Title: On Losing Ends

Author: ichise

Series: DeathNote

Pairings: the M pair: MattxMello

Plot: For Matt, it's a battle between clearing and losing the game when Mello is around.

Rating: PG for language and suggestive themes

Warning: shounen-ai

Status: Complete

Disclaimer: I don't own DeathNote, just my fascination for it

Author's note: My first Deathnote fic, cheers! When I first read the Deathnote manga, I readily decided that I wouldn't have any pairings to ship. But when I caught a hold on the later chapters, I finally saw this pair. So, here's my attempt at writing a story for both of them. Hope you enjoy!

On Losing Ends

Matt fixes his eyes on the screen, not once averting. Back by the arm rest, sitting sideways. One foot dangling on the edge of the couch, the other bent steadily by the bay. Hands firmly on his newly bought chainsaw controller1 , aiming with perfect precision – one head-shot after another.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

PLOP.

Matt fixes his eyes on the screen, eyes trying not to avert and still trying. Back slightly jolted from the arm rest, weight shifting on his seat. One foot dangling on the couch, one familiar gloved hand clutching on his thigh, the other leg trying to stay steady as a head props itself by his tummy. Hands still firm, but slightly trembling, not by the sudden contact – he tells himself, must be the shock vibration feature2 the controller had, but he still trembles oh so faintly without even one parasite dead.3

The gunman on the screen still runs steadily, no damage at hand, no enemy at tow. The redhead strains to hear the sound of the faint metallic shuffling, the new environment was not familiar, there may be new enemies he hasn't seen. He strains to hear but still seas and hears nothing, and he hears a loud cracking sound, startled – he looks about, seeing the little blonde chewing calmly, sending chocolate crumbs clinging to his sweat shirt. The chewing movement of the blonde's cheek was grinding against his abs, feeling uncomfortable, he shifts slightly.

"Mello, you're staining my shirt." He looks down on him, not caring to press the start button4 .

"Hn." was the dismissing reply.

"You'll have to do the laundry this weekend."

"Hn," was still the reply.

Matt finally gives up, tingling sensations still creeping from where he is sitting. Mello's irregularly breathing chest against his lower body wasn't helping any either.

The blonde ex-cop5 finally starts running again in the unfamiliar grounds. Running and still running, straight across the path, until the thumb controlling the right analog stick6 suddenly twitches as the head nuzzles higher and higher to his chest, finding a better position in his 'warm bed'. The gunman was now running like a drunken man, like lost in a dizzy stupor. Deranged villagers7 then start to attack with their scythes and axes, others biting and the ex-cop finally blows them away bullet after bullet. Feeling the warm heaving breath brushing his partly uncovered chest made Matt's breathing irregular, but he only shares the panting of the man in the game. That and nothing else – he convinces himself once more.

He keeps reassuring himself of his own control…

What control?

Of the game of course!

What else you goggle doting redhead!

Surely, he wasn't thinking of the heavy parchment of hot and sweaty flesh against his won. No, he wasn't. No, definitely. No, not at all. He wasn't thinking of where this scenario might go, a wild circus raging in his head. He wasn't thinking of how good this sensation is rubbing on his skin, sending fire up his spine. No, not at all. He wasn't thinking about it, definitely not. Nor was he feeling anything of it. No. Really.

He wasn't –

"Matt, you're burning up."

He wakes up from his inner battle. Inner battle of control. And denial.

"What? No, I'm not." He refutes, face flushed, sweat trickling.

"You're on fire." Mello lifts up his head from where he was lying, a hand supporting his chin top the redhead's chest, looking straight at Matt – a gloved hand on the other man's chest, the cool leather touching his bare chest.

"What? Don't be stupid." He snaps, finally breaks the eye contact.

"What? You think you're in control?" Mello tells him, as if reading exactly what was going on in his head.

Matt feels his being turn upside down.

"No, really, Matt. Your character's going to die burning." Mello snorts and says this bored, asserting his lazy position once more, creeping higher up to Matt's neck to have a better view of the screen.

"Oh." Matt loses the hitched feeling in his throat, he misunderstood Mello. He thought he was talking about the burning sensation… burning. What burning? Matt then snaps at the realization.

"Oh fuck!"

He curses. Seeing as his gunman on fire as the new thinking zombies8 were throwing grenades. Matt tries to make a run for it, trying hard to have control over once more, dismissing the sensations of his springing youth. Trying desperately to ignore Mello's breathing against his neck. But when an unbelievably large man with a chainsaw9 came about, the gunman found nowhere to run.

Futility.

Matt realizes, as he feels Mello's hair brush against his face and against his neck.

Mello.

And the things you do to me.

"Oh, fuck that." He announces.

Throwing the controller to the floor, holding Mello's shoulders with both hands free, spinning them together – Mello now laying below him, him hovering above.

"Fuck the game. I'm winning this down at least."

He says as he leans in, lips tentatively touching, and then fervently kissing. Mello tastes like chocolate, bitter and sweet, as expected. He smiles as he pulls back for a breath. The highly amused Mello staring back.

"I'll never play another game with you around ever again." He declares, as he dives in for another kiss.

The game ends.

The screen finally says "You died." But Matt, he never felt any more alive than this. And unlike how the game had gone, he decided that whatever it was he started tonight, he'd definitely like wherever this would be going.

-Fin-

chainsaw controller1 – It's a controller for Resident Evil 4 that looks like a chainsaw.

shock vibration feature2 – it's a standard that every shot or injury, the controller vibrates

one parasite dead.3 – the controller vibrates every gunshot

start button4 – pausing the game

blonde ex-cop5 – the main character in Resident Evil 4 is the ex Racoon city cop: Leon

right analog stick6 – it' the control for running

Deranged villagers7 – no zombies in this game, only parasite infested villages

thinking zombies8 – yup, the enemies here are capable of thought and strategy

an unbelievably large man with a chainsaw9 – an enemy wielding a chainsaw

Author's Notes: Done! I hope this was a good read. I really enjoyed writing this fic, and it went by fast too. The inspiration for this story came from a picture of MMN I saw a few days back. It was a pic of Near and Matt battling it off in a game of PS2 while Mello lies boredly on Matt munching on a chocolate

Oh, and the game Matt is playing here is Resident Evil 4, outdated but this is one of my most favoured games, so there.

This is my first DeathNote fiction, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and please do review – it'd help me an awful lot, thank you again!