Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mohinder visits every day and Matt looks forward to it. So do the nurses.

"Your bofriend's late today," Andrea says, swapping out his IV. "I hear the traffic's terrible."

"He'll be here," Matt says confidently. "Probably ran late picking Molly up." He used to blush when they called Mohinder that. Sometimes he still does. Sometimes it makes him miss Janice, but thinks she (and the baby) are safer where they are. Thinks they're happier where they are. He'd tell Mohinder the same thing, but Mohinder argues better than Janice did. Though, it's not really the same thing.

Mohinder cheats. He thinks in Tamil when they argue. That's not going to last long. Matt's phyisotherapist speaks Tamil too, and she's teaching him.

The day Matt asked her to teach him was the same day he realized he's in love with Mohinder. Learning Spanish damn near broke his brain, his Hebrew is iffy, and he's actually trying to learn Tamil.

He's pretty sure he's got the guy who built the Taj Mahal beat.

Andrea beams. "Your daughter is so cute. You two are doing such a wonderful job with her."

"Thanks," Matt says, grinning. He used to try and explain Molly to the nurses. Now he just goes with it. He tells himself it's just easier this way. Which is mostly true. Mostly. "She's pretty much raising us though. She swears we're a handful."

Which is true. Molly keeps telling him to just kiss Mohinder already. If she thinks it any harder, Mohinder is going to notice and that'll be something. Matt loves him, but Mohinder can be pretty damn oblivious when he wants to be.

"Oh they do that," Andrea pats his arm. "My nephew's the same way with his dads. You'd think he was born ninety-five."

"Yeah," Matt nods. "That's Molly."

"It's that age." Andrea says. "Just wait until she hits puberty."

"Oh, please God no," Matt groans. "She can't date until she's fifty."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Now really, Mr. Parkman, don't you want her to find what you and Dr. Suresh have?"

"You had to put it like that, didn't you?" Matt sighs.

"Of course I did." Andrea smiles. "I'm right."

Matt looks at the door. He can't stop the smile. "They're here," he says, sensing them. They're on the way up in the elevator. Mohinder's listening to Molly tell a joke.

They both laugh when she fumbles the punchline.

"You see what I mean?" Andrea asks, when they finally walk into the room.

Matt looks at her and nods.

Again she smiles, bright and sunny. "I'll leave you alone."

*

"They think we're a couple," he says. Molly's down the hall at the nurse's station. She's got a science test and Andrea's quizzing her. Matt listens to Molly trying to puzzle out how to spell Tibia as Mohinder looks up from his laptop.

"Who?"

"The nurses." Matt looks over at him. He wishes they were. If they were, he could reach out and touch Mohinder's hair, thread his fingers through it. Those curls are teasing him. His fingers twitch, the urge to lean over and tug at one almost irresistible. "They think we're dating."

"Mm, so do Molly's teachers." Mohinder smiles. It's distracting as hell. Matt can't think straight when he smiles like that. "There was paperwork, and someone asked. It seemed convenient."

Matt blinks. "Convenient? Mohinder, this may be New York City, but -- " He stops.

Mohinder's thinking in Tamil.

Mohinder is thinking in Tamil which means that he doesn't want Matt to know what he's thinking.

Ohhh...

"Is there something wrong, Matthew?" Mohinder asks innocently. His lips are curved into a faintly wicked smile. He knows, the jerk. "You seem distracted."

"No, just thinking," Matt shrugs a little, feels the pull of his stitches. He's not going to let on. If Mohinder wants to play it this way, he's going to let him. "Are you sure they're fine with it?"

"Well, as much as I can be." Mohinder says, smiling. It's chock full of innocence and 'who me?' and Matt's completely not buying it. He's being played and he knows he's being played. "They're used to such arrangements. It's far more common than you think. I know it isn't Los Angeles -- "

"It's not that," Matt waves a hand. "Sometimes, the people I deal with aren't so open minded."

Mohinder frowns. "The police department?"

"Sometimes," Matt shrugs. He's heard of problems before. Not huge ones, but more trouble than they need to be attracting right now.

"Well, you won't be going back to work for a while," Mohinder says. "But, when you do, we'll just be cautious."

"We're not actually dating, Mohinder," Matt reminds him.

Mohinder's grin widens. "We'll have to keep up appearances. You said it yourself, Matthew, everyone assumes." He closes his laptop and slides it into its case. Still thinking in Tamil. He really doesn't want Matt to overhear anything. Matt upgrades him from jerk to bastard. This is not fair. "Naturally, we'll be moving in together. I gave the school my address as yours. They'll expect you to be staying with us and they'll assume."

"I'm -- " Matt blinks again. "You want me to move into your apartment?" His voice rises a little and he blushes. He's so being played, but he doesn't have to make it easy on Mohinder. The reminder helps and his voice sounds normal as he adds, "I mean, isn't it kind of small?"

"Well, yes," Mohinder tips his head, nodding. "We'll have to share a bed. You'll not be sleeping on the sofa. Not in your condition." He smiles again. "I promise that I'll certainly try to keep my hands to myself. Of course, you understand, I can't make assurances. A man's hands tend to wander when he sleeps."

Sleep-groping. That's got to be a new one. Matt's got to give Mohinder credit for that one. It's been years since a man flirted with him (well, other than that time he pulled over Tom Cruise on a speeding ticket), but Matt's got to admit that's the most creative one he's ever heard.

He coughs. Mohinder jumps up to pour him a glass of water. "You realize the nurses think I'm molesting you in here," Mohinder tells him, helping him drink the water. Matt can actually drink it on his own, he's been able to sit up for a while now, but Mohinder insists.

"Of course I realize," Matt grins when Mohinder moves the glass away. "They fantasize. In detail. We're going to need to mess you up a bit before you leave." His eyes go to Mohinder's curls. "I'm way too healthy for them to buy you being this neat."

"Oh really?" Mohinder drawls out the word as he leans against Matt's bed. "And how should I look?"

Matt crooks a finger and grins. "C'mere."

When Mohinder leans closer, Matt slides his hands into those curls. He lets his fingers wander, enjoying the feeling of Mohinder's hair skimming over his hands. It's not as soft as he thought, but not coarse either. He rubs one curl between his thumb and forefinger, lets it go and watches it spring back into place. He grins.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Mohinder asks. His voice stutters out the question and Matt's grin widens. Good. He's not the only one who should be having trouble thinking.

"Just getting into the role," Matt says. He's cheerful as he adds. "You were the one who said it would be a good idea."

"I did," Mohinder agrees. His eyes are on Matt's mouth and Matt gets a flash of what he's thinking. Not words, but images. Bright, technicolour images that make him bite his lip. Hospital sheets don't provide much cover. Which is a problem since he's getting hard just knowing what Mohinder's thinking.

With an imagination like that, Mohinder could make a fortune writing romance novels.

"They're going to notice," Matt says.

"Notice what?"

"Well, if we're supposed to be in here making out," Matt says, "aren't they going to notice if our mouths don't look the part?"

Mohinder frowns. He's giving it serious thought and God that's adorable. "You may have a point there."

It's a miracle Matt doesn't snicker. "You have no idea," he says.

To that, Mohinder smirks. "I'm not blind, Matthew."

Matt blushes again. "Damn sheets. They're too thin."

"Or not thin enough," Mohinder says. He sits on the bed, turning toward Matt. "Well, if we're to play a part -- " He leers playfully.

Matt tugs him downward. "God, I love how you think."

"By the way," Mohinder says, just before Matt kisses him, "do you have a side of the bed you prefer?"

Matt throws caution to the wind and nods. "Whichever one you happen to be on."