Fandom: Heroes
Characters: Molly, Mohinder (touch of Maya)
Summary: Aftermath of 2x11, 'Powerless'.
The blanket is far too large for Molly, and when Mohinder wraps it around her, three-fold, she feels like a large cocoon, encompassed in the soft warmth of cotton and the smell of cinnamon, with a bitter touch of Mohinder. It's his blanket, the one he falls aleep with by his desk or on the couch, earth-colored and heavy. Molly loves waking him up by sneaking under it, and touching her cold toes to his skin.
Mohinder's firm hands grab her and lift her, sitting her down on the kitchen counter. He briefly touches his forehead to hers, then disappears into his bedroom. Molly pulls her feet up on the counter and buries her head deeper into the blanket, showing only wide-open eyes, and imagines herself a silkworm. Across from her, standing by the kitchen table, Maya lets out a breathless chuckle. Her hair is sticking in strands to her cheeks, wet from tears and cold sweat.
Mohinder returns with a gray blanket to wrap it around Maya's shoulders, gently nudging the silent girl to sit in a chair by the table. He touches her only with the tip of a finger, runs the back of a nail along the fabric of the blanket; Maya gazes up but Mohinder doesn't say anything, only smiles. Molly sees Maya clutch the end of the blanket with a shaking hand.
"I'll make your favorite," Mohinder says as he walks up to Molly again, and opens the cupboard over the stove.
"With honey?" Molly asks in a muffled voice, her mouth still covered with the blanket wrapped around her head. Her eyes follow Mohinder's long fingers as they line up spices and seeds in small heaps on the counter beside her.
"And ginger." Mohinder takes out a piece from the fridge, peels a knot, and cuts two slices. The scent is peculiar and strong, sweet but pungent, and Molly sneaks her hands out of the blanket at her neck to rub her nose. "It will warm you up," Mohinder says, and puts a saucepan on the stove.
Nutmeg and cinnamon, cloves and milk; a touch of cumin, add the tea. Molly mumbles the familiar recipe under her breath, like a chant. "Peppers?" Mohinder asks, and Molly shakes her head. Full milk simmers to tease her nostrils with its thick sweetness. Molly leans over the stove, letting the steam run over her cheeks and forehead.
Shush, it says. Shush, shush, shush. Mohinder stirs. The milk turns a light amber. Mohinder opens the cupboard over Molly's head. "The blue one," she says. Mohinder's hand wanders over mugs and cups, not one like the other, and picks one blue and one pink mug. Shush. He turns off the stove.
Mohinder places the steaming pink mug in front of Maya, drops a teaspoon of honey into it, and turns the handle to her. He then lifts Molly again, sits down in a chair by the table, and settles her sideways on his lap. He scoops a spoonful of honey, stirs it into the blue mug, then scoops again and stirs. His every movement rocks Molly's body, back and forth, back and forth, and she feels her eyes close and her head drop onto his shoulder. The skin of his neck is warm against her forehead. Molly squirms in her blanket, curls into a ball, and tucks her head under his chin. Mohinder hands her the mug, then curls his arms around her and folds his hands.
The tea is creamy and soft against Molly's lips, hot and sweet on her tongue. Something tickles as she swallows, burning her throat and spreading warmth to the tips of her toes; ginger. Suddenly Molly feels her eyes water, as though finally defrosting. She sniffles. Mohinder nuzzles her hair.
"Will he be back?" Molly asks.
"I don't know," Mohinder says. His voice is quiet and steady.
"I can find him," she says. Mohinder's right hand comes up to take the mug from her hands, and places it back on the table. Molly feels her head nod. Her breathing is becoming slower, deeper. She is so warm. "I want to protect you."
Shush. Mohinder kisses her temple, caresses her hair. When he speaks, Molly thinks his body shivers against hers, that his voice falters. "Sleep now."
Molly does, and as Mohinder lifts her up in his arms, she dreams of flying.