutting it firmly behind him.

"Dustin, I just think that Minnow is the better man for the job..." Mackey's voice trailed away as he saw Alex come in through the door.

Alex was in his face in a flash. "Minnow is better for what job, Karl?" he purred, smirking cruelly. He moved to Dustin, wrapping his arms around him sensually and pulling him close, nibbling his ear sweetly.

"What's Minnow got Dustin hasn't?"

Mackey could only open and close his mouth wordlessly. He couldn't believe this. Where had Alex come from? Why was he here? His mind swam, and his recollections of the previous night floated before him, making him hard.

Alex turned Dustin to face him. "What is it, pet? What's got you so upset you have to shout so, hmm?"

Dustin was still flushed and his chest was heaving as though he had run for miles.

"I - that is, he... It's okay, Alex. I can handle it."

"Pet, what did he say to you?" He wanted to crush the man who'd upset his love. And he thought he saw a way to do it... He wrapped his arms tighter around Dustin, looking at Mackey with a mocking smirk as he pulled Dustin in for a sensual kiss.

"See No Evil is my project. He gave it to Minnow." Dustin felt strangely calm. The world was upside down. Alex was here, impossible though that seemed.

Alex glared at Mackey. "Why did you do that? Dustin is much better than Minnow. At everything." Especially now that he's dead, he thought and his lips twisted cruelly again. "Trust me, Mackey. I know." He released Dustin, and stalked towards Mackey. "Give it back to him."

Mackey merely looked at Alex, and from him to Dustin. The two of them, together. He gasped at the thought, more turned on than he could ever remember. "I..." He closed his mouth again, and merely stared.

Alex moved swiftly behind Mackey. It was a good thing for the man he didn't have his knife in his hand. It was in his pocket though... He looked over at Dustin. "I know you're good at what you do. Mackey doesn't know who he's dealing with." He winked at Dustin. "Would you like to be *his* boss, Dustin? Like him to do what you tell him to?"

Dustin shivered. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

"Um... Alex? What do you mean? I just want my project back."

"You'll get your project back. And so much more... don't you want more, Dustin?" He sneered at Mackey. "Strip for us, boy. I'm gonna teach you a lesson, Karl. About how you treat my friends." He still couldn't believe Karl presumed to take his pet's project away. He knew Dustin had slaved on that. "And tell me, why were you going to give it to Minnow?"

Dustin gasped, and then fell back in astonishment when Mackey lowered his head and began obediently unfastening the buttons of his shirt. This couldn't be happening. Karl Mackey was the president of the company. He wasn't a whore, or a kid off the streets. Why was he doing this? He looked over at Alex, waiting for answers, not expecting to receive them.

Mackey mumbled something very quietly as he slipped out of his shirt. Dustin was too far away to hear what it was. Shirt gone, Mackey began opening his pants, prior to removing them.

Alex walked over to the filing cabinet. The middle drawer held sex toys and torture devices, some of them medical-looking. He smiled at Dustin. "Not so powerful now, is he?" He opened the drawer, getting hard as he perused the objects within it. He selected a wide and long dildo with some electrodes attached. Smiling his cruel smile, he walked over to Mackey.

The device was new to Dustin. He frowned, looking at the thing. He felt a little dubious.

"What the hell is that, Alex?" Karl Mackey was naked now, had fallen to his knees and was groveling beside Alex. Dustin backed away until he collided with the filing cabinet, and stood, wide-eyed, watching.

Alex smiled at Dustin. "You want your project back, right?" He looked at Mackey, growing hard through his jeans as he handed Dustin the dildo's cord. "Plug this in." Mackey was going to pay for speaking to his pet that way. Oh... he would pay. Big time. Fucking Minnow! He hated the way Minnow had become the literal fair-haired boy in the office. Dustin was doing so well, on the fast track. And then Minnow came around. Mackey would help him? Not if he could help it.

Taking the offered cord, Dustin hesitated for a minute. He was afraid. The thing that Alex was holding looked murderous, and he wondered if the act of plugging the thing into the wall socket would make him an accessory should Mackey die. Then he noticed the fierce look of exultation on Mackey's normally severe face. The revelation hit.

"He wants this. He wants Alex to hurt him."

Slowly, Dustin knelt and inserted the plug into the wall.

Krycek yanked Mackey's head back roughly. "You thought him your underling, someone you could boss around. Make him do as you say. Make him suffer after you found your golden boy. But you never knew I'd find mine, did you, Karl?" Krycek turned, nodded his thanks to Dustin, and brandished the dildo in front of Mackey. "What do you say, boy?"

"I'm sorry Alex. I was angry because because he's not you. I didn't know - " Mackey hung his head, perfectly still, awaiting the judgment that Alex would make. It seemed as though whatever Alex decided would be enough for him.

Mackey raised his head, his eyes burning into Alex's in a way that left Dustin out in the cold.

"You are my master. He's an insult, because he's like you, and he isn't you." His words were expressionless, and Dustin squirmed uneasily at them.

"You... you calling Dustin an insult? That -- insults me, Mackey. I won't have it." Krycek pushed Mackey down so his chest was on the rug. He looked over at Dustin. "Pet, bring me some rope, would you?"

"Rope?" Dustin looked at Alex. This was a production company, not a shipyard. Where the fuck did Alex think that he'd be able to find a piece of rope at short notice? It was Mackey who solved the problem, calling out to Dustin to look in the drawer. Dustin opened the drawer and removed the rope, shaking his head at the strangeness of it all.

"Tie him," Krycek said. "Mackey, tell him how to tie you. How I like it best." He grinned, eager to punish Mackey and strangely reveling in Dustin's confusion about the situation. He was surprised Mackey was so complacent, though. He knew Mackey was his total slave, but he'd expected some sort of protest.

Moving like an automaton, Dustin followed the instructions given as he bound Karl's wrists together tightly, passing a loop from the knot around the crouching man's neck, pulling it tight enough to choke him should he struggle too hard.

"How's that, Alex?" he asked, stepping away when he had done.

"That's great, Dustin." Alex smiled, and knelt beside Mackey, passing a hand over the man's bare flesh. He pinched his dick, and balls. "So you thought to give Dustin's pride and joy to Minnow because he wasn't me. How goddamned *sweet*..."

"I love you, Alex. You know that. It hurts to see him, because he could be you, but he's not." The wail from Mackey was pain filled, but it was not the pain of the physical that he was feeling, Dustin could tell that. He shivered. Were there no secrets that Alex didn't know, wouldn't discover? He was afraid. It could one day be him there on the floor begging for mercy

"Dustin could be me... how so?" Krycek felt Dustin needed to hear this. It would build him up, and Alex wanted Dustin built up. Especially by a man who'd upset him so. He snarled, sliding the dildo between Mackey's ass cheeks, along the crack but not in it. "Tell Dustin. Tell him what you mean, he could be me." Looking at Dustin, Krycek smiled, sliding the dildo teasingly on Mackey's skin.

"You and Alex," wailed Mackey, glaring at Dustin from his position on the floor. "You look so alike, but he's my lover. He's always been my lover and you - " There was contempt in the voice, incongruous as it seemed. "You're just an employee."

Krycek tensed. "'Just' an employee, Mackey? Have you seen nothing since I came in here?" Roughly, Krycek shoved the dildo into Mackey's asshole. How dare he speak to his love that way! How. Fucking. Dare. He. "Come here, love," he said softly to Dustin. His rage seethed within. Mackey just insulted his cub... Krycek pushed the dildo in all the way, then flicked the switch for a few seconds.

Dustin heard the summons, but he was powerless to move. This was all too damned much. He stood, not sure whether to turn and bolt from the office, or to approach Alex and assist in this - he groped for a word - this torture of his boss.

"Alex?" The word fell from his lips like a plea as he saw Alex insert, and then turn on the dildo.

Karl Mackey screamed as the device Alex held delivered its jolt to his sensitive rectum. Dustin eyed the door nervously, wondering if his secretary would rush in, or if security would be called. He moved to stand beside the door, unsure whether to leave or stay, afraid to do either.

"Now... what was that about Dustin?" Alex breathed, ready to turn the dildo on again if Mackey didn't answer correctly, or didn't answer quickly enough.

"I love you, Alex." Mackey whispered through gritted teeth. "You. I love you."

Growling, Alex spat onto his slave.

"Wrong answer. I know you love me." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "But you saw me with Dustin. Does that not tell you anything?" He waited to flip the switch - he wanted to hear Mackey say it aloud. Say he knew Dustin was his new pet, but as he thought about it for a moment, he became angrier. It was disrespectful towards him, Alex, for Mackey not to say it. He would leave the juice on until Mackey begged him to stop, and showed knowledge of Dustin's new status, if not acceptance. He took one of the electrodes that dangled from the end of the dildo and attached it to the head of Mackey's cock, wedging the tiny lead into the slit. He took two others and attached them to his balls. A fourth he put on the base of Mackey's cock. As he attached each lead, he felt himself growing harder. When he was finished, he moved back, and pressed the button.

Mackey spasmed as the charge hit his genitals. He arched backwards, bones cracking as he strained, and a howl erupted from his lips, a strange, banshee wail that terrified Dustin. Dustin stepped forward quickly, laying a hand on Alex's arm.

"For God's sake, Alex - " He didn't want to see this.

Krycek looked at Dustin, eyes hard as flint. "He needs to say it, Dustin. Don't worry. It won't hurt him... permanently." He turned back to Mackey. Dustin might as well not have been there. He pumped the dildo into Mackey roughly a couple of times. "Karl. What do you say?"

"Anything, Alex. Anything. I won't hurt Dustin, I promise. Stop, please - " Mackey had fallen to the floor, and Dustin could see blood dripping from his wrists. As he watched, the loop around Mackey's neck tightened, turning his face red as the oxygen was shut off from his brain.

"Don't, Alex," Dustin said again, afraid of what would happen next.

Krycek looked at Mackey, at last realizing his extreme physical distress. He let go of the switch, pulled the dildo out of Mackey, and took the electrodes off. He made sure the rope was loosened around Mackey's neck, and growled, "And you'll give him back his project, 'See No Evil'?"

Mackey sobbed brokenly as the torment finally ceased. He lay on the floor, blood and mucus flowing from his nose and mouth, his wrists a painted flag that denoted his servitude.

"He's yours, Alex. He can have whatever you want." Mackey seemed totally lost.

Krycek looked at Mackey. He had wanted to jolt the man, not hurt him... to this degree. He'd used it on him before... and not had these effects. He put a hand on Mackey's forehead as a thought struck him. Perhaps a sweetener, after all, you get more flies with honey... He looked at Dustin. "Would you excuse us a moment? I need to... speak to Mackey..."

Dustin looked from one to the other, feeling somewhat faint. From somewhere, he summoned up a cheery grin that he was far from feeling.

"Um - Okay, I'll be outside in the secretary's office if you need any help. I'd hate to see you in danger from him." He turned and opened the door, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he left the two of them behind.

Krycek stroked Mackey's cheek. "Karl... talk to me, baby."

Thick sobs shook Karl, but at Alex's touch he lifted his head, straining to nuzzle Alex's hand.

"Love you so. Don't hurt me any more." He snuffled pathetically as he awaited his fate.

"Karl, you gotta understand something. You... you know things are... different, now."

Mackey allowed a single hiccupping sob to escape him, and then lay still.

"You don't love me. You love him. I know." There was loss in his voice; a pain like none that Alex had ever inflicted had him in its grip.

"That's right. But you're still mine, yes?" Krycek bit his lip. "I need you still, Karl." It was true. On some level, Alex did still need Karl. To be the adored one, revered absolutely. He stroked Karl's chest softly. "Sit up, boy. Look at me."

Struggling and squirming, Mackey flopped into a sitting position despite his bound wrists. His face was dangerously suffused with blood again as the choking rope pulled tight with his efforts, and he wheezed at Alex, willing him to see the predicament that he was in.

Krycek cocked his head. "Hmm... You want some breath deprivation torture, Mackey? Then by all means, keep struggling. Here." He pulled the rope's slipknot, and Mackey was free. Wearily, he pulled himself up to stand beside Alex.

Gasping in great breaths of air, Mackey lay against Alex, still shuddering with unvocalized sobs as he pondered Alex and his new love. The loss was enormous, crippling. He turned to Alex, his eyes begging him for love even though he dared not say a word. Alex stroked Karl's hair.

"Do you... you... my God, you still..." He shook his head, not believing. Not wanting to believe. He didn't want to believe Mackey was still so in love with him. Yet he knew it was true. "Mackey... why did you take his project away, and give it to Minnow?" His voice was almost kindly.

Karl sniffed, his distress easing as time brought distance from the pain.

"I wanted to make him suffer. I knew last night that you didn't love me any more. I followed you to his place. I - " he sobbed again, tears streaming down unstopped to fall onto his chest, and onto Alex's sleeve. "Don't tell me I can't love you, Alex. You're all I want. All I ever wanted."

Krycek's eyes turned dark and he pushed Mackey away, sending him stumbling.

"You - followed me? I thought you knew the rules, Karl. I thought you understood there were things..." He backed off, angry. "You assumed we were lovers. On what basis?" he sneered at Karl. "And I would never presume to tell you that you can't love me, Karl." Perversely, he was turned on by Mackey's suffering love. He wanted to hear more. He walked up behind Karl, kissing his tears. "I need you, baby. You know that. But now...so does Dustin. He needs you, too."

"Don't - " Mackey hung his head again. "Don't be angry with me, Alex. I only wanted to be near you. I can't stand the thought of losing you." He drooped. "How do you need me? How does Dustin need me?"

Krycek pulled Mackey to him, roughly.

"You're a very naughty boy, Karl. What happened to trust?" He laughed, biting his ear, hard. "Only say you'd like two masters, and you shall have them." A thrill went through Krycek as he imagined fucking Karl's ass while Karl gave Dustin a blowjob. Then, he and Dustin could switch, and... He pushed his cock, hemmed in by his jeans, against Karl's naked ass. "Would you like that, boy? Hmm?"

There was silence for a minute. Mackey sat shivering.

"Will you still love me?" There was a kind of terrified joy to his words as he spoke, his face alight with a hope that had not been there until Alex had asked his horrible, wonderful question.

"Of course." As much as he ever had...

Mackey sank to his knees, his arms, laced with red, reaching out to hold his love around slim hips, his mouth tracing the bulge beneath the denim.

"Whatever you need, Alex," he mumbled.

As Karl bent towards him, Alex said, "Karl... would you call Dustin back in?" He felt his cock strain the fabric. "Give me a blowjob, Mackey. Here, in your office. You know you want to, don't you?"

Krycek felt the return of some semblance of control as Karl obligingly called for Dustin, and then eagerly took his erection into his mouth. When Dustin opened the door, it was upon the vision of his boss sucking his lover deep into his throat.

Alex called Dustin over softly. "Come here, pet." He stroked Dustin's crotch. "Want that taken care of, pet? Want a good blowjob? Nobody gives them like Mackey... or do you want to fuck him? I'd love to see you fuck him, pet. Take back the power he holds over you. He bosses you around. You show him who the real boss is. Would you like that, little cub?"

Shaking his head, Dustin watched, fascinated at the way Mackey was working Alex's cock. It was arousing to watch his lover so completely in control of this man, transforming him from the CEO into a rentboy. Despite himself, he felt his cock rising, and the color flooded to his cheeks.

"Dustin... I want you to do this." Alex held his gaze, turning his eyes a shade darker. He looked down at Mackey. "Tell him you want him, Karl," he growled. "Tell him you want him deep." That got Krycek hard, thinking of Mackey telling Dustin he wanted him... after the way he'd treated him... He gazed back at Dustin. "You'll feel so good about this... you'll love it."

Removing Alex's dick from his mouth, Karl obediently turned to nod at Dustin. "God, Dustin, please." He choked as Alex rammed his cock back down his throat, and moaned, his own erection forgotten as he pleasured the man who controlled him.

Dustin felt a surge of lust and moved over to run his hands over Mackey's behind, wondering.

Alex caught Dustin's gaze as he thrust into Mackey's mouth. It was so fucking hot.

"Do it, Dustin... do it..." He couldn't wait to see Dustin shove his hard, huge dick into his - their - slave. "Baby... I want to watch you." He wrapped his hands in Mackey's hair, pushing him onto his cock as he watched Dustin lustily. "It's gonna be so good, boy, filling you at both ends... the way a slut like you deserves."

Dustin gave a faint whimper, and drove his cock deep into the ready opened depths of Karl Mackey's waiting ass. He gasped at the heat that enveloped him, and again when he met Alex's eyes, burning and intense as he stared into Dustin's eyes. Goddammit! He was gonna come like a schoolboy with a copy of his dad's Playboy. This was so incredibly good.

Alex gasped as he watched Dustin's cock slide into Mackey, as swift and sure as would his own. It was incredible to watch Mackey take his love deep, while he was sucking him. He leaned forward, to catch Dustin's face in a kiss. He gulped for his mouth, parting his lips and teeth with his tongue, exploring it - that spicy, sweet, musky scent came back to him. He pulled at Dustin, urging him on, as his hips bucked against Mackey's face. Feeling his balls draw up, he reached under Mackey for his cock, to pinch it as he kept up the kiss with Dustin, licking and sucking his sweet mouth and face and ears and neck.

"Come- coming!" gasped Dustin into Alex's mouth, totally lost in the sensations that were being generated by this perverse encounter. His hand reached down to join Alex's, taking Karl's cock and stroking it frantically as he plunged inside him. The flood of feelings that took him and shook him were sudden and intense. He jammed himself into Mackey, and felt his come boiling up and through into his ass.

"No!" Alex took Dustin's hand. "Don't stroke it... here, like this." He showed Dustin how he pinched the tip of Mackey's cock, to keep him from coming. "Sick baby loves it..." He began thrusting hard, too, and threw his head back, exposing his throat to Dustin as he came into Mackey's mouth, feeling his ass's flexion as he spurted spasmodically, emptying himself down Mackey's throat.

"Oh... oh wow..." He reached for Dustin again, thrusting into Mackey's mouth one more time as he nipped at Dustin's neck. "Oh..." He leaned his head on Dustin's shoulder, his other arm loosely about Mackey's neck. "Fuck, yeah..."

Dustin couldn't quite make himself hurt Mackey. He batted Alex's hand away and gripped the leaking, desperate cock in his had, stroking it hard and fast.

"C'mon, Karl." He whispered, throatily, his own cock slowly subsiding as the fluid of his ejaculate trickled down from Mackey's ass.

"Karl," Alex said. "Do you want to come?" He looked at Dustin, rolling his eyes. Fine, fine, but that's half your power, pet, he thought, exasperated. You were going to dominate him, remember?

Dustin took away his hand as though it had been burned.

"Alex?" he asked, unsure now as the pleasure drained away, leaving him shaken.

Alex sighed. "Pet, half the power is..." He stopped, and decided to *show* him... that might be better. He jerked Mackey onto his knees. "Want something, boy?"

Whining, Karl knelt at Alex's feet, his distended, abused cock throbbing visibly.

"Please, Alex." His voice was quiet and hoarse, and he looked at Alex, pleading with his eyes as he crouched.

Alex looked at Karl, taking his cock gently, teasingly, onto his fingertips. "Please what, Karl? What is it, baby?"

"Please let me come, Alex. I'll be good. I promise." Mackey's voice was gentle, but there was a quivering desperation evident in his burning eyes and trembling body. "Help me come, Alex?"

Alex smiled kindly, taking Mackey's cock in his hand. "Okay, baby. Okay." He stroked Mackey's cock in the rhythm he liked best, pulling him in to nuzzle his neck. "You were a good boy now, Mackey... good, good boy. It's all right. You can come now. Come on..."

Thrusting and groaning, Mackey turned his head, pressing his lips against Alex as he came, shooting his libation in a white fountain to arc across the office and strike the side of his desk. He cried out then, hoarse and sharp, as his body shook. As Alex loosed his hold on Mackey's cock, the man leant into him, whispering thanks and love.

Alex put an arm around Mackey. "That's all right, boy. It's all right." He looked at Dustin. "Here, pet. Give him a hug."

Somewhat shakily, Dustin knelt alongside Mackey and put his arms around him. Mackey turned, flinging his own arms around Dustin as he approached. All of a sudden, Dustin found himself enveloped in the other man's arms, kisses pressed to whatever part of him came near to Mackey's mouth, and broken thanks issuing from his lips. He looked helplessly at Alex.

Alex smiled. "This is how it is at the top." He laughed at the Hollywood clich. "He needs... tell him you love him. He needs to know you care for him." He looked into Dustin's eyes. "He's given himself to us, and in return we... how did you feel when you gave yourself to me, Dustin?"

He shook his head. Some things were difficult to think about, even now. Frowning, he considered how he had felt, aware that Mackey was waiting greedily for his answer.

"I think," he said, slowly, "that I felt afraid."

"Afraid? Afraid, at dinner?" Alex sucked in a breath. He hadn't expected that.

"Oh, no, not then. Then I felt relief, that you would help me, care for me. I meant before that, when you made me - When you -" Dustin couldn't say it in front of Mackey.

"Yes, pet, I know. But you hadn't given yourself to me then." Alex smiled gratefully; Dustin understood. He kissed his neck, then Mackey's.

"I don't understand. You mean that Karl wants you to hurt him because he needs to be taken out of his own hands? That doesn't make sense, Alex."

Alex sighed, and looked to Karl for help. Truth be told, there were times he didn't understand it, either. He had asked Karl a few times, and Karl would simply say, "I love you." For both of their sakes, he hoped he'd be somewhat more forthcoming now.

"You always know what I need, Alex, and you give it to me. I couldn't imagine a life without you, moi lyubov. I need you to be with me, help me, forgive me." Mackey became suddenly silent, turned in on himself in a way that seemed to preclude any further speech.

Alex softened, pulling Mackey to him. "Moi Karl," he said. "I will always give you what you need. You know that..." He kissed him, a kiss of a history shared that did not include Dustin.

Dustin put his arms around them both, relishing the feeling of warmth and love that flowed from them, and between them. His heart thudded. This was belonging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Karl Mackey sat on his deck, trying to forget the previous night's passions with Alex and Dustin so he could actually get some work done before the night was over. He sighed, staring at the sea. Alex had been right about it - the rocks taking a beating and standing strong through it. Hell, he'd kept the Smoker off his trail. That was something, wasn't it? He picked up his drink and stared contemplatively. Dustin. Dustin was another animal altogether, but he rather liked the way they took him last night. And it was what Alex wanted. He'd always do anything for Alex... anything.

The first indication that he was not alone was the smell of smoke that suddenly tickled his nostrils, making his gorge rise. When he looked up his heart sank. The old man had entered noiselessly, and stood before his desk, a faint smile on his withered face as he puffed on the ever present Morley.

"Hello, Karl," said the Smoker. "I think we have things to discuss, don't you?"

"What things, Sir?" Karl gulped. He'd been telling this hated man he hadn't seen Alex for two months... that he had been off to Cairo then. What mistake had he made? None that he knew of. He'd been so careful. "I haven't seen Alex yet," he continued in his best dejected and rejected voice. "I wish he'd come back to me - I miss him, and the way he used to love me. The way he used to hold me..." Karl was babbling, purposefully pathetic. "Sure he hurt me sometimes, but all love hurts if it's real, isn't that right?"

"It certainly is," agreed the Smoker, smiling hatefully as he stubbed the half smoked cigarette out in the soil surrounding Mackey's Bird of Paradise plant. "I can't imagine why he would leave you lonely for so long. you must be quite bereft." He stepped closer to Karl, almost breathing down his neck and suddenly reached out to seize Karl's wrist, upon which the rope burns and cuts were clearly visible.

"It seems as though you've been playing Alex false, Karl. That's not a loving thing to do, now, is it?"

"Playing him false?" Karl stammered, following his gaze. Shit... oh shit. He'd had it, and he knew it. The Smoker knew what a hold Alex had on him. Unless...

"I... went to a sex club the other night. Needed to be touched so bad... to be whipped and shamed." He raised his eyes to the Smoker's. "Now Alex will love me more, hurt me more, right?" Mackey was surprised at how easily the lie came. He must not sell Alex out, and play him false for real...

The Smoker's hand shot out, burying itself in Karl's hair, and then tightened, cruelly twisting until Karl felt some strands start to come loose.

"I think that it's time you and I were honest with each other, Karl, don't you?" He yanked, dragging Karl's head back to expose his throat and smiled, a smile that bared his teeth in a gloating, feral grimace that had less humor in it than any smile Karl could ever recall.

He suddenly released the hair and extracted another cigarette from the open pack in his pocket, flicking his lighter to ignite the tip with a singular concentration that seemed odd after his violence of the previous moment.

Karl's heart had skipped a few beats, but he thought he recovered nicely. "I *am* being honest, Sir." He looked into the Smoker's rheumy eyes, willing his gaze not to waver.

The Smoker's hand shot forth once more, the hair was seized again, and this time his head was shaken to and fro, roughly.

"You're a liar, Karl. Where is he?"

"I don't know! I haven't seen him, I told you! I swear it!" Karl wished the words were true now. Oh, how he did. The Smoker had always scared him. He'd seen what he was capable of. But he could not leave Alex to him. He knew Alex was trying to leave the Smoker, and to tell him where he was - no, he'd rather die himself than do that. "If I'd seen him, don't you think I'd be with him now? He's in Cairo..."

The sharp blow came from nowhere, a stinging slap that took Karl's breath and left his ears ringing. The Smoker smiled once more.

"Try again, Karl. I didn't hear you that time." He removed the cigarette from its place between his lips and puffed it again. "Where is he? I know he's in town."

When his ear stopped ringing, and he felt he could speak straight again, Karl said, slowly and succinctly, "I tell you I haven't seen him in two months. Can I make it any clearer than that?" He glared at the old man, hate and defiance in his - oops, waaay out of character, Mackey. He quickly lowered his eyes. "I-- if he's in town I'm very hurt he hasn't been to see me." Simpering now: "Why wouldn't he come see me? I've been good to him, haven't I?"

The hand tightened in his hair, and he winced. His scalp was going to hurt for days.

Opening his eyes, he found the old man staring intently into his eyes.

"Such attractive eyes you have, Karl. No wonder Alex loves them." His voice was full of threat, and Karl felt the cold of panic slither down his back. "I wonder if he'll love you so well if you are returned to him with only one." The cigarette began to move towards Karl's eye. "Where is he? Karl?"

Mackey closed his eyes, hard, twisting away. "Don't... know!" And if I did, do you really think I'd tell you? he thought viciously.

The cigarette drew inexorably closer. Karl struggled, but the hand that held his hair brought him back.

"Where is he, Karl? Do you think that he'll still love you when one of those pretty brown eyes is a red ruin? I'm sure that they can do wonderful things with lasers these days, but I don't feel that they'd be up to repairing the damage I can cause." The oily voice remained perfectly gentle, and still the cigarette approached.

Karl could feel the heat of it on his cheek, heard the frizzling sound that was his lashes burning, and smelled the scent of charring hair. He whimpered and choked up.

"I know you'll hurt Alex if I tell you." He started to cry. "If I knew where he was, why would I tell you? I love Alex, don't want you or anyone to hurt him. Want him happy... Why do you always hurt him so much?" Mackey was pathetic now, really bawling. "He's waited years for the chance to slip away... you think I'll let you ruin his happiness?"

The pain as the glowing tip of the cigarette touched his eyelid was almost too dreadful to bear, and yet Karl knew that it was only the beginning.

Briefly, the fiery thing was removed, and the Smoker spoke again, all reason and thoughtfulness.

"I will have obedience from you, Karl. Alex is in trouble, and only you can help him, but you must do this for yourself, and not for Alex. Love is a very fine thing, and you are to be commended for the depth and purity of your feelings. When you see the object of your devotion dead, and you could have assisted me in saving him, why then you will put out your other eye out of sheer grief." The red glow began to approach Karl's eye once more.

Karl bit his lip. "Alex is in trouble?" he asked, slowly. "You - you don't want to... hurt him this time? I - might be able to get a message to him."

"Oh, come now, Karl. You know that I need more than that. I need his whereabouts, and I need them now. Hurry, I grow tired." The cigarette sizzled as the tip stroked down the bridge of his nose, painting a trail of agony behind it as it approached his eye once again. Karl gasped. He was used to pain, but...

"How do I know I can trust you? Last time we trusted you ... I nursed Alex's wounds. He told me about Sergei then. Why should I believe you now?" But Mackey had his doubts. If Alex *did* need this man's help...

"Can you afford to take the chance, Karl?" CSM spoke kindly and almost too quietly to be heard over the sizzle and singe of crisping eyelashes.

"No... I can't... I know you're smarter than me and you know best." He was back to blubbering now as an acrid smell filled his nostrils and ashes stung and burned his cheek and eyelid. "I could be like Oedipus... burn my own eyes out from shame, if I don't trust you. Can I trust you?" He put an arm around the Smoker, a frightened child seeking reassurance from his father.

The menacing hand dropped, and in the one gripping his hair moved to cradle Karl's head, as the old man stroked his abused scalp.

"Of course you should trust me, Karl. Come now, hasn't Alex always trusted me? Would I harm him? He's my child, Karl. Would I harm my own flesh and blood? I want only to help him before it's too late." The Smoker pulled Karl against him, tender as he stroked his hair. "Dry your tears and tell me where I can find him. It really is a matter of great urgency."

Karl sniffed. "But... you... you've hurt him before. He told me never, never to tell you. I promised him... you won't hurt him again? Why did Sergei have to give him to you if he was your own then?" Karl was confused. This man was Alex's father? He'd done all that to his own son? Been his Master and... Something broke in Karl. "I don't understand..."

"You don't need to understand. I know that Alex has done things to hurt you. Believe me, I have seen his viciousness with my own eyes, and even known it against me, his father. You must also understand that Alex isn't always a truthful boy. Do you hear me? Now help me to help him, and we'll say no more about it." The lighter crackled as another cigarette was lit above Karl's head. Karl whimpered.

"This morning I was so sad... he's found another love. But then he came by and said they could both be my masters... I still belong to him! I was so happy. I thought he'd left me... but I still have him. I know he's in town, but I'm not sure where he is right now." That at least was true. He had a guess where Alex was, but it was also possible he was out at a club... Dustin and Alex both loved clubs.

The old man caressed Mackey's face, drawing a single finger along the path of the burn he had inflicted, trailing it through the ooze of clear liquid there and bringing it back up to his lips.

"Good, good. Tell me Karl, who is this new love of Alex's? Where does he live?"

Karl sighed. He had failed again, he knew. Yet part of him craved the old man's approval. "Yarma. Dustin Yarma. He works for me. Producer - lives up in the hills a ways over." Relieved sobs escaped as he breathed the information softly, knowing the Smoker would hear. "Am I doing right in telling you?"

"Of course you are, Karl." The Smoker stooped to drop a kiss onto Karl's hair. "You've helped Alex in ways for which he will never be able to repay you." Abruptly, he released the clinging Mackey and backed away, a slim, straight figure in a silk suit, vibrant despite his obvious age. "Goodnight, Karl. I'm sure that we'll meet again soon."

"S - sir? You... you'll be good to Alex?" His fears returning now, as he saw the man retreat. Study in evil, he. Alex's father? He'd never told him that...

There was no response. All that remained of the Smoker's disturbing presence was the lingering scent of cigarette smoke. The man himself had gone.

He waited for a couple of moments, the things that he'd heard warring within his brain. Alex God, Alex was his love, more than his love, his lodestar, his all. His eye burned, and his nose hurt him too, but he couldn't rest until he knew that everything was all right.

At last he picked up the phone and dialed Dustin's house, knowing what he'd hear.

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Alex kissed Dustin, relishing the feel of his taut, hard body beneath him. He still couldn't believe Dustin let him in so readily, and it gave him a heady feeling. He thrust into him slowly as he told him what a good boy he'd been, to wear his butt plug as he'd asked. It had made him hot to think about it, and he growled his pleasure. He was about to speed up when the phone rang. Tensing, he stopped his thrusts. Reluctantly rolling off Dustin, he picked up the phone, as he looked at him.

"Don't go anywhere," he said rhetorically. Putting the phone to his ear he said, "Yeah."

Karl's heart soared to hear Alex's voice, and then sank as the implications of it came home to him. Alex was loving Dustin, not him, and that pain was harder to bear than the burns to his face. He screwed his eyes shut in anguish, and tried to stop the tears that were beginning to well up at the thought of the two of them without him.

"Alex, you have to run. He - he came tonight. He was going to burn out my eyes, and I told him where you were. I'm - " He couldn't go on. The sobs choked him and he stood waiting, sure that Alex would tell him that they were through forever.

At Mackey's words, Krycek was on his feet immediately, sex suddenly the farthest thing from his mind. Damn... damn. And the Smoker no doubt had the line tapped.

"Right, Karl. Thank you," he said shortly, hanging up. He began pulling his clothes on, hurriedly. "Come on, Dustin," he said. "Get up and get dressed. We've got to leave." There was a sharpness and urgency to his words, and he hoped Dustin would follow his instructions without the usual questions.

"What?" Dustin watched as Alex pulled on his jeans, a faint furrow on his brow as he pondered. "Why are we getting up? What's happened"

He sat up, but didn't immediately leave the bed. This was too weird.

Krycek threw on his shirt.

"Just get up and get dressed Dustin. Please. We don't have time for questions." He grabbed his knife, which he kept by the bed and tucked it into his waistband. His gun was in his jacket pocket, on the chair by the door. He pulled on his shoes. "Come on, Dustin!" Krycek looked back at Dustin, then looked out of the bedroom door. Damn. Had Mackey given the Smoker the address?

"Come on, Alex, what's got you so upset?" Dustin finally climbed out of the bed, his erection wilting as he reached reluctantly for the clothing he had worn earlier. Alex had gone to stand by the window, peering inelegantly through the blinds onto the street below, and appeared agitated. "Nobody's gonna disturb us at this time of night, I guarantee it."

Krycek turned, laughing sourly. "I can guarantee you they will, pet. Now get the fuck out of bed!" Disturb us indeed. That'll be putting it mildly. He walked over to Dustin. "Please, pet, just listen to me. Okay? Something's... come up at my work and we're not safe here."

"For goodness' sake, what are you doing to us, Alex? To me? I'm not safe in my own home? How is that possible?" Dustin slipped on his shoes and jacket as he spoke. "Guess I'm ready then. Now what, Mr. Secret Agent Man?"

Krycek looked at Dustin rather more sharply than he'd intended as he threw on his leather jacket. Just the feel of it comforted him, as if he was slipping into a new persona by slipping it on. It made him feel invincible, almost. Almost.

Moving swiftly towards the door, eyes darting everywhere, he said, "I'm sorry, baby. Mackey... spilled the beans. He knows where I am. And if he finds me, he finds you. That can't happen." Reaching the front door, he paused. He stopped, turned, and headed for the back door instead. Then he paused again, wondering which was safest. Which door is CSM more likely to be at? Front door, if he thinks we're not expecting him. But... Ah, hell. Krycek walked to a window and opened it. Nothing. Yet... the air smelled of danger to him. He looked back at Dustin again.

"Come on, love." He pulled Dustin towards the deck door, grabbing his gun and holding it at the ready as he stepped outside, pressing Dustin behind him, flattening them both against the stucco, in the shadows of the full moon. He snorted. "Pretend you're in a James Bond movie if it makes you feel better, but believe me..." Hearing a noise in the bushes he swung his gun around, but it was only a black cat, who looked at Krycek balefully as he ran off.

Dustin paused to lock the door behind him, and then followed Alex's lead as they worked their way around the building. He could see no reason for this stupid exercise, and was beginning to make his mind up to go back to his bed, when Alex seized his arm and gestured that he be silent. An indication with a slight jerk of Alex's chin revealed a dark shape, a shape that held a gun, prowling softly towards Dustin's patio door. A moment later the sound of tinkling glass shattered the silence of the night.

Cursing under his breath, Dustin followed Alex rather more rapidly as he made for the Porsche. Upon reaching it, the two of them abandoned all attempts at stealth in favor of speed, and as the engine fired up, roaring into life, they saw Dustin's front door open.

Shoving Dustin's head down, Krycek drove the Porsche at a suicidal speed out into the flow of traffic. Seeing a car start to follow, he groaned.

"Babe... stay low. Don't want them to see you." Looking in the rearview mirror, he could see that there were two cars. Cursing their flashy vehicle, he shook his head. "Why couldn't you have settled for a Volvo or something..."

A snort of derision was Dustin's only response as he hung on tightly, the wind ruffling his hair as he craned his neck to see what was happening to their pursuers. Traffic was still congested, although it was close to midnight, and Alex drove like a demon, cutting through cross streets, throwing the car into racing turns, and at one point, through a drive-in fast food joint, much to Dustin's slack-jawed amazement. Later, he was to admit that he just wouldn't have been able to put his car through the things that Alex did, but then, he wasn't afraid the way that Alex was.

Not then.

Krycek glanced back in the rear view as he peeled out of the drive-through. He'd gained some ground, but his pursuers were still on him. As long as they were in this car, he despaired of ever losing them. Way too flashy. He sighed, and headed onto the freeway. Even at this late hour, there was plenty of traffic.

Think, Alex, he shouted to himself. Think, think, think.

He swerved suddenly across four lanes of traffic, then wove in and out of cars in an attempt to lose their pursuers, or, failing that, to gain more ground. He came up upon a semi trailer truck, and smiled tightly. Maybe... he pulled out behind it at the last possible moment, passed it on the right, and swerved back almost directly in front of it, causing the startled and angry truck driver to blast his air horn and slam on his brakes. God, no, don't do that, buddy... Krycek flinched at the blaring noise.

Alex sped up a bit, to encourage the truck driver to speed up again, and looked over at his passenger, who seemed a little green. He smiled thinly, saying, "You ain't seen nothing yet." His smile vanished, however, as he saw two dark sedans on either side of the truck. "Dammit! Hold on!"

Dustin didn't need the urging. He was holding on so tightly that his knuckles were white, and he closed his eyes, and then reopened them quickly. If he were to die tonight, at least he'd know what killed him. He very much feared that it would be Alex.

Swerving back across the four lanes, Krycek caught his breath as he glanced through the rear view, dodging closely around the cars on the road, which all seemed to be driving as slowly as they could. Didn't they know this was life and death?

Coming to a break in the center-dividing rail, Krycek glanced across at the southbound lanes. Just as much traffic as on this side of the highway, but... wait a minute. Krycek slammed on the brakes again; seemingly bound and determined to cause a pile up. As the break in the traffic on the other side approached, he bit his lip. The sedans were approaching, no doubt wondering what he was doing. Taking his chance, he made a jackknife turn into the southbound lanes, succeeding, but just barely. He grinned tightly as he joined the flow of traffic, and saw in the rearview the sedans get brutally sideswiped as they tried impetuously to duplicate his maneuver. That'll take awhile to clean up... he thought with a grin.

He looked over at Dustin. "You okay?"

Dustin's face was set in a grimace of utter terror. There was the coppery taste of blood in his mouth from where he had bitten through his lip, and he was astonished to find that his pants were still dry. His mouth worked, but he seemed incapable of making a sound. Alex grinned and patted his thigh briefly, prior to peeling off the freeway and beginning a series of complicated maneuvers that were apparently designed to confuse everyone, including Alex. When the car drew to a standstill at last, Dustin merely sat, stunned, as Alex muttered, "Wait here," and disappeared into the darkness of an underground parking lot.

Alex walked down the row of cars, looking for one that was good, and easy to steal. He saw a nice black Volvo, and tested the door. Amazingly enough, the car wasn't locked. He figured the gods were smiling on him as he slid in and tossed the accounting books and the other necessities of a business student into the backseat. He grinned smugly as he drove the car back to where he'd left Dustin. He opened the passenger door, smiling invitingly.

"You weren't kidding, were you? A fucking Volvo! You really know how to bring a fellow down." Dustin climbed stiffly from his car to the passenger seat of the offending saloon, and pulled the door shut. "Okay, goddammit. Now what, Mr. Master Spy? I could use a bed. I'm completely shattered."

"That's what I'm thinking," Alex grinned. "And what's wrong with a Volvo? Best and safest cars out there, only... he frowned at the GPS readout on the dashboard. They don't know you're in this car. Come on, now, he told himself Still, Krycek was a man of instinct, and he disabled the gadget in short order. He looked at Dustin. "I'll take you to a motel, get you settled. Then I've got to do a few things."

He smiled, and drove to find a motel, looking instinctually for a modest one. He reached for his backup cell, the one most people didn't know he had, and punched in a number. When it was answered, he spoke to the person on the other end for a few minutes.

"I need you to come out to LA for a bit. Something's come up... what? Yes. Yes, it's important... it's Dustin. You've heard me talk about Dustin... tonight? That'd be great. Can expect you when? ... Excellent." He hung up, and turned to Dustin. "A friend of mine is coming out to watch over you while I go do a few things..."

"A friend?" Dustin suddenly stiffened. "What friend? Who are you talking about? I want to go home to bed. This is just plain stupid." He bit his lip and looked at Alex. The other man was still frowning, in a manner that Dustin didn't quite like. "Look, Alex, will you for goodness sake tell me what all this is about? I could probably accept it far easier if I knew what all the cloak and dagger stuff was for. We've been going around in circles for hours now, and I'm tired of it."

"Dustin... we can't *go* home. Don't know when we can. I'll tell you more when we get to the motel, babe. I just... sometimes there are things it's better not to know." And how the hell can I explain about CSM? He wondered. I can't admit I'm a...

He looked at Dustin. He still appeared exasperated, and Alex couldn't blame the man. "Look, I... my friend's name is Marita. She's nice... you'll like her." He pulled into a ratty looking motel and got out of the car, checking automatically to see if they were being followed. So far, so good.

Dustin was still pissing and moaning. He hung back in distaste, looking at the frankly shoddy motel that Alex had picked out.

"If you think I want to stay there, you've got to be kidding. Look at the place. It's probably got all kinds of infestations. I don't want to pick up scabies or worse just so you can play cops and robbers, Alex." He was furious. Fuck this man anyway. He'd inserted himself into Dustin's life as if he were welcome - a fact that Dustin found more and more irksome with every new event. Not only that, but he now was threatening to leave him in some ratty fleapit of a motel, and bugger off, leaving him with some scary female that he'd never met, but who he 'would like.'

Oh, no. Oh, nononono! Not on Alex's life.

Dustin stood, turned, and began to walk away toward the main street in search of a cab.

"Dustin!" Alex ran after him, catching him in his arms, turning him towards him. God... didn't he understand anything? "Dustin, pet... what is it?"

"Let me go, you fucker. You promised there would be no lies, and now you won't tell me the truth about what's going on. I won't stay there. Hear me? I won't." Dustin was utterly furious now. "Live with it."

Alex sighed, and hugged Dustin closer. "We don't have to stay here, pet. Okay? I promise, I'll tell you everything, baby. But don't you get it; your life is in danger? Look at me, baby. I will *so* tell you everything. Hey. I'll take you to a five star hotel. Old habits die hard; what can I say? Buy you a new house. In five different countries if you like. Just bear with me, love... I need you now."

Standing in the parking lot, Dustin stood, still braced against Alex's hold, fighting to understand the need for all the secrecy.

"I won't stay here," he repeated, as though he were attempting to maintain his level of anger. Suddenly all the fight went out of him. "Please, Alex? For God's sake, take me away from this place, and let me know just what's going on."

Alex smiled. That was better. He kissed Dustin softly. "All right. We'll go far... far. What's your favorite hotel, love?" He got back into the car. He knew that it had been a close call, but he loved Dustin more for it... he didn't just take orders blindly, the way Mackey had done. He found he liked that. "Baby, I'm sorry I got you into this," he said. "But I'll get you out, I promise." And myself, too, I hope.

Dustin climbed back into the car feeling slightly better for his outburst.

"We could go to the Roosevelt. That one's not too bad, and it's in downtown Hollywood so there will be plenty of crowds." Alex started up the car and Dustin heaved a sigh of relief. "Who is this broad you're so convinced I'm going to like, and why do I need a babysitter all of a sudden?"

Krycek drove towards the Roosevelt. "Marita is a - coworker of mine. I need to go talk to Mackey, find out why he told that bastard I was with you. Straighten this out before it gets any worse." He looked at Dustin. "I want her with you, to keep you safe. Just in case."

Parking when he got there, Krycek went in to get a room, not really sure about this. What if Dustin ran into someone he knew?

Dustin was beginning to relax at last as they parked the car on a street a few blocks away from the hotel, and as Alex took his arm to steer him onto the shadowy side of the street he didn't object, merely followed him away from the stolen vehicle without a murmur.

"Why can't I keep myself safe?" he asked softly as they walked back up to Hollywood Boulevard and the hotel.

"Because you don't know who to look for," Krycek answered just as softly. "Because they may try to trick you, and that can't happen. The men I work for are not forgiving. Let's just say I pissed them off, big-time, and now they're after me. There's more, but I'll tell you when we get there. Like yourself, I'm pretty beat."

Heading up to the suite that Alex had reserved, Dustin began to relax. He was tired and strung out, and he felt really jumpy. His lover was still beside him, but Dustin didn't have any idea how long that would last. Something told him that any time he had left with Alex was precious, and all of a sudden he felt vulnerable. A rush of emotion enveloped him and he pulled Alex to him to whisper, "I love you, Alex."

Alex pressed against him, grateful that Dustin seemed more relaxed. "I love you, too, pet. More than I can tell you. I can only hope to show you." He kissed Dustin gently on the cheek, and then opened the door of their suite. "Home sweet home... for now."

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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