LA is for Lovers

Warning: Yaoi! Boy on boy lurve – but nothing explicit other than Matt's occasional vivid fantasy/daydream. Foul language and lame innuendoes abound.

Disclaimer: Matt, Mello, and the Death Note universe all belong to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

Author's note: Matt's point of view in the fic "Red is for Valentines," by The Pyrat, (aka my Mello) who gave me permission to write this. Happy birthday love.

Some things just go together, you know? Like smoke to a cigarette, or red for valentines. Or I guess in this case, me and Mello.

Not that we're all clingy and inseparable or anything; it's just that he's always been there - we've been friends for pretty much our entire lives. It's kinda past the point of normalcy really, how freakishly comfortable and knowledgeable we are of each other. But I guess that's just what happens when you've had the same best friend for…. Wow, fifteen years, is it? Damn.

So yes, since the days when we were but (adorable) little troublemakers driving Roger to an early grave, it's been us against the world. Partners in crime, speeding through life in a fiery blaze of badassery and bullet shells… Well, except for that one time when Mello decided to run off and join the mafia. But that's really beside the point.

The point being, it's always just been the two of us. Me and Mel. BFFLs and all that. Just a couple of bachelors, living it up without a care.

And like the story of any great friendship, a girl enters the picture and it all goes to hell. Yoko Ono factor or some shit.

But first, I should probably backtrack to how I got into this whole mess…

Her name is Alex. She works down at the gas station convenience store with me, and we have our Monday and Thursday shifts together. Now, it's not like I really meet a lot of people. My idea of a Saturday night well spent involves delivery and Grand Theft Auto IV, and I've never felt the need to go out and make any more friends. I have Mello after all, and believe me, he's more than enough friend to handle.

But Alex… Smart as a whip, ass like a porn star, and a force to be reckoned with at Super Smash Bros. Brawl – it's no wonder we hit it off. We'd talk. We'd smile. She was just easy to be around; quick enough to engage me in intelligent conversation, but laid back enough that it would always stay pleasant and relaxed. After a month working together, I'd say we were actually pretty good friends.

I don't think I've ever really had a friend besides Mello. And as stupid as this sounds…. I felt kinda guilty about it. Which is ridiculous – a guy's allowed to have more than one friend. It's not like Mello owns me or anything… All the same, I didn't mention her at home.

And then that one hot summer night in mid-June… And I don't mean that in the sexy way. Well, not yet at least. I'll get to that in a sec.

It was hot in the achingly literal sense – our air condition was acting up and without that sweet, sweet electricity-powered breeze, our apartment had settled into a box of thick, stuffy air. I swear, the walls were sweating. I picked my lighter up from the coffee table, but paused just before flicking it on. Really, the prospect of having anything burning in this already unbearable room was discouraging enough, and I could only imagine what Mello would do to me for daring to raise the temperature even the slightest bit.

My pack of cigs jiggled with empty space – just three left. I could go pick some up at the gas station while I was out anyway, and maybe there'd be a breeze outside. Or something. Plus, Alex was on shift tonight, and bitter-about-his-receding-hairline Frank was on tomorrow morning, which was enough reason to go stock up now.

"I'm gonna run out and get some cigarettes, 'k Mel?" I said, grabbing the keys off the counter and starting towards the door.

"Matt, you already get a discount, I don't think that's entirely necessary" Mello murmured, smirking slightly as he eyed me up. Did I mention he was lying there on the couch in naught but his birthday suit? It took me a second to process the image of Mello sprawled naked on the cough giving me that look, before I thought to follow his gaze.

Oh, right.

….Pants.

"Here." I blame the heat for making me sluggish – or perhaps Mello for being a little bitch – but either way I found myself with a faceful of jeans, the buckle of my belt having wacked me in the ear when Mello tossed them at my head. "Really, you're useless without me," he smirked.

"No, I'd be bruiseless without you. That smarts you asshole," I muttered, tugging on my jeans and heading towards the door for a second time, Mello's quiet chuckles acting as my exit music.

Aw, a cool breeze…. Or maybe that was just an illusion caused by me walking past the still air. Whatever, it was just one block to the station, where there would be glorious, heavenly air condition… and talking to Alex would be a great excuse to loiter where it was nice and cool.

"Hey Matt," Alex gave a little half-smile in my direction as I walked in, getting up from where she was restocking those little pine tree air-fresheners old people hung on their rear-view mirrors.

"Hey Alex," I replied, taking note of the fact that she seemed oddly…. wilted. Not just from the heat, but like she was…. Sad or something. "You ok? Ya look a little…. tired." Hm. Perhaps this wasn't the best time to chat.

"Is it really that obvious?" She laughed a bit. "It's just been kind of a bad day…." She waved her hand dismissively.

Oh please. I've had Mello tell me 'it's nothing' then blow up at me for being an 'uncaring bastard' often enough to know that's girl-code for "put down the fucking video game and listen to me rant." Not that Mello's a girl or anything, but… yeah.

"What happened?" I asked, finding a comfortable spot leaning against the counter to indicate I was all ears for however long the story would take.

By the time Alex's shift was over, we'd gone through all the sordid details. Though she and her boyfriend had decided to take a break and see other people just last week, he'd apparently been a little pre-emptive with the execution, as it was brought to her attention today that he'd been screwing around with her best friend for over a month… So while the break-up was already over and done with, there was still the blow of betrayal and the fact that Alex was now short a best friend to buy her a nice big box of chocolates or whatever.

Girls like chocolate when they're depressed, right? I mean, Mello practically inhales the stuff when he's pissed off. Again, not that he's a girl or anything. Nor do I think about him in the same way as I would a girl. He just has a few… flamingly girlish tendencies. And I'm almost certain he gets his pants from the women's section. Not that I pay any particularly special attention to his pants. They're just really hard not to notice, and the fit doesn't leave much to the imagination you know. Of course, I don't really need to use my imagination anyway, I'd seen Mel butt naked loads of times since we were kids, and with the heat lately he's taken to wearing nothing at all around the apart-

"You know, you're a really great listener," Alex finished up her monologue, and jerking me back to reality from my own inner ramble.

"Anytime," I shrugged, remedying my guilt at not being completely attentive by holding open the door for her as we exited the store.

"Now all I need is a tall, icy pina colada, and I will be officially over it," Alex stated, unfastening her 'Hello, my name is' pin and tossing it into her purse. "There's that nice little bar right by my apartment I think I'll stop by," she mused to herself, then brushed her long dark hair out of her eyes to look at me. "You want to join me?"

Did I have a choice? Letting a girl that pretty and emotionally fragile get drunk alone was just asking for trouble, and as her friend I'm responsible for her safety, right? Make sure she doesn't make any bad choices, jump into anything she might regret later?

"Yeah, sure, a drink sounds good."

…

So, assuming my job was to prevent Alex from hastily jumping into drunken rebound sex, I think we can conclude the mission status as 'epic fail.'

Like I said, it's not like I meet a lot of girls. And a guy has needs. Throbbing, aching needs. But I'm not really a one night stand type of guy – the idea leaves me with this terrible, empty feeling inside. This might sound kinda mushy and gay, but isn't that kind of thing supposed to be an expression of love, done with someone you really care about? And I really did care about Alex. She wasn't just some random hot chick; we were good friends and I felt really at ease with her, just hanging, or talking.

Or, you know, doing other things.

"Mmm, Matt," she giggled, playfully fighting me off as she struggled to extricate herself from the tangle of naked limbs and sex-rumpled sheets. "Hey, leggo, I have to take a shower before class." She finally managed to grab my wrists and I held still so she could lean over and give me a quick good morning kiss. When she pulled away it was only a few inches, just enough to see the wicked smile on her face. "Though, you're welcome to join me. If you're feeling a little dirty, you know."

…

Two hours and one eventful shower later, I was at the mini-mart, since I had never really gotten around to getting those cigarettes last night. And it'd be just plain weird if what was supposed to be a quick errand had taken all night, and I didn't even have the cigs to show for it. Mello would certainly wonder where the hell-

Fuck. Mello. I fished my cell phone out of my pocket snapping it open to check my missed calls. We don't exactly live in the ritzy part of L.A., and I'd guess that if you had mafia ties and your roommate walked out into the night for a pack of cigarettes and never came back, you'd be slightly concerned, right? Or at least try to find out where the hell he is.

…Unless you're Mello, apparently. Hm, no missed calls. Heart of stone, that bastard. I sighed and held down the first button on my speed dial. Might as well check if Mello wanted anything while I was out. It'd be a pain in the ass if the first thing I heard when I got home was Mello yelling at me to go out and pick up chocolate or something. Though I pre-empted that and got some chocolate ice cream – it was too hot to be eating bars of the thing anyway.

"Where are you?" Mello's voice demanded irritably after the second ring, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Nice greeting," I rolled my eyes. Well, at least he noticed I was gone. "I guess I should be flattered. What do you know, Mels cares about me."

"Yeah right." I could hear his eyes roll. "Anyway, you got an answer? I'm dying here."

I paused for a split second, suddenly unsure how to reply. 'I was having sex with this girl I'm kinda seeing that I never told you about?' Because really, it was at the point now where it was a bit weird that I hadn't mentioned her to Mello. It'd be inviting the question 'Why the hell didn't you tell me about her?' which I also didn't have an answer to. So I avoided it entirely.

"Heat sucks, huh? Listen, I'm on my way home, do you want anything from the mini-mart?" Yes. Very smooth.

"Ice. And a Gatorade, I'm about to dry up." Question successfully avoided! I could delay the moment of confrontation that much longer.

Which wasn't really that long, since I was already at the check-out counter, and it was a short walk home. Figures there'd be no line the one time you want there to be one. And there'd be no side-stops with that already dripping bag of ice threatening the strength of the paper bag. So before I knew it, I was back at the apartment and still no flash of inspiration.

As expected he gave me the third degree when I walked in, which was made no less intimidating by the fact that he still hadn't put on any clothes since last night. Asking outright, beating around the bush by asking if I got my cigarettes, throwing out all pretense and calling me out as a terrible liar… Luckily I was able to distract him with a little naked wrestling.

Remember what I said about being freakishly comfortable with each other? Yeah.

It was just a playful scuffle, and I let it end with Mello on top, crouching over me on all fours, naked and sweaty and breathing hard. Really, it was like I had just ravished him or something. Though, having him like that over me didn't seem uncomfortable in the least… It felt completely natural. Though I suppose the Mello being naked bit should have been a bit weird…

"You know, common decency requires you to wear some clothing," I said, grinning up at him.

"Yeah, well common California weather requires me not to," he replied instantly. "Unless you want me to melt."

"You already melted your face," I laughed, poking at his scar. I wasn't serious about wanting him to put on clothes anyway – it didn't bother me either way. Though the fact that I had been in this exact same position hours ago, with someone else, kinda did. I was feeling oddly… guilty. Like I was somehow betraying him or something. Which is absolutely ridiculous. Would Mello even care? I've only ever lavished attention on him, he's the only person I've ever really cared about… Surely he'd get upset if I did those kinds of things for someone else? Or maybe not, maybe he wasn't particularly sentimental about this kind of stuff…

By now we had stopped with the banter and I was flipping through the channels, stopping on some Spanish soap opera where a couple was making out like they were starring in a softcore porn. Was that supposed to be sexy? I haven't exactly kissed all that many people – should I be taking notes or something?

"Look at that," I gestured towards the TV screen with the remote. "Holy crap, he's eating her face."

"You're nuts," Mello chuckled. "And you still haven't told me where you were." Wow, so much for distraction. Persistent little bugger, huh?

"It's none of your business," I resorted to simply claming up. And it really wasn't his business, right? We were just friends – best friends, sure, but nothing that would give him some kind of claim to know every sordid detail of my stunted love life.

"I can make you talk," he insisted, shoving his foot up against my face. "I can tie you up and make you."

…Kinky.

What?! Don't look at me like that. The guy dresses like a freaking dominatrix half the time, it's a logical association to make. It's not that much of a stretch of the imagination to rotate our positions slightly so that he'd be standing over me while I'm tied up on the floor, crushing my face against the hardwood with the rough undersides of his boot.

…okay, maybe that was entirely too vivid for just an example. It doesn't matter anyway, there's no way he'd get me in such a position unless I let him – Mel's like half my size.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try Mello. I could kick your ass any day," I gave him a teasingly superior smile, and he 'hmphed' and moved his foot back down, but didn't argue with me.

Pity, really, that might have been fun.

Ugh, I meant like, in the playful naked scuffle type way like we just did, not anything else. Mind out of the gutter now. Maybe I'm just relating everything to sex because I've suddenly got someone to do it with now…

Fuck, I still haven't told Mello about Alex. But… he's not my keeper or anything. I really shouldn't feel the need to ask permission to go on a fucking date – I'm twenty-one years old, dammit! Who the hell asks for permission from their friends anyway? Isn't it more normal to just keep that stuff kinda separate? Sure, me and Mello have done…. Pretty much everything together, since forever… but that doesn't mean I can't still do things on my own right? It's not like we're freaking married or anything. And Mel went off and did the whole mafia thing on his own, so…

"Hey, Mels…we're friends right?" I broke the silence that had elapsed in an awkward attempt to subtly gauge his feelings on the situation.

He gave me an odd look. "Of course we are." Okay, fine, stupid question. Now how to get a little more specific…

"You know…we're cool? You and me?" If the blank look he was giving me was any indication, I hadn't exactly made myself a whole lot clearer.

"Yeeaah…are you going somewhere with this?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I was just thinking…we share an apartment and stuff…" I looked him in the eye to drive home my point. "But we have our own lives."

"Yes."

"We do our own things. But we're friends. We're free to do as we want. Have other friends too and…and you know just…live our own lives." There, I think that got what I was trying to say across, right? Maybe not so eloquently as Mello would have done, not that he'd ever ask permission to do anything, anyway. Crap, that's pretty much what I just did, isn't it? Ask permission to have a girlfriend. Aw well, at least it was subtle enough that it could have been any number of things…

"Whatever Matt," Mello completely disregarded my heartfelt and painful admission, standing up. "Did you get drunk last night or something?"

I blinked at the sudden change in subject. "No. Well maybe a little, but-"

"Ah, okay," He smirked at me. "So you went out to get cigarettes, somehow ended up getting drunk and…let me guess…was it a one-night stand?"

What the-?! How did he figure that one out? Gah, bastard sees right through me. "Well…sort of…"

"And you thought I'd care?" He laughed. "Why the hell would I care? Do what you want man. I don't know what you were making a big deal about it for. Unless you're shy because it was your first time or something."

"It wasn't," I answered, trying not to feel foolish for being so naïve as to think Mello would give a damn about my love life. "And I didn't think you'd care. Really, why would I think you would care? I didn't think that. You were just being nosy. I have my own business." And it's not like I cared that he didn't care.

Mello grabbed his bag of ice and Gatorade and started on his way to the bedroom.

"Look, it could have been as easy as saying, 'I was out late because I fucked a whore'. That's not so hard."

"Don't say that," I snapped. Fine, maybe me finding a girl didn't matter to him, but that doesn't mean it didn't matter to me. There can be more to sex than just lust, no matter what Mello thinks. I've heard him whine like the most cynical emo blonde kid ever that love is just a fabricated justification for giving into sexual urges, but that's bullshit. And no pulling the poor unloved orphan card either – I took a fucking bullet for him. Three, in fact, driving away from Takada's crazy bodyguards. Just cause he clearly doesn't give a fuck doesn't mean no one's ever cared about him.

…

And then things started to get a little weird. I thought I was being paranoid at first – maybe I really did leave my cell phone on the bed instead of on the nightstand next to it, and maybe that annoying feeling that I was being watched/overheard was just in my imagination. I've never kept secrets from Mello before, and I'm used to him knowing everything about me, so of course I'd feel a little weird about it. And I trust the guy enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Sometimes trusting Mello is stupid.

I had gone down to the convenience store to pick up some cigarettes and visit Alex at work. Nothing unusual about that, we were just talking and laughing and having a grand ole time.

"Sooo, you get off work in ten minutes, right?" I gave her a devious little smile.

"And I'm sure your showing up just now is a complete coincidence," Alex rolled her eyes, but was smiling anyway. "Sorry to break your heart Matty, but I'm already booked. There's a wild LAN party going down at a friend's house that I simply can't miss."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that group project you had to work on today," I said feeling a bit sheepish. Maybe I was just distracted cause I had the weirdest feeling I was being watched. "Just as long as your remember I'm the only guy that can access your server," I said lamely with a big cheesy grin.

"Gah, you're such a geek!" Alex laughed, giving me a playful shove.

"Psh, I'm not the one going to LAN parties," I teased, leaning in just enough to fluster her a bit, since she was at work at all. Seriously, I must have found the sexist computer science major in the entire state of California. "Though you should let me know if you're up for an afterparty…" Why did I still feel like something was slightly off? Though Alex's tank top was proving a far more interesting area of inspection than my surrounding area.

"I'll think about it," Alex grinned back at me. The smile left her eyes though, as she leaned forward a bit to tell me something. "And… don't turn around, but there's a guy standing outside that's been glaring at us through the window for the last three minutes, and it's kind of freaking me out."

"Wha-?" That nagging feeling that had been bothering me since I left the apartment finally registered, and I immediately turned around, while Alex shook her head witheringly at my completely lack of discretion. Not that it mattered, it could really only be one person, but I was under the impression he didn't care.

"Holy fucking shit!"

Sure enough, there was Mello, glaring at me through the window like death itself, his presence somehow like rolling thunderclouds of Armageddon piercing the otherwise cheery California sunshine. An illusion that was quickly shattered when he ducked behind the display of packaged snack foods, probably looking absolutely ridiculous scurrying away down the sidewalk in that crouched position. Did I mention Mello absolutely sucked at stealth? He's more the direct confrontation type, so I knew he'd be waiting for me outside.

"Sorry babe, I gotta go talk to someone," I said leaning in to give Alex a quick peck. "Call me later, k?"

"Sure, when my code's compiling," Alex smiled, waving me out the door. Seriously, this was kind of fucked up. No sooner had I stepped out the door, when Mello almost ran into me, as if he had just happened to be walking past. Right.

"What the hell?" I demanded. "Mello-"

"What are you doing here?" Mello interrupted me, catching me off guard with the completely illogicalness of his question. I took a moment to stare at him in utter confusion.

"I always get my cigarettes here. I work here, so I get a discount. You know, I'm pretty sure I've explained this before." Hold on a sec, why the hell am I explaining myself? "I think the better question is what are you doing here?"

"Me? Well… I'm…"

Ok, now he was just stalling. That was odd, Mello always had an answer.

"I'm going to mass of course."

If Mello was looking to distract by confusion, he was certainly succeeding. Going to church? Sure, he had the Jesus necklaces and all, but it'd be slightly more believable if he told me he had got back into the mafia and was staking out the place to kill my boss for owing someone money.

"Mello," I tried to inject a modicum of sanity into this conversation, "You don't even own a Bible."

"They have Bibles in church," he said without missing a beat. "But you haven't answered my question. What are you-"

"I bought cigs!" I held out my cancer sticks, shaking them in Mello's face for good measure. Seriously, what was with the interrogation?! And Mello acting so strangely? He was never so flustered that he'd be this bad a liar. "Mello, you…" I pulled out a cigarette to calm me down and try to make a little sense of the situation. "You are beyond comprehension. You're bizarre. Are you getting sick are something?"

"Oh I'm bizarre. I'm the weird one," Mello muttered angrily, peering in through the window with a determined look on his face. "What's your deal? All this sneaking around?"

Cigarettes give me magic thinking powers, or something. Or at least clear my mind so that I can see everything fall neatly into place. Of course. It was rather obvious, wasn't it?"

"Are you spying on me?" I asked.

"You know, it's just plain rude to so obviously be keeping secrets," he exclaimed, obviously irritated, giving up on hiding it at this point. "But whatever. It's not like I care."

I barely fought back a smile while rolling my eyes. "Yeah, you clearly don't give a damn."

So he did care after all. And that thought was making me inordinately pleased.

"Exactly. Now-" he glanced at his watch without really looking at it. "Damn Matt, look at that. I'm late! Geez, you are so inconsiderate. Keeping me here, babbling away, wasting my time. You just can't shut your mouth can you? Some of us have responsibilities to a higher power, and I have to go."

I couldn't help it; I cracked a little smirk. It was just so ridiculously cute, big bad mafia Mello flustered and babbling like a schoolgirl, and keeping up that ridiculous lie out of sheer stubbornness. "Higher power, right." I teased him, blowing a little smoke in his direction just to be annoying. "Have fun," I grinned, taking off down the street with a little spring in my step.

So Mello did care after all. Cared very much in fact – enough to practically stalk me. The thought filled me with a weird sense of happiness. Surely he had figured out I was seeing someone by now, so it really wasn't much of a secret anymore, though apparently not knowing who it was, was driving him crazy. It was amusing really, and I wondered how long he'd keep up this charade before admitting he was interested in my life and asking me.

Probably never, Mello had the stubborn pride of his, and he never liked showing the 'weaker' emotions. It didn't matter, I'd get him to admit he cared eventually.

My cell vibrated with the arrival of a new text message, and I flipped it open and grinned at the note. "Dnt get shanked by stalkerz, I want 2 c u 2nite. Ilu. 3 –A"

I need to stop obsessing over the whole getting Mel to admit anything thing. Really, why should I care about that? I've got Alex to text tell me that sort of thing all the time. And I like her too. Really.