Author's Note: Well, it's certainly been a lot longer than intended between updates. My apologies for that. I have written some nice oneshots and short fics since Game Over Ch. 6, so please check them out if you haven't yet. I am also going to update my profile tonight with information on the stories I've started, just so you all know that I'm not being lazy. xP I've got a decent amount started...but getting them worked until they're ready to post is a different matter. Anyway: Here's the newest chapter of Game Over. Another chapter of Ad Interim is coming up soon, so please be on the look out for that! Thank you very much for sticking with me. Onward!
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. Know why? If I owned Death Note, Beyond Birthday would have been in the manga. He's way too cool to JUST be a novel character. I really need to try a BB story...
Warning: Do I really need to repeat this again? Rape, Swearing, Etc.
"Mello, it's morning," Matt's tiny voice floated into Mello's dream. It took a full two minutes for the blonde to realize what his gamer had said.
"Right, sorry," he moaned, pulling himself into a sitting position. His arm pulsed in protest as pins and needles jabbed him where the muscles had fallen asleep under Matt's head. "You hungry, Matt?"
"A little…" The redhead glanced over toward the locked door, biting his lower lip.
"I won't leave you alone, don't worry." Mello yawned, pulling a cell phone from his suitcase.
He listened cautiously at the dial tone before tapping in a sequence of numbers. The other line rang six times before a drowsy voice answered.
"Karl, put Jay on the line. It's Mello. …I don't care if he's asleep. Wake him up. …Karl, I don't give a flying fuck. Do it."
The blonde pursed his lips in agitation.
"Jay. First and foremost: Do we have a base yet? …Well, why the fuck not? …Fuck. Fair enough. …Two days? We can handle two days. ….Yes, and I need you to bring us some food. …Fuck, I don't know. Surprise us. …I don't care whose money you use; just get it done. …Right. And hurry up, will you? Fucking lazy ass sonofa-" Mello snapped the phone shut, grinning sleepily at his shaking hacker.
"Sorry about that," Mello said, "I tried not to use a rough tone, but the guys…I've got to keep up appearances, right Matty?"
"Right," Matt agreed tentatively. "Hey Mello, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course. Matt, you never have to ask permission for something like that."
"Right. Sorry," Matt blushed. "Do you have anything I can play?"
"A video game? Oh, I don't know," the blonde smirked. "Would the video game resemble a tiny square? With a checkered flag on it? In a gaming device with two screens?"
"You brought Mario Kart!" Matt's eyes lit up, making Mello's heart melt.
"Yeah, I took Mario Kart with me. I…Well, I wanted something of yours with me, to be honest. You had me worried, Matt." Mello ruffled the redhead's sloppy morning hair and slid out of bed, shuffling over toward the elusive game's hiding place.
"Thanks Mello…" Matt whispered. He ran his fingers over the smooth casing of the DS, savoring the feeling.
He flipped it open, instantly morphing into gamer-mode. Halfway through his second round of Rainbow Road, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Without thinking, Matt jumped off the bed, back pressed against the wall, panting hard. The game lay forgotten on the floor, red shells pounding into Yoshi's kart as the COM players lapped him. Green and blue eyes met for an instant, before the blonde turned away.
"Sorry," Mello mumbled, mentally kicking himself. "I just…wanted to see which level you were on. I didn't expect…"
"Mel, stop. Don't worry. I'm…fine," Matt tried to crack a grin and failed. His eyes betrayed his false confidence. "I was just surprised, that's all."
Christ, Matt, what have they done to you?
"Right. Just surprised…" Mello sighed, not believing for a moment that Matt was 'just surprised.' He backed off the bed, stalking toward the bathroom door while muttering something about taking a piss.
Just before Mello closed the door, he caught Matt's reflection in the bathroom mirror. The redhead's eyes were closed, head down, arms wrapped protectively around his knees. He looked more like a refugee than a hacker, more like a fallen angel than a sharp-tongued genius.
"Dear God," Mello thought to himself, locking the bathroom door and sitting on the closed toilet lid in silent prayer, "God, what have those bastards done to him?" Unable to contain it anymore, Mello began to cry.
There was a tentative tap on the bathroom door, shocking Mello out of his weakened state for a moment. The blonde roughly shoved the back of his hand over his eyes, erasing all signs of tears.
"Mel?"
Mello flushed the toilet, lifting the lid as though he had really been using the restroom. He breathed deeply thrice, and twisted the doorknob until the lock popped open. Matt stood waiting on the other side, eyes raging with internal conflict. Without a word, the gamer threw himself onto Mello in a sloppy embrace. Without a moment's hesitation, the blonde eagerly wrapped his arms around Matt's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Mel. I'm trying. I'm really trying," Matt buried his face in Mello's vest.
"Don't apologize for what you can't help," Mello growled gently. "Just don't be surprised if I forget sometimes…that you're like this. You aren't broken, so don't think you are. It won't last forever. Just let me find the guys that did this to you. Just let me kill them all and write you a love song with their blood. We'll bathe in their blood, Matty. Me and you. We'll never have to worry about them again."
"Mel, they're going to find me. It's bound to happen," He stared up at Mello with glazed eyes. "It's like trying to escape a boss fight; just when you think you're safe, they pop out of nowhere and beat the shit out of your character. And we won't be ready with potions and mana. You know, the characters who get kidnapped once are usually kidnapped two or three more times before the game is over."
"It won't happen. We'll kill them before that happens." Mello guided Matt back to the bed, picking up the DS and flicking the Power Off switch. "If it comes down to a boss battle, just let me take care of it. I'll be…" The blonde frowned, searching the depths of his mind to recall any heroes that Matt had mentioned, "I'll be Cloud, and you can be…Aeris."
"But Mello…Aeris died. Cloud couldn't save her."
Mello opened his mouth to respond, but three sharp knocks on the hotel door silenced him. He stood and crossed the room to the door, unlatching the latches and unlocking the locks. Jay handed him two Styrofoam boxes and a two-liter of Diet Coke. Mello took them silently, slipping a ten dollar bill to the henchman before slamming the door in his face.
"Food, Matt."
The two ate in silence.
