(I've had this idea in my head for a while now, but every time I sat down to write it, nothing ever came

(I've had this idea in my head for a while now, but every time I sat down to write it, nothing ever came. But finally I was able to get some written. D Oh, the drama that will ensue. Haha! Oh yeah, and make note that this is an alternate reality. So, don't be too mean if you guys comment. ;) Enjoy! )

Summary: Mello is a freshman at To-Oh University, along with his sister Yuna and childhood friend Matt. But just when they thought that high-school was the only place where they had problems, along comes Yagami Light. He's high-status, smart, popular…and is going out with Mello? However, having a relationship that has to be kept behind closed doors isn't enough for the blonde and once again Mello finds himself sleeping around to fill the void in his heart. And to top it all off, now Matt is starting to harbor strong feelings for his childhood best friend, but doesn't know how to tell him. Will he ever be able to admit his feelings? And does Mello feel the same way? And what will happen when Light gets wind of the situation?

-Next to You- -- MattxMello

Ch. 1

Mello took a bite of this Hershey's chocolate bar. It had been a long morning of classes and he was just happy to finally be getting a break. As the blonde made his way to the outside foyer of To-Oh University, he spotted his sister and childhood friend, Matt. The blonde couldn't help but smile to himself as he strode over to the two waiting for him. Matt was so easy to spot. That brick-red mop of hair and those orange-tinted goggles, black and white striped shirt -- like a zebra. Mello was sure that even a blind man could pick him out in a crowd of people on the street.

"What's so funny?" Matt's trademark grin never left his face as his blonde best friend sat across from him at their table in the middle of the foyer.

Mello smirked up at him. "Oh -- nothing."

Mello's sister, Yuna, rolled her eyes as she unscrewed the top off her bottle of green tea. "Mello, we all know that Matt looks like a zebra." She tried to stifle a laugh by sipping at her tea.

Matt frowned. "Wha-?" Behind that mess of red hair and those goggles, they were sure he had an eyebrow raised.

"C'mon." Mello stated, smirking at the red-head from out of the corner of his eye. "All he needs is a cigarette tattooed to his ass and he could be a regular on My Little Ponies."

Matt shook his head in mock disbelief, taking a bite out of his tuna sandwich. "I bet you'd like to see that tattoo, huh." He teased.

The red-head was used to Mello's teasing. That's just the way Mello was. He was one of those people who made a habit out of teasing the people he was closest to. And it also helped that they had grown up in the same orphanage for close to seven or eight years. And after Mello's sister was thrown into the mix, Matt was even able to tease the two siblings back.

"Easy, Matt," Yuna warned under her breath. She tried to sound light-hearted, but it didn't carry like she had hoped. "Light might hear you."

"Hear what?"

"Speak of the devil." Both Yuna and Matt mumbled in unison around their lunches as Yagami Light stopped at their table. On his arm was a preppy looking brunette girl.

The blonde didn't even spare the newcomer a first glance. He only shrugged. "Just an inside joke. You wouldn't get it."

Light raised an eyebrow in suspicion while the girl on his arm made a disgusted face. Yuna glared at her, knowing what must be going through this girl's mind as she glanced over the table of "outcasts". After a short moment, Light smirked.

"You're right. I probably wouldn't know."

As Mello began fishing in his black mail bag for another chocolate bar, Yuna decided turned to Light.

"Is something wrong?" She tried her hardest not to sound harsh. But she had never liked this Yagami Light character to begin with. He always seemed so pushy.

Light looked down at her. "No." An eloquent smile graced his handsome face. "Just thought I'd see what you three were up to."

What a lie that was.

As this scene was going on, Matt sat eyeing the man from over his half eaten sandwich. He shared his hate for Light with Yuna. It was just a feeling, but something about this guy just didn't sit well with either of them. And they often wondered if Mello felt the same way.

After another bout of silence, Light put a hand in his pant pocket and pulled out a folded scrap of paper.

"Mihael," Light placed the piece of paper in front of him. "You left your homework list in class." And with that, he turned and left with the brunette hanging tight to his arm.

Once they were gone, Matt and Yuna turned to stare at Mello. Their eyes were questioning.

Mello took a bite out if his chocolate bar, pretending not to notice the two looking at him.

"It's nothing." He said chewing, rather annoyed.

"Lemmee see that." Matt said, reaching a striped arm across the table for the scrap, but Mello beat him to it, sliding it out of him reach.

"I said it's nothing."

Yuna raised a suspicious eyebrow. "If it's nothing, why don't you let us see it?"

Mello sighed. He didn't have to open the note to know what it said. All it was was a clever way to keep up a relationship behind closed doors; a subtle way that the ever-so popular Yagami Light came up with to keep the blonde within fucking distance. And now Mello was beginning to feel it wasn't worth it.

It was funny, when he thought about it, how much there was about Light that was hidden. At the university, he always upheld the role of the star student that everyone adored; the same guy that Mello had thought would make his life easier. But once their relationship had started, the blonde realized that it wasn't exactly the sort of comfort he had been looking for. According to Light, it was better to keep their relationship in the bedroom and not let on that they were together. At first, the blonde didn't much mind. Light was so popular that it was only natural that he would still want to uphold his status without having the worry of people judging him for having a male lover. Mello knew he could never be like that. He was sure everyone was aware of his sexuality, but he could care less. It was just who he was. He had come to accept that at the orphanage when he was thirteen (although, he preferred not to talk about it). And after he left the house at 14 and came to America, it seemed to him like everyone wanted to get in his pants. Punks, rockers, wanna-be gangsters, jocks, students, teachers, married men, -- bar-goers that were probably straight until the liquor took effect – Mello had lost count of all the men he had gone to bed with. It was the norm when alcohol just wasn't enough to drown out the problems that the blonde had to deal with. And when Yagami Light had spared him a second glance and asked Mello out, the blonde thought that that would finally put a stop to his sick addiction. But now Mello was faced with the fear of that empty void inside of him never being filled.

Maybe it was time to break up with Light.