"How about Marco's?"

"Hmm?" Matt didn't look up from his DS. "That the one with the fountain out front?"

"Yeah," confirmed Mello. "It's got water displays running through the inside, too. Really nice place. I can get us in."

Matt's silence lasted for just a fraction of a second too long before he replied, "Sure. Sounds good."

Mello sighed. They had been playing this game for days now. Matt agreed to his every suggestion, but with a complete lack of enthusiasm that made his true feelings quite clear. "All right. Not Marco's, then. Matt, why do you have to be so difficult?"

"What?" said Matt absently. "What are you talking about? I agreed."

"But you aren't excited about it. It's your birthday dinner – we should go somewhere you like." He rested his hands on his hips and stalked across the room to glare down at the top of the gamer's head disapprovingly. "It would help if you'd give me a little input on what you like, Matt."

"I'm not a picky guy," said Matt, shrugging one shoulder indifferently. "I like whatever."

Mello opened his mouth to retort, but then the clock caught his eye. He swore. "I gotta go or I'm going to be late."

"'Kay," said Matt dismissively, still glued to his game.

Mello grabbed his helmet and jacket and headed for the door. Before he left, he turned and looked at Matt over his shoulder. "Just try to think of something you want to do to celebrate, would you?"

"'Kay," Matt said again. Mello threw his hands up in frustration and stomped out of the apartment.

Annoyance ate at him as he wove his bike deftly through the L.A. traffic. He was running out of ideas on ways to celebrate Matt's birthday. Clubs, bars, rooftop lounges, museums, art shows, even the symphony – they had all had been shot down by Matt's passive-aggressive stubbornness.

Mello knew what the problem was. The problem was that he was suggesting activities that he himself would enjoy. But Matt was basically a reclusive gamer; their ideas of fun were worlds apart.

He sighed. The option of playing video games with Matt all day long was there. The redhead would certainly enjoy it, since Mello usually didn't deign to touch the things. But his mind balked at the idea of doing something so dull on a festive occasion.

There had to be something better. What had he seen Matt voluntarily pay attention to aside from video games? Porn. Cars. Girls. Mello's lip curled at that one. Geeky new technology. Beer. Baseball.

Baseball was a possibility. They could always go see a game; Mello thought he could probably survive just one. But he had developed a sneaking suspicion that Matt didn't actually enjoy the game as much as he pretended to. He had once confessed that one of his only memories of his father took place at a baseball game. The video games only went off in favor of the sport when Matt was feeling depressed. It went hand-in-hand with the redhead moping around and insisting he was "just Matt," as he would call it – an average guy.

It drove Mello up the wall. He already knew that Matt was actually Mail Jeevas, genius and hacker extraordinaire, a man who was anything but average. He hated it when his lover pretended otherwise.

He arrived at the café still completely at a loss for ideas. Then he pulled into the parking lot and saw the red Camaro, and he realized that the answer was staring him right in the face.

He smiled his most charming smile as he slid into the seat across from Tony Ross, the man he had come here to meet. In the massive reorganization that taken place after Kira's raid, he had emerged to fill the power void left behind by Rod's death. The car had also ended up in his hands. It wasn't technically his, but that didn't mean he would part with it willingly. This situation had to be handled carefully.

Mello hurried through the necessary small talk and jumped into business at the earliest polite moment. "I need your car." Tony's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to protest, but Mello spoke more quickly. "You know, you've been taking on a lot of extra responsibility lately, and I've been meaning to thank you for that. Do you like the ocean?" The other man nodded guardedly. "How would you feel about a yacht?"

The deal was easy to close after that. Mello made arrangements for the Camaro to be brought to Matt's apartment during the night before his birthday, and also for Tony to get his boat. Then there were only a few more details to be taken care of. Finally, immensely satisfied with himself, Mello sat back and waited for the day to arrive.

On the morning of, he slipped out of the house briefly to make sure everything was in place. Then he got back into bed and woke Matt with light kisses all over his face.

"Mmm." Matt stirred beneath him. Mello pulled back and waited, but no more movement was forthcoming. He caressed Matt's chest and stomach teasingly, then firmly grasped his morning wood. "Mm!" This time Matt started and his eyes flew open. "Whoa," he said. "What a way to wake up." His eyes went half-lidded as Mello stroked him through his boxers.

"Happy birthday," he said. "Birthday sex now. We'll do it however you want."

"However I want, huh?" Matt rubbed one eye and peered at him blearily. "Does that mean you're not going to try to boss me around in bed today?"

"I don't boss you around in bed!" exclaimed Mello defensively. Matt just raised his eyebrows skeptically, and he bit his lip. "Okay, fine, today will be different than usual."

"Great," said Matt with a grin. "Then is it okay if I brush my teeth first?"

"What?" Mello was so taken aback that he stilled momentarily. "You don't have to. I don't care."

"I care." Matt pushed him away gently. "It's my birthday, and I want to brush my teeth first. And you too."

Mello rolled his eyes. He would never get used to Matt's insistence on these kinds of niceties. He stalked after Matt and brushed his teeth as instructed, even though he already had earlier that morning. Somewhere in the middle of it he realized that he should probably count himself lucky he wasn't being ordered to shower.

The moment he was done, Matt captured his lips in a kiss, pressing him back against the open bathroom door. He squirmed so that the knob wasn't pressing into his back and pulled Matt in tightly against him. By the time they broke apart, Mello was panting.

"Well?" he said quietly, kissing Matt's flushed cheek. "Did you decide what you want?" Matt nodded and wordlessly propelled him to the bedroom. "What is it?"

Matt spun Mello to face him and held his shoulders. "I want regular, normal missionary-style sex. No toys, no cuffs, no bruises. Just plain old sex."

Mello's jaw dropped in dismay. "But that's so boring!" he exclaimed.

"Right." Matt crossed his arms sardonically. "I am, in fact, aware that you think it's boring, and that's why we never, ever, ever do it that way. But today's my birthday, right? So be a good boy and just get undressed and get into bed."

Mello raised an eyebrow and rested the tip of his index finger between his teeth. "Make me," he said coyly.

Matt's expression flashed with real annoyance. "No."

"Okay," said Mello quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was start an actual fight. He stripped and lay down obediently on the bed.

Some time later, Matt lay back on the bed with a smile on his face. He ran his fingers tenderly through Mello's hair. "Not so bad, is it?"

It had actually been pretty damned good. Mello always forgot how nice vanilla sex could be from time to time. He wasn't about to admit that out loud, but Matt's smug smirk said that he already knew.

Mello sniffed haughtily. "Whatever. Shower and get dressed, we're going out."

Nearly an hour passed before they were both ready to go. Mello motioned Matt towards the front door impatiently.

"Where are we going?" asked Matt, glancing at him with mild curiosity.

"You'll see, come on. I've already got your keys."

"'Kay. Why have you got my keys?" he asked absently as he slipped into his vest and followed Mello through the door. Mello tossed the keys at him just as he exited the apartment. Matt caught them reflexively, then frowned. "These aren't my—"

Then he stilled. He had seen it in all its glory, its waxed red surface reflecting the morning sunlight. All of the color drained from his face and for a moment Mello worried he might actually pass out.

He unfroze all at once. "Holy shit! Holy shit, Mello! That's a '69 Camaro SS! Oh my god!" He ran to it and circled around it quickly, his eyes so wide that Mello could see them even through his goggles. "It's in mint condition! This is amazing!" He reached out, but froze with his hand a few inches away, then pulled back, as if he was afraid of marring it with his touch. He turned back to Mello, bouncing in place with eagerness. "Mello, can I look under the hood? Can I please?"

Mello raised an eyebrow at him. Seeing the usually stoic Matt this excited over something was a little bit off-putting. "You can do whatever you want. It's yours."

"Yes!" Matt dashed to the front of the car. Mello followed at a more sedate pace. By the time he reached Matt's side, the redhead had popped the hood open and was staring avidly at the car's contents. "Carburetor!" he said happily. "V-8! This engine packs 375 horsepower, isn't that amazing?" Mello opened his mouth to respond, but Matt didn't even pause for breath. "Do you know that this car can go from zero to 60 in under seven seconds?" He shed his gloves and began touching the car's inner workings lovingly. "It's beautiful! Isn't it beautiful?"

When silence ensued, Mello realized that a response was finally expected of him. "It looks a little…empty to me," he admitted.

"That's because it doesn't have anything extra in it," said Matt, holding up an admonishing finger. "No AC, or anything like that. These cars are all car. It's what keeps them light, and fast. They don't make cars like this anymore!"

Despite Matt's happiness at his gift, Mello's stomach did an unpleasant little flip. It took him a minute of eyeing Matt's fingers as they trailed across the car's hood to figure out why. He closed his eyes in chagrin as he realized he had actually just gotten jealous of a piece of metal.

When he opened his eyes again, Matt was putting his gloves back on. "Can I drive it?" he asked eagerly.

"It's yours," said Mello again. "Of course you can drive it."

Matt fairly dove inside. Mello climbed into the passenger's side door to find Matt petting the speedometer and fuel gauge. "It's amazing!" he said again. He ran his hands over the dashboard. "All leather. You should approve."

"I do," replied Mello, though truthfully he found Matt's enthusiasm far more charming than the car's features.

"How long do I have this for?" Matt asked. "Can I at least drive it around for a few hours?"

Mello cocked his head at him. "Matt, I don't think you're understanding how this whole "gift-giving" thing works. It's yours. You can keep it forever."

Matt's eyes got so wide that they looked like they might pop out of his head. "You're giving me this? To me? Like…it's mine?"

"Yeah," said Mello with a slight grin. "Happy birthday."

Matt was still staring at him in frozen awe. "But a car like this costs a fortune! You—"

"It's a family car," interrupted Mello. "The cost to me was nothing."

Matt hesitated for a long moment. "Are you sure?" he asked finally.

"Completely sure." Mello decided not to tell him about the yacht that had factored into the exchange. Sometimes a white lie really was the best option.

He looked like he wanted to ask more, but seemed to think better of it and turned the car on instead. "Listen to that engine! Oh, she's beautiful, listen to her purr."

Mello was just staring at him in amazement. He had never seen Matt actually gush over something before. He had known Matt would like the car, but he hadn't been prepared for just how much.

They pulled out of the driveway. Matt was still grinning form ear to ear. "We have to get out of the city," he said. "I need to take this baby out on the open road, not L.A. traffic."

"Oh, that's already taken care of," said Mello. "I reserved a racetrack for us. Get on the freeway going south."

"A racetrack?" Mello nodded. "A racetrack," said Matt again. "You got us a whole racetrack?"

"My position comes with a few perks," said Mello with a wry smile. "Don't argue and just enjoy yourself. We'll have the whole place to ourselves."

Matt's mouth opened and shut once, then twice. Mello could see the objections forming on his lips, but in the end desire won out over principle. Matt wordlessly followed Mello's directions to the track.

When they arrived, they were greeted by the head of the skeleton crew that was there that day to help them. He gave them a map of the course and informed them that all routes had been opened up, as per Mello's instructions. Then he vanished inside one of the buildings.

Matt was bouncing with excitement as they drove to the starting line. He fumbled with the radio for a few minutes before he found a station he liked. "Perfect!" he exclaimed. He turned to Mello and raised his eyebrows, but Mello didn't know the song. He shrugged. "Oh you're hopeless," said Matt, rolling his eyes. "Jumpin' Jack Flash is perfect driving music."

"If you say so," said Mello.

Matt grinned and faced forward. "You ready?"

"I'm read—"

He almost had a heart attack when Matt gunned the engine before the words were even out of his mouth. The car flew down the opening straightaway, the engine roaring. The first turn was approaching fast. Mello waited for Matt to slow down, but he didn't. "Matt," he said. "Matt! Do you see—"

Matt took the turn at a breakneck speed. Mello exclaimed in surprise and fear, expecting the car to spin out, but somehow the redhead maintained control. Another curve was just ahead of them, and Mello reflexively grabbed the dashboard. He frantically tried to recall the map as they went through the next two turns, but his mind had blanked on what lay ahead.

After they had made a half dozen turns without ending up a flaming wreck, Mello's fear started to recede. Matt did seem to know what he was doing. He was finally able to loosen up slightly and enjoy the stomach-tingling excitement of the drive.

They reached the end of the course just as the song ended. Matt slammed on the breaks and spun the wheel hard to the left, and the car spun a full 360 degrees as it screeched to a halt. Then they were still.

There was silence except for their breath and heartbeats. Mello's eyes were wide as he pried white-knuckled fingers away from the dashboard. He had thought that no car could equal the thrill of riding a motorcycle. He had been wrong.

Matt turned to him with shining eyes, grinning form ear to ear. "Holy shit, that was awesome!" he said.

"Matt," gasped Mello, finally finding his voice. "Jesus! I knew you could drive, but—" He shook his head. "Jesus!"

Matt smirked. "Taking the lord's name in vain? After all the times you've yelled at me for doing the exact same thing?"

For once, Mello let the jibe go unacknowledged. He lunged across the gearshift to grab Matt's hair and pull him into a passionate kiss.

Matt was squirming in his arms, trying to get away. Mello tightened his grip and kissed his cheek and neck before he pulled back in frustration. "What the hell?"

"Are we alone here?" Matt tried to swivel in his seat to peer out the window.

"Completely alone."

"Are you su—"

"I'm completely sure! Relax!" He growled in frustration.

"'Kay." Abruptly, Matt was holding him in a crushing embrace and kissing him again. The redhead's hands roamed over his body aggressively, his caresses infused with just the right amount of force. Mello shivered.

Matt laughed into his ear. "Damned gearshift. If only it weren't here."

"Yeah." It was bruising Mello's hip. He grinned slyly. "The backseat has more space."

Matt's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Why not?"

Matt laughed gaily as he clambered into the back. Mello followed a moment later and found arms waiting for him. Matt had him down on the seat and was lying on top of him within moments. He smirked. "If only you were a girl, we could have sex right here and now."

"Hey!" Mello exclaimed, affronted. "We can!"

Matt snorted. "Just think about the logistics of that."

"I have, and I'm down," retorted Mello hotly.

Matt's grin was amused. "No. Too awkward. He kissed him again as he worked open the laces of his pants. "We're going to have to figure out something else."

They settled on hand jobs. Afterwards, Matt drove the course again, this time with a different route. Mello reflected that he should have brought his bike so they could race; he would have to arrange another driving date so that they could do it.

After Matt had been around the track a dozen times, the novelty began to pale. Mello was just starting to get antsy when Matt declared that it was time to call it quits because he was starving.

Mello hadn't picked out a location for dinner. He told Matt to stop at any place that appealed to him. The diner he picked out looked like nothing special to Mello, and he might have been annoyed had Matt not stayed so enthusiastic throughout. As it was, he could hardly tear his eyes away from the redhead. He'd never seen him maintain an upbeat mood for this long before, not even when they were kids.

Once Matt finished inhaling his burger and fries, he sat back with a sigh of contentment. "This has been the best birthday I've ever had," he said. He laughed. "I got a hand job from a hot girl in the back seat of a red Camaro! What American teen hasn't dreamed of that? My life is complete now. I can die a happy man."

Mello was about to snarl at him for the word "girl" when understanding dawned. Today wasn't just about the car. Today was about Mail Jeevas becoming Just Matt, a normal young man no different than anyone else on the streets. What he had given Matt along with that car was a day out of the mundane life that he might have led if there were no Kira, no Wammy's House and no tragic death of his father. It was a little piece of the life he would never have.

Mello tilted his head sideways and regarded his lover with a melancholy smile. "Matt. Do you feel like a real boy yet, or should we go to a baseball game?"

Matt glanced up at him with a completely blank expression on his face. "What?"

Mello had to laugh. It was possible that Matt hadn't figured it out for himself. He was the perfect picture of obliviousness right now, with the milkshake straw hovering forgotten in front of his lips as he stared at Mello in perplexity.

"Nothing. What do you want to do next?"

"Next?" repeated Matt. He shook his head with a grin. "What's left to do? It's been a perfect day. Let's go home."