Matt fell back, gloved hands covering his face, frustrated at the screen that flashed GAME OVER. His mind wasn't at it's height. He should have beat that game by now. He was only on level ten though. Something was wrong.
Mello got up from where he'd been sprawled across the couch. Stumbling from the head rush, he nearly crashed down to his knees next to the defeated gamer.
"Is it dead?" The blonde asked, poking Matt in the stomach.
Matt rolled over, groaning and swatting at Mello. "Leave me alone…." He muttered through the floor.
"It's just a game. It's not like it's your entire----well, you still have me!"
"Go away, Mello."
"Make me."
"Make you what?"
"God, Matt, your brain's mush now, isn't it?"
"So is yours," Matt said, stomach turning at the thought of grabbing a handful of brains. "Like raw ground chicken."
"Nasty." Mello said, and, taking a big bite of chocolate anyways, flipped matt onto his back and sat on his chest.
"You're nasty, Mello."
"What are you talking about? I, unlike some people, actually take showers regularly."
"Yeah. Chocolate Shampoo, chocolate soap, chocolate after shave, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Why can't you be normal?"
Mello leaned in closer to Matt, an inch closer and they would be touching. "You smell like popcorn and cigarettes, Matt. It's really pretty gross. You should quit eating popcorn and eat chocolate."
"Wow, you sure care."
"Of course I care! I'm the one who's always in your mouth!"
"If you don't like it, don't do it."
Mello made a 'oh…' noise, and got up, right before a weird banging noise came from the door. Mello flailed a bit as he jumped over the overstuffed chair he'd stolen from a hotel, and slammed into the wall. Matt turned away, holding down laughter. Mello opened the door. "Matt, it's for you~!"
"Tell them to go away, I'm dead."
"I'm awfully sorry, Misa-Misa, it seems like Matt is too depressed to see y---"
"No wait!" Matt said, jumping up and shoving Mello out of the way and into a wall.
Near glared up at Matt, his panda bear eyes lit up in a hidden laughter.
"Aughhhhhh Mello! You're such a fucking liar!" Matt said, taking a swing at Mello's face. Mello ducked under Matt's arm and wrapping his arms around Matt's chest, knocking Matt over with a "nya!" of what Matt interpreted as Mello's playful noise.
Mello got up off Matt, and yanked Near into the room by his arm. He shoved Near into a chair, and draped himself over the smaller boy. Mello caressed Near's pale face with one hand, making Near blush a bright pink.
Matt shook his head in a mixture of disgust and jealousy, and slammed the door of his room.
"Why Near, what ever are you here for, dear?" Mello said, fingers trailing down to Near's neck, making Goosebumps rise.
"I-I-I f-f-f-found some thing about L…." Near mumbled, beet red.
"Oh? And what would that be, Mister River?"
"I-I found the location of his grave…"
"And did you inspect this grave?"
"N-no….it's in Japan….."
"So?"
"W-well….I want you to go w-with me…."
"Oh?" Mello rubbed his chin as if deep in consideration. "Okay, I'll go. On one condition……"
***
"Whoa---oh god---sorry Mello!" Matt said, and quickly closed Mello's bedroom door.
Mello seemed unphased, and continued what he had been doing; making Near scream.
Matt shook his head, sinking to the floor. Why did his chest hurt so badly? He'd been with Mello before, he knew that Mello did get around a lot. This kind of thing happened a lot. A tear slipped out, and leaked slowly through his goggles, and down his face, dripping from his pointed chin. Soon they were flooding so fast that he had to take off his goggles. Why did he have the feeling that this time he wouldn't get Mello back in his arms?
Mello walked out, wearing only black boxers, and stopped before a sight he wouldn't normally see at a time like this. Or ever. Matt wasn't smoking out on the balcony. An unopened pack of cigarettes was in his back pocket, with his lighter. Unopened. Mello opened the sliding door silently, and grabbed Matt's ass, taking out the cigarettes and lighter in the process. A trick he'd learned from L. Matt jumped, and turned his face away.
"Not wearing goggles, not smoking, and loosing your game. What's up with you lately, Lover Boy?"
"Nothing's wrong with me, Mello. I'm just lonely."
"Are you jealous, Sir Matt?"
"No…" Matt said, turning towards the door. He hoped Mello couldn't sense that every inch of him was trembling, that his conscience was screaming yes, that he was jealous, more so than he'd ever been before.
"Do I make you nervous, Mattie boy?" Mello whispered in his ear, snaking his arms through Matt's, resting his open palms on his stomach, pressing his own body to Matt's.
"Mello, I----"
"Hush now, little kitty. Don't shed any more tears. It'll all be better soon." Mello said, voice low and deep, almost musical, his breathing was heavy, his body warm, despite his lack of anything but boxers.
"You're leaving me for Near, aren't you?"
"Shhhhhhh." Mello said, face resting in the crook of Matt's neck.
"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!" Matt screamed, whipping around and slapping Mello across the face.
Mello grabbed his face, the sting bringing tears to his eyes, but they didn't spill over. Mello didn't cry often, for all that he was the most emotional person Matt had ever seen.
"Oh god….Mello….I'm sorry….I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to….I just--I just really don't want you to leave…."
Mello grinned. Not his happy grin. The I'm-going-to-fucking-kill-you grin. The grin he got whenever someone was stupid enough to hurt him. Matt backed away, tripping over the step behind him that led into the apartment. He looked up at Mello, blue eyes wide, all the color draining out of his body.
Mello had picked up the patio table, and was holding it above his head, looking down at Matt out of the corner of his eyes, grin now covering most of his face. He slammed the table down, with the force that was probably similar to that of a semi.
Matt, now covered in bruises and a table, let out a cry for help. Mello had broken the table, and grabbed the chair. Suddenly, a large warm mass fell on him, breathing hard. Mello had finally collapsed. Took long enough. Matt groaned as he gently moved the remains of the table out from under Mello, and, gasping from pain, Matt got up, lifting Mello in his arms. He laid the blond boy down on the couch, and collapsed next to him, wrapping his arms around him, burying his face into Mello's chocolate scented brassy hair.
"I love you Mello…." Matt whispered into his hair.
"I love you too, Chocolate Sunday….." Mello muttered in his sleep, rolling onto his side and burying his face into Matt's chest, seeking warmth.
Matt sighed, and closed his eyes, hearing the soft pad of socked feet crossing the floor to the front door, closing it softly, smiled. Near was gone. Mello was here.
"I want to stay like this forever, Mello, with you."
"Well I'm not sure about like this, but I'll stay with you."
"Holy shit!" Matt said, falling off the couch in shock. "I thought you were asleep!"
"Mm, I was woken up by this strange aroma…..popcorn, smoke, and Matt fear sweat." Mello said, yawning and stretching. "Go take a shower, then we'll talk."
Matt smelled himself. "Funny, I don't smell it."
"You can't usually smell yourself, dumbass." Mello said, rolling over, his head resting on one arm, planting his other hand on Matt's face. "You look like shit, did you get mauled or something?"
"Yeah, by a lunatic."
"Mm, you should really watch out for those types, Lover Boy."
"I would miss you though, Mello."
"What're you talking about? I'm always here…."
"Nothing, dear. I'll go take a shower now."
The hot water spilled over his head, steam covering the small bathroom. The water was loud, but he could still hear when the door was opened and closed. Through the nearly opaque shower curtain he could see a silhouette. They went to the sink, opening the medicine cabinet and taking out a bottle of pills before leaving, closing the door quieter than it had been the first time. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in.
Matt curled up next to Mello, who'd fallen asleep on the couch, wearing one of Matt's shirts. Mello shifted to make space, curling his body around Matt protectively.
"Matt, you're wet! You asshole!" Mello grumbled.
"You're the one who told me to take a shower, Mello darling."
"Yeah, that doesn't mean cuddle up to me with your wet hair in my face, dumbass." Mello said, shoving Matt and laying on his back.
Matt climbed over Mello, feeling out of place doing so, but staying there. Water dripped onto Mello's forehead, his bangs back. "Hey Mello, what happened to your eyebrows?"
"Dear god, Matt. I've only been in an explosion twice this week."
"Told you hairspray's flammable…."
"You know what?"
"What?"
"Shut the fuck up."
"I love you too?"
"Maybe I will go with Near……"
"No!" Matt pinned Mello down to the couch. "Don't ever, ever leave me! If you go…..I'll….I'll kill myself!"
"Matt. Don't throw your life away over love."
"You're one to talk!"
"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you fucking PMSing, Matt? That's my fucking job!"
"You're so freaking obsessed with L that you're selling yourself for information that isn't even that great! Why the hell are you so fucking obsessed with him, when you know he's dead?"
"Because he's not dead! He can't be dead!"
"Why the hell can't you get it through that thick skull of yours that L isn't in hiding, that Kira really did kill him?!"
"Because L isn't stupid!"
"Fuck it. You're in love with him, aren't you? You don't love me, you probably don't even think of me as a friend. I'm just some toy to you, aren't I? Fuck it, I'm done with you." Matt said, getting off Mello, grabbing his vest, and slamming the front door.
"Matt….." Mello said, softly to the door. The tears welled up, and for once, flowed over. He fell forwards, the cushions of the couch muffling his sobs.
His cell phone rang, the ringer telling him it was Near. He took out his phone with shaking hands, lifting the phone to his ear and forcing a small 'hello' out.
"Mello?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Can you come here?"
"I-I don't think I can…" Mello said, his voice cracking and trembling, the tears still flowing from three hours ago, his nose running.
"It's really important, Mello."
"I don't think I can drive, Near."
"Are you drunk or something?"
"N-no."
"Then you have no excuse. Get over here ASAP."
"O-okay, Near. I'll be there….."
Mello closed the phone, and slipped his boots on. He walked out to the motorcycle, Matt had taken his car with him. A sob escaped his lips, the tears still flowing steadily. He started up the bike, and drove down the busy street, the air on his exposed knees causing Goosebumps all over his body.
Mello knocked on the door, brushing away tears and trying to hide his face as much as possible in his hair. Near's body guard opened the door, and half dragged Mello into Near's computer room.
"Hello, Mello," Near said in his normal chilled voice, not bothering to even turn around. "Have a seat."
Mello sat on the floor next to Near, not bothering to knock over the extensive House of Cards Near was building. Near stopped, shocked by the apparent kindness and looked at Mello, head turning slowly.
"Hello, Mello. Are you feeling particularly out of it today?" Near said, looking at Mello, who's face was hidden in his brassy long hair. A minute passed, and no reply. "Mello. Are you alive?" Near asked, and gave Mello a gentle shove.
Mello turned his head, glaring down into Near's gray eyes with his puffy blue tear leaking ones.
"What's with you? Are you on something, Mello?"
Mello stood up, and walked to the door.
"Mello?"
Mello paused in the door way.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Mello nodded, turning around and closing the door. Near stood up, arms wide. Mello fell into them, knocking both of them down, crushing the house of cards. Mello buried his face into Near's white shirt, shoulders heaving with sobs.
"Mello… You do realize that I can't speak this language you've invented, right?"
"Matt left….." Mello sobbed, pulling away and rubbing his eyes.
"Matt leaves all the time."
"No, Near. I mean he left."
"He does that regularly."
"Near, I mean he's not coming back."
"He died?"
"No…."
"Then why are you crying?"
"Because he fucking hates me and now he's gone. I loved him so much, Near. And now he's gone. Everyone always leaves. What the hell did I do wrong?"
"If he's still alive, I don't see the problem."
"He broke up with me, you dumbass. It's over, and I don't want it to be."
"Mello, my offer still stands."