I realized I hadn't spiffed anything up for publishing in awhile. Okay, three months.
Here's something.
Enjoy? I hope so. But I'm not going to lie when I say it's just another excuse to write some sex scenes xD
The best thing about mornings, in Mello's opinion, was waking up to Matt beside him. Even though the alarm clock, hideously annoying static radio, blared; and someone forgot to close the god damn curtains so the window that took up most of the east wall allowed in a blinding amount of sunlight; Matt was there, and what was visible of him was unclothed. As the redheaded man turned, groaning, in the mess of silk sheets and down-filled blankets, his body stretching slightly in preparation for the inevitable - getting up; Mello noted the colorful collection of newly painted marks on his neck and the morning felt even more enjoyable.
"Why is the window open?" Propped up on the headboard now, the object of Mello's early attention messed with his serious case of sex hair. Mello gave an invisible shrug, knowing the inquiry didn't matter, and sat up as well in high-spirits from his observations. If Matt had fallen asleep naked in bed and was decorated with hickeys, either Mello's excellent memory betrayed him, or they had fucked and it had been his turn to top. And Mello didn't like quite anything better than that.
But more on that later.
In the kitchen, after all Mello's typical morning primping and all Matt's lazing in bed until the just as typical 'we have to leave in fifteen minutes and you aren't even dressed, dumbass', they sat together at a polished silver table top over looking the city of LA from a window larger than the irritating one in their bedroom.
"Weather is nice," Matt commented, idly, and completely for the sake of being awkward, sliding a mug of hot chocolate across the surface once the beverage finished brewing in their coffee maker. Mello snorted and took a drink, the fact that it was Monday having dampened his pleasant mood after just an hour. "I see you're overjoyed this morning."
"Yagami needs the rest of the articles from the writers I'm responsible for, and every single one of them has yet to return my phone calls." Eyes narrowed, he glared down the frothy swirls in the warm drink as if they were to blame. "When I get in today, I just know they'll all have fucked over their due dates, again."
Matt lit a cigarette. "Yagami.... that Light fellow? He's your boss, right?" He took a drag slowly, savoring the nicotine while he could - smoking at work was prohibited.
Nodding, Mello continued, "And if my writers don't listen to me, he might rethink that promotion I got and I won't even have my own group of writer's."
"And why is that a bad thing?" Leaning forward on his elbows, acting the part of a psychiatrist, Matt pursed his lips.
"Because the promotion also adds another digit to my paycheck," stated Mello, with prominent 'duh' in his voice. "Why else would you have two separate 360's?"
"I have a job too, y'know," Matt retorted, always amused at the problems his counterpart faced in the office.
Mello smirked. "Sure, working at the gaming store at the mall."
"As we've been over many times, I manage the gaming store at the mall." Flicking the blonde on the forehead as he stood up, Matt tugged at the goggles around his neck. "Least I don't have to wear dressy clothes everyday."
"Whatever, you know you love me in a tie." Laughing, he stood as well to kiss Matt quickly, before retreating for the door. "See you later." A grin from the redhead, and he consented to leave. It was a shame they couldn't commute together; but the mall and the company Mello worked at were on entirely different sides of town.
As expected, Mello was greeted by a small portion of the writers he was responsible for as soon as he parked his motorcycle in the company lot. The sudden rush of attention and requests for longer deadlines made him damn his conspicuous vehicle and consider purchasing a pseudo car, perhaps an uncharacteristic mini-van, for transportation on days he wanted to stay on the down low. Of course, then he'd have to give up the reserved parking spot his promotion had given him; damn incompetence. While removing his helmet, shaking out his hair, and locking the head wear to his bike, he merely stared at the collection of authors until they realized it was best to be quiet.
"Why, exactly, were you unable to meet your deadlines?" he asked, nearly monotone in anticipation of the typical replies. The group began talking, all at once, and he held a hand up, closing his eyes tightly in hopes of stopping an impending migraine, and snipped out, "One at a... time." The temptation to insert an obscenity between every other word was the worst one he faced at the office. In order to keep them from starting up again, he pointed dully at the woman on the farthest left; Halle.
"My dog was-..." She cut herself off, for Mello simply began walking away, already not impressed. They hurried after him.
Although having something of a paparazzi as he walked into the building and towards his office was bothersome, Mello gave the three who approached him credit - he doubted the other half of the ignorant bunch would even notice they had forgotten. Hell, he doubted they knew there was an article to be written in the first place.
Something needed to be done.
However, before he could get to his office to sit down and think over what would motivate (or terrify) the employees to write, he passed by an unfamiliar face and did a double take.
Dressed simply in white dress pants and a slim white sweater vest, hair precisely the same shade, stood a man (boy?) short enough to be an intern. These petty details weren't what caught Mello's eyes, naturally; it was that he found the possibly intern to be absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. Just his luck, the enigma was standing right beside one of his best office friends; Lawliet.
"Hey," he began, casually, holding his hand up for a warm high five that the raven-haired man returned gladly. "How was your weekend?"
"Excellent, thanks for asking. Light and I went camping." One of the reasons they were so compatible as office friends was because they were both suited best with gay lovers. "And Mello's?"
"Oh, same old." It wasn't because the mysterious boy was standing so close that he didn't want to mention his counterpart; heavens no. "And... you are?" Fitting the inquiry in flawlessly with a head turn and a once-over, Mello faced him.
L, as Mello called Lawliet, answered for him, so he was forced to direct his attention away from the pristine ivory. "This is Nate River. He was hired because he's related to somebody or another. They're looking for a position for him." Obviously, L found this 'Nate' just as infidelity-causing as Mello, by the way he talked passionately of him even when the details were sparse, and completely boring.
"I prefer to be called Near, actually." His voice fitted all the white; it lilted innocence and yet held deep intellect. Needless to say, Mello was excited to have someone to laugh about with L regarding his 'uke' potential.
"It's nice to meet you, Near," he said, smoothly, shaking the other's hand for a beat too long before turning back to L. "Call me later." He returned on the path to his office, wondering where the writers had went. Probably off to not meet any deadlines.
After a few hours of writing a headlining article for his section, and halfheartedly considering a plan for his incompetent crew, his concentration was stolen by a flash of white in his peripheral vision. The walls that made up his office were primarily windows, so it wasn't hard to miss it. As expected, it was Near, hands full of paperwork as he approached Yagami's office. Mello pretended he wasn't being slightly creepy while he observed him talking pointedly to the boss, and justified his gaze when the white-haired boy pointed to his office and nodded. What could that have been about? The last thing he needed was some new kid discussing hijacking his place. Well, that was the first assumption that came to Mello's mind anyway.
His interested gaze now a frustrated glare, Mello looked back down and preoccupied himself with rereading the rough draft for his article. The analysis proved it was definitely something he could work with, and this satisfaction distracted him for another few hours while he researched the topic more and edited it. At least, if the rest of the morons never turned in so much as scratch paper, he would signaled out as the only one with any potential in even more promotions.
Smirking at the paper over the thought, he checked the time on the computer screen in front of him. Just a few more minutes till he could leave - time had went faster than he'd assumed. He grabbed his briefcase from under the desk, and when he looked back up, Near was walking just by his office door, presumably on his way home. Debating between running out and conversing with him to gain clues as to why he had been pointing to his office earlier and just letting it go, Mello arranged his newly written papers in the briefcase. Before his mind was made up, however, it was too late anyway.
On his way to the elevator, he was intercepted by his boss, and put on a demeanor of post-work content. "Hey, Light." Only behind the older man's back did he refer to him by his last name; for the brunette had specified his preference to be his first.
"Mello; I noticed I didn't receive a file of your underling's projects this Monday." Mello cursed in his mind.
"Not one of them has turned in even a proposal yet. They aren't exactly the most cooperative people."
"Be that as it may, I gave you this promotion under the assumption you could properly motivate them, and that responsibility is apart of your paycheck."
Without changing his external appearance, Mello sighed a little and nodded, not enjoying admitting his own faults. "You're right, I promise they'll be in by the middle of the week." He forced a smile. "Sorry."
"No worries, we have till the end of the month to release the issue," Light said, his voice noticeably cheerier now that the topic was switching from discipline. "I'm sure your section will be excellent. Just tell me if there's anything I can do to assist you."
"I was wondering, actually," Mello began, almost abruptly as he remembered the events earlier. "It's a little off topic, but you know that new guy... Near?"
"Certainly; he's Gevanni's cousin. What of him?"
Inquiring seemed foolish, now that he had thought it over a little. It would only give the impression that he was paranoid, which was the last thing he needed what with Light already disappointed in his work ethic. "Nothing, actually, I suppose... L just mentioned he was related to someone; you've already answered my question."
"Ah; well I'll see you tomorrow, Mello. Good luck motivating those writers." An almost disturbing, knowing smile was on his lips. The blonde tried to ignore it and faked another smiled before getting on the elevator.
An uneasy feeling in his stomach started up once it began descending the many floors, and he blamed it on the quick loss of gravity; but once he stepped out in the lobby, it didn't stop.