Mulder's Place.
Alexandria Apartment
FRIDAY: 6.15AM
A deep hard thudding smashed rhythmically against his head. The darkness was spotted with a piercing of sharp painful light but he couldn't seem to stop it. Trying desperately to open his eyes it suddenly dawned on him that the high pitched screeching he could hear his was his alarm clock.. Blindly he reached out to shut it off, groaning, but his normally nimble fingers seemed stiff and incontrollable as he fumbled on the dresser for the right button.
With a frustrated sigh he dragged his arm back and instead covered his head with a pillow. But it didn't work. Nothing seemed to stop the stabbing noise that penetrated his very core. Forcing his eyes open he rolled over towards the dresser and grabbed the clock. Slamming his palm onto the top the sounds suddenly stopped, leaving only the persistent residual thud in his head.
Mulder took a moment to take a deep breath, to ready himself for when he'd stand up. He braced himself on the side of the bed, gripping the mattress and holding his breath as he sat up and levered his feet onto the floor.
The room spun with ferocious swirls batting him back against the bed, but he held fast and even managed to stand up. Unsteadily he moved his aching and uncooperative limbs towards the bathroom, banging his shoulder into the doorframe. He swore creatively before stumbling forward. He managed to make it to the toilet where thankfully instinct took over and he didn't need to think anymore.
Adjusting his boxers he approached the sink, trying to block out the tremendous roar of the toilet's flush. He caught sight of his pale skin in the mirror. His eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot with dark weary circles beneath them. Leaning in closer he pulled on his skin as he tried to massage some color into his cheeks.
"It's going to be a long day." He muttered, instantly regretting it as his voice echoed around the room shattering the quiet he was craving.
With a wince he leaned into the bath and flicked on the shower. Hot water immediately hit his palm and as quick as he could manage he stepped out of his shorts and into the bath. The water battered against his chest removing the grime and dirt and the smell of cigar smoke from the tacky bar, he could feel clinging desperately to his skin. It was helping, a little.
Opening his mouth he filled it with warm water and gurgled it before spitting it out. His eyes were heavy and his body ached but as his cluttered mind replayed the night's activities he couldn't help but smile. The stripper was mediocre he mused when he remembered her dancing awkwardly over Chuck's lap. Her nurse's uniform was more than a couple of sizes too small with pounds of her tanned flesh hanging out of it but no one in the room seemed to mind.
At the distant memory of her approaching him, Mulder shook his head but immediately stopped, grabbing it instead with both hands, to ease the pain. She had climbed onto his lap and gyrated suggestively much to the amusement of the other bachelors who hooted and whistled. But when her lips grazed his neck, then her teeth he, as politely as he could, removed her from his knees and steered her towards the next booze soaked victim.
Mulder climbed out of the shower and carefully brushed his teeth over the sink. Every brush and swipe sent a shockwave of unbearable pain into his head. Eventually rinsing it out he made his way back to his room, slowly rubbing himself dry with a large white towel. Even the feeling of the soft fleecy cotton on his skin hurt. With careful measured steps he ambled to the wardrobe and pulled out his suit, spying the one he was wearing last night piled up unceremoniously on the floor.
After extracting himself from the stripper he'd spotted Chuck by the bar nursing a small whiskey. After ordering his own drink Mulder sat next to him and waited. Chuck glanced up and saw it was Mulder before letting the soft tears fall over his gently rounded cheeks.
"Chuck?" Mulder said uncertainly.
"Can you believe it Mulder?" he said his tears turning into a smile. "She really loves me!" He let out a whoop of joy and swallowed his drink with one gulp. Mulder patted him on the back, grinning stupidly at him.
Mulder laughed at the memory and pulled on his trousers, leaving the shirt till last, hoping his fingers would have regained enough co ordination to do up the buttons by then. He sat on the bed he leaned down to fix his shoes, but as the blood rushed to his head he felt the nausea push forward to demand attention. Breakfast; in fact any sort of food was probably not a good idea if his stomach was anything to go by.
Sitting up he calmed it down and closed his eyes to push it away. His mind muddled through the drinks; weird antics of the inebriated and cocktail sausages, playing in his brain like a badly edited movie. He vaguely remembered leaving the club. With Chuck? He wondered as he recalled calling a cab and climbing in with two other men.
Rather then forcing the memory, Mulder stood up and pulled on his shirt. A tingling pain struck his shoulder and he reached around to massage it out, it was then that he spotted the blood on his bed sheet. A moment of hot panic flittered through his body as he ran his hands over his bared chest to check for injury but found nothing.
Then as he recalled stepping out of the taxi with the other guys last night, he knew as pale as he was before it would be nothing to what he was feeling right now, with panic gripping him tightly. Blinking his eyes as if hoping he'd wake up he slowly walked into the bathroom, shedding his clean shirt on to the wet floor on the way.
The bathroom light was bright and glaring compared to the dimmer bedroom glow. Turning his back to the mirror he slowly turned his head around and then he saw it. It couldn't have been bigger then his fist he realized but took little comfort from the fact as he spied the pink heart shaped tattoo that covered his left shoulder blade. Oh. My. God.
The memory of how he acquired it flooded back with ferocious glee as he recalled stepping into the dank parlour with Chuck and another man, whose name he couldn't even recall now. He remembered pulling off his shirt and lying on the table as the large pierced man approached him.
Straining his neck now to get a better look, he eased closer to the bathroom counter and saw the simple black text in the centre of the heart. His eyes widened in disbelief and he felt the color of mortification rise over his cheeks.
Scully.
Her name was spelled out in a beautiful calligraphic script with curves around the S and the Y, joining up in Celtic designs. The tattoo was red and tender and with some blood seeping from the edges. With a heavy head he went out to the kitchen where the first aid kit was. Awkwardly he taped the double dressing over it and hoped it would stay in place.
He dressed as quick as his aching body would allow and rushed out to go to work, eager to get the day over to start the weekend and solve his problem in peace. He reached his desk thankfully before she did and was seated securely engrossed in booting up his PC when she ambled in, carrying with her the delicious aroma of coffee and croissants.
"Mulder!" she said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you in so early. Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, yeah it was fine."
Scully sat down switching on her PC and pulling a folder before opening her coffee and taking a croissant from the paper bag.
"So, tell me about it!" she asked smiling and sipping.
"Nothing to tell. Usual bachelor stuff!" he murmured fiddling with something in his drawer to avoid her eyes.
"Strippers and shots?"
"Something like that."
"Oh Mulder you're being very cagey!" she laughed as she finished off the croissant and walked over to hand him the other one. "Here eat something. You'll feel better."
"Thanks." He took it form the bag but his stomach lurched at the thought of the effort of ingestion so he left it carefully on top of the files in his inbox. "I spoke to Skinner earlier about the Winfield court case. He said I should fly out on Wednesday and give my report in person."
"Really?" she was walking away from him but turned on her heel when she heard what he said.
"He said it would be better for bureau / precinct relations if I did."
"I suppose he does have a point. You did stir up a hornet's nest out there."
"I did not!" he argued indignantly, forgetting his embarrassment for a moment, his hazel eyes collided with her blue ones. "It's not my fault!"
"It never is Mulder! You just have the knack. It's an X file." She laughed as she logged onto her pc and immersed herself into the backlog of reports.
He let her comment pass without retribution as he reached for the paper and leaned back in his chair only to sit up quickly with a yelp. The corner of his chair had connected with the bandage and dragged it across his sensitive skin. Scully's head shot up and glanced over at him, frowning at the sight of his arm bent over his shoulder and patting his back.
"You ok Mulder?" she queried.
"Yeah, just a twinge." He made a show of rotating his shoulder as if trying to stretch the muscle. "I think I slept on my arm funny," he added as he saw her hands grip the table to push her chair back. "I'll be fine!"
She seemed to believe him and he sighed with relief when she turned back to her screen. Mulder sat forward and tried to focus on the screen. Words and letters flew about the screen hiding their meaning from his confused eyes as his mind wandered in and out of the present. But eventually lunchtime arrived and he felt a pillow of reprieve envelope him as she stood and gathered her files.
"Okay I have to go to the coroner's office."
"Problem?"
"Our reports are clashing," she explained as she locked her briefcase. "I don't think I'll be back later so I'll see you Monday."
"Okay Scully. See you then."
He waved her off with a smile and let out a deep breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding. Easing himself off the chair he slipped off his jacket and loosened his tie enough to pull it off over his head. He was in the middle of undoing his shirt when there was a soft rap at the door. It was pushed open immediately after and Skinner stepped him.
Stopping in his tracks at the sight of an undressing Mulder, Skinner glanced around the room as if looking for someone else.
"Agent?" Skinner queried, seeing the room empty except for Mulder's rapidly colouring face.
"Sir...its...not…entirely explainable..." Mulder said doing up his shirt buttons again.
"Try, Agent Mulder, Try to explain to my why you are standing alone in your office half dressed."
"Isn't it better that I am alone?" Mulder stalled hoping to squirm out of this situation without revealing the truth.
"Agent Mulder?" he pursed his lips in supplication and nodded.
"Okay sir...It's simple really. I have an injury on my back and I'm just about to check the dressing."
"Oh." Skinner seemed to accept this explanation. "Isn't Agent Scully about to give you a hand?" Mulder suppressed a giggle at the sudden image that wandered through his head at the remark; vastly different from the way his boss meant it.
"No sir, she's just left to go to the coroners." Mulder said tucking his shirt back into his trousers. "Was there something I can do for you?"
"I was speaking to Agent Markson about his transfer into VC. And I was wondering if you would have a chat with him."
"Sir?"
"He's been there for little under four months and already I can see it taking its toll."
"And you want me to...what exactly?" Mulder rested his hands on his hips as Skinner approached the desk.
"Just tell him about your time working on VC. I think he thinks if he asks for a transfer it'll hurt his promotion prospects."
"Okay. I'll talk to him. William Markson right?"
"Yes." Skinner nodded as Mulder turned away to shuffle some papers then turned back in shock. "Mulder...your back?"
"Huh?" turning around with a hand clapped his back he felt the damp feeling of blood soaking through the thin white material. The chair earlier must have shifted the bandage on his back letting his shirt soak up all the oozing blood.
"What the hell did you do to yourself?" Skinner asked stepping around the desk and turning Mulder around to get a closer look.
"Nothing sir...I better go get this cleaned up."
"Show me!"
"Sir it's nothing really..." But even as he protested Skinner was pulling down the collar of his shirt to see the wound that was causing his shirt to stain in dark blood.
"Oh my..." Mulder cringed, not missing the humour in his boss' voice when he spied the large tattoo. "What's all this then?" Mulder felt his day fall further through his boots. Embarrassment thy name is Mulder.
"I was at a bachelor party last night. Kind of got a little weird." Mulder offered in a way of explanation, sighing. "It was a long night and I don't remember much of it but I woke up with this on my back this morning."
"Something is written on it...I can't quite make it out." Skinner pulled the shirt a bit lower causing it to ring Mulder's neck so Mulder undid the buttons, pulling the shirt off completely baring his back to his superior.
"Agent Scully hasn't seen this?" Skinner queried, trying and failing miserably to hide the smirk that played at the edge of his lips.
"No sir. And if I have any luck over the weekend she won't have a chance to see it."
"I'm afraid it wont be that easy." Skinner said with a shit-eating grin. Mulder was glad that someone found this humorous.
"What do you mean?" Mulder turned to face him. Somewhat perturbed by the amount of facial muscles the ex marine was using this morning.
"To get the tattoo removed you'll need to wait until the skin has healed fully."
"What?"
"It'll take about a week, maybe two to fully heal and only then will you be able to get it removed."
"Oh my god..." Mulder sat down and slumped over his knees. "What am I going to do?"
"Keep it covered. Dab it lightly with Savlon antiseptic cream in the mornings and in the evenings and that should help it heal quicker." Skinner backed away towards the door.
"Okay...thanks sir. But if you see me walking in Monday bow legged..." Mulder watched Skinner walk out and fixed the bandage over his wound again, then glanced down at his blood stained shirt. He couldn't put that back on he decided, so instead he rummaged in his gym bag and slipped on a navy tee shirt.
A/N: heh heh heh!!! fear not the fluff will arise!