A/N: Decided to post this one today too cause the last chapter is the epitome of pointless. XD Plus I just don't like it.
xXx
Mello didn't speak the whole drive back to Wammy's House. Matt understood and didn't say anything either. Instead, he turned on some calming music on the radio. Matt drove in silence, his eyes on the road. Mello leaned against the passenger-side window, staring blankly at the road.
Finally, when they were about an hour away from Wammy's House, Mello finally spoke. "I don't want to go back yet Matt." His voice was barely audible, but Matt heard him clearly.
"Alright," he said gently. A few minutes later, he pulled off into a gas station. He parked the car and turned it off, then faced Mello. "Are you hungry?" he asked hopefully. Mello hadn't eaten anything all day. "I really think you should eat something…"
Mello deliberated for a moment. "Okay. Sure… but only if you do something for me."
Matt frowned slightly. "What?"
"Just give me some cash. I'll be right back."
Matt sighed, pulled out his wallet and handed Mello some cash. He sat in silence as Mello climbed out of the car and headed inside the mini-mart.
Matt waited impatiently, his fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel. His legs were bouncing and he chewed the inside of his cheek.
After only about five minutes, Mello came back carrying a plastic grocery bag. He got in the car and sat down.
"So what's the deal?" Matt asked as soon as Mello was settled.
Mello didn't answer at first. Instead, he pulled out a sandwich, unwrapped it, and took a bite out of it. Then he reached in, pulled out two small things and handed them to Matt.
Matt frowned, looking down at them. "What do you want me to do with this?"
Mello swallowed and said, very seriously, "You said you were afraid of fire, right?"
Matt bit his lip. "Yeah…"
Mello met his eyes squarely. "I was thinking about it this way. If you get used to it in small quantities, it won't be so bad in slightly larger quantities."
Matt looked down at the things in his hand again and sighed. "You're probably right. But that doesn't make this any easier."
"Yeah… I know."
Matt's hand shook slightly as he lifted the light. It was one of the cheapest ones made – it was made of blue plastic and he could see the lighter fluid inside.
He hesitated for a moment, then lit it. He kept it going for a couple of seconds, then had to put it out. He noticed his heart was racing and looked away from Mello's gaze.
"It's alright Matt. You did well for your first time."
Matt shook his head. "No I didn't. This is ridiculous. I know this can't hurt me or you or anyone but… it still scares me."
Mello rested his hand on Matt's shoulder gently. "I know," he said quietly.
Matt looked up and met his eyes, then nodded. "Ok. Gimme a second. I'm gonna try again."
Mello nodded encouragingly and took another bite of his sandwich.
Matt took a deep, steadying breath and lit the lighter again. He let it burn for almost ten seconds this time, then put it out. His hands were still shaking slightly, but he wasn't having trouble breathing now.
He set down the lighter, then opened the box – the second object – Mello had handed him. He pulled out a cigarette, but then turned it upside down and stuck it back in the box. "It's supposed to be good luck," he explained absently. "You smoke the first one last…" He shook his head, knowing Mello didn't care, and pulled out the second. He stuck it in his mouth, then very carefully lit it.
"Have you ever smoked before?" Mello asked.
Matt shook his head and carefully inhaled. He immediately coughed and choked as the smoke burned its way down his throat.
"Are you alright?" Mello asked.
Matt nodded, but Mello handed him a bottle of water anyway. Matt gulped some of it down, then tried again. The second time was a little easier, the third was even easier. Soon, Matt found he wasn't having any trouble at all.
Seeing this, Mello smiled. "We make an interesting pair, don't we?" he asked absently. He finished his sandwich and pulled out a chocolate bar from his grocery bag.
"Mm," Matt murmured in reply, taking another drag on his cigarette. "Yeah... I guess we do."
xXx
They got back to the mansion very late – at almost 3 in the morning. Matt used his keys to get them through the gate and into the house (he parked the car back in the garage where it belonged). They crept inside and up the back stairs.
They walked together back to the hall where both of their rooms were. Matt stopped at his room and was about to go in when Mello stopped him.
"Hey Matt," he whispered, mindful of the other children.
Matt looked up. "Yeah?"
"Come here. I have something for you."
Matt, vaguely recalling Mello talking about a late birthday present, nodded and followed Mello into the room they had once shared.
Mello had his back to Matt when Matt shut the door quietly behind them. Mello was rummaging through the trunk at the end of his bed and, after a few moments, pulled out a package wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with string.
"Sorry it's not wrapped better," Mello muttered, seeming embarrassed.
Matt shook his head and carefully took the little package from Mello. He crossed to his old bed, slipped off his shoes, and sat cross-legged on top of it. He untied the string and tore off the paper to reveal a plain white box. Smiling, he lifted the lid of the box and looked at the object inside. He stared at them for a moment, then carefully lifted it out.
The goggles had thick, plain black frames and dark lenses. They looked a lot like ordinary sunglasses but made for someone who rode a motorcycle. Matt looked up at Mello, his expression one of slight confusion.
"They're prescription lenses," Mello said, fighting back a light blush. It was hard not to when Matt was looking at you like that. "I… I got them for you because… well…" He bit the inside of his cheek, took a breath, and explained. "I noticed that you… hate looking most people in the eyes… because a lot of people are uncomfortable with your eyes because they don't match…"
Matt couldn't speak. He swallowed hard, looked down at the goggles and then back up at Mello. He looked away again very quickly.
"Do you um… not like them or something?"
Matt shook his head. "No," he said, a little hoarsely. "I really do like them. But I… I'm just surprised, that's all."
"Surprised?" Mello repeated. "By what?"
"The fact that you noticed something that no one else ever has." When Matt next met Mello's eyes, his own were shining with tears. He smiled warmly at his friend. Then he slid his glasses off and carefully replaced them with the goggles. He had thought the room would get a lot darker due to the color of the lenses, but it didn't. He didn't even want to think about how much money they had cost Mello.
"So, how's it look?" he asked after a moment.
Mello grinned at him. "Awesome. Just like I thought they would." He smirked smugly, but then laughed it off, playing.
Matt laughed too, but quietly, ever mindful of the other children nearby. "Thanks Mell. I mean it."
Mello's expression softened a little. "I'm glad you like them so much," he said honestly.
Soon after, the two fell asleep in Mello's room, smiles on their faces as they slept.
