Note: Back to this story! I'm ashamed when I see the date of the last update but I guess that's how I work...
We left the boys after their hunt for presents for kids, and now they're going to the hospital to distribute them. And Mello has been ignoring Matt for a while now.
FFnet seems to bug again, and mail alerts are not sent sometimes, so if you're on Facebook, you can subscribe to the page which link is on my profile, I post about updates there. Make sure you check the page too, even if you have liked it, because as you know, FB doesn't even show 1/10 of the new posts on your newsfeed because they want us to pay for that (no way!).
DAY EIGHT – 7 contestants / 1 to be eliminated (PART 2)
The boys helped carrying the bags full of presents out of the van and inside of the hospital. Mello seemed to know his way through the corridors perfectly as he led them to a large room.
Once all of the packages had been deposited in a corner, the boys took in the view around them: tables had been pushed against the walls, covered in white paper napkins and full of various snacks and drinks, paper decorations adorning the walls and ceiling, benches and chairs lined along the tables.
The almost silent place suddenly resonated with laughters and cries of joy, as the children entered from the opposite door. The fact that they walked calmly, for those who could walk that is, contrasted with their cheerfulness.
They stopped, lining face to the boys, and said hello, to which the contestants responded, some clearly uneasy with the fact that a few of the children were bald or in wheelchairs, some even plugged to an IV stand.
"Hi everyone!" Mello began, earning himself a few cheers from the children, "These are not Santa's elves as you can see, but they did their best to bring something for everyone!"
Some of the girls started to chatter among themselves, giggling.
"Yes, yes, I know girls, a bunch of pretty boys, and I'm sure they will be happy to make you dance later." he laughed when they chortled in shyness, trying to hide behind one another.
"I wanna dance with Matt..." one finally dared to utter, giggling all the more as she fiddled with the hem of her tee-shirt.
"I see we have some fans of the show here." Mello winked at the girls, although he was surprised that the children were allowed to watch the show. Well, he hadn't seen what had been broadcast, so maybe they had toned it down for TV? There sure was a lot of inappropriate stuff in the raw footage...
"I want to dance with Matt too!" another girl raised her hand before shying away.
"Looks like someone's dance card is filling up quickly." Mello chuckled although he didn't spare a glance at Matt, "Who else for a dance with Matt?"
Four other girls raised their hands.
"What about us?" the brunette with the tribal tattoo said in a falsely indignant tone, the other boys following, playing jealous.
"Can I dance with Charly?" a girl asked, waving her hand while grinning.
"She's the bad boy digger apparently!" Greg mocked the punk boy who waved back at the girl.
"She just has good tastes, you jealous bas-"
"SHHH!" a nurse glared at Charly, "Language!"
Everyone burst in laughter, the boy raising his hands apologetically.
"We're gonna start with the presents, I'm sure you're more impatient than hungry anyway!" Mello shouted as the children took place close to the tables, nurses helping the ones in wheelchairs to line up.
"Yeeees!" the response was unanimous.
"Boys, take a bag each and call the child whose name is on it." the musician instructed, sitting on a bench among the children.
Little by little, the packages were distributed, the room progressively littering with paper and cardboard boxes as each of the boys helped the child he was assigned to to unwrap, all children excited and happy, the place filled with laughters and ooohs and aaahs.
"Lou seems a lot more interested in the Monster High doll than you." Mello chuckled as he addressed a brown haired girl in a wheelchair. Lou blushed and laughed, handing out the doll back to the girl.
Matt, busy with a pigtailed blond little girl not more than eight years old sitting on one of his knees, couldn't help but notice that what he had gathered during the hunt hadn't been distributed. It was probably the content of the unattended bag in the corner, and he wondered who it was for. He tried to reject the feeling that Mello had been playing him again and that his list of things to find was not just something to make him lose the contest of the day, but with the way the singer was ignoring him lately, he wasn't so sure.
But the redhead, once the presents had all been distributed minus the one bag that Mello had made sure was left aside, was quickly surrounded by his fanclub.
"Is this your real hair color?"
"How old are you?"
"Do you like Mello?"
"Why don't you like girls?"
"Where do you live?"
"Whoa easy there!" the redhead laughed, taking the youngest of the girls on his other knee. She was barely six, and was looking at him with big eyes, unable to tear her look from him, a big smile plastered on her face.
"So, yes, this is my real hair color, I'm twenty-six, I prefer boys and I live in New York." he answered.
"You didn't say if you like Mello!" the little blonde reprimanded him, giggling.
Matt had hoped he would elude the question but obviously, he wouldn't.
"Hm, I don't know him well enough, time will tell..." he kept it evasive enough to duck the issue.
"I hope you marry him, you're the one I prefer!"
"And if you marry him he will bring you here with him and we can see you!"
Matt couldn't help but laugh, the girls were too cute not to like them. He didn't miss Mello's smile with his peripheral view as the blond stood a few feet away on the right though, which confused him even more. Not a smirk, just a regular, genuine smile... Damn, what was Mello planning exactly, ignoring him but obviously still enjoying his presence?
But he knew one thing, Mello was not a newcomer here, the kids seemed to know him well.
The little party was in full swing, kids dancing with the boys, even nurses joining the fun, when Mello slept away with Greg, the winner of the date.
Matt looked at them leave with a pang in his chest. Fuck, and to think he promised himself to keep his head cool...
A while later, needing to take a piss since the girls kept on fighting to fill his glass with soda and clink their own glasses with him, Matt was confronted with a line in front of the booth, Joshua and Lou already waiting there.
Sighing, he waited behind Lou.
"Boys, there's another one upstairs that you can use." a nurse poked her head in the corridor, wondering why the boys weren't back already.
Joshua entered the booth as it got freed at the same time, and Matt went upstairs since Lou didn't move.
As Matt was washing his hands, he heard voices, one that he recognised perfectly, and curiosity taking the best of him, he exited the toilets and stood in the dark, trying to locate where the voice was coming from.
He thought that Mello and Greg had left the hospital for their date, but from what he was hearing, the date was actually happening in a room on this level.
Rolling his eyes at the thought that Mello couldn't even keep it in his pants in a hospital, Matt walked to the stairs. But there was a third voice. A child's voice.
So that was the special friend Mello had talked about? A sick child?
Somehow, Matt understood that this one might be sicker than the others, since he or she hadn't been able to attend the party.
It hurt him even more to know that Mello cared for the kids here, because it made the rejection even worse if it was coming from a good guy.
Matt couldn't move. He couldn't stop listening. It was not his habit to listen to doors, and Mello's voice, so kind and sincere with the child, was just fanning the flames, hurting the redhead even more, but he just couldn't resolve himself to leave. He even approached closer. From where he stood, he could see the child through the glass upper part of the door. A boy, bald, very pale, on a bed, looking terrible, plugged to an IV stand, Greg sitting on a chair next to the bed, and Mello's hair as the singer was sitting on the other side, turning his back to the door. There was a solar system mobile hanging from the wall, and posters of outer space on the walls. And a camera man in a corner.
And he heard everyting.
He heard that the spacefood and all he had gathered was actually for this child, that the missing items from the list were actually there, like the CDs he hadn't been able to find because someone had bought them two days ago. And this someone was Mello, Matt had no doubt about it now. How else would he have found them in the time gap between the boys coming back from the hunt, and now?
It didn't even sting Matt that he wasn't the one to give the presents he had worked his ass off to get, because he was already devastated by the realisation that Mello was playing against him. But why?
Because he was a bastard, that was why. Why speak his mind clearly when he could play with their feelings?
Clenching his fists, Matt tried to calm down. He would leave tonight during elimination. He would tell what he thought of Mello's attitude straight to the blond's face. No... he would leave before elimination, it was useless to say anything, Mello didn't give a fuck anyway... yes, he would do that. He would even have left right now, but he couldn't just abandon the party and the kids like that, it wasn't fair for them.
Realising that he had been missing for quite some time now, Matt was on his way to the stairs when Mello, Greg and the cameraman left the child's room, the light in the corridor lighting up suddenly. He barely had time to hide back in the toilets before they walked past the booth's door and went downstairs.
Once he didn't hear any more noise, long after the light had went off again, Matt finally exited the toilets.
He refrained a start as he saw Mello leaning on the wall right next to the toilets. Fuck. Well, no, he had the right to go to the toilets, and Mello didn't know for how long he had been there after all. Not that Matt didn't want to confront him, but he would give himself away if he did that, and the child in the room at the end of the corridor might hear, and Matt didn't want that.
Or did he know? There was no reason for him to be there otherwise. Matt swallowed the lump in his throat.
Matt waited for a sarcastic comment or something, but it seemed that Mello was ignoring him once again. He had heard him for sure by now, but Mello wasn't moving, his plastered hand hanging at his side, his other hand on his face... he was crying.
All of Matt's resolutions flew out the window as he felt himself melt down.
"Mello?" he whispered, coming closer.
All Matt wanted at that moment was to take the musician in his arms. But he was careful, not knowing if Mello was once again in a crisis like the other day. He didn't seem like he was zoning out though, this time. He was obviously refraining sobs.
"He loved the spacefood." Mello simply said, straightening and looking at Matt. It was dark, but the redhead couldn't miss the wet lines on Mello's cheeks. "It was his only wish before he-" Mello's voice broke, and he brought his hand to his face again.
Matt closed the distance between Mello and himself, and took him in his arms. There was no show anymore, no contest, no fucking game. Mello was breaking down because a child was dying and the rest didn't mean much compared to that...
Mello's arms found their place around Matt's waist, holding tight as sobs escaped him, his forehead on the redhead's shoulder. Matt stroke his hair, trying to soothe him, but there wasn't much he could do, so he just waited for Mello to calm down.
The sobs died down, but Mello didn't let go immediately.
Matt felt the musician's lips in his neck suddenly, kissing softly, climbing up his jaw before crashing on his own mouth as Mello's only valid hand grabbed the back of his head, deepening the kiss.
Matt could hardly resist. There was too much building up inside of him, and this was the opposite of rejection, and he just couldn't say no to what was happening right now.
He kissed back, surprised by the tenderness that Mello was putting in the exchange.
Mello stopped abruptly, stepping back. His eyes were looking straight into Matt's before he looked down again.
"They fucking forced me to film that. They fucking have no decency, the kid is on his death bed for fuck's sake!"
Matt was horrified. Yes, he had thought that it was really obnoxious to film a date like that, but it was the game, and after all, if Mello was a greedy asshole, then it wasn't even surprising, but hearing Mello state that he had no say in the matter...
"Then why did you do it?" It wasn't like the singer to comply with something he didn't want to do so Matt couldn't help the words that passed his lips, no matter how direct they were.
"They're holding me by the balls, fucking bastards..."
Mello's phone vibrated in his pocket. He stirred it out, looking at the caller's ID. It was Danny, probably calling to make sure everything was going well.
The blond suddenly kissed Matt quickly before taking the call and going downstairs, leaving the redhead confused.
What was the meaning of that?
Matt joined the others in the party room a minute later, leaving Mello enough time so things didn't look suspicious.
The singer was chatting with a nurse, looking absolutely unfazed, the other boys were still dancing or playing with the kids, and barely anyone noticed that Matt was back, to his relief. He had stayed upstairs quite a long moment and he had been afraid that some would ask questions.
Lou, though, approached him after a few seconds.
"I stole your fanclub!" he giggled, four girls hanging to his arms, but for once there was no malice in his words.
"It's no wonder, you're the right size to play with them." Matt replied sarcastically, still a bit shaken by what had just happened with Mello, but Lou didn't take offence, already dancing to the next song.
It was already late, and the nurses were starting to put the kids to bed, so the boys left the hospital, Mello taking the show's bus with them.
He was ignoring Matt once more, and the latter didn't know what to think anymore. He had gone from despair to relief to being hurt again, and it was starting to take a toll on him.
But what had happened a little earlier made him reconsider leaving the show. He couldn't help it, it was not out of masochism, but he was surely insane to put himself through that longer. What was he hoping for? That Mello wasn't playing? Of course he had been crying genuinely over the sick kid, but the rest hadn't changed apparently, so why bother?
Dragging his feet, he followed the others as they entered the mansion, and went to his room, hoping that Lou wouldn't talk to him. The petite stripper went to the room Joshua and the brunette with the tribal tattoo shared, and Matt breathed, at least he didn't have to cope with the annoying boy. He could hear them talk, but he had no interest in their conversation.
Mello's voice resounded an hour later, announcing the elimination ceremony.
The contestants joined the musician in the dedicated room, taking place on the small stage.
"As you can see, I'm alone tonight. Danny's house was flooded and he's with his family, everything is fine for him and his family now, and he'll be with us tomorrow morning, don't worry. Now let's get this over with because I could really use a beer right now."
Indeed, Mello looked like shit. His eyes were injected with red, and he looked awfully tired.
Browsing through the passes he had on a table at his side, since he couldn't hold them all and use his broken hand to pick one, he began to call the contestants he wanted to keep in the mansion.
Matt wasn't even surprised when it was down to only him and Greg. Part of him was telling him that he was going tonight, and it was probably for the best since he couldn't do it by himself, holding on to a non existent hope, but the other part was right in the end. Greg was eliminated, Mello keeping the pattern of going on a date with the one that would be out next.
As he called Matt to give him the last pass, Mello barely looked at him, this pattern obviously still on as well, to Matt's dismay.
Mello then distributed cans of beer to each of the boys, everyone drinking together after cheering. Except Matt who was recoiling from the group, unable to participate to the small celebration.
"That's my special brew, I had it made just for you guys!" Mello said quite loud, but this time, he was looking straight at Matt. As soon as the redhead noticed, Mello gave attention to someone else as if nothing had happened.
Instinctively, Matt looked at the can. Mello could stick his special brew up his ass for all he cared...
And then he understood.
Right under the brand, that indeed stated 'Mello's Brew', something was handwritten with a felt-tip pen.
Keep your helmet on.
Matt wanted it to mean what had crossed his mind when he had seen the words on the can: that the ride was not over, that Mello wanted him here... But he didn't dare have his hopes up just to see them crushed later, so his state of mind after that was even worse, because he was at a complete loss, even worse than before. Maybe Mello simply meant that he was going to make a living hell of Matt's stay in the mansion... Maybe he wrote that just to give hope to Matt, because he knew that there was a slight chance for Matt to leave with such a silent treatment?
What is Mello thinking for God's sake?!
Matt began to feel physically sick when he heard Mello call Lou, as they were all going back to their rooms, and that the boy followed Mello to his private area.
Now, sitting on the couch in the common room, in a darkness barely lit by the screen of his Vita, that he wasn't even playing – he didn't have the heart for that – he tortured himself with the noises he could hear coming from Mello's apartments. There was no mistaking what was happening in there, Lou was much too vocal for that.