☆ [Death Note]: Patchwork - Ch 2
Title: Patchwork [FF.net]
Author: Jubilee
Characters/Pairings: Matt x OC
Rating: T
Genre: Romance + Friendship
Warnings/Notes: Nothing. AU in where Matt lives because he's my favorite.
Summary: She had saved him. He thought she was crazy. But now she's left with the responsibility of getting him back on his feet. Would they be able to handle it? This is the tale of Matt's life if he hadn't met his unfortunate fate. MattOC
Posted @: Here only. [Exclusive fanfiction?]
Chapters: One
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The two of them just continued to stare at each other, shock clearly evident on both of their faces.
"Wh…" began Kimiko. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to catch a plane to Japan at the last minute. What are you doing here?"
"I was going to go visit my cousin! She lives in Japan."
"Wow…this is so weird…but…hey, I thought you came to L.A. because you wanted to see your best friend?"
"I did…but she was so excited that I was coming over that she forgot to tell me she was going to go out of town for a while to visit her grandmother up north…ah, so I decided to just come to Japan for a bit to see my cousin."
"But don't you have to go back to school?"
"I haven't gotten anything from them."
"What if a notice comes in the mail while you're gone?"
"Oh…I didn't think of that…"
Matt shook his head. The flight attendant's voice ran throughout the plane, telling everybody that they were about to take off.
"Yay, the plane is moving!" Kimiko sounded excited. "I love riding in planes."
"Why?"
"Because I get to be up in the sky. You know, if I had a superpower, it'd be flight."
"Seriously?"
"Yup. Hey, if you had one, what would it be?"
"I dunno. I never gave it much thought. Probably…like super speed or something…"
"Why?"
"So I can get to the video game store in a flash when a new game comes out. Sometimes the lines for those things get pretty damn long…"
Kimiko chuckled a bit. She looked out the window, and they were already in the air. "Wow, I love the sky. It reminds me of the ocean."
"Why?"
"Because it's vast like it."
"But the sky doesn't end…"
"Yeah it does. You're probably counting outer space, but that's not what I was talking about. I just meant the sky in our atmosphere."
"Oh…" He gave a small sigh and decided to take off his vest. He put it on the empty seat next to him on his left, and then just sat, his fingers tapping his knee. "So…I noticed that you're not wearing anything loud today."
"Heh. Yeah, I decided to be subtle." She was wearing a red flannel shirt that had a white strapped top under it. Her shorts were black and very small, and she had sandals on that strapped a bit above the ankles. Her hair was held up in a clip making some kind of ponytail, the bangs hanging on the side of her face.
"You look…nice."
"Thanks." She smiled at him. "Hey, I painted my toenails yesterday. Look!" She shifted her left foot towards Matt and wiggled her toes. "I couldn't find red nail polish so I just went with a more…earthy color. Do you like them?"
"Well I'm a guy so I wouldn't really know what to say…"
"Ah, right. I painted my finger nails too in order to match my toes."
"I noticed. Say, do you wear makeup?"
"Mostly just eyeliner and I use lip gloss for my lips, but other than that, no. Why?"
"Just curious."
Kimiko looked at him and just shrugged. "So Matt, now that we've met again, how about telling me a bit about yourself?"
"Why would you want to know that stuff?"
"Because you seem like an interesting person."
"Well my life story isn't…"
"I still wanna hear about it anyway."
He looked at her for a moment. "Ok, I guess I can tell you."
She smiled again. "First, how old are you?"
"Questions? I thought you wanted me to talk…"
"Questions eventually lead up to the life story…"
"Yeah…ok…well…I'm nineteen years old."
"Wow! Really? I'm seventeen!"
"Younger than me by two years huh? I thought you'd be younger."
She pouted. "I don't look like a young lady to you? My body is still in the process of developing into a woman's body so--"
"Uhm Kim? I don't wanna hear about that…can I continue?"
"Oh sure! Go ahead."
He gave a smile, making it look like he was about to chuckle, but he suppressed it. "Anyway, I grew up in an orphanage so I don't know where I was born or who my parents were."
"So then…is Matt your real name?"
"That's what everybody calls me, but my birth name is Mail Jeevas."
"Wow! Really?"
"Uh…yeah? Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, I've just never heard a name that different before. But I can still call you Matt right?"
"Yeah. Nobody calls me Mail…that sounds weird…I don't even know what ethnicity that name comes from…"
The girl giggled. "I think it's unique. But anyway, continue on."
"Well, I grew up in the orphanage, like I had previously stated. I wasn't very social…since I mostly kept to myself, playing video games. I mean, I did get along with two of the kids there, but they really didn't get along with each other."
"Who were they?"
"The older one was called Mello and the younger one was Near. I'm a year younger than Mello, and a year older than Near."
"Ah, I see. So you didn't really have any friends?"
He shook his head. "No. I was pretty much a loner and didn't really care about interacting. I dunno. I was happy being by myself."
"So…you've never wanted any kind of bond with anyone?"
"Well, those things didn't really matter to me. I mean, it was nice that I was able to go against somebody when I would play video games, and I suppose I made a few acquaintances that way…but, other than that, I didn't really socialize. Mello's probably the closest to me."
"Why would you say that?"
"He's like my opposite: social and outgoing. That's probably why."
"How come you're not like that?"
Matt shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know. I guess…well, I felt a bit out of place you could say."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The kids there were either a bit snobbish because of the praise they got, and the others would be a bit too energetic so…"
"So you were in the middle?"
"Not necessarily. I didn't act snobbish just because I was in an orphanage for gifted children--"
"Gifted? In what sense? Like mutants?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and gave a laugh. "Where'd that come from?"
Kimiko blushed a bit, embarrassed by her overactive imagination. "Ah…I watch too many cartoons…sorry…"
"That's alright. Anyway, that orphanage is for gifted children, in the sense that they're very intelligent with high potentials."
"For what?"
Matt didn't know if he was allowed to tell her that all those kids were to be the heirs if anything should ever happen to the current L. "I dunno. That's just what I was told." He lied of course, but he felt like she didn't need to know this anyway.
"Oh…well, then how did you get out of the orphanage?"
"You automatically go off on your own once you're around seventeen or eighteen."
"Does that mean you got out just recently?"
"Yeah basically. From there I just traveled with Mello because he had left the orphanage just before he turned fifteen, and when he heard that it was my time to leave, he invited me to join him."
"Oh I see. He sounds like a good friend."
"He's not very temperamental…so…I try not to make him upset…since he carries a gun around…"
"Why the heck does he have something like that on his person?"
"For protection."
"My God…he sounds like a dangerous guy…"
"He is, but he can also be cooperative when it benefits him or helps him achieve his goals."
"Oh…so…is that all?"
"Yeah. Like I said, my life story is short and to the point."
"No love life?"
"No…? I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself…I wasn't very social…come to think of it…I'm still not that social…"
"So no girlfriends or anything?"
"No…"
"Not even crushes?"
"Well…I did have one while I was there…but…I never talked to her."
"Aww why not?"
"Firstly, why are you so interested in my romantic life?"
"I may not look like it, but…things like that interest me. I like to read a lot of shoujo manga."
"Er…yeah…ok. Well…as I was saying, I didn't talk to her…and she was always absorbed with her friends anyway. I never really got noticed in the orphanage as far as girls go. I was kind of a nerd back then…well, I guess I still am technically. Ah, my goggles didn't help much either. I suppose I was just shy."
"I never thought you'd be the timid type."
"Well…not so much anymore, but there are times when I can get a bit bashful…"
Kimiko giggled. "How cute!"
"It's not cute!"
"Yes it is!"
Matt made a face at her. "Anyway, that's really all I've gotta tell you. There's nothing more."
"Well, even though you didn't seem to lead an exciting life, I liked listening to your story."
"And now it's your turn, otherwise it isn't fair."
She smiled at him. "I know. Well, my story isn't that thrilling either, so don't expect twists or anything."
"That's fine. I don't mind."
"Ok. Hmm…well, like you already know, my parents have been very fortunate with their lives. My father is a lawyer and my mother is a doctor. They make good money because they're very good at their professions, so you could say I'm pretty well off, especially since I'm their only child."
"Do you have a mansion or something?"
"No. We have a big house though with a maid and a butler, but that's about it. Ah, we've got a gardener too, but he lives elsewhere, not inside our house."
"Oh. So…how did your parents meet?"
"Are we asking questions Mail Jeevas?"
"Yes we are Kimiko because it leads up to the life story."
She gave a giggle. "Well, my parents met in college. See, both of their parents were immigrants from their respective countries, Mexico and Japan. My dad's Mexican and my mother is Japanese. It was hard for my dad because his family didn't really expect much from him…but he really wanted to live a better life than the one he was living so he tried his best to get a good education. He really only had support from his teachers since they urged him to go to college.
My mom was expected to do well in school, and while she did struggle for a bit, eventually she got used to it and began to ace all of her classes. In order to increase their chances of getting into a good college, both of them joined a sport in high school: my dad played baseball and my mother played tennis since they were both fast runners. Because of their determination, they got good scholarships that helped them pay for college since their parents couldn't afford it. That's where they met, and after a while of being good friends, they fell in love and pretty soon they got married. Of course it was strange for them because they were from different cultures and their families were a bit iffy at first, but they learned to get used to it."
"Wow. That sounds like an interesting story."
"But that's not my story! I'm just telling you about my parents because it leads up to me."
Matt only smiled at Kimiko as she pouted, continuing. "Anyway, once they got married, they had just gotten their jobs, and that's when they decided they wanted a little bundle of joy. And guess who that was? That's right, me! So, I was born, and my mom was kept occupied with me for a while. It was tough on her because she still had to continue her education because being a doctor takes a lot of schooling, and my dad was already working, so raising a child and doing all of that at the same time was hard."
"Were they able to handle it?"
"Yes. With a little money they had saved up, they were able to take me to a daycare center while my dad worked and my mom continued school. Once they got used to their positions and their occupations, they were able to afford a nice house, hire a maid and butler, and finally spend more time with me. So, I didn't really live the good life until I was like…around five or something. But it's all good."
"Is that all?"
"No, I'm not finished. Let's see…well, I always went to private schools starting from elementary so I always had to wear a uniform. I got kinda tired of it, but I learned to just get used to it, so they didn't bother me anymore. I was expected to get good grades in every subject, so with that carved into my mentality, I was dissatisfied with anything less than an A. My parents were really proud of me all throughout my school years. Now all I've gotta do is finish my final year of high school, and I'll get my own car."
"You have a license?"
"Yup. But…it took me a few tries to get it…"
"That bad?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh, I see." It was quiet for a moment. Kimiko was trying to gather her thoughts to see what else she could tell Matt. He looked at her as she looked at the ceiling of the plane, trying to figure out what to say next. His eyes wandered a bit since he couldn't keep his focus on something inanimate, and eventually he found himself staring a bit at her chest, since her flannel shirt wasn't buttoned all the way and the undershirt made it look voluptuous. God that shirt is so working for her right now…
The girl apparently noticed and cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Liking the view Matt?"
"Gah!" His face became red. "No, I wasn't intentionally looking there! Honest! I just happened to notice it all of a sudden!"
She gave a small sigh. "Yeah…whatever…" Looking down, she continued. "You're not the first person to stare at me like that, so don't worry about it…I've gotten used to it after a while…"
"Uhm…I didn't mean to upset you…"
"Nah, it's ok. Just…that reminds me why I wanted to get away from New York for a while…"
"What's the reason?"
"My parents."
"I thought you loved your parents."
"I do, very much, but…sometimes…they do things that make me a bit irritated…I know they're only doing it because they love me and want what's best for me…but I'm getting older now and I want to make my own decisions…"
"Anything in particular that you don't like?"
"Well, the thing right now…that annoys me…is that they're trying to find a suitable guy for me to be my husband a few years from now…"
"Ah…one of those arranged marriage things?"
"Kinda, except at least I know who the guy is." She groaned and crossed her legs. "But they're so boring…"
"In what way?"
"They're not interesting. The professions they want aren't even the ones they really desire. I can tell by just looking at them. But their parents want them to follow in their footsteps, and the guys don't have the guts to tell them that they've got something else in mind. The daughters are the same way. I don't understand what's the big deal with rich people's kids not sticking up for themselves and having the courage to tell their parents that they want a different career path than they do."
"What about you? What do you want to be?"
"My parents wanted me to either be something that had to do with a lawyer or something in the medical field, but what I really wanna be is a writer."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I want to create my own worlds, my own characters, plot lines, and the like. I want to express my imagination via books. Unfortunately my parents…well, mostly my dad…they don't think being an authoress is very promising…so they urge me to become something more professional…but…I just don't see it…those kinds of things never interested me."
"You know, for a girl of your stature, you sure are different. I mean…you probably have like all these wealthy guys waiting to take your hand in marriage, yet you reject all of 'em. Why?"
"Because, like I said, they're boring." She looked at Matt. "They say they want to be doctors and lawyers and astronomers and college professors, you know, the jobs that pay big. But…none of them have said that they wanted to be writers or journalists or video game designers or…or artists…none of them…they all follow in their parents' footsteps, and that annoys me. To be honest with you Matt, I don't really think those guys want me to be their future partner to bond…they just want me…just to have me…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know I seem a bit conceited, and I probably am subconsciously, but…I just don't like it when somebody wants another person just to have them, like if they were a humanoid trophy. I hate that stuff. And I truly think those guys want me to obtain bragging rights. I'm the apple of my parents' eye and they're always praising me, telling their friends what a great daughter I am and such…but sometimes it gets on my nerves, especially when a guy is introduced to me. Once I take off that mask that my parents have given me and reveal my true self, they don't like me as much because I'm a bit on the strange side, but you probably already knew that. My fashion sense gave that away the first time we met."
Matt looked at her face, and she seemed to be a bit sad. "You know something Matt? I would really like it if I could just…at least have a respectable guy friend…all the ones I've had in the past have had the same motive as the previous: my hand in holy matrimony when I came of age. It really pissed me off when I found out the truth. Of course, this made them angry when I yelled at them, and so they started throwing insults here and there, adding in curse words to make them sound that much smarter…and I realized…I'm never gonna find anybody to relate to in that world. They're too different from me. I don't want haughty rich guys…I want somebody more subtle…somebody humble…somebody unique. I haven't given up. I know I'll find him one day. I just have to keep searching harder. I don't care how long it takes. I'll find him."
The redhead stared at Kimiko as she glanced out the window. Her face appeared to be sad as she watched the clouds underneath them roll by. Matt took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Well…your story seems…a lot more interesting than mine. Ha."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You've got a lot to say about yourself Kim."
"I'm just telling you the facts of my life and how I feel about them. Did you know when I was younger that I wanted to either be a pirate or a dinosaur?"
He smiled. "A pirate or a dinosaur eh? Were you gonna combine them and become a dinosaur pirate?"
"Maybe…"
He gave a chuckle, and this made Kimiko smile.
"So, Kim…what does your name mean?"
"Why would you wanna know something like that?"
"Just curious. Every name has a meaning. At least…I think so."
"My mom named me. She told me it means 'child without equal' and my dad thought it was perfect because it described me completely. There is absolutely nobody on the face of this planet, who comes even a tiny bit close to who I am. Nobody. I mean, how many Mexican-Japanese girls are there with a cup size that isn't a B or A?"
"You're starting to talk about your body again…"
He was slightly ignored. "Most people would think that Asian females would have small chests, a very stereotypical statement. But because I'm also of Mexican blood, and because my dad's sisters all had nice bust sizes, I luckily got that part of the gene pool, so I have a nice bust size too. Not ridiculously large…God no…that'd make me look like some kind of…well some kind of something. I like the way they are."
"Yeah…they've…well they're not super big…but…they've got a nice shape…I'll admit that…"
"Are you some kind of pervert Matt?"
"What? No!" His face turned red again. "I'm being honest! Geez!" He crossed his arms.
Kimiko gave another giggle. "I know. I'm just kidding."
He made another face at her and slumped in his seat a bit. "I hope this plane lands in Japan soon…"
"I heard it takes around fourteen hours or so."
Matt looked at her, shock plastered all over his face. "Four…fourteen hours?"
"Yeah. I mean, Japan is located all the way on the other side of the world…"
"What the hell am I supposed to do for fourteen hours?!"
"How should I know? They usually have movies playing, like five different ones, to keep the passengers occupied."
"Eh…I don't feel like watching movies…" He got his vest and took out another hand-held console, a DS, and began to play with it.
"You like video games Matt?"
"Yeah. Weren't you listening to my story?"
"I forget things easily." Kimiko rummaged through the purse that she had beneath her legs and took out her own DS, except it was pink. "I have one too."
"Oh really? What game do you have?"
"Well the cartridge that's inside it right now is my Pokemon game…I like to play those. They're fun."
"What a coincidence. I have that game too."
"I bet I can beat you at a battle."
"Fat chance. Nobody has ever been able to defeat me at this game."
"Ok, fine. Let's see if you can put your money where you mouth is."
"You're on."
The two began to play with their game, battling for a while. Kimiko found that Matt was a very good gamer. She had a bit of trouble trying to beat him, and nobody has ever beaten her when it comes to Pokemon.
"Damn!"
Matt smiled as Kimiko's final Pokemon fainted. "Heh. Looks like I've won."
The girl gave a growl. "Togekiss is one of my best Pokemon!"
"Your team was very well-balanced. I actually had a bit of trouble."
"Then how did I lose?"
"You started panicking when your team was going down. You need to be calm in situations like those."
Kimiko huffed, and Matt continued to smile. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're the first person to put me in a corner like that. Lucario was my last Pokemon, and against your Togekiss, I'd say it was a pretty good match."
"Yeah yeah…" The girl put away her DS. "I need to train them more…"
Matt shook his head a bit and continued playing with his game console. Kimiko looked out the window, watching the clouds roll by.
"Matt…"
"Hmm?" he said without taking his eyes off his game.
"Are you…afraid of anything?"
"Like, if I have any fears?"
"Yeah."
"No, not really. I mean, I'm probably afraid of something, but I just haven't found what it is yet. Why?"
"Just curious…"
It was quiet for a moment until Matt spoke again. "Are you afraid of anything?"
"I thought I wasn't, but…now that I think about it…yeah, I am."
"What is it? Spiders? Heights? Ghosts?"
"No…guns."
"Guns? Why guns?"
She stood quiet for a brief moment, not taking her eyes off the window.
"Because…well, you could say it's a trauma."
"Something bad happen in the past?"
"Kinda…"
"What was it?"
"It was when I was like…around seven or something. I was walking home with my cousins. They were older than me, about teenage years. I can't really remember their age. Oh, it was my cousin who I'm gonna visit in Japan…and…her brother. Anyway, we were walking home from the mall, when all of a sudden, we heard someone scream…I think it was a lady…and there was a commotion. Then, I heard gunfire. I had never heard it before. I didn't know how to react when that sound reached my ears."
Matt stood quiet and listened as Kimiko continued.
"The three of us saw some guy round the corner, coming towards us. He had a gun in his hand. My cousin…he tried to stop him…see…he wanted to be a police officer…and so…I guess that drove him to do what he did. He ran to the guy and tried to hold him down until the authorities arrived. My other cousin…she told him to stop, but he didn't, and that's when it happened."
Matt could only guess what would be her next sentence.
"He was shot…" Kimiko took a small breath, trying to maintain her state. "When I saw it…I was completely horrified. My cousin was shot in the stomach…and he slumped to the floor…bleeding…a red pool beneath him. My other cousin screamed and ran to him as the guy made his escape. I just stood there…trembling. Eventually the police came and caught him, but…they couldn't do anything about my cousin. It had already been too late for him…"
The girl squeezed the end of her shirt to stop herself from shedding tears. "Ever since that day…I've been traumatized of guns…I hated them…I never even played video games with them…they got me scared…and when I would see a movie that had shooting, I'd flinch and try to block out the noise. They just…remind me of how my cousin died…and…we both loved him so much…he was a great guy…and then he had to go and die…die because he tried to do something good…"
"And that's the only thing you've ever been afraid of?"
"Yes. I'm not even afraid of passing away…just…just guns…I hate them…" She gave a sort of short laugh. "Funny…I'm not afraid of guns used for hunting wild animals…or guns used in the military…I'm just afraid of the standardized guns that anybody can get a hold of…"
She sighed, keeping back her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Matt. "Well, now I've told you my fear. Uhm…can we…just not talk for a bit…?"
He figured she needed time to calm down. "Yeah, that's fine." He actually didn't want to talk for a bit either because he wanted to play his game, plus he needed sleep.
Kimiko put her earphones back on and selected a song to listen to. Music always calmed her down, and right now, she really needed it.
---
He felt somebody shake him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the flight attendant. "Huh…? Are we there already…?"
"No, we still need a few more hours. But it's nighttime already, and I noticed that you dozed off. I brought you a pillow and a blanket."
"Oh…thanks…"
He looked to his right to see out the window, which was now black. The moon wasn't even illuminating the area outside the plane. He noticed Kimiko had fallen asleep too. Her head looked uncomfortable in the position she was sleeping in.
"Can I get another pillow and blanket?"
"Oh, of course." The flight attendant came back shortly with another pillow and blanket. "Here you go."
"Thanks."
The lady smiled and continued waking down the isle to see if anybody else needed pillows or blankets.
Matt tried not to wake up Kimiko as he put the pillow behind her head. He took off the earphones she was wearing and grabbed the MP3 player, putting it in his lap so he could put the extra blanket over her. He then took the device and turned it off, setting it down on the floor next to her feet.
"I hope she doesn't hate me or something for touching her stuff."
He cracked his neck since it hurt a bit, and then stretched, yawning shortly afterward. "Well, I guess I better get back to sleep." He settled himself in the best possible condition he could, putting the pillow behind his head and the blanket over his body.
"I hope this plane lands soon. Mello's probably gonna be angry with me…"
Disregarding his blonde friend for the time being, the redhead was starting to doze off again, sleep finally consuming him once more.
---
It felt hot. This warm feeling disturbed her. Kimiko woke up and saw that her window was lit again. The sun was shining, its beams warming the exterior of the plane and her window.
She rubbed her eyes, and that's when she noticed she had a pillow behind her head and a blanket over her. "Hmm? How'd this get here?"
Kimiko turned to her left and saw Matt sleeping, snoring a bit, his mouth slightly open. She gave a small smile, and shook him on the shoulder. "Hey."
He gave a slight jolt and looked around. "Wha?" He put both hands on his face, rubbing his eyes, giving a groan. "Are we there yet…?"
As if on cue, the attendant's voice ran throughout the plane. "Attention please. We have made it to our destination. The plane will be landing shortly."
"Finally…" Matt said as he took off the blanket and pillow. "Ugh…I need to sleep on something flat…my back hurts…"
"You're not used to planes…are you?"
"Not really. I don't get out much."
They felt the plane descending. Kimiko looked excitedly out the window and beamed. "Yay! We're landing!"
"I hope Mello isn't angry with me taking so long…"
"Why?"
"Remember how you caught me spying or whatever?"
"Yeah?"
"Well we're kinda doing something secretive to help with a big case…so…"
"Oh ok. And he wants you to be punctual because time is precious right? Gottcha."
He was glad she didn't try to ask questions.
"Ah! It feels good to walk again!" Kimiko said as she and the passengers got off the plane. Matt was walking with her.
"So Matt," she began as they walked into the airport from the terminal. "Do you have any luggage you need from the plane?"
"No. This bag was the only one I had."
"Oh. Well, would you mind coming with me to get my stuff? My carry-on wasn't the only thing I brought."
"Sure."
The redhead walked with the girl to the revolving belt where the luggage of their plane was being displayed. Kimiko found hers and took it off from the belt. Matt stared at her large suitcase.
"Is there a reason as to why your suitcase has dinosaur print on it in bright colors?"
"That's so it doesn't get lost!"
"Well how can it? Just looking at it hurts my eyes…"
She giggled. "I think you need to start wearing glasses instead of those goggles Matt."
"Nah, my vision is fine." He liked wearing his goggles anyway. He had gotten used to them.
Matt walked with Kimiko around the airport, trying to find the main exit. "I just noticed that it's daylight over here, so it must be nighttime in America. Hey! Wanna get something to eat? They have restaurants here in the airport."
"I dunno…"
"Aww, come on…please? I'm sure your friend Mello isn't here. If he was, he'd call you on his cell phone or something."
"True. Well, I guess."
"Ok. I'll even treat."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't mind." She smiled again at him, and he returned the expression.
"Alright. Thanks."
The two sat down in a fast food eatery that was installed in the airport. They continued to talk about random things as they ate their food, even exchanging phone numbers.
"So," said Matt as he ate some more of his fries. "What're you gonna do here in Japan? Is your cousin going to take you on a tour or something?"
"Actually I haven't told her I was coming…"
Again, his face revealed complete and utter shock. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell her?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise!"
"Do you even know where she lives?"
"Of course I do! I just…don't have any form of transportation to get there…"
"You can always take a cab."
"I guess…" She took a sip from her soft drink. "Can you speak Japanese?"
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have come here. I prepared myself because I had a gut feeling I'd end up in Japan while on this case…"
"Oh…it must be a big thing huh?"
"Yeah it is. It's very crucial. So, can you speak Japanese?"
"Of course I can silly! I can also speak Spanish. My parents made sure I didn't lose my cultural tongues, so they had me put in foreign language classes when I was old enough to absorb the practice."
"Wow. Your parents sure enforced a lot of education on you."
"Yeah, but I'm kinda glad they did. It really pays off to have a vast amount of knowledge."
"Well, I better call Mello and tell him that--" But before he could finish his sentence, his cell phone rang. He picked it up. "Yeah?"
"Matt, are you here yet?"
"Oh, hey Mello. Yeah I am. I just stopped by a fast food place to eat because I got hungry--"
"Well hurry up. I'm waiting in the front of the airport. We don't have time to waste!" He hung up, and Matt looked at his phone.
"He seriously needs to calm down…this competition thing with Near is kinda annoying me…"
"What happened?"
"Mello's already at the front of the airport waiting for me."
"Oh ok. Well let's throw our trash away then."
---
Matt and Kimiko walked out of the airport. The redhead was about to look for his friend when a car pulled up in front of them.
"What took you so long Matt?" said Mello as the window rolled down. "Put your stuff in the back and get in the car." For a brief moment he stopped talking to notice the girl standing next to Matt. "Who the hell is that?"
"Oh, this is Kimiko. I met her in L.A. and coincidentally she took the same plane to Japan."
Kimiko waved. "Hey! So…you're Mello. I didn't think you'd look like that. Are you German or something?"
"What's it to ya? Matt, get in the car."
"Oh…ok." He looked at Kimiko. "Uhm…well, it was nice meeting you Kim."
"Yeah, same here." She looked at the ground. "Would…your friend mind if…well I don't have anybody to pick me up to take me to my cousin's house, so I wondered if maybe--"
"No."
Matt looked at Mello. "Matt, we are not going to chauffeur this girl around."
"Why not?"
"Because I didn't come here for her. I don't even know who she is."
"But Mello…she has nobody to take her to her cousin's house…"
"Then that's her problem isn't it?"
"Mello…"
Kimiko placed a hand on Matt's shoulder. "It's fine. I can always walk there. I mean…it's only a couple of hundred miles or so…" She hugged Matt, who was taken by surprise. He didn't know how to react.
"Thanks for the company Matt."
"Er…no…problem." He patted her head, his cheeks a bit pink because he wasn't used to physical contact.
She gave him one final smile before grabbing the extendable handle of her suitcase and rolling it behind her down the sidewalk of the airport.
Matt put his bag in the back of the car, and got into the passenger seat.
"I'm surprised."
He turned to look at Mello. "About what?"
"You hardly ever talk to girls. I know how shy you can get sometimes around them."
"Well it's a long story as to how I met her, so I'll tell you later. But you know, she's actually a very interesting person."
"Uh huh."
They were stuck in the traffic in front of the airport because a lot of people were being picked up from the main entrance.
Matt spotted Kimiko and her bright neon suitcase. He looked at her and she was walking slowly, as if she was sad.
"Who the hell has a suitcase in those colors?" Mello said when he noticed Kimiko. "And with dinosaurs on it nonetheless…"
"Mello…can we just take her to her cousin's house?"
"No."
"Come on. She looks bummed out. I'm sure it's pretty far…and she hasn't been to Japan in a long time…"
"That's her fault."
"But she bought me lunch…"
"And?"
"This is the least I could do for her."
"Who's driving?"
"Look, I know you're the one with the car, but Kimiko really needs a ride to her destination. Are you really going to make a girl her age walk alone for miles especially in the outfit she's wearing? It's pretty tempting. Bad things could happen to her."
Mello continued to look straight ahead. He was silent for a moment, and made a frustrated face. "Stupid woman…"
He pulled up next to Kimiko. "Get in the damn car…"
Her face brightened and Matt gave her a thumbs up.
"Oh thank you so much!"
Matt turned to Mello. "You're a nice guy deep down, aren't you?"
"Shut up Matt."
---
Kimiko had given Mello the directions to her cousin's house, so he knew where to go. He tried to ignore the conversation she was having with Matt.
"You've sure had a lot of pets Kim."
"Yeah, I love animals. My parents said if they didn't trust me with a car, they'd buy me a horse. Hey! When you're done with whatever you're doing, maybe you can come to my house! I always invite friends over, and I'm sure my parents won't mind!"
"That sounds nice."
"Yay!"
Mello had never seen Matt so talkative before. There was a moment of silence, as both of his passengers looked out their windows.
"So Mello," Matt said to his blonde friend. "What exactly are we going to do here in Japan?"
"I'll discuss it with you later."
"This case is a brain buster…at least I think so. I mean, with all the evidence you and Near have come up with, I'd say this case is pretty close to being solved. I don't think Kira--"
"Did you say Kira?"
Mello stopped the car abruptly, making all three persons inside jerk forward. He glared at his friend.
Matt looked embarrassed. "I probably shouldn't have said anything…huh…?"
Kimiko got up from her seat and held on to Matt's, her face right next to his. "You didn't tell me you were working on the Kira case!"
"I didn't know if it was allowed…but…well know you know so…"
"Oh my gosh…this is…this is so amazing! I heard that the SPK who were trying to catch Kira have disbanded or something, so I thought he was going to rule the world with fear! But…wow! The Kira case!"
"Why are you so worked up over this?"
"Because I hate Kira."
"For what reason?"
"For trying to be God."
Matt looked at Kimiko, noticing her expression became more serious. Mello was getting annoyed. "Will you sit down?!" He was ignored as Kimiko kept talking with her new friend.
"I don't understand…"
"I hate Kira because he's going against Him. That's not right. I may not look or act like it, but I've got some religious beliefs, and what this Kira person is doing completely angers me. There is only one God in this world, and it's definitely not Kira."
"So…what are you? Catholic?"
"No, though I do have spiritual beliefs. But anyway, I'm angry with Kira for trying to be something he's not, especially something as serious as God. How dare he even put himself on the same level! He thinks just because he can kill people without being physically there that he automatically rules this world? That's blasphemy. I don't know what he's doing exactly, but that's defying the natural order established by the true Almighty! What Kira is doing is…is almost demonic even! It makes me so mad! And killing the president of the United States? He's not even a criminal! What the hell?!"
"Wow. You're sure worked up about this whole Kira thing."
"Of course I am! If it's one thing I hate besides that other thing I told you, it's people trying to be something they're not. For some reason it just gets me really irritated. It all makes sense now…that's why you were spying…that's why you wanted to come to Japan…you…you were working on the Kira case…" Her eyes widened. "Are you L?"
Matt was a bit shocked. "How do you know about him?"
"I heard he was the greatest detective off the face of this earth. I sort of admired him because he solved all these difficult cases."
"Well no, I'm not L. Neither is Mello…or that other guy I told you about…Near." This was a bit of a lie, but Matt was already in trouble as it is. "However…remember that orphanage I told you about?"
"Yeah."
"It was established to collect potential heirs if something should ever happen to L."
"Is that why you told me it was for gifted children?"
"Yup."
"Then…who would be next in line for L if something should ever happen to him?"
"That's enough."
Matt and Kimiko turned to Mello who had spoken. "You shouldn't get involved in business that doesn't concern you woman. Sit back down and be quiet."
"But I want to help now that I know you guys are working on the Kira case! I really want this guy to get caught so he can stop with the mass homicide already! Two wrongs don't make a right!"
"No. Sit back down."
"But--"
At that moment, Mello took out his gun and aimed it at her face. "I said…sit…back…down."
Her pupils shrunk when she saw the gun. She began to tremble. Slowly she backed down and sat in her seat, putting on her seatbelt. Mello continued to gaze at her menacingly, the gun still aimed at her. When she finally settled herself, he put the gun away and focused back on the road, starting the car once more.
"You know too much. Stop asking questions."
Matt looked back at Kimiko who now focused her attention on the window, slowly putting her earphones in her ears to help her calm down. He knew it wasn't working, because she continued to tremble, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks. He knew the cause for that was her trauma of guns, and he knew how afraid she was of them. She cried silently, without making any noise so as not to anger Mello any further.
"Mello," said Matt in a more serious tone. "Why did you do that?"
"She was being nosy."
"But to point a gun at her?"
"It worked."
"Mello, she's afraid of guns! That's her one fear! She's traumatized of them to an almost serious degree!"
"How is that my fault? I don't know what happened to her in the past!"
"Well don't point a gun at her ever again!"
"This is the last time we'll see her, so what does it matter?"
"Then don't point the gun at her for the remainder of the ride! She's even crying because you did that!"
"Why do you even care about how she feels? You're not going to see her anymore anyway! You'll be busy with the case!"
Matt didn't have anything to counter that. He just looked on ahead, eventually propping his head up on his arm as he looked outside the window. He felt bad that Kimiko was faced with a gun shortly after telling him that was her greatest and only fear. But he didn't expect Mello to lose his temper so quickly. Usually he was very calm around Matt, but having an extra person he didn't know probably made him a bit nervous.
Matt made sure to think before he spoke again.
---
After a while, Mello finally reached the address Kimiko had written down for him. "Hey woman, is this where your cousin lives?"
Kimiko had long ago taken off the earphones, so she was able to hear him. "Yes…"
"Then this is your stop."
Matt noticed it was an apartment complex once he took a good look at it. Kimiko got out of the car and went to the back, taking out her luggage. Then she walked up to Matt's side of the car.
"Thanks for everything Matt."
"No problem." He looked at her face and she still seemed a bit shaken up. He noticed her eyes were a bit red from crying. "Hey…I'm sorry…"
"For what?"
"When Mello pointed the gun at you. I should've reminded you that he carried a gun around…"
"No, it was my fault. I tried to pry into your business…I brought it upon myself…"
"Are you going to be ok?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Thanks for asking though." She gave him a smile, but it wasn't as cheerful.
"Hey…when this case is solved…uhm…maybe…we can hang out sometime…"
Her face brightened a bit. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Great."
"Well, good luck with your case."
"Thanks."
"Bye Matt."
"Later." He looked at Mello and nudged him on the arm.
"What?"
He shifted his eyes over to Kimiko and nodded in her direction with a slightly angry face. Mello rolled his eyes and said "Hey woman."
She turned around. "Yes?"
"Sorry about before. I just didn't want you to get involved. Kira's taken a few innocent lives already and you don't need to add to his count."
The sadness from her face was washed away. "Aww, that's sweet of you to think about my safety!"
He wrinkled his nose a bit, slightly embarrassed. "It's none of your business so you don't need to help. We'll be fine."
Matt whispered to Kimiko. "He actually has a soft spot deep down inside of him."
"Matt!"
Kimiko giggled as she looked at Mello's face, who she noticed was slightly blushing. Matt laughed at him because he had never seen Mello blush before. "Wow, I didn't think I'd ever see that expression on your face Mello!"
"Sh-Shut up!" This only deepened the color in his cheeks.
"Goodbye Matt and Mello. Hey, Mello…rhymes…with jello!" She gasped. "Say, can I call you Mello Jello?"
"No you can't!"
"But it's a cute nickname!"
"Well I don't want it!"
"You have to admit that it does rhyme pretty well."
"Stay out of this Matt!"
Matt gave a chuckle. "Later Kim."
"Bye Matt!"
She waved as the car drove off. Looking up at the complex, she climbed the stairs and found her cousin's apartment. She knocked on the door, smiling.
"I like surprising people."
-----
A/N: Yeah, this chapter was longer. I think this Kimiko sounds like a Mary-Sue...oh noes. Dx I might have to fix that later...hmm...
Anyway, I'm debating whether I should keep Mello alive or not...because I'd like to post some hilarious interactions with him and Kimiko but...yeah...maybe I'll just turn them into omakes.
Author: Jubilee
Characters/Pairings: Matt x OC
Rating: T
Genre: Romance + Friendship
Warnings/Notes: Nothing. AU in where Matt lives because he's my favorite.
Summary: She had saved him. He thought she was crazy. But now she's left with the responsibility of getting him back on his feet. Would they be able to handle it? This is the tale of Matt's life if he hadn't met his unfortunate fate. MattOC
Posted @: Here only. [Exclusive fanfiction?]
Chapters: One
-----
The two of them just continued to stare at each other, shock clearly evident on both of their faces.
"Wh…" began Kimiko. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to catch a plane to Japan at the last minute. What are you doing here?"
"I was going to go visit my cousin! She lives in Japan."
"Wow…this is so weird…but…hey, I thought you came to L.A. because you wanted to see your best friend?"
"I did…but she was so excited that I was coming over that she forgot to tell me she was going to go out of town for a while to visit her grandmother up north…ah, so I decided to just come to Japan for a bit to see my cousin."
"But don't you have to go back to school?"
"I haven't gotten anything from them."
"What if a notice comes in the mail while you're gone?"
"Oh…I didn't think of that…"
Matt shook his head. The flight attendant's voice ran throughout the plane, telling everybody that they were about to take off.
"Yay, the plane is moving!" Kimiko sounded excited. "I love riding in planes."
"Why?"
"Because I get to be up in the sky. You know, if I had a superpower, it'd be flight."
"Seriously?"
"Yup. Hey, if you had one, what would it be?"
"I dunno. I never gave it much thought. Probably…like super speed or something…"
"Why?"
"So I can get to the video game store in a flash when a new game comes out. Sometimes the lines for those things get pretty damn long…"
Kimiko chuckled a bit. She looked out the window, and they were already in the air. "Wow, I love the sky. It reminds me of the ocean."
"Why?"
"Because it's vast like it."
"But the sky doesn't end…"
"Yeah it does. You're probably counting outer space, but that's not what I was talking about. I just meant the sky in our atmosphere."
"Oh…" He gave a small sigh and decided to take off his vest. He put it on the empty seat next to him on his left, and then just sat, his fingers tapping his knee. "So…I noticed that you're not wearing anything loud today."
"Heh. Yeah, I decided to be subtle." She was wearing a red flannel shirt that had a white strapped top under it. Her shorts were black and very small, and she had sandals on that strapped a bit above the ankles. Her hair was held up in a clip making some kind of ponytail, the bangs hanging on the side of her face.
"You look…nice."
"Thanks." She smiled at him. "Hey, I painted my toenails yesterday. Look!" She shifted her left foot towards Matt and wiggled her toes. "I couldn't find red nail polish so I just went with a more…earthy color. Do you like them?"
"Well I'm a guy so I wouldn't really know what to say…"
"Ah, right. I painted my finger nails too in order to match my toes."
"I noticed. Say, do you wear makeup?"
"Mostly just eyeliner and I use lip gloss for my lips, but other than that, no. Why?"
"Just curious."
Kimiko looked at him and just shrugged. "So Matt, now that we've met again, how about telling me a bit about yourself?"
"Why would you want to know that stuff?"
"Because you seem like an interesting person."
"Well my life story isn't…"
"I still wanna hear about it anyway."
He looked at her for a moment. "Ok, I guess I can tell you."
She smiled again. "First, how old are you?"
"Questions? I thought you wanted me to talk…"
"Questions eventually lead up to the life story…"
"Yeah…ok…well…I'm nineteen years old."
"Wow! Really? I'm seventeen!"
"Younger than me by two years huh? I thought you'd be younger."
She pouted. "I don't look like a young lady to you? My body is still in the process of developing into a woman's body so--"
"Uhm Kim? I don't wanna hear about that…can I continue?"
"Oh sure! Go ahead."
He gave a smile, making it look like he was about to chuckle, but he suppressed it. "Anyway, I grew up in an orphanage so I don't know where I was born or who my parents were."
"So then…is Matt your real name?"
"That's what everybody calls me, but my birth name is Mail Jeevas."
"Wow! Really?"
"Uh…yeah? Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, I've just never heard a name that different before. But I can still call you Matt right?"
"Yeah. Nobody calls me Mail…that sounds weird…I don't even know what ethnicity that name comes from…"
The girl giggled. "I think it's unique. But anyway, continue on."
"Well, I grew up in the orphanage, like I had previously stated. I wasn't very social…since I mostly kept to myself, playing video games. I mean, I did get along with two of the kids there, but they really didn't get along with each other."
"Who were they?"
"The older one was called Mello and the younger one was Near. I'm a year younger than Mello, and a year older than Near."
"Ah, I see. So you didn't really have any friends?"
He shook his head. "No. I was pretty much a loner and didn't really care about interacting. I dunno. I was happy being by myself."
"So…you've never wanted any kind of bond with anyone?"
"Well, those things didn't really matter to me. I mean, it was nice that I was able to go against somebody when I would play video games, and I suppose I made a few acquaintances that way…but, other than that, I didn't really socialize. Mello's probably the closest to me."
"Why would you say that?"
"He's like my opposite: social and outgoing. That's probably why."
"How come you're not like that?"
Matt shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know. I guess…well, I felt a bit out of place you could say."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The kids there were either a bit snobbish because of the praise they got, and the others would be a bit too energetic so…"
"So you were in the middle?"
"Not necessarily. I didn't act snobbish just because I was in an orphanage for gifted children--"
"Gifted? In what sense? Like mutants?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and gave a laugh. "Where'd that come from?"
Kimiko blushed a bit, embarrassed by her overactive imagination. "Ah…I watch too many cartoons…sorry…"
"That's alright. Anyway, that orphanage is for gifted children, in the sense that they're very intelligent with high potentials."
"For what?"
Matt didn't know if he was allowed to tell her that all those kids were to be the heirs if anything should ever happen to the current L. "I dunno. That's just what I was told." He lied of course, but he felt like she didn't need to know this anyway.
"Oh…well, then how did you get out of the orphanage?"
"You automatically go off on your own once you're around seventeen or eighteen."
"Does that mean you got out just recently?"
"Yeah basically. From there I just traveled with Mello because he had left the orphanage just before he turned fifteen, and when he heard that it was my time to leave, he invited me to join him."
"Oh I see. He sounds like a good friend."
"He's not very temperamental…so…I try not to make him upset…since he carries a gun around…"
"Why the heck does he have something like that on his person?"
"For protection."
"My God…he sounds like a dangerous guy…"
"He is, but he can also be cooperative when it benefits him or helps him achieve his goals."
"Oh…so…is that all?"
"Yeah. Like I said, my life story is short and to the point."
"No love life?"
"No…? I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself…I wasn't very social…come to think of it…I'm still not that social…"
"So no girlfriends or anything?"
"No…"
"Not even crushes?"
"Well…I did have one while I was there…but…I never talked to her."
"Aww why not?"
"Firstly, why are you so interested in my romantic life?"
"I may not look like it, but…things like that interest me. I like to read a lot of shoujo manga."
"Er…yeah…ok. Well…as I was saying, I didn't talk to her…and she was always absorbed with her friends anyway. I never really got noticed in the orphanage as far as girls go. I was kind of a nerd back then…well, I guess I still am technically. Ah, my goggles didn't help much either. I suppose I was just shy."
"I never thought you'd be the timid type."
"Well…not so much anymore, but there are times when I can get a bit bashful…"
Kimiko giggled. "How cute!"
"It's not cute!"
"Yes it is!"
Matt made a face at her. "Anyway, that's really all I've gotta tell you. There's nothing more."
"Well, even though you didn't seem to lead an exciting life, I liked listening to your story."
"And now it's your turn, otherwise it isn't fair."
She smiled at him. "I know. Well, my story isn't that thrilling either, so don't expect twists or anything."
"That's fine. I don't mind."
"Ok. Hmm…well, like you already know, my parents have been very fortunate with their lives. My father is a lawyer and my mother is a doctor. They make good money because they're very good at their professions, so you could say I'm pretty well off, especially since I'm their only child."
"Do you have a mansion or something?"
"No. We have a big house though with a maid and a butler, but that's about it. Ah, we've got a gardener too, but he lives elsewhere, not inside our house."
"Oh. So…how did your parents meet?"
"Are we asking questions Mail Jeevas?"
"Yes we are Kimiko because it leads up to the life story."
She gave a giggle. "Well, my parents met in college. See, both of their parents were immigrants from their respective countries, Mexico and Japan. My dad's Mexican and my mother is Japanese. It was hard for my dad because his family didn't really expect much from him…but he really wanted to live a better life than the one he was living so he tried his best to get a good education. He really only had support from his teachers since they urged him to go to college.
My mom was expected to do well in school, and while she did struggle for a bit, eventually she got used to it and began to ace all of her classes. In order to increase their chances of getting into a good college, both of them joined a sport in high school: my dad played baseball and my mother played tennis since they were both fast runners. Because of their determination, they got good scholarships that helped them pay for college since their parents couldn't afford it. That's where they met, and after a while of being good friends, they fell in love and pretty soon they got married. Of course it was strange for them because they were from different cultures and their families were a bit iffy at first, but they learned to get used to it."
"Wow. That sounds like an interesting story."
"But that's not my story! I'm just telling you about my parents because it leads up to me."
Matt only smiled at Kimiko as she pouted, continuing. "Anyway, once they got married, they had just gotten their jobs, and that's when they decided they wanted a little bundle of joy. And guess who that was? That's right, me! So, I was born, and my mom was kept occupied with me for a while. It was tough on her because she still had to continue her education because being a doctor takes a lot of schooling, and my dad was already working, so raising a child and doing all of that at the same time was hard."
"Were they able to handle it?"
"Yes. With a little money they had saved up, they were able to take me to a daycare center while my dad worked and my mom continued school. Once they got used to their positions and their occupations, they were able to afford a nice house, hire a maid and butler, and finally spend more time with me. So, I didn't really live the good life until I was like…around five or something. But it's all good."
"Is that all?"
"No, I'm not finished. Let's see…well, I always went to private schools starting from elementary so I always had to wear a uniform. I got kinda tired of it, but I learned to just get used to it, so they didn't bother me anymore. I was expected to get good grades in every subject, so with that carved into my mentality, I was dissatisfied with anything less than an A. My parents were really proud of me all throughout my school years. Now all I've gotta do is finish my final year of high school, and I'll get my own car."
"You have a license?"
"Yup. But…it took me a few tries to get it…"
"That bad?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh, I see." It was quiet for a moment. Kimiko was trying to gather her thoughts to see what else she could tell Matt. He looked at her as she looked at the ceiling of the plane, trying to figure out what to say next. His eyes wandered a bit since he couldn't keep his focus on something inanimate, and eventually he found himself staring a bit at her chest, since her flannel shirt wasn't buttoned all the way and the undershirt made it look voluptuous. God that shirt is so working for her right now…
The girl apparently noticed and cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Liking the view Matt?"
"Gah!" His face became red. "No, I wasn't intentionally looking there! Honest! I just happened to notice it all of a sudden!"
She gave a small sigh. "Yeah…whatever…" Looking down, she continued. "You're not the first person to stare at me like that, so don't worry about it…I've gotten used to it after a while…"
"Uhm…I didn't mean to upset you…"
"Nah, it's ok. Just…that reminds me why I wanted to get away from New York for a while…"
"What's the reason?"
"My parents."
"I thought you loved your parents."
"I do, very much, but…sometimes…they do things that make me a bit irritated…I know they're only doing it because they love me and want what's best for me…but I'm getting older now and I want to make my own decisions…"
"Anything in particular that you don't like?"
"Well, the thing right now…that annoys me…is that they're trying to find a suitable guy for me to be my husband a few years from now…"
"Ah…one of those arranged marriage things?"
"Kinda, except at least I know who the guy is." She groaned and crossed her legs. "But they're so boring…"
"In what way?"
"They're not interesting. The professions they want aren't even the ones they really desire. I can tell by just looking at them. But their parents want them to follow in their footsteps, and the guys don't have the guts to tell them that they've got something else in mind. The daughters are the same way. I don't understand what's the big deal with rich people's kids not sticking up for themselves and having the courage to tell their parents that they want a different career path than they do."
"What about you? What do you want to be?"
"My parents wanted me to either be something that had to do with a lawyer or something in the medical field, but what I really wanna be is a writer."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I want to create my own worlds, my own characters, plot lines, and the like. I want to express my imagination via books. Unfortunately my parents…well, mostly my dad…they don't think being an authoress is very promising…so they urge me to become something more professional…but…I just don't see it…those kinds of things never interested me."
"You know, for a girl of your stature, you sure are different. I mean…you probably have like all these wealthy guys waiting to take your hand in marriage, yet you reject all of 'em. Why?"
"Because, like I said, they're boring." She looked at Matt. "They say they want to be doctors and lawyers and astronomers and college professors, you know, the jobs that pay big. But…none of them have said that they wanted to be writers or journalists or video game designers or…or artists…none of them…they all follow in their parents' footsteps, and that annoys me. To be honest with you Matt, I don't really think those guys want me to be their future partner to bond…they just want me…just to have me…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know I seem a bit conceited, and I probably am subconsciously, but…I just don't like it when somebody wants another person just to have them, like if they were a humanoid trophy. I hate that stuff. And I truly think those guys want me to obtain bragging rights. I'm the apple of my parents' eye and they're always praising me, telling their friends what a great daughter I am and such…but sometimes it gets on my nerves, especially when a guy is introduced to me. Once I take off that mask that my parents have given me and reveal my true self, they don't like me as much because I'm a bit on the strange side, but you probably already knew that. My fashion sense gave that away the first time we met."
Matt looked at her face, and she seemed to be a bit sad. "You know something Matt? I would really like it if I could just…at least have a respectable guy friend…all the ones I've had in the past have had the same motive as the previous: my hand in holy matrimony when I came of age. It really pissed me off when I found out the truth. Of course, this made them angry when I yelled at them, and so they started throwing insults here and there, adding in curse words to make them sound that much smarter…and I realized…I'm never gonna find anybody to relate to in that world. They're too different from me. I don't want haughty rich guys…I want somebody more subtle…somebody humble…somebody unique. I haven't given up. I know I'll find him one day. I just have to keep searching harder. I don't care how long it takes. I'll find him."
The redhead stared at Kimiko as she glanced out the window. Her face appeared to be sad as she watched the clouds underneath them roll by. Matt took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Well…your story seems…a lot more interesting than mine. Ha."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You've got a lot to say about yourself Kim."
"I'm just telling you the facts of my life and how I feel about them. Did you know when I was younger that I wanted to either be a pirate or a dinosaur?"
He smiled. "A pirate or a dinosaur eh? Were you gonna combine them and become a dinosaur pirate?"
"Maybe…"
He gave a chuckle, and this made Kimiko smile.
"So, Kim…what does your name mean?"
"Why would you wanna know something like that?"
"Just curious. Every name has a meaning. At least…I think so."
"My mom named me. She told me it means 'child without equal' and my dad thought it was perfect because it described me completely. There is absolutely nobody on the face of this planet, who comes even a tiny bit close to who I am. Nobody. I mean, how many Mexican-Japanese girls are there with a cup size that isn't a B or A?"
"You're starting to talk about your body again…"
He was slightly ignored. "Most people would think that Asian females would have small chests, a very stereotypical statement. But because I'm also of Mexican blood, and because my dad's sisters all had nice bust sizes, I luckily got that part of the gene pool, so I have a nice bust size too. Not ridiculously large…God no…that'd make me look like some kind of…well some kind of something. I like the way they are."
"Yeah…they've…well they're not super big…but…they've got a nice shape…I'll admit that…"
"Are you some kind of pervert Matt?"
"What? No!" His face turned red again. "I'm being honest! Geez!" He crossed his arms.
Kimiko gave another giggle. "I know. I'm just kidding."
He made another face at her and slumped in his seat a bit. "I hope this plane lands in Japan soon…"
"I heard it takes around fourteen hours or so."
Matt looked at her, shock plastered all over his face. "Four…fourteen hours?"
"Yeah. I mean, Japan is located all the way on the other side of the world…"
"What the hell am I supposed to do for fourteen hours?!"
"How should I know? They usually have movies playing, like five different ones, to keep the passengers occupied."
"Eh…I don't feel like watching movies…" He got his vest and took out another hand-held console, a DS, and began to play with it.
"You like video games Matt?"
"Yeah. Weren't you listening to my story?"
"I forget things easily." Kimiko rummaged through the purse that she had beneath her legs and took out her own DS, except it was pink. "I have one too."
"Oh really? What game do you have?"
"Well the cartridge that's inside it right now is my Pokemon game…I like to play those. They're fun."
"What a coincidence. I have that game too."
"I bet I can beat you at a battle."
"Fat chance. Nobody has ever been able to defeat me at this game."
"Ok, fine. Let's see if you can put your money where you mouth is."
"You're on."
The two began to play with their game, battling for a while. Kimiko found that Matt was a very good gamer. She had a bit of trouble trying to beat him, and nobody has ever beaten her when it comes to Pokemon.
"Damn!"
Matt smiled as Kimiko's final Pokemon fainted. "Heh. Looks like I've won."
The girl gave a growl. "Togekiss is one of my best Pokemon!"
"Your team was very well-balanced. I actually had a bit of trouble."
"Then how did I lose?"
"You started panicking when your team was going down. You need to be calm in situations like those."
Kimiko huffed, and Matt continued to smile. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're the first person to put me in a corner like that. Lucario was my last Pokemon, and against your Togekiss, I'd say it was a pretty good match."
"Yeah yeah…" The girl put away her DS. "I need to train them more…"
Matt shook his head a bit and continued playing with his game console. Kimiko looked out the window, watching the clouds roll by.
"Matt…"
"Hmm?" he said without taking his eyes off his game.
"Are you…afraid of anything?"
"Like, if I have any fears?"
"Yeah."
"No, not really. I mean, I'm probably afraid of something, but I just haven't found what it is yet. Why?"
"Just curious…"
It was quiet for a moment until Matt spoke again. "Are you afraid of anything?"
"I thought I wasn't, but…now that I think about it…yeah, I am."
"What is it? Spiders? Heights? Ghosts?"
"No…guns."
"Guns? Why guns?"
She stood quiet for a brief moment, not taking her eyes off the window.
"Because…well, you could say it's a trauma."
"Something bad happen in the past?"
"Kinda…"
"What was it?"
"It was when I was like…around seven or something. I was walking home with my cousins. They were older than me, about teenage years. I can't really remember their age. Oh, it was my cousin who I'm gonna visit in Japan…and…her brother. Anyway, we were walking home from the mall, when all of a sudden, we heard someone scream…I think it was a lady…and there was a commotion. Then, I heard gunfire. I had never heard it before. I didn't know how to react when that sound reached my ears."
Matt stood quiet and listened as Kimiko continued.
"The three of us saw some guy round the corner, coming towards us. He had a gun in his hand. My cousin…he tried to stop him…see…he wanted to be a police officer…and so…I guess that drove him to do what he did. He ran to the guy and tried to hold him down until the authorities arrived. My other cousin…she told him to stop, but he didn't, and that's when it happened."
Matt could only guess what would be her next sentence.
"He was shot…" Kimiko took a small breath, trying to maintain her state. "When I saw it…I was completely horrified. My cousin was shot in the stomach…and he slumped to the floor…bleeding…a red pool beneath him. My other cousin screamed and ran to him as the guy made his escape. I just stood there…trembling. Eventually the police came and caught him, but…they couldn't do anything about my cousin. It had already been too late for him…"
The girl squeezed the end of her shirt to stop herself from shedding tears. "Ever since that day…I've been traumatized of guns…I hated them…I never even played video games with them…they got me scared…and when I would see a movie that had shooting, I'd flinch and try to block out the noise. They just…remind me of how my cousin died…and…we both loved him so much…he was a great guy…and then he had to go and die…die because he tried to do something good…"
"And that's the only thing you've ever been afraid of?"
"Yes. I'm not even afraid of passing away…just…just guns…I hate them…" She gave a sort of short laugh. "Funny…I'm not afraid of guns used for hunting wild animals…or guns used in the military…I'm just afraid of the standardized guns that anybody can get a hold of…"
She sighed, keeping back her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of Matt. "Well, now I've told you my fear. Uhm…can we…just not talk for a bit…?"
He figured she needed time to calm down. "Yeah, that's fine." He actually didn't want to talk for a bit either because he wanted to play his game, plus he needed sleep.
Kimiko put her earphones back on and selected a song to listen to. Music always calmed her down, and right now, she really needed it.
---
He felt somebody shake him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the flight attendant. "Huh…? Are we there already…?"
"No, we still need a few more hours. But it's nighttime already, and I noticed that you dozed off. I brought you a pillow and a blanket."
"Oh…thanks…"
He looked to his right to see out the window, which was now black. The moon wasn't even illuminating the area outside the plane. He noticed Kimiko had fallen asleep too. Her head looked uncomfortable in the position she was sleeping in.
"Can I get another pillow and blanket?"
"Oh, of course." The flight attendant came back shortly with another pillow and blanket. "Here you go."
"Thanks."
The lady smiled and continued waking down the isle to see if anybody else needed pillows or blankets.
Matt tried not to wake up Kimiko as he put the pillow behind her head. He took off the earphones she was wearing and grabbed the MP3 player, putting it in his lap so he could put the extra blanket over her. He then took the device and turned it off, setting it down on the floor next to her feet.
"I hope she doesn't hate me or something for touching her stuff."
He cracked his neck since it hurt a bit, and then stretched, yawning shortly afterward. "Well, I guess I better get back to sleep." He settled himself in the best possible condition he could, putting the pillow behind his head and the blanket over his body.
"I hope this plane lands soon. Mello's probably gonna be angry with me…"
Disregarding his blonde friend for the time being, the redhead was starting to doze off again, sleep finally consuming him once more.
---
It felt hot. This warm feeling disturbed her. Kimiko woke up and saw that her window was lit again. The sun was shining, its beams warming the exterior of the plane and her window.
She rubbed her eyes, and that's when she noticed she had a pillow behind her head and a blanket over her. "Hmm? How'd this get here?"
Kimiko turned to her left and saw Matt sleeping, snoring a bit, his mouth slightly open. She gave a small smile, and shook him on the shoulder. "Hey."
He gave a slight jolt and looked around. "Wha?" He put both hands on his face, rubbing his eyes, giving a groan. "Are we there yet…?"
As if on cue, the attendant's voice ran throughout the plane. "Attention please. We have made it to our destination. The plane will be landing shortly."
"Finally…" Matt said as he took off the blanket and pillow. "Ugh…I need to sleep on something flat…my back hurts…"
"You're not used to planes…are you?"
"Not really. I don't get out much."
They felt the plane descending. Kimiko looked excitedly out the window and beamed. "Yay! We're landing!"
"I hope Mello isn't angry with me taking so long…"
"Why?"
"Remember how you caught me spying or whatever?"
"Yeah?"
"Well we're kinda doing something secretive to help with a big case…so…"
"Oh ok. And he wants you to be punctual because time is precious right? Gottcha."
He was glad she didn't try to ask questions.
"Ah! It feels good to walk again!" Kimiko said as she and the passengers got off the plane. Matt was walking with her.
"So Matt," she began as they walked into the airport from the terminal. "Do you have any luggage you need from the plane?"
"No. This bag was the only one I had."
"Oh. Well, would you mind coming with me to get my stuff? My carry-on wasn't the only thing I brought."
"Sure."
The redhead walked with the girl to the revolving belt where the luggage of their plane was being displayed. Kimiko found hers and took it off from the belt. Matt stared at her large suitcase.
"Is there a reason as to why your suitcase has dinosaur print on it in bright colors?"
"That's so it doesn't get lost!"
"Well how can it? Just looking at it hurts my eyes…"
She giggled. "I think you need to start wearing glasses instead of those goggles Matt."
"Nah, my vision is fine." He liked wearing his goggles anyway. He had gotten used to them.
Matt walked with Kimiko around the airport, trying to find the main exit. "I just noticed that it's daylight over here, so it must be nighttime in America. Hey! Wanna get something to eat? They have restaurants here in the airport."
"I dunno…"
"Aww, come on…please? I'm sure your friend Mello isn't here. If he was, he'd call you on his cell phone or something."
"True. Well, I guess."
"Ok. I'll even treat."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't mind." She smiled again at him, and he returned the expression.
"Alright. Thanks."
The two sat down in a fast food eatery that was installed in the airport. They continued to talk about random things as they ate their food, even exchanging phone numbers.
"So," said Matt as he ate some more of his fries. "What're you gonna do here in Japan? Is your cousin going to take you on a tour or something?"
"Actually I haven't told her I was coming…"
Again, his face revealed complete and utter shock. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell her?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise!"
"Do you even know where she lives?"
"Of course I do! I just…don't have any form of transportation to get there…"
"You can always take a cab."
"I guess…" She took a sip from her soft drink. "Can you speak Japanese?"
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have come here. I prepared myself because I had a gut feeling I'd end up in Japan while on this case…"
"Oh…it must be a big thing huh?"
"Yeah it is. It's very crucial. So, can you speak Japanese?"
"Of course I can silly! I can also speak Spanish. My parents made sure I didn't lose my cultural tongues, so they had me put in foreign language classes when I was old enough to absorb the practice."
"Wow. Your parents sure enforced a lot of education on you."
"Yeah, but I'm kinda glad they did. It really pays off to have a vast amount of knowledge."
"Well, I better call Mello and tell him that--" But before he could finish his sentence, his cell phone rang. He picked it up. "Yeah?"
"Matt, are you here yet?"
"Oh, hey Mello. Yeah I am. I just stopped by a fast food place to eat because I got hungry--"
"Well hurry up. I'm waiting in the front of the airport. We don't have time to waste!" He hung up, and Matt looked at his phone.
"He seriously needs to calm down…this competition thing with Near is kinda annoying me…"
"What happened?"
"Mello's already at the front of the airport waiting for me."
"Oh ok. Well let's throw our trash away then."
---
Matt and Kimiko walked out of the airport. The redhead was about to look for his friend when a car pulled up in front of them.
"What took you so long Matt?" said Mello as the window rolled down. "Put your stuff in the back and get in the car." For a brief moment he stopped talking to notice the girl standing next to Matt. "Who the hell is that?"
"Oh, this is Kimiko. I met her in L.A. and coincidentally she took the same plane to Japan."
Kimiko waved. "Hey! So…you're Mello. I didn't think you'd look like that. Are you German or something?"
"What's it to ya? Matt, get in the car."
"Oh…ok." He looked at Kimiko. "Uhm…well, it was nice meeting you Kim."
"Yeah, same here." She looked at the ground. "Would…your friend mind if…well I don't have anybody to pick me up to take me to my cousin's house, so I wondered if maybe--"
"No."
Matt looked at Mello. "Matt, we are not going to chauffeur this girl around."
"Why not?"
"Because I didn't come here for her. I don't even know who she is."
"But Mello…she has nobody to take her to her cousin's house…"
"Then that's her problem isn't it?"
"Mello…"
Kimiko placed a hand on Matt's shoulder. "It's fine. I can always walk there. I mean…it's only a couple of hundred miles or so…" She hugged Matt, who was taken by surprise. He didn't know how to react.
"Thanks for the company Matt."
"Er…no…problem." He patted her head, his cheeks a bit pink because he wasn't used to physical contact.
She gave him one final smile before grabbing the extendable handle of her suitcase and rolling it behind her down the sidewalk of the airport.
Matt put his bag in the back of the car, and got into the passenger seat.
"I'm surprised."
He turned to look at Mello. "About what?"
"You hardly ever talk to girls. I know how shy you can get sometimes around them."
"Well it's a long story as to how I met her, so I'll tell you later. But you know, she's actually a very interesting person."
"Uh huh."
They were stuck in the traffic in front of the airport because a lot of people were being picked up from the main entrance.
Matt spotted Kimiko and her bright neon suitcase. He looked at her and she was walking slowly, as if she was sad.
"Who the hell has a suitcase in those colors?" Mello said when he noticed Kimiko. "And with dinosaurs on it nonetheless…"
"Mello…can we just take her to her cousin's house?"
"No."
"Come on. She looks bummed out. I'm sure it's pretty far…and she hasn't been to Japan in a long time…"
"That's her fault."
"But she bought me lunch…"
"And?"
"This is the least I could do for her."
"Who's driving?"
"Look, I know you're the one with the car, but Kimiko really needs a ride to her destination. Are you really going to make a girl her age walk alone for miles especially in the outfit she's wearing? It's pretty tempting. Bad things could happen to her."
Mello continued to look straight ahead. He was silent for a moment, and made a frustrated face. "Stupid woman…"
He pulled up next to Kimiko. "Get in the damn car…"
Her face brightened and Matt gave her a thumbs up.
"Oh thank you so much!"
Matt turned to Mello. "You're a nice guy deep down, aren't you?"
"Shut up Matt."
---
Kimiko had given Mello the directions to her cousin's house, so he knew where to go. He tried to ignore the conversation she was having with Matt.
"You've sure had a lot of pets Kim."
"Yeah, I love animals. My parents said if they didn't trust me with a car, they'd buy me a horse. Hey! When you're done with whatever you're doing, maybe you can come to my house! I always invite friends over, and I'm sure my parents won't mind!"
"That sounds nice."
"Yay!"
Mello had never seen Matt so talkative before. There was a moment of silence, as both of his passengers looked out their windows.
"So Mello," Matt said to his blonde friend. "What exactly are we going to do here in Japan?"
"I'll discuss it with you later."
"This case is a brain buster…at least I think so. I mean, with all the evidence you and Near have come up with, I'd say this case is pretty close to being solved. I don't think Kira--"
"Did you say Kira?"
Mello stopped the car abruptly, making all three persons inside jerk forward. He glared at his friend.
Matt looked embarrassed. "I probably shouldn't have said anything…huh…?"
Kimiko got up from her seat and held on to Matt's, her face right next to his. "You didn't tell me you were working on the Kira case!"
"I didn't know if it was allowed…but…well know you know so…"
"Oh my gosh…this is…this is so amazing! I heard that the SPK who were trying to catch Kira have disbanded or something, so I thought he was going to rule the world with fear! But…wow! The Kira case!"
"Why are you so worked up over this?"
"Because I hate Kira."
"For what reason?"
"For trying to be God."
Matt looked at Kimiko, noticing her expression became more serious. Mello was getting annoyed. "Will you sit down?!" He was ignored as Kimiko kept talking with her new friend.
"I don't understand…"
"I hate Kira because he's going against Him. That's not right. I may not look or act like it, but I've got some religious beliefs, and what this Kira person is doing completely angers me. There is only one God in this world, and it's definitely not Kira."
"So…what are you? Catholic?"
"No, though I do have spiritual beliefs. But anyway, I'm angry with Kira for trying to be something he's not, especially something as serious as God. How dare he even put himself on the same level! He thinks just because he can kill people without being physically there that he automatically rules this world? That's blasphemy. I don't know what he's doing exactly, but that's defying the natural order established by the true Almighty! What Kira is doing is…is almost demonic even! It makes me so mad! And killing the president of the United States? He's not even a criminal! What the hell?!"
"Wow. You're sure worked up about this whole Kira thing."
"Of course I am! If it's one thing I hate besides that other thing I told you, it's people trying to be something they're not. For some reason it just gets me really irritated. It all makes sense now…that's why you were spying…that's why you wanted to come to Japan…you…you were working on the Kira case…" Her eyes widened. "Are you L?"
Matt was a bit shocked. "How do you know about him?"
"I heard he was the greatest detective off the face of this earth. I sort of admired him because he solved all these difficult cases."
"Well no, I'm not L. Neither is Mello…or that other guy I told you about…Near." This was a bit of a lie, but Matt was already in trouble as it is. "However…remember that orphanage I told you about?"
"Yeah."
"It was established to collect potential heirs if something should ever happen to L."
"Is that why you told me it was for gifted children?"
"Yup."
"Then…who would be next in line for L if something should ever happen to him?"
"That's enough."
Matt and Kimiko turned to Mello who had spoken. "You shouldn't get involved in business that doesn't concern you woman. Sit back down and be quiet."
"But I want to help now that I know you guys are working on the Kira case! I really want this guy to get caught so he can stop with the mass homicide already! Two wrongs don't make a right!"
"No. Sit back down."
"But--"
At that moment, Mello took out his gun and aimed it at her face. "I said…sit…back…down."
Her pupils shrunk when she saw the gun. She began to tremble. Slowly she backed down and sat in her seat, putting on her seatbelt. Mello continued to gaze at her menacingly, the gun still aimed at her. When she finally settled herself, he put the gun away and focused back on the road, starting the car once more.
"You know too much. Stop asking questions."
Matt looked back at Kimiko who now focused her attention on the window, slowly putting her earphones in her ears to help her calm down. He knew it wasn't working, because she continued to tremble, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks. He knew the cause for that was her trauma of guns, and he knew how afraid she was of them. She cried silently, without making any noise so as not to anger Mello any further.
"Mello," said Matt in a more serious tone. "Why did you do that?"
"She was being nosy."
"But to point a gun at her?"
"It worked."
"Mello, she's afraid of guns! That's her one fear! She's traumatized of them to an almost serious degree!"
"How is that my fault? I don't know what happened to her in the past!"
"Well don't point a gun at her ever again!"
"This is the last time we'll see her, so what does it matter?"
"Then don't point the gun at her for the remainder of the ride! She's even crying because you did that!"
"Why do you even care about how she feels? You're not going to see her anymore anyway! You'll be busy with the case!"
Matt didn't have anything to counter that. He just looked on ahead, eventually propping his head up on his arm as he looked outside the window. He felt bad that Kimiko was faced with a gun shortly after telling him that was her greatest and only fear. But he didn't expect Mello to lose his temper so quickly. Usually he was very calm around Matt, but having an extra person he didn't know probably made him a bit nervous.
Matt made sure to think before he spoke again.
---
After a while, Mello finally reached the address Kimiko had written down for him. "Hey woman, is this where your cousin lives?"
Kimiko had long ago taken off the earphones, so she was able to hear him. "Yes…"
"Then this is your stop."
Matt noticed it was an apartment complex once he took a good look at it. Kimiko got out of the car and went to the back, taking out her luggage. Then she walked up to Matt's side of the car.
"Thanks for everything Matt."
"No problem." He looked at her face and she still seemed a bit shaken up. He noticed her eyes were a bit red from crying. "Hey…I'm sorry…"
"For what?"
"When Mello pointed the gun at you. I should've reminded you that he carried a gun around…"
"No, it was my fault. I tried to pry into your business…I brought it upon myself…"
"Are you going to be ok?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Thanks for asking though." She gave him a smile, but it wasn't as cheerful.
"Hey…when this case is solved…uhm…maybe…we can hang out sometime…"
Her face brightened a bit. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Great."
"Well, good luck with your case."
"Thanks."
"Bye Matt."
"Later." He looked at Mello and nudged him on the arm.
"What?"
He shifted his eyes over to Kimiko and nodded in her direction with a slightly angry face. Mello rolled his eyes and said "Hey woman."
She turned around. "Yes?"
"Sorry about before. I just didn't want you to get involved. Kira's taken a few innocent lives already and you don't need to add to his count."
The sadness from her face was washed away. "Aww, that's sweet of you to think about my safety!"
He wrinkled his nose a bit, slightly embarrassed. "It's none of your business so you don't need to help. We'll be fine."
Matt whispered to Kimiko. "He actually has a soft spot deep down inside of him."
"Matt!"
Kimiko giggled as she looked at Mello's face, who she noticed was slightly blushing. Matt laughed at him because he had never seen Mello blush before. "Wow, I didn't think I'd ever see that expression on your face Mello!"
"Sh-Shut up!" This only deepened the color in his cheeks.
"Goodbye Matt and Mello. Hey, Mello…rhymes…with jello!" She gasped. "Say, can I call you Mello Jello?"
"No you can't!"
"But it's a cute nickname!"
"Well I don't want it!"
"You have to admit that it does rhyme pretty well."
"Stay out of this Matt!"
Matt gave a chuckle. "Later Kim."
"Bye Matt!"
She waved as the car drove off. Looking up at the complex, she climbed the stairs and found her cousin's apartment. She knocked on the door, smiling.
"I like surprising people."
-----
A/N: Yeah, this chapter was longer. I think this Kimiko sounds like a Mary-Sue...oh noes. Dx I might have to fix that later...hmm...
Anyway, I'm debating whether I should keep Mello alive or not...because I'd like to post some hilarious interactions with him and Kimiko but...yeah...maybe I'll just turn them into omakes.