Mello moved out from under Matt's arm the second the door slammed behind him. "What the fu-"

"Shh!" Matt hissed, eyes glancing toward the closed door. He grasped Mello's arm and pulled him down the hall. "If they hear us they'll come after us."

Mello rolled his eyes but continued to allow Matt to drag him down the hallway and into the stairwell. They were halfway down the first flight when Matt dropped Mello's arm and moved to sprawl himself out on the staircase. "Ugh, that's better. All that walking…"

Mello stared at him in disbelief. "How the hell is this any better?"

"Better than you going on a murdering spree," Matt retorted before wincing when he saw the violent flinch that overtook Mello's body. "Shit. Mel-"

"Whatever," Mello muttered, perching himself on the step beside Matt. He didn't want to hear the apology. Not when he knew it was a thought they all possessed. He couldn't even blame them. Not really.

It wasn't like he hadn't done it before.

Well, technically he hadn't.

The two of them sat in silence. Both of them knew there were things to be said but neither knowing how to start the conversation. Finally, Matt let out a deep sigh and turned his body slightly to the left so he was facing Mello. "Look, I know you're having issues with Light being here, but you're going to have to get over it."

Mello's eyes snapped to the boy beside him, "Get over-"

"None of us remember what you do," Matt continued, practically shouting so he could speak over his outraged friend, "and you being continuously pissed off is putting everyone on edge. Can't you just try to work with him?"

Mello could feel his body shaking from the anger boiling in his veins. His hand automatically moved for the gun he no longer held. He wanted it. He wanted the familiar weight in his hand so he could storm back into that room and point the thing right at Yagami's head. Maybe then they would realize just how serious he was.

"How do you expect me to-"he started in a shaking voice.

He was cut off instantly. "How do you expect us to ignore the crimes you committed but hold Light responsible for his?" Matt questioned, shrugging unrepentantly as Mello's eyes narrowed in response. "We can either hold both of you responsible for crimes you didn't commit in this life or we can move forward and try to stop whoever the criminal is now. Your choice."

Matt stood and stared down at his best friend for a moment before letting out a sigh and heading back up the stairs. "Don't come back in until you've decided to actually help us. I'm sick of your bitching."

Mello stared at Matt's retreating figure in shock. Matt had never talked to him like that. Hell, even when Mello had made a plan that was almost certain to get them both killed (and did get them killed) Matt had just gone along with it.

Mello wasn't sure how long he sat there, running Matt's words through his head. Matt was right that he had killed – but it was different. Kira had killed thousands. Hell, he had killed L! There was a difference between the two whether the others could see it or not. Maybe it was because they hadn't lived through it.

Footsteps behind him made him move to the side of the staircase. He wasn't willing to go inside, not yet, but he didn't want someone to run into him either. He would probably be blamed for it and the others would thing he gave into his tendencies. No he couldn't go in yet. Not until he had a plan. Maybe he should just ignore Yagami completely. Throw himself into the case and forget about anything else. They couldn't complain then. And Mello would continue to watch Yagami. No matter what the others thought, he couldn't be trusted. Even if he wasn't Kira now and wasn't involved with whoever currently had the Death Note, Mello had no doubt everything would change the moment Yagami touched the notebook once again. He couldn't allow history to repeat itself. Couldn't allow Kira to go after L. Or Near, since the other man had admitted to knowing the younger boy's name. Hell, the only person whose name he didn't know was Matt's.

It was at that moment that Mello realized whoever had been walking down the stairs had never passed him. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he slowly turned his head.

Yagami stood behind him with his eyebrows raised as his eyes stayed fixed on Mello. "For someone as paranoid as you are it took you an embarrassingly long time to realize I was standing here."

Mello bit back a growl as he glared at the young man in front of him. "What do you want?'

Yagami's mouth twitched slightly and Mello's eyes narrowed even further as he realized the other boy was fighting back a smirk. Yagami sat, two steps higher up than Mello, and continued to stare. "I'm well aware that you don't like me-"

"No shit."

"-and I understand your reasoning. However, I know more about the Death Note and our suspects than you ever will. I've said it before but you don't seem to be listening. I am not, and don't want to be, Kira. I want the Death Note to be destroyed before everything escalates to how we remember it being."

"You mean the way you made it?"

Yagami's eyes flashed. "Don't act as if you're the innocent party in this. You kidnapped my sister. Caused my father's death. If you hadn't killed the SPK Near might have caught me before Matt died. I made mistakes but you're actions enabled me to get where I was. And why? Because of a childhood rivalry? Was beating Near worth it, Mello?"

Mello's jaw hurt from clenching his teeth together. His fingernails were beginning to draw blood from his palms. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to watch him bleed and make him feel the pain he had caused so many others.

"Please return to the room," a quiet voice cut in, making both Mello and Lights head snap to the side. Near was standing at the top of the stairs, his dark eyes fixated on Yagami. If Mello didn't know any better, he would have said Near was actually glaring at the other boy. "Your opinion has been noted though deemed to be flawed. All of Mello's actions were the result of Kira. Kira was responsible for your sisters kidnapping as well as your father's death, the same way Kira was responsible for L's. Do not try to push the blame you hold onto Mello. Please return to L and continue the research."

Mello could have sworn he saw Light's eyes flash dangerously as he smoothly stood. He walked to the top of the staircase before pausing beside Near. "I don't care if you like me. We will continue to work together. I will not let L die this time."

"Funny words considering you're the one that killed him," Mello snapped back.

Yagami didn't bother to comment instead moving down the hall and out of sight.

Mello and Near both stayed where they were in silence, waiting until they were sure Yagami was gone before Near silently made his way down the steps. No wonder they hadn't heard him approaching. Near sank down and pressed the right side of his body against Mello's left. He curled into himself and moved his hand to his hair. Mello fleetingly wondered how they had gotten to the point where neither of them thought twice about sitting pressed together. The thought had barely made it into his mind when Near spoke. "Would Mello make the same decision?"

A hundred different past decisions ran through Mello's head at the words. Which was he talking about? Kidnapping Yagami's sister? Blowing up the warehouse? The whole thing with Takada? Using the Death Note on the SPK? Would he have made the same choices he did back then? No…but the plan that killed him and Matt stopped Near from being killed by Kira. Would he really trade their lives for Nears?

It surprised him how much the thought disgusted him. There had been a point in his past that he wouldn't have thought twice about taking that trade. But now…

"Mello?"

Mello snapped back to reality, shifting his attention to the person pressed against him. "Which decision are you talking about, Near?"

Near blinked as though he was surprised Mello had to ask. He probably was. To Near it was likely something obvious.

Mello had to swallow hard as he realized the thought didn't bother him. Hell, he almost felt…fond. He shook his head harshly, pushing that thought to the back of his mind. That was something he could contemplate later, when he was alone.

"Would Mello still refuse to work together as L?" Near questioned in his usual monotone, as if the question didn't redefine the entire relationship between the two of them.

Mello actually jerked away from Near at the question. That was what Near wanted to know? Out of everything? "…no." Mello answered.

Near nodded and his hand moved to wrap around a strand of Mello's hair. Mello just sat there, wondering what could possibly be going through the other boys head. He might be rated second but Near had always been somewhat of an enigma to him. Well, to everyone really.

Near stood suddenly, catching Mello by surprised as his pale hand tugged Mello's sleeve. Mello sighed and moved to his feet at the insistent pulling. "Mello needs to work on the case," Near explained.

Mello nodded once and allowed Near to lead him back to the hotel room. He didn't like Yagami, he didn't trust him, but he did trust L. And Matt, though he was pissed with him at the moment. But, surprisingly enough, he was beginning to trust Near more than the both of them. Maybe things were going to change more that he thought.