FIC: If You Were the Last Man on Earth: Book Three (2/4)
Title: If You Were the Last Man on Earth
Book Three: Summer (2/4)
Author: seraphtrevs
Pairing: Mohinder/Sylar
Rating: NC-17
Word count: This part: 3,956
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, etc.
Spoiler alert: up through the end of season 2
Summary: AU - It's been a year and a half since the Shanti virus dropped and devastated the planet. After refusing to conduct inhumane experiments in the search for a cure, Mohinder is made into an unwilling test subject by his former colleagues. When Mohinder thinks that things can't get any worse, he is unexpectedly rescued by Sylar, who has plans that include world domination, ultimate power, and domestic bliss. Mohinder isn't sure he's better off.
A/N: Part Three is going to be a little delayed because I need to focus on getting my heroes_exchange fic done.
Thank you to the fabulous marenpaisley, who betas both in sickness and in health. And uh, I did some major last-minute surgery on this chapter, so if you guys see any typos and/or other horrendous errors, that's all me. >_>
Previous Parts:
Book One: Winter
Chapter One: A Dubious Rescue, an Improbable Savior, and the Subtle Pleasures of Accurate Time-Keeping
Chapter Two: Clockwork Comfort and Terrifying Tenderness at the Rest and Service Station
Chapter Three: The Trouble with Cockroaches, or Domestic Bliss in Piedmont, Missouri
Chapter Four: How to Keep Your Man: And Keep Him for Good
Book Two: Spring
Chapter One: Better Homes and Gardens and a Happy New Year
Chapter Two: The Morning After, Or a Prophecy Fulfilled
Chapter Three: Lies and Stormy Skies
Book Three: Summer
Chapter One: Familiarity Breeds Consent
They left at about ten o’clock the next morning, driving west from Piedmont. Sylar was practically bursting with excitement; he kept tapping the steering wheel in a staccato rhythm, then looking over at Mohinder and grinning. It was making Mohinder extremely nervous. He could easily imagine Sylar showing him something horrifying, like a cat proudly depositing a dead bird on the doorstep.
The drive, at least, was spectacular. They drove along a river through hills and mountains, all blanketed with trees that were lush with a breathtaking array of shades of green. The forests were so different from his home country - not more beautiful, but beautiful in a different, exotic way.
They drove for about an hour. Eventually, they came across a farm beside a field of what looked like wheat; Sylar stopped the hummer.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Mohinder asked.
“Partly,” he said. He was still being frustratingly coy.
They got out of the hummer. Sylar still didn’t offer any explanation - he seemed to be waiting for some feedback from Mohinder, although Mohinder couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he wanted him to say. “Did you plant all this?” Mohinder finally asked.
“Yes,” Sylar said. “It should be ready for harvesting very soon. It’ll be nice to have some fresh flour - we’re nearly out of what I had refrigerated from before.”
It would be nice, actually, but Mohinder had a feeling this was about more than fresh bread.
“I’ve also got a crop of corn going, just beyond this. Do you like corn?”
“Er, I suppose?” Mohinder said. He still didn’t know where Sylar was going with all of this. Mohinder tried to gauge how big the crop was - it was hard to tell, but it certainly seemed substantial. “Can you harvest all of this by yourself?”
“Oh yeah - I’ve got all the equipment I need, and with the use of my powers, I think I ought to be able to manage on my own.”
Mohinder looked away and ran his hands through the golden stalks. It always made him uncomfortable when he was reminded of how intensely, inhumanly powerful Sylar was.
“It’s not that big of a crop, actually,” Sylar continued. “But it’ll be a good start.”
“A start for what?” Mohinder asked.
Sylar didn’t answer, but his grin broadened. “Come on, I’ve got more to show you.”
They got back into the hummer and drove until they reached what looked like a resort community by a large lake; Sylar parked by the main office. Mohinder got out of the hummer and came eye-to-eye with a giant fish statue; it appeared to be smiling. Below it was a sign that said ‘CLEARWATER LAKE RESORT.’ "So what are we doing here?"
Sylar walked around the hummer and took Mohinder’s hand in his own. "Follow me."
They walked down to a row of small cabins. They all looked freshly painted, each one immaculate and identical. Sylar pulled Mohinder into the closest one. The interior seemed newly renovated. "What do you think?" Sylar asked.
"What do I think about what?"
“This is where everyone’s going to live,” Sylar said. “There are four other little communities like this, and I’ve fixed them all up. Everything’s ready - we just need to find survivors and bring them here. It will be the new capital of the world.”
Mohinder looked around the small cabin again. “Oh.”
“Go check out the kitchen,” Sylar said. “Look in the cupboards.” Mohinder did as Sylar asked and opened one of the cupboard doors. It was filled with cans of food.
“There’s food in every cupboard in this community,” Sylar said. “We’ll run out of canned food eventually, but along with the wheat and corn, it will sustain the first survivors we bring here until we can really take off with more large scale agriculture.”
“I see.” Mohinder took out one of the cans. It was chicken noodle soup. He set it back in the cupboard and shut the door.
“Well?” Sylar asked. “What do you think?”
“It looks very nice,” Mohinder said carefully. “But why these cabins? We have a whole empty world filled with - ” he almost said nicer, but then caught himself. “ - bigger houses.”
Sylar shook his head. “No, everyone needs to be on the same level. Equal.” Sylar stared out the window, and Mohinder got the feeling he was talking more to himself. “That was the problem before - people coveted the things they saw around them every day that they couldn’t have. And people need to feel like they’re part of a community - to feel like they belong. There was so much misery and loneliness before. And think of all those survivors out there, frightened and alone, waiting for a miracle. Waiting for us. The old civilization, with all of its sins and corruption, has been wiped away. Without us, the human race will be doomed to eke out their miserable existence scavenging from what’s left of the old world. But we’re giving them a chance to build something stronger, better.”
“And what if they don’t want what you’re offering?” Mohinder said.
Sylar stared at Mohinder blankly. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“What if the survivors we find have their own ideas about how to go about rebuilding the world?”
Sylar still seemed confused. “But…this is the best way. They’ll have to see that.”
“They’ll have to see that because you’ll force them to?”
“No!” Sylar said with exasperation. “Because it’s self-evident! People will be happy here.”
“And you really care about that.”
Sylar gave him a look. “Of course I do.”
Mohinder wasn’t quite sure how to feel about this development. On the one hand, Sylar setting people up in glorified dollhouses so he could play king of the world was a little disturbing, to say the least. But on the other hand, Sylar did have a point. For there to be any hope for the human race, there needed to be organization, and if the government truly had collapsed, then who else had the ability to do it?
Sylar took Mohinder’s hands in his own. “Please, Mohinder - I need you with me on this. I need your help.”
The request took Mohinder by surprise. “Help?” he asked. “Doing what? It seems you have everything under control,” he added a bit sourly.
“I want to hear your opinions. And once we bring the survivors here - well, I’m not really much of a people person. I could use your help in, you know - communicating things.”
Mohinder looked at Sylar’s earnest expression. Did he really mean it when he said he wanted Mohinder’s input? He still wasn’t sure about Sylar’s motives - a benevolent dictator was still a dictator. But if Mohinder could help to temper some of Sylar's more totalitarian impulses, this might actually have a shot at working. As he thought about it, he began to warm to the idea. Maybe that could be his role in all of this.
“All right,” he said. “But I want to know everything you have planned - no secrets.”
“No secrets,” Sylar agreed. He smiled. “But I think maybe we’ve had enough of talking about this for today - how about we go have lunch by the lake and relax awhile?”
Mohinder smiled back. “Sounds good.”
They returned to the hummer and unloaded the cooler and blanket that Sylar had packed for their picnic lunch. Sylar took Mohinder through the community, floating the cooler behind them. Everything was perfect; the lawns were probably nicer than they had been before the end of the world. And considering that there were four other communities just like this, it was no wonder that it had taken Sylar so long to set all of it up. Even with the use of his powers, the upkeep must have been difficult.
They walked up a scenic nature trail and emerged in a grassy, open area with the lake spread out in front of them. Sylar telekinetically spread the blanket on the ground. Mohinder sat down while Sylar unpacked the cooler, pulling out the food and a bottle of champagne.
Sylar popped the cork on the champagne and poured them both a glass. “To new beginnings,” he said, clinking their glasses together. Mohinder made a noncommittal sound and took a sip. If Sylar was disappointed at Mohinder’s lack of enthusiasm, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed remarkably at ease; his earlier excitement seemed to have leveled off and been replaced with contentment. He was obviously very pleased with himself, and why shouldn’t he be? Everything was going his way.
They ate in silence for a while, gazing out at the glittering lake and soaking in the sun. The champagne buzzed pleasantly through Mohinder’s body as he munched on zucchini frittata and bruschetta. He tried to imagine the people they would find, but he found himself having trouble even imagining their faces. It had been so long since he’d seen anyone except Sylar. The idea of other people felt hopelessly abstract. And how were they going to go about finding them? He was sure Sylar had a plan, but he felt reluctant to ask. He should be eager to finally be in the company of other people, but he found the thought of scouring the countryside tiring. More than that, a part of him didn’t want anyone else intruding on what was happening between them. He didn’t want to have to explain. He could barely explain it to himself.
After a while, Mohinder noticed that Sylar was staring at him. Again. “I wish you wouldn’t stare at me like that,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because it makes me uncomfortable.”
“But I love to look at you,” he said. “I have enhanced vision, you know - and every time I look at you, I see something new. You fascinate me.” Sylar ran his fingers lightly over Mohinder’s cheek, staring at his lips for a moment before moving his gaze upward and looking deeply into his eyes. “If you could see what I see, you’d never look away.”
Mohinder burst out laughing. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?” Sylar asked, sounding hurt.
“If I had enhanced vision, I certainly wouldn’t want to waste it staring at someone’s stubble all day.”
Sylar scowled. “Some people would think that was romantic, you know,” he mumbled.
Mohinder sighed. “Look, can we drop the whole ‘romance’ thing?”
Sylar suddenly went very still. “What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying that you don’t need to try so hard. I mean, we’re already in -” Mohinder stopped.
“In what?” Sylar asked.
“Involved,” Mohinder finished. “I would just be more comfortable if you would tone it down a little.”
Sylar shrugged. “Fine. I guess that means you don’t want your present.”
“Present?”
Sylar gave him a sly look. “Well, it was supposed to be sort of a romantic gesture.”
Now Mohinder was curious. “What is it?”
“I don’t know if I should tell you - I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable…”
Mohinder punched his arm. “Just give it to me already.”
Sylar grinned. “All right, if you’re sure.” He reached into the picnic basket, pulled out a long, rectangular black box and handed it to Mohinder.
He opened it; inside was a gold wristwatch. The design was simple, but bold. Although it was exquisitely crafted, it wasn’t at all delicate - it looked built to last. He took it out of the box. “Did you make this?”
“Yes. I just finished it yesterday. Here - ” Sylar took it from him. “Give me your hand.” When Mohinder didn’t immediately respond, he frowned. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“It’s lovely,” Mohinder said. “It’s just - ”
“What?”
“I’m sort of attached to the one I already have,” he said, feeling silly.
Sylar looked at him, then at the new watch, and then he threw it over his shoulder and tackled Mohinder to the blanket, raining kisses all over his face.
Mohinder started laughing. “What’s gotten into you?”
Sylar pulled back. “I love you - I know you don’t want me to say it, and you don’t have to say it back, but I really do, more than anything.”
Mohinder didn’t know how to respond. Sylar’s head was silhouetted against the sun, like it had been when he’d carried him out of the hospital. When he’d rescued him.
He felt a sudden, sharp twinge in his chest, like his heart was breaking. He shut his eyes tightly.
“Mohinder? Are you all right?”
Mohinder didn’t answer him right away. He took a deep breath, and when he let it out, the pain went with it. It left in its place a warm feeling that it took Mohinder a moment to recognize - he was happy. He opened his eyes and met Sylar’s concerned gaze. “Yes,” he said, almost surprised at how much he meant it. “I think I am.”
Their next kiss was slow and felt more sincere than any that had come before it. Sylar cupped Mohinder’s cheek in the palm of his hand, rubbing his stubble with his thumb before breaking away and kissing along Mohinder’s jaw. He reached his ear and gently whorled his tongue around the delicate shell. Mohinder let out a breathy moan, but then pulled back. Despite the hand job last night, he still felt a little uneasy about the sex. For their entire sexual relationship previous to the day before, the sex was just sex - bodies coming together and nothing more. Now that it seemed like they were approaching something close to a partnership, Mohinder wasn’t sure he could handle the intimacy. He didn’t want to feel any more vulnerable than he already did. “I’m not sure I’m up for sex right now,” he said. “I’m a little sore,” he added in an attempt to bypass any discussion on the subject.
“I’m not,” Sylar said. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at Mohinder, a nervous but eager expression on his face.
Realization slowly dawned on him. “You mean, you want me to - ”
Sylar reached up and cupped Mohinder’s cheek in his hand. “Yes.”
He felt a surprisingly strong surge of arousal despite his earlier misgivings. Mohinder had always bottomed up until this point - something that was actually quite unusual for him. He’d never really pressed to top Sylar before because it had always seemed like it would be an admission that the sex was something he was actively pursuing and not just allowing to happen. But right now, the thought of having Sylar underneath him was incredibly appealing - let him be the vulnerable one for once.
He leaned down and gave Sylar a brief but intense kiss. “Did you bring any lube?”
“In the cooler.”
Mohinder ruffled through the cooler until he found the lube. When he turned back around, Sylar was pulling off the last of his clothes. Sylar met Mohinder’s gaze and slowly lay down on the blanket without breaking eye contact. Mohinder’s breath caught in his throat. He had, of course, seen Sylar naked before, but when they were fucking, he concentrated only on Sylar’s cock, mouth and hands. Really looking at him felt almost too intimate, but now he found that he wanted to try to see Sylar as more than those disembodied parts.
He was lean - when Mohinder had first met him, he assumed that he’d be soft and scrawny under his layers of t-shirts, but now he knew that there was a surprising amount of strength lurking in his slim frame that had nothing to do with his special abilities. He had the kind of pale skin that looked as if it would bruise easily, although because of Sylar’s healing ability, he knew that wasn’t true.
He almost always had stubble; Mohinder’s own beard grew in quickly, but Sylar’s seemed to sprout back as soon as he set down his razor. Back before they’d had sex, he’d always assumed that Sylar would be hairy all over, but his chest was smooth with the exception of a heart-shaped patch of hair below his collarbone and a light dusting around his nipples.
Sylar slopped gel in his hair every day, sometimes spiking it and sometimes slicking it back, and Mohinder just now realized that it must be for his benefit, since it wasn’t as if there was anyone else around to impress. His lips were a surprisingly delicate shade of pink, and his eyes, now heavy-lidded, were a startlingly vivid brown.
A faint flush started to color his whole body as Mohinder looked at him. “Well?” he said, sounding a little embarrassed. “What are you waiting for?
Mohinder lay down beside Sylar, and they began to kiss again. Mohinder reached down and took Sylar’s cock in his hand and stroked it lightly; Sylar moaned and rolled his hips into Mohinder’s grip. The buttons of Mohinder’s shirt seemed to undo themselves; after the last one was released, Sylar pushed Mohinder’s shirt off of his shoulders. Mohinder unbuttoned his fly and shimmied out of his trousers and briefs.
Mohinder handed the tube of lubricant to Sylar. “Hold this in your hand to warm it up - it’s not going to feel very good otherwise.” Mohinder then moved down until he was level with Sylar’s cock. He held the base steady and licked a long stripe up the center. He ran his tongue around the head and took the whole thing in his mouth in one steady slide.
He sucked him until Sylar started moaning and thrusting back. He let Sylar’s cock slip out of his mouth and extended his hand. “Lube, please.” Sylar handed him the tube.
Mohinder squirted some on his fingers and rubbed them together until he was satisfied that the liquid was warm enough. He took Sylar’s cock in his mouth again and gently rubbed around Sylar’s pucker with two fingers. When Sylar began to relax, Mohinder carefully slipped the tip of one finger inside him.
Sylar immediately tensed. Mohinder began moving his head more quickly and sucking him harder to distract him from the invasion. He worked the finger in slowly until it was in up to the second knuckle. He began to move it in gentle circles, and then carefully added a second finger. He released Sylar’s cock and placed his free hand on Sylar’s hip, then crooked his fingers and rubbed against Sylar’s prostate.
Sylar let out a strangled sound. His hips bucked up, but Mohinder’s grip kept him on the blanket. He smiled down at Sylar. “Did you like that?”
“Yes,” Sylar said, panting. “Do it again?”
Mohinder did. He continued to massage him until Sylar was a panting, writhing mess. Mohinder removed his fingers and shakily applied some lube to his cock. “Turn over,” he said softly.
Sylar complied, turning over until he was on his hands and knees. Mohinder ran a hand over Sylar’s ass, then grabbed his cock and positioned himself. “Are you ready?”
Sylar took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.”
As soon as Mohinder began to push in, Sylar’s entire body went rigid. Mohinder sucked in a breath at the clench around his cock but managed not to thrust any further. He hushed Sylar and ran his hands up and down his flanks. “You’re okay - it gets better. Breathe.”
Sylar inhaled shakily and let it out. Mohinder held as still as possible until he felt Sylar begin to relax. “Okay?” he asked. Sylar answered by pushing back, encouraging him to move forward.
Mohinder finally pushed all the way inside. He stayed there for several moments, buried to the hilt, their balls pressed together. Slowly, he pulled back and thrust in again, a little faster this time. Sylar began to rock back to meet his thrusts, and soon they set a rhythm.
It was a hot, muggy day and they were both drenched in sweat. Sylar didn’t seem to be in any pain now; he moaned in enthusiasm as Mohinder’s thrusts became harder and faster. Mohinder spread Sylar’s ass with his hands and watched himself moving in and out of Sylar’s body, fascinated by how his cock would disappear and then reappear with every thrust.
“Touch me,” Sylar said breathlessly. “Please, I need you.”
Mohinder reached around and grabbed Sylar’s cock. He began stroking it, awkwardly at first until he found the proper rhythm. Sylar was wild now, his head thrown back, his mouth open and panting. His hips jerked almost violently, and then he was coming. The spunk hit the palm of Mohinder’s hand, and that pushed him suddenly over the edge. He cried out wordlessly as he came.
They both collapsed onto the blanket. As soon as Mohinder caught his breath, he rolled off of Sylar and onto his side. The gold watch was lying a few feet in front of him; the glare from the sun shining off of it was so bright that he had to shut his eyes.
Sylar slipped a hand around Mohinder’s waist and pulled him until his back was flush with Sylar’s chest. “That was incredible,” he said in Mohinder’s ear.
“Yes,” Mohinder murmured. His mind flashed back to the first time they'd had sex, and how he had felt like he'd made a move that he could never take back. Now another door had been opened, and he'd stepped through it again.
Sylar must have felt the tension in Mohinder’s shoulders, because he let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s all right to be happy, you know. You’ve always been lonely - now you’re not. You’ve always wanted to save the world - now you have the chance. All you have to do is let it happen. Why is that so difficult for you?”
Because I don’t want to love you, but I think I might be falling for you anyway. “I don’t know,” he said instead. “I’m sort of stubborn, I suppose.”
Sylar laughed and kissed his shoulder. “Why don’t we nap a little, and then go for a swim? And then I can drive you around and show you everything else?”
“All right.”
The watch and the box it had come in rose up and over to Sylar’s hand. He put it back in the box but didn’t shut the lid. “You can keep this for special occasions,” he said.
Mohinder’s stomach did a little flip as he thought about the fact that soon, there were going to be other people with whom to have special occasions. “It really is a beautiful watch,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How long did it take you to make it?”
“I started on it when I first brought you here.” Sylar ran his fingers lightly over the watch and then shut the box with a surprisingly loud snap. “It took a while to get it just right, but I think it was worth the effort.”
It was a beautiful day, and Mohinder felt warm, full and sated. What purpose would it serve for him to continue to fight this? It wouldn’t bring anyone back from the dead. It wouldn’t help rebuild the world. Yes, it was compromising his principles, but was it worth it to be a martyr if it wouldn’t do anyone any good?
The sun had moved through the sky and its light was now hitting the lake at a sharp angle. The glare was intense, but Mohinder kept staring at the shimmering water, mesmerized by the gentle waves that rippled across the surface. He wondered how deep the water was, and what kind of aquatic life lurked beneath the surface.
Eventually, the glare became too much for him, so he turned away. Sylar put his arms around him, and Mohinder rested his head on Sylar’s chest while bursts of red and yellow flashed behind his closed lids.
Onto Chapter 3!
Book Three: Summer (2/4)
Author: seraphtrevs
Pairing: Mohinder/Sylar
Rating: NC-17
Word count: This part: 3,956
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made, etc.
Spoiler alert: up through the end of season 2
Summary: AU - It's been a year and a half since the Shanti virus dropped and devastated the planet. After refusing to conduct inhumane experiments in the search for a cure, Mohinder is made into an unwilling test subject by his former colleagues. When Mohinder thinks that things can't get any worse, he is unexpectedly rescued by Sylar, who has plans that include world domination, ultimate power, and domestic bliss. Mohinder isn't sure he's better off.
A/N: Part Three is going to be a little delayed because I need to focus on getting my heroes_exchange fic done.
Thank you to the fabulous marenpaisley, who betas both in sickness and in health. And uh, I did some major last-minute surgery on this chapter, so if you guys see any typos and/or other horrendous errors, that's all me. >_>
Previous Parts:
Book One: Winter
Chapter One: A Dubious Rescue, an Improbable Savior, and the Subtle Pleasures of Accurate Time-Keeping
Chapter Two: Clockwork Comfort and Terrifying Tenderness at the Rest and Service Station
Chapter Three: The Trouble with Cockroaches, or Domestic Bliss in Piedmont, Missouri
Chapter Four: How to Keep Your Man: And Keep Him for Good
Book Two: Spring
Chapter One: Better Homes and Gardens and a Happy New Year
Chapter Two: The Morning After, Or a Prophecy Fulfilled
Chapter Three: Lies and Stormy Skies
Book Three: Summer
Chapter One: Familiarity Breeds Consent
They left at about ten o’clock the next morning, driving west from Piedmont. Sylar was practically bursting with excitement; he kept tapping the steering wheel in a staccato rhythm, then looking over at Mohinder and grinning. It was making Mohinder extremely nervous. He could easily imagine Sylar showing him something horrifying, like a cat proudly depositing a dead bird on the doorstep.
The drive, at least, was spectacular. They drove along a river through hills and mountains, all blanketed with trees that were lush with a breathtaking array of shades of green. The forests were so different from his home country - not more beautiful, but beautiful in a different, exotic way.
They drove for about an hour. Eventually, they came across a farm beside a field of what looked like wheat; Sylar stopped the hummer.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Mohinder asked.
“Partly,” he said. He was still being frustratingly coy.
They got out of the hummer. Sylar still didn’t offer any explanation - he seemed to be waiting for some feedback from Mohinder, although Mohinder couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he wanted him to say. “Did you plant all this?” Mohinder finally asked.
“Yes,” Sylar said. “It should be ready for harvesting very soon. It’ll be nice to have some fresh flour - we’re nearly out of what I had refrigerated from before.”
It would be nice, actually, but Mohinder had a feeling this was about more than fresh bread.
“I’ve also got a crop of corn going, just beyond this. Do you like corn?”
“Er, I suppose?” Mohinder said. He still didn’t know where Sylar was going with all of this. Mohinder tried to gauge how big the crop was - it was hard to tell, but it certainly seemed substantial. “Can you harvest all of this by yourself?”
“Oh yeah - I’ve got all the equipment I need, and with the use of my powers, I think I ought to be able to manage on my own.”
Mohinder looked away and ran his hands through the golden stalks. It always made him uncomfortable when he was reminded of how intensely, inhumanly powerful Sylar was.
“It’s not that big of a crop, actually,” Sylar continued. “But it’ll be a good start.”
“A start for what?” Mohinder asked.
Sylar didn’t answer, but his grin broadened. “Come on, I’ve got more to show you.”
They got back into the hummer and drove until they reached what looked like a resort community by a large lake; Sylar parked by the main office. Mohinder got out of the hummer and came eye-to-eye with a giant fish statue; it appeared to be smiling. Below it was a sign that said ‘CLEARWATER LAKE RESORT.’ "So what are we doing here?"
Sylar walked around the hummer and took Mohinder’s hand in his own. "Follow me."
They walked down to a row of small cabins. They all looked freshly painted, each one immaculate and identical. Sylar pulled Mohinder into the closest one. The interior seemed newly renovated. "What do you think?" Sylar asked.
"What do I think about what?"
“This is where everyone’s going to live,” Sylar said. “There are four other little communities like this, and I’ve fixed them all up. Everything’s ready - we just need to find survivors and bring them here. It will be the new capital of the world.”
Mohinder looked around the small cabin again. “Oh.”
“Go check out the kitchen,” Sylar said. “Look in the cupboards.” Mohinder did as Sylar asked and opened one of the cupboard doors. It was filled with cans of food.
“There’s food in every cupboard in this community,” Sylar said. “We’ll run out of canned food eventually, but along with the wheat and corn, it will sustain the first survivors we bring here until we can really take off with more large scale agriculture.”
“I see.” Mohinder took out one of the cans. It was chicken noodle soup. He set it back in the cupboard and shut the door.
“Well?” Sylar asked. “What do you think?”
“It looks very nice,” Mohinder said carefully. “But why these cabins? We have a whole empty world filled with - ” he almost said nicer, but then caught himself. “ - bigger houses.”
Sylar shook his head. “No, everyone needs to be on the same level. Equal.” Sylar stared out the window, and Mohinder got the feeling he was talking more to himself. “That was the problem before - people coveted the things they saw around them every day that they couldn’t have. And people need to feel like they’re part of a community - to feel like they belong. There was so much misery and loneliness before. And think of all those survivors out there, frightened and alone, waiting for a miracle. Waiting for us. The old civilization, with all of its sins and corruption, has been wiped away. Without us, the human race will be doomed to eke out their miserable existence scavenging from what’s left of the old world. But we’re giving them a chance to build something stronger, better.”
“And what if they don’t want what you’re offering?” Mohinder said.
Sylar stared at Mohinder blankly. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“What if the survivors we find have their own ideas about how to go about rebuilding the world?”
Sylar still seemed confused. “But…this is the best way. They’ll have to see that.”
“They’ll have to see that because you’ll force them to?”
“No!” Sylar said with exasperation. “Because it’s self-evident! People will be happy here.”
“And you really care about that.”
Sylar gave him a look. “Of course I do.”
Mohinder wasn’t quite sure how to feel about this development. On the one hand, Sylar setting people up in glorified dollhouses so he could play king of the world was a little disturbing, to say the least. But on the other hand, Sylar did have a point. For there to be any hope for the human race, there needed to be organization, and if the government truly had collapsed, then who else had the ability to do it?
Sylar took Mohinder’s hands in his own. “Please, Mohinder - I need you with me on this. I need your help.”
The request took Mohinder by surprise. “Help?” he asked. “Doing what? It seems you have everything under control,” he added a bit sourly.
“I want to hear your opinions. And once we bring the survivors here - well, I’m not really much of a people person. I could use your help in, you know - communicating things.”
Mohinder looked at Sylar’s earnest expression. Did he really mean it when he said he wanted Mohinder’s input? He still wasn’t sure about Sylar’s motives - a benevolent dictator was still a dictator. But if Mohinder could help to temper some of Sylar's more totalitarian impulses, this might actually have a shot at working. As he thought about it, he began to warm to the idea. Maybe that could be his role in all of this.
“All right,” he said. “But I want to know everything you have planned - no secrets.”
“No secrets,” Sylar agreed. He smiled. “But I think maybe we’ve had enough of talking about this for today - how about we go have lunch by the lake and relax awhile?”
Mohinder smiled back. “Sounds good.”
They returned to the hummer and unloaded the cooler and blanket that Sylar had packed for their picnic lunch. Sylar took Mohinder through the community, floating the cooler behind them. Everything was perfect; the lawns were probably nicer than they had been before the end of the world. And considering that there were four other communities just like this, it was no wonder that it had taken Sylar so long to set all of it up. Even with the use of his powers, the upkeep must have been difficult.
They walked up a scenic nature trail and emerged in a grassy, open area with the lake spread out in front of them. Sylar telekinetically spread the blanket on the ground. Mohinder sat down while Sylar unpacked the cooler, pulling out the food and a bottle of champagne.
Sylar popped the cork on the champagne and poured them both a glass. “To new beginnings,” he said, clinking their glasses together. Mohinder made a noncommittal sound and took a sip. If Sylar was disappointed at Mohinder’s lack of enthusiasm, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed remarkably at ease; his earlier excitement seemed to have leveled off and been replaced with contentment. He was obviously very pleased with himself, and why shouldn’t he be? Everything was going his way.
They ate in silence for a while, gazing out at the glittering lake and soaking in the sun. The champagne buzzed pleasantly through Mohinder’s body as he munched on zucchini frittata and bruschetta. He tried to imagine the people they would find, but he found himself having trouble even imagining their faces. It had been so long since he’d seen anyone except Sylar. The idea of other people felt hopelessly abstract. And how were they going to go about finding them? He was sure Sylar had a plan, but he felt reluctant to ask. He should be eager to finally be in the company of other people, but he found the thought of scouring the countryside tiring. More than that, a part of him didn’t want anyone else intruding on what was happening between them. He didn’t want to have to explain. He could barely explain it to himself.
After a while, Mohinder noticed that Sylar was staring at him. Again. “I wish you wouldn’t stare at me like that,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because it makes me uncomfortable.”
“But I love to look at you,” he said. “I have enhanced vision, you know - and every time I look at you, I see something new. You fascinate me.” Sylar ran his fingers lightly over Mohinder’s cheek, staring at his lips for a moment before moving his gaze upward and looking deeply into his eyes. “If you could see what I see, you’d never look away.”
Mohinder burst out laughing. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?” Sylar asked, sounding hurt.
“If I had enhanced vision, I certainly wouldn’t want to waste it staring at someone’s stubble all day.”
Sylar scowled. “Some people would think that was romantic, you know,” he mumbled.
Mohinder sighed. “Look, can we drop the whole ‘romance’ thing?”
Sylar suddenly went very still. “What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying that you don’t need to try so hard. I mean, we’re already in -” Mohinder stopped.
“In what?” Sylar asked.
“Involved,” Mohinder finished. “I would just be more comfortable if you would tone it down a little.”
Sylar shrugged. “Fine. I guess that means you don’t want your present.”
“Present?”
Sylar gave him a sly look. “Well, it was supposed to be sort of a romantic gesture.”
Now Mohinder was curious. “What is it?”
“I don’t know if I should tell you - I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable…”
Mohinder punched his arm. “Just give it to me already.”
Sylar grinned. “All right, if you’re sure.” He reached into the picnic basket, pulled out a long, rectangular black box and handed it to Mohinder.
He opened it; inside was a gold wristwatch. The design was simple, but bold. Although it was exquisitely crafted, it wasn’t at all delicate - it looked built to last. He took it out of the box. “Did you make this?”
“Yes. I just finished it yesterday. Here - ” Sylar took it from him. “Give me your hand.” When Mohinder didn’t immediately respond, he frowned. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“It’s lovely,” Mohinder said. “It’s just - ”
“What?”
“I’m sort of attached to the one I already have,” he said, feeling silly.
Sylar looked at him, then at the new watch, and then he threw it over his shoulder and tackled Mohinder to the blanket, raining kisses all over his face.
Mohinder started laughing. “What’s gotten into you?”
Sylar pulled back. “I love you - I know you don’t want me to say it, and you don’t have to say it back, but I really do, more than anything.”
Mohinder didn’t know how to respond. Sylar’s head was silhouetted against the sun, like it had been when he’d carried him out of the hospital. When he’d rescued him.
He felt a sudden, sharp twinge in his chest, like his heart was breaking. He shut his eyes tightly.
“Mohinder? Are you all right?”
Mohinder didn’t answer him right away. He took a deep breath, and when he let it out, the pain went with it. It left in its place a warm feeling that it took Mohinder a moment to recognize - he was happy. He opened his eyes and met Sylar’s concerned gaze. “Yes,” he said, almost surprised at how much he meant it. “I think I am.”
Their next kiss was slow and felt more sincere than any that had come before it. Sylar cupped Mohinder’s cheek in the palm of his hand, rubbing his stubble with his thumb before breaking away and kissing along Mohinder’s jaw. He reached his ear and gently whorled his tongue around the delicate shell. Mohinder let out a breathy moan, but then pulled back. Despite the hand job last night, he still felt a little uneasy about the sex. For their entire sexual relationship previous to the day before, the sex was just sex - bodies coming together and nothing more. Now that it seemed like they were approaching something close to a partnership, Mohinder wasn’t sure he could handle the intimacy. He didn’t want to feel any more vulnerable than he already did. “I’m not sure I’m up for sex right now,” he said. “I’m a little sore,” he added in an attempt to bypass any discussion on the subject.
“I’m not,” Sylar said. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at Mohinder, a nervous but eager expression on his face.
Realization slowly dawned on him. “You mean, you want me to - ”
Sylar reached up and cupped Mohinder’s cheek in his hand. “Yes.”
He felt a surprisingly strong surge of arousal despite his earlier misgivings. Mohinder had always bottomed up until this point - something that was actually quite unusual for him. He’d never really pressed to top Sylar before because it had always seemed like it would be an admission that the sex was something he was actively pursuing and not just allowing to happen. But right now, the thought of having Sylar underneath him was incredibly appealing - let him be the vulnerable one for once.
He leaned down and gave Sylar a brief but intense kiss. “Did you bring any lube?”
“In the cooler.”
Mohinder ruffled through the cooler until he found the lube. When he turned back around, Sylar was pulling off the last of his clothes. Sylar met Mohinder’s gaze and slowly lay down on the blanket without breaking eye contact. Mohinder’s breath caught in his throat. He had, of course, seen Sylar naked before, but when they were fucking, he concentrated only on Sylar’s cock, mouth and hands. Really looking at him felt almost too intimate, but now he found that he wanted to try to see Sylar as more than those disembodied parts.
He was lean - when Mohinder had first met him, he assumed that he’d be soft and scrawny under his layers of t-shirts, but now he knew that there was a surprising amount of strength lurking in his slim frame that had nothing to do with his special abilities. He had the kind of pale skin that looked as if it would bruise easily, although because of Sylar’s healing ability, he knew that wasn’t true.
He almost always had stubble; Mohinder’s own beard grew in quickly, but Sylar’s seemed to sprout back as soon as he set down his razor. Back before they’d had sex, he’d always assumed that Sylar would be hairy all over, but his chest was smooth with the exception of a heart-shaped patch of hair below his collarbone and a light dusting around his nipples.
Sylar slopped gel in his hair every day, sometimes spiking it and sometimes slicking it back, and Mohinder just now realized that it must be for his benefit, since it wasn’t as if there was anyone else around to impress. His lips were a surprisingly delicate shade of pink, and his eyes, now heavy-lidded, were a startlingly vivid brown.
A faint flush started to color his whole body as Mohinder looked at him. “Well?” he said, sounding a little embarrassed. “What are you waiting for?
Mohinder lay down beside Sylar, and they began to kiss again. Mohinder reached down and took Sylar’s cock in his hand and stroked it lightly; Sylar moaned and rolled his hips into Mohinder’s grip. The buttons of Mohinder’s shirt seemed to undo themselves; after the last one was released, Sylar pushed Mohinder’s shirt off of his shoulders. Mohinder unbuttoned his fly and shimmied out of his trousers and briefs.
Mohinder handed the tube of lubricant to Sylar. “Hold this in your hand to warm it up - it’s not going to feel very good otherwise.” Mohinder then moved down until he was level with Sylar’s cock. He held the base steady and licked a long stripe up the center. He ran his tongue around the head and took the whole thing in his mouth in one steady slide.
He sucked him until Sylar started moaning and thrusting back. He let Sylar’s cock slip out of his mouth and extended his hand. “Lube, please.” Sylar handed him the tube.
Mohinder squirted some on his fingers and rubbed them together until he was satisfied that the liquid was warm enough. He took Sylar’s cock in his mouth again and gently rubbed around Sylar’s pucker with two fingers. When Sylar began to relax, Mohinder carefully slipped the tip of one finger inside him.
Sylar immediately tensed. Mohinder began moving his head more quickly and sucking him harder to distract him from the invasion. He worked the finger in slowly until it was in up to the second knuckle. He began to move it in gentle circles, and then carefully added a second finger. He released Sylar’s cock and placed his free hand on Sylar’s hip, then crooked his fingers and rubbed against Sylar’s prostate.
Sylar let out a strangled sound. His hips bucked up, but Mohinder’s grip kept him on the blanket. He smiled down at Sylar. “Did you like that?”
“Yes,” Sylar said, panting. “Do it again?”
Mohinder did. He continued to massage him until Sylar was a panting, writhing mess. Mohinder removed his fingers and shakily applied some lube to his cock. “Turn over,” he said softly.
Sylar complied, turning over until he was on his hands and knees. Mohinder ran a hand over Sylar’s ass, then grabbed his cock and positioned himself. “Are you ready?”
Sylar took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.”
As soon as Mohinder began to push in, Sylar’s entire body went rigid. Mohinder sucked in a breath at the clench around his cock but managed not to thrust any further. He hushed Sylar and ran his hands up and down his flanks. “You’re okay - it gets better. Breathe.”
Sylar inhaled shakily and let it out. Mohinder held as still as possible until he felt Sylar begin to relax. “Okay?” he asked. Sylar answered by pushing back, encouraging him to move forward.
Mohinder finally pushed all the way inside. He stayed there for several moments, buried to the hilt, their balls pressed together. Slowly, he pulled back and thrust in again, a little faster this time. Sylar began to rock back to meet his thrusts, and soon they set a rhythm.
It was a hot, muggy day and they were both drenched in sweat. Sylar didn’t seem to be in any pain now; he moaned in enthusiasm as Mohinder’s thrusts became harder and faster. Mohinder spread Sylar’s ass with his hands and watched himself moving in and out of Sylar’s body, fascinated by how his cock would disappear and then reappear with every thrust.
“Touch me,” Sylar said breathlessly. “Please, I need you.”
Mohinder reached around and grabbed Sylar’s cock. He began stroking it, awkwardly at first until he found the proper rhythm. Sylar was wild now, his head thrown back, his mouth open and panting. His hips jerked almost violently, and then he was coming. The spunk hit the palm of Mohinder’s hand, and that pushed him suddenly over the edge. He cried out wordlessly as he came.
They both collapsed onto the blanket. As soon as Mohinder caught his breath, he rolled off of Sylar and onto his side. The gold watch was lying a few feet in front of him; the glare from the sun shining off of it was so bright that he had to shut his eyes.
Sylar slipped a hand around Mohinder’s waist and pulled him until his back was flush with Sylar’s chest. “That was incredible,” he said in Mohinder’s ear.
“Yes,” Mohinder murmured. His mind flashed back to the first time they'd had sex, and how he had felt like he'd made a move that he could never take back. Now another door had been opened, and he'd stepped through it again.
Sylar must have felt the tension in Mohinder’s shoulders, because he let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s all right to be happy, you know. You’ve always been lonely - now you’re not. You’ve always wanted to save the world - now you have the chance. All you have to do is let it happen. Why is that so difficult for you?”
Because I don’t want to love you, but I think I might be falling for you anyway. “I don’t know,” he said instead. “I’m sort of stubborn, I suppose.”
Sylar laughed and kissed his shoulder. “Why don’t we nap a little, and then go for a swim? And then I can drive you around and show you everything else?”
“All right.”
The watch and the box it had come in rose up and over to Sylar’s hand. He put it back in the box but didn’t shut the lid. “You can keep this for special occasions,” he said.
Mohinder’s stomach did a little flip as he thought about the fact that soon, there were going to be other people with whom to have special occasions. “It really is a beautiful watch,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How long did it take you to make it?”
“I started on it when I first brought you here.” Sylar ran his fingers lightly over the watch and then shut the box with a surprisingly loud snap. “It took a while to get it just right, but I think it was worth the effort.”
It was a beautiful day, and Mohinder felt warm, full and sated. What purpose would it serve for him to continue to fight this? It wouldn’t bring anyone back from the dead. It wouldn’t help rebuild the world. Yes, it was compromising his principles, but was it worth it to be a martyr if it wouldn’t do anyone any good?
The sun had moved through the sky and its light was now hitting the lake at a sharp angle. The glare was intense, but Mohinder kept staring at the shimmering water, mesmerized by the gentle waves that rippled across the surface. He wondered how deep the water was, and what kind of aquatic life lurked beneath the surface.
Eventually, the glare became too much for him, so he turned away. Sylar put his arms around him, and Mohinder rested his head on Sylar’s chest while bursts of red and yellow flashed behind his closed lids.
Onto Chapter 3!