PAIRING: Mello x Neiar
Set anytime between chapter 76-99. Major spoilers for chapter 99/100.
Rating: R-18/NC-17/whatever it is depending on your country of origin
Warning: Yaoi/boy x boy sex (although not too explicit), coarse language, random OOC-ness
SEQUEL TO THE 2005 PREDATOR SERIES
OTHER RANDOM NOTES: This may be my worst, wankiest work yet. Heavily inspired by a combination of random books and doujins I came across.The whole story may as well just be one big fat excuse to put Mello and Neiar into sexual situations and accidental dates (gasp!)
SUMMARY: Mello & Neiar's secret meetings, promises and "happy endings"
HAPPY ENDING
PART I:
Once there was a goat and a donkey living in a farm
Everyday they both helped the farmer with his work
And got fed to their satisfaction accordingly
But the goat was secretly jealous
Because it seemed the farmer favoured the donkey more than him
One day the goat told the donkey to take the day off
In the hope that with his own hard work
He would get double the reward
And the farmer would notice him more
The donkey agreed and told the farmer he sprained one of his ankles
But the farmer only knew one cure for the donkey's "sprained ankle"
And that cure was goat's heart
So that day, instead of getting more feed than usual
The goat got a day off for the rest of his life
Happy ending?
USA, 2009
NEIAR:
I remembered feeling a cringe inside when I first heard that story. It wasn't exactly the kind of folk story you tell little kids without the intention of giving them nightmares. But for some twisted reason, I found it easiest to swallow. No Easter bunnies, no magical fairies, no happily ever afters, just a simple story of two farm animals. And one met its end in a somewhat ironic way.
Karma? Or something more sinister?
In a way, that story reminded me of Mellina. My first ever friend who betrayed me in the dirtiest way possible.
Of course, I'd never know if she ever met her end like that. That was probably an arrogant wish on my part.
Because I've realised long ago that the world doesn't go according to the good vs evil principle.
Not that I cared anyway.
Or so I kept saying to myself while continually kicking myself for letting Mellina drilled herself so easily into me back then.
Her and Mello.
But at least Mello was honest. About everything. There was nothing unpredictable about him.
Well, almost.
Until he suddenly appeared in my headquarters, sticking a gun to Lidner's head. That was awhile ago, but to me it felt like it just happened yesterday.
And now I couldn't sleep.
Still.
Not that I usually slept much anyway.
His last words before we parted ways were echoing in my head.
Which one of us will get to Kira first?
I'll be waiting for you in the finish line.
Like hell.
For us, there was never going to be a finish line. Even after this whole Kira case blows over we'll still find a reason to take each other out.
Or maybe it was just me who didn't want a finish line.
I realised that the last thought was probably anything but logical.
But I knew this long ago.
Whenever Mello was involved anything close to logic slowly fell apart.
Or I slowly fell apart.
Instinctively pulling the blanket over my head, I let the darkness swallowed me.
What was I hiding from?
Sticking my head back out, I took a peek at the digital clock sitting next to the computer.
02:13: 09 AM.
My little room at the HQ was comfy but a little chilly. The bed was probably a bit big for my size and the mattress was so sunken I could probably drown in it.
Tonight was colder than usual.
My mind trailed a few weeks back. It was one of those rare nights when I could sleep for a good number of hours and actually remembered my dream.
But then again, anything involving Mel always stood out.
I dreamt I met him, before that day when he marched into my HQ. I was meeting up with him at some unknown building, and we ended up in one of those cheap suburban motel rooms. The rest was a blur, except for the part where he was sleeping beside me.
Would it make any difference if there was someone else sleeping beside me now?
What the hell am I on about?
Now I couldn't help wondering what he's up to.
As if answering my question, my phone rang.
"Damn you, Mel."
MELLO:
"Neiar, it's me."
Not that I really needed to explain.
"I know."
You've been expecting me?
"I can't talk for long. But listen, whatever it is you're planning in regards to the Note and all that, postpone it."
There was silence on the other end. I kind of knew he wouldn't like the sound of that.
"Why? Because I'll get in your way?" That familiar arrogant tone always annoyed me to no end. For once, would you drop the act?
"You know better than that, Neiar. But that's all I'm telling you."
I expected that it would be difficult to explain, at least to his standards. But I just had to tell him.
"I appreciated that time when you called me about Mr.Mogi, if I forgot to mention that."
"Neiar, this is completely unrelated to that. I know they're on to something. I don't know what it is yet, but I suggest you hold back your plans…"
"Until you call me again?"
That was out of character. He'd normally go "Until when?" and then decided that he should work it out himself.
It was like he was expecting me to…
"So your system is better than me, I suppose?" he said again before I had the time to reply.
"Listen, Neiar, at the moment my resources can track them down anonymously..."
"And the SPK can't? Mel, you're practically a fugitive now! How long do you think you can keep…"
"Screw you and your SPK. I'm just telling you this so we can both get optimum results. And at the moment this is the best I can do, so you might bloody well be a tad grateful."
Silence for two seconds.
"I think we have to meet."
What?
"How…"
"You'll find me. I promise you, you will."
His voice was insistent and childish, like a little kid demanding his toy.
"Fine. Have it your way."
I hung up, kicking myself for the millionth time for letting Neiar have his way with me again.
Both figuratively and literally.
"Damn you, Neiar."
I had to admit, that thing I did with Neiar when the Note was in my possession may be a tad over the top.
"Mello."
"Neiar. It is you."
"You haven't changed much yourself."
"It certainly has been awhile."
But it was damn well worth every second of it.
Lying on my thin strip of mattress in my crammed little room, I tried to ignore the noises from outside. Being a secret HQ, Matt and I didn't have much choice of location. It was good enough for him to do his surveillance and other hi-tech stuff, and good enough for me to hide.
It was a bloody Friday night. Everyone's going out and getting smashed.
There was a faint sound of trashy hip-hop music from a car stereo driving past.
My mind trailed back to Neiar.
The little pompous brat must have a room the size of five-star hotel suites. With his pile of gadgets or toys.
Talk about contrast.
But then again, bigger high-tech HQs doesn't guarantee better performance. I knew I was ahead of him one way or another.
If it wasn't for that damn ambush.
But now…
I had to laugh at myself mentally at the irony of the situation.
I told Neiar when I barged into his HQ that I'm not a tool that he can use to solve his puzzles.
But yet here I was supporting him. First, that Mogi guy from the NPA. Then the fake rules of the Note.
I thought you knew me better than that.
Of course.
In the end no one else knew me the way he did.
I guess I could never get away from you for the rest of my life, Neiar.
No matter how different our paths were, every road I took lead back to you.
NEIAR:
…I will catch Kira for you.
He said it. That day, when he sent Mr.Mogi from the NPA to me.
However, knowing him, the chances of him wanting to get rid of me along with that wasn't exactly zero.
Not that I cared that much.
Or so I kept telling myself.
That day when he pointed his gun at me, I didn't even turn around.
Was I too afraid to look at him in the eye?
Right now, all I wanted was to catch Kira and close the bloody case. What L didn't have the chance to do.
And whether I admit it or not, Mello may be the sole reason I've gotten this far.
Mel...
I haven't called his name like that for so long now.
Mel, I guess no one knew me better than you.
Shuffling aside, I spoke to the intercom.
"Commander Lester, I'm going out for a while."
Mel could just laugh at the irony of the situation right now.
Or at me.
It was a Friday night, and everyone's going out all dressed up with their boyfriends, girlfriends or gangs.
Weekends didn't exist in our world. Or maybe for Mel, every day is a weekend, as he worked in his own pace.
But tonight was different.
I was actually dressed up.
I didn't exactly jump at the chance to get out of my usual white shirt and pants, but I didn't exactly intend on standing out.
So I went shopping for a bit. To my advantage, shops opened late on Fridays.
It didn't take long. The first bargain store I spotted, I grabbed all the stuff I needed there. It wasn't like I was short on money, but I didn't want to look conspicuously loaded either.
So now I was dressed up, well, as dressed up as I'd ever be.
And most importantly, I was actually meeting someone.
I knew he was around here somewhere.
It was getting late, and the city was getting more crowded.
"You'll find me. I promise you, you will." I've said that to him.
We always did find each other, anyway.
Our paths always crossed.
Even though at the moment he could contact me and I couldn't contact him.
"Hey, watch it, kid!"
I felt a nudge on my right shoulder. It wasn't hard, but enough to startle.
A group of teenagers in hip-hop gear went past me in a huff. They were so loud and the amount of blings they were wearing could probably light up an entire town. One of them with a blue gangsta bandana gave me a condescending look while strutting away.
"Sorry."
Some things haven't changed. Many years ago at the Wammy House I was one of those kids who always got shoved aside and whoever did it never bothered to apologise.
More than four years on, I was still that kid.
Mello was one of those on the other side of the equation. But he'd do more than shove me aside or bump into me in the corridors.
He didn't just want to be the bully who could tread on me or whoever he chose.
He wanted to be the centre of attention.
The superstar.
The next thing I knew a loud motorcycle screech stopped me on my tracks.
MELLO:
It was like one of those action movie scenes. I pulled my motorbike over the curb, right in front of him.
Neiar looked slightly startled but then his eyes met mine and his stern expression loosened up.
"Mel…"
He wasn't joking when he promised me I would find him. No matter how much he tried to blend in with the crowd, my eyes won't be deceived.
At least he tried to be less conspicuous this time. Unlike last time we met in L.A.
Not that he'd remember anyway.
"Hop on."
Neiar climbed behind me instantly but reluctantly put his arms around my waist.
"Trust me you'll look stupid falling off my bike in front of all these people. Hold on tight."
He finally held on properly and I shot off away from the crowded street.
It wasn't even 15 minutes until I reached my secret HQ and let Neiar in.
Matt wasn't around.
"You can sit down if you want."
He dropped to the floor in an instant.
Typical.
"My couch doesn't bite, you know."
He slowly climbed on it and leaned his chin on one of his knees.
"I see you've found a safe place," he mentioned, scanning my room.
"I see you've been shopping," I replied, scanning him. "Nice outfit."
I've never seen him like that before. It was like something out of a cheesy make-over reality TV show.
Neiar was wearing a black T-shirt with New York written on the front, layered on top of a gray long-sleeved shirt with subtle stripes, paired with faded jeans and fake red Converse. He was carrying a small black slouch bag. His fluffy silvery hair was half hidden by a black postie cap and he had plastic glasses that kept slipping down to his nose.
It may be an everyday urban look on other people, but on him it was one definition of "over-the-top".
But still...
He looked somewhat...cute.
The whole outfit made him look more grown up, without getting rid of his child-like features completely.
"Yeah, well..."
It was so typical of Neiar. He said I'd find him, and I did so easily. Because I could spot him immediately if he was wearing his usual stupid white attire. But now that he was wearing something new, trying (rather hard) to be different, he stood out even more, even though he did blend in with the crowd.
But he stood out only to me.
I could recognise you anywhere in the universe, Neiar.
That time in L.A...felt like a million years ago.
"So what brought you here?" I asked while tossing my coat next to him.
"Well, I suppose we need to talk," he replied firmly. "You've got some explaining to do."
Here we go again. He might look cute tonight but his arrogance stayed the same.
"I don't need to answer to you, Neiar."
"Oh, get over yourself."
I jumped on the couch beside him in a snap, tossing his cap on the floor.
"No, you get over yourself! You need to come out of that little protective shell of yours. First, I shared you my resources, and now you want us to meet up, I rocked up to see you like you asked."
And that's only because...
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
Neiar looked up at me with those eyes I knew too well. "We can still talk, can't we?" he continued.
…there was you and only you.
NEIAR:
Mel...
I supposed I could've said that I did this to thank him for all he's done for me so far.
What was I doing here anyway?
Maybe by seeing me here in person, he would get the satisfaction of...
"You needed me, Neiar. You being here said it all."
I couldn't argue.
Why couldn't I argue?
"And I don't owe you any explanation. Consider it your way of saying thank you," he continued while munching on his chocolate.
I wanted to respond, but my brain just went blank.
He was on to something but for some unknown reason I couldn't figure out what. And he wouldn't make up things like that. I knew better than not to take his warnings seriously.
"I don't know what it is yet but I suggest you hold back your plans…"
Maybe he was simply using it as a bait to get me to come crawling at his door, begging for cooperation. After all, it was so Mello.
I wasn't about to play the part.
There he goes again, the defensive Neiar disguising as arrogance. Which disturbed him to no end.
Maybe I wanted him to be disturbed...
But here I was anyway. Like a clueless idiot in his room, as if waiting for something to happen.
"Mel, if you don't tell me anything, then how would I know if it's going to make any difference to me or not?"
That was pathetic, but I couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say.
Maybe I was slowly getting desperate…
"I thought you trusted me, Neiar."
And I do trust you. I do! But there's this stupid idiot little Neiar inside me who just wanted to keep provoking you.
"Looks like we're going nowhere. You know what? I don't care anymore. You said it yourself, you'll be waiting in the finish line. So now you go do your thing and let me do my thing."
Turning away, I got off the couch and picked up my cap, heading towards the door.
Click.
"Stop."
I turned around and Mello was pointing a gun at me.
For the second time in my life now.
"I thought I could trust you, Neiar."
His eyes were wild as usual, but I saw the unmistakable streak of anger, like a betrayed...
"I've told you before, Mel. You can shoot me if you want, I don't care."
"Sit down. Right now!"
His voice, ever so superior, forced me down.
I sat back down on the couch, still following his glare. He was looking down on me now, with all the authority in the world, along with his gun.
Well, what are you going to do now?
"You've no idea how clueless you are."
All of a sudden, my memories dragged me back to the Wammy House years. Mello said that to me once before, years ago.
"You've no idea how clueless you are."
It was not long after I arrived at Wammy House. Once, in between classes, a group of kids -maybe one or two years my senior- approached me when I was sitting all by myself doing my jigsaw puzzles. Apparently I've built quite a reputation as the new resident genius in record time (partly thanks to Mello and his outbursts) and they needed my help with some school project. One of the boys told me to meet up with them at night just before library closing time.
So when the time finally came, I packed up my books and stationery from my room.
I was about ready to head out when I found Mello standing in the doorway with his usual provocative glare.
"What the hell are you going to see those brats for anyway?"
Like I said, words around here travelled fast.
"What's it to you anyway?"
"Do you even know them at all?"
"They needed my help with a school project, nothing else."
"God, that's so like you, innit? Showin' off how good you are as usual."
"I'm not dealing with your bollocks, Mel."
"You've no idea how clueless you are."
And that was the last sentence I heard from him as he pushed me back and made his way to slam my bedroom door from the other side.
How he found a copy of the key to lock me in was beyond me.
After pointlessly banging and yelling at the door, I gave up. And fell asleep.
The next morning, I didn't catch a glimpse of Mel. But when I saw the kids I was supposed to meet up with last night, they weren't half as friendly as they were last night.
"Sorry about last night." I started.
"Whatever," was the reply, followed by their rolling eyes and scuffling away like I was the plague or something. It was like they couldn't even be bothered.
I could see they were annoyed. Mel would've gone instead of me, told them I bailed and showed off how much better he was to his heart's content.
Typical.
And now, four years on, things haven't changed one bit.
Maybe I was wrong in trusting him.
But I still wanted to.
Mel's ego would never let me get ahead of him, no matter what.
Whether it was some school project or a serial mass-murder case.
"What now?" His gun was still pointing at me.
He moved closer, his gun now only centimetres away from my forehead.
"Empty your bag. On the floor."
The sound of random objects hitting the floor filled the room.
"Now take off everything you've got on you. Everything."