Chapter 28
It was 10:45 am...and Matt was still out cold.
Mello had been pacing the length of the room since midnight, watching, waiting, and praying. Those deep cuts in Matt's arms...back, and hips, they just sat there taunting him. Laughing at him, no less! Shouting that he was a complete monster incapable of controlling himself.
Yes. He was. He had really let Matt have it. He had released all his pent up sexual frustrations, anger, confusion, everything. He had released it all into Matt and oh how he hated himself for it! Mello had given in to his inner demons...he was a failure. This was what he had wanted to prevent for so long, and it was all down the drain in one night.
Mello's leather clad fingers curled in his blond locks and tugged. Oh, he was going to go insane! He wanted Matt to wake up already so he could tell him that everything would be okay. That he was okay. That all those nasty cuts and bruises would go away and that he still loved him.
"Matt..." He moaned as he fell to his knees, legs unable to support him any longer. His fingers were still in his hair; forehead pressed against the soft beige carpet. Mello's whole body shook with his dry agonized sobs. He hated himself so much! He was so stupid! Stupid! Christ, what had he done?
Matt had lost so much blood. His heart beat was so weak. The blond pounded a fist against the soft carpet. "Idiot!" He cursed himself. Was this hell?...because he felt himself slowly slipping into madness.
- - -
Time seemed to move quickly yet so agonizingly slow. Still, Matt slept. There was a calm, serene look on his face and it was the only thing keeping Mello from resorting back to sobbing into the carpet.
Mello now sat beside the sleeping redhead on the bed. His fingers tracing the blood red beads of his rosary.
There came a soft knock on the door and only then did Mello peel his attention from the still unconscious teen to go and answer it. The lock was quickly undone and then the door was pulled open.
Near stood in the hall, clean and white as ever. There had been a greeting smile on his pale lips, but upon seeing the look on Mello's face, it quickly melted away, instead being replaced with a look of worry. "What's happened?"
There was silence as the silver haired vampire listened. He then pushed past Mello and let himself into the room. Matt was sleeping peacefully, blankets tucked around him. Near felt his whole body relax. What was so wrong then?...His eyes flashed to Mello who was now leaning heavily against the closed door.
Blood. The smell of blood was so thick...
Near rushed to the redheads side. The blankets were pulled from Matt's still form and Near felt his eyes go wide at the sight before him. The deep cuts, the bruising...His eyes once again fell on Mello. "What did you do?" Without waiting for a response, he stepped onto the bed and, with little effort, lifted the redhead into a sitting position against his chest.
His cool fingers traced the angry red lines that ran down the length of his forearms, and then the ones on his back. "Mello, what have you done?"
Mello didn't answer. His eyes were shut tight. He had slid down the length of the door and was now sitting in a crouching position; hands fisted in his blond hair once more.
With a sound of annoyance, Near laid Matt back down. His fingers brushed delicately against the teens flushed cheeks. Matt would be fine. Rest would do him some good. "Good, you should be ashamed." He spat; eyes not leaving Matt. "You could have killed him."
"I know!" Mello replied in a distraught tone. "I know!..."
Silence followed. Neither moved.
And then, Mello's head snapped up in Near's direction. His eyes were now narrowed dangerously as he calmly rose to his feet and approached the bed. White fangs slicked with saliva were bared at the young vampire in threat. "He's mine!" He growled.
Near looked back at him; face smooth and free of any readable expression. He replied as he calmly ran his fingers through Matt's soft red hair. "I never said differently."
Mello's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You thought it!"
"I merely thought: 'If Matt were mine, I would take better care of him' that is all." Near shook his head. "Nothing to be upset about."
The blonds teeth snapped together as he fought for self control, but his anger was winning once more. "You want him, but he's mine. Understand?"
"I do." The young vampire reached up to curl a lock of shiny silver hair between two fingers. "You are under stress, Mello. I understand. Please try and relax. Matt is yours."
Yes, in truth, Mello really was stressed. Light had yet to find him but the bastard was still controlling his actions like a puppet on strings. "I'm sorry, Near." Mello sat himself down heavily at the edge of the bed; face hidden in his hands. He just needed to relax.
Near nodded his understanding. Silence fell over them once more as he searched Mello's mind for the answers to Matt's condition and Mello let him.
- -
"You didn't mean him any harm, Mello." Near finally said. Tone soft and surprisingly soothing. "He will forgive you...he loves you."
Mello was shaking his head before the young vampire was even finished speaking but he didn't look up. "How can you be so sure?..."
"Because he told me." The bed shifted as Near moved so he could have Matt's head in his lap. Pale fingers moved through ruby red locks. "And besides," A pause as he sighed. "if he forgave me for trying to kill him, I'm sure he will forgive the one he loves for getting carried away on their first night of sex."
At this, Mello looked up. Their eyes met; cold grey and deep blue, and then a smile was shared between them. A smile that promised victory, reassurance and everything else that they seemed to lack at the moment.
"Thank you, Near."
Near smiled. It was a shy but content smile.
All problems of vampire spies, Light, and Masquerade Balls forgotten. If only for a while.
- - - -
"I'll have to go on my own, then."
Mello? Christ, what the hell? It felt like he had gotten hit by a truck...had he? Ugh, with his luck he probably had...but wait. No, he-Oh, now he remembered. He and Mello had been in the shower together. Sex. Yes, now he remembered. That would explain the soreness. Oh, but it was so worth it. It was amazing. ...Why was the room so dark? Ah, opening one's eyes usually helped, silly Matt...ugh, but no! His eyes were already open, why was it so god damn dark?!
The lights maybe?...Geez.
"Yes. You might."
Near? Near was here? Huh?...how? He was suppose to...god damn it, that's right. Mello had asked him to fly out to New Orleans because of the vampire intruder. Geez...this was not how he wanted to feel when he woke up after that amazing shower sex with Mello. Wait...was he really awake? Or was he dreaming?
Panic started to bubble up in his stomach. What if something had happened during the night and he was dead? Holy shit! What if he was dead and he had been killed during one of his dreams and now he would never wake up?! Oh, god no. That...no, he was awake. He was awake, right? This was really Mello and Near speaking...not his mind making things up. Right?
"It's getting late. You should get ready." Near continued.
There were soft footsteps, zippers being unzipped and clothing being shed. Suddenly, Matt couldn't keep quiet anymore.
"Oh, Jesus!" He groaned as he made to sit up. God damn! He was so sore! "Mello! Where are you?" He shouted, reaching out blindly for him. The room was much too dark to make anything out. Stupid vampires and their built in night vision.
Not half a second had passed when his hands made contact with the cold, marble smooth skin of Mello's bare chest. "I'm here," Lips pressed against his forehead, and all the pain, all the worry, seemed to just melt away. "What hurts?"
"N-nothing, I'm fine." He lied. His eyes tried to focus on the dark figure hovering over him, but he couldnt make out Mello's face. Blindly, he reached up to trace the vampire's lips, cheeks, nose. Yes, this was Mello. Mello was still here. This wasn't a dream. "Near?..." With one hand still on Mello's cheek, he reached out with the other, reaching, searching for the familiar cool skin that was the younger vampire. "Are you okay?"
Matt needed to make sure. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't dreaming...He could be dead for all he knew! He needed to feel them here.
There was a soft hum of laughter from the opposite side of the room that indicated that the young vampire was indeed fine. But Matt kept his hand outstretched, waiting until he felt Near take his hand in the dark. Only then did he relax.
"I wasn't hurt, Matt. You are over stressed." Near whispered. A tone of amusement in his voice.
"I'm not dead then?" He replied nervously.
There was silence before Near's amused chuckle filled the room.
He felt Mello's lips twitch up into a smile under his palm, and he was able to breathe easily. They were here. They were safe.
For the time being, they were safe.
A/N: 'Bout time, right? Sorry! Had lots of poo to do. Ha, that rhymes...don't judge me. Alrighty, so, For those of you who just haven't realized, Mello and Near can read each others minds. Yes, they can because that's how vamps roll. 'Nywho...
We see Near actually having a personality! Holy snot! Kay, he has a mini-crush on Matt, and Mello is not blind to this. Team Near? or Team Mello? You decide. Review, please. Much love.
~ Matt.