seekevolution | The Storm

"No, but you will be." Molly was absolutely sure of this. "Unless you won't take interviews or pictures. Then people will forget."

She stood when Mohinder did and pulled the chair over to the cabinets so she could stand on it and reach for glasses, because she'd been distracted by the talking from getting them the last time around. It was from that position she shot Mohinder one of her entirely too charming smiles.

"Bunnies. They're soft. And quiet. Please?"

Bunnies. Well, bunnies were not as easy as fish. But not as difficult as dogs. Mohinder wouldn't have to have horrific flash backs to lab assignments at Cambridge with mice or rats and they lived a lot longer than hamsters or love birds. So. "Bunnies. I believe we can work something out that you could have bunnies. Everyone will need to be tested for allergies first and we'll have to ask Matt. Nicely."

Or beg him. Mohinder knew how Molly operated when it came to the older man. He was a softy, she was his little princess. And Mohinder... Well, Mohinder wasn't always the enforcer, even if he did tend to lean that way. Often.

He didn't think much about interviews or photos right now. None of that was important. He'd rather write a paper or two. Publish a book. The rest was inconsequential.

She lit up. "Okay! Should I wake him?"

Not necessarily to ask about bunnies, but because his name served as a reminder that he was still asleep. Still, maybe the prospect of bunnies had something to do with it. Less because of a bunny itself but because ... well, families had pets. And it was another little promise that they'd stay together.

She never doubted that they wanted to, but it was always nice when it was confirmed.

When Mohinder gave his agreement she finished setting the table before she went off into his and Matt's room and pounced gently on the man asleep there. There was an art to it that all children had.

"Matt, wake up! We made food!"

Matt, who in all honesty would be content to stay asleep for five more hours, nonetheless cracked open an eye to look at her smile. "Five more minutes, mom", he teased her with a yawn, and she laughed and pulled on his hand.

He got up. Of course he did, but it was in that half-asleep state that was all about stretching and scrubbing your hand across your face to wake up properly. In Matt's case, it was his first uninterrupted sleep in a month - if he had difficulty pulling himself from it, it was probably understandable. He felt so much better though and even if he still looked kind of hollowed out, it was easy to forget when he smiled.

"Hey, pasta!"

"Pasta only if you wash your hands," Mohinder said affectionately and Molly nodded.

"Better do it, he'll nag."

"Nag!" Mohinder clucked his tongue. "I do not nag. Nagging is for old women and I'm neither. And don't you say I am old, Miss Walker, because you'll be thirty one day yourself and have a whole new definition of old." There was nothing terrible being planned for the evening. All around them, the world was slowly healing itself.

After dinner and washing up, they -- the three of them, the first time they could say that in awhile -- went to the employee lounge and witnesses the new reports of the first batch of inoculations being manufactured on a larger scale intermeshed with responses and relief from the rest of the country.

Even the former Mayor of New York had something to say about the military returning to the city to help survivors out.

Mohinder just relaxed on one of the large sofas, leaning against Matt, Molly on the other man's lap. Finally. A win.

Matt laughed as he went to wash his hands. "Don't lie about your age, Suresh, it's unattractive." Not that Mohinder was much older than thirty, but still. Ribbing him was always too much fun to pass up.

Breakfast-dinner was nice, and although the three of them wouldn't function on normal hours for a while, it didn't seem to matter. It was getting dark out but the building was all lit up as people kept working and it was quite lively in the lounge.

There were cheers and some applause amid the mostly-serious atmosphere and that was really nice. People congratulating and smiling at each other - a whole room-full of them - it was more than nice.

Then again, they'd really earned it. They'd managed something really big.

Matt had his arms wrapped around Molly's stomach and his chin leaning near Mohinder's temple, thinking back at him.

You made it happen, you know.

Matt believed that. Mohinder didn't always seem to. But nodding towards that cute assistant of his, Tabitha something as she came up to them, smiling widely, Matt added, You better shake some hands, man.

Thirty-three was not a great deal older than thirty, thank you very much, and he was still stewing a little bit even as they watched television. Mohinder wondered, absently, if they could get a Disney movie on instead, this had to be boring to watch for everyone else, when Matt's thoughts struck him a bit oddly.

What good will shaking hands do? Mohinder did want the best for everyone, including himself. That had little to do with photo ops and handshaking. He wanted leave to have a bunny farm with Matt and Molly somewhere quiet where he could continue his research, write a few books...and maybe save the day a few more times.

He didn't need to be thanked. Though, he'd not argue if they decided to pay him a little better.

College was expensive. Even if Molly ended up not going and went into a trade instead, he wanted to be able to leave her something.

Matt rolled his eyes, but it was with a half-smirk, half-smile.

It's about morale. Team spirit, all that. Really did keep to yourself a lot, huh?

It was something Matt had seen and experienced with a lot of groups. High school, for one; football team on the whole; everyone at the precinct. Getting a sense of unity helped a lot when you had something to take on. It wasn't so much about being thanked as having and offering some support. Matt saw it clearly enough. He was a people person, really, only it didn't show as much these days beneath the grime of distrust and suspicion he'd accumulated lately.

Now though he took a second to briefly nuzzle Mohinder's hair with his nose.

Molly, who was watching the news with interest, paid them little mind. She knew they were in love, they were just being silly the way such people often were.

Just mingle. Trust me.

Tabitha had approached by then and was giving them a sunny smile. "You must be feeling pretty happy right now, doc! Hi, mister Parkman. Molly."

Detective Parkman, Mohinder thought to himself but smiles, not bothering to extract himself from his family. He'd done a lot of touching with Matt in the last day but as far as he was concerned, there was never enough touching happening here. He had little to say about morale, or about getting out much. Mohinder was personable, after all, but he didn't actively seek people. He wasn't actively gregarious. Terrible, that. He did so well when he let them in.

Except when he really, really did not.

Mohinder tilted his head slightly when Tabitha joined them, pulling up a chair. "Why aren't you going to California with the rest of us?" she asked, obviously a little perturbed. She didn't have any romantic aspirations with Mohinder, but he was her mentor and his father's book had changed her life. "We don't smell, do we? I'll talk to Howie about--"

Mohinder laughed. "No, of course not. You're all very important to this project. I don't want to put my family in danger, no matter how slight. I'm sure you understand. And besides, you hardly need me to oversee the production of the serum. And if you do, Arthur will know how to reach me."

She turned the chair backwards so she was resting her arms over the back of it when she sat down. She'd miss him, in a way. It was in her mind and Matt picked it up easily enough, but he looked at her a lot more mildly than he had when they'd first met.

"Ah, the big boss", she mused. "Think he'll send us off with a big speech or something? It's quite the occasion."

"Why didn't he do any speeches for TV?" Molly spoke up, genuinely curious. It struck Matt as a little odd, but it was true - he'd never seen this Arthur character, and his name had been nowhere in the news.

Maybe he worked under an assumed name?

Pinehearst seemed to have an entirely different spokesperson, at any rate.

"Perhaps he'd rather have pretty young things do his talking," Mohinder said, not finding anything suspicious. He so rarely did. It was an admirable and likely his most poignantly stupid asset. How he managed through life was impossible to guess, though before Sylar, before New York, he'd be entirely too bookish to care about the world around him.

Research, there'd only been research.

Now there was fear and love and a little girl and revenge and a deep seated exhaustion in his very bones that didn't let him think through the oddity of Arthur never really appearing anywhere, always calling people up to the seventh floor.

"Large companies have people that do the talking for them. They're much too busy and likely not the sort to be good at speaking, not even prepared statements." Which brought him back to Tabitha. "I'm not sure he'll give a speech. As much as I like to talk, neither will I. But you're brilliant, Tabitha. You are. You'll do quite a lot of good in the world."

Well you certainly fit the bill Matt thought idly at him while keeping his eyes on the TV. Because now he was watching it a little more intently after Molly's observation. And it was a good way to feign innocence.

Tabitha was flattered by the praise but still seemed a little disappointed at Mohinder for not wanting to take a more visibly active stance. She was still smiling, though. She was an upbeat one and after you'd finally managed a cure to what might've been a global outbreak with a near-complete fatality rate, you had every right to look happy.

"Thanks, doc. You too. I mean, you already have, but you know." She grinned at him and stood. "I heard there's cake in the cafeteria, you guys should come get some. Okay, not so much cake, but goodies."

Molly gave her a smile and Matt tousled Molly's hair a bit a what she was thinking. "I'll see if I can lure him", he added to Tabitha, because really, she wasn't so bad. "Thanks for the heads up."

She wasn't so bad at all, just bright eyed and bad in groups and a little awkward, just like Mohinder himself. No wonder she looked up to him. He was more than just a mentor. She hoped to be like him some day, though he did scoff at saving the world.

"The grace of being born with my blood does not mean I should be praised like that," he called after her retreating form, and she just laughed, making an eating sort of pantomime and sending a little smilie face text to his phone.

That surprised him. She had been modest when he mentioned Arthur finding him when she could do it herself through data. A rather impressive ability really. It would have complimented Molly's well.

It wasn't Matt that got Mohinder out of the lounge and into the cafeteria, it was a toothy grinning eleven year old hoping that goodies still equalled cake because it had been a long time since she'd had such a thing and oh! She wanted it!

It hadn't been a long time at all, Matt chided her, since she'd had ice cream just that morning. Molly said that that didn't count since it wasn't cake.

Matt had to concede the point.

Turned out there wasn't much cake-cake, all frosting and cream and sponge-cake the way Molly probably hoped for, but someone had taken it upon themselves to bake a chocolate cake and a pie and the ice cream that was around was also on the table along with some fruit and crackers.

And wine, for the adults. Celebratory.

It was a small party, more a glorified break area really. People were still going between work stations and whatnot, momentarily disappearing only toreappear half an hour or an hour later. There was still a lot of work to be done and to keep an eye on.

Matt kept mostly to the background. It was a huge organisation builing and so it wasn't difficult to blend in as such, but on occasion people looked at him twice either because they didn't recognise him or because they did.

Oh well, he stuck with Mohinder.

... and had the sudden thought that Mohinder both absolutely should and absolutely shouldn't be eating some of that ice cream Molly had her eye on, even if she surprised both of them by going for the crackers first.

Perhaps not ice cream, but wine? Mohinder certainly wanted the wine. He was not a drinker by nature but one by need. Relaxation seemed an important part of this celebration and tea could only do so much. He was three glasses in when he scaled the far table and a cry of the others rose up with him, and just as shakey.

"Speech!" someone called -- Tabitha, actually, putting on a male voice to the amusement of her cohorts. "Speech!" the echo came, in much the same and exaggerated way.

"All right, all right," Mohinder said, bow legged and still clutching a little plastic cup of red liquid. "When I came to this country, my first thought? It smelled. Horribly." Laughter met him. "But then I realised it was just New York and not the New Yorkers!"

He couldn't manage body boarding. Table surfing? He'd wipe out soon enough.

"But now... I have a very American family whom I love very, very much. I would have been nothing without them. Nearly was, really. Bit of a danger to myself if you'd believe that. So while the virus is named after my sister, the inoculation is named for the first girl I cured. Molly!"

"That's a drug already, doc!" someone replied.

"And what a lovely drug that is," Mohinder agreed... Matt, help a man out before he broke an arm.

"And illegal!" Matt pointed out with half a laugh. Drunk Mohinder really was a sight to behold, but not always a pretty one. Figuratively speaking. Molly was fixing him with a skeptical look while Matt was torn between exasperation and amusement, but either way he did move up to offer Mohinder a hand.

"Come on, buddy, before you turn into a danger to the food. And everyone else."

There was some more laughter, because as much as most people there knew and liked Mohinder, it was clear to everyone that he coudn't have a very high alcohol tolerance. Matt rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner to entertain them a bit further, but even as he caught Mohinder's wrist he didn't do anything to actively show that he was part of this very American family of which Mohinder spoke. Even if several people had already figured, or were at least suspecting.

Many had seen them sitting very close together. Had seen Matt nuzzle at Mohinder's hair. It hardly mattered. Heroes could be felled for many reasons, but as the drink was doing it all ready, that Mohinder might had a male companion didn't matter. As Matt helped him off the table, Mohinder leaned against his arm and nearly tripped over himself. No matter. Everyone deserved to drink after the last week...the last month. They'd all been working so very hard.

Matt would have to whisk Mohinder and their daughter away, though a woman with hair so bleached it had turned white came out of no where at the elevators. "Um. Hi," she said, clutching a crayon box and some activity books. The things she did for her boss. "Uh, my name's Daphne. I know you don't know me or anything but I use to be a nanny. If you wanted to get your friend to bed, I could watch your daughter for a little while--"

Molly knew Daphne. She'd played with her from time to time when Mohinder had to work exceedingly long hours. She'd help get them out of Atlanta. The girl even smiled at her. "She's like us, Matt," she said, and Mohinder drunkenly nodded.

"Super shp-- Wait. What's the English word for speed?" Yep. Nap time.

"Speed", Matt deadpanned with a hand to Mohinder's shoulder. Standing? Standing. Awesome. He turned more fully towards Daphne, feeling skeptical.

Daphne had a smile that was very crooked, something Matt found both a little charming and kind of unnerving. It was the kind people held over other people. But Molly was relaxed and even a little excited since super speed was really pretty cool and Daphne was probably the closest to her age in the entire facility after Tabitha.

But still, she was a stranger to Matt.

"It's okay!" Molly said like she too was a mind reader and went right over to Daphne, standing on her toes to look at what she was holding. "Do you have the one about the horses?"

It was that level of familiarity that had Matt finally relent, but he still didn't quite like it. Daphne tilted her head at him sort of expectantly and he gestured vaguely ather.

"Yeah, fine. Tell me where you're staying, I'll pick her up. Deal?"

Daphne leaned back on her feet, then sort of bounced that movement around so she was balancing more on her toes, and she gave up the floor number. "It's the rec room", she said, shrugging. "Lot smaller than this one. Can't miss it, though."

After Mohinder also conceded his okay, they were gone so quickly in a rush of wind that worried Matt even more, but he sighed and moved his hand up Mohinder's back as he went for the elevator.

"Are you always this hopeless around alcohol?" he said in a murmur. He'd had like, a half drink himself, and was only barely fuzzy around the edges.

"I don't drink," Mohinder slurred. And that was rightly true enough, though there was a time on his mind when he did drink and he'd fallen into bed with a younger, blonder, blue eyed version of Matt when he himself was so much younger too. Twenty had been a good year, a very good year, even if Paul hadn't stayed, hadn't been all that interested in him.

He'd given him the thumb ring that Mohinder had long since lost and didn't even care anymore. He'd given Mohinder many things and moved on when the younger man grew boring.

He'd not been with a man since, though he'd been attracted to Sylar. Though Matt had given him all the reason in the world to try again.

And Mohinder couldn't be happier for it.

"Molly's gone for a bit," he whispered, hardly alone in the hall as he cornered -- well, stumbled against -- Matt by the doors to the lift. "You. And me. And an elephant. How's that?"

Matt shot a look at the other people occupying the hall, but he flushed slightly when he looked back at Mohinder and grabbed him by one arm to help keep him standing. And at a slight distance. Look, people could have them as figured out as they wanted, that didn't mean they had to be all over each other in public.

Although as his eyes drifted to the elevator it struck him that that ship had already sailed.

"I, uh - let's not involve the elephant." Otherwise it sounded fine. It did.

The elevator pinged and two people stepped out and another person stepped in on the floor directly above them, and Matt still kept Mohinder at arm's length (so to speak) for the time being. He was ridiculous, really. All sway and unsteadiness but he still had the typical shine in his eyes, the one that came from having - in his opinion - an excellent idea and the determination to pursue it.

It made Matt a little hot and bothered.

Especially when they got out of the elevator and after a moment's struggle with the lock into the apartment and Matt was free to dip his head to Mohinder's neck to work on his throat, making it almost exactly where he'd left off that morning.

No one wanted to see any couple hang on each other in public, so Matt's stance was certainly fine and Mohinder, when sober, wouldn't mind at all. He didn't mind much of anything at the moment, longing only for Matt's hands on bare skin. Oh, he did want it so very badly. As lips touched his neck, Mohinder's hands casually slid up Matt's t-shirt covered chest and then moved away, drawing him towards the bed in the corner of the tiny room.

The elephant, thankfully, was in with Molly's things, not to be heard from on this particular endeavor. No one needed those eyes watching them, silently imprinting their images in the reflection of the glaze that coated the plastic.

Mohinder might have some kink to him, but that was not it.

Luckily, Matt was there to catch them both when Mohinder decided to get pushy and they collapsed together in a controlled fall to the mattress, both men entwined. Mohinder kicked off Matt's shoes for him -- a talent if there ever was one -- and tried to get his hands down the back of Matt's trousers.

It'd been awhile for them both. Sure, Matt had gotten off 'yesterday' but that didn't mean he wasn't good for another go around now.

And Mohinder might prove to be good for Matt's test of stamina.

Matt was momentarily caught off guard by the fall but he was quick to adapt and moreover, quick to agree with the idea of lying down. And yeah, this was still different, still new, something Matt was very aware of when he worked a hand beneath Mohinder's shirt to place to his ribs and again felt the angles to be found there rather than the softer curves he was used to.

Even more new was that it didn't really matter. It mattered insofar that he wasn't entirely sure what was expected of him from a theoretical standpoint and what that meant but honestly, after a month of living in a contained apocalypse and after having raised a girl together and after having kissed a hundred times and it not nearly being enough, it really didn't matter at all.

Besides, that one kink was more or less erased from the cool thing about being able to hear people's thoughts. Matt kept his own in tune to Mohinder's when he moved in to kiss him, moving to lean a little on his elbow to come in at an angle, all open mouth and tongue.

And when there was the undercurrent of wanting to be closer there Matt easily complied, shifting to let Mohinder reach around him more easily and oh, Mohinder was all about something new, wasn't he - no one had really grabbed for Matt like that before and that was seriously arousing. So Matt kissed him harder, pressing his fingers gently but firmly into Mohinder's side.

Mohinder had planned. Matt was back only a day and they'd scarcely spent any time apart, but in that time, he'd planned for just this moment. He'd never thought it might come so soon, he'd never thought to ask Daphne to watch over their daughter for them for this but oh, laying there with his leg between Matt's and his hands cupping hot flesh, he's so very pleased to have not been idle.

Safe sex was a must. He knew Matt's blood inside and out but on the off chance that something might well be transmitted, and hadn't been all ready through the elevator experience, he'd insist on a condom. There was a twelve pack under the sheets where Molly would never find them. Beside it, medical grade personal lubrication.

It'd been awhile for him, but considering Matt's prior tastes, for the next little while at least, Mohinder assumed himself the receiving partner. Lubrication, therefore, was far more of a necessity.

He'd seen Matt naked before, washed him, cared for him while he was recovering. Even before he'd had him in his mouth, therefore, he was well aware of the size he'd been dealing with. A good, hefty size at that. It suited it's owner. Let Matt kiss him, and Mohinder did his part to kiss back, but his mind was on the use of the items he'd squirreled away.

With a connection open between them, it would smack Matt in the face.

Did it ever, and it had Matt recoil somewhat in order to stare down at Mohinder for a short moment. Then he covered his eyes with a hand in silent laughter - maybe embarrassment played a part as well - before he recovered and leant down to kiss Mohinder again. Slower this time, while he moved his other hand flat over the other man's stomach.

He was smiling in a manner that seemed a mix of shy and exasperated when he broke away again to look Mohinder in the eyes.

"Gotcha", he said, cause yeah, he'd gotten it loud and clear. "We'll- we'll get to that. Let me just, uh ... touch you first. For a while. Deal?"

Mohinder had a habit of coming on strong. Matt was getting used to that, but he still needed a moment to find his ground here, because once again he hadn't even been thinking that far. That Mohinder had was flattering and quite arousing in its own right but also slightly scary.

"You...want to touch me." Mohinder seemed baffled, though that might be because the drink was more or less causing him to lose little bits and pieces of conversation. He wasn't entirely sure about any of the goings on, alcohol absorbing words here and there. He wanted to be sure Matt had said that.

Most people wanted to be touched, not have things go the other way. Where did Matt come off being so... Wonderful? And how had Mohinder managed to steal a hold of him? It seemed blasphemous. But Mohinder itched for him more now than ever.

He gave Matt a little push to allow him to sit and once there, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it...somewhere. He didn't quite know, nor care. Head to the pillows, his fingers moved to thick forearms. Feeling. Appraising.

"Have your touch. Touch all you'd care to."

"I- yeah."

The look Matt gave him probably said something along the lines of, why does that surprise you? And look, Matt wasn't the most suave guy on the planet and he was treading new water here but after everything, how could he not want to touch Mohinder? How could anyone not want to touch him, for that matter?

Just look at him.

And Matt looked, when he was momentarily pushed away and the shirt came off. He kept looking as muscles moved beneath dark skin when the shirt was balled up and thrown away, and he looked even more when Mohinder lied down and ... what? Practically presented himself to him, that's what.

Matt's mouth felt a bit dry and he swallowed because he had no idea what to answer to that, but he settled over Mohinder's thighs, one knee on either side, and reached out. Ran his hands up the younger man's abs, his chest, brushing briefly over his nipples as he just looked and listened because he'd go almost anywhere Mohinder's mind wanted him to go.

Seeing Mohinder move beneath his hands, squirm and breathe, that was fucking beautiful.

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