A/N: Hello, I'm back! I didn't mean to let so much time pass before posting this, but I've been really lazy... I mean busy! Really busy! Lol, actually I have been busy, since I got a summer job that's taking up most of my time, plus summer homework and stuff. Yeah. Anyway, here you go.
Don't give up on the dream, don't give up on the wanting..
Because I want you too
-Placebo, Because I Want You
"Ahhhhhh!"
Matt looked up from his new toy, a present from L's last visit. The electronic whirls and beeps were just as appealing to 8-year-old Matt as the idea of blowing up zombies or solving puzzles, combining into The Most Perfect Toy Ever. He hadn't gotten off the handheld game in the whole week that he had it. Now he paused it to see Mello hurling himself furiously on his bed across the room.
"Ahhhhhh!" Mello wailed again, pulling all the blankets over his head.
Matt looked at the shaking, noisily crying bump under the blankets. He looked down at his game, paused in mid-car race. He looked up again, sighed, and set the game down on his nightstand. He climbed onto the other bed next to the Mello-bump, putting an arm around it as he settled his head on the pillow.
"Hey hey," he soothed, patting the bump. "Come on, what happened? I'm listening."
"I-I-I, h-he," Mello hiccupped, making the bump bounce under Matt's hand.
Matt sighed. He knew were this was going to go. "He...?" He prompted.
"H-he beat me again!" Mello wailed loudly, flinging off the blankets and throwing his arms around Matt's neck. His face was red and puffy and dripping with tears. His nose was running, and snot got on Matt's shoulder. He patted Mello's back, wondering if the gameboy battery would hold out until Mello calmed down.
"Near? On which test?" Matt asked as he used his other arm to reach for a chocolate bar from the stash beneath Mello's bed. He somehow opened it with one hand (lots of practice, he guessed) and pushed it under Mello's nose. Immediately Mello's hand shot up to grab it. He took a huge bite and fell back chewing on the bed. When he swallowed, he took a deep breath to calm down and answer.
"The science one."
"The one you stayed up all night studying for?"
Mello nodded miserably. "He beat me by one question. One question! It's not fair!" The tears were welling up again. Mello took another big bite of his chocolate and sniffled.
"Yeah, that sucks," Matt nodded sympathetically, quickly glancing at his game across the room. Good, it was still glowing. Maybe he had charged it last night.
"I hate him so much!" Now Mello's eyes were darkening, signaling the end to the crying stage and the start of the rage. Maybe if Mello broke something quickly, Matt could get back to his game soon.
"I HATE him!" Mello screeched, jumping off the bed. He began pacing angrily back and forth across the room, kicking anything in his path. "I hate his stupid white hair, and his stupid toys, and his stupid... his stupid... his stupid face, and his stupid clothes!"
Matt nodded, praying Mello wouldn't take out his anger on the new gameboy. "Yeah, and he's really weird too."
"Yeah. He's a freak!" Mello laughed, the anger ebbing. He took another bite of the chocolate. "I know, I'll go study really hard for tomorrow's history test. Then I'll beat him!"
"Yup, sounds good," Matt said, relived that it was almost over. He scooted back to his bed and picked up his gameboy.
"Hey," Mello said, glaring. "How come you've been playing that game instead of paying attention to me lately? I'm more important that some toy!"
"I have been paying attention to you. I just stopped playing for ten whole minutes to comfort you, " Matt pointed out, looking up from the game. "I haven't stopped playing for a whole week, but I stopped for you."
A grin spread across Mello's face, lighting up his eyes. "That's right," he said happily. "You stopped just for me. You're my best friend!" Mello threw his arms around Matt's neck, smearing chocolate and remnants of snot on Matt's hair. "I'm going to go study now. Bye!"
Matt watched Mello run out of the room for the library. He smiled slightly, wiping the chocolate and snot off his hair. Tomorrow, after Near beat Mello, they'd go through this scene again. Matt made a mental note to charge the gameboy before bed.