Another Matt and Mello story, I'm on a roll here :D When I started writing this I'd found out that my best friend is leaving me for Christmas... *sob sob* So this is dedicated to all you Matty's that are left behind by their Mello's...

Mello whispered to himself as he stroked his puppet's cheek happily, seemingly not noticing the tears in the glittering blue eyes that begged him to stop. A violent sob ripped from Matt's throat at the soft touch that completely contradicted Mello's earlier actions when he'd tied wire around Matt's wrists, ankles and neck to hang him from the ceiling. He now dangled helplessly an inch from solid ground as Mello paced around him, talking to himself.

"Y'know Matty, I thought that after we'd gotten rid of Kira you'd leave. But I suppose we don't have to worry about that anymore." Mello said, his mouth curving in the most honest and radiant smile Matt had seen since before L's death. Ice blue eyes locked with their darker counterpart and Mello halted in his pacing, suddenly seeming to notice how unhappy Matt was. His expression changing rapidly to one that echoed Matt's despair.

"What's wrong Matt? Don't you want to stay?" Mello asked, his eyes widening and his lower lip starting to tremble. Matt sobbed again, feeling his heart split in two. How many times had he wished for Mello to ask him to stay?

"Don't worry, I'll make you smile." Mello said, his face a mask of grave intensity and his eyes gleaming with the insanity that seemed to have consumed him entirely. He reached for his pocket, pulling out the switchblade that he kept with him at all times. He stepped closer to Matt, his hot breath fanning out over the redhead's cheek as he leaned in. "I'll make you smile..." Matt's head drooped as he tried to twist away, succeeding only in making the wire wrapped around his extremities bite in deeper.

"Mells, please no... Don't do it..." He managed to rasp out, feeling a river of blood pool at his wrists and start to run down his arms slowly, painting his arms a colour that mirrored his hair. He felt the cold brush of steel at the corner of his mouth and let his eyes shut in desperation, praying fervently to whatever god there was supposed to be helping him. His silent pleas were ignored and all he could do was sob desperately, his eyes pressed shut and his body twitching desperately to try and get away from the cuts that ripped his cheeks in half.

Mello stepped back once he was done to admire his handiwork, he looked at Matt lovingly a small smile curving the usually harsh set of his lips.

"One more lie can't hurt. Besides, it's mine this time." Mello murmured, sitting down on the floor, crossing his legs before tilting his head cutely to the side and fluttering his golden eyelashes, his eyes like molten ice as they gazed at him happily.

Matt's cheeks ached from the gashes that Mello had made and his head started to spin from what he assumed was blood loss. If he lost more blood he would pass out and presumably never wake up. There was no one to help him, nobody even knew he existed.

He opened his eyes, the sight of Mello humming to himself and drawing patterns on the leather encasing his leg with his fingertips greeting him. He gazed at the sight longingly, letting his emotions shine through for once, the goggles no longer there to serve as protection. What had happened to the Mello from Whammy House? The person before him was not his best friend, just a face stealing monster.

"Matt," Came a murmur, so soft and caring that it carved gashes into his very soul. "You love me, right?" Mello whispered his hair a golden halo caught in a stray sunbeam and his icy eyes fixed on his gamer in a parody of emotion. Matt couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say.

"Mel-lo I..." He managed to croak out, his tongue a foreign and heavy object that seems to impair his ability of speech. Mello stiffened, holding his hand up as a signal for Matt to stop.

"Don't even bother to lie to me Matt." His eyes became solid, impenetrable walls that chilled Matt to his core. There was nothing human in those eyes. "I hate lies." The eyes narrowed and pinned Matt as Mello slowly stood up from the floor. He made his way over to Matt slowly, his gloved hand reaching out to stroke Matt's ripped cheek causing the gamer to flinch away. "I would never lie to you." Mello whispered, raising the hand that had been gripping his knife up to the wire wrapped around Matt's wrist.

He cut the wire and Matt's right hand fell to his side limply.

"Believe me when I say that this is not how I wanted it to end. You can blame me." Mello smiled a quick sarcastic smile that left as soon as it came and never reached his eyes. There was a soft sound as the the next wire was snapped. Matt struggled to keep the strain on his ankles but could feel the wire around his neck tightening.

"Mello, why are you doing this? When have I ever lied to you?" Matt started to panic as Mello moved down to cut the wire around his ankles; he felt the first one slowly loosen as Mello sawed through the thin metal strand. Mello snorted derisively.

"You might not speak lies, but your life is one huge lie. Even your fucking goggles are a lie. "Mello looked up at Matt who was trying to gasp for air as the wire constricted his windpipe. He leaned on his leg a little harder, the blood being pumped to his foot cutting off and numbing the pain of the biting wounds in his ankle. Mello moved to the final lifeline, his gaze unflinching. "You even made me lie to myself. I believed I had a friend. But how could a demon have a friend? I am here to cause pain."

With that he cut the last wire, the wire around Matt's throat tightening and strangling him.

There was one panicked moment where he couldn't get oxygen and his body started to jerk, but the wire just tightened and soon he stilled. His eyes fluttered open one last time, their once vibrant colour dulling and glazing over.

Mello watched calmly as Matt's eyes slid shut for the last time, the colour he'd loved so much disappearing. He felt completely detached as he gazed at his best friend's bloodied stripes and grotesque smile. Deep down the human in him knew that it was wrong to feel so uncaring in the face of such a sight.

He stood stiffly, his leather creaking and his head throbbing. He lifted his hand to run it through his hair and was surprised to discover that tears were streaming down his face. He wiped his eyes and stared at the tears clinging to his sleeve in fascination. Suddenly something within him broke, his chest aching and his throat hoarse when he screamed.

He screamed at the sky, he screamed at his past and he screamed at death.

"You can't keep him! He's mine! I fucking claimed him!" He sank to his knees, sobs chasing down his spine and racking his suddenly fragile being. Pain was a new thing now. And it hurt. It hurt to breathe.

It hurt to keep living.

He collapsed after a while, his sobs dying down and becoming shivers that tore him slowly to pieces. He stared at Matt. imagining that as the pool of blood beneath him steadily grew, that the gamer would raise his head and flick his bangs out of his face, a cocky grin forcing a faux-irritated growl from Mello. Nothing happened, Matt's red hair stayed still, his head hanging almost in shame.

Mello stood, his bones weighing a thousand pounds as he dragged himself over to the beacon of red. All too soon he was standing before his gamer, red hair mingling with gold. He leaned his forehead against Matt's, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of death.

"One final lie Matt," He whispered brushing Matt's bangs out of the way to press his lips briefly to a pale forehead.

The cold metal stuffed down the front of his pants seemed to heat as his hand brushed the handle of his gun. He pulled it out gently, flicking the safety off and placing his finger on the trigger. He raised it to his temple, his face a mask of calm.

"I'll see you soon."

This final falsity leaving his lips, he pulled the trigger.

A bit depressing, I know but try not to take it too harshly ^.^

If it were up to me, these two would never have died, they would be too busy making little redheaded babies with pschotic tendencies...

Luv to all that R+R