Poisoned Rationality

Matt sighed. He had to listen to the white noise tone in his earpiece for several minutes before his MMORPG character was in a safe enough position to log out. Fighting a boss while listening to Mello demanding decisions in his ear had been nearly fatal. His hitpoints had sunk below ten several times. He\'d wasted potions and food, scribbling down an address with his left hand, while his right hand clicked the mouse like mad. So much so that he\'d probably have to bank before venturing further into that cave. He stood, collected up his cigarettes, lighter, wallet, keys, semi-automatic and anti-depressants. Suitably ready for anything, he left the flat and drove towards the New Forest.



It had been his idea to get a place of their own, bought outright to avoid having to make regular payments to anyone. However, the logistics of that were intensely tedious. In Mello\'s masterplan for the destruction of Matt\'s mind, the central circle had been boredom. The games, the television and films, even the skipping class back when they were teenagers, were all explained in Mello\'s vision as mediums to stave off that horrific state. If you want to break Matt, first you bore him to death. Right now, Matt would take being shackled to a bed for twenty days over house-hunting. He\'d accompanied Mello on the first day of it, but mutual consent meant that that never happened again.



To be fair, Mello did have an impossible remit. Matt strongly suspected that it was the very challenge of it that kept his lover out there searching with the same sort of intensity and passion that he had put into finding Kira. Their ideal home had to be close to a city, but with no neighbours and it definitely couldn\'t be in the countryside; it had to be big enough to house a library of books, a massive computer collection, a study for Mello to have peace and quiet in and, but this was negotiable, a paintballing room, but it also had to be small enough to be able to be kept clean without hiring any staff; it was to have no garden, unless that could be turned into a racetrack, but it had to be able to accommodate at least two cars, one motorcycle and, possibly, a helicopter depending on whether Mello bought one or not. The New Forest sounded suspiciously like the countryside to Matt.



He stopped in Southampton to buy an A-Z map of the area that he was heading into, then spent a few minutes committing it to memory. While he was there, he nipped into Games World and bought a couple of games that he hadn\'t been able to rip from a torrent. A display caught his attention and he zoned out. It was only as another customer bumped into him that he became aware of his surroundings again. He glanced back and noted the cashier watching him. They probably thought he was a shoplifter. Matt\'s gaze took in the cameras and the security gate; he mentally ticked off the things that he would have to do to disable them both. Then noticed the clock. It had been nearly an hour and half since Mello had called. He had better get a move on.



The area was indeed countryside. There were trees and heathland. The traffic signs warned of horses, cattle and deer. Just when Matt became convinced that he had been lured into the back of beyond, he drove into a village and recognised a streetname from the checklist in his head. It looked nearly like civilisation, but the road petered out into a trackway and more trees lined it. Half-persuaded that this was the wrong way, he was looking for somewhere to turn around when he spotted Mello\'s motorcycle. Admitting defeat, Matt parked beside it, switched the engine off, took two pills, lit a cigarette and stepped out.



The house was a reasonable size. Almost completely enclosed by forest, there was a lightness to the southern sky that suggested more open land back there. Matt opened the gate, leading into a tiny garden, and brushed past overgrown lavendar to reach the front door. It was ajar, but he knocked anyway. No-one responded, so he called. "Mello." There was still no reply. Matt pushed it fully open and peered inside. The hallway floor was covered with tiny mosaic tiles, in blue and white. It had a musty Victorian feel to it, implying a home filled with nooks and crannies and therefore a complete pain to keep tidy. Dark oak stairs rose in front of him, the windows spanning their height were stained glass. They depicted some of the happier scenes from the Bible. Matt leaned back outside and read the house name. The Vicarage. "Right." Matt breathed and finished his cigarette in the doorway waiting to be noticed.



No-one came, even when he called out again. Matt stepped inside and opened a door, peering into the parlour. Many of the furnishings were still there, dark oak to match the fittings. Ancient crockery hung from the walls and Matt imagined the fun they would have on the day that Mello smashed those up. Walking onwards, led him into the kitchen. It was light and airy, a sense of quiet homeliness prevaded it. It was through this window that he finally spotted his lover. Mello was lying on a settee swing, eating chocolate and reading. He looked so calm and peaceful that Matt decided there and then that if Mello wanted this place, it was their\'s.



There was a door leading outside from the kitchen, but it was locked, so Matt threaded his way back through the house to another likely exit he\'d glimpsed before. On the way, he glanced into another room and stopped dead. Reversing a couple of steps, he pushed the door to see more properly what his mind had registered. It was a tiny chapel. There was even a statue of the crucified Christ attached to the wall. Narrow slits of windows in clear glass illuminated it. Matt rolled his eyes and backed out. He found the backdoor and it too was ajar.



Birdsong assaulted his ears as soon as he was outside. Matt guessed that they would make a right racket at the dawn. The air tasted vaguely salty, confirming the map\'s information that they were closer to the sea here. That meant seagulls dive-bombing them. The trees seemed further back out here. Still close enough for the risk of squirrels, but leaving enough room for their vehicles. There were outhouses which could be converted into workshops. One was even big enough to drive his car inside, in case he needed to take it apart in the rain. Matt turned to inspect the wires leading into the house. They appeared to be electrical cables. He checked the signal on his \'phone and it was full.



Sauntering the rest of the distance to the swing, Matt leaned against the pole. "I don\'t know where we\'re going to put your books."



Mello grinned into his book. "There\'s a really big second bedroom. I thought there."



"Do you want it, Mello?"



"Yes please." The grin became decidedly smug. "There\'s a rally car racing track ten minutes up the road."



"You outdid yourself." Matt smiled and leaned down to kiss his lover. "Ok, give me the details and I\'ll sort out the small-print."



"You can\'t. It\'s your birthday present." Mello unfolded himself from the swing and looked around with barely concealed contentment. So much more relaxed than he had been in the fortnight since his breakdown. "You\'ll have to sign, because it\'ll be in your name, but I have to do everything until that point."



Matt stared, "My name?"



"Your passport name, silly." Mello took his hand, then wrapped himself around him. "Do you like it, Matty?"



"My name?" Matt repeated. "I\'m going to own this?" He blinked. "Fuck, I only got you some chocolate and a book." He caught the frown on Mello\'s face and smiled. "I love it. Thank you, Mihael. It\'s really perfect for us." He kissed him.



Mello removed his glove and raised his hand, showing the ring around his finger. "You got me far more than that." He shook his head slowly. "You really do have no idea what you did to me that day. A house is nothing compared to that."



Matt smirked. "Yeah, well." He squeezed Mello\'s waist and looked past him at the forest. "It\'s going to be a bugger to fit all the sensors and monitors around those trees. Every fucking passing deer is going to set them off."



"You\'ll think of something." Mello winked and touched his backside, before practically sashaying back towards the house. "Come on, I\'ll give you a tour."