Wammy's House could've been seen as definitely one of the most competitive of any school in the world. Everything was a contest: the best grades, the best rooms, the best gangs, even the best piece of pie left in the container. But nothing riled the kids of Wammy's up more (besides grades, L, and a few other highly-important things) than Holiday Break.
"MATT! WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT; IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF HOLIDAY BREAK!!" Mello shouted, louder than his usual wake-up call, literally jumping onto the poor smaller boy and shaking him awake. Matt yelled and immediately sat up from surprise, but was saved from having his face smashed into Mello's by Mello jumping back.
"WHAT THE HECK, MELLO, ARE YOU TRYING TO BLIND ME?!" he screamed when his face made contact with the lighted room, diving back under the blanket. Mello actually had enough shame to look kind of sheepish.
"Oops." He found Matt's goggles and slipped them under the blanket. There was a little shifting before Matt emerged again, looking completely pissed off. He glared at Mello, silently demanding an explanation. "Didn't anyone ever tell you about Holiday Break?"
"No. You forgot." Mello was so excited he ignored the idea of himself forgetting anything ever.
"We get two weeks off for Christmas and stuff, and there's games and prizes, everything! I win every year," he added proudly. Matt looked not amused.
"…" Matt yanked the covers up and over his head, successfully throwing the bouncing blond off the bed and onto the floor.
"…Get up and I'll let you play me at DDR first."
"I'm in."
Two week of games and prizes did come along and went by fast. Sooner than they liked, the day before classes started up again came. To Mello's surprised frustration, Matt beat him in ranks of Holiday Break games. It was all he could do to keep his pride.
"Hey Mell-"
"Not now."
"But I just-"
"Not now!"
"…Okay…" A bit disheartened, Matt slumped and walked back out of the room, leaving Mello to sulk on the bed. He decided he'd give him his present later.
Later took a while. All day, in fact. Whenever Matt found Mello every hour or so, he'd get yelled at to go away. It hurt to know that he'd hurt his only friend, simply because he was good at games and being glad he was good at games and flaunting that he was good at games…
Finally, it was time for bed. Matt knew Mello couldn't tell him to go away anymore, since they both had to go to bed. Matt waited until Mello was settled under the covers, facing away from him, to speak.
"Mello?"
"What?" snapped the still-angry Mello.
"Merry Christmas." He tossed a flat box wrapped in shiny red paper onto Mello. Mello sat up, surprised, and unwrapped it. His frown metamorphosed into a smile.
In the box was a cheap button that said "Number One" in cheesy big letters. The button was pinned to a piece of blue cloth that was cut carefully into the shape of an award ribbon. On it said, "To Mello, who'll always be Number One (this was where the pin came in) to me."
"Matt, you're a loon. But you are good with scissors."
"What, no 'thank you'?"
"How about I start talking to you again?" Matt could tell Mello was truly pleased, but was too prideful to react in any other way. So, Matt simply grinned.
"You're welcome. Frohe Weihnachten, Mello."
"Joyeux Noel."