Last Breath
(:3 this story follows 'untitled' but you won't have to read it to understand this story)
As you already know, this is a FanFiction meaning I own nothing except the plot :3 If you want to read my OriginalFictions then head on over to my deviant art account (I am ripjawwolffang there to!) or my soon to be up and running FictionPress Account! :D ALRIGHT ON WITH THE SHOW!
Mello POV:
Drip, drip, drip.
I'm starting to think taking a case like this was a bad idea. It's been almost a year since I decided to give up on my rivalry with Near to be with my best friend and lover, Matt, and yet out of the blue the albino nitwit requests I help him solve a murder that he didn't have time for. I would have shot him down if it wasn't for the fact that he offered a free trip back to our old orphanage and decent paying, permanent jobs for both me and the redhead; money is something we couldn't afford to turn down at this point.
Drip, drip, drip.
But now we are here, at the crime scene, walking along a steep muddy river bank in terrestrial rain miles from anywhere, I have to wonder if taking this job was the best way to get some cash.
The heavy black boots I am wearing sink into the sludge more and more with every step, making getting anywhere slow and exhausting, but I have it good compared to Matty; I shot him a glance just a moment ago and his sneakers had become so bogged down that he was nearly tripping over once every few steps. On top of that it was cold, very cold, and I know both our coats are soaked through from the constant onslaught of water gushing from the heavens.
Hours crawl by before we even find the area where the body was located, resting right on the edge of the muddy shelf a few meters above the deepest part of the river. Crimson blood was still mixed with the mud hear, slowly washing down into the waters below.
Matt makes his way along the edge slippery to stand right next to me, mumbling something about needing a cigarette which he knew I wouldn't let him have; the boy was going to quit puffing those damn cancer sticks even if it killed him!
"That bastard sent us on a wild goose chase," I hiss, "There is nothing to see here."
Matt sighed, we both knew that it was unlikely we would find anything useful, even if this particular murder was only cleaned up by Nears crew a few hours ago, this rain would have washed away everything by now. That dumb-fuck just didn't trust his own men enough to pick up every trace of evidence. He better still give us those plane tickets after all this.
The hacker standing beside me sighed audibly, shivering slightly from the cold. "I could have told you that before we got here," he muttered looking down at his ruined jeans, "I don't know why we came."
Drip, drip, drip, SNAP!
Wheeling around to face the source of the sudden noise, hand finding the gun tucked into my belt instinctively as my blue eyes dart around wildly.
I catch sight of a figure moving in amongst the trees, its darting about far too quickly to make out exactly what it is.
Swiftly drawing my gun and aiming for its general direction, whatever it was I wasn't going to let it get any closer.
"Relax Mell's," The gamer smirked, "It's just a stray dog."
Matt pointed off into the distance to where I was just looking, my eyes finally focused on the dark form of a large, scruffy mutt who was hunting some small animal that had managed to escape into the bushes. I let out a sigh of relief, my right hand with the gun falling to my side and the other rising up to rub my scared face. This place doesn't feel right somehow, it's like every tree is watching our movements.
"Get down!"
I didn't have time to react before the gamer pushed me to the side abruptly, knocking the air out of my lungs for a moment.
"What the fuck Matt?" I bark, moments before looking up into the eyes of my lover, seeing pain even through those orange goggles, "Matty?"
That's when I see it, a spot of red forming on the right side of his jacket.
Blood. Matt's Blood.
The boy stumbled, raising a hand to cover the wound, gasping for breath as he lost his footing, falling backward into the river below.
"Matt!" I call out, about to jump in after him when a silent bullet whizzed through the air, barely missing my left arm.
I turn, raising my gun again, this time the figure is standing right in my view; a young Japanese man holding sleek black gun firmly in his grasp. He shot matt!
Firing furiously at the man who tried to take the life of me and my best friend, I curse him multiple times and watching him keel over before turning back to the river, Searching franticly for any sign of the gamer.
After a few seconds of searching I couldn't hold back any more. I half jumped half slid down the high bank and into the raging water, landing with a loud splash in the neck deep liquid, taking a deep breath and diving under to try and find my drowning lover before it was too late.
If it wasn't already too late.
Something becomes viable in the corner of my vision, a red and black, striped shirt sleeve. Grabbing for it I manage to snatch Matt's arm, pulling his motionless body toward my own and dragged him up to the surface.
With the gamers chest pressed to mine both our heads breach the surface of the water, out in the middle of the river where my feet no longer touched the rocky bottom. Quickly I checked for signs of life, and to my horror he was nether conscious or breathing.
"Matty, don't leave me!" I cry, desperately trying to get us both to the edge, "Come on breathe!"
I was trying my best to force a breath into his lungs while still moving toward dry land, sealing my warm lips to his soft, cold ones. I don't know how much good it did but I needed to try something to keep the redhead going long enough to pull him on shore and attempt to revive him properly. Just buying time before his brain was fried from lack of oxygen.
"Hang on, Matt!" I whimper as I drag him onto the rocky bank, quickly striping him of the jacket and shirt that would get in the way of my attempts at CPR, trying to drain as much water from the hacker's body as possible at the same time.
Laying him out on his back I reach down and feel for the pulse in the other male's neck, shocked when what I found was nothing more than the slightest of throbs beneath my fingers. I could see the gunshot wound had at the very least punctured one of my lover's lungs, but I was hoping his heart would still be pumping life fluid around his body with a bit more vigour.
Lowering my face down to meet his, I titled Matt's head back lips locking once again so I could help my best friend breath, watching his chest rise slightly before sinking again. I couldn't hold back the tears, there wasn't much chance of saving him now and I knew it; who knows how much blood he has already lost to the rapids, only to be replaced by a lung full of water to make it harder still for him to fight his way back to me.
Using my left hand I apply pressure to the gamer open wound, the smooth, damp, skin beneath my fingers sends chills up my spine, it was so cold and lifeless. I continue breathing for the gamer, each puff of oxygen buying him precious time and at the same time tearing into my heart. I just can't lose him, not now, not after all we have been through together.
I can taste the blood and vomit that is pooling in the back of my friends throat, confirming my fears about his internal injuries; the metallic life fluid seemed to take over my mouth as I tried once again to breathe life into his cold, unmoving body.
"Matty," I mumble, tears running down my cheeks as I try to clear out his air ways now blocked by bile, "Please..."
I feel like I am dyeing inside, am I just being selfish trying to keep him with me when he is so far gone? Should I just let him go? I can't give up on him, I just can't. Even if it is selfish, I won't just let my lover die on me like this. Not without a fight. Not after taking a bullet for me.
I try once again to resuscitate Matt, continuing to breathe for him several more times before receiving a cough and a mouth full of watery blood as a reward.
"Matty!" I spark, he was breathing, or at least trying to breathe for himself, "Matt, can you hear me?"
The body beneath me convulsed violently, hacking up a combination of fluids that had previously been in the redhead's lungs. I rolled him onto his side carefully, rubbing his back in an attempt to sooth him while at the same time keeping pressure on his open wound. Matt nodded weakly in recognition once the coughing fit died down, but I could still hear a loud gurgling sound each time he tried to take a breath.
"It's gonna be okay," I coo, gathering Matt up in my arms and holding him close, "try to take deep breaths, I am going to get you out of here."
Carefully, with the rusty haired boys head resting in my arms I pull out my phone and dial that dreaded number once again. That albino brat probably thinks I am bad for Matty as it is, but after this there is no doubt in my mind that he will try and convince the gamer that he and I should move in with him where its 'safe', even if he doesn't say it in so many words.
Putting the phone to my ear and pinning it there with my shoulder so I could go back to supporting my charges head, I hear a loud buzzing sound, followed by a loud beep and finally a dial tone.
"Near." I hiss into the mouth piece.
"Mello." The voice on the other end of the line replied, not bothering to use a voice distorter when he knew where the call was coming from.
"Matt's been shot," I mumble, trying to hold back the urge to start crying again, "And he stopped breathing for a long time, and his lungs are filled with fluid." I inform Ls successor.
There is a short silence from the albino's end of the line, he is probably shocked that the boy he has had a crush on since Whammy's is once again on deaths door thanks to me.
"Get to the road, I will send someone." The monotone of his voice breaks slightly, only enough so that someone so used to hearing him talk as long as I have would be able to notice. I simply let the phone fall to the muddy, rocky ground once I hear the click that indicated my once rival was done talking, I would rather buy a new phone then move my friend more then I had to.
Slowly I stand, carefully lifting the hacker up with me and making my way back to the road. It's slow going, the clay once again burdening my quest for the road; it didn't help that every time my boots got stuck and I had to jerk them free Matt would let out a pained whimper that sent daggers through my heart.
As soon as we got to the edge of the trees a huge helicopter came into view, three random men rushed from where it was parked in the centre of the road to where I was standing. He sent a helicopter to come and get us... The redhead and I have been living in our car for the last two weeks after being evicted from our apartment and that bastard has a god damn helicopter just lying around? If I wasn't so thankful to see that his men were already here, I would have shot a few holes in the damn thing out of spite!
The taller of the two men directed me to a stretcher, where I delicately lay the smaller boy down, stroking his still wet hair as they strapped my only real friend down so that he wouldn't get knocked about during the flight. The medics them strapped the stretcher into the back of the chopper, as soon as I was in the doors were closed and we where off, nears flunkies pulling out all sorts of medical supply and beginning their work on the gamer.
The trip only took a few minutes, but to me it felt like forever; it was all too clear that Matt's condition was anything but stable. The other occupants of the cramped compartment kept talking amongst themselves, neither of them seemed sure if he was going to survive the flight; but we made it...
Everything moved so fast, as soon as we were out of the helicopter Near was waiting to greet us as they rushed the redhead downstairs he held me back; telling me I would only make it harder for them to save the hacker.
Eventually I gave in, by then I had dragged the detective to the door of the room that held my wounded love. The albino seemed so confident, so strong in the face of what could quickly become the last day of an all too short life.
Hours pass.
They stabilize my best friend and lover, assuring me that he has good chance of survival if he wakes up.
A full night passes.
There's no change in his condition at all, but they try to tell me that this is to be expected from someone with his injuries.
The night becomes day.
Still nothing. All I can do is sit by his side and hold his hand, hoping and praying for the best.
Night once again takes over.
Then yet another day follows that.
Near is now sitting by Matt's side to, I think he is finally starting to crack under the pressure of watching a friend lay there, so cold and so lifeless, a machine helping him with every breath.
As night falls again we are finally alone again. I must be looking a lot like L after all this time with only a few hours sleep where I have dozed off in the chair next to the comatose gamer, I know for a fact my hair has turned wild and that the un-scared side of my face is carrying a dark, heavy bag. I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing my tired blue orbs and leaning over to squeeze Matt's hand again.
Suddenly I feel the smaller males grip on my own tighten, returning the pressure.
I jumped up in shock, pulling my hand away.
"M-mell's," a horse moan escaped from my friends mouth, his eyes fluttering half open to peer up at me with that same puppy dog gaze he always had, "D-don't go..."
"Matty…" tears gush down the sides of my face yet again, this time from pure relief and excitement, "I'm not going anywhere." Leaning down I place a feather soft, loving kiss on Matt's forehead, "I love you Mail Jeevas."