Sweet Goodbye by blackdragonflower

Summary: Mello's gone. Matt is beginning to heal when he finds someone else is also leaving, someone aslo very important to him, Near. He has one last wish before Near goes... MattxNear

Disclaimers: Characters belong to Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Warning: Shonen-ai

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Matt walked deserted hallways of the orphanage where he was raised. His heart was slightly mended from Mello's departure a month or so ago. He walked past a familiar door and stopped his heart stopping completely. His eyes went wide and his face pale as he looked into the room of his other best friend, Near. "No... You're... leaving too." Near looked up from his gaggle of toys he was stuffing gently into a suitcase. The albino's dark eyes met light green ones, which were filling with tears. Matt wiped the salty drops away before they could spill onto his cheeks. "You're leaving me alone too?"

"... Why don't you come in. Please close the door behind you." Matt quietly did so. Carefully he crossed the minefield of toys and games without stepping on a single one. Matt dropped onto the younger boy's bed feeling depressed.

"Please say you're not leaving Near... please." Near stood from his toy covered floor and looked Matt straight in the eyes.

"I am leaving." Near was a bit surprised when he found Matt clinging onto him tears flooding down his face and the gamer whimpering between quiet sobs into his chest.

"Y-You c-can't leave! Y-You can't leave me a-alone like he did! Please..." Matt hugged Near close. "I need you. I'm scared of being alone here..."

Near was desperately racking his brains to find something, anything to say to Matt to calm him down. Near found it quite hard to think with the cute, older, redhead boy attached to him though. "Matt..."

"No! I'm not letting you leave!" Matt's arms tightened around Near's waist and he stared Near down with teary green eyes.

"I have to leave Matt. Please let me go." Near was afraid he was getting too comfortable in the redhead's grasp, but he found he strangely liked it, Matt's warm arms.

"...Near..."

The white haired boy let out an exhale of air and muttered, "Why don't you come with me?"

"..." Matt recoiled taking away his warm arms and wrapping them around his knees where he sat. "Mello wouldn't like that..."

Though his usual instinct begged him not to, another part of him wanted to, he put his hand on Matt's and looked Matt in the eye. "Mello is not here Matt."

Matt bit his lip and turned his face away. "But Mello..."

"Matt!" Near's voice rose shocking both himself and the gamer. Near quickly regained composure ashamed of the outburst but continued on nonetheless. "Matt. Mello is not here. What do you want to do?" The toy loving boy squeezed Matt's hand gently.

"I want to come with you but... I just can't..."

"Why not?" Near tilted his head to one side.

"I just can't... I told Mello... I would wait for him... if he ever needed my help... I'd be here."

Near felt a flaming burn in the pits of his gut. Was this... jealousy? Near sighed and with his free hand twisted a white lock of hair around his forefinger. "I can not make the decision for you, but I do wish you would come with me."

"..."

"What do you want Matt? If you forget everyone's views... what is it that your heart wants most to do?"

"Kiss you." Matt mumbled. Near's face turned red.

"Kiss me?"

Matt looked embarrassed and took ahold of Near's hand on top of his. "Yeah... a kiss... lips to lips... I like you ya know." The gamer was whispering afraid of Near's reaction. "Can I... um... kiss you?"

Near felt his mouth grow dry. How many times had he thought about Matt? Many times. He hadn't understood maybe exactly his feeling until now when they all came tumbling into their proper places fitting together like the puzzles he loved so much. Near nodded not sure what to expect. Matt bit his lip then leaned forward testing the ground between them. The air was still but bristling with electricity, so much the hairs on the back of Near's neck were standing on end. 'Just kiss me already... This is torture!'

And then it happened. Matt's warm lips met his tenderly in soft carress. Near was sure Matt would just pull quickly away blushing (just like he should have done) but found Matt was still very much connected. Matt's hand reached up shaking and grabbed Near by the back of the head and pulled him closer. Near felt bad (he'd never kissed anyone), he wasn't moving (there was some moving involved wasn't there?), and he didn't feel he was giving Matt the kiss he'd deserved. Near placed his small hand against Matt's neck feeling the pulse there and between their lips. Near felt something prod gently at his lips and was curious. What was Matt thinking? Near not understanding exactly what Matt was asking for was bringing their kiss to a standstill.

The white haired boy was melting underneath the redhead's lips, his legs felt like jelly and his insides quivered. Matt wrapped his arm around Near's waist and drew the body closer, just like the mouth. Near's body temperature flared caught on fire by the tiny sparks that had exploded into full flame. Matt's tongue prodded a little harder and Near opened his mouth to ask Matt what he was doing but was already being rewarded with the answer. The gamer's tongue carefully explored the inside of Near's mouth touching every crevice and sharp tooth. That's when it happened, Near moaned.

It was a little strange to hear at first, but Near guessed Matt liked it by the way the redhead's body pressed closer and the kiss became more excited and energetic. Near felt like he was drugged and he didn't want the feeling to end. He didn't want this to end. The younger boy felt himself opening up instead of being locked inside himself. He became comfortable with Matt's touch and soon found himself cozy on his lap their lips brushing back and forth, tongues beginning to curl around the other's sweetly, intoxicatingly. Matt grinned and gave Near's tongue a gentle yank. Near could only wonder how Matt was so amazing.

When they finally pulled away from each other's lips their eyes were sparkling, their cheeks flushed healthy with blood, breaths coming out in pants. "Wow... that was better... than I'd ever... imagined."

Near weakly smiled as he panted. "Will you come with me?"

Matt looked sad. "No..." The redhead's facial expression became that of a determined young man. "Go on without me... just take that kiss... and remember me okay?"

"..." Near was dissapointed. He really wanted Matt to come. He liked the redhead, and it wasn't because he was such a great kisser, heck, he hadn't even found out about that until just now.

"Promise you'll remember me?" Matt begged hugging Near.

"I... promise."

"Good. I'll always be here, waiting."

"Always... here..." Near mused to himself.

"I love you Near. Good luck okay?" Near slid off Matt's lap and finished up packing. As he was leaving Matt caught his wrist. "Near you really are a great friend. I'll miss you." Matt softly pressed his lips to Near's again and left not wanting to see Near cross the doors that let you out into the world, away from everything you thought you knew, and the memories of times when everything seemed to be perfect and like you'd never be alone.

Near put his finger to his lower lip with a smile. "I'll remember you Matt. I'll be back soon as I can to keep you from being lonely."