Mello stomped into the apartment, throwing his heavy red coat aimlessly to the ground. Kicking his boots off, he continued to stomp his way through the small entryway and into the living room. He dramatically huffed and flopped onto the couch, throwing himself onto his back.

"What's the problem this time Mello?" Came the muffled voice of a man trying to light a cigarette that was between his lips. He sat down in front of the TV and started to play his system.

"Near!" Mello yelled, rummaging through his pocket, pulling out a crumpled photo. "The freak was just waiting for me to come back to him, as if I were his loyal fucking pet!"

The man, who went by the name of Matt, leisurely paused his game and glanced at the photo, he pulled up his amber tinted goggles to his forehead and plucked the picture from Mello's shaking fingers. Blue eyes moved all around the picture, trying to figure out what about it had set his blond friend off. Sadly he could find nothing, all he saw was a younger version of the man that was currently sprawled out over the couch. He dreaded asking the significance of the photo.

"So.. um, Mells, why is this photo so infuriating? Other than the fact that Near had it of course.." Matt whispered sheepishly.

Mello ripped the portrait out of the stripe clad man's hand and turned it around showing two simple words. "What does this say Matt?"

Matt read the words over a few times, "um, 'Dear Mello', that's what it says. But, if you don't mind me asking again, why has this set you off?"

"The little bastard is trying to rub it in my face that he's better than me. He knew I would go looking for any trace of my identity and would go to him first, I mean, who the hell else would have my damn picture. That fucking sheep... He threw this at me as a way of saying he's always one step ahead of me. I know that was the reason! I just know it!"

Matt smiled and got up from his place on the floor, put his cigarette out in the ashtray and sat at the edge of the couch. He leaned down and hugged his black clad comrade. Mello was still shaking from anger, but returned the hug.

"Don't think about him Mello, you can just burn the photo and never have to think about it again, okay?" Matt whispered, nuzzling Mello's neck.

Mello sighed, he loved Matt, more than just a friend, like, he loved Matt. He felt it was wrong to love his best friend this way. The only person in his life that actually cared about him and he had gone and fallen in love with him. Mello hated to wonder how Matt would react if he ever learned his deepest secret. Most scenarios ended with Matt being disgusted with him and leaving right then and there. But times like these always brought those thoughts back. Mello just smiled and let Matt do as he pleased.

By this time, Matt had propped himself up on top of Mello, with his face in Mello's neck, one knee in between both of Mello's. Matt loved that Mello let him do what he wanted, well within reason of course, Matt would never take advantage of his blond buddy too much. He always kept his cuddling within reason. He especially didn't want Mello to know that he secretly wanted their friendship to be more than that. He was afraid to be alone again.

When he came to the orphanage, he knew no one. Matt, being the shy boy that he was, didn't make friends easily when he had gone to a normal school. So when he was put in a room with Mello on the first day, he was afraid the blonde boy with the sight Russian accent wouldn't like him and maybe beat him up everyday like the children at his old orphanage did. He was glad to be proven wrong, a week after Matt had arrived, him and the boy, whose name was Mello, were practically joined at the hip. Mello would threaten to brutally beat up any child who dared to touch his friend Matt. While Matt would help calm Mello down as well as be his partner in crime when it came to midnight raids in the kitchen. They didn't leave each other's side. They made sure all of their classes were together and definitely made sure to find each other immediately if they were ever apart from their 'brother'.

They even ran away together. When Mello and Near had received news that the great L had died by the hands of world renown serial killer, Kira. Mello ran off to his room to pack up his things, as well as Matt's, after Matt was done class, they were running away. Matt walked in to an empty room with a note telling him to meet his roommate in their secret spot just outside the gates of Wammy's orphanage. They hid themselves within crates of products being sent to Los Angeles.

After that was all a blur, and frankly, Matt didn't care. They were still alive and together, that's really all that mattered to him.