Title: Reunion

Pairing: MXM

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Death Note…blah, blah, blah.

"Merry fucking Christmas," Matt muttered under his breath. The redhead took a long drag on his cigarette, or at least, he attempted to. "Damn it…" he cursed and tossed the wasted cig into the snow and stepped on it for good measure.

Matt hated the outdoors. Hated them. So you understand the misery he felt as he waited out in the cold with his hands shoved in the pocket of his vest, teeth chattering, and his goggles slowly fogging up over his eyes. He was going to kill Mello, of this he was certain. Of all the days Mello decided to be late, it had to be this one.

When Mello had first contacted him, Matt had been giddy with excitement over the thought of being reunited with his old friend. Their phone conversation had lasted all of 30 seconds:

"I'm coming back," Mello had said.

"…Really?"

"Yeah. Meet me at the Northern Train Station on Christmas Eve day. 3pm. Make sure you're not being followed."

"Ok…you wanna tell me what--"

But Mello had already hung up.

So here he was, frozen to the bone and pissed off because he had just finished his last cigarette. It was nearing 3:30 and still Mello was no where to be found. Matt looked carefully at every blonde that passed him, expecting to see Mello's familiar sneer every time he spotted on. Unfortunately, the only ones he saw were either girls…or really young kids. After a while of searching, Matt decided that Mello would be the one to find him, rather than the other way around.

By 4:15, Mello arrived. Matt had been stupid to think that the chocolate-loving boy would blend in with the crowd, or even be a part of the crowd. Nope. Mello showed up on a behemoth of a motorcycle; long trench coat waving out behind him and an expensive helmet cradling his golden head.

Chuckling to himself, Matt approached Mello, who had stopped the bike and was staring intently at his from beneath his helmet.

The first thing that Matt noticed was that Mello had gotten taller. His body seemed sleeker, yet harder. Yes, even under the coat, Matt could tell that Mello had gained some intense muscle mass.

The two stared at each other for what seemed to them like a long time. Mello had removed his helmet, which allowed Matt to see the large burn mark on the right side of his face. Instantly, Matt wanted to ask what had happened, but somehow he found himself unable to form words. No, in this case, silence truly was golden (to use the clichéd phrase).

"Didn't think you'd show," Mello finally stated. His eyes were still flicking back and forth across Matt's face, soaking in every change that had occurred over the course of several years.

"Why not?" Matt replied. "Since when have I ever been able to say no to you?" The red head gave a soft smile and lifted the foggy goggles off his face.

Mello did not smile. "I thought you'd still be pissed at me…for leaving."

Matt shook his head. "I was at first. But I understand now. It's all good."

Another silence swept over them, but this was not the same silence as before. It was one of those dreaded awkward silences that falls between two people who used to be good friends but had since broken apart.

"Hop on," Mello eventually beckoned, patting the passenger seat on his bike. "I got us a place so we could talk." He handed Matt a second helmet, also black, and revved up his bike.

Matt sighed and adjusted the helmet over his half-frozen locks. He clambered onto the bike, only to find he wasn't sure what to do with his hands…

"Hang on tight. I go fast."

There was a sound like a thunder clap and they were off. Matt had only just wrapped his arms around Mello's waist before the sudden lurch foreword managed to throw him off. He could feel Mello chuckling in front of him. Matt bent his head into Mello's back and held on tighter; he wasn't certain he liked motorcycles very much…

After almost an hour of some high speed driving, and by the time Matt thought his arms were going to fall off after holding on so tightly, Mello pulled into the parking lot of a run down motel. Matt looked up when he felt the bike's roar stifle into a dull purr. He looked over the greasy outer walls of the motel and felt himself grimace slightly; the place looked utterly disgusting.

Mello would only choose to spend his time in such an overlookable place if he didn't want to be found, Matt knew. But why wouldn't he want to be found? What had he done this time?

The boys removed their helmets and went to the second floor of the motel. Mello led them to room 6B and opened it up using the key card he had pulled from the pocket of his coat.

The room looked like the inside of a trash can. The windows, from what Matt could see of them through the bars, were crusted with mildew and such. The only light fixture in the room, a nasty looking lamp, sat upon the creaky old nightstand without a shade or, more importantly, a light bulb.

Mello cleared his throat and beckoned Matt inside. Reluctantly, Matt entered.

"Sorry about the condition," Mello apologized. "But no one would suspect to look for me here. It's safer." He shrugged and tossed his helmet and coat onto the bed.

Matt shook his head, disregarding the explanation. "I understand." In truth, Matt didn't understand. Why was Mello even in hiding? Matt was willing to bet his PSP that Mello's burn was somehow linked to his seclusion. He only hoped that Mello wasn't getting himself in over his head.

At length, Mello sighed. "Don't look at me like that."

"Huh?" Matt said, snapping out of his reiver. "I wasn't aware I was looking at you in any way."

"Bullshit," Mello spat. "You were giving me that 'oh look at poor Mello, he's just a dog without a home now, isn't he?' Well let me tell you something, Matt. I don't need your pity or your speculations." The blonde looked at Matt as if he had committed some great offense and seemed to be contemplating kicking him out.

Matt sighed inwardly. Same old Mello just trying to prove to the world how tough he is when really everybody already knows. "Ok fine. I won't pity you or any bullshit like that. Sorry." He held up his hands in a peace gesture.

Mello rolled his eyes and fell backwards onto the bed, one arm slinging over his eyes. He looked tired, worn out. It was as if he had too much on his mind and there was nothing he could do to relieve it.

After a hesitant moment, Matt ventured a statement, hoping that Mello wouldn't attack him for asking. "So…what happened to you, anyway?" The redhead seated himself on the bed next to Mello, but not going so far as to lay down; he didn't trust the mattress's grungy appearance…which was probably a wise choice.

The blonde boy sighed and absently ran a hand over his burn. What had happened…heh talk about loaded questions. "I…made a mistake," Mello said quietly. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Matt made a soft noise like a grunt, assuring Mello he wouldn't press for details if they didn't want to be given. Obviously "the situation", whatever it was, had wounded Mello's pride somehow. It was understandable that the egotistical boy was hesitant when it came to giving the full story.

"Would you at least tell me what happened to your face?" Matt tried for compromise. He flicked a hand through his hair and leaned back a little on the bed, trying to get comfortable. "I mean, you don't have to but…"

"I blew up a warehouse to keep myself from getting caught," Mello said abruptly. He said it with the air of someone just trying to get the words out before his own conscience stopped him. "I think I killed their director in the blast…I had to, though, the bastard was trying to kill me. Too bad I ended up half dead, anyway." The blonde gave a dry laugh and uncovered his face to look up at Matt.

Half dead…Matt didn't like it when Mello talked like that. It disturbed him. Mello had always had a preoccupation with death. Maybe because he had spent his childhood inadvertently waiting for L to die so he could take his place, maybe even because of his obsession with the Kira case. Either way, Matt didn't like to think of Mello as anything but alive.

Mello rolled his eyes at Matt and gave him a friendly shove. "It's just a figure of speech. Sheesh. Relax, would ya?" Teasingly, the slender blonde wrapped his arms around Matt's middle from behind and rested his chin on the boy's shoulder, nibbling at his ear. "Since when did you become such a tight ass?"

Matt laughed once in a much more nervous way than he had intended. "I guess that's what happens when your only friend abandons you for like three years."

Mello's posture stiffened slightly. "I didn't leave as a personal attack on you, you know. And I would have taken you with me but…"

"But I would have slowed you down," Matt concluded. "Yeah, I know." Suddenly, Matt pushed Mello down onto the bed by his shoulders. He had to push his goggles back onto his forehead so that he could clearly see Mello's face in the dim lighting. "So why did you contact me now? What's the point?"

Mello blew his bangs out of his face and averted his eyes. "The point, Jeevas, is that…" --he sighed angrily-- "I missed you, ok? I hadn't seen or heard from you and…I wanted you by my side again, like it was at Wammy's House."

Matt's expression flickered through several different things in a short span of time: amusement, disbelief, confusion, gratitude. He fixed his face into a pleased grin and carefully lowered himself closer to Mello, whispering in his ear, "I missed you too." Without even meaning too, Matt kissed Mello lightly on the lips. As he felt the boy beneath him tense again, the redhead pulled away, shocked at himself and red in the face. "S-Sorry…"

At first, Matt suspected Mello was about to lash out at him--but Mello only smirked. "Do it again."

"W-What?" Matt blinked at his friend several times. "Again?"

"Yes, Jeevas, again. Do you now not understand the English language?" The blonde rolled his eyes and pulled Matt closer to him by the collar of his shirt. "Kiss me," he ordered.

Matt was helpless except to bury Mello's lips beneath his own. As the gamer gained courage from the way Mello bent himself ever closer to him, Matt hesitantly ran his tongue over Mello's bottom lip. Had Mello not been very preoccupied, he would have offered a snotty "Bout time!"

Slowly, Mello released his grip on Matt's collar and let his hands roam downwards to grope the boy's ass, even being so bold as to slip his fingers beneath the waistline of Matt's jeans. Matt groaned a little and rolled his hips lightly against Mello's.

"So tell me, Matty…" Mello breathed against their kiss, "Are you still a virgin?" He smirked and quickly undid his pants, wiggling out of them and tossing them aside.

Matt held back a look of extreme longing, trying instead to keep his facial expression controlled and emotionless as usual. Casually, he replied, "Yes… Are you?"

Mello only smirked and kissed Matt roughly again. "I'll let you take a guess after we're finished."

If there were a record for how fast two young men could become completely nude--except for a pair of goggles and a crucifix necklace, of course--Matt and Mello would have made a beeline for the record.

"So…I think I'll take that guess now," Matt said quite smoothly as he rolled his hips against Mello, driving himself deeper into the blonde.

"G-Go ahead," Mello ground out.

Matt chuckled and bit Mello's neck, leaving a mark. "You're most definitely a virgin."

"Shut up, so are you."

"Not anymore," Matt pointed out.

Mello silenced Matt yet again with a last kiss as the two of them reached the height of their experience.

Merry fucking Christmas, one and all.