"Wake up, asshole." Mello prodded Matt harshly, causing him to wriggle and pull at his blanket defensively. It was dark throughout the apartment, the only light coming from the television across the room.
A small groan, and Matt removed his face from where the couch cushions met the back rest. "Wha's wrong...?" He grumbled, opening an eye and pulling his blanket up to cover his bare chest.
"Don't do that, you're not a girl," Mello scolded. "and you left the TV on again. Maybe that's why you sleep so shitty, you're always in front of a screen. Melatonin only replenishes itself in the dark, you know." He was lecturing again. First it was about laundry not in the hamper, then taking up too much bathroom counter space, then forgetting to knock on the bedroom door, now this. He searched the floor around the couch for the remote.
"You sound like a housewife. Don't worry so much." Sitting up, Matt reached over the arm rest and retrieved the remote. Mello scowled, snatching it from his hand.
"Don't test me." He flicked the TV off. The room went dark and quiet.
Matt got settled back into his couch bed, anticipating hearing the thumping footsteps of Mello retreating back to the bedroom. When none came, he listened more closely. "You going back to bed or what?" He asked after a brief moment's pause. The silence continued. "...Mels?" Another pause. He heard a small exhale, and two footsteps that came closer.
"Why do you sleep out here?" Matt felt hands press down on the cushion closest to his head and rest there, followed by two soft thumps on the floor; knees maybe?
"Because I know you need your space...?" Matt's reply sounded like an implication that it was common sense.
"I didn't say that you couldn't sleep in the same room as me. There's only one room, do you really think I'd be that much of an asshole to not share it? I mean, screw off when I tell you to screw off, but I'm not gonna force you to sleep on a couch forever."
"It's okay, I've been doing it since we moved in, I can keep doing it."
"A week is too long already. You don't think I'd notice how you switched your short showers for long baths after the first two nights? Sleeping there is messing up your back."
"... Yeah, I guess. But we can do this later, okay? Just let me get back to sleep." Matt pulled the blanket up over his shoulders.
He heard Mello let out a huff. "Fine. I offer up my bedroom and you choose the couch." He felt Mello take his hands off the couch and a small breeze of air, presumably from him standing up. "If you come in later, don't wake me up." Matt could hardly contain his chuckles. The thumping of Mello walking off and dramatically closing the bedroom door put the cherry on the cake.
"What a brat." Matt laughed to himself, collecting himself and his bedding and walking down the hallway to the bedroom.
He opened the door, a small bedside lamp giving a corner of the room light. Mello had already settled into bed, and was adjusting his duvet carefully when he acknowledged Matt's entrance. "You can have the other side of the bed. Also, I don't share my blanket."
"S'alright, I have my own." Matt had himself wrapped in it, his pillow clutched between his blanket-covered hands. Shuffling his way to the bed, Mello watched him intently as he got settled in. "G'night, Mihael." He sighed, his back facing away from his bed-mate.
Mello paused, taken a bit aback by the use of his legal name. "Good night, Mail." He reached over and shut off the bedside lamp.
...
The sun peeking through the bedroom blinds burned through Matt's eyelids. He reached over to cover his eyes with his arm, but alas, he was already awake. Rolling his shoulders and stretching his pelvis back, he was met with resistance. Startled, Matt recoiled quickly and pulled away. Turning over, he was greeted by a mess of blonde hair, closed eyes, and soft puffs of breath. "... Mello?"
Mello replied with a grumble, wrapping his arms tighter around Matt's waist. This time, pulling him close enough that their stomachs touched. Matt flinched, holding his hands up and staring at him. His blanket had been kicked down to his feet, Mello's seemed to have been ditched on the other side of the bed. Rightfully so, they must've kept the heat on way too high last night. Carefully, Matt began to inch his way out of Mello's arms and onto the floor beside the bed. Considering both him and Mello has a misting of sweat from overheating through the night, sliding out of his grasp was a simple task. Mello didn't wake, just pulled his arms closer in on himself and nuzzled into the pillows.
Matt peeked over the bed, watching the rare sight of Mello with his guard down. He was quite small for his age, not to mention thin; he looked more like a young girl than a young man. A corner of the top sheet was all the covered Mello's lower half, that too wet with perspiration. When he decided to turn over onto his back, however, most of the coverage was lost.
"Of course Mello would sleep in the nude!" Matt whispered to himself, hurriedly removing himself from the bedroom. His face was flushed, embarassed for himself as well as his partner.
...
Author's notes: So much for "updating regularly", huh? After a bit of a bumpy start, I'm really glad to be getting back into this work. I like writing longer chapters like this! I got a few favorites and a comment on my last two chapters, I guess that was the motivation to get me to write this next one; actual real life readers asked for more! Haha, please enjoy the third chapter of hopefully many more to come. :)
