Mello, Matt

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Their time at the hotel is almost up. Meetings had been held, locations inspected, and everything was perched on the edge of being ready. But it wasn't quite, and Matt had, after all, insisted that Mello needed a break. A mental recovery period, as it were, to complement Matt's physical one. His back still hurts a bit, and there's a scar there, and when Mello's fingers brush over it his blood still runs cold. That should stop eventually, but it hasn't, yet.]

[That was the first problem with taking time off.]

[The second was, of course, the fact that Mello gets incredibly restless in a very short span of time, so any efforts in the name of relaxation are hopelessly wasted. And worse, it annoys him the way it always has, which leaves him feeling restless and irritable.]

[He takes a shower to calm his nerves but on the way out of the bathroom he pulls a towel over his head roughly, more to get the action over with than out of any real desire to get his hair dry. And he tries not to think about anything that might be happening outside of this room, with himself and Matt and the tv turned off so that he wouldn't end up compulsively watching the news again.]

[He leaves the towel draped around his neck as he heads straight to the nightstand and tugs the drawer open with a little grumble.]

Comments

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Mello lets out a short laugh, almost a snort, really, and glances over at Matt.]

First of all, there's no such thing as quality carjacking time. And second...

[He pauses, then shakes his head and snaps the rest of the chocolate bar in two.]

I don't even know what to say about that other bit. That's how ridiculous it is. They're your orders too.

[For a moment he stops and eyes the piece of chocolate in his hand, thinking back to said orders. Although they weren't orders, exactly. It was more like a suggestion, but as far as Mello's concerned, they may as well be the same thing.]

[Just sit tight. Wait for contact. And don't do anything stupid.]

[Mello exhales sharply and tosses the pieces of candy aside, then collapses back onto the bed, letting his legs dangle over the edge. He closes his eyes and ignores the fact that his hair is probably soaking the sheets under his head.]

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but I only get them because of you, and I only care about them because of you. You know that. Otherwise I'd be, I don't know, off in LA seducing fit actresses.

[Matt takes a drag, still watching Mello... and largely ignoring his game. Almost instinctively, his fingers go to the rosary hanging from his wrist, Mello's protective gift, even as his gaze rests on Mello's bare, damp skin and his wet hair.]

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Still keeping his eyes closed, Mello drops the back of his wrist onto his forehead, letting his arm rest there for just a few seconds before pushing his hair aside restlessly.]

[He can practically feel Matt's eyes on him, so it isn't an entirely fair move, but... just laying there, it wasn't doing him any good.]

The hell you would. If it weren't for that you'd be sitting stuck in some desolate town eating crisps and stealing digital cars. All day.

[For just a few seconds Mello opens one eye, enough to catch Matt looking at him, and half smirks before closing it again.]

Until someone like me came along to get your arse doing something useful.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.

[Well, that was probably true. Matt shrugs, even as he catches a glimpse of Mello catching a glimpse of him watching Mello. He catches that smirk, too - a little smug. Matt isn't sure whether he's gloating about his positive influence on Matt's productivity or his... well, profound impact on Matt's mental processes, lying around half-naked like that. Either way, it's absolutely justified.]

Right, well, at least I'd be having fun.

[Sort of, anyway.]

[Or not at all. Really, he'd probably be bored by now.]

[He grins and snaps his DS closed. The green light blinks, and he sets it down on the nightstand, then takes a drag before doing the same with his cigarette (plus the addition of an ashtray, of course.)]

[Well, it's impossible to pay attention anymore anyway.]

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Before Mello can reply he hears the snap of the DS being shut, and the quiet clattering of it being set down. The bed shifts with Matt's movement, and really, any response at this point is entirely unnecessary, and they both know it.]

[But still, Mello's lips twist into a smirk and he can't stop himself.]

Liar. You'd be bored out of your mind.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Matt grins, because of course Mello would call him on that bullshit. If he didn't, Matt would be a little worried about him. And also because that little smirk is sort of... he hesitates to associate the word cute with Mello under any circumstances, but. Well.]

[He slides down the bed a bit, lying on his back for a second before turning onto his side, facing Mello.]

Yeah. Probably right. But, I don't know. I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Every little jostle is familiar enough that Mello has no need to open his eyes. He can tell, without looking, where Matt is now and what he is doing, and can even guess the sort of face he might be making.]

[He's probably right about that too, but he doesn't confirm it.]

You wouldn't do anything with yourself. That's why you need someone like me to make sure you don't just sit and waste away.

[...like he was doing, right now. Waiting again. Somehow even his plan to get out of eternally waiting left him in the same position. Mello squeezes his eyes shut even tighter, and he imagined that this must be what purgatory is like. The fact that L's the one in charge of it makes a certain amount of sense, somehow.]

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Clearly, Mello is about to fall into a spiral of frustration and unhappiness. Matt rolls his eyes and reaches over, fingers brushing against Mello's hair.]

Yeah, that's probably true, too.

[He doesn't mention that Mello probably needs someone like him to keep him calm, too. But some things can go unsaid, he figures.]

Speaking of bored, you look pretty bored yourself.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[At that, Mello finally opens his eyes and gives Matt a sidelong look, trying to fit in as much contempt for the obviousness of that statement as he can.]

I'm not bored. I'm atrophying.

[He glances downward, just a slight aversion of the eyes, and then turns his head away. Bored didn't begin to describe it. But.]

[Sit and wait.]

Maybe I should steal a car.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[laughs quietly]

Right. Perfect plan. I'll lend you my DS.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

I meant a real one.

[Looking away from Matt he can see the rest of the room, in all its nondescript coziness. Something about the bland walls and furniture made the waiting even more unbearable.]

[He shuts his eyes again and laughs softly.]

You're not supposed to encourage auto theft, you know. Someone could get arrested for that sort of thing.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Matt stares at Mello for a long moment, eyebrow raised.]

Ironic coming from you.

[He grins, then, and moves a little closer. Atrophying is a little dramatic, although in fairness it is Mello, so maybe that's appropriate. But really, as far as Matt's concerned, a little downtime could do them good. Or, well, him. Even now he's not at 100%.]

[Mello, on the other hand... well, some downtime is probably good for him, too, but on the other hand if he has much more he's probably going to explode.]

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Mello presses his palm against his forehead, tugging at his damp hair with his fingers, and lets out another short, quiet laugh.]

Is it? I haven't been arrested for anything. And I don't condone stealing cars for fun.

[He twists a lock of hair around his finger and lets it fall, then does another. His fingers feel a little stiff for some reason, so he does it a third time, using another finger.]

But there are exceptions. Necessity is the mother of property theft.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Matt snickers.]

Necessity is the mother of everything.

[Even murder, come to that. Although maybe it only counts as murder if it's for a stupid reason, or maybe for no reason.]

[He watches Mello's fingers twisting his hair, reminding him of Near for a split second. ...well, he's definitely not going to say that.]

I think we need a car.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Mello frowns slightly as he inspects the hair twisted around his finger, then he releases it and glances over at Matt.]

What do we need a car for? We have transportation.

[For a moment, Mello wonders if this was his doing, but no; Matt's mind was always wandering off onto subjects like that, usually without his supervision.]

You can't nick one just because you got a high score doing it on your stupid game there.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

What about because it's be fucking hot? That seems like the kind of logic we need more of in our lives.

[Matt moves from his position and lies across the width of the bed, alongside Mello, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. This close, he's inhaling the scent of Mello's shampoo, his soap. The blankets are damp now from Mello's skin, but who the hell cares?]

Anyway, I could always... pay for it.

[He laughs softly and kisses Mello's shoulder]

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Pressing his lips together, Mello watches him, and the little kiss sends shivers though his shoulders. Just for a second it's like the beginning again, when they were free to do what they wanted.]

I don't think that logic will hold up very well in most cases. Or at all. But.

[He stops and watches Matt's face, or what he can see of it at that angle, under his shaggy hair, and he reaches over to push against Matt's shoulder slightly.]

You may be able to sneak it in.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Matt grins a little, and kisses the shoulder again, muttering against his skin.]

So indulgent. So generous.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Mello closes his eyes again, and takes a deep breath. The air in here was cooler a minute ago, much different than the heat of his shower, but now there's warmth again and it crawls across his skin, spreading from where Matt's breathing against his shoulder.]

[This is just like the beginning, too. He remembers it a little hazily, but it's there.]

Mmh. If not me, then who?

[He pushes himself over a little, slightly facing Matt, and reaches over to touch - and then there's a knock at the door, sharp but somehow hesitant. Mello frowns.]

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[He wants to say a lot of things, a knotted jumble of things in his head, making his chest tighter, like how he isn't sorry that they're waiting things out really - he's just glad to be alone again, even temporarily, or how he'd love to give a shit about all those dead blokes but he can barely remember their names anyway since he never did give a shit to begin with.]

[And also, how crucifixes are kinda hot.]

[But he wouldn't say any of that, because he doesn't feel like getting hollered at or stared at or punched especially now since he can't get a good hit in himself (not that he would. Well, maybe he would.)]

[And even if he could say it, he wouldn't because someone is at the fucking door]

[He rolls his eyes and rolls away a bit.]

Housekeeping? Or...

[He frowns]

Could be Sullivan.

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[The room chills almost immediately when Matt pulls away, and not just from the sudden lack of heat. Mello pushes himself up into a half sitting position, his arms pushed back behind him, and squeezes his eyes shut in irritation.]

[Housekeeping, or Sullivan? That knock...]

Whoever it is, it'd better be fucking important.

[He pushes himself forward slightly, then stops. He's still in just his towel, and his hair is half dried and messy. He sits there just long enough to decide that he doesn't give a fuck, then pushes himself up the rest of the way and heads for the door.]

[And opens it, a disapproving scowl already prepared for whoever is behind it.]

[catchthemgone.livejournal.com]

[This is when Sullivan wishes he'd been in another line of work. Maybe if he'd listened to his mum and become a doctor or lawyer or something then he wouldn't have so many encounters with a half-naked, unhappy looking Mello.]

[And wet. He's definitely a little damp, too.]

[Sullivan mutters as soon as he sees him, some mix of an apology and a swear, and tries to look past Mello into the room itself but Matt is very shirtless in there too and now he really wishes he'd listened to his mum.]

Er-- right, I'll keep this short. Just thought you might want to have a look at the news, there's a bit of a situation with one of our boys.

[...ex-boy, really, in more ways than one. But the less said here, the better.]

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Interrupted for news on someone he'd already established, albeit silently, that he didn't care about. Brilliant.]

[Matt pulls himself to a sitting position and glances at the nightstand. His cigarette's already burnt out, so he grabs the pack from beside the ashtray and his lighter from nearby.]

[matchstickrule.livejournal.com]

[Mello watches Sullivan stonily, not giving an immediate response. Under normal circumstances he'd be livid, and likely threatening someone with bodily harm, but this time...]

[One of their boys? It could only be one person, really. The rest were smart enough to stay out of the news, especially after Kira's attack. Only an idiot would make headlines now.]

[An idiot, or someone who didn't have a choice. Or both.]

[Without giving Sullivan any sort of reply, or dismissal, Mello glances back at Matt.]

Turn it on. I want to see this.

[toxinaddiction.livejournal.com]

[Matt flicks his lighter and puts it to the end of his cigarette before tossing it aside as he grabs for the remote control. For some reason, he gets this weird feeling that Mello knows what's going on, or at least has an inkling - if nothing else, he'd be hacked off at someone they knew showing up on the news if he didn't expect it.]

On it.

[He takes a drag as he flips on the television and turns it to the local news.]