Lani: This one was by just me, as a surprise for Lulu. This includes a scene straight from every video gamer's worst nightmare - well, at least I consider it one heck of a nightmare. XD

Mello opened the apartment's door, sighing, pulling off the hood to his jacket. He stomped the snow off his shoes and called, "Matt, I'm back."

No answer.

He looked around and noticed for the first time that the lights were out. Hmm, did Matt go somewhere? Weird . . . .

Mello could see a faint glow emanating from the kitchen. After he kicked off his boots, he went into the kitchen.

There was Matt, huddled in a corner, staring listlessly at his Nintendo DS. Mello came over and stood right in front of him, staring. Still, Matt didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Mello took out his chocolate and nibbled on it thoughtfully. "Uh, Matt? Why are all the lights out?"

Matt responded in a whisper after a moment of silence, "I thought it would dramatize the boss fight . . ."

Mello rolled his eyes.

He continued, ". . . until it happened."

Mello's interest was piqued at this. "It? What are you talking about, Matt?"

Matt's lower lip trembled as he replied in a choked voice, "The sound died, Mello."

He blinked.

Matt wailed, "Don't you get it?! The sound died! It's dead, it's gone! How can I enjoy a good boss-bashing if I can't even hear it?!"

"Run that by me one more time."

Matt blinked. "What?"

Mello got one of his crazed looks on his face. He leaned down, his chocolate bar in a gleeful death grip. "I said to run that by me one more time!"

"Um, the sound doesn't work on my DS no more?"

Mello's face broke into a smile. A kinda twitchy one, but still a smile. He cackled, "What a relief! I won't go to sleep listening to that music, only to dream about that music, and then to WAKE UP to that music! It's a miracle!"

Matt sniffled, crushed that Mello didn't care about what it meant for the video game-addict. "But Mello, what about me? It's not the same without the sound!"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?!" Mello shed his coat and threw it on a chair. He faced Matt again. "THAT MUSIC HAUNTS ME IN MY SLEEP, MATT!" Mello then glared at the Nintendo DS as if it was the cause of poverty, world hunger, and Kira.

Matt sulked. "I'll just buy me a new DS."

To Mello's rising horror, Matt went over and got his shoes. Mello followed him to the door, calling, "Wait, you're serious? You're just gonna go out and buy another of those things? Aren't they expensive?"

Matt hopped on one foot as he pulled his shoe on. "Maybe," he replied shortly in a whiny voice, "but what do you care about my game consoles?"

Mello ripped on his shoes and followed Matt out the door. "GET BACK HERE!" he shouted when Matt started to jog to the street. There was no way Mello was gonna let that music return, especially when he just gained freedom from it!

Then Matt broke out into a run.

Mello chased after him down the sidewalk, the snow crunching under their shoes. "I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!" he screeched as he shoved past other people. "DON'T YOU DARE, MATT!"

"Oh, I'm daring!" Matt laughed back, pleased that he was still eluding – and frustrating – Mello.

People gave Mello the oddest looks when he snapped, "I WON'T LET YOU BACK IN THE APARTMENT IF YOU DO BUY ONE!"

Matt only replied, "People will think there's some shonen-ai going on if you keep saying weird stuff like that!"

Mello turned red – from fury or embarrassment, it was hard to tell. He stopped running to catch his breath and shouted after the escaping red-head, "I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"

Onlookers sighed and said, "That poor girl . . . she must have such a rocky relationship with that young man . . . ."

Mello's eye twitched.

TWO HOURS LATER – BACK AT THE APARTMENT

Mello paced, glanced at the clock, twitched, and paced some more. When was that darn Matt going to get back?!

He gnawed on his chocolate in worry and concern. Was he going to have to put up with that music again? Could he take all the batteries in the house and hide them somewhere? Could he invest in some industrial strength earplugs?

Mello whirled around; cast a look at the door. He had stayed true to his word: It was bolted, locked, and he had even shoved a chair underneath the handle.

Then knocks resounded and shook the door.

Mello didn't even have to look through the peephole in order to know it was Matt.

Matt called, "C'mon Mello, open up!"

"NO!"

"Is someone suffering from mood swings? Did you run out of chocolate again, or something?"

"NO!"

"Mello let me in. It's MY apartment, after all."

"NO!"

"Is that all you can say?"

"NO!"

Mello could hear Matt sigh. Then Matt said quietly, "I got somethin' for you."

It was a real "aaaawwww" moment. Mello suspiciously peeped through the peephole. Reluctantly, he moved the chair aside and unlocked the door.

Matt came in with a cheery smile, holding a plastic bag with the word GAMESTOP on it. Mello snapped, "You didn't! Get back out that door right now!"

Matt chuckled and held up something right in front of Mello's face. "Will this compensate the annoying music?"

Mello went all cute-'n-cross-eyed, trying to see what it was. When he finally saw it, he breathed, "You didn't . . ."

"I did."

"I think I love you," Mello whispered as he took the foot long chocolate bar from Matt.

The red-head shuddered. "Creepy. Keep your confessions to yourself."

Mello gave him a glare before tucking the chocolate under his arm in an almost possessive manner.

Matt sighed, "Which reminds me . . . While coming home, I got the strangest comments from people."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, such as, 'You need to be nicer to your girlfriend,' and 'That's cruel, making your girl run after you like that.'"

Mello turned beet red.

Matt shook his head mournfully. "You do know we can never go down that street again, right?"

"At least you weren't mistaken for a girl."

The redhead gave a goofy grin, as if saying, "Of course I wouldn't be mistaken as the girl."

Mello whacked him over the head with his chocolate.

FIN

Lani: And it is possible that I could be feeding the fangirls' flames . . . (nervous giggle)