Authors note: So this is my favourite chapter. Hate me for it if you will but I seriously enjoyed writing this. I feel like the real Mello that's been hiding for so long has finally come out. It seriously makes me happy. If you missed the hints in the last few chapters it's here that Mello connects the dots. Read, review and enjoy.

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Mello closed his eyes but they opened immediately again. He still wanted to go up there and give Near a piece of his medicine but the idea that Matt would finally be back kept him sitting on the couch. His body ached in every sense of the word. He had no idea that the red head actually had it in him to throw a good fight. Apparently there was a lot in him that Mello didn't know about. He frowned at the idea.

Near. The idea reared up again, that it was the young white haired boy that Matt was with and it made him sick. Even if it wasn't true. Why would Matt not tell him all this time that he had went to live with Near? He just couldn't come up with an answer on his own. He stopped himself taking a deep breath. Matt and his counterpart had the same intelligence. The sick bastard knew where the idea would lead him to but he wasn't sure if it was a truthful lead or just something that the man wanted him to think to keep him off of Near's back. If he thought that would work he was dead wrong. He'd get to the end of this whether he liked the solution or not.

He felt like a kicked puppy sitting all alone in his room waiting for his owner to return and tell him it was okay. He should have never came here. He should have never thought about following Matt. He worked better without the constant stress of Near on his shoulder but with the young boy just sitting upstairs the idea of hurting him kept rearing up. It was kicking painfully at his thought process. If he just took out Near he could have everything that he wanted. No, not everything. He would certainly lose Matt. He leaned his head back against the chair. He could have bypassed all of this by asking Near to talk to him without Matt but it only occurred to him now. He hated that.

The smell of cigarette smoke reached Mello before the red head actually did. He looked pale and slightly relieved that it was Mello sitting on the couch. His counterpart didn't smoke or drink actually. He acted like a lunatic on his own without the hindrance of vices. He thought that seeing Matt would make him feel better, put him in some form of ease but that wasn't the case. He had so many burning questions he didn't trust himself to open his mouth.

"I walked in on the blond lady fresh out the shower." He said quietly his face hidden under long tresses of red hair. "It was a surprise, I'll give it that." He shook his head but Mello could tell despite how relaxed he was acting it was all fake. His shoulders were tensed with the idea of someone that was about to be hurt. His eyes were vigilant and intelligent instead of bored looking. He took in the mess of the room. He took in Mello's silence and he looked like he wanted to flee.

Mello didn't move his head even as Matt fixed the chair so that he could sit in it. He was across from the blond now but he still didn't move. In no situation was a speechless Mello a good, sane Mello.

The blond sighed softly almost in a tired way but he looked more awake then Matt had ever seen. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about him?" He questioned in full seriousness. His eyes hadn't narrowed to show that he was annoyed but his voice held an edge that made Matt want to disappear into the chair he was sitting in. "Do you know what he's like? Oh, of course you know what he's like. You know enough about him that you can mime him when you feel like it's necessary."

Matt frowned, "I had hoped that I would grow out of it but that wasn't the case."

The blond's fists clenched before he sneered, "Grow out of it? You don't grow out of another fucking personality Matt. Are you seriously that damn stupid or are you trying to play me for it? I'll come across this fucking table at you. I want the truth."

"I didn't want you to know." He replied seriously. "I didn't want anyone to find out about it. Especially you."

Mello's face twitched, "But Near found you out didn't he? Near found out something that I should have known years ago but you're much more secretive than I originally thought. Oh the things I've heard about you since you've left and your beloved other side has been paling around with Near. Tell me about Near, Matt."

Matt paled significantly more. "What do you mean?" He asked quietly looking down at his hands. "Near is the boy that entered Wammy house a few years after us and became number one."

Mello scoffed, "Let's try this again. Tell me about you and Near because I'd like to hear it from your mouth. If you don't want to tell me I could just go up and ask Near himself. Oh, well hell, I'm sure he's listening in. Enjoying yourself yet Near? Is this funny for you."

A quiet buzz was heard before Near's voice replied filling the room, "Mello misunderstands what Near believes is funny." His voice was soft.

Mello sat back, "Why don't you come down here and talk with us Near. I'm sure it's going to be very enlightening on my behalf."

"No."

Mello blinked, "Excuse you? I'm giving you a front row seat. You don't want it?"

"I do not wish to be in the room with Matt when he talks about me."

Mello smirked, "Looks like Near's leaving you in the cold Matty." His voice was mocking, angry, irritated in every sense of the word. "How about we come up to you Near? Would that be better?"

"No."

Matt put his head into his hands. He was shaking slightly Mello noticed with some satisfaction.

He held his hands up, "Well fine then Near you tell me about Matt."

Near was silent for several minutes and Mello frowned. If the boy was planning on lying now he was surely showing it. "Near and Matt are friends. Matt is like my brother." He replied after considerable thought.

Mello laughed quietly to himself, "Brothers? That's interesting. Explain to me how you were when Matt lived with you years ago."

Matt gasped but remained otherwise silent. It was Near that answered for them. "Matt came to live with Near at the discretion of Roger. Matt was lonely."

Mello glanced over at the red head. "Oh what, you didn't think I knew? So Near should we discuss your sexual history or should I say what I think happened?"

Near was silent. Minutes passed but the white haired boy didn't respond. Matt glanced up, "Mello it happened in the past."

"Shut the fuck up Mail." His voice was a deadly whisper. The red head sighed quietly. "Let's try this and tell me if it's true or not. I left Wammy house to capture Kira. With the death of L, Near takes over and has to leave Wammy house to capture Kira, right? Roger needs someone to go with Near because Near doesn't like new people, right?" He glanced at Matt but he wasn't looking at him. The red head was staring into space. "Who better to go with Near than Matt because he's feeling fucking dejected at the loss of his best friend. A best friend, I might add, that left Wammy house and Matt behind in it because Matt would be of no use or help. He was dead weight, useless…worthless." His eyes narrowed on the last word. Matt looked back down.

"Mello." Near's voice sounded strained. "That is not how you felt."

Mello held his hand up, "Don't you fucking tell me how I felt when I left Near. L failed and it was our place to take over in his steed but of course Matt doesn't know about that. He was third. Always conveniently third. He wasn't in the running for L's position and so he was overlooked. But he shouldn't have been overlooked at all because Mail Jeevas is a master motherfucking manipulator, right Matt?"

Matt shook his head slowly but his eyes never left the wall.

"So Matt leaves Wammy house with Near still feeling dejected, lonely and because he's a whiny bitch, abandoned. Instead of crawling into a hole he decided to shack up with the one person in the world I hate more than Kira. Near, he decided to move in and take care of Near. The only person in the world that I want to shoot in the face multiple times and I wouldn't care about my immortal soul." He stood stalking across the room towards the red head. He snatched his hair roughly pulling his head back so that the redhead would look at him. He wasn't crying like he originally thought. He was actually just watching him blankly, completely shutdown. "And what did Matt do while with Near? Anyone mind answering that question? Near, you wanted to talk shit earlier. Tell me, what did you do with Matt?"

Near once again remained silent. "Mello, stop it." Matt stood up shaking his head towards the other.

Mello glared, "No Matt sit down. I'm not done talking." He watched the red head pause for several seconds. "Would you be so kind as to answer my question?"

"It doesn't matter." Matt whispered softly. He was facing the door standing stalk still. "It's none of your business what I did when you weren't here and it's none of your business what I do now. We don't date Mello."

Mello's mouth twitched, "I thought that's what you wanted. Or has everything changed because I know about you now."

"Mello, you don't know shit about me." Matt's voice came out harshly while Near said at the same time, "Mello you're being jealous."

Mello laughed, humorlessly in a loud, cold way. There was no mirth in his movements, "I know more about you now that I ever have Matty and I don't like it." He stood there watching the red head before it finally clicked what Near has said from behind. "Near there will never be a fucking day of my life where I'm jealous of you. Never."

Near's voice held humor despite the situation. "That's fine Mello then you shouldn't worry about Matt and me." The way he voiced the words sent a shiver through Mello. He glanced at the door where Matt still stood not looking at him.

Mello's fists clenched. "Of course. I should butt out right Matt? That's what you wanted."

"That's never what I wanted Mello." He shook his head slowly staring at the ceiling. "But now I want you to stay away from me. I'm a master fucking manipulator, right? I can pull you and Near along on a damn string better than anyone else. It's best if we part ways now. I don't know what you owe Near but I'm leaving. I never asked to stay here."

Mello sneered, "You can't leave here because you're under my care." His voice was cut off and distant. "So you're telling me it's true?"

The red head shrugged. "I guess you could say that. If you really wanted but I'm tired of this Mello. I'm tired of what we were trying to be. I regret every second of it." The blond was silent. The words stung worse than any cut he'd ever received. "So let's leave it behind and from now on I'll live my life and you'll live yours." He didn't give the blond a chance to accept or decline. Mello wasn't even sure which he would have done. "Near, I'm coming up."

"Okay." The voice was soft and void of any emotion now. "You're welcome up here now Mello."

Mello glared knowing the boy could see him. "Shut the fuck up Near. I don't want to be anywhere near you right now." He stomped off towards the bedroom slamming the door behind himself.

xXx

Near slid back in the chair, the room devoid of any sound. "Sour because I won Mello?" He questioned aloud picking up the figure in his pocket the represented Mello. He toyed with it for several seconds before beheading it and tossing it in front of him. "It's all fair game Mello but you won't get him back until I say it's time. Say goodbye Mello."

A special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter:

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