I do not own Death Note.
Warnings: There is some strong language (Mello is in this story :P), implied violence, and spoilers for both seasons.
A/N: I'm taking a few liberties with the timeline, but it follows the same chronological order as the canon events.
The ticking of the ventilation system eventually lulled Matt to sleep. He stirred two hours later to find himself laying alone in a mess of sheets. The redhead jumped up and glanced around for any sign of his bedmate. It was the scent of chicken and garlic that caused Matt to toss back the blankets and dawdle towards the kitchen.
The blond busied himself at the stove. Unknown to many, Mello was in fact a decent cook. Matt strode over to his lover and wrapped his arms around Mello, causing the latter to drop the spoon.
Mello glanced back at Matt and gave him that rare, sincere smile. "You woke up in time," Mello said in an even rarer gentle voice. He turned and kissed his boyfriend atop his head. "Dinner's almost ready."
"You didn't have to go to all that trouble," Matt said embracing the man dressed in black. He nuzzled into the side of Mello's scarred neck, inhaling that leather scent that radiated off of his clothes.
"You took care of me the past two weeks," Mello replied, returning his attention to the stove. He stirred the garlic rice twice more before turning off the appliance. "Let me return the favor."
Matt took his place at the already set table. It was not often that Mello showed such affection. The plate was set before him causing Matt to suddenly regret what he wanted to discuss with his lover. Mello sat across from him, picking up his fork, and prodding the food.
Matt pushed the rice about his plate, staring down at the food. Usually he would have scarved it down, but there was too much on his mind. Mello was in one of his rare good moods which left the older boy in a dilemma. The last thing he wanted was to ruin that mood, but then again it was the best time to discuss matters.
"Something wrong?" Mello asked, the glass of chocolate milk in hand. Matt glanced up to see Mello scrutinizing him.
Matt shook his head and shoved a large forkful into his mouth. He made noises that that complimented his boyfriend's cooking. Mello nearly smiled then resumed eating.
There was little conversation before Mello decided to drop the bomb.
"After dinner I have some business to attend to," he said, not bothering to make eye contact with the other. A few seconds of silence cued Mello to reveal his plan. He slightly leaned forward then added, "I have a few errands to run." Matt intentionally chose to ignore Mello. The former mafia boss frowned and his tone darkened as he revealed, "It's time to show them I'm not dead."
"Near?" Matt asked, not looking up at Mello. From his peripheral vision Matt saw Mello slightly nod. "He probably already knows," Matt said absently.
Mello clenched his teeth and fist at the other male's statement. However in the back of his mind he was aware that Near was too quick to simply accept the death of the second smartest Whammy boy without any concrete proof.
"Are you finally going to accept his request to work alongside him?" Matt asked, hoping that Mello had learned something after the last ordeal.
Mello answered his question with a scowl. "I just want that damn photograph back," he said with hatred in his voice. "I know he gave that information to the police."
"Then what?" Matt asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
"Then back to where we left off," the blond answered, gripping his glass.
"You mean before the accident?" Matt asked, gritting his teeth. The both of them were well aware that it was not an accident and was in fact Mello's own doing. It was a foolish action that almost cost Mello his life and he was more than ready to jump back into that dangerous line of work. His life was not a factor as long as he is the one to take Kira down. He was going to sacrifice it all to please a dead idol.
"Yes," Mello answered. "It was too close last time. I have to make sure I'm one step ahead of Kira."
Matt cringed at the mention of that murderer's name. It had been way too close last time.
"I'll take him down next time," Mello stated. "Even if it means taking out the both of us. I'll make sure he won't escape again."
With an irritated sigh Matt tossed his fork against his plate.
"What the Hell's wrong with you?" Mello yelled.
"You know, it...it doesn't matter," Matt said throwing his arms up. He collected his dishes and threw them into the sink, receiving some relief at the sound of plaster clanging against metal. He leaned against the counter, listening for the sound of Mello approaching him. Matt turned around to stare Mello in the eyes.
"Why you so pissy all of a sudden?" Mello snarled.
"When is it going to be enough?" Matt asked shortly.
"What the hell're you bitchin' about?" Mello shouted back.
Matt's glare intensified. The image of that night he discovered Mello ablaze resurfaced. He recalled all the tears that he shed for Mello's sleeping form, hoping and praying that he would make it out of surgery alive. The memories of Mello writhing in pain the day after the accident was an image his mind would never be relieved of.
Without knowing a tear slipped through his defenses. He sniffled hoping to suck that salt droplet back into his tear duct.
"Matt, you're crying," Mello said wiping away the streaming tear.
Matt clutched Mello's index and middle finger in his grasp. His body shook with a sob as he pulled Mello close to him. Matt's arms wrapped around Mello's toned form. He leaned his chin against Mello's shoulder. Mello stood speechless in utter confusion at the other man's behavior.
"Mello, please, don't do this anymore," Matt begged behind a sob. Mello opened his mouth, whether to question or protest, Matt was unsure, but he was not going to allow either to happen. "Please, either just let Near deal with it, or collaborate with him. Without the mafia, you don't have the same resources as him, he has the best chance of catching Kira."
Mello pushed Matt from him. "You want me to give up on the investigation?" he hissed. The glare burned into Matt. "After all I've done, after all I've been through you want me to just throw it all away?"
"All we've been through," Matt growled back.
"Don't you start that!" Mello yelled.
"It's always about you!" Matt retorted. "Why can't you just put your damn pride aside for a minute and think about me for once?"
"What does any of this have to do with you?"
Matt's eyes narrowed. He clenched his fists and held them tight to his sides so as not to grab Mello about the neck and strangle him.
"No, it's not about me," Matt said as another tear fell. "It's always you. It's always been about you. I'm just your little lackey, aren't I?"
"Matt," Mello interrupted.
"Shut up and listen to me!" Matt screamed. "For once you are going to stand there and hear me out."
"I don't have to put up with this shit!" Mello yelled, pushing his way past Matt and stomping towards the door. The leather-clad boy grabbed the keys resting on the side table then threw open the door.
With his back to Mello, Matt stood there and winced at the sound of the door slamming shut behind him. He listened to the sound of those heavy boots colliding with each step until Mello reached the bottom level. The familiar sound of a motorcycle starting up filled the outside air. In no time that vehicle sped off leaving Matt in the apartment all alone with his thoughts.
With a deep breath Matt grabbed the glass Mello had been drinking out of and chucked it against the wall. The cup shattered upon contact while Matt inhaled and exhaled rapidly as the shards tumbled to the ground. Matt sank into the chair with his face in his hands, tears rolling freely.
He hated himself for crying, but with the ever-present images of Mello's burning, unconscious body floating through his mind, there was nothing to keep his tears at bay. He wept bitterly at the thought of next time arriving too late and having to gaze upon Mello in a casket.
If only he could distance himself from the stubborn fool. If only he could make himself stop loving him.
Matt rested his head against the pillow, his eyes wide open. He found himself believing in a deity more often ever since Mello's accident. Despite the anger burning in his heart, there was no way his body would allow him to rest until Mello returned home.
After hours of waiting, eventually deciding to clean the broken glass from the kitchen floor, the front door slowly opened. Matt tightened his hold around himself. The sounds of the other human stomped around the kitchen before stepping into the bathroom. Matt shut his eyes to push back the tears. A few minutes later the bed sank as another weight was piled on top.
Two strong arms wrapped themselves around Matt's torso and pulled him close. Matt sighed, not having to glance back, for he had memorized those arms.
"I'm sorry," that familiar voice whispered. "I'm so sorry, Matt." Mello's hold tightened. Eventually Matt turned to face his boyfriend.
His face appeared sincere, but Matt was too used to apologies. Ever since they were kids, anytime Mello did anything that provoked Matt to anger, the blond came running back, bearing his heart and soul, confessing how sorry he was for his actions. At times Matt wondered if the apologies were only routine. Nonetheless, he fooled himself into accepting them each time. He would accept then things would be fine until the next fight where the cycle would repeat.
Too tired to bother any further, Matt snuggled close to Mello.
"You're forgiven," Matt whispered in a barely audible voice.
Those were the only words Mello needed to hear. He planted a kiss on Matt's forehead then embraced him once more. The two remained in each other's hold for the remainder of the night.
The next morning Matt was the first to wake. While Mello slept it was hard to believe he had such a harsh personality. He appeared so gentle with his eyes and mouth shut.
Matt sat on the edge of his bed thinking over their fight the previous night. He told Mello that he forgave him, but he knew that it was only to appease the moment. He wanted to discuss his feelings in a more civil manner, but decided to wait until after breakfast.
A few minutes later Mello rose and smiled at his lover. Matt ran his fingers through Mello's silky tresses. Mello moaned in pleasure at the touch. Matt wanted to crawl back into bed and spend the rest of the morning cuddling, but knew that Mello's touch had the magical ability to cause him to forget the reason for their quarrel.
Over breakfast Mello told Matt (after apologizing twice more for his behavior at dinner) of all that occurred the previous night. He told of how he kidnapped Halle from her hotel room in order to use her as a hostage to gain safe entrance into Near's headquarters. He neglected to mention that Near was not surprised by Mello's methods, nor the fact that he was still alive. It irked Mello to some extent that Near was always one step ahead of him that even faking his own death had no affect on the other genius. Near ordered his men not to harm Mello and allowed him to approach and freely speak. Near agreed to return the photograph and because of some misplaced sense of righteousness, Mello felt the need to offer up information regarding the shinigami and the notebook. While some scoffed at Mello's words, Near had every reason to believe him.
Mello ended his story with the news that he still had no intentions of working with Near. Matt held his tongue throughout, somewhat berating himself for not being there with Mello during the meeting. He would have liked the chance to see Near again, though he had a strong feeling that Mello would have refused to let Matt enter the building for his own safety. Matt only wished that Mello was willing have the same regards for his own life.
That was all that Mello said on the matters. He somewhat feared that Matt would start screaming again. A part of him wanted to know what it was that sent his beloved over the edge that night, but the majority of him wanted to avoid another argument. He needed energy and a clear mind to continue with the investigation.
When the meal was finished Mello excused himself to resume his work without so much as waiting for a response from the other man. Matt sighed and leaned his forehead against his hand. There was no time for fretting yet since Mello had yet to come up with another scheme to put himself at risk. However, Matt had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that it was only a matter of time before his love threw himself into the fire again, literally, for the sake of catching Kira. He would sacrifice himself, everything that Matt loved, to prove himself to both Near and L.
Thus ends chapter two. This was supposed to be a two-shot, but now it's going to be a three-shot. There will be a lot more angst and drama in the next chapter.
I hope you all enjoyed. Have a great day.