Undercover Part 3
Memories of the previous evening broke like morning over Mohinder as slowly but surely each of his senses engaged. He felt the warmth of another body next to him, not the restrained positioning of two colleagues forced to share a bed, but actual proximity, heat passed between sleepers. He tasted and smelled the stale alcohol on his own breath, and heard the soft breaths of his associate, a steady percussion to the ragged skip of his own heartbeat. Finally he turned his head to look at Gabriel. His eyes were closed, lips parted. Mohinder’s gaze drifted down to his chest, and he watched it rise and fall gently, watched his own breath flutter the soft hair and start to create goosebumps on Gabriel’s collarbone.
Mohinder shifted closer, resting his head on the edge of Gabriel’s pillow. He brushed his index finger lightly over his palm and felt his hand twitch around him. Pulling the comforter over them further Mohinder closed his eyes, and listened to Gabriel sleeping.
Gabriel kept his eyes closed, though he could somehow tell that Mohinder was looking at him. He had heard the tiny movements of skin against sheets, and the waking sounds which Mohinder had made before he became aware enough to be self-conscious. He felt Mohinder’s gentle touch on his hand and wondered if it was deliberate. When he then felt the added warmth from the comforter hit his shoulder he shuddered and stilled, letting his bare skin adjust to the renewed heat. Mohinder was close to him, he could feel him, hear his blood pumping. They were both awake, but disguised by the appearance of sleep, Gabriel realised. Tentatively he stroked Mohinder’s fingers.
Mohinder stopped breathing as he felt Gabriel’s thumb run over his fingers. He looked at him carefully, searching his face for any sign of consciousness. His free hand felt empty while there was something so lovely in front of him. Something so familiar, so inviting. Mohinder thought on the extremes of emotion they had experienced together. There was the excitement of seeing ‘Zane’ use his powers, which Mohinder now realised had been just as new and thrilling for Gabriel. There was the fear of the spectre of Sylar hanging over them, or in Gabriel’s case, the fear of being detected, and the trepidation at feeling their connection, abnormally strong after such a short time together. Those moments seemed like a lifetime ago, and like it or not Mohinder found it hard to tie them to the man he was looking at now. His feelings were a mess of contradiction. He felt safe with a killer, attracted to a monster, loyal to a deceiver.
His hand clenched, and he let his eyes drop to the curve of Gabriel’s waist. What would happen if he just touched him? He might wake up, shove him away like he had done the first night they were together, when it really had been an accident. Would that be so bad? Mohinder could deny it all, pretend to be still asleep. After all, it had been Gabriel who made that first move last night, when he….
Suddenly Mohinder remembered their kiss. Gabriel had grabbed him, pinned him against the door and kissed him hard. They had been almost undressed, lying on this bed exploring each other’s bodies. Game or no game, it seemed ridiculous to be worrying about a little touch, just because they had lost the cover of darkness and the mask of Dutch courage. He made sure his hand was warm, and placed it softly onto Gabriel’s waist, snapping his eyes shut as he did so.
“Mmmm.” Gabriel sighed at Mohinder’s touch. He’d been waiting for this. Now he was going to have some fun. “Mmm, Mohinder.” He whispered sleepily, imagining his partner’s eyes flashing open in surprise. “Oh Mohinder, more. More.”
Mohinder stared at him. Was he dreaming? His eyes were still closed and his voice had that lazy tone which came when someone was led into waking. He moved his hand up slightly and tried not to gasp when Gabriel nuzzled into him, pulling him closer, still appearing to be sound asleep.
Gabriel was enjoying himself. He felt Mohinder, so warm in his arms, and wondered how far he could go before he sussed what he was up to. He cuddled him closer, humming contentedly, and felt him return his touch, placing his hand on his back and breathing deeply into his neck. His lips were next to Mohinder’s ear on the pillow, and he started to whisper, keeping a firm hold on him. “Mmm, oh Mohinder, yes. God, I want you.”
“You do?”
Gabriel froze. What to do now? Mohinder sounded like he was awake, surely he wouldn’t take advantage of someone who was clearly sleep-talking? This was Mohinder Suresh. “Mmm. I want you. Do you want me?”
“Yes, so much.” Mohinder knew he wasn’t asleep. They had shared a bed for the past two nights, and he’d been asleep in the car on the roadtrip. Gabriel had never talked in his sleep, not once. He slept like the dead. This was one little game that Mohinder was not going to lose.
“Take me then. Do it now.” Gabriel said, having to squeeze his eyes shut to fight the temptation of getting a look at this breathless, horny Mohinder.
“Mmm, I want to. God, I want to Peter.”
“Peter!?” Gabriel sprang up in the bed, his face falling as he saw the huge grin on Mohinder’s face.
“I knew you weren’t asleep, what kind of fool do you take me for?”
Gabriel grinned and had a chuckle to himself. “I’m sorry, I was just ah…” He settled back down on the pillow, still smiling.
“Just ah…?”
“I was teasing you.” Gabriel stroked a finger down Mohinder’s cheek and stared into his eyes.
“Why?” Mohinder suddenly felt about sixteen years old, flirty and inhibited, not wanting to give any more than he was going to get in return.
Gabriel shrugged, unable to keep the grin from his face. “I don’t know.”
“You wanted a reaction from me.”
“Yes.”
“What reaction did you want?” Mohinder smiled back at him and Gabriel suddenly pulled the comforter over his face.
“Stop it! Now you’re teasing me. It’s too early for teasing.”
“You started it!” Mohinder reached under the covers and pinched his side, tickling him. Gabriel’s body gave a spasm as he tried to curl against the onslaught.
“No! Stop it! Don’t make me stop you!” Gabriel laughed as Mohinder’s hands darted back under the covers.
“Make me, see if I care.” Mohinder giggled. As soon as the words left his lips he found himself on his back with Gabriel holding his arms down over his head. Kiss me, he thought. He stared into Gabriel’s eyes, trying to transmit his thoughts, trying to make it clear that he would give no resistance to him anymore. He saw Gabriel swallow, and parted his lips ready for what he was sure would come.
Just then there was a knocking at the door and Gabriel’s head jerked towards it. “Just leave it,” Mohinder said a little too quickly.
“No, we’re not expecting anyone. Stay there.” Gabriel got out of bed and stepped towards the door gingerly. Mohinder tensed as Gabriel pulled the door open.
“Room service, Sir.” A red jacketed waiter wheeled a cart past a bemused Gabriel.
“We didn’t order room service.”
“It’s courtesy of Mrs Rivaldo.”
Mohinder and Gabriel exchanged a look as the waiter hovered, waiting for a tip. Gabriel went to his wallet and handed him a twenty, sending the man scurrying out of the room. When the door was closed behind him Gabriel looked at the cart. There was champagne, orange juice and a domed silver salver which he stared at as if a bomb might be under it. “Did you talk to her?” His tone was suddenly all business.
“Er, yes, yesterday morning, but I…”
“Where? What did you say?”
“In the elevator, I….She heard us arguing and she said I should make it up to you.”
Gabriel looked at him, stung. “What did she say you should do?”
Mohinder didn’t want to answer while Gabriel was looking like this. He looked as if he might cry. “What’s wrong? She’s just a harmless woman.”
“What did she tell you to do? Think! Be exact.” he demanded. All the humour had gone from his eyes and now Mohinder was back to being intimidated.
“She said I had to make it up to you, and that…” Mohinder searched his memory. “That there was only one way to make up to a lover.”
Gabriel sat on the bed, turned away from him. “Did she touch you?”
Mohinder moved down the bed and settled his hands on Gabriel’s shoulders. “Please tell me what this is about. Who is this woman?”
“Did she touch you Mohinder?” Gabriel whispered.
“Yes, she squeezed my arm. Now please, tell me what this is about.”
Gabriel stood and walked away from him, shrugging him off. “This morning, when you woke up, how did you feel about me?”
“I felt, I don’t know…Different I suppose.”
“You know what I’m talking about, did you feel like, like you wanted to do what she suggested?” Gabriel was getting louder and more agitated and Mohinder desperately wanted to hold him, but as he stood up Gabriel backed away.
“Don’t touch me, stay back.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Mohinder grabbed for him and found himself being held telekinetically. “Let me go, I’m serious.” He said as he struggled against the binding force.
“Tell me exactly what you want to do right now. Say it.” Gabriel began to pant at the exertion of keeping Mohinder still. “SAY IT!”
“I just want to touch you! I want to kiss you, hold you, I….” The words were out of Mohinder’s mouth before he had a chance to censor them. All of a sudden he felt dizzy and his legs weakened beneath him. Gabriel’s hold stopped him from falling and he was pushed gently back onto the bed where he lay, tired and not knowing why.
“Tell me, please, what’s going on?”
Gabriel relaxed his hold and sat in the window seat, sighing. “Marridas, I don’t think it’s him we should be after.”
“But he’s the target, he’s the one with the ability.”
“Yeah? Well I’m beginning to wonder. Marridas’s ability, it’s transferred through touch and it’s powerful. At least we thought it was him.”
Mohinder panted, too exhausted to get angry. “You knew about his ability and you didn’t tell me. Why?”
“We weren’t certain. But Marridas is a drugs baron, right? But they’ve never found a product, so there’s no evidence. They never found a product because he is the product.”
Mohinder sat up, easing himself against the headboard. “So it’s what, some kind of pheromone?”
“Not exactly, it’s like an opiate effect. He can touch someone and they achieve a euphoria, it can be dosed through the amount of exposure.”
“I don’t feel particularly euphoric.”
“It also makes people highly suggestible, which is why his business is booming. He has himself a criminal army at his disposal, all strung out on his ability.”
Mohinder’s head was throbbing. He didn’t feel at all suggestible or high, he had just been enjoying himself. He’d thought Gabriel was enjoying it too. “So you think it’s actually Ana Rivaldo who has the ability?”
“It would explain a lot. He does the deal, she provides the product. It would explain why you…well, the way you behaved this morning.”
“The way I behaved?! That was a two-way thing, and nothing happened anyway, it was just…”
“Just what? Flirting? Between two people who used to hate one another? How did you feel about me this morning? Were you annoyed? Irritated? Scared? Angry? No, you were making puppy dog eyes at me and feeling me up in my sleep!” Gabriel was on his feet now, and Mohinder was beginning to stress. He had been so happy just a few minutes ago, now he was possibly poisoned, Gabriel was angry at him and their whole mission was in disarray.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, I don’t feel drugged, I feel normal. I feel like my feelings were normal.”
“Well they’re not, they’re ridiculous.” Gabriel grabbed his bag and stormed into the bathroom. Mohinder felt like he’d just taken a bullet to the chest. He gathered the bedclothes around him and hugged himself. When Gabriel emerged from the bathroom he had no idea how much time had passed.
“Stay here, don’t move. I’m going to call in from a secure line.”
“Wait, what if…”
“Stay there! Don’t move. Understand?” Gabriel’s eyes burned into him.
“Yes.”
Gabriel let the gravel under his feet take his aggression as he strode purposefully down the hotel driveway. He didn’t give a damn about calling into the Company, he just wanted to be out of that room. He felt so stupid, believing that Mohinder might have feelings for him, that he would be willing to touch him, kiss him. He ran the morning’s events over in his head trying to filter the professional judgement from the raw emotion and found that he couldn’t. He reached the phonebox and thought about what he might start with. Ana Rivaldo had…No, first there had been a cart delivered, and then…
The phone dropped from his hand as he turned and ran back towards the hotel. As his feet pounded scattered thoughts bounced through his mind. The cart, the covered silver salver, which they didn’t look under. Mohinder, alone.
He bolted up the stairs taking them two at a time and somehow knowing what he find when he reached their room. His hands shook as burst the lock and ran inside. The bedclothes were bunched on the floor, spattered with blood. The cart had been turned over and Gabriel saw the smashed remains of a tiny microphone, still taped inside the salver lid. He saw the note on the bed and snatched it up. It said “He dies at noon at the Roberts Dockyard.”
Gabriel looked at his watch. 10.20am. There was no time to get back up, he would have to go alone, and pray that Mohinder was still breathing when he got there.
To be continued