takhallus

Mohinder panted, his back aching from bending over to roll the snowball into something vaguely head-sized.

“Need some help there?” Gabriel smirked, watching Mohinder’s exertion.

“No thankyou, some of us want to get into the spirit of things, not just cheat.” Mohinder heaved the head onto his snowman and concentrated on placing the carrot nose and stone eyes onto his creation. He added buttons and arms from sticks and stood back to admire it. “There! Pretty good I think you’ll agr….”

Mohinder gasped at what Gabriel stood next to. It was a kneeling life-size figure of Mohinder, perfect in its detail and intricately picked out with even individual curls and eyelashes. “How did you….?”

Gabriel flushed. “I get wonderful inspiration.”

Mohinder shook his head in awe. “Not that it isn’t perfect, but….do you think you could put some clothes on me? We do have neighbours to think of.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and started to re-mould. “How come it’s okay for your snowman to be naked?”

The only light came from the flickering candle which Mohinder was holding. Sylar absent mindedly pulled at his restraints, trying not to appear nervous.

The melted wax trembled on the tip of the candle, and Sylar saw that it would only take the slightest movement to make it spill over and drop onto his bare skin. He watched as Mohinder moved it over his naked body, teasing him. As Sylar’s wrists twitched in their bounds Mohinder paused, the candle over his navel. Suddenly he shifted it and Sylar screamed through gritted teeth as he felt the hot wax splash on his nipple.

“Keep quiet, don’t make me gag you.” Mohinder commanded as Sylar swallowed hard and nodded obediently.

The candle burned on, more wax pooling in the concave end of the candle. Mohinder moved it devastatingly close to Sylar’s groin, running a finger gently down the pelvic crease on the right hand side of his body. Sylar’s breathing started to grow ragged as the candle bobbed dangerously. Mohinder moved it again, holding it half way between Sylar’s navel and the thatch of dark hair at the base of his cock.

“You might want to keep very still. If the wax runs down it could really do some damage.” He tipped the candle and Sylar whimpered at the burning of the wax. He bucked his hips quickly to stop the wax running and cried out as the movement made the muscles in his tied arms tense painfully.

Mohinder saw the tears starting to prick Sylar’s eyes and smirked. “Not long now, this candle will only burn for another hour at the most.”.

“Please don’t go.”

“Mohinder I have to, or we won’t eat for a week. I’ll be fine.” Gabriel shrugged on his coat and shoved a flashlight into his bag.

“I just have a bad feeling about it, can’t you just wait until…”

“Mohinder!” Gabriel gripped his lover’s shoulders and smiled at him kindly. “Stop worrying, I’ll be back by morning, leave the light on for me. Same as always. And I’ll be back, same as always.”

As they parted,Gabriel tried not to notice when Mohinder gripped him extra tight, and held him for a fraction longer than he usually did. “I love you”, Mohinder said sadly, holding on to Gabriel’s lapels as if that would make him change his mind.

“I love you too. Don’t forget, leave the light on for me.” And then he was gone.

When dark fell, Mohinder went to the porch of the cabin and lit the old lantern which hung in the centre. They had been on the run for three years and eight months. Every day Mohinder prayed that they would give up. He rubbed the scar tissue on his arm which reminded him that even after a year they hadn’t. He looked at the missing tip of his finger which reminded him that after two years and four months they hadn’t. They had to eat, which meant Gabriel had to break cover once a month. Every month he left, and Mohinder lit the lantern. Every month so far he had come back, but this time felt different.

Mohinder went back inside and curled up on the sofa. He would sleep here tonight, he wanted to see Gabriel the second he returned. Even the time it took to get from the door to the bedroom was too long to wait.

Mohinder opened the glass panel of the lantern and lit the tealight. He took one last glance into the dark, impenetrable forest which surrounded the cabin. It had been twelve years, but he would continue to light the lantern. When his Gabriel came back, he wanted him to be able to find his way in the dark.

The assembled agents knew what they were risking to continue their giggles but it was just too funny…

“You’re doing this on purpose Bennett.”

“I assure you Agent Gray I am NOT. The code names are themed and randomly assigned. Everyone is named after a tree this year.”

“It isn’t even a tree, it’s a bush!”

“Check your encyclopaedia Gray, it’s a tree, now stop whining.”

Gabriel turned to Mohinder urgently. “Switch with me and I’ll do anything you want.”

Mohinder smiled “Tempting, but no. I’m afraid you’re stuck with it, Agent Holly.”

Mohinder knew where he would be. He turned into the park and walked towards the fountain, rehearsing his apology. Sylar could be hyper-sensitive when he wanted to be, but his rehabilitation had focused on distraction techniques, so every time he got angry at Mohinder he would walk out and indulge in one of them. Which one would it be, he wondered. The pebbles in the fountain? Watching the fish pond?

As he came up to the bench by the fountain, Mohinder got his answer. Feeding the squirrels was today’s technique. The once fearsome serial killer was sat, holding a peanut between his thumb and forefinger, patiently waiting as a timid gray squirrel edged closer and closer. Eventually the squirrel snatched the nut and ran off, giving Sylar a satisfied smile. Mohinder approached and sat at the other end of the bench, giving him some room.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I was frustrated and it wasn’t your fault.”

Sylar said nothing, but held another peanut low, watching intently as a young squirrel hopped up bravely and took it, before darting up a nearby tree.

“It’s alright Mohinder. I understand.” Sylar sat back and put his hands in his pockets.

“Are you ready to come back yet?”

“Yes. I’m fine now.”

The two men stood and walked in silence back to their apartment. It had been a long road, but it was working. Slowly but surely, it was working.

“Up a little. No, not that far up! Down a touch. Yes. Oh yes, that’s perfect. No, wait, left a little bit. That’s right. Yes, that’s perfect, now bang it in. Be careful. Oh that’s wonderful. Oh yes Gabriel, that’s perfect.”

“Do you want the same thing over and over?”

“Yes please.”

“Sure.”

Mohinder gave a satisfied sigh. Now that Gabriel had hung the decorations up they could go and have sex.