Author's note: Ok, pretty much all the explicit violence/rape is gone though this chapter is still rated just to be safe because it involves Matt's *stabbing* from Mello's point of view. Do not read if you're uncomfortable with it, thank you. Please enjoy, or not.

Mello

I gulped as Jake ran a smooth hand down my thigh, spreading my legs apart again. At that point, I wanted to fight back, I tried to, but I couldn't. My energy was gone, all of it. Though I didn't want to 'take it like a good boy', and I wasn't enjoying this at all, my throat was dry and rough and I couldn't speak. The only thing I could do was continue staring at Jake pitifully with tear filled eyes, praying that it would help with something.

It didn't work, as expected. He ran his tongue against his bottom lip, leaning forward like he was about to kiss me. I bit my lips together and closed my eyes. Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the alleyway and a loud gasp sounded through it, distracting everyone.

"Mello!" Someone called. My eyes blinked open. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was drenched with desperation and despair; it was nostalgic. My heart skipped as I looked up to meet the face of that one person I could still depend on.

"M—Matt." My voice trembled. He shouldn't be here, he was going to get hurt so badly. I was about to scream at him to get out, to warn him, but the other guys had already noticed him.

"Hey, who is that?"

"Get him out of here!"

Shit. I turned back to Jake, who was seething. He got up swiftly, making his way towards Matt with utmost confidence and there was nothing I could do to stop him. He stopped when he was just a few inches from Matt, his arms crossed over his chest. Matt was glaring, obviously not scared off by Jake, though I wished he was so that he would just run away and not get himself hurt because of me. My heart pounded as Jake stared down at Matt like he was nothing.

"Heard that, lil' boy? Scoot."

"Get your head out of your ass, missy. I'm not leaving without Mello." I could only observe his back, but even then I could tell that Jake was pissed. Matt had defied him.

"Really? Well, you're gonna have to wait a little longer, we're not done with him yet," he spat.

Matt's eyes met mine for just a moment before he redirected his gaze back to Jake, his jaw clenched. "Shut up you fucktard! Hand him over!" He dashed forward, attempting to push past Jake. I saw the punch coming, but Mat didn't and by the time I managed to shout out a warning, he was already stumbling backwards, holding on to his chin. My voice got caught in my throat as I watched him straighten up, trying to ignore the pain.

"Step away from him, this means war," Jake muttered as the rest of the group gathered behind him. Even Rick set his camcorder down gently to assist them.

They were going to attack him all at once? All six of them against Matt? My heart started beating even faster; I was afraid, for Matt, afraid that he wouldn't make it out alive, that he was going to get injured. There was no way he was getting out of the battle without a broken arm or leg. But Matt didn't seem scared at all.

He grinned. "Six against one, that's not very fair, is it?" He didn't bother waiting for a response before surging forward and bringing his knee to Jake's stomach. Jake hunched over, groaning while hugging his torso. With their 'leader' down, the rest began to attack.

They closed in around him, kicking, scratching, punching, and Matt was stuck in the middle. I couldn't stop myself from crying. Seeing Matt get tossed around while he tried to protect me. Was this really what I wanted? I wanted to be saved, but not at the expense of Matt, not if he was going to get harmed by doing so. My heart started to ache as I called out his name again and again. "Take me, take me instead!" I cried with desperation, and I meant it, as long as Matt got out of harm's way. I'd give myself to them a thousand times over to save him. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting abused that way. What was this feeling? What was that feeling when you would do anything to protect that one person, when you would go out of your way to make sure they were alright? I was feeling it now while being forced to watch Matt get bashed through and through, and it hurt. Matt was up there fighting for me, and what the fuck was I doing? I'd hurt him so much in the span of time that we had known each other, and yet, he was still sacrificing for me.

I stopped praying for myself and began praying for him.

My eyes smarted, nails unknowingly scratching on the rough surface of the wall behind me. Suddenly, I caught some guy sneak up behind Matt with a pocket knife in his hand. My eyes widened with realization. "Matt! Matt!" I yelled just as Matt seemed to notice him, turning around to slam him into the wall. "Matt…!"

It was too late. By the time I had tried to warn him, it was too late. The choked scream he let out indicated what I had feared the most. He went weak, knees caving in as he fell to the ground holding on to his bleeding abdomen. "MATT! MATT! OH MY GOD, MATT!" I was screaming like a mad person by then, even more tears spilling out. I was crying a river, repeatedly calling out his name like it was a mantra, my voice coming out in short, wheezing gasps. I desperately wanted to be the one beside him, stopping the pain, telling him that everything would be okay. I wanted to hold his hand, I wanted to kiss him, I still had so much to tell him; was this really where it ended?

"Whoo hoo Mike! You brought him down all on your own!" All the boys praised, running over.

Jake went over, a sadistic smile plastered to his face. "Hmm, not so cocky now are we?" He muttered, kicking Matt in his side. I winced, stopping my screaming for a moment.

"C—coming from…s—someone who—who wasn't even…helping h—his mates out…in the…fight," Matt replied bravely.

But Jake did not look satisfied with the bravery. The look he casted Matt spelled trouble all over. Something terrible was about to happen. "Mike, hand me the knife," he demanded, furious, reaching out his arm. "I'll finish him off."

Mike stared at him, frightened. "W—what? Jake…"

"Shut the fuck up and hand me the knife!"

Without anymore hesitations, the knife was thrown over to him. I knew what was coming before he even kneeled down, holding the blade up ready to strike. "Jake, stop! Please, stop!" I wailed and wailed, shaking so hard my teeth chattered. "PLEASE, STOP! SOMEONE FUCKING STOP HIM!" Matt was about to die, he was about to get killed right in front of me!

In the heat of the moment, my screams felt like the only thing that filled the air. I didn't even notice the police sirens blasting through the night until some policemen entered the alleyway, holding everyone at gunpoint. "Keep your hands in the air and drop all weapons!" They ordered as everyone turned to them. Jake dropped the knife immediately, holding his hands up in surrender as the others followed suit. They were all led to the police car as I fell back against the wall, stunned. Did that really just happen? Was I dreaming?

"Are you alright?" A hoarse voice asked. I looked up and met the eyes of a policeman.

"A—are you real…?"

He smiled, kneeling down. "Very much."

"You s—saved us…"

"Just doing my job." He began working on untying my hands and once that was done, he helped me pull my pants up and handed me a soft blue blanket. I was disheveled with a neck full of hickies with cum on my face and dripping out of me; I must've looked like such a whore. But if he was judging me, he certainly didn't show it on his face. "You okay to move?" he asked, patting my shoulder.

"J—just give me a minute."

He nodded knowingly but didn't leave my side. I turned to look at the scene nearby. Matt was currently surrounded by a group of policemen who were pressing down on his wound, and Duncan. The policeman in front of me followed the direction of my gaze. "Don't worry, he'll be fine," he assured, rubbing my back. How did he expect me not to worry? Matt was stabbed. He was bleeding. He was…he was suffering.

"What are you going to do to those boys who did this?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, we're gonna charge 'em."

"You charge them good."

Just then, the ambulance arrived and three paramedics came out with a gurney, quickly lifting Matt onto it before loading him into the back of the ambulance. The policeman wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up, wrapping the blanket around my shivering form before supporting me into the ambulance. Matt's stretcher took up most of the space, but I could squeeze in by the side with the paramedics. The kind policeman waved goodbye to me before closing the door behind him. The minute I saw Matt lying there, face pale and drained of energy, I couldn't stop myself from crying. I placed my hand on his cheek as my hot tears spilled down my face.

"Oh God, Matt…Are—are you alright?" It was a stupid question; of course he wasn't alright; but I didn't know what else to say. But I didn't feel like I had the right to ask him that, I was the one who landed him in this state.

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Don't you worry about me; you got hurt too. I can't believe those pricks…I'm gonna kill—" Just then, he erupted into a coughing fit, cutting himself off.

I felt a pang in my chest. "Matt…" he wasn't ok at all, not at all, and all he could think about was me. The feeling from before bubbled up my chest again as I watched him force out a sorry smile.

"Don't worry about me, silly…I'm perfectly fine…"

He was lying. He wasn't fine. All these nasty thoughts ran through my mind, like what if Matt didn't make it out alive? What if he…then what would happen to me then? He'd have left me behind even though he's the only person I could imagine spending the rest of my pathetic life with. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Where the hell could I go without him?

"You idiot! You stupid idiot!" I cried, carefully pushing him gently. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why the hell did you jump in like that?" What the hell was I supposed to do with myself if something worse than the stabbing occurred? Was I supposed to just forget about him, just move on like that? Impossible. He came into my life and changed everything, he had better suck it up and take responsibility.

He stared at me for a moment, processing his thoughts carefully. "Because I love you." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I was stunned, unable to reply. "Yes, Mello... I love you. I'm not kidding... It's completely true. Which is why I'm wondering, Mello, d-do you like me too? It doesn't have to be love. J-just anything..." His voice got softer and softer. "I just…want you to make it clear…" His eyes began to close, his final question coming out as a whimper. "Do you love…me…or not…" his eyes finally shut, voice fading completely.

He passed out. Before I could even give him an answer he passed out on me.

I broke down then, sobbing harder than I ever had in my entire life. The paramedics were aware, staring, but I didn't care. I felt like I had just heard the most heartbreaking, purest confession ever. Of course I loved him. This feeling I had been mistaking for numbness and confusion was love all along, and I just noticed it. And now it might be too late to admit it. I nodded, praying that everything was alright, as I clutched onto his hand for the entire journey.

…

It was near midnight when we arrived at the hospital. They left me in a vast white room that smelled of disinfectant as Matt got carted off somewhere else. A women dressed in a white coat was in there as well, who I assumed to be a nurse of some sort. Her name was Paula, I learned. She smiled widely and I noticed the spots of cherry red lipstick on her front tooth.

"How are you? Do you feel ok?" she asked, voice full of syrup, and patted my hand. I had my body checked before this and the policemen had interviewed me, so right now I was just waiting for Matt.

"I don't care about me. Where's Matt?" I demanded like a spoilt child.

She smiled again, but more sympathetically this time. "Oh, honey, your friend's going to be just fine."

"Tell me the truth." Her smile faded slightly. "Please," I added for good measure.

She played with the beaded bracelet around her right wrist as she continued to stare into my eyes. "Don't you worry, sweetheart." I wished she would stop calling me all these pet names; they weren't reassuring at all. "I don't know what's going on with your friend so I can't tell you anything right now, but I want you to have faith."

"I had faith a long time ago, but that didn't help!" I snapped. Her eyes widened and she recoiled, smile diminishing completely. Shit, now I feel bad. But that's not the point! Matt was God knows where, getting a fucking stab wound treated, and I was just sitting here waiting on my ass for a miracle to happen. I wanted to do something, anything to help, even a little. I rubbed my temples, thinking of something to say. "Look, I'm sorry, I know this isn't your fault but…but I just…he's really important to me and I want to know he's okay. Sorry, sorry."

"Don't apologize, dear, this isn't your fault either. I know you're frustrated too. Let's just do something to distract you a little, eh?"

"Like what?" I asked skeptically. I highly doubt there is anything right now that can distract me.

She took out a deck of cards, waving it excitedly. I sighed, but decided to play just to keep her satisfied. She shuffled the deck and started to hand out some cards. "What are we playing?"

"Blackjack?"

"Can that even be played with just two players?"

She laughed. "We'll make it happen."

We played blackjack for three hours straight until I started to feel drowsy.

"Tired?" Paula asked, setting her cards down.

I nodded, rubbing my sore eyes.

"You can take a nap on the couch. It's a little small but—"

"I'll take it," I interrupted. At this point, I didn't really care. She led me to the sofa and offered me a sheet to cover myself with. "Wake me up if there's some news about Matt," I mumbled before I drifted off into a slumber.

…

I woke up to the feeling of someone shaking me gently, calling out my name. "Mello?" It was Paula. I turned away from her, wanting to sleep some more.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"It's 5am." I'd only been sleeping for two hours. "But Mello, you told you to wake me up if I heard news about Matt…" hearing that, I sat up immediately. I looked at her hopefully, willing her to tell me something I wanted to hear. She sighed, holding on to my hands. Oh shit…Holding my breath, I nodded to her. "Mello," she looked up at me, still using her thumb to stroke the back of my hand absentmindedly. Please be alright, Matt, please… "The doctors just informed me that Matt is completely fine. They have already cleaned up his wound and taken care of everything, although he's still unconscious, but he is out of danger."

My breath tumbled out once I heard that. "Oh, thank God." She smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth again. "W—what ward is he in?"

"Room 34."

"Thank you for everything, Paula," I said, standing up and dashing out the door. I didn't take long to find the ward. I pushed the door open softly and went in slowly. At first, all I could see was white, but then I saw Matt lying on a bed in the middle of the room. There was a doctor in a lab coat standing beside the bed monitoring his heartbeat while writing something on a clipboard.

"Oh, hello. I'm Dr. Spencer" he said when he noticed me walk into the room.

"Uhm…can I see him?"

"O-oh, of course."

I walked over to the bed cautiously, leaning over to gaze at Matt. He was unconscious, as Paula had mentioned earlier, but he seemed so lifeless it was scary. His skin emitted a translucent hue, like he was already halfway to heaven. I didn't even notice I was crying until the doctor walked over to wrap an arm around my shoulder.

"He's ok, don't worry," he consoled. "Fortunately, the knife was a pocket one, so it missed all his vital organs and didn't do much damage. We had to give him a tetanus vaccination to ensure he wouldn't get any infection from the metal. The wound is cleansed and laceration repair was carried out to remove all the harmful bodies in the wound. He also had to receive 35 stitches, but he is completely out of harm's way now. You don't have to worry at all."

I sniffed, wiping my tears away, feeling a bit more reassured. "When will he wake up?"

"Ooh, that's a tricky one. We can't be too sure, but it's definitely within the next twelve hours."

"Can I stay in here until then, please?"

He grinned, rubbing my shoulder. "Of course. We'll be back in an hour to check for anything irregular, but feel free to wait for his awakening. Just take a seat right there." He gestured to an armchair at the corner of the room.

"Thank you."

"Don't mentioned it." With that being said, he hung the clipboard at the end of the bed and flashed one more comforting smile at me before he left. I stood beside the bed for what seemed like an eternity just staring at Matt's face looking out for any signs of awakening, but when it soon became clear that he was not going to wake up anytime soon, I dragged the heavy armchair over to the side of the bed and sat down on it. I rested my head on his torso, intertwining my fingers through his. He was going to wake up, of course he was. The doctor had said so. Matt was going to wake up and when he did, I would be right here beside him, ready to tell him my answer. Grinning to myself at the thought, I muttered one last prayer before falling asleep again.

Author's note: ANDDD now all you lovelies know about Mello's feelings. Ah how nice it is to be young again…I actually did research for this chapter to find out the procedures to treating a stab wound since I don't have any personal experience, fortunately, so sorry if any of the details are slightly off. I also didn't actually know how long Matt would be unconscious for or how many stitches he would need so I made that part up, so sorry again if it's complete bullshit. Let's all hope for Matt to wake up soon so they can get on with doing the nasty, but that's a story we'd better save for another day *wink*. Though I'm looking forward to it too haha. Anyhou, this chapter is REALLY long, isn't it? Yeah, it is. Sorry for speaking so much gibberish I'm just kindof bored right now. Sigh. My dog has ticks so my mom's picking them off him now. Oh yes, and I recently became a beta reader so PM me of you're in need of one and I will certainly not hesitate to offer my services! Ok, that's it then. Peace, I'm out.

Totally irrelevant side note: there are SO many birthdays this month. Firstly, there was Shiro's (K project) birthday on the 1st June, then Denmark's (Hetalia) on the 5th, and Sweden's (Hetalia) on the 6th, then Mikami's (Death Note) on the 7th and Mukuro's (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) on the 9th , Kise's (Kuroko no Basuke) is coming on the 18th and my mom's on the 11th. Ok that last one is completely unrelated, sors. But you get the point.

Peace, I'm out [for real this time].