seekevolution | Summer

Summer

Though Mohinder didn't buy into the saying that there could be such a thing as love at first sight, the way that Simon Petrelli looked at Molly when they were first introduced made him reconsider and then immediately close his thoughts so Matt wouldn't worry. Mohinder gently pulled her long hair back from her shoulder so his hand could rest upon it, Molly in a bright red and yellow sundress,and said shoulder covered by a small yellow half jacket. They'd both been pleased to find it at Walmart on the drive up from Fort Lee to Maine, taking the long, scenic route even though Peter had offered them a chance to teleport.

Why teleport when they could have more time together and see the country? Molly needed a little break away from enclosed spaces and the forests along their mountain roads in New York and at the southern border of Canada was just the ticket.

Of course, there had been blighted areas, places where the virus had broken out, or worse, where communities had closed their doors and grown violent. They had just guided their black SUV around the problem areas and stuck to rural hotels on the interstate.

Now, standing in the foyer of what looked like another hotel and yet, knowing it was a family summer retreat, Mohinder could feel Molly yearning to go explore...and the eldest of Peter's nephews more than willing to guide her.

They were both the same age. They'd both been without playmates (what nearly twelve year old counts their brother as a playmate?) for a long while. Mrs. Petrelli, gracious despite her furtive glances at Matt, finally gave them the go head. "Show Molly to her room. Gently, Simon. She's not one of your trucks." Molly glanced back up at Mohinder and he nodded.

"I'll come find you shortly."

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Molly was starting to get a feeling for that loneliness, even if it wasn't a very conscious thing. She hadn't been lonely growing up but she'd started feeling more and more lonely the last few months - well, until Matt came back and Mohinder's work was done and they came to Maine. But there'd been a while there where she really had felt lonely and she didn't want to feel that way again.

"I don't know", she said, thinking. "Maybe rabbits. It's hard picking a favorite, there are so many."

She was smiling as they got to the stables.

"Can you tell them apart? Do they have names?"

She was so curious. It was such a different ability from hers.

"They're not really like people," Simon muses. "I mean, yeah they sort of have names but it's more like smells. Especially for rabbits. Birds have songs. Their voices are different and that's how they tell each other apart. You can't really talk to them like you talk to people. But.. There's enough to get by with." The rabbits and the birds that follow them slowly make Molly look a little bit like a Disney princess and Simon turns suddenly, Peter and Monty further ahead and still singing some stupid song about a train. "Hey. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

He's not even a teenager but he knows how important that is. It's like family. His dad had girlfriends before and why couldn't he?

"They can't take us away from each other if we're boyfriend-girlfriend," he says, innocent of reality. Simon's disconnect might mirror Molly's in that way. Their role models haven't exactly been the sort to explain these things and kids television is full of young couples hanging out and holding hands.

Molly had to think about that for a moment, but it wasn't a very long one. No, she hadn't really had a talk about it. Boyfriend-girlfriend meant that you had something other people didn't have, but in her world, there wasn't a lot more to it. You were friends except you held hands more and maybe hugged and kissed, but you didn't really kiss until you were married.

That's why she'd figured Matt and Mohinder would probably get married. They kissed each other like they wanted to.

"Okay", she said, easily enough. "But I could find you anywhere, anyway." Just an observation. Her ability wasn't cool or amazing, not the same way Matt's or her father's or Simon's was, but she knew that it was useful and important. She would always be able to help keep people together.

"I could find you anywhere too," Simon said immediately. "Or... I could send one of my friends to find you. But even if we can find each other it doesn't mean that we can be together." Keeping people together was his primary goal with this endeavor. Besides, he wanted to rub it in Monty's face that he had a girlfriend. He was really mature for a pre-teen, huh?

Smiling happily now, Simon's arms almost pumped at his sides by the time he heard Peter's voice for them to catch up. "Your parents will never forgive me if you two get lost in the woods and eaten by a bear!" he called, prompting Simon to grin at Molly.

"A bear would never eat us. He'd probably let us ride him," he boasted.

Molly wrinkled her nose. Not in distaste, but in humor.

"No he wouldn't!" she protested just because of Simon's tone. Okay, and because it did seem incredulous, but mostly it was about taking him down a peg. So they were a very young couple but with the typical bickering already settling in. "There aren't bears here."

It was a question when it was said like that. She'd never seen a bear. The prospect was both scary and really cool.

Peter overheard them as they caught up and he shot them an easy grin, but raised an eyebrow faintly at Simon.

"You bet. So let's make sure we stick together, okay?"

"There are bears here. Black bears. Dad use to say he say them somethings." Simon liked being right but bringing up their father was generally a bad thing around everyone. Peter went quiet. Monty took ahold of his hand. Simon just looked annoyed.

He didn't get it. His dad was dead. Crying about it and being upset about it was stupid because nothing could bring him back. He had the wrong kind of power. The sort he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about but Uncle Peter... And now Molly.

He almost was a little too rough when he took Molly's hand, but his palm was warm and he looked like he was trying to stay calm and brave.

It sucked being the older brother sometimes.

Molly took in the silence with that maturity she'd gained all too quickly the last few months, but she reserved a particular look for Simon when he reached for her. After a moment, she squeezed his hand because maybe he needed that. Or wanted it. He had this kind of impatient look but she knew there had to be more to it than that.

Peter seemed sad. Monty seemed even sadder.

"I've never seen a bear", Molly said with that confidence some kids had when they changed the subject, or at least the focus of it. It was decisive. "Except in the zoo, but those weren't black bears."

Simon opened his mouth to say something but Peter immediately cut him off. The urge to show off was powerful. Peter knew it. He lived through it. And it cost him so much. If he'd only gone about it more slowly, if he'd only listened to Nathan-- But no. He'd been a fool. He still believed that much, though it hurt.

He'd done a lot of good...and a lot of bad. This was a blessing and a curse. It had to be hard for a kid to grasp it. He understood. But keeping secret and safe was better than being loud and proud.

As close minded as that seemed.

"Well there aren't any bears at the tree house. I'm going to need everyone's help, all right? This is a big job." Monty blinked up at Peter, eyes a little wet, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I can help," the youngest Petrelli said with a half frown and half smile. "I can help, Uncle Peter!"

"I know you can", Peter cemented the statement, and they were at the tree house shortly thereafter. Molly let go of Simon's hand when they all started climbing up. If Peter caught the older kids holding hands he didn't say anything about it.

They had some planks and nails and a hammer and rope, and Peter was the one to climb to the roof to do most of the work. If he flew just a little to get up more smoothly it was subtle, but Molly thought she saw it. But she understood why he wouldn't do that so anyone could really see. Monty was younger than them and like Simon had suggested, he'd probably be scared even if he knew.

There were a few blankets in the tree house but Molly thought there should be new ones, and pillows. She bundled them up and put them in a corner so they'd be out of the way when Peter extended an arm through the hole in the roof and asked for a plank, which the younger Petrellis helped give him. Molly was over quick enough to lend a hand if it was needed.

"We should have a sleepover here", she said with cautious excitement, looking up at Peter's sudden smile above her from where she stood next to Simon. "It'd be fun."

"That's not up to me," Peter chuckled. "You'll have to ask your respective parents. And I don't want to hear 'uncle Peter said it'd be okay.'" He'd been thrown under the bus enough thanks to family members. He didn't need the next generation following suit.

Peter looked up at the newly patched roof of the top most floor as Monty came over to lean against him. "I don't want to sleep out here," he said as quietly as possible. For an eight year old, that's not really all that quiet.

And Simon heard him. "So sleep in your room. Molly and I will sleep out here."

Peter smirked. When did he have his first girl-boy sleep over? Oh that's right. Never. His mother was entirely too careful with him, as if he might break, and Peter never really had friends growing up. He just played by himself or bothered Nathan when the twelve years his senior boy was home.

Simon's eyes fixed on Molly. "Me and you. It could be fun."

Molly tilted her head to the side like she was considering that. It would be fun because she still felt like she hadn't done anything with someone her ages for ages and Simon was pretty interesting when he wasn't all bossy, but she still took a moment before she nodded.

"Okay." She smiled, the same smile she'd likely use on her dads later. She didn't really think she'd get a no. And even if she did she'd worry about that then. She turned to look at Monty and Peter. "If we can, can we take games with us?"

Because even though it'd be fun to just talk, it was always good to have something to do, and she knew that.

"And junk food," Peter said with a laugh as he and Monty picked up the nails that had been left behind, scattered to the floor by a bunch of feet and laughing children. He'd done the repairs without any of his abilities and honestly, that felt fantastic. As much as he was grateful for them, he also knew that he couldn't constantly rely on their either. He couldn't let himself be so disconnected from people. That was Nathan's problem. All Nathan Petrelli. All the time.

His jaw set to think again of his brother and he collected the trio and helped them back down to the ground. They made it back to the big house just in time for lunch where Heidi and Mohinder were finishing up a game of cards and Matt was watching the game on TV. Peter sat down next to his friend and frowned.

"Man, it's not the same at all without New York teams being in the mix anymore..."

He's never get New York out of his system. Never.

Of course, it was all just a front for a little telepathy. Your daughter and my nephew are really hitting it off.

Matt greeted Peter when he entered, but there was a brief frown as he processed what Peter had said. For a short moment, New York teams meant New York gangs. That city and everything that'd happened definitely wouldn't leave either of their systems - not for a long time.

But as he got it his expression cleared with a half-amused snort and he picked up the remote to lower the volume a few bars.

Yeah? That's good, they could both use a friend. He tilted his head slightly, giving Peter a quizzical look. Why are we whispering?

Sorry Peter, really hitting it off kind of went over his head.

Oh Matt. Really. Peter sort of blank faced at the older man and turned towards him to take the remote and look like he was trying to change a channel. It was all very smooth. Very smooth. I'm suppose to be the cool uncle, he thought, not looking at Matt as he found a baseball game.

Maybe that wasn't smart to watch. But just because everything reminded him of Nathan, it didn't mean that he had to force himself to be cut off from what he enjoyed. Or use to enjoy.

I can't really be telling you that I caught them holding hands, you see?

Yes, really. And when it was spelled out to him? Matt had this moment of completely obviously turning with one arm flung over the back of the couch to look at the kids in question. They weren't holding hands right then. So that was something.

Purely instinctive from the guy whose protective streak apparently sprung up something fierce at the slightest things. But to his credit when he looked back to Peter he only looked mildly terrified.

And it looked like the kids hadn't noticed, so there was that.

No, come on. They're way too young for that kind of stuff.

Please?

He glanced at the kids again and there was a brief tug to his mouth.

Just ... please don't tell me they're making doe eyes at each other.

"I'm sorry, who says 'doe eyes' anymore?" Yes, out loud. No one was paying them any attention anyhow. Molly was too busy chattering with Mohinder, his hand laid face down on the table, to offer her his full attention. Even Heidi was smiling at it, glancing to Simon from time to time. They were just far enough away for their words to be inconsequential and meaningless, though their voices carried the emotion. Molly was excited. Mohinder seemed uncertain.

Peter ignored them anyway to laugh at Matt and lean on the curve of his knuckles as they rested against his knee. Doe eyes. He was still laughing at the words.

Maybe Simon is. He's taking it all harder than Monty, even if he's not showing it. Molly's good to have around. They're twelve, Matt. There's no doe eyes yet.

Matt rolled his eyes. It was an accurate term, okay? It painted the picture. And if it was dated, so sue him.

The laugh did bring a certain soft humor to his face though as he took another look at the kids. Yes, he mostly looked at Simon. But when he caught Mohinder's expression he gave Peter a look and then stood.

Yeah, well, if you'd wanted me to not keep an eye on them from now on, you should've stayed quiet.

He did approve of the friendship and having seen them get along he thought they were good for each other, but you know. Still.

Nodding towards the kitchen as an indicator of where he was going, Matt was leaning on the door frame a few seconds later, giving Mohinder a quick smile. "Hey, what's up? She giving you trouble?"

Matt was just a good fifteen years older than Peter and the vocabulary showed. Peter was still laughing to himself after Matt headed towards his family in the cheekiest of ways and Mohinder arched an eyebrow about that. He assumed it was about their relationship, something Peter seemed to enjoy ribbing Matt about. Their friendship was an odd one but that's what tended to happen when you were stuck with one person for over a month more or less alone and fighting for your life.

A curious thought hit him. Did Matt find it uncomfortable to be teased? The answer came right after. Likely not. Matt loved them. He was openly affectionate. He'd never be ashamed.

"Oh she's always such a bother." That made Molly playfully swat at him. "Especially since we arrived here. She's always so dirty!"

"There's dirt here!" she complained. If anything, their laughter and teasing just made Simon look sullen and confused. He would later ask her what it was all about.

There was a lot Simon had to learn about families it seemed.

"There was dirt in New York too. Why don't you get washed up before lunch?"

"Can I eat lunch with Simon in the tree house?" Molly asked and Mohinder said that he didn't see why not. He didn't quite understand the way Matt's eyebrows lifted though.

If only he was a telepath too.

Really, it was one of the few more obvious traces in Matt left of his mother. She'd been a soft-spoken, mild-mannered woman who sounded a lot like all the books she tended to read - romantic, if a bit distant. It wasn't something Matt reflected on in his adult life but a few of her word choices had stuck with him. She'd been nicer to talk to than his dad, after all.

Ignoring Peter's snickering, he shifted his gaze to Molly.

"What, and get all dirty and scruffy again?"

Just a half-hearted challenge. Molly, predictably, had none of it, in that somewhat superior way of hers.

"Well, I can wash up after lunch, so it's not all wasted."

"Mm, but that's still backwards, smartypants."

Molly shot a look at Mohinder for support and then said with her eyebrows raised in a way that matched and challenged Matt's own expression, "But Mohinder's always telling me to think outside the box."

Touché. Heidi smiled behind her hand and Matt went to tousle Molly's hair affectionately.

"Fine. If that's alright with you?"

And as Heidi had already said her okay she just repeated it for Matt's benefit, and that settled that.

Though Mohinder was up to help pack up the picnic, he was glad to have another stretch of time with the adults. Oh, he loved Molly, but knowing she was safe and happy and he didn't have to try to think up childish activities made him all the more comfortable. Lunch was held in the solarium and though Matt and Peter went to watch more television later, Mohinder was happy to read on the deck.

Every day for the next week flowed like this. The children played and kept each other company. They came together for meals and for once, there was absolutely no strife.

These things, however, could not last forever. No matter how much Mohinder might like them too.

He'd gone with Peter to take Monty to the dock one afternoon in early July. Matt stayed back at the house to show off his grilling skills and Heidi had taken Angela and the two older kids into town to see a movie a little too old for her youngest to see.

Mohinder wasn't much of an open body of water type of guy so he sunned himself out on the dock, wearing tiny orange and blue shorts and sunglasses. A book was spread across one thigh and he watched Monty force Peter to lift him to the boards so he could jump into the water every few minutes.

He wasn't sure when looking turned into admiring but-- He couldn't deny that he was admiring Peter at all. He immediately pressed his nose right back into his book.

Things undeniably settled into a bit of a routine, but it was a very nice one. With continued reports that the world was slowly healing and hopes for the future it was increasingly easy to relax. Not to mention how despite some lingering tension between Matt and Angela everyone were turning into family.

That's something Peter would have said, anyway, if he'd been thinking about it. When he got into the water to play with his nephew he wasn't all that focused on the general state of things but more concerned with the water splashed at his face and the act of retaliation.

He was honestly all too easy to admire, nobody would disagree with that. Especially some time later when he took Monty by the hand to get up to the deck to dry off. He tucked damp strands of hair behind his ear with a boyish grin.

"Sorry, hope your book made it", he joked, in reference to Monty shaking himself off like a shaggy dog.

In town, Molly didn't feel the first itch in her mind, but it was still there.

Matt turned some meat over and took a moment to listen to the birdsong.

Eyes wandered. Mohinder had never quite experienced that before, but the thought was planted in his head that Peter was gorgeous, was young and the right sort of man to be attracted to. Mohinder was still young too. They matched well, their body types, their interests. And why shouldn't he look? There was no harm in attraction--

Except there was. Mohinder didn't even know it was happening but there was a nigling though in the back of his head as he smiled awkwardly at Peter and said he book was fine.

Following the pair back to the house, Mohinder tried to cheer up. Tried not to think about it. And, as luck would have it, the smell of the barbeque was enough to snap him out of anything carnal he might be thinking about for now. Meat really didn't do it for him, but he knew there's be salads of all sorts and Matt was always kind to him when cooking and likely had a veggie burger or two on the grill first before the meat could taint it.

He broke off from Monty and Peter and headed around the back of the house where the patio and the doors to the kitchen were. As expected, his boyfriend, his lover, his co-parent was there, grinning with a stupid loveliness that further moved Peter from his mind.

He glanced at the kebobs for a moment before taking hold of Matt's Kiss the Cook apron and tugged the larger man against him for a kiss.

Mohinder always ran hot in that respect but today there was something that much more feral about him. Maybe it was those tiny swim trunks he wore and nothing else.

There was a surprised little sound from Matt that was swallowed by Mohinder's mouth. Yeah, Mohinder was often direct, something Matt was getting used to and hardly minded, but they'd gotten to know each other well enough to notice the nuances in each other's behavior. And that feral edge came through loud and clear.

After glancing at the doors and finding that neither Peter or Monty were around, Matt indulged the kiss for what it was and put the spatula down to place his hands on Mohinder's hips and draw him in even closer. That familiarity had developed between them eagerly the last few weeks. Given the fact that they hadn't gotten to have their honeymoon phase when they should have it was like they were making up for lost time.

No real words, in either of their minds. Not until Matt drew away when a particularly loud sizzling called for his attention and he flipped the meat over before giving Mohinder a curious look, but coupled with the grin that had been so frequent lately.

"Hey. Uh, did you want something?"

How cheeky.

Peter was elsewhere, getting Monty and himself into some clothes, something Mohinder should probably also see to. Peter hadn't noticed being looked at and he likely wouldn't - it'd be more an issue of Mohinder having to guard his thoughts if it happened again, from Peter and Matt both.

"You." Guarding his thoughts had never been Mohinder's strong suit. In fact, he was blatantly terrible at it. So rather than hide his thoughts, he just would cover them up. He'd never been all that sexual of being. Sex was nice, but his brain was hardwired for science. It was why he so rarely had a type. People nice to him, that paid attention to him, they were his type. And Matt was the best thing to have come along and to have gotten swept up into.

A few glances at Peter couldn't pull that down, could it?

"But perhaps after we eat." Mohinder pulled away from Matt to let him return to work (with half an erection, he was so proud of himself) and padded back into the house. He bypassed Peter completely to get himself changed and checked his phone to be sure Molly hadn't called.

Satisfied that she hadn't, he put on too tight jeans and a light linen shirt to help Matt finish cooking...and perhaps tease him a little in the process.

Everything seemed very lighthearted that afternoon until the kids got back. Molly seemed very quiet. Simon kept trying to get her to talk but she looked a little paler than usual. Mohinder knew better than to pry. Molly's one fault was her defensiveness and he didn't want to cause a scene. How old was she again?

I... I think we ought to ask Heidi to speak with her, Mohinder shot across the table when the kids had been excused. About womanly things.

"Yeah, figured as much", Matt said with a laugh, but there was always something a little incredulous in statements like that. Cause he'd always consider Mohinder about two miles out of his league, and this even before he'd really considered playing for the other team. But as things turned out that way, well. It all seemed fine.

And was, too, as the sun slowly came down but stayed warm throughout the afternoon and evening. With food, drink and conversation it was easy to miss that one of them didn't seem on top of her game, but since Molly was quick to smile and laugh normally her silence did become gradually more obvious as the meal went on.

Matt shot her one or two concerned looks but figured she was probably just getting sick somehow, so when Mohinder presented that other option, his eyes widened slightly.

Oh, uh, right. You think?

That was slightly alarming, evidently, and he cleared his throat. Peter looked up, amused, but Matt couldn't tell whether he was listening in on them or not.

Yeah, okay. Yeah.

The topic was unapproached for most of the evening, as they stayed out on the deck for a while to just chat among each other. But as the rest of the adults eventually rose to get back inside, Matt shot Mohinder a look, waited for the confirmation to be found there and then halted Heidi with a hand to her elbow.

"Hey, ah ... you got a minute?"

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