Any Other World [Narrative]
They walked to the cafe hand in hand, Mohinder’s fingers stroking Gabriel’s hand and reassuring him softly that everything would be fine.
At the doorway, they kissed softly and Mohinder stepped inside, fingers stroking his rings as he looked around.
“Mohinder!”
He turned to the call and paused, found himself caught in a time warp.
Jonathan had changed. They both had, they’d grown up, but he still recognised him, tall and thin, rather than lanky now, hair still faded corn yellow. His eyes were still brilliant blue and sharply intelligent when he looked to Mohinder and grinned.
A hand shake became a tight hug. Mohinder could smell cloying cologne that once would’ve seemed nice but now just reminded him of who it wasn’t. He stepped back again and smiled. “You’ve barely changed.”
“You have,” Jonathan said. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”
“Flatterer.” He pushed Jonathan back to the table and sat down. “Tell me everything. Tell me about your little girl and what you’re doing here.”
Jonathan told Mohinder about his life, that the job in France led to a position with a private firm, and that now he was working for a makeup company in market research and public relations. He had an ex-wife in London, a string of ex girlfriends since then and his little girl wanted to be an Olympic runner.
Mohinder told Jonathan that he had worked in the university, eventually in his father’s seat. That he moved out here to collect his father’s remains and picked up his work, but didn’t go into what it entailed. With prompting he told Jonathan about Molly, that she lived with her foster father now.
And then casually slipped in, “I live with my partner now, Gabriel.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows went up. “Gabriel?”
“Yes. He’s a- he’s a mechanic, specialising in clockwork. He made the rings I’m wearing. He’s very skilled.”
Which led to Jonathan asking Mohinder to tell him about Gabriel. So he did, about how intelligent he was, his smile, the way he looked over his glasses when he was surprised from his work, the fact he could construct blue prints from memory and barely managed to cook toast without starting a fire. They met through his work, nothing more than that, just that Mohinder’s work led him to meeting Gabriel, and they’d been together for a year and just moved in together. They had two cats and a lizard and no, Molly and Gabriel didn’t really meet much, Molly lived interstate.
And eventually, Mohinder’s phone beeped, telling him he had to get going. He let Jonathan get the bill and they headed towards the door.
“Mohinder?”
“Yes, Jonathan?”
“I’m sorry. About what happened. You deserved better. I should have asked.”
Mohinder paused, taking a slow breath. “I did. But thank you.”
“You sound really happy now.”
“I am.” He could say it honestly. “I miss my little girl, but I wouldn’t change what I have. He makes me happy.”
“But if anything ever-”
Mohinder turned and pushed his fingertips to Jonathan’s mouth. He knew what was coming. “He won’t. You don’t need to be protective. And if anything ever happened to him, gods forbid, I would be content to stay alone. He’s my soul mate.”
Jonathan just nodded. Mohinder smiled and hugged him. “It was good to see you again, Jonathan, but I really need to get going. Gabriel will be waiting.”
And they parted ways, Mohinder stepping out onto the street and back to his lover.
At the doorway, they kissed softly and Mohinder stepped inside, fingers stroking his rings as he looked around.
“Mohinder!”
He turned to the call and paused, found himself caught in a time warp.
Jonathan had changed. They both had, they’d grown up, but he still recognised him, tall and thin, rather than lanky now, hair still faded corn yellow. His eyes were still brilliant blue and sharply intelligent when he looked to Mohinder and grinned.
A hand shake became a tight hug. Mohinder could smell cloying cologne that once would’ve seemed nice but now just reminded him of who it wasn’t. He stepped back again and smiled. “You’ve barely changed.”
“You have,” Jonathan said. “You’re more beautiful than I remember.”
“Flatterer.” He pushed Jonathan back to the table and sat down. “Tell me everything. Tell me about your little girl and what you’re doing here.”
Jonathan told Mohinder about his life, that the job in France led to a position with a private firm, and that now he was working for a makeup company in market research and public relations. He had an ex-wife in London, a string of ex girlfriends since then and his little girl wanted to be an Olympic runner.
Mohinder told Jonathan that he had worked in the university, eventually in his father’s seat. That he moved out here to collect his father’s remains and picked up his work, but didn’t go into what it entailed. With prompting he told Jonathan about Molly, that she lived with her foster father now.
And then casually slipped in, “I live with my partner now, Gabriel.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows went up. “Gabriel?”
“Yes. He’s a- he’s a mechanic, specialising in clockwork. He made the rings I’m wearing. He’s very skilled.”
Which led to Jonathan asking Mohinder to tell him about Gabriel. So he did, about how intelligent he was, his smile, the way he looked over his glasses when he was surprised from his work, the fact he could construct blue prints from memory and barely managed to cook toast without starting a fire. They met through his work, nothing more than that, just that Mohinder’s work led him to meeting Gabriel, and they’d been together for a year and just moved in together. They had two cats and a lizard and no, Molly and Gabriel didn’t really meet much, Molly lived interstate.
And eventually, Mohinder’s phone beeped, telling him he had to get going. He let Jonathan get the bill and they headed towards the door.
“Mohinder?”
“Yes, Jonathan?”
“I’m sorry. About what happened. You deserved better. I should have asked.”
Mohinder paused, taking a slow breath. “I did. But thank you.”
“You sound really happy now.”
“I am.” He could say it honestly. “I miss my little girl, but I wouldn’t change what I have. He makes me happy.”
“But if anything ever-”
Mohinder turned and pushed his fingertips to Jonathan’s mouth. He knew what was coming. “He won’t. You don’t need to be protective. And if anything ever happened to him, gods forbid, I would be content to stay alone. He’s my soul mate.”
Jonathan just nodded. Mohinder smiled and hugged him. “It was good to see you again, Jonathan, but I really need to get going. Gabriel will be waiting.”
And they parted ways, Mohinder stepping out onto the street and back to his lover.