Twist
Chapter Ten: Reunited
FTOYWGAD: I am flying. I am fucking flying on a moose I stole from the Russian circus in space. Yes, I'm in space right now. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FUCKING GET INTERNET CONNECTION IN THE MIDDLE OF SPACE? Very, very hard. The entire time I was flying on my Russian moose, I was thinking, 'I have to update Twist for my readers!' I was thinking of you guys the entire time! I had to fucking get my moose to stop at a near by planet to even update this! So be happy, okay?
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.
(Mello and Matt's Suite in the Hotel)
"Dude, how freakin' weird is it that we have the same room again?" The redhead dropped his suitcase in the corner and slumped down on the familiar couch (oh that couch!) across from the glass table. He exhaled and lazily looked at Mello who looked like he was going to collapse and die. He had gotten increasingly sick which would probably explain his constant throwing up (which if someone didn't know better, would think was morning sickness), bitching and constant mood swings.
It was safe to say that Mello was royally pissed at having to go back to New York. Not only was he going to be haunted by the bitter memories he had had with Near but it was dead in the middle of winter and it was according to Mello "so fucking freezing!" Matt completely ignored the melodramatic queen and focused on his mission. However, he still felt like an ass for dragging the man all the way here.
Honestly, coming here and Near breaking up with him … it was like the middle finger icing, on top of a giant fuck you cake.
"Aw, c'mon Mels," Matt pleaded at Mello who was about barf all over Matt's suitcase even tough the redhead conveniently placed paper bags for Mello all over the room just in case of a heaving episode. "Lighten up a little. All we have to do is finish this case and we'll – FUCK! Not cool Mello!"
Matt picked up the new and replaced lamp that Mello had managed to throw at Matt with such a calculated angle so that it was thrown out the open window in the process. Yes, he was quite talented.
Mello huffed and stormed into his room, leaving Matt with a soon-to-be-bruise and all their luggage. At times like these, Matt had to remind himself why he even put with with the blond.
(Near's Suite in the Hotel)
Like everyone else in the hotel, Near was not in a good mood. Not only had his flight experienced and excessive amount of turbulence due to the snow storms raging the country, but he had been partially molested by the dirty old man sitting next to him. If only Mello had been there... Near smiled at the thought. If Mello had been there, that old man would have been dead by now. But he didn't have time to contemplate such thoughts. He was on a mission to find him and set things straight.
But for now, he had to get some rest. It was funny how he acquired the same room at the same hotel...
(Mello and Matt's Suite in the Hotel)
Mello was dead tired. T-I-R-E-D. So tired, it was required to spell it out. At times like these, he needed alcohol. Of course chocolate would have done fine but Matt had taken away all his sweets "for his own health and well-being." Total bullshit. If he was really quiet he could sneak downstairs to the hotel bar and get himself a couple of –
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Matt looked up from his Nitendo DS to find Mello pressed against the wall, humming the Mission Impossible theme in a vain attempt to be stealthy.
"None of your business!" Mello quickly grabbed his coat and attempted to dash outside. However, Matt caught him by his waist and held him tight.
"Yes it is. Tell me where you're going and maybe I'll let you go."
"Matt, GAWD, just let me go. It's a freaking free country!"
"You're sick and – HEY! Mello get your hands away from there, that's forbidden territory!"
Mello relaxed into Matt's arms. Suspicious Matt loosened them and turned the flu victim around. "You're right. You're doing this for my own good and – LOOK IT'S MARIO!" Mello pointed in the opposite direction.
"OMFG, WHERE?" And Matt being Matt turned around like a dumb ass, giving Mello just enough time to escape the gamer.
"Mello I don't see any –" Matt turned around and realized that he'd just been tricked. "Shitcakes!"
(The Bar in the Hotel)
Bianca almost choked on air when she saw Mello. That menace from Brasseire Maison was back! The was the entire reason the waitress had quit her job and took up bartending was him. However Mello seemed blissfully nonchalant by the former waitress and somehow managed to place himself on the stool.
"Lemme have a double strawberry marshmallow chocolate martini," he mumbled.
Not sure how to handle the man, Bianca unleashed a string of high-pitched giggles and nervously reached for her phone. Mello eyed her suspiciously until she dialed a certain number and screamed at the top of her lungs, "SECURITY!"
All of a sudden Mello jerked his head up and got a good look at the woman. "Hey, the bitch from the restaurant. You wouldn't give my Near Froot Loops and now you call the cops cuz you can't make a friggin' drink?"
Before Mello could further lash out a barrage of profanity directed at the mentally unstable ex-waitress, a large and rather robust black woman approached Mello from behind and grabbed his head in her large hands.
"Is this sponge head bothering you, baby?" She asked Bianca, squishing Mello's head into her voluptuous breasts.
"Um." Not knowing how to respond since Mello had done nothing to harm her directly, she just stood there with her mouth open. Ah, the long term effects Mello can have on a person...
"Well, if there isn't a problem I don't see why you gotta scream 'security' every time you see someone in black."
"S-sorry, Brien."
"Ummm hum." The black woman circled her head in one place like one would in a really bad sitcom when they think they've made a diss. "I'll take over from now." She shuffled Bianca out of the way and took her own place behind the bar counter. Now that Mello got a better look, she was actually very gangsta-looking. Intimidating too.
Mello being sick and delusional he said, "Yo, what's popping home gurl."
And then he sneezed.
He still didn't know what caused the woman known as Brien to explode into laughter, the lame attempt at being ghetto or the sneezing. Call him masochistic but he tried a different approach. "Fo shizzle?"
This caused another eruption of hearty laughs from Brien. After a moment of utter humiliation on Mello's side, she spoke. "I can speak white too, you know."
Mello cracked a smile at that and instantly decided that he liked the woman.
"Sorry about Bianca. She's new here. Been like that ever since we found her," she chatted amiably. "You need anything, baby?"
"Double strawberry marshmallow chocolate martini," he repeated.
The black woman turned around and looked for the drinks she needed to mix. In the meanwhile, the blond resorted to thinking about how sad and pitiful his life was. He was sick, dumped on my his only true love and drinking...alcohol no less. Such a shame.
The only thing to do now, was forget the little sheep (that he found oh so adorable). It was he that broke up with him after all. Then again, he himself had caused it to happen. Feeling a frustration fit coming on Mello grabbed at his hair and let out a strangled grunt/scream/moan.
"I'm sorry but we're all out of strawberry or marshmallow extract. Would you settle for vanilla?" Brien asked innocently.
Vanilla. Vanilla is white. Near is white. He didn't want to drink Near dammit!
"NOOOOO!" Mello wailed so loudly so that almost everyone in the bar gave him skeptical looks.
"Hey, look," Brien stated sternly. "If you don't like vanilla you should have just said so. You didn't have to scream and cry like a baby!"
"No," Mello tried a feeble attempt to explain. "You don't understand. My boyfriend dumped me!" He let loose another barrage of sneezes and coughs.
"Sweetie, that doesn't mean you can just – wait. Boyfriend?"
"Uh huh." Mello sniffled. "And now I'll never see him ever again!"
The woman didn't seem as baffled as Mello thought she would be.
"Why don't you just let it all out? It would help." The woman fixed Mello a chocolate martini with several shots of vodka.
Mello didn't listen. He just let it out without thinking.
(The Bar in the Hotel – Near's POV)
Near didn't know how he ended up in the bar. He was on his way outside to the usual bench in hopes of finding Mello but he heard his distinct voice scream "NOOOOO."
Near was shocked to say the least. He had never expected to the blond to still be in The States. Much less he same hotel. He was lost as to why Mello was there but he was happy that he had found him so quickly. The albino wasn't one to be superstitious but he couldn't help but think that Fate had planned this.
He almost felt light-headed at the rate things were going. As soon as he apologized and made up things would go back to normal. He felt confidence building up in him like an excited volcano.
But then he heard what Mello had to say.
(The Bar in the Hotel – Mello's POV)
"I always hated Near! He was such a little prick! I mean he'd never directly told me to my face but you could tell! You felt him mocking you. Why the hell did I even get with him in the first place?" By now Mello had downed all his shots and his martini. Brien was beginning to get worried. "Hit me! Okay so yeah, I had my pride and was a bit of an ass to him in the suite but he implied that he was better than me! He didn't have to be such a douche about it! Really, if you were looking for the World's Largest Prick, you'd find him in L.A. playing with his shit toys and dice."
(The Bar in the Hotel – Near's POV)
And that was all Near needed to hear.
I didn't know you felt that way about me Mello. I'm sorry I was in your life.
Near quietly turned away and walked back to his room, tears streaming down his face the entire way.
(The Bar in the Hotel – Mello's POV)
Mello had forgotten to breathe and was drinking at the same time. He choked on the Italian vodka and looked up at Brien who gave him a disapproving look.
"Now tell me, do you really mean that?"
Mello knew he didn't mean any of that. He was merely taking out his anger at himself on Near. "No. I didn't mean a single word. That was all a lie." Mello replied. "I love him. I love him more than anything in the world. And I hate myself for losing him." Mello slumped against the counter.
"Now that's more like it." Brien smiled and patted his head with her giant hand. "Now why don't you tell that to him instead of moping to me."
The blond lifted his head slightly and the idea suddenly dawned on him. Maybe it was the alcohol talking but there was always the small possibility that Near would take him back.
"Achoo!"
"Bless you sweetie." Brien smiled once again. "That'll be a total of $67."
Mello realized that he didn't have any money on him.
(Mt. Sinai Hospital)
"BAILYBAILYBAILYBAILYBAILY!"
Dr. Baily should have been prepared in a Spartan armor and Excalibur by his side to defend himself from the gamer who was bound to come back but he was only wielding a scalpel and thus wasn't able to defend himself when Matt pounced on him.
They were in Baily's office – which was cluttered with half-eaten junk food and wrapper all around – where he had been working on his computer when Matt came out of nowhere and decided to glomp the man.
"Hey, Matt." Baily tried to think of something nice to say but nothing came up. "What an … unexpected surprise."
As Baily tried to pry the redhead off of him, he was suddenly hit by the fact that Matt was actually in his office. He didn't even know how he was allowed in the hospital after hours without having to attend to an emergency.
"Um, Matt, what are you doing here?"
"Oh. Well, Mello ran away from me to get himself drunk at the bar. He also caught Near's flu."
Baily's face went into shock at the gamer. "Then what are you doing here? He's sick!"
"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Matt asked with a semi-evil glint in his eye.
"Uh."
Matt sighed. "I set the whole thing up. I planned it so that Mello would crave alcohol cuz I threw away all his chocolates. And even the fact that the hotel was as far away from anywhere with chocolate helped too. So Mello's gonna be drunk enough to get over his pride and with all the alcohol in his body, he'll probably jump up on tables and scream his love for Near or something."
Baily felt a new sort of respect for the redhead. Even he couldn't have come up with something like that. That was until he found a flaw.
"But how are you going to get Near in the bar at the same time?"
Matt chuckled lightly as if he was explaining to a three year old. "Knowing Near, he's probably gonna go out to his and Mello's usual bench. The bar is on the way to the exit so hopefully Mels is gonna be loud enough for Near to hear him before he leaves."
Baily felt a sudden urge to applaud at Matt's ingenuousness. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad fellow after all. All of his new respect and admiration had vanished when he was snapped back to reality with Matt's words.
"So, uh, Baily." Matt fidgeted with his goggle straps. "Thanks for, uh, you know."
This caught his attention. "For what?"
"You know...the thing."
"Huh?" Baily furrowed his brows. He obviously had no idea what Matt was talking about. He braced himself for what was about to come with a large mouthful of Gatorade when Matt spoke.
"Didn't you send me your dick? I – EWWWWW!"
Baily spit all his mouths contents onto Matt's forehead and began choking. Matt beat him several times on his back before he became stable again. Hmmm. Deja vu, much?
Jesus, how many times does this kid insist on having me choking? "Matt, I can honestly say that I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Bu–but the mail, I got it, it's in my vest!" Matt sputtered and in a flurry took out said prized possession and waved it in front of the doctor.
The doctor stared at the appendage in absolute shock. "I never sent that to you..."
"Oh."
One couldn't tell just by looking at them but it was obvious that they were both thinking the same thing.
Who the hell would randomly send strangers male reproductive organs?
(Near's Suite in the Hotel)
All of Near's stoicism, numbness to pain and robot-like indifference towards emotions flew out the window when he practically ran to his room and hurried toward his blankets. He hadn't even said anything to Mello in an entire week but he caused his whole face to be soaked in his own tears.
The albino wasn't a loud crier. In fact, one wouldn't even be able to tell whether he was really crying if it weren't for the continuous flow of tears from his eyes. The boy had never cried in his entire life. Of course, it would be Mello who'd cause it but he never imagined this would be the reason.
Near abruptly grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it. He didn't make a single noise except for an occasional small whimper. And just like that, he fell asleep thoughts clouded with sorrow and pain.
(Mello and Matt's Suite in the Hotel)
"Matt get me the fuck out of here, I don't give a flying fuck about the case!" Mello screamed as he barged into his suite empowered with enthusiasm. A few years ago, who would think that Mello would be so excited to apologize to Near?
But his words were only received by an empty room. Matt was no where to be found and as giddy as Mello was to make up with near, he was also royally pissed for he had to help Brien with the dishes since he had forgotten his wallet. Not to mention, he was also drunk as a sailor.
In a flurry of anger, Mello rushed into his room and began packing all his belongings even though he had unpacked them earlier this morning. He was just about to slam his suitcase shut when he heard a thump form the next suite. Even though the hotel was posh and expensive, the walls were thin enough for Mello to press his ear against them and hear small sniffles that were obviously trying to stifle them. It oddly reminded him of the time when he had saved Near from the freaky pedophile a while ago.
But he didn't have time to think about that now. For all he knew, the person next door could have been a pregnant woman whose boyfriend left her or something. Right now, he had a goal and that was to get to Los Angeles as soon as possible.
And so, he ignored the noise next door as Fate fumed, equally pissed off as Mello that she had given him so many chances and yet he never jumped on them.
(Near's Suite in the Hotel)
Near's morose slumber was rudely disturbed when he heard a certain someone's voice scream from the other room. He could have sworn it sounded identical to Mello's but he knew the blond was still downstairs talking smack about him. Nonetheless he felt a sharp pang stab him in the chest just when thinking about Mello. He decided quickly to get out of the hellhole they called New York City and go back to Los Angels. Solving this measly case was not worth thinking about all the false memories that he and Mello had shared.
(Mt. Sinai Hospital)
Shut up and sleep with me
C'mon, uh huh, just sleep with me
Shut up and sleep –
Dr. Baily watched with his mouth open, astonished, as he watched Matt flip open his phone nonchalantly as if he wasn't phased by the ring tone at all.
"Mels – Mels you don't understand...why now? But we have this case to solve – "
"I DON'T GIVE A FUCKING DAMN ABOUT THE CASE!"
"Okay, okay, calm down...We'll go to L.A. … 'kay, I'll be there in a few."
Dr. Baily was still looking at him.
"What?" Matt asked as he played his ring tone again. "I think it suits me."
(JFK Airport)
"Matt, why am I even here?"
"'Cuz you love me."
Baily shot the redhead standing next to him a glare but Matt just waved it off as a sign of affection. They were both waiting for Mello who was calming down in the bathroom after he exploded when a little kid had spilled (mushed) his ice cream all over Mello's crotch area. The mother had to call security to pull the leather-clad man away from her child. He got escorted into the security checking and underwent intensive searching. To be honest Matt actually felt sorry for the kid since he was now without his two front teeth. Of course, the gamer had been expecting something like that ever since he'd gotten around Mello's massive hangover earlier that morning. It wasn't easy being Matt.
Nevertheless, Mello was taking his own sweet time in the bathroom to clean himself up. That left Matt and Baily alone. To be more precise, it left, Matt, Baily and Matt's devious brain alone in the almost-empty lobby of the airport.
"I don't get it," Matt mused, "Why does Mello want to go to L.A.?"
"Maybe he didn't meet Near in the Hotel?" Baily offered.
"I mean, my plan was fool proof, dammit!"
"Maybe he didn't meet Near in the Hotel," he said again, more firmly this time.
"God must hate me. That's why Mello wants to go."
"MAYBE HE DIDN'T MEET NEAR IN THE HOTEL!"
"Geez, dude. Cill." Matt raised his arms in defeat. "Shit. This means I have to start all over again."
(JFK Airport – Near's POV)
Near walked into the familiar airport and felt a wave of nostalgia hit him in the face. He walked up to the flight schedules, took note of when his flight was going to arrive and sat down.
It's okay, he thought. I take this flight, Rester picks me up and I forget about Mello for the rest of my miserable life.
As he sat down, thinking reassuring thoughts, he spied a shock of golden blond hair at the corner of his eye.
Sighing and frustrated that he was imagining things he wanted to see, he made is way toward the bathroom to freshen up.
(JFK Airport)
Matt and Baily were dragged down a two slim arms around their necks. Matt turned around and came nose to nose with a man wearing oversized sunglasses, a fake mustache and a suspicious looking hat.
"Mello,what are you doing?" Matt arched an eyebrow and scanned the blond up and down to make sure he was cleaned up.
"Shhhhh!" Mello hissed harshly. "Near could hear you!"
Matt and Baily burst into laughter at the very statement.
"Shut up! I mean it."
"Mello," Dr. Baily began, still chuckling. "Near isn't here."
Mello glared at the doctor. "Yes he is. Look!" He grabbed both their faces harshly and twisted them so that they looked beyond the ficus. There was nothing there but a bunch of empty seats. Both of them turned back to Mello and looked at him like he was crazy. And with good reason too.
"Mels," Matt said slowly as if he was talking to someone who was mentally retarded. "No one is there."
"Huh?" Mello looked back at the seats where he swore he saw Near and found no one there. But that was impossible!
I saw him sitting there with my own fucking eyes!
"Mello, I think you need to go freshen up again. And please put the costume back in the garbage where you found it." Baily motioned to the bathroom.
Mello was about to throw a hissy fit at Baily for telling him what to do but Matt interrupted his undeveloped storm and led him to the bathroom like one would to a five year old.
(Bathroom in JFK Airport – Mello's POV)
After Mello finally convinced Matt that he could "go" by himself, he approached a very inviting urinal, unzipped his pants and proceeded to do his business. He was taking a painfully long amount of time. It was probably all the alcohol catching up with him. He heard a bathroom stall opening and padded foot steps approaching the sink. He also heard small sniffling that sounded exactly like the the ones that came from the room the other day. Feeling totally bored and pissed (no pun intended) at the time it's taking him to finish up he decided to spark up a conversation without even bothering to look at who he was going to talk to.
"Have a bad day?" He asked using his incognito voice since he still had his costume on.
At first there was no response. Then he heard a faint "yes" over the sound of pee hitting the urinals.
"I hear you," Mello responded. "I just lost my boyfriend."
In retrospect, Mello would have hit himself with a hammer for being so open and blunt with a stranger but at the moment, he needed to talk about it with someone before he exploded.
(Bathroom in JFK Airport – Near's POV)
Near almost jumped a mile high when he heard those words come out of the potential-pedophile's mouth. When he first walked out of the stall, he just wanted to get out as soon as possible because of the sketchy man at the urinals. Considering his history with pedos he had every reason to do so. Nonetheless, he felt bad not answering back and so he responded.
It was funny how they were in similar situations. Maybe he wasn't the only one going through crises.
"Ah." Near twirled a lock of his hair. "I just lost my boy too"
The man at the urinal choked on air at those words. As he sputtered, completely taken aback, Near spoke and told him about his and Mello's "issues" and how they ended up apart.
(Bathroom in JFK Airport – Mello's POV)
Mello continued choking as the other boy spoke. Really, wasn't he supposed to perform the Heimlich maneuver when someone chokes? When he finally regained his composure, he had to force himself to not look back at who was talking to him.
It's just an illusion. He thought to himself. Near is in Los Angeles.
Mello was finished peeing and he was just standing there in his ridiculous costume, while he contemplated the chances of turning around and seeing Near.
"How did you lose your lover?"
Mello thought for a moment before he spoke. Was he really going to spill about his personal life in front of a stranger? Of course!
"Well, I wouldn't really call it 'losing' him per say, because I don't think we officially broke up but he just kinda left me and I was pissed at the time so I just let him go but then I got really lonely and not to mention I also got his flu..." As Mello was ranting he failed to see that the stranger he was talking to almost died on the spot from shock. "And he went back to where he's supposed to be and I went back to where I was supposed to be and now, I've lost him forever and I'll never see him again and I got drunk in the bar and started cussing him out BUT IT WASN'T EVEN HIS FAULT!
"GAWD, I'm such a loser!" Mello was at the verge of tears and out of breath by that point due to the lack of oxygen he forgot to inhale because of his colossal run on sentence.
He jumped 10 feet into the air when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and gently turn him around.
Both of them gasped simultaneously.
"Mello."
"Near."
FTOYWGAD: Yes, this is the last chapter. Yes, I know the ending sucks. BUT. There is an epilogue. I'm sure it'll clear up anything that you don't understand in this chapter. My moose says to review. SHUT UP MOOSE! I CAN TALK FOR MY SELF!
~Silver