第１８話

"Banished"

Matt slowly raised his hand to knock on the window, his heart pounding, even though the level of security at Mello's house wasn't near what Matt expected it to be. Dogs at the fence and bars on the window would have been minor, in his opinion. It also wasn't that he felt right in coming here. He simply felt lonely, and he needed Mello. Matt was perfectly aware of the fact that he was needy and pathetic; he simply chose not to care about this fact, while he climbed the house and knocked softly at the other boy's window. Not meaning to be rude – Matt would have called, if it weren't for the fact that Mello's father had no doubt confiscated his son's cellphone.

Waiting nervously on the other side of the window, Matt shivered slightly. What if Mello's father was expecting this? What if he was waiting on the other side of the window with a gun, or Taser, or...? Matt had many possibilities for weapons Mello's father could use, but preferred not to think about it.

He let out a huge sigh of relief as Mello appeared on the other side, and opened the window to let Matt through. Climbing gratefully in, Matt landed unceremoniously on the floor as always, picking himself up just as Mello shut the window.

"Mello, I'm sorry I came over – I know I'm not supposed to, and I know you'll get into a lot of trouble if your parents see me..." he began to ramble. "I know I'm needy and pathetic and lonely and helpless, and that you probably get tired of putting up with me and listening to me all the time and following you everywhere. I'm sorry for being such a needy and clingy person and I know that you probably hate that a lot of the time, and I'm sorry for coming here tonight, but I just really wanted to see you – and I know that sounds pathetic and needy too – but I couldn't help it. I...I..." He stopped mid-sentence as he realized how short of breath he was.

"Matt, calm down – what is it?" Mello said, pulling Matt over to sit beside him on the bed. "I'm glad you're here." He smiled. "After what happened today, I didn't think you'd ever want to come again."

"R-really?" Matt asked, still a little breathless.

"Of course." His smile widened. "I've missed you." Mello leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

"I've missed you, too," Matt replied, kissing him back softly.

Suddenly, Mello pulled back, his expression troubled.

"Na? What is it?" Matt asked, looking curiously at the other boy.

"I have to tell you something." His voice sounded as troubled as his expression.

"Oh...what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Matt..." Mello shook his head. "I don't know how you're going to react, and I... it isn't my decision. But my...parents talked to me the other day..." He trailed off.

"And...?" Matt prompted.

Mello made a small choking noise in the back of his throat, and took a deep breath. "They're sending me away."

"What!?" Matt immediately sat up in the bed, staring at Mello in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Mello looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "To a boarding school," he said softly.

"A...boarding school? Wh-where?"

The other boy didn't seem willing to answer. "...Italy," he said quietly.

"Italy!?" Matt cried.

Mello cringed.

"Why!?"

"My father thinks I need more...'discipline'. So...they're sending me away."

Matt's face fell. "...this is my fault. Because you were talking to me...!"

"No, Matt, it isn't your fault!" Mello said, looking up at him with wide eyes. "They've been wanting to send me away for years. They're just using this as an excuse – a perfect opportunity." he wiped his eyes. "Don't blame yourself."

"But...what are we going to do?" Matt said hopelessly.

"I don't know..."

"Well...the decision isn't final, is it? I mean, they're just talking about it...right?" He almost dared to hope so.

Mello shrugged. "My father doesn't usually change his mind about these things; once he's decided on something, he's decided on it."

"Oh, Mello..." Matt looked at the other boy sympathetically, holding him in his arms as he started to cry harder. "It'll be alright. We'll still..." He swallowed hard, unable to find any comforting words to say in this situation. "I love you, Mello," he said.

"I love you too, Matt." Mello's arms tightened around the other boy. "I don't want to leave, I don't want to leave you..." he started to sob.

"It'll be alright, Mello..." Matt said, trying to stay calm. "We'll figure something out, I promise. It'll be fine..."

"It won't be fine!" Mello cried. "They're sending me away, and there's nothing...n-nothing I can d-do about it!"

"Mello...please don't cry." Matt's voice became pained. "I hate it when you do...because...you're one of the strongest people I know."

"I'm not strong, Matt," Mello said, giving a dry laugh. "Believe me, I'm not..."

"Of course you are." Matt gave a gentle smile and wiped the tears streaking down Mello's face. "You were always there for me, remember? You've always been a very strong person in my opinion."

Mello shook his head. "I'm not. I'm really not." Another small sob escaped his throat. "Matt...I don't want to leave. But I don't know what else to do! I-it isn't even up to me..."

"How long did they say it was for?" Matt asked.

"I don't know..." Mello's voice was growing high-pitched. "A year? Until I turn eighteen I suppose, I don't know..."

After a few minutes of sobbing and muttering incoherently, Mello's crying stopped and he relaxed with his arms around Matt. "I've never felt so helpless... I-I really don't see any way out of it..."

"We'll find something," Matt assured him. "It'll work out. It has to."

"Italy..." Mello moaned. "Italy, of all blessed places!"

"He must really want you far away from me," Matt said, trying to joke but failing.

Mello gave a soft sob. "I hate them. I really, really hate them!"

Matt almost smiled at the irony of the statement; it seemed barely any time ago that he had said the same thing about his own parents. He felt a stabbing pain in his chest just thinking about it now. "Don't say that," he said gently. "You'll feel really bad if it turns out to be the last thing you ever say to them."

"I wouldn't care," Mello repeated.

Matt sighed. "Have you tried talking to them? Maybe if..."

"There's no way around it, Matt. I've tried everything!"

Giving a sympathetic sigh, Matt tightened his arms around Mello. "I'm sorry...I wish I could make things better."

"I know. But at least you're here. For a short time, anyway..."

Before Matt could reply, loud voices from the hallway interrupted them, a sure sign that Mello's parents were coming.

"Shit!"

The two of them immediately pulled away and Matt hurried over to the window, where Mello all but pushed him out. "Hurry!" He prompted.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Matt hissed, one foot out the window as he prepared to jump.

"Wait!" Mello said suddenly, and Matt froze.

"What?"

A white hand roughly grabbed the front of Matt's shirt, and pulled their faces together, capturing their lips in a hurried kiss. "I love you," he whispered, as they pulled away. His melted expression suddenly turned urgent as the voices grew louder. "Now go!" he said, and Matt had jumped from the window in a flash. Mello all but slammed the window shut behind him, hurrying to lock it and get back in bed before his parents opened the door.

第１８話　－　終