Fiction: Monkey

[kethni]

Name: Monkey
Pairing: Matt/Mohinder
Genre: Slash, Waff & Angst
Rating: PG/R
Warnings: Mentions of domestic abuse, sexual scenes.
Note: For bambiscott who wanted ‘Basically a fic about Matt being a monkey. As a child, with Molly, whatever. Bonus points if it talks about Matt being a monkey in bed with Mohinder.’
Word count: 1057



Matt was six the first time his daddy left. He was in his room, under the bed, playing with his toy cars while Daddy and Momma screamed and fought downstairs. The solid, meaty thump and the sudden cessation of noise didn’t really register anymore, but the slammed door did.

Daddy didn’t come back that night and that was good, really, because Momma said her head was bad, so Matt made them both fish stick sandwiches and cuddled up to her in bed.

Daddy hadn’t come home by the day Matt’s class were visiting the zoo. But Momma told him he could still be the man of the house while he was there, so that was okay. When he got home a man he didn’t know was just leaving and Momma said he was one of Daddy’s friends, but not to tell Daddy about him, special secret. That was okay too, because there were lots of special secrets, especially ones so Daddy didn’t get angry.

At the weekend, the Shouting Man came and tried to take the TV, but Momma sent Matt out to play and took the Shouting Man upstairs. Afterwards she was crying lots but she was pretending not to. Matt gave her a cuddle but she was still really sad so he told her about going to the zoo, and she laughed when he played at being a monkey. He jumped up and down, he made the noises, and he pulled monkey faces until Momma grabbed him.

‘You’re my little monkey,’ she said, hugging tight and kissing him until he squirmed.

‘Momma, you’re squishing!’

‘I love you, my little monkey,’ she promised.



Matt was thirteen the second and final time his father left. Things had been tense at home for a while now. Matt was growing like a weed and filling out quickly. He’d always been... his dad had always called him fat but now he was getting strong too. The wrestling coach wanted him on the team and nobody had ever wanted Matt on a team before.

His dad had never really... Matt mostly stayed out of his way and that was fine. But lately Matt had been catching his dad looking at him funny. When he and Mom were messing around, or playing a board game, Dad would suddenly get angry and shove Matt, or throw the board at him.

‘Don’t you get above yourself, Matt,’ he’d roar, slapping his chest. ‘I’m the man here.’

He even did it one night when Matt was being tutored. Jenny Mitchell and Matt had wandered into the kitchen to thank Mom for the excellent brownies when Dad had stomping come in. Jenny was fifteen and pretty enough to make Matt blush like a sunset. Dad had stared at her, up and down, up and down, and smiled at her this horrible smile.

‘Hello there sweetpea.’

That’s when Mom slapped him, called him a “filthy ape,” and all hell broke loose. Dad was shouting, hurling stuff, and roaring while Mom was screaming back and trying to shove him away. Matt grabbed Jenny, frozen to the spot, and dragged her outside.

‘I’m real sorry, Jenny! Please don’t tell anyone, please?’

‘You can’t go back in there!’

‘It’s okay, um, I’ll see you at school,’ he said, and shut the door in her face. He was going to go upstairs and hide in his room, like always, but he heard Mom scream and...

And then he was in the kitchen screaming, shouting, and slamming two pans together while Dad stared at him in mute shock.

‘I can make noise too!’ Matt yelled, panting for breath. ‘And I’m as big as you! So... so... shut up. Okay? Shut up.’ He dropped the pans abruptly and stepped back. ‘Don’t you hit Mom again,’ he said quietly, forcing himself to meet his dad’s eyes. ‘I’m as big as you.’

Two days later his dad left for the second and last time.



Matt’s thirty-eight the next time he sees monkeys at the zoo. Molly’s hand is straining at his grasp but he holds her firm.

‘Why can’t I get closer?’ she whines.

‘Because they’re flinging excreta,’ Mohinder says promptly. ‘We only just bought you that coat and it’d be ruined.’

‘What’s excreta?’ Molly whispers to Matt.

‘Poop,’ Matt explains. ‘They’re flinging poop.’

‘Ew, monkeys are gross,’ Molly complains.

‘Monkeys are awesome,’ Matt says very seriously. ‘Just like you, Monkey-Molly.’

‘I am not a monkey!’ she protests, giggling. ‘Take it back! Mohinder, tell Matt I’m not a monkey!’

Mohinder laughs and takes Matt’s other hand. ‘Human beings are primates, Molly. We’re not monkeys, but we’re related to apes.’

‘What’s the difference?’ Matt asks, pulling Molly up into his arms.

‘Monkeys have tails, for one thing,’ Mohinder says as they stroll away.

‘I want a tail,’ Molly says seriously. ‘Not like a cat tail, a monkey tail, so I can pick things up with it.’

‘You get into enough trouble as it is,’ Matt laughs. ‘What do you think Mohinder, could having a monkey tail be a special ability?’

‘I hardly think so,’ Mohinder says in his best “scientist” voice, but his eyes are smiling.

‘Spoilsport,’ Matt says lightly. ‘Hey, do you want to see my monkey impression?’

‘Duh, no,’ Molly says rolling her eyes.



‘Yes,’ Mohinder says, grinning as he locks the bedroom door. ‘Show me how in touch with your animal side you are.’

‘Well,’ Matt says, pulling Mohinder over to the bed and onto his lap. ‘First I have to groom you.’

‘Ohh,’ Mohinder laughs, helping Matt undress him. ‘That does make sense.’

‘Mmm,’ Matt murmurs, nuzzling the back of Mohinder’s neck. ‘No nits here.’ He strokes his fingers along Mohinder’s shoulders, down his arms, over his hands, back up the undersides of his arms, and down Mohinder’s sides.

‘That’s tickles!’ Mohinder protests, collapsing into giggles.

‘Tickling is part of chimpanzee play,’ Matt laughs rolling him onto his back and pinning him down. ‘Ooo ooo ooo!’

‘Chimpanzees are apes not... not monkeys,’ Mohinder pants, squirming underneath him.

‘I don’t care,’ Matt laughs, moving to tickle Mohinder’s belly.

‘Stop, stop, stop!’ Mohinder begs, helpless with laughter.

‘Now that I have you at my mercy,’ Matt says, finally stopping, and kissing down Mohinder’s neck, ‘I’m going to establish my dominance.’

‘You did that months ago,’ Mohinder says happily, as Matt slides down the bed. ‘Ooooh.’

The End