torchwoodinstitute | Welcome to the Hub

Jack had that awful, knowing smile of his plastered intently on his face. "I handed Mohinder the keys for a reason. I didn't want who those places belonged to to influence you."

First it had been the doctor's flat. Owen had been resurrected through alien technology to the point where he was alive but his flesh was not. He could no longer eat or feel and his skin could not heal but he lived... Until he didn't.

The second was Gwen's place. She and her husband and her baby wanted nothing to do with Jack and he never blamed them. Not with a little girl to look after.

And finally... Ianto's cottage. He couldn't just keep that to himself forever. Most of the other man's possessions were moved. Gone. He kept his pocket watch close.

"But you should move whatever you want. I'll put the boxes in storage. I guess this means you'll want a salary advance? What was Angie paying you?"

Mohinder smiled sheepishly. "Letting us be together I suppose was payment...?"

Oh, so Mohinder getting the keys was just so he wouldn't be pushed one way or another. Jack earned a smirk and a slight eyeroll with that knowing smile. Gabriel thought he'd probably have kept informed on any powers he'd developed. At least that meant that if he popped up with information he probably shouldn't have, Jack would know where it came from. That tended to make people less suspicious, if more annoyed.

Jack started talking about moving things (and that was good to hear, he had been thinking about making the second bedroom a study) and salary advances. Mohinder tried to explain their 'arrangement' with Primatech and Gabriel laughed. "It was more of a congenial hostage situation than it was a job. Although it looked like Angela was going to try to pay me in suits, eventually. And Mohinder in high-tech lab equipment."

He shrugged. "If it helps, I made about 45 grand a year in my watchmaking business, when I didn't put it all back into the business." It was clear he wasn't terribly concerned about the money. He could scrimp pretty easily, and they both were workaholics regardless of their salary. An advance for moving-in materials would be nice, though- especially since Peter wasn't around to trick people into taking American money.

"How did you survive in New York on that?" Jack laughed, teasing.

"You make due," Mohinder said, coming quick to the rescue. "I managed to survive in Brooklyn on a cab driver's salary--"

"And a trust fund. And your father's life insurance..." Jack let it go. He could see from Mohinder's eyes that the father topic was not something to be brought up. And he could understand that.

Mohinder took the seat across from Jack and folded his hands on the desk. "What are you offering, other than room and board?"

Jack wrote a figure on a piece of paper. There were at least six digits. He folded the paper and handed it to Mohinder. "How about that, each, to start?"

Mohinder had never seen half a million dollars before, let alone half a million pounds. His mouth dropped.

Neither Mohinder and Gabriel wanted Jack talking about Chandra's life insurance. Or Chandra. Gabriel made a sour face at the mention, as well. They got on, so far, by not talking about him as much as possible.

Gabriel had been about to assert that he did all right in Queens on his salary, even if it was difficult sometimes. But Mohinder thankfully interjected with a different subject.

While Mohinder's mouth dropped, Gabriel's eyes bulged. He didn't even see the amount, but he saw that extra digit there. And that was in addition to the place? He glanced at Mohinder, slightly dumbstruck but also amused. "Well, this is different than Primatech. I think that'd be just fine with me. You, Mohinder?"

"Why so much?" Mohinder had learned to be skeptical beyond just scientifically. He'd been beaten and used and hurt badly enough that he was almost touch shy to these companies. "What do you want from us?"

Jack had given much the same speech to a hundred before Mohinder. He would give it to a hundred after too. Closing the file, Jack smiled. It was hollow but mohinder couldn't read him that well. Gabriel, who had given those same smiles, would know it far better than his boyfriend. "The average life expectancy for a Torchwood Agent is forty or a decade of service. Whatever comes first. You're compensated for risking your life just being in the Hub, before you're sent on any missions. You might not be a field man, doctor. But you will be exposed to likely toxic alien biology on a regular basis. Your pay is to give you a good life while you're here, saving the future of humanity. Gabriel's is to make sure he enjoys yours while you are with us."

There wasn't an ounce of candy coating there. The two had a choice to make now.

Gabriel started frowning as soon as Jack said 'life expectancy' and that frown only deepened while the man went on. He'd known this, of course- it wasn't just the money. Knowing that they worked at fixing time itself, seeing that remains were kept here, hearing and seeing displays of mourning the lost. This was a dangerous job, even moreso than Primatech. Or perhaps they just acknowledged it.

But the thing was, Gabriel didn't want to acknowledge it. He wanted to find a way around it, because this didn't suit him at all. His eyes hardened as he looked somewhere behind Jack, off into the distance. He'd have to start carrying around a syringe of his blood, in case Mohinder got infected with something or injured badly. And he'd have to prioritize finding a way to make Mohinder immortal, as well.

He chewed on his lip for a moment, thinking about it, before turning to look at Mohinder. "This is up to you. I can do anything, with you. We could head somewhere else, get settled somewhere, you could focus on your research." But he thought he knew the answer he'd get already. They'd seen too much here, and it was all too tempting.

"And leave the world hanging?" Mohinder asked, relatively serene. "I think it's a small price to pay. And you'll never need to watch me grow old," he pointed out, which struck a cord in Jack. Wives, lovers, Ianto had said the same thing to him. It was why Jack grew wise and left when it became obvious that he was never aging.

It was harder on the people he loved than their deaths were on him. He kept going on. But they obsessed. Their lives were stretched and horrible. And Jack didn't want it for them. "Let me add one more pleasantry. I'm not telling you to cut ties but no one can know about us or the details of what we do. Understood?"

Mohinder nodded quickly. "Just show me where to sign, Captain. I'm ready to see what the universe has to offer."

This was the first time that Gabriel really had to face the implications of his immortality. He hadn't had time yet to see things and people grow old around him, and he couldn't- didn't want to- guess at what that would be like. Mohinder's reassurance that Gabriel 'wouldn't watch him grow old' was anything but reassuring.

But as he suspected, Mohinder had already made the decision. In fact, no matter what they got into, it'd likely be fairly dangerous- it was the sort of people they were. Gabriel allowed himself a brief moment of sadness, rubbing the palms of his hands on his eyes and down his face, before he reasserted to himself that he'd find a more acceptable solution.

He took a deep breath, in and out, and then he smiled. It was the same fake smile Jack had given them. "We're on board, then. And don't worry, I don't think my mom's heart could handle this. She's going to have a hard enough time accepting that I can manage to move out of New York."

When the ink was drying and Jack was done flirting, Mohinder and Gabriel were told to report tomorrow around noon for training. It was going to give them the rest of the afternoon and morning tomorrow to spend together before Jack purposefully separated them. He didn't think Mohinder really needed to be going through pocket portals and Gabriel was going to have to learn to experience days or weeks or months at a time while Mohinder only went through a few hours without him.

Time travel, like time itself, was not only relative but kind of a bitch like that.

Mohinder was somewhat surprised when he stopped to get milk and some bread and cereal and whatever else Gabriel wanted at the Tescos and saw what was left in his account after running the card through the chip and pin machine.

He almost choked.

"This is going to take so much getting use to!"

Gabriel heard the strange noise Mohinder made and leaned over his shoulder to snoop on the amount. He let out a low whistle. "I knew we'd be getting an advance, but it still hasn't sunk in yet. I'd ask you to pinch me, but- well, we can get to that." He smirked at Mohinder. "Looks like I'll be able to afford more than one suit, now." He was planning on getting good use out of that fancy closet.

Gabriel helped Mohinder carry the groceries back to their new home, and it felt great to talk and laugh and to not have to worry about goals or betrayal or anything but getting home. Of course, his mind was still on the lookout for the unusual, but being away from Primatech made him feel like a heavy weight had been lifted off of him.

Taking the time to put the groceries away, at this point, was the hardest thing his willpower had to endure. It was shortly after Tesco that the two had gotten back to full-on 'making eyes' at each other, and it was difficult for him to keep from immediately kissing Mohinder as they walked in the door. But Gabriel reminded himself that this was truly the last task they had before they could fully enjoy their evening, so they might as well get it done.

Mohinder took his time packing things away. He moved around the contents of the kitchen a few times and then again when Gabriel was starting to look impatient. The man that could understand how everything worked would probably catch on that he was teasing, especially with condoms and lubricant sitting right on the breakfast bar as if to evoke terror in the heart of Gabriel's jeans... Or just to make them exceedingly tight as a form of foreplay.

He even hummed, cheeky thing, as he cleaned the area with some store bought spray, glancing up from time to time.

Mohinder liked to live on the edge, even if this was a particular brand of danger that might only bruise him in the best of ways. He figured that if he could file Gabriel up when he didn't look his best, he could really do a number on him when his hair grew back and all the bruises faded.

After possibly setting a record for dumping food into a fridge without breaking it, Gabriel had to stop and stare at Mohinder. This was more in disbelief than anything else- the man had gotten out cleaning spray and was wiping the counter down. Gabriel watched him in silence for a few seconds, and then Mohinder started humming, and Gabriel had to roll his eyes.

Gabriel's mind flashed a few worried possibilities at him, but they were quickly thrown away. So he approached Mohinder from behind, snaking an arm around the Indian's waist, and leaned down to speak quietly into his ear. "You missed a spot." He nodded vaguely towards the boxes on the breakfast bar.

He could play this game, too. Although, to be honest, he wasn't entirely sure how long he'd hold out.

Mohinder didn't stiffen a bit, but he did not so subtly lean back to rub his rear against Gabriel's crotch while leaning over to get the spot Gabriel had mentioned. "Here?" Oh so innocent, he even looked back over his shoulder. It was probably lucky that he was too bruised to properly arch his back or else Gabriel might break into a million pieces.

Mohinder was almost ridiculously sexy and that little wiggle at least proved that he knew he had an effect on his boyfriend in the most base of ways.

"Or... Perhaps this spot here? No?" He should never have told the Indian he liked the way he spoke. "Gabriel, would you mind showing me?"

Gabriel might break into a million pieces, anyway. At least, that was what he thought, as he felt Mohinder press back into him while (poorly) feigning innocence. Gabriel couldn't do any better- his pants were already tight, and Mohinder's wiggling had made that more than obvious to everyone involved.

He groaned quietly, both out of arousal and exasperation. "You are unbelievable," he said, his breathy tone indicating this was meant as a compliment. He had no chance at this teasing game against Mohinder. Maybe he'd last longer in the future. "Stop cleaning and let me kiss you, already."

He tugged lightly on Mohinder's shoulder to try and get him up and turned around, so he could do just that. His lips held a slight pout, from having to wait so long for this.

"I thought you preferred to listen to me speak," Mohinder said, though he did turn and drop the paper towel so to focus his attention strictly on Gabriel. "I'd do better speaking if I wasn't so distracted by you," he continued, arms slipping happily around Gabriel's neck as he pushed more firmly against the other man's hips. There was no denying that they were both excited. Mohinder didn't hide the fact and stood on his toes to kiss those pouting, sweet lips.

It was a race to the bedroom after that, Mohinder tearing into newly purchased sheets. He assumed Gabriel would be able to bring the other necessities with him.

He shook one sheet out over the mattress cover before he turned again towards the American. "Gabriel?" He knew the man liked how he said his name. "Would you kindly help me with the zipper on these jeans?"

He had almost groaned again when he remembered that they needed to change the sheets. Ugh. He stretched out one hand and the sheet smoothed itself out and tucked itself under the mattress. He'd been actively trying to cut down on his telekinesis use, but surely that would be fine.

Regardless, that would be all the attention the sheets got, because Mohinder was calling for him. And clearly needed his help. "Of course," he said, leaning in for another short kiss. He tugged lightly on Mohinder's lower lip as he pulled away to look at what he was doing. It was actually somewhat tough- jeans weren't the easiest things to remove when tight- but he managed somehow. He pulled down the zipper and pulled the jeans down, leaving the underwear for the moment.

As he rose back up, he let his hands slide across his boyfriend's legs. He had no idea what he was doing, really, he just wanted to touch. Once he was standing, his right hand slid to the front, lightly fondling the tent in the fabric there, feeling out the shape of it. "Was that the sort of help you were looking for?" he asked, a mischievous smile on his lips. "Maybe we could apply it to your shirt, too." He'd be more careful taking the shirt off, mindful of the bruises. But once it was gone, he'd be kissing Mohinder's neck and down to his collarbone, murmuring, "God, you are gorgeous."

Most of the bruising had started to fade and the yellow blended right into his skin tone in a way it wouldn't on a paler person. He still ached but some aches were all right to ignore. All he wanted was Gabriel's hands on him, all he wanted was to continue to feel his fingers climb across his skin. Let the man worship him....as strange as that was, it was also wholly erotic.

Mohinder mentioned the pros of having help with his shirt as well and stood with his arms to his sides as Gabriel unwrapped him. He would willingly be naked, standing there as a feast for soft brown eyes for as long as the American willed it.

The compliment made him smile. "Who I am to question your taste? If you find me so, I'll believe you. I can't rightly say I'm use to hearing it, though. And not from someone gorgeous themselves."

At Mohinder's assertion, Gabriel pulled away from his skin to look at him with surprise. And then he blushed, slightly, as his partner turned that compliment back around on him. "People are blind. That or jealous."

He had been working his way down, but now he leaned in to kiss Mohinder on the lips, slow and sweet. As raring to go as he was for everything else, he did really enjoy the kissing, too. When he pulled away, he looked shy- it wasn't entirely an act, either. "As for me, I had something of a makeover...you saw those old pictures of me. This look's still pretty new. Glad you like it."

He smiled against Mohinder's lips, then worked his way up to an ear. His hands continued to roam, treading lightly over the back, but soon finding perfect places to press and knead. "Uh-oh, looks like I might need help with my clothes, too," he chuckled into Mohinder's ear. "I keep getting distracted somehow."

"And I thought you were so capable," Mohinder purred, his teasing holding absolutely no malice as he curled his fingers in Gabriel's belt loops and hauled him towards the bed. Kneeling upon it, Mohinder took his time undressing Gabriel as he stood in front of him, his long body revealed with the twist of a fine body.

Oh, he did enjoy this. He loved how mutually insync they were and grasped onto it with fast, sure fingers as if he could keep Gabriel with him always.

The thought of 'Sylar' never came up. Perhaps that was because Mohinder completely blocked the thought, perhaps he clung to other, more beautiful angles. It didn't matter at the moment. He couldn't imagine that it ever would.

"Come up here and let me distract you some more," he whispered when they were equally dressed...or undressed!

Gabriel suspected that Mohinder had separated the 'Sylar' personality quite a bit farther than it actually was from himself. But that didn't bother him. It kept him from tripping up on their conversation, bringing everything back to those murders. When it came down to it, they both could use a little bit of denial to their advantage- and Gabriel was convinced he'd never do anything to disappoint Mohinder again, so it wasn't a problem. Jack might mind in a few decades, but hopefully Gabriel would have actually found a way to be a better man by then. And maybe Mohinder will have seen that, too.

But that was a subject to ponder while on the road. They'd finally made it home, and he wouldn't worry about anything while Mohinder was helping him undress. He breathed a sigh of relief as he was freed from his pants. Once all of it was taken care of, he rolled himself onto the bed, somehow ending up in the lotus position and looking up at Mohinder with a mischievous smile.

He put his right hand out, and ran his fingers over Mohinder's chin and down his chest, lightly brushing them over a nipple. "How about we start with you, this time?" he said, still wondering over Mohinder's physique and skin and- just all of him. "What would you like me to do, for you? Or I'll try to fill in, but- I've warned you I'm new at this." He nearly chuckled at that, because he hardly felt lost. He felt like he did when he looked at the watch shop for the first time. "Lucky for me that you're such a good teacher," he added, his left hand coming up to cup Mohinder's cheek. He brushed his thumb against the man's stubble, enjoying the rough feel of it.

It was a novel idea and Mohinder blinked as Gabriel declared that he would act as whatever Mohinder wanted. He'd never had that particular indulgence and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Better idea," he countered, however, reaching back for the box of condoms. Yes, he had had Gabriel in his mouth but that didn't mean he couldn't at least attempt to be responsible.

He opened the box quickly and selected one of the foil wrappers at random before he returned to the seated man.

"How about we do this together?"

He kissed Gabriel and with a little more shedding of the wrappings of everything involved int the moment and rolled the condom over his erection. That was the easy part. The rest...well he trusted the other man to figure it out when he coated massive, blunted fingers in lubrication and climbed into his lap.

"It's been a while," Mohinder said, hands on Gabriel's shoulders and in his hair. "So I might caution you to go slowly with me. Fingers first. No, to clarify, finger. Singular. We'll work our way up."

All of the smirking dropped out of Gabriel's face as Mohinder started opening boxes. He smiled more openly, nodding once in acknowledgement at Mohinder's suggestion. His breath hitched as the condom went on, and increased the intensity of the kiss. The lube felt a little strange, but it warmed in his hand as he rubbed at it with this thumb, at least.

"I'll be careful," he promised, pressing a kiss to the corner of Mohinder's mouth. "You'll tell me if anything hurts, I'm sure." Because that would only make sense.

He took a deep breath before he started, ready to focus. He reached down and wrapped his left hand around Mohinder's erection first, tugging lightly on it for a few strokes before pulling it up towards the stomach, more out of the way. With his other hand, he reached down and slid back until he found the right spot. He slathered excess lubrication from his fingers around the outside and gently massaged the area until it felt like Mohinder might take his index finger. He didn't push so much as try to wait for the muscles to work with him. When they did, he was surprised by the force. He smiled at Mohinder, somewhat with uncertainty, and searched the other man's face for clues before leaning in to kiss him. "Okay so far?" He'd wait a minute before trying anything else.

There was no way to lie that it was an uncomfortable process. Mohinder had a look of concentration on his face just prior to the first penetration when he grabbed the back of Gabriel's neck and made a half groaning, half whimpering noise while his erection seemed to bob forward in the scant space between their bodies to brush alongside Gabriel's. He pressed his teeth against his lower lip and shifted his hips back all without any sort of direct signal between body and brain. There was a certain rhythm that a person knew on instinct to help themselves towards pleasure and, the scientist in him might say towards procreation too. And there was a certain rhythm within Indian culture too that helped that out.

It took a moment for his brain to catch on that Gabriel was talking to him and Mohinder wet his lips and struggled to find the space in his mind where his knowledge of the English language was. Never mind. The Tamil was easier.

"Perhaps a little deeper.... Yes that is fine. No-- No need to be so timid. I want more than just your finger." He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to accommodate Gabriel exactly, but the skin would stretch with time and effort. And Mohinder felt increasing impatience for the main event.

Gabriel had been getting better at Tamil, but it wasn't like he'd attempted to translate it in this sort of situation before. There was no way his full concentration was going to be on it, so he missed a little bit of what Mohinder was saying. There was also no way he was going to tell Mohinder to stop, because hearing him speak in Tamil in this context was amazing. The voice dripped over him like honey, and Gabriel shivered slightly. His length twitched and brushed up against Mohinder's again, and that was another spike of pleasure he wasn't expecting. He let out a happy sigh.

"Okay," he said, more to himself than anything else. He pressed his finger further in, finding the muscles that worked with him once more- it was far easier this time, in fact. Once he'd pushed in as deep as it could go, he leaned in for another kiss with Mohinder. His left hand rubbed along Mohinder's thigh, occasionally reaching back to lightly massage his backside. He wasn't sure, but he figured he was waiting for some relaxation back there. The finger inside twitched slightly, eager to move soon.

If Gabriel wanted movement, he would get it in the form of the impatient Indian starting the shift of bodies himself. The groaning turned to a softer sort of moan as he pressed his mouth to Gabriel's and breathed out against his lips. He still tasted of the tea from earlier, and a bit like the sugar biscuit he had nibbled on while they wandered through Tescos. His teeth caught Gabriel's upper lip, perhaps just a bit too roughly to be traditionally pleasant, but the moment had called for it.

Scientifically speaking, anal sex was a pleasurable experience for all involved if done correctly and either Gabriel's aptitude or their deep seated sexual tension, one that had started from the moment they met, was making this particular act extremely pleasurable indeed. Mohinder could feel his muscles clenching and pulsing whenever he swiveled his hips a certain way and, in all honesty, the finger wasn't enough.

Not when he felt himself burning.

Gabriel's question caused the Indian to nod almost furiously. "More." English. "Please, hurry--" Tamil.

Something else came in French. Gabriel was going to have to learn that one next!

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