One unsolved puzzle chapter 9

My heart would just not shut up.
It kept up a rapid beat as I attempted to busy myself with sorting my lego blocks into colors, trying in vain to keep myself from looking over at the door every five seconds.

Mello's whispered words were echoing in my ears...

"Tutoring later, I'm making you pay for those little remarks to Matt."

I wasn't dim... allright, maybe I might've missed his meaning before, but not now... not now that I was so conscious of him in every way.

My thoughts flickered back to the 'love quiz' I'd been looking over before... to that one question...

Did I really want to do things like that with Mello...?

My face heated as I considered it.

So far, I hadn't instigated any intimate action with Mello, aside from the one kiss, which was more so to express emotion I couldn't convey in words at the moment and less so out of lust. A majority of the action had been taken by Mello, especially active after that day I kissed him; frequent touches to my hands and face, constant hair-ruffling, stolen kisses whenever we weren't being watched. Although I was uncomfortable with the contact, accustomed so my personal space as I was, I let him have his way; he seemed to need it somehow. But after thinking about it, Mello was older than me, and, frankly, more sexually developed. Though I  didn't understand the need, exactly, after getting past the initial discomfort, I enjoyed his touches as well.

Also, I knew such intimacy between two of the same gender is typically frowned upon, but then again, such judgements didn't matter to me... or any of us here at Wammy's, I supposed, seeing as we were a bit... outside the law, so to speak. With those condemnations out of the way....

Did I want to... do things with Mello...?

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the door open, and immediately my heart went into overtime in my chest.

"M-Mello," I said shakily, turning, and froze, as the person standing in the doorway wasn't Mello, but Matt.

"Nope. Sorry." He said shortly, stepping inside without asking and shutting the door behind him. He stood in entryway for a moment, glancing around as if searching for something.

"Did you need something...?" I prompted after a minute, when he made no motions to tell me as to why he was here.

"Not in particular." He shrugged. His eyes were still covered by his goggles, which for some reason unnerved me. "I was just told to tell you that Mello won't be tutoring you today."

I blinked. "Why would that be?"

Matt didn't reply at first. The glare lessened on his goggles, and I got a look at his eyes. They were hard, cold.

"I dunno. I'm just the messenger." He cracked his neck and the glare returned. "Well, that's all. Sorry to interrupt."

At that he turned and left, closing the door behind him, as quickly as he'd come.

So Mello wasn't tutoring me today... I wondered if he'd gotten in trouble with Roger for something again. Maybe he'd been sneaking chocolate out of the kitchen again, or something. I smirked to myself. That was probably it. The blonde chocoholic couldn't help himself.

I heaved a sigh of relief, though I was also somewhat disappointed at his absence.

But I could  survive on my own, I assured myself. At Least until Mello was let off the hook.

That's what I told myself the next day, when Mello, again, was absent.

And the next day.

And the next day.

By the fifth day I was earnestly beginning to worry.

I was sitting on the floor of my room, fidgeting a bit as I folded origami paper into small cranes. Every now and then I glance over at my analog clock that's hung over my door.

It didn't look like he was coming today, either.

I heave a sigh in exasperation and abandon the crane I'd been folding, tossing it off to the side, away from the rest of my small compilation.

What on earth had he done that would result in him being punished for so long...?

The last time he'd been punished this long was when he tried to floor my room by leaving the shower on... But nothing along those lines has happened anytime recent.

Unless he's been doing things to other kids...?

Unlikely. The only person Mello would risk his chocolate privileges to provoke was me. That much I was sure of.

Then what exactly was going on...?

Not in the mood to ponder this on my floor any longer, I stood up and piled my paper cranes onto my shelf, left my room, and headed towards the common room.

Once there, I glanced around uncertainly. I wasn't quite sure what I had been planning on doing here, much less why I'd even come here in the first place. I hadn't even brought any toys.

I sort of looked around for a moment, then awkwardly walked over to the window, deciding to watch the boys outside play soccer.

As I was curling on the floor by the glass, my attention was grabbed by a feminine voice calling me from across the room.

"Near??"

I glanced over to the source of the voice; it was Linda: an artist, loudmouthed, intrusive girl who had declared herself my friend a while back. And because of that, Roger thought he'd be considerate of me and assign her as one of my escorts.

I inwardly winced at the realization that I was without one at the moment, most likely meaning that Linda would feel obliged to do said duty for the day.

Sure enough, she was quickly skipping over to me, waving, as if I hadn't already noticed her.

I internally cursed Roger for this. I still didn't see what made this necessary, and he'd certainly not gone out of his way to explain things to me...

Wait.

I froze.

That was two things he had yet to explain.

My escorts, and now Mello not attending my tutoring sessions.

That seemed... way to close to being coincident.

I don't believe in coincidence.

Having made the small connection in the two, my head snapped up and I turned to Linda, who was almost over to me.

"Linda." I said flatly, and she stopped just in front of me, seeming surprised that I was the one to talk first.

"Uh, yes Near?" She replied, readily, her eyes curious.

"I'm aware that you're going to be my escort today, so there's need to mention that. But I was wondering if you could tell me a few things?"

She tilter her head to the side. "Sure Near. What's up?"

"I really do appreciate what you and the other do by escorting me..." I lied smoothly, continuing, "But what is it your all supposed to be protecting me from...?"

Linda gaped openly for a moment before catching herself.

"Uhmm, what do you mean by that?" She stalled.

"Linda, give me some credit. I am number one here. I know that Roger wouldn't assign me escorts unless he felt it was necessary... which I feel he'd only do if I was in danger of something."

Linda glanced down briefly, not responding, so continued.

"...I was just wondering what he was thinking was hurting me, because, honestly, I've been fine recently."

Linda finally showed a reaction; she winced, her mouth curving into a terribly sad face as if by its own accord, her eyes filling with tears. Her shoulders trembled.

"Oh god, it is true, isn't it?" She whimpered, sniffling.

I was puzzled by her reaction. "What's true?"

I started, even more baffled, as she suddenly threw her arms around my shoulders, hugging my head to her chest.

"Oh Near!" She sobbed. "Why won't you talk to anyone about it?? I know it has to be awful... and against your will too!"

I squirmed again her arms, incredibly awkward in this pose, and froze at the implications in her words.

"Against my will...? What are you-"

"It's okay, Near, I know! You don't have to worry about it; I'm not that loud-mouthed, I understand that you'd be hurt if I told anyone..." She rambled on, completely ignoring me when I tried to interrupt her. "And that jerk...! To think he'd even go that far to be on top, I never expected him to be so low... Honestly, I used to have a crush on Mello! But after this...!"

"Hold on!" I finally said firmly, pushing her away, not so much caring about the hurt look on her face as I rejected her offer of comfort. "Can you please explain to me what you're going on about??"

Linda's eyes filled with tears again.

"You know, Near... Mello raped you."





---((Mello's POV))-----

I paced restlessly in front of my door, snapping my leg out to kick any of Matt's crap that was in my way.

I'd been waiting all-the-fucking-day for Roger to tell me what exactly I'd done wrong this time, what could possible warrant me not leaving my room for the last week.

Without any warning, he'd sentenced me to die of boredom and rot in my room until I decried to "come clean and get this over with". Me, having no-fucking-clue as to what he was talking about, had snapped at the senile grouch to get his record straight, that I'd done nothing the fuck wrong.

Maybe that wasn't the best way to handle the situation. Oh well.

But he got a really scary look in his eyes and said "is that how it's going to be, Mello? We'll see..."

...Or something else that was  creepy as shit, but along those lines.

After this many days of trying to be entertained by Matt's retarded games, I'd had enough; I'd sent Matt to talk to Roger and covertly find out what I needed to pretend to be contrite about to get out of this punishment. I didn't want to be cooped up here anymore; for one thing, I was bored as shit, for another, I felt like I'd gained at least 8 pounds from eating so much chocolate and not burning it off, and lastly... frankly, I missed Near.

As sappy and WAY not-like-me that might sound, it was true. I missed having genuine conversations with someone who was on my level. I mean, talking and kidding around with Matt was fun and all, but with Near I felt.... I can't even say. I felt like I was being understood, not just admired.

Not to mention, I felt like a total douche for missing a week's worth of tutoring sessions, offering him no explanation as to why.

I cursed to myself; with that twisted-up emotional logic of his, he was probably getting the idea that I was screwing around with him again. I would never forgive Roger if this punishment ended in Near hating me; it had taken too mother fucking long to get Near to understand my feelings for him, and I wasn't sure if I could survive if I had to hold back any longer.

My ears turned red at that thought, and I hurriedly dismissed the thought.

Thankfully, before my thoughts of not holding back could develope dangerously, Matt came back.

"Hey, Mels." He sad casually. For once, he wasn't playing a game, and his goggles were off. I had forgotten his eyes were green.

I walked over to him, gripping his shoulders in anticipation.

"Well?? Did he say why the fuck I'm being punished??" I demanded.

Matt snorted, blowing a puff of air into my face.

"'Hey to you too, Matt, thanks for being such an awesome dude.' 'Oh it's cool Mello, I don't mind one bit.'" He shook his head. "Sorry. He guessed what was up and pretty much told me to get lost."

I groaned, releasing Matt's shoulders and going to flop down dramatically onto my bed.

"Damn it," I moaned, pressing my face into a pillow.

I heard the bed creak as Matt sat down beside me.

"You sure you didn't do anything?" He asked.

Not feeling like rolling over to face him, I muttered into my pillow,

"No. Nothing."

"Well, then, I guess you just have to wait for Roger to realize he screwed up, I guess."

I resisted the urge to bash my head into the bed.

"I'm sick of being cooped up, Matt."

There was a long pause.

"That's not all you hate, is it Mello?"

The change in Matt's voice was impossible to miss, though I wasn't sure what it meant.

I rolled over and looked him in the eye, not catching his meaning.

"What does that mean?"

"You hate not seeing Near."

There was no question in his tone. It was a statement. I felt myself go a bit red.

"W-What the hell, Matt!" I sat up and glared at him, trying to conceal my embarrassment. "Where did that even come from??"

Matt didn't say anything. He kept his eyes down, not meeting mine, and he fiddled with a tassel on the end of a blanket.

"You've started to like him." He stated mater-of-factly.

"Seriously Matt, what are you even talking about??"

"You're not fooling me, Mello..." I blinked; his tone was somewhat sad.

"Matt?" I moved forward, trying to make him meet my eyes. He was starting to freak me out.

When he turned his face away to avoid my eyes, I irritatedly grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me.

The simple touch made Matt flinch, and before I could wonder at that, I was sprawled on my back, Matt on top of me.

"What the fuck Matt-!" I started, trying to sit up.

"What is it that he has?" Matt whispered. His face was buried in my shoulder.

"What-"

"He's never done anything so great for you. He's your rival. The only thing separating you from what you deserve. You have every reason to hate him..." He moved to talk into my ear, his breath tickling me. I was too confused to think to stop him. "But what about me... I've been your best friend for years, Mello... It's always been us against the world..." He pulled back and stared me in the face, his eyes narrowed in determination. "What about me, Mello?"

I regained my senses, though I remained clueless as to what he was talking about. I was about to ask 'what you you?' when I realized that Matt was leaning forward, his hands gripping my shirt.

"!!"

Before I could even think to move away, he was kissing me, his lips hard, desperate, his hands firmly holding me down. I gasped in surprise, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth.

I squirmed under him, panicking, my mind flying.

What the hell was going on here??