What amused me today
1. Wall*e
What annoyed me today
1.  Everything 

Had a very, very good day today.  It would take too long to sum it up so I made lists.  I'm sure I forgot something so it'll probably get longer. :DD

Things that amused me today:
1.  My squeaky shoes
2.  The guy who walked past me singing "Low" by Flo rida and dancing down the sidewalk
3.  Dr. P randomly bursting out  in a bad British accent and lecturiing with it.  Sensation and Perception was never better
4.  Dr. P ranting about the projector and the technicians in his bad British accent
5.  The Halle Berry Neuron.  LOL
6.  Apparently leeches are making a HUGE comeback.
7.  The mouse that ran across the floor today in class.  And the subsequent screaming
8.  Boys in speedos.  Why boy, why?
9.  Dr. Raeff trying to figure out how to work the video recorder.  And the subsequent cursing and kicking.  And it taking three of us to figure out how to open the tripod
10.  Brittany walking into the door and not being able to open.  She was pushing when she was supposed to pull
11.  The squeege guys
12.  Patty making her boyfriend cry
13.  The little kid who threw peas at Brittany at dinner
14.  The guy at the post office who had the package fall on him and totally did an Omarosa.  "Oh my god! I'm dying!  You gave me a concussion!!".  The package was as light as a piece of paper.

Things that annoyed me today:
1.  Waking up on the floor
2.  The guy at the ATM who insisted on standing right behind me.  I could feel his breath on my neck.  Creepy much?
3.  The car who spit a rock at me.  It almost killed me!
4.  Me trying to figure the stupid video recorder out
5.  The frat guy I interviewed who spent the whole time hitting on me and then when it was over seriously said, "if you wanted to get to know me, you could've just asked me out for drink.  How about you and I go somewhere a little more private baby?"  And then he actually grabbed my ass.  "Ummm....how bout no.  And while we're at it how about I report you for sexual harassment after making sure you never father children again?
6.  Sending email after email to participants who probably won't get back to me

Another two weeks had come and gone since I had been left alone.  Two weeks since Matthew had finally had enough of my games and left, taking our daughter with him.  Two weeks since I heard Molly’s cartoons in the morning and smelled her bubble gum scented shampoo when I took a shower.  Two weeks since I heard her laughter and felt her tight hugs when I came home from work and kissed her goodnight after bedtime stories.  It had been two weeks since I tripped over Matt’s shoes in the doorway and smelled his coffee percolating as I made it, because I knew how much he needed it in the morning even though I personally couldn’t stand the stuff.  Two weeks since I woke up to his good morning kisses and heard his soft snores in my ear at night and felt his arms sneak around me while I cooked dinner or did the dishes when he thought Molly wasn’t looking.

I never realized how long fourteen days really are until I had to live them without Matthew and Molly.

The apartment I had called home for two years was now a cold, barren new world, as unfamiliar as the landscape of Mars.  I could barely stand to be home for long enough to take a quick shower, change into clean clothes, or at least less filthy clothes, and maybe catch a few hours of sleep if I was lucky.  I called Matthew’s cell phone every day, every hour, desperately trying to get in contact with him.  I just needed to know that he and Molly were safe, needed the chance to beg him to come home to me.  To plead with him that I needed them, that I couldn’t do this without them; I needed him.  He never picked up his phone or answered any of my million messages.

I went to Peter for help but he insisted that he had no idea where Matthew and Molly were, nor did he know how to get a hold of them.  He couldn’t find them because I had never allowed him close enough to Molly to absorb her ability.  Of course, he only told me all this after he read my mind to see whether or not I was still working with Bennet.

And I was.

Work was the only part of my life that contained any sort of hope.  I worked non-stop, spending more and more time in the lab each day.  It had paid off.   I was just one breakthrough away from creating this new strain of virus.  Unfortunately my new work habits gained the attention of Bob and it reached the point where he finally confronted me on it.  He sent Julie (Annie?)  to the lab early one morning to “collect” me.

“Mr. Bishop says to tell you to just go right in.  Don’t even bother knocking,” she informed me when we reached his office, not even bothering to look up from the nail she was diligently inspecting to avoid looking at me.

I knocked anyways, cautiously entering when Bob yelled to me, “Come right in Mohinder.”

“You wanted to see me?” I asked hesitantly, sitting down in the seat he motioned to with a blithe wave of his hand.

“Yes actually, I was hoping to talk to you about work,” he said, steepling his fingers and regarding me with a pensive expression, “You’ve been spending more time at the lab than usual.  You didn’t leave until after one this morning and were back in by six.  As much as I admire your work ethic Mohinder, I have to question the sudden change in behavior.”

I had been preparing for this confrontation for a couple days, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Bob caught on.

“I’ve been working on the virus and have made some substantial progress, as you can see in the reports I’ve been preparing for you.  I’m very close to pinpointing the exact gene on the virus’ genetic code that codes for the physical effects that eventually kill the infected individual.  I’m just afraid of missing something that could help us,” I lied smoothly.

However, this wasn’t sufficient argument to convince Bob enough to deter him from his suspicions, “As delighted as I am with your wonderful progress, and I don’t doubt that it is at least part of the reason you’ve been working so hard, I can’t help but feel that maybe there’s something more to the story.  We’re all friends here Mohinder, if you you’re having problems or just need a friendly ear, I’m always here for you.”

I floundered for a moment, thrown for a loop by Bob’s unexpected concern, false concern of course, but concern nonetheless.  I was expecting him to dance with glee (not literally, I hope) that I’m at last devoting the majority of my time to Company work.  I was unsure of how to respond and it took me a minute to recover, but thankfully he provided me the out I was searching for.

“Is everything alright at home?  Is it Molly?  Is she having nightmares again,” he asked me.

Cue light bulb please.  “No, no it’s not Molly.  She is fine, perfect even.  She is simply wonderful.”  I paused for a moment, trying to look like I was struggling with myself before finally taking a deep breath and continuing.  “I’m going to level with you Bob because as you said, we are friends and I feel like I should tell you everything.  You deserve to know the whole truth.  Matthew and I have been having some issues with our relationship.”

He blinked at me, surprise written across his face, “Mr. Parkman?  What sort of problem could you two be having?  Is he unhappy with your arrangement?  Does he want to move out, get a place of his own?  I was operating under the assumption that he was very much  attached to Molly as well.”

“Oh no, he adores Molly.   He loves her like a daughter; we both do.  It’s not that he wants to move out.  He’s quite happy with our arrangement as is.  That is the problem.”

“Oh, I’m sorry but I don’t see the problem with that.  Unless you want him to move out.”

“Of course not!  I’m extremely happy having Matthew living with me.  The uh..Well you see, the problem is a bit complicated.”  I made a show of tugging on my collar and playing with strands of my hair, using body language to convey an uncomfortable situation, “You see, our…well it’s our love life.  I’m afraid we’ve fallen into a bit of a funk.”

“Love…life…?” he asked, eyes widening and darting back and forth.

“Well we uh, we just seem to be in a rut if you know what I mean.  There’s no more romance, no more excitement.  It’s all so vanilla and plain.  It’s become dull and repetitive.  The problem is, I’m the only one who seems to notice it.  Matthew is quite content with things the way they are.  I miss how we were in the beginning.”  It was a physical effort not to smirk at his deer in the headlights expression, looking more distressed than he did when he heard that Maury Parkman was coming after him (which didn’t really take a lot).  “In the beginning it was new and exhilarating.  We were adventurous and loved trying new things and positions…”

Bob visibly blanched and he interrupted me, stuttering, “I-I..I’m sorry Mohinder, b-but I’m going to have to cut this conversation short.  I just remembered a previous engagement.”

“Oh,” I said, “I apologize, I didn’t mean to take up so much your time,” I said quickly, stumbling to my feet.

“Don’t worry,” Bob assured me, leading me to the door with a hand on my shoulder, “That’s what friends are for you know.  I hope you and Mr. Parkman manage to work things out.”

“I do too.  And thank you for your concern,” I said, managing to sound as genuinely grateful as was expected of me.

Carol (Sara?)  didn’t even lift her  head to acknowledge my goodbye, a quick wave farewell as I was running for the door.  I didn’t trust myself not to start laughing out loud at the absurdity of the whole situation.  I was able to resist laughing until I made it back to my lab, bolting for the restroom.  I allowed the snorting giggles to escape as I shut the door quickly and leaned against it.  Bob’s face when I started talking about new positions and being adventurous was just priceless.  I could only imagine what Matthew will say when I tell him tonight.

I suddenly froze, realizing what I was just thinking.  The laughter died in a strangled gurgle in my chest as I caught sight of myself in the mirror.  Eyes still bright with merriment, lips upturned in a shadow of my former smile; all at the thought of what a man who no longer lived with me would think when I go home to an empty apartment.  And now, instead of looking like someone who just shared a funny joke I looked like a man haunted by a previous happiness that I was trying to recapture with false smiles.

I sank onto the floor, leaning my back against the door with a heavy sigh.  It was so easy to forget but so much easier to remember that there won’t be anybody waiting at home for me.  No little girl hugs and squeals of delight to greet me.  No strong arms and soft lips to welcome me home.  I brought my knees up to my chest, leaning against them and taking deep breath as I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the hot tears from falling. 

I will not cry.  I refuse.  When this is over and Sylar is truly dead and gone, I’ll win Matthew back and we will be a family again.  There was no other way for it to happen.

I splashed some cold water on my face to help compose myself before heading back out.  Even though the cameras had been turned off a long time ago, only turning on when I trip them, anyone could just stop in and I wasn’t particularly inclined to face Elle with red eyes.  I spent the rest of the day working until around eleven when Bennet appeared.

“How’s everything going?” he asked immediately, nodding to the computer in front of me.

“We’re close,” I answered shortly.

“How soon will it be ready?” he persisted.

“A week, couple days maybe.  Why are you suddenly so impatient?” I asked warily.

“Sylar will be arriving sooner than expected,” he answered nonchalantly.

“What do you mean?  Ho much sooner?” I fired back.

“He’ll be arriving in about two days.”

“Two days! That’s not enough time Noah.  The virus won’t be completed by then.  You told me I still had another two weeks before we had to worry about Sylar,” I said, beginning to pace frantically.  The plan that has been falling into place so nicely was now just as nicely falling apart.

“Well then I suppose you’ll just have to work harder.”

I answered him with a glare, never pausing in my pacing.

“This brings us to our next problem.  When you confronted Sylar, we were supposed to have our Haitian friend present to make the going a bit easier.  With the change in times he won’t be able to make it.”

“You’re fucking kidding me?  Please tell me you’re fucking kidding me!” I exploded in a rare bout of expletives.

“I’ll be on the street in case things go wrong,” Bennet said in a poor attempt to alleviate my worry.

It didn’t work.

“That makes me feel so much safer thank you.  Knowing that you’re six flights down is a great comfort.  If things do fly out the window he’ll have killed me three times over and be in Canada by the time you get up there.”

“Listen to me Mohinder.  Just because you have to face Sylar alone doesn’t mean the plan has changed or that it won’t succeed.”

“He won’t be facing Sylar alone,” a familiar voice came from behind us.

I turned to see Matthew standing in the doorway and I almost fainted with relief to see him.  I felt my knees wobble with the force of it and grabbed the desk next to me for support.

“Mohinder won’t be alone,” Matthew said again, starting towards us and stopping in front of Bennet.

“Sylar will know you’re there.  He’ll be able to hear that Mohinder isn’t alone.  The whole operation hinges on him thinking Mohinder is alone in the apartment,” Bennet argued, annoyance flashing across his face as his hands clenched in a visible sign of frustration.

“He’ll be hearing everybody.  He won’t be able to distinguish a heartbeat from one apartment to the next.  I am not going to leave Mohinder alone with the bastard.  Deal with it,” Matthew said, finality in his voice sounding like the clash of the judge’s gavel.

Bennet narrowed his eyes at Matthew and for a moment I thought he was going to argue but in the end just nodded his agreement.  Matthew nodded back before turning to me.  I felt all the happiness and relief at him being there fly out of my body.  His eyes were cold and he didn’t return my hesitant smile.

“Let’s go Mohinder.  We’re going home.”

I nodded immediately and moved to shut the computer down when the door banging open had us all jumping and whipping around to see what had caused the sudden noise.  Matthew and Bennet had their guns drawn and aimed at the intruder.

Bob.

He looked like death warmed over twice.  He was pale and shaking, looking confused and in shock.  His eyes were red and raw from crying.  He looked nothing like the cool, confident Bob I had met with just this afternoon.  Matthew and Bennet slowly lowered their weapons at his outstretched hand, sharing a glance of mutual distrust.

“Bob?  What’s happened?” I asked, stepping forward in concern.  Matthew held a hand to stop me, shaking his head at me.

“Elle’s dead,” Bob muttered.

“What?” I asked stunned.

“Elle is dead,” he said with more force.

“W-what happened?” I asked hoarsely.

He stumbled in, sitting down heavily in chair.  “It was Sylar.  We got a report from one of our contacts in Wyoming that he was seen traveling through the state.  I sent Elle down to check it out.  He must have been waiting for her.  He…he killed her, stole her ability.  Our contact just called to tell me they found her body.  He..He killed her, he killed my little girl,” Bob said.

He suddenly let out a ragged sob, hunching down as he started crying.  I pushed Matthew’s hand away and rushed over to him, awkwardly patting his back and making shushing noises.  Just as suddenly, he sat up straight, dragging a hand over his eyes to wipe the tears away.  His former grief was transformed into steely determination.

“How close are you really to adjusting the virus?” he asked me.

I looked at Matthew and Bennet questioningly.  I had no idea how to respond.

“Well…” I began.

“That’s not what he’s working on,” Matthew said, interrupting me.  Bob shot me a confused look while Bennet glared hatefully at Matthew.

“Why don’t you explain to Bob just what’s really going on,” Matthew suggested.

“Yes Mohinder, why don’t you?” Bob echoed.

I glanced helpless at Bennet before turning to Bob, “I’ve actually been trying to create a strain of the virus that will specifically attack Sylar’s genetic code.  Instead of sparing him the physical symptoms, it will kill him faster.  The timetable from infection to death should be about four days, maybe a week if he’s lucky.  It’s a more virulent strain; he should feel the physical symptoms at the moment of infection.  Fever, chills, as well as loss of ability.  It can be transmitted directly or through blood to blood contact.  But it won’t infect anyone else.  Even if I were to give you a shot of the virus it would be as if I gave you a shot of saline.  It would have no effect on you at all.  Bennet and I’ve been working on this lay for a month now.”

He was silent, tilting his head to look at me, brows furrowed in thought.  I was fully expecting a jail cell with no window or key at best and a bullet and shallow grave at worst.

“How close are you to finishing it?” he asked finally.

I blinked and shook my head a bit.  For the second time that day Bob had me surprised and at a loss for words.  I shook my head again to clear my thoughts.

“Very.  It’s very likely I will be able to finish it by the time Sylar makes it to New York City.”

He nodded, “Good.  The Company will provide any support and back-up you need.”

 I nodded, looking at Matthew in desperate bewilderment.

What is going on here?

“Bennet can fill you in on everything,” Matthew said brusquely, “I’m getting Mohinder home so he can get some sleep.

“Good idea.  He’ll work faster when he can concentrate better and we need him at the top of his game,” Bob said, nodding at us.

Matthew grabbed my bag, tossing my stuff inside carelessly while I shut the computer, silence reigning as Bob and Bennet left before us.  I kept glancing at him the whole way home, wishing so very much that I could read his mind.  I wanted to know what was going on inside his head, what he was thinking, what he was feeling.  What if he just came back to make sure the plan worked and Sylar was killed?  What if he really didn’t love me anymore and had every intention of disappearing after we finished this?  What if I never saw him or Molly again?  Could I live without them?

“Mohinder!” Matthew yelled all of a sudden, “Will you please stop thinking for one second.”

I started, bowing my head down so I didn’t have to face him, humiliation and hurt coloring my face red and quickening my steps.  I shoved my hands in my pockets, walking a little faster up the stairs so I could reach the relative safety of the apartment sooner.

I heard Matthew sigh behind me, “Mohinder,” he called tiredly.

I saw his hand reaching for me out of the corner of my eye and sped up.  Even though I had been dreaming of the day I would have him back, I wasn’t ready for  him to touch me yet.

“I’m assuming Molly’s not home,” I said gruffly, pulling the key from my pocket and unlocking the front door.  I opened the door and let him go in first, old habits, before following him inside.  I shut the door and made sure to fasten the row of chains, deadbolts, and locks before setting my bag on a kitchen chair and tossing my keys on the table.

“The milk in the fridge went bad last week,” Matthew commented.

“I haven’t been home much,” I replied, shrugging.

“I know.  I’ve been watching you.”

I jerked my head to look at him, surprised and a little bit confused.  He was watching me now, staring at me with those dark, intense eyes that always make me feel like he isn’t just looking at me, he’s looking right through me, into my soul.  He was frowning but all the anger seemed to have drained out of him.  He looked pale and worn, worry creasing the corners of his mouth and lack of sleep giving him dark circles under his eyes.  Briefly I held in a bark of laughter at the fact that we must both look like a pair of sanatorium escapees with our haven’t-slept-in-days looks.

“You haven’t’ been sleeping,” I stated dumbly.

“I’ve been worried about you.  You haven’t been sleeping either.”

I shrugged again, putting a damper on the butterflies that gathered in my stomach because he has to care about me to worry about me, “I’ve been working.”

Out of no where I realized how silly this was.  Here we were, two people who spent two years as partners, co-parents, lovers, two people who meant the world to each other and we were reduced to short, clipped sentences.  Instead of making up for lost time, getting to know each other again after so long, were facing each other across the room, each one afraid to  make the first move.

“Matthew,” I whispered, taking a step towards him.

Then his arms were around me and his voice was in my ear, whispering endearments into my hair.  My arms went around his neck, holding on tight and pressing my face into the curve of his shoulder.  I breathed in his cherished scent, taking the gulping breaths of a man who just spent fourteen days drowning.  He kissed my ear, my neck my jaw, my eyelids, soft, fluttering kisses that had me nearly in tears.

“I missed you so much,” I whispered.

“God, I missed you too Mohinder,” he whispered back.

I angled my face up, catching his lips against mine and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer.  I moaned lightly into his mouth when he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along my bottom lip in  a silent plea for entry that I was helpless to deny.  The kiss became desperate; a clash of tongues, teeth, and lips as we grabbed at each other, trying to get closer.  Two weeks of longing and uncertainty and loneliness going into a single meeting of our lips and bodies.  He drew back first, breaking the kiss to press his forehead against mine.  We were both breathing heavy and I could feel each hard breath against my chest, could feel the beautiful, loved heart of his beating frantically against my palm.

“Please don’t leave me again,” I entreated him, closing my eyes against the tears that gathered behind my eyelids again.

He kissed me again, softer this time, just a gentle press of his lips against mine but it was all the assurance I needed.  I sighed and leaned against him, laying my head against his shoulder.  I never wanted to leave the safety and love of Matthew’s embrace ever again.  For the first time in forever I felt at peace.

“Is Molly alright?” I finally asked, breaking the silence that surrounded us.

“Yeah, she’s with Peter’ family,” he said.

“I figured.”

“Come on,” Matthew said, separating all contact from me except for a clasp of my hand, “Lets get you to bed.”

I nodded and followed him, stripping down to just my boxers and sliding under the covers in anticipation of being with Matthew.  It had been so long and I missed him so much.  He surprised me by sliding in behind me.  He draped an arm across my hip, pressing close against my back and kissing my shoulder softly. 

“I meant to sleep Mohinder.  As much as I missed you, it’s one o’clock n the morning and you need to get your rest.  I never thought I’d ever hear myself say this but Bob was right, you need to sleep.  It’s been too long since you had a good night’s sleep and you are going to need it tomorrow.  Sylar is coming and he’s coming fast.  We don’t have that much time and you need to finish the virus,” he said.

I sighed, knowing he was right but wanting him still.

“When this is over, you are going to take a vacation Mohinder.  I don’t care where you go, just make sure it’s warm and a far away from here as possible.”

I smiled, snuggling back into Matthew’s chest and tangling my legs around his, “That sounds perfect.”

We were silent for a couple minutes and I thought he was asleep but I needed to ask him anyways.  It had been bothering me since I saw him standing behind me and Bennet at the lab.

“Why did you change your mind Matthew?” I whispered my question in the dark.

I didn’t think he was going to answer until finally his voice cut through the shadows next to my ear, “I didn’t.  I still think this is a mistake and I still want us to just pack up and get the hell out of Dodge.  We can do it tonight.  Pack a few bags and be wherever in the world we want by dawn; you, me, and Molly.  You don’t have to do this Mohinder.”

“If you still felt that way, why did you come back?” I asked him, afraid of his answer but needing to know anyways.

“I just didn’t want to see you kill yourself Mohinder.  I came back to protect you.”

“Is that all?”

He turned me around so I was against his chest and pressed a soft kiss to my lips, “I came back because I love you and need you to be safe Mohinder.”

“I will be Matthew.  You just have to believe me.”

“I know you will be alright because I’m going to make sure of it.”

I smiled and shook my head, “You are hopeless Matthew.”

“Yeah, so I’ve been told.  Now be quiet and get some sleep.  We have a lot of work to do in the morning.

I nodded and pressed closer, leaning my head against his chest.  I could feel his heart against my cheek as I fell asleep to the soft lullaby of his heartbeat.

“This is all your fault Matthew Parkman,” Mohinder panted around heaving breaths.

“My fault?!  Well excuse me, next time a bunch of skinheads wants to kick your ass I’ll be sure to back off and let them have their way with you,” Matt wheezed beside him.

Mohinder threw his lover one last glare before concentrating on running and breathing.  They had been running at breakneck speed for the past ten minutes and he was beginning to feel the effects.  His calf muscles were burning and his lungs were screaming for a reprieve.  Beside him Matt was already lagging.  He had been able to keep pace with Mohinder but his larger size was beginning to take its toll.  It wasn’t that Matt was too flubby to keep up with the smaller man; rather it was the fact that he had recently sustained a vicious punch to the abdomen. 

This was not good.

Matt could feel himself starting to slow down.  Where the punk’s fist had connected with his stomach was aching and making it difficult to breath.  It was just supposed to be a simple assignment.  Mohinder had to go talk to a young man The Company thought might be a fire starter and he had asked Matt to tag along with him.  Normally, Matt would have refused him out right.  He couldn’t control Mohinder’s actions or make his decisions but he sure as hell wasn’t going to get involved in Company business.  However, Mohinder would be venturing into a bad neighborhood and Matt decided to go along just to protect him.  He had been called down there for reports of shots fired too often to let Mohinder go alone.

On the plus side the guy was a fire starter.  However, that was counteracted by the fact that he wasn’t the cute little Drew Barrymore fire starter Matt had been wishing for.  No, they got tattooed, brass knuckled, racist, homophobic, Aryan Nation Johnny Marcot instead.

“You don’t need your gun Matthew, we’re in no danger Matthew, stop worrying so much Matthew,” Matt mocked in his best “Mohinder” voice, although the accent was off and the words were punctuated with gasping breaths.

“It would have been fine if you hadn’t hit him,” Mohinder snapped at him.

“He was thinking a putting a bullet right through your pretty face the second he saw you,” Matt snapped back.

Behind them, the pounding footfalls of their pursuers were growing ever louder.  They couldn’t keep running, Matt was ready to collapse and even Mohinder was finding it more and more difficult to breathe.  Suddenly Matt thought of an idea and shouldered Mohinder into the next alley.  He pushed him into a doorway and covered Mohinder’s body with his own, effectively trapping him between the rotting wooden door and Matt’s heaving chest.

“What the…” Mohinder started to say but Matt’s good hand over his mouth served to effectively silence him.

“For once in your life Doctor Mohinder fucking Suresh, shut the hell up,” Matt hissed in his ear.

He pressed closer when he heard the footsteps stop nearby.  Their voices mingled with the voices inside his head.

“Where the hell did they go?”

Damn Muslim raghead

Fat fucking pig coming into my territory

Sticking their big noses in our business

How the fuck did they know about it?

“How in the hell did you lose them?  He’s a skinny assed bastard that probably hasn’t been out of the fucking library since he was fucking six.  The damn obese cop looks like he wouldn’t know exercise if it slapped his fat ass.  They couldn’t have gotten far.”

I’m not an idiot asshole

Stupid fuckers, need to find people smart enough to run

Matt breathed a sigh of relief as when he heard them start running again, slumping his head against Mohinder’s shoulder as the tension drained out of him.

“That was way too close for comfort,” he muttered into the cotton of Mohinder’s shirt.

If Matt was smarter he would have thrown Mohinder over his shoulder and gotten the hell out of there the minute he saw the seedy dive Mohinder was trying to lead him to. But no, he decided to trust Mohinder and followed him inside.  He felt like he was walking into the wedding reception of Hitler and Strom Thurmond, the sound of the door slamming shut behind them sounded like the tightening of the hangman’s noose around his neck. 

He should have turned and walked away.

But before he had the chance to even take a breath, Mohinder was stepping forward and started asking people if they knew where he could find Jocheved Marcot (what kind of name is Jocheved anyways?  No wonder the kid was so angry).  He didn’t seem to perceive the malicious, hateful glares thrown his way.  If looks could kill, Mohinder would have been dead by stabbing, shooting, hanging, and a handful of other painful methods before he even stepped out of the doorway.

But of course, Mohinder continued on in his what-would-normally-be-adorable oblivious state, heedless of the fact that guys were already reaching for their hidden weapons.  So Matt did the only thing he could think of; he grabbed the closest guy he could reach and slammed him into the bar, shouting to the rest that if any of them made a move he would arrest them all.  All in all, not the brightest move he could make but in his defense he was acting on pure adrenaline-fueled instinct.  It’s kind of hard to remember that you can control minds when a dozen skinheads are looking at your partner like he’s their next sacrifice to the gods of hate and prejudice.

Of course the guy he grabbed would be pyromaniac Jocheved and of course he would have to set the bar on fire when Matt slammed him into it.  Matt was going to have to think of a good story to tell his lieutenant tomorrow as to why his left hand is burned and it was going to be difficult for him to hold a gun.  Speaking of burned hands, Mohinder just grabbed his hand and was currently inspecting it.

“It doesn’t look that bad thankfully, although you’re going to have to put some salve on it when we get home.  And it looks like you get out of dish duty for a couple days,” he said softly, still whispering despite the fact that the danger was now gone.

“That’s a comfort,” Matt said dryly, hissing lightly as Mohinder gently pressed his thumb against his raw palm.

“It’s your own fault you oaf,” Mohinder snapped.

Even though his tone was harsh and his words were meant to sting, Matt could see the concern in his eyes, soothing the ache of the burn and the pain of what he said.  Mohinder held Matt’s hand in his for a moment later, turning it over in the dim light of the mostly darkened alley.

“What was I supposed to do Mohinder?  Those guys wanted to kill you.  I was just reacting to their threats,” Matt explained.

“Always the male are you not Matthew?” Mohinder said huskily, seductively almost, “Protecting your mate from the threat of other males. It’s the most primal, most natural of instincts.  All males are hardwired to protect their mate from imminent threats.  Normally, I would be a bit insulted about being lumped together with the relatively helpless females of old, but for some reason when you go all alpha male, it’s….it’s sexy as hell.”

Mohinder nuzzled his face in Matt’s neck, darting his tongue out to trace the artery as it pulsed against the soft skin.  Matt’s blood pressure skyrocketed and his breathing became more and more rapid until the point he was almost hyperventilating into Mohinder’s hair and he dug his fingers into Mohinder’s biceps, ignoring the stab of pain from the burn on his le ft hand.

“What are you doing?” he gasped thickly.

“Making it up to you,” Mohinder murmured, nuzzling Matt’s jaw with his nose, “You are right of course.  That was my fault and I am determined to make it up to you.”

“By driving me crazy,” Matt said, pushing Mohinder back.

“No, by giving you one of the best orgasms of your life,” Mohinder responded with a knowing smirk.

“There is no way in hell I am having sex in this filthy alley.  We’ll probably catch syphilis or chlamydia or something.  I’m surprised we haven’t contracted herpes just by standing here,” Matt said with a comical shudder to emphasize his point.

“I do believe it might be possible for me to convince you otherwise,” Mohinder purred, sliding closer to press his body flush against Matt’s.

Matt gulped in a hard breath, nearly choking on it as Mohinder slid a hand under his shirt to trace the waistband of his jeans.

“What did I tell you Matthew?  I can be very persuasive if I set my mind to it,” Mohinder laughed huskily in Matt’s ear. 

He drew Matt’s earlobe in his mouth, sucking lightly and causing Matt to moan and throw his head back.  Mohinder kissed his way down his neck, nipping at the frantic butterfly pulse and drawing another throaty groan from Matt.  He licked and nibbled at the Matt’s stubble roughened jaw, reveling in the scrap of it against his own stubble and tongue.

“Hush Matthew.  You need to be quiet or people will hear us,” Mohinder whispered conspiratorially, unbuttoning Matt’s jeans and sliding the zipper down at the same time.

“Mohinder,” Matt growled, grabbing Mohinder’s face between his hands and drew him into a slow, deep kiss.

Matt moaned into Mohinder’s mouth when he slipped a hand in his jeans to curl around his achingly hard cock.  Mohinder took advantage of it to slip into in Matt’s mouth, sliding his tongue along the ridge of Matt’s teeth before tangling around his tongue.

“God Mohinder, what are you doing to me?” Matt groaned, breaking the kiss to lean his head against Mohinder’s shoulder.

“Making you feel good.  Now just hush and enjoy yourself my darling,” Mohinder soothed, smoothing his hands over Matt’s back.

He kissed Matt again, pushing his hands into the waistband of his boxers and pushing them down.  He gave Matt a wicked grin before sliding down to his knees, worshipping Matt with his eyes, his hands, and his mouth. 

God his mouth.  He swirled his tongue around the leaking head of Matt’s cock, tasting the pearls of precum that gathered at the tip.  Matt groaned, burying his hands in Mohinder’s hair and hanging on for dear life.  Mohinder gripped the backs of Matt’s knees, rubbing the sensitive skin softly.  He swallowed slowly, taking Matt deeper into his mouth.  He licked the thick vein on the bottom of Matt’s erection, following it with the flat of his tongue.  Mohinder pulled back to blow warm air on Matt, cooling the saliva trail with his breath.

“Fuck Mohinder,” Matt grunted, thrusting his hips forward.

“Patience love,” Mohinder murmured with a small laugh.

He slid back down Matt’s length, slipping a hand between his legs to cup the soft sac, kneading gently.  Matt moaned, biting his bottom lip to smother it before it echoed in the alley, alerting the whole city to what they were doing.  Mohinder hummed around his mouthful, gently dragging his teeth down the length of Matt’s cock.

“So close…I’m so fucking close…damn Mohinder I’m there…I’m right there,” Matt ground out.  He let his inhibitions fly, moaning loudly as he came, twitching and spilling himself into Mohinder’s mouth.  His moan echoed in the alley, filling the air with the sound of his release.  Mohinder swallowed, sucking until Matt sagged against the wall, his knees buckling under the force of his pleasure. 

Mohinder carefully righted Matt’s clothes, pulling his boxers and jeans up and buttoning them.  He stood up and wrapped his arms around Matt’s neck, kissing him with care and gently sliding his tongue across Matt’s bottom lip.  Matt opened his mouth to invite Mohinder in, moaning lightly at the taste of himself on Mohinder’s tongue, wrapping his arms around Mohinder’s waist.

“Forgive me?” he asked against Matt’s lips.

“I’m giving it serious consideration,” Matt laughed.

“I suppose I’ll just have to convince you more when we get home.”

“I should warn you, I’m not easily persuaded,” Matt grinned.

“Good thing I like a challenge.”