A.N.

Happy birthday Mello :3

You aren't dead.

Disclaimer: No own

Review?

Matt

The handle on the plastic bag dug into my hand as I ascended the last few stairs, Chinese food rattling about in the containers. I had picked mostly simple stuff, soup and wantons. Stuff I knew he could keep down without too much fuss. Slipping my key into the lock I twisted the handle and walked inside.

I glanced around the apartment in shock, bag slipping from my hands, spilling food across the floor at the sight of the trashed room. Tables and chairs overturned, pictures torn down and the standing lamp that once sat in the corner lay shattered across the floor.

"Mello?" I yelled through the apartment, already tearing around the room, broken china crunching underfoot as I walked. "Dammit Mello, where are you?" My gloved hands clenched into a fist as I rounded the corners of the apartment finding Mello slumped in a heap of clothing, his burn startlingly crimson against his pale skin. "Oh Mell…" I murmured, closing the gap between us, quietly picking him up. "It's gunna get infected like that." I told him, carrying him to the bathroom.

"So?" He murmured, trying to pull away from my firm grasp, wriggling almost furiously against me.

I held him still as I put him on the closed lid of the toilet. "Stay still." I told him, carefully disinfecting the open wound before winding the gauze back around his face, covering the cold blue eye, narrowed in confusion.

"…Why aren't you leaving?" He murmured.

"Why would I?" I replied. "I went to get Chinese and I got it. Put something on your feet. Lots of broken glass and china out there. Don't want you getting cut." I kissed his cast softly.

Mello stared at the floor, tears leaking from his uncovered eye, I kneeled in front of him, hands resting gently on his knees as I ran my thumb underneath his eye, wiping away the tear. "Didn't want you to see until it was more healed and you could handle seeing it. I at least wanted to be there. It's a big change."

Mello jerked away. "Big change? Big change? I'm ruined Matt! I'm never going to get work again and you'll leave me because lets be honest why would you stay anymore? I'm disgusting!"

I ran my fingers along his cheek gently. "You think I'm staying with you for your looks?" I smiled quietly, tapping his nose. "Silly Mello." I chided. "You had hard enough time getting into my pants, but I kinda like how you fit now." I tilted his head, kissing him softly. "I'm too lazy to go anywhere. Afraid you're stuck with me." I told him with a small grin.

"Yeah, right." Mello crumpled, the unmarred side of his face resting on my shoulder as he sobbed uncontrollably, shoulders shaking with the effort.

My hand snuck around to his back, rubbing his shoulder slowly, a pang of guilt in my stomach at the ignored shoulder, but there was nothing I could do about that. I didn't want to irritate the skin further.

Mello slowly seemed to calm down, the tears slowly turning into dry sobs which eventually turned into soft hiccups. "Hungry?" I asked him, pulling back to watch him properly. Mello began to shake his head when a loud gurgle from his stomach betrayed him.

His cheek flushed a soft red in annoyance at his body. "Maybe a little."

I smiled, picking him back up, grabbing a pair of slippers for him on my way back to where the discarded Chinese takeout was left. I sat him at the table, dishing out the (Luckily) still warm food.

Pushing the bowl towards him, Mello eyed the bowl with apprehension before slowly dipping his spoon into it, relaxing as the soup ran down his throat. He finished it within a matter of minutes, demanding another which I was all too happy to give.

At least he was sounding more normal now. Though I wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't just a ruse to stop me from worrying. I picked at some noodles before putting my chopsticks down, eyeing the apartment. "I'll clean up. And then I have to run downstairs, get some clothes and do some laundry. I'll be thirty minutes tops. You will stay in bed. Understand?"

Mello nodded absentmindedly, fingering the half empty bowl. I waited until he was finished and back in bed before I left, hoping he would listen to me this time.