Author's Note: Wow. All right. I owe you guys a BIG apology. Um. I know I've kept you away from this story for long enough, so I'll do all my usual talking in Author's Note The Second, at the bottom of the page. ...forgive me for the long wait? Please? Ehehe...um...Onward!
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. If I owned Death Note, there would be NO rewrite, NO stupid oneshot, and NEAR WOULD NOT HAVE WON. I don't know how many times I'll say that, but it's probably the biggest thing I dislike about Death Note. The only one left alive should've been Matsuda. 'Cause really, he's too innocent and adorable to die. Like a puppy or somethin'.
Warning: Same as usual. Cussing, abuse, sexual stuff, and all the other things a church would burn me for.
"I'll give you a few, Boss. Don't want to break the Code."
"Code…" Mello whispered, speechless. "Oh. Right. Get the hell out…"
Vance nodded, slipping discretely into the room where Hal still sat against the wall, shaking and blubbering like he was under the Reaper's thumb.
Mello stood for a moment, just staring at the wounded man illuminated by the dim lamplight. Matt's hands were bound behind his back with thick rope. His neck was wrapped with a leather collar, wide leather leash tethering him securely to the table he was bent over. But it was the wounds, raw and bleeding, that stabbed him straight through the heart.
Mello saw red.
"Matt…" he breathed, rushing on trembling legs to his lover's side. He knelt on the floor, staring desperately into Matt's glazed eyes. "I…"
"Tell me you love me. Mel, please," Matt whispered, lowering his eyes. "Please."
"Of course I love you. How could I ever stop loving you? You're all that I have, Matt." Mello exhaled, unnerved by the desperate need in his gamer's voice. He pressed a shaking hand to Matt's cheek, brushing his fingertips lightly against a purple bruise. "Oh, God, what did he do to you?"
"I…" Matt's face contorted as tears began to stream down his face. "I…I don't get jealous!" he blurted out. "I love you, Mel! N-not…not h-h-him…"
"Let me get you untied, Matty," Mello said softly, already cutting through the taut leash with a concealed pocket knife.
"M-Mello…don't leave me…"
"I'm not going anywhere, Matty. I'll never leave your side again." Mello began to work at the collar, heart aching as Matt strained to pull away from his touch. "Hey, Matty. It's all right. I'm here. Shh, now."
"I'm t-trying, Mello…"
"I know. Shh, now. You're doing well. See? The collar's off. He has no control over you now. I'm going to cut your wrists free, all right?"
"O-okay…just be c-careful…"
"I wi-" Mello blinked, anger welling in his chest. "Matt. What did he do to your hand?"
"B-burned it…"
"Oh, Christ," Mello hissed, biting his lip to fight back tears as he cut the thick rope. His gaze never left the charred flesh. "There, Matt. It's gone. It's all gone. Can you stand up?"
"I can't really…feel my legs…" Matt admitted, falling limp against the table at his first attempt.
"It's fine. I've got you."
Mello helped the boy into a standing position, grimacing at the dried blood and semen clinging to Matt's legs. He held his gamer close to his heart, already shrugging off his jacket to drape around Matt's trembling shoulders. Matt's free hand groped blindly along his side, locating a silver needle jammed into the tender flesh. He pulled it free with a yelp, dropping it to the floor in shame.
"Mello, I thought…I thought you wouldn't…"
"Hush, Matty. I know. But I came, didn't I? I came as quickly as I could." Mello pressed a soft kiss to Matt's lips, surprised when Matt flinched away.
"Ah! Ow…I, uh, that is…he burned…" Matt's face contorted in pain as he brushed his uninjured hand across his pained lips. "S-sorry…"
"It's all right, Matty. It's fine. But we've got to get you out of here, all right? You can tell me all of your…injuries…later, all right? I want to get you to safety first."
Mello pulled away from Matt, zipping his jacket securely around the boy's naked form. He called for Vance.
"I want you to support M. He can't walk on his own. Don't leave my sight, understand?" Mello sighed, pulling out his gun. As Vance took his position beside the redhead, Mello stalked into the other room like a tiger on the prowl.
"Hal," he said softly, "It was a pleasure. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…I'll see you in Hell."
Before the quivering man could blink, Mello fired a single shot into his head. He was dead before he could scream.
"Let's go," Mello said coldly, leading the way back out the front.
Once outside, Mello lifted his gun and fired one shot into the air, signaling their exit. He saw Jay appear from behind the building as Max put the car into drive.
Mello threw his arm around Matt's shoulders, allowing Vance to slide into the front seat of the car. He lowered Matt gently into the back seat, giving the hacker plenty of room to lie down. He ordered Jay to squeeze into the front seat between the other two men; he took a seat on the floor beside Matt so that he could whisper to the hacker without anyone else listening.
Once Max had merged onto the interstate, Mello finally found his voice. He leaned down close to his hacker's ear, keeping his voice low.
"Matty…" he whispered, "I'm making them take us to a new base. We'll get you a safe room, and we'll have security. This won't happen again…"
He pulled away, looking into the redhead's weary eyes. He ran his thumb tenderly over the crown of Matt's cheek. Careful not to attract the attention of the men in the front seat, he grasped Matt's uninjured hand, squeezing gently.
"I want to comfort you right now," he whispered softly, "But I can't unless I want to break the Code. So just hang on, baby, and we'll get somewhere safe and out of earshot. I'll take care of you, Matt, I promise…I swear it…"
"You…took so long…" Matt muttered, half-dazed. "I thought…you wouldn't come back…"
Mello bit his lip, giving Matt's hand another gentle squeeze.
"I came back, Matty. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I…we need to wait until we're safe before we talk, all right? Go to sleep, Matty. I won't let you go. I swear it."
"Mello…" Matt sighed, closing his eyes. He winced, tongue darting out to trace the edge of his blistered lip. "O-Okay, Mello. Wake me up when we're…safe…"
Four hours and almost three hundred miles later, Max pulled into the underground storage garage of a tall building on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada. Two men met them by the elevator shaft; Max and Vance were escorted to the left while Mello, Matt, and Jay were shown to the right. Once in the elevator, Jay began to speak softly about arrangements and future plans. Mello nodded numbly to each suggestion, finally cutting Jay off with a wave of the hand.
"Here we are, Boss," the guide said, stepping aside, "Third door to the left is for you. There's a linked room and a room across the hall for your two men."
"Right," Mello nodded, grasping Matt by the shoulders to lead him down the hall. "Jay, you'll be across the hall. Send for a doctor, would you? I'll help M settle down in his room."
He paused at the door to his own room, running his fingers through his hair. He sighed deeply, giving Matt's shoulder a very gentle nudge. "Fuck…I swear to God, we'd better be safe here…"
He clicked the door open, automatically checking each closet and door for people hiding. He did a quick sweep of the ceilings for cameras, making a mental note to check for bugs as soon as Matt was asleep. Satisfied that they were completely alone, Mello slammed the door behind them.
"Mello…?" Matt croaked, trembling. He was still naked, save for the coat, and he truly looked like a wretched mess. Mello felt his heart constrict painfully at the sight.
"Shh, Matt. It's all right. Here…let's open up the door between our rooms, all right? We won't tell anyone that we'll be sharing one bed." He busied himself with setting out the rooms how he wanted them, unloading blankets and weapons, and drawing a warm bath for Matt.
"Mello…" Matt whispered, grabbing the blonde's hand as he passed. Mello paused, biting his lip.
"I'm so sorry, Matt…I can't…I can't forgive myself for letting this happen to you. Again. Matt, you've gone through so much…"
"Not n-now, Mello," Matt said softly. He leaned up to press a light kiss to Mello's cheek, wincing as his lips brushed Mello's warm skin. He spoke with such desperation that Mello couldn't turn his eyes away. "Tell me you love me. Tell me that it will all get better."
"I love you," Mello assured him. "And…I'll help you get better, Matt. You were doing…so good…"
"F-first time will scare you," Matt muttered, "Sec…second time will make you n-numb. Mello, it hurts…"
"I know, baby, I know. I'll have a doctor come look at your injuries…Matt, I know you're afraid of doctors now, but I can promise you that he's here to help. You know that…that other doctor, Matt? The bad one? He's dead. I watched him die. He's gone, Matt, so you don't have to be afraid of him again. All right, Matty?" Mello gave the gamer a hopeful smile.
Matt spoke so quietly that Mello had to lean closer to hear him.
"I have more things to be afraid of than doctors, Mello."
Author's Note The Second: Oh God. Well...first off, wasn't this an interesting chapter? It only took...four...months...to write...ahem. Sorry about the long wait, guys. To be honest, I had MOST of this chapter written in August. But I'm a senior in high school, and I've been so incredibly busy with applying to colleges, handling AP Calculus and all my other classes, and roleplaying with my two favorite roleplaying buddies that I've pretty much neglected all my fanfics. Don't expect updates for Between Angels and Thieves or Ad Interim for a long time. I really love those stories, but the fact is...I'm too damn busy. Period. I've got too much to do, and not enough time to do it. HOWEVER. I will have some oneshots coming out soon...and a few are going to be REALLY interesting. Hehe. Kinky PWP for the win, ne? We'll see what I can think up. Once again, I'd really like to apologize for the god-awful long wait. u.u I really feel guilty about it, and I know all of you are ready to kill me by now! The next update will be done before Christmas. Shoot me where I stand if I'm lying. But it will be easier to write the next scene, since it's mostly hurt and comfort. This chapter was so challenging because it's a transition chapter, and I suck at writing those. xP ALSO. My Nears have killed my muse. Yes, you heard me. I'm blaming my Nears for my lack of creativity. I've got two amazing roleplay buddies, and we always have such a great time with our roleplays...but they do NOT help my inner MxM fangirl. Though, one of them has let me talk more about my love of MxM lately...which is probably how I got this chapter out at all. That, and the fact that I'm awake at almost-four-in-the-morning. Anyways. I'm sure you're all sick and tired of hearing from me now, hm? Comment and tell me how awful I am for making you wait so long. And keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter of Game Over!