LunaC: alrighty then, this is a birthday story for my good friend Frankie, who happens to be a pretty big fangirl of Matt. Im hoping Matt isn't too OOC and that this story doesn't suck. I honstly see Matt as being socially awkward, and his relationship with Mello is that of two best freinds in an almost constant conflict. Thus the awkwardness and slight humor. Happy birthday my little leprechaun! :3 lol you are never gonna live that down. Alrighty then disclaimer time!

LG: Luna C doesn't own Death Note. Light would've probably been stabbed maliciously if she did. Lol

LunaC: please review! Reviews:authors::apples:Shinigamis! Lol I love analogies

•Matt's POV•

Video games have had a very positive effect on my life. You see, I see life as a video game. Each day or challenge in life a level. Each level a different goal to accomplish, like living through one of Mello's chocolate deprived days. Therefore, the games have taught me certain ways to get past certain challenges. I've learned the solution to the problem previously stated is to lock myself in a closet with ten loaded Nerf guns.

But I have to say that love is probably the hardest level for me to beat.

You could say that this is only because the girl I love is the same girl I've know since she came to Whammy's when we were both about five. I can't say exactly when I developed a crush on her. And then that crush turned into totally falling in love. Although I didn't know if she liked me back.

Earlier this morning, I played my new video game, which I had almost finished. Mello was going through the school work we had to have finished by tomorrow morning.

"Hey Matt? You okay?" Mello asked.

"Huh? Yeah...I'm fine," I replied.

"You missed three zombies. You NEVER miss unless somethings wrong."

"...okay maybe I am but I'm not talking about it."

"It's a girl isn't it?"

"No."

"It is!" Mello chuckled. Ugh, why does my best friend have to be able to tell when I'm lying? Especially since it was something I really didn't want him to know. I don't want to know how he'd react to it. Probably in a way I would kill him for. "Who is it?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Aw c'mon Mattie!" he whined.

"No."

He tried snatching away my game controller, I elbowed him in the ribs. Then he tackled me, and it turned into a huge wrestling match after that.

"Hey guys- um, what are you doing?" I heard the voice of that particular person ask. We both quickly looked up to see her standing at the door. She gave us a confused look, sapphire eyes reflecting off the small rays of sunlight coming in from the window. Her dirty blonde hair was long, and woven into a messy braid. She was dressed in her usual flannel shirt and skinny jeans with tennis shoes. I felt my face turn slightly red.

"Nothing," we both said, me throwing Mello off me and onto the floor. She just giggled.

"Alrighty then! Oh, can I borrow a notebook? I ran out of space for my anthropology notes."

"Um, yeah, let me check," I replied, scrambling up and digging through my closet, finding a spare notebook. "Here."

"Thanks," she said, taking it and flipping through it. She then walked off, and I watched her until she disappeared out the door.

"It's Echo isn't it?" Mello asked.

"W-what! No!"

"Yea it is! You like Echo!"

"Shut up!"

"I dare you to tell her."

"W-what!"

"You heard me. I dare you to tell her. Or else I'll try this out." He then pulled out a pistol which I surprisingly never seen before. Which is very strange because if he's had that for a while I probably would've been threatened with it already.

Or possibly died by now.

Oh God, did he drug me again!

"...where did you get that!" I asked.

"Crescent," he replied, smiling evilly at it.

"Why would she give you that! Even she isn't that crazy!"

"She got a new pair, and I happened to...find this."

"...you're evil."

"I know. Now take the dare. I don't want to get yelled at for putting you in the hospital."

"...I honestly hate you sometimes."

Remember what I said about love being the hardest level in the game of life? One of the reasons for that is because my best friend is Mello of all people.

So that is one of the reasons I'm pacing nervously in the front hall, wondering how I'm possibly going to tell her. I don't know if Mello actually knows what love is. Because he would not be pressuring me about this. Or putting a deadline on when I tell her.

Did I mention that I sometimes hate him?

I've been thinking all day how I was going to do this. I can't exactly go up and say, "Hey Echo, you know we've been friends and all for years and I think I may like, even love, you." She would give me one of her "oh god you seriously need to visit a mental ward" looks. She gives them to Flames all the time when she starts taking her CapriSun straws and tries turning various items into juice (examples include pizza, bread, and people).

I'm so screwed! I have little to no romance skills. And I honestly really don't want to tell her in fear it will ruin our friendship and all I'll have left is Mello. And I don't see a happy life down that road.

Because that road is very short. And full of pain.

That getting shot option was beginning to look more inviting every second.

"Hey Matt!" I heard a voice call. I jumped slightly and walked out the hall and to the front lawn, then after hearing her coming after me tried to outrun her. Unfortunately, video games don't have a good effect on most people, and I only ran for five minutes before being out of breath. I leaned against a tree, trying to catch my breath.

"Hey Matt, is everything okay? You've been avoiding me all day," Echo asked as she walked over, sitting down next to me. I glanced over at her, then back at the ground.

"It's nothing..." I replied. I then looked up at the building (to where conveniently my bedroom window was) to see Mello holding his pistol threateningly. Eh...I swear he will never let my life be normal.

"Well, it has to be if you keep running away from me," she countered. I then turned to face her. Dangit, it just has to be perfectly clear skies, with the moonlight shining down on her like that...I seriously think the universe has problems with me keeping my crush a secret. "You can tell me you know. I won't tell anyone if it's a secret."

I sighed, looking at her solemnly. "...you want the truth?"

"No, I want a made up story," she replied sarcastically.

I chuckled lightly, tapping my fingers on the ground. The only thing that sucks about the game of life- no cheat codes to make this a lot easier than I'm finding it to be right now. "...alright I kinda...sorta...think that I may..."I began to trail off. Then I inwardly slapped myself. I refuse to be a coward! I must face this and tell her my feelings! If not, I'm possibly dead and if I survive will never be able to face myself again. "I kinda love you..." Her face turned red, shock shining in her eyes. I looked back down at my shoes. "Don't know if you really feel the same...just felt like I needed to tell you..."

She suddenly had her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug. I stopped talking, looking down at her to see her gaze was away from mine, her blonde bangs shielding her eyes. I felt myself blush.

"I don't care what people say about how smart you are, because you can act like a total idiot at times," she mumbled.

"...Echo?"

"I love you too," she muttered. I felt myself blush just a bit harder. We just sat there for a minute. Rain pounding around us. Her blue gaze met mine finally, and time just froze for a few seconds.

Eheh, yeah it's one of those awkward moments when neither of us know what to do.

"HEY YOU TWO SHOULD KISS!" Mello then shouted from the top floor. Echo then glared up towards the bedroom window, pulling one of her scalpels from her pockets.

"Hope you aren't fond of your toes!" she yelled. Mello got a scared look and dashed away from the window. Echo scowled, placed a small kiss on my lips, and then stood up.

HOLY FREAKING XBOX SHE JUST KISSED ME! I mentally started prancing around joyfully. Of course I didn't really do it. Cause that would be very strange.

"I'll be right back sweetie, just need to deal with a certain annoyance," she said. She sounded so sweet when she said that. If it wasn't stained with threatening anger towards my friend. Ah well.

"Wait...does this technically mean we're dating?"

She rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Duh."

Again, mental joyful prancing.

So, level EPICALLY completed. Cue smiley face.

And for those of you curious about what happened after this tale.

Echo and I have been going steady for quite some time now.

Mello ended up loosing his left pinky toe and right big toe.

Crescent found out about Mello stealing her pistol. And got her revenge. Mello watched as she gave all his chocolate to the hungry and homeless.

L still questions our sanity (and why Crescent didn't give him any of the chocolate).

Flames has threatened my life if I break Echo's heart. Not surprised there.

So, happy ending! Isn't that great?