"I wont." He said. "Let's change the subject now."

"Yes boss."

Drumming his fingers on the wheel, Matt's mind reeled... he *really* needed a smoke...

"That's not really changing the subject.." He looked at Matt, his face no longer in a glare. "You look stressed, why?"

"...Niccotine's wearing off... Will it bother you if we pull over? There's no one around so you don't need to worry about being profiled. Hell, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"No, I guess it wouldn't bother if we pulled over.." He shrugged, staring at Matt.

Pulling off the road, Matt killed the engine, took off his seatbelt and got out of the car. Leaning against the hood, he struck a match and lit up, breathing deep, wondering if Mello would get out or just sit there.

After watching Matt, he yawned and unbuckled his seat belt, getting out of the car. He crossed his arms on the roof, resting his chin on them while he stared at the back of Matt's head.

Watching the smoke rise as he exhaled, Matt muttered "Sun'll come up soon. Always does."

"I wonder why." He said in a sarcastic tone. "I think it's just there to disrupt everything.."

Matt shrugged, not turning around. "One day will be the last day we see it man; You can't exactly claim to have too many dawns in your eyes."

That said, Matt slipped his goggles over his eyes, either to watch the light or to shield what he was thinking.

He pushed off the car and walked over to where Matt was leaning against it. He took the spot beside him, looking at the ground. "What's on your mind, Matt?"

Offering Mello the cigarette without attempting to make eye contact, knowing he'd probably refuse, Matt said "How long have you been fighting, Mel? Against Kira, or Near, or for L? How often do you wake up thinking 'I wish today could be a normal day'?"

He didn't take the cigarette, looking at Matt through the corner of his eye. "Define 'normal day'?"

"No fear, no stress. No wondering when the next shot will be fired. No endless boredom. Being able to go out, and laugh and just, I don't know, fuck around and act your age, instead of being some hardended mafioso killer - slash - self willed outcast suffering for some cause so obscure and internalised it's impossible to tell if you're running straight or haywire."

Taking a drag, the soft glow of false dawn crept around them.

"I think.. I've woken up thinking that a few times.." He shrugged. "But I'm used to everything.."

He looked at the ground again. "Why?"