Wammy's was a prison, but also a home. At least, that's what he liked to think. A home is where you feel safe. A home is where your family is. Wammy's lacked both of them. In the night you could feel the fear in the air but no one ever commented on it. Looked at it. Stopped it. It was all about the rankings, below second and you're nothing. The game beeped in the empty office, the red head hidden under a table with a body warmer wrapped around him. The beeps were all he heard, never the screams he should. Mello was missing again.
He knew somewhere blood would be flowing like a river and bruises would be flowering on pale skin. Matt only thanked God it wasn't him that night.
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Matt cowered in the corner as the foot hit him, the eyes glaring at him accusingly. Near, the child who'd put up with so much, gave one last kick before falling to the floor, eyes watering but never crying. "Fight back..." Near begged. "Please... Fight back..." Matt looked at him and smiled sadly, sitting up and rearranging his goggles.
"Same time tomorrow?" Matt asked standing up. Power. It was all about power in Wammy's. Mello had it all and everyone did what they could to regain it. Near frowned and kicked Matt. Near was thin and weak, his body falling backwards after that one attempt as he lost his balance. Matt looked down upon the boy and grinned, moving so he was leaving.
"There will be no tomorrow." Near hissed. But there would be; there was always tomorrow. There were always the attempts to regain your power. The power you never had to begin with.
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"You know Matt," Mello began biting the chocolate with a loud snap. "You're mildly pathetic. You never do anything. Why do I even bother with an unthankful idiot like yourself?" Matt's fingers paused over the game before continuing their small dance on the buttons. Matt had memorized where every button was but he didn't look up, that would mean challenging Mello. Mello watched in boredom. "Answer me." Mello ordered.
"Yes Mello." Matt muttered. The hand snatched the game and threw it on the floor, a boot smashing down onto it until it was nothing more than wires and gears. Matt looked at Mello only to have something slash his face. Mello licked the bloody blade before moving to kick Matt. Matt only curled up to stop the pain. Mello paused.
"M… Matty…" Mello whispered in horror. He fell to his knees and hugged the red head tightly, running a hand threw his hair. "Oh Matty…" Matt whined, fighting the urge to push Mello away. Mello clashed his lips harshly onto Matt's, forcing entry into Matt's mouth and biting Matt's lip until he drew blood. Matt just lay there, used to what would happen next.
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Not even Near could hold back his cry as Matt swung down the metal pole repeatedly, he only hit Near's leg. Only the leg. Near couldn't die from that, could he? Near screamed in agony as Matt pulled out a knife and furiously stabbed the floor near him. A wrong move and Near was nursing a bleeding arm. Near squirmed trying to escape, only to be punched repeatedly in the face. Matt began screaming curses, each more foul then the last. Each one aimed at the person he could consider his only friend. The bloody pole rested to the side, no longer needed. The blood painted the wall in a simple arc. "STOP MATT!" Near screamed.
"ALL YOU DO IS HURT ME!" Matt spat out before thinking of something. Near registered the sick grin before Matt began to undo Near's top. "You can fix me, right? You can help stop the pain." Matt begged, tears fogging up the goggles. Near whimpered, slapping the boy only for the gamer to grab Near's hair and smash his head into the floor repeatedly. Near stared ahead of him, unable to register his body being stripped. Or maybe he just didn't want to acknowledge it.
The blonde watched from the door with a odd look on his face. He bit his lip to stop his tears, covering his ears. He left them, not hearing Near's sobs as the child realized he'd been abandoned again, like a toy. Mello could trust Matt to be gentle with Near, more gentle then he ever was. Mello smirked. But Near was his again tomorrow. Near would always be his.
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Wammy's house was a prison, but it was also the institute set up to find the next L. It was also their home. If one could call it that. Home is where you're safe, Wammy's is anything but. There is no law, there is only power. And power is so easy to steal.
