Barbie Boy Chapter 9: Broken Eyes

A/N: Oh hi, remember this story? XD I was supposed to update this ages ago. XD

Okay, so I feel like I should say this…nineteen years ago when I was in kindergarten, it wasn't required that you attend, and they only had half-day for kinder anyhow. I realize now, via my brother's school, that kinder is now required. And it's full day. So Matt and Mello should have started kindergarten a year before, instead going straight to first grade. Oops? Then again, they were born around the same time as me when kindergartern wasn't required, so fuck it?

Recess was like heaven to little Matt Jeevas. His fidgety little legs could barely contain themselves when Mr. Ruvie dismissed the children for play time. Matt's morning had not been fun. Living with his strict military parents, he was slightly more adept than the other children at following rules and staying quiet when required, but the classroom environment had treated the young Jeevas in a less than friendly manner. The redhead needed to stretch his legs!

But Matt was a boy on mission. He straightened his goggles and reached into his pocket to make sure his treasure had survived the morning. A smile broke across his face at the thought of how happy it would make his friend.

…if he could only find the blond.

"Meadow!"

He called the name over and over, peeking at any and every blond child he saw on the playground.

And while Matt was searching frantically for Mello, the Keehl boy was doing his very best to stay invisible, hiding himself as much as possible. Mello had found a nice little dungeon-like space under the slide where no one else was playing. His hope was that he would just be forgotten and then he could stay there until his hair grew back and he was pretty again.

Luck wasn't on Mello's side, however, as he heard a familiar voice calling his…well it wasn't quite his name, but it was close enough. And the voice made the boy ache inside. Instead of answering his friend's cries, Mello simply shrank into himself more and buried his hands into his shirt.

"Hey what are doing under there? Come play tag with us!"

Mello felt taps at his shoulder. There were two little girls there, smiling and trying to engage him. He recognized one from his class. Her name was Angie? Angela?

"I'm sorry, I just want to be alone right now. Go play with someone else."

"You're mean, Mello."

He heard them walk away and concentrated once again on being invisible. He must have been doing something wrong because it wasn't working exactly…

Mello could still hear the girls as they asked other people to join their game.

"Hi I'm Katie and this is Angela. Do you want to play tag with us?"

"Hi Katie and Anzala. I'm looking for Meadow, so I can't play right now."

Mello smiled. Matt couldn't pronounce her name either. He felt guilty. Matt was looking for him and he couldn't do more than hide.

"Who's Meadow?" Mello heard them ask.

"Meadow is my princess!" Matt exclaimed and Mello beamed. He hadn't forgotten, even now.

"We'll play princess with you. You can go fight the dragon and kiss the sleeping princess when you save her—"

At that, the hidden child could not stay silent. "Don't touch him! You can't touch him! He's mine!"

Mello stuck his tongue out at Angela and Katie. As if he'd just let that little girl kiss Matt. His Matt. After all, they were married! The three children turned and looked at the boy who'd given such an abrupt outburst. Then Mello froze along the side of the playground slide. He'd acted on impulse, but now he was exposed and the reality of it was more than he was willing to deal with.

Matt was silent and just walked up to the other. "Meadow?"

Mello didn't answer, he just shut his eyes and imagined that Matt wasn't seeing him like that.

Matt brushed his fingers across Mello's hair and laughed, "It's all prickly now."

Mello hit Matt's hand away and let his feet carry him far across the playground. He buried his face behind his hands and dove around the gnarled trunk of a massive tree. The boy didn't move when he heard the soft plop of a body as it claimed the grass next to him.

"Meadow, what's wrong?" Matt grabbed the other boy's shoulder but it was promptly thrown off.

"Go away, Matt. I'm ugly."

"Nuh-uh! You're not ugly."

Mello slowly slid his fingers away from his eyes and peeked at the other boy through his sniffles, "I'm…I'm not?"

Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring and presented it to Mello, "I brought this present for you."

The blond boy began to cry as the redhead slipped the ring on his finger. He felt both really sad and inexplicably happy. For a moment he even forgot entirely about his hair. He watched the shiny trinket slide off his hand fall into the grass.

"It's too big!" he laughed.

"Wear it on this finger." Matt wiggled his thumb at the other boy, smiling.

And as the redhead hugged Mello and wiped his tears away, the blond did just that.

Unaware that her son had just given her engagement ring away to a boy, Gina Jeevas searched for a parking space in the downtown district. She was around the corner from Johnson's Milk Time Bar. Gina'd been assured by the school reception that if this was the workplace of Benny Leed's mother. And Mrs. Jeevas planned on paying that woman a visit. Not the friendly kind either.

She pulled her car to the curb and exited, tossing her purse around her shoulder and sliding a pair of sunglasses onto the bridge of her nose. The bar was dark when she pushed past the peeling paint of its wooden entrance, but the interior was nothing special. The redheaded woman marched straight to the bar and pulled a stool out, surveying the customers before sitting. A handful of unemployed drunkards and few old men sat randomly around the tables, sipping beers or playing cards and smoking. It might have made a nice portmanteau, if you were into the whisky and pool table kind of scene, that is.

"What'll it be, lady?" the man at the counter asked.

Mrs. Jeevas eyed the glass he was cleaning, which just seemed to get dirtier the more he wiped it with his filthy rage, "Actually," she leaned in closer, "I'm looking for Claire. Where might I find her?"

The bartender blinked in surprise, "You don't seem like one of her usual customers."

Customer? The Jeevas woman bristled at the implication with slight embarrassment but quickly realized that she was only being teased. She would have shoved a shot glass down the bartender's throat if he'd really been calling her a lesbian. She didn't need to ask the homophobia rate to understand how dangerous it would have been if she actually had come to the bar to solicit Claire Leeds. It wasn't that Gina cared much about strangers' opinions, but she was already disliked enough in town.

At any rate, Gina wanted to be taken seriously.

"I'm a social worker," she lied. "If Claire Leeds doesn't want her son taken into state custody, then I suggest you bring her out here, immediately."

The man yelled out to a room in the back, "Walter! Think you could come up here for a minute?"

The woman rested her arms against the bar table as 'Walter' made his appearance. He was the grandfather type. Short. Grizzly white beard and trifocals. He lowered his hat to her and turned to his employee.

The barman simply shrugged at the older man, "This social worker lady here says she has business with Claire."

The old man then gave his full attention to Gina, standing noticeable straighter as he extended his hand to her, "I'm Walter Johanson, the proprietor of this little establishment. What can I do for you, now?"

"I need to see Claire Leeds immediately. Please bring her out."

"She's busy."

"So am I. Don't make me report you for interfering with my work."

The old man sighed and set himself on the stool next to Gina, "I uh…I thought your people and our people had an understanding."

"How am I supposed to have an understanding with a woman who practically jumps in front of my moving car and abandons her own son with me, a total stranger?"

Mr. Johanson licked his lips, "You're not really a social worker, are you?"

Gina's eyes widened. Well she supposed it had to be that not everyone in town was an idiot.

"Are you going to preach to me, now? Don't tell me that you actually like have a conscience when you prostitute-out a young single mother and keep her drugged—"

"Now you just shut your mouth and mind your own business—"

Mrs. Jeevas' hands were faster than Walter Johanson's mouth. She clamped her hands around the fatter's neck and growled, "I don't take well to receiving orders from assholes. When I was in the marines, I shot piss worms like you for less." She loosened her grip a little, remembering that she was outnumbered and in a room filled with men. "Please. I'm just asking for a little cooperation."

The bartender looked uneasy but answered for his boss, "Please calm down, ma'am. Claire's up stairs. Sixth door on the left."

Gina released the owner of the Johnson's Milk Time Bar.

"Please, follow me." The bartender directed, easing his way out from behind the counter and leading the way. She stood and nodded, making her way up the stairs and entering the room she was directed to as he held it open for her.

She groped for a light switch as soon as she entered, but the door closed abruptly behind her, enclosing her in darkness.

"Hey! Hey! Open this door right now!" She screamed, backing up, ramming her entire weight into the door.

It was no use. The lock wouldn't turn. And she could only hear laughter in response to the banging of her fists. Gina's heart only beat faster and she shut her eyes trying to keep calm. Her eyes wouldn't adjust to the darkness and she stumbled about, trying to gain her bearings.

But crawling around in the dark wasn't really what worried her. It wasn't until a pair of arms snaked their way around her that Gina really started to panick.

A/N: And Matt gave Gina's actual engagement ring to Mello XD. Pfffffft. Aww and Mello's so loyal, super taking their wedding to heart. *shifts eyes in shifty way* I wonder if that comes back to bite him in the butt? :O

Review please. Also, I have a question for you my dear readers. Would you like me to start a discussion/spoiler thread for this story on the He Moves Me different forum? MRS-J/Matilda's website has expanded where all M/M lovers can post and discuss all M/M stories and DN in general. I'm thinking I might make a thread for this story as well as Tearoom. Anyone interested in coming by and joining us?