A Childhood Fairytale: First Pet
(Set in Wammy Orphanage)
A six-year old Matt carefully made his way to his room he shared with Mello. In his hands, he made sure not to drop the green-lidded glass container.
"Mello!" the redhead chirped, maneuvering himself into the room without dropping the container. Inside, he saw his best friend studying at their desk.
"What, Matt?" the seven-year old replied irritably. "You know I don't like to be bothered when I'm studying." He hoped that whatever this was, it would be good, because he was giving up precious minutes he should spend studying. Near was going to do better than him, dang it!
"Look!" Matt beamed, thrusting out his hands. "L finally let me have a pet."
"Oh..." Mello studied the monarch fluttering inside the case. "Cool...?"
Matt squealed, elated. "I know!" He set it down on the surface beside Mello's elbow. Mello automatically scooted a centimeter or two away. Matt didn't notice. Instead, he slurred, "Isn't it pretty?"
Mello took a thoughtful bite out of his chocolate bar. "Sure, sure," he said. He bit back a sarcastic comment, because he knew the redhead had been pining for a pet for ages. "But, why couldn't you have gotten something that..." He was going to finish with 'is manlier?', but he faltered when Matt looked at him with trademark puppy eyes. "...you can put on a leash?" Mello finished lamely. He was such a pushover sometimes.
His friend nodded, considering it. "I guess I could have." He brightened. "I'm fine with Bubbles, though."
"Bubbles?" Mello croaked.
"Yeah!" Matt said, nodding enthusiastically. "That's her name. Bubbles." He patted his new-and first-pet's container affectionately.
"Ah, right," Mello said weakly. He tried to not be embarrassed by his own best friend.
|~::~|
|~::~|
"Mello~~!" Someone yelled in an overly happy voice across the lunchroom.
The blond turned to face the redhead. He was about to ask where Bubbles was, considering the fact that Matt took the butterfly with him everywhere for the past week.
"Look what X made for me." Matt held up a leash, which he proudly held in his hand. X was the fourth-in-line of L's successors, and by far the most creative. He invented wacky stuff, like a cellphone yoyo, a water gun calculator, and his most ingenious one: peanut butter shooter. Yes. Seriously.
Oh, please no, Mello thought. He stared at the bright red leash, which was attached to a floating bubble. It was see-through, which allowed Mello to see Matt's butterfly flying inside it.
"How does it breathe?" He managed, awed.
"Well," Matt began, "X made these microscopic holes so that Bubbles can breathe. They're too tiny for you to see, but they're there." He slipped in the empty seat beside Mello. The bubble floated around Mello's head as the blond ate.
"What's it made of?" He asked, not particularly that something was circling him.
"I don't know," Matt admitted. "But, X is amazing and this thing is freaking cool! Right?"
"Yes, Matt," Mello responded for the umpteenth time.
Other orphans came over to check out Matt's butterfly. Beside the gushing six-year old, Mello silently seethed, biting into his chocolate bar. Normally, he loved attention, but only if it was directed at him.
Finally, their lunch period ended and Mello stormed out of the cafeteria. He headed for his(their) room. A few minutes later, a redhead clutching a red leash scrambled after him. Like a puppy running after his owner. He found his shared room locked from the inside. The boy frowned. "Mello?" He rapped on the door. "Are you in there?" He shuffled from foot to foot anxiously, wondering why Mello had gotten angry.
"No, I'm riding a camel in Ant-freakin-arctica!" came the sarcastic reply. Something was thrown against the wall, making a rather loud noise. Matt jumped.
Fearing it might be one of his games or worse, he tried to reach the key that sat on the top of the doorway. The silver key was well out of his reach. It was made to be too high for children to reach, because there was some kid that went around breaking into other orphans' rooms.
Then, the door was shoved open roughly. The wood hit Matt square in the face and he fell, blinking back tears. He wished he'd been wearing his goggles; at least his eyes wouldn't had come the slightest contact with a hard surface. Alas, the goggles were perched on top of his head, having being pushed up earlier.
Mello stood in the doorway, eyes blazing, glowering down at Matt. His cheeks were tinted pink in anger. But the color drained from his face when he saw Matt on the floor with a very badly bruised cheek.
"M-m-mello," Matt said, his lower lip trembling. His left hand, the one not holding the leash, came up to touch his cheek gingerly. He looked at Mello again with wide, teary eyes and burst out crying.
Mello nudged Matt's knee with his toe. "Get up," he ordered. "Don't be a wimp."
Matt sniffled, trying to hold back his sobs. But they spilled out uncontrollably; his cheek was burning and it hurt.
"Hey." Mello knelt down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He bit his lip guiltily when he realized that Matt was truly hurt. "Matt?"
Matt sniffed, looking up at him with big innocent eyes. "Come on." Mello hauled him up. He tugged Matt into their room, closing the room behind them. Matt's butterfly was nearly crushed by the door. Matt sat on his bed, wiping his eyes furiously. He tugged his goggles down. Lips pressed in a hard line, he focused on stopping crying.
Mello was proud of the gamer. "I'm sorry I hit you, Matty," he cooed, hopping on the bed with his friend.
"S'okay," Matt murmured, ignoring the pain in his cheek.
"Chocolate?" Mello tried, holding out an unopened bar of chocolate. His gaze lingered on Matt's cheek, and he felt a rush of shame go through him. Matt smiled a little, letting go of the leash. Bubbles flew with ease around the room, enclosed in the wonderful contraption X had made. It dragged the leash, starting to orbit Mello's head again.
"Let's go outside." Matt stood. The pain in his cheek was slowly subsiding. He was resilient.
"Why?" Mello asked, interest piqued. "You hate the outdoors."
"Pwease, Mello Yellow?" Matt stuck out his lower lip.
Mello bit his lip, contemplating. "But you just got slammed in the face with a door," he said confusedly. "But...okay." He swatted away at Bubbles. "Get this away, though."
Matt giggled. "Okay."
|~::~|
|~::~|
The famous duo played soccer with other orphans. Matt scored a goal for the first time. Mello gave Temper a dislocated shoulder when they accidentally tripped him.
"I'm going to go to the kitchen to see if they have some juice," Matt panted, covered in perspiration. He walked side by side with Mello, making their way to their room. "Want anything?"
"Chocolate, please," Mello said sweetly. When he realized what he said, his hands flew to cover his mouth.
Matt was very, very surprised. "Wow!" exclaimed the boy. He grinned big, cheek no longer hurting. "You said 'please'!"
"So?" Mello said quietly. He turned a light shade of scarlet.
"Mello said please!" Matt said loudly, joyously. He laughed giddily.
"Shut up and go get the stuff." Mello pushed him forward. Matt nodded.
"Please put Bubbles in his container," he said. He remembered that he'd tied the leash to the inside door handle. Bubbles was probably still hovering around. Matt smiled brightly and practically skipped away.
Meanwhile, Mello stalked back to their room. There, he untied Bubbles from the handle and deposited her into the container. He turned around to find the lid.
Mello finished off his chocolate bar, crumpling it in his hands. He tossed it behind him carelessly, muttering to himself as he searched. He looked under Matt's covers and then finally found the plastic cover. He turned back around.
Then, he froze.
Because there, lying under a wrapped up ball of tin foil(Mello's chocolate wrapper), was Bubbles.
Dead.
Yep. Dead as a doornail run over multiple times by a racecar on a race track.
Dead.
The word echoed around Mello's head, and he thought tensely, Matt's going to flip!
And, to add to the mix, Matt's voice came from the other side of the room, "Mels, I have your choco!"
Mello panicked. "Um..." he stammered. Before he could make up an excuse, Matt had opened the door and walked in. Mello whirled, hiding Bubbles's cage with his torso. Matt cocked his head to the side, curious.
"What's wrong Mello?"
"Nothing, you little twerp."
"Meanie."
"Just give me my chocolate."
Matt obediently did so. He stood on his tippytoes, trying to see past Mello's shoulder. "Can I see Bubbles?"
Mello didn't answer.
"Mello?"
No answer.
"Mellooooo," Matt drawled.
"Come with me while I shave my legs," Mello blurted.
Matt raised an eyebrow. "Melly, you're not even old enough to have leg hair." He chuckled to himself. "I've seen and felt your legs. They're soft, like your hand!"
Both boys froze, realized how awkward that statement was.
"Well, can I, um, see Bubbles?" Matt said.
"No."
"Why not?"
"He's asleep."
"Bubbles is a girl."
"She's asleep. Give up, Matty."
"Yeah, right! Lemme see!" He pushed Mello out of the way, then gasped loudly when he saw his beloved pet.
"Bubbles!" An agonized cry escaped Matt's lips.
|~::~|
|~::~|
Matt hadn't talked to him for a week.
Mello was miserable.
The chocoholic trudged down the empty hallway, his head hung in depression. However, he stopped when he saw a familiar set of boots in front of him. Mello looked up at Matt.
"Matty!" he exclaimed, then rushed to his apology, "Look, I'm so sorry for killing Bubbles! Just stop ignoring me, Matty! It was an accident."
"Mello. It's okay." Matt grinned.
"I'm so-wait, what?" Mello looked at him disbelievingly.
"It's okay!" Matt repeated. "L gave me a new pet after he found out about Bubbles," he explained. A trace of sadness could be heard when he recalled the incident that put Bubbles's short life to an end.
Mello exhaled in relief. "I'm still really sorry," he told him sincerely.
"It's fine," Matt said for the third time. He looked at the watch on his wrist. "I'll see you in class. I have to feed Bamboo." The six-year old made a squeal/yelp noise as he skipped past Mello.
The name struck Mello, and he had a vague idea of what Matt's new pet was.
Mello saw the black leash Matt was holding.
Then, his mouth dropped open as a black and white panda padded after Matt, the leash connected to a collar around its neck.
The End
I love making Matt giggle.
Off to my jar of vanilla frosting.
.Atreyl