"Fucking idoit!" Mello's body curled in on itself as a boot connected with his abdomen. He let out a grunt and covered his stomach with his arms as he felt another kick to his chest. "Can't even get your own shit together." Mello coughed and rolled over as he heard the door slam shut. He groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet and made his way into the bathroom to check the damage. His cheek was still red, the handprint almost visible, and his lip split with a small trail of blood down his chin. He winced as he lifted off his shirt to reveal the black and blue spots that decorated his toned torso. He turned on the sink to splash his face when he heard a soft voice from behind.

"Mello… again? Why do you let him do this to you?" Mello couldn't stand to look his best friend in the eye and quickly occupied himself with anything else.

"It's fine Matt. Really." He stated nonchalantly trying to ignore the stinging pain every time he moved his lips. Matt lightly touched a finger to the other's back seeing him inwardly flinch at the contact. He grabbed the blonde's wrist and turned him around to see his face.

"No Mels. It isn't. At least let me clean that out before it gets infected." Matt offered gently. Mello sighed but nodded and watched him grab the antiseptic from under the sink. "It's going to hurt." The redhead recited knowing that the blonde had dealt with it countless times before. Trying to be as gentle as possible he cleaned the cut as Mello winced quietly.

"What was it this time? Didn't reply to his call soon enough?" Matt questioned looking him in the eye.

"No… I forgot to make my bed this morning." Mello whispered looking to the side, jumping when Matt pounded the counter.

"Fuck Mello! You haven't slept in three days! It's no wonder why you forgot. He has no reason to treat you like this!" Matt yelled, goggles hiding the anger in his emerald eyes. Mello looked at him stunned and stood there trying to find words to say.

"Matt…"

"No Mello! No! He has no right to beat you over the stupidest shit! Hell he shouldn't even be allowed near you. You don't have to put up with that rat bastard! Dump his sorry ass! I will go with you right now and we can tell him it's over."

"Matt! You know I can't do that… I'm sorry. He is still my boyfriend. Really I'm fine." Mello sighed deeply. Matt turned and punched the wall, hanging his head.

"Why? Why do you put up with people who hurt you so badly?" Mello's warm arms wrapped around him from behind and held him steady.

"I… I can't tell you. I'm sorry." The whisper was so soft it was almost lost within the sound of the still running water. Matt sunk in his posture feeling the soft shaking behind him and turned around to hold the blonde close. He took his hand and led him back into their room to his Zelda themed bed and climbed up pulling him into his chest. Grabbing his nearest handheld he flipped it on and began playing, the boy on his chest slowly easing into him until his sobs had died down from watching his roommate play, distracted from reality if only for a moment. They stayed that way content to just be. The rest of the orphanage, the world outside their door slipping away as time just seemed to stop.

Mello's breathing started to even out as he fell asleep for the first time in days and Matt checked to make sure he was really out before replacing his game with his laptop. He logged in and within record time made it into the Whammy's database. He knew the blonde would be furious if he found out but he had to know. What had happened to the teen to leave him so broken that he would just take the abuse other's gave?

A picture of a small blonde child popped onto the screen and Matt looked down to make sure the other was really fast asleep. The young boy on the screen looked barely old enough to be in school with a thin frame and long blonde hair that draped past his shoulders. His blue eyes appeared to belong to someone much older yet they held little emotion, only a slight hint of pain. His smile was hollow and posture tentative. Next to that was another picture of the boy a few years later, when Matt had first met him. Barely nine, Mello looked like skin and bones and much more feminine. His thin figure was held proud this time, but not even a fake smile graced his face. His ice blue eyes, still too mature for his young frame, glared daggers at the camera. Matt looked more closely and realized it wasn't the camera itself but in fact the person holding it.

He pulled up Mello's record and found it remarkably empty compared to his own. Seeing that the other boy was found in Russia, Matt decided to dig up his information his own. He searched through police records around the time that the blonde came to Whammy's House and clicked on an article right as there was a knock on the door. He set his laptop aside and trying not to wake the other, slipped out of the bed. He quietly opened the door and wanted to face palm when he saw Roger standing there with his arms crossed, not looking to happy.

"Matt. I understand you are worried about him but sneaking around into his past is not the way to go about things. When Mello wants to open up to you he will. So next time I catch you hacking my system I will throw you in detention and you will be on clean up duty for the entire house." Roger glared, clearly not thrilled at the intrusion. "However, I have to thank you for taking care of him and watching out for his well-being."

Matt blinked surprised at getting a compliment or any sort of praise from the stern old man. "Umm yeah no problem… Wait! Why is his record blank?" He asked needing answers. He barely caught the look of sympathy that crossed the man's face.

"Some things in this world Mail, are so cruel that they do not need to be written down for others to find." He spoke before turning to take his leave. Matt shut the door and started to head back to bed when he froze seeing Mello with fists clenched at his side.

"How could you? I trusted you Matt! You went behind my back and looked at my file. What the hell gives you that right?!" He yelled backing Matt up to the wall, eyes hard as steel. "Fuck Matt! I told you I didn't want to talk about it so you looked it up instead?"

"It's not like that!" Mello's eyes shifted to a malicious stare and he lowered his voice.

"You just wanted to make it all better huh? See if you could fix the little broken doll?"

"No! I just wanted to-"

"Oh. So you wanted to know because you're in love with me aren't you? Did you fall for me Mattie? Maybe if you loved me better I wouldn't be like this. But you are too scared to even admit it. You are a selfish ass who only wants pleasure. You can't even sweep me off my feet. How are you supposed to be my boyfriend if you can't stand up for yourself? Poor little orphan Mattie… How did you end up here anyway? Did your mom not want you-"Mello's vicious rant was cut off by Matt's fist connecting with the side of his face. He kept his head turned away, blonde locks covering his face.

"Shut the hell up!" Matt fumed finally snapping. "At least I don't let people treat me like trash!" He growled before Mello finally turned his head, the look he had in his first picture consuming his features. Matt froze seeing the empty grin and eyes that knew more pain than he ever let on. Mello let out a soft chuckle and leaned by his ear.

"Now, what makes you any different than him?" He whispered before opening the door and walking out, Matt left in complete shock inside. He had done it on purpose... Mello pushed him, and he struck him.

I don't own anything! Please rate and review 3 Much more to come that just needs to be uploaded :))