Looseleaf
CXXI. Key
The cold winter air bit at the exposed skin between Mello's vest and pants. Teeth chattering loudly, Mello wondered why he'd decided not to wear his jacket today. Well, at least he had his gloves...
"Goddamn you Matt," he muttered, blaming the redhead once again. The mafia boss took out what he thought was his key chain and shoved a random one into the keyhole, jiggling it around. "C'mon, open up," he complained, yanking the key back out. It slid about 3/4 of the way, then got stuck.
Another breeze blew harshly into his bare arms. Mello shivered, shaking the key more frantically. "Matt!" he decided to start shouting, pounding on the door. "Unlock the door!"
"Mello...?" came the gamer's voice behind him.
Mello turned, wrapping his arms around himself and squinting. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, trying not to freeze.
"Oh, I was out...doing something." Matt frowned, seeing Mello's choice of clothing. "Ah, Mel, don't you know better than to wear leather in the middle of December?"
"Well, I'm sorry that it was sunny this morning," Mello snapped, glaring. "Just open the damn door already."
Matt shook his head, letting the snow fall away. He unzipped his vest and wrapped it around Mello's shoulders. "Here, step aside."
For a moment, as he revelled in the warmth of the sheepskin vest, Mello felt guilty for being so snappish. "J-just open it already," he mumbled.
A few minutes of creatively stabbing the keyhole in numerous angles, Matt finally freed the key. "Mello," he began, turning towards the other. "This is a knife. Not a key."
Mello furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh." He paused. "Use your key, then."
Matt rolled his eyes. "Yes boss," he said sarcastically, turning away again.
Five minutes passed. Icicles might as well have formed on Mello's nose. "Matt!" he hissed. "What's taking so long?"
"Ha ha," Matt chuckled nervously, slowly turning. "Um. That knife skewered the keyhole's insides and now it's screwed up."
"And?" Mello prompted.
"The key won't work. We're locked out. We can go to the apartment next door, but we'll freeze to death before he'll hear us with that deaf ear..."
"Oh." Mello gave a thoughtful hesitation. "Well, that's not such a bad thing, right? I mean, for warmth, we can always huddle naked."