The Flaw

Suggested Listening: Bittersweet Sundown by Framing Hanley

Part 1

~Notebook~

"Mello eat your chocolate and be quiet already, we still have ten minutes before we even get there." Matt muttered harshly at the blond next to him. Mello, the blond in leather to his right, and Near, the albino like boy to his left, were on their way to help L, the world's greatest detective, with a case.

And had Matt not known how old Mello was he might have assumed he was a child with how he was acting. Matt understood that Mello practically worshiped the ground the mysterious detective walked on, assuming he even walked as they didn't know much about him, but when the blond got over excited he got.. annoying?

Ok, perhaps it was a bit less than annoying, but when it cut into his gaming time it made Matt not so happy. That and he had been listening to Mello blabber on about L for the last few days, ever since Roger had told them they were going.

"Mello!" he hissed slightly louder. He didn't like to shout or yell, having no good experiences with such loud tones, but speaking in his usually quiet manner hadn't done anything in gaining Mello's attention.

Mello paused, mid word, and stared at him with wide eyes. It wasn't often he got to that point of irritation, but when he did it made even Mello pause.

"What is your problem Matt, aren't you happy we get to work with L?" Mello had crossed his arms, a searching look on his features as though he were brushing past all of Matt's defenses to look into his mind. That look always made Matt uncomfortable; there were so many things that he would never even tell Mello...

"Not really. You know I've never cared all that much." he mumbled quietly, thumbs moving quickly over the buttons of the PSP.

"Then why are-"

"Because I've had to listen to you go on and on about the same stuff for the last three days. It's really fucking irritating." he sighed, pausing his game as Mello remained silent, and glanced up. Mello's expression was completely blank with the exception of his narrowed eyes.

"I see." was Mello's only response. The blond turned his gaze away and continued to sit in silence. The silence was nice, but Matt still couldn't concentrate. Not when Mello was acting like that.

It was what he would call a lose lose situation.

But he didn't want to deal with Mello should he not apologize, despite not having done anything wrong. Mello was worse than a woman on her period sometimes.

"I'm sorry alright?" he nudged Mello with his elbow gently and watched as the tenseness in Mello's posture was lost over a few minutes time.

"Fine.. I'll accept it... but honestly though, what's gotten you so out of sorts?" Mello questioned him, expression finally easier though mixed with curiously and if Matt read it correctly, a hint of worry.

"It's just all the traveling, you know I hate long rides.." he said barely above a whisper. It was really the only thing Mello knew about his past, and it guarantied him a get out of jail free card from Mello's anger when used. He didn't like having to mention it, as it lead to thinking about it, but from Mello's softening expression the subject would be dropped.

It wasn't as if Matt had lied really, but the long trip from England hadn't been the problem. Well, not the entire problem. He'd had a headache he couldn't shake for the last few hours, that stabbing pain one got behind ones eyes that made it feel as though someone was taking a melon baller and trying to scoop them out; that, and he'd had an odd feeling ever since he'd found out about the case.

They had no details on the case, and while that wasn't all that strange when in concerns with L, it bothered Matt how little they knew. Usually there was some random clue thrown to them to piece back to the rest of the information.

But this time they had been given nothing; perhaps it was because they would be seeing L in person but it still seemed off to Matt. It was like there was something they weren't being told about the case, and if the results didn't pan out, would never be told.

He didn't like it.

"If you both are done arguing I believe that we are here." Near's bland voice rose from Matt's other side and the redhead could actually say he had forgotten the younger boy was there. Near was fifteen years old but from his appearance, as well as the fact he played with toys constantly, he could easily be mistaken for someone of a lot younger age.

Mello sneered and viciously snapped off a piece of chocolate from the bar that had just appeared in Mello's gloved hand. "No one cares what you think, fucking twit..."

Let it be said, Mello and Near did not get along in any way shape or form. And it didn't help that at times Near went out of his way to provoke Mello, getting him into trouble, and ultimately insuring that Mello hated him. Though Matt wasn't sure if that had been the albinos original intention or not.

Whether or not Near had been fishing for a reaction, he was indeed correct. The car had paused in front of a rather grand looking building, a sky scraper really, and had begun its descent into an underground parking area.

The security there was tight, from what he could see Watari had to do fingerprint, voice and retinal scans to gain admittance for the car, and Matt wondered if they too would have to go through with something like that.

But as it turned out there was no need, as it was proof enough they were the three heirs simply by being with Watari. Matt figured such a lax in security would not be permitted for anyone else.

From his other side Mello stared with rapt attention, taking in every detail. Matt shook his head; the blond really was more obsessed than anything...

The moment the car pulled to a complete stop Mello didn't even wait for instructions and simply bolted from the car more like a five year old might rather than his seventeen years would call for.

Matt was less enthusiastic, though at least managed to be more animated than Near who for all the world appeared to be a puppet or android in his motions. A clone, a copy, nothing real. Matt could understand why Mello hated him, but he wasn't quite capable of it. Matt neither liked nor disliked Near, he was simply someone higher above him in the rankings and nothing more.

Mello had been that to him at one time as well. Just someone he shared space with. Funny how things worked out, he mused.

Watari told them they were going to meet L immediately and afterwards they would be served dinner, as it was quite late in the evening already. Matt wasn't even sure he was up to eating anything after all that travel.

They had to take an elevator up from the garage and Matt new Mello wasn't comfortable with it. It had to do with the things they never talked about. Why Matt hated to travel for long hours, and why Mello would unconsciously shake every time he stepped into an elevator.

Secrets.

Matt didn't call him on it though, and simply shifted until his back was pressed slightly against Mello's, which wasn't all that odd in the cramped box. He felt Mello's body twitch and quiver every few seconds and without even looking he knew Mello's fists would be clenched.

It always made him wonder what had happened but after the first time he knew he would never ask.

The second the doors slid open Mello's body froze, going completely lax.

"I've seen you before!" Mello gasped, surprise coloring his expression. Near had looked over, an emotion Matt couldn't decipher crossing his features briefly.

"Indeed you have Mello. It was at Wammys three Halloweens ago I believe." the man speaking was situated rather oddly in a chair, more crouched than slumped, and held a spoon between his thumb and index fingers as he ate a large sundae with lemon slices on top.

"Though I do believe it is not necessary at this point I will introduce myself, I am L."

Matt nearly stumbled as Mello rushed from the elevator; he had been leaning on the blond and was set off balance by the quick movements. Matt sighed and started the level over again as his character had just fallen into a pit, which might have been fine had there not been lava in it.

He walked calmly from the enclosed space, the last to do so, and left to stand off to the side; the furthest from the elevator but also in a position to survey all of the room. Though to most observers his attention would appear to be only on his game and nothing else. That was one of the things Matt loved about his goggles, they shielded his eyes. From everything.

Matt listened as they were told that everything they needed to know was in that notebook beside L. Near was closer and carefully picked it off the table and muttered 'Death Note?' aloud.

He got no further than opening the front cover before Mello ripped the notebook from his fragile grip. Near merely sighed as Mello grinned manically at him, holding the book above his head and taking a step back to read it. L simply watched all of it in silence and never once took his eyes from Mello's hands.

"Matt come take a look at this!"

And while Matt may have generally listened to Mello, for reasons he would not go into or ever explain, he would not move from his position against the wall. There was something about that notebook he didn't like, got a bad feeling from.

He wanted nothing to do with it.

And if it weren't for Mello, he might have simply walked out and found his own way back to Wammys simply to be rid of it; there was something abnormal about that little book, something that called out to him, made him want to pick it up, to touch it.

And that more than anything, worried him.

-End Part 1-