Chapter 8

Thanks to Micuko for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, if I did, it would be... Different. Lets leave it at that.


Mello was unwillingly pulled from the bed by the two stronger men, and flung against the wall. He quickly got to his feet and lunged at them.

"Now, now Virgil. Don't go fighting my friends. You don't want anything to happen to dear little brother, do you?"

He looked to the skinny man and every muscle in his body tensed. He was holding Matt in front of him, with a knife to his throat.

"Who are you bastards?"

"Heh, call me Abraham. And these two," he motioned to the other men. "Call them Stephen and William."

"I don't give a damn about your names! Who are you? Who are you working for?"

Abraham pulled the knife to closer Matt's neck. "But we do give a damn about your names. Brothers named Dante and Virgil? A tad bit cliché don't you think? What are your real names?"

Mello cursed Matt under his breathe, the ID's had been perfect, but the names were too obvious. "Mello. My name is Mello."

Abraham smiled and pulled the blade back from Matt's neck a fraction of an inch. "There we go. Now what's your brother's name?"

He stopped to contemplate the situation; he couldn't afford to loose his temper right now. The men were obviously armed and that could prove deadly to them. "Let go of him and I'll tell you."

"You drive a hard bargain, kid. I'll give you your brother back, but you've also gotta tell me how old you two are."

Once again Mello bit his lip, deciding what to do. After a moment he nodded. Abraham smiled cruelly, withdrew the knife, closing it and stowing it in his pocket. He removed his hand from Matt's arm and pushed him away. He quickly ran to Mello and grabbed onto his arm.

"Не в публике, Matt!" (Not in public, Matt!)

"Оно не имеет значение мы будет ' братьями вспоминает?" (It doesn't matter, we're 'brothers' remember?)

"Все еще!" (Still!)

"I hate to interrupt your little discussion but not all of us are fluent in whatever language you're speaking. Now I do believe you promised to tell us your ages."

Mello scowled. "I'm fifteen, my brother's thirteen."

Abraham furrowed his brow. "You're only fifteen, and he's thirteen? He looks like he's ten. Which one of you made the ID's?"

"The ten-year-old." Mello seethed.

The man's light brown eyes softened and he kneeled down until he was at eye level with Matt. "Son, did you make those cards?"

"He's not really a ten-year-old, dumbass."

Abraham decided to ignore him and continue with his strategy. He had worked with kids Matt's age, if you played your cards right you could treat them younger and they wouldn't mind.

"Did you make these cards? Because they're very good."

Matt nodded wide-eyed. "Y-yeah I did." He said, glancing up to Mello, silently asking him something in Russian. The blonde laughed and nodded.

"These are amazing, did you know that? The only reason we could tell they were fakes were because of the names. And also we're… experienced when it comes to fake ID's."

"Is that because you're the mob or the authorities?" Mello cut in.

Abraham smiled a slow and dragging smile, then ruffled his puffy black hair. "Heh. I guess you could say we're the 'unsaid authorities.' We don't have any power, per se, but we sure as hell got everyone thinking we do."

"…So you're the mob?"

He laughed and nodded. "You two look like you're running from something. What is it?"

Mello turned his back to everyone and balanced his right elbow on his left forearm, pressing his left hand knuckles into his forehead. "Our dad. H-he was… He did…" His voice faltered and Matt quickly rushed to his side and began to whisper comfortingly in Russian. Mello eventually straightened up and brushed his hair from his eyes, refusing to turn back around.

This, of course, was an act. Rehearsed at random as they tread the dirt leading them away from Wammy's.

The blonde wiped his eyes once again and turned back around. "Sorry. He was a bastard."

"Was?"

"Why do you think we're running?" Mello snapped.

A wicked smile spread across Abraham's cruel features. He had been planning to ask this all along, that was the reason he had bothered to talk to them in the first place, but he could work the situation to his advantage now.

"Tsk tsk. Killing Daddy, are we? That's not a very good habit to get into. Unless, of course, you wanted to join forces with us. Then you could do all the killing you wanted."

Mello was revolted at what the man was implying, he knew he was an asshole, but calling him a killer was going too far.

But being part of the mob did have its advantages. He would be practically untraceable. No one -namely some one from Wammy's- would be able to pinpoint his location.

And he could find Kira.

He could beat Near.

He could be first.

"I'm in. On one condition."

"What?"

Mello lifted up his left index finger "one. I work with Matt. Everyone else can use him, but if I need him, I get him. And he lives with me, no questions asked."

Abraham narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"He's my brother, he needs me and I need him. No ones going to look after us except each other." He pulled Matt in front of him and ruffled his hair playfully. "And besides, he gets in all kinds of trouble, he is a hacker! He needs me there to watch out for him!"

All suspicion faded from his face and he nodded. "Go on."

Mello quickly put his index finger back in the air and slowly lifted his middle. "Two, I'm going to work on a side mission. Always. It needs to be on the down low, but I'll still require some help. But, I must be able to work on this, again, no questions asked."

He raised his third finger and continued before anyone could interrupt. "And three. Chocolate. I need an unlimited supply of chocolate."

Abraham laughed. "Let me guess. No questions asked?"

"You don't need to ask questions, it's fuckin' delicious!"

"All right, well, I know my minds made up about letting you two in, but I'll let you guys talk it over without is here. We'll be back in an hour." He motioned to Stephen and William and they walked out of the room together.


"Matt check for bugs and cams." Mello said, as soon as the door closed. The boy obliged willingly.

"Nothing… So are we going to join? I mean it's a good idea in theory. They should want to find Kira, the killer killing serial killer. But it is the mob, we won't be able to get out too easily."

Mello laughed and placed his hand on Matt's cheeks, pulling him into a giddy kiss. Eventually Matt broke free, wiped his mouth and grinned.

"Jesus, Mel, you're in a good mood."

He nodded vigorously and crossed to the window above his bed. He pulled apart the moth eaten curtains only to have his suspicions confirmed.

"Its still dark out. We mustn't have slept long. God I need some chocolate." He quickly closed them and went rifling through the aged drawers and cabinets in hopes of finding said drug.

Matt was overjoyed to see Mello happy, but the blonde's animation was making him dizzy.

"So are you sure you want in?"

Mello stopped his vain search to look Matt in the eye. "They already asked us. That's as good as telling us. I don't think we can refuse." He got to his feet, "and besides I'm sure—after a while—they'll help us get to the ocean."

Matt's voice quivered as he spoke. "Really?"

Mello gazed into the boy's dancing emerald eyes. "Really." He held him close and tenderly kissed the top of his head.

And there the two boys stood, intertwined in each other's arms. Contemplating the events in the prior days, all the choices and rash decisions, wondering if they had been right in fleeing, and if they should flee again. But over those thoughts they couldn't help but think how much he liked the other's warmth, or how natural it felt for him to be in the other's arms.

"We should probably eat something and get showered." Matt spoke quietly.

Mello nodded but didn't release him. Not yet. Without realizing it, he swayed slightly as he cradled Matt in his arms. "I think I saw a McDonald's or something when we were coming into town.

The younger boy nestled into the older's chest. "Do you think we can leave?"

"Yeah, probably. But I don't think we'll have enough time for both of us to take showers and get the food… Look, you take a shower and I'll go out."

Matt's stomach dropped at the suggestion. He hadn't been apart from Mello for the past four days, and the thought of his absence made him feel sick.

Not that he would ever admit that.

"Ok Mel. Sounds good." Mello's lips twitched into a bittersweet smile before he crushed them against Matt's.

"All right, well I'll see you later." Mello said, finally releasing him and walking out of the dinky room.

Matt sighed and crossed to the bathroom in the southwest corner of the room. The shower was small and grimy and the shampoo samples stingy but he could make due.

He turned on the water and stripped. He stepped into the shower and under the lukewarm jet of water. The water fell like rain, dampening his hair. He smoothed shampoo in his hair, only to quickly wash it out. Matt leaned against the cool tile wall, just out of the direct line of the showerhead. He sunk to the floor and hugged his knees to his chest. He buried his face in his knees and let tears openly roll down his cheeks.

He hated himself.

He hated himself for needing Mello.

Even, for loving Mello.

Matt groaned and lifted his head up. He scooted slightly so the water poured down upon him again. Gradually the warmth faded from the water until only the cold remained.

Mello unlocked the door and glanced at his watch as he slid the key into his pocket.

Half an hour left.

"Where the hell is Matt?" Eventually his eyes found the bathroom door and he crossed to it.

He pounded on the door. "Matt, hurry up!"

But no reply came, only the soft pitter-patter of water against tile.

"Matt?" Mello cried, leaning against the door, uncaring of the overtone of desperation in his voice.

Something was wrong.

He knew Matt could hear him; no shower on earth could drown out Mello's voice. He turned the knob; glad to see it was unlocked. He burst into the bathroom and his stomach lurched as he raced to the shower.

Matt was sitting on the floor of the shower, shaking under the chill of the water, his knees to his chest, and his face in his hands, sobbing silently. Mello immediately turned the water off and grabbed a towel off of the nearby rack. He draped it over his shoulders, and helped him to his feet.

"Get dressed." It was obviously a command, but there was no anger in his voice, only an odd mix of sympathy and sorrow.

Matt did as he was told, shivering all the while.


He immerged to find Mello sitting on his bed. "We only have twenty minutes left, go lie under the covers—so you can warm up—and eat."

Matt nodded, took the bag Mello had motioned to and crawled under the covers on the other bed. Mello watched him apprehensively, wondering what the hell he was thinking. He stood up and walked to him, placing a forgiving kiss on his forehead.

"Don't ever worry me like that again…" Mello started off towards the bathroom. "We'll talk about this later." He said, seconds before slamming the door shut.


Ok, I apologize if my Russian was off...