A/N: So it's been a while since I've last updated, but that was because I had lots of softball and a convention to go to. Now I'm back and have absolutely nothing to do so expect more updates! I'm also trying to make the time for updates for this story a lot shorter so you don't wait so long. Also, I tried to make this chapter extra good to make up for the crappiness of the last chapter. When I re-read it I was like wow, it looks like my four year old nephew took my story and had playtime with it... XP So, anyway, I hope you read, enjoy, and review!

Chapter 5: Pills

It was unusually quiet since A was seen leaving. Light sat on a chair in the main room next to Roger's desk. The television was on, but was not being watched. Mello sat on the couch across from the television, sight just above the screen.

Why is it that everyone is so upset. Sure A wasn't better and he left but he was only a compulsive liar, as long as people around him are informed and he continues to take his medicine than nothing bad should happen.

[Maybe it wasn't A's sickness they're worried about. There was someone in the car with him, wasn't there? The guy who looks like L.]

So they're scared that he is out and walking around freely? Why? That makes no sense, unless... Unless they're afraid for A because he might have to live with this man. That could be it. That would leave two more questions. Who is that man? And why is everyone afraid of him?

[And a third. Why do you care?]

Light rolled his eyes at himself, something he wished didn't sound so weird when he thought it, as Matt walked in the hallway. He stopped at Roger's desk and received a tray with many different assortments of cups on them. Light has seen Matt do this once before. It meant it was time for everyone to take their daily pills. Well, everyone except Light.

Matt walked up to Mello first. The blond finally allowed himself to blink when Matt's figure intervened with his eye path. Mello raised an eyebrow at the red head who held a cup out to the blond of which contained his medicine.

Mello took the cup, slowly bringing it to his mouth as his eyes stayed on Matt. It was official, Matt was trying to stay away from Mello, but at times like that one in particular Matt had no choice. So Mello grinned as he raised his foot up Matt's leg and to his very private region. Little pressure was added but enough to make Matt's face turn red.

"Just. Swallow. Them." Matt ordered.

"And here I thought you liked my company." Mello stated, adding more pressure, testing how far he could push the redhead. Matt backed away uncomfortably, his back hitting the television. Mello had to suppress his laughter as he forced the pills into his mouth dry.

He hated the taste of pills, they were chalky and hard against his tongue and automatically set off his gag reflex when swallowed, but then again it was always fun to swallow pills.

"Good." Matt stated and moved away from Mello as fast as possible, finding his way to Light and holding a cup to Light.

"But I don't take pills. I don't need them." Light explained.

"You're in here under our watch, not your own. You wanna get better right? You'll take them." Matt explained. Light glanced nervously to Mello only to see the blond taking the two pills out of his mouth. Light tentatively took the cup and placed the pills in his mouth.

"Good, thank you for not fighting with me." Matt replied and turned to give someone else their medicine. Light took the opportunity to spit the pills in his hand.

Mello grinned triumphantly at Light.

"Mello. Light." Matt started as he stood on the opposite side of the couch as Light. He slid his goggles over his eyes before he continued. "I saw that. You two really need to learn how to swallow. Not spit."

"No worries, Matty. I always swallow, and never spit." Mello gave a wide grin as he plunged the pills down his throat and swallowed. Light tried to hold back a laugh as he grudgingly swallowed the three pills. Matt just turned and left completely ignoring the innuendo.

"Jeeze, Mello, what did you do to him?" Light asked. Mello shrugged.

"I kissed him, nothing to make him act the way he is." Mello stated.

"Y-you kissed him? Oh, now I understand... How could you kiss him?!" Light asked.

"It was just a kiss. Anyways, he kept biting his damned lip, do you know how infuriating it is to watch someone doing that?!" Mello asked.

"Mello, he works here. If Watari or Roger caught you two he could have been fired." Light explained.

"We weren't in public." Mello stated and Light sighed before his eyes widened with understanding.

"Oh, now I really understand. You like him!" Light stated. Mello's eyes glared as he threw a random magazine at Light. "That is it! You really like him!"

"So?" Mello asked.

"So? With the way he was just acting and because he was acting that way because you kissed him then I would bet money to say that he likes you too." Light explained.

"Sure. That's why he pushed me off of him when I kissed him." Mello rolled his eyes.

"No, he pushed you off of him because he doesn't want to lose his job." Light stated.

"And what's your point in all of this? He's not going to quit his job, I'm not going to stop liking him, and he's not going to stop acting like a douche bag. So why are we still talking?" Mello asked, crossing his arms and resting his feet on the couch.

"I wanted small talk." Light stated.

"Oh? Then I have something to talk about." Mello said, sitting up and crossing his legs with a mischievous smile. "You like L."

Needless to say Light's face reddened impossibly.

"I have a girlfriend." Light stated.

"Oh, Light, don't you know your supposed to dump a person before you go chasing after another?" Mello asked.

"I'm not chasing." Light stated.

"Oh yes you are, and aren't you the one who said that she's stupid?" Mello asked. "The only reason that you stay with her is because she lets you fuck her whenever and wherever?"

"Well yes but..." Light trailed off and Mello's face lit up. He jumped off the couch and ran to Light, grabbed a chair and pulled in front of Light before sitting down.

"How much?" Mello asked.

"What?" Light asked.

"How much do you like L?!" Mello all but cried and Light had to put a hand over the blond's mouth to keep him silent.

"Not so loud!" Light ordered, looking around to see that nobody was left in the room. Mello rolled his eyes and bit down on the hand that blocked words from leaving his mouth. "Ow!"

"Just admit to it and I'll stop pestering you about it." Mello stated. Light couldn't suppress the sigh that came to his lips.

"L is..." Adorable? Cute? [Strange? Weird?] "Different. A good different."

"You like him. You want to hold him. You want to love him."

"Stop singing." Light ordered, his face going even more red.

"Well, I did promise I'd stop pestering you about it so what else do you want to talk about?" Mello asked.

"There is something that has been on my mind..." Light looked to the ground, unsure to ask the questions his mind was having. "I want to know who that guy was with A, and why everyone gets so upset about him."

Mello's face fell immediately. The blond's eyebrows knit together as icy blue eyes stared through chestnut brown ones.

Then he wrinkled his nose and bit down on his thumb hard enough so that it bled.

"Mel-"

"Fine. I'll tell you." Mello stood, cutting Light off from being able to reprimand Mello for the way he bit his finger. Then Mello watched the blood drip down his finger. "But don't you dare tell L that I told you."

What is going on around here?

[Like I know. Everyone around here is so secretive.]

Even L?

[Especially L.]

--

Near sat on A's bed, holding A's sketch book that Light first saw him with when they first met. Mello sat next to Near and motioned for Light to sit down across from them. Light did so, not saying a word the whole time. The serious faces that both Near and Mello wore were far too strong to say anything to, so Light just held in the words that wanted to come out of his mouth so badly. It was hard, especially when Near kept the sketch book closed and just stared at it while tracing small circles absent minded on the book and Mello just kept his eyes closed, breathing deeply.

Suddenly Near stopped all movement as Mello's eyes snapped open. They both locked their eyes with Light's and he had to use all of his will not to shiver.

"It all started long before either Mello or myself knew L, or A for that matter. L was five years old and A was only three. L found A in an alleyway, both of them orphans, and so they decided to take care of each other." Near started.

"They owned a small hideout in England. A would stay and watch to make sure their place was safe while L went out and got them food. Once, when L left, another boy came along and found A alone. His name was Beyond Birthday." Mello explained.

"A took one look and instantly fell in love. How? I don't know, and this is what Beyond used to his advantage. He hurt A, hit him, raped him, tortured him until L came back. L found A in tears, blood everywhere but on Beyond, and a broken smile on A's face." Near stated.

"And the psycho just laughed. Loudly. When L came to his view he stopped automatically. It seemed Beyond fell in love with L and broke A's heart. So Beyond followed L everywhere, it even got to the extreme point of Beyond changing his appearance to look like L." Mello explained.

"Eventually L had to decline Beyond for good, explaining exactly why he didn't love Beyond but that was because L doesn't love people. Anyways, Beyond threw a fit. He took out a knife and slit A's wrist, making huge gashes. He said he wouldn't stop until L finally accepted him." Near said.

"L wouldn't give in, and A had to suffer through L's tears and that's when Beyond really lost it. He took A by the arm that was sliced up and started to lick the arm clean of blood. A finally fainted from blood loss and so Beyond threw him to the floor. Then he went and raped L next." Mello stated.

"That was also the time that Watari had finally made it to England. He flew there as soon as possible after learning about L's parent's deaths. After he found out that L had been living on the streets for a few months he decided to try and look around. He found Beyond in the middle of the act." Near explained.

"And so Watari took out his gun, an illegal gun mind you, and pointed it straight at Beyond's head. Beyond stopped and stood there, looking at the three of them, before giving L a kiss full of blood and running off to safety. Watari took L and A far away from England to be safe, but it did no good. He followed them here." Mello said.

"And ever since they have been here Beyond has been trying to get A out of here. Watari has been filing case after case in court against Beyond but since A loves him and is a compulsive liar the court can find no actual evidence of the act and therefore Beyond is always found not guilty. So Beyond has been left to haunt them ever since." Near stated.

Light listened with a pained gut feeling. Hearing all those things, knowing what happened to L in the past, learning about Beyond Birthday... It all hurt him.

Near opened the sketchbook and turned it around to show the picture of the gothic B that Light saw a glimpse of when he first came to the Asylum.

"A was almost as obsessed with Beyond as Beyond was with L." Mello explained as Near flipped through page after page. "He might've loved L but he would surely kill L for Beyond any day. Of course, it's not like Beyond would let that happen."

There was a gothic L scribbled out on one page. There was a gothic A with blood splatters covering it. There were dead bodies on one page, and they just went on and on. Finally, on the last page, there was a bottle of strawberry jam.

"Beyond has eaten strawberry jam ever since he drank A's blood, to remind L of the incident. Every time L sees jam, he throws up." Near stated.

Light stared.

"... Light? Are you okay?" Mello asked as Light didn't answer. Light stood then and walked to the door, opening it.

"Please excuse me." Light stated as he closed the door but even through the door he could still hear Mello.

"Remember what I said!" Mello yelled.

How horrible. How truly horrible...

[Why do you care?]