Hey. :)

Wow. It has been something like two months since I've updated. I'm sorry that it has been that beastly long...honestly, sometimes I don't know where the time goes...

Anyway, this chapter is just fluff. Really, there's absolutely no plot progression at all (okay, maybe a VERY LITTLE bit at the end), but I just needed to write some really adorable MelloxMatt stuff, so I tried. :)

I don't own Death Note. Sadly.

And thanks to tenspeed457 for being my lovely beta.

Chapter six

Mello was abruptly awoken the next morning by the sound of thunder reverberating through the sky and torrents of rain slamming against the window. Mello groaned; not only did he hate storms, but, like with anything else in his life, Mello hated that he couldn't control something; in this case, it was the time he woke up. He hated waking up early anyway, let alone by anything other than his own accord.

Mello sighed and resigned himself to that fact that he should probably just get out of bed; he had an enormous pile of of work to be completed. He tried to stretch, but found he was completely entangled in Matt.

Mello immediately froze. It occurred to him that he had no idea how to handle himself in this sort of situation, and he hated that feeling as well. Sure, he had woken up next to Matt many a time before, but never totally naked and post...well, whatever they had done the night before.

Before Mello could decide on his next course of action, Matt began to stir beside him, opening his eyes to reveal the beautiful green. Matt seemed disoriented for a moment, but he finally gained his bearings, and smiled widely at Mello.

"Morning," Matt said softly, stretching his arms slightly above his head.

"Morning," Mello repeated, feeling completely stupid and unsure, feelings he both hated and were not accustomed to. Should he stay with Matt, or... just leave, like nothing had happened? Luckily, Matt decided for him and wrapped his arms around Mello, settling his head on Mello's shoulder. Mello sighed irritatedly, but truly, he enjoyed the feeling of Matt beside him, and he also knew that he could be content to stay that way all day long.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked, holding his head up so he could look Mello in the eye.

"I should probably ask you that," Mello said thoughtfully. He found that his fingers were gently combing through Matt's hair, and although his first instinct was to stop showing any sign of affection that had nothing to do with pleasure and all do with love, Mello continued his ministrations, almost not hearing Matt's answer.

"I'm fine," Matt said, shrugging the best he could while still sprawled all over Mello. "A little sore, but fine."

Mello winced a little; he knew he had hurt Matt the night before, even though he had done all he could to be gentle. "I'm sorry, Matt. I tried... um..." Mello trailed off, unsure what to say next. Matt grinned to himself; apologies were not Mello's strong suit.

"It's fine, Mel. I mean, I knew it was going to hurt. I mean, uh, logically, you know, with what was going on..." Matt stumbled over his words, and Mello felt a little better; Matt had gone back to being his awkward self...

Mello was suddenly stirred out of his reverie by Matt's voice. "Sorry, Matt, what?"

"Thank you," Matt repeated, once again looking Mello in the eye.

"For what?"

"For last night," Matt answered matter-of-factly, as though that were the most obvious answer in the world, propping himself on his elbows so he was above Mello.

"Matt." Mello couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You don't say 'Thank you' after doing...you know."

Matt began to trace Mello's collarbone with a few of his fingers, and Mello couldn't help but shiver. "I'm saying thank you for showing me that doing...that...doesn't have to be scary, that it can and should be pleasurable to both people, and that it doesn't have to hurt."

Immediately, the guilty feelings began to wash over Mello. "But you...said you were sore. I'm sorry..."

Matt shook his head. "When I mean 'hurt,' Mello, I mean two different things. With...them, they wanted to hurt me, and it was excruciating. With us, I know you would never intentionally hurt me, and this is more like an ache, because it was really, really good." Matt's face flushed instantly.

Mello just smiled and took advantage of Matt's embarrassment by catching him off guard and flipping him over so that Mello was on top, smiling down at a very obviously disoriented Matt.

"Yes, it was amazing," Mello agreed. He placed a soft kiss on Matt's lips. "And don't worry...we'll get even better."

Matt looked surprised. "So we're going to do it again?"

"Of course we are! Jesus, Matt, did you think once was it?"

"I-I don't know. I guess I hoped it wasn't, because I love you, and I liked...I liked being that close to someone I really love."

Mello's heart melted. Only Matt..."I love you, too, you idiot. I've loved you since that day you showed me Pokemon."

A large smile broke out on Matt's face. "Me, too," Matt said brightly. "Even though you still can't recite the first 150 original Pokemon."

Mello sighed. "I will never be able to recite the first 150, Matt, nor do I care to, but..."

Matt grinned widely before interrupting Mello. There was nothing Mello hated more than Matt reciting all the Pokemon he knew (and not, shockingly, that was a lot, especially since by now, there were well over the original 150), since normally Matt did it when Mello was trying to study.

And there was really nothing more fun (except, perhaps, maybe his many games), than irritating Mello when he was trying to study.

"Well, I know you say that you don't want to know, but you also said that you really didn't like me, and look where we ended up, so..."

Mello gave a slight glare to Matt before saying, "Just shut up and kiss me, Matt."

"Always with the romantics, huh, Mel--" Matt's voice broke with the sudden presence of Mello's lips against his neck, kissing right where his pulse was jackhammering.

"If I let you recite your Pokemon, will you let me do whatever I want to you?" Mello said in between kisses. He and Matt both knew that even without the reciting, Mello could do whatever he wanted, and Matt wouldn't care in the least, but sometimes....sometimes Mello didn't mind Matt's quirkiness. In fact, right about then, he found it downright sexy.

"Y-yeah, I bet I could do th-that," Matt managed to get out as he arched his neck to give Mello more access.

Mello lifted up his head to give Matt an evil smirk. "How about we place a little bet? If you can get through reciting even ten Pokemon at a normal speed, then I will let you do anything you want to me. If you lose, then tonight, I get to do anything I want to you, and believe me, it will involve chocolate" Mello's evil grin widened.

Matt swallowed, hard. "I honestly don't know if I want to win or lose. But just because you'd be smug if you won, I will prove you wrong."

Mello just shrugged. "Fine. You got yourself a deal, Mail. Your time starts right now."

Matt smiled smugly. He could name Pokemon under any condition. Hell, he could remember more than once when him and Mello were getting shot at, and what had Matt done to calm down? Recite Pokemon.

"Be prepared to lose, Mihael. Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venu...Jesus Christ, Mel!" Matt practically yelled as Mello took Matt into his mouth. Mello could immediately feel Matt responding, and he smiled to himself.

"Well, you lose," Mello said after a moment, pulling away. Matt whimpered in protest at the absence of Mello's lips on him.

"Just...c'mon, Mel, please!" Matt begged, not even caring in the least that he had had to resort to grovel to Mello.

"Admit that you lost..." Mello said, grinning sardonically. "And maybe I'll continue."

In the back caverns of Matt's mind, he knew that if he admitted defeat, Mello would surely use it as ammunition later, but his body really didn't care what his mind though, and consequently, Matt whined, "Fine, I lost, I lost!"

"God, I love hearing that," Mello said more to himself than anybody as he dipped his head lower again.

And for once, Matt didn't regret admitting defeat to Mello; in fact, he was sure he would have told Mello whatever he had wanted to hear by that point. He had begged, he had groveled, but later on, although Matt would never admit it out loud, it had been worth it.

Very, very worth it.

"Didn't even got through four," Mello taunted Matt with a smug smile on his face as he and Matt stepped out of the shower. "In fact, I'm only giving you credit for two, since you didn't get all the way through the third. Be prepared, Mail, because tonight there will be a lot of chocolate involved."

Matt couldn't helped but be pleased by that dark promise, but he, of course, could never let Mello know that, so instead he shook out his wet hair towards Mello, earning himself a fierce scowl and a jab in the ribs from his blonde boyfriend. "That wasn't even fair, Mel. Jesus. The whole freaking building could've been on fire, and I still don't think I would've cared."

Mello couldn't help but smile to himself; oh, yes, he had had Matt exactly where he wanted him, and both he and Matt knew it. Oh, to be in control...

Mello, however, chose not to go down that road with Matt, and just shrugged. He reached over to pull a towel out of one of the cupboards, and haphazardly tossed it on Matt's head, earning himself sputters of protest from a shocked and confused Matt.

"Mel, what the fuck?" Matt yelped, struggling to get the towel off.

"Stay still, idiot," Mello demanded. "There's not much more I could do to you that I haven't already done." Mello grinned when he could practically feel the heat from Matt's flushed face.

Since it seemed Matt's embarrassment had caused temporarily paralysis, Mello took full advantage of the situation and began to rub the towel vigorously over his head, both effectively drying Matt's hair and also annoying him to rage all at the same time.

"Jesus, stop, Mello!" Matt said loudly, pushing Mello away. "That kind of hurts!"

Mello ignored both Matt's protests and pushes until he was satisfied that his boyfriend's hair was as dry as it was going to get. Just as it seemed Matt was going to explode with rage and frustration, Mello slipped the towel around Matt's neck, and quickly kissed him, silencing the inevitable, "Fuck you, Mello" that would have been uttered by Matt.

"Could've been gentle about it," Matt muttered when they finally broke the kiss, all his anger dissolved. He reached around Mello for another towel. "See..." Matt trailed off as he began to tenderly dry Mello's blonde locks. Mello closed his eyes and sighed with content. Matt was right; this felt very....well, nice.

"See, didn't that feel nice?" Matt asked as she took the towel away. He began to comb his fingers through the tresses, although he knew he really needn't to; Mello's perfect hair never tangled. But really, he had always longed to drag his fingers through Mello's hair, and now that he got to do it whenever he wanted to, he vowed to take advantage of it at every opportunity.

"Maybe," Mello admitted reluctantly after a moment of trying everything he could not to shiver under Matt's touch. "But the other way was more fun."

Matt just shook his head and smiled. He went to reach around Mello once again to grab another towel so that he could dry his body, when Mello grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back in front of him. For a moment, Mello felt his heart stop mid-beat; Matt just looked so damn beautiful naked, the water dripping off him in seductive patterns. Mello suddenly had the image of licking every single drop of water of Matt's smooth, soft skin flash into his head...

"What?" The sound of Matt's voice broke Mello's sudden fantasy, and Mello about groaned from the fading image, then smiled coyly.

"I was just thinking how beautiful you looked, and how I'd lick to lick all the water off your body." To punctuate his point, Mello leaned over and ran his tongue up Matt's neck, causing Matt to groan softly with pleasure.

"M-Mello....we j-just got clean." Matt stumbled over his words as he always did when Mello touched him. "And only kind of, since we....well, you know...while in the shower."

Mello grinned. Oh, yes, that was an experience he really intended to repeat many, many more times, even if it did defeat the entire purpose of why they were in the shower in the first place.

But that was entirely beside the point.

As difficult as it proved to be, both Matt and Mello managed to emerge from their room about an hour later, completely dry and dressed. The lunch rush was just getting over, so when the two made it to the cafeteria, it was almost completely empty, save for the white-haired boy sitting at the end table.

"Ugh. Good mood just ruined," Mello said, glancing towards Near. "Let's just get some chocolate and go."

"Some people need actual food, Mel," Matt said dryly, as he began to spoon himself some soup. "Besides, I actually like Near."

The glare that Mello directed at Matt would've killed a lesser person, but Matt just lowered his googles and walked towards the albino, soup and apple in hand. Mello quickly grabbed a chocolate bar before running to catch up with Matt before he got to Near.

"I thought we had this conversation about Near," Matt said when Mello grabbed his sleeve. "Don't get so bent out of shape about it. Besides." Matt's face brightened to the color of a tomato, but he continued. "Who was it last night that I was letting do unspeakable things to me?"

Mello's eyebrow shot up into his bangs. Usually, he was the one doing sexual innuendos. Not that he minded his boyfriend doing it, though. In fact...

"The answer isn't Near," Matt answered for himself.

"Jesus, Matt. That's gross. I can't even imagine....how that would work. I mean....Ugh." Mello's face wrinkled up in disgust, and he just shook his head at the thought of the little albino boy even near his boyfriend.

"C'mon," Matt said, nudging Mello with his elbow since he didn't have any free hands. "Let's go."

Once they go to the table, Mello made sure that Matt took the seat directly across from Near, while he sat next to Matt, sitting as close as he could without actually sitting on him. Even Near, as clueless as he normally was, noticed the body language when he looked up from his food. Clearly, the idea "MINE" was written all over Mello's face.

"How's it going, Near?" Matt asked pleasantly as he began to ladle soup in his mouth.

Near shrugged. "Boring, as always. Although, it sounds as though you two are leading a far more interesting life than I am."

"How so, Near?" Mello asked, malice dripping like poison from every word.

"Well, clearly, from the sounds coming from your room last night, you were enjoying yourselves and engaging in...."

"I know what we were engaging in!" Mello snapped, interrupting the boy completely, while also attempting to make sure Matt wasn't going to choke on the soup he had practically inhaled from embarrassment. "God, Near, you're such a little freak!"

Near titled his head and looked innocently at Mello. "No, I am not. I went to go and see if you wanted to talk about the case last night, but evidently, you were engaged in something else."

Matt's face had colored to a red that Near didn't even know existed, while Mello's glare bore holes into the wall behind Near.

"Near." Mello tried to be patient, but he was finding it very difficult. Even more difficult than usual. "I didn't even know that you knew about...that." Okay, so Mello hadwanted to rage at him, but he knew from experience that it did nothing more than frustrate him when Near sat there stoically. However, if he tried to embarrass him, well....that was fun.

"Of course I do," Near said matter-of-factly. "How could I not?"

"What do you mean?" Mello asked. Wammy's did not even so much as discuss sex, and he couldn't imagine where Near would have picked it up from the outside world since he never actually went outside. Or, rather, not that much. If he did, it was to check up on a mission or something else business related; it was never strictly for pleasure. The only way he would really know anything about it would be if...

"Well, isn't it natural for people to engage in sexual intercourse when they're in a relationship?" Near asked. He had already continued to eat his cake, as though this was something he spoke of everyday, as though they were chatting pleasantly about the weather.

"Who the fuck are you in a relationship with?" Mello asked loudly, almost crushing his chocolate bare in his clenched fist.

Near's eyes briefly met Mello's as he answered, "Why, L, of course."

Matt could practically see the rage and fury threatening to explode from Mello, so he put his arm around his waist and pulled him even closer if that were possible. Mello, however, ignored the comforting gesture and just glared at Near.

"What did you say?" he asked slowly. "I must have heard wrong."

"I said L," Near repeated calmly. Near was so emotionless that he often didn't pick up on other's people's emotions, even if they were as blatant was Mello's.

"You....you and L...are together. Like, together together?"

Near's brows furrowed in confusion. "There's a difference?"

"You and L are together, like, enough that you've discussed sex?" Mello asked in that same slow voice.

"Isn't it logical to discuss something before you do it? I'm sure you and Matt did before...?"

Matt sighed inwardly, knowing what the one question was going to do with Mello. What Near had just alluded to meant that he and L had had sex, which meant that Near had lost his virginity before Mello had. One more thing Mello was second to to Near, and Matt knew he would take it as a defeat, no matter how petty it may be.

"You're telling me you've had sex with L?" Mello said, this time his voice deadly quiet. Matt had grabbed Mello's hand, but now regretted doing so; Mello was now holding Matt's hand so tight Matt's hand was in danger of just completely coming off.

Near nodded. "Yes," he answered. "Of course we have."

Mello took a large breath and exhaled slowly, trying to regain some level of reasoning, although deep down he knew that the effort was futile. Once again, he was second to Near. The little freak bastard...

"How the hell have you had a relationship with someone who's only been here, like, twice?" Matt asked as Mello continued to turn darker shades of red. It occurred to Matt that he probably should remove Mello from the situation entirely, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Near barely glanced up from his continuing conquest of the cake. "I see him a few times a month, when I go out to do mission-related business."

"So why Matt and I are back here slaving away, you're having sex with L?" Mello asked angrily, barely managing to contain his anger.

"First, I highly doubt you and Matt, even before you were in a relationship, were back her slaving away," Near pointed out in his methodical tone. "And second, what I do with my personal time--and what L does with his--is our business."

"That's disgusting, Near. L is, like, 25, and you're...what? 12?" Mello spat out, as though the words were poison. "Ugh!"

This time, Near's gaze slid up to meet Mello's angry blue eyes, and they held what might have been a hint of annoyance. "I'm 16, Mello. And L is 24. That's only eight years, and that's hardly anything, really."

Mello just shook his head, inwardly recoiling at the thought of Near and L together. At the same time, he could feel the anger boiling again; not only had Near had sex before Mello, but he also was allowed intimate time with L; Near probably knew L's most important secrets, just like Mello knew Matt's.

"We've got to go," Mello said abruptly, grabbing Matt's arm and dragging him up. Matt practically choked on the piece of apple he had been chewing. "Give our regards to L."

Mello had already turned around and had begun to drag his boyfriend away, when Near said, "You can do it yourself. He wants to meet with us at noon. He says there's something important he needs to tell us."

"You know what, Near? You can go tell L he can fuck himself." A sneer spread across Mello's face. "Or I guess you can. Or he can you... I have no idea how that would work, and I don't really care to figure it out. I don't need L's help, and I sure as hell don't need yours. I'll solve this all by myself."

Near actually showed some surprise, but said nothing as Mello walked away, pulling a dumbfounded Matt along with him. Finally, when Mello had dragged Matt outside, to their little grove, Matt pulled away.

"What the fuck was that, Mel?" Matt said loudly as he spun around so his back was to Mello. "We need L!"

Mello shook his head adamantly. "No, we don't. We can do this together." He took Matt's hand and smiled, just a little, wanting Matt to turn around. "I never need anybody but you," he told him, hoping the uncharacteristically cheesy line would get Matt's attention.

Matt sighed and turned around to face his boyfriend. "Fine. What's your plan?"

"We're leaving."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. It would be AWESOMEAMAZINGSPECTACULAR if you'd review. Whenever I get one, it makes my day. :)

So...by the way, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh, I'm writing a AtemxSeth one, and my beta, tenspeed457, writes really awesome ones...of all sorts of pairings. Okay. So now our commercial break is over. :)

And oh, mannnnn, if any of you guys are on Facebook, there are fan pages for all the Death Note characters, and they are very, very entertaining. Often, they make my day.

Note from tenspeed457: sorry, guys. I tried to get her to work on it... :P it's not my fault. I hope I didn't miss too many errors... there weren't that many that I could find, but then again, it's almost two in the morning, so yeah. also, I love Near. just throwing that out there. and if you want to read a Near/Gevanni fic... I've got one that I'm almost done with! *wink wink nudge nudge* okay, sorry Krista. I'll stop stealing your glory. see you later, everyone. hope you liked the chapter!!!!!