Good day, beloved readers :') Are you proud of me for updating twice in relatively quick succession? It doesn't happen very much anymore, does it ^^' Anyway, I hope you like it! Also, if any of y'all are into the Godchild manga by Kaori Yuki, please check out my new fic, Sleepwalking! And if you're not into Godchild, get into it :D You can find it online, and it really is well worth reading :) I'm done advertising now, so go ahead and (hopefully) enjoy chapter ten ^_^

In an unexpected fit of courtesy, Matt invites me inside, although it could well be just because he can't easily manoeuvre himself right now.

I can't honestly say it's the most welcoming or pleasant house I've ever been in... I regard the dull, peeling wallpaper and crooked pictures with half a smile; they somehow compliment Matt's spontaneous and retarded personality excellently.

He blushed lightly as he notices my critical observation, shuffling slowly further inside and scratching his ear awkwardly. "Heh... I'm sorry it's a bit of a mess..." he mumbles. It's almost cute, for some reason.

I find myself shortly in what I assume is the living room; there's a sofa and a TV, anyway, and a tangled mess of wires, connected presumably to the multiple game systems scattered across the floor. Matt grins fondly at them, and then, to my surprise, at me. "Thanks for getting me home, Mello..."

"Uh... That' s ok," I reply slowly, returning the smile in an almost tentative way. Matt gradually manoeuvres over to the sofa and flumps onto it gracelessly, motioning that I should sit down with him. I perch uncertainly next to him and look expectantly into his oddly innocent face.

"Is there anything I can do for you, since you've gone to all this trouble?"

My, my, he's being very friendly today. He's usually being a sod in some way or other, but right now he's barely being one at all! How wonderful, and yet strange.

The silence hangs for a couple of moments, Matt staring earnestly into my eyes, clearly serious about his question. In fact, I'm just beginning to feel awkward when his eyes suddenly dart down, and his face creases into a little frown. "Mello..?"

I pretend I can't hear him, which is quite a feeble thing to do considering the deafening lack of any other sort of noise.

"Um... Why... You... You've, er, got a boner, Mello..."

Foiled.

I shift uncomfortably, crossing my legs awkwardly in a pathetic attempt to hide said boner from Matt's prying eyes, and attempt to feign innocence.

"I don't have a boner, Matt. Why would I..? I think you must've hit your head when you crashed... There's nothing going in my pants right now."

Matt gives me a stunningly pouty look, emerald eyes narrowing. "But I saw it! Don't pretend, Mello!"

I sigh heavily, uncrossing my legs again. Matt looks distinctly satisfied, and I feel my cheeks tinting a light scarlet.

"I knew it! But why now? It's not like I gave you chocolate or anything..."

I shrug, wishing he'd stop probing into the matter. "I don't know... Maybe it's just... Erect with the sheer joy of life..."

Even Matt; dear, stupid, Matt; can see that this is perhaps the worst excuse for sporting a happy cock in existence. He gives me a very, very disbelieving look and shuffles a little closer to me, much to my alarm. He stares down at my prominent crotch and sighs, expression a little perplexed.

"Is it because of... Me, or something..?"

I remain stoically silent, determinedly avoiding looking at Matt, even though I know myself that this is only going to make it more obvious what my answer is.

Matt waits for several more seconds for my answer which is never going to come, then gives up with a huff, and slumps back next to me, looking deep in thought. It's not an expression that suits him very well. I hope he doesn't injure himself.

"You came to me because... You couldn't get it up with Near, didn't you? But you can get up sometimes... When you have chocolate, and when I give you head, and...now, apparently..." He frowns, biting his lip. You can almost see the rusty little cogs turning in his head as he tries to figure it out.

After straining his little mind for a couple more moments, he suddenly gives a little gasp, his fiery head whipping around to stare at me in total wonder, as if I'm made of game cartridges.

"Is it... It's not that you can't get a boner, it's that... You can't get one with Near! But you can..." He pauses, clearly struggling to finish his sentence. Poor little retard, he's really over-exerted himself. "You can... get it up with me..!"

Suddenly, the final piece of the puzzle seems to click in his mind, and before I can react at all, I find Matt on lap, clutching at my vest with a frenzied expression. "Mello! Are you attracted to me?"

"No fucking shit!" I suddenly yell, grabbing him by the flimsy hospital gown that he's effectively stolen from A&E and shaking him a little. Vaguely I wonder where the hell this is coming from, and vaguely I tell myself I should stop talking right now. "No. Fucking. Shit!"

Matt pauses, pulling a face like a child frightened of loud noises; mentally, I suppose he is.

"So... You are?"

I let go of him with a colossal sigh, barely resisting the urge to punch him in the face. "I am, Matt, yes."

Don't think me a bad person; if I'd known my short speech would cause him to fall off the sofa, I would've helped him. But as it was, I was completely unprepared for it, and so Matt fell onto the floor with a loud thump, staring up at me with a stunned expression.

"That's fucking awesome, Mello! Because I think you're the sexiest thing since sex!"

...Maybe I did just confess my affection for him, but that's going a bit far, isn't it..?

"Well, um... Thank you, Matt..."

He beams, and then we both fall into the inevitable awkward silence, each pondering our new predicament. After a few quiet minutes, Matt raises his head and looks at me in vague confusion.

"But, Mello... Wouldn't Near kill you if he found out about all this..?"

I groan, stretching my arms out before me. "Yes, he certainly would, which is exactly why I intend on him never finding out."

"Aah."

The redhead pauses for another couple of seconds, then decides he wants some more tedious questions answered.

"Mello, aren't you supposed to be attracted to Near? If you're trying to have sex with him, then you really should be!"

"Of course I am!" I snap, answering just a little too quickly. "I couldn't live without Near, I love him!"

...Or do I? The thought suddenly strikes me, like an arrow of ice in my chest. As if to accentuate this, Matt gives me his best shrewd look, although the effect is somewhat ruined by the way he's sprawled on the carpet.

"But...do you?"

I give a low snarl at the back of my throat, my azure eyes suddenly boring into Matt's. "Don't you dare question that! Of course I do, of course-"

He cuts me off, sending me into a seething silence.

"Maybe you're trying to convince yourself you do, but in actual fact, you're not so sure anymore, are you? I think you're uncertain, and your faith in him is wavering, but you're too scared to admit that, even to yourself..."

Fucking...fucker. He's hit the nail on the head. "S-shut up..."

"And now, you're way more into me than him. That's right, isn't it?"

I grit my teeth and attempt a semi-coherent reply from between them. "You're a cocky bastard, but I suppose I have to give you credit where it's due, because you're right."

Matt gives a triumphant smile, which I instantly feel the urge to wipe off his face.

"I never meant to – fall in love with you!" I growl indignantly, immediately regretting my choice of words. So I'm confessing full-scale love, now? Fuck. "It just sort of – happened! I hate you sometimes! You can be such a fucktard!"

"That's not very nice!" Matt squealed, having apparently completely bypassed the more interesting part of my speech. I moan with sheer frustration, throwing an arm dramatically across my face.

Unfortunately, Matt seems to catch the wrong end of the stick.

"That was a rather erotic sound, Mello... Why, coupled with the exciting events of the last few minutes, it's made me rather horny all of a sudden!"

I remove my arm to stare at him in disbelief, but he's in enough of a retarded state not to really notice, even when his next comment causes my mouth to actually fall open in total incredulity.

"Y'know, it'd make me really happy if you'd do me the great pleasure of fucking me."

About three and a quarter seconds pass, and then quite suddenly, some madness possesses me to jump on top of the figure squirming on the floor and lock our lips together.