Chapter Twenty-Five

I ran into Katja downstairs, literally ran into her. She fell back onto the lobby's floor, causing papers to fly everywhere. "Dammit! Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!" I knelt down and began picking the papers up when I heard her laugh. Glancing up, I saw her twinkling green eyes sparkling and her hair was twisted up in a braid. I never noticed how beautiful she was. I smiled apologetically.

"Nein, nein. It's okay." Her voice was heavily accented with the German touch. It was pretty sounding, to be quite.

"I'm really sorry. I just.. It's nothing." I put the papers back into the box she was carrying and stood up with it in my arms. "Let me help you." I offered my hand and she took it. "Where do these go?"

"The, uh, printer. I will show you." She took me back to the small room behind the front desk. "Right in there." I nodded and put the paper into the industrial sized printer.

"Okay, well, I need to get going. I'm sorry for knocking you down. See you around." I headed out, but Katja stopped me.

"Um, Matt?"

"Ja?" I turned and saw a hint of blush spread across her freckled cheeks.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

I hesitated, but then made up my mind. Well, why not? Against my better judgment, I said, "Okay. What time do you get off work?"

Her blush deepened. "Six."

I smiled, "I'll pick you up then. See you." And with that, I left. Let's see, it's about one right now. Five hours to kill. Great. Well, good thing jet lag had caused me to sleep well until noon. Starting the rental car, I decided I would just wander around town, buy some cigs, get some good food into me, and perhaps buy some clothes for me – and Mello.

Mello. I couldn't even think about him without my heart feeling constricted. How pathetic. I banished him from my thoughts and set out to find a smoke shop.

I really love driving. It makes you feel so free, especially when you spent the last few months in basically solitary confinement. I'm never going back to L.A. Ever. Too many painful memories in that trash heap of a city. Wait, wasn't I supposed to turn back there? I checked the rear view mirror. "Goddammit!" I growled, guess I'm going to another city. Fuck everything. Happy thoughts, Mail. Happy thoughts. I told myself this, but it wasn't working and my nicotine withdrawal was not helping either.

Finally, I drove into some town that had a smoke shop and clothing stores and such. I strolled into the smoke shop, seeing an old man at the counter who greeted me cheerily. I smiled and asked if he spoke English. He gave a short laugh and shook his head. Damn, well this was going to be interesting since I forgot the word for cigarette. I pointed to a rack of cigarettes behind him. He raised his white eyebrows at me, questioning. "Ja." I nodded.

"Wie viele?"

Well, I most certainly did not feel like driving out here every week. "Zehn." He looked shocked and I just shrugged. He told me the price and I handed the money over to receive my addiction. Fucking expensive addiction. "Danke schoen." I said grudgingly and left.

The day passed by quickly, and I decided I should head back to my temporary home so I could get ready for my date with Katja. I was really starting to regret this. I just wanted to play my video games and sleep and- I stopped myself. Do not even go there, Matt. I needed to go on this date. I also needed a shower.

As soon as I got to the apartment complex, I grabbed my new clothes and such from the trunk of my car and hurried into the building. I had twenty minutes to pick out an outfit, take a shower, get dressed and get distracted before I had to leave for my date with a certain green eyed blonde. Throwing the shopping bags onto the dining table, I sifted through them, grabbing a blood red button down shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. Hey, no sense in not looking good. Walking into the bathroom, I swiftly stripped myself of the grungy clothing I wore. Oh, how I loved hot showers. Honestly, if there was one thing I loved more than cigarettes and video games it was hot showers. Okay, that's a lie, but it ranked pretty high up there.

I dried myself off the best I could with a towel and wrapped it snugly around my hips while brushed my teeth. I was about to get dressed when I realized I didn't have clean underwear. Good job, Matt. You are now the smartest person alive. Well, I had three options; One, I could go commando. Two, I could wear the boxers I've been wearing for the past week or so. Three, I could grow a pair and grab some from the room Mello was sleeping in. Yeah, I didn't want to do any of those things. So, I put on my jeans without my boxers and got rather.. Well, pleased by it, if you know what I mean. Which I had to solve because I'm a sexually frustrated man. Yeah, get over it. I honestly didn't want a random boner in the middle of my date tonight, so option one was ruled out. So, option two. I took a whiff of my well used underwear and nearly threw up. Looks like option two was a big "no". Oh, I swear God gets so much joy from torturing me like this! So, I tightened my towel and marched into the single bedroom in the apartment and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him.

Mello looked like an angel. His golden hair was splayed around him like a glowing halo and there was finally a tint of color in his cheeks, even though he still looked sickly pale. But he looked so peaceful! It was so surreal and I felt like I was seeing him for the first time. I inched closer, trying to see him better. I took a deep breath and reached out, wanting to touch those silky gold locks. But I stopped myself and continued on with my mission. Digging through my duffel bag, I found a pair of clean boxers. I stood up and heard Mello's sleepy voice, "Matt?"

I cringed, dammit. Turning around, I forced a smile, "Oh, hey Mello." We gazed at each other for awhile, his eyes intense. Slowly, he raked my body and I felt exposed. I looked down in embarrassment, then to my horror, saw my towel had slipped off. Mello apparently noticed too.

"Uh.. Matt? Why are you naked?" I felt my face grow hot. He probably thought it was because I was standing there in the nude. But honestly, I was thinking of all the things I could do with Mello while being naked. I covered myself anyway. Come on, Matt. Where's that sarcasm?

"Like what you see?" I asked like the conceited bastard I was.

Mello threw the blankets from his slender body and crawled toward me. He drew himself up onto his knees and looked me over, "Mm.. Matt, you have no idea." He kissed me deeply and of course, I kissed him back. The taste of his lips was heavenly. How had I gone so long without the taste of him? We made out for awhile before I pulled away.

"Mihael.. I.. I've got to go." I murmured and gave him a soft peck on the lips. Walking out of that bedroom was the hardest thing to do, and I know I'll regret it, but Mail Jeevas does not break promises.

A/N: Oh my God, you guys. I am so sorry for taking so long to update! I'm horrible, I know. I feel terrible. Anyway, all of your reviews make my day and they are so wonderful! Thank you all for being lovely people and bearing with me and the long time I take to update things!