Fire Pits and Blue Skies

Broken Truths


~Mello~

"I don't understand." I finally admitted. I had spent most of the morning with L after Matt had told me more of Avery and Beyond's story. In all truth I was seeking answers to questions I hadn't fully formed in my own mind but...I needed to understand Matt. I needed to know not just the story, but the feelings behind it. I needed the truth, all of it, and so I'd sought out L.

Said ravenette regarded me with bleak, intelligent eyes and I fought the urge to fidget under his gaze. It was as if he was reading me, but looking at his blank features, I couldn't tell whether what he read was good or not.

"That's because you're blind, much like Matt is. He doesn't know the full story and what little he has told you is most likely less informing than you'd like." He said in his soft monotone. He needed no confirmation to know he was right and so I gave none.

"Stand." He ordered so suddenly that I found myself obeying immediately. "Walk to the middle of the room and close your eyes."

I did as told and listened as L moved about the room in swift, shuffling steps. They reminded somewhat of Matt's own, except his were less graceful.

"Now open you eyes and tell me what you see." I heard from a good distance to my right. When my lids lifted I was met with such darkness that I had a brief panicked thought that I might have gone blind. Then logic caught up and I looked around me, widening my eyes in a futile attempt to see anything.

"I can't." I told him as I finally realized that no matter how much I looked I wouldn't see anything but indiscernible shadows.

"Then can you at least tell me what happened to Beyond after Avery's death?" He questioned and I opened my mouth to answer then shut it again in irritation. Matt had never told me what happened after Avery died. I knew of A's death as well as the reasons behind it, I knew that Beyond was no longer at Wammy's, but I didn't know what had happened to him.

"No... I don't know." I managed and my faced heated up at the realization that I didn't know much of anything.

"Again, neither does Matt. Both of you are alike in that aspect, fumbling in the dark for things you can't see. Although you are more curious than Matt, admittedly, who is more or less blinded by guilt-induced anger."

"Would you tell me?" I asked after a moment of deliberating thought. Light flooded the room suddenly and I snapped my eyes shut with a hiss. When I blinked them open again L was regarding me with a thoughtful expression.

"Of course. I would have told Matt a long time ago if he had only asked. But he'd hardly believe me anyways." He continued almost mournfully. His eyes got a faraway look and I knew that the story of what happened to Beyond was about to be told.

...

After lunch some of the boys came to the room and invited me to play a game of baseball. I glanced over at Matt, who had been sitting on his bed while waiting for my return, and wasn't at all surprised to see him roll himself into a blanket burrito at the mention of sports.

I could imagine the disgusted face that his comforter was hiding.

"I..we would love to come." I told them with a smile. "Matt loves baseball."

I ignored their skeptical faces as I shut the door, instead turning to Matt who had thrown the blanket to the ground in a rush to sit up. He looked half-way between shocked outrage and choking on his own saliva. Once his mind seemed to catch up with his body he leveled a glare at me.

"I don't even like baseball." He hissed and I it back a laugh.

"Oh, sorry I didn't realize." His eyes narrowed at the sarcasm. "You're still playing."

"But...I don't even...like baseball. Mello!" He called urgently as I left the room.

...

It was still in the middle of winter so the ground outside was covered in a fresh layer of snow. I tried to hide my smile as Matt stomped through it behind me, wrapped in a sleeveless fur vest that was way too large for him and muttering curses. The the other boys were all outside, with a couple of girls, and Near for some bizarre purpose, watching from under the leafless oak tree.

Matt was tossed a catcher's glove, which he clumsily caught, and I was pointed toward first base. It seemed we were on opposite teams. which i didn't mind in the least. I was always up for a bit of competitiveness and if I could get Matt out of his lazy, tech-crazed, gamer shell with a bit of basketball then I would do so gladly.

Not that I didn't like Matt as he was. In a friendly way, of course.

Matt took a position on first base with Jared and Odalis on second and third. The rest of his team (Henry, Luke, and Mason) spread to outfield and Miles took up position as pitcher. For my team Dominic was first up to bat with Colten, Adam, Cooper, Jensen, Oliver, and myself in line behind him.

"No grabbing the running or face-shots. If the ball hits the batter, they walk. No retries on batting if you swing." Miles announced and I could hear Matt's long-suffering sigh from where I stood a good twenty yards away.

Tossing the ball up to get a good grip, Miles launched it at Dominic who hit it first go. He made it to second base easily, despite the snow. Of course Matt was string at the manor forlornly as he ran right past him but...he wasn't my team mate so I didn't care. Otherwise I would have thrown my glove at his head.

When it came to Cooper's turn Luke caught his ball mid-air, earning our first out with Matt reaching up and letting the ball fall into his gloved hand almost lazily. (His other hand was tapping away at his Game-Boy.)

As we switched sides Matt handed me the glove and game, telling me to stow it in my pocket for safety. When he looked at my skin-tight jeans and sweater skeptically I tucked the game into my waistband and shooed him away. Miles, Odalis, Mason and Henry had all been up to bat before it was Matt's turn and I could see their slightly panicked looks as Matt shuffled to home plate and picked up the bat before giving it an experimental swing that caused the aluminum bat to fly out of his grip.

Yeah I wouldn't be too confident with him on my team either.

Grounding my left leg a little, I pulled my arm back and threw it as hard and fast toward him as I could. His eyes widened and he swung, missing the ball by a good two feet and then looking at it with a miffed expression as it rolled away. Dominic called the strike from his spot as umpire Miles groaned. Matt shot Miles a look before tossing the ball back to me. Catching it easily, I waited until he nodded to show that he was ready before throwing it. This time he hit the ball and it flew straight over the fence, scoring a home run and winning his team the game.

After Matt and the rest of his team that were on the bases made it back to home plate there was a stunned silence in which Matt scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before his whole team burst into cheers.

"Who knew the bean-bole had it in him." Colten commented, and I nodded.

"You forget that I'm from New York, ass-hole!" Matt yelled back with a grin and Cooper laughed.

"You weren't old enough when you left to know anything about baseball." He quipped as he picked up the bat.

"Nonsense, it's in my blood." Matt replied.

"That's crap. I'm Canadian and I assure you that I'm shit at hockey." Mason shouted in.

"And if I tried figure skating I'd break my neck." Odalis said, who was Russian by descent.

"So, who's going to hop the fence and get the ball?' Oliver piped up and everyone stopped smiling. Get caught hopping the fence and Roger would likely kill you and then ask questions later.

"I think Matt should get it." I said after a moment. "You did hit it over the fence, after all." I continued as Matt shot me a look.

"Fine." He huffed before stomping toward the fence. I waited for a moment before turning to help pick up the bases.

A moment later Matt yelled a curse and I turned to see Matt dangling by the cuff of his jeans from a spire on the top of the fence. For a moment I was too shocked to move and in that time Matt's jean leg ripped, sending him crashing to the snow packed earth. Matt let loose a scream that made my blood drop to the temperature of the frozen ice around me. Dropping the bases, I broke into a sprint as one of the boys (Miles, by the sound of it) shouted for someone to get Roger.

Hopping the fence with ease, I dropped down beside Matt in time to stop him from trying to get up off the cold ground. His right arm was bent at an unnatural angle (the left was underneath him) and I could see a glimpse of blood stained white that made my stomach clench.

"Oh God, Matt, just don't move." I choked out as I pulled off his goggles. "Don't fucking move."

He looked at me with eyes filled with pain and tears and I felt like punching myself. I don't know how long I watched Matt cry, his pained gasps fogging the air, before Roger, Wammy, and L arrived but by the time they did I was crying as well.

"What was he doing climbing the fence?" Roger barked as Wammy knelt to examine Matt's arm.

"I doubt that matters at the moment." L cut in. "Watari hand me your scarf. The snow is helpful at the moment but we'll need to immobilize his arm before we move him." Taking a hold of Wammy scarf, L ordered that the other two to help him get it around Matt's arm.

"Mello, hold Matt-kun down please." he told me and I did. When Roger and Watari moved Matt arm to place the splint he barely wimped but as L tied it he let loose another scream that made me gag.

Once the splint was secure L lifted Matt carefully in his arms before leading the way back to the orphanage. Crossing my arms to try and bring a bit of warmth into my body, I paused as my foot kicked something. I looked down and saw the worn base-ball sitting innocently in the snow and felt an violent urge to destroy it. Nevertheless I picked up the ball and glared t it, blaming it for Matt's injury as I walked behind L and the others.

...

Matt passed out when they set the bone. I didn't know whether to be relieved or break into tears when he suddenly stopped screaming...so I did both. Matt's arm forearm was shattered in one spot and in another the bone had snapped and punctured the skin. (That would explain the blood-white that I had seen.)

Roger and Watari stayed until Matt was all bandaged and clean before leaving L and I to sit a silent vigil. The white walls of the infirmary mixed with the smelled of bleach and latex gloves made my stomach churn but I stayed in the chair beside Matt, knees hugged to my chest.

After an couple of hours (I lost count after five) L left, returned with a laptop, looked at Matt with a sigh, and then departed again. It was a long time before I opened the laptop and began to type, but I knew Matt wouldn't be awakening any time soon.

...

C:/Mihael Kheel/My File/Unsaved Document

The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

When Beyond Birthday committed his third murder, he attempted an experiment. Namely, to see if it were possible for a human being to die of internal hemorrhaging without rupturing any organs. Specifically, he drugged his victim so they fell unconscious; tied them up, and proceeded to beat their left arm thoroughly, being careful not to break the skin. He was hoping to bring about enough hemorrhaging to cause death from loss of blood, but this attempt ended, sadly, in failure. Blood congested in the arm and it turned purplish red beneath the skin, but the victim did not die. They simply shook, convulsed, and remained alive. He had been convinced the blood loss incurred by this would be enough to kill someone, but apparently he had underestimated the matter. As far as Beyond Birthday was concerned, the actual method of murder rated fairly low on the amusement scale, and it was nevermore than an interesting experiment. It did not particularly matter to him whether it succeeded or not. Beyond Birthday simply shrugged, and took out a knife...No, no, no, no, no. Not this style, not this narrative voice—I'll never manage to keep up this arch tone all the way through.

...

I sighed in frustration as I slammed the closed and tossed on the chair that L had vacated hours ago. The room was turning a pale grey with the winter dawn and my bones ached with stiffness that could only come from staying still for way too long a period of time. Getting up to stretch briefly I settled back in at Matt's bedside and rested my head against the bed to sooth the headache that I could feel beginning to form.

I didn't even notice when I fell asleep.


Haha, I'm back! Footloose was so much fun to do but damn, performing in a musical is time consuming! Credit for BB:LA of course goes to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

Oh and I saw a post on Tumblr last month (I think) about Mello's really name being Slovenian, not Russian and I had to smile so much because I made him part Slovenian in this. Finally, someone who shares my opinion!

Next chapter I'll try to squeezing in some Matt POV and fluff, 'kay?

Review equals love and inspiration! (Don't you love me? Or at least MattxMell?)