The next day, Mello received a note from Linda, one Near had sent. He looked at and blinked at the German words written there. He sighed and bowed his head as he read it:
Yes, you ass, I can understand German. Thanks for asking me through a despicable journal entry, and I honestly don't care if you talk bad about me behind my back. No, I have no slept with A, Matt, or L, and I don't know which of us is the "slut" in their eyes. For all I know, they were talking about both of us.
But, thanks for showing me how you really feel about me, I feel so enlightened! Now I know that I can't let you beat me, because a despicable bastard like you cannot be the next L! Work hard all you want, Mihael Keehl. I'm going to be the next L.
And, since I know your name, it's only fair you know mine. My name is Nate Rivers. Call me that and I'll get a strand of your hair for a voodoo doll.
.Near.
Mello looked up at Linda. "Did you read this?"
She shook her head. "Near asked me not to, so I didn't." She then turned and walked off to draw in her sketchbook.
Mello sighed and looked over at Near, then wrote a reply, also in German. When a kid passed by, he held it up and pointed to Near. The kid looked up him funny, but went over to deliver the note.
Judging by Matt's confused expression, he couldn't understand German. Near looked annoyed as he read it, though, and then he folded it up and put it in his pocket, giving a sharp nod in Mello's direction. Mello let out a sigh of relief and then quietly ate his food.
Later on, as arranged, Near went to the thicket that Mello and B had cornered him in so many months ago. Mello was lying down in the grass, but he opened his eyes and sat up as Near came in. "I didn't mean that, Near. It's just…I don't know all of the facts. I know that you and Matt seem close, you were dating B, and you seem to be close with L. Can you blame me for assuming?
"You're not in the place to assume anything, Mello." Near walked over and sat close to him, then lay back in the grass. "…You shouldn't assume things like that. Chiding and insults will happen and, as I said in the note, it could've been either of us. You were with B a lot, remember, and also with Matt at the same time. And then they see you walking around with me, so who knows? We've both had our times with Matt, B, and A. Let them assume what they like, but don't go writing it down on paper." He looked at him.
"…" Mello, honestly, had nothing to say. Near was right – the childing and insults came and went. He didn't care until it was on paper in front of him, written by one he'd thought was his friend.
"I'm going to go." Near stood up and walked out of the thicket. "I've said all I need to. You wait a half-hour before coming out, Mello."
"Alright…" He mumbled, standing up. "So, you go and lecture me, then run off without hearing what I have to say? Asshole…" He pulled out his chocolate bar, and then bit off the corner, letting the half-hour pass by. "You're a bad choice for a tutor." He said, and then walked out of the thicket, going back inside.
To not arouse suspicion and more rumors, they were to act like they hated each other. Which, on Mello's part, wasn't entirely an act. He may not've meant to hurt Near with the journal entry, but he never considered Near a friend, just a tutor.
Still, he hadn't been very nice to Near, had he? Calling him a freak, and a slut, and all sorts of other terrible things…
Was Near crying inside, even with his poker face on all the time?
Three years passed, and his hatred for Near had only grown. He tried to like him, really he did, but no matter what he did, he couldn't even get him to smile. Although, someone good DID happen – he got Matt to stop hanging around Near, and they had a bit of a fight, but he knew that Matt was all his, now. He hadn't seen him around Near since their fight three weeks ago. Near was alone.
He was lying in his room, thinking about this with satisfaction, when he was called out by Watari, and led to a room. He was left in there by himself, and he took a seat in chair before turning and smiling as a raven-haired male dressed in a white shirt, baggy, blue pants, and with pasty skin walked in. They had their eyes closed, but just as he was about to speak, they opened to reveal eyes that were a brownish-gray, ones he'd never seen before.
"Mihael Keehl, codename: Mello. How do you do?" The man walked over and Mello heard the lock click. "I am L."
"L." Mello stood up. "I've heard your voice before."
"Yes, I have been by your room while you were asleep on a few occassions." He sat down and gestured for Mello to do the same.
Mello sat down. "Pardon me, sir, but I thought you were B at first. He looks so much like you, that I..." He faltered as L held a hand up to silence him.
"On the topic of Beyond Birthday…I would like you to not let Near know of this." He picked up a cake and cut off a slice. "Beyond Birthday has been sentenced to prison, for the murder of three different people." He closed his eyes. "Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash." He then proceeded to tell Mello of the Los Angeles BB cases.
Mello didn't say it, but he felt a guilty pleasure, knowing of B's current location. And what's better, he was told not to tell Near about it! HAH! As if he'd EVER tell that big-head about where his old lover was right now! He listened eagerly as L told him all about Naomi Misora – "She sounds hot!" Mello interjected – and all that B had done after leaving Whammy's House.
"Wow…" Mello sighed. "So, that's what he meant when he left? Pretty crazy stuff." He smiled. "Don't worry, L. Near won't find out."
Not as long as he had anything to do with it.
For a few more hours, they talked about more cases, and then L looked at the clock on his computer. "You should get going." L nodded. "I've kept you for long enough."
Mello nodded and stood up. "Okay, I'll see you." He then turned and waved as he left the room. He went to his room, expecting to see Matt there waiting for him, but he didn't see him when he opened the door. "…The hell?" He frowned, then turned and stalked off. Where was his Matt right now? He took his eyes off of him for one moment and—what was that? He stopped by Near's door and leaned against it, listening in.
"Nnn…khuuF khuaangM…"
Matt's voice, he was certain of it. And he was speaking Thai… He frowned, not recognizing the word used.
"Matt, raoM maiF saaR maatF. Mello…" Near's voice was heard, and Mello frowned. He know those words as "we can't", but whatever Matt had said was still a—Matt and Near?! He growled and then banged hard on the door. "Matt, you get out here!"
"Oh, shit!" He heard inside, and then the rustle of clothing as he heard Matt fix his clothes. Then the door opened and Matt ran out, blushing. "Wh-When did you get done?"
Mello slapped his hard. "How DARE you! Taking advantage of my talking to L to try to have sex with Near, of all the people you could've been cheating on me with!"
Matt held his bruised cheek. "That hurt…" He looked down. "I wasn't cheating…"
"I heard you, and your clothes are rumpled." He looked in to see Near fixing a button on his shirt. Geez, even his torso was so freakin' pale! "Are his goggles in here?"
Near picked them up off the bed and threw them towards the door before going back to what he was doing. Mello made a face and then went in to grab the goggles. "Geez, get some freakin' color in this room!" He looked around the white room and shuddered, walking out. Then he closed the door and exhaled before he looked up at Matt with a glare. "You. Our bed. Now." He shoved him along.
"Mello, c'mon! I wasn't doing anything, hone—YAI!" He cried out as Mello groped his crotch, blushing.
"You're hard…" Mello mumbled. "Is that for Near or for me?" He grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "You know how I hate that little brat, but you still go over to his room constantly! You have me, damnit!" He shoved him into the bedroom. "You need to stop fraternizing with the enemy!"
"Near is not 'the enemy', Mello!" He glared daggers at him. "Too bad that you're too selfish to realize that Near has been TRYING to get close to you and be friends!"
"Oh, that is the last fucking straw!" Mello shoved him to the bed, forcing a kiss on his red-haired lover. "You. Do not. Ever. Talk back. To me!" He pulled off Matt's belt and forced his hands behind his back, strapping them together. "You're a bad, mean lover, Matt! And bad, mean lovers get punished!"
"You're a spoiled brat, Mell." He grumbled. "You think you can always get your way, but you're wrong!" He latched his legs around Mello's waist and twisted his body, throwing Mello off the bed. "Now, undo the belt."
"Whao!" Mello yelped, and then he slowly got up and glared at him. "Guess what? I found out something about B that Near won't eeeever know!" He grinned, then climbed on top of him. "And I might tell you, if you're good!"
"You're cruel, Mello." Matt said, looking away. "At least undo the belt."
"Will you be a good little puppy if I do?" He nuzzled him.
"P-Puppy?! Mello, I'm freakin' 14 years old! You'd think I'd be a dog by now!"
Mello burst into laughter and rolled off of him and the bed. "Oh my gawd, you just called yourself a dog!" He clawed at the blanket, then pulled himself back onto the bed, still laughing. "Oh, Matt." He wiped away a tear of laughter from his eyes and then kissed him. "Ahh, I feel in a better mood. Alright, I'll undo the belt." He reached over and undid the belt, freeing Matt's wrists.
Matt grinned and then grabbed the blonde's wrists, pulled him close as he rolled over, pinning him onto the bed. "You, Mello, are a naughty –naughty little boy." He grinned and then kissed him deeply. "But, you're a little boy I'm eager to play with."
"Nn…no fair, I wanted to be the one on toooop!" Mello whined as Matt pulled down the blonde's shirt-zipper and then moved down to unzip his leather pants as well.
"Nope." Matt grinned. "We both know that I can overpower you, with my strength if not my puppy-pout." He undid his own clothes, then pulled the blanket over them. "Forget about your loathing of Near for now, and enter a world of everlasting bliss with me." He whispered, kissing him again.
"Mm…I love you…" Mello replied, digging his nails into the red-head's back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Just so you know, the world that Mello didn't know that Matt used on Near was "Beloved". Yeah. Much cheating going on there, but he denies it all, the fiend!
Next up: A fateful confrontation and cheering.