A Secret Revealed

by Bluebonnet



* * * * * * * * * *


Story number two in the "Direction" series

E-mail: bluebonnnet42@excite.com

Keywords: Discipline, Slash, Mulder/Skinner

WARNING: Folks, this is a DISCIPLINE story. That means Mulder gets spanked. But believe me...he deserves it.

WARNING II: This story is also SLASH. That means Skinner can't keep his hands off Mulder. But then again...who could? BTW, there is NO Sharon Skinner in my universe.

Rating: NC-17, baby!

Spoilers: Born Again

Summary: Mulder's in trouble again, and having a (ahem) hard time hiding his desire from his boss.

Archive: Jeopardy and Persuaders only, please

THANK YOU to Seeker for the great beta!

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Mulder stared at the lone email in his box. He could feel the blood drain from his face, and hoped Scully wouldn't notice his sudden whitening.

"Tonight." The single word spoke volumes--it meant things Mulder didn't care to think about.

"Mulder? You okay?" Scully's voice cut through his panic, and he quickly deleted the email before she could read it over his shoulder.

"Yeah, fine," he muttered. Then, realizing his answer would likely only raise her suspicions more, gave her a brilliant smile. "You about ready for lunch, Scully?"

"Mulder, it's only ten-thirty. Skinner wants our report on the Michelle Bishop case before lunch. Are you nearly finished?"

He sighed. "Nearly," he muttered again.

"Well stop reading email and finish up, Mulder," she told him impatiently. "You and the Lone Gunmen can compare notes about Miss April after work."

"Miss February," he corrected, hoping she would believe that was really what he'd been doing. Anything was preferable to her knowing that, at eight o'clock that night, Skinner would be punishing his bare ass. And for what? Mulder wracked his brain but couldn't think of a thing he had done on this case that would get him in trouble.

He sighed once more, opening up the file with his field notes and scanning it quickly. He would just have to wait until that night, when the A.D. told him what he'd done wrong.

Mulder finished at ten minutes after eleven, and printed out a copy of the report after emailing it to Skinner. He spent the next few minutes going over it one more time, but still saw nothing in his conduct on their most recent case that would warrant a punishment. And the worst thing was, pretty soon he was going to have to sit down in a meeting with Skinner and Scully, still not knowing! Would Skinner mention anything to tip him off, or would he have to wonder all day? And which would be worse, knowing or not knowing?

Scully interrupted his thoughts with her cheerful, "Ready, Mulder?" Answering in the negative would have looked odd, so he just grabbed his papers and followed her obediently toward the elevator, his insides churning.

* * * * * * * * * *


"Have a seat, Agents," Skinner invited gruffly, and the two of them sat in their accustomed chairs. They waited silently while the A.D. flipped through some printouts, Scully calmly and Mulder jiggling one knee nervously. He stopped when Scully gave him a curious look, but began fidgeting his hands, clenching them tightly when Skinner raised his head.

"This seems to be in order," he observed. "As far as an X-file is ever in order, at least."

Scully smiled. "Of course, Sir," she agreed. "It was an unusual case."

"Mrs. Bishop--what did she have to say?" he asked, his look directed at Scully.

"She seems just to be relieved that Michelle is no longer exhibiting bizarre behavior," Scully replied. "I don't believe she is inclined to question too deeply, and I can't say I blame her."

"Indeed." The A.D. leveled his stern gaze at Mulder. "I received a call from Mrs. Bishop during your investigation, Agent Mulder. She was quite unhappy with some of your methods, in particular having her daughter hypnotized. She agreed to it reluctantly, I understand, against the advice of Michelle's therapist, and was dismayed at the results."

"Sir, we were actually making some headway into the investigation when Mrs. Bishop interrupted," Mulder told him earnestly, wondering if this was the reason Skinner intended to punish him.

Skinner swivelled his gaze back to Scully. "Is that true, Agent Scully?"

"Well, yes, in a way," she demurred.

Skinner raised a skeptical eyebrow. "In a way?" he repeated, obviously irritated at her answer.

"Michelle did exhibit some sign of a possible breakthrough, but her physical state was of such a nature that her mother requested the interview end, and Agent Mulder and I complied with her wishes," she told him carefully.

"Mmph," he growled. "Very well, that will be all, Agents."

They rose at the abrupt dismissal and started for the door, but Mulder cast an anxious look over his shoulder. It did nothing for his peace of mind to see the glare Skinner fixed on him. He swallowed miserably and tried to communicate silently with his boss, but the door closed and the moment was gone.

With a heavy heart, Mulder dragged himself back to the basement, his appetite for lunch gone. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * * * * * * * * *


He picked at the lunch Scully brought him, nearly drove her crazy with his pacing, and finally, at four fifteen, grabbed his coat off the rack.

"I think I'll head out early," he told her, dancing nervously from one foot to the other. "I have a couple of errands to run."

Scully stared at her partner; he'd been acting strangely all day. "Okay, I'll see you on Monday," she answered after a moment. "Hope you get those ants out of your pants."

He gave her a sickly grin and practically ran from the office. If things went the way he thought they were going to, he'd definitely feel like he had ants in his pants in a few hours. The big, red, stinging kind.

Mulder sat gingerly behind the wheel of his car, his butt already aching in anticipation of the belting it was probably going to receive later on. He drove around aimlessly for a while, but it was impossible to kill almost four hours that way. Finally he went home, took a shower and changed clothes, and paced around his apartment for a while. He opened the refrigerator, knowing he should eat something, but the only thing he found that looked even remotely appetizing was a six-pack of beer.

Mulder wasn't a big drinker, but tonight, he was tempted. For a moment he considered getting sloshed, then realized he couldn't possibly drive to Skinner's apartment in that condition. Then, a brilliant hit him, and he tucked the six-pack under his arm and left before he could change his mind.

Twenty minutes later he was sitting in his car in Skinner's parking garage, belting down the first of the brews. It was good, raw and bitter, just what he wanted right then, and he finished the first one enthusiastically. By the time Mulder was halfway through the second beer, he began to feel warm, so he peeled off his sweater, smoothing his gray t-shirt down over his jeans. He turned on the radio, cranking it up loudly, and downed the rest of beer number two.

Number three didn't go down quite as readily, and Mulder was already casting his eyes about the underground garage, hoping to find a nice, convenient restroom. Parking garages being routinely devoid of such amenities, Mulder crossed his legs. By the time he'd finished his third beer, he had begun singing along with the radio.

The fourth can sloshed onto his shirt when he opened it with unsteady hands, and Mulder swore loudly, then belched and went back to singing. He couldn't really carry a tune, so he turned up the volume some more in order to drown himself out. The song that was playing was an old Eagles tune he remembered from his youth, and he began swaying back and forth with the words.

"Take it eeeeeeeasy...take it eeeeeeeasy...don't let the soun' 'f yer own tire--uh--wheels make ya--"

Mulder's concert ended abruptly when the door to his car was flung open and he was hauled unceremoniously to his feet. Skinner held him upright with one hand, reaching in to grab his keys with the other, and as soon as the radio stopped the silence became deafening.

"Uh...h'lo, Sir," Mulder slurred, grinning slightly at his boss. "Did'n' 'spect you home so early..."

Skinner said nothing, but he took the half-empty beer can from Mulder's hand and pitched it into a nearby trash receptacle. He looked his agent up and down, from the rumpled hair and slightly glazed eyes to the beer-stained clothing, and spun him around quickly.

"Woah!" Mulder complained, losing his balance, but Skinner held his arms from behind, guiding him forward.

"Just walk, Mulder. Don't try to think about it too much or you'll trip. Just let your feet take over. That's the way, one step at a time."

The anger behind the words was evident, and by the time they reached Skinner's apartment, Mulder had begun to remember why he was there. He'd been in trouble, he knew that much, and Skinner had said to be there at eight. It was now--Mulder peered at his watch but couldn't make out the swimming numbers. He'd gone home to shower and eat supper and--SHIT! Mulder sniffed, suddenly aware of the scent of alcohol on his clothing.

"Uh--Sir--"

"Quiet, Mulder."

Mulder's mouth snapped shut immediately; this was clearly no time to anger Skinner further.

He allowed the A.D. to escort him into the apartment and guide him to a seat on the sofa. As soon as Skinner's back was turned, Mulder let go of the balance he'd been fighting for and fell to the side. He ended up with his head on a soft cushion, and giggled, thinking how perfect it was. Now if only he could raise his feet...

His feet were lifted, his shoes removed and a blanket thrown over him, and Mulder snuggled down into it happily. It was great to have someone to take care of him for a change.

Moments later, he was sound asleep.

* * * * * * * * * *


The first thing Mulder was aware of was the vise that held his head immobile. The agony was exquisite, and he raised his hands to shove the instrument of torture away, only to find himself gripping nothing but fistfuls of his own hair. He opened his eyes briefly, wincing and shutting them immediately, and groaned audibly.

"Yes, I thought that might be your reaction," a voice beside him said. "You aren't much of a drinker, are you, Fox?"

"I'll do anything you want if you'll stop yelling at me," Mulder promised in a whisper, refusing to open his eyes to the brutal light of day.

He could hear the amusement in Skinner's next words. "I'm not yelling at you. Not yet, anyway." The man did lower his voice, however, for which Mulder was profoundly grateful.

"What happened to me, Sir?"

"Apparently you decided to fortify yourself against your impending punishment by making yourself drunk, probably on an empty stomach," Skinner observed drily. "Needless to say, all you did was postpone the inevitable while making yourself much more uncomfortable. Here. Try to sit up and swallow these. They'll help."

Mulder peeked out through slitted eyes and saw Skinner offering him aspirin, with orange juice to wash it down. He pulled himself upright with effort, grimacing at the way the cannonball in his head changed positions when he moved, and swallowed them down quickly. At least, he noted with relief, he wasn't nauseated. The headache was bad enough.

When he'd given the aspirin a little while to work, Mulder at last risked opening his eyes all the way. To his surprise, it didn't hurt much at all.

"That's great stuff, Sir," he said with a sickly grin.

Skinner was unamused. "Fox, what is this all about?"

Mulder shrugged, averting his eyes. "You know..."

"Because I told you to come here last night?"

Mulder tried to nod, decided it was a bad idea, and instead answered, "Yes, Sir."

"How many times have I punished you, Fox?" Skinner asked, and Mulder thought back.

"Three."

"And do you remember why you were punished on each occasion?"

"Well, the first time was for disobeying you. The second time was because I smarted off at you in that budget meeting, and the third time was for ditching Scully and going off to investigate that ghost on my own."

"Exactly. And for the moment, we'll ignore the fact that there are no such thing as ghosts."

Mulder opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. Best not to get into *that* discussion with Skinner again.

"What's your point, Sir, if you don't mind my asking?" He glanced up at Skinner curiously, and was surprised when Skinner smiled.

"My point, Mulder, is that I only punish you when you do something dangerous, or when you show disrespect toward me as your superior. You did neither of those things in this particular instance."

Mulder gaped at him. "Do you mean...you didn't order me to show up here so you could whale the tar out of my ass?" he demanded.

Skinner shook his head.

"What then?"

"I wanted you to make a telephone call to Mrs. Bishop, to apologize to her for putting her and her daughter in such an uncomfortable position. I wanted you here so I could make certain your apology was made to my satisfaction, and that it was sincere.

Mulder pressed his palms to his eyes, his head falling against the sofa back. "Shit! That hurts! Do you mean, Sir, that if I'd just shown up here last night as ordered, I'd have gotten off with making a simple phone call? That's it? That's all?"

"That's all," Skinner confirmed. "Now, however, I'm sure you're aware that the situation has changed."

"I can still make that call, Sir," Mulder assured him desperately.

"And I fully intend that you shall," Skinner replied. "But now we have the issue of you trying to avoid trouble by getting yourself drunk. That's never a good idea, Fox, and it will always bring you grief. How many of those beers did you drink before you got behind the wheel?"

"None, Sir, I swear!" Mulder told him earnestly. "I drove here before I opened even one of them."

Skinner stared at Mulder for a moment, a curious expression on his face, and then, to Mulder's surprise, burst out laughing. He roared with mirth, bent over double, until tiny tears began making their way from his eyes.

Mulder groaned, clutching at his head again. "Please, Sir, be quiet!" he begged.

When Skinner finally calmed himself, wiping tears from his face, he said, "Well Fox, you're inventive, I have to give you that. I think I'll see if I can be just as inventive in deciding upon your punishment."

Mulder opened one eye again. "You mean...you won't use the belt this time, Sir?"

Skinner grinned. "Change can be a good thing. Now, come with me. I'm going to put you to bed in my guest room. You look like you could use some more sleep, and I certainly can't punish you in this condition."

"Great," Mulder grumped as Skinner guided him through the apartment. "You're going to get me well just so you can kill me."

"Nonsense, Mulder," Skinner chided. "I know what I'm doing. I never even leave bruises."

Skinner pulled the reeking t-shirt from Mulder's body, then reached for the buckle of his jeans.

"I can do that, Sir," Mulder said quickly, slipping the jeans off and sliding beneath the covers fast so Skinner wouldn't see the slight erection he was sporting. If Skinner got any closer, the situation would only grow worse, and that would simply be too embarrassing.

Willing his arousal to disappear, Mulder closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *


He was awakened by the smell of food, and opened his eyes to see Skinner placing a tray on the nightstand with soup and sandwiches.

"Smells good, Sir," he said, feeling a little shy now that he was fully sober.

Skinner nodded his thanks. "How's the headache?"

"Gone," Mulder replied, surprised to realize it was the truth. "I don't think I've ever recovered from a hangover so quickly."

Skinner's face darkened. "Do you have hangovers often, Mulder?"

Mulder gulped, realizing this might not be the most healthy conversational topic right now--at least not where his butt was concerned. Skinner seemed to heartily disapprove of him drinking.

"Uh--thanks," he said, reaching for one of the sandwiches and biting into it eagerly. "For...you know...taking care of me."

"You're welcome," Skinner replied.

There was an uncomfortable silence while Mulder finished his sandwich. He slid from beneath the covers, grateful that his baggy sweatpants would help hide the wake-up call his body was feeling at Skinner's nearness.

"Guess I should make that phone call now, Sir," he offered, hoping to forestall any punishment the A.D. might see fit to mete out over his drinking binge.

"Maybe you should shower and get dressed first," Skinner answered coolly. "I washed your clothes while you were sleeping--didn't think you'd want to put them back on reeking of beer."

Mulder glanced down at himself with a gasp, fully realizing at last that he was naked except for his cotton boxers, and that his erection was clearly visible.

"Uh...Sir...I..." He blushed, struggling for words, not quite sure what was appropriate to say in a situation like this--how did you tell your boss, who enjoyed spanking your bare ass when you misbehaved, that you'd really rather he fucked the life out of you? There was just no delicate way to phrase that.

Skinner saw his consternation and decided to put Mulder out of his misery.

"Go and shower, Fox," he ordered, "and let's get your punishment behind us." He grinned at his own words, while Mulder winced. "Then we'll talk about..." Mulder blushed even harder when Skinner glanced at his hardened cock. "...other things."

"Yes, Sir," Mulder answered, and was out of the room like a shot.

When he returned half an hour later, clean, shaven and dressed in his freshly-laundered clothing, Mulder felt only marginally better. He'd spent his entire shower wondering what Skinner had meant by that remark. Washing his cock and balls had been torture, and finally Mulder had given in to the urge and relieved his need, hoping it would be easier to face the big man afterwards.

It wasn't.

Skinner had changed clothes while Mulder showered, and now he was dressed in what Mulder privately thought of as his "Dom" outfit--black jeans, black boots and a form-fitting black jersey shirt, open just enough to tantalize him with a glimpse of chest hair. Mulder swallowed hard and entered the study where Skinner sat at his desk.

Skinner indicated a chair beside the desk, and Mulder sat down quickly, his eyes on the floor, the window, the pictures on the walls...anywhere but on his devastatlingly handsome superior.

"Uh...Sir, before you punish me for last night, I feel I really should point out that it wasn't my fault."

Skinner's eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Not your fault? I'm sorry Fox, I must have missed an important detail here. Someone kidnapped you, forced you to drive to my building, then held a gun on you while you drank beer against your will, is that how it happened?"

Mulder looked at his lap. "No, Sir, of course not."

"You were abducted by aliens who paralyzed you while they poured alcohol down your throat?"

"No," Mulder sighed.

Skinner gave a palms-up gesture of confusion. "Pray, enlighten me then, Mulder. How was it not your fault?"

"If you had only told me, Sir, that all you wanted was for me to apologize to Mrs. Bishop, I wouldn't have been so scared. I'd have been fine with it, really. But you let me think--"

"I let you think you would be corrected for your actions, which is exactly what is going to happen. If you read a spanking into that, Fox, it was your mistake." He smiled wickedly. "Not my fault, so to speak."

Mulder, seeing that this conversation was going to go nowhere, gave up.

"Get undressed, Fox."

Mulder shot him a worried look. "Completely, Sir?"

"Completely."

Mulder reluctantly removed his t-shirt, then with a sigh of resignation, pulled down his pants. He wasn't wearing any underwear, since he'd slept in his only pair. He figured he would get this out of the way and go home, but it had never crossed his mind that Skinner would have him disrobe thoroughly. He wondered why Skinner had told him to get dressed, only to make him get *un*dressed, but he wasn't looking for any more trouble, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. He blushed again when his half-erect cock began showing signs of even more life.

Skinner just smiled again and patted his knees.

"Here, Fox, over my knee like a naughty child. That's how you acted, you know--getting drunk like you did was nothing but an adult version of a temper tantrum."

Mulder disagreed, but he wasn't about to contradict Skinner. Instead, he simply arranged himself over his supervisor's knees, his face flaming, his now-fully-erect cock brushing against Skinner's leg.

Skinner cupped Mulder's balls and cock briefly, tucking them safely out of the way, and Mulder thought he would die when Skinner leaned over and whispered evilly in his ear, "Is that for me?"

The agent did not deign to answer.

Mulder expected the first swat to hit his exposed ass at any moment, and closed his eyes in anticipation. When Skinner jiggled his knee, he opened them again to see the cordless phone dangling in his face. He looked over his shoulder at Skinner, thoroughly confused.

"Did you forget you have a phone call to make, Mulder?"

"Well I--no Sir, but--couldn't I just--"

"Make it now, Fox," Skinner ordered pleasantly. "I'll read off the number."

Mulder's heart pounded while Skinner caressed his bare butt with both hands, and he could barely concentrate on punching in the correct numbers with his shaking fingers.

Mrs. Bishop's phone began ringing, and Mulder risked one more desperate glance back at Skinner. "Sir, *please*--" he hissed, and then, "Uh, hello, Mrs. Bishop?"

Mulder felt an unexpected caress on his exposed buttocks, and gave an involuntary yelp of surprise. "Mrs. Bishop, this is Agent Fox Mulder from the FBI. I wanted...no ma'am, I'm fine. I sound odd? Well, most folks would say I *am* odd."

Mulder glanced over his shoulder to see if Skinner appreciated his attempt at humor, but the other man was quite intent on studying his ass. Not wanting to think about that right now, he turned his attention back to his call.

"Mrs. Bishop, I wanted to apologize for putting Michelle through that hypnosis thing. No ma'am, it wasn't very good for her, I'm sure. I just--" He gasped as Skinner's leg shifted, inadvertently brushing against his aroused cock.

"Oh, yes ma'am, I'm all right. I'm just got home and I--WILL YOU STOP!--No Mrs. Bishop, not you--uh.... my dog. He's glad to see me. Uh? What kind? He's a...uh... a Boxer." Mulder winced. "Yes, ma'am, they can be very affectionate."

Skinner couldn't suppress a grin.

Mulder was grateful when Skinner rearranged his position so it wasn't quite so intimate. He couldn't think straight with Skinner's muscled thigh tormenting him like that.

Mulder quickly wrapped up his call to Mrs. Bishop, pleased that she didn't hold a grudge against him for her daughter's ordeal. Michelle didn't remember it, after all, and Mrs. Bishop seemed content with that.

When he finally hung up the phone, he glared back at Skinner.

"Sorry about that, Mulder," Skinner told him mildly. "It wasn't my intention to embarrass you while on the phone with Mrs. Bishop."

"It's okay," Mulder sighed. "Sir, can we please just do this and get it over with?"

"Certainly. You have another call to make."

Mulder craned his neck to stare at Skinner. "Huh, Sir?"

"Agent Scully. She told me how thoroughly humiliated she was by your insistence on the hypnosis. She said she tried to talk you out of it, but you wouldn't listen. You owe her an apology, too. While you were showering, I decided this would be a good time for you to give it to her."

"Fine," Mulder grumbled.

"And Mulder..."

"Yeah, Sir?"

"While you're talking to Agent Scully, I'll begin administering your punishment. I'm a believer in time management, and this will save plenty of time."

Mulder was aghast. "You wouldn't, Sir!"

Skinner only looked at him.

"But--but then Scully will know--" Mulder found himself practically speechless at the idea.

"What Scully finds out is all up to you," Skinner replied. "If you're quiet about taking your punishment, she never has to know that I'm warming your ass while you apologize to her."

Mulder's face got even redder, something neither of them thought was possible, and he dropped his head in defeat. Might as well get it over with. It wouldn't take long to make an apology to Scully, and then he could get off the line before Skinner really got started on him. He dialed her number quickly.

"Hey, Scully. How are you? OUCH!" The first smack was much harder than he'd expected, and Mulder couldn't suppress his cry. "Uh..no, I'm fine...that was...I just..uh...cut my finger. Paper cut. Listen, Scully, I've been thinking--AHH!--about--no, I'm all right, I just...uh...stubbed my toe."

Skinner smiled at his agent's creative lies, but was inclined to forgive them this time, although he really didn't approve of lying any more than he did drinking. Mulder's words seemed warranted in this case. Enjoying the pink tint of the two shapely cheeks over his lap, he gave another hard slap.

"Anyway, I wanted to apologize to you for--OUCH! what?--yes, I'm all right. I just dropped a book on my foot. That slapping sound? AHH! That's--that's someone in the next apartment bouncing a basketball. Yes, it's very annoying. OW! That? Oh, nothing, Scully, I just...uh...stubbed my toe again. Yes, I know, I really should wear shoes."

Mulder bit his lip hard to avoid crying out again, but was unable to suppress a loud gasp when Skinner began on his thighs.

"I just--OUCH!--wanted to tell you I'm sorry for--AHH!--upsetting you during the Bishop case. I hope you'll forgive me. Yes, my toe again. No, not the same toe, another toe. Yes, I suppose I am a bit accident prone. You should know that--OW!--about me by now! Well I really don't think it's anything for you to giggle about, Scully!"

He had wriggled so much that he was falling off Skinner's lap, and gasped again when the A.D. pulled him back into position.

"Scully, I really have to go, I think I might--OW! OW! STOP!--need a hospital. No, don't panic, I'm only--PLEASE! NO MORE!--only kidding. No, Scully, my mother is *not* taking a hairbrush to my butt. Nobody's doing anything to me, I swear. I don't--OW!--I don't even know why you would think such a thin--SHIT! Scully! Stop that laughing. I assure you, the situation is *not* funny. I'll see you on Monday. I'm hanging up now."

Mulder disconnected as fast as he was able, allowing the phone to drop to the carpet.

"You'd think I'd get a little more sympathy from my own partner," he grumbled as Skinner, no longer concerned about eavesdroppers, began his spanking in earnest.

"Scully has put up with more than enough of your antics in the past few months," Skinner commented. "She deserves a little comic relief at your expense, if you ask me."

Mulder wisely refrained from pointing out that nobody had asked Skinner.

The blows had been hard before, but spaced enough to allow him to talk. Now they fell rapidly, and Mulder was certain his bottom must be redder than a hot stove. He squirmed frantically, but was unable to elude the big hand, and eventually just lay limply over Skinner's lap and sobbed, forgetting his humiliation in the face of overwhelming pain.

Finally, Skinner seemed satisfied with the state of Mulder's backside, and pulled him up to sit in his lap. Mulder saw with chagrin that his erection was as prominent as ever, and when he saw Skinner looking too, just shrugged, giving his boss a shy grin.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I can't help it. I'll get dressed and go now."

Skinner watched as Mulder raced for the bedroom, clutching his clothes in front of himself. He considered calling Mulder back, telling the man how he really felt about him, but decided against it. There'd be enough time to talk about such things later. For right now, he just smiled wicked and followed Mulder to the bedroom.

END

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