Disclaimer: I DONT OWN DEATH NOTE! If I did either Mello and Matt wouldn't have died or my story would have been plot. (Or the quote from Machiavelli) So there.

Summary: My last thoughts had been on Matt. My rational mind had caught up with me far too late to stop the damage I had caused. I was just sorry that it wasn't me that was going to pay the price for my stupidity. It was my best friend. MelloMatt. Though could be taken also as unreq NearMello. Rated for Death, Suggestive Situations, Yaoi, Language?

Fic influenced by these songs: "New Divide" by Linkin Park; "Great Escape" by Kevin Rudolf; "Blind" by Placebo; "Feel Good Drag" by Anberlin and "The Preyingmatis" by Poercelain and the Tramps

Notes:

Mello's POV italicized (unless it's already in Matt's POV which means its Matt's thoughts.)

Matt's POV in normal

"Slash Wounds & Bullet Holes"

My last thoughts had been on Matt. My rational mind had caught up with me far too late to stop the damage I had caused. I was just sorry that it wasn't me that was going to pay the price for my own stupidity.

It was my best friend.

My body grew cold, so very cold and my thoughts went hazy. My eyes slipped shut and that was the end. Or so I had thought. What seemed like hours later, in reality only minutes, my eyes fluttered open and I sat up confused. My body didn't hurt anymore, and I could move freely. Standing up I was given quite a shock.

My body lay at my feet.

Blond hair caked in dried blood and clothes soaked through. I heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to see Matt standing in the doorway looking very pale and dazed. He turned jerkily out of the room and I knew in that instant exactly why I was still 'here'. This was my punishment.

I would have to watch as others paid for my selfishness.

I took one step into our room and stopped. My lip trembled and all my thoughts scattered like falling dice. My eyes closed briefly and I forgot how to breathe. The pounding of my heart in my ears and the rush of dizziness made me take a breath. With slightly robotic-like movements I quickly went in search of Rodger.

As expected he was still in his office, and he was talking with Near. All at once I wanted to hate him. I had never minded Near, but now... Now he was a reminder of what was lost. Near quirked an eyebrow at the look I inadvertently gave him.

"Rodger, you might want to take a look in my room, Mello... And you might want to keep the other kids away for a while." I was proud of myself for not letting even a hint of emotion into my voice. Considering the situation it was a huge achievement. I left before he could ask any questions, because I didn't think I could answer any of them right now.

Maybe not ever.

I pushed open the main doors and took the steps by two's until I was standing in the grass. It was cold out, windy and raining. I'm always second Mello, aren't I? Why do you... why do you have to go places I can't follow?! Pulling a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, the lighter already on the inside of the pack, I took one out.

My hands were shaking so bad it took me a full two minutes to light the cigarette and place it between my lips. I was never more glad for the rain that poured down around me than now; it hide my tears.

My goggles began to fog up and I roughly pushed them to the top of my head; eyes puffy and red. I could feel eyes on me; someone was watching me from the window.

"I suppose someone found his body by now. I wonder if Rodger got there first." Not about to give them any more of a show I walked quickly off in the direction of the woods; near the largest tree that Mello and I used to hang out around.

Now hidden behind the tree I leaned against its great trunk and slid down seating myself between two large roots. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the rough bark.

I had followed Matt outside and watched guiltily as he cried in the rain. Matt never cried. Not even when he broke his arm that time I got angry and pushed him from a tree. I felt an odd sensation in my chest when he hid himself behind 'our' tree.

He was silent, never once crying out in anguish, never once yelling angrily. He merely closed his eyes and settled against the tree. I stood there watching him the entire time, afraid that if I left him alone he would do something as stupid as I had done, or perhaps in his case, worse than I had done. He acted so calm thus far that I was startled when he tore the goggles from his forehead and forcefully threw them as hard as he could; they landed in a mud puddle yet he seemed not to care.

He had always taken great care in protecting them, never taking them off if it couldn't be helped. Those were the only things left from his family. The only thing. And yet he tossed them aside as though they didn't matter.

A coldness gripped my lungs and I realized that this was my fault. I had caused this, all of this. He stared off ahead not really looking at anything in particular. He bit his lip and a sob caught in this throat.

"Mello..." It was the last sound I heard him make for quite some time.

It was dark by the time Matt finally went inside. Rodger had looked worried and slightly haggard when Matt had walked passed the common room dripping wet and carrying dirt ridden goggles. Matt hadn't said a word and blatantly ignored all of Rodgers questions. The only part Matt had seemed to listen to was the part where he could sleep in his room since it had been 'cleaned'.

It was obvious that Rodger had expected some sort of reaction other than the stony silence Matt was exhibiting. The lights were off in the room and they stayed off as Matt shut the door; the room was cast in shadows but still held enough light to see. I watched as Matt stared at where my body had been. It was odd to think of myself as such.

But since I was technically dead, it was really the only way to describe it. He stumbled passed the spot and took something off the bed. It was the rosary that I always wore. Always except for this one event, I was at least aware enough of what I was doing to take that off before it could be ruined by my blood. And it would have been. I had slashed my left wrist and jabbed myself in the neck just to make sure I would die.

His thumb ran over the smooth surface of the cross before he clenched it weakly in his fist. He curled himself up on my bed with his eyes tightly shut and only when I was sure he was asleep did I leave. There was another person I wanted to visit. But I would never do so if Matt was awake.

It was odd walking through walls but it was another reminder that I was, in fact, dead. The room was as dark as Matt's, not that I had really expected any differently. Except the expression on his face didn't match anything I could have come up with.

His pale hands were fisted in his pajama like pants and his eyes were closed. Near was crying. My mouth hung open as I listened to the slightly labored breathing of my former rival.

"Damn you Mello." his usually emotionless voice cracked. "You hurt both of us so much. You fool." his head hung downwards and the porcelain tears dripped onto and faded into the white carpet that lay beneath him. I knew exactly who the other person he spoke of was. Matt. They were the only ones I was even remotely close to.

"Idiot!" my stomach twisted into knots and I fell to my knees beside Near. Even though I knew he wouldn't feel it I wrapped my arms around him and was surprised that they didn't go through him. I sat with Near until he fell asleep sometime around midnight.

I woke up long before sunrise but I didn't move. I didn't want to. The bed smelled like Mello. It was pathetic and I knew it, but it wasn't as though this were going to become a habit. There was no way it could. I wasn't going to be sleeping in this room ever again. Sometime after I had woken up I decided that I was leaving.

I was going to catch Kira myself. I didn't care how and I didn't care how long it took so long as I caught him. I know that if Mello hadn't...killed himself he would be going after Kira. Near was leaving soon, and it hit me that I would become number one once he left.

It was wrong. I was third, and always would be unless Mello was first. If he couldn't become first than I certainly wasn't going to take his place.

I breathed in his scent deeply and forcefully swallowed the lump that formed in the back of my throat. I threw the covers back and stood up awkwardly. I didn't have much time to pack. I was sure that Rodger would be checking on me soon, especially after the way I acted last night. I needed to be gone before that.

I pulled a black and grey backpack out from underneath my bed and began filling it with clothes and as many games as I could fit. I went under Mello's bed and pulled out his secret stash of chocolate, along with all the money he had saved. Combined with my own it came out to about 600 pounds. (Roughly $920) It would have to last me until I got far enough from Whammys that I felt safe to hack something without worrying that someone would recognize me.

I shoved the money into my pocket beside my Nintendo DS and shoved the chocolate into the backpack. While packing I had placed Mello's rosary on my bedside table, right beside my clock. I picked it up gently and glanced at the deep red color before slipping it over my head and letting it dangle above my chest.

My eyesight shimmered with unshed tears and I pulled my clean goggles over them. I swung the backpack over my shoulder and felt a chill go through me as I walked to the door.

"I'm doing this for you Mello..." I don't know why I said my thoughts aloud but it seemed right at the time. I took in everything about Whammys House as I walked quietly to the main doors. As I passed the library I saw a flash of white surrounded by color and I knew that it was Near.

chest grew tight at the thought of not seeing him again and I hadn't a clue why. But if I thought on it, Mello had only just died and Near was the only other person I really spoke with. Yes, that made sense. Stepping outside I took off silently for the iron gates where I took one last look at my home.

"No." I quietly corrected myself. "It's not home without Mello..." I turned and started down the dusty road.

I no longer had the need for sleep, nor did I feel tiredness or hunger. And although I knew I couldn't be seen I crept along the hallways as I always have when out of my room in the early morning hours. It was also slightly disturbing to find out, once I looked in a mirror, that blood kept flowing from my self inflicted wounds; never stopping and yet never reaching my clothes either.

I reached Matt's room, because it was no longer ours, quickly and was surprised to see him moving about the room and gathering things before placing them in his backpack. He shoved some money into his pocket and it took me all of three seconds to realize what he was doing.

"Matt you idiot!" I stopped short when his hands grabbed my rosary off of his bedside table. He hesitated a moment, looking at the rosary itself, before slipping it over his head and letting it rest on his chest. His eyes looked glossy and he pulled his now clean goggles over his eyes.

"Oh Matt." I rested a hand on his shoulder as he picked up the backpack and settled the straps across his shoulders. He shivered as he walked through me and he stopped right in the doorway.

"I'm doing this for you Mello..." A new wave of guilt crashed over me, making me stand stationary for a moment; I had to walk through the wall to catch up with him. Passing the library he slowed and almost stopped before picking up his pace and leaving in a silent flurry. I peaked inside the library and glanced at Near, who had just started to build a Lego fort, who must have caught Matt's attention.

I walked behind him the entire way out; silently hoping that he would decide what he was doing was crazy and go back inside. Matt stopped by the gates and glanced back. He spoke so softly that I almost couldn't hear him. "No." I cocked my head to the side.

"It's not home without Mello..." I felt a twinge in my chest as Matt turned and headed down the dirt road.

It had been much harder getting to L.A. than I had expected, even with hacking my ticket so that I didn't have to pay. Ignoring the fact that it took me almost a week and a half to get far enough away from Whammys before I actually did anything. The flight attendant kept asking me if I was alright, or if I wanted a blanket or if someone was picking me up when I got to my stop.

I know that she was only concerned about someone my age flying by myself, not that I was all that young, but she was grating on my last nerve. I was almost fifteen. Sort of. Almost fifteen in by almost a year sort of way.

By the time the plane landed I was lucky I hadn't gone crazy. It was bad enough that my Nintendo DS had a new scratch in it...

L.A was nothing like I had expected.

It made me wonder why Mello had always wanted to come here. It was three pm when the flight landed and by five pm I had an apartment and was leeching money from five different sources into a bank account I could use instead of having to hack every time I needed something.

That was only for some quick cash, a temporary fix, although I could probably rig something more permanent up. If I was to catch Kira I needed more than brains, money and a hacking ability.

I needed support.

I wondered why exactly Matt had been third.

He was brilliant. It was as though this were the first time I was seeing this side of him. He flourished when out of the weight of my shadow.

And yet he seemed to think otherwise. He withdrew into himself as the months went by and I had thought for a moment that maybe he had forgotten his foolish endeavor to capture Kira in my place. I held out that hope all the way until he met with the mafia.

I had never wanted to hit him as badly as I did after that meeting. (Read: I had never been more afraid for him than in those few moments.)

I laughed lightly as I wondered just what Mello would think of me joining the mafia, because under no circumstances would I not be joining.

I needed them for their resources, and I would make them see that they needed me. The man I met with had a shaved head and hadn't given his name to me, he had laughed when he saw me. I had in all honestly expected that.

What I hadn't expected was for him to grab me by the front of my shirt and pull me closer to him and touch my ass.

"You are only worth the pleasure you can provide others." he grunted. I narrowed my eyes behind my goggles. "And what if that 'pleasure' came in green?" I asked him calmly ignoring his wandering hand while my heart pounded in my chest.

"Keep talking." he stated with a raised eyebrow. "I'm a hacker. I can hack into anything, get you anything." his hand stopped pulling at the waistband of my pants and he motioned to one of his bodyguards who brought me a laptop after a short wait.

"Show me and I'll decide if you are worth it. Hack the CIA. Hell hack the FBI while you are at it." I smirked.

That was all too easy. I knew in that moment that I had won my ticket in.

Years passed and I found that I had changed. Surprising really. I had quickly found that I kept aging despite being very much dead. And after enough practice I could even change what I wore. That I liked, almost as much as I loved the leather I now wore.

During those years I had watched Matt grow up in the mafia instead of Whammys all because of my mistake. He had changed a lot.

He was taller for one, his fashion sense had gone down the drain and he smoked more than ever. (Read: He might as well have eaten the damn things for the amount of time he spent with them in his mouth.)

But the most startling change was that he rarely ever played games anymore. It was Kira this or Kira that. Hack this and hack that. He barely slept and when he did I wasn't so sure they were good dreams.

Though sometimes the mafia did get him to loosen up. On his eighteenth birthday he got totally and completely drunk, and so did another mafia member. One much lower on in the ranks then Matt, one who had very pale blond hair and tanned skin.

And as that man pounded into Matt I realized that I wanted that to be me. I wanted Matt. And if I was feeling up to admitting it, I loved him.

It should have been Matt following me around in my crazed chase to catch Kira before Near. It should have been me who stole his first kiss, his first everything.

But it wasn't and never would be. For the first time since Matt had walked in on my corpse I truly believed I was being punished. For there could be nothing worse than watching the one person who means everything to you, having sex with someone else.

I walked out of the room and didn't return to Matt's side for three days.

Over the next few years I flew up in the ranks, I was most valuable after all. Finally I had everything I needed to catch Kira. All except the evidence. Which, as I happened to find out, was a little black book called a Death Note.

I had suggested that we make a plan to get one, and even though I had respect as a hacker, they questioned why they should follow my orders on this.

"Rod, who here don't you need?" He raised an eyebrow and pointed to Rick, an annoying new guy who kept screwing up jobs. I pulled the gun out from inside my fuzzy vest and shot Rick in the head; his body fell to the ground leaving a bloody pool.

"That's why." I forced myself to push the event as far into the back of my mind as I could so I could concentrate on catching that bastard. "What did you have in mind Matt?" Rod asked while silently laughing at Rick. I hunched over until my elbows were supported by my knees and my left hand lit the cigarette that was ever present in between my lips. I took a drag and held it until I saw spots before releasing it in a cloud of smoke.

"What would Mello do...?" I murmured quietly. Something drastic, something I wouldn't approve of usually. Hmm... It finally came to me as I lit my eighth cigarette. "Kidnap Director Takimura of the Japanese police." Rod smirked cruelly.

"Sounds interesting." I fleshed out my idea and Rod sent out a few trusted men to get the job done. I had returned to my room around four hours later and immediately ran to the bathroom.

The second he reached his room and shut the door he rushed into the bathroom and threw up. Had I not seen with my own eyes what he had done earlier I wouldn't have a clue as to why he was suddenly sick. I sat on the sink and gently ran my hand through his red hair.

He shivered.

He always did when I touched him or he walked right through me. He sat on the floor taking deep breaths that seemed to calm him after a long while. "The ends justify the means." he mumbled to himself. He repeated this three times before he heaved himself off the floor; my hand slipped from his sweaty hair.

Turning on the shower he stripped and flung his clothes into the corner. I stayed and watched him. I always hated when he got in over his head, and it happened quite a lot in the mafia, he was never good with stressful things.

He toweled dry the moment he stepped out of the shower, walked naked through his room and slipped under the covers of his bed. He didn't sleep for quite some time, and when he did it didn't seem restful if the tossing around was any indication.

His cell phone rang at around five-thirty in the morning; he rolled over groggily and answered it with a sleep coated voice.

"He's here. Well then, I'll be there in a few. Bye." he flipped the phone shut and stumbled out of bed and chose clothing randomly out of the dresser before quickly replacing the rosary he had left in the bathroom last night.

He was wearing a black and white stripped long sleeved shirt with black gloves up to his elbows; his cream colored furry vest and a pair of tight blue jeans with a few thing black stripes circling along his thighs.

Oh and I cant forget the goggles, boots and rosary. His entire outfit clashed horribly in my opinion. With a sigh I followed him and watched as he instructed some guys on what to interrogate the man for.

In the end he got the information he wanted, as well a surprise. The director hung himself the moment he was left alone.

I cursed silently. There goes our bargaining chip. Rod said as much too. "No, we just kidnap someone else. Someone they would do anything to get back." I found myself saying. Hmm... That idea actually had merit.

If I were Mello who would I kidnap? I almost laughed at myself for thinking that. Who's to say that if Mello had lived we wouldn't still be at Whammys House, or doing something much less on the wrong side of the law?

"Vice Director Yagami's daughter, Yagami Sayu." I said carefully. And so I made a better plan. One that I think even Mello would be proud of. However just in case I decided that I wouldn't actually be near the Death Note, just have a connection with Rod and have him tell me things I cant find out from hacking into our own cameras.

Call me paranoid but things like this never seem to work out well for those opposing Kira. As it turned out the plan went off without a hitch; I was watching the entire time from tiny hidden cameras and microphones.

And of course hacked satellites.

I did feel horrible for bringing an innocent into all of this, however Kira needed to be caught, and to do that I needed a Death Note. I hadn't even noticed, but during the entire thing my hand had strayed to Mello's rosary.

It had become a permanent fixture much like my goggles. Except I think that if I had to choose between the two I would gladly throw the goggles away and keep the rosary.

I used to think that what I felt was just deep friendship or even a borderline obsession with Mello. I ran a hand through my hair and winced as it got caught in the goggles. I knew better now though.

The sound of gunshots immediately stopped my straying thoughts. "Shini...Shinigami!" one of the men screamed. I couldn't see anything on the monitor other than the men.

"Rod what's going on?" I asked rather curiously.

"You can see a shinigami if you touch a piece of the notebook." my eyes widened. Now that was interesting. After directing the flow of questions towards Sidoh the shinigami, it was found out that some of the rules were in fact, fake.

That means that anyone cleared of suspicion using those fake rules was most likely Kira. I smirked. I was getting closer. Then all hell broke loose. Some of the men dropped dead like flies.

"The ones who's names and faces are known." I made a patch and broadcast my order into the room. "Grab the Death Note, it's by Rod's body!" the Death Note was almost in safe hands when the room was stormed by the very people who I had the mafia steal the notebook from.

"Kira." I breathed dangerously.

"The book is secure. Let's clear out." one of them said. They all stopped as though listening to an order from the earpieces they wore.

"Alright, we are to locate the mastermind of the plan. Someone going by the name Matt." I laughed harshly. The only one who could possibly know that name was Near. Someone approached the room where two surviving mafia members were hiding in. The door opened and Yagami Soichiro walked in. He noticed the first man.

"Stop right there or I will write your name in here." His eyes were trained on a space just above his head. "J-e-r-r-y. M-a-y-f-i-e-l-d." the man stared at Yagami in shock.

"Your name is Jerry Mayfield." My eyebrows shot up.

"He made the eye deal?" the other mafia guy known as 'Jack' crept behind Yagami and opened fire. The bullets tore through the vest and with a gasp Yagami fell to the floor.

I watched Matt stare at the screen as vice director Yagami clutched the notebook tight in his hands even though he was clearly on deaths door.

The two mafia men stood frozen as four task force members stood in the doorway with weapons pointed at them. Matt sighed and after a tense moment pushed a button on the keyboard.

A second later the camera in that room recorded a bright flash and went out. Matt switched over to the hacked satellite feed and we watched as the entire place went up in an explosion.

"Game over." he said between puffs of smoke. My mouth went dry. Did he really just do that?

"I wonder what would have happened to Mello if he had been in that room, would he have survived? Maybe gotten burned?" I frowned as he voiced his thoughts. There was no way that was the only thoughts he had on what had just occurred.

He had just lost the Death Note, the mafia and- Matt's hands were shaking.

My expression softened. He was always good at hiding his emotions, planting a facade of apathy to hide the torment. I should have learned that by now. I draped my arms across his trembling shoulders and rested my chin on top of his head.

"What will you do now Matty?"

Just a month or so ago Kira had made a real mess of my plans. I had spent that time sulking, and thinking of a way to corner him. It turns out that he ended up giving me the perfect opportunity.

That is Yagami Light, AKA: Kira, decided to get in touch with Kiyomi Takada with the purpose of helping the task force.

Or rather so that he could give directions to the wayward other Kira who, if going by his current track record, was going to start killing lazy people.

I really needed to step up my game before that happened. I was sure my name would end up in that little black book somehow. So I came up with a rather stupid and crazy plan. I was sure that Mello was rolling over in his grave at the mere thought of this plan.

Whether that was because it was completely ludicrous or because he wasn't there to think of it himself would remain a mystery.

When I had asked what he would do next, I was hoping for something more... I don't know, sane?!

Granted this is the kind of thing I would come up with in this situation, which just goes to show that he spent far too much time with me for him to become this twisted, but it's not something one would expect coming from Matt.

Apparently he was also going to give Near some information.

Why, I hadn't the faintest clue.

I watched amusedly as he easily hacked into the SPK system and sent his encrypted message to Near. At least he didn't make it too easy for the albino brat to get the information. Although it was kind of hard to completely hate him, especially after that night at Whammys after my death.

Matt was constantly on his phone talking with someone who was helping him with the plan. The closer the date got antsier I became.

There were so many things that could and probably would go wrong with this plan. Matt was smoking almost constantly now and I was sure that even if he made it out of all this alive he would be dead in a year or two from lung cancer.

How I wanted every one of those cancer sticks to burn.

I smoked my forth cigarette in a minute and got into my car. I had just called Samuel and he was already on his way and waiting for my signal to start the plan. Not my best one I admit.

Attempt to kidnap Kiyomi Takada, hope the SPK member is smart enough to let her get on the motorcycle, drive like crazy and hope both of us make it out alive to rendezvous in a day's time and hope that Kira uses the Death Note so that we, meaning Near, have evidence against him. Yup, not a very good plan.

If at least the last thing goes well, then Near should be able to get him. Although I know Mello could come up with a much better plan, hell he would probably have an inside agent in the SPK to help him. My phone rings and I steer with one hand.

"Yeah I'm almost there, start time two minutes." Two minutes until everything comes together or everything falls apart. I can never say my life is boring. I see the building approaching from over the brick wall and I speed up. Setting my phone down I pick up the gun.

Goggles over my eyes, cigarette hanging out of my mouth and music blaring I skid into the entryway and see Takada stop and glance backwards.

I pull the trigger and a canister of gas shoots out before exploding onto the ground filling the air with thick concealing smoke. Hitting the gas I sped out of the danger zone knowing full well that they will chase after me.

We shot off down the street and left skid marks on the road.

Takada's bodyguards hot on our trail. I have to make a conscious effort not to sink through the seat of the passenger side as we take a corner sharply and continue off down the street only for Matt to step on the break or run into a blockade of cars.

The car makes a full and jerky stop while two cars stop behind us; and we sit there illuminated by the headlights of our pursuers, or most likely captors.

Matt leans his arms on the window and partially allows his head to stick out. In all of this his cigarette has survived. I had hoped it wouldn't. Pulling back he glances at the time and sighs softly.

My eyes widen as he opens the door and steps out with his hands up in surrender.

I step on the accelerator and leave tire tracks on the road; a multitude of cars are in pursuit. Hopefully only a few went after Samuel, not that he can't just go down the side streets, but it would make it easier to have them after me.

I turn a corner sharply and click my teeth in annoyance. Barely fifty feet down the street in the intersection is a blockade of black cars. Nearly chewing on my cigarette I slam on the breaks and the car comes careening to a bumpy stop; two cars block me from behind. I lean on the window. I guess they were waiting for me.

I'm glade my goggles are covering my eyes; it's too damn bright here with all the headlights directed on me. Just how many guards does she need anyway?

Pulling back into the car I glance at the time and sigh. Now or never. I open the door and step out of the car with my hands in the air in complete surrender.

"Hey! Hey! Since when are the Japanese allowed to possess so many of those nice arms?" I call out to them.

"Besides, you want to know from me where my accomplice has taken Takada, right?" they don't seem all that friendly. The likelihood of me surviving this is steadily dropping. Well, I do have a gun in the back of my vest...I let my hand start to slowly move downwards behind my head.

"You can't possibly fire-" all I can hear is the echo of gunfire and the white-hot pain of bullets snapping into my body. I take a few steps backwards and hit the car, my cigarette still in my mouth burning dimly. If I had the energy I might have smirked at them.

My eyelids flutter closed and I can't help but wonder what the outcome of all this would be.

A strange sensation fills me. Strange in the fact that I shouldn't be feeling anything at all. Cracking my eyes open I am right where I fell except for the fact that I feel like I did before I had a few pounds of lead shot into me.

Crawling into a standing position I hear a small gasp and turn to face Mello. Wait...

"Mello?" I ask in half confusion and half wonder.

"Matt!" he crosses the small distance between us and hugs me. I instinctively wrap my arms around him.

"What the hell is going on?" I mumble into his shoulder.

"You're dead." I laugh.

"I got that part when I noticed my body over there on the ground." I couldn't see him roll his eyes but I know he did it. I pulled back from the embrace suddenly.

"I'm getting blood on you." I took in his appearance and noticed that he seems to have aged right along with me, as though he hadn't died at barely fifteen. He was also wearing leather. That was new.

"Matt, in case you haven't noticed my wounds are still bleeding too." he says with a small smile. I shake my head.

"What a pair we make. Slash wounds and bullet holes."

I can't help the small tingle that goes through my being at being able to see and actually touch Matt after so long of just being able to look. Then he goes and makes a stupid comment about our 'slight' bleeding problems.

"Sounds like the title of some twisted romance novel." he arches an eyebrow.

"So where have you been all these years Mello?" its all so very surreal standing here and having a 'normal' conversation with Matt while his body is still laying just a few feet away, yet he doesn't seem bothered by that at all.

"You want to know where I have been?" I take a step closer as he nods with curiosity in his concealed eyes.

"I have been with you ever since you walked in on my corpse." his eyes widen.

"Then you saw everything?" I cock my head to the side.

"Depends on what you mean by everything." he laughs again.

"Promise you wont get mad, Mel?" not sure where he was going with this conversation I nod only to be pulled into a kiss. I'm so surprised I hardly have time to kiss back.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. As our tongues battle for dominance I realize that there is nowhere else I'd rather be than at the scene of my best friend's death.

How strange.

-The End-

AN: Sooooooo How did you like it? And yes, that is the ending; I felt that was the best place to end it. :) I got my inspiration from a youtube video and my own warped mind. Look up "Death Note Disarm" and watch it; I love that AMV. Naturally it has Matt and Mello in it! Anyway please leave me reviews. I'd love to hear what you liked/disliked (if you mention anything about not liking it because of yaoi I'm going to laugh at you. repeatedly.) other than that feel free to comment. PLEASE!

p.s : I wrote this in between writing a Mello/Near fic I will be posting hopefully by June 6th (there is a reason for that date but you wont see it until June 6th!)