The Good Life
(AU; Matt and Mello, both alive, five years after the Kira investigation)
They were happy. At least, Matt knew he was, because nothing could compare to waking up in the morning, seeing Mello peacefully asleep beside him, and then realizing that they were free. Of course, this seemed to happen every morning he woke up since the day they almost died, but the fact never failed to make him smile.
"Daddy, I wet my pants," came an innocent voice of a child.
Matt's smile grew wider as he sat up, seeing Mello's and his three-year-old child. "Hey, Lawliet." The redhead slowly got out of bed, making sure not to wake Mello. In his boxers, he picked up their child. "Aw, you did wet your pants," he said. "That's okay, though." He nuzzled Lawliet's nose, which made the child giggle. "As long as Mommy Mello doesn't find out, we're not dead."
Lawliet, whom the two parents had christened after the famous detective, nodded, putting a sticky finger to his lips. "Ssh, Daddy," he whispered to Matt.
"Okay, Lawliet." Matt carried the little boy to their bathroom, grabbing an extra pair of Lawliet's underwear.
Halfway through the door, Mello's sleepy voice called after them, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, shit," Lawliet said softly, and giggled at the bad word.
Matt stifled a laugh. "Nothing, Mels. Lawliet just needs a shower--"
"Did he just cuss?!" Mello shrieked, jumping out of bed. "Matt, I'm going to fuckin' kill you!"
Matt slammed the bathroom door on Mello's nose as he and his child safely retreated in the comforting confines of the bathroom. "Jeez, Mello. You're the one with the pottymouth."
"Mommy has'a pottymouth," Lawliet agreed.
"Gah, bastard..." Matt heard Mello mutter before the blond walked away, probably to the kitchen to make breakfast.
"Me and Lawliet want chocolate chip pancakes!" Matt called out.
"Eh, screw you!" came the oh-so loving reply.
"Screw you," Lawliet repeated, clapping in joy.
Matt, once more, had to prevent himself from laughing. "It's fine that you're learning new words, but don't say those in front of Mommy, okay?"
Lawliet nodded in understanding, a fringe of red hair getting in his eyes. "'cuz Mommy wi' kill us."
Matt nodded, smiling in approval as he changed his child's underwear. "Exactly."
Oh, he was such a proud father.
Nine minutes later, the two emerged from the bathroom, Lawliet clean. Mello was finishing setting the table. The ex-mafia leader took one look at them before rolling his eyes. "Che. It's like there are two Matt's now." True, Matt and Lawliet had the same red hair(there was that unique blond strand in there) and green eyes.
"Mommy, mommy!" Lawliet said, reached out to the blond.
Normally, Mello would have shot whoever called him 'mommy,' but he didn't mind if his son called him that. Hell, he was the one who stayed at home, cooked, cleaned, and shopped, not to mention the one who gave birth to Lawliet, so why not as well be 'Mommy?'
"Come 'ere." Mello received the smaller redhead, showering the porcelain white cheek with kisses.
Matt wordlessly began to set the table, inwardly chuckling at the sight of Mello cuddling with Lawliet. "You're making me jealous," Matt said, pouting playfully.
Mello rolled his eyes again, seating Lawliet in his high chair. Once he was comfortable, Mello took his seat in front of Matt, grabbing the bottle of chocolate sauce and pouring it on his chocolate chip pancake.
"You have the weirdest eating habits," Matt muttered as he poured syrup--regular syrup-- onto his pancake.
"What?" Mello asked innocently. "Lawliet likes it, too." To prove it, he dumped some of the chocolatey substance on Lawliet's pancakes. The child squealed in delight, grabbing a fork and taking a bite.
"It's sad," Matt said forlornly.
"What?"
"I never got to feed him because you always did it. He learned too quickly."
"Matt. The first time you tried it, you nearly skewered his mouth with the fork."
"He coughed unexpectedly!"
"That doesn't mean you can jab the fork farther into his mouth!"
"Shut up, Mello! At least I can properly change his clothes without getting frustrated and pulling a gun on the poor kid."
"All three of us know I've never, and never will, shoot him."
"Well, how are we supposed--"
"Stop it!" Lawliet screeched, interrupting the argument. "Mommy and daddy fighting again!" he cried, rubbing his eye with a fisted hand. His cheeks gleamed with tears.
Immediately, the chocoholic and the gamer bent to the side to wipe at Lawliet's tears.
"Sorry, Lawliet," Matt whispered. "Me and mommy got carried away. Don't cry, ssh..."
Mello stroked the three-year-old's hair comfortingly in a way he knew the kid loved. Once Lawliet stopped crying and resumed enthusiastically eating his pancakes, Matt leaned back and sighed, looking at Mello. The blond raised an eyebrow at him.
"What were we fighting about, again?" Matt asked, smiling wryly.
"About how many times we almost killed our son," Mello replied sarcastically, but smiled back at his lover.
Breakfast rolled on. At around two o'clock, the trio was getting ready to go to the park, since Matt had taken off from work.
"Can I bring Mr. Bunny?" Lawliet asked, his small arms hugging a stuffed bunny as big as him.
Mello squatted down to his level. "You don't bring stuffed animals to the park."
Lawliet nodded, and ran out of the room to return his bunny. Mello let out a little laugh, continuing to change. He hadn't grown out of his leather-wearing habit; he still wore that vest and leather pants. Matt also hadn't grown out of his habit, though at least he only wore that furry vest during winter.
"It's summer, Mel," Matt said, appearing from the bathroom shirtless. He grabbed a red shirt and started tugging it over his head.
Mello licked his lips at the sight. "Mhm, what do you suggest I wear?"
Matt's head finally appeared as he straightened the unusually short-sleeved shirt. "How about normal jeans and a normal white-shirt? We are going to the park, after all."
Mello rolled his eyes, but changed anyway. "Go make sure Lawliet's ready," he ordered.
"Yes, sir." Matt kissed his cheek before running away like a girl scared of cooties. Well, it wasn't the redhead's fault. Normally Mello would smack him if he kissed his cheek. And he did not want to appear in public with a bruise.
Anyway, Matt found Lawliet in their playroom. The three-year-old was sitting in a pile of his precious stuffed animals. He giggled when he saw his dad. "Daddy, can I take Mr. Bunny with us?" He proudly showed off Mr. Bunny.
Matt scratched his head. "I don't know, Lawliet...What's Mr. Bunny gonna do at the park?"
"Play with me."
"Well, Near's going to be coming, so..."
"Neary!" Lawliet squealed. "Neary's fun. Can I have chocolate?"
Matt pulled out a bar from his pocket and gave it to his squirming son. He always had an extra one, just in case Mello ran out and started to PMS.
"Matt? Are you guys ready?" Mello walked in the room, for once dressed normally.
Matt nodded approvingly at the white t-shirt. "Good job, Mels. You're not wearing black."
Mello huffed. "We have to go. Near's out on the driveway."
"Come on, Lawliet, Neary's here," Matt said, using the child's nickname for the albino.
Mello cringed. "Neary...oh, dear god," he murmured under his breath, grabbing Lawliet's hand. The smaller redhead giggled and ran ahead, pulling the blond with him. "Okay, okay." Mello let himself be led by the child to their front door. Through the small window, he could see Near on their front porch.
"Neary!" Lawliet squealed, clumsy hands grabbing at the doorknob. With a great amount of effort, he twisted it and pulled the door open.
Near was standing there, for once out of his pajamas. He smiled a little when Lawliet tackled his legs with a bear hug. "Let's go, Neary," Lawliet said, voice muffled by the fabric of Near's light jeans.
"In one second, Lawliet." The albino looked up at the other man. "Mello, where is Matt?"
"Here." Matt appeared behind Mello, wrapping his arms around the blond.
"Neary, it's been seventeen seconds!" Lawliet tugged at the genius's leg. "We 'ave to get to the park!"
The four got in Near's car. Matt was driving with Mello in the shotgun seat(how appropriate), with Near and Lawliet in the backseat, the albino struggling to put the seatbelt on the wriggling child. Finally, they were settled and Matt started to back out of their driveway.
The couple had finally gotten a much nicer place, Near noticed as he watched the nice two-story house disappear from the horizon. He remembered his visit six months ago, when Matt and Mello were just about to move out. Their apartment hadn't been the best, let's just say.
"Mommy, I've got choco all over my fingers," Lawliet declared, putting out a flexed hand.
Mello peered at him from the backseat. "That's nice, Lawliet. Don't wipe it on your clothes." He started to rifle at the various things in the headboard and found some wipes.
Near was awed at the blond's behavior. Mello was acting really differently, especially towards Near. The white-haired man had only been insulted occasionally, now.
And as Near watched Mello turn back around to wipe his son's fingers, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He imagined that Mello was genuinely happy about his child, and he wanted to feel the same.
"Don't do that, Mels," Matt piped up from the driver's seat. "Not safe."
Mello rolled his eyes. "Hell, I've been in more near-death experiences than you could count. I will not--no, I refuse-- to die of a car crash."
"Cawr cwash," Lawliet said in wonder.
"Yes, Lawliet," Near said, voice betraying any sort of emotion. "Do not be caught in one."
"Okay." Lawliet nodded in understanding.
No sooner than he had said this, Matt parked into an empty parking space and unbuckled his seat belt. "We're here," he announced.
And Lawliet clapped in delight, unbuckling his own seat belt and starting to climb over the space in between the front seats. "Mommy, I want more choco, please."
Mello hesitantly allowed him to take a bite out of his own chocolate bar. Sure, he was his son and all, but Mello was very possessive towards his chocolate...
"Jeez, Mello, we have about thirty more in the back," Matt said, rolling his eyes. "Let the kid have it."
So Mello gave away his chocolate bar and nearly whimpered as Lawliet took another bite.
"Is Mello going to sit there and just stare wistfully at the chocolate?" Near queried from the backseat, starting to get out.
"Shut up, sheep," Mello growled before exiting with Lawliet.
"If Near's sheep, mommy, can I be wormy?" Lawliet wanted to know.
"Whatever."
"Can mommy be 'ducky?'"
"Whatever."
"Can daddy be 'puppy?'"
"Call us whatever you want, Lawliet. Now, come on. Daddy's waiting." Mello hoisted the three-year-old out and shut the car door behind them. A beeping noise sounded, indicating that Matt had locked it.
"Come on, ducky." Lawliet took Mello's larger hand in his and started to trek ahead. "Puppy's waiting for us."
And Mello almost cried at the cuteness; though he didn't, because he had a reputation to maintain. "Yeah, come on, sheep." Mello glanced over his shoulder at Near.
"Did he just call you ducky?" Matt asked once they'd caught up. The hacker was holding a cooler, no doubt filled with Red Bull, juice, and chocolate bars.
"Yes," Near said, appearing beside him. "And apparently I am sheep, while you are puppy."
"...Woof?" Matt tried.
"Yes, Matt," Mello said sarcastically. "Woof."
Lawliet giggled.
The park had several different pavilions, each one a fair distance from each other. Matt, Mello and Near found the closest unoccupied one, which was next to a little playground for children. As the adults started unpacking the food, Lawliet ran off to the swings.
"Matt, Lawliet needs some help," Near observed as he watched Lawliet tumble off the swing and onto the tanbark.
There was a loud cluttering sound as Mello dropped whatever he was holding and ran to the swings, shouting, "Lawliet!"
Matt watched, worried but highly amused, as Mello started yelling at the children as the blond helped his son up. "Which one of you fuckers pushed him? Well? Which one?!"
"Mommy, I fell off," Lawliet said, running his tiny hands through Mello's silky blond strands. The other children nodded, scared, in return.
Mello's eyes narrowed to slits. "All right. But if I see--"
"Mels, we have chocolate ice cream pops!" Matt hollered.
The two chocoholics perked up. Mello took a deep breath. "I'll deal with you later," he snarled to the little children, and walked back to the pavilion.
"I believe this is why Lawliet has no friends," Near said, munching thoughtfully on a cracker.
"Shut up," Mello said crossly, setting Lawliet down and grabbing a chocolate ice pop. "He's as anti-social as Matt."
Matt scoffed. "At least I don't scare people away."
Mello pointed to the right side of his face, where his scar was still permanently tattooed. "This is why--"
But he was cut off when Matt pressed his lips firmly against his.
"Ew." Lawliet made a face. "Mommy and daddy are suckin' face in pubwic." He averted his attention to his ice pop.
Matt giggled--like a girl, but who cared?-- and leaned down to kiss his son's nose. Lawliet planted a sticky one on the older redhead's cheek and poked his forehead with a tiny finger. Matt glanced up at Near. "Just so you know, you're not getting a kiss."
Near shrugged. "I know."
"Not from me, or Lawliet."
"I know."
"Or Mello."
Matt swore he heard Near swear under his breath and stifled laughter.
Their time at the park went by pretty quickly. Mello complained that Matt hogged all the water, Lawliet spilled juice on the sidewalk and cackled, and Near sat silently, smiling, watching. He wished he had a family like that...
During the ride home, the albino let Lawliet braid his hair.
"Dammit, Near, stop making my son a pansy!" Mello whined, trying to scratch at Near's face.
"Mello, Mello, damn it, turn around!" Matt was shouting. He grabbed blindly at Mello's twisted figure. "Mello--ah! Truck!"
Near's eyes widened to the size of saucers as a really bright light filtered through the car's windows. Then the car swerved, hard, to the right and Lawliet was crying and Matt was shouting and Mello was terrifyingly still.
The car stopped. There was a sharp hiss as Matt scrambled out of his seatbelt, leaning over to the shotgun seat, grabbing Mello. "Mels, Mels, are you okay?"
There was a scary silence. Finally, a weak response came, "What do you think, fucktard?"
Then Lawliet's cries heightened in volume and Near turned numbly to the child, pulling him close. "Shh, Lawliet, everything's okay."
"Mommy!" Lawliet sobbed.
"Mommy's okay." Now Mello had leaned back over, stroking his son's arm. "S-see?" His waist hurt like hell. "Matt, get us out of here."
Matt loudly exhaled, but did so, backing the miraculously undamaged car from the side of the road. The rest of the ride was silent, except the occasional sniffles from Lawliet. Matt dropped Near off at his house and drove home.
Some time later, the three were back at their house and Mello was tucking Lawliet in for bed. "M-mommy," the three-year-old whispered, clinging onto Mello's shirt. "Don't leave me, okay?"
Mello smiled, careful not to show the pain in his hip. "I won't."
"Never ever, promise?"
"Promise."
"Nighty-night."
"Good night." Mello kissed his son's forehead and partly limped out of the room. He made his short trip to his and Matt's bedroom, finding the gamer already changed.
"Come 'ere." Matt gestured to the bathroom. No doubt medical supplies were already in there. Mello grinned--the one Matt related to the Cheshire cat's-- and spread out his arms.
"Carry me?"
"Your waist hurts."
"I'm a masochist."
Matt gave a tired smile, walking over and gently wrapping his arms around the chocoholic's waist. "I almost lost you," he whispered against his hair.
"I couldn't have died," Mello replied in the crook of his neck.
"If you did, I would have followed you, you know that?" Matt asked, pulling back to meet Mello's eyes.
Mello nodded. "Though I prefer you not. You have much to live for."
Matt leaned in and kissed him softly. "I love you, Mello."
"Mm." Mello sighed contentedly. "I love you, too, Matty."
--
Lawliet giggled behind his hand, sneaking another look inside his parents' bedroom. They sure did the weirdest things sometimes.
That's okay, though. Lawliet loved them no matter what, like they did to him.
Oh, yes. This was the good life.
~End
Longest oneshot I've ever written...penny for your thoughts?
And don't ask how Mello had Lawliet; he just somehow did.