He wouldn't stop knocking. He knocked relentlessly on the door with the butt of his gun, awaiting a response from the occupant, his left hand cradling the side of his face that was searing with pain.

"MATT!" he called. "WHAT SORT OF FRIEND ARE YOU, ANSWER THE FUCKING D-"

Footsteps were graduating towards the door outside which the angry blonde stood, and the door slid open very slightly. One eye, a stark, bright blue without its usual goggles, and a few strands of red-brown hair were visible through the gap.

Recognizing the thin strip of face showing, Mello lowered his voice.

"Is anyone else there?" Matt shook his head, eyes moving down from the face, his expression freezing when he saw the gun in the leather clad boy's hand.

"Let me in" Mello hissed.

"Me-" The blonde waved the gun at him and raised his voice once again.

"I said, LET ME THE FUCK IN, Matt."

Somewhat startled, Matt opened the door further, backing against the wall to let the boy in. Mello walked through and peered into the nearest room. Seeing no one, he walked up the hallway a little further, and inspected the other rooms. He then paced back to the hall and looked at Matt suspiciously.

Matt closed the door and spoke quietly "Mels, it's so long since I've seen you in per-"

"There's definitely no one here?" Mello interrupted once more.

"No."

"Promise?" urged Mello, pointing the gun right at his chest.

"YES, Mello, I promise." Matt looked perplexed. "Now would you put the gun down and tell me what the hell's going on?"

A loud clunk was heard as Mello dropped the gun to the floor. "It wasn't loaded." He sulked, tossing the words over his shoulder as he entered Matt's living room, the owner following, bemused. Mello sat, shoulders twitching slightly in pain and anger, one hand still obscuring the side of his face.

"Before you ask again" Mello began, before Matt had a chance to speak "I had to blow up my hideout."

Matt looked at his friend and sat beside him. Both boys knew there was no point trying to ask if this had been a good idea on Mello's part, neither was there a chance to, as Mello immediately continued.

"This guy… he was going to write my name, Matt. My real name, he knew it… he must've had the eyes."

Matt recalled when Mello had explained the death note to him, and he knew Mello must be referring to the shinigami eyes which could be obtained through the book.

"I had to get out of there, and destroy anything they had on me. I don't know how many are dead or hurt but…"

He trailed off, unable to work out how to end the sentence.

"Ok."Matt paused. "What's up with your eye?"

Mello removed his hand from the sore half of his face and used it to push back his hair, aware that Matt was about to see the raw, bleeding skin that Mello had stared at angrily in the mirror several hours ago. He heard Matt draw a sharp intake of breath.

"Fuck… Jesus, Mels, how-"

"Chemical burn" Mello answered. "I think some glass got in too. I had a gas mask to stop the fumes… and to hide my face of course… but it didn't stop… well, this from happening."

"Fuck." Matt repeated. "Sorry, Mels."

"My fucking fault" cursed Mello scathingly "At least I can still see… fucking hurts though."

R-right" Matt stuttered "Um… should I like… get some bandages or something?"

"Might be nice, seeing as half my face is melted, Matt!" Mello snapped.

"Uh… right" Matt scurried out of the room, leaving the anguished Mello sitting there. He hadn't meant to be a bastard to Matt, but right now he was seething with anger at the whole situation. He unlaced his boots, knowing that he wouldn't be going anywhere else in a hurry.

A minute or so later, Matt returned with some supplies and a bar of chocolate.

"Good job I used to do first aid… I think this should work…" he tried to speak cheerily to calm Mello. He opened up a tube of ibuprofen ointment and gingerly spread it across the raw, red flesh of Mello's burn. Mello winced each time the skin was touched, but allowed Matt to continue. The cool gel calmed the white-hot pain a little. When Matt was done, he wrapped a bandage several times across Mello's face, tying it at the back of his head.

"Any better?" Matt asked.

"Apart from the lack of depth perception, the searing pain and the fact I almost died today not to mention had to blow up my hideout, yeah, I'm fine."

Matt ignored his friends biting tone.

"Here." He said, holding out the chocolate bar.

Mello faltered, taking the chocolate.

"I… thank you, Matt…

He went to unwrap the bar, but was distracted when suddenly Matt was pulling the injured boy towards him haphazardly into a friendly hug.

"What the hell… get off me, Matt!"

Matt held his friend tightly as he struggled.

"Get OFF, I'm fine" Mello continued but his voice wavered, his struggles becoming weaker. "Matt?"

Matt refused to let go.

"Fine." sighed Mello, hugging his friend back. "Will you let me go now?"

"I'm… I'm glad you're safe, Mello."

Mello didn't know if it was the tight, reassuring hold on him, or the tone of voice his friend had used, or the inability to cope with this whole, frustrating situation, but suddenly all the pain in his chest was being breathed out of his mouth in weak sobs, and spilling out of his eyes onto the shoulder of Matt's jumper. He felt so pathetic, wailing about a little pain, but he couldn't help it. The tears were making the scar burn more, which only made it harder to stop crying. He felt like a messy wreck, but with every tear, he felt a weight was being lifted off of his shoulders as it was being cried out onto Matt's. He sniffed and wiped his right eye, Matt finally letting go of him and allowing him to pick up his chocolate again. He took a bite, swallowed, and spoke, his voice returning to normal.

"I think I missed you, Matty."

"You better have. Otherwise that best friends forever stuff was all a lie." Matt smiled "Sorry for making you cry, Mels."

"I didn't cry." said Mello stubbornly.

Matt caught his eye and they both understood.

"Oh. Yeah. Ok." Matt muttered, smiling. "Going to stay here for a bit?"

Mello nodded "It should be safer here, no one knows about you. Plus," he touched his bandages "You're a pretty good nurse." Mello smiled, and Matt beamed back at him.

"Thanks, I guess…" Matt saw Mello yawn. "Tired?" he looked down at his watch, noting that it was only eleven pm.

"Well… the ambush was at night and… I haven't slept since then… took me a while to figure out where to go…" he yawned again.

"C'mon Mels." Said Matt, standing. Mello followed him upstairs.

"You can have my bed." Matt said politely. "Sorry about the mess."

Mello sat down. "It's not the luxury I'm used to, Matty." He flicked a stray DS game in Matt's direction. "But thank you."

"You can borrow some of my pyjamas if you want" Matt got out a clean blanket from the cupboard, but Mello had already pulled at the cover that was scrunched up at the end of the bed until it lay over him, apparently not minding being fully clothed.

"Nah. Don't worry Matty." Mello snuggled into Matt's duvet.

"K." Matt hesitated, holding onto the blanket. "Well, see you in the morning, Mels." He turned to walk out.

"Wait!" urged Mello, with the tone of a scared child. "Don't… where are you going?"

"I'm kind of tired too, Mels. I'll probably play a couple games, then get some sleep on the sofa.

"Matty you could… I mean, if you wanted… you have your own blanket and there's room so… if you wanted to sleep here… I mean, I don't mind if…" Mello couldn't stop babbling, an unusual trait for him, which he guessed was emerging due to the lack of sleep.

Matt hesitated slightly, then nodded, smiling.

"Thanks Matt… I just… It's a bit weird to be alone when… you know…" Mello mumbled sleepily.

"Yeh… I know." Matt took off his jumper and lay down next to Mello, unfolding the blanket.

"Night Matty" Mello yawned, closing his eyes.

Matt stared at the closed eyelids "Night, Mels."

Mello was asleep and breathing heavily within a few minutes. Matt lay watching him, wondering if having Mello back in his life would be more trouble than it was worth.