Matt POV
I'm pretty good at reading people, much better than Near or Mello. Mello is far to boisterous and loud to allow anyone around him the ability to voice their opinions. Near, of course, is rather quite. He sits and observes and puts every word and minute movement under a microscope to analyze. But just because he is adept at observation doesn't mean he can arrive at the correct conclusion. Near is far too removed from the rest of humanity to understand them. I, on the other hand, am a perfect balance. I have the ability to see people.
I wasn't at all surprised when Mello and I walked in on L and Light. Every time I've seen the two of them, there have been electrical sparks of attraction flashing and crashing between them, visible as the mini mario I was simultaneously controlling. Mello was too preoccupied with his own drama to notice. And Near most likely filed it away without a prayer of understanding. Although Light appears unwilling, I won't be surprised when L introduces him as his boyfriend either.
You see? I can tear people apart at the seems, read their emotions and thoughts, and stitch them back up, traceless as my expert hack jobs.
So, when Mello started flubbing like a fish at the mention of handcuffs, I can't say I was all that surprised.
But when Mello was fighting with Light...
"He's trapped in his own little world!"
"You shouldn't want to sleep in the same bed as him!"
"You shouldn't wish he thought about you all the time!"
"You shouldn't wish you were a gameboy."
It seemed as though at a certain point, Mello had stopped talking about L, and started talking about me. That's why I was testing him in the first place. Because maybe... maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Mello didn't like L... maybe he was interested in me. Still, I can't say I was all that surprised to be proven right. Mello's just my friend. The face he made, the horrified, repulsed, scandalized face he made was a "just a friend" face if I've ever seen one.
"Meeeeello!" I chirped. "Food time!"
However, like any good little genius, I had a backup plan. The way I had devised the test made it entirely natural to phase back into friendship mode, to feign ignorance. As far as Mello knew, asking him his opinion of handcuffs was entirely innocent.
"Wha?" Mello glanced up from his textbook with wide, glossy eyes.
"Earth to Mello! Food time!"
He blinked and shook his head, creating a whirlwind of golden blonde wisps that managed to settle in perfect curls around his face. "Lunch?"
"Yup!" I grabbed my DS and dashed towards the door.
"What's got you so excited?" Mello joined me in the hall at a much more reasonable pace.
"Uh... sloppy joes?" I lied.
Mello quirked an eyebrow but didn't further pursue the topic. In truth, lunch couldn't be over fast enough. Asking Mello about handcuffs had seemed like a foolproof plan. If Mello likes me, great! We'll skip off into a sunset or something. And if he doesn't, everything will go back to normal.
I didn't plan on hoping, desperately longing for the former, so much so that it hurt when Mello shot me down. While devising my Mello-test, I had unwittingly conjured up images... rather pleasant images. Images of Mello looking at me lovingly, of Mello kissing me, of Mello smirking at me, of Mello pulling out handcuffs, of Mello without clothes, of me AND Mello without clothes... of Mello and I naked with handcuffs...
God, I didn't mean to start having perverted fantasies! It just sort of happened! And no matter how fast I walk, I am still hyper aware of Mello's presence behind me, tripping to catch up. Of Mello's, normal, friendly, clothed, handcuff-less presence behind me.
"We're here!" I cheered.
"Sloppy joes, huh?" Mello muttered, grabbing a plate. I managed to shovel food onto my plate at a faster rate than Mello could grab chocolate products- a monumental achievement.
I settled down at our usual table, ready to inhale the mass of meat on my plate, when a soft, pointed cough caused me to look up questioningly.
"What do you want?" Mello spat. The girl his spiteful comment was directed at appeared unshaken, her knowing smirk unfaltering.
"Mind if I sit here?" Glue tugged out a chair and sat... or rather kneeled on it without waiting for a response.
Mello scowled and stabbed his chocolate cake. Twice. Glue had always gotten on Mello's nerves. She was older than us- 15- and had been here much longer than Mello or I. She was under the impression that unlike most of the House's resident's, she was entitled to be exempt from Mello's general reign of terror. It soon became true, she was completely unintimidated by the blond fireball. Now matter how hard he glared at her, no matter how loud he screamed, no matter how explicit his threats, she let it roll of her shoulder. When Mello was in Ranting Mode, if it wasn't about Near, it was about Glue.
"What do you want?" Mello repeated.
"Oh, nothing," she beamed, running a hand through her cropped chestnut hair. "Must I always have an ulterior motive?" She dug in the pocket of her baggy, green overalls to remove a small wooden block, which she began to whittle absently. Mello and I waited for her to begin, knowing full well that the brunet always had a hidden agenda. Her crystal blue eyes darted between us, and her smirk became more pronounced, reveling in a hidden secret.
I waited in tense silence, Mello rolled his eyes. Glue's dexterous fingers never slowed, regardless of where her eyes were directed. "So..." she began, evidently satisfied with her artificial drama. "There have been some rumors about you two."
"I don't care what people think about me," Mello replied haughtily.
"Really?" she questioned, unperturbed. "But I'm sure Matt wants to know what people are saying."
"What are people saying?" I echoed.
Mello groaned and shoved a brownie into his mouth. "God, Matt! Your walking right into her trap!" he slurred around his chocolaty paste.
"What trap?" Glue's smile widened, sporting a row of rainbow colored braces.
"Just let her say what she wants to say!" I protested.
"If she ever gets to it!" Mello leaned across the table.
"If you ever let her get to it!" I sneered back.
"It's not my fault!"
"It is partially!"
"Aw!" Glue cooed. "Look at you two! Bickering like an old married couple!"
"We're not old! You're old!" Mello shot back.
"Yes," Glue rolled her eyes. "Fifteen years old is positively ancient. And two years is such an age difference!"
"One year," Mello grumbled.
"Hardly. You just turned fourteen, Mello."
"Shut up!"
Glue widened her aqua eyes. "But don't you want to know about the rumors?"
"Just tell us!" Mello roared.
"I'll show you." An eery silence filled the air as Glue's steady chipping finally stilled. She lifted her freshly made woodwork from under the table and dangled it between our faces.
"A heart?" I questioned.
Mello's cheeks faded into a subtle shade of pink. "What exactly are you implying?"
"You." Glue dropped the heart and knife onto the table and grabbed the back of Mello's head.
"HEY!"
"And Matt." She reached out with her other hand and gripped the back of my head.
"Ow," I whimpered as she gave a painful tug.
"Together."
In the flash of a second, our heads were smashed together, our lips were smashed together. But as soon as she released us, I tumbled away from Mello, crashing onto the floor.
I opened my eyes to meet a pair of plastic purple platform shoes. Glue.
"Glue! The fuck?" Mello screeched. I sat up wearily and nearly gagged when I inhaled a warm metallic liquid. Blood. "Look!" Mello franticly waved at me. "He's bleeding!"
"Sorry. That worked better in my head." She didn't sound sorry.
"Get the fuck away from me, you imbecile!"
"Sure, sure," she smiled pleasantly and removed another small block from her pocket. "I'll tell everyone it's not true... yet." After retrieving her blade from the table, she glided away, chipping away in time to her steady foot falls.
Mello smirked down at me, "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up."
I sucked in a breath to respond, but was cut off by a slew of blood. "Ach!" I coughed. "Bleh, gross..."
He rolled his eyes at my antics and extended a hand, which I grasped gratefully. Before I was fully upright, he tugged me forwards. He dragged me out of the lunch room, away from the scandalized giggles and gasps, the whispered gossip, and the sloppy joe that I didn't particularly want to eat any way. Mello kept his eyes trained ahead, making a beeline for the mens room that lay just outside the caf. I gingerly touched my face, and grimaced at the grotesque slippery feeling on my blood coated fingers.
"Idiot, don't touch it." He whipped open the door to the bathroom, causing a small boy with beach blonde hair to jump to the side with a startled gasp. "Out," Mello growled. The tiny child gave a small 'meep' and tripped out the door in fright.
"Must you terrorize children?"
"Sit," Mello pointed to the counter and sauntered towards the paper towels, confident that I would comply. Which I did.
"Here," Mello handed me a sopping paper towel. "Wipe off your hand." He took another towel and brought it towards my face. "Um, I'll just... um, wipe off the blood then..." He hesitated for a moment, his trademark confidence and arrogance slowly unwinding, before bringing the paper to my chin. I slid my eyes closed, and almost smiled, concentrating on the soothing motion of the cool paper towel against my skin. My eyes fluttered open when the towel brushed my lips.
"It's on your lip," Mello explained, his voice raspy. "My teeth must have cut your lip..." We both blushed deeply at the final utterance, but neither of us shifted our positions. We were locked in place, and I was lost in his electric blue eyes, mere inches from my own. Mello pressed the towel into the injured corner of my lips before running the towel slowly along them, the movement unnecessary, gentle, and wonderful. He brought a quivering hand to my face and cupped my cheek, drawing soft circles on my cheek in time with the towel.
He slowly lowered the towel. "I-I'm done. Feel better?"
I felt better. Much better. With his warm hand caressing my cheek and his shallow breaths mingling with my own, brushing against my lips that still tingled from his feathery touch... I suppose you could say I felt better. But I simply couldn't respond. I couldn't seem to remember how to speak, or even nod.
Luckily, Mello hadn't magically lost his motor abilities. He leaned in an inch, and his lips met with mine. His lips brushed my own, softly, sweetly, and lovingly for only a moment, before pulling away. He studied me for a moment, gazing deeply into my eyes in a way that made my heart thump impossibly faster.
"So..." he said awkwardly. I could only stare back at him, my mouth agape, my face flushed, and my mind whirling. "I'm sorry, Matt. I-I'm sorry I-"
"I love you Mello!" I burst.
Mello's face contorted in pain. "Don't mock me, Matt," he whispered. "I can see you- you didn't like it..."
"Mihael Keehl," I murmured, pulling him into a desperate embrace.
"What are you saying?" Mello clutched me by the shoulders and shoved me away.
"Mihael Keehl," I repeated, "I love you."
He stared at me with an aghast expression before his eyes widened in understanding.
"Look, just- just only say it when you mean it, okay? Like, if you have something really serious to say, I'll know because you used my real name... or something."
"Me too."
"You too?"
"I mean only say my name when it's really important."
A wide, arrogant smirk possessed his face.
"Mello?" I questioned.
"You love me."
I nodded slowly, suddenly weary. I had only told him because I had thought the feeling was mutual. I mean, he had just kissed me. But if he's only going to mock me now... my throat constricted. I'm not sure if I can handle that.
"Matt... Mail Jeevas..." I sucked in a breath. Here it is. The moment of truth. "I-I," his grin twisted into a grimace. "You're bleeding again."
"Oh," I looked down, utterly dejected.
So now Mello knows I love him, and he doesn't love me. Nice going genius...
"And..." Mello continued. "I kinda love you too."
AN: Omigod! Are they cute, or what? I must admit, there was some verbal squee-ing going on while I was writing this. Matt and Mello are together! ^.^ YAYZ!
So, how did you guys like my OC, Glue? I would love some feedback! Should she make a reappearance, or are you sick of her?
Thank you once more to all of my loyal readers and reviewers. You guys rock! XD