Just to take note of, the rest of the story will rest at the age of 13 years, seeing as they go to the orphanage at 14.

第１０話

"Tempting"

After that, the words became a regular saying between them. They never gave a reason for saying it, nor did they make a deal of it. They just...said it. As though it was a fun childish game.

Every time they would say goodbye, Matt would always lean forward and whisper in Mello's ear, "I love you", and every time Mello would say it back. The two boys weren't even positive they knew why they said it themselves. They just did.

"Hey, Matt!" Mello grabbed the other boy by the shoulder to stop him in the hallway. "I've been calling your name all down the hall, didn't you hear me?" He sounded agitated.

"Oh, sorry – I guess I didn't. Did you want something?"

"I was just wondering if your parents ever came home last night. They've been staying out a lot later lately, haven't they?"

Matt gave a small shrug, trying to brush it off. "It's not a big deal. You don't need to worry about it."

"But I do worry about it," Mello said, as they continued walking down the hallway. "I worry about you. You shouldn't have to listen and put up with all of that."

It was true. Aside from gambling night after night, Matt's parents always argued, viciously. Mello knew this, too; he had heard them countless times, especially when Matt called him -in tears- during the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep due to the fights.

"I'm used to it; really, don't worry about it."

"Still, if you ever want to get away from it... just come over, alright? You don't have to call."

"I know," Matt said. "I appreciate it."

"Okay, but if ..."

"Sorry, I – I'm late to class." Matt suddenly turned around to check the clock behind them. "I-I'll see you later, Mello, okay?" he said, just as he began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Uh...sure, okay..." Mello stared, puzzled, after the other boy, before finally heading to his own class.

That night, Mello was woke up by the persistant ringing of his cellphone. (His cellphone only every rang if Matt needed to call during the night, so as not to wake Mello's parents.)

When he pressed the call button, Matt's voice sounded on the other line.

"Mello?"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I..." Matt's voice was shaking a little, and Mello could hear his parents yelling in the background. "I...can I come over?" His voice was very quiet.

Mello immediately sat up in bed. "Yeah, of course. I'll be waiting downstairs, alright?"

"Alright. ...thank you."

"No problem."

When Mello hung up the phone, he sat on the edge of his bed for a minute, mulling over the conversation. Matt always tried to brush his home life off as nothing, like it didn't bother him, but every night Mello could hear the truth in his voice. Because every night, he was the one Matt called.

Matt showed up half an hour later, wet from the rain that had started pouring outside just minutes ago.

"Matt, you're soaking wet!" Mello said, immediately pulling Matt into the living room, and out of the rain.

"Sorry...I uh – didn't expect it to rain. Think you have spare clothes I can borrow?" Matt said sheepishly.

"Sure. Wait here one second." He immediately went up to his room to grab a clean pair of clothes for the other boy, who was shivering by the time he arrived back downstairs.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble," Matt said, his voice shaking as much as his body, though not from the cold. "I just couldn't stand it anymore..."

"It's fine – don't worry about it. Just dry off before you catch a cold," Mello ordered, more concerned with the other boy dripping rain water everywhere rather than the fact that he'd woken him up in the middle of the night to come over.

Matt quickly stripped off his wet clothes and gratefully changed into the other warm material. Still shivering, he grabbed a nearby blanket and settled himself on the couch as Mello tossed the damp clothes into the laundry room somewhere. "Can I stay here where the fireplace is? It's cold up in your room," Matt said, when Mello was back in the living room.

"Sure, I suppose. Give me a minute and I'll bring some pillows and stuff. We can just sleep down here," Mello told him.

"Okay." Matt waited on the couch while Mello returned upstairs, coming back down with a pile of blankets and pillows from his bed.

"Will your parents be angry about this?" Matt asked, his voice quivering.

"Nah, they'll get over it," Mello assured him, sitting down beside Matt on the couch, putting another blanket over the both of them.

Matt hesitated for a minute, and then climbed into Mello's lap, wrapping his arms around the other boy's waist. Mello returned the embrace, gently pulling Matt close against him.

"I love you, Mello," Matt said softly, closing his eyes tight against the tears that threatened to fill his eyes.

"I love you too," Mello whispered back.

Why? Matt wondered. Why does he always say it back?

"Whatever happens," Mello said, "You can always come to me, okay?"

"I know." Matt's voice began to shake slightly.

They stayed like that for a while, with Mello holding Matt in his arms, and the other boy clinging tightly to him. Only when Matt finally fell asleep against him, did Mello lay him down on the couch, resting beside him and closing his eyes. It wasn't but a few moments later that he fell asleep himself.

Matt opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the sudden darkness before his eyes. How long ago had he fallen asleep?

Looking around, he remembered where he was, and felt a calm wave of relief sweep over him. Then he noticed someone was laying beside him.

Matt felt his heart skip a beat as he looked down and saw Mello asleep beside him on the couch.

His arms were wrapped around Matt, and with the both of them entwined under the covers, it would be fairly impossible for Matt to get up without waking Mello.

So he continued laying there, staring at Mello's perfect features. He always looked like an angel when he slept; it was the only time he let his guard down, and was vulnerable.

How the other boy had managed to fall asleep in this position, Matt could never know. He supposed years of stress and hardly any sleep made it possible.

He stared at Mello for a little while longer, listening to the sounds of the other boy's deep breathing. Up close like this, Matt could feel his breath against his face, Mello's body pressed close against his.

Mello's face was just millimeters away from Matt's, his lips closer than they had ever been.

So tempting...

Matt could feel his heart pounding wildly against his chest, and he could feel his mouth go dry at the prospect. It couldn't hurt... It couldn't hurt if he just tried it...

Slowly, Matt closed his eyes and leaned forward – waiting, to make sure Mello was asleep – and then softly, very softly, he brushed his lips against the other boy's.

Immediately, he felt an odd sort of contentment surge through him. How he longed for Mello to kiss him back. Matt didn't want to break the kiss, didn't want to separate from Mello. But things would be far worse, Matt knew, if Mello woke up to find himself kissing another boy.

So slowly, reluctantly, he parted. Mello was still sound asleep, and for a minute Matt wondered if he had imagined it all. His head was certainly swimming, and he felt dizzy.

He reached up and brushed a strand of hair from Mello's face, a small wave of warmth washing over him as his fingertips brushed against the other boy's skin.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Matt was suddenly self-concious, wondering what Mello's parents would say if they saw them on the couch like this. With his parents, there might be a few short jokes about it, but Mello's parents were unpredictable.

So with a small sigh, Matt untangled himself from the blanket and went over to lay on the other couch, severely missing the other boy's warmth.

第１０話　－　終

Haha, leave REVIEWS if you want to read the rest :)