A/N: Thank you for reviewers! It means a lot to me! :
Sorry for procrastinating once again, but as you can see this chapter is a bit longer than some.
Warnings:OOCness, slight violence, language, drama. Lolz
Disclaimer: Me no own Death Note. ;
Enjoy!!
Matt squirmed anxiously in his chair. Orange-plastic shielded eyes kept nervously glancing out the window, viewing the world from the clouds.
Pale fingertips touched a striped arm in a comforting manner.
"Don't worry, Matt-kun… we're almost there. This is the fastest jet in my possession."
Onyx eyes, uncharacteristically concerned, stared at Matt's profile.
The redhead turned to face the other, his lips curling slightly at the corners.
"Thanks, L." He murmured. The detective stared, unconvinced, at his third successor.
L rose from his crouched position, patting Matt on the head with his fingertips as he stood. "Buckle up, Matt-kun; we're descending to L.A. now."
Matt continued to stare out the window, a solemn expression on his face as he muttered, "Thanks for everything, L…"
Matt watched the raven-haired detective slink toward the front of the aircraft, his bare feet hardly making a sound on the lightly carpeted aisle.
Matt sighed as the white and denim clad detective entered the front compartment of the jet.
"I just hope that everything you've done is enough."
Three hours later
How could I have let this happen…?Mello asked himself.
Matt's motorcycle lay in a wrecked heap of metal just inside the entrance; the tires punctured with bullets.
His escape had been foiled… unsurprising since the plan had been so faulty.
At least I succeeded…Mello found comfort in knowing their leader now lay in a pool of blood because of him.
The blond lowered himself to his knees, as commanded, and slid his gun across the cracked pavement to the line of gunmen in front of him.
He could look over their shoulders to see the exit he had been so close to slipping through.
The guards at the entrance lay motionless on the ground, from Mello entering, the blood that once seeped from their foreheads now dried on.
The gunmen, five of them, had their backs to the entrance, all of their guns trained on the leather-clad figure before them.
Mello raised his gloved hands over his head, a cocky smirk on his lips, "Which one of you gets the honor of killing me, then?" Five guns cocking was his response.
Mello lowered his head, staring at the dirty pavement. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise when small droplets of moisture fell to the ground before him.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he found the tears spilling past his eyelids.
Mello took in a shaky breath, knowing it was one of his last.
I'm… crying?
Waves of regret washed over Mello as he looked back on his short life, there had been so many things leading up to a moment like this… the blond just couldn't believe this was it.
His last seconds.
There were so many things he would have changed… so many people he would have thanked.
Now he won't be able to.
His life had been so short; he'd never had the chance to see anything else but pain, abandonment, and violence.
It had been the way he lived.
But now… he wished he could've seen the other side of life.
Maybe happiness, acceptance or… love?
He'd never find out now.
Why now?
He never got a chance to ponder that question before a gunshot rang out; he squeezed his eyes shut for impact, and drew his final breath.
The blond heard something hit the ground, and wondered if he was a spirit outside of his body now… witnessing his own death.
But then another gunshot rang out, and something else hitting the ground.
Mello snapped his head up and saw two of the five gunmen face down, pools of crimson staining the pavement beneath them.
The remaining three looked around in confusion, aiming their guns in different directions, trying to find the source of the bullets.
The crack of the gunshot echoed off the walls of the hideout, making it sound as if the bullets could have been coming from any direction.
Another gunshot and one more gunman fell to the ground. The blond took this opportunity to crawl over to his gun.
With expert precision, Mello shot one of the gunmen between the eyes.
As their body fell to the ground the blond heard running footsteps and looked over in horror at more guards coming to stand in front of him.
The color drained from Mello's face when he heard a speeding car approaching; even him and his mystery assistance couldn't take down a whole truck full of armed men.
The guards before him aimed and cocked their guns, daring Mello to move with their eyes.
Then, all the gunmen in front of Mello turned around in surprise, attempting to run, but got rammed over by a familiar red sports car.
The blond took a moment to let a small, surprised grin form on his lips before shooing down as many other men as possible and running to the car.
Mello sprinted to the passenger side of the car, dodging bullets as he went.
Yanking the door open, Mello dove into the passenger seat. A striped arm reached over him and slammed the door shut.
The car sped away in reverse, then spun around and took off down the fairly-clear road.
The chocoholic cherished the familiar scent of cigarette smoke and, knowingly, righted himself on the seat and fastened his seatbelt.
Mello looked over at his best friend fondly, and current savior, with a barely-existent smile.
The blond sighed in relief and started to speak, "Matt, I-"
"Shut up and keep your head down. They're bound to follow us." Matt interrupted in a surprising firm voice. Smoke followed his statement through barely parted lips.
Usually the blond didn't take orders, but ducked his head down anyway.
Mello's blue eyes stayed focused on the redhead next to him.
"I know you're a genius, Mello… but, God, how could you be so damn stupid?!" Matt sounded angry, but Mello could slightly see tears in the corners of the other's goggle-covered eyes.
The redhead turned to face Mello as he spoke, "What would've happed if I hadn't been there?! You'd be dead, Mello. Dead! What the hell were you thinking…? God, if you died…" Matt trailed off, setting the hand that had once been wildly gesturing down on the steering wheel.
Mello could now easily see the tears threatening to spill over in Matt's eyes as he faced him. The latter sighed in defeat, turning back to the painfully long stretch of road in front of him.
Matt gnawed on his lower lip even when he tasted blood, trying to keep his mouth from revealing anything more than he wanted, vaguely aware of Mello's eyes on him.
Matt looked up through fiery-red bangs and orange plastic to glance up at the rearview mirror.
No cars following them.
Mello looked at the side mirror, seeing the road empty behind them.
"Maybe we scared them off." Mello stated in a half-joking manner, hoping to lighten the dark mood that had settled.
"Hm. Or we killed too many of them and they gave up. Or worse, they're waiting until we're unprepared to attack us." Matt replied indifferently.
Mello frowned in response; Matt had never been one to be upset for a long period of time, so why was he being stubborn now?
He pulled the car to the side of the road next to their apartment. Matt turned off the roaring engine and slid out of the car, slamming the door shut after him.
Mello climbed out as well, shutting the door a little softer than his friend.
The gamer flicked his cigarette butt to the pavement and ground it out with the heel of his boot. The redhead turned to look at his blond friend, folding his arms on top of the roof of his car.
Emerald eyes examined Mello carefully through goggles and shaggy bangs. He watched every blink, every breath, the way his hair blew across his face in the breeze, the way his lips parted when he sighed, how his eyes looked at anything but him, and how his precious person, his best friend, was still miraculously alive.
Matt cherished every moment, and after the recent near-death experience of his beloved, didn't take anything for granted.
He was scaring Mello with how he was acting… it was so unlike him. He needed to just act natural, like usual. Laid-back, lazy and loyal.
Matt sighed and dropped his gaze to the littered cement beneath him.
Unfolding his arms, Matt pushed himself away from the car and went around to the other side where his partner in crime stood.
Matt stopped a small distance away from the chocoholic and looked up at him with a nearly non-existent smile as he tried to muster something to say.
The gamer raised a hand to set on Mello's shoulder, but stopped and slowly brought his hand back down to his side when he saw something near annoyance flare up in the other's icy eyes.
Matt cleared his throat and wet his lips, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Uh… so they didn't hurt you? You're okay…?" Matt mentally kicked himself for sounding so stupid and for not asking sooner, but anticipated the other's response.
"I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises, nothing severe."
Matt nodded dumbly in response; he offered a small, painfully fake smile after a few moments. "Should we go inside?"
Mello shrugged, but walked in front of Matt, over the curb, and through the door anyway.
Mello wasn't quite sure how to act now that Matt was back and acting… the same as usual minus his outburst in the car-he had been a little more animated than usual.
Had he imagined that phone conversation with Matt? Yet again, did he expect Matt to act love struck?
Mello glanced over his shoulder to confirm that Matt had followed him and was met with the sight of Matt walking slowly after him, eyes focused on the ground.
Matt had been somewhat quiet, as if he was thinking, Mello reasoned, but otherwise he seemed the same.
As they reached their door and entered Mello decided to confront the other about it… in his own way.
"What the hell is with you?" Icy blue eyes bore into Matt's skull with lethal intensity
The latter cocked his head to the side, quirking an eyebrow.
"What do you mean…? Something wrong?"
The blond stared incredulously at the other's nonchalance.
"Of course something's fucking wrong! You disappear for a week, only coming back to do a half-assed job of you original task, and then act like nothing happened!"
Rage spread like wildfire through Mello's veins; his fists clenched at his sides and eyes piercing Matt with a lethal glare.
Matt's red hair fell away from his goggles as he looked up, just enough to be able to see his eyes behind orange plastic.
The redhead's arms went lips at his sides as he mumbled in a defeated tone, "How do you want me to act, Mello? I don't know anymore. I'm just trying to act normally so it's not weird for you, so you can be at least a little at ease and happy. Is that so bad? You know I'd do anything for you, so what is it this time? Who do I have to be for you to finally be happy? Tell me and it's done!"
Matt started to sound slightly eccentric and Mello watched him in confusion.
"Matt, that's not what I-"
"Yes it is! I get it!"
"No, Matt, you don't. I-"
"No, I do get it. I don't care, alright?!"
"Matt, I just-"
"You what? That's all I'm asking! You know I'd do anything! I'd die for you any day, you know that! So why can't you see that I know what I'm talking about?"
"Because you don't! Would you just shut up and listen to me?!"
Matt's breaths were short and quick, his wide, tear-rimmed eyes stared at Mello, looking so lost; his calm, uncaring demeanor crushed.
The redhead took a quick, shaky breath to protest, but Mello took a warning step forward.
"Shut up, Matt! I don't want to hear it!"
Matt bit his lip and recoiled slightly, seemingly content to hear the blond out.
"Don't twist my words, I hardly said anything for you to mangle my words the way you did! I don't know where this is coming from, and I'm not sure why you think acting normally will help anything! I want answers!
"You were gone and I had no idea where you were! I had no idea what you were doing or if you were even still alive! You say you know what I'm asking but you don't. You don't have a clue. You say you understand, but you don't!
"Anyway, then you called me and said some bizarre things… I must have imagined it, because, dammit Matt, you said you loved me and it sure doesn't seem that way! If you did you'd know what I'm trying to say, you wouldn't go crazy on me like you just did! You wouldn't make me explain this to you!
"Dammit Matt, if you loved me you just wouldn't have left me in the first place!"
Did I have you for a second there? Lolz
Cookies and reviews please.
Constructive criticism is welcome!!