AN: Two in one day! As an apology for my sporadic updating schedule xD
Mello.
The day passed quite quickly considering we didn't feel like we were getting anywhere with the case. Matt was there when I got home and we engaged in a fun-filled evening that consisted of baking cakes, having soup for tea and watching half of a horror movie before finding something much more action-filled to do. Like sex. At least four times. All before midnight, which was impressive and entertaining and so damn good that I slept like a baby the night. For some reason, Matt didn't. I didn't hear him leave, but I heard the front door squeak open followed by Matt's slurring voice telling someone to be quiet. I hauled on a hoodie and went to investigate, seeing Matt being held up by a very uncomfortable looking Kayla.
"I see you two have made friends" I eyed Kayla up suspiciously. She was dressed up in her nighttime attire, short skirt, heels, revealing top, curly hair, the sort that got her a room for the night. Matt made a funny noise and fell to the floor; unable to hold him up any longer, Kayla let him go, squeaking a little and trying to help him back up. I flicked on the corridor light to see better and bent down to Matt's level.
"He's drunk" Kayla informed me. "He couldn't sleep so we went out for the night – I don't think he had much"
"He doesn't eat a lot – he's a little lightweight" I ruffled Matt's hair. "Aren't you, baby?"
"Baby my ass!" Matt flopped onto my shoulder and hugged me closer.
"His drink might've been spiked" She added quietly. "He really didn't drink enough to get like this..."
"You smell good – did the fairies do it?"Matt murmured. I suppressed a laugh.
"Yes Matt, the fairies did it; Let's get you to bed" I lifted him a little and he groaned in protest. I caught a whiff of cologne or some kind of spray – it wasn't his. My stomach flipped. I hauled him up again-
"The floor's wobbling; I can't" He breathed, collapsing to his knees. "And the walls keep moving in and out and in and about – and why is there a cat in our house?" I turned to look behind me, half expecting to see the ginger cat (as it is the only cat we know), but there wasn't one.
"I think you've had too much to drink Matt...come on"
"Just a few drinks" He insisted. "Just a few, Mel"
"Fine, alright" I helped him up and Kayla got the other side of him; She wanted something to do, apparently. Or maybe it was her way of feeling like she was making up for what she'd done. "Anything else you'd like to add-" Matt went dead-limp in our grasp and his knees gave way.
I lifted him up and carried him bridal-style back to the bedroom. He wriggled out of my grasp and onto the bed. Immediately, he began stripping his shirt off then slipping off his socks albeit with a little difficulty. I knelt at the end of the bed, watching.
"Is this supposed to be a turn on?" I asked with a grin. He let a muffled groan escape his lips; he looked like a frustrated kid who hadn't learned how to properly put on his socks.
"I'm having a little trouble with – ah, this" He started on his jeans and flopped backwards onto the bed from his sat-upright position and arching his back rather sexily. "Uh!" He groaned. If he wasn't drunk, it might've been a turn on. Actually, the burning sensation in my groin told me it was still a turn on, drunk or not. "Mel...iloveyou" He blurted. "I do, I really do – you have to believe me"
"I do Matt, I do" He was still trying to get his jeans off, so I helped him a little.
"I wanna' marry you one day" I grinned at this.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah – but none of this ... this cross-dressing business; you wear a suit"
"Ok" I chuckled, flinging his jeans elsewhere.
"I don't mind if you rape me, y'know"
"What?" I splutter, laughing to myself and pulling away before he got any ideas.
"Tech-n-technically it's not rape; I'd never say no you – to you, not to you Mel" He rolled himself around and shuffled over to me like a caterpillar. "I want yoy" He frowned. "You" He corrected. "Youuuu" He drew out. "In me"
"Not whilst you're drunk"
"It could be fun" He walked his fingers up my thigh.
"Not happening"
"Ugh!" He groaned again, stumbling off the bed and reaching for his phone. "What'da'I hafta' do to get you to—ah" His foot caught something and he stubbed his toe on the dresser. "Fucking ow" He mumbled, dialling digits on the phone. I made a dive for it.
"What are you doing?" He dove away from me, tripping over his feet and slamming his shoulder into the doorframe as he stumbled into the bathroom. "Don't lock the door, Matt!" I grabbed the door handle just as he was about to shut it; I wedged my foot in place so he couldn't shut it, but damn it hurt. "Matt!"
My little shout caused Kayla to emerge from the kitchen looking surprised.
"I'm callin' Kayla" I heard Matt mumble.
"Why?" I asked, trying to delay him. He didn't need to know she was in the kitchen, I was slightly more bothered at the fact he'd already forgotten.
"Kayla's not under C ...Mel, I think I deleted her" I laughed quietly. "Imma' tell her I wanna—that you can take 'vantage of me n' tha' its' ok..."
"Matt I'm sure she doesn't want to know that" Kayla chuckled behind me.
"But if she knows then ... then..." He went quiet, muttered an impressed 'aha!' and then 'done', to my worry.
"You think if people know you want it, then it can't be rape?" I tried to keep him talking as a distraction. Kayla's phone beeped behind me and she tried to muffle it against her top. She quickly went back into the kitchen, laughing to herself.
"Yes!" There was a crash and the door went loose. Matt had shifted. I opened the door and found him sprawled on the floor. "Mello!"
"Come on, hot-head" I scooped him up and took him back to the bedroom.
0
"Alcohol isn't enough in small doses to cause hallucinations" I told Kayla. We were in the kitchen and I had already started up the kettle and was waiting on a cup of coffee. She'd shown me Matt's drunken text, which made no sense, but we got sidetracked onto the funny things Matt had said to have seen at the party, like dinosaurs. Some of the more worrying things made it perfectly clear to me that they were hallucinations.
"Were there drugs at this party?" She looked nervous before nodding guiltily. But I'd already suspected as much.
"It's a city – it was a huge party-"
"You didn't need to get Matt involved in it" I protested quietly.
"I didn't!" She protested. "He went off dancing with some guy and I lost track of him; next thing I know he's—" She stopped and I turned to prepare the coffee's. My stomach was doing somersaults and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. "He was making out with this other guy and it got pretty heated" She said quietly. "It was the same one he went off with and was dancing with... he seemed to like Matt – the guy I mean – it's possible that he did it when we got separated. I don't know" She finished lamely. I poured the hot water and added the milk, stirring the coffee and handing one to her.
"How long did you leave him alone?"
"I didn't leave him on purpose" She frowned, cupping the warm cup with her hands. "We were separated for about half an hour, but he is technically an adult and he can take care of himself-" She said quietly, rambling. "I'm sorry Mello"
"At least you brought him back" I sat opposite her and sipped my own coffee, offering her a peaceful smile. "Thanks for that" She nodded, content, and began to blow on her coffee. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded carefully. "Why were you looking in that box?"
"Oh..." She looked down, suddenly appearing quite vulnerable. "I can't... it's...i'm sorry" I didn't push her for any more than that. I wasn't going to get anywhere if I lost my temper and that would've happened if I'd asked more questions that she wouldn't answer.
I told her she could have the sofa for the night, but she declined and said she should be off; I told her to be careful and she left. I washed up the two cups, turned the lights off and went back to bed with Matt. I took the hoodie off and curled up next to him, my arms around his waist. Before I slept, I couldn't help but tell him I love him; he didn't respond, but I wasn't sure if I expected him to.
I spent the next day at work. I went in early, leaving Matt a note by his bed along with a couple of head-ache pills and a glass of water, even a few spare batteries for his Nintendo if he needed them. I was sure he wasn't going to go to work that day, so I phoned the necessary people and told them not to expect him – and yes, I do have Matt's work-place's contact details in my phone, I'm not a psycho.
I spent the day shuffling through files that were relevant to the case, but nothing new was coming in. I got a text from Matt at about half twelve; 'Mornin'! Hope work is ok, sorry about last night; I don't remember much, maybe I drank too much! X' and didn't reply. I wasn't sure what to say or do so I buried my head in my work. Though, it was hard when I kept on getting random texts from Matt, saying 'I guess another lazy day is in store; entertain me?' and 'Staying in bed! Come home soon! ;)' and 'Have you read todays paper?! Shocking!'. He informed me of everything he did and I couldn't muster up the courage to text back.
I knew it'd start a conversation and I couldn't get stuck in one whilst I was working. I left my phone on silent in my cupboard and hoped nothing too serious happened. It dawned on me about two hours later that it's the first time in at least a year that I've purposefully ignored the red head. And no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew it wasn't because of work.
"Mello?" There was a knock at my door and Light stepped in. He was slightly younger than L, but helped on various cases because of his links with the police force, if we needed them. "You didn't come down for lunch" He tossed me a sandwich followed by a bottle of water and an apple.
"Thanks" He closed the door behind him and looked at me curiously, leaning against the file cabinet by the door.
"Everything ok?" I've been trying to convince myself that it is, but I'm not telling you that. I nodded my head and he took it as an answer.
"Thanks for the food; I think this case it just winding me up, that's all"
"Still no links?"
"Nope" I opened the water and took a sip. "It feels like I'm going around in circles, in very small circles, actually"
"L's on the verge of getting a P.I in or something, to start digging a little more...intimately"
"Like a hacker or something?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "It's not L's usual tactic" Light shrugged and pushed off the cabinets, folding his arms over his chest.
"But it's a funny case, don't you think?" I nodded in agreement. "I best get back; Near's hanging around somewhere – I'm sure he wanted me to go over some things"
Light left and I began eating my sandwich, unaware as to how hungry I actually was. After I'd finished my apple, I took my phone out from the cupboard and saw that I had two missed called and three new messages. The missed calls were from Matt; so were the texts. 'Is it possible to burn soup?' I wondered how he could cook some dinners like a chef, but still couldn't manage tinned foods. 'I'm assuming you didn't take the car to work with you today?...And I didn't see anything about the bike being in service' I frowned at that one. I drove the bike to work this morning; the car was in the parking lot when I left it. I read his last text. 'Mells, don't be mad – the car's gone. And I don't mean—imma' ring you instead' .
I wasn't sure what to do. The car being 'gone' could be anything; bad thoughts of Matt having had a car accident suddenly rushed through my mind and I felt guilty for keeping the phone on silent. He could've died! Then the phone started ringing again in my hand. It was Matt.
"Hey" I flipped it to my ear and got comfy in my chair. "Sorry - phone was on silent – are you ok?"
"I got as much and yeah, I'm fine" Matt huffed. "Did you get my texts?"
"Yeah" I nodded, too. "But...I took the bike to work – just so you know"
"Well I know that – the bike keys are gone, the car keys are still here" I heard a jingle as if he was proving his point. "But the car isn't in the car-park"
"What do you mean?" I frowned. "You didn't park it somewhere else did you?"
"Mel, there's allocated spaces for a reason" I imagined him rolling his eyes. "And you were with me last time we went out in it"
"True...Did you check the security guy? He'd have tapes"
"Mmm...i guess...how are you so calm about this?" He added.
"Me? You're not exactly running around like the headless chicken I thought you'd be"
"I'm in shock" He tried, laughing quietly. "Mel, I'm not sure what to do..."
"Apparently not" I rolled my eyes and he sighed. "Look. Check the security guy, see if he's got anything. If he has, take it to the police. If there isn't anything then...I don't know, I'll sort it when I get back" I rubbed my head, feeling the strain behind my eyes which usually meant an oncoming headache.
"When will that be?" He whispered.
"I dunno' Matt; I'm buried behind papers, so...it'll probably be a late night"
"I can come and keep you company?" As much as I liked the sound of that, I knew it was impossible.
"No...it's ok. Thanks – Matt, I have to go-"
"Mel, are you mad at me?" He rushed. "Cause I know I shouldn't have gone out last night but-"
"Matt" I stopped him. "Can we do this when I get home?" I half expected him to put up a fight, or even whine and tell me that I'm being mean but ok, he will wait.
I didn't expect him just to put the phone down.
I sent him a quick text to tell him I was sorry and continued to plough through the papers in front of me, my stomach sinking with guilt.
