Category: X-Files slash/discipline (implied) fic

Title: Circle the calendar. It was only a few days after Mulder’s birthday that Walter realised he had no idea when Alex’s birthday was. He had been living with them for some months, but he never mentioned it, so Walter was fairly confident it hadn’t been overlooked. As they sat eating their breakfast, Walter asked casually: ‘Alex, when is your birthday?’ Alex stared at his plate. ‘Dunno.’ Walter and Fox both almost missed his whispered reply. Sure he was being evasive, Walter said again: ‘Alex, I’m only asking when your birthday is.’ ‘And I told you I don’t know!’ Alex got up suddenly, tipping his chair over in his haste to escape the room and the question. Fox sighed, gathering up the breakfast things, his own appetite suddenly gone too. Walter walked slowly from the room, careful to give Alex the few minutes alone he needed when he was upset before going after him to offer the reassurance he also craved. ************ Their relationship was such that, if Walter wanted to, he could have simply walked into a room without asking permission from either Fox or Alex. But he was sensitive to Alex’s mercurial moods, and so he knocked gently on the closed door. ‘Alex, can I come in?’ The lack of response Walter took as an indication that Alex, whilst not exactly inviting him in, wouldn’t object if Walter walked in. ‘Alex, what’s wrong?’ Walter dropped onto the end of the bed, making sure no part of his body touched Alex’s trembling form, curled into a foetal ball. ‘Nothing. Leave me alone.’ Alex’s words were not mirrored by the slight shift in his position as he inched surreptitiously closer to Walter. Walter saw the movement and slowly closed the distance between them. He put out a tentative hand, gently touching Alex’s hip. ‘Alex, I didn’t mean to make you upset. Can you tell me what’s wrong?’ ‘I’m sorry I yelled.’ Alex whispered, his voice hoarse with nerves. ‘Alex, I’m not angry with you for yelling at me. I had no idea you didn’t know.’ Walter said quickly, hopeful his tone was sufficiently reassuring. ‘No-one ever told me.’ Alex said sadly. ‘They faked my ID’s and stuff, so it all had different dates on. I don’t even know how old I am.’ Walter sighed deeply. ‘It doesn’t matter Alex.’ ‘Not to you! You know how old you are. You know when your birthday is!’ Alex was shouting, heedless of the inevitable punishment Walter would mete out for his disrespect. ‘Alex, stop shouting. We’ll find out, okay?’ ‘How?’ Alex asked in a voice approaching near-normal volume. ‘Don’t worry about it. We’ll find out, okay?’ ‘Okay.’ Alex’s voice was suddenly small, relief and nerves mixing. ‘Are you gonna punish me for yelling?’ ‘No Alex, you wouldn’t learn anything from a punishment when you’re this upset. Come here.’ Holding Alex’s tense body in his arms, Walter stroked the thick hair gently. He smiled to himself as he realised that his embrace was probably more of a punishment in Alex’s mind than a spanking. Pain he understood. Affection was a concept he was only recently beginning to grasp. ‘Shh. We’ll take care of it Alex. Don’t worry. It’s gonna be okay.’ As he spoke, Walter wished he believed his own reassurances. How the Hell was he going to find out Alex’s birthday? *********** The smoke drifted across the small table and Walter had several times to remind himself why he was sitting only inches away from a man who made his skin crawl. Spender lit a Morley and exhaled slowly. ‘There must be a record somewhere.’ ‘There isn’t.’ Walter said firmly. ‘What about the Three Stooges?’ Walter bristled at Spender’s description of Fox’s weird friends. ‘I didn’t want to have to approach them if I didn’t have to. Can you help me or not?’ Spender seemed unimpressed by Walter’s snarled question. He sighed, stubbing out his cigarette on the side of his plate. ‘Give me a day or two.’ Walter couldn’t bring himself to thank Spender, so he simply nodded and watched the man leave, a cloud of smoke surrounding him. ************ Walter picked up the mail and carried it into the house, sorting it as he walked. The large plain envelope caught his attention and he was already opening it as he waited for Fox and Alex to come down for breakfast. He pulled out the contents and realised it was a photocopy of a document. He looked at it for some time then folded it back into the envelope as he heard two voices on the stairs. ********** Six weeks later… ‘Alex, come in here please.’ Walter called through from the small room adjoining the living room which he used as an office. Alex walked in, a half-eaten piece of toast in one hand, a coffee mug in the other. ‘Your breakfast’s getting cold.’ ‘Sit down Alex.’ Instantly, Alex was wary, his muscles tensing as he waited for what was coming next. Wanting to reassure Alex, Walter didn’t waste any time. ‘I have something for you. I wasn’t sure I was going to give it to you, because it doesn’t make any difference to how Fox and I feel about you. However, I think you need to have it.’ Walter handed Alex the stiffened envelope. ‘What is it?’ Alex asked warily, his fingertips holding the envelope at almost arms length as he turned it, looking for some indication of its contents. ‘Open it. I promise it’s safe.’ Alex half-smiled. He trusted Walter completely, but years of not being able to trust anyone were hard to overcome and it was several seconds before he began to lift the flap. He frowned as he pulled out the small photocopied document. He stared at the words on the sheet for some time before looking up at Walter. ‘I’m thirty-one.’ Walter smiled, getting up. ‘Not for another four days. Plenty of time to plan your birthday party.’ Alex sat unmoving staring at his own tears dripping onto the sheet of paper on his lap. When he looked up a couple of minutes later, Walter helped him to his feet, steadying Alex as he stood on shaky legs. Walter said gently: ‘I haven’t told Fox. Do you want to?’ Alex nodded, swiping at his damp cheeks with the back of his hand. He followed Walter out into the kitchen. ‘Fox, Alex would like us to help him plan his birthday party.’ Fox frowned. ‘I thought you didn’t know when…’ Alex pushed the sheet of paper at him. ‘I do now.’ Fox smiled as he read the sheet. ‘What kind of theme do you want?’ Alex looked at Walter helplessly. Walter put his arm around the younger man’s trembling shoulders. ‘Balloons and a cake, I think.’ He crossed the room and reached down the calendar from the wall, circling the date of Alex’s birthday in thick black marker. Fox nodded. ‘Okay, but I’m not blowing them all up on my own. You gotta help, okay Alex?’ Alex nodded shyly, eyes fixed on the calendar. ‘Sure.’ End Click here to go to the sequel 'Life and Limb' Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index