I'm really sorry about the delay guys, my broken finger had really been making everything hard and I didn't want to upload a shitty chapter so I took my time on this one.

With Mello captured, new things unfold. Don't kill me, it'll all work out. I promise. Hope you guys like this one and ONLY ONE REVIEW AWAY FROM 50! WOO! You guys rock

Anyways, keep reading, keep reviewing, keep loving.

-Jaunt

Chapter 12-Nasty Competition

~Mello~

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

The every present sound of water dripping woke me from the blackness of being unconscious. Where was I? I opened my eyes or at least tried to. I couldn't see anything around the blindfold that was obstructing my vision. I was unable to see but all my other senses were on fire, tasting the place around me. It was cold and damp with a musky scent and everything echoed, even my quiet breathing.

I was startled when the cloth covering my eyes was ripped off my face and I could finally see. Worse than the place was the face staring at me, a pudgy Japanese face with crooked teeth and horrible breath. "Hey! Boss, he's awake." A heavy sounding door opened and in walked my enemy. Boss Niigata. I frowned as he came up to me and did the same thing with my chin as before.

He grabbed onto my chin and tilted my head from side to side. I glared at him in defiance and spat in his face. His answering backhand knocked me to the ground, my hands were tied behind my back and didn't give me any chance to catch myself. I grunted as I hit the cold cement floor and continued to glare at him. "He's got some fire in him." He commented and pulled me back up. "I like that in my women." Oh hell no! I wasn't anyone's woman. I was Mihael Keehl! When he put his hand on my cheek, I bit it hard and tasted the metallic tang of blood.

Two men grabbed me and pulled me away as Niigata pulled out a knife. "I'll break him here and now." He advanced on me but was stopped by one of the younger men.

"You don't want to leave a scar. We can sell him if he doesn't break." Hm. Was this man actually compassionate or was he working an angle? I'd figure him out sooner or later. I guess sooner rather than later because the men all left except him. "You alright?" He asked and knelt in front of me to dab at my split lip with a towel.

"Yeah." I said, my words a little thick with my swollen lip. "Thanks for that." I didn't want to bite the hand that fed me so I was going to keep an eye on him and see just how easy it would be to play him into letting me free.

"Niigata is a brute of a man who'll rape you then sell you. If you're lucky, he won't kill you but it's best to give him what he wants." He explained to me softly as he smiled slightly. He was reasonable attractive for a Japanese man but he was nothing to my Matty. "I'm Takumi." He told me.

"Mello." His eyes widened slightly.

"Don't tell that name to the Boss," He said in a voice barely above a whisper, "He'll kill you for being part of the Mafia." I nodded in understanding, seeing the reason behind what he told me.

"Michael." Of course I wouldn't give him my real name and Michael was similar to Mihael.

"I'm going to watch out for you." He promised me. Something in his solemn eyes told me he had lost someone dear to him that looked like me or something like that. Our eyes met as he continued to dab at my lip. "You have someone to go home to, don't you?" I nodded slightly, not wanting to give away more than that in case it put Matty in danger. "Tomorrow they'll do all in their power to break you. Be strong."

With that, he left me alone in my cell. Oh Matty… "Where are you?" I whispered up to the ceiling.

~Matt~

Mello had left me just after we finally came together as we should have been. I understood that he had to work and had obligations but I had hoped… Well I had hoped he'd stay home for me for at least an hour or two before leaving me. I hated being alone but I'd never tell him that. He'd start to feel guilty then wouldn't go to work or something and risk his skin just to keep me company. I'd do anything to keep him safe. I'd even take a bullet for him if I had to. I loved him more than anything in the world.

I waited for a few hours just staring at the door, wishing he'd walk through the door and give me a kiss hello before we did something that two people in love should like… Like watch a movie or go for a walk for get into a sexy pillow fight. I liked the last one best, personally, but I'd be fine with anything that involved my blonde haired lover.

Out of sheer boredom, I turned on a DVD and lay out on the couch under a comfy blanket that smelled a lot like Mello's cologne. I wanted a smoke but the smell of the blanket was just so perfect and I was so comfortable that I didn't bother. And I also ended up falling asleep maybe twenty minutes into the second Sherlock Holmes movie.

Do do do, dodododo DO DO DO DO DO-My phone ringing woke me from a pretty light sleep. I dove off the couch to find my cell, it had to be Mello! "Hey!" I said in a sing-songy voice that I knew he'd harass me about later but that didn't matter. "Where are you Melly?"

"This isn't Mello, it's Near." Fuck, why was he calling? I needed this line open for Mello in case he called. "I need your help. Can you come meet me now?" Now? Now? Did he not realize that I had a life? Well, usually I had a life. Not today.

"I dunno, Mello doesn'-"

"I just need you to hack something for me." I sighed heavily, how could I resist a hack job?

"Fine, where are you?" I wrote down the address and hung up. Why was Near in Japan? I guess I'd find out when I got there.

I stood and looked down at myself, I was a complete slob. I went into my room that still had clothing tossed all around and found some jeans and a semi clean shirt before heading out the door.

I reached the hotel without any problem and found a man to be waiting for me when I pulled up in my '68 Shelby GT500E. "Right this way." He said as another man took my car.

"Hey! That's my ca-"

"He's merely parking it. It will be here when you're ready to leave." Once we were inside, he took me to an elevator which we rode up to the fifteenth floor in. Before we went into the door, he stopped me, "Please turn out your pockets of everything." I pulled out a pack of smokes, a book of matches, a GameBoy, extra batteries, a pocket knife, a pack of gum, a hair tie, and a big ball of lint followed by my cell phone. "You may go in."

I opened up the door and walked in to see Near sitting in that odd way he always did, drinking tea or coffee or whatever the little weirdo liked to drink. "You're here, good. Now I need you to get into the FBI's secret task force. I tried and couldn't get past the third firewall." I sat in front of the computers and started my work. I felt Near get up and stand behind me, his odd gaze at the back of my head.

Oddly enough, I got in with ease. The third firewall had been a little tough but there was an opening that I found and forced my way in. Once I had full access, I turned around in my spinning chair and looked up at Mello's enemy. "You're in."

"You've gotten better." He commented then he did the unexpected. Just as I was going to stand, he put his arms around my neck and pushed his lips against mine in a surprisingly dominant fashion.

Oh shit. Near was kissing me.