Graffiti chapter two by blackdragonflower

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Matt scratched the back of his head with a yawn as he climbed out of bed. Sunlight peeked through heavy curtains trying to bring light to the dark room. He looked over to Mello's bed; the blonde was still nestled underneath his down comforter, sleeping away. Matt dug underneath the bed for the shopping bags he had shoved under there. They had taken him shopping for clothes to replace his tattered, holy ones that he had on when they'd retrieved him from the police offices for juvenile delinquents. He searched through the bags and yanked out a black and white striped shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. He chuckled, the woman who'd taken him shopping had given him grief about the pants being too big, but he wanted them so he got them. He grabbed his goggles from the nightstand he shared with Mello and slipped them on giving a satisfied smile. He changed clothes and his eyes narrowed on Mello's bed when the boy moved underneath his blankets.

"What time is it?" Mello sluggishly sat up, his nose wrinkling as he held back a yawn.

"I don't know..."

"Look at the damn clock..." Mello ordered cracking his knuckles and throwing the covers aside.

"Seven fifty." With that Mello snapped up. He scrambled around efficiently grabbing what he needed. Mello threw on a black sweater and a pair of black jeans which were tattered near the foot. "What's the big deal Mello?"

"Matt. Just shut the fuck up and get ready."

"For what?" Matt grabbed a pair of socks absentminded and began to put them on.

Mello shot him a glare. "Wammy's takes the kids to town today! And they leave in ten minutes!"

"So?"

"Matt. Think about it. You can get out of this house. We both can." Matt grinned and yanked his shoes onto his foot.

"Alright then! Hurry up Mells!"

"What did I tell you about giving me nicknames?!" Mello growled pulling on his shoe and getting up.

"Sorry..." Matt grinned apologetically. He followed Mello out the door. He almost missed what Mello hissed out in a whisper.

"I'm trusting you Matt. If you run I won't stop you, but if we ever meet again, I will make sure you pay. That's a promise, and I keep my promises." Matt gulped.

"I-I won't run."

"Good. I'm keeping you to your word."

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Matt sighed; he knew this town inside and out. He had lived there his whole life. Mello surprised the redhead by grabbing his wrist and quietly pulling him away from the Wammy crowd. "Mello wher-"

"Shh. Do you want them to know we're sneaking off?" Mello growled. Matt shook his head no, but gently stole his wrist back.

"Follow me. I have something to show you." Matt was a little hesitant. He didn't want to get in trouble. He liked staying at Wammy's it was like home, a real home. The gamer followed Mello to a part of town Matt recognized well. This was no man's land for between two gangs. One, Matt had belonged to, the other well, the other was his enemy, at least, that's what he was told. Mello stopped by a brick wall grinning wickedly. "Hey Matt check this out." Matt walked up to Mello and looked up following Mello's gaze. His mouth plummeted down.

"That's my tag..." There were two tags on the wall different from the other. Matt's read 'nonsense' in black, red, and white stripes. It was like a haphazard piece of art. The stripes clashed against one another making the letters look like they were covered in broken glass.

"I always wondered who did this... I always admired their skill. But the other one? That's mine." Matt's mouth dropped. If the other was Mello's that meant.

"You were in their gang... you were a tagger too..." Mello's eyes sparkled with a dangerous glint of excitement.

"That's right. I did. Till I was caught and they took me off to Wammy's. I use to roam the streets. I was the best tagger of the whole gang." Mello started looking around then began to laugh. "It's still here. What a wonderful surprise..." Mello drug a box full of spraypaint cans out of its hiding place. "So, let's paint." Mello grabbed a can of black spraypaint and shook it. He walked to the wall and looked at his tag.

It read 'no rules' in gothic black lettering. A little girl with a gothic Lolita dress and white leggings was holding a torn apart bear that leaked stuffing from its left eye like blood. She smiled wickedly a spraypaint can in her right hand. Her hair was tied up in two spikey ponytails on the sides of her head with blood red ribbon. "So, you did this?" Matt placed a hand on the mural of the streets amazed.

"Yeah. Don't do this one much, since it takes so long..." Mello covered his mouth and nose and began to touch up the lettering. The spraypaint made a hissing noise as it came out. Matt stepped away from the wall, the urge to take up one of the spraypaint cans itching underneath his skin. "Go ahead Matt. I know you want to." Matt smiled a grabbed a can and walked over to his tag. He began to spray over his tag, retouching up the weathered paint. Both boys looked at each other, and even though hands covered their noses and mouth, both boys knew the other was grinning wide. Both boys were glad to be doing what they did best, tagging.