Surprise chapter and small hiatus. My next few weeks are going to be extremely busy so I'm putting this chapter up early and leaving this until June. Please rate and review to make the writers feel good!

Chapter 10 The Two Ms

Despite the teacher's confidence he could make Mello go the next morning, it didn't quite work that well. "I'm not going anywhere until it's decided," Mello said stubbornly after the arms instructor told him about the offer that he'd given Matt. And he didn't listen to anything else the man said. After a few minutes the teacher sighed and gave up. Fine, whatever. They waited at the hotel for Matt to come.

Matt laid on his bed for hours, contemplating his decision. It really shouldn't be so hard, should it? His loyalty was to his home. And it was true it wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it was what he knew, where he had been born and raised by his mother, at least for a while. What was Wammy's? Some school in England he had been carted off to. Who was Mello? Some guy he had known for a week.

Still...they had done a lot together in that week. Blown up a cereal box. Had a drink. Shot guns. Screwed up a coffee shop. Hell, he had "bought" makeup for the guy. And the guy had chased him across the country, for whatever reason. And then there was the school, which was giving him an opportunity to make use of his skills for something good for once.

He eventually fell asleep and woke up in the morning, to a call from the front desk, saying he had received a message. He went to get it and is handed an envelope. Back in his room he opened it; the ID was sleek as hell. No one would guess that it was a fake; it was even made from the same plastic. And the picture...Matt couldn't help but think he looked rather cute as a girl. But he frowned as he stared at it; this piece of plastic had cost him thousands of dollars, and the woman he had bribed thousands more. Half had been paid up front already. He had risked everything with his plan. Could he really just give it up like that?

He considered leaving right then, getting out of the city and returning only for his flight tomorrow. They didn't know of his plan. But the army instructor still had his console. He tried to pass it from his mind, told himself he didn't need it. But it was more than the games. That console had been a gift from his mother. It was years ago and it was an old model, but it was the one time that it didn't matter to him. Try as he might, he couldn't leave it.

So it was with a heavy heart that Matt dragged his feet back to the hotel, the cold beating on him harder than usual. If the right decision was to carry on with his plan, then why did he feel so bad? He hadn't felt that way yesterday. He stopped in front of the hotel's entrance, staring at the sign for some minutes.

Mello hadn't been able to stand waiting inside with the silent teacher any longer. The man's frustration that Mello had refused to leave had been palpable and filled the atmosphere of the room until he'd fled outside. He was sitting on a boulder on the far side of the hotel reading a book.

He glanced up once and noticed Matt. His face went expressionless. He slipped the small, leather bound book into his coat pocket and approached Matt, his tired mind trying to think of what to say. He wasn't mad still. But when he saw the other boy and thought of him leaving anger and frustration stirred in him. He didn't want to be locked away at the school anymore. In the week Matt had been there things had been...interesting. The prospect of how dull it would be after Matt was gone made him wince inwardly. "Hey," he greeted Matt when he was a few feet away. He stopped there, his hands tucked into his pockets and his breath clouding around his face.

Matt had been so absorbed in thought he hadn't noticed the other boy approach until he spoke. He snapped back to reality, and for a moment a smile flickered across his face. He couldn't help it; part of him was happy to see Mello.

"Hey," he said, the smile replaced by a frown. He looked at the ground with his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. He didn't say anything for a long time, feeling as though he was stuck in eternal limbo.

"...I can't do it," he said softly, staring at the ground. "I can't." He paused, something else on the tip of his tongue. "Look. I'm sorry for all those shitty things I said. I was pissed off, and I acted like a huge dick." He shrugged his shoulders. "Just thought you should know."

"You did at that," he said with a slight smirk. But after a moment it faded and he sneezed. "But yeah I-" he looked away. "Guess I'm sorry too. For what I did. And for punching you yesterday."

Mello shrugged. "Don't worry. I didn't expect you to come back." Frustration stirred again and flickered in his eyes; he looked away. He brought one hand out of his pocket. There was a crumpled piece of paper gripped in that hand. "I wrote down my email if you want to...stay in touch or something."

Matt nodded at the other boy. "No worries," he said quietly. He wasn't going to hold his grudge anymore. There was no point to it. But Mello seemed to be taking the news pretty well. And why did that upset him?

Matt slowly reached out his hand and accepted the paper. "Thanks," he said. "I just might." And he meant it. But there was one lingering question in his mind; he wasn't ready to leave yet. "Ah...Why did you come after me, all this way? I don't get it."

The moment Matt took the paper Mello put his hand back in his pocket to hide the slight tremor. His face was carefully controlled but he was struggling to keep down the turmoil of emotion. He was not angry, he kept repeating to himself. Why then did he want to grab Matt and force him to come back? He'd promised they weren't dragging him back...

He swallowed, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets. This was the type of thing that made him punch walls. "I didn't want you to just disappear," he said softly, not looking at Matt but out over the nearby forest. "I...knew you would leave eventually but I figured it would be a little longer and that we'd say good bye." He shrugged, a flush coming over fair skin. "Guess that sounds stupid." His voice was getting softer. "But I just didn't want..." He fell silent altogether. Stupid stupid stupid.

Matt's face twitched with conflicting emotion at the other boy's words. His lips twitched, and he had to look away before his expression betrayed him. He didn't know what to say. He'd never really felt like a criminal before, even though he'd done criminal acts, so then why did he feel like a villain right now?

"It's my home, dude," he said slowly, trying to explain himself to Mello, wanting him to understand. "It's where I belong. It's... not perfect, but... neither am I." His face twitched again and he swiped at his eyes with his sleeve.

Mello nodded, ignoring the prickling of his eyes. He blinked a few times, still looking out over the forest and was glad for the excuse he had to sniff. "I know," he said, doing his best to keep his voice neutral and speak more clearly than he had before. "You've been too miserable at the school."

Everything about this moment felt wrong. They were both unhappy. Matt was making both of them unhappy. Why the hell was he unhappy? He rocked back on his feet, once, then twice, then took a step forward and hugged Mello. "I'm sorry," he whispered, fighting to control his emotions. "For everything."

The hug caught Mello off guard. He hesitantly patted Matt's back. "Hey don't worry about it," he said and managed a smile. "You'll have fun again. And I'll play your video games." He doubted he would. Even the thought stung when he considered it.

Matt nodded and took a deep breath. He held the hug a little longer than he probably should have, and broke away hesitantly. He put his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. His eyes were red from the effort of holding himself back.

"Y-You'll never beat my high scores," he managed, with a laugh that came out like a choke. He bit his lip and rocked on his heels. It was the time for him to turn around and leave, but it seemed like a monumental task and his feet felt like lead.

Mello snorted. "Yeah whatever. And don't do anything stupid. I don't want to hear about you going to prison."

Matt chuckled a little despite himself. "Yeah, didn't you know? I'm going to be your nemesis now. Wasn't that the whole point of this?"

A few moments pass then Mello sighed and took the console out of the inside pocket of his coat. "The teacher gave me this to give back to you when I came outside," he said softly. He'd known if Matt's answer was no he wouldn't want to come inside and speak to him anymore.

He was so caught up in the turmoil he had almost forgotten about his console; how could he have? It was the whole reason he had come back. Wasn't it? He took the console from Mello, tucking it into his pocket. "Thanks..." He felt its smooth surface, gripping it tightly.

This was it. There was nothing left to say. He looked at Mello with his red eyes, shook his head, and turned to leave, his breath caught in his chest.

Mello hunched his shoulders and watched Matt walk away, struggling more than ever to keep himself under control. He would've gone after Matt, he knew he would've…but that chance is taken from him.

While they had been talking a black car had driven by the hotel a few times. The moment Matt got out of the hotel parking lot the black car passed again. This time it pulled up to the sidewalk and stopped. In seconds a dark haired young man, smiling a little in amusement, hopped out, grabbed Matt and pulled him into the car and it drove away. Mello stared for a few seconds then turned and ran into the hotel.

"Oi! What the hell?!" Matt yelled as he was suddenly stuffed into a strange car. No way. He wasn't just kidnapped, was he? This was just fucking great. He glanced wildly around as the car sped off.

"Hey! Hey! Let me out!" He yelled, thumping on the door, panic setting in. He glanced around wildly. The man who had grabbed him looked to be a young adult in his 20s. He had dark bags under his eyes - probably a pedophile - and was sitting in an extremely peculiar position.

"Calm down now, I will," the young man told Matt. But the car was leaving the town and circling around towards one of the nearby castles. He leaned back and studied Matt intently, not seeming to realize how this must seem. Or he did realize and didn't care.

Matt didn't know what to make of the man's words, but his assertion didn't exactly help. "What the hell is this? Where are you taking me, you fucking pervert?" He kicked the seat in front of him viciously. He looked out the window; they were leaving the town. Fuck. Oh fuck. This was bad. Had Mello seen? It might be his only chance.

"I am not a pervert," the man informed him and put a hand on Matt's knee. "Stop kicking. You'll hurt Watari." They pull up to the old castle and L whistled. "I always love these kinds of places," he said cheerfully. "Mind if we go for a walk?"

Watari. He remembered the name instantly. His face expressed surprise, then confusion, then bewilderment. "Watari...?" He stopped kicking and tried to look around the seat. So this was the Watari who knew of him. Then could this other person be...

No way. Matt stared at the man dumbly, though he noticed when they stop. He looked out the window again. They were at a... castle? This had gone from confusing to...more confusing. He didn't respond, his heart still hammering in his chest, but he got out of the car and followed the other, his body tense all over.

After they got out the car pulled away. L put his hands in his pockets and started walking. "Sorry for startling you. We would've pulled into the parking lot and invited you in but you looked like you were having such a touching moment with the other M we didn't want to interrupt. And when we came back around you were leaving so we had to act quick."

Matt felt a bit better now that the car had pulled away, but he was still at a castle with a strange man who may... or may not be... the world-famous L. If he'd been made aware of the occasion he might have been flattered but as it stood, he was disoriented and on his guard. "So what do you want with me?" He asked gruffly, his hands in his pockets, gripping his console.

"Nothing," L replied casually, stopping and peering up at the high stone wall. "I just wanted to meet the boy who turned Wammy's house on its ear before you disappeared back into the American underworld. Watari and I had a bet going whether you'd accept the job offer or not. I don't know why he bets against me though. Guess he still thinks kindly of people."

He stared at the older man in bewilderment, then cracked up laughing. He couldn't help it; this situation was so bizarre. When he collected himself, he grinned at L. "So the great L bet I wouldn't, huh," he said with a grin. "Guess they don't call you the best for nothing. What'd you bet anyways?" He was curious now.

"A month's worth of desserts against a first edition book Watari wanted," he replied solemnly. "After we talk here Watari is treating me to a cake at the bakery in town to start the month." He smiled in anticipation.

Matt snickered at this. "Desserts, huh?" He could relate; junk food was pretty great, and desserts were a kind of junk food, weren't they? "I get that."

He followed L through the castle a few paces behind, watching him in curiosity. He had a whole set of bizarre traits; the way he held things, the way he walked, even the way he looked at things. He almost looked spaced out, but Matt knew that couldn't be the case. The guy was a legendary genius. "I heard of you, before Wammy's, you know," he said to the older man. "But they say no one's ever seen you."

L shrugged, looking up at an ancient painting of some long dead lord. "Going out is a pain. And of course nobody ever sees 'L'. It'd hardly make sense for me to go around introducing myself as that when I do go out, now would it?" He moved on. "You'd know all about that though. Even before we got hold of you your name was being forgotten. That's not very common. Most people cling to their names like it's something important. Even a lot of students at Wammy's house go back to their real names when they transfer to other schools."

Matt followed L's line of sight to the painting, though it didn't particularly interest him. The person he was with was far more interesting, in his opinion. "I suppose that makes sense," he conceded with a small smile.

He considered L's second point. "Name's aren't really that important," he said casually. "They're just a bunch of sounds grouped together, like any other word, and words change all the time. I never went by my real one online. I got a lot of names, and one main handle for my work. Not a lot of people call me by my real name anymore. But it's just a piece of data, and data gets lost all the time, and most people hardly notice at all."

"Lost in the slush pile," L remarked absently. Though he didn't elaborate on that thought. He turned and kept walking. "It is interesting," he remarked. "Watari wasn't sure about giving you a name that started with M. The other M is such a firebrand he thought for sure that would mark you out as a hated rival for him. Even more than N since you shared his letter. A rival for his rank or place or whatever theory the teachers are forming and whispering about now concerning the code names. But you two seemed to get along pretty well."

Matt nodded, feeling he somehow understood what L meant. He supposed he had been lost for a long time, himself. "Ugh, yeah what was up with giving me such a boring name?" He asked L. "Who decided on Matt?" He made a face.

L's mentioning of Mello made him think. "Yeah, he's not so bad once you get past his temper," he said with a slight smile. "He's a good guy, for the most part. Bit of a sweet tooth himself."

L smiled. "I did, actually," he told him, sounding amused. "Not for you personally. But on the list for incoming students. It was Watari's decision to give it to you. I think he was curious what would happen with the two M's." He continued to walk with his slouched amble.

This made Matt laugh a bit again. "So what, like a human guinea pig experiment?" He asked. "Or like two Beta fish? Stick em together and see if they kill each other? That's twisted dude." But he was grinning about it; it was like some odd practical joke, in a way. He could appreciate that.

"Well, in a way Wammy's house is one big social experiment," he said off-handedly, looking uninterested. "And if M had been a name given to almost anyone else it would've created fiction between the two. Most of the students at the House are extremely competitive."

"Heh, sounds about right," he said, agreeing with L's logic. He didn't really mind being part of a social experiment as long as it was interesting enough. He continued following L. "So you really just wanted to meet me?" He asked. "Cause like, I'm flattered dude, but I'm not that interesting; at least, probably not to someone like you."

"On the contrary, I find you very interesting. I don't deal with kids very often and this was quite...fun. Particularly the reactions it caused in you and in the other M. He will be jealous of you by now. We should head back."

"Well I guess you're not so bad yourself," Matt said with a smile. He was tempted to high-five the detective but he had a feeling he'd be left hanging, so he didn't. Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "I don't think Mello will ever find out about this," he said. "After all, I'm not going back to Wammy's."

L smiled. "He already knows," he told Matt. "It would've been...unpleasant if we'd gotten your teacher coming after us, guns blazing. So Watari contacted him about us being in town this morning. After he dropped us off he went to have tea with them. He'll come pick us up in a few minutes."

He rubbed one barefoot against the leg of his jeans. They were feeling a little cold against the stone floor. "Besides, you should talk to the other M one more time," he said casually. "Or you could email him if you'd rather. It is tiresome talking to people face to face. Way too much drama." He shrugged absently and kept walking, seeing a little more before they leave.

Matt was rather taken aback by this. "Damn, you work quickly," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Wish I had a sidekick like that."

He kicked a rock on the ground. He thought meeting someone like L would be more...epic, or revealing, or something. He could definitely use a cooler outfit, maybe a cape. His expression became sad at L's mention of speaking to Mello. "I got nothin' left to say to him though," he said, glowering at the ground. In person or via email, they had already said their goodbyes.

L studied him, looking vaguely interested. "Really?" He asked. "Then why do you look like someone stole your cake? I thought you'd be excited about going back to New York."

He turned and watched the car threading its way through the trees as it approached the castle. "Though like I said, I don't pretend to know kids. Is it your nap time or something? Didn't mean to stop you from going back to your hotel and resting."

Matt looked at L in surprise. Like someone took his cake...? That can't be right... He thought about this for some time. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "Yesterday, I was ready to do anything to get away from this place and go home. But today feels...different, and I don't get why. It doesn't make sense," he confided. "The whole time I've been here, I've been thinking about getting back to New York. So why should that change, just cause some guy I hardly know chased me down with another guy who offered me a job?" He watched the car approach them and grumbled, "Nap time? How old do you think I am?"

"Dunno," he replied vaguely and shrugged. "I still like naps when I'm not busy and I certainly liked them at Wammy's house. So don't see age makes such a difference for that."

He stepped toward the car but glanced back. "I wouldn't know the answer to your other question. I'd guess maybe you're ready for a change. But if you don't know why you're not happy about leaving, how should I know?" He got into the car.

Matt frowned and crossed his arms at this. "You know, you may be the world's greatest detective, but you give real shitty advice," he grumbled. He followed L into the car and stared out the window silently.

"Who ever said I give good advice?" L asked and put his hands behind his head, leaning back at an angle and looking at the ceiling.

Ready for a change, huh? Matt mulled those words over in his head. What kind of crap was that? He was always changing, adapting, and learning new things. But then... why hadn't he adapted to Wammy's? He twitched at that thought, his failure.

"...I guess I'm maybe a little scared," he said self-consciously, to the window, not really talking to anyone in particular. The words stung, but there was a ring of truth to them. "I'm used to living by myself, doing what I want." He sighed. "I stopped going to school, back home. And Wammy's has all these rules about what I have to do, and what I can and can't do...And there's so many people around, all the time..." He swallowed. "I was used to being alone." Damn, this shit hurt to say out loud.

Watari glanced at L and at Matt in the rear view mirror. Really. L could be such a brat sometimes. "You would have more freedom with this job," he commented, speaking for the first time. "Much more." And that was all he said right then. He was sure he didn't need to list the specifics of that freedom for Matt to understand. Even if on paper he was a student he would really be a paid employee and so not be limited to the student rules as much.

It was the first time he had heard Watari speak, and it caught him off-guard. He studied the figure, from what he can see of his back and the mirror reflection. He looked almost...grandfatherly, somehow, from what Matt could tell. His eyes seemed kind.

"Why are you even offering me this job in the first place?" He asked the elderly man. "I'm a criminal, remember? You really trust me with the school's security system? I mean, what's the catch?"

"For the same reason you were brought to the school in the first place," he told Matt. "You're an extremely talented boy. I wanted to see that talent put to good use."

He fixed his eyes back on the road. "You need a chance to test your abilities and for them to grow in a setting that won't land you in prison. I wanted the school to provide that setting. If it can't for you as a student then you can explore your abilities as an employee and have more freedom. As long as you don't abuse that freedom too much there is no catch." For a split second he met Matt's eyes through the mirror. "I'm trusting you to be honorable. If you make me regret it...well, you'll regret it too." L began to whistle a merry tune, still apparently fascinated with the roof of the car.

Matt thought about this. So the person who was responsible for bringing him here hadn't seen him as a criminal? Even Mello had seen him as a criminal, at least at first. He had no idea what Mello thought of him now. Probably that he was an asshole. He hadn't done anything to make Watari believe in him, yet he did. Why was that? He didn't deserve it. It amounted to blind faith.

And although he took pleasure in causing others trouble, he didn't want to go to prison. Where he was from, they were overcrowded. He probably wouldn't last a day, even though he could get along just fine elsewhere. He had seen hardened criminals, and he had sense enough to know he wasn't like them. Those guys who'd slit your throat if you so much as looked at them the wrong way, they'd have him gutted within an hour.

So then maybe this decision was more than just about home, and being where he felt he belonged. It was about choosing a side. Wammy's and New York lay before him, in perfect dichotomy. New York, where he'd have all the freedom in the world as long as he didn't get caught, and would continue his life with his clients and illegal activities, associates who wanted revenge, or to cause a little trouble here and there, or play the system and get filthy rich. And Wammy's, where there were rules and curfews and a small little town that was nothing like New York, but where he was being asked to serve a higher purpose, to make use of his talents for something better than what he'd made for himself. Than what he believed he was capable of.

This older man, who believed in him more than anyone else ever had in his entire life, made him want to be better. He took a deep breath and stilled his hands, which shook from the stress of this monumental decision. It was a decision that would affect his entire life tremendously.

He grasped his console in his pocket, a sacred memento that he had risked just to come back and say no. If he cleared his name, became a hacker of prestige instead of infamy, maybe he'd be able to return to New York one day, as himself. But if he did, he would come back better than when he had left.

He let out a heavy, burdened and slightly sarcastic groan. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint an old man," he said with a forced smirk.

"I prefer to be called experienced," Watari told him mildly, smiling. Beside Matt, L sighed gustily and turned to look out the window, an annoyed, petulant expression coming over his features. Watari's smile widened. "I look forward to getting that book, L," he informed the younger man smugly.

"Noted," he said to Watari. "And I ain't decided nothing yet. I got some conditions, and I gotta talk with the powers that be first." He'd let L hold out some hope for a few more minutes anyways. Though he did notice the detective's change of expression, and it made him snicker.

When they get back to the hotel the arms instructor was sitting at the cafe downstairs with a newspaper. He glanced up when they came in and waved. "Oh good, you found him," he commented. As if he hadn't been told that they'd grabbed Matt off the street. He looked comfortable and at ease. Truly as if he'd simply been waiting for Matt to come and give his answer still. "Matt, Mello is up in the room packing. Why don't you go tell him to come down?" He asked off hand and offered a key. "It's 213."

Matt walked into the hotel and saw the arms instructor completely at ease, just like the cool jackass he was. It made him grin as he lit a cigarette right in the cafe, much to the employees' dismay. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be your little errand boy I guess," he said, taking the key. "But I gotta talk to ya both actually. Just a sec." And he took off down the hallway, trailing cigarette smoke and walking with a casual gait.

He got to the door and rapped on it with the back of his knuckles sternly. "We got a code 42 and need you to evacuate the premises immediately!" He yelled at the door. "You got exactly ten seconds before this whole place goes up in smoke!"

Inside the room there was a loud thump of someone caught off guard and muffled oaths. Despite this it was a few minutes before the door opened.

Mello looked at Matt. He was only in long sleeves and pants and socks. He'd reapplied the make up quickly but there was some streaks in it. "Was that really necessary?" He muttered, looking bad tempered. "What do you want?"

Matt can't help but laugh at the noises from inside the room, vocal and otherwise. He blinked at the other boy's disheveled appearance, and laughed some more. He put his hands over his heart. "Aw, and here I thought you'd be happy to see me," he said dramatically, wiping a pretend tear from his eye. Then he straightened up. "C'mon blondie, I got somethin' to say, and I ain't saying it twice." He grabbed him by the hand and towed him down the hallway.

"What do you-" Mello fell silent when Matt grabbed his hand and they were running. He should've put on shoes before he came to the door. He'd been so focused on making the streaks in the foundation less apparent that other things hadn't come to mind.

"That was quick," the teacher commented. He had a cup of coffee now and Watari had tea. L was sitting oddly in his chair, stirring hot chocolate and sulking.

Matt led Mello to beside the army instructor then dropped his cigarette butt in the ashtray on the table. He stood before the odd assortment of individuals with a firm stance, his hands in his pockets. "I suppose you're wondering why I gathered you all here today," he said, sighing deeply. "It seems that in one short week, I've irreversibly changed the lives of the four people before me with my awesomeness and epic skills." He grinned mischievously. "As my most loyal fans, your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and as my fellow celebrities would say, I am nothing without my supporters. So I'm making you an offer."

He looked between the army instructor and Watari. "I ain't doing track, or swimming, or English. I already know how to read." He pretended to think a bit. "And if you want me getting anything done at all outside of all these classes you're making me take, that curfew's gotta change." Then he turned and looked at Mello squarely. "And I know part of the deal involved me getting my own space, but here's the thing. A ton of my stuff's already in a room at Wammy's, and it would be a pain in the ass to move it all. It took me forever to get everything settled already, and I don't really wanna have to do it again." He grinned at the blonde boy. "So the room situation has gotta stay. And I'm sorry people, but this is a make or break deal." He bowed overly formerly to everyone, but then looked at Mello. "My fate is in your hands."

There was silence for a few heartbeats after Matt fell silent, as if they were expecting him to say more. Then the first sound was a clatter as L set down his hot chocolate a little roughly and got up. He slouched out, a sulky expression even more apparent on his face.

Matt watched L leave in obvious amusement. For a world-famous detective, he sure had one hell of a pouty face. He patiently waits for the others' responses, but particularly Mello's. He had already spoken to the army instructor about most of this.

Mello watched L go then noticed that the two remaining adults are focused on him. "Wait, I'm deciding?" He asked in evident surprise. Somehow despite Matt addressing him he hadn't realized that he'd actually be the one who could decide whether Matt stayed his roommate, considering the others present are a teacher and the founder himself. "Course we can still share a room," he muttered and met Matt's eyes swiftly before looking away.

He smirked delightedly at Mello's response, only realizing then that he had been holding his breath. His speech had been partly in jest, but he still felt a certain sense of relief. It was true that he wouldn't have gone back if Mello hated his guts.

Watari nodded and sipped his tea. "As for the curfew...as you'll be doing security you don't have to worry about it." He paused. "God help us," he added, but he seemed more amused then worried. The arms instructor, who as a teacher will have to deal more directly with the issue this posed, groaned.

"Well, I think this calls for a celebratory smoke then," Matt said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it before offering the pack around, a waitress made displeased sounds behind him. He sat down and took a long drag.

The teacher snorted and shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "Easy for you to say, Watari," he grumbled at the founder and took a cigarette when Matt passed the case to him. Watari declined the cigarette.

Feeling a bit stunned by the sudden turn around, Mello climbed into the chair L had left and pulled his feet under him to make it less obvious he was in socks. He took the cigarette container when it was passed to him and took one out before passing it back to Matt. Watari frowned. "You've corrupted him," he commented. Mello snorted, and a little more at ease reached over to light it on the lighter the arms instructor was holding out. Watari shook his head and got up. "Well, I should probably take my leave."

Matt laughed at Watari's suggestion. "If holding out a package is all it takes to corrupt someone, then this whole planet is screwed," he commented with a wry smile. But then his smile was replaced by a more solemn expression. "Thanks," he said to Watari. "For what you said, back there."

Watari nodded solemnly and patted Matt's shoulder as he passed. "It wasn't anything but the truth, but I'm glad I was able to help." Putting his hat on his head he walked out.

Matt mulled over his decision in his head as he smoked his cigarette. He still wasn't sure he'd made the right choice, but he supposed a lot of big things in life were that way. Either way it had been his decision, completely, and wasn't that important?