Title: Double Wammy!
Pairings: Anything is possible for now!
Go on: Read and review!
No: I do not own Death Note!
Chapter 1: Darkness, games and flour
The west corridor was smothered in thick shadows. No sound was audible, save that of the monotonous ticking of a grandfather clock slicing through the gloom. The various impressionist landscape paintings lining the walls would have been quite impressive to any who made the way down the corridor, though at this time they were barely visible. An ornate gold frieze, dotted with cherubs and exotic birds, revealed the antiquity of the place. Yet, this could be any long narrow chamber in any stately home across the United Kingdom.
Except for one thing.
The moon, sailing high among billowing clouds, peeked through the high arch windows of the room, revealing the subtle hint of evil forces at work. The opal light picked out a thin wire, glinting maliciously in the darkness. It was positioned carefully. Hooked at the tight bend of the corridor, it would be practically impossible to detect with such low visibility levels. Yes, practically impossible to any unlucky human being that passed, and would surely trip up on the wire ( roughly two inches from the ground) and humiliate themselves. After all, there was a conveniently placed sack of flour that would erupt on impact, just a few feet away.
Yes, evil forces were at work indeed. Well, Mello did pride himself on such simple yet effective schemes. It was not amazing, or intellectual, but it was opportunistic. Besides, it had only been a few hours since he had been informed of the situation. Under the circumstances, he was satisfied.
"No…it can't be game over!" a wail to Mello's right caused a ball of fury to set alight in his chest. Honestly, he had no idea why he hung around with that irritating redhead. He was always distracted by something, which just meant he was a distraction for Mello himself. Well, it didn't matter, it was always good to have a sidekick. Yes, Matt was just there to cover his back.
Secretly, Mello knew it was much more than that.
Instinctively, he reached down for his comfort food. A thick bar of milk chocolate was wedged into the waistband of his jeans. Breaking a piece off as quietly as possible, he sucked the rich morsel, allowing the sugar to calm his nerves. The anticipation was eating him up inside.
Could his rival really be tricked by such a cheap trick?
"I'm sorry it's such short notice, Near." Roger bustled around the room, wringing his hands between helping the protégée pack a few essential items. The old man was clearly anxious and slightly annoyed. It was really unacceptable that he should be informed of the proceedings at such short notice. It was unfair on Near too, though of course the child would never show an ounce of emotion.
"That is everything." the young adolescent motioned towards the small suitcase. His clothes and items had barely filled the case by half. Roger's heart sank a little at this, but he righted himself in front of Near.
"Alright then, I will load it into the car. Could you go and see if Mello is ready, please?"
Near's blank affirmative allowed Roger to leave the room. He was glad to put a little distance between him and the boy. As of late, Near had become particularly disconcerting.
For a moment, Near surveyed the blank space that was his dormitory. It completely lacked any personality, even when his possessions were still within it. Inside, he felt just as hollow as the room.
He made his way through the unidentifiable blackness of Wammys House at night.
"How can you be so sure that Near will come right here, before you two are supposed to leave?" Matt snapped into the darkness, "It's not near anything, even your dormitory." Mello sighed and exposed a feral grin.
"That's exactly right. Nobody comes here usually. That's why I'm sure Near won't leave without going here one last time. It's important to him. He likes it because no one is ever here." He chomped on his chocolate bar with a premature sense of victory. For once, Matt raised his head from his portable games console. Watching Mello's silhouette against the shimmering moonlight through the window, he felt a little stab of jealousy. It was the same feeling he had had once when he saw another Wammys pupil with the upgraded Nintendo DS before he had gotten his hands on it.
He and Mello were surprisingly similar in the sense that they both liked games, though in Matt's case the games were only artificial. For Mello, his games involved real people, real emotions, real pain. Matt knew he would never be as smart as Mello. The fact that he and Near had been chosen for the case was proof of that. Therefore, he would never be really respected by Mello. He would never be an important enough piece in the game. For that moment, reality fell on Matt's shoulders. He wished his life wasn't real, that it was just level based in which you could try again and again to be better.
Mello was always trying to be better. He was always trying to level up to be as good as Near. It was downright obsessive, bordering on insane sometimes. Why couldn't he just accept that this game was not for him? Matt's face crumpled. He was glad it was dark enough to hide it.
Suddenly, Mello grabbed his arm. Matt was about to cry out in pain, until he heard it. Soft, feather light footsteps. So faint, yet he had been listening out for them all this time, otherwise he wouldn't have noticed.
Mello's ears strained to hear the noise. He could feel his heart pounding frantically in his chest, a fist punching inwards, outwards. Why was he getting so worked up? It was only a stupid trap after all. He just wanted to test himself, to test Near. He needed to know where he stood in the playing field before the big game began.
For this new case, this new windfall of an opportunity to prove himself, was the biggest game for him.
Step, step. Shuffle, shuffle. Near moved briskly and lightly. It would only take him a moment, then he could easily double back to Mello's dorm. He would be ready anyway, of course. Near knew that the only reason Mello hadn't appeared yet was because he was probably planning or in the middle of a scheme to try and best him. That was plainly obvious. He was not nervous, annoyed or at all emotional in any way about the prospect of Mello trying to trick him, or the difficult task of the case ahead. Mello was Mello, the case was the case.
Yet, not everything was so plain to him. After all, it was not at all ordinary or appropriate behaviour for to come to this particular spot. Human nature was not always rational, he had to accept that. This place, this corridor. He stopped abruptly at one of the arch windows. This window was particularly picturesque, with a view to the Wammys House garden, and a particularly intricate part of the freeze being located here. It consisted of roses, cherubs and a pair of beautiful women.
Near saw himself reflected in the sheen of the glass. Memories clouded his head, shifting subtlety, a river meandering and racing forth.
"Near, you are the most special person to me."
Her face, lit up, golden.
We are secret… special…safe.
These words spilled over in his mind.
A moment together, everyday, I can be with you.
Here, by this window, where no one can find us.
"No one must know, especially not-"
"Stop it Mello!"
Near spun round, to meet a sight which many people would find comical, but Near did not possess much of a sense of humour. Mello was sat astride Matt, battering him with his fists.
"You idiot! He wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for you!"
The bag of flour, intended for the humiliation of Near, had now erupted over the pair, making the sight even more surreal. Near watched for a moment, taking note of the wire and the intended trap, before leaving for the car. For some time, Mello bellowed insults at Matt, while leaving a multitude of bruises on the other. Matt had the last laugh though. When Mello finally stood up, he fell foul to his own trap and tripped up, landing face first on the ground. Matt took this opportunity to take revenge, throwing the rest of the flour over him and sniggering at the sight. He then proceeded to find his Nintendo DS, and left, pretending not to care that he didn't know when he would next get to see his unlikely friend.
Mello hauled his large leather case into the back of the car. Roger raised his eyebrow slightly as the sulking teenager brushed the remains of flour from his strawberry blonde locks. The chauffeur bowed gracefully to him, opening the door to the sleek black limousine. Roger grasped him on the shoulder.
"Good luck." These were the only parting words. Mello chose to ignore them, and stared up at the spherical white jewel of the moon. A warm breeze rippled through his hair. The hot summer evening reminded him of happier times. Without even a look back, he slid into the vehicle.
The engine revved, the doors locked with a metallic clunk. Mello allowed himself a moment's relaxation.
"Ah, Mello. How nice it is to see you. I hope we will work well together on this case."
Mello's entire body went rigid with shock. He couldn't believe it. There was no way it could be true. His heart almost stopped when he turned to meet that pair of onyx eyes which had haunted his subconscious for years.
"…L."
First fanfic in practically a year!
I know I have other stories to finish, but I couldn't resist a Wammys tale, now that I adore Mello and Near so much!
I hoped you enjoyed it…I sort of just made it up as I went along!
This fic could be really great, I just know it.
Poor Matt, I really feel for him. It's weird that I showed so much from his perspective, because I don't really like him that much! (Sorry Matt fans)
Oh gosh, the appearance of L! Well la de da!
I'm not really sure where this is going pairings-wise, but there are a lot of hints in there, so if you think you can see something developing it will probably happen!
Tell me your thoughts, you only live once, so go for it!!
-Redfeatherspinkblossom