Eyes big and wide and fixed on L kneeling beside him, Mello rubs at his cheek with trembling fingers. He thinks he can't feel a thing, the whole area is red and numb, and he licks his lips slowly.
He thinks he can't feel them, either.
Peering at him silently, L reaches toward him with one hand, and he brushes the hair away from his face and wraps his fingers around Mello's wrist, pulling it away from his cheek.
Dark eyes dart toward the red skin with quiet introspection, and, tucking Mello's hair behind one ear, L leans closer and presses his lips to Mello's cheek very gently.
Mello's eyes flutter shut and he exhales quietly, fingers closing around L's arm.
"Again," Mello whispers as L takes him in his arms and lifts him off the floor, but Matt interjects,
"Don't do it to him again," he says, standing up beside L, "he'll ask you to hit him until he's unconscious, but don't do it, okay, just—"
"I like when you hit me," comes the soft murmur from Mello's lips, but L turns his head to look at Matt.
"You're right," he says quietly, "this is enough."
He tells Matt to follow him, and then he asks him to open the door to one of the cupboards at the side of the room. There are linens inside, tablecloths and sheets and napkins, and L asks him to take out one of the sheets.
They wrap it around Mello's body and then L points out one of the drawers in the desk and asks Matt to open it and take out a set of keys. They exit to the hallway and down two floors to a series of suites, and Matt thinks to say something about the fact that L still hasn't put anything on, but he holds his tongue.
L owns this whole building, Matt knows this, and it's stunning how large and intricate it is, and he wonders what goes on in these rooms and why in the world an office building would need several floors containing suites with beds and baths and kitchens and God knows what else.
When they reach one of the doors, L asks Matt to unlock it, and after he does, they walk inside to the large room. It's almost like a hotel suite, but much larger – almost like an apartment – and while it's fully furnished, it's totally unoccupied, and L asks Matt to follow as he walks toward the bathroom.
It's a very spacious and elaborate room, with a large bath and several mirrors and a beautiful marble floor, and L kneels at the edge of the tub, turning on the water.
Mello has all but fallen asleep in his arms, drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness and clinging to L like a child, his pale face buried in the crook of L's neck, and, very gently, Matt reaches toward him and picks at the edge of the sheet with his fingers. He draws the thing back, tugging at the fabric delicately and sliding it off Mello's naked body, and then they lower him down into the water. Matt watches L's slender, white figure bent over the edge as he begins running the sponge against Mello's back, and very quietly, he says,
"I'll do his hair."
He's done that before and he knows how to do it, and also ever since Mello let him do it last time, he's kind of wanted to do it again.
He pulls his sleeves up to his elbows and joins L at the side of the tub, but before he reaches for what looks like it might be a shampoo container, he can't help catching a glimpse of L's face, and he thinks there's something very strange about the way he's gazing out like that.
L seems expressionless as always, and maybe it's just because it's been a long night and they seem to have come closer to L than they ever have before, but Matt could swear that there's a disturbing sense of emptiness and melancholy and he's thinking about something, he's definitely thinking about something.
He allows the yellow strands of Mello's hair to float and gather into his hands as he brings them under the water, never taking his eyes off L.
Tonight we do this with love.
How awful it must have been.
If Kira is dead, he tells himself, just who do you think had to take his life?
And if Kira is alive, then just who had to take it upon himself to justify that he let him live because of love?
I don't think Light ever loved anyone.
That must have been awful, too.
"L, I'm hot," comes the faint murmur from Mello's lips, and Matt watches as the white fingers brush against Mello's cheek, and then L leans in to kiss his forehead, very softly and kindly, and Matt helps L hold him out of the water so they could wash his shoulders and his chest.
"Let's add some cold water," L says quietly and reaches for the handle, and Mello leans back against Matt's arms and, delirious with fatigue, he smiles and laughs quietly.
Matt turns toward him.
"What's up, boss," he says softly, leaning down to wrap his arms around Mello's wet shoulders, and Mello bites his lower lip as he allows L to lift one of his feet out of the water so he could wash it.
"Mmm..Matty," Mello croons, and he leans his head backward, looking up at the younger boy with a wicked smile, and then his right hand comes out of the water and traces a wet line across Matt's lips.
Matt can't help it. He'd do anything for Mello when he smiles at him like that.
He leans down to kiss Mello, and two wet hands reach up to lower his head closer, and, mumbling against the boy's lips, Matt asks Mello how he's feeling.
"It hurts," Mello inhales slowly, neck stretching as his lips move against Matt's, and he still holds his head very close to his, "it hurts so good, Matty…"
And then Mello kisses him again, and he can feel Matt smile a little, but then Matt withdraws and looks down at the blonde.
"You liked that, didn't you," he breathes, and Mello nods, and Matt looks down at him for several moments without saying anything.
"Yeah, I think that's enough pain for a while," he adds.
"Other foot, please," L says, his voice quiet and polite as always. Of course, Mello complies, and now his gaze turns back to L, and he watches him in silence as he runs the sponge against the underside of his foot.
"L…" he says quietly, blue eyes fixed on the thin, white form bent over his legs.
"Hm?" L replies, not taking his eyes off Mello's foot.
"Thank you for carrying me."
The long hands stop in place, and, after several moments, L turns his gaze toward Mello.
"You are welcome, Mello," he says, and then returns to washing his feet.
There is silence for several moments as Mello watches him, and then he speaks again,
"L…?"
"Yes…?"
"You're so beautiful, L…"
He can see L smiling behind his long, black hair, and then the older boy turns toward him and actually laughs.
"Is that what Mello thinks?"
He asks, going back to washing his ankles, and then his calf.
Mello nods.
"That's a very sweet thing of Mello to say."
"And we really like you."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"We?"
"Matt, too."
Matt nudges Mello's shoulder, "Mello…!"
"I know you do, Matty," and before Matt can reply, Mello continues, "I know you like watching L do that."
Matt laughs nervously, running a wet hand through his hair and really wishing he had his cigarettes with him.
Then Mello's face grows serious.
"But I know you love Kira," Mello continues, and Matt freezes, staring down at Mello and ready to defend him in case anything else happens.
"And I know you won't tell me anything else about him, but—"
L turns his head ever so slightly in Mello's direction, fingers moving slowly along the underside of his leg,
"—but I'm gonna find out."
Silence.
"Is that so," L says at last, seemingly unaffected.
"But you already know that," Mello continues, "don't you."
L wraps his fingers around the wet skin of Mello's calf and brings it to his cheek, and, leaning against it, he replies,
"That's right, Mello."
Matt watches in amusement, the palm of his hand pressed against his mouth with his thumb on one side and the rest of his fingers on the other.
"You're such a troublemaker, Mello," he sighs, but, truth be told, he's very curious, himself.
To be continued…