A/N: Short last chapter is short... o_o from now on, only bonus chapters :3 so I'm marking this story as 'complete.'

Matt woke with a smile on his face for the first time as he groggily stepped into the kitchen. Mello was already dressed and drinking a glass of water by the sink. His back was too the door but the redhead sensed the tense atmosphere. He couldn't see Mello's face but something was wrong and he was instantly awake and on alert.

"Mello?" He spoke softly and walked slowly closer.

"How did you do it?" The blonde's voice was completely deadpan and he continued to stare at the glass in his hands. He was acting oddly but Matt was relived that it wasn't because of the virus. Mello was obviously still ok, and he took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Do what?"

"How did you cure me?"

Matt set his head in his hands and let out a breath. He knew that the question was coming but he was still unprepared for it. How could he tell Mello what he had done? How he had snapped? Mello pressed on when he didn't answer.

"I can remember snippets and distorted things from when I was infected… If I focus hard I can recall certain things. But one thing that's fresh in my mind is pain."

Matt supposed there was no use in lying. Mello was a genius and from his behavior Matt knew that he had already figured it out for the most part. "It's what you're thinking." He couldn't even say sorry. No amount of sorry could make it alright for the blond. Mello didn't respond, only stood eerily still until Matt couldn't take it and had to fill the silence.

"Mello I… when you showed up at my door and I had to feed you like a dog it was… You weren't you! I just wanted to try something. I knew it was wrong, and I knew it was insane but something just snapped! Seeing you like that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do!" His voice dropped to a whisper. "I just wanted to bring you back Mello."

There was another period of silence before the blond set down his glass on the counter and silently turned to leave the kitchen, never looking at Matt. Before he could make it to the door the redhead had tackled him, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight. Mello's breath was knocked out of him as Matt held him close, wide eyed and scared.

"Don't leave me!" He buried his face in blond hair and continued muttering. "Please don't leave again, don't go. Don't leave me alone."

Mello sighed and leaned back. "I'm not going anywhere Matt." When that didn't calm the redhead down he forcibly turned himself around and reached behind Matt's head to pull their foreheads against each other. "Mail, I promise I'm not going to leave. Calm down ok?"

Before he could register what was happening Matt crushed their lips together and backed him against the kitchen wall. "Mmf!" He was shocked but didn't fight at the redhead plundered his lips. In fact, he used the hand already tangled in copper locks to pull Matt in deeper. Their wordless confession was long overdue, a topic danced around until it was too late to act on. Now Matt was trying to convey his feelings at last, before he lost his second chance.

Mello closed his eyes and stood on tiptoe, wrapping his arms around Matt's neck as the kiss became more heated. It didn't come as a large shock to either of them as the blond had always not so subtly flaunted himself at Matt and the redhead and always not so subtly ogled. They stumbled to the couch before toppling over the arm with Mello below the gamer. Despite their time apart they didn't rush, instead letting lips and hands slowly explore new places with reverence. Matt was careful of Mello's still healing bruises as he stripped the blond and kissed every part of him that he had only be able to admire from afar before.

Their love making was slow and sultry, each husky moan followed with a kiss. Each thrust of Matt's hips drove him deeper inside the blond and closer to climax. They went on all morning, each stopping just before the other could come until their bodies were too sensitive to take any more. Reaching orgasm together, they collapsed entangled on the couch. Mello groaned as he felt Matt growing soft inside of him.

They didn't need to say anything for Matt to know that Mello wouldn't be leaving him again and that he was forgiven. Likewise, the blond understood what he had put Matt though, intentional or not. He lazily stroked red hair, looking at it and wondering where he would be if not for Matt. After all, he'd crossed a continent in search of red hair…