chapter eighteen: Memory by blackdragonflower
Quick reminder: This is time skipped. Though Stripes is almost healed he still is not completely better! If you ever get confused I'll be happy to answer your questions.
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Matt and Mello looked at the apartment door anxiously. Samantha, the worker from Wammy's House with the glasses, had her hands on the boys' shoulders. "You're lucky you get to visit your friend boys. Make sure you behave."
"Yes ma'am..."
"Go ahead Matt... knock, I dare you." The redhead nodded and raised his fist to the door. After a few raps they waited for what seemed like forever fidgety and nervous. They hadn't seen Stripes in weeks, they'd only heard about his condition through calls from various members of Angel's Lies. They were lucky Roger even let them come today. He'd made them spill details about their past gang lives, ones that were none of his business to know. Roger was clever, but he had to be somewhat to run an orphanage full of genius children.
From inside the apartment the boys heard the words, "Coming!" The door opened and Kara stood there smiling. "Hey guys. Hi, you must be Samantha... I talked with Roger over the phone... I can take them. I won't allow them to misbehave one bit especially this one." The woman chuckled as she ruffled Mello's soft blonde hair. Matt giggled quietly under his breath as his counterpart pouted like little boys who don't get their way will.
"Alright then... I'll be back to pick them up at three. Behave Mello... no trouble from you or no coming back to visit."
'How come I'm the only one getting scolded like a two year old... That's not fair bloody woman...' The blonde scowled.
"Kara who's there?"
"Your friends Matt and Mello came to visit Stripes! Come on in boys." The blonde and redhead scampered in curious, if not also anxious. The black and green haired young man fiddled with a piercing in his ear as he walked towards the front door from the living room and leaned against the kitchen counters.
With a cheerful wave he said, "Yo. What's up guys?"
"I'm so glad to see you're okay! I'm glad Moska didn't kill you." Stripes looked confused a moment then smiled and playfully ruffled Matt's hair.
"Heh, thanks. Hey Mello."
"Hey. How you holding up? You look tired."
Stripes nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'll admit it I'm tired... I had to take a few painkillers for my side. Hurts like the dickens... I wish I could remember how I got all these nasty wounds..." The preteen boys looked at one another slightly confused. Stripes didn't notice, stretched and sighed. "My arm gets the itchy cast off tomorrow... It'll be nice to have that gone. Kara... do you know where I stashed my lollipops? I'm craving one bad..."
"Stripes... why don't you go into the living room and relax... I'll get you one. Cherry or orange?"
"Mmm... cherry. Do I have to go sit Kara? I've been sitting all day... I'm going to die of insanity!" At the word "die" Matt bit his lower lip.
Mello rolled his icy blue eyes, "So where's the living room? Show us the way!"
"Mm? Oh this way." Stripes pointed with his good hand. "I was playing my Nintendo 64... at least... the best I could..."
Hearing videogames Matt's eyes sparkled. "Really? What game?"
"... Pokemon stadium two... It doesn't take too much double hand movement so it's doable. I'm on... let's see... oh yeah where Team Rocket decides to drop in before you can get to the next gym leader."
"How have you been doing with that?" Matt questioned as they strolled into the cozy living room.
"Not too well... they've beat me about fifty times now..."
The two stripe clad males kept conversing about the finer points of gaming and Pokemon leaving Mello completely confused. He watched the two starts a battle trying to figure out the whole point of everything he was observing. Kara sat beside him clucking her tongue. Under her breath she whispered,
"You don't get any of it either? Well that's okay I've been watching him play that for a while now and I still have no idea what's going on... Matt seems to know full well though."
"Yeah well Matt's a gaming dork."
"I heard that Mells!" Matt whined from where he was curled up on the floor.
"Kara you look lovely today did I say that?"
"I believe you mentioned it..." The woman laughed, "You've been so outgoing today... here's that tootsie pop you wanted." Stripes grinned and took the candy she offered and stuck it in his mouth.
"Thanks."
"Oh by the way... I took the liberty of buying this before you came over..." Kara handed Mello a chocolate bar. The blonde's bright blue eyes grew large and he smiled.
"You are an angel!" Mello tore open the wrapper and took a big bite.
"By the way your grandmother says hello."
Mello froze, and was hardly able to swallow the chunk of chocolate in his mouth. "Wha?"
"Your grandmother says hi."
"When did you?"
"I work at Crystal's bakery silly. I thought you knew that." Kara rolled her eyes and rapped her knuckles gently against the boy's scalp. "Knock knock is Mello's brains there?"
"Kara quit it..."
"How is Crystal?" Matt questioned as his Arcanine took down Stripes's Butterfree.
"Darn... Good shot kid."
"She's doing fine. She questions me about how you two are since I accidentally slipped that I'd met you both and your conditions..."
"She doesn't know about?" The redhead bit his lip anxiously. He'd be upset if Crystal knew about what happened with Moska, the gangs, he didn't want to expose her to that kind of lifestyle any more than was necessary.
"Heavens no! I fibbed and told her you both were doing fine but you'd been a little mischievous. During that time you Matt had taken a tumble down some stairs from trying to sled down a staircase and you Mello got some nasty wounds from fighting with another boy because you didn't agree on his tactics when you were playing war."
"My grandma bought that?"
"Seriously?"
"What are people talking about?"
"Yup she bought it." Kara hugged Mello close, who grumbled the whole time about it. "I was telling Mello about his grandmother Stripes, Crystal? You know we bought some cookies from her shop earlier today?"
"Oh yes... She was very pretty and nice..."
"Cookies?" Matt's head cocked to the side. "You bought cookies from Crystal?"
"Yeah." Kara chuckled. "I got an employee discount. Would you like some?"
The gamer flushed a little and became cutely shy. "If you don't mind."
"It's no problem. Oh... I knew there was something..." Kara planted a kiss to Mello's forehead.
"ACK! Woman germs!" Mello scrubbed his forehead with the back of his sleeve vigorously. The rest of them laughed and giggled. "Shut up it's not funny! I, Mello should never be kissed without permission!"
"Your grandmother told me to do that the next time I saw you and tell you that she loves you and you're always welcome to come visit."
"Yeah... alright, fine." Mello growled his face an embarrassed shade of pink. "Just don't do that again!"
"Yes commander... I swear you get more handsome like your father every day... but your mother's attitude..." Deciding to embarrass Mello more Kara pinched his cheek affectionately. Having enough of this Mello scrambled off the couch and used Matt as a human shield. He glared at Kara. She just rolled her eyes and went to grab the cookies she'd purchased earlier.
Matt smiled faintly his mind wandering off to his parents.
"Mail!"
A little boy waited eagerly for his father to walk past. When the timing was right he pounced out, tackling his father Carth into a tight hug. "Daddy!"
He grinned at his father's rich laugh. "You silly boy where'd you run off to? We have a surprise for you!" The little boy gasped eyes growing wide.
"What is it!? Tell me!"
"Nope, otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise. No come along Mail." Carth held his son onto his shoulders and they paraded down into their modern styled kitchen. On the island was a yummy cake with a flickering number of three candles. Beside that was a tub of strawberry ice cream. Streamers were hung around the kitchen and helium filled balloons.
Both his mother Annalise and his father Carth chimed together. "Happy birthday Mail!"
"Matt? Yo Matt?!"
"Matt are you okay?"
"Huh?" The redhead blinked out of his memory and back to the present time.
"You spaced..."
"Are you okay?" Stripes asked as he set his Nintendo 64 controller on the table.
And to answer that Matt smiled, "Yeah. I was remembering my birthday... back with my parents."
"..."
"Cookies anyone?"
"Me please!" Matt raised his hand eagerly. He munched happily on the chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie placed in his hand. He crawled up on the loveseat beside Stripes and rested his head against the young adult's shoulder. Stripes smiled and bit down on his lollipop. It shattered easily and he reached the tootsie roll center. Kara let Mello have his space and crossed one leg over the other as she nibbled on the edge of a cookie. Mello was licking his chocolate snack. Stripes grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels for something to watch. It wasn't long before Matt and Mello were asleep. Mello on the floor, curled up in a ball like a cat and Matt resting against Stripes's right arm. The redhead's body slumped forward and he slid so his head came to rest on the outside of Stripes's thigh. Kara smiled and got up when she heard the sound of someone knocking at the door. Stripes ruffled Matt's hair with his good hand (the left one) a faint distant look in his emerald eyes.
'One day I hope I can remember everything about you Matt, Mello. One of these days I'll be able to remember everything about Angel's Lies, Rulebreakers, everything... but as of now... thanks for being so patient with me. It's so nice having you around to hang out with while I wait for my memory to catch up with me. Just try not to worry about me too much...'
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Disclaimer time: I don't own Nintendo 64 nor Pokemon Stadium 2 btw I play this game it is so much fun! Yay for the old school. I also don't own Pokemon. And dude, Stripes is totally manly enough to use a Butterfree. Take that!
giggling Yup, this is a pretty fluffy compared to some of the other ones. It was about time I had one of those though right? Yes, I named Matt's parents Annalise and Carth Jeevas. They have very short appearances, but at least it was a happy memory! Heh... Kara's so mean teasing Mello and making him all embarrassed and cute-like. One more chapter to go everybody! I'll see you in chapter nineteen: View. As always I love your reviews!
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