Fic: Family Planning
Title: Family Planning
Author: starrdust411
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Gabriel/Mohinder
Rating: R
Summary: This was probably a bad idea. He was the one who had come up with it after all.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes.
Warnings: Slash, AU, Domestic Fluff, Mpreg
Ch. 1
Chapter 2
"Do you know what I found out at work today?" Mohinder called from the other room.
"What?" Gabriel shot back as he continued to rinse the vegetables he would need for their dinner. He was only half listening, because it was his turn to cook dinner and he had come home an hour later than he had expected. Ordering take out was not an option since they were on a budget and Gabriel's stomach turned at the idea of greasy Chinese or oily pizza.
"As an employee of the university, I can get two free courses per semester."
Gabriel nodded thoughtfully as he gave a loud "hmm," waiting for Mohinder to continue.
"Perhaps you could sign up for some classes next term?" the Indian suggested, his voice echoing as he moved further into the house.
The young man frowned, his hands momentarily stilling at the suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea; in fact going back to school was something he had considered in the past. Gabriel had gone to college, but his funds had been limited -- the few scholarships he had acquired were just enough to make the financial burden slightly bearable -- and his mother had insisted he stay close to home. As a result, Gabriel had gone to an obscure university for no bodies and graduated with a mere bachelor's degree in a field that he hadn't even really been interested in. Yet with his intuitive aptitude, Gabriel knew now that he literally could accomplish anything and getting a proper degree could help him do just that.
His musings were cut short when the sound of soft footfalls caught his ear. He turned just in time to see Mohinder enter the kitchen, a confused look on his face and a stack of papers clutched firmly in his hands. "Gabriel," he began softly, "what is this?"
Gabriel felt his heart begin to hammer, beating wildly in his chest as he fumbled with the vegetables he had cleaned and set aside to be cut... or peeled. He couldn't remember. He couldn't concentrate as his thoughts fell apart under Mohinder's gaze. The young man hadn't meant to leave the files out in the open like that, but he had been so distracted by other tasks to even consider concealing them from sight.
"These are from my father, aren't they?" Mohinder went on, his confusion turning to frustration at Gabriel's silence. "They're his files."
"I... I..." he began, but couldn't finish. They weren't supposed to talk about this yet.
"When did you even get these?"
"Today," he said, hoping that one answer would please the Indian.
Mohinder frowned, his suspicions increasing. "I thought you had to work today."
"I did," he said, grabbing a potato and focusing his energy on removing the skin. "I just... I finished early."
"So you went to visit my father? By yourself? You never do that." Mohinder was staring at him, he could feel it, but Gabriel didn't meet his gaze, he couldn't. "What aren't you telling me Gabriel?" Mohinder demanded. The geneticist grabbed his wrists, halting him in his frantic efforts. "Talk to me."
Gabriel looked down at his pale hand, caught firmly in Mohinder's grasp. It was only then that the young man noticed that he had scrapped his own knuckles with the potato peeler. "I didn't want to tell you," he muttered as the Indian grabbed a paper towel and pressed it to his abused flesh. "Not yet... not until I had everything figured out. You... you'd think it's all so dumb."
"I don't think anything you do is dumb," he chided, looking from Gabriel's knuckles to the papers that were now resting on the kitchen counter. "Who is ‘Robert Andrews’ and why do you have his address?"
He sighed, licking his lips as he considered his words carefully. "I read his file," Gabriel began quietly. "His... his ability it's... it's enhanced fertility."
"Supposedly," Mohinder corrected. He was always skeptical, even when there was proof right in front of him. "Father never interviewed him. It could be nothing."
"He's twenty years old and has fifteen kids, Mohinder," he chuckled. "I don't think that's 'nothing.'"
"Young people are quite careless when it comes to that sort of thing," the Indian shrugged. "Especially young men. We cannot assume that every lothario has an ability simply because they refuse to use protection."
"I spoke to him, Mohinder," Gabriel continued. "On the phone... He said he used protection, every time. He even tried to get a vasectomy. Twice. It didn't take."
"It's rare, but it happens-"
"Two of his children were with men."
That did the trick. Mohinder stared, dumbstruck. He looked as if he were torn between following Gabriel's train of thought towards the obvious conclusion and willfully staying in ignorance. The young man pulled out a chair for him, because it looked as if the geneticist desperately needed to sit and gather his thoughts. He sat down, heavily, his expression still completely dazed.
"I know it's a lot to swallow, but..." Gabriel frowned, not knowing exactly how to finish that sentence.
Whether fortunate or not, Mohinder cut him off, staring at him with a completely unreadable look on his face. "You ... you want to have a baby?" he said slowly, carefully. "You and me? A baby? Right now?"
"No, not right now," he said quickly, then thought better of it. "Well, that is, if you're up for it... whenever you're ready. And, it doesn't have to be you that... you know, I think his ability works both ways. We can see when I meet him and... And you hate this idea, don't you?"
There was a pause, an awkward silence -- punctuated only by Mohinder's frantic breathing -- stretched out between the two and Gabriel started to fear the worst.
"I don't know how I feel about it," Mohinder told him honestly. "It's all so sudden. I... I love you, I really do, but... sometimes it feels like we just met. I mean, we've only known each other for a few months and… and we're already living together, we're practically married, and ... and you want to have a baby?" Mohinder sighed, rubbing at his face wearily and Gabriel felt like kicking himself. He should never have said anything; he should never have gotten those papers. "I don't know if I'm ready for all this."
Gabriel nodded, bowing his head as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. "I knew it was stupid," he muttered. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"I'm not throwing the idea out all together," the Indian told him, his words firm, slightly agitated. "And I'm not saying I want to go out and register at the nearest Baby Depot either. I... I need time. I need to think about it."
The young man nodded, because he didn't know what else to say, what to think. His dreams were still alive, but he couldn't help feeling that they'd evaporate before his eyes in just a matter of seconds.
"This is a big decision," Mohinder continued, talking more to himself than Gabriel. "I don't want to jump into anything just... give me time."
He nodded again. "I won't pressure you. That's not what I want."
Gabriel saw Mohinder nod from the corner of his eyes, before standing up. "I'm... I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower," the Indian said, pressing a soft, awkward kiss to his cheek before walking out of the kitchen.
-+-+-+-
It felt like they were fighting. The next few weeks were filled with such quiet tension that Gabriel became certain that this was exactly what a fight felt like. Except they still spoke, they still smiled at each other, and they still slept in the same bed. Yet there was this unspoken friction between the both of them, the proverbial elephant in the room, that made Gabriel certain that it was an unacknowledged fight and the longer it dragged on the more he hated himself for unknowingly starting it.
They didn't spend as much time together anymore. There were several nights that Gabriel would come home from work and find that Mohinder wasn't there, that he was spending the evening with Peter or Chandra. Gabriel usually spent those nights trying not to think of all the horrible possibilities, but they plagued him anyway.
He was certain that this was the end, that Mohinder had been so horrified by his stupid idea that he was going to move out. Worse, he was probably planning on moving in with Peter. The thought made him feel so horribly lonely that the young man actually switched their pillows just so he could breath in Mohinder's scent at all times during the night.
Yet it was exactly one month after the conversation, a month since the "fight" had started, that Gabriel found out what was actually going on.
Mohinder had come home right on time, but Gabriel had been feeling so worthless and morose that he'd avoided him, skipping dinner and heading straight for the shower. He probably stayed in there for too long -- his skin was red and wrinkled by the time he got out -- but when he did Mohinder was waiting for him in their bedroom. The Indian was sitting on their bed, fully dressed with a strange look in his eyes, a smile he had never seen before on his face, and his entire body radiating a startling vulnerability.
"I want to do it," Mohinder breathed, speaking the words as if he had been keeping them bottled up inside for an eternity, maybe he had. "Let's do it. Let's have a baby."
His body wasn't completely dry, his hair still clung to his face with the help of a few stubborn drops of water and the only thing he was wearing was a towel that hung loosely at his waist. Gabriel told himself that that was the reason he was trembling as he stared at Mohinder, but he knew better. "Are... are you sure?"
Mohinder nodded, worrying his lower lip as he gazed up at Gabriel hopefully.
The young man didn't know what to say, what to think. He sat down beside the other man, still trembling, still reeling, even as his lips began to twitch into an uncertain smile. "Well... well what made you change your mind?"
The Indian laughed, grabbing Gabriel's hand and caressing it tenderly with the pad of his thumb. "Nothing," he said, "and everything. I... I guess I just needed time to think and... and every time I did think about it, I would think of a reason not to, but... but then the same reason to actually go through with it kept coming back to me and it all seemed so right and worthwhile."
Gabriel swallowed despite the tight, dry feelings in his throat as he listened to Mohinder speak. He desperately wanted to kiss him, but at the same time he needed to hear everything the other man had to say. "What... what was it?"
The Indian leaned forward, pressing their mouths together. It wasn't so much a kiss as it was a touch, a caress that spoke volumes about the other man's desire to be close. "You," he whispered, mouthing the words against Gabriel's lips. "I love you and you love me and... and that's why you want to do this. That's why I want to do this."
It was only when they began to kiss -- licking and nipping at each other's lips until they were swollen and pink -- did Gabriel begin to realize how bare he was and that Mohinder had far too much clothing on. "Mmm, Mohinder," he breathed as the other man began tugging at the towel wrapped around his waist until it slid off. "I... I don't ... don't have that ability yet."
"I know," Mohinder hummed, pressing Gabriel flat against the soft quilt. "I know just..." He didn't finish his thought, choosing instead to focus on kissing.
Gabriel sighed happily as Mohinder took off his own shirt, throwing it across the room as he leaned forward and helped the man remove his belt.
-+-+-+-
It was morning by the time he woke up, minutes before the alarm was set to go off. Gabriel blinked a few times before reaching a tired, sluggish arm over to the clock and switching it off, wanting to avoid the shrill blare of the alarm. He yawned, feeling Mohinder stirring at his side. The young man looked down. He saw Mohinder lying on top of him, head resting on his shoulder as his long brown fingers combed through his thick chest hair thoughtfully. The Indian looked as if he had been wide awake for hours and the fact that he hadn't noticed made Gabriel feel guilty.
He was tired, it was still early, and it took him a while to find his voice. Gabriel placed his hand on Mohinder's soft black curls and began stroking him gently. They laid there like that for a while, gently touching each other in the calm of the early morning.
"You okay?" Gabriel asked, his rough, sleep filled voice breaking the silence.
The Indian sighed, shifting closer to Gabriel's side. "Fine," he whispered back. "Just... thinking."
He paled at those words, his skin losing its color in the fear that Mohinder may have reconsidered his decision. Maybe he was going to take it all back. Maybe after sleeping on the idea the man saw that all the flaws in this plan outweighed everything else. Maybe Mohinder realized that Gabriel wasn't someone he wanted to have a child with.
His stomach twisted, fear lurched up into his throat, but he pushed it back down. "Oh?" he said, using every ounce of strength left in him to try and sound calm.
"Yes," Mohinder began. He adjusted himself so that his chin was resting on Gabriel's chest, so they were now looking each other eye to eye. "I... I still want to do this, but..."
That "but" nearly killed him. That "but" was enough to make his heart go dead in his chest. That single "but" was all it took for Gabriel to stop breathing as he watched Mohinder lick his lips and consider his next words carefully.
"... but I want to have a plan," the geneticist finished. "I want to do this properly. We need to work things out first."
A wave of relief washed over the young man at those words. He relaxed, filling his deprived lungs with much needed oxygen as his heart started to beat again. Mohinder was still on board. That was good. And he wanted to make plans. That was even better. Planning would make things more solid, grounded, definite. "Okay... what kind of plan?"
Mohinder sighed, moving to the empty space on the bed before lifting himself up and leaning on one elbow, staring down at him. "Well, financially, I think we can do this," he began slowly, "but it's going to be tight. Thank goodness our jobs pay much better now, but between the medical bills, getting baby supplies, furniture, baby proofing the house, and then there's finding a sitter-"
"We won't need a sitter," Gabriel cut in. "My mother can watch the baby for us." The Indian frowned and Gabriel suddenly realized that his mother was going to be another problem they'd have to deal with. "What am I going to tell my mother?" he muttered, not at all expecting an answer.
"What are we going to tell my parents?" Mohinder put in.
"Your parents will be easier," the younger man pointed out. "A lot easier. I mean, Chandra will understand being a geneticist and this being his field and all, and your mother... Well, she must be used to this sort of stuff by now, right?"
"Used to us discussing it, yes," he sighed flipping over and lying flat on his back. "Used to unusual things happening to me, no. But we'll tell all of them when everything's already in order, when we've already conceived. We'll tell them together."
Gabriel nodded. He shifted, edging closer so that he could rest his head on Mohinder's shoulder and link their fingers together.
"We'll need to get a car," Mohinder sighed. "A decent car. It'd be impractical to have a baby and keep relying on public transportation."
"People do it all the time in this city," Gabriel shrugged. "But I see your point. We'll get a used car-"
"Not terribly used."
"-and I'll fix it up like new. We should have enough money saved up for something decent."
Mohinder nodded, running his long fingers soothingly against Gabriel's bare shoulder. "And we'll need a doctor," the Indian went on. "A good one. One who can keep this sort of thing a secret, but is still a professional. This man... Andrews? He lives near us, doesn't he?"
Gabriel nodded. "In Jersey, I think."
"He probably had someone to help him deliver his... 'special' children," Mohinder reasoned. "When you go to see him, see if he would be willing to give you his doctor's number."
He nodded again. The young man was glad that Mohinder had put so much thought into this. Knowing that Mohinder wasn't just going along with his idea, but was taking it just as seriously filled him with a warm, reassuring peace that made his skin tingle and his toes curl. The fact that they were together on this made him so happy. He smiled as he squeezed their joined hands. "Anything else?" he asked, giving the Indian's shoulder an affectionate kiss.
The hesitant silence that followed was unexpected. He had anticipated the other man to smile and kiss him back, a sign that everything was right and fine. Yet as Mohinder lay there, considering his next words carefully, Gabriel felt his stomach knot itself up anxiously.
"Yes," Mohinder began, slowly, thoughtfully. "About whose going to carry it..."
The young man frowned as he sat up straight so that he was actually able to look the man beside him in the eye.
Mohinder sighed, closing his eyes and holding his breath. "I want to do it."
"What?" He practically yelped the words as he stared at Mohinder, checking to see if he was being serious.
Gabriel had to admit that he hadn't expected the other man to say something like this. When he had come up with the idea, Gabriel had only planned it one way: with him carrying their child. This was his idea -- a most likely bad one considering that he had been the one to come up with it -- and as such, Gabriel felt that it was his duty to deal with the more difficult aspects.
"Mohinder, I... are you sure?"
The Indian looked at him, his eyes confident and unwavering as he gave the other man a quick nod.
"But... it's going to be hard."
"I know."
"It's going to be painful."
"I know."
Gabriel frowned, understanding still escaping him, slipping through his fingers like drops of water. "Then why?"
Mohinder sat up, their hands never untangling as he did so, and kissed him, quick, tight, and perfectly on his lips. "Because I need to," he sighed, resting his head on Gabriel's shoulder. "I... I just need to be the one to do this. Just... let me do this, Gabriel. For you. For us."
The young man blinked. His throat tightened and his eyes stung as he detangled their hands so he could wrap the other man in a tight embrace, pressing him close against his chest. "Okay," Gabriel choked, fighting against the urge to sob as he pressed a quick kiss to the other man's neck. "Alright, I'll... You can do this. But I'm going to take good care of you."
Mohinder laughed, wrapping his own arms around Gabriel's middle and squeezing with all his might. "Of course you will," he sighed. "You already do."
Author: starrdust411
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Gabriel/Mohinder
Rating: R
Summary: This was probably a bad idea. He was the one who had come up with it after all.
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes.
Warnings: Slash, AU, Domestic Fluff, Mpreg
Ch. 1
Chapter 2
"Do you know what I found out at work today?" Mohinder called from the other room.
"What?" Gabriel shot back as he continued to rinse the vegetables he would need for their dinner. He was only half listening, because it was his turn to cook dinner and he had come home an hour later than he had expected. Ordering take out was not an option since they were on a budget and Gabriel's stomach turned at the idea of greasy Chinese or oily pizza.
"As an employee of the university, I can get two free courses per semester."
Gabriel nodded thoughtfully as he gave a loud "hmm," waiting for Mohinder to continue.
"Perhaps you could sign up for some classes next term?" the Indian suggested, his voice echoing as he moved further into the house.
The young man frowned, his hands momentarily stilling at the suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea; in fact going back to school was something he had considered in the past. Gabriel had gone to college, but his funds had been limited -- the few scholarships he had acquired were just enough to make the financial burden slightly bearable -- and his mother had insisted he stay close to home. As a result, Gabriel had gone to an obscure university for no bodies and graduated with a mere bachelor's degree in a field that he hadn't even really been interested in. Yet with his intuitive aptitude, Gabriel knew now that he literally could accomplish anything and getting a proper degree could help him do just that.
His musings were cut short when the sound of soft footfalls caught his ear. He turned just in time to see Mohinder enter the kitchen, a confused look on his face and a stack of papers clutched firmly in his hands. "Gabriel," he began softly, "what is this?"
Gabriel felt his heart begin to hammer, beating wildly in his chest as he fumbled with the vegetables he had cleaned and set aside to be cut... or peeled. He couldn't remember. He couldn't concentrate as his thoughts fell apart under Mohinder's gaze. The young man hadn't meant to leave the files out in the open like that, but he had been so distracted by other tasks to even consider concealing them from sight.
"These are from my father, aren't they?" Mohinder went on, his confusion turning to frustration at Gabriel's silence. "They're his files."
"I... I..." he began, but couldn't finish. They weren't supposed to talk about this yet.
"When did you even get these?"
"Today," he said, hoping that one answer would please the Indian.
Mohinder frowned, his suspicions increasing. "I thought you had to work today."
"I did," he said, grabbing a potato and focusing his energy on removing the skin. "I just... I finished early."
"So you went to visit my father? By yourself? You never do that." Mohinder was staring at him, he could feel it, but Gabriel didn't meet his gaze, he couldn't. "What aren't you telling me Gabriel?" Mohinder demanded. The geneticist grabbed his wrists, halting him in his frantic efforts. "Talk to me."
Gabriel looked down at his pale hand, caught firmly in Mohinder's grasp. It was only then that the young man noticed that he had scrapped his own knuckles with the potato peeler. "I didn't want to tell you," he muttered as the Indian grabbed a paper towel and pressed it to his abused flesh. "Not yet... not until I had everything figured out. You... you'd think it's all so dumb."
"I don't think anything you do is dumb," he chided, looking from Gabriel's knuckles to the papers that were now resting on the kitchen counter. "Who is ‘Robert Andrews’ and why do you have his address?"
He sighed, licking his lips as he considered his words carefully. "I read his file," Gabriel began quietly. "His... his ability it's... it's enhanced fertility."
"Supposedly," Mohinder corrected. He was always skeptical, even when there was proof right in front of him. "Father never interviewed him. It could be nothing."
"He's twenty years old and has fifteen kids, Mohinder," he chuckled. "I don't think that's 'nothing.'"
"Young people are quite careless when it comes to that sort of thing," the Indian shrugged. "Especially young men. We cannot assume that every lothario has an ability simply because they refuse to use protection."
"I spoke to him, Mohinder," Gabriel continued. "On the phone... He said he used protection, every time. He even tried to get a vasectomy. Twice. It didn't take."
"It's rare, but it happens-"
"Two of his children were with men."
That did the trick. Mohinder stared, dumbstruck. He looked as if he were torn between following Gabriel's train of thought towards the obvious conclusion and willfully staying in ignorance. The young man pulled out a chair for him, because it looked as if the geneticist desperately needed to sit and gather his thoughts. He sat down, heavily, his expression still completely dazed.
"I know it's a lot to swallow, but..." Gabriel frowned, not knowing exactly how to finish that sentence.
Whether fortunate or not, Mohinder cut him off, staring at him with a completely unreadable look on his face. "You ... you want to have a baby?" he said slowly, carefully. "You and me? A baby? Right now?"
"No, not right now," he said quickly, then thought better of it. "Well, that is, if you're up for it... whenever you're ready. And, it doesn't have to be you that... you know, I think his ability works both ways. We can see when I meet him and... And you hate this idea, don't you?"
There was a pause, an awkward silence -- punctuated only by Mohinder's frantic breathing -- stretched out between the two and Gabriel started to fear the worst.
"I don't know how I feel about it," Mohinder told him honestly. "It's all so sudden. I... I love you, I really do, but... sometimes it feels like we just met. I mean, we've only known each other for a few months and… and we're already living together, we're practically married, and ... and you want to have a baby?" Mohinder sighed, rubbing at his face wearily and Gabriel felt like kicking himself. He should never have said anything; he should never have gotten those papers. "I don't know if I'm ready for all this."
Gabriel nodded, bowing his head as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. "I knew it was stupid," he muttered. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"I'm not throwing the idea out all together," the Indian told him, his words firm, slightly agitated. "And I'm not saying I want to go out and register at the nearest Baby Depot either. I... I need time. I need to think about it."
The young man nodded, because he didn't know what else to say, what to think. His dreams were still alive, but he couldn't help feeling that they'd evaporate before his eyes in just a matter of seconds.
"This is a big decision," Mohinder continued, talking more to himself than Gabriel. "I don't want to jump into anything just... give me time."
He nodded again. "I won't pressure you. That's not what I want."
Gabriel saw Mohinder nod from the corner of his eyes, before standing up. "I'm... I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower," the Indian said, pressing a soft, awkward kiss to his cheek before walking out of the kitchen.
-+-+-+-
It felt like they were fighting. The next few weeks were filled with such quiet tension that Gabriel became certain that this was exactly what a fight felt like. Except they still spoke, they still smiled at each other, and they still slept in the same bed. Yet there was this unspoken friction between the both of them, the proverbial elephant in the room, that made Gabriel certain that it was an unacknowledged fight and the longer it dragged on the more he hated himself for unknowingly starting it.
They didn't spend as much time together anymore. There were several nights that Gabriel would come home from work and find that Mohinder wasn't there, that he was spending the evening with Peter or Chandra. Gabriel usually spent those nights trying not to think of all the horrible possibilities, but they plagued him anyway.
He was certain that this was the end, that Mohinder had been so horrified by his stupid idea that he was going to move out. Worse, he was probably planning on moving in with Peter. The thought made him feel so horribly lonely that the young man actually switched their pillows just so he could breath in Mohinder's scent at all times during the night.
Yet it was exactly one month after the conversation, a month since the "fight" had started, that Gabriel found out what was actually going on.
Mohinder had come home right on time, but Gabriel had been feeling so worthless and morose that he'd avoided him, skipping dinner and heading straight for the shower. He probably stayed in there for too long -- his skin was red and wrinkled by the time he got out -- but when he did Mohinder was waiting for him in their bedroom. The Indian was sitting on their bed, fully dressed with a strange look in his eyes, a smile he had never seen before on his face, and his entire body radiating a startling vulnerability.
"I want to do it," Mohinder breathed, speaking the words as if he had been keeping them bottled up inside for an eternity, maybe he had. "Let's do it. Let's have a baby."
His body wasn't completely dry, his hair still clung to his face with the help of a few stubborn drops of water and the only thing he was wearing was a towel that hung loosely at his waist. Gabriel told himself that that was the reason he was trembling as he stared at Mohinder, but he knew better. "Are... are you sure?"
Mohinder nodded, worrying his lower lip as he gazed up at Gabriel hopefully.
The young man didn't know what to say, what to think. He sat down beside the other man, still trembling, still reeling, even as his lips began to twitch into an uncertain smile. "Well... well what made you change your mind?"
The Indian laughed, grabbing Gabriel's hand and caressing it tenderly with the pad of his thumb. "Nothing," he said, "and everything. I... I guess I just needed time to think and... and every time I did think about it, I would think of a reason not to, but... but then the same reason to actually go through with it kept coming back to me and it all seemed so right and worthwhile."
Gabriel swallowed despite the tight, dry feelings in his throat as he listened to Mohinder speak. He desperately wanted to kiss him, but at the same time he needed to hear everything the other man had to say. "What... what was it?"
The Indian leaned forward, pressing their mouths together. It wasn't so much a kiss as it was a touch, a caress that spoke volumes about the other man's desire to be close. "You," he whispered, mouthing the words against Gabriel's lips. "I love you and you love me and... and that's why you want to do this. That's why I want to do this."
It was only when they began to kiss -- licking and nipping at each other's lips until they were swollen and pink -- did Gabriel begin to realize how bare he was and that Mohinder had far too much clothing on. "Mmm, Mohinder," he breathed as the other man began tugging at the towel wrapped around his waist until it slid off. "I... I don't ... don't have that ability yet."
"I know," Mohinder hummed, pressing Gabriel flat against the soft quilt. "I know just..." He didn't finish his thought, choosing instead to focus on kissing.
Gabriel sighed happily as Mohinder took off his own shirt, throwing it across the room as he leaned forward and helped the man remove his belt.
-+-+-+-
It was morning by the time he woke up, minutes before the alarm was set to go off. Gabriel blinked a few times before reaching a tired, sluggish arm over to the clock and switching it off, wanting to avoid the shrill blare of the alarm. He yawned, feeling Mohinder stirring at his side. The young man looked down. He saw Mohinder lying on top of him, head resting on his shoulder as his long brown fingers combed through his thick chest hair thoughtfully. The Indian looked as if he had been wide awake for hours and the fact that he hadn't noticed made Gabriel feel guilty.
He was tired, it was still early, and it took him a while to find his voice. Gabriel placed his hand on Mohinder's soft black curls and began stroking him gently. They laid there like that for a while, gently touching each other in the calm of the early morning.
"You okay?" Gabriel asked, his rough, sleep filled voice breaking the silence.
The Indian sighed, shifting closer to Gabriel's side. "Fine," he whispered back. "Just... thinking."
He paled at those words, his skin losing its color in the fear that Mohinder may have reconsidered his decision. Maybe he was going to take it all back. Maybe after sleeping on the idea the man saw that all the flaws in this plan outweighed everything else. Maybe Mohinder realized that Gabriel wasn't someone he wanted to have a child with.
His stomach twisted, fear lurched up into his throat, but he pushed it back down. "Oh?" he said, using every ounce of strength left in him to try and sound calm.
"Yes," Mohinder began. He adjusted himself so that his chin was resting on Gabriel's chest, so they were now looking each other eye to eye. "I... I still want to do this, but..."
That "but" nearly killed him. That "but" was enough to make his heart go dead in his chest. That single "but" was all it took for Gabriel to stop breathing as he watched Mohinder lick his lips and consider his next words carefully.
"... but I want to have a plan," the geneticist finished. "I want to do this properly. We need to work things out first."
A wave of relief washed over the young man at those words. He relaxed, filling his deprived lungs with much needed oxygen as his heart started to beat again. Mohinder was still on board. That was good. And he wanted to make plans. That was even better. Planning would make things more solid, grounded, definite. "Okay... what kind of plan?"
Mohinder sighed, moving to the empty space on the bed before lifting himself up and leaning on one elbow, staring down at him. "Well, financially, I think we can do this," he began slowly, "but it's going to be tight. Thank goodness our jobs pay much better now, but between the medical bills, getting baby supplies, furniture, baby proofing the house, and then there's finding a sitter-"
"We won't need a sitter," Gabriel cut in. "My mother can watch the baby for us." The Indian frowned and Gabriel suddenly realized that his mother was going to be another problem they'd have to deal with. "What am I going to tell my mother?" he muttered, not at all expecting an answer.
"What are we going to tell my parents?" Mohinder put in.
"Your parents will be easier," the younger man pointed out. "A lot easier. I mean, Chandra will understand being a geneticist and this being his field and all, and your mother... Well, she must be used to this sort of stuff by now, right?"
"Used to us discussing it, yes," he sighed flipping over and lying flat on his back. "Used to unusual things happening to me, no. But we'll tell all of them when everything's already in order, when we've already conceived. We'll tell them together."
Gabriel nodded. He shifted, edging closer so that he could rest his head on Mohinder's shoulder and link their fingers together.
"We'll need to get a car," Mohinder sighed. "A decent car. It'd be impractical to have a baby and keep relying on public transportation."
"People do it all the time in this city," Gabriel shrugged. "But I see your point. We'll get a used car-"
"Not terribly used."
"-and I'll fix it up like new. We should have enough money saved up for something decent."
Mohinder nodded, running his long fingers soothingly against Gabriel's bare shoulder. "And we'll need a doctor," the Indian went on. "A good one. One who can keep this sort of thing a secret, but is still a professional. This man... Andrews? He lives near us, doesn't he?"
Gabriel nodded. "In Jersey, I think."
"He probably had someone to help him deliver his... 'special' children," Mohinder reasoned. "When you go to see him, see if he would be willing to give you his doctor's number."
He nodded again. The young man was glad that Mohinder had put so much thought into this. Knowing that Mohinder wasn't just going along with his idea, but was taking it just as seriously filled him with a warm, reassuring peace that made his skin tingle and his toes curl. The fact that they were together on this made him so happy. He smiled as he squeezed their joined hands. "Anything else?" he asked, giving the Indian's shoulder an affectionate kiss.
The hesitant silence that followed was unexpected. He had anticipated the other man to smile and kiss him back, a sign that everything was right and fine. Yet as Mohinder lay there, considering his next words carefully, Gabriel felt his stomach knot itself up anxiously.
"Yes," Mohinder began, slowly, thoughtfully. "About whose going to carry it..."
The young man frowned as he sat up straight so that he was actually able to look the man beside him in the eye.
Mohinder sighed, closing his eyes and holding his breath. "I want to do it."
"What?" He practically yelped the words as he stared at Mohinder, checking to see if he was being serious.
Gabriel had to admit that he hadn't expected the other man to say something like this. When he had come up with the idea, Gabriel had only planned it one way: with him carrying their child. This was his idea -- a most likely bad one considering that he had been the one to come up with it -- and as such, Gabriel felt that it was his duty to deal with the more difficult aspects.
"Mohinder, I... are you sure?"
The Indian looked at him, his eyes confident and unwavering as he gave the other man a quick nod.
"But... it's going to be hard."
"I know."
"It's going to be painful."
"I know."
Gabriel frowned, understanding still escaping him, slipping through his fingers like drops of water. "Then why?"
Mohinder sat up, their hands never untangling as he did so, and kissed him, quick, tight, and perfectly on his lips. "Because I need to," he sighed, resting his head on Gabriel's shoulder. "I... I just need to be the one to do this. Just... let me do this, Gabriel. For you. For us."
The young man blinked. His throat tightened and his eyes stung as he detangled their hands so he could wrap the other man in a tight embrace, pressing him close against his chest. "Okay," Gabriel choked, fighting against the urge to sob as he pressed a quick kiss to the other man's neck. "Alright, I'll... You can do this. But I'm going to take good care of you."
Mohinder laughed, wrapping his own arms around Gabriel's middle and squeezing with all his might. "Of course you will," he sighed. "You already do."