The sound of gunshots resounded through the cement building forcing the small blonde to cower beneath a table. The room he stood in was deserted of people, most of them downstairs caught in the cross fire between them and the police who had busted down their way through, leaving no one for the boy to turn to. He was utterly alone…
He had always been alright with the idea of who exactly his father was, the head of the German mafia. It wasn't as if he had the choice not to be, but there were times when things were just a bit too much around here for a six year old. There was always drinking, random guns being shot off, and the constant danger. This along with the sounds of moaning filling the air everywhere he went at any hour of the day made it almost a sickening place to live but he had gotten over all of that, it was just these moments when he was forced to either hide or risk being killed that got to him.
"Mihael! Take this and run!" His father yelled to him as he busted through the room a handgun being slid toward him. The small boy looked at it then back at the man who'd raised him with desperate blue eyes. He had learned how to shoot them from the time he was strong enough to hold one, had shot them off for practice, but never once had he actually killed someone with one.
"I won't say it again boy!" The voice rang to him low and gruff in their native language. Mihael nodding at him before taking the gun in his hand and stumbling his way out from under the table then running out of the room and toward the backdoor of the base. This was a drill he had been taken through more times than he could count; he knew each turn and how long the hallways were like the back of his hand. He knew where to run, how to avoid being hit with bullets should someone round the corner on him, and he knew just how fast he had to make his legs go to make it out in the designated safe time it was just that knowing he was actually in danger for once set him on edge.
He turned back as he heard footsteps falling in line behind him his eyes widening whenever he saw it was one of the mafia men with a gun pointed at the back of the blonde's head as if he were a threat. He bit back a gasp of surprise his legs moving quicker under him with the added pressure and he silently prayed that it would be enough to get him out of here.
"Wait! You know me!" He tried to tell him hoping with everything in him that there was some mistake, that the bottle of the gun was only aimed in his direction because the man was blinded by the rage of battle and was confused. He bit his lip as it didn't lower his brain racking for a reason for this unreasonable circumstance but he could find nothing to ease his mind other than the thought that perhaps it was just a test. Maybe the man was trying to calm him by making it just as his drills had been? Mihael's mind was taken back into the terror of how serious this really was when a horrid voice echoed toward him.
"This is your fault you little shit! You're the reason my brother is dead, why everyone is dead!" The blonde tripped hitting the ground hard a scared sound escaping him as he tried desperately to crawl backwards away from the metal object now staring him in the face. He had been so close to the exit, he couldn't die here! Not when he'd been so very close to salvation! Mihael bit back a whimper refusing to look weak in front of this man even if he didn't feel the same strength coursing through him as what showed on his face.
"I didn't do anything! I never even leave the base!" The boy's voice had picked up to a startling rate and he pulled out the gun his father had given him pointing it back at him hoping the man would yield but it only seemed to anger him further. This was not good…not good at all, he thought before cringing at his own stupidity. That's it Mihael...point out the obvious when you should be figuring out how in hell's name you're going to get out of this mess!
"Don't lie! We all know you let our position be known to one of the bastards you talk to! We all know it Mihael, and one day we will take everything from you just like you took it from us!" The blonde was at a complete loss for words. One of the bastards he talked to? But he never got to leave his room most of the time much less the place entirely; he talked to no one! He wasn't allowed to talk to anyone…what on earth was going on here?
The small boy was attempting to fumble with the gun trying to position it right adrenaline pumping fast through his veins. He couldn't hardly think straight his eyes widening whenever he saw the trigger being pulled and he swore he was done for. He winced as the blast of a shot rang through but instead of pain hitting him all that registered in his mind was the thump of a body next to him. He bit his lip looking at the gun in his hand then at the body…he hadn't shot so then how…
He looked up to see one of the police running over to him worry etched in his face and the man who had just been trying to kill him laying eyes open beside him. He winced as he sat up looking up into the now dead brown eyes still watching him as if he had betrayed them all but he hadn't done anything…he hadn't!
Mello woke with a start his heart pounding against his chest and for a moment he could only lay there staring up at the ceiling without really seeing it. He was plagued with the memory of long ago, the day his home had been taken from him, his father, his everything. He closed his eyes focusing all his energy on slowing his breathing before letting them flutter open again.
He hadn't had a dream like that in years, had thought he had gotten rid of those horrid memories or at least pushed them so far into the back of his mind that he would never reach them. He guessed he'd been wrong about that but he prayed he wouldn't be plagued with night terrors. Lack of sleep was the last thing he needed right now, especially with classes starting up again in just a few days. He couldn't beat Near on just 3 hours of sleep every night! He'd just have to find some way to distract his thoughts each night…if only there were something else that would keep his attention like that that didn't involve sex and the innocent looking red haired boy next to him.
Mello shook his head knowing it was no use attempting to go back to sleep and so instead he sat up and tried to silently pad his way across the room. He winced slightly as the door creaked once he'd opened it and glanced quickly at the still sleeping boy deflating a bit once he saw that Matt hadn't stirred a bit. He closed the door behind him and headed outside toward the clearing behind Wammy's.
Normally the blonde came out here during their week breaks, but this week he'd found himself too busy for such things and he almost missed the fresh air. He closed his eyes with a soft sigh and sat back on the hill soft grass tickling the side of his face. In this place, he could almost imagine he hadn't woken in a cold sweat, that he wasn't hiding his sexuality from himself as best he could. He could pretend that nothing was true in his world, that there were no world at all. He was just…floating.
"Hey Mello, can I ask you something?" The blonde opened one eye before sitting up a growl starting in his throat as he looked upon the face of one of the older students. He could smell the alcohol in his breath from where he sat and it made him crinkle his nose in disgust the anxiety of an upcoming fight prickling at his skin. Nothing about the way those eyes turned on him struck as a good thing and he narrowed his eyes threateningly not responding to his question, the bastard was too wasted to hear him anyways.
"Why is it you wear that rosary, are you trying to repent?" At these words Mello was taken aback, of all the questions he thought would reach his ears that wasn't the one he'd expected. He stood up brushing dirt off of his black pants standing tall to reach his full height still trying to appear dangerous although it was obvious he'd been caught off guard. His blue eyes swam with his questions and he waited for the staggering dumbass to continue.
"I have to wonder though, what kind of demon had to of possessed your mother to get you. It's not bad enough that you were born to a whore but you had to be a pissy bastard too." At this Mello growled and lurched forward grabbing the boy by his shirt glad he had at least two inches on him. His eyes were no longer confused; they were blue flames shinning with a surge of anger. He felt the anger begin in him and simply thrive growing stronger the more the words settled in to him. Icy eyes turned to slits his fist rising in warning that if the fucker didn't shut his mouth he would quickly and efficiently shut it for him.
"You have no idea what you're fucking talking about." His voice was barely above a growl and while he knew that the guy wasn't thinking straight and new nothing about his life before Wammy's it hurt to think they would accuse him of being born of a whore. Although he had been, his father was a Mafia Head, there were no permanent relationships in his job certification it was something he had long since accepted.
"What about the fact that you're gay, I mean how do you even do that? Does it turn you on to see yourself naked because all guys have the same parts?" At this Mello stopped his fury being laced with fear as well and he couldn't get himself to hit the guy, he was too busy focusing on his internal conflict. Not that the wasted guy would even notice his falter, hell he probably didn't even see the hand raised ready to punch him.
How did they know? Was it that obvious? No, it couldn't have been…Matt didn't know, so this guy was just taking a shot in the dark. He thought because Mello looked like a girl that the blonde would be gay too. That had to be it…oh God please let that be it…
"You seem surprised, but it's not hard to tell. You sit there and stare at that buddy of yours as if you want to take him against the nearest wall, it's kind of disturbing. The only one who doesn't see it is him, I'm not sure how he got third if the dumbass can't even see what's in front of his face." At this all fear left him and he was struck with a blind furiousness his hand connecting with the guys lower jaw and it didn't stop. He barely noticed as the guy's blood covered his shirt and hands, couldn't comprehend it when someone had come behind him and dragged him off his mind not registering anything other than he wanted the guys blood. No one insulted his friend, the guy could call him a demon all he wanted, but he didn't say anything against the person he loved. There was a line, that had been crossed, and he would make damn sure no one ever walked over it again.
"Mello, calm down. It's ok, its over…" Mello growled for a moment before the voice registered in his mind and he turned back to see goggled eyes looking at him in an obviously worried fashion. He deflated and rested against Matt feeling tired all of a sudden, very very tired. It wasn't until he woke up again later that he noticed the redhead had been instructed to hold him while Roger had shot something in him to put him instantly to sleep.
