kethni | Fiction: Playing House (Reply)

Name: Playing House

Pairing: Matt/Mo
Rating: PG-13

Something is bugging them both. It’s been building for a little while now and, like any average red blooded male, I’m ignoring it in the hope that goes away. I don’t know if it’s the same thing bothering both of them or two separate things with unfortunate timing.

I’m not asking because, well, average man you know?

Molly cracks first, glaring at me moodily over the top of her hardboiled egg.

“You’re supposed to ask me what the matter is.”

“Says who?” I ask, drinking my coffee.

She screws up an eye. “It’s the rules.”

“Whose rules? Not my rules. My rules, my house, and my rules are that I don’t have to guess if you’re upset,” I say, taking a bite of my toast.

“Life rules,” she says firmly.

“Oh, okay. I don’t care about those rules,” I say with a smile. “My house my rules and my rule is you tell or you don’t.”

“That’s not how it works!” she protests.

“Oh it is. Yup. That’s how it works for me. When you have your own place you can demand that people read your mind. They won’t but if you really want to you can demand it.”

Molly rolls her eyes at me. “Anyway...”

After all that she’s just going to come out and tell me? Damn.

“Anyway?”

“Stephanie Marconi’s dad is getting married to his girlfriend, they’re going to Maui!” she scowls.

“You want to go to Maui? Molly, honey, that's a little out of my budget...”

She slams her palms onto the table top. “Dad! You are impossible!”

“Whoa there madam, adjust your tone,” I said firmly.

Molly purses her lips, folds her arms, and looks at me. “When is Mohinder going to move in?””

I blink at her. “Excuse me?”

“When is Mohinder moving in?” she repeats. “You guys have been dating for months and months. It’s getting ridiculous.”

“Barely six months,” I point out.

“Stephanie Marconi’s dad has been dating his girlfriend for three months,” she says as if laying evidence before the court. “You guys have been dating way longer. What’s the problem?”

Stephanie Marconi’s father is seventy two and dating a twenty four year old flight attendant. He’ll be lucky if he lives another three months.

“It’s not a competition,” I say firmly, taking a bite of my cereal.

Molly chews her bottom lip. “Are you splitting up? I don’t want you to split up.”

“Not moving in together doesn’t mean we’re splitting up.”

Molly shakes her head. “Oh come on Dad. Everyone knows that’s how it works. You date and then you move in and get married. Or date and then get married and then move in. If a guy won’t commit to you then he’s not that into you. That’s the rule.”

“I don’t think I like your rules,” I say taking another mouthful of cereal. “They’re very harsh. Besides, that’s not how it works. There’s no time limit.

She cheers up a little. “So he is going to move in sometime?”

I shake my head. “I really don’t think so. Mohinder’s a very... independent man plus his house costs about ten times what this did.”

“But he’s here most nights,” she says slyly. “Don’t think I don’t know you sneak him back in when I’ve gone to bed.”

Which is true. But he’s still got the option to not be here most nights.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say lightly. “And there’s a world of difference between visiting lots and living somewhere. Some people just aren’t suited to living with other people.”

“Because he has an expensive house?” Molly asks disbelievingly. “Dad, that’s ridiculous.”

I reach across and flick her nose. “No, not because of that, that’s just another reason. Mohinder... he needs his space. Independent, like I said.”

Molly stares at me. “You haven’t asked him. Dad!”

"He hasn’t asked me either,” I say.

She rolls her eyes again. “Oh. My. God!”

“Is that the best you can do? Eight months of debating society and you sound like a bad movie?”

“He’s not going to ask you.” Molly hops off her seat and gathers her things together.

“There you are then,” I say following her into the living room.

She turns and looks at me. “Not because he doesn’t want to,” she says as if talking to an idiot. “Because he’s shy.”

Mohinder? Mr Dance-around-the-room-naked-with-the-curtains-open, shy?

“Uh, it’s sweet of you to worry Molls but trust me, Mohinder isn’t shy.”

She looks at me pityingly. “Sure dad.”

Mohinder arrives around seven. When I open the door he immediately pushes his hands into my hair and pulls me down into a kiss.

“I wanna have sex,” he says, grinding against me.

“Whoa, easy tiger,” I grin against him, pulling him inside and kicking the door shut. “Molly’s upstairs.”

“I’ll be quiet,” he whines. “You could put some music on, she wouldn’t hear us.”

“She already knows you sneak back in when she’s gone to bed,” I warn.

He smiles at me angelically. “Then it’s silly to stand here when we could be having sex.”

“Your logic seems sound, and yet...”

Mohinder ducks past me, pulling me by the hand towards the stairs. “Of course it is, I’m an excellent debater,” he says firmly. “As you doubtless remember from listening to me debate at the genetics conference.”

“Not really, I couldn’t follow much of it,” I say sheepishly. We pass Molly’s door and I’m about to hammer on her door and tell her to turn the racket down when Mohinder shoves me against the wall.

“Leave it, more cover for us,” he says, kissing me and then pushing me into my bedroom.

“You’ve very aggressive today,” I say approvingly.

He tips me back onto the bed, kicks off his shoes, and climbs on top of me. “I’m normally very submissive in bed.” He shakes a pillow out of its cover and secures my wrists loosely with it. “The book I’ve been reading said that unless you try new things sex can get stagnant and boring after a while.” Mohinder plants a hand on either side of my face. “I don’t want you to be bored with me, Matthew.”

“I’m not,” I promise.

He leans down and kisses me very softly. “Is this okay?” he whispers.

“It’s great.” I wriggle under him. “I’m completely at your mercy. Do as you will.”

He giggles and kisses me. “I’m better at kissing now, aren’t I?” he asks, tugging up my t-shirt and diving down to bite my chest and stomach.

“Practice makes perfect,” I agree, squirming under him. He’s still a little unsure, a little clumsy, his teeth catch a little deeper and a little more often than he intends. But he smiles at me so sweetly and hopefully when he tugs down my pants and boxers.

He frowns in concentration, his lips pursed, and the tip of his tongue just sticking out. He glances up at me, waggles his eyebrows, and then trails his tongue along... oh... oh good. Warm soft lips, wet... wet... warm... oh god...

Hand, hand around me as he leans up.

“Matthew,” he whispers. “Can I... can I?”

I nod. “It’s... it’s in the drawer,” I gulp.

“I know.”

I close my eyes, listen to the rattle of the drawer, the sound of the cap being flipped open.

He stumbles a little as he prepares me, still a little unsure, a little uneasy perhaps. His other hand caresses my thigh in time as he scissors his fingers inside me.

Mohinder kisses me again, sucking at my lower lip. Love that, love that.

He’s more patient now, slower, gentler as he enters me. Balances one hand to briefly squeeze my fingers and then moves that hand to stroke me firmly.

Mohinder cleans us both up and curls into bed with me.

“Hello,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine.

“Hi.” I stroke his back.

He shuffles closer, slides his arms around me, and rests his head on my shoulder. His breathing is slowing, he’s falling asleep.

“Don’t let me...” he mutters.

“Shush,” I say softly.

“I don’t want to...”

I kiss the side of his face and he makes a soft noise of surprise and pleasure.

“Dad!” Molly bellows, both waking me and nearly making me fall out of bed. She hammers on the door.

Mohinder moans softly and wraps his arms and legs around me. I swear he could sleep through an earthquake.

“Dad! Come on! I’ll come in, I promise I will.”

I try and pry his limbs free but he’s like a limpet. I pull the covers over us both.

“I can’t get to the door Molly, what’s wrong?”

She opens the door a fraction and puts her head around the door. “Just so you know, I’m completely scarred for life.”

“Sweetie, you were scarred a long time before this.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever, look... I can’t find my you know. You were going to buy some.”

Mohinder starts to stir, pulling the covers off his face. He blinks sleepily at Molly. “Hello?”

“Hi,” she says shortly.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say.

Her face burns bright red. “Dad!”

Mohinder pushes himself up into a sitting position, rubbing at his eyes.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say again.

“Feminine products,” she hisses.

“That was last month, I got you some. Did you use them all?”

“You want me to go and buy some?” Mohinder offers, pushing hair out of his eyes.

“Yes!” Molly says desperately.

“Molly!”

“It’s okay,” Mohinder says amiably.

“Do you even know what she’s talking about?” I ask.

“No,” he says sweetly. He kisses my cheek. “But you know I’m never embarrassed when I should be.”

“Please,” Molly begs. “Please would you get me some?”

“You have to go with him,” I say firmly.

“Huh?” she asks indignantly.

“There about a million different types. If Mohinder goes then you have to go to,” I say.

“I feel like Columbus setting forth to explore a whole new world,” Mohinder says smiling at me.

They get on very well really. Mohinder is just... Mohinder, he was pretty anxious at first but he doesn’t expect her to treat him like a parent but he doesn’t try to be her friend either. He just is and she responds much better to that then probably anything else he could do. I wish she was a little more... I don’t want to say ‘respectful’ because last time I looked this wasn’t the nineteen-fifties. But sometimes, I don’t know, she seems to think he’s like a stray puppy we brought home, and I wish she didn’t.

I look out the window when I hear her voice. Oh no, she’s got that wide-eyed shell shocked look she gets when she’s asked Mohinder something she wouldn’t dream of asking me, and he’s being way, way more honest and detailed than she can cope with. As I open the door he’s making a horribly familiar scissoring gesture with his fingers. Please no, please no.

“The body rewards itself for fulfilling necessary functions,” he’s saying. “We experience pleasure in doing things that are needed for survival, eating, keeping warm, sleeping, excreting, and sexual activity, among others.”

“Why not eating vegetables?” she asks.

“It’s not that finely attuned. Eating is rewarded, not specific types of food. In the same manner, sexual activity is generally perceived as pleasurable regardless of whether the particular activity is going to lead to procreation or not.” He finally notices me standing on the step. “Hello!”

“Hi.” I kiss his cheek and slap his ass gently as he scoots past me into the house. “What was that about?” I ask Molly.

“Do you really want to know?” she asks.

“No, no I really don’t.”

Mohinder rests his feet in my lap and bats his eyes at me. “My feet are sore,” he says plaintively. “Would you rub them for me?”

I pull off his socks and put them to one side. “Well, if it’ll make you happy,” I say with a smile.

Molly turns around and squints at Mohinder. “Don’t you have medical?”

“Hmm?” Mohinder asks, stretching out luxuriously as I massage his feet.

“You’re always saying your feet are sore and asking dad to rub them,” she points out. “Maybe you should see a chiropodist. Dad, why is that funny?”

“I don’t need a chiropodist,” Mohinder says tucking his arm under his head. “Not when I have your dad.”

“This is a weird sex thing isn’t it?” she asks flatly.

“No,” I say.

“Maybe,” Mohinder says at the same time.

Molly rolls her eyes.

“When you’re dating you’ll find that ‘sex things’ happen constantly, even when you’re fully dressed and in front of a roomful of people,” Mohinder says.

She narrows her eyes. “Huh. I’m going to bed. Don’t hump too loudly!”

“Hey!” I protest. “Language and manners young lady.”

“You’re the one doing sex stuff in the living room,” she says with dignity. “So you might as well let Mohinder actually stay instead of climbing out of the bedroom window or whatever it is you make him do.”

“You’re entirely too cheeky madam,” I warn.

“Just saying he doesn’t have to break his neck on my account,” she says, flouncing off to the stairs.

When she’s gone, Mohinder sits up and regards me owlishly. “Is that all you want to do?”

I rub my thumb over the ball of his foot and he wiggles his toes. “How do you mean?”

Mohinder smiles at me, the sly, naughty smile that makes my heart pound. “Is rubbing all you want to do?”

“As opposed to what?” I ask, smiling, knowing he’s up to something.

He shrugs, happy to let things stretch out. “I don’t know... kiss, lick, bite,” he suggests, waggling his eyebrows. “Something that you’d like but are too embarrassed to tell me?”

I lift up his foot and duck my head to just touch my tongue to his instep. As expected he shrieks and throws himself flat as he giggles.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he covers his face with a cushion. “I didn’t think I was ticklish.”

I lean over him and pull the cushion away. “Everyone is ticklish there.” I lean down even as he slides his hands into my hair.

The kiss tastes of mint and honey. He’s also so enthusiastic, so warm, and passionate.

“You can tell me,” Mohinder says softly. “I won’t be shocked. Even if you want to... come on my feet, or have me squish rice pudding between my toes.”

“Someone’s let you loose on the internet again haven’t they?”

“The internet a boon to the casual researcher,” he says nodding seriously. “Please Matt; if there’s anything, anything, I really want to do it with you.”

“Rice pudding and all other desserts are safe from me, have no fear,” I promise.

“Do you have to make everything a joke?” he asks plaintively.

“I’m sorry Mohinder,” I say quietly. “Come up to bed?”

“I don’t want you to think you can’t be honest with me,” he says seriously. “I’m very broadminded and I want to be um...” he frowns as he searches for the words.

“What?”

“Good, giving, and game,” he says firmly.

“Good, giving, and game?” I echo. “Is that from one of your manuals?”

“Sort of.” He leans up and kisses me softly. “Let me be a good boyfriend?”

“You are. But you haven’t exactly been forthcoming yourself,” I suggest, sitting up. He swivels around so that his face is lying in my lap. “You haven’t told me any kinky stuff you’re into.”

“Anything you like.”

“Are you enjoying the view up my nose?” I ask.

Mohinder nods seriously. “It’s very sexy. Really though, I’ll do anything you like.”

I stroke his cheek with my thumb and he turns his face to catch it in his mouth. “I know, but it’s all one way and that’s not fair.”

He shrugs. “I like it when you touch me. I like it when we kiss.” He smiles. “I like it when I come. I like it when you come.” He fidgets with my hand. “I like it when we curl up afterwards and go to sleep.”

“You’re very easy to please.”

“Yay for me,” Mohinder says nodding his head. “Even when I turn up on the door demanding sex?”

“Even then.”

“Where’s Mohinder?” Molly asks at breakfast.

“Still asleep,” I say, reaching for coffee.

“Won’t he be late?”

“He’s a big shot genetics professor, he can go in whenever he likes,” I explain. “And one day, if you work really hard, you can be a big shot and make your own hours while the rest of us slobs get up early.”

Molly rolls her eyes. “Subtle dad.”

“Make sure you’ve got everything today. I’m at this damn training seminar till three-thirty so if you forget something that’s it, you’ll have to do without.”

“Okay, okay,” she says flapping her hand. “I’ve got everything.”

“Including tampons?”

“Dad! Geez.”

“I’m not kidding Molls, I’m not coming flying to the school with a pair of clean panties today,” I say.

She glares at me. “That was one time when I was twelve.”

“Just saying.”

Tactical interrogation is one of the more interesting courses at least. I’m applying again to move into the detective bureau so I need to have all these things down pat. Plus being better at knowing when you’re being lied to is a definite plus with a teenager!

We have a lunch break at twelve and I check my cell.

‘You have five new voice mails.’

Five? In less than four hours? Oh shit.

‘Message one: Mr Parkman this is Miss Hammond from Saint Jude’s College Prep I’m afraid there’s been an incident at school. We need you to come in and discuss Molly’s behaviour.’

‘Message two: Mr Parkman, it’s Miss Hammond again. We really do need you to come in as soon as possible.’

‘Message three: Mr Parkman this is Mr Stevens, the headmaster of Saint Jude’s College Prep. I have to insist that you come in to discuss a recent, serious, breach of discipline with Molly.’

‘Message four: Matthew, it’s me, um, it’s Mohinder? Molly’s school rang, they couldn’t get a hold of you, she told them I was your partner and they asked me to go instead, so I am, going that is. Um. Unless you can get there before three, I can’t really get there before that. I can’t imagine what’s happening. Must be a mistake, don’t worry, I won’t let them put her in the stocks!’

Mohinder? Molly told them to ring Mohinder? And they did?

‘Message five: Mr Parkman, it’s Miss Hammond from Saint Jude’s College Prep. We’ve managed to contact your partner, Doctor Suresh, and confirmed a time for a parent conference. Thank you.’

A parent conference with Mohinder? He’s known her barely a couple of months! Jesus, who does he think he is agreeing to that? And what the hell is going on, Molly’s never in trouble. Not at school.

“Parkman! We’re starting now, come on,” the instructor yells. I don’t even have time to send Mohinder a text.

The seminar is scheduled to end at three thirty but the last half an hour is ‘refreshments’ or bad coffee and ‘networking’ or gossip, pretty much. So I hightail it out at three and peel around to the school as quickly as possible. Mohinder isn’t answering his cell, it’s turned off. I know if I leave a message I’ll say something I’ll regret later.

Miss Hammond almost refuses to take me into the conference.

“Look lady, you got my daughter in there and I think that gives a damn right to be in there don’t you?”

“Your partner...”

“Let me in or I’ll take my daughter and my fat fee and walk out that door.”

Mr Stevens treats the parents like he treats the children, as if we’re all dirty, sticky, naughty, and guilty of some crime that he will find out. I’m expecting to see him bulldozing over Mohinder as he does everyone else.

But he’s stammering to get a word in edgewise. Mohinder, angry and in full flow, simply talks across him, talks across me when I enter. He gives me a very brief glance and a curt nod before carrying on.

“... so you’re admitting that your liberal stance is a sham and your disciplinary record is a fraud?”

“Well I...”

“Molly is the easy target is that it? She behaves, she’s polite, and so you think that you can put all the blame on her. Meanwhile these other individuals are to receive a smack on the wrist are they? When they both broke your precious disciplinary procedure and also struck first?”

“Struck?” I finally manage to make myself heard.

“There was a fist fight,” Mohinder says offhandly, as if it were the most minor thing in the world to discuss.

“We aren’t here to discuss the other...”

“Indeed we are,” Mohinder returns, whip fast. “Your school makes a great many pledges regarding not only the quality of the education but also the atmosphere and ethos of your school. Matthew pays, I am sure, a great deal of money partly based on those pledges. However, the simple fact that you are allowing this form of poisonous atmosphere to have reached the level where pupils verbally and physically abuse other students indicates that you have breached your pledges. Breach of promise is still a legal matter, Mr Stevens. Matthew would be within his rights to seek redress.”

Mr Stevens opens and closes his mouth. “I...I...I hardly think that it’s necessary to talk about a lawsuit.”

“Oh, let’s do talk about a lawsuit,” Mohinder says with demonic cheerfulness. “Starting with breach of promise, of contract, harassment...”

“Harassment?” Mr Stevens almost yelps.

“Molly has been taken out of class hasn’t she? She’s been threatened with punishment hasn’t she? Her father has been dragged out of work hasn’t he? And for why, because she engaged her legally protected right to free speech and then had the temerity to defend herself when assaulted.” Mohinder is leaning forward onto the desk now. “Or do you suppose that the right to free speech exists purely to protect that section of society who think it is appropriate to taunt a hardworking young woman about her father ‘the faggot’ and I won't sully my mouth repeating the obscenely racist epithet they used for me. Matthew sit down, the situation is under control.”

I hadn’t even realised that I was on my feet.

“Molly exacerbated a tense situation,” Mr Stevens mutters. “It was hardly sensible to...”

“That is for her father to decide, your remit is misbehaviour and we all agree that Molly did nothing in breach of any rules. Do we not?”

“She was fighting,” Mr Stevens tries.

“Defending herself when attacked,” Mohinder says sharply. “This can be fixed very simply Mr Stevens. We want a full and profuse apology to Molly. We want these other children punished and a clear message sending that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable. We want it understood that Molly will not be used as a scapegoat by anyone or for anything. Is that clear?”

Molly’s right eye is swollen shut and her lip is cut. She flings her arms around Mohinder and squeezes him tightly.

“Thanks Mohinder!”

“What the hell happened?” I demand.

“They didn’t tell you?” she asks, linking arms with us both and tugging us out to the car park. “It wasn’t anything much.”

I yank my arm free and they both stare at me. “Get in the damn car.”

“Matthew...”

“You’ve said enough Mohinder, Molly, do I say and get in the damn car.”

“I want to go in the car with Mohinder,” she says sullenly.

I take a step forward and she bites her lip. “Do not push me right now.”

She reddens and flees for the car.

“Matthew, did I do something wrong?” Mohinder asks wretchedly. “I was just trying to be fair to Molly. I thought that’s what you’d want.”

“Look, this isn’t a good time.” I rub my forehead.

“I dropped everything, rearranged four meetings, to do this and now you’re angry at me?”

“I didn’t ask you to,” I say more sharply than I planned.

Mohinder stares at me. “I... I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

“I tired and I’m upset,” I say quietly. “I’m likely to say something I’ll regret. Can’t we talk about this tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Aren’t I going home with you both?”

Home, how did I miss that he started calling it that?

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I thought you’d be pleased. I was pleased.”

I blink at him. “You were pleased? Why on earth?”

He reddens. “Molly asked for me, they called me your partner, I’ve never been someone’s partner before. I’ve never had a boyfriend before. That sounds terribly selfish but I am terribly selfish and I am trying to work on that but...”

I swear he does it on purpose because he knows the effect it has on me when he gets like this.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I say, touching his hand. “Look, I’m sorry.”

“I really like Molly and I’m never quite sure if she likes me or dislikes me or just puts up with me and it seemed like such a good sign that she’d trust me that way and...”

“Shut up and come home, okay?”

“Why are you mad at me?” Molly demands.

“Gee, I don’t know maybe because you got in a fight and I had to come to your school?”

“I was defending myself, Mohinder said.”

“I don’t care what Mohinder said, you were fighting. For fuck’s sake Molly, you should be old enough to know when to walk away,” I snap.

“Like you?” she retorts. “Like when you got yourself shot?”

“I didn’t get myself shot because someone called me names!”

“Bullshit! This is totally bogus and you know it.” Molly slams a hand on the dashboard. “You wouldn’t walk away if someone called you those names.”

“The hell I wouldn’t.”

“You wouldn’t!” she snarls. “Especially not if they’d started on someone else first.”

I half turn and look at her. “There was someone else there?”

She looks out of the window. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Answer me when I ask you a question young lady.”

The muscles in her jaw moves as she clenches her teeth. “Laurie was there and they started on her first. When I told them to fuck off they started on about you and Mohinder.”

“Nobody mentioned Laurie before.”

“She wasn’t fighting,” Molly says unwillingly.

“And she doesn’t want her parents to know that she’s gay?”

Molly looks at me. “How did you know?”

Laurie’s had a crush on Molly for about three years. Crushing on your straight best friend is torturous and unfortunately pretty classic.

“It was in the newsletter, we all keep in touch you know. Like a secret society.”

Molly snorts. “Well you know what her parents are like. They’d disown her.” She smirks at me. “You remember her dad? You nearly got into a fist fight with him on sports day.”

“I most certainly did not,” I say firmly.

“Oh please,” she sniffs. “When he starting on about Chen? You told him to shut up and...”

“Alright, alright,” I say quickly. “That was different.”

“Yeah,” Molly says smugly. “Because it was you.”

“Shut up smart ass.”

Mohinder beats us home and is waiting by the door; jiggling and shifting from foot to foot. Molly pauses to kiss him on the cheek and then stomps upstairs.

“Would you like some tea?” I offer.

“Yes please,” he says, slipping off his shoes and jacket and curling up on the sofa. He’s hiding behind a cushion as I carry over the drinks.

“I think you’d need a bigger cushion to hide behind,” I say lightly, handing him his tea.

“Why’re you angry at me?”

I sit down and take a gulp of my coffee. “Because I’m Molly’s dad, not you, and you made me feel redundant and completely undermined.”

“I...I didn’t... I didn’t mean to,” he stammers. “I only wanted to help you out. I thought it would be okay because they asked and I didn’t think you’d mind since I was only trying to help and...”

“Mohinder,” I say patting his knee. “I know you were trying to help but... but it’s not fair to get Molly’s hopes up that way.”

His mouth drops open and he gawps at me.

“If you do things like that Molly is going to start... look she already thinks that things are more serious than they are. Sooner or later you’re going to leave and, well, I’m a big boy but I don’t want her to get hurt because she doesn’t understand how these things work.”

“I...I have no idea what you’re saying,” he says, sounding genuinely bewildered. “Leave what?”

“Leave me, us. Look, it’s my fault,” I say quietly. “I should’ve been more sensible but I was so caught up in everything I guess I got carried away.”

Mohinder is frowning at me. “Leave as in dump you? What are you saying? I don’t understand what you’re saying. You’re making no sense to me,” he says, aggressively. “Are you accusing me of something? Are you suggesting I’ve been unfaithful because that’s not true I’ve not slept with anyone else I wouldn’t cheat on you Matthew and I’m upset you think that I...”

“No,” I say quickly. “I’m not suggesting that Mohinder.”

He subsides a little. “Well, good. What are you talking about?”

I rub my forehead. “Just that men like you don’t settle down with men like me.” His mouth drops open again. “Don’t worry! I don’t expect you to, it’s just that Molly doesn’t understand. She’s already been bugging me about you moving in. You do stuff like go to her parent conferences and she’s going to make assumptions, like you sticking around in the long term. It’s not fair to lead her on like that.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he says in a low voice. “Men like me, men like you? What are you talking about?”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose. “Mohinder, you’re out of my league. You always were.”

Mohinder blinks at me. “I dispute that,” he says stiffly.

“You can do better. You will do better,” I say quietly. “You had some... rough edges that’s all. You just needed a bit of experience. Don’t look at me like that Mohinder, I knew the score.”

“You’re suggesting that I’m using you for practice?” he stammers. “Is that what you think of me?”

“No, of course not, but...”

Mohinder shakes his head and gets up, pacing about the room. “You do realise that when you say ‘but’ you’re saying that the immediate preceding sentence is meaningless and should be ignored.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I say quietly.

“That this is a really bad joke,” he begs

“I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Mohinder glares at me, eyes reddening. “But, but you think... you think that I’m some sort of... parasite living off you before moving onto some other host?”

I can feel myself staring at him. “Mohinder, you don’t understand, you’re going to wake up one morning and realise that you’re a lot smarter than I am, earn a lot more money than I do, are more attractive then I am, and have so much more potential than I do.”

He’s shaking his head. “Matthew...”

“You’re going to wake up, realise that, and resent me.”

“That’s not true. If anyone is going to realise that they are being held back then it’s you because I know that you spend so much time and effort bolstering me up when I’m feeling down and anxious.”

“I’m being honest with you Mohinder, I don’t know what else to say.”

Mohinder shrugs. “I love you. I love Molly. I have no intention of going anywhere.”

“You do?”

“Is that why you haven’t asked me to move in?” he asks. “You thought I didn’t?”

“I didn’t ask you’d because you’d say no,” I protest.

He stares at me wide-eyed. “Say no? Matthew I would move in with you in a heartbeat. Do you think that after spending the evening here I enjoy leaving you in bed to go to a cold, empty, silent, lonely, apartment? I miss you!”

“You didn’t say anything,” I say quietly.

He shrugs and sits down next to me. “You know I have no judgement of these things. It might have been too late or too soon or the wrong time or...”

“Okay,” I say, patting his hand. “Would you move in with me?”

“Hmm.” He makes a big production of umming and aahing. “Well, I suppose so. If you like.”

“I would like that very much,” I say softly.

Mohinder leans forward and kisses me. “Anything to make you happy, Matthew. You know that.”

The End