The tension on the ground floor of the warehouse, serving as a very temporary headquarters, was thick like smog as Mello perched apprehensively on an ottoman in the corner scrolling through some files on his laptop. Matt's face and thoughts were buried in his handheld video game, as he leaned against the wall with his long legs stretched out before him. Matt was better at projecting careless neutrality, but Mello's mood was always contagious. He absentmindedly took a bite of chocolate with a dramatic "snap", and laid the candy on the floor next to him. He noticed the overflowing ashtray on the floor between them, ashes spreading perilously close to his snack.
"Hey," Mello snapped, "watch your garbage. "
"We'll only be here for a few more hours," Matt replied absently.
"That's not the point. I don't want your ashes on me."
Matt smirked and shook his head. His game beeped victoriously. "I don't think it's my smoking that has you on edge. I think you're unsure about your own plan."
The corner of Mello's mouth twitched. He could always feel the subtle stiffness of the scar tissue. "I'm always sure about what my gut says. Anyway, if you don't want to be here nothing's stopping you from leaving. Get out if you have something better to do."
Matt scoffed. "Touchy Mello. I've bet everything on following you, I won't stop now. You don't have to win my loyalty by eliminating my enemies,"
he teased. "I just know how you hate yes-men. You don't keep me around because I agree with everything you say."
Mello slammed his laptop shut, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the wall. His eyes stared unwavering ahead, quiet and heated like the sky before a storm. When he spoke again his voice was softer and less emotional, more controlled. "I'm certain about the plan, I'm less certain about what will happen next. But everything will proceed as we discussed." There was a sticky silence. New York hummed at a different frequency than Mello was used to. Matt was less interested in the background noise of the city, but for Mello it meant more information to process, more variables to influence the people he wanted to influence. "If I tell you something interesting, will you promise not to ask me how I found out?"
At this Matt lowered his game and slid his goggles up onto his forehead. "Sure."
"Shinigami are forbidden to tell humans the date of their deaths or how much time they have left. But there are other things, that they can say." Mello paused, letting the weight of his words settle on Matt's shoulders, although Matt remained visibly unaffected. "Things like… you and I are going to die on the same date."
Matt twisted his mouth like he was chewing on the information. He rested his elbows on his legs, and rested his chin on his folded hands. After a moment, he reached forward and unplugged Mello's laptop. The powersave mode closed Mello's file. Mello stood up, instinctually grabbing for the plug. "What the hell is that about?!"
Matt shrugged playfully. "Anyway, you were right, the only thing I can think is, how in the world did you ever get that information. But I'm not surprised, you're good."
Mello paused for just a moment in his hurried motion to plug the laptop back in. "No one could have gotten this far if they weren't 'good'. I'm just willing to do whatever it takes."
"Kidnapping, blackmailing, lying, stealing…." Matt joked. The tension had reached a head and he was ready for the fighting or the drinking or whatever was needed for the mood to blow over.
"Whatever it takes," Mello repeated solemnly. Apparently tired of whatever he'd been studying, he turned the computer off and slid it under the ottoman, reaching again for his chocolate bar.
"Then why didn't you take possession of the second death note?" Matt asked with an edge of impatience. He usually backed Mello's plans without question, but when it came to the decision not to go after Misa's death note, Matt just couldn't understand. The disagreement never resulted in a conflict, but Matt continued to wonder about Mello's reasoning, as he never offered any.
Mello smoldered. "Because the object is to catch Kira, not collect notebooks. If we take away the second kira's ability to act, the whole investigation be at a standstill." He nearly spat the words at Matt.
"Don't be so serious, Mello. I help because I believe in your methods. There's no solving this without someone getting their hands dirty. You're willing to do it, I respect that." Matt lit a cigarette.
Mello snarled to himself about something his mind was chewing on inside his head. "Sacrifice is a necessary evil," he murmured, absently touching his scarred face. Matt may have been the only one who understood how Mello's vanity was matched in ferocity only with his determination.
"So you got your photo back from Near," Matt went on. Mello nodded sharply. "But you know… you look different now. Anyone who hasn't seen you since the explosion probably wouldn't be able to use the note on you."
"Yes I've thought of that. But it's not something we've ever tested and I didn't want to neglect that little detail."
Matt's mouth felt like it was on autopilot, on a fixed path to make something explode. His words were like darts, aiming to puncture the barrier that kept Mello's secrets inside his head. "I'm not surprised you were able to get that kind of information from a Shinigami. You're probably the only human who's ever lived who scared a god of death with just his eyes." As Matt extinguished his cigarette, a tiny ash fell next to the wrapper of Mello's chocolate bar. Mello's eyes lifted from the floor to glance at Matt with suspicion.
"Where are you going with-"
In one fluid motion that even surprised Matt himself, he bridged the short distance between them on the concrete warehouse floor. He covered Mello's question with his mouth, unsure of what he was doing but with little concern. Whether Mello realized it or not, though he seemed to suspect, this next move would be their last. Not just in this case, but in both of their careers. Matt sought to accept that fact, burying his denial in a careless embrace. Mello inhaled sharply but breathed out slowly, feeling Matt's presence in his space. "You're not the only one who wants to be the best. I want to have the boy who scared a god of death with only his stare," Matt said, almost in a whisper.
Mello smiled, clearly pleased with himself in light of this compliment. Matt felt Mello's muscles slack just a bit, exhaling pride as his nervousness dissolved. This just fueled Matt's determination to play with Mello, to untwist him as they both prepared for the days ahead.
"You always wear these crosses," Matt continued, delicately fingering Mello's bracelet, then his rosary. "But do you ever pray? I bet you look divine on your knees…"
Mello plunged his teeth into Matt's shoulder, interrupting him. "Pray to what," he growled, pushing himself upward from the ottoman towards Matt. "I don't believe in God, and I don't believe in justice. I believe in the chase. I believe in winning."
Sensing Mello's guard was down, Matt pushed him back down again, swallowing Mello's voice with his mouth. "And I…." Matt panted, "believe in you."
Mello's nails dug reflexively into Matt's back. It was true. No matter the outcome of the Kira case, he had taken control of Ross's group through keen insight and strategy. And though he was never able to work alongside Near, Matt had known Mello nearly all of his life and was still willing to follow him into the fray, over and over again. There were ways Mello demonstrated his skills, but they were all leading up to the capture of Kira. Without that, the rest was meaningless.
Matt felt Mello tensing up again, and held his forearms to the ottoman to restrain him. "Struggle now, tomorrow you won't hesitate," Matt whispered in Mello's ear. Mello arched his back, mustering his upper body strength to push Matt off, but melted under the heat of his embrace. "Okay," Mello muttered. "Okay."
Matt hadn't expected Mello's submission, it gave him an unexpected rush of confidence. Without thinking twice, Matt slid his arm around Mello's back, found himself tugging at Mello's clothes, shaking as Mello pushed him off and pulled him close at the same time.
"So we die together…." Matt mused as he pulled at Mello's leather vest and it slipped down his shoulder.
"I don't know about that," Mello replied, running his fingers through Matt's hair. He pulled the goggles off Matt's forehead and dropped them next to the ottoman, into the overflowing ashtray. Matt's gaze wandered from the mess on the floor to Mello's triumphant smirk. Matt began to undo his belt.
"No. I mean now. Tonight."