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A/N: I was browsing through Magic Mushroom's (a Doujinshi circle) blog that is filled with fanart and I noticed that in a lot of their pieces Matt has two different colored eyes. I thought that was the coolest idea, ever, and thus this fic was spawned.
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Goggles?
It was early in the afternoon and the classes had just finished up for the day. The majority of the Wammy's house children had found their way outside to play in the warm sunlight.
Mello and Matt were no exception. Instead of joining in the games the other children across the grounds were playing they laid lazily under the cool shade of a tree near the edge of the iron fence that bordered the orphanage.
The redheaded boy was laying out on his back with his arms stretched like he was making a snow angel. Mello was curled into a loose ball at his side and his head was laid gently on the redhead's outstretched arm.
"Mail?" Mello asked lazily.
"Yea, Mihael?" They used their real names when they were alone.
"Why do you always wear those goggles?" As long as they'd been friends-- best friends-- he couldn't recall ever seeing the boy without them.
"Because." He muttered.
"Because… why?"
"Just because." He shrugged slightly in an effort to knock the question away. "I like them."
"Let me hold them." Mello sat up, brushing away the grass that had woven itself into his golden locks.
"No." He glared through orange lenses at his best friend.
"Why not?"
"You'll break them." Matt help down the straps protectively.
"No I wont." He reached his hand closer to Matt's face. "I just wanna see why they're so great."
"Please don't." Matt sounded so helpless it caused Mello to twist his face up in confusion.
"Why?" Agitation edged into the blonde's voice.
"Because." Matt said through gritted teeth. "My eyes are two different colors."
"Wha…?" His hand hovered above Matt's face. "Really?"
"Yes." He let one of his eyes pop open under the orange lenses.
"Let me see!" Mello lunged forward and tried even harder to pull the goggles away from Matt's face.
"No! Mello! Stop!" He kicked and struggled. Finally he managed to sit up and push Mello away.
"You should let me see." He pouted. "I'm your best friend."
"No." His voice was flat.
"Please?" Mello crawled a little towards him as the redhead backed up towards the tree.
"No, Mihael." His eyes watered up involuntarily and his voice trembled.
"Mail?" He stopped crawling and rested on his knees a few feet away from Matt.
"Just… just don't" Tears began to slip from his eyes as he shook his head slowly.
"Okay, I won't." Mello said tenderly. "Please don't cry, Mail."
"S--sorry." He tugged the goggled away. His eyes were still tightly closed as he rubbed them before replacing the goggles. "It just looks weird."
"Matt you should know I wouldn't make fun of you about it."
"I look like a freak." He whispered.
"It's okay you don't have to show me." Mello watched as the boy hugged his knees to his chest and trembled. He knew there had to be much more to it but decided it best not to push Matt, he was upset enough as it was.
"I think… it's the reason my parents gave me up." He said just as if he'd read Mello's mind.
"That's a stupid reason." Mello decided instantly.
"You haven't seen." His voice cracked pitifully. "I mean it, I look like a freak."
"You could never look like a freak to me, Mail." Mello whispered. Their eyes locked in a brief understanding.
Slowly, Matt's hand moved away from his knees and he pulled the goggles away from his eyes. One blue one brown. To Mello they looked fine, a little red from crying, not at all freakish.
"Mail…" He moved closer to get a better look. "If that's the reason your parents gave you up they're stupid."
"Really, Mihael?" He asked, his voice desperate. "You don't think I look like a freak?"
"No. You look perfect to me." Really, how could he think he looked like a freak? He looked cute-- no not cute, he looked fine-- to Mello.
Perfectly cute-- no, normal. He looked normal. Not cute, Mello wasn't supposed to think he was cute.
Without any warning Matt leaned forward and hugged the blonde tightly around his shoulders casuing the blonde's thought filled mind go completely blank.
"Thank you, Mihael." He rested his head on Mello's shoulder. Mello's heart skipped a beat as he struggled to encircle his arms around Matt. Somehow he couldn't stop his arms from trembling.
"You're welcome, Mail." His voice wavered slightly. What was wrong with him? He couldn't get his arms to stop trembling and he could practically hear the blood pulsing through his veins. Heat rushed to his cheeks he was certain had nothing to do with the temperature outside.
"Mihael?" Matt drew away from the embrace and locked his eyes so closely to Mello's he swore he was going to die. He stared into the curious mismatched orbs before him. His heart skipped a beat as he inched closer and closer. Before he realized what was happening his lips had already brushed Matt's.
'Uh-oh' His mind was filled with panic. He was kissing his best friend! This was wrong, bad, he wasn't supposed to do this. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Any second now Matt was certain to shove him away.
Wait.
Was Matt kissing him back?
Matt was definitely kissing him back.
Well, maybe it was okay…
Matt pulled away wearing a genuine smile.
"If that's what I get I guess I'll take my goggles off more often." He mused. All traces of sadness gone from his delicate face.
"Please do." Mello grinned before pulling his best friend-- boyfriend, whatever-- into another kiss.
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