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It was Mello’s day off, he planned to go out and do something that day, His immune system disagreed.
When Matt called him that morning, the buzzing of his phone forcing him awake. His head was pounding, his throat hurt, his eyes burned, he winced as he picked up his phone. Matt spoke on the other line, talking about them hanging out that day since they both had the day off.
When Mello spoke his voice was groggy.
“Uhm yeah I don’t know..” A small cough came out.
“I’m not feeling my best this morning.”
Matt immediately recognized it, he laughed slightly to himself.
“Sounds like you’re coming down with a cold huh?” Matt smirked on his side.
Mello was already irritated. Very faintly he could hear Matt’s keys jingle in the distance.
“Where the hell are you going?”
“Mello, where do you think I’m going??”
There was a pause, Mello broke the silence once realization hit him.
“No! I don’t need help. I swear I will kill you if you-“
“Relax, you don’t really mean that.” Matt cut him off.
“Yeah. I don’t.” Mello hesitated while speaking.
Matt laughed again.
“Alright I’ll see you in a bit Mels!”
The phone hung up. Mello flopped back down on his bed, he felt cold but his body was burning up. And he was so hungry but he couldn’t get up because his whole body felt extremely weak.
Matt didn’t live very far from Mello, but the wait felt like forever according to Mello.
Just a couple minutes later Matt knocked on the door before entering, he leaned against the door frame.
“You look awful right now.” Matt smiled to himself unknowingly, he walked towards Mello and put a hand on his forehead.
“Yeah I know!” Mello stuffed his face into a pillow which muffled his voice. Mello blushed slightly but kept up his attitude.
“Yeah you got fever.”
“No shit Sherlock.”
“I’m just trying to help you!” Matt yelled slightly but there was no real bite in his tone of voice.
“Are you hungry?” Matt’s voice dropped slightly.
Mello looked up at him slightly, they held eye contact for a few seconds, both of them lost deep in thought until Mello snapped out of it. Mello’s face turned red as he looked away.
“I mean I COULD eat..” Which basically meant he was hungry.
Matt laughed softly under his breath.
“Okay, I’ll make you some soup.”
Mello didn’t try to protest. He was hungry, there was no point in arguing about it. Matt came back after maybe 5 minutes.
“What took you so long!”
Mello snatched the bowl of soup and stared at it.
“Mello, it’s only been 5 minutes.”
“Yeah that’s too long.”
“So you missed me?” Matt smirked, Mello couldn’t really hide his face since he was holding the soup bowl.
He hesitated before speaking, which was worse than just admitting he did.
“I didn’t!”
“Yeah yeah, sure.”
Mello stared at the bowl a little longer than usual.
“What’s wrong?”
“Where are the crackers? Who eats soup without crackers Matt!”
“You have to complain about everything don’t you.”
Mello rolled his eyes as Matt walked out of the room, coming back a minute later with a plate of crackers in his hands, Matt placed the plate next to Mello on the bed. Matt stood back up fully, then he took a step toward the door but Mello reached out and grabbed his wrist. Matt stopped and looked behind him, Mello staring up at him.
“Could you stay a little longer?”
This time Matt had no sarcastic remark, it surprised him. So he stayed.
He sat at the end of the bed while Mello finished his food. They sat in silence mostly, not an awkward, not knowing what to say silence. But it was a comfortable silence that said everything they didn’t.
Matt eventually got up to get Mello a glass of water, but it was like war convincing Mello he needed to drink water. It was even worse trying to get Mello to take medicine.
Within time Mello fell asleep, Matt walked over to him, careful not to wake him up, he draped a blanket over Mello.
Matt didn’t know if he should stay, would that be weird? But Mello needed him..
“What am I thinking! Mello doesn’t NEED me, he’s fully capable of doing-“ Matt immediately stopped talking when Mello’s hand gripped onto Matt’s.
Chills went down Matt’s spine, Matt could feel his face got hot as warmth creeped up the back of his neck. His heart pounded. This wasn’t like Mello at all, the Mello Matt knew would punch him for being this close. But now he was just sick, no attitude, just Mello. His hand in Matt’s, almost like it belonged there.
Matt knew he should’ve moved but he didn’t. Just enjoying the moment. Now Matt was stuck there, would Mello be mad when he woke up? He didn’t want to make things weird between them but he had been waiting for this moment since like forever.
But did this even count? Mello was asleep, unconscious, unknowing of this situation.
After a few seconds he slowly tried to undo his hand but Mello’s grip tightened, pulling Matt’s hand closer to his chest. Matt completely melted, Mello would kill him if he was awake. Matt caught himself staring at Mello.
“What the hell am I thinking!”
After a while Matt just gave up, he sat on the edge of the bed, still holding Mello’s hand, Mello still holding Matt’s hand close. Matt hadn’t know how long he sat there for, but Mello eventually woke up.
When he woke up he felt something against his palm, and whatever it was he was hugging it. His vision blurred slightly as he opened his eyes, when his vision adjusted he saw Matt. Holding his hand, zoning out staring at a wall.
“Matt..?” Mello called out, voice groggy from sickness and waking up.
Matt flinched slightly as he snapped his head to look at Mello. His cheeks turned faintly red.
“Mello.. I-“
“You’re blushing.” Mello smiled.
“Am not!”
“You are”
“SHUT UP!!”
“It’s cute!”
“Mello!” It wasn’t helpful in Matt’s case, Mello had just called him cute. His heart pounded against his chest.
“Just admit you like holding my hand!”
“I do not!” Matt snatched his hand away defensively.
“Wait Matt come here.”
“Uhm… why?” Matt looked at him weird, his attitude dropped.
“Just come here, you got something on your shirt.”
Matt looked down.
“No I don’t?”
“Yeah you do!” Mello argued.
“I don’t!”
“Matt just come here!”
Defeated Matt sighed.
“Fine.” Matt scooted a little closer. Mello reached out his arm, he got a grip on Matt’s shirt collar and pulled him closer without thinking.
Matt’s hair fell forward, his face just a few inches away, Mello stared into his eyes. After a few moments Mello had realized how close they were and he pushed Matt.
“You idiot! You weren’t actually supposed to do it!!”
Matt stumbled backwards, a sliver of disappointment pang inside his heart.
“Well you’re the one who insisted I came closer.” Matt argued back, but his voice was little more quiet.
Mello covered his face, red peeked out on his ears. Matt was just in shock trying to process everything that happened.
Matt walked out of the room and went to Mello’s balcony with a box of cigarettes and a lighter. Mello had fallen asleep at some point, not for very long though. When he woke up he looked around the room, Matt still wasn’t there.
“Great..”
He mumbled sarcastically. Despite his pounding headache he stood up and dragged himself to the kitchen. He could see Matt from out the window, cigarette in his hand as usual. Leaning against the railing watching the cars below him. Mello grabbed a cup, placed to on the counter, completely forgotten what he was doing.
He left the cup on the counter and walked towards the balcony, opening the sliding glass door and leaned against the railing next to Matt. Matt stared at Mello as he stuffed his face into his hands.
“Your head hurt?”
“..yeah..” Mello’s voice came out groggy and low.
Matt put a reassuring arm around Mello.
“Let’s go inside then, I’ll get you some medicine and water.”
Mello smiled slightly as they walked back into the apartment. Matt helped Mello lay on the couch, then he brought him antibiotics and a cup of water.
“Mello you need to drink water.”
“No”
“Yes”
“No”
“Mello I’m not joking! I will force these pills down your throat if I have to.”
“Promise?” Mello joked.
“MELLO.”
Mello laughed before picking up the pill and drinking the water.
“It taste bad.” Mello complained.
“Mello I don’t care.” Matt pretended not to care at all but deep down he cared a little.
“Ughhh you’re a bad boyf-“ Mello immediately covered his mouth, his face turning red instantly. Mello couldn’t believe he almost let those words slip out of his mouth.
Matt looked at Mello, pausing for a second. Matt’s face also turned red, Matt spoke.
“What did you say?”
“Uhmm nothing!” Mello’s voice was high pitched, so obviously lying. Matt laughed.
“You were gonna call me your boyfriend!” Matt teased him, his voice in shock and disbelief.
“Was not!”
“We’re too!”
“Matt! Why would I even consider that!”
“Consider me being in love with you?”
Mello threw a pillow at Matt, he could feel heat creeping up his neck.
“SHUT UP!” But there was no real bite to his voice, just defeat.
Matt walked away into the kitchen, Mello was still dying on the couch from embarrassment.
Matt made food, he wasn’t exactly the best cook but it was edible. He made a separate dish for Mello, a bowl of soup with crackers. When he brought it over Mello had a snark remark.
“Soup again?” Mello rolled his eyes, his cheeks still slightly flushed.
“Complaints about food?”
… there was a pause.
“Did you at least bring crackers this time?”
Matt smiled.
“Yeah, I did.”
Matt extended a hands towards Mello, helping him sit up. They ate together in silence, a comforting shared silence.
After they ate, Mello wrapped himself up in a blanket and laid out on the couch.
“Mattt, can you get me chocolateee.”
“You shouldn’t be eating that when you’re sick.”
“Pleaseee..”
“No.”
“Please..” Mello begged.
“…”
“Matt…” Mello pushed even further waiting for Matt to fold.
“Fine.”
Matt got up, went to the kitchen and grabbed a bar of chocolate that was sitting on counter. Matt walked over towards Mello on the couch, when he leaned over to give Mello the chocolate, he barely had any time to react. Mello grabbed his shirt once again, this time pulling him closer, into a kiss.
It started shallow, hesitant, as if he were testing something. It was short lived at first, but Matt immediately tensed from the sudden motion, when Mello pulled back slightly just enough to see Matt’s face he was bright red.
“What the hell! Mello did you just-“
Mello smirked, shutting Matt up by closing the distance again. This time slower, more passionate, Matt leaned into this kiss almost melting into to.
The chocolate Mello requested earlier fell to the floor as Matts hands groped for Mello’s shoulders, one of Mello’s hands still on Matt’s shirt, the other reached up latching onto his neck deepening the kiss.
Matt pulled away for a second for air before going back in, harder, deeper, more desperate. Matt hadn’t realized until now but this was the moment he had thrived and had dreamt of for all of his life, Mello under his arms. It’s all he’s ever wanted. And it was finally here. It felt as if they were the only ones who existed in that moment in time.
When they both pulled away, Matt rested his forehead on Mello’s. Mello’s breathing was heavy and uneven.
Matt’s breathing was even worse, his heart pounded, his cheeks and lips red.
“Wow.” Matt said just in disbelief, but also in a relieved voice.
“Wow? What do you mean wow!” Mello laughed.
“Look at your face. I think you enjoyed that more than you wanted to.” Mello added on.
“J-just shut up!” Matt scolded, deep down both of them knew Matt meant nothing by it though.
Matt pushed himself up slightly, propping himself in a position that made it worse, or better, depends who you ask but they were definitely closer than this had started. Matt just collapsed on Mello’s chest, which surprised Mello at first but eventually he put an arm around Matt.
This time neither of them found a sarcastic remark.
“You’re warm.”
“Don’t get used to it!”
“Yeah yeah whatever.”
Those next few days once Mello gotten better, Mello had spread the cold to Matt. Now it was his turn to take care of Matt, and this time they had a completely different mindset about each other now.