Note: shorter chapter (compared to the others for this fic) but it's dialog heavy so it was probably better like that. Only 2 chapters left.
DAY TWELVE – 3 contestants / 1 to be eliminated (part 2)
The drive was dead silent.
Matt had gone upstairs in his room to get ready, and when he had come down again, Mello was waiting in the main room, all dressed in black. The redhead had made his best to find an appropriate outfit, wearing his darker pieces of clothing. They didn't even exchange a word when they left the mansion, and now, sitting at the back of the limo, Matt didn't dare talk to Mello, who seemed to have retreated in his thoughts, looking by the tinted window.
The car slid along the road that led to the cemetery, and stopped along the grassy patch. Mello put sunglasses on, and exited the car. Matt followed, and started when several flashes suddenly shot. He looked in the direction they came from and realised that there was a whole bunch of paparazzi trying to get a good shot of Mello while a police line was trying to contain them.
Matt looked back at Mello, who was already a few feet ahead. The singer hadn't even stopped, unfazed by something he was more than used to. The redhead caught up with him, and placed himself at his right when Mello stopped, standing behind the few people already there, obviously the family of the deceased boy.
The service was short, and Matt tried his best not to cry when he caught the sight of tears rolling down Mello's face, under the sunglasses, with his peripheral view.
Mello was about to go back to the limo when a woman approached him.
"Mello, thank you so much for coming." she said with a shaky voice.
"It was the least I could do... Please let me know if I can do anything to help." the singer replied, and Matt knew that it wasn't even to be polite, Mello did mean what he had just said.
"You've done everything possible for his happiness, I can never thank you enough..." the woman started to cry again, "Sorry, please excuse me..."
She left quickly, unable to keep her composure anymore.
Mello left for good this time, and sat in the limo. Matt was barely sitting himself, closing the door, that Mello took his hand and broke down in sobs. Matt came closer, took Mello's sunglasses away from his face, and pulled the singer into his arms.
He felt helpless. Only time would heal this, so for now all he could do was to comfort him.
It had been decided that the broadcast of the day would be a compilation of the best moments of the show, so there was no activity, no date and no elimination. They had fifteen days, not one more, for the show, so although there should technically be only two of them left after tonight, and the next two days were initially planned as one date day per remaining contestant, with the grand final on the fifteenth day, things had had to be tweaked.
One contestant still had to go, and the production was already planning that the next day would be Matt's date day, then Mello would eliminate one of the two remaining contestants that hadn't gotten their date day yet, on the ground that he didn't feel like spending a whole day with him since they hadn't clicked, and then would spend the next day in a date with the other boy, and on Sunday night, Mello would officially make his choice.
Mello wasn't thrilled since he just wanted this to be over and leave with Matt, but that kind of program had a pattern and it was difficult to get around it. He considered himself lucky though, that he had insisted from the beginning that some parts of the show would be aired live.
There was a clause in that kind of shows that stipulated the bachelor and the winner weren't allowed to see each other for a whole month, until the reunion show, not to be seen together while the show was in post production. At least it wouldn't happen with Mello of Love since the public would know in direct who the winner was.
But for today, Mello wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with Matt and chill. He knew that it had to happen, the boy was condemned and it was even lucky that he had lived that long with the speed to which the cancer had spread, but it didn't make it any easier. The little boy was such a ray of sun despite his disease, he had been smiling until the end, and had enjoyed everything as much as he was able to.
This had led Mello to make a decision. He, too, would make the best out of everything, and enjoy life while he could, without stopping himself with rules and contracts and stupid people. He had mailed Danny all details for his decision to happen, so the man could prepare everything.
"Do you want to eat something?" Matt asked when Mello entered his apartments.
"I'm not hungry..."
Matt expected that so he didn't insist. Himself would be unable to swallow anything. He followed Mello, who let himself fall on the bed, his valid arm over his eyes, sighing.
"Come here Mattie."
The redhead laid beside him, but wasn't surprised to be pulled on top of Mello for a kiss.
He was surprised though, that the kiss was extremely sweet and gentle.
"I love you." Mello caressed Matt's cheek, and the latter dove for another kiss, needier this time. The expression in Mello's eyes had wrung his heart. The singer looked so fully abandoned, so far from his usual total control... not that he hadn't lost control these last days, but this time, it was different.
Apart from the pain Mello was obviously feeling, he was, right at this moment, looking serene. Matt knew now that Mello trusted him fully. There was no anxiety, no calculation. It didn't mean that Mello wouldn't freak out anymore in a situation or another, just that he was fully at ease with Matt and the redhead felt lucky. A being like Mello wanted him, and trusted him, and loved him back... and it had happened in less than two weeks. When neither of them wanted it to happen, pretty much the opposite even.
His old self would have purely rejected such an irrationality, but Matt realised that Mello wasn't the only one who had been changed by the experience. Matt was learning to be more spontaneous, and also learning to trust himself. He had a bad history with violence in relationships, but he needed to trust himself in dealing with it. It would never be easy when Mello would be like he was the day before, but he hadn't been abusive, and although Matt had witnessed the singer being actually abusive with Lou, he also remembered that he had been able to stop him, and that Mello had stopped yesterday as well. Mello was only reacting to the violence inside of him, he didn't want to be, but that was just how bad it was for him. And Matt had power on that. And he would gain even more as time would pass because he would get to know Mello more, and his autism as well.
The kiss became deeper, and deeper, and Matt could feel Mello's lower half become hard under him. Matt was a bit sore still from the day before, but that didn't mean that he would stop things before they heated too much. Taking that as his cue to indulge in his favourite kinky treat, the redhead started to deviate his lips to Mello's jaw, slowly licking along the bone line, following his ear and descending to his neck down to the clavicle, softly biting the prominence there.
Mello moaned softly, but almost whimpered when Matt's lips left his skin. It didn't last long though, as Matt pushed the singer's shirt up, who was quick to discard it completely, Matt already biting the soft skin below Mello's navel, tracing his way to the hem of Mello's jeans, that he opened.
The blond gasped when Matt's hand grabbed his erection through the thick fabric as his tongue left a saliva trail right above the line made by the hairs of his crotch. He squeezed lightly before crocheting his fingers to the singer's underwear and pulling down, revealing the prize he was aiming for.
"Oh fuck Mattie..." Mello moaned as the other gave a long, slow lick along his length.
Matt let his tongue twirl around the tip, flickering at the small slit, tasting Mello's precum before he engulfed the whole member to the hilt in his mouth, surprising the singer, who lifted himself a bit on an elbow to look at what the redhead was doing. He was by no means small and had never had this done to him, and just watching Matt take him fully without blinking made him even harder.
He let himself fall back on the pillow when Matt speeded his movements, feeling the sucking, the touches and Matt's hair soft under his fingers bring him closer to completion fast.
The redhead licked his lips, catching the dripping semen on his chin with a finger, sucking on it, as Mello watched him intently.
"You naughty little thing." the singer smiled, pulling Matt's hand, bringing the redhead closer. Matt hovered above him, taking support on his hands on each side of Mello's shoulders, smiling back before kissing the tip of Mello's nose.
"You sexy... big thing." he chuckled.
Mello laughed as he tucked everything back in his pants: "Am I that big?"
"Well, you're above average for sure, but that's the right size for me." Matt winked, pecking at Mello's lips.
"You've got a big mouth for such a small thing though."
"I've got training." Matt chuckled again.
Mello's valid hand found Matt's cheek, cupping it gently: "Mattie, it's not because of your ex? I mean... he didn't force you to do that, did he?"
Matt shook his head, suddenly understanding the worry in Mello's eyes: "No, don't worry, he did pretty ugly things to me but this has nothing to do with him forcing me or anything like that. I just enjoy giving head like, a lot."
"Obviously." Mello hugged Matt tightly, forcing his heart rate to go back to normal after the surge of anxiety he had felt at the image of Matt's ex forcing him to deepthroat him, gagging him in the process. It had been a stupid thought, but Mello had never stopped wondering what exactly the bastard had done to his lover.
"Mattie... I know it might be a difficult subject for you, but I can't stop thinking about it... about what he did to you. I can only imagine how bad it was seeing your reaction the other day, but I would totally understand if you don't want to talk about it. I just... it drives me mad, and also I'm scared to reopen some wounds with something I could do that would remind you of him."
"You're nothing like him, and I can separate things, don't worry so much. I know you mean good, but I'm okay... I love that you worry about me, honestly, it's... it makes me feel wanted and cared for, but there is nothing you could do that will match what he did."
"Tell me..."
"Okay, but don't take it as a sob story okay, it just happened, and it's over."
"Okay."
Matt sat up on Mello's middle, taking his valid hand in his and entwining their fingers.
"It started like it always starts: raising his voice, then being hurtful in what he said, then turning to insults, and the first hit... I had been testing a game and had a due date approaching for the release so the apartment was not clean enough to his likings when he came home because I had been well, wasting time, according to him, and then it was more often, harder, longer, and it became difficult to hide the bruises because he didn't care about hitting me in the face, so my friends, Linda particularly, intervened, but it became worse after that, and I was stupid enough to believe that if I was more of this, or less of that, he would calm down, it was all my fault, yadda yadda, you know how it works."
"But how did you end up leaving him?"
Matt could see that Mello contained his anger, and he tried to choose his words carefully: "He came home one day and I had fallen asleep. I had been cleaning all day, I had cooked dinner, it was Valentines and I had made all the efforts I possibly could, but I fell asleep because I had been up all night testing a game again, and I woke up with a slap in the face because I had fallen asleep in my dirty clothes after cleaning and he found it disgusting. I tried to explain to him but he kept on yelling and slapping me hard and he pulled me into the shower and forced me to stay under the cold water, then he took my clothes off, raped me... well, I somehow let him even if I didn't enjoy it so... I don't know..."
"It was rape Mattie, don't you ever think otherwise."
Mello caressed Matt's cheek, appalled that such thoughts resided in the redhead's mind still.
"I... yeah, I guess so... but well, he still wasn't happy so he pulled me back in the living room, he beat me even more, and then he got mad that I was bleeding on the carpet so he pulled a knife on me under the pretext that if I had to be ruining the carpet, then at least he wanted it to be for a good reason, and he stabbed me. Just once, and I was just lucky that I moved away, he got me in the thigh when he was aiming at my belly, and he just threw the knife and left me there. I called Linda and it was over."
"You wouldn't have left him if he hadn't stabbed you, right?"
Somehow, Matt knew that Mello perfectly understood his thought process, and it reassured him. It's a horrible thing to know that your thinking is fucked, but to be unable to think otherwise. And Mello could protect him from that.
"Probably not."
"But how come he only had a restraining order?"
"I... never filed a complain. Not for that at least."
"Oh Mattie..."
"I know... Linda forced me to go to the police though, when he started trying to get me back and was always around the corner, once I had moved to her place after that."
"It's not too late, you could still do it now."
"I just want to forget about that."
"I understand."
Mello now knew what the scar he had spotted on Matt's thigh was. It wasn't very large, the width of a knife's blade actually, but now he knew that the wound had more than certainly been very deep.
"I wish I'd killed him that day."
"No you don't. And I don't. You don't deserve to go to jail for that piece of shit." Matt nestled against Mello's chest, sighing. The blond held him tightly, stroking his hair.
"I won't let anyone hurt you."
"I know."
"I love you Mattie. I... fuck... I will never let you go."
"I don't want to go." Matt kissed the skin of Mello's neck, "You know... I realised today that soon the show will be over and... it will be real life, I realised that when I saw those paparazzi."
"Unfortunately they're part of the deal, they're everywhere."
"I guess so but... how will it be then, when we're out? I can't imagine it, I have no idea. You're famous, I'm not, you've got your life, your obligations, I have mines, what will it be like for us?"
Mello sat up to face Matt.
"I guess it's as good a time as another to talk about it. What do you want it to be like Mattie?"
"I really have no idea, that's true. I suppose that we will see each other when we have free time?"
Mello chuckled: "And you think I'm gonna do with just seeing you once in a while? No way Mattie, I want you in my life, and I mean my everyday life. I don't want to date you between concerts and TV shows and recordings, I want to live with you, to sleep with you and wake up with your messy red hair beside me."
"You hate my red hair." Matt chuckled softly.
"Weirdly enough, no, I actually love it. And I love that the carpet matches the drapes." Mello snickered, making Matt burst into laughters.
"You're impossible."
"So, do you really want to go back to your old life after the show?" Mello asked, serious this time.
"I don't really care, I lost my job so I would at least need to find something, so I guess that means spending some time in New York for interviews and such and-"
"Really Mattie, don't you understand what I'm trying to tell you? I want to live with you, as in come with me, on tour, in my house, everywhere, you don't have to work, I have more money than we can both spend, I know you don't want to depend on me materially but fuck, who cares? We can be happy together, you just have to say yes."
"Mello I know you would never treat me like a trophy... boyfriend – hell, it feels weird to even say it – but I need to work, I have obligations, remember? It's not just about ego, I need a job."
"Why? Tell me!"
"No. I know you, you're going to intervene and it's not up to you to do anything about it." Matt pecked Mello's lips.
Mello didn't reply. He ticked, but kept it for himself.
Matt sighed. "I guess we'll figure it out when it's time. We still have two days in here."
"Yeah, and to think I won't see you all day the day after tomorrow, can't wait..." Mello replied sarcastically.
Mello and Matt joined the two remaining contestants to have a quick diner, after spending the afternoon either napping or talking, and while Matt was in Mello's shower, the blond decided to make a call. There was something he wanted to know, and he would resort to anything to get answers.
"Hey Linda, it's Mello."
"Oh hi! How are you? Is Matt okay?"
Mello smiled, seeing that the woman immediately worried for her friend.
"He's fine, no worries. I'm actually calling because Matt told me about obligations he had, and I want to know what they are. He told me he has to have a job because of them. Tell me."
Linda wasn't even surprised that Mello had no doubt that she would tell him, as if it was the most natural thing to do, although she barely knew him. But she also knew that if Mello asked, it wasn't to be nosey, but because he was worrying.
"What makes you think I'm going to tell you Matt's secrets? Well, it's not really a secret, but if he hasn't told you, then it's not up to me to do so, I'm sorry Mello."
"We're together, it's okay."
"What? Really? Like, a real couple?" Linda's voice took a higher pitch.
"Yes."
"I'm so happy! But I'm still not telling you."
"Does he need money?"
"Mello..."
"Linda, if you want to be maid of honour, you'd better tell me."
The woman was speechless for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then Mello regretted that he didn't take the receiver off his ear when she properly squealed in her phone.
"You're going to get married?"
"Probably. Tell me."
"Mello, I take it as a promise, I want to be a maid of honour if you two get married, you won't get out of this."
"Tell me."
Linda was so excited that she actually didn't realise that she spoke without Mello promising a single thing.
"He bought a house for his mum and he's got a loan to pay."
"He pays for a loan and a rent?"
"No, we were room mates of sorts, before he left for the show, and he was supposed to go back to his mum after that because he didn't want me to pay the rent alone and I didn't want to take his money for half of it. I didn't care but I guess you begin to know him by now..."
"I see."
"What are you going to do? You're not going to pay the loan are you? He'll kill me for that."
"I can't stay on the phone now but expect a call from Danny, he's-"
"Yes I remember Danny no worries. But why would he call me?"
"You'll see. I have to go n-"
Matt was standing next to the bed where Mello was sitting, a reprobating look on his face, the phone now in his hand, staring at the ID displayed on the screen.
"Mello, what did you do?" he asked.
"Nothing." Mello smiled with such a fake innocent expression that Matt brought the phone to his ear.
"Linda, what did he ask you?"
"Nothing, I called, I wanted to know if you were okay."
Matt gave another look at Mello, who copped out to the bathroom.
"I'm gonna take a shower." he snickered, disappearing before Matt could do anything.
Matt actually didn't really believe that Linda would have told Mello so he quickly changed the subject, taking this call as an opportunity. He had had an idea the day before and suddenly, he had the means to make it happen.
"Linda, I'm so glad you're on the line, I need you to help me with something, and we have to be fast."
The redhead explained what he was thinking about to the woman, and hung up the phone before Mello had a chance to notice that he had stayed longer than just a quick hello on the line.
Note: what are those two up to, take your guesses!