CaffinatedCaffy - So I totally updated on time! (I like the idea of updating about once a week) The phone number has 8 digits for a reason, look at your phone's keypads and try to make words out of the numbers given ;) They personify Mello quite well. The chapter name's from a funny song I like by the way, it's called Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too! by Say Anything. :P It probably has nothing to do with this chapter, aside from the title. Poor Matty. *hearts*
Axcent - Is currently on vacation! (Some kind of road trip or something, I think? DX) I'll be here updating on time while she's gone. She's missed! T_T
I Can Be Sexual, Too!
When Matt pulled his car into the driveway of the house where he lived with Jessebell, Mello was smirking at him in a way he did not like at all. There was a knowing glimmer beneath the playfulness, but also a malice that Matt recognized as part of Mello's general personality. It unnerved him enough to push him into throwing a warning at the blonde. "Don't you dare do anything." He meant to sound confident, but his voice came out like a plea.
"Matty's nervous." Mello chuckled, opening his door as Matt turned off the ignition. "Guilty conscience?"
Matt blushed and shook his head as Mello moved closer to him, cupping the redhead's chin in his hand. "Not here!" he hissed, pulling away as Mello pecked him, mere feet from the door. "She might see!" Matt's voice was a hoarse whisper, and he scowled when Mello laughed. "And don't mock me!"
Jessebell burst through the door then, grinning broadly. "So you're Matt's friend! Nice to meet you!" Her light blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, her face painted in shades of periwinkle blue eye shadow. She offered Mello a hand, blinking at the skimpy leather he was wearing.
Mello nodded, taking her hand and smiling in a way that seemed genuine, if you didn't notice the triumph in his eyes. He had stolen Matt from this bubbly, pretty woman. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Jeevas." Mello's smirk seemed angled at Matt, who was shifting nervously as he watched the exchange. He knew Mello was toying with him, the bastard.
"Oh please, call me Jessebell!" She insisted, grinning and swatting a hand playfully.
"Why don't we just go inside." Matt suggested, bouncing on the balls of his feet and pulling at the strap of his goggles.
Both Jessebell and Mello nodded, one flouncing off into the house, the other touching the redhead's arm for a split second and whispering "Calm down," in his ear.
Inside, past the small foyer, the table was laden with food. Matt wondered how Jessebell had managed all that in the short time since she had invited Mello for dinner. Most likely, she had prepared the food in advance for both of them. He sat in his usual chair, glancing at Mello as the blonde sat in the seat next to him, leaving Jessbell to sit across from them, looking disappointed that Mello had stolen her place next to her husband.
"Well! Serve yourselves. It's not much but... I do what I can!" Jessebell gushed, placing a palm on her cheek and closing her eyes.
Mello smiled, the glint still in his eyes, the one that made Matt's hands shake as he ladled soup into his bowl and ripped a piece of French bread in half - the one that made him kick Mello under the table as the blonde took the other half of that bread and popped it into his own mouth.
Jessebell giggled, heaping mashed potatoes onto her own plate and starting conversation. "Mello, how is it that you met Matt? He said something about a cafe..." Her face was tilted to the side, she was watching Matt. Her expression said this was more than just a simple question about acquaintances, but an inquiry as to what her Matt was doing in a cafe without her knowledge.
"I was called to a house in the area to...er, help with their computer and I stopped for a coffee." Matt pipped up, nudging Mello in what he hoped was a discreet way as he plunged his spoon a little over dramatically into his soup.
"Matt, dear, I asked Mello! Let your friend talk!" Jessebell laughed, sprinkling pepper over her potatoes, completely oblivious to her husband's tension.
Mello nodded. "Yeah, Matt, let me talk." His tone was low and a blush spread over Matt's face.
Jessebell put some vegetables on her plate and took a bite, motioning for Mello to go on.
"Well..." The blonde's eyes were trained on Matt as the other dribbled soup down his chin in nervousness."I was eating a brownie when Matt rudely bumped into me, and I dropped it. He paid for it, and then we got to talking. Since it was so hot inside, we went out to continue our conversation." Matt's face was becoming steadily redder as Mello's speech went on, remembering exactly what happened outside of the cafe that day.
Jessebell laughed, placing her hand on top of Matt's and pretending she wasn't offended when he pulled it away on the pretext of grabbing another piece of bread. "So, Mello," she started again, settling back in her seat and picking up her fork in favor of her spoon. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Mello's eyes narrowed as his lips tilted up, his expression devious. "Something like that."
Matt dropped his fork, his head jerking up to look at Mello. Was he referring to him? Something like a girlfriend? Or was there someone else? Was Mello doing the same thing he was, playing around behind some girl's back? Somehow Matt felt like if Mello were doing it, it was much worse. He wanted to think he was the only one. ... Is that selfish?
"Something like that?" Jessebell giggled again. Matt was starting to get annoyed.
"I'm bisexual." Mello told her, lifting his fork. "I have a boyfriend right now." Matt choked and kicked the blonde under the table. He was supposed to be playing it cool!
Jessebell blinked several times. "Oh! Well... What do you do for work?" She changed the subject.
"I'm a teacher." Mello told her, practically growling.
"That must be fun!" Jessebell offered, her voice cheery.
Mello snorted. "If you consider dealing with twenty little smart-asses all day fun. Fucking kids." There was a certain taunting tenderness to his voice, crouched behind the annoyance. Matt could tell he really harbored well hidden love for the profession, and probably really liked the kids in his classes.
Jessebell took him seriously, her mouth dropping open at the statement. Then she smacked Mello's forearm playfully, giggling again. "You can't say that about children, Mello! I won't let you talk like that once this baby's born!" At the sight of Mello's surprised look, she continued, "Oh! Didn't you know? Matt is going to a father in a few months!"
"What?" Mello swallowed his potato quickly, "I mean.. er, congratulations."
Matt looked down, sensing Mello's eyes on him. Was Mello mad? Did this change something? Should he have told Mello from the beginning, so Mello wouldn't feel like Matt was lying? Or did Mello not want to be with someone who was married with children?
"I have to go to the bathroom." Matt mumbled, pushing his plate away and getting up.
With Matt gone, Jessebell looked towards Mello from across the table with a glint in her eye that Mello was far too accustomed to. "So, Mello," Jessebell purred, leaning on her elbow, which was propped up on the table. She moved forward, exposing her cleavage.
"Jessebell, don't play that game," Mello warned.
"What game?" She asked, leaning forward even further.
"Your head is going to end up in your own fucking bowl of mashed potatoes if you're not careful, woman. You're pregnant for Christ's sake, can't you sit back and enjoy your husband?" 'While it lasts, because I'm sure as Hell going to take him away from you, you bitch,' Mello finished the sentence in his thoughts, stabbing his green beans with a fork and shoving them into his mouth.
Matt came back from the bathroom then, the tips of his messy red bangs were wet. He must have splashed water on his face. Jessebell looked somewhat alarmed, but quickly sat up straight and smiled at Matt. "Well, are we all done eating here?"
Mello nodded, as did Matt. "Alright, I'll clear up, you two stay here." Mello and Matt nodded again as Jessebell began to clear away the dishes.
"Why did you tell her you're bisexual?" Matt hissed, whispering to Mello.
"I figured it would deter her from thinking anything about you, as well as saying I had a boyfriend," Mello answered with a sly wink, putting his hand on Matt's thigh.
Matt answered to Mello's advance with a small squeak, laughing slightly. "Am I the alleged boyfriend?" He asked, trying to seem casual.
"Would you be jealous if you weren't?" Mello asked with a smirk, moving his hand up Matt's thigh an inch.
Jessebell returned to the dining room for a moment, grabbing more dishes to clean. As soon as she entered, the hand dropped, and then quickly returned to it's place when she left. "Yeah," Matt admitted.
"That's terribly hypocritical of you, you know." Mello said with a small laugh.
"Yeah, but-" Matt stopped, putting a hand over his mouth. Was he really about to say that?
"What?" Mello prompted.
"Alright, all done. Would you like some coffee, Mello?" Jessebell offered.
"No thanks, I don't like coffee." Mello stood, and Matt realized that it was finally time to leave.
"Matt, are you going to drive Mello home?" Jessebell asked.
"Yeah," Matt said.
"Would you like me to come?" She asked, smiling.
"No thanks, that's alright. We'll be quick. I'm just in that condo block on 40th." Mello said, waving her down. His eyes read something along the lines of 'Don't fuck with me'.
Matt and Mello got into Matt's car together, and drove off to Mello's house, enjoying comfortable silence and small talk, save for the occasional snap of Mello's chocolate bar.
Matt pulled his car up to a familiar curb and pushed down the parking brake, turning to Mello, who was making no move to leave the car. The condo building was caught in the glare from a steadily setting sun, it's last rays catching deep green grass and tinging the area in light orange that had nothing to do with Matt's goggles. "Night Mello." The redhead smiled, drumming his fingertips over the top of the steering wheel anxiously as Mello turned his blue eyes over to rest on Matt, a sly smirk decorating his features, hair falling forward as he tilted his face towards the other's, making a blush bloom over Matt's cheeks.
"Night Matty." Mello purred, taking Matt's chin between his fingers and leaning over in his seat, unclasping his seat belt and pushing the redhead against the window, their lips locking. Matt let his eyes slip shut, raising his hands to loop them around Mello's neck, and the blonde lifted the hem of his shirt. Just as suddenly as Mello had lunged at him, the blonde pulled away, unlocking the door and swinging it open. "Night." He said again, winking.
"W-wait!" Matt called, straightening, his eyes wide, trying to even out his breaths.
"What, Matty?" Mello swung out of the car, then turned around, leaning against the open door and watching Matt chew his lip awkwardly.
"Can, I, er, call you, or something?" The redhead asked clamping his hand over the steering wheel again and swallowing.
Mello hummed, looking out towards the horizon, as though contemplating Matt's request. "You could." He raised both slim eyebrows, leaning back towards Matt and reaching out a gloved finger to run over the redhead's cheek. "3266-7399."
Matt nodded, blushing profusely and subconsciously leaning into Mello's touch. He sat in his car for minutes after Mello disappeared inside the condo, running over the numbers in his head and blinking, a small smile on his lips.
Matt drove home quickly, swerving on the tight turns that came with the many streets of suburbia. He pulled to a stop in front of his home, cut the engine and entered his home. "I'm back," Matt called out, and found Jessebell sitting on the couch in the living room, curled up with a romance novel.
"Hi, sweetheart." She said, smiling as she put down her book. She stood, and walked over to give me a hug. She was wearing one of her more skimpy, see-through nightgowns - with no bra.
"What's the occasion, Jesse?" Matt found himself commenting on her attire.
"Don't you like it?" She frowned.
"Well, it's very nice..." Matt coughed and changed the subject quickly. "So, what did you think of Mello?"
"He's... very interesting," Jessebell said, averting Matt's eyes.
"Look me in the eye, Jesse," Matt laughed. "Mello's a little eccentric, yeah, but don't tell me you've got something against bisexuals?"
"N-no, of course not!" Jessebell said, shaking her head in protest.
"Then what's the issue?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow. Jessebell began to turn red, so Matt pushed her away and placed a hand on his hip with a sigh. "Jessebell, look. Mello told me in the car that you tried to... seduce him." Matt had to stifle a laugh from saying that. "I'm very disappointed in you. You're married, to me! Not to mention that we have a child on the way. I expected more of you."
"Yeah, well you went to that cafe without telling me! I bet you've been other places, too!" Jessebell accused angrily.
"I was at a fucking cafe! For work! I can't believe you," Matt growled.
"Well, what about that 'pole accident'! It certainly didn't look like a pole hit you, Matt! It looked like a hickey!" Jessebell shouted.
Matt was flabbergasted. She was right... Who was he to accuse her when he had his own dirty little secret? "So now you think I'm cheating? Fuck you, Jessebell. I'm going for a smoke." Matt snapped, and stormed off into the bedroom to put on his sneakers and favorite fuzzy vest.
"Don't walk away from me like that, Mail!" Jessebell shouted.
"Oh, you think using my first name is going to intimidate me?" Matt scoffed, discreetly slipping his house keys into his pocket in case Jessebell tried to lock him out of the house.
Jessebell clenched her jaw and balled her fists, staring Matt down as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. When she wasn't looking, he slipped his gameboy in his pocket in case he wanted it, and brushed past her. Jessebell made a sound of clear disgust, and watched him exit the house, slamming the door behind him.
Once safely on the porch, under the soft beam of light from the flickering bulb attached to the overhang, Matt let his head fall into his hands, looping his fingers around the thick strands of his hair and sighing. Without a sputter the light went out, leaving him alone in the darkness, only a crescent moon a few scattered stars for company. He knew turning off the light was Jessebell's way of punishing him.
With another sigh he reached for his pack of cigarettes and flicked on his lighter, watching the tiny flame dance and feeling the slight warmth on his face. It cast shadows, threw his facial features into sharper definition. Then the lighter fluttered out, after being touched to the end of one of Matt's cigarettes. The redhead sucked in a breath, pulling in as much smoke as he could without overdoing it and coughing.
He felt a little better, just having his addiction. As smoke curled out into the night air, Matt tried and failed to block out his thoughts. If Jessebell really had tried to seduce Mello, and he didn't think the blonde was lying, that didn't make her any worse than him. In fact, what he was doing was much worse, morally. Still, he couldn't help feeling it was different. Different how he didn't know, but he had an urge to call Mello. So he dug in his vest pocket, extracting a compact cell phone, shining like a black beetle in the gentle moonlight.
Slowly Matt dialed Mello's number, his eyes lidded. He didn't want to search his mind for the answer as to why he was going to Mello for comfort after Jessebell had rightfully chewed him out.
"Hello?"
Matt smiled subtly, pressing the phone to his ear. Mello sounded remotely annoyed.
"It's Matt." He whispered, kicking his converse through the dust at the bottom of the stairs, where he lowered himself and sat, knees jutting out awkwardly.
The other end of the line was silent for only a moment, before Mello's voice drifted back through, the annoyance melted away. "What is it Matt?"
Matt shook his head, glowering at the wind that twined it's ice fingers through his hair and brushed along his face, creating ominous whispers in the trees lining the street. "I just... I confronted Jessebell about flirting with you. I... I don't know, I was mad! And then she accused me of running off and cheating on her..." Matt let his voice trail, crinkling his nose as it tickled with oncoming tears.
"Well, that's what you're doing." Mello's answer was blunt, but his voice stayed soft.
A lone tear trickled down Matt's cheek, and he gripped the phone tighter. "I... I know. It's just that it feels different with you. I don't know why, but it just is!" His voice rose and he blushed, turning away from the street and hoping no one had kept their windows open.
"You're both screwed up."
Matt's spine straightened, and another tear escaped his ducts and ran down his face. "And you're not messed at all..." He whined. He just had to be the bad guy.
"No, I'm just as screwed up for letting you do this. You wouldn't have cheated if it hadn't been for me, Matt. I wanted you and I didn't care if you had a wife. If I was normal, I'd make you go back to Jessebell, I'd cut this off. But I'm selfish. I still want you. We're both messed up, so we're in this together."
Matt sniffed, leaning onto his knees and humming. He didn't feel much better, after Mello's little rant. Though it was nice to know Mello was his partner in crime. "We're in this together..." He repeated. He liked the sound of that statement. If only it was standing alone.
Then he heard a small click as the door behind him was unlocked, his cue to come back inside. "Bye, Mello." Matt muttered into the phone, brushing away his tears with a sleeve and closing the phone without waiting for Mello's answer. He could already tell the blonde was uninterested in his predicament, and he took the steps by twos after snubbing his cigarette, slipping through the door and out of the darkness.
When he reached the hall, Jessebell was out of sight. She obviously hadn't forgiven him yet, and he walked into the living room with his head hanging, shuffling towards the stairs. As he walked, he flicked off the hall light and moved towards the lamp in the living room. Just before his fingers reached the switch, he noticed a faded red pillow with a picture of Mario on it's front laying on the couch, accompanied by a thin light green blanket. His pillow. Matt sighed, turning off the light and blinking as he felt his way towards the couch. He knew what that meant; and it as no use going upstairs to argue his case. Jessebell would just pretend to be sleeping, anyway, and ultimately make sure he wound up sleeping on the couch.
After spreading the blanket over his denim covered legs, Matt curled in on himself, nose still itching. He wondered if Mello really cared for him, even a little, or if the blonde just kept him around for the sexual thrill. With that thought slinking through his mind and tears at the edges of his eyes, Matt burried his head into his pillow, willing himself to sleep.
