Note: I know... I took my time updating Lionheart. I took my time to update anything at all, considering I haven't posted anything in three weeks more or less. But I had a good reason: real life. As much as I wanted to write, I had to find a new job first, being freelance wasn't possible anymore. Now that it's done, I'm back! (with a loooot of evil cliffies XD)

I'm updating Lionheart before Lithium, because I had this plot preventing me from focusing on Lithium. It's been on my mind since I began Lionheart and I keep mixing ideas with Lithium so I guess it's better I finish Lionheart before going back to Lithium.

So far I have up to chapter 8 written, but since I'm a cruel bitch, you'll have one per day during the following days, it will probably be 10 chapters once complete so expect 5 days of updates starting today ^^
Then I promise, I'll be back with Lithium, and I'll complete the umpteen remaining chapters!

I promise I'll reply to the private messages I got, too. Sorry about not replying earlier.

The room was silent. Even the battery of the clock hung to the wall seemed to die to preserve the calm from its annoying ticking. Only some faraway cars on the fastway took their chance at breaking the train of Mello's thoughts.

Matt had left for work early that morning, and Mello was still lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He would have to show up at the Mafia hideout at a moment or another, but right now, his mind was focused on the loop made by his guilt for biting Matt the previous night, the fact he didn't know why he did that, and the knowledge that since Matt had left early and himself would be back very late in the night, it meant they would barely see each other today, and Matt would probably feel bad or cry once again. The thoughts turned round and round in his head, and Mello felt overwhelmed by them, in a very negative way. Suffocated. Because he had no solution. And after all, how could he solve a problem when he didn't even know what the problem was?

They could be perfectly happy if Matt stopped being so dependant, and the blond even felt like he wouldn't have been violent with him the previous night during their lovemaking if Matt didn't make him feel this way.
Mello had always been the kind to take out his anger on others. Be it being mad at himself or at anyone else, other kids at Wammy's had always taken the beating nonetheless.

No, Matt wasn't guilty. Mello sat on the border of the bed, shaking his head. He couldn't hold Matt responsible for his own mistakes, Matt was the way he was, and Mello couldn't blame the redhead for loving him that much, and above all for the anger himself felt in front of his own inability to make his lover feel better, to fulfil his every need.
"I'm such a crappy boyfriend..." Mello whispered, heading for the shower. He knew deep inside that Matt wasn't the violent kind and that protected or not, he would never fight back, he'd probably let himself be beaten to death rather than giving violence back. But Mello couldn't help but scold himself for protecting him, maybe if he hadn't been behind his back all the time, Matt would have stood for himself someday?
Matt had the guts to do it, Mello could feel it in their rough lovemaking, when Matt dominated him so completely the blond could only play the ragdoll in his arms. It wasn't a matter of strength, so why? And at the same time, yesterday, it was Matt who went limp in his arms, tender and sweet, not a single harsh move, just softness all along...

Mello finally rinsed the shampoo as he realised he had been painfully scrubbing his scalp, lost in his confusing thoughts. A few minutes later, he was riding his Honda, heading for the Mafia hideout, trying to leave the confusion behind.

Matt started as the door rang. Mello never rang, he had his own set of keys, and no one ever came in the shithole they lived in. Except for the postman sometimes, but it was much later than the time the postman usually appeared at.
The redhead pushed the interphone button: "Yeah?"
"I have a delivery for Mr Link, Mario Link. Is that you?" a young male voice replied in the device.
Matt smiled. Mello was inventive for sure.
"Yeah, that's me, second floor, left door."
He opened the door as he heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and closed it back again with a foot once the young delivery boy left. His arms full with a huge cardboard box, he crossed the room to deposit the package on the coffee table, barely seeing where he was going.

After rummaging in the kitchen for scissors, Matt came back with a knife and quickly cut the plastic security encircling the box, before pulling the top open.
His eyes went wide at the sight of the latest gaming device he was waiting for since he had learnt it would be out soon, along with several games.
"Oh Mello..." he sighed happily as he stirred the console and games from the box, spotting an envelop at the bottom of the package.
"Hey sweetie, I'll probably come home late tonight, I may not even come back at all, I'm really sorry but my boss insisted to give me extra work and I can't refuse since there's a promotion in the end (which means that after tonight I won't be working so late anymore, so please don't me mad at me, there's something good in the end!) and I thought this could help you pass time until I can hold you in my arms again. I miss you. M."

Matt read the card several times, imprinting every word in his mind, analysing, over analysing, and finally broke down and cried.
He didn't know how to understand these words, this attention. Would Mello really leave him alone all night? Would he come back at all? Was he trying to make excuses to stay away from him? Was he spending the night with someone else? Was he saying the truth about not coming back late after tonight?
Matt knew he should believe his boyfriend, there was no reason not to... Mello had never lied to him, he was the only one he trusted, after all. So why? Why the doubts? Why the pain? Why the tears?
Irrationally, the redhead went on torturing himself with negative thoughts of Mello in someone else's arms, making fun of him alone at home playing his new games while he was fucking someone else.

Slowly, Matt stood up. Staying still, unmoving except for his fists clenching so tightly his nails dug in his palms, he tried to reason himself. He felt double, and briefly wondered about his sanity. He knew Mello wasn't lying, but still he destroyed every positive thought in his mind replacing each one with the worst scenario about Mello cheating on him.
He knew Mello loved him, but still he turned the beautiful feeling into a fake interest, into Mello staying with him only because he couldn't stand for himself.
Matt became suddenly sure that if he stood for himself someday, then Mello would leave him, because if Matt didn't need protection, then Mello wouldn't have a reason to stay anymore. Maybe that's what he'd unconsciously done for years, after all... making sure he needed protection in order to make Mello care for him.
"I won't stop..." Matt murmured to himself, "I'll never let you go..."

Picking up his phone, Matt dialed the number of his job place.
"Calvin, hello."
"Hey, Calvin, it's Matt, I need to talk to the boss..."
"'kay, wait a minute."
The sound of the receiver hitting the counter resounded, soon followed by steps fading away and heavier ones coming a while later.
"Hi Matt, what's up?"
"Hello Mister Wayne, I just called to say I quit."
"Oh!? Why? Is there a problem?"
"There's no particular reason, I just want to quit."
"Wait, you can't quit like that, wait at least that I find someone to replace you!"
"I'm sorry Mister Wayne, I can't."
"Ok... I guess I can't do anything to convince you... but I didn't see that coming..."
"I'm sorry. Goodbye."
Matt ended the conversation as quickly as he could. Mister Wayne had been kind enough to hire him despite his poor skills and his lack of social abilities, and he felt a bit guilty to abandon the man like this, but he needed to.

Smiling to himself, Matt finally sat on the couch after plugging his new console and inserting one of the games in it, launching the system. He would wait for Mello, and everything would be fine once Mello would be home. Everything would be perfect, forever...

Mello hesitated slightly before turning the key. He carefully pushed the door open, readying himself for a storm named Matt to hit him, but even once he stood in the living room, nothing came.
"Matt?" he called, after his eyes wandered all around the room, the redhead being nowhere in sight.
The new console and games had obviously been used so the package had arrived and Matt had evidently enjoyed it, but there was no trace of his boyfriend. The bed was made, the cushions on the couch arranged, the kitchen was clean, he noticed, as he deposited the groceries he had bought on his way home on the counter. Matt seemed to have gone on a cleaning spree.
"He can't be at work, it's sunday..." the blond mumbled, calling his boyfriend once again, "Matt? Where are you?"
Mello spotted Matt's furry vest on the back of the desk chair. The redhead wasn't out. His cigarettes and lighter on the desk confirmed that.

It's only when the sound of running water stopped that Mello finally noticed it had been running all along since he arrived home. He walked to the bathroom, the door opening as he put his hand on the knob, pulling him forward, making him lose his balance.
"Mello!" Matt yelled, catching his boyfriend before the fall, "Mello, you're finally home!"
The redhead hugged him so tightly that Mello couldn't breathe properly. "Hey, I'll soon leave feet first if you suffocate me like this!" the blond laughed, steadying himself on his feet and pecking Matt on the lips.

Matt buried his face in Mello's neck, inhaling him. He smelled of leather, chocolate, smoke, and something else he couldn't place. But there was no trace of perfume, except a faint smell of shampoo fragrance. He withdrew to face Mello and smiled contentedly.
"Hey, making sure I don't reek of girl perfume?" Mello chuckled, teasing his boyfriend as he cupped his left cheek with his palm. But Matt's expression quickly told him that it was exactly what he had done. "Matt. Tell me you didn't... how can you think..." Mello didn't even know if he felt anger, deception or surprise. Why? Why would Matt do that, think that?
"Sorry..." Matt whispered, lowering his eyes as tears began to spill.
Mello cupped his other cheek and forced Matt to look at him.
"Matt. What did I do to make you believe I could cheat on you? Please tell me you won't imagine things each time we're not together! You know we can't always be together!"

Of course they could! But Matt knew better than say it out loud, for Mello probably wasn't ready to hear that.
"I'm sorry, it was stupid... I just had a bad day yesterday and I'm a bit losing it..."
"Tell me what happened sweetheart..." Mello hugged the redhead, stroking his silky locks, still damp from the shower. Matt seemed worried, more than usual at least.
"I lost my job..."
"What?! How did that happen?" Mello faced Matt again, searching for his eyes, looking at him in disbelief.
"It's not going that well and the boss needed to reduce the staff, and since I was the last one arrived... it's nobody's fault... I'll find something else." Matt replied. There. Mello wouldn't be able to fix that, the lie was good enough so there was no way Mello showed up at his job place to have them take him back.

"You already had a hard time finding this one..." the blond sighed, but he quickly thought better of it, not wanting to sound like he wasn't supportive, "I mean, don't bother searching for something else, I know how much you dislike going out and all, it's ok, you don't have to work, I earn enough for both of us. Especially since I got promoted..." he added the last sentence, waiting for Matt to react.
"Really? You really don't mind me staying at home?"
Mello stared at Matt. Did he really not care about his promotion? Was all he cared about the fact he could now stay at home?
He couldn't be mad at Matt for that, the redhead was beaming, and seeing his lover so happy was worth this little disappointment.

Matt exulted. Mello would never leave him or abandon him, right? After all, Mello now knew that Matt relied on him completely, so he would never let him on his own...

"I've bought stuff to celebrate my promotion..." Mello said, letting go of Matt and heading for the kitchen.
"Leave it all to me! I'll run you a bath, just relax while I prepare everything, ok?" Matt was almost jumping from joy, adjusting the tap of the bathtub and pouring some dark liquid from a bottle Mello had never seen.
"What's that?" the blond asked, bending above the tub to look at the foam forming as water mixed with the brown bubble liquid.
"Chocolate bubbles, I bought them for you..."
Mello smiled and kissed Matt tenderly, "You should be the one soaking in this bath, after all, I'm the one that loves chocolate here, and I plan to have you for dessert." he winked.
"Not before I devour you for lunch." Matt grinned, leaving the bathroom door open as he left.
Mello chuckled, throwing his clothes in the laundry basket before letting himself slide in the hot water, sighing in delight.

Relaxing and cleaning himself, Mello could hear Matt hum in the kitchen, along with sounds of spoons in bowls and oil frying. Soon, the smell of food came to his nostrils, and his stomach forced him to get out of the water and dry himself, hunger poking at him.
Bare chest, wearing only sweatpants, he entered the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Matt with an apron, preparing two plates of italian food.
"Hey, I could get used to my little Mattie-housewife..." Mello whispered in the redhead's ear, snaking his arms around his waist from behind, before giving a small lick on his earlobe.
Matt's grin of delight was eloquent. His boyfriend was happy. He could make him happy.

Since Mello was now the boss of his own Mafia branch, he wouldn't have to obey orders anymore, thus he could come and go as he wished. He wouldn't be away from home as much as before, Matt wouldn't be working anymore therefore he wouldn't put himself in trouble anymore, and everything would be perfect.
What more could they ask for?

Swallowing the last bit of his food, Mello stirred. "I'll need to go to work tonight, only for one hour or two though, just something urgent to do, but right now, I'll gladly have my dessert..."
His smile vanished as Matt's eyes darkened into this expression Mello still hadn't placed.
"Let's see who's gonna eat who..." Matt purred, sliding from his stool and pulling Mello in his arms. But in this purr, Mello didn't only feel lust and seductiveness, he felt a threat.