this chapter was supposed to be up last night, but i stupidly deleted it and had to rewrite it. the rewrite didn't go as planned... i still like it though.

also, just to reiterate, each convention day is going to be split into different chapters so that i can add more and go with my original ideas for this story. it'll be longer than Convention, but shorter than Dear Love. i hope, anyways.

enjoy... or not totally cool either way.

NECESSARY WARNING: underage drinking. if that's not your thing, then you can back out now.

The heat, the crowded walk ways, the noise, and Sayu's indecisive nature was beginning to get to him. It had been a relief when she suggested that they text the others to tell them that they were heading back to the hotel. After spending nearly half the day walking around, peeking in on panels, shopping in the dealers room, and watching half of the friday AMV contest, Mello was ready for some chill time and the drinks Sayu spoke so highly about.

While he was still skeptic about where they got the booze from, he was starting not to care as long as there was a solo cup with his name on it.

"Any idea what you want to eat?" Sayu asked him as they exited the elevator and paused, looking both directions before deciding which way her room was. "I was thinking pizza since they deliver and we don't know the city all that well."

"Sounds good," Mello said, trailing behind her.

"Okay. Everyone else is heading up now, so we'll decide for sure then."

"Right." Mello mumbled in response. Truth be told, he didn't care what they were eating, just that they were and that afterwards there would be drinks to help him loosen up. He would definitely need a drink or two before confronting Matt, if he ran into him again over the duration of the weekend.

"So, Mello."

"So, Sayu."

"Did you enjoy today?" she questioned, sitting down on her bed and crossing her legs.

"Yeah, it was fun." Mello told her, claiming a spot on the edge closest to her. "Got to be a little too much, though."

"Tell me about it," she said as she leaned back to stretch out and lay down. "There's way too many people down there!" Sayu nudged him with a foot until he turned to look at her. "I hope I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want to do. If there's something you want to do then just tell me, okay?"

"I want to see Matt," he spoke without thinking. The second the words left his mouth he felt his cheeks heat up. Mello hadn't intended on saying what was on his mind, but he had and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I know you do." Sayu said softly. "He'll be here later. Already got a text from him saying that his other group was going to their hotel for a while."

"Does that mean he's going to be with them a lot?" Mello peered over at her.

"I don't know. Maybe. They did offer to let him crash there before he decided to room with us," Sayu told him.

"Oh. That's cool... I mean, him having other people to hang with." Mello said with a hint of sadness in his voice. The fact that Matt had other people to stay with hit him with a weird sensation. It wasn't like he expected the redhead to stay stuck on him after he left, because he didn't, even though he may have mentioned it - he just hoped that Matt hadn't moved on too drastically. Sayu noticed the indifferent undertone and decided to keep her mouth shut. It wasn't her place to talk about what Matt did, who he met and become friends with, or who he was actually with after Mello left.

You think he'll stick around when he sees me?" Mello asked. He was afraid that Matt would excuse himself from hanging out when he walked into the room and noticed that the blond was there.

"I hope so," she answered.

"Mm," he hummed in response and closed his eyes. He listened to the television show that Sayu had playing for background noise as he drifted off to sleep, telling himself that he'd wake up when the next person came into the room.

Mello looked around the room, his vision blurry. He focused on Sayu as she moved about the room, pacing back and forth in front of the bed. Whatever she was talking about had really captured her attention because she rarely spoke so animatedly about anything.

"So, that's how this is going to be? Really?" Sayu said loudly. Mello looked around to see if there was anyone else with them, but came to the conclusion that she was on the phone when he realized they were still alone.

"I don't care!" she shouted. Mello hated listening to one side of a conversation. He also hated being the only one in the room to witness said conversation because he was sure that at some point over the weekend things that had been said would change depending on who heard what. Whatever was going on between her and the mystery person was something he didn't feel like getting involved with.

Mello dug his elbows into the bed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He remained relatively quiet, save for his murmur of 'excuse me' when he tried to get around a raving Sayu so that he could relieve himself in the bathroom. She gave him an odd expression when she finally took notice of him, but let him by.

"Everything okay?" he asked as he emerged from the bathroom. She'd finally stopped talking and was beginning to calm down.

"Yeah, for the most part." Sayu answered truthfully.

"What's up?" he questioned, and before she could answer, the door beeped to indicate that someone had slid their card into the slot to unlock the door. Mello turned around to stare at the door as it opened, curious to know which of his friends was coming back. He'd have to ask her about it later.

"Fuck that guy," a voice sounded in the hallway. "Seriously. He's a prick."

"Right?! What was his problem?" Misa asked as she shoved the door open, a bag in each hand.

"My guess is that he thought he was getting some and when it turned out that he wasn't," the unfamiliar voice said, "he got pissed as hell."

"Well, maybe if you two didn't act like you constantly wanted it then people would stop assuming they were getting some." Near chimed in as he entered the room, holding two pizza boxes. "If you guys didn't come off as easy there would be no problems."

Mello picked that moment to go back to where he'd previously been sitting, his back supported by the wall he was leaning against. Sayu was trying to make it look like she'd never been arguing with someone over the phone and Misa was already beginning to dig through her bags. It was obvious that she had a different she planned on wearing for the rest of the night, and even though he wanted to ask her why, he knew the answer already. She was making sure that she was presentable in order to attract attention and someone to spend the night with.

"I'm not easy," the person scoffed as the door clicked close. They darted into the bathroom almost immediately, saying something about how they've been waiting for hours to go. "I like to think I have a little bit of class, asshole."

"Whatever you say," Near said, sitting down on the free bed and opening the top box to take a slice of pizza.

Near held the box out as an offering and Mello took a slice. Sayu told him that she wanted to know what the other pizza was and Misa continued to happily bounce around the room, stopping briefly to drop one of the bags she'd carried into the room in front of him. Mello arched an eyebrow at her, vaguely wondering where she'd gotten her endless supply of energy from.

"Where's the cups?" he asked, looking up from the bag.

It was in that moment that Mello's mouth went slack and his eyes grew wide as he watched the previously unknown person walk across the room and sit down in the rolling desk chair next to the bed Near was on. Mello, not for lack trying, couldn't stop himself from staring as the object of his affections spun the chair around, stopped to face Near and grabbed a slice of pizza from one of the boxes. He paid the blond no attention. This either meant that he was ignoring him or that he actually hadn't seen him. Mello was out of sight from the door and seated in the corner next to Sayu, so that possibility was very plausible.

He liked to think, anyway.

Mello could feel his heart beating erratically against his chest. The palms of his hands were sweating, making it difficult for him to remove both bottles out of the bag. He tore his eyes away from the person in front of him long enough to place each other bottle down on the bed and toss the bag into the floor, where it landed between both beds. That one little action made time stop. At least, it felt like it had.

"Really?" Matt said as he watched the plastic bag land on the floor. "You can't get up and throw it away? That's really fuc-" Matt's words were cut off mid-sentence when he looked up to see who he was trying to scold. Shocked green captured an equally shocked blue, and Mello swore that his stomach was in his throat.

"I figured we could use it as another trash bag," Mello mumbled. Asking himself why he hadn't been able to recognize Matt's voice. It hadn't changed that much since they'd last seen each other it... or, had it? Maybe he didn't know his voice because he hadn't talked to him in a while - years to be exact. That had to be it, considering he barely recognized Near or Misa the first time they spoke to him on the phone when he was on his way home.

Matt simply nodded, tearing his gaze away from the blond and trying to recompose himself so that he could finish his half eaten slice of pizza. Mello watched him; he could pinpoint the slight shaking of his movements and tell that he was trying hard not to look over at him. He was sure that he mirrored Matt's actions not barely five minutes before, though he didn't think it hit him nearly as hard since he'd been looking forward to finally seeing the redhead. That isn't to say that he wasn't nervous (excited) to see Matt, because he was on so many different levels. Mello was nervous, excited, ecstatic, and oh so very afraid of the outcome. Mello's emotions were running rampant, and judging by the way Matt was acting, his were too.

The other people occupying the room must have felt how tense everything was while they ate because little words were spoken. Sayu spoke at times to tell everyone what she'd seen while out with Mello and Misa would express her disinterest in a panel that Near made her attend. Of course, Near would then butt in with 'I didn't drag you'. Misa would then get huffy, stop talking, and things would become even more awkward. It was a never ending cycle that continued for a good hour.

Eventually, the blond spoke up about how he wanted - needed - a drink. Everyone agreed with his sentiment as they began to dig through their bags, each person offering a bottle of something that the last person didn't have. Russian vodka, fire ball whiskey, Jamaican rum, Grey Goose, a few bottles of cheap vodka to keep the night going into the early morning hours, and several large cans of four loko had been produced. Mello exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding as the last beverage was placed on the desk behind Matt.

"A round of shots first?" Matt asked them, motioning for everyone to give him their cups so that he could pour a small amount of liquid into them.

"Okay," Sayu said as she stood to join him at the desk. Near shrugged while Misa clapped at finally being able to let loose. Mello silently nodded.

"Pick your poison," the redhead told them as he poured some whiskey into his cup. "I'll pour it to make sure you guys don't overdo your first shot."

"And... after that?" Mello asked curiously.

"After that I don't care how much you drink, just don't puke on me." Matt said as he grabbed Misa's cup and poured a shot of raspberry flavored vodka. Sayu told him what she wanted and after that came Near's request, leaving Mello to pick what he wanted to start off with.

An hour later had Misa giggling in the bathroom as she fixed her make up, claiming that she needed to look her absolute best when they went back down. It was during her constant chattering and taking sips of a drink she concocted from scratch that she had the bright idea to make Sayu presentable as well. This didn't bode well with Sayu, who made her displeasure known as she groaned and pleaded for the boys to help her.

Matt told her to suck it up; said she needed to doll herself up every once in a while. It would probably do her some go. This meant, in his language, that she'd meet some random guy at the convention and they'd spend the weekend together. That was the beginning of operation get Sayu laid. Misa squealed and told Matt that she was glad he was on her side.

"So, when are we going back?" Mello asked out of the blue as he made another drink. Matt jumped as he spoke and turned around in the swivel chair to find Mello standing behind him.

Matt's eyes took in every movement that Mello made - from the way his shirt pulled up to reveal the dimples in his lower back, to the way his upper arm flexed when he wrapped his fingers around the neck of a bottle, and how Mello turned to glance back at him with a slightly raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk on his lips. Matt immediately turned away, mentally cursing himself for being seen. That wasn't supposed to happen.

What he didn't know (and what Mello wouldn't tell him) was that Mello could see him in the mirror.

"You guys! Look!" Misa shouted from the direction of the bathroom, arms wide open as if she were showcasing a special item. They could hear Sayu saying that she didn't want to come out and that she looked ridiculous. Misa stomped her feet, sloshing her drink around and causing some of it to fall onto the wine colored carpet.

"That was amazing," Near said, leaning back against the wall and holding his half full can of peach four loko between his legs. Mello noted that he was still a little sarcastic bitch. That hadn't changed, at least.

"Okay, seriously, I really need to piss." Matt blurted out as he stood from the chair, placed his empty cup on the desk, and stretched. "I don't care what they're doing in there."

"That's rude." Near told him.

"No, what's rude is Misa hogging the bathroom." Matt said, drawing a hushed laugh from Mello as he sat in the floor with his back against the bed Near was sitting on.

"If you say so." Near shot back before nursing his drink.

"I do." Matt childishly stuck his tongue out at him. He walked the short distance to the bathroom and, without knocking, pushed the door open. Sayu shrieking was all they heard. Still, that didn't stop Matt from entering. In fact, him barreling into the room forced them to come out, especially when he said he felt like he was going to vomit and began to make gagging noises.

Mello chuckled as both Misa and Sayu scurried from the room. As dramatically as she could, Misa acted like she was going to die. Sayu, on the other hand, remained facing away from everyone and focused on the door as she waited for Matt to finish. Mello was curious to know why she was freaking out over a make-up job done by Misa.

"Stop being shy!" Misa laughed as she tugged on Sayu's arm in attempt to get her to face Near and Mello.

Mello watched in mild amusement before he stood up to make himself another drink. Was it his third? Fifth? He'd lost count, but that was too be expected when feeling the effects of mind altering beverages.

It was during his attempt to sit back on the floor that he lost his balance and fell into the chair Matt had previously been occupying. Thankfully his drink hadn't split and was sitting on the desk. The devastation he felt at almost losing the drink had sobered him up enough to realize that one, he was comfortable in the chair. And two, that Matt was glaring daggers at him for taking his spot.

In Mello's defense, the redhead's name was nowhere on it. Therefore, he wins.

"Seriously? I leave for like a minute and you take my seat." Matt said, annoyed.

"Seriously." Mello mocked him, attempting to sound as frustrated as Matt had.

"Get up," the redhead demanded.

"Make me," Mello told him, picking up his drink and taking a decent sized swig of the mixture. Blue eyes watched as Matt tensed. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, paying very little attention to Sayu's big reveal and Misa's talent of drunkenly applying make-up. After what was actually several long seconds, Mello offered Matt trademark smirk. "I'm waiting."

"If you want to play that way," Matt said as he sauntered over to the blond. "I can play too."

"Can you?" Mello questioned, looking up at his ex-boyfriend, eyes wide and showing signs of him actually being in a playful mood. Or, as playful as a nearly wasted teen can get.

"You have no idea." Matt whispered, leaning down until they were face to face, his lips lightly brushing against Mello's own.

Mello froze. He could feel his heart beating in every inch of his body. The alcohol running through his bloodstream did little help him as Matt sat down in his lap, making it a point to wiggle around until he was comfortable. Matt wrapped his hand around Mello's hand, lifting both his hand and cup as he took a sip of the drink that was giving Mello his confidence.

"Not too bad," Matt said, licking his lips as he released his grip on Mello's hand. "I'm sure I could make better."

Mello didn't know how to respond. Honestly, all thoughts escaped him as he tried his best to keep himself from popping a boner. He hadn't expected that Matt would warm up to him so soon, if at all. He knew that it was the alcohol talking, but he didn't want to ruin it - he didn't want to bring up the fact that Matt was trying to turn him on. Trying, pfft. More like he was totally fucking turning him on.

And, of course, Matt knew it was working.

However... other people in the room were oblivious to what was going on.

"Hey, we're headed back down." Sayu slurred the last word, wrapping an arm around Misa's waist and holding a bottle filled with an unknown clear substance in her free hand. "You guys in?"

"Yeah, hold on." Near said, chugging the rest of his drink and sliding off the bed like a pro.

"You guys coming?" Misa asked, looking at the two as they sat in the chair made for one.

"Y-yeah," Mello stuttered. "In a few. I want a couple more shots."

"I'm with him," Matt said, holding up the full bottle of Grey Goose. "We'll be down later."

"Okay! We might... uh, where are we going to be?" Misa tilted her head to side in confusion.

"Dance."

"Oh, yeah! The dance. That's where we'll be at! See you guys there!" Misa shouted happily, handing her filled bottle to Near, who slid it into his back pocket for safe keeping.

Mello mentally questioned when they'd made their drinks to take with them. He also wondered how long they'd been sitting together.

And, shit, when had his arms wrapped around Matt's waist and why wasn't Matt saying anything about it?

"Later," Matt bid them farewell. He turned to face Mello the minute the door clicked shut, his eyes telling Mello that he was just as turned on by their seating arrangement. With a small smile, he held the bottle up for the blond to see. "Shot?"

Mello could only nod.

He was so screwed.

so i'm trying to remember some of the things that went down over my convention weekends, but it's a little difficult because we were totally these people! attend the convention during the day, explore the panels, go to the cosplay events and amv contests, buy stuff, and then party at night. of course, we still do this. haha.

oh oh oh! before i forget... i really love this pairing you guys, but i feel like i'm falling short on things to write about, so if you have an idea for a oneshot or something you'd like to see incorporated into the story PM me.

review, please. thank you!

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