2008.01.18 Friday

CONTEXT Mello and Matt are living in seperate flats and neither of them is doing well. Mello broke nearly all contact with Matt because he wants to gain independence from Matt. He’s not hostile but he keeps his distance. A few weeks ago, he showed up with a bloody bag on Matt’s doorstep in the middle of the night, which was his initiation gift to gain access to Rod Ross’ mafia gang. Matt is working in some tech startup company and they’re throwing a party for some big launch for software they developed.

🔸 In 2.1, Matt has been falling in love for Mello over the last couple months. He was at his breaking point one night, completely bawling his eyes out over the realisation that he fell for his male friend who apparently couldn’t care less about him and the love he feels will forever be unrequited. He tried to get on with his life, trying to get Mello out of his head, which worked better every day, as Mello was not seeking contact. Until he showed up with the bloody bag in the dead of night at his doorstep and the feelings boiled up once more.

We’re in early 2008, Los Angeles.

After that 4 AM scenario, Mello texts Matt a little more frequently and hope ignites in Matt that their friendship isn’t down the drain completely. Though Matt is still pretty salty and suspicious about Mello leaving him hanging for months, excluding him almost completely. He invites Mello to this launch party his company is hosting one friday night, maybe as a last straw, but Mello goes “ahh I don’t know if I can make it. Rod needs me here and there, I promised this and that, …” and Matt let’s his whole frustration out over the phone. Also, because he has really bad flashbacks to how his dad treated him, always putting Matt off, never showing up.

“Yeah I could’ve guessed you’d leave me hanging again, huh? Of course Rod’s more important, no no I get that. Sure. I’m just a fucking doormat after all. How can I have the audacity to ask my so called friend to be available for ONE evening”

Stuff like that. And Mello on the other end is completely stunned by this sudden outburst and his first instinct is to justify and shoot back but Matt just hangs up on him before he can say anything.

At the event, Matt’s mood is as as dark as the room is bright. He’s hanging around with some coworkers, slouching against a wall in some corner, waiting for everything to pass. Absent-minded he keeps an eye on the entrance, because he secretly hopes to see Mello walk in but deep down he knows it’s a lost cause. His eyes go wide, his heart skips multiple beats when he actually sees him walk in, looking around, scanning the room for something. Matt is rushing through a bunch of people

“-’scuse me, sorry — MEL!!”

“MATTIE!!”

They share an absolutely adorable hug, maybe even with Matt lifting Mello up a bit, they both look so delighted to see each other.

“You came?!”

“You called!”

“I thought you forgot!”

“Pff like I’m gonna forget whyever they’re here in the first place of my best friend, hello??”

“What about Rod?”

“I told him he can go kiss my ass.”

“No you didn’t-” Matt laughed, genuinely for the first time that evening.