It was much easier to simply assume Matt went to Los Angeles because Mello told him to than to actually listen to the full story of his decision. Yes the result was ultimately the same as it would have been if he had just followed the email blindly. One just happens to be longer than the other.
Matt continued to gape open mouthed at his computer screen, forcing his brain into some semblance of working order while parts of it were still trying to figure out if he were awake or not. Sure, he could simply assume this was some immensely genius person who had decided to break in to his system, but if there were such a person who could do that with no inside knowledge, why weren't theyat this school for the intellectually gifted? Or had they simply left like Mello to pursue some crazed maniac on their own and Matt had never heard of them before? No that wasn't very possible. He had too many firewalls and viruses programmed to infect any computer that tried to get in, it would be impossible for someone who hadn't helped set them up to even begin to unravel them. And there was the inevitable answer. Mello had helped set them up, some of them had even been his idea, he knew how to get around them.
Now the question was whether or not he believed what the blond had said. It was so easy to lie over the internet, he could easily be saying he missed him to get him to come and then use him for anything he didn't feel like doing himself. It had been that way before, but he had trusted Mello completely then, he was still predictable and he was still his best friend who had promised never to leave him alone. Well, he was alone now wasn't he? Where had that promise gone? Out the damn window when L had been killed, that's where. He had been shoved to the backseat for all of two days before everyone was informed and Mello had left. And now backseat he shall remain.
Still… the thought of at least seeing Mello again, helping him, was tempting. Every nerve in his body was itching to jump up, pack the first thing he set his eyes on and fly off to wherever the blond needed him. But he had to think this over. He had to be sure. Then again if things turned out badly he could just leave. Mells knew he would never tell where he was working, he wouldn't do anything that put the boy in danger. He'd help him get into dangerous situations, but then only if they both knew they could control them.
Aw, hell, going there was easier than sitting here everyday bored and alone. Might as well have some fun before he screws himself into the ground.
With a sigh Matt untangled himself from his blanket. Even through the jitters he could feel the cold seeping through the thin cloth of his night shirt. Hot weather really seemed nice compared to this insane cold. Was Los Angeles hot this time of year? He'd never been there before. Why would he anyway? America was a wretched country in his opinion. But that's where Mello was so he would go. He was certain he'd go to the ends of the earth for that boy. Further even, should it be required.
Matt simply picked up whichever items of clothing and handheld games he saw and threw them into a duffle bag. No luggage check for him, too risky. He erased all pictures of Mello and himself, storing them on a flash drive beforehand. He would have to bring his laptop with him, too many important files were on the thing to leave behind.
Looking around the room from the door, Matt laughed quietly. This was probably the last time he'd ever see the room he'd been sharing with Mello since they were little kids and he couldn't even feel a bit sad about it. Sure there were memories and sentimentality and all that fun crap, but it wasn't like the world was just this little room. It had felt like that so many times he'd stopped counting, but it wasn't true. He had to move on to bigger things than just one small room. There were hundreds, millions, of people being murdered right this second in the world, he couldn't just hole himself up and not add, however miniscule his part may be, to the search for this guy. He smiled at the thought.
Before he thought too much about it, he picked up Mello's pillow and put it in the bag too. It was a long flight to California after all.
Mello could have mentioned that the damn place was in a desert. It was five hundred fucking degrees out and he was in jeans and a stripped fucking shirt. With leather boots for fuck's sake! Was the blond trying to kill him? And how the hell did he find coordinates for the middle of fucking nowhere? That boy was dead when he found him. Making him sweat like this was inhumane.
There was a metallic clinking somewhere to his left, followed by a small cloud of dust over a square cut into the bedrock. Well, that was certainly… original. At least it was well hidden. He could feel cold air rushing out of the sunken staircase, cooling his heated skin. Who the hell said hot weather was nice anyway?
He only gave it a fleeting thought that this may just be some trap. Who else but Mello would hide in the desert anyway? It's not exactly the resource capital of the world.
A bubble of joy made its way in to his mind. He was here, Mello was here. He was going to see him again. They were together. Everything would be alright. This was his Heaven. He walked resolutely down the metal staircase, forcing his steps to remain normal. He was excited but Mello didn't need to see him like that, nor did the rest of whoever was down there with him.
A large man, definitely Mafia, met him at the bottom, leading the way to some odd room that was more like a stone box than an actual room. It housed computer systems, most of which were his design – good to see he had made an impact – and a few couches that held the bulky bodies of five more Mafia looking men and a few questionable women. No wonder he didn't go for them, they were liars all of them. Was he always this critical about people? He couldn't remember being that way before Mello left. Weird.
Speaking of Mello, he was sitting on the back of the couch farthest from where he was standing. He was probably the only man in the room not built like a mountain or being fawned over by a girl in a small outfit. Probably because he looked like a girl himself, albeit a flat chested one.
Matt stood awkwardly, on the inside at least, before the questioning eyes of all but one of the room's occupants. Did they really need to stare? Sure he was a bit out of the ordinary looking but these guys were fucking giants and he wasn't staring at them like specimens under a microscope. Did no one have courtesy these days? They didn't notice the pressure he was facing in his mind. There was a reason he was only number three, being number one meant too much notice, too much responsibility… too much no Mello.
Thankfully Mello had known him for so long he knew about the stage fright and his reaction to being stared at like this. He simply clapped his hands and all attention was diverted to him at once. Interesting. He was the leader of this Mafia then? No wonder he said things had been dangerous. Becoming the leader of a Mafia was not something one did spur of the moment or without proper planning.
"Everyone, this is my new assistant, Matt. You don't like him, I don't give a fuck, you answer to both him and me now. Think its unfair, walk out now, but expect a quick death."
Three sentences and instant response. All the room's occupants went back to whatever they had been doing before. He could tell they weren't happy about the idea of listening to someone like him, and to be honest he didn't like it very much either. At least Mello had bought enough loyalty to keep them both from being gunned down where they stood, or sat.
"Let's go Matt. I need to show you where to put your stuff." The blond stood and led the way through a door Matt hadn't noticed before. It blended so well with the wall it was almost nonexistent. No one moved from their spots, but he felt a pair of eyes follow his friend out. He peeked back to see the gorilla who had brought him down watching Mello's leather clad back as it disappeared. There was… longing in his eyes. The man had the hots for his Mello! What the hell kind of people did he let stay here, god.
Mello hadn't seemed to notice the man undressing him mentally, or ignored it if he did, and continued to lead the way down a dark corridor lined with similar doors to the one they had entered from. He was going to get lost in this place so often he was already thinking where he should hide emergency food. The blond had stopped in front of a door and was staring at him curiously. He hadn't noticed he'd been staring at the blond's back too. The ice blue gaze caused a faint tint to cross his cheeks. He had never loved darkness so much in his life.
"This is technically my room, but I'm sharing with you until I'm sure those guys won't kill you in your sleep. They don't entirely agree with me having killed their previous leader. They might go after you just to get back at me somehow." He handed Matt a gun. He held it laxly, not liking the way it felt in his gloved hand. It felt dangerous and stupid, he would most likely hurt someone if he even tried to fire it. "Carry that at all times. There's a safety on it, I suggest you put it on since I know you've never used one before. If you need to use it, I'll tell you beforehand."
They stared at each other for a moment, eyes locked trying to convey some secret message. Well, Matt was anyway. He wanted to say so many things to the boy in front of him it was ridiculous that he couldn't just get one sentence out. Finally Mello looked away to open the door. The room within was identical to how his half had looked at Wammy's. chocolate wrappers and leather everywhere, a stack of books on a desk next to a laptop – still studying even away from any place that requires it, that was the Mello he knew – and only one bed…
"Uhm… not that I didn't miss you and all Mells, but where am I going to sleep if there's only one bed?" he knew the answer he just hoped he was wrong. Sleeping in the same bed as the blond would be the end of him and he knew it. He'd die of embarrassment, or shock, whichever came first. Somewhere a higher being was laugh his ass off.
"Well of course we're sharing a bed Matt. What did you think I was going to do? Let you sleep on the floor? No, you need to be near me so I can be sure nothing happens to you. I didn't bring you here so you could become a target for some steroid huffing gorillas."
The obvious nervousness peaking through the know-it-all tone made Matt's blush return. He was worried he wasn't going to stay here, wasn't going to stay with him? What would possess him to think that? He voiced his question, eagerly awaiting the answer.
He was not disappointed.
"I left you Matt. I left you in that place all alone and didn't even say anything before I did. I promised I'd never leave you alone and I broke that promise. I'm a horrible excuse for a friend. I honestly expected you to refuse to come because of me. I'm so sorry, if there were any other way, I would have taken it believe me. But I had to make sure you were kept safe. Even now it's not safe but I need you here because being as far from you as I was was driving me up a fucking wall. I went through almost four hundred dollars worth of chocolate already… "
He couldn't help it, Matt laughed. Everything he had felt, Mello had felt too. He wasn't unwanted, wasn't alone, he was important to the boy just as he was important to him.
Mello glared at him. He was crazy for laughing, but he was just so happy. He opened his mouth to apologize when his eyes caught sight of something he recognized as his own. A blue quilt he had thought was lost in the laundry. He had looked for it for weeks. It was frayed just as it had been the last time he'd seen in and just as unwashed. Which was kind of disturbing, but not too out there since he'd been sleeping on a dirty pillow the night before… and on the plane…
The blond followed his gaze and took his turn to blush. "It… smells like you…" he said as way of explanation. Matt laughed harder pulling out Mello's pillow as he did.
"I slept on it last night because it smelled like you." He managed between laughs and gasps for air. Mello's lips quirked up and soon he was joining in the laughter as well.
"I need to unpack I think, and get some sleep. That flight was horrible. Where did you get the idea that a helicopter was a suitable vehicle for traveling across continents? And walking through a desert? Would it have been so hard to simply send a car? You can afford a damn helicopter for Christ's sake." Mello laughed and smacked the redhead lightly.
"Of course I could have sent a car, but I figured you would want to stretch your legs a bit." He spoke as if it was a well understood fact that people enjoyed treks in the blazing heat. "Besides I told you we were in Los Angeles, you should have dressed cooler."
"It's snowing in England, you idiot. Why the hell would I have any 'cooler' clothes laying around when its snowing?"
"You should have been prepared for any circumstance when it involved me and you know it. Don't blame your faults on the weather Matty. Its unbecoming."
Matt scowled and swatted at the blond's head. The boy ducked and pushed the redhead back onto the bed as if they were ten again and simply being the kids they were supposed to be.
"Get some rest. You need to show the idiots out there what your worth tomorrow so I don't have to watch you all the time." he smirked. Matt knew he wouldn't mind that one bit, but Mello was a busy… was he a man? He was only what? 15? But he was leader of a Mafia. Did that make him a man? No not really. He was still just a boy to him, even if he was only a year older than himself.
He smiled fondly as he curled up on the bed, throwing his goggles somewhere near the desk. The whole room smelled like the blond. It was like heaven on earth. Promising him good things and happiness.
Then why did he feel a pit of anxious fear creeping into the back of his mind?
AN: damn i managed to update in less than 24 hours for once. i'm really not pleased with this but hopefully it'll get better. i'm making things up as i go along as of now. i know where i want to go, i'm just unsure of how to get there as is always my problem.
reviews are love peoples! and it means faster updates