"L?" Matt tilted his head to the side, frowning. L did the same with his head, a lollipop now visible in his hand "Yeah."
"Mello mentioned you. Said you were a great detective or something," Matt added "I'm sorry but I don't really know who you are beyond that."
"Hmm," L shrugged, still hunched over "I'm sure you'll learn soon enough."
"Ryuzaki?"
"Good morning Mello." The sweets lover greeted as the blonde made his way toward them, looking confused. Near was following him, a small puzzle box under his arm.
"Good morning Near." L nodded to the albino who gave a small smile in return.
"Ryuzaki?" Matt asked as the top two students joined the small group.
"An alias of course." Mello stopped beside the gamer, eyes fixed on Ryuzaki. Matt nodded, remembering the word from a particularly boring lecture in English.
"Correct. With the case I'm working on now, giving my name out would be suicidal." Ryuzaki muttered, sucking on the blue lollipop while one foot scratched the other.
"But what are you doing here?" Mello asked "Not that I'm not glad to see you in person. But you said you were busy with the Kira case."
"I was and am," Ryuzaki muttered, eying the chocolate bar in Mello's hand "But I wanted to come meet the new third in person."
Matt blinked.
"Me?" He asked, pointing at himself. Ryuzaki accepted half the chocolate bar offered to him and nodded "Yes. Roger tells me your quite a burst of energy despite what's happened to you."
Ryuzaki looked at Matt with knowing eyes and Matt unconsciously touched his goggles.
"The died in a fire right?" Ryuzaki asked, popping the chocolate into his mouth. Matt nodded and dropped his hand back down to his side.
"Hmm, Near, would you or Mello please explain to Matt who I am later?" Ryuzaki asked. Mello shrugged and Near, who was know sitting on the floor beside the blonde, nodded.
"Good," Ryuzaki continued "Anyway, as I said I am here to meet Matt. So Mello, Near, run along."
Both boys looked disappointed but did as they were told and retreated. Matt gave Mello a small wave that earned him a nod.
"Let's go for a walk." Ryuzaki turned and began to walk toward the front doors without another word. He didn't even look around to see if Matt was following him, which he was.
"So," Ryuzaki bit the candy part off of his lollipop and glanced at Matt "You came here around the eleventh of December right?"
"Yes sir."
"You were enrolled in pubic school before this correct?"
"Yes sir." Matt repeated. Ryuzaki nodded and pulled from his pocket a leather bag. It contained little squares of chocolate which Ryuzaki started to unwrap. He throw several into his mouth and chewed silently as the two pushed out of the orphanage and into the grounds.
"Matt, your Mello's roommate right?" Ryuzaki asked, his mouth momentarily empty.
"Yes."
"How's life?"
Matt blinked "Fine I guess."
"How are you fitting in?"
"Um, okay I think."
"Your wondering why I'm asking this stuff right?" Ryuzaki asked, slowing down to walk next to Matt instead of in front of. Matt nodded. Ryuzaki shrugged "Because I'm not sure how much time I have left. Ever heard of Kira?"
"Who hasn't?"
"Point taken. Did you know I'm on the Kira case?"
"No."
Ryuzaki munched on his chocolate which Matt noticed, from an oozing one, was full of cherry cream. The detective swallowed and continued "Before now I've only contacted the children of Wammy through computer."
Matt nodded.
"It's easier to get to know someone when your talking face to face." Ryuzaki explained "And I wanted to see that the L legacy is in good hands. On the off chance Near and Mello's grades were to suddenly drop or if they were to die then you would become L. Therefore I would like to know a bit about you."
"I... guess that makes sense," Matt agreed slowly. Ryuzaki was slowly emptying his bag of chocolates and was glancing back toward the orphanage "Let me see your hands Matt."
"My hands?" Matt asked, looking over his slightly dirty palms.
"Yes, one can learn a lot from hands."
Matt shrugged and extended his hands to the rugged haired detective. Ryuzaki brought his thumb to his mouth and tilted his head around, taking in the limb from every angle.
"Do you like technology Matt?"
Matt blushed "Yes."
"Would you consider it an obsession."
"...Yes." Matt retracted his hands, stuffing them into his pockets where his gameboy's warm heat greeted him. Ryuzaki nodded, eyes unreadable "Do you have a computer?"
"No, I sometimes use the orphanage's but it's usually crowded in there." Matt shrugged, trying to fake nonchalant. Ryuzaki smirked "Would you like one of your own?"
YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!
"Yeah." Matt tried to sound calm even though his mind was singing happy songs.
"I think that can be arranged. On one condition" Ryuzaki's eyes gleamed.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Matt asked, excitement growing.
"Bring me some cake from the kitchen."
Matt blinked.
Ryuzaki's bag of chocolates was empty accept for the wrappings.
"You would give me a laptop for a cake?"
"Yep."
"..."
"..."
"You would give me a laptop for a cake?" Matt repeated, his eyes wide "That's it?"
"Maybe some chocolate too... does the kitchen have any white chocolate? Hmm I wonder..." Ryuzaki put a hand to his chin, eyes upward.
"Deal."
…
"Oh. My. God."
It was shiny.
"No. Way."
It was new.
"Mello."
It was a laptop
"Pinch me!"
It got him a smack to the back of the head.
Matt rubbed his head and glanced over at Mello who had retracted his hand and was biting a bar of chocolate.
"I said pinch!"
"Hmm."
"Your mean!"
"It's not like your hurt." Mello retorted, closing his book.
Most people were avoiding Mello but not Matt. They still feared Mello would lash out but Mello was over his little tantrum and had gone back to studying to beat Near. His anger hadn't resurfaced after Matt had dulled it. But this also meant they had the library, where they were currently sprawled out in, to themselves. Mello was surrounded but books and chocolate wrappers. A pencil, dull from use was in his hand and a new unpointed pencil was resting behind his ear.
Matt was sitting crosslegged against a bookcase and was running his fingers over his brand new laptop. Cake and chocolate had bought him this...
"I love Ryuzaki," Matt breathed as he kissed the lid of his new computer "I wish he had stayed longer."
Mello grunted but didn't answer. L had stopped by to talk to both the blonde and Near before he left in a black car, driven by Watari, to head for the airport.
"Hmm, this computer doesn't have a camera, strange."
"That's because Wammy house doesn't allow cameras."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Matt shrugged off this piece of information and opened up a window in Firefox "So Mels, why don't you ever use the computer for studies."
"I prefer to avoid the Internet in case some stupid little five year old finds it funny to post false information on a subject and don't call me Mels." Mello replied without looking up. Matt smiled and his fingers zoomed across the keys, bringing up a website devoted to DS games "Just give up Mels. Your fighting a losing battle."
"Again, don't call me that and shut up."
Matt snicked and concentrated on reading the description for the lasted Zelda game. Mello tapped his pencil lightly as he thought carefully about an equation before jotting down an answer. Silence had filled the large library and neither were in a hurry to break it. It was a comfortable silence, peaceful.
Matt yawned and shut his computer lid. He put it on the ground next to him and brought his knees up to his chest. He rested his head on them and watched Mello work sleepily. The warmth of the day and the light smell of chocolate lolled Matt into a doze. The scratching of Mello's pencil made him smile. If he hadn't been focused on the sounds of the pencil he would have never noticed it's absents.
"Mello?" Matt muttered as he cracked open his eyes. The soundless pencil lay on Mello's still open book but the blonde wasn't there.
"Mello?" Matt called again, louder this time. No voice answered.
"Boo!"
Matt jumped "Lily! Don't do that!"
Lily laughed and skipped around the bookcase "Sorry Matty, it was just to tempting."
"What's up?" Matt asked, scooting over to let her sit down next to him.
"Well, I wanted to apologize. You know, for yelling and stuff." Lily blushed, looking down at her fingers that were twisting around each other. Matt shrugged. To be honest he had forgotten all about the shouting match him and Lily had had.
"No worries. I'm sorry too, I was a jerk." Matt waved her apology away and gave her a small one arm hug. The blonde's blush deepened and she smiled "I can't stay mad at you."
Matt grinned "Good because a mad Lily is no fun. So, how goes life?"
"Good." Lily grinned "Although I think a job in Frisbee is out of the question.
"You were pretty bad, no offense." Matt laughed with her. Lily nodded "None taken. I'm not the most coordinated person around."
"I know this must sound pretty lame but what do you want to be when you grow up?" Matt asked smiling over at her.
Lily thought for a moment before answering "A lawyer I think. I know I can't surpass you, Mello, or Near."
"A lawyer huh?" Matt scratched his chin "Well good luck."
"What are you going to be?"
"Me? Not sure. I'm not even going to try to surpass Near or Mels. I think maybe a job with computers..."
Lily's smile faltered "Mels?"
"Yeah! Mello." Matt smiled at her. She didn't return it.
"You call him Mels?"
"...Yeah..." Matt's smile faded as well "What's wrong Lilly?"
"Are you two friends?"
Matt blinked. Then he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He slowly bristled, his eyes narrowing "And if we are?"
"Mello isn't anyone's friend Matt." Lily told him, her voice stiff with poorly concealed anger "Don't get attach!"
"Why do you care Lily?"
Lily narrowed her eyes "I don't trust him."
"You don't have to." Matt retorted rather snobbishly. Lily glared at him "What about all the times he hit you? Does that not matter anymore?"
"What about when we fought?" Matt countered. How had their conversation gone from smiles and laughs to glares and scowls so quickly?
"That was verbal! Mello has physically attacked you!" Lily scowled and Matt glowered at her "I'm fine now so that doesn't matter."
"Oh?" Lily flicked the still visible cut on Matt's cheek "Your fine? Tell me, who did this to you?"
"It doesn't matter, butt out." Matt returned her scowl and crossed his arms like a child sulking after his mother had taken away his toys. Lily leaned closer "I won't! It was Mello wasn't it?"
"Get out of my face!"
"Wasn't it!"
"Seriously Lily, step off!"
"It was!"
"Please remove your presence."
Lily froze at the cold voice behind her. Matt looked up from Lily's terrified face to see a scowling Mello standing near the doorway, a box under his arm. Lily trembled as she rose, her head slowly turning to confirm her fear.
Mello took a step forward and Lily jumped back, looking scared. She glanced once at Matt before she slowly inched away from him. Mello's cat like eyes followed her as she edged toward the door, trying to keep her distance. Mello stepped further away from the door and Lily bolted, casting one finally look at the red-head still on the floor.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here," Matt said as Mello sank back down into his circle of books "but I think you scared her."
"Your genius."
"Awww, thanks Mello!"
"I was being sarcastic."
"I know!" Matt smiled cheerfully, scooting across the floor to see what was in the box Mello had brought. It was a box of candy. Most of it was chocolate but Matt spotted some taffy and a bag of jellybeans. He reached in without permission and pushed around the chocolate, looking for other candies. Chocolate, chocolate, fudge, chocolate, lemon drop, mints, chocolate, gummy worms, chocolate, more chocolate, here's a surprise: Chocola- WAIT!
"GUMMY WORMMEYS!" Matt practically dived into the box in his quest for the chewy worms. Mello ducked just in time to dodge Matt's flailing legs. Matt snatched up the bag of sweets and rolled around happily with the bag clutched to his chest. He let out a cat like purr and grinned.
"Hey Mello can I take your gummy worms? Sure no problem Matt, just take my ear drums too!" Mello muttered as he reached for a bar of chocolate.
"Thank you Mels." Matt rolled over to the blonde and hugged him. Mello rolled his eyes and pushed the ginger away "Go kiss your laptop or something."
"But then I'll get spit on it and then it will be all gross and then the saliva will leak into the keyword somehow then the laptop will fry and I will be sad and you don't want me to be all sad because then I will cry all over you chocolate and then you'll be angry and I'll like: "OH MY GOD RUN AWAY! Then you will be like: HEY MATT! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN HUG YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND AND I FORGIVE YOU-!"
Mello almost choked on his chocolate "What was that last part?"
"Nothing. Hey Mello." Matt sat up, suddenly serious. Mello glanced over, hearing the change on tone "What?"
"I have some questions."
"..."
"..."
"You do?"
"Yeah just a couple!"
"Um...go for it?"
"What's your favorite color?"
"That's it?"
"I have more but please just answer." Matt munched on a worm, gaze locked on the chocoholic. Mello thought for a moment, biting into his chocolate and chewing before he answered "Black."
"Really? You seemed like a yellow kinda person to me." Matt lay back down on his stomach, head propped up on his arm and one hand in his worms. Up went the eyebrows.
"Alright, why do you like black?" Matt continued.
"Black is a color that really isn't ever mixed with something else. You see blue-green or yellow-red but never red-black or blue-black. I kinda like how it stands on it's own." Mello shrugged. Matt's eyes were wide "Wow, that's deep Mels."
"Do you want me to continue answering or not?"
"No no! It's just I didn't expect that kind of answer. I never saw black like that."
Mello didn't reply so Matt carried on, going down the mental list Near had formed "What is your favorite season?"
"Autumn."
"Aww, because what's when you met me?"
"No." Came Mello's blunt reply. Matt smiled "Why do you like autumn?"
"Temperature. To wet in spring, to warm in summer, and to cold in winter."
"Okay next, dreams?"
"Beating Near and succeeding L."
"Fear?"
"No a chance."
"Come on Mels! You can tell me!"
"Nope, next?"
"Well..." Matt didn't really want to ask this one... Mello's real name...he was sure Mello wouldn't answer him.
"That's it." Matt said instead and Mello's eyes flashed suspiciously and he brought his chocolate away from his mouth "What is it Matt?"
"Nothing."
"Matt."
"Nothing."
Matt."
"Nothing."
"Matt."
Matt sighed "Okay, well, I'm pretty sure you won't answer this but... what is your favorite food?"
He chickened out.
Mello rolled his eyes and gave the obvious answer "Chocolate."
"The fact that your answering me shows were friends!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"YES!"
"No."
Author's note: Finally updated! It's been like...two days! Sorry If it's short or has some mistakes! I wanted to update before the weekend because I'm going places! Hope you liked L. Okay on another note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELLYS-GIRL! Who's birthday is in two days from when I upload this chapter! Six reviews for my last chapter I believe, Thanks to all my reviewers. Bonfire, those jelly beans were for you, enjoy. I will try to update Sunday but can't promise anything!
Please R&R!