First, and most importantly, I loved Mistress Xanthe and the Good Boys Club. You've captured the Walter Skinner I've seen for the last two seasons perfectly. Thanks for the wonderful story and characterization. Title: The Breaks, pt.3 Author: Whiteoaks Date: Nov. 22, 2001 Fandom: X-Files Pairing: M/Sk Category: H/C, discipline Rating: R Status: WIP Archive: Persuaders, Slashing Mulder, Walter Torture Feedback: whiteoaks@writeme.com Disclaimers: rcognizable characters are not mine Summary: Walter's brother visits Notes: for Xanthe. Thanks for the stories and for making the world a friendlier place. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Breaks, part 3 Frohike checked the two men sleeping on the couch. They were sleeping soundly, both emotionally exhausted. He had not been surprised to find that Mulder succumbed to slumber shortly after Walter. They’d both needed to recover after Walter’s heartbreaking confession. He still couldn’t believe how much guilt Walter had been living with and for how long. It was a clear indicator of the man’s strength of will that he had managed as well as he had. So many vets returned from ‘Nam unable to function in society because of the things they had seen and done. Despite serious injuries and unspeakable horrors, Skinner had not only survived, he’d functioned so well that he was an assistant director at the bureau. He hoped Mulder would not back away from this bond. He knew his friend had had no one to rely on as a child, no one to support or love him as he grew to be an adult. As an adult, he’d also been alone, a few friendships, but no long-term relationships outside of his partnership with Scully. Walter was someone who could support and love Mulder, if Mulder let him. Frohike was determined to do his best to foster the budding relationship. As he turned to go into the kitchen the intercom buzzer sounded. He tried to answer before it woke either of the men but he saw Mulder’s eyes open as he pressed the talk button. “Yes?” “There’s a Mr. Stanley Skinner here to see Mr. Walter Skinner. Says he’s his brother, certainly looks like he’s his brother.” The doorman had become friendly with both Mulder and Frohike since Mulder had moved in to assist with Walter’s convalescence. “Should I send him up?” Mulder nodded. “Sure, Ted, send him up,” Melvin spoke into the intercom. Then he turned to Mulder, “Did Walter mention a brother to you?” “He mentioned he had several brothers and sisters, he didn’t say anything about expecting a visit, however.” Mulder carefully maneuvered himself from beneath the sleeping man. He thought it best he not be holding Walter in his arms when his brother arrived. “What?” Walter mumbled. “Hey, sleepy. Your brother is here. Want to get up and say hi?” Mulder gently assisted Walter into a sitting position. “My brother? Are you sure?” He looked around the room. “I don’t see him.” “He’s on the way up. Do you want to answer the door?” “Guess I better. Help me up, please” he extended his arms towards Mulder. As Mulder pulled him to his feet, he continued, “Which brother is it? No one said they were coming to visit.” Mulder helped steady him and then they walked to the door. “The doorman said it was Mr. Stanley Skinner.” Before Walter could respond, there was a knock at the door. Mulder reached forward and opened it. “Wart!” A tall man shouted as he pulled Walter into a hug. “Ned? What are you doing here?” Walter queried as his brother continued to envelop him in his arms. ‘Wart?’ Frohike and Mulder lip-synched to each other. “Come in. I’d like you to meet my friends.” Walter gestured to Fox and Mel as his brother finally released him. “Hey! What happened to you?” “I’ll tell you, just get in here, okay?” Walter said. He wanted to be sitting comfortably while he told his brother what had happened. He wanted to be sitting comfortably while his brother laughed in response. While Fox closed the door, Walter continued with his introductions. "Ned, I'd like you to meet Mel Frohike and Fox Mulder. Mulder prefers to be addressed by his last name," he added with a smile. "Mel, Mulder, this is my brother Ned." "Ned?" Frohike asked. "I thought the doorman said his name was Stanley?" Walter and Ned laughed. "Officially it is. My Dad always said Ned was a knucklehead. Over the years, it was shortened to Ned. He's been stuck with it ever since. Besides, it fits him better than Stan." Ned added in response "And Walter has been Wart for almost as long. That started out as worry wart and was shortened. He hated it until he read the Arthurian legends, then he decided he liked it." Mulder laughed as Walter's face became tinged with pink, "Ha, I always knew he had a white knight complex!" "Yeah, well, let's sit down. Ned, would you like something to drink? I think there might be a beer in the refrigerator." "Actually, I'd prefer water. I'm a little dehydrated from the flight. " "Walter, water for you too?" Mulder inquired as he headed to the kitchen. "Sure, that sounds good." "I'll help," Frohike volunteered. He wanted the brothers to have a few moments alone together. ** Mulder carried a tray with two glasses and a pitcher of water into the living room and placed it on the coffee table. He filled one glass with water and added a straw. He held it up so Walter could take a sip. Then he poured another glass and offered it to Ned. "Ned? If you could take over helping Walter, Mel and I have some stuff to do upstairs." He added to Walter, "Scully's supposed to be sending me more information as they do their canvass. I want to check on their progress, plus Frohike wants to see if the Gunmen have come up with anything else." "No problem. I can help Walter, you go ahead," Ned replied. Walter nodded in agreement. Fox hurried to join Frohike at the stairs. ** Mulder smiled as he heard laughter from downstairs. "I guess Walter told his brother about how he broke his hands," he said to Frohike. "Ned seems like a good guy," Mel replied. "I hope so," Mulder was interrupted by a yell of "Mulder" from the living room. He and Frohike raced down the stairs. "What's wrong?" he anxiously inquired. "All that water I've been drinking," was Walter's reply. "I need to go to the john," he added. "Okay." Mulder helped Walter up and walked with him to the bathroom. "That's got to be awkward for both of them," Ned commented to Frohike. Mel nodded. "It was at first. I don't know who felt more embarrassed. But, now it's not too bad. They've managed to work through many awkward situations these last few days. I think it's been good for both of them." "What do you mean?" "They were both loners. Walter had his work. Mulder had his work. Neither of them had close friends, well except for Mulder's partner – she's been there for Mulder and Walter when they've been hurt in the line of duty. But I always felt sorry for both of them. They never seemed to let anyone get too close. This situation has changed that." Ned thought about what Mel had said. "I know you're right about Wart. That's why I didn't tell him I was coming to DC. If he were busy with work or worried about something, he'd have made excuses about why he couldn't see me. This way he had no choice," he added with a laugh. Mulder and Walter returned from the bathroom. Walter looked worried. "Um, Ned? Where are you staying?" "I was hoping to stay with you, but I suppose Mulder's staying in the guest room. I could sleep on the couch, if you don't mind." He watched Mulder and Walter staring at each other, and then Mulder nodded. Walter sat next to Ned on the couch. Mulder sat next to Walter and leaned forward so that he could watch Ned's reactions to what Walter was going to say. He placed a hand on Walter's shoulder; he wanted Walter to know he was there. Walter turned to smile at him, and then turned back to face his brother. "Ned, Mulder's not staying in the guest room." He quickly added, "I've been having problems with nightmares. He was afraid I'd hurt myself with the casts, so he's been sleeping with me. That's how he got the fat lip; I clobbered him during one dream. Mel got me some slings to wear to bed so that that won't happen again. But, the nightmares have been about 'Nam and being alone in the hospital after I was hurt. It helps to have Mulder there to let me know I'm not alone." He waited anxiously for his brother's response. Ned studied them carefully. He'd noticed how Mulder was offering support and comfort to his brother by sitting close and keeping a hand on Walter's shoulder. He'd noticed earlier how easily Mulder interpreted Walter's facial expressions. "It's more than that, isn't it?" he inquired softly. Walter barely managed not to gasp. He'd known Ned was a good observer, but he'd hoped to avoid this subject. He took a deep breath as he felt Mulder squeeze his shoulder gently. They'd decided while they were in the bathroom that they would be honest with Ned if he asked about their relationship. "Yes, it is. I don't know exactly how to explain what's going on, but we have developed feelings for each other. Neither of us has ever been involved with another guy, so we're both being very careful. I," he paused to gather his thoughts, "I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future. Right now, I'm extremely glad Mulder is here. We've talked about how we feel, but that's it. That may be all that ever happens. I don't want to mess up and wreck this friendship. But I do have a strong attraction to him, I want him in my life," he concluded. Ned patted his thigh. "It's okay, Wart. I'm happy you have someone here for you." He smiled at Walter. "That's not what you expected me to say, is it?" "No, it's not." Walter was dumbfounded by his brother's easy acceptance. "I thought you'd be upset that I'm involved with a guy." "I'm not upset, Wart. You've been alone too long. Even when you were married to Sharon, you kept yourself apart from her and everyone else. Since I got here, I've noticed how easily you interact with Mulder and with Mel. It's obvious that you have two good friends here, Wart. Mel has mentioned that Mulder was just as lonely as you were. Now, don't go glaring at him, either of you. I'm still big enough and strong enough to turn you over my knee, Wart. Mel was just talking about how the two of you are coping with your injuries. He didn't have to tell me how close you and Mulder had gotten. I could see that myself. "Wart, listen and listen carefully. You've needed someone to break through that shell of yours. As long as I can remember, you kept your feelings to yourself. I still remember those excuses Mom used to make up so that she could spank you. It was obvious then that you feeling guilty about something trivial or maybe just left out, I never did figure it out completely. You couldn't ask for what you needed, but somehow Mom could read you. I think Mulder here can read you just as well. I just hope you're willing to help him also. The two of you need each other. You've let the walls down; don't rebuild them because you're afraid someone will disapprove. Wart, I'm your brother, I love you." He sighed. "I don't say that often, but I do." He leaned forward and hugged his brother. "Enough of this, can I stay or not?" He was stunned to see tears in Walter's eyes. Mulder seemed less surprised. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Walter's eyes. Walter smiled at Mulder and then gestured for him to help him stand. Once on his feet he turned back to his brother. "You can stay. I love you too. Thank you." Mulder added, "Yeah, thanks. I'll go move my stuff out the guest- room. I've been changing in there, but I think it's time I moved my things into Walter's room." He turned to walk to the steps. He stopped and looked back. "With everything that's happened today, we never had lunch. I'll fix something when I come back down. Mel, you'll stay too, I hope?" "I'd like to stay. If you tell me what you want to make, I can start while you're moving your stuff," he added. "Just some cheese, crackers and fruit. That should hold us while I start a real meal for supper." 'That sounds good," Walter offered. "I'm going to walk with Ned while he gets his stuff. I want him to move his car into a guest spot, so I have to talk to the doorman." He and Ned headed out the door while Mulder climbed the stairs and Frohike headed into the kitchen. ** Mulder walked slowly into the kitchen. He'd realized that much of what he and Walter had told Ned was news to Frohike. He wasn't sure what Mel's response would be. He walked over to his friend and looked at the tray he'd prepared. "That looks good. Thanks for putting it together." "Mulder," Frohike had noticed his apprehension. "I was happy to help. Look, just relax man. I already figured out that something was going on between you and Walter. I'm fine with it. I'm happy that you guys aren't running away from it to tell you the truth." Mulder smiled and patted Frohike's arm. "Thanks. I keep underestimating you, I'm ashamed to admit." He looked around the room and then back at Frohike. "You're a good man, Melvin Frohike." Frohike shrugged his shoulders. "I do what I can. Let's get this stuff out to the living room. Walter and Ned should be back any minute." As they carried the food to the living room they heard laughter from the hallway. The door opened and Walter and his brother came in. "Only you, Wart," Ned said as he tried to curb his laughter. He dropped his bags on the floor. "Only you, what?" Mulder could not help asking. Ned laughed again and clapped his brother's back. "Only Wart could find a building where the doorman is named after the author of "The Once and Future King." Frohike looked surprised. "Ted's name is Theodore White?" "Yep. All Wart needs now is some knights and a round table," Ned added smugly. Walter smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Anyone care to apply?" he directed his question to Mulder. "You've got me, my liege," Mulder giggled and knelt in front of Walter. Walter looked down at Mulder's lowered head and wished he could run his fingers through the hair. He spoke softly, "I'll have to knight you later. I think I'd dislocate your shoulder if I tried it now." He held out his arms. "Let's go eat." The other men caught the change in his voice. Mulder looked up and stood. He pulled Walter into an embrace; "I'll hold you to that, sir." He gently kissed Walter's cheek. He looked at Ned and Mel. "Let's eat. We can move Ned's stuff upstairs after lunch." They smiled at him and turned to enter the living room. ** The afternoon had passed quickly. Ned had settled into the guest room. Frohike had managed to clear the rest of his day and helped Mulder prepare a surprisingly delicious meal of roast beef, baked potatoes, salad, corn, and for dessert, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. They had passed the time talking about Scully's case and possible search's they could conduct through the available criminal databases. Dinner conversation switched to sports and their favorite teams. Ned watched with fascination as both Mulder and Mel fed Walter, he was stunned by the way they just seemed to know what Walter wanted without a word being spoken. After dinner, they moved to the kitchen. Ned, Frohike and Mulder cleaned and washed dishes while Walter jokingly supervised. Again, Ned noted the easy familiarity of the trio and felt privileged to be included. While he sympathized with his brother's pain, he realized the broken bones and the resulting limitations had caused a marvelous change in his brother. He hoped it was a permanent one. Walter had finally emerged from behind his self-constructed walls. "Ned?" Walter had noticed his brother's withdrawal from the conversation. "Is something wrong?" "No, little brother. Nothing's wrong, something is finally right." He smiled and walked over to his brother. "I'm finally getting to see the real Walter Skinner." He hugged his brother and kissed his forehead, much to Walter's surprise. "I like him." He turned to Mulder and Frohike. "This was a wonderful day. But, much as I'd love it to continue, I'm tired. I think I'm going to head to bed. Thanks for including me." "Night, Ned. It's been great meeting you." Frohike was the first to respond. "I'll stop by tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting to know you." He reached out a hand and Ned shook it. Mulder added, "Night, Ned. Let me know if you need anything." He grinned, "You know where I'll be." Ned laughed. "Right, I do." Walter followed his brother to the stairs. "Thanks, Ned. Sleep well. I'm glad you decided to visit." Ned smiled. "Me, too. I'll see you in the morning. Try to have a good night's sleep. One without nightmares, okay?" "I'll try. I think having you here will help" He nodded his head towards the kitchen. "Thanks for helping, and, thanks for being so accepting. It means a lot to me." "No problem, Wart." Ned hugged his brother again then headed up the stairs. ** Mulder helped Walter into his slings and eased him back against the pillows. Frohike had left shortly after Ned had headed to bed. Mulder had helped Walter shower and take care of other nightly activities. They were both enjoying the residual warmth of the day's revelations and the responses of Mel and Ned. "Do you want me to read so more tonight?" Mulder asked as he held up the Clancy book. "No, not tonight," Walter replied. "I was hoping we could cuddle a little," he added with a little hesitation. "Cuddle? Yeah, I could do that," Mulder smiled as he answered. "Cuddling is good." He got into the bed and helped Walter move closer. They worked together until Walter was comfortably ensconced against Mulder's chest, with his head resting against Mulder's shoulder. "This is nice," Walter said as he snuggled closer. "Yeah, it feels good." "Mulder?" "Hum, yes?" Mulder voice was husky with sleep and comfort. "I really liked it when you hugged and kissed me today." Walter tried to look at Mulder without leaving his comfortable spot. "It made me feel good." "I'm glad." Mulder kissed the top of Walter's head and tightened his arms around him. "It made me feel good, too." "Do you think you'd like to kiss me some more?" Walter asked, trying to sound calm while his heart rate was rapidly increasing. Mulder pulled back slightly. "You mean like this?" He bent forward and kissed Walter lightly on the lips." Walter sighed. "Yeah, like that." Mulder pulled him even closer, and kissed him again. This time a little longer and with a little more pressure. "Yeah, I think I'd like to kiss you some more." They continued to kiss, gradually becoming a little bolder. Finally, Walter opened his mouth slightly so that Mulder's tongue could slide inside. At that the cuddling became less hugging and more exploring as Mulder's hands moved over Walter's body and Walter tried to wrap his legs around Mulder's body. Breaking for air, Mulder noticed Walter's erection digging into his leg. "Would you like me to do something about that?" Walter bit his lip and looked away. "I don't know. I want you to, but Ned's just down the hall. .and . . and I can't do anything for you." "Walter, look at me." Mulder tilted Walter's face up to meet his gaze. "I want to do this. It will make me happy, okay? This is not about taking turns, all right?" Walter nodded. He squirmed against Mulder. "Okay, I guess." "Still worried about Ned?" "Yeah, a little." "He said he was okay with us. I don't think he'd mind." Mulder was rubbing his hand against Walter's back, soothing him as he spoke. "I know. I guess I'm being silly." Walter was now rubbing a little more aggressively against Mulder. "Hang on for a sec. I'm going to get some lotion and a towel. I'll be right back." He patted Walter's back, hugged him tightly and kissed him one more time before extricating himself from Walter's arms. He returned quickly and worked Walter back into his embrace. He sat against the headboard with Walter between his legs, Walter's back against his chest. He kissed Walter's cheek and helped Walter lift up so he could slide Walter's pajama bottoms down. "I've not done this for anyone before. Let me know if I do something wrong, or if you want me to do something differently," he said as he warmed some lotion in his hand and then gently grasped Walter's penis. He began to gently move his hand and to alter the pressure of grasp as he moved it up and down Walter's erection. "Oh, that's good," Walter gasped. "You're doing just fine." Mulder continue to gently kiss his face and neck as he worked his hand up and down the length of Walter's erection. He wanted to keep this gentle, just arousing enough for Walter to climax. He knew Walter would have problems accepting this when it was over. He hoped that keeping it subdued would make it easier for Walter to accept eventually. Plus, he really didn't want Ned to hear them. Keeping it quiet would make it easier for Walter to adjust to the change in their relationship. He knew Walter wanted this, but was having trouble with this new view of himself. More importantly, Walter had a hard time accepting help. He wanted to be the caregiver; not being able to reciprocate would make things even more complicated. Finally, Mulder felt Walter tighten and watched as semen flowed over his hand. He gently wiped his hand and Walter with the towel. Then he pulled Walter's pajama's back up. He pulled him close and held him as Walter's breathing returned to normal. "That was perfect. Thank you." Walter pressed his lips to Mulder's neck. "I think I'm going to sleep now," he added in a mumble as his eyes closed. Mulder grinned and held Walter carefully. His body was completely relaxed and covered Mulder like a blanket. Mulder carefully reached down and snagged the sheet to pull it over them. He fell asleep listening to Walter's gentle breathing. ** Mulder jerked awake as Walter screamed and thrashed in his sleep. He pulled Walter to his chest and tried to talk through the man's cries. "Walter! Wake up! You're just having another bad dream. Everything's okay. You're all right. Come on, Walter, wake up now." Walter continued to thrash and cry out as his nightmare continued. "No, don't touch him! Leave him alone. He's just trying to protect his sister! Stop it!" Mulder heard Ned open the bedroom door and felt him sink onto the bed next to him. "Man, that's sounds bad. Anything I can do?" "I've got to wake him. He's not responding to my voice. Uhm, try to keep an open mind about this, okay?" Ned nodded, wondering what Mulder was talking about. He watched in surprise as Mulder pushed Walter away and then pulled him across his lap. He was shocked as he saw Mulder raise his hand and firmly smack Walter's right buttock. He remembered his promise and did not interfere as Mulder continued to talk to Walter and slap his backside. "Come on, Walter. Wake up. You're dreaming. You're home now. You're safe. It's just Ned and me here with you. Wake up, please!" Walter's yells ceased suddenly. He slowly raised his head and looked first at Mulder and then at Ned. He buried his head in the mattress. "Go away." "No, Walter. I'm not going to go away. I don't think Ned is either. Come on now, sit up so I can make sure you're okay." Walter mumbled an answer into the mattress. "What was that? I couldn't understand what you said." Walter raised his head slightly. "I can't sit up. My ass hurts. You hit me." He sounded like a petulant five-year old. "Come on, Walter. Of course I hit you. You wouldn't wake up. I couldn't let you suffer like that." He pulled Walter up and held him in his lap. "There, now you're butt isn't pressing against anything. Comfortable?" Walter turned his head and hid his face against Mulder's neck. "No. Ned saw you hit me." Ned laughed. "Wart, I've seen you get hit before. We did grow up together, remember? There's no reason to be embarrassed. I'm just glad Mulder knew what to do. You sounded terrified. I was really worried there, little brother." Walter sniffled and answered, "Yeah? I didn't mean to scare you." He raised his head and looked at Ned. "You're right. I should be happy Mulder hit me." He looked back at Mulder, "Thanks." He kissed Mulder's cheek. Mulder hugged him. "You're welcome." He looked at Ned. "I guess we're okay now. Think you'll be able to get back to sleep?" "Maybe in a little while. The adrenaline is still flowing right now." "I know what you mean. Tell you what. I'm going to go downstairs and make some hot chocolate. That usually helps Walter and I after one of these. Why don't you wait here with Walter? I won't be gone long." Ned settled back against the headboard and held Walter as Mulder left the bedroom. "Wart? I hope you know how lucky you are." Walter ducked his head. "I do." He looked back up. "It's hard, you know? I mean I'm a grown man, and Mulder's taking care of me like I'm a little kid." Ned held his brother in his arms. "Yes, I know. I know how difficult this is for you. But, Wart, I'm happy you're letting Mulder take care of you. He's a good guy, and he's good for you." Walter responded with a full smile. "He is, isn't he? I don't know what he sees in me, but I'm happy he's here. I just don't want to scare him away." "I don't think you can scare him away. He loves you Walter. Cherish that; cherish him." "I do." He tucked his head against Ned's shoulder. "Thanks, Ned." ** Mulder smiled as he saw the brothers cuddling in the bed. He carefully set the tray on the nightstand. Ned smiled back and helped Walter sit up. "That didn't take very long." "The wonders of the microwave. I used it to heat the milk. I still prefer hot chocolate made from milk and cocoa to the instant stuff." He handed a mug to Ned. Then held another up to Walter so he could take a sip. The men sat quietly and finished their midnight snack. Ned stood and placed the empty mugs on the tray. "Here, I'll take these downstairs and rinse them. You two go back to sleep. I plan to as soon as I'm done." "Sounds good. Thanks, Ned," Walter replied as Mulder helped him back into their preferred sleeping positions. Ned quietly pulled the door closed. He thought he'd have little trouble sleeping now. He wanted to know more about Walter's nightmare, but that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight he could rest knowing his brother was safe and loved by a very caring man. END OF PART 3 (to be continued...)