Kitsunegari Revisited-The Slashy Intervention Ending

"So how come I feel like I lost?" Fox Mulder smiled sadly and opened the door to leave, then promptly shut it again at his boss's muttered reply.

"Excuse me?" He took a step back towards the desk, thinking he couldn't possibly have heard what he thought he'd just heard.

"I said," replied Skinner, "'Because you're an idiot, Agent Mulder.'"

He'd heard right.

It took him a moment to respond to this, and when he did, he lapsed into the safety of sarcasm.

"Well, thank you sir.  That certainly makes it all better."

"I didn't say it to make you feel better, Mulder.  I said it because it's the truth."  He stood and approached Mulder, who stood frozen, mouth agape, unable to fathom just where Skinner was going with this, and wondering at the same time if he shouldn't be reaching for his gun.  Base of the neck… He suddenly realized that Skinner was still talking.

"You're so quick to take on any shitty thing you can to make yourself feel like crap that I don't even know if you know how to take positive feedback anymore, Mulder.  Christ! I swear, if Charles Manson said you hurt his feelings, you'd probably beat yourself up about it for a year! But if your partner puts her life and reputation on the line for you, constantly, I might add, or your boss tells you how special you are, you blow it off like it's nothing-like we're nothing." By this time he was seriously invading Mulder's space, despite some serious back pedaling on the latter's part. 

"And that's why I say you're an idiot."

"I-uh-" He was still processing the "…your boss tells you how special you are…" part when Skinner put his arms around him and pulled him into that barrel chest.  There was no question about returning the embrace. His arms went round his boss like boa constrictors around their prey.

Walter Skinner was no rabbit, though, no cow, no snake food of any kind. He held Mulder just as tightly, trying to will his words into the other man's mind, body and soul.  When he pulled away, he wasn't sure if he had succeeded, although Mulder looked a little less defeated, his shoulders less slumped.

"If that's all, sir…" His voice was thoughtful, quiet.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off, Agent Mulder?  Get some rest."

"I'll take that under advisement, sir." It was only then that Skinner noticed the flush of colour in Mulder's cheeks, the hint of breathlessness in his voice. "Bed might be the best option…"

Skinner gazed at him calmly.

"I'm not always an idiot, you know…Walter…" Mulder turned and exited the room abruptly and Skinner sat back down at his desk with a sigh.  He didn't move, didn't try to do anything more than stare at the door until he was sure Mulder was out of the office, then he intercommed his assistant and told her to cancel his appointments for the rest of the day.