seekevolution | The Storm

You could still see the scars on Matt's chest but Mohinder was a little put out by having to race to the cold looking water to really focus on that for more than a moment, let alone the way anyone might have watched him undress down to his suit. The large hand on his back, however, that was something he'd need more of.

They'd not gone very far at all, cups of coffee out and once, when Molly had a sleep over party to attend ("It's girl-girl, Matt! Her parents will be there!"), they'd even had a proper date. One that Mohinder made sure to call a date. Out loud. But given that they were living in the same house, it was important to keep from just dragging Matt to bed with him. Sex might be something they both wanted, but it could put too much stress on a relationship this strangely formed and new.

Baby steps. One day, he'd feel more skin against his own. For now, Matt could just look at him and get over any lingering hangups over his gender.

With Molly leading the way, Mohinder's competitive streak struck him. He didn't want to be a loser and with legs up to his armpits, he could leap over the waves and at least beat Matt to the punch. Well, up to a certain point. No one said anything about getting his hair wet.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the two of them as they rose with the waves. Mohinder felt them crash into him next and he nearly was bowled over, the board knocking into his abdomen.

Are you crazy!? It was mostly feigned, though he didn't look forward to the puff ball head he'd have by the afternoon!

Matt laughed. Immediate, full on laughter that took on an incredulous note at the look on Mohinder's face. He shared a look with Molly who had her arms thrown over the board and was looking at Mohinder in that sneaky way children had sometimes that probably wouldn't do Mohinder any good.

"Really?" he questioned with that laughter in his voice, reaching out to steady his (boy?)friend with one hand to his arm only to wink at Molly and splash water at him with the other. Not right in his face, no one liked that without seeing it coming, but upwards his chest to make a statement. "Really, Mohinder?"

Molly laughed and heaved herself onto the board until she sat securely across the center of it (with Matt's assistance, who had let go of Mohinder pretty quickly in case of retaliation), looking at Mohinder like she was superior to him in some way.

"Come on, you have to get under! You'll start freezing if you don't. And it's more fun."

Matt would be perfectly willing to tackle Mohinder into the water if he had to, but that was more a back-up plan. Not that he'd mind if it came to that.

The water on his above-water skin was a shock, one that earned a gasp, and Mohinder moved to grasp Molly's board for a totally different reason: to get out of the splash zone! And...to stay upright. He'd figure out the ocean rhythm pretty quickly, he'd learn to bob, but for the time being, he just sunk his feet into the sand that swirled around his toes with the rolling waves and gave the two people he loved most in the world a charmingly dirty look.

"I'll have no laughing when my hair becomes a fright!" he said, and Molly, attempting to look solemn, nodded slowly before her grin made Mohinder smile too. How could he not? Between the two of them, the way they expressed their affection, even like this, gave him a swell of happiness the water couldn't even wash away.

Mohinder held his nose and closed his eyes, dunking himself under the surf before he rose again, tight curls loosening and hanging down the back of his head. He wiped excess water from his face, tilting it back towards the sky, before shaking off like a shaggy dog and breaking the Venus rising from the waves image to transform more into a wet, shaggy dog.

"Better?"

Molly nodded and pulled herself to her knees on the board. "Yep! Ready? I'm going to ride in on the next wave!"

Watch Mohinder fret. By herself?!

Matt did not at all mind the shaggy dog look, but he didn't linger much on that as he rolled his eyes at Mohinder - with a good-natured smile to follow.

"Relax", he said to him and put a hand on the board, looking to Molly. She was looking out at the waves. They weren't particularly big, not like the ones you might find further out in California, but they gave nice peaks that looked good for a surf. "Want to go out a bit?" he asked her to which she gave him an eager grin and nodded.

I'm right with her, he thought to Mohinder, all calm and confident. He'd grown up with a foot in the sea and Molly had too, and water was never any more dangerous than you let it be. Matt had an ease about it when he shifted to swim out (not far at all, Mohinder, don't worry), hauling her along on the board, and then let her go just a few paces later when a proper wave came in.

"All right! Go!"

Molly braced herself, kept her balance, and rode the wave in like a pro - at least until the water came down over her from behind and she slipped, but she immediately grappled for the board and kept afloat with her arms across it, squealing with laughter. Matt was right there with her, keeping the board steady if she wanted to get on it again, and he looked entirely too happy about the whole thing when he motioned for Mohinder.

"Wanna try?" he teased, and Molly chimed in with a singsong, "It's really fun!"

Mohinder didn't really look like he wanted to try actually, but some coaxing and watching Molly and Matt take turns eventually turned on the little adventure centre in his brain. It was hard to ride the board to the shore without rolling off of it, but at least Mohinder was determined (and had to be reminded, casually, that Molly should get another go in between). The ocean ended up being less of a disaster than Mohinder had been expecting and not once did school or finances or work or anything practical about their little girl enter his mind.

He didn't stay in the water as long as the two fish he was living with did, dripping water onto hot sand was he half pranced his way from the surf to the chairs set up. He could see his family from their spot and waved at Molly when she yelled his name and told him to watch her have a go.

He did, with relish, white teeth flashing from between dark lips as he reapplied sunscreen and then insisted on doing the same for Molly when she dragged her board in for a snack.

A woman in her mid forties blocked the sun, little girl about Molly's age in tow, just after the sandwiches had been handed out and Mohinder was reminding Matt that 'lobster' was not a professional colour to be at work. She cleared her throat and Mohinder shaded his eyes to look up, instantly recognizing her as a mother from the PTA earlier in the year. Molly had attended her daughter's birthday party as well, and the raven haired, slightly chubby girl waved shyly at Molly.

"You're Amal, right?" she asked and Mohinder arched an eyebrow.

"Mohinder. Suresh," he replied, amused at the way she suddenly looked flustered and offered her a hand while Molly held out a little package of goldfish crackers to her classmate. "Not a common name, don't worry about. This is Matt Parkman."

"Sorry! I tend to know everyone by their kids' names. I figured saying Molly's... Ah, Molly's parents might be a little rude. Margaret. Welsh. Hello. Good to see you Mr. Parkman. Jessie wanted to come over and say hello--"

Her thoughts were eractic. She was a single mother and obviously, it had been a long time since she'd been intimate with anyone. The way her eyes traveled over Mohinder was hungry, even though she was currently trying to understand how their family worked. And how sex with the two men worked.

There'd never been a doubt in anyone's mind at school at Molly had two dads in the traditional sense of the word. Why else would two men raise a girl together?

Matt had been very happy to watch Mohinder get used to the water and actually play with them. It was something he'd wanted to share, he realized - just the joy of it, how much fun it really was to get into a different element and forget about all those other pesky things real life threw at you. And he did notice that neither of them thought about anything other than each other, the water, and the fun.

Drying off and coming up for a drink and a snack was a necessarily evil but it only served for a bit more bonding, with Molly talking excitedly at them between popping the goldfish crackers into her mouth, eating half of them by decapacitating them with her teeth. Matt was reaching for one of the many sandwiches they'd made himself when the woman made herself known. Or rather, when her thoughts did.

This meant that when Mohinder introduced him, Matt had already been giving Margaret a guarded look for a while. Sometimes, telepathy sucked. The way she was mentally ogling Mohinder put a serious damper on his mood. The way she was also going on about them almost made him angry, but he shook it off fairly smoothly when he directed his attention to the girl Molly had just chirped a "Hi!" at.

"Why don't we let them play for a bit, huh?" he suggested. At the way Molly's eyes brightened he added, "After you finish that drink." She gave him a smile and Matt looked up at Margaret, asking if that was okay.

"Oh, sure! If it's no trouble", she said, a slightly nervous quality in her voice that Matt didn't like at all. He had half a thought of kissing Mohinder's shoulder (or his collar bone, or his jaw, or that entirely too polite smile) just to mark territory, but didn't.

Oblivious as usual, Mohinder had no trouble inviting Margaret for a sandwich as the girls go off to build sand castles. He was a jovial sort and while he might be a loner, he was still charismatic and willing to talk to just about anyone. Mostly, his conversation with the woman was about school, about her daughter and common goals.

Margaret was much more interested in getting dirt on Mohinder and Matt and when she was not actively imagining what it must be like to run her fingers through his slowly drying (and frizzing) curls. Her questions weren't exactly invasive, and Mohinder didn't see it that way either. He just kept right on smiling. "So is Molly Matt's biological daughter?" she asked, glancing up at the scowling older man before turning her attention back to Mohinder alone.

"Molly's adopted," Mohinder said, hardly recognizing when it was good to talk and when not to. They'd never asked Molly to lie but people just assumed. She was white. Matt was white. Mohinder was the odd man out there.

"Oh!" Margaret said in a fluster. Wouldn't she have all the attention at school on Monday while they were waiting to pick up the kids? "Then...have you two been together for a long time?"

Matt, seeing immediately how they might get into a lot of explaining unless the woman was led to believe exactly what she already did, leaned meaningfully towards Mohinder and answered before the other man got a chance to.

"A while", he said, which was vague enough to be true (especially for the technical meaning of together), shooting her a quick smile and touching a hand to Mohinder's shoulder. Unable to resist some marking now, apparently. It was really close to a small, actual pull. "But that doesn't really matter so long as she's loved, don't you think?"

Don't let her know about her parents, he thought grimly, squeezing Mohinder's shoulder before he let go.

"They're really something though, aren't they? Kids", he added in a bright tone, nodding towards the girls playing with the sand some distance away to steer the topic clear of any other question that might come up about Molly's adoption. His own cheer was largely fake, something Mohinder might pick up on if he paid attention, and something Margaret probably also would if she'd stop gushing over Mohinder's skin tone for two seconds.

Or on the other hand, maybe she didn't actually care, and Matt fell into silence for the most part after that.

There was no way that Mohinder wouldn't notice Matt's change in behaviour. He'd been soaking it in his delight, in his happiness, all day. And now Margaret's presence seemed to be banishing it. Or, more likely, Mohinder's own idiocy was forcing it out. I'm not-- I hadn't been-- Now it was his turn to go sour. His shoulders tensed and the conversation died down noticeably.

Even Margaret seemed to notice after awhile and her thoughts turned just as tense as Mohinder was. Oh, they must be fighting. This is uncomfortable now...maybe I was interrupting.... Even if that wasn't the case, she excused herself to go back to her beach reading.

Mohinder didn't relax even after she'd left, however. It wasn't her fault, he knew, it was his own. He needed to be careful. Yes, their immediate threats were gone but if anyone knew--

He risked their entire family.

Mohinder turned to busy himself cleaning up from lunch. He couldn't help but think he'd put a damper on Matt's day.

Matt did relax after she left because it meant she took her thoughts with her. He was rubbing his temples for a moment after that; not because listening was tiring to him anymore, but because it had become habit when he felt unhappy these days. Usually any stress did come from what he could hear. That he shouldn't be hearing.

And Mohinder's thoughts weren't that quiet either. Although Matt still tried to keep out of personal thoughts he felt he had no choice but latching onto these ones, just to set them straight.

"No, it's not you", he said with a sigh, not really looking at him but rather fixing his eyes on Molly who was still playing with Jessie. They'd managed some impressive trenches in the sand that probably formed a pattern, but it was difficult to see from where they were sitting. "It's her. Mind reader, remember?"

It really did come down to that, most of the time. If you were already somewhat disinclined to trust people, hearing their thoughts certainly didn't help.

Mohinder was immediately startled, turning to face Matt, putting his dark hand on the other man's pinking shoulder. They had to be the oddest couple, looking at them. Matt looked like he'd be at home on the sofa with a beer and some football on television and Mohinder...no where near it. He didn't seem feminine enough to really be Matt's type...and Matt didn't look like his type at all.

Still, this sudden concern, and the rapidly filling beach, gave quite a lot of people thoughts about them. Mohinder always seemed to make those thoughts worse with the way he so dramatically drew attention to himself.

Half the time, it wasn't even his fault. This time, it was likely due to the fact that he was hardly wearing anything and looking so concerned.

About Molly? Does she know?

"No, don't worry about it." Matt moved his hand down to rest his chin on a closed fist, elbow balancing on a drawn up knee. Speaking still felt more natural and somewhat easier than completely telepathic conversations, so that's what he defaulted to where people were unlikely to eavesdrop anyway. If they had, it might have sounded strange.

As it were he heard a lot more from everyone else than they ever would from him. He blocked them out.

"She doesn't know anything. She's just ..." He searched for a word. "Curious. A lot. And thinking way too much about things she shouldn't be thinking about. I don't like it."

The details of that, Mohinder didn't really need to know, did he?

That did so very little to assuage his fears, Matt really ought to have realised that, esspecially when Mohinder shifted to move himself away from the cooler and kneel somewhat expectantly in front of Matt. Big eyes lifted, he watched the larger man as if waiting for more information.

When nothing came, he leaned in, hand on Matt's other knee. Honestly, Mohinder had been in America long enough to know that men didn't touch each other that way. Then again, they'd been stealing clandestine kisses after Molly had been put to bed every single night since their first kiss in the kitchen.

Sometimes they even took a tumble in bed together, clothing all neatly kept in place, of course, but whether out loud or not, they were in a relationship of sorts and that allowed for that sort of touching, surely.

"About her adoption? Oh God, we ought to have stuck with you being her actual father--" he lamented.

"No, it's -" He dropped his hands to grab Mohinder's in a brief but hopefully soothing gesture, thumbs running over his knuckles before he let go. "It's not like that. Calm down. I would have done something about it otherwise, okay?"

What that something would have been he wasn't entirely sure but it didn't really matter. Mentally or not, he would have fixed that problem. He was sure. He was confident in his ability to. If he'd managed Odessa and Sylar, he could fend off a single mother with an over-active imagination.

At least Mohinder was easily pacified. He smiled at Matt, at the slightly calming gesture and relaxed. He assumed, incorrectly, that Jessie's mother just didn't care for the idea of a same-sex couple raising a child, but it didn't matter. What Mohinder didn't know in this case could affect him... Though he might have been flattered by Matt's possessiveness.

Their day at the beach could continue unimpeded by anyone else, starting with Mohinder insisting on reapplying sunscreen to the back of Matt's neck and shoulders. "Much too pink," he proclaimed. "I hardly need you getting skin cancer because you're jealous of my tan," he joked stupidly, rubbing the lotion into Matt's skin in entirely too wonderful a way.

Molly was happy. They were happy. The sand was warm, the water was cool...and they all had each other.

After burying Matt in the sand and one more session in the water, however, it was time to pack up and go. And not a second too soon, either. The sun was still high in the sky but Molly was yawning something feirce.

All in all, a successful day. The incident with Margaret was pushed far back into Matt's mind as they all went back to having fun and there was that calm content feeling again when they walked back to the car, Molly between them and holding each of their hands.

She looked a bit like she might fall asleep in the backseat once they pulled out onto the road again, but looked expectantly at Mohinder when Matt shot him a sideways smile.

"So how did you like the beach?"

Matt hadn't had that much fun in months, personally, and felt a lot happier from the experience. He looked it too, elbow resting on the open car window, sunglasses on to shield from the sun coming down on them and the easy smile in place as he kept his eyes (mostly) on the road.

"'Cause I think there's hope for you yet, Suresh."

Mohinder never had that much fun, not once. Today had everything a good day needed, he'd already decided, and though Molly had a little bit of a burn on the tops of her feet (how had he missed that?) and there was a bout of misunderstanding with Matt that had been easily cleared up, Mohinder wanted nothing at all about it to change.

"Today was perfect," he confirmed. "Just don't let me look at a mirror." His hair was dreadful...in sort of a beautiful way. Even so, it might break the teeth off of combs or swallow wrist watches should any make their way near him.

The mood in the car on the drive home was sleepy and with Molly quiet in the backseat, curled around her oversized beach towel, Mohinder slipped his hand onto Matt's thigh just to have that sort of connection with him. His thoughts were a happy muddling of at least three languages which tended to mean that he was tired too.

Thank you, he sent to Matt, gazing affectionately at the older man, as if there could be nothing on the horizon to spoil these moments.

Matt lifted is free hand to run through his hair, seemingly a bit self conscious when he glanced back at Mohinder, but he was smiling. Yeah. You're welcome.

Once home things continued in that sleepy but quietly happy manner. During the last few weeks some more pieces of furniture had actually made their way into the apartment, making it look less like a temporary place to stay and more like a home, even if they still had a lot more to add.

The tasks were a mix between putting things back in their places, picking out something light to eat for dinner and engaging Molly, because if she fell asleep now she'd be up before four am and Matt was pretty sure neither he nor Mohinder wanted that. She watched some cartoons and drew in her coloring books before they ate and after that they all played a game of Scrabble, with Matt and Molly teaming against Mohinder since it just seemed more fair that way.

Molly was perking up again but when they did send her to bed she didn't protest, just hugged them both, accepted their kisses and was asleep after just a few minutes.

Matt was leaning on the door frame, watching her with a small smile on his lips and his arms crossed in that lazy way when he looked at Mohinder. He was feeling such a wave of fondness and affection for both of them. They'd been as close to an ordinary, non-special family that day as they were ever likely to be, and it felt great. Normal. Easy.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" he said out loud after a moment, over the distant voices of the news reporters. The TV was still on in the background.

This scene would never stop Mohinder's heart from fluttering. He smiled, watching Matt with Molly. Mohinder got so many nights with the girl that he never minded giving Matt alone time with Molly. She needed them both for different reasons after all and quality time together should never be squandered.

"She is amazing," he agreed. Mohinder crossed from the kitchen where he'd been washing ice cream bowls and spoons up to the doorway where Matt watched Molly, a few scant steps. He took there a moment to watch her too before he leaned across Matt to grip the knob and pull the door shut.

They stood facing one another and Mohinder's arms curled around Matt's neck as he stood on his toes to kiss him firmly. You are amazing too, he directs a thought, Matt's back shoved perhaps a little uncomfortably against the jam so that the Indian could do naughty, amazing things with his tongue inside of Matt's mouth.

He's just about to tug Matt's shirt up when the faint voice from the television mentions something about over three hundred people admitted to the hospital, all of whom had spent the day at Coney Island. Fevers, sudden collapses--

Mohinder pulls back as if Matt burned him, eyes wide.

Oh, he didn't mind. Between the two of them there were barely any hangups left, at least when it came to this, and Matt wasted no time taking Mohinder's face in his hands to kiss back just as firmly. He opened his mouth easily to the younger man's tongue, head tilting for a better angle, just about to sneak his fingers into his hair when he suddenly pulled back.

Matt stared at him, frowning. "What?"

But the answer came quickly as Mohinder's thoughts were spiking with worry-maybe-panic and Matt whipped around to stare at the TV, hands falling to Mohinder's arms. Holding on, in a way.

Shit, this couldn't be happening again. No way.

He pulled Mohinder with him to the living room where he grabbed the remote and upped the volume, the reporter speaking frantically without really knowing what was going on. It made sense. These were still mostly local news. But no doubt would a connection be drawn to Odessa -

Coney Island?

Matt wanted to punch something. He threw the remote onto the sofa.

"We have to go", he said darkly, searching Mohinder's eyes. Hoping he'd say no, maybe, but not at all expecting it.

There was not exactly a 'no' coming from Mohinder's mouth, but there's not a 'yes' either. "Molly," Mohinder said immediately. They couldn't leave her. Not both of them. She'd never accept another trip to India, not now after all the rest of it, but Coney Island was less then ten miles from them. The two hospitals the people had been taken to?

One was within walking distance.

Mohinder itched. They could be caught up in this again, trapped again... "We have to get as far away from here is possible--" Mohinder knew already that there was nothing he could do for this. The outbreak was beyond him. He found markers for immunity, markers for the loci the virus latched onto in a person's cells, but that was it. "I'm going to put our bags together, get Molly up and--"

He was interrupted by the phone buzzing on the table, dancing around merrily like oil on a hot plate. He drew closer to Matt for a moment. He wanted to be told to ignore the call...but they both knew he couldn't.

Mohinder answered on the very last ring, breathless and afraid. "Hello--"

"Suresh, we need you at Beth Israel." Bennet. "We're setting up a new lab for you." Mohinder pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced again at Matt. Take Molly and go.

Yeah. Molly. Even if Matt and Mohinder had managed the last outbreak there was no guarantee they would this one, and although Molly had managed that first - second? - strain thanks to Mohinder's blood ... this was a new one, right? It could be different from the last one. Why else would it have taken this long for it to spread? Could have been a new attempt.

Phone. Who? Matt mouthed, a darkness in his eyes, but at the mental request slash command he wasted no time, grabbing the backpack he'd had at the beach and quickly gathering things as he thought of them. Wallet, badge, gun, keys, phone, charger.

He shot Mohinder another look before he disappeared into their daughter's room to wake her. He slowed down, though. Stroked her hair. "Hey, sweetheart. Wake up. We have to go."

Molly was depressingly ready and alert when she was told that kind of thing. She didn't even really ask about it, not yet, she just nodded and sat up and got dressed, mutely. Sadly. It broke Matt's heart.

She was thinking how she didn't want to. Matt blocked it out, had to be practical, but he took her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture when he went back out into the living room.

"Who was it?" he asked again, looking Mohinder over. They needed to at least touch ground. Know where they were going to go, in case they couldn't get a hold of each other any other way. Molly seemed scared but wary, looking between the two men.

"It was Noah Bennet." He could easily have told Matt these things in the silence, looking into his eyes, paler brown than he own, and spared their daughter. But sparing Molly was not something that could happen any more. She was special and that small quality was what was going to hurt her in the long run if she remained ignorant of it. It'd already hurt her after all, simply because she was not prepared.

Mohinder didn't need to read minds to see the distress on Matt's face and he accepted it as easily as he had accepted that Matt could enter his dreams, could read his thoughts, could command men to do anything he wished for them to do.

"It's another confirmed outbreak of Shanti. I'll be heading down to Beth Israel Hospital to help contain it." If we can. No. Out loud. "If possible. I've immunity so far, there's no need to worry about me. But you need to get out of New York. Go north...go... I don't care where. No where near the airports though. People will panic the moment they equate this with Odessa. I'm sure the media blackout is going to happen any moment now."

Mohinder swallowed, his throat thick with emotion and worry.

He wanted to go with them...but he couldn't. His service, in exchange for his family-- That was the unspoken deal. Mohinder's eyes were liquid.

"I'll keep my phone charged. If...the towers go down, and they might-- I'll.. I'll find you."

And that's when Molly shuddered, something that could be clearly seen in her entire being when she broke away from Matt to run up to Mohinder and throw herself at him, hugging close, desperately. "Please don't go", she pleaded, but her voice was low and already broken from the knowledge that he had to. She was a child but she'd seen enough to understand cruelty and its habit of tearing people apart. But understanding didn't mean acceptance. She sobbed, burrowed into his shirt. "Don't make us go away, we ... we have to stay together ..."

Matt swallowed, locking eyes with Mohinder over her head, and something was breaking in his own expression as well. But he rubbed a hand over his eyes and nodded. Facts. Facts first.

"We'll find you", he said. The unspoken fact was that they could. Molly could. They wouldn't take lightly on this, but if they were separated, Molly could reunite all of them. "We'll call every few hours, we'll ... don't let them lock you down." He said that seriously. "Don't let Bennet boss you around. He needs you just as much as you need him or else he wouldn't drag your ass out there. Okay?"

Just - their history. Their recent history. Bennet was a manipulative bastard, but Matt knew he came through in tough situations.

Molly was listening, still clinging to Mohinder, hearing the unspoken uncertainties between her fathers. Hated them. Was scared to death of them.

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Damn. I replied to myself.

you silly

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