"Mello?"
Before he could make it to the elevator, he heard someone calling his name. Turning around, he saw that it was a small white-headed child. Children were not common among vampires, and it could be disconcerting to speak to them because of how much their outward appearance didn't reflect their age. As if to add to his already albino appearance, he was clad in all white. The blond waited for him to catch up, not moving from his spot.
"Could I please have a word with you?"
It wasn't difficult to act emotionless after the news he had received. His mind was numb, still hearing what L had to say. There was no excuse he could make to get home without revealing his secret so he agreed and followed the boy into the main library. Seated at one of the plush reading stations, the oddly dressed boy began to speak.
"Sorry for not introducing myself, I am Near." Mello only nodded since it was obvious that Near already knew his name. "I couldn't help but notice you came from L's office empty handed. Was he unhelpful?"
Mello could only snort as he recalled the harsh news he had received. "More than unhelpful."
Though his face remained neutral, the glint in Near's eyes became stronger. "Really? I'm sorry to hear that. Forgive me, it's just that… I would so covet the chance to be the overseer and yet he cannot even adequately perform his duties."
Mello almost growled in frustration as he realized what he had been roped into. Near had taken his statement the wrong way and now he couldn't even explain himself. The boy continued on, oblivious to the blonde's anger.
"I would like to be appointed as his successor, but… he seems reluctant to do so. If you are dissatisfied with him, perhaps you could help me?"
Once again, he could make no excuse to leave without looking suspicious. It was simply an unspoken part of etiquette among them. With an exceptionally long, if not endless, lifespan to fill, it was rare that a new task would be turned down.
"I suppose." He agreed half-heartedly but nearly changed his mind when he heard the task. Instead of arriving home early to Matt, he would be spending the rest of the night going through archives with a conniving boy for some precedent of an overseer being impeached.
What he hoped would be done by morning instead lasted until the next afternoon. Heaps of books, ledgers, journals, and official records sifted through and none of the proof that the albino longed far was found. Each passing minute made Mello more anxious as he silently prayed for it to be over. He had promised Matt they he would be home by that night, but he silently wondered if the redhead would even care if he was late. Instead of dwelling on it, he immersed himself in another book.
Where was he? Matt looked out the window, watching the sun set over the city skyline. Hadn't he promised to be back by today? As the sky became darker, the doubts he had suppressed all day began to circle in his head. Mostly it was fear that Mello would be able to loose his emotion again and not even bother to come back. Or maybe he would return only to kick him out, or worse….
That brought on another train of thought, did Mello want to loose his emotion? Was the whole point of seeking out information to detach himself from the redhead? With the sunset's completion he let the doubts in completely, convinced that the blond wasn't coming back as promised for the sole purpose that it was only a freak coincidence that he had liked the gamer to begin with. It was only by random chance that someone could care for him, want him…
A mother that didn't want him, prospective parents that didn't want him, and guardians that only wanted his innocence… Nothing suggested that he was lovable. It had taken overpowering emotion and sex to stay with Mello, and now he didn't even have that. At eleven he changed into too-large sweatpants and curled up in the blonde's bed, trying not to cry so pathetically.
It was thirty minutes later when he thought he heard a noise and tried to quiet his sobbing. He could hear the front door being unlocked and swung open. When Mello walked into the bedroom, he quickly sat up and tried to wipe his eyes. It was in vain though, because as soon as he saw the concern in Mello's eyes he began to sob again. He wasn't sure if it was from relief that the vampire still harbored emotions, or if he was upset that they were the only reason the blond liked him at all.
Mello rushed to the bed to hold him, curling his body protectively around the redhead's. "What's wrong?"
Matt couldn't articulate what he was feeling, instead settling on a lie. "I was just worried." They both knew that wasn't it, but Mello let it go, closing his eyes as he took in his scent.
He was rocked in the blonde's arms until he could only hiccup, tears finally running dry. Laying them both down and pulling up the covers, Mello didn't stop comforting him until he was soundly asleep.