"Why did Jay take you away?" Matt asked when he had calmed down enough to think properly.

"Mikey is…was…my pimp. Jay took me to tell him I wouldn't be working for him anymore."

"Oh, Todd, I had no idea." Matt gasped. "You could've told me. I'm glad you're not working for him. So what did Mikey do?"

"Mikey refused to let me go, even though Jay offered to pay, so Jay pulled out a gun and shot him. No questions asked." Todd smiled blissfully. "Now I don't have to worry about him kicking my ass all the time."

His friend looked so unbelievably happy, Matt couldn't help but be happy with him. His smile quickly faded when he realized the Mafioso wasn't around. "Where is Jay?"

"We could hear you screaming down the hall. He went to get a sedative but I guess you don't need it now." Todd swung as legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll go get him if you want."

"No, I-"

"Well, it looks like you've stopped freaking out." Jay interrupted as he walked in. He dropped the syringe on the nightstand and sunk wearily onto the mattress.

"What the hell happened to you?" Matt started unbuttoning Jay's bloodstained shirt to check for wounds.

Jay pushed his hand away gently. "Nothing happened to me. This is usually what happens when you stand close to somebody that just got shot." He wiped blood from the side of his face with his sleeve.

Matt embraced the weary gunman with his good arm. Jay tensed at the unexpected touch but slowly relaxed and wrapped his good arm around the red-head to return the hug.

"Thank you." Matt said under his breath so only Jay could hear.

"You're a strange one." Jay laughed as Matt released him. "I couldn't let Todd live under the thumb of that pig, Mikey. Besides, I owed Todd. He's done some business for me in the past."

Matt narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What kind of business?"

"It's not like that. I just did some work for Jay digging up dirt on Mikey." Todd cut in. "I though you were going to turn me in when I saw you." He crouched on the bed, looking at Jay with such intensity. "Why did you do it? You could've just turned me in." He said in all seriousness.

"I hate child prostitution." Jay said simply. "Besides you did work for me and I had to repay you somehow."

"That's why I exist. So people can use me for their own pleasure and be done with me. I'm trash." Todd shrugged casually.

"No you're not." Matt latched onto the front of is friend's shirt. "Don't ever say that. You're not…you're not." He dissolved into tears all over again, leaning against Todd.

His friend rubbed his back soothingly. "Alright, Matt. I'm sorry. I won't say it again."

Jay stood and pats Matt's back comfortingly before resting his hand on Todd's shoulder. "You're a good kid." He said reassuringly. "The mistakes you make don't change that." He gave Todd a consoling smile and left them alone to comfort each other, taking the syringe with him.

"Todd, you're not trash. You can't be. You're so much better than me." Matt sniffed.

"No I'm not. You're so much stronger than me. You've been through so much and yet you can still feel emotion. You're actually living Matt, I'm just…existing. There are so many other guys I know that stop living. Nothing affects them anymore. You could hit them but they wouldn't feel it. They're empty." Todd sighed. "And I feel myself becoming just like them." He rested his chin on the top of Matt's head, still massaging his friend's back soothingly.

"I've seen them to; but you're not like them. You may seem like it sometimes but you always had a spark of life you that no one and nothing has ever been able to extinguish. Even when we lived in the streets, everyone used to envy you because you always seemed happy. You never let the despair of the streets break you. I wish I could be like you. I was broken long ago." Matt held onto him like a life line. Afraid to let go, as if something would come and tear his friend from his grasp.

"You're not broken. Trust me. You're just upset by what happened. Matt, you are one of the strongest people I know." He held Matt's head in his hands so the red-head was forced to look at him. "You'll see…you're not broken. I'll show you." He kissed Matt's forehead tenderly.

"Am I interrupting?" Mello walked in suddenly and glared daggers at Todd.

"Mello, where have you been?" Matt looked at his lover, surprise etched on his face.

"You kicked me out." Yelled Mello. "I guess it was so you could be with him."

"What? No." Matt shook his head.

"Look." Todd cut in. "I know to you it looks bad but nothing's happening here."

"Oh, great. Thanks for telling me. I so believe you." Mello looked at him with disdain. He turned to Matt. "If you want to leave me just say it. Don't go sleeping with other guys behind my back. I was wondering why you won't even kiss me. You've probably been getting it from Near."

Hurt and confusion written all over Matt's face.

"Stop it." Todd told Mello fiercely. "How dare you fucking accuse him. He loves you."

"You don't fucking know what's going on between us. Sit down and shut the hell up." Mello yelled.

"I was raped and had the shit beat out of me less than a week a go and you're accusing me of sleeping with Near!" Matt screamed. "How could you? You really want to know why I haven't kissed you or had sex with you, besides the fact I was just raped? I could possibly have an STD and don't want to give it to you. Is that what you wanted to hear?" He brushed past a stunned Mello and into the bathroom for solitude.

"Great job, asshole." He heard Todd mutter to Mello just as he slammed the door closed.

Matt took the razorblade out of it's hiding place and dragged it across the inside of his forearm.

"Matt? Matt, open the door." Todd pounded on the solid oak door. "Matt, don't lock me out. You can't just leave me out here alone?" He tried to joke but his voice shook with worry.

Matt leaned over the sink, blood dripping down the drain. His brow furrowed as he thought about Mello. That smell, that clung to Mello was different.

I've smelled it before. Matt thought to himself. He couldn't reflect in it further as the door opened. Todd pocketed his lock picking tool.

"You idiot." He muttered, tears in his eyes.