Sorry it took so long. They see me writin', they flamin', low ratings 'cause those NOOBS are pro-Near/Mello! Gotta hate that NearxMello, come on people it's MattxMello, what's the best pair- MattxMello, Matt's the seme and uke's Mello… :-) Again, sorry for my dorkiness. Actually, I haven't gotten yelled at by NearxMello fans yet. I'm surprised. I am not a fan of the Near, therefore, I am not a fan of the NearxMello. I have 'Guy Love' from Scrubs stuck in my head… OKAY! Randomness ends NOW. So, I'm a little mad at myself because I didn't like the ending of the last chapter but I needed that for something later. If you didn't guess already, guess what albino in pajamas is showing up in this chapter! Not going to lie, it's going to get sad, but it'll pick up next chapter! (maybe-!) Actually, I'm not sure for myself how this chapter will end. I'm coming to a choice. Nyahr, I don't know which to pick. I'll figure it out. You see, I type this part before I type the chapter and the thing at the end after, so I haven't actually written anything yet. I want to do one thing at the end but if I do that then the other thing I want to do doesn't work out but if I don't do the first one then the next chapter's going to be intensely weird and hard to do. Hmm. All right, if you're not too confused now, please read on! :-) I don't own Death Note, Matt, Mello, L, Vanessa Carlton, Turk, JD (though, who wouldn't want to), or Florida.


Matt skipped down the hall with his hands in his pockets (author's note: Try it some time. It's harder than it looks. Skipping with your hands in your pockets, I mean), stopping at a room with green walls and two twin beds pushed together.

"MELLO YELLOW!" he yelled through the doorway, smiling.

"For the last time, don't call me that," the blonde snapped.

"Oh, you know I love you," Matt said in reply as he walked into the room and flopped down across their beds. Mello, who had just left the shower and, therefore, was wearing only a towel, soon joined him.

"You're so sexy, Mello…" Matt purred as he pulled Mello's warm body closer to his own.

"Get off," Mello said as he lightly punched Matt's forehead. Matt knew he didn't really mind because in the next second, they were kissing. These kisses were different from the ones they'd had when they were 12 and 13, though. Back then, they were slow, unsure, and uncoordinated. They'd now 'officially' been boyfriends for two years, and they had had quite a lot of- ahem- practice.

Mello let a low moan slip out as Matt's tongue forced its way into his mouth. The almost-14-year-old was more aggressive and Mello had learned to sit back and let him take the reins. However, today was different. Today, Matt tried something new.

While their mouths were busy, Matt slipped his hand up Mello's leg and, before the older boy could react, he unrolled the edge of the towel and let it slip away. Mello pulled away from their kiss and jumped up. Matt immediately knew he'd gone too far.

Mello closed the door quietly before turning to face the redhead. "Matt. I like you."

Matt didn't like where this was going. It wasn't the words Mello said, but the tone he said them in, almost as if they excused the rest of what he was about to say. "I know."

"I'm not… ready… to… go that far," he said slowly, trying to choose his words wisely.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not you, exactly… It's just… too fast." Mello picked up his towel and wrapped it around his waist once more. Matt couldn't help but wish that he'd neglected it for just a little longer.

"I'm sorry," he repeated numbly. Mello put his hand on Matt's head.

"I know." He kissed his forehead and walked to the closet to get dressed.

Matt stared at Mello's back as he dressed. The blonde was strong, but not too muscular. He seemed to have all the right angles in all the right places.

He felt his stomach flutter.

"Matt?" Mello said, jolting him out of his fantasy.

"Yeah?" Matt replied, trying not to drool.

"Did you hear what Roger said about that new kid coming today?"

"Sort of. He said the usual thing about welcoming him into our home and being sure to reach out and junk." Matt rolled over onto his back.

"We should try and meet him."

"Maybe. Sure."

Matt stood up and hugged Mello from behind. The older boy stood still in his arms.

"Mello," Matt whispered, "I really am sorry."

Mello turned around just enough to give Matt a quick peck on the cheek before walking out the door. Matt followed close behind.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"So, where'd you come from, anyway?" Mello inquired.

The white-haired boy slowly answered, "An orphanage in America. I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember."

Matt stared at the wall. He'd zoned out almost immediately when the two started conversing. Mello had forced him to go down to the new boy's room and meet him. He listened long enough to introduce himself, learn that the boy's name was Near, and figure out that Mello wasn't going to let him leave that easily. Mello seemed to show a genuine interest in Near, and Matt felt a faint twinge of jealousy. He rubbed his toe against the carpet.

"It was nice meeting you," Mello said. Matt's ears perked up. Were they really leaving? He waved goodbye to Near and followed Mello out of the bedroom.

"He was pretty nice," Mello commented.

"Nicer than me?" Matt asked, shooting Mello his best innocent look. Mello smiled and patted his hair.

"He doesn't try to touch me like you do."

Matt immediately became defensive. "I said I was sorry!"

Mello brushed his hair off the front of his goggles. "Relax. I was just kidding." He kissed the younger boy who blushed and pretended to be amazed with the wallpaper.

They walked on down the hall until they came to their first class, Literature. It was one of Matt's least favorite classes. Why read a book when you can play video games? (NOTE: Kyoko Sakuma completely disagrees.)

Mello, on the other hand, loved it. Books were the holders of all the information in the world. Someday, he wanted to know all of that information. Mello also loved knowing that he could out-smart everyone else in that class. He was a pro at interpreting poems and other symbolic works. His favorite was 1984. (NOTE AGAIN: Kyoko Sakuma HATES this book, but it seems like a very Mello book, ne? However, Kyoko Sakuma does like Animal Farm.) He was happy to discover that Near was in the same Literature class as himself and Matt. The new boy seemed smart and it would be good to have someone who actually enjoyed being there as well.

"All right, people, take your seats," the teacher, Mr. Taki said. (Note- Heh.)

The preteen geniuses all filed into their desks and prepared to, in some cases, zone out, and in others, take notes.

"Last night, you were told to read the first five chapters of Animal Farm. Can anyone tell me who the farmer represents?"

Mello raised his hand high in the air, excited at the opportunity to answer a question.

"Near?" Mr. Taki called out.

"The Tsar."

"Correct."

Mello was dumbfounded. He had NEVER been skipped like that before. He was NEVER the one who didn't know the answer. He glanced over at Matt, who was playing a game under his desk and was oblivious to the way the blonde's mind was crumbling. How could this happen?! He felt like a ton of bricks had just been dropped on his heart. He was a loser. No, he was lower than a loser. He was a FAILURE.

The next day, they had a pop quiz on Animal Farm. Mello grinned upon receiving his graded quiz later that afternoon and seeing '99' written in red at the top. His happiness was short-lived, however, as he soon noticed a crowd forming around his white-haired friend. Near had achieved 100.

As the weeks went by, it was no different. The subject didn't matter- Anatomy, Calculus, World History, Government, Psychology- Near beat him at everything. Mello began to greatly resent the younger boy and made it a point to avoid him. However, avoiding Near was not as easy as it seemed.

One afternoon, while walking down the hall, Mello turned a corner just in time to bump right into his newfound enemy. Near politely apologized, but Mello ran back to his room before he could hear anything he said. Collapsing on his bed, Mello clenched his blanket and tears began to run down his face. He didn't notice his boyfriend leaning against the wall in the corner.

Matt was scared. He'd never seen Mello like this. The blonde was always strong and never cried. Matt flipped the switch on his gameboy to the 'off' position and walked over to the edge of the bed. He wasn't sure what to do, but he figured there was only one way to start. He lightly stroked Mello's back.

"What's wrong?"

Mello's head snapped up. He relaxed when he saw that it was just Matt.

"Nothing," he replied, hastily wiping away his tears.

"Mello, you're crying," the redhead pointed out.

"No, I'm not." Mello could be very stubborn when he wanted to.

"Yes, you are. What happened?"

Mello sighed. He knew that there was no way Matt would let him get away without telling him the truth.

"I was number one."

"What?"

"I was NUMBER ONE, Matt. I was always the best at everything here. Then HE had to show up and ruin it."

"Who?" Matt asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Near." Mello spat his name like a curse.

"Is that really what this is about?" Matt was surprised that the blonde had broken down over something that… simple. Well, the higher they are, the harder they fall, ne?

"Yes!" Mello sounded hurt. His eyes brimmed up with tears once more.

"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's okay." Matt sat down on the bed and pulled Mello close. He positioned the older boy so that he was almost in his lap. Wrapping his arms around the thin body, he whispered, "Mello, it's okay."

Mello cried quietly and Matt held him the whole time. When the tears stopped, the redhead kissed his boyfriend's forehead.

Mello slowly stood up and wiped his eyes. Matt stood up as well and hugged him close.

"You'll always be number one to me."

Just then, someone knocked on the door. They jumped apart as had been necessary to keep their relationship a secret from the nosy, yet, reserved, Roger. Moments later, the door opened to reveal the very man they feared.

"Mello, I should like to see you in my office in a few minutes," said Roger. Mello nodded and, his message being delivered, Roger closed the door.

"What did you do now?" Matt asked, his sad expression now exchanged for his grin.

"'Dunno," Mello replied. "Seems like they make new rules just to gain new reasons to punish me."

"More likely, you keep finding new ways to break the already standing rules." Mello punched his arm before giving him a peck on the cheek and heading down the hall, leaving Matt staring wistfully after him.

His smile fell the moment he entered Roger's office. Near was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the desk.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mello inquired, glaring at the white-haired boy.

"Well, there's someone I'd like the two of you to meet. L, could you come in here?"

The two boys turned to see a strange man enter the room.

"Hello," he said.

Mello sized him up. He looked about 20 years old, although, there was no real way to tell his age at all. He could have been as young as 15 or as old as 40. He had a shock of black hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed properly in years, sported dark rings under his eyes that indicated little-to-no sleep, and was wearing a simple white long-sleeved shirt and jeans. At the same time, there was something… intriguing… about him.

Roger interrupted Mello's thoughts. "L, these are our two smartest boys, Near and Mello."

"How do you do," Near said in the same flat tone he used with everyone and everything else.

"Hi," Mello said, breathless.

"Hello, again. My name is L. I used to live here, long before you two."

Mello listened with fascination as L recounted his story.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"MATT, MATT, MATT, MATT, MATT, MATT, MATT!"

The above-mentioned boy's head shot up at hearing his name called so desperately.

"OH, SHIT!" he yelled before running for his life from the hysterical blonde.

He eventually ran outside to their tree and climbed up into the branches.

"Matt, come down!" Mello called.

"Hell, no! You're going to kill me!" He clung stubbornly to the trunk.

"I have something great to tell you!"

"Unless Near's moving to a new orphanage, I think you're overreacting!"

"Hah! I wish! Seriously, this is great, though!"

"No!"

"All right." The blonde got a sort of manic grin on his face. "Then I'm coming up."

"What…? Ah, Mello, no-! AAAAH! MELLO! STOP! OKAY, STOP! STOP! SOMEONE'S GOING TO FALL! HELP ME, SOMEBODY, MELLO'S GOING TO KILL ME!" Matt scampered higher into the branches as the crazy-looking boy climbed up after him. It wasn't long before Mello caught up to him and grabbed his leg. Matt surrendered and the settled into a branch about halfway up.

"GUESS. WHAT. HAPPENED." Mello's face was pulled into an uncharacteristic grin.

"What." Matt said it more as a statement than a question.

"Roger introduced Near and me to this guy, L, and he's a famous detective who apparently used to live here, about 10 years ago, too!" (Note- Yeah, it's Near and me, not Near and I. Look it up.)

"Really, now." Matt's apparent disinterest annoyed Mello.

"Yes! He's working on the Kira case. You know, that one we've been following in Current Events? Or do you space out there, too?"

"No, no, I know. I try to keep my spacing out in the 'Literature, Government, Geometry' area."

"Anyway," the blonde continued, ignoring the redhead's sarcasm, "He's so cool! The way he walks and talks is just captivating! I think he's the smartest man who ever lived."

"Smarter than Einstein?" Matt joked.

"Yes. Smarter than Einstein."

As the boys conversed in their tree, they were unaware that, from within the house, the very man they spoke of watched them.

"So…" Roger began, "Which one do you think would be better?"

L didn't avert his gaze from the window as he said, "Near seems smarter, but, Mello seems to have more dedication. Especially with that red-haired boy out there…"

Roger looked out at the boys. "Matt? Oh, he's just number three."

L turned to face the old man. "Yes, but two heads are better than one and they seem to be quite the team."

Truth be told, Roger could list many occasions when the two boys had outsmarted him. Rather than admit this to L, he shook his head and said, "I suppose…"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A few weeks later, Matt sat alone in his bedroom, playing a game. Mello was in trouble again and had been sentenced to two hours spent staring at the wall in Roger's office.

He defeated the last boss in his game and stood up. He stretched and placed his gameboy on the desk. Just as he reached for the doorknob, someone knocked softly from the outside. He opened the door and found himself, shockingly, staring at Near.

"Can I… help you…?" he asked.

"Can I come in?" the boy inquired, a strange look in his eyes that Matt had never seen before.

He stepped to the side and gestured toward the beds. Near, almost nervously, sat on Mello's bed. Hah… Mello would have a fit…

Matt flopped down on his bed and said, "What's up?"

Near took a breath before whispering something Matt couldn't hear.

"What?"

Near stared directly into his eyes. "Why does Mello hate me now?"

Matt was taken aback. There was something so fragile about the look in Near's eyes. It reminded him that, while they were all geniuses, they were still just kids, and Near was a year younger than him, as well.

"Well… I think it's because he's jealous that you're smarter than him. I mean, he was the smartest guy here before you came." The look on the younger boy's face told Matt that he had phrased that incorrectly. "Wha- what I meant to say was…" He sighed. "Mello doesn't like knowing that there's someone better than him at something. He's competitive. It's not you, Near, it's just… that's just the way Mello is, I guess. Maybe that's why we get along. He knows I'm not as smart as him, and I'm okay with that." He smiled warmly.

Near pondered this for a moment. Then he asked a new question that took Matt by surprise.

"Matt… what's it like to be in love?"

Matt felt color rush to his cheeks. "I don't know what you mean," he replied, flustered.

Near smiled softly. He stood up and walked to the door. He looked back for a moment and said simply, "I wish you both luck." With that, he was gone.

Matt thought about Near's question. 'What's it like to be in love?' What was that supposed to mean? It was a given that Near would figure out that he and Mello were boyfriends, seeing as he was so smart, but… why did he say that? Matt liked Mello a lot, sure, but he didn't know if he would say he was in love.

Two hours passed quickly as Matt lay down on his bed and staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.

He liked Mello more than anyone he'd ever met.

He couldn't see himself with anyone else, not even when they were grown up.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Mello.

He didn't care at all that Mello was a boy.

He'd rather be in the worst place with Mello than in the best place alone.

He valued Mello's life more than his own.

He'd die for Mello.

Maybe he did love Mello. The more he considered it, the more he realized it was true. Matt loved Mello. He loved Mello more than life itself. Glancing at the clock, he realized that Mello should be on his way back to their bedroom right about then. Excited, he jumped up. His heart raced as he tried to find the words to express his love to Mello. He wanted to tell him right away. Matt felt his stomach flutter and grinned wildly as he reveled in the thought. He was in love with Mello, and he was going to tell him as soon as possible.

Just then, the door opened and the blonde walked in.

"Mello!" Matt shouted. "You have no idea how happy I am! There's something I have to…" His words trailed off as he realized that Mello's eyes were red. The boy had been crying. A lot.

"What's wrong?"

Mello looked into Matt's eyes, and Matt swore to himself that he'd make sure that nothing would ever make Mello that sad ever again. His eyes were full of despair. It broke his heart to see Mello like that. He choked as he spoke, beginning to cry again.

"Matt… L's dead."

Matt was speechless. He never expected his boyfriend's newfound hero to just… die…

"Kira…?" he inquired.

"Yeah," Mello answered.

Matt pulled Mello into a hug. "Mello… I'm sorry…" He kissed Mello on his cheeks and forehead and everywhere else that could be kissed. "I'm so sorry…"

That night, Matt could hear Mello crying in the darkness. He silently rolled out of his own bed and into Mello's. He lay behind Mello and held him until they fell asleep.

The next morning wasn't much better. Mello went on as normal, but it was as if he were an empty shell. He tried to hide his emotion from everyone, but Matt could still see that sadness in his eyes. His hero, his idol, his L- was dead.

A week passed and Matt and Mello lay in their beds, unable to fall asleep.

"Matt, I'm leaving."

The blonde stated it so simply that the redhead wasn't sure he'd heard right at first.

"What?"

"I'm leaving. I'm going to go after Kira."

Fear struck Matt like an icy sword through his heart. Kira? The mysterious serial killer? But… Mello… Mello would be…

"Mello, you can't. What if you die?"

"What if I do?"

"Mello, it would break my heart. Please don't go."

"I'm leaving and there's nothing you can say to stop me."

Matt glared at the older boy. "Fine. Then I'm going with you."

"No."

"YES. Why not?! If you die, I want to be right there, dying with you! Mello, I don't want to lose you! Please… don't leave me!"

Mello heard Matt's voice crack and knew he was on the verge of tears. He sighed.

"Fine. Be ready at 2:00 am."

Matt glanced at the clock. Midnight. "All right."

They kissed and prepared to leave.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Matt and Mello successfully snuck onto a plane headed for America by hiding in two suitcases. They didn't know what would happen when they arrived, only that America was more involved with the Kira case than England and, therefore, they'd have a better shot finding information there.

Once the plane landed, they slipped out of the bags and ran away unnoticed while the man unloading the suitcases went to get another two.

"Okay," Matt said as he gazed at the tall buildings all around them, "What now?"

"Um…" For the first time in his life, Mello had no idea what to do. "Let's see. Where are we?"

Matt pointed to a sign that said 'WELCOME TO LOS ANGELES!' in peeling paint with a dull expression on his face.

"Right. We can't go to the government for help because I'm not sure what the laws here are but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to become an immigrant with no passport by stowing away on a plane. That leaves two options: find somewhere to stay with no money on our own, or enlist some help."

The answer obvious to the two boys, they set off in search of some lowlifes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"What do you want?" a gruff male voice yelled.

"We want in!" Mello shouted back.

They heard laughs from within the factory.

"Are you serious?" The door opened to reveal a tall, bald man with a dark moustache and beard.

Mello matched his glare. Matt hung back a few feet from Mello, scared that this huge man could kill them any second.

"Mello… let's just go…"

"No, Matt. We came this far."

The tall man laughed. "Stubborn, huh? Well, I have no use for kids. Sorry." He started to slam the door, but Mello stuck his foot in the way.

"I said, 'we want in'."

The man paused to give the blonde a cold glare, which he once again matched easily. He sighed.

"All right, are you any good with a gun?"

Mello shrugged. "I could try."

The factory roared with laughter.

"Kid," the man said, "Are you telling me you've never shot a gun?"

"Yes," Mello replied, annoyed at the laughs.

"And yet, you expect to be let in."

"Yes, I do. My friend here can hack any computer you want, and I can fight better than half these guys here without a gun. Think about those skills. You can't tell me they wouldn't help."

The man seemed to think about this. "You've got spunk, kid. What's your name?"

"Mello, and this is Matt." Matt gave a feeble wave.

"Okay, Mello and Matt. Welcome to the mafia."

He stepped to the side and the two boys passed inside.

"My name is Rod. Remember- YOU'RE HERE ON A TRIAL BASIS. Any slip-ups, and you won't live to get another chance. Got that?"

"Yes," Mello answered for them.

"Good. You can sleep in there." Rod pointed to a room about 20 feet away. "It was Lenny's, but, well… he didn't do too well in that last fight. Bullet through the head." Rod shook his head from side to side. "Real shame."

Once they were inside the room, Matt instantly turned on Mello.

"Are you fucking crazy, Mello?!"

"Why?! Because I got us a place to stay and some influence?!"

"Well… you did, but… the mafia?!"

"What about it?!"

"THE MAFIA?! MELLO, THINK ABOUT IT! These guys are criminals! We're not! We've never done anything worse than sneaking out of Whammy's to go get icecream!"

Mello kissed Matt's lips to silence him.

"Matt. We're illegal immigrants. We stowed away on a plane. We're going to try and catch the world's worst criminal of all. We might die. There's not much more we can do."

Matt thought about this.

"I guess you're right, but… it just seems so risky."

Mello put his arms around Matt's neck.

"Matt, do you trust me?"

Matt put his arms around Mello's waist.

"Always."

"Good."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"All right, people, let's move out!" Rod called. Their branch of the mafia was raiding a local gang's hideout in 20 minutes.

To say Matt was nervous would be the understatement of the century. He was almost insane with worry. He didn't particularly want to commit a crime…

Mello, on the other hand, seemed the exact opposite. He was completely calm. He reasoned that if they were going to prove their loyalty, now would be the time to do it.

"Let's go!" Rod repeated, and the men all followed him down the street.

They arrived outside a warehouse a few minutes later. Rod paused to turn to the group.

"Listen up. This shouldn't be that hard if we all fight our hardest. Let's do this cleanly, quickly, and efficiently. Come on, boys! Tonight, we win!"

The men rushed into the building and the fight began. Matt tried to stay out of the way as much as possible, while Mello landed more than a few good punches and kicks. Matt was never much of a fighter.

The rival gang's members slowly dwindled. It was clear which group would win. When it appeared that there were no living members left, Rod yelled, "Okay! We don't know who's missing from this group and some others could come back at any time! I don't want them catching us by surprise!"

As Rod continued, Matt felt a sense of relief wash over his body. They'd made it. Not one person on their side had died. He almost giggled, he was so excited.

Unfortunately, not everyone on that floor was dead. Suddenly, a man with greasy blonde hair jumped up, grabbed Matt, and held a gun to his head.

"MOVE AND THE KID DIES!" he screamed.

Nobody moved.

"Matt!" Mello yelled.

"Mello…" Matt whispered, terrified.

The man walked backwards toward the door, pulling Matt with him.

"Shoot him!" Mello told Rod.

"I can't- I might hit your friend."

Mello and Matt exchanged scared glances.

"Sorry," Matt mouthed.

There it was again- that heartbroken look in Mello's eyes. And this time, Matt had caused it. The man got outside and down the street before he finally let go of Matt. Matt tried to run.

"Oh, no you don't." He hit him in the back of the head and Matt felt himself slowly falling.

It was then that he realized he never told Mello he loved him.

Everything went black.


And he said take my hand,

Live while you can

Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand

In the palm of your hand.

Please come with me,

See what I see.

Touch the stars for time will not flee.

Time will not flee.

Can you see?


I'm sorry! I know that was really depressing! Can you tell I know nothing about gangs? Or airports? Well, at least I know the rest of the plot now. I was listening to a combination of 'Sonata' by Bombay Orchestra Dub and 'Frozen Flower' and 'Ice and Snow' from DN Angel while typing most of this. I also had one of those chocolate popcicles (a fudgecicle, if you will) and it gave me an idea for a future scene. Yeah, that's a teaser. Interpret it how you will –wink-. By the way, broke up with Rano. Basically, realized I like girls. Say what you will, but I have a girlfriend now. She's actually his sister. (He's a year older than me, she's a year younger.) Again, say what you will, because it's not like I haven't heard it already AND totally ignored it. :) Ny-chan likes Girl-chan better than Rano. Rano's being an ass. Aaaaanywho, sorry about the delay on this chapter- it was reeeeeeally long. Let's see… 4,000-something words. That's a hell of a lot, man! Review, pretty please! I'm going away for three weeks a week from now but I promise that I'll type chapter 4 when I get back! Expect it in a little over a month! 2 chapters left! :) Ny-chan bites your hand softly but licks it better before cuddling up to you. It's 9:38 Eastern Time, July 5th, 2008. See ya, dudes.