It's funny, 'Impulse' is the title of a chapter scenario that I thought of putting in 'OBSESSION', but took out during editing...

第１２話

"Impulse"

"Matt! Hey, Matt!" Mello finally managed to catch up to the other boy at the end of the hallway.

Matt only slightly acknowledged his presence. "Hey, Mello."

"I was worried, since your parents wouldn't let you call. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Matt said quietly.

Then Mello suddenly noticed a dark place on his arm, and another on his face. "Are those...bruises?" Mello said.

Matt quickly moved his arm from Mello's gaze, but he had no way of hiding the one that rested on his face. "It's nothing."

"Matt, I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"How is it your fault?" Matt said bitterly. "I'm the one who skipped out."

"Yeah, but..."

"Just forget it."

Mello wanted to say more, but forced himself to hold his tongue. "So...there's a fair in town tomorrow night...I was thinking maybe we could go. You know – like every year?"

"I can't, sorry. My parents grounded me."

"Oh..." Mello's face fell slightly. "Well, maybe..."

"I'm sorry. I'll see you later, okay?" Matt said, and before Mello could say anything else, he had turned and disappeared down the other hallway.

Mello couldn't concentrate the entire day, which was extremely rare for him. Then again, he and Matt had never been fighting before – if it was even a fight. All the same, Matt's cold and distant attitude towards Mello bothered the other boy tremendously. Matt was usually so cheerful. Seeing him so down was unusual.

When the bell rang at the end of the day, Mello immediately found Matt at his locker.

"Hey, Matt. Um – you wanna walk home together?"

Matt didn't reply until he had shut his locker and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Sorry – my parents are picking me up."

"Oh, um...okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Without another word, Matt strode past him.

What the HELL?

.:.The Next Night.:.

Mello stood on the sidewalk, leaning up against the wall of a store. Matt hadn't called, or talked to him for a whole two days. He figured it was linked with his parents' reactions to finding him at Mello's house the other day, but surely Matt wouldn't have let something like that bother him...? It was almost as if he wanted nothing to do with the other boy now. It was definitely unlike him, and Mello was worried.

He watched the various people crowding around shops and rides, eating candy and laughing.

Being here just wasn't the same without Matt.

He gave a sigh and started to walk, prepared to go back to his house and eat junk food while watching crappy cartoons the entire night, sulking.

Then he saw someone walking towards him in the opposite direction.

"MATT!"

The other boy stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he saw Mello. Immediately, he turned and started walking quickly in the other direction.

"Hey!" Mello hurried to catch up with him. "I...thought you were grounded."

"I came with my parents."

"Oh, well...do you want to...?"

"Just leave me alone," Matt said.

"Wha..!? Hey! What did I ever do to you!?" Mello demanded, picking up his pace as Matt began to walk faster.

"Everything!" Matt said angrily.

"Wha...!?" Mello's mouth opened and closed in disbelief. "The hell!? Okay, okay...could you please explain to me what I did, because I really have NO idea!" His expression became offended. "Why are you mad at me?"

"Why do you care!?" Matt spat, still walking.

"Why do I...?! Matt, you're my best friend! Of course I care if you're mad at me, especially if I don't know why!"

"Just go away!"

I can't be around you. I can't see you. I can't look at you. All it does is bring up these feelings that I don't want to have!It will be easier if I just stay away from you... I can't control myself anymore, especially being so close to you all the time. I can't control what my heart and body both want from you... It hurts me too much to be near you, when these feelings are hidden so deep inside of me...

"MATT!" Mello grabbed the other boy's hand, stopping him in his tracks. "What the HELL is wrong with you!?" His hurt expression had turned angry. "This isn't like you! Just tell me what's wrong!"

Matt desperately wanted to pull away from Mello, to turn back and never look at him again. But as soon as Mello's hand touched his, he immediately felt a surge of warmth through his body. His angry expression vanished and he stared at the other boy.

"Matt...talk to me, please. I want to know what's got you so upset." Mello's voice was softer now. "I'm worried about you."

"Why would you waste time worrying about me?" Matt said, looking down at the ground.

"Gods, do I have to repeat myself again, dammit!? You're my best friend! Might I put an emphasis on the word 'best'!" Mello gave an irritated sigh. "Why do you do this? Why do you always act like you mean absolutely nothing to me, when you know that isn't true!"

I know I mean a lot to you Mello...but...you don't care about me in the way that I want you to. I know I shouldn't be angry about it, but...I don't just want to be your friend. I want to be so much more than that...

"Shit," Mello said suddenly, looking up at the sky. "It's starting to rain."

Sure enough, moments later, soft droplets of water began to drip from the sky onto their heads.

"Come on," Mello pulled Matt into the closest empty alleyway, where the water was temporarily prevented from coming in. Once protected from the rain, Mello pulled himself up on the top of a dumpster and sat down. Not the most pleasant place to have a conversation, but – oh well. "Sit down," Mello ordered, and when Matt turned to sit on the opposite side of the alley, he added, "Beside me."

Matt nervously sat down beside the other boy, as far away from him as possible. Just when he wanted no physical contact from the other boy whatsoever, Mello was the one who was trying to get close. "What?"

"What did I do, Matt? Come on, just tell me! I'll never know how to fix it if I don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe you can't fix it," Matt said, looking out at the street, where more people were seeking shelter from the rain.

"All problems are fixable, if you try hard enough," Mello replied. "And I can at least try, can't I?"

"You don't understand."

"You're right, I don't understand. But I want to, Matt! I really want to understand you! But you're making it so hard..." Mello put a hand on the other boy's shoulder, and Matt immediately tensed up. Mello's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why don't you let me touch you anymore? Everytime I so much as lay a finger on you, you act like that. I mean, what is it? Do I smell bad or something?"

Matt couldn't help but laugh; he always hated the fact that Mello could make him laugh, even when he was furious – or – trying to be furious.

Mello smiled. "That's better. I like it when you smile."

This time, Matt looked at Mello. "When most people smile, it's only to hide what they're really feeling – you know."

"Matt, I hate it when you talk that way. It worries me."

The other boy gave a half-hearted laugh. "Sorry to be a nuisance."

"I didn't mean it like that..." Mello put a hand on his shoulder again, and turned the other boy to face him. "Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Matt said.

"Now you always try to pass your problems off as nothing! I know something's up, which is why you won't talk to me!" He squeezed Matt's shoulder slightly. "It isn't like you to not talk to me. And it isn't like you to tell me to go away, or to completely ignore me! You've been acting strange for days now, and it's worrying me. Please, just tell me what's wrong..."

Matt's eyes flashed slightly, and he took a deep breath. "Fine. You want to know what's wrong?"

"Yes!"

"You really want to know why I won't talk to you, and why I won't let you touch me?"

"Yes!" Mello insisted.

Matt could feel his palms sweating. "You won't like the answer."

"I don't care about the damn answer, I just wanna know what the hell is wrong with you!" Mello demanded. "Stop spouting off all of this shit about me not caring about you and that I shouldn't spend my time worrying. Because like it or not, Matt – I actually do care about you! And I'm not just going to sit around while you ignore me like we weren't even --!"

His sentence was abruptly cut short as Matt leaned forward, as though in a trance, and pressed their lips tightly together.

Mello could feel his heart skip a beat, and the heat immediately rushed to his face. Then...he closed his eyes. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he kissed Matt back, recapturing their lips as they both parted slightly.

It was then that Matt pulled away, looking at Mello in both regret and shame. Before Mello could do or say anything, Matt had jumped down and disappeared into the street.

第１２話　－　終

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