The Great Escape

Matt:

Mello's sitting on the couch. His blond hair is in its usually place, the leather shining as sunlight filters through our dusty window. He's facing opposite me, though I can't tell whether it's because he doesn't want to look at me or he just wants to look that way. He notices me staring.

"Okay, let's go over the plan again," he says.

Seconds later, my brain registers his voice; the voice that I'd heard nearly my whole childhood and up 'til now. It's changed, though. Deeper.

"I don't want to," I tell him. I eye the PSP that's sitting on our coffee table, beside Mello's chocolate bar. We've put off our addictions since this morning. I wonder if it was the anxiety; I mean, after all, there was a 98% chance we would die tomorrow.

And we were wasting our last day together.

"Up," I order. It's unusual for me to act like I was in charge, but it's my last day, anyway. Might as well live it to the fullest.

Mello glares at me. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" he hisses. "We need to go over the plan. It needs to be executed perfectly. We can't mess up tomorrow, Matt. We can't afford to do that."

"I've come to memorize the plan so well that I practically see your words imprinted in my eyelids when I close my eyes," I say. Then my tone switches to a hint of pleading. "Why can't we just...enjoy today?"

Pictures of you, pictures of me, remind us all of what we could've been

Mello's eyes narrow. "Because I said so! Do you want to die in vain, Mail Jeevas? No? Then sit your ass down and go over the fucking plan with me!" He shouts.

Normally, I would have obeyed. Not now. But before I could protest, he adds softly, "I'm sorry, Matt. I'm just...stressed, okay?" He gives an apologetic smile.

"Then let's go out. And this time, we'll hold hands." I smile at the thought.

"But the people would--"

"Screw the people. It's probably our last day living, our last night, so why not let loose?"

There's a pause. Mello bites his lip and I can see those gears in his genius mind turning, debating. "Okay," he says finally. My heart speeds up at his approval. "Only if you promise not to forget the plan."

I grin. "Of course not!" I turn and speed off to change. I hear Mello chuckling as I pull on my striped shirt.

Once we're changed, I grab Mello's hand and run out of our apartment. Stumbling onto asphalt, I scream, "We're free!" and take off running again, half-dragging Mello behind me.

I can't sleep alone anymore; I need you here with me

We run until we reach the neighborhood park. There's some people scattered around, but I don't care as I plant my feet firmly on the grass. The fountain trickles softly behind me. Mello's barely panting, although I am, because I was never one who exercised vigorously.

"Idiot." Mello jokingly hits my arm. He's in a good mood now.

"Mhm," I murmur. I grab his shoulders, spinning him to face me and press my lips against his. They're soft and the taste of chocolate lingers. After a few seconds I pull away.

And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you'd feel me somehow

"Public display of affection, huh?" Mello smirks a little.

"Love you," I whisper in his ear.

Mello's breath hitches but he doesn't say anything. I'm a little disappointed.

"Next," I tell him as I pull him to an ice cream stand. "We are going to get three scoops of ice cream, take a nice walk down that path over there, and have a nice time."

I order a mix of vanilla and chocolate, because I don't like too much chocolate at a time. Predictably, Mello gets three scoops of chocolate ice cream. As we lap at our ice cream, we start walking down the path I'd seen earlier.

"Matt," Mello says. I turn to him. "Sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"It's okay." My gaze wanders around as we continue walking. There are a few teenagers up ahead, laughing and having a good time. For a second, I envy the way they can just...cut loose without worrying.

"Hm. I can't believe I'm actually jealous of them," I hear Mello grumble.

I squeeze his hand reassuringly. "That makes two of us, then, right?" I grin.

Mello continues to lick at his ice cream. "What's that over there?" He points somewhere to the right. I follow his finger and see the thing that has piqued Mello's interest. It's a factory, and probably abandoned, by the look of it.

I tell him, "A factory." Then my eyes widen the tiniest bit when I see the rusted sign. "A chocolate factory."

Mello barely suppresses a squeal of joy. "Let's go!" He starts to drag me to the factory.

"You know it's abandoned, right?" I ask him as I let myself be dragged.

"Yes." Mello's looking at it, almost hungrily. "I just want to see the inside."

I was never too fond of dark places, but I go in after him because I want him to be happy.

Let me light up the sky, light it up for you. Let me tell you why: I would die for you.

We spend a few minutes wandering in darkness. My ice cream was long since gone, so I made sure to hold on to Mello's hand with one hand, and hold on to the edge of his vest with my other.

How does he see in these circumstances?

There's a loud click followed by a whirring sound. My grip on Mello's hand tightens and my foot takes a step backward, ready to get out of there.

"Wait," Mello whispers. I automatically obey.

There's a blinding light and I shut my eyes.

"Oh, wow," Mello gasps.

Slowly, I peel my eyes open. The light takes a while to get used to, but I'm able to see the conveyor belt. Various machines poked out of random places. "Matty, look." Mello tugs on my hand like an excited child. "There's a giant chocolate mixer over there."

We make our way to the right side of the room, where a big metal bowl rests, a huge whisk hanging above it. I trail my hand across the edge of the bowl and feel the dust I gather. "This place must have been abandoned for a long time," I say.

Mello sneezes. "Yeah." He sniffs.

We spend a few more hours looking around. Sometime during that, Mello says, "We should go."

"Are you sure?" I study his expression. "You seem to like it here. Are you sure you don't want to camp out here instead?" I ask jokingly.

"I'm sure." Mello laughs.

So, a while later, we were back at our crummy apartment. The moment we step in, our hands separate. Mello walks off to our room to change. I go to the bathroom because I changed there earlier. When I'm fitted in a white t-shirt and gray boxers, I come back out to the living room. The window is still open, showing off the pretty night sky. Mello was still change him, though I can't blame him. It would take me longer to get out of leather.

Soon enough he comes out...wearing the same thing. Once he sees me, he laughs at my outfit.

I pout. "I thought you were changing."

"Actually..." Mello smiles. "I was just looking to where I misplaced this." And he hands me a small, velvet box.

My breath hitches as my hand numbly receives it. Trembling slightly, I open it. It's a ring.

"Promise me, Mail Jeevas, that if we live, you'll marry me," Mello says.

"Y-yes," I murmur, sliding the ring onto my finger. Then Mello crashes into me, thin arms looping around my waist in a hug. The impact hits me almost as hard as reality does. Instantly, I'm remind that this was our last night together.

I start sobbing into Mello's shoulder. It wasn't fair! Why did we have to die so Kira would be captured? Wasn't there another way?

For the life of me, I could not believe that we'd ever die for there sins; we were merely freshmen

"Ssh, it's okay." Mello runs his hand gently down my spine, rocking us back and forth slowly.

I wish I didn't know inside that it won't work out for you and I

I cry harder at the lie.

Forget what he did. Can I be the kid for your soul to keep?

My cries slowly subside as Mello keeps rocking us.

"I don't want to do the plan," I say against his shoulder.

"I don't either," Mello admits. "But we have to. We have to stop Kira; thousands of innocent have already died because of him. L died because of him. We have to avenge him."

I sigh sadly. Mello wasn't changing his mind. "Okay. Then promise me something, too." I hold him away at arm's length.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll escape if you have the chance."

"Matt, you know--"

"Promise!"

"...Okay. Yes, I promise. But you know that that's impossible, right?"

"I know. It can't hurt to hope, though."

So hold me when I'm here, right me when I'm wrong, hold me when I'm scared, and love me when I'm gone

The next morning comes too quickly for my liking. Mello wakes me from sleep, wakes me from the good dream where me and Mello can just be together with no complications.

Before I knew it, Mello and I were preparing to take off in our driveway. I kiss him, hopefully not for the last time, and say, "I love you Mihael Keehl."

"I love you, too, Mail," he says when we pull apart. He glances at the clock in my car. "It's time." He slips on his helmet and revs his engine.

I start the car.

"Bye," I whisper.

"See you." Mello flashes me an encouraging smile through the helmet's screen and then he speeds off.

I study the ring on my finger and I decide, I will do this for him.

I could die for you, oh this life I choose

In the blink of an eye, I've thrown the smoke bomb into the crowd.

In a flash, I'm being chased.

And in a split second, I've skidded to a stop in the middle of a clearing. I unbuckle my seat belt as fast as I can, trying to get out of my Camaro at the same time. The sound of tires screeching to a stop rings to my ears, fueling my adrenaline.

I run for my life, literally. Though it wasn't just my life. It was our life. Mine and Mello's.

My eyes spot a car parked innocently. I pick the lock hurriedly, get in, and hotwire the engine. And then I'm driving, full speed, to the town of Nagano.

This was our plan. If I ever survived, Mello told me to follow him and wait for him. Because, he'd said, we were now one. If I lived, then he lived, too.

Because, really, neither of us could live without each other.

Hit the ground, look around, but you're nowhere to be found

I park the stolen car outside the church where I saw a delivery truck rumbling through. I walk out of the car and stride towards the back of the truck. Without hesitation, I've shot the lock and it comes away with a clang. I yank the door open and see that woman, Takada, in the midst of writing something on a piece of paper.

Mello's name.

Then my arm was outstretched, finger pressing on the trigger. The shot goes off. A thump follows as a body hits the ground dead, though I'm not sure if it was Takada's or Mello's.

"Matty," Someone hisses, and I feel arms wrapping themselves around me. The gun clatters to the ground as I envelop Mello's living body with my own arms. I smile happily through my tears, because we made it.

We were alive.

"We're getting married," Mello murmurs, "right after we change our names."

I can't deny that.

Throw it away, forget yesterday, we'll make the great escape; we won't hear a word they say. They don't know us anyway

I set the truck on fire as we walk out of the church. It burns up, swallowing the truck, Takada's body, and also nasty memories.

Mello's gaze lingers a while on the burning Cathedral.

"Let it burn," I whisper to him. He nods and turns to me, smiling.

Hands clasped, we walk away, leaving the burning ruins, as well as the old life that we used to have. Because now, we would start over, as Matt and Mello Keehl.

Watch it burn, let it die, 'cause we are finally free tonight

Matt was the bride. ^^

Anyway, the italicized and centered lines are lyrics from various songs. They are(in order of appearance):

Pictures of You -- The Last Goodnight

Nightmare -- MSG

Iris -- The Googoo Dolls

Light Up the Sky -- Yellowcard

The Freshmen -- The Verve Pipe

Wishes -- Superchick

Some of Us -- Starsailor

When I'm Gone -- Three Doors Down

I Could Die for You -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Touchdown Turnaround -- Hellogoodbye

The Great Escape -- Boys Like Girls

Hope you liked this!