A/N: LOL I love how I spent like, three seconds on that haiku and everybody seems to like it a lot. And yet when I spend hours working on poetry everyone I show it to is like desperately trying to hide how lame they think it is. Lmao, I fail so much… it surprises even me. But really, thank you guys so much for the positive feedback! ILU people!
Disclaimer: Me? Own DeathNote? Are you kidding? Try the other way around, lol, it's more accurate.
Chapter 4: Finale
Matt felt somewhat devious at the moment. It hadn't taken a great deal of deductive power to discern the identity of Mello's Secret Admirer, at least not from Matt's standpoint. It was a simple process of elimination, and Mello himself would doubtlessly have figured it out were he not currently so distracted.
It was rather amusing, actually, which was why Matt had kept the information to himself.
Come on though, really. Matt was helping the love of his life confess his affections for someone else. He was entitled to a little harmless fun.
Matt found himself running straight into Mello's back as the aforementioned blonde came to an abrupt stop. Matt stumbled back, then rubbed his nose and made a mental note not to move and get lost in thought at the same time.
"Been walking long?" Mello drawled, grinning playfully. Matt glared.
"Yes, actually. Although I was under the impression that when walking in front of someone, one does not halt unannounced." The red head retorted haughtily. "That hurt… is your head made of metal or something?" Matt rubbed at his sore nose a little more. Mello scrunched his own nose and a hand flew to the back of his head.
"Ew, you better not have gotten any snot on me!" He groaned, and Matt couldn't help but laugh.
"Would serve you right." He snickered, earning himself a punch in the arm. "Ow, dangit Mello this is a day of love! Can't you stop being violent for just one day a year?"
"I thought Christmas was the day I agreed not to be violent." Mello raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Cause I seem to remember you hitting me then too…" Matt blinked.
"I don't think so…" Mello said, shooting his friend a pretend-worried glance, "maybe all those blows to the head really are affecting you." Matt sighed, having no response to this but to roll his eyes exasperatedly. It was impossible to win an argument against Mello. Impossible. Mostly because the blonde would simply not give up, no matter what. He'd outlast anyone, except L of course, in a standoff. Even Near simply refused to get into actual debates with Mello; on the grounds that no matter how properly or intelligently he put his case, Mello just didn't back down.
The boy would literally argue with the devil. And probably win through sheer perseverance.
"Anyway, was there any particular reason you decided to stop so suddenly?" Matt asked. Mello gave him an odd look.
"Uh… we're here." Mello pointed at the playroom door, and Matt blinked. Wow, he really had been spacing… "Try to stay with me Matt."
"…Right." Matt nodded. There was a long pause. "So… you going in or what?"
"I am!" Mello huffed defensively. "Just… give me a moment." Matt smiled, pulling his goggles down instinctively.
"Sure, take as long as you need. No rush for me." Matt made a show of pulling out his gameboy. Mello punched him again, and the redhead winced. "Ok, could you at least punch different places? I swear Mel, you're gonna snap my arm one of these days."
"You know you could just stop being a smartass." Mello countered. Matt shrugged.
"Got me there, I suppose." He grinned. Mello rolled his eyes, and stared at the door again. The blonde took a deep breath, seized the handle, and pulled.
Near was in his usual position, a half-finished Lego construction resting in front of him. But there was one immediate and significant difference about this visit.
Near looked up as soon as the door opened.
Usually it took an impressive amount of work to get Near to even acknowledge another person's presence. The pale boy looking up so readily set off warning bells even in Mello's preoccupied mind.
"Mello… I didn't expect you to figure it out this quickly…" The small boy murmured softly, twirling a pale lock of hair. Mello blinked, gawking bewilderedly at Near for a moment. And then realization washed over him.
"You… no way… You mean that was you!?" Mello exclaimed. Near looked perplexed.
"I thought you knew… isn't that why you came down?" Near questioned delicately. Matt was aggressively fighting the urge to smile.
"No! I mean… well sort of yes, but I mean… that is… I didn't think…" Mello fumbled.
"Oh… I see…" Near looked away. "Well… I don't usually make this sort of mistake… it is… awkward. I apologize…" Mello blanched.
"Ack! That's not what I meant!" He waved his arms frantically, and Matt lost his internal battle. The redhead burst out laughing, drawing the attention of both the other occupants of the playroom. Swift deductions were made, because really it isn't all that easy to deceive geniuses.
"You knew! Matt you bastard! You knew it was him and you didn't tell me!" Mello automatically threw what he was holding at Matt. It bounced off the gamer's chest and landed on the carpet, forgotten by the two best friends.
"Can't blame a guy for having some fun, can you?" Matt raised his arms defensively as Mello approached looking ready to kill. And not his usual angry 'I'll pulverize you!' stance either. This was more of a 'by the time I'm done with you no one will want to know what happened!' sort of glower.
"I really can, Matt." Mello hissed, bloodthirstiness apparent in his flashing turquoise eyes. Matt swallowed hard. Ok… so the whole 'don't tell Mello for humorous purposes' idea had definitely ranked extremely high in his list of bad decisions. Hell, considering the circumstances it might even top the time he though it would be funny to braid Mello's hair when the blonde was sleeping.
…Actually on second thought it wasn't quite that bad. Matt still had nightmares about that scenario.
"Um… Mel… Calm down now…" Matt attempted. Mello raised an eyebrow.
"I am calm. I am ridiculously calm. And I am going to calmly rip out your internal organs and strangle you with them!" The blonde snarled. Matt paled and started taking slow, cautious steps towards the door. Damn but Mello could be downright creepy sometimes.
Just as Matt began to mentally sign his own death warrant; a small, gentle voice broke the murderous tension in the room.
"Mello… you wrote this for me?"
Surprised, Mello and Matt both looked over to see Near. He was curled on the floor with Mello's valentine open in his lap. Mello flushed bright red.
"Uh… yeah." His posture immediately changed, slumping slightly, he stared at his feet and scuffed his boots together lightly.
"It's so… nice." Near whispered.
"…" Mello didn't look up, not sure what to say.
"I really love it." Near continued softly. Mello looked at him.
"You're not kidding?" He asked, his voice unusually gentle. Near smiled slightly and shook his head. Mello walked over, and sat down next to Near, he tentatively reached over, and took the smaller boy's hand in his own.
Matt thought that this would be a good time to discreetly slip away, so he did. Hurriedly. Hopefully this meant Mello forgave him, or at least had forgotten his anger. Yeah, Matt was pretty sure he'd be safe now…
And man, but seeing Mello that freaked out had been completely priceless. The rare and adorable shock on his best friend's face was a memory that Matt would never allow to fade.
Following Matt's stealthy exit was a period of silence surprisingly lacking in awkwardness. It was just quiet, the two boys sitting peacefully side-by-side, each comfortable in their own thoughts. Mello found himself reflecting on how small and very soft Near's hand was. But then Near as a whole was small and soft, so he figured he really shouldn't be surprised.
A feather-light touch on his cheek jolted Mello out of his musings, and he turned his head to see Near smiling gently. Mello stared at him.
"You... kissed me." The blonde stated numbly. Near nodded carefully.
"Isn't that what Valentine's are supposed to do?" He asked innocently. Mello grinned.
"Hey yeah! Except you did it wrong." He said, mock-sternly.
"I... did?" Near's brow creased a little, a rare show of concern.
"Yeah. It's supposed to go like this." Mello swooped in and captured the smaller boy's lips with his own. Mello kissed Near long and lovingly, and when he pulled back he was rewarded with the faintest of blushes and a very cute slightly dizzy expression on Near's face.
"Oh... I see." Near mumbled. Mello laughed.
"Good, good." Mello snickered. Near placed a hand on Mello's shoulder.
"May I try now?"
"Wha-"
Near pressed his lips against Mello's somewhat sloppily, but the blonde wasn't complaining. Mello's arms wrapped themselves around Near's waist, and Near's hand moved from Mello's shoulder to tangle in blonde locks. A minute or so later they parted for air.
"You... you learn fast." Mello panted. Near only smiled, and leaned in against Mello's chest.
"You know Mello..." Near whispered softly. "You've got chocolate on your face."
END.
A/N: LOL I bet you all forgot about that chocolate! Don't lie! You totally did, didn't you!? Well I didn't. -Proud- I bet Near's gonna lick it off... But the story is done now, so it's 'use your imagination' time if you aren't satisfied. Hehe that sneaky Matt... Oh yeah and last but not least... HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVERYBUDDY! My New Year's Resolution is the same as it is every year: To be totally kickass. I think I'm doing O.K. so far. REVIEW NAO PLS KTHX!