7/30/99 What Tomorrow Brings Author- Araxdelan (krycekluvsmulder@hotmail.com) Disclaimer- I'll bet my ending is much better that his ever will be. Rating- PG13 Summary- Some years in the future, our boys reunite.... Notes- This started it's life as a snippet called "And the Slashers Rejoiced". I was trying to give the show an ending everyone could live with. Thanks to Lone Gungirl for her amazing beta talents. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Mulder stepped through the door to his apartment, loosening his bow tie. His It was late, past midnight, and the apartment was illuminated only by the light from the streetlamps filtering through the windows, keeping things dim. Just the way he liked it. But there were downsides to keeping an apartment so dark. One being that it becomes very difficult to see intruders. Especially those who are known to skulk in shadows. Not that Mulder was paying attention to any of this. No, in the years since the downfall of The Consortium, he had begun receiving fewer and fewer surprise visitors. In the end, only one came back, again and again. And then, after all was said and done, after all the aliens were gone, he too left. And then Mulder was alone. Even if Mulder hadn't gotten used to not expecting the unexpected, on this particular night he wouldn't have been any good against it. No, on this night, his thoughts were tumbling around in his head at such a rapid pace that they often crashed together, shattering into oblivion before he had even fully examined them. He stretched, grimacing as the ill-fitting jacket of his tuxedo pulled taut under his arms. But he couldn't be bothered to take it off. Not when he was busy working himself into a deep state of depression. He and Scully had been partners for many years. They spent most of their time together. He was used to her presence, reassured by it. He thought that it would be so easy, so right for them to be together. He was wrong. Oh, it made perfect sense, in theory. Him and Scully. Partners. Lovers. And, eventually, husband and wife. An easy transition. And after the war had ended, after there were no more demons to fight, after a certain informant disappeared, he tried it. They tried it. For about a week. Well, in all actuality, it was more like a month. But, after one short month, they were ready to kill each other. Partners; great. Friends; the best of. A Couple? Not going to happen. They were so... different... and while that was an advantage their professional partnership, it proved disastrous in a relationship. They could agree on nothing. They spent all their time bickering. And not a cute, old married couple type of bickering. The annoying kind. And, to top it all off, the sex wasn't even any good. But still, Mulder had thought it was his last chance for happiness. He had been so isolated for so many years, and so few people had gotten through his barriers. He didn't know how to start a new relationship, had cut himself off so completely he forgot how to be a normal person. So, when he didn't have to fight anymore, when he had to start a normal life, he grasped onto Scully, onto the hope that she could be his normalcy. But it didn't last. They both realized that it would never work, and had parted as friends. But, even though he still considered Scully his friend, Mulder couldn't bring himself to be happy for her when she announced her engagement. Oh, he tried. And, when that failed, he pretended. Gave her congratulations, agreed to stand up in her wedding. All the time he held a bitterness in his heart. The moment the groom kissed the bride, he was sure that he would die as he had lived; a lonely man. And so, after the wedding, he came home to his darkened apartment, and completely ignored his surroundings. He threw himself on the couch, and probably would have fallen asleep in his clothes, oblivious to his visitor, if said visitor hadn't cleared his voice. Upon hearing the gentle "*Ahem*", Mulder jumped up, and reached for his gun. Unfortunately, the holster hadn't matched his tux, so his hand grabbed at empty air. He quickly realized his unarmed state, and stilled with fear. Until a voice spoke up. "Hello, Mulder." Mulder's fear turned into shock. And then anger as he began thinking of how Krycek had disappeared without so much as a goodbye, over a year ago. So, when Krycek stepped forth from the shadows, into Mulder's sight, Mulder did the only thing he could. He lashed out. He pushed Krycek, knocking him to the floor. And then he looked down, let his eyes linger upon the man that had been missing, and possibly dead, for so long. Leather and jeans, as always. Hair bristly and short. Familiar crease on the bridge of his nose, as he frowned at Mulder. And glittering, green eyes, looking rather upset. Mulder began frowning as well, anger dissipating into confusion. He wanted to ask so many things, but settled for a simple, "Where the hell have you been?" Krycek sighed, and said, "Help me up, *then* I'll answer some questions." Mulder reached down, and tentatively touched Krycek's hand, before grabbing him and pulling him up. They stood, face to face, for just a moment, before Mulder acted on an impulse and gave Krycek a quick hug. He pulled back, and sat on the couch. Krycek wore a perplexed smile. "What was that for?" Mulder looked a bit embarrassed. "Nothin. I just thought you were dead, and well... maybe I'm sorta glad you're not." The perplexed smile turned gentle, and Krycek sat next to Mulder on the couch. "I left because I thought you didn't want to see me anymore." "Why would you think that?" Krycek snorted out a little laugh. Almost a giggle. "Mulder, that's all you ever told me." He contorted his face into a very Mulder-like expression, and then said, in a very Mulder-like voice, "'Krycek, I can't wait until this is all over, and I never have to see you again. You're a giant pain in the ass, and I hope you move back to Russia!'" "I didn't mean it!" "Then why'd you say it?" Mulder pondered that for a moment, but couldn't come up with a good reason. He shrugged. "I don't know. I always said stuff like that to you, mostly cause I was mad at you, in the beginning. But then you became my informant, and you kinda grew on me. I guess it was just habit. The only way I knew how to interact with you." "Sorry." he added, as an afterthought. "S'okay. Even if it did take you all this time to clarify." They sat quietly for a moment, and then Mulder asked, "If you thought I didn't want you around, why did you come back?" Krycek looked over at Mulder, and then down into his lap. "I... just wanted to make sure you were okay. After I left I still.... kept watch over you, just in case. When I heard you and Scully got together, I knew that my leaving was the right thing to do. You wanted her, and you got her. And then I found out you broke up, and then that she was marrying some other guy. I just came to make sure you were okay. I know you're acting all happy for her, and that you stood up in the wedding today, but you're famous for hiding your real feelings, and I.... I don't know...." "I'm okay. Thanks." Krycek looked up, over at Mulder. "You sure? Truthfully?" Mulder sighed. "Yeah. Me and Scully never should have gotten together in the first place. We're *so* wrong for each other. It's just that getting together seemed like the logical thing to do, especially after all those years..." Krycek laughed. "Since when has love been logical?" "Exactly. I loved her as a friend, and kept trying to convince myself I loved her as more, just because it was easier than being alone. It was stupid, and I'm lucky I didn't screw up my friendship with her. So, no, I'm not upset that Scully is with someone else. Just... jealous." "Jealous? You want to talk about it?" Mulder looked at Krycek, seeing that he was sincerely interested in hearing him out. Which was refreshing to Mulder, because he'd had no one to talk to lately. After Scully got engaged, she became too busy for long, late night conversations with him. Besides, he couldn't discuss this with her. He sighed, and leaned back into the sofa cushions. "My whole life, I've been chasing aliens. I never stopped to think about the future, never stopped to think about anything but my all-consuming quest. So, when I found the aliens, when we rid the earth of them, I had nothing. My focus had to shift. The aliens were gone, so I had to go make a life for myself. But I *couldn't* make a life. I had given mine up already. "I tried anyway. Aimed for normalcy. Thought maybe I could get a wife, a couple of kids. Something like that. But after all I've been through, I couldn't go out and meet someone new. It's all too complicated, what I've been through. I could never share all of it with someone else. But Scully knew, and she was right there. So easy, such an... acceptable... choice. But that didn't work. "Scully went off and found someone else. It was easier for her, because the X-Files, and the conspiracy behind them, hadn't been her whole life. She may have been involved for many years, but she kept a part of herself separate. So now she can move on. And, no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to. The rest of my life will be empty and pointless, and I'll die alone." Mulder finished his admission, and then looked up, into Krycek's eyes. He saw compassion and something that he labeled as affection, even though he knew that it was much too strong to just be affection. Then Krycek shook his head, smiling, and leaned over and kissed him. The kiss was sweet and simple, lacking the confidence that Mulder was so used to seeing in Krycek. A mere brush of the lips, and Krycek pulled back, leaving Mulder confused and flushed. "Why..." "Because I'm stupid, Mulder. I left because I thought you didn't want me, because I thought you wanted Scully. But Scully was just convenient and safe. What did you really want?" Sharp green eyes and dark hair. Tall masculine body, lithe and beautiful, even with a missing arm. Little upturned nose, perfect lips. That's what Mulder wanted. Everything that was wrong and dangerous, everything that set him afire, everything that set his tempered emotions aflame. "You." he whispered, his voice nothing more than a quiet breath. "I wanted you." Krycek smiled gently. "You sure had a funny way of showing it." Mulder laughed, the first free, honest laugh he had chuckled in months. A year. And then he lay his hand on Krycek's cheek, and said, "I promise I'll make it up to you." And then he kissed him. And this kiss was full of confidence, of requited feelings, and of the passion Mulder had been missing for so long. ¤¤¤¤¤¤ The End ¤¤¤¤¤¤