xX I promise Xx
Rain splattered onto the cool pavement of the sidewalk, splattering it harshly from the heavens above, like a parent smacking a disobedient child. Icy winds ripped across the atmosphere, screaming their wild calls feverishly from every corner, building, and turn. It was the type of day that nobody wanted to be outside: business men stayed at home, rubbing the family dog and watching football. Children, dismayed from not being able to go outside, made tents using blankets and chairs.
However, during this terrible storm stood a tall, red-headed man, clad head to toe in his own idea of fashion. He was scarcely twenty years of age, yet one look into his brown eyes told tales that not even some full grown men could bear to think about, let alone live through.
He held a sleek, black umbrella firmly over his head, protecting himself from the unforgiving droplets.
"Mello?" He called out into the black abyss of the day, only to have a booming cry of thunder return his worry-filled question. He growled. Damn the rain, and damn Mello.
Where is he? The man thought angrily, running down the sidewalk, constantly glancing around him. He didn't care that he was ruining his favorite pair of leather boots, which had cost him four-hundred dollars, nor did he care about the red locks of hair that fell dangerously over his eyes, which was the thing he hated most of all.
Mello was out there somewhere
And he needed to find him.
"Mello?" he cried out again, the worry in his voice showing itself more than the anger did. "Where are you?" He got no response.
Where could he have gone? The man knew that Mello- only a few years older than he- hated going outside. Whenever he wanted something, he just sent somebody else out to get it. Everything he had to do to capture Kira, for example, was done indoors, either by computer or over the telephone. So, why now?
Especially on a day like this. He thought dully, his two brown eyes- although raging in fear- were half-closed with sleepiness behind the trademark pair of goggles that the red-head always wore. Just five days prior he had won a bidding war against some kid from China for the newest Kingdom Hearts game, and it had just came in- he knew this only a few minutes ago when he tripped over the box it came in.
It was just then he had noticed the body a few feet away, lying on its side. It had blonde hair.
A sting as cold as the rain that fell from the sky hit him full in the chest, nailing his heart and ripping it in two.
"Mello!"
Eyes wide behind his thick frames, the red-head ran over to the unconscious body, his legs pumping harder then they must have ever had to, especially shaking. When he approached the body he knew all too well, he knelt down, soaking the knee of his black leather pants. He pressed his chilled ear against the man's chest, praying more than he had ever had to.
Thump, Thump.
Thank God, he thought, breathing heavily after his long run. He was still alive. Standing, the man picked up the body tenderly like a precious child, or a beautiful little China doll.
In the blinding storm, not even Matt realized that he was crying.
XXX
"Hmm?" Brown eyes slowly opened themselves, adjusting to the light of the bedroom. Where…where was he? The bed he lay in was warm, warming his body neck down comfortingly.
For a few seconds, the blonde enjoyed the haze of confusion in his mind, feeling the sheets in his lean, slender fingers until he finally snapped back into reality and gasped, bolting upright as wet hair tickled his shoulders playfully.
What's going on? He thought to himself, looking around. He didn't remember walking into his bedroom- that was certainty where he was, though. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember much past waking up.
What he could remember, though, wasn't exactly pretty thinking. It had only been a few hours before hand when the man stepped out of his apartment, wearing the normal leather attire. Earlier in the day, the weatherman on the forecast channel predicted a heavy storm later that day, and from what Mello could tell, he had predicted correctly. The sky was becoming fully enveloped in gray, like an artist spilling an entire bucket of gray paint onto the blank canvas that was the heavens.
It was perfect weather for the man's thoughts, however. It didn't matter where he was going, so he didn't bother leaving a note. It's not like anybody cared, anyway. That's the way Mello thought it was ever since…he had come into his life. The blonde still remembered the day- who couldn't? - When Near had stepped into the orphanage for the first time. Mello had snickered behind open books. Never in his wildest dreams would imagine that the sorry-looking boy would take over his life.
They had never gotten along. Oh, yeah, sure, Mello pretended to like him sometimes. It didn't mean he had to, however. Everybody knew that Mello hated being second. Yet, that's all he ever was. And it was always the fault of Near.
Yet, it was one last thing that set him off. One final twist in Mello's never-ending staircase of a life.
Near had become L's true successor.
It was that event that had killed Mello on the inside. Near was only eighteen, while he was entering his twenty-first year. How could Watari have been so stupid as to let a simple-minded teenager who still played with toys take his well-earned position? How could have let some silver haired punk take away his dreams, his ambitions?
It was because of this particular day that Mello was outside, gathering his thoughts.
Suicide seemed the only way to end his misery.
But how? He didn't want to make a mess- It was an unknown fact that Mello had a small trace of OCD- so that ruled out shooting himself. Maybe he would jump of a bridge. An eerie smile played itself onto his lips. Yes. That's how he wanted it all to end.
That was where his memory ended.
The man rolled his eyes. "Well then, I guess somebody actually cares, after all." He muttered. He looked around, still slightly dazed. Due to the dampness of his hair, he was guessing it had rained. Yet, he couldn't tell. From inside the bedroom, there was no window, no looking glass leading to the outside world- only the four crème walls of the safe, solid interior.
He rolled out of bed. That's when he smiled at last. Thankfully, it was his bed, and not the home of some random stranger. That saved an explanation.
The man stretched, pulling on a pair of fresh underwear- he went red at the thought of knowing that whoever had brought him home had also stripped him of his wet clothing- and a pair of sweatpants, grey in color. He didn't bother with a shirt, yet slipped a golden cross onto his neck, held by a matching chain.
Walking out into the hallway in bare feet, he was automatically hit by the overly-obnoxious video game music blasting from the surround-sound speakers in the living room and sighed. Matt.
He took the hallway out into the living room, where he noticed a screen on the T.V reading one word: 'Paused.' After watching Matt play these games hour after hour- Mello really had no interest in video games himself- he knew that this screen normally meant that the player was taking a break. Very un-Matt like, he thought to himself. His brain automatically leapt to two conclusions: Matt was either in the kitchen, or in the bathroom.
Turning his head, he saw through a crack in the bathroom door that the light wasn't on in the bathroom. Which obviously ment he was in the kitchen.
In which he was. Eyes glued to the microwave's window, the man hadn't noticed Mello until he spoke.
"You know, you're really going to damage your eyes if you keep doing that."
"Hmm?" Matt's attention sharply turned to the shorter blonde, who was eyeing him curiously. "Oh, so you're awake." The response was rather dull and monotone, yet Mello wasn't stupid. The flash was only there for a split second, but the blonde saw it.
The glow in Matt's eyes was not ignorable- they said it all.
"Oh, Mello!" They had seemed to scream out. "Thank God you're awake. I was worried about you." Although, that was most likely just him.
"I'm heating up tacos. From Taco Bell." Matt seemed to announce this to nobody in particular. "You want anything?"
"Yeah." Mello said, which almost sounded like a plead or moan. "Chocolate."
"What else is new…?" muttered Matt, but just low enough for Mello to not hear him.
"Hey, it's your place." Said Matt instead. "Go nuts." Mello smirked at his friend's cockiness and led himself to a nearby draw, pulling it open. The draw was filled to the brim with chocolates of all sizes, shapes, and flavors. A few poured out from the draw, hitting the floor with a soft thud. The red-head looked over as the microwave beeped and gave a low whistle. "Wow, somebody's got a sweet tooth."
"At least I don't get into bidding wars over video games with fourteen-year-old kids from Korea." Commented Mello, who opened a selected dark chocolate from the batch and taking off the wrapper like it was a precious document. Matt smirked.
"Whatever. And I'll have you know that he was from sixteen and from China. How did you know, anyway?"
"Receipt. Oh, and you've been talking about it for practically a week." Mello grinned. "Remember, I'm not completely stupid." He looked at the box on his counter, which was feverishly opened to reveal a game for the PlayStation Three. "Huh." He said. "I thought this series only came out to the second game…?"
"Are you serious?!" Matt almost sounded shocked. "That was in 2007! Geeze Mello, get with the times!" The blonde laughed.
"Oh yes, I deeply apologize. Forgive me, O great one." He gave a mock bow and Matt grinned. "Fear it not, peasant. Your life is sparred."
"Excellent." Mello smirked as he sat down at the table, licking his chocolate bar as Matt sat across the table with the meaty tacos, the wireless controller there at the table, waiting for him.
"So…" a silence fell across the two, neither one not knowing what to say. " How long have you been playing this thing?" Mello asked at least. To this question, Matt answered "Ever since I…um…brought you home." Another awkward silence fell upon the two. Matt looked down at the tacos, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore.
"Mello." He spoke so quietly, Mello had barely heard. "What were you doing, anyway? It's not like you to go outside." The blonde only stared down at the chocolate he was licking, his stomach turning. "I…Matt, you wouldn't understand. I—"
From across the table, the red-head grabbed Mello wrist, brown eyes glinting behind the frame's of his goggles. "Mello, tell me." He said, almost as an order. The game and tacos were instantly forgotten, the music drowning itself out to both of the men's ears.
Mello's response came me as a fragile whisper.
"I was going to kill myself, damnit."
"What?!" Matt was shocked. Yeah, Mello could be a little…out of it sometimes. But why? He had known Mello since they were still in diapers, and never would he think to hear that come out of Mello's mouth. He did the only thing he thought he could do: leap from his seat and hug him.
"Matt?" Mello asked, getting a mouthful of the fake fur from his partner's fuzzy vest. "What are you doing?"
"Shhh…" Silenced Matt, hugged the man closer to his chest. His heart pumped ecstatically. He didn't realized how badly he wanted the moment to last between the two. How, if the world had just stopped for that one moment, he would be forever happy. He looked down at Mello, who looked up at him.
Matt pushed a piece of blonde hair from Matt's wide brown eyes, and smirked. "Idiot…" he whispered softly, fighting the stinging sensation in the back of his eyeballs.
That's when he planted his firm wet lips against Mello's unexpecting ones, eyes closed in a mixture of delight and fear.
The kiss was superb and beautiful, rich in emotions that the two didn't even realize they had. The red-headed man's tongue pushed up against Mello's mouth. With reluctance, followed by want, need, and desire, the man of nearly twenty-one opened his mouth a bit, allowing the tongue to slide freely into his mouth and down his throat.
"Mmmmm…" went Mello as Matt slowly pulled his tongue out of Mello's mouth. They both stared at each other for a while, faces so close their breathing felt like one big person. Mello reluctantly blushed, unsure of what to say.
Matt took the stage. "Don't scare me like that, okay?" He locked his eyes into Mello's matching orbs. "Believe it or not, I was actually worried about you, stupid."
Eyes locked into Matt's- The sweet color of the chocolate he loved so much- Mello reached for his gloved hand, holding it firmly in his own.
"I promise."