WARNING: Linda's POV.
So, this is a fillery, fluffy, and very hilarious chapter. There's also a few references to "Pocky in Ramen," so if you're curious...;)
I shut the TV off after watching the news. More people killed.
Kira was at it again. For a while, it seemed like L would finally be able to have him executed, he was so close, but then...Kira had done the impossible.
Who's to say Mello and Near wouldn't meet the same fate? Mello, the crazy blond who everyone seemed to love, that everyone knew as "the boy who pulled a gun on Quilish Wammy"; and Near...I got sick just thinking of it...my little Near, that sweet little boy who never bothered anyone, so cute and shy, alone with his toys. To think that Kira could have him lying lifeless, cold on the floor...no, I couldn't think of that right now.
"I have to get it out of my head," I said to myself. "It's...such a nice day. I can find a spot in the treetops to catch a view of,"
By 'nice day', I really meant 'it wasn't snowing right now, and there was only two inches or so on the ground.' It was December 13th, and by now, Near and Mello had already left Wammy's House, the one teaming up with a hand-picked group of FBI agents called the SPK, and the other already in search of the nearest mafiazzi. The first snow had fallen in London, and here I was walking through it.
It was to nice out for a coat.
Maybe they'll be fine out there...maybe Kira won't kill...no, I came here to stop thinking about that! What am I doing?
My boots crunched in the thin layer of snow as I tried to focus on what was here and now. The chill breeze, the blue sky, the fluffy sparkling snow in the tree branches...
"WAAAH!"
The next thing I knew, I was flat on my butt with snow on my leggings. Guess I should've been more careful. I just brushed myself off as best I could, and looked for the tree that was easiest to climb. I normally didn't do this in a skirt, but since there was no one around and I was wearing leggings, I didn't think there'd be a problem.
I found a fork in the branches to perch in, and peered out ahead. Today was beautiful; so serene, white, quiet...
...like Near.
No no no! I couldn't keep doing this to myself. I shook off the thought and quickly pulled out a sketchpad from my sweater - true, I didn't need to be there to trace the scene on paper, but I needed to stop worrying about them. I took out the pencil from behind my ear and began drawing. It was no use though - all I could think of in the back of my mind were the two of them. From who they were before, to them being killed by Kira, to wondering to myself who was more at risk...I couldn't ignore it.
Finally done, I put down the date in the bottom corner of the paper; 12/13/07.
Today, Mello turned fifteen.
Shaking the thought aside, I scribbled down "L. Benson" before tucking my sketchpad back in my sweater and slinking down the tree branches. Then...
CRACK...
It was a branch snapping under my foot. I tried to hug the trunk of the tree, but it was too late; I took a hard fall as snow pelted on me. Luckily, I was close to the ground, but it still hurt.
The force knocked the wind right out of me, and it took a minute for me to regain myself and get back up. Okay then, I thought, maybe I should just go inside.
I trudged back to the doorway, not even bothering to brush myself off. I was still sore from the fall, and by now, freezing cold. I really should've worn a coat.
I opened the door, and walked inside. I had my eyes to the floor, so I didn't see the person in front of me until I walked right into them. I looked up. It was Matt.
"Linda, you crazy idiot!" he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Now why the hell were you even out there?"
"I was...w-was doing a sketch..."
He sighed. "You're covered in snow. Let me brush you off,"
He did, but he kept smacking me in the back so hard that I nearly fell over, all while scolding me with things like 'you don't even need to stay there to get the sketch' and 'why didn't you bring a coat?' He was doing it playfully though, I could tell, but he obviously needed an excuse to smack me.
"Ow! Take it easy, I fell out of a tree, you know,"
"You what?" he said. "Aw, c'mon Lin! You could've really hurt yourself!"
I blushed, looked at the floor. "S-so-sorry," I muttered.
"Just...here, put my coat on,"
I wondered why he was wearing that around the house; had he been planning on this the whole time, and had actually known I'd been out there? Probably.
"Alright, now just follow me, okay?"
"I...can't," I said, "I can't feel my feet,"
He pouted. "Fine then. I'll just carry you,"
"Wait wha- Matt!" I said, but too fatigued to protest. "Put me down!"
"Oh stop," he said, smirking as he slung me over his shoulder. "I'm only helping,"
He sauntered down the haul without much effort; I didn't seem to weigh him down at all. It made me wonder...
"You know, for someone who mostly plays video games, you really don't seem to have trouble carrying me," I said as we made it to the common room.
"Nah, you just don't weigh all that much," he chuckled. He sat me down on the couch in front of the fire.
"By the way, that Ramen cup on the coffee table is yours," he said as he pulled out a PSP.
So he did know about my escapade the whole time. "Th-thanks," I said. I took the cup in my hands and slurped up a forkfull of noodles. I immediately put the fork back in - it was still too hot.
"Um...thanks for...thanks for that," I said, sliding closer to him - my frozen body craved warmth. "For thinking about me and all,"
"Someone has to," he said without looking up from his game. "I know you're upset ever since they left, but sometimes, I really think you've become suicidal,"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"Oh I dunno, try like 'fell out of a tree.' So unless someone chased you up there or something, I'm assuming you had to climb up in order to fall down. No offense, but it's usually a bad idea to do that in the winter - unless you want to get killed,"
"I was fine," I pouted. He looked over at me and laughed.
"Really?"
"Yes," I said tersely. "Believe it or not, I can actually manage on my own just fine,"
Matt frowned. "But that's just it though; you're not,"
"What?"
He paused the game and placed it on the coffee table. "You've been miserable ever since Mello and Near left, and quite frankly, you're starting to get self-destructive,"
I winced. Not entirely sure what he meant by that, I gave him a confused look.
"You don't want to join the other kids outside, you stay in bed for hours, you're skipping meals, now you're going outside without a coat and climbing trees in December...I'm waiting for the will, really,"
"Matt, I'm not going to kill myself, okay?"
"You say that, but you really worry me sometimes," Matt sighed. I never thought he'd ever say that - that he was actually 'worried' about me. He didn't act worried, but maybe I wasn't paying attention.
"You...worry about me?"
"Yes I do, more than you'd think,"
It shocked me really, to think that Matt would worry, period. He was never the type to get worked up over anything, almost to the point of a fault. And over me, of all people. It wasn't that he disliked me, but we weren't all that close...up till recently, where both of us had no one to be with but each other. He hung around me more ever since the others left; watching me paint and sketch, prodding me to play outside, sitting with me at lunch...perhaps that was his way of "worrying" about me.
"I...never knew that," I said, feeling stupid for wording it that way.
"Yeah well, I do, and you give me a lot to worry about," he said, resuming his usual tone and picking up his game.
"You never look worried,"
"Then I guess I'm just that good,"
I was still cold, my fingers, face, arms felt like ice. "I'm still cold,"
"Then come here," he said, pulling an arm around me. I eagerly snuggled in and buried my face in his shirt - he was so warm!
"You know what today is, right?" he said, wrapping one arm around me while he worked the buttons on his PSP with the other.
"Mm-hm," I nodded. "Mello's birthday today,"
"Yup," he confirmed. "Means I won the bet,"
"Bet? What bet?"
"Well, he had to switch his flight so he got to America late," he reached for something, but I didn't see what it was - I had my face in his chest. "Since he hasn't taken over the mafia before turning fifteen, I win,"
When I heard the click of a lighter, my head shot up. I glared.
"What?"
"Oh, you're worried about me killing myself, huh?" I said. "You wanna tell me I'm self-destructive and you're gonna do that?"
Matt let out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "Hey, gimme a break here; I made you Ramen and let you borrow my coat - hell, I carried you to the couch, for God's sakes!"
"That's not what I mean," I said. "Don't you know those things cause cancer?"
He defiantly took another puff. "You went outside without a coat on; you'll die of pneumonia,"
"That's not the same thing and you know it,"
"Whatever," he shrugged. "So you're not the only one trying to kill themselves here. Besides, it relieves stress,"
"Matt," I shoved him. "You just got through telling me you were worried because I was hurting myself; you're such a hypocrite!"
"I never said I was any better than you," he teased. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number.
"You calling Mello?"
"Uh-huh," he put the phone up to his ear. "He's not picking up,"
He put it on hold before hollering "Hey-ah there, Yellow-Jello-Fellow-Mashmellow!" I couldn't help cracking up, and he had to shush me before going on.
"Yeah, I'd sing Happy Birthday, but naw, that's too cliche; Okay, ready?"
He looked over at me. "Hey, Lin? Remember the song I taught you last week?"
"Mm...yeah," I said.
"Okay then, would you care to open up for me?"
"W-what?"
"Yes, I mean it. You start me off here,"
"But...you know I'm not that good,"
"Who said you needed to be good at it?" he snickered.
"Hold on a minute...Linda offered to help me with this one,"
'Offered?' I thought. By 'offered' he must mean told me I had no choice.
"Right, well..." I cleared my throat and nervously began. "This was a triumph,"
"I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS,"
"It's hard to overstate my satisfaction,"
The two of us sang the rest together.
"Aperture Science; We do what we must because we can."
"Except the ones who are dead..."
"But there's no sense crying over every mistake..."
And then came the chorus.
And when you're dying I'll be still alive,
And when you're dead I will be still alive,
Still alive,
Still alive.
"Okay, okay...hey, attention people of Wammy's House!" he shouted as a group of kids ran in. "It's Mello's birthday today!"
He rallied everyone up to sing Happy Birthday. Apparently, at some point Mello had finally picked up the phone.
"Matt..."
"Mello! Hey, me and Linda left you a message...or do you just want us to sing it again?"
Mello probably didn't know what to say. "I heard the whole thing actually; now that damn Portal song is stuck in my head,"
"My work here is done. Oh, hey wait...I wanted to tell you -"
"You won the bet, I know,"
"Heh heh, yeah. So you know what that means, right?"
"Yeah; it means you don't have to sell your X-box and I have to..."
"You have to what? C'mon, just say it,"
"I know you've got me on speaker, idiot,"
He snickered. "Say it anyway; we all wanna hear,"
I heard Mello mumble 'asshole' on the other end, then continue saying "Right: I have to call up Near and say 'I love you,'"
Everyone, including me, burst out laughing.
"And quickly hang up my disposable cell phone before he can trace it,"
"No; you say 'I love you racist-princess-sweetie,' and then hang up,"
"Matt, you're an asshole,"
"Love you too, hun,"
"Anything else you'd like to tell me before you make me want to kill you even more?"
"Oh, that reminds me; yes, I have wonderful news,"
"What is it?"
"I'M GOING TO AMERICA!" Matt shrieked into the phone. There was silence on the other end.
"..."
"You still there?"
"Uh...you...huh?"
"Yes, really! I'm coming to the U.S., hopefully by New Year,"
Mello, along with the other kids in the room, stood dumbfounded. Was he really serious?
"...M-Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Why?"
"Because I miss you,"
I couldn't tell; was this just him trying to get a reaction from Mello? Was he for real? I honestly had no idea what he was thinking...Matt could be so unpredictable at times...
"Alright, alright...forget I said that for now; just wishing you good luck on your taking over the mafia, happy fifteenth birthday...and that I miss my crazy chocoholic spaz of a best friend. You complete me, bro,"
"Uh-huh, yeah...well, I'll keep in touch. Linda still there?"
"Yeah,"
"Yes, Linda; see, I didn't forget about my gay computer nerd of a best friend,"
"What?" Matt looked at the phone appalled. "Whoa, I know I'm a techy and all, and I love my games, but...'nerd'? Really Mells?"
"And...you don't object to being called 'gay'?"
"Not at all,"
"O-kay,"
"Because I'm just happy that I've got you!"
One thing was for sure; Matt was a riot. He would bait, tease, and make shots at Mello, and I think it's because he was so fun to be around that the two of them got along.
"Hey, good luck catching Kira,"
"Thanks,"
"Bye,"
He hung up. I laughed uncontrollably, and so did the other kids.
But...part of me was still uneasy...did he really mean he was going to America? Was he thinking of going after Kira as well? After he'd just told me that he was looking out for me! Now he wanted to get himself killed, too?
And there is Matt. Yes, I am aware the "gay" joke was lame. I am very sorry.
I just love writing Matt in a fanfic; he's so funny! I totally think he'd sing a Portal song for Mello just to get it stuck in his head. And for those who don't know, here's the link to the song: .com/watch?v=TF_IBrHsuzA
I always pictured him as being sort of a "big brother" to Linda; I just loved their little scene together. So cute! ^_^
Well, this was really a big ole filler chappy, but I promise the next one will be seeing a bit more action. Till then...
REVIEW!