The lazy late-morning light filtered into our apartment between half-heartedly closed curtains. Stifling a yawn with one hand, I sluggishly tried to tame my flaming red locks with the other and failed. I wandered out of my room into the hallway and stole a quick glance at Mello's bedroom door, to see that it was open, which meant that he was up already.
"You're up early, Matt," Mello said sarcastically as I walked in the kitchen, in a way of greeting. He kept a straight face, but I noticed a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. He was sipping a cup of steamy coffee and reading the morning newspaper. I echoed his smile automatically, savoring it; it was something I hadn't seen for ages.
I sat down at the kitchen table with him, and he looked up at me. Feeling naked under his eyes without my goggles, I started to feel around my neck for them.
"Don't wear those stupid things today," I looked up in surprise, to see a sad smile tentatively showing on Mello's face. A lump formed in my throat, but I willed it away.
"Alright," I complied, but fingered the plastic lenses longingly for a brief moment before letting them drop back to meet my collar bones. Feeling a slight awkwardness settling in, I decided to change the subject. "No chocolate today?"
Mello grinned and airily waved a chocolate croissant that had been concealed behind the newspaper. I laughed, wishing that things could stay like this forever; like they used to be when we were younger, back at Wammy's.
But Mello's solemn voice broke through my silent prayers. "You remember the plan, right?"
"Yeah…Kidnap that Takada woman, right? She won't know what hit her," I managed to say in a lighthearted voice, a forced smile plastered on my face.
Mello smiled an equally pained smile. "Yeah, and when it's all done and over with, we can finally settle down. Maybe share a room somewhere in England again…Like we used to,"
"Like we used to," I resounded in confirmation.