I hope that this chapter makes up for Chapter 4. I know that the last chapter was rather short. I think you'll like this one..

Update: 7-29-08: I know.. I know.. I haven't updated in awhile. I am working on Chapter 6 now. I was distracted as I recently purchased "Death Note: Another Note" a short novel. The information in its depths entranced me. But I am almost finished with it now and found it very helpful in inspiring ideas for the rest of my fanfiction. Sorry for the long wait. Don't worry.. I haven't abandoned this!

Chapter 5

Matt and Mello left their apartment around 9pm in the 1972 red Mustang Mello had managed to 'acquire'. Whammy-sama had left them a significant amount of money with his passing. Everything the orphans needed they received, and Matt and Mello were no exception. Matt had managed to move out of the orphanage some time ago without any financial problems. If he needed something, the money was there just like magic. Even though money was no object, Matt had to admire Mello's taste. A Mustang? Classic... The sky was black, the only light being that of the street lamps that lined the downtown sidewalks. Their orange glow managed to blot out any stars that might have appeared in the night sky, leaving a feeling of desolation in their wake. It was a perfect night for mischief. They pulled into a parking garage three blocks away from her apartment. Amane-san was having a come-back appearance at a local news station that night and wouldn't be home until late, they had plenty of time to set up.

Mello exited the drivers side, stretching as he stood up, glancing over at Matt in the process. Matt grabbed his backpack of equipment and smirked at Mello, his heart racing. This was perfect... Matt wasn't one to want to go outside, his social anxiety usually confined him to a room or two indoors. Tonight, however, was definitely an exception. Matt was ready; his goggles on, cigarette hanging from his lips. They walked in silence along the empty streets, their footsteps echoing through the buildings. Matt was vaguely reminded of the time when Mello and he had sneaked into Whammy's office in order for Matt to access the computer there. Matt had long ago discovered how to access the server at the orphanage. They thought it was fun to mess with student schedules and grades. Every once in a while they'd change one of Near's grades to an A-, just to see his reaction. His face would be priceless, but Matt and Mello would always get caught afterward. Detention, or being sent to bed without food were small punishments in order to see the look on Near's face when he thought he had slipped. Games like those paled in comparison to their current venture. There was always the off chance that they would get into serious trouble, but that thought only made the game that much more enticing.

Hal Snyder had tipped Mello off about Mogi and Aizawa's intentions to follow Misa Amane to get the notebook. If he could get the bugs in their apartment, perhaps the conversations that followed would lead him to his goal. A few weeks earlier Matt and he had followed Mogi and Aizawa to L.A. to get into contact with Amane. Aizawa had left Amane with Mogi, Matt had scoped out the area while Mello followed Aizawa, hoping to find a location that would be of use... perhaps NPA headquarters. When Matt found that Amane Misa was staying with Mogi in the apartment Mello knew that this woman had to be the second Kira… she had to possess the notebook. Just a week ago he had informed Matt to make the bugs, and now... here they were… the plan was set, Matt had made the bugs… they just had to plant them and wait.

Mello turned left into a rather large building, an apartment complex with a very modern feel. Inside the cielings were high and elegant, accented by a few very large palm trees in domestic pots sitting on either side of the main door. The decor was impeccable, the modern elements mixing well with the building's overall historic appearance. Mello wasted no time in walking to the front desk to gain access to the elevator. He greeted the young assistant working there and pulled out two IDs from his back pocket, handing them over to the young lady. She glanced them over, looking at Mello and then Matt.

"Oh, Takahashi-san has been expecting your arrival. Fujikage-san and Aida-san, I'll buzz you in right away, thank you for your patience," the young woman said as she pressed a button under the desk to grant them access to the elevator. Matt and Mello entered the elevator as the attendant pressed the button for the correct floor. She bid them farewell and the doors closed, leaving Matt and Mello alone.

"Fujikage? Aida?" Matt asked, looking at Mello with interest. Mello smirked as he handed the IDs over to Matt. Matt glanced them over. "I'm not even going to ask how you managed to get these in the time allotted."

"There are ways..." Mello said simply. Matt chuckled at this as he inspected the licenses further, noting the names Mello had chosen to use.

"What the..." the sentence died on Matt's lips as he turned to Mello, eyes narrowed. "You named me Fujikage Aoi? Aoi!! That's a girl's name!" Matt said, hitting Mello on the shoulder.

"Well... technically, it's a unisex name. But you do bring up a good point, you're pretty feminine for a guy..." Mello teased, glancing at Matt to see his reaction. Matt narrowed his eyes at Mello once again.

"Oh sure… you name yourself Takeo... and you're even more feminine looking than I am!" He half-heartedly yelled as he poked Mello in the side. Mello laughed at Matt. The younger boy's sudden playfulness made Mello smile, it felt just like it used to between them.

The moment was interrupted as the doors to the elevator opened on the twentieth floor of the complex. Mello exited to the hallway first, Matt following close behind, letting Mello lead the way. The hallway was deserted just like the streets had been, and they walked a good portion of the way down the hall before Mello stopped in front of what Matt guessed to be Amane-san's apartment door.

--

The placement of the bugs had gone more smoothly than Matt had imagined. Mello had made it incredibly easy for them to get in and get out without anyone noticing what had happened. Matt had placed three major bugs in Amane's apartment according to his research on the rooms she used the most. One bug was in the bedroom stuck to the back of a side table, one in the living room inside a vase, and the last one in the dining room under a chair. All three of the devices were audio capable, he had also placed a few video devices at random around the apartment. Mello had made himself comfortable as he watched Matt place the devices. He had even gone so far as to steal some chocolate candies from a dish that was sitting on the coffee table. He'd pop one or two into his mouth every once in awhile, admiring Matt's ability to set his plan in motion.

Matt had set up the surveillance at their apartment prior to the excursion so that when they returned all equipment was up and running, the cameras set up to face the NPA headquarters. All Matt had to do was log onto his network encryption and set the program up for live streaming, simple. He sat down, taking out his PSP and occasionally glancing at the monitors, watching for anything that would help Mello out. Mello had decided that Matt should watch Aizawa's location at the NPA, just incase something of interest were to arise.

Mello booked a hotel room to stake out around Amane's apartment to listen in on any information that would be important to them. Matt had set him up with some monitors to aid him throughout the night. Amane-san had returned home at approximately 11:30pm and ever since then they had been observing her behavior. Mello listened intently to her conversation with Mogi, hoping she would slip out some information that would help Mello find the notebook again.

"No matter how much Raito loves and believes Misa, if he knew Misa and Mochi have lived for five days under the same roof, he would suspect that Misa has been unfaithful, wouldn't he?" Misa Amane's annoying voice pierced through Mello's concentration.

"Yeah..." 'Mochi'… a.k.a. Mogi replied. Mello couldn't believe how incredibly thick headed this girl was. Could she seriously be the Second Kira? It seemed impossible, but she had mentioned that Kira had murdered the guy who killed her parents. But perhaps she used the shinigami eyes... either way, Mello just couldn't believe that Amane was affiliated with Kira. Mello's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ring of his cell phone. He picked it up, opening the cover, it was Matt.

"How's it going?" Mello asked him, ticking away at the keyboard, trying to find any piece of information that he may have missed.

"I'm bored out of my mind!" Matt replied, shifting so that he could play his PSP while talking. "No movement at all. They even have their food delivered to them. This has to be their headquarters. Anyway... it's boring as hell."

Mello smirked at Matt's reply, hearing the subtle sound of the game Matt was playing in the background. "Don't complain… I'm bored too. Perhaps they think Aizawa is being tailed by the SPK and they moved. But it might be a trick, stay alert."

"Easy for you to say, you get to listen to a hot girl, I get to watch a wall… why don't we swap," Matt replied jokingly. He heard Mello smirk over the phone.

It was 3am when Mello glanced at the clock next; perhaps it was time to call it quits. Mello dialed Matt's number holding the phone to his ear, it rang twice before he picked up.

"Hey boss... getting bored now?" Matt asked jokingly.

"I'm going to head back, we'll watch the monitors from the apartment," Mello replied as he gathered his things and headed back to their apartment. He wasn't surprised to see Matt still playing PSP games when he entered the apartment. Matt looked up as Mello crossed the room to sit in the chair across from him.

"That woman has the most annoying voice I have ever heard," Mello said as he sat down. Matt chuckled, keeping his eyes on his game. Perhaps Mello was starting to care again, Matt thought, or maybe it was just the illusion. Maybe it was just because right now Mello needed Matt to help him succeed. He'd probably abandon him later just like everyone else did. Whatever the case, this game was starting to wear Matt thin.

They sat in silence, Matt vigorously pushing buttons on his PSP, Mello watching the monitors, headphones on, chocolate in hand. Every once in a while Mello would peek over at Matt, noticing how childish the younger man could seem at times. The way Matt's pink lips would slightly turn down at the corners whenever he misjudged an attack. Mello could only describe the reaction as... cute. They stayed like that for a few hours, mainly keeping tabs on the NPA location, as Amane-san had gone to sleep long ago, Mogi crashing on the couch. Mello sighed, growing bored of the whole situation. He pulled the headphones off of his head, throwing them to the ground. They hit the carpet with a soft 'thud,' Mello glanced over at Matt, surprised to see the red-head sprawled on the couch, PSP discarded on the floor. When had he fallen asleep? Mello watched Matt, his eyes were closed, lips slightly parted as he slept, his chest rising and falling in the depths of slumber.

Mello smiled as he stood up and walked over to the couch. He sat on the floor next to the red head, the sudden urge to touch him becoming too much to bear. Mello reached out a hand and brushed a few strands of Matt's hair away from his face, admiring his soft pale skin. Mello had asked a lot of Matt the last few days, no wonder he was so tired. Perhaps Mello had been too hard on him. The games they played were fun, but was it worth the pain it caused? Mello knew the answer to that question, but his pride kept getting in the way. Mello leaned over Matt, playing with his auburn hair as he placed his lips on Matt's forehead, kissing him gently.

"I'm sorry Matt..." Mello whispered, his apology falling on deaf ears. He didn't want to hurt Matt, he never did it on purpose. Mello settled himself on the floor, placing his head on Matt's chest, listening to his heart beat. He closed his eyes to the sound, letting it's steady rhythm drift him to sleep.

--

"You did it now Mello!" Mello ran away from the voice laughing. So he pushed the kid.. so what? Sometimes the younger brats could be so annoying. The sky was blue, dark clouds on the horizon. They seemed to frame the day with dread, as if something terrible had happened. The bell rang as they were ushered in from their break to begin the second part of the day. Mello followed the little ones, entering the hallway of the orphanage.

"Hey! Why'd you push me Mello! I'm going to get you!" the little kid said as he attempted to hit him. Mello laughed as he held him back by putting his hand on the child's head. The kid swung his arms out, trying to grab at Mello.

"You'll have to try harder than that!" He mocked, laughing even harder. Suddenly, a hand was upon his wrist, grabbing him away from the rest of the group.

"Mello.." Mello looked up at the sound of his name. It was Mr. Roger, he had been chosen to head the orphanage while Watari was away.

"Hm?" Mello follow Mr. Rogers lead as he turned the corner, peeking into a nearby room. Near was sitting on the floor, putting together another one of his puzzles, twirling his white hair between his fingers. Mello hated him so much, even the way he played with his hair when he was thinking. It was so annoying.

"And Near, come with me," Mr. Roger lead them to his office, closing the door behind them. He sat down in his brown leather chair as he turned to address them both. His eyes were fix on the desk in front of him, his glasses hiding his expression. The silence was deadly.

"What is it Roger?" Mello asked, breaking the silence. He hated anticipation. Near sat beside him patiently.. always calm, inadvertently pissing Mello off in the process.

"'L' is dead..." Roger said bluntly, motionless. Near continued to put his puzzle together, calm as ever. Mello's jaw dropped... 'L' was dead? 'L' the only person besides Matt whom Mello didn't mind all that much. 'L' the one who used to stay up with him at night, trying to help him study? This was impossible.. no one could kill 'L'. Mello rushed toward Roger's desk, slamming his hands onto the wood.

"..B..But how?" He demanded, "Do you mean he was killed by Kira? Is that it?" Mello could hear Near placing the puzzle pieces in their spot, the incessant 'clicking' driving him mad.

"Most likely.. yes.." Roger replied calmly. How could everyone be so calm about this? L was DEAD!

"You mean he was going to catch Kira... AND NOW HE'S DEAD!" Mello yelled grabbing Roger by the shoulders.

"Mello!" Roger started but was interrupted by the sound of puzzle pieces hitting the floor. Both of them turned to see Near dumping the puzzle he had just finished onto the floor.

"If we don't win the game... if we don't solve the puzzle, we are nothing but failures," Near replied as he began to put the puzzle back together once more. Mello attempted to ignore Near's comment as he turned back towards Mr. Roger.

"Who did he choose between Near and me..." Mello asked waiting rather impatiently for the answer.

"I'm afraid he hadn't chosen yet, Mello... and now... he's dead," Roger said tentatively. Mello was shocked. He hadn't chosen yet? But why? How could this be happening? "Mello, Near... why don't you work together on this case.."

"Yes.. agreed," Near replied as he placed piece after piece into place on the puzzle, his movements flawless. Mello sneered at him.

"Impossible, you know that Near and I don't get along..." Mello said. Wasn't anyone listening to him? Mello was getting very frustrated. "I've always been second best.. no matter now much I studied, or how hard I tried... Listen... Near will be the one to succeed 'L'. Unlike me, he'll do the job calmly, without emotion... just like he always does."

The clicking of the puzzle pieces ceased and Roger stared at him in awe.

"I'm leaving..." Mello said as he turned around, walking to the door. He barely had control over his emotions, if he didn't leave now he'd explode.

"Mello!" Roger called out, standing up in an attempt to stop him.

"DO WHATEVER YOU WANT ROGER... I'll be 15 soon anyway, I'm leaving the orphanage," Mello said as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Mello kept walking, eyes downcast. He had to get out of here, he had to think... L was dead. How could this be? Mello stormed out the doors of the orphanage and into the rain. The sky was dark, reflecting his own emotions as he walked through the rain, the drops hitting him like icicles. He had to avenge L, if nothing else he had to kill Kira. He had to leave the orphanage, he wasn't of any use here anymore. Mello's blonde hair began to cling to his face, he watched the drops form pools on the ground, drowning the blades of grass. Mello wished he could drown with them. He was never good enough for anyone... he could never win. Perhaps it'd be better off if he just...

Mello stopped short when he looked up. He wasn't expecting to find anyone outside at this hour... especially when it was pouring down rain. Mello watched Matt for a moment; Matt's face was turned toward the sky, rain drops falling on his delicate features, soaking the boy's clothes. He seemed so small, standing there before Mello, so fragile somehow.

"What the fuck are you doing you idiot..." Mello asked harshly, still a little irritated from his encounter with Roger and Near. He didn't mean to snap at Matt, he was just so frustrated. Matt had been his friend for such a long time now. He was the only one that Mello could go to when no one else would listen to him. Matt always seemed to make things right, just by being there. Mello's nerves were so shot, he just needed a little support, something to keep him going.

Matt kept his back to Mello, face still turned toward the sky. He showed no sign that he had even heard what Mello had said.

'Please don't play this game with me Matt... I can't do this right now..' Mello thought, mentally pleading for Matt to just talk to him. He just needed someone to talk to. As if hearing his mental plea Matt spoke:

"I just needed to think..."

Mello watched Matt. Should he tell him about 'L'? About his plan to leave the orphanage behind?

"...I..." Mello started, but when Matt turned around to look at him, he couldn't find the words anymore. Matt's hair was soaked, his eyes sad. They seemed to reflect the same blue-gray that the sky had become in its misery. Matt looked at him tentatively, waiting for him to continue. How could he tell Matt that he had to leave him? They had been friends for so long and now he was just going to ditch him? He couldn't bring himself to say it... it was too hard... too emotional. Mello looked down to avoid Matt's eyes, he swore he could feel Matt looking right through him. Mello could barely keep a hold on to his emotions, he couldn't control his shaking. L was dead. Mello had never felt so small... he just needed someone...

Mello felt Matt's eyes on him as he looked up again. Matt pursed his lips as if wanting to say something, but the rain seemed to drown out his thoughts, creating an uneasy silence between them. Before Mello even knew what was happening Matt had moved toward him, closing the distance in a few steps, Matt's eyes locked with his. Mello's heart stopped, he couldn't move. Why couldn't he move?

Matt hesitated for a moment, making Mello's heart race even faster. Why couldn't he move? Matt leaned ever so slightly forward and captured Mello's lips with his, his warm breath caressing Mello's cheek. Matt's lips were so soft... so inviting. A tear trailed its way down Mello's cheek unnoticed. Mello couldn't bring himself to return the kiss. He couldn't love Matt... he had to leave. He couldn't do this to him...

When Matt knew the kiss wasn't going to be returned he pulled away embarrassed. 'No! Don't go.. I need you.. please...' Mello's mind pleaded as Matt pulled away eyes downcast, never noticing Mello's tear stained face. Mello had to get away from the situation before his emotions got the better of him. Matt had never seen him cry.. no one had.. and he wanted to keep it that way. 'I don't want to love you Matt.. please don't make me love you...' Mello thought as he pursued his lips together, the feeling of the kiss still fresh in his mind.

"Let's go inside..." Mello said as he turned toward the orphanage. He heard Matt's footsteps walking close behind him.

They walked down the hall in silence, their shoes squeaking on the tiles of the floor as they trudged toward their rooms. Mello heard Matt's footsteps slow as they reached his bedroom door. Normally, Mello would turn and tell Matt to follow him into his room, but Mello didn't want Matt to see him this way. Face flush and stained with tears, Mello kept walking toward his own room, closing the door behind him. He placed his back to the door and sighed as he looked up at his ceiling. What had he done? Had he lost Matt forever? Mello's legs gave out from under him as he slid to the floor, fresh tears burning his eyes. This game was so hard for him to play, he didn't want to play it anymore. Mello placed his head on his knees, wrapping his arms around them and closing his eyes. He felt so weak.

'Bang! Clash!' Mello jerked his head up at the sounds, wiping his tears away with his sleeve.

"What was that?" He wondered aloud. His question was answered with a loud 'thud' coming from the next room."Matt.." Mello said to himself as he darted to his feet, opening his door and rushing to Matt's room. He shoved the door to Matt's room open to find Matt sitting on the floor next to his bed. Matt's face was flush, his breathing hitched. 'Fuck.. fuck.. he's having an attack,' Mello thought.

"You fucking dumbass..." Mello accused as he grabbed a paper bag from Matt's desk, handing it to him as he sat next to the red head."Breathe into that for awhile..." Matt grabbed the bag from Mello, placing it to his lips as he tried to calm himself down. Mello sat close to Matt, their hips touching, Mello occasionally glancing over to make sure he was okay. Their rain soaked clothes dripped onto the hardwood floor, creating little puddles of water on the wood. Mello looked at the floor, noticing one of the porcelain cats Matt's parents had given him was smashed. It's pieces scattered on the hardwood, mixing with the puddles of water.

"Why did you do that..." Mello asked, referring to the broken cat. Matt sat in silence, looking at the floor. He began to tear up pieces of his paper bag, avoiding eye contact. Mello realized that Matt was out right refusing to talk to him. 'Don't play with me, Matt..' Mello thought as his anger and frustration grew. Matt's parents had abandoned him long ago, it wasn't fair that they still had control over him, that they could still hurt him. Mello looked around Matt's room, trying to calm himself down, but the consistent tearing sound was more than he could stand. He jolted up from his spot next to Matt, dashing toward Matt's dresser. He grabbed the last good luck cat from it's spot and threw it against the wall, breaking it into thousands of shards.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT!" Matt screamed. He darted toward Mello, grabbing his shirt and shoving him backward. Mello shoved him back his temper flaring.

"THEY CAN'T HAVE YOU ANYMORE!" Mello screamed back, looking him straight in the eyes. Mello's eyes were wild, he could feel them tearing up with frustration. "They don't need you anymore... I do, Mail..." Mello watched Matt's facial features soften at the mention of his real name.

"What..." Matt whispered confused.

"I said 'I need you' you idiot..." Mello replied, teeth clenched. He hated having to admit his weakness.. even to Matt. Matt looked at him incredulously.

"Mihael..." Matt whispered. The sound of his name on Matt's lips was too much to bear, Mello couldn't control himself any longer. His frustration had overcome him. He pushed Matt down onto his bed, crushing their lips together. Matt struggled, surprised by the sudden pressure above him. Mello restrained both of Matt's hands above his head and continuing his assault on Matt's lips making him moan in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Mello teased, "isn't this what you wanted?" Matt moaned at Mello's words, bucking his hips up to meet Mello's. Mello began to nibble on Matt's earlobe, licking and biting his way down Matt's neck, the action creating quite the response from his lover. Mello traveled down until he reached he soft skin where Matt's neck met his shoulder, having the sudden urge to mark his 'territory.' Matt was his... always. 'Remember me... remember this...' Mello pleaded with his mind as he bit down on the younger man's neck, making Matt scream out in pleasure.

--

Mello laid next to Matt, staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm.." He heard Matt moan in his sleep. Mello look over at him, smiling at how peacefully he slept. The red head's hair covered his face, the sheet laid delicately across the skin of his back, making Matt look like some kind of angel wrapped in a Roman robe. Mello knew he had to leave him, he knew the moment that he kissed Matt he had made a mistake. He loved the gamer more that he'd loved anything but he had to find Kira.. he had to avenge L. Mello grabbed his pants and shirt, getting dressed as he watched the sunrise from Matt's bedroom window. He didn't want to leave this way, but his pride wouldn't let him stay.

Mello reached into his pocket, pulling out the only picture of himself he had. He laid the picture on the pillow next to Matt, looking him over one last time before he turned to leave.

"I'm sorry Matt... please don't forget me.." Mello pleaded, his apology falling on deaf ears.

Ta da! I hope that this makes up for Chapter 4... I work really hard on this one.. my fingers hurt :( haha.

So what do you think of Mello now huh?

Please review!