A/N: I'm so sorry that I'm updating late guys =_= I'm super sick all of a sudden and I have no idea what to do... I feel like I've been hit by a train! So I can't really tell if this chapter is any good and would really appreciate feedback more than usual. If it seems off, let me know. Oh, and send me get well wishes, I'm supposed to be doing a zombie walk on saturday and would really hate to miss it. Thank yall! *coughs pathetically*

Matt was asleep when his alarm went off, signally that someone, or something was in the building. He had a motion sensitive camera trained on the only entrance to the building and connected wirelessly to his laptop. Any movement through the front doors would trigger an annoying beeping sound, guaranteed to wake him up. Unfortunately, he couldn't rewind the live feed and see who had entered. Praying it wasn't an infected, he opened his door and waited with his gun drawn and ready. His position at the end of the hall gave him plenty of time to distinguish friend from foe, especially with his generator powering the hall lights. Sure enough, he could hear bare feet padding quickly up the stairs. No shoes was never a good sign but he reminded himself not to get trigger happy.

Soon enough a figure rounded the corner and paused. He could immediately tell it was an infected and he took aim as it started walking toward him, picking up speed. Matt stopped as he took in the hair and face of the thing walking toward him. For one impossible moment he willed it to not be true but there was no denying it. Somehow, the infected coming toward him was Mello, blond hair hanging frayed and unkempt and rosary hidden but still Mello.

Matt's breathing stopped as he watched his best friend begin to sprint toward him. His mind supplied memories that only confirmed what his mind still didn't want to believe. They were thirteen and Mello had just left the orphanage, leaving a broken Matt behind without hint of where he had gone. They were seventeen and Mello had walked back into his life, asking for help on the Kira case. One year later and Mello disappeared again only to resurface now as Matt's darkest fear confirmed.

He slowly lowered his gun as the blond continued toward him and his heart sunk. Once beautiful blue eyes were filled with blood as they locked gazes. His beautiful face had a large scar covering half of it and his skin was mottled with greens and yellows. The redhead's heart was pounding out of control as he realized that there was no way he could shoot. The gun dropped from his hands onto the floor and he let his arms rest at his sides.

How Ironic that Mello would be the on to kill him. He had spent so much effort trying to stay alive and the only person that he had done it for would end his life. The blond sped up as he drew closer, and Matt accepted that this would be the end. He opened his arms a bit, surrendering and intending to at least hug Mello in his last moments. If some part of Mello were still human, he wanted him to know that he was forgiven, even knowing that his throat would be ripped open by the one he loved. He hadn't realized he was crying until the tears were dripping off his face and onto the floor.

When the blond finally made it to him, Matt engulfed him in a tight hug. Finally Mello was safe in his arms after far too long and he let the tears come. Instead of death though he was pushed off his feet and onto the floor inside as Mello whined and nuzzled him everywhere. Matt just sat up in shock as Mello continued to burry his scarred face into his hair. The redhead could only hold the infected as he continued to make odd noises and nestle his face on any part of Matt that he could.

It was then that he saw someone else coming down the hall, this time human. He quickly pulled Mello into his lap defensively and watched as the obviously pregnant woman put up her hands in a sign of peace. She picked up his gun and brought it inside with her, shutting the door behind her. Setting it down slowly, she knelt down in front of him and rested her back against the door, sighing in relief.

"Forgive the intrusion, but are you Matt?"

He could only nod yes dumbly.

"He's been looking for you." She smiled kindly and pretended not to see as Matt lost his self-control and sobbed into the bond's hair.