(no subject)
Who: Matt and Haine!
What: cuddling and talking about really, really random stuff
When: Wednesday! the...19th?
Where: Matt's NEST
Why: because :|
Haine walked up to Matt's building cautiously, feeling more than a little bit anxious about meeting the redhead. Never one to back down from a challenge, however, he made it to the door and knocked.
Matt saw the albino coming on his cameras and immediately picked himself up from his nest to unlock and open the door for him, grinning widely. "Hey, I see you know your way around, and it looks like you're not freakishly tall! You're all right." He eyed the bandages around Haine's neck, but decided not to comment on them right now. They were either there to hide his collar or hide a wound, and he didn't want to bring that kind of thing up when the guy just got here.
Haine couldn't help smiling just a little bit. "Hi. Badou been teasing you about your height too?"
Matt sighed dramatically and leaned against the door frame. "He called me a midget. I am not a midget! Just because he's freaking Andre the fucking Giant doesn't mean the rest of us are short. Wanna come in?" He moved back enough for Haine to move past him, then gestured at his usual mess. "Sorry I didn't clean or anything, I just hate doing it."
Haine nodded and smiled a little wider, feeling much more comfortable now that he was actually with Matt in person than he'd thought he'd be. He stepped into the apartment and looked around. "No worries. My room's a mess too. This is a nice apartment."
"That's what Badou said," Matt replied over his shoulder, closing the door behind him and doing up all the locks again. "It's not really, though. Feel free to look around if you want."
"Nicer than what Badou and I have." Haine stepped further into the apartment, taking it in. "You've got a lot of electronic shit," he observed.
"What can I say, I like my games," Matt said with a shrug. He moved around Haine and collapsed comfortably into his nest, draping his elbows over the couch behind him and beckoning the albino over. "Feel free."
Haine took the invitation, joining Matt in the 'nest', and leaning comfortable against the couch. "Nice setup you've got here, Matt," he said, settling in and ignoring the slight nervous twinge in his stomach.
"It's where I spend most of my time," Matt explained, digging out a slightly crumpled pack of cigarettes and offering them to Haine. "So yeah, I kind of perfected it over time."
"I would too, if I had something like this." Haine waved off the offer. "No thanks. I prefer secondhand smoke," he said, smiling.
Matt shrugged and set them aside for now, sweeping his hand over the pile of junkfood instead. "M'kay, but just feel free to help yourself. I could breathe on you, if you'd rather." He grinned.
Haine laughed. "You really could spend nearly all your time here. And you don't have to go out of your way to breathe on me, I think I'll be just fine."
"It wouldn't be out of my way," Matt pointed out slyly, but made no move to scoot closer. Yet. He wasn't sure if Haine was serious or not, and he didn't want to press anything. "Do you like videogames? That's what most of this is here for."
"That would explain all the equipment," Haine said, grinning. "I don't have any of my own but I am quite familiar with the concept."
"Oh, it's wicked awesome fun," Matt said with a wide grin. "But I program and hack and stuff too, so that's what all the computers are for."
"Got any assassin games?" Haine asked raising an eyebrow. "And yeah, you said that, I remember."
"Plenty," Matt said proudly. "Assassin's Creed and Hitman and 007 and everything. Wanna try one?"
Haine sat up a little, actually pretty intrigued at the prospect. "Sure. Although I'll be really embarrassed if I'm really bad at it."
"Games take time to learn," Matt explained, excited at the prospect of sharing his games. He crawled forward and dug Assassin's Creed out, then proceeded to set it up for Haine. "No one's any good at first. Mello actually went to a fucking arcade to get better at Halo so he could beat me. Stupid git. He still failed."
Haine nodded, watching Matt set up. "You'll have to teach me, then."
"It's not too hard." Matt settled back beside him in the nest again and handed over the controlled. "There's a tutorial that tells you what to do. Just follow that."
Haine took the controller and did as he was instructed, doing his best to commit the controller's commands to memory. "Okay, now what?"
"Just play!" Matt grinned at him. "That's all you have to do."
Haine started the game and quickly became involved in the plot, but got quite frustrated when the character didn't always do exactly what he wanted it to. "If this were real life I would be amazing at this," he mused while attempting to blend into a crowd to escape being followed by guards.
Matt laughed. "I don't doubt it. Fun, though, isn't it?"
Haine nodded distractedly, completely engrossed in the game. It didn't take him long to get tired of dying, however, and eventually he groaned in frustration and tossed the controller back to Matt.
Matt set it aside with a grin. "Aw come on, you did really good for your first time playing."
Haine smiled. "Thanks. It's a great game. Have you beaten it yet?"
"Of course," Matt said smugly. "I've beaten all the games I own. It's what I do."
"Impressive." Haine glanced at Matt's collection of games. "No wonder you spend so much time here."
Matt shrugged. "I like it," he said simply. Haine didn't need to know all of the reasons he didn't go out much, so he didn't bother voicing them.
Haine nodded and stretched, relaxing back into the nest. He was feeling extremely comfortable with Matt now, having completely forgotten the reason he'd come over in the first place.
"So," Matt said amiably, flopping comfortably onto his back and looking up at the man. "What do you want to do now?"
Haine shrugged, looking down at Matt. "Dunno." He sighed. "This is really comfortable," he said, oblivious to any connotation the statement might have.
Matt grinned. "Yeah. Tired?" He wondered again if Haine had meant what he'd said earlier, then wondered if he should bring it up.
Haine nodded. "Yeah. You?"
"Always," Matt replied somewhat wryly, but didn't dwell on the topic. Instead he poked Haine's foot. "What do you wanna do?"
Haine kicked Matt's hand lightly. "I dunno. This isn't my apartment. What are my options?"
Matt poked the bottom of his foot. "You're the guest here. Whatever you want."
Haine curled his toes involuntarily and smiled. "So if I said I wanted to go skydiving, we could?"
Matt snorted. "In my apartment? Sure, you can take a flying leap off the edge of the couch if you want. I'll watch.
The albino laughed softly "I'll bellyflop into the pillows." He vaguely thought that that would mean that he would be lying down on those pillows with Matt, which made him remember his motivation for coming over in the first place. He blushed lightly.
Matt hardly noticed; he was too busy poking at Haine's foot again. "It'd be worth it for the entertainment value?" he offered hopefully.
Haine wiggled his toes and coughed awkwardly. "After I land I'll make pillow angels."
Matt grinned up at him again and poked his toe. "You should. Definitely."
"The only problem is that I could accidentally land on you," Haine said, his blush darkening just the slightest bit, but enough to be noticeable.
Grinning, Matt pretended not to notice. "And that's a problem why?"
"From that height? Bruising may occur." Haine couldn't help smiling just the tiniest bit. "Not for me, but for you, of course."
Matt poked him again. "It would be worth it?"
Haine kicked him again. "Entertainment value?"
Matt caught his leg and draped the upper half of his body over it so he could poke the bottom of his foot again. "Nah. Physical."
Haine's blush darkened and he stiffened a bit. "...oh?"
Matt stroked the top of his foot in an effort to get him to relax again. "Yup."
Haine tried to relax, embarrassed at his reaction. "...you enjoy people falling on you?"
"Depends on the type of falling," Matt replied with a grin. "There's a good kind and a bad kind. I think you'd be the good kind."
"How so?" Haine curled his toes.
Matt gently pried them apart again. "If you feel anything as good as you look, then you'd definitely be the good kind."
Haine fought the blush and failed. "...Do you feel as good as you look?"
Matt grinned. "I could." He let his fingers play over the top of Haine's foot and shin absently.
"...do I?" Haine shivered lightly at Matt's touch.
"Mmm, so far, yeah." Matt was being patient. He didn't want to rush things, and he was in no hurry anyway.
Haine smiled softly. "Good." He took a deep breath and let himself relax a little bit more. It was stupid to be nervous about being this close to somebody.
"Have you never been touched like this before either?" Matt asked curiously, letting his fingers drift up towards Haine's knee.
Haine frowned, his stomach clenching a little. "No."
"Wanna be?" Matt asked, looking up at him. "Or should I stop?"
"Yeah. I mean no...don't stop." Haine laughed at how stupid it was that touching only this much felt like such a big deal.
Matt smiled. "Good, 'cause I really don't want to. You're allowed to touch me too, you know. It's kind of a two-way thing."
Haine smiled sheepishly. "How?"
"However you want." Matt scooted up closer to him so that he could reach and grinned, finally able to see his eyes close-up now. "Fuck, that's wicked. Aren't they really sensitive to the sun, though, without any pigment?"
Haine tentatively placed his hand on Matt's forearm. He smiled. "Yeah, but I live underground."
Matt smiled encouragingly at the gesture and reached out his own hand to brush away some stray strands of hair from Haine's eyes and take a closer look. "Christ, I wish I had red eyes. It'd be really cool if they could shoot lasers, too. Can they?"
Haine laughed. "No. No lasers, unfortunately. That would probably be useful." He let his fingers glide cautiously up toward Matt's elbow.
Matt pouted a little. "Damn. What's this, then." He let his fingertips graze the top of the gauze wrapped around Haine's neck carefully.
Haine frowned and withdrew his hand from Matt's arm and reached up to touch the bandages. "Oh...that's to cover the..." he stopped mid-sentence and started unwrapping the bandage, revealing the thin metal collar bolted into his neck.
Matt frowned when he saw it, his fingers immediately moving to trace the edge where it met Haine's skin gently. "This isn't right," he murmured. It was one thing to hear about it; another entirely to actually see the way they attached it to his throat.
Haine frowned and traced it gently with his fingers. "It's fine," he said softly.
"No it isn't," Matt protested, and leaned in to get a closer look. "It's like a fucking dog tag. Those morons don't own you."
Haine sighed. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." His fingers continued absently tracing the line where metal met skin.
Matt's paused on the side of the collar, his eyes darting to Haine's in a frown. "I understand living with something shitty because there's nothing you can do about it, but Christ, this isn't one of those times. You can't collar people. You just can't." He didn't even want to think about what he'd have done if those bastards at Wammy's had tried the same.
Haine looked back at Matt. "But they did." He shrugged. "It doesn't affect my daily life all that much. I wear the bandages in public and nobody ever gets as close as you are right now." He blushed lightly again. "It doesn't hurt or anything."
"It's the principle of the thing, though." Matt wasn't sure what else to say. If Haine really didn't mind it, that was his business, but he knew that if he were the one locked in that thing, he'd fight it tooth and nail. As it was, though, he let his hand fall from it in some measure of respect. "You're crazy, you know that? The good kind of crazy, but still."
"Yeah. I hate it, but it's there and I don't know what would happen if I tried to take it off. They marked me in other ways too, this is just the only one you can see." Almost automatically he started wrapping the bandages back around his neck. "I don't know if it's the good way, but yes. I know."
Matt lifted a hand and stopped him. "You don't have to put those back on, they can't be comfortable." After wearing them himself for over a week, he actually knew what he was talking about. Then he frowned at Haine again. "What else did they do to you?"
Haine looked back at Matt and stopped wrapping. "Are you sure? It's ugly." He sighed and stared at the bandage in his hands. "All the genetic modification was them. I was built to be a weapon. Anyone I cared about then is dead. They created a second personality in me."
Matt's frown deepened. "It's fine. I can't believe your government went that far. I guess I got lucky."
Haine shrugged. "I've got it better than a lot of the others. Nil..."
"Who's Nil?" Matt asked carefully. He didn't want to bring up any sore subjects, but he was curious as hell.
Haine smiled softly. "Nil lives at the church now. She has wings."
Matt's eyes went wide. "Wow, really? Can she fly?"
"No," Haine said, "they're little. Purely aesthetic. She's tiny and blonde and has wings. She's an angel." Haine frowned.
"That's so cool," Matt said, then stopped when he noticed Haine's change. "What? Is there something wrong with her?"
"She also can't speak, she's physically unable to speak. Or scream." Haine sighed. "My purpose is to be a weapon. Hers is to be a human blow-up doll."
Now Matt frowned. "What the hell. What's wrong with these people. You were really lucky you got away." He brushed a hand through Haine's hair in some vague sign of praise. He knew firsthand how hard something like that could be, and he admired Haine for putting up with it, and this girl too. And his hair wasn't anything like Toushirou's, he decided a moment later. Which was a good thing. He just couldn't help but check anyway.
Haine nodded, leaning into Matt's hand almost unconsciously. "She's okay now." He sighed again. "She's only fourteen..."
"Christ," Matt murmured softly, most of his attention on the way Haine was reacting to his hand. He let his fingertips message his scalp gently, watching his face for any sign of a reaction. "Can I meet her?"
Haine smiled closing his eyes and enjoying the touch. "Sure."
Matt found himself smiling back, and let his fingernails catch gently every now and then. "Awesome. I hope she likes me."
"I'm sure she will." Haine was quiet, then, just letting himself feel for a moment.
Grinning now, Matt scootched closer to relieve some of the strain on his arm and continued stroking his fingers through Haine's hair. "You're like a cat," he teased gently, ignoring any memories that statement threatened to bring up.
Haine laughed. "More like a dog. Got a collar and everything." Feeling incredibly relaxed, and therefore bold, he let one of his arms drape over Matt's stomach.
"A dog, then," Matt agreed with a chuckle, letting his fingers drift behind Haine's ear experimentally. "Fan people call me a dog too. Does this make us packmates?"
"Aren't packs like families?" Haine asked, sighing and tilting his head to show his appreciation of Matt's ministrations.
"I guess so." Matt grinned and scratched there gently. "Or something like that."
"Okay." Haine grinned. "Who's the alpha dog?"
Matt's lips twisted up into a smirk. "Shouldn't we fight for that position?"
"I suppose that's only fair," Haine agreed, not missing the innuendo and blushing lightly.
Matt grinned and brushed his fingers over the color in Haine's cheeks. "Who's winning so far?"
"I dunno," Haine said, smiling. "Probably you."
"Me?" Matt's grin widened and he traced his fingertips along Haine's jaw slowly, seeking out any sensitive spots on it. "And why's that?"
Haine shivered. "You're making me melt."
"That is the general idea," Matt replied gently, fingers seeking the patch of skin behind his ear. "Told you this was nice."
Haine nodded and tentatively reached out his hand to touch Matt's face. "Yeah."
Sighing, Matt let his eyes droop pleasantly and leaned into Haine's touch, urging him onwards. "And it's not even too difficult, is it."
"No." Haine mimicked Matt's tracing of his jaw.
"Well then." Matt smiled and let his hand run through Haine's hair again. "You're well on your way to being cuddly."
Haine smiled, leaning into Matt's hand. "But I'm not there yet?"
"Not quite," Matt explained. "This is more just touching than cuddling, but it's fine with me. Whatever you wanna do."
"Oh." Haine let his hand drift down to Matt's neck. "I suppose cuddling is closer than this."
Matt arched it for him, giving him better access. "Yeah. But this is good too."
"It's certainly not bad." Haine traced a line around the back of Matt's neck where his own collar was.
"What'd you think it was going to be?" Matt murmured, amused.
Haine shrugged. "I don't know."
"Mmm, well now you do." Matt briefly considered bringing up Badou, but decided against it; he didn't want Haine stiffening up on him now that he was so relaxed. Instead he let his hand drift down to his collar and stroked the skin just above it soothingly.
Haine nodded, smiling. He stiffened a little when Matt touched him so close to his collar, but took a deep breath and was able to relax again.
Matt noticed, and worked through his fingers to ease the tension out of Haine's skin completely again. "If you don't like being touched there, I could stop," he offered.
Haine sighed. "It's okay. Just...no one ever has before. It's weird."
"Oh." Well Matt didn't want to be weird. He let his fingers drift down to scratch lightly at the bumps of his spine instead, peeking out just above his shirt collar.
Haine smiled. Better. He let his fingernails scratch lightly at the back of Matt's neck.
Matt sighed and smiled at the sensation. "You're allowed to touch other places too you know," he said gently, meeting Haine's eyes again. "I don't have any weird places. Except maybe my stomach right now. But that's okay too."
"Oh yeah." Haine's eyes flicked to Matt's stomach. "Still healing?"
"We genetically unaltered humans like to take our time," Matt replied wryly, sweeping a hand over his middle self-consciously. "At least it's not infected or anything though. Just itchy now."
"At least you're mobile now." Haine carefully set his hand over Matt's stomach.
"Yeah." Matt reached down to set Haine's hand a little higher, just beneath his ribcage. "It's here. I'm gonna have a scar. My first ever!" He sighed. So much for remaining unmarked.
"Scars aren't a bad thing. Proof you went through something." Haine shrugged. "I like them."
"Proof of your identity," Matt retorted, brushing a thumb over the sensitive area lightly. "Hard to talk your way out of scar." Proof of a few other things too, but Matt wasn't about to get into that right now.
"Ah." Haine understood. "I've never been anonymous. I kind of stand out in more ways than one." He laughed sardonically. "No scars, though."
"Yeah, well, I don't," Matt said with a wry grin. "Anonymity is easier than being hunted. Though that apparently isn't working out so well for me lately." He shrugged. "Would your collar leave a scar if you ever got it off?"
Haine reached up to touch the collar again. "I don't know."
"Do you want it off?" Matt asked gently, eying it again. "Actually really want it off if you could get it off, rather than leaving it on because you have to?"
Haine traced the bolts that connected the collar to his neck. "Yeah. If I could I'd take it off." He sighed.
"I'll look at it, then," Matt offered seriously. "No promises, but I'll look. There might be something I can do, at least."
Haine nodded and let the hand on Matt's stomach fall to his waist, draped loosely accross his middle. "Okay."
Smiling again, Matt did the same, resisting the urge to pull the man closer. "You can take a nap if you want. I won't mind."
Haine smiled. "Nah. I'm okay. Although I don't think I've been this relaxed in a long time."
"Is that good?" Matt let his thumb stroke Haine's side.
"Yeah. This is good." Haine copied Matt's movement.
"Good." Matt sighed and let himself relax. This was still pretty far from real cuddling, but he'd let Haine decide for himself he wanted to try other things or just stay like this. He was content either way.
Haine was also thinking that this was still not cuddling. And while it didn't really matter if he did or not, he knew he'd be pissed at himself later if he didn't just do it. It's just human contact, right? Haine scootched a little bit closer and wrapped his arm just a little bit tighter around Matt's waist.
Matt looked up at him when he did, meeting his eyes and making sure it was all right before letting his fingers drift down to play with the hem of his shirt, waiting for permission before he would actually try slipping them underneath. "You know," he said softly, "if you ever wanna try this kind of thing or whatever, you can just ask. You and Badou both seem kinda clueless. It's cute."
Haine nodded and moved just the tiniest bit closer. He blushed a little at Matt's words. "We're not cute."
Matt grinned teasingly. "You are kinda cute, but not in the teddy bear way. In the good-looking way." He slipped his hand under Haine's shirt and skimmed his fingers up his spine, scooting a little closer as well. "I also remember you telling me you weren't cuddly, you know."
Haine gasped, unprepared for the sensation of skin brushing skin. "...am i?"
"Mm-hm. You don't think so?" Noting Haine's reaction, Matt scratched gently, again seeking out any previously unknown soft spots along the man's back that he could exploit.
"I don't know I-" Haine gasped again when Matt brushed over a sensitive spot, "-I've never done this before."
Smiling, Matt brushed it again, this time catching it briefly with his nails. "Well you're welcome to anytime. I'm here about ninety percent of the day, you know, and usually up most of the night too."
Haine nodded, gasping involuntarily again. "I-- Yeah, okay." Curious, he brought his own hand to the hem of Matt's shirt, slipping it underneath and lightly dragging his fingers up Matt's side.
Matt straightened his back with a soft gasp, then grinned at Haine as he slowly relaxed again. "You're a quick learner," he remarked in a light tease. "That feels really good."
Haine smiled, repeating the motion. "Thanks."
"Try other things," Matt suggested, though he sighed and let his eyes droop at the sensation anyway. "You can try whatever you want, I seriously doubt I won't like it."
Nodding, Haine bit his lip and slipped his hand around to Matt's back, tracing the contours of his spine. He lifted the other hand and buried his fingers into his hair.
Now that was unexpected, but in an extremely pleasant way. Matt normally didn't like feeling fingers in his hair unless he knew his partner better, the sensation too reminiscent of other things, but every now and then he made an exception, and Haine was one of them. He sighed and arched his back a little, letting his head tilt into that touch. "You sure you've never don't this before?" he teased with the hint of a grin, opening his eyes just enough to peer at Haine.
Haine laughed softly. "I'm sure." His hands continue moving slowly; one exploring the contours of Matt's back, while the other combed through his hair before settling at the back of his neck.
Matt took that as permission to scoot closer, enough now that they were almost touching, and Haine could close the gap if that's what he wanted. He let his fingers trace Haine's back as well, wondering if he should ask him questions now or wait until later. He was curious, but he didn't want to ruin Haine's moment of comfort. He got the feeling the guy didn't relax very often.
Haine closed the gap, feeling awkward at having this much of his body touching someone else. He sighed and lightly ran his fingernails down Matt's back to distract himself from feeling awkward.
"Not used to it?" Matt asked gently, noticing the tension in Haine's body and letting his hands drift over it to smooth it out again. "You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with. The whole point of this is just to relax."
Haine laughed awkwardly in reply. "I guess not. And I know I just...want to."
"Then relax," Matt told him, reaching up to stroke his hair again. "I don't bite. Unless you want me to." He grinned.
Haine smiled and sighed in an attempt to relax. "I bit some guy's face off once," he said, conversationally.
"You bit it off?" Matt asked incredulously, though the fingers in Haine's hair didn't falter. "With your teeth?"
"Well, not his whole face," Haine explained, "just his cheek. And yes. With my teeth."
"That sounds painful," Matt remarked. "Why didn't you use your guns?"
"Probably was," Haine agreed," he screamed a lot. Because my arms were cuffed together."
"Well that's one way of fighting back," Matt said with a grin. "That kind of thing happen often?"
Haine shrugged, a little surprised at how much the movement made Matt move too. "I don't get caught often, but it happens."
"Yeah," Matt agreed, his mind on his own recent encounter with that kind of thing. "I know a few tricks for getting out of handcuffs. I can show you, if you want."
Haine smirked. "No worries. I can get out by myself."
"Really," Matt said slyly. "So if I cuffed you right now, you could get out again?"
The smirk blossomed into a grin. "Sure, but I wouldn't reccommend it if you ever plan on using them again."
"I have spares," Matt said with a grin. "What if I was distracting you, too?" He let his hand slip down and over Haine's hip.
Haine gasped. "I escaped from full-arm cuffs with 30 or so people shooting at me once. I think I could probably manage."
"And if I cuffed you to the bed?" Matt purred, scraping gently at the skin just above the hem of Haine's pants. "Would you be able to slip out of that?"
Haine made a small, surprised sound, his abs contracting involuntarily. "I'd probably end up breaking both the cuffs and the bed, if you let me," he said, his voice sounding a lot breathier than he'd meant it to.
Matt slipped his hands beneath his shirt again, and this time went for his stomach, fingertips and nails tracing the contours there. "Beds are replaceable."
Haine shivered. "Are you saying that you want to handcuff me to your bed?"
Matt grinned. "I'm saying I'm not opposed to the idea. Are you?"
Haine laughed. "I have no particular objections."
"You should get used to cuddling first," Matt suggested with a light smirk, running his hand up and over Haine's side, beneath his shirt. "Handcuffs are a few steps away still."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Haine said, still laughing softly. "How am I doing, then? Status report?"
"Like you need one?" Matt chuckled. "You seem to be doing fine to me."
"Good." Haine sighed, still lightly running his fingers accross Matt's back.
"Why do you and Badou keep thinking you're no good at things like this?" Matt asked curiously, cautiously, trying to keep the mood light.
"I don't know. Haine shrugged.
Matt frowned. Haine was a horrible liar. "You don't have to tell me," he said gently, "I was just curious."
Haine sighed. "I don't know...before...Badou and I were each others' only friends. We don't generally talk much to anyone else unless we're working for them or getting information from them." He rested his head on Matt's shoulder. "I've really never done any of these things before. I don't get close to people."
Matt could understand that. He sighed and stroked Haine's hair, letting his free hand roam up and down his back. "I'm not trying to press or anything," he said gently. He wanted to make that clear. "I'm just offering if you want to. Keeping your distance is fine too. Whatever you want."
Haine nodded against Matt's shoulder. "Yeah. Okay. Sorry. Thanks."
"Sorry for what?" Matt wanted to know. "You haven't done anything wrong."
"I don't know," Haine answered, "for being weird?"
Matt snorted softly. "Believe me, you're not that weird."
Haine smiled softly. "You don't know me that well."
Matt ruffled his hair a little. "Idiot. I don't have to. You don't know me that well either, you know. I have a giant cockroach for a pet."
Haine laughed. "Really? How giant?"
"Over a foot long," Matt said proudly. "He's one of my best friends. Still think you're the weird one?"
"Wow, impressive," Haine said, grinning. "And yes. I have two personalities and a collar bolted into my neck. Badou is my best friend. I'm the weird one." He poked Matt in the chest, as if to make his point.
"Oh, pfft," Matt snorted, poking him back. "I have no identity and Mello's my best friend. I'm sleeping with a dead guy. I win."
Haine laughed. So apparently this was a contest now. "Hm. I live in a church with a blind priest with a gothic-lolita fetish, a little girl with wings who cans speak, and is now a dress-up toy for the Bishop, and apparently now an evil girl with a giant cross-shaped scar on her chest who tried to kill me by feeding me poisonous cake. I don't really have an idenity either, I woke up at age twelve in the underground with a collar around my neck not knowing who I was. I spend half my time looking after Badou and the other half getting shot and stabbed and not dying. I bit someone's face off once. I can't talk to girls, and if one touches me I kind of go berzerk and kill people..."
Now Matt laughed. "I don't even wanna get into all the shit I've done," he said lightly, "but I still don't think you're weird. Eccentric, maybe, but that's not the same thing."
"Eccentric makes me sound like an old lady who has a lot of cats and secretly writes erotic novels," Haine said, laughing softly and burying his face in Matt's shoulder.
"How do I know you aren't one?" Matt chuckled. He tugged on the hair on the back of Haine's neck gently, then scraped his fingernails over it. "I mean, you've already got the white hair. You might even have a deeply harbored affinity for cats."
Haine grinned. "No. Dogs."
Matt grinned back. "Dogs are better, agreed. You can be the crazy old dog guy, then."
"Who writes boring novels with absolutely no sex in them at all."
"But secretly goes gallavanting off with near-strangers to have some sex on the side?" Matt asked in mock hopefullness.
Haine didn't have the energy to stiffen awkwardly anymore. "That part hasn't been written yet," he said, shrugging.
"Yet," Matt chuckled, then scratched the back of Haine's neck in apology. "I keep waiting for you and Badou to figure out that I just like to fuck around with you guys, but you never do. I'm just teasing, you know."
Haine sighed. "I usually get it halfway through or after the fact."
"Well just keep it in mind for next time, then," Matt replied with a grin, and nuzzled Haine's forehead unthinkingly. "Badou seems to think I'm a pervert. I'm thinking of starting a pool to see how long it takes him to figure out I'm just pulling his leg."
Haine snorted. "It'll take awhile. He's an idiot."
Matt grinned. "His backwards bashfulness is endearing. So is yours, for that matter. I'm not used to talking to people like you."
Haine cuddled into Matt's shoulder a little more. "Backwards how? And what do you mean, 'people like me'?"
"Backwards because the two of you are trained assassins-slash-guns for hire, familiar with death and killing and destruction and carnage, and still the two of you blush every time I so much as allude to kissing you. People like you because you're shy. Inexperienced. That kind of thing." He let his lips brush over Haine's forehead gently, sighing. "The people I'm usually with aren't like that."
Blushing, Haine nodded. "I see."
"See?" Matt chuckled, brushing a thumb over Haine's cheeks again. "I'm used to getting snarky, sexually charged retorts to the things I say. You're just the opposite. It's kind of fun."
Haine smiled. "I don't normally talk to people like you either. Well...I don't usually talk to people, so I guess that isn't saying much."
"You should talk to people more," Matt suggested. "You're interesting."
"The livejournal thing was supposed to be so we could find more outside jobs, but it's really turning into more of a social experiment." Haine sighed, nuzzling Matt's jaw just for a second. "I think it's going pretty well so far."
"I can keep an eye out for jobs for you, if you want," Matt offered, automatically lifting his chin to give him better access. "I'm more the go-to, behind-the-scenes guy, so I hear about a lot of stuff."
"Yeah, that'd be awesome," Haine said, taking the opportunity to nuzzle Matt's jaw again. He sighed, settling in again. "Half of our jobs at home these days are busts of organizations trafficking genetically altered children. They're usually big jobs, with a lot of targets, and then we have to take the children someplace safe. They're good jobs, but they don't pay as much as they should. So we've been kind of struggling to find more lucrative work on the side."
"Well I'll see what I can see, then," Matt promised, nuzzling Haine's temple in turn. "I can find you plenty of dirty jobs, if you want them, but if you're talking clean they might be a little more sparse."
"Whatever is fine, I'm an assassin, I don't live by any strict moral code," Haine said, "the only reason I take the low-paying ones...well...I could've been one of them, once." He sighed. "Anyway."
"I understand that," Matt murmured softly, letting his fingers stroke through Haine's hair again. He'd always had a soft spot for orphans. "We don't have so much genetic engineering yet in my world, but I'll keep my eyes peeled."
Haine nodded. "Thanks."
"It's no problem. I was out of work once too, you know."
Haine smiled and sighed. "This is nice."
"Yeah." Matt sighed as well, and let himself snuggle closer.
Haine suddenly remembered something from their conversation earlier in the night. "So Matt," he said, "do I feel as good as I look?"
Matt snorted. "Better," he teased. "What about me?"
"Exceeds expectations."
Matt laughed. "Snarky little bastard," he chuckled, ruffling Haine's hair so that it stood on end. "You haven't felt all of me yet, you know."
Haine raised an eyebrow, finally getting the teasing. "Yet?"
Matt grinned. "Yet. Would you like to~?"
Getting the joke or not, Haine's coping skills with this level of innuendo were clearly subpar. His reaction with Badou to anything over the edge was physical violence, but Haine had a feeling that would be inappropriate in this situation. After a moment he realized that he had paused way too long in coming up with an answer and was blushing to boot.
Laughing, Matt snuggled closer and rested his chin on top of Haine's head. "You're cute," he remarked amiably.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Matt slipped an arm around Haine's wasit comfortably and let his eyes drift closed, still grinning. "Well you are."
Haine laughed quietly. "You know any other subject in the entire world and I am so totally badass, but you keep making me all blushy and ridiculous. It's not fair."
"Mmm, it's what I'm good at," Matt murmured, stoking his side with his thumb again. "Consider it a hobby."
"At least I'm not being pwned by an amateur. And yes, I just said pwned, shut up."
Matt laughed again. "Hey, I'm the computer geek here, you don't have to defend yourself to me."
"Badou keeps telling people that I call him my BFF so they'll laugh at me." Haine laughed too. "Ridiculous."
"Rukia calls us bifflebutts," Matt chuckled. "I think that's worse."
Haine snorted. "That's definitely worse."
"I win again," Matt murmured, grinning.
"I think you officially have alpha dog status, at this point," Haine said, grinning back.
This time Matt pouted. "Being alpha dog is no fun, though," he complained. "It's the lesser dogs that get to sneak out and have fun."
Haine laughed. "If you don't want to be alpha dog you have to let me win sometimes."
"Fine..." Matt sighed dramatically. "I suppose I'll put my genius away for a while."
"And I'll pretend I'm not made of fail."
"Everyone's made of fail when they try to take on me," Matt teased.
"And that's what makes you the alpha dog!" Haine teased back.
"But I don't want the responsibility!" Matt whined.
"Then I won't tell anyone, and you can pretend to be a lesser dog and still have fun sans responsibility."
"You just don't want the responsibility yourself," Matt pouted some more.
"Hell no." Haine grinned. "Look on the bright side. As the alpha dog don't you get to boss the lesser dogs around?"
"And mount you," Matt said with a wide grin.
Haine resisted the urge to whack Matt. "Oh, shut up."
This time Matt giggled. "Well you're the one insisting!"
"Oh, would you rather I mounted you, then?" Haine said, immediately regretting it.
"I certainly wouldn't object," Matt replied with a smug grin.
"...I need a five second button."
Matt laughed, then forced his face into a pout. "What, you mean you wouldn't mount me if you had the chance?"
"I can literally not think of anything to say right now that you can't twist around." Haine laughed.
Matt grinned smugly. "Then my work here is done."
"That means you win again, alpha dog." Haine smirked.
"Does that mean I can order you beneath me, beta dog?" Matt smirked back.
"You know, I think it does." Haine raised an eyebrow.
Matt continued to smirk. "Well then?"
"That doesn't sound like an order to me."
"Maybe you're just thinking of it the wrong way, then," Matt teased.
Haine frowned. "I'm a good dog, I follow orders very well."
Matt couldn't surpress a snort. "Is the sexual innuendo of this conversation going completely over your head, or are you really flirting back with me?"
Haine grinned. "I'm trying?"
Matt laughed and pulled him closer with a grin. "Brat. You had me going there."
Haine grinned hopefully. "I win?"
"This time," Matt relented. "And since you did, I'll let you tell me to do any one thing you want. Unless it involves actual work."
Haine thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything I want."
"Does that mean I'm off the hook?"
"Can I save the favor?"
"Hmm." Matt thought a moment. "I suppose so. What kind of thing are you saving it for?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Matt sighed. "Fine, fine. Just don't make me do something weird. That would be weird."
Haine grinned. "Like make you dressup in a chicken suit and go bowling?"
Matt snorted. "Yeah, something like that."
Raising an eyebrow, Haine smiled evilly. "I'll just have to be more creative, then."
Matt eyed him warily. "What's going through that evil little brain of yours?"
Haine looked a little confused. "Yanno, I was thinking I'd ask you to de-bullet me after a big job, but that's really fucking weird, I wouldn't ask you do do that."
"De-bullet you?" Matt echoed somewhat dumbly. "What do you mean?"
"When I get shot, the wound heals fairly quickly, but sometimes there are bullets still in the wounds," Haine explained, "especially when I've gotten shot a lot. Some of them are too deep and make their way out eventually, but it's easiest to pick them out before the wounds heal. Badou helps sometimes, but he's taken to prying out the deeper ones with the handle of his toothbrush. And that fucking hurts."
"Christ." Matt tightened his arm around him subconsciously, wincing at the mental image. "I can imagine. Don't you guys have some fucking medical pliars or something? And some pain meds? I could get you that stuff fairly easily."
Haine's eyes widened. "Really??? We've been looking for medical pliars but had no idea where to get some. Can you seriously? And don't worry about pain meds, it's fine, I have a really high pain threshold. I just don't enjoy being stabbed in open wounds with blunt objects. Ugh. The last time there was one that had shattered my pelvis, and my pelvis healed, but the bullet was still stuck in it and he used the fucking toothbrush..."
"...sorry, that's gross."
Matt winced again, and nuzzled Haine's temple in some odd measure of consolation. "Christ. Don't apologize, you should have told me that shit sooner. Yeah, I can get you that stuff, and you can have the pain meds for free; there's still some left over from when I needed them. I can just reroute a shipment of medical supplies to your place, if you want--or here, and I'll give them to you. It's no big deal. Since it's free, you won't even have to pay me for it."
"Seriously don't worry about the meds. The wounds will have healed by the time they'd start working anyway. I'd really appreciate the pliars, though. And I can pay you for them..."
Matt shook his head. "Idiot. I don't think I have any here or I'd just hand you a pair, but I can intercept a box, easy; won't cost a dime. Anything else you need?"
Haine shook his head. "No. Nothing else. Thanks."
"Okay. Just let me know if you ever change your mind." Sighing, Matt relaxed again. , letting his fingers roam freely through Haine's hair.
Haine nodded, sighing as well and relaxing into Matt just the tiniest bit more. "I will."
"Good." Matt grinned and ruffled his hair again. He liked making it stick up. "You should style your hair like this from now on."
Haine laughed. "Do I look like Einstein?"
"Mmm, you're still missing the mustache," Matt mused, tracing a finger over Haine's upper lip. "And your hair is missing the pepper."
Haine grinned. "I would look retarded with a mustache."
"You would," Matt agreed with a laugh. "You should be Einstein for Halloween next more. Or like, a demon version of him, since you have red eyes."
"I could be a demon version of anything, really," Haine replied, grinning. "Badou calls me a ghost half the time."
"You could be the demon ghost of Einstein!" Matt laughed. "With horns!"
"Now that is an elaborate Halloween costume."
"We could get you a suit and everything," Matt snickered, picturing it. "And cover it in patches and blood."
"Einstein died of an aortic aneurysm. No blood," Haine corrected, sticking out his tongue.
"But you're his demon," Matt argued, poking his nose. "So you can be just as bloody as you want."
"Good thing I already have so many bloodstained clothes, then. I won't even have to go shopping."
Matt snorted. "Can we make your mustache bloody too?"
"Sure. Can I get a fake mustache, or do I have to grow one?"
"Can you grow one?" Matt asked with a grin, again finding the mental image hilarious.
"I don't know. I shave, but I've never tried to grow a beard or mustache. Because it would look so stupid."
"Badou would probably laugh," Matt agreed, "but you would pwn him in terms of costumes."
"Haha...like Badou needs more things to laugh at me about."
"What does he laugh at you for no?" Matt asked lightly, curious.
Haine shrugged. "I dunno. He finds most things funny."
"He seems like an easily amused kind of guy," Matt mused, grinning at him.
Haine nodded, smiling. "Yeah."
"And you're the cuddly one now," Matt couldn't resist teasing. "Going to demonstrate to him what you've learned?"
Haine blushed. "I dunno," he said, honestly.
Matt grinned and kissed his forehead. "Fair enough."
Haine's blush didn't fade as quickly as he would have liked. He hid his face in Matt's shoulder.
Matt chuckled. "Do you like him?" He didn't want to pry, but the two of them made an interesting duo, and the only experience he had in partners was Mello.
"...I don't know," Haine said, again, honestly.
"Mmm," Matt murmured thoughtfully, "ever liked anyone before?" He wasn't sure why he was broaching this subject when he was hardly any more familiar with the term than Haine seemed to be. He knew lust wasn't the same thing.
Haine sighed. "Not really."
"Well, you are only nineteen." Matt had been barely a grade above picking through dumpsters when he was nineteen. He'd been lucky Mello had come when he did.
Haine smiled. "Almost nineteen."
Matt looked at him in surprise. "You're only eighteen?"
"For another eleven days?"
"It's your birthday soon?"
"Yeah. Well...when I celebrate it. I don't know when it really is."
"I got lucky mine was catalogued or I probably wouldn't either," Matt said with a snort, stroking Haine's hair absently again. "Christ, this is like Birthday Spectacular time, isn't it."
"What do you mean?"
"Two this month," Matt murmured, trying to keep as little of his mind on it as possible. "Two next month, including yours. Mine's right after that."
"Oh wow. That is a lot. Badou's birthday is in October."
Matt sighed. "Christ. I'm going to have to take on another job just for presents."
"Are you close to all of those people with birthdays soon, then?"
"Close?"
"Close enough to buy pesents for, I mean."
"Oh." Matt took a deep breath and sighed again, pulling his hand from Haine's hair long enough to run it once through his own. "Most of them."
"That's a lot of presents."
"Yeah. I'm behind."
"Badou wants an armadillo for Christmas."
Matt snorted. "Seriously? A real one?"
"Yeah. He wants a pet, but he figures he should get one with armor." Haine grinned.
Matt laughed. "I bet I could find him one if I looked," he mused. "What about you?"
"Really? He would go ballistic. And in the good way, not the hold-a-bus-hostage way." Haine laughed. "You mean what do I want? I don't know, I don't really need anything."
"I didn't ask what you needed," Matt said with a grin, poking his nose again. "I wasked what you wanted."
Haine thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe a new blanket. I stole the one I have now from the Bishop ages ago."
"A blanket?" Matt asked incredulously. "Oh come on, give me something fun, it's fucking Christmas!"
He shrugged. "I don't know...I don't spend much time at home, save for sleeping, so I guess something I could take with me? I really don't need anything."
"Got a phone?" Matt asked innocently.
"No."
He grinned. "Well then."
"Hmm?"
Matt just nuzzled his temple again with a soft hum.
Haine sighed, closing his eyes.
Matt sighed as well, thinking about what models to alter for them as he stroked Haine's hair again. At least now he'd have something to work on tomorrow.
What: cuddling and talking about really, really random stuff
When: Wednesday! the...19th?
Where: Matt's NEST
Why: because :|
Haine walked up to Matt's building cautiously, feeling more than a little bit anxious about meeting the redhead. Never one to back down from a challenge, however, he made it to the door and knocked.
Matt saw the albino coming on his cameras and immediately picked himself up from his nest to unlock and open the door for him, grinning widely. "Hey, I see you know your way around, and it looks like you're not freakishly tall! You're all right." He eyed the bandages around Haine's neck, but decided not to comment on them right now. They were either there to hide his collar or hide a wound, and he didn't want to bring that kind of thing up when the guy just got here.
Haine couldn't help smiling just a little bit. "Hi. Badou been teasing you about your height too?"
Matt sighed dramatically and leaned against the door frame. "He called me a midget. I am not a midget! Just because he's freaking Andre the fucking Giant doesn't mean the rest of us are short. Wanna come in?" He moved back enough for Haine to move past him, then gestured at his usual mess. "Sorry I didn't clean or anything, I just hate doing it."
Haine nodded and smiled a little wider, feeling much more comfortable now that he was actually with Matt in person than he'd thought he'd be. He stepped into the apartment and looked around. "No worries. My room's a mess too. This is a nice apartment."
"That's what Badou said," Matt replied over his shoulder, closing the door behind him and doing up all the locks again. "It's not really, though. Feel free to look around if you want."
"Nicer than what Badou and I have." Haine stepped further into the apartment, taking it in. "You've got a lot of electronic shit," he observed.
"What can I say, I like my games," Matt said with a shrug. He moved around Haine and collapsed comfortably into his nest, draping his elbows over the couch behind him and beckoning the albino over. "Feel free."
Haine took the invitation, joining Matt in the 'nest', and leaning comfortable against the couch. "Nice setup you've got here, Matt," he said, settling in and ignoring the slight nervous twinge in his stomach.
"It's where I spend most of my time," Matt explained, digging out a slightly crumpled pack of cigarettes and offering them to Haine. "So yeah, I kind of perfected it over time."
"I would too, if I had something like this." Haine waved off the offer. "No thanks. I prefer secondhand smoke," he said, smiling.
Matt shrugged and set them aside for now, sweeping his hand over the pile of junkfood instead. "M'kay, but just feel free to help yourself. I could breathe on you, if you'd rather." He grinned.
Haine laughed. "You really could spend nearly all your time here. And you don't have to go out of your way to breathe on me, I think I'll be just fine."
"It wouldn't be out of my way," Matt pointed out slyly, but made no move to scoot closer. Yet. He wasn't sure if Haine was serious or not, and he didn't want to press anything. "Do you like videogames? That's what most of this is here for."
"That would explain all the equipment," Haine said, grinning. "I don't have any of my own but I am quite familiar with the concept."
"Oh, it's wicked awesome fun," Matt said with a wide grin. "But I program and hack and stuff too, so that's what all the computers are for."
"Got any assassin games?" Haine asked raising an eyebrow. "And yeah, you said that, I remember."
"Plenty," Matt said proudly. "Assassin's Creed and Hitman and 007 and everything. Wanna try one?"
Haine sat up a little, actually pretty intrigued at the prospect. "Sure. Although I'll be really embarrassed if I'm really bad at it."
"Games take time to learn," Matt explained, excited at the prospect of sharing his games. He crawled forward and dug Assassin's Creed out, then proceeded to set it up for Haine. "No one's any good at first. Mello actually went to a fucking arcade to get better at Halo so he could beat me. Stupid git. He still failed."
Haine nodded, watching Matt set up. "You'll have to teach me, then."
"It's not too hard." Matt settled back beside him in the nest again and handed over the controlled. "There's a tutorial that tells you what to do. Just follow that."
Haine took the controller and did as he was instructed, doing his best to commit the controller's commands to memory. "Okay, now what?"
"Just play!" Matt grinned at him. "That's all you have to do."
Haine started the game and quickly became involved in the plot, but got quite frustrated when the character didn't always do exactly what he wanted it to. "If this were real life I would be amazing at this," he mused while attempting to blend into a crowd to escape being followed by guards.
Matt laughed. "I don't doubt it. Fun, though, isn't it?"
Haine nodded distractedly, completely engrossed in the game. It didn't take him long to get tired of dying, however, and eventually he groaned in frustration and tossed the controller back to Matt.
Matt set it aside with a grin. "Aw come on, you did really good for your first time playing."
Haine smiled. "Thanks. It's a great game. Have you beaten it yet?"
"Of course," Matt said smugly. "I've beaten all the games I own. It's what I do."
"Impressive." Haine glanced at Matt's collection of games. "No wonder you spend so much time here."
Matt shrugged. "I like it," he said simply. Haine didn't need to know all of the reasons he didn't go out much, so he didn't bother voicing them.
Haine nodded and stretched, relaxing back into the nest. He was feeling extremely comfortable with Matt now, having completely forgotten the reason he'd come over in the first place.
"So," Matt said amiably, flopping comfortably onto his back and looking up at the man. "What do you want to do now?"
Haine shrugged, looking down at Matt. "Dunno." He sighed. "This is really comfortable," he said, oblivious to any connotation the statement might have.
Matt grinned. "Yeah. Tired?" He wondered again if Haine had meant what he'd said earlier, then wondered if he should bring it up.
Haine nodded. "Yeah. You?"
"Always," Matt replied somewhat wryly, but didn't dwell on the topic. Instead he poked Haine's foot. "What do you wanna do?"
Haine kicked Matt's hand lightly. "I dunno. This isn't my apartment. What are my options?"
Matt poked the bottom of his foot. "You're the guest here. Whatever you want."
Haine curled his toes involuntarily and smiled. "So if I said I wanted to go skydiving, we could?"
Matt snorted. "In my apartment? Sure, you can take a flying leap off the edge of the couch if you want. I'll watch.
The albino laughed softly "I'll bellyflop into the pillows." He vaguely thought that that would mean that he would be lying down on those pillows with Matt, which made him remember his motivation for coming over in the first place. He blushed lightly.
Matt hardly noticed; he was too busy poking at Haine's foot again. "It'd be worth it for the entertainment value?" he offered hopefully.
Haine wiggled his toes and coughed awkwardly. "After I land I'll make pillow angels."
Matt grinned up at him again and poked his toe. "You should. Definitely."
"The only problem is that I could accidentally land on you," Haine said, his blush darkening just the slightest bit, but enough to be noticeable.
Grinning, Matt pretended not to notice. "And that's a problem why?"
"From that height? Bruising may occur." Haine couldn't help smiling just the tiniest bit. "Not for me, but for you, of course."
Matt poked him again. "It would be worth it?"
Haine kicked him again. "Entertainment value?"
Matt caught his leg and draped the upper half of his body over it so he could poke the bottom of his foot again. "Nah. Physical."
Haine's blush darkened and he stiffened a bit. "...oh?"
Matt stroked the top of his foot in an effort to get him to relax again. "Yup."
Haine tried to relax, embarrassed at his reaction. "...you enjoy people falling on you?"
"Depends on the type of falling," Matt replied with a grin. "There's a good kind and a bad kind. I think you'd be the good kind."
"How so?" Haine curled his toes.
Matt gently pried them apart again. "If you feel anything as good as you look, then you'd definitely be the good kind."
Haine fought the blush and failed. "...Do you feel as good as you look?"
Matt grinned. "I could." He let his fingers play over the top of Haine's foot and shin absently.
"...do I?" Haine shivered lightly at Matt's touch.
"Mmm, so far, yeah." Matt was being patient. He didn't want to rush things, and he was in no hurry anyway.
Haine smiled softly. "Good." He took a deep breath and let himself relax a little bit more. It was stupid to be nervous about being this close to somebody.
"Have you never been touched like this before either?" Matt asked curiously, letting his fingers drift up towards Haine's knee.
Haine frowned, his stomach clenching a little. "No."
"Wanna be?" Matt asked, looking up at him. "Or should I stop?"
"Yeah. I mean no...don't stop." Haine laughed at how stupid it was that touching only this much felt like such a big deal.
Matt smiled. "Good, 'cause I really don't want to. You're allowed to touch me too, you know. It's kind of a two-way thing."
Haine smiled sheepishly. "How?"
"However you want." Matt scooted up closer to him so that he could reach and grinned, finally able to see his eyes close-up now. "Fuck, that's wicked. Aren't they really sensitive to the sun, though, without any pigment?"
Haine tentatively placed his hand on Matt's forearm. He smiled. "Yeah, but I live underground."
Matt smiled encouragingly at the gesture and reached out his own hand to brush away some stray strands of hair from Haine's eyes and take a closer look. "Christ, I wish I had red eyes. It'd be really cool if they could shoot lasers, too. Can they?"
Haine laughed. "No. No lasers, unfortunately. That would probably be useful." He let his fingers glide cautiously up toward Matt's elbow.
Matt pouted a little. "Damn. What's this, then." He let his fingertips graze the top of the gauze wrapped around Haine's neck carefully.
Haine frowned and withdrew his hand from Matt's arm and reached up to touch the bandages. "Oh...that's to cover the..." he stopped mid-sentence and started unwrapping the bandage, revealing the thin metal collar bolted into his neck.
Matt frowned when he saw it, his fingers immediately moving to trace the edge where it met Haine's skin gently. "This isn't right," he murmured. It was one thing to hear about it; another entirely to actually see the way they attached it to his throat.
Haine frowned and traced it gently with his fingers. "It's fine," he said softly.
"No it isn't," Matt protested, and leaned in to get a closer look. "It's like a fucking dog tag. Those morons don't own you."
Haine sighed. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." His fingers continued absently tracing the line where metal met skin.
Matt's paused on the side of the collar, his eyes darting to Haine's in a frown. "I understand living with something shitty because there's nothing you can do about it, but Christ, this isn't one of those times. You can't collar people. You just can't." He didn't even want to think about what he'd have done if those bastards at Wammy's had tried the same.
Haine looked back at Matt. "But they did." He shrugged. "It doesn't affect my daily life all that much. I wear the bandages in public and nobody ever gets as close as you are right now." He blushed lightly again. "It doesn't hurt or anything."
"It's the principle of the thing, though." Matt wasn't sure what else to say. If Haine really didn't mind it, that was his business, but he knew that if he were the one locked in that thing, he'd fight it tooth and nail. As it was, though, he let his hand fall from it in some measure of respect. "You're crazy, you know that? The good kind of crazy, but still."
"Yeah. I hate it, but it's there and I don't know what would happen if I tried to take it off. They marked me in other ways too, this is just the only one you can see." Almost automatically he started wrapping the bandages back around his neck. "I don't know if it's the good way, but yes. I know."
Matt lifted a hand and stopped him. "You don't have to put those back on, they can't be comfortable." After wearing them himself for over a week, he actually knew what he was talking about. Then he frowned at Haine again. "What else did they do to you?"
Haine looked back at Matt and stopped wrapping. "Are you sure? It's ugly." He sighed and stared at the bandage in his hands. "All the genetic modification was them. I was built to be a weapon. Anyone I cared about then is dead. They created a second personality in me."
Matt's frown deepened. "It's fine. I can't believe your government went that far. I guess I got lucky."
Haine shrugged. "I've got it better than a lot of the others. Nil..."
"Who's Nil?" Matt asked carefully. He didn't want to bring up any sore subjects, but he was curious as hell.
Haine smiled softly. "Nil lives at the church now. She has wings."
Matt's eyes went wide. "Wow, really? Can she fly?"
"No," Haine said, "they're little. Purely aesthetic. She's tiny and blonde and has wings. She's an angel." Haine frowned.
"That's so cool," Matt said, then stopped when he noticed Haine's change. "What? Is there something wrong with her?"
"She also can't speak, she's physically unable to speak. Or scream." Haine sighed. "My purpose is to be a weapon. Hers is to be a human blow-up doll."
Now Matt frowned. "What the hell. What's wrong with these people. You were really lucky you got away." He brushed a hand through Haine's hair in some vague sign of praise. He knew firsthand how hard something like that could be, and he admired Haine for putting up with it, and this girl too. And his hair wasn't anything like Toushirou's, he decided a moment later. Which was a good thing. He just couldn't help but check anyway.
Haine nodded, leaning into Matt's hand almost unconsciously. "She's okay now." He sighed again. "She's only fourteen..."
"Christ," Matt murmured softly, most of his attention on the way Haine was reacting to his hand. He let his fingertips message his scalp gently, watching his face for any sign of a reaction. "Can I meet her?"
Haine smiled closing his eyes and enjoying the touch. "Sure."
Matt found himself smiling back, and let his fingernails catch gently every now and then. "Awesome. I hope she likes me."
"I'm sure she will." Haine was quiet, then, just letting himself feel for a moment.
Grinning now, Matt scootched closer to relieve some of the strain on his arm and continued stroking his fingers through Haine's hair. "You're like a cat," he teased gently, ignoring any memories that statement threatened to bring up.
Haine laughed. "More like a dog. Got a collar and everything." Feeling incredibly relaxed, and therefore bold, he let one of his arms drape over Matt's stomach.
"A dog, then," Matt agreed with a chuckle, letting his fingers drift behind Haine's ear experimentally. "Fan people call me a dog too. Does this make us packmates?"
"Aren't packs like families?" Haine asked, sighing and tilting his head to show his appreciation of Matt's ministrations.
"I guess so." Matt grinned and scratched there gently. "Or something like that."
"Okay." Haine grinned. "Who's the alpha dog?"
Matt's lips twisted up into a smirk. "Shouldn't we fight for that position?"
"I suppose that's only fair," Haine agreed, not missing the innuendo and blushing lightly.
Matt grinned and brushed his fingers over the color in Haine's cheeks. "Who's winning so far?"
"I dunno," Haine said, smiling. "Probably you."
"Me?" Matt's grin widened and he traced his fingertips along Haine's jaw slowly, seeking out any sensitive spots on it. "And why's that?"
Haine shivered. "You're making me melt."
"That is the general idea," Matt replied gently, fingers seeking the patch of skin behind his ear. "Told you this was nice."
Haine nodded and tentatively reached out his hand to touch Matt's face. "Yeah."
Sighing, Matt let his eyes droop pleasantly and leaned into Haine's touch, urging him onwards. "And it's not even too difficult, is it."
"No." Haine mimicked Matt's tracing of his jaw.
"Well then." Matt smiled and let his hand run through Haine's hair again. "You're well on your way to being cuddly."
Haine smiled, leaning into Matt's hand. "But I'm not there yet?"
"Not quite," Matt explained. "This is more just touching than cuddling, but it's fine with me. Whatever you wanna do."
"Oh." Haine let his hand drift down to Matt's neck. "I suppose cuddling is closer than this."
Matt arched it for him, giving him better access. "Yeah. But this is good too."
"It's certainly not bad." Haine traced a line around the back of Matt's neck where his own collar was.
"What'd you think it was going to be?" Matt murmured, amused.
Haine shrugged. "I don't know."
"Mmm, well now you do." Matt briefly considered bringing up Badou, but decided against it; he didn't want Haine stiffening up on him now that he was so relaxed. Instead he let his hand drift down to his collar and stroked the skin just above it soothingly.
Haine nodded, smiling. He stiffened a little when Matt touched him so close to his collar, but took a deep breath and was able to relax again.
Matt noticed, and worked through his fingers to ease the tension out of Haine's skin completely again. "If you don't like being touched there, I could stop," he offered.
Haine sighed. "It's okay. Just...no one ever has before. It's weird."
"Oh." Well Matt didn't want to be weird. He let his fingers drift down to scratch lightly at the bumps of his spine instead, peeking out just above his shirt collar.
Haine smiled. Better. He let his fingernails scratch lightly at the back of Matt's neck.
Matt sighed and smiled at the sensation. "You're allowed to touch other places too you know," he said gently, meeting Haine's eyes again. "I don't have any weird places. Except maybe my stomach right now. But that's okay too."
"Oh yeah." Haine's eyes flicked to Matt's stomach. "Still healing?"
"We genetically unaltered humans like to take our time," Matt replied wryly, sweeping a hand over his middle self-consciously. "At least it's not infected or anything though. Just itchy now."
"At least you're mobile now." Haine carefully set his hand over Matt's stomach.
"Yeah." Matt reached down to set Haine's hand a little higher, just beneath his ribcage. "It's here. I'm gonna have a scar. My first ever!" He sighed. So much for remaining unmarked.
"Scars aren't a bad thing. Proof you went through something." Haine shrugged. "I like them."
"Proof of your identity," Matt retorted, brushing a thumb over the sensitive area lightly. "Hard to talk your way out of scar." Proof of a few other things too, but Matt wasn't about to get into that right now.
"Ah." Haine understood. "I've never been anonymous. I kind of stand out in more ways than one." He laughed sardonically. "No scars, though."
"Yeah, well, I don't," Matt said with a wry grin. "Anonymity is easier than being hunted. Though that apparently isn't working out so well for me lately." He shrugged. "Would your collar leave a scar if you ever got it off?"
Haine reached up to touch the collar again. "I don't know."
"Do you want it off?" Matt asked gently, eying it again. "Actually really want it off if you could get it off, rather than leaving it on because you have to?"
Haine traced the bolts that connected the collar to his neck. "Yeah. If I could I'd take it off." He sighed.
"I'll look at it, then," Matt offered seriously. "No promises, but I'll look. There might be something I can do, at least."
Haine nodded and let the hand on Matt's stomach fall to his waist, draped loosely accross his middle. "Okay."
Smiling again, Matt did the same, resisting the urge to pull the man closer. "You can take a nap if you want. I won't mind."
Haine smiled. "Nah. I'm okay. Although I don't think I've been this relaxed in a long time."
"Is that good?" Matt let his thumb stroke Haine's side.
"Yeah. This is good." Haine copied Matt's movement.
"Good." Matt sighed and let himself relax. This was still pretty far from real cuddling, but he'd let Haine decide for himself he wanted to try other things or just stay like this. He was content either way.
Haine was also thinking that this was still not cuddling. And while it didn't really matter if he did or not, he knew he'd be pissed at himself later if he didn't just do it. It's just human contact, right? Haine scootched a little bit closer and wrapped his arm just a little bit tighter around Matt's waist.
Matt looked up at him when he did, meeting his eyes and making sure it was all right before letting his fingers drift down to play with the hem of his shirt, waiting for permission before he would actually try slipping them underneath. "You know," he said softly, "if you ever wanna try this kind of thing or whatever, you can just ask. You and Badou both seem kinda clueless. It's cute."
Haine nodded and moved just the tiniest bit closer. He blushed a little at Matt's words. "We're not cute."
Matt grinned teasingly. "You are kinda cute, but not in the teddy bear way. In the good-looking way." He slipped his hand under Haine's shirt and skimmed his fingers up his spine, scooting a little closer as well. "I also remember you telling me you weren't cuddly, you know."
Haine gasped, unprepared for the sensation of skin brushing skin. "...am i?"
"Mm-hm. You don't think so?" Noting Haine's reaction, Matt scratched gently, again seeking out any previously unknown soft spots along the man's back that he could exploit.
"I don't know I-" Haine gasped again when Matt brushed over a sensitive spot, "-I've never done this before."
Smiling, Matt brushed it again, this time catching it briefly with his nails. "Well you're welcome to anytime. I'm here about ninety percent of the day, you know, and usually up most of the night too."
Haine nodded, gasping involuntarily again. "I-- Yeah, okay." Curious, he brought his own hand to the hem of Matt's shirt, slipping it underneath and lightly dragging his fingers up Matt's side.
Matt straightened his back with a soft gasp, then grinned at Haine as he slowly relaxed again. "You're a quick learner," he remarked in a light tease. "That feels really good."
Haine smiled, repeating the motion. "Thanks."
"Try other things," Matt suggested, though he sighed and let his eyes droop at the sensation anyway. "You can try whatever you want, I seriously doubt I won't like it."
Nodding, Haine bit his lip and slipped his hand around to Matt's back, tracing the contours of his spine. He lifted the other hand and buried his fingers into his hair.
Now that was unexpected, but in an extremely pleasant way. Matt normally didn't like feeling fingers in his hair unless he knew his partner better, the sensation too reminiscent of other things, but every now and then he made an exception, and Haine was one of them. He sighed and arched his back a little, letting his head tilt into that touch. "You sure you've never don't this before?" he teased with the hint of a grin, opening his eyes just enough to peer at Haine.
Haine laughed softly. "I'm sure." His hands continue moving slowly; one exploring the contours of Matt's back, while the other combed through his hair before settling at the back of his neck.
Matt took that as permission to scoot closer, enough now that they were almost touching, and Haine could close the gap if that's what he wanted. He let his fingers trace Haine's back as well, wondering if he should ask him questions now or wait until later. He was curious, but he didn't want to ruin Haine's moment of comfort. He got the feeling the guy didn't relax very often.
Haine closed the gap, feeling awkward at having this much of his body touching someone else. He sighed and lightly ran his fingernails down Matt's back to distract himself from feeling awkward.
"Not used to it?" Matt asked gently, noticing the tension in Haine's body and letting his hands drift over it to smooth it out again. "You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with. The whole point of this is just to relax."
Haine laughed awkwardly in reply. "I guess not. And I know I just...want to."
"Then relax," Matt told him, reaching up to stroke his hair again. "I don't bite. Unless you want me to." He grinned.
Haine smiled and sighed in an attempt to relax. "I bit some guy's face off once," he said, conversationally.
"You bit it off?" Matt asked incredulously, though the fingers in Haine's hair didn't falter. "With your teeth?"
"Well, not his whole face," Haine explained, "just his cheek. And yes. With my teeth."
"That sounds painful," Matt remarked. "Why didn't you use your guns?"
"Probably was," Haine agreed," he screamed a lot. Because my arms were cuffed together."
"Well that's one way of fighting back," Matt said with a grin. "That kind of thing happen often?"
Haine shrugged, a little surprised at how much the movement made Matt move too. "I don't get caught often, but it happens."
"Yeah," Matt agreed, his mind on his own recent encounter with that kind of thing. "I know a few tricks for getting out of handcuffs. I can show you, if you want."
Haine smirked. "No worries. I can get out by myself."
"Really," Matt said slyly. "So if I cuffed you right now, you could get out again?"
The smirk blossomed into a grin. "Sure, but I wouldn't reccommend it if you ever plan on using them again."
"I have spares," Matt said with a grin. "What if I was distracting you, too?" He let his hand slip down and over Haine's hip.
Haine gasped. "I escaped from full-arm cuffs with 30 or so people shooting at me once. I think I could probably manage."
"And if I cuffed you to the bed?" Matt purred, scraping gently at the skin just above the hem of Haine's pants. "Would you be able to slip out of that?"
Haine made a small, surprised sound, his abs contracting involuntarily. "I'd probably end up breaking both the cuffs and the bed, if you let me," he said, his voice sounding a lot breathier than he'd meant it to.
Matt slipped his hands beneath his shirt again, and this time went for his stomach, fingertips and nails tracing the contours there. "Beds are replaceable."
Haine shivered. "Are you saying that you want to handcuff me to your bed?"
Matt grinned. "I'm saying I'm not opposed to the idea. Are you?"
Haine laughed. "I have no particular objections."
"You should get used to cuddling first," Matt suggested with a light smirk, running his hand up and over Haine's side, beneath his shirt. "Handcuffs are a few steps away still."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Haine said, still laughing softly. "How am I doing, then? Status report?"
"Like you need one?" Matt chuckled. "You seem to be doing fine to me."
"Good." Haine sighed, still lightly running his fingers accross Matt's back.
"Why do you and Badou keep thinking you're no good at things like this?" Matt asked curiously, cautiously, trying to keep the mood light.
"I don't know. Haine shrugged.
Matt frowned. Haine was a horrible liar. "You don't have to tell me," he said gently, "I was just curious."
Haine sighed. "I don't know...before...Badou and I were each others' only friends. We don't generally talk much to anyone else unless we're working for them or getting information from them." He rested his head on Matt's shoulder. "I've really never done any of these things before. I don't get close to people."
Matt could understand that. He sighed and stroked Haine's hair, letting his free hand roam up and down his back. "I'm not trying to press or anything," he said gently. He wanted to make that clear. "I'm just offering if you want to. Keeping your distance is fine too. Whatever you want."
Haine nodded against Matt's shoulder. "Yeah. Okay. Sorry. Thanks."
"Sorry for what?" Matt wanted to know. "You haven't done anything wrong."
"I don't know," Haine answered, "for being weird?"
Matt snorted softly. "Believe me, you're not that weird."
Haine smiled softly. "You don't know me that well."
Matt ruffled his hair a little. "Idiot. I don't have to. You don't know me that well either, you know. I have a giant cockroach for a pet."
Haine laughed. "Really? How giant?"
"Over a foot long," Matt said proudly. "He's one of my best friends. Still think you're the weird one?"
"Wow, impressive," Haine said, grinning. "And yes. I have two personalities and a collar bolted into my neck. Badou is my best friend. I'm the weird one." He poked Matt in the chest, as if to make his point.
"Oh, pfft," Matt snorted, poking him back. "I have no identity and Mello's my best friend. I'm sleeping with a dead guy. I win."
Haine laughed. So apparently this was a contest now. "Hm. I live in a church with a blind priest with a gothic-lolita fetish, a little girl with wings who cans speak, and is now a dress-up toy for the Bishop, and apparently now an evil girl with a giant cross-shaped scar on her chest who tried to kill me by feeding me poisonous cake. I don't really have an idenity either, I woke up at age twelve in the underground with a collar around my neck not knowing who I was. I spend half my time looking after Badou and the other half getting shot and stabbed and not dying. I bit someone's face off once. I can't talk to girls, and if one touches me I kind of go berzerk and kill people..."
Now Matt laughed. "I don't even wanna get into all the shit I've done," he said lightly, "but I still don't think you're weird. Eccentric, maybe, but that's not the same thing."
"Eccentric makes me sound like an old lady who has a lot of cats and secretly writes erotic novels," Haine said, laughing softly and burying his face in Matt's shoulder.
"How do I know you aren't one?" Matt chuckled. He tugged on the hair on the back of Haine's neck gently, then scraped his fingernails over it. "I mean, you've already got the white hair. You might even have a deeply harbored affinity for cats."
Haine grinned. "No. Dogs."
Matt grinned back. "Dogs are better, agreed. You can be the crazy old dog guy, then."
"Who writes boring novels with absolutely no sex in them at all."
"But secretly goes gallavanting off with near-strangers to have some sex on the side?" Matt asked in mock hopefullness.
Haine didn't have the energy to stiffen awkwardly anymore. "That part hasn't been written yet," he said, shrugging.
"Yet," Matt chuckled, then scratched the back of Haine's neck in apology. "I keep waiting for you and Badou to figure out that I just like to fuck around with you guys, but you never do. I'm just teasing, you know."
Haine sighed. "I usually get it halfway through or after the fact."
"Well just keep it in mind for next time, then," Matt replied with a grin, and nuzzled Haine's forehead unthinkingly. "Badou seems to think I'm a pervert. I'm thinking of starting a pool to see how long it takes him to figure out I'm just pulling his leg."
Haine snorted. "It'll take awhile. He's an idiot."
Matt grinned. "His backwards bashfulness is endearing. So is yours, for that matter. I'm not used to talking to people like you."
Haine cuddled into Matt's shoulder a little more. "Backwards how? And what do you mean, 'people like me'?"
"Backwards because the two of you are trained assassins-slash-guns for hire, familiar with death and killing and destruction and carnage, and still the two of you blush every time I so much as allude to kissing you. People like you because you're shy. Inexperienced. That kind of thing." He let his lips brush over Haine's forehead gently, sighing. "The people I'm usually with aren't like that."
Blushing, Haine nodded. "I see."
"See?" Matt chuckled, brushing a thumb over Haine's cheeks again. "I'm used to getting snarky, sexually charged retorts to the things I say. You're just the opposite. It's kind of fun."
Haine smiled. "I don't normally talk to people like you either. Well...I don't usually talk to people, so I guess that isn't saying much."
"You should talk to people more," Matt suggested. "You're interesting."
"The livejournal thing was supposed to be so we could find more outside jobs, but it's really turning into more of a social experiment." Haine sighed, nuzzling Matt's jaw just for a second. "I think it's going pretty well so far."
"I can keep an eye out for jobs for you, if you want," Matt offered, automatically lifting his chin to give him better access. "I'm more the go-to, behind-the-scenes guy, so I hear about a lot of stuff."
"Yeah, that'd be awesome," Haine said, taking the opportunity to nuzzle Matt's jaw again. He sighed, settling in again. "Half of our jobs at home these days are busts of organizations trafficking genetically altered children. They're usually big jobs, with a lot of targets, and then we have to take the children someplace safe. They're good jobs, but they don't pay as much as they should. So we've been kind of struggling to find more lucrative work on the side."
"Well I'll see what I can see, then," Matt promised, nuzzling Haine's temple in turn. "I can find you plenty of dirty jobs, if you want them, but if you're talking clean they might be a little more sparse."
"Whatever is fine, I'm an assassin, I don't live by any strict moral code," Haine said, "the only reason I take the low-paying ones...well...I could've been one of them, once." He sighed. "Anyway."
"I understand that," Matt murmured softly, letting his fingers stroke through Haine's hair again. He'd always had a soft spot for orphans. "We don't have so much genetic engineering yet in my world, but I'll keep my eyes peeled."
Haine nodded. "Thanks."
"It's no problem. I was out of work once too, you know."
Haine smiled and sighed. "This is nice."
"Yeah." Matt sighed as well, and let himself snuggle closer.
Haine suddenly remembered something from their conversation earlier in the night. "So Matt," he said, "do I feel as good as I look?"
Matt snorted. "Better," he teased. "What about me?"
"Exceeds expectations."
Matt laughed. "Snarky little bastard," he chuckled, ruffling Haine's hair so that it stood on end. "You haven't felt all of me yet, you know."
Haine raised an eyebrow, finally getting the teasing. "Yet?"
Matt grinned. "Yet. Would you like to~?"
Getting the joke or not, Haine's coping skills with this level of innuendo were clearly subpar. His reaction with Badou to anything over the edge was physical violence, but Haine had a feeling that would be inappropriate in this situation. After a moment he realized that he had paused way too long in coming up with an answer and was blushing to boot.
Laughing, Matt snuggled closer and rested his chin on top of Haine's head. "You're cute," he remarked amiably.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Matt slipped an arm around Haine's wasit comfortably and let his eyes drift closed, still grinning. "Well you are."
Haine laughed quietly. "You know any other subject in the entire world and I am so totally badass, but you keep making me all blushy and ridiculous. It's not fair."
"Mmm, it's what I'm good at," Matt murmured, stoking his side with his thumb again. "Consider it a hobby."
"At least I'm not being pwned by an amateur. And yes, I just said pwned, shut up."
Matt laughed again. "Hey, I'm the computer geek here, you don't have to defend yourself to me."
"Badou keeps telling people that I call him my BFF so they'll laugh at me." Haine laughed too. "Ridiculous."
"Rukia calls us bifflebutts," Matt chuckled. "I think that's worse."
Haine snorted. "That's definitely worse."
"I win again," Matt murmured, grinning.
"I think you officially have alpha dog status, at this point," Haine said, grinning back.
This time Matt pouted. "Being alpha dog is no fun, though," he complained. "It's the lesser dogs that get to sneak out and have fun."
Haine laughed. "If you don't want to be alpha dog you have to let me win sometimes."
"Fine..." Matt sighed dramatically. "I suppose I'll put my genius away for a while."
"And I'll pretend I'm not made of fail."
"Everyone's made of fail when they try to take on me," Matt teased.
"And that's what makes you the alpha dog!" Haine teased back.
"But I don't want the responsibility!" Matt whined.
"Then I won't tell anyone, and you can pretend to be a lesser dog and still have fun sans responsibility."
"You just don't want the responsibility yourself," Matt pouted some more.
"Hell no." Haine grinned. "Look on the bright side. As the alpha dog don't you get to boss the lesser dogs around?"
"And mount you," Matt said with a wide grin.
Haine resisted the urge to whack Matt. "Oh, shut up."
This time Matt giggled. "Well you're the one insisting!"
"Oh, would you rather I mounted you, then?" Haine said, immediately regretting it.
"I certainly wouldn't object," Matt replied with a smug grin.
"...I need a five second button."
Matt laughed, then forced his face into a pout. "What, you mean you wouldn't mount me if you had the chance?"
"I can literally not think of anything to say right now that you can't twist around." Haine laughed.
Matt grinned smugly. "Then my work here is done."
"That means you win again, alpha dog." Haine smirked.
"Does that mean I can order you beneath me, beta dog?" Matt smirked back.
"You know, I think it does." Haine raised an eyebrow.
Matt continued to smirk. "Well then?"
"That doesn't sound like an order to me."
"Maybe you're just thinking of it the wrong way, then," Matt teased.
Haine frowned. "I'm a good dog, I follow orders very well."
Matt couldn't surpress a snort. "Is the sexual innuendo of this conversation going completely over your head, or are you really flirting back with me?"
Haine grinned. "I'm trying?"
Matt laughed and pulled him closer with a grin. "Brat. You had me going there."
Haine grinned hopefully. "I win?"
"This time," Matt relented. "And since you did, I'll let you tell me to do any one thing you want. Unless it involves actual work."
Haine thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything I want."
"Does that mean I'm off the hook?"
"Can I save the favor?"
"Hmm." Matt thought a moment. "I suppose so. What kind of thing are you saving it for?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Matt sighed. "Fine, fine. Just don't make me do something weird. That would be weird."
Haine grinned. "Like make you dressup in a chicken suit and go bowling?"
Matt snorted. "Yeah, something like that."
Raising an eyebrow, Haine smiled evilly. "I'll just have to be more creative, then."
Matt eyed him warily. "What's going through that evil little brain of yours?"
Haine looked a little confused. "Yanno, I was thinking I'd ask you to de-bullet me after a big job, but that's really fucking weird, I wouldn't ask you do do that."
"De-bullet you?" Matt echoed somewhat dumbly. "What do you mean?"
"When I get shot, the wound heals fairly quickly, but sometimes there are bullets still in the wounds," Haine explained, "especially when I've gotten shot a lot. Some of them are too deep and make their way out eventually, but it's easiest to pick them out before the wounds heal. Badou helps sometimes, but he's taken to prying out the deeper ones with the handle of his toothbrush. And that fucking hurts."
"Christ." Matt tightened his arm around him subconsciously, wincing at the mental image. "I can imagine. Don't you guys have some fucking medical pliars or something? And some pain meds? I could get you that stuff fairly easily."
Haine's eyes widened. "Really??? We've been looking for medical pliars but had no idea where to get some. Can you seriously? And don't worry about pain meds, it's fine, I have a really high pain threshold. I just don't enjoy being stabbed in open wounds with blunt objects. Ugh. The last time there was one that had shattered my pelvis, and my pelvis healed, but the bullet was still stuck in it and he used the fucking toothbrush..."
"...sorry, that's gross."
Matt winced again, and nuzzled Haine's temple in some odd measure of consolation. "Christ. Don't apologize, you should have told me that shit sooner. Yeah, I can get you that stuff, and you can have the pain meds for free; there's still some left over from when I needed them. I can just reroute a shipment of medical supplies to your place, if you want--or here, and I'll give them to you. It's no big deal. Since it's free, you won't even have to pay me for it."
"Seriously don't worry about the meds. The wounds will have healed by the time they'd start working anyway. I'd really appreciate the pliars, though. And I can pay you for them..."
Matt shook his head. "Idiot. I don't think I have any here or I'd just hand you a pair, but I can intercept a box, easy; won't cost a dime. Anything else you need?"
Haine shook his head. "No. Nothing else. Thanks."
"Okay. Just let me know if you ever change your mind." Sighing, Matt relaxed again. , letting his fingers roam freely through Haine's hair.
Haine nodded, sighing as well and relaxing into Matt just the tiniest bit more. "I will."
"Good." Matt grinned and ruffled his hair again. He liked making it stick up. "You should style your hair like this from now on."
Haine laughed. "Do I look like Einstein?"
"Mmm, you're still missing the mustache," Matt mused, tracing a finger over Haine's upper lip. "And your hair is missing the pepper."
Haine grinned. "I would look retarded with a mustache."
"You would," Matt agreed with a laugh. "You should be Einstein for Halloween next more. Or like, a demon version of him, since you have red eyes."
"I could be a demon version of anything, really," Haine replied, grinning. "Badou calls me a ghost half the time."
"You could be the demon ghost of Einstein!" Matt laughed. "With horns!"
"Now that is an elaborate Halloween costume."
"We could get you a suit and everything," Matt snickered, picturing it. "And cover it in patches and blood."
"Einstein died of an aortic aneurysm. No blood," Haine corrected, sticking out his tongue.
"But you're his demon," Matt argued, poking his nose. "So you can be just as bloody as you want."
"Good thing I already have so many bloodstained clothes, then. I won't even have to go shopping."
Matt snorted. "Can we make your mustache bloody too?"
"Sure. Can I get a fake mustache, or do I have to grow one?"
"Can you grow one?" Matt asked with a grin, again finding the mental image hilarious.
"I don't know. I shave, but I've never tried to grow a beard or mustache. Because it would look so stupid."
"Badou would probably laugh," Matt agreed, "but you would pwn him in terms of costumes."
"Haha...like Badou needs more things to laugh at me about."
"What does he laugh at you for no?" Matt asked lightly, curious.
Haine shrugged. "I dunno. He finds most things funny."
"He seems like an easily amused kind of guy," Matt mused, grinning at him.
Haine nodded, smiling. "Yeah."
"And you're the cuddly one now," Matt couldn't resist teasing. "Going to demonstrate to him what you've learned?"
Haine blushed. "I dunno," he said, honestly.
Matt grinned and kissed his forehead. "Fair enough."
Haine's blush didn't fade as quickly as he would have liked. He hid his face in Matt's shoulder.
Matt chuckled. "Do you like him?" He didn't want to pry, but the two of them made an interesting duo, and the only experience he had in partners was Mello.
"...I don't know," Haine said, again, honestly.
"Mmm," Matt murmured thoughtfully, "ever liked anyone before?" He wasn't sure why he was broaching this subject when he was hardly any more familiar with the term than Haine seemed to be. He knew lust wasn't the same thing.
Haine sighed. "Not really."
"Well, you are only nineteen." Matt had been barely a grade above picking through dumpsters when he was nineteen. He'd been lucky Mello had come when he did.
Haine smiled. "Almost nineteen."
Matt looked at him in surprise. "You're only eighteen?"
"For another eleven days?"
"It's your birthday soon?"
"Yeah. Well...when I celebrate it. I don't know when it really is."
"I got lucky mine was catalogued or I probably wouldn't either," Matt said with a snort, stroking Haine's hair absently again. "Christ, this is like Birthday Spectacular time, isn't it."
"What do you mean?"
"Two this month," Matt murmured, trying to keep as little of his mind on it as possible. "Two next month, including yours. Mine's right after that."
"Oh wow. That is a lot. Badou's birthday is in October."
Matt sighed. "Christ. I'm going to have to take on another job just for presents."
"Are you close to all of those people with birthdays soon, then?"
"Close?"
"Close enough to buy pesents for, I mean."
"Oh." Matt took a deep breath and sighed again, pulling his hand from Haine's hair long enough to run it once through his own. "Most of them."
"That's a lot of presents."
"Yeah. I'm behind."
"Badou wants an armadillo for Christmas."
Matt snorted. "Seriously? A real one?"
"Yeah. He wants a pet, but he figures he should get one with armor." Haine grinned.
Matt laughed. "I bet I could find him one if I looked," he mused. "What about you?"
"Really? He would go ballistic. And in the good way, not the hold-a-bus-hostage way." Haine laughed. "You mean what do I want? I don't know, I don't really need anything."
"I didn't ask what you needed," Matt said with a grin, poking his nose again. "I wasked what you wanted."
Haine thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe a new blanket. I stole the one I have now from the Bishop ages ago."
"A blanket?" Matt asked incredulously. "Oh come on, give me something fun, it's fucking Christmas!"
He shrugged. "I don't know...I don't spend much time at home, save for sleeping, so I guess something I could take with me? I really don't need anything."
"Got a phone?" Matt asked innocently.
"No."
He grinned. "Well then."
"Hmm?"
Matt just nuzzled his temple again with a soft hum.
Haine sighed, closing his eyes.
Matt sighed as well, thinking about what models to alter for them as he stroked Haine's hair again. At least now he'd have something to work on tomorrow.